《Daoist Master of Qing Xuan》


 Chapter 1 The Young Daoist Monk

    There was a mountain called the Mount Qingxia. The path leading up to it was a windy, twisted trail paved with stone steps covered in wet moss.


    A middle-aged man in his thirties was sweating profusely, beads of sweat trickling down onto the stone steps �C he was clearly exhausted from the hike.


    He paused for a moment, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the lapel of his Chinese jacket. In front of him was a luscious green forest. As the leafy branches danced to the wind, the dark green roof tiles unveiled and came into sight, faintly discernible.


    After another fifteen minutes of hiking, he could finally see the ancient building standing deep in the mountains. Uncovering it from its mysterious veil, the ancient building could then be seen in its entirety.


    Behind him was a serene bamboo-lined path and ahead of him was a slope of peacefully rooted pine trees. He could not help but notice the stark contrast - a run-down Daoist temple was right in front of him.


    Despite its simplicity and the remoteness of its location, the Daoist temple was surrounded by an air of mystique. Fascinated by the sight before him, the man felt refreshed. The fatigue from the climb slowly faded away.


    He took a deep breath and sent sweet, fresh air deep into his lungs. Mustering the little energy that he had left, he dragged himself to the entrance. Most of the red paint on the door pillars did not withstand the test of time and had long chipped and weathered off. Strange enough, the signboard �C an inscribed tablet hanging on top of the door - retained its color.


    The name of the temple - Qingxia Temple, was inscribed clearly and neatly on the signboard. The inscription was neat, each stroke showcased the Daoist author''s detachment and independence.


    Flanking each side of the door was a set of Chinese couplet, ''Heart as free as the clouds; Mind that flows like running water''.


    Judging from the ink, it was obvious that the couplet was a recent addition. The calligraphy was expressive and unrestrained.


    The man was not well-versed in literature and art but even he could tell that there was something special about the couplet. What exactly, he could not put his finger on it; the couplet just had a certain je ne sais quoi.


    Grabbing onto the iron ring attached to the door, the man knocked and was taken aback by the unexpected loud collision. Out of courtesy, he knocked again in a gentler and less abrupt manner.


    Shortly after, the door swung open.


    A young Daoist monk around thirteen or fourteen years old stood by the door. He gave off a whiff of herbal medicine, the scent was almost pleasant.


    The young Daoist monk had neatly shaped and delicate facial features. He was slightly on the thinner side. Even though he had put on an oversized puffer jacket, the man could tell that he was frail. His face had a yellowish undertone, hinting at possible underlying health concerns.


    He used to go by the name Li Feng. More precisely, his soul did not belong to this world. He was a doctor on Earth. He used to run a clinic and had considerable income. On top of that, he owned a car and a house. He might not be considered a winner in life but undeniably, he led a good life.


    With that said, the repetitive lifestyle got boring after a while.


    He was driving home that day. At the junction, he got into an accident. By the time he was awake, he realized that his soul was in a different body.


    Having transcended time and space, he realized that not every time traveler was that lucky.


    Three months ago, he became the new owner of this body, Shen Lian. Seeing it as a fateful encounter, he decided to assume Shen Lian''s identity as a token of apology of sorts to the actual owner of the body.


    The real Shen Lian had an impressive background �C his mother was the daughter of the reputable Shen family, wealthy merchants based in the State Capital of Qing. His mother was pregnant with him when she was seventeen and unmarried. No one knew who the father was and his mother would not breathe a word about it.


    She insisted on giving birth to him.


    Her premarital pregnancy did not sit well with her father, Old Master Shen. Despite his anger, Old Master Shen could not bear to disown his only daughter.


    Unfortunately, Shen Lian''s mother died young. She passed away two years ago.


    Shen Lian could not imagine life with the Shen family without his mother. He did not feel belonged there and people would call him a ''bastard'' behind his back.


    Having made up his mind, Shen Lian approached Old Master Shen and his two uncles. He offered to leave the Shen family as a substitute monk in order to pray for the good fortune of Shen family.


    The concept of substitute monk was not new to reputable houses and families. Though, substitute monks were usually the children of servants. In spite of everything, Shen Lian was still a descendant of Shen family, he did not have to volunteer. Not surprisingly, Old Master Shen agreed to his request.


    After all, the Shen family had amassed a considerable fortune. It was a common local practice for daughters of the family to inherit some part of the fortune. A daughter''s inheritance would be passed on to her by way of dowry, of which she would have complete access and control.


    Dowry was usually given to daughters when they reached a marriageable age. By the time she gets married, most of the land title would already be in her name.


    When Shen Lian''s mother was impregnated out of wedlock, she was not banished from the Shen family out of Old Master Shen''s love for her. Though, a big part of the reason was that if she were to leave the Shen family, she would bring with her fortune of considerable size.


    After the death of his mother, Shen Lian inherited the fortune as of right. Even though Old Master Shen and his two uncles were nice to him, he could not help but be worried �C who knew when his two aunts would brew up something sinister! He was painfully aware of the fact that upon his death, his inheritance would be reverted back to the Shen family as of right.


    Shen Lian''s uncles each had children of their own. Despite the kindness that his uncles had shown him, he was never part of their family. His uncles would definitely love to leave their own children some sort of inheritance.


    As Shen Lian was young when he decided to leave the Shen family to become a Daoist monk, these factors were not part of his consideration. He was merely driven by his pride and reluctance to depend on others. Even more so, he had discovered a book of martial exercises. It was something that he found when he was sorting out his mother''s belongings. Apparently, the book was from his father. He could not help but wonder why his mother did not give the book to him.


    In order to practice the martial exercises, Shen Lian was keen to find a private place, a place of his own.


    The Shen family was incredibly wealthy. The Qingxia Temple along with Mount Qingxia belonged to them. This was exactly why the Shen family felt it was safe to send Shen Lian there.


    If Shen Lian were to be addicted to the ways of Daoism and decided to stay a Daoist monk, the Shen family could not be more pleased.


    The villagers living at the foot of the mountain were in charge of maintenance. Ever since Shen Lian came to the Qingxia Temple, the villagers had been sending over food and clothes.


    On special occasions and during festivals, servants from the Shen family would bring Shen Lian something �C a gesture to show him that he was not forgotten.


    Shen Lian had plenty of time on his hands as he was living alone on Mount Qingxia and did not have to worry about daily chores and his meals. The villagers would help out with the chores, and he hired someone to take care of his meals. After all, the Shen family had plenty of cash to spare. Therefore in his free time, Shen Lian could indulge in researching into the book of martial exercises that he found.


    The book of martial exercises was known as ''The Mastery of Senses''. A book of several thousand words, it focused on a method of sensing the spirit, strengthening the power of the spirit, and improving on the astuteness of the psyche and the swiftness of one''s response. When the spirit attained a certain level of strength, it would be able to break through from the Baihui point and bring forth out of body experiences. In short, the book was filled with various inconceivable and abstruse notions.

 Chapter 2 The Nourishment of Spiri

    Given that youths generally did not have a complicated thought process, the real Shen Lian could easily sense his spirit and he nourished it according to the methods recorded in the book of martial exercises.


    He wondered if the book of martial exercises was missing in some pages �C there was only the Way of Spirit Nourishment but none of the chapters were on physical strength training.


    He was too fixated on nourishing his spirit and had subsequently neglected the physical aspect of his training. Yet, the spirit drew upon Qi energy to heighten its power.


    His spirit grew stronger but at the expense of his physical body. His body was becoming weaker and weaker. Youths were supposed to be growing and brimming with energy, yet the real Shen Lian was drained of energy and fraught with frailty. It could very well be that he was blessed with a healthy body to begin with, so nothing disastrous happened even after some years of practicing.


    However, straying from the proper path of cultivation will usually lead to unfortunate outcomes. One day, the power of his spirit was at its limit and it was ready to leave his body through the Bai Hui point. He was close to having an out of body experience and his spirit was light, so light that it felt as if it was going to leave with the wind.


    He lacked understanding in the art of cultivation. He was unaware that when his spirit leaves his body, it will bring along all of the Qi energy in his body. He had always been frail. The Qi energy produced daily by his blood was mostly exhausted by the spirit power coursing through his body.


    A significant amount of Qi energy was needed when his spirit was about to leave his body. His body was no longer capable of providing that amount of Qi energy. The real Shen Lian disregarded his physical limitation and overexerted himself. The Qi energy reserve in his body was completely extracted and he was close to falling apart.


    The body and its vigor were directly linked to the well-being of the soul, the psyche linked to the spirit; the soul and the spirit were connected on a myriad of levels and possibilities. The disturbance to their balance sent him slipping into psychosis; his body was taking a toll.


    In the end, his body was taken over by a doctor from planet Earth.


    Although Li Feng, the new Shen Lian, merged his memories with that of the real Shen Lian, he still had to deal with the frail body that he was then trapped in.


    Fortunately, being in a state of psychosis had dispersed some of the power of spirit all over Shen Lian''s body. The power of spirit was subsequently turned into Qi energy, which protected the body from perishing.


    This was the reason why Shen Lian, the new Shen Lian, did not die right after waking up.


    He was after all a doctor, he knew full well how weak the body was.


    Though to be fair, he did not know that the stronger the spirit, the greater the burden it was to the body.


    There was a pressing need to bring his body back into shape and to instill vital Qi back into him.


    Luckily, he was surrounded by nature and its luscious greenery. The plants here shared striking similarity with those back on Earth. Therefore, he managed to find some herbal medicine that he could strengthen his body with.


    It was a shame that he could not find any wild ginseng or polygonum. Though, herbs that had high medicinal value were always low in stock. This was true regardless of which era one was in. Furthermore, even if there were any of these herbs lying around, the villagers would have dug them out long ago.


    After several months of hard work, Shen Lian managed to put some weight on his once frail and skinny body. The progress was remarkable, but he was still far below the normal standard.


    Well, at least he would not be blown away by gusts of strong wind then.


    Knowing fully well that the real Shen Lian lapsed into a state of psychosis from practicing the martial exercises, the new Shen Lian was not about to continue onto the path of cultivation without having sufficient knowledge of it.


    Engaging in martial arts training without proper knowledge of it was akin to self-medication practices �C both were acts of digging one''s own grave. Even though the famous Zhang Wuji had mastered the Mystical Art of Nine Yang out of luck, he did start off on a solid foundation; one must not forget that at some point he received guidance from the famous Kung Fu Masters, namely Xie Xun and Zhang Sanfeng.


    Having transcended time and space, the new Shen Lian was not about to try his luck. There was no guarantee that he could escape death through time traveling, again.


    Time had passed. As he was drinking the unimaginably bitter herbal medication, he thought of staying off the bitter medication. Instead, he would practice the Qi-Gong exercises of Five Animal Frolics.


    Shen Lian heard someone knocking on the door out of nowhere. Did the villagers not send food and clothes over just yesterday? He wondered what brought them there that day.


    He surprised to find a middle-aged man standing right at his doorstep. He thought the man looked like a servant, a servant clothed in fine fabrics.


    Just where did he see this face before?


    Having drawn on the memories of the real Shen Lian and absorbed most of his spirit, the new Shen Lian had a strong psyche. He then had an eidetic memory and could remember things in exact detail.


    Going through his new-found memories, he remembered the man to be a servant of the Shen family.


    "Third Young Master, you have finally opened the door!" the middle-aged man exclaimed.


    Shen Lian''s eldest uncle had two sons, both were older than him. As Shen Lian took after his mother''s surname, he thus ranked third in the Shen family.


    "What are you here for, Steward Wu?" Shen Lian replied casually, without sounding overly enthusiastic or detached.


    Steward Wu had been working for the Shen family for a long time. He was a well-respected figure amongst the servants in the Shen family. "Third Young Master, you have lost plenty of weight since I last saw you two years ago." Steward Wu remarked as Shen Lian wondered why he would trouble himself with such menial task.


    Steward Wu was not particularly close to the Third Young Master. Due to the unfortunate incident half a year ago, Young Lady Shen was the only one in the third generation of the Shen family. Shen Lian''s eldest uncle had fallen sick. His sickness significantly hampered his reproductive capacity. On the other hand, Shen Lian''s second uncle lost his reproductive capacity due to his injuries from martial art training. At this rate, Shen Lian might just be the next leader of the Shen family.


    That was why Steward Wu was treading carefully and mincing his words. He was acting under the instruction of Old Master Shen to invite Shen Lian to return to the Shen family.


    ''Today is not a special occasion, what is Steward Wu doing here?'' Shen Lian thought to himself. After all, the Shen Lian then was nothing like the real Shen Lian. The new Shen Lian was an adult who lived in the modern day society. Well versed in the ways of the world, Shen Lian knew that Steward Wu would not come to him if he had nothing to ask of him.


    The Shen mansion was a far journey from there. The servants would not visit if it was not absolutely necessary.


    "Steward Wu, I''m still unaware of the purpose of your visit." Shen Lian posed his question directly without beating around the bush. In his opinion, this would reflect his current age and status, which was that of the real Shen Lian.


    "It''s just that Old Master Shen and your uncle, Master Shen haven''t seen you in a while. They are worried that living alone in the mountains might be too harsh for you and would like to have you back home for some time."


    "Did something happened back home?" Shen Lian asked after a moment of silence and consideration.


    Steward Wu was caught off guard by Shen Lian''s question. Though Shen Lian looked introverted, he was never dumb. Steward Wu wondered if Shen Lian''s intelligence was a good thing; despite his tasteless look, Shen Lian had a meticulous thought process.


    "Two days ago, Young Master and Second Young Master had passed away." Steward Wu spilled the truth.


    With that said, Steward Wu remained silent.


    However, if one were to take a closer look at the current predicament of the Shen family, one would realize that the massive fortune had just lost two of its most legitimate heirs.


    "Alright then, I will follow you back to the Shen family tomorrow morning," Shen Lian spoke after much consideration.


    "Third Young Master, you look under the weather. Should I arrange for a comfortable carriage to pick you up?" Steward Wu asked.


    "Sure. Meanwhile, come on in and have a rest," Shen Lian replied.


    "No, it''s fine. I''m headed down to the foot of the mountain to check on the land of the Shen family."


    After he sent Steward Wu off, Shen Lian went back to his cultivation room. The room was dark and devoid of light, he lighted on the incense made from the sweet grass he collected from the mountains. The tiny flame shone like a star in the vast night sky, giving off a pleasant scent. Shen Lian embraced the peacefulness of it all and started meditating.


    His heart was still, akin to the void that was the universe before the great big bang. There was nothing, just absolute darkness. Shen Lian felt the myriad of thoughts in his mind fade away and return to non-existence.

 Chapter 3 Concentration

    After the incense had burnt out, Shen Lian opened his eyes. His gaze was clearer and more soulful.


    The stillness was followed by silence, and silence was followed by calmness.


    Even though Shen Lian could no longer nourish his spirit and strengthen his soul, but practicing the Concentration Technique in the book of ''The Mastery of Senses'' was fine.


    Humans were fraught by distracting thoughts. It was imperative that one restrain their thought process and purify their mind, so as to avoid their psyche from burning out. Otherwise, one would act out of one''s foolishness and would bring doom to oneself.


    Having sorted out the distracting thoughts in his mind, Shen Lian started pondering on the matter.


    Judging from the real Shen Lian''s memories and the mannerism of the villagers, Shen Lian could deduce that the world he was in was similar to the ancient Chinese dynasties on Earth. The only difference was that the dynasties that he was familiar with �C Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang - were not in the picture.


    As to Celestialism, it was simply never part of his knowledge.


    Having stood up, Shen Lian went to light an oil lamp. The flickering flame gave the room a mysterious hue.


    Reaching out to the wall on his right, he felt the green tile. He took out the tile and revealed a secret compartment. Inside the secret compartment lied ''The Mastery of Senses''.


    This was the secret text of martial exercises left behind by the real Shen Lian, or rather, the real Shen Lian''s father.


    On the cover page, there was a painting of a deity statue. Painted perfectly, the deity looked real and almost alive. This was the deity that Shen Lian pictured when he was trying to purify his mind from distracting thoughts. With the deity in his mind, Shen Lian attained concentration.


    The other half of the book consisted of mainly words and meridian diagram of the human body. It detailed how the power of the spirit could be induced to travel through the body, just like the legendary inner Qi. Feasting on the vitality of the body, the spirit would be strengthened and eventually, the power of spirit would return to the Ancestral Cavity �C the point between and behind one''s eyes.


    This set of martial exercises focused on the Upper Cinnabar Fields, termed by the Ancients as the art of spiritual enhancement. Besides astral projections, there were many other uses for the power of spirit. However, physical bodies remained to be our anchor to the physical world.


    ''The Mastery of Senses'' focused only on the art of spiritual enhancement but was lacking in provisions relating to the art of strength training. This was doomed to cause severe imbalances in one''s body.


    If he were to continue strengthening his spirit, every last ounce of his vital Qi would likely to be sucked dry.


    Having gone through the information boom of the modern society, coupled with his judgment as an adult and his expertise in modern medicine, Shen Lian managed to deduce at least that much.


    On the other hand, the real Shen Lian was an orphaned teenager with limited knowledge, who mistakenly thought that he could emerge invincible from the mountains after decades of martial art training.


    That might just be possible �C as the plot of a novel. The reality, however, was often cruel.


    As the saying goes, ''The master leads you to the door, and the rest is up to you''. Without a master, one might just end up at the wrong door.


    Fortunately, the martial exercise book was focused on the art of spiritual enhancement. If it were to be a book on the art of strength training, the real Shen Lian might have suffered internal injuries and be in a state of debility. If this was the case, even the Shen Lian now - the new Shen Lian, would not be able to do much.


    Besides nursing his body back to good health, Shen Lian had been doing some serious thinking about the cultivation path instead of rushing into it just as the real Shen Lian did.


    After much deliberation, he decided that first, he would have to gain some insight into the cultivation path of this world. The best way would be to learn from master teachers. He knew full well that he had to be cautious; if one were to be an apprentice to a master teacher with an evil intent, the outcome would be disastrous.


    The new Shen Lian had always been conservative when it comes to risk-taking �C precisely why he was content with staying put at his small clinic. Even though he had not been accumulating Qi energy to strengthen his spirit, he was able to control the massive power of the spirit within him through the Concentration Technique.


    One perk that came with having a strong spirit would be his perfect memory. With his newfound eidetic memory, he could commit hundreds and thousands of words to memory and recall them with ease.


    He could even recall daily occurrences in his mind down to the most minute detail.


    Even though he was still frail, but the impressive level of control he had over his body was in a league of its own.


    He remembered from a book he once read, the protagonist raised a point �C ''The human body is the best machine that there is''.


    With his incredibly strong spirit, Shen Lian''s body could execute his every command in perfection.


    In spite of his frailty, he could utilize every ounce of energy that he could muster without wastage.


    If he were to concentrate, he could feel the blood flowing through his body; with the intensity of a river, his blood whooshed through his blood vessels.


    He could then protect himself from harm. On top of that, with his knowledge on human anatomy, he might be able to react instantly with precision and to take out enemies in just one hit; just like one of the martial art experts in Gulong''s novels.


    Though, he would not be able to pit himself against a hundred men due to his physical limitations.


    In comparison with the martial art experts, there was still much room for improvement for his destructive force. If his enemies were to be an expert in the Protectionary Art of Golden Shield and Iron Cloth, it would be really embarrassing if Shen Lian could not find their Achilles'' heel.


    His predicament was similar to that of a child who ran into a sumo expert; he would have no choice but to escape.


    Although Shen Lian refused to go back right away with Steward Wu, he did intend to keep his promise and to go back in a couple of days. He had to make prior preparations in order to protect himself.


    Picking up the martial exercises book, Shen Lian set it on fire with the flame of the oil lamp. The brightness of the flame lit up the whole room, and eventually, what remained of the book fell onto the floor and crumbled into a pile of ashes.


    Shen Lian squatted down to examine the ashes closely. Indeed, nothing was left of the book.


    Considering how powerful the martial exercises were, it was no wonder that the author, Shen Lian''s biological father had recorded it with quality paper.


    Perhaps in relation to the actual Celestialism, the book ;The Mastery of Senses'' would merely be considered as an entry-level work.


    To check if there was any hidden content in the book, Shen Lian exhausted all known means, including those that he came across from novels. This led him to conclude that besides the part on the nourishment of spirit, there was nothing else in the book.


    In spite of this, Shen Lian did not feel dejected at all. If anything, he considered himself lucky. Out of everyone who transcended space and time and ending up as an animal or a woman, he remained a man �C a lucky occurrence that he was grateful for.


    As for why did he burn the secret text of martial exercises away, it was simply because he was confident of his memory. Beside his biological connection with the Shen family, there was truly nothing that was holding him back in this world.


    Unlike the antagonists in most novels, he did not have the habit of carrying around the secret text just to be discovered by others.


    Anyhow, it would not be beneficial for others to know of one''s method of cultivation �C exactly why he decided to burn the book down to ashes.


    He would not think of keeping the book as some form of memento. What if he was not scripted to be a protagonist but was meant to be an antagonist, he would not want the protagonist to have a spirit as strong as his.


    Being beaten by the protagonist? Not his fetish.


    Even though the book was left behind by the father of this body - the body that he was trapped in, he was not about to keep the book for the sake of finding his father in the future.

 Chapter 4 The Shen Family

    Having made progress with his physical recovery, his physical condition was then on par with normal healthy people. However, it would not be possible to recover the vital Qi that he lost in the past overnight. The Shen family was influential in many fields and it would be easy for them to get their hands on precious herbs. Thus, Shen Lian very likely would have tried to find a way to return to the Shen family even if Steward Wu had not come.


    As the saying went, ''Academia is for the masses, while martial art is reserved for the wealthy ones''. The same could be said about cultivation.


    Even back in the ancient times on Earth, the famed Daoist monks were from an affluent family. The founder of the Way of the Celestial Masters, Zhang Daoling, was from a wealthy family. Even the well-known Celestial Master, Sun En, was from one of the great and affluent families. Ge Hong was even the Secondary Marquis, while Tao Hongjing was known as the ''Prime Minister of the Mountains''.


    Regardless of their achievement in relation to their celestial training, all of these cultivators of Daoism that we were familiar with had plenty of resources at their disposal. Even if they were geniuses, they would not be who they were if they had to concern themselves with supplying the basic needs of life.


    The real Shen Lian was a frog in a well. His lack of guidance led him to think that the greatest masters became who they were by training hard with any secret texts of martial exercises.


    Both cultivation of Daoism and martial arts training focused on the evolution of an individual. Gathering knowledge from the information-rich era that he came from, Shen Lian figured that cultivation required much more than the attainment of one''s mind. On top of that, the accumulation of information and resources was just as important.


    In the modern world, even a project as simple as the Human Genome Project required the cooperation of different nations; a clear indication that the road of evolution was not something that Shen Lian could conquer on his own.


    "Method, companion, resource, and land," said the Ancients.


    In relation to ''method'', he was aware of the method of cultivation; albeit his understanding was a shallow one.


    ''Companion'' could be the kindred spirits that he would meet on the path of cultivation or a famous Kung Fu Master who would impart knowledge unto him. It could even be friends who share information and their experiences with him. Just as the modern world, scientists would attend conferences and be involved in universities in order to take advantage of the databases.


    ''Resource'' refers to the resources concerning the cultivation of Daoism. This was limited to knowledge, as he himself was unaware of any tools that could be relevant to his cultivation.


    As to ''land'', he did have training rooms that were safe and quiet at his disposal.


    It would seem that he had everything that he needed, but there was a lot of room for improvement.


    At that moment, the most important thing was not training, but companionship.


    As someone who came from the modern age, Shen Lian agreed with the saying that ''learning alone without interactions with others will lead to ignorance''. For instance, the real Shen Lian would not have been so frail and ended up losing this body to him if he had someone to guide him along the way.


    If that was the case, when he traveled through time, he would have been assimilated by the real Shen Lian instead of taking over his body.


    All of these would have been pointed out by doyens of the various schools of cultivation.


    Judging from the real Shen Lian''s memories, those who managed to attain celestial status did so after they joined one of the cultivation schools.


    Just as the case of a great scholar �C one would first have to learn before proceeding to carry out independent research.


    Based on the reasons stated above, Shen Lian knew what he had to do.


    In the long run, it would be great if he could be accepted into one of the elite cultivation schools.


    In the short run, it would be to get his body into good shape in order to have a solid foundation.


    Despite his frailty, there were perks to having a stronger than average spirit. He was able to detect even the tiniest stimuli. Coupled with some training, he would be able to have a good grasp over his own limit. With that, he could exert himself at his maximum capacity without causing harm to his body.


    After training day after day, his hand-eye coordination and sensory organs were in tip-top condition.


    If he were to return to the modern world, he would be unbelievably good at any online game.


    Time passed by slowly, and there came the morning of the day of departure.


    Seated in the comfortable carriage driven by the skilled Steward Wu, Shen Lian had a smooth journey without so much as a bump. He had to give credits to the Shen family as well; the Shen family ran a logistics business among others, and the roads nearby were well paved for this exact purpose.


    Even though the Shen family spent an enormous amount of paving the roads and repairing the bridges, the long-term benefits far outweighed the short-term costs. The Shen family secured its reputation in the State Capital of Qing, while the officials at the state could claim some credit for it. Besides the financial expenditure by the Shen family, this could be said to be a win-win situation for all.


    All of these were Old Master Shen''s initiative. Despite the disagreement from Shen Lian''s uncles, which were Master Shen and Second Master Shen, Old Master Shen had his way as he was highly respected. The deal was made back when the Shen family was less wealthy.


    From things like that, one could easily deduce that Shen Lian''s grandfather was an impressive individual. Old Master Shen had great insights and was decisive; it was no wonder that the Shen family was as affluent and wealthy as it was.


    As he was thinking, Shen Lian combined his analysis with the real Shen Lian''s memories and painted a picture of Old Master Shen in his mind.


    This was another perk of having a strong spirit. His ability to deduce based on logic and analysis improved significantly.


    Due to his strong spirit and ''The Mastery of Senses'', he became steadier, sharper, and increasingly rational.


    Whenever he pictured the deity from the cover page of ''The Mastery of Senses'' in his mind, all the distracting thoughts would slowly fade away.


    ...


    The State Capital of Qing was bustling with activities. A low-profile, luxurious carriage pulled over at the doorstep of a reputable and wealthy family �C the Shen family.


    "Steward Wu, did you bring Third Young Master home?" the doorman greeted as soon as the carriage had arrived.


    "That''s right," Steward Wu replied.


    Slowly, Shen Lian alighted from the carriage. The real Shen Lian had not been back for six or seven years, but judging from his memory, nothing much had changed.


    However, the scratches on the two lion stone statues by the door showcased the passing of time.


    The door swung open and a middle-aged man walked out. The man was Shen Qingsan, Shen Lian''s second uncle.


    Shen Qingsan used to be a martial arts apprentice when he was younger. It was said that once when he was transporting goods, he fought a gang of thieves off with just his bare hands. Shen Qingsan was known to be a brave and skilled man in the State Capital of Qing.


    It was possible that due to his age, Shen Qingsan had gotten noticeably fatter and his muscles were not as toned as they used to be. His saving grace was his eyes; they were much sharper than those of normal people.


    Shen Qingsan took a good look at his nephew. He thought Shen Lian was too skinny, not as muscular as he was back in his younger days. After all these years, Shen Lian looked more approachable; his slender built reminded one of the tenacious and upright bamboos.


    Shen Qingsan could not help but notice the striking resemblance Shen Lian bore with his mother, Shen Qingsan''s late sister.


    Shen Qingsan was closer to his sister than his elder brother was. This was so as his elder brother got sent away for studies, while he and his sister spent most of their time together at home.


    It was when he left home for seven years to receive martial arts training that they grew apart. In addition to that, his sister''s premarital pregnancy did not sit well with him back then; he saw it as a great shame to the family.

 Chapter 5 Of Riches and Honour

    However, when he gave a thought to that, he was actually closest to Shen Lian other than his own daughter in the entire family.


    Shen Qingsan zoned out when Shen Lian nudged him �C so it seemed that he had been staring at Shen Lian all this while.


    "Come on kiddo, let''s head in." Shen Qingsan gave Shen Lian a tight hug. "We could visit your cousin brothers as well," he sighed.


    Even though he was not particularly close to his nephews, he was still really upset about their sudden departure from this world.


    In spite of his newfound biological connection with Shen Qingsan, he was not used to having an uncle. Back when he decided to live as Shen Lian, he did so out of his guilt for taking over the real Shen Lian''s body. However, he was mentally an adult; this was not a change that he could accept overnight.


    Moreover, Shen Qingsan was strong. To the frail Shen Lian, his hug was a suffocating one; one could only imagine how uncomfortable it was for Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian could no longer breathe. He had no choice but to express his discomfort by coughing. Shen Qingsan took the hint and released Shen Lian from his iron grip. "Look at how skinny you are. You must have suffered a lot back in the mountains. It was my fault for not visiting, I was simply too caught up with other things," Shen Qingsan said apologetically.


    Shen Lian did not know what to say; he could not possibly admit that he was weak. He swore to himself that he would get stronger physically. Looking at how strong his spirit, EQ, and memory were, he was arguably more suited to be someone like Jiang Zuo Mei Lang. However, he really hated being physically weak.


    Trailing behind Shen Qingsan, he noticed how simple the interior of the residence was. The lack of grandeur gave off an elegant vibe. To be fair, Shen Lian would not have been impressed if the residence was as grand as a palace. After all, Shen Lian was an adult from the modern world, and he had seen a lot back in his time.


    Shen Qingsan could not help but notice Shen Lian''s composure. Shen Lian did not look around curiously; he was following Shen Qingsan around with grace.


    Shen Qingsan was impressed by how at ease Shen Lian was. Maybe it was his training from the cultivation of Daoism, but his level of easiness was simply unrivaled by anyone of his age in the state.


    He thought to himself, ''The old man''s crazy idea might be a great idea after all''.


    As Shen Lian and Shen Qingsan walked into the hall, they were greeted by the sight of an old man with white hair. The old man was sharp and did not look lethargic at all. Shen Lian''s grandmother �C Old Master Shen''s wife, had passed on many years ago. Old Master Shen''s solitude added to his authoritative presence.


    Shen Lian was in awe of Old Master Shen''s composure. Even after losing two of his grandchildren, he did not look devastated at all. He was indeed a character with the heart of stone.


    Perhaps it was Shen Lian''s resemblance with his mother, Old Master Shen felt relaxed immediately after seeing Shen Lian in the hall. "This child looks so much like his mother," Old Master Shen remarked.


    After bowing respectfully to Old Master Shen, Shen Lian looked around discreetly. He took notice of the middle-aged man next to Old Master Shen and figured that he was his eldest uncle, Shen Qingshi. Shen Qingshi had grief written all over his face. His eyes were swollen and he looked so fragile that Shen Lian suspected him to be weaker than himself. It would seem that Shen Qingshi had not been resting well.


    A beautiful woman stood next to Shen Qingshi. With her thin lips tightly pressed, Shen Lian thought she looked mean. The woman who was not impressed or moved by Shen Lian''s presence would be Shen Qingshi''s wife, Shen Lian''s aunt - Xu.


    She did not look particularly sad, mainly because Shen Lian''s late cousins were not of her own blood.


    On the other side of the hall, stood a mother and her daughter. The mother looked old. She dressed in a simple and minimalistic manner. Her brows were light and sparse, and she looked motherly. There were wrinkles at the corner of her eyes which amplified her charm as a matured woman.


    She held hand with a young lady, who looked slightly older than Shen Lian. She was dressed in a simple light green dress. Akin to a lotus flower that was about to bloom, the lady looked fresh and attractive in her own way. Shen Lian''s heart skipped a beat when he saw her. Despite that he had seen plenty of beautiful women, the sight of a young lady dressed in traditional clothing caught him off guard.


    Most of the beautiful women that Shen Lian had seen in the modern world had gone under the knife.1 In comparison, this lady was not particularly exquisite and did not have perfectly sculpted features like theirs. However, she was a breath of much-needed fresh air. Having been born into a rich family, she had porcelain-like fair skin; a sight that was guaranteed to turn heads.


    Even though she could still be considered as a borderline Lolita2 in the modern world, by the standard of this world, she was already of marriageable age. If it was not Old Master Shen who was doting on Shen Lian''s mother, his mother would not be unmarried at the age of seventeen.


    The mother-and-daughter pair would be Shen Lian''s second aunt, Chen and his cousin sister, Shen Ruoxi.


    Having spent so many years apart from each other, the Shen family did not know how to behave around Shen Lian. The sensitive circumstances surrounding his birth did not help.


    As to why did Old Master Shen invite Shen Lian back to the Shen family, it might be that he had some sort of plans in mind. If Shen Qingshi was proven to be infertile like Shen Qingsan, the Shen family would be left with no heir. At that point, it would not matter if Shen Lian was not related to the Shen family paternally, or if Ruoxi was not a male; Old Master Shen will be faced with a limited choice.


    When he was conversing with the adults, Shen Lian remained cautious and alert, on top of paying attention to his mannerism.


    Old Master Shen did not show much affection to Shen Lian; perhaps he was too used to being stern, or it might be that he was grieving for the passing of his grandchildren.


    When Old Master Shen finally retired to his chamber out of tiredness, Shen Lian''s aunt, Xu, glared at Shen Lian in a hostile manner.


    Shen Lian knew that Xu would have been pleased if he were to come across as unintelligent. If that was the case, he would not catch Old Master Shen''s attention.


    After all, Shen Lian''s eldest uncle had lost all of his children. What more with his sickness, he might not be able to father any sons in the future. Unlike before, his branch of the family would no longer be entitled to a huge portion of the inheritance. Their share of inheritance would be even smaller with Shen Lian in the picture.


    A servant then led Shen Lian to his room. After all these years, Shen Lian was surprised that his room still looked almost the same.


    After sending a servant to fetch him a cup of Ginseng tea, he managed to warm himself up. He proceeded with his body weight training.


    Body weight training essentially meant training every part of one''s body with one''s body weight. As compared to machine workouts that target a particular muscle group, body weight training allowed for every part of the body to be trained at the same time.


    If someone were to walk in on Shen Lian, one would see that Shen Lian was doing push-ups. With his hands placed firmly on the bed, Shen Lian bent his arms to go as low as possible; as his chest met the edge of the bed, he would straighten his arms and return to his starting position. The motion itself was just too suggestive.


    This exercise was actually one of the bodyweight exercises that the Shen Lian knew from his previous life in the modern world. As he felt his body being pushed to its limit, he rose up and rest. Shortly after, he resumed training with a different set of exercises.


    When he was done, he could feel his body generated a significant amount of heat energy, spreading to every part of his body. This was the effect of the Ginseng tea that he consumed earlier. Here referring to ''plastic surgery''.This was translated from the author''s words.

 Chapter 6 Ruoxi, Ruoxi

    Shen Lian had never been good with physical exertions, but he could notice the twitch of every muscle with his strong sensing abilities. As every ounce of energy in his body was being juiced and he was pushed to his limits, he was filled with euphoria �C akin to the excitement that he felt from gaining experience points in online games.


    Even if the insignificant experience was negligible, he could clearly notice the improvement that he made and the deficiencies that he still needed to work on.


    The reason why most people gave up with their training was the lack of a clear goal, motivation, and their lack of understanding in relation to their own body.


    Shen Lian was luckier than all of them. The contentment and joy that he felt from reaping the benefits of his hard work, those were the feelings that kept him going. Fatigue from his training faded away as he knew that every drop of his sweat was rewarded.


    Due to the limited resources in Qing Xia Temple, Shen Lian did not give his all to his training. He knew that he should not test his limits because of his physical frailty. If he were to go even slightly overboard, the end result would be disastrous due to the lack of herbs and medication like Ginseng tea.


    Shen Lian immersed himself in the numb sensation caused by the Qi energy flow that was absorbing the medication.


    When the Qi energy in his body finally settled down, he stepped into the wooden bathtub filled with hot water to wash away the dirt on his body.


    This was one of the perks of returning to the Shen family. If he was still at Qing Xia Temple, he would have to waste his time on menial chores.


    The bath was relaxing. Shen Lian was able to slowly ease himself into the state of concentration.


    A mere relaxing technique in The Mastery of Senses had changed Shen Lian''s world. The deity that birthed from nothingness remained indescribable. Although he could not strengthen his spirit by picturing the deity, he was able to clear his mind of distracting thoughts, allowing him to rejoice in the purity and intensity of his spirit.


    The joy he derived from spiritual calmness was beyond materialistic gains.


    It was as the Analects of Confucius said, "Although he led a simple lifestyle of humility, Yan Hui remained a happy person." Shen Lian thought his predicament was similar to that of Yan Hui''s.


    Unlike the Sage, Yan Hui, Shen Lian could not be in a state of spiritual calmness in every waking moment.


    However, most of the successful people from the past until then had attained some form of spiritual calmness. This allowed them to tune out of external distractions and achieve greatness.


    Out of a sudden, someone knocked on his door urgently.


    This put him out of his zone of calmness.


    It could not have been the servants, as Shen Lian had sent them away earlier. Hence, it should be someone from the Shen family.


    Shen Lian was not pleased by the disturbance at all. He finally understood why there was a need for the cultivators of Daoism to retreat into the mountains. No one would be able to stand this kind of disturbance. "Who''s at the door?" Shen Lian asked in spite of his annoyance.


    "It''s me."


    It was a familiar female voice. After giving it some thoughts, Shen Lian realized that it was his cousin sister, Shen Ruoxi.


    "Give me a second, I will be out."


    Shen Lian took a while to dry himself up and put on his clothes.


    Despite the urging of Shen Ruoxi for Shen Lian to be quicker, he maintained his pace.


    Even though they were blood-related, Shen Ruoxi was not about to barge into the room of a man.


    Right when Shen Ruoxi decided that she was done waiting, and was about to force her way through the door, the door swung open.


    It was pleasing to have a beautiful lady waiting at one''s door after a bath, but coupled with her murderous stare? Shen Lian would not be too sure about that.


    Shen Lian thought Shen Ruoxi was around his physical age. Her mental age, however, would be nowhere close to that of Shen Lian''s.


    ''Girls at Ruoxi''s age were mostly immature with a viewpoint that is vastly different from that of an adult'', Shen Lian thought.


    Although intrigued by Shen Ruoxi''s sudden visit, Shen Lian was not alarmed at all. "Spill it, what are you here for?" Shen Lian posed his question directly.


    Shen Lian did not bother to be friendly as he was not close to the family members, to begin with; Shen Ruoxi and Shen Lian were not childhood best friends either. Thus, it would be odd for him to be more approachable than usual.


    Shen Ruoxi did not expect Shen Lian to be so direct. His tone and composure made her felt like a child being granted an audience with an adult; that made Ruoxi felt small and insignificant.


    Ruoxi''s urgent knocks on the door and her threatening attitude earlier made her seem like a child throwing a tantrum.


    "What were you doing in the room earlier? I bet you were up to no good," Ruoxi snickered and questioned.


    "Did you not see that my hair is wet? To be honest, I was in the bath. If you were to barge through the door, I would not be the one at loss."


    After taking a closer look, Ruoxi realized that Shen Lian had indeed just gotten out from the bath. She could pick up the scent of soap on him.


    The reason why Ruoxi looked older than Shen Lian was that she was born into a wealthy family and was well-fed growing up. On the other hand, Shen Lian''s growth stunted because of his previous training. This was why he looked slightly younger than Ruoxi.


    Shen Lian''s eyes stood out; it was as if God himself painted Shen Lian''s eyes on his face. A direct look into his eyes reminded Ruoxi of the nights she spent watching the stars.


    When they looked at each other, Shen Lian did not shy away. He did not avert his glance.


    It was said that a person''s eyes are the windows to their soul. Shen Lian''s spirit was powerful. If he wanted to, he could easily scare a strong adult off with just one look, what more a young lady like Ruoxi.


    Of course, he would not have done that to Ruoxi. Though for a while, Ruoxi was lost in his eyes and did not react after a few seconds had passed. "Why are you looking at me? I am warning you now. Do not even think about it! I will not marry you!" she shouted angrily.


    She blushed and stormed off after her outburst.


    She was flustered. She actually meant to humiliate Shen Lian to know that he was not fit to be her partner. God knows what overcame her! She spilled everything that was on her mind outright.


    After jogging to a few steps away, she was suddenly afraid that he would do something. "Don''t you dare to pull your tricks on me!" she turned around and warned him.


    "Otherwise, I''ll make sure you live your life in regret." She took one long look at him and waved her fist.


    This reminded him of a romantic scene from a poem �C''Away she tries to fly. She never stops; But to look back. Leaning against the door, she pretends to sniff at the blossoms once more.'' Shen Lian found the current situation funny.


    It was as the Chinese idiom said, ''Wind does not come from an empty cave without reason''. Shen Lian knew that there was no smoke without fire �C the Shen family must have intended for him to father a few children after marrying Shen Ruoxi, in order to continue the family lineage.

 Chapter 7 Oh How Time Flies!

    Unlike the modern world, this world was not bound by the limitations against consanguineous marriages.


    This was the only way to keep the huge fortune of Shen family within the family, and safe from outsiders.


    Unless his two uncles could still father children, this would almost be a done deal. Perhaps Shen Ruoxi thought lowly of him, or perhaps she was in love with someone else, but none of these mattered. The will of the family outweighed that of an individual''s.


    In this case, the will of the Shen family would be the will of Old Master Shen; both were inseparable since long ago.


    This allowed Shen Lian to understand what kind of character Old Master Shen was. Weighing his options under these grave circumstances, Old Master Shen brought Shen Lian back to the Shen family without delay.


    With his impressive decisiveness, Old Master Shen was destined for greatness no matter what time or age he was born in.


    In hindsight, it would seem that even if Shen Lian were to refuse to return to the Shen family, he would have been brought back by force.


    If Shen Lian were to be an ordinary person, he would have simply cooperated and accepted his fate. However, this was the last thing that he was going to do.


    Despite the obvious benefits �C beauty and fortune, Shen Lian knew that he was only a tool.


    Maybe in the eyes of Old Master Shen, this was all for Shen Lian''s own good; Shen Lian, however, was not about to let himself become a tool for others.


    No doubt, the arrangement was beneficial for Shen Lian. The basis of his rejection was pride.


    He took a casual glance out of the corner of his eyes. Shen Lian formed his hands into fists �C he was still not strong enough!


    Not surprisingly, he was under surveillance!


    Shen Ruoxi saw how nonchalant Shen Lian was, and how his eyes were darting around, she could not help but to toss her gold hairpin at him.


    She was confident in her aiming skills; nine of out ten times she would hit her mark. Even with a mere hairpin, she could direct it to wherever she targetted! Convinced that her hairpin would hit Shen Lian''s face, she could not wait to see how angry he would get.


    Women took great care of their physical appearance and went great lengths to protect their face from harm. This was why Shen Ruoxi went for Shen Lian''s face �C she was projecting her weakness onto him.


    Though she managed to refrain from getting physical with Shen Lian, aiming her gold hairpin at him, on the other hand, was purely out of reflex.


    It could be that Shen Lian''s neat and delicate features fuelled onto Shen Ruoxi''s wrath and gave rise to her urge to destroy his pretty face.


    Shen Ruoxi gasped at what happened next �C her gold hairpin was resting between Shen Lian''s right index finger and middle finger!


    She did not expect Shen Lian to have such impressive sight and reflexes! Clearly, Shen Lian had caught her hairpin.


    Shen Lian frowned and stared intensely at Ruoxi, giving off an authoritative air.


    With a gentle flick, he sent the gold hairpin flying at Ruoxi. The hairpin was back at its original position �C in Ruoxi''s hair.


    "Shen Ruoxi, I will let you off just this once. If this happens again, I promise to tattoo a flower on your face."


    His tone was neither solemn nor threatening. However, his facial expression and his impressive reflexes spoke for him - he was to be taken seriously.


    What happened next was predictable, but unexpected.


    "You are such a bully!" Shen Ruoxi yelled as she broke into tears.


    Her tears were streaming mercilessly down her face as she spoke, alerting the servants nearby.


    Shen Ruoxi left with her face in her hands. Shen Lian did not get the chance to speak another word.


    Shen Lian was surprised for a moment. However, he then realized how normal it was for a matured Lolita to cry getting bullied.


    Words of how Shen Ruoxi was bullied by Young Master Shen Lian who just returned spread across the Shen household; there were many versions of the story, none of which Shen Lian cared about.


    ...


    To the east of Shen''s residence was a garden. Old Master Shen would take a stroll at the garden every night. The garden was not just a place for leisure, it was also a place for him to meet with important guests.


    The spacious garden was the birthplace of many important decisions that involved the State Capital of Qing.


    The setting sun shone brightly on the leaves, determined to dry the droplets on their surface with its remaining warmth.


    That was just a poetic way of putting it.


    It really was just Old Master Shen holding onto a watering can watering the azaleas. The azaleas in the garden were planted by Shen Lian''s grandmother. The fragile flower stocks then grew in abundance, however, Shen Lian''s grandmother passed away since long ago.


    "I heard that you made Ruoxi cry?" Old Master Shen asked without turning around to look at Shen Lian. Unlike most old people, his hands were not shivering; the water flowed steadily from the watering can right onto the bushes of azaleas, not even a single droplet splattered onto Old Master Shen.


    "I did not expect you to take so much interest in me. I must say I''m surprised." Shen Lian smiled. Unlike most in the Shen family, Shen Lian was frank and natural around Old Master Shen.


    "Ruoxi is spoilt, but she is a kind girl. Don''t you remember how she used to save a portion for you everytime she was given good food?" Old Master Shen spoke softly.


    Shen Lian did not remember about all of these. Despite having most of real Shen Lian''s memories, he could not possibly remember every single detail.


    Furthermore, childhood memories were generally vague and not memorable.


    There were many cases where children who used to be close parted ways after they grew up.


    Shen Lian knew what Old Master Shen was thinking, but it did not mean that he had to play along. Up until then, Shen Lian still did not know much about him. Shen Lian just thought that it was impressive for him to be where he was having started with nothing.


    "I''m the elder brother, and she''s the younger sister. I would not be so petty about it."


    Shen Lian set out his stance by emphasizing on his brother-sister relationship with Ruoxi.


    "I''m passing to you this can of water now. How much you want to water, and how much you want to keep, is entirely up to you now." Old Master Shen gave Shen Lian a long look and passed him the watering can.


    Shen Lian took over the watering can knowing that Old Master Shen was referring to the Shen family. Essentially, Shen Lian was being entrusted with the Shen family.


    After a few polite exchanges, Shen Lian excused himself from the conversation.


    When Shen Lian had finally left, Shen Qingsan walked toward Old Master Shen from the other side of the garden.


    "This child has always been intellectually-inclined. The two years that he spent in the mountains had added onto his wisdom, it would seem that he is far better than Ju Er and Wei Er."


    Ju Er and Wei Er were nicknames for Shen Lian''s cousins.


    "Tomorrow is the day of their funeral," Old Master Shen said as he stared at the droplets on the flower petals.


    "I''ve already made the necessary arrangements," Shen Qingsan replied moodily.


    "The person from Jiang Hu will be making contact with the Green Bamboo Sect tomorrow," Old Master Shen spoke icily.


    As he walked out of the garden, Shen Lian turned around and looked at it; the garden gave off an air of desolation.


    One could have amassed a huge fortune, but one would still spend one''s life planning for his children, his descendants; this was not what Shen Lian wanted for himself.


    What was really on his mind was to find a way to train his weak body, and to be able to hold his own against the Shen family.

 Chapter 8 Why Bother Being a Hero?

    Shen Qingsan thought of his nephew''s death and felt hatred welling up in him. ''What an unexpected misfortune'', he thought.


    There was a saying in the State Capital of Qing, ''There is nothing that the Shen family cannot find out in the state capital.''


    Although the statement was slightly over-exaggerated, it was not entirely untrue. The statement described how influential the Shen family was; it was to the extent that state officials would have to let the Shen family have their way.


    To outsiders, the two young masters of Shen family died from a fatal sickness.


    Many mourned for their young deaths.


    However, Old Master Shen was not convinced. He searched for the most experienced coroner in the State Capital of Qing to investigate their true cause of death.


    The coroner was skilled, and he did notice something odd.


    The two young masters did not die from sickness. Someone killed them with internal strength by injuring their meridians, which explained why they vomited blood before dying.


    According to the coroner, the killer was not very experienced. An expert of this killing technique could kill with just one tap. As the victim would only die after days or even weeks of the attack, the killer would be long gone by then.


    Someone of that caliber would not be just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. They had a unique way of doing things, and they belonged to an exclusive circle called ''Jianghu''.


    Jianghu was all-encompassing.


    Jianghu was also secretive and exclusive.


    The coroner thought that the killer would be a martial art expert; not top-notch, but of decent capabilities.


    Whatever traces left behind by the killer would be gone by now.


    However, as long as the killer was still a mortal in this realm, the Shen family would be able to do something about it.


    The Shen family managed to trace the root back to an incident that took place one fine day. The two young masters had an argument with a rich outsider in green coat.


    Due to the reputation of Shen family, the man had to give up his spot, a private room in the restaurant. But before he left, he gave them a shove.


    That was the shove that brought forth the young masters'' death.


    When the Shen family managed to get their hand on the information, they filtered through suspicious points and managed to narrow down their suspect list to one candidate. With the help of Green Bamboo Sect, they managed to confirm the identity of the killer.


    The Green Bamboo Sect exerted considerable influence in Jianghu, though, their forte was that of the labor market. They controlled the hard labor taskforce of the state capital.


    If the Shen family were to be the light, the Green Bamboo Sect would be the shadow; both coexisted without tension.


    Despite being in Jianghu, the Green Bamboo Sect wanted mainly money and were generally not in conflict with the Shen family.


    In Jianghu, the polar opposite would be people like the man in green �C those who searched for a vigorous and adrenaline-filled lifestyle.


    They were the ''Robinhood'' of Jianghu; they stole from the rich to give back to the poor. Besides gaining reputation, they could benefit from having some extra cash as well.


    It was risky, but they were skilled enough for the job. Besides, there was usually not much resistance from those who were robbed, as they were only there for the money, not to kill.


    As they were skilled, people like the man in green were usually aggressive and untamed; they would not hesitate to kill out of anger.


    That was precisely why they had a lot of enemies within or outside of Jianghu.


    Those were kind of people that the two young masters had run into.


    Experts in Jianghu were often mysterious. They could easily take on a hundred men and still managed to emerge unharmed.


    The man in green could do anything that he wanted with his impressive skills. Even after killing the two young masters of the Shen family, he could escape and stay alive. As long as it was nothing as serious as plotting a rebellion or murdering a state official, he could basically do anything and everything.


    However, the Shen family found their shot at revenge - the man in green was on bad terms with the Green Bamboo Sect.


    Also, the man in green was not familiar with the State Capital of Qing. Otherwise, he would not have hung around if he knew the two men that he casually killed were the young masters of Shen family.


    Or perhaps he was actually privy to the information and decided to stay on because he had more important things to do.


    His ongoing conflict with the Green Bamboo Sect was the perfect proof.


    ...


    Old Master Shen knocked on the two coffins with his crutch. The dull knock echoed throughout the hall.


    When the older generation was sending off the younger generation who had passed away, it was a tradition for them to knock on the coffin. This was to signify them not being filial for passing away before the older generation.


    In recent years, Old Master Shen had to send his descendants off, twice. No words could describe the grief that he was going through. He had never been vocal with his feelings and was not in the habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve; the immense grievance that he was dealing with was something that was known only to him.


    Having started from the bottom, Old Master Shen had gone through all the hardship of being a pioneer and he had blood on his hands. His current predicament led him to believe in karma; he was reaping what he sowed.


    Even then, he did not regret what he had done. He saw it as part of the ordinary course of events.


    The coffins were moved out from the Shen family, and Old Master Shen did not have to follow. The rising sun shone on every fold on his face; all the freckles on his face were visible.


    Tossing his crutch away, Old Master Shen faced the morning breeze head on. He stood defiantly and refused to be defeated by old age.


    "Why wasn''t Shen Lian here for the final parting?"


    "Young Master Shen Lian said he was afraid that he would be devastated. He did not want to waste away the blessings and attainments that he had accumulated for you as a Daoist monk." It was Steward Wu who replied. He did not omit any details and presented the whole truth to Old Master Shen.


    "I''m at the age where I don''t need any blessings. Even if I were to end up in hell, it was a life well-lived. I know what he is thinking. After all, there is still distance between us," Old Master Shen sighed.


    Old Master Shen had offered everything he had to Shen Lian to ensure the continuance of the family lineage. However, Shen Lian refused to participate in his plan and to cooperate. In that sense, he was just like his mother.


    Old Master Shen was equally stubborn. Both of his sons were obedient, but his eyes were on Shen Lian; Shen Lian''s stubbornness was admirable and infuriating at the same time.


    His life experience taught him that one could not achieve greatness without pride. The more talented a person was, the harder it was to control him.


    But at the end of the day, he was out of tricks and patience to deal with the unruly wild pony - Shen Lian.


    No matter what a great person he was, Old Master Shen knew that it would not change the fact that his end was not far away.


    "There is something else. Young Master Shen Lian went out earlier, and Second Master Shen had sent a few people along to protect him in secret. Nothing should go wrong." Steward Wu offered the information gingerly when he saw that Old Master Shen had calmed down.


    "It''s alright, just let him be today."


    Steward Wu bowed slightly and stayed silent.


    Old Master Shen had spent a lot of money and connections to secure a thousand soldiers from the State of Qing. The official story was to bring in the bandits, but the real deal was the man in green.


    The Green Bamboo Sect caught wind of it, and it would seem that the man in green had something important that the Green Bamboo Sect desperately wanted. For that, they decided to work with the Shen family.


    It had always been expensive to plan a big operation.


    Even though only one thousand soldiers were involved, but they were to be gathered and dispatched on short notice.


    The sheer amount of money that was spent and connections that were exhausted were something that even Steward Wu felt sorry for.


    It would seem that the man in green was a well-known figure in Jianghu. He got away after committing several big crimes in other state capitals. The law enforcement units did not put much effort into securing his arrest; they merely put on a show.


    What went into the official records was that, after fighting bravely with the criminal, he had escaped out of the state and was then under the jurisdiction of another District Magistrate.

 Chapter 9 Its a Tough World

    The reason why Shen Lian went out early in the morning was to have some peace and quiet.


    In spite of his purpose, he was trailed by two bodyguards from the Shen family.


    After realizing that a good half of the properties in Qing Capital belonged to the Shen family, Shen Lian wondered if this was how a royal visit felt like.


    The most profitable industries were monopolized by the Shen family, one would have to work with the Shen family to make a living. In that sense, the Shen family could be described as the king in the capital.


    Looking at how he was the legitimate heir to the Shen family, it would not be entirely inaccurate to describe his outing as a royal visit.


    Too bad that being a bully was not his cup of tea, otherwise it would be fun to take advantage of innocent girls with his social status.


    The State Capital of Qing was divided into two parts - the inner town and the outer town. The inner town was surrounded by high walls, and the outer town consisted of all kinds of markets and shops. This was one of the capital''s uniqueness. It could not be helped that those who lived in the inner town felt that they were better than those who lived in the outer town.


    Those who lived in the outer town shared their sentiments too; they would do anything just to be a part of the inner town.


    The manors of the inner town were a lot smaller than those at the outer town, but they were a lot more expensive than their counterparts at the outer town. Even then, there was still a high demand for them.


    Most of the manors in the inner town were built by the Shen family. These manors were then sold at a high price. The Shen family possessed a significant number of land titles.


    Shen Lian was impressed with the business model developed by Old Master Shen, it was almost similar to those back in the modern world where Shen Lian came from.


    Indeed, birds of the same feather flock together. Great minds do think alike.


    Shen Lian went from inner town to the outer town and noticed that despite its size, the outer town was not as organized as the inner town. Though, it was a lot more happening and bustling with activities.


    He went out from the east gate of the inner town. Despite that there was a mountain toward the east, the terrain was mostly flat. This was an important road for traders; the hotels and inns were crowded.


    Shen Lian had gone out from the east gate to avoid the funeral procession of the Shen family.


    As he left early in the morning, he did not get to have breakfast. The aroma of the fresh biscuits fuelled onto his hunger.


    He was not going to settle for biscuits; he made a beeline to the inn, Yue Ke Lai.


    The name of the inn literally meant that the shopkeeper would be pleased to welcome customers. The name was unrefined, but it was honest and frank.


    Shen Lian did not bring money, but he knew that his bodyguards did.


    Shen Lian was not in the mood for a private dining room, and so he went right to the main hall. As it was not lunch time yet, the inn was relatively empty. Shen Lian sat down and ordered a table full of delicious dishes.


    Even though Shen Lian was dressed in expensive clothing, the waiter was not sure about letting him order such a huge amount of food �C clearly for fear that he could not pay up.


    The waiter was about to ask for further instructions from his manager, but before he could ask, the manager was smiling ear to ear and had told him to get the chef to prepare his special dishes.


    The manager did not want to keep Shen Lian waiting. He quickly brought over some exquisite appetizer and a pot of old wine.


    Shen Lian would love to drink, but he refrained from doing so due to his physical condition. He ordered another pot of tea. Meanwhile, his two bodyguards did not have the gut to sit with him and had got themselves a table of their own not far away.


    Shen Lian was sampling the appetizer when a green shadow walked into the hall from the backyard.


    The person looked unkempt and disheveled and was dressed in dull green, Shen Lian wondered when was it that he last changed his clothes. He had stubble all over his face and gave off a wild and unruly vibe. His notable facial features would be his hooked nose and his bright eyes, he stood out in the crowd despite not having a towering height.


    Even a normal person could sense that he was different, what more Shen Lian. In fact, Shen Lian picked up a hint of danger from him.


    The manager spotted the man in green and stopped him in his track without fear. "You haven''t been paying for your accommodation for the past three days, when are you going to settle your outstanding balance?" he said.


    "Stop bickering around and bring up some good dishes. We can talk after I have filled my stomach," the man in green replied.


    "You had money to help someone who was trying to sell himself as a slave to bury his father, but you are telling me that you don''t have money to pay for your accommodation? On top of that, you are trying to get a free meal. What kind of logic is this?" the manager exclaimed.


    "The money was not a gift; I bought him as my slave. Don''t worry about the outstanding balance, I can just get my slave to work for you to pay it off."


    "Without drawing up a contract and not knowing where he stays, how are you going to know that he wasn''t conning you? Only your kind of people would believe this sort of story." The manager laughed sarcastically.


    "I told him to come back in three days, he will not go back on his words," the man in green replied.


    "That was what you said yesterday."


    "But today is the day, not yesterday."


    Right at this moment, the food was brought out from the kitchen; its aromatic scent filled up the whole place.


    When the dish was brought to Shen Lian''s table, the man in green took a seat directly opposite of him. He reached for a piece of steaming hot meat and sent it into his mouth.


    The dish was sizzling beef. It was covered with boiling hot oil, but the man in green swallowed it without so much as batting an eye.


    The manager was surprised at how that the man in green had the balls to sit at Shen Lian''s table. He quickly went over to chase him away.


    Before the manager could do anything, Shen Lian spoke, "Bring over another set of cutleries. Also, I''ll pay for his food and board."


    The manager did not recognize Shen Lian, but he knew that his two bodyguards were from the Shen family. This was why he went out of his way and did as Shen Lian said.


    The name of the Shen family did wonder, the manager had no reason to reject Shen Lian''s offer to pay up.


    After all, all he wanted was money. He did not have personal vengeance against the man in green.


    Money was the one thing that the Shen family had in abundance.


    After having some meat, the man in green reached for the pot of old wine. He gulped down the wine and emptied the pot in a matter of seconds.


    "What a dishonest trader! The amount of wine in the pot was painstakingly little. Bring me a bigger pot, bring over ten more," the man in green complained.


    The manager looked at Shen Lian. Shen Lian nodded in approval.


    It did not take long for the manager to bring over ten potfuls of good liquor.


    "What on earth are these, flavored water? Are you taking me for a fool? Bring over ten pot of the liquor that I just had." The man in green barked after taking a sniff at the pot.


    "The liquor from earlier was Huadiao wine made from our secret recipe, we don''t have a lot of them in stock," the manager replied in a friendly tone, but in his mind, he was cursing the man in green for taking advantage of Shen Lian.


    "You old prick, are you worried that this young master cannot pay up?" The man in green pointed at Shen Lian.


    "Bring us the wine from earlier. Bring over all of your remaining stock," Shen Lian responded.


    The manager nodded and told the waiter to swap the wine that he brought over into the Huadiao that was low in stock.


    "Fine young man, you look so refined and cultured, who would have thought that you have such a heroic spirit! It''s too bad that I''ve met the other young man first. What a shame!" The man in green shook his head.


    "Looking at how I''ve offered to pay for your meal, it would mean that I''m not short on cash. Giving away one buck when you have a thousand bucks, as compared to giving away one buck when that''s all you have; the effect is the same, but the level of ties and affection is different. It''s a tough world. There is no need to think so highly of me," Shen Lian smiled as he replied.


    The man in green''s eyes brightened up, and he knocked on the bowl with his chopstick. He then spoke up with a clear voice, "It''s a tough world indeed. I wouldn''t have expected such wisdom from someone your age!" he complimented.


    "These are not my words. They are part of a passage by someone named Gulong. Would you like to hear the rest?"


    "Hold up, these words of wisdom would go well with wine. We should wait for the wine!"

 Chapter 10 Time For Payback

    The waiter brought four pots of wine over without delay. It was a lot smaller than the initial ten, but it definitely looked a lot more appealing.


    Shen Lian started reciting the passage without the man in green asking.


    "Late spring in March, the grass was long and sheep were happy.


    "In this freezing weather, who will feed the wolves?


    "Humans have tender affection for the sheep, but could the same be said about the lone wolf?


    "It is an unpredictable world, it is a tough world!"


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, but the man in green drank at a quick pace.


    When he said ''late spring in March, the grass was long and sheep were happy'', the man in green emptied the first pot of wine.


    When he was done with the next sentence, ''in this freezing weather, who will feed the wolves?'' the man in green was done with the second pot of wine.


    Shen Lian picked up his pace when he was on the third sentence, ''humans have tender affection for the sheep, but could the same be said about the lone wolf?'' but he did not manage to finish his sentence before the man in green was done with the third pot of wine.


    Shen Lian could have gone even faster when he was uttering the last sentence, ''it is an unpredictable world, it is a tough world!''. However, he slowed down and spoke slowly, word by word.


    The man in green mirrored his pace and gulped his wine mouthful by mouthful.


    When Shen Lian was done, the man in green had finished all four pots of great wine.


    The four pots of wine would add up to at least hundreds of cups, if not thousands. The taste was pure and smooth, and the strength was strong. Even a habitual drinker with a high tolerance would have been drunk by now.


    The man in green, however, remained as alert as before. His eyes were bright and clear, just like the stars in the night sky.


    "Fine young man, you bought me a meal and did not judge me by appearance. Though I admire your heroic spirit, I''m not appreciative of your kind gesture at all. I''m sorry to say that no one in this state capitol is fit to buy me a meal," the man in green spoke.


    Shen Lian remained silent, and he waited for the man in green to continue. ''This man is really full of himself, if he is not amazingly skilled, there is no way that he could have stayed alive up till now,'' he thought.


    "What you said about "Humans have tender affection for the sheep, but could the same be said about the lone wolf?" was right up my alley, but I''m still not appreciative of your gesture," the man in green continued.


    "You got to thank me for slowing down during the last sentence so that you didn''t have to gulp down the wine hurriedly," Shen Lian smiled and replied.


    "Indeed. Even though I have indulged myself in killing the innocent and committing heinous crimes, my biggest flaw would still be my arrogance. This great wine was strong. If I were to rush the last pot, I would have messed up the balance in my body. If would have been fine if this was just any other day, but I have to deal with some petty beings today. I''m about to engage in a battle with my newfound servant, and I mustn''t be careless about this."


    "What would happen if I were to speak of the last two sentences at a quick pace?" Shen Lian spoke unhurriedly.


    "Then I would''ve forced the pot of wine down my throat with Qigong. Though the moment I''m done, your head will be mine."


    He spoke with certainty and contempt as he glanced at the two bodyguards occasionally �C clearly not taking them seriously.


    "If you go so much as touch a single hair of his, we will make sure that you can''t walk out of here!" The two bodyguards slammed the table and shouted.


    The two bodyguards could not hold back. It was their responsibility to protect Shen Lian. If Old Master Shen were to find out that they did not react when someone insulted Shen Lian, he would think that they were utterly useless.


    They were determined to show the man in green some colors �C even if it meant going against Shen Lian''s will.


    The duo went ahead and threw some loud and empty punches.


    A martial art expert would tell that ''no amount of gold can buy the sound of a punch''.


    The sounds made by empty punches were not from the motion of the wind but from the vibration of the bone. The incredible speed and strength in such a punch signified the level of attainment of its owner; it was also hard to neutralize such a punch.


    Shen Lian was not well-versed in the martial arts, but this would not handicap his observation skills.


    The two muscular and strong bodyguards were in their fighting stance, a stance that could be akin to the position taken by an archer right before shooting an arrow.


    The two bodyguards each took a punch at the man in green; one at the ribs, and one at the shoulder.


    The punches were thrown almost simultaneously.


    They must have been each other''s sparring partner, which explained their impeccable coordination and timing.


    The man in green snickered and caught both of their punches with minimal effort. He brought the fist that was aiming at his shoulder down. A loud snap was heard.


    The sound was from the collision of both of their fists, both of which were broken and shattered.


    The man in green then pushed lightly at the bodyguards; that had sent them flying across the hall, shattering countless tables and chairs in the process. The frightened patrons in the hall did not dare to make a sound.


    The two bodyguards were dead.


    Shen Lian twitched his eyelids. Despite his attainment in terms of concentration, the sudden outburst of violence had caught him off guard and shook him deeply.


    As if nothing had happened, the man in green took another bite at his food with his chopsticks. He did not care about the death of the two bodyguards; to him, they were just a pair of annoying houseflies.


    The manager and the waiter were hugging each other as they shivered out of fear.


    Shen Lian stared at the man in green without saying anything.


    "When the master is put to shame, the servant should die. They died for a good cause. What more with a family as rich as yours, you can rest assured that their family would receive a huge sum as compensation. Don''t get too hung up on it." The man in green put down his chopsticks and countered.


    "This is human lives that we are talking about, how am I supposed to just get over it? I cherish the human lives that you so carelessly dismissed. It doesn''t matter if it''s our own life; we all get only one chance at this."


    "So what do reckon that I should do now?"


    "You owe me a favor right?"


    "Yes."


    "It''s time for payback." Shen Lian''s brief reply was certain and stern.


    The man in green gave Shen Lian a fierce look. He looked like he was about to cut Shen Lian in pieces.


    Shen Lian was fearless; he was calm and at peace, his spirit was stable as usual.


    He did not have to do this, but he did it regardless.


    He rejected Old Master Shen''s lucrative offer just to not be a tool.


    He would speak up for two insignificant bodyguards, just to feel like a human again and not some cold hard stones.


    The man in green recalled a conversation he had with his late master, whom he had killed. ''There is a group of people in the world who don''t have great powers or great reasoning abilities; instead they have an immensely strong psyche power. These are the people who create miracles.''


    He asked his late master if he was one of them.


    His master said he was not, and that he would not be able to create miracles and he would never find the Changsheng Door.


    Shen Lian was very calm. It was not mere pretense - he was calm on a spiritual level.


    The man in green knew that he was a lot stronger than Shen Lian. Killing Shen Lian would be as easy as killing an ant.


    However, he could not ignore the calmness in Shen Lian''s eyes. He wondered what Shen Lian was relying on. Was he merely relying on his intangible psyche?


    The man in green was right about something. It was as he said, ''even though he has indulged himself in killing the innocent and committing heinous crimes, his biggest flaw would still be his arrogance''.


    That was why he hit himself in the chest without saying further. Fresh blood was dripping out from the corner out his mouth, but he did not wipe it off. "With this, I have returned the favor that I have owed you," he countered.

 Chapter 11 Blade!

    Even though the tone of the man in green was light, his entire body was like a piece of ice under the sun, with wisps of ashen cold air fuming from his head along with the frigid and intense murderous intention that sent everyone chills in their bones.


    Shen Lian was very calm, beneath this calmness was the confidence that the man in green could hardly understand. It came to his mind that maybe, just maybe, Shen Lian could actually kill him.


    This feeling was incomprehensible. It was as if when a lion seizes a rabbit, only to realize that this rabbit had suddenly transformed into a tiger.


    He could see that Shen Lian''s body was not in a good state, that he had never developed any internal force. Although he had long fingers, his hands were callus-free


    He was slim and had refined features. There was a sickly paleness on his face. Even though it was not to the point that he would collapse at the blow of a wind, he could hardly pose as a threat at all.


    However, there was something different of Shen Lian. The difference was in his pair of eyes. They were the windows to the soul and the calmness in his stare actually disturbed him to the extent of feeling petty of himself.


    Shen Lian''s mind was quiet right then, the innate god wielding the Ru Yi scepter slowly appeared within the spirit sea.


    This was a sublime legacy of the psyche, lonely yet eternal, formidable and fearless.


    Both of his hands draped naturally, he was sitting at rest. Across the table, the man in green did not realize that there was a two-inch flying dagger in Shen Lian''s hand.


    The small flying dagger, however, was Shen Lian''s final method of defense. With his commanding spiritual senses controlling his physical flesh, the weapon could be used from any angle within a ten-step radius.


    He did not know whether it would be effective against the man in green. He had never tried to use this small flying dagger to kill anyone.


    After all, this was a means of self-protection, it was not a murder weapon.


    The man in the green had adequate inner Qi and sharp senses. He could not see Shen Lian''s dagger, his gaze was, however, cast down, staring at Shen Lian''s, who was way shorter than him, shoulders.


    The hall slipped into an eerie silence. The silence, however, was broken by faint footsteps.


    Under the sun, a small beggar entered through the door, or perhaps it was not a beggar. It was just that his clothes were so tattered, it could barely cover his body.


    He looked twelve or thirteen, perhaps his age could have been older than that. Maybe it was the years of malnutrition that slowed the development of his body.


    Compared to Shen Lian''s delicate looks, the little beggar had a more plain and firm appearance. His brows and nose bore some resemblance to the man in green.


    The murderous air of the man in green dissipated like the tide and a gentle expression came onto his face.


    The little beggar came to the side of the man in green. He took down a little cloth bag and layer by layer carefully peeled the cloth apart.


    It revealed a small pouch that was no more than the size of his small fist, he delicately poured out the bean-sized coins, held out to the man in green and said softly. "Kind sir, I have used the money you gave me to have the people in my village to help complete my father''s funeral, these are the leftovers."


    The man in the green robe accepted the man, patted the beggar on the head and replied, "I''ve already told you that this amount of money is used to purchase you, remember to address me as master from now on."


    The little beggar''s hair was dry and yellowish, it also contained a good amount of filth. Although the man in the green did not mind entirely.


    The young beggar''s eyes brimmed with tears and he said, "Yes, master."


    The man in the green robe said benignly. "You must not have eaten yet, have something to eat here first, we''ll leave once you have finished eating."


    The little beggar''s eyes curiously examined Shen Lian, he thought to himself that this young fellow was really good looking, like a sprite.


    He dared not say much, looking at the table full of food, he gulped, not knowing where to start from.


    The man in the green robe did not have time to pay attention to what the young beggar wanted to eat because another person had appeared at the door.


    Originally, the sun that was transiting to the middle of the sky was able to drag a slightly longer shadow with its rays, this said something about the height of the approaching person. The silhouette gradually entered, accompanying it was the heavy and slow sounds of footsteps.


    Like a beating drum, the heaviness of it struck on the heart of everyone in the hall.


    Bump! Bump! Bump!


    The customers in the hall spiraled into regret, why did they come here for their meals and lodgings. The stranger released a cane knife from the saddle behind his back, golden and shining, it was dragged on the bluestone flooring, causing sparks to fly out.


    The approaching stranger paused at a five-step distance from the man in the green robe.


    The man in the green robe slowly spoke, "I gave the Green Bamboo Sect three days, and they searched for you, the Golden Blade King, to come for your demise, they really do not take me seriously."


    There are some people in Jianghu who were addressed by many according to their distinguishable features.


    This big, tall, cane knife dragging person was known as the Golden Blade King.


    Rumors had it that he was born with superhuman strength, yet he also has a pair of skillful hands, he once used the cane knife of his to carve a beautiful artwork of the mountains and rivers on a piece of tofu.


    He definitely lived up the name of Golden Blade King.


    "I have heard of your title, Deity Vanquishing Sword, you have even murdered your own mentor for a codex of the sword, it is said that a senior fellow apprentice, the Daoist priest Chong Lingxiao had once hunted for you for five years, forcing you to flee to the sandy Gobi desert, why do you dare returning now?" The Golden Blade King''s brows were raised as he sneered.


    "Naturally I came back to kill him." While he answered, he lifted his head and focused on an area of the roof.


    "I''m afraid that you won''t be able to wait until that moment." The ceiling burst open, ceiling tiles shattered all over the floor, the one appearing, however, was a short and skinny old man with a pair of silver hooks in his hands.


    He descended extremely lightly, floating down like a piece of feather.


    The young beggar was shocked by this scenario, the man in the green robe patted him on his shoulder, and ordered. "Eat your meal."


    Shen Lian remained composed while dealing with this circumstance, it did not matter whether it was the Golden Blade King, the petite old man or the man in the green, they were far from ordinary people and all of them had the same dangerous air about them.


    They all possessed extraordinary strengths.


    He was not afraid, rather, he was glad.


    This was surely not an ordinary world, not only was there martial art exercises for spiritual cultivation, there were also accessions to stimulate body strength.


    Based on their speaking tone, plus the mention of the ''codex of the sword'' just now and their behavior in dealing with matters, everything was similar to the people of Jianghu in the Wuxia novel that he had read back then.


    The little beggar began eating after being ordered by the man in the green robe, whether it was him being dense or him being famished, the little kid could really eat.


    Shen Lian thought internally that not only could this kid really eat a lot, he was also considered lucky, seeing how the man in the green robe was already considered as a well-educated person, he would be treated really nicely.


    In the Wuxia novels back then, this was a template used for the main character.


    Even though Shen Lian thought this was so, however, regardless whether it was the Golden Blade King or the old man, no one really took him seriously.


    Admittedly they were the kind of people who were very confident, no matter who it was they had to duel against each other to know the rank of where they stand, it also depended on who they were up against.


    Whether it was his age or his manners, Shen Lian was not a threat to them. Only the man in the green robe somewhat paid some attention towards Shen Lian.


    Although, most of his focus was still on the Golden Blade King and the petite old man.


    They were people who were not with unearned reputation. Even if he was really arrogant, he would not be careless.


    The man in the green robe was seated. Even though it looked as though he was being passive, the actual situation was that he was halting actions with his passiveness. He would not have done so if his martial art skills were not profound enough and him not having the courage.


    It was because of this that the Golden Blade King did not make his move to kill him.


    This person was ruthless, his martial art skills were high, and he was difficult to deal with if it was not for the sake of getting that item that he took from the Green Bamboo Sect, it was impossible for him to make a move.


    The Green Bamboo Sect still thought that he was risking it all for some money and connections, it was just absolutely laughable. The Golden Blade King was already in his forties, he had far passed the time of pursuing worldly wealth and fame, what truly captivated him was achieving a higher state, a longer lifespan.

 Chapter 12 Deity Vanquisher

    Even though the short and skinny man was old, his temper was short. The silver hooks slipped out from his hand, a silver light blinked, as though a new moon had appeared out of thin air.


    It may look captivating, but it was actually formidable.


    Despite the silver hooks coming in rapidly, it was not as quick as the man in green.


    A piece of wooden chopstick lightly touched the silver hooks. With a slight steer, the silver hooks made a detour.


    The petite old man pulled an iron bridge maneuver and very dangerously managed to dodge it, but there were two bloody gashes on his chest.


    He panicked as he tapped on his chest with his fingers, taking out a small porcelain bottle and poured a few pills into his mouth.


    It turned out that the petite old man was a malicious fellow, there was poison laced all over the pair of silver hooks and it would have been fatal if it came in contact with his blood. It was absolutely necessary to take the antidote within a very short period of time to keep on living.


    The man in green had established himself with just that one attack, he had truly showed his awe-inspiring specialty.


    The Golden Blade King ignored the elderly man with a solemn face and his feet standing in the position that resembled the directions of the eight trigrams. From left to right, the cane knife was dragged across the floor leaving deep knife marks as sparks flew in all four directions.


    The Golden Blade King''s walking got faster and faster, there were steaming white gas coming from the top of his head, many phantoms of him emerged unexpectedly, it was difficult to differentiate the real person from the phantoms.


    Suddenly, the gleam of his blade moved and came in torrenting through the white gas.


    The man in green raised his brows, this knife method was actually derived from the sword move, Endless River Pouring In. The attack was not only an astonishing one, it was also endless.


    The Golden Blade King was born with superhuman strengths. His martial arts skills, both internal and external, were profound. He was already a first-class figure of Jianghu and was clearly not to be underestimated.


    Undeniably the short and skinny elderly man had made an ominous reputation for his own but his expertise lied in the meticulous hooking skills and highly toxic weapons. He was very aggressive, however, he was not as stately and domineering as the Golden Blade King when it came down to his martial art skills and inner Qi.


    In these recent years, he had been able to apply some of the subtle essences of martial arts. He was no longer at the level when he was forced to flee the Gobi desert.


    The martial arts of the Gobi desert had a natural law to it that even came with the fun of life and death fighting. It was concise, which allowed his martial art to transition from something complicated to something simple. Hence, he was able to catch a glimpse of the weakness in the elderly man''s hooking skills.


    The ability to reverse the silver hooks with a chopstick may seem like it was something casual but this was the signature of his martial art.


    The Golden Blade King was unstoppable, the Qi of his blade was like the Changjiang River rushing to the sea, and there was no turning back at all.


    The gleam of the blade was quick, but the man in green was quicker, with one hand he picked up the young beggar boy, and on the other hand, he took up a bench.


    Even though the Golden Blade King''s cane knife was long, it was not as long as the bench.


    The man in green infused his inner Qi into the bench. It was made of no less than ordinary metal, and it broke through the rolling gleam of the blade with a slanted strike.


    Like a dragon entering the sea to summon and command the rain and the wind.


    Even though the bench was used as a weapon, what he applied was the knife method. It looked like it was going straight ahead, but the truth was there were hidden changes that countered the weak points.


    The gleam of the Golden Blade King''s cane knife caused the food on the table to fall all over the floor as the bench strangled the blade. The man in green, however, lifted the young beggar and moved ten steps away to the doorway.


    Shen Lian was on alert and ducked to a side, avoiding the calamity.


    However, the man in green could not get out because there were five gleaming swords that pointed at exactly five parts of his body which were each of his limbs and head in a fashionable order.


    After the man in green took a step back, he thrust one palm out ferociously, there was a chilling gust of howling wind and several groans were heard, one of them called out: The Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    The Golden Blade King was behind the man in green who brought the young beggar along, in front of him however were swordsmen in identical outfits.


    The leader of the five people was a middle-aged man and a green scarf was wrapped around his head, it was the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect.


    The faces of the five swordsmen were ashen. Save for the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect, the other four were squatted down as they held their heads and even the swords in their hand were thrown away. The pain was indeed too overwhelming for them.


    The man in green had used the martial art that he was proudest of in his entire life��Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    The man in green stood regally, with only one attack he had injured the five internal best fighters of the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect, acting as though it was an easy matter of fact of him to do so.


    Shen Lian could not help but admit that even though this person was arrogant, but he was the real deal.


    At the same time he could help but be struck dumb with amazement, this was still when the man in green had allowed himself to be in a situation where he was voluntarily injured and he was not in his prime yet.


    The Golden Blade King dragged his knife till he was behind the man in green. Nevertheless, he felt a disdain to make a move, his reputation was prominent and his martial art skills were outstanding, he would never commit a shameful action such as hurting someone from behind.


    He was also taken aback when he heard the Deity Vanquishing Sword. He did not think that the man in green had integrated the Deity Vanquishing Sword into the palm method, that there was no need of a medium at all.


    He was very knowledgeable and certainly understood that even when your martial art skills were ever-changing, it could not compare to the Dao technique. And the Deity Vanquishing Sword was the few codex of the sword that was known to be a Dao technique within Jianghu.


    This was also the forbidden art passed down among the chief of his teachers. It has been passed down for safekeeping, but none were not allowed to practice it.


    The man in green thought that his talent was matchless but he could never be as good as his senior fellow apprentice, Ling Chongxiao. Deeply dissatisfied, he finally deceived and slaughtered his mentor to obtain the secret text of the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    The Deity Vanquishing Sword lived up to its name as a mysterious lost knowledge of the Dao technique, its power was extensive which made it incomprehensible for outsiders. The man in green had even mastered it in a short period of time and by using the Deity Vanquishing Sword, he had murdered a few of his friends who wanted to avenge their mentor. It was not until later when his senior fellow apprentice, Ling Chongxiao, who had returned from the outside seas and hunted him down, causing him to be exiled to the Gobi desert.


    However, it was only last year that the man in green had once again returned from the Gobi desert and committed major crimes in several state capitals, which alerted the Ministry of Justice who despite losing a few martial art experts, failed in apprehending him.


    As for the man in green''s senior fellow apprentice, Ling Chongxiao, abandoned the sword and entered into Dao, he retired into the deep mountains where not many knew about his whereabouts.


    Or else, with the ocean-deep like hatred between the two of them, there would already have been a huge battle.


    Without a doubt, there was word in Jianghu that Ling Chongxiao''s martial art skills have entered the ''concentrated'' stage. Knowing almost every Dao technique and supernatural powers, if he was around, the man in green would not have possibly dared to leave the Gobi desert.


    Although today, it seemed like the man in green had already integrated the Deity Vanquishing Sword into the palm method, his martial art skills were magnificent, to be able to injure five masters with only one strike of his palm was truly a terrifying feat.


    No matter how profound your martial arts skills were, you were still of the physical flesh and it was impossible to defeat a group of people when you are alone.


    It was extremely monstrous to assault the five internal masters of the Green Bamboo Sect''s leader with just one technique.


    The Golden Blade King jarred internally, however it was not because he had already admitted defeat, it was just the fact that it was hard for him to wrap his head around on what made the Deity Vanquishing Sword so formidable.


    The reason was even though there was some coolness that came out from that strike of the palm, it was nothing along the lines of lost knowledge of the ice palm. Furthermore, there were barely any trembles of essential Qi and yet the five people could not stand against it and were injured for no reason.


    Although the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect was still standing, his entire body was trembling and he could not even hold his sword properly.


    This was not the worst of it still because the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect found out that he could not muster a wisp of inner Qi. The blast from the palm of the man in green was like witchcraft, it gave him a splitting headache and he was completely unable to focus his attention.


    He knew that this was the effect of the Deity Vanquishing Sword, but while he was feeling the pain, it was still difficult for him to figure out what happened exactly with the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    Shen Lian was in a corner far away, he was one with his environment and did not draw the attention of others.


    He saw the palm strike used by the man in green and a question arose at the same time.


    The blast from the palm was actually the power of the spirit, the man in green actually used his own power of the spirit to attack others.

 Chapter 13 Varying Between Creation and Destruction

    Shen Lian had developed the Mastery of Senses, his spirit was so strong that it could almost leave the physical body.


    It was said that once the spirit was able to leave the physical body, all sorts of supernatural powers could be cultivated. From the beginning of time, those who went down in history with a glowing reputation or those who disrupted the peace had this ability.


    The spirit of the living, also known as the living spirit, were bound by flesh.


    Even though the living spirit could exist peacefully with the protection of physical flesh, it was also why it lacked the changes in the different kinds of supernatural power.


    Shen Lian had never tried having his spirit leave his body, but he also knew that his own power of the spirit was way stronger than that of an average person. Nonetheless, besides having a profound psyche, photographic memory and being able to control the body in the condensed stage, there were barely any other uses.


    Although there were benefits to it, which was not bad and he was able to train his body at the same time to prevent internal injuries being really able to protect his own life was still a farfetched thing.


    Even if he could face down his enemies with the flying dagger getting his targets without missing every time, if there were ten enemies that approached him, he could not have defeated all of them in one go.


    Even more, his intention to kill was very weak, to take someone else''s life with the flying dagger that left his hand was really something that he did not wish for at all.


    If he had the spirit of attack of the man in the green, Shen Lian would be able to unleash the biggest advantage he had, it also meant that he had another method of self-protection.


    The power of the spirit used by the man in green just then. To Shen Lian, it did not mean anything to him, while there was no practical comparison done, plus Shen Lian would not simply belittle himself, he estimated that the spirit of the man in green would not be as strong as his spirit.


    Or else, based on how formidable the man in green was, he could definitely pull off an aerial projection and he would not risk lacking in vitality. At the same time, he could make a lot of imposing changes that were almost similar to the techniques of the Celestial School and not of those belonging to mortals.


    Even though the man in green showed a solid performance, the Golden Blade King still had not lost all hope yet.


    The so-called Deity Vanquishing Sword that was unleashed previously by him was not as easy as he portrayed it to be.


    Shen Lian could clearly feel his spirit had weakened slightly.


    Suddenly, the thundering of hooves poured in from all directions.


    The man in green''s face became rigid, he pushed his palm towards the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect and said, "I have rather underestimated you."


    What he naturally meant was that he did not expect the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect would be able to command the elite soldier of the Qing state.


    He did not fear if it was a crowd of ordinary people but even though the number of the approaching soldiers were unknown, and that he had practiced the Deity Vanquishing Sword and his spirit had sharpened more, he felt the Qi energy from the outside was not something to be undermined even though it had not reached the point of rumbling smoke.


    Under this circumstance, it was extremely difficult for him to use his trump card, the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    This was because the spirit would grow stronger with Qi energy, but at the same time, it was also restrained by it too. This was the mystery of Yin and Yang, the principle of the relation between creation and destruction.


    If there were hundreds and thousands of the elite soldiers, the Qi energy would come together in a forceful impetus and burn like raging fire.


    And if the man in green''s spirit left his body, it would be like adding oil to that fire which would not be useful at all, it would also damage his spirit for no good reason.


    The leader of the Green Bamboo Sect spared no effort when it came to evading the man in green''s vigorous palm strikes, he used the Lazy Donkey Roll maneuver to finally escape this peril.


    The man in green''s original intention was for him to give way and he really could not be tangled with him, or else he could not make his escape when the soldiers have him surrounded.


    The Golden Blade King bellowed out in laughter: "Do not think you can leave here today."


    He was an expert in the ways of the martial arts, he knew that the man in green''s heart was not in the battle anymore but he could not just let him leave, or else once he was out of the Qing capital and had made his way into the deep forests and mountains, where could he go and find this person again under the vast sky?


    All of a sudden there was a heavy dishing of the gleam of the knife, like catkins being blown by the wind and scattering playfully all over the sky. It seemed as though it was going to descend on both the man in green and the young beggar.


    The man in green secretly hated himself for caring too much, why did he make an unnecessary move to test the mind of this young boy.


    Even though he seemed relatively young, he was in actual fact past his fifties, if he knew that from now on that there was no turning back, even if he had gotten that item from the Green Bamboo Sect, he might not be able to obtain the Destiny of the Immortals and went on the path of longevity, but at least he had gotten a successor.


    The young beggar had good qualifications and even had some resemblance to his younger self, which gave him the idea to pass on the mantle.


    It was just that he had his doubts about the boy''s heart, so he bought him as his servant, gave him the chance to take care of his father''s funeral and see whether he would come back or not.


    Even though the man in green was not a righteous man himself, he followed the practice of the ranger where ''words must have credibility, actions must be courageous and absolute, promises must be kept and fulfilled''. Had the young beggar not returned today, he would find and kill him and then moving on to other places.


    His encounter with Shen Lian then was also an accident, to be honest. His calmness and expression reminded him of his senior fellow apprentice, Ling Chongxiao. If he practiced the martial arts, he would have a bright future ahead of him.


    Even if he detested the fact that Ling Chongxiao was always a step ahead of him, he truly must admit that Ling Chongxiao was better than him. Assuming that he was not determined to recruit this young beggar as his apprentice, he would have Shen Lian as his successor.


    The man in green''s thoughts took an unexpected turn, his body responded immediately, the body that was going forward originally began spinning like a top and as it scoped up dust, out of the thin air, the tip of his foot was pointed on top of the point of the knife.


    The tricky and vehement force traveled through the body of the knife, the area between the Golden Blade King''s thumb and index finger became numb.


    He did not put all of his strength into this move because he only wanted to make the man in green to stay.


    He did not expect that his martial art skills to be this tremendous, being able to see through his intentions, shattering the illusion, achieving victory in the midst of danger and beat his knife technique.


    With a point of the tip of his foot, the man in green was already on the roof. He brought the young beggar along and leaped through the wide and endless sky.


    Unexpectedly, there were many archers that appeared from all directions of the roof and thousands of arrows were released at the same time.


    The man in green humped coolly, made a barrier from his inner Qi to protect his entire body and causing the arrows to brush past him.


    He, however, did not have a choice but to get down from the roof and charged to the roof of the house on the opposite side of the street. This forced him into the surrounding trap of the soldiers.


    The Golden Blade King did not dare to rush in, firstly he did not know the soldiers. Secondly, he came from a big well-made family, if he went in and the soldiers treated him as an enemy, does he make a move or not?


    There was nothing good that comes with rebelling and killing officials, he did not want his name in ruins or end up like the man in green who wandered around by himself.


    The man in green''s matters aside, a group of men on horses hurriedly rushed into Yue Ke Lai, the one in the lead was Shen Qingsan.


    He immediately spotted Shen Lian and quickly went up and said: "What''s a kid like you doing here, do you know how dangerous it is?"


    The Shen family had many informants when Shen Qingsan found out that Shen Lian was staying in the same inn as the man in the green robe, he was surprised and mad at that moment.


    Even though he had assigned bodyguards to protect Shen Lian from the shadows, he did not think that Shen Lian would have come here.


    When he made this discovery, it was too late to stop it.


    It was not until the man in green exited Yue Ke Lai and was heavily encircled by the soldiers that he led his men and risked the danger to enter and protect Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian thought, "This second uncle of mine is somehow sincere with his treatment of me."


    At the same time, Shen Lian asked, "What are you doing here, second uncle?"


    Shen Qingsan also did not want to keep Shen Lian in the dark and answered, "That man in the green is the murderer who killed your two cousin brothers, the Shen family definitely wouldn''t let him off the hook."


    During this moment the leader of the Green Bamboo Sect came up and chuckled: "Second Master Shen, who is this by your side?"


    Shen Qingsan replied, "This is my nephew Shen Lian."


    He then turned towards Shen Lian, "This person in front is the Leader An of the Green Bamboo Sect."


    The Green Bamboo Sect and the Shen family, one black one white, the one with the immense wealth and power was still the Shen family. Leader An examined Shen Lian. "This was the rumored bastard of the Shen family."


    His looks were rather delicate and graceful. Shen Lian''s reaction of not panicking like how any other ordinary young person would during something this serious made him think of Shen Lian highly.

 Chapter 14 The Bondage

    An Wanli was the full name of Master An. Despite not having that ferocious aura and being slightly stout, his ability to survive in the hands of the man in green says something about his character, even if it meant that he had to be embarrassed numerous times.


    The status of Shen Lian had dictated his fate for being unable to participate in the interaction between An Wanli, Jin Daowang, and Shen Qingsan. Upon meeting a point of mutual agreement, Jin Daowang, An Wanli, and the petite old man left the inn with their weapons.


    What could be noticed was that the clanking of swords from the streets was fading away. He had to face the fact that he was greatly outnumbered, no matter how invincible that man in green thought he was.


    Shen Lian witnessed how much the body of the man in green endured. Slashes and bloodstain could be seen, wounded from head to toe. He was at last locked on the collarbone, bound by heavy chains, captured in a prison van built out of pure steel.


    ''Such discreet planning, they must have seen this coming,'' thought Shen Lian as he observed the scene.


    Little did he know, that whole stage took the Shen family only a few days to plan. If he had known, he would be more surprised with the power of Shen family.


    In the air of silence, Shen Lian returned home with Shen Qingsan. He bore no malice, nor does he hold any favorable impression towards the man in green. Lament was the word to describe the day.


    He came to a point of realization that even a highly skilled, seemingly invincible Jianghu drifter can be detained when outnumbered. ''Physical body will still be a limit to the skills one attains,'' he thought to himself.


    At the same time, he was amused by the Deity Vanquisher Sword, that was indeed something that opened his eyes. That will be the only thing Shen Lian would ever long for from the man in green.


    Back he was at the Shen''s residence.


    Routinely, Shen Qingsan reported the day to Old Master Shen. Despite the prior knowledge, Old Master Shen still listened patiently.


    He had his reason for this. Being homebound, he was not able to take hold of the situation that had happened outside of home. But he knew he could paint a clearer picture by analyzing reports from different people, with different perspectives of what had transpired.


    One of his secret to success. "Unbiasedness leads to clarity."


    Old Master Shen was told about that important item that Master An took from the man in green, also about how Shen Lian was present at the scene of the crime.


    Old Master Shen did not say a word, but Shen Qingsan knew that deep down, Old Master was greatly displeased. That was not a good sign for Shen Lian at all.


    In the following days, Shen Lian was grounded.


    He was not mad. As if he did not realize that he was grounded at all, he lived his life as usual, routinely doing his bodyweight workout that baffled the spies that were watching him.


    He also made daily requests for dietary supplements.


    Ever since that day, both Shen Lian and old Master Shen did not initiate visits to each other. Being grounded in his own yard, almost no one remembers him as the half young master of the house.


    The days passed, one month''s time was gone with the wind, just like that.


    Shen Lian did not gain much physique wise, but his complexion improved.


    He did not admit his mistake to the Old Master Shen. As the matter of fact, Old Master was longing his for his apology!


    The past month had been fruitful for Shen Lian. With the financial power that the Shen family holds and that sense of control he had over his physical body, he could feel the improvement day by day. With all the supplements he was able to afford with the Shen family''s support, he had compensated his physique for what he had lost from the past two years living in that poor, run-down condition.


    Meager as usual with those delicate features of his, little did he know what great improvement he had on his inner strength.


    He was able to do a single-handstand. Now that was truly rewarding.


    Bodyweight training would be the safest, and most comprehensive routine to stick by.


    Complemented with his modern medical knowledge, he had more potential than all the Jianghu drifters in this era.


    He knew that with the condition right now, he was just as healthy as Jin Daowang or Master An, if not healthier, despite the absence of Inner Qi training.


    Amidst his session, breeze sneaked into the room from the window slit and danced with the candlelight. Disturbed by the flickering light, Shen Lian blew the candle off and discontinued his training.


    That cloudy night made sight difficult without the aid of candlelight.


    Seated on the bed, Shen Lian adjusted his breathing, feeling energized after his training.


    "We are held captive, by the world, and our physique. But is it any better, if we escape from it? Like a tiger that has been long caged, little did it have to worry about survival, little did it have to face the harshness of reality, being cast out in winter to hunt for food. In the cage, a tiger is merely a larger cat, losing its natural instincts."


    As for the out of body experience, the current Shen Lian could not be certain of the consequences. Whether or not if he will end up in psychosis-like his predecessor, the true owner of Shen Lian''s body.


    Although, he had to decide quickly as time was running out, and Old Master Shen would not spare him more.


    Shen Lian could not deny the potential of those unveiled mysteries on Earth, especially after witnessing the extent of wealth and influence the Shen family holds.


    The support from the Shen family could support his practice and cultivation and at the same time, it was a bondage.


    He knew he had to act quickly, perhaps even risk the uncharted waters.


    Without the Shen family, he would not have recovered so quickly from his poor health condition. For this, he holds great gratitude towards them. But this certainly does not mean he would agree to Old Master Shen''s terms.


    He positioned his state of psyche, optimizing it at neutral, free from distractions.


    The spirit and the soul, these were supposedly inseparable.


    It was as if a hand rope draped from a tower, holding that rope, he was raised from below. Shen Lian could clearly feel that force raising him, despite the pull of gravitational force.


    The rope was stronger.


    Like a rocket, the spirit launched, fueled by the physical energy to break away from its soul. The strength of the physical energy was the key to breaking free, without it, this practice would be a hollow one.


    Expectedly, Shen Lian understood that theory.


    Slowly as he reaches a high altitude, he stopped doubting himself, freed his mind, and the world was never the same.


    He could see himself. Not that body he sees in the mirror, but that truest form of himself.


    That body was lean and wizened, deep hollows at the cheeks. In the silence, that seated body fell lightly, like a corpse.


    But he, he was hovering in the air.


    "Free, as light and air," there was no better way to express his situation at that moment.


    As a spirit, he could be least bothered by emotional affairs. Peaceful and quiet. Tranquil and calm.

 Chapter 15 The Carefree Clouds

    Before heading out, Shen Lian took one last look at his body.


    The windows did not serve to obstruct Shen Lian at all; it took him just one light leap to get out to the courtyard.


    The clouds gave way to the moon, and the plum blossoms were dancing with their shadows. The sky was dotted sparsely with stars, complementing the pale and clear moon. It felt as if the heaven accidentally spilled misty rain into the mortal realm.


    Shen Lian could feel the lightness of the air with his spirit.


    A thought suddenly occurred to Shen Lian �C what if instead of letting the moonlight pass through him like the flowing of a river, he absorbed it?


    The moonlight gathered around Shen Lian, enveloping him like a transparent coat of feathers.


    Shen Lian felt the burning heat; it was as if the afternoon sun was shining on him.


    There was a glowing human-shaped shadow in the once-empty courtyard. It was drifting between taking and not taking shape in this physical realm.


    The face and the hairline of the blurry shadow gave off a mystical aura.


    Guards sent by Old Master Shen were stationed all over Shen Lian''s chamber. The two guards on night shift were leaning against the door to shelter themselves from the wind.


    One of them opened his eyes and shouted as he saw the glowing shadow. His shout alerted his companion next to him.


    Shen Lian did not want to cause a scene. He immediately willed the coat of moonlight to dissipate.


    As spirits did not have a physical shape, it was not easy for mortals to spot them with their bare eyes.


    The companion of the guard did not see anything when he woke up. He grumpily scolded the guard before falling back to sleep again.The guard who spotted Shen Lian gave his eyes a quick rub and did not see anything strange, which led him to think that his eyes were playing tricks on him.


    Without the coat of moonlight around him, Shen Lian wavered in the cold wind.


    It was as if he was standing naked in the cold wind, and was facing attacks by the blades of wind and swords of frost.


    At that point, Shen Lian was void of emotions. The suffering of his spiritual body did not bother him at all.


    This led him to understand that an out of body experience was nothing like what he experienced before. It was fun, yet dangerous.


    It was only manageable because it was night time. If he were to do this during the day, he would not be able to withstand the scorching sun even with his strong spirit.


    The rumor that ghosts and the like of it generally appear at night and never during the day was not an unfounded claim after all.


    Without any prior experience, Shen Lian had to learn the rope carefully when it comes to having an out of body experience. He knew that he was walking on thin ice and had to be extremely cautious.


    He was grateful for the connection that he had with his physical body. At least he knew that he was not alone in this harsh world.


    It was similar to flying a kite; his spirit was always attached and anchored to his body, and would not be lost to the vast world.


    The physical body was a prison, but it was also a bamboo raft that sailed through the hardships of the mortal realm; it came with both pros and cons.


    "The carefree clouds float from behind the hills, the weary birds know that they should return." Just as the poem, it was definitely freer for the spirit to be out of the body, but just as birds that needed to return to their nests, the spirit needed to be nourished in the body.


    Shen Lian tried to control his spirit and he experimented around in the process.


    He realized something unique about the spirit �C it can penetrate physical matter.


    Recreating what he did with the moonlight, he tried to attach the wind to his spirit. It felt as if he was melted into the wind, and could travel by its force.


    When he finally detached himself from the wind, he could not feel the gravity anymore.


    He was merely floating around the ground.


    After getting down the main characteristics of an out of body experience, he expanded his scope of operation.


    He crossed through walls and buildings without resistance.


    In this world, there was no electricity or electrical lamps. People went to bed early.


    Under those circumstances, any source of light became extremely glaring.


    This bout of out of body experience was meant to be an experiment and was completely aimless. Noticing the light source up ahead, Shen Lian decided to enter the room.


    As per usual, there was no resistance when he was getting into the room. However, he heard a woman weeping.


    The woman was weeping in devastation, giving off an air of sadness.


    "What are you crying for? Ruoxi is just sick, you just need to take better care of her." Shen Lian could hear Shen Qingsan talking.


    "But she is getting thinner as days go by. She is not talking and not eating, the doctors are out of wits. How can I not be worried? Don''t you think Shen Lian is bringing misfortune with him everywhere he goes? First, he killed his mother, now he is killing Ruoxi slowly. Ruoxi wouldn''t have fallen sick if it was not for the stupid idea of marrying her to Shen Lian!"


    The woman ranted to Shen Qingsan as she wiped her tears.


    Shen Lian was in the room. He saw and heard the conversation between Shen Qingsan and his wife, Chen.


    Shen Qingsan was frowning, and Chen was seated opposite of him.


    "So, Shen Ruoxi has fallen sick," Shen Lian thought. As for Chen''s allegations, he was not offended at all. Even on normal days, he would not be angered by such allegations, what more when he was void of emotions.


    He was grounded for a month. During which, he did not maintain any form of contact with the world outside. This was why he was unaware of Shen Ruoxi''s predicament.


    "Shen Lian had been grounded for the past month, and Ruoxi only fell sick five or six days ago. How can this have anything to do with him at all? Please don''t listen to your sister-in-law." While Shen Lian was not angered, the same could not be said about Shen Qingsan. Due to the influence of Old Master Shen, he treated women as inferior to men. On top of that, he knew that his daughter would not be bullied if she was to be married to Shen Lian.


    Chen was not about to retreat from her stance. "I don''t care if Shen Lian is a good person or bad, but just take a look at him. He is so neutral and detached from everyone. What more, he is someone who has a mind of his own. Even if you were to treat him genuinely, I don''t think he will appreciate the gesture!"


    "You are wrong about this. Shen Lian is more reliable than anyone else. Despite that he doesn''t reciprocate your kindness verbally, he would keep it in his mind. What more as a family, we are not supposed to expect any return to begin with." Shen Qingsan retorted, remembering what he found out back at the inn.


    He had actually investigated into what happened between Shen Lian and the man in green back at the inn. Without a doubt, the two bodyguards sent to protect Shen Lian were killed by the man in green. What surprised him was Shen Lian''s behavior that day.


    "This is human lives that we are talking about, how am I supposed to just get over it? I cherish the human lives that you so carelessly dismissed. It doesn''t matter if it''s our own life; we all get only one chance at this."


    The manager of Yue Ke Lai repeated Shen Lian''s exact words.


    Shen Qingsan believed that Shen Lian meant every word that he said and that he was genuine.


    Shen Lian stood up for two insignificant bodyguards and was fearless when faced with the man in green.


    Shen Qingsan had never seen this sort of behavior on a twelve or thirteen-year-old1 until Shen Lian came along.


    Shen Lian was worthy of being entrusted with great responsibilities; the Shen family would only go far in the hands of someone like Shen Lian.


    Shen Qingsan knew his own limits �C he was not even capable of carrying on the Shen family, what more bringing it to greater heights. Moreover, his brother was even more incapable than him.


    Due to the state that he was in, Shen Lian did not feel touched by what Shen Qingsan had just said. However, he had to admit that this uncle whom he was related to by blood was right about him.author''s words

 Chapter 16 Dreaming Without a Trace

    Shen Lian was shocked by what he saw next �C the will of a spirit. It was giving off a pinkish aura, similar to that of peach blossoms.


    The spirit''s will that Shen Lian saw was coming from the room. Unlike Shen Qingsan who could not see it, Shen Lian saw everything clearly.


    Shen Lian moved slightly and caught the pinkish spirit will. Like a ball of powder, it melted into him in a matter of seconds. He could feel a strong surge of emotions welling up in him, the emotions of a young lady.


    After calming his spirit and dismissing the hint of spring in the pink spirit''s will, Shen Lian realized that the power of his spirit got stronger. However, he noticed that he was no longer void of emotions; he could feel some ups and downs.


    As the saying goes, "Practice goes deeper than theoretic knowledge". Through this, Shen Lian realized that he could absorb someone else''s will of spirit to strengthen his own when he was having an out of body experience. As he had training from The Mastery of Senses, his power of the spirit was pure, and his heart free of desires. However, he did realize that the absorption of someone else''s will could corrupt the purity of his power of the spirit, subsequently leading him onto a path of evil.


    There were more, the spirit''s will. There was another dwelling on the left and drifted in and out of the room.


    He ignored Shen Qingsan and his wife, Chen, and went right across the door leading to the room.


    The was still lit in the room. A young female servant was resting near the bed. Underneath the exquisite layer of mosquito net, a young lady was lying on the bed. Pale and sound asleep, she was the one, giving off spirit''s will now and then.


    It went without saying that the spirit''s will that Shen Lian caught, came from his cousin who was sound asleep, Shen Ruoxi.


    A human''s spirit would be tied to his or her body; the will of the spirit would only be dispersed unconsciously when its owner was dreaming in deep sleep.


    This was why people would occasionally see themselves in third person when they were asleep.


    As they dreamt, the will of their spirit left their body.


    The aforementioned process was significantly different from Shen Lian''s out of body experience. In Shen Lian''s version, his mind was independent and complete. Everything that he saw or heard was felt clearly, and he could make clear and rational decisions. On the other hand, the aforementioned process was just one''s spirit being peeled off one''s body, and the spirit lacked independent consciousness.


    Any practitioners like Shen Lian could strengthen oneself by absorbing the spirit''s wills that were all adrift during this period of time; when all slept.


    There were similarities and differences as to what the spirit and the naked eyes of a mortal would see.


    To Shen Lian''s eyes, not only that Shen Ruoxi looked pale, there was also a fine green line extended from between her brows into nothingness. Shen Lian could not tell where the source of the line was.


    "After all, I share a biological bond with her. Let me see what evilness is behind this," Shen Lian thought.


    Shen Lian hovered over Shen Ruoxi. He focused his thoughts and cut the green line away as though he was using a newly forged blade. At the same time, his spiritual body went into her thoughts from between the brows.


    It was said that Shen Ruoxi had not been feeling herself ever since she got back from a day trip. She was extremely fatigued, which subsequently led her to being bedridden.


    A girl in her prime had become a fading autumn leaf. That night, she had even fallen into a deep slumber.


    Curiously, it was as though she had shed away her mortal body through this sleep. She felt refreshed.


    Shen Ruoxi opened her eyes and noticed that there was no one in her chamber. Sunlight was streaming into her room.


    She did not bother summoning the servants. After being bedridden for a couple of days, she felt as though moss could grow on her. Hurriedly, she got out of her bed.


    What she did not realize was, she had put her clothes on through sheer will.


    As soon as she stepped out of her chamber, she noticed the flying birds and butterflies.


    Feeling playful, she trailed after a butterfly and tried to catch it.


    The butterfly was surprisingly alert; it got out of Shen Ruoxi''s hands a couple of times.


    Shen Ruoxi ended up in a garden without noticing.


    She felt like she had stumbled upon heaven on earth. There was a gallery up ahead. It was dotted with sparkles and glimmering in the sunlight.


    Next to it was a pool, which was surrounded by moss-covered rocks. Everything was brimming with life.


    Shen Ruoxi noticed how soft the patch of grass that she was standing on was.


    She could not help but wonder, why had she not noticed this marvelous spot in her own home.


    The beautiful scenery and the wonderful time that she was having had led her to lower her guards.


    With all there was to see, she had no time to worry about anything else.


    After walking past numerous pavilions, Shen Ruoxi felt melancholic. Surrounded by the endless beautiful scenery, but here she was, utterly alone.


    "I must have stumbled upon someone else''s garden by mistake. How do I get back now?" she thought.


    Shen Ruoxi was not aware of the whereabouts of the family who was living there.


    She started panicking.


    Up ahead was a willow tree, its branches and leaves draped casually, forming waves of green.


    There was a handsome scholar standing behind the willow. His eyes were black and deep, his features sharp and sculpted.


    The scholar looked at ease. As he took off, he broke a branch off the willow tree.


    However, before he could leave, someone held him by his shoulders. He was surprised to find a fine young man standing beside him. The young man exuded an air of calmness and was staring at him intently. The scholar was fixated to right where he was standing and he did not dare to move an inch.


    The young man was of course, Shen Lian. As the spirit was capable of changing according to one''s will, Shen Lian appeared taller than he actually was.


    The scholar smiled eerily before turning into a gust of black air and dashed right into Shen Lian''s body.


    Shen Lian felt a rush of complex emotions; there were joy, anger, grief, happiness, shocked, fear, all rolled up in one. His spirit was crushed by a great tide of emotions.


    He pictured the deity-like he always had and the impact of these emotion tides became nothing to Shen Lian. He was unmoved, just as the reefs that were unaffected by the rising and falling of tides.


    The black gust of air dispersed when it realized that it could not harm Shen Lian.


    Somewhere in the State Capital of Qing, there was a small yet functional temple situated in one of the courtyards.


    There were five deity statues in the temple. Sacrificial offerings could be found on the altar. The statues were all dressed in red robes, and they looked heinous.


    One of the statues on the left was making sounds out of nowhere. It sounded like the screaming of horses as they were whipped and lashed.


    Any knowledgeable person would realize that this temple was one of the secrets and perverse worship practices.


    Shen Lian was not familiar with the ways of spiritual attacks, but he protected himself without a single flaw in his defense, and that did its job. The evilness was chased away.


    The evilness that turned itself into a handsome scholar was definitely up to no good sneaking into Shen Ruoxi''s dream.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian arrived in the nick of time and stopped it from having its way.


    As the evilness was dispersed, Shen Ruoxi walked over. "Shen Lian!" she yelped in surprise.


    The moment that the dream world shattered, the beautiful scenery crumbled into dust.


    Consequently, Shen Lian was liberated from Shen Ruoxi''s dream.


    Shen Ruoxi squealed as she woke up from her dream. Her forehead was covered in sweat; it was as though she had just woken up from a serious illness, and her body was drained of energy.


    The young female servant was overjoyed when she saw Shen Ruoxi sitting up on her bed. She found it weird that Shen Ruoxi was saying Shen Lian''s name, and wondered if her ears played tricks on her.


    Could it be that the Young Lady, Shen Ruoxi, dreamt about Young Master Shen Lian? Regardless, she had to inform the Master and Mistress that the Young Lady had woken up.


    Before she managed to do that, Shen Qingsan and Chen rushed in.


    Shen Ruoxi was really weak, but she was aware of her surroundings. "Mother, I am famished," she whispered as she saw her parents.


    "Qingsan, Ruoxi is hungry!" Chen was overcome with joy, and she exclaimed in happiness.


    Seeing this, Shen Lian''s spirit which was supposed to be void of emotions, felt joy from his actual contentment. He smiled.


    "Shen Lian." Shen Ruoxi murmured as she caught him smiling.


    Shen Lian was amazed that she saw him, but he crossed through the walls and left without staying further.

 Chapter 17 Wutong

    Chen found it weird that her daughter murmured Shen Lian''s name.


    Shen Ruoxi gasped as she saw Shen Lian crossed through the wall without any hindrance �C she was shocked!


    Chen gave Shen Ruoxi a quick rub on the forehead. Shen Ruoxi was still feverish. "Don''t think about anything now, just make sure you get good rest," Chen said.


    "Mother, I think I saw Shen Lian," Shen Ruoxi replied softly.


    "You''re having a fever, and he is still grounded at the courtyard on the East wing. Besides, it''s so late now." Chen knew that her daughter was only seeing things because of her sickness.


    When Chen was busy preparing porridge for Shen Ruoxi, Shen Lian had gone back to his residence.


    He saw his body, lying in bed breathing quietly, and leaped immediately back into it.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes slowly and felt exhausted as fatigue rushed all over him. He thought he was going to collapse into slumber.


    After opening his eyes, he could feel the waves of tiredness that washed over him. He noticed the difference in his scent and his body condition as compared to before he had the out of body experience.


    He finally succumbed to his exhaustion. He tucked himself in his blankets and fell into a deep slumber.


    A dreamless night passed, then came the next day.


    The sun was at its highest altitude when Shen Lian opened his door. It had been a long while since he last slept until this late, and he felt that he was revived unlimited energy.


    A female servant noticed that Shen Lian opened his door, and brought over warm water for him to wash up.


    The female servant observed Shen Lian as he cleaned himself up with a warm towel. It felt like he was giving off the aura of a godliness. His hair and delicate feature made him looked even more like a young fairy.


    The female servant blushed; she thought it would be nice for Shen Lian to keep them around even after he got married and had kids.


    Even though Shen Lian had never been particularly close to anyone, he did not have a bad temper and was easy-going. Like the winter sun that did not burn, yet remained high up and awe-inspiring.


    Shen Lian gave not much thought as to what the young female servant was thinking. He just felt that the world was better and that there was more to the mountains and lakes than what it seemed to be.


    Sceneries were lovable.


    Matters were relatable.


    By then, even without an astral projection, he could utilize the power of his spirit to greatly enhance his sensory skills.


    Unfortunately, he had yet to find out how to use the power of his spirit as a weapon against his enemies. He did not dare to absorb the essence of the sun and of the moon without further researches and prior knowledge; getting into an accident was the last thing he wanted.


    He really needed the ''Deity Vanquishing Sword'' owned by the man in green. At this stage, getting the sword was the only way that he could maximize his potential.


    ...


    The Shen family would be the richest and the most influential family in the state capital, but they were not the only ones who were loaded in the state.


    The Shen family was in possession of most of the land titles in the state capital. In fact, most of the residents bought their residences from the Shen family. The Shen family had a stake in all of the profitable industries.


    However, there was one highly profitable industry that the Shen family had stayed away from. That would be pawnbroking.


    If one were to pawn anything in the State Capital of Qing, it would be at the pawn shop owned by the Xu family.


    There was none other that was involved in this business.


    With monopoly comes great profit, this applies to any business.


    The Xu family might not be as prosperous as the Shen family, but their considerable wealth was not something that one could disdain.


    More importantly, the Shen family would never go against the Xu family under the sky of the state capital because the two families were bonded by marriage.


    Shen Lian''s eldest uncle, Shen Qingshi, was married to the daughter of Xu family. Xu, who was hostile toward Shen Lian, would be his aunt!


    The Xu family business started off earlier than the Shen''s. However, the Shen family caught up to the Xu family because of the efforts of Old Master Shen.


    Fortunately, Old Master Xu was visionary and had given Old Master Shen a helping hand on various occasions. He had even gone as far as arranging a marriage between the two families.


    It was a shame that Old Master Xu passed away right after.


    He did not live to see Xu marrying into the Shen family. He would not have expected the Old Master Shen who relied on his help to become an indispensable and influential person in the State Capital of Qing.


    There was a reason why Xu was infertile. After Old Master Xu had passed away, Xu''s elder brother, Xu Hong, the new head of the Xu family had strayed from the righteous path and had set up a shrine for a demonic god. He thought that this could ensure the prosperity of the Xu family.


    The aforementioned demonic god had a reputation among the common folks. The Wutong Gods were gods of wealth, moreover, they were known to be evil and demonic.


    The Wutong Gods enjoyed ravishing the wives and daughters of their worshipers. After the Xu family started praying to the Wutong Gods, Xu had gone through many sufferings under their hands. On top of that, she had never been particularly strong herself, which led to her eventual infertility.


    There were moans of misery and pain coming out from one of the rooms in the courtyard of the Xu family even in broad daylight. No one was around the room. That room would be Yan''s, the wife of Xu Hong.


    When the moans and heavy breathing subsided completely, a young man walked out of the room. The young man held a precious sword and looked majestic.


    If Shen Lian were here, he would have recognized the man to be the evilness that was in Shen Ruoxi''s dream.


    After the young man had left, Xu Hong went into the room through the side entrance. Looking at his lifeless wife, Yan who was on the bed, he felt guilty yet relieved.


    After that demon had had its way, there would at least be peace for the following days or months.


    It was not that Xu Hong could not find young women for that demon to ravish, but they had a particular liking for their believers'' wives or unwed daughters.


    Ever since Xu Hong''s sister got married, he had had several beautiful wives.


    Yan was the youngest of them all. He loved her very much, but he did not dare to go against the will of the Wutong gods.


    Yan was gorgeous, and this could be why the young man had taken a liking to her. After debauching her roughly, he would allow her to have a recovery period.


    Yan was breathing weakly in bed; her beautiful body was full of marks from lashes. The greenish marks were a stark contrast to her porcelain white skin.


    Xu Hong was ashamed of guilt and infuriated at the same time. Blinded by anger, he gave no concern about Yan''s injury and took his turn with her.


    He only stopped after Yan had passed out.


    Until Yan awoke, looked in his eyes with resentment and disappointment, only then he was shameful of himself.


    Xu Hong sighed and wept. He started slapping himself with all the strength that he could muster.


    "Master, please don''t do that to yourself." Yan had a soft spot for Xu Hong, that and she could not bear to leave the wealthy lifestyle of the Xu family.


    Only then did Xu Hong stop.


    "It''s been half a year since he last visited, why is he here again?"


    "Did you forget how your beloved sister brought Young Lady Shen out on a day trip and tricked her to pray at his temple? He must have seen her then." Yan was weak, but she managed to briefly illustrate the incident.


    ''Could it be that he was trying to have his way with Shen Ruoxi, but was put at a disadvantage?'' Xu Hong thought.


    He was suffering badly because of his own sins.


    The sins committed by the Wutong Gods in the Xu family were kept as a secret by Xu Hong for fear of bringing shame to the family. The Shen family was not in the habit of prying into the dealings of the Xu family, which explained why the Shen family was unaware of all these.


    Even if outsiders knew about this, no one would have gone looking for trouble by badmouthing to Old Master Shen, Shen Qingshi, and Shen Qingsan.

 Chapter 18 The Young Man Outside Town Hall

    Xu Hong knew that the Shen family was powerful. He wondered if there was someone who was skilled enough to subdue the five demonic gods, that would be great.


    As to why his sister tried to set Shen Ruoxi up, it would probably be out of jealousy, and possibly due to some affairs within the Shen family.


    He needed to talk to his sister about it, and find out who was the person who managed to challenge the demonic god.


    ...


    As Shen Ruoxi was Old Master Shen''s only granddaughter, he cherished her deeply. After hearing about her recovery, he was so happy that he had an extra bowl of porridge during breakfast.


    Due to his good mood, he even asked about Shen Lian.


    Steward Wu knew that it was the right time, and he told Old Master Shen everything that Shen Lian had been up to.


    Besides the weird body weight training regime, all Shen Lian had been doing was just reading and writing in his room.


    Of course, Steward Wu did not know that Shen Lian had an eidetic memory and perfect recall. During this period of time, Shen Lian had read every book that he could find in his courtyard. He knew all of them by heart, which helped him to understand this world better.


    "This child is destined for greatness. He is patient." Old Master Shen was not angered by Shen Lian''s refusal to submit to his authority. If anything, he admired him for it.


    As his admiration for Shen Lian grew, he longed to pass his legacy on to him.


    Unfortunately, Shen Lian was not too enthusiastic about the riches of the Shen family.


    This was quite a blow to Old Master Shen. The thing that he valued the most was nothing in Shen Lian''s eyes.


    Regardless, he had Steward Wu to bring Shen Lian over.


    He had never lost his composure in the course of business, this could be the first time, and likely not the last.


    The meeting was held at Old Master Shen''s study room. When he was young, he could not afford to study; at this age, he did not have the energy for it. He loved buying books, though.


    It could well be that he was affected by the concept of "poetry and literature as a family heritage".


    This was why every member of the Shen family, even Shen Ruoxi, had their own study room.


    After a month of not seeing each other, Old Master Shen thought he had the wrong person when he set eyes on Shen Lian.


    In the short course of one month, Shen Lian had undergone notable changes.


    Just as the orchids and jade trees, that grew in the house of others.


    "I heard that you''ve been studying hard," Old Master Shen started the conversation with random chatter.


    "I wouldn''t call it studying hard, it is not as though I''m going to sit for the Imperial Examination." Shen Lian grinned and showed his pearly whites, giving off the aura of a sporty young man.


    "There''s no need to study hard when you are born into a family like ours," said Old Master Shen.


    It is always good to study, but not excessively. Otherwise, one would be too conservative and confined to traditions.


    "I would like to head out tomorrow," said Shen Lian.


    "You didn''t ask to go out for the past month, what''s with the sudden request?" Old Master Shen thought Shen Lian should have kept his cool and maintained his composure.


    "My mother was buried in the Qielan Temple. I wish to pay my respect," Shen Lian replied calmly.


    Old Master Shen did not notice anything strange, what more, his reason was legitimate.


    "But this reason is not good enough." Given his soft spot for his late daughter, Old Master Shen was tempted to say yes right away. However, being a trader, his subconscious prompted a negotiation before closing a deal.


    "I''ll give you an answer when I''m back," Shen Lian said without hesitation.


    "Go ahead then." Old Master Shen did not ask Shen Lian what was the answer that he spoke of. Both of them knew well what this was about.


    He knew that Shen Lian was someone who would keep his words. If he did not, that would be a solid proof that Old Master Shen was wrong about him. In that case, Shen Lian would cease to be of importance to Old Master Shen.


    After all these years, Old Master Shen could understand things that he once could not.


    As for Shen Lian, he got his permission to head out. He knew that this was his chance.


    The man in green was locked up in the jail located in the Town hall. He found out about this through Steward Wu.


    Despite Steward Wu''s intelligence, he did not know as much as Shen Lian, someone who came from a world that had experienced information explosion. Steward Wu was not aware of the Art of Conversation.


    Even if the other party did not say anything related to a particular matter, one could still deduce the information that he wanted from the conversation.


    ...


    The town hall of the State Capital was big and grand. The rumor was that all the trees in Mount West, the mountain outside of the State Capital of Qing had been exploited to build such a grand town hall.


    This was a mere joke to tease the state officials. It could also be taken to mean that all the state officials below the ranking of Governor were corrupted.


    Grasses and trees could grow anywhere; there were some green vegetation in the cracks between the stone tiles, underneath the old trees outside of the town hall.


    So long as the green vegetation remained, the landscape will always be full of greenery.


    The weather was bad. Gloomy and cloudy, it looked like it was about to rain anytime. A young man stood outside of the town hall. Dressed modestly, there was nothing extravagant about his clothing. However, a skilled tailor could tell that he was dressed in expensive garments, made from fine craftsmanship and of exquisite material.


    In Shen Lian''s words, this would be low profile, luxurious, and cultured.


    He was not obsessed with enjoyment, but that did not mean that he preferred hardship.


    "Materialism is a tool, but one should not be a slave to it." Shen Lian subscribed to this school of thought in both of his lives.


    After he left the Shen residence, many bodyguards trailed him. However, after a corner, he was no longer in sight.


    The guards who followed him around stared in disbelief, how did they lose a person in broad daylight so quickly?


    Shen Lian did not care about what they had to explain to Old Master Shen. He needed to see the man in green.


    The governor in the State Capital of Qing had a very special surname, Shuo. He used to explain his surname as the "Shuo" in "Shuo Guo Lei Lei", which meant fruitful. However, the local folks often speak behind his back, said that he was a "Shuo Shu", which meant Manipur bush rat, a type of rodent.


    Governor Shuo had a long night amidst the women. When the servant told him that his presence was requested, he was still in bed with his new mistress.


    As he did not bring his family along to the State Capital of Qing when he reported as a Governor, he had no qualms about indulging himself in this matter.


    "Who is it! Who wants to see me at such early hour?"


    "He''s a young man."


    "Shoo! I have no time to waste with a child." A fair arm grabbed Governor Shuo''s hand from behind. As the arm caressed him, Governor Shuo could not wait to go another round again.


    "He said his surname is Shen."


    "It doesn''t matter if his surname is Chen even, I don''t care."


    Chen is the royal surname!


    "Master, you have to meet this child. He is from the Shen family," the Steward replied gently.


    "Which Shen was this again?" Governor Shuo flipped over and shouted his question at the Steward who was waiting outside of the door.


    "Master, there''s only one Shen family in the State Capital of Qing."


    "I guess I have to meet him then." It took Governor Shuo a huge amount of willpower to get up. He resisted the temptations from his new mistress and got dressed quickly.


    He did not fear the Shen family. However, he could not disrespect them either. Otherwise, it would be hard to implement government policies in the State Capital of Qing, which would pose threat to his position as the State Governor.


    What more, it was a young man with the surname of "Shen". He immediately knew who the young man was.

 Chapter 19 The Weird Sound of a Temple Block

    By the time Governor Shuo got to the hall, Shen Lian was already seated.


    Shen Lian held his teacup up and carefully tasted its content, white steam rising from it.


    Governor Shuo was an educated man, a phrase came to him �C volatilizing jade.


    He had got through the Imperial Examination. It goes without saying that he had seen his fair share of talented men and descendants of reputable families.


    There were definitely men who were better looking than Shen Lian, but none of them looked as smart as him.


    There were youths who were more mature than Shen Lian was, but they were not as carefree and more often than not, appeared as trying too hard.


    Governor Shuo found it normal to judge a book by its cover, and the first impression was especially important. Even if Shen Lian was not from the Shen family, the Governor Shuo would still want to make his acquaintance.


    Shen Lian saw Governor Shuo, then gently put down his cup and smiled politely at the Governor.


    Governor Shuo felt as though he was like the ancient people meeting up with a friend, and sat down graciously.


    "Young man, what are you doing here at my town hall?" said Governor Shuo.


    "I have come to your rescue." Shen Lian said softly; his voice was low, but his words were clear and carefully enunciated.


    Governor Shuo was displeased to hear that. Due to the excellent first impression he had of Shen Lian and his family background, Governor Shuo did not react unpleasantly.


    The steward who was waiting outside of the door heard a loud roar and wondered what happened, unsure if he should go in.


    Moments of silence followed, which left the steward incredibly confused. In the end, a very pleased and joyous Governor Shuo escorted Shen Lian out from the hall. The Governor passed him a memo and ordered him to bring Shen Lian to the secret prison.


    The steward noticed that something on Governor Shuo smelled charred, and he saw some ashes on the Governor''s fat fair hand.


    ******


    The prison in the State Capital of Qing was dirty and foul-smelling, even the wardens would not want to spend an extra minute there.


    However, Shen Lian who was trailing behind the prison warden looked at ease and did not seem bothered at all.


    After passing through a long corridor, they finally arrived at the deepest corner of the prison.


    It was an iron cell made for the most heinous and dangerous criminals.


    There were twelve locks on the iron gate, known collectively as the Gold Portico and Jade Lock.


    Even the best of thieves would take at least fifteen minutes to open the locks.


    The iron gate swung open slowly. Surprisingly, there was no foul smell from the inside. However, it was incredibly stuffy.


    This was Shen Lian''s second encounter with the man in green.


    The circumstance of their last encounter was still fresh in his mind; he still remembered how arrogant and proud the man in green was.


    There were two iron chains hooking onto his clavicle, and his limbs were cuffed to the corner of the cell.


    The prison warden lighted up the oil lamp. Under the dim lighting, Shen Lian could see that the man in green had an untrimmed mustache and facial hair all over his face, and his hair was a tangled mess.


    Shen Lian tried taking a step forward but was stopped by the prison warden. "Young man, don''t go any closer. Fix to six groups of people have visited this month, and all of them had to be carried out of the cell," the prison warden advised.


    Shen Lian took a better look at the cell. The reason why it did not smell rotten was because of its sheer size. It was wide and spacious. If anything, it was more like a hall than a prison cell.


    "After having his clavicles pierced with the purest of iron, he is still capable of hurting someone?" Shen Lian asked.


    He knew the answer but did not want others to suspect that he was privy to the knowledge.


    "This man is capable of sorcery. When someone approaches him, he would notice and would put them down. I wondered how he was captured in the first place," the prison warden nodded and replied.


    To be honest, the prison warden was in fear. Ever since the man was caught, there had been many instances of break-ins by countless Jianghu drifters. All of them died in the prison. At the end of the day, the prison wardens were the ones who had to clear out the bodies.


    Fortunately, the man in green would never strike first. So long as one remained thirty to fifty feet away, one would still be safe.


    The Shen family wanted the man in green to be executed, but no one could go near him ever since he woke up.


    Surprisingly, the man in green survives even without food or drink for the past month.


    According to a senior prison warden, highly skilled Jianghu drifters such as the man in green had special training. They would survive even after being deprived of food and water for a prolonged period of time. They could reserve their energy, akin to the hibernation like the bears and snakes.


    However, people like them were a lot more powerful than bears and snakes. They could still hurt people after being deprived of food and water for a month.


    Moreover, the State Governor had received a secret order from higher-ups that the man would be brought to the Capital City. Therefore, nothing much had been done in relation to this man. Everyone was just waiting for the messengers from the Capital City to transport him away.


    If it was not for the Governor''s memo presented by Shen Lian, the prison warden would not even be here.


    The man in green opened his eyes. Shining like the stars in a dark night, they were demanding and pressuring.


    Shen Lian''s heart skipped a beat, this man seemed to have gotten more powerful since their last encounter.


    This was a unique feeling Shen Lian got from his psyche, and it was hard to verify.


    The prison warden who was standing next to Shen Lian collapsed after the man in green gave him a dagger-like glare.


    In the modern world where Shen Lian was originally from, there was a skill called "Killing Eyes". Shen Lian came across this term from a novel, and he finally witnessed first-hand what "Killing Eyes" truly was.


    He believed that he was capable of that too, but there was something that he needed first.


    It was as though having unimaginable wealth but not knowing how to utilize it.


    The wealth and riches needed to be utilized to their full potential.


    The prison warden thought that this was a safe distance. However, the man in green had improved. In the past, his "Deity Vanquishing Sword" may not be able to reach such a great distance, but this was not the case anymore.


    There was another possibility - the man in green had a secret trick up his sleeve.


    Anyhow, only the two of them were left in the cell.


    "Who are you really?"


    "My name is Shen Lian. My grandfather was the reason why you were taken into custody this time."


    "The Shen family of the State of Qing?" The man in green replied in a raspy voice, it seemed that he was parched, and there was no moisture left in his mouth and tongue.


    "So you have heard of us before."


    "My path has never crossed with the Shen family, and the Shen family does not have many ties with Jianghu."


    "Do you still remember how you have killed two young men a month ago? They were my grandfather''s grandchildren, they were my older cousins too."


    "So this is the reason. I finally understand." The man in green exclaimed as if he had finally gotten the answer to a question that had bothered him for a very long time.


    "You seem to not have much hatred against me." Shen Lian was curious too, he was after all a part of the Shen family, but the man in green was strangely not angered by his presence.


    "People have come to kill me, and I kill in return. What is there to hate? I have only ever hated one person, only he alone is worthy of my hatred. The rest are not worthy to be on my mind." The man in green said nonchalantly.


    "There is a reason why he is so strong." Shen Lian thought.


    "Do you want to know why I have come?"


    "I can pass the Deity Vanquishing Sword on to you. Even if you had not come, I was planning to look for you these days."


    "Why?"


    This time, it was Shen Lian''s turn to question. Having gone through all these troubles, he did not expect the man in green to search for him and to teach him about the Deity Vanquishing Sword voluntarily.


    Essentially, the man in green was suggesting that he could break out of the prison, without being bothered by the iron chains on his clavicles.


    Shen Lian realized how little he knew about these so-called Jianghu drifters. This was not a Wuxia novel; this was a curious world that was filled with mysterious martial powers and Mystical Arts.


    The knowledge that he obtained from Wuxia novels and Xianxia novels in the past was not of much help.


    Out of nowhere, Shen Lian heard the weird sound of a temple block. It was silky and melodious, but Shen Lian had no idea where it came from.

 Chapter 20 The Rain of Qielan Temple

    ''Wooden fish, wood carved in the shape of a fish, its hollow body, produces sound when knocked upon, ... widely used in the religious songs of Buddhism.'' - Wang Mingzhe, ''Sancai Tuhui''.


    The man in green too seemed to have heard the sound of the wooden fish. Shen Lian saw a hint of complicated emotions in his eyes.


    It was not that Shen Lian tried to read his emotions, but his eyes naturally delivered those complicated emotions.


    "You asked me why, and I shall tell you the reason. I''m about to battle to the death with someone, and I didn''t want to let what I''ve spent my entire life learning go to waste. I was going to pass my legacy on to that young lad, but unfortunately, luck was not on his side." The man in green spilled everything in one go, and his tone was fraught with nonchalance.


    "The person who was tapping the wooden fish, he''s the person you are going to battle with?" Shen Lian asked in confusion.


    Wooden fish was mainly used by Buddhists, but it originated from Daoism. That was why Shen Lian could not be sure if the person sounding the wooden fish was a Buddhist or Daoist.


    "If you can hear the Soul Calming Melody emaciating from Tai Wei, you indeed are a rare prodigy. A normal person would not be able to hear it." The man in green smiled as he spoke - Shen Lian obviously had exceeded his expectation.


    "Ling Chongxiao oh, Ling Chongxiao, it doesn''t matter how powerful you are, but could you find another prodigy like Shen Lian?"


    After hearing about ''Ling Chongxiao'', Shen Lian could not help but be curious. For a man as proud as the man in green to admit that someone was powerful, this was definitely something that did not happen every day.


    Who was this Ling Chongxiao person, to be that man whom the man in green could not get his mind off! Could he be the person who inspired hatred out of the man in green?


    Even though it was a mere conjecture, Shen Lian knew that there was an eighty percent chance that his suspicion was true.


    The clothes that the man in green was wearing started to swell up, as though they were a giant inflated ball, vibrating like the waves. Shen Lian felt the strong wind circling in the cell, which almost knocked him off his feet.


    Accompanied by a series of explosive cracklings, the commotion finally subsided after ten minutes.


    As this was the deepest part of the prison, no one outside was alerted.


    The flame from the oil lamp was dancing to the strong wind. Right before the flame went out, the strong wind stopped blowing. Shen Lian noticed that the iron cuffs on the man in green fell onto the floor, shattered into pieces.


    The iron cuffs were made of pure iron, an extremely sturdy material. Yet, the man in green managed to shatter all of them, just like that.


    His attainment in martial arts was beyond imagination; that was not something that a normal human could do.


    However, the man in green did not shatter the iron hooks on his clavicles, nor did he try to remove them by hands. Two giant iron hooks went under his both of his shoulders, it was an alarming sight, and one could almost feel fear and pain just by looking at it.


    The man in green did not seem particularly pleased about his new-found freedom. He was staring ahead icily, sending the frostiness hundreds of feet away.


    Shen Lian defended himself out of instinct. There was a white flash, and out of nowhere, a dagger had landed on the man in green''s shoulder. The man in green shrugged, and the dagger that was once buried in his blood and flesh was sent flying onto the ground.


    "Good lad, in Jianghu, there are not more than three hidden weapons that can hurt me. Your skill with the flying dagger is sufficient for self-defense. I can rest easy knowing that. However, you better pray that I will die in battle today, otherwise, you will have to pay for the injury that you have just inflicted on me." The man in green stopped right in front of Shen Lian and exclaimed in surprise.


    He laughed cheerfully after his exclamation; his laughter was roaring and loud, like those of a dragon. With the speed of light, he brought Shen Lian out of the prison after sealing his acupoint.


    He had completed his mystical art over the month, and even though he did not become a god or anything along those lines, there were significant changes as compared to the past.


    Although in the past, he was considered a powerful martial art expert in Jianghu, he was never a league higher than the likes of Jin Daowang. He only went around Jianghu relying on the impressive power of Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    However, his inner Qi had broken through the entry point. Those who entered the path of Daoism could slowly cease their food consumption, and be isolated from the lay life and worldly needs completely.


    This explained why he could survive a month without eating and drinking, and the obvious improvement in terms of his attainment in the martial arts.


    Ever since he started cultivating his inner Qi, he had unblocked all of his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, with the toughest two points being the Conception Vessel and Governor Vessel.


    When the man in green was ambushed by the army, the Green Bamboo Sect, and Jin Daowang, he was too drained and got caught alive. He did not even manage to protect the young beggar.


    When he woke up in the prison after the near-death experience, he managed to break through the blanket of ignorance and attained epiphany in his martial arts studies.


    He unblocked the Huiyin point by accident; both of the posterior and anterior Huiyin points were joined into one, the inner Qi was delivered from Huiyin point to Changqiang point.


    Although the Huiyin point was near to the Changqiang point, one of them was on the Conception Vessel and the other on Governor Vessel; they were practically unrelated.


    However, once they were unblocked and joint, inner Qi could circulate smoothly in an endless loop throughout the body.


    If it were not for his pierced clavicles on that day he was captured, causing his inner Qi to be a mess, he would have broken through the shackles and killed his way out.


    As for the few batches of Jianghu drifters who caught wind of his whereabouts and had come for his Deity Vanquishing Sword, they should have known better. Of course, they were taken care of by his Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    These people did not know that the Deity Vanquishing Sword had nothing to do with inner Qi; they did not even know how and why did they meet their deaths.


    Even if they have a chance to be reborn into their next life, they would still be born an idiot.


    Due to the disturbance by these intruders, combined with the side effect of the Deity Vanquishing Sword �C ''for the damage that you deal with your enemy, eighty percent of it will be inflicted back upon yourself''; his spirit had been considerably impaired. If it was not for Ling Chongxiao''s effort to soothe his spirit by playing Tai Wei for the past month, he did not know when he would be able to break out of here.


    Tai Wei was the name of Ling Chongxiao''s temple block. It was an important instrument treasured by his martial sect and had the effect of calming and soothing one''s spirit. This compensated the damage inflicted by Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    However, the Deity Vanquishing Sword was a means to attack one''s spirit, which was against the natural law. Apprentices from his martial sect were prohibited from cultivating that skill, and even if the skill were to be passed down, the recipient apprentice would have to be someone upright and honest.


    Every time that the Deity Vanquishing Sword was unleashed, the user will be inflicting damage on his or her spirit. If used frequently, the user would have to spend months, if not years to recover.


    Despite the reputation for using the Deity Vanquishing Sword, the man in green actually had only used it for a couple of times.


    He knew what Ling Chongxiao was thinking. When Ling Chongxiao had set his mind on killing someone, he would make sure that his opponent was in his best form; it was not him to strike when his opponent was not fully prepared.


    Shen Lian was lifted up by the man in green single-handedly; the wind was breezing past his ears, as though he was flying past smoke and clouds.


    The man in green did not stop after getting out of the prison; he marched on. Shen Lian saw a shadow moving on the rooftop up ahead.


    He could no longer hear the sound of the temple block. It was replaced by a dense and convoluted passage of words, which had an ancient and intricate ring to it.


    The entire passage consisted of a mere hundred and eight words, which was nothing challenging for Shen Lian''s memorizing capability. However, the moment he committed the passage to memory, he felt lightheaded and overpowered.


    It seemed as though a magical sword was flying at him from the bier, and the sword slashed at him. That left him drenched in cold sweat. His forehead was ice cold.


    That was when he realized that the man in green had stopped moving.


    An ancient temple stood in the rain, and the entire world had fallen into a shade of grey.


    He knew where this was. They were at the highest mountain peak, which was located at the south of the state capital. The prison was at least ten kilometers away.


    Shen Lian felt the Qi energy coursing through his body, and estimated that roughly fifteen minutes had passed.


    He recognized the ancient temple too; it was the famed Qielan Temple, located on the outskirts of Qing State Capital.

 Chapter 21 I Got Bald, and Stronger Too.

    The Qielan Temple looked quiet and mellow. It seemed like no one was in there. Neither Buddhist chants nor the sound of wooden fish could be heard.


    The man in green walked through the temple door with Shen Lian and arrived at the main hall.


    The hall was flanked by rows of statues of the eighteen Qielan on both sides, including Meiyin, Fanyin, Tiangu, Tanmiao, Tanmei, Momiao, Leiyin, Shizi, Miaotan, Fanxiang, Renyin, Fonu, Songde, Guangmu, Miaoyan, Cheting, Cheshi, and Bianshi.


    Qielan had its root in tranquillity. If one were to be rid of three poisons, to purify their six senses, to remain neutral and at ease, and to be tranquil in every aspect, that would be the Cultivation of Qielan.


    Despite being a Buddhist teaching, this was applicable to Daoism too.


    There was a person in the hall. He held a wooden fish in his hand. The wooden fish was greyish silver and had the lips and scale of a fish. The engravings were lively and natural.


    The person looked like he was thirty years old at the same time, he looked as if he was in his twenties. There was no mustache on his fair and spotless face. His eyebrows were like a pair of a reclining silkworm; they were full of life and looked animated.


    Of course, these were not the most eye-catching part of him. The most noticeable feature was his head - there was not a strand of hair on it.


    Usually, there would be stubble on a monk''s head.


    However, his was a smooth and shiny one, it looked as though no hair had ever grown on his head before, not a single follicle on it.


    Shen Lian noticed him and found his head to be too shiny and scarless to be a monk.


    He knew that this was the man, Ling Chongxiao. That the man in green had been talking about. What a special person indeed.


    "Ling Chongxiao oh, Ling Chongxiao, why have you become a bald donkey?" The man in green was surprised by what he saw. He laughed as the initial shock had passed.


    "I got bald, and stronger too," Ling Chongxiao was not bothered by it and replied casually.


    The man in green gave Shen Lian a toss. Shen Lian flew across the hall to the corner and landed right under the furthest Qielan statue.


    Shen Lian''s back was rested against the statue. He might not be able to move, but he had the entire hall in view.


    "What you did was just unblocking the entry point, and have reached what the Daoists termed as the state of ''taming the white tiger''. What is there to gloat about?" The man in green snickered.


    Hairs were the tip of Qi energy. Daoists would lose their hairs after ''taming the white tiger''; by obstructing the pores and the process of aging could be delayed. It would be no surprise if one could live till hundred and forty or fifty years old and still be as fit as a youth.


    When a man had reached this state, it was known as ''taming the white tiger1''. The female equivalent would be known as ''slaying the red dragon2''.


    When one had reached this stage, although not invincible, the person would not be the same person anymore. That was the first step of laying down the groundwork of Daoism, also known as ''building a foundation''.


    Besides ''building a foundation'', the same could be said about all the other Kung Fu. Out of the hundreds and thousands of cultivators, there might not even be one person who could reach this stage. Of course, this observation would not apply to those with celestial affinity.


    The martial sects that Ling Chongxiao and the man in green were in were, after all, a Jianghu sect. Though originated from Daoism, it was not part of Celestialism. Thus, his attainment could be akin to the son of the village chief becoming a municipal party committee �C a carp leaping over dragon''s gate.


    "Why would I be pleased with myself? Do you not remember what master said when he gifted ''Tai Wei'' to me? He told me to bring ''Tai Wei'' along everywhere I go, as a gentle reminder to commit myself to Daoism. Fish do not close their eyes even at night, which resemble cultivators who are so committed to their cultivation and training that they do not notice the passing of days and nights."


    Shen Lian found the words to be wise indeed. Fish stay awake at all times and sounding a wooden fish served as a warning to not be idle. One should commit themselves to cultivation, and should not give up until they have attained success.


    As the saying goes, ''The human heart is treacherous, the Daoist mind is profound''; it served as a constant reminder to not stray onto the path of no return.


    "If I haven''t been adhering to the master''s teaching when he was alive, what made you think that I will do so after his death? Death by my hand no less," the man in green snickered. In his eyes, to destroy and exterminate the progenitor was no big deal; he did not feel guilty at all.


    "You thought that you can act on your whims and kill without restraint having understood the essence of Daoism? What you didn''t know was being free has no connection with what you can do, but what you can choose not to do." Ling Chongxiao was not irritated by the man in green; he remained patient and offered his gentle advice.


    "Even until today, you still think that you are superior to me, and posit yourself as my superior."


    "Master''s ashes are here. When you die, I will not disperse your ashes in the wind. Instead, I will allow you to stay here and accompany our Master so that you could deliver your apology to him in the afterlife." Ling Chongxiao wrinkled his brows and sighed.


    He made it sounded as though the man in green was doomed to die.


    "Nice one, Ling Chongxiao. If I were to die by your hands, do you dare to pass my Kung Fu on to him?" the man in green replied in a low voice.


    It was hard to believe that he admitted that Ling Chongxiao was better, and his intention to entrust Shen Lian to him.


    "To educate someone brimming with potential would be the most pleasing and joyous experience in the world," Ling Chongxiao replied neutrally.


    "Shen Lian, if I have lost and if you are capable of doing so in the future, could you beat Ling Chongxiao once for me? If you agree, blink thrice," said the man in green.


    Shen Lian did not blink, not even once.


    "It seems like even your young companion here do not agree with your ways." Ling Chongxiao glanced toward Shen Lian and remarked nonchalantly.


    "You thought too lowly of him. He is not too fond of me, indeed. However, what he intended was for me to defeat you with my own hands," the man in green replied merrily.


    ''This man is heinous and evil, but I must admit that he is a man through and through,'' Shen Lian thought.


    What Ling Chongxiao said was true, that was exactly what was on his mind. However, Shen Lian did not mean it as a gesture of kindness to the man in green.


    Shen Lian refused to be a continuation of someone else; he was Shen Lian, just himself and nothing more.


    The fact that the man in green guessed it, it said a lot about him as a person; despite being an atrocious man, he was candid and frank.


    As these were going through in his head, there was a roar as loud as lightning in the hall.


    The rain got heavier outside, it was a downpour of massive scale.


    It was as if the raindrops were trying to mask the fight that was about to break out, a fight between the apprentice from the same sect.


    As they were from the same martial sect, their knowledge mirrored each other.


    Despite how laidback Ling Chongxiao looked, he struck like a lightning. Due to his enormous strength, he left behind a trail of cracks along with every step he took on the stone floor. This showed how aggressive he was and was a clear indication of his sheer robust strength.


    The key was how all of his moves seemed clumsy, yet they were actually wisely orchestrated. His moves were potent and fluid, and he clearly was not going to stop anytime soon.


    His palm method was akin to waves; one wave followed another, and they were closing up to the shore.


    Ling Chongxiao''s remarkable momentum was a result of ''taming the white tiger''; his Qi energy was locked in, and his physical strength was beyond comprehension.


    Things were different with the man in green. His attacks used to be strong and vicious. However, having been through the extremities of the desert, he reached an epiphany about the ways of the world.


    No Kung Fu was comparable to the power of natural disasters in the desert.


    When a sandstorm came, no amount of cow, goats, and stallions, or even military troops could defend against it.


    The only way to remain unscathed was by merging with the wind and embracing the sun and the dust.


    The man in green let his sleeves flow with the wind and neutralized all of Ling Chongxiao''s forceful attacks with the gentle breeze.


    He looked like a green butterfly, dancing away to the rhythm of the wind.


    In spite of the contrast in their move, one being forceful and the other flexible, the essence of Daoism was still evident in their moves. Their attacks were natural and free and were not restricted by the rigidity of martial arts routine.���׻� - this is an interesting expression Daoists use to say, ''to stop (tame) ejaculating (white tiger)''.ն���� - this is an interesting expression Daoists use to say ''stopping (slaying) menstruation (red dragon)'', or ''menopause''.

 Chapter 22 The Lone Butterfly

    Shen Lian could not tear his eyes away from the ongoing battle. He was learning so much by watching two of the highly skilled Jianghu drifters fighting against each other.


    His spirit was stronger than both of them and it could leave his body.


    By experiencing the fight through his spirit rather than relying on his eyes, he could better tell the contrast in each of their strength and weaknesses.


    It is only natural that even the strongest of wind and heaviest of downpour would pass.


    However, the purity of Ling Chongxiao''s martial art skills was evident in his every move. He had the strength of a tiger, leopard, and feral wolves; his power was impenetrable, just as the waterfall that crushes down from the highest of mountains. There was no sign of weakening.


    The man in green could not defend for a prolonged period without losing. If he did not strike back in time, he would be caught under Ling Chongxiao''s rhythm. When that happens, he would be a butterfly that got caught in spider net �C there was no escaping.


    Shen Lian was looking intently at the man in green and felt his spiritual sense being pushed to its limit. He felt that the man in green''s spirit was escalating quickly as the battle dragged on.


    This was a benefit from fighting against sandstorm in the desert, the man in green had refined himself, and his potential could be unleashed when he faced great adversity.


    Especially after his near-death experience, it was as though he had gone through a metamorphosis.


    An airbag with the size of a mouse started growing on his back; his organs were giving off sounds of vibration, similar to that of thunder.


    Shen Lian noticed that the man in green''s inner Qi was coursing through his body, and was racing without pause.


    The two iron hooks that were on his clavicles were broken off in a loud clang. It looked as though two murderous new moons were sent flying at Ling Chongxiao.


    The two iron hooks were spinning at high speed.


    Shen Lian focused his psyche. A blight of white light appeared on his Ancestral Cavity between his brows; it was as though he grew an extra eye.


    It felt like his spirit was out of his body, yet at the same time, it was not.


    His psyche was extending infinitely and the outside world had turned whitish silver. Through his sensing abilities, the iron hooks seemed to be slowing down, and he could see clearly the bloodstain that was left on it. Even though the world was in whitish silver, the color still had different hues to it.


    "The drifters of Zhao wore their unadorned bands, the tip of the blade Wu Gou gleamed like the frost and snow; Killing one person in ten steps, and traveling for hundreds of miles without pausing."


    The man in green entered into a state that he had never experienced before. His psyche kept peaking, as though it was trying to reach the moon above heaven.


    The moon was in solitude and lonely.


    One would sit before the flowers in sobriety and would rest underneath the moon in drunkenness.


    The man in green acted like a drunken butterfly that was stumbling around, he rose and fell similar to the tidings of waves.


    He mastered this movement from his days in the desert. It was an ultimate killing move he had derived from all of his knowledge of martial arts. Regardless of how strong the opponent, he could overpower them with his movement, and there was no escaping from death.


    This was known as the "Butterfly in the Storm".


    In a battle between experts, the fight does not go on for days and nights. The decisive move usually happens in a matter of seconds.


    However, the same could not be said about these two. Ling Chongxiao had unblocked the entry point, and he had "tamed the white tiger". In terms of physical strength or inner Qi, both were enormous beyond comprehension. It would be difficult to put these mystical anomalies into words.


    On the other hand, the man in green had unblocked the Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel. There was a whole new world within him, an endless loop that gave him impressive endurance abilities. That, and with his guerrilla fighting style, he could last for a very long time.


    However, the man in green knew that he would expose himself if it dragged on. With his psyche exhausted, he might even lose his chance to draw the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    The reason why he was not blinded by optimism was because he was well informed of the difference between his strength and that of Ling Chongxiao.


    When the inner Qi coursed through the Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel, the iron hooks that were buried deep in his clavicles got vibrated off, his mind and spirit finally entered an unpredictably astonishing state.


    His body was like that of a butterfly; the vitality in him converged to a single point.


    He bounced around by taking rhythmic steps; It felt as though he was about to be crushed to bits by Ling Chongxiao''s sheer force.


    The two iron hooks reached Ling Chongxiao. A white gust of air came out from his mouth, and the iron hooks were bumped off. The collision had broken the hooks into halves.


    Shen Lian was shocked; he did not expect human strength to be capable of that.


    These two men were not even part of Celestialism. He thought about what he was capable of; he could create a glowing body figure through the convergence of moonlight. If he was able to create physical matter from nothingness, it would mean that he can converge and disperse at will �C a true tactic of Celestialism.


    It did not matter how powerful the Jianghu dwellers were, they would not be able to deal damage to spirits that had not taken on a physical existence.


    Also, he had training from the book of the Mastery of Sense. Well, technically the real Shen Lian did. However, in just two years, he was equipped with a spirit that was stronger than both of Ling Chongxiao''s and the man in green''s spirit. The book probably had a notable origin.


    He knew that if Ling Chongxiao knew how to have an out of body experience, with his age and knowledge he could have obtained supernatural power. Then, he would not have to resort to physical combat with the man in green.


    By the time he was through with his thought process, he was no longer amazed by the battle between the two.


    However, the status of the on-going battle would not change in accordance with Shen Lian''s thoughts.


    Ling Chongxiao''s palm method was not intriguing; it was the kind that was commonly found in Jianghu �C The Triple Waves of Chang Jiang.


    Due to his high attainment in martial arts, it was hard to find someone who could rival him. The Triple Waves of Chang Jiang was almost magical by his hands; the first wave had barely passed when the second wave pushed through, one wave was higher than the other and there was no end to it.


    Even though there was only a distance of five steps between the two, but the man in green took ten over steps before he was right in front of Ling Chongxiao.


    "No matter how far the Western Paradise, there will be a time when thunder is heard."


    What more with this little distance between them.


    The closer the man in green was, the higher the pressure got.


    When he was only a step away, he shook his shoulders �C the way a butterfly would before flying off. It was as though he was fighting off the windstorm, and exhausting the last of his psyche.


    He extended his right hand and turned it into sword finger. It was extremely sharp.


    With his martial art skills, his sword finger would not lose out to a real sword forged from pure iron.


    His sword was traceless, like how it was hard to dodge away from the horn of a mountain goat, it was tough to dodge from his sword.


    Before Ling Chongxiao could strike with his palm, the man in green had sealed the Lao Gong point located in the middle of his palm.


    With that, the man in green sent the sword aura right through Ling Chongxiao''s arm. This would break the meridians in his arm and paralyzed him.


    However, when Ling Chongxiao was halfway through with his strike, his arm softened. It snaked through the sword finger and wrapped itself around the man in green''s wrist.


    The man in green was gambling when he decided to get closer to Ling Chongxiao with the impressive movement of the "Butterfly in the Storm", there was no way he was giving up at this point.


    Green light busted out of his eyes, his glare was like a brightly lighted green lamp.


    Fresh blood dripped out of his eyes, while the green light shone on Ling Chongxiao.


    It was as if a gust of wind came through. All of a sudden, the lively brows of Ling Chongxiao got frozen.


    Shen Lian noticed that the man in green was trying to freeze Ling Chongxiao for a short second, at the expense of inflicting severe damage to his own spirit.


    The time to end the battle had come, and the man in green would never lose his only shot at victory.


    It was as though he prepared himself for it, his struck with his left hand, and went along with the tides of the battle.


    The palm method was known as "retrieving chestnut from the fire".


    As if the target was in the fire, one had no choice but to strike the opponent at his Achilles'' heel with the speed of lightning.


    To successfully cultivate this palm method, one must imagine that one''s hand was on fire; there must be zero hesitation and one must attack without reserve.

 Chapter 23 The Sweet Scent of Blood

    Shen Lian could not bear to watch. The man in green was too violent, and it seemed that Ling Chongxiao was going to lose soon.


    Right at this moment, Ling Chongxiao''s lower abdomen collapsed without any premonition, as if it was a thin layer of paper.


    Experts like the man in green calculated their every move, and their estimation of the decisive timing in the battle was usually accurate.


    However, he did not think that Ling Chongxiao could react to his move of ''retrieving chestnut from the fire'' even after he had taken a blow from the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    Although momentum led his palm rushing against the wind, he did not manage to touch Ling Chongxiao''s body.


    The vicious strike fuelled by momentum was lost in the action. It was as though the momentous move got sunk into the quicksand.


    Shen Lian picked up a scent. It was a special and pleasant scent, with a hint of sweetness.


    Ling Chongxiao''s greenish brows turned red, and blood droplets formed on it.


    The scent was from these blood droplets. It was because of his Qi and blood condensate too quickly and led to an explosion. He could not lock all of his vitality up despite having calmed the white tiger.


    This was a foreshadowing of the enormous strength that Ling Chongxiao was about to emanate.


    Ling Chongxiao turned his palm strike into a fist and straightened it out to look like a giant wooden shaft of a Chinese spear that stood against the wind.


    The changes took place so quickly that even Shen Lian was not mentally ready for it. He did not think that a winner would emerge so suddenly, and what a shocking result indeed.


    The man in green fell out of the hall like a kite and was drenched by the rain.


    Like the countless time the man in green had slaughtered in the past, he himself was slaughtered this time around.


    His eyes were filled with blood, but there was no hint of fear on his face. His expression was the expression he had when he dealt his last move �C proud with a dash of relief.


    However, nothing could change the fact that he had lost. It was an utter defeat.


    A wisp of green smoke rose from the man in green''s body and floated in the rain. It was mixed up with hints of blood, something that even a storm could not wash away.


    One knock coming from the wooden fish, a reminder to rethink and contemplate.


    The crisp tone of the wooden fish triumphed over those of gold and precious stones; it vibrated through and dispersed the green smoke. Eventually, the smoke returned to the man in green''s body, and nothing strange happened.


    Shen Lian did not sigh. He had no pity for the man in green. Though, he felt something that was indescribable.


    He wondered if the man in green would have walked on the same path if he could do it all over.


    Treating human lives in such a cavalier manner, it was not only the lives of others that he did not cherish, but his own as well.


    The reason why his life did not last was due to him lacking the respect for it.


    A gush of warmth returned to his body, and he felt it coursing all over him. He was slightly feverish. By the time he regained his composure, he found himself standing again.


    Ling Chongxiao''s green brows were red, but he did not look brutal. The way he looked was comparable to that of a Daoist expert, patiently cultivating in the midst of the cruel world.


    Just like the Dizang, the bodhisattva who was at peace and at ease even when he was in the midst of evil spirits.


    Partly because of his baldness, Ling Chongxiao looked even more like an enlightened monk.


    Shen Lian stifled a laugh.


    As he was staring at Ling Chongxiao''s bald head, Ling Chongxiao had noticed him.


    "Baldy baldy, no worries when it rains, others have umbrellas, while I have my bald head. Young child, you should not be this disrespectful to adults," he patted Shen Lian''s forehead and hummed.


    "Eh, I''m not a child. And you really can''t sing," Shen Lian replied in a serious tone.


    "Children hate it when people call them a child," Ling Chongxiao smiled.


    Shen Lian was disturbed by Ling Chongxiao''s weird sense of humor. He noticed that Ling Chongxiao''s eyes were still fixated on the man in green''s corpse in the rain. That was when he realized that maybe Ling Chongxiao was trying to express his emotions.


    After all, the man in green was his Junior Apprentice-Brother. They had been learning together for many years.


    The man in green was merciless, but the same could not be said about Ling Chongxiao. Shen Lian finally realized the difference between the man in green and Ling Chongxiao.


    The man in green was not attached to anything else other than Daoism. He had no care in the world, which turned him into a cruel man, an extremist who had no loved ones.


    However, Ling Chongxiao saw himself as a human; he experienced joy, anger, grief, and happiness, and was fraught with love, hate, attachment, and vengeance.


    There was no saying that who was better suited for the cultivation of Daoism. Despite being alive, Ling Chongxiao was not a true expert of Daoism, but he was definitely more approachable than the man in green.


    ...


    It did not take long before Old Master Shen caught wind that the man in green had gone missing. Attacking a snake and left it to survive, that would be a sure-fire way to bring harm to oneself. Old Master Shen knew this too well.


    The moment he received the news, the entire Shen family was on a state of lockdown.


    What worried Old Master Shen more was that, when news came from the town hall, the messenger sent his regards to Shen Lian.


    He found it weird. Being the detailed person that he was, he knew that something was up.


    However, he did not think that Shen Lian would escape from his surveillance and gone to the State Governor, gaining access to the man in green.


    The reason why Governor Shuo sent words to Old Master Shen was to test the waters and check if he was aware of this. Anyhow, he was never going to admit that Shen Lian was in the prison and had disappeared along with the man in green.


    As to whether Shen Lian was alive or dead, Governor Shuo had no idea. He was hoping that the Shen family would not find out how Shen Lian got access to the prison through him.


    This had been weighing on Governor Shuo''s mind for a long time. Until one day, he got news that Shen Lian had returned to the Shen family in one piece.


    Finally, Governor Shuo could be relieved. His only question was what happened to the man in green. Despite knowing that Shen Lian had the answer he wanted, he could not find a chance to ask.


    Three days later, Governor Shuo''s chance came.


    The biggest inn Old Master Shen owned in town was handed over to Shen Lian. Tongfu Inn was under Shen Lian management now.


    The sign was clear - Old Master Shen was grooming Shen Lian as the heir to the Shen family.


    Back on that day, the entire Shen family was on lockdown, it was not until evening that Shen Lian returned from praying to his mother. Shen Qingsan and Old Master Shen were beyond relieved.


    At the same time, the bodyguards who were following Shen Lian returned as well.


    They were following Shen Lian in secret but had lost him. Dreading the severe punishment, they started searching for Shen Lian around Qielan temple.


    When they finally found him in the mountains, Shen Lian was drenched by the rain.


    There was a monk next to him, he was fair and looked neat. They were walking on the mountain trail.


    When the bodyguards came in front of Shen Lian, the monk left without saying a word, and he did not so much as take a glance at them.


    It was a rainy day, and the mountain trail was steep and slippery. The monk did not seem affected by it. It was as if he was brisk-walking on flat terrain, and had disappeared from their sight in a matter of seconds.


    Some of the curious bodyguards asked Shen Lian about the monk.


    Shen Lian smiled politely, but he did not reply. He followed the bodyguards back to the Shen family.


    When Shen Lian got back to the Shen family, all he said was the man in green was dead. He did not elaborate on the matter, and not even Old Master Shen could get an extra word out of him.


    Though, Shen Lian did accept Old Master Shen''s request for him to manage one of the inns. Old Master Shen was not a petty person, what more Shen Lian had finally succumbed and was willing to dabble in the family business.


    This was why he handed over Tongfu Inn, one of the biggest and oldest shops in town to Shen Lian.

 Chapter 24 The Celestial Mountain Beyond the Seas

    The inn was a crowded place, it was a place filled with worldly desires and temptations.


    People from all walks of life congregated at the inn, and it would be a good training ground for Shen Lian to pick up interpersonal skills. That was precisely the intention of Old Master Shen.


    Midnight,


    Bright moon,


    Phoenix tree.


    There was no phoenix on the Phoenix tree, only the moon.


    A crescent moon hung high in the sky, and at the same time, there was a full moon attached to one of the thick branches of the Phoenix tree.


    That was not a full moon, it was a human head.


    The human head was bright and shiny, reflecting moonlight in the night, which was why it looked like a full moon.


    A youth stood next to him.


    The wind breezed past his thin body, and his body wavered slightly, but he stood still as if his legs were rooted deeply in the ground.


    The shadows swayed to the wind, as though they were green bamboos.


    Finally, Shen Lian exhaled and a gust of white wind followed, it was long and dense.


    "This Qigong technique, known as Shenzu Scripture, is one of the most refined Kung Fu in Jianghu. It was practiced by my Founding Master when he was searching for immortal Celestials. " Ling Chongxiao remarked when Shen Lian finally exhaled.


    Shen Lian had learned the oral incantation from the man in green prior to this and had been practicing accordingly.


    The ''zu'' in Shenzu Scripture refers not to feet, but to the completeness and sufficiency of spirit and Qi.


    "The opponent could attack as brutally as he wanted, but all I needed was just a full breath of essential Qi."


    The incantation of the Qigong was extremely easy to understand. It was as easy to understand as it was hard to master. The first step to success required a person to be rid of worldly intentions, which would then allow said person to feel his innate essential Qi.


    It might sound easy, but how many people in this world could attain spiritual calmness through concentration, what more to rid one''s mind of worldly intentions.


    Even an enlightened monk with years of experience in cultivation could not just enter into a state of spiritual calmness as and when they wanted.


    However, this was not a challenge to Shen Lian.


    He cultivated according to instructions and readjusted his breathing tempo. He had nothing weighing on his mind; he was merely in the midst of the breeze and the moon.


    Even though Ling Chongxiao already knew that Shen Lian had a lot of potentials, he could not help but to admit that he was indeed, prodigious.


    Shen Lian knew that he was not a prodigy. This was credited to the book of "The Mastery of Senses".


    He had entered into a state of spiritual calmness through concentration and cultivated accordingly. He felt the essential Qi within him and manipulated it. Nurturing it within his meridians, it was as easy as moving his limbs.


    He was not particularly strong, and his meridians were slightly congested. However, through the fine control he had over his essential Qi, he managed to unblocked part of the acupoints on the Shaoyin Heart Meridian of Hand on his first try.


    Ling Chongxiao did not know that Shen Lian had entered into a state of spiritual calmness. He saw Shen Lian''s long exhalation and immediately knew that he was a rare talent in martial arts.


    "I still don''t know what is your sect called?" Shen Lian heard Ling Chongxiao, asked in curiosity.


    "Since you have asked, I will tell you that my Founding Master used to be a scholar, and he did not do well in the Imperial Exams. In devastation, he turned his attention to search for immortality through Daoism. Celestialism has always been detached from the society; it is not something that normal humans could casually encounter. One year, the Founding Master caught wind that the Celestials were dwelling beyond the sea. He took off alone and got caught in a storm at sea.


    The Founding Master survived. He held onto a piece of plank and drifted along with the waves. He ended up on a beach.


    The beach was part of an island with a huge surface area.


    In the middle, there was a mountain surrounded by smoke and mist.


    The Founding Master was impressed by the grandeur of the mountain. After a full day of rest on the beach, he walked towards the mountain. When he was at the foot of the mountain, he saw a great cliff extending all the way up to the sky, the word "Qing Xuan" was carved on it.


    The surface of the great cliff was smooth, he had no idea how anyone managed to carve the two words on it.


    Each stroke of the words was at least thirty meters long, with the width of one to two meters. They looked natural, and there was no sign that the words were carved on.


    The Founding Master thought if it was not the work of a Celestial, how else did such wondrous and impressive sight come by?


    The Founding Master walked along the mountain, the mountain was too big, and the forest was dense. He ended up losing his way and filling his stomach with any fruits that he could find. Luckily, he did not run into any vicious beasts or poisonous snakes.


    "But in the end, he met an immortal celestial, and was gifted some secret texts?" Shen Lian smiled.


    The plot was predictable, and something that Shen Lian came across often.


    "I wish it was that simple. The Founding Master heard the sound of flute, and was glad that he could finally meet another human. Being lost for such a long time in the forest, he could not even find the great cliff anymore.


    He did not expect to meet with the immortals anymore. All he wanted was to escape the forest.


    The moonlight was bright that night, but it was cold in the forest. Even though the Founding Master had dabbled in Kung Fu, he was not in the state where he could stay unaffected by the cold and heat.


    After hearing the sound of the flute, he walked towards the source of the sound.


    The tune was strange, and it was not something that the Founding Master had heard before. It was low and relaxing, and almost ethereal.


    He did not know how long had he been tracing the sound of the flute.


    Then, he started to wonder. Even though he had not walked that far, but he was sure he at least walked a kilometer. Yet, the intensity of music remained the same as before; neither did it get closer nor did it get further.


    It was as though the source of the sound was moving as he moved.


    He picked up a scent; it was a scent of plum blossoms. As he took a few other steps, the two rows of trees flanking him were replaced by a plum tree.


    Up ahead, there was a winding path covered with small green stones.


    The sound of the flute was getting stronger. It sounded as though it was playing with the wind and was incredibly joyous.


    The Founding Master got onto the path. The moonlight shone on the road of green stones, the light was sprinkling all over, and it looked like a stream of clear water.


    The pleasant scent was refreshing; he felt the tiredness from before eased away.


    It did not take long until he saw a huge plum tree. It was right in the middle of the path, and there was no telling how long has it been around. The branches were mostly empty. Like the night sky that was dotted by sparse stars, the branches were dotted sparsely by a few plum blossoms.


    When he got nearer to the trunk of the plum tree, he noticed that there was a poem written on it."


    "What was the poem?" Shen Lian asked in curiosity. He found the story better than the usual Xianxia novels, and it was a lot more interesting.


    The intriguing sound of the flute, the forest of plum trees, and the poem in the plum forest.


    "The poem was ethereal."


    The moonlight shone deeply in Ling Chongxiao''s eyes, and he sang lowly;


    "Chongyang of Mount Zhongnan, the world thought the Founding Master to be crazy.


    The carefree days he lived, and the death freed him truly.


    Accompanied by the clouds and the waters, befriend the void and emptiness,


    Saw through the truth about the world, unlike the will of the masses."


    Shen Lian was shocked when he heard the line, "Accompanied by the clouds and the waters, befriend the void and emptiness". It was not because of its ethereal quality, but that he had seen this before.


    There was one year where he was bored out of his mind, and he was flipping through the poetry by Wang Chongyang. That particular line stuck with him.


    Judging from his earlier readings, he did not expect Wang Chongyang or Quanzhen School to appear in this world. This was why he was so intrigued by it.

 Chapter 25 An Inn

    "Why, you could not have possibly heard of this poem?" Ling Chongxiao asked after seeing the expression on Shen Lian��s face.


    "I think so, I did. Was it by a Daoist with the surname, Wang?"


    "That I am not sure. I recalled the Founding Master mentioned that he saw a tiny row of words at the end of the poem, it says, "my old friend Saffron had left, but his words shall remain, my heart would be like that of Jizi", but the person who left the words signed off as "Li".


    The Founding Master thought, the poem was left by someone named "Saffron", but the person who signed off as "Li" was an old friend of Saffron. As for Jizi, the Founding Master had no idea what was it about.


    The Founding Master was straightening out his confusion when he picked up a hint of blood from the scent of plum blossoms. When he turned to look, his limbs immediately weakened in fear. A tiger was right behind of him.


    The dragons dwell amidst the clouds, whilst the tigers dwell amidst the wind. The corner of the tiger��s big eyes was upturned, and there were white stripes on its forehead.


    After staring at the Founding Master, the tiger leaped for him.


    The Founding Master took a few steps back in fear. What happened then left him in shock. The tiger did not land on top of him but was held in mid-air by an invisible rope.


    "Who are you, and why have you come?" A child with a crisp voice queried.


    The Founding Master saw the tiger being lowered onto the other side, and a young female child was sitting on its back. The girl had her hair tied, and was holding onto a jade green flute.


    The girl looked around six to seven of age, and her skin was clear. Her exposed wrist could be akin to the frost and the snow, and she looked like the moon shining brightly on a quiet night. The way she spoke was the same as an adult, and she held a flute in her hand.


    "Were you the one who was playing the flute?" The Founding Master asked curiously.


    "Ah, so you are one of the normal humans who have stumbled into the mountains by mistake. I shall deal with you later."


    Out of a sudden, ten red lines started closing in from the northwestern sky.


    "Li Qingshui, I must send you back into the karmic cycle today." The person who was amidst the red lines spoke lowly.


    The girl was staring at the red lines, and she took a glance at the Founding Master. A black cloud emerged underneath the tiger she was sitting on, and it flew towards the red lines.


    Thunders were roaring in the northwestern sky, and rays of five colors crisscrossed with numerous red lines.


    It was not until the sun was about to rise that the commotion ceased.


    There was a stone house in the plum forest that the Founding Master was in. He waited till sunrise, yet the girl was nowhere to be found. However, he found a scroll of painting, three books of scripture, and a wooden fish in the stone house.


    The girl did not return. The Founding Master left the stone house with the items he found. He did not walk towards the north-west, but he walked towards the south-east direction instead. He did not know how big the mountain was, the Founding Master walked for ten over days before he managed to get back to the sea on the south-east. He carefully practiced the martial exercises on the beach. When he had reached a certain level of attainment, he made a wooden raft and went back to the mainland.


    "Now you finally know where the Shenzu Scripture came from," Ling Chongxiao said with a smile.


    "The Shenzu Scripture was one of the secret texts that he found? And the wooden fish is the one that you are carrying?" Shen Lian queried softly.


    "Good guess. Among the three scriptures, one was called Mingyu martial art, and one was called Shenzu Scripture". Both of them have their similarities, but Mingyu martial art was scarier. Both require the cultivator to have great potential. The only difference is that the stronger Mingyu martial art is actually incomplete. The man in green always thought the Master to favor me more, but actually, the Master knew him too well. He was aggressive and extreme. If he were to practice Mingyu martial art, he would do himself more harm than good. This was why the Master passed the perfected and completed Shenzu Scripture to him instead.


    In terms of potential, it is undeniable that I have greater potential than him. The Master hoped that I could complete this Kung Fu, and pass it on to the future apprentices.


    Throughout these years, I did learn something. With this Kung Fu, I managed to attain what the Daoist called "taming the white tiger", and I could preserve my youth. However, to complete this masterpiece is beyond my capabilities.


    I have wasted a lot of my time for this, which is why I do not plan to pass the Mingyu Scripture on to you, for fear of wasting your time.


    Also, my experience tells me that although the Mingyu Scripture is profound, it shares a similar origin with the Shenzu Scripture. Both are of authentic Xuanmen.


    If you managed to cultivate the Shenzu Scripture to the highest level, you will benefit greatly, and the path of immortality will not be far."


    After hearing everything from Ling Chongxiao, Shen Lian remembered the Shenzu Scripture actually appeared in one of Jin Yong��s novels. On the other hand, there was another book titled "The Daoist Drifting in the Wuxia World". The main protagonist created a version of Kung Fu named Shenzu Scripture.


    Even though he loved the novel, he only managed to read three volumes of it.


    He wanted to read the novel when the completed volumes of the novel were published, but it would seem that he would not have the chance to do so.


    He wondered if there was a connection between all these. But how could the plot of a novel reconcile with his current predicament? That would be too hard to believe.


    Novels are, after all, works of fiction. His journey to the foreign realm was the reality.


    "Could the third scripture be, the Deity Vanquishing Sword Scripture?"


    Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    "Indeed. The Deity Vanquishing Sword is strong, and it is beyond the likes of martial arts found in Jianghu. If anything, it is more similar to Celestial arts. However, from the Founding Master onwards, everyone who has practiced it died an unnatural death. This is why the apprentices are prohibited from practicing it. When the man in green passed it on to you, he probably did not want this swordcraft masterpiece to be lost. Though he probably was brewing something evil, and did not pass it on out of goodwill."


    Ling Chongxiao snickered and thought, in this world, he was the one who knew the man in green best. However, after the incident with the man in green, Ling Chongxiao could not be bothered to restore his sect. Since the meeting with Shen Lian was a fated one, he might as well pass the Kung Fu on to him, just so that the martial arts of his sect would not be lost.


    "Destiny does not scare me, traditions do not bind me," Shen Lian replied. Those who practiced Deity Vanquishing Sword died unnaturally due to the deficiency in their spirit. Their over-reliance on the skill, when faced with strong enemies, caused irreversible damages to their spirit. What good would recovery do when they kept dealing damage to their spirit, to the point where they got more and more extreme? In the end, they either destroy the world or destroy themselves.


    The reason why the man in green was so extreme was probably due to his character, but the Deity Vanquishing Sword was likely to have something to do with it.


    Cultivation must be for the sake of self-protection. He must not indulge in killing and winning. If he were to cultivate, he must first cultivate his heart. If he could not even control his heart and let his heart do whatever it wanted, that would not be the right way of immortality.


    For three nights, Ling Chongxiao explained to Shen Lian everything about cultivation.


    In the end, he left without bidding farewell to Shen Lian. A letter was all that he left behind, and he did not tell Shen Lian where he could find him.


    It was the morning of the reopening of Shen Lian��s inn. There was no grand ceremony.


    The name "Tongfu Inn" was changed to "An Inn".


    On the right door pillar, it said: "Cultured guests frequent here".


    The pillar on the left said, "Unrefined guests are always welcome."

 Chapter 26 Xuanming Division

    "Didn''t you say this was Tongfu Inn? The name doesn''t look right." Two men stood outside the inn. Shen Lian knew one of them. That would be Governor Shuo.


    He was dressed in plain clothes and was very confused.


    The person who spoke was dressed in black. His eyes were bright and dark, his long hair covered the left of his face. He looked cold and detached and seemed to be around thirty of age.


    "This is definitely the place. Maybe they just changed the name. Let''s go in and find out about it." Governor Shuo spoke.


    "You people are all getting paid without doing your work. How can you not know about little things like this?" The person replied coldly.


    Governor Shuo laughed in embarrassment. "You are but one of the tools of the Xuanming division, mere lapdogs of the Emperor. What are you gloating about?" He thought.


    Even though in his mind he was cursing, he did not have the guts to do it in the man''s face. In terms of official ranking, they were of the same rank. Furthermore, he was said to be the Emperor''s fang �C a watchdog monitoring the state officials, and from the Capital City. It would thus be best not to get on his bad side.


    As his name suggested, Governor Shuo just wanted to be a ''shuo cong'', a borer. He wanted to spend his first few years holding the office stably. His ultimate goal was to earn enough for him to spend for the rest of his life. As for going far in the field of politics, a Jinshi like himself did not even bother thinking about it.


    The officer from Xuanming division departed from the Capital City for the man in green. For some reason, there was a slight delay on the part of Xuanming division. After the state government has reported the incident relating to the man in green, an official reply came. However, it took a few days for the Xuanming division to assign an officer, which was why the officer had only came then.


    Shen Lian was the last person to see the man in green and got back to the Shen family safely, while the man in green disappeared. It was only reasonable that the officer from Xuanming division wanted to talk to Shen Lian.


    However, the Shen family was extremely reputable in the locality. To bring Shen Lian back to the town hall would give off the wrong impression that the State was against the Shen family. Governor Shuo was too experienced to make this sort of rookie mistake; he would not want to bring troubles onto himself.


    He raised the pros and cons and managed to convince the officer to look for Shen Lian at the inn.


    Moreover, it seemed that the officer from Xuanming division wanted to keep things low-profile; he was just bothered by this particular heinous criminal who got on the radar of both the Ministry of Justice and the Xuanming division.


    The officers in the Xuanming division were actually connected to Jianghu. This particular officer was from a renowned Jianghu sect. He came to look for the man in green for both official and private reasons. After all, he knew the background of the man in green. To say that he was not interested in the Deity Vanquishing Sword and the Shenzu Scripture would be an outright lie.


    ...


    Although on paper, Shen Lian was the owner of the inn, Steward Wu was the one who handled the business.


    Steward Wu was bothered by how Shen Lian changed the name of a hundred-year-old shop. The Shen family had a lot of profitable businesses. Though the value of these old shops was beyond business, it signified an inheritance of sort and symbolized perpetual wealth and glory.


    Old Master Shen being decisive had told everyone that Shen Lian now exercised full control over the inn, and there was no need for anyone to report anything to him anymore.


    Even things like the land title, they were all kept by Shen Lian.


    This was Shen Lian''s private property. Even if Steward Wu were to say something, what good would it do when it was faced with Shen Lian''s nonchalant smile?


    The temple at its high position would not bother itself with the loss of a small land; those who were in Jianghu would not be calculative to the cents.


    The inn had three floors. Shen Lian was on the highest floor, which was not open to the public.


    The inn faced the street, and was located at one of the busiest parts of the town; it could be considered as the classic example of the secular mortal world. The building opposite did not block the sunlight from shining through the windows and onto Shen Lian; it was a peaceful and calming scene.


    Ever since he time traveled, this was the first time that he actually enjoyed the life here in this world.


    Different from the hectic modern world that he came from, there were more face-to-face interactions here rather than digital interactions through social media platforms.


    The neighborhood did not steer away from Shen Lian due to the fact he was born with a silver spoon. If anything, they pitied him for the circumstances surrounding his birth.


    In the past three days, a lot of them helped us with the opening preparations of An Inn. As Shen Lian was born out of wedlock, outsiders would think that he was banished from the family; running the inn business was merely a cover-up.


    These things were like drinking water; only the person who drank could tell the warmth or coldness of the water.


    The sound of footsteps interrupted Shen Lian''s thought process. Besides Steward Wu, there were two more visitors.


    Shen Lian reacted immediately; he was shocked. Among the two, one of them was skilled in martial arts.


    The person walked so softly that, if not for Shen Lian''s uniqueness, he would have missed it.


    Someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in." Shen Lian was still facing towards the windows, with his back towards the door.


    "Young Master, esteemed guests have come for you."


    When Steward Wu recognized Governor Shuo, he was almost shocked. He did not expect him to come to visit. The Shen family, was in reality, more influential than the State Governor.


    However, the person Steward Wu was faced with was still supposedly, the most powerful person in the State Capital of Qing, in terms of ranking. Steward Wu was a mere servant; it was only natural that Steward Wu felt the pressure in the presence of Governor Shuo.


    If not for the fact that Governor Shuo was trying to keep a low profile, Shen Lian should have gone down to welcome him as a matter of courtesy.


    "You can go down first." Shen Lian turned to wave at Steward Wu.


    Before Steward Wu could elaborate further, Shen Lian gave him a look to send him away.


    Shen Lian was young, and he was not stern. Steward Wu was not particularly intimidated by him. However, whenever Shen Lian gave him instructions, he found himself obeying subconsciously. Even if he were to approach Shen Lian afterward, he could not bring himself to complain when he saw how casual and nonchalant Shen Lian was.


    Shen Lian looked at Governor Shuo before he turned to look at the officer from Xuanming division.


    The person was clothed in black and brought along a sword. There was a hint of bloodlust coming from between his brows, which made Shen Lian uncomfortable.


    "Shen Lian young friend, how do you do? I still haven''t thanked you for the other time. This is Sir Meng Han from the Xuanming division in the Capital City. He has some questions for you."


    His words were tactful. He was saying that he remembered Shen Lian''s favor from the last time they met and that he was not here for trouble. He was here to enquire.


    As for the matter in question, Shen Lian should know exactly what he was referring to.


    He also pointed out Meng Han''s background, just so that Shen Lian knew how to behave around him.


    After all, Governor Shuo had dealt with Shen Lian. He knew that despite his young age, Shen Lian was not someone to be taken lightly.


    Of course, if Shen Lian were just anyone, the Governor Shuo would not have owed him a favor.


    The first time that Meng Han set eyes on Shen Lian, he could not help but praise him in his mind. He did not expect a young child as such to appear at the rural State Capital of Qing.


    Although, that was it. "Child, you better tell me everything that you know about Yang Xuan," he said coldly.

 Chapter 27 Collapse at the First Blow

    Yang Xuan was the real name of the man in green. Of course, Shen Lian had found out about it from Ling Chongxiao.


    However, the person managed to utter the real name of the man in green; this would mean that the Xuanming division was decent in terms of data collection.


    "Dear Sir, am I your prisoner? Or am I your underling?" Shen Lian stared at the officer from Xuanming division, Meng Han. Even though he was young and had a childish face, Meng Han found his stare to be intense.


    He could not help but take a step back.


    Governor Shuo was surprised by his move and squeaked lowly.


    The room was eerily silent, and if someone were to make a sound then, it would be dropping a needle in a quiet room �C everyone with an ear could hear.


    Meng Han was surprised by the squeak. He blushed when he realized what was happening. His face was as red as burning iron.


    Before he joined the Xuanming division, he was one of the disciples in the Chiyang Sect �C one of the renowned and reputable great sects.


    Chiyang Sect had been a loyal follower of the Founder of the dynasty before he came to be the Founder. The sect was cherished by the government and received various honorary titles for their services.


    Chiyang Sect enjoyed high social status in both government and Jianghu.


    Meng Han used to be one of the star disciples in the Chiyang Sect before he joined the Xuanming division. His talent was valued in the Xuanming division, which led him to be proud.


    If words about this were to get out, what would the Jianghu drifters and his colleagues from the division think of him?


    Shen Lian used to own a clinic. He met with people from all walks of life; he knew exactly what was going on in Meng Han''s mind.


    When faced with people as such, one must not succumb to their authority. Otherwise, they would think that you were an easy target to bully. Unlike the case with Governor Shuo, it was impossible to rationalize with people as such.


    That was why Shen Lian showed his resilient side on purpose.


    After all, the martial exercises left behind by the man in green could disrupt the balance in Jianghu.


    Outsiders would never believe him if he said that he was not in possession of the Deity Vanquishing Sword and the Shenzu Scripture; what more, he actually had it in his possession.


    Meng Han was the first to come for that, but he would not be the last.


    The reason why Shen Lian moved out of the Shen family was to avoid bringing too many troubles to the family.


    After all, he had not built his reputation yet. No one feared him, and there would be a lot of people who came looking for trouble.


    By taking a step back, Meng Han had forced himself to an extreme �C how could he be in fear of a young child?


    "I just need to know about the incident with the man in green. I will not be harsh on you." Meng Han spoke calmly, hiding the tension in his eyes.


    Anyone would be able to tell that he was merely suppressing his anger.


    "What if I don''t talk at all?" Shen Lian replied fearlessly.


    "I see that you are not refuting the claim. Young child, it seems that I will have to show you some colors before you open your mouth willingly."


    "Shen Lian, it is no big deal. Just start talking and the adults won''t be too hard on you." Governor Shuo advised.


    "This is a matter of the Xuanming division. We don''t need comments from state officials like you." Meng Han glared at Governor Shuo.


    Governor Shuo held back his anger. They were all working for the same Emperor, and in fact he got his office through sitting for the Imperial Examination. How dare the obnoxious people from Xuanming division look down on the state officials and treat them like pigs and dogs?


    "Similarly, I don''t need Sir Meng to comment on my matters." Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    "Good child."


    Meng Han was extremely angry. He was not planning to be too harsh on a mere child. However, Shen Lian had been pushing his buttons, and he could not contain his wrath anymore.


    He drew the sword and instilled force into it. The iron sword that was made from well-tempered steel was burning, and hints of red could be seen.


    The internal force of the Chiyang Sect had strong Yang qualities. This was why the disciples had names with characters such as Han, Bing, Yin, Leng. It was to serve as a constant reminder to them so that they would not be carried overboard by their pride and anger.


    The mere chillness from his name, Han, did nothing to overcome the anger in Meng Han''s heart. His essential Qi was about to be unleashed by sheer anger, and he was determined to teach Shen Lian a lesson.


    He drew his sword without any prior notice. He was one with his sword and delivered himself along with the sword right at Shen Lian.


    The move was called ''Words Stuck in One''s Throat''�C an attempt to shut Shen Lian up by directing the sword at his throat.


    However, Meng Han still had rationality left in him. Even if he did not put his full strength into the move, Shen Lian would not be able to talk or eat for a few months.


    If he could not talk, how else was he going to find out about the man in green?


    This was why he tilted the edge of his sword and directed it downwards.


    Shen Lian did not react to this. When Meng Han''s sword stopped short, a dash of green light flashed past, and Shen Lian had a wooden sword made out of spotted laurel in his hand. With it, he hit Meng Han''s Lie Que point.


    The point was on the lateral border of a person''s forearm, right above the radial styloid process, five centimeters above of the wrist crease, and was right between the brachioradialis and the abductor pollicis longus muscle, linking directly to the Conception Vessel.


    Shen Lian''s move was slow, but the angle and timing were impeccable. It was a later move that overpowered the opponent''s earlier move.


    Due to his weak inner Qi and lack of skills, Shen Lian could not have overpowered Meng Han. However, his earlier move did not rely on inner Qi. It was a move that sent a hint of the Deity Vanquishing Sword that he had nourished with his spirit right into Meng Han''s body.


    The mind must work together with the Qi; Shen Lian''s move was directed at the Lie Que point and had injured Meng Han''s spirit and mind. The inner Qi in him was messed up, and the discord was amplified due to the blockage of the Lie Que point.


    Meng Han was angry and was in shock, he did not expect Shen Lian to win against him in a battle.


    His thoughts were in a state of chaos, and he charged right ahead after pausing for a moment.


    He did not realize that he could no longer see clearly anymore.


    Shen Lian''s sword moved along with the momentum, and he flicked it lightly; Meng Han was moving at a high speed when he was flicked by Shen Lian''s sword.


    Without wasting any strength, Shen Lian managed to send Meng Han flying out of the window from the third floor.


    There was a wooden balcony on the second floor. Meng Han collided with the barrier and made a loud thud.


    Luckily, the barrier was of good quality. It did not shatter into pieces under Meng Han''s weight. It was broken in half.


    Shen Lian took a look and saw Meng Han stranded on the window. Discreetly, he waved his sword, and a cold breeze brushed past Meng Han. It was as though someone poured a bucket of ice water on his head. The cold was excruciating, and Meng Han passed out on the barrier.


    Governor Shuo and Shen Lian descended to the second floor, and they shooed away the curious onlookers.


    "Governor Shuo, Sir Meng broke several of our belongings. Would it be alright for us to claim for the damages from the town hall?" Shen Lian sighed after looking at the broken barrier.


    "Tell me, what do you think you have done? Why would you mess with someone from the Xuanming division?" Governor Shuo found it extremely therapeutic looking at Meng Han''s current predicament, he stifled a laugh before remarking to Shen Lian.


    "I have already messed with him, what will come, will come." Shen Lian said nonchalantly.


    "Of course you can leave whenever you want to after learning about the mystical martial arts in Jianghu, but what about the Shen family?" Governor Shuo knew fully well where Shen Lian learned his skills from. It definitely had something to do with the man in green.


    Although he knew about Jianghu, he did not know about the finer details of martial arts and Dao techniques. Which was why he was not particularly shocked by the fact that Shen Lian managed to beat Meng Han in a fight.


    On top of that, Shen Lian was so young! If words got out, how many Jianghu drifters would be ashamed by their incompetency and thought that they have wasted their life?


    "It all happened too quickly. I had no time for detailed analysis. Unlike you Governor Shuo, I''m not concerned by the pros and cons; I only know how to give and take."


    ''Give'' first; ''take'' comes after.


    It was only natural for one to take after giving.


    Giving without taking, or taking without giving, both were unnatural.


    "I''m not sure if Shen family is lucky or unlucky to have you. I used to be a studious person; the phrase ''there is no celestial who is not filial and not loyal in this world'' is not unfounded. I hope that you understand that."

 Chapter 28 The Beginning and the End of Cultivation

    Shen Lian did not find what Governor Shuo said to be weird. Too bad, he was born under the Five-Starred Red Flag and grew up in the new China, the People''s Republic of China.


    He may have been slightly filial, but in terms of loyalty, he had none.


    He smiled at Governor Shuo without saying further.


    Indeed, there was no common ground between people with two differing principles. Why bother with further illustrations?


    It was past noon when Governor Shuo sent someone to bring Meng Han back to the town hall.


    Halfway back, Meng Han regained consciousness, but he pretended to be unconscious because he could not stand the shame and the looks from the passer-by.


    At the same time, the Jianghu drifters who were monitoring the situation in secret had to re-evaluate their opinions on Shen Lian.


    After all, Meng Han enjoyed a reputation in Jianghu. Even though he could not match the best constable in the world, Yang Ying, he was not just anyone either.


    Shen Lian tested the waters and was feeling light and cheery. He did not bother himself with the mundane duties of the inn, and headed out alone.


    The State Capital of Qing was not particularly big, but it was not small either.


    Shen Lian was walking without impurities in mind. To an outsider, it would look as though he was not paying attention. Despite the obstacles on the street, he was not hit, tripped, or shoved by any.


    "Is that Shen Lian?"


    The sound was unfamiliar, but if the person spoke of his name, then it must be someone that he knew.


    Shen Lian turned to the source of the voice and saw a stout middle-aged man looking at him.


    Shen Lian racked his mind for a name. He recognized the person to be his eldest aunt''s brother, Xu Hong, a relative of his.


    However, his aunt, Xu, had never been fond of him. This was why Shen Lian only saw Xu Hong for a couple of times when he was young.


    By right, Xu Hong would not be able to recognize him in person unless he had been paying attention to him.


    Shen Lian dismissed his speculations after seeing the young servant girl clothed in green next to Xu Hong. If Shen Lian remembered correctly, the servant girl was from his uncle, Shen Qingshi''s courtyard.


    Although unable to give an exact name, Shen Lian was sure that he had seen that face before.


    "I heard that your inn is opening today. How do you have the time to roam around?" Xu Hong smiled and asked.


    "Those are not something that I should worry myself about. Uncle Xu, I don''t see you bothering yourself with menial tasks whenever you open up a new pawn shop," Shen Lian leaned in slightly and spoke without being overly enthusiastic or too detached.


    "Haha, you child. You are so much more fun now as compared to last time. You wouldn''t talk to anyone back then. Since we don''t meet a lot, why don''t you come over to my house for a while?" When Xu Hong found out from the servant girl that the attractive young man on the street was Shen Lian, he could not help but to extend his invitation.


    It would seem that the Wutong Gods did not manage to have their way at the Shen family. According to his sister Xu, there was nothing notable besides Shen Lian.


    When Xu Hong heard that Shen Lian''s new inn was opening, he had sent gifts over. After all, he was his elder and was not obliged to be at the opening himself.


    Furthermore, an inn was nothing as compared to the massive fortune of the Shen family. Even if the inn had a long history, it still would not be a big deal �C even Shen Qingsan thought so.


    When he left the Shen family, he thought of finding a way to see what Shen Lian knew. At the same time, the servant girl received instructions from Xu to visit one of the shops owned by the Shen family. She had to collect some rouge from the new collection, from the Yanshui Atelier of the Capital City. Xu Hong was keen to bring home some cosmetics as a gift for his wife too.


    Xu Hong grew up in the State Capital of Qing and did not travel in a high-profile manner. He was strolling around and ended up assailing the young servant girl with obscenities.


    The servant girl was not a child born to a servant in her Master''s house, which was why she had some pride in her and refused to succumb to Xu Hong''s authority. Just as she was fretting about what to do, she saw Shen Lian from the corner of her eyes.


    Besides Shen Ruoxi, every girl in the Shen household who was under twenty would see Shen Lian as their dream lover. After all, Shen Lian was good looking and kind.


    A young man as such was extremely attractive and lovable.


    Even the servant girl had joked about Shen Lian with her friends; she hoped that one day she could be married to Shen Lian and to have her Cinderella moment.


    Moreover, with Shen Lian around, Xu Hong would not act too carelessly.


    Shen Lian nodded at the servant girl �C a habit he developed in the modern world. Whenever he ran into someone, he would greet them. Indeed, to him, there was no such thing as a social class hierarchy, and he believed in equality.


    But his simple gesture of nodding had sent a flurry of butterflies to the servant girl''s heart. She was excited that the Young Master remembered her, as they had only met once before.


    She was exhilarated and excited.


    This was definitely a tale that would make her friends jealous.


    At that point, the assailment from Xu Hong earlier did not bother her as much anymore.


    Shen Lian was no mind reader. He had no idea what was going on in her mind. If the servant girl were to find out that Shen Lian had an eidetic memory, she might not have been that pleased.


    Shen Lian had no time for the servant girl. However, he felt an uncomfortable aura emanating from Xu Hong; that piqued his curiosity.


    "Since I''m free, I wouldn''t mind going to your house for a bit," he replied.


    He finally made the connection �C the demonic god from Shen Ruoxi''s dream. It had the same uncomfortable aura Xu Hong emanated.


    "We shall head back after I got the cosmetics. Even though the Shen family is richer than us, but the meals in Xu family is on a league of its own,"


    Xu Hong could not help but brag.


    He invited Shen Lian because he remembered how Xu mentioned that no one else besides Shen Lian came home to the Shen family. The night that Shen Ruoxi recovered from her sickness, she even called Shen Lian''s name.


    To others, they might dismiss it as being merely a child''s dream.


    However, Xu Hong and Xu knew the true reason why Shen Ruoxi fell sick; it was the demonic god at work. Thus, her dream likely was not a normal dream. If she called Shen Lian''s name, something was definitely going on.


    Seeing how his new inn was opening, Xu Hong did not want to look for Shen Lian just yet. Despite his initial plan, he ran into Shen Lian on the street. What a fated encounter indeed!


    Unaware that Xu Hong was trying to find out from him about the person who injured the Wutong Gods, Shen Lian was trying to get more information on the demonic god who was in Shen Ruoxi''s dream.


    Although Shen Lian had the Deity Vanquishing Sword, he was clueless when it came to Cultivation of Daoism.


    Shenzu Scripture allowed him to train his inner Qi and to obtain superhuman physical power. However, it could not be considered as the fundamentals of Daoist immortality.


    Even if the scriptures really had something to do with the Celestial immortals from the Mount Qing Xuan, their essence was that of Jianghu martial exercises.


    Out of all the disciples under Ling Chongxiao, none of them had relied on the scriptures to attain immortality and learn about Daoism.


    There would always be a beginning and an end to all cultivation. Whether it was The Mastery of Senses or the Deity Vanquishing Sword, Shen Lian lacked the basic understanding as to the essence of the skills. These were not something that Ling Chongxiao could answer; he might not even be willing to answer Shen Lian''s questions in the first place.


    However, the demonic god knew how to sneak into a human''s dreams and to practice evil arts in it. Shen Lian thought the demonic god would have more information in relation to cultivation.


    After Shen Lian ran into Xu Hong and noticed the clues, he was not about to waste such a good chance.


    Both of them had different agendas in mind, yet they found something that they can agree with.


    The servant girl thought it was too bad that she had to return to the Shen family after buying the cosmetics. She was reluctant to leave.


    Shen Lian was unaware as usual and did not reciprocate to her feelings. Instead, he followed Xu Hong to the Xu family.

 Chapter 29 What My Heart Says

    The manor of the Xu family was grander than that of the Shen family. However, signs of wear and tear could be seen on the Chinese guardian lions at the door.


    There were barely any plants and trees in the manor, it was purely extravagant, and nothing more. For no reason, Shen Lian felt irritated.


    He maintained his composure and did not show his irritability.


    The Xu family started off earlier than the Shen family, and their manor was huge. However, it was more grand than classy; and one could tell that they did not put much thought into the architecture.


    The further inside they got, the more irritable Shen Lian felt. The air was filled with treacherous and eccentric thoughts, and they attacked him like the damp from the miasma.


    It could be that he was extra sensitive to evilness having practiced The Mastery of Senses. There were barely any distracting thoughts in his heart, and that made him sensitive to the evilness in the Xu manor.


    Moreover, the average people would not know how to restrain their thoughts and were full of greedy and lustful thoughts. Even if they were to be disturbed by the demonic gods, they would not be too bothered by it.


    Up ahead was the drawing room, Shen Lian sat quietly in it. On the southeastern direction, he could see gusts of black smoke rising.


    The black smoke did not exist physically, it was a manifestation of the way Shen Lian felt about the evilness, which existed in only his mind.


    The stimuli perceived by the human eyes were processed by the brain before they become what we see. What we see through our eyes would be slightly different from the actual reality.


    The real world was more complicated than what the eyes could see and the ears could hear. Even the Celestials would not be able to see through everything.


    Furthermore, if all of this information were to be processed, the brain would be overloaded and collapse.


    Observing with one''s heart might not be the most comprehensive solution, but one would be able to see things from a different angle and thus obtain the relevant information.


    Xu Hong came into the drawing room with a beautiful woman who was around thirty years old.


    The woman had a slim waist, sharp shoulders, and delicate skin. She was smiling slightly, and her pretty eyes amplified her beauty.


    The beautiful woman felt her heart ripple when she saw the handsome young man, Shen Lian.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting. It was all your aunt''s fault. She heard that you were coming and made an effort to dress up. I told her that you are family, and there was no need to go over the top. She replied that because you are family, all the more reason that she should show you respect." Xu Hong said with a hint of pride. Of course, anyone would be proud of such a beautiful wife.


    Subconsciously, he forgot about the incident relating to the Wutong Gods.


    The fair woman was giving off a pleasant scent and was making her presence felt. Shen Lian did not enjoy it at all. He was getting more and more irritable; the evilness that came from Yan was stronger than those of Xu Hong.


    Shen Lian dealt with Xu Hong and his wife calmly, and he was certain that the demonic god was right here at Xu Hong''s manor.


    "Uncle Xu, your house is huge indeed. I was so impressed when I walked in. However, I realized that no one seems to live on the southeastern side, it is so quiet."


    The southeastern side was where he felt the evilness was at its strongest; the black smoke was thickest over there, as if a monster of some kind had been hiding out of sight.


    Sounds of humans, or even of birds, were not heard there. No birds seemed to be flying over that area, and only a corner of the roof could be seen. It looked like a temple.


    Yan''s beautiful pinkish face got paler, and Xu Hong looked shocked. "Shen Lian had been cultivating in the mountains for two years, even though he is still young and unlikely to have attained anything yet, but to think that he actually discovered the Wutong gods'' residence." Xu Hong thought.


    He was convicted that Shen Lian was connected to the injuries dealt with the gods of pestilence back in the Shen family. It was just that Shen Lian was too young to be able to capable of taming the demon even with his two years of experience as a Daoist monk.


    Perhaps he received help from someone. Xu Hong decided to see if he can find out more. If there was truly an expert behind Shen Lian who could help to remove the demon from Xu family, that would be great.


    "The house was too big, and there were too little people. Hence, the south-east area was not in use. If you are curious, you can go take a look at the meal," Xu Hong smiled.


    Yan tightened her grip on Xu Hong''s hand, and her forehead was full of beads of cold sweat.


    Though Shen Lian did not offer to visit, Xu Hong offered Shen Lian the chance to.


    Xu Hong was not exaggerating about the food in the Xu family, it was indeed remarkable.


    In fact, the same dish would taste significantly different from each other if they were cooked with different knife skills, different temperature and a different mix of ingredients.


    Even that chewy beef, it was cooked with the freshest and sweetest part of the beef. The tangy scent of blood was removed with special techniques, and it was cooked at the perfect temperature. Slightly more, and it will be too rough, and any lesser, it will be too rare.


    It melted immediately in his mouth, and the fragrance remained even after he swallowed it.


    Shen Lian had had his share of good food in both of his lives, and even then, he was impressed by this dish.


    That was not the only good dish.


    "Why do you still have your sword with you during the meal? Isn''t it inconvenient?" Yan queried.


    She noticed the small sword around seventy centimeters that Shen Lian was carrying on his waist. The handle was green in color, with barely any marks on it. It looked very new.


    Xu Hong noticed the sword earlier and had been waiting for Yan to ask about it.


    "This is actually made from wood," Shen Lian removed the sword and unsheathed it. It was indeed a wooden sword and gave off the scent of Indian sandalwood.


    "I can''t believe that you are still using a toy at your age!" Yan covered her mouth and chuckled.


    "Gentlemen bring swords with them, I am merely learning from them." Shen Lian was casual when he spoke, but did not come off as impolite. Looking at his child-like face, Yan could not help but to laugh.


    "My sweetheart, what is there to laugh about?" A sharp male voice spoke, and it felt cold, as though the temperature in the drawing room had dropped drastically.


    A good-looking young scholar walked in. Yan was clearly in fear.


    Xu Hong was shocked; he did not expect this god of pestilence to come now.


    The young man was very arrogant. He reached into Yan''s shapely waist and kicked Xu Hong away. He sat on the table in the crudest manner imaginable; nothing about him reminded one of a scholar. If anything, he was more like a burglar.


    The sudden development did not scare Shen Lian. However, he felt the annoyance in his heart peaking.


    "Maybe you are not aware of this, but I hate it when someone disturbs the meal." Shen Lian said calmly to the young man.


    As for the wailing of Xu Hong who was in pain lying on the floor, and the indescribable fear that was on Yan''s face, both did not affect Shen Lian at all.


    When they first fought in the dream, it was hard to say who was victorious. After all, Shen Lian had the upper hand back then.


    Now that they were finally facing each other, Shen Lian did not feel the pressure coming from the young man; all he felt was annoyance.


    Shen Lian hated his vibes.


    Logically, cultivators should cleanse their thoughts, and not to be fraught with distracting thoughts. Otherwise, the cultivator would fall prey to their desires and whims, which was destructively addictive.


    The psyche of the young man was strong but was filled with evil desires, and evil thoughts were constantly emanating from him.


    Shen Lian could not understand how he did not succumb to insanity yet. His six senses were impure, yet he did not collapse from the overwhelming distracting desires.

 Chapter 30 The God in Your Eyes

    Shen Lian was still holding the sandalwood sword he made himself, the scent of sandalwood calmed him down.


    He still felt irritated. It was just as the ice in the summer, though cooling it could never undo the scorching heat in its entirety.


    The young man let his hand roam over Yan''s body. Yan blushed and moaned reflexively under his touch. Suddenly, the young man increased his strength and got violent. Yan yelped in response, as though she was complaining to the young man.


    "Who is your Master? I still haven''t made you pay for the last time you hurt me." The young man had black lines at the corner of his eyes which added on to his evil appeal.


    "You babble too much."


    With a flick of his wooden sword, it was as though a wave of wind and rain came along with it.


    Shen Lian did not learn his swordcraft from anyone. Despite the shadows from the movement of the sword, the attack with the wooden sword did not seem destructive.


    Rather than an actual fighting move, it looked more like child play.


    In the eyes of the young man, the attack looked different. The tip of the sword was vibrating, and it was giving off numerous light dots.


    Each and every one of the dots was bright and pure.


    Shen Lian''s eyes dimmed slightly, but the light dots brightened up immensely.


    The outsiders could not see the light dots. The young man was the only one who could.


    This was an extension of the Deity Vanquishing Sword, and it had a mysterious and special power - it could capture and kill human spirits. It was not a typical martial art move, and it was not an inner essential Qi either; it could not split stones and break apart stele, but to the young man, what it could do was way scarier.


    Every human had a spirit and soul. Whatever that the heart wished would have turned into thoughts. In some cases where the thoughts had been persistent, they would have attacked themselves to something. After a certain period of time, the thoughts would have manifested themselves into either a deity or a demon.


    The essence of the young man was human thoughts �C thoughts manifested from greed and desires. It had a certain mystically quality to it, and even though it was impure, it could exist independently.


    Similarly, if Shen Lian felt irritated by him, it would mean that his essence would be that of irritation.


    Shen Lian''s mind was free of distracting thoughts, and his spirit was pure.


    This had a restraining effect on the demonic influence.


    He remembered a long time ago, there was someone who gave him the same feeling.


    It was a mortal man, who was also a scholar. His thoughts were righteous, and his vigor was focused.


    He destroyed the temple for his five brothers and broke their golden statues. They ended up drifting aimlessly in the world. Through bewitching Xu Hong, they managed to recover slowly.


    Shen Lian''s attack was impractical, if a martial art expert from Jianghu were to see, he would not be impressed at all. However, it had its merits �C an excellent tempo.


    The fight between martial art experts was not just about good moves. It would take more than that to overpower one''s opponent and to be one of the best in the world.


    Just as the simple move of ''green pines welcoming their guests''; like the gentle breeze that passed through the green pines in the mountains, and the move would be a curvature one.


    However, if one were to use that move too early, the opponent would have expected it and attack one''s opening.


    Because the moment one put his full strength into it, it would be hard to change the direction, and thus doomed to failure.


    However, if one were to delay and missed the right timing, the opponent''s subsequent attack would catch one by surprise. ''Green pines welcoming their guests'' would turn into the skill of ''leaving oneself open to attacks''.


    Shen Lian''s move was a random move without a name. It did not have any notable changes. However, its vibrating tip created overlapping shadows of the sword, and it was hard to tell the shadows apart from the actual sword. On top of that, Shen Lian had the option of attacking from any direction.


    The young man pulled Yan in front of him and used her as a shield.


    He was a demonic god without any care for the sense of propriety, justice, integrity, and honor. Justice, morality, and humanity meant nothing to him; the only thing he cared about was himself.


    The wooden sword made crackling sound mid-air, it sounded like the clear and short tune of when gold and rocks collided.


    The tip of the sword stopped right before it made contact with Yan''s chest.


    The young man gave an evil smile. He tried to tie Shen Lian up by extending the black ropes formed from the black mist on his hand. He waved the ropes as though he was playing the pipa.


    The light dots on the tip of the sword rained like a bright cluster of shooting stars.


    One could not add onto the wind and rain sweeping across the gloomy sky.


    Even though it was a mere wooden sword, the frostiness it was emanating instilled fear into Yan. She collapsed immediately.


    The light dots did not go for Yan. They made a sharp turn and collided with the pipa strings made of black gusts. These were the manifestation of humans'' greed and desires. Just a tiny bit of it could cause one to go insane and to act in a senseless manner.


    The light dots were akin to holy light; it melted like snow and ice after purifying the black gusts.


    "This child has such a pure spirit. If I were to absorb him��" The young man thought.


    The moment he thought of that, his greediness peaked. This was his first time encountering a spirit as pure as this. It was unlike the thoughts of the man he met back then, who was filled with righteousness that was scorching like the afternoon sun.


    Shen Lian''s thoughts were just pure. The strength of his spirit was strong. It would not take a lot of work to cultivate and amalgamate it.


    If he were to get this for himself, and only himself, his capabilities would be significantly enhanced.


    Thinking of reaping the benefits for himself only, he did not inform his four brothers with whom he was cultivating together in the temple.


    A layer of black mist started filling up the hall. Two long fangs could be seen, and a pig head with a huge mouth and nose appeared.


    Shen Lian knew fully well that it was a wild boar covered with long hairs that were like steel pin, and its fangs were still intact.


    The young man was a wild boar in the mountains. Unlike his kind, he had consumed a significant amount of spiritual beings in the mountains, which led to his enlightenment.


    It was only after that he met his four brothers. Together, they discovered an abode of immortals left behind by a cultivator. They managed to strengthen their spirit after learning how to absorb the distracting thoughts of a human. To their surprise, they discovered that they obtained supernatural power.


    They stayed at the villages and preyed on uneducated and uncivilized villagers. They fed on their greedy desires and learned more about human society.


    People started to know about the Wutong gods.


    The five gods of pestilence used to be animals with pure thoughts. They only became demonic gods after accumulating evil thoughts with them.


    On top of that, some people had built the Wutong temple. That afforded them the chance to cultivate further.


    Their increasing influence could be credited to the fact that there had not been a divine miracle in ages. Moreover, they had the power to go into people''s dreams, which added to their perceived divinity.


    After absorbing the distracting human thoughts, they became more and more human and were getting better at bewitching the masses.


    After all, they were demonic gods that did not have a care in the world. This particular young man had even morphed into a human and had ravished countless innocent women. All of these incidents attracted the attention of a young and righteous scholar.


    The five demonic gods were animals. They were too used to their supernatural powers to the extent that they forgot what they really were.


    They could not bewitch the righteous scholar and were completely overpowered by him. Their statues were smashed into bits, and they had to escape with their injuries.


    The young man was the least seriously injured, which was why he could recover so quickly and started doing harm to the Xu family.


    Amongst the Wutong gods, the wild boar who took on the shape of a young human scholar was the most perverted and conspiratorial out of them all.


    This explained why he was onto Shen Ruoxi. He wanted to expand his influence with the help of the Shen family, which would be immensely beneficial for his cultivation.


    In the dark mist, the wild boar charged towards Shen Lian with a limping leg.


    Shen Lian stood as still as a statue, and he did not move at all.


    Out of a sudden, two Shen Lian appeared. One of them had a sword and was not moving; the other was floating with his feet off the ground.

 Chapter 31 Subtle Fragrance of the Plum Blossom At Dusk

    With dull eyes, the frozen, physical Shen Lian showed no signs of agility and movement. His face was clear with visible fine hairs.


    In contrast, the other Shen Lian who floated mid-air had a vague figure.


    It was close to dusk. A hint of sunset beamed across.


    A mortal''s naked eye could not have seen the dark atmosphere in the room.


    In fear, Xu Hong could only clutch on to the pillar, shivering, as the second Shen Lian reveals in front of the first Shen Lian, he was as if transparent under the silky sunset.


    The subtle fragrance from the ebony and a touch of sunset formed a picture-perfect scene.


    A gush of wind came by. Shen Lian threw himself into the black wild boar. He did not have a sword in his hands but the sword in his heart was awe-inspiring.


    At this moment, Shen Lian plunged into a soulless realm. The Deity Vanquishing Sword inflicted destruction to the enemy and at the same time, brought significant self-damage. The skill was to utilize one''s spirit as blades to attack another person''s soul.


    As if he was fighting head-on with every inch of his might.


    Life and death were in the hands of destiny.


    The man in green needed a good amount of time recovery after using the Deity Vanquishing Sword. After all, the amount of damage caused was also inflicted on him.


    The soul and the person counteract each other.


    Then Shen Lian''s thoughts reached the extreme, causing an astral projection. He wanted to kill the wild boar. However, the evil thoughts and impatience in his heart faded away, leaving him feeling carefree.


    He fell into limbo again - in a realm with the state of mind of a heartless dog.


    That deity with the cudgel transformed into Shen Lian. The scent of ebony mixed with sunlight drilled into Shen Lian''s soul. Although there was no heat energy present, it was scorching hot.


    A bright moon rose while the last glimpse of the sun sets. Dusk befell.


    The moment where ''Yin'' and ''Yang'' came together, Shen Lian had a sudden realization of the meaning behind the Mastery of Senses.


    A composed psyche and sharp spirit come from the mind. That was the heavenly weapon that destroyed iron rocks and yet causing zero damage to the practitioner.


    He stepped into a blacked-out state of mind and ignored the damaged caused by the sunset and the moon on his spirit.


    Shen Lian reinvigorated. His face regained expression as he threw himself to the wild boar. The wild boar moaned in pain.


    The wild boar fell to the ground, pupils turned white. It was probably dead.


    Xu Hong presumed that this wild boar was the demonic god. He felt disgusted by the thought that Yan was being ravaged by this monster.


    Shen Lian looked at the wild boar - it had a coat of bright black erected fur but did not have the stench of any ordinary wild boar. He wondered how the meat of this strange creature tasted like.


    Shen Lian recalled the rumors he heard - such meat could be nourishing and good for vitality.


    He was just in need of replenishing as the training and physical changes have taken a toll on his body.


    Xu Hong told Yan about the incident of the five sinister deities when she woke up. Anxiously, he asked, "What if other accomplices show up?"


    Although Shen Lian had defeated this deity who formerly transformed from a wild boar, there were four more out there. Xu Hong worried that Shen Lian was left disadvantaged being outnumbered.


    The night was young and the moon floated. Shen Lian looked filthy as if he were an unpolished jade. Clouds of smoke surrounded him, put side by side with his destiny to eliminate evil spirits, Shen Lian sure looked like an immortal descended to the world.


    Xu Hong regretted what he had said. He was afraid that he might sound offensive to Shen Lian.


    However, his concern lasted for only a split second.


    He swiftly added, "But with you around, we have no fear."


    Shen Lian did not mind what Xu Hong''s words and let out a light laugh and said, "I will not wait for them to come, I will find them instead."


    Shen Lian felt invincible after defeating the wild boar. He felt sharp and full of energy, unstoppable even.


    Shen Lian took a step out of the door. The moon shone on him and reflected on the robe as if the feathers on the robe were dyed silver in color. He looked graceful and dazzling.


    Shortly, a loud shriek that sounded like a pig being brutally murdered or a horse being beaten, was heard from the temple to the southeast of Xu''s residence.


    Xu Hong sent some servants to investigate. They returned and reported that it was Master Shen Lian who ordered a group of strong men to lift some items.


    By the time Xu Hong and his men came by, the statues in the temple were stumbled all over the place. Shen Lian saw Xu Hong and pointed to the pig and horse. "Uncle Xu, please get someone to take this pig, the horse, and the wild board from before, back to the inn. Also, would you lend me your chef for the next few days?" Xu Hong delightfully replied, "Borrow? For goodness sake, take him as a gift."


    Yan pulled Xu Hong over and in a low voice asked, "Along with these two, there are only three of them. Where are the other two?"


    She was referring to the corpse of the five sinister deities. They only saw three; there should be two more bodies.


    Feeling stunned, Xu Hong felt the need to clarify the issue.


    He said, "My dear nephew, what about the other two remaining creatures, how ''bout I bring those bodies back to the inn together for you."


    "The last two creatures escaped, they had wings," Shen Lian said with a hint of pity.


    At this point, he really had not mastered the flying technique and was incapable of covering his own tracks. Besides, he could not be too far away from his physical body.


    He may be powerful but in this realm of floating world, his spirit could still use the protection of the physical body.


    "Why don''t you stay over at my place for a couple of days? Well, you know, your uncle is really timid. Things like that really scare me." Xu Hong said bitterly. He was worried that the two remaining creatures would come back and seek revenge. He''d be in trouble if Shen Lian was not around.


    "It''s getting late, I should go back to the inn. Uncle Xu, please remember to deliver my stuff over tomorrow. I don''t want them with any missing limbs." Shen Lian did not respond to Xu Hong''s request. He fixed the ebony sword and left.


    Xu Hong wanted to stop him but was taken aback by Shen Lian''s energy. He could not move and could only watch Shen Lian leave with the wind.


    Shen Lian could not hold his feeling and freely sang, "From a high building, I look down at the city, beyond the scattered clouds lies a moon in solitary. Of all people on earth, how many of them are real men?"


    He has yet to reach the peak of the building but his spirits were so high that the feeling was incomparable to that tall building.


    The phrase, ''Of all people on earth, how many of them are real men?'' was really harsh that cast a sense of shame in Xu Hong.


    ...


    A random inn had their red lanterns hung up; it was their first day of business. Under the oil lamp, Steward Wu checked his ledger and sighed, "We shouldn''t have changed this century-old name! We really do not have many guests today."


    The Shen family was after all, not the God of Fortune. Furthermore, this inn had been handed over to Shen Lian. So before the announcement of the successor to the family''s business, other members of the Shen family would not take any sides nor would they help Shen Lian promote his business.


    They may have received gifts from him but it was not anything expensive. This showed how materialistic people could get.


    Shen Lian entered the inn and stood next to Steward Wu. He took a glimpse at the ledger and smiled. "Uncle Wu, you''ve worked hard today."


    Steward Wu laughed. "Young Master Lian, we barely had any guests. As much as I want to, I can''t even work hard today."


    "Is that so? We will have Uncle Xu Hong here tomorrow and he will be around for a while. We''ll charge him a thousand silver a day per head. Things will be easier for you as there will fewer customers and yet, we can still make money. Isn''t that a good thing?"

 Chapter 32 Practice Makes Perfec

    "Oh cut it, Young Master Lian. That Master Xu owns a house in this town. Why would he choose to stay at our inn? Moreover, to charge him a thousand silver per person per day�� Unless he lost his mind," Steward Wu mumbled. Shen Lian was a good person but he could be a little lazy and he jokes unnecessarily.


    "Don''t worry, he will definitely be here tomorrow. I am sleepy and will go back to my room. Please don''t let anyone disturb me." Shen Lian waved and took the stairs.


    His room was the first Tian Zhi Room but for the fun of it, he renamed the room to the President Suite.


    He opened the window, as the moon shone. Shen Lian sat cross-legged on his semi-hard bed.


    Slowly, he rested his eyelids. A sense of loneliness crept up on him.


    "Ain''t no sky is high enough. The human spirit, that is the greatest height."


    The ancient people have a saying, "To have the chest with the risk of a mountain and a heart with the depth of a city. You can''t measure a person by their heart but it can bring endless possibilities."


    Shen Lian slowly lost his five senses. The noise by the cicada and the wind too vanished.


    The heart was at peace without distractions. The silver-like moonlight reflected a silhouette of Shen Lian''s figure.


    He was struck by a thought. "The moonlight goes into full bloom as if an apparatus was enlarging it."


    A silver-white ball of light turned pale yellow as it absorbed the moonlight.


    The ball of light shrunk into pea-size and floated to the copper lamp. As it floated pass the wick of the lamp, the room was suddenly lit.


    The lamp was in the shape of a goose standing while eating fish. The stomach of the fish, the goose''s neck, and its stomach interconnect each other.


    The stomach of the fish was filled with water so that the oil and gas of the lamp would flow through the neck to reach the water. Such a mechanism would reduce the oil and smoke smell, keeping the room fresh and clean.


    This lamp was not produced in this realm of course. It was an imitation of the "Han Goose and Fish Copper Lamp" made by Shen Lian.


    Steward Wu admired the design of the lamp but was not aware of its uniqueness.


    The oil and smoke of the lamp are recycled into the water, causing zero pollution. That was the true concept of meditation, and the lamp served as a constant reminder to Shen Lian.


    His outburst of energy was strong enough to condense the moonlight to produce a torch of flame to light up the lamp. The flame might not be of a big magnitude but it was a significant milestone for Shen Lian.


    That was beyond martial art; that was magic.


    Shen Lian thought to himself. "If I could post this up on the net, the ability to produce a level one fireball, would I be considered as a prot��g�� of magic?"


    He could not help but smile with such an idea.


    With his training of the Shenzu Scripture, he had mastered both magic and martial arts.


    A gentle breeze hit the lamp and blew on Shen Lian''s lapel. The breeze prompted Shen Lian to get up from his bed and admired the moon.


    He may have magical powers and was knowledgeable of magic spells but all he asked for was for this moon to last forever.


    ...


    Spring left, then came autumn. Time went past swiftly.


    Shen Lian was then fifteen years old. Dashing as always, fine like a jade, he never failed to attract attention from girls whenever he was out and about. If he were sick and weak like how he used to be, people would give him strange nickname and titles.


    That Xu Hong who was timid as a mice came by to the inn the very next day Shen Lian left his residence. Although he was charged a hefty amount, he insisted to stay at Shen Lian''s An Inn. The thought of the two remaining demonic god returning for vengeance scared him to the core.


    Outsiders thought Xu Hong was crazy. Only a handful from the Xu family knew the part of the story. These people were however warned by Xu Hong to not spread any rumors about it.


    Shen Lian''s aunty, Xu, was the only person who knew the full story. During Chinese New Years, she would treat Shen Lian with monetary gifts, which its value increased over the years. Her politeness towards him puzzled her servants who were used to seeing her behaving harshly towards people. They could only be amazed by Shen Lian''s wisdom.


    After over six months of staying at the inn and no news on the Wutong gods, Xu Hong finally returned to his residence.


    However, Xu Hong''s eccentric behavior had piqued the curiosity of the people in the State Capital of Qing. Furthermore, Shen Lian''s strange yet functional inventions like the "Han Goose and Fish Copper Lamp" had drawn great attention, giving fame to his inn.


    The room rates were increased over and over again and yet it did not stop business travelers and curious onlookers from stopping by.


    That was something Steward Wu did not expect. From the slow bleak days when they first started to the explosive popularity they enjoyed, that was such a happy problem for him. Shen Lian also promised to share half of the monthly profit with him. To him, that was a respectable sum of money.


    On the other hand, Shen Lian could not care less about monetary wealth. He remained focused to train martial art during the day and his psyche at night.


    The Shenzu Scripture may have been easy to learn but was extremely difficult to refine. Even if one possessed the qualities of the man in green, it would still take thirty years and extreme environment to unblock the last Conception and Governor Vessels.


    Despite having a stronger psyche compared to others, the capability of enduring long hours of training without feeling fatigue and the ability to use his inner Qi skillfully, Shen Lian was still unable to unblock the final vessels.


    Ever since he started practicing The Mastery of Senses six months ago, Shen Lian had yet to evolve a single bit. He could only practice out of body outdoors when it was cloudy, dark or during dusk or night.


    During daytime, the sunlight was too strong for Shen Lian. He would not be able to hold on for long under the scorching heat.


    The State Capital of Qing was situated in the northwestern region. It may not be as cold as the great desert but winter was equally unbearable.


    The town was painted in white after three continuous days of snow. Although the inn was warmly lit, the chills lingered around.


    Shen Lian who hit a plateau with his training could only work on his daily homework. He tried to not overthink it to prevent him from being overly obsessed with it.


    Just a couple of days ago, he was impatient with his training, forcing himself to level up his skills. He became agitated and things were worse than that first time he met the Wutong gods.


    If it were not for that incident where Steward Wu fainted out of fear of an ill-tempered Shen Lian, he would not have realized the changes in his temperament. If he had continued to be obsessed with his training, he could have gone into psychosis and followed the extreme path of the man in green.


    That was the exact reason why Shen Lian constantly reminded himself to never follow footsteps of his predecessor. He felt that the lack of experience and guidance were the factors that caused the downfall of the man in green.


    He never expected that he would, after all, put the blame on himself. He thought that with the guidance from Ling Chongxiao and the vast readings he had done, he could go and train on his own.


    Fortunately, his realization had helped him retained his life. It would be too late once it becomes an unhealthy obsession.


    The cold wind cut like a knife and seeped through the gap of the door, followed by a depressing knock.

 Chapter 33 Jade-like Mister

    The function of the door was to block the snowstorm and not customers.


    The gap between doors widened as a chill breeze cut in the room like a knife. Instead of a person, all they could see first was a foot.


    The wind brought chills into the room but the sight of the foot could warm the heart.


    Everyone but Shen Lian held their breath.


    Another foot stepped in. All they could see was a pair of silky smooth jade-like feet.


    Come to think of it, this pair of feet came from the freezing cold outdoors. However, there were neither signs of scars nor frostbites. It is was white as suet, as fair as the palace''s porcelain


    With a pair of legs like that, as long as she did not look bad, she must be a femme fatale among men.


    No one would believe that this pair of legs belonged to a man. Of course, as expected, the person who entered the inn was a woman, a woman of a thousand styles that one can only imagine.


    Coming from the snow, this woman wore only a thin red tulle robe with a baggage wrapped in grey cloth.


    The baggage seemed long. From the outlook of it, it could be a rod, a sword or even a knife.


    The woman may be scantily dressed but she did not reveal too much skin. It was her flawless feet that caught everyone''s attention. It was so dangerously beautiful that one just wants it to step oneself to death.


    "Brother Lian, that pair of legs...oh my goodness! I can toy with it for a year," said An Renjie, a twenty-year-old youth from the Green Bamboo Sect.


    Of course, An Renjie had another identity. He was the only son of the Green Bamboo Sect''s leader, Master An Wanli.


    It was nothing unusual that Shen Lian became a disciple of the man in green. Even Ling Chongxiao personally admitted that.


    However, what was rare was that ever since that encounter with the man in green, many Jianghu experts had been wanting to learn the man in green''s teaching from Shen Lian. Most of them unpredictably came to State Capital of Qing once, left the town and never returned for a second round.


    Initially, people who came by were careful and tight-lipped. Among them were many reputable people from the Jianghu.


    But all of them shared a mutual opinion about Shen Lian. They were satisfied with their defeat against him.


    Jianghu practitioners were known to be a generation of lawless people. Very few of them had good things to say about each other, including the ever-wise Ling Chongxiao.


    As long as their lives were spared in a duel, they would train for another ten years and return for another lesson.


    Shen Lian, on the other hand, was different from the rest. He was still underage and had yet reached the golden age of twenty to thirty years old to practice martial arts. Nevertheless, these Jianghu experts have never once defeated him.


    What made it more depressing was that Shen Lian only used a wooden ebony sword and sheer talent to take out these Jianghu experts.


    But why did Shen Lian pick an ebony sword? It was half a year ago during spring, Jin Daowang had a rendezvous with Shen Lian at the Qielan temple located out of State Capital.


    Jin Daowang had reached an age where he fought for self-improvement, and not for pride and glory.


    Wealth, lust and power... he had tried it all and had moved on from it. The only thing he could not let go was the discovery of martial arts.


    Unfortunately, he was defeated. In fact, it was the first time in his life where he was thrashed to nothing.


    This sensational battle rocked Jianghu and was equally epic as Ling Chongxiao''s legendary fight against 40 martial art experts that spans across 40 different states.


    Shen Lian was far younger and he only used a sword.


    Plus, the forty experts may not even defeat one Jin Daowang.


    Because of that, Shen Lian''s name was carved deeply in the Jianghu. Although he was not actively touring around, he was definitely not someone people want to mess with.


    The man in green killed many but yet people still wanted to provoke him.


    Shen Lian had never killed and yet people would try to avoid inciting him.


    This showed that fierceness was not the only fear-inducing factor.


    An Renjie may be born in the Green Bamboo sect but he was a bigger brat than Shen Lian.


    When he realized An Inn was more comfortable than home, he stopped going home.


    In his own words, he said, "my place feels like a dog''s nest compared to the inn''s Tian Zhi room". Of course, his father An Wanli was not aware of such statement. He would not be sitting here in peace if his father heard it from his mouth.


    If it was not for the hefty cost of one thousand silver per day, Xu Hong might not even leave the inn.


    Xu Hong tried to bargain for a fairer price but Shen Lian laughed and insisted to not reduce, as this was a special price for him.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t toy with this pair of legs." Shen Lian said with a low voice but it was too late for An Renjie to hear it.


    The owner of this pair of legs had spoken. She took slow steps backward and closed the door. Every single movement seems indescribable yet seductive.


    She may be beyond thirty years of age but her eyes were crystal clear and she had an air of playfulness to her. Even girls around the age of 16-18 could not match that.


    The silk scarf across the women''s neck covered her clean bright skin. In this cold winter, her dressing seemed lazy and it reminded people of spring in full bloom.


    "Who is the boss here?" She asked with a hint of a smile as if there was a ray of sunrise beaming through her tulle robe.


    A woman like that should not appear in such a cold season. She belonged in the spring when it was warm and the flowers were blooming.


    "I am the boss here. How can I help you? We are out of rooms but if you don''t mind, you can stay in my room." An Renjie swiftly maneuvered around to the woman. He looked like an awkward rabbit, as he was not very skillful with his Qing Gong.


    If he were as passionate as that with his martial art training, he would have been stronger than his father An Wanli.


    That showed that having sheer talent was not sufficient in personal development.


    "You''re not the owner".


    "How am I not?" An Renjie looked at her bare feet and felt a sudden dash of hunger. That was strange because he just ate.


    "Because I knew that the boss here is Mister Yu and not Mister Zhu." Her voice sounded pleasant but it was not soft and gentle like the first glee of a yellow warbler.


    It felt more like a stream of water hitting on a rock during spring, crisp and clear.


    "Mister Yu" was in fact, Shen Lian. It was a nickname given by the people of Jianghu to describe Shen Lian''s jade-like gentleman behavior.


    "Girl, you''re being funny. My family name is not Zhu neither is there any Mister Yu here." An Renjie who was not well informed of the happenings in Jianghu and thus was not aware of Shen Lian''s nickname.


    An Wanli knew about Shen Lian''s background and that was exactly why he was fine with his son hanging around with him. At least this good-for-nothing son did something right for once.


    "I meant ''zhu'' as in ''zhu rou'', the pork, and not the ''zhu'' from ''zhu sha'', cinnabar ." the woman said sweetly.


    Her voice was not loud but anyone in the lounge with ears would have heard her.


    Everyone laughed, Shen Lian too was entertained.

 Chapter 34 Xin Shisiniang

    Flushing red, An Renjie said, "I tried to be nice but you seem to not appreciate it. I am not holding back anymore."


    "Are you sure you want to behave that way in front of me?" The woman''s hand reached out to An Renjie and gently drew a circle. Her hands were as fair as her feet. With a gentle touch, An Renjie was on cloud nine.


    An Renjie lowered his head to see a pair of long beautiful legs being lifted up slowly as if there were no joints attached to it. In an unfathomable angle, the legs kicked on his abdomen.


    He felt like he was on cloud nine earlier on but right then, he literally flew away.


    Further and further away from the ground, An Renjie was filled with fear. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the peak. He would definitely not survive in one piece to be falling from such height.


    Of course, he fell. However unexpectedly, he survived the fall without any injuries. Reason being, a sword had cushioned his landing.


    Like a master painter working on his masterpiece, Shen Lian skilfully channeled his energy into the ebony sword.


    An Renjie fell right on and stumbled over some tables and chairs. He dared not to approach again, of course. He knew that this woman was not an easy catch.


    A normal woman would not have such flawless features. She had no scars, fine lines, blocked pores, not any impurities.


    Neither was she using any foundation.


    Unless she practiced any art similar to "taming the white tiger" or "slaying the red dragon". If so, she was not just any ordinary human being.


    "You, are Mister Yu," with a lovely face she pointed.


    Her tone was naive yet genuine without a hint of pretense.


    "My family name is Shen but I am probably the Mister Yu that you''re looking for."


    "So your family name is Shen. Then why would they call you Mister Yu? But I have heard of a poem that describes people like you, ''Strangers are like jade horses, there won''t be a second person like you in this world''. I think the name Mister Yu sure suits you."


    She analyzed Shen Lian seriously and seemed to have developed a particular interest towards his face. Her eyes were filled with admiration yet it didn''t seem too desperate.


    "Well, who are you and why are looking for me?" Shen Lian did not feel awkward by her scrutinization and calmly questioned her instead.


    He tried to figure out her background but he could not come up with any answers. His instinct told him that there was something dangerous about her but he was not disgusted by it.


    "My name is Xin Shisiniang. I was sent by my father to invite you to be our guest."


    "Did you walk in the snow to get here?" Shen Lian asked abruptly.


    "Hell yeah! I don''t have the ability to stop snow from falling neither should I be nosing into that." Xin Shisiniang was not unapproachable. She was just very frank and straightforward.


    She did not call An Renjie, Mister Zhu, to insult him but because he reminded her of a pig.


    And she was just being defensive towards An Renjie''s offense.


    "I''ve pretty much figured out that your father is non-human and so are you." Shen Lian finally confirmed something as Xin Shisiniang arrived from the snow without any traces of the snow. That was not something achievable by martial arts.


    Even if someone had very strong Qigong, it would still be difficult for them to sustain their power in such long journey.


    There were no sights of horse carriage nearby, so it was safe to assume that Xin Shisiniang walked here.


    Furthermore, if she did use her Qigong, she would have been burnt out from shielding herself against the snow storm. There was no way she would look as calm and energetic as she was.


    The kick that she gave An Renjie was out of pure strength, no inner strength was detected.


    If she was just an ordinary woman, her petite figure would not be able to produce such explosive strength.


    With all that reasons stated, it was obvious that she was not a human. Her father was certainly non-human too.


    "Of course I am not a human. The fact that you were able to tell it with one look, you''re indeed special."


    "I couldn''t tell by looking, I guessed it." Shen Lian was honest with his answer. He did not see the point of self-praising.


    "You eat how much you own", the wisdom saying since ancient times.


    "Then, you are brilliant."


    "I don''t deny that." Shen Lian smiled as if spring just breezed through.


    "On the fifteenth day of this month, my father would like to host you at the Qielan Temple. It is also my birthday so please don''t show up empty-handed."


    The woman left as her voice faded away.


    An Renjie touched the spot where Xin Shisiniang kicked as if he was reliving moments. "Brother Lian, what on earth is this beauty? She seems pretty ferocious."


    "Didn''t I say that she''s not human? Were you even listening?"


    "Non-human...could it be that she''s a monster?"


    If it were not for that kick, An Renjie would have referred her as a goddess instead of a monstress. Just like his words, he was a very frank person.


    "I am not sure about that. It''s just that Qielan temple was being abandoned after Ling Chongxiao chased away the temple monks. I''ve never heard that this father and daughter has taken over the temple. Uncle Wu, do you know about it?"


    Shen Lian asked Steward Wu who was next to him.


    "I''ve never heard about people taking over the Qielan temple. There were rumors of people hearing strange sound around there. Bodyguards who passed by the area too didn''t have the guts to enter. Considering that you said that she''s not a mortal, could it be that monsters reside in the temple?"


    The thought scared Steward Wu. It was still not too bad if Xin Shisiniang was from the Jianghu. But if she was a monster?! He felt the need to advise Shen Lian against attending the invitation.


    "Since she has invited me, should I attend the function?" Shen Lian seemed like he was asking himself but could also be asking the people surrounding him.


    "Don''t go, of course!"


    "You should go!"


    The one who discouraged him was Steward Wu while the one who encouraged was An Renjie.


    "Forget about it. When the time comes, I will decide to go or not to go."


    "Brother Lian, if you do go, will you bring me along?"


    An Renjie asked with a pleasing smile. If he had a tail, he would be shaking his tail right now.


    "Do you have amnesia? If it wasn''t for me earlier on, you would have to stay in bed for the next three months."


    "But I''ll have you around. Just like what dad says, you are Jianghu''s number one when it comes to martial arts."


    "I can bring you there but you have to give me your family treasure."


    "That is the life of my old man. He will beat me to death if I sneak it out!"

 Chapter 35 Daoist Master Taiyi

    The piece of treasure hidden in the Green Bamboo Sect was that same item where the man in green seized some time ago. It was something related to celestialism.


    Although Shen Lian was curious about it, he would never snatch it over to make it as his possession.


    It was never a good thing if one was driven by greed.


    "''Freedom'', was not to do whatever you wanted to do but having the ability to control what you are doing and not be deceived by desires."


    However if An Renjie wanted to gift that to him, Shen Lian would not hesitate to accept.


    "I don''t think you have the guts to do it either. It''s only the tenth day of the month, let''s wait until the fifteenth to decide. It''s still unknown if I''d attend or not."


    Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly as if he was trying to avoid the cold wind from outside. The snowstorm sure showed no sign of stopping.


    ...


    The snowscape in State Capital of Qing was quite a scene while the scenery on Qielan Mountain was a different ball game.


    The snow in State Capital was lively with footprints and traces of carriages that passed by.


    Qielan Mountain, on the other hand, was pure white with no signs of humans.


    When Xin Shisiniang was walking on the road, the snow seemed to avoid her deliberately. Or perhaps there was an invisible layer of glass surrounding her as she walks.


    Under such harsh weather, she could walk around barefooted without feeling cold.


    And she did not leave any trace on the snow.


    Roofs were covered with white snow and dropping sharp icicles.


    An old plum tree stood proudly in the cold, releasing a faint fragrance as the wind blows.


    Xin Shisiniang loved the plum flower. She wanted to pluck it but a hand stopped her from doing so.


    Unlike her silky smooth hand, this one was dry and scrawny, just like the stalk of an old plum tree.


    But the hand managed to grip on Xin Shisiniang''s wrist firmly without trembling.


    Xin Shisiniang looked up. "Daddy, what are you doing out here?"


    "I just woke up and had a feeling that you''d do something to the flower." The person who replied her was an elderly man with a head full of silvery white hair. He had a scrawny figure and he looked really aged.


    "Let me just pluck it. It will grow back next year anyway. It''s not like I cut off its roots."


    The plum tree swayed messily as if it was protesting what she said.


    "Every time you pluck it, you hurt it. Why do you want to put it in such pain?" The elderly patted Xin Shisiniang''s head lightly and took her into the hall.


    The hall may be empty but it did not seem as abandoned as it is rumored to be. Traces of the battle between Ling Chongxiao and the man in green still remained. There were also eighteen Qielan statues lined in pairs, opposite of each other.


    "Did you manage to see the boy?" the elderly man asked.


    "Yes, I did. He sure is pretty, just like us." Xin Shisiniang bit her finger as if she wanted to finish it in a bite.


    "I heard that he''s got some skills. Did you manage to test him?"


    "He showed one trick with his sword. Although the inner Qi has yet to pass through the final meridian, it was on point. And the best part is, he has achieved the ability to go out of the body. Xin Shisiniang answered with a hint of respect.


    If Shen Lian heard her words, he would be stunned. After all, Xin Shisiniang was able to see through him with just a glimpse and yet he knew nothing about her.


    "Mortals sure are unique. Just after 10 years of spring and autumn, he managed to achieve that without guidance from any celestial beings," the elderly sighed.


    "I don''t envy them, humans. They die after a couple of decades."


    Although Xin Shisiniang was impressed by Shen Lian''s ability, there was no jealousy in her. After all, she was beyond the reach of human beings.


    "We lead a long life but it''s difficult for us to achieve enlightenment. Humans, on the other hand, lived a short life but their road to Dao is easy. I have seen the end of my life and my only hope is that you can go on the road to Dao. The smoother that kid''s journey, the more he could help you. Please behave yourself and don''t offend him," the elderly said.


    "He''s not that great, how could he help me? I think I could easily beat up ten of him," Xin Shisiniang sat down with her hands crossed. She was somewhat unconvinced by the elderly''s words.


    "I don''t know what is the kid practicing but the way he practiced his Qi is exactly the same as Daoist Master Taiyi when he first came to the human world. Although Shen Lian''s did not train the proper way of the Celestial Masters, his methods are orthodox Qing Xuan. The Celestial Doors of Qing Xuan would only open once every fifty years and would only take in less than ten youths at the age of twenty as their disciples.


    One would need talent and sheer luck to make it through the doors of Qing Xuan. Ling Chongxiao missed the opportunity to attend Qing Xuan''s disciples'' recruitment ceremony. He managed to find out the location of the Celestial Doors of Qing Xuan but there was still the opportunity for him to enter. He eventually became the best Jianghu master among mortals but his effort to make it to Qing Xuan is still in vain.


    In fact, if it were not for a Celestial teacher at the Qing Xuan Door who saw his Mingyu martial art and spared his life, he wouldn''t be alive.


    Next year, the Celestial Door of Qing Xuan will have their disciples recruitment ceremony again. With this kid''s potential and Qigong so similar to Daoist Master Taiyi''s style, he would definitely have made the cut.


    If his journey was smooth and ended up as a disciple, there was a chance that he would help you obtain Qing Feng Niang Niang''s letters hidden behind the doors of Qing Xuan. By reading the letters, you will have hopes of achieving enlightenment."


    The elderly talked openly about the hidden secrets of Qing Xuan. Qing Xuan was so mysterious that Ling Chongxiao probably was not aware of the truth behind his rejection and probably did not know that it was his Mingyu martial art that saved his life.


    "Legend has it that since the beginning of the world, the Daoist Master Taiyi has witnessed the very first celestial being. Given Qing Feng Niang Niang''s relationship with Daoist Master Taiyi, and Celestial Door of Qing Xan self-proclamation of inheriting the traditions of Taiyi, why don''t daddy approach them directly for the letters? They might even heal your injuries."


    Xin Shisiniang had hoped in her eyes after hearing that Qing Feng Niang Niang''s letters were at the safekeeping of the celestials behind the Qing Xuan Door. Qing Feng Niang Niang was the highest ranked being among their race. She was capable of escaping catastrophe and travel among the galaxy.


    With the letters, her father will have a good chance of recovering rather than helplessly waiting for death.


    "If only things were that simple. The people of Qing Xuan would recognize the Daoist Master Taiyi but not necessarily Qing Feng Niang Niang. Furthermore, we are not the descendants of Niang Niang, why would they help us? The letters are useless for Qing Xuan but it is everything to us. If this kid could really make it there, he should be able to borrow us the letters without paying a hefty price. If he failed to be accepted, we will just look for other alternatives."


    "But daddy, I am afraid that you are running out of time."


    "Humans are highly functional and they learn fast. If that kid has real talent, he would be able to achieve Dao in a hundred years. I still can hold on for another a hundred years or two. Moreover, if I recover from my injuries, I am only living slightly longer. But if you do achieve Dao, you will be able to meet the Daoist Master Taiyi. All you need to do is ask him to revive me. And how hard would that be?"

 Chapter 36 To Be Harsh Because of a Great Kind Hear

    The snow never stopped, what happened that day too, did not stop.


    An Renjie yelled at Steward Wu. "Old man Wu, the inn''s door should be spruced up, why are you saving this little money for your Young Master Shen?"


    "Young Master An, this door has been around for a hundred years and it was made using leftover scraps of the Jianglong wood. Its price that is worth a thousand gold pieces cannot be overemphasized, but this is our inn''s signature," Steward Wu replied proudly. Of course, this door was not left behind a long time ago. It was a gift from Old Master Shen because the inn was impressively operated.


    To say that it was worth thousands of gold pieces was an exaggeration but it was definitely expensive.


    This type of wood grow slowly, the quality of the wood was tough and tensile, the surface was smooth and fine, it was also not easily broken. When bent with a strong force, each side would bounce back like blades, its edges were razor sharp.


    What made it rare was that this wood was able to emit a light fragrance which had the ability to repel poisonous insects. With this door being here when guests enter this inn, most of the harmful insects, if there were any, would be chased away.


    An Renjie was ignorant and incompetent, that was precisely why he did not know about the Jianglong wood. But he also knew that Steward Wu was not an impractical man. By looking at the material of this door, it was definitely worth some money.


    "Since this door is that precious, there is no need to fear of being stolen by others by putting it outside," An Renjie sarcastically remarked.


    "You are joking again, Young Master An, who in the State Capital of Qing would dare to steal the inn''s items?"


    "That''s enough you two, stop bickering. There''s someone unconscious outside the door. Uncle Wu, go and send two people to lift him in."


    Shen Lian''s brows crinkled lightly. Trouble sure knew how to pick its timing.


    He smelled a whiff of the bloody scent.


    Steward Wu was rather used to Shen Lian''s supernatural knowledge of the things around him without directly seeing or hearing. He sent out two workers to open the door and sure enough, there was someone lying down not far away.


    The two workers lifted the person in, it was a man in a junior officer uniform, he looked around twenty years old with his eyes tightly shut, and it was obvious that he had passed out.


    He was hardly scratched from top to toe, it was just his snow stained clothes that were slightly wet. Once he was laid flat on the floor, Shen Lian had the others to bring a basin of hot water.


    He gently touched the person''s forehead, it was burning hot.


    His gaze fell onto the bottom part of his abdomen, there were three inconspicuous needle marks on his clothes.


    The bloody scent came from there.


    "What a brilliant display of skill with hidden weapons, each needle landed on the acupuncture point without a miss, if this was done in one shot, that person is truly remarkable."


    To be able to hit and recognize acupuncture points seemed like ordinary abilities for the masters in Jianghu, but to be able to hit acupuncture points using hidden weapons and to be this accurate, there was definitely talent and hard work put into it.


    There was also a flow of malicious Qi inside his body. It was uncontrollable and it circulated about aimlessly. It was also because of this malicious Qi, which was scorching hot, that caused him to not freeze to death in the cold snowy weather.


    In this weather, it was hard even for the masters of Jianghu, who had the essential Qi to protect their body, to walk far. Not everyone was as formidable as Xin Shisiniang, what more was that she was neither human nor an ordinary creature.


    "Young master, here is the hot water."


    There were still many customers in the great hall. There was not any kind of entertainment in this weather, plus there was a brief appearance and disappearance of Xin Shisiniang.


    Everyone surrounded the both of them, waiting for a good show.


    "My friends, I do not like to be stared at while saving lives, kindly disperse, all of you."


    "Young Master Shen, we''re just here to look, and we won''t disturb you."


    "That''s right. Earlier, we''ve heard that Young Master Shen''s medical skills are brilliant so we would like to have a glimpse of it."


    Shen Lian simply smiled and did not look annoyed. His body moved like a gust of wind, his speed was so quick that all the people could see was a blurry shadow.


    The shadow circled around the surrounding bystanders and headed back to its original position. Now, everyone, including the few who spoke just now, were dumbfounded and they could not move at all.


    It was only now that the customers remembered that Young Master Shen was not a walkover.


    "I have this shortcoming of mine when people don''t listen to me, I get physical. Please forgive me for offending you all," Shen Lian clapped his hands while he unhurriedly said, still being polite.


    "If everyone had heard what I''ve said and is willing to conform, then blink your eyes, I''ll unlock your acupoints." Shen Lian followed.


    Once this was said, everyone blinked their eyes.


    "Very good, I also have one more thing to say."


    The surrounding bystanders were afraid that Shen Lian might use some other tricks on them. However, now, they could not say or do anything. They have the intention to admit their mistakes, but they were completely helpless.


    "If anyone is still dissatisfied after I unlocked their acupoints, I would like to ask everyone to join him in this blame so that he can repent in guilt. I think you all would not oppose to that."


    Once that was said, Shen Lian did what he promised. He unlocked their acupoints.


    There two people who were dissatisfied. But in fear of drawing ire of the crowd, they did not react.


    Each and everyone went on their way. Some among them witnessed just how formidable Shen Lian was, and had the intention to curry favors with him. They ordered the best dishes and liquors, and sat at their own table far away, hoping that Shen Lian could notice and leave a good impression on them.


    Fundamentally, it was human''s nature to mistreat those who were kind and fear those who were severe. It is an unhealthy inferiority to be afraid of power and might, and not appreciative when being treated fairly.


    Shen Lian had a great kind heart, therefore his methods were harsh.


    He was not a bad person, but he was also not a spineless goody two shoes either. Even though Bodhisattva was merciful, but she was not always benevolent, kind, and followed the path of Manju1. Bodhisattva had murdered 100,000 of the demon army but that did not undermine her merciful nature.


    As for offending some of the customers that may be a loss to the inn''s business, that was not in Shen Lian''s consideration. He was in the secular mortal world and did not really care about riches and fame, there was no need for him to take it to heart.


    Shen Lian focused his attention again back to the man in the junior officer uniform. He had an unruly stubble that suggested that he had not groom in a while, as from the other marks found on his body, it showed that he was a getaway fugitive.


    There were thick calluses on the area between the right thumb and index finger, which meant either he practiced with a knife or a sword. But there was no weapon on him, it was probably that he had lost it some time ago. Besides the three needlepoints on his clothes, there were no other wounds on him. It was an easy guess that this person made his immediate escape after being wounded by the hidden weapon.


    The most likely reason that his weapon was lost was either that it was not available at the point of incident, or it was thrust at the attacker to end the fight. This was enough to prove just how quick his opponent was and the decisive nature of this man in the junior officer uniform.


    It also seemed that this could be categorized as a vendetta of Jianghu, and this man chose to come to this inn instead of other places was probably because of Shen Lian.


    After all, the Shen Lian now was considered to have some sort of a title in Jianghu.


    All of these were Shen Lian''s personal speculation which may not be accurate. He would also not let the man be in mortal danger and not lift a finger to help him.


    He pursued Dao and his humanity had not vanished. If he remained aloof and just watched a life expire before his very eyes, he knew it was hard for him to do so.


    Perhaps he would embark on the path of the pitiless sage, but now he was at least still human, a humane human.


    After a short period of time, the man was lifted slightly, faced towards the basin of hot water and he vomited. The item being spewed up was a frozen blood clot, its color was purplish black which meant that it had poison in it.


    It fell into the warm water and melted away, but there was still a whiff of the bloody scent.


    Shen Lian was a little frustrated when he smelled it.


    If the warm water had not melted the blood clot, the scent would be more intense, which would make it more uncomfortable for anyone who smelled it.One of the four Bodhisattva in Buddhism and one of the most revered Bodhisattva besides Avalokitesvara. Among the many meanings of the name ''Manju'' include auspicious, beautiful, solemn and many more.

 Chapter 37 Saint Thief Bai Yufei

    The essential Qi in Shenzu Scripture was not categorized to Yin nor Yang, but once it passed by certain meridians and acupoints, it could be converted to either extreme Yin or extreme Yang.


    This was after Shen Lian experimented by himself, his psyche was just too powerful and the amount of essential Qi inside him was too much for him to handle. He was able to control the slightest essential Qi and make changes within the parameter that was bearable for him.


    Of course, this was done without being under the tutorage of experienced predecessors. It was a method that out of desperate measures.


    The situation that he was in was like in the modern society, he had to self-taught mathematics in high school. Even though it was somewhat effective, compared to those who were in elite schools, he did not have any advantage, most of the time spent was just wasted.


    The problem was that, up until then, he still had not come in contact with those sects or superlunary immortals who were seriously dedicated to practice and cultivation.


    Perhaps Ling Chongxiao understood this point, but there was not a really profound friendship between the both of them, what more was that Shen Lian did not know Ling Chongxiao''s whereabouts.


    If everything went according to plan, regardless of whether Shen Lian''s Governor and Conceptual vessels linked up within a year or not, he would still embark on the path of search for immortals and Dao teachings. After all, he had obtained some measures of self-protection.


    Even though Shen Lian''s medical skills still did not reach the level to be able to raise the dead or grow flesh from bones, it was not an overemphasis to call him a master healer.


    After all, he was educated in modern medicine and practiced inner Qi, his senses were sharp and sensitive which was difficult to put him on the same level as other healers.


    Also, he was the only one to be able to control the micro level of inner Qi and change it into an extremely Yin inner Qi. He channeled it into the person''s body, froze the malicious Qi and in a skillful swift, he forced it out of the body.


    The man had first woken up but later fainted back.


    It was because Shen Lian had hit his Hunshui point so that he would fall into deep slumber.


    ...


    Bai Yufei''s eyes opened and he noticed that he was lying on a comfortable bed. He had never slept on a bed this soft in his entire life. He took a moment to recall details of what had happened. He had somehow made his way to the entrance of An Inn and in a haze, he remembered he was lifted by someone and someone had treated his injuries.


    He tried to move his inner Qi briefly and even though it was still a little slow, it was able to flow through Tianchi, Qimen and Juque, the three acupoints that were pricked by the golden poison needles.


    After the Qi had returned to his Dantian [2], he touched the area of the three acupoints, the golden needles had been taken out.


    There was a distant sound of zither coming from the outside. Combined with the cold and snowy weather, it was like the clear spring waters flowing slowly, it was cooling yet so lively.


    Bai Yufei got out of bed, pushed the door and headed out. The sound of zither lingered in the corridors, it faded in and out.


    His hearing was superb and he caught the source of it.


    He had to admit that even though the artistic conception of the zither''s music was ingenious, but the fingering was not unique. Bai Yufei once had a chance to listen to a tune played by a Qingguan in Zuixiang pavilion of the imperial city. Compared to the Qingguan, this music was unrefined.


    He would prefer this music from the zither although he could not really draw a reason for it. Perhaps, within that zither''s sound, there was more freedom and less of the resentment in contrast to the Qingguan.


    He finally found the room where the sound came from. It was a little further from the other rooms which really separated it. It was a statement to the exception of this place.


    The door was ajar and no one was around.


    Bai Yufei reached the entrance, the sound of the zither came to a halt.


    "Green bubbles��newly brewed wine;


    lumps of red��a small stove for heating;


    evening comes and the sky snows��


    Could you come for a drink, I wonder?"


    The words used in this poem were common but Bai Yufei felt that it was wonderful.


    It was as if someone who had used the fundamental sword moves and came up with an innovative set of sword skills.


    What more, this poem was similar to the zither''s sound, there was a hint of unspoken cheerfulness.


    "Since you''re already here, why not lift your feet and come forward?" A young voice came to Bai Yufei''s ears, it even sounded slightly immature. The voice would not be considered as pleasant to the ears, as though the voice was still in its voice changing phase.


    He heard it, and there was no reason for him not to enter. There was another room within the room, divided by a bamboo curtain.


    He lifted the bamboo curtain and anticipated a refined and elegant interior design. But there was nothing but whitewashed walls, a tea table in the middle of the room and not far away was a Guqin.


    In front of the tea table, there was a delicate looking young man who sat cross-legged.


    He looked approximately 15 years old, like a figure in a drawing.


    It was not tea on the table but liquor.


    There were residues floating on the surface of the liquor, like green ants.


    One wine flagon, two drinking cups.


    With the addition of the phrase, ''Could you come for a drink, I wonder'', it was impossible for Bai Yufei to not understand the meaning behind it.


    Until he followed the young man''s example and took his seat opposite of the young man, he suddenly realized he was no taller than the young man. Furthermore, the other had a kind of grace that, unconsciously, made him felt shorter, it had even reminded him of someone��the person who injured him!


    "I am Bai Yufei, thank you gracious young master for your help."


    "You are a rather trustworthy person, it seemed that you purposely chose to come here since you knew that I can save you," Shen Lian chuckled. Outside, the evening snow began to fall again.


    His windows were open. Even though there was a little furnace by the side, the room was still slightly chilled.


    However, it seemed as though Shen Lian did not feel cold, his clothes were not even that thick.


    Bai Yufei was previously not afraid of the cold. It was only because his injuries were still healing, on top of that, the restless escape that occurred not long ago, he could not help but shiver and cough when the chilling breeze blew.


    Shen Lian shook his head, waved his palm and closed the windows.


    Bai Yufei praised Shen Lian in his heart. To be able to use the force of the palm to strike mid-air was nothing new in Jianghu, he was able to do it if his injuries were healed. However, it was rare to be able to simply use it to close windows that were twenty feet away.


    Furthermore, for Shen Lian to be able to have this level of cultivation base at such a young age, he was definitely a prodigy when it came to practicing the art of Wushu. No wonder even with Jin Daowang''s arrogance, he was more than willing to admit defeat.


    "I have embarrassed myself, surely I have troubled you by making my escape to this place. If you really do mind, I will leave immediately. If I am lucky enough to stay alive, I will definitely come back and pay my debt of gratitude," Bai Yufei said with clasped hands.


    "From your accent, you sound like someone from the State of Yan. But I do not know why you would flee to the State Capital of Qing in this cold season?"


    "Perhaps you do not really understand much of the ongoing that happened in Jianghu. I am known by some titles in Jianghu. Whenever I''m tight in financial, I would borrow from people like you. To not appear rude, I would inform the host first hand but have never slipped up. Thanks to the love given by my peers in Jianghu, they have given me the title ''Saint Thief'', I truly dare not live up to it," Bai Yufei briefly introduced himself.


    "So I am in the presence of the ''Saint Thief'', I didn''t know before that your actual name is Bai Yufei. If my guessing is correct, brother Bai, not only has superb Qinggong, your knife skill is also top notch. If you don''t mind me asking, what kind of person was able to force you into this difficult position?" It was true that Shen Lian was unclear about Jianghu matters, but he had heard some things during these two years, the Saint Thief was a recently famous thief hero.


    He originally thought it would be some kind of elegant young master, like characters similar to Chu Liuxiang.


    Although, he did not expect someone with a look of a countryside young lad with ordinary looks. Only the name, Bai Yufei, was still considered as somewhat befitting to the image of the thief hero.


    The fact was that the majority of the thieves, since the beginning of time, had ordinary looks so that they did not draw attention from others. There was almost none who were similar to such character as Chu Liuxiang.

 Chapter 38 Tit for Ta

    "There are still many who are able to push me to the corner. For example, like you, Mister. If you choose to deal with me, I won''t be able to fight against you."


    Bai Yufei took a sip of the wine, the sweetness of the wine lingered on the tip of his tongue.


    He laughed. "So this is rice wine, which spring water did you use?"


    "It''s simply a spring within the mountains, how is it possible to know the whereabouts of it. Could it be that you are avoiding the topic, so who injured you?" Shen Lian continuously twirled his wine cup, and not a single drop spilled out.


    "My martial arts isn''t that good. As you''ve said, while I have some talents in my Qinggong, my knife techniques are considered passable. In actual fact, I''m not really satisfied with myself ever since I''ve gotten the title ''Saint Thief''. After all, knowledge is infinite and no matter how strong you are, there is always someone better out there. The number of unnamed people out there who can surpass me is uncountable. This reputation of mine is exhausting. The Mingjian Peak lost their Incense of Forsaken Past, and they accused me of stealing it. I was hunted all the way from the State of Yan to the State Capital of Qing by the sword slaves of the Mingjian Peak. Afterwards, the young master of Mingjian Peak too arrived. I couldn''t even clearly catch a glimpse of his true face, I lost my weapon and even gotten injured by his special kind of hidden weapon. It almost endangered my life. I then remembered the news in Jianghu about your unparalleled martial arts and medical skills, and since I was already here, so I can only escape to your place. I hope you can let me stay."


    "One''s life or death is decided by the fates once you''re in Jianghu. You were not afraid that I will just let you die taking your refuge here?" Shen Lian said slowly.


    "There wasn''t time for me to think about it so much since I''m at the end of my rope. Luckily, you don''t seem that kind of person."


    Bai Yufei actually still had a lingering fear from this unexpected calamity, it was definitely one of the most perilous times of his life.


    He also did not have that much assurance that Shen Lian would rescue him. After all, let''s not mention the fact that people in Jianghu would ignore a dying man, there were many who would take advantage of those during times of danger.


    "Tit for tat. Since I''ve saved you, your life is mine now. You can agree or not. If you''re unwilling, you can leave now. Of course, you have to pay back this debt in the future."


    Shen Lian was not a bad person but his kindness was not in overabundance. From the way he saw it, it is not a good thing to not expect a reward when helping someone out.


    Ultimately, the truly selfless philosopher in this world occupied a meager number, it was more fitting that majority would expect something in return after lending a helping hand.


    Bai Yufei forced a smile and said, "I have only myself, my life is yours to take if you think it would be useful."


    "Then you will stay as a server and you will be paid for the rest of them. Food and lodging are included but no alcohol included. With your physique, I think you can definitely do some heavy manual labor. You start tomorrow."


    "I truly believe now that you are the owner of this inn," Bai Yufei chuckled without restraint. For a man in his current position, it was absurd for him to mind about wealth or riches, he did not even care whether there was good wine or not, what really piqued his interest was this fellow, Shen Lian. People form relationships and those who open up with each other were rare. Even though the both of them had not opened up, their relationship was not on the basis of shamelessly gaining favors from the rich and powerful.


    After Bai Yufei left, Shen Lian slowly opened the windows. This building was tall enough to see the green mountains that were outside of the city. The mountain tops were already covered with a blanket of snow and the bright moon had risen high up in the sky. Without realizing it, it was close to three years ever since he came to this word.


    He also did not use any ploy on Bai Yufei to make him stay, it was not that he trusted Bai Yufei was a trustworthy hero but he did not really care whether he would turn back on his words.


    In life, there were many who come and go, even if he had judged wrongly about others, it was no big deal.


    However, some thoughts and efforts were required to select the kind of gift to be presented to Xin Shisiniang. Even if she was an alien and would not bother with earthly things. But extraordinary people must be gifted with extraordinary things, or else what was the interest in it?


    ...


    Moonlight laid on the snow and the roads were as white as daytime.


    There was a long shadow cast on the snow. When looked closely, it turned out to be a palanquin.


    There were two people situated in the front and back of the plain green palanquin. All of them wore green tight clothing, they were relatively young but their Qinggong was good.


    The depth of the footprints on the snow was the same. Every time, as the bearers soared and landed, the distance covered was fifty to sixty feet.


    They covered five kilometers in less than fifteen minutes.


    The palanquin suddenly stopped at the bottom of Qielan Mountain. Over Qielan Mountain was the State Capital of Qing.


    "Young master, this is Qielan Mountain, where Ling Chongxiao killed Yang Xuan. There is one road up the mountain, and one road down. To go over this mountain, however, we have to take the road which is very far," the bearer in the front said calmly, his voice sonorous and forceful, like steel metal hitting on rocks.


    His physique was straight, a green steel sword hanging from his waist.


    He did not shiver at all in this cold dark weather. The same thing goes to the bearer in the back.


    "There were rumors that Ling Chongxiao almost entered the path. His junior fellow apprentice, Yang Xuan, was a one of a kind master during his time, he even dared to cross Shibi Khan of the Gobi desert. Ling Chongxiao was able to kill Yang Xuan, while I cannot even kill Bai Yufei. I think in order to win against him, I''ll have to wait until after I enter the school of Celestialism, but Ling Chongxiao probably would not even take me seriously by then." The voice that came from the palanquin was obviously a man, there was a deep underlying loneliness tangled between his words.


    "That Bai Yufei''s martial arts skill is not great but his Qinggong is an inborn skill for him. It was not because of your martial arts skill that young master could not kill him. At this age, Ling Chongxiao definitely would not be on par with you, what more is that young master is going to obtain longevity and pursue the path sooner or later, which means you surpass him by leaps and folds."


    "You rather know what to say, Jian Shisan. Jian Shisi, what do you think about what Jian Shisan said?" The young master asked. It was apparent that the man in front was Jian Shisan, Jian Shisi was the bearer in the back.


    "I don''t know." These three words were like being squeezed out from a stone. After finishing these three words, it was as though he had finished all his words for the day and would not even open his mouth to say another word.


    "Oh you, Jian Shisi. You''re always this boring, no wonder you couldn''t get yourself a wife." It seemed as though the person within the palanquin was enjoying teasing his two servants and he became slightly cheerful.


    "Young master, are we going up the mountains and entering the city by tomorrow?"


    "Let''s just rest at the top of the mountain for one night. Within tomorrow, we''ll go get the Green Bamboo Sect''s item and take care of Bai Yufei at the same time."


    "The Green Bamboo Sect is nothing in the State Capital of Qing, but that Shen Lian of Shen family, it was said that he was remarkable even at a young age. He acquired his martial art skills from Yang Xuan but he had surpassed him. Young master, do you want to meet this young prodigy?"


    "I''ve heard of that Shen Lian. According to God of the Wind, Xiu Che, people who meet him would remark him as unforgettable. Since we''re already here, there is no reason to not meet him," the person in the palanquin chuckled lightly.


    The mountain road was steep and slippery. Jian Shisan and Jian Shisi, who was carrying the palanquin, were walking like they were on flat ground.


    It did not take look until they saw a temple. That was the Qielan Temple.


    The powdery snow blanketed the stony steps, the glistening moonlight conjured the endless admiration of the people.


    Dim lights came faintly from the inside. The green light was like a pea, the ancient temple deep and serene.


    "Young master, there seems to be someone inside. Wait until Jian Shisan personally enters and scout the area. Jian Shisi, you remain where you are."


    Jian Shisi grunted in approval, the person inside the palanquin did not have any opinions.


    Jian Shisan followed the snowy staircase and entered the ancient temple, where he saw a beautiful woman draped in red scarves came out.


    It was Xin Shisiniang.


    "Did you come to spend the night here? You can go to the backyard."


    Jian Shisan answered, "Yes, we are here to spend the night. Thank you very much, lady."


    While he answered her, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that while Xin Shisiniang came out from the hall, she actually did not leave even one footprint at all.

 Chapter 39 The Jianghu Here Is Unusual

    In this world, even when there was the Qinggong that was able to leave no prints while walking on snow, it was impossible to stroll idly like that in the yard.


    This was already a breach of the conventional, it was not possible even through martial arts.


    Jian Shisan was born in the Mingjian Peak and his knowledge was vast. He knows that even if the Governor and Conception vessels are connected thoroughly, it was impossible to do so even when it collaborated with the vitality of the universe and the inner Qi was endless.


    Ling Chongxiao too did not have this ability.


    Unless this woman was weightless. Or she was some other foreign being.


    Xin Shisiniang caught the hesitation in the eyes of this mortal but she was not surprised about it. Should she have purposely pretended to be a woman of the mortal world? She really could not have done that.


    "You can suit yourself on whether you want to stay or leave," Xin Shisiniang said with an aloof tone. Perhaps it was Xin Shisiniang who was being overly detached or that this weather was chilling to the point of biting. Jian Shisan was shocked for no reason. He could not utter a world and a chill ran down his spine. He only felt that this breathtakingly beautiful woman was scarier than the other masters that he had met in his entire life.


    Jian Shisan took a deep breath, suppressed the fear within him and unconsciously responded with respect, "My young master is still outside, I need to report back to him, would you mind?"


    "Would you not return to report if I said I do mind? Do not think of dilly-dallying, quickly go and come back," Xin Shisiniang was very impatient.


    ...


    "You say that there''s a lady in the temple and she did not leave any marks walking?" The young master in the palanquin asked leisurely.


    "Yes, it was said that this temple was long abandoned. By right, there shouldn''t be any people in it. That woman''s origin is a mystery. Young master, do we go in or not?" Jian Shisan could not be really sure of Xin Shisiniang''s exact details. Based on his experiences from Jianghu, it was best to not personally get involved with this risk. However, the young master was prideful and if he advised him to not enter, it would produce opposite results.


    "Jian Shisi, do you think we should go or not?"


    "The young master wishes to go." This time it was only six words1, it still remained as though it came out from a rock.


    "Good, Jian Shisi. It''s really a waste for you to be a slave of my household." Nonetheless, the young master in the palanquin clapped his hands together. Jian Shisan sighed helplessly, this meant that he had no choice but to go along.


    After entering the temple, Xin Shisiniang did not wait there of course.


    "What pleasure it is to have guests from afar. Honored guests, just come to the backyard." It was not the same female voice as before but an elderly person who spoke.


    The direction of his voice came from a small alley away. Even though the green grass on top of it was blanketed with white snow, it did not dampen its vigor. There were bits of green showing once in a while, which gave a sense of zen under the moonlight.


    After walking to the end of the small road, Jian Shisan, who was in the front, felt his field of vision widened. An old plum blossom tree swayed along with the wind, the pale yellow flower on top of it assaulted them with a faint aroma.


    The palanquin stopped outside and the curtain opened. The young master''s true looks were revealed. His lips were naturally red, his facial features were eminent, and his eyes were like deep pools of clear water. There was a red dot between his brows. He was brilliant like the moonbeams cast on the water. There was no need for words with the gracefulness that he was born with.


    This was the young master of the Mingjian Peak, an outstanding figure within the young generation of Jianghu.


    Based on his identity and looks, he qualified to be any young girls'' dream lover of this world.


    As a rule, there were not many regrets that came with this kind of life. Even the prince would not be as carefree and happy as the young master of a prominent family in Jianghu. What more that he was the only son of the Mingjian Peak''s leader.


    However, the gods were fair after all.


    This was because as the curtain was released, he did not walk out but he slowly exited, sitting in a wheelchair.


    He lifted his head and said, "Good moon."


    He lowered his head and followed, "Good snow."


    He later averted his gaze to the plum blossom flowers and continued, "Good plum blossom."


    Xin Shisiniang appeared during this time. His gaze was on her and he actually did not know how to open his mouth.


    Xin Shisiniang placed her hands on waist and smiled, her eyes were bright as she said, "What''s wrong, kid? Cat got your tongue? You said ''good'' three times in a row and suddenly I''m not good? I''m not as good as the moon in the sky, or the snow on the ground or even the small plum blossom flower?"


    The plum blossom flower could not help but shake when she said that last sentence, it was afraid of Xin Shisiniang would unleash her wrath on it. It was rare for plants and trees to have intelligence. It was not easy for it to obtain this kind of intelligence and it treasured it a lot.


    If he was able to transform into a human, he probably would have its head on the ground to express his loyalty.


    After all, no sharp wind or deadly snow was scarier than Xin Shisiniang.


    He noticed that Xin Shisiniang did not show any strange reaction, there was no pity or mockery when she saw him sitting in a wheelchair, which made him felt good for some reason.


    Since this was the case, he felt that Xin Shiniang''s direct attitude was incomparable to the other females he had met in his life.


    He spoke gently, "It is because you are too beautiful that the word ''good'' is not enough to describe you. I could not think of anything else to say and I think that the layman''s description of comparing your looks to the flowers and moon would be a disgrace to you."


    "Young man, you shouldn''t compliment her or else she would be too much of herself. Since we have met by fate, why don''t you come in and have a chat?" It was that old voice again.


    "You first, elder one. There is no reason for me, the younger generation, to not obey you."


    Once they entered the house, it turned out to be a meditation adobe. It was clean and brightly lit.


    The elder''s clothing was neat and tidy, his white hair like silver, with an air of scholarly refinement, which was the complete opposite of Xin Shisiniang''s unpredictable character.


    The two sword slaves were by each side of the young man as they pushed him towards the older, Xin Shisiniang was standing behind the elderly man.


    The elder spoke, "My surname is Xin, and this is my daughter, Shisiniang. To be able to travel in this snowy night, young man, is quite an unordinary feat. Where are you from?"


    "I am Ye Liuyun, nice to meet your Elder Xin."


    "So you are the young master of Mingjian Peak, no wonder you possess this kind of manner and graceful bearing."


    Ye Liuyun thought to himself, "There is a saying that one should be careful of three kinds of people when navigating through Jianghu: old people, women, and children. This pair of father and daughter had fulfilled the first two kinds, it is truly interesting of them to be able to reveal my background in one go."


    "I did not think that my name would reach the ears of Elder one. It is truly my honor. If you do not mind me asking, who are you? Forgive me for being crude and unlearned for not being able to recognize your brilliance."


    The old man smiled faintly and did not answer. Instead, he raised his wine cup.


    Ye Liuyun had a great capacity for liquor but after downing a few cups, he felt a slight drunkenness. He already did not know what followed next.


    When he regained consciousness, it was already early in the morning and he was already back into the palanquin.


    When he opened the curtain, Jian Shisi and Jian Shisan were spooked at the same time. Here was already the official pathway that was situated below the mountains, the outer wall of the State Capital of Qing was in sight over the distance.


    Ye Liuyun muttered, "What happened last night?"


    Jian Shisan answered: "Yesterday, I think we entered into a temple at the top of the mountain to stay for the night. How did we wake up and end up here? "


    Jian Shisi kept his silence because what Jian Shisan said was what he knew about so there was no need to say more.


    Ye Liuyun recalled the events that had happened yesterday and sighed softly, "It''s true that behind an able man, there are always other able men. Either the father-daughter pair we met yesterday were superlunary immortals or they were demons in disguise, or else why would they quietly trick us?"


    "Luckily they did not have any bad intentions."


    "There is no need to be suspicious of whether demons are not brave enough to behave recklessly in the mortal realm. Let us enter the State Capital of Qing, retrieve that item to avoid any unforeseen events," Ye Liuyun, on the other hand, came up with a decision, there was no point of becoming entangled with the events of the past.The original amount of words he used were four words in the text ("������ȥ").

 Chapter 40 Perfect and Imperfect People

    The snow that had been falling for many days finally stopped and the sun was setting.


    The rising and setting of the sun was absolutely the most normal thing in this world.


    However, it was on this fated day that things were different.


    Bai Yufei had already wiped the tables in the big hall clean. Compared to the other works he had done much more using a lesser time. Steward Wu saw him and with mirth in his eyes, he pondered whether he should let Shen Lian dismiss the few others and be done with.


    Of course, Shen Lian had nothing to do. He was drinking tea. Ordinary tea leaves, early melted snow water, the smoke of the tea curled upwards, rising in steams.


    The normal bystander could only see that Bai Yufei was being diligent, but Shen Lian could see that Bai Yufei was cultivating a special kind of martial arts between movements.


    His center of gravity was lower than the average persons. As he lands on his foot his body leaned forward, but his heel bone touched the floor first. His poses were obviously weird but he did know show any awkwardness which allowed no one to notice his weirdness.


    That kind of martial arts was probably to cultivate a kind of bodily movement, where it focuses on balance.


    There was an old saying. "Cultivate the body, manage the nation in order, and peace will prevail throughout the universe. This peace comes from balance.


    It was rare to maintain balance in the way of the world.


    It was as though this bodily movement was tailor-made for Bai Yufei, because Bai Yufei''s spine was more deformed than any normal person. It was because of this deformity that caused his center of gravity to differ from another person. He was always in an unbalanced state which allowed him to find his own point of balance, which coincides perfectly with this kind of martial arts.


    "His knife might not be quick but it will be very quick when he displays his skills," Shen Lian imagined that if Bai Yufei had a chance to use his knife previously, from his bodily movement, his knife technique would be concatenated which not many would be able to dodge.


    Simultaneously, he was able to see that Bai Yufei''s knife technique had not reached the level where knife and human are one. Therefore there was not a perfect accord between bodily movement and knife technique and he was not able to use his knife which led to him being injured.


    Even though Bai Yufei was doing labor, he did not feel tired at all. In his entire life, he had not done this kind of labor at all, and never did he earned a living for himself. Once one has entered Jianghu, one has to do things that were not one''s will. He lacked the feeling of safety but there was Shen Lian here. For the first time in his life, he could not resist having this kind of feeling. He also felt that Shen Lian was someone who was worthy of respect. This was because Shen Lian had an edge that no one else has.


    That was Shen Lian''s gaze. No matter who he looked at, it was the same to him. When he put you in his eyes, there was no plot and no prejudice.


    Bai Yufei had wandered in Jianghu and met countless people. He had his own insight of others and Shen Lian was definitely one of the special kind of people or even he was a kind of his own.


    "Young master, the old master is unwell, you have to return quickly."


    A man in grey robe burst through the door, he was one of the many members of the Green Bamboo Sect and the ''young master'' he mentioned was naturally not Shen Lian but An Renjie.


    An Renjie shouted back, "Is that old man pretending to be sick so he can trick me into going back?"


    The servant replied, "This time is a serious matter, young master. The young master of the Mingjian Peak had arrived and took that treasure from our sect. The leader is injured too. Just come back and have a look, please."


    An Renjie''s face fell, even when he no longer cares for Jianghu matters, he too knew about the Mingjian Peak.


    Bai Yufei''s expression also moved, "they had come, after all."


    "I already said that blasted painting should not have been kept, everything would be solved if we burned it. However, that old man deliberately treats it as a treasure. If that toy really has anything to do with the immortal clan, there isn''t anyone in our family becoming immortal after so many years. I should be able to get some of the immortal Qi rubbed off on me. Now that the item is lost, it''s a good thing because now we do not have to live in dread and fear," An Renjie was not only not upset after hearing this, he was elated.


    He then said to Shen Lian, "Young master Shen, don''t you always have an interest towards that kind of stuff? Now''s the chance. The item''s yours after you snatch it back. I promise you that the old man would not dare to ask for it from you."


    "There is no need to search for it, it will come by itself." Shen Lian smiled calmly. It was hard to predict the loss and gains, everything came down to the word ''fate''.


    Luck has its own fate, the benevolent has its own fate, the wicked has its own fate, there were fateful meetings and fateful separations, and it was unknowable.


    There was a sudden look of terror on the face of the man in the grey robe, he pointed to the front and said, "Young master, that is the palanquin of the young master of Mingjian Peak."


    The plain green palanquin did not come from the ground neither did it from the snow but it came from the skies.


    The sword slaves who were clad in green tight clothing lifted the palanquin and flew from the opposite roof. The palanquin landed slowly like a lantern, as though it had released itself from the binding of gravity. The setting sun naturally illuminated all places and it pulled a long shadow even-handedly, which coincidentally blocked the entrance.


    "Young master, An Inn is just there," Jian Shisan, who was in front, clearly saw the pair of couplet��''Cultured guests frequent here; Unrefined guests are always welcome.'' There was a lingering charm about it, this Shen Lian was actually a person of poetic temperament.


    "Bai Yufei is also here," this was said by Jian Shisi however. It was obvious that Bai Yufei had left a strong impression on him.


    After all, it was the both of them who had hunted Bai Yufei down from the borders of the State Capital of Qing before.


    ...


    No one would have expected that the young master of Mingjian Peak was a handicap, that he was someone who can only move in a wheelchair.


    When Bai Yufei completely saw Ye Liuyun, the hatred of being injured dissipated like smoke.


    It was because that Ye Liuyun had such wonderful family background, his elegant demeanor was extraordinary and the martial art skills he possesses was superb, all of these could better demonstrate what it meant by even the gods were jealous of his outstanding abilities.


    When someone who was overly perfect has a flaw, it is an inevitable travesty. This misfortune lies in the soul and not in the physical material.


    No one would really care about how many cavities there are on a piece of rock.


    Although, how many people would feel sad or sorry when there are flaws in a priceless piece of white jade?


    Bai Yufei felt pity while An Renjie was stunned. The man in the grey robe who came with the announcement, however, have not seen Ye Liuyun''s true self. This was because to defeat the Green Bamboo Sect, Jian Shisan by himself was enough for the job.


    "Brother Bai, that day when you left in hurry you yet to bid us goodbye, we did not even manage to have a conversation and all that was left by you was your knife. Of course, this item should be returned to its owner now that I have found the owner today."


    There was a white knife in Ye Liuyun''s hand, the only part that was black was the handle. It was as though he was holding a streak of light when he held the knife in his hand.


    It was very obvious, using this kind of knife at night. This was because even though Bai Yufei commits burglary, he never ambushes when he was in a duel with someone.


    With the flash of a white light, the knife landed steadily on Bai Yufei''s hands.


    He held his own knife, gave a slight glance and was dumbstruck.


    There were originally two words that were engraved on the body of the knife��Bai Yu.


    Now, there were still two words on the body of the knife, but Bai Yu had become ''Sui Yu''.


    He could even clearly see the ''Sui'' of ''Sui Yu'' had a deeply imprinted fingerprint in each stroke of it.


    Not much was needed to be said, the original ''Bai'' word on the body of the knife was not only wiped clean off but the word ''Sui'' was carved with immense strength by using his finger.


    The white jade was already broken, what was the person to do?


    "What''s wrong, Brother Bai? Do you think the words on the body of the knife is no good? If you think ''Sui Yu'' does not have a good ring to it, you could change it by yourself, or have other people to help you change it."


    The material of the knife was especially similar to extremely fine steel, only those with similar finger strength such as Dali Jingang is able to engrave on the blade itself, it was never about the depth of one''s martial arts skill.


    The last sentence was obviously meant for Shen Lian.


    From the beginning, Shen Lian attracted Ye Liuyun''s attention.


    In actual fact, Shen Lian was like the perfect version of Ye Liuyun with his unrivaled graceful bearing, his radiance and his pair of legs that were not handicapped.

 Chapter 41 Clanging of the Sword

    The similarities between the two were the similar outstanding appearances, the undisguisable grace and the unparalleled attainment in martial arts.


    Shen Lian said with a smile. "With the flesh of the body, to engrave texts on the magic weapon, let us not even mention about the people present here, even in Jianghu, there is hardly anyone who is able to do so, since the text cannot be changed, how about I return the knife to this young man here Yufei, and let him help you change back."


    He extended his hand slightly, but he was taking the knife from Bai Yufei.


    Bai Yufei knew in his heart that Shen Lian was sticking up for him, no words could express his gratitude. Looking at the world, who else would help him, Bai Yufei, to go against Mingjian Peak.


    The knife was in Shen Lian''s hand, no matter whether the name was the White Jade Sword or the Fragmented Jade Sword, one fact was undeniable, and that was that it was razor-sharp till the point that it can slice a strand of hair by just blowing the hair against the blade.


    The blade was thinner than ordinary broadswords, yet it was almost invincible, just as though it could dissect the sunlight.


    "Are you going to press that knife to my neck and make me?" Ye Liuyun smiled with pursed lips, which made him seemed like he was insulting him.


    Once Shen Lian smiled, he said, "Have you never heard this before, persuasion is done through reasoning while the argument is done within the parameters covered by the razor edge of the blade?"


    "And what if the blaze snaps?" Ye Liuyun''s eyes narrowed slightly, an unspeakable stern coldness radiating from it.


    "What do you think?" Shen Lian simply replied the sunset even further, while the shadow of the palanquin engulfed Ye Liuyun entirely, it nearly touched Shen Lian.


    The slight glow from the sunset reflected the laziness of Shen Lian.


    The half-melted white snow was serene and quiet, the afterglow illuminating on the cascading snow, was dreamlike.


    Bai Yufei and An Renjie retreated far away because they did not want Shen Lian to be distracted.


    Ye Liuyun responded in silence, he had said what was needed to be said, there was no need to say more.


    Jian Shisan and Jian Shisi stood guard by Ye Liuyun''s side, this was the duty of the sword slave.


    Mingjian Peak was formidable for their swordsmanship, the matter was Ye Liuyun''s sword was nowhere to be seen, a person with a pair of handicapped legs, and even if his swordsmanship was superb, the force of it would have its shortcoming.


    However, to surpass Ye Liuyun, the first thing to do was to surpass the two sword slaves.


    While the whereabouts of Ye Liuyun''s sword was unknown, the swords of the sword slaves were out there in the open.


    The first to make a move was not Shen Lian, but Jian Shisan.


    With the sword thrust towards him, it was as though streams of water were running, its power was sufficient and limitless.


    This move was called ''Endless River Pouring In'', the attack was swift and fierce, as though like the river water, it could not be cut off.


    Shen Lian did not even move, his eyes however beamed brighter.


    It was like Jian Shisan saw Shen Lian''s shadows that were everywhere in the faint sunset, he certainly did not know which one was Shen Lian.


    "Enduring Form Transforming Shadow!" Jian Shisi coolly uttered one sentence.


    Ye Liuyun sighed softly, and replied, "No."


    The so-called ''Enduring Form Transforming Shadow'' was the ultimate superior physical movement, with the speed that the human eyes cannot catch, it gives off the illusion of shadows, causing that person to be unable to distinguish reality from illusion.


    Shen Lian only used his psyche powers to enchant the will of others, it was not that his physical movements were really superior.


    Both of them took different approaches to achieve the same means.


    Shen Lian, in reality, did not move at all or even made a move, but Jian Shisan had already lost.


    Even though there was the never-ending stream like sword formation, it too needed a target to hit for it to work.


    His points were jabbed, and he laid on the snowy ground by the side.


    Ye Liuyun did not show a worried expression surprisingly, the night breeze scooped up the powdery snow, and like an evening fog, it enveloped him.


    Steady and relaxed, there was another person who was unfazed, and that was Jian Shisi.


    Jian Shisi''s skills were not above Jian Shisan, if placed in a life and death situation, it was definitely Shisi Jian who would survive. It was because Jian Shisi was steady whenever he pulled out his sword, if he was uncertain, he would not make a move.


    However, this time, even if there was no certainty, he would have to pull out his sword, for the sake of Ye Liuyun to have a better understanding of Shen Lian''s martial art, even if it was just a bit.


    Shen Lian did not want to use his sword, he also did not want to use the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    The Deity Vanquishing Sword hurts both the person and their spirit, unless it was absolutely necessary, he rarely used it, moreover even though he had The Mastery of Senses to achieve a peace of mind and nourish the heart, to break a spirit with another spirit, once the frequency of this increases, there is absolutely nothing good about it.


    The purpose of not pulling out his sword was to maintain his murderous energy, not allowing this young master of the Mingjian Peak to see through his illusions.


    If Shen Lian''s vision did not have any problems, this young master of the Mingjian Peak''s spirit and energy were full from the start till the end, his breaths were lingering and long, there was not a gap to infiltrate the rhythm in between, it was most probably that his inner Qi was endless.


    Accurately speaking the other already had a solid foundation when entering this path, even with both legs handicapped, he was still a force to be reckoned with.


    Jian Shisan''s sword was like flowing water, Jian Shisi''s sword was that of a forlorn pool of stale water.


    There was no ripple at all, with no changes made, it just simply came jabbing.


    The jabbing, as though it was practiced hundreds and thousands of times, the action was clean and simple, no words could ever describe it.


    This was not the plain deadly still sword skill that those with exceptional talent in martial arts could do, but rather it was the result of countless times of self-destructive training.


    There were many paths to success, but not one of it is a shortcut.


    Shen Lian sighed internally, he actually could not bear to strike down this diligent and resilient swordsman.


    However, he could not be merciful, and definitely not hold back because of respect.


    To have met this sword, he decided to take out his sword.


    Once Jian Shisi pulled out his sword, his mind was focused and fixed, of course, he would not be faltered by external factors.


    The psyche used by Shen Lian before, its effect would decrease significantly, what more was that Jian Shisi had even prepared earlier. Jian Shisi''s inner Qi was focused entirely on the green steel blade, a faint green light surrounding it, he was actually so fast till the point where he was able to use the radiance of the sword.


    The radiance of the sword is the combination between the will of the sword and the Qi of the sword, it was not about the cultivation, but rather it was a sudden enlightenment that was between the spirit and the inner Qi.


    Ye Liuyun thought to himself, ''No matter what was the outcome of this battle was, Jian Shisi, cannot be allowed to be a sword slave of the Mingjian Peak anymore.''


    Jian Shisi''s sword skill already showed the graceful bearing of the masters of the path of martial arts, such a swordsman, if only to serve as a slave, it would be a dishonor to the path of the sword, a dishonor to the path of martial arts.


    How could Ye Liuyun allow this diamond to be buried in dirt, to not be able to shine forth brightly?


    This thought flashed through in a split second, obviously, it was very quick.


    However, the sword was also not slow, Jian Shisi''s reflection in Shen Lian''s eyes continuously grew.


    The most spine crawling of all was naturally the unwavering sword point that came flying.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian threw away the blade that was in his hand.


    That exceptionally sharp blade.


    As the masters crossed path with each other, there was still a huge difference when it came down to whether being armed or not, the so-called Blade Grasp with Bare Hands could only be used in a match where there is a significant difference between the masters.


    It was not that Shen Lian threw away the blade in his hands, rather it was the blade that flew out.


    Shen Lian too, suddenly disappeared without a trace, as though this person could not be found either in the air or down on the ground


    Victory and failure depended on that split moment, as for the two engaged people, time served no purpose, the only purpose was that instant moment of change in the mind and the clashing of sword and knife.


    It was not that Shen Lian had disappeared, but he was too fast, faster than the blade.


    He was faster than the speed of the reaction of the human eye, which gave the misconception that he had vanished.


    Of course, the quickest was the light, it was impossible for Shen Lian to be quicker than light, but he was faster than Jian Shisi''s reaction. However, Jian Shisi could only see the streak of the gleam of the blade as he sliced through the air.

 Chapter 42 Blade-like Moonligh

    The gleam of the blade flashed through in an instance and disappeared, the victor had stood apart from the loser.


    As anticipated Shen Lian did not lose to Jian Shisi, his sword had broken in half, even Jian Shisi''s partly formed sword will was destroyed.


    To not be able to defeat the opponent''s sword will, there was no need to exist.


    To destroy was to create something new.


    Nonetheless, whether Jian Shisi was still able to produce a stronger sword will, nobody knew.


    He knelt on the snowy ground, some of the snow had melted, but there was more snow that had not melted, it formed into ice.


    The ice within the dirt made the ground as tough as refined iron.


    Jian Shisi did not practice any kind of martial arts similar to the Iron Claw, both his hands were digging on the cold tough layer of dirt, very quickly a small bloody crater was dug, it was his blood. The nails had been turned inside out, there was dirt mixed into the bloody nail beds.


    He then placed the sword into the earth, buried the short blade, then he picked up Jian Shisan, and retreated far away.


    There was a ripped hole on Shen Lian''s clothes, which was near the position of the heart, the small hole was an inch long, it was not cut by the edge of the sword, but it was by the half-formed gleam of the sword.


    "You have pulled your knife out, but you have not seen my sword, do you still want to continue to oppose me now?" If it was other people of Jianghu, like Jin Daowang, even the man in green at that time who have seen Shen Lian''s sword skills then, would unconsciously sigh at himself when acknowledging Shen Lian''s superiority, their confidence would be shaken.


    However, Ye Liuyun did not have any fear because he was able to understand just how formidable the other was, the other would only seem half as formidable.


    The one thing that truly frightened others was the unknown, and that unknown is Ye Liuyun''s sword.


    There had never been a living person who had seen his sword, that day was no exception.


    Shen Lian stared at Ye Liuyun, he was very calm.


    His calmness was not just for display, but it came from within.


    "How did you know that I only had one knife?" Shen Lian chuckled.


    This time he threw the knife away completely, it was thrown towards Ye Liuyun, and it was caught between Ye Liuyun''s fingers.


    The force used to throw the knife was not intense, the angle was not tricky either, there was no way Ye Liuyun could not have caught it.


    Ye Liuyun placed the knife down, his gaze never leaving Shen Lian, because he would not give Shen Lian any chances, he himself would not be careless.


    It was because that his gaze never left Shen Lian, he saw that Shen Lian did not only have one knife, or rather, this was his actual knife.


    It was a peculiar looking fly cutter.


    There was an afterglow after the sunset. The moon had taken over the role of the sunset, generously radiating its light.


    Both Ye Liuyun and Shen Lian stared at each other for a good fifteen minutes. The atmosphere was heavy, which caused the people in the surrounding to not dare to breathe with their mouths open.


    Ye Liuyun noticed Shen Lian''s hand, the hand that was gripping the fly cutter.


    What Shen Lian noticed was, however, Ye Liuyun''s left sleeve.


    Coincidentally, as the night breeze brushed pass, the left sleeve was more sluggish compared to the right sleeve.


    "I know where your sword is."


    Shen Lian''s words were filled with confidence, this self-assurance should have been what only Ye Liuyun have.


    "Yes." Ye Liuyun could not help but acknowledge Shen Lian''s attentiveness, his vision was superb.


    His swordsmanship was the Sleeve Sword, the hidden weapon was merely a mean for him. Sleeve Sword was the technique that he was devoted to. It was also the legacy of the Mingjian Peak.


    He even applied the sword technique to the skill of controlling the force applied to other objects, which was used to launch the hidden golden needles.


    He did not think it was worth to use the sword against Bai Yufei, or else Bai Yufei would not have lived until now.


    "You cannot predict when I''m going to use my knife, yes?" Shen Lian smiled with satisfaction as he said this.


    "Of course," Ye Liuyun replied coolly.


    "Does that mean you''ve lost?" Shen Lian''s eyes became vivid, it was brighter than the radiant stars.


    "No," Ye Liuyun answered slowly.


    He could not predict Shen Lain''s knife, similarly, Shen Lian too could not predict his sword.


    Jian Shisi''s gaze fell on the two, the frantic enthusiasm was unhidden.


    No one else present understood better than he did about the delicacy between the two.


    Shen Lian did not pull out his sword for a long time, it was because his psyche had not reached a critical point that could be a good opportunity to use it.


    This chance could possibly turn up at any moment, or it would not present itself forever.


    To strike or not was all within Shen Lian''s intention, but once he struck, the outcome was nothing Shen Lian could control.


    Therefore, Shen Lian needed a very good opportunity.


    As the fly cutter was not a hidden weapon, it was also a sustenance of his vitality spirit.


    If it did not hit its target after striking, there was definitely not a second chance.


    "You should know that it''s undeniable that you will lose because I have captured your weak point," Shen Lian said indifferently.


    The words struck Jian Shisi like lightning though, he suddenly thought of Ye Liuyun''s weak point.


    Ye Liuyun''s weakness was that he was overconfident. He was confident that he could dodge Shen Lian''s fly cutter, he was confident that the Sleeve Sword could take care of Shen Lian.


    However, there was one matter that he did not consider, which was whether Shen Lian really relied solely on the fly cutter.


    Shen Lian flew off the ground, there were lanterns hanging on the flagpole in front of the entrance of the inn.


    Shen Lian was on top of a lantern, the moon was very close to him.


    There was one Shen Lian in the sky, there was also another Shen Lian on the ground.


    Shen Lian''s spirit had left his physical body and was now in the air, it was also the end of the road. There was the mention "to occupy a commanding position" in the Art of War, Shen Lain had gotten a hold of the terrain.


    Even Ye Liuyun could not have expected Shen Lian to cultivate until the point of astral projection, his Governor and Conception vessels did not even connect.


    The difficulty of astral projection was ten times harder than connecting the Governor and Conception vessels.


    Based on Shen Lian''s age, to be able to develop his inner Qi to this level was considered shocking, let alone the other matters.


    ...


    At the south side of the Capital City, there was a run-down Taoist temple.


    Ling Chongxiao stayed inside the temple, and now he was with Shen Lian under the same bright moon.


    He was still bald, he was a true Daoist priest and a fake monk.


    The man in front of him was a short-haired man, but he was a real monk.


    "You must be too bored Ku Hui, to have come look for me for a duel," Ling Chongxiao yawned with an exhausted expression on his face.


    "I just thought of an incredible move for the palm method, I cannot contain my excitement, thus I purposely came to try it out with Shizhu Ling."


    Ling Chongxiao glanced at Ku Hui from the side of his eyes, and lazily replied, "Don''t think that just because you already know the Mystical Art of the Vajra Body Barrier, I cannot beat you to death."


    "It will be great if Shizhu Ling could beat me to death, who knows, I may be able to catch up with the destiny of the immortal during the next reincarnation, and I would not need to be some monk anymore," Ku Hui cheerfully said.


    "Buddhism is a wide and easy pathway, everyone can do this cultivation, it''s no better than the Celestialism, what is there to be commended?" Ling Chongxiao scorned.


    "Then why don''t the Shizhu, you enter the pathway of Buddhism?"


    "I am a willful person, is that any of your business," Ling Chongxiao scolded, even though verbally he expresses disdain for Celestialism, his biggest wish was to be formally acknowledged into a branch of Superlunary Immortal. Unfortunately, even if he found it, he did not have any good luck, they will not bother with him. Even though through the pathway of Buddhism anyone could achieve to become Buddha, but there was hardly anyone who could truly become Buddha. Besides the matter of becoming a Buddha immediately or not, even those who became Arhat as a result of the Buddha way was a rare occurrence.


    However within Celestialism, even though there were fewer people, but the amount of those who had obtained achievements were higher than those who were on the pathway of Buddhism.


    In the end, even though the pathway of Buddhism did not require any texts and can be truly realized by the heart, but the required qualifications were actually even more demanding compared to joining the Superlunary Immortal.


    Without the root of wisdom, having a hollow root was also impossible to become Buddha.

 Chapter 43 Ruyi Shapeshifting

    Sand and stones were flying all around, and Ling Chongxiao''s shining bald head turned grey. He walked out from a pile of mud that used to be a sand wall. "What kind of Kung Fu were you using, to think that even I could not dodge it!" He cursed.


    "Ruyi shapeshifting, always be acting in accordance to my will. Luck was on this young monk''s side, who managed to pick up a thing or two about Ruyi shapeshifting," Ku Hui smiled contently. There were five supernatural powers in Buddhism, and each of them could be attained through thinking and meditating. Each of these supernatural powers afforded its users inconceivable powers.


    Ruyi shapeshifting was one of it. Ku Hui had been cultivating for ten over years and was barely scratching its surface. Through the skill, he managed to have the upper hand during his battle with someone as seasoned as Ling Chongxiao.


    "At your age, what''s there to be proud of for knowing such a simple skill? I can teach some skills to just any of my disciples, and you bet they would be able to beat you within a couple of years," Ling Chongxiao was annoyed by Ku Hui''s gloating and had replied grudgingly.


    "In this huge world, besides the those Celestialisms that only pass down their secret texts to their selected disciples, most people searched for martial art skills. Even though we don''t have much hope to be immortal, but our martial art attainment could be considered as unrivaled. Besides Ye Liuyun from Mingjian Peak, I don''t think any of these younglings in Jianghu could overpower me and have me covered in rock and dust," Ku Hui replied in a gentle tone.


    When he was done with his sentence, he could not help but to laugh at Ling Chongxiao''s current predicament �C he was covered in rock and dust.


    Ling Chongxiao was angry. He pointed his finger at Ku Hui chest as if his finger was a spear. Ku Hui dodged from his attack effortlessly.


    There were not many who could do what Ku Hui just did; to only move after the opponent did, yet managing to dodge away in just a matter of seconds without overexerting oneself.


    However, Ku Hui did not have it too easy either �C beads of sweat were covering his forehead.


    Ling Chongxiao having reached the state of "taming the white tiger" had a huge reserve of physical energy within him. His inner Qi was ever-flowing, and if he were to be persistence, he could probably wear his opponent out by dragging out the fight.


    "Let''s call it a day. This is getting boring. Indeed, Ye Liuyun form Mingjian Peak is a genius, but the young child that I know of was still better." Ling Chongxiao was genuinely bored, at his age, he had gotten most things that he wanted; those that he had not gotten yet, he probably would never be able to get them.


    "Shizhu Ling, who are you talking about? To be fair, if we were to meet Ye Liuyun at his age, we would probably be at disadvantaged, and would not achieve the greatness that he has," Ku Hui replied curiously. Ling Chongxiao himself was a martial art genius. The reason why he was not part of Celestialism was due to the lack of affinity and opportunity. Otherwise, he would have been immortal by now.


    Regardless of how smart you were, there was no way of deducing you way into Celestialism. Even if you managed to do so without any techniques, by the time that you solved most of the puzzles, you would be dying soon. The best of techniques would always be found within the books written in remote antiquity. However, cultivation was not a castle in the air. Without prior experience and a good foundation, one would never be able to attain much in Daoism.


    "His name is Shen Lian. If he really has Celestial affinity, perhaps he could find his way into Celestialism this time around," Ling Chongxiao replied. He decided long ago that he would not speak to Shen Lian about Qing Xuan Celestialism.


    Geniuses were indeed, one in a million. However, when viewed together with the many lives in this world, the notion of genius lost its novelty.


    In fact, a great number of them would not even have the chance to train their Qi; their talent would never be discovered in their lifetime.


    In this sense, affinity and fate were important factors.


    "If he is as talented as you have described him to be, you must be really heartless to not lend him a helping hand," Ku Hui sighed.


    "I had nothing to do with him to begin with. Even if I were to pour my heart and soul in, what good would it do? Just look at how things ended up between my Master and my Junior Apprentice-Brother. I have done my part by teaching him the martial arts from my sect. As for his future and where he ends up at, that is entirely out of my hands," Ling Chongxiao said coldly.


    "No. Now that you have piqued my interest, I must meet with him and see what kind of character he is," Ku Hui could not suppress his curiosity. Unlike Ling Chongxiao, he had not faced great tragedy within his sect and was not exposed to the devastation of such scale. If Shen Lian was indeed as good as Ling Chongxiao said he was, and did not have a master yet. There might just be a chance that he could be his heir.


    Buddhists subscribed to the belief of reincarnation, and Ku Hui was a firm believer of the karmic cycle. Perhaps if Shen Lian was successful in his cultivation of Daoism, he could extract him from the karmic cycle out of consideration for their past relationship.


    Even if Ling Chongxiao was just bluffing, he would not lose anything besides his time by visiting.


    Despite all he had was the name "Shen Lian", given Ku Hui''s standing as the Emperor''s favorite and the relationships that he fostered with the concubines during his visit to the palace to lecture about Buddhism, it would not be hard for him to locate Shen Lian.


    ...


    Hundreds of kilometers away, Shen Lian did not know that a monk had taken interest in him. His spirit was drifting high up in the sky without a care in the world.


    He swooped down like a flying Celestial.


    His spirit was indistinct, with a definite shape and face.


    The sword tucked within his sleeve slashed out naturally, a stream of white gust followed from within his sleeve. It was swirling around like a spiritual snake, and the exact trail could not be seen from mid-air.


    Only with an endless loop of inner Qi, one could master martial art skills such as "Catching the Dragon, and Controlling the Crane". One could even control the sword without being in physical contact with it.


    The white light rushed towards Shen Lian''s spirit.


    To take things one step further, one could even use oneself as a scabbard and nurture Taibai Gengjin Qi within the body, right at the lungs. That was how the master celestials of the sword kill at a distance.


    Techniques like these were usually kept secret, and would not be taught to the common folks. If a normal person were to insist on trying, he would be hurt by the indestructible Qi and ended up with various injuries.


    "Sir, watch out!" Jian Shisi could not hold back his exclamation.


    The spirit turned into fine strands of green smoke, and the white light missed it by the mark and did not manage to make contact.


    The green smoke vibrated along the wind and shot ahead like an arrow, hitting right in the middle of Ye Liuyun''s brows.


    Ye Liu Yun felt the world was spinning around him and was gradually losing consciousness.


    Out of a sudden, Ye Liuyun was emanating a reddish glow from within. There were runes flowing in the middle, and the green smoke that was Shen Lian''s spirit was ejected. Shen Lian''s spirit was sent back into his body.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes and found himself unharmed. However, Ye Liuyun had fainted.


    It was not his intention to hurt someone with his spirit, but Ye Liuyun was too strong and he had no other choice.


    By doing that, both of them would be injured. However, Ye Liuyun would be having it worse. He might turn into an idiot.


    Also, he never tried hurting someone like Ye Liuyun, who was strong-willed and had unblocked both of the Conception and Governor Vessels. He was not sure how bad would the side-effect be.


    After all, the Wutong gods had strong-willed spirit, but they were unfocused and unkempt.


    The will of Ye Liuyun''s spirit was stronger than most people, and his thoughts were firmly rooted and were almost indestructible.


    As compared to the Wutong gods, he was a lot harder to deal with.


    The red light was an astonishing technique that prevented their spirits from clashing directly. It was hard to say who benefited more from it.


    "You little kiddo, you have not even attained the inextinguishable divine aura yet, how dare you astral project in such a cavalier manner. What more, you were attacking his mind and even tried to attack his spirit directly. Do you have a death wish?" The red glow removed itself from Ye Liuyun''s body and Shen Lian could hear its voice directly in his ears.

 Chapter 44 The Most Precious Thing In Life Is To Live In Accordance With The Hear

    "Who are you?"


    "I was the one who sent my daughter to invite you, see you again on the fifteenth." That red glow jerked and drilled into Ye Liuyun while shaking both his head and tail, only to pop back out in the form of a rolled-up painting scroll and disappeared in an instance after slicing through the sky.


    Every happened so far that only Shen Lian heard the red glow''s voice.


    Jian Shisan and Jian Shisi immediately rushed to Ye Liuyun''s side, took out a glistening, almost translucent moonlight colored pill and put it into Ye Liuyun''s mouth.


    Ye Liuyun slowly regained consciousness. Just now, there was a tremor in his spirit that caused him to faint, he was also clear that it was not the medicine that made him regained consciousness.


    "I''m fine, you two do not need to worry about me."


    After that, he touched his chest and his face changed. Jian Shisan hurriedly whispers a few sentences by his ear.


    Only then Ye Liuyun became relieved and slowly, he said, "You played your cards well, Young Master Shen, I truly admire you."


    "Brother Ye, how about you write off Bai Yufei and the Green Bamboo Sect''s matters," Shen Lian asked while smiling.


    "What about the matters between you and I?"


    "Your call."


    "When spring comes next year, I will be waiting for you at Mingjian Peak." Ye Liuyun patted the handle by his side and the wheelchair trembled, flew from the ground and into the palanquin.


    Jian Shisan and Jian Shisi picked up the palanquin and disappeared into the vast night.


    Bai Yufei urgently said, "Young Master, Mingjian Peak is no different than a viper''s nest, how could you agree to that?"


    "If it was up to me, I say we should not have allowed that arrogant bastard leave." An Renjie huffed by the side.


    "The springtime is just the right time and Mingjian Peak is well known throughout the world. I think the scenery would definitely be good during that time so no harm in going," Shen Lian shook his head and smiled faintly.


    Love and hatred were the so-called ''Jianghu''. You kill me, I kill you, where does it end?


    Shen Lian was not interested. If killing could solve the world''s problem, then there would not be so much agony.


    "Uncle Wu, help me prepared some stuff, I''m going back to the Shen residence tomorrow." Shen Lian leisurely turned back towards the inn, to be able to force back the young master of Mingjian Peak hardly brought excitement to him and he just went on as usual.


    ...


    The sun rises every day, but when it came to Old Master Shen''s type of age, he was able to see that day''s rising sun but he may not able to see the sun setting.


    He did not have any matters that were not to his liking these two years. To be more specific, that useless eldest son of his had given birth to a grandchild with Xu two months ago. When the child was born, they did not invite Shen Lian or voluntarily informed him of this news. Since he and Steward Wu was close, all the more no one told him.


    However, even though the mansion was in this midst of jubilance, Old Master Shen did not show much happiness because of the addition of a grandchild.


    It was not until today that when he heard that Shen Lian was returning that his face lit up with glee and laughter. He even ate an extra mouthful of rice.


    As for the so-called newly born grandchild, he did not even give it a glimpse and certainly did not even carried the child after it was born.


    Everyone in the Shen mansion was in a subtle mood.


    The grandson of his daughter gets better treatment than the grandson from his son. This was somewhat one of the weirdest things in the world.


    Even though Shen Lian''s surname was Shen, but this ''Shen'' was not entirely the Shen of the Shen family.


    Could it be that Old Master Shen''s mind was muddled?


    Shen Lian was strolling with old man Shen in the gardens. The snow was thinly scattered and there was some white frost partly hidden within the wilting flowers and branches.


    "You lazy bunch, why do you not know to get extra clothes for Young Master Lian. If my good grandson is sick, I will make your lives difficult." Old man Shen was truly angered, Shen Lian was now only wearing a thin layer of unlined garment. Even he felt cold just by looking at it.


    "Grandfather, I''m fine. I have attained some inner Qi, this slight chill has no effect on me," Shen Lian grinned as he said.


    "I actually forgot about that. You have also learned martial arts of Jianghu. Your body is in a much better shape than before. Every time An Wanli come and see me, he cannot stop complimenting you. He said that his son had grown a lot after interacting with you more. Not only that, that disdainful young fellow from the Xu family could not stop praising you. Even Suo Zhizhou, who just resigned, told me about your good conduct as he handed me his resignation." As old man Shen said this, his face was full of smiles. Perhaps there was not one old person in this world who would be unhappy about this kind of matters.


    His achievements were already unimaginable to the ordinary person, what would be more delightful than to have an excellent descendant.


    "Perhaps they said so out of respect for you."


    "I have never heard them compliment Qingshi and Qingsan. Speaking of Qingshi, that is a worrisome fellow." Old man Shen was slightly angered at the mention of Shen Lian''s eldest uncle, Shen Qingshi.


    "Both the palm and the back of the hand are of the same flesh. Why do you need to work yourself up? If it is because of my newly born cousin brother, it is definitely not worth it." Shen Lian face was gentle and his expression was calm.


    "Shen Lian, you are too smart." Old man Shen could not help but sigh.


    He gestured with his hand so that his attendees would back off.


    "How did you find out?"


    "Grandfather, are you still unclear? My medical skills are not short of than any of the doctors in the State Capital of Qing. Eldest uncle and his wife are not able to give birth to children." Shen Lian gave old man Shen a long look. Naturally, he came back to visit both Shen Qingshi and Shen Qingsan''s family and he met his newly born cousin brother. Even though Xu showed some timidity but she was also somewhat delighted.


    However, Shen Lian did not show any expression and all he did was sized up the both of them.


    With his abilities, he only needed to use ''look'' from the four ways of diagnosis and he could find out the condition of both of their bodies. How could he not know whether his cousin brother was legitimate or not?


    "Did you tell anyone anything?" Old man Shen asked suddenly.


    "What do you think?"


    Old man Shen replied, "I truly hoped that you did not mention to other people, at least it says as much that you hold the Shen family to you."


    He was a sharp old man, how could he not understand that Shen Lian did not really take this matter to heart. Chances are, the Shen family''s wealth and riches were not really worth mentioning at all. "How could the Jin Lin be confided in a small pond? It would transform into a dragon when it comes in contact with the wind and rain. To say the least, the State Capital of Qing is too small for you. It''s really rare of you to come see this old bag of bones before you leave." Old man Shen was a little lost for words. He only left Shen Lian alone for two years and this fragile young seedling was not afraid of the storm anymore.


    "It not the size of the State Capital of Qing but it''s just a matter of having different needs. What matters in life is to follow one''s heart and nothing else." Since old man Shen had put it bluntly, there was no need to hide anymore.


    Simultaneously, he lamented the old man''s sharpness, even though he had some lifetime experiences, he still had quite a difference when compared to the old man who was used to seeing turmoil.


    "Forget it. I won''t stop you, what more is that I cannot stop you. I wish you will forever remember that you grew up in the Shen family." Old man Shen was indeed old, he also had a more thorough understanding. His stubbornness lessened by a significant amount of his life was approaching the end.


    Shen Lian gently hugged the old man. He wore very little but he was not cold, the heat from his body was still able to penetrate the thick layers of the old man.


    Afterward, Shen Lian let go of him a little and with a smile on his face and said, "Grandfather, I will always remember the goodness you showed me. For now and forever, I will always be called Shen Lian."


    Shen Lian strolled out from the gardens without any regrets.

 Chapter 45 To Not Mingle With The Plum and Peach And Be Reduced To Secular Dus

    Once he was out of the gardens, there was one person who stood idly by. It was someone Shen Lian knew, it was Shen Ruoxi.


    Even though Shen Lian did not return to the Shen residence often, his power and influence grew with his every return. Even Shen Qingshi and Shen Qingsan treats him courteously without them knowing.


    It was not that Shen Lian was harsh, but when a person''s position and influence increases, the way other people see him would be different.


    Shen Ruoxi, who was prejudiced towards Shen Lian in the beginning and later understood the things about Shen Lian personally and even developed an understanding of Jianghu, had a kind of unexplainable and complicated admiration for him instead.


    She still did not know that it was Shen Lian who rescued her from that dreamscape. So much time had passed after all, even if there were some recollections of it, it was later all a blur.


    Even more, she did not know the beginning, nor the end.


    "Ruoxi, were you waiting for me?" Shen Lian proactively greeted her. Shen Ruoxi was already 16 years old. She was at her best age, she stood gracefully, erect like a bouquet of lotus flower.


    "I was about to enter when grandpa dismissed his attendee, so I just waited for you out here." Shen Ruoxi bit her lower lips lightly, the young female''s fragrance wafted amongst the peaceful silence of the two people.


    In Shen Lian eyes, even when Shen Ruoxi''s skin was very tender, he still could see the flaws on it. She was not as perfect as Xin Shisiniang but she felt more real.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian did not have a younger sister in his previous life since his generation was during the single-child policy. He craved for a sibling.


    Ultimately, there was an unbreakable blood bond in this world and Shen Lian had eventually thought of her as his younger sister, which was a complete opposite when he first came back to the Shen family.


    "Is there anything?" Shen Lian did not beat around the bushes, he was about to embark on the path of cultivation to attain immortality and there was a chance that he would not be able to return to this life. If Shen Ruoxi had any requests, he would do all he could to help her.


    "I thought of holding a plum flower appreciation and poetry gathering." Shen Ruoxi lifted herself on her heels. As she ages, she becomes more ladylike and gentle.


    "Just do it, plus, second uncle will not forbid you from holding a poetry gathering." Shen Lian smiled.


    "You know I am not as well versed as you even back then, can you help me with a poem?" Shen Ruoxi tugged on Shen Lian''s sleeve.


    "I''m afraid I am not good enough and would embarrass you," Shen Lian shook his head.


    "There''s no such thing. If you were serious, it would definitely have an edge over the others." Shen Ruoxi almost wanted to hug Shen Lian''s arm and shake it.


    Lately, she had sneakily read many chivalric stories and she was able to simply use phrases such as having an edge over others.


    "I definitely cannot come up with poetry by myself but I can help you copy a poem from someone else. I can guarantee that no one would find out," Shen Lian casually said.


    "Really?" Shen Ruoxi''s face showed her suspicion, as though saying that he should not cheat her just because she did not read much.


    "Nope. You can choose to believe it or not." Shen Lian lifted his foot and was about to leave.


    "Alright, I believe you. Don''t think I don''t know you have a photographic memory. It should be enough to deceive them with a less notable poem." Shen Ruoxi experienced Shen Lian''s superb memory by accident one time. Last year, while she was studying on the mat at home, her tutor gave her a question and she could not answer so she had to look through the books for it and copy it 100 times. Coincidentally, Shen Lian came back on that day.


    Shen Lian used a martial arts skill that allowed him to teleport his voice to her, telling her that it was in which book, which page and which row.


    It was impossible for Shen Lian to have known first hand because the tutor gave her the question spontaneously.


    This showed that just how superbly good Shen Lian memory was.


    The Shen family was not a scholarly prominent family, but there was no collection of books in the State Capital of Qing that was as vast as the Shen family''s.


    Shen Ruoxi knew that sometimes, Shen Lian would go to the places where the books were kept and stay there, it was not a surprise for him to see a less notable poem and remember it.


    Of course, it was impossible for Shen Ruoxi to know that Shen Lian did not spend too much time to remember every kept book, he also knew much strange news and weird occurrences that others did not know.


    "Listen carefully, I am only going to say it once." Shen Lian patted Shen Ruoxi on the head.


    "Don''t make it too long, or else I cannot remember it."


    "It''s very short."


    "Then quickly tell me."


    Shen Lian was very well read. It was just that the even if the source of the poetry from this world was really remote, there was bound to be someone who knew about it.


    The poetry he was about to give to Shen Ruoxi was from planet Earth.


    The cultural background of the two worlds was quite similar and so the form of it was also the same.


    There was one poem about plum blossoms that he had read flashed through, Shen Lian chose that and recited:


    "The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest,


    Not mingling with the plums and peaches to be reduced to secular;


    Suddenly, the refreshing fragrance permeates through the night,


    It scattered became the new spring of the world."


    Shen Lian''s inner Qi was sufficient. Even though he was humming, there was an air of artistic talent around him.


    The words used in this poem was not really elegant, the origination of it was high and the concept was brilliant. It was actually fitting to Shen Lian''s qualities and it also coincided with him.


    Ending on a breath, Shen Lian felt the meeting of his mind and senses, the long-stagnant checkpoint was actually loosening slightly.


    "This poem won''t do." Shen Ruoxi uttered.


    "Why?"


    "This poem is so good that other people probably knew about it long ago. If you ask me to present it, then I would just be embarrassing myself." Shen Ruoxi was shocked and troubled. It would be great that this poem by Shen Ruoxi was above average but the thing was, this poem was easily understood, the rhyme was skillful, it was definitely well known. Which meant it would easy for people to see through it.


    "If you believe me, then use it. If you do not believe me, then think of something yourself."


    "Fine, I''ll just say you were the one who wrote this. If it gets exposed, the ugly one would be you," Shen Ruoxi humphed.


    "I actually wished someone could expose it," Shen Lian thought to himself. Shen Ruoxi reminded him that the poem with five characters by Wang Chongyang used by Ling Chongxiao during his storytelling was probably not from this world.


    He wondered what secrets and wonders were in it.


    Time flew by really quickly and it was the fifteenth already. The weather, however, was not good. The skies were clear for two days before a wave of cold air came by.


    There was no star or no moon, only the lights on the ground were illuminating.


    The lights of the Qielan temple was of course very bright like the day.


    The second time Shen Lian encountered Xin Shisiniang was inside the yard of the Qielan temple of the Qielan Mountain.


    The lights were dense and it flowed from the door like flowing water. Blending with the icy snow, it was translucent like water.


    A sparse and horizontal plum blossom flower, a beautiful captivating young lady.


    The light yellow flower, the dark red dress.


    "With you here, I do not know whether to look at the flower or look at the person." Shen Lian had a smile on his face. He was relaxed being in this temple in the deep mountains on this starless, moonless night.


    "Firstly, I am not human. Secondly, the flowers are not as beautiful as I am. Young Master Shen is really clumsy with his words," Xin Shisiniang laughed brazenly.


    "The plum blossom is proud, the snow is beautiful, both are deserving of being admired, revered and loved. It is also meant to be put in sight, for me, there is no comparison."


    "I''ve met Ye Liuyun before and felt that he was not as good as you, but now I feel like you''re not as good as him." Xin Shisiniang bent her finger and flicked the plum blossom flowers. The branches swayed and the shadows against each other.


    "Oh, why is that so?" Shen Lian asked at the right time.


    "He is not blind after all."


    Shen Lian gave a good chuckle and said, "You are the only lady that is most interesting amongst all that I''ve met in my life."


    "But you''re not so interesting, you''re like an old man. Where is the present you promised me?" Xin Shisiniang extended both her hands, her demeanor showed that either he gave her what she wanted or he could not cross over.

 Chapter 46 Unknowingly Going Astray

    "I had a headache deciding on what to gift you. I can easily afford jewelry but it''s too ordinary and martial arts training manuals are probably of no use for people like you. I gave a thought about it, and perhaps your father invited me here for a favor. If I put it all my effort to fulfill the request, that would be the most precious gift ever." Shen Lian smiled as he let his guard down.


    "Son, you are a smart person. Shisiniang, stop making it difficult for him." An old voice with a hint of a smile could be heard.


    Xin Shisiniang rolled her eyes, hit the stalk of the old plum tree and headed inside.


    The first thing Shen Lian saw as he entered the lighted place was an elderly man with a figure similar to Xin Shisiniang. The elderly gave out a wise aura; one can tell from his eyes that he had been through time. His gaze was duller compared to the Old Master Shen.


    Anyone with great wisdom would have experienced tremendous winds and waves. They may not have taken the initiative to train their spirits but they were capable of remaining calm and collective.


    Just like the saying, cool as a cucumber. His expression would probably not change even if a mountain collapsed right in front of his eyes.


    This showed that he had achieved a very high level of enlightenment. He may not be a celestial being or Buddha, but he was apart from other practitioners.


    Such spiritual calmness was not achievable with sheer spiritual power. It was obtained by securing one''s natural instinct and letting go of what one had acquired in his lifetime.


    Shen Lian may be a composed person but when it came to spiritual calmness, he may not be able to match Old Master Shen who had been around longer than him.


    The elderly person was not pretentious. He lightly nodded his head and a simple gesture as that made him looked old and frail.


    Back then when Shen Lian was still in school, he attended several lectures by old professors like this elderly man. Although they were in their eighties and nineties, they were so full of energy and charismatic. Even if they were talking about basic arguments, it was always a pleasure to hear them speak.


    Shen Lian submissively said, "Greetings to you sir."


    "Son, you came through the snow from afar. Although we were a little ignorant, we were just testing out your bravery. Sure enough, you are indeed as peaceful and as solid as jade. I''ve definitely picked the right person."


    The elderly signaled him to take a seat.


    The winter night may be freezing cold but the elderly and Shen Lian was not affected by it. They just sat around the fireplace and spoke to each other.


    Xin Shisiniang served them tea. The tea looked crystal clear but it was bubbling on the surface as if it was extremely hot.


    Shen Lian took a small sip to test the temperature. After determining that the heat was acceptable, he took a big gulp without hesitating. After swallowing, he could feel a rush of warm air gushing up from his belly. That made him felt really good.


    "Are you not worried that the tea might be poisoned?" Xin Shisiniang asked crudely.


    "What your father did to Ye Liuyun was unpredictable. Even if I was being careful, what could I have done to prevent something from happening? I might as well come clean and be honest about it," Shen Lian laughed. He witnessed the elderly''s techniques and became aware of the skills gap between them. He knew that no tricks would save him and the best bet was to behave well.


    "This is the spirit awakening soup. A late friend of mine taught me how to make it. Although you have been working hard and you have a pure spirit, it seems that your physical body is rejecting your training. You have reached the realm of astral projection, but you were not able to experience the transcendent state. If this goes on for long, you might fall into psychosis." The elderly was able to see through Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian knew that his unofficial training would cause problems to him sooner or later. All he could do was to constantly remind himself to be careful and things would be fine but it was still something inevitable.


    The elderly may have dramatized his words but there were some truths behind it.


    The other day while he was reciting a poem in the snow forest, he had a sudden feeling of flow, as if he was about to break his plateau. However, he suppressed that urge with his concentration and it made him realized that he was incapable of controlling his innermost being.


    Although the poem was a reflection of his temperaments, it should not have triggered such a big reaction.


    That was the tricky part of Dao. It was more difficult to train your spirit than your energy. The human being was complicated and could not be described in a phrase or two.


    Shen Lian was not born as Dao genius. It was through many coincidences and opportunities that led him to where he was.


    Fortunately, his thoughts were more composed compared to the previous owner of this body. It was his calmness that saved him from trouble.


    "Please guide me, sir." Shen Lian is eager to learn how to resolve his problem from the elderly.


    "Son, you can address me by my name. Although I am much older than you, we don''t have to be too rigid in the road to Dao. My surname is Xin and we are named according to order. Shisiniang is my fourteenth daughter and that is why she was named Shisiniang. Back then when I was roaming around the human world, I named myself Xin Qubing, Zi Shaoan," Xin Qubing said with a warm expression.


    "I shall call you Mr. Shaoan then. Could you tell me more about the transcendent state you mentioned earlier?"


    "To be honest, I heard about that from someone else and I don''t know enough to go into details. But son, you are like an unpolished jade and I am confident that you will make it through the celestial doors. Xuan Men is so much more powerful than a wild fox like me. Besides, they will have the solution to your question." Xin Qubing could only let out a smile.


    Shen Lian knew that he got lucky with his training. That was also the reason why his spirit could not blend well with his physical body. And this elderly man who self-claimed as a wild fox was able to see him through so easily. Could he be a fox deity who has been in practice for centuries?


    "Mr. Shaoan, you''ve mentioned Celestialisms for several times but I am not too sure what were you trying to say." Shen Lian went straight to the point as he knew that this would be the highlight of their meeting.


    "Just like how Jianghu people have different clans and sect, the practice of celestial studies too has different Celestialisms. It''s just that immortals are not like Jianghu beings who enjoy showing off their skills," Xin Qubing said.


    Shen Lian thought to himself that a realm beyond life and death sure do exist. He has heard stories from Ling Congxiao and then from this elderly man. He was definite that many predecessors have probably experienced Celestialism.


    The only chance to longevity was to go beyond the door of Celestialism and not by unorthodox methods that could potentially kill him if he took the wrong steps.


    "It seems that Mr. Shaoan knew how to enter the door of Celestialism. But why do you need my help?" Shen Lian doesn''t believe in kindness without reason and there are no reasons for the elderly to treat him so nicely.


    That cup of spirit awakening tea was such a precious thing. Why would they serve it to strangers as if it was a cup of water? Shen Lian was not convinced that they have no hidden intention.


    He knew that the only reason the elderly would look for him was because they needed him to complete a task that only he could have accomplished. That was why he was not too stressed out about the meeting.


    In other words, he was a dead pig who was not afraid of boiling water any more.


    "My request can only be fulfilled once you''ve entered Celestialism. You don''t need to worry about it for now. But before that, take a look at this thing." The elderly took out a scroll of painting from his sleeves.

 Chapter 47 See You Again in a Hundred Years

    The scroll of painting unveiled as Shen Lian looked with curiosity. It was blank white.


    Feeling suspicious, he said, "This is that thing from the Green Bamboo Sect?"


    "Yes, it was the item Ling Chongxiao took out from Qing Xuan," Xin Qubing said with a light laugh.


    "What is the mystery behind this painting?" Shen Lian was curious. This was the painting the man in green could not let go off. There must be something behind this blankness.


    Xin Qubing showed an odd expression and tossed the scroll into the fireplace.


    Shen Lian''s expression changed as the scroll fell into the raging flames.


    However, the raging flames could not light up the scroll. Shen Lian wondered what material was the scroll made of.


    Xin Qubing''s dried hands reached out to the fireplace and retrieved the scroll. He said, "Mister Shen, please use your dagger to draw this scroll. Don''t forget to use your inner Qi while doing so."


    Shen Lian did as he was told. Although the dagger was made of ordinary iron, it was still extremely sharp.


    Shen Lian''s inner Qi was pretty strong. When he was focused, he could easily generate a force stronger than a thousand pounds.


    Such force could easily cut through rocks as big as a cucumber.


    Although when the tip landed on the scroll, it could not even leave a mark on it.


    "This sure is a foreign object. No surprise that it is related to celestial beings," Shen Lian said deeply.


    "This painting may come from Qing Xuan but it seemed that no one cared about it nor bothered to take it back. It''s just like how you started with the Shenzu Scripture and over time, when you eventually achieved Dao, your achievement has nothing to do with Shenzu Scripture. Speaking of which, this painting was actually gifted to the Green Bamboo Sect by someone from Ling Chongxiao''s clan. But I don''t know the reason behind the gift. It was by chance that I heard of these stories while I was roaming around the human world.


    Also, besides being fire, water, and knife proof, no one knew what other mysteries lie behind this painting.


    If Yang Xuan did not try to snatch the painting, not many people would have heard of this thing.


    The Green Bamboo Sect is huge in Stat Capital of Qing, and An Wanli is an experienced strategist. He hid the painting in a way that even if someone knew about the existence of it, they wouldn''t know much about it.


    If it weren''t for people like Ye Liuyun and An Wanli who hinted about the painting, you won''t be able to improve so quickly and rise to become Jianghu''s number one.


    I guess he was afraid that he couldn''t protect the painting. Obviously, the painting is no longer at the Green Bamboo sect anymore," Xin Qubing told the story as if he witnessed the whole process. Nobody knew how much more hidden stories that Xin Qubing had heard off.


    "Mr. Shaoan, if you''ve known how unique this painting was, why didn''t you take it from them any sooner to study it? Why did you wait for Ye Liuyun to take it and then take it from him?"


    Shen Lian asked a key question. He could not make sense of why Xin Qubing, a fox deity who was a league of human beings could not get the painting on his own. Unless there was something else that concerned him.


    "You will understand why in the near future. The painting sure has deep mysteries behind it and I am afraid the people of Qing Xuan might not even know of it. It was by chance that I came across information about the painting. Unfortunately, this painting is useless to me. However, this could be worthy of you."


    "Are you giving me this painting?" Shen Lian smiled.


    "In your wildest dreams," Xin Shisiniang answered him with a dash of annoyance.


    "I actually don''t mind giving this to you but it''s not the right time yet. The study of mystical arts comes in different approaches and school of thoughts. The one that suited you the most is definitely Qing Xuan. Also because you''ve heard from Ling Chongxiao about his journey and this is probably the approach that you''re most familiar with. Next year, the ninth day of the ninth month is the day Qing Xuan would open their doors and six months after that, they would have their disciple recruitment ceremony. If you''d like to know more about it, go and look for Ye Liuyun." Xin Qubing finally got to the main agenda of today''s meeting.


    "I really have no idea when it comes to Celestialism. I have a rough idea of hearing what you''ve said but I still don''t know what is it that you need me to do."


    "If you made it to Qing Xuan, I definitely have a favor to ask. But it won''t be something too difficult. Plus, with Qing Xuan behind your back, if you''ve decided to turn your back against me, what else could I do? But I have faith in your character that you''d never do something like that."


    Xin Qubing was sincere with his words. Shen Lian was known to have the best character around. He had also been secretly observing Shen Lian for the past few days.


    That was the main reason why he did not allow Xin Shisiniang to invite Shen Lian to come uphill immediately upon her arrival at the inn. Instead, he told her to give him a few days to react.


    "Trust me, sir, I too believe that you would not harm me. If there is nothing else, I would like to excuse myself. I need some time to absorb everything that I''ve just heard," Shen Lian said apologetically.


    "You''re so ambiguous, beating around the bushes," Xin Shisiniang said coldly.


    "I ''ve lived in a bustling city with so many choices around. How could I easily decide? I would never ever make a decision against my will," Shen Lian calmly replied Xin Shisiniang.


    "If that''s the case, we would not force you to spend the night here. Please leave, sir."


    Of course, Shen Lian did not leave empty-handed.


    The father-daughter fox deities gave him the recipe for the spiritual awakening tea.


    He would not rush to collect the herbs for the tea.


    Although they had chatted a lot tonight, it was only the tip of the iceberg of this mystical thing called Celestialism.


    He felt that the fox deity did not have any malicious intent. But there was something dishonest about him.


    Whether it was Xin Shisiniang or Xin Qubing, both of them were just so hard to read.


    Shen Lian questioned himself, if they wanted to harm him, they could have effortlessly toppled him.


    What made it special was, this fox deity had deep feelings and emotions. He was definitely not simply a monster but someone who was of a higher level compared to Old Master Shen.


    He looked back at the mountain and it felt like he could still see Xin Qubing''s deep gaze and Xin Shisiniang''s perfect face.


    Shen Lian''s thoughts were far from the calmness reflected on his face. If Xin Qubing did not deceive him, the opening of Qing Xuan''s gate was the perfect opportunity for him.


    The only way to learn how to train properly was to enter the celestial gates.


    The journey might take through thousands of mountain and rivers, and even hundred of mortal years. But he knew that he would never regret it.


    Although Shen Lian may seem like a slowcoach, he would never look back once he had decided on something.


    The road to celestial was vast, he would never let go of any opportunities, big or small, that came by.


    It was already late night by the time he arrived at the inn.


    Even if Steward Wu were a hardworking person, he would have been asleep at that hour.


    As Shen Lian stepped into the inn, he indeed did not see Steward Wu. Instead, he saw Bai Yufei.


    "Are you on the night shift today?" Shen Lian asked. He once saw Steward Wu arranging the staff''s working schedule and if remembered correctly, it was not Bai Yufei''s turn to take the night shift.


    "I purposely swapped my shift just to wait for you to come back," Bai Yufei said with a smile.


    "Is there something that you needed to speak to me?"


    "I knew that you would be traveling soon and that''s why I''ve requested Steward Wu to pay my wages in advance so I can buy you drinks. I just don''t know if you would drink with me."


    "I wouldn''t say no to free drinks," Shen Lian smiled; Bai Yufei sure was a wonderful person.


    He was convinced that the inn was in safe hands as long as Bai Yufei was around.


    "Nothing much actually, I just wanted to have a drink with you. It is even better if I could make you drunk for once," Bai Yufei laughed cheekily.

 Chapter 48 A Rare Night of Heavy Drinking

    "Liquor is like a knife. It cuts your throat as you swallow."


    ''Fire Blade'' was a type of spirits. It was also an inexpensive alcohol.


    Normally, people would think that good liquor was expensive while cheap liquor was low-quality alcohol. But that was not necessarily true. Liquor was generally not something good so there''s no such thing as good liquor.


    Shen Lian would drink once in a while too but he usually would drink the ''Lvyi'' rice wine. That type of rice wine was low alcohol content.


    The taste of spirits hitting your throat sure was not a good feeling. Furthermore, Fire Blade was the type of alcohol with high alcohol content.


    Shen Lian was not taking sips and instead was gulping down bowls of it. If one were accustomed to the gentle side of him, they would not believe this bold drinker was, in fact, Shen Lian. Bai Yufei too was surprised.


    He was the one who bought drinks and peanuts for Shen Lian.


    That was all he could afford with his wages.


    Although Shen Lian owns the place and he could have easily requested for any dishes, Shen Lian only wanted the wine and dishes prepared by Bai Yufei.


    Bai Yufei too felt the same.


    "I''ve never thought you would drink so boldly." Bai Yufei patted Shen Lian''s shoulder with a hint of drunkenness. It was not his first time drinking with other people but it was a different ball game drinking with Shen Lian. Shen Lian possessed a special kind of charisma that would give people around him a peace of mind. If he became a friend, he would definitely be the person one can rely on.


    Bai Yufei was usually more cautious when he drank with other people. But with Shen Lian, he believed that everything would be fine. This was Shen Lian, the one and only Shen Lian in this universe.


    "Am I not a bold person?" Shen Lian replied tipsily. Although slightly intoxicated, his eyes were still sharp and clear.


    "Nope, you are not!" Bai Yufei laughed.


    "Then what about you?" Shen Lian asked.


    "What?" Bai Yufei was showing signs of intoxication. Next to his feet lined ten earthen jars of liquor. If any ordinary person consumed ten earthen jars of liquor, he would be totally wasted.


    Bai Yufei was still able to stand strong. His practice of Qinggong had helped him keep his balance although he was drunk.


    "I was asking, are you a bold person?" Shen Lian increased his volume and this time Bai Yufei heard him loud and clear.


    "I am someone who is afraid to be bold," Bai Yufei laughed again. When you''re drinking you would think that you''re speaking in a loud voice but that''s not necessarily the case. However, Shen Lian was able to hear his answer crystal clear.


    Shen Lian patted Bai Yufei shoulder without saying anything. At this point, there was nothing much left to say. All they could do was drink.


    Shen Lian was in fact drunk.


    Jokes and plans for world domination could not beat one good night of heavy drinking.


    Drinking at his inn with his employee.


    Bai Yufei had no hidden intentions or so. All he wanted was to drink with Shen Lian. That was also why Shen Lian agreed to drink with him.


    The reason why Shen Lian was not a very bold person was due to his insecurities.


    Bai Yufei, on the other hand, was actually a very bold person. But he did not have many friends and that was why he was afraid of being bold. He knew that once the thrills of being bold were over, there might not be any other opportunities for him to be bold again.


    That night, the two men were drunk to their core.


    It was already noon by the time Shen Lian opened his eyes.


    That was the first time in the two years where he woke up late. He did not manage to sleep well as the hangover kicked in.


    He drank way too much the night before.


    Bai Yufei collapsed by the time he hit the 12th earthen jar. At that point, Shen Lian was still partially sober.


    By the time Shen Lian passed out, he did not know how much he had drunk.


    He too was not aware that Bai Yufei was not the only one who paid for the drinks. Steward Wu contributed to the bill too.


    The bed was soft and comfortable but the weather outside was unforgivingly cold.


    During days like that, a majority of people would just stay in bed.


    There was a popular saying that went, "why sleep for so long when you can sleep forever once you are dead."


    However, Shen Lian was one of the minorities.


    When he walked down to the lounge of the inn, Bai Yufei had already reported for work. He looked hard working as usual and no one could tell that his real identity was actually a world-famous thief.


    The higher you soar, the more you would enjoy the down-to-earth feeling.


    Bai Yufei''s martial arts skills were not top-notched but Shen Lian believed given ten or twenty years, Bai Yufei would peak.


    It was a pity that he had no fate with the road to Dao. But that was not something worthy to be sad about.


    There were just way too many people who were fated to be part of neither Dao nor Jianghu. Instead, they lived an ordinary life.


    Steward Wu handed Shen Lian an invitation. It was an invitation to Shen Ruoxi''s poetry gathering.


    A purple invitation signified an honorable invitation.


    A poetry gathering by Shen Ruoxi was big news to the city.


    Entertainment was limited during the bitter winter. Initially, Shen Ruoxi only invited a couple of familiar faces to her gathering. Who knew that it would turn out to be a hit among people?


    The plum blossom appreciation and poetry gathering were held at the manor of the Shen residence. Horse carriages filled the roads, a huge crowd turned up for the party.


    From talented men, beautiful women to wealthy merchants, there were, however, no sights of commoners.


    The type of people who would be bored during winter were not commoners who were busy making a living.


    Poor people would not have first world problems such as being too bored due to the lack of entertainment. When one was poor, a slice of meat or a glass of wine was the highest form of enjoyment.


    Shen Ruoxi was from a wealthy family. In her lifetime, she would never understand poverty.


    Young girls were generally poetic. But young girls from a poor family had no choice but to suppress their poetic intention.


    Shen Ruoxi was very fortunate. She could compose her own poem or she could just get someone to write one for her.


    The Qing State had always been a place that lacked literature. By the time the party ended, no one heard of anything impressive. However, everyone present was in good mood.


    "The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest,


    Not mingling with the plums and peaches to be reduced to secular;


    Suddenly, the refreshing fragrance permeates through the night,


    It scattered became the new spring of the world."


    The poem was recited deliberately but it did not mask the elegance of the poem.


    The crowd''s face changed color when they heard the poem.


    A couple of scholars could not help but bow down to this poem that was destined to spread through the ages.


    The charm of this poem lies in the meaning that goes beyond border, class and even culture.


    A man''s nature was good at birth. It was the materialistic approach to life that caused people to be vain and calculative.


    The charm of a song of a thousand years old lies in its ability to bring out the good in humanity.


    Shen Ruoxi stood on the stage with a veil covering her face. She saved this poem for the last.


    The settings of the poem were quiet and calm. Even though people have memorized the poem, Shen Ruoxi could not help but feel a sense of loss after hearing for the second time.


    She felt that she knew a little bit more about her cousin now.


    Unfortunately, Shen Lian was not by her side. Her eyes scanned the crowd and she could not find him among the audience.


    She did not notice someone waved to her and disappeared into the winter night.


    The twelfth month of the lunar year came to an end. Spring was to approach soon.

 Chapter 49 Ice Jade

    The next time Shen Lian returned to the Qielan mountain, the pair of father-daughter fox deities were gone without a trace; as if they were never once there.


    The temple was old and abandoned. It was almost obliterated by cobwebs.


    During his last trip, he was not able to tell that the cleaned and neat courtyard was just an illusion. It showed that the old fox''s magical power was extremely sophisticated.


    Although Shen Lian knew that the pair would have been gone, sooner or later, they would see each other again. Hopefully, by then, he had started his celestial studies.


    Mingjian Peak was situated in the northeast region. The distance between the State Capital of Qing and Mingjian Peak was a whopping three thousand miles.


    There were no oceans to cross. Shen Lian traveled by land.


    Shen Lian stopped by a country called Dawei. The capital city was situated at the north. It had a rich tradition of roaming scholars who came here to study. Shen Lian had a beam belt, a sword across his waist and a clean face. By looks of him, one could tell that he was from a wealthy family.


    The only odd thing about him was the absence of entourage.


    Shen Lian brought nothing else but a pouch of golden leaves. He was traveling lighter than the so-called backpackers.


    With three hundred miles to go, a sudden downpour halted Shen Lian''s travel. He did not want to rush the trip so he went and look for a residence to avoid the rain.


    The place that Shen Lian found was a manor with three striking characters of "Su Jia Bao", the Su''s Fort.


    He squinted his eyes as he felt overwhelmed by the three characters. He could not tell if the characters were carved using a knife, stick or sword in one stroke.


    It was as natural as floating clouds and water streams.


    "This family is probably a Jianghu family," Shen Lian thought to himself. Even if they were not from Jianghu, the person who carved the writings was an inner Qi expert. It was not an easy feat to carve these characters so naturally.


    The end of the martial arts road leads to the road to celestial studies.


    Shen Lian had this feeling out of a sudden.


    Only sensitive people like Shen Lian would be able to feel the flow and beauty of the three characters. If one judged it from a calligraphy point of view, these writings were just average.


    Shen Lian entered the hall of Su Jia Bao to find a crowd seeking shelter from the rain.


    Rain during spring was cold. The kind-hearted owner lighted the fireplace which brought some warmth to the room.


    A group of neatly dressed men had their knives and sword by their side. Their eyebrows oozed a strong masculine aura.


    Their leader was probably the man in his late twenties. Although he was surrounded by others in the middle and his figure was not the largest, he was somewhat charismatic. Shen Lian took a glance and could sense his vitality.


    There was a fireplace in the hall but when Shen Lian took a seat, he noticed a young man who was like a stove, full of energy and vitality.


    It took Ling Chongxiao a lot of practice to suppress his vitality from seeping out in order to look like a normal person. Should his vitality explode, he would still outdo this young man in terms of energy level.


    Of course, Ling Chongxiao was of a different level. The young man can be considered as an expert as he can be slightly compared with Ling Chongxiao.


    Besides that group of people, there was also a short haired monk.


    When Shen Lian noticed him, the monk smiled back without any malicious intention.


    There were three other guys whom Shen Lian could not figure out their backgrounds. They were tall and big with fierce faces on.


    The three men were eyeing the youth who was surrounded in the middle.


    They looked at him with the desire to kill, as if they would take action in any minute.


    At the same time, that young man with a cold look was secretly cautious of the three men.


    It was as if they were in sync, waiting for something to happen. They were on standby to take action.


    The sound of thunder kept ringing from the outside.


    A smiling teenager leisurely appeared in the hall.


    Although it was really chilly at that moment, the teenager had a folding fan on one hand. He looked charmingly handsome.


    In terms of attractiveness, this young lad could match Shen Lian. But this lad had softer features, with a dash of wildness.


    When the lad walked in, the three fierce men showed signs of relief.


    The three men stood up and the other group of men too, stood up concurrently.


    The atmosphere was so tensed that you could cut it with a knife.


    The lad pointed at the young man. His fingers were white as jade, you could vaguely see his veins under the firelight. No one would believe this person possessed any lethality.


    "So you are Lee Zhuang."


    His voice was crisp and clear, just like dew droplets landing on pieces of jade.


    "Yes, that would be me. I am Lee Zhuang of Shunfeng Escorts. I do not know who are you but I believed this three men who have been following me up north has something to do with you," Lee Zhuang spoke up in a powerful way. He sure had the charisma of a colonel general.


    "How did you know that these three idiots are related to me?" The lad asked in a lazy tone.


    The three tall, vicious, and brawny men were hit men known as the Gobi Trio in Jianghu. They were actually first-class outlaws on the run from justice.


    The three of them grew up together and were like brothers. They had a special batter technique that very few people could break.


    They had been quiet for the past five years and rumor had it that they fell into the hands of Ling Chongxiao. Who knew that they were actually well and alive?


    Lee Zhuang could not recognize them until they started fighting.


    He lost two brothers in the fight but suppressed his anger there.


    He could not understand why the Gobi Trio would want to hijack their escorts.


    It all started to make sense when this youth showed up.


    All he could do was to delay things and wait for backup to arrive.


    "Please forgive the Gobi Trio. They may be capable but they would not have the guts to rob my escorts." Lee Zhuang tried not to offend the Gobi Trio and at the same time, attempted to find out the background of this youth.


    "Hehe, Mingjian Peak is nothing! Our master needs that piece of thousand-year ice jade. If you can read the situation, obediently hand over the jade now," the eldest of the Gobi Trio said.


    Lee Zhuang laughed and replied, "I wonder who is this young master who is capable of making the Gobi Trio trivialize the Mingjian Peak. "


    The youth smiled and replied, "Who are you to ask that question? This thousand-year-old ice jade is actually not that great of a thing. It was Ye Liuyun who didn''t have the confidence and had to depend on the jade to cross the Wenxin Road. That so-called number one man of Jianghu; I don''t think he''s that great after all."


    "I wouldn''t dare to say Master Liuyun is the top man of Jianghu and I have no idea what is Wenxin Road. But he is knowledgeable, hardworking and has high moral standards. These are qualities that I respect the most. I think you might have misunderstood him," Lee Zhuang replied calmly.


    "How would I have misunderstood him? I''ve never even met him in person. Cut the crap. I know that you were born in Fumo Temple and you''re the first person under the age of thirty in two hundred years from this old temple to have mastered the Hercules King Kong Palm method. You''ve also reached the sixth level of the Protection Art of Golden Shield. How about this, you throw me your palm and see if my body is stronger than your golden shield. If I am uninjured, you throw another palm. If you''re injured, you give me the jade. It''s too much effort and bad karma to kill."

 Chapter 50 One Has to Compromise When in Jianghu

    Shen Lian felt somewhat strange that the owner of Su Jia Bao was nowhere to be found in such a crucial moment.


    Were they so fearful of these Jianghu bandits that they had to hide somewhere?


    He felt puzzled by the situation. He looked at the shorthaired monk but the monk had his eyes squinted, looking like he had fallen asleep as if the commotion had nothing to do with him


    Lee Zhuang was surprised that this ''little master'' was able to read his mind. That caused him to be deeply intimidated by the youth.


    His Hercules King Kong Palm had reached the level where he could smash stones. He could even hit through 13 blocks of bricks in one go.


    Even if this ''little master'' was made of iron, he should not be so cocky hearing his name.


    As for the Golden Shield, he had mastered up the sixth level - the level where most swords and knife would not be able to cause any damage to him.


    If he did not have such basic capabilities, he would not have started the Shunfeng Escorts.


    Considering that his opponent had made a statement, it would cost him his pride in Jianghu if he did not have the guts to accept the challenge.


    But it did not seem too heroic if he went ahead and strike his opponent. Moreover, with such guts, maybe they had other tricks up their sleeves.


    Lee Zhuang changed his mind. He held his fist back and said, "Punches and kicks are blind. What if I accidentally injured you? That would make me feel terrible. How about we learn from each other and make friends through martial arts? If you are more skillful than I am, I would accept defeat without any objection."


    Lee Zhuang was determined to buy time. If the other party refused to his suggestion, he would have no choice but to fight. Mingjian Peak specifically said they wanted this piece of ice jade. If he lost that business, he would throw the reputation of Shunfeng Escorts and Fumo Temple down the drain.


    The ''little master'' smiled sweetly like a blooming flower. The smile lit up the entire hall.


    Lee Zhuang felt shaken. He could not help but wonder how disastrous things would be if this person were actually, in fact, a girl.


    He could actually think of this even when his enemy was right in front of him. That showed how threatening this little master could be.


    "Forget about it. What kind of person are you? I tried to be nice but you didn''t want it," the little master fanned himself and smiled. His expression turned cold right after the smile.


    Like the fire in the seventh month to the frosty weather in the twelfth month, he changed his expression just in a blink of an eye.


    The folding fan was painted in gold. It looked regal and classy, really matched the snow-white glass-liked skin of the little master.


    Lee Zhuang did not dare to let his guard down. He was extremely cautious of this little master.


    "Go and get rid of anyone who has eyes and leaves this Hercules King Kong Palm for me to toy with." The little master moved his lips slightly upwards with a grim yet handsome expression.


    All Lee Zhuang could see was the little master who transformed into a stack of overlapping shadows, charging towards his direction.


    He could not care less about the Gobi Trio. His experience told him that his opponent''s technique was world-class.


    He transferred his Qi to his cinnabar fields to unleash the Hercules King Kong Palm that he had practiced for so many years. Like a raging tidal wave, he pushed out both palms and gave his all.


    "This would be a great way to kill time." Shen Lian who stood far away could not help but felt tense.


    The Hercules King Kong Palm may be a technique of pure strength but it was not about physical hardness. It was a martial art technique where the strength was built up from the outside to inside of the body.


    The maximum level of the Hercules King Kong Palm was as strong as the Dao''s "taming the white tiger" technique.


    It was both a palm method and a practice of internal force.


    With the supplement of the Golden Shield, the stroke was extremely powerful.


    The stack of overlapped shadows disappeared as the little master appeared within the Golden Shield and the force of the palm.


    Wave-like stripes surrounded the little master, as if there was a layer of invisible water hood protecting him.


    The force of the palm landed on the little master''s body but the intensity was dispersed.


    Lee Zhuang was in dismay and said, "Gang Qi shield, how is that possible?" This was also the moment he realized why this little master was so boastful and so pleased to try on his palm method; the little fellow had mastered the legendary Gang Qi shield.


    As Shen Lian was extremely sensitive, he sensed something odd about this little master. He felt strange that this person''s Gang Qi shield came so abruptly as if there was a switch to turn it on. It also felt effortless as if no spiritual energy was consumed in order to build it.


    Back then, the man in green, Yang Xuan, too mastered the Gang Qi shield. But when he had to face ten thousand arrows released simultaneously, he did not use that to fight directly. Reason being, using the Gang Qi would burn up a huge load of vitality.


    If one could use the Gang Qi shield as they like without worrying about energy consumption, they could effortlessly face a mighty force of army as if they were the celestials on land.


    Lee Zhuang swiftly jumped aside and escaped the scene as his palm method could not land on the target.


    Being in the escort industry, his reputation was dependent on the items that he was delivering, and not his life.


    He panicked. How was it possible for him to escape after witnessing the little master''s Qing Gong?


    The little master gave a childlike smile. With the fan in one hand, his shadow followed Lee Zhuang. He had no chance to escape.


    For a couple of times, he attempted to run to the gate. However, the little master stopped him, like a cat toying a mouse.


    As he tried to escape, Lee Zhuang overheard the commotion next to him. He looked and saw his brothers being defeated by the Gobi trio. It was a one-sided massacre.


    The trio was extremely vicious. They either tear off the limbs or break the joints of those came in their way.


    They then left them to die suffering in pain.


    The once cleaned hall transformed into a scene of carnage.


    The shorthaired monk was still asleep and showed no signs of motion.


    Lee Zhuang was in a rage and wanted to rescue his brothers but the folding fan silently appeared once again.


    The folding fan knocked on skull like a stick crushing a watermelon. His brain gushed out as he took the hit.


    Lee Zhuang''s Golden Shield was supposed to protect him against external forces. Furthermore, the head was technically the strongest part of the body. And yet, he could not take a light tap from the little master.


    This showed that as long as one had a strong inner Qi, he could be a grass, wood, bamboo or even a stone, and still capable of producing a strong force.


    In an instant, Lee Zhuang and none of his brothers from Shunfeng Escorts managed to escape.


    The hall was filled with the smell of blood; it was a sickening scent.


    The Gobi Trio had blood all over them, it was other people''s blood.


    The little master carefully took out a small box from Lee Zhuang.


    The Gobi Trio came up and said, "Little Master, we have settled everything."


    The little master did not open the box. He looked at the hall but the gory scene did not shake him.


    He saw Shen Lian and the shorthaired monk and said, "Didn''t I told you guys to kill anyone who has eyes? Don''t you guys have ears?"


    The Gobi Trio may be vicious but they will never kill an innocent.


    They did not want to displease the little master and so they turned to Shen Lian with a smile and said, "Today is not your day kid."


    Shen Lian would have stepped in to help if it was a case of ordinary bandits robbing the innocents.


    But obviously, the dispute between Shunfeng Escorts and the Gobi Trio as well as the little master was a Jianghu matter.


    One could not tell who was innocent. Even though Shen Lian was kind-hearted, he would not waste it on things like that.


    The only thing unexpected was that it was impossible for him to not be involved in this matter.


    When in Jianghu, there would be grudges and resentment. Even if it was not related to oneself, trouble would still come.


    He was not the type of person who enjoyed stirring up trouble and he did not like being troubled.


    "You guys are the one in trouble if you mess with me," Shen Lian sighed.


    The little master looked at Shen Lian and shifted his glance to the shorthaired monk. He felt that the shorthaired monk looked somewhat familiar.


    That trip was an easy one for the little master. The ice jade was actually of no use for him, but as long as it was useful for Ye Liuyun, that was good enough.

 Chapter 51 It Was Told That the Little Master Is in Fact Xiao Zhu

    The Gobi Trio inched toward Shen Lian, as what Shen Lian said had set them off.


    They tromped at each step and marched toward Shen Lian uniformly. One could almost hear the thrumming of the roof tiles, unbeknownst to the listeners whether it was caused by the heavy rain or the tromping of the trio.


    Three individuals, six fists �C every punch could kill a cow.


    Facing the vicious trio, Shen Lian seemed apathetic.


    The moment the six punches were thrown to him, Shen Lian crouched slightly, swung his arms like a drunk man. While the motion was random, he escaped from the fists.


    It was what he adapted from Bai Yufei''s movements. While there were slight differences, the movements both stemmed from a single concept, the concept of ''balance''.


    The jab sliced through the air and muffled the rain.


    He simply latched onto one of the trio''s shoulder. With a swift hook, he managed to get another one down on his knees.


    He then threw the guy he was latching onto toward the last man standing.


    Shen Lian was manipulating the movement of the trio like a puppeteer in a muppet show. By the end of the show, the muppets were simply tangled and trapped.


    The tangled trio fell to the ground and looked just like a huge meatball.


    The Gobi Trio were rather famous among Jianghu, but Shen Lian defeated them effortlessly. It was not something expected by the little master.


    He was preoccupied with the presence of the shorthaired monk. By the time realized what happened, the trio had already been thrashed.


    It could be said that the trio had the strength of the gods. Unfortunately, it seemed that Shen Lian was more favored by the gods. It was smooth sailing for him.


    "You are no ordinary man. May I know what your name is?" The little master blinked and put on a more serious expression. His eyes glimmered under the fluttering, charming eyelashes.


    "You wouldn''t know me even if I mention it. It is okay because I am not interested to know who you are as well," Shen Lian answered calmly, but with a cautious expression �C he looked as if he was ready to strike anytime.


    He was suspicious of the little master because of the tricks that the little master pulled previously.


    He did not intend to use the Deity Vanquishing Sword unless it was absolutely necessary. He was aware of its danger after the fox deity warned him about it. However, it was hard to not go against one''s will.


    "Well, you don''t need to tell me. I know you''re from the Shen family." The little master smiled.


    "I know who you are too, Xiao Zhu, the owner of Guiyun Peak," answered not by Shen Lian, but the shorthaired monk who looked like he was sleeping previously.


    Mingjian Peak and Guiyun Peak were located in the north and the south of Dawei respectively, but both were the longest standing Holy Land of Kung Fu.


    The history of the peaks could have lasted for a thousand years, which was likely to be longer than Dawei''s history.


    Shen Lian never imagined that he would be able to meet both Mingjian''s and Guiyun''s heir, Ye Liuyun and Xiao Zhu.


    As the descendant of Guiyun, it was apparent why he could easily identify Shen Lian''s background.


    Xiao Zhu was hitting on his fair and soft palm lightly with his folding fan. He tilted his head to the side and laughed with his lips closed. "So it is Master Kuhui. I remember you were present during my baby shower celebration. You gave me a string of beads. That is why you look familiar."


    "It was commonly said that you can remember things since the moment you''re born. I thought it was a joke but who would have known?" Kuhui spoke slowly.


    "I heard that you met Ye Liuyun three years ago. How am I in comparison? Who is better?"


    Xiao Zhu stopped hitting his palm with his fan. He wanted to know more eagerly the answer to whether Ye Liuyun was better than him.


    "If you don''t use the King Kong Talisman, you won''t be able to beat Ye Liuyun even if there were two of you. In addition, you two are a couple. It is better if he is more powerful." Kuhui smiled.


    Shen Lian came to a realization that Xiao Zhu was actually female. There was not any resentment between Guiyun and Mingjian, they were actually related.


    The shield around the body was perhaps related to King Kong Talisman. It could be the celestial power.


    "This King Kong Talisman belongs to my family, and naturally, it belongs to me. If you can use precious swords, why can''t I use talisman?" Xiao Zhu disapproved.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, ''This woman is temperamental. She does not value life. If Ye Liuyun marries her, he will definitely suffer.''


    Shen Lian could not imagine how would Ye Liuyun''s aloof personality be able to pair up with Xiao Zhu''s temperment.


    "Let us not talk about Ye Liuyun. Even with your King Kong Talisman, you will not be able to beat Shen Lian." Kuhui pointed at Shen Lian and smiled.


    "What is so great about this boy? Even Ling Chongxiao will not be able to defeat the King Kong Talisman," Xiao Zhu responded coldly. In her eyes, he did not stand a chance.


    This talisman originated from Celestialism. Therefore, there was no need for essential Qi.


    One only needed to focus on the mind and spirit to activate the shield. It was not something that could be easily disrupted by an ordinary man''s tricks.


    In addition, as long as the vital Qi stored in it was not depleted, the invisible shield should exist.


    During the downtime, there was also a natural mechanism within this talisman where it would absorb vital Qi from the environment to replenish the vital Qi it used.


    The process of absorption could also help enhance the physique of the person wearing the talisman.


    Even in the realm of celestial, it was considered something precious.


    "He succeeded in the training for the Deity Vanquishing Sword, what more can you say?" Kuhui said slowly.


    Shen Lian thought, ''It seems like I can''t hide this information from people. Fortunately, no one knew I practiced The Mastery of Senses.''


    He realized that at least in Jianghu, there was not any training that specialized in the spirit. It could be a different case for Celestialism.


    Shen Lian was able to break out of the ordinary due to The Mastery of Senses, which origin was unknown.


    Xiao Zhu evaluated Shen Lian and said, "Other than the insane Yang Xuan, there is another person who practiced this. Why did Ling Chongxiao allow him to stay alive and even teach him Kung Fu?"


    "Most others who practiced Deity Vanquishing Sword would have either died or strayed toward the path of evil, like Yang Xuan, but Shen is an exception."


    "Why should I believe you?" Xiao Zhu smiled coldly.


    "Why don''t you try it out?"


    "Eh, Shen, did you really succeed in obtaining the Deity Vanquishing Sword?" Xiao Zhu asked.


    "I guess."


    "What do you mean ''I guess?''" Xiao Zhu''s black eyes were staring at Shen Lian curiously.


    "I can definitely use the Deity Vanquishing Sword. If your invisible shield can''t protect yourself from the attack on the spirit, then I can certainly defeat you," Shen Lian replied slowly.


    Given the fact that she was the fianc�� of Ye Liuyun and was a woman, Shen Lian did not intend to cause any problem. He still wanted to understand from Ye Liuyun about how Qing Xuan selected his students.


    Regarding why Xiao Zhu insisted to oppose Ye Liuyun, Shen Lian was not at all curious.


    Suddenly, someone coughed and it was extremely clear to the three in the room.

 Chapter 52 The Owner of Su’s For

    Shen Lian was led in by an old servant when he was looking for a shelter from the rain. The servant disappeared right after.


    It was merely a side hall of the fort to shelter passers-by from the rain. It was a sign of goodwill by the owner and nothing more than that.


    Shen Lian was initially attracted by the title of Su''s Fort and neglected other details. However, he did notice some oddities.


    A handsome man walked into the room, accompanied by the sound of coughing. His face was impeccable and it was possible that no sculptors could ever replicate his face. He was dressed in luxurious materials, sewed together with techniques Shen Lian had never seen before.


    His skin was even more beautiful than Xiao Zhu. His fingers were long and slender, suitable for playing the zither and even more suitable for a sword.


    However, he covered his mouth with a piece of silk handkerchief as he coughed.


    If it was not for the cough, he would totally go under the radar of Shen Lian.


    It was the first time for Shen Lian to meet anyone who would not make a sound in between movements. He had good ears, but even then he could not hear anything, neither the sound of the man''s footsteps nor the movement of the joints.


    Kuhui''s usually relaxed face started to show a sign of worry.


    Nobody made a move even under such a tense situation.


    The rain stopped, water dripped from the roof.


    The man glanced over the three standing in the room.


    Unknowingly, Xiao Zhu started to swing her folding fan, looking as if she was extremely calm. However, she was holding on to the handle tightly, and her veins were showing at the back of her hand. She was not as calm as she looked.


    Shen Lian was the only one who managed to calm down after the initial shock.


    He activated The Mastery of Senses as the man''s glare was too unusual. It was as if a tiger just woke up from its sleep. It was not malicious, but the kingly power was meant to keep you under his reign of command.


    "Who are you?" Xiao Zhu was the first to lose her cool.


    Shen Lian sighed, and from this, he could tell Xiao Zhu was not as good as Ye Liuyun.


    Even though by sheer luck Shen Lian defeated Ye Liuyun that day, he would never underestimate this opponent. Ye Liuyun was one of the most talented persons he had ever met.


    Whoever it was, it was unlikely that anyone could fare better than Ye Liuyun on his wheelchair.


    "I am the owner of this place," the owner answered.


    "I am asking for your name?"


    "This is Su''s Fort. Hence, I think it is obvious that my family name is Su. I will not mention my name, as you will not be aware of it. A name is just a representation, but it is destiny that brought us here today and it is getting late, why don''t you stay over for dinner? You can rest for a night here before continuing your journey." The owner had a relaxed demeanor even when he said this, but it was apparent that his decision was final and no one could oppose it.


    "I am sorry, uncle, my mother told me to have dinner at home tonight." Xiao Zhu let out a gorgeous smile, ignoring the ball formed by the Gobi trio.


    She landed on the tip of her feet, like a cloud floating around the mountain and headed toward the exit.


    The way she moved was really elegant.


    Xiao Zhu was smart and given that she had achieved her goal. She needed not to spend more time here to deal with Kuhui, Shen Lian, and the unknown owner of Su''s Fort. There was not any added benefit to stay.


    She was also a lady. Even if she ran away from this situation, it would not deal damage to her reputation.


    Xiao Zhu was fast, but the owner was already standing before her.


    She ceased moving and swung her folding fan, like a swallow stopping abruptly in the air.


    This attack required a perfect ratio of body balance and power control. Therefore, even if the attack was deadly, it still looked pleasing to the eyes.


    Shen Lian witnessed the whole scene. He had to admire that while women lacked certain qualities for Kung Fu, they did have better flexibility than men.


    You win some, you lose some.


    The folding fan could easily blow Li Zhuang''s head even though he excelled in martial art. It was much more powerful than Xiao Zhu''s previous attack.


    At such a short distance, Shen Lian thought that even he himself would not be able to avoid the blow.


    The owner did not dodge and the folding fan that went past his shoulder. Shen Lian then heard a sound, it was as if a bubble just popped.


    The owner turned into a puddle of water. Shen Lian was excited �C this obviously was celestial power.


    The water-formed body broke away and it splashed all over the space.


    Xiao Zhu''s invisible shield was activated. It was like the natural reflex of King Kong Talisman to defend.


    Drops of water slowly slid down from the air.


    A white ray suddenly appeared and went through the shield easily, as easy as a knife cutting through a piece of tofu.


    Xiao Zhu let out a scream and was left in a shocked state.


    The white ray broke into the shield and circulated around Xiao Zhu. Soon it had restrained her.


    The water droplets formed from the alter ego went through the soil and blended with the blood. At that moment, the dead bodies formed a puddle of soiled water.


    The soiled water formed into a ball and rolled out to under the loquat tree. It then sunk into the soil.


    While the stream of water went by the Gobi trio, they were not harmed. The dead carcasses were all turned into fertilizers.


    Shen Lian had really good eyes. He realized the withered loquat tree was coming back alive.


    The owner still did not move an inch.


    He felt Shen Lian''s gaze, and said, "This loquat was planted by my wife. After she passed away, I married a new wife and she ordered me to cut it down. Unfortunately, it now has a life of its own and I relocated it over here. Given the fertilizers, I believe it will bear more succulent loquats next year. Unfortunately, the three of you will not be able to wait until the fruit wine is brewed."


    He laughed again. Even Kuhui thought the idea of using dead carcasses as fertilizers scary.


    Xiao Zhu squinted and smiled, "Dear uncle, I just recall that both my parents aren''t home today. I will have dinner at your place. I won''t leave."


    The owner responded slowly, "I was just joking with you. I wouldn''t want to hurt a lovely lady like you."


    He extended his finger and formed a hook. The white ray tying Xiao Zhu down was removed. It stretched itself out like a white snake, and it then went back into the finger of the owner.


    Shen Lian thought, ''The owner here isn''t someone ordinary. I wonder between him and the Xin father-daughter, who is better.''


    This means the fox deity and the owner were beyond Shen Lian''s understanding. He did not know enough to judge their capabilities.


    Xiao Zhu dared not to run away this time. She walked toward Shen Lian obediently and stood next to him.

 Chapter 53 The Sorrow of a Skeleton

    Shen Lian had always wanted to achieve immortality, but when someone with extraordinary talent stood in front of him, he was terrified. He activated The Mastery of Senses again to calm his mind.


    A thought emerged in his head, he was actually afraid of this power before him. He felt staggered by it.


    That state of concentration was consequently disturbed.


    When he looked around him, he realized that he was no longer in the side hall.


    Instead, he was following the Su''s Fort owner who was leading the way. He was behind Kuhui and Xiao Zhu.


    It was common for a person in a group to subconsciously follow the person who was in front.


    Though, that was more apparent among animals.


    It was a mindless action.


    However, Kuhui, Shen Lian, and to some extent, Xiao Zhu, were all extremely egoistic. Yet, the owner of Su''s Fort managed to influence and lead them the way. Shen Lian was astonished by how powerful the owner was.


    He tried to enter the concentration state again. However, he could only calm his heart but could not keep his soul at bay.


    The fox deity, Xin Qubing said that his body did not match well with his spirit, which indicated that his soul and spirit could not be in one with each other.


    It meant that he could easily perform astral projection, but it did have some drawbacks.


    It would take an average cultivator of Daoism a long time to reach the out of body state. Unlike him, who could simply get his soul out of his body even during battles.


    When Shen Lian took all those into consideration, he did not stop following the owner.


    His vital Qi and body adapted to the rhythm. He would only stop if the owner had stopped.


    He could try to break out of this using brute force, but it would make the clash of his spirit and the soul worse.


    It was through this rhythm that he was able to feel the gap between his soul and spirit.


    That was also how he regained consciousness.


    The surrounding was misty, and the place was unknown to them.


    One could not differentiate the directions, whether it was north, south, east, or west.


    All of a sudden, the scenery transformed. There was a stream flowing on the side.


    The fog disappeared and a small path appeared.


    Other than the stream, there were also bushes and a bamboo forest. The leaves made a gushing sound as the night wind blew.


    There was an arbor in the midst of that.


    Everyone took their seat and Shen Lian finally regained control of his body.


    Xiao Zhu and Kuhui, however, did not realize what happened just now. When they sat down, it was as if they just woke up from a dream.


    "Where is this?" Xiao Zhu asked. After she agreed to stay, it felt like she took a nap and the moment she woke up, she was seated in this unknown place.


    "This is my garden. Please do not worry, everyone." The owner smiled and clapped his hands.


    A group of beautiful servants came in. The first eight carried fine dishes that were made from unknown ingredients.


    The following four carried silver pots and wine glasses.


    There were four corners at the table. Each of them took a seat.


    Shen Lian sat opposite of the owner.


    When the servants that served drinks and food left, in came two more.


    One of them carried a zither and the other held a flute.


    One of them asked, "What songs would you like today, my master?"


    Her voice was soft and beautiful, but it lacked liveliness.


    Shen Lian observed each of the servants. They were all gorgeous but looked dead in the eyes.


    It reminded him of his past life when he visited Madame Tussauds. The wax models were realistic, but they had no life.


    The wax models, however, stood silently. It was easy to tell that it was lifeless.


    The beautiful servants were all able to move. Hence, they were unlikely to be man-made.


    "There are skeletons in front of Changsheng Door. Let''s just play the ''Sorrow of a Skeleton''." The owner decided without asking the guests.


    It was quite a sight to have a meal with live music as accompaniment.


    Shen Lian simply followed suit.


    Kuhui spoke little words, in contrast to Xiao Zhu.


    The three of them were no friends, but they all shared a mutual understanding.


    As the fort owner was extremely mysterious and he could be immortal, they were just trying to save each other''s lives in that situation.


    At the same time, Shen Lian felt that while Kuhui did not speak much, he seemed to like him.


    While the owner looked easy-going, it was hard to guess what he was thinking. Shen Lian could not even tell his depth.


    He tried to test the water occasionally but the moment his spirit approached the owner, it was bounced back by an invisible shield.


    The wine was smooth to the palate. It had a great aftertaste. The food was flavorful �C not even Xiao Zhu who was born with a silver spoon had ever tasted something so delicious.


    The situation was uncomfortable for her - being at this mysterious location, along with the presence of the mysterious owner.


    She could not taste the joy in her food.


    She took a peek at others; Kuhui looked like he was enjoying this.


    It was rare for a monk to be so obedient when one was being asked to eat meat and drink alcohol.


    Xiao Zhu did know that the monk had been surviving in Jianghu for many years, even before she was born. For someone to be famous in Jianghu and had survived for many years, the person either had to be extremely capable, or extremely knowledgeable.


    For anyone to live until the end of his life, he must be extraordinary in some aspects.


    While the monk was not at the end of his life, he was old.


    Xiao Zhu knew that if she were to leave safely, she would have to rely on the old monk, as she believed he would have some good ideas, being the more experienced one among them all.


    On the other hand, Shen Lian was clearly enjoying his food.


    He was an elegant eater. He chewed with his mouth closed.


    He would not let out any chewing sound.


    When he was eating, he gave out the aura that he was not one to waste food.


    This aura was innate and not nurtured.


    He took every dish in moderation, even if he liked one of them particularly.


    It was the control of desire that exhibited his manners.


    Some people thought that to do as he pleased was considered freedom.


    They were not aware that real freedom relied not on desire but control.


    The beautiful servants played a harmony using the flute and zither. The Sorrow of a Skeleton was indeed ''sorrow''.


    It was carefully played to the state of ''sorrowful, but not depressed''. Hence, it did not affect the mood for consumption.


    "How was the song?" the owner asked.


    Kuhui put down his chopsticks and answered, "Such music couldn''t be found on earth but only in heaven."


    "It was great." Xiao Zhu revealed her lack of vocabularies simply, which did not match with her background. However, she indeed knew that everyone likes a sycophant in this world.


    She had a beautiful face and she was well aware of the damage a beautiful face and nice words could deal with a man.


    "The song was great and the players had great techniques, but something was lacking," Shen Lian''s responded.


    The owner did not look too happy with his response.


    "Well, it seems like you have some opinions about this. You have to understand that even within the royals, it is hard to find someone as good as my players."


    In between the words, he coughed again. It seemed like this owner was not in his best state.

 Chapter 54 The Challenge

    "Indeed, the harmony of the flute and zither were commanded to such height, but it lacked some essence," Shen Lian held the cup on the table as he said this softly.


    "What is the essence?" the owner asked.


    "It is not something that can be heard or smelled, but it can only be felt by the heart." Shen Lian turned around and spoke to one of the beautiful servants playing the zither, "This lady, can you lend me your zither, to allow me to present the ''essence'' to your master."


    The beautiful servant did not react to what Shen Lian said.


    The owner nodded, as his eyes landed on the beautiful servant, he made a signal.


    The beautiful servant then passed him the zither.


    Shen Lian was paying great attention �C from the moment he started speaking, to the moment the zither was passed over, she had no change in expressions, not even from her eyes, as if she was a robot.


    The zither had seven strings. Shen Lian went through the strings lightly, beautiful melody flowed like a gushing stream.


    The motion of Shen Lian''s fingers got quicker and quicker, and the pitch of the music increased along with speed. In terms of skills, Shen Lian merely had the benefit of nimble fingers. There was nothing special about his playing, and nobody could feel any essence.


    When Shen Lian''s pitch reached a certain level. Neither Xiao Zhu nor Kuhui could hear anything anymore.


    However, it was apparent that Shen Lian''s fingers were still on the zither, flickering at an impossible speed as if he grew extra tentacles.


    Shen Lian looked like he was in pain, but he did not stop his fingers.


    The beautiful servants started to deform, and the plates on the table vibrated lightly.


    Shen Lian lied; he did not have anything to show when he offered to present the essence through the playing of the zither.


    This world was, in fact, a more incredible place compared to earth, but it was not perfect.


    Shen Lian used to study physics. When the frequency of a sound went beyond a certain level, human beings would not be able to hear it.


    It was known as ''supersonic'', which was often used by the bats to locate themselves.


    The was not the only function of supersonic.


    The reason why Shen Lian went beyond his physical limits to produce this high-frequency sound was to deliver energy; the servants were not real.


    As the supersonic waves went through their body, the internal structure that held them together started to vibrate.


    It was as if a bubble had been popped, burst, and wet the arbor.


    The gorgeous ladies were all an imagery created by water. It was surreal.


    The strings broke. Shen Lian''s hands were bloodied.


    He silently moved his hands away from the zither. Without looking at his hands, he sighed.


    The owner''s expression was unreadable. He asked, "Boy, are you not afraid that I will punish you?"


    "I am a mere swallow compared to you, an eagle, a predator. If you were to get rid of me, it will not be an effect of anger as I do not deserve your attention as such." Shen Lian''s blood dripped onto his pants. As the cuts contracted, they finally stopped bleeding.


    It was a horrendous sight, which would send shivers down one''s spine just by looking at it.


    Xiao Zhu could not understand why Shen Lian did that. While the owner was not god or Buddha, he was amongst the demons. Offending the owner could mean that there would not be an afterlife for him.


    "In this filthy world, it is rare for a cultivation ''seed1'' to be born. What is your name?" the owner asked.


    There was no such thing as free lunch in this world. From the beginning, they had no choice but to oblige to the owner''s command.


    Power was the absolute truth.


    Three of them did not even have a chance to decide on something as insignificant as the accompanying music.


    At the same time, the three of them decided not to attempt going against his will.


    The heart of Dao, while endangered, it was not for fear but caution.


    If one lost the heart, regardless of whether it was about learning Kung Fu or Celestialism, one could only give up the forest for a tree.


    If Shen Lian did not have the determination to seek for the road to immortality, why would he leave the Shen family where he could easily attain wealth and peace? Would it not be better?


    His previous behavior, while extremely rude and seemingly a death wish, he only did it to fulfill his wish.


    At the same time, just as he said, the opponent was a predator and he was merely a prey.


    Their differences were like heaven and earth. If the owner were to give him a hard time, he would never be able to run away from it. It was then better to behave unexpectedly and try to understand the opponent''s real intention.


    "I like what you just said. The two of you are just ordinary people. You can leave now. The boy will stay."


    He waved his hand, sending Xiao Zhu and Kuhui away to somewhere unknown. It was as if they were riding on the wind.


    Inside the arbor, there were only the owner and Shen Lian left.


    "I owed someone a favor years ago and he asked me to teach you swordcraft. It was not as easy as that, so I need to test you out. For the other two, well, it was destiny. If any of you three passes my challenge, I will teach all of you swordcraft. If you do not pass, it is even better as I can have a laugh at that guy who wasted his favor."


    The owner let out a cold laugh as if he did not quite like the guy who used his favor for Shen Lian.


    "Can I refuse to learn?" Shen Lian laughed.


    "Boy, not everything is up to you. If you want to be the master of your own fate, you are still far from it," the owner replied in a disdained manner.


    "Please teach me now so we would not waste each other''s time." Shen Lian looked at the owner without fear.


    "Do you think my swordcraft is something so easy? Even if you scrape the surface of it, you will be able to stay safe before you reach longevity. I was just testing your guts. If you do not even possess courage, you will only be a ghoul keeper." He started coughing again.


    "You do not look too well yourself. I can tell you are sick."


    "What do you know? Nine out of ten of the cultivators in Daoism wish they could have my disease. The human world is filthy, only us who have stepped into the clean state will not be able to adapt to the environment. Each breathing in of the filth is extremely uncomfortable. You are rather talented. Regardless of which path you choose, it is not going to be too hard for you to reach the state. However, you might not be able to reach even my heel by the end if your life."


    When the owner said it, he did not sound particularly full of himself. It was natural.


    Shen Lian thought in his head, ''Given that he talks big, he must be famous in the world of Celestialism. I wonder who could have asked him to teach me swordcraft. Could it be the Xin father-daughter?''


    He did not know anyone in the celestial world, and he also had no idea how powerful the person in front of him was. He was also clueless about the capability of Xin Shisiniang''s father-daughter.


    "Given that I have no choice, please continue with the challenge." Shen Lian smiled.


    ...


    It was a small hill thirty miles away from Shang Jia Bao, the Shang''s Fort.


    The Gobi trio was at the foothills. Xiao Zhu and Kuhui were not far from each other.


    Xiao Zhu asked coldly, "Master Kuhui, you have met people from all walks of life, do you know who the guy is?"


    Kuhui replied, "Lady Xiao, your family is a branch of the northern sea Flying Celestial Island. You should know this better than us."


    "You manage to find out even that information. It seems like you are really seeking the path of Celestialism. I do not understand what is so great about it. Even on Flying Celestial Island, no one has achieved immortality."In this case, it is an expression Chinese use to describe ''a person with potential (to grow, like a seed)''.

 Chapter 55 The Four Doors

    "Others could not do it, but I am certain of my ability to complete the task. What do you think, my lovely Zhu?" A calm voice came from the top of the hill.


    Xiao Zhu was shocked, but she could only see the empty hill as she looked up. The wind blew over her clothes while she sat on the wheelchair by herself. The red dot in between her brows was as beautiful as the stars.


    "Ye Liuyun!" Xiao Zhu uttered the name.


    Ye Liuyun stared at Xiao Zhu, his fianc��. Two hooks flew out from the handles of the wheelchair, sinking into the soil in front of Xiao Zhu.


    In the blink of an eye, Ye Liuyun was in front of Xiao Zhu, and the hooks were kept.


    Xiao Zhu was slightly taller than the average girls. When Ye Liuyun looked at her, he had to tilt his head.


    He sighed. "Regardless of how mischievous you were before, I was never angry. This time around, you even took away the Ice Jade. Do you really want me to fail Qing Xuan''s Wenxin Road so badly?"


    "You always claim that you''re a born with celestial potential. How is it possible that a mere Wenxin Road can trap you?" Xiao Zhu looked down at Ye Liuyun with a light smile on her face, but her eyes fell onto Ye Liuyun''s legs.


    There was no insult worse than staring at the legs of a crippled man.


    However, Ye Liuyun was not mad, he simply said, "I just want to go prepared so I have less to worry about. Moreover, I have never been through this road, how could I possibly know the difficulty of it? If I get stuck at the last step, the Ice Jade may be able to help me get out."


    "Can you still walk with these?" A look of sarcasm flashed through Xiao Zhu''s impeccable face.


    "Stop throwing your temper around, give me the item." Ye Liuyun lowered his head. There were not many people in the world that could make him do that, but Xiao Zhu was different.


    "I can give it to you, but under the condition that you break our engagement."


    "You know this is impossible."


    "Why?"


    "Because you are Xiao Zhu, and I am Ye Liuyun. We are destined to be together." Ye Liuyun looked up again, staring at her. His eyes looked as if they were two deep pools, hiding away many things unbeknown to the public, with a tinge of sorrow.


    It was probable that ninety-nine percent of the women in the world would not be able to resist the look in his eyes, but Xiao Zhu had a heart of stone.


    Xiao Zhu said, "Ye Liuyun, you must have thought that all the women in the world should like you and sympathize with you. But let me tell you something, I don''t, I am in love with someone else."


    "Tell me who that person is, I will kill him." Ye Liu Yun sprouted the words slowly. Even after hearing what Xiao Zhu said, he was not angry.


    "His name is Shen Lian," Xiao Zhu said grinning.


    "I am not surprised to hear that he is the person behind this. How did you two make acquaintance?"


    Xiao Zhu pointed to the direction of Su''s Fort, and said this slowly, "I dare you to challenge him over there."


    The area was a flat land and Su''s Fort was visible.


    Kuhui put his palms together and said, "Brother Ye, please do not listen to Lady Xiao''s nonsense! It was only her first time meeting Shen Lian today. There is an eccentric man over there, who seems to be a celestial expert"


    Kuhui clearly understood that Ye Liuyun was a proud man. He would definitely go the opposite as he was advised. It would be better to just let him make the decision himself.


    Ye Liuyun looked over to Kuhui, and let out a light laugh. "My personal matter has distracted me from greeting you, Master Kuhui! Please forgive my manners."


    "Do not worry about it, for our friendship, it is the exchange of the heart that matters." Kuhui stood tall, and his old cowl fluttered. He wondered about Shen Lian''s situation, and whether he managed to obtain teaching from the owner.


    In the field of Kung Fu and Celestialism, it was only after one worked hard, only could one understand the importance of family background and serendipity.


    "Well, do you not dare to head over now because he is a more powerful man?" Xiao Zhu continued.


    Ye Liuyun gazed at Su''s Fort direction and spoke lightly, "I remember how that place used to be �C it was merely a bare land with nothing."


    Xiao Zhu laughed and teased him again, "You are a coward."


    "If there is something wrong over there, why should I go?"


    In between speeches, Ye Liuyun''s fingers moved as fast as lightning and landed on various vital points on Xiao Zhu''s body.


    The depth of his Kung Fu was even more unpredictable than the last time Shen Lian met him. Xiao Zhu only felt a slight headache and a mild fainting, and she was already under the control of Ye Liuyun.


    Kuhui nodded. Both of them were likely to enter the path of Celestialism. He would not want to miss the chance to observe the encounter of the two.


    ...


    The moon blended in well with the night, shining over the lonely looking arbor.


    There was only Shen Lian left in the arbor. The second challenge was for him to walk out of it.


    Shen Lian felt his pulse. The clock was ticking, seconds and minutes passed.


    It was a revelation to him that they were asked to have a meal before, as the second challenge required time.


    Shen Lian did nothing but wait.


    He was waiting for the night to be over and for the sun to rise.


    It had been eighteen hours since the moment the owner left.


    The food he had before was being digested, bit by bit.


    The moon was indeed fading in the picture, but it was not starting to disappear. It did not seem like the sun would rise anytime soon too.


    The entire arbor, along with the garden outside was real. The smell of the grass and the flowers, the flowing water �C they were not imaginary.


    However, there was an oddity �C there were not any insects buzzing or humming.


    Speaking of insects, there was not even an ant.


    Shen Lian''s spiritual eye could detect even the tiniest objects. However, he did not detect any living things.


    Other than the occasional wind, there was not any other sound.


    Staying in this situation would make anyone feel uncomfortable, even for just an hour; not to mention the eighteen hours Shen Lian had endured.


    Shen Lian tried to meditate, but he realized he could not enter the zone1. Regardless, his mind was extremely clear.


    The unspoken loneliness seeped in his heart. He felt that under this situation, he was not too different from the non-living objects around him �C the grass, the trees, the bamboo, and even the rocks.


    It was only in the extreme silence and boredom, that one would meet the most formidable enemy �C loneliness.


    It was only until then he realized the importance of having someone around to speak to. He would go as far to accept a cat or an insect.


    He needed a correspondence.


    The only correspondence he could get was probably the moonlight and the wind.


    Other than the slight change in location for the moon, nothing much changed in the garden.


    The wind came from all four corners, and the strength of each wind did not differ much.


    To be exact, the scenery of the garden from all corners were the same. The only difference would be when the moonlight changed direction as time went on as the shadow changed.


    Shen Lian finally stood up and he walked towards one direction. He went across the flower bush and saw the thick fog again.


    Underneath his feet was a green stoned pavement. His every step was firm.


    Beyond the thick fog, there were four doors.state of concentration

 Chapter 56 Swordcraft Triumphs All

    All four of the doors were identical.


    They were all open, and one could see what was behind those doors.


    A pavilion from before could be seen.


    The first door from the left was closed while the second door was open. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Lian walked in.


    The view brightened up and he saw the pavilion from before.


    A person who looked strangely familiar was sitting in the pavilion. He sat with his legs crossed and his stubble covered his face.


    After realizing who the person was, Shen Lian was shocked! The person was he himself. He was no longer a teenager, but a man.


    The man opened his eyes and noticed Shen Lian. "I haven''t spoken to anyone in the past ten years, and I certainly did not expect myself to be the first person that I''m speaking with," the man slowly replied without showing any sign of surprise.


    Shen Lian observed the moon in the sky, and he felt the movement of the wind and the grass. "So it seems that I did not manage to get out of this arbor after all," Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    "Indeed, we didn''t manage to escape."


    "If you were truly me, why would you lie to yourself?" Shen Lian replied calmly.


    "Are you wondering why isn''t the moon moving? The direction of the wind will be different in every spot that it moves to. The direction of the wind and the position of the moon right now doesn''t correspond to the conjecture that you made back when you saw the four doors?" The man stared closely at Shen Lian. His eyes were filled with complicated emotions and sorrow.


    "How am I still alive after ten years?"


    "This is because one will not be killed by thirst and hunger that is felt here," the man replied.


    "The plants around here are edible and there is a water source. Why would you be bothered by thirst and hunger?" Shen Lian queried.


    The man picked up and stone and aimed it at the garden. Although it flew across the sky and the bush of flowers, not even a single petal fell.


    Shen Lian saw the stone crossing through flower petals, branches, and eventually landing into the water without a splash.


    It was as though he was looking at a three-dimensional image that was illusory.


    "Are these fake?"


    "I''m real. Do you know what I''m going to do next?" the man asked.


    "Since you''re hungry, it''s only natural that you want to eat."


    "But everything here is fake," the man spoke to Shen Lian in a serious tone.


    "I''m real. You can just eat me, all sorted." Shen Lian laughed. He thought if the man was indeed him ten years from now, he would soon be eaten by himself.


    That would be a paradox.


    Cannibalism has always been cruel, what more for one to eat oneself?


    The man shifted from sitting cross-legged to flying in mid-air. The transition was natural.


    His hands mimicked that of a claw, creating a hollow space in his palm. It was as though an invisible current of air was being formed.


    Shen Lian felt the wind dragging his clothes, pulling him towards the man''s claws.


    It would seem that he was shocked by the airborne claws and did not react.


    The air was charged, and a hint of red could be seen. Those would be the sparks produced by the high-speed friction between the body and the air.


    Amidst the commotion, the claw landed right on Shen Lian''s chest.


    His chest was ripped open, and a beating heart was fished out from the bloody hole.


    The man stared at the heart as though it was the tastiest food in the world, while Shen Lian stared closely with his eyes wide open, as though it was not his own heart that he was staring at.


    The man held the heart, and it looked like a fresh peach. He took a bite and the juice oozed out.


    "Yummy," he said.


    "It must be tough trying to pretend that it tasted good," Shen Lian smiled and replied in a sarcastic tone.


    The man slowly faded and melted into a puddle of water.


    A white flash zoomed past, and everything remained the same. Shen Lian was still in the arbor.


    However, the floor was clean, and there was no sign of the puddle.


    Shen Lian looked up. The position of the moon was still the same as earlier, back when he decided to leave.


    Even the direction of the wind was exactly the same.


    It was as though he never left.


    Perhaps, it was a hallucination that he just experienced.


    The master of Su Fort appeared next to Shen Lian. "You didn''t think it was real?" He smiled.


    "I''m guessing that the first door was a test of courage. Because I have proved my courage, and that explains why it was closed. The second door was a test of wisdom." Shen Lian did not elaborate further, the ability to differentiate between what was real and what was not, was in itself, wisdom.


    "I see you have a different view now." The master was intrigued by Shen Lian''s intellect. In fact, he was surprised by it.


    "I realized how silly I was. Why do I have to believe everything that you said? You told me that I have to get out of this arbor as part of the second test, but why do I have to get out if ''there is actually nothing but void''? Since I know that it was not real, I do not have to move at all," Shen Lian explained in a calm manner, his tone was not forceful, but his conviction was convincing.


    The master clapped and the arbor disappeared with a casual wave of his arm. There was no river but the water in the drain, and besides the moon, there was nothing else.


    "You are equipped with courage, and you are able to differentiate between what is real and what isn''t. Hence, you are qualified to learn my swordcraft. Naturally, that in itself is a blessing." The Master laughed.


    "Thank you for your teachings," Shen Lian replied flatly. He did not feel that the master was proud or arrogant. Despite being able to tell the difference between what was real and what was not, he knew that the ability to create something like that would take years of practice.


    Experts were the teachers. Shen Lian was grateful for the opportunity and felt blessed to be able to learn from an expert.


    "You know that my surname is Su, you can call me Mister Su," Mister Su spoke in a cheerful tone, but he still did not reveal his full name.


    "Alright."


    "Have you gone through any formal cultivation training before?" Unlike the cheerful tone from before, Mister Su queried in a serious tone.


    "I have learned about the methods of entering into a state of spiritual calmness and some Qigong practices." He did not mention the book - The Mastery of Senses - but merely illustrated it as being ''the methods of entering into a state of spiritual calmness''.


    "I noticed that your spirit is a lot stronger than that of a normal person, and you are indeed meant for cultivation of Daoism. Your entry level Qigong and foundation construction practice are not the best, but you do have a good foundation. The practices are similar to the work of Qing Xuan, and Qing Xuan has the most authentic Qigong practices in the world. You are quite lucky I would say."


    "The Qigong practices that I have gone through are actually related to Qing Xuan," Shen Lian replied honestly.


    "Heh, Qing Xuan used to be good. But that was very long ago. Putting that aside, every living creature can undergo cultivation, which is why I think that swordcraft triumphs over all," Mister Su spoke with a hint of pride, and it was as though he looked down on everything else in the world.


    "Do you think that I''m exaggerating?" Mister Su questioned after seeing how unconvinced Shen Lian was.


    "I wouldn''t dare to."


    "You are an intelligent person. Everything can enter the path of Daoism, and they are all equal and not ranked. Even the villagers know that ''scholars are the most esteemed members of the society'', thus the talk about swordcraft triumphing all is not an exaggeration," Mister Su spoke with a neutral expression, the moonlight shone on his face and highlighted his features.

 Chapter 57 Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura

    For Shen Lian, seeing something for himself was more convincing than hearing it.


    Despite not believing Mister Su''s talk about swordcraft triumphing over all, Shen Lian could not do anything about it.


    Mister Su did not mean to change Shen Lian''s perception, but his talk was a mere illustration of his attitude towards swordcraft. There was no point in taking the path of swordcraft if one did not believe that it could bring one to the pinnacle.


    At the end of the day, all these spells and supernatural powers, they did nothing more than facilitating the mastery of Daoism.


    The moonlight flew like water and slowly took shape in Mister Su''s hand.


    There was more than moonlight �C a long sword formed in Mister Su''s hand. It was yellowish and looked like Nephrite Jade. The sword was around ninety centimeters long and it looked natural from the top to the bottom.


    Every part of the sword including the sword hilt looked highly realistic, it was impossible to tell that it was different from an actual sword.


    He held the sword in his hand and thrust it forward, a scene that was indescribable with words alone.


    The sword aura that was as fine as gossamer appeared out of thin air.


    The sword gleam was coming at Shen Lian at a high speed, but it was still within his reaction range. He fished out his sandalwood sword and aimed it precisely at the heart of the sword gleam.


    The entire process of taking out the sword and attacking with it was seamless and natural.


    However, the gleam disappeared before it reached the tip of Shen Lian''s sandalwood sword.


    It was as though the sword aura that was as fine as gossamer reached the end of its power, and was but a spent force.


    Shen Lian found it strange. Right at this moment, he heard a clang. He turned his head to find a sword mark five foot behind him.


    That was obviously the work of the sword gleam earlier.


    "This is called ''Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura''. With your existing cultivation experience, it is something that you can briefly learn. It might even save your life in a time of emergency," Mister Su said flatly.


    Without prior knowledge, the disappearing sword aura was definitely something that was hard to defend against.


    ...


    In Jianghu, those who can muster sword aura would be considered highly skilled. To be capable of mustering a disappearing sword aura would definitely be a lot harder.


    Shen Lian believed that practice made perfect.


    If he was not able to master it after practicing for a thousand times, he would practice for ten thousand times. If he realized that he was not on the right track, he could always troubleshoot.


    Mister Su activated the skill - Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura - in such a casual manner.


    Shen Lian knew that he had to put in a lot of hard work to even get the hang of it.


    Regardless of how intricate it was, all of the sword crafts in this world were confined to such categories; split, chopped, cut, stitch, pick, hooks, pierce, wear, wiping, sweeping, point, collapse, hanging, and cloud.


    These fourteen techniques formed the basis of swordcraft, and they were the building blocks to any variation.


    Even if one were to kill someone from hundreds of miles away with a flying sword, the skills that he will be using would still be a variation of these fourteen techniques.


    The Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura took shape in the meridians inside of its user''s body.


    The inner Qi from the cinnabar fields would pass through certain meridians in the body, and it would take its shape by utilizing the tip of the sword as the medium.


    The traveling of inner Qi and the condensation of the sword aura were the simplest step in the entire process.


    Though, Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura only took shape after the inner Qi traveled through a total of thirty-five acupoints.


    The hardest part would be the pierce.


    The cold and absolute pierce was an important finishing touch and was of utmost significance.


    Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura gave the impression that it had disappeared abruptly, but it was all due to the abstruse track of the piercing.


    However, Shen Lian did not have enough experience to understand and the fundamental truth about the abstruse track, what more to explain it.


    Upon mastering the charm of the piercing, the sword aura would enter into another space-time and exit from another place.


    The mysterious space-time was not something easy to comprehend. The sword aura involved the mysteries of space-time, and all Shen Lian had to do was to replicate the process in order to activate the skill.


    If the rest of the cultivators in the world were to find out about this, not only would they be in awe, they would be in fear of the true extent of Mister Su''s capabilities.


    It was just as the formula of nuclear fusion, every student in secondary school would be able to understand it. However, the scholar who came up with the formula was in an entirely different league of his own. His impressive scholastic achievement was something that the masses admired from afar.


    Shen Lian had not reached the point where he could understand the importance of Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura yet.


    Every time he pierced with his sword, his movement got neater and cleaner.


    His stance was almost the same as that of Mister Su, but one could still tell the difference between the two.


    The angle and speed of piercing were almost identical.


    Shen Lian readjusted the inner Qi within him as he pierced according to the track.


    However, after he emitted the sword aura, he could not find the tempo to make it disappear.


    He was very patient. He did not blindly reproduce the pierce. Instead, with his spirit, he felt the difference of every pierce and the change in the sword aura.


    It was a dry and boring process, but it was not a process that he should skip.


    It was just as behind every scientific discovery, there were repeated calculations and endless experiments.


    When one was completely absorbed in performing a task, one would find oneself short of time.


    Besides eating and drinking, Shen Lian did not even bother with sleeping.


    As his psyche was strong enough to support him, he did not have to sleep in a long time.


    Shen Lian lost track of how many times he swung his sandalwood sword. The surface of the sword was bumpy and rough. It looked old and broken.


    Shen Lian had an unkempt appearance, his previous delicate and pretty face was nowhere to be seen, and his eyes lost its luster.


    As he pierced into the empty air, no howling of the sword could be heard, and there was no noticeable breath.


    Shen Lian felt as the sword became part of his body, it was as though the sword grew meridians of its own and was part of his blood and flesh.


    The feeling was unique.


    Blood and flesh could nourish the soul, and the soul could feed the blood and flesh in return.


    He formed an indescribable connection with his sandalwood. He did not feel like he was a different entity from the sword, but it was not as though they had become the same entity either. There were traces of him within the sword, and the converse was true too.


    The pierce was not something that could be put into words.


    The gossamer-like sword aura emerged from the tip of the sword; it appeared out of a sudden and faded away slowly. Sands and dust were flying on top of the loess faraway, and the deep mark made by the sword could be seen clearly.


    More importantly, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians within Shen Lian had been unblocked. The inner Qi was circulating smoothly without blockage.


    He heard the blood coursing through his veins, akin to a long river flowing freely.


    The joy that he felt from the clearing of blockage could not be described with words.


    Shen Lian heard a crisp bout of applause.


    "Not only that you have cultivated the sword aura within half a month, but you have also mastered the way of forging alchemy," Mister Su spoke after appearing out of nowhere.


    As Shen Lian had previously unblocked both of his Governor vessel and Conception vessel, Mister Su was not surprised by him attaining a never-ending flow of Qi. Furthermore, he had seen geniuses who were born with their hundreds of meridians unblocked.


    As for Shen Lian mastering Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura, it was all within Mister Su''s expectation. Seeing how he had taught him the method of cultivation, so long as Shen Lian put in his hours, he would be able to master it sooner or later.


    However, he was surprised by Shen Lian''s unintended success in forging the instrument.

 Chapter 58 The Moon Was Same as Usual

    When Shen Lian woke up, his limbs were weak, waves of fatigue washed over him.


    When one was focused on one''s task, one''s concentration would temporarily overwrite any physical limitation.


    Upon the completion of the task, the physical reaction such as fatigue would set in immediately.


    Naturally, Shen Lian fainted from the overexertion. ''It has been a long time since I last felt such exhaustion,'' Mister Su smiled and thought to himself.


    The loquat tree in the Su''s Fort swayed, as though it was shivering in fear from being judged by an invisible being.


    Mister Su appeared along with Shen Lian and he frowned.


    "You devil, as if it wasn''t enough that you went to have fun at the mortal realm, you even brought back an illegitimate child with you!" a woman spoke.


    "I hope your brain is as well-endowed as your breasts. I was barely gone for a year, how could I father a son of this age?" Mister Su replied with a bitter smile on his face.


    "It might be from way back." The woman snickered, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    "Even if I were to father any children, it would be with you."


    "Scram, did I say I want to have a child with you? Unless you kill this boy, otherwise I wouldn''t believe your words."


    "That won''t do. Why don''t I chop off this loquat tree so that you can blow off some steam?" Mister Su glanced at the psychic loquat tree.


    The loquat tree lowered its treetop in fear.


    "Why would I want to chop off this tree? It''s not as though we need more firewood. I see something really is up with this boy then," the woman spoke in a slightly angered tone.


    A red light flashed across the sky. It was a flame-made phoenix, and there were hints of the phoenix''s howl.


    The surrounding time-space seemed melted into half and was extremely twisted.


    Mister Su did not mean what he said about chopping of the tree, of course. He just said it to calm his wife down. He knew that his wife would not be angered by the sight of the tree after hearing that.


    Though, he would not allow Shen Lian to be killed. Even though he was not afraid of the person, he would clearly be in the wrong.


    Mister Su waved his sleeved and absorbed the flaming phoenix as though he had created a void.


    Unexpectedly, his sleeve was caught on fire. ''To think that she had cultivated the Nanming Lihuo to this extent, I wonder if she would dominate over me in a few hundred more years,'' Mister Su thought.


    The moment he thought of that, he wished he could go into a solitary retreat immediately. If words were to get out that he could not beat his wife in a fight, he would be embarrassed to death.


    Casually, he flung Shen Lian away. He blew out a stream of white air and extinguished the flame.


    The phoenix''s howl could be heard in the arbor.


    In a flash, a woman dressed in palace attire appeared. She had the mark of fire phoenix between her brows. "What''s the fun in mortal realm? It''s so murky and dirty, only you can stand it. Don''t even think of coming home before cleaning yourself at the Sky River," she said while wrinkling her nose.


    As though she could not stand the murkiness of the mortal realm, the woman in palace attire glared at Mister Su before disappearing. She did not even bother herself with Shen Lian''s whereabouts.


    Actually, she was more than capable of telling that Shen Lian was not biologically related to Mister Su.


    "You should leave. Who knows, one day she might burn you down in anger. Find somewhere to shapeshift, and the arbor is all yours now." Mister Su patted the trunk of the loquat tree and shook his head.


    The Su''s Fort was shrunk to palm-sized, and it was sitting on Mister Su''s palm like a toy.


    The loquat tree stood next to Mister Su, and Mister Su tossed the instrument at the branches of the loquat tree.


    Shortly after, Mister Su turned into a rainbow and soared into the clouds.


    ...


    Shen Lian woke up to find his body slightly chilly. He realized that he was in a lake.


    The chilliness from early spring was still in the air and the water was cold.


    He could not help but let out a sneeze.


    With his physical condition, he was basically unaffected by cold and heat. Nevertheless, he sneezed.


    That said that he had been in the water for so long that his Qi and blood were unsmooth.


    His limbs were frozen and his Qi and blood flow were sluggish. The cold seeped into his body.


    Shen Lian swam and struggled to reach the shore from the lake.


    It was not until the next day that he found out that he was on the grounds of Mingjian Peak. The lake that he fell into was called the Mirror Lake.


    The surface of the lake dazzled under the sun, it was clear as a mirror.


    The owner of Mingjian Peak was not an unreasonable landlord. The folks around the area held the past and current owners of Mingjian Peak with high respect.


    The current lord of Mingjian Peak, Lord Ye was once a Jinshi1, but he did not take up an official post. Apparently, he had never fought with anyone in his life.


    It was rumored that Lord Ye did not know Kung Fu and was a scholar through and through.


    Everything at the peak was managed by Ye Liuyun.


    This was why Old Lord Ye2 was so free.


    It was a chilly day, the flowers were still not in bloom. However, the moon was bright seeing that the fifteenth of the first lunar month was not long ago.


    As a child, Ye Liuyun was not particularly fond of sunny days. He did not want to be seen too clearly.


    However, that ceased to bother him. There were not many able-bodied men who were better than him anymore.


    Ever since he inherited the Mingjian Peak, he had been successful in his every endeavor.


    Despite his great reputation and impressive track record, his was merely eighteen years old �C not a lot older than Shen Lian.


    Due to his capabilities and maturity, a lot forgot about his actual age and thought that he was in his twenties.


    One would expect an eighteen-year-old to be carefree. However, the common characteristics of a youth were not found on Ye Liuyun.


    Ye Liuyun enjoyed drinking tea, as he found it calming and soothing.


    Compared to Ye Liuyun, Xiao Zhu''s behavior was more fitting for someone of their age. However, she was just too self-centered and did not take human lives seriously.


    Given her social status as a high-born lady, her behavior was not unexpected.


    Xiao Zhu was doing something that she absolute hated �C drinking tea with Ye Liuyun.


    The steam from the tea rose between Xiao Zhu and Ye Liuyun. The moonlight filtered in and was distorted by the steam. The light was flowing in a strange manner.


    "The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest, not mingling with the plums and peaches to be reduced to secular; Suddenly, the refreshing fragrance permeates through the night, It scattered became the new spring of the world. What do you think of this poem?"


    "Sounds alright to me," Xiao Zhu yawned as she replied.


    "This poem was written by your little lover, Shen Lian. Father liked it very much and thought within the next ten years, there wouldn''t be a better poem written on plum blossoms than this. I liked it too," Ye Liuyun said with a cheery tone.


    "The guest was served with tea instead of liquor on a cold night, the bamboo stove was boiling red; The moon was the same as usual, which accentuated the beauty of the plum blossoms. Brother Ye, what do you think of this poem as compared to the one before?" As soon as the sentence was finished, a shadow appeared, blocking the moonlight from outside.An ancient Chinese education degree that has been compared to the modern doctoral degree.Ye Liuyun''s fathe

 Chapter 59 The Flowing Clouds

    The moon was the same as usual, which accentuated the beauty of the plum blossoms.


    The line was about one''s state of mind, and Ye Liuyun had a strong feeling that something about Shen Lian changed, and he was more celestialized than before.


    "They are equally good. Brother Shen, I''m in awe of your impressive literary talent."


    Shen Lian pushed open the door and walked in, he carried himself in great composure. "Brother Ye, you are wrong again. Whether it is the poem from before or the current poem, both of them are not written by me. I recited them as they were fitting for the occasion," he replied casually.


    Ye Liuyun was shocked. He was a genius himself, and Mingjian Peak had a far greater books collection than the Shen family. However, he had never come across these great poems. If it was just one, he would have understood. To think that he had never heard of these two great poems, which were neither written by Shen Lian nor were they found in one of the books that he read before, that itself was intriguing.


    Moreover, his learned and talented father too had not heard of any sentences along the lines of ''white blossoms that bloom in the snow and bitter cold'' before.


    Although the Shen family was rich, they were nothing more than uncultured rich landlord from a rural area to the Mingjian Peak.


    Any books that the Shen family had in their possession, the Mingjian Peak would definitely have it; whereas the books that the Shen family did not have, the Mingjian Peak would have plenty of them.


    If Shen Lian was not the author, where did the poems come from?


    All of these were intriguing, just as how Shen Lian successfully cultivated the Deity Vanquishing Sword without straying from the righteous path and without being an extremist.


    Xiao Zhu stood on the side and thought Ye Liuyun and Shen Lian were very similar to each other. Both of them had a complicated thought process. However, there were some slight differences between them which she could not pinpoint exactly.


    "Fated meetings, fated partings. Life is as such. I have not been put at a disadvantage in life, which is why I''m so bothered by my defeat by you. This is why I wanted to see you when spring comes and the flowers are in bloom." Even though Ye Liuyun openly admitted to his defeat, he was still gracious and maintained his impressive composure.


    However, these did not work on Xiao Zhu.


    "Since both of you are not supposed to meet up today, but when spring comes and the flowers are in bloom, why don''t you both stay true to your promise and return in two days?" she suggested in a cavalier manner.


    She squinted her eyes playfully as she finished speaking.


    What Xiao Zhu said was ridiculous, yet logically sound. Of course, what she really wanted was to diss both of them.


    "At our level of attainment, we would feel warm even when normal people find the weather unbearably cold. As for the flowers, they are blooming in our heart. Why should we bother with time and place if we long to see each other? If I feel like it, I might even tune in as you both consummate your marriage," Shen Lian replied without shame and as a matter of fact.


    "What is the point of just eavesdropping? I wouldn''t mind a threesome," Xiao Zhu retorted after blushing at what Shen Lian said.


    She glared fiercely at Shen Lian. Clearly, she was not about to lose this fight.


    Back in his past life, Shen Lian left digital footprints all over the internet. He was used to the harsh words of the fujoshi, Xiao Zhu''s words did not come as a surprise to him. "Master Kuhui, have you come to eavesdrop on us?" Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    "Amitabha, that was quite a joke, Young Man Shen. I have ceased longing for worldly desires, I am not blessed enough to partake in such activities."


    "It''s getting late and the moon is perfect tonight. Why don''t we continue with our little reunion outside where it''s more spacious?" Ye Liuyun laughed and replied.


    Shen Lian nodded. On the other hand, Xiao Zhu knew something big was brewing. Ye Liuyun and Shen Lian were going to have an epic battle.


    Shen Lian and Ye Liuyun moved at the same time.


    They exited the door after one another.


    Both of them were as quick as shooting stars, Xiao Zhu found it hard to keep up.


    Under the moonlight, a faint trail made by the wheelchair could be seen on the muddy ground. The trail was leading to where Ye Liuyun and Shen Lian were at.


    "How annoying is that! Ye Liuyun, how can you still move around so quickly in a wheelchair?" Xiao Zhu said grudgingly.


    A person drifted past her soundlessly, as through clouds and smoke breezed past. "Miss Xiao, this is something that I have to say. You are struggling to keep up with him even though he is crippled, just think about the amount of hardship he must have gone through. To be married to a man like him, I must say he is not the lucky one here," he whispered.


    The last sentence was not spelled out, but Xiao Zhu was not stupid. She knew exactly what Kuhui meant �C it was her who was lucky.


    Xiao Zhu was slightly surprised. Since she was spoilt by everyone in the Guiyun Peak, she had always thought that she would be marrying a great hero who had both looks and talent. This was why she hated Ye Liuyun for his disability and showed no mercy nor sign of pity.


    She hated the fact that she had to marry a crippled man.


    Never even once did she put herself in Ye Liuyun''s shoes and think about why he had to achieve so much in spite of his family background. With his background, he could waste his life away and still not starve, no one would even blame him for being useless. If anything, they would pity him.


    Out of all the past successors of Mingjian Peak, everyone including her father thought that Ye Liuyun was the best of them all.


    The trail struck her heart like a whip.


    "I''m not in the wrong," Xiao Zhu replied grudgingly.


    Kuhui was long gone.


    Kuhui had tens of years of experience in Buddhism and mastered Ruyi Shapeshifting. He could travel for thousands of miles in a day. It was similar to what the Daoists called the Shenxing Method.


    However, he was still left behind by two of them. Partially, it was because they were taking the lead. The route in the forest was complicated. It still showed how skillful Shen Lian and Ye Liuyun were.


    ...


    Shen Lian had never seen anyone like Ye Liuyun before. He had nothing but respect for him.


    He did not slow down on purpose; in fact, he gave his best. However, he still did not put a distance between Ye Liuyun and him.


    Ye Liuyun was very focused. He had only lost once in his entire life. This time round, he was determined to retrieve his victory from Shen Lian.


    All Shen Lian wanted was to know more about joining Qing Xuan, but he knew that he would not be able to get his hands on any information without fighting Ye Liuyun.


    Besides the plum blossoms, there were hundreds of flowers at Mingjian Peak.


    In this forest, there were peach trees and pear trees.


    Given Ye Liuyun''s familiarity with the place, Shen Lian got to decide on the location of the battle.


    The final battle would begin the moment Shen Lian stopped.


    Shen Lian had no pity or mercy for Ye Liuyun, his spirit was rising and he could feel the excitement channeling from the sandalwood sword on his waist.


    A wooden sword was still a sword.


    The fundamental value of a sword would not change; it would always be a tool used to defeat the opponent.


    The marks left by Ye Liuyun on the grounds got lighter and eventually faded off completely. It was as though he was flying while being in contact with the ground.


    Shen Lian was akin to the carefree clouds and was floating in the air. The circulation of his inner Qi got more intense, while gravity''s pull on him weakened.


    Just when he was about to shake off gravity''s pull completely, he stopped.


    The clear lake water was right in front. Under the moonlight, the surface of the lake sparkled peacefully. The moon was hanging right in the middle, indeed a sight to behold.


    The wind blew, while the waves flowed.


    Ye Liuyun too stopped.


    On the ground was Ye Liuyun, and in the sky was a piece of ''wu yun''�C dark cloud.


    It marched on slowly until it covered the moon in its entirety.


    It did not take long for the world to fall into darkness.

 Chapter 60 An Intense Battle

    The lake that was still dazzling a moment earlier then fell into a silent darkness.


    Even though it was reflective like a mirror, it could not glow and produce heat energy on its own.


    To normal humans, the world might be enveloped in absolute darkness. However, for the two of them, the darkness did not take away their sense of sight completely. Although it was blurry, Shen Lian saw that Ye Liuyun had a sword in his hand.


    The sword was less than seventy centimeters, yet it gave off a dark green gleam, with an intense icy vibe.


    Shen Lian closed his eyes, as though he could not stand the pressure from the sword aura.


    Right when Shen Lian closed his eyes, he felt the dark green gleam of the sword headed right toward him.


    Kuhui and Xiao Zhu were near and they saw the soaring sword.


    Kuhui was surprised. He heard about the master celestial of swords. He knew how he could kill within ten steps and could travel for miles and not leave a trace. He just did not expect Ye Liuyun to be able to do this before he was even accepted into Celestialism.


    Xiao Zhu was made aware of the difference between Ye Liuyun and herself. She was reminded of all the times that he let her have her way despite being much stronger than her.


    Shen Lian took a step back and the sword missed him. However, the sword took a sharp turn and charged at him again from the other end.


    Shen Lian was constantly moving, the soaring sword attacked him from every angle imaginable.


    The moon that was once clouded by the dark cloud reappeared inch by inch. Shen Lian''s body was akin to the shadow in the lake �C a rock was thrown at it.


    It was vibrating and ever-changing.


    Shen Lian could feel the benefits from cultivating Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. Besides his mastery of the impressive skill, he realized that his concentration got better.


    Humans were wonderful that way. Through concentration, one could discover one''s endless potential and could tap into pre-existing capabilities.


    Shen Lian felt as though his heart had sunk to the bottom of the lake. With his extreme concentration, he could feel the track, speed, and changes of the soaring sword.


    His movement was not exaggerated, it was barely enough to dodge away from the sharp tip of the soaring sword.


    It was like he was walking through the mountain of blades and sea of fires, as though they were flat terrains.


    Xiao Zhu and Kuhui saw Ye Liuyun controlling his soaring sword from a distance away with his essential Qi, through methods similar to ''catching the dragon, controlling the crane''.


    Split, chopped, cut, stitch, pick, hooks, pierce, wear, wiping, sweeping, point, collapse, hanging, and cloud.


    These fourteen sword techniques could form tens of thousands of combinations; it was a standard method to teach swordcraft.


    However, when these techniques were used with a soaring sword, it was hard to defend against.


    Shen Lian could dodge away from the soaring sword through his heightened spirit and increased concentration. However, that did not mean that he was not in any danger.


    In such an intense battle, it would take just one mistake to kill himself.


    His heart was too calm, to the extent that he forgot how deadly this battle was.


    He observed the change in Ye Liuyun''s essential Qi accurately.


    Ye Liuyun still had energy within him, and his breath was not disturbed.


    The soaring sword gave off gleams of icy light. There were layers of overlapping shadows, and the space available for Shen Lian''s movement was getting smaller and smaller. Simultaneously, his movement got more precise.


    "If they were born twenty years ago, I wonder what they would have attained by now. They might just be one of the holy deities," Kuhui sighed and spoke.


    Within celestial schools, one might be able to find someone of their level of attainment amongst the disciples. However, their battle sense was not something that could be replaced by mere talent or potential.


    The path of longevity was also the path of asura, one could never reach the Bodhisattva fruit without utilizing harsh methods.


    The moon that was once clouded by the dark cloud reappeared inch by inch. Due to the reflective quality of the lake, the place gradually brightened up.


    Xiao Zhu noticed that there were beads of sweat on Ye Liuyun''s forehead. His expression was serious and stern.


    Having known Ye Liuyun for all these years, this was the first time that she saw such a serious expression on his face.


    She did not interrupt this time. She only watched the battle quietly.


    She did not even know why she was not looking at Shen Lian, whom she found curious.


    She was unaware of the saying, ''the deeper the hatred, the deeper the love'', a saying that was often used in the context of a romantic relationship.


    The moon shook off the dark cloud completely, both Ye Liuyun and Shen Lian saw it as the perfect timing for the decisive move.


    Shen Lian drew his sandalwood sword. The sword was old, and the surface was bumpy and roughed up. It looked as though it could not even deal a clean cut on a tofu.


    His movement when he drew the sword was smooth, it was fast as lightning, yet every move was clear as the day.


    As though one was standing underneath a giant waterfall; the stream raced down from the top, crushing to the ground. It was an impactful and awe-inspiring sight.


    When Shen Lian drew the sword, it felt as though life was instilled into it.


    The wooden sword cut through the air with an abstruse track. At the same time, a wave of silver needles as thin as cow''s hair accompanied by a sliver of silver-white moonlight, flew right at Shen Lian mercilessly, just as a torrent of the storm.


    With a quick flick, the wooden sword deflected each and every one of the silver needles.


    It was as easy as strong wind sweeping away fallen leaves.


    Accompanied by a loud noise, a white ray of sword aura that was almost visible appeared with the speed of lightning.


    The target - Ye Liuyun - was not far away.


    Shen Lian sighed in his heart. After all, he did not manage to hold back. In a moment of life and death, he failed to calculate and keep everything under his control.


    The wave of silver needles was one of the top hidden weapon techniques. It had a very clich�� name �C''Needles Sprinkled under the Stormy Sky''. Each and every one of the silver needles contained powerful essential Qi. Unlike what Shen Lian thought, it was not something that could be overcome easily.


    Without the skill of Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura which was founded on some abstruse theory, Shen Lian would have easily been injured by the hidden weapon.


    The best part about Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura was the abstruseness in its pierce that transcended mortal martial arts. It was close to being a supernatural power or Daoist technique.


    Of course, Shen Lian had to put in his entire strength and pour in waves of essential Qi into the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura.


    That was the first time he used Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura in an actual battle. He could not promise that the Ye Liuyun could still be alive after taking on the sword aura.


    Ye Liuyun''s soaring sword flew at the sword aura, as though it was trying to stop the sword aura in its track.


    He noticed that Shen Lian''s spirit dampened after producing his sword aura as he picked up the scent of danger. That was why he decided to stop the strange sword aura before continuing with the battle.


    However, reality always differed from one''s wish. Before the soaring sword could do anything, the sword aura disappeared. By the time it reappeared, it was cutting close to him.


    What was scarier was the absolute killing intent gave off by the sword aura. So scary that he found himself unable to move.


    The Ice Jade that he wore sent icy breaths into his spirit, and he was able to react as fast as he could �C he raised his hand.


    In the end, he had to face the absolute sword aura that could break even refined steel with his body of blood and flesh.

 Chapter 61 When Spring Comes and Flowers Bloom

    It was a desperate move, but it was the only way.


    Ye Liuyun did all that he could to make any last changes.


    At the same time, he no longer had any possibility of change.


    Shen Lian''s disappearing sword aura was the only thing that was out of his expectation.


    With the help of the Ice Jade, he did not have to worry about Shen Lian''s Deity Vanquishing Sword. However, Being and Non-Being of the Sword Aura caught him off guard and he was out of means.


    This was not within his prediction. No one would have thought that sword aura could disappear into thin air without a trace.


    Ye Liuyun did his best, but Shen Lian was beyond his comprehension. His palm strike did not hit the sword aura, but instead, it hit a body. The sword aura too landed on this young body.


    As he acted hastily, the palm strength from Ye Liuyun''s strike was not strong enough.


    He retracted a great deal of the strength in the nick of time, but it could still break the person''s heart meridian, and at the same time, the sword aura pierced the person from behind.


    The sword aura exploded and was propelled forward by the momentum, thus canceling out Ye Liuyun''s palm strength. The young body fell into Ye Liuyun''s arms.


    The scent of her hair rushed into his nose, followed by the scent of blood.


    At the crucial moment, Xiao Zhu had blocked the sword aura for Ye Liuyun with her body.


    Xiao Zhu did not know why she acted this way. She was not sure if Ye Liuyun was able to dodge from the sword aura, to begin with. After sensing extreme danger the moment Shen Lian raised his hand, she subconsciously protected Ye Liuyun with her body.


    This was the first time Shen Lian killed a person in his past or the current lifetime, a woman no less.


    Of course, it was hard to say whether Ye Liuyun''s palm strike or Shen Lian''s sword aura dealt the fatal blow.


    At that point, Xiao Zhu was not dead yet.


    Shen Lian was not sure if Xiao Zhu was considered to be someone who should be killed.


    Morally, Xiao Zhu was a witch who killed without batting an eye.


    Despite being the Eldest Young Lady of Guiyun Peak, she was arrogant and unreasonable. Out of her selfish desires, she killed Li Zhuang and his team from the Shun Feng Escorts.


    Shen Lian was not particularly fond of her but he did not intend to kill her.


    He did not do it on purpose. No one would have thought that Xiao Zhu would sacrifice herself and blocked the sword aura for Ye Liuyun.


    Plenty of people in this world would gladly sacrifice themselves for Ye Liuyun.


    At least the sword servants in Mingjian Peak, like Jian Shisan and Jian Shisi, would voluntarily lay their lives down for Ye Liuyun.


    However, to speak of those who would not die for Ye Liuyun, Xiao Zhu would definitely be on the list. There was probably no one else who hated Ye Liuyun as much as Xiao Zhu.


    Shen Lian was shocked, but Ye Liuyun was not sure what he felt about it.


    He did not even think about revenging against Shen Lian. The sword that he controlled with his essential Qi fell into the lake. Ye Liuyun did not have time to think about the precious weapon.


    Xiao Zhu had a certain level of attainment in terms of martial arts, so she did not die immediately.


    Ye Liuyun instilled a great deal of his essential Qi into Xiao Zhu and managed to preserve her last breath.


    "Sorry," Xiao Zhu collapsed onto Ye Liuyun and apologized.


    Only Ye Liuyun would understand the reason behind Xiao Zhu''s apology. Over the past years, Xiao Zhu had been acting against him. There were a few times where he was almost killed by her.


    "Don''t speak. Let''s head back to the peak. Mingjian Peak has the best medicine, we can definitely stabilize your injuries." Ye Liuyun suppressed his emotions and forced himself to be calm.


    "I know how badly injured I am, not even the Daluo immortals can save me now. Would you listen to me, please?" Xiao Zhu struggled with her sentence.


    Shen Lian did not know what to do in this situation.


    He was not in the wrong, yet he felt guilty.


    To be honest, he was jealous of Ye Liuyun. At least there was a woman who would sacrifice her life for him.


    Ye Liuyun had always been careful and rational. When it comes to decision-making, he was always very decisive.


    He would never regret his decisions, yet he was lost.


    Xiao Zhu saw Ye Liuyun''s hesitation and smiled brightly. "At this moment, I finally believe that you actually like me and that it was never about us being engaged to each other. I''m so silly," Xiao Zhu spoke.


    She hated how she had to marry a crippled man like Ye Liuyun himself due to their engagement, while all she hoped for was that Ye Liuyun had loved her, and there was more than the engagement between them.


    Ye Liuyun did not disappoint her. To be fair, she knew what kind of person Ye Liuyun was after all these years.


    Shen Lian did not want to intrude on the lovers'' talk. He walked away and stood next to Kuhui.


    He did not stay to ask Ye Liuyun about the admission details in relation to Qing Xuan Celestial School. He wanted to see if there was anything that he could help out with, just to lessen his guilt despite not being in the wrong.


    That was the curious trait of humanity; sometimes a clear line could not be drawn to distinguish right from wrong and black from white.


    This was what Shen Lian would never give up. He refused to be a piece of cold hard rock, not even for the path of eternity.


    ...


    After a night of the eastern wind, when spring came and flowers were in bloom, Xiao Zhu succumbed to her injuries.


    She was buried amidst the pear blossom trees, and her soul was accompanied by a white sea of pear blossoms.


    Not even the best medication at Mingjian Peak could help her live another day.


    Ye Liuyun did not speak with anyone, and he did not express any desire to seek revenge from Shen Lian.


    He built a hut next to Xiao Zhu''s grave and stayed there.


    Shen Lian met with the Old Lord of Mingjian Peak, Ye Liuyun''s father.


    He was special. His sideburns were greyish white and he looked healthy.


    His eyes were what was special about him. Those eyes seemed to have seen through the mortal world and realized that everything was merely a dream.


    Old Lord Ye was casually dressed. His eyes aside, if one were to see him on the streets, he would probably be mistaken as an old learned scholar.


    His name was Ye Qiufeng, which meant the fallen autumn leaves.


    "Old Lord Ye, how is Brother Liuyun now?"


    "He is fine, you don''t have to beat yourself up for it. Master Kuhui told me about what happened that day."


    Shen Lian kept quiet. He did not know what to say.


    Could it be that he was not blaming himself anymore? But he knew if it were to happen all over again, the ending would still be the same.


    "Liuyun told me to pass you something, and this was why I came to see you," Ye Qiufeng spoke after noticing Shen Lian''s dilemma.


    Ye Liuyun gave a letter to Shen Lian. The letter detailed the process of admission of Qing Xuan and even mentioned the tiniest elements.


    He was a man of great intellect. Through his observation, he guessed Shen Lian''s true intention.


    After reading the content of the letter, Shen Lian felt a strange emotion welling up in him.


    He won the battle, yet he lost.


    It proved that Ye Liuyun was not beaten by devastation, and was still the Young Master of Mingjian Peak.


    Shen Lian did not look for Ye Liuyun before he left Mingjian Peak.


    He believed that they would meet someday in the future. Who knows, they might be enemies, or they might have put behind past betrayal and vengeance with a smile.

 Chapter 62 Mid July

    A seafaring visitor spoke about Yingzhou.1 However, the mist was thick that it was difficult to believe the existent of this island.


    In this world, there was no Yingzhou beyond the seas. However, there was Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian was on a voyage and he traveled far. The land of the Dawei that he was at would be thousands of miles away by that time.


    Without the sea chart from Ye Liuyun and a boater that knew the area well, it would not be easy to get there.


    Even with prior preparations, it took him a tremendous effort to get there. For a person to stumble upon Qing Xuan by accident, the person must be really blessed.


    Furthermore, for said person to meet the entry criteria of Qing Xuan that Ye Liuyun mentioned, that person would have to be one in a million.


    The world was vast and Dawei was only one small part of it. Celestialism had a long history. The entry rules and requirement were passed down for many generations without fail.


    Ye Liuyun pointed out that there were other celestial schools in the world. However, proper celestial schools such as Qing Xuan, more often than not, were located far away.


    As for the likes of Nanhai Flying Celestial Island, despite them being part of the cultivation community, no one managed to attain immortality in the past thousands of years.


    At most, they lived an extra hundred or two hundred years.


    These sects that exhibited some form of celestial characteristics was somehow related to Qing Xuan. A few of them used to be disciples of Qing Xuan. After failing at their cultivation of Daoism, they had left behind some form of Confucian orthodoxies. However, Qing Xuan had never acknowledged these ''Waimen''2.


    In any case, people who were related them would know more about entering Qing Xuan than others.


    Just as how Guiyun Peak was close to Nanhai Flying Celestials Island, Mingjian Peak had their sources as well.


    These celestial schools that were out of this world might seem impressive. However, even their best disciples were just around Ling Chongxiao''s standard.


    Having mastered one or two celestial Daoist Techniques, they enjoyed higher social status than the normal sects in Jianghu. They were considered semi-celestial, semi-mortal.


    Given their access to exclusive information, these disciples from the aforementioned Confucian orthodoxies did have a better chance at getting into Qing Xuan than normal people.


    As the saying goes, ''there are plenty of skeletons in front of the Changsheng Door3''. Most of them did not manage to make it back home and were buried at unknown places.


    It was a huge island. There was a mountain far ahead where mystique clouds surround it.


    Shen Lian managed to deduce that it was July by observing the flow of his Qi and blood. It was roughly two months away from the Double Ninth Festival4 mentioned by the old fox deity, Xin Qubing.


    He was early.


    He got his hands on a smaller boat from the sea boat that he was on because bigger boats would not be able to get into the island. Moreover, Shen Lian did not want to expose the location of Qing Xuan.


    With his feet on the ground, he observed his surroundings. He noticed that the scenery matched both of Ling Chongxiao''s story and Ye Liuyun''s map.


    Shen Lian was convinced that he was at the right place.


    Since he was early, he was not sure if he could locate the actual location of Qing Xuan.


    There was a small river before him. The banks of the river were covered with grass. The only strange thing was the lack of birds chirping and the whirring of insects.


    Besides the sound of the wind movement, grass, and stream, Shen Lian did not hear anything else.


    The sun was scorching. Despite his experience with inner Qi cultivation, he still felt slightly restless.


    He did not cool himself down with the water and remained cautious. According to Ye Liuyun''s instruction, there was a small town at the mountain foot where the actual mountain gate of Qing Xuan was located. At the end of the town, there was a road leading up to the actual mountain gate. That road was Wenxin Road.


    It was a special road created by those with supernatural powers, as it was in line with Qing Xuan''s agenda �C ''before cultivating one''s behavior, one must first cultivate one''s heart''.


    With the two months that he had, Shen Lian was confident that he could locate the small town regardless of the size of the island.


    Shen Lian was not worried at all.


    The small town should be on the south, which was in the same direction as the upstream of the river and most villagers would stay by the river bank.


    The river was deep and it was impossible to see what was in the water. However, it was unlike the polluted rivers from the modern world, as it did not give off a foul scent.


    Shen Lian walked upstream along the river. He walked for three days. He had food and water with him but with his level of attainment, he did not need to consume a lot of food. Hence, he did not consume the food and water from his surroundings.


    During the day, he walked. At night, he would find a spot and enter into the state of spiritual calmness.


    Besides plants, he did not see any other living creatures.


    The entire river was dead silent.


    One morning, Shen Lian walked as usual and he saw a living creature. More accurately, he saw a human being.


    On the opposite bank, a lady stood quietly.


    She was dressed in purple. Her clothes accentuated her perfect body shape.


    Shen Lian had great eyesight and could see her clearly. She was beautiful and otherworldly.


    The wind blew, ringing the purple bell that hung at her waist. It danced to the wind and gave off a crisp ring.


    Perhaps Shen Lian was excited because he finally saw someone and not just because that she was beautiful.


    He tried to greet her, but the lady disappeared after she glanced at him.


    There was not even a sign left. It was as though what Shen Lian saw was merely an illusion.


    However, the bell still rang in the wind. It was a melodious tune.


    Shen Lian thought that since he met a person there, it must not be a deserted area then. Perhaps he might meet another person later.


    He met the next person indeed. It was a lot sooner than he thought.


    It was midnight, where the moon was almost a full moon.


    The stars were sparse and the moonlight was heart-moving.


    Shen Lian sat cross-legged on top of a rock. As usual, he was waiting for the day to come.


    A layer of thin mist appeared on the river while the moonlight was scattered amongst the mists. The moonlight shone as melancholy filled the air.


    There was a light at the upstream that was three hundred feet away from Shen Lian. It seemed hazy as if it was stirred in the water and moonlight.


    Shen Lian finally realized that it was fifteenth of July �C the Hungry Ghost Festival.


    The reason behind his sudden realization was because the light that he saw was actually from a lamp, and the lamp was hanging on a boat.


    The boat was white, and a person dressed in white was standing on it. Due to the mist and the distorted light, he could not see the person clearly.


    The person in white was holding a lantern, it looked like a Soul Summoning Lantern used during funerals.


    The river flowed slowly. As the boat did not have any paddle, it flowed with the current.


    Shen Lian heard someone crying, or rather, singing.


    It was the dead who was singing. Shen Lian found it creepy.


    To hear such mournful singing on a silent night without any chirping of birds or whirring of insects, a weak-hearted person would probably have fainted by now.


    However, Shen Lian did not faint. The song felt magical, and Shen Lian felt his body lightened up.


    He turned around and saw himself.


    That was the first time that he had an out-of-body experience involuntarily.


    The person in white waved the white lantern, and balls of light on the river bank floated towards the lone boat.


    Shen Lian finally knew why there were no other living creatures along the river.


    This was because their spirit was summoned by the white lantern held by the person in white.


    The sparse balls of light were probably living creatures that came to the river recently.


    Neither did he feel nor did he notice it beforehand.��� �� It is one of the five sacred islands. Others namely, Fangzhang, Daiyu, Yuanjiao, and Penglai, where Chinese immortals lived. Categorised under Chinese mythological geography���ţ� A ''replica'' school claiming they originated/branched from established schools. Usually do not teach the genuine syllabus.������- where ���� (Changsheng) means ''immortality'', and �� means ''door''. Here is to say many who cultivate toward immortality often die before they achieve it (''reach the door''). Hence, there are many skeletons in front of this ''door''.�ؾţ� ninth day of the ninth month.

 Chapter 63 If Only Time Stopped at When We First Me

    Shen Lian was not bothered by that - how there were no living creatures around. He was troubled by the white lantern, as he could feel the pull of his spirit toward it.


    The connection between his physical body and spirit gradually weakened, which made Shen Lian notice his own shortcomings. No doubt, the lack of harmony between the physical body and the spirit made it easy to have an out-of-body experience and to master supernatural Daoist powers such as the Deity Vanquishing Sword, but it was also a huge downside for him.


    If his spirit and his soul were more compatible to each other, it would not be so easy to pull his spirit out of his body.


    At that moment, the sandalwood sword on his waist glowed. It created a canceling force that acted against the pull of the white lantern.


    Shen Lian remembered the remark made by Mister Su that he had mastered the way of forging alchemy.


    The sandalwood sword became an instrument that was exclusive to Shen Lian, but it did not have any special power.


    The sandalwood sword was akin to Shen Lian''s blood and flesh, and could contain his spirit. The bond shared by the sandalwood sword and his spirit was stronger than that shared by his body and his spirit.


    The sandalwood sword was a blank paper, and Shen Lian made his mark on it when he was cultivating Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. The sandalwood sword had since became a part of Shen Lian.


    The boat drifted along the current, and it was closing into Shen Lian. As the distance got closer, the pull of the white lantern got stronger.


    The sandalwood sword vibrated at Shen Lian''s waist. For a couple of times, it almost flew off along with Shen Lian.


    The person in white was singing the elegy for the dead and did not notice Shen Lian. The motion of shaking the white lantern was merely mechanical; the sparse dots of spirit flame were stolen and trapped into the white lantern.


    When the boat got closer, Shen Lian realized why it was white �C it was a paper boat.


    Under the pale moonlight and the lonely lamp, Shen Lian noticed that the person in white did not have a nose, ears, eyes, or even legs.


    Shen Lian and the person in white were almost at their closest, and if Shen Lian managed to get past, the person in white would drift away from him. However, if he did not manage to get past, he would be pulled into the white lantern like all the other spirit flames.


    The sad elegy was sung in a language unknown to Shen Lian.


    For a few times, Shen Lian tried to think of the statue of the innate deity as a countermeasure. However, the singing interrupted him.


    The pull from the white lantern got stronger, and Shen Lian felt that he was at his limit.


    He focused on the last bit of connection his spirit had with the sandalwood sword.


    The sandalwood sword floated in mid-air and carried Shen Lian''s spirit. It flew toward the white lantern. During its journey, it drew a certain abstruse track in the air. The track was strangely similar to that of the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura.


    Shen Lian was about to use his spirit as sword aura as his ultimate move.


    Only those like Shen Lian who had never gone through proper cultivation would make such a bold and risky move. He hoped that by turning his spirit into a sword, amidst the disappearance in Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura, he could dodge the attraction of the white lantern.


    He was not sure about the consequences. He did not know where Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura would disappear, and he was unaware of what would happen during the period of disappearance.


    He was not even sure if the disappearance would take place. Contrasting to his usual sword aura made from inner Qi, he was using his spirit as sword this time around.


    All of a sudden, Shen Lian heard a familiar bell ringing.


    That was the bell on the lady in purple.


    The water ceased to flow, and space froze itself. Shen Lian almost lost awareness of his existence.


    By the time he came back to his sense, the breeze was cooling and the moon was clear. The paper boat, lamp, white lantern, and the mysterious person in white were nowhere to be found.


    His sandalwood sword fell in front of him and had wet patches on it.


    Gingerly, he reached for his sword. His hand came into contact with the wet patches, and a gust of green smoke emerged from his hand. He felt bouts of intense pain.


    The pain came from his spirit. His spirit was melted slightly by the water on the sandalwood sword, which explained the pain.


    All these while, he did not touch the water in the river. He found it scary that it could actually melt one''s spirit.


    It was only when the wind dried up the wet patches that Shen Lian touched the sandalwood sword again. The soul-melting incident did not repeat itself, and Shen Lian could finally rest easy.


    However, he noticed that the sandalwood sword was heavier and darker.


    The only thing that remained the same was his connection to the sword.


    The feeling that the sword was part of his blood and flesh came to him when he held the sword in his hand.


    After the incident, Shen Lian did not walk along the river anymore. He distanced himself from the river and increased his pace.


    He had always been a cautious person. He knew that he should have stayed away from the river when he realized that something was odd. He should not have continued walking along the river and should have refrained from meditating next to the river at night


    However, he overlooked all of these. It was as though the river had some sort of magical power that numbed his senses, causing him to overlook the danger.


    After distancing himself from the river, Shen Lian headed toward the south hurriedly. Before the sunset of the next day, he saw a steep cliff.


    The sword marks on the cliff were fine and delicate, as though a powerful and mythical sword had left its mark here.


    The impact he felt was not something that could be put into words. It was something that one had to experience for oneself.


    It was unclear if this was a work of human, celestial, or nature. At the top of the cliff, there was nothing but a lonely human shadow.


    The purple clothes wrapped against her body. Her hair danced in the wind as the wind blew at her. A strand of her hair got caught in the perfect curvature of her lips.


    ''Is she a human, a ghost, or a celestial? Or could she be a monster that took on the shape of a human?'' Shen Lian thought.


    He could feel the lady sizing him up, but no one said anything.


    It would take great skills to send one''s voice down all the way from the top of the cliff.


    Shen Lian knew that he did not have the skills for it, even though back in the mortal world, his martial arts skills were considered to have reached the state of sublimity.


    When he least expected it, the lady spoke. He was sure that she was speaking to him from the top of the cliff.


    Even with the great distance between them, he could feel her staring at him.


    This might be a moment that he could never forget �C under the setting sun, a beautiful lady who stood on the cliff was staring at him. Her gaze was pure, and there were no impurities in it.


    Of course, what was even more unexpected was the content of the conversation.


    "Whose child are you? Why did you go to the River of Spirits? Didn''t your parents tell you that you should stay away from it?" Shen Lian was a young man, yet the lady who looked around his age addressed him as a child.


    He would never have thought how natural she could make it sound like.


    "Wait a minute, are you not from Nanke Town? How would you know the Shenzu Scripture? Oh, it is that time of the year, my apprentice-nephew did not bother to inform me about the opening of the gate," she spoke clearly.


    Shen Lian could sense a hint of anger from her last sentence. Since she pointed out the fact that Shen Lian knew Shenzu Scripture, it showed that she was definitely related to Qing Xuan.

 Chapter 64 Yan Bugui - Swallows Who Did Not Return

    "Consider yourself lucky that you met me. Otherwise, you might not even find the mountain gate after spending months searching for it," the lady smiled and replied.


    Shen Lian was shocked by what happened next. The lady in purple walked down from the cliff, step by step, it was as though there was an invisible staircase.


    There was nothing both in front and behind. At some distance away, there was a cliff that stood at a thousand feet.


    The lady did not wear emotions on her face. She let her sleeves danced in the wind. She was not a celestial, but she was more than a celestial.


    The next moment, Shen Lian picked up a fresh scent. It was bright and pure. He was reminded of a cloudless starry sky.


    The lady was close to Shen Lian, and she snapped her porcelain-white finger at him. Out of a sudden, a cloud appeared beneath Shen Lian. The cloud carried him higher and higher.


    It was not until later that he found out about the name of the skill �C The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds.


    Within seconds, Shen Lian was elevated into the sky. The illusory Mount Qing Xuan right ahead of him became more and more real.


    The illusory veil of cloud and smoke in the evening highlighted the height of the sky and the vastness of the sea.


    The ability to ride on a cloud was a celestial technique that only existed in the myths and legends. That was the first time Shen Lian experienced anything like that. He was becoming more and more attracted to the celestial techniques.


    Before he could think of anything, Shen Lian found himself planted firmly on the ground. The cloud that carried him had dispersed.


    Right up ahead was a small town bustling with activities.


    When Shen Lian turned to look for the lady, she was long gone.


    He knew that the lady had to be one of the celestials in Qing Xuan, which would explain her techniques. He admired her supernatural power to come and go as and as she wished. This would be the best part about attaining immortality and learning Daoism.


    He saw ''Nanke Town'' written on the eye-catching signboard at the entrance to the town.


    Each and every stroke reflected the history of the town.


    Even though it was called a town, there was only one main street in town and the number of residents was less than that of a village.


    Outsiders should be a rarity here. However, the residents of the town did not seem particularly excited by the sight of outsiders like Shen Lian himself.


    Shen Lian reminded himself to stay alert. In this world that was similar to ancient times on earth, a lot of people would grow up and die at their place of birth. They would not have been to any other places.


    This might be what they meant by ''it is difficult to leave one''s hometown''.


    By this vein of reasoning, they should be curious about the strangers that they saw.


    Curiosity was part of human nature. He refused to believe that everyone in town kept to themselves.


    The street was not crowded, and there were about thirty to forty people. Out of these people, half of them were children and teenagers.


    Both adults and children did not bother to strike up a conversation with Shen Lian. They were looking at him as though they were looking at someone who was about to die. Shen Lian too did not reach out to them.


    He could tell that everyone here had some sort of martial arts training. There was even one or two of them who had practiced Shenzu Scripture.


    Shenzu Scripture was a martial art that combined both the element of ''static'' and ''dynamic''. Having practiced the skill himself, Shen Lian found it easy to identify.


    That would explain why the mysterious lady in purple asked whose child he was.


    Shen Lian was highly skilled at Shenzu Scripture, to the extent that he had unblocked all of his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. If he were to hide it intentionally, a normal person would not be able to tell.


    In fact, even though everyone in town knew some form of martial arts, none of them were at that stage where they unblocked all of their Eight Extraordinary Meridians.


    The unblocking of Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel was known as foundation construction in Daoist scriptures.


    It meant that upon which, said person would be equipped with the foundation of cultivation.


    Even with the best mantra, it was not easy to reach this stage. Moreover, if one did not unblock one''s Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel before hitting middle age, it would only get increasingly difficult. The man in green, Yang Xuan, only managed to unblock his two special vessels as he was in a life or death situation.


    Besides the few houses, there was only one tavern in the entire town. It was also the only available lodging in town.


    That was Shen Lian''s observation.


    The name of the tavern was ''Yan Bugui'', which meant ''swallows who did not return'', but there was no couplet next to it.


    The moment Shen Lian walked into the tavern, he was served by the bartender.


    "Dear guest, what would you like to have?" The bartender offered in a friendly manner.


    "Can I pay with this here?" Shen Lian took out a golden leaf, as gold would always be a precious metal no matter where.


    "Everything would be free-of-charge for outsiders who visit during this period of time." The bartender smiled. He was around thirty of age. He had a towel on his shoulder, and his purlicue was calloused. This was someone who could make a name for himself in Jianghu, yet he was here as a mere bartender.


    "Why is that so?" Shen Lian asked patiently.


    "I''m afraid that if I tell you now, you would lose your appetite." The bartender laughed casually.


    "I have always had a great appetite, carry on."


    "I guess I will tell you then. The owner said that since all of you will be dead soon, it would be really mean of us to not let you die on a full stomach," the bartender replied cheerily.


    "I see. Since I''m about to be dead soon, would you please bring over the best wine and dishes that you have?" Shen Lian smiled.


    The bartender did not reply immediately. He extended his arm to pat on Shen Lian''s shoulder. All of his fingers were slightly curved, it was one of the most powerful grappling techniques. The way he channeled his strength was not something that could be achieved without at least ten or twenty years of experience.


    Shen Lian took a step to the side and dodged away from the bartender''s grasp.


    The bartender was shocked. "I saw specks of dust on your shoulder and wanted to sweep them away for you. I did not mean any harm," the bartender replied.


    Shen Lian patted the dust off his shoulder. "It''s alright, could you please bring me some wine and dishes please?" Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    Before the bartender went away to fetch him some wine, he gestured for Shen Lian to look for a table.


    The tavern was not small, everyone had their own table to sit at without needing to share tables.


    Most of them were well-dressed and looked different from the common folks.


    These people were separated into different batches and sat at their respective tables.


    Those who were sitting by themselves, like Shen Lian, were clearly alone and unaccompanied.


    The groups glanced at Shen Lian occasionally and other solo travelers to size them up.


    Shen Lian counted in his mind and concluded that besides himself, there were four other people who came alone. As for those who came in a group, there were five tables of them.


    They were all around the same age, with three middle-aged men amidst them. The men either had protruding temples or sharp gaze. Clearly, they were all highly skilled Jianghu drifters.


    According to Ye Liuyun, those who were under twenty would not have a chance at joining Qing Xuan, unless special circumstance presented itself.


    Those who were around his age were probably sent by well-known families in Jianghu who knew that Qing Xuan had started their admission process or sects hidden from the world such as the Flying Celestials Island.


    Those who came alone probably shared his predicament. They either stumbled upon the island, or had caught wind of news somehow.


    It was still a month away from the date where Qing Xuan was scheduled to open the mountain gate. There was an unspoken competition amongst these people here.

 Chapter 65 The Autumn Wind Rose

    Shen Lian spent three days at the tavern and loitered around town. He finally clarified a few matters.


    The residents of the town were mostly descendants of Qing Xuan disciples. Either that, or they had stumbled across the town by accident and decided to live here.


    These people had an advantage when it comes to joining Qing Xuan sect. In fact, there were some who managed to join Qing Xuan. However, they did not manage to learn the essence of Qing Xuan techniques due to their lack of potential or mentality.


    The young people sent by well-known families in Jianghu or sects hidden from the world were mostly descendants of these normal Qing Xuan disciples.


    After they failed to pursue Dao, they returned to the mortal world. Some of them got married and built a family of their own; some indulged in worldly leisure and passed on their legacy.


    As they did not get to learn the essence of Qing Xuan techniques, they only knew a few Qigong practices.


    Of course, they could enjoy themselves in the mortal realm. However, when the time comes, they were nothing but a pile of bones.


    There were some who claimed to be celestials after learning a few Dao techniques, such as those form the Flying Celestials Island.


    In fact, most of these techniques were not any better than the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    That was because the true celestial schools did not bother themselves with such petty techniques.


    The lady in purple that Shen Lian met the other day was the real deal.


    Ever since Shen Lian time-travelled, he met plenty of powerful individuals. However, the only one who gave him such an impactful encounter with Celestialism was the mysterious lady in purple. Shen Lian wondered what kind of position she held in Qing Xuan.


    The owner of the tavern never showed his face. However, the bartender from that day was very helpful and informative. Shen Lian got most of his information from the bartender.


    Shen Lian looked right at the end of the long street where it was surrounded by clouds. It felt so close yet so far. Apparently, it was known as the Forbidden Technique of the Clouds, a technique used to segregate the mortal realm from the celestials.


    Those who were from Qing Xuan could come and go as they please, but outsiders were not allowed to enter unless special circumstances warrant it.


    Besides the strategic advantage enjoyed by the residents of the town, Qing Xuan would only admit ten disciples every fifty years. Yet, it could turn out that not even a single one of them had a chance to attain immortality.


    The difficulties within Celestialism were not something that could be easily detailed in words.


    However, no one would give up on such a precious opportunity.


    As days passed, more and more people came to town. Shen Lian stuck to his original plan and worked on his inner Qi.


    Everyone knew that Qing Xuan would only take in ten new disciples. Rumour had it that if the person was one of the ten, the person was meant to be part of Qing Xuan. Wenxin Road served to filter out those who were not meant to be part of the ten.


    If one could kill off the rest of his competitors before the mountain gate was opened, then he would be within the ten and would have a higher chance of joining Qing Xuan.


    Despite not knowing the legitimacy of the rumor, a lot of people still tried.


    This was why the bartender said that they were all going to be dead soon.


    Of course, Shen Lian did not believe in the rumor. There were plenty of people who believed in it, though.


    The tactic of killing with a borrowed sword would always work. All it took was just one selfish and greedy person.


    Solo travelers like Shen Lian would be their first choice, as they were seen as easy targets.


    However, those who came in a group might not share the same idea after all. With such a huge group, it was obvious that ten slots were not going to be enough for everyone.


    Those who managed to get there were not idiots. Given their intellect, none of them was willing to lose out on the benefits.


    Those who acted first were never wise. They were mere brave foot soldiers without much in their head.


    The autumn wind rose and the world fell into a murderous silence.


    Shen Lian was in his room at the tavern when he felt a sharp murderous intent directed at him.


    He had always expected someone to be onto him. If the person waited till now to strike, it would mean that the person was not just any ordinary person.


    Ever since he came, there were a lot of strangers who came to the town every day. However, the number of outsiders never increased.


    This was so as those who came were never more than those who got killed.


    Shen Lian had unblocked his Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel. His confidence in his every movement looked intimidating to onlookers and a lot of people feared him.


    He was one of the few well-recognized highly skilled experts in the tavern. There were even a few people who knew his background.


    Shen Lian was not bothered by the fact that he was surrounded by packs of wolves. He saw it as an opportunity to train and grow.


    His spirit did not get stronger because of this. However, it was less impulsive and had gotten more stable. During the past month, his inner Qi got purer too.


    In the eyes of others, Shen Lian was a proud loner.


    The leaves were falling in the courtyard. Beyond the sound of the falling leaves, it was a heavy set of footsteps.


    The person could have walked without a sound, but he did not. Clearly, he wanted to create psychological pressure for Shen Lian.


    There was not just one set of footsteps, there were three.


    Apparently, after one had attained Tongxuan1 in martial arts, one could tell a person''s martial arts background and his attainment through the sound of his footsteps.


    Shen Lian was not well-versed in terms of martial arts. Despite having incredibly sharp senses, he could not accurately tell a person''s martial art background.


    However, he knew who the visitors were this time around. They were either part of the Xiao family, related to the Flying Celestials Island, or the Guiyun Peak.


    Their internal force was similar to that of Xiao Zhu''s.


    The thought of Xiao Zhu reminded Shen Lian of Ye Liuyun, but it was not him.


    He had a feeling that Ye Liuyun will not come to Qing Xuan.


    Looking at the prospective Qing Xuan disciples, despite the few people who were as good as Ye Liuyun and himself in terms of martial art skills, none of them could compare to Ye Liuyun''s mentality.


    Shen Lian thought that if he had lost his legs since young, there was no way that he could surpass Ye Liuyun.


    Behind greatness, there were hardships.


    People often marvel at the flower of success. However, the tears of hard work that soaked its buds and the rain of blood and sacrifice were often overlooked. Shen Lian read about these lines from one of Bing Xin2''s work back in his past life. Though, it was Ye Liuyun who showed him the significance behind those lines.


    The door swung open without any wind.


    Shen Lian stood right at the entrance. He sized up the three people without giving much emphasis to their looks.


    "Shen Lian, time to pay back for killing my cousin sister." The person who spoke shared some facial resemblance to Xiao Zhu.


    Two flashes of light followed. His two companions attacked Shen Lian when he was speaking.


    One of them used a scimitar, and the other used a Tang knife that was slightly curved.


    The scimitar dealt tricky moves that were hard to defend against.


    However, the curved Tang knife was more dangerous, and the killer was strong and fast.


    The blade cut against the air. The frosty atmosphere almost kept one from opening one''s eyes.


    The gleam on their knives showed how skillful they were.


    They were in their twenties. They did not attain such skills because they were geniuses. It was because of the best cultivation guidance that they received, and the medication that they took to secure vitality. This was why they had such a good foundation.


    However, these people had never gone through the trial of blood and fire.


    Shen Lian reached out with his arm, as though he was going to fight against the blade with his empty hands.


    The one who spoke had not attack yet. He was waiting for his chance to strike. He planned to strike when his two companions overpowered Shen Lian so that he could deal the final, decisive blow.


    That was a sound plan, but in reality, things usually do not go according to plan.


    Out of a sudden, there were exchanges of white flash. No one knew what happened.


    The knife did not hit Shen Lian, but it was pitted right against the other knife.


    They were equally sharp and equally unstoppable.


    That could only give rise to one result �C both of the knives were broken into half.


    Shen Lian had caught their weaknesses.


    Everything in this world has a weakness. This applies to even Dao techniques and celestial arts.


    However, identifying the weakness and utilizing it were two different things altogether.


    Shen Lian''s observation and actual skills were both impressive.


    The reason why he did not kill the three of them was not because of weakness or mercy. It was not even about him being guilty of accidentally killing Xiao Zhu.


    It was because the three of them received their punishment.


    To cultivators like them, there was no punishment crueler than having their arm muscles disabled and their cinnabar fields destroyed.


    It was not easy for a person to be born into this world, which was why Shen Lian would not kill someone so easily.


    However, he was not about to pretend that he was easy-going and let the three of them go. After all, if one were to respond to vengeance with grace, what would grace be responded with then? This was why he decided to deal with the vengeance in a direct manner.


    Since then, no one gave Shen Lian any trouble until the Double Ninth Festival.ͨ���� A level of abstruse, and profound understanding.The pen name of a famous writer from China, Xie Wanying.

 Chapter 66 Going up the Mountain

    The number ''nine'' was the number of extremes, whether in the sky or on the ground, which explained why Qing Xuan decided to open its mountain gate on this day.


    Thirty people remained unscathed after the self-initiated elimination rounds.


    Most of these people either had great potential or a great mentality. Some of them were the descendants of the well-known families and were protected by highly skilled bodyguards.


    Shen Lian was neither the first nor was he the last to arrive.


    The morning sun rose, and the Forbidden Technique of the Clouds slowly dispersed and unveiled a path up the mountain.


    The first to go in was a scholar with the surname Lu.


    He was not one of the descendants of the well-known families and no one knew his background. Along with Shen Lian, he was one of the three most mysterious people among this batch.


    Some people tried to attack him but to no avail. He emerged unharmed every time, and the attacker would leave with shame the next day.


    Shen Lian suspected that this scholar, Lu, had could perform some sort of psychological attack.


    Despite being a scholar, Lu was tall and strong. He gave off the vibe of a heroic but mournful paladin.


    At the beginning of the path, people only followed suit after seeing nothing strange happened as he walked in.


    The second mysterious person was weak and thin, an ordinary-looking young person. He looked like he would not even raise his voice.


    This person had something special about him �C he was easily overlooked.


    Despite Shen Lian''s alertness, he would take Shen Lian by surprise every time he sat down next to Shen Lian during a meal.


    If it was not for Shen Lian''s prolonged observation, he would have long forgotten how weak young man looked like.


    When one did not pay attention, one would not even notice his presence or whereabouts.


    Besides Shen Lian and a few others, not a lot of people noticed the special trait of that weak young lad.


    Despite being named as one of the three most mysterious people, the weak young lad did not have an impressive reputation.


    As Shen Lian proceeded onto the path up to the mountain, he turned around to look out of habit. Even though it was not the first time, he was still surprised to see the young weak youth.


    The young person was not fast. It would seem that he did not know any martial arts. He even fell once.


    However, he managed to stay on the stone stairs and hiked up the mountain at his own pace.


    The mist was thick, blocking the hikers from each other''s sight.


    Even though the thirty of them had gone in together, it was as though they were in a different space from each other once they entered. Besides oneself, no one else could be seen.


    The people outside the mountain gate too could not see what was happening inside. Similarly, those who inside were unaware of what was happening to other people.


    From the first day, there were plenty of people who rolled down from the path and injured themselves.


    If one were to observe closely, one would realize that these people were among those who killed back in the town.


    A total of twenty-two people fell, and that would leave only less than ten were on the path. It would seem that most people overlooked one thing �C the mountain gate would be open for half a year.1


    At the top of Mount Qing Xuan, there was a heavenly pool. It was emitting gusts of icy air with a misty appearance.


    Two elderly were playing chess under the tree next to the pool - one was in red and the other in gray.


    Shen Lian was not surprised that he was the first to reach the top of the mountain. In reality, it was due to his strong spirit and The Mastery of Senses. Most illusions did not have any effect on him when he imagined the statue of the deity in his mind.


    The obstacles on Wenxin Road were based on illusions.


    Moreover, it was not realistic to adopt a stringent test as these people were still not part of Celestialism yet.


    Shen Lian saw the two old men but they did not react to his arrival. They carried on with their game.


    Three days and three nights passed and Shen Lian did not see anyone else.


    A normal person would be proud of himself and gloat about his achievements. However, Shen Lian was not arrogant, as he knew his true capabilities and limits.


    The top of the mountain was not exactly the most comfortable place. The mist from the heavenly pool was freezing. Shen Lian had to resist it with his inner Qi.


    Even though he had unblocked his Eight Extraordinary Meridians and had great circulation, being deprived of food for three days had a huge negative impact on his inner Qi.


    He could only take in bits of vital Qi from the heaven and earth, yet it was not sufficient to cover for what he expended. In fact, he might as well have stayed on Wenxin Road. His Qi expenditure would have been lesser there.


    He tried to question the two old men, but they did not answer him. He was not sure how long more he had to wait.


    Besides the path leading up to the mountain, Wenxin Road, there were no other paths. The place was surrounded by a heavenly moat and there was no escaping.


    Unless Shen Lian knew how to fly.


    Moreover, the heavenly wind blew fiercely. Shen Lian did not dare to have an astral projection as he did not want his spirit and soul to be blown into bits.


    The wait itself was not torturing. It was the endless wait that was torturing.


    This was a kind of trial that could make the best of the heroes despair.


    Shen Lian was a human with a heart and emotions. The intense despair kept him at the edge of insanity.


    However, his rational mind told him not to go berserk and that he should stay calm.


    He had fire2 within his chest, but his head was clear and cool.


    He knew that he was at the edge of psychosis, and he almost went back onto Wenxin Road. However, something that told him that if he were to leave now, he would lose all affinity to Celestialism. On the other hand, a rational analysis told him that Qing Xuan was not the only Celestial school in the world.


    Shen Lian quietly watched as the two old men carried on with the chess game. No one knew that underneath his calm appearance, he was about to go berserk.


    Shen Lian diverted his attention to the chessboard. Both of the old men would take a long time contemplating before making a move.


    He was not particularly good at chess, but he could still tell what was going on - the blacks and the whites were on equal footing.


    It was a complex game, one move would affect another. This was more complex than the flow of Qi for any Qigong practices.


    Shen Lian did not speak. He directed all of his attention to the chessboard.


    On the chessboard, the pieces were getting lesser. As they approached the closing stage, it was hard to tell who was winning.


    However, Shen Lian noticed that when he looked at a certain chess piece, one of his acupoints would pound fiercely.


    Sometimes it was the blacks, sometimes the whites.


    As he connected the blacks with the whites, the acupoints on his body would be connected to each other, creating a flow.


    There were countless acupoints in the human body, and most of them did not have a known function.


    He correlated the chess pieces to the acupoints on his body, and out of the three hundred over acupoints, almost more than a hundred of them had been connected. The impulsive Qi energy in him was calmed, and the anger welling up in him gradually extinguished.


    Then, he realized that behind this game, it contained instruction for the flow of Qi for Qigong practice.


    Unfortunately, before the game was finished, the elderly in red disrupted the chess board with a wave of his hand.


    "You were about to lose, what is this about?" the elderly in gray cursed.


    "The three seeds from this batch are here, we should report to the headmaster now." The elderly in red smiled and was unconcerned by the other elderly''s displease.


    The elderly in gray looked to his side. There was a scholar and a weak young lad behind Shen Lian indeed.


    All the others on the Wenxin Road had been eliminated. It was hard to tell if another seven people would come up.This sentence seems to be out of nowhere. We just translated as per raw. .__.A Chinese way to express the ''burning ambition''.

 Chapter 67 Rode Away on White Cranes

    Lu stepped forward. He was tall and his strides were bigger than normal people. Within seconds, he was in front of the two old men. "Two seniors, are you both Upper Celestials from Qing Xuan?" he asked respectfully as he cupped his fist in one hand.


    "It''s not that easy to become a celestial. Three of you, come over," the elderly in red said after glancing at Lu.


    He took out three kites from his sleeve. The kites grew in the wind and were half as tall as a human. When they fell on the floor, they spread their wings and stood firmly on the ground. If one did not know better, one would have thought that the kites were real white cranes.


    Both Shen Lian and Lu were brave. They were not frightened by the kites as they each mounted a paperwhite crane and smiled at each other. They met by chance and would be in the same sect from now on.


    One of them looked strong, and yet he was a scholar. The other looked delicate and neat, and yet he was from Jianghu.


    The weak young person was the only one who did not dare to mount the paper crane.


    How did he made it through Wenxin Road and survived the dangerous period of time prior to the opening of the mountain gate? Was it simply because of his weak presence?


    Shen Lian observed him for a long time. He was sure that the weak young person had never gone through any training in martial arts, and he did not have any Daoist foundation.


    His fear of the paper crane was not an act.


    "Little kiddo, are you scared?" The elderly in red smiled.


    "I''m not a little kiddo. My name is Xiao Hei," the weak young person retorted feebly.


    He lowered his head and did not dare to look up at the elderly in red.


    "Haha, little kiddo. How did you come to Qing Xuan when you do not even have the guts to sit on this?"


    "I want to learn celestial arts, I must join Qing Xuan," the young lad spoke with certainty in his eyes, which did not match his weak and feeble appearance.


    "You only want to learn celestial arts, but do not want to live forever?" the elderly in gray questioned with an intense gaze in a stern and serious tone.


    The young person almost fell from the intensity of the gaze. "I only want to learn celestial arts, the most powerful celestial arts," he replied solemnly.


    "Why?" the elderly in gray spoke nonchalantly.


    "I want to get revenge."


    "If you have learned celestial arts and managed to get revenge, what would you do then?" the elderly in gray queried.


    "I don''t know," the young person replied and shook his head.


    "Kiddo, kowtow three times to me." The elderly in gray waved his sleeve. He said so out of nowhere, which took everyone by surprise.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Ge, what do you mean? You can''t take in disciples until they have met with the headmaster and have gone through the background check by ''Tiandi Jian''. " The elderly in red wrinkled his brows.


    Tiandi Jian was a treasured instrument of the Qing Xuan Sect. If one had enough mana, one could use it see everything in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Tiandi Jian was extremely powerful.


    "What of those who secretly taught outsiders about the Xuanji martial art?" The elderly in gray looked at the elderly in red and spoke.


    As he spoke, the elderly in gray glanced at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian held his glance with candor. Only then did he realize that the Qigong practice - Xuanji martial arts - on the chessboard was actually taught to him on purpose. After all, the elderly were part of Celestialism, he would not have done so by mistake.


    Shen Lian was amazed by how both of them could include a powerful Daoist technique in their chess game casually. It was definitely awe-inspiring and impressive.


    What confused Shen Lian was the elderly in red''s intention.


    "I did not teach anyone anything," the elderly in red spoke as he tried to cover up the matter.


    "Since it''s your name, I''ll call you Xiao Hei from now on. You have to kowtow thrice to me, and I''ll impart celestial arts upon you." Even though the elderly in gray was stern, he spoke kindly to Xiao Hei, and he ignored the elderly in red.


    The elderly in red did not stop him this time.


    A student would seek out for great teachers, great teachers too had a say in who they would take under their wing. It was the work of fate that the three of them were here.


    Even though they still need to go through the screening by Tiandi Jian, it was merely a procedural technicality.


    Although Qing Xuan did not have a strong presence, no one would dare to create problems by objecting based on mere technicalities.


    In fact, the screening by Tiandi Jian did not exist as part of Qing Xuan rules.


    It was the incident from a hundred years ago that gave rise to this requirement.


    The thought of the incident even made someone with many years of cultivation experience, such as the elderly in red himself uncomfortable. He refused to think about the incident.


    The young person kowtowed thrice sincerely, and he trailed behind the elderly in gray.


    A gust of wind sent the paper cranes flying. Due to his size, Lu had to hold on tight to the paper crane.


    Despite being flanked by two celestials, he was still pale.


    After all, he was a thousand feet up in the air. The view from the top coupled with the fierce heavenly wind put him on high alert.


    Shen Lian attained spiritual calmness through concentration and was not troubled by fear. As he stared at the cloud ark in front, he sighed at the differential treatment they were faced with.


    Although the elderly in gray was stern, he took great care of Xiao Hei. It was as though he found his long-lost illegitimate son. Not only that he spared him from riding on the paper crane, he even took out an instrument in the shape of a cloud ark for the three of them to ride on. They cruised in the sky steadily and comfortably.


    Even so, the young person held tightly on to the elderly in gray''s shirt and did not let go.


    No one knew what made the elderly in gray took such a liking to the young person.


    The image that Qing Xuan portrayed to the outside world was founded on illusion. At the peak, one could see the vastness of the place, as though it was an entirely different continent altogether. The seas were nowhere to be seen.


    After ten minutes, the cloud ark swept toward the side, causing a strong gust that almost overturned the paper cranes that Shen Lian and Lu were on.


    The cloud ark descended at great speed and landed on a mountain peak.


    The paper cranes that Shen Lian and Lu were on followed suit and headed for the mountain peak.


    When they landed, they were greeted by fresh air. Shen Lian could not help but breathe in deeply, just to ease the dizziness from the ride. Lu got down from the paper crane and leaned on a rock for support. He was gasping for air.


    They were mortals after all. Their bodies were merely reacting to the life-and-death situation earlier.


    The Qi of heaven and earth was thick. If mortals were to live here, they would probably live healthily and gained an extra twenty years in life.


    The elderly in gray kept the cloud ark, while the paper cranes flew into the elderly in red''s sleeve.


    Following the lead of the two elderly, they reached the main hall after hiking up a mountain path and taking a few turns.


    Shen Lian raised his head and saw ''Qing Xuan'' inscribed on the tablet in the hall. The door swung open and a Daoist child appeared. "Uncle-masters, the headmaster told me to open the door for you both," he said in a clear voice.


    "Again with this trick, when would senior apprentice-brother ever get sick of it," the elderly in red murmured.


    Whenever someone looked for him in the hall, the headmaster would send the Daoist child to open the door in advance. If it was only once, people would still be surprised at his level of attainment. However, they had seen it many times and would no longer be surprised by it anymore. It was only the headmaster who found the act fun.


    The elderly in gray coughed once and patted the young person''s head, gesturing for him to not be scared.


    The hall was wide with two rows of green pillars. There were seven pillars on each side and each had ancient engravings on it.


    There was nothing much besides the stone couch in the middle of the hall. A Daoist sat on it; he had white hair, white beard, and a pinkish face. There were deep wrinkles at the corner of his brows, exposing his old age.


    He gave off the vibe of a celestial, similar to the ones found in paintings.


    "Headmaster, as you have anticipated, these three arrived," the two old men said as they bowed respectfully to him.


    The Daoist was wearing a Bagua Zijin Daoist robe. He opened his eyes and sized the three of them up.

 Chapter 68 Water is Virtuous

    The Daoist''s eyes were not especially striking. They were not like Xin Qubing''s eyes, eyes that experienced vicissitudes of life.


    He had the elegant demeanor of a celestial, yet it could not rival that of Mister Su. However, Shen Lian''s subconscious told him that the Daoist was unpredictable and mysterious. He even felt like worshipping him.


    He closed his eyes as the ray shone on him.


    Shen Lian could feel a stream of heat traveling through his meridians and headed for his Ancestral Cavity.


    On the bier, the statue of the deity appeared quietly. The stream of heat seemed to be frightened by its presence and left without a trace.


    Before Shen Lian could give further thoughts to it, an invisible force pushed him toward the edge of the hall. The force sent him crushing onto the pillar.


    He looked right ahead and saw the young person named Xiao Hei. He was covered in black flame, and there was a mirror shining on top of him. The ray encapsulated him, but some invisible force still seeped through.


    The elderly in red and the elderly in gray positioned their index and middle fingers in the form of a sword, and a massive amount of heaven and earth Qi gathered at the direction they pointed.


    The sheer size of it was beyond Shen Lian''s imagination.


    He could feel all the Qi present between the sky and the ground. He was also clearly aware of their scary attainment in cultivation.


    The Qi was instilled into the bronze mirror, and the black flame weakened. Eventually, the black flame was put out.


    Shen Lian heard the two elderly gasping and knew that the act earlier had taken a toll on them.


    He found it strange that the Daoist who was sitting cross-legged - the headmaster of Qing Xuan, did not lend a helping hand.


    The mirror fell into the Daoist''s sleeve. He took out a Dao talisman and pasted it on the young person''s forehead.


    Shen Lian and Lu walked forward. Shen Lian saw that there were black lines on the young person''s exposed arm, which slowly subsided after the Dao talisman was pasted on him.


    "Jingqing, bring Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi to the bamboo hut to have a rest," the Daoist spoke slowly.


    The Daoist did not have to ask to know Shen Lian and Lu''s name. Shen Lian was impressed by celestial techniques as such, techniques that could tell the cause and effect. However, Shen Lian was not sure if the Daoist found out about the training he had from The Mastery of Senses.


    Jingqing was the name of the Daoist child who opened the door. Shen Lian and Lu knew that the young lad had a complex background, and the Daoist probably sent them away so that he could discuss it with the elderly in red and the elderly in gray.


    After coming out from the hall, the Daoist child smiled at Shen Lian and Lu. He had turned into a green python. There was a gold line stemming from his lower abdomen all the way to the end of his tail. What was stranger was the fact that he had a pair of wings.


    "Two senior apprentice-brothers, please sit on me," the giant python spoke in human tongue in the voice of the Daoist child no less.


    Shen Lian thought of the phrase, ''The flying serpent has no limb and yet it flies''. This python must be the true form of the Daoist child. Who would have thought that it was born a monster?


    Judging from its species, the python seemed to be the ''flying serpent'' from the legends and fables.


    Shen Lian and Lu sat on it and a gust of cloudy mist appeared. Their surroundings were clouded and they could no longer differentiate between east, west, south, and north.


    Finally, they landed before a building. It was a delicate-looking bamboo hut.


    The sea of clouds floated behind and the ray was ever-changing. The bamboo leaves danced and swayed in the wind.


    There was a bamboo forest not far away.


    The bamboo hut was built at the hillside. The mountain was especially tall, towering over the sea of clouds.


    The location they were at was almost at the same height as the sea of clouds.


    Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi came down from the back of the snake, and the snake returned to its human form.


    "Two senior apprentice-brothers, there are five peaks at Qing Xuan, namely Taiyi, Qingliang, Zifu, Tianyuan, and Yuyang. We were at the main peak, Taiyi. We are now at Qingliang Peak, which is the residence for the lower house disciples," said Jing Qing.


    "Since there is a lower house, I assume that there is an upper house?" Lu Shouyi queried. He had always been straightforward, which was why he did not think twice before posing the question.


    "Definitely." Jing Qing nodded.


    "What is the difference between the lower house and the upper house? Could it be that the upper house is better?" Lu seemed to be displeased. He thought that if celestial schools like Qing Xuan were to differentiate between class and social status, it would be really disappointing.


    "Those who are in the upper house are considered Qing Xuan disciples too. However, most of them had some form of connection with the cultivators here. Some might be related by blood, some might be the descendants of an old friend. They were accepted into Qing Xuan due to their potential in cultivation. However, if one were to talk about the treatment of both houses, there are not many differences. Previously, one of the senior apprentice-brother had approached the headmaster about this. He questioned why the cultivators were differentiated as ''lower'' or ''upper''. The previous headmaster sent him to the bamboo forest, and for seven years, he had been cutting stone bamboos. The previous headmaster remarked that he did not appreciate his blessings and overlooked the worth of being ''lower''."


    Despite being a monster, Jingqing was delicate and fresh. Even in his python form, Shen Lian did not feel the uncomfortable vibe like those that came from the Wutong Gods. There was no unpleasant scent from him either.


    "The senior apprentice-brother did not understand, ''a lower status is as good as a higher status'', which was why the headmaster thought that he failed to appreciate his blessings," Shen Lian remarked casually.


    Shen Lian thought the previous headmaster probably was thinking of ''regardless of being the upper or lower stream, water is virtuous and carries everything; It closely resembles Daoism.'' ''Water'' had the qualities of Daoism, as it passed through tens of thousands of creatures without being caught in the web of wealth and fame.


    To be fixated on the difference between upper and lower would not be a good thing when cultivation was concerned.


    Jing Qing was surprised. "No one knows for sure what the previous headmaster meant, but someone did bring up something similar," he said.


    Lu Shouyi was curious. He was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics, but not the Daoist classics. The reason why he pursued Dao was because of an incident that led to an epiphany, and he was determined to learn about Daoism to attain immortality.


    As for the phrase, ''water is virtuous'' that Shen Lian mentioned, he was not sure what connection it had with the story.


    It was even more interesting that someone had said the same thing back then.


    "Who would that person be? As the celestials live long, could it be that he is still alive in this world?" Lu Shouyi queried.


    "I cannot expose the identity of that person. However, in the long history of the Qing Xuan Sect, he is ranked in the top three. Right now, he is probably at some corner in the world," Jingqing replied.


    Jingqing wore complicated emotions on his childish face as he spoke, and Lu stifled a laugh.


    However, Jingqing was a monster. He was probably born earlier than Lu''s great great grandfather.


    "Putting that person aside, guess who was the person cut the stone bamboos for seven years?" Jingqing smiled.


    "Who?" Lu Shouyi asked.


    Shen Lian did not ask. He laughed in his heart and guessed that he knew the answer.


    "Both of you have met him earlier," Jingqing smiled and turned into a python. He wagged his tail and brought upon dust and sand.


    He leapt into the sky as a ball of cloudy mist and blended into the sea of clouds.


    "Brother Shen, who do you think the person was? Could it be the elderly in red or the elderly in gray, or even the headmaster?" Lu Shouyi asked Shen Lian.


    "Brother Lu, aren''t you tired after all the time we spent on the Wenxin Road? I went through a lot of hardship on the peak, and would like to sink into deep slumber now," said Shen Lian as he evaded the question.

 Chapter 69 The Rustling Bamboo Leaves That Shut the Windows

    The bamboo hut had a nice layout. Before Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi were at the door when it swung open, a person with grayish-white hair stood at the door. His Daoist robe looked old and the right sleeve was empty.


    Shen Lian noticed that he was aging. Unlike the headmaster Daoist and the two old men who brought them here, there was no life bustling underneath this aging body.


    The old man emits an aura of a setting sun.


    "Two junior apprentice-brothers, please follow me." The old man glanced at Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi and behaved as though he knew their identity.


    Shen Lian thought maybe Jingqing informed the old man through other means.


    The people in Qing Xuan were weird indeed. Since Jingqing was here, why did he not come in and greet the old man?


    Shen Lian understood that these cultivators who were pursuing Dao probably did not care much about mannerism like the mortal world.


    As he walked into the bamboo hut, he realized that it was actually not small and was built entirely from bamboos. He wondered what species it was as they were very strong.


    Before long, they reached a long corridor. There was a stream of water flowing gently underneath them.


    Lu was more enthusiastic than Shen Lian. "Senior apprentice-brother, how should I address you?" Lu asked before they made it past the long corridor.


    "You can call me ''Sanwen''," the old man replied.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen, how many people are there in the lower house?" Lu asked.


    "Excluding you both, there are four of us," the old man replied calmly.


    "I heard that Qing Xuan only takes in ten disciples every fifty years. Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen, did you join Qing Xuan fifty years ago?" Lu was curious. After fifty years of cultivation and yet he still aged so badly, was it that difficult to pursue Dao?


    "I came into Qing Xuan a hundred years ago," the old man shook his head and said.


    "When can we start cultivating?" Lu pressed further.


    "Do you know why my name is Sanwen? That is because I will only answer three1 questions2 per day." Sanwen Daoist glanced at Lu.


    There was a hint of iciness in his cloudy eyes which stopped Lu from pestering further.


    Shen Lian did not say anything since the beginning. He looked around and observed his surroundings.


    To be precise, the heaven and earth Qi was especially strong here.


    The bamboo hut was like a water reservoir, it accumulated Qi from the outer world to nourish the people and things in the hut. The stream below received nourishment from that Qi too. It was clear and flowed smoothly.


    Shen Lian felt the presence of Qi since earlier and he managed to absorb a small part of it. Though, he failed to retain more of it.


    After unblocking his Conception Vessel and Governor Vessel, he could absorb Qi from the heaven and earth. His need for the five grains was not that pressing anymore and could go a long way without eating or drinking.


    He felt his physical condition got better too. It was as though his body was being nourished discreetly by the gentle spring rain. After a certain period of time, he would probably be able to pinpoint some noticeable changes.


    Staying in a place like this, Shen Lian thought that he probably would not age as badly as Daoist Sanwen did even if he were to live over a hundred years old.


    He knew that Qing Xuan was not a heaven on earth - it was not in total isolation with the mortal realm. Just because he was carefree and did not fancy competition, it did not mean that all other cultivators there were like him. This was not strange as emotions came naturally with heart.


    There were all sorts of people in this path. It was hard to say what was right and what was wrong.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian held on to the perception - that one should not pursue Dao and immortality at the expense of one''s emotions.


    If one must be heartless and cold in order to attain immortality, it would not be considered as immortality in its strictest sense anyway.


    Immortality meant being at peace with everything and to bring forth a future with endless possibilities. If every day were to be the same in thousands and hundreds of years, how would it be different from being a stone in the mountains?


    Moreover, the people that he met so far, such as the elderly in red, elderly in gray, headmaster Daoist, and Jingqing all had their unique characteristics.


    Perhaps cultivators were just people who lived longer.


    Shen Lian still could not picture what celestial was.


    The long corridor was not straight and it had a few turns and corners. There were different Daoist courtyards along the way.


    Most of them had a similar layout, and they looked deserted and had been empty for a long time.


    There were two neighboring Daoist courtyards. "You both can each choose one courtyard. When the headmaster is done with his tasks, he will make further arrangements for you both," said Daoist Sanwen.


    He floated away the moment he was done with his sentence.


    "The people that we met on this mountain are getting stranger and stranger," Lu said as he shook his head.


    "Which one would you prefer?" Shen Lian ignored his statement and pointed at the two courtyards.


    "Alright then, I will take the one on the right," said Lu.


    In the Daoist courtyard, there was only a bamboo couch and nothing else.


    Shen Lian did not fall asleep immediately. He closed the door and meditated on the bamboo couch.


    When he heard that Lu was sound asleep next door, he proceeded to attain spiritual calmness through entering into a state of concentration.


    At the bier, there was nothing but the void. Shen Lian did not imagine the deity statue this time around. In his brain, he imagined a giant chessboard. A move by the white was followed by the black. Before long, the chessboard was filled with black and white pieces.


    He had a good memory. He was not sure if it was due to the strength of his spirit or the effectiveness of Visualization Technique. So long as he concentrated and was not distracted, he could recall everything that he saw without fail.


    The chessboard was very complicated, yet Shen Lian managed to recall the details perfectly. Compared to back when he came across the chessboard without knowing what it was, right now he managed to appreciate this genius art better.


    Shen Lian had always been able to absorb heaven and earth Qi then slowly developed independence from worldly sustenance. However, his understanding of heaven and earth Qi was still very shallow.


    The method of martial exercises on the chessboard, namely Xuanji martial art, connected the different acupoints in the human body. It was as though the body was turned into an electric panel. Different paths could be connected and lead to unexpected results when heaven and earth Qi was instilled into it.


    Shen Lian used to be a giant funnel, vital Qi would enter and exit from his body, and most of them would not be retained. There was simply not enough for him to sustain even the basic functions.


    Otherwise, he would have been able to cut off the worldly needs long ago.


    Shen Lian practiced the Qi flow for Xuanji martial art and tried to prove the effectiveness of heaven and earth Qi had on his body at the same time.


    Previously, heaven and earth Qi was retained in small quantities. he managed to obtain more feedback from it.


    The strength of the spirit dispersed evenly throughout his body and limbs. He could observe his body closely, way closer than before.


    If someone else were to see him now, they would notice that his body was surrounded by a thin mist which his body could vaguely be seen.


    In one of the Daoist courtyard, three Daoists were sitting opposite of a Dao practitioner.


    The Dao practitioner was a lot younger than the Daoists. He looked around thirty years old, had thick brows, big eyes, and was clothed in a green robe.


    "After all these years, Uncle-Master Hong finally met a disciple who has the potential of cultivating the Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery, which explained why he passed the Xuanji martial art to him so desperately," said the young Dao practitioner.


    "Besides that uncle-master, in the past three thousand years, Shen Lian was the one who used the shortest time to get through the Wenxin Road. That showed how strong his mind and spirit was, which makes him the perfect candidate to cultivate the Ziwei Dong Mystery Solution. Of course, Uncle-Master Hong would be excited," Daoist Sanwen replied nonchalantly.


    "I wonder what kind of person uncle-master was, to think you didn''t hold a grudge against him after he took your arm away!" the young Dao practitioner exclaimed.����san�ʣ�wen

 Chapter 70 It Was But a Dream

    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen, since your life is coming to an end soon, why don''t you ask for an external alchemy pill from the headmaster so that you can extend your life for another three hundred years?" the young Dao practitioner asked in a serious manner.


    "Even with the pill, I will only be dragging my life on. I might as well enter into the reincarnation cycle earlier," replied Daoist Sanwen coldly.


    "Does reincarnation really exist in this world? All I ask for is this life and not the next." The young Dao practitioner stood up and walked out of the door.


    The moonlight shone into the courtyard, landing right below of the Daoist Sanwen''s feet.


    The moonlight accumulated like sand. Eventually, a human shape was formed. It was Daoist Sanwen himself. His physical appearance down to the corner of his clothes was replicated perfectly and was very life-like.


    He closed the room door and the moonlight dispersed. The room was quiet and dark.


    With an out-of-body-experience, the spirit could take shape and absorb the moonlight which made it as good as a living human. One might wonder how much stronger was it as compared to Shen Lian''s spirit.


    Of course, Shen Lian could absorb the force of heaven and earth too, such as the moonlight. However, he could not maintain his human shape for long, and it was hard to attain such a state.


    If one was referring to the state of the spirit, both of them were similar in essence.


    Doubtlessly, Shen Lian could not see the situation here.


    As the vital Qi gathered in his body, Shen Lian''s strength of the spirit observed the process closely and paid close attention to any possible changes to the body.


    It felt as though he was wandering in the desert for a prolonged period of time and was dying of thirst. Out of a sudden, he ran into an oasis which had a water source. He then replenished his body with the water that he found.


    That was not the only mystery of the Qi. When the Qi seeped into his spirit, he was caught in a strange state.


    Not all the Qi remained within him, some of it leaked out. Shen Lian''s spirit too escaped his body along with the Qi.


    This was different from all the other times where his spirit was loitering outside of his body. The world was different from what he perceived with his eyes.


    It could be the Qi in the bamboo hut was denser than anywhere that he had been. It was as though he was under a magnifying glass and everything that he had never seen before laid bare before him.


    This led him to think that the world was made up of eight other immutable forces besides Qi.


    It was hard to describe. One moment he would be drifting in the endless sky, the next moment he would be back on solid ground.


    He saw the rise of the ground, the accumulation of sand into mountains, the rain and wind, and even thunder from the ninth heaven. Lakes and seas slowly formed as rain flood the ground. The land was covered with forest, and forest fire burned through all of it.


    He thought about The Book of Changes - sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning.


    Eight difference forces were connected by Qi. Through endless permutations, they formed the material realm.


    As for the theory behind the permutations and the changes, he did not understand it at all.


    He could not utilize these eight forces as well.


    The Qi that came out from his body returned to nature, it blended in with the heaven and earth Qi in nature. His spirit returned to its normal state.


    The spirit that Shen Lian dispersed absorbed the moonlight that seeped through the window. A flickering flame formed as moonlight accumulated.


    Unlike before, it did not feel as though the spirit was being drained.


    It drifted and landed in front of him. Shen Lian opened his eyes and exhaled gently to extinguish the flame. The spirit returned to his body, and it felt more solid and powerful than before.


    ...


    The next morning, Lu came knocking on Shen Lian''s door.


    It seemed that he was recharged after a night of good rest.


    "Brother Shen, do you no longer need to eat?" Lu asked as he loitered around the long corridor.


    "I''m not there yet. However, Brother Lu, you were at the Wenxin Road for such a long time and yet, you have not been eating. You have most likely reached the state of Bigu1, no?" Shen Lian replied.


    Despite how Lu seemed, those who can enter Qing Xuan were definitely not just any Tom, Dick, and Harry. Even though Wenxin Road was not a big hindrance for people like Shen Lian who had a strong spirit and will, it was not exactly a piece of cake either. Knowing that it was an illusion was different from getting out of an illusion.


    "Brother Shen might not know, but I''m not like you people. Since young, instead of cultivating inner Qi, I have been studying the Four Books and Five Classics. I was a Juren2 at twelve. Last year, when I was seventeen, I was on my way to sit for the Imperial Examination. I stayed at an inn during my journey. Something happened in that inn, otherwise I would have passed the examination by now." Lu''s expression was slightly strange when he told Shen Lian about this.


    "I wonder what did Brother Lu experience that gave rise to a heart that sought for Daoism?" Shen Lian was calm and collected, and he replied casually.


    "I was tired and found an inn to stay. The inn was famous for its golden millet rice, and I wanted to try it. I ordered one bowl for myself after I walked in. The golden millet rice was freshly cooked, which was why it tasted so good. While waiting, I found a table, and there was a Daoist priest sitting at the table too.


    "Looking at how sleepy I was, the Daoist priest took out a porcelain pillow for me to nap on. I lay it on the table and rested my head. Within seconds, I fell asleep. I had a good dream where I enjoyed all the status and wealth one could ever wish for. When I woke up, the golden millet rice was still not cooked yet.


    "To be honest, I got famous when I was young, and that was the time where I should be working toward attaining status and wealth. Yet, after the dream, I lost all interest in it.


    "My desire to pursue Dao was birthed then. I want to pursue Dao and to search for the truth - I want to know if this world was just a dream too."


    Lu seemed relieved after telling his story as if he had been holding in for a long time.


    Shen Lian smiled in his heart. He remembered a piece of news that he saw in his past life. It was about a student who read a novel, in which the main protagonist had a dream and decided to walk on the path of cultivation to pursue Dao and to seek for the truth. After reading the novel, the student followed suit and joined the nearest Daoist temple. In the end, the Daoist priest in the temple informed his parents, and the student was punished by his parents.


    Despite his built, Lu was actually very young. Shen Lian wondered if his parents knew that he had left home to pursue Dao at Qing Xuan.


    If Lu could pass the Imperial Examination at such a young age, it said a lot about the quality of the education that he received. After all, most Zhuangyuans 3came from a well-off family. The Imperial Examination had a long history. More often than not, children from a normal family would not receive education as great as those from a prestige family. Those who were fortunate could afford to hire a famous and learned teacher to guide them through the test questions - something an ordinary family could never afford.


    Shen Lian thought about himself and knew that he was extremely irresponsible too. After all, he left the Shen family for the sake of pursuing Dao, which would make him no better than Lu.


    "Brother Shen, what are you laughing at?" Lu queried after he saw Shen Lian laughing.


    "I was just wondering if your family would be worried about you since you have come so far," Shen Lian dropped his smile and elaborated slowly.


    "If this was not a dream, I planned to help my parents attain immortality after my success in cultivation, which I foresee will take about ten years. I left them a letter detailing my reasons, and I''m sure they''ll understand," replied Lu in a serious manner.


    "Junior apprentice-brother seemed very confident; to think that you would take only ten years to cultivate Daoism. Even Buddha and Daoist master would take longer than that." On the side of the long corridor, a young Dao practitioner stood against the railing. He was smiling at the two of them as he spoke.A Daoist practice - to abstain from eating cereals.���ˣ� A candidate that has passed the local examination and recognized at the distrcit level.״Ԫ�� The best among the Jinshi (��ʿ). Jinshis are candidates being invigilated by the Emperor during their examinations.

 Chapter 71 Been Practicing Daoism For Half A Lifetime And No One Knows

    Daoist Sanwen mentioned that there were four people in the entire lower house. Ergo, this young Daoist disciple was most probably one of them.


    "The way of Dao is limitless so how is it possible for him to succeed? Brother Lu only wishes to cultivate until the level of reminiscing about his parents1. Perhaps ten years would be too short but it is also not impossible," Shen Lian said leisurely as he took the heat off Lu.


    "Junior Shen has a rather profound way of Dao, it would be rather biased to say that it is ''limitless''. If you were on flat land and you look at the Eastern Sea, it would, of course, look limitless. If you reach thousands of meters high up in the air, the Eastern Sea is nothing but a basin of mud. You cannot imagine what is it to be able to succeed in the way of Dao, surpass and escape a myriad of undesirables." The young Daoist disciple chuckled.


    "Senior brother does have a point, could it be that you''ve reached the state of ''mud basin''," Lu laughed as he said.


    The pair of eye-catching thick brows on the young Daoist disciple arched slightly at the tip, like two sharp swords - pressing and dangerous.


    He wrapped both his arms in front of his chest and spits out a strong gust of wind. Shen Lian felt the changes in vital Qi, like a shapeless tornado that came out of thin air headed toward Lu.


    Shen Lian knew then this young Daoist disciple was the kind of person who ''do not need to say much, for the way of Dao is deep''.


    Of course, he would not do anything to Lu''s provocation.


    He intended to help Lu out but he stopped. This was because he remembered that while Lu traveled far and wide to come here, he was not even scratched even during admission. How was it that he was only an ordinary scholar when he even got passed Wenxin Road?


    Even though Lu revealed some true state of mind, he did not get to the main points.


    Lu reacted immediately while Shen Lian was motionless.


    He raised himself from the ground at the tip of his toes but he did not fly high. The flow of wind was a tornado, its head was sharp like an invisible drill.


    A fine layer of cotton-like strong wind formed around Lu, which actually allowed him to stay balanced in midair, temporarily free from the pull of gravity.


    He even dodged the incoming wind. Like a cicada fluttering its wings, he went to the side of the long corridor and the tip of his toes aimed at the young Daoist disciple''s head as he kicked his leg.


    The young Daoist disciple was unfazed, his arms still circled in front of his chest. He tilted his head and dodged Lu''s attack.


    Lu continued attacking with another leg but did not succeed either.


    His momentum finished as he pounced on the young Daoist disciple with his entire body.


    The pose was rather particular, with both knees tucked toward the abdomen, both of his elbows hit his chest but his hands were aiming for the other''s throat to choke.


    He used both his knees to kneel on the other''s chest as he landed and followed the flow to pounce forward, both his elbows hit the other at the chest area. At the same time, his hands got a hold of the other''s throat.


    It was rare that this move could be done so smoothly with marvelous impulse, it was quick as lightning - hard to guard against.


    Lu surprised everyone with this one move, but Shen Lian sighed quietly, ''There is still quite a difference in capability.''


    The young Daoist suddenly disappeared as Lu covered him with his body. As a result, it seemed as though Lu was hugging the pillar that the young Daoist was leaning on.


    The scene was awkward and he let go immediately, which caused him to almost topple. However, even though his physique seemed big, his balance was superb. He managed to support himself with one leg without completely falling to the ground.


    As for the young Daoist, he leaned on the opposite pillar and laughed. "Daoist Baishi''s ''Ba Bu Gan Chan2'', interesting indeed. Just that when you were in your teens, you used this move to kill a witchcraft cultivator of the Westfall barbarians with copper skin and iron bones. Now, you can only use it to pounce on a rotten wood."


    Lu''s face was red. He did not use his full force as he did not intend to hurt people, but in the end, he was fooled by the young Daoist. Hence, even if he used his full force, the end results would be the same.


    Back then, he benefited with this move. Plus, this move was part attack skill and part Qinggong. He used this as a means of self-defense in his journey but he never expected that this was so useless to even catch the corner of someone''s clothes in Qing Xuan.


    This move could not be used simply. Before doing so, one is required to focus their spirit on the enemy, then launch the attack. The young Daoist deceived his spirit. Even if the force was bigger, it could not land on the actual target.


    Lu acquired Ba Bu Gan Chan from a Daoist in his dreams. At the same time, he was advised to go to Qing Xuan.


    Lu said, "You''ve only cultivated a few months more than me, if I was your age, I would not be this bad."


    The young Daoist bellowed out in laughter. "It is not easy to go into trance and it also difficult achieving perfection. There is always the calamity that comes with the doubt when loyalty is not understood 3."


    The young Daoist disappeared from the long corridor amongst the rolling holy songs.


    Lu turned to Shen Lian and asked, "What was the fuss about?"


    Shen Lian shook his head. Suddenly, he turned to Daoist Sanwen who unknowingly appeared by the side and asked. "Senior Sanwen, who was that senior brother just now and what did he mean by what he said?"


    Only then, Lu felt Daoist Sanwen''s presence. The other came silently to the point that Lu could not detect him at all.


    There were many hidden talents in Qing Xuan. He could not help but glance at Shen Lian. This same-aged peer was more mysterious than the other people in Qing Xuan, he was not inferior to Shen Lian at all.


    "Someone would explain to you when the time comes if you did not ask, but since you asked, there is no harm in telling you two.


    "''Trance'' and ''achieving perfection'' that were mentioned by Junior Chen just now are two states in the practice of Dao.


    "Since the beginning, there were thousands upon thousands of dharma 4 to the cultivation of Dao. It wasn''t enough to have one state of mind, and it didn''t matter the sequence of pursuing. It wasn''t until afterward, the Daoist master disseminate dharma that decides the cultivation state for our Dao school division. Ever since then, the cultivation used by our celestial school division is according to the Daoist master''s setting in every corner of the world. This action is known widely in the cultivation world as the ''law of the eternal given word''.


    "Before achieving longevity, there are approximately nine states, which were: Yangqi - to cultivate Qi, Tongmai - to unblock vessels, Qiaodong5, Yunhun - to gather soul, Chushen - to enter the state of trance, Ruhua - to achieve perfection, Huandan6, Buxu7, and Powang8. Only after Powang can one be called a celestial and achieved longevity.


    "Junior Brother Chen''s original name is Zhongxin, nickname Jianmei. Fifty years ago when he entered the sect, he did not have any foundation in cultivation. Although within three years, he crossed five states and reached Chushen. He then entered Ruhua within ten years. Recently, he''s been cultivating the Shapeless Sword Formula, he was only a half-step away from Huadan. He would soon go through the nine transformations of Huandan and embark on the road to achieve longevity. Before this, Jianmei was just teasing you all. If he was serious, even I could not stop him.


    "The headmaster is close to being a celestial and controls Tiandi Jian which gave him a vague glimpse of the future. It gave him a remark. ''No one knows when one has been cultivating for half his lifetime, the world is amazed once he gets the knack of it in one day.'' Therefore, the sect''s senior is still waiting for Jianmei''s Huandan to be completed so that he could go down the mountains and re-establish Qing Xuan''s prestige.


    "However, he had been in Ruhua for forty years and had not reached Huandan, which created a buzz through the mountains that he was an early bloomer and expired early. He was a let down to the headmaster who favored him. These slanders had most likely made their way to his ears and because of that, Junior Brother''s Lu words may have provoked him which caused him to retaliate.


    "Otherwise, based on his character, he would not be this irritable and rash. It was because he had been stuck at this point for so long that it was hard for him to control himself at that moment."���� is one of the poems in China''s first anthology of verse, Book of Songs (Shi Jing) "ʫ��". It is thought to be a love song where someone misses someone by the water side, in this context however, it is interpreted that Brother Lu misses his parents.�˲��ϲ� (Ba Bu Gan Chan) is a unique martial arts skill to describe the expert use of Qing Gong (�Ṧ) to catch up with a flying cicada.�����²���,���м��ɻ� is a verse from this poem ''Resentment Chant''"Թ����" by Cao Zhi (��ֲ).���� is translated to dharma which (originally) means the initial approach to becoming a believer of Buddhism but in this context, Daoism.�϶���we couldn''t really find the exact meaning of this term but ''qiao'' (��) means ''hole''. Here probably means the seven orifices on human face.


    ''dong'' (��) means ''move''. Here probably means ''unblocking''.


    Hence, our best guess is ''unblocking orifices''.������A Daoist term to describe a state where mercuric sulfide (��ɰ)was smelt into mercury, and return back to the form of mercuric sulfide after putting aside for a certain period of time.���飭 is a ceremony of pacing around an altar to express gratitude and admiration toward Daoism.������ to attain breakthrough from absurdity.

 Chapter 72 The Struggles of Learning Daoism

    Shen Lian suddenly understood a little about this senior brother, Chen Jianmei, who with his exceptional speed in cultivation and reaching heights where no ordinary cultivators could achieve probably in their entire lifetime, only to be stuck in the same state for forty years and not even budge an inch.


    This difference brought him psychological pressure. It was hard for an outsider to imagine if one did not go through it personally.


    Forty years was not a short time. It was enough for a person to go through the ways of the world. Sometimes when the lifespan of a dynasty was short, it did not even hold through forty years.


    For almost forty years, to not be able to see the hope of improving and not knowing how to break through was pure torture. Cultivation was like the long night, not knowing when the dawn will come.


    Just thinking about it was enough to make anyone''s skin crawl, what more about that fact that Chen Jianmei had been struggling for forty years.


    It was enough to see his determination in his moral nature since he was still able to hold on to his temper and not immediately jump into an argument or kill anything he met on his way.


    Shen Lian opened his mouth and asked, "As you''ve said before, to be able to reach the cultivation state of Huandan, is it extremely difficult?"


    Qi Sanwen sighed softly, with his empty right sleeves, he seemed more in solitude as he stood with one arm and said, "Starting from Yangqi to Ruhua, sooner or later it is achievable with the talents for cultivation and a will.


    "Huandan, however, is different from any previous states. It was known as ''the struggles of learning Daoism''. The best of the best go through the nine transformations of Huandan, only those who have achieved the six transformations of Huandan have the hope of achieving longevity and becoming an immortal.


    "On the path of Huandan, it was not enough to rely on one even though each has their own established practices. To sum it up, there were but three ways.


    "The first path is to place one own''s Yin spirit into a shaped ''external alchemy'', which allowed it to warm and nourish the body as it entered the body. This could extend the lifespan by three hundred years like how an alchemy cultivator would do. However, with this path, there was no more hope of progressing further after three turns. After three hundred years, one would still turn to ashes and the external alchemy that was left with the Yin spirit would eventually lose its divine aura because it was not of the same source. It would be difficult to have another chance to enter the way of Dao if there was an afterlife.


    "The second path was to use ''celestial core'' as a divine conductor. As for the number of transformations, it was determined by the quality of the celestial core. I''m afraid that it was rarer to find the celestial core that allows up to six transformations than immortals with longevity. It had never been heard of in legends for pills to even allow up to nine transformations.


    "The third path was to hold the spirit and harmonize it with the soma to form the Golden Elixir. Once it was formed, one had the good luck to steal heaven and earth and the gifted spirit to invade the sun and moon during the seven transformations, even during the nine transformations of Huandan. Only through this path the Huandan cultivator claim to be a success as the ''Golden Elixir''.


    "While the two paths are trackable, the third path bore no traces at all. There are those who cultivated until the state of Ruhua within three years, five years, ten years, or even a hundred years, but not achieve Huandan after spending a day and night.


    "Some people spent twenty, thirty years and cultivated until the state of Ruhua but when the time came, they could not achieve Huandan. Even though there were many theories came up by predecessors, they could not conclude exactly how to achieve Huandan."


    Lu asked curiously, "It is hard to measure the methods of the celestials. Are there really no immortals of longevity who can give pointers on how to Huandan?"


    Daoist Sanwen thought to himself. ''Even if there is, it would most probably be him.''


    When he thought of that person, he did not know whether he feared him or respected him, maybe even both.


    "Even the immortals can''t let you know how you should achieve Huandan. Even more, with your potential, it would be another three, five, or ten years before you reach Ruhua. It wouldn''t be too late to ask this question by then," Daoist Sanwen answered plainly.


    Afterward, his facial expressions shifted a little and he said, "Leave, the headmaster wants to meet you two."


    The trio left the bamboo residence. Outside, the flying serpent that Jingqing transformed into was already waiting.


    After what had happened yesterday, Lu was used to it already.


    However, Daoist Sanwen accompanied them as they went.


    Amongst the sea of clouds, Jingqing lazily opened his mouth and said, "Xiao San''er, I''m afraid this is your last time sitting on my back. Nonetheless, I have lifted your master and your master''s master and they all died, you wouldn''t make much of a difference."


    Lu almost laughed when he heard the way Jingqing addressed Daoist Sanwen and he remembered that Jingqing addressed them as senior brothers.


    What he did not know was that there was not much seniority rule within the members of Qing Xuan. It was because that Jingqing was not a part of the sect and he was a demon beast that guarded the mountains, the grandmasters of Qing Xuan had him address anyone as a senior so that Jingqing would not flaunt his seniority, and that he would only obey the headmaster''s orders.


    The nature of a snake was cold and sinister, and originally would be indifferent to matters like this. It was due to the fact that he mingled among people in Qing Xuan celestial school for so long that he acquired some humane qualities. Therefore, he said more than usual as he recollected the moments he had with Daoist Sanwen when Daoist Sanwen was approaching the end.


    It was actually no difference for him to address someone as a senior as to addressing someone as an idiot.


    However, Jingqing held Daoist Sanwen in a different light by addressing him as ''Xiao San-Er''.


    It was difficult for Shen Lian and Lu to understand the reason for it, only Daoist Sanwen knew that he had feelings for every plants, tree, and flowers of the Qing Xuan Mountain and he could not bear to part with this world. Jingqing, who was originally an unfeeling demon and yet still able to recollect some memories of him gave him a heavy heart.


    The flying serpent soared through the sea of clouds and suddenly came to a halt. Jingqing whispered, "Xiao San-Er, the lady devil is coming, I''m going to run. You bring these two to meet the headmaster."


    Lu and Shen Lian had a scare of their lives because they got jolted off the back of the serpent when Jingqing shook. As for Jingqing, it disappeared without a trace through the endless sea of cloud like a rainbow.


    Even if they were made from refined steel, they would still be shattered to a million pieces if they were to fall from this height in the middle of the sky.


    Luckily, the empty right sleeves of Daoist Sanwen extended and wrapped around the both of them like a vine.


    They landed on top of a boat cloud.


    A clear voice came from the sky. "Damn snake, I only want to borrow your inner core, how can you be so stingy? Don''t let me catch you this time or else I''ll make you vomit the Zhuguo 1 you stole from me."


    Shen Lian recognized the voice when he heard it. However, amongst this sea of clouds and the gentle breeze, how could he know what this person looked like?


    As the voice got further and further away, Shen Lian thought, ''Could it be the voice of that lady I met by the strange river that day?''


    With Daoist Sanwen''s mana, the boat cloud was not that steady while it transported the three of them.


    It shook from side to side then finally reached the main peak, Taiyi. Daoist Sanwen was familiar with the directions and they arrived at the main hall.


    This time Jingqing was not there to open the door. Daoist Sanwen pushed the door by himself and entered.


    As per the last time they met, the headmaster Daoist was sitting on the stone couch in a lotus position.


    This time, the headmaster Daoist was way younger than yesterday when Shen Lian saw him.


    Daoist Sanwen was surprised and he said, "I''m afraid that something had happened to the headmaster yesterday." He could see that even though the headmaster Daoist had become younger but there were signs that his injuries were getting more serious.


    The reason for this was because the headmaster Daoist had a serious injury from that incident a hundred years ago. He cultivated a secret technique to lock and trap vitality in his body and not have it divulge from the body, which caused his appearance to appear old and different from the other masters in the school.


    His appearance being young again, was definitely not because of the injuries but as a result of the vitality that was supposed to be locked in, slowly slipping out from his body.���,also known as �Ϲ�.It is a natural treasure in Wuxia and Xuanhuan novels. It blooms and bear fruit every one hundred years or five thousand years (depends). The fruit looks like a purple apple once it''s ripe.

 Chapter 73 The Three Kowtows In The Hall

    The headmaster waved his hand and said, "It is nothing, let Shen Lian and Lu proceed with the initiation."


    Daoist Sanwen moved to a side. The person he respected in his entire life was the headmaster because even though he was not personally taught by the headmaster, the headmaster personally advised him on the problems he faced during cultivation after the demise of his master and grandmaster.


    Even though they were not master and apprentice in name, they did what any master and apprentice did.


    Shen Lian and Lu were lined up before the headmaster Daoist.


    With a serious face, the headmaster said, "Since the beginning of time, there was no one to disseminate Dao. It was not until that the celestials and Buddha showed themselves that there was proper dharma being passed on, which gave hope of longevity to all.


    Afterward, Daoist Taiyi established the nine states of cultivation before achieving longevity, which would count as tidying up the mess that was the cultivation levels of the Daoism schools. It is also the way of Dharma.


    Our very own Yuanqing Grandmaster listened to the teaching of Daoist Taiyi during those days. Later, the Daoist master disappeared and from then on, there was the Qing Xuan division.


    There are lingering charms of the Daoist master within the five peaks of Qing Xuan. Those who are fated would be able to comprehend and it would benefit his cultivation.


    After Yuanqing Grandmaster, this sect has undergone thirty-three generations and there had been forty immortals. Their portraits are left in the Taiwei pavilion.


    Some of the immortals fell to calamities, some of them have wandered amongst the rivers of stars. So far, there is only one immortal guarding the mountain entrance to this sect. You two would have a chance to meet you if you become a true disciple."


    Lu asked, "What is considered to be a true disciple?"


    "To achieve Huandan by your own accord, that is what is considered as true. In other words, you will be the Qing Xuan disciple who has truly inherited the teaching of Dao," the headmaster slowly replied.


    "What is the difference between a true disciple and a normal disciple, headmaster?" Shen Lian suddenly asked.


    He hardly showed himself within this period of time. Rather, he quietly observed Qing Xuan.


    Frankly speaking, generally, it does not matter whether it is Sanwen or the headmaster, they did not really have much of an ego.


    Of course, Shen Lian also could not see through, or have anything to refer to, about the state of their cultivation.


    The headmaster touched his mustache lightly and he chuckled as he asked, "Shen Lian, what do you think the difference is?"


    Shen Lian faced the headmaster with a natural ease, he answered, "Difference in action but not within."


    The headmaster did not show any other expression and he uttered, "Shen Lian, since Junior Brother Hong had passed on Xuanji martial art onto you, then you do not need to look for other dharma. There''s been a shortage of the Yin Jade lately, you shall go to the River of Spirits every month and collect a total of twenty pieces. By then, pass those to me."


    Daoist Sanwen asked hesitantly, "Headmaster, is twenty pieces a little too much?"


    "Is it? Then let''s add another ten pieces. Thirty for each month," headmaster responded softly.


    Daoist Sanwen dared not make a sound again. Shen Lian did not show any emotion.


    Daoist Sanwen saw Shen Lian''s face and lightly shook his head. This young fellow still did not know the ferocity of the River of Spirits. To ask him to collect thirty pieces of the Yin Jade was really a suffering. Could it be that because Shen Lian seemed too opportunistic so that the headmaster punished him with this ordeal?


    The headmaster then asked, "Shen Lian, do you wish to do so?"


    Shen Lian nodded.


    The headmaster then turned to Lu Shouyi and impartially said to him, "Baishi Daoist had left me a message earlier. Furthermore, you could pass the Wenxin Road, which is enough to see your moral nature. From now on, you will join me as an in-house disciple and follow me for your cultivation. Of course, due to the rules, you would still remain residence in the lower house."


    Lu Shouyi was ecstatic at first, he then looked at Shen Lian and said, "Honored master, do you want to recruit Junior Brother Shen as your disciple? His talents and comprehension are better than me, plus, he already has a foundation in cultivation." He was rather smart to be able to change the way he addresses him so quickly.


    The headmaster replied, "You just need to take care of yourself. As for who Shen Lian would honor as a master, I do not need you to teach me."


    Afterward, the headmaster waved his hands and said, "You two leave first and wait outside, Sanwen stay."


    Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi took their leave.


    Lu Shouyi and Shen Lian were outside of the main hall. Only then Lu Shouyi said, "Brother Shen, I did not expect to have the headmaster as my master."


    Shen Lian smiled slight, "You should really take this opportunity and strive for Huandan as soon as possible so that you can achieve longevity."


    Lu Shouyi answered, "Naturally. It''s too bad master did not recruit you too. Could it be that he wants you to follow the elderly man in red?"


    "Who knows, I am more than satisfied to be able to enter the celestial school and learn the ways of longevity." Shen Lian did not really mind the headmaster''s harsh treatment towards him, or that he did not dislike it.


    No one would believe it, for the headmaster of Qing Xuan, who was a morally saint to look at someone with prejudice like a normal mortal, there was definitely some other reason.


    If having the headmaster for a master means that the nine transformations of Huandan and longevity could be achieved, then everyone in Qing Xuan would be an immortal.


    That Senior Brother Chen from before would not even be stuck at a juncture and not budge an inch for forty years.


    He joined Qing Xuan was to understand more about cultivation rather than relying on people to cultivate. Shen Lian was very clear about what he wanted.


    ...


    Sanwen said, "You don''t seem to like Shen Lian."


    "When this child went through the Wenxin Road, I was actually observing him. His heart is clear and he definitely has good potential that can be mold. Junior Brother Hong was adamant about me passing the mantle onto Shen Lian. Of course, I did not agree to that."


    "And why is that?" Daoist Sanwen was especially puzzled. On the road of cultivation, even though the potential was not the most important but it was definitely something that could not be lacking. Furthermore, Shen Lian''s spirit was abundant and his character was great. If he had cultivated using Uncle Hong''s Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery, then he would the first to achieve Huandan during the Ruhua stage, even those who had gone through the six transformations of Huandan would be so much as a rival for him.


    "The design of the gods cannot be revealed." The headmaster smiled a little, he was hard to read.


    "Then why did you promise Baishi Daoist to recruit Lu Shouyi as your in-house disciple?" Daoist Sanwen could not even understand this. Even though it seemed that the headmaster so easily accepted Lu Shouyi as his disciple, in actual fact, the headmaster had only recruited two disciples so far.


    "Lu Shouyi, he is righteous with his friends, his heart is pure in his conducts, perhaps his future achievements might be above Jianmei. Even though I gave Jianmei the remark ''No one knows when one has been cultivating for half his lifetime, the world is amazed once he gets the knack of it in one day'', I''m afraid he might be fragile and break easily, which would be such a pity."


    Qi Sanwen did not expect the headmaster to hold Lu Shouyi in such high regards, he really could not comprehend how this young fellow was going to surpass Chen Jianmei.


    The headmaster then said, "Now that we got that out of the way, it is your turn."


    "I am unworthy, Uncle-Master." Daoist Sanwen lowered his head.


    "If you want the external alchemy from me right now, I will still give it to you. Even though this item is limited in this school, I am still able to let down this old face and give you one." The headmaster peaked at Daoist Sanwen and there was a quiet sigh from him.


    "If I take it, how are you going to complacent the senior brothers in the upper house? Who doesn''t want the chance to live another extra three hundred years? Furthermore, I do not wish to simply drag out an ignoble existence in this three hundred years. I only wished to enter this sect again in the next life."


    "Those who are quick to temper burn like fire, they burn things up; those who are indifferent freeze like the ice, they kill anything they meet. Those who are stagnant and stubborn, are like the rotting wood in stale water, there is no more vitality. These three are not of those in the way of the cultivation of Dao. You are too stubborn for your own good. Fine, fine, do as you please."


    In the main hall, Daoist Sanwen got onto his knees, with the attitude of a pilgrim, he kowtowed towards the headmaster loudly.


    There was blood with each of the three kowtows.


    The headmaster did not stop him and allowed him to finish his kowtows.

 Chapter 74 Entering The Celestial School At This Poin

    Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi were outside and they did not know what had happened in the main hall. They only waited for a while when they heard the voice of the headmaster Daoist. It was asking Shen Lian to enter alone.


    It did not allow his new disciple, Lu Shouyi to enter together with him.


    Once Shen Lian was inside, Daoist Sanwen was not there anymore.


    The headmaster looked at Shen Lian and pointed at him simply. With Shen Lian''s sharp senses, he could not respond at all to this one point. This seemingly easy point of a finger had penetrated through time, not allowing him to escape.


    The headmaster was sitting on the stone couch and he did not get up, but that index finger was definitely touching the center of his brows that was really far away from him.


    A cool breath of air invaded the center of Shen Lian''s brows. There was a paragraph of text and image that emerged in his mind, it was the complete version of the Xuanji martial art that he had picked up from the chessboard. It even had some more annotation and knowledge to it.


    There had been sayings of ''Furyu monji1'' in the traditional heritage of Dao, this was the first encounter for Shen Lian.


    He could not tell whether he was happy or surprised. He had cultivated using The Mastery of Senses for so long. This method allowed him to recollect himself and steady himself. Whenever he encountered huge matters, he could stay calm instead.


    Shen Lian closed his eyes for a while and then opened them. He bowed slightly. The virtue disseminated in the dharma mentioned that one could not be impolite.


    The headmaster finally showed some admiration on his face and he said, "To not be angry without a cause and to not panic in the face of adversary. Shen Lian, you truly live up the phrase ''profound moral character''."


    "I''m afraid you allowed me it is to not only compliment me." Shen Lian''s face was serene. The way a cultivator deal with matters could not be guessed based on the average. But as long as there are intention and emotions, there would be traces of it whenever anyone was doing anything.


    He walked through the Wenxin Road with an extremely quick speed, even the elder in red would give anything to have him as a disciple immediately. He had even passed on his martial arts beforehand. It can be said even within the celestial school, his potential was one of the best selection. The headmaster was a Daoist and he controlled the celestial sect, so he would definitely not purposely mistreat him. Shen Lian was sure of this.


    Regardless of a human or demon, or any other living creatures, as long as there were emotions, there will be needs and desires. It was naturally no exception for the cultivators. Shen Lian would not worry about his personal gains and losses. Just like when he encountered the fox deity Xin to get rid of the illness, whatever may come comes.


    He had a steady heart and was indifferent in terms of getting along, he did not even pay mind to it.


    "For those who are pursuing Dao on my level, it is nothing if he destroys and belittles me or he praises and honors me. This sect had opened its doors for the first time in fifty years to allow one to examine oneself during cultivation and ten people were selected. Even though there is fate, but they were selected for the sake of being new blood. For someone like you to be able to perform astral projection before the breakthrough, Qiaodong state, is really rare. Any celestial schools outside of Qingxuan would want you." The headmaster''s face was plain, but his words were more than complimenting Shen Lian.


    "Since I have joined Qingxuan, I do not wish to go to other places," Shen Lian answered.


    "Actually, for someone like you, either you had a profound cultivation in your previous life and you were above Huandan, or you have other wonderful Dharma to cultivate. However, as the Qing Xuan grandmaster Yuanqing once said ''I will not ask about your past since you''ve entered my school'', so I will not ask about your secret. I am not purposely making it difficult for you by having you go to the River of Spirits to collect the Yin Jade. When that time comes, you will personally understand my purpose." The headmaster still remained unreadable as ever.


    ...


    The Spirit of River was located way further than the Qing Xuan celestial school.


    The water in the river was not the water of ponds or oceans but the water of the netherworld. It has the shape of water but not the substance.


    So even when a feather lands, it sinks. There was not a piece of wood on it.


    That was the information that Shen Lian acquired from the Qing Xuan sect''s Taiwei pavilion.


    Shen Lian did three things before that.


    The first thing he did was that in the hall of the grandmasters, he paid his respects to the molt that was left behind by the pioneering grandmaster Yuanqing. At the same time, he lit up a lamp of life and spirit. In the future, if Shen Lian passes away, the lamp would extinguish. It was an important method used by the Qing Xuan sect to track their traveling disciples.


    The second thing he did was he went to the ''disciplinary hall'' in Tianyuan peak and remembered the rules of Qing Xuan sect. The law enforcer of the disciplinary hall was the elder in grey. His name is Ge Yuan and he was one of the Huandan cultivators in Qing Xuan.


    Simultaneously, he found out that the elder in the red who wished to recruit him as his own disciple is named Hong Qianya. He was also one of the Huandan cultivators in the sect and the elder in charge if the ''good deeds hall'' in Tianyuan peak. The good deeds hall is the place where it controls most of the celestial cultivation resources, from the headmaster to the ordinary disciples, good deeds were needed to exchange for some resources. As to how to acquire good deeds, firstly, good deeds were given out every month based on the different levels of the cultivation; secondly, there would be tasks being put up and the people in the sect can attain their good deeds through completing these tasks.


    Amongst the five peaks of Qing Xuan, except for the main peak, Taiyi, where the headmaster resides, the other four peaks differ from each other.


    Qingliang peak was where the lower house disciples stay, Yuyang peak was where the upper house disciples stay.


    The order of the four peaks based on Qi of vitality of heaven and earth are Qingliang, Yuyang, Tianyuan, and Zifu, it is from the thinnest to the thicket.


    Only the Huandan and above cultivators could carve out a cave in the Tianyuan or Zifu peaks.


    The number of lower house disciples were extremely small and the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth was the least on the Qingliang peak that they were staying. But there was an advantage, it was that everyone could join the Huandan cultivators of the Tianyuan or Zifu peaks.


    As for the upper house disciples, they do not have this treatment. Of course, there were a few amongst them who would try to establish a good connection almost every day with the elders of the sect. Innately speaking, there was not a lack of people to teach.


    At the same time, every two months, there were elders from the school that would answer questions about the mass of disciples.


    Even though there were many rules in Qing Xuan, but the most important one was that no one could turn on each other. If it was found out, the disciplinary hall would discipline and punish them.


    It was just that Shen Lian was unclear about that young man, by right he should be staying at the lower house but rumor has it that he was personally brought by Ge Yuan to his cave to be taught about Dao.


    Besides being the law enforcer of the disciplinary hall, Ge Yuan was also the head of Tianyuan peak. There was only one reason, he was able to go through seven transformations of Huandan by his own accord.


    His Dao skills and mana were number one in all of Tianyuan peak, which meant he had a chance of becoming immortal.


    There were many other Huandan cultivators in the sect but for those like Ge Yuan who was able to achieve Huandan by their own were in the rare in numbers. So, to be able to go through the seven transformations of Huandan in the entire cultivation world would be considered outstanding.


    Even Hong Qianya who was also at Tianyuan peak used a celestial core as a divine conductor to achieve the six transformations of Huandan. Nonetheless, he was still nowhere as good as Ge Yuan.


    The both of them entered the Huandan state in their hundreds so their appearance seemed old.


    Actually, to a cultivator, it did not matter whether they look young or old. Once achieving Huandan, there were ways to restore youth but the two did not do so.


    The Qi of vitality of heaven and earth at the Zifu peak was thick, second to the main peak, Taiyi. There were also many Huandan cultivators. The Taiwei pavilion was where the ancient books and records are, there were also the portraits left by the fellow immortals. Inside it, their meaning of Dao was archived. However, on the second floor of the Taiwei pavilion, none Huandan cultivators or those without a higher level than that were not allowed to step foot into it.�������� is a phrase taken from the Four Sacred Verses of Bodhidharma (�_ĥ���}��) which means non-dependence upon words and letters. The translation is in the Japanese version because the direct translation wouldn''t be able to convey it very well without dragging on.

 Chapter 75 Suffer the Unspeakable Misery

    The third thing Shen Lian did was that he went to the Taiwei Pavillion and found the common information of the cultivation world on the first floor.


    There were so many cultivation sects in this world but there was a possibility that not many sects that had immortals with longevity.


    Furthermore, the celestialism which were guarded by these immortals were becoming lesser and lesser. These sects were the authentic Xuanmen.


    The still standing Daoist school and Celestialism after ten thousand years of ups and downs were the four main Daoist sects. Qing Xuan was one of them.


    There was a difference in cultivation between Buddhism and Daoism. The dense forests under the sky, the stars filled skies and the distance of the door were smaller than the Daoist schools but it also has its differences, which totals to a total of eight schools.


    The first one was Sanlun sect, also known as Faxing sect. The second one was Yujia sect, also known as Faxiang sect, Cien sect, Weishi sect. The third one was Tiantai sect. The fourth one was Xianshou sect, also known as the Huayan sect. The fifth one was Chan sect. The sixth one was Jintu sect. The seventh one was Lv 1sect. The eight one was Mi sect, also known as Zhenyan sect.


    To put it simply, the eight schools were known as ''Xing, Xiang, Tai, Xian, Chan, Jin, Lv, and Mi''.


    Buddhism was an open and convenient gateway and a path to confirm the truth. However, due to the difference in wisdom, level of luck and morals and the root of the acceptor added with the different background and surrounding environments or the interpretation of Buddhism and the emphasis on cultivation, these schools were formed.


    There were many masters that came from the eight main schools, there was even a highly ranked monk who wrote a poem that talks about the ins and outs of the eight schools. The poem goes like this:


    Wealth for Mi sect,


    scarcity for Chan sect,


    and anyone for Jin sect,


    Patience for Weishi sect,


    wisdom and truth of Jiaxiangkong.


    Huayan becomes the tradition,


    The discipline of training the body.


    Tightly organized were the principles of truth,


    Of the Tiantai sect.


    The final stage for the eight schools of Buddhism was to achieve the status of ''arhat'', which was similar to the immortals of Daoism.


    The immortals with longevity were then categorized to Dixian, Renxian, Shenxian, and Guixian. After Powang, the Qing Xuan methods of exercises were for Dixian.


    The Renxian, Shenxian, and Guixian were not orthodox and it was not derived from the nine states of cultivation. Shen Lian could not find any details about this on the first floor of the Taiwei pavilion.


    This was due to the fact that after cultivation, one''s memory would not be too weak, therefore the information on the first floor of the Taiwei pavilion would not be allowed to be lent out. Even the most ordinary disciple had to spend one or two days to remember most of the content regarding the cultivation world, they could also find out through a leisure chat with their seniors and teachers.


    Buddhism aside, there were also the nine paths of the demons, the five teachings of the wicked and there were also unknown figures.


    Of course, the first floor also has the kind of categories on Dao skills and sword skills but Shen Lian did not research too much into it. After all, it was easy to remember these stuff but to truly understand it fully and apply it would require a lot of energy and effort. His main task was to collect the Yin Jade from the River of Spirits.


    Even though the headmaster did not mention that there would be consequences if he did not complete the task of collecting the thirty pieces in one month, Shen Lian did not want to find out what the consequences were.


    The River of Spirit of Qing Xuan was situated behind the Zifu peak that neighbored the Taiyi main peak. No one knew the start and the end of the final flowing direction. Shen Lian already knew that the person in white that he met that day was the soul summoning envoy of the Jiuyou netherworld. As long as he leaves before sundown from the nearby areas of the River of Spirit, he will not have another encounter.


    Jiuyou was an extremely mysterious world, even within the information that Shen Lian looked through, there was only a brief mention of it and there was not even a mention of the existence of reincarnation.


    As for the power of the Yin spirit of the river, the river bed would produce bits and pieces of crystalized Yin Jade by chance.


    The Yin Jade was used to make jade talisman to be worn on the body. It has a calming effect. With a piece of jade talisman like this during the cultivation of inner Qi, there was a bigger chance of preventing Qi deviation.


    That being said, to refine such a jade talisman would require mana of the Huandan level. Therefore this jade talisman was hard to come by.


    After all, the Huandan cultivators were not coolies who have all the time in the world to spend so much energy in making talismans for the usage of their juniors.


    Also, it was a labor to be collecting the Yin Jade from the River of Spirits. Shen Lian was really feeling right now.


    The last time he came in contact with some water of the River of Spirits, there was a gut-wrenching pain in his spirit.


    The Yin Jade was on the bottom of the river, even his ebony sword could not pick it up.


    Of course, even if he could, he would not be doing so, or even cracking his brain to look for other methods of collection, because he already knew the headmaster''s purpose.


    Shen Lian stripped himself of his clothes and dived into the River of Spirits. The water seeped into his flesh and constantly eroded his spirit.


    Shen Lian could use his powerful psyche to cut off the pain of the flesh but there was no other way that would work on the immense pain in his spirit. He could only bear with it as it is.


    When Shen Lian dived into the river water, even though he was in a lot of pain, with colossal determination, he used the Mastery of Senses to have this spirit go to all parts of the vessels and meridian points like the inner Qi. It consumed the essence and Qi of vitality of the flesh to replenish the spirit that was eroded away by the river water.


    After one trip, even though Shen Lian''s spirit was weak, but the connection with his flesh was becoming tighter.


    The difficult part was that he had to divide some of his attention to look for the Yin Jade that was on the bottom of the river.


    Because the pain in his spirits would not disappear due to the closeness of the connection between his spirit and flesh.


    Simultaneously, if his spirit did not consume the essence of the flesh and the inner Qi, there was a possibility that he might hurt its root and not be able to hold out for a moment in the River of Spirits.


    When he finally caught onto a piece of Yin Jade, Shen Lian swam with all he got and got onto the shore as he was reaching his limits.


    A feather could sink in the River of Spirit, so when he was in the middle of the river, he would not be half floating and half sinking and be rushed away by the river waters.


    This helped him lessened most of Shen Lian''s troubles.


    Of course, he was afraid that no living flesh would want to train their swimming skills in the River of Spirit.


    Even if there was the Gang Qi shield all over his body, he could not cut off the river water. Shen Lian speculated that even the Huandan cultivators with their strong spirits would still feel the pain when they enter the river.


    Once he got up to the shore, there was hardly any inner Qi left in his body. Luckily in Qing Xuan, even the area with the weakest Qi of vitality had more of it compared to the ordinary world.


    Shen Lian used the Xuanji martial art and the Qi of vitality came pouring into his body.


    His eight vessels were clear and the Xuanji martial art woken up the many meridian points of the body and connected it to a network, which allowed it to refine the Qi of vitality with great efficiency.


    Once his vessels were connected, the so-called Qiaodong was not the ordinary orifices points but the ''awakened entrance'', also known as the ''life and death entrance.''


    The Daoist scriptures mentioned that ''understanding one entrance would connect a thousand entrance, once accomplished it would be like Buddha and the celestials'', this was what it meant by ''awakened entrance''.


    This was one of the difficult points that were second to Huandan and breaking through Powang in the nine states of cultivation.


    The difficulty was one level above connecting the Governor and Conception Vessels through the Tongmai state.


    It was hard to open up the life and death entrance because it was between an existence and non-existence, there was no fixed position for it.


    Some people can open up from the sole of their foot, some people might be on the arms, and there were no regulations for it.


    Of course, there was one ridiculous way and that was to open up as many entrances in the body so there might be a chance for the life and death entrance to appear. This was from the experience of predecessors.


    Xuanji martial art involved hundreds of entrance which would be beneficial for opening up the life and death entrance.


    Every time Shen Lian went into the river, he would need three hours to regain his Qi. He even had to make it back to the lower house on Qingliang peak before sundown.


    Lu Shouyi had no time to be concern about Lian Shen once he had gotten the proper teachings. He was not even clear on the level of pain Shen Lian endures every day.The original characterwas�� ��l����, pronounced as ''luey''.

 Chapter 76 The Art of Spiritual Enhancemen

    Lu Shouyi did not have much energy to care for Shen Lian, as it was not an easy task for him to practice. He lacked in basic foundation and awareness of cultivation.


    Qing Xuan''s motto was, "If one wishes to train, one must first fix the heart". Lu Shouyi was a pure-hearted person and had no problem fulfilling this criterion. That was also why the headmaster had faith in his future.


    That being said, everything started with the basics and it was not easy to have a solid foundation.


    Lu Shouyi had picked up the Visualization Technique. He had to visualize in his mind the scene of the sun and the moon appearing concurrently. He had never seen such thing and thus struggled with his training.


    After five days, an unkempt Lu Shouyi was out of brain juice and made zero progress.


    Three new members joined the lower house bamboo residence. Shen Lian generally had to leave early in the morning and return late at night. Upon returning, he would visualize the statue of the Innate Gods to stabilize the roots of his spirit. He was too occupied to put in any effort on the newcomers.


    Shen Lian had been losing weight and he was literally thin to the bone.


    His bloodshot eyes were no longer clear and moist as it used to be.


    Buddhist scriptures often said ''In order to be a powerful Buddha, you must first serve the common''. A Buddhist practitioner should experience epiphany through the sufferings of all beings.


    Immortality was a natural consequence of the fruit from a tree.


    And this tree was rooted in all sorts of the misery of the hustle bustle of a city.


    All celestial immortals were too as complex.


    In Shen Lian''s past and current life, he was someone who would seek comfort and security. This was his first time he discovered that he could and was willing to endure extraordinary sufferings for a goal.


    The erosion caused by the River of Spirits to his spirit was still fresh. That piercing pain gave him a sense of rebirth from hell every time he came up to the land.


    His once bright delicate skin had become dull and dark.


    His flesh and blood were being used to rejuvenate his spirit.


    This was the reason why he could stay sober.


    Celestial beings generally would first train their Qi and then refine their spirituality.


    Even if Lu Shouyi inherited methods of martial exercise from the headmaster, he could only learn the visualization part of the technique of concentration and not the way of spiritual nourishment. That was to ensure Lu Shouyi would focus on that section of his training.


    As for Shen Lian, he went straight on into enhancing his spirits, to the extent that the previous owner of the body went into psychosis.


    When he was given a new life, he stopped practicing the Mastery of Senses as that training would devour his flesh and vitality.


    Even so, his strong foundation had benefited him in his astral projection training. Furthermore, Shen Lian and the soul of the former owner integrated, making it easier for him to separate his soul and flesh, giving him the edge to go out of body.


    It may seem like a good thing in the early days but in the long run, it was actually something negative.


    Unless Shen Lian abandoned his flesh and body to be one with heaven and earth, and go on with the road to Shinto.


    The Wutong Gods took this road; it was a road where the more extreme you go, the more you need to feed on greed and lust. Your spirit may be strong but it would not be solid.


    Although the corrosive water from the River of Spirits deeply damaged Shen Lian''s spirit, it really pushed Shen Lian to be in touch with his instinct in order to survive.


    It was like buying a second-hand house that was somewhat uncomfortable to live in. After throwing out the old design and then renovating it according to the new owner''s ideas, the house became a meaningful home.


    A person with a home had a secure heart.


    Shen Lian realized his sense of attachment to his physical body. This was not something that he could simply give up on.


    By the twenty-seventh day, Shen Lian had discovered thirty pieces of Yin jade. He achieved that three days earlier than the deadline.


    After discovering the last piece of Yin jade, he swam up to shore and shook vigorously to dry off the wetness of the River of Spirits.


    His sandalwood sword looked dull as it had been endlessly absorbing the river water for the past twenty-seven days.


    Shen Lian held the sword and had a strange feeling as if the sword had learned how to breathe and absorbed the strength of heaven and earth. And that was why the sword felt heavier.


    Three days ago, the sword had stopped absorbing water from the river, as if it had eaten a full meal.


    Shen Lian handed over the thirty pieces of Yin Jade to the headmaster. By now, he had already known the name of the headmaster was Zhang Ruoxu.


    Currently aged six hundred years old, it was said that headmaster had become a monk who gave up desires two hundred years ago. That was the final destination for achieving immortality.


    Monks were like carp fishes trying to swim across the river. But monks who could give up their desires completely were not more than immortals.


    Once Shen Lian had learned of that fact, he had more respect for Zhang Ruoxu. That was the respect for his training and dedication.


    At the same time, Shen Lian was also very grateful to Zhang Ruoxu for pointing out his flaws and guided him to overcome them.


    Although Shen Lian had lost the ability to go out of body and his spirit was a lot weaker than before, when he was practicing the Visualisation Technique, there was more clarity in his bier.


    His spirit may be weaker but he felt a lot stronger than before.


    In the Qing Xuan hall, Zhang Ruoxu accepted the Yin jade pieces from Shen Lian and placed it aside. He looked at Shen Lian delightfully. This kid was in the enlightening phase but his spirit was so calm, oozing an impregnable feeling.


    The last person who gave him that same feeling was Lu Jiuyuan of Xuan Tian School. That person was then recognized as the top figure among immortals.


    Monks seek immortality and to not be obsessed with killing. But as long as someone had a heart, they cannot avoid being angry or lustful. If one did not have the dedication, achieving immortality was just empty talk.


    "You would have been a suitable candidate to learn the Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery. Pair it up with the Taiyi Spiritual Technique and it would be beneficial for you in overcoming danger. It''s just that this training would undo the foundation you''ve worked so hard for." Zhang Ruoxu felt tangled and yet joyful at the same time.


    "Headmaster, what step should I take next?" In the long run, Shen Lian felt that it was better for him to seek advice than to go with the flow with his training.


    Zhang Ruoxu was a master practitioner; Shen Lian was direct and did not beat around the bushes.


    "I don''t know either. Your training at the River of Spirits had brought phenomenal outcome. Your physical body are showing spiritual traits while your spirits too possessed characteristics of your physical body. You may not feel it yet when you return to the subliminal stage but once you step into a trance, you would feel the difference. I am really curious what spiritual enhancement technique you''ve been practicing. You spirits were not damaged after the vigorous training at the River of Spirits.


    I told you to collect thirty pieces of Yin jade but I didn''t expect you to complete the task. I gave you a lofty goal to push you to your limits. If you couldn''t withstand it, I would have rescued you.


    Who would have thought you would exceed my expectations."


    Zhang Ruoxu gave a faint smile.


    Shen Lian had a black face. He knew too little about practice and cultivation. If the River of Spirit were good for repetitive training, someone from Qing Xuan would have tried it.


    Once your spirit was damaged, it would take a lot of effort to heal it. If Shen Lian mastered the art spiritual enhancement, it would have damaged the root of his spirit even though he had a strong soul.


    Zhang Ruoxu had been secretly observing Shen Lian with the Tiandi Jian. Once Shen Lian shows sign of struggle, he would step in to rescue him.

 Chapter 77 Repaying A Favour

    Shen Lian lightly asked, "Do you want me to surrender my Art of Spiritual Enhancement?"


    Zhang Ruoxu smiled. "Are you willing to do so?"


    "Of course I am." Shen Lian replied dashingly.


    To Shen Lian, no matter how mysterious the origins of Master of Senses were, it was only a martial exercise. It may not help him achieve immortality.


    Qing Xuan''s celestial studies, on the other hand, have legitimately produced many immortals.


    Moreover, Qing Xuan was not a charity hall. There would be a limit on how kind Zhang Ruoxu treated his disciples.


    It was normal for celestials to not have any desires. Although as a monk who lived against destiny, one would need to constantly adjust their mentality.


    Like a Chinese saying that goes "give me a papaya and I will repay with a good jade", Zhang Ruoxu''s guidance was the papaya while Shen Lian was repaying the deed with his Spiritual Enhancement technique. It may have seemed like Shen Lian was paying a bigger price but he willingly did that as he felt a sense of belonging at Qing Xuan.


    There was absolutely no such thing in the world as love or hatred without a reason. It was mutual scarification that would bring people together.


    Action speaks louder than words and that was why Shen Lian was clear-cut while Zhang Ruoxu was very delighted by that.


    A plain white paper appeared out of thin air.


    Shen Lian was surprised and said, "Did you prepared this in advance and took it out from the mutually accommodating apparatus or was it produced instantly?


    "Of course this is fresh off the stove. You''ll be able to tell if something is spiritual or not after you''ve broken free from desires. There''s no point going back and forth between ''fake could be genuine or genuine could be fake''. Zhang Ruoxu smiled but with not much content


    "Sure enough, that is celestial arts. Can you then transform rock into gold?" Shen Lian asked curiously.


    "Pearls, gold, and jade were no difference from brush, ink, paper and ink stone. It is just a matter amount of power needed to make it happen," Zhang Ruoxu answered calmly.


    Shen Lian thought to himself. "What would my grandfather think if he knew that the wealth he has worked his whole life for could be replicated so effortlessly by someone else."


    Of course, Master Shen was not aware that his cheapskate grandson was secretly making fun of him.


    Shen Lian abandoned that thought and took the brush and ink. The text from the Mastery of Senses slowly flowed from his heart:


    Lying down with great ease; the nine essences of sleep; soul captured up north...


    He lifted the brush and started writing; but before he could finish the first stroke, the ink vanished.


    Zhang Ruoxu moved an expression; Shen Lian tried writing back and forth and yet that first stroke would not show.


    Ever since Shen Lian burnt the Mastery of Senses, he has never reproduced the content nor leaked it verbally to someone else. This was the first time in doing so.


    Zhang Ruoxu said, "Go ahead and write, don''t think too much about it."


    After making the first stroke, Shen Lian proceeded to make the second stroke but he just could not write it no matter how hard he tried.


    "Stop the writing and perhaps try reciting it verbally?"


    Shen Lian was stunned. The stranger it was, the more it showed that the Mastery of Senses had an impressive history behind it.


    Shen Lian opened his mouth to recite but all of a sudden, he has forgotten how to vocalize.


    He was speechless.


    A treasure mirror flew out from Zhang Ruoxu and the lights reflected the two people.


    Shen Lian did not feel like he was being stalked. Instead, he felt protected.


    The Tiandi Jian was Qing Xuan''s treasured possession. Not only it could view the heaven and hear the earth, it could also isolate inside and outside.


    Zhang Ruoxu sighed, "Fortunately the Daoist Master still lingers around. Otherwise, today''s incident may leak out."


    Shen Lian''s expression changed slightly, feeling confused, he asked, "What was that?"


    "Does the "Art of Spiritual Enhancement" enhance one''s spirit even if that person does not have any foundation in cultivation?" Zhang Ruoxu asked.


    Shen Lian nodded.


    Zhang Ruoxu gave an ''as expected'' face and said, "If I''m not mistaken, someone has imposed a Dao restriction on your technique. The effect of this restriction is that once someone has mastered it, they were forbidden from neither teaching it nor putting it down in words.


    "But when I first started, I was able to record it on paper and the text did not vanish."


    Zhang Ruoxu calmly smiled and answered. "That''s because you''ve not shown that to anyone. Is the booklet still around?"


    "I''ve burnt it." Shen Lian answered awkwardly. After all, his actions showed that he was not that great of a person.


    "It''s not a bad thing to burn it and leave no traces behind. Maybe when you get older and better at your practice, you might be able to find another way to inscribe your Art of Spiritual Enhancement. By then, our school would have another fundament to be passed down," Zhang Ruoxu care freely replied.


    He initially thought that perhaps Shen Lian had little secrets behind him. Who knew that he would be imposed of a Dao restriction? In the ten thousand years of Qing Xuan history, no one person has the ability to impose such a restriction on others. It was an extremely skilled technique that a person has to come to the edge of the spiritual world in order to reach that level.


    Zhang Ruoxu seemed like he did not want to further elaborate about the Dao restriction. He switched the topic to talk about the fundamentals of practice and cultivation.


    He was a visionary who was extremely insightful. With just a few words, he could give Shen Lian a sudden feeling of glee.


    His last advice to Shen Lian was to not rush into finding a breakthrough.


    This was because it was not necessary for Shen Lian to nourish his spirit after breaking through. He already had the most advanced Art of Spiritual Enhancement. It did not make any difference if he reached the realm of spiritual nourishment.


    It did not matter if Spiritual enhancement or Qigong comes first. In the most ancient practice, the understanding of the natural world was beyond everything else.


    Zhang Ruoxu told Shen Lian to go to the Taiwei pavilion to find out more about the Dao of Talisman, and to focus on his swordcraft as well as his Dao technique.


    During ancient times, there were originally no text or writings. The talisman was the very first carrier of culture that served as a medium between heaven and earth. It had the ability to trigger natural forces such as water, fire, wind and thunder; and was one of the earliest forms of supernatural power.


    Although the Dao of Talisman was very different from the ancient method, if one puts in effort in understanding it, he will realize the similar concept behind it.


    Unlike Shen Lian, Chen Jianmei was highly talented and brave. His potential has sped up his training. However, slow and steady wins the race. Just like how a sword would have to go through extreme sharpening before becoming a double edge sword and the scent of the plum flower came from bitter coldness.


    Zhang Ruoxu assured Chen Jianmei that he would eventually go into Huandan1.


    Judging from Shen Lian''s sufferings at the River of Spirit, Zhang Ruoxu could tell what Shen Lian really needed was not the polishing of his techniques and blindly pursuing different realms. Instead, Shen Lian needed to cumulate experiences and learn more about proper practice and cultivation.


    The nine realms of cultivation was actually a shortcut paved by the Daoist Master for cultivators. It was a pity if the cultivators cast only a passing glance when they were going through the nine realms.


    Some people lived a short life and thus rushed through their practice. Shen Lian, on the other hand, took it slowly by taking deep strolls.


    Zhang Ruoxu would not explain these concepts explicitly, but he was more than happy to give some useful key pointers.���� - A Daoist and Qigong term to describe the process of returning to its original form

 Chapter 78 Talisman for Beginners

    Zhang Ruoxu may be the headmaster of Qing Xuan but he was extremely humble and helpful when Shen Lian was in doubt.


    Shen Lian took the opportunity to ask him about practice and cultivation and Zhang Ruoxu patiently addressed his queries. It was not easy for Shen Lian to meet Zhang Ruoxu and he wouldn''t waste the chance whenever he had the opportunity.


    Shen Lian would usually request to leave just before Zhang Ruoxu would end their session. His timings were always just nice and neat.


    As usual, Zhang Ruoxu would sit on the stone that he had been sitting on for the past hundred years. It was not that he did not want to move but he could not move.


    He lightly patted the Tiandi Jian, echo could be heard in the quiet hall.


    "Loneliness," Zhang Ruoxu said in a low voice with a hint of frustration on his brow.


    Jingqing walked down the hall.


    Zhang Ruoxu kept his frustration, looked at Jingqing and said, "All is good as long as you''re not injured."


    "In the end, the devil lady did not go crazy," Jingqing replied with a smile.


    "The Uncle-Master is making a comeback in practice and cultivation. It would be difficult for her to have another breakthrough. I hope her efforts would bloom and she would be able the enjoy the fruits of her hard work," Zhang Ruoxu sighed.


    "The second attempt to break out from whims is ten times tougher than the first attempt. If she succeeded in doing it, she would go beyond heaven and earth." Jingqing unconsciously lets out a hint of admiration. Although he had a long history, it was a thousand times more difficult for him to get a breakthrough compared mortal beings. He may not even go beyond heaven and earth by the time Qing Xuan annihilates.


    ...


    The vitality of the Zifu Peak was strong, forming clouds surrounding the mountains, giving out a fresh spiritual feel to the peak.


    The peak''s vitality may be strong but it was still not as rich as the bamboo residence of the lower house.


    As cultivators would release the old and absorb the new, thus heaven and earth''s vitality would be attracted to the location of the cultivators. They generally pick mountain and hills as their gathering spot and with the help of some Fengshui techniques, their vitality would be enriched, making it easier for cultivation.


    The two peaks of Zifu and Tianyuan generally had stronger vitality compared to Yuyang and Qingliang. Thus, setting up adobes and Fengshui arrangement there would boost their vitality, giving them an extra edge against the upper house and lower house.


    This was the so-called ''wealthy celestial land'', in terms of practice and cultivation.


    Ordinary disciples like Shen Lian did not have the rights to set up abodes at places like Zifu or Tianyuan. However, they were not banned from entering the two peaks.


    It was all good as long as they do not interrupt their teachers and elders'' practice and cultivation. It would not be easy for them if they deliberately offended their seniors.


    Shen Lian wondered what was it like to be in other schools of Celestialism. He felt that Qing Xuan''s rules were indeed very undemanding. The only two applicable were ''to not disturb others'' and ''to not betray your school''.


    It felt like an old moral saying that goes "the chicken and the dog can hear each other but they would never make contact with each other".


    The windy roads in the mountain and cicada singing lead to another complex trail. One may come across an exquisite Daoist academy with an open cornice, celestial abodes that relied on the mountain or even bamboo residences built on the rocks.


    These buildings were like lost stars in a cold night, scattered around, yet natural without a hint of abruptness.


    The Taiwei pavilion was located in the deepest section of the Zifu Peak. It was standing independently and divided into three floors.


    The pavilion did not appear to look shabby but it gave a feeling of vicissitudes of life.


    Shen Lian had visited the forbidden city during his past life and he was able to feel the silent flow of years. On the other hand, Taiwei pavilion gave out a faint human-like feeling, sort of like an endless stream of vicissitudes of life, flowing slowly. He could not help but be impressed by it.


    If someone was willing to learn, anywhere could be his pure land.


    Taiwei pavilion''s library was every Qing Xuan''s cultivator''s pure land.


    Of course, people do not visit this place every day. When Shen Lian was at the Taiwei pavilion, the only other person there was the elderly who was in charge of taking care of the place.


    This elderly was an old Daoist monk who specializes in a Dao technique that was similar to Buddhism meditation. No one knew how long he lived as one could not see any hints of aging from his outlook and psyche.


    Even the wrinkles on his forehead looked like the mysterious symbols on a talisman.


    The old Daoist monk was not in charge of identity check as the Taiwei pavilion had an equipment where you just have to register once and you''re free to enter as you like.


    However, if one was not allowed to enter the second floor if they failed their practice and cultivation.


    When Shen Lian entered the place, the old Daoist monk did not even take a glance at him. One could not tell if he was sleeping or awake but he was not breathing as if his soul was missing.


    Breathing and Qigong practices were just tricks to extend one''s life. It was not the root of Daoism. Shen Lian picked up this information from Zhang Ruoxu.


    But it was hard to understand that from this old Daoist monk.


    Heaven and earth''s vitality could nourish the physical body and provide warmth and moisture to the soul. However, the physical body and soul was like a delicate machine. No matter how you try to protect it, there would be a day where it would break down completely.


    Just like the sun, moon, and stars; nothing last forever.


    Shen Lian had some thoughts but he did not ponder too much about the cultivation method this old Daoist monk practices. He knew that it was important to go at one''s own pace and that being overly ambitious could be dangerous.


    The study materials on the first floor of Taiwei Pavilion were bound into booklets. The papers used were of premium quality paper, unlike those used in the mortal world where papers would turn yellow over time.


    Of course, the good stuff was not displayed in the Taiwei pavilion. Qing Xuan''s fundamentals were neither recorded down in text form nor stored in a special storage.


    Moreover, Qing Xuan has always adhered to the idea of ''it''s alright to teach the skills but be careful when teaching the spells''.


    Even if Shen Lian obtained the Xuanji martial art, he only received enough for him to practice and it was not sufficient to get himself involved in the other realm.


    The Dao technique materials on the first floor mainly cater for cultivators who had yet to achieve the Huandan. The Huandan was a vital drainage divide of practice and cultivation. After mastering the Huandan, one would be able to transform into land immortals whom every move made was of supernatural powers. It was hard to imagine how much more advanced land immortals were compared to mortals.


    Shen Lian found a book entitled "Talisman for Beginners" edited by Dong Lingzi, a talisman master.


    The preface of the book said, "Heaven and earth possess eight mysterious elements. They are heaven, earth, mountain, swamp, thunder, fire, water, and wind. The talisman works as a special medium to interconnect these elements to produce great forces. It can be used to heal and rescue, as well as to slay demons and improve on practice and cultivation.


    The talisman had many different functions, and cultivators used it differently according to their needs.


    Something interesting was mentioned in the book. According to it, there was once a type of cultivator who would use the Talisman Seeds as a substitute for Huandan to achieve immortality.


    Such cultivators were different from monks today but the editor did not elaborate much on this. According to Dong Lingzi, talisman studies emphasized on the outer world and frequently borrows the power of heaven and earth.


    Dong Lingzi probably added that part just to make the book more interesting.


    Shen Lian flipped more pages and finally got into the part that introduced the Dao of Talisman.


    The beginning of Dao of Talisman studies was very similar to learning calligraphy writing.


    You could tell if one was an advanced learner in calligraphy by his brush force and rhythm.


    Similarly, an advanced Dao of Talisman was judged by the power of the person who produced the talisman and his understanding .


    Of course, when one was just starting out, they only look into the basics and foundation.


    The book introduced three types of common talisman systems.

 Chapter 79 You Gain Some, You Lose Some

    The first type of talisman summoned was the ''Heavenly Script''. It chased the root of the cause and had the bravery of the great Brahma. Knot it to a foot long with eight edges that resemble the eight spiritual rituals.


    This type of talisman was the remnants of the Daoist master. Even immortals wouldn''t understand the meaning behind it.


    It was named ''heavenly'' because this type of talisman was recorded in a chapter of "The Great Brahma''s Cryptology to the Infinity Hole". This book set the rhythm and was a treasure of Daoism. However, it was a folklore and nobody really knew where did the book ended up at.


    The second type of talisman summoned the Seal of the Dragon and Phoenix. It was produced by ancient mediators when the dragon and phoenix were in power. Although this was not as powerful as the Heavenly Script, this talisman helped holy deities to make sense of deep profound ideas.


    The third type of talisman was the ''Cloud Seal Thunder Script'', which was the natural changes of Yin and Yang of Daoism. The symbols of the scriptures were outlined on paper or myrtus wood as the medium to produce power. Such talisman was the prototype of today''s text talisman.


    The book may have mentioned three types of talisman system but only provided the tutorial for ''Cloud Seal Thunder Script''.


    Shen Lian suspected that perhaps even Qing Xuan may not be able to offer a detailed explanation of the Heavenly Script and the Seal of the Dragon and Phoenix Script.


    Most cultivators in the world would know a trick or two about talisman. But hardly anyone would boost their proficiency.


    Once a person masters the Dao of Talisman, they may not have the opportunity to contribute in terms of combat power. However, a skilled Talisman Master was an important asset to a school as he could provide convenience in many other ways.


    For instance, a powerful talisman can be used as a form of protection when a disciple travels around the world. After all, it was easier to produce talisman than to forge alchemy. You can even cast spells and seal power on a talisman.


    Besides, some wearable talisman could even absorb the vitality from the heaven and earth and nourish the bearer''s physical body. It could be gifted to others as a protection against illnesses and promote longevity.


    Some land immortals who were skilled in the Dao of Talisman would use their skills to change the terrains of the mountains and transform desolated land to prosperous abode and even starting their own school.


    Technically a person with potent memory power like Shen Lian would be able to memorize it after taking a good glance. But it wasn''t an easy feat for him to remember the Cloud Seal Thunder Script chapter in the book.


    Every time he felt that has memorized a talisman, he would cross check his memory and the book. He would never get it right completely as if the text were constantly changing every second.


    He would not have noticed these fine details if it was not for his strong memory.


    Shen Lian prepared some white papers in advance to take notes.


    However, he was not able to reproduce the content as he could not jot down the text on the paper.


    Shen Lian did not give up and instead tried to figure out what went wrong.


    Several hours have past and the sun has set to the east.


    He felt a chill down his spine as if there was an irresistible force causing him to lose control of his body. Like a fallen cloud, he fell to the ground. Fortunately, he was able to do a side turn and landed with his palms on the ground, successfully avoided falling face down.


    Shen Lian knew it was the old Daoist monk who did that to him. What a frank person. Even if he could not talk, he could have just gently reminded him that it was time to leave. Was there really a need to be so impulsive?


    Shen Lian only dared to keep the thoughts to himself. He would never argue with a monk of such seniority.


    He understood that the truth of the world was within the scope of a fist.


    Shen Lian was still considered as a teenager as he has yet to pledge the oath of thirty years of He Xi and He Dong.


    Shen Lian felt knew that learning was a progressive process. Although the Cloud Seal Thunder Script was not registered in his mind, he had learned quite a bit on talisman.


    He felt that Dao of Talisman was way more interesting than meditation and Qigong practice.


    This was because he had a strong spiritual sense where he just had to follow the steps of meditation and Qigong. He did not need to be careful and he could even practice transporting his Qi while walking, sitting or even lying down. It was just that the results may not be as good as when he was focused.


    Shen Lian had not seen Lu Shouyi for days. When he returned to the lower house, he was shocked to see him.


    His figure was scrawny with yellowish unhealthy hair and his clothes were dirty. He didn''t have the demeanor of a scholar but instead looked more like a beggar.


    Shen Lian went up and patted Lu Shouyi who was sitting at the entrance of the academy. A somewhat confused Lu Shouyi looked at Shen Lian sluggishly.


    "Brother Lu, what on earth happened to you?" Shen Lian asked while secretly inserting essential Qi to make sure his words enter Lu Shouyi''s ears.


    Lu Shouyi finally regained composure, patted his head and said, "Brother Shen, I mean Young Brother Shen, you''re back from collecting jades?" As they were from the same school, they consciously address each other as brothers.


    Shen Lian was younger and naturally would be addressed as the younger brother and he couldn''t care less about such formalities.


    It was also because they entered the academy at the same time, if not Shen Lian would not even take the effort to greet him.


    "I''ve completed the task of collecting thirty pieces of jade. I don''t need to make more trips anymore. Didn''t the headmaster award you with the school''s fundamentals? How''s your training going?" Looking at Lu Shouyi, Shen Lian thought that he probably failed the training but Shen Lian didn''t want to offend him.


    Shen Lian could tell that Lu Shouyi''s meridians were opened up but it didn''t seem like an outcome of self-training. He probably still struggled with self-control.


    "The master gave me the concentration Visualization Technique as I am easily distracted. The first step was to overcome the cluttered thoughts in my head and then improve on my Qigong. But no matter how hard I try, I just couldn''t get the Visualization Technique right," an agonized Lu Shouyi responded with a low voice. He looked extremely weak.


    "Have you been eating for the past few days?" Shen Lian asked curiously.


    Shen Lian had a strong spiritual sense and was capable of absorbing vitality into his body. But Lu Shouyi, on the other hand, was not as skillful as Shen Lian. He looked scrawny like a matchstick after a month of training and most probably had not been eating. It was a surprise that he had yet to die of starvation.


    "I took a Bigu pill earlier. It suppresses your hunger for about ten days to half a month," Lu replied.


    "Are you aware that it''s almost been a month since we came back from Taiyi peak?"


    A stunned Lu Shouyi replied, "Is it?"


    "It''s been a month and Brother Lu still has yet to master the fundamentals. That was really unacceptable for a disciple of the headmaster," a passing man said leisurely.


    Dressed in white with a long sword hung to him, the passerby looked quite handsome. He had sharp brows with star-liked eyes and a well-structured nose. It was safe to describe him as energetic and vibrant.


    It was just that no swordsman at the lower house could match the charisma of Chen Jianmei.


    This person certainly could be considered as charming.


    But his harsh words sounded like thorns to Lu Shouyi.


    Lu Shouyi was aware that headmaster accepted him because he saw something in him. It was a special honor. Unless he brought back stunning results, it would be hard to convince others about his acceptance to the academy.


    Lu Shouyi was not an idiot. He figured out that this guy was most probably a newcomer to the lower house and replied, "It seems that this junior has some advice for me. Please go ahead and tell me directly."

 Chapter 80 Desires Were Like the Ocean, Hard to Tame

    "As a disciple of the headmaster, you represent the pride of Qing Xuan. If you can''t even get the fundamentals right, maybe it''s best for you to leave," the man in white responded. No matter how you look at it, he was making fun of Lu Shouyi.


    He was a prince of an overseas island three thousand miles away from Qing Xuan. He was accepted to the school recently but have shown tremendous progress with his training. Although he was taken in by a senior teacher, he was not pleased by it because Lu Shouyi was accepted as a disciple personally by the headmaster.


    The headmaster Zhang Ruoxu was not just a true case of a living immortal, he was also one of the best cultivators in the universe. What did Lu Shouyi do to deserve to be the headmaster''s direct disciple?


    Furthermore, with his talent and wisdom, the inheritance of Qing Xuan''s headmaster''s position might not be given to him.


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "If you think Brother Lu does not deserve to be the headmaster''s disciple, you can go and talk to the headmaster. Tell him that he was blind for pinking Brother Lu and not you."


    The man in white was not angry but instead calmly replied, "In Qing Xuan, be it the upper house or lower house, no one around my age could outdo me. I''m sure the headmaster had his considerations while I too have my dissatisfaction."


    Shen Lian responded. "Have you been accepted as an apprentice?"


    The man in white''s expression changed.


    Shen Lian lightly smiled and replied. "Judging from your reaction, you''ve probably been accepted as an apprentice. If I am your master, I would have chased you out."


    "I didn''t say that my master is not good. I am just not satisfied with Brother Lu. If he had the guts, let''s make a bet. There will be a Dao examination one year later. Let''s see who did better with the rankings," The man in white first explained and then set up a bet.


    Lu Shouyi replied. "I accept your challenge. If I lose, it would be disgraceful for me to continue being the headmaster''s direct disciple. But if you were defeated, you will have to apologize to me."


    "Of course I will. I am Zhao Siming, please remember that name," the man in white laughed and left.


    The moonlight stood still in solitary. Lu Shouyi punched the door of the courtyard, making a crackling sound.


    "Brother Lu, I thought you''d fight him just now," Shen Lian laughed.


    "I''ve memorized the rules and regulations of the discipline hall. We''re not allowed to fight in between ourselves unless under special circumstances," Lu Shouyi replied righteously.


    "Is it so hard for you to admit that you''re not better than him? Actually, if you''ve asked, I would help you. As long as I don''t strike him too hard, I''ll probably get away with just a small punishment," Shen Lian replied with a serious tone.


    As long as there were people, there would be fights. The rules and regulations of the school were not able to resolve conflicts between disciples. Back then, Chen Jianmei too took matters into his own hands. As long as you handle appropriately, the celestials would not be so calculative over petty matters as such.


    The rules and regulations were not to oppress but to educate people to know their limits and take action appropriately.


    Lu Shouyi laughed out loud. He did not expect Shen Lian to have such a humorous side of him.


    After he was done laughing, Shen Lian continued, "Brother Lu, this is just my two cents. We should go at our own pace when it comes to practice and cultivation. Nothing good will come up from forcing yourself because of other people''s judgment. It might bring you tiny victories but it will only do more harm than good in the long run."


    "I understand that too but I was too caught up in my anger and I couldn''t resolve it." Lu Shouyi shook his head. If he did not know know of such things, Zhang Ruoxu would not pick him even if he had the purest soul.


    Shen Lian was at a loss of words. Part of the reason why he managed to achieve his accomplishments was that of his naturally calm and composed personality, which were vital Daoism values. Besides, his Mastery of Senses training too played a huge role in his success.


    Many people in this universe had clear goals, but how many of them were not lost in transition?


    Desires were like the ocean, the smallest breeze could bring waves. Even if one had a trick or two to tame it down, it was only temporary.


    Shen Lian took a look at Lu Shouyi. His hair messy, face dirty and his energy was thoroughly drained. Maybe he had underestimated him. Competition and rankings only make up a small part of the world.


    ...


    Everyone had their own strength and weaknesses.


    Shen Lian was not able to make his point through Lu Shouyi but conversely felt that things were going too smoothly for him. He felt agitated by that thought.


    As soon as he came to that conclusion, he gave a slight salute to Lu Shouyi.


    A confused Lu Shouyi asked, "Brother Shen, what were you doing?"


    "When you point a finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at you. I was being foolish earlier on. Thank you for making me realize it," Shen Lian said cooly. When he felt appropriate to say thanks, he would not hesitate to pay gratitude.


    Lu Shouyi sighed, "I really admire you, Brother Shen. You are so cool and you have your ideals."


    Shen Lian shook his head. "I''m tired, I''ll see you tomorrow."


    He felt that there was no point in elaborating further and thus made a move to return to the academy to take a break.


    Lu Shouyi too felt exhausted. After the incident earlier on, he did not have the mood to continue his training. He too returned to the quiet room.


    Shen Lian meditated on the bamboo shed. He felt a strong sense of air around him as he visualizes the innate god with a hand-held Ruyi. His vision this time was clearer than usual.


    However if he were to take a closer look, his vision was still fluttering and it was difficult to have a view of the original scene.


    After some guidance from Zhang Ruoxu, Shen Lian felt that the Visualization Technique was amazing. His vision had improved and things felt more practical now. His spirits no longer felt ethereal or hollow.


    He took a good look at the innate god and felt that it shared some similarities as the talisman. Both of them were constantly changing and no matter how strong his mind is, he could not seem to replicate the same innate god to squelch the bier in his head.


    He looked back at his memories but he could not recall how did the previous Shen Lian visualize the innate god. It felt like it was not part of his memory as if someone from outside programmed it into the bier.


    ...


    Inside the Qing Xuan hall, Tiandi Jian was high up in the air. It reflected the earlier scene of Lu Shouyi and Shen Lian.


    Chen Jianmei too was in the hall. He stood casually in front of Zhang Ruoxu and said, "You accepted him as your direct disciple and you gave him the fundamentals without explaining. I thought you didn''t care about Lu Shouyi at all."


    "Shen Lian had a happy and carefree personality and that was in line with Qing Xuan''s ideology. You could try to refine his heart and it won''t have much effect on him. What he needs the most is to expand his horizons to make sense of things by analogy and to find his own style. It may take him a while to cultivate but in the future, he would be quicker than anyone to master the recovery method and breakthrough.


    Lu Shouyi on the other hand, studied well when he was younger and had great potential in him. However, he had wasted too much effort on unnecessary matters and he did not have the right attitude towards practice and cultivation. He only did it for the sake of doing it. If we do not push him, Huandan is only paper talk and there was no room to even think about immortality," Zhang Ruoxu leisurely talked about the two boys'' temperament.

 Chapter 81 Why Not Stroll and Silently Sigh?

    It was raining heavily by the time Shen Lian was done with his training.


    The rain was like a musical score, and different people would hear the rhythm differently.


    Not only did Shen Lian hear the rain, but he also heard Lu Shouyi''s breathing. His breathing was like the wind that fluttered the curtains. There was no need to guess, Lu entered a state of stillness.


    Given that Shen Lian got his bird-eye view, he understood the reason that led to it quickly. As Lu Shouyi was at his worst in terms of mental and physical state, he reached his limit. There was a saying, ''When your body is weak, Qi will then circulate. When your heart is dead, your psyche is then activated1''. The remaining Qi in Lu Shouyi''s body circulated when he went for a rest last night. Rambling thoughts did not arise due to the fact that he was mentally exhausted. Hence, his psyche was activated. That could work as long as Lu Shouyi rid off his obstinate mindset.


    The result of cultivation was, in fact, an unpredictable one. One could or could not have simply gotten it by with only wishing, and sometimes, one would have gotten it without intending to.


    Shen Lian shook his head and laughed. He got out of the lower house and went in the rain. The sky was grey and there was a bamboo forest nearby. He intended to pay a visit to Taiwei Pavilion but because of the train, he felt like enjoying the sight of Qingliang Hill. Hence, he walked straight into the bamboo forest.


    ''Instead of listening to the sound of leaves in the beating rain, why not stroll and silently sigh?'' he thought.


    Shen Lian''s melancholic sigh had caused the leaves to fall. There were still raindrops on them.


    They all fell a foot away from him and then slid away as if he was covered by an incredibly smooth shield. He did not know how big or deep the bamboo forest was but still went on strolling slowly under the rain.


    He wandered aimlessly as he enjoyed the scenery of this hill.


    Perhaps, people did not visit often as there was not a structured path - the soil was loose and soaked with water. An average Joe would have been muddied. Shen Lian was not afraid of dirt but he would rather not be dirtied.


    If it was possible to grow out of the mud unsullied, why should one blend in with the foul? He had always thought that way and followed that principle.


    Out of all acupuncture points on the body, the most difficult to master were the ones at the feet. On the other hand, there was a substantial amount of it at the feet and they were extremely sensitive.


    Shen Lian controlled his essential Qi which was expelled through his feet. It was much harder to do it than walking normally but he chose to use a lot of his energy and Qi to do it.


    That was, however, not considered as wasteful, as he saw a piece of bare land in the middle of the bamboo forest amidst the rain. The land was clear and there was not even a drop of rain.


    There was neither wind nor water on the floor �C on a rainy day.


    It was as if this place was out of this world, or that it was blessed by the world to not experience rain.


    There were a bearded man and a table in the middle of it. He looked impressive, like one of those men who walked right out from the southern countries of Yan and Zhao.


    There was wine on the table but there was no cup. The wine formed a stream from the bottle to his mouth. When he was done with a mouthful, he saw Shen Lian and laughed. "Boy, come and drink with me." It seemed like no one liked to drink alone �C unless it was because he could not find anyone. The man seemed as though he was unable to find anyone to drink with. Thus, he invited Shen Lian upon seeing his arrival.


    Even if the man was a demon, he would be a demon of Qingxuan. If he was human, then he would be the senior of Shen Lian, or even more senior than that.


    Qingxuan did not look like a place that was strictly guarded, but if anybody were to trespass, it was definitely not going to be easy or it was simply impossible at all.


    While it was unknown if there could be some hidden restrictions in the hills, Zhang Ruoxu''s Tiandi Jian would be able to scan through the entire Mount Qing Xuan easily, without missing out on even a single bit of information. If any trespassers were detected, there was no way they could escape from the hands of the headmaster.


    The land was protected by an invisible shield. Shen Lian could feel the rhythmical flow of Qi. He stepped in and yet he did not feel any resistance and brought with him some raindrops. It was as if he walked into a bubble and that this huge bubble did not pop.


    The man laughed. "Good boy, your Qi is rather solid now."


    "Sir, do you know me?" Shen Lian asked.


    "For two months you were drinking my wine, how could I not know who you are?" The bearded man smiled. He had really thick facial hair on his chin and cheek. With his thick build, he could scare anyone even without needing a knife.


    "Are you Yan Bugui?" Shen Lian did not imagine that the boss from the small tavern in town would be on Qingliang Hill. What was his relationship with Qing Xuan? Or was he a student of Qing Xuan?


    "Are you surprised?"


    "No, not really. You look just like your name, a true man in Jianghu." Shen Lian looked at Yan Bugui �C his beard and his name, Shen Lian could not help but laughed.


    "I am originally from Jianghu and there is nothing weird about that. Someone forced me to pursue cultivation and I couldn''t beat him. As a result, I followed him into the mountain, but who knew how boring life in the mountain could be! So I started a small business in Nanke town. There is one more thing that I want to tell you." The bearded man looked at the direction of Shen Lian, made a few gestures in the air and pointed at something next to Shen Lian. He smiled.


    Shen Lian looked down and he saw a small timber pier next to him, which worked perfectly as a stool. It looked like it grew from the ground out of thin air. He understood that it was the gestures of Yan Bugui that triggered the Qi of the world, which led to the appearance of this timber pier.


    The wonders of the Dao technique always impressed Shen Lian.


    "What?" Shen Lian sat down.


    "The wine you were drinking was just water. I simply planted a talisman in an old well. Since then, the well water entered the mouth of men as wine." The bearded man laughed.


    "Then that is actually better. It has the taste of wine and it doesn''t harm the body. I already knew that it was fake," Shen Lian looked at the bearded man and explained in a serious tone.


    "Perfect. Let''s drink another cup." The bearded man pointed and a stream of wine flew out and stopped in the sky. The stream formed a swirl and was swallowed by him in a mouthful.


    The Qi in the world behaved as if they were his property, all at his will.


    Shen Lian could not guess the seniority of the man. He got a gut feeling that he was very senior, but it was not due entirely to his cultivation experience.


    "Now this is real wine. My treat," the man finished his mouthful and spoke to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not use any Qi, or any special techniques to suck out the wine. If the bearded man was messing with him, it would be so embarrassing if he failed. He went straight for the bottle and poured the wine into his mouth. It was warm and smooth the moment it entered, but then it turned to flame as if it wanted to use the Qi in his body as fuel.


    He activated The Mastery of Senses - the power of his spirit went around his body circulation hungrily to swallow the flame.�� (body) �� (weak) �� (thus) �� (Qi) �� (circulates) , �� (heart)�� (dies)�� (thus) �� (psyche) �� (alive).

 Chapter 82 This Sword Could Guide The Soul

    Shen Lian could not help but compliment, "Great wine."


    The bearded man laughed and said nothing. If it was not good, he would not be drinking it.


    "This is called the ''Spring Glow'', it''s particularly useful for kids who just entered the spiritual state. However, as your celestial Qi is rather firm now, you can just take it as a good wine."


    Shen Lian nodded slightly. What the bearded man said was right. It was true that external forces could help with cultivation, but one should not be too reliant on it as it was hard to control the minute details. If one was not careful or was too square in the methods, one could easily fall into the trap of greed towards elixirs and lose his way.


    "Are you a fellow senior from the lower house?" Shen Lian stared at him and he felt that the man''s eyes were covered with a layer of green ray, it was indeed mesmerizing.


    Unlike Qi Sanwen''s introversion, or Chen Jianmei''s sharpness, the man was more like a wild animal �C while he did not show his claws, one could not simply underestimate him.


    "You can call me a senior, and it is fine if you just call me by my name too. An individual''s background means nothing to me. I learned the skills, not for longevity, but to live happily in the world once. Even if you go through the nine states of cultivation, you will still be nothing compared to the stars, and even the stars are nothing close to eternity." For something as helpless as this, coming out from him, it felt like there was a state of relief. There was nothing that could make him depressed even if life was nothing but merely in the passing.


    Shen Lian did not ask why the man did not leave Qing Xuan even if he felt that way. It seemed like whether this person stayed or left, he had his reasons. If he was willing to share, Shen Lian would just listen, but if he was not willing to, it was nothing to be bothered about.


    "I never thought about eternity, but I do want to live a bit longer. Just a moment ago I saw how freely you controlled the Qi in the world. Was it due to your cultivation experience of it was some form of Dao technique?" Shen Lian was confused. Even if he was able to absorb the Qi of the world to help in his cultivation, he was not able to control the essential Qi at will, unlike the bearded man.


    "This has something to do with cultivation experience but it isn''t the main contributor. As long as your cultivation experience has reached the state of being able to detect the Qi of the world, theoretically you will be able to do what I just did." The bearded man smiled.


    Shen Lian was in deep thought, then he said, "If that is the case, it is then extremely difficult. I just started with Talisman Dao, but I never succeeded. From your previous gestures, did they have something to do with spells?"


    "Since you''ve come across the Dao of Talisman, it is no surprise that you''re able to guess that. It''s simple. In QIng Xuan, I wouldn''t call myself the best. But if you were asking about how to pass the state, I can help you with it." The bearded man smiled again, and he was full of confidence.


    "Can I ask you to teach me?" Shen Lian followed suit.


    "I can teach you, but how will you repay me?" The bearded man evaluated the clean and calm young man in front of him. Qingliang Hill had been empty for so long, finally, there was someone worthwhile. Unfortunately to reach the state of cultivation, one should not rely on anyone else. Even if one had the best talent in the world, it was not admirable if he did not reach his full potential.


    Regardless of how big the potential was, he must have to live until the day it became a reality.


    "It depends on what request you have. I''ll try my best to fulfill it. If I can''t do it, I guess it''s a shame then." Shen Lian was honest with his thoughts, and he expected the bearded man to say so.


    They shared no relationships or bloodlines. They were merely fellow students in the lower house. It seemed too simple to be true if he managed to get this private tutor.


    It did no good if people were stingy with knowledge in the world of cultivation, but no one really shared openly with everyone all that they knew.


    Just like his previous life, despite the many academic exchange sessions, when it came to the sensitive knowledge, no one would simply just share it with others.


    It could be said that there was no limit to the world of cultivation, but the limit existed within the people who pursued this path.


    "I do have a wish which I didn''t manage to fulfill and I can''t do it myself. However, it will be difficult for you to help me with it with your current ability. I can teach you the knowledge from the Talisman Dao if you''re willing to give me this piece of instrument, but how much you can understand will entirely dependent on your ability." The bearded man''s interested eyes fell on Shen Lian''s ebony sword.


    Shen Lian was expressionless. His face was as calm as usual and said, "From your position, I don''t think you lack an instrument as worthless as this. I am not sure what do you see in it?"


    The bearded man eased out his clothes and grabbed the wine bottle that contained Spring Glow. There was nothing in between the two. There was no wind and the only thing that existed was silence.


    He said, "It is nothing indeed. Even if I don''t say it now, in the future when you are more knowledgeable, you will be able to understand. From the point of view of an instrument, the sword isn''t particularly powerful, but the difference of this sword compared to the others was because ''soul'' was born out of ''the principle of natural law''. It will work wonders to guiding the soul."


    Shen Lian understood what ''soul-guiding'' was. If he mastered the Talisman Dao, with a certain level of cultivation experience, he would then be able to make use of cinnabar and myrtle as soul-guiding media, which in turn with the usage of spells, cloud or rain could be summoned, depending on the type of talisman used.


    When one reached a certain level of depth in terms of cultivation experience, there was no longer a need for soul-guiding. However, in terms of power and effect, it would be a bit weaker.


    This place was shielded from wind and rain. It was apparent that he made use of some special spells. From the conversation with the bearded man, Shen Lian was able to tell.


    There were certain instruments of Dao techniques which could achieve a similar effect. As the bearded man claimed to be an expert in Dao of Talisman, it was very likely that was the case.


    He did not think that his ebony sword had such a purpose, even to the extent that the bearded man wanted it as his soul-guiding tool. For him at this level, it became even more precious.


    The fact that the ebony sword became an instrument was because he was practicing the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. Hence, it entered a state of revelation. If he were to start the practice all over again, it was very possible that he would be able to produce a similar ebony instrument.


    Since the bearded man said that soul was born from the principle of natural law, it was then not a surprise that the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura path fitted in with some unchangeable theories of the world. He sort of predicted that.


    At the same time, he felt that Mister Su was unfathomable. He decided that if it was not absolutely necessary, he would never use the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. In Qing Xuan, while it was rare for the students under the same division to be killing each other, the cultivators from other division might not be so friendly.


    Even if the ebony sword did not carry such a usage, Shen Lian had never intended to give it to anyone else. He slowly responded, "If this sword was something valuable, I would be more than glad to call it a deal. But it has been with me day in and day out and now it has become a part of me. If I were to give up on it today, I will easily be giving up another part of me tomorrow. Soon, I will never be myself again."


    "The human body is merely a shell and is something external. In the future, you could have easily changed your view. If you are not willing to, I won''t force you." He was always direct. If Shen Lian was not willing to, he would not force it to happen. It was born out of curiosity. It was probably not very helpful for his study in the Dao of Talisman.

 Chapter 83 Many More Levels to Pass

    Subsequently, it was silence. The two of them were strangers. Naturally, they did not have much to say. In addition, the bearded man had kept the wine.


    The rain stopped and bits of sun rays pierced through the gaps between the bamboo leaves. There was also the refreshing smell of the grass.


    The invisible shield was then gone. Shen Lian felt the chilly and refreshing air in his lungs, just as his heart toward Dao.


    Two pieces of bamboo leaves fell onto the table. Shen Lian paid attention to the patterns. There were no rules on how they were grown, but each line was clearly separated from each other. He laughed and posed the question, "Do you think there''re two identical bamboo leaves?"


    "There shouldn''t be," the bearded man answered.


    "How about talisman?" Shen Lian followed up with another question.


    The bearded man did not answer, but Shen Lian already knew the answer.


    Shen Lian stood up and pulled out his wooden sword. He walked to a piece of empty land and allowed the spiritual energy from his body to flow and be pumped into his sword. It was as if he had an additional eye which could observe the beauty of Qi in the world. He took a spike, and the Qi surrounding him gathered on the wooden sword. Without any notice, a piece of rain cloud poured rain onto the ground. The new bamboo shoots grew even taller and new leaves sprouted.


    His spike matched the path of the bearded man''s gesture in terms of essence. The bearded man had better skills as he was able to turn wind into rain and provide nutrients to living things. Fundamentally, it was due to how he was able to concentrate the essential Qi.


    There were no two bamboo leaves that were identical, similarly for spells. However, people would be able to recognize bamboo leaf as they saw one. Even though they could differ by patterns, they were still the same type of leaves.


    The rune''s spell was not an item, but an expression. It allowed the Qi in the world to understand one''s expression.


    It was impossible for one to memorize ''The First Level of Runes'' not because it was complicated, but it was because the author, Dong Lingzi, mentioned to the juniors about how it was more important to ''understand the essence and to forget its shape''.


    The book began with how the Book of Tian explained that it was a form of Dao essence, and how The Book of Dragon and Phoenix could help even Buddha to understand its meaning. It was not to mention how powerful the two books were but to explain how a rune''s fundamental was an expression.


    The wooden sword was the brush and the power of soul and spirit was the ink. As one came to understand the essence of rune, one could enter the door of runes.


    For the real powerful Dao of talisman or Dao spells, they were formed by these fundamentals of runes.


    It was a similar case with ''words'' - ''the moment it falls into the hands of a great poet, it becomes an exceptional excerpt''.


    Zhang Ruoxu wanted him to learn the Dao of talisman, not because he wanted him to become a talisman master, but for him to understand that there lied the method to communicate with the world.


    Such cultivation method was only suitable for him then, as his spiritual energy was much more powerful than other cultivators at his level. He was also much more sensitive to the world''s Qi and the various energy.


    If the bearded man did not observe this with his own eyes, he would not be able to believe that there was someone like him who could gain entry to the door of runes as fast as this.


    It had to be understood that for an average person to understand the theory, from understanding the essence of runes to communicating with Qi in the world, it would require a lot of effort just to be familiarised with the concept.


    Shen Lian did not go through that hardship but in fact, he learned it like a child who was able to make poems upon recognizing fresh words.


    It was not pure talent anymore, it was something else, something ''evil''.


    For Shen Lian to be able to do something this unimaginable, it was somehow unpredicted but acceptable.


    Without the best method to train his mental state, his spirit would not be as powerful as this. It would also be impossible for him to learn Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura and unintentionally turned his sandalwood sword into an instrument which was perfect for soul-guiding.


    All of the above had to be attributed to The Mastery of Senses.


    Others could not understand, but Shen Lian was clearly aware and it made him even more curious about his father who was a mere human.


    With this revelation, he could not wait but to visit Taiwei pavilion and read about the real understanding to runes and the runes contained in that book again.


    He smiled at the bearded man and said, "Thank you very much."


    He turned around and stepped on his trip to somewhere far away.


    The bearded man mumbled to himself, "This is totally out of the world."


    Even among the extremely talented people he met, from the past handlers of Qing Xuan, to the teacher who was a master at making runes, there was no such record that someone gained entry so soon.


    In addition, he did not just follow and imitate step by step. Instead, he gained his own understanding.


    ...


    This time around when he entered Taiwei Pavilion, he studied assiduously for the next half a year. He did not even attend the bimonthly meeting with the elders.


    He closed down his Daoist academy and set up a ''do not disturb'' spiritual restriction. The essential Qi from the outside world slowly flew into Shen Lian''s quiet room. In the beginning, it was just a cloud of indistinguishable gas with no obvious colors. However, as Shen Lian used his wooden sword for soul-guiding, the slight mist formed by the sword path and Qi started to distinguish themselves into eight colors. Each of them represents eight energies, which are, sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning.


    The eight energies intertwined with each other and interacted with the outside world. With each uprising, the other countered. The cycle repeated again and again, coming in and out of Shen Lian''s body.


    The acupuncture points in a human body were extremely complicated, even with the practice of Xuanji would not be able to understand them all. Shen Lian just repeatedly pumped Qi into every acupuncture point that he came to discover. He was not paying attention to whether he caught the Dead or Alive Point.


    What he was doing was extremely plain, but the nature of cultivation was too, was extremely plain.


    The different Qi in heaven and earth had different personalities. There were some that were particularly ingenious, some steadfast, some nimble, and some sturdy�� Runes were his media to communicate with the world and his spirit was apparently friendly with such Qi.


    He could feel that he was becoming more and more powerful each day, but it was not something that could be described by the nine stages of cultivation.


    The only constant was that the deity statue holding a Ruyi bottle, it seemed unchanged. It was mysterious as usual.


    It was as if the higher his cultivation experience, the more mysterious the statue of the innate god became. It was similar to the path of truth, the more you know, the less you understand.


    Shen Lian enjoyed days like this. Perhaps for others, it was a form of suffering. They would feel lonely under such seclusion, but Shen Lian did not feel anything.


    For him, socializing was not essential. If not because of the fact that one could never be fully cultivated merely through seclusion, Shen Lian perhaps would continue this for life.


    The day had come when Shen Lian felt that his body was full of inner Qi. The inner Qi was flowing in his body like streams of rivers. It flowed so smoothly, there was no sign of blockage.


    Cultivation was said to be ''promoting circulation''. The most crucial part to promote the circulation of the eight vessels, while the most important among them all was the Conception and Governor Vessels.


    As he deepened his cultivation experience, the minor branches of the main vessels unblocked. By the time he reached Huandan stage, all his vessels were cleared. Every motion he made was full of power.


    Through the training at River of Spirits, his Qi was back to a focused state. He was not urgent in trying to break through the Dead or Alive point. At the same time, he was well familiar with the talisman Dao. Ever since he started his Qi training, it went on for half a year. The energy in the vessels that flowed freely had been accumulating. It was as if he had a sudden realization, broke through the Entry Point1, and could not help but roared. ����һ�� - Otherwise known as ����, or ������.One of the most important point on the body where all the cultivated Qi gathers. However, the exact location is unknown until one achieved this breakthrough. It is said that cultivators usually experience this point around the belly button.

 Chapter 84 This Body Was Originally the Bodhi’s

    What Shen Lian been through was a necessary stage for most practitioners.


    For some of the scholars on earth, after going through cultivation for years, there would come a time when they reached the stage of revelation. When that happened, they would howl so loud that it could be heard from several miles away. Such a howl was comparable to the sound of endless wind blowing and water flowing on earth.


    People from the outside world could even see the cloud formed by the Qi of heaven and earth above Shen Lian''s roof. It did not go away.


    The howling and its vibration sent a shock to everyone on Qingliang Peak. Chen Jianmei was the first to arrive at Shen Lian''s house. What he saw were strong sword aura and bright light that isolated the inside from the outside of the house. Yan Bugui, too, appeared. For half a year, there had been new streams of students joining the lower house. The scene got them to wonder if one of the seniors achieved a breakthrough. They were envious of the person. When they got closer and realized that ithe momentum came from Shen Lian''s house, they were even more surprised.


    The time taken for Shen Lian to go through Wenxin Road was extremely short, he was famous among the people in the upper house. However, for some unknown reason, none of the elders took him in as a student. He was mostly discovering his cultivation experience by himself. He did not even attend the bimonthly meeting with the elders. Nobody had really seen him around.


    Others could not guess his level of cultivation experience. As a general guide, for Qingxuan''s students who were under twenty, they would not rea even though they would be extremely talented, they would not have reach a very high level in terms of cultivation. The formation of mist and cloud by the Qi was something way beyond their imagination.


    Chen Jianmei and Yan Bugui were both surprised. In the long years since Qing Xuan existed, there were indeed great geniuses who managed to break through Entry Point at a younger age. The Entry Point was the key to Qi organization. At this point, Qi would turn into mana �C it would be able to nurture the spirit and also used to deliver Dao techniques. One could only be considered to complete the fundamentals of Dao upon achieving this point.


    At the same time, one must be careful in choosing the methods of martial exercise once one gained mana from this. As one''s path was chosen, the decision would be irreversible and it would do more harm than good.


    Shen Lian''s achievement was amazing because he could still command such high level of Qi at that point in time.


    The command of Qi depended upon the methods of martial exercise and also how well the body could tolerate it, in addition to having powerful spirit. Otherwise, it would be similar to the situation where a child was killed by exhaustion for trying to carry a burden of a thousand pounds.


    The both of them noticed how concentrated the Qi was �C it would be a challenge even for cultivators who reached the level of deity.


    Shen Lian was not one that could be evaluated based on the normal measures as he cultivated his spirit before he went on to Qi practice.


    The howl faded away slowly.


    Shen Lian paid no attention to what was happening with the outside world. Qi flowed into his body. While not all were absorbed, they were all directed at him.


    He sat cross-legged and felt that his body was light. At the same time, he felt nothing �C he was neither sad nor happy.


    A swirl appeared inside his body and traveled through his vessels. That swirl was starting of the Entry Point. Everywhere the swirl traveled to, the essential Qi, inner Qi and the power of his spirit intertwined. The overflowing Qi in his body reacted with the Qi from heaven and earth and his spiritual energy to form a wonderful reaction.


    The more solid it became, the reaction turned into a strange energy, which was in between the state of spiritual energy and inner Qi.


    When the vital Qi transformed, the swirl disappeared along with it. Some of this energy flowed through his vessels and stopped at where the bier was. It was as if attached to Shen Lian''s spirit like a frozen dew.


    Shen Lian felt like his spirit was being cleansed like a clear mirror being rid of dust.


    All of a sudden, he thought of a short passage. He opened his eyes and the heaven and earth Qi went away slowly. He recited the following, "The body was a Bodhi, and the heart was a mirror; clean it daily and diligently, and don''t ever let the dust fall on it."


    He finally understood the reason why Daoist master designed cultivation into nine states. The moment Entry Point was passed, the inner Qi would then combine with the spiritual energy in the body and formed a special energy. This energy could get stronger by absorbing Qi; it could also be used directly on the spirit to cleanse the mind, which further strengthens it. This state was known as ''Soul Deepening''.


    Not all cultivators had access to The Mastery of Senses, which enabled one to utilize body vitality and inner Qi to strengthen the spirit.


    Another way was done by entering someone''s dream and by engulfing his or her will to empower oneself. Not only was that method devilish, but it also posed risks to be able to reach the out-of-body state. Furthermore, the will in a human''s dream was full of impurities. By engulfing it, it was more likely to do more harm than good.


    Hence, Soul Deepening was one of the most crucial parts of cultivation. It was only through this method that the spirit could subsequently become strong until one could gain sufficient strength to no longer be bound by the body.


    From Soul Deepening to the out-of-body state, there was not any challenge as it tended to be natural.


    Shen Lian was almost always in the state of Soul Deepening, but unlike the nurture of mana, his vitality was absorbed by his spirit.


    ...


    Since the day the odd occurrence happened to Shen Lian, days and nights went by. The curious bunch left, except for Chen Jianmei. By the time Shen Lian wrap up, he retrieved his sword too.


    He lowered his voice and said, "''Clean it daily and diligently, and don''t ever let the dust fall on it,'' was a good phrase."


    What Shen Lian recited in his room was overheard by him.


    He mumbled in a voice which no one could hear him and left right after.


    The next day Shen Lian was brought away by Jingqing, as the headmaster summoned him.


    The moment Shen Lian saw Zhang Ruoxu, he was shocked.


    Zhang Ruoxu looked significantly younger, with his black hair and handsome face. He could have easily gotten all the attention he wanted in the mortal world.


    Zhang Ruoxu did not pay attention to Shen Lian''s reaction. He just looked at him and nodded.


    Shen Lian did not understand why he was summoned, and hence he asked, "Why did you call me in today?"


    "Nanhai Flying Celestials Island was a mortal land of orthodoxy left behind by one senior from the previous generation in Qing Xuan. There is an evil spirit lingering around that area recently and it particularly likes children. None of the cultivators on the island can beat it. Hence, I am asking your help to kill it," Zhang Ruoxu spoke slowly.


    This orthodoxy in the mortal realm was not recognized officially, but given the relationship and how Qing Xuan was relatively weak at that time, it would be an embarrassment if Qing Xuan did not take action in evading the evil spirit.


    It was also appropriate for Shen Lian to attend to it, as he only joined not long ago. If he failed, it would be reasonable. If he succeeded, it would be a good news to announce during the bier meeting.


    Zhang Ruoxu further explained, "Since you have passed the Entry Point, you have to choose a cultivation exercise. However, you have to think thoroughly. We can wait until you get back from your mission."


    Shen Lian just reached a breakthrough. It was a good time for him to start taking it slow for a while. That was the right way to learn cultivation.

 Chapter 85 Who Knew There Were Two at the Bier?

    Shen Lian asked, "When should I get moving?"


    Zhang Ruoxu extended his index finger. A gray current flowed out of his finger until it got to Shen Lian. The current then fluctuated into different shades �C darker shades and lighter shades. The lighter shade looked just like the waves. The darker one, however, was static and looked like Flying Celestial Sword.


    This was Zhang Ruoxu''s Dao technique. It displayed the geography of Flying Celestials Island. It was more effective than oral communication or showing physical maps.


    Then Zhang Ruoxu informed Shen Lian of the bearing of the island, which Shen Lian memorized immediately.


    It seemed that he meant for him to move as soon as possible. Shen Lian had not been active for a while but he was willing to do so.


    The evening mist blew onto his face. Shen Lian walked out of the door of Mount Qing Xuan and when he got to the beach, someone called for him, "Brother, please wait for a moment, the headmaster still has some orders for you."


    The one who spoke was Jingqing. Shen Lian knew that for a monster to transfigure into a human, he had to reach a similar level as a human cultivator in being able to go through Huandan. Jingqing looked harmless, but if he was left outside, he could easily be one of the devil kings.


    Shen Lian found it amusing for Jingqing to call him brother.


    He turned around and saw that Jingqing landed from the sky. He transfigured into human and stood in front of Shen Lian. He said, "The headmaster said that the journey is going to be long, and due to special circumstances, you are allowed to choose a flying instrument to help you commute. You just have to return it after you come back."


    Shen Lian laughed. The headmaster would never forget such a menial thing. It was just a test to see how far he had improved since he broke into the state.


    Jingqing looked at Shen Lian and he felt that compared to the beginning when Shen Lian just joined, he was a lot different from before. He looked inscrutable by just standing there. It was not because Shen Lian reached an unimaginable height but it was the morning mist, and the Qi from heaven and earth seemed indistinguishable from Shen Lian at that moment.


    In reality, Shen Lian had yet to reach the state where he became an integral part of nature but since he had the mold, he was working toward it.


    His brows relaxed and replied in a peaceful manner, "Please help express my gratitude to the headmaster. It is just another sea region. It is no big deal to me."


    A wind blew all of a sudden. Shen Lian took out his sword and started to gesture several runes. The runes gathered Qi in no time and his body lifted like a paper crane which then went with the wind. Shen Lian was in the midst of Qi which when landed on the waves, his body looked faintly discernable.


    This was part of the runes in the Cloud and Thunder Seal Script. Shen Lian formed a few random combinations. While not extremely powerful, it was sufficient to carry his body and enable him to travel through wind and waves without using much of his mana.


    This could be considered the Dao of Talisman, or Dao technique. It utilized the Qi in heaven and earth to be able to travel through wind and waves.


    Shen Lian never tried it before but he managed it the first time. He was not surprised at all as he had a conscious awareness of his ability.


    Jingqing just stared into the shadow left behind by Shen Lian in the beautiful sunset. The waves rose and subsided again, playing a beautiful rhythm.


    He sighed, "I guess I am fortunate to have met two of such weirdos when I am alive."


    Jingqing was ready to return to the mountain until he saw a beautiful lady on the rock. She looked dreamy with her purple silk robe in the sunset. Occasionally when the wind blew, the bell on her waist would ring and it was a pleasant sound.


    Jingqing was shocked. Snakes were fundamentally cold-blooded and hence relatively unstartled by whatever that was happening around them. However, he felt that he sweated profusely and he dared not to leave at that instant.


    "Little snake, what are you afraid of? I don''t have anything to do with you today." Her voice was even more melodic than the bell. It carried with it an undertone of sighing, which would break a heart.


    Jingqing stopped his steps and the lady in purple who was looking at the sea on the rock then stood in front of him.


    Jingqing put on a smiley face. "I just didn''t want to disturb you when you were admiring the scenery."


    The purple-clothed lady said, "You don''t need to be afraid of me. Since I entered the Absurd State1, I do in fact occasionally act out of nature, but it doesn''t change my fundamental, or else you would have become a snake stew that day."


    Jingqing paid close attention to the purple-clothed lady. She did not look violent at all. He also understood that since she practiced martial exercise and entered the Absurd State, she had turned bipolar.


    Sometimes she would be cold and uncaring of worldly matters like how she was behaving. Sometimes she would be temperamental and would want to kill anyone or anything that came in her way. It was only because there was a Daoist master in Qing Xuan that could moderate her and a treasure she possessed which could control wicked, that nothing bad happened so far.


    Even so, he was once a victim of that personality.


    The purple-clothed lady was aware of the two personalities but she did not have a say in how to control it. It was a behavior exhibited by the Absurd State.


    The purple-clothed lady then said, "By staying in Qing Xuan, it is impossible for me to break through absurdity again. Hence, I need to enter the world. I wanted to leave immediately initially because I was too lazy to say goodbye to anyone. I am not sure whether the headmaster guessed that I will be leaving soon and asked you here to send me off, or it was merely coincidental. Anyway, tell him that by the time I come back, I hope he is not dead. By the time I return, I will enter the celestial land again, and I will also bring the dead body of that person." Her voice was cold and murderous. Jingqing felt that the world was covered by thin ice.


    Following a purple ray that went across the sky, by the time it almost disappeared, a green light appeared �C the coldness of it froze the sunset.


    ...


    The ancestor of Flying Celestials Island was a cultivator with the surname Xiao. When Qing Xuan felt that he had no hope for longevity, he traveled in the human world. When he came across this island which looked like Flying Celestial Sword, he decided to stay and accepted a few students.


    The Xiao cultivator took on a few students and the Xiao family had always been the owner of Flying Celestial Island. Soon after, it branched into Guiyun peak.


    One was located on land and the other on sea. They helped each other. At the same time, they managed to accumulate an uncountable wealth and a lot of rare resources.


    Flying Celestials Island knew that with the fortune it had, it could be difficult to defend itself when evil forces were to attack. Hence, it consistently paid its tribute to Qing Xuan.


    Those tributes were insignificant to Qing Xuan but due to the relationship, those items were not turned down.


    In Flying Celestials Island, there were people who occasionally entered Qing Xuan because of the relationship. However, this time around when the door was opened, none of them managed and this situation had lasted a hundred years. Consequently, the chance of this relationship to end soon was not to be neglected.


    To be able to enter Qing Xuan from the upper house, at the very least he had to be an elder who achieved Huandan. In the beginning, there was one descendant from the Xiao family who obtained an elixir by chance and entered Huandan. However, the tragedy that happened to Qing Xuan a hundred years ago killed many of the talented celestials and the Xiao family descendant was one of them.������short for ������ (to enter the state of Xuwang). Xuwang is the state of absurdity. In the previous chapter, ���� was translated as ''Xuwang'' as a name in a series of cultivation states. For a more direct translation, here it will be referred to Absurd State.

 Chapter 86 Whose Man-Eating Toad Is This?

    In this world, there was not a single clan that enjoyed endless prosperity. However, the Flying Celestials Island was famed as the holy land of martial arts and they enjoyed good times being an isolated island.


    Besides the fighters who tried to attain immortality, the rest of the people on the Flying Celestials Island did not have much longing for Qing Xuan as many of their ancestors who were in Qing Xuan did not attain immortality. Moreover, the simple and lonely life in the mountains was hard to bear with for those who were used to living a comfortable life.


    However, there was no pure land1 of eternal happiness in this world. Besides the cultivators, there were plenty of demon clans too.


    A tragic bloodshed took place even in the quiet and pure land of Qing Xuan.


    Under the broad daylight, there was no sign of human habitation on the Flying Celestials Island.


    Many generations lived on the island and there was no shortage of clothes or food. There will always be a market town at the heavily-populated location. A new settlement needed one year to become a town, two to become a city, and three to become a metropolis. There was nothing new in this vein of thought.


    However, all of the doors were shut and the street was in a bad state, with fresh blood and human limbs scattered everywhere. The biggest family here would be the residence of the island owner; there were people inside and the atmosphere was heavy.


    Under that heavy atmosphere, even a spoilt child would not make noise.


    Regardless of age, everyone was hiding inside.


    They were akin to the mountain goats that were held in captivity, waiting to be butchered �C utterly helpless. There had been prior efforts to break out of there. However, they were all killed by the demon.


    They were all looking at a pile of joss stick ashes because that was their last hope.


    According to the eldest elder, Qing Xuan would be notified after they have lighted the joss stick. Even the strongest demon would not be able to rival the powerful cultivators from Qing Xuan.


    It was a special demon, as he would only consume the blood and flesh of a child. To the demon, the adults tasted terrible as their blood and flesh were rough and had a bad texture.


    In the demon''s words, he wanted to hold them in captivity so that they can breed more children for him to feast on.


    The demon saw humans holding pigs and goats in captivity, which led to the birth of more baby pigs and baby goats. He thought that the same would apply if he were to hold humans in captivity.


    Little did he know that livestock rearing was in itself a skill and not a simple one at that.


    The adults tasted horrible but the demon saw them as tools to create more children, which was why he would not let them escape.


    They have spent around three days in captivity. Besides the first day, not many people died or got injured in the following days. Due to the tremendous difference in power, the brave ones who tried to launch attacks would usually die first.


    A red bolt of silk penetrated in with the speed of lightning.


    "Xiao Qi !" A woman yelled in devastation.


    Xiao Qi was the nickname of her child. Her devastating and heart-wrenching cries did not attract much attention because it had been repeating occurrences in the past few days.


    In fact, others who had children with them were relieved. They were only silently praying for the arrival of the Qing Xuan cultivators.


    A few teenagers even formed fists with their hands, they swore to learn about celestial arts and supernatural powers after the crisis passed.


    A young person who had crutches with him was silently observing his surroundings. He had the chance to join Qing Xuan and yet he lost any hope of joining due to a spur at that moment.


    He was the descendant of the Xiao family who lost his martial art abilities to Shen Lian and was one of the more impressive young people of his generation.


    He hated Shen Lian. He also hated himself.


    The red bolt of silk wrapped itself around the child. There were disgusting sticky fluids on it, and it gave off an unpleasant tangy smell. The child named Xiao Qi wailed loudly.


    The child''s cries were drowned out by another sound. It was the sound of thunder. It did not sound like it was from the Nine Heavens. It seemed to have come from a spot near the child.


    It was louder than the firecrackers lit during the Lunar New Year, even the people inside could hear it.


    The sound of thunder was accompanied by flashes of white light.


    "That was the Thunder Technique, the celestial teachers from Qing Xuan have come!" One of the elderlies with white hair exclaimed.


    He was one of the better fighters during his younger days and unblocked his Governor and Conception Vessel. Yet, he did not go far.


    The elder with the highest attainment in terms of cultivation on the Flying Celestials Island had unblocked his Dead or Alive Point, had both mana and cultivation Dao techniques. Needless to say, with that attainment, he still died in the demon''s hands.


    The elder once told him that not all Dao techniques were the same, they were of varying strength. The most difficult of them all would be the Thunder Technique. A cultivator who mastered the Thunder Technique would be someone powerful.


    The child named Xiao Qi was carried by a gust of wind and was slowly lowered onto the ground. She was still bounded by the red silk. "Don''t move." A gentle voice whispered into her ears.


    She raised her head and saw a man in a light blue robe. The robe had the color of the sea and the wind blew gently at his sleeves, it was as though she was looking at the rising and falling of tides. His long black hair casually danced with the wind and the side of his face was revealed to her. It was an elegant and clear face, one that could be akin to the mountain spring.


    There were a lot of broken limbs and organs in here, there were even bones and blood stains. The scent was nauseating.


    This person was young. He looked about sixteen or seventeen of age.


    However, she found it hard to describe him as he was completely different from her clan brothers. Her shallow knowledge did not do much in helping her to describe the feeling that she felt from him.


    His voice was soothing and calming and it took her fear away.


    There was a toad not far away. It looked scary as it was twelve feet long. Even in its crouching position, it was taller than most big-sized men.


    The red silk was actually its tongue. It was struck by Shen Lian''s Thunder Technique earlier and a part of it had broken off, but it did not take long for it to regrow itself.


    Its skin was purplish brown and was covered with scabies-looking thorns. In broad daylight, it was a nauseating sight.


    The toad stared fiercely at Shen Lian with its protruding eyeballs. "I''m Hali Zi and I serve the Nine-Headed King, know your place and scram," the toad spoke as he stared at the human cultivator who appeared out of nowhere.


    The toad was not a brainless demon. It knew that any cultivator who could use the Thunder Technique had considerable powers.


    The Nine-Headed King that Hali Zi spoke of was the demon king who lived in the sea about five thousand miles away from here. He had impressive supernatural powers and was even feared by some of the celestial sects.


    On his birthday, some human cultivators even respectfully visited.


    This was why the toad was not afraid of Shen Lian despite that the fact that Shen Lian knew the Thunder Technique and was quite powerful. Moreover, the Nine-Headed King had told his children to always announce their background, so that they would not be harmed by Daoists who did not know better. However, the Nine-Headed King said that under the influence of alcohol when he was drinking with other demon kings.


    Hali Zi had ingrained it in its memory regardless. Whenever he sneaked out and ran into powerful Daoists, he would announce his background, and that had always worked in favor of him.


    The cultivators had all heard of the Nine-Headed King and they did not dare to do anything to Hali Zi due to the Nine-Headed King''s reputation.


    However, when Hali Zi sneaked out this time around, he was met with a stream of undercurrent. Before he knew it, he was caught in the undercurrent and was brought to the Flying Celestials Island that was five thousand miles away.���� - directly translated to ''pure land''. A Chinese expression to describe a piece of land where it is peaceful and unpolluted.

 Chapter 87 Left Without a Trace When Things Are Done

    Shen Lian stood calmly at some distance away. He stared at Hali Zi without fear. He had never heard of the Nine-Headed King. Even if he knew that he was an extremely powerful demon king, things would not be any different.


    He did not bother with the small talks and drew an arc with his wooden sword immediately. As though the sunlight had been gathered at the tip of his wooden sword, the scorching heat could be felt.


    The wooden sword was encapsulated by a green halo which insulated it from the heat.


    A fireball appeared from nothingness. Following the movement of the tip of the sword, the fireball came crashing at Hali Zi.


    Hali Zi did not expect Shen Lian to act so quickly. Luckily, with his experience in cultivation, he was able to react quickly. He spouted purple juice and the juice collided with the fireball. The fireball became purple. Along with the air current, it rolled toward Shen Lian.


    Shapeless Qi started to gather around Shen Lian, as if he was covered in misty clouds. The purple poisonous fire exploded in the misty clouds and brought forth smoke and dust.


    However, no cries were heard following the explosion. At a big tree nearby, Shen Lian lowered the little girl slowly. "Don''t be afraid," he said.


    He tapped the tip of his toe and charged at Hali Zi with his wooden sword. There were buzzing noise sparking in the air and that was Hali Zi''s tongue moving at the speed of lightning. Only a pale red shadow could be seen.


    Even the normal toads could capture bugs that flew past them in the blink of an eye, what more a toad demon? After cultivating for one hundred years, not only could he speak, he could turn most cultivators into his food.


    Despite the speed being too fast for human''s eyes to follow, Shen Lian could still see the orbit of the movements clearly.


    The breakthrough this time not only allowed him to reorganize the divine Qi in him and obtained mana, but it also transformed his mortal body. Especially after he connected the entry points in his body, he was able to exercise a stronger control over his body.


    When he was mid-air charging with a fatal pierce, he could turn his waist as though he was performing a sword dance effortlessly.


    With an impossible twist of his body, he dodged from Hali Zi''s tongue. By the time the tongue rolled back, Shen Lian moved at a faster speed and pierced Hali Zi with his wooden sword.


    He used runes as the basis of his swordplay and echoed the Qi of heaven and earth, forming a talisman. Even though it was not impactful, it was impressive.


    Electrical sparks flashed in the air and Hali Zi''s vision was affected. As a demon, Hali Zi was instinctively afraid of thunder. The moment of hesitation led to him being blinded by the lightning. He could not open his eyes.


    Shortly after, his eyes felt cold and all he could see was an endless darkness.


    Hali Zi knew that Shen Lian''s pierce was the reason behind his blindness.


    He extended his sense and perception and felt the circling of the wind, grass, wood, flowers, and trees. However, there was no trace of Shen Lian.


    As a measure of self-defense, he extended his tongue and swung it around rapidly.


    Hali Zi went berserk and rammed himself into the main courtyard. He thought that if he could not do anything about Shen Lian, he might as well kill some humans to blow off some steam.


    The moment he tried to make a move, he perceived a sharp sword aura.


    Without trying to avoid it, he turned and faced the direction of the sword aura. At the same time, he expanded and contracted his lower abdomen at an impossible speed. There was a loud sound and the surrounding area collapsed from the motion.


    A sphere of light came out of his mouth, extinguishing the sword aura immediately.


    The little girl saw the strange scene from the tree. A small sphere of light was flying toward Shen Lian at high speed and slowed down after a loud piercing sound.


    Consequently, the overwhelming fear caused by it was weakened.


    Shen Lian kept going backward and the sword aura he emitted fell onto the sphere of light. After backing away for some distance, the sphere of light finally fell onto the ground.


    The process sounded long, but in reality, it happened within a few breaths'' time.


    Hali Zi could not comprehend how a human cultivator could operate his mana so quickly.


    If Shen Lian could condense such strong mana within seconds, he must have strong supernatural powers. Why would Shen Lian bother with such troublesome measures when he could have defeated him with just any powerful spells?


    Hali Zi did not know that Shen Lian was an aberration. Before going through Huandan, all of his meridians and acupoints had been unblocked.


    He could operate mana between his breaths - considerably quicker than his fellow cultivators.


    His ability to condense his mana was significantly better than a normal cultivator. It was easy for him to form a talisman or wield his sword aura during battles.


    As the sphere of light fell, Hali Zi''s divine Qi withered.


    As Shen Lian unleashed his sword aura on Hali Zi mercilessly, Hali Zi lost all hope of surviving the battle.


    The last Fire Talisman burnt Hali Zi''s blood and flesh completely. Meanwhile, Hali Zi''s inner core that had not taken shape yet was kept by Shen Lian. He thought that it might prove to be useful if he brought it back to Qing Xuan and could rack up some meritorious deeds for himself as well.


    Hali Zi''s spirit turned into green smoke and that was wiped out by Shen Lian as well.


    The blood and flesh of this toad would be a good supplement to the vital Qi. However, with Shen Lian''s level of attainment, ingesting the Qi of heaven and earth would be purer for him.


    Shen Lian was particularly irked by the fact that Hali Zi consumed a significant number of people.


    Due to the resentment between the Flying Celestials Island and him, Shen Lian could not be bothered to deal with them and decided to leave.


    The little girl acted on her impulse and jumped down from the tree. Shen Lian reacted quickly and caught her in time.


    "Big brother, can I cultivate together with you?" the little girl said as she tugged on his sleeve.


    After all, she was from the Flying Celestials Island, which was why she knew about the broad strokes about cultivation.


    "How do I teach you when I myself have not attained much in terms of cultivation?" Shen Lian did not act coldly towards the child and lowered her gently onto the ground.


    The door of the courtyard swung open and the first to come out was the little girl''s mother.


    "Bye," Shen Lian whispered and smiled at the child.


    As the wind blew, Shen Lian disappeared slowly over the horizon. The mess left behind and the collapsed ground, they were the only sign that something unusual had taken place earlier.


    The young person from the Xiao family that lost his martial art abilities to Shen Lian recognized Shen Lian''s back. Anger welled up in him �C that was not hatred, but jealousy. If he did not lose his abilities, he would be the carefree cultivator who had just left instead of being useless and hide amidst the crowd.


    Out of nowhere, he heard a sound. It was an airy whisper accompanied by the demon''s laughter from the depth of the Nine Serenities Underworld.


    "You want to get stronger?"


    The mere five words brought along endless temptations, and he had no reason to refuse. "Yes," he replied without hesitation. It was really noisy, which was why no one heard him.


    After he said yes to the mysterious voice, he felt iciness between his brows, as though something had crawled in.


    No one realized the hint of blood red that flashed past in his eyes. His entire aura became spookier, as though he was a different person altogether.

 Chapter 88 The Evil Intention That Lurked Beneath Her Friendliness

    When the sea was calm, it looked like a refined and elegant lady. All one could see was a pure shade of sea blue. To a certain extent, anyone who was surrounded by such moving sight would feel their heart and soul being one with the sea - endless and borderless, transcending heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian stood on a plank and floated in the sea. Instead of drifting along with the current, he was headed toward the direction of Qing Xuan.


    In the sea, there were the Yin flow and the Yang flow. The interchange of Yin and Yang formed the sea current.


    Shen Lian latched onto the motion between the interchange of Yin and Yang. With a little more push, he could manipulate the plank underneath and could float across oceans and seas.


    That was not a supernatural power, it was derived from his understanding of the surroundings. The difference between men and wild beasts would be the former''s ability to utilize the power of nature via the creation of tools. Even if men could not swim, we could still make use of boats and ships. Being good at utilizing the resources available were not considered as being over-reliant on external aid, but was merely putting one''s intelligence into good use.


    The recurring theme of truth in Buddhist scriptures was to let go of worries, that would be the sign of supreme wisdom. The unqualified supernatural powers stemmed from wisdom, which allowed one to move freely between the three realms and be freed from the restraints of Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.


    Shen Lian was not contemplating about this supreme wisdom in detail but he did have a general direction and was cultivating tirelessly toward it.


    Even if there were no more martial exercises to follow, he would not stay stagnant with his cultivation.


    He could still explore the ways of talisman, or to control vital Qi. He could observe the birds flying, or to feel the fish and the wagging of their tail underneath his feet. He could also feel the formation of the wind, or how undercurrent was formed from the interchange of warmth and cold.


    The process of cultivation was neither narrow nor confined to a single place, it was everywhere around us.


    The true wealth of Shen Lian''s cultivation was the experience he had from his past life during the age of information boom. There was no other era that could offer more information and impact than the age of the internet.


    Internet connection and an electronic device that could surf the net was all one need to exchange thoughts with hundreds of millions of people. It did not bring direct benefits in terms of cultivation but it helped by repetitively breaking one''s current perception through the formation of new ones.


    It was similar to the breakthroughs in cultivation - Shen Lian was not just cultivating, he was thinking as well.


    The Mastery of Senses served as a good source, the way that a great mathematician would need an incredibly strong memory to memorize all sorts of numbers and formulas.


    A great cultivator must have a spirit that could observe everything.


    There was a flicker of emotion on Shen Lian''s face. Out of a sudden, he heard a wonderful voice singing, it was music that did not belong to this world. Behind him, waves rolled up. This was not in accordance with common understanding and logic - the sudden occurrence of strong waves was not accompanied by any form of prior indication.


    With his clothing inflated, he tried to call upon the Qi of heaven and earth to ride on the wind and breakthrough the waves.


    However, the Qi that was once intimate to him felt like a stranger. Instead of replying to his calls, the Qi congregated to a certain spot.


    Before he could ponder further, he was hit by the waves and the wooden plank underneath his feet broke into pieces.


    He was rolled under the waves and fell into a silent stream of undercurrent.


    ...


    When Shen Lian opens his eyes again, he was soaked and found himself on an island.


    In the sea not far away, he saw a towering column of water. Underneath the column of water, there was a giant black rock with a smooth surface. It looked like a cay spanning several acres.


    As the giant black rock rose and fell, giant waves were generated and came crashing to the shore.


    Shen Lian''s feet were soaked by water again.


    He heard the strange singing voice again. That was when he realized that the giant black rock was actually the back of some form of giant living creature, who spouted those towering column of water.


    The singing voice might be the breathing of this sea monster.


    What was scarier was how the surrounding vital Qi would congregate toward it as it sung and the Qi was all his to inhale and exhale.


    With a body as big as that, the amount of vital Qi that he swallowed was massive. Regardless of how low its attainment was, it could easily deal ten or a hundred more times damage than Shen Lian could.


    The sea monster was similar to a whale, or maybe it was a whale that knew how to cultivate.


    Shen Lian did not get back into the sea blindly. The mana within his body slightly wavered to the singing of the sea monster.


    He decided to first seek refuge and to hold things off until the sea monster left. Thus, he walked into the island and found the scenery pleasing and could smell the scent of flowers.


    There was only one kind of flowers and it came in five different colors; not more, and not any lesser. The trees inside were bigger than usual. As Shen Lian walked deeper into the island, the singing of the sea monster was filtered by the woods and he regained resonance with the Qi of heaven and earth.


    The singing of the sea monster must be a more advanced form of communication with the heaven and earth Qi than the talisman Dao that he currently understood.


    Given the chance, Shen Lian would love to look into the subject.


    Despite knowing that the sea monster had a dubious origin, he realized that the island itself was not simple either.


    The places that he walked past had no sign of human life, not even any sign of beasts could be seen.


    The flowers were in bloom but they were not frequented by bees and butterflies. The entire forest was caught in an eerie silence.


    The scenery far ahead caught Shen Lian''s attention. It was a tree with a thick trunk - one that could be wrapped around by the embrace of ten over people.


    A soft and gentle voice spoke, it sounded like the pleasing sound of a yellow warbler. The voice was laidback and Shen Lian took a liking to its owner before even setting eyes on her.


    "Gentleman, are you here to look at the beautiful flowers as well?"


    Shen Lian did not move. He cocked his head towards the source of the voice which was deep in the flower bushes. A beautiful woman clothed in colorful clothes walked over and her features were impeccable and flawless. However, this was not the first time that he saw a woman as such �C Xin Shisiniang was the first.


    Unlike Xin Shisiniang who gave off a proud and pure aura akin to the winter snow, the woman clothed in colorful clothes was enchanting and moving. Her curves were almost perfect and it was hard to look away from her. The juxtaposition of her black hair and her porcelain-like neck was alluring.


    The woman eyed Shen Lian boldly. It seemed as though she took an interest in the pretty young man.


    She was slightly taller than a normal woman but slightly shorter than Shen Lian. Her moving body gave off hints of pleasant scent, it was different from those of flowers but it did not smell like perfume either. The scent sneaked its way into Shen Lian nose.


    His clear eyes wavered, and to be honest, he could feel a flame being lighted up in his heart �C lust.


    He did not clear away his lustful thoughts hurriedly. "Where did you come from, young lady?" he smiled and said.


    "I''m one of Mister Hai''s concubines and he is paying a visit to his friend. Seeing how the flowers are in bloom, I decided to stay and did not go with him. I was getting bored when I heard you, which was why I decided to come and take a look at you. Please pardon my abruptness," she spoke while looking at Shen Lian.


    What she just said would be normal if it was coming from a man to a woman. However, the words were extremely seductive coming from her.

 Chapter 89 Chopping Off Without Hesitation

    "What if I insist on taking offense?" Shen Lian replied casually.


    "Such a joker you are." The woman clothed in colorful clothes covered her mouth as she smiled slightly.


    Shen Lian sighed and extended his right hand with a tree leaf on it. He managed to pluck it somehow and it flew out of his hand.


    It would seem that he had used the Jifeng Talisman on the leaf earlier.


    Any fighter with strong enough inner strength could use anything from their surroundings as killing weapon, including grass, wood, bamboo, or rock. Moreover, Shen Lian had planted runes on the leaf.


    The Jifeng Talisman was considered one of the basics in talisman Dao. However, it was impressive how Shen Lian could conjure it so casually and discreetly. The leaf barely made a sound after leaving his hand, and the shapeless Qi flowed within it, speeding it up. The leaf drew an arc in the air and ended up right next to the woman clothed in colorful clothes.


    It cut toward her fair neck like a spinner.


    It was as though her head was not supported by bones, it spun around for half a circle at high speed. The speed was not something that could be followed by human eyes. Quickly, it snapped back into its original position.


    To normal people, she did not move at all. However, Shen Lian saw what she did, though not completely. This showed how quickly she was moving.


    Her shiny black eyes turned into a shade of dull green. Light shone from her green eyes and it was a sight that would send chills up anyone''s spine.


    Shen Lian faced her glare head on. Meanwhile, the woman held the leaf between her red lips. It was an eerie sight to behold.


    She swallowed the leaf and licked her lips with her reddish tongue, eerily seductive.


    However, if one were to look at her green eyes, any lustful desires would be extinguished and turned into the terror that could fill one''s heart


    Words were not needed and Shen Lian held his tongue. He was still looking at the woman''s neck, because that was her weakest point, her Achilles'' heel.


    As for why Shen Lian acted the way he did, that was because his opponent was not human. She gave off a hint of cold-bloodedness and cruelty.


    Even her beautiful appearance could not mask the dangerous aura that she was giving off.


    The leaf was merely a test and not Shen Lian''s goal.


    However, what happened just now confirmed Shen Lian''s suspicion and there was no mistaking it.


    "If you were to let me have some fun with you, I might even spare your life due to your good looks. But since you have made your choice, don''t blame me for being cruel." The colorfully clothed woman shifted, and a strong gust of wind followed. Out of sudden, a giant snake with the circumference of a bucket appeared.


    Even though it was quite the sight to behold, it did not have the powerful presence that Jingqing had when he appeared in his original form.


    It took a lot of mana for demons to shapeshift. However, that might not apply to the demonic snake in front of Shen Lian. The vital Qi it was giving off was not even as strong as the toad from earlier.


    Faced with the giant snake, Shen Lian snickered and pointed his finger at it.


    Snakes are cold-blooded animals, yet the demonic snake felt a tinge of coldness stemming from its soul and pain followed. It could not respond immediately.


    To the outside world, the giant snake stood frozen and there was a momentary pause.


    Shen Lian remained sharp. He had not used the Deity Vanquishing Sword for a while now and the effect was better than expected.


    With his spirit condensed as a sword, he could slay one''s heart and soul.


    He used it naturally without putting much thought into it, merely acted on the spur of the moment.


    Subsequently, he directed his wooden sword at the third inch of the snake, which was the neck that he was looking at before.


    The third inch referred not to distance, but to the weakest and most fragile point on the spine of the snake. Shen Lian did not base his estimation on its size, but on what he felt from the blood flow and the meridians of the demonic snake.


    It sounded simple but it was a manifestation of all the years he spent cultivating. On top of that, he applied the medical knowledge from his past life in this actual battle.


    The wooden sword was blunt, but with the mana instilled by Shen Lian, it was sharper that the sharpest sword in the world and the snake''s head fell with just a slash.


    Its eyes were still open after it got beheaded, as though it could not believe that it was killed by a plain, young cultivator who did not look like he had much supernatural power.


    The mana within Shen Lian was extremely condensed and focused, which was why he did not give off a pressuring presence, unlike most powerful cultivators. The runes on the leaf showed that despite he was good with talisman Dao, his mana was not especially strong.


    Even though one could not judge a cultivator based on his age, the passing of time would no doubt leave a mark on them. Shen Lian was too young, and if he really was that good, he would need to have attained much in terms of cultivation at a really young age. Yet, cultivators as such had always been a rarity.


    More importantly, if Shen Lian were really powerful, he would not have remained unmoved at the mention of Mister Hai.


    The demonic snake did not manage to get the answers to all of these questions.


    The demonic snake''s questions were hard to answer, and Shen Lian had some questions of his own too. After the demonic snake died, the condensed form of spirit did not escape from its body.


    It was as though its spirit and soul were dispersed at the moment of its death.


    Both the extremely condensed form of Qi, blood, and the inner core that had not taken shape was not found on the demonic snake.


    Compared to Hali Zi, the demonic snake was useless. Surprisingly, it was able to shapeshift and that was not just any simple illusion trick.


    ...


    There was not much to see on the sea, however, the underwater world was a different story. It was interesting and happening unlike the surface above.


    Under the sea, different type of fishes swam around. There were the occasional fights between demons and beasts, and normal fishes that got caught up in it. Every moment, countless lives were lost and at the same time, countless lives were born.


    However, all of the lives in the sea within the three hundred miles radius belonged to the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    Despite the fact that demon king could not care less about these worthless lives, to these creatures, he was still the king.


    The Nine-Headed King''s underwater palace was grand and it had been a thousand years since he had attained the Dharma. However, he was not the one who built the underwater palace. He snatched it from one of the demon kings who was in the Dragon Clan.


    The Dragon Clan was rich in all four seas, it would make sense that their underwater palace was grand. It was as good as the palace built by humans, if not better.


    Never-ending music came from the underwater palace, and that was because the Nine-Headed Demon King was having a guest over.


    That was an esteemed guest.


    The demon soldiers knew that the guest was an esteemed guest, as their king wore the scarlet purple robe that he rarely wore and had the gold-twined python belt with the grain pattern of rhinoceros on his waist.


    More importantly, the king had nine heads which he usually showed even in his human form, giving off a strong presence. However, he kept his eight other heads today. He only had one head and appeared in the style of human princes and marquises.


    As for what did the human princes and marquises looked like, the demon soldiers had no idea. They just believed everything that the king said.


    The demon clan had a longer lifespan than human cultivators, and correspondingly, their cultivation progress was hundred times harder as well.


    Which was why most of the powerful demon kings did not care about cultivation, but they enjoyed having fun and making new friends.


    The more powerful their friends were, the prouder they felt.


    The friend he was hosting that day was just that powerful friend indeed. As the humans would say, ''to be greatly honored by one''s gracious presence'', and that perfectly described how the demon king felt having the esteemed guest over.

 Chapter 90 Moonlight Buddha

    Mister Hai''s surname was not ''Hai'', but no one knew what his name was, and since he stayed overseas most of the time, so he was known as Mister Hai.


    He was always seen being clothed in gold with a jade hairpin in his hair. Two strands of long hair fell from the side of his ear, his brows were thick and his nose bridge was high. He was charming as he seemed to always have a smile on his face, but on closer inspection, one would realize that he was not smiling.


    In the mortal realm, he looked more like a charming and attractive descendant of the great families.


    When the Nine-Headed Demon King took over this part of the sea, Mister Hai had been enjoying quite the reputation for some time already, which said a lot about how long he had been living. In fact, no one knew his actual age. However, his appearance had never changed.


    Regardless of ranks and titles, whether it was demon kings or the great cultivators, most thought that Mister Hai was not human and belonged to some other clan. Though not even a single person had seen his actual body or form, and not many had seen him fight. Every time that he fought, it was easy and casual, and he would end a powerful enemy without much effort. This was why no one dared to look down on him.


    Mister Hai had not been traveling around for twenty years now - some said that he went to other continents, some said he was cultivating in retreat. One year ago, he appeared again out of nowhere.


    Every time he appeared, he would come with his mount. It was a giant whale with the blood of ancient Kunpeng.1 Although it was unable to shapeshift into human form, its mana was not any worse than any normal land immortals.


    When the giant whale inhaled and exhaled the vital Qi, any powerful cultivators within the radius of a thousand miles could feel it, and they would be able to infer that Mister Hai appeared.


    When Mister Hai came to visit the Nine-Headed Demon King, he could not bring his mount as it was too big.


    A group of female demons danced in the hall of the underwater palace. They had fair arms and long legs. Every now and then, their inner thigh, almost at the groin, could be seen, and the two rows of prawns and crabs soldiers who stood guard wished that they had more eyes, just to take the sight all in.


    The Nine-Headed King and Mister Hai were speaking about any and everything over wine glasses.


    Mister Hai was cultured. Despite the vulgarity of the Nine-Headed King, he could still maintain the flow of the conversation, there was no awkwardness at all.


    The Nine-Headed King was very entertained by their conversation. As Mister Hai was experienced and knowledgeable, he knew about a lot of strange and peculiar occurrences.


    Suddenly, Mister Hai frowned, the Nine-Headed King saw and queried, "Brother, what''s the matter?"


    Mister Hai smiled at the Nine-Headed King and took in another mouthful of good wine. "Nothing huge, one of my concubines was killed by someone," he said casually.


    "I thought what happened, it''s just one woman. With your abilities, you can marry even the saintess of Yaochi. If you are really mad, I could catch the culprit for you and show him some colors." The Nine-Headed King laughed.


    "It was just a little snake that I helped shapeshifted, even if no one killed her, she would be a pile of bones in a hundred years or two, so we can talk about this later. This time around, I did not come to just drink with Brother Nine. I needed your help with something." Mister Hai did not dwell on the incident and decided to reveal the aim of his visit.


    The female demonic snake attained spiritual wisdom and having spent some time in the Huafang2 ship in the human realm, she learned some seduction techniques. For her to meet Mister Hai was a coincidence, and Mister Hai helped her to shapeshift into a human.


    To help normal demons to shapeshift into a human was a powerful Dao technique. Some sects would do that to the demons in the mountains and would keep them as the soldiers for the sect, or as bodyguards for their disciples who headed out.


    The demon kings even did this on a larger scale. However, these demons did not have high spiritual wisdom, which was why they retained many of their original characteristics even after having shape-shifted into a human.


    The demons who shapeshifted this way had low potential and had lost all chance at becoming a demon king.


    Mister Hai had a lot of concubines throughout the years, which was why their deaths did not affect him. To him, even though the female demonic snake was fresh, he could forsake her in a heartbeat.


    Qing Xuan did not have the tradition of keeping soldiers. The books and texts that Shen Lian had been reading could not possibly record every little detail about the cultivation community. This was why he did not know that demons could shapeshift through external help besides shapeshifting through their own effort.


    The Nine-Headed King looked serious. Mister Hai had strong supernatural power and endless mana, for him to ask for a favor would mean that it was a serious matter.


    Both of them did not have a close relationship, the Nine-Headed King was already thinking of a way to reject him without hurting their harmonious relationship.


    "Brother, just tell me what you need," he continued without pause in spite of the ongoing consideration in his mind.


    "You dumb*sses, didn''t you see that I am talking about something serious? Get out of here, all of you!" he yelled at the female demons and demon soldiers.


    His means were rough and the sound waves followed. Within seconds, all of the demon soldiers and female demons were out of the hall, yet the hall did not look messed up at all. The skillful manner in which he exercised his mana was an impressive feat.


    Mister Hai wore the expression of admiration on his face. "Brother Nine, your mana is getting more refined and powerful. In no time, there will be another ''Great Saint'' in this world," he said.


    The most powerful demons and monsters in this world would be known as the ''Great Saint'', and he would be a powerful being who did not need to bow to even the Daoist masters and Buddha.


    The Nine-Headed King thought, ''The greater the compliments, the more difficult the favor is. If you insist on me helping, I would lose a lot this time around.''


    The two of them exchanged some niceties before Mister Hai finally asked, "Brother Nine, have you heard of the country, Yuetuo?" He knew that the Nine-Headed Demon King was not just anyone and he could not fool him around.


    "Of course, five thousand years ago, there was a Buddha who transcended left behind an orthodoxy - the Jinguang Temple. Even now, there is a Monk Baoyue who is said to be quite powerful. Even the Eagle King who flew in the sky is in his hands now."


    "Brother Nine, you are right. But I bet you didn''t know that the Moonlight Buddha attained enlightenment through the help of a Buddhist relic. Through that, he understood the path and meaning of Buddhism. After attaining enlightenment, the relic was not of much use anymore and was left behind in Jinguang Temple. I want to get my hands on the relic and hope that it could help me breakthrough, but Baoyue is not an easy person to deal with and I need your help. If we managed to get our hands on the relic, we could discuss and study about it together."


    Mister Hai detailed the secret news casually. Then, he looked down to reach for his wine glass while waiting for the Nine-Headed Demon King to reply.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King did not believe in everything that Mister Hai said, but doubtlessly, there was something strange with the way the Moonlight Buddha attained enlightenment. This would explain why the Jinguang Temple was guarded by generations of powerful monks.


    Buddhism was powerful and was not below Xuanmen, but it was hard to follow and to trace. Unlike authentic Xuanmen, the Daoist master could open up the nine states and could walk up the staircase to heaven step by step.


    This was why the Daoists thought themselves to be authentic and brushed off Buddhism.


    However, Buddhism was rooted in the mortal realm and did not reject anyone. This was why in every generation, there would be monks who were enlightened and their power and influence were comparable to that of Daoism, if not more.���� �� Read as ''kun'' ''peng''. It is a Chinese mythical creature, where ''kun'' is a giant fish, while ''peng'' is a Chinese equivalent Roc.���� �� A beautifully decorated Chinese boat that carries people around. Similar to the function of a cruise ship, but not as big in size.

 Chapter 91 Reduce the Insufficient Portion to Build Up the Excessive Portion

    Regardless of Buddhism or Daoism, despite both that did not get along, they existed in harmony. Though, a lot of powerful demon kings of the demon clans had faced defeats against the both of them.


    After all, the scenic and peculiar locations in the mountains and waters were not only conducive for the cultivator��s cultivation, they were also good for the demon clan s to attain spiritual wisdom, and most were even the nests of Demon Kings. Throughout the years, the cultivators who considered themselves as authentic Xuanmen invaded and took over those great spots. Due to the talented younger generations amongst the cultivators, and the lack of organization on the part of the demon clan, a demon king who was not powerful enough would not be able to protect the clan.


    A talented human cultivator could attain Dao in a couple hundreds of years. However, those in the demon clan needed at least one thousand years to become a demon king. If it was not for the big size of the world, in another ten thousand years the demon clan might not even have a place in this world anymore.


    Of course, there were still powerful ones amongst the demon clan, and they had their own spots. Moreover, the bigger sects had taken over much of the good spots, and most of the time, both sides existed in harmony. So long as the demons did not commit heinous deeds in the mortal realm, the cultivators would not go out of their way to exterminate them.


    Although the Buddhist sects were strong, the Nine-Headed Demon King did not fear the Jinguang Temple. Still, he found it hard to trust Mister Hai fully.


    Mister Hai was not surprised by the Nine-Headed Demon King��s hesitation.


    To become a demon king, a demon had to go through a lot. Besides those who got lucky, most of the demon king went through a lot of danger and hardship to attain the ability to shapeshift into a human.


    However, he believed that the Nine-Headed Demon King would say yes eventually. Demon kings did not indulge in enjoyment out of choice, but out of necessity. After going through hardship to shapeshift into a human, for them to reach greater heights in cultivation, it was not just about clocking in the hours anymore.


    The attainment of the Nine-Headed Demon King was not founded on pure luck.


    Without further insights, it was no wonder that he let himself go and spent his days in indulgence.


    If an opportunity to get stronger presented itself, it would be hard to say no to.


    "Brother, it��s not that I don��t believe in you, but I can��t act on empty talks and I can��t rest easy without some solid proof. Even though I have nine heads, it still wouldn��t be nice to lose one." The nine heads represented one life each, and that was his biggest insurance. It was a supernatural power that he was born with, he was especially proud of the fact that unlike him, not a lot of demons and monsters in this world had nine lives.


    At the same time, it served as a warning to Mister Hai to not trick him, and trickery would not be able to kill him.


    Mister Hai lifted his head and looked at him calmly. "If Brother Nine does not believe in me, let��s make an oath in front of the bier," said Mister Hai.


    Upon hearing this, the Nine-Headed Demon King felt better. The bier came from the existence of spiritual beings, and it was the heart of Dao as well. The binding power and effect of bier oaths were not as strong as that of karma oath, but the bier oath pointed to one��s heart. If one were to break the oath, one��s nature would be tainted and clouded by dust, resulting in the loss of value. Even though there were ways to overcome it, it would take a lot of effort and time.


    As for why Mister Hai did not suggest for the more binding karma oath, he had his own considerations. If the binding power of the oath was too strong and the two of them were bonded too tightly, and if the Nine-Headed Demon King were to change his mind, he would have to pay a hefty price as well.


    The Nine-Headed King asked for the details before he committed himself to the bier oath. Anyhow, the oath would only be binding if there was actually a Buddhist relic in the Jinguang Temple to begin with.


    ******


    After killing the female demonic snake, Shen Lian left immediately. Despite that, he did not know about Mister Hai when the female demonic snake mentioned his name, but he was not stupid enough to wait around after killing her.


    The island was not big, and Shen Lian went to the other side of the island. After he found his bearings, he rode on the wind and sailed across the sea.


    Half a day after he had left, a young man in gold clothes appeared at the spot where the female demonic snake was killed. The young man was Mister Hai.


    Mister Hai looked at the soil on the ground and mumbled some phrases. It was an especially difficult and complicated chant. He drew a circle in the air, and a mirror appeared out of thin air.


    This was the supernatural power of "Yuan Guang Retrace", and he could see everything that had happened on this particular spot.


    Mister Hai looked in the mirror. He saw Shen Lian pointed his finger at the female demonic snake, and she stood frozen. "The Daoist sword from Qing Xuan? No, this should be just basics, and yet he attacked someone��s mind and spirit with it. This was exactly what people meant by buying a casket and returning the pearl that was in the casket �C what a lack of judgment!"


    If Shen Lian did not have an impressive background, Mister Hai would have captured him. However, since he was up to something big, he decided not to stir up conflict unnecessarily.


    Although Qing Xuan was not as strong as it once was, it was still a big sect with ten thousand years of history. There might still be some immortals lurking around in the galaxy.


    He waved his sleeve and the entire forest was encapsulated in mist. The mist extended outwards gradually, and the entire island was shrouded by it. In the end, the island disappeared miraculously, and there was no sign of it from the outside.


    The sea monster too was sinking slowly into the sea; only the singing of the sea monster remained.


    ******


    Shen Lian was unaware that he got away from troubles due to Qing Xuan��s reputation. Despite that he recognized the direction, to get back on the right track in the vast sea took him a lot of effort.


    When he finally got back to the mountain gate of Qing Xuan, a month had already passed.


    Taiyi Peak was shrouded by the misty clouds, and it looked the same as usual.


    Zhang Ruoxu sat cross-legged on the stone couch as he observed the return of Shen Lian.


    There naturally would not be many changes within the short span of time that elapsed. Zhang Ruoxu would not be evaluating Shen Lian��s cultivation too.


    "Did you know that almost everyone on the Flying Celestials Island died?" Zhang Ruoxu sighed and spoke in a pitying tone.


    "What happened? I have eliminated the demon before I left," replied Shen Lian, who was not pleased by what he heard.


    "Someone cultivated the "Blood Dissipating Sword" with the Qi and blood of the Islanders, and the sole survivor is a little girl. She was saved by my Uncle-Master," Zhang Ruoxu elaborated.


    "Blood Dissipating Sword?" Shen Lian was confused, as he had never read about the Blood Dissipating Sword, and there was no record of it in the Taiwei Pavillion.


    "It is a supernatural power that could snatch the Qi and blood of others to nourish one��s Qi of vitality, which will speed up the cultivation process. Even though it reduces the insufficient portion to build up the excessive portion and is against the natural way of things, one could still attain Dao with it," Zhang Ruoxi spoke while gauging Shen Lian��s reaction.


    "Is there any other disadvantage with this method of attaining immortality?" Shen Lian queried casually.


    "No, there isn��t. However, it will be difficult to pass the trial of Divine Thunder in the future. If one killed enough living creatures and snatched their Qi, one could Huandan within twenty years and could attain the Absurd State within fifty years. If the person was naturally devoid of emotional ties, he could even break through the Absurd State. By then, only the heavens would be able to pass their judgment unto him," Zhang Ruoxu illustrated with a helpless tone.


    "Survival is an instinct. I guess there were a lot of people who tried to cultivate this before?" Shen Lian asked after a moment of contemplation.


    "There was a sect who cultivated this, and everyone in the sect ended up killing each other. The sole survivor was stuck by the Five Thunders, and his spirit was exterminated."

 Chapter 92 Attained Dharma at Once

    Shen Lian smiled, "If cultivating with this technique was truly that speedy, why don''t we keep a group of demons in captivity and feed them with batches and batches of living creatures, as though they were just grass?" Said Shen Lian.


    Zhang Ruoxu looked at Shen Lian meaningfully, "There is no difference between breeding demons and breeding any other living creatures. This path is not difficult because one had to snatch over Qi and blood, but because it was difficult to stay true to one''s original intention. Even a cold-blooded person would be taken over by cruelty. If the heavens were to exterminate the person, it would first turn him insane. Even if the person did not lose himself and attained immortality, it does not mean that he could get away and survive the trial of Divine Thunder," said Zhang Ruoxu.


    "Chief, why are you detailing this to me? Are you worried that I would walk on this path as well?" Shen Lian asked.


    "As you have said, it is one''s instinct to survive. Sometimes, it might even triumph over humanity. The more talented you are, the more I fear that you would stray onto the wrong path," he sighed and thought if the previous chief had explained certain things better back then, that person would not have strayed onto the wrong path. Qing Xuan would not have faced the tribulation hundred years ago.


    Shen Lian remained silent. He could not expect the chief to understand him inside out. He was asking out of curiosity, and he had no intention to walk on a path that attained Dao on a murdering basis.


    Of course, he could only guarantee about his current intention, and could not say for sure where he would end up in the future. Fate was fascinating and was filled with unknown. Even if it was planned by the heavens above, before something had actually happened, it was still full of variations.


    Amongst the living creatures in this world, it was only natural for the strong to prey on the weak. However, if one were to be fixated on destruction at the expense of one''s awareness of the endless circle in nature, even the flowing river would not last.


    Indeed, cultivators absorbed the essence of heaven and earth and tapped into the mystic of the universe. However, they knew where the line needed to be drawn, and that was not the case with the Blood Dissipating Sword.


    "I only have one thing to say. He who is aware of the male, but keeps to the female, does not sought to be the best in the world." Shen Lian straightened his clothes and bowed deeply; he bowed as a gesture of appreciation for Zhang Ruoxu''s adoration for him, and it was to demonstrate his humility as well.


    Did not seek to be the best in the world, it was to remain respectful and fearful for the future; it was not timidity, cultivators should go through hardship, but they should not restrain their capabilities.


    Zhang Ruoxu looked at Shen Lian and was not sure if he was satisfied or dissatisfied with Shen Lian. Shen Lian''s strength was his ability to understand something that was pointed out to him, and he could even raise three points for every point made. The lack of the student-teacher tie between them was dissatisfactory, and if anything, their interaction felt more like that of Daoist friends.


    Out of sudden, Shen Lian heard the roar of the sword. It sounded more like the roar of a tiger rather than that of a dragon. Despite the ban placed in the Qing Xuan Hall, it did not block out the roar of the sword completely.


    Zhang Ruoxu was not surprised by the roar of the sword. In fact, he was pleased to hear it. "He who spent a good half of his life sharpening a sword that he has yet to use, he has brought the sword here today, as a great injustice has taken place," said Zhang Ruoxu as he clapped merrily.


    When he was done speaking, the Tiandi Jian rolled out from his sleeve. Its greenish light looked like water, and when it fell onto the ground, it turned into a giant screen. Amidst the blue sky and the white clouds, a lone peak stood. That would be the Qingliang Peak.


    The clouds were gathering towards a specific point, and it formed the shape of a dragon and tiger. Five colorful bright rays were formed and it was ever-changing. It was a dazzling sight, and a majestic sword aura broke through the sky and barriers, headed right into nothingness.


    The roar of the sword sounded like the roar of a tiger and the howl of a dragon. It went on for a while, and Shen Lian felt his bier vibrate as the sound fell into his ears. He could not help but be mesmerized by it.


    It was as though a dried-up stream was met with a new water source, though he did not know why; it gave birth to life and stirred up a myriad of feelings.


    It was as though countless mystical principles were coming through, but there was a thin veil covering all of them.


    The winds and clouds were gathering and churning in the sky.


    As he listened to the roar of the sword, Shen Lian had forgotten about what he saw; only Zhang Ruoxu was still staring intently at the sight on top of the Qingliang Peak.


    The roar of the sword could pierce through the ban placed in Qing Xuan Hall because it was the resonance of the heaven and earth. Without a doubt, the one who attained the state of Huandan was Chen Jianmei. What bothered Zhang Ruoxu was whether Chen Jianmei could attain eight transformations or nine.


    It had been many years since Qing Xuan finally had a cultivator who managed to attain the state of Huandan with one''s own strength. This was a sign that the sect was slowly returning to its glorious state.


    He would have no regrets if there could be more and more disciples who attained the eight or nine transformations of Huandan.


    Having been stuck in the Absurd State for so long, he knew that he had no hope of breaking through. It was not his heart of Dao, but rather his body and spirit that was unable to bear the breakthrough.


    There was nothing that he could do about it, which was why he was not that bothered.


    Qing Xuan''s aim was the cultivation of one''s heart should take priority over physical cultivation.


    An accomplished mind would bring forth success in terms of cultivation. However, if the foundation of the way of Dao was damaged, one could not do much even with such mind without the help of the rarest celestial elixir.


    If he could ensure the continued stability of Qing Xuan before facing nirvana, at least he had done his part with regards to the legacy of Grandmaster Yuan Qing.


    Shen Lian woke up on the fifth day. There was a thin layer of membrane on his eyes, as though a thin layer of mercury was covering on top. After a while, his sight finally cleared up.


    The resonance of the heaven and earth persisted, and it was stretched out, longer and longer. However, unlike before it had an indescribable obscurity to it.


    "If you can listen to the resonance of the heaven and earth during Huandan for five days, when you have the cultivation experience, you can utilize external alchemy to enter into the state of Huandan. In the past one thousand years, you are the second person who has such a heart of Dao at this level of cultivation experience," Zhang Ruoxu told Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian smiled in his heart. Having just said that he did not seek to be the first in the world, it was ironic how that he became the second now. At the same time, he could tell from Zhang Ruoxu''s tone that he was in a decent mood.


    There was only self-deprecation in his heart, but not anger.


    The mystical resonance of the heaven and earth was indeed, mystical. However, Chen Jianmei was cultivating swordcraft and subscribed to the belief that one pierce of the sword could overcome different types of spells and supernatural powers.


    Swordcraft was powerful, but it lacked in thoughts and will, it would be hard to manifest the earnings from the resonance of the heaven and earth. Even so, Shen Lian''s attainment at the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura reached a new height. He even managed to glimpse into some parts of its mystical workings.


    It would seem that the sword aura itself was a foundation. Just as the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of the mathematical digits. The decimals could go on to tens digit, hundreds digit, or even infinitely.


    Dao was infinite, and swordcraft too was infinite.


    At the Qing Xuan Hall, Zhang Ruoxu and Shen Lian waited for the Huandan to end. Four days had passed, and it took a total of nine days and eight nights for the phenomenon to subside.


    Zhang Ruoxu was not especially pleased. If it was nine days and nine nights, signifying the extreme number of nine, the nine transformations of Huandan was sure to have taken place. However, as it was short of one night, it could either be the nine transformations of Huandan, or not.


    It was not as though that there was a huge difference between eight transformations or nine, but knowing Chen Jianmei and his pride, he would be bothered if he was short of one transformation. It would be like having a fishbone stuck in one''s throat, and this would be an obstacle to his heart of Dao too.


    Though, the fact that there was a new, true disciple in the celestial school was something worth celebrating.


    True disciples and doyens received pretty much the same treatment. In some cases, where the doyen who held important position had died, the true disciple would take over the position as of right. If was only upon the true disciple''s rejection that other people would be considered for the position.

 Chapter 93 Loneliness or Prosperity, Each Has Its Own Purpose

    However, the significance of true disciples was such that the orthodoxy of Qing Xuan had continuity.


    For one to enter into Huandan with one��s own ability, it would mean that said person had his own unique understanding of the way of heaven and earth. One could then innovate based on the current martial exercises of one��s celestial school, bringing more experience to their juniors.


    Those with talent and great potential could even come up a different Dao path and could create a new Dao rhyme formula based on the existing foundation.


    After all, there was no one best Dao rhyme formula, but a Dao rhyme formula that was compatible with the person. As everyone was different, the teaching materials would need to be different in order to cater to their different needs.


    Chen Jianmei had attained Huandan, and the celestial school rang the bell seven times. Nine rings for the immortal Zhenren, and forty-nine rings to honor the senior who had transcended beyond the mortal world.


    Nine rings of the bell had not been heard in the past years. Even the seven rings of the bell were the first in many years.


    In fact, it was the first in a hundred years.


    A lot of disciples did not understand the meaning behind it. They only understood its implication after the more senior Apprentice-Brothers or doyens had explained it to them.


    The seven rings of the bell also served to summon everyone to gather at the Taiyi Peak. Unless one was cultivating in retreat, was at an important stage of forging alchemy, or standing guard at an important location, otherwise one must be present at the Taiyi Peak.


    All these while, Shen Lian was at Qing Xuan Hall. The earliest to arrive was the elder in gray, Ge Yuan. There was a handsome young person who followed behind, and that would be the mysterious young person who joined at the same time as Shen Lian, Xiao Hei.


    Shen Lian was still intrigued by him. Despite that Shen Lian had seen him, he still could not feel his presence. He swept over with his spiritual sense, and it was as though there was nothing. For that, Ge Yuan glared at him, which sent chills up his spine.


    After all, Ge Yuan��s mana was deep beyond imagination. The difference between him and a doyen who could walk into Huandan himself was huge.


    Shen Lian could not help but think, how troublesome would it be if Xiao Hei was well-versed in the way of assassination. Any cultivator below the attainment of Huandan would be in deep trouble if they ran into him.


    At their level of attainment, their reliance on the spiritual sense was stronger than their reliance on the five sensory organs.


    If Shen Lian could not detect the young person with his sharp sense, other cultivators below the attainment of Huandan would not be able to detect him.


    Qing Xuan Hall seemed to have the ability to re-adjust its size. Despite that the hall getting crowded, but it was not cramped at all. There was still a lot of space, futons appeared on both sides.


    Only the doyens with deep cultivation experience could sit on the futons. There were a total of twelve of them. These cultivators had attained at least the state of Huandan, and were the backbone of Qing Xuan.


    The two doyens who were seated at the front had an unpredictable presence, and they were followed by Ge Yuan and Hong Qianya. Hong Qianya smiled at Shen Lian, it would seem that Shen Lian had left a great impression on him.


    Qing Xuan had one hundred and eight techniques, but there were only twelve doyens who were seated. Even if a few of them were absent, it still meant that some of the Dao techniques were not cultivated by anyone.


    Even though amongst the one hundred and eight techniques, some powerful individuals could multitask and cultivate a few at one go, but most chose to specialize, as there was only so much one can do.


    Not all of these one hundred and eight techniques were taught by Grandmaster Yuan Qing when he founded Qing Xuan, some were created by different seniors over the years.


    Dao techniques were not ranked. It was a matter of whether a particular technique suited a person.


    However, the more technique one cultivated, the likelier that one was going to be able to comprehend by analogy. Though, this would require a lot of innate comprehension abilities.


    Moreover, the more technique one cultivated, the harder it was for the opponent to defend himself during a battle.


    After all, the pursuance of Dao was a precarious path, and one would need to be able to protect oneself in order to persevere up till the attainment of longevity.


    Moreover, a cultivator who enjoyed longevity was far from being indestructible.


    Every doyen was followed by a few disciples. Besides Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi, everyone from the lower house was following the doyens, and they were mingling around with the disciples from the upper house.


    Yan Bugui was with one of the two unpredictable doyens whom Shen Lian was looking at. The man in white who argued with Lu Shouyi back then was standing next to him. It would seem that both of them were under the same master.


    The doyen had a giant red gourd1 slung on his back. He seemed to be intoxicated, or not. Anyhow, it was obvious that he was only here because he had no choice.


    Looking at his gourd-full of alcohol, it seemed right that he was Yan Bugui��s master.


    There was an empty futon at the end, and it was greenish purple. It looked different, and yet no one sat on it. Though, a lady stood next to it.


    She looked gentle. Even though her face was not exceptionally beautiful, her aura added some points.


    Shen Lian thought she must be the Apprentice-Sister from the lower house whom he had never met before.


    As he was not formally acknowledged as the disciple of anyone, Hong Qianya asked him to go over. Zhang Ruoxu did not say anything about it too.


    Shen Lian was not about to stand next to Zhang Ruoxu, as that would invite too much attention. Naturally, he walked over to Hong Qianya.


    There were three disciples standing next to Hong Qianya, and their cultivation experience was all around Qiaodong. They were secretly sizing Shen Lian up, as Hong Qianya spoke of him frequently.


    However, as Shen Lian stayed in most of the time, or was busy out running errands, the three of them had never actually met him before.


    Lastly, Lu Shouyi and Jing Qing stood on either side of Zhang Ruoxu. Everyone in the hall was a cultivator, which was why unlike the common folks in the mortal realm they were not busy making noise the moment they were gathered together.


    At last, a sword gleam appeared in the hall. It flickered and disappeared. A Daoist stood at the door to the hall, but he did not wear his hair in the Daoist manner.


    His brows gave the vibe of a sword, and his eyes gave the vibe of a star. With a long sword in his hand, he walked into the hall in a confident and charming manner. Everyone in the hall could not help but to be impressed with his mannerism of a master celestial of sword.


    That man would be Chen Jianmei. His expression was cold, and he walked slowly towards Zhang Ruoxu.


    If anyone in the hall were to close their eyes, they would feel a sharp sword will come from him. Even though not emanated on purpose, it was hard to ignore.


    It was as though he had been sharpening a sword for a good half of his life. When the world finally got to see the sword, it could only marvel in its brilliance.


    Chen Jianmei bowed deeply. All these years, whenever he tried to leave the mountain to gain experience and to seek for the opportunity for a breakthrough, Zhang Ruoxu would stop him from doing so.


    That was because Zhang Ruoxu thought that he was not ready to show the brilliance of his sword tip yet.


    All these nights that he spent in isolation, he was accompanied by loneliness and solitude.


    The Shapeless Sword Formula was one of the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan. Since its creation, besides the senior who created it, he was the first to cultivate it up till the eighth layer.


    Besides the obvious fact that most below the state of Huandan would not be able to hold their own against him, the normal cultivators who attained any lesser than the Five Transformation of Huandan would be a prey under his blade.


    However, no one knew about all these. He did not take the normal disciples seriously, and if he were to get serious, they probably would not be able to block even one of his moves.


    As for the doyens, it would not be possible for him to challenge them.


    For those who practiced swordcraft, they would face indescribable loneliness in the absence of a worthy opponent.


    Having sharpened his sword for over half of his life, he had finally attained success. Besides Chen Jianmei himself, no one would understand what he was feeling, not even Zhang Ruoxu.


    Zhang Ruoxu extended his palm and caressed Chen Jianmei��s head. Zhang Ruoxu collected his hair into a Daoist bun, signifying the knotting of hair and the passing on of doctrine.


    What had been passed on was the orthodoxy, the Dao purpose of Qing Xuan.


    Finally, Zhang Ruoxu drew a mysterious rune on Chen Jianmei��s forehead. The shape of a sword could be seen faintly before it disappeared.


    After the completion of this act, even Grandmaster Yuan Qing who had transcended beyond the mortal world and the immortal Zhenrens who were still alive could feel the addition of a true disciple to the Qing Xuan sect.


    Grandmaster Yuan Qing could send a strand of path and meaning of Dao to Chen Jianmei from beyond the mortal realm. That would belong to him alone, and if he chose not to share, no one would be able to find out about it.[1] ��«��"Hu Lu" is a gourd. But in ancient Chinese context it means a gourd-shaped liquid container.

 Chapter 94 Taixu Strategy

    All the cultivators in the hall could feel the trembling of their biers, and an indescribable feeling stemmed from their heart of Dao. Everyone could not help but to look at Chen Jianmei; he was there, yet it felt as though he was beyond the constraints of the heaven and the earth.


    The feeling did not last long. It passed within seconds.


    Everyone knew that Grandmaster Yuan Qing was passing on the path and meaning of Dao to Chen Jianmei.


    It proved that the Founding Grandmaster was still in existence, and was pioneering the way. He was protecting the Qing Xuan orthodoxy somewhere, somehow.


    Chen Jianmei did not look happy at all, it was as though he was not the one who obtained the path and meaning of Dao. Only those who went through loneliness and solitude would understand him; glory was but a footnote of the hardships faced during cultivation.


    As a hurdle to the learning process about Daoism, even those who experienced the hardship of Huandan would find it hard to put their sufferings into words. Even if they were to do it all over, they would not be sure that they could be successful.


    This was why not a lot of people in the world could attain the state of Huandan with their own strength. Even if they were to persevere, they might meet the same end as Sanwen Daoist who died because of old age.


    As for those who attained the state of Huandan with the aid of external alchemy or celestial core, despite not being an easy feat, there were at least signs to be traced. This was why even in a Celestialism that emphasized on cultivation and the heart of Dao such as Qing Xuan, there were still people who attained the state of Huandan through the aforementioned two means.


    After witnessing Chen Jianmei��s success, some disciples whose level of cultivation was at the state of trance or was entering perfection was thinking of following Chen Jianmei��s footsteps. To stand a chance at becoming an immortal Zhenren, one would need to at least be at Sixth Transformation of Huandan or higher. Since the founding of Qing Xuan, including other sects, no one below the Sixth Transformation of Huandan managed to become an immortal Zhenren.


    The man in white, Zhao Siming who had a beef with Lu Shouyi, thought that "This is how a real man should live", and could not wait to head back and cultivate in solitary retreat.


    The code of Dao was carried out in an orderly manner, and those in the hall all had different mannerism. However, cultivators did not wear their emotions on their face, and hence everyone looked relatively calm.


    ******


    Three days had passed since the code of Dao for Chen Jianmei was carried out. The bustle subsided. Though, it was surprising how he chose not to set up his residence at Tianyuan Peak or Zifu Peak after Huandan. Instead, he left Qing Xuan.


    Zhang Ruoxu explained that given the vastness of the world, there was no reason why Chen Jianmei should not go around as much as possible. However, Shen Lian felt that there was more to it. Even if Zhang Ruoxu was aware of the true reason behind it, Shen Lian knew that he would not tell him even if he asked.


    Shen Lian did not have the time or mood to concern himself with Chen Jianmei��s whereabouts. Though, he was still very curious about "external alchemy".


    Shen Lian was here because of the final arrangement Zhang Ruoxu made with regards to Shen Lian.


    This was not the first time that Shen Lian was at Zifu Peak, because the Taiwei Pavillion that stored the Dao techniques of Qing Xuan and the portraits of the immortal Zhenrens was located at Zifu Peak. The old Daoist who was in charge of guarding the Taiwei Pavillion was powerful and unpredictable.


    Shen Lian was in one of the Daoist courtyards at Zifu Peak. It was located amidst the cliffs and was more of a Daoist hall than a Daoist courtyard.


    Inside, a portrait was worshipped. A pool of clear water could be seen in the portrait, and a few white clouds were floating around. On closer inspection, the water was not moving, but the clouds were ever-changing and summed up the Daoist perception of dynamic and static. It made one felt like one had understood something, yet after some serious contemplation, it would seem that one had not understood anything.


    Shen Lian came in following the lead of a lady. This lady was the gentle lady that he noticed during Chen Jianmei��s code of Dao. Her name was Gu Caiwei.


    It was Zhang Ruoxu��s intention for Gu Caiwei to acknowledge Shen Lian as her disciple on behalf of her Master.


    Gu Caiwei��s master had fallen around hundred over years ago and was the disciple of the lady in purple that Shen Lian encountered back then.


    The lady in purple was an immortal Zhenren from the previous generation, and her Daoist name was "Ziling". Due to a trial that she faced, she had to reincarnate and to restart her cultivation, which was why Zhang Ruoxu had to greet her as Uncle-Master.


    In Qing Xuan, those who were not in the same branch and did not share a disciple-master relationship usually addressed each other by their state of attainment.


    Those who were below "Huandan" would address the doyens or true disciples above "Huandan" as Uncle-Master, immortal Zhenren would be Grandmasters, and that would be the general gist of it.


    Of course, one could address the other by their Daoist name, or as "Zhenren".


    After all, those in celestial school did not care much about superiority and inferiority.


    For now, it would be best for Shen Lian to cultivate the Taixu Strategy from the "Ziling" branch, which was one of the founding techniques of Qing Xuan. There were only two people who attained immortality through this in the past ten thousand years, and Ziling fairy was one of the two.


    As for those who managed to attain the state of Huandan through the Taixu Strategy, besides Ziling fairy, the Grandmaster of the branch, the only one who managed to do so was Gu Caiwei��s master.


    This was why a detailed explanation was always given before someone formally joined into this branch.


    Shen Lian knew about this beforehand, and yet he still chose to cultivate the Taixu Strategy.


    Rather than having doubts himself, he decided to trust Zhang Ruoxu who had deep cultivation experience. After all, Zhang Ruoxu was considered as an expert when it comes to the path of cultivation. Moreover, even if he was given the choice, he would not know what martial exercises he should cultivate either.


    He was very decisive about it, and Gu Caiwei agreed to it too. Shen Lian could tell that Gu Caiwei respected Zhang Ruoxu from the bottom of her heart.


    Whether it was Sanwen or Chen Jianmei, these Apprentice-Brothers from the lower house all respected Zhang Ruoxu. From the days that they spent together, Shen Lian was deeply impressed by the charms and knowledge of this chief too. Without Zhang Ruoxu, he was probably still worrying about the hidden aftermath of his previous cultivation.


    Shen Lian paid close attention to the portrait that was worshipped, at the same time he casually thought about everything that had happened since he started pursuing Dao.


    After some time, Gu Caiwei carried an item out. It was a feather coat that had a lot of dust on it. It seemed as though it had not been in use for a long time.


    "For a long time, there hasn��t been any man who joined our branch. This Daoist vestment was used by a senior last time, you can try it on," Gu Caiwei smiled as she spoke.


    After all, she was formally acknowledging him as her disciple on behalf of her master, some rituals must still be followed.


    Gu Caiwei passed the Daoist vestment over and turned around. However, Shen Lian could still hear her laughing under her breath. Perhaps, his Apprentice-Sister here found the situation funny as well.


    With her experience in cultivation, it would not make a difference whether she turned around or not. If she wanted to, she could watch Shen Lian change even if she was outside.


    Shen Lian was not bothered by it, as changing in public back in the modern society in his past life was not a big deal after all.


    After changing into the Daoist vestment, Shen Lian tried to use his mana. He realized that the vestment was also an instrument, and with his mana flowing through it, it was practically weightless like a piece of tree leaf. Moreover, his sleeves were big and loose. With just a wave, they almost sent him flying the way a pair of wings would.


    However, he did not try to fly yet, as Gu Caiwei was staring at him laughingly.


    Shen Lian dusted himself off, and he was clean from head to toe.


    "Taixu Strategy was founded by the twentieth immortal Zhenren in Qing Xuan, Grandmaster Li Qingshui. It is also one of the top thirty-six techniques out of the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan. You were told of the difficulties involved in cultivation, and today, I am representing my master Biyun Zhenren to formally acknowledge you as one of her disciples, do you agree with the arrangement?" Gu Caiwei spoke in a serious tone.

 Chapter 95 Technique Beyond This World

    As it was merely a formality, Shen Lian, of course, would not disagree with it.


    "I, as the disciple, agree," Shen Lian nodded as he spoke.


    Gu Caiwei smiled. She had never formally acknowledged someone as her disciple before. Even though she was doing it on behalf of her master, she still found it quite interesting. With a wave of her sleeve, a teacup that was steaming hot appeared out of thin air. She passed it to Shen Lian and gestured for him to pass it to her.


    Shen Lian did not know what to feel about this. Qing Xuan emphasized on being natural and was not fraught with rules as such. However, he had to play along with Apprentice-Sister Gu if he were to learn the techniques from her.


    Respectfully, he delivered the tea to her. On behalf of her master, Gu Caiwei drank the tea merrily.


    Shen Lian bowed as a gesture of gratitude for the kindness of his master.


    "From now on, we would be Apprentice-Brother and Apprentice-Sister of the same branch. On the path of cultivation, we should always lend a hand to each other," said Gu Caiwei.


    "This portrait did not look like this originally, and it used to be the face of Grandmaster Qingshui. When the founding master attained Dao, the portrait was repainted into this. Our master asked the founding master about it, and she said that this was the "Taixu" of Qingshui. Junior Apprentice-Brother, why don��t you take a guess, what was the founding master��s intention?" She queried as she pointed at the portrait.


    Shen Lian pondered for a while, and replied, "Taixu, physical appearance, could it be that the founding master understood Dao through the clouds and water?"


    "Actually there is no answer to this question. The founding master had never explained about it. Just that the master asked me about this question back then, which is why I am asking you about it today. Back then, the master had actually attained the state of Huandan, and it was Nine Transformations no less. Even though Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen is talented, he is still not as good as our master. If it wasn��t for the difficulties faced when cultivating the Taixu Strategy, it could well be considered as the best technique in the world," said Gu Caiwei.


    By right, she should be addressing Chen Jianmei as Uncle-Master, as he was then a Huandan cultivator, and was not the same as before. However, she addressed him as Senior Apprentice-Brother given their long relationship.


    In the end, she who usually was gentle and refined spoke with a hint of pride.


    Shen Lian knew that the cultivation of Taixu Strategy was going to be difficult, but he still did not know where the difficulties lie. There were plenty of talented people in Qing Xuan, and yet those who managed to cultivate the Taixu Strategy to the state of Huandan were limited to the Grandmaster, the founding master, and his current master, Biyun.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, what is the difference between "Taixu Strategy" and the other cultivation of Dao techniques? Why is it so difficult?" He asked.


    Shen Lian knew that the path of cultivation was about the connection between one, and the heaven and earth, and the understanding that one derived from it. Even if there were varying levels of difficulty, the difference should not be that drastic, to the point that almost no one could cultivate it.


    The usual gentleness faded from Gu Caiwei��s face, and she got slightly serious. "The cultivation techniques in this world focus on power. Just as Senior Apprentice-Brother Yan��s "summoning of wind and rain", and Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen��s demon-slaying sword, or even Uncle-Master Hong��s "The Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery", upon the successful cultivation of these skills, every conceivable possibility would be taken into account, and there are more like these, and it is impossible to put them into an exhaustive list.


    What they are learning encapsulated the theories of the world, which is why at the end of the cultivation process, longevity awaits them. However, if they were to transcend the heaven and earth, what they learned would not be enough.


    On the other hand, the "Taixu Strategy" that we are cultivating would enable us to transcend beyond heaven and earth in the end. We could even transcend beyond the mortal world. This is why it was so hard, and even if the founding master did not face the trial back then, she could not be considered to have cultivated the Taixu Strategy to its highest state. Words simply do not do justice to the principles behind this, even though I have not attained much with regards to the Taixu Strategy, I can show you what it is about," said Gu Caiwei.


    Of course, the demonstration did not take place within the hall, else it would be a blatant disrespect and usurpation to the founding master.


    The cliffs outside of the hall were wide and broad, and no one was around. The wind blew, and the Qi of vitality was thin, but everything was just the way that they should be.


    Shen Lian followed Gu Caiwei out of the door, and he saw her standing on the edge of the cliff. She stood at ease, and her sleeves danced to the wind. It looked as though she was standing alone in this whole wide world.


    Gu Caiwei looked out of place, and she really stood out from the surroundings; it was as though she did not belong to this world.


    Shen Lian thought of Chen Jianmei, Yan Bugui, and Sanwen Daoist. Besides Chen Jianmei who attained the state of Huandan, none of them were able to give Shen Lian such a special feeling.


    It was not as though Gu Caiwei had a strong spiritual pressure, but it was just that his spiritual sense was telling him that Gu Caiwei would not win the battle.


    Gu Caiwei��s voice was light, and it fell on Shen Lian��s ears. "Junior Apprentice-Brother, I heard that you are quite good with the Dao of Talisman, you can unleash at me everything that you are capable of," she said.


    Shen Lian was not hesitant. He did not look down on Gu Caiwei simply because that she was a female.


    However, he exercised great caution in the beginning. He drew an arc in the air, and the Qi followed his instruction as though it was his arm. He made contact with a Wind Talisman, and the wind was manipulated by him to serve as a blade. It flew at a high speed.


    Mid-air, one could see a green blade of wind. It was green because it contained the condensed form of Shen Lian��s mana.


    Gu Caiwei saw the blade of wind and waved her sleeve. The blade of wind disappeared.


    Shen Lian had attached his mana on the blade of wind, and yet he could clearly felt that the blade of wind had disappeared. At the same time, the Qi of vitality on Gu Caiwei was not fluctuating intensely.


    The sound of thunder could be heard on the cliff, and suddenly the sand gathered, or the long sword broke through the sky; there were many variations of it all at once.


    In the beginning, Shen Lian still held back. Towards the end, he tried everything that he knew and he gave it his best. However, all Dao techniques that contained mana or sword aura were useless against Gu Caiwei, it was as though she was unaffected by any kind of techniques.


    In the end, Shen Lian had tried everything he knew besides the "Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura".


    Of course, he did not use the Deity Vanquishing Sword as well. After all, the injury on one��s heart and soul could not be undone, and even if it was unlikely that Gu Caiwei would be hurt, he was not about to take the risk.


    Moreover, they were not in an actual battle; Gu Caiwei was merely trying to show him the Taixu Strategy.


    Shen Lian had microbeads of sweat on him. The usage of all these different skills was actually taking a toll on him.


    The way Gu Caiwei undid his skills were fascinating, and there was no sign of battle on the cliff.


    Lastly, Gu Caiwei walked over. "I only know the basics of Taixu Strategy. However, you can never hurt me with the Daoist techniques nor martial arts that you have cultivated. If you have entered the state of Huandan and have a certain level of cultivation, most of the techniques in this world would be useless against those who cultivate the Taixu Strategy like us," she said.


    "What happens after I attain longevity through the Taixu Strategy then?" Shen Lian had doubts in his mind and asked without thinking twice. If Gu Caiwei had blocked all of his Dao techniques with some other means, he might be able to identify something. However, she did not do anything besides waving her sleeve. She did not even use a Talisman, nor did she chant any runes. There was not even any noticeable ripple in the mana and Qi, and that was all it took to undo his Dao techniques and Talismans. Gu Caiwei had not even attained the state of Huandan, and she was already so unpredictable. Shen Lian wondered what kind of power one would have after Huandan, or even as an immortal Zhenren.


    Gu Caiwei did not respond to this question directly. "Back then, Grandmaster Qingshui enjoyed quite the reputation and had made a lot of strong enemies. Once, a group of users of supernatural powers attacked her, and she defeated all of them all by herself. At that time, the Grandmaster had not even completed her Taixu Strategy yet," replied Gu Caiwei.


    From the way she talked about the Grandmaster, it was obvious that Gu Caiwei idolized her. Even a lady as gentle as her was excited by the thought of a woman overpowering the cultivators in the world.

 Chapter 96 Blind, in These Mountains, to Calendared Days

    Even though Gu Caiwei did not know how powerful those with supernatural powers were, she was convinced that they would not be weaker than a Huandan cultivator. It was likely that they were part of land immortals, which meant that they would be someone like an immortal Zhenren.


    There were many different and varying techniques of cultivation. It could be that one was restrained by the other simply due to the difference of the Dao path that they took. However, if one could defeat a lot of top cultivators, it would mean that one was near to the summit of cultivation, and there was no flaw at all, which would be close to the attainment of Dao.


    Such a character would not be able to be constrained by the heaven and the earth.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you still have yet to say how the mystical use of Taixu Strategy came from," Shen Lian queried.


    "Junior Apprentice-Brother, what are your thoughts about your Qi of vitality when you are meditating and cultivating your Qi?" Gu Caiwei''s vision flowed like water, and it fell on Shen Lian as she enquired gently.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, are you asking about the eight powers of nature? They manifested in our world as the sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning; they formed part of the world that we see now," Shen Lian replied naturally. These eight powers were felt by him back when he had just entered Qing Xuan and was meditating and cultivating his Qi at the bamboo hut. When he was learning the Dao of Talisman, the Talismans were about tapping into these eight types of powers with the Qi of vitality to show its power.


    The Talismans that he used earlier were all connected to these eight powers, or rather, most of the techniques or supernatural powers used by the cultivators and made them so special were all based on these eight powers.


    "It is normal that you understood it that way as you are at the entry level of Dao of Talisman. However, the first step of Taixu Strategy was to cultivate these eight Qi into one''s body in order for one to understand a strand of the Taixu Dao meaning. That would form part of your foundation for Huandan, and would allow for you to enter into the state of "Ruhua"," Gu Caiwei spoke.


    The ones who entered into Ruhua, they were the ones who understood the spirit. Their techniques were activated by their spirit, which was why they could use any technique whenever they wanted to, without any blockage.


    This was how Yan Bugui could form a Talisman with nothingness and could light it without any smoke or fire.


    However, when the usage of technique was concerned, even if they were using the same Talisman, before Shen Lian had even completed one, Yan Bugui might already have used three or four of the Talismans.


    Those who entered into Ruhua could use spells and supernatural powers as and when they wanted to and had the flair of Celestials.


    ******


    Blind, in these mountains, to calendared days; Care not, as the cold wanes, what year it be!


    Fifteen years had passed, and the Daoist assessment that took place once every five years had seen the same result ever since then. The top three were always Gu Caiwei, Yan Bugui, and Shen Lian.


    Albeit unintentionally, Shen Lian became the most famed disciple who still had not attain the state of Huandan. His good character was the reason behind this. So long as he was not cultivating in solitary retreat, any of his fellow cultivators who approached him with cultivation-related questions would be met with open arms.


    As those in the upper house were mostly related to the doyens, and were born with extremely favorable cultivation conditions, initially they were jealous about the rise of Shen Lian who appeared out of nowhere. However, even though Shen Lian was not the most diplomatic person ever, not even once did he look down on anyone, nor was he biased for or against anyone.


    Some of the disciples had challenged him in secret but were easily defeated by him. However, Shen Lian had never spoken of these battle results in front of anyone.


    If anything, it was the challenger disciples who felt ashamed by their action and had spilled the beans.


    For that, they even faced punishment from the Disciplinary Hall.


    The man in white, Zhao Siming had lost in his gamble against Lu Shouyi. Lu Shouyi reached a new understanding overnight and had sped up the growth of his spirit. He had now attained the state of Chushen, and was only one step away from being at Ruhua. He was not as good as Chen Jianmei was back then, but no one dared to question his eligibility as the disciple of the headmaster.


    As for the young person who became Ge Yuan''s disciple, his Daoist name was "Zhao Wuji." Though he had never joined the Dao assessment, and it would seem that the martial exercises he was cultivating did not belong to one of the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan. Ge Yuan too explicitly told him not to demonstrate his Dao technique in front of anyone.


    Because of this, three of the senior disciples from Tianyuan Peak got into a fight with him. However, the outcome was shocking. Not only that Zhao Wuji emerged unscathed, those three almost had their Dao foundation destroyed. Two of the doyens approached Ge Yuan for that, and this showed the disciples how powerful Ge Yuan was.


    Without anyone knowing, he entered into "Buxu" without relying on any instrument or spells. He could stand on nothingness and defied Earth''s gravity. Between breaths, he defeated the two Huandan doyens effortlessly.


    Even though both the doyens entered into "Huandan" through the help of external alchemy, this still showed how unpredictably powerful Ge Yuan''s supernatural powers were.


    Fifteen years had passed, and Chen Jianmei did not return. However, a new Cultivator of the Sword appeared on the faraway land of the West. After killing all of the demons and monsters in that mountain, he built a Daoist temple.


    It was known as the "Temple of Killings", and the world was shocked by this.


    Zhang Ruoxu admitted that the "Temple of Killings" was a supplementary branch of Qing Xuan.


    Even though a lot had happened, but none of it had much to do with Shen Lian.


    He did not face any bottleneck on his path of spiritual enhancement at all. In fact, he managed to form a spiritual consciousness after attaining Chushen.


    This was actually something that could only be formed after Huandan, and the cultivator would need the nourishment of Huandan to strengthen their Yin Spirit before its formation. However, he managed to accomplish it earlier with the help of the Art of Spiritual Enhancement.


    This gave him an advantage when he was faced with cultivators who had yet attained the state of Huandan.


    However, none of these made him happy. After fifteen years, he was still unable to accomplish the first step of the Taixu Strategy, which was the cultivation of eight Qi in his body. Sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind and lightning, these eight Qi once instilled into the body and combined with the mana, there would be eight different types of mana within the body. There would be conflicts with even two or three types of mana within the body, lest eight types.


    If it was not for the strength of Shen Lian''s Yin Spirit and the fact that it triumphed over the mana within him, there were a few times where he insisted to instill the eight Qi into his body and almost sustained serious injuries.


    This was when Shen Lian realized why there were not many who cultivated the Taixu Strategy.


    Moreover, the eight Qi were segregated into Yin and Yang, and these were two different states of mind. Every clash left him feeling like his bier was on fire, and he felt extremely irritable. Even with the visualization technique from The Mastery of Senses, it would take him quite some time to recover some peace. Even so, he felt like he was not as carefree as he once was.


    He also understood why Gu Caiwei had to be so gentle all of the time, it was to recover some peace in her mind. It would affect the cultivation process negatively if the mana within the body was triggered.


    He was not tired of giving cultivation advice to others, as it was a way to train the mind. Moreover, he was hoping that he could be enlightened from other''s cultivation process, which might lead to the discovery of the key to the instillation of Qi into his body.


    Gu Caiwei was not trying to withhold information from him. The instillation of Qi was a discovery that one needs to make and to experience for oneself. If he was told about the method of another person, he would be focusing too much on the mechanics and lost out of the true essence of the instillation of Qi.


    Zhang Ruoxu was right when he said that this martial exercise was suitable for Shen Lian.


    Those of Taixu, their Qi, their Dao, they could encapsulate anything and everything; they were beyond this world.


    Shen Lian had the best Art of Spiritual Enhancement, and he had an advantage in terms of understanding the way of heaven and earth and the Dao meaning.


    The River of Spirits flew quietly as usual, and yet Shen Lian had placed himself in it. That was because the pain caused by the River of Spirits to his Yin Spirit helped him to forget about the troubles of being stuck at a bottleneck.


    He looked at the shadow on the shore. "Senior Apprentice-Sister, even though you are very old, but I''m after all a man, and you are a woman, could you not look for me when I''m naked? Don''t you think that it is awkward?" Said Shen Lian.


    Gu Caiwei laughed cheerfully. "You can come take a look the next time I''m taking a shower," she said.


    "You must promise not to kill me then," replied Shen Lian.


    "I can''t promise that, however, it has been fifteen years and I''m surprised that you are still sane," Gu Caiwei exclaimed.

 Chapter 97 The Return to the Secular Mortal World

    By the time Shen Lian stood up, Gu Caiwei had turned her head away. The moment he was on the shore, he was clothed with the feather coat. This was a spell that was akin to having an ace up one��s sleeve, and it was not a particularly special or unique spell.


    After straightening his clothes out, there were wisps of black smoke surrounding him, and they went away along with the wind. The phenomenon was caused by the evaporation of the water from the River of Spirits, it was also known as spirit smoke.


    According to the actual age of his physical body, he would be around thirty years old now. However, he still looked the almost same as when he first entered Qing Xuan, and there were not many differences. His features were similar to that of a young person in the mortal realm.


    The days in the mountains were not calendared, and the passing of season was irrelevant. Shen Lian almost never changed.


    Gu Caiwei too did not change. However, Shen Lian could pick up a hint of decaying aura. One could have an unrivaled Dao formula, and yet if one could not find a breakthrough in one��s cultivation, at the end of the day one would be no more than a set of skeleton at the end of one��s life.


    It was just that Shen Lian had not even mastered the entry level of Taixu Strategy, and there was nothing that he can do to help Gu Caiwei.


    If mastering the entry level was already that hard, he could only imagine how hard it would be to Baodan.


    However, it was a path that he chose for himself, and he could not blame anyone for it.


    Moreover, he was only faced with fifteen years of dullness; it was not as though he did not have any improvement in other areas.


    Chen Jianmei had spent forty years dwelling at the door of Huandan, and that kind of torture was something that even Shen Lian would not be able to understand. Shen Lian still could cultivate the Mastery of Senses. He was convicted that if he were to cultivate the Mastery of Senses to its highest level, even if his physical body was dying, he could still exist as another life form in this world, although he might lose something because of this.


    However, whenever he was visualizing deeply, he would find himself void of sadness and happiness, and all that was left were unspeakable loneliness and isolation.


    By the time he pulled himself out from it, the rejection to the status would return. However, this handicap of the instillation of eight Qi into the body needed to be overcome with the help of the Art of Spiritual Enhancement.


    He found himself caught in a state of dilemma. It was something that could only be solved after he had a breakthrough with the Taixu Strategy.


    However, what kind of joke would it be if he were to change now and to cultivate another martial exercise?


    These would not be all the obstacles and difficulties one would face on the path of Dao. If he were to take a step back now out of fear, he would be giving up tomorrow because of some other obstacles. Then, he would have attained nothing and ended up dying of old age.


    Shen Lian recognized the dilemma he was in, but he did not give up easily. From the day he decided to pursue Dao, he knew that the process of cultivation was not going to be easy.


    His current predicament was a lot better than the worst case scenario that he had imagined.


    Gu Caiwei was facing Shen Lian. To be honest, she only said yes to formally acknowledging Shen Lian as her disciple on behalf of her master because it was a request from Zhang Ruoxu, and she held him in high regards and respect.


    However, Shen Lian did have his own strengths. It was not just because of his talent or potential, but it was because of the difference between him and most of the cultivators in this world.


    Generally, most cultivators thought of life as a race against time and the heavens, and they strived to make good use of every moment and refused to waste time on other people.


    Moreover, as a cultivator who had not attained the state of Huandan yet, most people would be busy trying to break through the bottleneck that they were caught in. Unless absolutely necessary, they would not waste their time to offer guidance to others.


    Even if they were to offer guidance, most of them did so with an ulterior motive. They would also gauge the other party��s potential and talent before helping them out.


    If he was not cultivating in solitary retreat and did not have anything important to do, Shen Lian would always entertain those who asked for his help in cultivation. He would adduce his points patiently without being overly subjective, and only offered a rational analysis of things.


    Regardless of their cultivation experience, Shen Lian kept a polite distance from everyone. He was only close with the few people whom he actually knew, but that was about it.


    When offering guidance, Shen Lian would not take someone lightly even if they had a low level of cultivation experience.


    With regards to this, Gu Caiwei saw Zhang Ruoxu��s shadow in him.


    Zhang Ruoxu was not the strongest chief that Qing Xuan had, and he was not the most talented chief either. However, he was definitely the best chief there ever was.


    If it was not due to his irreversible serious injuries, he would have broken through the Absurd State, because there was definitely nothing wrong with his state of mind.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, what are you thinking about?" Shen Lian asked softly.


    "Nothing, I��m here to pass on a message from the chief," Gu Caiwei replied after a momentary silence.


    "Chief has not been paying me any attention for a long time now, what is this about?" Shen Lian nodded as he replied.


    "I was only able to master the entry level of Taixu Strategy due to the foundation that the founding master and master had built for me. Despite having a greater potential than I do, you did not have such treatment. It is unfortunate that my knowledge of the Taixu Strategy was insufficient and I could not be clearer about a lot of things. Although the chief had never cultivated the Taixu Strategy, he could offer a word of advice or two. I told him about the gist of the Taixu Strategy and my personal understanding of the cultivation. Even though he was not able to offer you direct guidance in terms of breaking through the bottleneck, but he told me to tell you, "Leave the mountains; do not return until you have attained the state of Huandan"."


    Gu Caiwei found it strange that the chief told Shen Lian to not return to the mountains unless he had attained the state of Huandan.


    Back when Chen Jianmei was facing a bottleneck, he was stopped by Zhang Ruoxu when he wanted to leave the mountains to gain some experience.


    After a dull waiting period of forty years, he was finally met with success.


    Similarly, Shen Lian was stuck in a bottleneck, and he wanted to overcome his irritability by being static. However, the chief told him to do the exact opposite and return to the secular mortal world.


    Similar predicaments, yet they were faced with different responses.


    "How does the chief know that he made the right choice when he has not even seen me yet? Does he even understand the situation that I��m in?" Shen Lian spoke after contemplating.


    "The chief knew that you were going to ask, which is why he told me to let you know that the difficulty that you are facing came from within, and not from outside. He also said that if you refuse to leave, I should get physical with you and chase you out of here," Gu Caiwei replied.


    Gu Caiwei smiled after saying the last sentence. If Shen Lian had Ruhua before she managed to attain the state of Huandan, it would be difficult for her to lay a finger on her little Junior Apprentice-Brother. She would love to see him resist so that she can let him have an unforgettable experience.


    Of course, Shen Lian was aware of Gu Caiwei��s true colors underneath her gentle appearance, and he was not about to let her have her way.


    "I will follow the chief��s instruction then," replied Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not have much with him. The sandalwood sword was carried by him with the spell of having an ace up one��s sleeve. He did not have to pack.


    He bid his goodbyes to Gu Caiwei, and did not go to see the chief, Zhang Ruoxu.


    This was the second time that he left the mountains. Unlike the first time, he was not sure when he would be coming back this time around. Perhaps he might not even be able to return in this lifetime.


    Such was life; one came with nothing and left with nothing.


    Shen Lian was not particularly attached, but after leaving Qing Xuan, he realized that in this vast world, Qing Xuan would still be the best. There was no conflict, what a blessed land!


    Shen Lian dismissed the distracting thoughts and remembered about the Shen family. He thought it was time that he pay them a visit. After all, he shared a blood-tie with them.


    Sixteen years had passed, and even though the seas had not changed into mulberry fields, it was long enough for great changes to take place in the secular mortal world.


    The greatest change would be the change of dynasty from Dawei Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty.


    The world was wide and had no end to it. Back in Qing Xuan, Shen Lian read that there was a Qi cultivator who chose a random direction and flew on his instrument. After flying for a hundred years, he died of old age. Even till then, he did not get to see the end of the world.


    Dawei Dynasty was located on a continent that spanned across tens of thousands of miles, but it only took up a small portion of it.


    According to the records in Qing Xuan, the continent was called the Yuan Continent. Most of the people who lived on it had never been to any other continents in their entire life.


    Only the likes of Celestials had the means and supernatural powers to cross the distance.

 Chapter 98 Looking Back at Where He Came From

    In the depths of the secular mortal world often had the thinnest Qi of vitality. Having spent such a long time in Qing Xuan, Shen Lian found it hard to adapt to the mortal realm again. The gains from his daily Qi cultivation were barely enough to keep his body pure and clean.


    This was why the cultivators of Qi chose to retreat into the wilderness and the mountains and steered away from the secular mortal world. Unless absolutely necessary, they would not visit the secular mortal world.


    The secular mortal world was not conducive for the cultivation of Qi, but was good for the cultivation of mind.


    Techniques came from the heart, and with supreme wisdom, even a flower or a leaf could be the world. Then, one would not be restrained by whether one was in the secular world or otherwise.


    The Dawei Dynasty spanned across ten thousand over miles, even in Yuan Continent, it was considered as one of the bigger countries. Even though there were quite a few of countries nearby, but none of them was wider a thousand miles, and the strength of the small nations was often nowhere near to that of Dawei. This was why most of them would have to bow to Dawei.


    Even with their great supernatural powers, the cultivators of Qi rarely interfered with the changing of Dynasties in the mortal realm. The throne was tied to the mind of the people, which was the Emperor had the aura of dragon; every word and every move commanded great respect, and this was how the saying that "both punishment and reward from the Emperor are a blessing unto you" came by.


    A divine response could be elicited even from a statue after a prolonged period of worship, what more the Emperor had always been receiving the worship of the people, and his grace and might was ingrained into the heart of the people for the longest time.


    If the Emperor acted out of line and had the hearts of the people, even the gods would not go against him.


    From what Shen Lian had gathered from the records, during ancient times, some Emperors who did not meditate and cultivate their Qi managed to transcend beyond the mortal world without even facing any trial and tribulation.


    For such a huge country to change their dynasty, it was definitely a big deal. However, most of the state capitals remained unaffected.


    The Emperor of the Dawei Dynasty had the surname, Zhao. However, as the last Emperor was weak and sickly, the Queen took charge instead. After the death of the late Emperor, the Queen took over and was known respectfully as the "Saint Queen".


    The Saint Queen was greedy and could not be content. Recently, she dethroned her own son and made herself the Empress. The title of the reigning dynasty was changed into "Da Zhou".


    The Empress had been controlling the dynasty for almost thirty years, and her cronies were everywhere, and they were deeply rooted in the dynasty. Even though there was a change in the dynasty, there was not too much uproar in regards to that.


    Though, the three northwest states including the State of Qing had rebelled under the leadership of a member of the imperial clan.


    The concept of Empress was not a novel concept in this side of the world. Amongst the many countries in the world, there were some matriarchal countries in which only the females were allowed to succeed to the throne, while some allowed for both males and females to succeed to the throne.


    However, this was the first time that something like that had taken place here since the founding of Dawei Dynasty. Previously, there were Empress Dowagers who held political control over the country. However, they had to eventually relinquish their control to the rightful Emperor due to old age.


    During the thirty year reign of the Empress, most of the clansmen of the imperial clan had been eliminated. However, the world was huge, and of course, there were some who managed to get away.


    Humans loved being associated to those with a higher social status. The three northwest states were far away from the central power, and the member of the imperial clan was the descendant of the brother of the Founder of Dawei Dynasty, Qing He Jun Wang.


    Qing He Jun Wang led the rebellion and generated a lot of talks, which shook the imperial court.


    Even though the Empress was a woman, she was a hundred times more decisive than most men. She controlled the central power and commanded the three imperial armed services. In less than a month, she managed to eradicate the rebellion army commanded by the Qing He Jun Wang. Indeed, she acted with the speed of lightning, or maybe it was pre-planned.


    Shen Lian made his way back and noticed that the State of Qing looked bleaker than back then. Wherever the armies passed through, it would be as though the robbers had visited. Whether it was the rebel army or the imperial army did not matter, the moment that the troop passed by, the people would suffer no matter how the army claimed to be disciplined.


    Moreover, the rebel army was not considered as a strong, disciplined troop. Otherwise, they would not have been beaten so easily. The members of the rebel army who were on the run had brought hardship upon the people. Even though it was not as bad as not hearing the crowing of the cock within a thousand miles, but Shen Lian could hear someone crying wherever he went.


    All he could do was just killing the soldiers who were taking advantage of the people when they were on the run, or to eradicate the robbers who took advantage of the situation as though they were weed.


    This was actually the first time that he killed people. However, he did not feel much about it. With his state of mind now, even a mountain pile of dead bodies and a sea of blood would not disturb his inner peace. Unlike the normal people, he would not feel fear or nausea after killing someone.


    The road he was traveling on was built by Old Master Shen for the convenience of the traveling merchants.


    Shen Lian looked calm and collected, but he was actually walking quickly on the road as though he was the clouds and the smoke.


    Even so, that did not stop him from eradicating the pests for the people.


    Actually, most cultivators would have turned a blind eye if they were to encounter something like that. After all, the world was huge, and if they were to interfere whenever they encounter an injustice, they would not have enough time on their hands.


    Shen Lian was not someone who found it necessary to interfere every time, but he would not be impartial when he encountered an injustice.


    The State Capital of Qing was up ahead; the town looked the same, yet the same could not be said about the people.


    He sneaked into the town quietly and found his way back to the Shen family. All he saw were collapsed walls and broken tiles.


    Having expected this, Shen Lian still felt uncomfortable now that he was looking at it.


    The old man who desperately wanted him to inherit the family legacy, the teenage girl who was irked by the sight of him; he still remembered everything clearly, down to the wrinkles of the old man and the tiny hair on the teenage girl''s earlobes.


    He was not someone who was devoid of emotions, and he was slightly upset by what he saw. However, given the choice to do it all over, he would still choose Celestialism without a doubt.


    The pride that he felt from eradicating the pests for the people turned into the greatest irony now.


    He was not in the wrong, yet he felt guilty.


    A paper materialized from nothingness, and it fell on his left hand. He made a small cut on his index finger with his right thumb, and blood seeped out. He did not try to stop the blood. Instead, he used the blood as ink and his index finger as the pen, and drew a blood rune on the paper.


    With a wave of his left hand, a paper crane materialized in mid-air. The crane pecked and circled the courtyard before it flew towards a specific direction.


    Shen Lian shifted slightly at the sight of it, and with a wave of his feather coat, his wide sleeves acted like a pair of wings and sent him flying after the paper crane.


    Normal humans would not be able to see him. He did not want to draw too much attention and had covered himself up with an illusion trick.


    The blood on the paper crane would lead him to the survivors of the Shen family, who shared blood-ties with him. So long as there was someone alive and the crane could capture his or her aura, Shen Lian would be able to locate him or her.


    ******


    Mount Qing Xia was the private property of the Shen family. Since Shen Lian had left, no one had been taking care of the Qing Xia Temple on the mountain.


    The business and trade scene picked up at the State Capital of Qing, and a lot of villagers at the foot of the mountain had shifted into the town. They earned so much more by working as compared to when they had to dig for food in the ground, which was why the villages at the foot of the mountain were deserted.


    Two years ago, the last remaining family had shifted into town, and the area was completely abandoned.


    In fact, no one remembered that the mountain and the surrounding area belonged to the Shen family.


    The stone steps leading up to the mountain were covered by weed, and they looked nothing like they did before. Maybe landslides had taken place; this would explain why some parts of the body of the mountain that the stone steps were built against had collapsed.


    No one would know that there used to be a hiking trail and that there was a Daoist temple deep in the mountains.


    Even though it was called a Daoist temple, it was broken and rundown, and might not even be able to shelter one from the wind and the storm.


    The paper crane fell from the sky onto a group of collapsed wall. Shen Lian walked closer, and eventually, he stopped. At the back of the wall, there was a little girl covered in sand and dust. She was squatting at the corner.

 Chapter 99 Impervious to Rain, Wind, or Shine

    Even though the little girl was covered in dirt, her eyes were akin to the stars in the night sky. They were bright and pure.


    The little girl stared at Shen Lian. "Brother, are you one of the bad people who came to catch Yinyin? Please don��t eat me! Yinyin is very dirty," she spoke in fear.


    Shen Lian should have laughed, but he could not. The little girl had brows and eyes that were similar to that of Shen Ruoxi, or rather, that of him. They both had nice and exquisite features.


    Shen Lian bowed and extended his hand, the little girl who was still in fear holding on to Shen Lian��s hand.


    Shen Lian spoke gently to her, "Brother isn��t a bad person, and how did you get here?" It was as though his words were magical, or rather; the sharp instinct of a child told her that it was safe to trust him.


    "Uncle Bai brought me here."


    "Where is he now?"


    "A lot of bad people are trying to catch Yinyin, and Uncle Bai said he was going to lure them away, but he never return," the little girl spoke. "Brother, can you go look for Uncle Bai?" She tugged on his hand as she pleaded with him.


    She knew that Shen Lian was not one of the people who came to capture her.


    Shen Lian brushed aside the strand of hair on her forehead, and he sighed.


    ******


    He found out who the little girl was. Back then, Shen Ruoxi got married to Qing He Jun Wang. The richest family in the northwest, the Shen family would naturally be on the same boat as Qing He Jun Wang.


    This was not Old Master Shen��s idea, as he passed away in the winter a year after Shen Lian had left. The impressive man who started from scratch and had amassed much fortune succumbed to old age. All these great achievements in his life, and yet he could not bring even half of it away.


    He was not considered as a good person because not all of the Shen family��s money was clean. They were stained with blood. He could not even be considered as a good father. However, in the period of time shortly before he passed away, he frequented An Inn. He sat in the room Shen Lian used to live in, and that was where he died too.


    Maybe Shen Lian was the reason why, or maybe it was Shen Lian��s mother �C his daughter who died young.


    Twelve years ago, Shen Ruoxi was married to Qing He Jun Wang. Seven years later, she was pregnant with the little girl, but she died in labor. She was Qing He Jun Wang��s only daughter. Due to the Shen family, Qing He Jun Wang loved Shen Ruoxi dearly, as they were his wallet.


    After that, Qing He Jun Wang plotted a rebellion. When he lost, he retreated to the State of Qing. However, he did not manage to control the rebel army that rebelled along with him. Before the army even got to the State Capital of Qing, he was beheaded by his subordinate. Everyone in the Shen family shared the same fate, and the little girl who was saved by Bai Yufei was the sole survivor.


    Bei Yufei was one of the few people who had insider news about the Shen family. Besides Shen Lian, the little girl was the last descendant of the Shen family.


    Shen Lian found out about all these when he rescued the gravely-injured Bai Yufei. Shen Lian nursed Bai Yufei��s wound as well.


    Bai Yufei could finally rest easy knowing that Shen Lian was the one who found the little girl. He knew that he did not have a chance in Celestialism, and wanted to just spend the rest of his life in peace and quiet. Hence, he decided not to stay with Shen Lian, and bade him farewell. He planned to start afresh at a new place, where he would spend the rest of his life.


    The night Bai Yufei left, Shen Lian hunted down the subordinate who betrayed his master for personal gains. He was also the one who instructed the rebel army to kill off everyone in the Shen family.


    What Shen Lian did, it did not make him feel better. However, killing more people who were involved in the incident would not do any good either.


    The little girl��s name was Ruoxi, same as her mother, Shen Ruoxi.


    Young Ruoxi did not understand why she must address Shen Lian as her uncle and insisted on addressing him as Shen Lian brother.


    Uncle Bai said that so long as she stayed with to brother, no one would dare to come and capture her. However, she still missed her Lord Father, her grandfather, and her grandmother.


    Uncle Bai claimed that brother was a Celestial, so she begged him to bring her to her Lord Father, because they had all gone to someplace far away that they could never return from.


    However, brother said he could not do it. But was he not a Celestial? Celestials could fly like birds and they could go anywhere they wanted to.


    young Ruoxi thought that the Celestial brother was a liar because he could actually fly, yet he refused to bring her to her Lord Father and the rest.


    She noticed a lot of strange things about brother. He was always creating things out of thin air, even though those things were too big to be hidden on him. It was more magical than all the magic tricks that she had seen before.


    Gradually, she started liking the idea of being around brother.


    Back then, she could only stay in the manor or her grandfather��s home, and she did not get to see the world outside. She loved to watch magic tricks, and her Lord Father hired a group of magicians to perform for her. However, what she loved more was the excitement and the buzz of a magic show. Ever since her babysitter helped her to sneak out a year ago, she fell in love with the outside world. She loved the bustle and the noise. Back at both the manor and her grandfather��s home, the buildings were big, and yet she felt so lonely.


    However, since that incident, she had never seen her babysitter again, and she was not allowed to go out, not even once.


    Following brother around gave her the opportunity to meet different people every day. She could go to noisy places, and could even play without a care in the world.


    Until one day, brother brought her to Shendu, allegedly the most happening place in the world.


    Shendu was big and crowded. There were a lot of fun things to do, a lot of yummy food to eat, and a lot of beautiful clothes. Yet, what she loved most was Tanghulu, a type of candied fruit snack on a stick.


    However, everyday brother only let her eat one stick at most.


    After brother brought her to Shendu, they settled down and opened a clinic.


    She knew that clinic was a place where sick people were healed and saved. However, no one came to see brother even though he had opened a clinic. She heard the uncles and aunts around saying that brother was too young to be a good healer.


    She was infuriated! Brother was strong and powerful, they just did not know it.


    Besides telling her lies and not letting her eat Tanghulu, there were things about brother that displeased her.


    For instance, he made her study and practice writing.


    She hated studying, and she did not like to write either. She thought of her Lord Father occasionally, and most of the time she was just thinking about what to eat and to play.


    However, she was afraid that she will make brother angry. Though, she had never seen him getting angry the way her Lord Father did.


    The words were easy to remember, she only needed one look to remember them. She could write them out too, but brother always said that she wrote them wrong.


    In the end, brother did not allow her to write any other words. She was made to write the same word, "Yong" - forever - all over again by referring to the "Yong" written by brother.


    She took the paper that was full of countless scribbles of "Yong" and handed it over to brother.


    Shen Lian took a good look at it, and the paper disappeared.


    Young Ruoxi was not surprised at all, as she had gotten used to it already.


    He did not offer any compliments or criticisms, and Young Ruoxi was slightly disappointed.


    Sometimes, Shen Lian thought that Young Ruoxi looked like her mother, but her brows and eyes seemed to have taken after him.


    It was not just Young Ruoxi who addressed him as her brother; even outsiders thought that they were siblings.


    Shen Lian could not be bothered to explain, and it was impossible to correct Young Ruoxi now, so he decided to just let things take its course.


    To lessen the guilt he felt, he decided that he would raise this child, even though he had never taken care of a child before.

 Chapter 100 The Pen of Making

    The guilt that he felt could be considered as an obligation or duty of sort. After all, the blood of the Shen family flowed in him.


    If he was devoid of all emotions and ties, things like blood-ties would not do much to restrain him. However, he was not heartless and cold. This was why he would maintain their bond.


    He finally understood why Qing Xuan had an upper house. This was to allow for the seniors who had attained success in their cultivation and could not cut their loved ones off to keep the ones they love close. Their loved ones could cultivate along them, but if they could not attain the state of Huandan, they would eventually return to the earth as dust and sand.


    As for those who had not attained the state of Huandan, they were not allowed to take in disciples of their own. This served to safeguard Qing Xuan from becoming the private property of one or a few families.


    After all, even if one were to rely on external alchemy or celestial core to attain the state of Huandan, it would not guarantee success after all. These were all rare items, and it was difficult to get one��s hand on them.


    The system was not perfect, but it served its purpose. Since the founding of Qing Xuan, there were families who tried to utilize the system, but they were still stubbed out by the passing of time.


    "Your hands are stained by ink, go clean them," Shen Lian whispered to her as he thought about all that.


    There was a basin next to them, and Shen Lian filled it up with water with just a piece of Talisman paper.


    Again, young Ruoxi was not surprised at all. Shen Lian rolled her sleeves up and she extended her small hands into the water basin. She cleaned her hands thoroughly, removing all the ink stains on them.


    The clean water turned into a shade of black, and she brought the basin out to pour the water away.


    Back then, not only that she did not have to pour the water away herself, even the simple act of washing hands took care of by the servant girls. However, Shen Lian was not going to spoil her that way.


    She felt wronged in the beginning but had since gotten used to it.


    As she poured the water outwards, a yelp could be heard. It was a thick voice with a hint of pitchy tone.


    "You little sh*t, do you not have eyes?" Said the person.


    Shortly after, the sound of whip breaking through the air could be heard.


    However, before the whip landed on Young Ruoxi, it was grasped by a young man.


    The young man would be Shen Lian. He walked towards Young Ruoxi. Young Ruoxi was not afraid at all, she looked directly at the man who was about to injure her.


    The person was fair and did not have any facial hair. He rode on the horse and there were water stains on his boots.


    There was another horse next to him, and a valiant youth rode on it.


    "This uncultured young girl is one of yours?" The person queried in his pitchy voice.


    "She is just a child who did not know better and dirtied your shoes, what is the point of being so infuriated?" Shen Lian looked at the person with a neutral expression on his face. He still held the whip in his hands, but Shen Lian was holding onto its end with two of his fingers.


    The fair man with no facial hair tried to wrench his horse whip out of Shen Lian��s fingers but to no avail. He tried to let go and he realized that the horsewhip was glued to his hand, as though it was forged by iron, and he could not let go even if he tried to.


    Beads of sweat with the size of soybean dripped down from his forehead, and he could not even say a single word.


    The valiant youth saw and knew that they had run into an expert. "Little brother, my servant was too rude, and I apologize on behalf of him. Let��s put this behind us?" He said as he gestured with his hands cupped in front of his chest.


    Shen Lian glanced at the fair man with no facial hair and looked at the valiant youth again. He smiled and let go of his fingers.


    The valiant youth took a look at Shen Lian��s clinic and asked, "Little brother, you own a clinic? "Walking Dead", that��s interesting."


    Shen Lian named his clinic, the "Walking Dead", and it was definitely a bold move. There was even a pair of couplet �C"Medicine for the deadliest disease; Only the destined ones will be saved."


    In Shendu, a lot of people would pull stunts as such as a gimmick. He was young, and there were plenty of clinics around, which was why up till now he did not have any patient.


    Actually, he did have one or two neighbors who came to see him. They were down with a minor illness that was along the lines of a headache or fever. They wanted to offer the pair of siblings some help, which was why they came to get some medicine. However, Shen Lian refused to treat minor illnesses as such.


    This raised suspicion with regards to his medical capabilities as a healer.


    As words got around, there was not even a person who was curious anymore.


    The location of his shop was not central. If one did not pay close attention, one would not realize that there was a clinic here.


    Shen Lian did not bother with idle chit-chat, he brought Young Ruoxi back into the house.


    The valiant youth was not offended. "Let��s go," he said to the servant next to him.


    The servant was taught a lesson by Shen Lian, and was still breathing heavily. He was not someone without knowledge, and he knew that Shen Lian was not a simple person. Moreover, the valiant youth did not want to dwell on the matter anymore. He took a hint and did not cause more trouble.


    "The Shendu City is indeed a place filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons," the youth said as they left.


    "Sir, don��t we need people like these now? The kid just now was good. Even the disciples of the famed Master Kuhui could not toy around with me like he did. Do you want me to look into his background, and let��s see if we can get him to work for us? He will be a great help," the fair servant suggested.


    "I��m very glad that you can look past what happened earlier and suggest something like that. However, we just arrived in Shendu and it would be best to keep a low profile. Why do you think Qi Wang offered to throw me a welcome party tonight? He is trying to aggravate me," the youth snickered.


    ******


    Shen Lian looked at Young Ruoxi who was in front of him, "You were not afraid just now, it seems like you have grown quite a lot lately," he said.


    "With brother here, of course, I wouldn��t be afraid of anything," Young Ruoxi looked up and replied.


    Shen Lian gave her a rub on her forehead. "I could not possibly be bringing you around for the rest of my life," he thought. He was not about to vocalize his thoughts, as it would be really hurtful for the little girl.


    As he had dabbled in Feng Shui, he could see the purple aura shrouding the youth. He was someone of utmost importance but was trying to keep a low profile.


    Within Shendu City, the dragon aura of the Empress was strong as mid-day, but there was a hint of depression to it. If nothing was done, the dragon aura would start waning after reaching its pinnacle.


    As he still had no clue about the Taixu Strategy, he was studying about all these in order to facilitate his comprehension through analogies.


    Shendu was the Capital City, and the entire place was a huge Feng Shui set-up. Its effect rippled out and could reach ten thousand miles from here.


    The entire geographical position of Da Zhou centered on the Feng Shui set-up at Shendu, and everything would converge here. However, the Qi of earth that stemmed from all directions rushed towards Shendu; at the same time, these Qi of earth were carefully arranged in an orderly manner.


    Someone penned the making of this, and the scariest part was that this was an intentional act.


    Shen Lian thought if a person was capable of manipulating the river and mountains, said person might even be the likes of holy deities.


    Hoping for some inspirations, he wanted to peek into the Dao meaning behind this. Maybe he could instill the eight Qi into his body and carefully arranged them in an orderly manner. That would solve the conflicts and clashes between the different types of Qi.


    This was his main purpose of coming to Shendu. Moreover, he knew that the Empress was a strong believer of Buddhism, and Kuhui was an important and well-known figure in the Shendu City.


    "I will start teaching you about the cultivation of Qi tomorrow. Even though I cannot teach you about the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan, by the time that you are ready for Celestialism, I should be able to return to the Mountains. Hence, we should start building a good foundation for you to work within the future," he said.


    His words were also meant as a motivation for himself, of course, Ruoxi would not be able to understand it.

 Chapter 101 To Whom Does the Milky Way Belong To?

    In an instance, it was already night time, both Ruoxi and Shen Lian were on the roof of the clinic. It was already summer. The stars littered across the sky, a faint river could also be seen, it was indistinct.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was on that river. There were records in Daoist ancient books and records about that river being called the ''milky way''.


    There was an immortal from the previous generation who had the lucky chance to reach the milky way, he then realized the ''Milky Way Swordsmanship'' and established a Daoist sect. There was a time when five Zhenren appeared at one time, and it flourished for some time. Afterward, for reasons unknown, there was an internal conflict within the sect and this mega Celestialism that almost came close to the four main Daoist sects had fallen. It was also unknown whether anything was passed down or remained.


    As for the ''Milky Way Swordsmanship'' that was the foundation of the established sect, there was also no one to passed down to. Speaking of it, the ''Milky Way Swordsmanship'' was above Chen Jianmei''s ''Shapeless Sword Formula'', because it was the milky way grandmaster who used this swordsmanship to break through the cosmos and went away. He was hailed as an unlikely grand achiever of this world.


    Ruoxi said, "Big brother, I want to listen to a story."


    "What do you want to listen to today?" Shen Lian asked softly.


    "I want to know about where that river in the sky came from." Ruoxi pointed towards the sky with a finger while biting another finger of the other hand.


    Shen Lian smiled simply and said, "Alright, let''s talk about it. A long time ago, there was a young cattle herder named Lee. His parents had passed away very early on. People called him Lee Erwa, he has an ox that was left by his parents for him.


    He also has a brother and his brother''s wife. The brother''s wife did not like Lee Erwa. She always never gave him a full meal and had him sleep together with the ox.


    After that, the brother''s wife chased both him and the ox out of the house. He did not want to sell off the ox so he said to the ox, ''Brother ox, I really cannot bear to sell you off. I am afraid that you will be slaughtered by others and have your flesh eaten. You just go from here.''." Shen Lian paused for a while. Young Ruoxi did not care about how does the milky way has anything to do with the ox at all, she quickly asked, "Big brother, if the ox has left, then what about the young man? His brother and his brother''s wife does not want him." Actually, she was still a little worried that what if his brother had a wife in the future and the woman does not like her and chased her off?


    "It was this moment that the ox suddenly opens its mouth and talked. It said, ''You cannot bear to part with me, I also cannot bear to abandon you.'' He was naturally surprised and shocked that the ox could open its mouth and speak. However, he had spent all of his life with the ox and was not afraid that the ox was a demon.


    The ox was truly a formidable demon and it taught Lee Erwa on how to cultivate to become a similar being of a celestial. But not long after it had taught him, the ox was caught and brought away by a celestial.


    By then, he had already learned to fly. After he caught up with the ox and the celestial in the chase, the celestial simply waved his hand when he saw that he was hot on their trails. The milky way appeared in the sky. It is very wide and he couldn''t see the shore on the other side. He did not know how long he flew and fell into the milky way afterward when there was no more strength left." Shen Lian leisurely continued.


    "What happened next? Is the young man all right after falling into the milky way?" Little Ruoxi was extremely nervous. She has always been absorbed in the story during story time.


    Shen Lian replied, "He did not drown after falling into the milky way. A red carp saved him. It turned out that this carp was transformed by a female celestial. Later, he married the female celestial and went back to the mortal world."


    "Then what happened to the brother ox? Did the young man not went again to save him? Was it eaten by the celestial? Do celestials even eat meat?" Ruoxi was really worried.


    "He had a good life with that female celestial and naturally he had forgotten about that ox who is still waiting high above in the Ninth Heaven for him to rescue it. Who knows?" Shen Lian patted Ruoxi''s small shoulders.


    "Then, what is the ending like?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I too don''t know how it ends. Perhaps the ox is still waiting for him to rescue it, who knows?"


    His story was partially true. The milky way was indeed created by a Daoist master, as for the ox and the female celestial, it was all made up by him.


    "Big brother, I still have something to say." Ruoxi suddenly faced Shen Lian and said in a serious tone.


    "What is it?" Shen Lian asked. Little children always asked the strangest questions but Shen Lian was always patient.


    "Big brother, can you not get a wife? Wait until I''ve grown up and I''ll become your bride. That way, no one can chase Ruoxi away." She had this sad look on her face, there were signs of tears in those bright eyes.


    Shen Lian pinched her little nose and said, "For someone small, you''re being oversensitive. Make a few more copies of the calligraphy tomorrow."


    Ruoxi tugged on his sleeves and pestered on when she did not get the answer she wanted, "Big brother, promise me."


    "All right, I can guarantee that no one will chase you away." Shen Lian answered nonchalantly.


    The young girl was making a groundless statement so how was he going to take it seriously? After all, he had his heart set on pursuing Dao and had not even thought about looking for other women. Speaking of which, he had lived for a long time when he combined his past life and his current life. If it was someone ordinary, they would have started and ended their first love and went through waves of people for relationships.


    Little Ruoxi had gotten Shen Lian''s reply and the most important thing was that no one would chase her away. As for being his bride or not, that was something secondary.


    With a wave of sleepiness coming in, she fell asleep laying in Shen Lian''s arms.


    The night breeze blew through and it was cool like water.


    A swoosh of the blade came from afar with the cool breeze. It was quick and short.


    Shen Lian did not need sleep a long time ago and he was lazy to meditate and practice his Qi. It was a waste of his time anyway so he might as well give in to that interest and decided to watch a show.


    Even as he was carrying a little girl, his body was light as a sparrow and unusually stable. He did not disturb Ruoxi who was sleeping.


    Under the night sky, there was a shadow that almost blended with the moonlight. After it went up and down, it was already on another street.


    Usually, this street did not have a lot of people. Furthermore, it was night time and it had become a dead alley.


    There were five men in black clothing chasing after a juvenile.


    There were five cuts on the body of the juvenile. Two on the back, three on his right hand.


    He was now holding a long sword in his left hand, as though he was giving a final struggle.


    The juvenile was clad in white and he was quite cool and solemn.


    One of the men in black said, "Young man, give us the ''Stream Sword technique'' and you can die in one piece."


    "No way." The juvenile managed to say these two words through the grit of his teeth.


    Another man in black followed, "Boss, don''t waste your breath with him. Let''s restrain him and talk after we searched him."


    The five men in black used sabers and it seemed that their expertise lied in the combo method. Their attacks seemed flawless as they slowly closed in.


    The juvenile, on the other hand, had become a trapped beast in a cage.


    The laden atmosphere dispersed without a word.


    Suddenly, the juvenile went ahead and collided into them. The five people in black, however, were taken aback as they were afraid of killing him and were unable to retrieve the secret text.


    During this hesitation, the young person suddenly rolled down towards the floor and with the long sword pointing upwards, it was thrust towards them.


    This thrust was really ordinary but two of the men in black actually got caught by the tip of his sword.


    Coincidentally, it hit the Qimen point. This was a crucial pressure point of the human body and it caused the whole body to be relaxed once it was hit.


    The juvenile swung his sword a few more time. His swordsmanship was common and there were not much exquisite transformation but the several men in black clothes were easily cut by him, as though they had been bewitched.

 Chapter 102 Unknowing About Cultivation

    "Thank you for saving my life." The young lad was lying on the ground, his blood in a pool as he cracked this sentence.


    There was no reply but a soft laughter quietly rang out. After that, he saw a person��s robe floating in the wind like rolls of waves under the moonlight, the person was carrying a young girl in his arms. In a blink of an eye, the person disappeared.


    The young male stumbled out from the alley. In his mind, he was still very curious about that capable person but now was not the time to look for this person.


    ******


    Shen Lian was being random. After playing the mysterious savior, it could be said that he had satisfied one of his fantasies from his younger days.


    Speaking of which, who did not ever imagined that they could fly and have all kinds of supernatural powers when they were in their teens and what they would do with it? But once he had truly become that kind of person, he hardly did the things he had imagined during his teenage years.


    He slowly walked into the clinic, gently placed Young Ruoxi on the bed and covered her with a blanket.


    As for Shen Lian, he tied a long rope at the side of the room and as it hangs in the air, he flipped himself on top of it and calmly laid down.


    Initially, he wanted to copy a certain figure from his past life. That person was enlighted and his heart was pure and clean of desires. He did not have distracting thoughts and for years and slept on a rope.


    There was actually not much use to meditate and practice Qi in the hustle and bustle of the human world. It was just on a playful whim he decided to copy it.


    At the beginning, he still needed to use his mind to control his body so that he did not fall, hence he was not in a deep state of spiritual calmness.


    Afterwards, he eventually entered an unintentional state and his body actually naturally responded. He was then able to master the balance and allowed the vigor of his body to transform constantly but that center of gravity still remained unchanged.


    Even though it did not really help, but he still felt the need of vaguely catching hold of something.


    Hanging in midair, Shen Lian slowly entered a state of spiritual calmness. His spirit had formed into a Yin spirit. Even in the middle of bier, it was not that illusory and it was real and congeal.


    It was just that compared to the previous formless spirit smoke, it was less brilliant and had become somewhat dull.


    The deeper his concentration was, the more he could feel the calling from beneath the ground. It could not even be said that it was from the underground but a lethargic unnamed world. It was gloomy and he could somehow hear a subtle water flowing sound, and the toneless and low wail that lingered in his ears from time to time.


    These did not disturb him. It was as though with just a change of mind, he could enter into that world, laid life and death aside and attained a form of quietness.


    He had entered into this state for years now and this situation was not the same as Chushen of the nine states of cultivation, even though these two had some similarities.


    Shen Lian naturally understood the implication of this situation, this was also called ��connecting the netherworld��. That world was most probably what was called the deep springs of the netherworld. It was just that Shen Lian had no way to verify it.


    This kind of information was also not found in the Taiwei Pavilion of Qing Xuan.


    The scary part of the Mastery of Senses was even when one hits a plateau during cultivation, as long as one can make it over, it would be smooth sailing until the next juncture. This juncture might be difficult or it might be easy. There were no rules to it. He only needed to cultivate it step by step and one day, like the river flowing eastwards towards the sea, he could reach a state that had never been reached before and not is burdened by illness and death.


    But it was because of the difficulty of the Taixu Strategy that this method of martial exercise seemed too easy. He vaguely felt that in the end, he could become an existence without being able to feel neither joy nor sorrow. That was not the longevity he wished for.


    The contradiction in life was that one cannot give up the current progress to inquire the root of the matter. He was still cultivating with this martial art exercise but he was also not giving up on his exploration of the Taixu Strategy.


    Based on this point, he still had not truly detached from human nature.


    Little children sleep early and they also wake up early. Ruoxi woke up and washed up at the first light of dawn. Shen Lian was already awake by this hour.


    Shen Lian did not arrange her daily routine from day until night and allowed her to fully let her nature take over. After that, he would arrange tasks that were within her capabilities which would not feel too harsh for her.


    What a cultivator sought was longevity, to attain the perpetual path. To put it simply, there was a need to live, because, by living, there were uncountable wonderful things to do, uncountable wishes to be realized.


    Only by knowing the preciousness of having life and loving all of it, only when there was the ever going motivation to cultivate.


    That was how Shen Lian thought of it, so when his cultivation became dry and boring, it was dry and boring but he also did not forget about the perks in life.


    The ordinary human, to him, would be considered as ants. But there were rare moments when he would still find interest in watching the ants move food underneath the tree. The perks in life lied in the truth and abundance, there should not be a division on what was high or low.


    The melodious sound of the Guqin rang in the compound. Ruoxi naturally did not hear the "scattered and magnificent, the spears swung freely with great ease1" within the tune. She only felt the safest with her big brother right now.


    The tune leisurely ended and Shen Lian said, "Today I will teach you to cultivate. Even though according to the Qing Xuan rules now, I cannot recruit disciples but I can still teach you some superficial matters."


    Confusion flashed through Ruoxi��s innocent eyes. She still did not understand that if this chance was given to those who understood about cultivation in the imperial city, people would fight nail and tooth to have their descendent to train under Shen Lian.


    She even did not know that her brother had left the Shen household in the search to find celestials and to seek Dao, that he had traveled far and wide to only be able to enter this school for cultivation.


    Cultivation was very particular on established practices which were hard to come by. If there was no fate, like Ling Chongxiao, even though he had reached Celestialism but he could do nothing about it and carry this regret for the rest of his life.


    She just asked, "What is cultivation?"


    A child��s innocent words usually shocked those who were mindful of the words.


    Shen Lian could not help but smiled and answered, "Now that you��ve asked me, I actually don��t know how to explain it to you."


    Ruoxi went ��Oh��. She was not happy about baffling her brother. Instead, she was disappointed when she realized her brother was not all-knowing.


    Big brother was big brother and not an idol, so the little girl did not understand the feeling of an idol crumbling.


    Shen Lian thought, "She is still so young, saying too much will only muddy her, I should just teach her directly."


    This proved that Shen Lian was no Patriarch Bodhi2 and Ruoxi was no monkey. She had a pure heart for Dao and a natural born body for Dao.


    Even though Ruoxi��s talent was better than the ordinary person, and she also practiced calligraphy to set her nature, she did not fully understand when it came to the stage of feeling her inner Qi.


    After all, no matter whether it was a monkey or a genius like Chen Jianmei, it was still rare to find people who could.


    After spending half a month, Ruoxi could only feel the Qi that her big brother mentioned inside of her. Shen Lian only lets her feel it and not have her do anything else.


    Ruoxi had another homework and that was to practice the ��Yong3�� word. Naturally, the ��Yong�� word written by Shen Lian was never that simple.


    She was serious while she did her homework in the clinic. Halfway through, a youth came into the medical house. She recognized this person, it was the person next to the guy who poured water on her.


    He was not as good looking as her big brother and he was definitely not as good looking as Ruoxi."��������,��ì�ݺ�" is used to describe this traditional Guqin song named "Guang Ling San" ��"����ɢ"��.A character from ��Journey to the west�� ("���μ�"). He recruited Sun Wukong �������, who is also the monkey king, as his disciple and taught him the 72 polymorphic transformations and immortality.Original character is ��, which roughly means forever.

 Chapter 103 Seeking Medical Help

    Speaking of the youth��s appearance, it would be fitting to call it ��magnificent��.


    But even when Ruoxi was delicately beautiful, Shen Lian has an unconventionally graceful demeanor, they were still tacky compared to him.


    The youth entered and introduced himself first. His surname was ��Zhao�� and his name was one word, ��Xiang��. He then asked for Shen Lian��s name. His words have an appeal to it, which causes others to unconsciously take a liking to him.


    Shen Lian observed without the other knowing and he noticed that it had something to do with the purple Qi on him. That purple Qi, not visible to the normal person, permeated a kind of aura that could infect the person��s mind to make him feel closer to him.


    To put into common saying, this was called the ��kingly Qi��.


    Since the beginning of time, many founding Emperors had similar auras. Even though it was obvious that they did not have any kind of heritage or inside information, people would still go lengths and beyond while rendering their services.


    Shen Lian��s psyche cultivation experience was especially high, his heart and soul was acute and was exceptionally sensitive to this. It was obvious that there was no any devilry but its effect was similar to the Dao skills that were used to enchant people��s mind.


    Like him, even when he understood the cause of it, but because he did not hold any prejudice towards the person, so there was an unexplained good feeling being developed.


    He already determined that Zhao Xiang was a member of the royal family, that he was a hidden dragon in the deep.


    It was just that compared to his initial encounter with Zhao Xiang, even though the purple Qi was not that healthy and vigorous, it was unusually stable, but then, it was drifting.


    As though some unforeseen events had appeared on him.


    Today, Zhao Xiang came and searched for Shen Lian to discuss about Dao. Dawei believed in Daoism but the Empress sided more towards Buddhism. That was due to personal preference and even political considerations.


    However, now, besides the eight main schools of Buddhism, two more orders appeared, the first was called Jingtu, another was called Foxin.


    The Foxin sect absorbed many of the abstruse aims of Daoism, it could even be said that it was Daoism wearing a Buddhism skin. It was unique of both Daoism and Buddhism and at the same time, the Foxin sect��s doctrine was an even better fit to the taste of the rich and powerful who believed in Daoism.


    Zhao Xiang argued about the abstruse in an imposing manner. Nonetheless, Shen Lian was extensively learned, he spoke about Zen and too talked about the abstruse, widely quoting the many ancient philosophers. There were moments when he had a stroke of genius which scattered Zhao Xiang��s imposing manner that the other had accumulated.


    This went on for three days. He would come every early morning and leave before noon.


    This person still did not reveal his purpose but Shen Lian rather felt that Zhao Xiang was being really patient.


    But today, the other would certainly say his request.


    Perhaps, this would be his first patient in Shendu to save.


    The imperial city was a profound land of vanity and karma. But when Shen Lian was studying the history books on earth, there was no lacking of enlightened connoisseur that had relations with kings and emperors.


    There was Guang Chengzi who Huangdi asked about Dao, Zhang Liang who helped the Han Emperor, Liu Bang, Zhou Dian and Zhang Sanfeng even consecutively helped the two Ming Dynasty Emperors of the house of Zhu.


    These so-called enlightened connoisseurs, by right, should take fame and fortune lightly but why would they get involved with these kinds of disputes, Shen Lian vaguely came to a realization.


    The change of the Qi dynamic of the land follows the change of allegiance within the land of the country. To obey the emperor, to summit to destiny, it was a once in a lifetime experience to be able to oversee and comprehend the important switch of this world.


    The Feng Shui tactical formation of Shendu was one of the highest quality of art like nature itself. The principles within the deep layers were incomprehensible, perhaps there would be another day when the Feng Shui tactical formation would have a serious implication on it. By then, it would be the key for him to be able to catch the meaning of nature and master the harmonious existence of the eight Qi.


    It all came down to a chance to try since Zhao Xiang voluntarily came to him, Shen Lian would not mind playing the part of Zhang Liang.


    Furthermore, there was half of a bloodline of the Zhao family in Ruoxi.


    Even though he had this intention, he never showed.


    Zhao Xiang borrowed Shen Lian��s Guqin to play. Even though he was a strapping fellow, the Qin sound was very elegant, his posture accentuates one of a noble.


    It was just that Ruoxi did not think the sound was good, she also did not like Zhao Xiang.


    But Zhao Xiang really like Ruoxi, he would bring many little gifts for Ruoxi whenever he came.


    The Qin sound was a little confusing. Suddenly, one of the strings broke.


    Zhao Xiang looked apologetically to Shen Lian, by right, Shen Lian should question the reason for Zhao Xing to be so confused and caused the string of the Guqin to break.


    But Shen Lian��s answer did not go according to what Zhao Xiang had schemed.


    The hot summer sun was blazing. Shen Lian��s yard was quite cooling and there was jade green Chinese wisteria on the yard��s wall that was pretty satisfying to look at. The land was overflowing with vigor that even Zhao Xiang felt the abnormality.


    As a result, he felt more reassured that Shen Lian was the one who could help him.


    Shen Lian smiled slightly and said, "It��s just a broken Guqin string, you don��t have to pay too much mind on it."


    Zhao Xiang was already prepared for Shen Lian��s questions, he would explain the facts to Shen Lian but he did not expect Shen Lian to not play along.


    However, he saw the mischievousness being shown on Shen Lian��s facial expression, between his eyes. How could Zhao Xiang not know that Shen Lian was exceptionally smart and he already knew he had a favor to ask him right from the beginning?


    "Qing Xia, truth to be told, I do have a favor to ask of you." Zhao Xiang was also decisive, if he had asked for help directly, Shen Lian may also not have entertained him. At the same time, things had not taken for the worst yet.


    Now that the situation had become desperate, it was sooner or later he had to make this decision.


    Qing Xia was an alias Shen Lian came up for himself, it was to remember Mount Qing Xia.


    "What is it?" Shen Lian asked directly.


    "My father is ill with this strange illness. We had many famous doctors to stop by but they could not heal him. Furthermore, he is getting worse and worse by the day. I want to know whether you could heal him." Zhao Xiang could not say what kind of illness it was. Shen Lian was a legend, to be able to boast about being able to ��bring the dead to life��, he could only try his luck now since he had run out of options.


    As a matter of fact, he already investigated Shen Lian but it was as though he had come out of thin air, there was no lead at all. Even though the Xuanming division had Shen Lian��s dossier sixteen years ago, it was already destroyed by Shen Lian.


    There was no way for a person to not have an origin but when even he could not investigate Shen Lian��s origin, this only proved that Shen Lian was indeed extraordinary.


    He had never seen Shen Lian��s medical skill before. He trusted Shen Lian��s character, of course, the more main reason was that no one could treat his father��s illness.


    "After all, you are approaching this with a ��last attempt to save a hopeless situation�� manner, was it important whether I could save him or not?" Shen Lian laughed, mercilessly exposing Zhao Xiang��s intention.


    There was a slight awkwardness on Zhao Xiang��s facial expression as he said, "I am already at my wit��s end."


    Shen Lian followed, "I open this clinic with the sole purpose to treat illnesses. If you could bring your father to me, I would naturally treat him."


    "I��m afraid this cannot be the case. Can you come to my place? I am afraid that it would be difficult to persuade my father to come here." Zhao Xiang had a melancholic look.


    "An ordinary person would not be allowed to enter the insides of the palace but I also do not wish to go. You should go advise His Highness, the Crown Prince." Shen Lian��s facial expression was serene but his words hit like a ton of bricks, he actually already knew Zhao Xiang��s identity.


    It was not difficult for Shen Lian to find out a person��s identity within three days if he put his mind to it.


    Zhao Xiang forced a smile and said, "I did not think that Qing Xia would already know about my identity. I cannot blame you though, with your intelligence, how could you not have figured it out?"


    Even though he had thought of revealing his identity but he still did not expect Shen Lian to know about it. It was also rare that even when he found out, Shen Lian did not change his attitude towards him while interacting.


    Even if he and his father were in a fearful situation, like being on thin ice, he was the descendant of the emperor, after all, even Kuhui would not easily turn him away.

 Chapter 104 Still Water Runs Deep

    It was truly surprising to him that Shen Lian had this attitude.


    Zhao Xiang was still spending his effort in coming up with an explanation to get ready to convince Shen Lian again.


    But, Shen Lian said, "His Majesty has five sons, three of them had been the Crown Prince. The previous Crown Prince was the most virtuous and able but he died a strange death. Your uncle was once the Crown Prince but now he is dethroned and confined for life. However, only your father had never been in his Majesty��s favor before, but in his new reign, he was designated as the Crown Prince. Furthermore, who would not know that the position of the Crown Prince is a fiery pit now? Your father should have declined but he still gladly accepted it. Words on the streets are that your father is cowardly and slow-witted. Could it be that you, being his son, think so too?"


    Zhao Xiang held his breath when he heard this. Since young, he had been valiant and decisive, even his heartless grandmother showed her appreciation towards him. Compared to the cold treatment of his grandmother towards his father, it could be said that that was an obvious comparison.


    People had said that his father had been designated as the Crown Prince because of his grandmother��s love towards him. However, he had studied history as a child and understood the complexity of the situation, he should not simply jump into the imperial power struggle that was going on. But his father did not decline, he gladly accepted after hearing the decree.


    That month while he was in the imperial city, it was like he was on thin ice. His father, on the other hand, came down with this strange illness, which caused the group of doctors to be at a brink of helplessness.


    Of course, what really disheartened him was the fact that his grandmother did not even bother to question this matter.


    Even if he had the makings of an Emperor, he was still young so he was confused and troubled, or else he would not have sought out for Shen Lian.


    There was a profound theory to Shen Lian��s statement. As a son, naturally he was the one who really understood his father. Therefore, he would feel that his father was not the brightest since he did not know how to get his own mother to like him and he too, did not know how to purposely keep his distance between the group of subjects and keep a low profile. All along, he had been conforming and did not have his own opinions.


    But now that he really thought about it, their family had been peaceful up until now for so many years.


    Zhao Xiang was an intelligent person and thoroughly understood Shen Lian after getting the hint. At that moment, he felt that Shen Lian was scary and could not help but be suspicious of a figure like Shen Lian. His approaches were formidable and he possessed such knowledge, what was he conspiring about?


    He did not ask and buried this uncertainty inside him, his face did not show anything.


    They chatted idly for a while and Zhao Xiang left.


    Shen Lian watched as Zhao Xiang left and then averted his gaze to the Imperial City, the prestige of it was getting heavier by the moment.


    "Big brother, I��m hungry." From behind, Ruoxi��s young voice rang.


    Shen Lian picked her up and chuckled lightly, "You��re not going to go out and scrounge for free meals today?"


    "I want to eat something delicious." Ruoxi held onto Shen Lian��s chin. "Big brother��s face is really smooth, there is not a fine hair on it."


    Shen Lian replied, "Then we��ll go to ��Fu Man Lou�� today and have the roast duck. Do you want to drink alcohol?"


    "Xi Er is still young, I cannot drink, big brother should not drink also." Ruoxi tugged on a strand of Shen Lian��s hair.


    ******


    There were no storeys in Fu Man Lou. It was situated on the neighboring street. There was a river to the side of the street, called Anping Canal. This man-made river was Shendu��s widest flowing river, which spans over two hundred feet.


    This was dug after the Empress had personally given her orders, which benefited the large crop fields outside of the city. Before that, the rice in the imperial city was expensive and life in the city was hard. Ever since having Anping Canal, the Empress then ordered people to research and develop finer breeds of rice. The price of rice in Shendu decreased over the years.


    Policies such as this by the Empress were many. Even though they had to change the designation of an imperial reign for the Empress, it was not a bad thing for the common folks.


    Fu Man Lou was not a restaurant but a tavern near the Anping Canal.


    The owner of the tavern was a beautiful married woman. Many came to eat and drink just to catch a glimpse of her.


    It was said that she was a widow and she wanted a happy household. It was also said that she wanted to transform the tavern into a restaurant, therefore, she gave this small shop the name ��Fu Man Lou��.


    Fu Man Lou was not packed to the brim with customers every day. After all, the customers that come with the intention to take advantage of the woman would not come after not being able to get their hands on her.


    But the lady owner did not only have looked but she also had good cooking. Initially, this made a lot of customers stay but she also had a shortcoming. The food she made was sometimes good and sometimes bad.


    When it was good, not even the imperial cooks could compare to it. When it was bad, it was worse than pig food.


    It was indistinguishable based on appearance, it could only be felt when it was being eaten.


    Shen Lian only came to eat once and that was almost two months ago. He had better luck then, the roast duck he had still made him think about how good it was.


    But Shen Lian was still shocked when he came here because there was not a customer during this hour, and that was pitiful.


    The lady owner was in her thirties and she still had a graceful bearing. When she saw Shen Lian, she welcomed him with mirth. Her small waist unintentionally swayed like the willow branch in the wind, her slender figure was graceful.


    "What would you like to eat, mister?" She asked.


    Ruoxi already answered first, "Two roast ducks, no alcohol."


    The owner chuckled, as though she was amused by little Ruoxi and then looked at Shen Lian. Shen Lian nodded, showing that he agreed.


    Then the owner shouted, "Xiao Bai, quickly wipe this customer��s table. I am going to cook."


    Once that was said, she went straight to the back kitchen.


    The worker known as Xiao Bai, who was originally laid down at a corner got up when he heard the owner��s voice.


    Xiao Bai was still a juvenile. His face was cold, as though people had owed him a lot of money. When he saw Shen Lian, he was a little hesitant, but Shen Lian was unresponsive.


    Xiao Bai was that person who Shen Lian had saved along the way while the person was being chased down by his rivals.


    His real name was Bai Shaoliu. That night, he had lost too much blood and later collapsed at the entrance of this tavern. He was saved by the lady owner.


    Bai Shaoliu felt some familiarity when he met Shen Lian but he could not remember the time they had met. Everything happened that night in a blur so he was not able to click Shen Lian together.


    After a while, a pan of roast duck was served. The slices were very even. The ordinary person could only see the surface but to Shen Lian��s eyes, it was the perfect performance of knife skills.


    That pan of roast duck was very skillfully prepared, with the thin knife cutting into the crevices, it caused the meat and bone to be separated.


    Actually, not many noticed that the best feature of the owner was not her waist but her hands. It was fair exquisite and not even coarse.


    Of course, even though the lady owner was out of the ordinary, Shen Lian only came here for the food and nothing else.


    Even though he had stopped eating the five grains and cooked food, he still has the desire to eat.


    The seasonings were good, it was even better than the first time he had it. The lady owner naturally did not accompany Shen Lian while he ate while Bai Shaoliu was leaning on the door and basked after the sun once he��s wiped the table clean. He did not greet the customers and the lady owner did not let him hook in business.


    It was near the waters which made it pretty cooling even if it was during noon time.


    Shen Lian even thought about moving the clinic to this street, it could be better than the present location.


    Ruoxi was serious as she ate. Slice by slice, she devoured the roast duck in the pain and she had actually eaten more than Shen Lian.


    All of a sudden, Bao Shaoliu flew inside from the door. Coincidentally, he was heading towards Shen Lian and their table.


    Luckily, Bao Shaoliu tried his best to flip his body half way and he knocked into the table next to them.


    Ruoxi was a little unhappy because some of the dust had entered into the pan.

 Chapter 105 Where Does Flowing Water Come From

    The lighting in the hall suddenly grew dim and a figure in a bamboo hat appeared at the entrance. There were gold embroidery on his flocket [1]. His physique was tall and big, hence blocking the light.


    "Little guy, give me the item and I��ll spare you." his voice was low but it could be heard that his age was pretty old.


    Bao Shaoliu slowly stood up, his body still swaying a little.


    The person��s martial art skills was high and it was not on the level that he could look up to, which explained why he could not even take one hit from him.


    The beautiful lady owner stood in front of the counter. She narrowed her beautiful eyes but she did not say anything or show any panicked look on her face.


    Only Shen Lian knew that with the pair of hands she has, there was not much in the entire Shen Du that could scare her. The man in the bamboo hat certainly was not one.


    Ruoxi crinkled her little button nose and said in her young voice, "Big brother, I don��t want it anything. You see, it is already dirty."


    She pointed towards a slice of the duck meat in the pan. On top of the golden crispy duck skin, there were some trails of dust.


    Shen Lian patted her head, took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to her, telling her to wipe both her mouth and hands clean.


    On the other side, Bai Shaoliu heard the man in the bamboo hat and his face tensed. He stared at the other and said word by word, "No way."


    The man in the bamboo sighed and did not say much afterwards. Footsteps then followed. His steps were not heavy, they were even slow but it was like a sharp knife that vehemently stabbed into people��s chest.


    Bai Shaoliu had cold sweat on his forehead. The other was using his profound inner strength and blended it within the sound of the footsteps. It was meant for Bao Shaoliu. Even though the other did not use any weapon, but the sound of the footsteps hit into his Qi and blood one time after another which was similar to using a real blade and stabbing it into his flesh.


    It was obvious the other wanted to subdue him without taking his life yet.


    Ruoxi quickly wiped herself clean, obediently returned the silk handkerchief to her brother. Shen Lian simply took the silk handkerchief and said quietly, "Jin Daowang, it has been 17 years since I last saw you and I see you have fallen to the point of bullying children."


    Evn though Shen Lian��s voice was not loud, but it was enough to cover the sound of the footsteps, which dispersed the penetrative properties of it at the same time.


    The man in the bamboo hat stopped in his tracks. Shen Lian had his back to him. It was just that the voice sounded familiar to him and he saw Shen Lian��s back. It was still a little hard for him to believe because he thought of someone.


    Juvenile Bai was already drenched from head to toe. Once the sound of the footsteps disappeared, he laid on the ground and could not stop panting, his sweat pooling on the floor.


    The man in the bamboo hat moved and was beside the young male in a blink of an eye, he then turned towards Shen Lian. Slowly, he removed the bamboo hat, revealing the grey head of hair and silver facial hair. His physique was still the same of an oak tree.


    However, the cane knife that had accompanied him for over ten year was not brought along. He had already put down the knife in his hand.


    The same delicate look came into Jin Daowang��s eyes, he could not even see any aging marks.


    "You��re Shen Lian?" Jin Daowang could not comprehend at all. By right, Shen Lian would have been over 30, but why does he look not that different when he first saw him? It was as though the years had been heartless to him, yet it was also treating Shen Lian really well.


    Of course, Jin Daowang noticed something very quickly. Ever since he gave up on the knife and eventually transitioned from martial arts into Dao, the biggest change was the increase in his senses. With 5 percent of his martial art skills, he was able to do the things that required 10 perfect of his martial art skills, it has also even gotten easier.


    This concentrated state was helpful in condensing his orifices points and entering to a higher level. It was just that he could not inherit the celestial method and the Qi of vitality in the human realm is even thinner. He was afraid that he could not find the awakened entrance in his entire life.


    The flowing water swordsmanship is exactly what he had hoped for. This swordsmanship was not well known to begin with and it was passed down by an ordinary martial arts school. It was afterwards that the martial arts school had a genius and within a month��s time, he actually defeated 18 of the famous masters using this swordsmanship. After the fight, he even drove through the skies and went off.


    No one knew of this matter originally and even the decedents of the martial arts school did not realize the truth from it.


    It was not until a few months ago that this news spread, which attracted disastrous event for the martial arts school. Everyone in the school was wiped out entirely, saved for one juvenile who escaped.


    It was an organization that have done this and Jin Daowang was a part of this organization, so he knew of the many details about it.


    He was already in his old age and if it had not been the fated moment of consuming that spirit ginseng, he could not have achieved what he had achieved today.


    As he ages, he gets more paranoid about death and greedy for life. He would not give up on any hope of breaking through.


    Shen Lian said, "I see you can still recognize me. Your age has not muddled you."


    Jin Daowang kept quiet for a while and then pointed towards Bai Shaoliu, he said, "If you want to defend him, I��ll go."


    If he was at the level he was ten years ago, he would exert his utmost effort to fight, because that time he was not on the level to realize just how formidable Shen Lian was.


    Now that his senses was one step higher, even with Shen Lian sitting there with a faint smile on his face, he dared not make eye contact with him. Simultaneously, he felt a slight intimidation within him.


    The Shen Lian 16 years ago was already an exceptional master of this world, he was not even an adult that time. Now he was unfathomable, this was of course naturally as it should be.


    "You should go." Shen Lian answered.


    Jin Daowang nodded and did not even glance again at Bai Shaoliu.


    He put on his bamboo hat once again and was prepared to leave.


    It was then the lady owner spoke, lazily she added, "Leave the money for my tables and chairs and this young lad��s medical fee, or else do not even think about leaving."


    Jin Daowang coolly humphed, he was getting a bit irked.


    Shen Lian��s voice rang again, "You��re not lacking this small amount of money, since she has said so, just leave it. Also, help me foot my bill too."


    Jin Daowang suppressed his anger and went to the counter. He took out a small ingot of silver and placed it down, it was actually embedded on top the counter. He huffed, "For you."


    Never had he been so embarrassed in his entire life.


    Once Jin Daowang left, Shen Lian was holding onto Ruoxi as he prepared to leave.


    The lady owner came strolling, the small ingot of silver that was previously embedded on the counter top in her hands.


    She said, "You rather have a good heart, mister. Even saving an old man."


    Shen Lian obviously heard the undertone of her words. If it was not for Shen Lian who had scare Jin Daowang off, the lady owner was going to deal with it herself. There was no chance Jin Daowang could have survived.


    This was why Shen Lian had Jin Daowang to foot his bill, after all, his life was more expensive than a small ingot of silver.


    "It all came down that we��ve known each, hence this action. We are quite close, if it��s not too much trouble for you, lady owner, you can stop by from time to time." Shen Lian can see that the other is also a cultivator, he just did not know which faction or which school she came from, and the celestial method she had learned.


    "No need to call me lady owner. Your name is Shen Lian, right? Which ��Lian�� is it?" her brows arched beautifully. Even though there were slight crinkles at the corner of her eyes, but it only added to her appeal.


    "The ��Lian�� is that of the gold metallurgy��s ��Lian��. You can call me Qing Xia." Shen Lian politely answered.


    "My surname is Zhou, the Zhou dynasty��s ��Zhou��. The single name is ��Ling��, the ��Ling�� of that of the bier."


    Shen Lian slightly nodded, pulling Ruoxi along, he leisurely passed by Zhou Ling and went off. However, he thought, Zhou is not only the Zhou Dynasty��s Zhou, the female emperor��s surname is also Zhou.


    Bai Shaoliu knew the two were speaking but he did not understand a word. But, he already remembered one thing, and it was that was not Shen Lian the capable person who saved him that night?


    He wanted to scramble to his feet but he could not do so. His mouth was dry as he watched both Shen Lian and Ruoxi leave, but inside he fussed, he already owed Shen Lian two lives.

 Chapter 106 Bewitched

    The sunset in summer was later than usual.


    The ��Walking Dead�� clinic was located at Long Street. It was one of the oldest streets in Shendu City. The current majesty was a forward-thinking person. Under her rule, Shendu was once redeveloped to a bustling and clean city. Although these old streets were not far from the palace, people were slowly moving out from there.


    Shen Lian bought over his clinic from someone who moved to the other side of the street. The environment and security there were way better.


    The clinic��s doors were half-covered, a hint of sunset rested on the door sill. It was very quiet.


    The sound from the carriage wheels broke the tranquility. Zhao Xiang, the driver got down from the carriage. The curtains opened to reveal a chubby and fair looking hand. One could tell the upbringing of a person from their hands. Generally, only rich people who barely do any physical labor would have fine hands like that. But the lady boss at the tavern next to the Anping Canal was an exception.


    Before Zhao Xiang could call for someone, the doors were already opened. A young girl with pinkish jade-liked complexion stood in front of the door. Once she saw Zhao Xiang and the plump middle-aged man, she saluted respectfully and said, "My brother is waiting for uncle to enter."


    Zhao Xiang smiled to the middle-aged man, "After so many trips I��ve come here, this is the first time he would welcome his guests and get Xiao Yinyin to greet at the door.


    The middle-aged man��s face was very pale. He looked similar to Zhao Xiang, but his appearance seemed more gentle and warm.


    He had dark eye circles and bulging eye bags as if he had not slept well. He looked dull.


    But he was courteous and responded, "How did your brother know that we��re here?" From his voice, one could tell that he lacks Qi and it took him a lot of effort just to speak.


    "My brother is an immortal, of course, he would know that you��re coming," Ruoxi answered proudly. Although this uncle did not look as annoying as Zhao Xiang, he sure was stupid.


    The middle-aged man leaned over and said, "Your brother is an immortal, and what about you Xiao Yinyin?"


    Ruoxi bit her lips and replied, "I am a small fairy."


    The middle-aged man unbuckled a string of beads from his wrist and said, "It was really polite of you to give me the salutation earlier. I did not bring any gifts, so please accept this string of beads."


    Zhao Xiang was surprised when he was about to say something, the middle-aged man stopped him with a glance. This string of beads was gifted to his father by his grandmother. It has never left his father since then. Although it was not very a meaningful belonging, it was a gift and it was not something one would just give it to anyone else.


    Ruoxi clasped her palm, shook her head and responded, "I don��t want it."


    And then changed her mind. "My brother told me to accept it, please give it to me." She stretched her arms out as if she was signaling him to put it on for her.


    The middle-aged man smiled and did not question why Ruoxi would so obediently obey Shen Lian, and tied the string of beads on her wrist.


    There were nine beads in dark green to this wristlet. The beads were not tightly attached to each other as the string that binds it up was highly elastic. Ruoxi��s wrist may be small but it fitted her nicely.


    Shen Lian was at the courtyard with a pot of tea and teacup. The middle-aged man walked to the courtyard and he had sweat quite a bit. Zhao Xiang had to help him to get seated.


    He tried to brace up and observe Shen Lian. Neither of them took the initiative to start a conversation.


    Finally, it was Zhao Xiang who broke the silence, "Could you tell what was wrong with my father?"


    Shen Lian calmly replied, "Your Highness, have you been having blurred vision, frequently feeling of dizzy, and struggling to fall asleep despite being very sleepy?"


    "Yes, that��s true. I didn��t think too much about it at first but after several days, it has taken a toll on me. I��ve tried several methods but it only got worse." None of the royal doctors in the palace knew what was wrong. After inspection, they concluded that it was insomnia. Famous doctors out of the palace too came to the same conclusion.


    After taking medication that aids sleep, there were no improvements to his conditions. He still struggled with sleep at night and felt lethargic during the day.


    He still had to participate in state affairs despite being in such horrible state. The Lady Emperor noticed his lack of form but had never asked him about it.


    "It��s easy to get rid of these symptoms and I can do it immediately for you. It��s just that you��ll need another prescription to treat the root of your illness. It��s a case of make or break," Shen Lian replied softly.


    The middle-aged man replied, "Would you first kindly treat the blurred vision and dizziness?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I��ve prepared the medication in advance."


    He took out a talisman and it self-combusted; the burnt residue landed in a teacup. Shen Lian held the teacup and the cup spun vigorously on his palm. Despite the vigorous spinning, not even a single drop of water splashed out from the cup.


    He leisurely stopped the teacup and the water in the cup too seized movement all of a sudden. It looked like it was against the law of physics. A simple hand skill like that has amazed the middle-aged man.


    The residue floated on the surface of the tea distinctively.


    Shen Lian handed the teacup to the middle-aged man and casually said, "Please drink this cup of talisman water".


    Zhao Xiang replied, "Shen Lian, would you please stop joking." He brought his father here to get treated and not drink some talisman water that looked unreliable.


    "So it is reliable if you let the royal doctors inspect my prescription and have it tested on someone, then see if it��s safe to be consumed?" Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    Zhao Xiang was embarrassed as that was his thought exactly.


    The middle-aged man responded, "This is witchcraft, also an alternative treatment. Xiang Er, please do not wrongly blame others."


    People had been practicing treatment using talisman and spells since ancient times. But this was the very first time the middle-aged man witnessed something like such.


    He took the teacup and drank it bottoms up.


    Zhao Xiang was surprised by his father��s decisiveness. It showed that he was not afraid that Shen Lian does him harm.


    After finishing the cup of tea and taking a couple of breath, the middle-aged man felt a sudden gag reaction and threw up in front of Zhao Xiang. He did not only vomited a cup of bitter water but also a lively black worm. Zhao Xiang saw it crystal clear.


    The worm jumped, turned into black smoke and a vaporized. Shen Lian flicked his finger, a buzzing sound could be heard and the black smoke annihilated.


    Zhao Xiang was stunned. He looked at his father and then looked at Shen Lian, "Brother Shen, what was that?"


    "That was a bewitched worm. This worm was responsible for all the pain Your Highness experienced the past few days. All is fine now," Shen Lian replied.


    The middle-aged man��s gagging reaction stopped. He smiled bitterly, "Who knew it was a bewitched worm. No wonder the royal doctors failed to identify it. But who was so daring to do such an act?"


    He has regained some color to his face but he was frowning between brows.


    It was a taboo to practice witchcraft in the palace. Furthermore, his mother would have noticed the symptoms but why didn��t she take any action?


    **************


    The middle-aged man and Zhao Xiang went back to their carriage. Outside the carriage was the horseman. There were many more men around, secretly watching over them during their trip out of the palace.


    Zhao Xiang asked, "Father, what did Shen Lian write in your prescription?"

 Chapter 107 The Unbothered Breeze and Moon

    The crown prince of the Zhou Dynasty, who was near his forties looked at his favorite son and answered, "It��s merely a poem."


    Zhao Xiang was surprised. Although there were prescriptions that were written in the form of a song, but by the look and tone of his father, it did not seem like so.


    He wanted to probe further but his father had rested his eyes, obviously, he was not too keen to talk much about it.


    His father held the prescription tightly in his palm to the point where his veins were bulging out. That showed how deeply the father was bothered by the illness.


    ******


    The Imperial City was also known as the Daming Palace. It was renamed during the time when the Empress took over the administration. The rationale behind the new name was to show that anything under the sun and moon, be it millions of mountains or thousands of rivers were under her rule.


    It was not just plain wits and trickeries that made her the Empress. She was far more broad-minded compared to previous emperors. But being broad-minded was not equivalent to being tolerant.


    She could be as cruel and cold as winter when it comes to dealing with her enemies as conversed to the warmth and affection she displayed to people who supported her.


    The Empress was at the Shui Liang Hall of the Daming Palace. It was the best place to admire the view of the city. From here, one could see the lotus flowers and be enchanted by their faint lingering fragrances.


    She was sixty years old but she looked like she was in her thirties. In fact, she looked much younger compared to the Crown Prince, Zhao Xun.


    No one would believe that she gave birth to five sons and two daughters.


    A light breeze came by, one could really feel and see the moonlight reflected on the lotus pond from the tower.


    As an Empress, she owns millions of mountain and rivers. But what she could see, was just this small fraction of the world.


    And that was why she had placed people all over the world to help her watch over her million miles of territory.


    She stood with her hands at her back and looked up, the moon in the sky shone into her eyes. An indifferent voice could be heard from the tower, "Master Kuhui, I came across an interesting poem earlier today. Shall I share it with you?"


    The Empress did not have her dragon robe on and was dressed casually. However, she was stern and unforgiving with her tone, giving out commanding vibes where people would not even think about turning her down.


    Although there were usually not many bodyguards by her side, there was no successful assassination so far. People who attempted to do so were captured and killed deliberately. No one including their extended family was spared.


    Kuhui was standing ten feet away from the Empress as his monk robe swayed by the wind. The moonlight shined the wrinkles on his forehead and the white beard on his face. He put both palms together and said, "Your Majesty/Highness, please, enlighten me."


    "Earlier today, Zhao Xun went out of the city to get his illness treated. He looked much better after returning. He also brought the prescription to nurse the root cause of his illness. I took a look at it and it was pretty interesting." The Empress let out a small chuckle but she didn��t have the intention to laugh. Her eyes were as cold as the moonlight, unattainable yet showed no signs of mixed emotions.


    Kuhui did not interrupt the conversation. Instead, he silently waited for the Empress to talk about the prescription.


    "Melons planted under the yellow terrace, the melons ripe and the vine looks full. Picking one melon promotes growth, picking two makes it sparse. Maybe there will still be left after picking three, but picking them all will leave you with only vines." The Empress read it out without a hint of emotions.


    The yellow terrace refers to a high tower located within the palace. That tower does not have any fruit plantation.


    She added on, "Don��t you think this poem is really interesting?"


    "I dare not make any assumptions," Kuhui said bitterly. This Empress was not an ordinary empress. One needs to be extremely careful with their actions and words said to her.


    The Empress looked down and paused her glance at one of the lotus leaves as if she was observing the little water droplet on the leaf. Her facial appearance was not considered to be the best-looking one as she possesses one-third of a man��s fortitude. But she had a charm that absorbed people��s attention.


    "Is it not telling me to stop killing ruthlessly? No matter how villainous a tiger is, it wouldn��t eat its own children. Do you too think I would kill my own children?"


    A light breeze swept by the lotus pond, giving distinct layers to the reflection of the moonlight on the water, creating a dreamy scene.


    Kuhui replied, "When Your Majesty/Highness starts caring about outsider''s opinions, Your Highness was no longer the Empress you were."


    The Empress was not moved by Kuhui��s wise words, "Tomorrow, I will announce the abolishment of Qi Wang��s Prime Minister position. Zhao Xun would be at ease by that. Also, I would like to meet the person who wrote the prescription in three days. Please make the necessary arrangements."


    A piece of paper landed in front of Kuhui as he held his hand out to catch it. It was the paper with the poem the Empress recited earlier. Once he touched the paper, his blissfully zen heart was shaken. Just like the movements of the moonlight reflection in the pond, he had a vigorous flashback of the past.


    He thought to himself, "I see that you��re back in the mortal world."


    During the flashback, he felt that the Empress was probing into him as if she could see through his thoughts.


    However, he wasn��t fearful of that as the Empress too was a practitioner. It was beyond imagination how deep she had gone in her practice and cultivation.


    He lowers his head and responded, "I accept the orders of Your Highness/Majesty"


    Every single stroke of the characters on the paper felt like it was turning back time. Among them, the most dazzling characters were "Shen Lian". It was as if you could imagine a handsome young lad standing in a corner somewhere, overcoming every obstacle that came to him.


    ******


    At the Walking Dead Clinic, Ruoxi was lying on the bed by the corner as she tightly held on to the blanket. You could see terror and fear across her face.


    She wanted to cry out loud but she knew that Shen Lian cannot be interrupted when he was practicing Qi; he made that point clear.


    She was not sure what type of martial exercises was her brother practicing but after all these days, she had adopted the concept of cultivating. From an hour ago where Shen Lian was releasing a strong sense of energy to finally hear his voice, she was trained to not make unnecessary movements.


    Unlike the shapeless breath produced by heaven and earth, this sense of energy comes in eight color - red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, purple and black.


    Rays of light shined in a dark room; it looked similar to picture of Buddha in a temple with lights piercing out around his body.


    The eight colors twisted and moved in a non-uniformed order.


    Shen Lian looked like he was in great pain. His facial expression was twisted and he was dripping with/in sweat.


    He was floating in mid-air as if there was a strong force supporting him and preventing him from falling.


    The last eight energy spun around slowly to form a swirl that eventually drilled into the ground. Shen Lian too descended down from mid-air.


    The moonlight shined in; Ruoxi asked in a low voice, "Brother, are you ok?"


    Shen Lian took a while to stand up and sat next to the bed. He held her hand and replied, "I��m fine, please continue your sleep."


    Did he underestimate the Taixu Strategy? He had been practicing it for years and unknowingly it had planted a seed in his body. He tried to remove it but to no avail.


    The seed combined with his vitality and grew hand in hand.


    He was still able to repress it currently, but as this weird mana consumed him daily, he might not be able to return to heaven twenty years down the road.


    Ruoxi managed to catch her breath but she held his hands tightly, refusing to let go.

 Chapter 108 White, Robe-like, Floating Clouds in the Sky

    The next morning, Shen Lian looked no different than before. Ruoxi thought what she saw last night was just a dream.


    Starting that day, her brother assigned her to visualize objects. And that object was the bead wristlet.


    The bead wristlet was placed on the table while she imagined there was a sense of Qi around the atmosphere. She concentrated on the nine beads as she dives deeper into her thoughts.


    It was a boring activity and she did not want to continue playing after a while. But her brother was unusually strict and would only allow her to stop when she could not hold it anymore.


    When she was practicing the character ��Yong��, she felt a lot more relaxed. Every brush and stroke seemed light and easy.


    In fact, the origin of practice and cultivation was similar to this case. From the very beginning of time, there were no preachers to preach and teach. However, people were still able to obtain supernatural powers and even outdone life and death.


    It all happened because one person or one group of people had a thought about power beyond heaven and earth. They followed the command of their mind and achieved something beyond common sense.


    All things came from something and something came from nothing.


    That was also why Qing Xuan emphasizes that "if one wishes to go further in practice and cultivation, one must first cultivate one��s heart".


    The psyche was dependent on material needs. However once the psyche reached a certain great level, it could conversely, affect materialism. When Buddha spoke of dreams, he mentioned Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly in his dream1.


    Ruoxi did not understand these principles but the calligraphy writing that she once felt was dull was now more joyful and fun. More importantly, practicing it was no longer as torturous as it used to be.


    Moreover, in a Chinese saying, "The plan and length of a day are determined in morning". The earlier the start of the day, the slower time seem to pass throughout the day.


    That was because the speed of time was determined by the experience of doing something.


    Ruoxi felt that she had a productive day but it was not even noon yet. She rested on the small table and heard a strange sound of a wooden fish. It seemed far away but it also felt like it was next to her ears. The sound made her relaxed, her eyelids became heavier and she fell into deep sleep.


    Shen Lian was concerned that he could be facing a life or death matter, as he had yet to reach his peak, just like the sun had yet to shine its brightest for the day.


    When he heard the sound of the wooden fish, he left his place. He walked like a ghostly spirit on the street and arrived by the river in no time.


    At the wide Anping Canal, boats come and go. The most striking scenery here was not the boat in the river but the Grand View Bridge that spans across the long river.


    The scenery of the long river can be viewed on this bridge. It was built at an ideal location where it joined the part of Shendu City that was separated by the river.


    The bridge was of a stone arch bridge; an old monk stood by the edge of the stone block while pedestrians walked past him. It looked like he was in own realm where the surroundings did not bother him at all.


    When Shen Lian walks towards the monk, it felt like the scenery behind him was fading. The fading out did not happen in reality but it was more of spiritual feeling.


    The old monk who focused on the river moved his attention to Shen Lian.


    That old monk was Kuhui and he was holding a silverish grey wooden fish on his hand. Shen Lian had seen that fish many years ago when he was still weak and fragile. The wooden fish was named "Tai Wei"; it was named after the Taiwei Pavilion of Qing Xuan.


    The sound it produced was known as the Dinghun Melody. A person without spiritual wisdom will not be able to hear it. Tai Wei was originally from Qing Xuan but somehow ended up in the possession of Ling Chongxiao many years ago.


    When there was no light, the world would be in darkness. But in the spiritual world, the light from the material world would not be able to penetrate it.


    If Shen Lian were to close his eyes, he would be able to see the old monk as a lighted lamp.


    According to Buddhist scriptures, practice and cultivation were lighting up a light. If the light was lit, the bier will not conceal.


    A person��s physical body will rot as they age and that would make it more difficult when practicing Qigong that involves the Conception and Governor vessels. However, the spiritual training would never stop.


    It was just that, cultivation was more difficult compared to Qigong practice. Buddhism did not focus on the liberation of the physical body but was dedicated to the emancipation of the mind. In this aspect of cultivation, they sure have outdone Daoism.


    However, unlike any other ordinary Daoist cultivator, Shen Lian��s strength lied within his spirit.


    It had been many years since Kuhui last saw Shen Lian. This time around, he was stunned, to the extent where people around him were not able to understand his excessive reaction. When he met eyes with Shen Lian, he felt that he saw an endless ocean with calm waves; but once it''s stirred up, he could be easily crushed by it.


    The pedestrians did not notice the oddness in the two people. While Kuhui was still stunned, Shen Lian had come by his side like a breeze of wind.


    "It has been 16 years since we last saw each other," Shen Lian said with a voice as young as his appearance.


    He sounded calm and friendly, just like the reflection of the clouds in the river.


    Kuhui replied, "I didn��t expect you to remember so well."


    "It is a natural talent for me to remember things."


    "Do you still remember Ye Liuyun then?" Kuhui replied with all smiles.


    "He was an interesting person, in fact, he was more outstanding than I am in certain aspects. But my purpose of existence in this world is not to compare with others," Shen Lian said as the Dao robe flutters in the wind. He looked empty with nothingness.


    Kuhui presumed that even if Shen Lian practiced for another ten years, he would still not be able to win against the Empress. But his presumptions were shaken once he saw Shen Lian.


    It was not that Shen Lian had given up on the world but he had adapted to the principles of Daoism that practices to not fight, so that the world too, will not fight against each other.


    He finally responded, "Her Highness would like to meet you the day after tomorrow at the Xiangji Temple."


    Shen Lian replied, "Her Majesty seems like a ferocious person. She could have summoned me in the Imperial City." If they met at the Imperial City that was filled with desires, the atmosphere there would have been tensed and suppressive for people who were deeply cultivated like Shen Lian.


    Even if Shen Lian was too afraid to show up, it could at least cast a dark shadow in his heart.


    However, the Empress gave up the home advantage and picked another venue to meet Shen Lian. This showed that she was highly confident in herself.


    Kuhui replied, "Considering that you��ve long abandoned earthly pursuits, why do you bother getting into the dirt again? Her Highness was beyond any ordinary cultivators and her level could match yours. My advice for you is to be more cautious"


    Through his words, he implied that he did not want Shen Lian to meet the Empress but he could not lay it out directly.


    He would not have advised Shen Lian if there was a distinct difference in levels between Shen Lian and the Empress. But as both of them equals each other, it was hard for him to tell who was more advantageous than the other.


    None of them would benefit should they start fighting. The Da Zhou Dynasty too would not gain anything from it.


    If something happened to the Da Zhou Dynasty, it would be the people who would suffer the most.


    Shen Lian responded, "Needless to advise me further. I am intrigued by the Empress and would like to meet her. It is not a big deal. But will you give me this wooden fish?"


    Kuhui replied, "It was my intention to return Tai Wei to you. If not why would I have brought it here?"


    Kuhui handed over the silverish grey wooden fish as Shen Lian accepted it; the wooden fish returned to where it came from. It was just that his wooden fish was not any ordinary instrument. Shen Lian was still puzzled why did Qing Xuan not tried to retrieve it when it was smuggled out back then.ׯ��˵�ε� �� A Chinese proverb meaning to describe a dream that was so vivid, that one could not differentiate the reality and dream anymore, whether did the dream become a reality, or that the reality became the dream.

 Chapter 109 Don’t Take the Golden Elixir Lightly

    Shen Lian was not too sure why but he had a strong urge to take wooden fish back. Somewhere deep down, he felt that it was fated that he crossed path with this wooden fish.


    Furthermore, he was somewhat related to Ling Chongxiao and the Man in Green, plus he was also a disciple of Qing Xuan. He could now just allow their belonging to be left outside


    Kuhui continued the conversation, "Are you not going to ask where is Ling Chongxiao? Or is he dead or alive?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Are you going to tell me now? Why should I ask unnecessarily?"


    Kuhui''s ever still heart of Zen was shaken more than once thanks to Shen Lian. Besides the Empress, Shen Lian was the only person who could have such effect on him in the entire Shendu City. It was as if he could not hide anything from him.


    He smiled to regain composure and said, "He is now a real monk, naturally he will cut off all ties with the past. He even gave me this last momento from the martial sect. But I feel that this item would suit you better."


    "Looks like he didn''t become a monk neither in Shendu nor within Da Zhou?" Shen Lian squinted his eyes. If there was a reason for Ling Chongxiao to give up everything and become a real monk, it was absolutely because he needed a breakthrough.


    Kuhui can see why Shen Lian would make such conjecture. Reason being the Empress today was unfathomable. Someone like Ling Chongxiao who had caused major destruction to the world would either have to be forced to subdue or to be killed.


    If it was none of the above, Ling Chongxiao was probably not a monk under the ruling of Da Zhou.


    Shen Lian made that deduction based on the circumstances.


    "He went to Xi Huang and became a monk at a country known as Yue Tuo," Kuhui replied with a soft voice. He laughed as Ling Chongxiao did not even shave his head to become a monk.


    After hearing the words "Xi Huang" and "Yue Tuo", Shen Lian swiftly recalled information related to these words; Xi Huang was more than 10 million miles away from Da Zhou.


    There were plenty of mountains and rivers in Da Zhou and it consisted of several big and small countries. But what was frightening was that many demon tribes reside beneath the mountains and rivers; and the demon king''s transformation was comparable to a Huandan cultivator. In fact, some demon kings were more skillful than immortals.


    Chen Jianmei''s ''Kill Philosophy'' came about from a mountain in Xi Huang. He killed a mountain full of demons, and that was well known amongst the immortals.


    Shen Lian''s initial plan was to work on the early stages of the Taixu Strategy, then travel to Xi Huang and catch up with Chen Jianmei. ''You can cultivate for half of your lifetime and remain unknown but once you''ve mastered a spell, the whole world knows about it.'' Zhang Ruoxu''s comment was indeed relevant.


    That was because the trip was a dangerous journey and it was more appropriate to depart after having the eight Qi of the Taixu Strategy being absorbed into the body. By then he would be as powerful as Gu Caiwei who was a class above most Huandan elders. The other day at the ceremony for Chen Jianmei, the headmaster prepared a futon for her to sit on.


    However, she chose not to sit on the futon as a sign of respect to the elders.


    If a beginner did not start with the Taixu Strategy, it would be hard for one to achieve Dao. It was a proven case in the world of practice and cultivation. In Qing Xuan, people too start practicing with it.


    Zhang Ruoxu had made a resolution to allow Shen Lian to learn this method. This showed that the importance of Shen Lian to Zhang Ruoxu.


    Should Shen Lian failed in his practice and cultivation, Zhang Ruoxu would most probably be disappointed.


    Shen Lian had no complaints about the difficult circumstances he had to endure although it was Zhang Ruoxu who pointed this path for him. This was because he knew that he could have tried other martial exercises and whether he can master Huandan or not was an absolute certainty. The hopes of being an immortal were very tiny.


    Furthermore, the Taixu Strategy was a shockingly powerful technique that would bring him to places.


    He put his thoughts on hold and said, "Looks like that place was his destiny. The difficulties of achieving Dao was not something people of my generation would understand. I hope for the best for him."


    After finishing the sentence, Shen Lian took the wooden fish and Kuhui heard a song playing in his ears:


    "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! Dao is mysterious. Don''t take the Golden Elixir lightly.


    No chance of meeting people to pass the secret; all will just end up as empty talk!"


    The tune lingers by his ears, he could not help but shed tears.


    ******


    In the Qinzheng Hall, the Empress held the brushed and waved it like ''a swimming dragon scaring away wild goose''. On the piece of white paper, the ink of writings appeared magically.


    On the paper, she wrote the Dao song Shen Lian left behind.


    She put down the wolf fur brush and said, "He is indeed a man of Dao for saying something so classy."


    Under the jade steps, Crown Prince Zhao Xun was waiting for the Empress. Facing him was an incredibly handsome well-dressed man with a prominent presence.


    This man smiled, "The most prestigious Dao is the Kingdom, while the royals would be the saint. Who would dare to brag about Dao in front of the saint?"


    The ''Saint'' was also another way of addressing the Empress.


    The Empress smiled and asked the Crown Prince, "Zhao Xun, do you agree with Qi Wang?"


    Qi Wang was not from the Zhao family but the son of the Empress'' late brother. She had two brothers who have passed away and three nephews from them. Qi Wang was the secondary Emperor/ highest rank amongst Wang Jue1 and also the Prime Minister, thus, very powerful and highly regarded. He was literally below one person and above millions of people.


    Zhao Xun may be the Crown Prince but his sovereignty was not as influential as Qi Wang.


    Perhaps Zhao Xun had been standing for too long and he was bodily weak, it looked like he was nervous as little sweat droplets could be seen on his forehead. He answered respectfully, "My knowledge was superficial but I believe His Highness must be right."


    Qi Wang looked at the Crown Prince with displeasure. He felt that the Crown Prince was timid and showed no leadership qualities. Judging from his aunt''s ambitiousness, she would definitely not pick him.


    Qi Wang scanned the room to find someone courageous but Zhao Xiang was the only person who would fit the description. Unfortunately, he was too young.


    Should the Crown Prince passed away, Qi Wang believed that the Empress will elect him as the next Crown Prince.


    There was no point hiding from the Empress as she knows every single thing. Up till now, the Empress had never prevented Qi Wang from doing something and that indirectly acknowledged his abilities and judgments.


    The Empress sighed, "Zhao Xun, as my son, you should have your own opinion. I am very disappointed by you."


    The Crown Prince kneeled down immediately as he sweats profusely, "I am useless, I have let Your Highness down."


    The Empress had taken over the administration and thus the Crown Prince could not address her as Mother Queen nor Father King. He could only address her as "Your Highness", just like every other courtier.


    Qi Wang responded, "The Crown Prince is kind-hearted and that is a blessing to Da Zhou. Your Highness, please don''t blame him. I am willing to be the falcon to share your burden."


    A hint of smiliness flashed across the Empress cold expression, just like a sudden spring breeze. She lightly replied, "Looks like Qi Wang is willing to share my problems, and do anything that I ask you to do?"


    Without any hesitation, Qi Wang responded, "Of course."


    The Empress looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Zhao Xun is not a governor material but this could be trained over time. I am preparing him to participate in political affairs. But there would be too many ministers in central. So, Qi Wang, you should just resign from your Prime Minister position."


    There were several Prime Ministers in Da Zhou but Qi Wang was the only one from the royal family. His words would carry more influence compared to other ministers as he was secondary to the Empress.���� - A title under monarchy. Second only to the monarch of the entire country, higher than the Duke.

 Chapter 110 Being Seperated For Too Long Leads to Togetherness

    If Qi Wang was no longer the Prime Minister, his influence would decrease greatly. On the other hand, should the Crown Prince participate in political affairs, he would be able to live up to his title. Then he would have built strong foundations, be deeply rooted and untouchable.


    Qi Wang did not flinch but bowed down and said, "Your order is my command."


    Everything that he got was related to the Empress. If he refuted for a temporary loss, it might affect his position in the Empress�� heart and that might lead to a bigger loss.


    The Empress seemed to have expected that reaction from Qi Wang, she responded, "So that��s it. You can retreat now."


    The Empress did not bother to appease Qi Wang further. She made the decision in a clear and direct fashion and told both of them to retreat.


    Qi Wang and the Crown Prince gave their salutes and left the hall together. Qi Wang��s face turned gloomy as he sarcastically said, "Your Highness, political affairs were complicated. Make sure you watch out for your health and don��t tire yourself."


    The Crown Prince calmly replied, "With your constant concern, my health will be fine."


    Qi Wang responded, "The world is a big place filled with talented people. The Crown Prince is the favorite among people, naturally, you��ll have special people protecting you. When will it be my turn to look after you? I��ve been a busy body indeed."


    He left after finishing his words, leaving the Crown Prince behind at the jade steps. The Prince walked down slowly and yet almost slipped. It was a eunuch who held on to him and prevented the fall.


    In the hall, the Empress sat on her dragon chair as her eyes pierce through the hall as if she saw everything happening outside.


    The Crown Prince��s slip showed that his mind was not at ease. If it was not for that eunuch who happened to be by his side, he would have made a fool of himself and became a laughing stock. The Empress let out an ambiguous smile and thought that her son was getting more and more interesting.


    Her eyes ended up on the last two lines written on the paper, ��No chance of meeting people to pass the secret; all will just end up as empty talk!".�� If it was not for her unshakable realization, she would have spent the whole life trying to master the Art of the Emperor. Her sovereignty and throne were all just mediums. No one knew what she really wanted.


    The Crown Prince returned to the East Palace and was welcomed by Zhao Xiang. The father-son went to a quiet room and Zhao Xun can no longer hold back his laughter. Although the laugh was not loud, his satisfaction could clearly be felt.


    It was the first time Zhao Xiang saw his father this happy. When Zhao Xun stopped laughing, his son asked, "Father, did something good happened?"


    "I should be able to sleep well today onwards," Zhao Xun��s laughter had yet to fade as he replied his son.


    Zhao Xiang responded, "Is that prescription really effective? Father, what was written on the prescription?"


    Zhao Xun shook his head, "The prescription was just a bait. Thanks to it, I was able to be honest to Her Majesty. The Empress had a heart of kindness and would not take the most brutal action. Earlier today, Her Majesty ordered Qi Wang to withdraw from central administration while I can start participating in political affairs. It was a move to calm the court. Although we still need to be cautious, at least we��re quite safe within the next three to five years.


    At the same time, he was greatly impressed by Shen Lian��s ability. It was Shen Lian��s sharp observation that read his mother��s true intentions and the opposition situation in the administration and solved it with a poem.


    After the Empress took over the throne, she was able to calm down the rebellion of the Qinghe Jun Wang but yet the world was still full of hidden turbulence. The reason why she appointed Zhao Xun as the Crown Prince was to give some hope to the ministers and people who were in favor of the previous throne and at the same time promoted Qi Wang as a sign of warning to Zhao Xun.


    This tactic of using Qi Wang was to check and balance the Crown Prince��s power, but it only increased internal friction, and cause the failure to transit some of the loyalty of previous ministers to the current era.


    Now that the Empress had abolished Qi Wang��s Prime Minister position and the Crown Prince being allowed to take part in political affairs, it showed that she did not want more chaos under her rule and she intended to unify the nation.


    Therefore, Zhao Xun could confidently say that he would be safe for at least the next three to five years and he would be able to sleep well. Even if Qi Wang wanted to assassinate him, Qi Wang would not yield much out of it as the only person who could decide on his life and death was the Empress. If the Empress thought of him as a hindrance, he would not be able to survive anyway.


    The part where he almost slipped this morning was partially real and partially an act. It was his way of telling the Empress that everything he owns was under her control.


    Unlike his father who experienced the cruel battles of the power in the palace, Zhao Xiang was not able to understand the considerations of an experienced politician. He was only able to grasp it after the Crown Prince explained thoroughly to him.


    He then realized that he had underestimated his father.


    He also realized that unpredictability of Shen Lian did not stop at his mysterious means, but the depth of his wisdom was beyond impressive.


    ******


    Speaking of wisdom, Shen Lian was not necessarily the smartest person on earth. Just like a game of chess, a third person would be able to have a clearer view being not involved in the game. Furthermore, he had read plenty of history literature throughout his previous and current life.


    Ruoxi got influenced by her brother��s excitement and too, practiced writing. On his usual piece of paper, he wrote sixteen words, ��Being together for too long leads to separation, being separated for too long leads to togetherness��. After writing and inspecting it, he hugged Ruoxi and gave her a kiss.


    Ruoxi smirked, "I am already a big girl, don��t kiss me!"


    Shen Lian replied, "Tell me about it when you��ve reach the height of my shoulders."


    Ruoxi pouted and said, "You seem really happy today."


    "That��s because I might have the solution to something that has been bothering me." Shen Lian smiled with a relaxed expression. Although he had yet to balance the eight energies, he found a direction to take.


    Shen Lian gently places Ruoxi down. The little girl didn��t want to leave him as his scent was pleasing, just like the fresh smell of the wood and grass after rain. Sometimes she would wonder if her brother��s flesh would taste good.


    Of course, Shen Lian wasn��t aware of the girl��s odd ideas.


    A man dressed in servant��s outfit came by the clinic; the material of clothes he wore was somewhat particular. He had a mustache above his lips and looked average. But he had high-low eyebrows and it made him looked awkward.


    His footsteps were light and it seemed that he was quite an advanced practitioner of martial arts.


    He was rude as he walked in without knocking on the door.


    The weird-browed man looked at Shen Lian and smiled, "Are you the owner of this clinic?"


    "What do you think?" Shen Lian sized this person and deduced that he was an overconfident Jianghu expert.


    "Can you really bring dead people to live?" the weird-browed man asked.


    Shen Lian gave an ambiguous smile and responded, "Do you want to know?"


    Weird-browed man replied, "Well, I��m curious."


    Shen Lian calmly responded, "How about if I beat you to death and revive you. Then, you��ll be able to find out." Beyond his calm words lies a hint of a murderous aura.


    Weird-browed man felt a sharp drop in the clinic��s room temperature. While Shen Lian��s figure continues to expand, he could not stop shrinking, as if Shen Lian transformed into a God who came down to the mortal world.

 Chapter 111 Zhao Xiaoyu

    It seemed like just with a clap of the hands, the opponent could easily lose his precious life.


    That was a depressing feeling, but he did not let it hinder him.


    Without closing his eyes, he allowed the fear to creep through his body. He remained unmoved.


    All of a sudden, the pressure was released. He was relieved, but a palm was right in front of him, at a distance of an inch. He lifted his left leg and leaned backward. He came in at an extremely acute angle towards the opponent��s elbow. It felt his body was light like feather, which was what allowed him to perform such a move.


    This movement too existed in Shen Lian��s previous life. It was similar to what was known as Yoga. Yoga��s primary focus was the three meridians and seven cycles. Unlike the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, it was another body of cultivation.


    Shen Lian��s spiritual consciousness observed that in the middle of the opponent��s body, there was a blue Qimai. It was the main path of his energy source, and it was almost aligned with the spine.


    The opponent��s speed was as fast as lightning, but under Shen Lian��s senses, it was played at a much slower speed.


    Shen Lian easily dodged the opponent��s perfect leg sweep. At the same time, his palm went like "Yecha exploring the sea1", which landed on the chest of the man with staged eyebrows.


    He fell hard to the ground and landed on his back and bum. With the momentum, the blue Qimai has almost blown away entirely. Without the protection of the mystical power, the fall was even more painful. He could not help but moan.


    Shen Lian laughed at how the man lost his composure and said, "This move, "Fall of the Bum like a Crane" is pretty amazing."


    The weird-browed man was extremely irritated. He could not gather Qi in his body. He stood up using his hands as support and said, "You can treat me however you want since I lose today. However, my master wants to invite you over tonight at the North Lake Cuiyun Pavilion for a drink. Would you be willing to go?"


    North Lake was the red light district of Shendu City, which was all about sensual pleasures. Places like brothels, theatres were everywhere. Some people even claimed the even the water of North Lake smelled like women��s fragrances.


    "Since I am invited, why not?" Shen Lian smiled.


    The weird-browed man initially thought that Shen Lian would release his anger on him and reject the invite. He did not expect Shen Lian to say yes.


    This person was indeed powerful. He should have listened to his master to not test the waters. He still could not tell how deep his power could go, but Shen Lian could easily spot his Achilles heel.


    The weird-browed man took out an invitation card. The fragrance was still lingering. It was a pleasant smell �C it was the smell of Otherworldly.


    Otherworldly was a precious spiritual item. When cultivators practiced Qi, by lighting up one of those Otherworldly incense, it could help calm the spirit and also the circulation of inner Qi. Over time, it could help improve the spirit.


    The invitation card was obviously brought out from a silent room that had a burning Otherworldly. One should not underestimate such a person who could afford such luxury.


    The reason why Ye Liuyun was seeking to kill Bai Yunfei was because he stole the Otherworldly. Even with accumulation throughout the years, the Otherworldly was still rare at the Mingjian Peak and was rarely used.


    The weird-browed man could consider above average in Jianghu, but he was merely a servant. It explained how powerful his master was.


    For someone who did not know any manners, Shen Lian thought that some punishments were appropriate.


    The invitation card wrote the following:


    "It is a good night for moon watching, hence I invite you over for a drink. Please don��t turn it down. Signed by, Zhao Xiaoyu."


    Shen Lian was looking at the rather neat handwritings of the host. It expressed the relaxed demeanor of the writer. He could imagine the person who wrote this, did it in a room filled with smoke, behind some silver curtains and used a pen which was probably was a brow pen - a cosmetic tool for ladies to fill in their brow.


    Shen Lian had his reason to attend. It was not because the host was a beautiful woman, but since she took notice of him, they would have certainly crossed path. He could take the chance to know about the person better.


    He answered, "I will attend."


    The weird-browed man nodded, but he did not leave.


    Shen Lian asked, "What more do you want?"


    The weird-browed man asked in a curious manner, "Are you letting me go just like that?"


    "Do you wish that I would kill you out of anger?" Shen Lian laughed and lifted his hand as if he was going to do something.


    The weird-browed man stepped back instinctively and said, "Why shouldn��t you? That was what I was thinking before."


    "Are you not afraid of death?" Shen Lian asked.


    The weird-browed man said, "I am not." He was not trying to act tough, but he never had the thought of being afraid of death.


    Shen Lian put down his hand, and said, "Well if you��re not afraid of death, why should I kill you? You can go."


    Shen Lian believed him and went into the clinic.


    Since Shen Lian applied spiritual pressure on the weird-browed man, he realized while this man expressed fear, but he was not affected by it. He was also indeed, not afraid of death. Survival was every living being��s instinct, but it seemed that there were other instincts in his body which replaced the one for survival.


    It was the first time for him to encounter such situation.


    There were many cultivator families other than Qing Xuan. There were other good families which had crazy tricks that Shen Lian could never imagine. It seemed that there were some mysteries still within Shendu City.


    Shen Lian filled the basin up with clean water. He threw a paper rune inside and the water reflected someone��s silhouette. It was shaking for a bit, but it looked like the weird-browed man and he was circling in the city.


    The moment when the weird-browed man was hit, Shen Lian had planted his spiritual consciousness in him. Later, he used the talisman to follow him from afar. Although he was not a part of the land immortals, he could still see up to a perimeter of a thousand miles. Nothing escaped his eyes. If one reached the level of Daoist Master or Buddha, just by using the mental perception, nothing would be left out, up to the Nine Heavens and down to the Nine Underworlds.


    It was the first time he used this trick and it seemed the effect was decent. The only concern was that the image was a bit blurry and the quality was bad.


    Looking at the basin filled with water and the image inside it, Shen Lian remembered how in his past life, this was something like a surveillance camera.


    Ruoxi was squatting at the side and watching the image. She found it to be rather amusing. She was much smarter than any average kids. She did not put her hand into the water, nor asked a lot of questions.


    Lastly, an image of a mysterious lady appeared. Her face was covered by a thin veil. She suddenly appeared in front of the man with staged eyebrows. She swung her arm and the image disappeared. There was only the talisman left in the water.


    Shen Lian frowned as he felt that he heard this, "You will be able to see me tonight, why are you so nervous?"


    It was indeed impressive that she could detect his tricks.


    ****


    The moon was beautiful at night and there were little stars scattering around in the sky. It was softly lit. There was a bright moon in the middle of the lake, and it matched well with the lanterns around.


    There was a Hua Fang in the lake; sounds of singing, and the melodies from musical instruments.


    Some fishes in the lake too occasionally surfaced to swallow the little sprinkles floating on the surface.


    A small boat came out from the Hua Fang, and stopped somewhere.ҹ��̽�� �� A move in martial arts.

 Chapter 112 The Book of Nine Lotus

    On the small boat, Shen Lian was dressed in his Dao robe, which blew in the wind. His long hair was let down on his shoulder. He looked just like a Dao practitioner in a Chinese ink painting.


    There was a fisherman rowing at the back of the boat. He was dressed in a similar to the weird-browed man.


    In front of them was a small building in North Lake. There was no melody nor singing coming from the building.


    Shen Lian was on the deck. Unlike the surrounding which was well lit, there was no light there. It was quiet. The fisherman who was there before had left along with the boat, leaving only ripples behind.


    The moment he arrived the bank of North Lake, there was someone waiting for him. He was then sent to this place using the boat.


    He felt a bit odd. The word Cuiyun Pavillion was visible under the moonlight. It was beautiful and elegantly written.


    Shen Lian stepped into the building with really light footsteps. He passed by a walkway and saw a beaded curtain at one side. No wind could reach here, and that explained why no sounds were produced by this beaded curtain. The moonlight seeped through the gaps between the beaded chains, and the whole atmosphere was dreamlike.


    Shen Lian moved inside. He lifted the curtain and the beads made a melodic sound.


    The room was extremely spacious. There was a skylight which let in the moonlight.


    The floor and wall were made of special materials. The moonlight permeated the room, like a stream of water.


    A lady was sitting on the floor, with a seven-stringed Guqin in front of her.


    Under the moonlight, one could observe that she was extremely beautiful with an aura out of this world.


    One��s beauty was not particularly important to Shen Lian, but even a saint would not ignore the woman in front of him right now.


    Even when Confucius met Nanzi, he was shocked by her beauty.


    Other than her beautiful face, she carried with her a class, like a lotus cleansed in the rain. It was refreshing and pure, like a saintess, who was the savior for all sufferings.


    She looked like she was just sixteen, and her eyes were smiling.


    Smiling always brought woman �C especially a beautiful woman - good fortune.


    She seemed to understand it well, and she had a really charming smile.


    Shen Lian asked, "Are you Zhao Xiaoyu?"


    "Do you think I am not?" Her eyes scoured through Shen Lian, which reminded one of the clear streams in autumn.


    If fairy existed, it would look like her.


    In his previous life, Shen Lian rarely had the chance to interact with beautiful women other than through the internet. In this life, he had met a few really gorgeous women. It was not because he started having good fortunes, but because, with cultivation, the improvement he had been through acted as a filtering process.


    Among cultivators, regardless of gender, it was rare to find someone ugly. It was because after going through the process of cultivation, most people��s skin would turn smooth and delicate.


    Even if the facial features were not nice, with a change in disposition, one could become extremely attractive.


    For cultivators, one��s disposition was more important than facial features.


    Shen Lian was not feeling awkward with her attempt in sizing him up. He hid his thoughts and exhibited a degree of unknown. As he stepped forward, he could get a whiff of her smell, which composed of the smell of Otherworldly and her body odor which was unique to young women.


    Her fingers went through the strings and the melody produced was akin to a stream of water flowing underneath a row of pine trees. It was light and clear, but at the same time extremely touching.


    There was crystal-like nail polish on her nails. They were flashing as her fingers moved along. Occasionally one could spot the veins at the back of her hand, like jade patterns. It was mesmerizing.


    Shen Lian did not answer yes or no, and he said the following softly, "I suppose you are Zhao Xiaoyu, and you have a rather unusual background."


    Zhao Xiaoyu lifted her eyebrows, and her nimble fingers were still on the strings. She laughed, "Well I guess it is pretty easy to guess that. It will be rather disappointing if that is all you can manage."


    Shen Lian recited the following phrase, "To be at the ninth level of the lotus bier, I wish I could be a cloud that goes through the rain and the mountain." This poem was born out of a description of a cult of Luo, which was known as Nine Lotus school.


    An expression flashed through Zhao Xiaoyu��s face and she stopped scouring at Shen Lian. She replied softly, "It is no wonder that you are a student of Qing Xuan. You are a learned man."


    Shen Lian said, "It has been a long time since I��ve heard that the Book of Nine Lotus from Nine Lotus school is the best art of spiritual enhancement. I can finally confirm this rumor meeting you today." As Shen Lian was studying the Mastery of Senses, hence he did his research in the field of spiritual enhancement. While this woman seemed like an experienced cultivator, she still exhibited certain characteristics of the Nine Lotus.


    For instance, her pure disposition, like a white lotus, unsullied by the mud it grew out of, fitted well to the description about the Book of Nine Lotus.


    "Qing Xuan is really one of the best family. I cannot tell which spiritual enhancement you went through �C you are able to establish spiritual consciousness before reaching the stage of Huandan." Zhao Xiaoyu was a few inches shorter than Shen Lian, and hence she had to look up to him. The playing of the Guqin stopped.


    Shen Lian smiled, "It happened due to pure chance. It is not worth mentioning."


    Zhao Xiaoyu understood that what Shen Lian said was not the truth, but that was not why she asked him here for.


    Zhao Xiaoyu blended in well with the dreamy environment. Even though she was just in front of Shen Lian, it felt like she was not actually there. She asked, "Are you not curious to know whether this invitation is a trap?"


    Shen Lian laughed and did not answer. He stepped forward and sat down in front of her.


    The woman was not surprised. She stared into his eyes, carrying a look of indifference.


    She sighed and said, "Still Qing Xuan is one of the oldest and more legitimate family. Every generation there will be someone like yourself and Jian Wang who is extremely brilliant."


    Shen Lian said, "I am not anywhere near the level of senior Chen. Please don��t overestimate my ability."


    Zhao Xiaoyu��s beautiful eyes looked just like the starry night. She said to Shen Lian, "You don��t have to be humble. Please don��t keep it to heart as my servant might have offended you today. They are not complete anymore, hence they can only practice something out of the normal family. As a result of that, they are temperamental." She subsequently said, "In the face of Qing Xuan, we Nine Lotus also are something out of the normal family. If you see me as an evil practitioner, there is no need for us to continue with this conversation."


    She looked extremely pitiful. For any man who had observed that, he would have promised everything to her.


    Shen Lian��s peaceful heart was stirred. The low-leveled seduction techniques made use of actions to evoke lustful reactions, but high-leveled techniques could evoke a reaction through innocence. The person would be manipulated without even being aware of it.

 Chapter 113 The Common and Myself

    Speaking about seduction, the techniques used by Buddhism were far better than Daoism. In the previous generation, there was proof that the human form of Water and Moon Guanyin could beat everyone flat in all countries.


    The Nine Lotus was closely related to Buddhism. It had a long history. Some many years ago, there was a saint with the surname Luo who was preaching at a bare mountain. He was explaining the fundamentals of Buddhism, with emptiness being the origin of the universe.


    He gained more and more followers, and everyone started calling him Master Luo. After he ended his preaching, he left with an impact.


    His students then formed Luo, having him as the Master. There were a few great people that were from Luoism and it was at one point extremely famous.


    When Master Luo did his teaching, everything stemmed from the heart and there was no documentation. As a result, the great Luoist followers led their own paths, which were passed on to the future generations in different branches.


    These branches subsequently started infighting, which broke down the huge Luoism into many secret cults, and Nine Lotus was one of them. The Book of Nine Lotus put a heavy emphasis on the principles of Buddhism. According to rumors, one would need the power of followings to reach the highest level of cultivation.


    Due to that reason, they always made use of war times to spread the belief.


    Given Nine Lotus had such requirement, Shen Lian could roughly guess the aim of Zhao. While the conversation sounded normal, they were both showing their edges through the Daoist mind. Shen Lian, however, did not allow out-of-body to happen so that it would not pierce through the peaceful surface.


    If there was no hundred percent certainty, Daoist rarely combats each other in a death or alive situation, unless it involved cultivation.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was the first person Shen Lian had ever met which could come head to head with him in the battle of the spirits at the same level. From the beginning, Shen Lian did not even try to pressure her for a battle. He left her with absolute control.


    Shen Lian smiled at Zhao Xiaoyu��s words. The moonlight started to popple like water. He smiled as their Daoist minds continued the mental battle. It got more and more rigorous, while shapeless, it had affected the physical world. He spoke softly, "When I was studying in Qing Xuan, I��ve never heard of anything that is considered out of the norm or anything that is inside the path of Dao. If there is anything that can be considered out of the norm, in my opinion, it will be anything other than my path."


    When Zhao Xiaoyu heard the phrase "it will be anything other than my path", there was a change in balance in terms of power. She was disturbed, and her calm disposition disappeared. Her look remained the same, it made her look more akin a girl from the neighborhood.


    Shen Lian did not try to follow up the victory with hot pursuit. His Daoist mind remained calm. His eyes looked like the stars in the night sky. They were peaceful.


    Zhao Xiaoyu started laughing, "From what you said, you seem to approach the path of Dao."


    The previous statement did not originate from Shen Lian. He saw it from other places, and the reason why it had such a huge impact on Zhao Xiaoyu was because Nine Lotus walked the path of Shen. As it gathered the belief of the common, "The common isn��t me and I am not the common", it was hard to stay true to self if it relied on the belief of the common.


    "It would be anything other than my path.


    Anything different would not be a part of me."


    In Daoism, it was all about the self. In contradiction, for Buddhism, the revelation was the most important element. For Luoism, it was all about emptiness. The principles were clear, but knowing them was one thing, understanding them was another. The most difficult part was actually about understanding and implementing them in parallel.


    What Shen Lian had said was able to affect Zhao Xiaoyu for a short while. It gave the opportunity for Shen Lian to get out of the battle of the Daoist minds. If she persisted, he would not have a chance to win at all. Even if he won, he would not be able to retreat fully. It also would not be beneficial to his cultivation.


    "The classics of both Buddhism and Daoism is all about the speaking of the path, but it still could not help us reach mastery. We can only be close to it. The mastery is not something that can be achieved with the words of mouth," Shen Lian laughed. It was indeed true that there were people who had achieved sudden revelation, but who would care for the time spent on it before revelation happened?


    When Zhao Xioayu heard that, she lowered her head. There was a string of hair by the edge of her mouth. She looked out of this world.


    The melody of the Guqin began again. It was akin to a soft sigh, or the dew on the lotus leaf. It was perhaps closer to the wind that blew through the branches of a willow.


    This song was made up of a few simple tones, which formed a natural rhythm, seemingly blending the people into the backdrop of heaven and earth. It led people into a state of hollow calmness.


    Shen Lian closed his eyes and enjoy the music.


    It was as if he was in the middle of an empty mountain, where there were pine trees. The streams flowed under the moonlight. Ultimately the music ended and was no longer heard.


    The Guqin was kept, and some alcohols were served. They were extremely sweet and palatable. The alcohol was refreshing.


    They discussed cultivation and the universe, from history to present. Unknowingly, the moon was in the middle of the sky.


    When they were parting, Zhao Xiaoyu did not utter a word of her aim. When Shen Lian got back to land, the moon was particularly bright. The river was reflecting the light.


    His heart, however, was not completely calm yet.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was good with words, and she was extremely powerful. As the follower of the Nine Lotus, it was apparent that she needed the belief of the common.


    To practice the Book of Nine Lotus, the belief of the common was not sufficient on its own.


    If that was the case, most Daoist practitioners would have followed the path.


    To reach the path of Shen quickly was extremely dangerous. Once failed, the spirit would be damaged, and oneself could risk being damaged too.


    However, if one succeeded in this path, which would then convert the Yin spirit to the inextinguishable divine aura and further divide it into multiple bodies, one could become inextinguishable. This path was particularly good in protecting one��s life.


    Zhao Xiaoyu��s path was something totally incompatible with the one of the Empress��. Perhaps she knew that the Empress wanted to meet him, and hence she decided to meet him prior to that in order to make him work for her.


    Unfortunately, Shen Lian was not seduced by Zhao Xiaoyu. From the beginning, his bier remained clear, and hence she gave up on this attempt.


    The Empress would surely be aware of Zhao Xiaoyu and the Nine Lotus. They could have initiated a fight. Shen Lian��s cultivation level could help break the state of balance for both sides. He accidentally stepped into this, but how he would react would depend on the meeting with the Empress.


    By the time Shen Lian returned to the clinic, Ruoxi had already fallen asleep. He covered the girl who had kicked off her blanket, then he entered the state of concentration as usual.


    After listening to Zhao Xiaoyu��s wonderful music, he was in a deeper concentration than usual tonight. In the Mud Castle, or the Zifu Bier, the innate deity who was carrying a jade Ruyi appeared again.


    He started to pay attention to the jade Ruyi. The Ruyi was made to imitate the shape of a hand, which carried the meaning that it was an extension of the human��s mind.


    In the common world, its purpose was to stop the itch, but it actually meant to say the noise in a human��s mind, which was often fluctuating. Hence it was used to represent a tool that could help in ridding of random thoughts.


    Previously Shen Lian could only observe the shape of the Ruyi, and not the patterns. It seemed that he had made further progress tonight.


    The handle of the Ruyi had a lot of stripes, which could mainly be divided into nine stripes. However, he still could not see what they represented. When he paid attention to it, there was a difficult spell that came to mind.

 Chapter 114 Why Did the Water Flow?

    The incantation went by like running water, which left no mark.


    Shen Lian could not remember a single word, but he seemed to lose himself. He was trapped in a dream.


    It was an odd space, there were wind, thunder, lightning, sun, moon, and star, which were interchanging.


    The six phenomena were interchanging as if it was encrypting the message of Dao on heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian was confused and unable to think. During the final dragon roar, everything disappeared and then he woke up.


    It had been many years since he last had a dream, as he used the state of concentration as a substitute to sleep.


    This dream, however, was grand and colorful and odd to an extreme. He could still feel the impact of the dream �C it was an indescribable feeling. It was akin to happiness, despair, or perhaps, loneliness.


    The sun rose from the east. Ruoxi woke up earlier than Shen Lian. He smelled pancakes and congee.


    It seemed that sometimes a kid could just grow up all in a sudden.


    Shen Lian did not give much thought to the dream last night, but he attempted to remember how it felt like waking up from the dream. The seed for the power of Taixu Strategy was about to germinate as if it was planted in the spring soil.


    He was eating the congee and pancake earnestly. It was the first time Ruoxi tried cooking but they were edible. Ruoxi was a bright kid. She had become extremely perceptive under Shen Lian''s nurturing.


    If she were to learn swordcraft, it was likely that she would be better than ninety-nine percent of the swordmen out there. If she were to do something else, she would be the cr��me de la cr��me.


    However, in cultivation, mere talent was not sufficient.


    It required affinity, techniques, and most importantly, luck.


    Ruoxi looked at Shen Lian earnestly as he ate the food she prepared. She looked more concentrated than when she was practicing writing. Shen Lian''s expression had changed as he noticed the little girl''s expression. While the food was just alright, he looked as if he was enjoying it fully.


    Once he finished, he asked Ruoxi, "Do you want to go on a trip tomorrow?"


    The little girl asked, "Where to?"


    "A temple in the mountain. It is called Xiangji Temple," Shen Lian replied.


    "Is it fun?"


    "I''ve never been there, so I don''t know."


    "I want to go."


    "Okay."


    The daily conversations between this pair of adult and child had always been this plain and boring. The two were not aware of it. Ruoxi enjoyed the crowd, but she did not like to be a part of it.


    The crowd and the hustle and bustles were just like fireworks during the festive season. She liked to be alone, or simply follow her brother at somewhere quiet. She would be satisfied to just be able to watch the fireworks from afar.


    She was easily satisfied because she demanded little. With that, she had little problems in life. She did not know about the bad blood she inherited, and Shen Lian too would not tell her about it so she would not seek revenge. From this aspect, she was in a much better position than Bai Shaoliu.


    It was the third time Shen Lian met Bai Shaoliu. He looked less cold than before as he attempted to squeeze out a smile.


    Shen Lian laughed, "Have you ever smiled in front of a mirror?"


    Bai Shaoliu did not understand why Shen Lian posed the question. He shook his head and answered, "No."


    "I feel that if you smile at a mirror, it can help you with your guts."


    "Why?"


    "Because your smile looks scary."


    It was obviously a joke, but it was not a funny one. Bai Shaoliu then stopped smiling.


    It was perhaps because he had been expressionless for a while, and hence his facial muscles were rather stiff. The smile was not completely removed from his face and it looked even more awkward.


    After a short silence, Shen Lian then asked, "So why are you here?"


    Bai Shaoliu replied, "I am here to thank you for saving my life the other night."


    He took out a fabric. There were pictures and words on top of it.


    Shen Lian did not accept it. He merely said, "This is what they wanted from you."


    Bai Shaoliu nodded.


    "Is it more precious than your life?"


    Bai Shaoliu then answered, "Yes." When he said that, his voice got louder.


    "And hence you''re giving it to me? You must have thought this through to decide to bring it over," Shen Lian replied softly.


    Bai Shaoliu did not say anything.


    For some people, life is precious because only when one is alive, he could do what was most important to him. Shen Lian allowed him to live, to him, it was not just about saving his life. Shen Lian gave him the hope to continue seeking revenge.


    He also felt that the enemy would not be able to get hold of it if it was with Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian continued, "Do you want to be a student of mine?"


    Bai Shaoliu looked at Shen Lian''s handsome face. He knew how powerful Shen Lian was, but he never even had the thought to learn anything from Shen Lian. He already owed him his life. If he were to ask to be his student, it would be too much.


    He never expected that Shen Lian would take the initiative to ask him.


    He hesitated.


    Shen Lian said, "It seems like you do not want to accept this offer."


    "No, it is just because I don''t know how I can repay you. I don''t know what I can help you in."


    Bai Shaoliu sprouted a series of words continuously.


    "You can owe it to me first," Shen Lian laughed.


    Bai Shaoliu thought he was dreaming. Shen Lian took over the fabric from his hand. The fabric carried the record of a type of sword art �C Stream Sword.


    The styles and the incantations were ordinary. They were a bit rough and had a lot of weaknesses.


    Shen Lian took a look at it and returned it to Bai Shaoliu.


    Bai Shaoliu was disappointed to see Shen Lian did not lose his composure. He was disappointed to think that maybe the sword art was worth nothing.


    What Shen Lian said subsequently turned his thought around.


    "This sword sect has some value. If you are successful in this, you will have little enemies in the mortal world. You will be able to taste the sweetness of revenge with this."


    "I have been practicing this for over ten years, but I have yet to feel how powerful it is."


    "Have you ever seen a stream? Do you know why water flows?"


    Bai Shaoliu was stunned. He did not know the answer to this.


    "You should pay a visit to Anping Canal to see why water flows. After you know the reason, then pay me a visit again."


    After Bai Shaoliu heard what Shen Lian said, while he did not know the reason, he followed suit. In terms of martial arts, he believed Shen Lian was one of the most powerful in the world.


    He, of course, knew that Shen Lian was not a martial artist, but a cultivator.


    Learning martial art was to strengthen the body and to obtain power.


    Cultivating was to understand the principles of the heaven and earth, and for longevity and eternity.


    They shared some similarities, but there were more differences.


    Shen Lian gave the Stream Sword technique a glance, and he knew the meaning behind this. It was not a sword art, but a piece that described the mysterious power on heaven and earth.


    It was speaking about the principles of why water flows. If one were able to understand the principle of it, then he could learn this art and make it powerful.


    It was a sword art in Daoism, not something in the mortal realm of martial art.


    If one were to learn it with the thought of martial art and attempt to understand the power of the sword art, then one could learn nothing from it.

 Chapter 115 There Is No Dus

    Bai Shaoliu returned to the inn. Anping Canal was right outside the inn, and the water was naturally flowing.


    He took a bench and placed it by the side of the canal. He stared at the running water.


    The inn owner, Zhou Ling whose charm from her younger days still existed was wondering what was wrong with him. He did not look half dead today, but he looked even duller.


    Even though the sun was bright and it was extremely hot, he was paying full attention to the water.


    The water in Anping Canal, while it did not flow particularly fast, it was clear. The water glittered under the sun. It was hard for one to keep his eyes open when looking at it. Bai Shaoliu''s eyes got drier, but he did not close his eyes. He continued staring.


    He kept doing it until evening. The water was now dyed red by the sunset, which made it as pretty as flowers.


    Zhou Ling could not stand it anymore. She went beside Bai Shaoliu and asked, "What is wrong with you?"


    Bai Shaoliu did not move even an inch and he continued to stare at the water.


    Zhou Ling could not stop herself but to give him a kick.


    Bai Shaoliu then reacted in a delayed manner, and asked the inn owner, "Why do you think water flows?"


    Zhou Ling was astounded by how stupid this question was, and answered, "If the water comes from a higher place, it is natural for it to flow downward. The water upstream is at a higher place than the downstream, and hence it is only natural for it to flow."


    Bai Shaoliu frowned a little, and said, "Is it that simple?"


    The inn owner put her hands on her waist and glared at him, "Why are you thinking of such rubbish? You should be working."


    Bai Shaoliu had nothing to hide from the inn owner. He owed a lot to her, comparable to how much he owed to Shen Lian. He replied, "Mister Shen asked me to think about why water flows."


    When Zhou Ling heard this, she asked, "Which Mister Shen?"


    "The one from the next street, from the ''Walking Dead'' Clinic."


    "You mean the guy asked you to think about that? Well, then you should go and tell him about my answer just now." The inn owner seemed like she was about to laugh.


    Bai Shaoliu knew that the answer would not be so simple, but what she said seemed to have a power on him. Under such unknown forces, he followed her order.


    The ''Walking Dead'' Clinic.


    Shen Lian sat next to Ruoxi, and looked at her writing practice.


    The word ''Yong'' as written by Ruoxi, from the shape of it, it looked nothing different from what Shen Lian had written. Even the style was similar. However, by looking at it carefully, there were some differences to be found.


    The ''Yong'' written by Shen Lian looked as if it was alive and moving. On the other hand, the ''Yong'' written by Ruoxi lacked liveliness.


    While Bai Shaoliu was staring at Ruoxi''s writing, he was thinking about what the inn owner said again.


    Shen Lian patiently listened to Bai Shaoliu''s answer and then he replied slowly, "You said that water flows from upstream to downstream, and this is the reason why water flows. Why don''t you tell me why can''t water flow from the bottom to the top?"


    Bai Shaoliu was stunned, he knew the answer was too simplistic, but in fact, he never thought about it.


    Shen Lian used another question to dismiss Bai Shaoliu. He thought to himself, "It probably requires him to get hit by an apple on the head, then can he figure out the answer."


    He did not intend for Bai Shaoliu to figure out the reason water flowed from high to low. It was simply because he was too stubborn and inflexible. If he could get out of this bottleneck, then he would have come to a revelation.


    Ruoxi then said to him, "I understand why you asked him the question, and how it is related to the Stream Sword technique."


    Shen Lian smiled and patted her head, "How do you know?"


    Ruoxi replied, "Water flows, it is because it flows, then it''s called a stream. The stream will not stop, and similarly to the sword art. If you understand how it can flow like water, it will then become Stream Sword."


    The power of flowing water was tremendous. Even if a dam was built, water could only be held back for a short while. Ultimately it would break through the barrier. It then would not be a small stream, but a disaster which could destroy everything.


    Shen Lian sighed, and said, "You''re just too brilliant."


    For a child to be able to figure this out, wherever she was, it was extremely rare. Shen Lian, however, did not know whether it was a good or a bad thing.


    When he was at her age, he probably enjoyed playing with mud more.


    Ruoxi''s intelligence was partly contributed by his teaching, but it was also because she had the talent.


    Shen Lian thought about the phrase, "Spoil things by undue haste", he wondered what would become of this.


    Ruoxi could not understand the meaning behind the sigh, but she supposed she had annoyed him.


    Bai Shaoliu returned to Fuman Inn, which was the name of the inn owned by Zhou Ling.


    The inn owner wanted to know what Shen Lian''s reply was. He was surprised to see why the inn owner was suddenly interested in this, as she was usually only interested in money.


    Was it because she liked Shen Lian? While Shen Lian looked really young, it was probable that he was already nearing 50. He heard that if one''s martial art reached a certain level, one could reverse aging.


    Although the inn owner was still beautiful, women aged easily, and Shen Lian was not a common man.


    The inn owner pinched her sexy red lips into a line. Some doubts flashed through her eyes, and she came to a revelation. She glanced at Bai Shaoliu and said, "If he asked you to think, you should just go ahead. If you can''t figure out an answer after all, then you should go to him again."


    Bai Shaoliu acknowledged that, and subsequently he heard, "Remember to do the dishes. I am going to take a bath and sleep. I hate this goddamn weather."


    After he heard that, he felt a flush on his face and he suddenly thought of one thing �C he had never seen her sweat. Even though this place was situated close to the waters and hence not particularly hot, it would still be easy for someone normal to just sweat.


    From this, he figured that the inn owner was not someone normal.


    Everyone had their secrets. The inn owner never asked him about his, and hence he would respect her and do the same. Furthermore, he should have thought about that, why would a normal woman save someone who was covered in blood? Even if one was kind, she would not have the guts to do so.


    The inn owner liked to take a bath. She thought that by dipping herself in clean hot water was the best enjoyment in life.


    She also liked this phrase, "Human can dirty the water, but water can''t do the same to a human. As it goes, there is no dust left."


    When she thought of this phrase, she suddenly heard it. It did not come from her, but from another person.


    There was someone in the room. It was a beautiful phrase coming out from her mouth.


    She was Zhao Xiaoyu, Zhao Xiaoyu who was unsullied by the dust.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was still dressed in white robes, or one could say she was wearing a pure white veil. She appeared all in a sudden, if accompanied by celestial music, one would not doubt that a fairy had arrived.


    The inn owner had a complicated look in her eyes when she saw her. She then said, "I can''t imagine that you will still be looking for me at this day and age."

 Chapter 116 The Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma

    Zhao Xiaoyu stared closely at the lady boss��, Zhou Ling��s, exposed skin; it was still silky smooth, but she noticed that the skin sagged slightly. Light wrinkles even appeared between her brows. "You are aging," she sighed.


    The lady boss casually removed the jade hairpin on her hair and aimed it towards Zhao Xiaoyu. Even though her skin had started sagging, it was still as clear as white jade. It was hard to tell whether she complemented the jade, or was it the jade that complemented her beauty.


    The jade hairpin did not travel at a frightening speed, and there were no glaring lights either. However, it made Zhao Xiaoyu felt as though there was nowhere to hide in this big wide world.


    Wind rose indoors, but the wind extinguished within seconds. Clouds appeared and dispersed. It was not that her spells malfunctioned, but it was because they were undone the moment they were produced.


    The reason why the lady boss was aging, was because she was at the Degenerate Age. At a Degenerate Age, no one could attain Dharma.


    She finally managed to find a hint of the true meaning behind Degenerate Age in the secular world.


    In the end, the jade hairpin struck Zhao Xiaoyu at the middle of her brows. There was no blood, and the jade hairpin fell.


    On the other hand, the lady boss wrapped herself in a red silk scarf with her slender legs exposed. Her porcelain white skin could still be seen now and then.


    Between Zhao Xiaoyu��s brows, there was glowing white light in the shape of a lotus flower. She was giving off the vibe of a Water-Moon Guanyin, and seemed extremely holy and delicately beautiful.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you have finally mastered the basics of "The Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma", congratulations!" Zhao Xiaoyu smiled as she spoke.


    The Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma was a set of secret martial exercises of Luoism. Allegedly, at the pinnacle of cultivation, it could annihilate every spell. In the end, one could conjure up a place of enlightenment for the Degenerate Age, any holy deities who got caught in it would have their erased and all of their cultivation experience would turn into naught.


    The lady boss had not reached this state yet, it was just that she had understood a hint of the meaning of Dharma. The consequences would be her taking up on the pain of the meaning of Dharma and to go through the aging process gradually.


    In the realm of the Degenerate Age, there were no deities of any sort. The World-Honoured One pitied the pain and suffering of the masses that were trapped in the endless reincarnation cycle, so He manifested Himself in the world and subjected Himself to the cycle of life, and eventually passed away at the age of eighty.


    "I could not even break through the Dharma cleanly, what more the non-existence of Dharma. You had already entered into the profound state of "without Dharma and without mindfulness", and you are just one step away from the Nine Lotus characteristic of phenomena. What difficulty could you possibly be facing that you must seek for myself?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu bowed and reached for the jade hairpin. She dusted the jade hairpin and said, "You are still keeping the jade hairpin with you."


    "Back then you loved fighting with me and ended up breaking my jade hairpin. Master got me a new one, even though it is just an average item from the secular world, but I could never let go of it," the lady boss said as she looked at the jade hairpin in Zhao Xiaoyu��s hand with a gentle expression.


    "Regardless of how we fight now, master will never come back," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke gently, as though she was reminiscing, or had ceased her longing. Dao was having emotions even though when one had none, Dao was not having emotions even though when one had any; real or fake, the lady boss could not differentiate the two.


    She knew that Zhao Xiaoyu was not here for the old days or for her hidden scar, no one would understand as well as her how scary her Junior Apprentice-Sister was.


    "Speak up, what are you here for?"


    "Do me a favor, kill someone for me."


    "Who?"


    "The Empress of the Da Zhou Dynasty."


    "That is not someone whom I am capable of killing."


    "You just have to try, even if it is just once, but I hope that you can try your best."


    "I will do it for you, with one condition," the lady boss pondered on her options for a while, and finally agreed to do it.


    Zhao Xiaoyu seemed to have expected it and did not seem particularly affected.


    ******


    The Xiangji Temple was situated in the mountains out of Shendu City. The mountain range was endless, and the peak hid in the clouds.


    One could not see the temple from the foot of the mountain. There was a path up to the mountain and was flanked by rows of ancient trees, surrounded by chirping birds and singing insects.


    A delicately handsome young man was walking in the mountains, and he brought along a young pretty girl.


    The clear stream was slapping against the cold stone, and the faraway sunshine shone on the ancient woods; it was a beautiful and moving scene.


    The scenery was enjoyed by only two people. There was no one else, as the Empress was here.


    The Empress was very fond of the Xiangji Temple, and frequented the temple. She even graced the temple with a set of calligraphy �C"Continued to recall the gardens of Xiangji Monastery, and delight in its hills and streams." She frequently visited the Pure Land sanctuary, offering treasures from the oceans. She repeatedly mingled with the common people, donating valuables from the rivers.


    The passage was engraved on the stone tablet; Shen Lian and Ruoxi were looking right at it.


    The stone tablet stood at six meters tall, and it was jade green in its entirety. It could well be considered as a precious treasure, but at here, it was merely a stone tablet.


    Behind the stone tablet, a high tower stood. The tower had a circumference of two hundred over steps, and thirteen floors.


    A thirteen-floored tower was considered very tall, and the Buddhist tower was also known as a Buddhist pagoda. It was an important magic talisman in Buddhist legends, which could lead all Buddhas of the ten directions, to protect the immeasurable world, and to keep the demons away. As the saying goes, "Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda", a seven-floored pagoda was considered as tall, what more a thirteen-floored pagoda.


    However, the Empress was wealthy. With just one word, she could blast open the mountain or fill the lake. A mere thirteen-floored pagoda was nothing to her.


    Kuhui was waiting on the ground floor and had a serious expression on his face. Ruoxi looked up at the tower with her black eyes; she had to put in a lot of effort to raise her head in order to observe the view in its entirety.


    Shen Lian felt the gaze from thirteen floors above.


    Shen Lian was not a demon, and the person at the top of the tower was not a Buddha.


    Both of them were not the mere mortals, and yet they were both still struggling in this world.


    "Her Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time," Kuhui smiled and welcomed Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian nodded and was ready to bring Young Ruoxi up along with him.


    Kuhui stopped him with his hand, "Why don��t you let me take care of this young girl so that you don��t have to worry about her." Kuhui did it out of goodwill, as Ruoxi would be a burden to Shen Lian if he were to get into a fight with the Empress.


    "Do you mind staying with this Master for a while?" Shen Lian asked Ruoxi.


    "Yes," replied Ruoxi.


    She raised her head as if she was a little peacock �C beautiful and proud.


    "Let��s head up together and meet with the Empress then," Shen Lian smiled.


    He held Ruoxi, and was flanked by a shapeless wind. The wind gently pushed Kuhui away, and Shen Lian hiked up the tower along with the young girl.


    "Brother, are we meeting with the Empress?" Ruoxi queried softly after they entered the tower.


    "Yes, I told you before didn��t I?"


    "The uncle and aunts said that the Empress killed a lot of people. Brother, let��s tell her to stop killing, should we?" Ruoxi stared at Shen Lian.


    Ruoxi started to realize what was life, and what was death. She knew that killing was bad.

 Chapter 117 To Meditate and to Restrain Oneself from Wishful Thinking

    The thirteen-floored Buddhist pagoda was very tall. Though, it was nothing to Shen Lian.


    Within a few breaths, he walked up with Young Ruoxi �C he actually went up, step by step.


    His breath combined with that of Young Ruoxi, an adult and a child, to a certain extent had become one.


    The space at the top of the pagoda was really small, and the windows were all left open. As Shen Lian appeared at the top of the pagoda, he was welcomed by a cold gaze.


    The Empress was dressed in dragon robe and wore a crown on her head. She was facing the north, and a scene of endless mountains and rivers was behind of her.


    Xiangji Temple was situated at the peak of a tall mountain, and the pagoda of the Xiangji Temple that they were at, it was the peak of the peak. It was a place where one could touch the sky and the clouds.


    "Shen Lian, you are Shen Lian." The Empress'' voice sounded as though it came from the Mount Buzhou in Chinese mythology; it was cold and harsh, sending its listener into bouts of fear.


    Shen Lian was fearless and did not shy away from the Empress'' gaze. His gaze was akin to that of an ocean and could contain everything in it. With that, he absolved the coldness in the Empress'' gaze.


    "Your Majesty, did you think that I''m not Shen Lian, or did you mean to see a different Shen Lian?" He held Young Ruoxi''s hand, and a gentle breeze lifted the strand of hair on the side of his ear, and Shen Lian looked like an immortal celestial. As for Ruoxi, with her lips pursed, she was sizing the Empress up �C the scary Empress from the legend.


    "Are you the Shen Lian from the Shen family of the State of Qing, or the Shen Lian who sought to seek the truth and to attain enlightenment from the celestial schools beyond the seas?" The Empress was emanating a great sense of pressure, and Shen Lian had never seen the overwhelming vibe that she was exerting from any other person.


    Some people were not strong because of their impressive mana or their impeccable supernatural powers, but they were strong for the mere fact that they were, and they were born to rule.


    Ruoxi felt fear rising up in her. She was very sensitive, and she could feel that the woman in front of her was like a tiger. No, maybe fiercer than a tiger.


    She didn''t know that it was called the Qi of a King, the Qi of a mighty ruler.


    Every move and every word of the might ruler was harsh as thunder and authoritative. It was like the gentle spring wind that turned into rain, nourishing the masses.


    Shen Lian was unaffected. "Your Majesty, which one do you wish that I was?" He replied calmly.


    The massive pressure emanated by the Empress was imposed unto Shen Lian. "All member of the Shen family of the State of Qing are rebels, and should all be beheaded. However, if you are one of the Celestials beyond the seas, I will be courteous and build you a Daoist temple, and to include your name in the Dao register," she said.


    The purpose of her little speech was clear, Shen Lian would either lose his life or his freedom.


    If he were to choose the former, he would lose both his life and freedom; if the latter, he would at least have his life.


    However, Shen Lian did not have to choose.


    "Both of the Shen Lian Your Majesty was talking about were me. There was never two Shen Lians to begin with, there was only one "me"," Shen Lian replied casually. His glance swept past the Empress, and fell onto the group of white clouds.


    "Empress, you are very fierce," said Ruoxi out of a sudden.


    "Young girl, are you not afraid of death at all? How dare you talk to me like that?" The Empress looked at Ruoxi and laughed slightly.


    "Empress, can you live forever? Can you make me live forever?" Ruoxi raised her head and asked.


    "Of course I can''t live forever, I can''t make you live forever too," the Empress replied in shock.


    "Since we are all going to die, why should I be afraid of dying?" Ruoxi queried.


    "For the fact that you recognized this, you are more worthy of being a Zhao than anyone else in Shendu City. Why is it that they could not understand something that even a little girl could understand?" Said the Empress. She did not want subordinates who sucked up to her. Her ambition was not something that could be understood by those unscrupulous people.


    If the Empress knew about Shen Lian''s background, she would also know about Ruoxi''s background. However, she did not seem to be particularly bothered by Ruoxi''s identity.


    In fact, all these did not matter to her. Once, she killed a subordinate. However, she had the guts to still use the granddaughter of said subordinate as her lady-in-waiting.


    "Children are not afraid of death because they do not know about all the things worth living for in this world. Even though everyone will die sooner or later, but who doesn''t want to live for a bit more? To be able to do something that one wants to do, that is human nature," Shen Lian replied.


    "Human nature indeed, however, I''m beyond just any human, and I want to achieve deeds beyond normalcy. It would seem that human nature does not apply to me." The Empress stared hard at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian''s gaze cleared up, it was as though a green flame was lighted up in each of his eyes.


    The pea-sized flame shone without a break.


    Despite that the Empress'' gaze was similar to that of snow and gust, it could not extinguish this flame.


    According to the legends and mythology, when the sky was black and the earth was yellow, the universe was a vast and dark whole, it was said that there were three flames that shone through the past and the future, and they transcended time and space.


    One at the Tai Shang Daoist Master''s Bajing Palace;


    Another at the Yuanshi Tianzun''s Yuxu Palace;


    There was also one at the Vulture Peak, where the ancient Dipamkara Buddha dwelled.


    The light was a physical item, but it was also nothingness.


    The Great Adept could light up a flame not only for himself but to show the path to others too.


    This thought was the reason why there was an endless stream of cultivators in this world.


    Shen Lian''s act of sharing his understanding of Dao to his fellow Qing Xuan disciples without bias was in accordance with this thought.


    Of course, his flame was not as bright as those three other flames. However, it still managed to bring some light into the long and dark path of cultivation.


    The coldness in the Empress'' gaze was melted, and the heavenly wind blew in, caressing the ends of her hair. Despite being of considerable age, her skin was still like that of ice and snow, as though she was still a young lady.


    ""The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest, not mingling with the plums and peaches to be reduced to secular." Shen Lian, I know you are good at writing poems, can you leave a poem here today?" She sighed and said.


    She did not come to look for trouble with Shen Lian. All she wanted to meet this person. Her true enemy was still hiding her trump card and was ready to fight her to death.


    The fight on the great Way was never-ending.


    Shen Lian was not on such terms with her yet.


    "Why not," Shen Lian replied.


    Shen Lian was not particularly poetic, but all literature was made in heaven and fell into the hands of those who happened to chance upon it. He did not know how to write, but he knew how to plagiarise.


    "Not knowing the whereabouts of Xiangji Temple, so I went up several miles among the cloudy peaks.


    All passages were blocked by gigantic ancient trees, whence did the bell chime come in the deep mountain.


    The springs sounded choked by the tall boulders, the setting sun cooled off the dark forest of pines.


    In the early evening, the bend of the clear water pool, seemed to be a place to meditate and to restrain oneself from wishful thinking."


    The poem, "Passing by Xiangji Temple" was engraved by Shen Lian with the strength of his finger onto the stone wall of the pagoda. Both the penmanship and the poem were remarkable.


    Even the Empress could not find fault with it. Shen Lian and Ruoxi descended from the pagoda.


    The Empress did not stay the pagoda to appreciate the poem. What was to come will come.


    She was waiting for it.

 Chapter 118 The Difficulty That Came From Within

    The clouds were thin like smoke, the water flew smoothly, and the summer flowers bloomed.


    Shen Lian was still in the mountains, and Ruoxi was not next to him. She was waiting at some distance away.


    A stream that came from the crack of the mountain oozed out, and it formed into a waterfall. The water droplets that came from the splash were like pearls in the sky. The stream ended up flowing into the clear pond in front of Shen Lian, and flowed away gently from the side of the pond.


    The flying stream and the clear pond formed a juxtaposition, the contrast of dynamic and static was illustrated beautifully by the scene.


    There were sunset clouds in the sky, and the night was about to fall.


    Underneath this backdrop, Zhao Xiaoyu appeared in white amidst the smoke-like clouds.


    Shen Lian had been standing here for quite some time now. He was not surprised by Zhao Xiaoyu��s appearance. The saintess of the Nine Lotus Secret Order was the biggest opponent of the Empress in this chess game of Shendu.


    Zhao Xiaoyu plucked a pale yellow wildflower from the side of the stream. She smelled it with her perfectly-shaped nose; her beauty was something that could move any man in the world, it could make them forget about everything else and to think of nothing but her.


    Her features were impeccable, and even the most skilled artist could not perfectly replicate her beauty, no painter could ever catch the soul in her smile as she picked the flower.


    It was as though she was above the masses, which was why she was so perfect.


    Of course, no one was perfect in this world, and that included Zhao Xiaoyu. However, to give off this kind of vibe even for a second, that in itself was impressive.


    No cultivator sailed smoothly in the process of cultivation. More often than not, the others could only see the glorious appearances of those who stood on the pinnacle, and they ended up not noticing the difficulties that they faced.


    "You look very beautiful when you are picking the flower," Shen Lian whispered. His compliment was sincere; if he were not blind, he has got to face Zhao Xiaoyu��s beauty.


    "Seemed like you are in a good mood today, and the Empress was not unreasonable with you," Zhao Xiaoyu threw away the wildflower that she held and sniffed. Her casualness in disposing of something that she once loved, this showcased the kind of coldness and emotionless exhibited by deities.


    "Nature is not benevolent and partial, it treats all things on the earth the same and fairly. To nature, everything was one and equal."


    To Zhao Xiaoyu, what she loved and hated did not have any difference.


    This was what was so different about her, and also what was so scary about her.


    "I guess you want to know what I think about you and the Empress. To be honest, I��m the only one who is qualified to pass any remark on this affair in the whole Shendu City," Shen Lian spoke with confidence.


    "Every time I see you, I feel something different. The impartialness from that night, the pride today, they have all left a strong impression on me. It is true that I do not like the men from the mortal world to judge me, but you are definitely an exception. I want to know what you think," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke with a gentle voice akin to the clouds and catkins; it was as though she was speaking from an illusory mist.


    "This is something that I have heard before. A person who can create an organization is a hero; A person who can create a kingdom is a King; A person who can create a religion is a Saint. Xiaoyu, what kind of person do you think you are?" Shen Lian did not offer his view immediately; instead, he mentioned the passage - to catch a whale by throwing out a minnow.


    Zhao Xiaoyu laughed, "The Nine Lotus Order was not founded by me, and I do not plan to build another order. It would seem that I can never be a Saint. I do not plan to build a country, and an organization is something for the mortals to fight for glory and wealth. I am not interested in all that. It seems that I am neither of those three," she replied.


    "You don��t want to be any of them because you have no desire to be a human. In the beginning, there was God, God is always with Dao. Both will last for an eternity, and they will stand against the rise and fall of civilizations. I admire your ambition," Shen Lian sighed.


    Underneath Zhao Xiaoyu��s silent eyes, an undercurrent was sparked and suppressed. Shen Lian was a very special person, and very scary too.


    Someone like him should see eye to eye with her, but she clearly knew that Shen Lian could not let go of his emotions to chase after something intangible like the laws of heaven.


    This was why Shen Lian was still bringing Ruoxi around. To an outsider, no matter how intelligent Ruoxi was, she was nothing but a burden to Shen Lian.


    She could feel a scary power that was dormant within Shen Lian. The feeling that she got from the power seemed to be what she had been looking for, cold and ancient. This was why she was so attracted to Shen Lian, she felt that Shen Lian was flawed. She could not suppress the power; while he could not be as emotionless as Dao was.


    The law of heaven would always remain in existence; it did not exist for anyone, and it would not cease existing because of anyone.


    She believed that Shen Lian knew about this. Why then would he still hold onto the useless and ridiculous emotions cherished by humans?


    Her Senior Apprentice-Sister was someone like that too.


    She had an indescribable feeling when faced with someone like that.


    As Zhao Xiaoyu pondered on these, Shen Lian��s gaze pierced through the Qi that shielded her, and he faced her directly. Zhao Xiaoyu saw herself in his eyes.


    The clear pond portrayed both of their reflections.


    "However, the Empress was different from you," Shen Lian continued.


    Zhao Xiaoyu replied with an "Oh", and she hid away her thoughts. Her wavering heart of Dao was calmed and steadied once again.


    "What is the difference?"


    "The first time I set eyes on her, I knew that she is not someone who cares about winning and losing. She did what others could not, not because she was trying to prove her abilities, but simply because she wanted to do it." If the Empress were to hear what Shen Lian said, she would definitely feel that she had found someone who understood her. It was a shame that he did not say this in front of the Empress.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was "impartiality", which was why she managed to attain the final "true emptiness" of the Luoism. Where one was naturally empty without self-nature, of course, there would not be a need to find one''s true self.


    The Empress was "partiality"; from the fact that she had changed the Dynasty into hers and turned herself into an Empress, one could tell that she was someone who broke through conventions.


    However, she was not satisfied with all of these. To her, the meaning of life lies in endless exploration, and that was how she kept herself from being bored by life.


    Shen Lian could understand the both of them; naturally, he had some form of similarity to the both of them.


    He was at ease and did not care much about a lot of things. He could let go, and yet he was not afraid of any difficulties. From when he chose the Taixu Strategy, one would know that the spirit to persevere through any challenges and the spirit of risk-taking was innate in him.


    It was not to say that he had both of the strengths of Zhao Xiaoyu and the Empress. This was the paradox of his life.


    Back when Zhang Ruoxu told Gu Caiwei to pass him the words, that "the difficulty that he is facing came from within", it was not false at all.


    The time he spent previously and the contact he had with the both of them had allowed him to realize this, and corresponded with the chief��s words.

 Chapter 119 The Sound of Chants and Mantras

    The harmonization of the eight Qi of Taixu was akin to a difficult mathematical equation. However, with enough time and effort, there would always be a solution to it in spite of its difficulty.


    Shen Lian found the reason behind the conflict of the eight Qi and the approach to solving it. However, there was still something he needed to breakthrough from; the pivotal point was not on others, but on him.


    Shen Lian looked up at the pagoda and noticed a drastic change in the surrounding Qi of heaven and earth.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled and stared into nothingness. An arrow came piercing through the clouds, headed right at the pagoda. The arrow was spinning non-stop, and it was moving the Qi of heaven and earth. A dragon-shaped air current was formed, and the clouds were drawn in by it, forming a long tail.


    The bells chimed, and a bombastic sound of chants and mantras came from the Xiangji Temple.


    "Namo Xiangji Buddha, Namo Xiangji Buddha, ��", within the sounds of bells and chants.


    A golden glow came from the Buddhist pagoda, and a Buddha statue could be seen in the nothingness. The golden palm took a worship position. The Buddhist light was akin to waves, and it spread out. The dragon made of sword Qi came from the depths of the cloud was blocked.


    The strength of the Qi of the dragon impacted the Buddhist light relentlessly.


    There was a short standstill between the both of them.


    Zhao Xiaoyu��s voice sounded next to Shen Lian��s ear, and there was a hint of pride in it. "There was never any Xiangji Temple here, and there was no Xiangji Buddha. However, back when she was still the Empress Dowager, she conferred the title of Xiangji Buddha by imperial order. As a ruler in the mortal realm, how can she confer a title of deity by imperial order? It was an outrageous treason.


    However, as the number of the incense lighted in the mountains grew, a deity was actually born here.


    If it was not for the hint of divinity that I have attained, I would not have realized this. That was when I realized what sort of supernatural power she has been cultivating. As for why did she change the name of the dynasty, it was not as simple as her wanting to be the Empress," said Zhao Xiaoyu.


    As Shen Lian listened to her long speech, some changes took place in the standstill between the illusory Buddha on the pagoda and the dragon made of Qi sword.


    The arrow burst, and strands of black air fell into the illusory Buddha along with the flying shrapnel. It sounded as though sparks fell into a pot of oil, and "woomph woomph woomph" could be heard from the illusory Buddha after bouts of glaring lights.


    The evening wind swept past the mountain stream, and the pagoda still stood. With Shen Lian��s sight, he could see some dents and bumps on it, which seemed to be the aftermath of the blast earlier.


    The blast earlier was not particularly impressive; in fact, they did not feel much vibration from where they were.


    However, the clash of Dao techniques was an eye-opener for Shen Lian.


    From the beginning till the end, the Empress and the owner of the arrow were nowhere to be seen.


    The Buddha and the black air on the arrow were very mysterious indeed.


    "Our show has ended. What did you notice?" Zhao Xiaoyu started clapping as she spoke.


    "Forgive me for not being more learned, but from what you have said earlier, it seemed that this Buddha was not a manifestation of Qi of vitality. It seemed to be an actual deity, yet it was a lot weaker in terms of mana and supernatural powers as compared to other real deities," Shen Lian replied.


    The aura of the Buddha was similar to the Wutong Gods, but it did not have the evilness as strong as that of the Wutong Gods. The discomfort caused was minimal, and it was almost negligible.


    The black air from the arrow was too far for him to discern its nature. But he felt that after the black air had appeared, the Buddha degenerated by itself, as though it was met with its predator.


    There were a few cruel Talisman and witchcraft that had the similar effect of undoing the supernatural Dao techniques, but the hint of black air seemed to not be as evil.


    "I wouldn��t tell you even if you wanted to know," Zhao Xiaoyu looked at him with her beautiful eyes and said.


    Her voice was getting more and more distance; she was right in front of him, and now she was almost completely gone.


    The wind and mist dispersed, and Shen Lian stared at where Zhao Xiaoyu was standing. An ant that was curling up had started to crawl up. She was stepping on an ant, and the ant was unharmed when she left.


    Moreover, Shen Lian could not tell that Zhao Xiaoyu was doing it purposefully. It would show how scary her state of cultivation was, which explained why she dared to go against the Empress.


    If Zhao Xiaoyu refused to talk, Shen Lian could not force her to either. The situation at Shendu was getting more and more unpredictable, and he did not want to fall prey to someone else��s scheme.


    He decided that he would leave Shendu. After all, the current state of affair was different from his initial estimation.


    He was still one step away from the Taixu Strategy. If he did not take the step, everywhere would still be the same to him.


    ******


    Bai Shaoliu still did not know why would water flow from the top to the bottom. Out of a sudden, the sky that was supposed to be filled with evening mist turned into grey clouds.


    The sky darkened, and misty rain followed. Shortly after, the sky started pouring.


    He thought of something, as water flow from the top to the bottom, how then did the rain end up in the sky? If there was an endless reservoir of water in the sky and had flowed down to the ground when it rained, how was it that the ground is not flooded with water after hundreds of thousands of year yet?


    Of course, he was not stupid. He was not about to ponder the question in the rain. Then, he realized that the lady boss had left really early today and she was still not home yet. He wondered if she would be caught in the rain.


    As the sky darkened, it would not be safe to stay out for long.


    He saw a paper umbrella in the rain.


    Two people were sharing an umbrella under the dark sky, and with the veils of rain, he could only tell that one of them was the lady boss.


    The umbrella approached nearer as he spaced out, and Bai Shaoliu finally noticed the other person. She was in white and looked like one of the Bodhisattvas from the paintings.


    The lady boss could be considered a great beauty, and yet the other lady was a lot more eye-catching. Bai Shaoliu stood frozen.


    A clear laugh rang in the rain, and it sounded so much nicer than the sound of raindrops.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, your worker looked quite stupid."


    "What are you doing, standing here frozen? Hurry, go get me a bucket of hot water, I want to shower and change," the lady boss replied coldly.


    Bai Shaoliu finally noticed that the lady boss was clothed in grey. Despite his weak memory, he could still remember that the lady boss was not in this outfit when she left.


    The grey clothing had a lot of patterns stitched on it, and the patterns were closely formed. Under the dark sky, he could not tell what was with the deal of those patterns.


    Moreover, the lady boss gave him a kick. He could not do anything but to go prepare the hot water.


    He did not want to keep the lady boss waiting, and even used his inner strength to add on to the flame. Within moments, the water was boiling.


    When he finally got the hot water ready, the lady boss went into the room with the lady in white.


    He was curious, but he did not have to guts to remain while the lady boss took her shower.


    He did not know that the lady boss was lying in the bathtub, and every inch of her skin had black air seeping out.


    The lady boss did not seem to be bothered by it. "I have acted in accordance with your request. It��s about time that you pass the token to the divine ruins to me now," the lady boss said to Zhao Xiaoyu.

 Chapter 120 Divine Ruins

    To the masses, divine ruins signified something that they could not comprehend and understand. However, the divine ruins that the lady boss mentioned, was an actual location.


    No one knew much about where the place came from. Within it, there were a lot of rare items, and there were even occult techniques, supernatural powers, and things unfathomable to one��s imagination.


    "Divine ruins" drifted between the heaven and the earth, and it never stops at one place purposefully. If one wanted to go in, one must have a token to the divine ruins.


    The tokens to the divine ruins were actually things that came from the divine ruins, and because of the aura they carried, they would not be repelled during the entry to the divine ruins.


    However, not a lot of people knew about it. Those who had been there before would not breathe a word about it when they came out. One could only discern traces of hints from Daoist scriptures, or through the calculation of an almighty.


    There was an impressive individual from the Nine Lotus Secret Order who got into the divine ruins. The Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma was a Dao formula brought out from the divine ruins.


    If not for the fact of their previous relationship, lady boss Zhou Ling would not have taken such a risky move.


    Because the both of them were from the same sect, they knew the root of certain things. The lady boss had tried to get the token back from Zhao Xiaoyu, but to no avail.


    This was why Zhou Ling did not expect Zhao Xiaoyu to approach her.


    Zhao Xiaoyu waved her sleeve, and there was an oval-shaped leaf between her porcelain-white fingers. The leave was green and thick. It emanated hints of warm light, and the tip was slightly curved downwards.


    A hint of abstruse aura seeped through, and the room was brightened immediately.


    Zhao Xiaoyu shook her fingertip, and the leaf floated towards the lady boss, eventually falling into her hands. The black air on her seemed to be frightened and retreated within seconds.


    "You��re giving it back to me just like that?" The lady boss asked as she glanced at Zhao Xiaoyu.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, did you think that I��m purposely going against you? Not to say that you might not have the established practices to find that place, even if you managed to find the place and cultivated supernatural power, you have no hope of challenging that person," Zhao Xiaoyu sighed.


    The lady boss remained silent and did not retort.


    "With his level of cultivation, by the time you have successfully cultivated your supernatural power, she will definitely sense it. From thereon, she can work out the cause and effect. She has always been one to remove the weeds by digging up its roots, I��m afraid that the day you attained Dao would be the day you meet your end," said Zhao Xiaoyu. Actually, the lady boss was fully aware of this without Zhao Xiaoyu��s mention.


    She said it simply because she wanted to.


    She wondered what made her Senior Apprentice-Sister decided to do it despite knowing that there was no chance of success. Given her character, there was no way that she could understand her Senior Apprentice-Sister even if she were to put herself in her Senior Apprentice-Sister��s shoes. To her, it all seemed too unreasonable, just like how Shen Lian refused to be emotionless.


    The mortals were caught up in all of these because they were unaware of the Law of Detachment, and they did not have the prerequisite wisdom to understand it.


    As for people like her who seek to be detached and posited themselves above the masses, there was truly no reason, and completely meaningless to be caught up in the hatred in the mortal world.


    If it was not for the conflict in her Dao path and that of the Empress, she would be fine with putting the past behind her even if she was battling the Empress to death just moments before.


    "Do you know the reason why I decided to break apart our relationship? Because when Master died, you were not sad at all, not even the least bit," said the lady boss.


    "But what is the point of being sad? If I were to die during my battle against her this time, would you be sad too?" Zhao Xiaoyu queried casually.


    "Of course," the lady boss replied.


    "But I wouldn��t be sad even if you were to die," Zhao Xiaoyu replied softly. When she was dwelling in the human realm, she could be gentle, and she could also be elegant and refined.


    But that was merely a way to deal with matters when she was in the mortal realm; her heart of Dao remained the same through and through.


    To her, all these ways of dealing with things were the same as using a spell. When she used it, she could be better than those people with the richest of emotions.


    However, a way to deal with things would remain as a way, and it would not affect what she was truly pursuing.


    "Actually, I really don��t understand why you insist on walking on a path of Dao as such. You were not like that when you were young."


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, have you seen the flowers on the cliff? Only when they posit themselves above the masses, they could bloom so beautifully. To me, it is the same."


    The room door was pushed open, and it was still raining heavily. Zhao Xiaoyu did not use an umbrella. When the raindrops were about to fall onto her, they were pushed away by an invisible force.


    Her shadow disappeared in the rainy night too.


    ******


    It rained for the entire night up till the morning of the second day. Even then, it had no signs of stopping. The Anping Canal was deep enough. It carried all the rainfall out of Shendu City, sparing Shendu from the flood.


    Shen Lian looked at the rain, and he knew that the timing of the rain was not a coincidence.


    Ever since the speechless clash at the Xiangji Temple, the Qi dynamic at Shendu was undergoing drastic changes.


    It was as though a giant dragon in slumber was woken up out of a sudden.


    If the Feng Shui tactical formation of Shendu City and its surrounding mountains and water were to be akin as a giant dragon, then Xiangji Temple would be where the dragon scales are, and the Imperial City would be the dragon belly.


    The Empress would be the spirit of the giant dragon. The Qi of earth and the wishes of the masses that gathered would be the blood that coursed through its vein.


    The Daoists had an ingenious state; it was known as the Unity of Universe and Human. By melting one amidst the heaven and earth, the strength of heaven and earth could be engaged to generate an immense power.


    There were some similarities between the Empress�� state and a Daoist��s state; in the Shendu City, her power would be the highest.


    However, as compared to the heaven and earth, the Empress was still unimaginably weak. This was why she decided to build the Xiangji Temple. Through a certain occult technique, she could confer a title of deity and could relay the additional power that she was conferred upon.


    As the Xiangji Buddha grew, she might be able to improve accordingly; a mystical bond was formed between the two.


    Actually, if the Xiangji Buddha were to be changed into a Daoist deity, there would not be any difference; if the Xiangji Temple were to be changed into a Daoist temple, there would not be any difference either. However, since the previous dynasty was fond of Daoist, and Buddhism gathered believers more effectively, the Empress did not hesitate to opt for Buddhism.


    The long arrow broke through the spell of the Xiangji Buddha, and seemed to have brought forth quite a bit of hassle to the Empress. This broke the balance.


    The changing of Dynasty by the Empress was not done according to the heavenly fate, which was why the Qi of dragon was not very strong and had a lot of hidden weaknesses. As the chain of reaction took place, even the Earth point of Shendu was changing, causing these natural phenomena.


    Zhao Xiaoyu saw through this and acted according to the way of heaven. With the aid of external influences, she managed to break away the formation at Xiangji Temple.


    The Empress might have sensed something, which was why she decided to station herself at the Xiangji Temple. She did not expect the arrow of black air to be something that suppressed the spell at Xiangji Temple, which was why she did not succeed.


    Regardless of everything that Zhao Xiaoyu had done, the best outcome was just her gaining the right to fight the Empress on equal grounds.


    The time for the final battle seemed to be near and would be coming soon.


    Shen Lian was not happy with the analysis that he came up with. Despite that the Feng Shui tactical formation that controlled the Qi of earth, the abstruseness of it still did not allow for him to figure out the way to deal naturally with the eight Qi of Taixu.


    He knew that he was only a step away from mastering the basics of Taixu Strategy, and all he needed was an opportunity. Maybe that would arise during the final battle between the Empress and Zhao Xiaoyu.

 Chapter 121 The Times of Wind and Storm

    It was already July. For a continuous period of five days, it was either raining or cloudy in Shendu City. The wind howled, and the strange weather had inspired a lot of distracting thoughts, causing the people to be uneasy.


    Zhao Xiang dressed himself in a casual outfit and came to the clinic once again. He was not here to get his sickness treated, but was here to ask about a sickness; he was asking on behalf of someone else.


    Even though it was cloudy and moody outside, the interior of the clinic was bright.


    On the wall of the clinic, there was a copper lamp. It was extra bright, and the flame shook slightly without giving off any smoke.


    Zhao Xiang gave an extra glance at the copper lamp, and he realized that there was no lamp oil inside. The flame seemed to be perpetually lit, and there was no sign of it being extinguished.


    Shen Lian was clothed in a robe of sea blue, and he focused his attention on rubbing the ink stick on the ink slab. The ink was purplish red, and a gash could be seen on his arm. Zhao Xiang did not know what kind of ink it was, whether it was mixed with blood, but he did know that a peculiar person like Shen Lian would often do something that could not be understood by the common folk.


    He greeted Shen Lian before detailing his actual purpose.


    "Are you saying that Her Majesty is sick?" Shen Lian asked without turning his head.


    "Yes, my grandmother has been overseeing the Dynasty for thirty years, never once did she fall sick. However, she fell sick this time around and she prohibited us from visiting," Zhao Xiang was more subtle then, but his charismatic aura remained.


    This was his nature and was not something that could be covered up.


    "Did His Highness the Crown Prince sent you here to ask me?" Shen Lian queried.


    "No, I came here on my own accord. But my Lord Father must be curious too," Zhao Xiang replied.


    "Her Majesty is not sick," Shen Lian pondered before replying.


    Zhao Xiang looked slightly disappointed. The last person that the Empress summoned before she fell sick was Shen Lian. As for what happened that day at Xiangji Temple, no one knew. Someone claimed to have seen flying dragon and Buddha hovered over the top of Xiangji Temple.


    If that was real, it would be a sign of prosperity instead of calamity. Why would the Empress try to silence everyone then?


    Kuhui must have known something about it, and a lot of people in the palace tried to get him to talk. However, the old monk was well-versed in the way of the world and did not let up. However, he did tell something to those from the East Palace; he told them that the Empress had seen Shen Lian before she fell sick.


    Naturally, Zhao Xiang would not suspect Shen Lian. However, since his grandmother was not sick, could it be all part of pretense in order to test them? According to his understanding of his grandmother, she was not someone like that.


    To the Empress, she was grand and almighty, and there was no need for her to resort to these petty methods.


    Though, Zhao Xiang could not understand the reason why the words about this incident got out.


    "Go back and tell your father that, "The eight winds cannot move me, for I am sitting upright on the golden purple lotus blossom"," said Shen Lian.


    To overcome dynamic by being static, this was indeed the best way to deal with an unclear situation.


    Zhao Xiang finally understood why his father did not tell him to ask Shen Lian and did not stop him from coming either.


    His father wanted to tell him about it through Shen Lian��s words.


    Zhao Xiang finally understood what he should have understood, and left. He could tell that Shen Lian was in the midst of something really important, and he should not disturb him any longer.


    When Shen Lian saw Zhao Xiang, he could tell that his purple Qi was a lot more stable. It gave off the feel of the first sunrise, and all living beings thrived.


    However, Her Majesty in the Imperial City surely must have known that the destiny was to be followed, surely that she was not about to let her fate to continue worsening?


    Right now, the Crown Prince and Zhao Xiang were the destined people, and yet they were not the key figures. The key was Zhao Xiaoyu, who was trying to snatch the wishes of the masses that congregated in Shendu.


    The ultimate formation that was set up based on Shendu City and the surrounding mountains and water to relay the wishes of the masses of the Da Zhou Dynasty, it was something that was important to both Zhao Xiaoyu and the Empress. If Zhao Xiaoyu were to get her hands on the wishes of the masses, she could use it as the raw material to merge her divinity with, thus elevating the Nine Lotus characteristics of phenomena to a whole new level. She could reach the pinnacle instantly and become a rare powerful being that was just below the immortal Zhenren. She would be a notable being in the cultivation community, and would not be any weaker than Chen Jianmei.


    The speculation surrounding Chen Jianmei was no other than he had attained the Nine Transformations of Huandan, and had gone onto the path of the Cultivator of the Sword. The Shapeless Sword Formula was unthinkably powerful, which was why his combat power was so strong. This was why he could build the Temple of Killings in the middle of Dahuang, slaying the demons and monsters, and was unrivaled.


    Of course, Zhao Xiaoyu and Chen Jianmei were two parallel lines, and they were nothing like each other. He understood why Daoism and Buddhism were considered as authentic, while the path of Shen was not.


    The road to Huandan was treacherous, but success meant success, and failure meant failure. One held one��s fate in one��s hand.


    Shen Lian believed that if he were to encounter the both of them now, without something that he could protect himself with, he would definitely be taken in by either Zhao Xiaoyu or the Empress.


    This was an unquestionable fact.


    The gash on his arm started to heal, and the color of the ink got darker. The good Talisman papers that he brought down from the mountain were running low in stock.


    Shen Lian was going to use all of them this time around.


    Two more days to the seventh of July, and on that night, the clash between the Empress and Zhao Xiaoyu would take place.


    The ink was thick yet even, and it was giving off a pleasant scent of blood. Blood had a tangy smell to it, but Shen Lian��s blood did not have the impurities unlike those of the mortals, and it was very pure. Even back then, Ling Chongxiao��s blood had hints of pleasant scent to it, what more Shen Lian��s.


    Ruoxi watched as her brother dealt with the mixture of ink and blood. He started writing after he was done mixing.


    On the white Talisman paper, Shen Lian drew patterns akin to that of floating clouds with his blood ink.


    His blood ink was thick and did not disperse easily, and there were noticeable hints of darker blood.


    The method of making a talisman with blood had been in existence since ancient times. Shen Lian��s blood was full of the Qi of vitality, and his Qi passed through the tip of his pen. The runes that he made could affect the Qi of heaven and earth, unleashing endless power.


    Unfortunately, the runes that he learned were not as strong as he wanted it to be. Allegedly, back in ancient times, the talisman could be as strong as a powerful instrument. A sheet of Talisman could move mountains and burn seas, and it was something in its own league altogether.


    Shen Lian made a total of three Blood Talismans. If he were to make any more, he would be depleting his Qi and blood. What more with his capabilities, if three Blood Talismans could not do their job, even thirty of them would not change anything then.


    Later, Shen Lian accompanied Ruoxi to study and to write. The bad weather was convenient, as Ruoxi would not ask to go out to play anymore.


    To be fair, if he were to disallow Ruoxi to head out, Ruoxi would listen. However, he did not want to force Ruoxi to do something that she did not like to.


    Maybe Ruoxi was more capricious and proud because of that, which made her more like her mother.


    However, Ruoxi��s maturity was beyond his imagination. Perhaps, from the day she cooked him porridge, the little girl had drawn a line and grew up from the past.


    Bai Shaoliu came twice, and he was no longer obsessed with the question Shen Lian asked him. His sword technique was a lot more natural; in fact, there was something indescribable about its fluidity, and it was not as simple as the never-ending stream of water.


    The second time he came, he was here to bid his farewell. The lady boss was moving away and asked if he wanted to follow. He felt indebted to the lady boss, and he was worried that she might get into trouble when she was elsewhere. Even though the lady boss had a mysterious Junior Apprentice-Sister and kept some secrets, Bai Shaoliu still wanted to protect her.


    When Bai Shaoliu bid his goodbye, Shen Lian had a premonition that they will meet again.

 Chapter 123 Tianzi Wangqi

    Zhao Xiaoyu who stood in mid-air and swayed along the wind was bathed in a pale holy glow. Unlike the moon, she was not reflecting the brightness of the sun. She was emanating the glow from within, just like the stars.


    A white mark with the shape of lotus flower appeared between her brows, and her body that was clothed in holy glow fell and rose in the wind. It was hard to gauge her actual location.


    The Empress stood on a broad piece of lotus leaf, and her gaze was bursting with divine lights as she sized up Zhao Xiaoyu.


    The move earlier was indeed a great skill that needed no work. Most cultivators that had not attained the state of Huandan would not be able to dodge away from it.


    Faced with such strong power, the troops of the army in Shendu City was but a joke. When cultivators had transcended worldliness and attained holiness, mere numbers could not eliminate them.


    Unless it was like the peculiar formation used by the army troops back in the ancient times, drawing upon the unknown and unseen force in the heaven and earth, or even to utilize the Qi of blood and Qi of devilry. Only then would they stand a chance against these supernatural beings.


    The breeze was free and so was the moon, together they brought refreshing coolness to the Southern Tower.


    Shen Lian was not at the tower, but he was at the top of the willow tree. He did not look at the bright moon that rose up behind him.


    The massive Qi dynamic of the Empress was more eye-catching than the bright moon, and Zhao Xiaoyu was like the clear breeze that no one could restrain.


    The Empress�� eyes changed, and it was as though her haze had taken on a physical form and encapsulated Zhao Xiaoyu within it, rendering everything on her visible. Everything that she was hiding had been exposed.


    Shen Lian even had the feeling that the transmission of his breath fell within the Empress�� gaze despite that her attention was not directed at him.


    "Your Majesty, your Tianzi Wangqi Technique is impressive," said Zhao Xiaoyu as her gentle voice drifted in the wind.


    Her body melted into the intangible wind. The wind was intangible and without a physical form, any attack from the Empress was moot. However, when the Empress was using "Tianzi Wangqi Technique", she could not escape from the Empress�� eyes even if she had become a gust of wind.


    Watch its Qi, and restrict its shape.


    During the ancient times, there was Saint Tianzi who observed the Qi of four seasons and managed their mountains and rivers; Shen Lian did not expect the Empress to know this technique. He could not see the inheritance of the Empress because the supernatural Dao techniques that she exhibited were pretty similar to that of authentic Xuanmen.


    From her movement earlier, one could tell that her physical form was scarily brutal. Her body advanced with the sonic speed of the explosion, the quality of her body was very impressive.


    It was obvious that the Empress�� dragon robe and crown was not just any common item, which would explain how they survived the high-speed movement.


    Cultivator of Qi could tap into the essence of heaven and earth and trained their physical body, but there was a limit as to how much they can do. If they were to cultivate their physical body till it was indestructible, put aside the amount of effort required, they would need to secure a corresponding Dharma as well.


    At the last stage of cultivation right before the attainment of longevity, the body would become dispensable. When the body broke through from the Absurd State, the Primordial Spirit would be formed. Those that gathered would take shape, while those that did not would become Qi and would be able to travel for tens of thousands of miles and be freed of the struggle of life, old age, sickness, and death.


    This was why the Daoist addressed the cultivators of Qi who had not attained longevity as corpse-guarding ghosts �C a clear illustration of how the physical body was merely playing its final role in the attainment of longevity.


    The intangible wind was frozen by the Tianzi Wangqi Technique, and Zhao Xiaoyu descended slowly. Her Yin Spirit was not out of her body, and she was not a cultivator of Buxu, it was not possible for her to stand on thin air. Cultivators could fly with the help of Daoist techniques or instruments. However, only those who had attained the Daoist state of "Buxu", or those who had cultivated Ruyi shapeshifting, or those who were born with such a supernatural power could get rid of the gravity so easily.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was walking on the path of Shen, but she still had not reached the state where she could dispense with her physical body. A pinch of black soil appeared on her porcelain-white hand. It had a smooth surface and an unknown aura.


    The Empress backed away immediately after she saw it, but it was too late.


    Shen Lian who was far away felt a sudden rush of complicated feelings, and his spirit was caught in a state of confusion due to the intensity of the drastic changes before him. His heart of Dao was still, and he did not panic. The bright moon was nowhere to be seen, it was not at the top of the willow tree. The space was darkening, and less than a thousand feet away, the world was shrouded in darkness.


    His body fell naturally and was as light as feather.


    In the end, he found himself standing. Meanwhile, the Empress and Zhao Xiaoyu stood over a hundred feet away, and the distance between the two was less than fifty feet. Those two were a lot closer to each other now.


    "I didn��t think that you would have the Divine Soil in your possession. To think that you would use something as rare and precious as this," the Empress said coldly.


    When he heard this, Shen Lian finally realized why the Empress distanced herself immediately the moment she saw the black soil. Allegedly, there were a lot of holy deities during the ancient days. Even though the Dao path was blocked, but there were still similarities between the almighties.


    If the holy deities were powerful, they could create their place of enlightenment in the void which was independent of the Boundless Universe. The heavenly palace in the legends and mythologies was the Heavenly King��s place of enlightenment. The Heavenly King, Dijun, had limitless mana, which was why the size of the heavenly palace was comparable to that of the Boundless Universe. The Western Paradise was the place of enlightenment of the Amitabha, and it too was limitless.


    Besides these two famous places of enlightenment, the other almighty of the path of Shen had their own place of enlightenment too, and they were known as Heavenly Nations. Similarly, the counterpart for the ancient Saint Tianzi would be the Emperor��s Nation.


    Regardless of the Emperor��s Nation, the Heavenly Nations, or the holy deities�� place of enlightenment, they were all man-made space. The bigger ones would be akin to Mount Sumeru, while the smaller ones were akin to the size of a mustard seed. All of them had differing abstruseness from the Boundless Universe, and a lot of precious things were born there.


    Zhao Xiaoyu��s Divine Soil was a material from one of the almighty Heavenly Nations. If it was used by a cultivator who was good at forging, he could create an instrument that had the function of storage and trapping humans. Despite the Technique of Having An Ace Up One��s Sleeve that Shen Lian used, he had to constantly instill mana to maintain it. If he were to lose all of his mana or to meet his death, all of his mana would collapse and what he was carrying up in his sleeve would probably be lost forever.


    There were countless of space-related magical talisman, and the space inside could be said to be in a world of its own.


    The space created by Zhao Xiaoyu��s Divine Soil was not particularly huge, but it was merely meant to be the final battleground between the two of them. Moreover, without being forged into an instrument or magic talisman, the space created by the Divine Soil could not be brought away.


    It was not that Zhao Xiaoyu did not want to forge it into an instrument, but she simply did not have the capability to do it. Moreover, to forge a space-related instrument or magic talisman, a lot more precious ingredients were needed besides the Divine Soil. Even with the help of the best master in forgery, a lot of effort was required.


    It was unspoken that she was determined to have the final battle with the Empress.


    Having worshipped the Divine Soil prior to this, Zhao Xiaoyu had attained control of the space. Even a cultivator who had attained the Seven Transformations of Huandan would be at her mercy the moment he entered into this space.


    Shendu was the home ground for the Empress and Zhao Xiaoyu had no chance of winning. However, having undone the Empress�� formation, both of them could battle fairly on equal grounds now. What the Empress did not expect was that Zhao Xiaoyu had something as precious as the Divine Soil in her possession. The Empress was placed in a reactive position now.


    Shen Lian observed the both of them in silence, and he did not say much. Zhao Xiaoyu did not need to drag him into this, but she did it nonetheless. Was she trying to catch all the fish with one net, or was she planning something else?

 Chapter 124 White Lotus Extermination of Life

    It was as though Zhao Xiaoyu felt Shen Lian��s emotion, "Shen Lian, if you refuse to come along and decided to leave like my Senior Apprentice-Sister, I wouldn��t be able to do anything. However, you are here now. I will not hurt you, but I hope that you can recognize the situation and be my Nine Lotus Protector. If you can go through Huandan, we can even be Daoist partners who look out for each other. Together, we can cruise on top of the masses," she said.


    Shen Lian laughed gently after hearing what Zhao Xiaoyu said, "I��m surprised that you have thoughts like these. I must admit that I��m flustered. However, I��m funny that way, I hate being forced to do something against my will," he said.


    The Empress fell into silence because she was caught by intangible force of the space all around. However, she looked very calm for someone who was in a precarious position.


    ��Will not be angered when faced with unreasonable insults, will not panic when met with sudden misfortune��, this was a quality that someone like her must be equipped with.


    However, her confidence in her supernatural power was the reason why she was caught in a precarious position now; she failed to take the different spells in the world and its endless mystical items seriously.


    "Shen Lian, you can��t be thinking that I��m talking big and would be straining myself if I were to deal with both of you at the same time?" Zhao Xiaoyu sighed purposefully and replied. Her eyes were smiling slightly, but it did not look like she was very happy with herself. Shen Lian knew all too well that this person had no real emotions, but she was not a liar.


    Let it be, human or objects, they were all tools in her eyes; the only difference would be whether they were useful or not.


    This was not contradictory to her fresh aura; because she did not care, which was why she was not bothered by the worries of the secular world.


    Shen Lian sighed in his heart. This person had a steady heart of Dao, and was born to pursue Dao. If she did not choose the path of Shen and had joined an authentic Xuanmen instead, with her moral nature harmonized and without blockage, she would have attained at least the Seven Transformations of Huandan; she had a good chance at breaking through the Absurd State and attain longevity.


    All of a sudden, the divine lights shone in the space. The Empress was at the heart of it. She was on fire and shone as bright as the moon and the sun. Zhao Xiaoyu reacted �C she knew that the Empress was cultivating some sort of ancient occult technique and had modified her physical body. However, she did not expect her physical body to be so brutal, to the extent that it could resist the bondage of the force of the space.


    The ancient humans knew not about the cultivation of Qi but only the cultivation of body. Some cultivators found out that through preserving the body against aging and death, longevity and great supernatural power that allowed for one to shoulder the mountains and to chase after the moon could be obtained. Cultivation of Qi became more popular, and the ultimate Dharma in relation to the cultivation of body was lost. Only traces of it could be observed in the martial arts techniques today. Though most of it had been modified by the cultivator of Qi, and its end result was the amalgamation of two techniques.


    After all, if one were to walk on the path of Dao with a body that neither age nor decay, there was still a risk of being murdered by vicious cultivators, or even have one��s body taken by them. More importantly, cultivating both paths at the same time was not only inefficient; it was a waste of both time and effort as well.


    As the ancient saying goes, all kind of spells, endless ingenious Dao, one only ask �C will that help me attain longevity?


    This pointed to the essence of cultivation; despite being at the pinnacle of martial art attainment, it was hard to find a rival. This was not better than living happily for eternity.


    This was why most cultivators stopped cultivating their body at a certain point.


    The Empress wore her crown high, and her presence peaked. There seemed to be an ancient and strong Daoist look behind her. It was an oddly ancient face that wore a high hat and clothed in loose clothing, akin to that of a scholar, as though it could break through all the restraints.


    Even when faced with such strong presence, Zhao Xiaoyu remained calm and collected. "So you have been cultivating the Indestructible Immortal Body," she said calmly.


    The space vibrated and the force of the intangible force of the space got more brutal. Zhao Xiaoyu formed a few marks of lotus. The white lotus blossoms shone brightly and floated next to the Empress; for every white lotus blossom that was eliminated, the divine light shrouding the Empress got thinner by a layer.


    This was the "White Lotus Extermination of Life Technique", it melted away the Qi of the spirit, akin to cutting away one��s flesh with a soft knife.


    Shen Lian could feel the increase in Zhao Xiaoyu��s attacks at the Empress, the space surrounding him seemed to be thinner, but the binding force of the force of the space remained. It was as though he was caught in mud that he could never escape from. Shen Lian felt the operation of the mana within him slowed down.


    Three Blood Talismans appeared on Shen Lian��s hand. They were lighted without wind. The lightning exploded and twinkled, and the howl of the wind followed. There were dust and smoke all around.


    As Zhao Xiaoyu formed marks of lotus with her hand, she glanced towards Shen Lian. She could not help but to exclaim, "What a great Fa An San Cai."


    The three Blood Talismans triggered the force of the heaven and earth, and each of it represented wind, thunder, and earth. The collision of wind and thunder generated a great force; with earth as the cardinal, the foul Qi of the howling wind and the electrifying thunder was isolated, which protected him from being hurt. Zhao Xiaoyu saw Shen Lian��s move, and she did not panic. She looked quite casual and even detached.


    The white lotus blossoms kept floating towards the Empress.


    However, the moment she glanced at Shen Lian, the pressure exerted by the surrounding force of the space increased tremendously. The force of the wind and the thunder, the weight of the solid earth, all of them were extinguished right at that moment. Shen Lian was caught in an inescapable doom, and it was not because that he could not rival Zhao Xiaoyu. It was just that in this space created by the Divine Soil, Zhao Xiaoyu was akin to a deity. The restriction faced by cultivators such as Shen Lian was even harsher, as they relied on Daoist techniques and Talismans, and there was a limit as to how much external Qi of heaven and earth they could draw on.


    Divine Soil was rare, and Zhao Xiaoyu might not even have more of it. It seemed that she understood this herself, and since Shen Lian was here, she might as well conquer him. She could use him as her King of Protectors. She did not fear Shen Lian for the fact that he was the disciples of Qing Xuan, one of the four main Daoist sects. When she defeated the Empress and took over her position, she would be worshipped by the masses, and there was a high chance that she could get a lot closer to the pinnacle of the Nine Lotus Great Spell, and might even be able to attain the inextinguishable divine aura. Besides Changsheng Zhenren and the likes of land immortals, most people would not stand a chance to defeat her.


    This was the scary part about the path of Shen; upon the satisfaction of the pre-requisites, with agreeable temperament, one could reach the pinnacle with just one step.


    Shen Lian could hear his bones bursting loudly and his blood getting sluggish; even the three Blood Talismans could not get him out of this. As Zhao Xiaoyu increased the pressure on his side of the space, Shen Lian took advantage of the timing to release three of the Blood Talismans. With his absolute spirit, he forcibly operated the mana all over him to rush into his cinnabar fields.


    It was as though the mana seeds of the Taixu Strategy had found its oasis in a desert, and grew at a shocking pace. The mana in his body turned into the eight mana of red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, green, purple, black at an unimaginable speed.


    The Taixu mana was like a whale draining the water and was excited by the turn of events. The conflict between the eight Qi got stronger, but the strong external pressure helped him to suppress the Taixu mana within him. Shen Lian��s spirit stayed put at the bier, and did not bother itself with the mana within the body, and the intense pressure exerted by the space continued.


    The conflict between the blood, flesh, and mana continued.


    Taixu mana was birthed because of Shen Lian, and if Shen Lian were to perish, they would return to the heaven and earth and dispersed into nothingness.


    Maybe at some point, the pain faced by Shen Lian was more intense than what he faced back at the River of Spirits. He shouldered all of them nonetheless. He did not know how his Senior Apprentice-Sister Gu Caiwei and the rest of the predecessor of Taixu overcame this conflict; Shen Lian did not ponder upon it.

 Chapter 125 Newly-Formed Taixu

    When faced with the inescapable doom, Shen Lian did not even care about his life and death, or whether Taixu mana could be successfully cultivated.


    He did not care about what he saw or heard and had entered into the abstruse state of mysterious silence.


    The key incantation of Taixu Strategy flew into his heart like a stream, and he reached an epiphany. It was not purposeful at all, just as how the moon surfaced amidst the scattered clouds, and the pearl appeared when the water ran dry.


    "Tian and Di posited themselves, Shan and Ze ventilated their Qi, Feng and Lei got lighter, Shui and Huo did not conflict, Bagua was tangled up, knowing the past was orderly, knowing the future was not; I Ching stated the latter."


    The red mana and the black mana intertwined; same went to the orange and the purple, the yellow and the blue, and the green and the white. They corresponded to each other according to the number of Yin and Yang. Having fluctuated back and forth, they formed a spiral with eight colors; stemming from the cinnabar fields, they coursed through the meridians and acupoints of the body at a high speed. All the mana within Shen Lian was consumed.


    At a spiral state, the eight mana swirled and there was no longer any difference in strength between them.


    All of a sudden, the eight rays shone and swirled, giving the impression that Shen Lian was a deity. The look of Taixu was evident on Shen Lian, and he was giving off a whole new aura.


    Feng, Sheng, Shui, Huo, Tian, Di, Shan, Ze, all the eight peculiar phenomena appeared without any sign and generated strong power. The mud-like space was vibrated off, and a hole was created. The many layers of the Boundless Universe were unveiled, and the sky was dotted with stars while the moonlight as smooth as water fell. Amongst them, the Big Dipper was the brightest.


    The Empress would never miss such a great opportunity. Her Divine Light peaked, and she drew a mystical arc with her hands. The glitter of the Big Dipper was drawn into the arc drawn by the Empress. The stars were akin to waterfall, to silk cloth, to rainbow; they rushed out and shattered the white lotus and space.


    Zhao Xiaoyu did not expect that Shen Lian could master the scary power within him at this moment, what more to take the risk to transform the mana within him. Shen Lian did not pose as great a threat as the Empress, and the space barrier at his spot was not as strong. This is so as most of the power was used against the Empress.


    When Shen Lian broke through space, the power of the stars above filtered in. The Empress took advantage of this and used the occult technique of the "Big Dipper Deity-Sealing Technique". With this, she relayed the power of the Big Dipper and shattered the space created by the divine soil with the power of the stars.


    All of the stars in the sky were created by the Way, and they were all ancient. Even if a real Heavenly Nation was involved, most of the time the stars, the moon, and the sun would still triumph over it.


    The sky was clear, and the water was in the lake while the moon in the sky.


    The Empress who looked around thirty years old aged suddenly, and she looked frail and worn out. Zhao Xiaoyu did not have it easy too; she had blood at the corner of her mouth, and there were a few gashes on her white dress. Her fair skin was exposed, and it was a frightening sight.


    Shen Lian stood casually on top of the lake. The moon and stars were clear, but the water was not still. Though, Shen Lian looked very stable.


    It was similar to the rocks that did not turn into the flowing river. For him to stand on the water surface and to undo the current effortlessly, it showed how skilled he was.


    Even though she had failed at the final moment, Zhao Xiaoyu did not seem to be too frustrated, as frustration would not change the reality. "I didn��t expect things to turn out in favor of you," she sighed and spoke to Shen Lian in a melodic voice akin to that of a nightingale.


    She was an extraordinary person, and there was nothing more that she could do tonight. Even if she still had Divine Soil with her, she would not get the chance to trap both of them into space again. The technique cultivated by Shen Lian seemed to be the top of the world, and if she were to continue with the fight, she would have no chance of winning.


    She did not expect Shen Lian to successfully cultivate his Dao technique in the space created by the Divine Soil. Everything in the world was full of variables, and even if she failed today, so long as she managed to retreat successfully, there would always be a time for success.


    Moreover, when she worshipped the Divine Soil to gain control of the space it created, she had to instill some of her spirits into it. Otherwise, she would not have the sort of deity-like power exhibited earlier.


    As she was injured, she did not feel like staying put anymore.


    A lotus leaf emerged underneath Zhao Xiaoyu��s foot, and she disappeared atop of a lake full of lotus leaf along with the wind. The lotus leaf was a rare instrument, and it came as it went; there was no way Shen Lian could have caught up with it.


    Shen Lian saw the Dragon Qi that shot through the air back in the Imperial City, and it rushed into the Empress body with a speed that could not be followed by the naked eye. Her worn-out complexion was nourished immediately, and her breath got a lot stronger.


    However, the wishes of the masses that congregated at the Imperial City had backed away and were headed towards the direction of the East Palace after the Dragon Qi had dispersed. The hearts of the people were like water, and once they have changed direction, there was no way of turning them back.


    The Empress looked at Shen Lian deeply. "I did not expect for you to be the one who lends me a hand at this crucial moment. What do you want?" She spoke with a much calmer tone.


    She no longer referred to herself with honorifics, and it showed that she finally saw Shen Lian as her equal.


    "Your Majesty, I have gotten what I want, and there��s nothing else now. Goodbye," Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    He waved and rode on the wave as he sung, within moments he was out of sight.


    The Empress looked at him meaningfully, and she returned to the Imperial City.


    On Long Street, Shen Lian was staring at the door to the bedroom in the Walking Dead clinic. The Dao technique that he laid down beforehand was destroyed. The room door was wide open, and Ruoxi was gone.


    He had a serious look on his face. Immediately, he moved and appeared on the rooftop as a strong gust of wind. The night was cool and chilling, and the heavenly river hung up ahead.


    Shen Lian stared at the west. With a wave of his sleeve, he shot into the air. He looked like a pale green lighting in the sky.


    He flew at a frightening speed.


    He was no longer burdened now that his Taixu mana was completed. The accumulation over the tens of years was manifested and instilled into the Daoist vestment gifted by Gu Caiwei. His sleeves were like wings, and the wind and thunder were agitated.


    Even though he was nothing compared to the large mythic bird, Roc, that could travel ninety thousand miles with just a wave of its wings, he was better than a lot of those from the demon clan who used to be birds.


    After passing through countless mountains and body of water, where it was getting brighter in the eastern sky, he finally saw a flying ark traveling on the path of clouds up ahead.


    He raised his mana, and his incredibly fast flying speed got faster, and the heavenly wind was in a state of unrest.


    The flying ark in front stopped after sensing the commotion.


    Shen Lian opened up his arms and let his sleeves flew. The intangible wind carried him and the green mana coursed through his body. His sleeves were puffed up, and there were hints of thunder. It was an awe-inspiring sight.


    The floating flying ark had complicated patterns engraved on it. Three beautiful women stood up to face Shen Lian, and they were in plain purple, plain yellow, and plain white Daoist robe respectively. All of them looked cool and detached.


    Shen Lian saw the child who was sound asleep on the ark; that would be Young Ruoxi.


    He delivered his thoughts through his spiritual consciousness, and it passed through the heavenly wind and the windshield on the flying ark. "Three fellow Daoist, may I know why are you kidnapping my niece?" Said Shen Lian coolly.


    "So you are the family of the reincarnated Yuan Jun at trial, thank you for taking care of her previously," said the female Daoist in plain yellow. Despite her words of gratitude, she was cold and distant.


    A plain yellow little flag appeared in her hand, and it would seem that she noticed that Shen Lian was not just anyone.


    Shen Lian seemed to be oblivious to her coldness, and said, "Leave this child, and you all may go home safely today."

 Chapter 126 No Higher Order in the World

    Shen Lian��s tone was calm, yet it sipped with an attitude of coldness.


    "Why are you wasting time talking to him, Senior Apprentice-Sister?" The lady in white did not seem to be happy with Shen Lian��s reply, and with her fair-skinned hand, she swung it across a gush of wind towards Shen Lian��


    It was an almost transparent chilly flow of air, which formed a transparent palm, landed on Shen Lian��s chest, apparently melted into it and vanished, as if it was swallowed by an invisible black hole. Shen Lian let out a cold laugh and countered with a similar palm-shaped chilly current, but with double its magnitude of force.


    This was not "an eye for an eye" anymore, more like "replying a slap with a heavy punch".


    The lady in yellow robe wore a stern expression. Her Junior Apprentice-Sister was too impulsive, but this man was never to be dealt with lightly. She had no choice but to wave her yellow flag, which shot a layer of yellow light and shielded the front of the ark. The large transparent chilly palm force hit and sunk into the yellow ray formed a thin layer of ice and covered in the yellow ray. Almost immediately, a bolt of lightning appeared and cut through the frozen ray, shattering it almost immediately��


    Following this, Shen Lian��s body was emitting eight colors of red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, purple and black, which appeared to be rotating like a forceful tornado, and shot towards the ark. At the same time, two rays of white and green emerged from the ark, fused together and hit on Shen Lian.


    Even though his opponent was equipped with powerful force, she was still no match against Shen Lian��s Taixu Strategy. Shen Lian had to watch over Ruoxi on the ark, hence he did not go full force.


    The Shield of Green and White Rays, when fused, became impenetrable. However the canoe could not withstand its large force, it got chuted in an explosive reverse. Shen Lian did not stay still in the air and pursued it, yet suddenly, a gust of grey air, wrapped and trapped Shen Lian in it.


    His body was extremely restless, yet the grey air current acted like a super tensile rope and kept Shen Lian in a tight bound. The wind had stopped, all movements became still, fire was extinguished by water. There was no way up nor down, Shen Lian was helpless.


    Subsequently, the reversing ark rose up in a silver ray like a drifting comet.


    Shen Lian got trapped in this greyish air current, with his Taixu Strategy rapidly diminished, he could not get out of this grey entrapment.


    It was only after the ark entered a flashing black hole, the grey current loosen its grip, flowed and disappeared in thin air.


    Shen Lian descended and landed on a mountaintop, witnessed clearly as the grey air current turned into a strand of rope surrounded by rays of light.


    That was not a normal instrument. It could even be more precious than those possessed by the immortal Zhenren.


    With a source like Qing Xuan, Shen Lian had only seen two pieces of instruments, one being Chief Zhang Ruoxu��s Tiandi Jian, and those unknown bells possessed by Ziling fairy.


    Zhang Ruoxu was the chief of Qing Xuan, therefore he obviously possessed the Tiandi Jian, whereas the founding master of Ziling was part of the land immortals, it would not hurt to possess a piece of instrument, one would have known that a being in possession of these instruments would be extra powerful.


    For Shen Lian with his current powers, he might not be a match for Chen Jianmei, but any normal Huandan cultivator would not have given him a fight. The potential of Taixu Divine Qi was truly boundless, it was up until that moment that he realized why Gu Caiwei would say that it was the number one skills in the world.


    The ark entered the black hole and reappeared in a spot several thousand miles away.


    The lady in yellow said, "Junior Apprentice-Sister Ziyue, you are the most knowledgeable person here, do you recognize who that man was?"


    The lady in purple robe replied lightly, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, that man��s Dao techniques could easily dissipate Liusu��s Palm of Triple Yin, and he even countered with the exact same technique. Even more, he was glowing in eight colors of red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, purple and black, it is very likely that it was the Taixu Strategy".


    The lady in yellow muttered deeply. She already had a guess in mind, and it was confirmed after enquiring with the knowledgeable Ziyue. She continued, "That has to be Taixu Strategy, else that man would not be so ruthless. We were lucky to have brought this Fairy Binding Rope, or else we would be in trouble today".


    Lady in white asked, "What is this Taixu Strategy that I have not heard of before?"


    "This is the secret technique of the Qing Xuan, known as the hardest technique to master. Don��t you see how ruthless that man was, Liusu, in fact, he had not completely mastered the technique yet, or else I don��t think we could even defend his first hit," the lady in yellow sighed.


    Liusu, the lady in white, was stunned, this Shen Lian obviously had some spiritual consciousness before, and his mana was already so strong. She thought that this man would have reached the Seventh Huandan, never could she imagine that he had not even practiced yet. However, her Senior Apprentice-Sister was usually reliable, she could not be mistaken.


    Liusu had no idea that Ziyue said it was most likely the Taixu Strategy, in fact, eight out of ten would be recognizing it. This Taixu strategy, was not only difficult to master, just learning it would already be harder than mastering the cultivation skills of a Seventh-stage Huandan cultivator. In terms of Huandan, a simple use of its technique would have overcome most other techniques in the world, one could even be fearless in face of group attacks, and this could be considered the best cultivator after the level of immortality. After Huandan, there were the realms of Buxu, Powang, which seemed to happen naturally for a cultivator who achieved the level of Seventh-level Huandan.


    Ziyue said, "Since that Daoist could have mastered the Taixu Strategy, his must be a man of high status in the Qing Xuan clan. Our Taisu clan may be a notch above the Qing Xuan in the recent years, it is still not wise to engage him in a life and death fight. If he really knew where we are from, I do not think he would dare to come alone, and if he brought his seniors, we have our elders in Taisu as well. Whether this man is related to Yuan Jun in reincarnation, we should just return and report to the Hall Master."


    The lady in yellow nodded in approval, and Liu followed suit.


    There was Ruoxi who was sleepless and had no idea she was taken away.


    The ark cruised steadily, and half a day later, a ray of grey light approached from the edge of the sky, that was the Fairy Binding Rope.


    The Fairy Binding Rope fell on to the hands of the lady in yellow. Earlier, they exposed the dimensions using the mystical powers of the flying ark, which exhausted a fair amount of its own powers.


    Now that they have gotten rid of Shen Lian, they could cruise back slowly.


    The Fairy Binding Rope was a mystical instrument which recognized its master. The ladies could rely on its own powers to function independently, though not comparable to the level when it was held by its master, it was enough to hold up a cultivator below that of the seventh level of Huandan.


    This mystical instrument recognized the Taixu aura emitted from Shen Lian and knew this aura belonged to the Ziling fairy, which was why it did not go for the kill, it only stalled for the three ladies to retreat, and left without further entanglements with Shen Lian.


    On the other hand, Shen Lian descended on a hilltop, yet he could not recognize the origins of those ladies. At first, he initiated the Blood Talisman technique, which had no effect, possibly due to the long distance. As soon as his Taixu aura was restored, he started a divination, and it returned with no result.


    Lack of result in divination was an unexplainable outcome, which meant that the future was unpredictable, full of parameters. These scenarios would mostly happen when his premonitions were out of the spectrum of his abilities or involved those who could disrupt the courses of destiny.


    In fact, Shen Lian had not done the divination on Ruoxi before, therefore he was not sure whether this result was due to her unclear origins, or there was someone disrupting the courses of destiny.

 Chapter 127 One Who Invites Trouble

    He could only return to the mountain gates and seek help from Zhang Ruoxu. Even though the chief had clearly ordered not to return to the mountains before achieving Huandan, this matter was too urgent to care about other things.


    Shen Lian noticed that the three ladies had high level of achievements, plus that piece of rope-looking mystical instrument, it should be associated with the Immortal Zhenren. Even though he was armed with the Divine Qi of Taixu, facing opponents of such level, he would not let anyone take Ruoxi away, or else he��d be consumed with guilt��


    Moreover, the lady in yellow robe mentioned that Ruoxi was the reincarnation of Yuan Jun, which was quite mysterious. Shen Lian knew of certain mystical techniques which could transform a person��s body into a different one to prevent catastrophes, which should be like the case of Ruoxi.


    Mastering this kind of technique would require the person��s body to have that vast size of capacity and well matured to succeed. Therefore Ruoxi should not be in danger as of now.


    Whether his assumption was true or not, he would need to make a trip back to the mountain gates to find out, although he was not certain if he could make it past the gates, since the chief had ordered him not to return before achieving the level of Huandan.


    Shen Lian had made up his mind, he would not return to Shendu, since there was nothing he would miss there. However he had just mastered the Divine Qi of Taixu, and still required more time for exploration and refinement. Nevertheless, his current flying speed could enable him to turn back to Qing Xuan in three to five days, therefore he still had some time to spend.


    At that moment, the sky had broken dawn in the east, purple mist arisen. Seeing such view, Shen Lian felt much comfort in his chest.


    He let out a long howl, so loud it shook the wilderness, pierced through the skies and sent a flock of birds flying.


    Fortunately, there was no one around, so he didn��t fear to be heard as some monster or demon.


    As if a dash of smoke, he merged with the sea of clouds above. With his Divine Qi of Taixu, as if he had let off a thousand tonne burden, he could not experience the high of "Exceeding the levels of clouds and skies".


    Shen Lian flew to the South Sea, and as he was going to cruise towards the direction of Qing Xuan, a familiar voice was heard from below calling his name.


    Shen Lian looked down. Then he landed on a boulder, at which not far in front, there was a good looking Daoist child, standing on the waves. That was Jing Qing Tongzi.


    Jing Qing briefly examined Shen Lian, and smiled, "I wouldn��t imagine that you have improved this much". It was as if he was looking at Biyun Zhenren and Ziling Fairy from the earlier days. As for Gu Caiwei to achieve the Divine Qi of Taixu, it was not difficult for her as Biyun Zhenren and Ziling Fairy helped her a lot in that manner.


    For a demon being like Jing Qing Tongzi with such a long lifespan, Shen Lian knew that the past one year was only as long as a nap. He asked, "Why are you here?"


    "On the order of the chief, I was waiting for you here since yesterday," Jing Qing Tongzi said.


    Shen Lian mumbled, "Chief Master already knew what happened to me?" He was not surprised because the chief could know everything with his prophesying, which could even be better than that of the Immortal Zhenren.


    Jing Qing replied, "Chief Master said that whatever it is you want to ask about, Qing Xuan cannot get involved in, but you do not have to worry about that child. If you still want to continue meddling with this matter, you can only return and ask him after achieving Huandan level."


    Shen Lian then said, "I wanted to return only because I had this question in mind. Since the Chief Master had this in calculation, then I shall not return to the mountains. How is the chief? Is he well?"


    Jing Qing smirked, "He is now ��at the dusk of his life, with not much breath left��. Things will only get worse for him, how can he be well." Jing Qing Tongzi was used to witness lives and deaths, plus snakes were cold-blooded in nature. Even though he had spent a long time living with Zhang Ruoxu, he would not have a sense of sadness like Shen Lian had.


    Shen Lian turned silent. He still could not look past this.


    Jing Qing Tongzi shook its head and turned into a snake. It hit the sea water with its tail, almost wetting Shen Lian��s robe, rode the clouds and disappeared within the horizon.


    After seeing Jing Qing Tongzi off, Shen Lian redirected his vision to the riding waves. Ever since he joined the Daoist, the chief had been taking good care of him. Even though he forbade him to return, he must have had his reasons. Shen Lian would never mind that. It was only that he was still worried about the chief��s injuries, yet he could not do anything.


    He gazed towards the direction of Qing Xuan, and thought, "The Dao Scripture recorded the existence of a magical Medicine of Immortality. If I can find it, maybe I can cure the Chief Master".


    Shen Lian understood that Qing Xuan had tens of thousands of literature. Even if such magical medicine did not exist, or he did not have any clue to find this medicine, he still wanted to do something for the chief.


    Whether it was to search for the chief��s cure or getting Ruoxi back, he could only do this with the improvement of his techniques. Those women who captured Ruoxi were armed with mystical instruments, it was only natural that the chief ordered him to return with his questions after achieving the level of Huandan so he would not over exert himself.


    He was now armed with the Divine Qi of Taixu, with the help of Immortal Zhenren, so he should be able to walk around unharmed. No one else could help him besides himself in this journey to achieving Huandan.


    It was a whole wide world, almost boundless. He decided to wander on an adventure and maybe figure things out someday. The first person that Shen Lian thought of was Chen Jianmei who had built Temple of Killings in Xi Huang region. Since they had not met each for many years, he decided to travel to Xi Huang.


    The matter about Ruoxi should not be rushed. Shen Lian decided to look for a deserted mountain nearby, isolate himself for half a month, and clear himself to meditate, then headed off to Xi Huang. A few days later, he arrived at a fortress city, which was westbound and right on the path towards Xi Huang. Shen Lian was unfamiliar with how things worked in Xi Huang, not mentioning its geography, therefore he found himself city inn to rest in and ask around.


    This city was named Yuguan. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and one facing the waters, with its highest point being the critical point. Though this was a mountain city, it was bustling due to its crucial geographical location.


    Right after collecting his required information from the markets, Shen Lian went strolling on the bustling streets. He could feel the energy of the Taixu Divine Qi spiraling within him as if there were rays in eight colors looping endlessly in his body. Once the technique was perfected, he would have achieved the Taixu Godly Realms and enable him to master his techniques flawlessly.


    He would not only improve his skills, the speed of him releasing a Daoist technique would also escalate exponentially.


    This was the mythical point of the nine realms of cultivation. The Daoist Master must have his reasons for setting the realms to nine.


    With his strengths today, he was absorbing the Qi of heaven and earth endlessly, turning them into his energy. When he was around people, he would still restrict himself. If he was in the wilderness, he would absorb without boundaries. His rate of Qi transformation using the Taixu Qi was so effective that he surprised himself.


    This was logical though because when he transformed his own mana into Taixu Qi, the speed was already fast.


    However, he had spent most of his effort cultivating his Qi, which was not very functional. His body had its own capacity limit in carrying his mana. Moreover, when he had cultivated to such high level, the mana level was already not the most important factor in beating an opponent. If an opponent had the ability to move mountains and oceans, they would still be unbeatable.

 Chapter 128 Entering the Doors of Trouble Again

    Some emotions emerged in Shen Lian��s thoughts. Yet, these emotions did not disrupt him from receiving external information. In fact, the amount of information one person could receive and remember was substantial, but one��s psyche would not be able to process this much information simultaneously, leading to selective filtering to avoid overloading in one��s body.


    Shen Lian was no ordinary man. Even if he was working on tens and hundreds of tasks at the same time, he would execute them with zero error.


    This was comparable to the character of Pang Tong in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who had put away his governance for months, yet he could flawlessly solve all his accumulated tasks in one day.


    All the mixed noises in front were heard. Once Shen Lian fixed his mind on it, he already knew what was going on. Someone was hitting on the gong, and there was a notice posted on the wall behind him. The notice read that a demon had appeared in a wealthy family in the city, and they were offering a thousand sterling silvers for someone who can catch the demon.


    The crowd went to read the notice, but no one was taking the offer. It seemed that there were a few other Daoist monks who went for the job, but all of them had failed miserably.


    One should know that these demon catchers relied on their reputation to make a living. Once one failed the job, one would lose reputation, credibility, which was not worth the effort.


    This was the first time Shen Lian had witnessed an incident where a demon was causing trouble in a worldly city since there should be little demons and fairies in the humanly world. It would take a long time for a demon to grow from being plain psychic to possessing a protective shield. If one was in a place saturated with humans, it would be detected before all these could happen.


    Most of the powerful demons stayed in deep mountains and reservoirs which were filled with mana and safe. Unless it had grown and gained physical shape, a mere demon would not leave its own realm.


    Once gaining physical bodies, many demon kings would not bother roaming around as they would occupy a mountain and lived their trouble-free lives there.


    As Shen Lian saw that no one would take up the job, he intended to walk up, since he was in the city where a monster had emerged. He could check what was going on, and whether this monster was really causing harm. He could offer some help.


    At that moment, one person was thrown out of a gambling den. He lied on the ground, wailing a few times. Shen Lian looked and saw a man in ripped and dirty Daoist robe, but his mustache was well groomed.


    Judging from his looks, he had some similarities with Sanwen Daoist. However he looked like forty years of age at most, he couldn��t be Sanwen Daoist himself. Let��s not mention he was the reincarnation.


    In a big wide world, it was not strange to see similar faces. However, this person had some solid foundation of inner Qi, quite similar to the Qi technique of Qing Xuan sect. He might be the descendant of Sanwen Daoist.


    Everyone was looking at this shabby looking Daoist, laughing while pointing at him. He had obviously lost all his money to the gambling den and got chased out.


    He casually dusted off his robe, got up from the ground, had a look at the wall notice, smiled and walked towards the person with the gong ringer.


    That person knew him apparently, and said, "Qi Sanguang, you have even lost your own monastery and all your mystical instruments. How are you going to catch this demon?"


    Qi Sanguang was well known in the area. He came from generations of Daoist masters, had quite a number of field lands, and a monastery. Unfortunately, with such an unfilial person like Qi Sanguang who was addicted to gambling, once he was in the gambling den, he would gamble through the night, never left the place until he had lost all that he had.


    While his parents were still alive several years ago, they could still barely keep him in check. Then when the parents had died, there was no one to control him, his addiction got worse and lost all his properties and inheritance.


    He was not originally named Sanguang as well, that name came from outsiders who saw him as a person who would gamble until he had lost all three currencies: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.


    That was when he got the nickname Sanguang, which was directly translated into "three empty", and he was not ashamed by it. Instead, he embraced it, replaced his old name and called himself Sanguang Daoist.


    Sanguang Daoist obviously lost it all again. He looked at the wall notice, which mentioned of the one thousand silvers reward for capturing a demon, of course, he would look happy.


    He smirked, "If one needed an instrument to catch the demon, you would not have needed me".


    The gong ringer just wanted to bring a Daoist master back and finish his job. Since no one took up the offer, he had to pass the job notice to Sanguang Daoist.


    He thought, if this guy lost a couple of limbs from the monster, and could not enter the gambling den again, that would be doing good too.


    Sanguang Daoist took over the notice and followed him back to the family.


    While there were wasted food rotting away in a wealthy family��s backyard, some people were seen starving to death on the streets. Sanguang Daoist compared himself with this wealthy family��s premises, now he felt quite ashamed of himself.


    The main entrance had a monument set up, with the carving of some scholar��s name. The tablet on the lintel had "Shuo Family" written on it, that reminded him of this Mister Shuo, who was the scholar from this town, and became the minister in charge of salt transportation in Qingzhou, Zhizhou of the Southern East region.


    Mister Shuo was a lucky man. As he left his position from Qingzhou Magistrate, he was transferred elsewhere. During the Qinghe Rebellion, he managed to escape investigation.


    While he was in Qingzhou, everything was smooth, and he got the highest grade, got promoted as Salt Logistics Minister and became rich.


    Seven years ago, he retired before turning fifty and returned home. It was said that the transportation of his properties and belongings went on from day till night, without pause.


    Since he was a scholar, rich and loaded with properties, even the town council minister came over to pay him frequent visits.


    Sanguang Daoist even remembered that his monastery was sold to Mister Shuo, only for two hundred silvers. He thought, when he had gotten rid of this monster, maybe he could try buying the monastery back, so he would not be beaten up by his ancestors in the underworld.


    That was what he wished. Only when he was at the door, the guards did not let him in.


    The person with the notice managed to convince the guards to let him in.


    While he was entering the building, Shen Lian followed right behind.


    Shen Lian looked very sharp and presentable. The door guards immediately greeted him politely. As soon as Sanguang Daoist saw this scene, he was pissed off.


    He looked at Shen Lian who was also honing a Daoist robe and looked especially posh. In actuality, Shen Lian was not wearing any posh attire, but in fact, his robe was just clean, and he had this pure aura around him, immediately escalating the quality of the robe, giving it such posh effect.


    The door guard was especially observant on such things. He could see that Shen Lian looked extraordinary, beating any sons of wealthy families in town. It looked as though a filthy rich young man had entered this rustic farm town.


    Even though the local farm owner��s son was equally literate, Shen Lian��s outlook still stood out in multiple levels.


    Moreover, although the Empress had changed her alignment, and practiced Buddhism, there were still many Daoist monasteries around, with deep foundations. Since this place was so far and secluded, no one cared about it.


    The previous Dawei Dynasty had many practitioners of Daoism, hence the saying "Zhao family, Daoist family, all are one family".


    Therefore, Daoist cultivators were still very respected in such places, not to mention Shen Lian who dressed so clean, neat and tidily.

 Chapter 129 Young Master

    The Shuo Family mansion looked grand with four large entrances. Every entrance door was covered in glittering paint. One could not even see the end of its hall past these entrances.


    Inside the mansion, the corridors were long, filled with artificial landscapes of hills and flowing waters. The walls even had poem scriptures painted on them, which were all scribbled by Mister Shuo, not very artistic. But it was a person��s natural instinct to chase after wealth and fame. Everyone would think that their own artworks were precious and worth passing on for generations. Previously, Shen Lian knew of a king who left behind hundred thousands of poems, which of course almost none of them were remembered by people.


    Proverbs writing was like high-level talisman drawing, it required countless practices. If one wanted to excel in this, it was almost harder than touching the sky.


    The artificial landscapes of hills and flowing water, poem scriptures and old paintings may look elegant to a normal person, but in the eyes of Shen Lian they looked like a child��s graffiti not worth to even joke about.


    However, there was one thing that would give Shen Lian a laugh.


    When Mister Shuo heard of the Daoist master who came with the wall notice, he came out of the inner porch to the front hall. He was very well fed, fair and chubby, looked as though he was only in his forties while he was already past fifty.


    Shen Lian saw this man and immediately recognized him as the ex-governor of Qing state. He was giggling inside, the fact that he would encounter this man at this place. He still remembered when he utilized some information from the Shen family to help the governor overcome his finance deficits, then only he could be transferred in peace.


    Of course, Shen Lian used this favor as a trading condition, whereby he utilized the authority of Governor Shuo to help himself into the prison of Qing state, met with the man in green robe and mastered the Qi Technique.


    Both were each other��s cause and effect, none was owing anything to another.


    Even if Mister Shuo had a good memory, but with the passing of more than ten years and the indulging in alcohol and lust, his memory had deteriorated that he could not remember Shen Lian��s face, although this face did look quite familiar.


    After the brief moment of humiliation at the entrance, Daoist Sanguang slightly tidied up his attire and dusted off his face and beard on his way in. He did not look too bad, plus after hanging in the gambling den for days, he could effortlessly pretend to be a high-level Daoist master.


    Mister Shuo looked at the young Shen Lian, he thought this young man was Daoist Sanguang disciple.


    With his own status, he would not be bothered with gambling addicts like Daoist Sanguang. Even his servants would not mention of knowing him, as this would never bring them anything good.


    This bunch of people actually wanted to see Daoist Sanguang embarrass himself. Moreover, Daoist Sanguang was quite knowledgeable to begin with. It was even rumored that there were gods amongst his family��s ancestors. If the old master asked them about him, they could still give a vague reply.


    Mister Shuo saw this duo of old and young Daoist master, who looked not too shabby. He enthusiastically spoke of the demon issue with them.


    Shen Lian did not speak a word. Sanguang did not know the origins of Shen Lian, and he was only concerned that if Shen Lian acted upon this demon and defeated it, he would cut short his own path to fortune.


    He had his own plans as well. This demon would not be too fierce and powerful, or else Mister Shuo would not have continued staying here. He cultivated some inner energy himself, plus the fact that the reward was so handsome, all that he could think about now was getting rid of this demon, and carrying the thousand silver sterling reward from Mister Shuo and reenter the gambling den.


    As Sanguang thought of this, he could not control his own smiling as if the deal was already done.


    Whereas Mister Shuo misunderstood that the elder Daoist was smiling with confidence, hence he became slightly relieved as well.


    Then he said, "Alright, Daoist master, let us get rid of this monster now!"


    Sanguang was still in a daze and did not hear what Mister Shuo was saying, but he would not dare to refuse.


    However, Shen Lian did get a good listen to the tale. Five days ago, the Shuo family woke up to find a tree standing in the western hall. This tree was black all over as if it was toasted by lightning.


    When the servants approached the tree, they immediately suffered hallucination.


    Although the tree appeared motionless in the western hall, it must be a tree demon which appeared out of nowhere. This totally freaked Mister Shuo out who hired monks and Daoist masters to get rid of it. But all of them were possessed upon entrance and left without success.


    As Shen Lian was listening, he could already deduce that this was a tree demon which could cast illusions, which was quite interesting.


    They followed Mister Shuo to the western hall, he then pointed towards the front. There it was a tree, pitch black thoroughly, just like a piece of coal.


    As Shen Lian tried his spiritual sensory on the tree, he could only sense a mild sign of life and an almost diminishing spirit within.


    As Sanguang looked on, he did not notice anything unusual. He never even heard what Mister Shuo said earlier. He stepped in front, and nothing happened.


    He advanced another three feet. Suddenly, Sanguang dropped to the floor, kept rolling and shaking his head, as if being hit by someone, and shouted, "Daddy, please stop hitting me! I��ll stop gambling! Mummy, please get daddy to stop!"


    He was rolling on the ground non-stop, then got up and ran out, no one could stop him.


    Mister Shuo was stunned by this sight. He never thought that this Daoist would be equally useless. Fortunately, he had seen similar incidents before, so he was not too mad.


    Shen Lian did not run out to chase after Sanguang. This surprised him a little.


    Mister Shuo asked, "Hey little Daoist master, shouldn��t you be running to look after your master?"


    Shen Lian laughed silently. If this Sanguang was really a descendant of the Daoist Sanwen, a calculation based on seniority would consider himself as his ancestor.


    He casually replied, "I am not his disciple. Let me handle this tree demon."


    Then only Mister Shuo knew that there was a misunderstanding. Right before he could ask anything else, Shen Lian slowly moves towards the tree, and strangely nothing happened. Mister Shuo could not help but feel surprised, maybe this person really had something in him.


    As Shen Lian reached in front of the tree, a face appeared in the middle of the tree trunk, and then a voice appeared in his mind, "Why have you come here, Young Master?"


    Shen Lian felt quite amazed. This tree demon had some spiritual presence, and could have experienced the lightning trial, but why did it call him Young Master. So he asked, "Why did you call me Young Master?"


    "Since you have learned the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura from the Elder Master, according to human terms, you are his descendant. So, I shall naturally call you Young Master", replied the tree demon.


    Shen Lian thought a while, and said, "You are that loquat tree from Mister Su��s house". He would remember anything that he saw. As he remembered back of the loquat tree from last time, there was certain resemblance with this loquat tree. Plus, since the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura was mentioned, then only he would make such guess.


    "Yes, I am the loquat tree from Elder Master��s house. Earlier while I was facing the attacks from the Lightning Trial of Transformation, I was attacked by the Green-faced Ghost King and lost my inner elixir. I had no choice but to escape to here". Loquat tree was slightly shaken, many toasted charcoal ashes could be seen falling from its body.


    "I see. And so happened there was a Diyin-void here, which explained why you would escape here. However, your own core of vitality has damaged, you are merely surviving on the Yin energy from the Diyin-void, which is only delaying your spirit from dissipating away," Shen Lian sighed.

 Chapter 130 Conferment of a God

    "Xiao Nu1 know this very well. Now that I have lost my inner elixir and injured my roots, it is inevitable that my soul will dissipate sooner or later. But can Young Master help to reduce my pain, even by just a bit?"


    Shen Lian could vaguely hear the soul of the loquat tree sobbing.


    He muttered, "I can do that. How do you want me to help you?"


    Loquat tree said, "Can Young Master keep my soul in your sandalwood sword? I am feeling extremely unsettled under the hot noon sun". It was not a clump of shapeless and formless soul matter. It was lucky that it had been stored in the shell that was hit by the Divine Lightning, the few days of torture by the hot sun was brutal.


    Shen Lian��s sandalwood sword was the right tool for storage of souls and spirits. It was also his instrument for mental practices, so it should be able to keep its spirit for a brief moment, isolate itself from the scorching sun heat and soothe it a little.


    Shen Lian replied, "This is definitely not a problem, come in as you wish." Since this loquat tree was a pure soul, not tainted even with a slight hint of evil air, plus the fact that it was one of the trees at Mister Su��s, Shen Lian would not leave it to die.


    Loquat tree had an innocent mind. It could not detect any ill intentions from Shen Lian, so it safely transformed into a gush of green smoke, left the tree trunk and swiftly entered the wooden sword hung on Shen Lian��s waist.


    The wooden sword used to an instrument born out of mind when Shen Lian was practicing the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. He would never have thought that this would be the temporary shelter for the soul of the loquat tree from Mister Su��s mansion.


    Just as the Loquat Tree soul entered the wooden sword, Shen Lian immediately felt an emotion, as if he was on a brink of life and death.


    A wooden sword would have its own soul and spiritual presence as well. As both woods fuse together, that fusion was felt in his limbs as well.


    Loquat Tree seemed to feel the same sensation, and it immediately felt in awe.


    As Shen Lian thought of an idea, he continued on telepathically, "I see that even if you temporarily stay in my sword, you will still dissipate sooner or later. I do have an idea to help you survive in this world, not sure if you are up for it".


    "Xiao Nu just wish to steal as many breaths as I can on earth. Why don��t you just reveal your plan, Young Master?" Replied the Loquat tree-soul.


    Shen Lian said, "I can build a temple for you, and put you up as spiritual guardian. You shall guard this place, and as long as you do your best in this job, naturally people will worship you and feed you joss sticks to nourish your soul. However, this method will bind you to this land and take your freedom away".


    This method of bestowment as described by Shen Lian, was actually a conferment. Thought both seemed similar to the path of Shen, it still had a slight deviation from Zhao Xiaoyu��s method.


    He had only taken up this method recently. The Divine Qi of Taixu, merged with all beings, granted him with extrasensory with the spiritual presence of the sky, earth, mountains, and rivers. Shen Lian could collect the Qi of earth from this land, turn it into a talisman and apply it onto the soul of the Loquat Tree, granting it the approval from the water and earth elements from this land and not reject it as an evil being.


    If it fulfills its responsibilities, guard this land, all the people would eventually worship it and feed it with joss sticks.


    This would be a win-win situation and helped restore heavenly orders.


    God was fair and may have its miscalculations as well. Hence there were natural disasters like floods, earthquakes that affected all living beings and disrupt the order in heavens. This was why in certain places, some spiritual guardians would be birthed to bring back balance to the Qi of vitality around the land. However, not all mountains, rivers, sky and earth had their own souls, so these spirits were also formed as a result of the joint of wishes of the local people who worshipped them. If it lost its task, people would not worship it, diminishing its godly powers, and finally failed to protect even its own presence.


    This was what they called "One would prosper if one was hardworking; one would perish if one was careless".


    Zhao Xiaoyu was both similar and different compared to this kind of spirit. She possessed The Book of Nine Lotus, making her within the path of Shen. Her invincible martial arts and Dao attainment could help to plunder the power from the Empress, gain the combined strength of the people, build the country as gifted by the Gods, and even expand the discipleship of Nine Lotus Clan, observed as the empire rise and fall, make herself the Royal Pope, and rule above the Emperor. As long as her disciples were multiplied and scattered all around the place, never-ending, her position would be unshakeable. She could even expand her boundaries, conquer the countries around her and endorse the Religion of Nine Lotus. Finally, if she could unify all countries into one, turn it into the Country of Gods, she would achieve the Path of Zhenkong, reveal her real identity, even not bound to the Path of Shen.


    This was why Zhao Xiaoyu wanted to take in Shen Lian, so Shen Lian could provide her huge assistance. To achieve extraordinarily, one would need extraordinary men to do extraordinary things. And these people would need to possess talents from out of this world, and the will of steel. Religions would also need these kinds of talents to inherit and expand its influence.


    Actually, this was also because Zhao Xiaoyu observed Qing Xuan being one of the Four Grand Religions, got deteriorated due to a catastrophe, and the fact the Zhou Empire was not rich with vitality, hence her thought of this scheme was born. As when Zhao Xiaoyu achieved what she planned for, with the help of people from all corners, she would form a stage with endless development.


    Although the Empress was brutal and destructive, she was still set up by Zhao Xiaoyu. Only that Zhao Xiaoyu had misread a step and let Shen Lian screw up her whole plan, and cause her great loss.


    Shen Lian would not think lightly of Zhao Xiaoyu just because of her failure. Her attitude of viewing all things as a mirage and walk her own path, and with the strong willpower, she would have succeeded if she did not vanish.


    He was also thinking of the Path of Shen originated from Zhao Xiaoyu; collect the intentions of all people, turn it into joss food, which would largely benefit the spirits, and easily extend the lifespan of Loquat Tree.


    The Loquat Tree lost its inner elixir when it was hit by Lightning Trials of Transformation, it would just stay and wilt to death even though it luckily escaped with its shell.


    Since Shen Lian had the ability to confer it as a spirit guardian, continue its lifespan, Loquat Tree naturally would not object.


    As for freedom, there was nothing worth mentioning to a tree.


    Moreover, Loquat Tree had never heard of any of its kind which embraced freedom. Since there was a peaceful land, where it could eternally stand in tree form, spent its life with the spirits of woods and grasses, it could spend the rest of its life there. As per Shen Lian��s saying from past life, all woods and grasses were the stay-at-home types.


    After obtaining approval from Loquat Tree, Shen Lian proceeded to finalize this matter.


    As Mister Shuo saw that Shen Lian stood in front of the tree, whispering to himself under the sun, he thought, "The way this little Daoist master is possessed, seemed a little different from the other monks."


    He mumbled in his heart, saw that Shen Lian turned around and walked back. Then he remembered his possessed face, stepped back a few steps, only to be held by his servants behind.


    Yet, he saw that Shen Lian was smiling while he strolled back, did not look possessed. Mister Shuo was stunned and heard Shen Lian casually stating, "Now that I have gotten rid of the demon, you have nothing to worry about".


    Mister Shuo took a good look at Shen Lian who looked serious and not joking, his confidence increased by seven tenths, there was still a hint of suspicion. He pointed to a servant on his left, and ordered, "You, go and have a look there".Сū��A self address referring oneself as a slave. Another term for ū� (Nubi, female slave) or ū�� (Nucai, male slave).

 Chapter 131 Old Friend

    The servant had an agonized look but he dared not disobey. The contract of these servants were in Master Shuo��s hands and if they offended Master Shuo, there were ways for Master Shuo to torture them to a living death experience, and the local authorities would have no way of looking into it. The servant carefully approached the loquat tree. Once he was within ten, twenty feet away, nothing happened. He then walked directly to the tree and stood beneath it. The servant got bolder when he realized nothing happened and he touched the tree trunk of the loquat tree.


    "Ouch!"


    Master Shuo looked at Shen Lian suspiciously, as though saying whether he had worked it out or not.


    Then, he heard the servant said, "Master, I��m fine. It was just a prick."


    He saw no thorns on the tree trunk, why would he get pricked? The servant really could not understand.


    Shen Lian almost heard the loquat tree that was lodged on the wooden sword humped, as though saying, "Idiot, that is the remaining lightning from the Divine Thunder."


    Shen Lian gazed on the body of the loquat tree, thinking, "You should be made into the statue of a deity, this Tianlei wood." Tianlei wood did not mean a type of tree but it is referred to the wood that was not burnt after being struck by Divine Thunder. It was an excellent spiritual being.


    Master Shuo saw that the servant was fine and could not help but be elated, he said, "You��re really capable, Daoist priest. How should I address you?" Shen Lian and Daoist Sanguang��s reactions were worlds apart. Master Shuo was rather understanding of the state of affair and knew that Shen Lian was not lying. Both of them were truly not master and apprentice.


    Towards people with special powers, he had always been very hospitable to them and would not wish to neglect them.


    Shen Lian chuckled and said, "Dear Mister Shuo, you truly have great wits but a bad memory. Do you still remember that you were there when I opened that inn that time?" He did not mention the incident that happened at the government office of the state capital of Qing and only mentioned this matter because naturally, this could jog up Master Shuo��s memory of who he was.


    Because Shen Lian clearly stated his identity, he could avoid a lot of nonsense and unnecessary tricks.


    Shuo Zhizhou, who get this reminder from Shen Lian, suddenly came to his senses and he took a good look at Shen Lian. His facial expression changed and he then said, "So it��s you. It��s been so many years and you did not change at all."


    He later waved his hands, telling his servants to back off. After all, he had been in the officer position for so long, even if he was abdicated, he was still dignified. Even though the servants did not understand, they still felt that the master had secrets to tell the young Daoist priest.


    Once the servants left, he still looked around.


    Shen Lian saw, and thought it was funny, he said, "Dear Mister Shuo, you��re still afraid of other people listening to our conversation with me around? Honestly, it is not that much of a big deal. Her Majesty knows that I am Shen Lian. We have even met twice but she did nothing to me." Shuo Zhizhou was exactly worried about this. The entire Shen family had attached themselves with the usurper, the Duke of Qinghe. If other people knew that he had a private meeting with the dregs of the Shen family, let alone keeping his immense wealth and his seven beautiful chambers and concubines, even keeping his head on top of his neck would be a problem.


    There were two kinds of people who were afraid of dying in this word.


    The first one were those who were in power. Power was like an intoxicating wine, the longer it was, the harder it was to give it up. Naturally, they would not wish to die and forsake their position of power.


    The second one were those with money. Even though money was not that all powerful but it was the closest thing to being that all powerful. With billions in the family wealth, they were able to be as happy as the celestial beings. Who would be able to give up this wealth?


    Master Shuo replied, "Well, caution is the parent of safety. It indeed is." He was already an old officer who had stepped down so he can be resilient. He would still bend one��s knees when dealing with dangerous people like Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not even bother with Master Shuo��s countenance. Back then, Shuo Zhizhou still had some mettle but now, with his immense wealth and groups of concubines, plus the fact that he was old, there was not any aspiration left. Ultimately, those who fought like the snakes in the wilderness such as Master Shen were in the minority. Majority of the folks are content with the commonplace within their entire lives, even though once in a while they would rouse themselves up, they still preferred to enjoy their normal lives.


    Shen Lian said, "It does not matter whether you recognized me or you pretend to not know me. I do not want your one thousand sterling silver. I heard that Daoist Sanguang��s ancestral properties and Daoist temple, which had been handed down for generations, were sold to you. You just have to give me the Daoist temple and the title deed for the land." To purchase a Daoist temple, in addition to the fertile farmland around it with one thousand sterling silver, it was said to be neither expensive nor cheap. Who would want to sell these real estates which could be passed down to the next generation unless there was no choice at all?


    When the situation truly calls for such desperate measures, there was also no ground for negotiation.


    Just now, when Daoist Sanguang was being discussed by the others, Shen Lian was able to obtain the information he needed from this, knowing that Daoist Sanguang had sold his ancestral Daoist temple to Master Shuo.


    Even when the price was truly fair, neither party got the better end.


    Master Shuo was stunned, he asked, "What Daoist temple?"


    Shen Lian answered lightly, "You would need to ask your Chamberlain about it. Once you��ve gotten a clear picture, send over the items. "


    What followed was that Shen Lian walked to the front of the body of the loquat tree and followed, "Send the title deed for the land and building directly to the Daoist temple." After that, with a swirl of his body and a brutal stormwind, the burnt loquat tree was pulled out from the ground with its roots intact, ascended high up to the sky and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Watching this measure taken by Shen Lian, it was even more impossible for Master Shuo to repudiate this debt. Furthermore, he really did not know about buying some kind of Daoist temple. Shuo Zhizhou had someone summoned the chamberlain of the manor. This person had been his trusted subordinate for many years, it was also the same Chamberlain who brought Shen Lian to the prison in the government office of the state capital of Qing.


    Even though the chamberlain was old, but his memory was superb. Once Shen Zhizhou mentioned it, he immediately recalled. Initially, Shuo Zhizhou had assigned him to purchase lands and properties. Naturally, the chamberlain did as he was told and Qi Sanguang was in desperate need of money. The Chamberlain simply took this opportunity and bought the fertile farmlands and a Daoist temple with an extremely low and cheap price. The Daoist temple had been around for hundreds of years and he had personally surveyed the building. The materials used were of good quality. There was hardly any damage or spots that required patching up. The location was the best and the view was pleasant.


    The chamberlain told Master Shuo everything he knew, together with Qi Sanguang��s background. Shuo Zhizhou then understood. Even though he was unclear as to what relationship Qi Sanguang had with Shen Lian, he still did not have the means to repudiate this debt. He still remembered clearly until this day the methods Shen Lian used when he was ten over years old. This was the strange part of the human memory, sometimes one cannot recall anything but when one does, all kinds of details pop to mind.


    The Chamberlain searched for the title deeds, as per Shuo Zhizhou��s order, and personally delivered it to the Daoist temple. So it was that with Shen Lian, these kinds of details could not be overlooked.


    _ _ _ _


    Sanguang Daoist previously fell for the illusion by the loquat tree��s Yin spirit. He thought he had met his deceased father who came to settle scores with him. He escaped with panic once he got walloped. Once he was on the streets, he suddenly came to his senses when the illusion disappeared.


    With what happened just now, he dared not go back to the Shuo manor anymore. With no money on him, he did not even know where to go. When he passed by the gambling tents, he could not resist the urge and really wanted to enter for a game. But the people from the gambling house already recognized him from earlier on, plus the fact that he owed a huge debt, he got vehemently beat up and was dumped at the corner of the street.

 Chapter 132 Goddess of Grains

    Even though Daoist Sanguang had practiced martial arts and still had some breathing techniques that he picked up from a young age, but he could not defend himself as he was starving. His entire body ached while he suffered from the cold and hunger. He even felt that he had nowhere to go in this vast word.


    The moon rose over the tip of the tree branch. The north wind blew, the ground was chilled. Daoist Sanguang, who was initially unconscious, regained consciousness. There was no one on the street at this hour because it was getting dark and everyone had returned home.


    Daoist Sanguang was in a haze. He remembered about the daoist temple, that was his home. He stumbled back.


    Yuguan had mountains on its three sides with one side facing a river. The daoist temple was around the river area. The river was also called Yushui..


    Since the beginning of time, the Yushui River had seven bypasses and eight curves. The daoist temple was erected on an escarpment that had been alluviated on the sandbars. It was independent of the world around it, it was indifferent and distant. There were hundreds of acres of fertile farmland laying in the far flood lands. It was also Daoist Sanguang��s ancestral property.


    The sky did not have many stars and the moon was dim. The light from the daoist temple was as small as a pea.


    Daoist Sanguang saw the light and a warm feeling welled up in him. He did not know where this strength came from and he forced himself to enter the daoist temple quickly. There was a statue being enshrined and worshiped in the main hall of the daoist temple. Its entire body was bronze black but it was also lifelike. It was a gentle looking woman holding a strand of paddy grain.


    Daoist Sanguang recalled that there was no statue being enshrined before, only with the memorial tablet of the daoist master being erected. Could this statue be one of the new deity being worshiped after Master Shuo had bought this temple?


    Looking at the hand holding the strand of paddy grain, it was probably mainly for a plentiful harvest of the five grains, good weather, for the people to have abundance and live in peace.


    The paddy grain was not real, it was man made, made from the similar material as the statue. Underneath the statue were steam buns as offerings. Daoist Sanguang saw this and his hunger was getting rampant.


    The fragrance of the steam buns was enticing, as though it was still steaming under the lights. Daoist Sanguang was about to reach out and grab for it. Half way through, his hand fell as he thought to himself, "Qi Sanguang, even when you are a prodigal and an old gambler, you have never stolen or snatch anything, why would you throw away your last bit of good conscience for a bite of food?"


    But a voice replied inside him, "This food is an offering for the deity. If the deity is benevolent, the deity would not mind you stealing the steam buns."


    With that thought, the scale inside him tipped to another side.


    The two thoughts flipped here and there and finally Daoist Sanguang could not stand the hunger and cold anymore. He reached out and put the steam buns into his mouth. Once he had finished eating, guilt began to fill him. He kowtowed to the statue and repended, "I do not know who you are, lady. I will repay you in the future for eating your offerings today."


    Suddenly, a voice slowly answered, "Will you?"


    The voice was low and had an unexplainable lingering charm to it. After Daoist Sanguang heard it, he felt the sleepiness welled up and he gladly went to slumber. He dreamed that he had become a middle aged man who came from a wealthy background. For generations, his family had been running a daoist temple. Later, he had a son and he loved the son dearly. As the son grew, he became more disobedient and had even gotten addicted to gambling. It angered him to no end. Until one day, he was too old to even move around and there was no one to discipline and contain that unfilial son of him. The son hanged out at gambling houses and refused to return home. He and his wife were getting older. The unfilial son hardly spared them a glance except when he returned home for money. Afterwards, both of them consecutively passed away from illnesses. He became a ghost and followed side by side of his unfilial son. The son became even fearless until the point that he pawned out his ancestral properties.


    As the years went by, the unfilial son racked up a huge amount of debt and was kicked out of the gambling houses. He then saw a wealthy and influential family published a notice for employment of someone to capture demons. When the son went to the place, he only knew that this family had been the one to purchase his family��s daoist temple. When the son thought of continuing with his gambling habit after getting the reward money for hunting demons, he finally had the last straw. An unnamed force formed in him, allowing his son to see him and his fists hammered down on the son��s body, causing the son to cry out in pain non-stop. The son ran away and when he passed by the gambling house, he still was not content and wanted to try his luck. He got walloped again by the thugs of the gambling house and got thrown out. Finally, the son met his demise on the streets when he succumbed to the cold and hunger.


    Qi Sanguang realized that the son was him at the moment the son passed away.


    He had reaped what he had sowed.


    Suddenly woken from his dream, he opened his eyes and noticed the cool moonlight illuminating his lonely self. The north wind blew past. He was on the streets by himself, his stomach growling out of hunger, his entire body ached. So he had a dream within a dream.


    That dream from before was too vivid until the point that remorse began welling up within him. He dared not look back at the years that had passed like a fleeting dream.


    He finally had an epiphany. Life is not meant to be passed so emptily like this, he was still an abled person. From this moment on, he should turn over a new leave and not upset and anger his father who was in the netherworld.


    Qi Sanguang got up from the cold and hard ground. For a moment, he did not know where to go and he remembered the first dream he had, and so he walked back to the daoist temple that had been passed down to him.


    When he reached the inside of the temple, it was exactly the same as he had dreamt, even the number and placement of the steam buns were the same.


    Daoist Sanguang could not help but felt strange and had an understanding of the unseen, he bowed his head and said, "Qi Sanguang thank my lady for your teachings. From today onwards, I will turn over a new leaf, publicize your lady��s name and do everything I can to help my fellow countrymen."


    Once his sincere intention was made clear, a beam of light came down from the sky and bathed Qi Sanguang in it. The pain from before rapidly disappeared at an unbelievable speed.


    _ _ _ _


    Three days later, Yuguan city was in a buzz over a new matter. It turned out that under the lead of the local famous squire, Master Shuo, many of the other squires and rich people, together with the county lord, were headed towards a temple by the Yushui riverside with three offerings [1].


    Naturally, this big scene drew attention of many onlooker. Since the beginning of time, the common aspiration of the people were like water. As for how this water flows, it depended on these squires.


    Once the crowd had reached the front of the temple, they saw the three big writing on the top of the temple. The penmanship was firm and vigorous and the Guzhuan character[2] was used. It was truly light and swaying, fresh and elegant.


    Master Shuo stood at the forefront. Even though both the county lord and him had liangbang [3] ranking, Master Shuo was more senior in qualification. In addition to that, his ranking was higher up. The most important thing, however, was that he was financially sound and had a massive influence as a squire over the local area. Hence, it made sense for him to be at the head position.


    A temple attendant came to the front of the temple and his outstanding behavior was that of an immortal. The attendant welcomed the fellow squires and county lord, some of them recognized the attendant as the old gambler, Qi Sanguang, who was also known as Daoist Sanguang.


    No one thought that he truly fit the part after dressing up. Furthermore, he was lively and jovially chatting with the group of important men.


    With the ritual for the worship of the god and the three top-grade livestock, the squires invited an elderly and noble man to recite the prayers.


    On the other side, Shen Lian leisurely stood outside of the temple, beneath his feet was the Yushui River. A misty fog splashed from the lashing of the river water. Shen Lian extended his hands towards the void of the Yushui River and grabbed hold, as though he was holding a ball of aura in his hand. In his other hand, it was holding dirt. With the combination of the water and soil, a part empty part real dao talisman was formed in Shen Lian��s hand.


    With a flick of Shen Lian��s finger, the talisman entered the Goddess of Grains�� temple in lightning speed and entered the statue of the goddess.


    Translator��s notes:


    [1] ������ Generally refers to three domestic animals (i.e. cattle, sheep, and pigs) formerly used as sacrificial offerings.


    [2] ��׭�� - Also known as the seal character, it is a style of Chinese calligraphy, often used on seals.


    [3] ���� or �����ʿ (Liangbang jinshi) refers to those who have passed triennial examination held in each province for the title of juren (����) and then later obtained the title of jinshi through the final imperial examination which is presided over by the emperor.

 Chapter 133 Xuande Sword

    Coincidentally, the worship ceremony came to an end. The statue glowed and a gentle looking lady, who was similar in appearance to the statue, appeared in midair with a benevolent look on her face.


    The soft feminine voice was as though it resonated from the bottom of her heart, "I have been summoned by Qingxia Zhenren to protect and sustain the people of this land, to harmonize the Qi of the land and mountains, to provide good weather and a plentiful harvest of the five grains." The crowd understood that they had been favored by fortune and the unseen, they proclaimed, "All hail the Goddess of the grains." These people could not contain themselves when the Goddess made her presence known, even though it was shallow, drizzles of faith surged from them.


    However, this little number of worshippers poured over her body like a hot spring water. The Goddess was of course the Yin spirit of the loquat tree. At that moment, she could clearly sense that her supposedly dispersing Yin spirit was slowly condensing, causing her to avoid the perils of her spirit disappearing.


    Furthermore, she had gone through the shapeshifting and trials of the Divine Thunder. Originally, the essence of Yin spirit was Yin in nature, but she was also able to produce Yang essence within the Yin essence. The resolve of the worshippers invaded the spirit and combined with it, blending into it as one and shreds of divinity were formed.


    From this moment on, she was no longer the uncultivated deity that was brought up by Shen Lian through deceit, but she had a tight bond with her follower. They were bonded together for good or ill.


    At this interval, perhaps the goddess of grains was befitting for her. Suddenly, she sensed a door opening in midair and shreds of virtue Qi leaked out, landing on her body. "Undying Goddess of Grains", these four words were deeply entrenched in her heart.


    The Universal Qi of Virtue did not entirely landed on her. Some of it entered into Qi Sanguang��s body. Qi Sanguang who also sensed it was quite confused.


    Some of it also went to Shen Lian. Shen Lian smiled simply and with a wave of his sleeves, the Qi disappeared.


    _ _ _ _


    The autumn wind blows drear and bleak, the monstrous billows surge up high.[1] Shen Lian was on the upstream of the Yushui River, the water rose and flooded. The red leaves by the banks of the river swirled in the air, it was mournful throughout.


    He pressed the sandalwood sword in his hands, there were strands of the Universal Qi of Virtue flowing, as though the entire body of the sword was like a piece of warm topaz, it was somewhat transparent.


    This Universal Qi of Virtue was also known as merits.


    The heavens were absolute in justice and all fair in rewards and punishments. Shen Lian had set a goddess for Yuguan to harmonize the Qi of the land and mountain. Hence, this was why some of the Qi flowed into Shen Lian when the goddess appeared.


    Even though Shen Lian knew about these merits, it was still his first time obtaining it. The Qi of Merit. It could be considered difficult. It could be considered easy. It was nothing more than to just submit to destiny and lead and participate in it personally.


    But karma was inevitable when submitting to destiny. To be involved in it might not be entirely beneficial, one may also need to bear some consequences.


    Shen Lian had established the Goddess of Grains, he would automatically get a small half of it if the merits descended. But later, with the Yang in the Yin of the Goddess, combined with the worships of the worshippers and divinity was formed, there was a difference with just establishing a deity.


    The summoning talisman used by Shen Lian was like a medium, it introduced the loquat tree��s Yin spirit to the living Qi of the Yushui River. Because of the birth of divinity, and the pure heart and mind of the Yin spirit, it harmonized with the mountains and rivers. The two immediately clicked together and thus the Goddess became the Goddess to this area with the approval of the mountains and rivers.


    Therefore, Shen Lian gotten a little more the the Qi of Virtue compared to Qi Sanguang, and will not have any bond of karma with the Goddess anymore. In the future, if the Goddess had any wrongdoings, it would not implicate him. As for why Qi Sanguang was able to obtain the Qi of Virtue, this was due to the approval of his identity as the temple attendant by the newly established Goddess, he became the bridge between the God and mortals.


    Since Shen Lian had been able to take care of Daoist Sanwen��s descendant, saved the loquat tree from Mister Su��s home, and presented the other with good fortune, his wishes felt more fulfilled.


    Somehow, he felt that after he did this good deed, it worked well for him to touch the Huandan state, but he also felt that he was still missing something. He could follow this feeling and forcefully have a breakthrough, but it also seemed like there would be flaws.


    Shen Lian suppressed this urge and allowed his emotions to subside, he did not even used the merits to deepen his cultivation so he gave it to his wooden sword instead.


    And thus it became to state that it was.


    Shen Liam mumbled to himself, "It has been many years and yet I have not given you a name, how about I��ll just call you Xuande sword?" The meaning of Xuande was the hidden morality that was not outwardly shown, plus it was the ��Xuan�� from ��Qing Xuan��, combined with the ��De�� of merits.


    The Xuande sword heard this name and whispered in an ancient and low tone.


    Shen Lian answered, "Even if you don��t like it, I��ll still call you this. After all, I am the master." The autumn breeze brushed past his face. Shen Lian��s posture was relaxed and he was not sad, nor did he recalled emotions because of the bleak autumn scene.


    Shen Lian felt that he could adapt to any kind of environment but he still ultimately like to be left alone, because he was not from this world. Even when he search for celestials and learn about Daoism, he still felt the distance between himself and this world.


    This feeling did not decrease as his cultivation got deeper, when in fact it popped up from time to time.


    It seemed that loneliness and solitude would make a person sad, but these emotions would not depress a person.


    It was different than meditation or the silence between life and death. To best put it in word would be, ��There was nothing in the beginning��.


    Shen Lian trickled past the Yushui River. The rushing river tide did not affect him at all. He walked westwards and he did not know how long he walked. Shen Lian was still not entirely clear what kind of place would Temple of Killings be.


    Without realizing, he had walked out of the Dazhou land and really reached the wasted Xi Huang.


    The ��waste�� did not mean that it was laid to waste but it was desolated and uninhabited.


    Of course, how would that be the case when he heard someone belted out, "The king told me to patrol the mountains.[2]" Shen Lian was jarred by this unpleasant singing.


    He did not reach an epiphany but it was just that his heart and soul were really at ease.


    Of course, the owner of this voice did not seemed to let him off the hook just yet, "Oi, the young fellow in front, you better stay right there."


    To put it more accurately, the one singing was no human, but someone with the head of an animal and the body of a human.


    It was a Water Deer Demon, his mana was shallow. The reason he was able to take human form was most likely him getting external help by other powerful demons.


    The Water Deer sniffed from far away and came up holding a steel fork. He said, "What are you? There is no human scent on you but how do you look like a human?"


    The demons of Xi Huang loved to eat humans. To be able to eat humans, they developed an ability. That ability was that whenever they wanted to eat humans, they would sniff from the top of the mountains and they could smell the human scent around tens of miles.


    Shen Lian did not have any human scent.


    Shen Lian had a pure fragrance of grass and tree on him. To the demons that were used to the bloody smell of meat and fish, it was not really a good taste.


    There were bound to be demons who were vegetarians but this demon was an exception.


    Shen Lian simply smiled, "I am a human."


    The Water Deer Demon shook his head and replied, "No, no. You do not have the human scent, how could you be human? Do not think of lying to me." He then lifted his head and with an angry look, he followed, "I guess you are lying to me on purpose so that I would embarrass myself in front of the king. Because the king has allowed me to patrol the mountains, capture a human and make it into a dish for the newly arrived guest."


    Shen Lian suddenly thought of this sentence, "If this demon was going to die, it would be because of his stupidity."


    Translator��s note:


    [1] �����ɪ,�鲨ӿ�� are verses from Cao Cao��s ���ܲ٣���The Sea��,"�۲׺�".


    [2] ����������Ѳɽ is an actual song sang by Zhao Yingjun (��Ӣ��) for the movie ��Surprise��"����û�뵽:����ƪ".

 Chapter 134 Mount Chui Ping

    In actual fact, the Water Deer Demon was not only stupid but was also paranoid.


    Shen Lian shook his head and smile, with pity in his eyes. Because only the kind of people who craved to be taken seriously but had not been taken seriously would behave that way.


    The human world did not lack that kind of people, they were not considered as amiable, and they were considered lucky for being to be alive.


    But, it was unfortunate for the Water Deer demon to have met Shen Lian. He did not understand the look in Shen Lian��s eyes but he automatically hated it.


    He could not help but stabbed the steel fork in his hands towards Shen Lian. As long as demons like him that were transformed from beasts, he naturally possessed a lot of strength. Even though the steel fork was no instrument but it was craft from good steel, albeit the craftsmanship was a little rough. Shen Lian was able to see that the head of the fork was not sharp and it was not sharpen properly.


    Shen Lian��s expression did not change, he only gently extended a finger and withstood the steel for. At the same time, there was a thin layer of orange light blocking the head of the fork from the pad of his fingers.


    The Water Deer Demon was extremely strong. There was a time the king wanted to copy the humans and build a palace. Those being the lower class demons were the coolies. Every one of them had to gather giant boulders from the mountains and carry it back, those boulders were the size of an adult human. It was heavier than Shen Lian. Even if he was that stupid, he still knew that a boulder would be heavier than a fleshy body of the same size.


    But the steel fork could not even hurt the pad of Shen Lian��s finger, he could not even pushed against Shen Lian with his strength. The pointy tip of the fork stood against the thin orange sheet of light, the sheet of light was like flowing water. Even when he used all of his might, it could not even penetrated a small bit.


    Even with the low intelligence of the Water Deer Demon, he knew that something was up. He has messed with someone who he should not be messing with. The lower class demons were shallow and ignorant, but they also knew that there were humans in this universe who were as scary as their king. The king call these humans, cultivators.


    The king mentioned that the taste of cultivator was different from that of a normal human. The Water Deer Demon asked the king whether she had eaten the flesh of a cultivator. The king did not answer. From that day on, the Water Deer Demon did the hardest and most exhausting labor amongst the other lower class demons. He did not feel that it was hard or tiring, he felt that the king held him as an important player.


    But the other demons did not think so. The look they gave him was similar to the one Shen Lian had given him a moment ago, nonetheless, there was still some difference.


    He was more than unhappy with the look he received from other demons but he could not beat them either.


    As for Shen Lian, it was not a matter of whether of fighting him. There was green stream of air that separated from Shen Lian��s finger and it twisted the steel fork. The fork spun round and round very quickly. The fork flew out from his hair and with the high velocity of the spinning, it embedded itself till the tip into the rocks far away. Those rocks had gone through rain and wind and still stood on the mountains, so naturally it was as tough as it could be. The steel fork was not extremely sharp but to be able to skewer the rocks to its tip, it could be seen but how terrifying the power of the green stream of air used by Shen Lian just now.


    Since the start of his cultivation, Shen Lian did not really follow the rules when it came to casual fights. He only needed to improvise with what he had.


    Shen Lian stared at the Water Deer Demon. His expression was not monstrous but the demon felt that Shen Lian was more horrifying than ever.


    Regardless of humans or animals, they had the natural instinct to sense danger. Shen Lian simply stood but the pressure he felt was the same when he first met that tiger in the mountains before the king helped him with his transformation. No, Shen Lian was scarier than the tiger in his eyes. After all, there were moment when the tiger would rest but the way Shen Lian stared at him was as though if Shen Lian pleases, he could do this until the end of time without needing to break his concentration.


    The clouds shifted in the blue skies and the mountain breeze soughed through the pines. The rustling of the wind came closer. At the same time the river deer demon heard the breeze, he too heard Shen Lian��s voice.


    He only heard Shen Lian quietly asked him, "Who is your king?" His tone was not heavy but the demon automatically answered, "The king is the king. This Mount Chui Ping is under her rule."


    "She sounds formidable. How about this, why don��t you bring me to meet this king of yours. I have a matter to ask her," Shen Lian asked with mirth. The Water Deer Demon felt that there was no good intention behind that smile.


    He asked hesitantly, "What would you ask my king?"


    "I will ask later." Shen Lian shook his head, his look suggests he did not want to ask.


    The Water Deer Demon said, "Let me tell you, my king is really formidable. It would be your death when you meet her."


    Shen Lian contemplated the Water Deer Demon with delight, he responded, "You still have this bit of loyalty but once you��re dead, what use is there for this loyalty? Your king would not even shed a tear for you." Demons were indifferent to feelings, especially demons who have cultivated to the stage of demon king. Which of them did not go through great bloodshed? Their hearts had hardened like stone and even though they look kind on the outside, their actual nature were quite unconcerned.


    Take Jingqing for example, even though he had some humanity in him, by nature, he was still indifferent. Even though it could also be his snake nature, but his experience and upbringing played a role too.


    Even though he knew his king was formidable, he did not want to cause trouble for the king. Shen Lian was a trouble. He did not think Shen Lian had seen through his thoughts. There was nothing superior about it. After all, to a demon, there was no point in using the brain to resolve matters that a fist cannot. Now that he had conversed a little more with Shen Lian, he was not that afraid of Shen Lian anymore. With some pride he responded, "I am of greatest importance to my king. You would not understand." The look in his eyes were full of respect.


    Shen Lian quietly warned, "You will end up like those rocks if you do not bring me to her." Shen Lian was by the side of the rocks in the blink of an eye. He did not pulled the fork out but with a wave of purple stream of air from his hands landing on top of the rock, the rocks were rendered to a pile of mushy soil with the fork lying inside it.


    The Water Deer Demon was scared and speechless, as though imagining himself becoming a pile of meat grindings. Shen Lian then followed nonchalantly, "Are we not moving?"


    Of course, Shen Lian did not have the thought of convincing the Water Deer Demon to betray his master. He only thought that this demon was dumb and silly but he also had a simple honesty to him. He spoke a few more sentences with him because his interest was piqued. Even the celestial beings would wandered through the mortal world and take liberties with the mortal. It was a kind of delight.


    Shen Lian did not think that celestial beings had to be cold and merciless, ignoring everything and focus solely on the pursuit of Dao. People were alive because of the excitement of this world, this was why they could not bear to die. There was no difference between a rock on the mountain and someone who was old fashion and inflexible. There were many joys in the many beings of this universe. Even a red leaf flying within the mountains, as long as one focuses on the veins of the leaf, they could also discover many interesting things about it.


    Without waiting for the Water Deer Demon to yield, an ominous voice scolded from above, "You��ve been ordered to capture a human, why are you still dilly dallying since you��ve already gotten the human? And you still haven��t tied him up."


    The voice from the skies above. There was an eagle in the sky, it was really burly as it circled above both the demon and human. With its wings spread, a shadow loomed over both their heads, like a dark cloud in the sky.


    This eagle was a demon and his mana was quite powerful.


    The eagle quickly landed on the ground and turned into a monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a human. He stared at Shen Lian and nodded his head in satisfaction, "This one doesn��t look bad, he��s actually quite fresh and tender."

 Chapter 135 The Lingbao Dragon Scripture

    The Eagle Demon then sternly said to the Water Deer Demon, "When we get back and the king asked, tell her that it was I who captured this person. You hear me?"


    He had it all planned out. If the human captured by the Water Deer Demon was ugly, old and scrawny with no flesh on his bones, the king would not be happy at all, he would just blame it on the Water Deer Demon. But Shen Lian looked clean, soft and supple. At a glance, he was top grade ingredient, if the king and the honored guest enjoyed the meal then there most probably would be a reward. Naturally, he had the thought of seizing the credit.


    Shen Lian can see that this Eagle Demon was the ringleader within this ground of lower class demon, his smell was much stronger than the Water Deer Demon. But he was still weaker than the demon king. Perhaps in order to make it through the shapeshifting and trials of the Divine Thunder, he got external help in transforming. It was not that all demons could pull through this ordeal, even those who had pulled through would be very fragile. It would be akin to meeting their predators when they met a cultivator or its own kind, they have a really slim chance of survival.


    The amount of demon who could attain human form after the ordeal was still not as close to the amount of cultivators of Daoism who achieve Huandan state by themselves.


    This was where the advantage of celestial and dao sect lies. After all, there are secret cultivation techniques, experiences from predecessors, and one could even ask for protection from the school when they encounter certain trials.


    The Water Deer Demon flushed. As stupid as he was, he naturally gotten mad when faced with this bare humiliation from the eagle leader. At this moment, he has forgotten about Shen Lian, this dangerous cultivator. He was no opponent to Shen Lian so generally, he could not capture Shen Lian. It was just that he had boasted on how the king treated him with importance only to be looked down by the Eagle Commander, he felt extremely ashamed.


    He finally shouted back, "Why should I?"


    The Eagle Commander belted out in laughter, "Oh, how capable of you."


    His body shook and he transformed into a ten feet wide male eagle, he was imposing and impressive. This was true to the temperament of demons, to solve problems by fists.


    The giant wings lightly fluttered and a strong wind howled. The Water Deer Demon was swept away by the wings in an instance and flew away like a thin piece of paper. He was thrown in a far distance and then he landed on the ground. He transformed back to his original form, a small eyed river deer with misty eyes.


    The strong gust of wind disappear when it reached the front of Shen Lian, not affecting him in any way at all.


    The Eagle Demon��s eyes were like hooks as he vehemently glared at Shen Lian. It was obvious that Shen Lian was playing a trick and it turned out that he was no simple human. The eagle demon generally was not afraid, his body froze mid air and then a strong pounce followed.


    This pause and pounce had its reasons. While pausing at the same time, the Qi of vitality of the area immediately concentrates on his body, these Qi acts like a flowing shield and rushed out in large volumes. A path was cleared first and then like the cold iron claws, it emits a metallic shine and breaks through the air. Ever since the demonic beings could tap into the spirits, they absorbed the essence of the universe and interact it closely with the Qi of vitality.


    Even though most demons did not have any spells, but there were many who could control their Qi of vitality through their instinct and their powers should not be overlooked.


    Before the iron claws, there was an incoming wind barrier that was something like a great shockwave. Shen Lian trained his eyes on the Eagle Demon, not a sign of panic on his expression.


    The shockwaves did not hurt Shen Lian as though it had entered into a shapeless hole. There were four forms to the usage of the Taixu Divine Qi, there are ��sheng��, ��ke��, ��zhi�� and ��hua��.


    With Shen Lian at the entry level now, he had already gotten the formula for ��hua��. If it was not any intricate and deep spells, to him a normal attack was like the light breeze caressing the mountains, where it does not decrease the height of the peak; and it was like the moon shining over the river water, not leaving a mark.


    That was the ten percent mana of the Taixu Strategy, which began to carry the meaning of ��untouchable by many spells��.


    Of course there were different levels to the ��hua�� formula. If the highest state was achieved, then it was truly a behavior where no manner of spells could be touched, one was independent of the mortal world and was a system by himself.


    Shen Lian was serene, with his fundamentals in martial arts, even if the pounce of the Eagle Demon was fierce and vehement, there was still some abstruse element to the trajectory. But a majority the martial art moves by humans were derived from the trajectory of flying birds and both land and water animals, which at the same time, the brilliant individuals could come up with counter moves to it. The Eagle Demon would not have thought that the survival and hunting method used by him had been thoroughly studied by mortals.


    Shen Lian lifted his hands, and as though with no bones, a black brilliance flowed on his hands. It was like a hidden dragon coming out from the deep, it was hard to explain and abstruse. With a simple grab of his hand, his hand was like the waving tail of the magical dragon, it could actually bypass the eagle demon��s metal claw and it caught hold of its ankles.


    There was no smoke and fire to this turn of events as thing folded out naturally. Simultaneously, he covered his hand with Gang Qi with the Taixu Divine Qi. The strength in his fingers were soft but because of the firmness and tenacity of the Gang Qi, its power was good. The strong wind from the Eagle Demon��s iron claw did not even touched Shen Lian one bit.


    Once the Eagle Demon was caught, there was a wave of Qi of vitality on Shen Lian��s hand that attacked the demon��s vigor, it was unstoppable like a rolling flood.


    Next, a paper talisman appeared on Shen Lian��s other hand and he stuck it to the forehead of the demon. The Eagle Demon came back to the ground, immobilized.


    This talisman had the strength of the mountain, it was as though the eagle demon was being crushed under a giant rock, not being able to move.


    The method used by Shen Lian just now was called the "The Dragon Claw of the Dipper��s Handle". It was created by this senior from Qing Xuan, who once saw a real dragon ride up from the water into the sky while he was travelling. He studied its movements and came to an epiphany. Even though the hunting method of the eagle was formidable, how could it compare to that of a true dragon?


    That was why when the iron claw came with such ferocity, Shen Lian was able to resolve it.


    But Shen Lian did not really captured to essence of the The Dragon Claw of the Dipper��s Handle. He only copied it with his own Taixu Divine Qi. It should be said that that senior had extraordinary achievements and established the "Lingbao Dragon Scripture" with his own Dao techniques of Qing Xuan. For an above average Huandan technique to achieve longevity, to practice this, one had to be good in alchemy, hand formulas and talismans. Even though Qing Xuan was one of the seventy-two devil techniques out of the one-hundred and eight techniques, its difficulty was not any worse than the Dipper��s Handle method. Of course, it was still a long stretch compare to the Taixu Strategy.


    Originally, this Dragon Claw of the Dipper��s Handle would be put together with the rubbings of the Lingbao Dragon Scripture. It would be placed in the second floor of the Taiwei Pavilion, accompanying the portrait of that senior. For reasons unknown, it was placed at the first level where Shen Lian was able to find it.


    The mysterious arts of Daoism was mystical and not fixed. Even the demon eagle could not have imagined and also could not have expected that someone like him, who was second to the demon king, would be so easily taken down by Shen Lian.


    Just now, the technique used by Shen Lian had an unspoken huge prestige to it that made him cower in fear. After all, the dragon was the head of the beast and was the closest to Dao by birth, since Shen Lian used the Dragon Claw of the Dipper��s Handle, it impacted him on an emotional and mental level.


    Mount Chui Ping was called Mount Chui Ping for its own reason. This mountain was not especially tall but its formation was connected and verdant green pines was what the eyes could see, like a green screen, hence the two words ��Chui Ping��.


    In front was a mountain cave and not far away was the cliff of the mountain. On top of the mountain was an incomplete palace, as though it had stopped construction halfway. Nearby, there was a curtain of waterfalls cascading down, adding a means of quiet seclusion to the cave.

 Chapter 136 The Mysterious Demon

    The characters, ��Chui Ping Cave��, was carved neatly on top of the cave. There were no signs of defecation by beastly animals, there was no stench either. Shen Lian had previously found out that water deer demons were generally quite hygienic.


    It was difficult to find demons who were hygienic. Even after they transform into their human form, they would still display beastly behavior.


    However, Shen Lian was not too sure, this was the cave where the Mountain God of the Chui Ping Mountain resided. He was casted out by the Demon King as the Demon King took over the mountain.


    Even if he knew for sure, survival of the fittest was always the mechanism of natural selection, celestials too could not escape from that.


    An eagle and a water deer came to the cave and swiftly slipped in.


    It was a large spacious hall that with no oppressive air. It was not known if that huge space was natural or man-made, perhaps a little bit of both.


    The bright hall was lit by braziers while the army of demons lined up on two sides. They were uniformed and disciplined, the standard that could match the quality of human military.


    Demons were generally undisciplined. It was a job well done to be able to line them up in such uniformed matter.


    A pretty girl in green skirt was sitting on the stone couch inside the hall. She frowned in impatience as her men talked about Shen Lian.


    She waved her hand. A dash of mana sealed the eagle commander��s mouth, allowing the water deer demon to speak first.


    The water deer demon haltingly summarized the incident. It gave a terrible description but fortunately it did not fabricate the story. The girl in green skirt then allowed the eagle demon to speak, and then combine both sides of the story.


    The girl in the green skirt was clearly the demon king who took over the Chui Ping Mountain. An evil looking person with frightening green face was seated below her. At first glance, that person looked scary but if one were to take a closer look, he actually had a well balanced facial features. It was the green eyes that looked terrorizing.


    This demonic human or demon said, "We��ve never heard of any cultivations school within the thousand miles radius from here. I wonder which bastard offended our king."


    "Well, don��t you think there will always be people with supernatural powers who think that they are capable just because they have a few tricks under their sleeves?" The girl in green skirt softly knocked on the stone cushion and flicked a finger. A stone sparked in mid air as it gets fired across the hall.


    The stone deeply inlaid into the stone wall as Shen Lian appeared next to it.


    He did not expect to see a female demon to be the demon king of the cave but he came prepared for the possibility after receiving a message from her via spiritual telepathy.


    Previously, Shen Lian felt that her voice was somewhat empty and chilly.


    Now that he had met the demon king, he realized that her voice was not just empty and cold but it had special qualities in it. It was cocky but at the same time elegant.


    The kind of elegance that comes deep from the soul, a memorable one.


    "I did not hurt your men and I did not provoke them. They wanted to fight just because we��re not on the same page. They really need to be disciplined if not they wouldn��t even know how they died." Shen Lian stood proudly. Although he was standing below her, he looked straight into her.


    "There are plenty of spiritually active creatures in the mountains. Crap like that, I can have as many as I want and if they��re dead, they��re dead, it doesn��t matter much to me. Well, I heard from them that you have something to ask me. Go ahead," the girl in green skirt smiled.


    Her green skirt had green patterns on it. If one were to take a closer look, it looked like thousand pair of eyes staring at you.


    Shen Lian had yet to master the Insight Qi Technique and thus, he was unable to tell the true form of the demon king. But of course, only a top-notch Dao master will be able to view a demon king��s true form. Besides the top tiered demons who can conceal their demonic state, others whose true form can be easily read would not be able to hide their greatest weakness. They were the ones who would be an easy target.


    The four Dao schools were able to plant their feet firmly to the ground was not simply because of talented disciples, but mainly due to their signature Dao techniques which were almost flawless. After all, every generation of immortals would go through Powang and discovered minor weaknesses of their school��s Dao techniques. Apart from Huandan and Powang, the journey to Dao was long and difficult; it was related to the mind, it was an extremely abstruse journey, unexplainable at times but it was definitely achievable.


    Just as Shen Lian who were unable to read the true form of the demon king, the girl in green skirt too couldn��t tell Shen Lian��s weaknesses. She felt that Shen Lian was giving out mixed frequencies as his mana was constantly changing. It was difficult for her to have an accurate reading of his Qi.


    Although people say that it''s hard for human and demons to coexist but when one reaches the level of the demon king and the other achieved Dao, there will be a mutual understanding among each other and both parties will not provoke each other unnecessarily.


    The girl in green skirt had mastered the shape-shifting technique so technically, she��s not a dumb demon. If Shen Lian asked for a small favour, she could just promise him.


    But if Shen Lian wants to go for the less friendly approach, she would have her means too.


    Shen Lian smiled calmly, "I am here to ask for directions. May I know how do I get to the Temple of Killings?"


    The girl��s eyes dilated as she coldy asked, "Why do you ask that?"


    Shen Lian replied, "The Temple of Killings�� master, Chen Jianmei, is from the same school as I am."


    As he finished his sentence, a sense of chill could be felt in the hall. Shen Lian noticed that many pair of eyes looked at him, some were fearful, and some with anger. He thought to himself, "Looks like Brother Chen was not a likeable person in Xi Huang too."


    He had only heard of the Temple of Killings but he was unsure of the temple��s exact location and that was why he came by to asked for directions. After all, a demon king would have better sources of information.


    To put into figures, it had been sixteen years since Chen Jianmei left Qing Xuan. It had also been sixteen years since his Huandan. This period time was not considered long but it was not short either.


    But that was long enough to let the demon population of Xi Huang to know where was the forbidden Temple of Killings.


    The girl��s reaction was as expected by Shen Lian.


    She asked, "Are you seriously just asking for directions?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "Of course."


    The girl in green skirt lifted her fingers and the mysterious patterns on her skirt started to sparkle in black shinny lights. It looked like a beautiful fantasy.


    Black and white gases were released from the scallion-liked fingers of the girl in green skirt. Shen Lian did not show any signs of panic, he kept his composure.


    The two-coloured gas spreaded out to the front with a three-feet length, and interchanged to form an illusion of the mountains and rivers that looked almost real. There were two eye-catching dots in the illusion, one in black and the other in white.


    "The white dot is Chui Ping Mountain while the black represents the Temple of Killings," the girl in green skirt replied.


    Deep down, Shen Lian was impressed. The two-coloured gases were actually the Qi of Yin and Yang. He wondered what was the background of this demon king for possessing such control over the Qi of Yin and Yang to that extend of creating the illusion of mountains and rivers.


    He could only make guesses in his heart as he remained a poker face. He was able to memorize the route to the Temple of Killings with just one glance. Looks like he still have a long journey to go.

 Chapter 137 Spirit Fire

    At the same time, he realized that while he was caught up in the peaceful state of mind earlier, time had swiftly gone by without him being aware of it.


    Was it a hundred years or just a split second? One could not really tell the difference.


    Thankfully the peaceful state of mind kept him in the low, he was able to somewhat escaped from danger and went deep into Xi Huang.


    As for why he was awakened by the singing water deer demon, perhaps it was because he had reached the maximum level of stillness and the water deer demon coincidentally passed by.


    This realm was not a mystery nor it was fathomable. But there was a strong sense of loyalty in it. Shen Lian had that realization after going deep into Xi Huang.


    In life, there were circumstances where one wanted something one could not get, or got something one did not want. If he could put his experience at this strange realm into Huandan��s perspective, Shen Lian couldn''t have asked for something better. But unfortunately he did not feel that the peacefulness he had earlier could bring him any benefits.


    Shen Lian��s mind was rapidly spinning but he remained composed and said, "Thank you."


    "Now that you��ve your answer, please leave," the girl in green skirt replied coldly.


    The green faced man sitting below the steps said, "Fellow Dao friend, we could learn a thing or two from each other if we sit down and talk about Dao."


    After speaking to Shen Lian, the green faced man turned to the girl in skirt and say, "Dear King, I don��t usually eat human flesh, so how about we have a vegetarian meal for today?" The purpose of him saying that was to accommodate Shen Lian.


    It was normal for demons to eat human and humans to eat demons. It would be disgusting if they practice cannibalism.


    Shen Lian responded, "That is unnecessary. Our approach to Dao are poles apart. Even if we talk about Dao, we might end up in conflict."


    The green faced man��s eyes looked like it was flickering in green flames. His piercing gaze was on Shen Lian for the longest time.


    He responded, "If you��re not willing then let��s forget about it."


    Shen Lian nodded and left the scene.


    After Shen Lian left, a long shadow in front of the green faced man caught on green flames of witch fire that spreads to the area Shen Lian was standing earlier.


    The fire reabsorbed into the green faced man��s body once it was released.


    The girl in green skirt wasn��t surprised but the demon armies were stunned.


    "This guy sure has guts to visit my abode. He is not only brave but also capable. He didn��t touch any of my booby traps but I��m really curious, why is your witch fire not effective on him at all?" The girl in green skirt curiously asked.


    The green faced man pondered and answered, "I don��t understand either. This fire is cultivated from the fire seeds from the Nine Underworlds. Although it��s not the true Fire of the Nine Underworlds, but it generally is effective when burning a person��s spirit. But when it comes to that person, he was able to suppress to combustion."


    "Maybe you should go home and ask your master. He would know better," the girl in green skirt replied.


    The green faced man��s face twitched and the girl in green skirt noticed, he responded, "Dear King, that is funny. All along it was my master who would come and look for me. I wouldn��t know about his whereabouts."


    The girl in green skirt smiled, "I didn��t ask you to go and look for him. I��m only telling you ask him the next time you see him. After all, his understanding of Qing Xuan is pretty deep."


    The green faced man was uncertain if the girl in green skirt was testing him. This demon king was the one and only demon in the past thousand years to escape from the Da Ming Wang Temple. Although she displayed human��s Huandan ability, but nobody knows if she had any other supernatural powers or hidden skills.


    Some demons were born with supernatural powers due to their bodily characteristics and it had nothing to do with mana. Some forceful supernatural power when activated could match the power of immortals and Daoism.


    It seemed that the girl in green skirt did not only have forceful supernatural powers but she was also extremely knowledgeable.


    The master of the green faced man was currently on the hit list of a ferocious person. He did not reveal half bit of his tracks and the green faced man did not know about his master��s whereabouts.


    He was avoidant about this issue as he changed the topic, "My master knew that you wanted to build a palace. It��s just that ordinary rocks will not be able to withstand wind and rain. If it is mottled, it will reflect badly on you my dear king. You could refine spiritual stones and use that to build the palace but that would take too much effort. And that��s why I bought an instrument for you."


    As he spoke, the green faced man took out a fortress-like instrument with spiritual aura. If Shen Lian had seen it earlier, he would have recognized it as a downsized Su��s fort.


    The universe was an enormous place and Shen Lian had only experienced a small fraction of it although he had been on many journeys.


    Shen Lian had left the territories of Chui Ping Mountain. Not only the Chui Ping Mountain��s demon king was savagely ferocious, that green faced man too shouldn��t be underestimated.


    He wasn��t too sure himself why he could control the green faced man��s means. He could sense that it was a fire technique, somewhat like a Yin fire.


    Shen Lian never expected the flames to be suppressed once it touches his body. It was almost like a ball of flame was to be casted into a pot of oil but the pot was filled with water instead and the water, prevented it from combusting.


    It was odd because he did not summon the Taixu divine Qi and once the flame touched his flesh, it was extinguished.


    At the same time, he felt a sense of chilling force coming out from his flesh and that helped him suppress the fire ball.


    This force was not strange to Shen Lian. Many years ago, he frequently soaked himself in the River of Spirits. Naturally, that force that he felt had some characteristics of the River of Spirits.


    Shen Lian wondered if it could be the water from the River of Spirits that kept the green faced man��s fire method under control.


    The purpose of his visit was to ask for directions and to see maybe if he could tame the demon king of the mountain and to convince them to stop eating humans. Although he did not reveal any flaws, his indirect Qi confrontation with the girl in green skirt and the pressure from the green faced man had changed his mind, as there would be zero chance of defeating them.


    Shen Lian has predicted that the demon king of Chui Ping Mountain had yet to reach the level of land immortals. Reason being, the demon king would have sensed his presence when he was outside of the abode if she had reached the immortal level.


    That was the reasoning behind his deduction that the girl in green skirt would never be able to kill him completely.


    However, he didn��t expect the girl in green skirt to so easily tell him the location of the Temple of Killings and she did it without hesitation.


    The girl in green skirt took over the instrument and played with it briefly. She lazily said, "This Ruyi instrument is good stuff. And you even removed the traces of the previous owner. Tell me, what��s your request?"


    "My master said he simply just wants to be friends. We don��t have other ulterior motives." The green face man smiled. Looking at his unpleasant face, it was better for him to not smile.


    The girl in green skirt replied, "Alright, then I��ll take your words for it."


    The green faced man responded, "It��s just that I have a question. Why did you tell him the directions to the Temple of Killings? I heard that the King of Swords is not friendly towards demons."


    The girl in green skirt was in a good mood after receiving the instrument, she replied, "I don��t really care about those demons, if they��re dead, then they��re dead. Plus, I hate monks more than anything and Chen Jianmei is about to collaborate with Monk Baoguang. Considering that this kid is from the same school as him and he has a good character, I think it��s a good thing for him to give some trouble to the monks."

 Chapter 138 Deser

    The green faced man knew the identity of Monk Baoguang. The monk was the national advisor to Yue Tuo, and he was also the junior of Monk Baoyue. Rumour had it that he could possibly achieve arhat within a hundred years and going beyond life and death.


    Arhat and Dao immortals were pretty much similar to each other.


    One will only be considered to have the capital to roam freely between heaven and earth once they��ve reach such high level.


    But of course to reach this state did not mean one will never die nor be destroyed. There were other challenges awaiting them too.


    To many cultivators, the concept of ��land immortal�� were just folk tales. People like Monk Baoyue were extremely rare and were considered as pioneers in the world of cultivation.


    Just like Xi Huang that houses a big population of demons, the hilltop too was the home to several demon kings. But close to none of them were seasoned demons who could match the supernatural powers of Monk Baoyue.


    The green faced man smirked as he felt this girl was so whimsy. But it was also explainable as she holds a big grudge against Buddhist sects. It was natural that she would despise monks.


    ��������


    The sunset dyed the water stream red. At the end of the stream was a desert.


    Shen Lian chose not to ride the clouds as the deeper he gets into Xi Huang, the more demons that were in the hidden. Flying in high profile will only make him a target to the demons.


    Demons love eating human but a thousand human��s flesh and blood cannot match the quality of one cultivator��s flesh.


    The origins of the water stream was unknown but it dried up once it reaches the desert.


    It will probably take an ocean to bring life back to this endless sand dune.


    Shen Lian stepped into the desert, uncertain if his life would end here, just like the stream of water.


    The sun was scorching hot, as if it wanted to set the desert on fire. Technically, it should be late autumn now but it didn��t affect the torridity of the desert.


    The sand under Shen Lian��s feet was boiling hot. He wondered if the effects would be better if one to practice the Iron Sand Palm method here in the desert.


    Shen Lian walked in a comfortable pace; as he walked towards west, the sun set in a slow pace. Legend had it that a giant tried to chase the sun endlessly and ended up dead from exhaustion on a desert.


    After dying from exhaustion, he transformed into a forest of peach trees and the legacy was passed on to descendents.


    Shen Lian came across a forest of peach trees. The leaves were extremely broad and the peaches were solid as if it was full of water. In a dry desert, the existence of the peach trees were precious.


    The dessert did not only lack moisture but the Qi of vitality was really thin too.


    The sun seemed like it was hesitant about setting, as if it will be only satisfied once the last wave of heat was spreaded out.


    The sound of a kid crying could be heard. Shen Lian leisurely stepped forward and saw a little girl who looked as tender as the peaches.


    The girl stopped crying once she saw Shen Lian, she asked, "Big brother, could you help me pluck some peaches?"


    Her voice sounded like Ruoxi and she looked similar to Ruoxi. But one thing was a little off - a kid like her should not appear here.


    It seemed that Shen Lian did not find it strange and instead lowers his body to wipe off the little girl��s tears, with a gentle voice, he said, "Sure." He reached out to gently wipe away the tears off the girl��s face.


    He then stood up and reach out for the peach. Once he touches the peach, the fruit exploded with oozing black slime. It was terrifying.


    Anyone would be disgusted by black slime splashed to their body.


    Shen Lian did not realized that the little girl by his side suddenly wrapped on his calf and start munching into it. The leaves on the peach tree turned into faces of grimace as the sun vanished and the sky turned into a chilling cold night.


    Compared to the scorching heat earlier, this was the cold winter night.


    The leaves of the entire forest of peach trees turned into faces of grimace with ghostly voices.


    The tree trunk was like a snake, wrapped around Shen Lian��s waist and arms.


    The black slime from the peaches covered the entire body of Shen Lian.


    The little girl opened her mouth and it was a mouthful of blood in it as she tightly held on and bite Shen Lian��s calf.


    Shen Lian was not shaken neither bothered by the wrapped body. Suddenly, a Qi of Dao Sword gushed towards him and slipped passed Shen Lian by a hairline. The sword aura was extremely stunning and it produced a pounding sound.


    Like a burst bubble, the sky turned bright again with a hint of sunset. The little girl turned into a pile of bones while the peach forest turn into a field of dead poplar trees.


    Shen Lian��s hand paused at the spot where the sword aura poke through the air buble.


    Accompanying the sword aura was a swordsman in pale green, but his sword was kept in the sheath. He had equal eyebrows and looked like he was seventeen or eighteen years old.


    He looked at Shen Lian and said, "I am Song Qingyi from Xuantian sect. Friend, you almost fell for the illusion created by the Mirage Demon. Fortunately the Mirage Demon king here was diminished by brother Chen of Qing Xuan. It could have costed your life if you accidentally swayed into the desert.


    Shen Lian retrieved his hand without leaving a trace. Song Qingyi did not noticed that Shen Lian��s finger was pointing at the spot where his sword aura destroyed the Mirage Demon.


    "Thank you Dao Master Song," Shen Lian thank Song Qingyi as he squat down to create a hole and buried the pile of bones.


    Song Qingyi sighed, "There was originally a small tribe here. It was the Mirage Demon who engulfed the spirit fountain here and turned the land within a hundred miles radius into a desert. You would came across a stream of water when you walked in here and that stream was the afterimage of the spirit fountain. But I believe the afterimage will soon vanish." Song Qingyi felt pitiful as spirit fountains were considered precious. Smaller schools of cultivation depend on spirit fountains to provide a base for their disciples to wash off the impurities on the flesh and blood.


    He initially started off from a small family of cultivators and joined one of the big four Dao schools, the Xuan Tian sect and took a leap to learn the methods of Dao.


    The pile of bones Shen Lian buried most probably belonged to a little girl from the tribe. The Mirage Demon��s mana was attached to the bones, creating an illusion of a little girl that looked like Ruoxi with the purpose of causing confusion for Shen Lian.


    Now that the Mirage Demon was diminished by Song Qingyi, the pile of bones had lost the mana of the Mirage Demon. Shen Lian wanted to bury her so she could rest in peace.


    Even if the little girl did not looked like Ruoxi, he would have done the same for any pile of bones, just so that he did not lose touch with humanity that much.


    Song Qingyi sighed once more, "Friend, you are a kind hearted person. You looked like someone who cultivates. It will be hard for to survive in this world if you��re not firm and decisive."


    He advised Shen Lian earnestly. Only people like Chen Jianmei who were highly skilled with supernatural powers could do it. His sword was one mean to defend from thousands of means of attack. Although he was not capable of doing it, his heart longed for it.


    Shen Lian smiled and replied, "I heard Xuantian sect is one of the best school of Celestialism. I didn��t expect a fellow Dao brother to be so peaceful and humble. That sure is a the charisma of a Dao practitioner."

 Chapter 139 Every Other Existing Literature Are Just Footnotes

    Song Qingyi replied, "It��s not considered as cultivation of Taoism as I have yet to achieve Huandan. May I know what brought you here?"


    Shen Lian had nothing to hide, "I am on my way to the Temple of Killings. I didn��t expect to pass by this place."


    Song Qingyi gave the I-knew-it face and said, "I thought so too. The Temple of Killings is a branch of Qing Xuan. I am guessing you wanted to learn the Daoist martial arts from Brother Chen Jianmei. Actually about ten years ago, Chen Jianmei has became the advisor of Hanhai Kingdom, which is located out of this desert. He helped the Hanhai Kingdom to kill the Mirage Demon king and that act earned the respect of the nation. He is also giving talks about Daoism, and if one��s character and potential impressed him, he might take them in as his disciples. Unfortunately, you came at the wrong time."


    Shen Lian��s eyebrows twitched as he asked, "You can address me directly as Shen Lian, and may I know what do you mean by I came at the wrong time?" It was clear that Song Qingyi misunderstood him but it will take too much effort for Shen Lian to explain.


    "Hahaha, then you should address me directly as Qingyi too. As for the bad timing, I meant the conflict of interest between Dao schools. Chen Jianmei is an authentically certified Qing Xuan.


    He preaches Dao in Hanhai Kingdom, teaches anyone without discrimination and goes in details about Qigong. His admirers are not just the citizens of Hanhai Kingdom but also people from the neighbouring country of Yue Tuo. Yue Tuo was initially a country that staunchly believed in Sramana but Brother Chen Jianmei attracted many of them over.


    Their national adviser, Monk Baoguang is the junior of Monk Baoyue of Jingguang Temple and it seemed that he is about to achieve the Golden-bodied Arhat. Monk Baoguang devoted his life to Buddhism and ever since Chen Jianmei started giving talks about Qigong, many monks from Yue Tuo went over to attend his talk discreetly.


    Although Buddhism too, practices teaching without discrimination, but when it comes to practice and cultivation, they are not as organized as us in Dao. Besides Huandan and Powang, the Nine States of Cultivation are all traceable.


    Naturally quite a number of Bhikkhu experienced the benefits of the Art of Dao and some of then even changed their Buddhist temple to a Daoist temple. The Jingguang Temple had a relic and has been absorbing it��s believer��s wishes to spit out spiritual power and feed the temple��s monks cultivation. Because of Chen Jianmei, many believers to stop contributing their incense and the relic hasn��t been able to provide as much spiritual power to the temple��s monks as it used to do. It makes it difficult for the monks to cultivate.


    Monk Baoguang investigated the cause behind it and was resentful. He challenged Brother Chen Jianmei to a Dao discussion of deity vanquishing on the fifteenth day of the tenth month. Whoever lost shall never appear within five thousand miles radius of Yue Tuo.


    Brother Chen Jianmei is quite a character. He slayed uncountable numbers of demons and naturally he should be able to handle this challenge. It��s safe to say that demons and cultivators within a thousand miles from here are looking forward to this super rare once in a century battle between cultivators.


    Rumour has it that brother Chen Jianmei is fully concentrated on preparing for this ��discussion�� and had yet stepped out from his place for a good whole month. He is probably going to use his sword to utterly convince this highly ranked monk."


    Song Qingyi felt great telling the story in one breath. He got excited whenever he mention Chen Jianmei, as if he could not wait to take over his place.


    After hearing the story Shen Lian felt that Chen Jianmei specializes in swords and would have excellent combat skills. However, even if Huandan had yet to degenerate and Powang was still in perfect precision, Monk Baoguang was a highly experienced monk. Chen Jianmei had a disadvantage in terms of experience and that��s probably the reason why he is fully focused on his training.


    Shen Lian felt that he shouldn��t disturb Chen Jianmei before the challenge as he did not want Chen Jianmei to get distracted.


    But he was curious about one thing. He asked, "Qingyi, you looked like you��re about the same age as I am and you don��t look like a Huandan connoisseur. Why do you address the master of the Temple of Killings as brother? It seemed like you guys belonged to the same generation."


    The world of cultivation practices the hierarchical system. Even if he was a disciple of the Xuantian sect, he shouldn��t sound so proud, as if he was of same seniority as Chen Jianmei. It seemed a little rude and its contrasting to his previous behaviour.


    Song Qingyi answered with a smile, "I am nineteen years old this year. If I��ve achieved Huandan, I would have set a record to be quickest to achieve it. Even if I was an immortal in the previous life, I won��t be able to achieve it that soon either. Also, I have just had a breakthrough and I am focused on working on my mana. But if I to address Brother Chen Jianmei as a senior, he might not deserve it. To be honest, my mentor is Xiang Shan Zhenren. If you��re familiar with the world of cultivation, you would understand."


    To Shen Lian��s surprise, Song Qingyi was actually the disciple of Xiang Shan Zhenren; and probably a direct disciple. No wonder he would address himself in the same seniority level as Chen Jianmei.


    Immortal Zhenren generally did not have a fix whereabouts. But there were also exceptional ones like Xiang Shan Zhenren. His real name is Lu Jiuyuan and he had lived through thousands of years. He specializes in Xuantian sect��s the "Enlightenment Scripture" that no one has managed to master over the sect��s history. He once had a devotion ceremony after reaching enlightenment and the first sentence he said was, "Learn from your heart, every other existing literature are just footnotes."


    The meaning behind his words were, if one wanted to obtain knowledge, they should not be constrained to past literature and instead should look for different sources and try different means. And that was what he meant by using existence literature just as footnotes.


    He was extremely vigour and was Xuantian sect��s most robust person ever since it was founded.


    Furthermore, since he started cultivating, he had yet to be defeated. After attaining Dao, he was less involved. Yet, he was recognized as Xuanmen��s number one and he was untouchable. Ever since Lu Jiuyuan attained Dao, he had never left Xuantian sect and devote himself to writing. Besides that, he did not have any Dao enemies and was extremely decisive. Anyone who became his enemy were either dead or seriously wounded. That was because of his concept of ��a million scriptures annotate me and I annotate a millions scriptures��. Once his mindfulness shakes a little, people would be able to see the cause and effect and he usually did not miss his target. Therefore, one could try applying all sorts of tricks when in feud with him but it would never be enough to escape from him.


    And that was why Song Qingyi had the guts to roam around despite only achieving his breakthrough recently. Even if he did not carry any protective protective talisman , the name ��Lu Jiuyuan�� was good enough to induce fear among many skilled cultivators.


    That sure was an overwhelming figure and many elderly immortals were probably waiting for him to breakaway and leave. After all, nobody likes to have someone so repressive above them.


    At the same time, the Enlightenment Scripture was one of a kind in this world and it could possible match the methods of Taixu Strategy. Unfortunately Grandmaster Qingshui and Lu Jiuyuan were of different generations and never had the chance to experience the sparks of the duel between the two invincible Dao methods.


    Perhaps when Grandmaster Ziling Fairy attained Dao with the Taixu Strategy and absorbed the experiences from the past and current lifes, she could challenge Lu Jiuyuan to be the number one person of Xuanmen.

 Chapter 140 Xuantian’s Dao-logy

    Shen Lian rearranged his train of thoughts and replied, "Qing Yi, you��re so lucky to be able to have Xiang Shan Zhenren as your teacher."


    Song Qingyi thought that Shen Lian would change his attitude after hearing his background story. He expected Shen Lian to either intentionally please him or distance himself because of his status. Who knew that Shen Lian did not change anything and only gave him a symbolic praise.


    It was his first time meeting someone like that and he found that super interesting.


    Song Qingyi said, "Haha, I have no idea what did my mentor see in me. Since I��m heading back, do you want to come along? Maybe my mentor would pick you too." He was serious about the invitation but whether Shen Lian made it or not, it depends solely on Lu Jiuyuan and it was not something Song Qingyi had the power to decide.


    Although his words may seem reckless, it actually was beyond his martial exercise and a basic chapter of the Freedom of Letting Go Scripture. This scripture emphasized on the mind, as it sees the mind as the sources of dharma.


    The Freedom of Letting Go Scripture and the Taixu Strategy were almost Daoist martial exercises and they both have their own attractions. Song Qingyi had a good impression of Shen Lian as Shen Lian did not treat him differently because of his identity, and that really changed his views on Shen Lian. Song Qingyi understood the wise words by ancient people saying, "You can know someone for your whole life and they��d still feel like strangers, while there are strangers that feel you have known them for your whole life."


    Shen Lian replied, "Qingyi, you��re being funny. Actually, I already have a mentor."


    "Oh, so you��re not heading to the Temple of Killings to be an apprentice. May I know what sect or school are you from? My Xuantian sect has many branches and maybe we are related?" Song Qingyi was surprised and asked Shen Lian directly. There were legit reasons behind his questions. As he was a sincere person and mana obtained from Freedom of Letting Go Scripture made him highly sensitive to other people��s breath and that was how he discovered Shen Lian��s mana. Although Shen Lian��s mana was vague, but it was extremely pure. He didn��t manage to sense a strong force of mana within Shen Lian and that was why he thought Shen Lian��s experience in cultivation was not high.


    When in fact it was the Taixu Strategy that kept Shen Lian��s mana in a spiral form, so that mana will be confined and become less traceable. Even if a highly skilled person noticed the fluctuation of his mana, they wouldn��t think that he had a mana as strong.


    Shen Lian replied, "My mentor became a celestial, it��s not something worth mentioning. Anyway, what is your purpose of coming to the desert?" Shen Lian did not intend to hide but having heard about Chen Jianmei and Monk Baoguang��s feud, he wanted to help Chen Jianmei.


    He was not the kind of person who was inflexible. Considering that Chen Jianmei was on the field while he was behind the scene, should there be any unforeseen circumstances during the Dao ��discussion�� of deity vanquishing, at least his sudden appearance could be helpful.


    Chen Jianmei may be an arrogant person but Shen Lian believed that Chen Jianmei would do the same for him. It was alright for the disciples of Qing Xuan to not like each other but they would never harm each other. This was the rule of Qing Xuan; also because they had the same roots.


    Dao cultivators could fight with heaven, earth or humans but they would never harm like-minded people. Qing Xuan was able to be established for over million years was because of this teaching. However, once in a while there would be nails that stick out. After all the world was constantly changing and nothing was impossible.


    Song Qingyi felt guilty, "I am sorry for opening your old wounds."


    Shen Lian replied, "Qingyi, please don��t sweat it. You have yet to tell me what��s your purpose of visiting the desert. If there are any inconvenience in this, I shall not probe further."


    The last hint of the sun sunk into the horizon. The sky was filled with stars; the milky way can be seen spread across the starry night, it was a stunning view.


    Song Qingyi had his eyes fixed on the milky way as he felt the change in the atmosphere��s temperature. The night in the desert was as cold as ice. He casually said, "My mentor told me that there��s a spiritual being that appeared here. He told me to try my luck and if I found that spiritual being, I could use that to cultivate an instrument. When I reach immortality, it could advance as magic talisman.


    Qing Xuan was also a top celestial school but none of the disciples had ever enjoyed such privileges treatment as Song Qingyi. Shen Lian wanted to mock Song Qingyi for having the easy way out but he worded in a different way, "Xiang Shan Zhenren sure treats you well."


    Song Qingyi smiled, "Ah Lian, you might feel that my mentor treats me really well, and that��s somewhat true. Actually in the Xuantian sect, most of our cultivation materials are either produced by our mentors or our mentors would inform us where to look for the items.


    Of course some items would have been taken by someone else by the time we arrived. But that��s fine as things that can be taken away are replaceable. As for the unique celestial beings where even our mentors were not able to produce, they would generally leave a Dao mark on it. If anyone took it, they would know and they will retrieve it." Song Qingyi felt a sense of familiarity with Shen Lian as he dropped the surname and addressed him as Ah Lian.


    Shen Lian did not expect the Xuantian sect��s cultivation method was so different compared to Qing Xuan. Qing Xuan highly emphasized on being independent, whether it was him or Chen Jianmei, the headmaster would at most give them some advice and will not take the initiative to interfere. How far they could go was subject to their dedication and luck. It was the self-empowering spirit that had produced many excellent talents every generations. For instance, the previous headmaster made Zhang Ruoxu to cut down seven years of stone bamboo at the bamboo ocean. That really trained his tenacious will power.


    But obviously Xuantian sect took a different cultivation approach. Because of extraordinary figures like Lu Jiuyuan, they could easily take spiritual beings form heaven and earth to supplement their practice and cultivation. It did not matter if their disciples were over-relying on them as long as they reach that certain level.


    It was like there was a river ahead and a boatsman who could only take a few people. Some would swim to the other side while some would build a bridge to get across. Anyone who could get on the bridge will be able to cross over to the other side.


    It did not matter what method was used as long as you get to the other side.


    Such philosophy was deep but Shen Lian was able to comprehend and felt that Lu Jiuyuan sure was extraordinary. No surprise that he was untouchable as Xuanmen��s number one.


    Song Qingyi noticed Shen Lian pondering and he knew that Shen Lian probably couldn��t accept Xuantian sect��s style of teaching. He said, "My mentor said that my generation of cultivators should be disruptive and utilizes the essence of the heaven and earth. If you see a celestial being and you don��t have the guts to use it to upgrade your training, all I could say is that you��re being a hypocrite. Since you��re cultivating, why do you fear foreign objects?" He conveyed Lu Jiuyuan��s words in verbatim with a hint of ridicule.


    Shen Lian realized that Song Qiying was out of the ordinary. He could proudly say such words and acknowledged it.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Xiang Shan Zhenren��s words sure make sense. I feel it''s good to be free and cultivate but it��s also an honourable thing to be able to control oneself and not do anything that betrays their faith. There are no rights or wrong to the path to Dao as long as it is passable."

 Chapter 141 The Indus Tree’s Birth Is Similar to the Sun

    Song Qingyi''s eyes gleamed, looking as though they were stars and said, "Ah Lian, by now I think that my honored master will take you highly. Why don''t you pay a visit to Xuantian sect? It is not some mysterious or exclusive place, we often have visitors who come to speak about Dao or listen to Dao."


    Shen Lian thought that was how the top celestial schools should behave. Unfortunately, Qing Xuan did not have someone as powerful as Lu Jiuyuan. Even if Qing Xuan were to adapt the style of Xuantian, it just seemed like a joke to most. He had a sudden thought about the potential of him bringing the lowly Qing Xuan to the height of Xuantian if he were to become the leader.


    The seed of the thought was planted at the bier, which would potentially germinate one day.


    When he thought of it, Shen Lian could not help but let out a laugh. He did not even reach the stage of Huandan yet, there was no point thinking about these. Besides, he might not even be the chief''s preferred successor. More importantly, he wished the chief stayed at this position.


    Zhang Ruoxu''s method would work best for Qing Xuan now. As long as there were more immortal Zhenren from Qing Xuan, all of the existing problems would be solved easily.


    Shen Lian did not turn down Song Qingyi''s offer, given that he would have the rare opportunity to meet the number one in the cultivation world. He nodded, "If there''s an opportunity to visit, then I''ll have to bother you to bring me there, Qingyi."


    Song Qingyi replied, "Well Ah Lian, I find you to be a bit weird. We cultivators tend not to follow the traditions too much, but you''re way too at ease."


    Shen Lian did not reply. The yellow sand in the desert was glittering under the stars.


    He looked ahead in a carefree manner and said, "Qingyi, I think it is better if we go ahead and look for the spiritual being you were looking for."


    Once they passed the desert, it would be the Hanhai Kingdom, which was located not far away from the Temple of Killings. Furthermore, there was still some time from October fifteenth from this side of the world. Shen Lian needed not to hurry.


    Song Qingyi nodded and agreed with him. The duo walked towards the depth of the desert. He was not afraid that Shen Lian would betray him if he saw the spiritual being for two reasons. Firstly, he believed that Shen Lian was not this type of person and secondly, with his cultivation experience, he had his own means to protect himself. Most importantly, the cultivation level of his honored master �C if he would face great misfortune, why would the master let him pursue this?


    The desert spanned across a hundred miles. If one were to fly through it, it certainly would not take much time. Given that they had to look for the spiritual being, they had to go through it slowly.


    The yellow sand was all covered with silver glitters, as magical as water. It was mesmerizing.


    Shen Lian could feel that the desert was absolutely lacking in Qi of vitality, as a result, it seemed that the power of the stars was excessive. All in a sudden, Shen Lian came to a halt. There were a lot of fireflies like beings in front of him. They were beaming with little yellow lights, coming out of nowhere and quickly gathering towards one area.


    Song Qingyi spoke in an urgent tone, "This looks bad. It is the remainder Qi of the Mirage Demon. Why are they all gathering towards one area? How could it be possible that the king of the Mirage Demon is not dead yet?"


    Based on Chen Jianmei''s swordcraft, it was impossible that he could not kill the king of the Mirage Demon. He did not manage to eliminate them completely as many of the child forms stayed hidden.


    The child forms of the Mirage Demon were mostly hidden in the shell and buried deep under the yellow sand. Unless Chen Jianmei utilized his shaking power to destroy the desert.


    For most travelling merchants who had some previous understanding of the situation, they were mostly prepared. They would take a detour to avoid troubles.


    The Qi of the Mirage Demons had no effect on Song Qingyi, but as it seemed that all the Qi was flowing towards one direction, the king of the Mirage Demon required the contribution of these child forms to help him recover.


    From where the light spots were, through the stars, one could see there were many mollusks looking beings which were letting out the lights �C those were the Qi of the Mirage Demons.


    Song Qingyi knew how powerful the king of Mirage Demon could be. Given that it was probably not in its best condition and only recovering, he should take the opportunity to kill it.


    Else if it were to attack during Chen Jianmei''s solitary retreat, it would be a bad sign for the Dao discussion in deity vanquishing on October fifteenth.


    Song Qingyi went by quickly like a gushing stream.


    Shen Lian''s eyes gleamed and stared ahead. He felt that there was something wrong there, but before he could warn Song Qingyi, he was already moving ahead.


    Shen Lian could only stare at Song Qingyi who was at about a thousand feet away. He disappeared all in a sudden, at exactly the spot where the Qi of the Mirage Demons was gathering.


    Song Qingyi was a nice guy. He knew that he was the student of Lu Jiuyuan, and he could possibly have a lot of good equipment and skills with him. With those, he could be safe. Shen Lian however still took action to follow Song as fast as a storm.


    From the storm, thunder and lightning were born. The loud cracking sounds broke the Qi of the Mirage Demons.


    Thunder had the authority of heaven and earth, which was not something mere Qi of the Mirage Demons could be up against.


    When Shen Lian got to where Song Qingyi disappeared, he felt something familiar. It was similar to the time when he was kept by Zhao Xiaoyu into the Divine Soil space but this time he did it voluntarily.


    All in a sudden, he was already in a spacious palace. In the middle of the palace there was an Indus tree. The branches were bare, and there were Qing Guang travelling on the branches. A dragon-looking being was perching on top of it. The difference of that with a dragon was that it only had one claw, which looked rather abnormal.


    The weird dragon had no horns on its head. It had eerily looking sharp teeth.


    The Qing Guang was basically fire which was burning it. The Qi of the mirage too, was entering its body and its breath got stronger.


    It reminded Shen Lian of one phrase, "The phoenix''s soar could reach the mountain; the Indus tree''s birth is similar to the sun." There was a phoenix which reached nirvana on top of the half dead Indus tree. As a result, the Nirvana Fire remained, which allowed the rebirth of the dead king of Mirage Demon.


    ''Phoenix is a legendary bird that is cyclically regenerated and it is often described as immortal. For each stage of nirvana it goes through, it will gain even more power. This mystical creature however is extremely rare.''


    There was rumor that someone extremely powerful ever killed a phoenix, who then was carried away by a five-colored light and never appeared again. Someone guessed that it was because a powerful being related to the phoenix took action.


    Regardless of how rare a phoenix was, in this existing space the most precious being would be the Indus tree �C it would be one of the best spiritual being.


    Song Qingyi stood next to Shen Lian and said, "Ah Lian you could step behind. Let me do it."


    Shen Lian replied, "Let me do it instead."


    The dragon-looking Mirage Demon king which looked akin to a water dragon stared at Shen Lian coldly. It opened its enormous mouth and ejected strong breath.


    Shen Lian took out his Xuande Sword, which was gleaming with golden rays. He pumped in the eight Qi of Taixu and the sword looked even more bewildering. The Qi of vitality in the palace started to ripple.


    The sword aura was akin to the leading waves, full of forces.


    When the breath of the king of Mirage Demon attacked, the sword aura exploded. Song Qingyi could hear the deep roar, which echoed through the palace.

 Chapter 142 The Five Elements

    Song Qingyi felt refreshing the moment Shen Lian stepped ahead and drew his sword. He felt like while the person was still Shen Lian, the feeling he gave had changed from a small flowing stream to a gushing river. There was no transition and it was not something people could get used to.


    When the sword aura was let out with a high level of Qi, the breath of the Mirage Demon all in a sudden became a deep valley. All the sword aura, including the Qi of vitality was absorbed into the valley.


    Even before Shen Lian��s Qi of Taixu could explode, it was all darkness, as if he was situated in the outer space without the universe.


    There was not a sound. He realize he could not breathe as there was no Qi of vitality available to him.


    If one was trapped in a small dark room without doing anything for one or two days, the person would go crazy. Regardless of how brave the person was, if one were trapped in pure darkness with no end or exit in sight, it was similar to being trapped in a small dark room.


    Fear would arise, and it would then spread until the heart could no longer take it. It would all go down.


    Shen Lian flicked his fingers, and a green spell broke out. It kept pushing forward until it disappeared. There was not any response. Subsequently Shen Lian flicked out an electricity ray, with the intention to break out of the darkness, but the ray, too, disappeared in the darkness.


    He used each of the eight powers �C sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, lightning and they were banished one by one. There was nothing he could do to change the darkness in the void. He could not even feel the breath of the king of Mirage Demon, or even his own.


    He was calm in his thoughts. Given the king of Mirage Demon could set up such a terrifying void, it was not a surprise that Chen Jianmei could not kill it. It had the level of land immortals.


    However, it did not seem to be that way. Even if the Nirvana Fire of the phoenix could lead to its reborn with a stronger vitality, it would not lead to a leap in power.


    By understanding that, Shen Lian��s meridians became unobstructed.


    He could understand the reason why none of his spells worked. Even for an ant placed in something as vast as the sea, it would be able to evoke a ripple.


    It would only be possible if everything in front of him was imaginary. Imaginary led to the void, and subsequently emptiness.


    Every hallucination stemmed from the heart and hence it was possible to create anything.


    Even the king of Mirage Demon could not escape from his heart in order to create such a great illusion.


    Shen Lian smiled, and his expressions were calmer. All of a sudden, his Xuande sword had transformed into a Ruyi jade. Nothing seemed out of place.


    He began to be illuminated with divine light �C he turned into an unknown deity, whose name was not known to any since ancient times.


    Divine light spread out like water, but it did not seem to just end there.


    Inch by inch the void dissipated, and there was no opposition to it. While it seemed that he was trapped in the void for a long time, but it was a short moment to the outside world.


    The Mastery of Senses could help him in keeping thoughts in check, and naturally it could help with hallucination. The deity formed was even more horrifying than he imagined it to be. Enormous power was hidden within the plain and unassuming divine light.


    The world regained light again. Shen Lian could see clearly that the Mirage Demon had left the Indus tree. The head which was akin to a lizard was coming towards him in an attempt to bite him.


    When the thick and dark matter dissipated, even the king of Mirage Demon appeared to be stunned. It did not expect Shen Lian could escape so soon.


    Song Qingyi kept the talisman he was holding in his hand.


    One could only see the flash of a golden sword. Shen Lian stood under the Indus tree and the king of Mirage Demon was already cut into half. It struggled for a while on the floor, then turned into smoke and dissipated into heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian drew his Xuande sword. The golden glow blended with the Qing Guang. It was the nirvana fire. The sword did not catch fire. Shen Lian could hear the wind whizz through the Nine Heavens.


    A smile rose from deep down his heart. It was the first time he felt the joy of rebirth. It was akin to the first bloom of flower after the end of winter.


    The Qi within the Xuande sword started to vibrate for unknown reasons. All the remaining fire on the Indus tree was absorbed into the sword.


    As the fire disappeared, the Indus tree began to shrink. In the end it was only the height of half a human. It still let out a strong fire and wood spiritual power.


    Spiritual power tended to refer to the supernatural power in heaven and earth, for instances, the Qi of vitality, or the power of cultivators, or even the power of the common belief. Spiritual power could be further split into five elements �C metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Every power in the world belonged to the five elements.


    Song Qingyi walked towards him and said, "I did not know you are carrying an item of Gong De. It is fortunate that there was not much of the Nirvana Fire left, and hence you were able to absorb it."


    Shen Lian replied, "I did not intend to hide anything from you."


    Song Qingyi said in a leisure manner, "Do you think I will be angry about it? You have your own reasons and I am not that petty. I am just a bit confused."


    He laughed when he said the word ��confused��.


    Shen Lian could tell he was being honest, and he felt that Song Qingyi was someone worth befriending. Because of that, he felt even guiltier because he did not present himself with honesty.


    The stars remained the same. They met, and they parted. Song Qingyi took the Indus tree with him. It was not because they now had a barrier between them, but as the Indus tree would be useful to Song Qingyi for his cultivation, he would stay there to cultivate for at least a few days.


    Shen Lian needed not to worry about Song Qingyi��s safety the moment he saw the formation of three Dao soldiers formed by three soybeans. The spiritual pressure of the soldiers was compatible to those cultivators who had reached the stage of Qiaodong. He could tell that nobody could do anything to him below the stage of Huandan.


    He had a few hundred beans in his pocket.


    They were made by first applying the spells on the beans. According to rumors, with Lu Jiuyuan��s power, the soldiers formed by such spells could have the level of Powang.


    If there were thousands or hundreds of such Dao cultivators, if they all attained longevity, it would be something terrifying.


    Shen Lian walked steadily out of the desert, stomping every step firmly into the ground. The cold wind did not settle down. Occasionally there was the howling of the wolf pack, but when Shen Lian walked past the pack, none of the wolves realized his presence.


    He further constricted his breath to the extent that not even wolves can detect it.


    Furthermore, he had completely eliminated the sound from his movement.

 Chapter 143 Weird Man

    If any high level cultivators were to comment on him, all of them would probably think of a term, which was ��Dan Dao��. Dan Dao was a form of completion �C by completing Dan, one could pursue the Dao above and beyond.


    Shen Lian was looking at the howling wolves. He could hear the howls, but the howls did not impact his feeling. It was as if a Buddha had just passed through a pack of animals without being damaged even a single bit.


    Before dawn, he had entered the city �C the capital of the Hanhai Kingdom.


    The people of Hanhai envied the color black. The city was full of people who were dressed in black, from swordsman, to travelling merchants. The environment was not particularly noisy or lack of discipline. It seemed that the people did not suffer even though the country was strict.


    Shen Lian could tell that everyone here was rather strong. At the very least they would have known some basic breathing method. Due to that, all of them looked rather balanced.


    There was a reason why people here liked the color black. Black represented water, and the Kingdom of Hanhai lacked water. Due to the demand for water, stemmed the admiration towards the color black.


    Shen Lian sat in a restaurant, which was the only restaurant in the Kingdom of Hanhai. Whoever that was dining there must either be from the noble family or someone wealthy, as all the dishes were extremely expensive.


    It was not an everyday place even for the rich and powerful. As a result, the place was never full. Recently however, it seemed to be attracting more foreigners. Shen Lian was rather inconspicuous, but people paid the most attention to him.


    He had rather good looking features, but due to his subtly mysterious situation, he looked unique.


    His uniqueness might not be spotted out easily by the common men. They would merely feel that he was particularly good looking, but it would be difficult for them to remember how he looked like.


    It was similar to the reflection of the moon in the water. When you were looking at it, it was beautiful; but when you were asked to recall how it looked like, it would be difficult to describe the beauty of it in detail.


    When the others were evaluating him, Shen Lian was also observing the people around him. He did not need to make use of his eyes or ears. There was nobody in the inn who had reached the stage of Huandan. If there was one, the person would be so powerful that Shen Lian would not be able to compete with him.


    Some of these cultivators belonged to the authentic Xuanmen, and some of them were from somewhere not as authentic. Some of them looked as though they were wilting and near the end of their lives.


    One of them caught Shen Lian��s attention. When Shen Lian first detected him, he almost ignored him, until he felt the sudden treble of the fire within the Xuande sword. He turned cautious and glanced at the direction of the person.


    The person had an average look. He was dressed in a robe that seemingly had been worn for a long time. The black sword on the table looked like it had some sort of evil power.


    These little observations were not sufficient to make Shen Lian cautious. Primarily, the person had a unique glance. If one was full of confidence, he had particularly clear eyes. If wisdom was part of the package, the eyes would look deeper. These descriptions were rather generic, but they fitted most profiles well.


    What Shen Lian realized about this person was the lack of luster in his eyes. They gave out the feeling that there was only a shell left.


    A more suitable description would be a walking corpse.


    You would not be able to understand what he was thinking or would be doing, and this made him extremely dangerous. Shen Lian was not afraid of danger or this type of person, and hence he was still eating and drinking leisurely.


    When the person was eating, it felt like he was extremely hungry. He went through the food quickly and he did not seem like he was afraid of getting choked.


    For most cultivators, once they passed the stage of Tongmai, they would be able to make use of the Qi of vitality. As a result, they did not need to eat anymore. They would still eat occasionally to satisfy their appetite.


    Regardless of the speed of eating, whether it was fast or slow would not affect their body. This was because once the food entered the body, they would be transformed into Qi to improve their vigor.


    This type of digestion was extremely speedy. According to the ancient legends, some cultivators on earth could stand not eating or drink for a month. When they started eating again, they could eat a few cows, and yet their stomach would not be bloated. This was because the food was all transformed to Qi.


    When the person finished eating, he picked up the sword.


    When he picked up the sword, he became different. He started having luster in his eyes.


    While Shen Lian was paying attention to him, he was not sure if the person was doing the same. He looked extremely focused, and his body started to generate some spiritual vibrations.


    The spiritual vibrations were reflected in Shen Lian��s heart. There were indestructible gold, or form-changing water or vital wood.


    There was not any symptom of the utilization of the Qi before the activation of a spell.


    The interchanging and varying spiritual opportunity could only be felt by Shen Lian.


    There was a treble in the void. A sword flashed by and all the remaining cultivators were shocked. There was a cut in the middle of everyone��s brows.


    The person killed all the cultivators except for Shen Lian. He was not extremely powerful, but he was fast.


    None of the cultivators managed to do anything before being exterminated. All of their Qi were raid.


    The man with the black sword glanced at Shen Lian again, and left. He disappeared in the clouds. One could almost see the blood trace in the sky among the clouds.


    Shen Lian still did not know who that person was, but he could tell that the cultivation method was cruel and evil.


    He did not attempt to follow as the person was too fast.


    It was a special shifting method. For most methods, there would be a period of acceleration, but it seemed that the person went from zero to maximum real quick.


    It was similar to his speed of attack, which left nobody a chance to protect themselves.


    There were lots of secret or mysterious techniques that were unknown in the world. It was not surprising that he did not know some of them. The only thing Shen Lian felt was out of place was the glance. He wondered when the person had met him before to have that complicated expression on his face.


    He did not think too much about it. If there was something between them, they would meet again.


    Shen Lian was also not afraid of him. Regardless of how much he wanted to prove that he was seeking the path to longevity to enjoy being alive, he became more and more indifferent.


    Part of it was due to his increasing mastery of the Mastery of Senses. Another reason was that the more he cultivated, the less he fitted in to the world.


    It was natural, akin to flood. If one did not allow the water to flow, it would affect other places.


    Shen Lian would be at the capital of the Hanhai Kingdom until October fifteenth. He had seen a lot of cultivators, and some demon kings who blended in to the human world. He had heard a lot of interesting stories. That night, when there was a full moon, it would be the time when Chen Jianmei and Monk Baoguang conducted the Dao discussion in deity vanquishing.


    The time was suggested by Monk Baoguang and the location was decided by Chen Jianmei.


    It would be at Hanhai which was fifty miles away from the capital.

 Chapter 144 Daoist Shi

    Hanhai was indeed a sea, but it was a dead sea. The sea water was bitter and salty, not even seaweed could grow in there.


    It seemed that all the water sources of the Hanhai Kingdom were gathered at the sea. As a result, other areas lacked water. Previously the Kingdom of Hanhai not only lacked water, there were lots of demons around until Chen Jianmei appeared. He chose a bare mountain near the sea. He then killed all the demons there and set up the Temple of Killings.


    Ten plus years had gone by, within a perimeter of a thousand miles, demons were a rare sight.


    The night had not arrived. Sunset mists were everywhere. Shen Lian was at the foot of the mountain, where the Temple of Killings was situated.


    His Qi was almost perfect. There were a lot of cultivators from all family, even demons were waiting for Chen Jianmei to break out of solitary.


    Monk Baoguang was second to Monk Baoyue, who earned the title of honor within five thousand miles. The title of honor was only awarded to those who succeeded in achieving the golden body of Arhat. Yue Tuo was clear of demons. It bore some relation to the fact that he was going around thirty mountains previously to get rid of them.


    He had built his reputation earlier than Chen Jianmei. Most thought that his ability was above Chen Jianmei who was only twenty something.


    From ten days ago, a rumor was heard that Baoguang would be departing the Jingguang Temple, but until now, no one knew where he was.


    Chen Jianmei would descend from the mountain soon. His tremendous sword aura was not hidden at all from the Temple of Killings. For cultivators with less experience, they did not dare to go too close.


    The sword aura slowly contracted, and the tense atmosphere above the Temple of Killings was weakened.


    The Qi of vitality from all four corners was allowed to circulate on top of the Temple of Killings.


    The closed doors of the Temple of Killings finally opened. Chen Jianmei had previously dismissed his students as they would simply be a burden to him.


    His current battle was not just for vanquishing deity, it was a proof for his swordcraft.


    There were people who were stronger than him, but for someone to be at a similar level to him, it was a rare opportunity.


    Baoguang��s Dao discussion with him that day was not merely a battle between the different families, but an opportunity �C an opportunity for them both to break the barrier �� and to explore their true selves in a dead or alive situation.


    Did they not spend half their lives cultivating for this moment?


    Chen Jianmei was dressed in a white robe and his sleeves were flowing, like clouds in the sky. His brows were not as tensed as before. He looked relaxed, as if he was not going to a battle, but a date.


    He walked slowly on the mountain path, and a lot of eyes were on him.


    From here to Hanhai only took about ten miles, but it was a dangerous path. There were lots of people along the way to hinder his journey. They would all try to make him burn out.


    They might not all be the friends of the Jingguang Temple, but they all for sure did not wish well on Chen Jianmei.


    Chen Jianmei��s shadow was dragged under the sunset. He had long limbs. There was not a sight of his sword as it carried no shape.


    The sword was not there, but the sword will was.


    Someone stood in front of him. He was wearing a Daoist robe and a stern expression.


    Everyone present knew who he was. He was a non-formal cultivator, whose real name was not known to most. Most people would just refer to him as Daoist Shi.


    He was a famous Huandan cultivator. He found a spot in Xi Huang, which was previously an abode for some land immortals. From there, he acquired a celestial elixir, where he used it as the basis of Huandan.


    Daoist Shi was apparently a sword cultivator. As self Huandan was too difficult, hence he pursued the celestial elixir and succeeded. He still had a chance to achieve Dao.


    He should not come, as a non-formal cultivator, but there he was.


    Nobody thought he could be an opponent of Chen Jianmei as he did not stand a chance at all. It was more likely that he had a death wish. Even if he survived, he would need to rebuild his cultivation basics. Nobody doubted Chen Jianmei��s ability to do that.


    For those who had a doubt, there were already grass growing at their grave yards.


    For those who were hidden, or just there to observe, or even those who had an ulterior motive, they all began to sympathize Chen Jianmei. However, if he killed Daoist Shi, it would be disadvantageous to him for his next fight as he would have to use up some of the cumulated sword force.


    While sword aura increased along with power, it took time to recover the sword will.


    Monk Baoguang would not wait for him, even if he valued him as an opponent.


    It was not a private matter, but as it was related to Jingguang Temple, he had to do it. Chen Jianmei was still young and had lots of potential. There would not be any better opportunity to defeat him than now.


    Daoist Shi fist saluted his opponent and asked politely, "Please draw your sword."


    He looked sincere and determined. His Qi was firm, and he did not show any weakness. There was not a trace of fear on his face. One could see the glistering underneath his robe. It was a sign of power gathering. He was prepared to strike any moment.


    The sword in his hand was vibrating with a low sound.


    The sword carried some humanity with it, and as he trained with it with his life, they were inseparable.


    Even before he took any action, the sword aura was released.


    With that level of cultivation experience, even among the crowd, he would be considered as one of the best.


    Chen Jianmei sighed and asked, "Do you really think you can threaten me?"


    Daoist Shi did not change his expression, and said, "This I don��t know. Perhaps I can��t hurt you even a little bit, but in a death or alive situation, it will be hard to tell. If you can��t decide how much power you need to beat me, well, if it exceeds what is needed, you will have an issue later; and if it is lacking, you will not be able to kill me. Furthermore, I did not come with the thought that I will survive."


    He came with an extreme determination. He wanted to see if someone little like him could shake the trees, but at the very least, he was more powerful than that. The gap between Chen Jianmei and him was not unbridgeable.


    Chen Jianmei said, "You are someone that��s worth respecting and I know you��re only here today because you are asked to. I don��t blame you."


    Daoist Shi showed that he was guilty, "Hence I have to die today, or else I can��t live with this."


    Chen Jianmei still looked relax, and said, "Unfortunately your opponent will not be me."


    Shi Daoist replied, "Why?"


    Someone replied leisurely, "It seemed like I come at the right time. Senior Chen, your cultivation experience has improved a lot."


    A handsome man walked out from the side slowly. He looked more elegant than Chen Jianmei. He carried an air of unpredictability.


    You could tell that he was coming, but you could not follow his trails.


    Under the sunset, he had no shadow.


    It was rather magical. Because of that, Daoist Shi dared not to underestimate him, if he could not even trace where a person actually was, how could he even hurt him?


    Chen Jianmei had retreated to somewhere far away, to allow space for the duo to fight it out.


    From his point of view, he thought that the victory could be determined in a moment.


    "This is my junior, Shen Lian. If you want to fight me, you have to beat him first." Chen Jianmei let out a rare laugh. What he said had caused Shen Lian to think about something.


    As he was successful in Taixu, it was not a big deal for Chen Jianmei to call him a senior, but he just liked to take advantage of him��

 Chapter 145 Shapeless Sword Aura

    Shen Lian was deep in thoughts. He looked even more carefree than Chen Jianmei was previously.


    Daoist Shi��s expression was serious �C this person had yet to reach the stage of Huandan, and his Yin Spirit had yet to reach the floating clouds, but he was not one to be underestimated.


    His sword carried a sense of humanity, and from his previous dead or alive experience, he could tell this person was extremely dangerous.


    Cultivators tended to have great instincts. If one did not possess the ability to detect danger, one could not live long in the Xi Huang, except if he was unbeatable.


    Xi Huang was dangerous and chaotic. The landscapes were precipitous, and there were demons everywhere. Hence, for cultivators to survive there, they must possess great fighting ability.


    Daoist Shi was not stunned. He had decided to let go of his life, thus he had no worries or fear. He had reached an extremely revered state. Without that, he probably could not claim to bring trouble to Chen Jianmei.


    The wind gusted through the branches of willows. The journey to the end of the world would be long, and while Shen Lian was close by, it felt like he was at the end of the world.


    His voice was indistinct. It was unknown to people where the voice came from. He had contracted his breath to the state of Xuanwei. People who could see him would not be able to distinguish if that was him, or the image of him.


    "I am the student of Qing Xuan. I suppose among all the previous generations of Qing Xuan, I am one of the talented ones." It was confusing to others as to why Shen Lian said this before a fight.


    Daoist Shi pumped his power into the sword. It was originally just a common sword. However, as the sword never left his side for a hundred years, and had taken its place in many battles, it had become a rare equipment and carried a sense of humanity.


    The sword was soon covered with a layer of green ray. It made the body of the sword to be as clear as the water. Nobody dared to doubt the power of the sword.


    Daoist Shi kept quiet. He was still trying to look for the source of Shen Lian��s Qi.


    "What I am pursuing in Qing Xuan is what people call the hardest cultivation method �C Taixu Strategy. It is apparently more difficult than the Shapeless Sword Formula practiced by Chen. Despite that, I managed to complete a small part of it. After I succeeded, I��ve never utilized it fully," Shen Lian spoke slowly, and his Qi appeared to be even more indistinct.


    "I won��t let you know how powerful Taixu Strategy is today, because you don��t deserve to die under this top cultivation method. Today I will use only sword." Nobody present felt what Shen Lian said was funny.


    For someone experienced, they may know how powerful Taixu Strategy was. According to Taishan Zhenren Lu Jiuyuan, this cultivation method was as good as the Enlightenment Scripture, even though he subsequently added that nobody could beat him with any existing method.


    It was a sufficient evidence to prove how powerful Taixu Strategy was.


    Daoist Shi definitely heard of that before. The person who made a request for him to tackle Chen Jianmei had informed him in detail about the top cultivation methods in Qing Xuan, as well as how powerful Chen Jianmei was. He even told him there was someone who successfully mastered the Taixu Strategy, a woman, and that it was impossible for her to appear here.


    Shen Lian did not lie because there was no need to. Attempting to threaten people at this level had no effect.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian did not intend to utilize Taixu Strategy - he wanted to kill him with his sword, his wooden sword. The opponent''s sword was a metal sword. In the five elements, the metal could destruct the wood.


    He also had to recognize that the power of Daoist Shi was probably above him. It was the worst strategy he could apply but he did it anyway.


    He was being extremely arrogant, but he did not seem like he was full of himself.


    There were two people at a distance, a monk and a daoist.


    The Daoist was very good looking, on par with Shen Lian. The monk looked as though he had been through great suffering. The shoes he was wearing were already damaged, revealing his toes.


    It was the perfect position to watch the battle between Shen Lian and Daoist Shi.


    The Daoist smiled, "There are indeed a lot of talents from Qing Xuan. Given Master you''ve been in service for Ming Wang Temple, I wonder what you think of this young man."


    Ming Wang Temple did not belong to the traditional eight Buddhist sects. Most people in the world had only heard of the name but nobody really knew where it was. It was akin to the legend of Da Leiyin Tenple in the Buddhist scriptures.


    Ming Wang Temple indeed existed, as every century there would be someone who stepped out from there to walk the world. All of them had tremendous powers, but they did not have any aim in the world.


    There was once when people attempted to look for where Ming Wang Temple was through these people. Rumor had it that there were treasures left behind by Buddha. But all of them who tried had failed.


    The highest achievement in Ming Wang Temple was not Arhat or Bodhisattva, but Acala.


    As a result, the people from Ming Wang Temple who wandered were known as ''Little Acala��.


    The monk clasped his hand. He mumbled some of the Buddhist phrases and said nothing.


    The Daoist laughed and he understood that the monk was not going to make any comment. It was not because the monk did not think Shen Lian was worthwhile, but more because he could not evaluate him accurately.


    For Little Acala to not be able to evaluate accurately, Shen Lian was indeed powerful.


    Unfortunately, even though he requested Daoist Shi to make a move, he could only hold a neutral position. If he were to make a move, it would ruin the rules, and others would follow suit.


    On the other side, Shen Lian unleashed his tremendous Qi as if he had turned into a storm. His spiritual pressure could bend all the flora around him.


    Daoist Shi did not show his weakness. He had got an advantage given his opponent was using a wooden sword.


    When he lifted his metal sword, the sword ray was brighter than the sun.


    It did not impact the storm even a little.


    Shen Lian was not the powerful swordsman in the world, and his wooden sword was not bursting with vitality, unlike his opponent''s metal sword.


    When the storm came in contact with the metal sword, smoke started to form as if it had encountered its natural predator.


    Daoist Shi''s sword went through the thickness and traced the storm to discover the source of the spiraling power.


    It broke the power of the storm into pieces.


    His face did not appear to be victorious as Shen Lian disappeared.


    He did not disappear but he was in the sky. He was descending with his wooden sword.


    Daoist Shi lifted his head and he could see Shen Lian''s sword coming.


    The attack had no trace. He could only hear the vibration in the void. The sword aura all in a sudden, appeared in front of his eyes.


    It was odd - Shen Lian was far away, and he did not even detect the sword aura, how did it happen?


    The Daoist from afar spoke with a surprised tone, "How did he know how to use the Shapeless Sword Aura?"


    It was a different name from Mister Su''s Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura, but it seemed that the name sprouted by the Daoist was more appropriate.

 Chapter 146 Bier Discourse of Dao

    The monk remained silent and focused on the battle between those two.


    From beginning, their exchanges of moves had actually taken place within just a few breaths.


    The spectators heard the sound of thunder. The thunderous sound was loud yet low and it did not vibrate through the heaven and the earth. They could feel their hearts being shaken, and their spirits were overcome by it for a moment.


    At that moment, Daoist Shi pierced several times with the iron sword in his hand; it was so fast that it seemed as if he could penetrate through dimensions. The sound of thunder was the sound of the iron sword penetrating the air. The symphony sounded like the mystical rhythm of the heaven and earth, and the resonance of the heaven and earth was created.


    At that single moment, the tip of the iron sword vibrated countless times, and it extinguished all the sword aura with precision.


    Finally, Daoist Shi showed his impeccable style as a master celestial of sword. His attainment in swordcraft should not be underestimated, not even by Chen Jianmei.


    The spectators were amazed by the swordcraft performed by Daoist Shi. At the same time, they was amused by Shen Lian��s unfounded confidence. After all, they were not of the same level, and to think that he had the guts to look down on such an experienced and skilled Huandan cultivator!


    However, Shen Lian was not affected by their ridicule. Even though he was not a good swordsman, but he was equipped with the qualities of a good swordsman, which was being calm and collected.


    The sound of the thunder created from the friction in the air did not affect him at all.


    Despite the slight pain at his ear drums, the Qi and blood in his body was still settled and was not disturbed by the vibrations. The sword aura taught by Mister Su encapsulated endless mystical qualities within it, and it had even involved some of the ingenious principles in the heaven and earth. However, Shen Lian��s cultivation had not reached the pinnacle yet.


    He knew that he could not defeat Daoist Shi with just that.


    Chen Jianmei remained calm. The vibration caused by the thundering sound disappeared the moment it reached Chen Jianmei. He observed them with interest, and at the same time he knew the reason why Shen Lian would not use the Taixu Strategy.


    To a certain extent, Divine Qi of Taixu was the nemesis of all mana in the world, and it could disintegrate all of the spells performed by the enemies.


    Daoist Shi was an experienced Huandan cultivator, and he was also a Cultivator of the Sword. Almost all of the mana within him was consolidated into sword aura. Even if Shen Lian could disintegrate some of his attacks, he would be placing a great burden upon himself, and his chance of winning was not high.


    Shen Lian fought against Daoist Shi with his wooden sword. As "Metal restricts Wood", it seemed that he was placed at a disadvantage. Only Chen Jianmei knew what was truly happening. There was something strange with Shen Lian��s wooden sword. It was something indescribable that cleared his heart of sword, causing a sense of longing.


    Within moments, Shen Lian started battling Daoist Shi.


    In order to take care of the intangible sword aura earlier, Daoist Shi had used some of his sword will. However, the iron sword was merely testing the water, and it was still at its peak performance. He had a great advantage as metal restricted wood.


    The tips of both wooden and iron sword made contact for countless times, and the sound of wind and thunder was getting louder and louder. Both of them had almost disappeared from plain sight. At the same time, the surrounding grass and trees were broken and the ground seemed as though it had been ravished by an indescribable giant force.


    The dusts slowed down, and within the mist, one could see the two shadows started picking up distance from each other. Suddenly, they heard a strange sound.


    Shen Lian��s wooden sword was absorbing the Taixu Divine Qi within him at an abnormal speed, which was subsequently turned into the most basic form of energy. At the same time, the Qi of heaven and earth was instilled into the wooden sword at a crazy rate, pushing it to its limits. The sword could barely handle it and it started vibrating. The frequency of its vibration was not lower than the sound of the thunder made by Daoist Shi��s iron sword earlier.


    Daoist Shi was not about to let Shen Lian take a breather and to gather his Qi. Their previous clashes were a heavy burden to the body, which explained the momentary pause.


    However, Shen Lian was crazier than him. Shen Lian did not reserve any buffering time and space for himself.


    Little did he know about Shen Lian��s years of suffering spent at the River of Spirits, and even though Shen Lian��s body was not indestructible yet, but the effect of the impact of mana on his body was negligible.


    Even if Shen Lian were to unleash all of his Mana, the condition of his body was more than enough to handle it.


    Daoist Shi��s sudden unleash did not only put his life on the line, and even then, he could not put all of his mana into use.


    Despite having attained the state of Huandan, his body was still that of blood and flesh. There was a limit on his mana and the amount that his meridians and acupoints could handle.


    Only an immortal Zhenren or the likes of land immortals who cultivated their Primordial Spirit could claim to have unlimited mana and supernatural powers.


    This time round, the tip of Daoist Shi��s iron sword did not vibrate at all and the void harmonized with the sound of thunder. He turned into a sliver of green light with his sword; together, they attacked Shen Lian directly. Any chances of transformation had been eliminated.


    Even the keenest observer could not tell if the move was skewed or if there were any undulating changes.


    The combination of man and sword gave birth to this form of minimalistic beauty.


    Just as how the greatest painter would only need to draw a straight line on a piece of white paper, and the entire paper would come to live, giving plenty of room for one��s imagination.


    Shen Lian��s wooden sword brightened up. At the same time, the last ray from the setting sun shone through. It seemed like a fated coincidence.


    It was as though the wooden sword had been set on fire, and the bright flame was born out of the tip of the sword. The spectators heard the call of the phoenix. The sound did not come from the air, but it travelled the way the light did. It did not vibrate through one��s eardrums, but it was just a sound that one could perceive.


    A thought flashed through one��s mind �C"Wood generates Fire, Fire restricts Metal".


    The flame at the tip of the sword bore a striking resemblance to the head of the phoenix. With its beak, it tapped lightly at the sliver of green light formed by Daoist Shi.


    The Daoist crooned, while the monk seemed to be in deep thoughts.


    The fire was not the fire of the secular world, but it was the fire of the phoenix nirvana.


    A few drops of iron water fell from the sky onto the floor, and Daoist Shi was separated from his sword. He stared at his iron sword that was half melted.


    Out of a sudden, his body exploded and turned into sword aura. Even his Daoist robe had become ashes.


    Only the broken sword was left behind, and it hummed lowly.


    Shen Lian stood far away and he casually tied his wooden sword at his waist. His impressive aura commanded for him to be taken seriously.


    Chen Jianmei walked towards him and tapped on his shoulder. He instilled a pure sword aura into Shen Lian to organise the flow of Qi in his acupoints and meridians.


    The both of them walked towards the sea.


    Ten miles from here, there was not even a single demon and monster or cultivator who came to stop them.


    After all, there were not many cultivators who did not care about their life like Daoist Shi. If Shen Lian was badly injured, there might be some who were willing to challenge him again. However, that would not be necessary anymore.


    The monk who wore damaged shoes spoke, "Fellow Huanzhen Daoist, with these two around, it would seem that Qing Xuan would not come in last again during the next Bier Discourse of Dao."

 Chapter 147 The Clash

    "Do you know the reason why Shi Daoist is here?" Chen Jianmei brought the topic up out of nowhere.


    "I have no idea," Shen Lian did not bother guessing and replied frankly. Up ahead, the sea was dotted with stars, and the moon had not risen yet. There was no fish and aquatic plant, which made it seemed lonelier. The gentle breeze that swept past added some life to the surroundings.


    Chen Jianmei stared at the sea and saw the reflection of the stars. He knew that he might not be able to see this beautiful scenery anymore.


    He was not particularly fond of scenery, but he felt like looking at it today.


    It was not that he lacked confidence, but confidence did not have a role to play in the battle today. Victory or defeat, they came and gone like mists and clouds throughout the years.


    "The Guang Qing Celestial Sect sent him here. Everyone knows that Shi Daoist is a non-formal cultivator, but they are unaware of the fact that he is a minister of Guang Qing Celestial Sect. The celestial core that helped him to attain the state of Huandan was gifted by the Guang Qing Celestial Sect, even though he claimed that he got it from one of the abode of immortals previously used by a land immortal." Chen Jianmei was friendlier than usual, and he did not give off any Qi of devilry. No one would have thought that this was the person who murdered all of the demons and monsters in the mountain, that he was the master celestial of sword who established the Temple of Killings.


    Shen Lian knew that Chen Jianmei who did not give off any Qi of devilry was probably stronger than anyone had expected.


    When a person started killing, it was unavoidable for said person to give off Qi of devilry. That was the resentment generated by the living creatures prior to their death. It could also be that the person himself was shrouded by killing intent and generated Qi of devilry from thereon. Qi of devilry could be used to put one��s opponent in fear, which was why the warriors who survived through hundreds of battles could instil such great fear in their enemies.


    There was a warrior who could break the bridge and block the path on his own, and could easily send troops of armies running away.


    However, this was not conducive for one��s cultivation, which was why the Buddhist saw killing as a sin. In relation to this, there was even a saying that goes, "Fears for the lives of ants while sweeping the floor, cherishes the lives of the moths by covering up the lamp". If the cultivator was fraught with evilness by casual killings, it would be hard for him to see the future, and would be stuck in the secular mortal world for an eternity.


    Allegedly, there was a sea of blood in the depth of the Nine Underworlds. That place was the final gathering place for those who had sinned by killing. In the sea of blood, someone had mastered the way to cultivate via killing, and had become the supreme almighty by doing so.


    However, this form of cultivation would not eliminate the Qi of devilry and the sin of killing.


    Shen Lian knew that Chen Jianmei did not eliminate the Qi of devilry and his sin of killing. What he did was merely to contain them and rendered them unnoticeable.


    Shen Lian had been trying to exert this form of fine control on his own body, but he realised that his attainment in this field could not rival that of Chen Jianmei.


    Even though he could control his Yin Spirit better through his Mana, but it was not the finest stage yet.


    Every cultivator perceived the world differently, but the essence of the world would not change because of one��s perception. To pursue Dao was to explore this in depth.


    Chen Jiamei felt Shen Lian��s wavering heart, and he paused. It was only after Shen Lian had calmed down that he continued. "Shi Daoist��s appearance today on behalf of the Guang Qing Celestial Sect was not strange at all. It is not as though that the Guang Qing Celestial Sect has any previous grudges against me. It is just that thirty years from now, if Qing Xuan did not have me during the Bier Discourse of Dao, Qing Xuan could well come in last for the third year in a row. Initially, this is not a big deal. However, the Guang Qing Celestial Sect has five immortal Zhenrens now, and their predicament could be described as "the spectacular scene of strenghtening what was already strong". It is only natural that they are dissatisfied with Qing Xuan being one of the four main Daoist sects, as they are not listed as one of the four main Daoist sects, and will not be able to participate in the Bier Discourse of Dao. Through this chance, they intend to squeeze us out of the rank," said Chen Jianmei.


    "What is the Bier Discourse of Dao?" Shen Lian queried curiously.


    He knew of the Guang Qing Celestial Sect as they are one of the Xuanmen big sects. As for the details, he was completely unaware. This was why he was shocked when he heard that the Guang Qing Celestial Sect had five immortal Zhenrens.


    Still, he latched on to the main point and asked about the Bier Discourse of Dao instead.


    "A long time ago, a Celestial Mountain appeared in the depths of the sea off Xi Huang. The mountain is Bier Mount Fang Cun. There is an abode there, and in it rests the Resonance of the Great Way. Whoever managed to go in will be able to master a lot of powerful spells or the Dao techniques of cultivation, which are all mystical and different from each other. The four main Daoist sects were the strongest back when the Celestial Mountain first appeared, and hence managed to monopolise the mountain. The four main Daoist sects each provided a raw material to forge a ban, and four tokens were produced from it. The mountain was sealed off, and there was a promise between the four main Daoist sects to send disciples to discourse about Dao every fifty years. Only the top eight could enter the abode to study the Resonance of the Great Way." Chen Jianmei seemed impartial, as though he was uninterested by the Resonance of the Great Way. He lived for swordcraft, and no amount of spells and ingenious Dao could move him, as these were not what he wanted.


    Shen Lian was aware that if only the top eight could get in, it would mean that some sects might not have even one disciple who got in. Seeing how Qing Xuan was walking on a downward slope, it would seem that none of the Qing Xuan disciples got in the last two times.


    Chen Jiamei looked towards the sea. "For those who seek immortality, not being able to get in is detrimental to their cultivation. The Resonance of the Great Way inside could help with the mastering of Dao techniques and supernatural powers, it is even conducive for breaking through the Absurd State. However, the key to cultivation lies within oneself. There were a few times where no one from the other sects went in. Even though there wasn��t any detrimental effect, but the sect who came in last would still look bad. As for why the chief did not tell you about it yet, it is probably because you have not reached the state of Huandan, and you will not be able to do much even if you have gone. Right now, the Guang Qing Celestial Sect is trying to displace Qing Xuan to be the new member of the four main Daoist sects."


    "With Guang Qing Celestial Sect��s current ability, why would they care about being one of the four main Daoist sects?" Shen Lian voiced his confusion. To those in the celestial schools, this sort of glory and recognition did not mean much.


    "Of course they would care, for the past ten thousand years, the influence of the four main Daoist sects have been deeply rooted, and have thus formed at least sixty to seventy per cent of the fate of Xuanmen. How do you think Qing Xuan never fail to secure those with outstanding talents whenever we open our mountain gate every fifty years?" Chen Jianmei smiled coldly and replied.


    That was when Shen Lian realised that the continuity of a Daoist orthodoxy rested in its ability to procure excellent successors. Otherwise, it would be just as the Tianhe Daozong who did not stand against time even though it once had five immortal Zhenrens in the sect.


    The strong fate of the celestial school would serve as an intangible form of protection for the disciples. It might even help the disciples escape death, and this was known as karmic reward in the Xuanmen.


    After straightening up the cause and effect, Shen Lian finally understood certain things. However, could Qing Xuan��s fate serve as a protection for Chen Jianmei against Baoguang Zen Master tonight?


    The fact that he was here to block away these lackeys for Chen Jianmei might be due to the intangible protection offered by the sect. However, the final trial was something for him to deal with alone.


    Shen Lian did not feel that Chen Jianmei was convicted about his victory; if he was that confident, he would not need such a long preparation time.


    On the other hand, from his choice of date, one could tell how confident Monk Baoguang was. He chose to hold the Dao discussion in deity vanquishing on the fifteenth of October.


    In Xuanmen, fifteenth of October was known as the Xia Yuan Festival and was the day where the Water Official wards off calamities, thus increasing the karmic reward. Determined to destroy Chen Jianmei��s reputation, the Monk Baoguang purposefully allowed for Chen Jianmei to benefit from the favorable climatic and geographical conditions.


    Chen Jiamei did not object to the arrangement, as he knew too well that his opponent had a higher level of cultivation than him. After all, his opponent was allegedly the likeliest person to become the Golden-bodied Arhat. Chen Jianmei would only make a joke out of himself if he were to be arrogant.


    At the point where the sky and the sea converged, a moon appeared. "Retreat to a distant spot and observe," Chen Jianmei whispered.


    The Dao discussion would of course be a discussion of the Daoist orthodoxy, while the deity vanquishing referred to the vanquishing of one��s spirit. This was a harsher arrangement than battling to death.


    The sea breeze ceased, and a thin veil of mist enveloped the area. The moon rose and dispersed the thin veil of mist. The moonlight that fell like mercury shrouded the entire surface area of the sea, creating a mystical setting that made one loses one��s focus.


    There was no wind, and yet the waves started rolling. The overlapping sea waves hit the seashore underneath Chen Jianmei. The sound of the impact created a unique melody.


    Somewhere on the surface of the sea, the moonlight was condensing. It was as though a crystal glass bottle was being filled up with the mercury-like moonlight.


    The cultivators, demons, and monsters scattered around felt a sense of fulfilment, as though they did not need anything else after seeing the moonlight.


    These were strong-willed characters. For them to harbour such feelings, it definitely came as a surprise.


    Despite Monk Baoguang��s impressive capabilities being a known fact, but no one would have thought that his Dharma was so refined.


    The spot where the moonlight condensed was getting brighter. In the clear moonlight, a shadow appeared, and its mere presence commanded respect. The moonlight turned into a lotus seat, and a monk stood on it.


    The kasaya had the colour of moonlight, and the monk had a gentle look on his face. His gaze was full and warm, and they looked like two bright stars.


    Chen Jianmei raised his head and met Baoguang Zen Master��s gaze. Electrical spark seemed to have flashed past the sky. At that moment, both of their spirit had made their first clash, and gave rise to the spark of wisdom.


    When both of them met each other��s gaze, their spiritual aura was felt in the entire sea. The surrounding space was locked down and became the place for their final battle.


    Both of their massive spirit rushed out unreservedly, and it was akin to the endless flow of water in the sea.


    During their clashes, the Qi of heaven and earth was disturbed.


    Shen Lian noticed that the echo between the Qi of heaven and earth and the Taixu divine Qi within him fell to the freezing point. At the same point, Shen Lian heard a yelp. It seemed that a Demon King who stood too near was caught in the aftereffect of the impact of spirits and unveiled its true form.

 Chapter 148 The Blood-Red Sword Gleam

    It was impressive for the clash on a spiritual level to have such a powerful effect.


    The Huanzhen from Guang Qing Celestial Sect and the Xingzou from Ming Wang Temple had a grave expression on their faces. Regardless, the survivor of the battle would be infinitely closer to being a land immortal or the Golden-Bodied Arhat. Moreover, with Baoguang��s accumulation, he might be even to become an Arhat on the spot.


    It was as though Chen Jianmei��s spirit was being placed within the waves, and there was no sword aura that came through till now.


    The great techniques of the spirit used by Monk Baoguang were an inheritance from the Moonlight Buddha. Moreover, he had studied the Baoyue Guangwang Scripture left behind by his Senior Apprentice-Brother, Baoyue the Venerable. This allowed him to form a Baoyue Guangwang body through the aid of moonlight. He was as clean as the colored ceramic glaze, and as he used the moonlight as part of the spell, he had shape but not matter. His entire spirit was melted in the moonlight, and he planned to take on Chen Jianmei��s Shapeless Sword with this colored light.


    This was why Chen Jianmei decided to prioritize defense instead of offense, and repeatedly, he had the most basic form of Dao discussion with Monk Baoguang.


    Dao discussion essentially meant the complete and unreserved spiritual clash between the both of them, and it was a determined strike at the opponent��s heart.


    Chen Jianmei was not who he once was. All he wanted was supreme swordcraft, and longevity was not part of his final goal.


    With a lifetime worth of cultivation, he struck brilliantly with his sword.


    As the spectators observed the repeated spiritual clashes, Chen Jianmei stood and walked towards the Baoguang void.


    Affected by the aftermath of the spiritual clashes, the waves rolled fiercely. However, none of them managed to get close to Chen Jianmei��s foot. His Daoist robe remained dry. It was as though an invisible force was keeping the sea waves at bay.


    When both of them were at a distance of three hundred meters, they retracted their gaze, and the sparks from the spiritual clash disappeared. Calmness returned to the sea. It was the calm before the storm.


    Out of a sudden, the world was filled with moonlight, rendering it clearer than the sea.


    Even with his great sight, Shen Lian could not see Monk Baoguang clearly. He could not tell what Chen Jianmei was felling, and the response that was about to follow.


    Countless little arrows with the color of moonlight shot out from the void. Only the greatest spells could exorcise the demon.


    Baoguang Zen Master sat at the lotus seat and was as still as the Mount Tai. The moonlight had spirituality and offered him protection.


    Dao was akin to the moonlight, it was endless and could reach anywhere.


    The little arrows made from moonlight did not have friction against the air. Though, they did not travel as fast as the moonlight. The maximum limit of speed in this world was that of light, once exceeded, it would be an entirely unknown realm altogether.


    Moonlight was condensed due to divine thoughts and was made into spells.


    In the void, countless little arrows that only had shape but not matter were formed. They seemed so far yet so near, and all of them flew towards Chen Jianmei.


    When they were ten feet away from Chen Jianmei, they dispersed and formed a silver stream.


    Shapeless Sword Formula, Shapeless Sword Aura.


    If he wanted to, Chen Jianmei could emit Shapeless Sword Aura from any of his acupoints, and he could do so speedily. If it was not for the disappearance of the little swords, no one would have known that he had unsheathed his sword.


    Sword aura existed without shape. However, Chen Jianmei��s sword aura was so unnoticeable that even after it was emitted, not even a hint of the sword aura could be sensed.


    In the void, it seemed that a long dragon was flying towards Baoguang after the little arrows were wiped off.


    The long dragon was the accumulation of shapeless sword aura. Everyone could not see it, and they could only sense it. Yet, that was sufficient for them to feel the enormous pressure emitted by it.


    Baoguang Zen Master murmured some Buddhist mantras, and the moonlight in front of him condensed into a blade. The moonlight that had shape but not matter was emitting buzzing sounds, and this was plainly unimaginable.


    In Buddhism, there was the saying of "laying down the butcher''s knife, and become a Buddha on the spot".


    This blade of moonlight was the butcher��s knife in Baoguang��s heart; it originated from his thoughts and took shape in the physical realm.


    Countless moonlight and Qi of heaven and earth converged into it, completely overpowering the volume of Qi of heaven and earth invoked by the previous fight between Shen Lian and Shi Daoist.


    In fact, this was of a different magnitude altogether.


    It was as though all of the moonlight were absorbed completely by Monk Baoguang, and were converged onto the intimidating blade.


    The blade seemed to have a demonic spirituality, and there were hints of blood.


    The hatred of all the demons and monsters that Monk Baoguang had exorcised over the years seemed to be within it and the bellows of the evil spirits could be heard, causing one��s heart and soul to waver.


    Even with one��s eyes closed and five senses shut, one could still feel the endless killing intent and hatred of the sword.


    Him being merciful was the reason why he could control the butcher��s knife and not the other way round.


    Shen Lian started to worry for Chen Jianmei; this form of swordcraft was not something that could be rivaled by human force.


    Baoguang Zen Master did not only unleash his blade, he had released the demonic thoughts into his heart at the same time. He tried to utilize Chen Jianmei��s supreme sword aura to extinguished his demonic obstacles and thus, attaining Dao.


    This was an unexpected yet ingenious move.


    Regardless of whether Chen Jianmei won or lost, Baoguang would be able to overcome the demonic obstacles within him.


    The void became darker as the moonlight of the heaven and earth was absorbed by the demonic blade. Overhead, the dark clouds gathered and threatened to pour. The atmosphere was tense.


    The demonic blade finally clashed with the dragon-like Shapeless Sword Aura, and the moonlight sparked all over, falling into the void and the calm sea.


    The breeze swept past the waves, and the sparks were scattered like a slope-full of stars.


    In the dark, the sparks of moonlight came as a consolation.


    Right at that moment, everyone felt a terrifying explosion which emanated between Chen Jianmei and Baoguang. Before the sound of the explosion was heard, the seawater remained calm. It took on a mystical appeal having received the countless falling moonlight.


    The impact of the sudden explosion affected the surface of the sea first. Countless sea water droplets that were salty and bitter splashed all over. Some of the spectators did not manage to dodge it and ended up being soaked.


    The body of demons and monsters were a lot stronger than human cultivators, which was why they barely felt anything. However, most of the human cultivators felt pain �C something that they had not felt for a long time.


    A lot of different protection spells were used. Some used a thin film of light, some used umbrella, some even used a thin veil of cloth; different instruments and spells were used. However, there were some who did not take any measure for protection at all.


    Shen Lian looked towards the rocks; the monk and the Daoist seemed the calmest out of the surrounding spectators, and they were also the scariest.


    The monk smiled slightly at him, and the Daoist shot him a cold glare without any further unnecessary movement.


    Some moonlight returned back into Baoguang��s body following the explosion.


    Even under the dark sky, it could still be seen that Chen Jianmei who stood in the void was in distress. His Daoist up-do was undone, and his long hair fell casually. His Daoist robe was worn out, and visible holes could be seen.


    The dark clouds shrouded the sky, and both moonlight and starlight could not pass through. The clash between the both of them caused changes to their surroundings, leading to the current predicament.


    Within the heaven and earth, a voice rang. "Shen Lian, observe this move closely," a Daoist voice spoke.


    That was Chen Jianmei speaking. Baoguang Zen Master had not given it his best and Chen Jianmei was injured. Yet, from Chen Jianmei tone, it seemed as though he was certain of his victory.


    Chen Jianmei��s Shapeless Sword Aura was gone, but he still had his sword with him. A long sword appeared in his hand, and it seemed to have endless killing aura attached to it. The appearance of the sword brought forth endless murderous thoughts in the air, and it was a lot more frightening than the demonic blade used by Baoguang earlier.


    Indeed, some part of the murderous thoughts came from the demonic thoughts of the demonic blade, which turned into food for this Killing Sword. No wonder Chen Jianmei wanted to test the waters with his body, and no wonder that his Daoist robe was torn.


    It was not that he could not block off the explosion earlier, but his lack of protection was a purposeful act.


    At the pinnacle of the Shapeless Sword Formula, one could use one��s heart as a sword. All of the demons and monsters slayed by Chen Jianmei all these years, their murderous thoughts were contained within this sword.


    The longsword gleamed with the luster of blood and shot through the sky. It even passed through the dark clouds in a single line, and a small portion of moonlight and starlight made their way through.


    Shen Lian��s attention was drawn towards Chen Jianmei��s Sword of Heart. It was as though he could break open the sea with the long sword if he wanted to.


    Chen Jianmei finally made a move with his sword, and Shen Lian��s heart was beating in anticipation.


    The killing intent from the sword was clean and neat, it was as though it could take away any unfairness in this world.


    Chen Jiamei was one with his sword, and the bloody sword gleam pierced at Baoguang Zen Master. The void was vibrating with fear.


    Monk Baoguang formed a hand gesture, and a ray appeared. It was purple inside and moonlight-yellow on the outside. This was the supreme protection spell of Jinguang Temple �C"Moonlight Treasure Wheel". It contained the wishes of the believers within it.


    However, Monk Baoguang did not expect the Moonlight Treasure Wheel to not be able to withstand the strike of the sword. Upon contact, the Moonlight Treasure Wheel fell apart like a thin, flimsy paper. There was no resistance when it was broken apart by the bloody sword gleam.


    The strength and power of this move were unexpected by everyone and even Baoguang Zen Master did not see it coming.


    Baoguang Zen Master roared, and it sounded like the roar of a tiger. It sounded like the thunder from the Nine Heavens, and countless gold swastikas came out of his mouth. This was the manifestation of his cultivation.


    Under the bloody sword gleam, the gold swastikas did not do much and were all eliminated.


    Shen Lian was not joyous. His heart was filled with grief. There was an actual difference between Chen Jianmei and Baoguang, and it could not have been that easy for the former to break through the latter��s defense.


    This was something that was the proper way of the world, and it definitely came at a price.


    This was why Chen Jianmei told him to observe this move. This was likely to be the last time that he would see Chen Jianmei charging with his sword.


    The brilliant move was founded upon his life force.


    After having spent one half of one''s life to cultivate in isolation, the world was finally made known of it upon one��s success; this was a precise description of Chen Jianmei.


    After tonight, none of the spectators would be able to forget this person. No one would be able to erase the Sword of Blood and Ray from their memory. It was just like the beautiful fireworks that disappeared at their most brilliant moment.


    When the gold swastikas had disappeared, the bloody sword gleam proceeded to slash towards Monk Baoguang. He was unable to resist. The Baoyue Guangwang body was shattered into pieces without blood.


    On the sea, a monk floated on the water surface. It was not known if he was alive or dead.


    After the bloody sword gleam took on Monk Baoguang��s Baoyue Guangwang body, it rushed through the sky without pause. The dark clouds were crushed and a bloody rainbow painted the sky. Shortly after, it disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 149 The Meaning of Dharma Behind the Congenital Killing Sword

    A Buddhist ray fell and took away the monk floating on the sea. The water remained calm and undisturbed. It seemed as though the Western Paradise Buddha had lowered the Buddhist ray to relay the believers who were suffering. Everyone knew that this was a move of Baoyue the Venerable from Jinguang Temple. Some wanted to know what the great Buddhist enlightened monk who took no concern about the secular mortal world and had committed himself to Buddhism was felling.


    After Monk Baoguang was rescued, the spectators left too.


    It was hard to say who won and who lost in this battle, but Shen Lian knew that Chen Jianmei had no regrets.


    At the same time, Shen Lian realized that at a higher cultivation level, there was no way one could hold back even if one initially had planned to. As the tide of the battle changed, the battle might have turned out to be deadly. Just as the saying goes, as the experts fought, their life and death hung on a thin line; there was no holding back.


    Chen Jianmei''s bloody sword gleam had superseded the Shapeless Sword Formula; the killing aura that decorated the void was different from the peacefulness of Xuanmen, and yet it was so much closer to the great Way and was not a simple Killing Sword.


    Just as the flood that was bestowed unto the world, it had injured countless living creatures. Could this be evil Dao?


    The moonlight and the starlight were speechless.


    Shen Lian did not know about Chen Jianmei''s whereabouts, or if he was dead or alive after he turned into the bloody gleam.


    Besides Shen Lian, there were still some people who stayed behind, which included the monk and the Daoist.


    The Daoist spoke to the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple, "Master, do you recognize Chen Jianmei''s last move?"


    The monk finally spoke as he stared at the spot where Chen Jianmei''s bloody sword gleam had disappeared. "There are not many martial exercises that have that kind of murderous sword aura in this world, to begin with. Most of them would not be able to overcome the Moonlight Treasure Wheel. Perhaps he had seen the traces left behind by the Six Congenital Killing Sword," he spoke with complicated emotions on his face.


    "Luckily he did not have the opportunity to meet one of it, otherwise no one would be able to rival him in this world," Huanzhen snickered. The Six Top Congenital Killing Sword in this world, each of them could slay the celestials and kill the deities. Amongst them, four of it could form a Supreme Killing Formation �C something that even a Daoist Master would not dare to face directly.


    These six frightening Congenital Killing Sword had disappeared from the world, and their whereabouts were not known. They might be at the depths of the galaxy or was left in some space or time, or might not even exist anymore.


    Chen Jianmei managed to master some of the meaning of its Dharma, and elevated the Shapeless Sword Formula. He had turned shapeless into shapes and managed to touch the Changsheng door.


    If he was still alive, he could try to create his own Acquired Killing Sword through the Dharma he mastered the moment his cultivation had transcended beyond the mortal world. He might even be able to shake Lu Jiuyuan''s position as the first in Xuanman.


    Though, it was hard to say if Chen Jianmei was dead or alive. He had disappeared after turning into sword gleam. That was probably a move to leave some room for imagination.


    This person had a determined heart sword, and even though Huanzhen had not fought him before, he treated Chen Jianmei as a rare opponent. After all, Huanzhen was not searching for longevity for his own purpose but was doing so for the solid foundation of Guang Qing Celestial Sect. Under the laws of heaven, some lived and some perished. Guang Qing Celestial Sect was at its pinnacle now, and the unavoidable downhill was soon to follow. If they did not manage to secure the fate of Xuanmen and made their way into the four main Daoist sects, they would be following the footsteps of Tianhe Daozong.


    Amongst the four main Daoist sects, Qing Xuan was the weakest. Even though both of them had never crossed each other''s path in the past, they were enemies now. If anything was to be blamed, it would be Qing Xuan''s weak position. On top of that, Guang Qing was at its pinnacle.


    As Shen Lian was walking towards them, Huanzhen took his leave as he realized that it had nothing to do with him. He had nothing to say to Shen Lian and it was not the right time to pick a fight with Qing Xuan officially.


    He turned away and walked to someplace far away with just one step. With another step, he disappeared into the horizon.


    Shen Lian recognized the supernatural power used by him was the supernatural power of shrinking the ground into inches. At its pinnacle, its user could travel to anywhere in the world with just one step. Of course, it would take a Daoist Master to reach this state.


    His level of attainment was a rarity and was considered as impressive. At least if Shen Lian were to learn this supernatural power, he would not be able to do it as well and as effortlessly as him.


    The monk from Ming Wang Temple was more curious about Shen Lian than Chen Jianmei, but he did not let his curiosity show earlier. It was only until when Shen Lian came over and Huanzhen had left that he took a good look at Shen Lian.


    As their gaze met, there were sounds of sparks in the air. It was just as the electrical sparks that came from the meeting of gaze and a spiritual clash between Baoguang and Chen Jianmei.


    However, Shen Lian knew that he was not the monk''s equal. He felt like a fish swimming under a giant waterfall; it seemed possible to swim against the current, but it was hopeless after all.


    This was the first time he met a cultivator whose spiritual cultivation was completely overpowering that of his. He was both shocked and upset, and the emotions he felt even masked over the sadness he felt for Chen Jianmei''s predicament.


    Right when the monk was about to completely overpower him and pierced into his eyes and his bier with his gaze, the monk retracted his exterior spirit like the rolling of the tides. Shen Lian wanted to make use of this chance to make his entry, but all of his spiritual consciousness was blocked away by the monk''s gentle gaze.


    There seemed to be a thin film of light that blocked away any form of prying.


    Shen Lian did not feel upset anymore, as he was busy wondering if the monk was a friend or an enemy. It was obvious that the Daoist who left earlier was unfriendly towards him.


    As for why Shen Lian came over, due to the unpredictable and unimaginable capabilities of the monk and the Daoist, he would not be able to escape even if he wanted to.


    Cultivators cherished their lives and would escape whenever they sensed danger. The monk knew about this. This was why he was especially impressed by Shen Lian''s calmness and his initiative to respond even when he faced with such strong opponents.


    To him, from life to death, everything was fated. This was exactly what the cultivators were resisting. It would take more than impressive techniques, and it was imperative that one had an unusually brave heart.


    Chen Jianmei was one of those. Even though he lived only for sword and had put immortality as second, but he was equipped with both of the qualities.


    Despite that Shen Lian did not leave as strong an impression as Chen Jianmei, and he did not seem as determined either, but deep down these two were alike. The monk traveled around the world to see different sort of spells, to observe the masses, and to seek for what he wanted in the secular mortal world.


    The moon hanging in the sky was perfectly round, and it was unaffected by the great battle that took place earlier. After all, regardless of how powerful Chen Jianmei and Baoguang were, neither of them was able to affect the eternal moon.


    The starlight was dimmed in comparison to the bright moonlight. Even the Sky River could be seen.


    Shen Lian''s delicate features were striking under the moonlight. "Master, where are you from?" he queried.


    "I came from the Ming Wang Temple, my religious name was Hui Ke. The "Hui" from "Zhi Hui", which meant wisdom; the "Ke" from "Ke You Ke Wu", which meant dispensable," the monk replied with a smile.


    Shen Lian did not expect the monk to be that forthcoming.


    Shen Lian found his religious name intriguing, and most importantly, he mentioned Ming Wang Temple.


    The fundamental martial exercise of Ming Wang Temple was the Acalanatha Scripture. Shen Lian read about this in one of the elder''s notes back at the Taiwei Pavillion. She had traveled with the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple at that time. She harbored romantic feelings for him, and of course, he did not reciprocate her feelings, as monks were emotionless.


    It was only when she died that she saw past all these, and left behind some words for the juniors to talk about.


    The Acalanatha Scripture was the supreme Dharma that cultivated the state of meditation. As one remained unmoved, one could be at peace with oneself.


    If she was more skilled, she might have been able to break through the monk''s state of meditation.


    However, there was no "if" in this world. If the Acalanatha Scripture could be broken through so easily, then the Ming Wang Temple would have been taken over by its attackers.


    "With dispensable supreme wisdom, that will suffice for one to transcend beyond the mortal world. Master, you have great ambition," Shen Lian replied casually.


    Hui Ke stared at the waves and did not answer Shen Lian. "Do you think it was the wind that moved the waves or the waves that moved the wind?" he queried.


    "Everything in this world was dynamic, and only Master could choose between remaining static or dynamic. Everything that was static was dynamic, and everything that was dynamic was moving, and the world never stops. I can never tell if the wind came first or the waves, and there is no reason to find out about it. It is just the way it is," Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    "Fellow Daoist, you are quite intelligent. What do you say about joining Buddhism?" Hui Ke laughed.


    "I like how I look with hair. I am not ready to forego these troubles yet," Shen Lian said and shook his head.


    Shen Lian walked on the small path on the deserted mountain. Hui Ke had a small chat with him earlier and had told him that the Daoist earlier was the likeliest among all the Huanzhen Daoists in Guang Qing Celestial Sect to attain immortality


    Hui Ke was not an enemy, but he was not about to offer help just like that. The fact that he gave hints as such was a huge sign of friendliness.


    Moreover, his attainment in cultivating the Acalanatha Scripture was advance, and Shen Lian could not get more out of him.


    Xi Huang was a dangerous place, yet Shen Lian decided to remain. The Temple of Killings was a branch of Qing Xuan that was recognized by the chief himself, and it could be seen as the public image of Qing Xuan.


    The fact that Chen Jianmei had established the Temple of Killings in Xi Huang and kept the demons at bay was an impressive feat. Shen Lian decided to protect the Daoist temple in order to show the world what Qing Xuan was made of.


    Moreover, he remembered something. Chen Jianmei''s last move might be related to his code of Dao and the meaning of Dharma passed on by the Grandmaster Yuan Qing during the ceremony. If so, Chen Jiamei probably came to Xi Huang and founded the Temple of Killings in order to nurture the meaning of Dharma he received and to make it his own.


    In that vein, everything would make sense. Did Chen Jiamei start a forum to discuss Dao and to teach cultivation of Qi in order to lure Baoguang out? He probably intended to use Baoguang''s demonic thoughts to help him to master his Killing Sword.


    If Baoguang did not know something in his heart, Chen Jianmei probably would not have achieved his goal. Though, it could be seen as a mutually-beneficial cooperation.

 Chapter 150 The Day with Snowflakes Flying All Over

    Whenever Shen Lian had something that he did not understand or could not comprehend, he would set them aside.


    There was enough to worry about in life, why should one add on to it.


    It was a very special experience to walk in the mountains when the sun was about to rise. The grasses were decorated with dews, and they were shaking and threatening to fall. The clear droplet had stars dotted in it, and it was indescribably mystical and magical.


    It was in this setting that Shen Lian arrived at the Temple of Killings. The temple was built atop a giant rock and was situated high and far. There was no surrounding vegetation. Not far ahead from its entrance, there was a path that showed the foot of the mountain.


    The Temple of Killings was a very simple Daoist temple, and Chen Jianmei��s cultivation attitude could be discerned from it. He did not care much about everything else, with his sole focus being swordcraft.


    There were no statues of deities being worshipped at the hall. However, there was a set of calligraphy hanging on the wall, with just one word �C"Yuan" on it. The "Yuan" was that of Grandmaster Yuan Qing, or it could mean new beginnings or even some other unknown meaning.


    The word was definitely written by Chen Jianmei. Shen Lian could not tell if there was any Dharma hidden within it; in fact, he could not even tell if there was anything special about it. It just seemed a casual writing by Chen Jianmei.


    However, when Shen Lian recalled Chen Jianmei��s last move �C the Sword of Blood and Ray, and looked at the writing again, he felt that there was something special about it. Each stroke seemed to be a sword on its own. At the pointy end of each stroke, it seemed as though they could break anything, just as the tip of the Killing Sword of Blood and Ray. As Shen Lian made the connections, he felt a sharp pain at his Yin Spirit, as though he had just been poked by a needle.


    Besides the calligraphy, Shen Lian could not find anything related to Chen Jianmei.


    Shen Lian was convicted that Chen Jianmei had purposefully left the calligraphy behind for him. Otherwise, knowing his behavior, he would not have left anything behind. Perhaps, Chen Jianmei was not waiting for him exactly, it could have been anyone from Qing Xuan, and that person would have served the same purpose as he did.


    Shi Daoist was strong, but it was not hard for Qing Xuan to find someone who was stronger than Shi Daoist.


    The chief valued Chen Jianmei more than he did Shen Lian. Chen Jiamei might have learned something from the chief that was unknown to others. However, Chen Jianmei did not seem like someone who would have gone and learn anyway. Though, if it was the chief who insisted, that would be a different story altogether.


    Regardless, Shen Lian took a liking to the place. He felt that he had a lot of troubles on his mind lately, and could need some peace and quiet. He did not want to think about anything; in fact, he did not even want to cultivate Qi. He just wanted to do nothing.


    Human��s heart was like the tides, it rose and fell, but it was the best when it is at peace.


    Those who had experienced a lot seemed to prefer to spend time alone sometime. They would just space out and would not think about anything. After some time, they would be a new version of themselves and were ready to face the hardships of life.


    Shen Lian��s hardships in life would be the hardships he faced in his cultivation. He seemed to be a step away from attaining the state of Huandan, and this step was in fact, the heavenly moat. It could take either a small step to cross over, or a huge step.


    It was a step that only he could take, and no one else could help.


    After the fifteenth of October, the weather was getting colder. Half a month later, it snowed. The entire Hanhai Kingdom was waiting for the snow.


    The heavier the winter snow, the thicker the accumulation was. When the snow melted into the water the next year, it would serve as freshwater for the people. This was why the people took interest in the snowfall.


    Being in the mountains, Shen Lian loved the snow. He derived peace from staring at the white scenery.


    As usual, he wore a thin Daoist robe. He stood behind the Daoist temple and was facing a cliff. He watched as the snow fell. The snowflakes were drawn by the gravity and fuelled by the breeze. Between cruising in the world and falling into the grounds, they always ended up melting into the ground full of snow.


    This was their fate, and it was impossible to change.


    The world had always been a cage; it gave birth to you and raised you, and yet it restricted you.


    The greed of the cultivators was such that they tried to absorb the essences of the world, and yet they refuse to die and to return the essences back to the world.


    Shen Lian was one of the cultivators. Morally speaking, they were all unscrupulous, and yet they did not have a choice. Underneath the cliff, the strange person who killed back at the Restaurant Guodu in the Hanhai Kingdom appeared again at the faraway spot where the snowfall was the thickest. This strange person appeared in front of Shen Lian for a couple of times now. He loved to ingest snow. He also loved to break the ice away from the rock wall and ingest them.


    It excited him, and it helped him to stay sane. Whenever Shen Lian tried to approach him, the man would leave.


    His speed rivaled Shen Lian; when he left, he left behind a red line. He was as fast as lightning, and he could accelerate in a shockingly short period of time. This was why Shen Lian could never keep up with him.


    Whenever the strange person appeared, he was shrouded in the Qi of blood and devilry. It was different from the Qi of devilry left behind by humans or demons, and it was also a lot stronger.


    He probably tried to excite himself with ice and snow because of the confusion he faced after ingestion of the blood and Qi. The state of confusion rendered the excitement necessary, so as to keep him from being completely lost.


    Even though his aura got stronger every time Shen Lian saw him, but Shen Lian never gave much thought to this hidden enemy. It was because he could never catch him, and he was also waiting for the strange person to approach him.


    He was confident that he could deal with the strange person. Moreover, the cultivators, demons, and monsters who loitered around the Temple of Killings had become the strange person��s victims; to a certain extent, the strange person was doing Shen Lian a favor.


    When the strange person left, Shen Lian began his daily practices. His fingertip changed its form, and a red sword aura flew through. He alternated his fingering, and there were Qi of different colors swirling in the air. They were red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, purple and black. They were solid and swirled around Shen Lian. They slipped past the snowflakes, and yet did not touch the snowflakes at all. In fact, they did not even trigger any sound of the wind.


    The eight sword aura was controlled by his thoughts, and from the beginning till the transitions, all of the processes were smooth and easy. They seemed like a school of fishes who were swimming in the air.


    Each of the sword auras had their own characteristics. They corresponded to Tian, Di, Shan, Ze, Shui, Huo, Feng, Lei. It was not as simple as multitasking, which was something that could be done by someone of sufficient intellectual caliber. It was difficult to do different tasks with different thoughts at the same time.


    Shen Lian lasted for around twelve or thirteen breathes before white steam started forming around his forehead. In this cold weather, he was sweating, and the droplets of sweat turned into ice shortly.


    He retracted his spiritual consciousness, and the eight sword aura lost control and disappeared into the void.


    The eight Taixu Qi were eight different Manas, and their essences could either be approached from the Five Elements angle or the Yin and Yang angle. His founding master, Zi Ling Fairy chose to walk on the path of Yin and Yang. However, she ended up having dissociative identity disorder due to the wholeness and contrast in Yin and Yang.


    Every martial exercise would involve different Dao that remained unchanged in the world. As everything would converge towards the great Way, in the end, one must make one��s choice among the many potential ones in order to continue towards the highest point.


    It was only when the convergence happened that one could derive more, and attained the ultimate fruit of Dao.


    Huandan was the beginning of the path, also the beginning of cultivation of Dao.


    Shen Lian had to make his choice and to pick his path in order to kick-start the process.


    Shen Lian did not ponder much about it and chose to drive the eight Qi of Taixu with the method of the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. He created sword aura from it and tried to experience the different states through that.


    When this step matured, he would proceed to the next, which was "mutual generation". This was the second layer of abstruseness taught by Mr. Su.


    The sword aura contained the axiomatic truth, and Shen Lian felt that even after he had attained the state of Huandan, broke through the Absurd State, and became a land immortal, he would not be able to understand it fully.


    He wanted to know about Mr. Su��s origin. Unfortunately, there was no news about him ever since then. Even the loquat tree did not know much about Mr. Su��s identity.


    When Shen Lian was thinking, someone came to Xi Huang in the cold.


    More accurately, a demon had come to Xi Huang. It was not a local demon, but a demon who came from the sea.


    Just as how the demons from the land hated going into the sea, those from the sea would not come to the land. Moreover, the demons from the sea looked down on those from Bei Huang, as they found them poor and unrefined.


    At least this was what the Nine-Headed Demon King thought. He did not even bother hiding his nine heads. He flashed all of them out fearlessly.


    He still had a few strands of bird feather in his mouth on one of his head. The demonic eagle who had not completely shapeshifted yet tasted horrible. Indeed it was something that came from barren hills and turbulent rivers. Not only that it had a fishy taste to it, its flesh was rough and did not taste as smooth and fresh as those from the sea.


    The mountain was called Chui Ping Mountain. In spite of the snow, one could still see the Chui Ping. It looked a lot like a peacock flaring its feathers.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King remembered back when he still had not shapeshifted yet, he saw a very powerful peacock. The peacock almost killed an ancient mutant Gold-Threaded Snake that had shapeshifted and ate its snake gall.


    The Gold-Threaded Snake was a very poisonous snake, and yet the peacock was unafraid of its poison.


    Due to that incident, the Nine-Headed Demon King hated everything in green. This had something to do with the trauma in his heart.


    He could tell that the palace he was looking at was an impressive instrument, the best Ruyi instrument there was.


    Ruyi instrument referred to an instrument that had the Ruyi Dao restriction being placed upon it by an expert cultivator when it was forged. The final product would be able to change according to the owner��s thoughts due to the Ruyi Dao restriction.


    The best example would be Mount Sumeru in Buddhist legends, and the sayings of the Naxumi Yujiezi.


    Mount Sumeru could become infinitely huge or infinitely small, and this was something that could only be done by Buddha.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King set his eyes on this instrument. Even though he despised the demons and monsters in Xi Huang, he decided to bring away such a good instrument.


    After all, Mister Sea was slightly unreliable. In the event that he did not manage to get his hands on the relic, he still had this excellent instrument to make up for it. His trip would be justified then.

 Chapter 151 Shifting Yin into Yang, Qian Kun One Qi

    A troop of demonic soldiers rushed out and took their place in the formation. The last eight little demons that followed carried an emperor��s carriage, and a girl in green skirt sat on it.


    Despite that the Nine-Headed Demon King hated the color of her outfit, he was pleased by the sight of the beautiful lady as he was searching for a beautiful wife with great social status. After all, he found Mister Sea��s approach in choosing his concubines extremely crude and tasteless, as he would make anyone his concubine without so much as choosing.


    The female demon who shapeshifted seemed to be a tailored match for him, and as the humans would say, this was fated. Then, the Ruyi instrument could be her dowry. How nice would that be!


    The Nine-Headed Demon King did not bother hiding his greed for the Demon Queen, and his gaze was commanding. Indeed, he looked extremely frightening with his nine heads.


    He unleashed his aura without holding back, and a lot of the demons were frightened to the point that they reverted to their original form. There were a lot of animals, including the likes of deer and pangolin, and some even excreted on the spot.


    The little demons that were carrying the carriage too, reverted to their original form. The carriage fell onto the floor and the girl in green skirt stood. She frowned and queried, "Dear King, why did you come into the territories of my Chui Ping Mountain?"


    The Nine-Headed Demon King felt even more attracted to the girl in green and could not help but to appreciate her features. He thought that she looked more beautiful than anyone that he had ever seen before.


    The only thing was her green skirt, and he could not wait to tell her to change into a red outfit, which would be a lot more glamorous.


    "Little girl, what is your name? I didn��t come to do you harm," he spoke crudely. A bird feather flew out of his mouth as he spoke.


    He might have realized it himself and immediately morphed all nine of his heads together as though they were made of muds, and turned into a well-built man. However, there were still eight little red flesh warts protruding from his forehead.


    The girl in green did not know much about this Demon King, and yet she realized how strong his aura was. Even the strongest Demon Kings in Xi Huang did not have such a strong aura. These Demon Kings were all fearless and pushy, knowing that, the girl in the green skirt did not want to offend him in the beginning. "My name is Kui Li, which Celestial Mountain you came from, and what are you doing here?" she spoke softly.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King laughed and the Qi of heaven and earth was affected. The entire Chui Ping Mountain seemed to be shivering. "Kui Li, what a nice name. Little girl, you look so pretty, why don��t you come to my underwater palace and be my wife? I guarantee you a lifetime of prosperity and you will never have to suffer in this barren hills and turbulent rivers," he spoke.


    There did not seem to be any hint of anger on Kui Li��s beautiful face. "Dear King, thank you for your kindness. I don��t think I��m blessed enough for it. Please leave if you have nothing more to say," she replied.


    "You don��t have a say in this," the Nine-Headed Demon King replied furiously. His face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of black clouds, and smoke was boiling inside.


    Kui Li noticed the great Mana that was rising. A black air current rushed at her. At the same time, the ground seemed to have sunk for a few feet. The giant black air current was filled with flying rocks and sands, and there was no stopping it as it rushed over.


    She knew that the Demon King was not just anyone, but she did not expect him to be so powerful. Without so much as a premonition, he commanded such terrifying Mana and attacked with it. The black air current was crude and there were no fine changes. It was merely a manifestation of strong Mana, and she would need to expend a lot of Mana if she were to take the hit.


    The black and white Qi shrouding her started rolling towards her, and they shot through the sky. The black river flew and disintegrated all of her demon soldiers. Most did not even get to keep a complete corpse. The black river was strong and unstoppable. The front part of it turned into silk cloth and rolled the palace up, with his brute Mana, the Nine-Headed Demon King wiped away any marks left behind by Kui Li.


    The instrument was minimized to less than half a feet, and it fell into the Nine-Headed Demon King��s hand with a flick of the river. He laughed and seemed to be satisfied. Then, he tied the instrument at his waist.


    Kui Li stood in the air and watched as the river flew underneath her. The Nine-Headed Demon King��s powerful Mana was indescribable. The black and white Qi shrouding her were like mists, and they unveiled the green skirt occasionally. It looked like a beautiful scene in the paintings; a green lotus blooming right in the middle of the painting.


    She looked down at the Nine-Headed Demon King, and her gaze was full of contempt for him.


    She gestured a formula with her hand, and with a yelp, a strange Qi started forming. It floated in mid-air and manifested immediately. Suddenly, a sky full of greenish needles appeared, and they flew towards the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    There were a lot of greenish lights dot, and they were giving off sounds of sparks in the air. There was no doubt about their strength, and they could easily make thousands of holes on the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    However, the Nine-Headed Demon King remained unmoved and fearless. He rolled up his sleeve and gestured for the black river to flow upwards. Immediately, he had a solid defense �C one that could block off even the flying needles.


    Some of the needles were bounced off and collided with the rocks far away, and the rocks immediately disintegrated into powder. This was an attestation to both Kui Li��s and the Nine-Headed Demon King��s strength.


    "Seems like you��re capable of something, but that��s about it," the Nine-Headed Demon King laughed crudely.


    He rode on the waves and the black river headed right towards the sky. He was sent flying towards Kui Li��s direction, and he was traveling at the speed of lightning.


    Kui Li observed coldly, and the black and white Qi shrouding her rushed ahead. The black Qi turned white, and there was a great fire. The white light was bright and rushed madly against the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    This was the occult technique of Transformation of Yin to Yang, and it was very powerful.


    As the fire made contact with the wall of river, the current started burning as though it was the oil in a hot wok. The heat rushed mercilessly at the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    The heat made its way into the Nine-Headed Demon King��s body, and smoke started coming out of his orifices.


    "Nice!" The Nine-Headed Demon King yelled, and yet he still maintained his form and did not revert to his original form.


    He opened his mouth and took in the rest of the white Qi. Then, he shut off the acupoints in his body. The white clouds and steam disappeared immediately. His nose swelled up, and a white stream of smoke rushed out of his expanded nostrils. The stream of smoke crossed each other as though they were a pair of scissors. Out of a sudden, they attacked Kui Li.


    Kui Li was unmoved. A stream of clouds started forming underneath her feet, and she dodged towards the side. However, she still lost a strand of hair to it. Her hair was set on fire mid-air, and not even ashes were left behind.


    "Shifting Yin into Yang, Qian Kun One Qi, seems like you know what you are doing," the Nine-Headed Demon King was knowledgeable, and he recognized the occult technique that Kui Li was cultivating. It was the likes of Qian Kun One Qi. Moreover, she could transform Yin into Yang. Most Daoist Xuanmen would not have techniques as such.


    Anyhow, that would not change things. The better her background, the happier he was. He would feel proud bringing her out.


    Kui Li snickered. So far the Demon King had not used any form of supernatural powers yet. With just his brute Mana, he managed to corner her into the black river. What was even scarier was how the Xuan Yang Pure Fire created by Qian Kun One Qi and shifting Yin into Yang did not affect him at all.


    She knew that there was no way that she could rival the Demon King, and she would have to vindicate herself another day. Back when she escaped from that place, she cultivated The Occult Technique of Great Yin Yang and Five Elements against the norm, which had led to the huge decrease in her Mana.


    Kui Li did not plan to fight to her death and decided to leave. A five-color ray started flashing in the sky, and an unknown bird extended its wings and was ready to take flight.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King would not allow her to escape so easily. He had always been clean-cut with his actions, and he knew that the girl had some sort of background. He would not give her the chance to seek help and to bring him trouble. If he captured her now, she would not be able to change anything when everything was a done deal.


    He willed a black ray to manifest itself, and it turned into a strange dragon. The dragon rushed towards the five-color ray and Kui Li reverted to her original form. She knew that the strange dragon made from black ray was dangerous as it carried some part of the Nine-Headed Demon King��s Mana with it.


    She slanted her wings slightly and almost managed to dodge it. However, the strange dragon was flexible, and it tailed behind her effortlessly.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King created eight more black rays, and all of them were dragons with just heads and without feet. They surrounded Kui Li from all directions.


    The bird whose name was unknown flew flexibly as it tried to get the dragons off its tail, but its effort was unfruitful.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King was in no hurry. He decided to operate his Mana slowly and pushed Kui Li to the point of exhaustion.


    Kui Li realized this too; she yelped sadly and her desperate voice appealed to one��s empathy.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King frowned and felt spiritual pressure coming through from Kui Li��s direction. At the same time, Kui Li extended its wings elegantly and spat out a ball with the size of a pigeon egg. The light that was attached to it detached itself, and the Xuan Yang Pure Fire that was ten over times brighter than the one before exploded from it. The nine strange dragons were turned into ashes. The five-color ray immediately merged into the body of a mountain, and the Nine-Headed King felt the surge of a certain Five Elements spiritual force before it disappeared from his senses.


    Kui Li went as far as damaging her inner elixir just to get out of the situation earlier. At the same time, she had used an occult escape technique. Through that, she managed to make its way into the mountain and escaped through the ground.


    The Nine-Headed Demon King was troubled by this. At the same time, he was surprised by her determination. He could tell that the little girl did not even have the strength to shapeshift anymore and her life was probably shortened by a good chunk. It was a difficult injury to recover from, and she might have to go through another round of Lightning Trials of Transformation again. To a certain extent, she was reverted to her original form permanently.


    All these bitter years spent in cultivation had gone down the drain; it was as good as being reborn and starting cultivating from scratch.


    It was morning again, and Shen Lian pushed open the door of the Daoist temple. The snow had sealed the mountain off completely, and it was very peaceful and quiet. All he saw was white, and he felt refreshed. A sparrow flew over and stopped right in front of him.

 Chapter 152 Serene Bird

    Ever since the snow sealed the mountain off, it had been hard for the birds and beasts in the mountain to look for food.


    The sparrow that stood frozen outside of the Temple of Killings was saved by Shen Lian. Shen Lian had instilled his spiritual force into the bird. Besides getting stronger, what was unexpected was how the bird manifested some spirituality. It brought back natural wild fruits that tasted good to the Temple of Killings for Shen Lian to try.


    Nature was amazing. Even though the mountain as sealed off by the snow, there were still places where the flowers blossomed and the temperature was warm. Perhaps it was due to the warmth from the ground or the nourishment from the Yin Qi from the ground, wild fruits were formed. Most of them had the effect of strengthening one��s body and prolonging one��s lifespan.


    The spiritual little sparrow did not bring along any fruits today, but it was flying up and down in front of Shen Lian. Then, it crashed into the ground and started rolling. Eventually, it stopped moving as though it as dead.


    Shen Lian could not converse with the beasts, but he could still make out what the little sparrow was trying to convey. It seemed like one of its kind was injured and had fainted in the snow, and the sparrow hoped that Shen Lian could save it.


    Shen Lian decided to go take a look as he was free. He also felt that the little sparrow was kind, and wondered if that would change as it went through the process of cultivation in the future.


    The little sparrow could fly, but not too high. Shen Lian trailed behind. The journey involved crossing treacherous cliffs and walls, where ice had formed on their surfaces. The surfaces were slippery. However, Shen Lian preferred traveling over these surfaces than on a mountain trail, as he could gain momentum and traveled further.


    However, it would still be easier to fly. As he needed the guidance of the little sparrow, he had no choice but to take it slow.


    The cold wind blew against his Daoist robe, and Shen Lian descended from a tall cliff. He descended slowly from the sky, and eventually landed in the snow. There were dried leaves and branches that acted as a cushion, and the surface was quite soft.


    Shen Lian stared right ahead. He though the little sparrow had sent him to save one of its kind, such as the wild sparrows in the mountain. However, he did not expect to find a beautiful green bird that looked like a peacock waiting ahead. The peacock��s feathers were full of mysterious and complicated greenish patterns. Shen Lian found it to be familiar, and he recalled seeing these patterns on the Demon King��s green skirt back at Chui Ping Mountain.


    However, the serene bird was a lot weaker, and the spiritual pressure it was giving off was a lot lower. Though, it managed to keep the wild beasts at bay.


    The little sparrow flew towards the serene bird, and it was chirping away next to it. The serene bird raised its head, and gaze emptily at Shen Lian. Its gaze was devoid of spirit. However, when Shen Lian got closer, some light returned to its gaze, and the light seemed to be in five different colors. When it turned and made contact with Shen Lian, Shen Lian felt a strange feeling. The Taixu Divine Qi within him flew outwards naturally. Even though the amount was minuscule, but if the Taixu Divine Qi within him was akin to a huge river, those that flew out would be a small stream.


    The small stream did not affect the great river that was Shen Lian, but the feathers on the little serene bird got shinier.


    This was the first time Shen Lian had encountered a living creature that could absorb his Taixu Divine Qi so easily. In fact, his Taixu Divine Qi would serve as a poison to most living creatures. The moment he ceased control, the Taixu Divine Qi would be imbalance and even a tiny bit of it would wreak havoc in the body of another living creature.


    If remained within the body for a long time, it might form a bond with the Qi and blood. When it rooted itself and acted up, it would make the owner suffer an end that was worse than death or any torturing techniques imaginable.


    What a coincidence it was that Shen Lian was able to rescue this demonic bird!


    The little serene bird having absorbed Shen Lian��s Taixu Divine Qi, had grown attached to Shen Lian. It was dragging on Shen Lian��s sleeve as it stared longingly at Shen Lian. It was akin to how newborn animals would treat the first living creature that they set eyes on as their parents.


    To a certain extent, Shen Lian��s Taixu Divine Qi served as nourishment for it.


    It would seem that Shen Lian would not be able to get rid of it. Moreover, he was curious about the cultivation of demons. The little sparrow only had a little spirituality and was far away from being able to cultivate. However, the green demonic bird here had the foundation of spiritual force and shared similarities with Shen Lian��s Taixu Divine Qi. It seemed to have been born with it. Shen Lian shifted his thoughts and his spiritual consciousness entered into the demonic bird��s body. However, he was blocked by a thin layer of intangible membrane and could not enter further. The Taixu Divine Qi that he fed into it did not respond as well.


    Immediately, he cut off the stream of Taixu Divine Qi. The demonic bird raised its head to look at him and showed a pitiable expression. The pity demonic bird would appeal to anyone��s empathy, but not Shen Lian. Shen Lian remained unmoved. He lifted the demonic bird up and asked, "Little thing, tell me what is your background?"


    He was not about to believe that a species as unique as this did not come from any notable background. However, the demonic bird��s eyes were still filled with a mist of confusion.


    "I know that a spiritual creature like you can understand what I��m saying. Even if you cannot understand human��s speech, I had been sending messages to you with my thoughts. It��s just that you are shutting me off," Shen Lian continued.


    The demonic bird yelped as though to express its dissatisfaction at being lifted by Shen Lian. Even if it could absorb the Taixu Divine Qi, but the moment Shen Lian instilled his spiritual consciousness into the Taixu Divine Qi, the Mana became unstable and started binding it. There was no way that it could escape.


    The little sparrow that brought Shen Lian here did not understand what he was doing. When it heard the yelp of the green demonic bird, it wanted to approach them but did not dare to. This had angered the green demonic bird.


    A flame started coming out of the green demonic bird��s body, but it was extinguished by Shen Lian with his Mana. Shen Lian let go and dropped it into the snow.


    As Shen Lian raised his feet and tried to walk away, the demonic bird rushed forward and looked at him with its pitiable eyes.


    Shen Lian was amused and found it funny that the demonic bird was behaving like a child.


    He did not plan to leave the demonic bird behind. It was just that he felt that a unique species as such would have come from an impressive background, and its parents should be Demon Kings that shapeshifted. However, it would seem that the little demonic bird really knew nothing about this. It could only ejaculate water and fire in an extremely crude manner. Though when Shen Lian used his Yin Spirit and stared at the little demonic bird, the demonic bird was surprisingly unaffected by it.


    The demonic bird shot a strange gust of Qi into Shen Lian��s body. Shen Lian wanted to stop it, but decided against it. He segregated a strand of Taixu Divine Qi to wrap around the strange Qi, and surprisingly the two Qi got along. The Taixu Divine Qi felt like a blurry mirror that got cleaned and emerged to be clearer and felt purer.


    The evolved Taixu Divine Qi melted into the Mana spiral within him. It got more solid and slowly sunk.


    Shen Lian knew that there were a lot of occult techniques that could purify one��s Mana. The benefit was that it could help with the quality of Huandan. If Huandan was between Eight Transformations and Seven Transformations, one would be able to attain the Eight Transformations of Huandan due to the purity of Mana.


    Especially for those who relied on external alchemy or celestial elixir to enter into the state of Huandan, if their Mana was pure, they would be able to attain the Three Transformations of Huandan. If the celestial elixir was of good quality, with some luck they might be able to attain Six or Seven Transformations of Huandan, and would not be too worse off from those who attained Huandan by relying on their own capabilities. However, it took both time and effort to cultivate pure Mana.


    The day one managed to refine one��s Mana to great purity, one would be really old.


    Shen Lian remembered there was a Dao technique in Qing Xuan that turned the cultivator��s Mana into a purer form each time he cultivated it. One would reach the pinnacle at the third attempt. However, someone had tried it to cultivate this before. However, on the second attempt, the person had aged terribly.


    After all, not a lot of people were like Chen Jianmei, and most could not Chushen in three years and Ruhua in ten years.


    Most cultivators with great potential would not be as crazy as Chen Jiamei was.


    The little demonic bird did not know that Shen Lian planned to bring it along. Out of desperation, it gave away some of its Qi of origin. This triggered Shen Lian��s curiosity.


    Shen Lian was not concerned about the effect of purifying his Mana, after all the Taixu Divine Qi was pure enough on its own. However, it would not harm if it was even purer.


    "Fine, I��ll take you in for a while. If you have parents, I��ll return you to them when they come looking for you. If you don��t have any, I��ll just bring you back as Jing Qing Tongzi��s companion," Shen Lian would not change his mind after deciding on something. The little demonic bird seemed to be able to sense Shen Lian��s acceptance of it and flew onto his shoulder. The normal little sparrow flew in front. Shen Lian did not have the patience to walk slowly. He turned into the breeze and wrapped around the little sparrow, within moments they had arrived at the door of the Temple of Killings.


    He was able to turn himself into the wind and traveled in that manner, even though he was not as speedy as the characters in the legends, but his attainment was impressive for someone at his level of cultivation.


    Shen Lian did not open the door immediately, but he stared at the corner at the side. There was a blood red sword mark, and when his gaze fell onto the mark, he felt murderous thoughts directed at him. Shen Lian kept his thoughts clear and let the murderous thoughts hit him. His heart was still as a rock and remained unaffected.


    When the murderous thoughts were dispersed, he heard a passage of words. "Three days later, when the moon is bright, I will take your life then."


    Shen Lian sighed, "I have been waiting for you for a long time." This was a message from the mysterious strange person, and the black blade that had demonic characteristics had left a deep impression with Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian pushed open the door. When the little sparrow and the demonic bird had gone to take a rest, Shen Lian went to the hall and looked at the "Yuan" hanging there. It looked the same as when he first set eyes on it. After staring at it for a long time, Shen Lian murmured, "Just as the statues of deities in the temple needed offerings to show their divine power, could it be that you need offerings too? Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen had left you here for a reason, and since you were left here to receive worship, maybe I should try to offer you that strange person as a sacrificial offering?"


    If the strange person who killed so casually found out about Shen Lian��s thoughts, would he be furious? Shen Lian did not know and did not care about it.

 Chapter 153 The Blade That Blended into the Nigh

    Shen Lian focused his gaze on the word, "Yuan". Each of the strokes could be broken down, and he felt as though he was placed deep in the void staring the few impressive sword aura cutting through the sun, moon, and the stars; it made its mark on the eternal great Way.


    These feeling touched him. He thought that if he were the owner of the sword aura, there was nothing that he would fear in this world, and he would be invincible.


    All these were merely an illusion; Shen Lian focused his thoughts and shook off the feelings.


    The sky was still dark and the snow was thick. The little demonic bird perched lazily in the corner. There were some soft straws behind it, and the little sparrow next to it stood guard responsibly akin to a bodyguard.


    When Shen Lian appeared, the little demonic bird perked up and went over in a friendly manner. Shen Lian stopped it at its peak and blocked it from getting closer.


    "I will feed you a little bit every day, and you should not be greedy for more," Shen Lian shook his head and spoke.


    The demonic bird moaned unhappily.


    However, Shen Lian''s Mana was a lot stronger than its own. With a breeze from his fingertip, Shen Lian restrained the demonic bird and hung it up. Shen Lian toyed with it, and the demonic bird was displeased. It gave off the strange Qi and undid Shen Lian''s breeze. With a few gentle flaps of its wings, it stood on the rooftop opposite within seconds.


    Shen Lian was surprised by its speed.


    With Shen Lian''s spiritual consciousness, he was surprised that he did not catch all of the demonic bird''s movements earlier. Even though he was caught off guard, it still said a lot about the little demonic bird''s capabilities.


    The key point was that it was still so small and weak. Imagine if the bird had reached adulthood and went through the Trial of Shapeshifting, it would be so speedy that only the likes of land immortals could capture it.


    Shen Lian did not know that this demonic bird had just escaped from the hands of a Demon King as strong as a land immortal.


    After the nine states of cultivation, these individuals could not be estimated with rational common sense. They were someone great who could claim to have endless Mana, and resided comfortably at some corner in the world.


    Shen Lian still had the mood to toy with the bird. It was as though he had forgotten about the enemy that was soon to come.


    He named the demonic bird as Qianmo, and the normal little sparrow was given the name Xiaoxun.


    Qianmo meant little road, and it signified how he found the demonic bird from the roadside. On a deeper meaning, the ancient scriptures referred to "Qian" as the direction of a space. "Qian" also meant "to walk". The Southern Dipper decided on life, while the Big Dipper decided on death. It showed the process from life to death. The character "Bai" which formed part of "Mo" in Qianmo was connected to time too. From sundown till sunrise, that was a full day. In the eyes of those who were skilled in Shushu, the time period could be segregated into one hundred portions.


    When Qian and Bai were used to forming a phase, it was connected to time-space and the universe, which contained Shen Lian''s curiosity towards Qianmo itself. The eight Qi of Taixu was inseparable from the formation of the universe, and the fact that Qianmo could absorb the eight Qi of Taixu showed that both of them had some form of connection unknown to Shen Lian.


    The normal little sparrow, Xiaoxun, had a name with much simpler origin. It meant that it was the one who found Qianmo.


    Xiaoxun was a normal bird, to begin with, and had attained spirituality due to Shen Lian. It had also found its meaning to live due to Qianmo. On the other hand, Qianmo was not only the nobility amongst the birds, it was of precious bloodline even amongst other animals. There was a vulture that came looking for food. One stare from Qianmo had sent it flying away in fear.


    Only Shen Lian would have the patience and mood to help both of the birds to shapeshift, what more to name one of the birds that could not be considered as a demon.


    Time flew like water, and three days had passed just like that. Tonight, the quarter moon was shaped like a blade. The Temple of Killings had its door opened.


    The enchanting moonlight shone on the white snow, but it was different from when Chen Jianmei was fighting with Monk Baoguang. Back then, it was a full moon, and right now it was a quarter moon.


    Back then, Chen Jianmei had attained the state of Huandan; on the other hand, Shen Lian had not.


    It was not a fight between equals; in fact, Shen Lian did not know why his opponent approached him. Perhaps they had previous grudges. If so, he probably was not qualified for Shen Lian to even look at back then.


    It was the same now.


    The moon outside of the window would not be different tonight.


    Qianmo and Xiaoxun made themselves a nest in the hall. However, they were spiritual and did not make a mess out of the hall. The hall still looked as clean and neat as usual.


    The word, "Yuan" remained at its usual spot, and was hung at the spot where one would worship the deities.


    There were flames in the Daoist temple, and the moonlight that filtered in was not as bright as the man-made lamps. The wind was not strong tonight, which was why the flame did not waver in the air.


    Outside the Temple of Killings, the moonlight was suddenly blocked out. A red cloud had flow over, and the Qi of devilry was seeping through. It was swirling on top and did not come down, the gigantic spiritual pressure had caused the flames in the hall to alternate between brightness and darkness.


    Xiaoxun was frightened. Qianmo pecked it lightly. From its expression, it seemed to think that Xiaoxun had not seen enough of the world.


    Shen Lian thought that the person would rush into the Temple of Killings. He did not expect the battle to be held in the sky. Shen Lian did not feel that he was at a disadvantage. He swept through the air like the wind and ended up in the sky. There were mists coming from the bottom of his feet. It was the combination of the Taixu force of sky and water, and he could ride on the wind and remained stable.


    Shen Lian wore his Daoist robe and looked really clean. He looked like a teenager. If a great painter were to work on a painting of Celestials, Shen Lian would make a great muse.


    Shen Lian''s opponent sat on a blood-red cloud and was normal-looking. His skin was fine and tight, like that of yellow jade. There were hints of blood in it, and he was clothed in bloody clothing. The material was normal, and it seemed aged.


    Shen Lian''s gaze fell on the strange person opposite of him. "It has been so long, and I still do not know your name," Shen Lian asked.


    "Xiao Shiyi," the strange person replied without much hatred in his voice.


    Shen Lian heard the word, "Xiao" and fell into deep thoughts. He stared at the strange person''s face, and his lips and nose did remind Shen Lian of someone. That would be Xiao Zhu, whom he had accidentally killed many years ago.


    He latched on to the important information and racked through his brain. He finally remembered a person whom he had met when he went to Qing Xuan. Before he entered the mountain gate, he had disabled one of the descendants of the Xiao family of Flying Celestials Island. Right now, almost everyone on the Flying Celestials Island was murdered.


    Shen Lian thought the man had died a long time ago, and he did not expect to run into him again today. He was a lot more different than earlier, and Shen Lian took a closer look at his blade. The Qi of devilry was contained within it. Shen Lian recalled his conversation with Zhang Ruoxu in regard to the Flying Celestials Island incident. The clues were all here now, and they were right in front of Shen Lian. Shen Lian understood the broad strokes of the cause and effect of the incident.


    "So you are the one who was cultivating the Blood Dissipating Sword? I did not expect you to be from the Xiao family. Are you here to avenge yourself or for your kinsmen at the Flying Celestials Island?" Shen Lian queried.


    "Mostly for myself, but I''m acting out of guilt too," Xiao Shiyi replied impartially.


    After hearing it, Shen Lian observed his expression and realized that he was not putting up an act, and was truly detached. Shen Lian harbored a thought �C he would not let this man walk away alive tonight.


    He had never wanted to kill someone so badly, and it was not vengeance that he felt. Shen Lian simply thought that the person who stood in front of him was not fit to be considered as a human.


    The great Way was emotionless, and some even lost their humanity and killed their kinsmen. They did so to break of their bonds to the secular world. They could free themselves as they killed too. Shen Lian could not pass his judgment on them, but he would kill each and every one of them that he came across. He did not even need a reason to do so.


    Xiao Shiyi was different from them. He was not determined and cruel enough. However, what he had been doing essentially made him the same as them.


    The more he wished to kill this person, the calmer he was. The Taixu Divine Qi was calm and settled within him, and his eyes seemed like stars. He looked mystically charming, and it moved Xiao Shiyi. It was as though Shen Lian was trying to leave him behind in the vastness of the void and to let him die in isolation.


    The blade in his arms emitted coldness, and it soaked through his mind and spirit to offer some clarity.


    The clouds underneath started flowing and attacked their opponent. Endless cries of suffering could be heard, and these were the resentment from the living creatures that he had killed all these years. Even after their deaths, they were still at his disposal and were trapped in eternal misery.


    The mist and clouds underneath Shen Lian''s feet started to take the shape of a giant flying sword. It struck the blood-red cloud and broke it into pieces. The remnants rushed towards his clean Daoist robe.


    Before the resentful spirits could strike, flames were coming out from Shen Lian''s body. He burned like the ancient God of Fire, and the flames were strong.


    Taixu Divine Qi, dealing with changes, controlled by one''s heart.


    The fire was not just any normal fire of the Qi of Vitality, but was controlled by a strand of Shen Lian''s spiritual consciousness. The spirit was strong, courtesy of the training he had from the water of the River of Spirits.


    Regardless of how powerful of these resentful spirits were, they were merely the last resentful breath of the deceased and remained behind out of stubbornness.


    Shen Lian reacted accordingly. When facing his enemy, he was not affected at all.


    The flame surrounding him dispersed the resentment. The sky cleared up. A struck on the head followed, and the blade had the color of the night �C dark and deep. Shen Lian snickered. There was yellow gas coming out of the body, which seemed to be falling speedily.


    However, the blade gleam chased after it and attacked the yellow light forcefully. The yellow light seemed to be unaffected, as it was endless and signified the life force. It was drawn from the force of the earth and could regenerate itself the moment it was extinguished.


    When Shen Lian got closer to the ground, the Qi of earth from the deserted mountains rushed in from the sole of his feet. The spirit remained strong, and his eyes looked like the eternal stars. He stared coldly at the Blood Dissipating Sword that blended into the night.


    The Blood Dissipating Sword held by Xiao Shiyi fell from the sky, and it was fast. It took advantage of the period of time when the yellow light was extinguished and had yet to regenerate, the blade was less than a feet away from Shen Lian''s brows.


    Shen Lian felt slightly nervous; it was an excitement that he had not felt in the longest time.


    It was easiest to improve at the moment between life and death. Shen Lian calmed his heart and pointed out a finger. Strands of misty smoke flew out from his fingertip, and they immediately took shape as eight different sword aura. The colors were clear, and they tried to stop the blade that was flying right at them.

 Chapter 154 Even Though Some Had Divine Blade

    The blade that was dark as the night blended into the night. Even though it was giving off black light that represented death, one could only pick up a small difference in the air. Like drawing with black in on a piece of black paper, regardless of however amazing the painter was, the end product would be blurry and barely noticeable.


    The eight color sword aura had clear colors, and they were more brilliant than the pale moonlight. They spun around the Blood Dissipating Sword. As the eight colors crossed each other��s path, it seemed as though the Shui, Huo, Feng, and Lei were emanating, and the Tian, Di, Shan, and Ze followed. It was hard to tell what took shape and what had not, and the blade stopped short of three inches from Shen Lian��s brows and could not inch forward.


    The eight color sword aura was incessant, and they shielded Shen Lian away from the blade that was dark as the night. Just like the line of ray before the break of dawn, it isolated the darkness from the light.


    The Blood Dissipating Sword shivered, and it still could not break out of the bond of the eight color sword aura. It was like a trapped beast.


    This was a true battle of Mana, and there was no room for falsification between life and death. Xiao Shiyi finally realized that there was a great distance between him and Shen Lian. He wondered why the person told him that he was ready to challenge Shen Lian.


    The person had never lied to him before, and Shen Lian was his demonic obstacle, which was why he came without hesitation tonight.


    The blade stopped mid-air. It was silent like the cold night, and the grounds and cliff were covered with white snow. Light glistened on the surface; it could have been the moonlight or the starlight. The natural light flew like water, and the snow was akin to silver.


    However, the water-like light and thick snow around Shen Lian started vibrating with Shen Lian as the nucleus. The vibration got more and more intense.


    Shen Lian absorbed the Qi of heaven and earth. He had never given off such a huge amount of Mana before. The spiral formed by the Taixu Divine Qi within him started spinning tens and hundreds of times faster than before. At the same time, his echo with the Qi of heaven and earth got a lot stronger, and he had never done such things before.


    For the past ten over years, Xiao Shiyi had never experienced fear before. In fact, he did not even remember how fear felt. He thought that he would never be scared anymore - what a silly emotion that was! Now, he realized how ridiculous he was. His fearlessness was based on the Blood Dissipating Sword. The moment he lost it or it stopped functioning, he would be nothing.


    Mana, instrument, and supernatural powers, these were all merely possessions. Only one��s strong will and determination to pursue Dao could last from the beginning of life till the end, and could never be taken away by anyone.


    Shen Lian was aware of this, but not Xiao Shiyi.


    Shen Lian��s agile spirit could sense Xiao Shiyi��s fear. When he harbored fear and started doubting the Blood Dissipating Sword, he created an opening for Shen Lian. However, it was not possible to make use of every opening, and in fact, if the opponent was Xiao Shiyi, Shen Lian did not even need an opening.


    Right now, Shen Lian was faced with another difficulty. As the Qi of heaven and earth gathered and made Shen Lian felt as though he could not disappoint it, his will remained still as it operated the Qi that was about to explode. With the Taixu Divine Qi within him as the trigger, he echoed with the Qi of heaven and earth strongly. Even he himself was surprised by this.


    This was the first time he felt as though he did not have what it took to succeed.


    The emotion was akin to the river being overloaded with a giant ship. Even though the river was wide enough, but it was not sufficient to handle such a huge ship and could not allow for it to sail freely.


    Shen Lian��s momentary pause gave Xiao Shiyi the opportunity to recoup. He had a gruesome expression on his face as he came to a decision. He clawed at his heart and fished out his heart. It was covered with blood, and blood was still oozing out everywhere. In the end, he sent the beating heart into the Blood Dissipating Sword. The blade as dark as the night consumed it mercilessly, and a shade of red that resembled the quarter moon appeared.


    The blood light was so strong that it dispersed the eight color sword aura. Right after, it attacked Shen Lian with a perfect arc.


    The bloody sword gleam was closing up to Shen Lian, and eventually, it struck him between his brows. Strange occurrences started to take place in the void. The raging Qi of heaven and earth crashed at the Blood Dissipating Sword. The unstoppable Qi of Vitality rendered all spells meaningless. Xiao Shiyi��s body headed towards the air, and the Blood Dissipating Sword trailed after. The close connection shared by the two seemed to be beyond just any usual instrument cultivated with one��s heart.


    The explosion of the Qi of Vitality took on different colors following the eight Qi of Taixu, and it seemed like a divine work.


    It was as though a giant lotus had bloomed, and vibrated through a huge, unknown radius.


    Shen Lian did not have time for those. His body was affected by the vibration, but he kept it under control forcefully.


    Dealing with Xiao Shiyi came second because he was extremely easy to deal with. He explored the limit of the echo between the Taixu Divine Qi and the Qi of heaven and earth and realized how strong the move was. What a shame that he needed more time, as he would not be able to unleash this move unless he was faced with cultivators with strong determination and unaffected by their surroundings.


    On the snow ground, the Blood Dissipating Sword was right next to Xiao Shiyi. The blade that was as dark as the night still had hints of red on it.


    There was a bloody hole on Xiao Shiyi��s chest, and it was a miracle that he was still alive and breathing. Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe him as barely alive.


    Shen Lian did not pity him for his current predicament.


    Shen Lian took the Blood Dissipating Sword with no emotion on his face. He felt its power rushing through and rolled forward like the tides. It made him think that if he were to take over the Blood Dissipating Sword and be at its disposable, he would be an existence akin to the deities.


    With the Blood Dissipating Sword in his hand, Shen Lian struck at Xiao Shiyi. He did not split into half, instead, he turned into a pool of blood water. In the end, he was absorbed by the blade. Only his blood-stained outfit was left behind.


    His outfit was stained with the blood of all the members of the Xiao family, and now it was stained with his own blood. Shen Lian ignited a flame and burnt the bloody outfit. As he did so, he wished for the sin to be disappeared from the world.


    From the last remaining flame, a hint of blood fell onto Shen Lian without a sound. It was the resentment of the living creatures that were killed. Shen Lian felt something tugged at his heart, but he had not noticed the hint of blood yet.


    Shen Lian stared at the Blood Dissipating Sword he now held in his hands; it was nourished by the Qi and blood of countless humans and demons, and Shen Lian could feel the spiritual force within it. He could also sense the friendliness shown by the Blood Dissipating Sword.


    Some people claimed that there was neither righteousness nor evilness when Dao techniques were concerned, and whether it was righteous or evil depended on its user. However, any cultivator with a determined heart and morals would not resort to this sort of instrument.


    Shen Lian did not try to console himself, and he was not about to just dispose of it casually. He did not want to risk having it fall into the wrong hands. He had plans for it.


    Since Xiao Shiyi��s Qi and blood was contained in the Blood Dissipating Sword, he decided that he would offer it up to the word, "Yuan" as a sacrificial offering.

 Chapter 155 The Flame of Meri

    As Shen Lian carried the Blood Dissipating Sword into the hall of the Temple of Killings, he frowned. The flames remained the same, both Qianmo and Xiaoxun were resting with their eyes closed, everything seemed to be in order.


    However, he still felt that something was out of place. The murderous thoughts from the Blood Dissipating Sword he was holding impacted his heart, and yet it could not move his heart of Dao. The word, "Yuan" was right where it should be, and everything seemed alright.


    Shen Lian finally realized that the Taixu Divine Qi within him was reducing at a shocking speed. He could no longer feel the Qi of heaven and earth in the world; it was as though his surroundings had turned into the desert devoid of Qi of Vitality.


    The Blood Dissipating Sword gave off a clear gleam and it flew out of his hand. It turned into a pool of bloody water, and like a spiritual snake, it made its way to the "Yuan" within moments. It filled itself into every stroke of the "Yuan", as though each stroke was a container. The fresh blood that flew in it gave it demonic characteristics.


    "Grandmaster Yuan Qing, I guess I will take over your meaning of Dharma," someone spoke out of nowhere. It was a light voice that seemed out of this world.


    Besides the flowing of bloody water in the blood-colored "Yuan", there was no other response.


    On the other hand, a young person stood three feet away from Shen Lian. It was not someone else �C the person looked exactly like Shen Lian. He bore a striking resemblance to Shen Lian, but he was dressed in a red Daoist robe.


    As Shen Lian stared at the young person who was like his twin, the young person returned his gaze. Shen Lian felt as though he could see his reflection in the person��s clear gaze.


    Shen Lian did not show his emotions and his gaze remained calm. No one knew about the emotions brewing at his heart.


    "It��s so nice to be young, as life is filled with endless possibilities. Your life force is very enchanting," the young person dressed in bloody clothes smiled at Shen Lian.


    The person in bloody clothes stared at Shen Lian as though he was looking at his favorite toy. He had very expressive expressions; with minor changes on the corner of his eyes or lips, he was able to convey a lot of messages.


    Cultivators were usually calm. They were not very expressive with their facial expression. They could only control the energy within their body if they were calm. This was because they were freed from the disturbance of the outside world.


    "As the books would say, taking without asking is considered as stealing. You took away some part of my Mana secretly. This could be considered as stealing," Shen Lian spoke without anger, as though he was merely detailing a fact.


    "Yes I did, what are you going to do about it?" the person in bloody clothes clapped and replied. "I��m going to bring along the meaning of Dharma from Grandmaster Yuan Qing," he spoke as he pointed at the word "Yuan" that had blood flowing in it.


    Shen Lian stared at the person in bloody clothes. Regardless of how light and dreamy he was, the moment he made a move, he was bound to leave behind traces of his movement. The Qi of heaven and earth here had been isolated, but he still had his own spiritual force. When he was doing a spell, there was no way that he did not want his spiritual force.


    Even though Shen Lian did not know how the person managed to steal away some of his Taixu Divine Qi, but he realized it early enough to stop the person in his track.


    It would seem that the Blood Dissipating Sword was the key. Meanwhile, the "Yuan" indeed contained the meaning of Dharma from the Grandmaster Yuan Qing. Shen Lian thought of something �C Chen Jianmei could extract the meaning of Dharma after receiving it, and even left it in the word. It could be considered as "obtaining the Dharma and disposing of it". It showed that Chen Jianmei merely used it as a reference, and he might have chosen to walk on his own path. If Shen Lian��s speculation was accurate, then the state that Chen Jianmei was in was a lot higher than what Shen Lian thought.


    While Shen Lian thought about these matters which were completely unrelated to the danger at hand, the person in bloody clothes did not make any move at all.


    Shen Lian was slightly disappointed. He was trying to think naturally, and through that, giving a chance to the person in bloody clothes to attack. Shen Lian intended to deal with dynamic by being static as he was attacking.


    "You are outstanding. If it was the two kids, Ge Yuan and Hong Qianya, I would have taken them down long ago. Both Jingang and Bore were equally important, and a lot of people couldn��t understand this in their entire lifetime, which is why they would be caged in this world forever," the person in bloody clothes smiled.


    Jingang and Bore were Buddhist terminologies, and Shen Lian understood what the person in bloody clothes was trying to say. Jingang referred to an irresistible force, and Bore was the highest wisdom. With irresistible force and the highest wisdom, one could overcome all of the obstacles on the path of pursuing Dao. Eventually, one would be able to emerge from the sea of suffering and to obtain the supreme Dao fruit.


    These rationales were commonly seen in the Daoist and Buddhist scriptures. Besides Daoist Master and Buddha, not a lot of people were able to do it.


    Shen Lian did not feel impressed by the person��s logic, but he realized how scary the person was. Either he knew what Shen Lian was thinking and could guess about his temperament, or he could find out about the most secretive thought Shen Lian had in his mind. Just as how the person could steal away his Taixu Divine Qi without any premonition.


    Otherwise, there was no way that the person could have known Shen Lian��s aim. When he made known of Shen Lian��s aim, he intended to bury the seed of horror in Shen Lian��s heart, and thus securing his proactive position.


    "There is something else that I have heard before. If something could be solved with one��s fist, why would one bother with using one��s brain? Regardless of how mysterious you are, you are not able to defeat me easily. Otherwise, why else would you make a move now?" Shen Lian spoke with relief as he thought through it.


    When he was done speaking, Shen Lian raised his fist.


    The blood-colored "Yuan" seemed to have a pair of eyes, and it was observing the commotion in the hall. It was watching the two people who bore a striking resemblance to each other fighting.


    A pale blue Daoist robe moved, and it looked like a mysterious blue shadow. The other looked like a red silk cloth, leaving behind overlapping blood-red shadows.


    The person in bloody clothes was not fast, but his tempo and speed were unpredictable.


    It was as though he was not of blood and flesh, but truly a shadow.


    Normal cultivator would pause between transitions of speed. From extremely fast to extremely slow, the transition would burden the body, and the momentary pause served as a buffering period.


    Shen Lian had the finest control over his Mana, and his body had spent years in the River of Spirits. Yet, he still could not eliminate the buffering period. He managed to shorten the pause, and his body could handle more of the burden.


    The hall in the Temple of Killings was not small, but it was only a few thousand feet big. To the strongest cultivators, this was merely distance that could be covered within a few breaths.


    The blue shadow and the red demonic shadow chased each other without making any contact. Shen Lian followed the person in bloody clothes at a steady pace. He played along with the person��s variety of changes without worrying about burdening his body.


    His Mana was flowing in his meridians and acupoints, just as how the Sky River never stops. His meridians and acupoints were scrubbed by the Mana, and black blood started coming out of Shen Lian��s body gradually. Due to the speed, the blood turned into lots of sparks and eventually burnt out as cloudy mist.


    The faster he moved, the lighter he felt. The reduction in the Taixu Divine Qi within him lessened the burden he carried during the powerful transition of Mana.


    The cloudy mist lumped together without being dispersed, as though it was smoke. Even though it did not attach on the red shadow, but the red shadow had slowed down significantly.


    All of a sudden, the person in bloody clothes paused. The cloudy mist formed a giant whirlpool, and the person in bloody clothes was right in the middle of it. All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Shen Lian did not rush over, and eight cloths of different colors appeared around him, as though they were his tentacles.


    The person in blood seemed to have gotten stronger in terms of his Mana, but his expression was not as calm and collected as before. As he looked at Shen Lian, a hint of shock passed in his eyes. "Taixu Strategy? I know that too," he spoke lightly.


    His bloody clothes vibrated, and eight similar sword auras appeared. The nature, including Tian, Di, Feng, and Lei responded, and his performance was not any lesser than Shen Lian.


    The eight sword aura cut towards Shen Lian at a high speed, as though they were eight strokes of quick lightning. Even though Shen Lian had used the dirt in his blood as cloudy mist, and forced the person in bloody clothes to materialize, but it was only when his opponent truly attacked that he felt his mysterious strength.


    His opponent operated the eight Qi of Taixu better than Shen Lian did, and they cut towards him at the speed of lightning. He even felt that the eight Qi of Taixu were the same as the Mana within himself, which was why he found it so hard to defend against them.


    Every collision saw Shen Lian��s Mana being weakened and his opponent��s Mana getting stronger.


    Shen Lian could clearly feel his opponent attacking his Mana, and the demonic characteristics were affecting his heart slightly.


    The person in bloody clothes stared at Shen Lian as though Shen Lian was a lamb waiting to be butchered, as though he was about to finally obtain his favorite toy.


    The person in bloody clothes closed up to Shen Lian step by step.


    When he was five feet away, Shen Lian smiled at him. A yellow wooden sword flew towards the person in bloody clothes and tried to pierce him. The person in bloody clothes raised his brows and pointed his finger. A flash of blood light appeared to stop the yellow wooden sword.


    Right at this moment, a flame was ignited at the tip of the wooden sword. The flame was greenish yellow, and the blood light reacted as though it ran into its mortal enemy. Within moments, the blood light disintegrated and fell onto the person in bloody clothes.


    Amidst the flame, the person in bloody clothes hissed, "The Flame of Merit." He was then consumed by the great fire and had turned into a blood-colored divine aura. He charged at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian knew that merit would overpower evil spirits, and the fire of Nirvana had the same effect as well. This should be able to restrain the person in bloody clothes. After all, he looked like sky demon or heart demon; why else would he have the same face as Shen Lian? Not to forget that he could steal away Shen Lian��s Mana as well. Unexpectedly, he still remained after Shen Lian��s attack. The blood-colored divine aura broke through from the fire and charged at Shen Lian, ignoring every obstacle in its way.


    A clear cry was heard, and a strange Qi blocked the blood-colored divine aura away from Shen Lian. The blood-colored divine aura was bounced off and fell out of the hall.

 Chapter 156 Sword Will

    The moon hung high in the sky, and the lights were still on in the hall. A cold sweat broke out of Shen Lian and he sat limply on the floor. Qianmo glanced at Shen Lian lazily and closed its eyes, as though it was exhausted.


    Shen Lian smiled bitterly. He did not expect that he would be saved by this demonic bird today. If he did not save Qianmo who was of unknown origin, the result would have been catastrophic today. Indeed, cause and effect completed the full circle.


    He had done his best. The person in bloody clothes knew him too well and he did not have even the slightest bit of advantage.


    Shen Lian refused to believe that the person in bloody clothes was the spirituality of the Blood Dissipating Sword. Moreover, his mentioned something about Shen Lian being outstanding, and if it was Ge Yuan or Hong Qianya, they would have been taken out already. It showed how familiar he was with Qing Xuan, as though he was a teacher-elder passing judgment on the two elders.


    The appearance of the person of bloody clothes had led to some part of Shen Lian��s Mana being snatched away. This had something to do with a problem relating to Shen Lian himself.


    He tried to withstand his tiredness and inspected his entire body with his spiritual consciousness. However, his search was unfruitful. There was no anomaly. Shen Lian knew that the person in bloody clothes could not have stolen his Mana just like that, and there was definitely a trigger that led to this. Unfortunately, he could not find out about it. It showed how advanced his opponent was, and his mysterious technique was not something that he could resolve.


    Shen Lian closed the door with a wave of his hand, and the flames were put out. The hall fell into a deep darkness. The word, "Yuan" was giving off a red hue, and that added some blood-red atmosphere to the dark hall.


    Shen Lian meditated for an entire night. Even though his Mana had not recovered yet, but his physical appearance looked different. One could even say that he looked like a new person. However, he realized that his bier was not as clean and clear as before. It was as though his mirror-like heart of Dao was tainted by ashes.


    The blood light in the "Yuan" became more subtle. Though, the "Yuan" looked livelier, as though it was ready to jump off the page.


    Shen Lian felt light as the smoke and came to the "Yuan". As he touched the strokes on it, he felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water on him. He shivered from head to toe.


    His thoughts entered into a weird place. It was as though he had come to a dark and dull world, and some place in this world, there was a raging sea of blood. In the depth of the sea, there was a long sword. It was ancient and dull. The scene in front of him flashed past, and Shen Lian could not tell for sure what had happened. At last, he heard the cries of a baby. It was in a village where the people were mostly clothed in animal skins and coats. As the baby grew up, the elders who were once strong became weaker and they could no longer battle with the tigers and leopards.


    The baby attained adulthood and started hunting for the first time. On his first hunt, he ran into an extremely powerful black bear that had injured several hunters. Two young people around his age were slapped by the bear��s paw, and these were his closest playmates.


    He asked the elders, where had his playmates gone? That was the first time he truly understood what death meant.


    He did not want to die and he hated the feeling. The world was vast, and he heard from the oldest elder in the village that three kinds of people were immortal in this world. They were Celestials, Buddhas, and Saints. They were not trapped in the reincarnation cycle. However, it was difficult to encounter them as they lived in seclusion amidst the mountains and rivers.


    The young person wanted to become someone like that. One day, he left the village where he was born and raised in. He set out to search for these Holy Deities.


    The scene in front of him flashed past again, and Shen Lian saw Mount Qing Xuan. Mount Qing Xuan remained the same, and a Daoist who had clear features and wore a crown of stars was treading without a care in the world. He pointed in the void. Strands of green light flew towards the main peak, Taiyi. A palace was created on it, and that was Qing Xuan Hall �C the place the chief was at all these years.


    The Daoist was Grandmaster Yuan Qing, and Shen Lian had realized that too. In fact, the Grandmaster Yuan Qing used to be the sword that was buried in the raging sea of blood.


    When he realized that, the "Yuan" jumped off the page and imprinted itself on the back of his right hand. The blood-red "Yuan" started to fade away, and it became a sword will that was hard to describe.


    The sword will be full of life and seemed as though it can wipe off any living creature in the world. It traveled in his body and the Qi of resentful spirits that were hard to pinpoint appeared without any premonition. The Qi was immediately wrecked apart by the sword will, and no trace of it could be found. This was the resentment left behind by Xiao Shiyi after his death, and Shen Lian finally understood it. So this hint of resentment was the trigger used by the person in bloody clothes.


    It was a sin to kill, and the resentment of the living creature would attach itself to the killer. Some used the resentment to power themselves up, just as how the tiger made used of the spirits of those whom it had killed. Some needed different techniques to eliminate the resentment in order to stop it from affecting their cultivation process.


    Most expert Daoists would refrain from killing too many living creatures, as the resentment of the living creatures was considered as a karmic hindrance. In small amount, the karmic hindrance was negligible to cultivators. However, a huge amount of karmic hindrance would serve as a significant obstacle. Unless one had special martial exercises and remained unaffected, otherwise it would not be worth it to waste both time and effort to search for methods to eliminate it.


    Chen Jianmei had killed a significant amount of living creatures and yet he remained unaffected. It would seem that it was related to the sword will that he mastered. The sword will could wipe out the resentment completely.


    When the resentment was eliminated, Shen Lian felt that he was relieved of a great burden. Even more so, he was intrigued by the person in bloody clothes�� techniques. To think that he was able to invade into Shen Lian��s body through the resentment of the living creatures, and to beat Shen Lian with the Mana he stole from Shen Lian.


    The person in bloody clothes probably had laid down some sort of techniques on the person killed by Shen Lian. This was how he was able to control the resentment left behind with his mind and to send it into Shen Lian��s body in an unnoticeable manner.


    Everything happened for a reason. Shen Lian knew about this, but he could not understand the person��s motive.


    Moreover, the Blood Dissipating Sword had something to do with Grandmaster Yuan Qing��s sword will, and this was even more confusing for Shen Lian. It seemed that the meaning of Dharma was activated by the essence of the Blood Dissipating Sword, and was turned into sword will. Shen Lian was benefited from it.


    Chen Jianmei might have wanted to leave behind the meaning of Dharma to Shen Lian, or anyone who came from Qing Xuan back in that day. Shen Lian was not sure if Chen Jianmei predicted this, or if he was merely acting on instinct.


    The door swung open slowly. It was Qianmo who opened the door by creating an air current through the flapping of its wings.


    The winter snow fell, and the mountain was quiet. This was the kind of peace and quiet that Daoists often talked about.


    Shen Lian saw Xiaoxun flying out to look for food. Indeed, the early bird gets the worms. But in this case, the early bird was catching worms for another bird.


    The incident last night seemed to have taken a toll on Qianmo. It looked sickly even after it had woken up. It leaned on the door without much spirit.


    Despite that Shen Lian still had not recuperated, he was not exhausted. With a wave of his hand, he sent Taixu Divine Qi in front of Qianmo. Qianmo was excited and opened its mouth to consume the Taixu Divine Qi immediately. Qianmo looked satisfied.

 Chapter 157 Jingang Body

    Qianmo��s feather got smoother. It seemed happy and no longer looked sickly. It opened up its wings and flew into the snow. It flapped its wings in the snow and seemed to be enjoying itself.


    Shen Lian envied the bird. It was so carefree and found a home at Shen Lian��s.


    Shen Lian wanted to live his days lazily, without a care in the world. However, he could not do it now. Whether it was the danger faced by him or to look for Ruoxi, he needed to enter into the state of Huandan in order to have the strength to deal with it.


    Shen Lian knew that the person in bloody clothes would return sooner or later. He looked at Shen Lian as though Shen Lian was his toy, and that was when Shen Lian knew that the person took interest in certain qualities exhibited by Shen Lian.


    As the mountain was sealed off by the snow, no one should be visiting the Temple of Killings. However, someone came.


    The path into the mountain was not an easy path to travel on, but the visitor still came.


    Shen Lian looked at the person and noticed that he was walking barefoot in this bitter cold weather, where the ground was covered with ice and snow. He was clothed in a thin monk outfit and was bald. His bald head reflected the light better than the snow on the ground did. Naturally, he was an ascetic monk engaging in ascetic practices.


    In this world, there were those who had the determination and willpower to suffer through a bitter life. Through ascetic practices, they trained their willpower to the state that it was indestructible like Jingang.


    These people were strong.


    The ascetic monk engaging in ascetic practices in front of Shen Lian did not have Mana, and Shen Lian knew without a doubt that he could not fly. However, as he walked on his own two feet, he exhibited the tenacity of a mountain.


    When the ascetic monk saw Shen Lian, he spaced out. "You are Shen Lian?" Perhaps it was because Shen Lian was an overly delicate-looking teenager, which made the ascetic monk doubted himself.


    "Yes I��m, may I ask who are you and why are you looking for me?" Shen Lian queried.


    The ascetic monk was young and seemed to have a strong life force. His brows were covered slightly by the snow from when Qianmo was playing in the snow and seemed slightly fair. Though, it still could not cover his young features.


    Shen Lian felt the force flowing in his body. It was neither Mana nor inner Qi, but it was strong and not hidden.


    "My religious name is "Hong Zhen", and Master Hui Ke sent me to bring you a message," the ascetic monk spoke politely after hearing Shen Lian��s reply.


    Shen Lian glanced at the ascetic monk Hong Zhen. The young monk had thick brows and looked honest. Even though he was dressed in thin clothing and walked barefoot in the bitter cold, he did not seem bothered at all. It would seem like he was used to living in harsh environments. Shen Lian guessed it right away. "Are you a disciple of Master Hui Ke?" Shen Lian asked.


    "Not really, I used to be a workman in the Jingang Temple. Master Hui Ke came to the temple to talk to the abbot, and the abbot sent me to serve Master Hui Ke. When Master Hui Ke was leaving the Jingang Temple, he requested for the abbot to allow for me to leave with him. The abbot agreed to it too. From then onwards, I have been following Master Hui Ke," Hong Zhen replied after he nodded.


    Shen Lian could tell that he held Hui Ke in high regards. Indeed, the monk had left a great impression on Shen Lian. It was no wonder that he was the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple. However, Shen Lian heard the name, Jingang Temple and could not help but to ponder on it.


    Jingang Temple was a temple situated in the snowy mountains of Bei Huang. It came from a long history, and the monks preferred ascetic practices. Allegedly, they were all cultivating a secret technique called the "King Kong Strength". At the pinnacle of cultivation, their body would be indestructible and unaffected by any sort of attacks. Their body would also be preserved in this world, which was why this state was called the "Jingang Body".


    No one had been able to attain the "Jingang Body" for a thousand years. The Jingang Temple was walking on a downward slope. This was the tragedy faced by the schools of cultivation besides the four main Daoist sects. Even if a few prodigies appeared amidst them, but there was no guarantee that there would be successors after the previous immortal Zhenren had left or after they faced trials.


    In the past ten thousand years, there would always be a new immortal Zhenren in Qing Xuan every few hundred years. This meant that even if a sect was weakening, but so long as they still had one or two pillars of support, they would be able to survive through the difficult times.


    This characteristic of Daoist sect was unrivaled by other schools of cultivation.


    Even though Hong Zhen claimed to be a workman from the Jingang Temple, but for Hui Ke, the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple to take notice of him, he would definitely have his own strengths as well. Shen Lian noticed how he was honest and his eyes were clear. Though, the strange force within him hinted at something odd about him.


    "So that��s what it is. May I know what the message is?" Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    "On the fifteenth of January, Master Hui Ke is going to have a debate with Baoyue the Venerable at Jinguang Temple. He is inviting people to strengthen his momentum. After passing on the message to you, I am going to invite Daoist Baishi who loiters around the market at Baolin Kingdom," Hong Zhen replied.


    Shen Lian knew that there were plenty of branches in Buddhism, and all of them had different interpretations and understanding of Buddhism. Hence, they would debate in public in order to test their own strength, and also propagate their understanding. After all, a debate between two people would always be more interesting than listening to a single person. Moreover, it would inspire one to ponder deeply as well.


    This sort of debates had nothing to do with the state of attainment. Even if a monk who was in charge of sweeping the floor and had zero cultivation could add in a few words during the debate. The enlightened monks would not mind at all if the remark made could help them to understand the true meaning of Rulai better.


    On this point, Xuanmen did have their version of the conversation. The venue would usually be somewhere nice and deserted. As the saying goes, "Daoist drifted around the world without a trace, in the unknown place in the depths of clouds", and a lot of Daoist cultivators saw the mortal secular world as a place filled with suffering and had stayed away from it. Moreover, even if one had helped tens of thousands of people, it would be a joke if one still failed to attain immortality. This was why Buddhism was more influential in the mortal secular world.


    However, when the top one percent was concerned, Daoist sects still had an advantage over Buddhism. Even Lu Jiuyuan himself was awe-inspiring enough, and every cultivator in this world looked up to him and held him in the highest regard.


    "I see, I will be there," Shen Lian replied after thinking for a while.


    Since his job here was done, Hong Zhen had no reason to stay. He exchanged a few polite greetings with Shen Lian and was ready to leave. Out of a sudden, Shen Lian pressed on his shoulder. Divine power rushed out of him immediately, and the power was charging at Shen Lian. Shen Lian��s Daoist robe welled up and contracted. Hong Zhen immediately took five steps back and stood firmly. The accumulation of snow on the ground was forced aside, and five clear footprints could be seen. The surrounding area cracked.


    "I see that you are cultivating the King Kong Strength. How impressive!" Shen Lian smiled.


    "It is King Kong Strength indeed. Sorry for my lack of control, for I have destroyed the ground," Hong Zhen apologized.


    Shen Lian sent a wave of yellow current to the ground. The crack in the ground was healed immediately, and Hong Zhen was very amazed.


    "The great techniques of Xuan Men were amazing. I still have errands to run and I will excuse myself now. If you still have any instruction for me, you may voice it," he replied.


    "You may leave now, I was just testing you. Sorry if I have offended you," Shen Lian replied.


    Shen Lian shook his head after Hong Zhen left. It would seem that Shen Lian was being unnecessarily suspicious; he was not sure if Hong Zhen had King Kong Strength, but it was massive and did not exhibit any evil characteristics.


    As for whether he was telling the truth, it would not be hard to find out. He just had to head down the mountain and ask around.


    Hong Zhen descended from the mountain and arrived at a small forest. He did not go into the forest but had gestured a formula. A green light appeared and headed right into the forest. Sounds of the bell were coming out of the forest, and after thirty minutes, a flying ark fell from the sky. No one was navigating the ark. Hong Zhen boarded the flying ark and the flying ark ascended immediately. It was unknown how high the altitude was, but there were gusts of heavenly wind blowing.


    There were thick clouds not far away, and the flying ark had sent him there. Hong Zhen stepped on the fluffy clouds and seemed to be relaxing.


    "You seem to have mastered The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds. It��s not dangerous for even a mortal like me to step on it," Hong Zhen looked the same, but he gave off an entirely different aura. He stood on the clouds and his clothes danced in the wind. He seemed very charismatic.


    A lot of believers, male or female alike would definitely be moved by the sight of him.


    He was speaking to a ball of divine aura. There were hints of blood flowing in the divine aura.


    "It does not matter if I have mastered the techniques in the mortal world. Otherwise, I would not be struggling to run away from Ziling Uncle-Master. Too bad that I didn��t get to synchronized Shen Lian with my "Free Form Incarnation", otherwise I would have been able to peep into the mystery of the Taixu Strategy. At least I would have gained some improvement and would not be struggling to escape from Ziling Uncle-Master." The voice in the divine aura sounded the same as the person in bloody clothes. He sounded calm even though he was complaining about his predicament.


    Hong Zhen knew that the divine aura was merely a small part of spiritual consciousness that came from the person��s main body from a thousand miles away. Even though the spiritual consciousness was still important, but it would not hurt his main body even if the spiritual consciousness was wiped out.


    Hong Zhen had never seen his face before. As he had blended into the crowd, he might be any street artist in the market or a young man who succeeded in the Imperial Examination; he could even be an important minister in a huge empire.


    Regardless of how many clones he may create with his "Free Form Incarnation", he would still have an original body. Otherwise, the clones would have individual consciousness and would not be able to distinguish who "I" was.


    "For Ziling Zhenren��s Taixu Strategy, the moment she managed to cultivate Primordial Spiritual Body, she had become the top one percent of the world. Besides Lu Jiuyuan, no one could say with certainty that they could take her out. If it is not for the fact that you have not completed your Dao formula yet, Ziling Zhenren wouldn��t be able to do anything to you," Hong Zhen replied.


    "You seem to be better with words in this reincarnation as compared to your previous reincarnation. Shen Lian managed to use Grandmaster Yuan Qing��s meaning of Dharma to eliminate the demonic seeds of my "Free Form Incarnation". We have no choice but to lure him to the Jinguang Temple and look for a chance to draw out the relic in Jinguang Temple with the meaning of Dharma. With this Buddha relic, you will be able to successfully cultivate your Jingang Body."


    Hong Zhen��s identity was not a lie, and there was no loophole. The difference was, in his earlier preparation, he planned to invite the Shen Lian who had been replaced by the blood-red divine aura.

 Chapter 158 Zhixing Bookshop

    The relic left behind by Buddha was considered as a rare treasure in the world. To cultivators, it meant something more. This was so as Buddha had walked to the end of cultivation.


    There were thousands of different ways to cultivate, and yet at the pinnacle, they all converged to the same point.


    The Daoist and Buddhist Scriptures were lengthy, but they were all unveiling the ultimate truth in life and in the universe. Just as what Lu Jiuyuan said, "Thousands of scriptures were instilled into me, and I instilled myself into thousands of scriptures". He was not being arrogant, but when one had reached the top, it was as though one had been placed at the peak of a tall mountain. At that spot, one would see all of the sky, ground, mountain, and river, one would be able to see the future and the past, and one would ponder about them.


    Both of them fell into silence. The divine aura jumped, and its blood color seemed sparse and uncertain. "Leave, she is here again," spoke the voice.


    The clouds gave way and Hong Zhen descended from the sky. A flying ark came and Hong Zhen landed right on top of it. The flying ark shifted slightly and shot towards the sky.


    At the same time, the sound of the bell rang in the sky. Despite the strong heavenly wind, the sound of the bell did not cease. It was clear and crisp, as though it was the sound of the sky.


    The blood-red divine aura started coagulating when the bell rang, and it exploded. Shortly after, the layer of clouds formed by The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds dispersed into clouds and smoke, and it disappeared without a trace.


    A purple bell was shrouded in purplish gas. It was at the spot where the divine aura was at before. The smoke and clouds had dispersed and there was nothing left.


    The bell circled the area for a few rounds, and it drew a long purple rainbow in the sky. Its whereabouts were unknown.


    Shen Lian came to Hanhai again. Even though it was icy cold outdoor, but there were still waves in the sea. Right now, it was cold at Hanhai, but there was no ice on top of it. The salt content in the seawater was too high, and the freezing point was too low, which was why the surface was not frozen yet.


    The seawater in Hanhai was dark blue, and they looked calm and peaceful. There was not much fish in the sea, and a few clouds were floating. Now and then, there were boats sailing past. On the other side of Hanhai was Yue Tuo Kingdom. The living condition was significantly different even though it was just segregated by the sea.


    Shen Lian rode on the waves. The buoyancy of the seawater of Hanhai was high, and even non-swimmers would not drown in it. Hence, the boats and ships could carry a heavy load sailing on it.


    Shen Lian did not use any Mana or Qi of heaven and earth.


    He only had to step on the peak of every wave and made use of them on the upward thrust; with the vibration of the muscles on his feet, he was able to create a counterforce. With that, he trod on Hanhai as though he was on flat terrain.


    Qianmo and Xiaoxun flew in the sky, and they rested on Shen Lian��s shoulder now and then when they were tired.


    The sailors on the neighboring shipping boat saw how Shen Lian was walking on water and thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. Moreover, they saw Qianmo too. They had never seen any bird as beautiful as this beautiful green bird. Some sailors even wondered how much they could make if they sell the bird to the nobles and royals.


    Some of the young men who were good swimmers saw what Shen Lian was doing and tried imitating. They ended up falling into the sea and floated again. They could only stand when the sea water was over their knees, but they ended up falling whenever a wave rolled over.


    A normal person would not be able to feel the buoyancy in the current like Shen Lian, and they would not be able to apply the force appropriately to tread forward.


    Shen Lian seemed relaxed, but he was a lot faster than the ships and boats. He was walking without paying much attention to his surroundings. Time did not seem to matter then, and he finally walked past the sea after an unknown period of time.


    To feel the sea waves and to control his muscles at the same time was no easy task, and he also had to create a counterforce with the vibration of his muscles. This was a lot harder than using techniques to cross the sea. Though, Shen Lian was able to exert fine control over the current state of his body through this.


    The human body would not remain in the same condition all the time, and it was ever-changing. Sometimes it grew, and sometimes it degenerated. The power of cultivators was in their abilities to control the development of the state of their body, which allowed for them to slow down the aging process and the decay of their body. Until the moment that they birthed their Primordial Spirit, their body would be less important.


    Shen Lian��s Qi dynamic could be considered as full, and his physical cultivation was sufficient. However to attain the state of Huandan, he still lacked something, and his Yin Spirit could not wrap itself around the Qi.


    He wanted to have a breakthrough, but he did not know where to start.


    He carried on as usual and was surrounded by the crowd. As compared to Hanhai Kingdom, Yue Tuo Kingdom was a lot more prosperous. Shen Lian came in from the East Gate, and Jinguang Temple was on the southern mountain in the Yue Tuo Kingdom. It was located at the peak of the mountain. Jinguang Temple was visible from anywhere in the city, and it stood majestically.


    News about the debate between Hui Ke and Baoyue the Venerable was all over the streets, and Shen Lian tuned into all of these chatters.


    At least Hong Zhen did not lie about this. Shen Lian too wanted to see for himself and see if he would be inspired by the explanation of the two enlightened monks.


    Between Chen Jianmei and Baoguang, there were a lot of bygones. However, Shen Lian was not about to see Jinguang Temple as his enemy because of that. Though, if they were to hate him because of his connection to Chen Jianmei, he would not be afraid too.


    Baoyue the Venerable was of the same status as a Daoist immortal Zhenren. For an enlightened monk like him to be caught up with bygones and to come after Shen Lian, Shen Lian would just consider him unlucky and surrender to his fate.


    There would always be people who were stronger than him. Shen Lian could not possibly refrain himself from attending out of his fear for those who were stronger. This was not an attitude that one should have when it came to cultivation. Even though heading right into danger seemed stupid, but it represented fearlessness and strong spirit.


    It was inconvenient to bring Qianmo and Xiaoxun around in town. Shen Lian told them to have fun by themselves. Moreover, Shen Lian had been sharing his divine Qi with Qianmo, and there was a connection between both of them. As long as they were not too far apart, they would not lose their connection.


    Yue Tuo Kingdom was not as quiet as Hanhai Kingdom. The people were friendlier and docile, as they were under the influence of Buddhism for a long time.


    However, a lot of them remained poor. While some people were clothed in merely tattered rags, the princes and marquises remained rich. The princes and marquises would go out with a rank of servants, but they were not too crude and rude. The poor people were not angered by the sight of them. If anything, the poor people looked up to them in admiration and fear. They did not think that they were poor because of they were being deprived by the rich people.


    Some even wished that they would be reincarnated into a rich family in their next life.


    Shen Lian ended up on a street. Even though he was in the secular mortal world, he still preferred quietness. He ended up on a quiet street where people were selling antiques. The vendors were old and neatly dressed. After all, the poor people would not have time, money, and energy for this sort of hobby.


    Most things on sale were old Buddhist scriptures, wooden fish, and some instruments used by the enlightened monks. Every now and then, Shen Lian saw some calligraphies and writing instruments.


    However, Shen Lian sensed that most of the things were not as ancient as they looked like, and only some of them came from a long history.


    Moreover, some old items would not worth much no matter how much time had elapsed.


    The shop with the lot number thirteen was a bookshop. The items inside were new and arranged neatly. Because everything seemed like recent work and did not have dust on it, there were not a lot of visitors.


    The bookshop had an interesting name, it was Zhixing Bookshop.


    Shen Lian did not come here intentionally, but he felt that this shop gave off the most comfortable aura out of all the other shops on the street.


    The others did not notice this and only Shen Lian did. Perhaps coincidentally, Zhixing Bookshop was located at the central spot of the area where the Qi of earth converged. The Qi dynamic was the calmest here, and with a bookshop built atop, the aura was even more righteous and proper. A lot of the distracting Qi amidst the Qi of earth were eliminated.


    If one were to stay here for a long period of time, the person would be calm and at ease.


    Shen Lian was in the bookshop browsing through the items. He was surprised by the fact that a lot of the items here had a long history. Items that were truly ancient gave off a different feeling. For those with a sensitive spirit, seeing the sediments of time on the items was akin to seeing flames in a night sky.


    Shen Lian was attracted by a slightly tilted item. The container was hung in the air, and there were two curvy iron rods supporting it. It seemed to be a water container. However, it was empty, and the container was tilted to one side.


    "Why, do you recognize this?" A gentle voice spoke.


    Shen Lian turned and looked at the owner of the voice. He could sense the person from a long time ago. He was looking at an elegant middle-aged man with grey sideburns and was dressed in the way a scholar would.


    His looked were not remarkable, but he captured Shen Lian��s attention. It might be his scholar background.


    He took great care of himself, and his nails were neatly trimmed. Even though there were lines at the corner of his eyes, it added to his appeal.


    "Are you the owner of this shop?" Shen Lian asked.


    "This is my shop, but it��s only open once a month. Most of the time, there are no visitors. The fact that you are here might be the work of fate," the scholar smiled.


    "I didn��t think that you are only open once a month. Though, your items are really clean," Shen Lian replied.


    "I send people to clean them regularly. This is not my bread and butter. Though, I must say you are the first person who walked in and took notice of this," the scholar sized Shen Lian up and seemed to have taken an interest in him.


    "It looked familiar to me. I think I might have read about it somewhere," Shen Lian replied.


    Yue Tuo Kingdom subscribed to Buddhism. However, the scholar in front seemed to have originated from Confucianism. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be living a comfortable life.


    The scholar smiled and nodded, "Indeed, one of the scriptures had recorded about this. There are not a lot of people who are so studious that they would remember something like that. If you can tell me with accuracy about the texts that wrote about it, I will gladly give it to you as a gift. What do you think?"


    "It seems that you will have to give it to me then," Shen Lian smiled.


    He was confident, but even more so, he found the owner of the shop to be an interesting character.

 Chapter 159 Free Form Incarnation

    "I assume that you know about Xunzi of the One Hundred Saints?" Shen Lian spoke casually.


    "You are knowledgeable indeed, please continue," the scholar smiled and replied.


    "Xunzi was the successor to the founder of Confucianism, Fuzi. In one of his work, he mentioned something like this. Fuzi visited the Tai Temple and saw an apparatus that tilted easily. He asked the guardian of the temple, "What is this?"This is an apparatus used by those who are tardy to warn themselves," the guardian replied. "I heard that this instrument is tilted when it is empty, and it will straighten itself when it is half full. Though, when it is full, it will overturn and spill," Fuzi replied. "Fill it up with water," Fuzi instructed his disciple. His disciple brought water and started filling it. Indeed, the apparatus straightened itself when it was half full, and it overturned and emptied itself when it was full. When it was empty, it returned to its original tilted position. "Sigh, how could something not spill when it is full?" Fuzi sighed.


    After saying his last sentence, Shen Lian sighed lightly. How could there be something that did not spill when it was full. It was only natural for something to weaken after getting to its strongest point, and a full moon was always followed by a new moon. Dan Dao searched for completeness, and that was against the natural way of things, which was why it was so difficult to attain.


    "Very accurate, the Saints were able to convey great messages in short sentences. There are lessons in every story. The masses are stupid, and they pray to the deities. Little did they know that God resides within one��s heart and within reasons," the scholar smiled as he replied.


    Shen Lian remained silent. He did not agree and did not object.


    "If I were amongst the masses, I would pray to the deities too," Shen Lian spoke after a long time.


    The scholar was shocked into silence. The masses were stupid, which was why they chose to rely on religions. In the secular mortal world, there were not a lot of those who had hearts of Dao and chose to pursue Dao.


    "You can have the apparatus," the scholar spoke at last.


    After getting the apparatus and having nothing to say, Shen Lian did not have any reason to stay. Moreover, he heard Qianmo calling out to him. It seemed that Qianmo got caught up in something.


    Shen Lian was unsure of what had happened to this mysterious demonic bird, as they did not share a telepathic bond. The middle-age scholar did not seem to be equipped with Mana, and Shen Lian did not want to draw attention to him. After exchanging words of courtesies with him, Shen Lian stepped out of the shop. They were strangers, to begin with, and they met because of fate and parted ways for the same reason. He should not bother himself with it.


    After Shen Lian was out of sight, the scholar sat at the table at the corner of the bookshop. There was a pot of tea on the table. A greenish ghost fire ignited next to the pot, but it was not burning the wooden table. It enveloped the teapot. After a while, white gas seeped out from the teapot as though it was boiling.


    The scholar raised the teapot and poured himself a cup. The tea was cold as if it was boiled with ice and snow. The scholar poured it down his throat and seemed to be satisfied with the tea. "Only the spirit fire could retain the original flavor of the Xueya Tea," he sighed.


    The flame fell onto the floor, and a person appeared in the empty room.


    He wore black robes and his eyes were filled with green flames. His face looked green and it was very frightening.


    This was the green face man that Shen Lian had met back at the Chui Ping Mountain. This person had tried to hurt Shen Lian with the spirit fire. However, Shen Lian was unaffected by the spirit fire, as he had training from the River of Spirits.


    The green face man respectfully asked, "Master, why did you let him go just like that?"


    The scholar put down his teacup gently, and he seemed to still be lingering in the satisfaction he felt from tasting the Xueya Tea. "He received recognition from the sword will of Grandmaster Yuan Qing, and the Free Form Incarnation is connected to Grandmaster Yuan Qing. In fact, they could even be considered as the same branch. If I were to do something now, there will definitely be a huge commotion that attracts Ziling Uncle-Master," he replied slowly.


    "Isn��t there any other way to control Shen Lian with your capabilities? If Ziling Zhenren keep trailing behind you so closely and you still cannot find a way to break through the Taixu Strategy, it would be hard for you to manage the last step of your Free Form Incarnation. Ziling Zhenren will destroy everything," the green face man said.


    "Xiao Qinger, you have been with me for two hundred years now. You have never been so chatty. Bear in mind that you are only with me for so long because you always keep to yourself," the scholar smiled.


    His smiley expression was especially terrifying in the eyes of the green face man. He recalled that even though the Master had been nourishing Noble Qi in order to overcome the demonic thoughts created by the Free Form Incarnation, but the Master��s unpredictable mood change would never change.


    He knew that he said something wrong and kowtowed profusely.


    The Free Form Incarnation cultivated by the scholar was a supreme demonic technique in every sense. The reason why it was considered as demonic was because of its drastic difference from authentic Xuanmen.


    The demonic technique sought to cultivate the distracting thoughts in the human heart into sky demon. Through some form of medium, the user could invade into another person��s heart without that person knowing. Eventually, the user could take over the person��s body and turned it into his clone.


    The cultivation of Dao focused on the purity of the cultivator��s heart. The more complicated the thoughts were, the more difficult it was to see one��s true nature during the Absurd State. Despite the ingenuity of this technique, it was hard to break through the Absurd State.


    All sorts of whims would be magnified by the Free Form Incarnation, and to cut off the whims would be suicide.


    Moreover, the more complicated the thoughts were, the harder it was to unveil one��s true nature. Even if one intended to break through the Absurd State, it would be hard to discern the beginning and the end, and one might not even find oneself. This was why it was impossible to see one��s heart and temperament.


    Those who cultivated this technique either died of old age or went insane due to their inability to shoulder the exchanges of different temperaments, and ended up killing themselves and others.


    As it was hard to predict the user��s temperament, it would not be surprising for the user to do something out of one��s expectation.


    When he chose to cultivate the "Free Form Incarnation", it was destined that Qing Xuan would face a great trial.


    He was talented and was able to cultivate the technique up till he was about to break through the Absurd State before he got found out by his fellow sect members. Under the influence of the demonic characteristics, he had cultivated a variety of evil occult techniques. He even made some of his talented fellow sect members and teacher-elder as his clones, and the end result was a massive battle amongst the sect members. Qing Xuan should have been at its pinnacle, and this tragedy changed everything.


    There were less than three immortal Zhenren who remained at this side of the world. One of them was out sightseeing, and another was trapped in a treacherous location. The last person was undergoing a Trial of Dao and was unable to get out of it. Ziling Fairy was caught in a death battle with her enemy and was killed in the process. The root of her body was injured and she had no choice but to be reincarnated.


    If it was not for Zhang Ruoxu��s impressive decision-making of suppressing the scholar and getting rid of the sect members who were infected, Qing Xuan probably would have met its end back then.


    For that, Zhang Ruoxu suffered irreversible damage and had no choice but to remain at Qing Xuan hall. He kept his injuries under control by relying on the Qi dynamic in the mountain.


    "Rise now," the scholar spoke softly to the green face man. His voice was soft and gentle, and there was no hint of anger in it.


    The green face man was frightened, but he did not dare to not comply with the Master��s instruction.


    Even though the Master had not made many moves in the past few years, but his supernatural power was getting more and more unpredictable. Moreover, he managed to discover the hint of nobleness and had used it to keep the evil thoughts within him under control. The disadvantages of Free Form Incarnation were overcome by him, and the next step would be obtaining the Sky Demon Body. Then, he would truly be immortal.


    "In order to avoid troubles, I have not kept many people around me all these years. So, I will not do anything to you. Moreover, you knew about my secrets, and I have never been this trusting with anyone else. I wouldn��t do anything to you," the scholar spoke.


    The green face man heard and almost kneeled down again.


    Shen Lian did not know that the scholar who looked so refined was a demon in every sense of the word, and had almost turned Shen Lian into one of his clones.


    It started snowing again, and the snowflakes fell into the lake.


    The lake was covered with a layer of ice.


    The lone dot in the sky was Qianmo. As she flew downwards, she was struck by a green ray. After a few exchanges, Qianmo flew back into the sky. Xiaoxun was lying on the layer of ice. There were some bloodstains around, and a young girl stood there.


    The young girl was bald. Without her hair, a girl would be less beautiful. Yet, the young girl was beautiful enough to charm most men.


    She was healing patiently and was gesturing Dao formula with her hand. A holy white ray appeared, and it was purer than the white snow.


    The one who gave off the green ray was her companion, whom Shen Lian still recognized.


    The green ray was a flying sword that moved with the speed of lightning. There was a strong spiritual force of wooden fire on it, and the force was never-ending. Any snow that came near the green ray would turn into mist.


    Qianmo��s body appeared in the mist now and then, and yet it could not break through the barricade of the green ray.


    The one who controlled the flying sword was a young Daoist dressed in green Daoist robe. His sword gleam was green in color, and his name was Song Qingyi.


    Shen Lian roared and shook his surroundings. Qianmo immediately flew over after hearing it. It stood firmly on Shen Lian��s shoulder.


    Song Qingyi saw Shen Lian and exclaimed in joy, "Ah, Shen Lian, why are you here!"


    Shen Lian consoled Qianmo with his divine thoughts.


    Shen Lian came to Song Qingyi and asked in confusion, "Qingyi fellow Daoist, why are you here in Yue Tuo Kingdom? Why were you fighting with my spiritual beast?"


    "Ah, so this bird is your spiritual beast. Earlier, this bird and other demonic bird were trying to steal Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister��s Qingling Elixir, and they were caught by me. This bird was quick, but the other bird was slower and was hurt by my sword aura. Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister is kind and could not bear to see this little demonic bird die. She was healing it when this ungrateful bird came attacking my Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister. Of course, I could not just stand and watch and started battling the bird. Even though this bird does not have a lot of spiritual force, but its speed is truly remarkable. After battling me for a few rounds, I still did not manage to touch even its feathers," Song Qingyi said as he pointed at Qianmo.


    As though Qianmo could understand what Song Qingyi was saying, it whined in dissatisfaction.


    Song Qingyi glared at it immediately, and both he and the bird were in disagreement still. It was as though they wanted to engage in battle again.


    Shen Lian noticed Song Qingyi��s Mana and that he had improved significantly from before. He could not help but to be in awed of Xuantian sect��s Dao techniques, which was ingenious and offered speedy improvements.

 Chapter 160 Qixiu

    The misty clouds were icy, and the snow continued to fall.


    The white ray on the young Buddhist nun��s hand gradually faded, and eventually, it was extinguished. Xiaoxun��s injuries were healed. It flapped its bloody wings and flew over to Shen Lian when it saw him.


    Qianmo saw Xiaoxun approaching them and did not entertain Xiaoxun. She even flapped her wings as a gesture for it to stay away.


    The young girl looked at Shen Lian, and excitement surfaced in her eyes. She looked pleasantly surprised.


    Shen Lian was curious but he chose to hold his tongue.


    The young girl walked over. She seemed to be really young; her brows were like willow and her eyes were like a river. Song Qingyi addressed her as "Qixiu", and "xiu" described her perfectly.


    "Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister, this is my good friend Shen Lian, and he is also a disciple of Qing Xuan Daoist sect," Song Qingyi spoke as he pointed at Shen Lian.


    Qixiu did not respond. She spaced out as she looked at Shen Lian.


    Song Qingyi did not notice this, but Shen Lian saw all of it. However, he had not seen this young girl before. To be precise, why was this little Buddhist nun looking at him, to begin with?


    Shen Lian knew that he had the physical appeal that could attract most women, but it was not to the point that a female cultivator would space out the moment she set eyes on him.


    Moreover, this young girl Qixiu was a Buddhist nun, and she was supposed to be free of such emotions.


    "Qingyi fellow Daoist, the Dao technique used by your Junior Apprentice-Sister Qixiu earlier was full of life and could save many from sufferings. May I know where did it come from?" Shen Lian queried.


    He had a few guesses in his heart. The Dao formula gestured by the young girl seemed like that of "Seal of No Fear". This was one of the five basic hand gestures in Buddhism. It was similar to the basic Talismans in Daoism. The basic hand gestures contained the fundamentals of Buddhism. Even though they were simple and easy to learn, but the same hand gesture would have differing effects as the different branches had different approaches.


    Essentially, the Seal of No Fear was a manifestation of the Buddha��s intention to save the masses. Allegedly, it could calm the people and could remove their fear.


    Most cultivators in the world prioritized themselves and they would help others out on the side. Even in Buddhism, most enlightened monks would prioritize themselves before others too.


    This was why techniques such as the Seal of No Fear that provided for the masses were not cultivated by many.


    Even though the cultivation between Buddhism and Daoism was different, but to focus merely on spiritual consciousness, the Buddhist nun was not a lot worse off than Song Qingyi. This was why Shen Lian wanted to know about her origin.


    "Even if you didn��t ask, I would have told you anyway. Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister is from Zi Zai Hermitage. She is a disciple of Liu Qing Shitai, and is the immediate successor to her legacy," Song Qingyi replied.


    Shen Lian shifted slightly. He had heard of Liu Qing Shitai before. He read about an impressive magic talisman in her possession from the records of Taiwei Pavilion, the Bamboo of No Desire. Liu Qing Shitai was a formidable character that could rival the immortal Zhenrens of Daoist sects.


    However, this was the first time he heard about the Zi Zai Hermitage. Now that he thought about it, if Zi Zai Hermitage had an impressive individual like Liu Qing Shitai, it would not be just any normal hermitage.


    "Zi Zai Hermitage is between Daoism and Buddhism. The first abbess is a senior from my Daoist sect. She converted and chose to cultivate Buddhism. She had attained the Water-Moon Guanyin Body and founded the Zi Zai Hermitage branch. Liu Qing Shitai is close with my Honored Master. This is why my Honored Master told me to look out for Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister when she is out cultivating. Actually, with Qixiu Junior Apprentice-Sister��s level of cultivation, she would be fine if she doesn��t run into an anomaly like you, Shen Lian," Song Qingyi elaborated when he saw how confused Shen Lian was.


    Song Qingyi laughed.


    Shen Lian had quite the reputation now. Even the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple, Master Hui Ke had openly said that Shen Lian would definitely attain at least the Eight Transformations of Huandan.


    This was an extremely high praise.


    Back then, Song Qingyi rescued Shen Lian who seemed to have a low level of cultivation out of his goodwill. Little did he know that Shen Lian was an extremely powerful cultivator! When both of them found out about each other��s identity, they were not as casual and at ease around each other anymore.


    Even though he had seen improvement in his cultivation, but he still could not rival Shen Lian. He was slightly disappointed. His last sentence was meant as a tease, but it was also a reflection of the helplessness he felt.


    Shen Lian knew what was on Song Qingyi��s mind, but he could not console him. How could he play humble just because his level of cultivation was significantly higher than Song Qingyi and therefore console him for it?


    He would not do something like that, and Song Qingyi did not need this sort of consolation too.


    "I see. I have heard great things about Liu Qing Shitai. I would like to express my gratitude for saving my little thing," Shen Lian said as he nodded at Qixiu.


    Qixiu seemed excited when Shen Lian was talking to her. "Shen Senior Apprentice-Brother, you don��t have to thank me for it. This is what I should do, and don��t you remember me?" Qixiu replied.


    Song Qingyi was surprised, and he did not understand how Qixiu could be related to Shen Lian. Shen Lian was still confused, he felt as though he had known Qixiu from before.


    "Do you still remember the girl you saved seventeen years ago back at the Flying Celestials Island?" Qixiu elaborated as she saw the confusion on Shen Lian��s face.


    Shen Lian heard the clue and started searching through his memory. Within moments, he recalled everything. He did not expect to have such strong fate with the Xiao family of the Flying Celestials Island. After killing Xiao Shiyi earlier, he ran into the little girl rescued by his founding master Ziling after the tragedy at the Flying Celestials Island.


    As Ziling Fairy did not plan to keep her, she had sent her to Liu Qing Shitai at Zi Zai Hermitage.


    Given the status of his founding master, it would not be strange for her to know Liu Qing Shitai.


    His was thinking quickly and had sorted everything out in his head.


    "So it was you. Look at how you have grown! The chief had mentioned briefly about you to me. He said that you were rescued by my founding master, but I did not expect you to be under Liu Qing Shitai now," Shen Lian smiled.


    Qixiu was overjoyed when she found out that Shen Lian remembered about her. Though, she forgot how cultivators like Shen Lian could recall anything as long as they wanted to. Moreover, Shen Lian��s spirit was a lot stronger than the normal Huandan cultivator.


    After all, it was Shen Lian who saved her life. She was young and hence had remembered it till today. This was why when she was cultivating one of the thirty-three techniques of Zi Zai Hermitage, Du Ren Codex of Medicine King Guan Yin, she had to return to the secular world despite her pure mind and massive improvements.


    Liu Qing Shitai knew about this, which was why she sent her to cultivate in the secular world.


    Liu Qing Shitai predicted that without external influences, Shen Lian would encounter Qixiu sooner or later.


    Shen Lian did not know that he was part of Liu Qing Shitai��s calculation. He was still unaware of the mystics of holy deities who had passed through the nine states of cultivation.


    He found it intriguing how the little girl he rescued was standing in front of him in this vast and populated world.


    "So Aunt Ziling is Shen Senior Apprentice-Brother��s founding master; three years ago, she came to borrow the Bamboo of No Desire from my Master. However, my Master refused to lend it to her as she had killed too many. Both of them almost got into a fight. Before Aunt Ziling left, she took away one of the bamboo plants my Master had been growing for three hundred years. My Master was in a bad mood for a few days," Qi Xiu spoke.


    "You refer to Ziling Zhenren as Aunt, and Ziling Zhenren is Shen Lian��s founding master. So how does the hierarchy between you both work?" Song Qingyi laughed.


    "Of course I would address him as Shen Senior Apprentice-Brother," Qixiu blushed and replied.


    "No, no, at this rate, wouldn��t your Master need to address Ziling Zhenren as Uncle-Master?" Song Qingyi said.


    "Hierarchy is not important to us. We can just address each other however we want to," Shen Lian spoke casually.


    Qianmo yawned lazily as she hinted at how they were boring her to sleep.


    "You thief of a bird, I would have roasted you if not for your Master," Song Qingyi stared at Qianmo.


    Qianmo flapped its wings and clawed at Song Qingyi.


    The distance was short and Qianmo was quick. Song Qingyi could not react at all. It was Shen Lian who caught Qianmo��s calves with two of his fingers, and Qianmo was just inches away from pecking Song Qingyi.


    "I didn��t realize it earlier, but what is the background of your demonic beast? At this distance and with its speed, myself aside, most Huandan cultivators would not be able to react at all," Song Qingyi remarked.


    Shen Lian laughed and tossed Qianmo into the air. He wanted to let Qianmo extend its feathers and to have fun on its own. It was better that way, so that there would not be a conflict with Song Qingyi. Xiaoxun followed Qianmo into the sky. Qianmo circled the air but did not descend. It flapped its wings in the snow as it played with the snowflakes.


    "I found it somewhere. Please do not be offended by it. This bird is proud, and it would not bother dealing with normal people," Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    Song Qingyi was surprised at how Shen Lian could find a spiritual bird so casually. He still had not experienced Qianmo��s strange Qi before; otherwise, he would be in for more shocking moments.


    Shen Lian did not elaborate further. The three of them conversed casually, and Shen Lian found out that Song Qingyi and Qixiu too, had come for the debate between Hui Ke and Baoyue the Venerable.


    Hui Ke was getting more and more reputable, and it was not just for the fact that he was the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple.


    For the past few months, he had been traveling in the nearby nations to propagate new Buddhist teachings. At a few thousand mile radius, there were plenty of Buddhist orthodoxies. Some of the temples even had hundreds and thousands of years of history. Most of their doctrines were old. Hui Ke had been going around propagating Buddhist teachings. He went to liquor shops, butcher houses, markets, and the likes of it. A lot of the monks from the older branches frowned upon this, as they thought that he was degrading Buddhism by dealing with these lower beings.


    Moreover, Hui Ke spoke of cultivation and having a clear heart. He did not place his focus on meditation and building grand temples. The monks were offended by this.


    Even though Hui Ke was the Xingzou of Ming Wang Temple, but his actions were affecting the monks�� livelihood and shaking the very root of these temples.


    To these monks, the stupid masses just needed to believe and worship blindly at Buddha. It was sufficient so long as they contributed their beliefs. If all of them were to cultivate, where would the expenses for incense come from? It would not be conducive to the stability of the nation as well.


    Moreover, there was a huge inequality in these Buddhist nations. If poor people got wiser and realized why they were poor, they would not slave away willingly anymore. They would definitely harbor other plans.

 Chapter 161 Mister Sea

    The clouds were cold and scarce, while the snow was falling in waves.


    The white ray of light on the young nun��s hand gradually dispersed until it disappeared completely. The wound on Xiao Xun��s body had also healed. As it saw Shen Lian, it flapped its blood-stained wings and flew over.


    As Qian Mo saw Xiao Xun approaching, it appeared indifferent to it, flapped its wing as well, signaling it to go further away.


    The young lady towards Shen Lian gently, her eyes lit up, filled with some degree of delighted surprise.


    Shen Lian felt a bit strange, but he dared not speak much.


    The teenage girl strolled towards him. She looked very young, her eyebrows were shaped like the spring willow, eyes clear as the clear stream. Song Qingyi called here Qi Xiu, and this "Xiu1" was appropriately applied to her.


    Song Qingyi pointed and Shen Lian and said, "Apprentice-sister Qi Xiu, this is my good friend Shen Lian, also a disciple of the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect.


    Qiu Xu seemed to not hear anything, she was just staring at Shen Lian, unaware of her surroundings.


    While Song Qingyi did not see anything, Shen Lian saw it crystal clear. He had never seen this young later, or rather, a young nun who would stare at him that way.


    Shen Lian might consider himself good looking and would attract a few ladies, but he never expected to cause a cultivating lady have romantic thoughts at first look.


    Moreover, this Miss Qi Xiu, was a nun, a pure lady of Buddhism.


    Shen Lian nodded and asked, "Qingyi my friend, your apprentice-sister Qingyi��s Dao techniques, it is so vibrant, can even cure diseases and wounds. Where is she from?"


    He had some guesses himself, judging from the way she made her hand sign, it looked like the "Seal of No Fear". This hand sign was one of the five basic signs of Buddhist Sect, quite similar to the few basic talisman techniques of the Daoist sect. It showed a few of the basic Buddhist principles, although easy to learn, but with the slight difference in various sects, a similar seal would produce different results.


    However, the main principle was pointed at the kind heart of Buddha who wanted to save all lives. Apparently, it could calm down all lives, and not induce fear.


    Most cultivators in the world only cared for themselves. Only a few would care for the world. Even the majority of so-called high-ranking monks in the Buddhist sect would save themselves before others.


    That was why there were not many who could master a hand seal like the Seal of No Dear so well


    Even though the cultivation of path of Buddhism was different, but in terms of spiritual awareness, the young nun would not lose to Song Qingyi. Hence Shen Lian was curious to know who she was.


    Song Qingyi casually replied, "I will tell you without you even asking. Apprentice-sister Qi Xiu was from Zi Zai Hermitage. She is the apprentice of Liu Qing Shitai, also her inheritor.


    Shen Lian could not help but be shocked. He had heard of Liu Qing Shitai. He even read about her from a literature in the Taiwei Pavilion according to the records of mystical instruments. There was a very powerful instrument called the Bamboo of No Desire, which was now in the hands of Liu Qing Shitai, which meant that she must be a prominent figure just like the immortal Zhenren from the Daoist sect.


    However, this was actually the first time he heard of this Zi Zai hermitage. He thought, even Liu Qing Shitai was living in this Zi Zai hermitage, it must be some special place.


    Song Qingyi sensed the confusion on Shen Lian��s face, and said, "Zi Zai hermitage sits in between the Daoist and the Buddhist. Its first master in charge was my senior from the Daoist sect, who then switched to cultivate Buddism, and attained the human form of Water-Moon Guanyin, then formed this Zi Zai Hermitage. Liu Qing Shitai was very close with my teacher��s. So, teacher had asked me to take care of apprentice-sister Qi Xiu while she is out her on her cultivation journey. Actually, with her cultivation level, her techniques would be enough for her self-protection, as long as she doesn��t encounter a lunatic like you.


    Song Qingyi then lets out a giggle.


    Shen Lian��s reputation had spread out within the perimeter of thousand miles. Even the Master Hui Ke from Ming Wang Temple had announced in public that he must have achieved the eighth level of Huandan at least.


    This was a very high appraisal.


    Song Qingyi would never have thought that when he was just doing a kind act to help the weak-looking Shen Lian, who was actually a skillful Daoist master. When both of them knew of each other��s identity, he still did not feel as excited as when he found out about the origins of Shen Lian.


    Now that he had improved significantly, yet still not as good as Shen Lian. He felt a hint of disappointment, hence that last sentence with a bit of sarcasm and helplessness.


    Shen Lian obviously understood what Song Qingyi was thinking about, but he could not console him. Just because he was two notches better than Song Qingyi, didn��t mean that he had to humble himself to console Song Qingyi, right?


    This was not something he would do, and not the kind of console Song Qingyi needed as well.


    Shen Lian nodded at Qi Xiu, and said, "I see,I have heard of Liu Qing Shitai as well. I, Shen Lian thank you for saving this little thing here."


    As Qi Xiu saw that Shen Lian spoke to her, she got quite excited and blurted, "Apprentice-brother Shen need not thank me, this is what I should do. Do you not remember me?"


    Song Qingyi felt quite shocked, he could not tell how Qi Xiu could be related to Shen Lian. Shen Lian was equally shaken, and still confused, where had he encountered this young lady before?


    As Qi Xiu realized that Shen Lian did not seem to remember her, she said, "Do you still remember, seventeen years ago, you saved a girl from the Flying Celestial Islands before?"


    After hearing this, Shen Lian searched through his memory, and the memories replayed itself as if they were happening to him. He would never imagine that he had so many fateful encounters with the Xiao family of Flying Celestial Islands. Earlier he had just killed Xiao Shiyi, now he encountered the little girl whom his ancestor master Zi Ling fairy saved when the tragedy happened at the island.


    Later, Zi Ling fairy had no intentions to take her in and sent her to Liu Qing Shitai in Zi Zai hermitage.


    At the level as high as his ancestor master, it was not unusual for her to know Liu Qing Shitai too.


    He could connect all the dots with his quick thinking.


    Then, he smiled and said, "I see, here you are, so grown up now. My master had told me briefly about you, said that you were rescued by my ancestor master, I did not expect you to be taken in by Liu Qing Shitai".


    As Qi Xiu knew that Shen Lian remembered herself, she felt quite delighted. But she had not realized that for a Daoist master like Shen Lian, to remember a petty thing like this one, he would have remembered a majority of it with the use of his mind. Moreover, Shen Lian��s soul was much stronger than that of any Daoist master at Huandan level.


    She was still very young when Shen Lian saved her life. That was why she could not forget him. Even when she was practicing the Du Ren Codex of Medicine King Guan Yin, though she had a pure mind and achieved great improvement, due to her attachment to worldly ties, she still had to come out and explore the world.


    Liu Qing Shitai knew well of this, so she let her go on this cultivation journey.


    And Liu Qing Shitai would have predicted that without any interference, Shen Lian would encounter Qi Xiu sooner or later.


    Shen Lian was unaware that he was in Liu Qing Shitai��s predictions, as he still could not understand the abstruse ways of the holy mountains and Buddhism beyond the cultivation of nine realms.


    He only thought that he could encounter this little girl whom he saved before amongst the crowd of people in this whole wide world, that was quite amazing.


    Qi Xiu then said, "So, Aunty Zi Ling is Apprentice-brother Shen��s ancestor master. Three years ago, she came to my master to borrow the Bamboo of No Desires, but my master did not lend her saying that she killed too much. They got into quite an argument. Eventually, before she left, aunty Zi Ling took away an old bamboo plant that master had kept for three hundred years. That made my master angry for several days".


    Song Qingyi chuckled, "You call Zi Ling Zhenren as aunty, and Zi Ling Zhenren is Shen Lian��s ancestor master. How do you identify each other��s apprentice ranks then?"


    Qiu Xiu could not help blushing, "Of course I��d call him Apprentice-brother Shen".


    Song Qing Yi replied, "No that is not right. If that is the case, shouldn��t Shitai address Zi Ling Zhenren as apprentice-uncle?"


    Shen Lian said casually, "As for me, rankings or whatever does not matter. Let��s just call each other anything as we see fit".


    At this moment, Qian Mo let out a big yawn, as if the conversation of the three was boring it to sleep.


    Song Qingyi stared at Qian Mo, "You filthy creature. If it was not because of your master, I would have roasted you and eaten you up already".


    Qian Mo flapped its wings and rushed its claws towards Song Qing Yi.


    The distance was too close and Qian Mo��s speed was too quick, Song Qingyi could not react. All thanks to the fast-acting Shen Lian who pinched Qian Mo��s calves with his two fingers, as this its beak was just inches away from Song Qingyi.


    Song Qingyi had just only recollected himself and said, "I did not realize where this demonic creature was from. It came so close at such a terrifying speed. Not mentioning myself, even a Daoist master of Huan Dan level would not have reacted to it".


    Shen Lian smiled, and threw Qian Mo up in the sky, as it spread its wings and played around, to avoid another confrontation with Song Qing Yi. Xiao Xun followed and flew into the skies too, circled around with Qian Mo, flapped its wings and played with the falling snow.


    Shen Lian then said casually, "I picked it up from the streets; you should not mind it too much as well. It is a very proud bird, it would have to be bothered with any ordinary man".


    Song Qingyi was shocked. Never would he imagine that Shen Lian could pick up a mystical bird such as Qian Mo with so much spiritual presence.


    Shen Lian did not explain much either. After some chatter, only he understood well that Song Qingyi and Qiu Xiu were here for the dilemma between Hui Ke and Baoyue the Venerable.


    Hui Ke had become more and more well known, not only because of the reputation of the Ming Wang temple.


    In this few months, he had been traveling around the nation, preaching about the new Buddhist teachings. Within the radius of thousand miles, there were many branches of the Buddhist sect, with some temples of several hundred years history. Its teachings were still quite old-fashioned. The way that Hui Ke had gone around, entering wine inns, passing through butcher houses, or even wandering in the streets and killing recklessly, break all four restrictions, it had caused quite an annoyance in the eyes of the old monks. They thought that this low-ranked man had discriminated the ways of Buddhism.


    Moreover, Hui Ke was promoting the ways of Daoist cultivation, putting off meditation and building old serious temples, which had really offended these ranks of monks.


    Even though Hui Ke was traveling in the name of Ming Wang temple, but these actions of his were affecting the livelihood of others and shaking the foundation of these temples.


    In their eyes, fooling the people, as long as they were devoted to Buddha, prayed earnestly, contributed their faith would have sufficed. If they were to light up their hearts to cultivate, where would the offering money come from, how could the nation be stable?


    These Buddhist countries had a large gap between the rich and the poor. If the poor had grown some wisdom and understood the cause of their own poverty, they would not be so willing to be enslaved as they would have other ideas.The word��"Xiu" means elegant and beautiful.

 Chapter 162 Destined Fate with Buddha

    Mister Sea casually said, "How uninteresting of Hui Ke. If such na?ve people really understand the real essence of Buddism, it is just increasing the suffering of people only.


    Shen Lian thought Mister Sea��s words were not baseless, quite similar to one philosopher who said that the soberer a person was, they would know every form of torture in the world. If they did not have the ability to resist it, they would only suffer consciously.


    Song Qingyi ignored him and said, "There must be someone who knows clearly that life is a sea of suffering, to begin with. They will figure their way out of the sea. Even if they do not succeed, at least they tried, and when they reach their end, they would have less regret and find peace.


    Mister Sea calmly said, "What use is there to this. Foolish people who cannot go past this, whether they ��know�� or ��don��t know��, their ending would be the same".


    Song Qingyi snorted lightly, "Mister Sea, your words seemed to have included yourself. Other than Buddha himself, no one would dare say they have surpassed all things and escape from this sea of suffering called life".


    Mister Sea did not get mad, he only smiled and replied, "I guess I still have the change to reach the level of Buddha. As for these normal peasants, no change for them".


    His words were filled with confidence. If he was not a lunatic, he must possess a vast amount of power, which Shen Lian could not see.


    Shen Lian never thought that he would encounter a powerful cultivator anywhere. He was also uncertain at this moment. As a special someone whom he could not detect any irregularity, the most harrowing part was that he should be near the level of Immortal Zhenren or earth gods.


    There may be high-level secret techniques that enabled someone to hide their aura, but an extraordinary character must still possess certain features different from a normal person, just like when he first saw Xin Shisiniang, her looks were flawless, a feat so impossible for any normal human.


    At the very least, this Mister Sea��s looks were no different from any normal person, except that he had some nice temperant.


    Shen Lian smiled lightly and ignored him.


    Mister Sea suddenly had this urge to chat, and said, "What is Brother Shen smiling about?"


    Shen Lian would definitely not say that he was making guesses about himself, hence he said, "I just thought of a story from the Buddhist scriptures.


    Mister Sea replied, "Since we both are free, why don��t you tell me about it".


    Shen Lian cited, "This is what I heard. That time when Buddha was at the Holy Mountain, The King of Heavens brought along his friends and family, offered some purplish golden lotus as present to invite Buddha to preach. Buddha did not say a word, picked a stalk of purple golden lotus with his two fingers, and showed it to his disciples with a calm face. His face was so calm and silent. At this moment, the disciples and worshipers of the Holy Mountain did not understand Buddha��s real intentions. Only Mahakashyapa, Buddha��s first disciple who was standing in front of him, understood this and smiled. Buddha then passed him this stalk of purple golden lotus and said, "I have the Eye that could see all cycles and laws, the Heart that feels all feelings. Now I pass these down to you, you shall uphold them and pass it on, without end��. Have you heard of this before, Young master?"


    Mister Sea said, "Yes, this is from the scripture of ��Enquiring with Buddha��. I have read it before."


    Shen Lian gives this Mister Sea another look. The Buddhist scriptures collect was so vast, and yet he could mention the origins of this excerpt, he must have a strong memory, transcending normal people.


    Shen Lian smiled, "So tell me, do you know why did Buddha pluck a stalk of flower, and why did Mahakashyapa smile?"


    Mister Sea could only smile and not say a thing. Once he opened his mouth, he would lose.


    This was exactly Shen Lian��s intention. Words had been spoken, there was no point in arguing.


    This questioning and answering, Song Qingyi had heard it all. He only sensed some rivalry, but could not understand it. Whereas Qi Xiu was the only one who stole a peek at Shen Lian, and then concentrated on her snack again.


    As Hui Ke had done speaking, though her words were not flowery and flashy, every word and sentence pierced right through everyone��s heart, and it managed to silence all the monks.


    It was not that Hui Ke had convinced them. It was just that she spoke of the real characteristics of a human, which touched their hearts, and got them to feel those words clearly.


    Hui Ke got up and left, not towards the exit but went up to the second floor.


    His zen heart was bright as the sun and moon, it shone through Shen Lian, which was not surprising, but it also pointed towards Mister Sea.


    Shen Lian and the rest suddenly found out that, Mister Sea and Hui Ke were so near to them, yet it felt like they were in another dimension, not in the same coordinates as them.


    That feeling was like Mister Sea and Hui Ke had formed an isolated water ink painting, where they were outside of the painting.


    Mister Sea sighed, "I remember when I first saw you, and you were called ��Shen Guang��".


    Hui Ke smiled lightly, "The past is the past. It was just mist and smoke. Young master had lived enough to see many smokes yourself, why would you keep that in the heart? Now I am just Hui Ke".


    "Are you not curious to see me here?" Mister Sea asked.


    "All these decades, young master has been fighting with Baoyue the Venerable for more than ten times. This trip would not be any different with the previous trips," Hui Ke calmly answered.


    "Actually I just wanted to borrow a little something. He wouldn��t lend it, so I had to come and take it myself," Mister Sea looked at Hui Kee deeply in the eye. This bald head from Ming Wang temple spelled trouble as well.


    He thought that maybe he should get rid of this baldy before he could have attained the Buddhist path.


    The reason that Mister Sea wanted to take the Buddhist relic was for self-breakthrough, and to terminate human disasters too.


    Now he was just taking precautions.


    When one was living in the world of sufferings, if they would go against the heavenly course of nature, they would naturally encounter nature and man-made disasters. Natural disasters might be dangerous, but it would be over, like a passing stream of knives, not leaving any remnants behind.


    Whereas human disasters were much more complicated, which might involve not only himself, and very time consuming, entwined with so many causes and effects.


    Only one with a very high level of mana and almost godly prowess to protect themselves.


    Hui Ke calmly replied, "Do you Mister still remember when you met my Ming Emperor, what His Highness told you?"


    As Young master heard these words, he hummed, "What he said was garbage".


    Hui Ke grinned, "You have your Buddhist spirituality, and the Emperor would not be mistaken. If you are willing to follow the San Bao religion, making us all disciples of Buddha, I believe that Baoyue the Venerable would not be stingy and lend you the relics".


    While the precedent Ming Emperor was still alive, Mister Sea had just attained enlightenment. He was egoistic and eager to test out his skills. He used certain tricks, found the Ming Wang temple and not one monk was his match until he rammed through to face the Ming Emperor.


    At that time, Hui Ke was still a little monk sitting with the Ming Emperor, known as "Shen Guang". Mister Sea utilized all his techniques, none of them repetitive, yet the Ming Emperor was immovable, undid all techniques released by him, without a hint of smoke or extra effort.


    The brutality of the Mister Sea, Hui Ke could still remember clearly even though it had been eight lifetimes apart. Now he was in his ninth lifetime, being one of the candidates to become emperor.


    That was when Ming Emperor said to the flustered Mister Sea, that he had a destined fate with Buddha, hence did not blame him for ramming through the temple, and released him.

 Chapter 163 Cutting His Own Arm

    This was the biggest loss that Mister Sea had suffered, and he could not retrieve himself back from that.


    Plus the Ming Emperor said that he had destined fate with Buddha, which deeply unsettled him because such person was already considered to be the Buddha of the world. Now that he made such statement, this might be a prophecy waiting to come true.


    Mister Sea could not imagine himself being a bald monk, who was required to be disciplined, living with restrictions, whereas he wanted to live luxuriously, with countless concubines and unleash his lust.


    With Mister Sea��s intelligence, he understood that this would be his hurdle. Even if Ming Emperor was not as good as the Buddha, so Mister Sea wanted to borrow the Buddha relics, understand the meaning within, overcome his own mental hurdle, to aid his breakthrough and solve this future disaster.


    Mister Sea gradually turned calm and replied, "I would never believe in Buddhism".


    Then, his eyes filled with ray exploded and fell on Hui Ke��s body, yet Hui Ke��s body seemed to be protected by a layer of Buddhist ray, shielded itself from Mister Sea��s visual prowess, leaving him unaffected.


    Mister Sea got up, walked towards Hui Ke step by step, very casually, as if he was out of this world.


    Song Qingyi felt a strange aura and wanted to move, but was stopped by Shen Lian.


    Now that Hui Ke and Mister Sea were competing for using aura energy, they should not trigger anything else. If not they might get dragged in and be amounted to immense pressure and get themselves into unforeseen trouble.


    Hui Ke and Mister Sea were also not equally matched. As Mister Sea approached, the Buddha ray in front turned to colorful rays, went up and down like a duckweed.


    Mister Sea not only released a strong mental prowess to pressure Hui Ke, his brutal strong mana was also charging towards him like waves of mountains and seas. This strong mana was all directed towards Hui Ke and nowhere else.


    If this mana was dispersed elsewhere, the whole Zui Xian Ju would not exist anymore, that was without question.


    Hui Ke was one with a kind heart, so he faced the mana directly, his brows started to tense, not as comfortable as he looked before.


    Buddha had its demon-fighting techniques, but not all demons could be defeated.


    Mister Sea was very weary of the Ming Wang temple. He shouldn��t have done anything harmful to Hui Ke, but since Hui Ke had taken the initiative, he decided to teach him a little lesson.


    Hui Ke��s intentions were simple. It was Ming Emperor who said that Mister Sea was destined to Buddhism, which was almost the truth, hence he purely wanted Mister Sea to understand that point earlier.


    However, while facing an immense amount of mana from Mister Sea, Hui Ke could only face it head on, else it would cause harm to people around.


    That was not his real intention.


    In addition, his encounter with Mister Sea today was a fateful encounter in his eyes. He then made a decision using his diamond heart.


    Hui Ke held a knife, a very sharp one, which was not cut on Mister Sea��s body, but one of his own arms.


    The wound on his arm was bleeding with golden colored blood, also meaning that his Immovable Body of Ming Emperor had gone through its core and almost perfected.


    Now that he had easily cut off his own arm, Hui Ke��s expression had not changed even a bit.


    The arm disappeared in a blink followed by countless gold dust. Out in the thin air, it formed a Buddha statue, which looked so large and majestic, with the characteristic of a guardian deity. That mana of Mister Sea��s, when it encountered the Buddha statue, just like a spring breeze blew on lake water, it may cause some ripple, but not enough to cause a wave.


    Shen Lian was instantly shaken. His had heard from early times, that there was a sacrificial technique in the Buddhist sect, the flesh sacrifice to the Buddha. This was almost similar to the Daoist technique of asking favors using sacrificial offerings, which could communicate with the powers of the Buddha.


    The Buddha powers had no boundaries and could overcome all obstacles.


    Hui Ke��s tenacity and determination were what impressed Mister Sea.


    The Buddha figure put out a palm, it instantly gave Mister Sea a feeling as if he had nowhere to go in this whole wide world.


    Just like the monkey in the mythical legend, this was suppressed by Buddha��s palm, and trapped under the Five Fingers Mountain.


    This palm technique had no tracks like the heaven and earth, it was pure brute strength. With his own eyes, Shen Lian saw layers and layers of dimensions broken down like paper pastes and crumbled, but before the fragments could implode, it got transferred from the palm onto Mister Sea��s body.


    There was no loud collision or band because Buddha was merciful, and with it, limitless mana, dissipated the remaining waves. In a blink, Mister Sea was instantly hit and flew to the horizon out to nowhere.


    The Buddha ray vanished together with the Buddha figure. Qi Xiu immediately went up and used the Seal of No Fear. Pure white ray fell on Hui Ke��s arm wound, and healed it instantly.


    Hui Ke looked at Qi Xiu, gave a gentle smile, and said, "Thank you". He recognized that this was the Seal of No Fear from the Zizai Hermitage. If this young lady had mastered the Pure Bottle of Willow, she would have released the San Guang Holy water, and could even resurrect the dead, and grow flesh from bones.


    Shen Lian saluted, "Grand Master really has a kind heart," This was Shen Lian��s real thoughts. With Hui Ke��s cultivation level, he might not be as good as Mister Sea, but with the long history of Ming Wang temple, there must be some secret techniques that could help Hui Ke escape.


    But then, the people around here would have suffered. Shen Lian might have the confidence to protect himself, but might not be the case for Song Qingyi and Qi Xiu. Though these two also came from solid backgrounds, they might have tricks up their sleeves too. However, Jui Xian Ju will undoubtedly be destroyed, and those normal peasants with no mana powers would not survive.


    Hui Ke said, "This is not kindness, just couldn��t have the heart for it. Previously I sent Hong Zhen to invite you to attend to my and Baoyue the Venerable��s dilemma, but never would I have thought of meeting you here under such circumstances.


    Then only Shen Lian believed that Hong Zhen was telling the truth. It was really Hui Ke himself who invited him over.


    But Hong Zhen��s foundation of Guardian Deity Prowess was solid. If he continued to study the Scripture of Immovable Ming Emperor, unless he was reincarnated, else this would not be possible, which led Shen Lian to not understand the relationship between Hui Ke and Hong Zhen. From the looks of it, Hui Ke��s intended inheritor of Ming Wang temple must not be Hong Zhen.


    After all, an inheritor of Ming Wang temple would not have been one who took other sect��s teachings as their foundation.


    Shen Lian replied, "Things are always unpredictable, maybe even the Buddha could not have predicted the future. After this incident, Grand Master had remained unchanged; this should mean that you are attaining Dao very soon. It is just that you are in bad shape at the moment, there is still time before the date of the dilemma, why not I treat with some mana until the Shang Yuan festival".


    He was genuinely impressed with the strong will displayed by Hui Ke who could lose an arm in such situation and did not panic. Even after that, he did not fluster. This was some feat that Shen Lian knew himself he could not have done.

 Chapter 164 Brother Nine, You Are In Trouble

    Mister Sea flew for over 100 miles, his body wrapped in golden rays, with the Buddha palm clearly printed on his body. As he fell from the sky, he glided for a distance before the palm sign eventually disappeared. At the same time, a palm-shaped hole could be seen in his golden robe, revealing his delicate skin within, but without any mark on it.


    Mister Sea frowned, and then the golden colored mana birth from within. The hole in his robe slowly covered in the golden mana, and it finally sewed up the yellow robe.


    Someone was heard laughing; it was so hysterically loud, "Mister Sea, why didn��t you wait for me to fight with the baldy?"


    These words came out from huge man, standing on a little hill from a distance. His forehead was covered in little warts and lumps.


    This had to be Nine-Headed Demon King, who smiled with such a radiant face.


    Mister Sea thought to himself: It is so frustrating to let this rascal see my unlucky state. He might have asked for Nine-Headed Demon King��s favor, but he still did not look up to this fellow, thinking that he was too vulgar.


    Mister Sea regarded himself as a high classed demon with style. This Nine-Headed Demon King was so vulgar, yet he enjoyed following other��s style. If not because if he was easy to trick, Young Mister Sea would not have asked for his assistance.


    However ever since this thing had agreed to help him, he delayed for more than ten years before he came to Xi Huang. Although to them demons, a decade is no different from a normal person��s ten days, yet it still ticked Mister Sea off.


    He thought so, but his face did not show it, and he looked at Nine-headed Demon King and said, "When did Nine brother arrive here? Why didn��t you contact me earlier that you are here? I have another house in Xi Huang, where I can treat you a meal before you work".


    Nine-headed Demon King stepped out and appeared in front of Mister Sea. He had the ability to shrink lands to inches, a skill even more powerful than those at Guang Qing Xian clan. As he took his step, the grounds around it started to vibrate.


    Then, Nine-headed Demon King smirked, "I am here to attend a good event, and collect an instrument".


    Mister Sea blinked his eyes, "Oh, what is this precious item that caught Brother Nine��s attention?"


    Nine-headed Demon replied, "Mister Sea, don��t you want to invite me to your house? How about checking out my house here?" He waved his hand, and there were little house figures on his hands.


    The view within, including the arrangement of furniture in the house was very real.


    Nine-headed Demon King opened his mouth, and a ray of black light was shot out from within. It spread to its surrounding and turned the little hills into flat ground, and finally threw this little house figure out, which eventually landed on the ground and expanded into a real mountain mansion.


    There were also three words carved at the main entrance "Nine Saints Mansion", the fonts were very fierce.


    He sounded proud, "Mister Sea, what do you think of my little precious here, it is mobile and convenient to bring around." Mystical instruments were quite scarce in the world, and one which could change the size of an accommodation at will was even rarer. As Nine-Head Demon King had one instrument like this one, he would gain more face in front of his friends. Even a filthy rich person like Mister Sea could not bring out any item similar to this.


    Mister Sea looked at this Nine Saints Mansion, muttered and sighed, "Brother Nine, you have gotten yourself into a big trouble". He did not expect that the fellow would be brutal, he also lacked exposure to have the nerve to grab something belonging to that person.


    On this end, Shen Lian obviously did not know what happened to Mister Sea. Master Hui Ke also rejected the help offered by Shen Lian.


    Hui Ke dragged his single arm, walked past the people��s staring, and disappeared into the snow.


    The fight between Mister Sea and Hui Ke had caused quite a ruckus, so clearly witnessed by those around them. This was one fight they had not encountered in their lives. It only took a brief moment for Hui Ke to detach his own arm and fought off Mister Sea.


    Everyone was shocked by this scene, and was feeling sorry for Hui Ke��s wounds, but was curious of where this Mister Sea came from.


    However, Hui Ke had left too hastily, so they had to come up and ask those closest to him, them being Shen Lian, Song Qingyi, and Qiu Xie. Just before those people could come up, Shen Lian and the rest had left immediately.


    Hui Ke did not have the intention to preach about Buddhism. He opined that if he explained his view on Buddhism to the others, he would be the only one listening.


    Even though his understanding was quite extreme to some Bhikkhu, he still said it without reservation, and never stopped anywhere. This was what they call "moving".


    Shen Lian was jealous of Hui Ke, because he had created his own path, and had no doubt in it. Song Qingyi had his own path as well, a path taught by Lu Jiuyan. He need not search for other paths, he just had to follow suit.


    Qi Xiu was quite similar to Song Qingyi, with a slight difference. She really had a compassionate heart. At this time of winter cold, many people were starving and freezing. When Qi Xiu saw those poor people who fell sick on the street, she would go up and do whatever she could for them.


    Shen Lian may have seen many lives and deaths, he still took some of the golden leaves from his own and passed them to Qi Xiu.


    These currencies could bring a simple shed and pails of hot congee to nourish the poor.


    Qi Xiu is passionate about helping people, whereas Song Qingyi was one who had to help. Shen Lian just helped occasionally, mainly because Qi Xiu was healing people with the Seal of No Fear only. At a time when she utilized too much, he would teach her some medical skills and diagnosis techniques.


    This would lighten her load to save more people with her limited abilities.


    Qi Xiu could only save these people temporarily, not for life. Yet Shen Lian still recognized her efforts, as there were too many people in this world who would not bother at people in need of help.


    Not to say they were wrong since not all people were saints and compassionate.


    But one had to admit that a person who lent their hand to help others is a good person.


    Shen Lian stood afar alone. It did not snow today, but it was still cold, yet Shen Lian could feel no pain in this chill, not even Xiao Xun, and Qian Mo.


    Those poor people in shabby clothes could feel it though, as they all seek warmth around the fire in the shed.


    Though Shen Lian and co did not feel cold, they still had three separate huts for their own stay. This Qi Xiu could not understand, and Shen Lian explained that even a kind person should not be cruel to their own.


    He thought that being kind to own self would enable one to be kinder to others, and not be kind to others and harsh on themselves. This may not be as noble as how Hui Ke broke his arm, but Shen Lian was just being realistic.


    He merely advised Qi Xiu, and Qi Xiu was very obedient to him.


    Shen Lian thought that he was still one step away from achieving the level of Huan Dan, yet still felt so far. That feeling was like seeing the moon��s reflection in the water, yet he could not touch it.


    The image of the moon in the water was all illusion and without a trace of truth.


    Shen Lian did not know when he could take this step, maybe many years later, at one point, he would suddenly understand like Chen Jianmei, or maybe he would not understand till the end like San Wen Daoren.


    Fire burning from far, the skies covered in stars, the moonlit like an eyebrow. He could hear the breathing sound of Song Qingyi��s medication, and the scripture reading by Qi Xiu, and the noise coming out from the peasant��s huts.


    His senses were getting more and more sensitive, as he could identify, pinpoint and analyze every happening around him.


    These are all non-related to him. Shen Lian had this sudden urge to do something pointless, to put him away from this thought of being stuck in his cultivation.


    In the freezing cold night, he strolled aimlessly. The streets had very few people; all houses�� doors were shut. As he passed by Zhui Xian Ju, it was bustling inside. Shen Lian suddenly felt like drinking wine.


    He rarely drank, the last time he had a heartfelt drink, was the night before he left Shen family to study the path of Daoism. He had a very delightful drinking session with Bai Yufei.


    Shen Lian still remembered Bai Yufei saying, "You are not a very exciting person".


    After all these years, Shen Lian felt that he had gone through some changes, but also unchanged in many ways.


    He was strong-willed, but not as much as Chen Jianmei; he had tenacity, but Hui Ke had even more. But he was still Shen Lian.


    Same old Shen Lian being Shen Lian, he did not stand long in front of Zui Xian Ju, he did not enter either. He wanted to drink wine, but not in a place like this, because the inn was too large, with too many people and too much noise inside.


    Ruo Xi enjoyed the hustle and bustle, whereas Shen Lian loved the quietness.


    Thinking of Ruo Xi, Shen Lian��s urge to drink grew stronger.


    After walking past seven shops later, there was a little inn, which was not closed yet.


    As Shen Lian entered, he became its only customer, without much special treatment of course.


    The wine inn was managed by an old man, looked like he was past sixties, with many wrinkles on his face. He would be considered long-lived amongst the worldly peasants.


    He looked like he still had light feet, just lacked passion, maybe because of his poor business. As to why the business was bad, in the eyes of Shen Lian, the tables and chairs were already old, but old man wiped them clean and kept the inn neat and tidy.


    He ordered a jug of wine and sipped slowly.


    Before the jug was halved, another person entered the shop.


    In this chilly night, the lady��s white folded dress was flowing gracefully. She was pretty like the angel, as her arms were slightly showing, and her skin was very fair. Her body figure��s proportion was obviously the perfect number, and the curves on her chest would cause a man to have compromising thoughts.


    Shen Lian had not seen many ladies more good looking than her and even recognized her.


    He should actually act upon it, but he got lazy.


    She came in slowly, effortlessly twisted her waist. An attractive aroma came attacking, and she sat opposite Shen Lian. Shen Lian saw that this lady was very smiley, with crystal clear eyes, very mesmerizing.


    The lady proceeded to clap her delicate hands, and told the old man, "Old man, please give a small fire stove for me to warm up my wine. Also please give one beef, one white meat, one plate of peanuts, plus two jugs of wine and a cup". The lady��s voice was clear like the mountain streams which hit on the rocks, also similar to that of falling beads and breaking jade, so sweet to the ears.


    The wine and dishes were served fast. It seemed that any badly performing inn would still have wine and dishes on standby.

 Chapter 165 The Thumping Thunders of Winter

    The stove was using wooden charcoal, which production method needed many good materials, but its way of turning into charcoal and the timing control was more important.


    This piece of coal was pure black, obvious use of the "Stop Fire after Closing the Kiln" method. Its wooden structure was still whole, filled with many pores, making it moister, producing a considerable small flame, though not small like a pea. Yet it wouldn��t shoot choking smoke, enabling the little jug to sit on it, intake the heat from the flames and warm up the wine.


    As the timing was right, the wine��s aroma intensified, the lady picked up the jug and with a stream of projectile, poured the wine into Shen Lian��s wine cup, filling the cup perfectly. The steam climbed up and dissipated, covering the lady��s pretty face.


    In the blur, the word "stunning" was not enough to describe her beauty.


    After this ordinary wine was handled through her hands, even its aroma changed, with its smell mixed with a pure sweet aroma.


    Shen Lian gulped it down. He felt thousands of tastes on his tongue, all rushing up, surrounded his tongue tip, tasting like the flavors of life. But the last taste was very refreshing, so cold that it could awake someone from a slumber and not care about any worldly things.


    As Shen Lian finished his wine, his eyes opened bright, he could see her reflection very clearly.


    Seeing Zhao Xiaoyu again, Shen Lian instantly felt that she looked different, with an added sense of human touch, but yet clearly unnatural, quite deliberate. Such act of politeness would signify a favor request, but Shen Lian did not want to know now.


    Hence Shen Lian said straightforwardly, "Never expected to see you tonight. Are you here on purpose or without purpose?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Shen Lian with demise, without a hint of emotion, as if looking at plants without much care. She asked lightly, "Is there any difference?"


    Shen Lian replied, "If you came with an intention, I have to ask you to leave because I do not to do or hear a thing about any business matters."


    Only at this moment, Zhao Xiaoyu��s pretty face had changed. Her rivalry with Shen Lian was all her doing. But she did not regret it, she even still thought that Shen Lian would not attain the Daoism path, even if he had extraordinary potential and mana capacity, or that he originated from ten thousand years of godly ancestry.


    The reason was that Shen Lian��s lack of merciless.


    He was not heartless towards himself, and not even heartless towards others.


    The way of attaining Dao would vanish in a blink. If one was not heartless enough, he might lose this opportunity. For many people, once they lost this change, they would never retrieve it back.


    She would not believe that Shen Lian did not understand this point.


    She sighed lightly, a sigh so soothing that ��its notes circled the slabs endlessly for three days��. She continued, "I really cannot understand you Shen. Why did you help those worthless peasants? If you walked the godly path and earn the faith of the worshippers, may still be convincing, but you obviously weren��t doing. Just like you said, this was not a matter of benefits."


    Shen Lian downed another cup of wine. Zhao Xiaoyu automatically refilled the empty cup. Shen Lian drank, she drank as well. That drinking pose was enough to stunt all men in the world.


    Shen Lian initially did not want to answer this. He just felt lazy to care about benefits today. It didn��t matter whether the person sitting in front was Zhao Xiaoyu or not. Regardless of Zhao Xiaoyu��s intentions, she could not affect him or any sorts today. Ironically, Zhao Xiaoyu was the one who should act upon his intentions.


    He calmly said, "You always think that all beings should be utilized as your tool to attain Dao, you would obviously not understand me. Actually, do you even understand yourself, do you study Daoism to stand higher and see further? Or you really just wanted to be above all beings?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu replied with a smile, "If Shen you are willing to be Daoist partner, no matter who I stand above, you will also be on top of me".


    This sentence was filled with fantasy, and the faintly discernible temptation, if a hundred men heard of this, there would be a hundred men saying yes to this request.


    Shen Lian was also a man, but his heart remained still.


    He had not gone through love, passion, which was why he was still alone and not yearning for those.


    If he really encountered a lady who triggered his heart, he would not avoid either.


    Shen Lian stared at her, "Xiao Yu, a person like you, I dare not and will not be tempted, not because you are not good. Just because you had gone through the feeling of being moved, even you had feelings for someone, what will it be like?" Even if Zhao Xiaoyu was interested in a man, willing to be a Daoist partner with him, it would also be for benefits only, because she felt the need to do so, with no concern of emotions.


    Zhao Xiaoyu kept her smiley expression, turned serious and said, "I will kill him." This was her reply, also her direct reaction, because she did not want others to influence her and shake her intentions.


    Shen Lian said, "Now that is your true nature, whereas I will accept her, attain Daoism and accept things that I like, which is not contradicting. When I pass a mountain, I see a lovely looking flower. Although I will not pluck it, I will still stop my steps for it, stare at it until I got bored or it gets boring, then I will leave".


    That was his thoughts, and would also be because that was Shen Lian.


    Zhao Xiaoyu picked up a piece of peanut and put it into her mouth to chew as if she was thinking about Shen Lian��s words. Shen Lian also picked up a piece of vegetable to eat.


    Not long after, Zhao Xiaoyu asked, "Don��t you think that this is too draggy and a waste of time? One without the strongest urge will not reach the top. Those at the foot of the mountain, and those halfway up the mountain, they are not any different. One has to reach the peak to finally understand that all sacrifices are worth it and meaningful".


    Her eyes were resolute; those eyes were as sharp as a blade ready to cut through everything including herself.


    She had no other means to attain Daoism. Only reaching the peak would create meaning to everything, so she thought. She could not be influenced by anything, could not be shaken by anyone.


    Even if she failed countlessly, even if she encountered other worldly temptations, she would still give it a kick and walk her own path.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I will not argue this point with you. I am also impressed with your resolve. Now I have said what I want to say. Let us drink, if you are still willing to continue with me".


    With their cultivation level, even if they drank a thousand cups instantly, they would not get drunk, yet they still drank slowly cup by cup.


    Slowing heating up the wine, slowly drinking the wine, and feel the taste of wine tingling around their tongues.


    As the sky broke dawn, they had just finished the last cup and final drip of the wine.


    As Shen Lian finished up his last cup, he finally opened his mouth and spoke, "Now can you say why you are here?" It had broken dawn, and Shen Lian was still Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu still Zhao Xiaoyu. Things might stay unchanged, but they both had different viewpoints.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "I want to borrow your Instrument of Virtue. Of course, I will pay an equal price for that." She obviously would not come without purpose. She had her own secret techniques to detect that Shen Lian had this item on him. Virtue was a very precious thing. Most people used it to feel the Dao of the heavens to elevate their realms of cultivation or master certain techniques. Very few people would pass it on to their own instruments as it would be too wasteful.


    Shen Lian replied, "You drank all night with me, so I gave you the opportunity to speak of your intentions, but do you know what I want to do now?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu detected a huge amount of spiritual pressure being emitted from Shen Lian��s body, all charged towards her without any reservations. She did not panic, but she suddenly felt that Shen Lian was acting like certain something, like how the Dao scripture described, ��flowing like water��, as water flew with no set form. Shen Lian did not have a set form of temperament as well, he could be a spring drizzle, or he could be stormy rain. That was who Shen Lian was.


    Flow like water, as water is as close as "Dao". Shen Lian did not have his own path, yet his "Dao" was like water, could either be hard or soft.


    That was why Shen Lian was soft tempered, but very opinioned, and was capable of performing grand acts too. He could even come face to face with multiple trials.


    Water does not cut through obstacles like knives and swords, but instead, it could pass through any pores and cracks. If it was facing a river dam, it would accumulate into a flood and charge forward, like the heavenly river, so unstoppable.


    Zhao Xiaoyu replied deeply, "Are you referring to what happened last time? For that, I can apologize to you and compensate you."


    Shen Lian��s vision fell on her flawless face. As the morning ray fell on Zhao Xiaoyu��s hairpin, her shoulder, and then her crystal clear earlobes, even a sculptor with the best skills would not create such perfect masterpiece.


    Yet his eyes had not a hint of affection. He only replied, "If I am not who you are facing today, will you still negotiate with me?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu clenched her teeth, "No".


    Shen Lian continued, "So you said your intentions, but I will not negotiate. Let us fight it all out today". His eyes were burning, which meant there was no room for negotiation. Zhao Xiaoyu never expected such scenario, because he thought that Shen Lian would have a slight bit of intelligence. With the current situation in Yue Tuo, there must have Daoist masters who were no worse than them. Both of their skills were not far apart, so logically, they should not fight even if they could not come up to speaking terms.


    After all, at this step, due to their similarities in realms, skill levels, if they fought, it might be a matter of life and death. This was not even a fight-or-die battle, so Shen Lian was being pointless here.


    Of course, Shen Lian would behave such a way, as if a flood had broken and storms had occurred, this was part of water��s temperaments too.


    He did not have anger; he was only following the course of nature, on how things should be done.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "You are crazy, but I am not".


    She transformed into a white light and disappeared into the morning glow.


    Shen Lian smiled calmly. A gush of little tornado spun around without disrupting any item in the wine inn, and left some money on the table for the wine and dishes.


    The little tornado went out and chased after the white light. Brief moments later, a loud bang was heard from the skies, one after another.


    It was like never ending shots of lightning, so frequent that it could cause a person to have the feeling of their head blown up and numb their scalp. This phenomenon of Winter Thunder and lightning seemed quite impossible.


    The season of spring thunder had not come yet. Many curious came out to look, only to find nothing. They only saw an extra-long white strip whipped across the sky.

 Chapter 166 Lotus Blade

    Banyue Lake transverse both inside and outside of Yue Tuo, it is because of its half-moon shape that it got its name.


    A flash of white light flew past and landed on Banyue Lake, where a good looking lady in white appeared. She was just as Zhuangzi��s ��A Happy Excursion�� put it, ��That on the Miao-ku-yi Mountain there lives a divine one, whose skin is white like ice or snow, whose grace and elegance are like those of a virgin1��.


    Chao Xiaoyu, who like the Miao-ku-yi Mountain��s divine, had a white lotus beneath her feet. Now, there were thick layers of ice covering the entire surface of the Banyue Lake, but just as soon as the white lotus landed on the surface of the ice, a white light emerged. In the blink of an eye, a karst cave appeared on the thick layers of ice, it was so deep that the bottom could not be seen. The radius of the karst cave was three feet wide, it was much bigger than the white lotus. Then, a green carp suddenly leaped out from the waters but it did not expect that it would be on thick ice


    Landing on the frozen surface of the lake, the green carp did not stop thrashing around but it still could not return to the melted hole, into the cold but essential to its survival lake water.


    Chao Xiaoyu looked at this green carp with indifference, there was not a hint of pity on her facial expression. There were countless creatures being annihilated and newly born in every moment in this world. It is as though there is a line between life and death.


    Just like her now, she was also between life and death and on a line. But she was not this carp, she has the makings to fight for her right to continue living.


    She did not continue with her escape because there it was not necessary. Shen Lian was no longer the Shen Lian from Shendu. Even when there is not much changes to his temperament, his supernatural powers had already hiked up a lot.


    When Shen Lian wants to have a fight with her, there is no use to go to the ends of the Earth. Once this person had set his mind on doing something, he would definitely want to do it.


    However, Chao Xiaoyu did not regret her attempt to subdue Shen Lian at Shendu at all. As long as this person could cooperate with her, the result would be better than all of the others from the Nine Lotus Secret Order combined. Towards this group of people, she could simply let go of the believers and the backbones of the congregation anytime and even establish and train them again anytime.


    Like the lush grass on the plains, for years, they wither, thrive and get reborn2.


    In the farthest region, a hurricane came sweeping down and landed a hundred feet away from Chao Xiaoyu. It was Shen Lian who had come.


    He did not even bother to cover up his overbearing mana, the Taixu Divin Qi was contained within, but the coagulated Qi of Vitality came sweeping, strength dissipating out from it. The layers of ice splintered and disintegrated inch by inch.


    A steady stream of Qi of heaven and earth collected outside of Shen Lian��s body. Chao Xiaoyu��s clothes started to poppled towards Shen Lian. With Shen Lian as the center, it was as though the entire Qi of heaven and earth could feel his calling.


    Afterwards, once it has reached a limit, Shen Lian suddenly made a move and a wave of ripples dispersed and the lake water rippled. The light of the daytime fell on the ice, the lake water. It sparkled brightly like uncountable shattered pieces of stars, turning this lake into a brilliant Milky Way.


    The white lotus under Chao Xiaoyu��s feet rose and fell, giving her an ethereal mystique.


    Shen Lian was different. With the chaos dispersed, his slanted straight eyebrows were fierce, the delicate and fine aura on his forehead already disappeared completely, as though the sword aura had broken out from him and towered towards the sky. It caused the stars to lose its shine and the mountains and valleys shook.


    The strong and absolute power and influence of it were like a peerless swordsman, showing his talents.


    He was different from Chen Jianmei. Chen Jianmei is all about one sword one person.


    Shen Lian is all about driving the sword through the person, to drive the sword with a shape, to drive the sword of the mind and spirit and to drive the sword of the Qi of heaven and earth.


    He simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back a hundred feet away. The abundant sword aura in the sky and the land never got cut off. His light blue Dao robes were like the deep and wide blue sky, with unfathomable meaning, it was as though the undefeated celestial monster had descended to the mortal world.


    He came to the mortal and he needs to do the things he wanted to do and no one could stop him at all.


    Chao Xiaoyu felt the uncouth disposition from Shen Lian, which caused a disturbance within her. She was even puzzled on what did Shen Lian do to have this immense change. As though a fighting saint had appeared.


    She did not understand and even did not have extra state of mind to give it a guess.


    Shen Lian��s eyes were deep and quiet, as though countless births and deaths took place within, the massacre of life and death followed as a matter of course of the natural law. If he wanted to kill Chao Xiaoyu, it was him doing the heavens a justice, like how the Gods would send massive floods as warnings to the people. Even if you died, you could not blame him.


    Even when Shen Lian had this earth-shaking power and influence, Chao Xiaoyu still dared to stare straight at Shen Lian. For these two, the hundred feet distance was as though they were standing in front of each other.


    There was light in Chao Xiaoyu��s eyes. It was not daylight but an indescribable gaze. It was as though her psyche had reached its peak and her eyes could brighten everything in the dark, there was no need for starlight and moonbeam, there was even no need for fire or campfire.


    This was the spirit condensed by her through the Book of Nine Lotus, it was a physical example of her spirit reaching a peak.


    In the beginning, there was Dao, and the Dao was with the gods. 3[3]


    Even though the path of Shen was outside the normal family, but Shen itself was at the same level as Dao.


    The indifference from ruling over the beings of the world came from her gaze, it was merciless and absolutely ruthless.


    The white lotus beneath Chao Xiaoyu disappeared. To be more precious, it did not disappear per say but a nine petal lotus appeared on her smooth back like a pair of wings. It caused her to float in midair and while she moved simultaneously, her speed was so fast that it was beyond comprehension.


    The instrument had mingled with her mind and spirit, as though it was a part of her own flesh and blood. It was hard to separate the two and it could take the form of the shape she wanted at a thought.


    One of the ten-petal loti flew out and landed on Chao Xiaoyu��s jade-like exquisite hand.


    There was a blade in her hand that was made out of lotus petals, with the galaxy like glow pulsating through it. The Qi dynamic of the two clashed continuously. The sky darkened shortly as uncountable black clouds began to gather. It soon returned to darkness at the break of daylight.


    The dark clouds did not come so randomly. With the two powerful cultivators brazenly waiting for each other��s momentum to climb to new heights while at the same time, the Qi dynamic continuously tangled, it was natural to cause such an air flow of the wind and clouds in this universe.


    This was known as ��Sympathic of the Gods and Humans�� in Daoism, it was a sign of the cultivators reaching a degree of being with one with the universe.


    If it was the spiritual pressure given out by an extremely tyrannical demon king, it would be very scary when traveling because it was the demon fog that blocked the sun and sky, covering everything, unlike how Shen Lian and Chao Xiaoyu was causing the black clouds to gather together slowly.


    There was a distinct hum when the blade appeared, as though there were endless soundings of strings vibrating through the Qi of Vitality and the lake waters. Almost at the same moment, Chao Xiaoyu and Shen Lian both disappeared.


    Because it was too fast, the human eyes already could not see clearly, which gave the effect that these two had disappeared.


    On the rippling lake waters, there was a rising water pillar in the middle of the shattered ice pieces, which devoured the ice. It then dispersed into endless amounts of little water droplets as it sprayed in a direction. Before it even landed into the lake, it was melted by another strength into more finely and closely water droplets, which later became a thick fog and it coagulated on top of the lake water.


    The white fog spread continuously, covering tens of acres of the lake water, even including the shore of the lake, covering the willow trees entirely.


    There were rays of sunlight that penetrated through the black clouds, as though wanting this Banyue Lake to not be this gloomy.


    But this bit of light was nowhere near the starlights or moonbeams, it could not get rid of the thick fog.[1] For those interested, the full translated version of this can be found on http://www.24en.com/p/42750.html.[2] ��������ԭ�ϲ�,�������,�������� is modified from Bai Juyi(�׾���)��s poem ��Farewells from Grassland��(�x�ù�ԭ���̈́e)Reference borrowed from John 1:1 of the Bible but I used dao instead of the words to fit this context.

 Chapter 167 Unhindered Sword Aura

    From time to time, there would be a sonic boom that explodes through the thick white fog and the fog would then gather together.


    Within this instance, Shen Lian and Chao Xiaoyu had come to grips many times.


    There was a crisp humming of the blade appearing in midair, and suddenly it resounded through the entire surface of the lake. The groaning of the sword was unending amongst this ever going blade sounds.


    It then resumed to silence as Chao Xiaoyu and Shen Lian remained in mid-air. The thick fog and dark sky could not block both their line of gaze.


    The pair��s gaze became brighter and then it condensed into a physical substance that extended into the physical world. It hit against each with shock within the thick fog.


    Because the two��s ��shen�� had surpassed the usually Huandan cultivators, they were the rare ones who were strong. They actually reproduced the result of Chen Jianmei and monk Baoguang��s confronting gaze, which aroused a lightning-like spark at the same time. Since the white fog was spreading continuously, as though weaving a big electric network with Shen Lian and Chao Xiaoyu being two individual hubs in this electric network.


    "Shen Lian, there is no need for you and I to duel to the death. The confrontation we had is just right. You can also feel that if this continues, the best results would be neither side wins."


    Chao Xiaoyu spoke softly. She still treasured her life. Furthermore, there was no benefit to her to win. If it meant that Shen Lian could change his mind with her admitting her mistake and defeat, she was more than happy to do so.


    Therefore, from a certain sense, she is a simple person. The simpler the person is, the scarier they are.


    It is like when the ever-changing moves are then refined into a few moves when it is being used, there is almost no stopping it and it was also hard to find flaws in it.


    Shen Lian��s Dao robes fluttered. The cloud-like fog under his feet gathered and dispersed, dispersed and gathered again. It was as though there was a spray of a tornado of air flow which made his form appeared to be at ease. But if one noticed his facial expression, there was an unexplainable excitement on it, which filled his temperament with a sense of contradiction and complication. He borrowed the dissatisfaction from when Chao Xiaoyu trounced him in Shendu and transformed it into his desire to do battle while combining it with the sword will of the grand master.


    He finally controlled this sword will and understood the prospect of taking a life.


    Killing a life was not the path of the demon, but it was doing the universe a favor by getting rid of vile spawn and the grievances of the living creatures. How could it blind his inner heart? He would not have given that young man in bloodied clothes to strike again if he was to kill Xiao Shiyi again.


    This desire to do battle started with Chao Xiaoyi so it should end with her, which they can only cause Shen Lian to regain inner peace.


    Now, he had already forgotten about the worries of life and death. He only wanted to have a simple and direct fight for once.


    So far, this has been one of the moments where he vigorously desires to do battle, even though the other was a female.


    Shen Lian, filled with confidence, said, "Do not think of other things. If you even slightly hold back, whatever hard work you put in this lifetime would be for naught."


    Chao Xiaoyu sighed softly and with the change of her facial expression, there was no more emotion appearing on it. She was cold like a god as she watched from above.


    She was not Chao Xiaoyu but a god that is worshiped by many. Like in the beginning of time, she is everlasting and established, even indestructible.


    Chao Xiaoyu waved the lotus blade in her hand and a bright light exploded from her body, as though the gods wanted to punish Shen Lian. The knife sliced through the air and the sounding of stringing rang through the air, heavenly sounds like a Buddhist chant. It was unknown where it began or where it ended.


    If there was an end, it would be the blade taking Shen Lian��s life.


    There was a concentrated of Qi and spirit in this blade, it was absolutely terrifying to a point. Even though it came in a straight line, the pressure that it produced churred through the air and came squeezing down on Shen Lian. This caused his mind and spirit to vibrate while his body experienced immense pressure.


    Shen Lian still remained empty-handed, he did not use the Xuande sword.


    He chanted out loud and crossed the horizon, "Strolling the mountains of Hubei in the morning, traveling to Cangwu in the evening, subduing the green snake in my sleeves has given me courage."1 His flocket moved like a green snake, his facial expression was serene and his vigor that could cross the four seas showed.


    From his flocket, there were uncountable sword auras, which were Chi, Cheng, Huang, Bai, Qing, Lan, Zi, Hei, flew out like snakes and lingered in midair all of a sudden. Chao Xiaoyu together with the blade was about to slice through the air and end Shen Lian, but within the blink of an eye, she was surrounded by all sorts of sword auras which represented Tian, Di, Shan, Ze, Feng, Lei, Shui and Hui. The many sword auras all surged together and wanted to grind her to pieces.


    These sword auras were traces and they moved in a strange pattern. They existed between shapes and shapelessness as it changed over and over again, there was no way to fully grasp the rule of it.


    The eight Qi moved together which naturally caused a change in the flow of the surrounding. With the sky and land as both swords holding onto the yin and yang. There were the vastness of the sky and the heaviness of the ground, followed by feng, lei, shui, huo, shan, ze. They emerged from nothingness and within this chaos formed a perfect Qi dynamic, even if they had exterminated some of it, it was still fine.


    Chao Xiaoyu could not help but admire him. What qualifications did Shen Lian had to blend these two supernatural powers of the dao techniques into one and could perfectly interpret the abstruse theory of the evolution of the universe.


    While she does admire him, she did not let her guard down either. If the sky stops me, then I shall break the sky. If the ground blocks me, then I shall hack it open. AS long as there are obstacles in this world, it would disappear with a swing of the blade.


    The churr in midair never stopped and with the gleam from the blade lit up half of sky all of a sudden. The gleam of the blade appeared on Shen Lian��s face, highlighting his features.


    No matter how serene he was, his expression still showed some hanges.


    The gleam of the blade came from the sky and suddenly blanketed the ten directions2 [2].


    With Chao Xiaoyu as the center, the gleam of the light exploded violently, as though a round ball had burst open. Countless fine and closely woven Qi of the blade were uniform and without a mistake, it went head on with Shen Lian��s ��Being and non-being sword aura��. No matter whether the sword auras were real or unreal, no matter whether they were shaped or shapeless, the Qi of the blade collided with the sword aura as it passed through.


    Chao Xiaoyu overbearing consciousness was fully shown at this moment. She was able to control this sharp and decisive blow and produce countless Qi of the blade while letting it burst out to her surroundings.


    Shen Lian��s brows crinkled. His Dao robes swayed as he reached out with one hand in midair and grabbed onto something, as though he was tightening a fist.


    Those sword auras that had not been destroyed compiled themselves together and with a haughty dragon roar, it spiraled in front of Shen Lian like a giant dragon.


    The blade that was transformed from the lotus lost its bright white lights after the explosion of the Qi of the blade. The smooth body of the blade showed, as though it was a masterpiece by the divines that many would be willing to die for. The blade pointed directly at Shen Lian in midair while it remained in front of Chao Xiaoyu.


    The two gaze met again but it was not as intense as before. However, the excitement on Shen Lian��s face did not show signs of decreasing.


    His eyes were clear. His pupils spun and later became oval. It became an exceptionally sharp stiletto. The gleam of the blade was displayed, the sword will be biting cold. Following his spiritual consciousness, it exploded into Chao Xiaoyu��s bier.


    This was the Deity Vanqushing Sword that had not been used by Shen Lian for a long time. Furthermore, this Dao technique had also undergone a massive change.


    As for Shen Lian, he wanted to change his method to settle the score with Chao Xiaoyu. ���α���ĺ����,�������ߵ����� is a verse taken from The Three Drunk Times in Yueyang (��������), a music composition for the qin. It sounds way cooler in the original text.ʮ������ The ten directions (north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above and below)

 Chapter 168 Birthless

    Many years ago, the Deity Vanquishing Sword has always been one of Shen Lian��s strongest means. Its directness in attacking the spirit was as though it would tear apart all of the protection and everyone would be brawling barely. Those who are strong would win but even with that victory, because of the blows received on the body, the victor would also suffer from injuries.


    Some say that the fastest thing in the universe is not light but the thoughts of the human mind. At the movement of a thought, the barrier in space could be ignored.


    Shen Lian turned his spiritual consciousness into a sword, as though this gleam of the blade had existed since the beginning of time, and vehemently stabbed right into Chao Xiaoyu��s mind.


    Like the movement of a thought, it was so rapid that she could not even react at all.


    Chao Xiaoyu was the deity, so Shen Lian had to vanquish that deity.


    The ��Deity Vanquishing Sword�� was born to vanquish deity.


    He no longer needed to have his entire spirit to leave his body when using the deity vanquishing sword this time, it was also not simply the power of the Yin spirit. With the spiritual consciousness and the sword will combine, it produced something that is between the spirit and the spiritual consciousness.


    Shen Lian suddenly had an understanding, in his mind, he called it as ��sword consciousness��. The sword would be the sword will of the grandmaster Yuanqing, consciousness would be from oneself. This was a different feeling from the Yin spirit leaving the body. Even though the Yin spirit was real and condensate, but it would still really fragile compared to the flesh. Consciousness was like the ultimate condensation of the power of the spirit, it could almost become a substance. Like the most ordinary charcoal, after going through immense pressure and by chance, its quality changed and it becomes a diamond that is can be all conquering.


    The fundamental elements of the diamond and charcoal are the same but it is its structure that underwent a miraculous transformation that could turn rotten and foul to the rare and ethereal.


    This transition was like the changes of the layers in life, it was also like the ape had suddenly evolved into a man.


    The sword consciousness was a thought, it could jump around and move. Now that Shen Lian was using the sword consciousness as his eyes, he had entered a universe. The surroundings were a borderless huge world with a lotus throne in the center. The lotus has a total of nine petals, the number nine being the ultimate number of the universe. To be more precise, the world has ��nine�� Daoist techniques and supernatural powers, it describes part of the dictum of the universe.


    Only by understanding the abstruse of the universe, then can one be detached from the universe.


    People are born and they die in this universe, in this cage. For many years, they could not break free of it. Those who pursued Dao wants to leave this cage. Like the bird in a cage, even though there are no worries while being in the cage, but the world outside of the side is what it would strive for.


    Chao Xiaoyu sat crossed legged on top of the lotus throne, she was clad in a plain white dress skirt and she was graceful. It was as though watching the true embodiment of the Bodhi in the deity��s ultimate teachings for people to worship and for the Bodhi to command the fate of this world.


    Shen Lian was no longer a human but a sword. Since the beginning of time till now, the gleam of the blade had never been extinguished as it vibrated continuously. It is beyond the horizon but it is also so close within distance.


    Within Chao Xiaoyu��s mind, this distance was not measurable like how it would be in reality.


    This distance, when far and high up, would be like the sun and moon. When it is near and close, it would be like lovers.


    Chao Xiaoyu can clearly feel an extremely sharp breath that disregards the barrier in space, which caused her to be extremely uncomfortable.


    In this psyche world, she is the god. She is the Goddess of Mercy, she is the dharma character of the ninth level of the lotus bier. The dharma character originally did not have a name but because of Chao Xiaoyu, it got named ��Chao Xiaoyu��. This was transformed from her divinity. The divinity is like a kindling material and the streams of pilgrims are like a pile of firewood. Once there is enough firewood, the divinity will light it up which would then become the divine fire. To build the divine country, she was no longer the divine for herself but the divine for the masses. She could also become the Dao and domineer over the masses.


    Chao Xiaoyu was emotionless when she saw this gleam of the sword that suddenly came from this universe to destroy every living creature, she then lifted a finger.


    With this lift of the finger, it expanded without limit and it covered the sky and land. It was like it had the flavor of chaos on it, which caused people to lose their senses. This is the ��Wusheng finger��. It is the wisest art of the Nine Lotus book. Legend has it that while Maitreya Buddha was attaining enlightenment under the longhua tree and he got it by accident. By that time, there were countless sky demons that came to invade and to destroy the enlightenment Maitreya Buddha had attained. Maitreya Buddha��s mind stirred and he lifted one finger, transforming the countless demons to its source, making it birthless and beginningless.


    Chao Xiaoyu would not be able to use this lost art in the real world but within this psyche world, she was as close as to being a god which allowed her to use it.


    As long as the power of her psyche was not exhausted, she was the deathless and beginningless deity that could not be defeated forever.


    No matter how strong Shen Lian was, he probably could not surpass her in spirit. Furthermore, this was her home court. The finger could not be stopped as it came, space was like the thin window paper, breaking with just a touch. Once the window paper broke, there was no light but darkness. The darkness that consumed all light.


    However, the sword consciousness that Shen Lian wielded suddenly vanished. It vanished within Chao Xiaoyu��s mind. If it was in the real world, Shen Lian��s sword aura could simply change between being shaped and shapeless. Chao Xiaoyu did not find it strange for the world did not lack in Dao techniques and supernatural powers that could erase one��s traces. Just the ones she knew were more than ten kinds.


    But to be able to do what Shen Lian did, to be able to hide from her in her mind was simply indescribable.


    It could be said that it was enough to deceive the sky and sea.


    Chao Xiaoyu frowned a little, the ever-expanding Wusheng finger suddenly halted and then countless lotus flowers bloomed. In that instance, it filled the littered the midair. If there was a saying for it, it would be that with the lotus flower in all directions of the world, Buddha��s breath can be found at every corner.


    Now, Shen Lian��s sword consciousness was partly hidden and partly shown in these lotus flowers, its presence was vague.


    The track that it waved through was like a divine dragon without leaving a track. But because of the lotus flowers, its form was involuntarily forced to be shown.


    The white lotus flowers were like seas of clouds. The sword aura wielded by Shen Lian was like the divine dragon swimming through the sea of clouds. Even though the clouds obeyed the dragon, it also showed the tracks of the dragon. Chao Xiaoyu��s indifferent expression that was like the gods now had a faint smile on it. The finger became a palm, it was like a huge black cloud that suddenly appeared amongst the white clouds. It really stood out. The grey air flow was vague and the palm was like the claw of the legendary golden-winged Garuda bird.


    This legendary bird ate dragons as food and with its wing could span up to 90,000 miles.


    After the finger had become a palm, the entire space had become a lot darker and Chao Xiaoyu��s figure had become a lot fader. Many of the white lotus flowers disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    This was due to the power of the psyche being taken out from the mind to be used to condense and defeat Shen Lian��s sword consciousness.


    Shen Lian now was like the assassin that infiltrated the heart of the enemy��s capital by himself to take the head of the ruling king. He had a gigantic gut but he was also in peril.


    The sword aura did not evade the incoming claw, the groaning of the sword was like the angry tides of the sea, resonating throughout Chao Xiaoyu��s mind.


    Accompanying the sound and long groan, the sword aura expanded continuously and it became a giant sword that could hold up the skies. It pierced the giant claw with great determination. The sword aura now showed its killing essence, as though it was condensed from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. In one swift, the sword aura vibrated and like the Milky Way, it came in tide after tide.


    The endless sword aura came in like the ocean tides, vehemently piercing through Chao Xiaoyu��s palm.


    Simultaneously, it broke through space as though it was paper mache.

 Chapter 169 Receive and Dispatch by the Spiri

    Within this moment, there was no word to describe the brilliance of the sword aura. The quiet and lonely artistic prospect permeated in the endless sword aura. There were the occasional fierce experience and the breath of massacre mixed within, like the clear flood waters. Even though it did not have that monstrous power and influence, but the overflowing water was still enough to cause shock one to the core.


    The giant palm was condensed from Chao Xiaoyu��s majority psyche power, it was also within her psyche mind. Originally, unless it was those masters who were one thread away from powang, the rest would be hard to find such appalling psyche power.


    Chao Xiaoyu sat steadily on the lotus throne, like the true body of the Goddess of Mercy as she plainly saw the sword of aura came invading. It was as though the emotionless expression had predicted that victory was hers to hold.


    Shen Lian��s intention to meet her palm that was condensed by most of her psyche power on a narrow road was truly arrogant.


    However, what followed next was that there were changed on the quiet expression where a stunned look was shown.


    The chilling and quiet sword aura with the fierce experience hidden in it had a lingering charm that is detached from this world. It is as though it wants to restrain all the living being of this universe and they all deserve to be eliminated by it. In the end, the ��wusheng�� by Chao Xiaoyu did not really have the true path and meaning of ��wusheng��. She still existed, since there is a birth, then naturally it would be extinguished. The highest intention of wusheng lies in not being born, not existing.


    Chao Xiaoyu had only gotten the form but did not really understood the true meaning of ��wusheng��. Or it could be said that she knew about it but could not do it, even in the psyche world.


    There are some things you know but cannot imagine it out. Or perhaps it is wrong once it is imagined because there is no reference.


    The endless grey air flow spun around the giant palm, it had the highest and biggest immensity but when it faced the chilling and quiet killing intention within the sword aura, it did not put up any fight, like how the snow and ice immediately melt once it meets the warm sun. There was no resistance.


    The grey air flow dissipated like dust and the illusion of the giant palm was broken.


    The quietness of the space was mercilessly broken by the sword aura. Suddenly, time seemed to stop, or it could be said that it had lost its original meaning.


    Once the giant pam was stabbed and its illusion was vanquished, the sword aura did not even stop as it made its way to Chao Xiaoyu.


    Its thorns were absolute and cold, its martial power was brilliant as it brought along a merciless indifference that was there since the beginning of time, causing the entire mind to be plunged into this chill.


    While Chao Xiaoyu was shaken to the core, she did not lose her bravery to fight back.


    The lotus throne that she was sitting on now had a nine petal lotus flower flew out. One petal after another petal fought against the sword aura, which slowed it down but it could not stop it. The nine petal lotus resisted for a moment before it was broken by the absolute thorn of the sword aura.


    The lotus flower was smashed into little bits of petals and it scattered around, like a beautiful painting. The sword aura, however, did not stop and finally sliced on to Chao Xiaoyu��s body.


    Chao Xiaoyu only felt her consciousness being weakened continuously as she was a blur.


    Afterwards, the long groaning of the sword was left inside her mind, which was exactly like the time she was in the mountains of the martial sect. The waterfalls of a thousand feet were like the galaxy being hung upside down. The never-ending thundering of the waters resounded in her mind and was so much better than any music piece that could move people, which made it hard for her to forget.


    In a sudden, the sword aura disappeared and the pain stopped. Back in reality, there were streaks of fresh blood at the corners of Chao Xiaoyu��s lips. The lotus blade that was in midair was really dim, like her complexion that was slightly paled.


    Shen Lian��s Dao robes swayed in the wind and the sword aura in front of him had already disappeared. He calmly and serenely studied her without that fierce and formidable sword aura. He looked fully at ease, his eyes were gentle and warm with a jade-like shine to it, which was one out of this world.


    Chao Xiaoyu now felt that Shen Lian��s temperament was like the mountain after the rain, it was clean and without dust. In her mind, a saying resounded, ��a person can dirty the water, the water cannot dirty the person, the water comes and goes, there is no dust within it��.


    The fierce and formidable slaughter of the sword will have melted into Shen Lian��s spiritual consciousness, like the impurities that had fallen into the water. As the water flows it is being washed away. Ultimately, it cannot change the clear properties of the flowing water.


    Shen Lian now had walked on the different path as Chen Jianmei. Chen Jianmei saw the meaning of the Dharma by grandmaster Qingyuan and got inspired. He had gotten the dharma and forgotten about it. It is like when Buddha picked up the flower and Kassapa smiled. Even though it was passed down from the same origin, but who could say that what Kassapa got is entirely the will of Buddha?


    This cannot be said, it could be said clearly. It also could not be stated with understanding, only Kassapa knew in his mind.


    Chen Jianmei was exactly like this by creating his own dharma. If he could outdo his master even though he did not know that he could but it was already wrong even though it appeared to be right. It is said that it is then it is when it is said it is not then it is not. However, he would not be confined to the path of grandmaster Qingyuan. He could only follow the grandmaster��s way but could not surpass him, becoming a craftsman that would do things routinely without thinking.


    Shen Lian did not have Chen Jianmei��s brilliance but he combined the sword will with his own being. However, it was not his nature that actively melted into this sword will. He understood the true meaning of the slaughter which made the sword will to combine with the anger within his nature.


    Like the many changing forms of water, there is the monstrous power of the flood waters and then there was the peaceful flow of the water, which caused the sword will to not be able to control him but only become a form to his original ��dao��.


    He did not vanquish and kill Chao Xiaoyu was exactly his control over the essence of the slaughter, indulgence does not mean impudicity. The freedom that a cultivator has does not mean that one can have no restrictions of any kind but to be able to restrain oneself from being controlled by certain emotions and committing actions that would go against one��s nature.


    Shen Lian finally understood the last step to complete the dan path. Like the filled qi water container 1[1] that would overflow, one must be able to keep in balance when being filled and making oneself be able to receive and dispatch freely so that one would not skew to a side and be overflowed. Doing the opposite would mean failure on the verge of success.


    Shen Lian smiled faintly at Chao Xiaoyu with both his hand clasped behind his back. He flew to Chao Xiaoyu��s side and the lotus blade put some distance between itself and him as though it was spooked.


    Chao Xiaoyu watched as Shen Lian went further away. This was a massive blow to her in her entire life. This was not the difference in capability but her second guessing towards her path.


    Why did she had such a big heart for the pursuit of Dao and had such rapid progression but still could not compare to Shen Lian?


    During the first encounter, if Shen Lian were to fight to the death, she would still have a 70 percent certainty that she could win. Then, during the battle in the imperial city, even when Shen Lian had a breakthrough and she was heavily injured, she would still feel that Shen Lian was nothing more than a powerful enemy. Furthermore, there was not a true Dao fight between the two of them so their conflict would not be considered formidable.


    This was also why she felt that she could convince Shen Lian to lend her the merit instrument. After all, Shen Lian still had a breakthrough in the end and did not suffer any injuries in the end.


    This time, Chao Xiaoyu would not have guessed that someone like Shen Lian would still remember about that incident and not even give her the chance to state her conditions. During their second life and death duel, Shen Lian did not really take her seriously and dared to hone himself between life and death. At the same time, Shen Lian��s true intention was made clear, he did not want revenge but only treated her as a whetstone.


    Afterwards, he was able to freely receive and dispatch. While he was able to defeat her and scarred her, which would be considered somewhat of a retaliation for what happened before, and then leave gracefully, showing that he did not want to have anything to do with her anymore. This thoroughly presented his methods, aspirations and his tolerance that was different than the tackiness of the world, while simultaneously made Chao Xiaoyu be able to really comprehend Shen Lian as a person clearly.[1] ��� is an ancient water container that easily slanted and overflowed. It would slant if there is little water, enough water it would stand straight and when it��s full it would overflow.

 Chapter 170 To Believe Firmly, Even Until Now

    In the end, Shen Lian did not cause her death but did not lend her the merit instrument either. If there was still some sort of connection, it would be Chao Xiaoyu not being able to reconcile.


    Shen Lian felt that he had nothing to do with Chao Xiaoyu, the karma has been broken off.


    His temper, of course, was not one to kill your entire family in a disagreement. Even with the grandmaster Qingtuan��s sword having the peerless fierce and formidable killing intention, it still could not influence Shen Lian��s mind.


    Shen Lian felt that it was already not easy for a person to come to this world, why is there a need to belittle someone else��s life?


    There were many eyes that peeked at Shen Lian from the shadows. Now, he was refreshed and noticed it clearly with a smile on his face as he allowed those people to mouse about him.


    Any divine thoughts that reached within three feet of him would feel like it had trespassed into the clouds of smoke of the heavens where it could hardly detect anything. Of course, if the prying came from an immortal, that would all just be crazy talk.


    The nine states of cultivation are still fundamentally a part of cultivation even when it reached the school of the celestials and Buddhism. Even though it still could be considered as a cultivator, but the nature of life had changes happening already.


    Even when Shen Lian did not experience this differences, he still knew that it was on a whole other plainfield.


    Furthermore, to surpass a state for the sake of winning did not have any meaning to him. He cultivated because he wanted a long life, not to destroy the world.


    To have strength is to protect oneself and not destroy others.


    Shen Lian, with his hands clasped behind his back, flew to the place that he was staying now, which was also the location where the refugees were being housed. Just now while he fought Chao Xiaoyu, the heaven and earth shook but it did not use too much time. Song Qingyi and Qi Xiu could feel that something unnatural was happening at Banyue lake and they did not go over. This was because the surge of the Qi of vitality was too extreme, they were unsuited to go or else they would have caused trouble.


    Song Qingyi saw Shen Lian flew in and was a little stunned, he did not think that Shen Lian was not here.


    Only just a night of not seeing him, it was as though Shen Lian was a changed person. Even though there were no changes to his looks, but just by simply standing, he had a dominating air and hidden moral character that resembled the graceful bearing of the great masters.


    Before that, Shen Lian was like a sharp sword that did not show its sharpness, the formidable ones were able to tell that he was also formidable but they could not tell just how formidable and scary he was.


    But the Shen Lian now was like an unsheathed sword for people to admire, there was no piercing sharpness but anyone would know that this sword was able to slice through steel like mud.


    This feeling was like the wise teachers that educated the masses, they stood out in the crowd but they were not loud, which only makes one to spontaneously have a respect for them.


    He walked over and asked, "My Dao friend, Shen Lian, you already completed huandan?"


    Shen Lian smiled as he replied, "I have already gotten the dan path, but have not huandan."


    He borrowed the sharpness of grandmaster Qingyuan��s sword will, gotten the immortality of it and he was able to receive and dispatch freely, honing away the fierce formidableness of it. He was already someone who had entered Dao but not yet completed it.


    Huandan was to be the Yin Spirit Floating Clouds. Both the form and mind become one while it mingled with the universe, priming waves of Qi of vitality. With the rage of the storms and the tempering from the forces of the heaven and earth, one begins to transform oneself. From the beginning of this step, one could truly go against odds to become a celestial.


    This was also why the huandan zhenren has a title, which is called ludizhenxian. The ludi zhenxian is not dixian. Dixian is the official term for the immortals by Xuanmen.


    Ludi zhenxian was just proof that a huandan cultivator had the characteristics of a divine celestial. The biggest advantage was the 800 years extension to one��s lifespan.


    As written in the Daoist scriptures, ��regulate the breathing, out with the old and in with the new, imitate the hanging of the bear and the stretching of the bird, for the sake of life only; this is the guiding technique of this undertaking, the art of self-cultivation, the kind of people like ancestor Peng and the Changchun people love.1"


    Therefore, Ludi zhenxian are not truly the divine celestials or Buddhas since they are still confined to the level of practicing their Qi and honing their form. They could only extend their lifespan and not live for eternity. To be able to extend 800 years is only an estimated numbered, if the source of it is studied, it would probably be from the phrase ��the kind of people like ancestor Peng and the Changchun people love��. Ancestor Peng was the man of legends and not of celestials or Buddhas. Shen Lian had heard the legend of this man before in his previous life, the one thing that was most memorable was that this person had lived 800 years.


    Actually, many huandan cultivators did not live till 800, either they had already powang, or that they were trapped in state and could not find a way out, finally wasting their divine Qi and died.


    Just like how the ordinary human could rarely live till they die in bed.


    Song Qiyi saw the leisure expression of Shen Lian and really admired him. Even though he was under Lu Jiuyan��s tutorage, but to reach huandan this point, without absolute assurance, even Lu Jiuyan could not directly send him to venture through it.


    Ultimately, it could be said that all that Shen Lian needed is a quiet place to retreat for confinement, with the coming together of essence and spirit to thoroughly enter the huandan state.


    As for Shen Lian��s divine qi, it looked like that he had completely opened his closed orifices, there was no obstacles at all.


    The scary part was that even when he already had one feet in, he was still able to have one feet staying outside. To be able to receive and dispatch so freely, this calm state of mind was truly scary than him going into huandan.


    He saw Song Qingyi��s facial expression and Shen Lian leisurely walked over. He patted him on the shoulder and sad slowly, "Don��t worry, that day will come for you."


    Song Qigyi sighed, "I hope so, now that I��ve seen you today, I am afraid I cannot let my emotions recover."


    Shen Lian answered with a smile, "Do not be this way, I ravenously breakthrough, now all I want is to say my goodbyes to you all."


    Song Qingyi was confused as he said, "Since you could restrain yourself and be struck at a junction point, why not directly return to Qingxuan there for huandan? No one would disturb you."


    Shen Lian answered, "I would still need to return to the sect but not now. Furthermore, I am waiting for my own huandan. There would be an uproar of abstruse noise from the heaven and earth, disturbing the five elements and the yin and yang during the sympathetic of gods and humans. How could the ordinary cause such disturbance?"


    Song Qiyi knew what Shen Lian said had its reasons. To be able to achieve huandan by oneself means that those who entered Dao, unlike the demons who undergoes transformation and the divine thunder trials, tallying with the abstruse of the heavens and earth, during the moment of huandan and sympathetic of gods and humans where one is temporarily blended with the heaven and earth. It cannot be overstated that that time would be when the huandan cultivator is most powerful before having achieved longevity. That temporary understanding of the state where man is one with the heaven was also one of the rarer experience. Therefore, those who used external alchemy and celestial elixir does not produce their own ��dao��, which could not tally with the abstruse of heaven and earth. Not only there is danger during huandan but there is a lacking of that understanding, that is why the huandan would stop at the fifth turn.


    The reason why using the top grade celestial elixir is able to help people to achieve the seventh turn, eighth turn and even the ninth turn, was because there is some true meaning of Dao in it which the cultivators could directly transform for their own usage.


    This time, Xiuqi came over and heard that Shen Lian wanted to seek a breakthrough. He was happy but at the same time, he was still quite reluctant to part with him. Song Qingyi was like the caring brother and Shen Lian was that teacher, the way he conducted himself was something that was worth learning from Shen Lian. Furthermore, he still remembered the time that his life was saved by Shen Lian.


    Luckily, since everyone was a cultivator, there was not too much sentimental. Furthermore, if everything went well for Shen Lian, he could succeed with his huandan and they could meet again in the future.


    But when they heard Shen Lian said his goodbyes with no restrained, the song was prolonged without a break, it went like this:


    "Like the determined warrior that searched for the treasure sword for twenty years, a few rounds of leaves falling and new branches sprouting, he accidentally watched the blossoming peach blossom, from that moment on till now he did not hesitate anymore.2" [2]


    It had been twenty years since he came to this universe.


    Translator��s Notes:[1] Took reference from http://www.readers365.com/guji/zzyz014.htmThe original poem wrote thirty years instead of twenty years as the author did. This was written by the fifth generation monk, Lingyun Zhiqin, of the late Tang dynasty. (https://baike.google.com/item/��ʮ����Ѱ����)

 Chapter 171 The Four States of Taixu

    Shen Lian too was not sure where should he go in order to search for Huandan. But he was not too concerned because he was in touch with his higher consciousness.


    That time, he genuinely felt that his path ahead was clear.


    Just like what ancient people would say, "Huandan is the key to entering Dao".


    To Shen Lian, there was no secret to Dao. It was more like a paper window that would tear apart once you pierce through it. It was because the Taixu Strategy was initially a supreme dharma that described heaven, earth, and Daoism. On top of that, the newly found clarity was the sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing and that helped him overcome several obstacles.


    Overcoming these hurdles made him the man he was.


    Shen Lian had earned the credentials to go out, discover, and to move forward steadily in this journey of pursuing Dao


    It took him twenty years to achieve Huandan, although he was not the quickest to have accomplished such a feat but his footsteps were extremely solid. From other people''s perspective, his steps were already very swift and he too was proud of his achievements.


    Draped in its beautiful feathers, Qianmo and a silly looking Xiaoxun flew towards Shen Lian and chirped.


    Shen Lian laughed, "Two silly birds, can''t bear to watch me leave."


    Qianmo proudly lifted his head and flew to Shen Lian. It had the look of ''what''s so great about you.''


    Shen Lian looked at the thin figure of Qianmo and sighed, "Unfortunately you''re too skinny and I can''t ride on you."


    Qianmo was proficient in human nature and understood Shen Lians words. It fluttered and attempted to ride on Shen Lian. But Shen Lian was quick to react, making it a failed attempt.


    This slight movement may seem easy but what makes it scary is that Shen Lian has unlocked another level in terms of reaction time. Qianmo''s speed was one of the quickest among the rarest. But Shen Lian was able to react on time and avoided it effortlessly.


    Qianmo was in dazed after the failed attempt. It was not the first time Shen Lian was able to dodge it but this time, he did it so effortlessly, as if Shen Lian already knew that it was about to move and he avoided in advance.


    It was curious and made another attempt. Under broad daylight, there were no shadows at all and the showed how speedy Shen Lian was.


    That time around, Shen Lian too was able to dodge it with ease and he was being a little cheeky by pinching its green feather. After a few failed attempts, Qianmo felt discouraged.


    Shen Liam smiled, "No matter how fast you are, you can conceal your Qi dynamics from me. Before you could move, I already knew your next move. You don''t stand a chance at all in touching me."


    He was not too bothered whether the birds understood his words.


    But Qianmo looked like it understood his words and flapped its wings. Shen Lian sensed danger and stretched one finger that landed on Qianmo''s beak. The beak was only an inch away from his earlobe.


    This bird sure possessed extraordinary talents. It actually could reverse it''s Qi dynamics to invert Yin and Yang. Shen Lian almost fell for that.


    All things possessed Yin and Yang. Just like the principle of wind movement, cold air and warm air had to interflow in order to create wind.


    Therefore if a soul moved, the Yin and Yang in the body will move first.


    Even a skilled Huandan cultivator will not be able to realize this movement but Shen Lian was able to reach such state thanks to the Taixu Strategy.


    The four states of the Taixu Strategy subordinately related as they don''t have any superiority or inferiority against each other. Once one understood the different depths of the four states - ''create, restrain, restrict and destruct'', one could already master it.


    If his founding master Ziling Fairy applied the Taixu Strategy''s ''transform'' word incantation, only a minority of the existing mana in the world will not be affected by it. Generally, most supernatural techniques, strong or weak, were submissive to the Taixu Strategy as the Taixu Strategy could use them to fuel and replenish itself, or even saved it and then returning the techniques later.


    Currently, Shen Lian has mastered the ''restrict'' word incantation. This state was different from ''transform'', and it possessed the power to help one gain insight of the changes in the Qi dynamics of anything that exists in the universe. In fact, the ''restrict'' word incantation may not work as well as the ''transform'' word incantation when confronted with enemies. However, it would show its phenomenal power under extreme circumstances. It was capable of glimpsing through the dynamics of extreme forces and deal with its changes or even destroy it in one blow.


    Equipped with such level of skills, Shen Lian could walk in and out of other Dao schools without worrying too much about being trapped.


    In other words, the Taixu Strategy was the Law of Detachment and also the Law of Guardian. Although it did not have any records of spells and supernatural powers, as long as one understood the four states of ''create, restrain, restrict and destruct'', one would be able to set his foot in the universe.


    Xi Huang was a chaotic place and it was difficult to look for a quiet place to Huandan. However, Shen Lian had mastered the ''restrict'' word incantation and was capable of reading the changes in Qi dynamics.


    There were people who noticed Shen Lian''s presence but once they spaced out, they lost sight of Shen Lian.


    And more people are looking forward to the fifteenth day of the first month as it was the day Huike and Baoyue the Venerable would be having their debate at the Jingguang Temple.


    It was a rare occasion to the general public and it was a not-to-be-missed opportunity for many cultivators. Actually, many scattered cultivators and Dao disciples have studied dharma. They just did not believe in Buddhism.


    It was because Buddhist sects were extremely rare and sometimes immortal Zhenren too, would be inspired by the debates among eminent monks.


    In contrast, Xuanmen schools were more retained to themselves.


    It was because they have their own resources and there was no need to seek externally.


    Actually, the dharma and Daoist scriptures had similar roots. Rumour had it that before Buddha became Buddha, he was once a Daoist.


    The Buddhist sects would not deny such sayings because the influence of Xuanmen was too powerful. The Buddhist sects would like to ride on this rumor and exert its influence in Xuanmen and because of that, there were many rivalries between Buddhist sects and Xuanmen. In fact, there were several Dao schools that chose to sit on the fence by cultivating both Dao and Buddhism.


    The rivalry between Dao and Buddhism was not considered to be too intense. This was due to the nature of their approach towards cultivation and immortality.


    The fifteenth day of the first month was a day of full moon.


    Jingguang Temple opened their doors to welcome cultivators and its faithful devotees.


    Lights were brightly lit on the trail from the bottom to the top of the mountain.


    It was so bright as if half of the sky were illuminated.


    Actually, Baoyue the Venerable was not the kind of person who would indulge in luxury. But as this event was a special occasion for the Buddhist sect, it was necessary to upscale it to show the pride of the Buddhist sect.


    The Buddha lamps were lighted by psychokinesis in order to show the prestige of this extremely eminent monk. His mana was immeasurable like the vastness of the ocean.


    If one had any malicious intentions, he would feel anxious under these Buddha lamps and would probably be too fearful to walk up to the top of the mountain.


    Of course, these lamps were only applicable to general cultivators and demons. A truly powerful person would not be afraid of the Buddha lamps and could even deceive it.

 Chapter 172 What Demon Are You?

    The top of the mountain was the ninth leveled great Pagoda Square. It was said that the Pagoda was formed by cutting a piece of mysterious rock. It was one of the Jinggang Temple''s former abbot who discovered the rock in Xi Huang. Using his mana, he moved the rock to the top of the mountain.


    The pagoda was also commonly known as the ''Tower that Flew''.


    The landscape of the mountaintop also flattened and thus was extremely spacious with over ten sparsely positioned canopies. Each canopy was glowing in different colors. But the glow was slightly toned down and did not overpower the glory of Baoyue the Venerable.


    The canopies were firstly occupied by the monks followed by the common men who had to look for available spaces to sit on. Among them were also demons who adored Daoism as well as malicious demons and satanic cultivators who manage to deceive the experts of the Jingguang Temple. However, it was not easy to find demons or cultivator of such level in Xi Huang and the possibility of them showing up at the event was low.


    Daoist Huanzhen was at the East side of the square where the moon rose/had risen. It was the best seat as he was able to enjoy the golden moonlight all by himself. It showed how much respect Baoyue the Venerable had towards the decision maker of the Guangqing Celestial Sect.


    If Song Qingyi was more cultivated, it would have been him sitting at this spot.


    After all, no matter how strong the Guangqing Celestial Sect was, they were still incomparable to Lu Jiuyuan''s Xuantian Sect.


    Daoist Huanzhen held a horsetail whisk in his hand, oozing an air of celestialism as he radiates a dash of glow that blended well with the moonlight. That glow did not overpower the moonlight but was outstanding in its own way. Many cultivators were secretly fixated on him.


    Some of the independent cultivators were in awe and had a newfound recognition towards the Guangqing Celestial Sect.


    There were some disciples lined in a couple of rows behind Daoist Huanzhen. But there was no need to describe much about them.


    The canopy next to Daoist Huanzhen hosted a man in a moon-white Dao robe. This middle-aged Daoist who was on his own had a distinct face with a beard that swayed with the wind.


    He could not help but praised such a vibrant scene, "It''s been a while since I''ve participated in such a lively devotion ceremony. I wonder if my friend Huike would achieve Long Hua after today."


    Long Hua refers to the becoming of celestials and deities to achieve immortality. According to Daoist scriptures and Buddhist dharma, Long Hua Festival was attended by celestials.


    Daoist Huanzhen took a glanced at the middle-aged Daoist and smiled, "Brother Baishi, you are in the midst of Powang and you''ve been in the secular for so many years, yet your mind remained unpolluted. Perhaps you''d be ahead of me."


    The middle-aged Daoist was the infamous non-formal cultivator who has been around for over hundreds of years and his supernatural powers were immeasurable. As he resides in an abode in the Baishi Cave that was left behind by a land immortal, he was nicknamed as ''Daoist Baishi''.


    He had many good friends all over the world and enjoyed a good relationship with Qing Xuan''s chief, Zhang Ruoxu. Because of that, Daoist Huanzhen was not too favorable of him.


    Qing Xuan and Guangqing may not be in direct conflict but the Guang Qing Sect had hidden agendas.


    Daoist Huanzhen was a strong headed person. Moreover, he was committed to expanding the influence of the Guangqing Sect with the objectives to replace Qing Xuan. He would not entertain people who are on the fence like Daoist Baishi just in case Daoist Baishi might turn over to Qing Xuan''s side and that would make him look really bad.


    He only intended to subtly compliment Baishi''s accomplishments and did not want to be involved in other matters.


    Daoist Baishi was not bothered by Daoist Huanzhen''s words and smiled, "If my heart of Dao wasn''t polluted, I would have stayed in my abode and ignored the four seasons instead of coming here to watch the debate."


    Since the heart of Dao was stained, it meant that he was involved in this matter.


    He did not have to explain much and Daoist Huanzhen would naturally understand it.


    Daoist Huanzhen responded, "Where would you be able to find a pure place in this world? My generation of cultivators are our own dictators and not dictated by heaven. If not, why would we cultivate Dan Dao?"


    Between the lines of his words were a hidden dash of dominating arrogance. However, people were not able to blame him.


    It was because he spoke the truth about the situation where Daoist who claimed that they practiced Dao in the name of heaven but in fact, they were just robbing vitality and invade good fortune. How was that not against the laws of heaven.


    Once a person stepped into Dao, he should be brave to move forward. Once he was left behind, he could possible ended up being crushed.


    Daoist Baishi laughed, "Speaking of Dan Dao, do you remember half a month ago when there was a surging of Qi of vitality from the southwest? Many thought that it was the birth of a Ling Bao but when the spiritual clouds came together and formed the shape of the dragon tiger, we then realize that someone has achieved Huandan. But the wind and clouds were surging and even someone like me couldn''t trace the source. Furthermore, it was a mountainous area with ever-changing Qi dynamics. It was extremely chaotic. But the heaven attracts the positive while the ground takes over the negative, and that makes it a naturally secured mountain.


    The fluctuations of the Qi of vitality only subsided after nine days and nights. I went over and took a look. That place was initially a dead land where grass would not grow. Overnight, it became full of vitality and it was filled with animals. Although you can''t open a Dao school over there just yet that is a brilliant piece of land.


    But there were minimal traces of the person who achieved Huandan. Considering that you''re in the know of everything, do you have any clues to who that person was?"


    Daoist Huanzhen did not react too much to Daoist Baishi''s words, he said, "There are many talented unique people in this world. I am not a Daoist Master nor the Buddha, how would I know everything?"


    Daoist Baishi had a spark in his eyes, "I have a gentle reminder for you. Now that you are over the top, someone who is still vigorous from achieving Huandan might come and look for you."


    Daoist Huanzhen laughed sarcastically, "Looks like Brother Baishi is trying to imply something here. Do you really think I don''t know who that person was? He''s just a young junior from Qing Xuan. Even if Chen Jianmei shows up, his sword would probably not even break my whisk. I wouldn''t be too bothered by the young junior. But since he achieved Huandan, it''s not considered as bullying if I had to tame him."


    At this moment, a strong ray of colorful lights beamed from the west as if clouds were flying in from beyond the sky.


    There were eight colors of the lights and the flow of it was eye-catching. The golden moonlight seemed minor compared to this.


    Cultivators who were present at the scene could not help but wondered who was this arrogant person.


    His beam of colorful lights toned down as he approaches closer. It was a young Daoist who came with the wind. This person had all of the essences of Xi Huang in between his brows and had eyes like the starry little stars in the sky, and that sure caused people to be deeply mesmerized.


    Anyone who witnessed the scene would praise him.


    Cultivators generally have good bones as they tend to transform themselves during cultivation. They were also usually quite good looking.


    But this young Daoist was of a different level. He looked elegant and was a rare sight among Daoist.


    And now that he retained his colorful lights, he looked exceptional.


    Inadvertently, the void approached with a calm composure. Upon his arrival, people did not feel that he was arrogant but instead was deeply convinced by him.


    The only person who reacted differently was Daoist Huanzhen who yelled, "What demon are you, having the guts to come here."


    His words sounded like thunder, glorious like the power of the heaven. As he whipped his horsetail whisk, a clear light shined through as the clouds dispersed. He looked like he wanted to kill this young Daoist.

 Chapter 173 A Golden Elixir Down In My Stomach

    How could Huanzhen not recognize Shen Lian? Just that, Shen Lian was a different person then. If Huanzhen had attacked Shen Lian before Shen Lian achieved Huandan, people would regard him as a bully. Moreover, Shen Lian was a disciple of Qing Xuan. If he had killed or injured him, it would mean war between the two sects and the people of Qing Xuan would give him a taste of his own medicine.


    Unless if he stayed in and never step out of his abode until he obtained immortality.


    Although he was more experienced than Shen Lian, they could be classified as the same level considering that Shen Lian achieved Huandan. His plan was to obtain the upper hand by striking first just before Shen Lian could announce his background. Once he gets to restrain Shen Lian, he would identify Shen Lian''s ties with Qing Xuan and at the same time humiliate Qing Xuan. This would traumatize Shen Lian and disrupt his process of achieving Powang.


    His train of thoughts moved so quickly like a driller and he was not hesitant with his attacks.


    The clear ray of light struck violently. In no time, the sky full of golden light was suppressed. This supernatural power was known as The Qi of Xuanqing. It was a basic technique of the Guangqing Celestial sect. But Daoist Huanzhen was extraordinary and extremely persistent, he had been cultivating and refining this technique for over two hundred years. It became his signature move and had always worked to his advantage when it comes to dismantling other Dao techniques and capturing demons.


    Sometimes he would feel regretful for picking up this supernatural power as it had taken up a lot of his energy. But at the same time, he was also proud of the refinement and its ability to destroy almost everything.


    During the ancient times, there was a supernatural power of the light element that could destroy every single thing in the universe. Nothing else could match it then and now.


    Although his Qi of Xuanqing may not be as powerful as that ancient superpower, no existing sword aura could match him. With one blow, he could effortlessly dismantle his opponent''s powers. It was an extremely courageous technique that showed the prestige of celestial sects.


    Therefore when Shen Lian showed up, he summoned this supernatural power. Although he may appear to look like he was ruining Baoyue the Venerable''s image, all he could easily apologize after the fight.


    The momentum of the Qi of Xuanqing was of great magnitude but all Shen Lian did was laugh.


    It would have been tricky if Shen Lian had to deal with such refined Qing Guang before achieving Huandan.


    Of course, Shen Lian would not underestimate Daoist Huanzhen. To him, this ray of Qing Guang had the purest Qi dynamics and was extremely refined. Even the sword gleam of cultivators who polished their swords with their life could not match the purity of the Qing Guang.


    Supernatural powers need not be extra complex. An extremely cultivated person could easily summon extreme forces in an instant. It would not be considered as an earth-shattering technique if the cultivator had yet to master the supernatural power completely. It was because a highly skilled person could easily detect the flaws of an incomplete technique and could take advantage of that.


    Even if an ordinary cultivator obtained stunning Dao techniques, should they did not master it, they would have also been an easy and unworthy opponent for the true Dao masters.


    And that was why when Daoist Huanzhen''s Qi of Xuanqing swept over, Shen Lian could see its beauty behind it. He laughed but that was because he was impressed by it.


    Shen Lian was impressed but that did not mean that he did not have the means to fight back.


    He stood with the wind as if a celestial being beyond heaven came down to the human world. The clouds wrapped around him as it bloomed at a relaxed pace. Shen Lian pointed a finger to produce a fire red cumulus cloud. The cloud expanded as it touched the wind.


    He recited, "A golden elixir down to my stomach, I decide my own destiny."


    Everyone heard his voice as it filled the entire square.


    People could not help but to secretly praise, "That''s a good Daoist."


    The fire red cumulus cloud turned into a firewall and engulfed the Qing Guang.


    Shen Lian continued to recite, "If I could control my destiny, I can plant golden lotus in the fire."


    The fire red cumulus cloud produced a silk-like blue ray that encircled the Qing Guang that was being temporarily bonded to the cloud. Like a silk thread, the blue ray winded around the Qing Guang from top to bottom in an intensity of a hurricane. The Qing Guang shattered as the cloud dispersed.


    The scene looked like a majestic fireworks show. It was brilliantly magnificent.


    Theoretically speaking, Daoist Huanzhen still had the advantage as it took Shen Lian two moves to resolve one blow.


    However, Shen Lian did it so neatly and elegantly.


    It looked like both of them were working together to put on a fireworks show to congratulate Baoyue the Venerable.


    Shen Lian laughed, "I am Shen Lian of the Qing Xuan Sect. Please forgive me if I have misbehaved."


    As soon as he announced his background, coupled with his great job done earlier, it really showed that he was not an easy opponent. Huanzhen could only hold back his anger and refrained from making any more statements as he did not want to be the joke of the day.


    A calming Buddhist chant could be heard coming out from the Pagoda. The person who was chanting was a handsome looking teenage monk in a moon colored robe. People started whispering to each other until a wise person explained that this person was indeed the abbot of the Jinguang Temple, Baoyue the Venerable, who had obtained the Golden-bodied Arhat.


    He had always lived a low profile life unlike his Junior Apprentice-Brother Baoguang Zen Master who would eliminate demons and acted as the national advisor of Yue Tuo. He hardly shows his face and thus not many people had seen his true colors.


    His appearance today has stunned many as they were awed by the greatness of Buddhism and how young he looked.


    After the Buddhist chant, Baoyue the Venerable said, "You are as charismatic as Brother Chen. Qing Xuan sure is producing talents in every generation, and that is really impressive."


    Shen Lian was surprised to see Baoyue the Venerable. Judging from his words, it seemed that he did not mind at all what happened between Chen Jianmei and Monk Baoguang. Shen Lian could not help but feel puzzled by it.


    He held back his doubt and greeted politely without further commenting. Buddhism and Daoism were of different approaches. There was no need for him to overly humble of himself. As the wind blows, Baoyue pointed to the ground and a ratan tree sprouted to form a canopy facing the direction of Daoist Huanzhen. Shen Lian took his seat without saying anything.


    Considering that Baoyue the Venerable stepped in, he probably did not want Shen Lian to clash with Daoist Huanzhen right now.


    But the crowd could not help but peep at Shen Lian and Daoist Huanzhen, thinking about when will they start fighting again.


    Qing Xuan and Guangqing were of legendary status. It would make a good show if both of them fight and everyone loved a good old fashion drama.


    Seated next to Shen Lian were Song Qingyi and Qixiu. Using telepathy, Song Qingyi said, "Great job. I''ve always disliked this person."


    Shen Lian smiled without commenting further. At this moment, the sound of a ringing bell could be heard as a bell flew swiftly from the southwest direction. A pair of calves and the hem of a monk''s robe could be seen under the bell. Clearly, a monk was lifting the giant bell and traveled from far with god-like speed.


    Although it generated quite a bit of a buzz, a truly wise person would be doubtful and secretly thought, "Huike is the representative of the Ming Wang Temple. And rumor has it that Daoist Huanzhen acknowledged that they are off the same level. But why does it seemed that his cultivation has yet to reach that standard."

 Chapter 174 Of Beings and Buddha

    As a matter of fact, this monk actually possessed amazing power as he could walk with ease despite he''s carrying a thousand pound giant bell.


    He could release but not retain; although he had mastered the technique, he had yet to attain the meaning behind Dharma. Like a round boundless solar disk that could not shine brightly.


    The bronze bell entered the square as it chimes. It dashed up to the sky and landed on the ground steadily while a humble looking monk appeared.


    People could tell that he was not Huike while some could recognize this monk who clearly had been cultivating the Jingang Temple''s King Kong Strength.


    The ringing sound was dull but powerful, it took a while for it to stop ringing.


    The monk placed his palms together and said, "I am Hongzhen, my master, Huike, wants to ask the Venerable about the ringing bell."


    Baoyue the Venerable had his eyes fixed on the monk, with a faint smile he asked, "What would he like to ask?"


    Everyone knew that Huike had got the ball rolling.


    Shen Lian''s gaze fell on Hongzhen. This monk was exactly the same as the first time he met him. In other words, he had yet to make any improvements since then.


    Although it was not too long ago when they last met the study of cultivation was like sailing against the current; one either keep moving forward or one falls behind. But Shen Lian could not sense any difference in him ever since their last encounter.


    As if his cultivation experience was fixed, there were no improvements nor any deterioration.


    Shen Lian felt that it was strange.


    At this very moment, everyone present was waiting eagerly to see how would Hongzen ask on behalf of Huike.


    Hongzhen did not let them wait for too long. He closed his eyes and opened it again. His eyes were brightly shining and one could tell that his cultivation of the physical body was actually pretty good.


    He said, "My master made a verse out of the ringing bell." With a clear voice, he proceeded to recite the verse.


    "Shadow came from the shape, a ringing sound came from noise. Without shape, one wouldn''t know the shadow. Stop the sound, one wouldn''t know the source of the ring. Eliminate troubles to contemplate nirvana is similar to doing away of shape to look for the shadow. But if you seek the Buddha fruit from living beings, it is similar to wanting to hear sound in silent. We should know that ignorance and foolishness are not the same. A piece of work is not famous because of its name. Making reasons out of no reasons are controversial. Is it a fantasy or is it real? Who is right or who is wrong? Whims are not facts, what exists and what doesn''t?"


    The Buddhist verse was a little long but the audience was uncertain about it. Even Daoist Huanzhen had his thinking face on.


    This verse contained Buddhism and Daoism''s charisma and had a deep meaning towards it. The phrase ''without shape, one wouldn''t know the shadow'', was originated from the ''Nanhua Scripture'', specifically the first scripture of The Way of Heaven. It describes how Shi Chengqi sidled away from Laozi''s shadow; then he retraced his steps, advanced forward and asked, how should he cultivate himself. The person that Shi Chengqi asked was the Daoist Master, and the Daoist Master answered it was what he expressed on the outside and not his nature.


    It could be described as ''Seeking truth and getting rid off absurdity, is like trying to learn shape without shadow. If experiencing absurdity is real, then it''s like being under shade to put the shadows to rest''. Ordinary cultivators were puzzled by the debate, only people like Baishi, Huanzhen, and Shen Lian would be able to make sense of it.


    They too had the qualities of Powang and breakthrough but understanding this concept did not necessarily mean achieving it.


    Just like how there were no substances in unfounded absurdity, whims.


    Shen Lian had this idea that perhaps Huike was not referring to breaking through whims, he had other objectives instead.


    It was because whims were highly subjective and unexplainable as everyone had their own definition of it. Some would kill holy deities or their ancestors to obtain immortality; while some were, benevolent, and rendered good for evil and eventually attained the truth.


    But the essence of it was just theories. Turning into a demon was just a fine line away from becoming Buddha. What separated the two was ''intention''.


    Baoyue the Venerable listened to the verse and smiled like a flower in spring. He said, "Since Huike asked so, he must have known the answer. It''s unnecessary for him to ask me."


    Hongzhen replied, "Although my master knew the answer he still needed the Venerable to clear his doubts."


    Baoyue the Venerable sighed, "Since he made a verse, I will answer him with another verse. Please listen carefully."


    Considering Baoyue''s age, things got a little more solemn. The Buddhist chants echoed throughout the hall and entered the crowd''s ears, "Brace yourself to see the truth, the unexpected truth. In the dream, rubies are debris; but in consciousness, those are in fact pearls. There is no difference in ignorance and wisdom; once mastered, everything is the same. The next generation, pen their own books. There is no difference between your body and Buddha, so why should we look further?"


    The verse was a shock not to the Daoist cultivators but to the Bhikkhu monks and nuns of Xi Huang.


    It was because Baoyue the Venerable has further explained Huike''s word. Huike believed that all beings have the same innate. If they could give up fantasies and return to what is true, they would have achieved the realm where beings and saints are equal. Therefore, there was no difference between a being and Buddha; and therefore it was not right for monks to promote the old Buddhist studies that enslaved the poor and viewed highly of the nobles.


    Huike''s studies were not originally by him but had roots of Buddhism. It was also known as the Buddha Mind Sect by non-Buddhist, and there were also people who called it ''Zen''.


    The Buddha Mind Sect was secretly spread in the Zhou Dynasty and eventually gained influence.


    The condensation of the Buddha Mind Sect today could not match the original eight schools of Buddhism- Tattvasiddhi, Kushashu, Risshu, Madhyamaka, Tiantai, Yogacara, Huayan, and Shingon.


    However, it was more directed to the human mind and very few immortal Zhenren recognized it for its vigorous vitality.


    Now that Baoyue the Venerable went for the opposite approach, this showed that times had changed in the Buddhist sect.


    Most of the monks who came for the debate were at a loss.


    Huike had yet to show up but had achieved his purpose.


    The reason why the debate generated such huge buzz was that they wanted to establish the image of Buddha''s mind in a magnificent scene.


    It was also an omen to a revolution in the Buddhist sect and the world of cultivation.


    Huanzhen was pissed. Firstly, he did not manage to humiliate Shen Lian and secondly, people would be paying attention to the internal strife between Buddhist sects and that would be disadvantageous to the influence of the Guangqing Celestial Sect.


    On top of that, the debate between Baoyue and Huike has garnered the attention of several Daoists. All sentient beings have Buddhism doctrine in them and it did not conflict with Daoism''s Powang. Many scattered Daoists and even pure Dao sects would be more than happy to interact with Buddhist sects and use them to open many other doors.


    The Ming Wang Temple had not been doing anything big in the past thousands of years and who knew that they would achieve something so big this time around.


    Plus besides the four main Daoist sects, other cultivators would not look too much into the differences between Buddhism and Daoism, as long as they could achieve immortality.


    As long as it benefits their Dao, it did not matter if they had to go bald. To them, it was just like changing skin.


    At this very moment, a demonic wind swept through the square and a whirl of demonic clouds covered the moon.


    Baoyue the Venerable looked up to the sky as his face sunk. He raised his hands and used the golden Buddhist ray with the intentions of suppressing the demonic clouds.


    Laughters could be heard coming from the demonic cloud, "Scramble away if you don''t want to die."


    The sudden spiritual pressure in the sky has caused the ripples in the void.


    Several cultivators felt the spiritual pressure and knew that a demon of immortal Zhenren level was here. It was not unusual for normal beings to suffer from the battles between celestials.


    In the blink of an eye, instruments in the square dispersed in four directions.

 Chapter 175 Easy to obtain Dao but difficult to preserve Dao

    The sun sets down to the ocean as the stars took over the skies. The ocean gradually regained its calmness and eventually returned to peace unlike the tsunami scenario just moments before.


    Shen Lian peeped to his right and could sensed a dash of murderous aura.


    As he turned his head, the aura vanished without a trace, as if it was never there.


    Shen Lian��s mind was clear as he perceived that the person who was secretly peeping them has left.


    This person is certainly not any weaker than Bai Suhuan and is a highly skilled Dao cultivator. He was able to enter and exit the realm in a clear cut fashion and that certainly would make him a fearsome person.


    And after that, a dejected Bai Suhuan was finally ready to tell Shen Lian the truth.


    Apparently Bai Suhan had another relative named Chen Mubai, who is one of the twelve Guang Qing Da Zhen Ren. Bai Suhuan only found out about this relative 50 years ago.


    Shen Lian thought a person like Bai Suhuan who has given up desires would not be easily affected by the words of other people, even if that person is a blood relative. But this person used this excuse to get in touch with Bai Suhuan and used him to gain insider information about Qing Xuan. It was also through Chen Mubai that Bai Suhan found out about the celestial medicine that could extend one��s life.


    When Qing Xuan declined, Bai Suhuan felt that it��s not a big deal to leak confidential information as Qing Xuan will most probably not punish him as the school is desperate to fill up the vacancy.


    He objected the idea of Shen Lian taking over the chief��s position because he felt that Shen Lian��s talent and young age would jeopardize his position in the Qing Xuan should Shen Lian proceed as the chief.


    Because of that incident, Bai Suhuan felt that Shen Lian is suspicious of him. As for the case of the celestial medicine, he find it hard to explain to Shen Lian. Under the pressure that his time is about to end soon, he made the risky decision to first obtain the medicine and then decide what to do with it later.


    In order to obtain the medicine, he has probed Shen Lian a couple of times and realized that Shen Lian had no idea about the whereabouts of it. That was when he decided that he needed to take action.


    He coaxed Zhang Ruoxu��s nephew, Zhang Lingxian to join him as he knew that this person is extremely dissatisfied with Shen Lian. Besides that, everyone knew that Zhang Ruoxu��s treatment towards Shen Lian was beyond a teacher-student relationship. If things did not work out, at least he could use Zhang Lingxian to cushion the impact or even turn the tables around.


    After hearing Bai Suhuan��s side of the story, Shen Lian responded, "Bai Doyen, do you seriously think that your thing with Chen Mubai could be concealed from the Great grand master who has been protecting the Taiwei Pavilions for years? If he sensed something odd in your activities all these years, he could easily trace back to you even if the Guang Qing celestial school tried to cover up your tracks. If he has the intention, with his skills, he could easily track you down and watch every step you take."


    Bai Suhuan smiled bitterly, "Yes, I��ve thought of it but I��ve been fine for all these years. Naturally, I assumed that he knew nothing about it. But looking at it now, he probably knew everything but he chose to not tell me about it."


    Shen Lian calmly responded, "But you��ve never visited the Taiwei Pavilion for all these years."


    "Why would I want to go to the Taiwei Pavilion since I��ve committed something so terrible like this?" Bai Suhuan said.


    Shen Lian responded, "Perhaps he��s waiting for you to come. If you are not willing to face such a small matter, how would you overcome Xu Wang? Practice and cultivation is like sailing against the current; you either keep forging ahead or you fall behind. Bai Doyen, can you rediscover your original intention when you first started practicing Dao and achieving Huan Dan. I believe you were more courageous and intelligent and determined back then compared to the person you are today."


    The journey of Dao cultivation was never an easy one as cultivators have to endure many painful experiences that ordinary people cannot withstand and they might face all sorts of obstacles anytime anywhere. But the biggest obstacle is the long-term maintenance of the heart of Dao. Some people were still able to stay high-spirited when they achieve Huan Dan but once they get to the stage of Po Wang, they have long abandoned their original intention of choosing Dao.


    And that is how the age old saying ��It is easy to obtain Dao but it��s difficult to preserve Dao�� came about.


    A true Daoist not only is willing to sacrifice themselves in a deadly fight but they too are brave enough to face the stains on the mirror of their bier.


    Although Shen Lian was impressed by Bai Suhuan��s determination to fight him, but at this very moment, he could see through the weakness behind Bai Suhuan��s lack of courage. He has lost his heart of Dao and that��s why failed to make any progress for the past years. All he could do is cultivate his mana and refined his techniques.


    Bai Suhuan asked, "If I wasn��t involved in the incident today and instead waited for you to appear and request for the celestial medicine, would you have given it to me?"


    Shen Lian calmly replied, "I would have given it to you if you��ve done so. But I would feel sorry for you. You have yet to breakthrough Xu Wang after hundreds of years, so what��s the point of living a few extra years. You��re only wearing down your Dao."


    Bai Suhuan replied in a sad tone, "That is true and it sounds foolish but I always had that hope that perhaps if I lived longer, I could do away with the contaminated and recover to the nature."


    Shen Lian sighed, "It��s not too late for you to realize this now but there��s a price to pay for your actions today. I have decided to insert a celestial sealing nail on you to lock your cultivation. You will be in captivity for a hundred years at the back mountain of the Taiyi Peak. Do you subdue to that?"


    Bai Suhuan calmly replied, "I only have three years left, there��s no point of keeping my in captivity for a hundred years."


    Shen Lian smiled but did not answer. The melodious sea breeze led Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan back to the shore of Qing Xuan.


    Time slipped by without a trace.


    It��s been a year since Shen Lian captured Bai Suhuan. He sat by the door and talked about Daoism. Even the Huandan doyen benefited from his talk. Bai Suhuan and Zhang Lingxian were imprisoned at the back mountains to reflect on their actions. This was an extremely lenient punishment for them.


    Zhang Lingxian��s prejudice towards Shen Lian was too deep, he insisted that Zhang Ruoxu was biased and unfair towards him.


    Shen Lian couldn��t care less on trivials as such. Right or wrong, Zhang Lingxian psychosis-liked paranoia is hopeless.


    This turmoil in Qing Xuan was just a mini episode.


    Shen Lian believed the old Daoist monk has seen it coming but wanted to help Bai Suhuan face his fears and do away with the contaminated and recover to the nature, and to obtain immortality.


    Unfortunately, Bai Suhuan failed to prevail over his barrier as he is still hoping to extend his lifespan and for a miracle to help him overcome Xu Wang and obtain immortality.


    Miracles will not happen in an uncertain future. A true Daoist will seize the moment.


    The old Daoist monk takes this as a test to sharpen Bai Suhuan, hoping that he could genuinely enlightened and clean of external desires. Unfortunately Bai Suhuan failed to pass this level and took the road not taken. As for why Shen Lian would appear at the right time when things were most critical, it was actually the old Daoist monk��s consciousness that lead Shen Lian out.


    This is Qing Xuan��s way of honing their disciples; it is also the reason why they were able to produce countless immortals in their million years of history.


    "Qing Xuan will never give up on their disciples, unless it is the disciples themselves that has given up. Qing Xuan too will not bind on to any of their disciples, unless it is the disciples that limit themselves." A melodious voice of Dao could be heard on loop by the River of Spirits.


    Every doyens and disciples who were present looked up to the Taiyi Peak to see Shen Lian who was on a lotus flower, leisurely spoke his words.


    At this very moment, they felt that Shen Lian has entered the state of holy deities. Everything he said or do left a deep impression in them.

 Chapter 176 The Ever-changing Nature

    The Nine-Headed Demon King had such a Herculean build, it could bounce off the sword. After the countless golden pineapple flowers had dismissed the demon clouds, they rallied against it. They were bounced off before they could even get close. At the same time, a thunderous sound could be heard around the Nine-Headed Demon King.


    The pressure formed by the intertwining relationship of the clenched fists and spiritual power was so powerful that it could treble the moon in the sky.


    The person who drew the sword was Hui Ke. He was improving quietly each day. While he had only one arm, his sword was extremely sharp, as if it could slice through anything easily. The spiritual power he gathered at Ming Wang Temple was showcased.


    He exhibited no fear or worry. With the sweep of the sword, the Nirvana state of mind arose.


    The spiritual power within was incredible. The void shook uncontrollably.


    How nimble he was with his sword but beyond imagination. With a slight twist, the flow was indescribable. The moonlight-like gleam of the blade behaved like a snake. It wrapped around the Nine-Headed Demon King��s arm and beamed brightly. It soon blinded the figure of the demon king.


    The gleam of the blade behaved like a dragon in the sky. It lit up the whole of the void. The figure of the Nine-Headed Demon King kept expanding, as if it was a thunder deity. The thunderous roar went on and on, and one could hear the explosions continuously. He had unimaginable power; but with Hui Ke��s exorcism method, the battle was heated.


    The item that swallowed the bone relic was the Qi instrument. From within, a blood ray shot out and circulated in the sky for a bit, until it divided itself to form multiple fine lines. The lines that landed on the cultivators and the commoners, like the spark for the gunpowder. That person all in a sudden exploded and turned into blood and attempted to attack Baoyue the Venerable. Mister Sea roared with anger. The intensity of the spiritual power which could be used to form Yiyuan Zhongshui had broken the barrier of Buddhist ray. It then turned into a big hand, intending to grab the Qi Instrument.


    The Qi instrument exploded all in a sudden. The shattered instrument dispersed into the surrounding. As one of the bone relic almost fell into the blood, Mister Sea used the hand formed by the Yiyuan Zhongshui to grab it. He then kept it.


    Mister Sea did not even glance at the Nine-Headed Demon King. He intended to keep the sea water and left immediately.


    There was an odd smile hanging on the handsome face of Baoyue the Venerable. He used his spirit to lock down on Mister Sea and formed the hallucination of the Boundless Universe. One could not simply escape from the hallucination. At the same time, circles and circles of pure white rays appeared behind his smooth head. From one of them borne purple gas, which was blended in with the blood. The blood retreated once the purple gas passed by. It also turned into multiple equally-sized little blood figures. The figures turned to attack the cultivators and commoners, causing a few screams. At that moment, Huanzhen Daoren and Baishi Daoren had to act. The Qi of Xuan Qing formed into multiple small arrows that were aimed at the little blood figures. At the same time, Baishi Daoren took out a scroll of painting, which flew towards the field. The painting had a great gravity pull, which sucked away the little blood figures. However, it was rather late as the little blood figures had successfully invaded some of the cultivators and commoners.


    Baoyue the Venerable did not pay much attention to the changes that occurred to the blood. The two strings formed by the purple gas flew towards the feet of Mister Sea.


    Shen Lian��s attention remained on Hong Zhen, who was attacked by the little figures. He made use of his King Kong Strength to defeat them. He retreated till he almost stepped out of Jing Guang Temple.


    A sword aura all in a sudden appeared from nowhere and it was directed at Hong Zhen. Hong Zhen��s expression changed. The sword aura was quick, but it did not kill him. It wrapped around him instead, and subsequently a little blood figure was pulled out from his body.


    The blood figure did not seem to be afraid of the sword aura. It shivered a little, then intended to escape as a blood ray. Baoyue the Venerable let out a low roar, and he formed a spell in his palm.


    The blood ray was then turned into golden ray. It was frozen in time, and a golden bone relic flew out from the blood figure and landed on Baoyue the Venerable��s Moonlight Treasure Wheel.


    It had an immediate effect. Baoyue the Venerable was covered in Buddhist ray. As Mister Sea realized that there was a bone relic with him, he hesitated and tried to use his spirit to detect the bone relic that was stolen just now. The moment his spirit reached it, the bone relic shattered.


    Mister Sea said coldly, "What a great Lidai Taojiang, it even deceived me." Lidai Taojiang was an extremely high level hallucination technique as it could create a realistic illusion of everything.


    Baoyue the Venerable replied, "I don��t know any celestial techniques, and the one who deceived you was not me either." He knew the origin of the blood ray. Given the mortal enemy of the blood ray was combating it, Baoyue the Venerable could then focus on the combat with Mister Sea. Nothing was as important as to expiate Mister Sea. As long as he could keep him, it would be a great advantage to Foxin sect. They could even get a successor for Jing Guang Temple.


    Mister Sea snorted and said nothing else. It was unfortunate that he had stepped into this mess, and the old cunning man did not seem to want to let him go. If he left now, it would not just end there. From the sea behind, countless demon soldiers appeared and surrounded Jing Guang Temple.


    The waves were roaring underneath �C even with the mysterious purple gas, it could not break the barrier of the waves even a little. Yiyuan Zhongshui was extremely powerful. Once Mister Sea reached the state where he could escape from the Unbreakable Universe, one drop could form the sea, and in reverse, where he could turn a sea into a drop. Till then, nobody on earth could have stopped him.


    The two spiritual power clashed. Even if it was silent, it was laid with danger. As Mister Sea stared coldly, more and more demon soldiers rushed out with the intention to kill everyone in Jing Guang Temple. Even if they could not succeed in that, they could distract the spirit of Baoyue.


    He did not intend to spare anyone, and it did not matter to him if human died. Baoyue had been involved in a fight with him multiple times, and he totally understood how he though. He knew that Baoyue had the iron will to make him stay, and hence he did not intend to consider for anything else.


    The demon soldiers were all unconscious beings formed by Mister Sea. Some of them have spiritual power as comparable to cultivators who had reached Ruhua. Even Huanzhen Daoren and the like found the endless demon soldiers difficult.


    If not he was under the observation of everybody, Huanzhen Daoren had the intention to just leave. Even if he killed all the demon soldiers, he would not be recognized or rewarded for it.


    Regardless of Baoyue��s intention, it seemed that he had played a trick on all of them.


    On the other side, as the blood ray delayed for a second, the sword ray spotted the opportunity to wrap over it and to bring it outside of Jing Guang Temple.


    Shen Lian looked at the direction of which the sword ray was heading towards, he lifted himself and said that, "Qingyi, I have something important and I should head off now."


    He stepped out and formed into a ray and followed the sword ray closely. He was happy to know that Chen Jianmei was still alive. It was because when he heard the weird noise within the Qi instrument, Shen Lian knew that he could trap it, but as he heard the voice of Chen Jianmei, he then decided to let it out.

 Chapter 177 Shenqing Xuanqi Sword Formation

    The Qi Instrument that flew out from Shen Lian was what he picked up by chance in the Kingdom of Yuetuo. It was an antique shop called "Zhixing House". The house owner was a middle-aged scholar. Shen Lian had a memorable impression of him. He was elegant and well read. He even tested Shen Lian��s knowledge on the origin of the Qi instrument �C if Shen Lian could answer it correctly, he would give the item to him for free. As Shen Lian answered him easily, he gave the item to him.


    The reason why Shen Lian was willing to accept the Qi instrument was because of its properties where ��it stays straight when it is half full; it will topple when it is full; it stays as Qi in the void.�� It was rather mysterious, and could potentially help him in understanding Dan Dao. Without the awareness, he could not have understood the secret of Huandan when he was fighting Zhao Xiaoyu. Or even if he could achieve Huandan, it would not be a comprehensive one.


    He did not expect that someone had played a trick on the instrument, and it went under his eyes. The person who had played the trick was rather careful, as he only activated it when the bone relic appeared in Jing Guang Temple.


    Shen Lian had been paying attention to Hong Zhen. He realized that Hong Zhen was mumbling something when the odd thing happened to the Qi instrument. He noticed an odd activation of spiritual power and hence related the two incidents.


    He intended to suppress the instrument with his power, but as the sword will carry the voice of Chen Jianmei, he decided to just let it out.


    Chen Jianmei did not become the sword will, but instead, he made use of some secret techniques to resonate with the sword will within his body in order to transmit the message to him. It could go undercover without anyone noticing. This was because Chen Jianmei had spent a long time understanding Master Yuanqing��s sword will, and hence he could make use of it to transmit a message without anyone noticing.


    It would be impossible to hide from all the powerful people present, especially people like Mister Sea and even Baoyue the Venerable.


    He connected the dots, but he still could not understand what was wrong with the middle-aged scholar. At the same time, Hong Zhen was the one who transmitted the message to him and invited him over to Jing Guang Temple. While he was under the order of Hui Ke, but coupled with what happened just now, Hong Zhen seemed like a problematic character.


    Furthermore, the Qi instrument flew out from him and took the bone relic. He could not just escape from being responsible for its action, but Hong Zhen could stay out of it completely.


    Ultimately he wondered what was the trick used by the person who stole the bone relic. He could deceive Mister Sea, and even stealthily placed the real relic on Hong Zhen. Chen Jianmei, however, seemed to predict all of it as he was ready to ambush the blood ray from the void with his sword ray.


    To be able to go undetected by Baoyue the Venerable was entirely impossible, even though Chen Jianmei��s Shapeless Sword Incantation had reached an incredible height.


    The sword ray was from Chen Jianmei, and the blood ray was his opponent, which was likely to be the middle-aged house owner.


    Shen Lian thought that the blood ray resembled the young man dressed in blood clothes who intended to steal his power at the Temple of Killings.


    He chased after the rays to clear his doubts, and to help Chen Jianmei.


    When Shen Lian hesitated about whether to step forward to help the sword ray, someone said, "Please don��t act rashly."


    It was the voice of Chen Jianmei. A white-robed Daoist appeared from the right. His robes were ruffling in the void. He was staring coldly at the blood ray within the sword ray. He flicked his finger, and a hot white ray appeared from the tip of his finger, which was then turned into a few thousand swords of Qi. The sword ray wrapped around the blood ray dispersed, and the blood ray was trapped by the sword formation. It could not escape.


    The sword formation was recorded in the Shapeless Sword Formula as the ultimate technique. It was known as Shenqing Xuanqi Sword Formation. It used thousands of swords of Qi to form a formation and it could destroy not just the body, but also the spirit of people. It was extremely powerful and nobody could set this formation up alone in regions below Dixian.


    Chen Jianmei could set up this formation using his own Qi had already exceeded all the previous generations of Qingxuan who had yet to reach the level of Dixian. Even in terms of swordsmanship in heaven and earth, Chen Jianmei could be considered as top notch.


    Chen Jianmei stared at Shen Lian and said, "If not because of you, a part of my Primordial Spirit can��t be trapped."


    Shen Lian moved to the side of Chen Jianmei, carried by the wind. He stood in the void.


    Chen Jianmei did not seem to be activating any spiritual power or his Qi of vitality to be able to float in this void against the gravitational pull.


    Shen Lian wondered, "What is happening?"


    Chen Jianmei pointed at the blood ray and said coldly, "Part of the Primordial Spirit of the headmaster��s Apprentice-Brother Yan Xu is trapped inside. We should, in fact, call him our Master-Uncle."


    The blood ray while unable to escape, it remained relatively calm and said, "Little Meier, when I left Qingxuan, you were not even born yet! Why do you not respect me?"


    Chen Jianmei laughed coldly, "You were the betrayer of Qingxuan. Nobody from Qingxuan will have any respect for you."


    The blood ray sighed, "Oh really? Caiwei and Sanwen should still be missing me. If I did not go to the far north to collect the elixir for Hong Qianya, I doubt he could even Huandan.


    Without my help, Geyuan could just be a skeleton in the graveyard. I had done some people wrong in Qingxuan, but there are plenty many who had done me wrong too."


    Chen Jianmei said, "Well you can tell this to them yourself. If you��re talking about Apprentice-Brother Sanwen, it will be a bit more difficult as he is now in the Nine Underworlds."


    "Even Sanwen managed. He is a bit too stubborn to be a good material for cultivation. It should be about time for him to Zhuohua."


    "Don��t worry about it, even if I don��t manage to destroy this part of your Primordial Spirit, you can hardly escape from Master Ziling."


    The blood ray started to change shape and it turned into a human. He looked just like the middle-aged scholar, dressed in blood-colored clothes. He looked like Asura.


    He was covered with a thin film of blood light, which was forcing the Qi of sword to retreat.


    He still looked calm and steady and as his glance peered through the swords of Qi at the two, he said, "Since Biyun, finally another who has reached the stage of Huandan in Taixu Strategy. For the Shapeless Sword Formula, while there were others who had reached a similar level as you, there will not be more in the future. If you can reach Powang, who else can be your opponent?"


    The Master-Uncle to them both, Yan Xu spoke as if he was not trapped.


    Shen Lian was surprised to note that it was just a part of the Primordial Spirit as only Dixian could have Primordial Spirit. This meant that only those who had reached the stage of Powang could have Primordial Spirit.


    With that in mind, it would be difficult for Chen Jianmei to tackle him. He managed to even deceive Shen Lian, even though he did not appear to be unreachable.


    Chen Jianmei stared at Yan Xu coldly and spoke slowly, "Why do you bother with these advice? If you have successfully mastered the Free Form Incarnation, you won��t be chased by Master Ziling. Even though you took a shortcut to attain Primordial Spirit and divided them into thousands, you are not comparable to those who have reached longevity who can travel ten thousand miles with their mind or have the ability to Burn Mountains and boil oceans. Today if I manage to destroy a part of your Primordial Spirit, it is my contribution to the headmaster."


    Yan Xu laughed and looked at Shen Lian, "I know you are insecure. If you can help me today, I will give you the Free Form Incarnation. With this, nobody can kill you anymore."


    He looked calm, but what he said sounded ridiculous, but Shen Lian could not help but was swayed. He had always been insecure despite being indifferent. It was because he had transcended from another life, and he did not know the origin of the Mastery of Senses. His unknown father, and Su��s Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura both made him confuse and feel that he was not the master of his own fate.


    As a result, he stood to always improve himself with a determined mind, but deep down it was driven by his insecurity.


    He buried these thoughts deep in his mind and never expressed them. Even in Ruding, these thoughts would not surface, but Yan Xu could tell easily.


    That was what was powerful about Free Form Incarnation. The ultimate form of it could allow one to travel through the three dimensions. One could not be destroyed even by Buddha. It was particularly good at detecting someone��s thoughts and made use of them. With just one thought, one could be trapped and could never escape.


    Chen Jianmei did not say anything. He had a pure heart and even if everything in the world was destroyed, he would still head towards his goal. He did not carry any unnecessary thoughts, which was what made him excellent. He could be a great swordsman because of that too.


    It was different for Shen Lian. He was talented and determined, but he did not have a straight mind.


    Without that, one could achieve great heights, but never to the peak. It was a conclusion drawn by many who had lived before this. Even though Shen Lian had gone through Huandan, it did not mean that he would be able to go through the rest of the barriers.


    Chen Jianmei did not rush his regime. From his point of view, Yan Xu was particularly good at spotting people��s weaknesses. Under his monitoring, it was better for Shen Lian to know his weakness now instead of later when he was alone.

 Chapter 178 Qingxiao

    Chen Jianmei had to admit that Shen Lian was among the students at Qing Xuan who was most qualified to reach the stage of Powang other than himself. It was very possible that he could achieve longevity.


    He waited for Shen Lian��s response silently. He did not look rush at all.


    His reaction was predicted by Yanxu. He could not spot an opening in Chen Jianmei��s heart of Dao, but he understood that as long as something existed within heaven and earth, everything left traces behind. One could show no weakness, but as anything is possible, there would always be a chance.


    Yanxu used Shen Lian as a chance to escape from the bottleneck. He delayed Chen Jianmei too at the same time.


    Shen Lian laughed softly, "Uncle-Master Yanxu, you gave me the Qi Instrument previously. Do you still miss it? It is an instrument used to warn someone who is generous. Are you having regrets about anything? Even if you don��t think so, your unconscious acts could represent what your heart thinks."


    He did not answer but instead, he replied with a question. It was extraordinary.


    Shen Lian called out to Chen Jianmei using sword will. It did not carry any message, but Chen Jianmei understood him.


    Yanxu did not expect Shen Lian to reply with a question. He hesitated for that moment. The sword formation around him was activated, and he was engulfed in the blink of an eye. Even the blood-colored film of light could not resist the engulfment.


    The sword formation was activated by the power of earthquakes. The lights released by the formation could light up half of the night sky into daytime. The Qi could even stir away the clouds underneath the moonlight.


    All of a sudden, Yanxu had incarnated. He turned into blood smoke, in attempt to escape from the sword formation. Shen Lian had been waiting for this moment �C his sword aura split into two, then four, then eight. Even the void was vibrating from this. The sword aura entered the sword formation to patch up any flaws in the formation. When the blood smoke encountered the sword aura, as if ice encountered the sun, it did not have any ability to fight back.


    While the blood smoke was facing a challenging opponent such as Shen Lian��s sword aura, one could still spot the bits of blood color remained.


    Chen Jianmei��s cold face showed a smile. There was a long sword in his hand. He jumped in and got rid of the last bit of blood color.


    The blood color was eliminated and the void was back to a clear state. The moonlight shone on Shen Lian��s light blue Daoist robe.


    Chen Jianmei was dressed in white, just like a cloud. He looked refreshing, but as the moonlight shone on his face, it was as if the light had encountered snow, the reflection was cold.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen, I feel like returning to Qing Xuan," Shen Lian stared into the sky and said.


    "What are you planning to do there?" Chen Jianmei crossed his arms and looked up. He was looking at the full moon. He did not seem to feel happy about eliminating part of Yanxu��s primordial spirit.


    "I want to pay a visit to the headmaster. He said that once I��ve reached the stage of Huandan, I can then return," Shen Lian answered. He was not too passionate about the battles in the world, unlike Chen Jianmei��s fearless attitude, Shen Lian would rather be free from karma and the secular world.


    Shen Lian only wanted to do two things subsequently, first to find out where Ruoxi was, and second to find ways to save the life of Zhang Ruoxu. If he could achieve the Daoist immortality during this period, it would be ideal.


    Chen Jianmei was silent for a short moment and then replied, "You can do whatever you want. You don��t need to inform me."


    He formed into a sword ray and left to an unknown place. Underneath the moonlight, there were only a few clouds floating around. One would not know what to say in this situation.


    Shen Lian roared, and after a while, Qianmo and Xiaoxun flew over from afar. One man, two birds, rode on the wind headed towards one direction.


    Shen Lian did not intend to return to Jingguang Temple, or to say goodbye to Song Qingyi.


    Even though the danger in Jingguang Temple remained, Shen Lian believed that Song Qingyi could handle it.


    If he could not even overcome this small obstacle, how could he be the successor of Lu Jiuyuan?


    Shen Lian was willing to make friends, but he did not hope that after a few hundred years, these friends were miles apart from him. When Song Qingyi started to call him Senior Apprentice-Brother Shen, it was because of the difference in cultivation level. Only the heart could remain unchanged, and not the world.


    ___


    Outside the kingdom of Hanhai, where Shen Lian first fought the Mirage Demon in the desert. A Daoist who was dressed in blood-colored robe appeared. Under the moonlight, his face was unclear, or one could say he did not have a face.


    If anyone paid attention to the faceless Daoist, one could see his face was in fact covered with illusions. He was occasionally adolescent, middle age and all of a sudden he could be old. Sometimes he looked like a bearded man; sometimes without a beard; sometimes well educated; sometimes like a thug.


    A Jingzhu fell from the sky when he appeared. The desert had no Qi of vitality or water, but as the Jingzhu fell to the ground, a sea of bamboos was born. The faceless Daoist was trapped within.


    After going through several changes in his face, he turned into a young Daoist dressed in light green robe. He looked rather handsome but had thin lips, which made him look like someone heartless.


    He looked rather pale, but he did not seem to be worried to be trapped in the bamboo sea.


    Outside the sea of bamboos, a girl dressed in green Daoist robe appeared. He could feel her cold hard stare even through the bamboo branches and leaves.


    The girl said, "You can��t escape today, Yanxu."


    Yanxu stared at the girl in green. It was his Aunt-Master, Ziling Fairy, who was one of the most powerful Daoist in the world.


    This girl had been chasing after him for five years in order to kill him. He dared not to relax but to stay hidden in the crowds.


    It was the worst day for Yanxu in his life. Few hundred years ago, he would not have imagined this could happen.


    It seemed that even if he could turn back time, nothing could be changed.


    For anyone who knew Ziling Fairy, when she was dressed in green, it meant she was under the influence another personality.


    She was not a swordsman, but under the influence of this personality, her swordcraft was incredible, and sometimes even exceeding those of a swordsman. This personality also had a name �C Qingxiao. This was told to her by Biyun.

 Chapter 179 You Have the Personality of a Cloud, and the Intention of the Wind

    Biyun was one of Ziling Fairy''s disciple. She was also the teacher of Gu Caiwei. Gu Caiwei took in Shen Lian as a student on behalf of Biyun, with the intention to pass on Taixu Strategy to him.


    Yanxu played a huge role in Biyun''s death.


    She had reached the stage of Huandan in Taixu Strategy. A successful assassination could only be achieved if it was executed by someone with extremely close relations with her, which was Yanxu.


    Yanxu did not obtain the secret of Taixu Strategy from Biyun, because he was not powerful enough then. In addition, Biyun was the only one other than Grandmaster Qingshui and Ziling Fairy which had to achieve Huandan in Taixu Strategy.


    A lot of people had high hopes for her �C that it was more likely for her to be enlightened instead of Zhang Ruoxu.


    Unfortunately, in order to be enlightened, one had to have all three; talent, opportunity, and destiny.


    Biyun was one of the first to realize that Yanxu was training "Free Form Incarnation". She rarely made mistakes in her life, but the one major mistake she made was to fall in love with him.


    Yanxu always thought of himself as someone cold-hearted, even though he was nice to the others from the same sect.


    Ever since he started training Free Form Incarnation, he had gone through many methods to plant the seed of evil in his fellow men from the same sect. In the beginning, he was merely satisfied with that, but later as he found out that he could turn them into his incarnations, a crazy thought surfaced. He would turn everyone in the sect into his incarnations.


    Till then, while there were many people in the whole of Qing Xuan, they were all, in fact, only one individual. It could be fun.


    His only thought was that it would be interesting.


    Unlike the others in the same sect, who perceived cultivation as a single state of mind where one was not swayed by temptations, and hence could become one with the heaven and earth, Yanxu treated cultivation as a mere means. He understood how others thought about cultivation, but he was not willing to take the path of a poverty-stricken cultivator or to just focus on cultivation.


    For him, the power that came along with cultivation, longevity, and the ability to achieve all kinds of impossibilities were the reasons why he chose to pursue the path of cultivation. There were too many things in life which could command his attention. There were countless discoveries in the universe which were waiting to be discovered. All these things were much more attractive to him than to just feel himself improving day by day through cultivation.


    Biyun was attracted to him because he was different from the other cultivators. Most cultivators had only Dao in their hearts, except for Yanxu. He had a longing for something else, and it gave Biyun an entirely different feeling.


    Furthermore, Yanxu was a real genius. He learned everything at a faster pace than others and he could do them better. He was able to understand most methods and grasp the essence of it in an extremely short period of time.


    He was even known as the ''collector of Daoist scriptures''.


    Shen Lian had helped a lot of people in the sect to understand cultivation, but Yanxu had done them too, and he did it better than Shen Lian.


    There was a period where Qing Xuan was blooming with many talented students, and Yanxu played a huge role in this.


    It was what Biyun admired about him, and hence was the reason why she did not expect him to be cold-hearted.


    To him, whatever that had happened in the past meant nothing. He only had a sudden flashback of what happened in the past.


    Qingxiao''s cold voice was heard in the sea of bamboo, "Have you had enough of reminiscing?"


    Yanxu looked at Qingxiao''s beautiful but cold figure, and laughed, "Aunt-Master, people often said that before you die, your entire life will flashback before you. It seems to be true."


    Qingxiao peered at him, without any feeling in her heart. A sword aura was let out and all of a sudden, everything was seemingly covered by a thin layer of ice. Nothing could move, except for the endless sword aura.


    The sea of bamboos formed by Jingzhu had a huge effect on Yanxu, especially after he lost some of his Primordial Spirit. He lost his ability to shapeshift as he pleased.


    Yanxu could clearly see the sword aura coming.


    From the blended shadow of Qingxiao with the sword aura, he could almost see Biyun from years before.


    The Master-Student pair was similar, but the main difference was that Qingxiao was decisive and cold. Once she made a decision, she would not change her mind.


    The void had turned into something similar to water, which invoked the sound of vibration.


    It was a swordcraft known as "One Sword to Break the Void". If there were any Heavenly Nations or place of enlightenment formed by the deists, they would be shattered to dust in no time.


    His Free Form Incarnation was not at its peak yet, but under the sword aura, even if Yanxu broke out of dimensions, he could not escape from the sword aura.


    Free Form Incarnation was a technique that made use of the power of the heart and soul heavily, which could allow one to go through different dimensions. However, as the sword art had the ability to break the dimensions, he could run to nowhere.


    The coldness of Qingxiao''s sword reached ahead of the sword aura. Yanxu could no longer bear any thought, and he simply allowed the sword aura to pierce through the area in between his brows. He was turned into ice and was shattered into dust.


    Qingxiao did not pay attention to the dust, but she looked at her own shadow. It looked as though it was covered with blood.


    She did not look disappointed or sad. Instead, she pierced at her own shadow, as if she cut out a part of herself. The shadow broke out from her feet and moved at an incredible speed towards the moon in order to escape.


    The sword aura followed the shadow closely as if it was its other shadow.


    All of a sudden, with uncountable attacks of the sword aura, the thin blood shadow started to fade, until nothing remained but the moonlight.


    The moonlight disappeared abruptly and a shadow was hovering above the seas of bamboos.


    Qingxiao did not have the time to judge if she had eliminated Yanxu completely, but instead, she looked up to the sky.


    It was a mountain in the sky. A mountain that was about a thousand feet high. It was falling down because there was nowhere to go.


    The following lyrics could be heard from the sky:


    "You have the personality of a cloud, and the intention of a wind;


    You can never be found because you can be ay any corner.


    When the sun rises in the east sea and the moon can be seen,


    you are facing the north sea and riding the dragon;


    You cut through the sight to understand the self,


    and you intend to hike the mountains far away;


    You could kick a cauldron, you don''t belong in the three worlds or the five elements."


    As the mountain fell, the sea of bamboos was destroyed and Qingxiao was buried underneath.


    The mountain shook and a roaring sound followed. There was a hole all the way from the base to the mid-section of the mountain �C a sword aura escaped from the hole. It tried to pierce through the sky but was blocked by a golden light. The sword aura did not intend to fight further, as it could not hit the target at one shot, it went away.


    There was only Qingxiao''s voice that remained, "Taiyue Real Shape Incantation, Daoist Dengfeng, one day I will charge to Mount Taicang, and eliminate the whole of Guangqing!"

 Chapter 180 You Could Never Find Him as He Could Be at Any Corner of the World

    After Qingxiao''s sword aura escaped, there appeared a Daoist in yellow robe from the void. There was a sign of Bagua in his chest. He looked at the direction of Qingxiao from afar and smiled.


    Even with Qingxiao claimed to kill all of GuangQing, he could not care less. It could only happen if she reached the level of Lu Jiuyuan.


    Qingxiao was indeed powerful. While he managed to use stealth this time, after a continuous cultivation of fifty years, Qingxiao could easily recover from this as it did not affect her fundamentals.


    It was rather impressive to see what could be achieved by someone who had reached immortality twice.


    For most Celestialists, they tended to struggle within the cycle of reincarnation after rebirth �C they could hardly escape. To attain Dao, the easiest period was during the first reincarnation, as the divine aura still remained. Most still could recall their past lives. During the period of Powang, the experience from past lives could become an obstacle. Most were stuck in this stage and could not break out. Once they entered reincarnation again, they would need many more years to attain Dao. Till then, one would have lost oneself.


    It was not difficult for everyone to achieve Dao immortality �C for those who were reincarnated and found it difficult to attain Dao were the Dixian, Guixian, Shenxian and Renxian.


    If Celestialists had transcended beyond the mortal world, they could definitely attain the Dao of deists. For these people to go through reincarnation for cultivation, it would be a smooth sail. Powang would not be a difficult state to achieve.


    Most deists did not reincarnate because they broke Dao, but because of unresolved karma. They had to be born human again. While they rarely recalled their past lives, they were reborn as a new individual.


    However, if karma was not resolved, one could not transcend beyond the mortal world.


    It would be easy to beat Dixian, but it would be difficult to kill them. As they lived long enough, they would have many means to save their lives.


    It was not a bad ending to hurt Qingxiao a little as it could help them get rid of a problem in the short term. To be able to use stealth tactics on deists, one would need a lot of opportunities. To be successful at that attempt, Daoist Dengfeng had gone through an elaborate scheme. Even then, Qingxiao could strike back and escape.


    Daoist Dengfeng swung his arm. The thousand-foot mountain disappeared into a ray, which then sneaked into his sleeve. Only an enormous hole remained.


    He did not bother with it. A cloud formed underneath his feet. He then flew towards Mount Taicang.


    In the depth of the desert, there was a one-legged eel. It slowly opened its eyes. Its eyes were blood-shot �C it was a Mirage Demon. However, there was a minor difference from the other Mirage Demons. The divine aura in the desert slowly gathered towards it. It swallowed every Mirage Demon that passed by it in order to absorb power.


    Lastly, the Mirage Demon wriggled and ultimately, it turned into a human �C it was Yanxu.


    He did not look satisfied with his new body, but he still stealthily left the desert.


    Dawn was breaking. The sunlight was hanging at the edge of his lips, forming a special arc, looking as if he was smiling. His Qi had declined, but he was clear-eyed. A child form of the Mirage Demon was circling his fingers. Yanxu stuck his tongue out and pretended to eat the child form. It quickly shied away.


    Yanxu laughed in a low voice and spoke to himself, "I guess for now I don''t need to worry about being killed by Aunt-Master. It is time for Guangqing to recruit disciples. I should attend and get myself a master."


    He stroked the little Mirage Demon and said, "Taiyue Real Shape Incantation is indeed powerful, but I just don''t like it. What do you think I should learn from the Guangqing sect?"


    The little Mirage Demon, of course, did not know how to answer. It just looked at the clear-eyed Yanxu and the eyes showed its reflection. It was probably the first time since birth that it knew how it looked like. It could be possible that it did not know the reflection was itself.


    Yanxu chose a direction and strolled towards it. He was still naked then, but he did not seem to be embarrassed. He took the heaven and earth as his clothes.


    __


    When Shen Lian stepped foot in Qing Xuan again, he felt oddly at ease.


    It was just a shame that Qing Xuan was rather quiet these days. The silence made him sad.


    Shen Lian had never seen snow in Mount Qing Xuan, but it was all covered in snow. The main peak, Taiyi, had turned white entirely.


    Jingqing Tongzi and Gu Caiwei were standing outside the pavilion.


    His Senior Apprentice-Sister, Gu Caiwei, looked as soft-spoken as before, but there were some forms of despair in between her brows. Shen Lian felt that it was a bad omen, but he went forward and asked, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, what happened?"


    Gu Caiwei looked at Shen Lian, who was energetic and mature, she started to tear up. In the depth of it, it seemed that she was hiding something.


    She could remember someone with the exact same eyes and spirit as him.


    The first time when she met Master Biyun, it was the same feeling. The memories, however, were not as lively as Shen Lian now.


    The headmaster was right. Shen Lian achieved Huandan at an unattainable speed.


    Gu Caiwei spoke softly, "Please go in, and the headmaster has been waiting for you."


    Jingqing Tongzi was biting on a withered stalk. He stared at Shen Lian, and then he shifted his attention to the snow from afar. Zhang Ruoxu formed the snow using "Ice Light" passed down by previous masters. The intention was to freeze himself, to wait for Shen Lian''s return.


    As a result of the Ice Light, the whole of Qing Xuan was covered in snow. Jingqing did not like this weather particularly as snakes are cold-blooded. When the weather was extremely cold, he would not want to move even an inch. It was time for hibernate.


    Zhang Ruoxu could understand that and hence he asked Gu Caiwei to take charge while waiting for Shen Lian''s return.


    For some unknown reasons, Jingqing did not intend to hibernate. He waited with Gu Caiwei. He did not really want Shen Lian to come back because in that case, Zhang Ruoxu would have defrosted himself and left.


    He was used to death, but he could not bear the thought of Zhang Ruoxu leaving.


    Even if snakes were cold-blooded, he had grown fond of human after spending time with them. Zhang Ruoxu never treated him like an animal but a friend. It was an indescribable feeling.


    Shen Lian did not know what Jingqing was thinking, but from this moment, he was aware of something.


    It was something he did not really want to face �C Zhang Ruoxu who had been treating him extremely well, was about to undergo levitation.

 Chapter 181 That Was His Nature

    With his intellectual capacity, he had guessed that Zhang Ruoxu did not have much time left. Zhang Ruoxu was merely waiting for him to return so that he could say his last words.


    No wonder Zhang Ruoxu only allowed for him to return after he had attained the state of Huandan, as he did not want Shen Lian to be affected by it and hindered his Huandan progress.


    An icy gust of air rushed out as Shen Lian pushed open the door to the hall. He shivered from the cold.


    He still felt cold, with his state of cultivation. It showed how cold the icy gust of air was.


    As he walked into the hall, he saw that a thick layer of ice had formed on the stone couch Zhang Ruoxu used to sit on. Zhang Ruoxu was on it and resting with his eyes closed.


    Shen Lian approached the stone couch and knelt down. He kowtowed to Zhang Ruoxu solemnly.


    At that moment, Zhang Ruoxu opened his eyes. The thick layer of ice melted immediately. Zhang Ruoxu looked as though he was in his thirties. His hair and facial hair were black, and he seemed to be in good health.


    The purplish gold Daoist robe looked oversized on him, though. Actually, it was because that he had lost weight.


    "Silly child," Zhang Ruoxu sighed.


    "Sorry for being so useless and made you worry," said Shen Lian.


    Zhang Ruoxu shook his head. "You are one of the best of your generation, and I didn''t do much for you too. I have merely been doing what I''m supposed to do as a chief," Zhang Ruoxu said with a smile.


    Zhang Ruoxu meant what he said. He had never given Shen Lian special treatment. Moreover, when the way of Dao was concerned, there was no way that one could attain success by leeching off others. Shen Lian was where he was due to his own fate, heart, and determination. Zhang Ruoxu merely gave him a push, and could not be considered as having done much.


    "Actually, I''m not only waiting for you. I''m waiting for Jianmei too. Since he is not back, it seems that he is not interested in the position of the chief. Shen Lian, would you take my position? It''s not a great deal, though," Zhang Ruoxu spoke as he looked out of the hall.


    Shen Lian was shaken inside. He should have known something seeing how Chen Jianmei did not return. Chen Jianmei would gladly go against Yanxu for Zhang Ruoxu, but he did not want to be the chief. Even though he was the most qualified candidate to take over Zhang Ruoxu''s position as the chief, it was not what he wanted to do.


    Even though Chen Jianmei was the most rightful successor, but it was clear that he had given up his right.


    "Shen Lian is willing to do it," Shen Lian replied after a brief moment of hesitation. At this point, there was no way that he could say no to Zhang Ruoxu.


    There were many reasons that he could have used to refuse the position. Moreover, it was not as though he was the best fit for the position.


    In spite of those, Shen Lian could not bring himself to say no and took up the position as the chief. At this point, he could not say no. No matter how difficult it was, he would have to give it his best.


    There were ripples in Zhang Ruoxu''s eyes. "You are so different from them," Zhang Ruoxu sighed.


    In the beginning, he found Shen Lian to be similar to Yanxu. Both of them were talented, and they were not very determined when it comes to the pursuance of Dao. Immortality was more of a need than a final goal for both of them.


    Shen Lian had the tenacity, but he was not dead set on pursuing Dao. On this point, he was different from Chen Jianmei, which was what Zhang Ruoxu had been worrying about.


    Because he did not have a pure heart of Dao, it would be extremely difficult for him to ascend to the pinnacle. Yanxu was the same as Shen Lian. However, both of them were fundamentally different, as Shen Lian was passionate about life, while Yanxu saw it as a game.


    "Actually, everyone is different. I know that I could not let go of a lot of things, but I never wanted to let anything go. It''s nice to just be myself anyway," Shen Lian replied.


    It was a reply directed to both Zhang Ruoxu and himself. If he could not have a steel heart of Dao, he should just go with the flow.


    "Qing Xuan has always emphasized on the cultivation of mind before body. How could I change you by force? I don''t think I need to explain to you what a chief should do. You will learn eventually. I shall pass on the Seal of the Chief to you now," Zhang Ruoxu replied in a nonchalant tone.


    He had asked all that he had to; of course, he would not be draggy and pretentious like the mortals did.


    Just as what he did for Chen Jianmei, Zhang Ruoxu swept Shen Lian''s hair aside and pointed his finger on the middle of his brows.


    The Tiandi Jian rose up and Shen Lian was shrouded in pale silver ray. There were a lot of abstruse information and secrets of the world that flowed into Shen Lian''s heart. In fact, he even found out who brought Ruoxi away. They were the disciples of Tai Su Sect.


    The Tiandi Jian lived up to its name and was indeed privy to a lot of things unknown to most. However, the information was too huge, and Shen Lian had to filter out irrelevant information.


    This was the process of amalgamation with the Tiandi Jian. Moreover, to cultivate this treasured instrument, one would need to be imprinted by the Chief.


    ''There is the Baiyu Jing in Heavens;


    the five cities and twelve residences in Kunlun Mountain;


    The Celestial touched my head,


    and I was passed on the secret to immortality.''


    Even though Zhang Ruoxu was not a deity, but he had passed on the Dharma of Immortality to Shen Lian. Shen Lian was ashamed at how he could not do anything for him in return. Even though he took on the role as the chief, but it was not much.


    Moreover, the position as the chief, though not something great, but it was not something bad either. It was just him trying to do Zhang Ruoxu one last favor as he was a slightly suitable candidate.


    A red dot appeared on his pretty face, between his brows. It signified Shen Lian''s succession as the chief.


    Shen Lian did not erase it and let the mark stayed between his brows.


    The Tiandi Jian fell into his arms. Zhang Ruoxu looked pale and weak, though, he seemed satisfied.


    Shen Lian''s Yin spirit was strong, and going through Huandan was a piece of cake for him. Hence, the succession process did not take a toll on him.


    Now that Shen Lian could travel between heaven and earth, being in controlled of Qing Xuan was actually a restraint to him. However, Zhang Ruoxu did not have much choice. Moreover, Shen Lian felt that he needed to do something to repay Qing Xuan.


    Jing Qing and Gu Caiwei were at the hall. "Caiwei, go ring the bell," Zhang Ruoxu spoke to Caiwei.


    "How many times?" Gu Caiwei asked.


    "Nine," Zhang Ruoxu said with certainty even though he was very weak.


    Gu Caiwei seemed hesitant, but she went ahead still.


    The bell rang, and it was just as Chen Jianmei''s code of Dao.


    However, the bell would be rung seven times for those who managed to attain Huandan with their own strength, and eight for the succession of the chief. The bell would only be rung nine times when someone had become an immortal Zhenren. When the Grandmaster in the sect had transcended the mortal world, only then there would be the bell be rung forty-nine times, which was a sign of utmost honor.


    Shen Lian was aware of these ceremonies, but he did not know why the chief rang the bell nine times for him.


    "I would not be able to wait till you break through the Absurd State and attain immortality. I''m ringing the bell nine times for you to congratulate you in advance. After being the chief for so many years, I''m going to be rebellious just this once," Zhang Ruoxu laughed.


    Shen Lian was relieved, but he was speechless at the same time. When the bell was rung nine times, there were rays coming to the Taiyi Peak from all the other peaks.

 Chapter 182 The Will of the Grandmaster

    It was snowing. The Five Peaks of Qing Xuan were shrouded in clouds. Rays of different colors shot out from within and dispersed the smoke-like clouds. These rays formed beautiful intersections in the sky.


    The colored rays were all of different colors and intersected with each other, and they brought some liveliness to the quiet sect. Qing Xuan had not seen such liveliness in a long time.


    Partially, it was due to the cold and detached nature of a Daoist. Though, the fact that Qing Xuan had been walking on a downward slope contributed to it too.


    There were the least rays coming from Tianyuan and Zifu Peak. These two peaks were where the strongest in Qing Xuan resided. The rays were light, and most people rode in the wind. As for the disciples from Qingliang and Yuyang, they were mainly relying on instruments. Qingliang was the lower house, and there were not many disciples there. On the other hand, Yuyang was the upper house and had a lot of disciples. They had come as a big group.


    The headcount was actually less than one hundred and fifty. This was an uncommon occurrence for one of the four main Daoist sects.


    Rays and clouds reached the Hall of Qing Xuan as disciples of Qing Xuan arrived. They were all dressed differently, and only a few wore Daoist robes.


    The people started streaming in. Some of them were old and wrinkly, and some were young and attractive. The older ones were not necessary the elder-teachers, while the younger ones might even have grand disciples below them. The best of cultivators would always look under forty of age regardless of how numbered their days were. It was normal for those who had put an effort in their looks to have the appearance of a teenager.


    However, most cultivators did not care much about their looks. They would just let things take its natural course, and with their strong mana, the aging process was slowed down anyway.


    The Huandan cultivators who looked old were those who attain the state of Huandan at a later stage in life. To preserve their Qi and blood, they had used techniques to store their Qi and blood and made themselves look old. After they had attained the state of Huandan, they just could not be bothered to correct it. The reason why they needed to preserve their Qi and blood was because Huandan concerned the engagement of Qi by the Yin spirit. This Qi was not the normal Qi from cultivation, but also include one''s Qi of Vigour, Qi of Essence, and one''s innate Qi of Vitality. The Yin spirit could not engage the Qi if there was an insufficiency with them.


    This was why most cultivators would not give up hopes on attaining the state of Huandan until their last breath. They would store their Qi and blood to look old, but they were actually brimming with life.


    There were more normal disciples who had not attained the state of Huandan than the elders who had attained Huandan. The upper house had ten over times more disciples than the lower house. However, the upper house only outnumbered the lower house by ten over people if one were to look only at those who had attained the state of Chushen and Ruhua. This was because there were only ten over disciples in the lower house.


    Those who managed to get into the lower house were a lot better than those from the upper house in terms of potential and established practices. Few hundred years back, before the tragedy befell Qing Xuan, most of the cultivators who attained the Sixth Transformation of Huandan and above were mainly from the lower house.


    This was because the disciples from the lower houses were drawn to Qing Xuan by some form of trigger than even they did not notice. In fact, the disciples from lower houses might be amongst the rank of Celestials in one of their previous reincarnations.


    To look into the history, since Grandmaster Yuanqing, there were almost thirty-three generations now. There were a total of forty immortal Zhenrens, and roughly six or seven amongst them were once the likes of Dixian or Guixian in their past lives. However, after the many cycles of reincarnation, they could no longer recall their past lives and had become someone new.


    For these people, even if they managed to recover their memories from their past lives, the disturbance they would face would be significantly lesser.


    If Qing Xuan fell out of the rank of four main Daoist sects, its fate would go rapidly downhill. Those prospective disciples with great potential might not have chosen to come to Qing Xuan anymore.


    Meanwhile, the reason why only ten disciples were admitted into the lower house was because ten was the end of all numbers. It was extreme, and it was also one of the most ancient symbols in the world. It signified completeness.


    As for why Qing Xuan chose to take in disciples once in every fifty years, it was because fifty was the number of Dayan. "Dayan" signified the changes in the heavens and earth, and the "Number of Dayan" was the number used to project these changes.


    With the changes that took place once every fifty years, "ten people" were obtained �C a sign of how things had turned extreme. From there on, it showed how ingenious the rule set by Grandmaster Yuanqing was. Moreover, it showed how persistent Grandmaster Yuanqing was, reflecting the Daoist''s philosophy that "Instead of being full of oneself, one should stop at the right time; It is hard to shine at one''s brightest for a prolonged period of time. Gold and riches, these are impossible to hold on to; if one were excessively arrogant and proud of one''s riches, one would merely be planting the seeds of calamity. It is only natural for one to be obsessed with one''s position and achievements after achieving greatness".


    As for the act of "opening the mountain gate" and setting up the "Wenxin Road", they were merely to mask the ingenuity of the greater picture.


    Shen Lian gained these insights after he had received the inheritance of the chief. Even though the outsiders remained unaware, all of the previous chiefs were aware of this.


    As compared to Chen Jianmei''s code of Dao, there were five more Huandan elders now. However, none of them had attained the state of Huandan through their own abilities. The best amongst them had attained merely Four Transformations of Huandan.


    Shen Lian felt all of the information within moments. Though, he did not use his telepathy; it was merely the feedback from Tiandi Jian. Tiandi Jian was like radar that reflected the different spiritual vibrations in his heart. Of course, those without much spiritual force would not appear in his heart. Meanwhile, the low spiritual force that was negligible would be filtered out automatically.


    The wonders of Tiandi Jian were not limited to this, and Shen Lian was already benefited greatly from experiencing merely one of them.


    Shen Lian could not synchronize entirely with Tiandi Jian, and it could only be partially synchronized and utilized with the Mark of the Chief acting as the token. It would not be as handy and convenient as compared to using one''s personal magic talisman.


    If the mark on the magic talisman was too strong, it would be difficult to pass it on to the successor.


    Moreover, the magic talisman was different from an instrument. The former had a spirituality to it, and it could be seen as an independent living creature.


    Regardless of how strong an instrument was, if the spirituality could not be converted into solid spiritual wisdom and harbored independent consciousness, it could not be considered as a magic talisman.


    The Mark of the Chief was a token, and one could easily receive recognition from the Tiandi Jian with it. This form of recognition was ingrained in it back when it was created, and it was an absolute rule.


    Shen Lian stood next to the chief, the red mark between his brows shone brightly like a cinnabar.


    Shen Lian appeared to be calm and collected like a Daoist as he stood in the hall. His long hair was worn in a Daoist manner, and he gave off a mysterious and deep aura.


    The Qing Xuan Hall was spacious, and it could accommodate any number of people. The space within it could be extended. Shen Lian only realized that it was an instrument on its own after he had received the Mark of the Chief.


    Even though he witnessed the formation of the Qing Xuan Hall via Grandmaster Yuanqing''s memories, but throughout the years along with the shift in spiritual opportunity, Qing Xuan Hall had become a top instrument that had spirituality under the guidance of the previous chiefs.


    Shen Lian was joined by the Qing Xuan Hall, they were one and it felt natural.

 Chapter 183 The Different Responses

    From the elders to the normal disciples, everyone in the hall felt an indescribable feeling when they saw Shen Lian.


    It was as though they had set eyes on a hint of Meaning of Dharma in the world; it was as though the way of Dao had manifested in the human realm, and they all felt slightly melancholic.


    This form of melancholy was akin to when one stood along the river and mourned about the lost time.


    The flowing of water was ancient and quiet; it contained deep wisdom within it. On the other hand, a lot of elders seemed to be in deep thoughts when they saw the red mark in the middle of Shen Lian''s brows.


    Those in Qing Xuan who were available had all come. After all, the ringing of the "Dao Bell" signified that something great had happened. Moreover, it was rung nine times.


    Futons started appearing, and the Huandan elders had taken their seats on both left and right sides according to their rank.


    On the left and the right side, Ge Yuan and Hong Qianya each took the second seat.


    Hong Qianya had always held Shen Lian in high regards, but both of them were not meant to share a master-disciple bond. Now, Shen Lian was almost as good as he was.


    However, he thought Shen Lian was still the same person as before. The only difference was that he now had a higher level of cultivation. Moreover, he even showed signs of breaking through and Huandan. "Chief, you rang the bells nine times. Could it be that someone had attained immortality?" He was the first to ask.


    Even though Shen Lian looked mysteriously unpredictable, but it would be a blatant lie to claim that he had attained immortality. When he left the mountain, he had not even Ruhua yet. He still had a far way to go from "breaking through the Absurd State". Even if he was a reincarnation of the almighty and had retrieved the memories of his past life, he would still need a precious and rare Celestial medicine for him to gather the mana needed to consolidate his Primordial Spirit. It was hard to break through the Absurd State, to attain immortality and became one of the land immortals.


    Shen Lian was not a reincarnation of the Almighty, but he had great potential. Hong Qianya was sure about this. The Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery that he was cultivating could see through one''s fate.


    The likeliest option here would be Zhang Ruoxu. However, they all knew that Zhang Ruoxu was gravely injured and had not been able to recover. In fact, he had even used the Ice Light to preserve the last of his vitality. The Five Peaks of Qing Xuan were crowned with snow caps because of that.


    Unless he turned the situation around and recovered from his injuries, otherwise it would be impossible for him to become an immortal Zhenren.


    However, there was no sign until now. Even though Hong Qianya had asked, but he was in disbelieve.


    He realized how shakily thin Zhang Ruoxu''s breath was, and he almost could not feel it anymore. If Zhang Ruoxu had not become one of the Celestials and hid his breath, it meant that he was about to pass on.


    Though, his hopes were up as he heard the nine bells being rung.


    "Not one had attained immortality. I want all of you to meet the new chief of Qing Xuan," Zhang Ruoxu spoke after glancing across the hall.


    "Who?" Hong Qianya asked.


    "Didn''t all of you see the mark between Shen Lian''s brows?" Zhang Ruoxu replied calmly.


    The mark between Shen Lian brows had been noticed by many, but a lot of elders refused to believe what they saw. After all, they thought that they would at least be notified in advance if a new chief were to be chosen.


    Hong Qianya knew what was going on, but he still asked in order to invite further elaborations. This showed how well-rounded he was in a social context. Despite that, he was quite shaken by the news, but he supported the chief''s decision.


    Despite Chen Jianmei was the most qualified candidate to replace Zhang Ruoxu, Shen Lian had a more suitable character than him. Shen Lian was just like water - he was virtuous and could carry everything. Moreover, he was determined and was good with people. This was something that Hong Qianya was very sure of.


    The rest of the hall was in an uproar after hearing what Zhang Ruoxu said. It was not that they could not accept it, but it all came too suddenly.


    The elders had seen the mark between Shen Lian''s brows when they walked in, and they had their speculations. However, when their suspicions were proven to be true, it was a different thing altogether.


    A middle-aged Daoist who seemed slightly gloomy spoke. "Regardless of how talented Shen Lian is, he is still inexperienced. If he were to be the chief, it would seem slightly inappropriate. What more, you are still well and alive now."


    Shen Lian knew the middle-aged Daoist was Zhang Lingxian, and was Zhang Ruoxu''s nephew. He had attained the Five Transformations of Huandan, and he was considered as above average amongst the elders. He managed to attain the state of Huandan out of the coincidence that led him to obtain the Celestial elixir.


    Previously, he had begged Zhang Ruoxu for one of the Celestial elixirs owned by the sect. However, Zhang Ruoxu turned down his request. After putting in much effort, he managed to secure a Celestial elixir elsewhere to attain the Five Transformations of Huandan. Because of this, Zhang Lingxian was not on the best term with Zhang Ruoxu. This was why he did not visit the Qing Xuan Hall all these years unless he absolutely had to.


    However, little did he know that he actually managed to figure out where the Celestial elixir was because Zhang Ruoxu gave him a clue on purpose!


    Zhang Ruoxu found the clue when he was traveling around the world, and it was not something from the sect. However, if Zhang Ruoxu were to give him directly, it would lead to the speculations of others and might create unnecessary conflict. This was why he decided to make it look as though Zhang Lingxu had discovered it by chance.


    This had put distance between them, and yet Zhang Ruoxu did not explain anything.


    Shen Lian found out about this through Tiandi Jian. The magic talisman indeed had spirituality and understood the way of humans. However, Shen Lian did not have time to carry out emotional exchanges with it yet.


    Zhang Lingxian did not know about Zhang Ruoxu''s good intention but thought that his uncle had put him on hold merely because he was trying to appear as fair.


    He thought that all the good deeds that he had accumulated throughout the years would warrant him at least a Celestial elixir or external alchemy.


    Despite how laidback and carefree cultivators were, they were not grasses and trees. How could they be unaffected by such things?


    Tiandi Jian probably had unveiled this story to Shen Lian for Zhang Ruoxu''s sake, so that Shen Lian would not judge Zhang Lingxian too harshly. After all, there was not any history between the both of them.


    Zhang Ruoxu did not look at him. "I am merely informing all of you and I am not seeking for your approval. As for the nine bells, it is an early congratulation for Shen Lian, because I will not live to see the day that he attains immortality," he spoke.


    Hong Qianya was stunted. Things had finally gotten from bad to worst. For Zhang Ruoxu to say that he must be in his worst condition already. Moreover, he was shocked by the confidence Zhang Ruoxu had for Shen Lian. This was a remark that was not given to even Chen Jianmei.


    Before Zhang Lingxian could speak again, Ge Yuan immediately replied. "If so, I have no objection and hereby agree to the chief''s decision," Ge Yuan spoke.


    In Qing Xuan, he enjoyed quite a reputation. He was in charge of the Discipline Hall. As he had put forth his view, almost ten other Huandan elders echoed their agreement. Hong Qianya too had agreed.


    As for the disciples of the elders, all of them followed their masters'' will.


    Moreover, Shen Lian had always been on good term with the disciples. It was just that he became the chief too sudden, and the disciples were not used to it and were in shock.


    Lu Shouyi was Zhang Ruoxu''s disciple, and naturally, he did not have any objection. Moreover, he had always been close to Shen Lian, and Zhang Ruoxu had told him about this beforehand.

 Chapter 184 Bai Suhuan

    The next chief would be chosen between Chen Jianmei and Shen Lian. Zhang Ruoxu''s initial intention was to groom Lu Shouyi to be the next chief. This was so as Chen Jianmei''s character was not a good fit for the position, and Shen Lian preferred freedom. However, time did not wait for him. His injuries were worsening at a rate that was out of his expectation.


    Even if Chen Jianmei were to be the chief today, no one would have said a word about it. The reputation of the Temple of Killings and Chen Jianmei''s temperament as the Cultivator of the Sword would have deterred anyone from speaking up.


    Most of the elders had put forth their views. Amongst those that had not, there were two elders who were powerful and unpredictable. One of them was Yan Bugui''s master, the drunken Daoist who carried a red gourd all the time. His Daoist name was "Drunken Daoist", and he was cultivating one of the Qing Xuan Disha Seventy-Two Techniques �C"Drunken Formula". He had made a town full of people fell asleep without them knowing with his Daoist technique of "Three Thousand Drunken Guests".


    From the spiritual vibrations reflected by the Tiandi Jian, he ranked second. Of course, Shen Lian was not the first. After all, he had just attained the state of Huandan. Despite that his Huandan was that of Nine Transformations, his level of cultivation could not rival these great cultivators who had entered "Buxu" or even "Powang".


    However, there were not much of these people in Qing Xuan. Besides Zhang Ruoxu, there were only two more people. If one were to add Ge Yuan to the rank, there would still only be three of them. As compared to other Daoist sects such as the Guangqing Celestial Sect, Qing Xuan was nothing at all.


    Ge Yuan had entered into the state of "Buxu". This was a state where the engagement of Qi by the Yin Spirit had taken place, and the Yang within then Yin had been cultivated subsequent to the attainment of the state of Huandan. The Qi of Dan was merged with it and became unaffected by the gravity. The void was merely a flat terrain, and it was not challenging to walk in it at all. This was why this state was known as "Buxu"�C walking in the void.


    Buxu was an extension of Huandan, and at most, one could attain some sort of growth due to one''s cultivation of mana. However, the essence was still decided by the quality of Huandan.


    Even though Shen Lian had only attained the state of Huandan, but it was a full and complete Nine Transformations of Huandan. He had peered into all the secrets of Dan Dao. He was just as a light and sharp sword, and could outweigh all the other heavier yet blunter swords.


    The one with the highest mana took seat at the first futon on the left. He appeared as a middle-aged man and was dressed in white. His skin was crystal clear and had a tint of moonlight yellow. This made him stood out in spite of his unremarkable appearance.


    Tiandi Jian had introduced this person to be of the same generation as Shen Lian''s founding master, Ziling Zhenren. He had the highest seniority amongst those in the hall, and he cultivated the "Code of the Bright Moon". His original name was Bai Suhuan, and was also known as "Taiyin Layperson". If he were at the sect back then, Zhang Ruoxu probably did not have to sacrifice so much to chase away Yanxu.


    Bai Suhuan had entered into the state of "Powang", and had never taken anyone as his disciple. He had always been a loner a the sect. Due to his seniority and age, even Zhang Ruoxu had to show him respect.


    The Drunken Daoist seemed drunk and sober at the same time. As though he had just woken up, he asked Yan Bugui who was at his side, "What is everyone doing here?"


    Yan Bugui smiled and replied, "Honored Master, the chief is announcing the new chief. Do you have anything to say about this?"


    "I''ll do whatever he says," the Drunken Daoist replied cheerfully. He closed his eyes again, hinting that everyone else could continue talking, but he was going to sleep.


    He had always been carefree and laidback and spent most of his days in drunkenness.


    However, the Drunken Daoist always said, "As I observe the world, I realized that humans are only honest when they are drunk"; this was why no one would treat what he said as mere drunken talk.


    As the Drunken Daoist had spoken, some Huandan elders who were in disagreement had shown their support.


    Zhang Lingxian was not happy with this, and asked Bai Suhuan, "Grand Uncle-Master, what do you think about this?" He was acting on his frustration, and what he felt at that moment even exceeded his worries for Zhang Ruoxu.


    Bai Suhuan''s calm gaze fell onto Shen Lian. Even though that there was no change in the mana, Shen Lian felt the rising pressure. He was only able to undo the pressure by escalating the Qi of cinnabar field traveling in his body. He knew that this person was a lot stronger than he was. Though, it was unclear if he was stronger or Daoist Huanzhen.


    However, there were five immortal Zhenren in Guangqing Celestial Sect. Amongst those who had not attained the status of immortal Zhenren, there were twelve cultivators including Huanzhen who had attained the state of Powang. They were known collectively as "The Twelve True Celestials of Guangqing". Addressing them as True Celestials was a compliment, as these cultivators who had attained Huandan had amazing supernatural powers and enjoyed the reputation of being a "True Land Celestial".


    Those who could rightfully be considered as a deity would be those who had cultivated their Primordial Spirit or had attained Golden-bodied Arhat.


    Even though Huanzhen did not manage to gain anything from Shen Lian, but there was no doubt about his power being higher than Shen Lian. If they were to engage in a deathly battle, Shen Lian would stand no chance at winning.


    Guangqing Celestial Sect wanted to replace Qing Xuan as they were at their peak now.


    Amongst the four main Daoist sect, besides Xuantian sect who overpowered Guangqing due to Lu Jiuyuan, the other three sects, especially Qing Xuan, could not rival Guangqing.


    If it was not for the set up at Qing Xuan''s mountain gate, the Dao restriction, and the presence of an immortal Zhenren at the sacred place of the sect, Guangqing would have seized the mountain long ago.


    Qing Xuan finally started to recuperate after Ziling managed to attain the status of a land immortal.


    No one noticed the little clash between Shen Lian and Taiyin Layperson. Moreover, Shen Lian was unaware if he did so intentionally or unintentionally.


    "The position of the chief is an honored position. If he doesn''t have the capability, he would not be able to hold the position for long. Ruoxu, I''m not trying to go against you, but Shen Lian needs to show everyone what he is capable of."


    Taiyin Layperson had a much older voice as compared to his appearance. Time seemed to have aged him. His words had weight, and Zhang Ruoxu could not casually dismiss him.


    Moreover, Bai Suhuan was right. Sooner or later, Shen Lian had to face something like that.


    "Shen Lian, what do you think?" Zhang Ruoxu spoke. His divine Qi was decreasing and had almost completely disappeared. He was about to pass on anytime now, and yet he managed to hold his own. This was indeed the grace of a Daoist.


    Shen Lian carried himself with great composure. The red dot between his brows looked bright. "Since Grand Uncle-Master had spoken, why don''t you tell me what kind of capability do I need to show in order to prove my worth?" Shen Lian replied lightly.


    "No one in this hall could withstand three moves from me. If you can do it, they would have nothing more to say," Bai Suhuan looked calm as he spoke. However, his words created a slight commotion in the hall.


    Qing Xuan had always disallowed battles within the sect. However, Bai Suhuan had a high state of attainment and enjoyed great seniority. It seemed appropriate and acceptable for him to request to test Shen Lian''s capabilities.

 Chapter 185 Let Me Borrow Your Mana

    It would have been fine if Bai Suhuan was asking for Shen Lian to emerge as a victor in the battle. However, he only wanted Shen Lian to withstand three of his moves. How should Shen Lian face Bai Suhuan in the future then?


    Regardless, Shen Lian would be inferior to Bai Suhuan.


    This was different from Zhang Ruoxu being respectful to Bai Suhuan. Both of them had attained the state of Powang, and Zhang Ruoxu was a well-loved figure in the sect. In Qing Xuan, he was looked up by everyone, and not even Bai Suhuan could impose his views on him.


    Shen Lian was young, to begin with. If he were to take up the position as the chief only after he had received Bai Suhuan''s validation, would that not mean that Bai Suhuan was the High Chief?


    Some were confused; Bai Suhuan had always been a loner, and he did not have much time left seeing how he could not break through the Absurd State. Why would he pull such a stunt now?


    Moreover, everyone was a cultivator. Being a chief came with both power and responsibilities. In the eyes of those who did not stand a chance at immortality, it was as good as gold and jade. However, in the eyes of the cultivators who were committed to attaining Dao, it was disposable.


    Bai Suhuan still had hoped to attain Dao. Even if he could not do so in this life, with his level of cultivation and the aid of certain occult techniques or set-up, there was a high chance that he could reincarnate and try again. Why would he try to make Shen Lian''s life difficult now?


    Moreover, judging by Shen Lian''s progress, he would enter the Absurd State, Powang, sooner or later. It was just a matter of time. If by then Bai Suhuan still failed to cultivate his Primordial Spirit, he would be passing on soon. Like cause and effect, his act today would bring forth some sort of consequences in the future. To both Shen Lian and him, this move was not a wise move.


    This was what most of the elders were thinking when they agreed with Zhang Ruoxu. Moreover, Qing Xuan was no longer the Qing Xuan from hundred over years ago. It was not easy to be the chief. Besides Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei, it would be difficult to look for another candidate who was more suitable.


    What Bai Suhuan did was merely a formality, so that outsiders would not think that Shen Lian got the position as Qing Xuan''s chief so easily.


    Zhang Ruoxu understood all of these, which was why he could not meddle in this. Moreover, he might not even see the sunset today or the sunrise tomorrow. He remained silent and stared at Shen Lian.


    There was a creepy moment of silence in Qing Xuan Hall. Shen Lian was the only one who was still calm and collected after hearing his words. His sea-blue Daoist robe was reflected on the shiny floor in the hall, and he seemed dreamy.


    Shen Lian finally spoke. His brows moved, and his gaze was stern. Yet, he spoke gently, "There is no first or last in terms of achieving something. If you were to limit the moves to three moves and test me on that basis, you probably are thinking too lowly of me. Why don''t we see who would emerge as the victor?"


    As his spoke, the cultivators in the hall were taken by surprise. What kind of confidence and bravery did Shen Lian have, to think that he was challenging Bai Suhuan when he was merely at the state of Huandan.


    Shen Lian spoke calmly without any change in his tone. He seemed to be confident and yet no one felt that he was arrogant.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was calm as a still lake, and there were no ripples in it.


    He was like the clouds under the moonlight; he seemed to be both static and dynamic, and there was nothing that could mask his pride.


    "You are quite fearless, just don''t regret it," Bai Suhuan said as he directed his cold gaze at Shen Lian.


    "Since it is my own decision, naturally I am ready to face any consequences. However, before we start, can I have some time for preparation?" Shen Lian said as he lowered his head and smiled.


    Shen Lian looked carefree, as though he was confident in winning.


    Bai Suhuan knew that Shen Lian was the fourth person in Qing Xuan who attained the state of Huandan through the cultivation of Taixu Strategy. He did not understand what kind of basis was Shen Lian relying on to think that he could defeat a great cultivator like himself, who had accumulated mana over hundreds of years and was merely a step away from successfully cultivating the Primordial Spirit.


    He only attained the Eight Transformations of Huandan, and there might be some difference in the quality of Qi of cinnabar field, which was the Qi of Dan when compared to Shen Lian who had attained the Nine Transformations of Huandan.


    However, this difference in quality could never make up for the difference in quantity between them.


    If Bai Suhuan was still at the state of Buxu, Shen Lian might have a chance at winning. However, right now Shen Lian might be able to withstand three of his moves, but there was no way that he could defeat him.


    "You can take as long as you want, so long as Ruoxi kiddo still can wait," Bai Suhuan replied.


    Shen Lian smiled, and there was a roar. A green ray swept into the hall. It was so fast that none of the cultivators in the hall managed to make out what it was before it entered.


    It was only until the light stopped in front of Shen Lian that the cultivators in the hall noticed that it was a bird with green feathers. Despite their calm nature, they could not help but be in awe of its beauty.


    Qianmo looked at the cultivators proudly. Shen Lian tapped on its head lightly, and it was not pleased. Gu Caiwei thought Qianmo was very arrogant and proud.


    She was wondering when Shen Lian found such a bird that could rival the mythical bird like the phoenix that was recorded in Huang Scripture. In fact, it might even be better. After all, she was a female, she did not have much immunity against beautiful birds.


    Qianmo was slightly annoyed. Through telepathy, Shen Lian told it to transfer all of the strange Qi within it to him, and he promised to make it up to it later.


    Qianmo twisted its head, as though it was gloating about the fact that Shen Lian was asking for help from it. It pecked at Shen Lian, and the mysterious strange Qi flowed into Shen Lian.


    Since he had attained the state of Huandan, all of the acupoints within him were clear and unblocked. The Qi dynamic of the countless mana from Taixu Divine Qi focused at one spot, and the eight-colored Mana swirled around, turning into countless threads that intertwined with each other. They formed the source of mana. At the heart of it, the Qi of cinnabar field welled-up suddenly. Part of his Yin Spirit was carried by it and was continuously cultivated. The Yin Spirit and Qi of Dan were combining and solidifying.


    The part of Yin Spirit within it was not completely static; it was flowing endlessly from a source to another. Just as how blood would flow through the heart and there were changes in the Yin and Yang, and as the divine Qi came a whole circle, it grew continuously too.


    The flow of mana was never-ending and undeterred; it was like a rolling river. Occasionally, there were sounds of vibration, and it sent a vibration through the blood and flesh as it cleared up the hidden impurities. The body was purified.


    Qianmo''s strange Qi was instilled into Shen Lian, and as it made contact with the mana within him, they were synchronized into the same type of mana. The strange Qi flew in and was turned into mana. It was like a flash flood that flew into a calm river, flooding the inside of Shen Lian''s body.


    At the same time, the mana within Shen Lian hiked tremendously.


    The cultivators in the hall were aware of the hike in Shen Lian''s spiritual pressure. Those with weaker cultivation had flashed their instruments to withstand the spiritual pressure.


    The rate at which it was hiking was like an arrow that soared through the clouds, and with every blink of the eyes, it had reached a new height.


    Within just ten breaths, Shen Lian''s spiritual pressure had reached its limit. The mana stopped growing anymore. Under the feedback from Tiandi Jian, there was still some difference from that of Bai Suhuan. He never felt this strong before, and for the first time, his spirit did not feel that it was easy to operate the mana.


    However, he was clear that regardless of how strong the power was, it was merely an external aid. He was borrowing it, and would probably have to put in a lot effort to erase the complications that it brought forth.


    Qianmo withered on the ground, and its green feathers lost its luster. Shen Lian carried it in his arms. The next moment, he was in front of Gu Caiwei. It was unbelievably fast. "Senior Apprentice-Sister, please help me to look after this little thing," he spoke gently.

 Chapter 186 Taiyin Ligh

    Gu Caiwei accepted Shen Lian''s request and looked at Qianmo seriously. As she carried it, she was surprised by how light Qianmo was. However, the Taixu Divine Qi within her flowed towards the bird as though the floodgate had been opened.


    Gu Caiwei was slightly surprised. "Taixu Divine Qi could refill its Qi of Vitality. Senior Apprentice-Sister, you don''t have to let it drain too much of it. I will fill it up after I''m done with this," Shen Lian spoke through telepathy.


    Gu Caiwei was relieved after hearing what Shen Lian had said. However, she was surprised at how the Taixu Divine Qi could refill the bird''s Qi of Vitality. She wondered what the bird''s background was. Looking at the way Shen Lian acted earlier, he could even turn the power within the bird into his mana. This was very strange indeed.


    After attaining the state of Huandan, especially that Shen Lian had undergone the Nine Transformations, his Mana was very pure. Normal Qi of Vitality could not be turned into Taixu Mana within a short period of time. Even if it was slightly mixed, it was still not realistic.


    Gu Caiwei could not understand the key about this within moments. However, if she were to ask Shen Lian about it later, Shen Lian would for sure spill everything that he knew. Hence, she could let go of it for now and allowed for her Taixu Mana to flow into Qianmo. She had been stuck in her current state for many years now, and she had a dense mana. However, what she lacked was the understanding of the Dan Dao.


    It was not that she was lacking in terms of established practices or mind. Taixu Strategy had always been this difficult.


    Only Shen Lian who was abnormal could cultivate it to the state of Huandan within such a short period of time. However, without the sixteen bitter years he spent at the River of Spirits, he could not have attained the sudden success he had either.


    Right now, Shen Lian was fearless. "We won''t be able to fight to our heart''s content here. Grand Uncle-Master, let''s head out," he said as he smiled at Bai Suhuan. With their level of cultivation, when they were using their Dao techniques, even the world was considered small for them. The decisive moment would be determining their life and death, and not merely just victory and defeat. Of course, since they had decided that this was a battle of victory and defeat, there would be nothing to do with life and death.


    Bai Suhuan understood and nodded. Even though he was surprised by the hike in Shen Lian''s mana, but he could not have stopped it. All he could say was that he did not expect Shen Lian to have such a move up his sleeve.


    Moreover, he had always been proud. Hence, he was unafraid of Shen Lian''s petty tricks. If he could win by sheer mana, what were these states of attainment for then?


    Shen Lian walked out of the hall, and he rushed into the clouds in a flash. His mana was raging, and a slight release of his spiritual pressure had dispersed the clouds and revealed the sky. The Five Peaks underneath was covered in snow, and the daylight reflected on the snow. Shen Lian stood in the void; his features were pretty, as though he was a Celestial figure that had walked out of the painting.


    The Five Peaks of Qing Xuan and its mountains and rivers seemed to have turned into Shen Lian''s backdrop.


    Bai Suhuan was expressionless. He rose from his futon and walked out of the hall. Step by step, he walked up the void. The gravity of the Earth was nothing to him.


    He could go up the sky as he wished, and could enter the ground if he wanted to.


    Bai Suhuan looked at Shen Lian. There was not any coldness in his gaze, and no sign of animosity was in his eyes. He looked at Shen Lian with impartiality. Having entered into the Absurd State for many years, he had cultivated an unshakable heart of Dao to face all sorts of whims in the world. However, he still did not manage to find the strand of self that he was looking for; he had yet to evict the absurdity and to return to the truth, melting into the divine Qi and cultivated his Primordial Spirit.


    He was at the end of the nine states of cultivation.


    There was no shocking spiritual pressure; he looked at Shen Lian calmly, causing pressure to well-up within him.


    "You are the senior here, you may start first," Shen Lian smiled.


    Shen Lian was casual and even went as far as letting his opponent taking the first move. A lot of people had come out of Qing Xuan Hall to watch the battle. Even Zhang Ruoxu came out along with Lu Shouyi. His time was up soon, but his sight was still functioning for now.


    Shen Lian made up for what he lacked in mana. However, it was not that easy to obtain a victory against Bai Suhuan.


    However, the fact that Shen Lian went as far as he did came as a surprise to Zhang Ruoxu. If Bai Suhuan insisted on his objection, Zhang Ruoxu was confident that he could make him recognize Shen Lian as the chief. However, the effect would be better if Shen Lian convinced him with his own power.


    Actually, most of the cultivators who were serious about pursuing Dao in the sect did not care about the position of the chief. Despite how Bai Suhuan was acting, if he were offered the position, he might not even say yes to it.


    Shen Lian would enjoy more freedom not being the chief.


    Zhang Ruoxu sighed in his heart. Only Shen Lian would accept the difficult role without weighing his options.


    Bai Suhuan did not listen to Shen Lian. "With your potential and your level of cultivation, why do you even bother with being the chief? There are many ways to repay your gratitude to Zhang Ruoxu. However, the moment you become the chief, you would lose your carefreeness and be restrained by the bond. Why would you put yourself through all these?" Said Bai Suhuan.


    Shen Lian seemed to be staring at the white snow far away and was not focusing his attention on Bai Suhuan. "Looking for carefreeness does not mean that I would find it. As the Nanhua Scripture says, ''Forget not its beginnings, and ask not for its ending; be happy about what was bestowed upon you, regaining what was once lost. Destruct not the great Dao, interfere not the natural course of things''. I''m only acting in accordance with my heart, why would I think about all these," Shen Lian replied.


    He cited the Nanhua Scripture as a reminder for himself not to forget about his roots and not to chase after his future; to just take things as they came, and to forget about life and death. Let things take its natural course, to refrain from destructing the Dao with his heart and mind, and to refrain from aiding the natural way of things with his actions.


    Upon saying this, it was as though Shen Lian had turned into a free-floating cloud. The entire mana within him poured outwards, and even Bai Suhuan could not detect any lack of smoothness in it.


    The exchanges between nature and man continued; Shen Lian was not just akin to the clouds in the sky, but also the running river in the mountains and the hint of fresh breeze. His Qi dynamic was unpredictable, as though it was a fish swimming in the world.


    Bai Suhuan knew that if he allowed for this to continue, it would not be long before Shen Lian could secure the complete resonance of the Qi of heaven and earth in Qing Xuan. At that point, the massive trend would be unstoppable and he would have no chance of winning.


    After all, the strength of human could never rival that of nature.


    This was the ingenuity of Taixu Strategy. As he was a famed figure in Qing Xuan, Bai Suhuan knew this all too well.


    "Shen kiddo, I''m going to start now. Watch out for yourself," he spoke slowly.


    Bai Suhuan did not use any instrument. It was not that he did not have the best of instruments, but if he were to secure victory with the help of an instrument, the younger disciples would lose their respect for him.


    Even though Shen Lian wanted a battle to determine victory and defeat, but there was no way that he could have fought a deathly battle with Shen Lian. He would be the one who loses his reputation in the end.


    With a swing of his palm, a cold and lonesome silver ray shot out. This was the Taiyin Light of the Code of the Bright Moon.


    By absorbing the essence of the Taiyin moonlight and cultivating it with mana, the Taiyin Light was made. Its power was impossible to estimate, and it was a lot stronger than the normal flying swords. Moreover, it was capable of abstruse changes.


    The moment the Taiyin Light shot out, the Qi of the heaven and earth acted as though their General had appeared. Waves of Qi rolled towards Shen Lian in the void. The Taiyin Light led the way, as though it was opening a new path in the world.


    The suffocating pressure came crashing. Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger. A sword gleam that shone with great brilliance flew out.

 Chapter 187 The Flowing of Time and Water

    The sword gleam flew out like mercury and expanded as it was welcomed by the wind. It was not the eight-colored sword gleam of Taixu Divine Qi, but just pure and pale sword aura.


    It dashed across the sky like a seagull reaching for the skyline, and its ever-changing track was untraceable.


    Suddenly, the sword gleam rushed into the waves of Qi at the speed of lightning. It stopped the Qi at its track, and its sudden acceleration made it look like a thousand stars had pierced into the Taiyin Light.


    The dots of light echoed each other and their Qi dynamic were connected. Thousand strands of light were formed, and they cut the Taiyin Light apart as they tried to exterminate it.


    The Taiyin Light was broken into pieces. The pieces were falling down like the petals of plum blossoms. They were flying in the air flexibly and had rolled in a lot of Qi. They continued to crush towards Shen Lian.


    Bai Suhuan seemed calm and had no sense of urgency at all. A hint of mockery flashed past in his eyes. It was as though he was telling Shen Lian that he was merely toying with him.


    Shen Lian would not be easily frightened, and he would not allow for there to be ripples in his state of mind that was still as water. He was not about to let it affect his judgment. The Taiyin Light rushed towards Shen Lian. Under his telepathy, they were light countless running rivers that were joined together, and yet remained as independent entities.


    The sword gleam cut through the large pieces of Taiyin Light again and made them into smaller pieces. However, the pieces maintained their steady pace and continued forward.


    Shen Lian had a flash of inspiration. He could either continue with his operation of sword aura to exterminate the Taiyin Light, or he could avoid the Light altogether. However, in spite of Bai Suhuan''s casualness, he knew that he was shrouded in his spiritual sense all the time. The moment he lost his footing, the attacks would come at him like a raging storm. He would then be forced to his limits and had no choice but to admit defeat.


    Under the aid of Qi dynamic, riding on the trend was more important than having the upper hand momentarily.


    Shen Lian ceased operating the sword aura. He also ceased his attacks at the Taiyin Light. He remained static and allowed for the Taiyin Light to roll towards him.


    The Taixu Divine Qi within him was bustling, and the "Hua" Formula of the Interpromotion and Interrestraint: Sheng, Ke, Zhi, Hua; was utilized by him to its limits. A thin membrane of light shrouded all over him. As the Taiyin Light rushed over, the pieces of it were all melted into the light membrane. As the Taiyin Light disappeared bit by bit, the light membrane dimmed bit by bit too.


    When the last bit of Taiyin Light disappeared completely, the light membrane disappeared along with it too.


    However, Shen Lian''s move did not manage to completely dissolve away the Taiyin Light by force. He was merely exterminating the Taixu Divine Qi along with the Taiyin Light. The Taiyin Light was solid and was fuelled by the essence of Taiyin. It was at its most Yin and at its purest. The Hua Formula from Shen Lian''s Taixu Strategy could not convert it for his own use.


    Bai Suhuan finally reacted to this turn of event. Bai Suhuan had attained the Way of Taiyin in his cultivation of the Code of the Bright Moon. When he attained the status of land immortal, he would have the Taiyin Body. As the Taiyin Light was one of the most impressive Dao techniques recorded in the Code of the Bright Moon, it would evolve into the "Knife of Time" after he had attained the Taiyin Body. It was also known as the "Ultimate Knife of Taiyin". With just one slash, the time would flow and the object would turn to ash.


    His Taiyin Light was not at that stage yet, but with his cultivation now, he was at the state of "The Flowing of Time and Water". Just as how the water would continue flowing when it was slashed off by a knife, the Taiyin Light was just as the flowing of time and water and it was unbreakable and unstoppable. It triggered more and more Qi of heaven and earth. As it gained momentum, it became unstoppable, just as the flash flood that broke through all obstacles.


    It did not fear Shen Lian''s sharp sword aura, and let itself be sliced by it.


    However, Shen Lian managed to see through the core of Taiyin Light with just a few moments. With Taixu Strategy, he had undone the Taixu Light by force. There was no room for transformations anymore. Even though he had done so at the expense of the huge amount of mana, but he managed to undo the Taixu Light.


    This was when Bai Suhuan finally took Shen Lian seriously and saw him as an equal. After hundreds of years of cultivation, besides his longevity, he took great pride in his great supernatural powers.


    The reason why he remained a loner was because he had no interest in the mediocre men.


    He refused to take in disciples as he did not want to waste his time and effort on teaching someone. He wanted to focus on his own cultivation progress. With his character, he would not have cared about Shen Lian''s succession as the new chief. There was a reason behind this.


    However, he forgot about his initial goal. All he wanted now was to have a good fight with Shen Lian.


    Once engaged in battle, Shen Lian had no time for other thoughts. He could not care less about what Bai Suhuan was up to. A sword manifested in his hand. Yellow light swirled in it, and the sword gleam was gone in a flash.


    The intense move seemed so casual and carefree when it was performed by him.


    It was as though a bird had flown over under the moonlight, and it was not known where it came from and where did it go.


    "Shen Lian, how brave of you," Bai Suhuan exclaimed. Shen Lian''s move with the sword was better than a lot of people in the world, and he showed the grace of a Daoist.


    Amongst the younger disciples in Qing Xuan, other than Chen Jianmei, there was still Shen Lian.


    Bai Suhuan was faced with the sword gleam sent by Shen Lian. However, he did not put up a defense. Instead, he had taken an offensive move. With a flip in the air and a shrug of his shoulder, a wild air current rolled towards the sword gleam.


    With his move, the mana within vibrated at high speed and escaped urgently. It was not just Shen Lian''s sword gleam, but even a mountain could be broken into pieces.


    It was known as "The Collapse of Mountain"; with just a slight contact, even the mountain could be collapsed.


    A normal cultivator would not be able to use such a great skill, and he had his solid physical body of a Daoist to thank for. The high-speed vibration of the mana within one''s body would send most common cultivators bursting into bloody mist without any solid traces being left behind.


    Upon seeing it, Shen Lian was not only not in fear, but the sword gleam was sent forward again. With a few turns and twists, it slid under the tip of the current and gave it a gentle flick towards the ground. Booming sounds followed, and green light appeared on the ground. That was the activation of the Dao restriction of the sect.


    The cultivators outside of the Qing Xuan Hall felt the gentle vibrations from the ground.


    This showed how scary Bai Suhuan''s "The Collapse of Mountain" was.


    Shen Lian could overcome the wild air current with just a light flick, which was akin to dancing on the tip of the blade.


    This was the first time Bai Suhuan saw The Collapse of Mountain being undone by such a smart and precise method. Shen Lian could not have known what he was good at and started planning for the countermeasures early on.


    He could only say that Shen Lian was exceptionally talented and the Taixu Strategy was amazing; otherwise, there was no other explanation.


    Actually, Shen Lian did not fear this form of condensed mana attack at all. This was so as the "Zhi" Formula in the "Interpromotion and Interrestraint" of Taixu Strategy was the perfect means to overcome the changes in Qi dynamic.


    The Collapse of Mountain involved highly dense mana and it was doubtlessly powerful. However, the changes in its Qi dynamic were straightforward, and hence it was easy for Shen Lian to figure his way around it. His move of flicking the wild current seemed dangerous, and yet it was merely going along with the current. It was just the same as directing the endless raging water elsewhere through building canals after studying the geography of the area.


    Bai Suhuan did not understand this and his shoulders were shaking. Countless strong Qi that seemed like long spears came attacking at Shen Lian from different angles and different tracks.


    Within moments, it was as though Shen Lian was placed amidst treacherous rivers and was at the mercy of Bai Suhuan.


    However, Shen Lian was calm and confident. He could always direct the strong air current away. However, he triggered the Dao restriction for a couple of times now; the sword gleam in the sky was moving around like a snake or dragon, and the green light on the ground raged on like waves.

 Chapter 188 Reincarnation

    The battle continued on for around ten minutes, and those who were watching outside of the Qing Xuan Hall were dazed.


    Bai Suhuan was indeed capable, but what was out of their expectation was Shen Lian''s ability to keep up with him.


    Moreover, Shen Lian had only been cultivating for such a short period of time. On the other hand, Bai Suhuan had been cultivating for a very long period of time. Some of them could not help but think that perhaps Shen Lian could break through the Absurd State, cultivate his Primordial Spirit, and become one of the land immortals before he reached one hundred years old.


    The last person to attain something like that was Lu Jiuyuan.


    It was not saying that Shen Lian was comparable to Lu Jiuyuan. However, if one were to talk about the speed of cultivation and techniques of supernatural powers, Lu Jiuyuan would probably be around Shen Lian''s level when he was at his age.


    Bai Suhuan could not defeat Shen Lian within a short period of time, and now he was caught in a dilemma. He wondered if he should give it his all. At this moment, the faraway sky was frosty. Half of the sky was frozen.


    The cold air blew past, and the Qi of heaven and earth was locked in. Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan had no choice but to stop.


    Under the sky full of frost, a lady walked over with a sword in her hand.


    She was dressed in green Daoist clothing and was gorgeous. She seemed proud as she walked over slowly. Shen Lian was graceful, but this lady was beyond that. Her grace and elegance could never be captured by a painting.


    The sunlight fell into the frost and took on different colors. The beautiful scene was merely a backdrop for the lady in green Daoist robe.


    The lady in green was the other side of Ziling Fairy, Qing Xiao.


    Qing Xiao''s eyes were cold, and her gaze was like dots of icy stars. Bai Suhuan shivered inside as he was met with her gaze.


    Bai Suhuan was of the same generation as Qing Xiao. However, Qing Xiao had attained Dao twice, but he had not even attained immortality. If there was anyone that he did not want to see the most, it would be Qing Xiao.


    Moreover, Qing Xiao was not as nice as Ziling Fairy. She had a bad temper and never held back whenever she had to fight.


    Shen Lian bowed respectfully as he said, "Dear founding master."


    Qing Xiao looked at Shen Lian and nodded in response. "Bai Suhuan, why are you fighting with Shen Lian. If you have the guts, come and try my long sword out," she said coldly.


    Bai Suhuan held back his anger. "Shen Lian is going to be the next chief. I am afraid that his lack of seniority would be the cause of contention, which was why I volunteered to test him out in front of everyone in order to ease everyone''s concern," he replied lightly.


    "Seniority does not play a role in the cultivation of Dao, it''s the matter of one''s capability to reach the pinnacle first. Even if they were blind, could you not tell that Shen Lian was a hundred time stronger than the idiots?" Qing Xiao smiled coldly.


    After that, Qing Xiao stood in the void with her sword in her hand. "Anyone who is not happy with Shen Lian being the chief can head up here for a battle against him. If he cannot sort you out within three moves, he might as well not be the chief," she spoke to the cultivators below.


    Even though she was far up in the sky, but her icy gaze gave everyone shiver. Moreover, they had seen the battle between Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan. If there was anyone who stood a chance against Shen Lian, it would be the likes of the Drunken Daoist and Ge Yuan.


    However, these few people were ignoring all the stare directed at them. Moreover, they had always agreed to Shen Lian being the next chief anyway.


    At this moment, Bai Suhuan had returned to his own Daoist courtyard back at the Zifu Peak. He could not stay on any longer due to his failure to defeat Shen Lian after the prolonged battle, and Qing Xiao''s presence was another factor too.


    Zhang Ruoxu was sitting on the stone couch, and Qing Xiao had created a small couch for herself. She hugged her sword with her eyes closed.


    The chief enjoyed the highest position in Qing Xuan, and this was a rule set by the Grandmaster Yuanqing. Even if she had attained the status of a land immortal again, she merely enjoyed the superior status and was freed from restraints.


    Shen Lian''s battle with Bai Suhuan earlier managed to secure the support and respect of everyone. Moreover, Qing Xiao had returned. No one had the guts to publicly disagree, not when Shen Lian had the support of this immortal Zhenren.


    The cultivators did not care about procedures and ceremonies. Shen Lian''s succession was a simple process.


    After receiving the worship of everyone, he dismissed them after saying a few brief words. He stayed on in the hall and accompanied Zhang Ruoxu during his last few moments in life.


    The sky was setting bit by bit, and so was Zhang Ruoxu''s lifespan.


    Shen Lian was silent, and Zhang Ruoxu was speechless too. He did not have to give further instructions. He knew that Shen Lian would do his best after agreeing to take on the position. Zhang Ruoxu felt inner peace that he had never felt before, and his bier was completely quiet.


    He was slightly tired, and now was finally the time for relief.


    The last ray fell onto his clothes, and he opened his eyes and smiled. "My time is up," he said.


    "Do you have anything that you want to say?" Qing Xiao asked.


    Zhang Ruoxu thought about it, and the person on his mind now was no other than his own Junior Apprentice-Brother, Yanxu.


    He was such a talented person, and until today, Zhang Ruoxu still could not harbor strong hatred towards him.


    "Is Yanxu dead?" He spoke slowly.


    Qing Xiao gave it some thoughts. "Not sure," she replied.


    "Sigh, after rounds of scheming and your participation, someone like him would still have a secret trick up his sleeve. He might have escaped death again this time," Zhang Ruoxu sighed.


    Qing Xiao did not reply. She waited for Zhang Ruoxu to calm his emotions.


    The sun had set and the night was falling soon.


    Qing Xiao stood up with her sword. She drew her sword and pointed it at the void. Amidst the ripples, a small and dense black hole was created. It was almost unnoticeable to naked eyes.


    Zhang Ruoxu''s divine Qi had gone completely, and a drop of divine aura flew out from the shell and went into the black hole created by Qing Xiao''s "One Sword to Break the Void". The dark and mysterious aura seeped through from it.


    Shen Lian''s spirit was excited by it too. The "Mastery of Senses" mastered by him had an intriguing state. It was called "connecting the netherworld". He could feel a big world that gave off the same aura that the black hole did.


    He was driven by a desperate desire to toss his Yin Spirit into it, as though that would free him from the cycle of life and death; that he would continue to exist perpetually in another form.


    "Do you want to be Guixian? I can send you to the Nine Underworlds," Qing Xiao''s cold and clear voice spoke.


    Shen Lian collected his thoughts and asked, "Founding master, did you send the chief''s divine aura to the Nine Underworlds? He could be reincarnated?"


    "He was sent to the Six Realms of Samsara, which could be considered as a part of the Nine Underworlds. The River of Spirits outside of the Zifu Peak flew from the Nine Underworlds. Back then, Grandmaster Yuanqing joined the underworld with just a strike of his sword. This is one of the consequences. As to whether Zhang Ruoxu could reincarnate successfully, this would depend on his luck. All I could do was to make sure that he would be reincarnated as a human in his next life if he managed to be reincarnated at all." It was rare for Qing Xiao to speak so much, and when she did, she exposed one of the secrets of the world beyond the Boundless Universe.


    "I will be cultivating in solitary retreat for a long time after this. You should handle both the internal and external matters of Qing Xuan on your own. If there is anything that you cannot solve, you can look for my Uncle-Master at Taiwei Pavillion," Qing Xiao continued speaking.


    When she was done speaking, she disappeared from the hall in a flash. Her supernatural powers were unpredictable, and there were not even the slightest bit of Mana vibrations. Perhaps, it had escaped Shen Lian''s attention.

 Chapter 189 Netherworld

    Qing Xuan Hall became even quieter after Qing Xiao''s departure. There was not even the slightest bit of sound in the big hall. So this was how Zhang Ruoxu had spent his years watching over Qing Xuan.


    Since ancient times, the Sages had always led a lonely life. To Shen Lian, Zhang Ruoxu was more than just someone who had achieved much, he was a Sage. Even though Zhang Ruoxu was not the likes of deities, but the burden he took on, the tenacity he exhibited, these were something that Shen Lian still could not completely understand.


    Shen Lian remembered the story Jing Qing told him back when he first came to Qing Xuan. Zhang Ruoxu was just a normal disciple back then, and he had been logging the stone bamboos in the sea of bamboos for seven years on the chief''s order without complaints. Because of this attitude, he was able to stand out. If not for Yanxu, he would have attained immortality long ago, and not stuck in the cycle of life and death like now.


    Shen Lian''s thoughts flashed passed. Zhang Ruoxu''s body was returning to the heaven and earth, as it was dispersing slowly like dots of stars.


    In these few hundred years, his body had been utilized to its maximum capacity. When the divine aura had left, his body could not even maintain his physical appearance. All that was left was his Daoist robe.


    Shen Lian sighed. If they were to meet again, Zhang Ruoxu would not be Zhang Ruoxu anymore, and Shen Lian too, would not remain the same as the person he was.


    He kept the Daoist robe and hung it at the back of the Hall. Shen Lian was thinking as he trod around the hall. The current predicament of Qing Xuan was not about whether he could manage the sect and be respectable, but it was about the Bier Discourse of Dao twenty years from now.


    Even though Chen Jianmei will be there and Qing Xuan probably would not have to come in last, but it was too unrealistic to place all of his hopes on Chen Jianmei.


    The Bier Discourse of Dao was not that important in the past few years. Even though there was the Resonance of the Great Way in it, and would be of great help to the cultivators who were cultivating the nine states of cultivation, but there was no shortage of secret techniques and exercises in the four main Daoist sects.


    This was, after all, a chance to showcase the power of the sect. If Qing Xuan were to come in last again, the cultivators in the world would hold Qing Xuan in lower regard. Seeing how powerful Guangqing was, it would take less than a hundred years for the cultivators to forget about Qing Xuan. Of course, the fate of the sect would turn to Guangqing too.


    The best way to solve this issue was for Qing Xuan to produce one or two immortal Zhenren. Regardless of the state of the sect, with the emergence of immortal Zhenren, Qing Xuan would be able to reclaim its fame.


    However, twenty years was too short of a time for even Chen Jianmei to break through the Absurd State. It was next to impossible.


    The one who was the likeliest to attain immortality now was actually Bai Suhuan. However, Shen Lian was slightly wary of him. Logically, he had no reason to stop Shen Lian from being the next chief.


    However, there must be a cause to this. It was just that Shen Lian had not found out the reason yet.


    As for the sect, there was nothing that Shen Lian needed to do. He needed to do nothing.


    He had the support of the immortal Zhenren in the sect, who happened to be his founding master. He was cultivating the toughest martial exercises in the sect, the "Taixu Strategy", and he had attained the Nine Transformations of Huandan. Even Chen Jianmei was not fighting for the position. It could well be said that the trend in favor of him had been set.


    This was precisely why he did not need to do anything. Merely maintaining the status quo was sufficient.


    Moreover, everyone was a cultivator and had their eyes set on longevity. Putting himself in their shoes, Shen Lian would not want to have a strict chief who was stern and strict with rules.


    As he had taken up the position as the chief, Shen Lian would definitely make sure that Qing Xuan got through this trial safely. However, his plan was not complete yet. However, he knew that his strength was a prerequisite for everything, which was why he had to get stronger. At his state, he only needed to accumulate mana. When he had reached a certain level, he would be able to enter into the state of Buxu naturally. In fact, he would not even face much difficulty before Powang and immortality. He only needed to break through the Absurd State to attain Dao.


    Right now, the only thing that could elevate his power instantly was supernatural techniques. He now had access to the second floor of Taiwei Pavilion. Moreover, the old Daoist who was guarding the Taiwei Pavilion was one of the three immortal Zhenrens of Qing Xuan.


    If it was not for him, Qing Xuan would have been long gone when Shen Lian''s founding master, Ziling, was going through her trial and the other immortal Zhenren had gone missing.


    After all, Qing Xuan had ten thousand years of history. Without any land immortal standing guard, the texts and the sacred paintings in Taiwei Pavilion would have attracted the attention of the likes of Lu Jiuyuan.


    Shen Lian did not rush to the Taiwei Pavilion. He had never let his heart have a break ever since he attained the state of Huandan. With the passing of Zhang Ruoxu, he was even more melancholic now.


    Since Zhang Ruoxu''s passing, the snow accumulated at the Five Peaks was lessening. The melting of the snow was colder than the formation of it. Even though the cultivators at Qing Xuan were insulated from both the cold and the heat, but they could still feel the surrounding temperature.


    A lot of people were trying to figure the new chief out in secret. In fact, they were waiting for Shen Lian to do something to Zhang Lingxian. However, months had passed and Shen Lian did not do anything still.


    The coldness in Qing Xuan Hall increased, and the clouds got thicker. Sometimes, Shen Lian could be seen standing quietly at the cliff outside the hall as he stared at the rest of the four peaks.


    This teenage chief had offered much help to his fellow sect members in the past. To the normal disciples, he was friendly. However, to most of the elders, he was merely talented in cultivation, and they were unclear about his character.


    Shen Lian stared quietly at the last bit of snow melting faraway. Qing Xuan became how it once was when he first joined. However, some people were not here anymore.


    It was not just Daoist Sanwen and his much-respected teacher Zhang Ruoxu, but a few of his fellow sect members whom he was not closed with had passed on as well. Dao was emotionless; when one''s lifespan had ended there was no way that one could escape from death.


    Qianmo and Xiaoxun were playing in the sky. The Qi of heaven and earth here was thick. To Xiaoxun, this could be considered as heavenly already. The refreshing Qi of the Celestialism had negated the demonic Qi on it, which was not much to begin with. Xiaoxun was more like a spiritual beast now.


    As for Qianmo, Shen Lian had been instilling plenty of Taixu Mana into it. When it flew in the sky now, even Shen Lian could only make out its shadows.


    It flew right into the River of Spirits. The corrosive properties of the river water did not affect it at all. It only made Qianmo''s feathers looked newer and neater.


    The river water in the River of Spirits originated from the Netherworld. As it was shrouded by the fresh Qi of Celestialism in Qing Xuan and with the regular cleaning of the spirit-summoning messenger, there were not much of resentful spirits here.


    The River of Spirits could be seen as a small branch of the netherworld. There were other similar branches like this in other places in the world. Moreover, they might wider �C so wide that one could not see the opposite shore.


    ____________________________________


    The water here was a lot murkier than the River of Spirits in Qing Xuan. Moreover, countless resentful spirits were roaring. Even a Daoist who had been cultivating for a hundred years would shiver from inside out when they came here.


    There was no moon and no stars in the sky. The sky was dull and dark. The only lights came from the divine aura of the resentful spirits that had not fallen completely yet.


    Some resentful spirits were agitated by the restraints of the river water and had struggled out of the water. When they were at the banks, they would pull back into the river by an invisible force.


    Underneath where the invisible force came from was a dark-red throne. The runes engraved on it had an indescribable Daoist feel to it, as though one could obtain a supreme killing Dao technique the moment one understood any of the runes.


    A youth dressed in white sat on the throne. The throne was a scarlet throne.

 Chapter 190 Nether Aid Scripture

    His white clothes were white as snow and clouds, and there was not even a speck of dust on it. The youth was staring at the murky water, and his sight seemed to extend endlessly. A mountain appeared amidst the mist, and the mountain range was huge, and it extended without end.


    It made one wondered if there were wide rivers on the other side of the mountain, or if there was land. However, the youth knew clearly what was on the other side of the mountain. Many years ago, he had come from the other side.


    There were some places in this world that only existed in legends. There were not many people who saw it. These places were born with the heavens and earth, it remained ancient and unchanged.


    This mountain was one of them. A lot of people knew of its name, but they had never seen it with their eyes before. The name of the mountain was "Mount Yin". At the foot of the mountain, the river water from the netherworld flew endlessly, and the waist of the mountain was surrounded by clouds.


    The youth was at a position called the "Yin of Mount Yin". It was somewhere that could never see the sun. After sending the resentful spirits that jumped out of the river back into the yellowish river water, the youth turned into a flash of red light along with his scarlet throne. Within moments, he was at hundred miles away.


    This was a camp on the bank. When the youth appeared, the soldier on guard asked, "Who is the visitor?"


    The youth fished out a blood-red token and showed it to the soldier. The token gave off a strong pressure that made the soldier shivered upon seeing it.


    He immediately ran into the camp and a group of soldiers followed. The one of led the group was a General who wore dark-red armor. The pressure he gave off could rival that of a human Huandan cultivator.


    One of the General seemed to have half of his face shaved off, and the white bones were visible. When he smiled, it was extremely creepy. "Huangquan Token, Dear esteemed guest, may I know which Path Master are you under, and what are you doing here?" He asked.


    Even though his tone was respectful, but his creepy eyes were sizing the youth on the scarlet throne. It was unclear what his thoughts were. Moreover, there were many trenches on his armor, and the tracks on it were abstruse. Occasionally, some Qi of heaven and earth flew in the trenches, and it was clear that this was not a normal item.


    The soldiers all had spiritual vibrations and were akin the human cultivators who attained the state of Qiaodong. Those who were stronger were almost at the state of "Chushen Ruhua".


    Even with just these few people, they were as good as one small sect in the human realm.


    These people were part of the Huangquan Demon Army, and were part of the exterior influence of the Huangquan Demon Sect. There were a few hundreds of such tents along the river bank. The Huangquan Demon Sect was a strong influence in the heaven and earth. Due to the obstructing force on Yin Mountain, they could not go out and did not show their faces in the world.


    When Lu Jiuyuan attained Dao, he had sneaked into the nest of the Huangquan Demon Sect, Shen Luo Hall. He was trying to steal a scripture. However, he was caught by one of the Path Masters who was guarding the Huangquan Demon Sect, Daoist Wujian. Both of them had a fight. In the end, Lu Jiuyuan did not manage to bring the scripture out. This showed that the Huangquan Demon Sect had their own supreme techniques as well, and they held their own against Lu Jiuyuan.


    However, Daoist Wujian had mysteriously disappeared eight hundred years ago. His position as a Path Master was replaced by his disciple, Daoist Youjian.


    The Huangquan Demon Sect had three branches, and it was known as the "Three Paths". They were "Hell", "Hungry Ghosts", and "Animals". Each of the Path Master had impressive powers.


    The Path Master of the Path of Hungry Ghost was a Guixian who had countless years in cultivation, and his supernatural powers were mysterious and unpredictable.


    The Path Master of the Path of Animals was from the demonic clan and was alleged to be close to being the Great Demon Sage. This Path Master apparently had superb capabilities.


    Both of Daoist Wujian and Daoist Youjian were the Path Master of the Path of Hell. Unfortunately, Daoist Youjian''s attainment in cultivation could not match up to that of Daoist Wujian. The former sneaked into the human realm and got himself in trouble. He ended up returning with serious injuries that he had never recovered from.


    The Huangquan Demon army should by right obey the instructions of the three Path Masters. In reality, they were segregated into three groups by the three Path Masters, and each Path Master was entitled to their own army. This was an unspoken rule that was never made public. However, when Daoist Youjian got badly injured, he could no longer keep some of the strong Generals under him in check. A lot of his soldiers had gone on to join the other two Path Masters or to remain neutral without flocking to any of the Path Masters.


    In fact, a few very powerful Generals had the intention of replacing Daoist Youjian altogether, and become the new Path Master.


    Actually, if the two Path Masters set their mind to it, they could have easily taken over the Demon army under the Path of Hell. However, those two still cared about their past relationship with Daoist Wujian and did not think of taking over the Demon army. They did not give it many thoughts.


    This created the current predicament faced by the Demon army under the Path of Hell. After all, not all of the Generals wanted to flock to other Path Masters. They valued the freedom they had now, without being under anyone. After all, the two Path Masters had not done anything with him yet, which was why he pretended to not know anything.


    He thought he would give it his best if he were to receive any instruction from any Path Master. As long as the river water will never dry up, the source of Demon army would be safe and he had nothing to lose.


    Despite that, the Demon army was birthed from the resentful spirits in the netherworld, but the soldiers would still die. Otherwise, the Huangquan Demon army would have filled the entire river bank by now.


    The General of this camp was one of those who took a neutral stance.


    The presence of Huangquan Token did not send him into waves of panic. He wanted to see which Path Master was the person under before deciding on his next course of action. The Huangquan Token was made by the Sect Master of Huangquan Sect back when they still had a Sect Master. Until the last Sect Master transcended beyond the mortal world and left without leaving behind the foundational martial exercise, "Nether Aid Scripture", the sect lost all sense of directions. As it did not have a leader, the three Path Masters took over temporarily. The cohesion force was lost, and they were constantly suppressed by the Buddhist sects on Yin Mountain.


    "My Master is Daoist Youjian. This camp would be under my command from now on," the youth replied calmly.


    "We have always been under the command of the Path Master. Since you are a disciple of the Path Master, we would not mind being under your command. May I know how should I address you?" The ghost mask commander replied.


    The youth stared at him and replied gently, "My real name is Ye Liuyun, but my Master gave me a Daoist name, "Ming He". However, I don''t really like the name. So, you can address me as "Honored Master". Perhaps you did not understand what I meant, I''m saying that all of you can only listen to my command from now on."


    "I am afraid that this won''t do. We have always been a part of the Huangquan Demon Sect, and we will never be under the command of a single person only," the ghost mask commander replied with a sterner tone.


    Despite how good he made it sound like, the real reason was because Ye Liuyun was merely Daoist Youjian''s disciple. Right now, Daoist Youjian''s cultivation deteriorated significantly, and most of the Generals did not bother themselves with him. Even his most trusted aides had either left or betrayed him. Why would he bother flaming the cold stove that was Daoist Youjian then?


    "That''s a shame. I shall send you to meet your death," Ye Liuyun sighed.


    He waved his sleeve and there was a blood-colored ray that flashed past. The ghost face commander did not have time to react. The blood-colored ray circled his neck like a thread, and there was a solid thud as his head fell to the ground. A wisp of green smoke emerged from his body. That was his spirit. However, it merely struggled for a while before it exploded. The blood-colored ray rolled it up and returned to Ye Liuyun''s sleeve.


    The ghost face commander was someone akin to a Huandan cultivator, and yet he was defeated by Ye Liuyun so easily.


    If Shen Lian was here, he would have realized that the breath within Ye Liuyun''s blood-colored ray was similar to the sword will created by his Grandmaster Yuanqing.

 Chapter 191 The Dao of Avici

    The ghost mask commander was killed by Ye Liuyun face to face and the rest of the demon army and Generals had no room to fight back anymore. Furthermore, the principle of the law of the jungle applies to anywhere. The only difference lied in knowing when to execute it or not.


    Following the next many days, Ye Liuyun brought many of the demon army campgrounds under control. In the beginning, there was still some resistance and then later many of the campgrounds got the news of a young man in robes as white as snow, who rode on a scarlet throne, had already either imputed or prevailed against many commanders.


    The experienced commander already figured out the supernatural power that Ye Liuyun cultivates and practice. It was the Dao of Avici, the highest stage of the supernatural power that even the Daoist Wujian could not successfully cultivate. It was said that this supernatural power that was recorded in the long-lost Nether Aid Scripture of the Huangquan Demon Sect.


    It was the comprehension of the first generation Huangquan Demon Sect master had when the master accidentally found a Killing Sword and penetrated through the stars and the mortal world with it. Hundreds of millions of living beings that hid in the Milky Way was annihilated and the master reached this comprehension after getting its spirit.


    This supernatural power was one of the definite. It meant every Huangquan Demon Sect master would have it. Back then, Daoist Wujian had the previous sect master to pass this supernatural power to him. Unfortunately, even with his abundant talent, he could not cultivate the Dao of Avici and even could not get the Nether Aid Scripture. That was why when the sect master vanished afterward, with the Daoist Wujian mana as the head of the three main paths, he still could not become the new sect master.


    Shen Lian, of course, was not clear that Ye Liuyun had appeared at the faraway Huangquan Demon Sect and that Ye Liuyun had the greatest supernatural power.


    Shen Lian who had his gaze on the blue sky and white skies quietly asked, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, how is the condition of the founding master''s injuries?"


    Gu Caiwen appeared on a protruding rock not far away. Today, she was clad in a pale yellow dress, her long cuffs floating in the air, as though it could blend into the breeze of the wind but with reasons unknown, still remained station there and not bear to leave.


    The Qi of Vitality of the universe surrounded her very closely and within this closeness was a faint distance. It was Gu Caiwei that was putting that distance. Shen Lian already understood Dan Dao and Yuanman but Gu Caiwei had still no clue.


    There was still a shapeless barrier between the universe and her that had never been punctured.


    The biggest advantage Shen Lian has over Gu Caiwen was his spirit. The Mastery of Senses had gifted Shen Lian with a powerful spirit which was advantages for him when understanding the path of the universe.


    This gentle and captivating lady was not disheartened nor depressed because of not being able to breakthrough. Furthermore, even though she was not as stunning as Zhao Xiaoyu but the more one looked at her, the more one would feel that she had an unspeakable beauty.


    She had stopped at Ruhua longer than Chen Jianmei had, however, the years had not left a mark on her earlock, forehead or other places.


    Gu Caiwei fixed her eyes on Shen Lian. This junior apprentice-brother that she had given directions to have now became the chief of Qing Xuan. Somehow, he was indistinguishable from Zhang Ruoxu of the past, giving off the abstruse feeling that every matter and being was within his expectation.


    She replied, "How did you know that the founding master was injured?"


    She originally wanted to tell Shen Lian about this matter because, for the past few days, she was the only one who could meet Qing Xiao, or rather, Ziling Fairy. Ziling Fairy had achieved immortality twice, an extremely rare feat in the cultivation world. There should have been a celebration about this but unfortunately, once she had strongly supported Shen Lian taking the position of the chief as soon as she returned, she immediately went into solitary retreat. The masses thought she wanted to practice some kind of occult technique urgently but they would never have guessed that a figure like her would be heavily wounded.


    This was because it was too difficult to hurt the kind of person that she was.


    Shen Lian answered, "I too cultivate the Taixu Strategy. That day in the Qing Xuan Hall, I already noticed that founding master''s breath was unstable. Furthermore, she displayed the swordcraft, One Sword To Break The Void, for the chief and sent him back to reincarnation. The swordcraft is indeed formidable but I found out the details of this swordcraft later from the Tiandi Jian and found out that the One Sword To Break The Void was somehow strained and its might was not enough. With her strength from the Dixian rank, there should not have any strain so it was definitely because of other reason. The biggest possibility was that she is seriously wounded where she could not exert much with only ten percent of her capability."


    Gu Caiwei nodded and said, "Uncle-Master truly has an eye for people. You having such careful thoughts would definitely allow Qing Xuan to rise once again. But this matter should be kept secret. After all, now is such a precarious moment."


    Shen Lian said, "Senior apprentice-sister, we do not need to cover anything and just go on with how we should. Back then before the founding master confirmed her immortality, we came by just like this, did we not? Not only that, since that person could injure the founding master, should we count on that person to keep it a secret? I am, however, very curious. Which of the five seniors from Guangqing did this?"


    As to whether there were other connoisseurs, Shen Lian did not even need to think about it. There was no one who would strike against an immortal Zhenren for no reason since they could not kill them after all and might sow rancor with them. Only now the most possible to not be scruple about all these were the five immortal Zhenren from Guangqing, after all, the circumstances between the enemy and the sect were pretty clear.


    Gu Caiwei kept quiet for a while and then said, "The one who did this was Daoist Dengfeng. The founding master was hit by his Taiyue Real Shape Incantation and her injuries are quite severe. It would take at least up to ten years to recover. I came here to tell you that the founding master has entered the deepest stage of the Taixu State. Before she leaves the solitary retreat, we cannot wake her anymore."


    The Taixu State was a special state of the Taixu Strategy. Only those who have attained immortality can try to enter this state. After entering this state, they can travel through Taixu and experience and observe this state.


    With the abstruse of the Dao to help oneself, one can then break free of their reliance of the universe and become a new universe by themselves. When done to the extreme, besides learning about the Boundless Universe, the kinds of energy of the abstruse world were not only limited to the control of the Qi of Vitality.


    However, it was clear that Ziling Fairy needed to absorb the energy from the Taixu State to aid her recovery.


    Shen Lian sighed and said quietly, "It is said that amongst the five Dixian of Guangqing, Daoist Dengfeng is not the one with the highest mana or the biggest supernatural power."


    With this said, Gu Caiwei could not help but felt her heart sink. Since when did these seniors and teacher-elders would ever predict that the Qing Xuan Sect would have fallen to this state.


    While she was lost in thought, Shen Lian had already descended from Taiyi Peak. The place he was going was the Zifu Peak where the Taiwei Pavilion is.


    This was the first time Shen Lian entered the Taiwei Pavilion after taking over as the chief.


    Shen Lian did not fly into the pavilion using the wing but he walked, step by step, up Zifu Peak. There was some delightfulness with riding in the wind through the skies. However, there was no need to experience it every time. Occasionally, by walking on the solid ground, the soul could feel the heaviness from the ground.


    The movement of heaven was full of power, thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring. The earth''s condition was receptive devotion, thus the superior man who had a breadth of character carries the outer world.


    And now not only he should make himself strong and untiring but should have the heart to bear such burden. This was the state that he had never before in his previous life, Shen Lian did not find it difficult but he would take it as an interesting challenged in his long life.


    The Taiwei Pavilion stood quietly and alone as though it was out of this world, and as though it had melted amongst the Zifu Peak, giving out the unknown charm.[1] ���н�,��������ǿ��Ϣ;������,�����Ժ������ - This verse is adpated from The Book of Changes, "����".

 Chapter 192 What is Being? What am I?

    Shen Lian suddenly had an epiphany. Taiwei Pavilion was the foundation of Qing Xuan. Inside it, there were generations of the exploration of Dao and the many cultivation experiences hidden in it. This was the biggest treasure for a Dao sect.


    No wonder the Grand Ancestor Master would always remain in the Taiwei Pavilion.


    After he succeeded as the chief, from the information that he knew, it was during Zhang Ruoxu''s time as chief that Qing Xuan had three immortal Zhenrens. This was considered quite a lot. As for the other teacher-elder who have attained immortality over the ten thousand years, too many could not make it through the three trials of Dao and returned to the reincarnation of the world.


    Only a very small number finally transcended beyond the mortal world and left, cutting off their involvement in this universe and got one''s freedom.


    The old Daoist that Shen Lian had mistaken as an elder of the sect was still at the first level of the Taiwei Pavilion. The wrinkles on his forehead were like roles and roles of runes. It was also like the years had quietly left its mark on it.


    Times passes really quick like water and the power of time was not a force that could easily fend off.


    But Shen Lian knew in his mind that the wrinkles on the old Daoist''s body were no simple carving by time. There was another layer of cause to it.


    In front of the Taiwei Pavilion was the soft grass lawn. By taking a step into the pavilion was the hard floor surface.


    Even though the lawn was soft but it regenerates every year. Even though the floor surface was solid and hair but it was gradually degenerating. It was only because by being within the Celestialism that the speed of decay was not quick, it was even shockingly slow.


    The old Daoist whose eyes were closed opened at the moment Shen Lian stepped into the pavilion.


    With this one look, Shen Lian actually could not avert his eyes away.


    He suddenly realized he was no longer in the Taiwei Pavilion but he had become an ugly caterpillar, lying on top of a leave as he crunched on the supple green leave. This leave was supple and juicy, which made it comfortable for him to eat.


    With every bite of the leave, the juice and flesh that he got were digested into the energy needed to grow each day. Of course, it was not always safe when one''s life depended on the leaves. Many of the same kind as him around Shen Lian, perhaps because of the rough weather, or predator, or contracting some sort of virus, perished in the end.


    If there were remains of the body, it would fall to the soil and finally turn to nutrients which were absorbed through the extended roots of the depended tree to grow new branches of leaves.


    Shen Lian quietly watched all of this. He had better luck avoiding many calamities and he had lived for a very long time. Of course, the time was being compared to the time of his same kind.


    In essence, he was no different than the ephemeral mayfly or the summer insect that cannot be told about ice.


    In actual fact, he had neither seen winter nor the snow.


    With each day as he grew, it was as though he had forgotten about many things. His memories as Shen Lian, as though it was too much of a burden for the caterpillar''s fragile brain to handle, were gradually rejected.


    Eventually, he was only left with the instinct to chew on leaves non-stop, to sustain his life.


    It was until a moment when he began to gradually feel his body becoming heavy, his limbs losing its strength. At the same time, he noticed that some of the same kind as him were quietly lying on a branch and no longer moving. They were spitting out white threads from their mouth and those white threads were wrapped around themselves.


    Shen Lian was also doing to the same thing. The white threads were the combination of the consumed leaves and some special structure within himself.


    He suddenly thought of an idiom, to spin a cocoon around oneself. But it was in this moment where he had forgotten about his human memories that he could not understand the meaning of it.


    There were more and more white threads that wrapped around the body of the caterpillar. Finally, it was as though he had fallen into a solitary pitch black where he could no longer hear any sound and he could not even move.


    He could not breathe and could not look for new food to replenish his strength.


    If this continues on, it would not be long before he dies. He was not too clear on the meaning of death but just the thought of ''death'' filled his heart with horror.


    The kind of horror that would drive him mad.


    There were horrors that come with birth and death after these horrors come freedom. The first half was said by some man of virtue, the latter half was what he had hoped in his mind.


    The closer he was with approaching death, the more matters that appear in his mind. There were memories of him as a human, there were memories as him being the fish in the river, there were memories of him being the bird in the sky, and there were also memories of him being a pen up livestock.


    All of these were like the white threads outside his body, surrounding him.


    He did not understand but he knew.


    Like a spark crossing his mind, he was already really confused. Only one kind of faith remained in his mind and did not vanish forever. That was that he had to live on, only by living then he could have everything.


    This survival instinct ran through the beginning and the end of his life.


    He spared no effort as he wriggled on, because of that unwavering thirst, somehow there was a hidden and unspeakable transformation. His body began to transform into an extra unnamed potential. The cocoon made from the white threads was not impregnatable. All he needed was to tear it apart and he could receive a new life and freedom.


    Because of the drive of this instinct, he exerted all of his strength.


    Just as he was about to give it his all to break out from the cocoon, the world in front of him changed and he was still in the Taiwei Pavilion.


    His confused gaze soon returned to clarity quickly.


    However, deep down in his mind, there was still a longing and that was the regret of not being able to complete the metamorphosis.


    "Are you the caterpillar or are you Shen Lian?" A clear and bright voice rang in the Taiwei Pavilion.


    So the old Daoist could talk. Back then, he did not make a sound. Shen Lian thought he was practicing some sort of closed mouth chanting martial arts.


    Shen Lian pondered slightly and answered, "The caterpillar and Shen Lian are not Shen Lian."


    The old Daoist chuckled and said, "Now, you are no stronger than that caterpillar. You''ll only get beaten if you go out there. Wait until you could ''spin a cocoon around yourself'', then come and talk to me."


    He did not specify whether Shen Lian''s answer was correct and he closed his eyes and did not say anything anymore like a silent statue. If Shen Lian did not have a good look, it was hard to notice his presence.


    No, the old Daoist was quieter and had a lower presence than a statue. If Shen Lian closed his eyes, he could still feel the changes of airflow of the universe, from that he could know the position of the statue.


    But he could not see the old Daoist, as though he truly does not exist in this world.


    How could this state be drawn a parallel to the caterpillar, or even the metamorphosis? It was too far away to reach this state.


    Shen Lian knew that the old Daoist had always been in Qing Xuan, as for why he did not stop the incident with Yanxu, perhaps there were other reasons for him to not be able to do so.


    Questions arose and Shen Lian did not press on because he knew that if the old Daoist was willing to talk, he would definitely tell him. Also, the old Daoist had told him to come and talk to him once he could ''spin a cocoon around himself''. His made it clear that before then, do not look for him.


    Shen Lian understood what it meant to have a cocoon spun around himself. It actually meant being burdened with fabrication. By then he would be more qualified to cut through the fabrication and tackled the path of Dixian.


    He continued on into the inner parts of the Taiwei Pavilion. There was no staircase that directly connected the second level in the Taiwei Pavilion but as long as one has the conditions to go up to the second level, one could naturally enter.����������ij� - A phrase by Zhuangzi. It means that it is impossible to speak to persons of limited experience.

 Chapter 193 Portraits

    It was not the first time that Shen Lian had entered the Taiwei Pavilion. Back then a long time ago, he knew that only with Huandan then only could he enter the second level.


    At that time, he did not know how to get up but now he knew.


    It was simple. He just has to think about going to the second level and naturally, he was in. Because it was so simple that it was abstruse. It involved the profoundness of space and time which was not what Shen Lian could comprehend now. A thought flashed by. If he could cultivate to a certain state, could he have an epiphany of the subtleness of space and time and head back to where he came from?


    Now, he completely did not understand how he got here.


    This thought flashed past and was gone. He did not give it much thought and began scanning the second level of the pavilion.


    The second level was an enclosed space but this space was very bright. There were no burning rays of light as there was only soft light, but the source of the light could not be found. He also made an intriguing discovery. He did not have any shadows.


    Since the light-filled every corner, that was why the shadow did not exist. By right, light and shadow should co-exist but here, there was only light.


    Space was huge that was crowded with many floating jade scrolls. Shen Lian simply grabbed one jade scroll and a tremendous swarm of information flooded in. Finally, he understood the Dao technique that was recorded within �C Taishang Pure Yang Qi Cultivation Incantation.


    As Shen Lian loosen the grip on the jade scroll, the scroll floating back to its original place. The information that was mapped into his mind soon disappeared bit by bit.


    This was not strange at all. There was no use to solely memorize incantation for formidable the incantation or supernatural power. Unless one understood and digested it, there was no way to remember it.


    Back then, if Gu Caiwei had not done an introduction to the Taixu Strategy, there was no way she could have taught him.


    As for the jade scrolls in here, there was no way of bringing it out. No one was allowed to. On one hand, it was the rules. On another hand, it was because the items here could not be taken away after all; they were not real objects. They were only a form of representation of the information.


    Unless one could understand and be well versed in it, turning it into your own knowledge.


    As long as one could enter the second level of the Taiwei Pavilion, one could simply flip and browse through the records of the Dao technique and supernatural powers within the jade scroll.


    But to bring these things out, especially the martial arts kind, one had to put into the work to understand and digest.


    The time of a cultivator was long, it was also temporary. The things being recorded here were formidable and could not be understood by going through it once. Even if there was a genius that could be well versed in different Dao techniques and cultivate it simultaneously, the amount of required energy to be spent was unknown.


    To minor in several martial exercises, generally, it was because one''s martial exercise was ordinary. To be able to search for similar minors, perhaps one could expand on a new way of thinking and achieve a Dao technique for oneself.


    This was because there was never the best martial exercises, only the martial exercises that were the most suitable for oneself.


    Every person''s qualification and mind were not the same. Even when one cultivates the same Dao technique, aside from the quick or slow progress, the end result would also have some slight difference.


    The Dao technique was only the seed, as to what kind of tree it would grow into, it subjects to individual and the established practice.


    There were no any two trees that are completely the same. However, because one cultivates the same kind of Dao technique, fundamentally there would be a lot of similarities and the differences are the minor details.


    Shen Lian really liked it here. As his cultivation experience became higher and higher, he could pick up many of the ordinary Dao techniques with just a simple glance. As for the matters that could be easily learned, it truly did not benefit him much.


    Like someone who had learned divination for many years, only to have him learn something as simple as basic math, even though it was stress-free but it was no fun either.


    However, Shen Lian temporarily did not focus on the jade scroll. Around the seemingly smooth jade walls hung many portraits. Each portrait had a human figure in it. Some of them dressed up as a Confucian scholar, some of them stood holding a sword, some of them had a kerchief on and seemed happy and cheerful amongst the mountains and water, some of them seemed half drunk as they held a wine cup. Not one of them was the same.


    Each of the portraits had its individual charm.


    These portraits were successive generations of the immortal Zhenren. There were forty portraits.


    Shen Lian even saw his own founding master, Ziling Fairy. But there were two people in her portrait. One clad in green and another in purple. They looked the same only that their expressions were very different.


    The one in green had a chilling look while the purple one''s lips were slightly arched, showing a hint of cunningness.


    Shen Lian also saw the old Daoist''s portrait. Actually, he was not certain initially because in that portrait, there was a gentle and quiet Daoist with a dancing life-like butterfly, as though it was close to coming to life.


    Shen Lian suddenly thought of this verse "Once upon a time I, Zhuang Zhou, dreamt I was a butterfly. Flapping my wings in true butterfly fashion, I was happy as could be, and I knew nothing of any person named Zhuang Zhou. But suddenly, I awakened, astonished to be Zhuang Zhou. I still don''t know whether as Zhuang Zhou I was dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether as a butterfly I was dreaming I was Zhuang Zhou. There ought to be a difference between Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly, but this is called the transformation of things."


    The principle of his verse was somewhat similar to the transformation of the caterpillar after being glanced at by the old Daoist, but there were many differences too.


    The old Daoist had really undergone metamorphosis, he had even reached a more ingenious state and Shen Lian still had not detached ''himself'' from the substance.


    Every portrait had different charms to it, the deep principle was beyond expression as it caused Shen Lian to suddenly have a happy expression, to suddenly frowned in confusion, to suddenly bellowed out in laughter and then to suddenly hammer the ground.


    Within a short span of time, thousands of emotions spun through within him and finally with a body of sweat, his mind and spirit were languished, as though he had woken up from a dream.


    He collapsed beside the final portrait. This portrait was a lady. At first glance, she looked very ordinary but by looking closely, he then felt she has a thousand gestures.


    This was the founder of the Taixu Strategy��Grandmaster Qingshui.


    Before that, Ziling Fairy herself once made a drawing of rambling clouds and shadows over pools of water as a drawing for the Grandmaster Qingshui. Now, there was a similarity between the two.


    The clouds had a hundred thousand gestures, the clear pool of water was still like the lady in the drawing. There was no special charm at first glance. By savoring slowly, there were hundreds of thousands of gestures. As though Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things.


    After looking at this portrait, Shen Lian''s mind and spirit eventually calmed down. There was a kind of satisfying leisure akin to "lying down and wondering whether the sky full of clouds move or not, then realizing that the clouds are moving in the east as I am. "


    Actually, if other people from Qing Xuan knew that Shen Lian could view all forty portraits at his first entrance, they would be shocked speechless.


    This was because all this while, the Huandan cultivators would enter the pavilion before Chen Jianmei left he came here once, but he could only see the portrait of the Grandmaster of the Shapeless Sword Incantation.


    There were curious ones who tried to look for portraits of other grandmaster but the most they could see were not even close to twenty. They would have already spent all their strength.


    For Shen Lian to be able to look at all forty portraits, there would not be another in the history of successors of Huandan cultivation to have his strong mind and spirit.


    Even Shen Lian did not know about the strengths of his spirit and where his limits lie because his spirit would become stronger as long as he cultivates using the Mastery of Senses. So far, he had not met a juncture where he could not cross over.����һ,һ����,������,�������� - Taken from "The Classic of the Way and the Natural Virtue by the Old Master" by Laozi. The full verse is Dao begets One (nothingness; or reason of being), One begets Two (yin and yang), Two begets Three (Heaven, Earth and Man; or yin, yang and breath qi), Three begets all things. All things carry the females and embrace the male. And by breathing together, they live in harmony.�Կ������Ʋ���,��֪�����Ҿ㶫 - This poem was written by Chen Yuyi from the Song Dynasty. The poem starts out with the poet lying in a boat and looking up at the blue skies and white clouds. He wondered whether the cloud were moving with him and then came to the realization that the clouds were quietly following him towards east.

 Chapter 194 Divine Fox

    Until the fatigue in his mind and spirit disappeared, Shen Lian had a really comfortable feeling as the burden on his heart decreased significantly.


    This was something like when he was still of human flesh, he transcended a borderline condition through exercises that were meant to break the limits of the body where all his worries were gotten rid of.


    With this powerful mind and spirit, it was already hard to have this kind of feeling. The forty portraits left by the immortal Zhenrens attacked his mind and spirit, pushing him to a breaking point.


    Finally, the portrait of Grandmaster Qingshui calmed his tensed mind and spirit with the Taixu appearance of the forever accepting, she resolved the charms of the previous portraits without a trace.


    Even though Shen Lian did not get any substantial improvement, but the nature of his spirit had gotten a subtle transformation. Speaking from a certain degree, his Yin spirit could possess characteristics of the primordial spirit of the immortal Zhenren. He felt that spirit had firmed up even more. If the Yin spirit transformed from the spirit was like sun-dried mud bricks, now it had characteristics of green bricks.


    The mud brick would fall apart with a touch but the green brick was more stable. The primordial spirit of the immortal Zhenren would take shape when it comes together and would become Qi when it is dispersed. When it takes shape, it was tough. When it becomes Qi, it was like a wisp of smoke which makes it hard to hurt it.


    Shen Lian then got up and began looking at the jade scrolls. Now, he could not waste his time and energy to be involved with other Dao techniques but he should look for strange occult technique and supernatural power.


    It was because he could not stay cowardy in Qing Xuan and only leave after Powang.


    The immortal Zhenrens were formidable but there were certain occult techniques in this world that could give him a chance to keep his life when he faced a Dixian.


    Shen Lian took down a jade scroll. The Dao technique recorded inside it was the Divine Aura Shifting Method. Once it reaches the Dacheng state, one could change into a divine aura and reach hundreds and thousands of miles within a moment''s notice.


    This shifting method was formidable but it was no use to Shen Lian because it was meant for those who had the primordial spirit to cultivate. For an immortal Zhenren, the manifestation of the primordial spirit was no different than the flesh. Furthermore, there were more changes and more wonderful supernatural powers, plus there was also lesser obstacles.


    The Divine Aura Shifting Method would transform the primordial spirit into a divine aura. It can fly without a trace and the distance covered would be thousands and ten thousands of miles in an instance.


    Shen Lian sighed slightly and let go. His cultivation experience was not enough after all.


    He then took a few steps forward and took a jade scroll that float by in front of him. Now, he could differentiate these jade scrolls. The more dim ones were Dao technique related. There were less than two hundred of it, with most of it being the Qing Xuan hundred and eight techniques, and then the rest were other faction''s orthodox exercises that Qing Xuan gotten or some of the incomplete incantations.


    There were some that bobbed with brisk dexterity were supernatural Dao techniques and some other secret techniques. These things were unanimously referred as ''skill''.


    Martial exercises mention about how to cultivate Dao, to explore the abstruse of the universe; as for ''skill'', was to explain how to understand ''Dao'' by oneself that cannot really be understood. To use the metaphor from his past life, the martial exercises were like the fixed formula and the ''skill'' was the method in solving the equation, which also meant on using this fixed formula in real life.


    This jade scroll surprised Shen Lian as it entered his hands.


    The information trickled slowly into his mind and spirit. He somehow remembered what was recorded inside it. This scroll did not only record the divinity of the supernatural power, but it was also an essay.


    This was a letter by a certain ''Divine Fox''. What was a divine fox? There was a record in the Strange Tales of Divines and Demons: ''Divine Fox, fifty years old. Can transform into a woman; becomes a beautiful lady and shaman at a hundred years old, knows about external matters from thousands of miles, prone to enchantment, causing others to lose their wits; able to connect with the heavens at a thousand years old.''


    Shen Lian remembered an incident that had happened many years ago. That time, he was still at the State Capital of Qing and he was invited by a female fox deity, Xin Shisiniang, to the Qielan Temple outside of the city to meet her father, Xin Qubing, who was also an old fox deity.


    It was this old fox deity that advised him to enter Qing Xuan, it seemed as though there was something he wanted in Qing Xuan.


    From the looks of it, this letter by the Divine Fox was what the old fox deity wanted.


    The Divine Fox belonged to the demon clans, it could also be said that they were born celestial beings. They did not need to cultivate. Once they reach a certain age, they would possess the relative mana and supernatural powers. Until after a thousand years later, they would have fully grown and their strength would match the Great Demon Sage.


    Compared to the other living beings who have to cultivate with hardship where even then the hope to attain Dao was uncertain, the Divine Fox was loved and favored by the universe.


    It was also because of this that the Divine Fox was extinct. It had been a long time since there were appearances of a Divine Fox in this world.


    But for the Divine Fox to obtain Dao from birth, naturally, there were unusual areas to it.


    The letter of the Divine Fox in Shen Lian''s hand had recorded two martial exercises and divine skills that were enough to cause a bloodbath if it leaked out. The martial exercise was called the Divine Fragrance Spell. The great thing about this martial exercise was that it was an act of spiritual enhancement, similar to his Mastery of Senses.


    However, the Divine Fragrance Spell was still nothing compared to Shen Lian''s Mastery of Senses. The Divine Fragrance Spell teaches about refining the thoughts of the pilgrims into a divine fragrance and absorbed into one''s body. Even though the distracting thoughts of the masses were purified into divine fragrance, it was still not fully pure. Once it enters the body, one still had to work hard to get rid of the impurities.


    But to be able to grow the spirit was truly a great feat.


    After all, Shen Lian also understood that his art of spiritual enhancement was self-supplied and no external sources were needed, it was truly a kind of miracle.


    Shen Lian already experienced the benefits of having a strong spirit during cultivation so naturally, he would understand the Divine Fragrance Spell was a very formidable helping method for cultivation. Also, to cultivate together with the enhancement of the spirit and the practice of Qi, there was no conflict and in fact, it complimented each other.


    With his experience of cultivating the Mastery of Senses, it was more than easy for him to understand the Divine Fragrance Spell. After all, even though this secret art of spiritual enhancement was formidable but it seemed that Divine Fox that left this record did not really take it seriously. It was still rough around the corners and it was nowhere as exquisite as Zhao Xiaoyu''s Book of Nine Lotus.


    Of course, the Divine Fragrance Spell was not Shen Lian''s biggest catch in this letter. It recorded another secret skill �� Tongtian Skill.


    It turned out that the birth of the Divine Fox would draw the envy of others. Also, before becoming a true Divine Fox, there was no strong mana to move unhindered through the universe. During this moment, to escape the fate of being captured by other and be made into a spiritual beast or be used for other purposes, they needed a method to avoid death and prolonged life.


    The Tongtian Skill was that ingenious skill. Once one has cultivated it, one can use one''s spirit to sense the will of the heavens. If anyone wishes to do harm, one can get a perception earlier.


    Naturally, it would not be close to reaching the Heavens if that was all it could do. But once this skill was truly displayed, one could even sneak into any kind of dangerous places without a trace. Even those with a huge mana would not be able to detect it.


    To be able to have a Divine Fox to compliment one as ''having great mana'', that person would have the capabilities of an immortal Zhenren.


    Before the Divine Fox was grown up, they did not have the highest mana so the conditions to cultivate Tongtian Skill was not harsh. Furthermore, the Divine Fox who left this letter was truly great. She was able to get a clear picture of the profoundness within skill that was originally a god given supernatural power to the Divine Fox and actually allowed others to cultivate and practice it.


    Of course, not everyone could do so. The Tongtian Skill had a high requirement for the spirit, which was why it was recorded together with the Great Skill of Divine Fox.

 Chapter 195 Wandering True Light Sword

    Shen Lian stayed for one full month. Even if the Tongtian Skill was to be taught by a Divine Fox, it was still a very complicated Dao technique.


    That day, Shen Lian was still deducting the dangerous pass of the Tongtian Skill. In the middle of the bier, a Bagua eventually formed from his Yin spirit, this was the image of the internalization. The Bagua wandered, the substance alternated, with the position of the universe, the six virtues reciprocated and somewhere in the unseen world, there were strands of abstruse.


    He suddenly had another eye. Perhaps eye could not be used to describe it but he had gotten another perspective out of nowhere, which allowed him to see the situation outside of the Taiwei Pavilion.


    The breeze of the wind caressed the lawn, the clouds in the sky floated leisurely. Until he turned his attention to the blue sky and white clouds, he saw a ray of light descended. It was Hong Qianya.


    Shen Lian''s heart tugged and then he exited the second level of the pavilion and walked out from within.


    He had some achievement with the Tongtian Skill and he could get news of the people and matter of a certain parameter but it was no use to him because the chief of Qing Xuan had the Tian Dijian which had that surveillance capability. The parameter of the surveillance depended on the mana Shen Lian put into it.


    Hong Qianya wore a vermillion Dao robes, a curved jade hairpin was simply placed in his hair bun. He seemed as though Huo De Xing Jun had arrived. He saw Shen Lian and the languid look. However, as Shen Lian descended out, there was no sound or breath to his movement as his entire breath was reserved. He could not stop praising Shen Lian in secret. It was truly the nine transformations of Huandan since his spirit could completely move so freely unattached to the body.


    He got it wrong, though. Shen Lian''s breath that was naturally reserved was a sign of his small achievement of the Tongtian Skill. His Qi dynamic was also naturally hidden.


    Shen Lian stood firm ten feet away from Hong Qianya, with his hands clasped behind his back he asked, "Elder Hong, you came looking for me?"


    Hong Qianya bowed down. Even though Shen Lian''s age was small but with him achieving the nine transformations of Huandan, his shocking mana and his position as the chief, even when Daoists do not emphasize on etiquette but they could not abandon it too.


    He then followed, "Because you were not there in the Qing Xuan Hall. I later found out from Jingqing Tongzi that you were at the Taiwei Pavilion so I came searching here."


    Shen Lian smiled simply and said, "My mana is progressing but my supernatural powers are not catching up, that is why I came to search for techniques and skills in the pavilion. You must have searched hard. Since you needed to find me, it seemed that this matter is no simple matter and this is no place for discussion. We will continue in the Qing Xuan Hall."


    He was not exaggerating when he admitted his mana was progressing and his supernatural powers were not catching up. Hong Qianya was dumbfounded when he heard this. All this time, the supernatural powers would always catch up with the mana. This was because, with the hardships of the cultivation of Dao, it would be tens and hundreds of years before being able to break through a juncture. With so much time, what type of supernatural powers could not be cultivated to catch up?


    Like Chen Jianmei who was stuck in Ruhua for so many years and with him focusing on the Shapeless Sword Incantation, he was able to make a big breakthrough on this swordcraft. His supernatural powers have surpassed some Huandan elders.


    Once he achieved Huandan, his swordcraft was even more unparalleled. It was actually rare for supernatural powers to not catch up with the cultivation experience.


    In actuality, Shen Lian himself was really clear. Even though his combat capabilities seemed strong, but he still relied on Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will and the abstruse of the Taixu Divine Qi. Of course, there was also the help of Being and Non-Being Sword Aura.


    All these were just advantages. Furthermore, there was still a slight difference between his own attributes and the Dao techniques that was cultivated at one time. He was now at the strategically advantageous spot as he was able to get thousands of techniques and skills with a tilt of his head, but he could not get the authentic method to reach the zenith. Shen Lian himself realized this and so he went to the Taiwei Pavilion.


    He initially wanted to find a skill or for exceptional massacre but he did not think that he would unknowingly find the Tongtian Skill.


    This skill was more suitable to his current situation. He bears the heavy burden of Qing Xuan and on the path of attaining Dao, the foundation was his life. With this skill by his side, he would ultimately have a more safe and peaceful life.


    With his flocket extended, a gush of wind swept the two down Zifu Peak swiftly and then quickly up to Qing Xuan Hall.


    The hall was chilled and quiet. Shen Lian then responded to Hong Qianya.


    Shen Liam smiled, "Tell me, what is it?"


    Hong Qianya replied, "Five thousand miles southeast from here is the sea territory under the jurisdiction of the Nine-Head Demon King. That demon king has attained Dao and his mana is wide. However, even though he is just next to Qing Xuan but it has always been peaceful. However, for reasons unknown, the demon army and demon general of the demon king''s subjects began vigorously attacking the non-formal cultivators near the sea area and the descendants of the Qing Xuan disciples. Many cultivators are already devastated."


    Shen Lian pondered and said, "Qing Xuan is duty bound with the demons assailing among the nearby outsides of the sea. You can publish these tasks in the good deeds hall, look for the disciples to go and vanquish these devils. They could also get experience and some toughening up."


    Hong Qianya replied, "I had that intention too, there were non-formal cultivators of the island that sent out two of their most capable disciples to eliminate the demons. What they did not expect was that the two had their limbs cut off and was sent back."


    Shen Lian had a stern look as he said, "With that said, that would mean someone is purposely against us then?"


    Hong Qianya stroke his mustache as he replied, "I think so too. I sent out two persons and they had not even reached a hundred miles when they met an incoming sword gleam and had their limbs cut off. They were sent back with a paper crane."


    "Could you identify the source of the sword gleam?" Shen Lian asked.


    Hong Qianya answered with a serious expression, "If I am not mistaken, that would be the doings of the Qingjiang Sword sect''s True Wandering Light Sword."


    Shen Lian knew that the Qingjiang Sword Sect was a big sect of this universe. The whole sect trained with the cultivation of the sword for their entire life and the True Wandering Light Sword was the foundation of its Dao scripture. Once one has cultivated and practiced it, like the wandering clouds, it fluctuates in a thousand ways and the force of the sword was elusive. Anyone cultivator beneath Huandan who did not have a sensitive spiritual sense would easily fall prey to it.


    It was just that there had not been any immortal Zhenren that appeared in the Qingjiang Sword Sect in five hundred years and the one with the highest cultivation experience was the Sword King of Three Defeats, Meng Xunzhen. This person had lost three times in his entire life to the same person, that person was Daoist Huanzhen of the Guangqing Celestial Sect. In the end, he came up with the name ''Three Defeats Sword King'' and became close friends with Daoist Huanzhen.


    To say that the one who did this was Meng Xunzhen would be unlikely but it would definitely be his disciples.


    Shen Lian thought for a while and understood more or less what the other was plotting. He explained, "They only want to stop users from sending people to rescue those non-formal cultivators and the close relatives of the previous teacher-elders. Under the Nine Headed Demon King''s banner, there is entirely no demons that could transform on their own. With a few Ruhua disciples working together with the group of non-formal cultivators, it would be enough to deal with a few formidable demons. If we still have to go to war over this trivial matter, I''m afraid it would weaken our title. It seems that this person is convinced that Qian Xuan does not have any descendant?"


    Hong Qianya answered, "It is so. We are now not sure just how high up this person''s cultivation experience is, we leave the countermeasure in your hands, Chief."


    Shen Lian softly said, "It would be unlikely to say how high it would be, even if it was Meng Xunzhen who dared to come today, I am able to have him stay permanently. I have my own plans for this matter. Elder Hong, can you treat and cure these two disciples well?"


    Hong Qianya replied, "Their conditions are stable but it is quite troublesome with their limbs cut off."


    Shen Lian sighed, "I remember we have three Life-generating elixirs, get two for them."����Ǿ� - A deity associated with the element of fire.

 Chapter 196 Qing Xuan Stands Millions of Years

    The ''Life-regenerating Elixir'' was first made by an immortal Zhenren of Qing Xuan who specializes in the Dao of Elixir. It took him a lot of time and spiritual ingredients to prepare just one full oven of it. The elixir was in defiance of nature as it could rejuvenate broken limbs to rebuild a body.


    After so many years, there were only three of it left.


    Shen Lian generously wanted to give two of it to two of his disciples, and that shook Hong Qianya to the core.


    He tried to stop Shen Lian as the elixir was considered precious. What if an emergency happened in the future and they ran out of it?


    Shen Lian looked at him and knew what was on Hong Qianya''s mind. He said, "You can record the use of this under my name, and I will find ways to make up for it in the future. You don''t have to feel that it''s a waste to use such a precious elixir. After all, an elixir is merely an object until it is put to good use. Furthermore, it can be attained again the next time. We shouldn''t feel reluctant to use it to help the two of them who are greatly in need of it."


    Doubtfully, Hong Qianya replied, "I am concerned that after this, some people might use this as an excuse to hold forth."


    Shen Lian laughed sarcastically, "We are all people of cultivation. In the entire Qing Xuan, who is idiotic enough to play dirty tricks? Conspiracies and trickeries are villainous. If Guangqing Sect produces one Lu Jiuyuan, would they set us Qing Xuan up?"


    Hong Qianya had a sudden realization that Shen Lian and Zhang Ruoxu were poles apart.


    Zhang Ruoxu was highly tolerant, forward-looking and benevolent. That was why he was able to pull through when Qing Xuan was in trouble. Conversely, Shen Lian was compassionate but he was never troubled by his compassion. He was capable of viewing the situation of Qing Xuan with an objective perspective and he was charismatic as he will not be overly cautious when taking actions but at the same time we would have also thought of all possibilities.


    Shen Lian was strong willed and he was not one who was easily influenced by others. He ordered Hong Qianya to use the Life-regenerating Elixir to treat the two disciples and then used the divine thoughts to summon Jing Qing Tongzi to come to enter the hall.


    Jing Qing Tongzi had been slacking after Zhang Ruoxu''s departure. However, he was the chief''s Daoist child and there was no reason for him to disobey Shen Lian. He entered the hall and looked at the glorious Shen Lian. He had yet to adapt to Shen Lian''s delicate and charming face.


    The previous chiefs of Qing Xuan were decisive and composed, it was the first in their history to have such a youthful chief like Shen Lian.


    Respectfully, he asked, "How can I help you, Chief?"


    Shen Lian took a glance at him. He thought to himself, "Jing Qing was initially a snake and was of demon race. Now that he was displaying human behavior, perhaps it''s an opportunity to breakthrough. There were several classifications of the demon king. A true Great Demon was not lesser than celestialism. It was just that there were no recorded references to demon races that undergo the breakthrough.


    However, the only constant changes.


    Breakthrough can only come when there was change.


    These thoughts flashed through Shen Lian''s mind. He had such idea because if Jing Qing Tongzhi accomplished to be a Great Demon, he could be comparable to an immortal Zhenren and could be a strong supportive force to Qing Xuan. Furthermore, Great Demons had been around for way longer compared to celestials and Buddha.


    Shen Lian ordered, "Could you go and get Doyen Ge Yuan to send his disciple Zhao Wuji to come and see me? I have some instructions for him."


    Jing Qing Tongzi went to deliver the order without mentioning a word.


    Shen Lian took out the Tiandi Jian and tossed it up in the air. The Tiandi Jian shined a ray of light and landed on the ground. From the ray of light, Shen Lian could see the undulating waves, white-clouded blue sky and a couple of soaring seagulls drawing spots in the sky.


    The view kept zooming into a rock; the seawater hit on the rock to produce water mist. But vaguely, Shen Lian could see a person with a sword sitting on the rock.


    The sword''s gleam was on and off in various length; it was changing according to the dynamics of the clouds and the sea. He should be a supreme sword celestial figure. The man seemed to notice the peeking and looked up, but all there was all just a piece of blue sky and nothing else.


    Shen Lian did not have the mood to feel sentimental over things like that as he kept the Tiandi Jian. This kid was one with his sword and had amazing spiritual sense. He had the potential and the four Dao schools would definitely want to hone his skills.


    Qingjiang Sword Sect was indeed lucky to have such a disciple and this kid was most probably Meng Xunzhen''s favorite disciple.


    Shen Lian would not have believed that this ''Sword King of Three Defeats'' would so easily send one of his most talented disciples here without fearing that this kid might not know the rules. Looks like Meng Xunzhen should be around the area.


    This was Qing Xuan''s territory. It seemed that the other party had brought two or three unskilled men, and came and go as they wish.


    They could establish themselves and at the same time throw shades at Qing Xuan''s prestige.


    Shen Lian smirked as he associates these thoughts. Life and death depend on a sword, his brains now too turned into a sword.


    After ten minutes, the clouds and fog outside of the hall started to surge. Jing Qing Tongzi returned with a scrawny looking youth behind him.This person was Zhao Wuji. He entered Qing Xuan at the same time as Shen Lian and he had extremely low sense of presence.


    This kid had a strange talent. Ge Yuan taught him the ''Figureless Holy Script'' where he could shapeshift into anything without people realizing. Once a person mastered this technique, they can move around without a trace to the extent where they could even deceive holy deities.


    Zhao Wuji looked cowardly as he did not dare to lift his head up to look at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian could sense that Zhao Wuji was actually very calm on the inside. The cowardly appearance was just a habit,


    Shen Lian said, "Wuji, I have something to instruct you."


    With his head down, Zhao Wuji submissively responded, "I have heard from my honored master. Chief, if I can be of service, I am at your disposal." His voice was so light that ordinary people would have mistaken it as the sound of the breeze.


    "I want you to go and deal with one person," Shen Lian said in a calm voice.


    Zhao Wuji raised his head and asked, "Who is it?"


    Shen Lian let out a laugh. This kid did not even ask if he was capable of dealing with the person and instead went straight to the point and asked who was he dealing with. It was so rare to have someone so pure-hearted as he first came into Qing Xuan. Looks like Ge Yuan had high hopes on him.


    He waved his sleeves and a Dao talisman appeared in his hand. The characters on the talisman seem complicated and were brightly radiant. He tossed it to Zhao Wuji and as Zhao Wuji fetched it, a wave of spiritual sense was sent through him. The Dao talisman contains information on how to use it, the location and the appearance of the person Zhao Wuji was tasked to deal with.


    Shen Lian continued, "You have to go right now, hide somewhere near him and use the Dao talisman to trigger that person. Regardless of success or failure, you leave the place immediately. I will deal with what comes after."


    Zhao Wuji nodded and left. He did not ride on the cloud as he blends in with the cloud easily with minimal movements. It was hard to see the fluctuation of the clouds and nobody could tell where was he headed to.


    The Figureless Holy Script left no trace, and it sure lived up to its reputation.


    Shen Lian sent Zhao Wuji off with his eyes and let out a laugh, "Today, I''ll show them what this million-year-old school is all about."


    Even if Qing Xuan had fallen, they would still have many unexpected mysterious means.


    The force of this Dao talisman was astonishing. If it was being used appropriately, even people who were in Powang could be hurt. Shen Liam may seem like he was putting a fine timbre to petty use by using such a powerful tool against a prodigy disciple of Qingjiang. But what he wanted to show these people was the reason why Qing Xuan was still standing strong after millions of years.


    Just like back then when the Tai Su Sect used the Fairy Binding Rope to trap Shen Lian. That was the superiority of the school. Ordinary sects might not be able to defend themselves even if they have their own magic talisman. After all, no one could guarantee that they will be watched over by holy deities forever.

 Chapter 197 The Teenage Chief

    At the east side of the sea beyond Qing Xuan, the waves surged as a youth sat on the rock with his sword horizontally slashed across him. He was dressed in a pale green Dao robe, he had crystal clear eyes and refined features. Anyone who saw him would say, "Wow, what a soulful aura."


    The vibes and the atmosphere of the surroundings did not have a single effect on him at all.


    This youngster''s name was Zuo Shaoqing. He was adopted by the Qingjiang Sword Sect''s Sword King of Three Defeat, Meng Xunzhen, when he was seven years old. He has never parted with his sword ever since. By the age of fourteen, he has mastered the ''Cloud Light Water Sword'', and he was the first in the Qingjiang Sword Sect to have mastered it in such rapid speed.


    The reason why he was able to cultivate so swiftly was because he was born tactful to swords.


    He was ordered by his honored master to make a trip out of the mountains to slay Qing Xuan''s disciples who were outbound. His honored master and Daoist Huanzhen were best of friends, but there was still no reason for them to be involved in fights like this. After all Qing Xuan was one of the largest Dao sects around although they may not be as superior as Guangqing. They were definitely not someone the Qingjiang Sect could match with.


    However, Daoist Huanzhen personally paid them a trip recently; he did not state his purpose of visiting and instead took out the codex of the sword which shook the honored master to his core.


    Meng Xunzhen passed on this codex of sword to Zuo Shaoqing too. It was just that he had yet to reach the level to fully utilize it and could only feel the vastness of it.


    The codex was titled ''The Milky Way Swordsmanship'' technique, and according to Meng Xunzhen, this method was somewhat similar to the Cloud Light Water Sword. However, this method was more refined and was one of the top three sword technique in the world. Just like the milky way that spans across the sky, there were no limits and boundaries once the swordsman charisma was formed. If one mastered this method, a milky way sword seed will be planted in his body and that seed was comparable to a Daoist''s Huandan.


    When Meng Xunzhen received the codex from Daoist Huanzhen, he ordered Zuo Shaoqing to inflict injuries to any Qing Xuan disciples below the level of Huandan who walk past him and someone else will send the injured disciple back to Qing Xuan.


    His primary nature was like a sword. If something comes at him, he handles it fearlessly.


    The road of Dao was a thorny one and to people like him who sincerely wants to cultivate his swordsmanship, the journey was all about pulling out swords. He was told to not be bothered but to slay them all.


    Nonetheless, Zuo Shaoqing was not satisfied by just that. He came across two highly skilled Qing Xuan disciples recently and unfortunately there were not able to react when he pulled out his Cloud Light Water Sword. In a split second, he took the opportunity and dismembered their limbs just before they could cast on the self-protection spell.


    Actually, his mana was not stronger than the two disciples. But as he was a cultivator of the sword, he was extremely swift with his shots and a split second was a matter of live and dead to him.


    If he faced his opponents head-on and give time for them to prepare, he might not be able to accomplish his task so neatly.


    He was actually disappointed as Qing Xuan was an accomplished sect with over million years of history and yet their disciples were not amazing at all.


    In the vast sea, the tide rose and subsided.The flow of the sea water was unpredictable and constantly changing but at the same time, a permanent pattern hides within it.


    Zuo Shaoqin''s mind was absorbed by the sea water. He comprehends sword crafts by sensing the changes of aura in the air.


    In a sudden, he sensed that the flow of the sea water was a little odd and he noticed the pattern of the flow was somewhat different from what he was experiencing.


    His spiritual sense was surprisingly sharp and his heart of sword was one with his mind. The moment he noticed something was off, he immediately moved his focus to that area. His gaze was intense and yet he found nothing foreign. He felt something was not right and took action outrageously.


    The moment he drew his sword, he noticed a scrawny youth. He fixed his gaze on this extremely calm youth and it felt like he was staring at a piece of rock.


    All of a sudden, his opponent''s hand lighted up in five colors. Before his sword gleam could explode away, the five-colored divine lights pierce through his body. It happened so quickly that he was already down at the very moment he noticed the opponent.


    A loud sword howling could be heard from the sky as the clouds disperse. A greenish-white sword gleam over a hundred feet long spanned across the sky. It then struck on the sea water and the force hits the surface of the sea, separating the water as the underwater corals came to sight.


    The sword gleam did not stop right there. Like an enormous sea snake, it hastily chased towards a direction. But before it could travel far, it seemed like it hit on an invisible screen and vanished.


    In the surging ocean, a relaxed-looking teenage Daoist appeared out of nowhere.


    A flock of clouds wrapped Zuo Shaoqi up and paused halfway up in the void. The clouds were suddenly separated and a middle-aged swordsman appeared. The man looked at Shen Lian with a solemn face.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Meng swordsman, why didn''t you inform me about your arrival in advance? I would have the honor of hosting."


    The middle-aged swordsman was Meng Xunzhen of the Qingjiang Sword Sect. He has been cultivating for over hundreds of years.


    Just by looking at the force of sword gleam, one could tell that this person''s mana was out of the world.


    Meng Xunzhen coldly replied, "So you''re the new chief of Qing Xuan, Shen Zhenren?"


    "It hasn''t been more than a hundred days since I''ve succeeded as the chief and it seems that you''ve caught the news. Looks like you follow us Qing Xuan pretty closely." Shen Lian looks relaxed as his words came out in a nice pace like a spring breeze.


    Meng Xunzhen has heard that the new chief of Qing Xuan was extremely young and has only achieved Huan Dan not too long ago. He was not too concerned about it at first but after meeting Shen Lian, he knew that he was absolutely wrong.


    The Cloud Light Water Sword that he used earlier came out in rage with a mix of the Milky Way Swordsmanship. What made it lethal was not the intensity of the force but the continuous after-shock that was ten times the intensity of the first blow. It hits like everlasting strong waves, billowing endlessly.


    But Shen Lian was able to scatter the sword gleam effortlessly during the split second interval between the first and second after-shock.


    In the heat of the moment, he could not determine Shen Lian''s mana and instead he was overwhelmed by such masterly skills.


    The truth was that he did not understand the essence of the Taixu Strategy''s ''Interpromotion and Interrestraint''. If he truly mastered the ''Milky Way Swordsmanship'', Shen Lian would not have noticed the opportunity.


    Unfortunately, he was only mixing other things with one small fraction of the Milky Way Swordsmanship. He was not able to be at one with the Cloud Light Water Sword and that flaw gave him away.


    With his finesse, he could have made things a lot more difficult for Shen Lian should he have used the Cloud Light Water Sword totally.


    The reason behind it was not something Meng Xunzhen could really fathom in a short time span.


    It was Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will that helped Shen Lian realized the flaw in Meng Xunzhen''s sword technique. This sword will be supremely regarded in the world of swordcraft. It was able to instantly help Shen Lian experience the true meaning of vast endlessness and it was not something the Cloud Light Water Sword was capable of.


    Looks like the Guangqing Sect is high rollers. First, it was Daoist Shi and now Meng Xunzhen. Who knew that who was going to pop out next.


    Shen Lian was distracted by other matters and it was reflected in his expression. From Meng Xunzhen''s perspective, he seemed a little unfocused.


    And that angered Meng Xunzhen. Even if Shen Lian was the highly prestigious Chief of Qing Xuan, he should not be so ignorant towards others.

 Chapter 198 Big Spender

    Clouds have no regularity while water has no shape. Therefore the sword cultivation of True Wandering Light Sword was not about having a calm mind nor a fixed temper. Meng Xunzhen was raging in anger and the cloud below his feet was surging incessantly. His Qi practice had reached a high level and he could easily control it along with the sword aura. The sword gleam struck like lightning and it could change its intensity according to the dynamics. It was an unpredictable sword force.


    Meng Xunzhen sneered, "Qing Xuan is a million-year-old sect, of course, humble people like us would look highly to a big sect like Qing Xuan," he answered Shen Lian sarcastically as he did not like Shen Lian''s ignorant attitude.


    Shen Lian smiled and casually said, "Swordman Meng, if you admired Qing Xuan so much, maybe you would want to follow me back to the mountains and I can show you around."


    Meng Xunzhen could not hold back his hanger. Obviously, Shen Lian wanted to take him back to Qing Xuan, or in other words, wanted to capture him. Shen Lian did not mention anything about past conflicts and the incident where Zuo Shaoqin seriously wounded two Qing Xuan disciples but it was clear that he wanted Meng Xunzhe to pay the price for his actions.


    The sudden assault on Zuo Shaoqin was to lure Meng Xunzhen out and kill two birds with one stone.


    He was pissed and went on to mock Shen Lian, "How about you making a trip down to Qingjiang? My Qingjiang Sect may be small but we make good tea."


    Shen Lian shook his head and gently lifted his hands as a sword gleam shined. Meng Xunzhen felt the force of the gleam and could not help but be impressed by it.


    Cultivators of the sword generally had to undergo many fights. If not he would not have gone and look for Daoist Huanhen for three times.


    His True Wandering Light sword had reached the level where he could control it with his mind and was way stronger than Zuo Shaoqing. The clouds below his feet moved and released flows of sword current headed towards Shen Lian''s sword gleam.


    The tip of the sword current was ever changing. It contained the Qi vitality of heaven and earth and it was magnificently aggressive as if it could press down the level of the ocean by a layer out of thin air. The sword current moved like the soaring river water. The whistling sound of the dragon and tiger could be heard implicitly. It was soul shattering.


    Shen Lian''s sword gleam head upwards from down and slew through in reverse. Suddenly it clashed heads on with Meng Xunzhen''s sword current. The sword gleam seemed weak as it scattered once it clashed against the sword current. Unfortunately, Meng Xunzhen did not have the luxury to be happy. It was because the scattered sword gleam transformed into micro sword aura to avoid the sword current bolted mercilessly.


    These sword Qi were deadly daggers. Like an arrow in a bow that was pulled back and released, the flying daggers were fired out like a meteor shower.


    Meng Xunzhen was calm despite a sky full of micro sword Qi dashing towards him as if it was raining thorns. After all, he''s a man who had been through life and death and situation. He knew that to catch bandits you will have to first catch the ringleader. Furthermore, he was highly confident in his skills and no matter how ferocious Shen Lian was, the kid''s mana would not be any greater than him.


    He did not bother to shield himself when his sword current was crumbled by the sword gleam and instead dashed towards Shen Lian to attack him.


    The cloud below Meng Xunzhen''s feet transformed into a sword screen and blocked in front of him. The micro sword aura was useless once it came in contact with the sword screen.


    Suddenly, Meng Xunzhen heard the sound of bursting thunders and a thunderstorm erupted. His True Wandering Light Sword''s restraining element was the lightning. Thus, the first thing the thunder aimed for was the sword screen. In no time, he and the injured Zuo Shaoqing were wrapped by the thunder.


    He had no choice but to use every single inch of his mana to disperse the lightning. Fortunately, he had dragged Zuo Shaoqin to his side ahead of the thunderstorm and allocated mana for protection in advance, thus, was able to shield against most of the power.


    But there were some lightning that managed to drill through his protective shield and the intensity of the thunder was vicious. He started feeling numb in his body and before he could put forward more mana, he felt a sudden force restraining him from all directions.


    His body inevitably became shorter and fell off from the void.


    Turns out that there was a fishing net above the sky that slammed down from the top. The net captured him and Zuo Shaoqing while strands of silk-like spiritual forces drilled into his orifices points to restrain his mana. His bier was raging and wanted to summon the sword will to attack but the spiritual forces were too quick and it even locked his Ancestral Cavity.


    The fishnet fell from the sky once it was loaded with Ming Xunzhen and Zuo Shaoqing. Shen Lian, on the other hand, was calm and avoided the sword current as he took over the fishing net.


    Apparently, Shen Lian had been making progress with his training of the Tongtian Skill. As long as his breath was reserved, the sword current would not be able to target him. Furthermore, the sword current had lost command from its master. The moment Shen Lian dodged it, it plunged into the vast ocean, as if a giant sea creature was swimming cluelessly in the sea.


    Shen Lian took the fishing net and dragged the two persons. At this very moment, they could feel a wave of extremely concentrated clear Qi headed towards them from somewhere far away. It was then followed by a dash of flowing silver light coming from Qing Xuan that was headed in the direction of the clear Qi. Both Qis collided in the air and an explosive sound could be heard. The force could definitely match Shen Lian''s ''Five Lightning Strikes''.


    The clear Qi dispersed and the second wave did not come through. Shen Lian carried the fishnet across the ocean and headed back toward Qing Xuan.


    The collision between the clear Qi and flowing light indicated that celestial beings were fighting. Shen Lian could not be bothered by it and only minded his own business.


    Earlier on, Shen Lian used a precious talisman named ''Five Lightning Strikes'', produced by a land immortal. The talisman was extremely difficult to make and it took the energy of the world to produce it. But once succeeded in applying it, it would unleash ten to twenty percent of the producer''s Dao power.


    Such powerful talisman was considered rare in Qing Xuan. If an ordinary sect owned it, they would treat it as their most precious treasure and would most probably be reluctant to use it unless there was a life and death crisis.


    Shen Lian was not stingy with the treasures. To him, these items were external objects and were often used as accessories. It was not wasteful to use it.


    Meng Xunzhen was a famous person for many years. He expected prodigies like Shen Lian to be arrogant and superior but who knew that Shen Lian would do as he likes to the extent where he would unreasonably use precious talismans.


    Although the Five Lightning Strikes only contained ten to twenty percent of an immortal Zhenren''s power, it was forceful enough to break open his shield, causing him to feel numb. While he struggled to transfer his mana, Shen Lian then used the fishnet-like superior instrument that has the ability to trap people and objects.


    In the hall of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian transformed into a ray of Qing Guang and landed on the couch. He showed his true form - a graceful looking, seamless like jade teenage Chief with extraordinary charisma.


    In contrast, Meng Xunzhen and his disciple who was trapped in the fishnet looked charred and perplexed after being struck by the thunder. Zuo Shaoqin fainted way earlier and his breath was weak. If he was not born tactful for swords and had amazing physiques, he would have been dead by now.


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "Swordsman Meng, if you really want to fight, I have no choice but to be rude."


    The entire body of Meng Xunzhen was charred and he had a charcoal-like face. With deep hatred, he looked at Shen Lian and said, "It''s nothing if you had to rely on external objects. If you have the guts, let''s fight fairly with the sword." It was not his first time dealing with chiefs from wealthy sects like Shen Lian. But he never expected Shen Lian would spend his treasures as if they were dirt. He was full of resentment as he was captured before he could show his true abilities.

 Chapter 199 To the East Sea and Tame the Wave of Demon

    Shen Lian gave a slight smile and said, "Swordsman Meng, you have been cultivated for over hundreds of years and yet you still could say something so silly like that. In the past when you deal with someone who is less experienced compared to you, do you even use back the same mana to defeat your opponent? Or would you lower down your level to fight with them?"


    Meng Xunzhen laughed sarcastically, "That''s bullshit. Your cultivation experience belongs to yourself while talismans and instruments are external objects. How could you put them on the same level?"


    Shen Lian sighed, "Whether you take a boat across the river or a ferry to the shore, the end results are the same. I think you don''t really understand the concept of ''anything else besides me is external objects''. No wonder the Qingjiang Sword Sect hasn''t been producing any immortals since Shui Lingzi achieved it thousands of years ago."


    Meng Xunzhen refuted, "It''s been over hundreds of years since your Qing Xuan had anyone who attained immortality."


    Shen Lian laughed out loud, "Someone from my Qing Xuan would be breaking through whims to attain immortality very soon."


    Meng Xunde asked, "And who is that?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "That would be me."


    Meng Xunzhen could not stop his laughter, "That is so cocky of you. Do you think attaining immortality is like eating rice and drinking water?"


    Shen Lian was not bothered by Meng Xunzhen. Jing Qing Tongzi entered the hall with a jade plate with two green nails on it. The nails looked like they were made of jade-like material.


    Shen Lian pointed at the two-person and said, "Jing Qing, please use the Celestial Sealing Nails on our two guests and send them to the abode at the back mountain to cultivate.


    Meng Xunzhen said, "What do you mean?"


    Shen Lian replied, "Didn''t I say earlier? I want to show my guests the scenery of Qing Xuan."


    Meng Xunzhen wanted to reply Shen Lian but he felt a sharp pain and passed out.


    Apparently, during the split second, the jade liked Celestial Sealing Nails had transformed into a ray of light and hammered into the Ancestral Cavity of the two captives and sealed their cultivation experiences.


    This Celestial Sealing Nails were specifically used as an instrument to seal Daoist. No matter how superlative a Daoist''s supernatural powers were, as long as one had yet to attain the primordial spirit, one would not be able to use his cultivation once he was sealed by the nail. Compared to an ordinary human, he might be a healthier due to the many years of cultivation but there would not be too much of a difference between him and an ordinary human.


    In doubt, Jing Qing asked, "Are you not going to torture them?"


    Shen Lian responded, "That''s unnecessary. Just send them to the abode at the back mountain, open the band and do not let them come out. They''ve lost their cultivation experience and won''t be able to absorb the Qi of vitality. Also get them some fruits so they won''t starve to death. They''re still somewhat useful to me."


    Although Jing Qing did not know the intentions of Shen Lian, he did as he was told. He transformed into a flying serpent and wrapped around the two. He wiggled his tail and away he goes.


    Shen Lian meditated on the stone couch and there were no signs of celebratory in him after capturing Meng Xunzhen. To him, that was a trivial matter.


    Guangqing would not declare war with Qing Xuan just yet. For now, they just wanted to trap Qing Xuan step by step. Once they had built up their influence, they would not be fearful of Qing Xuan anymore.


    Furthermore, Guangqing would not have the guts to push Qing Xuan to the edge. After all, Qing Xuan had seniors and masters who had transcended beyond the mortal world and they had never fallen. In the future, should there be any Guangqing disciples who descent from the world, the seniors and masters would seek karma from them.


    Shen Lian had other plans for Meng Xunzhen and his disciple. Just as he fell into deep thoughts, a ray of light traveled from beyond the mountains. The light landed outside of the hall and it was a woman as beautiful as a painting, and that person was Gu Caiwei.


    She entered with grace just like the stream of the spring water.


    Upon her presence, Shen Lian nodded his head and said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you''re finally here."


    Gu Caiwei smiled, "Other people would never to go to a temple for nothing and you would not summon me to Qing Xuan for nothing. Tell me, what is it."


    Shen Lian responded with a smile as he did not mind the banters with Gu Caiwei. They both enjoyed a friendship deeper than any other people. He waited for her to stop laughing and said, "I want to set up another lower house somewhere around the sea. I''ll send some disciples over to base there and at the same time recruit some outstanding cultivators from overseas to join as our periphery disciples. If there are any impressive candidates, we can just take him in here to cultivate."


    Gu Caiwei responded, "Are you assigning me to this task?"


    Shen Lian sighed, "You are the perfect candidate for this task. But the decision is on you, I will not force you to accept it."


    Gu Caiwei rolled her eyes, revealing a flirtatious expression. Although she was not extremely beautiful, she possessed very pure qualities. Naturally, Shen Lian did not be a killjoy as he took extra glances at her.


    Gu Caiwei retreated, she thought to herself, "After becoming the chief, this kid has gotten more thick skinned and black-hearted." She quickly retracted these thoughts as it might be disrespectful to Zhang Ruoxu.


    She had her hesitations but it was not reflected on her face as she casually answered, "Considering that you''ve put it that way, how could I reject it? If I do not break through in the next twenty to thirty years, I probably have no more hopes of achieving it in this lifetime. I am also bored of staying in Qing Xuan, it''s not entirely a bad thing to go out."


    Shen Lian said, "You don''t need to worry about it. Lately, I''ve been able to comprehend Taixu and gained some knowledge from there. Within the next three to five years, I should be able to help you with that."


    "That would be awesome and I wouldn''t be all formal with you. Since you want to build a lower house, you must give me a title and a token for keepsake." Gu Caiwei was somewhat motivated. Previously, Qing Xuan had to stay low because they suffered heavy losses hundred of years ago. Now that Qing Xuan had recovered, there was no more need to play down. Times had indeed changed.


    Shen Lian knew that Gu Caiwei was an understanding person. She had been a great help to Zhang Ruoxu and that was why he went straight to the point, "I''ve prepared a talisman order and you can use it to build the new lower house. As for your title, you can decide it yourself. Now that the demons are running wild overseas, maybe you could use your powers to eliminate some demons and win the hearts of people."


    Gu Caiwei said, "And no one would stop me this time around?"


    Shen Lian fixed his gaze to somewhere far away and said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, have you heard of this military tactic that says, a man could take a thousand steps and yet remained as a shape without soul that can be crushed with one step."


    Gu Caiwei smiled, "And who is this person?"


    Shen Lian responded, "That would be me." Although his tone did not sound determined he was definitely confident and dominating.


    Gu Caiwei was somewhat stunned, the current Shen Lian reminded her of the founding master who was a warm person but also possessed the charisma to despise all things. Perhaps that was the destiny of a cultivator of the Taixu Strategy; it would somehow bring out the other side of a person.


    Would Shen Lian have two different sides to him sharing a single body, just like Qingxiao and Ziling?


    Gu Caiwei could not predict things like that. All she knew was Shen Lian would never let down the hopes of Zhang Ruoxu. Prior to the rise of Lu Jiuyuan, the Xuantian Sect was not any better than Qing Xuan. But after Lu Jiuyuan, they raised to become the best Dao sect in the universe.


    These thoughts flashed across her mind but she just smiled and said, "Just like the common saying, there''s no point breaking a butterfly on upon a wheel. Just hand me the talisman order and I will calm down the wave of demon within three days."

 Chapter 200 The Unpredictability of the Black and White

    Shen Lian clapped his hands and said, "I look forward to your good news."


    A dash of greenish white Qi essence came out from his sleeve and landed in front of Gu Caiwei. The Dao Qi concentrated and it transformed into a piece of talisman order. The Dao words on the talisman order were simple, there were barely a few strokes but it had a deep meaning.


    This was the Qing Xuan''s talisman order and it could only be produced by the chief as it was something that represents Qing Xuan. Back then, Chen Jianmei was said to have one too but Shen Lian had yet to see it.


    Shen Lian has learned many secrets and benefited from it after he took over as the Chief of Qing Xuan.


    Gu Caiwei took the talisman order and kept it in her sleeve, she smiled and asked, "Anything else?"


    Shen Lian had a serious face, he got up from the stone couch and politely said, "Take care." He was very respectful and polite.


    Gu Caiwei giggled, she felt that Shen Lian was still the same old Shen Lian who was simple and warm and yet he would do something strange or funny once in a while. He was still such a cheerful kid.


    He personally sent Gu Caiwei out of the hall as she took out a jade flute. The melody of the flute traveled far away and very soon, a celestial crane flew by. Its feather was pure white, smooth and delicate and it had a long neck. It made a slight sound and it sounded clean and warm, oozing celestial vibes.


    Inspired by Shen Lian who adopted Qianmo, Gu Caiwei felt that it was not a bad idea to raise a spiritual creature as her mode of transportation and she went and look for one.


    Although its flying skills were not as polished as Qianmo, it was definitely as stylish as it was.


    Gu Caiwei summoned her crane as she wanted to use it as her mode of transportation and not to show off. Considering that she was tasked to set up a new school in the East Sea, it would look more convincing traveling on a crane than walking on foot. She lightly rode on the back of the crane and it soared up to the sky and very soon disappeared somewhere beneath the clouds.


    Shen Lian watched Gu Caiwei leave and thought to himself, "Our school has been overly modest and plain for the past few years." He did some calculations and intend to attain an instrument that could transform into a magnificent pull cart powered by exotic or rare beasts. He would gift that to Gu Caiwei as a token of appreciation.


    As for himself, he once read a sentence that said ''riding six dragons to heaven''. One day in the future after achieving immortality, he would love to look for a real dragon and he would look so cool.


    He thinks it was not wrong to indulge in luxury and he would like to experience many more different things in life.


    Such intentions came with many consequences and he would never expect that this would stir drama for him.


    A month later, Shen Lian had yet to interrogate Meng Xunzhen and his disciple, as if he had forgotten that he had taken them in captive. Even when Jing Qing Tongzhi made his trip to the back mountain, he would not engage in conversations with them and only brought them some acorns and water to prevent them from starvation.


    Shen Lian did not ask about them while the other two were living with anxiety. After all, a person who was stripped up their mana would return to a normal being and their desires and lust would be more intense. Furthermore, Meng Xunzhen has attempted several times to break free from the restraining spell by summoning the True Wandering Light Sword but to no avail.


    Shen Lian made a trip to the Tianyuan Peak. The peak housed a peaceful forest of old pine trees and was indeed a natural shelter against the sun.


    He was with a white game stone while being engaged in a deadly duel with Ge Yuan who was with the black.


    The Game of Go consisted of one hundred and eighty-one pieces of black stones and one hundred and eighty pieces of white stones. It spans across nineteen grids to form three hundred sixty-one intersection points. After making the first move, there would be three hundred and sixty-one options to the second move and the third move would have three hundred and fifty-nine directions to take, and so forth...until the very last option left.


    Every game of Go would come to a point where it ran out of chess pieces. But the possibilities of a game of Go could bring was astonishing. Even an immortal Zhenren who had achieved the Dao of celestials would be amazed by the unpredictability exchange between the black and white.


    Ge Yuan had entered the state of nothingness and was not far away from Powang. His Yin spirit was strong and showed the tendency of evolving into Yang spirit. In other words, he was a lot stronger compared to the time when Shen Lian just entered Qing Xuan.


    But he had never gained the upper hand against Shen Lian. Every time he thought he was able to trap Shen Lian, Shen Lian could turn the tables around within the next five to six steps.


    Shen Lian remained calm and composed as he gently placed his white stone. His robe swayed in the wind and he looked elegantly out of the world.


    Ge Yuan eventually lost interest, he put down the stone and said, "Wuji, have you been busy the affairs of the Discipline Hall lately?"


    He had a solemn face and it seemed like he the affairs of the Discipline Hall really mattered to him.


    Zhao Wuji stood one side. His cultivation of the Figureless Holy Script had reached an impressive level where even wise Huandan cultivators would not be able to notice him at a close distance.


    Just like an eagle who could break the sky, even if a person had sharp eyesight, he would not pay attention to the random rocks and grass on the ground.


    It was just that Zhao Wuji was not a random rock or grass. He was a Daoist who cultivates.


    He timidly answered, "Nothing much lately."


    Ge Yuan coughed and asked, "Really?"


    Zhao Wuji nodded his head.


    Shen Lian brushed across the game board and the black and white stone scattered all over. He casually said, "It''s hard to conclude this round of chess. Let''s leave it as it is a victory or defeat doesn''t matter too much to us."


    Ge Yuan looked at the scrawny and timid Zhao Wuji and sighed, "That is why he''s the chief now and you, you''ve been cultivating for so many years and yet you''ve not entered Dao."


    Zhao Wuji responded, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Shen makes a good chief. If it wasn''t for him, I would have been killed by the True Wandering Light Sword."


    Ge Yuan groaned lightly and continued the conversation, "Chief, what do you intend to do with Meng Xunzhen and his disciple?"


    Shen Lian said, "It''s about time for the Qingjiang Sword sect to pay us a visit."


    Ge Yuan knew that Shen Lian had planned in advance. Although Shen Lian did not take any action after capturing the two he had informed every disciple of the school about the capture. The two disciples who were dismembered from their limbs managed to rejuvenate their limbs thanks to the Life-regenerating Elixir but their form was not as good as before. The meridian points of their hands and legs would need to be reopened and that would take a whole lot of effort to the extent that it could possibly delay their progress in Huandan in the future.


    The two disciples were considered to be quite reputed in the upper house. Although they were grateful for Shen Lian''s kindness, some disciples felt that Shen Lian was weak for not taking actions against Meng Xunzhen and his disciple after capturing them.


    The upper house was filled disciples who wanted the quick way to gain power. Most of them were somehow related to the Doyens of Qing Xuan and that was why news travels fast when they start gossiping.


    Ge Yuan had a strong personality and yet he was curious about Shen Lian''s plan. That was the main reason why he invited Shen Lian over for a round of game.


    The game was also to test Shen Lian. He played aggressively and tried pushing Shen Lian to the edge but Shen Lian turned the tables around effortlessly.


    He had the upper hand when they started the round but halfway through, he has lost all his advantages without him realizing it.


    So he looked for an excuse and interrupted the game and at the same time used his disciple''s words to probe into Shen Lian''s plan. Within a few moves, Ge Yuan had a new found understanding of Shen Lian. Although he was extremely charismatic at that duel with Bai Suhuan that factor was certainly not enough to hold the position of the chief.


    Shen Lian had definitely outdone the expectations of Ge Yuan.

 Chapter 201 Cultivation Was for Immortality

    Ge Yuan thought for a while and said "Headmaster, how are you inviting them here?"


    Shen Lian did not respond, but as he felt Tiandi Jian was heating up, he then said, "They are here." His ability to see beyond the sky and listen beyond the earth was way beyond Ge Yuan as he possessed Tiandi Jian and Tongtian Skill.


    Ge Yuan knew that the headmaster had Tiandi Jian and hence could easily have an oversight of a large area. He was definitely right when he said they were here.


    He responded, "What do we do next?"


    Shen Lian replied, "We don''t need to do anything as they are nobody significant. Can you bring along two students to Qing Xuan hall?" He did not sound like he was full of himself for being able to predict that.


    Ge Yuan sighed and thought to himself �C over the years he indeed forgot about how Qing Xuan was one of the top sects in heaven and earth. Comparatively, Shen Lian''s magnanimity made him feel slightly embarrassed. He said "Wuji, can you get Shoujing and Shouxuan?"


    Shoujing and Shouxuan were the two students who were hurt by Zuo Shaoqing. Zhao Wuji went ahead to look for them.


    Shen Lian stood up and said, "I will be taking a walk. Doyen, can you wait till the two get here and go ahead. I will follow subsequently." He went for a stroll in the forest. After Ge Yuan heard that, he did not follow.


    Shen Lian did not rush to get back to Qing Xuan Hall but he decided to walk around Tianyuan Peak. Ge Yuan knew that he was rather laid-back, and as Shen Lian had granted his words, it was not a worry for him. He just had to wait until Shoujing and Shouxuan to be here before he headed to the Qing Xuan Hall on Tianyuan Peak.


    Among the five peaks of Qing Xuan, Taiyi Peak was the main peak, but Tianyuan was the one that was in the middle. Its spiritual opportunity was also in the middle.


    Shen Lian possessed both the Tongtian Skill and also the Taixu Strategy. His ability to detect spiritual opportunity was way beyond most who had yet to reach immortality. While strolling in the hills, the changes in spiritual opportunity were not particularly complicated, but to understand Dao to its fundamental was extremely difficult. He was also thinking about other things when he was detecting the spiritual opportunity at large.


    Occasionally he came across some students and they all greeted him.


    For those who had sharp eyes, they would be paying attention to Shen Lian''s footsteps, which every step was as gorgeous as the lotus, with extremely deep Qi of Dao.


    Shen Lian stood facing a waterfall and he stopped. He made a sword incantation using both his hands. A lotus-shaped sword aura was formed and after gathering the essence from the flora around, it flew towards the waterfall.


    The water fell from a great height, pounding the smooth rocks. It was initially misty because of the water, but when the lotus sword aura flew towards it, all the mists disappeared. It was an astonishing sight.


    Shen Lian did not stop with his hands. His fingers continued to move as if a great painter was creating a random landscape ink painting. There was a pattern with his erratic movements.


    Even if one were to describe how amazing his skill was, it was not comparable to any of the one hundred and eight techniques in Qing Xuan.


    After a while, Shen Lian finally stopped. The sword aura dispersed along with it. He turned around and spoke, "Choushi, after looking at it the whole time, what did you learn?"


    There was a student of Tianyuan Peak not far behind of him. He looked like he was almost thirty, but as cultivators tended to look younger than their age, he could be more than thirty. His cultivation was average, and it could be said that he was not particularly talented.


    Choushi did not imagine that the headmaster would have remembered him, who was just an average student. He was taken by surprise.


    Nobody dared to follow the headmaster but he did out of curiosity. He got to observe the whole incantation but he could not tell what the meaning was. Even from his point of view, there were other techniques within Qing Xuan that were better than the incantation the headmaster randomly created.


    This was of course because he was from Qing Xuan. Even if he occupied only a common status, he had the opportunity to see the best of the very best. If this sword incantation was seen elsewhere, it would be considered as extraordinary.


    Shen Lian responded, "Don''t you think that the incantation I created is just average? Even if it seems to have some essence, you can say it is rather simple."


    Choushi hesitated and said, "It was rather simple, but headmaster, you only created it on a whim and I believe it was incomplete. I believe that if it is polished further, Qing Xuan will have attained yet another great technique." He understood that being a sycophant would not bring many benefits to great cultivators like Shen Lian, but he still took the opportunity.


    Among Qing Xuan''s younger group, there was not anyone who did not respect Shen Lian. For a long time before this, Shen Lian had helped the other students of his level. After he came back to the mountain, he then achieved the Nine Transformations of Huandan and even had a battle with Bai Suhuan with no obvious victory or loss. Ninety-nine percent of the Doyens could not even reach Shen Lian''s level, and hence it was nothing surprising.


    Choushi used to ask for advice from Shen Lian before, but at the same time, there were many who did the same. Choushi was not any different and hence he was surprised Shen Lian remembered him. He respected Shen Lian even more.


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "If this item goes under the Qing Xuan sect, all the previous generations of headmasters will be laughing at me. Well, since you followed me here, I have something that I need you to help with."


    Choushi replied in respect, "I will follow your order till death."


    Shen Lian replied, "There is no need for death. The Doyen taught you how to cultivate is intended for you to cultivate alongside others, be the support for each other and to achieve immortality. It is not asking you to die."


    A lot of Doyens would probably disagree with this, but it fitted in best with the original heart in cultivation.


    The battles among the Doyens, the revenge, and the friendship were all unimportant. If one were to lose his or her life, nothing mattered. However, even if one could understand, it was still a challenge to face it.


    Even commoners knew that peace was important, but in the era of the empire, the battles of two armies always took a lot of lives.


    Shen Lian did not expect the rest of the world to agree with what he thought. He would not take lives easily, but even if he had to, it never affected his Daoist heart.


    It was just like how Buddha too shared anger with the Acala in implementing the Elimination of Evil.


    He stopped for a while and said, "This sword incantation, while not being extremely extraordinary, it is not easy to learn it in a short amount of time. I will use some of the sword identity and transform it into sword aura into your body. When you follow me to Qing Xuan Hall later, I will have some use for you."


    Choushi did not expect this was Shen Lian''s order. Shen Lian would not harm him, but to allow other''s sword aura to enter one''s body, most cultivators would be hesitant as they would no longer have any secrets.


    Choushi however, did not hesitate and said, "If headmaster you want to do it now, I have no second opinion."


    Shen Lian could tell that he was willing, he then sent some of his spiritual consciousness, combining with the sword aura into his body.


    Choushi could feel that the sword aura was extremely active in the body, and it blended in well with his mana. While they were different, they were working well. The sword aura even helped him improve his mana.


    This was because the sword aura was born from Shen Lian''s extremely pure Qi of Dan with great quality.


    At the same time, there were hidden messages in the sword aura. Choushi felt appreciative of the opportunity.


    Shen Lian did not give him a chance to appreciate the power and said, "We will move now to Taiyi Peak."

 Chapter 202 Jiang Shuijie

    At this moment, there was a rapid ray flying towards Mount Qing Xuan. The mountain was surrounded by fog all year. One could not have a clear view of what was inside, and hence he did not enter but landed at Nanke Town, situated at the foot of the mountain.


    The ray landed and a middle-aged Daoist appeared. He looked at the landmark of Nanke Town and he walked inside.


    It was also due to how powerful Qing Xuan''s Mountain Defense Formation was in protecting the mountain. Nobody could ever break in from the outside.


    The four main Daoist sects utilized the geographical position and spiritual opportunity to generate the Mountain Defense Formation. It was deeply ingrained in the heaven and earth and could hardly be affected. The middle-aged Daoist dared not to break in carelessly to protect his lifelong cultivation.


    Given the town was situated at the foot of the mountain, he figured that they could be closely related and hence he decided to ask someone.


    The moment he stepped in, he immediately saw a bearded man who was walking towards him. He had a herculean build with bright eyes. He was staring at him. For an average person, being under his glance would have made the person go kneeling on the floor as if he saw a fierce tiger. The middle-aged Daoist had some decent mana, along with a great spiritual mind. Hence, he was not afraid and he simply went through the evaluation.


    At the same time, the middle-aged Daoist had the eyes of Xuan. He could tell that the Qi that gathered around the bearded man was revealing some lights, which implied that this man had great Xuanmen techniques.


    He understood in his heart that it was very likely that this man was a student of Qing Xuan, but as his Qi did not circulate, it could be that he did not go through Dan Dao. However, from his spiritual opportunity and light, he had a much purer mana than those who relied on external alchemy.


    He stood where he was and he greeted the bearded man when he was approaching him, "Are you a respected student of Qing Xuan?"


    The bearded man laughed and said, "I dare not to call myself a respected student as I am still learning. Did you come from Mount Boyun?"


    The middle-aged Daoist was slightly stunned. Mount Boyun was located at the downstream of Qingshui River. The Qingshui River was an extremely wide river in Nanjiang, Yuan Continent. It had plenty of rainwater all year and it traversed through several ten thousand miles. Qingjiang Sword Sect was located at Mount Boyun. They relied on the spiritual opportunity provided by the flowing water, and hence all the students were able to continue their cultivations for many generations.


    Nanjiang was where the Witchery Daoists conducted their activities. There were also a lot of wicked Daoists hidden in Nanjiang. They were mostly seeking for entertainment instead of immortality. Their techniques were mysterious and violent but Qingjiang Sect''s True Wandering Light Sword was different. It was blessed by the power of water.


    What made the Daoist stunned was that Qing Xuan assigned this man here knowing he was coming.


    In the beginning, he was against the idea of Meng Xunzhen stepping into the deep waters. However, given that he had the highest cultivation in the sect and was the main pillar, it would have a detrimental effect on the sect if he was gone.


    It was normal for sword sect to offend others. Since Qingjiang Sect took a footing in Nanjiang, they had found themselves many enemies and some of them were powerful cultivators. They possessed great swordcraft and one could die any moment during such encounter, and as a result, the evils were afraid of them. For the size of the heaven and earth, immortal Zhenren was extremely rare. Even from the four main Daoist sects, there were only a total of fewer than fifteen Zhenrens. Even then it had occupied half of Xuanmen Zhenren''s number.


    If not because of Guangqing, one sect would have five Zhenren and the four main Daoist sects could have represented the whole of Xuanmen.


    As a result, among the nine states of cultivation, to be able to reach Buxu and Powang could be considered as being on top of the world. How important Meng Xunzhen was to Qingjiang Sword Sect was not less compared to how important Ziling Fairy was to Qing Xuan even though the two were fundamentally different.


    Qing Xuan caught the master-student pair of Meng Xunzhen but they did not kill them as the Soul Lamp in the sect was still lit. It had been about half a month and nothing had happened, hence the middle-aged Daoist was not particularly in a hurry.


    It was fortunate that Qing Xuan was only about ten thousand miles away from Qingjiang Sword sect. It would take about 5 days if traveling through flying day and night.


    He did not expect that he was found out the moment he reached the foot of the mountain.


    The middle-aged Daoist knew he could not deceive him. He looked slightly stunned and said, "I am Jiang Shuijie. I am looking to visit your sect as Qingjiang''s current attending Doyen. I hope you will allow me."


    The bearded man then said, "I am waiting for you as an order from our headmaster. Supposedly you began your journey five days ago, but we did not expect that you will only arrive today. People often say that the master celestial of sword can travel with the speed of lightning, but it seems like it is far from the truth huh."


    The middle-aged Daoist was slightly offended by this of course, but he dared not to say anything.


    He replied, "I haven''t reached a high level in cultivation, and hence my light travel was slightly slower. I heard that Shen Zhenren is now the new headmaster and hence we prepare some small gifts to congratulate him."


    The bearded man said, "If you are looking to send your gifts, please follow me."


    The middle-aged Daoist could only follow the bearded man. All of a sudden they already went through the streets and into Wenxin Road. Wenxin Road could read people''s minds regardless of the cultivation level. It was the first time for the middle-aged Daoist to enter the road and hence he had no idea. He fell into hallucination immediately and he only got out of Wenxin Road after half an hour. Yan Bugui was already waiting at the peak.


    Yan Bugui being the student of Qing Xuan was able to distinguish spiritual opportunity. He was able to get out of the hallucination immediately.


    He did not think that the attending Doyen of Qingjiang Sword Sect, Jiang Shuijie, was able to get out so quickly. The headmaster wanted him to check the temperament of the person, and hence he led him that way. It seemed that this person had some moral nature.


    Most cultivators in the world did not understand the principles of Dao. They tended to only cultivate but not to groom their temperament. Their hearts of Dao were covered in dust, and hence it was hard to reach Huandan and Powang. Even if they reached the state of Ruhua and wanted to rely on external alchemy to reach Dan Dao, they could not because their moral nature was fogged by desires.


    For students of Xuanmen Sect, they began to groom their temperament since they began cultivation. Even then, it was difficult to Huandan, but it would be much easier if external alchemy was used.


    For Jiang Shuijie''s performance at the Wenxin Road, it was sufficient to enter the Xuanmen Sect, but he lacked the established practices and hence he only managed to enter Qingjiang Sword Sect, which was a small sect. The available methods of cultivation were less, and if it did not match with the temperament, the effort would be futile.


    For this reason, even if Jiang Shuijie relied on external alchemy, his cultivation would not be too great, and it would be impossible for him to achieve Dao in this life.


    Yan Bugui would definitely not say it to Jiang Shuijie. Jiang Shuijie managed to get through the hallucination safely, but he did not know Yan Bugui''s intention. He took things as they came. In order to save the master-student pair of Meng Xunzhen, even if there were tigers or dragons in Qing Xuan, he would still step inside.


    If he did not understand the attitude of Qing Xuan, being stuck in between Guangqing and Qing Xuan, Qingjiang Sword Sect ultimately did not have any advantage over them. It was possible that they could go extinct. It was rather unwise of Meng Xunzhen to put himself in such a situation for Milky Way Swordsmanship. Jiang Shuijie on the other hand, could not stop him from doing so if he were to.


    The deeper he went inside Qing Xuan, the stronger the Qi of Vitality and spiritual opportunity were. The fog did not disperse �C it was such a fortunate location. Jiang Shuijie was amazed, and soon he arrived at the Qing Xuan Hall on Taiyi Peak.


    Jiang Shuijie was led in by Yan Bugui. There were several people in the hall, and the one in the middle was a cultivator with a serious face. The spiritual pressure released by him made him feel terrified. He assumed that he was the headmaster of Qing Xuan and hence he greeted him, "Please allow me, the attending Doyen of Qingjiang Sword Sect to greet you, Shen Zhenren."

 Chapter 203 Three Swords

    The two young men behind the serious looking cultivator laughed as Jiang Shuijie greeted.


    The two were Shoujing and Shouxuan, who were injured by Zuo Shaoqing.


    They initially held strong resentments towards Qingjiang Sword Sect, but with that mistake, they found it to be rather amusing.


    One of the rather handsome young men who had clear brows and bright eyes was Shoujing, he said, "This is the first seat at Discipline Hall, Ge Zhenren. You have mistaken. Our headmaster is very young and he will be here soon."


    The other young man who had a rather fierce look was Shouxuan. He did not seem too satisfied with Shoujing stepping into the conversation.


    The reason why Shoujing took the name of silence, ''Jing'', was because the master thought he could not stay silent. It was meant as a warning. Even though he knew the person was from Qingjiang Sword Sect, he still could not refrain himself from speaking other than simply keeping the amusement at heart. His more laid-back attitude compared to Shouxuan, as a result, while defeated, did not seem to affect him much.


    If Shouxuan was not too happy about it, Shoujing decided to not speak more.


    Ge Yuan said, "Please wait here for a while, the chief will be here soon."


    It was rather noisy outside, and within the time of a breather, a young man entered the room.


    Jiang Shuijie looked outside, it was a twenty-something young man. He had solid sword aura in his body, and at the same time, the Qi of vitality was circulating. He did not dare to make a move but simply to evaluate. In his mind, he thought this could be the one, a young man who came from outside.


    He wanted to go forward and greet him, and since Ge Yuan and the others were doing the same, Jiang Shuijie could then affirm that this was the right person. He noticed there was a rather delicate and pretty man behind the young man but before he managed to evaluate him, he already greeted the young man.


    The young man was stunned, and said, "What are you doing?"


    Choushi could not help but feel shocked when he saw a rather calm cultivator greeting him. He quickly avoided. Being based in Tianyuan Peak, he had met a lot of Huandan Doyen, and hence he could tell the cultivator had reached Dan Dao and could be considered his senior in cultivation.


    Jiang Shuijie then realized he was wrong again. Not to mention what he was dressed in when he came closer, the spiritual pressure was low. It did not feel like the kind of cultivation experience where one''s original simplicity was restored.


    He did not know what to expect when he came to Qing Xuan �C he tried to be extra careful but because of that, he lost his peaceful Daoist heart. As such, he was in a panic.


    He laughed at himself, and later he heard the serious looking cultivator, the bearded man, and the two young men greeted the delicate and pretty man at the back, "Greetings, headmaster."


    Jiang Shuijie could not help but look up at the man. He had bright eyes, and a red mark in the middle of his brows. It looked like as if he had stars in his eyes. He had red lips and white teeth. He looked as if he was underage, as he had not been tainted by the worldly desires.


    When his glance fell on the delicate and pretty man, he felt like his mind and spirit were faced with a steel wall up front. He felt dizzy. The pressure was heavy as if there was a mountain on him. The feeling only disappeared after he lowered his lead and stopped evaluating.


    The man went by him, followed by Ge Yuan and the rest. Jiang Shuijie followed unknowingly.


    He sat down on top of a rock bench. Ge Yuan then sat down on his right on a cushion. The others stood aside.


    Jiang Shuijie was now clearly aware that he was currently faced with the bona fide chief of Qing Xuan.


    However, after making a mistake twice, he tried to calm down before he bowed and greeted, "Please allow the attending Doyen of Qingjiang Sword Sect, Jiang Shuijie, to greet you, Shen Zhenren."


    Shen Lian looked at Yan Bugui. Seeing as he nodded, he knew that Yan Bugui thought this man had some potential in Dao.


    He spoke slowly, "Are you here for Swordsman Meng?"


    Jiang Shuijie prepared a few responses but he did not expect Shen Lian to be so direct and hence he lost his composure. He nodded, "My Uncle-Master is near Powang and he lost his mind. Junior Apprentice-Brother Zuo is young and na?ve and hence he offended you. Please forgive him. "


    Shen Lian said, "Swordsman Meng is well treated here. I did not do anything to him."


    Jiang Shuijie responded, "Zhenren, thank you for your kindness and generosity. I hereby present some gifts for you in the name of our chief. Please take it as an apology for my Uncle-Master''s mistakes. If you have any request, I will try my best to fulfill it."


    Shouxuan laughed, "We Qing Xuan doesn''t need anything from you Qingjiang Sword Sect."


    Jiang Shuijie felt embarrassed.


    Shen Lian laughed and pointed at Shoujing and Shouxuan, "These two were injured by Zuo Shaoqing. They don''t have the cleanest moral nature yet, and hence they are still angry about the occurrence. Please do not mind."


    His words were soothing as they were at the right pacing but Jiang Shuijie could not understand what Shen Lian was thinking.


    Jiang Shuijie then said, "It was my Uncle-Master''s fault for offending your sect. How would I dare to take offense at the two?"


    Shen Lian said, "You two were punished by Zuo Shaoqing because you did not study hard enough, but this was not due to the techniques at Qing Xuan. Jing Qing, please come in."


    The Daoist child brought in two people, Meng Xunzhen and Zuo Shaoqing.


    Jiang Shuijie turned around and saw and he looked rather agitated.


    He realized the two were safe, only looking slightly drained. Their Daoist bodies were not damaged too.


    Meng Xunzhen questioned when he saw Jiang Shuijie, "Why are you here?"


    Jiang Shuijie replied, "Uncle-Master, I am here in the name of the chief to bring you back."


    He did not use the word redemption to not hurt Meng Xunzhen''s pride.


    Meng Xunzhen did not say much.


    Zuo Shaoqing was quiet. During this period of time, his injuries had healed but he still could not make use of his mana.


    Shen Lian continued, "If all of you want to have a talk, you can do it later, but since Zuo, you have injured two of my students. What should you do?"


    Zuo Shaoqing lifted his head and said, "I will have no second word if you were to kill me."


    Shen Lian said, "Qing Xuan is not the palace of hell. They were beaten by you because they did not master their craft and I would say they deserve it. But as I said, it is not because of Qing Xuan''s techniques. You are talented and a good swordsman, I suppose you rarely have competitions among people your age. I feel like you might have looked down on Qing Xuan after you beat the two."


    Zuo Shaoqing did not reply but his eyes revealed that it was indeed what he thought.


    He thought it was attributed to his age and hence the current situation.


    "Immortal Zhenren such as Shui Lingzi was born from the True Wandering Light Sword, but to call it the best, it is far from it. For your talent, it is such a waste to be learning such a technique. If you don''t believe it, if you can beat him today, I will let you go." Shen Lian pointed at Choushi, but every word he sprouted was insulting to Qingjiang Sword Sect.


    Meng Xunzhen felt angry but he could not say a word, because of the Celestial Sealing Nail in his body.


    Being unable to release his anger had hurt his mind and spirit. He immediately felt like a punctured balloon.


    Nobody had the time to care. Zuo Shaoqing looked at Choushi, "If he doesn''t use any equipment or talisman and can still take three swords move from me, I will say I''ve wasted my whole life learning swords craft."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Choushi, if you can''t beat his True Wandering Light Sword in three moves, you should face the wall for ten years to reflect on it."


    In between words, Shen Lian swung out a ray which fell on Zuo Shaoqing. A small ray flew out from between his brows and fell into the hand of Shen Lian. It was the Celestial Sealing Nail.


    His action had a deeper meaning. To beat the enemy was not the point, but the point was to destroy their hearts, to be able to take over the smaller sects.

 Chapter 204 Restrain

    Zuo Shaoqing''s entire body shook �C he felt the mana come back as it circulated in his body, he felt that he could overcome any trouble with his sword.


    He lowered his voice and said, "Shen Zhenren, let me have this fight outside the hall with your student. I am afraid that I may accidentally mess up the hall."


    Shou Jing laughed, "We will feel more embarrassed if you will even mess up anything in this hall with the little mana you have. We might not even have the qualification to call Qing Xuan one of Xuanmen."


    Zuo Shaoqing laughed, "Then I will not try to be careful."


    Shen Lian laughed and he swung his arm �C the hall all in a sudden appeared to be rather spacious. It gave a lot of space to Zuo Shaoqing and Choushi. Choushi was already right opposite Zuo Shaoqing. The rest were standing at a distance.


    There were multiple restrictions in Qing Xuan Hall. Given Shen Lian''s cultivation, he could surely keep it under control. To him, the mana of the two was not worth much, and hence he was not afraid that they could cause any damage.


    In addition, the True Wandering Light Sword was not known for being powerful but for its multiple forms, which lacked a pattern.


    Zuo Shaoqing''s eyes glistened as if some sword rays just escaped from his eyes. It was worth mentioning about his sword aura. He lifted his palm, and a ball of white sword ball appeared rolling at an inch above his palm.


    It was the sword ball which he relied his life on �C it could even make up for the bluntness of the True Wandering Light Sword.


    The battle mattered a lot and naturally, he had to try his best.


    Choushi was initially anxious under the influence of Zuo Shaoqing''s imposing manners, but the sword aura which was pumped into his body by Shen Lian had an indestructible spirit. It was far more influential than Zuo Shaoqing''s imposing manner.


    He calmed down quickly. The sword aura allowed for the circulation of his mana, behaving like a centralized order system. It was ordering his mana like a General.


    Choushi cupped his hands and said, "Please."


    He did not know what to do, but as the chief wanted him to do it, there should be a reason. He would react after Zuo Shaoqing took the first move. He wanted to see how the sword aura played out. In addition, as he was now at Qing Xuan Hall under the watch of the chief, it was unlikely that he would meet any great danger.


    With that thought, he was much more relaxed.


    Zuo Shaoqing took note of the sight of it and he took the opinion that Choushi did not bother about him as he was full of weaknesses everywhere.


    He sneered in his heart. There was a saying among the common swordsman, where if a person was full of weakness, it was actually more difficult for anyone to seize the opportunity. It could then be considered as not having a weakness at all.


    For someone like him who was extremely talented in swordcraft, he treated the statement as a joke. To him, weakness remained a weakness regardless of how many there were. It did not change the fundamental truth that it was a weakness.


    He pursued swordcraft with devotion. He was even more devoted than Meng Xunzhen. Once he entered a battle of the sword, he had no other thoughts.


    The sword ball in his arm shook and a sword ray escaped. It crossed the distance between the two in the blink of an eye. The sword ray was unpredictable.


    Choushi suddenly could feel the sword aura in his body had exploded. When the sword ray was attacking his right shoulder, a ray appeared, and a sword lotus was born. The sword lotus swallowed the sword ray.


    Zuo Shaoqing did not lose his focus and the sword ray subsequently twisted like a snake. The part which was not blocked by the sword lotus turned into a crescent shape and it went towards Choushi again.


    Another sword lotus blocked the sword ray. As Zuo Shaoqing had become one with the sword ball, his mind and spirit were shaken as the sword ball was trapped.


    What came next was a powerful sword aura whizzed towards Zuo Shaoqing by Choushi.


    The flow of the sword aura stirred up the Qi of vitality. All of a sudden, a seemingly turbulent storm was stirred up but it was extinguished quickly.


    The light ray which was swimming between the sword aura of the True Wandering Light Sword soon ''swallowed the cloud and destroyed the water''.


    Regardless of how much True Wandering Light Sword aura there was, it was kept in check by the light ray. In the end, there was nothing left in the air. A sword aura was circulating around the body of Zuo Shaoqing, as if he was tied up by a rope.


    Zuo Shaoqing, in reality, felt that his mana was all beaten up by the light ray as if he met his mortal enemy.


    From the moment Zuo Shaoqing brought up the sword ball, to sword rays running wild, to how the light ray trapped up Zuo Shaoqing in the end �C they all happened in the blink of an eye. Ge Yuan too found it to be rather astonishing.


    It was not because of how crafty Choushi''s sword aura was, but it was clear to everyone present that while the sword aura might not be perfect, it was the real mortal enemy of the True Wandering Light Sword.


    As a result, when the two came in contact, Zuo Shaoqing''s True Wandering Light Sword aura all turned into mere decoration.


    Meng Xunzhen and Jiang Shuijie were panicking. Their fundamentals were built on Wandering Light Sword. Even if they had other techniques to refer to from other sects, it was difficult to change the fundamentals of the mana. Unless if one managed to go beyond mortality and repair one''s own system, that would also be something that could happen when one reached immortality.


    The light ray returned to Choushi, and the sword ball of Zuo Shaoqing fell to the ground. Its color was dull as if a great pearl had been covered in dust.


    Choushi smiled, "Thank you for letting me win."


    Zuo Shaoqing spoke in a bitter voice, "What was the technique called?"


    Choushi responded, "It was created by our chief recently. I am not sure."


    Zuo Shaoqing looked towards Shen Lian. He was not brainless and he knew why Shen Lian created it �C to keep Wandering Light Sword under control.


    Shen Lian nodded, "I am still far from completing it. It is not sufficient to use it to achieve immortality, but it has the ability to keep Wandering Light Sword under control."


    When Meng Xunzhen heard what Shen Lian said, he thought on one occasion all of a sudden. He spits out some blood, and with blood in his mouth, he spoke angrily, "When you keep us here, you have stolen our secret."


    He still did not know how and what did Shen Lian do to steal their secret. With the secret, Shen Lian, in turn, created the technique to restrain it.


    The only thing he did not think of was that it was not so simple to steal someone''s secret and find out about its weakness and design a system to restrain the other''s technique.


    It was because he did not understand Taixu Strategy. Taixu Strategy was built based on the eight Qis. It could blend in well with most Daoist techniques and imitate their power.


    That was where the restraint came from, from the principle of interpromotion and interrestraint. Once he understood the basis of the power, he could use the restraint principle to create something that could keep the other technique in check.


    If one could reach the highest level in Taixu Strategy, there were only a few techniques in the world from the very best Daoist sect could be prevented from being restrained.


    The more Jiang Shuijie thought about it, the more he realized if Qingjiang Sword Sect did not change their fundamental technique, they would be under restraint forever.

 Chapter 205 Dead or Alive

    Shen Lian smiled and asked, "So what do you say now after you''ve lost, Zuo Shaoqing?"


    Zuo Shaoqing turned rather pale, but he ultimately replied, "I will stick to my words. I will have no complaint to whatever you want me to do, Shen Zhenren." He never intended to ask for forgiveness, firstly because of his personality, secondly because such action would fall on deaf ears to people like Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian said, "Good. You cut off all four limbs of Shou Jing and Shou Xuan, which resulted in me using two Life-regenerating Elixir. I would ask to do the same to you, but other than making the two less angry, there is no positive effect from it. How about if you become my sword servant for 300 years?"


    Meng Xunzhen could not control his anger anymore and he said, "Never!"


    Shen Lian not only found a way to restraint the technique of Qingjiang Sword Sect, he even wanted to destroy their root. It was hard for the sect to find someone as talented as Zuo Shaoqing.


    If that was the case, when Meng Xunzhen left, the chances of yet another Huandan master being born in the sect were pretty slim.


    As a result, he was the pillar of the sect. Even for Qingxuan, in the span of a few hundred years, there were only Chen Jianmei and Shen Lian who achieved Huandan. The difficulty was clear.


    Zuo Shaoqing was not necessarily going to achieve Huandan, but he had the potential. Shen Lian wanted to take him as a servant to weaken Qingjiang and strengthen Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian took a glance at him and said, "Meng Swordsman, we will talk about you later."


    He then said to Zuo Shaoqing, "There is a saying in the past where one should crush the enemy totally to prevent revenge. What you have learnt might be shallow and indelicate, but you are talented, and hence I won''t let you go just easily. If you disagree, I will just take this chance and send you to go through reincarnation. You can only achieve that much in life with Cloud and Water Sword. If you were reborn, you might have the chance to achieve greatness."


    Zuo Shaoqing had a thousand thoughts in his mind, it was the temperament of a swordsman. He quickly decided, "I can be your sword servant, but I have a condition."


    Shen Lian replied, "You are not qualified to discuss conditions with me. You only have two paths, dead or alive."


    He spoke plainly, but what he said commanded respect and exhibited authority as the chief of a big sect.


    Zuo Shaoqing was choked with words. What Shen Lian said was right. He was thinking along the line where he would never agree if Shen Lian wanted him to do anything that would harm Qingjiang Sword Sect. It seemed than Shen Lian could read his mind, and hence was not willing to discuss the conditions with him. He understood that he only had two choices, dead or alive.


    If Shen Lian wanted him to do something that would go against his Daoist heart, he could either choose death or just do it. It was what being a sword servant meant. He was not a student.


    Zuo Shaoqing replied, "I agree, but aren''t you scared that I will just obey on the surface?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "You are using your Daoist heart as the basis of the promise. If you go against me in the future, you will never be able to achieve Dao in all your reincarnations." Swearing on the Daoist heart was a heavy oath. For any cultivator, to go against an oath that was made with the Daoist heart would have a huge impact on his or her cultivation. It was not that one could not go against it, but it was because there was a huge price labelled to it.


    Zuo Shaoqing replied coldly, "An oath could not restrain me."


    Shen Lian asked, "Are you devoted to the sword?"


    Zuo Shaoqing replied, "Of course I am."


    "If you go against your oath, are you still devoted? Furthermore, what can a loach do?" His words were affecting Zuo Shaoqing deeply.


    He took in Zuo Shaoqing as a sword servant for a reason. It was rare to come across a swordcraft seed. He held a high position and hence he could not do everything himself. He also did not want to bother Jingqing on some menial tasks, and hence he needed someone for that.


    Zuo Shaoqing had entered Ruhua and hence his cultivation experience could be considered as decent. If he had the fortune, he could even go through Huandan 6/7 turn. Till then he would have more uses to him.


    Zuo Shaoqing stayed silent. Shen Lian did not come up with pretty words, but it was the cruel reality.


    Jiang Shuijie could only look at Zuo Shaoqing making an oath under his Daoist heart, and when Meng Xunzhen wanted to say something, he was restrained.


    When it was settled between Zuo Shaoqing and Shen Lian, Shen Lian then said, "Meng Swordsman, when did we Qing Xuan ever offend you?"


    Meng Xunzhen did not answer. Shen Lian laughed and he relaxed his restraint.


    Meng Xunzhen could now speak, he said, "Zhenren''s technique is indeed powerful. I am very much impressed."


    While he said that, he did not feel impressed in his heart.


    Shen Lian sneered, "Do you think I am Huanzhen? I have to beat you the first time, the second time and the third time to make you satisfy?"


    Meng Xunzhen looked like he was in a foul mood and replied, "Shen Zhenren indeed speaks your mind."


    Shen Lian replied, "You should have something to say now."


    Meng Xunzhen did not seem to understand. He was alright as a cultivator, but he was used to being a lone wolf and hence he did not really understand social cues. Jiang Shuijie was more thoughtful, whereby he cupped his hands and said, "Shen Zhenren, our sect has a small request. We Qingjiang Sword Sect respect Qing Xuan for a long time. We are willing to be an affiliate and to listen to your order."


    Meng Xunzhen was angry, "What are you doing, Jiang? How dare you?"


    Jiang Shuijie saw how angry Meng Xunzhen was, and hence he transmitted some messages to him with the mind. Given Shen Lian had created a way to completely keep the technique of Qingjiang Sword Sect under control, if the news spread out, they would no longer have a footing in Nanjiang.


    There were a lot of enemies out there who were looking to cannibalize the sect.


    They could not rely on Guangqing Celestial Sect anymore, as they never did send their own students to test the waters of Qing Xuan. It was because they treated their own students as treasure and the cultivators from other sects as weed.


    The attitude of Guangqing was great due to the focus, but it was not great to gain favors from the others.


    It was indeed impressive to have 5 Dixian in one sect, and hence nobody really dared to say much.


    Meng Xunzhen previously was blinded by anger, but now as he was aware of the situation, he grasped that Shen Lian had all their weaknesses. Qingjiang Sword Sect was now merely waiting to be slaughtered.


    They could not expect that Shen Lian could come up with something to restrain others'' techniques in such a short period of time.


    While Meng Xunzhen successfully attained Milky Way Swordsmanship which was better than the swordscraft of his own sect, but something critical was missing from it. If not because of that, Huanzhen would not have given it to him.


    The critical point was that the main chapter was missing �C Milky Way: Meaning of Dharma. Even if one were to find a successor and start all over again, it was impossible. He could only learn some of the parts to allow for breakthroughs.


    As a result, the fundamental of Qingjiang Sword Sect was still Cloud and Water Sword. Even if one could improve, its fundamentals would not change. What Shen Lian had created was pinpointing at the fundamentals. Every improvement would be futile unless the fundamentals could be changed.


    Shen Lian said nothing and he was waiting for Meng Xunzhen to come to his senses. This was the reason why he demanded someone from Qingjiang Sword Sect to have some moral nature. If a fool were to be here, it would only ruin his plans.

 Chapter 206 Submission

    Since Meng Xunzhen had cultivated to such level, he could not be someone so unreasonable. Now that he was entering the ''Realm of Surpassed Improper Thoughts'', which was why his emotions were so unstable. After calming his thoughts, he finally realized that he would take such a big risk of being Guangqing sect''s pawn for a mere incomplete piece of Milky Way Swordsmanship.


    Now, he not only hated Shen Lian, but also Huan Zhen Daoist. If it wasn''t this cow''s nose who prophesied him of entering improper thoughts, eventually a shaky Daoist mind, he wouldn''t be able to tempt him with the Milky Way Swordsmanship


    On normal days, however proud he was, he would not get himself stuck in this puddle.


    He was putting himself in the dead end there, not considering anything else. Now that his mind was clear, he would only realize the sort of circumstance he got himself into. Maybe Huan Zhen Daoist still wanted to save him previously, but there were also people from Guangqing sect who prevented him from saving Qing Xuan.


    As of now, it was certain that Guangqing sect would not be bothered with him, and wait for Qing Xuan to get rid of him, which would trigger the conflict between the sects of Clear River and Qing Xuan.


    Clear River may be small, but if Qing Xuan was very vengeful, they would also leave a bad name. At that time, the Guangqing Celestial Sect would emerge to help, which not only had done a large favor for Clear River, and also gained the license to put the blame on Qing Xuan. If Qing Xuan avenged lightly, it would seem as if they were weak and bullied, which would only benefit Guangqing and not harm them.


    As he thought clearer: What a calculative conspirator this Huan Zhen Daoist was. Oh Xun Mengzhen, how dumb of you of seeing this cow''s nose as your best friend.


    Shen Lian was peeking into Meng Xunzhen''s mind, amused with the effect of Tong Tian Techniques. Meng Xunzhen was secretly planted with abstruse techniques, enabling him to peek into the key secrets of the Cloud Water True Light Sword, and also had Tong Tian Techniques applied on him to hear his thoughts.


    Of course beforehand, Shen Lian had shut off Meng Xunzhen''s cultivations and locked his bier, or else little tricks like this would had been debunked.


    That was why, Yan Xu''s ''Free Form Incarnation'' technique, was really unpredictable, and it could even soundlessly break into a person''s spirit, grab the opportunity to snatch other people''s powers, and like a dove over magpie''s nest, make one''s body its own.


    Meng Xunzhen finally sighed, "Clear River Sword''s sect is willing to be part of Qing Xuan''s".


    The headmaster of Clear River Sword sect was approaching his end, making Jiang Shuijie the next recognized succeeding headmaster. Else, he would not have taken up the position of the Executive Doyen of the Clear River Sword sect.


    These words said by him could not be reversible.


    Jiang Shuijie felt quite relieved but with a bit of sadness. If there was an Immortal Zhenren in Clear River, things would not have been like this.


    Mount Taicang was unpredictably high, and the mountains here could stretch for thousands of miles. All the surrounding peaks served as foil for Mount Taicang''s grace, as if they were flocks of stars holding the moon. And there lied the mountain gate of Guangqing Celestial sect, in the middle of Mount Taicang.


    Everyone knew where the Celestial gate was located at, but only those who were destined could pass through it.


    Huanzhen Daoist was just standing on top of Ningcui Cliff, his feather robe floating in the air with such an endless emission of celestial aura. The chief of Guang Qing sect was his Honored master, also one of the five Immortal Zhenrens of Guang Qing, namely ''Yu Ming the Honored Celestial''.


    Huan Zhen Daoist was the inheritor of Yu Ming the Honored Celestial, and a publically recognized succeeding chief.


    His powers and influence in the sect was only after those of the Five Immortal Zhenrens.


    Behind him stood a pretty lady, who appeared from nowhere, and spoke softly, "Your holiness".


    Huan Zhen Daoist slowly turned his body, and the same time, this movement of rotation seemed to have rotated the entire Ningcui Cliff as well. Anyone with some understanding of cultivation would understand the intensity with such level of Unity of Universe and Human.


    The girl felt an increased respect for Huan Zhen, knowing that he had approached one step closer towards the immortal Zhenren. Sooner or later he would become the sixth immortal Zhenren of Guang Qing.


    Actually, Huan Zhen had the qualifications to reach the Realm beyond Improper Thoughts, but his presence in Guang Qing had increased the the difficulties of him achieve that realm as compared to others in the Xuanmen.


    One sect had five land immortals, which was already a situation where there were too many flowers in a basket. If there were six land immortals in a sect, it would presumably welcome jealousy from the heavens. Guang Qing was still not capable of receiving such blessings.


    This was also why the Guang Qing Celestial sect wanted to become one of the four main daoist sects, else it would become a second Sky River Sword sect. Initially, the Sky River Sword sect was such a celebrated sect, yet it still dispersed without any inheritance.


    Huanzhen Daoist casually asked, "Qing Yin, has Clear River Sword sect submitted to Qing Xuan?"


    Qing Yin was shocked, "How did Your holiness know about this? I was just about to report this to you".


    Huanzhen Daoist stared at the Qing Yin''s hair bun, and her waterfall-like descending black hair. Under his close training, she wandered the world to help build up his reputation from behind the scenes, and even invaded the crumbling Luoism.


    Huanzhen Daoist waved and smiled, "When one person had a thought, the heaven and earth would clearly know it. If you can read the heavens, you naturally know many things. Shen Lian was really a strong opponent. I actually regret not killing him that time".


    Though he mentioned regret, but there was no such emotion to disrupt his clear mind. Those who had surpassed Improper Thoughts and a person as clear-minded as him were very rare. In this world, the cultivators who had the ''Realm of Surpassed Improper Thoughts'' very rarely get their hands on worldly matters, because the Dao heart would be the most stable in this realm and very easily influenced. Most of them would look for a secluded place to cultivate and study Daoism, and even move on their own.


    Unless they had gotten a chance of revelation, else they would not simply move around.


    Qing Yin lightly bit her lips and replied, "What is your next instruction, Your Holiness?"


    At this moment, a ray of sword gleam flew in, cutting through the skies and chimed like a flying phoenix. The sword gleam descended from the air, then into Huan Zhen''s hand. It was a little sword glowing in silver with a letter attached to it.


    Huan Zhen took out the letter, and its contents were secretive Dao words. As he read it, understanding its content, he sighed, "So it is true that a person can change the result of the heaven''s plans."


    Qing Yin sounded surprised: "What happened, Your Holiness?"


    Huanzhen Daoist rarely had times when he lost his composure, even a talented person like Hui Ke would be his friend, and Baoyue the Venerable would invite to visit Jin Guang temple. Though there were other reasons to it, the crucial point was still that Huan Zhen was really capable.


    If a person like such lost his composure too, those who knew Huan Zhen would be very shocked.


    Huan Zhen replied, "We initially have five spiritual caves in the Yin Mountain. Recently a bunch of demonic soldiers from the Underworld Demonic sect emerged with no reason, not only destroyed the spiritual caves, and even annihilated the disciples who were based there.


    A spiritual cave gathered the spiritual qi from the heaven and earth, it could produce various kinds of treasures of the heaven and earth which were considered precious resources to any sect.


    The Yin Mountain had a large boundary with very few spiritual caves. Guang Qing could have five remain, all thanks to the reputation of the five Immortal Zhenrens.


    And the most crucial point was that the Underworld Demonic sect only destroyed Guang Qing''s spiritual cave, which was obviously a directed attack. Ever since the Wujian Daoist of Underworld Demonic sect had disappeared, it had been some time since the Demonic army had stepped out of Yin Mountains.


    Now that they were out, and attacked Guang Qing immediately, Huan Zhen felt that something was off.


    Hell, starved ghosts, animals, those in charge of these three paths, except the Hell path were very earth shattering characters that should not be messed with.


    As long as the Underworld Demonic sect incident was not resolved, he was afraid that he would not be able to deal with Qing Xuan.

 Chapter 207 Grand Assembly of Luoism

    Qingyin would never expect such circumstance to happen with the current reputation of the Guangqing Celestial sect. However, things had not been smooth for the recent years.


    On the contrary, Qing Xuan may look like it had endured a heavy damage, but it was actually prospering, emerged with extraordinary talents like Chen Jianmei, and Shen Lian.


    Chen Jianmei was in a phase surpassing any expectations, and his level of techniques was unknown. According to Huanzhen, even the immortal Zhenren could not capture him.


    Shen Lian stayed within the Mountain Gates, and studied under the sect whereas Chen Jianmei was based in Xi Huang, showcasing the influence of Qing Xuan which was well spread.


    Qingyin replied, "Your Holiness shall not worry. We do not know if the Underworld Demon sect may not be specifically coming after us."


    Huanzhen said lightly, "There is nothing as unusual as this in the world. How is current status of your task in the Luoism?"


    "Luoism has already crumbled and torn apart, being split into multiple secret schools. Besides taking in Wuwei School, I have just reorganized Hongyang School recently. However these secret schools are only small branches, with mediocre caliber, and I am concerned that people would take notice of what I am doing," Qingyin whispered.


    Huanzhen murmured, "Within the Luoism, there has not been an appearance of any immortals in such a long time. It wouldn''t matter even if you are noticed. The Grand Luoism Assembly is ten years time. You must succeed before then, and if you can become the Saintess of Luoism at that time, the grand immortal will have the means to take in the remaining fate of the Luoism Sect. By that time you will be able to return to the mountains with your head held up high."


    Qingyin''s pretty eyes could barely contain her excitement, and said, "I will not let you down, Your Holiness".


    Huanzhen looked at her, and sighed, "However once you have gone on the path of Shen, it will be difficult for you to succeed".


    Qingyin looked down and replied, "I, your disciple, never had the chance of walking down the path of land immortals. Now that I have the opportunity on the path of Shen, this is my blessing already."


    From the beginning, there were five categories of immortals, namely, heaven, land, human, gods, and ghost.


    They were also called heaven immortals, land immortals, human immortals, godly immortals and ghost immortals. Among all, the heaven immortals were different from the other four categories, which transcended the heaven and earth, which was also the ultimate objective of the land immortals, human immortals, and ghost immortals.


    Land immortal was the category that the immortal Zhenren fell in, which was also the easiest path towards heavenly immortal because an individual who was superior in Dao cultivation would exceed heaven and earth like a heaven immortal. He would breakaway under nobody''s jurisdiction, and become a real immortal, hence gained the name of immortal Zhenren.


    Human immortal, was the ancient son of the heavens in the beginning. They had great godly prowess and also called as ''the path of human kings'', very packed with the fortune of kingdom. If they combined forces with heaven and earth, they would even overpower the gods in heavens. If they did not achieve the Dao of heaven immortals, eventually relying too much on the kingdom''s fortune, their kingdom would ''falls as abruptly and rapidly as it rises''. However, this path still escaped the nature of lives and deaths.


    The Dao of heaven immortals, also known as ''Dao of gods and spirits'' was the nature that manipulated heaven and earth, assisting the heavens in order executive. As the scripture says, ''In the beginning was the Doa, and Dao was with God''. Regardless what method was used, they would still not be able to cultivate the inextinguishable divine aura, and merge with the rules of natural order of heaven and earth, jump out of birth and destruction, and gain ultimate godly prowess. However the gods and spirits were nurtured in the heavens, and could control the natural orders since birth; whereas the acquired gods and spirits required all kinds of cultivation, which majority of it required the collection of joss sticks worshipping from all beings to light the godly nature within. When they finally become a god, they would still rely on the nourishment of joss sticks along this path. If the religious sect was destructed one day, their godly status could not be retained either.


    The origins of ghost immortals were more complicated. All those that lived in the human world would have their souls, which through cultivation would be strengthened to the extent of firm flesh body. They could enter and exit the portals of the underworld as ghost immortals. But all the ghost immortal''s aura levels varied and associated with remnants, so they would need to be struck by lightning, the lightning trial, to overcome this catastrophe and gain access to the path of heaven immortal. However, the lightning trial was painful to endure. Unless they were cultivator without a body, and those without unknown origins, else they would go on this path. Even though they lost their bodies, the spirits who turned into ghost immortals would still find means to reborn, because the ghost immortals were strong, and with some ill thoughts in them, plus the strength of their spiritual essence, the cultivation process of achieving godly immortality would speed up as well.


    In three thousand paths of Daoism, any path was aimed to stay immortal in this world, hence there was no concrete method to determine which was stronger. However, from the ancient days until now, the number of people who attained the path of land immortals far exceeded those who went on other paths. Therefore, the path of land immortals was considered the authentic Xuanmen, and immortal Zhenren a well-respected figure.


    The robe on Huanzhen was floating without a breeze, as he threw the dagger from his hand, it turned into a gleam again and pierced through the skies. This method of mail transfer through flying daggers could only be done by someone who had attained the cultivation level of Huandan. The sender of this mail had to be his Junior Apprentice-Brother, one of the twelve Daoists who attained Powang.


    With Guangqing''s current strength level, other than Xuantian sect, he feared any challenge that came his way.


    Huanzhen had immense confidence in him. When he could not use his wisdom to solve a problem, he would bulldoze with sheer force. He calmly said, "The matter about Underworld Demon Sect, I will rush over to sort it out. But before the Grand Luoism Assembly is conducted, I will come and look for you for sure. The matter about Qing Xuan can be put away for now. Any kind of trick would not work in front of real strength".


    After the Luo Sect plans had worked out, his grandmaster, Yuming the Honored Celestial, would be able to grab the remaining fate of Luo Sect. Among all the ancestors that the Luo Sect worshipped, there were only a few whose achievements surpassed his. Other than to snatch the fate of Luo Sect, Huanzhen also planned to search for the path of Dao left by Luo Sect, which might help him surpass the state of Powang and gain immortality.


    After his conversation, he hopped to the front.


    It was a high drop in front of him, but as he stepped on thin air, he did not fall a bit and walked as if he was on flat ground. He stepped higher and higher, and finally, a cloud was born under his feet, casually carrying him, as he promptly vanished within the blue skies and white clouds.


    Qingyin stared at the direction where Huanzhen vanished, then slowly descended the mountain. She entered and exited silently, not alarming anyone else. She approached the foot of Mount Taicang and was going to ride away on a gleam of light.


    A young man walked towards her as he shouted, "Fairy, please wait a moment!"


    Qingyin looked at this man, a young man with very low cultivation level. He had short hair and scarce eyebrows, almost none were visible, but he did not look like a monk on ascetic practices. His features were passable, quite good looking with those glittery eyes.


    Qingyin asked coldly, "Who are you?"


    The young man replied, "Fairy, are you from Guangqing Celestial Sect of Mount Taicang?"


    Qingyin replied, "What does this have to do with you?"


    Young man''s face lit up and said, "I heard that Mount Taicang is opening its mountain gates again, so I thought I''d try my luck, hoping to enroll into the celestial school".


    Qingyin thought, "So the mountain gates are open again." But she expression got colder, she said, "If you want to find a teacher, go find one yourself. Why come in my way?"


    The young man said, "I have not gone to a celestial mountain before. I do not know the way. Looking at Fairy''s extraordinary outlook, you must be of the celestial family, so forgive my rudeness in asking for directions, I have no other intentions".


    Qingyin thought, "This fellow has average bone structure, though a bit aged, but no harm trying. If he is destined for the sect, the sect will naturally take him in."


    She said, "Walk straight for thirty miles and you will see a huge valley. Walk into the valley and you will see a river. Stop there and there will be someone receiving you in a canoe. Anything after this will depend on your destiny."


    The young man held his fist and bowed, "Thank you, Sister Fairy".


    Qingyin did not bother to reply, she walked past him in a hasty speed, and leaving only a visible shadow.


    The young man took in a deep breath, as if he detected the pleasant aroma left by Qingyin, and mumbled, "What a choking scent of joss." Then he proceeded to walk straight, with a slight grin on his face, looking quite chilled. He was Yanxu, who came to Guangqing looking for a master.


    ______________________


    Within Mount Qing Xuan, atop Zifu Peak, inside Taiwei Pavillion, there was Shen Lian at the second level. He was holding a jade scroll, strolling back and forth. Wherever he passed, there would be visions of wind and fire, flashes of swords, but all were visionary and not real.


    Forty portraits of immortal Zhenrens were seen hanging. The drawings of Zhenren on the portraits were very lively as if they were all staring at Shen Lian''s steps.


    All his steps were made in directions of the eight trigrams, and turned into five elements.


    It was as if thousands of Dao techniques and skills were hidden within his movements. Finally, his figure slowed down. Shen Lian''s body was emitting with dense purplish gas as he shut his eyes close, not leaking any ray from his eyes.


    Even the jade scrolls were away from him, as he slowly merged and the Dao scriptures of godly prowess gradually transformed into mirages and formed a stream of techniques, surrounding Shen Lian.


    The dense purplish gas around him slowly flowed into his today, creeping in, and Shen Lian finally let out a long breath, and all the mirages dispersed with it.


    He opened his eyes, and two golden rays shot out of them, eventually blocked by the shield in Taiwei Pavillion, not disrupting its surroundings.


    Since the last time when Qingjiang surrendered, it was five years ago. Gu Caiwei also set up her own affiliate elsewhere, establishing her turf. Under the guidance of Shen Lian, coupled with teachings from many visiting Huandan Doyens, he was able to grow new seeds.


    However as the timespan was still short, there was only one person who had the qualification to enter the mountain gates of Qing Xuan.


    As time passed, the number of people who could enter had increased. Many scattering cultivators had come as far as ten thousand miles to Qing Xuan''s affiliate, to seek celestial destiny.


    In the words of Qing Xuan, all people were treated equally. It was still extremely difficult to enter the school. But in the fifty years since the mountain gates were opened, there was new hope which delighted to all cultivators.


    Xuanmens were difficult to enter, but upon entering, the hopes of attaining Daoism would enlarge.


    In the five years span, Shen Lian, under the influence of many miraculous medicine and potions, speedily escalated his skill levels to Buxu level, coupled with the buildup of Tongtian Skill, he entered a whole new realm. Adding on with his constantly developing spirits which finally halted a year ago, encountering a bottleneck.


    This halting of spiritual developing finally let Shen Lian breathe a sigh of relief. This was because if Mastery of Sense could help his spirit grow constantly, that would not be a good thing, after all, there was no such good reward in this world.


    Today, it was considered a perfect fusion of Tongtian Skill and his Taixu Strategy. As Shen Lian had cultivated to a certain level beyond mystical, it was now time for Shen Lian to exit the mountain gate and complete a mission.

 Chapter 208 Extraordinary Nature

    As he walked out of level two, Shen Lian was in a soothing mood. The old Daoist who had his eyes shut even opened those sleepy eyes of his. This time he did not pull Shen Lian into his illusion. He smiled instead.


    As Shen Lian walked over, he gave him a bow of courtesy.


    Though old Daoist still did not really bother with him, which Shen Lian had gotten used to. It was not known how many years this Grand Ancestor Master had lived, he was exactly like a living fossil. If placed in the living world, he would have witnessed the rise and fall of one civilization.


    Though he could barely establish a stand between heaven and earth, in front of a big character like this one, he did not have a chance.


    He walked out of Taiwei pavilion rather lightly with a laidback pace. Shen Lian did not return to Taiyi Peak on his own, but he exited the mountain gates to the Nanke town at the foot of the mountain.


    He barely needed to utilize any mana and was already moving unbelievably fast. As he passed the grand formation of exits, he arrived at ''Yan Bugui'' in a flash, feeling rather good and up for a drink.


    At his current state, besides the rumored celestial wine of the Yaochi, other brews would not taste any different even if they were brewed with any better magical herb.


    Moreover, wines were not taken to improve one''s health. Sometimes one can drink when they were happy, or even needed to drink when they were sad, or just drink when they were fine.


    Of course, this was the case of those who loved to drink, like the Drunken Daoist, the Doyen of Qing Xuan who drank for leisure.


    As a disciple of Drunken Daoist, Yan Bugui took it another step forward, he not only drank alone, he even treat the others, though his wine was authentic whereas those that he treats others were merely water with the taste of wine.


    Yet he never saw this as cheating, since most people just drink for the feels only.


    Shen Lian stepped on casually. There was a saying, being greatly honored by one''s gracious presence.


    That saying would be the perfect statement for that moment.


    There were not many customers in the restaurant. The hall was still rather empty. There was no sunlight today, a rather gloomy weather, the lighting in the hall was not good, but as soon as Shen Lian entered, it was as if the hall had lit up.


    This brightness did not mean that Shen Lian was glowing. It was this feeling that he gave out as if he was a bright lamp, a lamp with a warm and long-lasting glow.


    Shen Lian was feeling rather comfortable. The server in the shop was no longer the same server from twenty years ago. He was the same person, but due to his old age, both sides of his head were snowy white, his forehead was wrinkled, nevertheless, he was still very swift in cleaning the tables.


    When a person had done the same job for a long time, their pace would be quick. Even something so boring and dull would not feel like anything after it had become a habit.


    Servers had also received many customers. Sometimes there were visitors from foreign lands had stumbled in, occasionally there were people of the Jianghu and Daoists, so he would not possibly remember every face he encountered. But he could remember Shen Lian too well. Just because Shen Lian was wearing a unique temperament, a very mild yet very elegant and proud as if he never experienced any worldly trouble. The main highlight, twenty years had passed, yet Shen Lian still looked no different from the past, still the fresh looking youngster, as if age had not done any work on his face.


    Initially, the server vaguely heard from Yan Bugui that Shen Lian had entered Qing Xuan and became a celestial Daoist there.


    All celestial Daoists aged slowly. The server was just slightly surprised. People from town might be very close to Qing Xuan but these two worlds were complete opposites.


    So Qing Xuan might have switched chiefs, yet this meant no difference to the occupants of Nanke town at the foot of the mountain. They would never know that within the mountains, a major character had reborn again and returned.


    The difference between gods and mortals never had a clear distinction, but the difference would gradually develop.


    As recorded in the scripture, why would a sparrow in the woods care how high a Kunpeng, the mythical roc bird, had soared. Be it thousands of miles high or ninety thousand miles high meant no difference.


    The server walked up to serve, "Celestial master, what wine do you want? Boss is in today, how ''bout I get him to come out?"


    Shen Lian had a good look at the server, and smiled, "You looked much older from before. Are you married with children?"


    The server was rather surprised that Shen Lian still recognized him. He remembered Shen Lian because of the deep impression he left, but Shen Lian would never care about people of his kind.


    He scratched his hair rather bashfully, now that his back was hunching a bit. Server replied, "I never thought that celestial master still remembers me. I have married long ago, even my son has married and got a chubby little one".


    Shen Lian then said, "That is a delightful news. Congratulations."


    Server replied, "Ah, let me just go in and ask the boss to come and chat with you. I would never know what else to talk to you with".


    Shen Lian had no intention of looking down on mortal peasants. However server himself knew that he was a mere mortal, and looking the godly state of Shen Lian, he had done well in muttering some words. Still, it would exceed his capabilities to make a more structured conversation.


    However, with Shen Lian being so friendly to talk with, that exceeded his expectations.


    Shen Lian smiled, "That''s fine. He is here".


    Yan Bugui looked like he had just woken up. In one month, he would spend ten days in town. He was originally a mountain burglar. Just because his ancestors had a friendship with Drunken Daoist that they made a pact that a descendant would be sent to the mountains to study Daoism.


    However, as Drunken Daoist went out to search for him, Yan Bugui was already having a good time on the mountain.


    This fellow''s family was quite wealthy. He regularly made friends with good men from all corners of the world. Then, a friend was arrested by the magistrate authorities, so he gathered his brothers to hijack the execution ground and went up the mountains.


    Drunken Daoist snatched him away against Yan Bugui''s wish. Coincidentally, Qing Xuan had opened its mountain gates. So, Drunken Daoist went on to drop him at Wenxin Road. As expected by Drunken Daoist, Yan Bugui really had some Dao nature in him, as he got out from the illusion, established enlightenment, and was never so offending any more.


    When he entered Qing Xuan, he was past his twenties. Initially, the rules would not allow him to be enrolled, but Zhang Ruoxu especially considered this a favor for Drunken Daoist, enrolled him in, and let him exit the mountain occasionally.


    In terms of guiding the nature of a Daoist to develop their cultivation, Zhang Ruoxu was an undisputable teacher in this.


    Nevertheless, a teacher could only guide a student to school, whereas the rest of the cultivation depended on the student themselves.


    Zhang Ruoxu could only do what was within his capabilities, to help this seed of Dao cultivation grow and succeed.


    Shen Lian saw Yan Bugui and laughed hysterically, "Hello, my Daoist friend." His face full of delight, as he directly expressed Yan Bugui as his Daoist friend.


    Using his Daoist eyes, he saw that Yan Bugui looked drunk and sober at the same time, leaking with celestial aura, but not radiating; an aura of Dao restrained within.


    These were the signs of attaining the Dao of Dan, and the next would be the natural attainment of Huandan.


    Shen Lian was overjoyed because once Yan Bugui achieved Dan Dao, Qing Xuan would gain an additional new blood, also an additional person to attend the devotion ceremony of bier. He estimated that Gu Caiwei would achieve Huandan before Yan Bugui. Never did he think that Yan Bugui would be leading one step ahead.


    Speaking of when Gu Caiwei achieving Huandan, Shen Lian had found a fast track method. This was also part of the reasons why he wanted to make this trip out of the mountain.

 Chapter 209 Oh Lord, Why Treat Me So Badly

    Yan Bugui smiled and said, "What a perfect timing to be here Chief. We both share the same feeling, let us drink to our satisfaction".


    Everyone who attained the Dao of Dan would not possibly be the same, but once they had achieved this without obstacles, they would all feel the excitement in them.


    This scenario was like when Buddha touched a flower and Mahakashyapa smiled, understanding his indescribable emotions without speaking a word.


    The inn was owned by Yan Bugui. He decides when it ends its business hour, he was quite ruthless in nature after all. This drink that he was treating Shen Lian, was naturally good wine.


    A day later, outside Mount Qing Xuan, the winds and clouds were rumbling for eight continuous days before it stopped. Just because this happened in the outside world, it caused quite a stir amongst the cultivators outside.


    In the span of fifty years, there were three cultivators who attained Huandan on their own consecutively, which was a sign of a wave of talents and the prospering of school. One should understand that once a cultivator had reached Huandan, they could be addressed as Master, and be considered as a Daoist.


    Moreover, within the Dao sect, those cultivators who gained Huandan on their own would celebrate a much greater success than those non-formal cultivators.


    This was because Dan Dao might put more emphasis on understanding, but breaking through whims and gaining Primordial Spirit required a solid foundation. Otherwise, even a naturally talented person might break through whims, but they might lose grip at the step of gaining Primordial Spirit and fail the whole process.


    Such occurrence was not rare.


    In fact, in the beginning, it was difficult for the originator of Dao to achieve immortality, but with his seniors'' experience, added with resources and literature, generations'' worth of accumulation had help this major advantage.


    Hence the motto of Qing Xuan, ''To practice cultivation, one should practice their heart first'' had its meaning, because the resources of the origin sect were not lacking, the challenging part lied in the practice of Dao heart''.


    For the non-formal cultivators to achieve the level Huandan, one could not imagine how much suffering they had to go through. The toughness of their spirits would be as solid as king kong, but this was where a problem could occur to their foundation.


    As per quoted, the normal peasants would rebel. There were many heroic characters that would rise as a leader, but finally, there were very few who succeeded, all due to the lack of foundation.


    There were many Daoists in the Qing Xuan Hall. As always, the Doyens and the disciples all stood in separate rows.


    Shen Lian was performing the Golden Elixir, Jin Dan, Ceremony on Yan Bugui, where ''Jin'' which nature was indestructible, and ''Dan'' signified fullness.


    Shen Lian possessed the sword will from Chen Jianmei, so when he inherited the orthodoxy from the chief, he did not receive the will of dharma from Grandmaster Yuanqing, which made sense too.


    In the hall, Yan Bugui entered graciously and put on his Dao robe. Cultivating Daoism was not his early intention, but now he had no choice but to cultivate. After all, there were so many fun things to do in the human world, and he needed a long lifespan to enjoy them.


    As he came in front of Shen Lian, Yan Bugui kneeled, not towards Shen Lian but to the previous generations of Grandmaster of Qing Xuan. Without these ancestors, the future generation would not have had these days.


    Drink the water and be grateful for its source. The ceremony of Daoist, also helps to set an example to other disciples, as the road ahead was not dark.


    Every cultivator could light up a lamp, as the ones in front shone themselves, while they shine the roads for those behind.


    ''The Celestial touched my head, and I was passed on the secret to immortality.''


    Shen Lian felt neither happiness nor sadness. He pointed towards Yan Bugui''s cavity, and a long-winded and deep sense of the meaning of Dao, appeared from an empty void. Different from the first time, Shen Lian could feel this surge of sensation. Looking towards the ends of the milky way, a Daoist stood there with his arms folded. His body formed a sword aura piercing through the stars, as nature and elements would cheer at the grace of this sword.


    The Daoist had a stern look, seemed to look towards Shen Lian. What seemed like a sigh turned into a sentence:


    ''Daoism is as vast as the sky which I could not come out of.''


    So many emotions, transcending like loneliness, like sadness.


    Shen Lian was not sure if the others and Yan Bugui heard this scripture too, he only felt an emotion of shock within. Is this Daoism that he was pursuing, an entrapment perhaps?


    He thought that these words had opened up a new revelation, but difficult to understand and went against his past cultivation experience, because cultivations were done to pursue Daoism, bind with Daoism, and finally surpass heaven and earth.


    All other people in the hall did not seem to feel the same emotions as he felt. Yan Bugui''s face only displayed calmness.


    Shen Lian retracted his finger and suppressed his worries within.


    Suddenly, a scarlet colored ray appeared outside, and a shapeless vibration was felt from the environment, shaking everyone. Everyone in the hall felt it. Shen Lian got up, and everyone left the hall at once. The sky eastbound was seen filled with colored clouds, divided into five colors, showing a magnificent and heart-tugging scene.


    At the same instant, below the heavens, Daoists from various sects had the same detection and looked towards their west.


    In the underworld, which was initially pitch black, now filled with five-colored clouds all over. A howl was heard, loud and clear and never-ending, which caused many demon soldiers to suffer as they hugged their heads.


    Ye Liuyun stood on top of his blood red throne, and he was shielded by the blood aura around him from the howl.


    Far away on the netherworld, a Daoist was seen standing there, who was initially confronting Ye Liuyun. He too, had retracted his aura light, shielded himself and looked up.


    The five-colored gleam was shot from the sunny side of Yin Mountain, looking as if there were thirty-three long rainbows, crossing the sky.


    Baoyue the Venerable who was strong as a youth stood atop the pagoda of Jinguang Temple, saw the rainbows and sighed, "Da Ming Wang had locked him up for so many years, yet he managed to study and understand the essence of Zen, transcended beyond the mortal world and escaped."


    A monk stood behind him, who looked just like Mister Sea, he uttered, "Bald donkey, do you mean that if I mastered the Zen, I could escape as well?"


    Bao Yue turned and smiled, "This I cannot say for sure. I see that you still have a big trial which you may not endure".


    Mister Sea had shaved to be a monk but never felt that he was scolding the bald donkey for bringing him in. He smirked, "I am now in your Jinguang Temple, even when the trial comes, it would bring all of you down together".


    Baoyue smiled, "In the mercy of Buddha, we would not care much about all this. If you overcome this trial, you will succeed in your practice and I cannot help but feel happy for you."


    Mister Sea snorted and stopped talking, as he saw the long rainbow in the west, and startled.


    In the end, he still envied the thing that was able to transcend beyond the mortal world and escape into freedom.


    He thought that if Da Ming Wang, the bald thief, had locked him in the Ming Wang temple, maybe he would be the one who could transcend and escape. He subconsciously felt angry again. His emotions were so complicated it was indescribable.


    At this time, in the Xuantian Sect, a middle-aged Confucian who was teaching saw the west side rainbow and smiled. He looked at his curious students and said, "I shall stop here today."


    As he finished, he folded his arms and walked out. The students who initially drawn to the westward rainbow, subconsciously looked towards the back of their teacher, the middle-aged Confucian who seemed to carry an indescribable aura far exceed the captivating five-colored clouds.


    As the saying goes, one would not know how high the skies were, which would be appropriate to describe the current situation.


    The middle-aged Confucian cited, "I want to pursue the highest level of wisdom, but I cannot understand it. Oh lord, why are you treating me so badly?"


    That last sentence was very heartfelt. Among the students, there was Song Qingyi, who thought, "Everyone wants to transcend the heaven and earth, yet the grandmaster thought that the heaven and earth treat them well."


    The "me" in the sentence was not only describing the middle-aged Confucian but also included all mortals.

 Chapter 210 Taishang Daoist Sec

    With Shen Lian''s high level of techniques, he could see clearly where this five-colored clouds appeared from. It was evidently from the Ming Wang temple. But the previous Da Ming Wang had already transcended beyond the mortal world and secluded himself within the stars long ago. So this individual which did the same, who was it, he wondered. Though one thing to be sure of, this individual might have escaped from Ming Wang temple, but its dharma will was not pure Buddhism, more like a certain sect, which gave out a strange yet familiar feel.


    At this moment, Qianmo flapped its wings on Qing Xuan Hall, looking confused and finally wrapped its head in its wings, seemingly thinking of something.


    Shen Lian regularly allowed it to enter the Taixu aura, connecting both of their spirits. He felt the confused emotion within it, so he thought, "Could this saint who transcended the mortal world, has any connection with Qianmo?"


    Even the strange and familiar stench, was rather identical to those from Qianmo''s body as if they were of the same origins.


    As for those in the Qing Xuan Hall, today was a day full of surprises. Those below the Huandan level had witnessed Yan Bugui achieved Huandan, whereas the Doyens saw someone who could really transcend the heaven and earth.


    This scenario was truly once in a thousand years, the view of someone transcending the mortal world.


    The deeper the cultivation, the more they would have felt.


    Initially, Lu Jiuyuan was the most recognized almighty to have the ability to transcend heaven and earth. Never would they have thought there was someone who did so before him.


    Yet, with Lu Jiuyuan''s unpredictability, no one could tell if he was not as good as the saints who had transcended.


    After Yan Bugui had achieved Huandan, Shen Lian stayed in the mountain for half a month. He made some excuses to meditate, delegating the administration of the sect to both Hong Qianya and Yan Bugui, before leaving discreetly.


    The single leaf raft rode the winds and pierced through the waves. Shen Lian stood at the front of the raft, while Zuo Shaoqing did the rowing.


    Shen Lian did not wear his Daoist robe. He had a square scarf on his head, armed with a green robe with exquisite materials, dressing up like a traveling wealthy young master. Zuo Shaoqing was donning pitch black attire, with his sword by his waist, very much like a bodyguard.


    He looked older than Shen Lian, which in fact he was ten years younger.


    Five years passed, the Qingjiang Sword sect had become part of Qing Xuan, to whom they offered exclusive Nanjiang medicinal materials from the southern border. The ten thousand miles long coastal area around Qing Xuan was considerably peaceful. Five more miles towards the west, there was there the heavy fogs and many savage creatures could be found. There was a large continental land beside the thick layer of the ocean, which was explored by very few Daoist masters.


    Yuan Zhou itself had a coverage area of hundred thousand miles, making the cultivator as small as an ant. There was nearly no concern as to what lied within the eastern land across.


    Shen Lian''s sight was deep in the Eastern Sea. He said, "We do not know what lies beyond the oceans, whether the cultivation process there is similar or different from ours."


    The boat''s oar was in Zuo Shaoqing''s hand, silently splitting the water surface. Accompanying the rise and fall of the waves, Zuo Shaoqing learned his way of swords from the clouds and water.


    His mana did not increase throughout the five years serving as Shen Lian''s sword servant, but it got refined, expanding the realms of his swords skills.


    Speaking of Meng Xunzhen, his cultivation level was rather well among the rest, but his understanding of cultivation was still miles away from the actual Xuanmen sect.


    Shen Lian did not train Zuo Shaoqing intentionally. Just like if someone was to serve alongside Lu Jiuyuan, even just serving him tea could help them understand the theories of Doa and enjoy a lifespan of one hundred years. Previously in the mortal world, there was a scholar whose maids were all well versed in poems and scriptures, not subpar to any ordinary scholar.


    Zuo Shaoqing asked, "Do you want to go, Young Master?" Since he was not a disciple of the Qing Xuan, he could not address him as Supreme Chief. Since he was Shen Lian''s servant, he addressed him as Young Master and not Old Master.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Maybe, when the opportunity comes in the future. I am rather not free now. But I heard that Taishang Daoist Sect, the most mysterious sect amongst all four, had moved here from the eastbound lands.


    In terms of mysteriousness, this Taishang Sect would be top amongst all four. Very few people knew of this Taishang Sect. Its Dao techniques were also not as extensive. Nevertheless, its foundation Dao technique "Taishang Detection Chapter" was recognized as the most relatable to a great way of Dao.


    It could be comparable to the ''Taixu Strategy'' and the ''Enlightenment Scripture'' of Xuantian Sect, even surpassing these two in certain areas.


    In the literature that Shen Lian inherited as chief, there was very little information about Taishang Sect. This sect was rather mysterious, but all the people who came out from this had earth-shaking cultivation levels. They just rarely fight with others, standing on high ground and avoid the worldly fights.


    The raft suddenly stopped, rolling up some waves. Some seawater was about to splash up onto Shen Lian''s robe, when an invisible shield appeared and blocked away the water, not letting a single drop on the raft.


    Zuo Shaoqing looked front and saw a towering column of water of undetermined height, almost entering the clouds and eventually splattered down like a shower of rain.


    Below the column lied a black piece of desert island, which looked very shiny.


    At the same time, an unknown humming was heard as the water column thinned down, passing through the ocean.


    The closer they got to it, all the Qi of heaven and earth had gone chaotic like the raging waves, rising and falling.


    Shen Lian''s had the high skill level and awareness so he would not be affected. If it was a normal Daoist, they would have lost their mana in such environment.


    A gleam of light descended in front, and there appeared a fresh looking cultivator in a grey robe, who said, "I advise you to take the long route and go around this area. The Mystical Whale is breathing Qi. If you come too close, you will get hurt".


    Shen Lian muttered, "How did this Mystical Whale appear here?"


    That desert island was actually a large sea creature. It was the back of the Mystical Whale. Many years ago, Shen Lian was dragged to a stranded island, where he killed a demon snake, who turned out to be Mister Sea''s concubine.


    This would make these two considered as old acquaintances.


    The cultivator in grey replied, "No one knows. This creature used to hang around one specific place, taking in the ocean''s Qi. Once it had sucked into its content, it would fall in deep sleep for few years, even multiple ten years. However, five years ago, this creature had appeared from the sea level once and sucked in countless cultivators into its belly. I am here on a task from the Temple of Longevity, to patrol this area. When I see someone passing here by mistake, I will stop them from getting hurt."


    Shen Lian laughed because this Temple of Longevity was a branch of Qing Xuan set up by his apprentice sister, Gu Caiwei.


    It was named Temple of Longevity to oppose Chen Jianmei''s Temple of Killings. Life versus death, still considered as Yin and Yang, which really brought some good to the cultivators and people around the area.


    These non-formal cultivators merely practiced in seclusion, working behind closed doors. The Temple of Longevity had provided them a platform, taught the Dao teachings every month. So, they managed to attract many cultivators and delegate them tasks at the same time, subtly gathering all the cultivators around the coast.


    Shen Lian would not depend on the help of these foreign non-formal cultivators, but no harm making new friends and exploring good seeds.


    If Qing Xuan wanted to rise quickly, they must not follow the rules by the book. They had to tap their talents using unconventional methods.


    Of course, for one to be a core disciple of the sect, one must still be harsh.


    Shen Lian grinned, "No harm for me to go up and ask him what has happened, is there?"

 Chapter 211 Eye of the Sea

    The grey-robed cultivator thought to himself, "Why is this guy so obnoxious?"


    Shen Lian did not care about what he thought. He stepped out of the raft and all of a sudden he was already a thousand feet away.


    The closer he got to the Mystical Whale, the messier the Qi of heaven and earth became. Even though the grey-robed cultivator was protected by equipment, he dared not to get too close as he was afraid he would be swallowed by the Mystical Whale.


    The big sea monster was not of evil nature, but it had a huge appetite. Regardless of whether the object was alive, it would swallow anything that approached it. Not everything would be digested. For some lucky ones, they could escape from the stomach from the water spout.


    When Shen Lian was about a thousand feet away, he then slowly rode on the waves to approach the Mystical Whale.


    He was now aware of the origin of the Mystical Whale. It was the mount of Mister Sea. Mister Sea was trapped in Jinguang Temple. As the Mystical Whale lost its owner, it began to wander around.


    As his Qi of Dan was leaked, the messy Qi of heaven was dispersed with the sweeping of the divine ray. It was a technique used to trap the heaven and lock the earth, most often used to deal with cultivators who were extremely dependent on the Qi of heaven and earth.


    After removing the Qi of heaven and earth, the divine power was reduced significantly.


    Shen Lian only wanted to appease this Qi of vitality and he did not think too much.


    Even though the Qi of vitality was gone now, the flood was still around. The Mystical Whale was humongous and as it could no longer absorb Qi of vitality, it then kept the water spout and slowly it went afloat. Half of it was revealed. It was indeed a humongous object.


    The grey-robed cultivator was shocked when he saw Shen Lian''s divine power in trapping the heaven and locking the earth. He had been out several times as a non-formal cultivator and from his experience, only a few old monsters could use the technique. All of them almost never stepped out of their respective residence. They did not even attend the Dao sessions at Longevity Temple.


    These few old monsters were fortunate to attain the treasure left behind by previous generations of lan immortals who were cultivated informally. They tend to look down on others. Furthermore, while cultivators tend to look rather young, but it was rare to find a great cultivator that kept a young man''s appearance like that of Shen Lian. Even if there was one, he must be extremely famous, but the grey-robed cultivator had no impression of Shen Lian.


    When he saw Zuo Shaoqing which possessed very concentrated sword aura, he thought that if he was not a student of Xuanmen, it would not be possible for him to possess this aura.


    He was even more respectful of Shen Lian''s position. In his eyes, Zuo Shaoqing was extremely respectful to Shen Lian.


    The grey-robed cultivator was not afraid as he was now working for Qing Xuan. Not many dared to offend the four main Daoist sects. When the Swordsman of Three Defeats, Meng Xunzhen, offended Qing Xuan a few years ago, in the end, he could find no sect which would take him. It was a rather famous incident.


    The Mystical Whale seemed to know how powerful Shen Lian was. It made a great wave with its body. The wave was similar to the scale of a small tsunami. The power could destroy everything.


    Shen Lian just smiled. High Cloud appeared on top of his head and it rose with the wind. In the end, it turned into something akin to a mortar and it was suppressing the great waves.


    How pure and deep his mana was not something any Buxu cultivators could compete with.


    The waves were unnerving, but without the aid of the Qi of Vitality, it was akin to a wax bullet head. With the High Cloud formed by Shen Lian''s mana, it immediately led the water to counter the waves. The calmness resumed.


    His plain attack was a representation of his otherworldly mana.


    It was still far from the immortal Zhenren''s ability to burn the mountain and boil the ocean, it could be considered the peak of the human world.


    It was due to the cumulation of elixirs at Qing Xuan that helped Shen Lian to improve so rapidly in the five years. He managed to gather the mana that usual cultivators would take a few hundred years to achieve.


    Shen Lian looked to achieve success early because of his responsibility.


    His mana was indeed pure and deep, and his techniques were blended in well. However, as he was in a rush, it affected his steady Daoist heart. As a result, he left the mountain to fulfill his wish in order to move ahead.


    The High Cloud did not stop, it went on top of the Mystical Whale. Using his mana, while he still could not achieve the mountain-moving and sea-flipping effect of Taiyue Real Shape Incantation, it could still force the Mystical Whale to communicate with him.


    When he stood in front of the Mystical Whale, Shen Lian looked insignificant in front of the humongous whale, but Shen Lian who was so insignificant could actually suppress it.


    It spoke to Shen Lian using telepathy, "Why are you bothering me?"


    Shen Lian saw that the Mystical Whale too carried some humanity, he responded naturally, "Why are you disturbing the sea here?"


    The Mystical Whale responded, "You too know that I used to be the mount of a powerful Demon King, but since five years ago, he disappeared. I only know that he went on land. I am limited by my form and I can''t get on land. In previous years, my owner too had disappeared, but this time around, I can''t even reach him with telepathy. I have nobody and hence I decided to sink underwater to sleep for a while and perhaps by the time I wake up, my owner will be back. Unfortunately, I did not find the right position and I fell right into the Eye of the Sea. There was something unknown in the Eye of the Sea and it created a huge cut on my body. There was Qi of devilry around it so it never cured and the injury kept swallowing my vitality. As a result, I have to take in a lot of Qi of vitality to be able to recover. Every ingestion requires digestions, and all the spiritual power I gain from that is used to counter the Qi of devilry. Every half a year, I need to replenish my Qi of vitality."


    It had a huge appetite, as a result, for every full ingestion, it could last a few hundred years without ingesting anything again, but with the injury, the period was shortened.


    Given how frequent it was taking in Qi of vitality, and the many lives it had taken, naturally, it had attracted a lot of cultivators'' attention. While the Mystical Whale was not high in terms of states, it had a deep level of mana. Aided by its talent, most cultivators'' attack was nothing to it.


    After Shen Lian heard that, he said, "Let me check if what you said is true."


    He used a Water Repelling Incantation and he dived in. He did see a huge cut in the lower body of the Mystical Whale. There was no blood but the Qi of devilry.


    Shen Lian separated from his spiritual identity and fell on the injury. The cold Qi of devilry almost froze his spiritual identity. Shen Lian took a long time to gather back his spiritual identity and the coldness did not disappear.


    Even with his cultivation experience, he could not handle it, less so for the Mystical Whale.


    If not because of its huge size and the capacity to take in Qi of vitality, the injury probably would get worse.


    The Qi of devilry was extremely concentrated and it did not seem like something that was formed naturally, but more like through some techniques.


    The world was huge but just a mere Eye of the Sea which could release such powerful Qi of devilry was indeed rare. Shen Lian felt like investigating this further.


    Shen Lian resurfaced and he asked, "You didn''t lie to me, but where is the Eye of the Sea? Can you lead me there?"


    The Mystical Whale sounded afraid, "I dare not to go back there."


    Shen Lian said, "If I help you recover, will you bring me there?"

 Chapter 212 Protection

    This took the Mystical Whale by surprise, as it did not imagine that Shen Lian could help it with its injury. The divine power Shen Lian exhibited while not as great as his previous owner, Mister Sea, it was still extremely powerful. He would not just be making empty promises.


    It also could not imagine that twenty years ago, Shen Lian was just a small cultivator which could be swallowed by it.


    Shen Lian waited until the Mystical Whale came to a decision. Other than him, only people of the rank of immortal Zhenren could help with the injury of the Mystical Whale.


    The Qi of devilry surrounding the injury was extremely intense. If an average cultivator came in contact with it, his body and mind would have been frozen. The coldness could also destroy the spirit and the mind.


    Shen Lian could only withstand it because his body had gone through the River of Spirits, and his spirit and mind were extremely robust, which too far exceeded the average Powang cultivator. As such, he could defend himself from the effect of the Qi of devilry.


    The Mystical Whale rarely used its brain, but it was being careful this time. "If you can help relieve me of my pain, please agree to this one item."


    Shen Lian asked, "What other request do you have?"


    The Mystical Whale replied, "Mister Sea has cut out his telepathic communication with me. Now I have no owner and I am rather afraid. You are a powerful cultivator and are a human being. You must be from one of the Xuanmen sects. Can you take me in?"


    Shen Lian said, "Actually your owner has become a student of Baoyue the Venerable at Jinguang Temple. If you are not afraid that he will blame you if he comes to look for you, I have no reason to say no."


    He had his plan. While the Mystical Whale''s breathing could disturb the Qi of heaven and earth, but if he guided it to the right direction, it could turn into a natural Qi Gathering Formation. If Gu Caiwei''s Longevity Temple had the aid of the Mystical Whale to gather Qi of vitality, it would make the place a better spiritual location, even if it was not going to be as great as Qing Xuan.


    The location of Longevity Temple was not too great. There was a vast sea with tons of treasure around, but the best spiritual locations were mostly occupied or dying.


    Being the affiliate of Qing Xuan, to have such thin layer of Qi of vitality and spiritual vigor was a sorry sight for the big sect of ten thousand years of cumulation.


    The Mystical Whale said, "I didn''t know that my owner is now in Jinguang Temple. I know where that is, it is in the Westfall and I can''t get there at all. In addition, given he is still alive but has cut out communication with me, I think he will not be bothered about me anymore. If you have other considerations, you can just offer protection to me temporarily. After so many years, I do have some accumulations which I can use to contribute to you."


    It knew that if it did not have the protection of someone powerful, it would end up just being a piece of meat waiting to be sliced.


    Shen Lian too looked like he came from one of the Xuanmen sects and would probably not be involved in evil deeds unlike those pursued by the demon king in the sea or the evil cultivators.


    At the same time, having someone to rely on giving him a sense of comfort.


    Shen Lian laughed, "We Qing Xuan doesn''t need something from you, but I need your help in something. Your suggestion is perfect for me."


    When it heard that Shen Lian was from Qing Xuan, the Mystical Whale was happy. It had lived long enough to know Qing Xuan was one of the four main sects of Xuanmen. Now that it sought protection from Qing Xuan, while it would not be considered as enlightenment, but at the very least it would not be captured by just anybody.


    It swallowed a huge amount of Qi of vitality and hence it possessed deep mana, far exceeding the cultivators on earth, and in some circumstances, some of the demon kings. There were however only quantity but not quality. It had no way when it came across great cultivators who were excellent in divine techniques.


    If it had any tricks up its sleeves, it could have dispelled the Qi of devilry instead of waiting for Shen Lian to appear.


    The grey-robed cultivator saw Shen Lian dived into the water and resurfaced quickly. He then hovered to speak with the Mystical Whale. He was rather curious about Shen Lian''s origin.


    He had never heard of such a guy, but he had the idea to invite Shen Lian to Longevity Temple. Afterall, Gu Caiwei allowed foreign cultivators to discuss Dao there. If there was something good that came from it, the cultivator would have received something from them and they would then forge a relationship.


    He would have some great records if he was the one who introduced the cultivator over.


    The grey-robed cultivator did not expect himself to achieve Dao in this life, but if he could pull the strings with Qing Xuan, it would allow for his future generations to have higher chances to enter Qing Xuan. It would be something good. The non-formal cultivators were unlike those from the Xuanmen sects who only needed to focus on cultivation. They had to worry about wealthy celestial land and the evil cultivators elsewhere who were killing others for money.


    He would gain protection from Qing Xuan and hence his ownership and life could be safe.


    Not to mention what the grey-robed cultivator was thinking, Zuo Shaoqing was wondering what Shen Lian was thinking. The young chief has always had some unpredictable actions, but he almost always gained from such actions without being thrifty.


    In the beginning, he was rather angry at Shen Lian, but over the years, he began to respect Shen Lian as he behaved in a free and wild way, but at the same time he was extremely thoughtful and never just followed his heart.


    The Mystical Whale looked like it was a huge danger and Zuo Shaoqing wondered how Shen Lian would handle it.


    From his personality, he would expect him to chase away the Mystical Whale. If he could not, he would kill it, or just leave. He felt like Shen Lian would not do any of those, but they were discussing something.


    A humongous object which looked akin to an island; then there was this young man in Daoist robe.


    There was extreme contrast, but nobody could expect that Shen Lian was going to take in this Mystical Whale.


    With the words of promise from the Mystical Whale, he then did as he said.


    He went into the sea again, and then Xuan Ice was formed, which turned into a huge ice land.


    The Xuan Ice kept spreading and it almost reached where Zuo Shaoqing and the grey-robed cultivator were. They immediately lifted off.


    The coldness made the grey-robed cultivator shiver.


    Zuo Shaoqing''s sword aura destroyed the cold Qi and hence he was not affected. His sword eyes opened, and light rays shot out. He looked at the ice and finally he saw not far away from the Mystical Whale, Shen Lian was frozen.


    Zuo Shaoqing was shocked as he did not know what had happened. He turned into a sword ray and flew towards it. Some of the ice dust went with him. As Shen Lian was placed in the depth of the ice block, covered in extremely thick Xuan Ice, it was hard to destroy it. Even with his sharp sword ray, he could not just get to Shen Lian.


    The grey-robed cultivator too took out a small hammer and commanded it with mana to knock on the ice. There was only a small dent made, and it was far less effective from Zuo Shaoqing''s. The recoil effect almost made him spit out blood.


    Zuo Shaoqing intended to continue with his attack but he realized Shen Lian was smiling on the ice.

 Chapter 213 Ice Ligh

    Shen Lian''s hands started moving inside the ice block. A point of blue light appeared on the fingertip of Shen Lian. It soon turned into a ball. The ball lit up the ice block and it soon burnt with blue rays.


    As the ice started to melt, the blue ray became dimmer. In the end, it was contracted to the size of an egg on the fingertip of Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian then landed on the back of the Mystical Whale, it was where the water spout came out from.


    The Mystical Whale supported Shen Lian in the sky with the water spout.


    A pretty and delicate young man dressed in Daoist robe standing on top of a waterspout looked rather like a fantasy. There were water droplets everywhere and as they refracted the sunlight, the scene was filled with rainbow-like color.


    Zuo Shaoqing commanded his sword ray to land close to Shen Lian. The sword ray on his feet formed a High Cloud, which helped in lifting him up.


    He asked, "What is happening?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I am taking this Mystical Whale as a gift for my Senior Apprentice-Sister. You can stop rowing the raft now."


    Zuo Shaoqing was not surprised as he was used to Shen Lian''s action, but the cultivator which followed was extremely shocked as he did not expect Shen Lian to tame the Mystical Whale so easily.


    The grey-robed cultivator too could not understand the whole process, why was it so cold? Why was the Xuan Ice so hard? It was even harder than iron formed using mana. The last light Shen Lian formed reminded him of one thing.


    He set up his equipment and asked Shen Lian, "Senior, was the Daoist technique you used just now the legendary Ice Light? Given Shen Lian had the divine ability to tame the Mystical Whale, his cultivation experience must be beyond what he could imagine. It did not sting to call him senior.


    Shen Lian replied, "This divine technique has not been seen on earth for a long time. My Dao friend, you can recognize it?"


    The grey-robed cultivator cupped his hands and said, "Senior, please don''t call me your Dao friend. My name is Qing Hongzi. You can just refer to my name. For Ice Light, I only heard about it when I was at Longevity Temple a while ago."


    Among the Daoist techniques in the world, they rarely separate themselves from Yin, Yang and Five Elements. The eight Qis of Taixu too included the Yin, Yang and Five Elements. Gu Caiwei was trapped in Ruhua for many years and she still could not reach Huandan.


    However, with her understanding of Daoist techniques and the eight Qis of Taixu, she would occasionally explain the best of the different Daoist techniques in Longevity Temple.


    Ice Light was something that even within Qing Xuan, not many had achieved. Three thousand years ago, there was an immortal Zhenren in Qing Xuan, who offended a non-formal Xuanming cultivating Daoist. Before the immortal Zhenren transcended beyond the mortal world, he found and killed the Xuanming Daoist, and as a result, obtained the Ice Light.


    Another immortal Zhenren who was an expert in Dao of Talisman researched on the Ice Light cultivating method. He then created a bunch of talismans which could conserve the Ice Light. The light could not just be used on the enemy, it could save lives too. If one suffered a heavy injury that hurt the roots and could not be saved in a short period of time, one could use the talisman to freeze oneself and the vitality.


    Zhang Ruoxu used the talisman of Ice Light to freeze his vitality while he waited for Shen Lian to return.


    The light was extremely hard to cultivate not because of the complication, but because one would require extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry as the raw material.


    It was extremely hard to find an extremely Yin environment. As a result, the light was not something that could be regenerated easily. Even if one succeeded, one would always have to replenish the supply.


    The immortal Zhenren, too, spent a lot of effort and time to find a spiritual cave which had the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry. However, the spiritual cave did not have a huge supply of Qi of devilry. The source had withered after the immortal Zhenren took up the Qi of devilry.


    The difficulty was not something Qing Hongzi could understand. He only heard from Gu Caiwei about how among the Yin and cold techniques, Ice Light was one of the top ten.


    Since ancient times, there were all kinds of Daoist techniques, even in the sector of Yin and cold, there were countless of them. For Ice Light to be listed as the top ten, it suggested how powerful it was. If not because of the blue light characteristic which fitted in well with the description of Gu Caiwei and how powerful Shen Lian was, Qing Hongzi dared not to make such a guess.


    When Shen Lian confirmed his guess in silence, Qing Hongzi felt even more respectful for Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian saw how polite Qing Hongzi was, and hence he just went straight to the point, "I am planning to go to Longevity Temple. Can you lead the way?


    When Qing Hongzi heard it, he was over the moon as Shen Lian wanted to go to Longevity Temple without him even initiating.


    "I will lead the way immediately."


    When he intended to use his equipment to lead the way, Shen Lian then pointed at the Mystical Whale and said, "You just need to show us the direction, I will get this guy to send us there."


    Qing Hongzi said, "I accidentally forgot about this matter."


    Shen Lian used his divine thought to order the whale to stop the waterspout. The three landed together on the back of the Mystical Whale. While its back was smooth, the three of them did not slip.


    Qing Hongzi could feel the Mystical Whale''s body carried spiritual sense. He was even more respectful of Shen Lian.


    Being able to tame such a demon beast was indeed impressive. If he could bring such a person back to Longevity Temple, Gu Caiwei would have to look at him in a different light.


    Longevity Temple was built on a sea island. There used to be a volcanic explosion on the island, and it caused the area to have some spiritual vigor. However, after several ten thousand years, the land and sea had shifted and the spiritual vigor too had traveled to other places. It was no longer near its peak, but it still could work as a place for cultivation.


    For someone like Gu Caiwei who had great cultivation experience and was just a step further from Huandan, Qi of vitality of spiritual vigor was not the most important thing. It was just that if the Daoist body were to be kept clean, it was best to be at a place where the Qi of vitality was in abundance.


    Gu Caiwei was wearing a female crown and her rather soft and feminine aura was added with some sharpness. She was then on top of the bier, but what she said was the fundamentals and there were not a lot of fluffs associated.


    The best part about Xuanmen sect was the generations and generations of cultivation experience and hence they could get to the fundamentals easily.


    It could help the students to get on the right path faster.


    It was said that ''The truth is usually simple, but a lie would need more lies to cover, therefore more complicated.''


    While what Gu Caiwei said was plain, it cut through to all the hearts of the lower-ranked cultivators.


    All of a sudden, the cultivators could feel the Qi of vitality outside was going through a stir. A huge spiritual vigor was approaching.


    The mana hidden underneath the Qi of vitality and the spiritual vigor could destroy the island.


    Gu Caiwei looked towards that direction and her expression softened.

 Chapter 214 Senior Apprentice Sister

    The cultivators who were listening to Dao rarely saw the Hall Establisher to have such an expression. Gu Caiwei was the core of Qing Xuan, and it was said that she was Shen Zhenren''s direct Senior Apprentice-Sister. Even Shen Zhenren too learned under her �C even if she had not reached Huandan, not any average Huandan cultivators were comparable.


    The Doyen who came to Longevity Temple from Qing Xuan showed kindness to her every time, and this too expressed Gu Caiwei''s ability and status.


    The softened expression caught the cultivating audience by surprise. However, they were more concerned about what was happening outside. A lot of them activated their mana to be able to head out and spot what happened anytime.


    She saw the slight chaos among the cultivators, her beautiful and feminine face curved into a smile, "We will stop here."


    For those who cultivated under Taixu Strategy, there was a characteristic called ''Instant Connection''. They would automatically realize the presence of the others in near vicinity. Even with the stir up in spiritual opportunity and Qi of vitality, Gu Caiwei knew it was Shen Lian. Shen Lian also did not have the intention to pretend that it was not him.


    A huge platform appeared on top of the sea and it was moving slowly towards the island. It caused the waves to be stirred up.


    The Qi of vitality on heaven and earth started to gather around the huge platform. The platform rose up slowly and after it revealed almost half of it, the cultivators then realized it was a whale.


    It was a ridiculously huge whale.


    It was about ten or more miles long. Many islands were not as huge as this. Every breathing of the whale would swallow much of Qi of vitality or fishes and prawns.


    Most people recognized this humongous whale. It was the Mystical Whale. During its journey traveling in the sea for five years, every half a year it brought a lot of troubles to the cultivators.


    Some of them were almost ingested by the Mystical Whale.


    Someone with sharp eyes spotted that there were three men standing on top of the whale. The one in the middle looked pretty and delicate. There were two people on the right and left of him at the back. The left one had bright eyes and sword-like eyebrows as if he was carrying sword aura within him. Most could recognize the one on the right, who was Qing Hongzi who took the task to investigate the area where the Mystical Whale had been carrying out its activity. He was a rather old non-formal cultivator. In terms of ability, he was considered middle upper.


    All in a sudden, there was a waterspout coming out from the back of the Mystical Whale. The moment it went up to the sky, it became water mist. The wind blew and the water mist landed on the island where Longevity Temple was.


    The sound of the wind was rather miraculous as if the heaven and earth had spoken. The mist blended in with the wind and turned into rain. It fell on the island.


    A lot of cultivators were shocked when they realized that the water mists contained Qi of vitality. It could be considered as spiritual water. The moment it fell on the land, a lot of seeds germinated.


    The seeds turned into young shoots, and they grew into colorful flowers rapidly.


    It was not known when Gu Caiwei had stepped out. She looked at Shen Lian softly.


    When Shen Lian saw her, he smiled. He stepped forward to the air, and the wind started to gather around his feet, forming steps that were akin to those made of stone.


    Shen Lian walked towards her in the midst of nothing.


    The aroma of the flowers spread around with the wind. The rain fell on Gu Caiwei''s face but it did not seem like she had the intention to wipe them off. She kneeled and her voice rang through to every cultivator''s ear, "Gu Caiwei is here to greet the Chief."


    The simple words brought an impactful message to every cultivator presented. Not even Qing Hongzi could guess that Shen Lian was the chief of Qing Xuan Sect.


    He was the legendary Shen Zhenren.


    Every cultivator present too wondered how the new chief of Qing Xuan was like, but as they saw how he commanded the Mystical Whale as his mount, and how he could walk in the midst of nothing, they knew he was the real deal.


    Furthermore, rumors had it that Shen Zhenren was not even a hundred years old. To reach such height at such age, there was none that could have done the same even since ancient times. Chen Jianmei could be said to have achieved such height, but since both of them were from Qing Xuan, it seemed that Qing Xuan was now on the rise.


    If they knew Shen Lian was not even fifty, they would have their opinion changed.


    After the greetings of Gu Caiwei, the other cultivators all bowed down.


    The prestige of the chief of Qing Xuan was beyond description.


    In addition, as Shen Lian set up affiliates of Qing Xuan with the intention to gather talents, it had indeed helped a lot of non-formal cultivators.


    Shen Lian walked to the front of Gu Caiwei at last. He held her hand and said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, it has been hard for you."


    He could only say this line despite the thousands of thoughts he had, but it did reveal his emotions. Gu Caiwei had helped him a lot when he first became the chief and when there was a turbulent time at Qing Xuan.


    They were both from the same lineage, and Gu Caiwei had been his teacher. The best he could do was to use his actions to show how grateful he was to her.


    When the hands touched, Gu Caiwei first felt his immense mana, which she was not able to tell the extent of the depth of it. It had only been five years, and Gu Caiwei realized he had reached an even greater height. As he got further ahead, she felt happy, but at the same time, she felt a bit lost.


    In the end, she said nothing but one could see the smile on her brows.


    Shen Lian nodded, and his eyes glanced through all the cultivators and said, "My friends, there is no need for this courtesy."


    They were not under Qing Xuan, which was why he called them his friends.


    To him, being the chief of Qing Xuan was a responsibility that he had. He needed no to show authority. Even Buddha treated all beings to be equal, there was no reason why he should not.


    Shen Lian was not going to be too courteous. After speaking a few lines, he brought Gu Caiwei into the hall. It was fortunate that the Mystical Whale was rare and was under the restriction of Shen Lian, and hence it did not take in too much Qi of vitality to disturb the spiritual vigority of this area.


    When the cultivators saw Shen Lian and the Hall Establisher left, they were stared curiously at the Mystical Whale and Zuo Shaoqing.


    Some of them were thinking Zuo Shaoqing was Shen Lian''s students and they were thinking if there was an opportunity for them to fawn over him.


    A lot of cultivators were gathering around Qing Hongzi to understand more about Shen Zhenren.


    When Shen Lian and Gu Caiwei were in a room, Gu Caiwei pulled her hand out from Shen Lian''s grip. She looked a bit awkward as she had not come in touch with any opposite gender for a long time. At the same time, she knew Shen Lian did not do it intentionally.

 Chapter 215 I Gained Mana in the Past, and Now I Will Pass It On

    When Shen Lian was undergoing cultivation at the River of Spirits, Gu Caiwei had seen him naked, but then she was looking at him in the light of a senior towards a junior. Even though they were of the opposite gender, in her heart, she never treated Shen Lian as equal.


    As Shen Lian was approaching the peak of cultivation at great speed to the extent that she had to look up to him, not even with the conservation of heart she could control the waves of emotions she was feeling.


    Shen Lian did not have the intention to flirt with Gu Caiwei. As he felt the waves of emotions she was experiencing, he was not aware of what Gu Caiwei was thinking. He indeed led the conversation with a question, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, have you noticed?"


    His calm voice pulled her back to reality.


    Gu Caiwei blinked and her slightly curled eyelashes moved up and down. Her beautiful eyes glanced at Shen Lian''s pretty and delicate face and she led him to take a seat. She started making tea. The aroma of the tea filled up the room, and it made people calm down.


    After taking a sip of the tea, Gu Caiwei then said slowly, "Headmaster, what do you mean?" She did not notice anything previously because of the change in emotions she experienced.


    As a result, she decided to make tea and make a rhetorical question to cover up her mishaps.


    Shen Lian was slightly surprised about what happened to his Senior Apprentice-Sister. He held her hand so she could feel his Taixu''s mana in his body. The mana was filled with an incredible amount of Dao meaning. If Gu Caiwei did not understand, Shen Lian decided to go straight to the point, "Senior Apprentice-Sister surely knows about how when Buddha took a flower, Kassapa smiled? It was with the intention to pass on the meaning of Dao and to allow the hearts to communicate. I wanted you to see my heart, Senior Apprentice-Sister."


    Gu Caiwei was incredibly bright and she immediately got what Shen Lian was trying to say. She sighed, "You want me to accept your mana?''


    Shen Lian laughed, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you have passed me your Mana in the past. What I am doing now is only to repay your kindness. There is no such difference as you and me." He sounded articulate, but it was to dispel Gu Caiwei''s worries. To Shen Lian, for he had gained previously, to return what he had gained was only natural.


    Gu Caiwei said nothing, to pass on mana and for the hearts to communicate were not something so simple for the two of them.


    It meant that Shen Lian and her would have to be one in their minds. During this process, they could read each other''s mind entirely and it meant for them to be more than just being naked in front of each other.


    It meant that Shen Lian had no second thought towards her. If Gu Caiwei had feelings for him, she would surely be disappointed.


    Gu Caiwei found it hard to describe what she was experiencing. She took yet another sip and said, "It seems like I can''t turn you down." Not every Dao meaning which was passed on could help someone reach Huandan. It was not the case for Taixu Strategy which had Instant Connection. Furthermore, for male and female to be one, the Yin and Yang would lead the way for the two''s mana without much drive to be able to reach great height.


    It was akin to the warm current and cold current in the sea. When the two exchanged positions, it led to the cycle of the flow of water. The flow led to the infinite vitality of the sea.


    It was of course just the theory of it. To execute this, they would need some other secret techniques to succeed.


    Throughout the five years, Shen Lian was not only cultivating for himself. He was looking for such secret techniques and trying to perfect it.


    Shen Lian stared at Gu Caiwei and said, "You can only have hopes when you''re alive. I hope you reach immortality, Senior Apprentice-Sister."


    If Gu Caiwei did not reach Huandan soon, while her face remained the same, she could not live any much longer. Her end would come soon.


    Due to the special characteristics of Taixu Strategy, it had cut out the opportunity for one to achieve Huandan using external elixirs. If not because of that, there would be more than the three, Ziling, Biyun and Shen Lian who achieved Huandan ever since Grandmaster Qingshui.


    Gu Caiwei could not help but laughed, "Okay, stop saying that as if I am not going to take your kindness. I will not say no if it is for my own good."


    She was ultimately still a cultivator as she managed to get rid of the other thoughts quickly, and Shen Lian had good intentions.


    Shen Lian said, "If Senior Apprentice-Sister reaches the next level, it will be beneficial to me, and to Qing Xuan. I admit that I have other motives. It is normal if you have hesitance. I won''t take it any other way."


    After saying that, they looked at each other and smiled.


    Gu Caiwei then started to tell Shen Lian about what had happened recently. While every sect had a method to transmit messages, it was not as convenient as speaking face to face.


    In a radius of five thousand miles, most cultivators used Longevity Temple as their main pillar. They took on tasks or discussed Dao, and these had attracted a lot of people. However, what Longevity Temple lacked was the location of a fortune land �C it made Longevity Temple less attractive.


    As a result, most cultivators who gathered around were rarely great.


    It was also related to how it was usually difficult for non-formal cultivators to be enlightened.


    After hearing this, Shen Lian fell in deep thoughts and said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you have spent a lot of effort here. Actually, the issue of this place having little spiritual vigor can be overcome soon, but you have to pay attention to one thing."


    Gu Caiwei was slightly shocked, "What is it?"


    Shen Lian replied, "The sect is not everything. Cultivation should be placed higher than the sect."


    As the chief of Qing Xuan, it went against his principles, but he did not want Gu Caiwei to spend too much time and effort on the sect.


    In a person''s life, there were too many things to try. Most people just focused their attention on one thing because life was limited to them. However, it was a different case for cultivators. They cultivated to live longer and to enjoy all the good things life could offer.


    There was nothing wrong with what people said about celestial being, who could be in the South Sea in the morning, and at Mount Cangwu by night.


    One should not undergo cultivation in order to suffer. There was nothing wrong to make the sect greater, but fundamentally the most important thing was to the self. It was not to say that the improvement in cultivation could lead one to do everything he wanted without considering the moral nature of it �C that was the difference between Daoist and Demons.


    Gu Caiwei was touched. What Shen Lian said was never even mentioned by Zhang Ruoxu. What Shen Lian said was the original intention of Grandmaster Yuanqing. He traveled far and about in order to pursue immortality and immortality only.


    She did not continue on the topic but she mentioned one other thing, "Two more months later, there will be a celestial market. Apparently, a rare item from divine ruins will appear there. I wanted to head over, but since you are here, you can try to obtain that item. "


    With Qing Xuan''s wealth, they paid no attention to normal items, but for an item that was found at a divine ruin, it was not something they would ignore. Furthermore, as divine ruins never had a fixed spot, with the item, one could enter the divine ruins easily.


    Apparently, before Lu Jiuyuan achieved Dao, he entered the divine ruins before. Some people thought that his achievement had a correlation with the divine ruins.

 Chapter 216 Xuantong Demon King

    However, whether Lu Jiuyuan had actually entered the divine ruins remained a mystery.


    This was just one of many mysteries surrounding the divine ruins, although some of them were definitely true.


    Being the chief of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian knew more than others. For instance, there were people from the Nine Lotus Secret Order, where Zhao Xiaoyu, one of Shen Lian''s old friends came from, had been to the divine ruins. They even brought out a book of Dao formula. It coincided with the time when the Nine Lotus Secret Order was at its peak, where it almost reunited the whole of Luoism.


    The book of Dao formula that was brought out was known as "The Destruction of All" consisted of a horrifying technique. However, even Shen Lian only knew bits and pieces regarding the message that was actually contained in the book.


    Shen Lian said, "The sea is vast, and everyone is occupying only one corner of it. It is extremely difficult for us to even meet. There must be someone powerful behind the celestial market. Who is this organizer that could have alerted you?"


    Gu Caiwei could not help but respect how thoughtful Shen Lian was underneath his laid-back appearance. He could spot the core of the point immediately. She spoke softly, "The celestial market is organized by Xuantong Demon King."


    Shen Lian was surprised, "So it''s him." Xuantong Demon King had an impressive background, but nobody really knew what his original form was. He had a tough Daoist heart. Once, in order to listen to the True Voice of Dao, he put in a lot of effort to find the Xuanmen sects which were tucked away at places out of this world just to look for ways to achieve Dao.


    Even though as a demon, he had received a lot of cold treatments, and was often being hunted down, he never gave up. Ultimately, he gathered some unbelievable guts and entered Xuantian Sect to attend Lu Jiuyuan''s lecture.


    He even got out safely beyond the seas. He sought to understand Xuan and to attain enlightenment. As he felt that it was hard for the demons to cultivate, he often conducts lectures for the demons who were spiritually active. As time went, he started to gather some demons around him and form a new force.


    Being able to get out of Xuantian Sect safely was not because he was extremely powerful, but more because Lu Jiuyuan pretended to not know about it as he had the sincerity to cultivate.


    Regardless, Xuantong Demon King was a powerful demon and not just someone average.


    For the celestial market which would be held two months later, it was supposed that the deal would not close too soon due to the fact that for most powerful cultivators who came from all four corner, it was difficult for them to have a chance to gather at one place.


    While there were a lot of cultivators attending the lectures at Longevity Temple, most of them were cultivators who had yet to observe the path to Daoism as for cultivators who had entered the path of Daoism would not attend. If Qing Xuan decided to open up lectures about the one hundred and eight Daoist techniques, most cultivators would definitely attend. However, Qing Xuan would not do it, and neither would the other large sects do it.


    The real techniques should not be passed on easily. It was not because one was selfish, but because these techniques tend to have analyzed the Xuan philosophy of heaven and earth. If such information was leaked to the public easily, it would bring misfortunes and not fortunes to the people who had done so.


    Shen Lian at the moment was not in a rush to attend the celestial market, but he had to resolve two problems. First was to borrow the Mystical Whale''s power in setting up a formation that could gather spiritual opportunity and the second was to find the Eye of the Sea as mentioned by the Mystical Whale. He needed to obtain the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry in order to make more of Ice Light.


    With the light, he could have gotten a lot of good items in exchange at the celestial market.


    About Gu Caiwei''s Huandan, he would first let her adjust her temperament so that she could be in her best state. With that being done, she then could blend in well with Shen Lian''s spiritual Qi using the principles of Yin Yang to achieve Dan Dao.


    This thing could not be rushed. It could happen even after the celestial market.


    Even if Shen Lian did not say anything, Gu Caiwei understood. She could not describe how she was feeling, as this action would also allow her to peek into Shen Lian''s cultivation secrets. Such trust really caused ripples in her heart.


    Shen Lian was such a bright man, he indeed understood the effect of his action, but as a cultivator, one had to be independent, but also to bear responsibilities.


    He had to bear some of those himself.


    Zhang Ruoxu passed the baton of Qing Xuan to him, hence he would not retreat. If he could not even bear this, there was no need for him to continue to pursue Dao.


    If Gu Caiwei could not overlook the fact of Shen Lian''s trust, she could not have achieved much in the future.


    There were some noises from outside as if something had happened.


    With Shen Lian''s power, even if it was noisy, he could hear what was happening. He told Gu Caiwei, "Let''s step out and have a look."


    When the two walked out of the room, they saw one man was carrying one arm. His other arm had been cut off entirely and it was bleeding non-stop.


    When he saw Shen Lian and Gu Caiwei, he went down on his knees and started to cry out loud, "Please kill me, Shen Zhenren."


    Zuo Shaoqing was standing at a distance with his long sword to his chest. He did not say a word. There was nobody else who stood next to him, all were far away.


    Shen Lian glanced at the person and slowly asked, "What happened?"


    He said, "I spoke without thinking and hence offended you sword servant. I hereby offer my life for forgiveness." He went on with his kowtowing. His broken arm continued to bleed non-stop and the sight of the blood on the floor was rather terrifying.


    For cultivators whose limbs were cut off, as long as they were connected back in time, with some medicine, they could still make use of the limbs. Even if the opponent had some tricks up his sleeves while connecting the limbs would be tricky, stopping the bleeding would not be a difficult task.


    Furthermore, for his injury, it was caused by a sharp tool and there was not any other Qi surrounding it.


    What happened to Shoujing and Shouxuan was that when their all four limbs were cut off by the True Wandering Light Sword''s special characteristics, their limbs were picked up by the fishes in the sea. It was not surprising as the flesh of cultivators possessed a lot of spiritual power. They made great food for the fish, as a result of that, Shen Lian needed to use the Life-regenerating Elixir.


    The person still had his broken arm, and as the injury looked normal, it felt like he was faking it.


    Shen Lian said, "If you want to die in order to seek forgiveness, I will grant your wish."


    One could only see Shen Lian pointed his finger and a streak of Qi flew out which turned into the fire immediately. The fire was intended to burn the person into ashes.


    The cultivator with the broken arm did not predict that Shen Lian would take such as action. All of a sudden, a light appeared and his Qi started to solidify in order to shield himself from the fire.


    The fire, however, stopped midway of burning.


    Shen Lian looked at him coldly, "Your Qi of Xuan Qing is not bad, but you''re too stupid. Shaoqing, please send this friend to reincarnation."


    After that, Shen Lian did not even look at him, and a green-white sword ray appeared from the direction of Zuo Shaoqing. All of a sudden it entered the body of the cultivator with the broken arm, underneath the Qi. All of a sudden the body was chopped into pieces by the sword ray and was turned into a puddle of blood and flesh.


    The cultivator was telling everyone about Zuo Shaoqing''s origin, and he was speaking about how Qingjiang Sword Sect was nothing in front of Shen Lian. He angered Zuo Shaoqing, who in turn cut off his arm.


    He used this as an excuse to approach Shen Lian, but Shen Lian did not even ask anything. Instead, he set him up and made him use the Qi of Xuan Qing. It was one of the unique techniques Guangqing Sect had.


    It was common for people from Guangqing Sect to be an undercover agent at Longevity Temple, but unfortunately, this person was not too smart and revealed himself too soon.


    Shen Lian could not be bothered about what this person was thinking, as some people thought their smart enough but in fact, they were dumb.

 Chapter 217 The Miracle of Birth

    There were only a number of people in the world that had attained Dao. If the person had wisdom, they would not have assigned him to be an undercover.


    Shen Lian did not even bother with the name and it was not because he was cruel, but because in certain circumstances, he would not abuse his kindness. To him, he would do what he needed to do without a second doubt.


    It was only until then that the image of the chief of Qing Xuan, Shen Zhenren started to be more concrete among the cultivators. It was not just merely rumor �C the chief of Qing Xuan was someone who had incredible depth in cultivation and the ambition to bring Qing Xuan to the top. Now what they were seeing was the essence of the chief of Xuanmen sect, whose aloofness and decisiveness was formidable.


    Shen Lian needed not to conduct small talks with these cultivators, as for someone at his status, all he needed to do was to have a grasp on the important matters as others would be taking care of the menial details.


    He was not one to put up a straight or cold face, but for now, none of the cultivators dared to barge in by their initiatives. Since Zuo Shaoqing let out the sword ray to grind the spy from Guangqing into a puddle of blood and flesh, he just followed behind Shen Lian quietly.


    After a few years, he served his duty as a sword servant well. Shen Lian no longer needed to take care of people of little importance as Zuo Shaoqing would have gotten rid of them for him. In the past, Zuo Shaoqing did not really respect Shen Lian deep down but only did so on the surface, but as he spent more time with him, Zuo Shaoqing had grown to think of Shen Lian highly due to his success in cultivation.


    He did not know how powerful Shen Lian was, just as most commoners had no idea how high the sky was, but all would have known the sky was at an unattainable height.


    Previously, Shen Lian applied a Daoist technique with the aid of the Mystical Whale''s Qi of vitality. After the spiritual rain, the whole island started to have more vitality, with flowers blooming like the sea and the wind blowing and generating the waves. It began to carry an air akin to a celestial environment.


    Shen Lian, in fact, did not like flowers that much. He preferred to live at a place where it was quaint, or where there were either bamboo forests or green Chinese wisteria.


    However, as Senior Apprentice-Sister was ultimately a girl, he decided to do so.


    Subsequently, it was about setting up the formation to gather spiritual opportunity. If it was five years ago, even with the aid of the Mystical Whale, it was not something that Shen Lian could achieve. However, in that current state, whether was it mana or stage, he had entered a whole new level.


    He did not know what the limit was for his power, but it was clear to him that a lot of the things were beginning to feel extremely easy.


    Under the influence of Shen Lian''s Taixu mana, lines and lines of drainage began to appear on the island. The small streams then started to flow in the drainage, which was then turned into rivers. With the flow, they were combing the Qi of vitality of the island.


    In between the breathing of the Mystical Whale, the Qi of vitality was like a wave that was crashing onto the island. It began to feel like it was following some form of natural principle in a neat way.


    Shen Lian stood in the void, and his body was surrounded by eight types of celestial lights, which were not dimmed by even the sun and moonlight.


    A lot of cultivators would never be able to forget that scene throughout their lives. The miracle of birth was no longer unique to heaven and earth �C now it was something even human could achieve.


    Until then, the others grew even fonder of the power of Qing Xuan and they longed even more for the celestial sects.


    Gu Caiwei gladfully plucked a stalk of wildflower. It did not have a fragrant aroma, but it felt refreshing. As what her Junior Apprentice-Brother said, the world was indeed filled with a lot of beautiful things. She suddenly had a thought that after she was done with Bier Discourse of Dao, she intended to travel to see the landscapes of heaven and earth and everything in the universe.


    The news that Qing Xuan''s Shen Zhenren was at Longevity Temple spread quickly. At the same time, Shen Zhenren''s unimaginable depth of mana and power, when displayed in front of others, the ability to grant life and turn desert into the fortune land was akin to that of holy deities.


    As Shen Lian laid down the Waves of Heaven and Earth Formation with the Mystical Whale at the center of it, the formation not only protected the island, but it could also gather Qi of vitality with every breathing of the Mystical Whale. With this, after hundred to thousand years, the island could even turn into an equipment.


    Some of the top cultivators quickly made their way to Longevity Temple after they heard the news. They all wanted to exchange their cultivation thoughts with the chief of the Xuanmen sect, but they were too late as Shen Zhenren had already left. To where was the question which Gu Caiwei did not have an answer for.


    It was rumored that Shen Zhenren was still out in the sea.


    ______________________


    The main hall was floating in mid sky on top of Mount Taicang. It was where Guangqing Celestial Sect was. The main hall looked as if it was traveling around mid-mountain. Daoist Huanzhen flew into the main hall, and he landed just in front of the hall. There was a board in the main door, which wrote "Lingxiao Hall".


    He did not look too different compared with five years ago. However, as he entered, his usually unchanged expression showed some fatigue.


    He held some dust and slowly took steps forward. He kneeled down and said, "Headmaster, your student is back."


    There were the nine-stepped jade stairs in front of him which were made up entirely of white jade. It seemed like amidst those cumulus clouds were being born. Jade that could give birth to cumulus clouds was of extremely high quality and was multi-purpose. One could tell how excessive it was as it was used merely as the basis of steps here.


    Amidst the cumulus cloud and on top of the nine-stepped jade stairs, someone was sitting at a throne. The throne was made of gold, and within it there was the mark of dragons which was hidden behind the cumulus cloud. Within the cumulus cloud, the gold looked as there was a dragon traveling within it.


    He said, "Get up."


    Daoist Huanzhen then stood up. The one who was sitting on the throne was the chief of Guangqing Celestial Sect, the top among the five Immortal Zhenren �C Yuming the Honored Celestial.


    Huanzhen spoke, "Ye Liuyun from the Underworld Sect is indeed one of his kind. I spent five years, along with the third and fifth Junior Apprentice-Brother, then we managed to break his underworld army. However, to set the score straight for this, we missed the chance to destabilize Qing Xuan."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "It doesn''t matter. We have to take on the Underworld Sect sooner or later. I just did not expect that they have someone good who could have seen through our design and planned the attack."


    Huanzhen said in a deep voice, "I thought about that too, but for Hungry Ghosts and Animals, while they are powerful, they are not great at the design of the gods. Who is that powerful? Could it be that Daoist Youjian had recovered?"


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "Perhaps, but whatever we are doing, while we can hide them from the eyes of the world, we can''t hide from Lu Jiuyuan. As such, whatever the five of us do, we have to consider the opinion of Lu Jiuyuan. Furthermore, after Dengfeng attacked Ziling, according to her personality, sooner or later she will be here to settle the score. During these ten plus years, if we are not moving forward, we will be falling behind. I hope you understand."


    Huanzhen replied, "It is all a part of my responsibility is a student. When I was on my way back, I heard that Shen Lian has left the mountain. What do we do about him?"


    Yuming the Honored Celestial responded, "If we kill Shen Lian, we will have become the ultimate enemy of Qing Xuan. If there is anyone of us who transcend beyond the mortal world, it will be difficult to deal with the old folks at Qing Xuan. We seek the path of Dao to live alongside the world, not to fight for power. We just need to delay Shen Lian''s cultivation because, with his talent, it seems that he can possibly break through whims within a hundred years."


    Huanzhen sighed and thought to himself. The headmaster was right as now Shen Lian was the chief of Qing Xuan. Carrying the name of the sect meant he now had to be more cautious.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "When you''re out for five years, I took in another student. His talent is not below Shen Lian. You should get him involved with the Luoist''s matters and train him."

 Chapter 218 Under the Sea

    Daoist Huanzhen was surprised as he did not expect that for someone like his headmaster to give praise to this new Junior Apprentice-Brother of his and to think that he was comparable to Shen Lian. His curiosity arose.


    Huanzhen smiled and said, "He must be excellent if he is complimented by you, Honored Master. I wonder where he is. We should meet."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "He only joined five years ago and now he is already at the doorstep of Huandan. I am afraid that he is going through the stages too quickly, so I am asking him to make the fire for Junior Apprentice-Brother Dengfeng."


    Huanzhen could not help but look surprised, "He can already help to make the fire for Uncle-Master''s elixir cauldron. How can he get such mana in five years?" Daoist Dengfeng had the most mana among the five Zhenrens due to Taiyue Real Shape Incantation. He was an expert in alchemy. Most elixirs in Guangqing were made by his elixir cauldron. To make use of the cauldron and light the fire required a huge amount of mana. To Daoist Dengfeng it was an easy task, but not so much for others.


    If one could stay put, one could benefit from the fire of the elixir cauldron because the essence of fire could help cultivate mana for the future. It was a difficult and amazing task at the same time.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "He has a huge lot of fortune. After he entered the mountain a few days, he managed to find a thousand-year-old meat excrescence. After he ate it, his mana grew as if he was traveling a thousand miles a day. However, as the effect of the elixir remains in his body, it is harmful in the long run, and hence I asked him to make the fire with Dengfeng to make the effect of the elixir into one with himself."


    Huanzhen then started to feel his questions were answered. There were all kinds of spiritual materials in the world, and since the ancient times, there were even spiritual fruits which could help the cultivators to extend their lives after consumption. There were even medicine to allow one to live forever or elixirs which could help in spiritual intelligence. With the aid of those, even the commoners could become celestialists.


    Back then external alchemy was still popular and a lot of cultivators were spending their entire lives to look for the spiritual medicine to make elixirs which could help them attain Dao. However, as more and more people were looking for it, external alchemy began to decline after the raw materials became scarce.


    For the Xuanmen sects, the only way to go was to achieve Huandan internally, with a clear mind. It was also crucial to maintain the life of the Daoist sect.


    While Guangqing had five Zhenrens, Qing Xuan did it better in this aspect.


    There were forty Zhenrens in Qing Xuan''s history, the highest among the four Daoist sects. If not because of the incident that happened at Qing Xuan which affected the previous chief, Zhang Ruoxu, Ziling''s student, Biyun and Yan Xu, eight or nine out of ten could have achieved Dixian.


    Including Ziling, the old folk which was guarding Qing Xuan, and the missing Immortal Zhenren could account for a total of six Dixian, which was more than Guangqing.


    Thinking about the new Junior Apprentice-Brother, he began to feel there was hope for the sect to grow even stronger. With one or two Dixian, they could then become one of the four Daoist sects and cumulatively after a few hundred to a thousand years, their wealth would not be worse than Qing Xuan anymore.


    Huanzhen said, "It has been a while since I last met Uncle-Master Dengfeng. I should visit him after this, and to meet the new Junior Apprentice-Brother. What''s his name?"


    "Qingwei," Yuming the Honored Celestial replied.


    At the same time, at one of the peaks of Mount Taicang, there was a young man who was setting up a formula at a Daoist courtyard. The mana formed into Qi which was then pumped into the fire of the cauldron. He accidentally sneezed and it almost put off the burning fire.


    At the stoned steps far away, a Daoist sat crossing his leg �C it was Daoist Dengfeng. When he heard what happened, he opened his eyes and said, "If you ruin the elixirs in this cauldron, I will make you do this for another five years."


    The young man''s hands did not stop with the formula, and he replied cheekily, "Uncle-Master, you are underestimating me. I can multitask. It must be because just now someone was talking about me. Just half a day more and this cauldron of elixirs will be completed. If you claim that I don''t have any contribution in this, you should at least appreciate my effort. Are you going to give me some, Uncle-Master?"


    Daoist Dengfeng sneered and said, "I''d only give this cauldron of elixirs to you if you first return me what you have stolen from me over the past five years."


    The young man laughed, "In the beginning, I didn''t know anything and it is only after I ate those elixirs that I have the energy to work for you."


    Daoist Dengfeng almost laughed because of how cheeky he was, at the same time he was thinking about how shocking Qingwei''s ability was. Regardless of the elixirs, once he ate them, they were all digested easily and turned into his cultivation experience. Such talent was akin to the reincarnation of the holy deities.


    Daoist Dengfeng had tried fortune telling to understand the young man''s background, and he knew that he was as clean as a paper. For at least three generations, he had never stepped foot in Dao, else Daoist Dengfeng would not be so comfortable with him.


    In his opinion, the elixirs did no harm to him. It could quickly turn into cultivation experience, and it would not affect his Daoist heart. It did not matter to him that the elixirs were gone as Guangqing was still a Xuanmen sect who cared about cultivating the heart and would not treat elixirs as dangerous items.


    It did not matter whether the mana was formed from the breathing of Qi of vitality, or from an external source. As long as the mana was pure and without any contaminants, it was fine.


    The great part about Qingwei was that he was naturally a seed of cultivation. He had a pure heart and hence he did not have any worry in instability. He was also not a reincarnation of a deity, which was indeed odd. However, the world was huge and there were all kinds of oddities. For such talented student to join Guangqing sect was a sign of the rise of the sect.


    Qingwei was indeed Yanxu. While his Free Form Incarnation was mostly broken by Ziling, but his state was not gone. Without the random evil Qi, his mana became more pure and flexible and he could even deceive Yuming the Honored Celestialist and Daoist Dengfeng.


    Some of the techniques of Guangqing Celestial Sect were indeed comparable with Qing Xuan''s and the five immortal Zhenrens did not happen by chance. He had perfected Daoist Dengfeng''s Taiyue Real Shape Incantation. It was not below Qing Xuan''s powerful Unlimited Sea Martial Art. With the two formulas, they could be combined and possibly turn into an ultimate technique.


    Yanxu, however, had no interest because of his own Free Form Incarnation. Once he succeeded in it, there was nowhere that could trap him and he would feel much freer.


    What interested him about Guangqing Celestial Sect was the twelve men who achieved Powang. If he could turn them into his incarnation, he then could try the new formation. Even if he did not succeed in Real Shape Incarnation and was found by Ziling, he would not be afraid and could even have the confidence to beat his Uncle-Master. If he did not play with her, it would be a shame.


    He also realized that the technique practiced by Yuming the Honored Celestial was indeed unique. However, with his ability, he could not tell what was the basis was. At this point he kind of missed Taiwei Pavilion and Zhang Ruoxu.


    The passing on of Qing Xuan was not something that Guangqing, a new celestial sect could compare with. With the inheritance of the chief, one could benefit from the secrets of Tiandi Jian. The Taiwei Pavilion too carried a lot of secret records, and Shen Lian was lucky to pick up all these.


    However, regardless of his guts, Yanxu dared not to return to Qing Xuan. If the old undead did not fall into the trial of Dao, he would not have the chance to leave. Currently, it was not Ziling who wanted to kill him the most, but that old man. Yanxu started to have a headache after he thought about these people. He only wanted to do something interesting but he could only blame these circumstances on his luck.


    Those students which were turned into his incarnations had no chance to attain Dao and would die eventually anyway. Zhang and Biyun, however, were being difficult and hence they were affected.


    Despite the thoughts Yanxu had, he still exported his mana steadily to let the fire burn brightly. Daoist Dengfeng commented that he was indeed a good material as he took work seriously.


    With Yanxu''s performance, cultivating under Taiyue Real Shape Incantation would prove to be a smooth path once he reached Huandan. From then to breaking the whims would not be an issue. He just needed enough elixirs and he would get past it quickly and till then, Guangqing would have another top cultivator close to the deities.


    As the kid did not seem interested in Taiyue Real Shape Incantation, Daoist Dengfeng would not force it.


    If he knew Yanxu planned to take all of the twelve Powang cultivators including Huanzhen to be his duplicated incarnation, he would probably kill him right then.


    There were two flowers blooming and each of them represented one thing.


    It was the first time for Shen Lian to reach such depth of the sea. The underwater world was very different from the land. In the beginning, Shen Lian used Water Repelling Incantation to block out the world but when he reached several hundred feet deep, he gave up on that trick.


    The pressure at several hundred feet depths was enormous. It was not bearable by the several ten thousand pounds of forces. As he went deeper, the pressure he experienced grew.


    The water would not enter his body and hence the body would have to take on the pressure.


    His Taixu Strategy''s mana was circulating in his body at a high speed to relieve him of the pressure he felt in his vessels. However as he dived deeper, the pressure was multiplying.


    He kept going deeper and to an unknown depth, he was almost bearing the weight of a huge mountain. He could feel that all his acupoints and flesh were beginning to break down.


    He still had some mana, but unfortunately, his body could not let out the unimaginable mana to counterbalance the pressure.


    He never really studied the top strength training techniques, so while he had a tougher body than most cultivators, but compared to those who practiced "Jingang Body", he was still far from it.


    Shen Lian now knew the limit of his current body and hence he stopped resisting. His body became to shift shape and his blood and flesh were reorganizing. He looked more like a merman now.


    It was a Daoist technique that involved the shift in the body shape and was rumored to stem from Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques.

 Chapter 219 Black Water Residence

    Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques was a Daoist technique that involved the fundamentals of the universe and only people who had reached Dixian were qualified to practice this.


    According to the rumor, the immortal Zhenren from the ancient time practiced this Daoist technique not to be extremely powerful but for other purposes.


    However, this exceptional Daoist technique was long lost. What Shen Lian had was just the surface of the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques, which could allow him to shift the flesh and blood of his body temporarily. He could not turn himself into another species or material, which was possible using the complete Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques.


    When Shen Lian''s body and the structure of his blood and flesh began to change, all in a sudden the pressure of the sea disappeared and it made him feel free swimming across the sea.


    As his body was filled with water now, he no longer felt the pressure of the water. He blended in with the sea and there was no difference between the sea and himself.


    The adjustment to the minutest detail of the body was not particularly new to him as he had tried it before. However, Shen Lian could not help but imagine that what if he could make use of this technique to change the material, and perhaps he could turn into the demon beasts, or even to mountains and rivers.


    After giving some thought to it, he realized it was still best to be human.


    Shen Lian obtained the location of the Eye of the Sea from the Mystical Whale and it was not far from here. However, as it was located under the deep sea, not even powerful cultivators who had reached Huandan could dive there.


    It was not completely without light under the sea. The soil at the base was very soft and somewhat warm. It could be due to the potential existence of hot lava underneath. On top of the soft soil, there were a lot of odd looking plants that let out some lights. According to the memory of the Mystical Whale, it seemed that the Eye of the Sea was not too far away.


    It was because there was no cold Qi here that the Mystical Whale was caught unprepared by the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of Devilry of the Eye of the Sea.


    Shen Lian learned from its lesson and hence he laid down his spiritual consciousness to detect the changes in his environment.


    The spiritual vigor under the sea was difficult to manipulate. The vastness would make someone kneel down to worship it by impulse. It was the vastness of the spiritual vigor which animated the underwater world and made people feel touched about how gorgeous creation was.


    Shen Lian swam in the water freely and as there were not many visitors since ancient times, it was extremely quaint. Other than the slowly flowing water, the heat from the ground and the unique sea plants, there was nothing else.


    Shen Lian was aware that only the plants could survive in this environment. For the demon beasts, it would not be possible for them to withstand the pressure of the water.


    However, if there was any demon beast around, it should be of a special breed.


    He felt something prickly in his spiritual consciousness as if he just swept by the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry. Shen Lian felt glad as he found the right place. He just wanted to make use of these Qi of devilry to produce Ice Light. He did not have the intention to explore the underwater world.


    As his mana activated, his body which was akin to one of the fish started to wiggle and separate the water. All of a sudden he had traveled several tens feet in distance and was getting closer to the source of the Qi of devilry.


    There was heat from the ground but it too gave birth to the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry. Shen Lian was not surprised as when a thing reaches its extreme, it reverses its course. Within Yang lies Yin, which was fitting with the principle of the universe.


    There was a shadow that quickly approached Shen Lian. If not because of his sharp spiritual senses, it could be hard to react in time. He avoided it but had a cut on his body. He stopped the bleeding quickly but he felt angry.


    Since he started the journey of cultivation, he was rarely injured.


    If this did not go well, his body would be damaged.


    The shadow turned back after passing by. Shen Lian was hurt the first time and hence he now paid all his attention to it. It looked akin to a shark, but with a horn on its forehead. It went past the water as fast as lightning.


    Its body had a streamlined shape and there were no scales. Replacing the scales was tightly stretched, delicate skin which had the glossy look of metals. Its eyes looked like two blue jewels, reflecting Shen Lian''s image.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, it must be living under the sea all these while, he did not have any advantage trying to fight it here.


    With that thought, Shen Lian looked to end this quickly.


    The unicorn shark extended its fins which were sharp and it tried to cut through Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian laughed in his mind as he was not afraid of an animal that had only strength.


    He extended his finger and a stream of Qi flew out. Even though the unicorn shark was as fast as lightning, it was nothing when compared to Shen Lian''s speed in activating mana. The Qi quickly surrounded the unicorn shark akin to that of a densely packed net.


    The unicorn shark was from the sea and it had the size of a King Kong and unlimited strength, but as it encountered the stream of Qi Shen Lian formed, it felt like its strength was drained. All its power as it struggled was absorbed by the net.


    It looked at Shen Lian fiercely, as if there were two sharp knives that were piercing through his eyes.


    It could be seen that in the dark blue sea, there were two blue rays which were heading towards Shen Lian. It was a technique that was attacking his mind and spirit. Shen Lian just laughed and thought that in terms of strength, the beast could still fight with him, but in terms of attacking the mind and spirit, it stood no chance, like a mayfly that was trying to shake the tree.


    Shen Lian did nothing when the two blue rays almost reached him. The rays were blocked by a metal wall �C not only did they lose their arrowhead, the unicorn shark looked defeated.


    It started to sink, and it fell onto the soil. Its body was heavy and half of it was entrapped.


    Shen Lian moved towards it slowly to evaluate it closely. The defeated unicorn shark suddenly erected and attempted to pierce through Shen Lian again with its sharp horn. The net around its body was too pierced through �C one could tell how much strength was put into this.


    The sharp horn pierced through Shen Lian''s heart, but before it could feel proud, it realized something was wrong. It could see that the person that was pierced through by its horn was slowly dispersing and it felt like its head was being pressed by something. A horrendous power was seeping through and it could no longer make use of its strength.


    The unicorn shark which had more several ten thousand pounds of strength was now entirely under the control of Shen Lian and it could not rebel against it.


    Shen Lian could sense its pleading emotions and also through the sound it made.


    Shen Lian laughed and spoke to it using his divine thoughts, "Where are you from?"


    "I am General Tusk, under the command of Black Water King. Who are you? You don''t look like a merman or human but you''re powerful. I can''t help but admire you." The divine thoughts of the unicorn shark passed on. It did not know that Shen Lian was shapeshifting, and hence it thought he looked weird.


    Shen Lian said, "Who is Black Water King? I''ve never heard of him."


    "My king is extremely famous. If you have never heard of him, it could be that you are ignorant."


    Shen Lian laughed and thought that not many in the world dared to call the chief of Qing Xuan ignorant.


    He really indeed never heard of the Black Water King. It sounded like a Demon King but he did not how much mana he had. Shen Lian asked, "Why did you attack me?"


    "You entered the region of Black Water Residence. The king made this order that any outsider should be killed."


    "You are indeed murderous, but it seems that you can''t do anything to me. What should I do to you then?" Shen Lian laughed.


    General Tusk started to feel worried, and said, "What do you want?"


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, "Is Black Water Residence the place where the Qi of devilry gathers?"


    He pointed at the source of the extreme Yin and extremely cold Qi of devilry.

 Chapter 220 The Eye of the Sea

    Following the direction of Shen Lian''s finger, the blue luminescence was scattered around. Perhaps it was because of how dark the underwater was, and hence the luminescence just looked more noticeable.


    When the blue luminescence appeared suddenly, it felt like a blowhole was blowing out air without warning, which caught people unprepared.


    It was where the Qi of devilry was extremely thick. As the blue luminescence was born, they scattered around quickly.


    The Qi of devilry was wrapped in the light and blended with the sea water. Shen Lian could see clearly that everywhere the blue luminescence went through, the sea water would generate some form of unknown vibration and the deadly feeling followed suit.


    These Yin devilry power gathered together to form something unbelievably sharp. A lot of the underwater plants were eliminated in a moment. The blue light that formed on Shen Lian''s palm once left his hand, began to grow quickly into a net, which captured the Yin devilry power coming towards him.


    An ice wall was formed and the Yin devilry power was attached to the ice wall. With the pressure of the water, the ice wall started to crack.


    The area which ejected the blue luminescence stopped its motion and the Eye of the Sea appeared.


    The Eye of the Sea looked no different from the wellheads on earth. It was surrounded by unnamed stones, which looked transparent. They could be under the influence of the Qi of devilry for too long.


    Shen Lian said, "Is the Black Water Residence inside?"


    It was his second time asking the question. The first time he asked, the Eye of the Sea was having some odd activities. This time around it was quiet.


    General Tusk continued to say nothing.


    Shen Lian laughed as he knew roughly what was going on. He did not expect the Black Water King to be so powerful to be able to build the residence in the middle of the Eye of the Sea. From his judgment, there was lava underneath the ground, and this place was one of Yin devilry �C the extreme Yin wrapped in Yang.


    It was akin to the Half-faced Taichi Fish''s core of Yang.


    Shen Lian moved slightly and then he carried General Tusk to the side of the Eye of the Sea. The vitality inside was breathing, like a living human. Shen Lian saw how the water flowed in and then out.


    The Yin devilry power grew stronger as he approached it. Fortunately, he prepared the seed of Ice Light. With that, regardless of the Yin devilry power that flowed in, he could use his large supply of mana to dismiss it.


    The light was growing at an unbelievable speed as if a seed was left to germinate and it was visible to eyes.


    General Tusk finally spoke, "Are you not afraid of Xuanming Qi of Devilry?"


    Shen Lian laughed, "So this Yin devilry power is called Xuanming Qi of Devilry. I thought this Qi of devilry was natural, but now it seems like it is set up by someone."


    General Tusk said, "It was a divine restriction set up by my King. If you enter, you will not be able to come out alive."


    Shen Lian looked at him from the side, "Really?"


    He moved his hand and threw General Tusk into the Eye of the Sea. General Tusk did not expect Shen Lian to do it and as it was wrapped by Shen Lian''s net, when it fell into the Eye of the Sea, it still had no strength. All of a sudden, the Xuanming Qi of Devilry froze the net and itself. Both fell down together as a frozen object.


    Shen Lian saw there was indeed nothing. The only thing that was hindering the entrance and exit of the Eye of the Sea was the Xuanming Qi of devilry. He did not expect that General Tusk could do nothing against the Xuanming Qi of Devilry.


    It seemed that the unicorn shark could not enter the eye previously.


    The Eye of the Sea breathed the seawater around it rhythmically, until it reached a threshold, it will erupt and leave residual Qi of devilry around the area.


    The last time Mystical Whale was here, it could be too unfortunate to meet the timing where it was releasing the Xuanming Qi of Devilry.


    The breathing in and out of the Eye of the Sea was very rhythmic, similar to how one was releasing the old and taking in the new. However, even if the Eye of the Sea had spirituality, it would not take shape after hundred thousand years of cultivation.


    The light around Shen Lian moved and covered his entire body. Then he jumped inside the Eye of the Sea.


    The water current of the Eye of the Sea was rather bendy, but the downward spiral was smooth.


    Once he entered, with the current, the pressure decreased. What was threatening to him was only the Qi of devilry. Although the Yin devilry power was releasing just a little bit of coldness, the ultimate devilry was conservative. It would not let out the coldness within without any disturbance.


    With Ice Light, it was impossible for the Qi of devilry to freeze him.


    To an unknown depth, Shen Lian''s body felt light all of a sudden. He looked around, it seemed like he had reached a crystal palace which was bright and spacious.


    There was an ice sculpture at the corner. It was General Tusk.


    It could not move under the ice, but it was still alive. It was an odd species as one needed to understand that even the Mystical Whale could do nothing against the Qi of devilry, but this species was not impacted.


    However, it was not out of the expectation as this species could survive at this depth. Its horn was the top material to make equipment.


    Shen Lian could not be bothered with him and it seemed like it did not understand anything. Whether there was really a Black Water King remained unknown.


    Shen Lian landed on the ground. In the middle there was a small pool. The wall of the pool was adorned with big pearls. The luminescence was released by the pearls, which made this place look like it was during the time of the day.


    There was a round roof above it, where there were two water pillars falling down into the pool.


    The round roof looked like an invisible shield which prevented the sea water from entering.


    The pool looked like a central station which moved the water around.


    Shen Lian took in a breath. The Qi of vitality here was pure and thick. Even for commoners who did not cultivate, if they stay here for long, it would be no surprise that they could live till hundred fifty to hundred sixty years old with no sickness or calamities.


    There was a small path on the right side. Shen Lian considered for a while, then he walked towards it. The pool seemed like it had the ability to adjust Yin and Yang. The Yin devilry seemed to stem from the pool, and through the water pillar, it was released. However, the fundamental of it did not seem to be the pool.


    He walked on the small path and the stone walls on the sides were scribbled with runes he could not understand. They might not even be runes but writings that represented the heaven and earth, the mountain and rivers, the day and night, and also the stars.


    Shen Lian never saw such writings before. Each stroke was crooked, but at the same time perfectly natural and without hesitance.


    The small path was short and after Shen Lian got out, he was surprised to see a huge residence in front, with the board written clearly with four words.


    It was the same writing as the runes along the way but written with more power. Each stroke was as if they would bounce out from the board.


    The board was not a common item. The aroma released from it calmed Shen Lian down.


    "Underneath the sea, there is wood of ten thousand years. I don''t know where it belong, but its deep aroma can calm the spirit down, and can help one to be rid of unnecessary thoughts." Shen Lian recalled this paragraph, it was talking about the agarwood.


    There was once an eminent monk who went through a journey in the sea to seek for one piece of agarwood in order to make praying beads and pass on Buddhism.


    This place was wasteful enough to use a huge piece of it to make a board. The four words were written, could it be as what General Tusk said - could it be ''Residence of Black Water''?

 Chapter 221 Twisted

    Shen Lian observed the underwater palace and did some thinking.


    He waved and a ray of light struck ahead. The underwater palace was indeed under some sort of prohibition spell. It diverged from Shen Lian''s ray of light.


    Shen Lian frowned, he was just testing the waters but realized that the underwater palace was as rigid as an impregnable fortress.


    It was built using an unconventional power which was similar but different from what he had learned.


    The wonders of Xuanmen has endless of possibilities. The cultivation of the Qi and the spirit itself could generate unimaginable, incredible powers. But this underwater palace''s arrangements of unconventional power was not anything supernatural. The entire structure was as solid as the strongest rock ever, the Jinggang rock. Unless one possessed enormous mana and breaks it directly, one would not be able to find any flaws with it.


    Even Shen Lian could not detect the flow and changes of the spiritual vigor.


    Thirty minutes later, the sound of tremor could be heard outside of the underwater palace. Shen Lian had used all his tricks to trigger the space to shake to the extent that it was almost destroyed and Shen Lian could feel a dash of scorching hot air.


    Shen Lian was surprised. Apparently, this space was not an unconventional dimension but highly possibly in a magma.


    If that was the case, it made perfect sense that the power of the pond and underwater palace came from the magma chambers in the core of the earth.


    What sort of power had such ability to turn the magma chambers into something for personal use?


    Shen Lian pondered the fact that he had mastered the Primordial Spirit and became a land immortal but yet he would not have such majestic supernatural powers to perform such a thing.


    Shen Lian could not tell what was hiding beneath the sealed underwater palace.


    He retreated from the small trail which had dull and undistinguishable writings at the side of the trail. Shen Lian than realized that he could not recall any single word despite having a photographic memory.


    Shen Lian stopped walking and focused on memorizing a simple character that was on the trail. When each stroke of the character started to appear in his mind, he could feel a powerful force crushing on his body, flesh, and blood.


    At the very last passageway, the concentration level of Qi vitality started to pierce through his body maniacally and it made Shen Lian felt like he was in the darkness of outer space. He noticed a star that was gradually lighted but it did not last long. He felt a sudden sharp pain and that snapped him back to reality.


    That was because his body has reached a critical point and it automatically activated the self-defense mechanism.


    Shen Lian did not force himself to continue trying. It was not that his mana and spirit were not strong enough but his body was too weak to recall the characters. His body could not endure the burden of visualizing those words.


    There were one hundred and eight characters scattered on both sides of the walls of the passageway.


    In a split second, Shen Lian counted a number of the characters and entered the stone room where the pond was located at. He kicked General Tusk and melted the ice that covered it.


    The narwhal still could breathe without water but its mobility was not as agile as it was.


    It lifted its head to look at Shen Lian and spoke to him with telepathy, "What do you want?"


    Shen Lian smiled and answered, "Don''t you have anything to say to me?"


    General Tusk shook his tusk and looked confused.


    Shen Lian held his hand out, Ice Light emerged like a sword gleam and condensed into a faint blue Xuan Ice. The icicle was extremely sharp.


    In slow speed, Shen Lian pointed the tip of the Xuan Ice towards the eyeball of General Tusk, it was so scared that it shut its eyes tight. Shen Liam''s calm voice echoed in its mind, "If you have nothing to tell me, I''d like to see if this Xuan Ice could poke through your eyes or even pierce through your skull."


    General Tusk panicked, "This is indeed the underwater palace of the Black Water King. I am not his General, he has never used demon soldiers nor demon generals. I am just a small demon from a nearby area. In fact, this is my first time here."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Then how would you know this is the Black Water Residence?"


    The narwhal timidly sent its thoughts, "There was a person like you who came here and referred to this place as the Black Water Residence and the Black Water King addressed that person as Daoist Xuanming."


    Shen Lian gazed at it coldly and that sent chills down to its spine. That was a lot more uncomfortable than being frozen by the Xuanming Qi of Devilry.


    With a weak voice, it responded, "That''s all I know."


    Shen Lian asked, "How long have you been alive?"


    The narwhal replied, "I don''t know."


    Shen Lian figured out that it would be hard to tell time underwater because you could not see the changes in the position of the stars, and it would not be able to tell years like a normal human would do."


    Thus he changed his question, "How many times have you fed since you last saw that Daoist Xuanming?"


    Daoist Xuanming was the creator of the Ice Light and three thousand years have passed since its inception. Shen Lian did not use any other probing methods but asked directly how many times has the narwhal eaten since then. From there he could more or less determine if it was telling the truth.


    The narwhal replied, "I have not been eating"


    Shen Lian asked, "What do you mean earlier when you said that trespassers who entered the Black Water Residence will be killed?"


    The narwhal shook his head, "Those were the words of the Black Water King."


    Shen Lian inspected its words and it was somewhat similar to what it said when he just arrived. It was just that the narwhal did not mention about the Black Water King when he said ''trespassers would be killed''. Clearly, it was trying to be a donkey in a lion''s skin.


    It seemed like the Black Water King''s majesty was deeply rooted in it.


    Shen Lian asked, "Then how would you know that this Qi of devilry is the Xuanming Qi of Devilry?"


    The narwhal answered, "Because the Daoist Xuanming said so. He came to seek for the Xuanming Qi of Devilry but the King was reluctant and they ended up fighting. The Daoist released some sort of ray similar to yours and it landed on me. After that, I woke up to look for food but could not find any.


    Shen Lian was able to make sense of the situation. Back then, perhaps Daoist Xuanming cultivated the Ice Light for this Xuanming Qi of Devilry. He came all the way here but it was the territory of a demon king. The demon king refused to hand it over and they both started fighting. A ray of light struck the narwhal and as a result, it was frozen, and was able to only break the ice after a long period of time.


    The only thing was that the Black Water King and Daoist Xuanming were no longer here and nobody knew who won and who lost the fight.


    Daoist Xuanming must have been an immortal Zhenren back then to be able to travel down so deep in the ocean.


    And this Black Water King who had the guts to reject Daoist Xuanming must have been a demon king who was more powerful than a land immortal. But the oddness of the underwater palace and the strange text characters along the passageway was beyond the level of a land immortal.


    Furthermore, the narwhal mentioned that the Black Water King did not have any demon soldiers nor demon generals, and it had yet entered the underwater palace. Could it be that the Black Water King wanted to hide a secret inside?


    These were all wild guesses and considering that Shen Lian could not crack the Underwater Palace, plus the oddness of the characters along the passageway, he decided to not rush into further attempts. The purpose of this trip was to master the Ice Light. It was not good to be greedy and he needed to know to take things in moderation.

 Chapter 222 Dongyi

    After having such thoughts, Shen Lian no longer had greed in his mind. He felt that the pearl light glowing through the wall shined through his clean and stainless heart.


    There were many treasures and martial exercises under the sky. Why would he need to waste time and energy on something unknown?


    This trip was good enough for his Ice Light training. It was not necessary to overthink it.


    It was neither easy nor difficult to take things in moderation.


    Shen Lian indeed had a moment of greed but he was able to self-reflect and reminded himself of his priorities.


    After ten days of cultivation, he has absorbed quite a bit of Xuanming Qi of Devilry and mastered the Ice Light.


    He had a strong mana and yet, he had this heartfelt realization about the mysteries of Xuanmen. Because of that, he was extremely fast when he trained to make the Ice Light. He was able to simplify the procedure, thanks to his strong mana and spirit.


    Another ten days had passed as he packed the Qi of devilry that he collected.


    He had set the narwhal free; the narwhal lived under the sea, held no grudges against anyone and would not harm others too. If someone or a demon could dive into millions of feet below sea level, the narwhal would probably not be able to handle it. There was no point for Shen Lian to take its life.


    Perhaps that it was gifted or because he was frozen by the Ice Light, the narwhal was not harmed by the Xuanming Qi of Devilry and was only frozen in an ice cube. Furthermore, before it fell over and got frozen into an ice cube, Shen Lian used his mana to weave a net and held the body of the narwhal.


    To show its gratitude, the narwhal traveled quite some miles to look for million-year-old corals that were rich in soulful aura and extremely rare, and gifted it to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not refuse it.


    One day, Shen Lian instinctively felt that he had produced enough light and the Xuanming Qi of Devilry in the air has reduced a lot. If to take more, he would have destroyed the balance at the Eye of Sea, and hence, stopped collecting.


    If would be a pity if the sinkhole was sealed as a result of running out of Qi of devilry.


    Moreover, there was no point for Shen Lian to leave no room for maneuver.


    Once he has made up his mind, he decided to leave.


    The narwhal who was near Shen Lian noticed the dimmed light and asked, "Are you leaving already?"


    Shen Lian looked at it and smiled, "What are you up to?"


    The narwhal replied, "I heard that celestials usually have their own mount when they travel as it would make them look more dignified. How about you take me on your mount so you can rest your legs." After a few days of being around Shen Lian, it realized how powerful Shen Lian could be. It was never easy for demons to attain Dao and shapeshift. If he had Shen Lian, the chances of it shapeshifting would increase greatly. Moreover, based on its observation, Shen Lian''s temper was way better than the Black Water King.


    Shen Lian smiled and replied, "You''re not quite the level yet, to be my mount. It''s better for you to stay here and cultivate. We might not see each other in the future but let me tell you something. Beyond the Eye of Sea is the Black Water Residence. Over this one year, I''ve been making some waves and it will inevitably cause some trouble. If you want to stay alive, this is not the best place to settle down."


    Shen Lian''s not an ordinary person and would not take in any mount so easily. He had Qianmo, but as the chief of Qing Xuan, every step he takes would be reflected on Qing Xuan. Even if he could not travel on a dragon and ride the wind, he would not just take in any demons with origins that he was not aware of.


    Rumors travel fast and people generally would not have anything good to say about it. He did not bother about trifles but taboos were taboos. There was no need to be selfish and egoistic and get into unnecessary trouble.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian''s last advice to the narwhal was made out of good intention. With his Tongtian Skills, he could vaguely predict that a fight would erupt at this very place in the future. If the narwhal insisted on staying back, it would be on the path to death.


    All Shen Lian could do was to advise. It was not his problem if the narwhal chose not to listen.


    After finishing his sentence, a ray of light shined and Shen Lian hopped out of the Eye of Sea in the blink of an eye. He could feel the massive pressure from the sea water but as he dashed up and break through the stagnant seawater, he was able to reach the top very quickly. It generated some wind and wave as he gushed out and went beyond the clouds.


    Although he managed to produce quite a bit of Ice Light, he did not really have any sense of joy.


    The most precious outcome of the trip was not the Ice Light but the mysterious Black Water Residence. Shen Lian managed to cleansed his divine aura and not fall for greed and desire. This was not something most elixirs could do.


    Shen Lian rode on the clouds and headed towards the celestial market.


    The vastness of heaven and earth, the white clouds and birds were nothing unusual for him.


    In a sudden, a sharp ray of arrow lights came from below tore open the void and came aiming for Shen Lian.


    Even if the arrow traveled in the speed of light, it was impossible to ambush the highly cultivated Shen Lian.


    He released a ray of green light and it spun in the void at an extremely high speed. Like a snake, the ray of green light entangled the arrow.


    Although it was only the most basic form of Wind Binding Technique, the fact that Shen Lian being able to apply it so effortlessly already meant that he was more powerful than many of his own kind.


    His mana was refined and pure and his Qi of Dan was highly vigorous. Even the simplest spells could be extremely powerful.


    However, after being bound, the arrow struggled just a little and then was able to accelerate. The bottom half of the arrow broke while the front end bolted even quicker towards Shen Lian.


    Nobody knew how much mana was needed to shoot an arrow up from down, furthermore shooting an arrow that had a second kick. Obviously, that second kick was inserted at the moment the archer released the arrow.


    It may look simple but this was a whole new level of mana control and unmatched archery skills. The arrow was released at the speed of light and the second kick was even faster.


    In that split second, Shen Lian showed no signs of panic. He rolled up the sleeves of his robe and caught the arrow. A dash of arrow aura headed towards him but his mana was too deep and unpredictable that the arrow aura dispersed before it could hit him.


    Shen Lian kept the top half of the arrow and looked downwards. All he could see was an island. But he was curious to know who was the culprit who attacked him with an arrow.


    He descended from the sky like a meteor hitting earth and that produced beams of colorful lights in the void. He stopped in mid-air and started floating downwards slowly.


    The gravity of earth was nothing unusual when walking into the void.


    Shen Lian did not land on the ground but instead mingled around the clouds; it looked like the advent of a fairy.


    In front of him was a military of troops with a young adult leader whom the body was wrapped with animal skin. The leader had a giant bow in his hand and a red mark in between his brows as if it was blazing flames.


    The leader''s thin figure looked like it was about to explode with terrifying powers.


    This young adult looked at Shen Lian with contempt and started mumbling a whole bunch of words.


    Shen Lian wanted to condemn but after hearing the leader speak, he had second thoughts, and asked in the same spoken language, "Are you from the Dongyi Tribe?"

 Chapter 223 Stranger Things

    Dongyi were the barbarians since the ancient times and they were not viewed as ordinary human. The people of this tribe had unique blood vessels and were born with supernatural powers while the Kings of the tribe had the ability to fire a bow with a force of millions of pounds.


    A warrior from the Dongyi tribe who was based on a deserted island on the Eastern Sea once fired nine arrows consecutively and killed the shapeshifted Nine-headed Demon King. But surprisingly, the warrior only lived for a couple of hundred years.


    The incident was recorded in the ''Strange Tales of Divines and Demons'' and Shen Lian felt unbelievable when he read the story.


    With such amazing powers, even if the warrior could not escape death, he could have lived for a couple hundred more years. After all, once a person reached a certain level of dexterity, they would naturally have a better understanding of metaphysics and themselves. Survival was a basic instinct and it would not be difficult for the Dongyi''s to explore how to prolong their life span.


    The young adult was delighted to hear Shen Lian speak such authentic Dongyi dialect and he continued talking to Shen Lian.


    From what Shen Lian understood, the Dongyi''s mistaken him as a bird and wanted to shoot him down. They did not expect Shen Lian to be someone with extraordinary superpowers and they were glad that they did not injure him. They felt terribly sorry and asked if they could compensate him in any way.


    Shen Lian analyzed the boy, he looked young and had clear pure eyes. He held on tightly to the black mystical bow that had no carvings of runes on it. The tension of the bowstring was extremely tight and Shen Lian could not help but wonder what great force would it bring when the bowstring was pulled to the maximum.


    Earlier on when Shen Lian was flying, the sky was filled with clouds and mist. Plus, Shen Lian''s Dao robe was really loose and his sleeves that swayed along the wind looked like a pair of wings. It was not unusual for someone to mistake him as a bird.


    But why would the young adult fire his arrows so hastily? After all, there were so many other birds roaming in the sky.


    Shen Lian observed the troopers behind the young adult and he could see the fear in their eyes. They looked extremely fatigued and it seemed like they have been in a state of alert.


    Although the young adult had a pair of lively eyes and he seemed energetic. But Shen Lian could tell that he was very tensed as if he was on standby for something.


    As the young adult was apologizing to Shen Lian, he was also observing the state of the surroundings.


    Shen Lian generally would not switch on his spiritual consciousness because staying full focus the entire time would take a toll on him. However, his hearing and eyesight were as sharp as a knife.


    He heard an unusual sound of the wind and looked up towards the sky.


    A flock of clouds traveled at a high speed, the roaring sound could be heard with a hint of faint lightning. It may look somewhat similar to the sky that Shen Lian just traveled but if to take a closer look, the differences were actually quite distinct.


    The flock of clouds was moving so quickly because of the flapping action of a pair of wings that triggered the thunder and stirred the storm.


    The young adult was very tensed and immediately pulled his bow and arrow and fired it towards the sky.


    The troopers behind him too were on standby. They raised their spear made of wood but perhaps their shooting distance was shorter compared to their leader and that was why they did not fire any arrows.


    Each of the troopers was toned and muscular. They did not look overly buff as their muscles were well balanced.


    If to compare them with ordinary humans, they would be first class warriors. As their Qi condensed, you could feel a sense of Qi of devilry gushing through the clouds.


    The arrowed fired by the young adult swayed slightly at the void and drew a beautiful arc. It accurately stabbed into that foreign object.


    The clouds gathered together and pounded against the arrow. Part of its figure was revealed and it was a creature with a bird''s head and a man''s body with a pair of protruding wings from its ribs. His wings flapped and that triggered the thunderstorm.


    This was a human-like creature and humanoids were not exactly rare in the world, especially those with wings. As the chief of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian had seen and read a lot.


    But it was a first for him to encounter a creature that has protruding wings from its ribs and could easily summon the thunderstorm. If such creature was recorded in the books, we would have recognized it.


    The flock of clouds smacked the arrow. A hint of whistling sound could be heard coming from mid-air as the arrow shattered.


    Shen Lian noticed that it was in that moment, the clouds were compressed to the maximum and then exploded to generate such a frightening force.


    But the scene took place quite a distance away and Shen Lian did not manage to sense the details of it. But he was highly interested in this technique.


    The birdman did not stop but instead dashed downwards. The sound of the thunder was loud and faint blue sparks could be seen around him. His momentum was impressive.


    The troopers began tossing their spears with the intention of piercing through the birdman.


    But the birdman was swift and dodged the spears easily. As for those that he could not avoid, he would sweep it away with his wings and crushed the spears with the thunder.


    The young adult did not have the time to explain to Shen Lian. He just fired away and his speed was stunningly impressive.


    He fired six arrows in one breath, making it a series of arrow attack.


    He was perspiring profusely but he had a firm look on his face as he was glaring at the birdman.


    The series of arrows came with explosive sound. It looked like a long dragon that was heading towards the direction of the birdman. Shen Lian could sense the surging Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth that was attached to the arrows.


    When the young man fixed the arrow to the bow, the flame in between his eyebrows was extremely bright, as if there was something burning.


    Vividly, it seemed that an outside force was supporting the young adult. The force was solid, cold and at the same time somewhat as ancient as God.


    It was neither similar to the mana nor spiritual power.


    If to put it in words, it was somewhat similar to the strange force at the Black Water Residence.


    Shen Lian did not want to be involved in the fight. Obviously, the birdman and the Dongyi Tribe were mutual enemies.


    He had never meddled in other''s affairs. Out of curiosity, he decided to stay on and watch.


    There were indeed many strange powers in the world and cultivators were just a small part of it. They may be one of the strongest but there were so many others unrecorded or even unknown powers in the world that withstood the test of time.


    With the help of the troopers, the young adult was able to accurately pinpoint the birdman. Like a ferocious dragon, he aimed at the birdman.


    A brief seesaw battle took place in midair as the young adult did not stop firing his arrow.


    He was chanting a series of ancient syllabi and the flame burned brighter. However, Shen Lian noticed something inside the young adult was diminishing.


    It was his vitality, or in other words, the innate strength of his was diminishing.


    The flame on his eyebrows was stripped off one by one as the young adult fires the arrow at the direction of the birdman.


    Shen Lian was shockingly amazed as the temperature of the flame actually melted the void.


    He was even slightly fearful of that desire of wanting to destroy everything.


    And then, the young adult collapsed to the ground.

 Chapter 224 The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds

    A loud wailing sound could be heard in mid-air. It was the birdman who caught the flame.


    In a blink of an eye, the birdman with protruding wings has flown away at the speed of light and what was left were some curled feathers falling from the sky.


    Shen Lian took out a shiny looking elixir that smelled really good. The troopers were drooling just by looking at it.


    The young adult seemed like the leader of the troopers. Although the troopers were drooling they were still on high alert and kept an eye on Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian was not bothered by the attention and placed the elixir into the young man''s mouth. This elixir was not a medicine to heal wounds but this ''Nine Fragrance Ginseng Pill'' contained the essence of nine different magical herbs and was used to restore a person''s Qi of vitality.


    The flame mark in between the eyebrows of the young man went off, leaving only scars behind. But after swallowing the Nine Fragrance Ginseng Pill, the flame slowly regained its color, though it was a lot dimmer than before.


    When the young man woke up, Shen Lian smiled.


    The young adult politely thanked Shen Lian, "Mister Daoist, thank you for the elixir. My name is Jimeng and I will repay you when I return to my tribe."


    Although he conversed in the Donggi''s dialect, he was very courteous and respectful and that was something Shen Lian did not expect.


    Shen Lian asked, "How do you know that I am a Daoist? Have you encountered anyone else like me?"


    Jimeng replied, "The Doyen of our tribe has once traveled the world and encountered people like you. I was only able to determine your background after you gave me the elixir."


    Shen Lian knew better that people with superhuman powers like them could reach places that ordinary human would never reach. They could go to the vast ice lands, the peak of the highest mountains or even the beyond the clouds. It was not unusual to encounter superhumans like that once in a while.


    Although the ratio of cultivators to ordinary human was one in a million.


    Shen Lian asked, "What''s the beef with that birdman?"


    Jimeng flustered in anger and said, "He is from the ''Winged Men Tribe'', one of the hundred tribes of the Kun Mountain. He would not have been so powerful if he did not steal and eat the celestial almond that we were escorting. Earlier on, I mistook you as his accomplice and that''s why I assaulted you."


    He continued, "After consuming the celestial almond, one would have the ability to control the wind and thunder. Our Doyen assigned us to escort it to the celestial market organized by the Xuantong Demon King and exchange for some other items back. We didn''t expect that creature would steal and eat it. Are you on your way to the celestial market too?"


    Jimeng explained the situation to Shen Lian. Although he looked of similar age as Shen Lian, he was groomed by the tribe''s doyen since he was a kid and he was smarter than his fellow clansman. His Doyen once told him that Daoist generally looked young, would not age and would not die. The more skillful Daoist could set the ocean ablaze while the less skillful one flies across the sky and drill through the ground. They have the knowledge to produce magical medicine that could treat the dead or they could use it to start a plague and kill an entire tribe.


    The Doyen also once said, most Daoists would never take the initiative to harm others because of bad karma.


    Shen Lian pondered slightly and said, "Your tribe is so far away from here and it seemed like you don''t know how to fly. How did you cross the vast ocean?"


    Jimeng stood up and answered, "Since you''re curious and there''s nothing for us to hide. Our tribe''s Doyen cast a spell to send us over. Our destination was somewhere near Xuantong Demon King''s celestial market. But something went wrong and we landed in the middle of the ocean and was assaulted by the Winged Men tribe. We were an easy target for the Winged Men tribe and that''s why we came and seek refuge on this island. At least the island could provide us with some geographical advantage.


    As for why would our tribe heard of the Xuantong Demon King''s celestial market, that''s because the Xuantong Demon King once made a trip to our tribe and our former Doyen has rescued him with witchcraft. He is a sentimental person and communicates with us regularly."


    Shen Lian smiled, "You don''t have to explain so much to me. If you want to go to the celestial market, I can bring all of you there."


    Jimeng had some doubts but he eventually gave in. That was because the Doyen once told him to never turn down an offer of help made by a powerful person, it would invite disaster otherwise.


    Besides, a true warrior would not be able to fight alone without the help of others. A brave warrior would also repay the kindness of others and know how to overcome difficulties.


    Shen Lian was somewhat amused. What type of sorcery could actually transport the entire troop to somewhere so far away? This must be something that involved the mysterious dimensions and it was not something Shen Lian could do currently.


    Actually, Qing Xuan once had a magic talisman that could access different dimensions. But the talisman was taken away by the immortal Zhenren that went missing. Because the immortal Zhenren would always go on exploration trips to discover the mysteries behind different spaces and hence, the magical talisman was assigned to him for safekeeping.


    Among the four main Daoist sects, the one that specialized in the Space of Dao was the Taisu Sect.


    Speaking of the Taisu Sect, Shen Lian could not help but be reminded of Ruoxi. As the chief of a sect, part of the reason why he left the mountains was because of the Temple of Longevity but the more important reason was because he wanted to take Ruoxi back with him. It has been sixty to seventy years since, he was not sure if Ruoxi could still recognize him.


    It was just that Ruoxi was the one and only blood relative he had and he would never abandon her no matter what.


    Moreover, he has now the chief of Qing Xuan and that alone was sufficient to protect her.


    Jimeng could sense a slight depression in Shen Lian but he did not know the reason why. Although they had lost the fairy almond, they still had to go and meet the Xuantong Demon King, or in the words of the Doyen, a token of courtesy.


    He got distracted for a short while and saw the endless movements of Shen Lian''s fingers. Even if he had perfect eyesight, all he could see were shadows. Soon, a hurricane came by and wrapped them up in the sky.


    The troopers were hugging each other in the wind and Jimeng too, was scared. But he knew that this was a Dao spell and hence suppressed his fears.


    After a while, they arrived on the shore. Shen Lian hung on in the void but the troops landed on a raised platform that was freshly made.


    Jimeng recalled seeing Shen Lian pointed on the ocean to build this platform before he tossed them down.


    There were yellow halos spinning around on the platform.


    There was a sea of clouds in the sky and there were many different architectures beneath the clouds.


    This sea of clouds was like flat and motionless land in the void. A building that looked like a palace in the clouds.


    An intelligent cultivator would be able to tell that only ''The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds'' could create a building as such in the sky. Incenses were burnt in the center of one of the buildings as a faint fragrant lingered around.


    Behind the curtains, someone said, "Tong Er, some guests arrived. Please go and welcome them." The voice sounded empty and it was hard to tell if it was the voice of a male or female.

 Chapter 225 Ziguang Pavilion

    "Alright, my King." The response from outside was the crisp voice of a Tongzi.


    The curtains opened, and that person said, "Please bring the Dongyi tribe friends to me and lead the celestial Daoist to Ziguang Pavilion."


    The Tongzi could not help but be curious, as the Ziguang Pavilion was at the east side of the palace. Every morning, the Ziguang Pavilion get the first glimpse of the sunlight and the scenery there was breathtaking. Only privileged guests would be allowed to enter there. Now that the celestial market was about to start, only six guests stayed at the pavilion. All of them were either famous demon kings, highly cultivated Daoist and one of them was an important guest from the Taishang Daoist Sect.


    The Tongzi did not expect the Xuantong Demon King would assign to him to welcome such an honorable guest.


    Shen Lian and Jimeng did not wait for long until a flying ark landed from the sky. The flying ark was spacious and a Tongzi was standing on it.


    Shen Lian turned his head to the platform and said, "Xuantong Demon King has sent someone to pick you."


    The Tongzi first looked at Jimeng and his troops and then secretly sized Shen Lian up. With his vision, he could tell that this young Daoist was someone incredible. With just one look, the Tongzi felt like he has seen the vastness of the ocean of clouds and had an extensive sense of amplitude.


    The troopers went on the flying ark with the Tongzi.


    The flying ark was large and extremely stable.


    Tongzi first turned to Jimeng, "Little master of the Dongyi tribe, our King summoned me to bring you to him." He then turned to Shen Lian and said, "And Sir, I will arrange a room for you to rest at the Ziguang Pavilion." He communicated with Jimeng with spiritual telepathy but used the common language when speaking to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian nodded his head gently.


    Jimeng nodded his head too and turned to Shen Lian, "I have yet to ask how should I address you?"


    Shen Lian smiled and answered, "You can call me Mister Qing Xia."


    He replied in the Dongyi dialect and the Tongzi had no idea what he was saying.


    Shortly, the flying ark arrived at the celestial market, also the territory of the Xuantong Demon King. Shen Lian briefly analyzed the place and the Demon King had definitely spent quite a bit of it. Just the Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds itself had shown the depth of the Demon King''s mana. Even if he was not as powerful as a celestial demon like Mister Sea, he was probably not far away from that level.


    The cultivation of the demon race was different from humans. After shapeshifting, their power could only be estimated. Unless the demon achieved the supreme level of the ''Great Saint'', otherwise it was hard to say if there were any breakthrough in the middle period.


    Actually, this was nothing strange as the Nine States of Cultivation did not exist back then. During the ancient times, achieving Huandan was known as the ''Jin Dan way of Dao'' and the next stage where they departed from being a commoner was known as ''Tian Xian'',heavenly immortals.


    The Tongzi firstly invited Shen Lian to the Ziguang Pavilion. The gap between the pavilions was big and there were nine independent structures that coincided with the numbers of Jiugong, ''Nine Palace''. However, the Qi of vitality in this area was not considered strong.


    The moment Tongzi arrived, a servant came to welcome. She was a human cultivator but her level of cultivation was low and it seemed like she just reached Qiaodong. The servant had a complicated Qi of Dao but she had a complete body with a long figure and a pair of arms that was semi-exposed; she looked a little pale but had a pretty face. The girl secretly analyzed Shen Lian and thought he was a brilliant person.


    Tongzi said to the servant, "This is an honorable guest of the King. Please treat him well. Also, which three rooms of the Ziguang Pavilion are still vacant?" There were nine floors to the Ziguang Pavilion and each floor could only host one person. Despite that, it has never been full. The pavilion was extremely quiet on most days and if it was not for the celestial market that offered several precious treasures, people would not have come.


    The servant accepted the orders and replied with a soft voice, "Regarding your question, the three available rooms are the first, fifth and the seventh room."


    Tongzi turned to Shen Lian and asked, "Zhenren, where would you like to stay?"


    Shen Lian replied, "The seventh room."


    Tongzi nodded his head and said, "She will bring you there. I will have to bring them to meet my King." He was referring to the Jimeng and the Dongyi tribe troopers. As Shen Lian was an experienced cultivator, Tongzi would never let Shen Lian wait for too long and that was why he personally ushered Shen Lian to the Ziguang Pavilion.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Sure, please go ahead."


    Tongzi bowed and left.


    The servant said, "It''s rare for the manager to personally welcome an honorable guest. Please follow me in."


    She carried herself gracefully.


    Shen Lian leisurely followed behind her and asked, "Considering that you are of the human race, why are you working here?"


    The servant smiled and replied him in a gentle voice, "My name is Fenghe, you can call me by my name. The sea around the area was blessed by the King and that prevented much unnecessary dispute. The King said that demons can be rude and not detailed oriented, and that would easily piss our celestial guests off. That''s why he recruited low leveled cultivators that were scattered around the area to see if anyone is interested to work here.


    The servants are grateful for the King''s kindness and that''s why we agreed to come here and obey the King''s demands. Besides, we always have special guests like you during the celestial market season and maybe these honorable guests would offer some cultivation tips and that''s the best thing that can happen to us."


    Her words have changed Shen Lian''s impression of the Xuantong Demon King. This demon king was indeed different from other demon cultivators and his thoughts and ideals were more like of the human race.


    The purpose of organizing the celestial market was for enlightenment as after all, civilization began with trade.


    During the ancient times, the rise of human beings was made possible because of the ability to utilize tools to communicate with others. Cultivators were ahead of the demon race because demon race was disorganized and extremely bad at exchanging opinions. The accomplishments of a supreme demon king were often accompanied by luck and opportunities, and the journey was generally very excruciating. The population of the demon race expanded rapidly over the years but those who achieved the level of the demon king were not anywhere stronger than the human race. Furthermore, it was tough for them to unite together, let alone emphasize on inheritance like the human race.


    Shen Lian smiled, "You sure made Xuantong Dao friend sound really interesting. Does he usually meet people?" Since Xuantong Demon King was a unique demon, Shen Lian addressed him as a Dao friend. To Shen Lian, he did not care about the cultivation level of a person. What matters to him was the mind and wisdom of a person.


    If he could not make any connection with a person, then that particular person would not interest him.


    Fenghe answered with her head down, "You''ll have to ask the manager about that. But it shouldn''t be difficult for the guests of the Ziguang Pavilion to meet the King."


    Shen Lian nodded his head and followed Fenghe to the seventh floor.


    Every small structure of the Ziguang Pavilion were known as the Ziguang Pavilion. What sets them apart was the number from one to nine. The decorations and facilities of the nine floors were similar to each other and very simplistic.


    There was nothing valuable in the room but it felt fresh and clean.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "Xuantong Demon King sure isn''t vulgar. I expected he would decorate the area for honorable guests lavishly to make it look extravagant. Who knew that it would look so minimalistic."


    Judging from every aspect, Xuantong Demon King could be considered as a Daoist in demon cultivation. Shen Lian could not help but get more curious about him.


    Fenghe pointed at the bell on the top right-hand corner and said, "Please use this bell to summon me if you need anything. The King has some magical tea here and if you want to drink, I can brew it for you now."


    Shen Lian responded, "Well then, please make me a pot of tea."


    He was not in a hurry to dismiss Fenghe but instead, he leisurely observed the room. It was spacious with no bed but a futon weaved by an unknown grass. With just one look, Shen Lian could tell that the futon was weaved using the Qingxing Ruyi chant.


    This was an exclusive spell by the Water Moon Temple and it was very useful for concentration and meditation. He wondered if this futon was a gift from the Water Moon Temple or if the Xuantong Demon King knew how to use it. He had heard stories about the king picking up several spells from a different sect, and even sneaked into the Xuantian Sect once. Maybe he indeed learned the spell.


    A seven-stringed zither was placed in front of the futon.


    Looking outwards from the side, he could see the vast ocean of clouds and could hear the sound of the wind.


    It sure was fun to be able to stay in a place like this once in a while


    Even if Shen Lian was not picky about his accommodation, he felt that this place was a little too serene and quiet.


    Soon enough, the fragrant of the magical tea spread throughout the room. Shen Lian looked at the tea table as Fenghe made him tea. Snow-white tea foams floated on the surface of the teacup and it shined along with Fenghe''s wrist.


    Once the tea was brewed, Fenghe politely served him, "Please enjoy your tea."


    Shen Lian smiled, "I don''t feel like having tea now, please have if on behalf of me." It was the Xueya Tea and it was rich in soulful aura. Cultivators who took it would have a peaceful state of mind and it was good for the body. But to Shen Lian, this cup of tea could not satisfy him.


    Fenghe did not know to drink or not to drink and responded, "You''re putting me in a tough situation."


    Shen Lian replied, "Go ahead. This tea is good for you but it''s'' nothing to me."


    This was the first time Fenghe had encountered someone so approachable like Shen Lian. She was very touched by his thoughtfulness and did not know how to thank him. All she could do was to finish the cup of tea and bow to him deeply.


    Shen Lian allowed her to bow once and then asked, "When will the celestial market commence?"


    Fenghe replied, "It will start in the next ten days."


    Shen Lian asked, "Do I trade with a system of barter or something else?"


    There was no standardized form of currency in the world of cultivation. Low leveled cultivators would generally use objects with refined Qi of vitality, spiritual stones, elixirs or jewelry that contained Qi of vitality. Cultivators who achieved Huandan and above could easily occupy a territory that was rich in Qi of vitality to sustain themselves.


    These items were no use to them as they could just use some energy and absorb the vitality of heaven and earth.


    If this was used as a trading currency, many immortal Daoren of Dao sects would have used it to become rich.


    Thus, the barter system was used although it may seem backward compared to the currency trade in the human world. This system was more relevant and practical as a Daoist who was willing to trade would have a corresponding demand. It was a trade that compliments both parties.


    Fenghe who benefitted from Shen Lian''s kindness replied him with even more courteous, "You could convert your instruments and Dao talisman to Yiyuan Elixir with the King and someone would evaluate the value of the item. We would never put our guests in an unfavorable situation. A genuinely good item would garner a price that matches it and the seller could then determine if it is of the right price."

 Chapter 226 Legendary

    New year, new start. Yiyuan Elixir was an extremely pure elixir that contained the Qi vitality of heaven and earth. Cultivators may have cut off themselves from consuming food but they would meditate in replacement of diet.


    Consuming the Yiyuan Elixir could simplify the process of Qigong practice as it would provide the pure Qi of vitality for the cultivator. Furthermore, if a lowly-experienced cultivator were to take it regularly for a long-term, the elixir could improve his fitness level.


    The Yiyuan Elixir was not considered as a spiritual medicine. It was just a clump of concentrated Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth.


    Any cultivators who have mastered Qiaodong would be able to produce this elixir. However, most cultivators of that level would not even have enough time for their Qigong practice and meditation, let alone making elixirs. Furthermore, it would require a lot of effort to digest the Yiyuan Elixir.


    The Yiyuan Elixir had other purposes for cultivators like Shen Lian. When they travel and needed a stable cultivation state to mediate and practice Qigong, they could use this elixir when they could not find a spot that was rich in Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth.


    Of course, Shen Lian had no shortage of things like that. Afterall, he came from a prestigious background. But not all cultivators, especially the smaller sects like the Qingjiang Sect had that luxury. Even their chief may not be as wealthy as scattered cultivators.


    Shen Lian could understand that Xuantong Demon King had done so much for the celestial market and it definitely was not an easy feat. The concept of using the Yiyuan Elixir as currency could only be applied in the Xuantong''s territory.


    To think about it, no one in this world would have the ability or power to promote the use of a standard currency in the world of cultivation.


    Even Lu Jiuyuan could not do it. Perhaps if the four main Daoist sects worked together, the idea might work among Xuanmen cultivators.


    Shen Lian smiled at the thought that he actually had the influence to be part of something major like that.


    Speaking of the development of cultivation, the current civilization of cultivation in the Yuan Continent could only be considered as being in the preliminary stage. The four main Daoist sects were like four powerful ancient tribes. They were influential but only to a certain extent.


    On top of that, the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth was limited. If to develop the world of cultivation too rapidly, it would cause great damage to the heaven and earth, and naturally, there would be karma for that. Destroying the heaven and earth would be the worst sin possible and it would be even more difficult to overcome it. Anyone saint with wisdom would not do such a thing.


    Shen Lian fell into deep thoughts and Fenghe had no idea that this handsome-looking cultivator was actually thinking about a revolution that involved the cultivation world.


    She too was not aware that the Shen Lian was one of the most respected cultivators in the entire Yuan Continent.


    Shen Lian said, "I see. I don''t need anything else, for now, you may leave. I will call you if I need something."


    Fenghe nodded but she was a little disappointed not because of the benefits she could have gained from him. Cultivators generally looked well groomed but Shen Lian was exceptionally elegant and charismatic as he was so approachable and warm but also oozed hints of arrogance.


    She may have been slightly cultivated, but she still had humanly desires and wanted to spend more time with Shen Lian.


    Fenghe did not think that she was worthy enough for him but she just could not help but hope to be a bit closer to Shen Lian. Such thoughts were hidden so deep down that Shen Lian would not notice it.


    She left the room with the teapot and teacups.


    There were no prohibitions in these structures reason being people who were able to stay in the Ziguang Pavilion were prominent figures. It would be rude of Xuantong Demon King to set some sort of protection against them.


    Shen Lian did not have the intention to go and greet the remaining guests. Great Grandmaster Ziling would not forgive him if his identity was revealed and rumors about the chief of Qing Xuan, Shen Zhenren actually took the initiative to visit a certain connoisseur.


    As Fenghe exited the room to head to the Spiritual Water Pond to wash the teapot, she heard the voice of Xuantong Demong King summoning her to go to the Xuanguang Palace in thirty minutes. The Xuanguang Palace was the residence of the Xuantong Demon King.


    Xuantong Demon King specifically wanted her to be there in the thirty minutes, neither not to be there too early nor late. Fenghe washed the teapot and teacups, slightly arranged herself and planned to take her own time to walk over.


    Just then, a girl in white came out from the ninth courtyard. She looked clean and elegant, like the purity of the water lotus. Fenghe immediately lowered her head to greet the girl.


    The girl in white saw Fenghe and smiled, "Where are you heading to?"


    Fenghe could recognize this guest and it was her sister that was in charge of servicing her. She was not strange but was extremely picky about her food. The past ten days since her arrival has been disastrous for the chef of the celestial market. But if a guest of the Ziguang Pavilion requested for anything, Xuantong Demon King would try his best to fulfill it. That was also why no one dared to complain about the guests to the Demon King.


    In a gentle voice, Fenghe replied, "The King has summoned me."


    The girl in white asked, "Wow, your King would actually gather with small servants like you. That sure is fresh. So why did he summon you, could you tell me about it?"


    The girl was curious.


    Xuantong Demon King was respectful to her and thus she would not use her spiritual sense to pry around. Furthermore, she was here to trade for a certain item at the celestial market and would not do anything that would offend the host.


    Fenghe thought to herself, "How would I know what the King wants to ask me? Even if I do, I can'' tell you."


    The girl in white noticed her expression and laughed, "Fine then."


    With light steps, she walked past Fenghe and said "The guest that you greeted earlier seemed alright. And he even treated you a cup of tea. If he''s a man, don''t even think about liking him. The more cultivated a man is, the more heartless they could be."


    There were hints of hatred in her words.


    Fenghe blushed as she thought to herself that each and every guest were amazing. She could not help but thought of Shen Lian and felt that he was not the heartless cruel type of person. But people like him have nothing to do with her even if they were sentimental beings. She felt a little sad by that thought.


    She compared herself to the girl in white and felt like a wildflower on the mountains; she thought to herself, "Only girls like her would be good enough for him."


    Her qualifications were not sufficient to seek for immortality and could only settle for supernatural powers. If she could not even live freely, it was harder to imagine people like Shen Lian or the girl in white to pursue someone like her. Even if there were some love involved, it would just be a minor part to their Dao journey and they would never go crazy over her.


    With a troubled mind, she arrived at the Xuanguang Palace. Coincidently, the Tongzi under the Xuantong Demon King came out at the same time.


    The Xuanguang Palace was a sacred place. She would not be able to enter the place without someone leading her in.


    Tongzi looked at her and said, "The King is inside, please follow me in."


    It was not a difficult task for the Xuantong Demon King to sense her arrival and Fenghe too did not think too much about it. She bowed to Tongzi and followed him in.


    They passed by the long corridor that had a cloud fountain, and floras and faunas by its side. There was a green bamboo pond that swayed in the wind. It really looked like a garden in the air.


    It was difficult to make something like that without a strong mana.


    Actually many people were curious about how the Xuantong Demon King was able to build such a huge celestial city in the void. After all, maintaining the city itself would require a lot of effort. Some predicted that the Demon King used a magic talisman while others said that the city was transformed from a magic talisman, and that was why it was able to stay up in the sky and prosper for such a long period of time.


    According to records, back in the ancient times, there was a similar magic talisman known as the ''Heaven Courtyard'' that occupied a wide area of the milky way. A few days later, the Heaven Courtyard disappeared from the milky way.


    Fenghe did not dare to look around but she could hear heavy footsteps of a group of people. She looked up to see a young adult in animal skin with a group of strong men walking towards the other lane.


    The young adult saw her and was amazed.


    Fenghe had yet encountered someone so straightforward like the young adult. But the young adult was well behaved and left after taking a peep at her. He did not stop to take more looks.


    As she arrived the hall, the fragrant scent entered her nose and she temporarily forgot about her distracting thoughts. Xuantong Demon King was somewhere deep behind the curtains. The curtains had tiny silver hooks and pearls and would produce a crisp sound as they collided with each other. It sounded like a beautiful melody.


    This would be her second time meeting Xuanguang Demon King. Her first time was three years ago when she just arrived.


    A peaceful voice penetrated through the curtains, "Tell me about the guest you have just welcomed. What has he done so far? Tell me all about it."


    Fenghe did not dare to conceal any information and she also felt that there was nothing for her to hide, thus she told the King about Shen Lian in detail. The truth was that she did not get to know much about him as she only spent a brief moment with him. But she answered every question the King asked.


    After hearing about Shen Lian, Xuantong Demon King pondered for a while and said, "Come closer."


    Fenghe obeyed the demand and came to the curtains. A slender hand with snow-like skin came out from the beaded curtain and pressed lightly on Fenghe''s head.


    The first thought that came to Fenghe''s mind was, "Could it be that the King was actually a female evil spirit?" She then heard a light snort and felt helpless as if someone was looking at her naked.


    She could not help but recall the look of Shen Lian and it was so clear in her memories. Even Shen Lian''s mountain-like eyebrows were crystal clear in her mind.


    The scene was fast forwarded to the moment she exited Shen Lian''s room.


    The Xuantong Demon King retracted the hand and said, "You may now leave. You don''t need to report back to me if this guest requested for something. Just go ahead and do it. If it''s something that you can''t decide, please look for Jingting Tong Er."


    Jingting was the name of the Tongzi under her, and he was named Jingting because he was shapeshifted by the King at the Jingting Mountain. The Jingting Mountain was the place of enlightenment of the Lotus Sword Sect. An immortal Zhenren left behind the "Green Lotus Codex of the Sword" to use as the sect establishing martial exercises. Back then, Xuantong Demon King once went to the Lotus Sword Sect with the intentions of learning swordcraft. But they did not allow it and even sent people to kill her.


    Xuantong Demon King made a second trip to the Jingting Mountain but that time, she was already well accomplished as a cultivator and the Green Lotus Sword Sect surrendered the Green Lotus Codex of the Sword to her, and Jingting Tongzi was the Jiejian Stone of the Jingting Mountain.


    Back then, the demon king was extremely charismatic and could easily turn rocks into a fairy. She took the codex of sword and left and no one could stop her.


    This story was widely circulated and was the biggest shame of the Green Lotus Sword Sect.


    But that was only a small episode of the legend of the Xuantong Demon King. Perhaps, she herself did not think that much about this incident.

 Chapter 227 Wu Qingzi

    Fenghe left after taking the order, and Jingting Tongzi came in.


    Xuantong Demon King whispered, "Seeing how big the world is, it wouldn''t be surprising that I don''t recognize all of the powerful men. However, this person looked weak and he called himself as "Mister Qingxia". His level of attainment is deep, which is really rare. Hence, it will not be difficult to take a guess."


    Jingting Tongzi bowed and replied, "I trailed after him for a while and noticed how remarkable his Qi dynamic is. It could be described as a bright moon that shone brightly up in the sky, and yet it was not conspicuous. This is not a characteristic exhibited by non-formal cultivator and he is definitely from one of the big celestial schools. As Guangqing is getting better lately and has been producing many talents, could he be from Guangqing?"


    "If he is from Guangqing, his aura would have been harsher and cruder. Moreover, this person is really young and he is not even a hundred years old yet. Wu Qingzi from Taishang Daoist Sect has arrived earlier, and now this person has come. What an interesting turn of event," Xuantong Demon King laughed gently.


    Jingting Tongzi remained silent. With the King''s status today, they merely needed to be polite to these guests. After all, there was no ranking or hierarchy between humans and demons. Despite how exceptional the four main Daoist sects were, surely they would not act on their whims here.


    After smiling, Xuantong Demon King spoke, "Actually I am aware of the true identity of this Mister Qingxia, but I can''t expose him. After all, he rescued Jimeng and his group. I owe him one. However, I don''t think he would be interested in anything here besides the few items that will be brought forth during the Treasure Auction."


    Jingting Tongzi was intrigued, "Who is he really?" He asked. Even though he was the servant of Xuantong Demon King, but they were much closer than that. After all, he shapeshifted through the external help he received from Xuantong. This was why he did not feel the need to filter his words.


    "This person is connected to a lot of contentious issues. It is better that we feign ignorance," Xuantong replied.


    When Xuantong was done speaking, the bells rang behind the curtains.


    The dark air started to seep out �C the Demon King had started to operate the techniques. Jingting Tongzi left quietly and stood guard outside of the hall.


    Shen Lian lived alone at the quaint tower, and he operated the Taixu Strategy quietly. His mana vibrated through the acupoints, cultivating the blood and flesh in the process. The depth increased gradually, and time flowed like a river without him realizing.


    When he opened his eyes again, the moon had risen. Its ray streamed gently like that of flowing water, and the ground was covered in silver. Shen Lian looked at the brilliant moon. It was like a big silver tray that existed in isolation. It made one feel like one could take refuge in it and escape from the events of the world.


    Acting on the spur of the moment, Shen Lian reached for his zither.


    The music he made drifted all over, just as how the water in the mountains would, and it could be heard even in the rest of the courtyards.


    In Courtyard Number Three, there was a person dressed in Taichi Daoist robe and wore his hair down. His eyes were clear and deep, and he was standing outside the window. He spaced out as he stared at the brilliant moon and the stars that dimmed in comparison.


    At that moment, the music reached him. It reminded him of the sound of nature, the chirping of birds and insects. Though, as he listened closely, he noticed a sense of pride in it. That was beyond the sound of zither.


    It was the zither, and yet it was the person; it had begun in improvisation, and it ended with the personal emotions. He was impressed by the state of mind that was conveyed through the tune, the way a person remained unbothered by the countless occurrences in the world. After hearing such great music, he could not help but to trace its source.


    The outline of his body changed, and there were spots of light at where he once stood. Within moments, he stood at the door of Courtyard Number Seven.


    The sound of the zither was getting clearer and classier, and the tune was something that he had never heard of.


    He could not help himself from clapping, and the music stopped immediately.


    "Guess I have spoilt the mood here," he uttered. This was unlike him; he was carried away by the melodious tune that led to the manifestation of his worldly desires.


    "My Daoist friend, with you standing outside, you are gracing me with your presence. What is the talk about spoiling the mood," the voice replied from inside.


    He laughed and got even more amazed by the guest residing in Courtyard Number Seven. "I''m Wu Qingzi, do you mind if I come in and make your acquaintance?" He queried.


    "It''s always good having a guest around when you are up late at night." His voice was casual and calm. There was something natural and poetic about it.


    Wu Qingzi was pleased by the reply he received. He pushed open the door and saw a person hugging his zither. The person looked young and charming, and his clothes fluttered in the wind. He was indescribably elegant.


    He could not help but give him a silent praise in his heart �C a Celestial indeed! It was a shame that he did not meet this person earlier. He would have been more than qualified to join the Taishang Daoist Sect. Though, seeing how the person could be staying in Ziguang Pavilion already, it seemed that he found his own path and had become one of the most prominent Daoist figure, or a powerful demon. Of course, there was no chance that the person would join his Daoist sect anymore. There were not many people that he had eyes for in this world, and this person was one of them. Despite not knowing his background, he already took a liking to the person.


    Shen Lian looked up and sized Wu Qingzi up. He was handsome and his black hair was worn down like a waterfall. His eyes were deep and unpredictable. They were expressive and had left a strong impression with Shen Lian.


    He walked over casually with his proportionately-shaped body, and he did not make a sound at all. It was like an amalgamation of Buddhism and Daoism.


    The state of Unity of Universe and Human demonstrated so casually by him had impressed Shen Lian. He could not help but be amazed by his level of cultivation.


    Wu Qingzi made himself at home and sat opposite of Shen Lian. Both of them sat cross-legged, as though each of them was a jade tree and an orchid respectively; there was no doubt that together, they outshone the moon.


    "My friend, I have never heard of the tune that you were playing earlier. It sounded otherworldly; may I know what is it called?" Wu Qingzi smiled.


    "After waking up from the state of spiritual calmness and seeing the beautiful moon tonight, I was reminded of this tune and played it. The name was "The Night is Dark"," Shen Lian replied with a smile.


    Wu Qingzi was powerful. Shen Lian was amazed by how unpredictable he was. Judging from the how natural the Unity of Universe and Human demonstrated by him in his every move, there was only one martial exercise in this world that matched this description �C the "Taishang Detection Technique" of the Taishang Daoist Sect.


    The four main Daoist sects rarely crossed each other''s path. The only thing that joined them together was their names.


    The connection between the Daoist orthodoxies was nothing when compared to that of the Eight Sects of Buddhism.


    Amongst all the schools of cultivation in Yuan Continent, the Taishang Daoist Sect was the most mysterious sect. However, their strength was undisputed. Some even said that the Sect Master of Taishang Daoist Sect was comparable to Lu Jiuyuan. However, those from this sect were very detached from the world, and they rarely showed their limitless mana and ultimate supernatural powers.


    Of course, there might be a slight exaggeration with these tales. Lu Jiuyuan was undoubtedly the best in the world, even if there were demons and monsters who managed to become a Great Sage, they could never surpass Lu Jiuyuan.


    In the past ten thousand years, there was no one who had a higher attainment than Lu Jiuyuan.


    "''The Night is Dark'' indeed. I am really moved by it. In the dark and long night, the moon had broken through the clouds and shone gently on the ground," Wu Qingzi smiled.

 Chapter 228 Elixir

    After several casual exchanges, both of them ended up starting a conversation.


    Wu Qingzi was concise and precise, his words inspired contemplation. Shen Lian gave impromptu replies, and all of them were deep and deserved of serious contemplation and appreciation.


    Throughout their conversation, Shen Lian could not help but be amazed by his wits and wisdom and to appreciate the rarity of someone of his caliber.


    In spite of knowing that he was from Taishang Daoist Sect, Shen Lian still could not help but to admire him.


    Wu Qingzi probably shared Shen Lian''s sentiments. The only difference was, due to Shen Lian''s success in the cultivation of Tongtian Skill and had thus hidden his Qi dynamic, Wu Qingzi could not tell what was the martial exercise practiced by Shen Lian. Moreover, he was unfamiliar with the changes in the human realm.


    There were noises coming from some distance away. Wu Qingzi paused with what he was saying and smiled, "Even though the Treasure Auction isn''t here yet, but there are a lot of cultivators who organized underground transactions. There are plenty of strange occurrences in the Boundless Universe. Despite that, we probably would not be interested in most of the items there, but sometimes there might be one or two delicate pieces mixed amongst them. If you are not occupied, why don''t we head over and take a look together?"


    Shen Lian thought that someone like Wu Qingzi would not be interested in such things, and yet surprisingly so, he was.


    Little did he know that it was a tradition of the Taishang Daoist Sect to have its disciples to enter into the secular world and then to leave it!


    The entering and leaving made a full circle.


    The sect believed that it was impossible to see the truth of Dao without first seeing the people in the world.


    "Daoist brother, since you are in the mood, of course, I would not object!" Shen Lian replied.


    He rang the bell at the corner and it produced a crisp ringing sound. A female servant walked in. That would be Fenghe, the servant who was put in charge of catering to Shen Lian''s needs.


    After noticing her arrival, Shen Lian told Fenghe, "I intend to visit the trade market with my fellow Daoist here. Could you please show us the way?"


    As they were all cultivators of Dao, resting at night was optional to them. Moreover, Fenghe yearned to serve Shen Lian.


    She bowed respectfully to Shen Lian and led the way for them. The ground was made entirely of The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds. It was fluffy and bouncy, yet sturdy. There was no danger of falling at all.


    The silver moonlight fell on the clouds. The white mist made one feel as though one was in the heavenly palace. It was impossible to tell the bearings as well. Fenghe walked in front with a copper lamp. Wherever the light reached, the mist would be dispersed, showing the way up ahead.


    It did not take long for them to reach the stage. It was built entirely with green divine wood. The name "Qingyun Stage" was flanked by a set of couplets that said, "The force of the good wind, it aids me to reach Qingyun".


    It was simple and easy to understand. Yet, the usage of it here was very apt.


    Fenghe stopped. "Did fellow Daoist Xuantong write this couplet?" Shen Lian queried.


    Fenghe nodded. "Dear esteemed guest, you are right. The King wrote this," she replied.


    Shen Lian noticed the strength of the penmanship, and yet, there were hints of gentleness within it. The two sentences had great continuity and were pieced together seamlessly. It would seem that the Xuantong Demon King was a cultured demon after all.


    A thought occurred to him, and he spoke, "Since we are here, we might be getting something. The medium of exchange here is Yiyuan Elixir, right? Please exchange some for me." Shen Lian proceeded to fish out two instruments.


    Right at this moment, Fenghe spoke, "Dear esteemed guest, don''t worry about it. I have a bag of Yiyuan Elixir here. There are roughly ten thousand pieces and it should suffice for now. You can have it first."


    Fenghe produced a little pouch that looked like a perfume pouch and passed it to Shen Lian. The little pouch was still warm from her body temperature. It seemed that she carried it around with great care and was careful not to lose it.


    Shen Lian accepted it. "Just the Ruyi pouch itself worth ten thousand Yiyuan Elixirs. How is it that you have it with you?" He queried softly.


    "I am acting on the manager''s instruction. The King said that if you needed Yiyuan Elixir at the celestial market, you may borrow it from us first and we will record it. You just need to pay up when you are leaving," Fenghe replied.


    "Your King is so kind to his guests. Though, why is it that I was not offered this option the last time I was here? I was told to exchange Yiyuan Elixirs with two bottles of my holy water," Wu Qingzi said cheerfully.


    Fenghe blushed, and she did not know how to respond.


    Shen Lian knew all too well that the Xuantong Demon King had a lot of informants and life experiences. It would seem that the King was aware of Shen Lian''s identity. A high social status was attached to the title, the chief of Qing Xuan. However, Qing Xuan was caught in a sensitive position, and Xuantong Demon King probably did not want to offend them or be overly close to them. However, the King could not ignore Shen Lian completely. Hence, the least that the King could do was to show him kind gestures as such.


    Since he was aware of it, he replied, "Perhaps, fellow Daoist Xuantong wanted to give you elixirs and decided not to after seeing how fine your holy water was."


    Wu Qingzi replied with a smile and put the incident behind him.


    Fenghe looked at Shen Lian with gratitude and Shen Lian smiled in reply. She led them up to the Qingyun Stage. The stage was at least a hundred feet tall and was extremely wide.


    Fenghe spoke to someone. Then, they were led to the VIP seats. The view was great, as they could see the pond in the middle clearly. A cloud platform was suspended mid-air, and that would be the exhibition stand. At that moment, a flat and round jade that had a hole in the middle was being displayed on it. A female cultivator who stood next to the cloud platform introduced the jade as Mountain God Jade. It belonged to a Mountain God and had some form of divine power within it. When worn, it had the effect of deterring evil spirits.


    Wu Qingzi and Shen Lian would not be interested in such things. Moreover, Shen Lian noticed that Wu Qingzi''s attention was not directed at the treasures on the cloud platform, but on the right side of the VIP seats. Unlike here, the VIP seats over there were veiled by clouds. A Dao restriction was placed. Unless one peeped into it with one''s spiritual sense, one would not be able to tell if someone was inside.


    All Shen Lian could see was a white figure that was veiled by the clouds.


    Though, the figure seemed to have looked at him for a while, as though both of them knew each other. Being the sharp and alert person that he was, Shen Lian immediately knew who the person was.


    Shen Lian did not react, and he continued to look at the items being auctioned.


    The Mountain God Jade was purchased by someone at the price of fifty Yiyuan Elixirs.


    Despite that, the cultivators here were mainly non-formal cultivators, but they were all clothed in exquisite clothing and had servants catering to them. There were plenty of nations in the seas. Most of the cultivators who knew that they did not stand a chance at attaining immortality had seized an island and became influential. As the population grew, a nation was formed.


    Even in Qing Xuan itself, there was a disciple, Zhao Siming who came from one of the nations in the seas. When he first joined, he was proud and even got into a bet against Lu Shouyi as he was not pleased with the fact that Lu Shouyi became Zhang Ruoxu''s disciple.


    Throughout the years, he restrained himself and worked on his pride. He had now entered the state of Ruhua. Shen Lian intended to nurture him as well. In the future, both Zhao Siming and Lu Shouyi could be the backbone of Qing Xuan.


    It was a shame that there were not any geniuses like Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei in Qing Xuan. For now, no one had shown potential for immortality yet.


    This was perfectly normal. Unlike cabbages, immortal Zhenrens were rare.


    The fact that Qing Xuan had managed to produce a few disciples that had limitless potentials like Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei in just a few hundred years was already in itself a blessing of the Grandmaster.


    Ever since Shen Lian became the chief, he did not get to spend as much time with Lu Shouyi anymore. No one would have expected that Shen Lian could progress so quickly. No matter how hard everyone else worked, they could not even get close enough to see his back.


    Shen Lian had mixed feelings about this, but he was not too bothered about it. After all, he could not possibly stop for anyone. He could only offer as much help as he could lend, and the final outcome still depended on the person himself.


    The next item on auction was the Fengli Staff. The intriguing staff was capable of commanding beasts that were not spiritually active yet. However, Shen Lian was more concerned about its origins. This was so as the Fengli Staff was birthed together with the Fengsheng Beast and the origins of Fengsheng Beast was impressive.


    The previous immortal Zhenren left behind a scroll of Daoist scripture detailing the various celestial elixirs in the world. There was a passage that described it as such - "Fengsheng Beast has the appearance of a mink. It is green and is as big as a raccoon. It lives in the forest of Nanhai. Even if you were to capture it with a net and to burn it with carts of firewood, it would still emerge unscathed amidst the ashes. Its fur would not be singed, and its body is extremely tenacious. It could only be killed if its head was bashed ten over times with a hammer. Even then, it could be resurrected when the wind blew into its mouth. Only be killed by stuffing sweet flag into its nose. Its brain could be extracted and consumed together with chrysanthemum. Consuming five Jin of it would give an extra five hundred years of lifespan."


    It basically meant that the Fengsheng Beast lives around Nanhai, and its body was extremely tenacious. It would only die after being hit in the head ten over times, and even after it had died, it could be resurrected the moment wind blew into its mouth. By extracting its head and mixing it together with chrysanthemum, one would be able to extend one''s lifespan by five hundred years after consuming five kilograms of it.


    This was a rare elixir that could extend one''s lifespan. An extra five hundred years of lifespan was precious; it was something that could make all the humans and demons in the celestial market went crazy for.


    However, the records on the Fengsheng Beast were probably unknown to the cultivators here. If it was not for the fact that Shen Lian hailed from a great sect and was privy to a lot of secrets in the world, he would have disregarded the Fengli Staff too.


    With the Fengli Staff, he might be able to trace the clues that would lead him to the Fengsheng Beast.


    Moreover, if the owner of Fengli Staff knew about this, there was no way that the owner would put it up for sale. Shen Lian needed to first secure the Fengli Staff in his possession, and he would proceed to search for the seller of the staff.


    Before Shen Lian said anything, someone named their price. Shen Lian did not rush into it.


    It was only until someone raised the price to fifty Yiyuan Elixirs that the price stopped hiking.


    Unhurriedly, Shen Lian said named his price, "Sixty". By just raising the offer price to ten extra Yiyuan Elixirs, the person stopped bidding against him.


    Just when Shen Lian thought it was a done deal, some changes took place. On the VIP seats not far away on the right, someone said gently, "One hundred and twenty."


    The price was doubled. Shen Lian saw the white figure glanced at him through the veil of clouds.


    Shen Lian was not shaken, and he was ready to raise the price further.


    Right at this moment, Wu Qingzi spoke, "One hundred and fifty. Since Fairy you like this, I can just buy it for you," he spoke calmly.


    The figure chuckled behind the veil of clouds, and her laughter was crisp as the ring of a silver bell. "I don''t like it, I just want to get it," she replied.


    "Three hundred," she raised the price again.


    Wu Qingzi ceased bidding after hearing that. "Daoist brother, is there a grudge between you and Fairy Xiaoyu?" he directed his question at Shen Lian.


    With someone of his caliber, it was no wonder that he noticed she was doing this because of Shen Lian.


    "Three hundred and one," Shen Lian whispered.


    He glanced at Wu Qingzi, hinting him to be patient.


    "Six hundred," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke again.


    Everyone else was just watching the commotion; they did not expect the experts on the VIP seats to go against each other. Some even thought that the owner of the Fengli Staff was in luck.


    Unexpectedly, Shen Lian did not continue bidding. He remained silent, and the item went to Zhao Xiaoyu.


    However, what happened next was out of even Shen Lian''s expectation, and he did not know how to feel about it.

 Chapter 229 The Likes of Us Had Always Been Heartless

    In the end, the Fengli Staff was sent to Shen Lian under Zhao Xiaoyu''s instructions.


    The veil of clouds dispersed, and Zhao Xiaoyu looked at him with keen eyes and a smile on her face. Shen Lian wondered what was on her mind. Shen Lian was not affected by her beauty, though the same could not be said about Wu Qingzi.


    Shen Lian accepted the Fengli Staff graciously. He never planned to bid against Zhao Xiaoyu, to begin with. He knew that he would be able to find a way to get it even if the item ended up in her hands. However, he did not expect her to hand it over to him as a gift after all the hassle. He was terribly confused by her move.


    To be fair, both of them could not even be considered as friends. They engaged in a fierce battle back in Yue Tuo Kingdom, and that was partially the reason why Shen Lian managed to enter the path of Daoism. In the end, Shen Lian put behind the history between them and allowed for Zhao Xiaoyu to leave.


    Five years had passed, and Zhao Xiaoyu had improved significantly. Her level of cultivation was deep and unpredictable. Shen Lian thought that she was doing it because of the past grudges, and yet it seemed that she was merely fooling around.


    At this point, the past was not important anymore. Moreover, Shen Lian had deep mana now, and he was also equipped with Tongtian Skill. Moreover, he was the chief of Qing Xuan. He did not need to worry about being ambushed by her. If she sent it over as a gift, he would accept it graciously and without hesitation. He was not worried at all.


    "Fellow Daoist Shen, since when did you know Fairy Xiaoyu? You both seemed close," Wu Qingzi said with complicated feelings.


    "I was about to ask what you were planning too. Didn''t you just try to spend an exorbitant sum in order to make her happy?" Shen Lian replied.


    "There''s nothing to hide. The martial exercise that I''m cultivating focuses on ''Taishang Wangqing''. If I did not have strong feelings, there would be nothing to forget about. Fairy Xiaoyu is the only one that I could harbor feelings for, I''m moved by her every move. Too bad that she does not even bother to take a glance at me," Wu Qingzi replied honestly. He was indeed one in a million, and he deserved Zhao Xiaoyu''s respect. It was just that no matter how much he did, from Xi Huang to Eastern Sea, Zhao Xiaoyu ignored him completely. Besides Zhao Xiaoyu, there was nothing in the world that Wu Qingzi cared about. No matter how much he did, he could not move Zhao Xiaoyu''s heart of stone.


    Wu Qingzi fell in love with Zhao Xiaoyu because of his cultivation. However, his love for her was too deep now, and it was impossible for him to find someone else. If he could not move on, this would spell the end of his Taishang Detection Technique, and he would remain stagnant forever.


    "Daoist brother, you didn''t have to explain to me so clearly. Moreover, she could hear us talking," Shen Lian sighed.


    "My feelings are real, and so is my technique. What''s there to hide?" Wu Qingzi replied.


    After hearing his words, Shen Lian was slightly impressed. Without his magnanimity, he would not have gotten far even if he was from the Taishang Daoist Sect. Though, Shen Lian could not help but think that this was not how one should woo a girl.


    Interesting and eye-opening items followed, and amongst them, there was a block of meat �C"Meat of Observance". There was an eye in the middle of it. The more one ate, the more it grew. It was impossible to finish eating it.


    There was also an ancient mirror. If one were to look at it, one could see one''s internal organs.


    There were a lot more items that were as such.


    Regardless of how interesting the items were, they were essentially useless to the likes of Shen Lian. After attaining the state of Bigu, the Meat of Observance would do nothing much for them. At most, it could maintain the energy of the body. Its effect was nowhere near that of Yiyuan Elixir. Though, if it fell into the hands of a mortal, it would be very useful indeed. It might even be treated as a national treasure.


    After all, its characteristic - endless supply was a good sign.


    As for the ancient mirror, them aside, even a cultivator who had attained the state of Qiaodong could inspect their internal organs. Being able to see their internal organs was really a useless feature to them. Though, to the doctors in the mortal world, this item would be valuable and could potentially help to save countless lives.


    This was a lot more advanced than the medical imaging technologies back in the modern world where Shen Lian came from, and it was one of the key advantages Celestial cultivation had over the modern age.


    After securing the Fengli Staff, Shen Lian did not do much besides observing the remaining items. Moreover, nothing caught his interest anyway.


    After the commotion, everything returned to its once quiet state. A lot of people seemed disinterested. Even though most of them were non-formal cultivators, but a lot of them were the esteemed members of the sea nations.


    They were here at the celestial market to procure some interesting and rare items, and at the same time, to join in the fun.


    Now that the fun part was over, coupled with the lack of interesting items, the atmosphere dulled significantly. There were even instances where no one bade for the items.


    Out of a sudden, the cultivator in charge of the auction took out an item. It was round and it looked like a pebblestone. There were red lights swirling on top, and it looked like a little ball of flame. Even from where Shen Lian was at, he could feel waves of warmth.


    This was a demonic elixir; it might even be a demonic elixir of a demon king who had shapeshifted into a pebble stone, and it could be used to attain the state of Huandan.


    The atmosphere was tense, and some people were even breathing hard.


    Even Qing Xuan did not have demonic elixir of this quality in abundance. After all, despite having disciples who were more than capable of slaying a demon king, they would not casually slay demon kings just to help other disciples to attain the state of Huandan. If a great demon was offended by this, he might even come looking for trouble.


    Even with its long history, Qing Xuan only had six or seven demonic king elixirs. Of course, the quality would be a lot better than what was being put on auction.


    Even if one took the path of external alchemy with the aid of this demonic elixir, one would be able to attain at most, one Transformation of Huandan. Moreover, one might not even attain the state of Huandan, as the Qi of Essence on it had mostly been lost.


    In spite of that, most cultivators here would not let go of this opportunity.


    A big sect like Qing Xuan aside, most non-formal cultivators and small or medium-sized celestial sects did not ask for more than attaining the state of Huandan. After all, attaining this state would extend one''s lifespan to eight hundred over years old. Moreover, they would not be burdened by expectations since it was impossible to improve further anyway, and they could then enjoy the rest of their days.


    The cultivator in charge of the auction named the starting price as five thousand Yiyuan Elixirs. Moreover, the audience was told that this belonged to Xuantong Demon King, and if anyone was running low on Yiyuan Elixir, they could send their instruments for valuation and procure Yiyuan Elixirs reflecting the value of the items. Though, the Yiyuan Elixirs were not refundable.


    If it was just any other item, the cultivators would consider their options. However, when being presented with the opportunity to attain the state of Huandan, they were not about to let the chance slip by. Moreover, they did not lose anything by exchanging their items for Yiyuan Elixirs anyway.


    Shen Lian was impressed by this move.


    Despite that the auction was organized by the non-formal cultivators on an informal basis, it seemed that the official organizer of the celestial market played a role in this too.


    The cultivator who was hosting the auction gave everyone some time to change more Yiyuan Elixirs.


    "Seems like this is the final item, and there''s no reason for us to stay. Shall we leave?" Shen Lian said to Wu Qingzi.


    Wu Qingzi glanced towards Zhao Xiaoyu''s direction, and he saw that she stood up too. Besides the Fengli Staff, Zhao Xiaoyu did not bid for anything else.


    Fenghe was curious about the auction of demonic elixir, but she knew that her priority was to serve Shen Lian. She led the way for Shen Lian to descend the Qingyun Stage. Even though Shen Lian did not use the ten thousand pieces of elixirs, but he did not plan to return it. These might come in handy in the future. It would be a hassle to return it and ended up having to procure for more again.


    "Fenghe, could you find out who was the seller of the Fengli Staff for me?" Shen Lian spoke after descending from the Stage.


    Fenghe hesitated. After all, they were not supposed to expose the identity of the sellers. However, Shen Lian was an esteemed guest of Xuantong Demon King, and she was instructed to fulfill all of his needs.


    "I don''t have a say in this, but I can ask the manager for you," she replied.


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s voice was heard. It sounded like a clear stream that flowed gently into Shen Lian''s ears. "If you would like to know about the seller of the Fengli Staff, why don''t you ask me about it?" She spoke.


    Zhao Xiaoyu descended gracefully from the Qingyun Stage. She was as light as the smoke, and her grace was charming. It was as though she was a Yaochi Fairy who had come to the mortal world, and she was a pleasant sight to look at. One could not help but be charmed by her. Her beautiful eyes were not as cold as they once were, and there were hints of gentleness on her unrivaled beautiful face.


    Only Shen Lian knew that Zhao Xiaoyu was getting closer to being a real deity.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was a real genius. Shen Lian was aware that without the book of Mastery of Senses, his speed of cultivation would not be able to match that of Chen Jianmei and Zhao Xiaoyu.


    The saintess of the Nine Lotus Secret Order was constantly improving, and despite that Shen Lian had defeated her once back in the Yue Tuo Kingdom, she was not demotivated by the setback at all.


    If anything, she got even more motivated and surpassed the initial limit of The Book of Nine Lotus and had found her own path.


    Shen Lian had put their past behind, and he even harbored admiration for her.


    "Xiaoyu, it''s been a long time. You look even more attractive now," Shen Lian said with a smile.


    Zhao Xiaoyu squinted her beautiful eyes and replied with her gentle voice, "Your words made me happier than before."


    "So it seems like the both of you are friends after all. I get along well with Shen, and Xiaoyu is the Fairy that I admire. Why don''t we go get a drink somewhere?" Wu Qingzi spoke.


    "I don''t mind coming along with Shen, but I don''t want to see you," Zhao Xiaoyu glanced at Wu Qingzi and replied coldly.


    "Xiaoyu, why do you hate me so much? I have never offended you. Even if you are not particularly fond of me, I don''t think I deserve your hatred either," Wu Qingzi replied.


    "Wu Qingzi, you are from the Taishang Daoist Sect. Your level of cultivation is unpredictable, and you are very close to being the likes of holy deities. With your charm, I wouldn''t even be surprised if you could make the Fairies at Yaochi fall for you with the slightest effort. Why would I hate you?" Zhao Xiaoyu sighed.


    "Why do you always avoid me then? Could it be that my motive is insincere?" Wu Qingzi spoke.


    "You want to use me for Taishang Wangqing, and this is not a secret. I know about this. Moreover, for Taishang Wangqing, the root of emotions goes deep. It is unquestionable that you worship me with all your heart. Hence, I don''t hate you for this. However, no further reason is needed for not liking something. Even if you were to expend all of the water in the four oceans for me, I would still remain unmoved. Surely you would understand this," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke calmly.


    Shen Lian tuned into their conversation quietly. In this clash of the heart of Dao between them, Wu Qingzi was destined to lose. The reason behind his defeat was his pride - he chose Zhao Xiaoyu.


    Dao was the only thing that Zhao Xiaoyu cared about, and she was the one who was truly heartless. On the other hand, Wu Qingzi was not as determined as Zhao Xiaoyu. It was no wonder that he had to enter into the secular world.

 Chapter 230 Eight Celestials of Shangdong

    Wu Qingzi''s hair was moving when there was no breeze. His jet black hair became white as snow in an instant.


    Shen Lian knew that his hair did not turn white because of his anger.


    The atmosphere was charged with murderous intent, and three strange flowers formed above Wu Qingzi''s head. It was hard to tell what color they were.


    It was alleged that if someone had attained success in the cultivation of Qi, there would be three flowers forming above his head, and the Primordial Spirit would be formed. Finally, there would be invigoration of Qi in the five organs, leading to the attainment in the path of heavenly immortals. One would be able to peep into the great Dao and to live in enjoyment.


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Wu Qingzi in silence. She was all he could see now.


    His impressive aura filled the surroundings. Initially, there were still some cultivators on the Qingyun Stage who were fishing out their treasures to exchange for Yiyuan Elixirs in order to bid for the demonic elixir.


    However, the sudden spiritual pressure fuelled the surroundings and had even shaken the Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds. The faraway moon rippled like waves, and it looked surreal.


    The massive aura rolled over, and it demonstrated how powerful the Taishang Detection Technique was. At the advanced stage of cultivation, one would be able to resonate with the essence of the world in one''s every movement.


    On the sea of clouds, the flow of Yin Qi and Yang Qi eventually congregated and formed thunder. The low roaring thunderous sound threatened to explode, and this was a reflection of Wu Qingzi''s current mood.


    Shen Lian knew that Zhao Xiaoyu was partially the reason behind Wu Qingzi''s current state, that and Wu Qingzi had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation process. It would seem that this was the Absurd State.


    This was the first time he saw someone falling into the Absurd State. He did not expect there to be any prior signs at all. This made him realized that entering into the state of "Powang" was an opportunity and a trial.


    Wu Qingzi hailed from Taishang Daoist Sect and had good control over his heart and emotions. He definitely had something up his sleeves, and he must have paid close attention to this. Yet, he still fell into the Absurd State out of a sudden.


    So it seemed that Daoist Huanzhen had stepped into the state of Powang completely. Still, he could handle the dealings of Guangqing Celestial Sect with ease. He did not worry about falling into the Absurd State and bringing harm to himself and others at all. He seemed to be a much scarier character than Shen Lian had predicted him to be.


    Thunder started forming in the sky and had taken the shape of a knife. Out of a sudden, it slashed down. It was as though God himself was angered and decided to take matters into His own hands.


    With the three flowers as the trigger and the Yin Qi and Yang Qi as the source, thunder was formed in the shape of a heavenly knife. It was ready to pass divine judgment. This showed how Taishang Detection Technique was indeed formed out of emotions; it could control Yin and Yang, and resonated with the laws of heaven at the same time.


    There was no emotion on Zhao Xiaoyu''s beautiful face. She formed a black lotus that gave off black Qi strength, and it had this indescribable divine solemnity.


    The power was ancient and absolute; it commanded respect just as a deity would.


    The black lotus was flicked upwards and started spinning in the sky. It blocked the thunder knife just in time.


    The thunderous sound roared in the sky, and there were sparks in the air. The entire celestial market brightened up, and a lot of people saw a long electric spark that looked like a huge knife slashing at a black lotus mercilessly.


    The intangible vibrations affected every inch of the clouds.


    At last, a pocket flew out of nowhere and contained both of the black lotus and the knife. The towering spiritual pressure disappeared completely.


    Wu Qingzi retracted his aura, and the three flowers fell slowly into his Baihui point. Eventually, his hair turned black again, and his eyes got brighter. "Xiaoyu, I''ve acted out of line," he sighed.


    He nodded at Shen Lian and left as a stream of ray.


    Shen Lian knew that after this, Wu Qingzi could not stay here any longer.


    This person had a deep level of cultivation. He had three flowers above his head and had entered into the state of "Powang". The Taishang Detection Technique was unpredictably powerful. There were plenty of places for him to go. The only thing that made Shen Lian speechless was his decision to choose Zhao Xiaoyu as the subject of his emotions in order to cultivate Wangqing and enter into Dao.


    "Those who come from Taishang Daoist Sect have always been proud. There is something that you might not know," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled.


    "What is that?" Shen Lian asked.


    "Long ago, there used to be a disciple from Taishang Daoist Sect who decided to break through the trial of love with Grandmaster Qingshui of Qing Xuan as the subject of his emotions," Zhao Xiaoyu replied.


    "I''m unaware of this. What happened in the end?" Shen Lian smiled.


    "What else could possibly happen? The person ended up getting killed. As to what happened in the end, how would I know if it is something that even you didn''t know about?" Zhao Xiaoyu brushed her hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ears.


    Shen Lian was not surprised at all. From the records, he could roughly gauge Grandmaster Qingshui''s temperament. She was like the other side of Ziling, Qing Xiao; she indulged in killing.


    "It seems that you know quite a lot of things," he replied. Shen Lian could be considered as knowledgeable, and yet he knew that Zhao Xiaoyu was privy to certain secrets that he was unaware of.


    "What are you still doing here? There are things that you should not be listening to," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke to Fenghe.


    Fenghe was shocked and immediately offered her apologies. She looked at Shen Lian.


    "You can leave first, I will summon you if there''s anything that I need your help with," Shen Lian whispered.


    Only then did Fenghe leave.


    "Why don''t we head over to the edge of the sea of clouds and have a small chat? It would be sunrise soon," Shen Lian spoke to Zhao Xiaoyu.


    "Shen, you are a lot friendlier to me now as compared to back then," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled brightly.


    Her words were honest, and even Shen Lian could feel the joy coming from the bottom of her heart. He was aware that Zhao Xiaoyu would forego all form of emotions for the sake of pursuing Dao, and yet he could not help to feel that she was a mortal made of blood and flesh at this moment.


    That was a strange and intriguing feeling. Shen Lian would gladly spend time with this version of Zhao Xiaoyu.


    It was just like old friends who ran into each other coincidentally and had a quick catch-up session.


    Shen Lian had always wanted to be someone who pursued immortality without being emotionless like the laws of heaven. That was something that he refused to become.


    Both of them walked side by side and strolled on the sea of clouds. Light smoke was rising up, and it swirled around the both of them.


    It did not take long for them to reach the edge of the sea of clouds. The moon was near, and the Milky Way remained far away. The stars were dim, but there were still some that shone brightly.


    Under the clear sky and the bright moon, Shen Lian was accompanied by a beauty; the breeze blew gently, the cloud and smoke went along with it.


    "I might not know as much as you do, but there are certain things that I know and you do not. Just as how your understanding of Taishang Dao is shallow, and I happen to know something about it," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.


    Shen Lian stared ahead at the Milky Way as he appreciated how ancient and wondrous it was. He would never get sick of it. "Xiaoyu, do you mind telling me?" He queried.


    "Of course I would not be a tease to you," Zhao Xiaoyu gave a cryptic smile. "Taishang Dao originated from another continent, and I assume you already know that. However, the Taishang Daoist Sect that we know of, is merely one of the nine branches of the Taishang Daoist Sect. It could be considered the main branch.


    Taishang Detection Technique is the fundamental martial exercise of the Taishang Daoist Sect, and only those from the main branch could cultivate it. As for the remaining eight branches, they are known collectively as the Shangdong Eight Celestials. These are branches left behind by the eight heavenly immortals, Tian Xian.


    The eight Tian Xians attained Dao after one another, and that was the peak of the Taishang Daoist Sect.


    The attainment of these eight people is considered as a rarity in this world. They sought for further improvement, and that was when they decided to go for the "Taishang Detection Technique" of the main branch."

 Chapter 231 Coming To This World

    A shooting star soared through the sky. The burning flames could be seen clearly at where Shen Lian was standing. The wheezing sound it gave off as it broke through the air, the aerolite in the middle was being annihilated gradually, the shocking enormous energy that it produced, and these were all noticeable to Shen Lian.


    However, it all happened in a flash. Though, the brilliance it left behind would be a memory of a lifetime to those who had set eyes on it.


    Shen Lian watched as the shooting star disappeared from his sight. "If eight people like that set their mind on something, it would be hard for anyone in this world to stop them. Moreover, they would definitely get their hands on the content of the Taishang Detection Technique, even if the people of the main branch refused to give it up to them," Shen Lian whispered.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was not surprised by Shen Lian''s amazing observation because that was who he was.


    "Indeed, it was not difficult to procure the cultivation incantation for the Taishang Detection Technique. It was difficult because the Shangdong Eight Celestials wanted the Taishang Detection Technique written by the Taishang Daoist Master. It was alleged that the deepest truth of the universe was written on it, and it allowed for mortals to push beyond the limits of spiritual beings and to attain the ultimate wisdom," she replied slowly.


    The deities were merely freed from the cycle of life, aging, sickness, and death. However, they would still fall if they received a critical injury. However, if one had become an impressive being like a Daoist Master or a Buddha, with their ultimate wisdom, it would not be possible to injure them with just any form of power. At that stage, they could properly be said to have jumped out of life and death. That was a realm unknown to most, and it was not something that could be understood by the spiritual beings in the world.


    In fact, no one could say for sure that a spiritual being could reach that stage through cultivation.


    This was so as most had managed to get close to it, but could never reach it.


    "If the "Taishang Detection Technique" written by the Taishang Daoist Master is indeed that powerful, then the main branch of the Taishang Daoist sect would not be something that could be overcome by the Shangdong Eight Celestials," Shen Lian smiled.


    "There are elements of exaggeration when it comes to rumors. Moreover, the essence of it would not be so easily discoverable by just anyone. However, the original "Taishang Detection Technique" was indeed written by the Taishang Daoist Master, and there was definitely some sort of shocking secret within it. This was why the Sect Master refused the Shangdong Eight Celestials'' request," Zhao Xiaoyu replied gently.


    "If they came from the same origin, why would he refuse their request?" Shen Lian was confused.


    "This I wouldn''t know. I only know that in the end, both sides were not on good terms. That was when the main branch of the Taishang Daoist Sect shifted to Yuan Continent, and the Shangdong Eight Celestials'' orthodoxies were segregated from that of Taishang Daoist Sect. At the same time, the Eight Celestials of Shangdong had gone missing too. Perhaps they had transcended beyond the mortal world and could not return to this side of the world anymore. Another theory claimed that they were sent into the reincarnation cycle again," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.


    The clouds and smoke rolled over, as though they were planning to crash into Shen Lian''s forehead. He extended his hand to catch them, and they were caught in an intangible net. No matter how they tried to change, they could not free themselves from it.


    At last, Shen Lian pinched gently and the clouds and smoke slipped past from the gaps in his fingers. They merged with the sea of clouds and it was impossible to tell them from each other.


    "What an interesting story, and it sounded real too. However, the sun is about to rise. Xiaoyu, do you mind accompanying me and watch the sunrise in silence?" Shen Lian spoke.


    Shen Lian was not aware of the incident between Taishang Daoist Sect and Eight Celestials of Shangdong. However, there were plenty of secrets unknown to Shen Lian. It would be dull if he were to know everything in the world.


    The life of a Daoist was long, and these interesting incidents were what kept a Daoist''s life interesting.


    However, Shen Lian wanted to just look at the sunrise. He did not want to put too much thought into the incident between Taishang Daoist Sect and Shangdong Eight Celestials. He knew that Zhao Xiaoyu had always been a wise person; even if it was just a story, there would definitely be something behind it. However, Shen Lian refused to guess or to ponder on it now.


    The moon was clear, and the sky was dull. At that moment, Shen Lian was completely one with the world and had forgotten about his own existence. He felt the vastness of the universe, and the emotions he felt from being placed amidst the vast world were indescribable with words.


    The strong cold wind blew at his feather coat, and standing next to the elegant youth was a beautiful fairy. It was a beautiful scene at the edge of the sea of clouds, and no one would disturb such a beautiful sight.


    As the heavenly wind blew past, the clouds expanded at the edge of the sea of clouds. Zhao Xiaoyu had never paid attention to such majestic scene before, and she was touched by it.


    Only then, she realized that there were a lot of other feelings that she could experience beyond the way of Dao. It was not happiness that came from her desires being fulfilled, but it was the vibration at the depth of her soul. Just as how a caterpillar had opened its eyes and saw the beautiful world; it could not wait to grow its wings and to turn into a butterfly after breaking through the cocoon. It wanted to see the world for itself, the world that it was so attached to.


    A pink hint of ray emerged as expected, and it gradually widened. The natural grandeur gave rise to satisfaction from the depth of one''s heart. The redness darkened. In the quiet night, the hint of red ray was akin to a carp that was lying right across the sky, and it changed the sky completely. A red ball of fire emerged amidst the ray, and at that brief moment, the golden rays dispersed the misty clouds. All of the clouds that formed part of the celestial market were dyed gold.


    They stood on the pink clouds; at the height of life, they seemed to be detached from the suffering of the mortal secular world and were isolated from the noise of the mortal world.


    The surrounding clouds took on a longish shape, and they surrounded them as though they were dancing around.


    The sky was bright, and everything seemed fresh and hopeful.


    "Since we are here in this world, don''t you think that we should try to enjoy beautiful sceneries like this?" Shen Lian spoke.


    His words were plain, and yet they conveyed his love for life. Shen Lian had died once and was resurrected in this body. He appreciated everything in life, and this was why he would not let himself be shackled to anything. He would never wrong himself.


    Zhao Xiaoyu saw the half of Shen Lian''s face that was being shone upon by the golden ray, and she found him extremely real.


    In the palace, there was a mirror outside of Xuantong Demon King''s beaded curtain. It was floating in the air and had a perimeter of two feet. It was outlined by the darkest shade of purplish blue. It seemed to be a jade, or maybe not. There was a white stone protruding in the middle of it, and it was completely translucent. It seemed to be a crystal, or maybe it was not.


    There were golden rays spilling from the mirror. Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu stood in the middle of it.


    The mirror was known as Zhaohai Mirror. It could show anything that was within a hundred mile radius. Unless the subject was the likes of holy deities, otherwise it would be hard to notice.


    Jingting Tongzi stood guard outside of the curtain. "Dear King, why are you peeping on them?" He asked hesitantly.


    "Zhao Xiaoyu is the saintess of the Nine Lotus Secret Order, and she has quite a lot of secrets. Though, I did not expect her to know this person. She is good at scheming, so we must watch out. I don''t want anything to go wrong during the Treasure Auction," Xuantong Demon King spoke.


    "This Mister Qingxia seemed to be a reasonable person. So long as we don''t offend him, he probably would not get in our way. Moreover, you are only organizing this Treasure Auction to strengthen your reputation anyway," Jingting Tongzi replied.


    "I have a bad feeling lately, and it would seem that misfortune is about to befall me soon. The Treasure Auction was not just to strengthen my reputation, but I''m looking for a few treasures that could help me to overcome this misfortune as well. There are a lot of capable people in the Treasure Auction this time around. If anyone were to create trouble with their supernatural powers, it would be very troublesome indeed," Xuantong whispered.


    "Worse comes to worst, you can just use me as your sword again. It''s about time that they see how powerful you are," Jingting Tongzi laughed.


    "Zhenren Xiangshan said that my murderous intent is too strong, and he told me to restrain it. Unless absolutely necessary, I would not engage in a battle," Xuantong Demon King replied.


    Jingting Tongzi stopped talking the moment he saw the Mister Qingxia in the mirror looked up and smiled. With a wave of his hand, a light flew out and the surface of Zhaohai Mirror was covered in frost. It was white, and nothing could be seen anymore. It fell from the sky.


    Jingting Tongzi quickly walked towards the mirror and caught it. Even though he used to be the Jiejian Stone and should be cold and rock hard, he could not help but shiver after catching the Zhaohai Mirror.


    "He even cultivated the Ice Light. Where did he find the extreme Yin Qi of Devilry?" Xuantong Demo King spoke.


    Jingting Tongzi''s hands were covered in frost and they were glued to the Zhaohai Mirror. They were inseparable. He tried to use his sword Qi to shatter the layer of ice. "This is Ice Light? So he is from Qing Xuan?" He yelped in surprise after hearing what Xuantong Demon King had said.


    "Forget about this," Xuantong Demon King instructed.


    Jingting Tongzi maintained his silence and engaged the sword Qi within him to dispel the cold aura. Moreover, he was trying to draw a connection between Shen Lian''s appearance and his true identity. If he did not conceal it on purpose, judging from his background, he could only be either Chen Jianmei or the chief of Qing Xuan.


    However, Chen Jianmei came and gone with his sword Qi and it was easy to recognize him. Hence, Mister Qingxia could only be the Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan.


    Even though Xuantong Demon King was renowned in Eastern Sea, but that was nothing as compared to the chief of Qing Xuan.


    Qing Xuan was a great sect that had ten thousand years of history. Despite that it was going downhill previously, it was still a reputable Celestial sect. Moreover, recently Qing Xuan seemed to be doing well, and Zhenren Shen''s effort was particularly notable.


    Jingting Tongzi did not expect someone as important as him would hide his identity and graced the celestial market with his presence.


    Despite that Wu Qingzi had come from Taishang Daoist Sect, he was merely a true disciple. This was incomparable to Shen Zhenren''s status.


    Despite that cultivators prioritized cultivation, but it was not the sole decisive factor when it came to one''s status. What was scarier was the rumor that Zhenren Shen had been cultivating for less than fifty years, and to think that he was so close to being the likes of holy deities.


    Little did Jingting Tongzi know that Shen Lian had been cultivating for less than thirty years, and his actual age was merely around forty years old! Even amongst the mortals, he would be considered as being in his prime.


    The cultivators in Qing Xuan were all aware of this. Their admiration for Shen Lian these few years were genuine. Regardless, Shen Lian would only face his death in at least seven or eight hundred years. Moreover, no one in Qing Xuan thought that Shen Lian could not break through the state of whim.


    To them, it was only a matter of time before Shen Lian attained immortality.


    Shen Lian put an end to the peeping of Zhaohai Mirror, and that had piqued Zhao Xiaoyu''s curiosity. "Who was peeping at us?" She queried.


    Shen Lian gave it some thoughts and replied, "It should be Xuantong Demon King, but there was no reason for her to do so."


    Shen Lian knew that Xuantong Demon King was aware of his true identity, but the Demon King would not be so impolite.


    "Then it would be me then. After all, I''m a witch from a cult, and even the Demon King could not rest easy with me around," Zhao Xiaoyu replied.


    "This shows how powerful you are too, no?" Shen Lian walked forward slowly.


    Zhao Xiaoyu trod with small steps, and she followed behind Shen Lian unhurriedly. "Actually, there is something about her that made me jealous. She received pointers from Lu Jiuyuan and did not have to make unnecessary mistakes," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.


    "To think that you would say something like that, you really are different as compared to before."


    Both of them chattered away as they disappeared into the sea of clouds.


    Time flew, and the real Treasure Auction was around the corner.

 Chapter 232 Treasure Auction

    Shen Lian did not stroll around for that few days, nor did he meditate and practice his Qi. He was only looking at the sea of clouds, then ate and slept like a normal person.


    Of course, the food served in the celestial markets was no ordinary food, all made of mystical ingredients without losing its freshness.


    Even Shen Lian could not find anything to pick on, and his days were rather comfortable.


    The only one thing that Shen Lian did not expect was that the Fengli Staff belonged to Zhao Xiaoyu. She purposely put it on auction to see if anyone would bid it on a high price because she thought that the staff had some secrets which she was not sure about.


    After all, in this world, there were so many people who knew more than her. Though most attendees of the auction were not very well cultivated, there might be one or two who knew things.


    Evidently, Shen Lian was there and he knew its origin, but Zhao Xiaoyu made a prompt decision and bought the item back. It was her item, to begin with; it would not hurt to offer a higher price. And then she would follow the flow of events to gift it to Shen Lian, as a sign of goodwill to resolve the conflict between them.


    All these were confessed upon by Zhao Xiaoyu.


    If Shen Lian wanted to find the whereabouts of the Fengsheng Beast to make the mystical herb, the upcoming events would still rely on her.


    The herb made from the Fengsheng Beast could extend one''s lifespan by five hundred years, with its added on benefits. But all these were not for Shen Lian''s own sake, he was doing all these for Gu Caiwei.


    Initially, he wanted to fuse soul and aura with Gu Caiwei using certain secret techniques, for himself to experience his own realm and achieve a breakthrough, but the shortcoming of it was that Gu Caiwei almost lost her opportunity to cultivate Primordial Spirit. She had the biggest chance to achieve Huan Dan and be a major addition to the Qing Xuan''s fighting power in preparation for the Bier Discourse of Dao.


    Moreover, Gu Caiwei had very limited days left. Huandan would be able to help extend her lifespan, rather than just waiting for her end to come.


    The existence of the Fengsheng Beast provided an additional option for Shen Lian. If he could cultivate this mystical herb, he would be able to help Gu Caiwei survive for another five hundred years. Subsequently, even if she was to fuse soul and aura with Shen Lian, her opportunity to achieve Huandan would increase as well, with a buffering period of ten years. Maybe Gu Caiwei could even achieve Huandan on her within this ten years.


    For this, Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu made a pact that as long as she helped him find this Fengsheng Beast, Shen Lian would provide her assistance at the upcoming Daluo Assembly in four years'' time, help her become a Saintess of Daluo.


    Of course, she knew her limitations. She would only let Shen Lian assist, but not to the extent that he must help until she became Daluo''s Saintess.


    Daluo Saintess was not only a title. She could also carry the leftovers of Luoism''s fortune. If destiny allowed, maybe she could even find Luoism''s inheritance. At that time, Zhao Xiaoyu could even unite Luoism again and rebuild a grand force that could match the four main Daoist sects.


    Zhao Xiaoyu never hid all these from Shen Lian as she was very sincere about it.


    Shen Lian had no reason to reject. He must at least find Fengsheng Beast for Gu Caiwei''s sake. Plus if he was fortunate enough to cultivate enough mystical herbs with some extra, he could keep them and benefit Qing Xuan.


    This was Shen Lian''s biggest harvest from the celestial market. To him, the so-called mystical items left down from miracles were not as important as the Fengsheng Beast.


    After days of rising at sunrise and sleeping at sunset, Shen Lian''s mood had been much relieved and kept in a good mentality to face the circumstances.


    After today''s Treasure Auction, he could then seek Zhao Xiaoyu''s help to find the Fengsheng Beast, which he would then use to make in mystical herb and hand over to Senior Apprentice-Sister. Finally, he could make a move to Tai Su Sect to bring Ruo Xi back.


    Fenghe served Shen Lian his breakfast. After eating, Shen Lian asked, "When is the Treasure Auction beginning?"


    Fenghe replied, "Before the auction starts, Manager will come to invite you over. This was what he ordered yesterday. After this, Fenghe will not serve Sir anymore.


    She sounded slightly disappointed.


    She would not be able to Shen Lian anymore in this lifetime.


    Shen Lian roughly understood her feelings, but he would not have any reply. The soaring grand eagle could fly down at the same level as a sparrow, but his real belonging was in the big skies. Even his resting places were those in high mountains and steep cliffs, not the woods on flat ground.


    Ever since his cultivation level got higher and higher, though he never bothered about status, and even mingled with the normal peasants friendly, but he was not that little doctor from past life, or the little Daoist from Qing Xia temple, not even the Young Master from the Shen family of State of Qing anymore.


    He could seek fun in the middle of the normal world anytime, and also travel around this big world, explore its truth, seek the real world, and look for the path to eternity. His life would only get more exciting, and no longer the sorts that the normal peasants seek, like happily ever after.


    Only at the level that Shen Lian got the revelation, that love stories like those of the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl, or the Seven Fairies and Dongyong, would never happen in real life, because the ranks of gods and normal people would have totally different quality of lives.


    No matter how beautiful a monkey had grown, they would never be in a relationship with a human being.


    A voice of Jingting Tongzi was heard hauling from outside, "Mister Qingxia, my King is calling for you".


    Fenghe could only see Shen Lian''s back disappear. She was just a smoke in Shen Lian''s life journey, dispersing quickly without any trace.


    At the same time, Fenghe also learned the cruelty of the ranks difference between an immortal and a mortal, but she never expected that she would encounter Shen Lian again after so many years.


    When Jingting Tongzi saw Shen Lian, he bowed respectfully, a vast difference as compared to when he first met Shen Lian.


    He was not scared. It was a sign of respect for Shen Lian''s success.


    Plus Shen Lian might not be a cultivator of the sword, but his sword skills would not be inferior to any Sword Cultivator. His original body was a Jiejian Stone, a stone where cultivators or swordsmen put down their swords or weapon before meeting the host as a sign of respect. He was then the sword of Xuantong Demon King, hence he had immense respect for someone who knew their ways of the sword.


    However, even after focusing his sharp senses, he could not detect any bit of sword from Shen Lian, which confused him a bit. Were the rumors true, or had Shen Lian been able to conceal his sword will completely?


    Shen Lian''s robes were waving, as he moved forward, but no footsteps were heard when he stepped on the clouds. Yet, Jingting Tongzi could clearly feel some vibration in the clouds which was traveled onto his body.


    It was not a strong vibration, but he could feel it. It was filled with rhythm, with not much variation, but it filled every crack of changes in his body movement. Finally, as if he was led by this rhythm, he took on a foot pattern completely identical to Shen Lian''s, accompanied with a slight shiver in his body, as if a long-concealed aura was itching to be released.


    As he could barely hold it, the quake from Shen Lian suddenly vanished; causing him to feel this sudden switch to a plunging sensation, which was a vast contrast from what he felt just moments ago.


    He almost collapsed on the ground, and Shen Lian had to support his back with his soothing aura. That aura was injected into his body, where he finally felt a sense of chill had been drawn out from below his feet, relieving him.


    It was at this moment that Jingting Tongzi had the revelation. When he was holding the Zhaohai Mirror, he was attacked by the chill frost on it, his mana was not able to fully deflect it. Only then Shen Lian helped him to force the chill poison out, or else he would be inflicted with great injury any time in the future.


    He was shy to voice out his gratitude because that time was when his King took a peek at him, causing him to counter-attack and incur the injuries from the Ice Light.


    At the same time, he deeply felt the manner of Shen Lian as a Daoist Master, and his charm as a Chief of the sect.


    Shen Lian was merely giving Jingting Tongzi a hand to get rid of the chill poison, a help without second thoughts since the Xuantong Demon King had helped him before, he was only returning the favor in another way.


    Although there were some inappropriate acts in between, those were within reasons as well.


    He had no prejudice towards the cultivation of demons, especially the sorts of Xuantong Demon King who was no different from other cultivators.


    The place to go this time was not one like the Qingyun Stage, but a mansion in the sky westward.


    As the ancient saying went, "There is abundance of treasures in the West", which was also why the Treasure Auction was held west side of the celestial markets, as a sign of good luck.


    No one insignificant was visible there. As he entered the mansion, he saw a lotus pond. There were already twelve Daoist cultivators seating in their respective boxes, including Zhao Xiaoyu.


    Even Wu Qingzi had come back. Judging from his expression face, he seemed just fine.


    He was originated from the Taishang Daoist Sect after all. Even if he had done abnormal acts under the absurd state, he was still able to find a method to overcome it.


    Shen Lian found an empty box to sit in. All the boxes here were levitating mid-air, not stationary, but slowing revolving around the center of the pond.


    Shen Lian naturally figured out the close attraction between the pond and the boxes, just like the gravitational pull between the stars and planets, never ending. It looked like every item in this levitating mansion was a mystical instrument. Shen Lian was utterly impressed with this showcase of Xuantong Demon King''s wealth.


    Then there was another three Daoist cultivators, who looked like they were together, two male and one female, whose cultivation levels seemingly lower than Huandan.


    Shen Lian did not detect them with his spiritual consciousness, nor could he recognize their origins. Three of them entered a box.


    As the three went into the box, the female dressed in green, looking like she was twenty eight years old, with eyes as clear as the spring, and glowing teeth as neat as the white sheets, whispered to one of the green robed male, "Fifth Senior Apprentice-Brother, that delicate looking young man there, he was the one who was walking with Zhao the witch. What do you think their relationship is?"


    The green robed male replied, "Junior Apprentice-Sister, Fairy Zhao has never harmed anyone, why did you call her a witch?"


    The green dressed female stuck her tongue out, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, you must be attracted to the witch. If Honored Master finds out about this, he will surely punish you to meditate facing the wall for half a year.


    The other male who looked older than the other two intervened, "You two cut it out. We are out here to bring back the flower of the Evergreen Tree, not for you both to sightsee."


    The green dressed girl said, "Third Senior Apprentice-Brother, I was only looking on. But Fifth Senior Apprentice-Brother must have his eyes on the Zhao witch''s body now. Humph, I want to see that young mister too. Actually, I think if he was a female, he would be better looking than the Zhao witch."


    Good thing the boxes were naturally sound proof, or else Shen Lian would not know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this conversation.

 Chapter 233 The Heritage Tune of Great Sain

    At this moment, a wave of mana was felt in the void, accompanied by a melody. That was the call made from the mana in the void, which was abstruse enough to break through the barrier of the box.


    Every box might be visible from both within and outside, but it was actually enclosed in a layer of invisible air shield. If one wanted to communicate, they would need to project Xuan voice through the shield, to avoid any noisiness that would embarrass them as immortals.


    Out of the void, appeared a pretty looking lady dressed in pale yellow garment. A jade couch gradually appeared on the edge of the pond. The lady took a step in the void, landed on the couch as her whole body was encircled in light; mesmerizing.


    Finally, the surrounding boxes started to flow slowly, and as if taking the jade couch the lady was on as the node, they split into two rows and stopped.


    Jingting Tongzi who was standing on the right edge smirked and spoke, "My Master thank everyone for coming. In this Treasure Auction, three treasures were sold in our celestial market, and the remaining ones are left here at Master''s place by a friend for sale. Of course, my Master''s treasures only accept bids of Yiyuan Elixir, whereas other treasures will be bartered with another item. You only need to put your exchange item into the jade box in your boxes, which I could view using my secret techniques. If I agree with it, I will make the exchange without letting others know whether you have successfully made the trade.


    At this moment, a coarse voice was heard from a black-robed senior man in the second box of the east, "What if Yiyuan Elixir is not enough?"


    Although they had exchanged some Yiyuan Elixir, the treasures here were all valuable, which was why it would be reasonable to bid with an astronomic price.


    Jingting Tongzi held his fists respectfully, and smiled towards the black-robed Daoist, "Everyone here are influential characters. I will only need to record this in the books. When you come and collect your treasure, just take another instrument of the equal value and exchange with an equivalent amount of Yiyuan Elixir. We will not put you at a disadvantage."


    Now everyone would have known that those treasures that were sold in the celestial market were all aimed to promote its equivalent currency. Those with reliable sources would also know that these items were not too valuable.


    Everyone merely considered doing Xuantong Demon Queen a favor, helping her to promote Yiyuan Elixir. These Yiyuan Elixirs were also of high quality, which could be in good use outdoors or as gifts to seniors, much more convenient and better than any Dao talisman or mystical instruments which were more precious and harder to give away.


    Yiyuan Elixirs came in large numbers, suitable to be gifted to seniors without hurting one''s pockets.


    A brief moment later, no one else spoke. Jingting Tongzi saw that time was up, and said, "Now our celestial market will initiate the process first. If anyone would like to sell their treasures, you may notify me privately.


    As soon as he finished, he never hesitated to wait for their replies. A certain degree of courtesy was sufficient since the folks here knew what they are doing and would not be moved by words.


    Jingting Tongzi pointed his finger out, and a sword aura pierced out of the water surface, followed by surfacing lotus flower. The lotus was so captivating, its flower pod blossomed, showcasing a piece of treasure which was seen encased in glowing lights. The item within was shown to be a piece of pearl, so translucent that its shape was almost unrecognizable.


    Xuantong Demon Queen finally voiced out, "This is the Water Repelling Pearl. Once in your mouth, you will be able to move in water of any depth as if you are on flat ground. Starting bid is ten thousand Elixirs. You may start bidding if you are interested".


    A chuckle was heard from another box, "Not sure if you have used this Water Repelling Pearl before, Xuantong? If you have, I must obtain this, no one can grab it from me.


    Shen Lian looked over to see who would have the guts to tease Xuantong Demon Queen, plus he would not have thought that Xuantong Demon Queen was a female; thinking that she was him.


    When demons materialize, they would be divided to Yin and Yang, also born with Daoist flesh, hence able to learn and cultivate human tricks and techniques. As long as they did not return to their original state, they would not be any different from the lady cultivators.


    Only that, demon queens were rare, plus if they gained form, they would have powerful skills. Many other powerful male demons wanted to capture a demon lord as their companion but failed.


    The scarcities of demon queens were also due to the natural laws of demons'' survival. Anyhow it was the survival of the fittest between these demons and beasts, much more brutal than humans. Normally a female demon beast would quickly stick to a strong demon lord or they''d risk not materializing.


    The one who teased Xuantong Demon Queen was a man with yellow beard, armed with a fierce and pure green face, with a subtle scent of demon. He looked like he was a shape-shifted demon king.


    Xuantong side eyed him, and replied coldly, "Qing Huanger, if you do not behave yourself, believe it or not, you will not be able to walk out of this market."


    The demon king named Qing Huanger chuckled again, "I was just joking. Please don''t be angry."


    Then he shouted his bid, "I offer twenty thousand Elixirs, anyone want to follow?"


    Seemed like many cultivators knew where this Qing Huanger came from, they never wanted to follow this bid. In fact, Shen Lian thought of something based on this name. The highest ranking of all demons would be called ''Great Saint'' by the demons lot.


    Demons who achieved Great Saint level were extremely rated, as if they were all strong characters from urban legends with the ability to create chaos. Eventually, these Great Saints left this place without exception, but leaving a bloodline, making them royal families of the demons.


    As long as they grew up normally, they would materialize within a certain period. This bloodline had to be precious.


    If according to his resources, this Qing Huanger was also from the Great Saints bloodline, and he became the demon king five hundred years ago, but still not at the level of Nine-Headed Demon King.


    As no one counter bid, the Water Repelling Pearl then went to Qing Huanger. The atmosphere went cold.


    Xuantong Demon Queen felt enraged inside that this fellow did not respect her. She will show him some pay-back later.


    The next treasure emerged, not from the water pond, but was carried in a piece of cloud, levitating above the water surface. It was a guqin, a seven-stringed plucked musical instrument.


    It had a round head with a narrow end. Its neck and waist portion arched within, whereas the face of the instrument was a slightly thin oval, whereas its neck and waist formed an ellipse. It covered in black, very rustic looking, with a broken pattern of cow''s hair, with a golden emblem in the middle. Round shaped like a dragon''s lake, oval like a phoenix''s swamp.


    The face of the instrument was made out of Paulownia wood chips, faded in yellow, with straight and compact stripes. Red sandalwood, sophisticatedly made. Its lower portion was bending out, making a six flower petal shapes, all with yellow silk ribbon on it.


    The upper portion of the instrument had four words engraved on it: "Heritage Tune of the Great Saint". Both sides were also engraved in mantras, "The giant gully welcomes the autumn, where the moon''s reflection is imprinted on the cold river. All sounds were carefree, but the lonely parasol tree cracks".


    Xuantong Demon Queen lightly waved her hand, then a gush of strong breeze pierced through, falling on the instrument''s strings, followed by the emergence of multiple strong Qi, as they danced according to the sound of the instrument, finally descending to the pond, as if there were numerous blades falling from the heavens, cracking under water. What an amazing view.

 Chapter 234 Jin Ye

    As soon as this guqin appeared, all in attendance of this auction could not stay still. Wu Qingzi asked, "This is the Guqin of the Great Saint''s Heritage Tune." With the accumulation of the Taishang Daoist Sect, a treasure like this is genuinely rare to find.


    Besides him, everyone else had the same question.


    The Guqin of Great Saint''s Heritage Tune was made by the Ancient Fuxi, considered as the guqin of Saints. Fuxi the Great Saint was once a Saint of the demons. He eventually became king of the humans, which was quite a rare feat for the ancient times where all gods emerged.


    If this guqin was really the one left behind by Fuxi the Great Saint, its value would be so colossal it would be difficult to put a price to it.


    Xuantong Demon Queen giggled, "Of course not."


    Everyone could not help but felt slightly disappointed, but even more relieved. If Xuantong Demon Queen would even sell the Guqin of the Great Saint''s Heritage Tune, she would be both filthy and crudely rich, or she had lost her mind.


    Shen Lian still locked his eyes on the guqin which showcased an aged feel. Even though it was not the authentic thing, it would still have its great origin story.


    Xuantong Demon Queen''s strong aura brushed through the strings, forming more intricate aura, cut through the water flow, a sight that opened his eyes.


    The structure of the strong aura was so unique. It could cut through the water, temporarily separating the molecules, unable to fuse back.


    Such minute abstruseness was definitely eye-opening.


    Xuantong Demon Queen continued on, "However this was an imitation made by Zhenren Jinye who got hold of the material of the real guqin. It may not be as good as the real thing, but it had gained spirituality. If you here know music, practice day and night, who knows this could be on your list of instruments when you achieve immortality."


    At the mention of Zhenren Jinye, Shen Lian could hold the tug in his heart. Zhenren Jinye was a music saint recognized from the past generations. He was one of the royal musicians of the king in the mortal world, well versed in Daoism scriptures, and a self-proclaimed Daoist. This man was very talented, one of his kind. He actually managed to realize the Dao formula to achieve immortality by studying the Daoist scriptures himself. That was not even the most amazing feat he has done in his life, for his real love in life was not cultivation but music.


    For him to solely focus on his path of music, he blinded his own eyes at the age of twenty. Using his ears as his eyes, focused on the path of music, and finally surpassed godliness.


    Shen Lian understood him because Zhenren Jinye used to visit Qing Xuan, welcomed by the then Chief Master, and played in front of Taiwei Pavilion. He once saw the records from a literature:


    "Play it once, two mystical flamingos walked in. Play it again, the birds stood side by side. Play it three times, they stretched their necks and sang, spread their wings to dance; Then he played "Qing Jiao". Subsequently, a mystical cloud rose from the north-west side, riding in with wind and rain, split open the tents, break all utensils, and shatter all roof tiles. What a stimulating performance."


    This shows that the way Zhenren Jinye could fuse music with Daoism fascinated even the elders of Qing Xuan.


    As for the ability of Zhenren Jinye to fabricate an imitate guqin of the Great Saint''s Heritage, did not shock Shen Lian at all. Zhenren Jinye himself was from the bloodline of Fuxi the Great Saint, which was slightly diluted after many years of inheritance.


    Not many people knew this secret.


    It was not known then how much the others knew about Zhenren Jinye. However most people simply thought that regardless of how good the item was, days and nights of practice required so much energy, moreover, it was not authentic, so its effect could not be guaranteed.


    Zhenren Jinye could be a little famous, but this was nothing more than a short thunder in their ears. He even had very few fights with others, as most arguments ended up in showcasing his path of music.


    Zhenren Jinye was better known for his act of blinding his eyes for the sake of pursuing Daoism. This was often referenced by many cultivators, reminding themselves of his tenacity and focus.


    Be it the pursuit of music, or pursuit of Daoism, one would naturally succeed with this piece of attitude.


    There were still some people interested in this imitation of the Guqin of the Grand Saint''s Heritage Tune.


    Xuantong Demon Queen did not make any base bid, letting them appraise its price themselves.


    Wu Qingzi made the first bid, a large offer of fifty thousand Yiyuan Elixir.


    When the fifty thousand bid was made, the girl in green dress stuck out her tongue, "This man is such a rich vulgar".


    Third Senior Apprentice-Brother said, "That man is one of the disciples of the Taishang Daoist Sect. People of his sort are not that bothered with fifty thousand Yiyuan Elixir.


    The girl in green dress was not clueless too. She knew clearly what Taishang Daoist Sect meant. One of the four grand sects, placed high above the field of cultivation. No outsider knew for sure how much resources they possessed. They only knew that amongst the four main sects, even the youngest sect �C Xuantian Sect had trained more than fifteen immortal Zhenrens. So there must be an abundance of mystical treasures from their generations of collection.


    She whispered, "With all these wealthy people here, can we even get anything from here, Third Senior Apprentice-Brother?"


    Third Senior Apprentice-Brother muttered, "The subsequent treasures will all be traded item to item. If someone has their eye on this item that master ordered us to prepare, we will still succeed without comparing our wealth."


    Qing Huanger saw Wu Qingzi''s bid and shouted without hesitation, "Sixty thousand".


    Wu Qingzi snorted, "You are just a walking beast. You know nothing about music. One hundred thousand."


    He stacked up forty thousand in one go while having a tease on Qing Huanger.


    Being as ruthless as he was, Qing Huanger knew that Wu Qingzi was from the Taishang Daoist Sect, yet he replied fearlessly, "What are you pretending about here? You were already rejected before, yet you still had your heart disrupted. I will play this crazy game with you until the end."


    Both their resonance conversed with great power, splashing up the water pond that was initially calm, creating many water wave, as if they were blowing up.


    The box of the girl in green was isolated, hence they could not hear any of the resonance, which frustrated them.


    Then, the Third Senior Apprentice-Brother took out a piece of talisman, pasted on his junior apprentices respectively, subsequently, a gleam of light passed through and protected their bodies, keep them away from the disruption.


    Shen Lian caught a glimpse of this and recognized that was the Celestial Master Talisman from the Zhengyi Sect.


    Zhengyi Sect was one of its kind in the Xuanmen, where most of them studied talismans, even their Huandan was talisman seeds that condensate. They were especially skillful in casting spells. One spell could manipulate the weather and turn beans into armies.


    The most significant one was the talisman seed of the Nine-Worded Truth. Once it was formed, its power surpasses anything imaginable, not any worse than nine transformations of Huandan.


    However, it had been a long time since someone was heard casting this talisman seed, but now the Celestial Master of the Zhengyi Sect was also in the ranks of land immortals, not a force to be looked down on.


    The girl in green dress noticed Shen Lian looking over, she could not help blushing as she thought that Shen Lian was looking at her. As cultivators of talisman, though they were required to have a peaceful heart and mind, they were unlike the Dao cultivators who have to cut off all emotional ties. They would blend in well in the mortal world and make many close ties with most countries.


    Some countries were even filled with Celestial Master Temple.


    Fifth Senior Apprentice-Brother noticed, "He is not looking at you."


    Girl in green said blushingly, "None of your business."


    This conflict between Wu Qingzi and Qing Huanger, was all because Wu Qingzi was a self-proclaimed noble who could not get along with a rude beast of this sort. Even the Taishang Sect did not care about the Great Saint''s bloodline from these demons.


    Taishang Daoist Sect was proud to be the inheritor of the Taishang Daoist Master, and the Daoist Master reared a demon beast as his mount.


    Daoist Masters, Buddha were realms, and also achievements. However, among all Daoist Masters of Taishang, there was this Taishang Daoist Master, the only one, who once roamed around the mortal world in disguise and educate the people. It was said that the when the heavenly gods created the heaven and earth, even the Taiyi Daoist Master and Buddha seek his Daoist advice before.


    Somebody once deduced that even the most extreme of gods and Buddha would not match up to Taishang Daoist Master, but this comparison could not be envisioned by anyone.


    Soon enough, both of them had reached a bidding price of two hundred thousand.


    This was when both of them became cautious. Though the currency of Yiyuan Elixirs was not much of a value to them, at this magnitude, it would still hurt them to take this amount out. With this amount, they would need to exchange it with one of their own mystical instruments.


    A cultivator would not care much about external belongings during cultivation, but to survive in this world, every mystical instrument is an extremely important assistant with great value.


    If they could not even protect their own lives, they would not be able to cultivate anything at all.


    This was when Shen Lian subtly chipped in, "Three hundred thousand".


    His cultivation was so deep that his resonance was so loud, resonating the whole floating pavilion. It was very obvious, but not piercingly loud to the ears, very soft like it was from the bottom of the heart, and gave an effect of soothing one''s messy emotion.


    As Wu Qingzi heard Shen Lian, he stopped arguing, because in his eyes Shen Lian was a bold character, filled with the charm of a Daoist, much pleasant looking than the beast.


    Qing Huanger was silently astonished by Shen Lian''s mana. He stared towards Shen Lian, and saw Shen Lian''s visions as clear as a lake. No matter how fierce he looked, there was not a single ripple.


    Those eyes were filled with emptiness and loneliness, with a formless film, and some warmth leaking out as a sign of great spiritual strength.


    Qing Huanger may be vindictive, but he would not want to make enemies everywhere, plus Shen Lian offered up to three hundred thousand, a sign of his determination to get this treasure. He would not want to put up a fight for a faux guqin.


    Moreover, he only cared about what will be put on the table later. The Water Repelling Pearl and the imitated product of Great Saint''s Heritage Tune Guqin would not be of any use to the people of their cultivation level.


    The reason Qing Huanger bidded for this Water Repelling Pearl was also because his species was not good in the water, so this Water Repelling Pearl could be put to some use in the future.


    Now, Shen Lian had gotten some attention from the others, who were all wondering who this big spending youngster was.


    Shen Lian''s name was quite well known in the field of cultivation, but there were very few who saw him personally, so no one actually recognized him.


    After all, not everyone had the knowledge and exposure as much as Xuantong Demon Queen.


    As soon as Xuantong Demon Queen saw Shen Lian bidded this guqin, she smiled, "My Daoist friend is so magnanimous and bold. This will suit him the most."

 Chapter 235 Dragon Transformation

    Shen Lian replied to Xuantong Demon Queen with a smile.


    Xuantong Demon Queen had a reputation for being serious and uptight, yet she looked at Shen Lian so pleasantly, which was a shocking sight to the others. They were all Daoist Masters of the Powang state, yet Xuantong Demon Queen gave them a stern look.


    As for this Shen Lian, who may be strong but not quite to the level of immortal Zhenren. Where did this man come from?


    They made their own guess, but not in depth. After all, at this level of cultivation, it would be impossible for someone to not have any secret.


    The next item on auction was a piece a Cosmic Iron of the Stars. If one was a sword cultivator, this item would bring great use to them, could be turned into a fine grade sword pill after decades of refinement.


    Even if it posed no use to them, it could also be used to hire some sword cultivators to do some urgent tasks.


    The three disciples of Zhengyi Sect looked on as the crowd of rich cultivators made their bidding relentlessly. Green-dressed girl was envious of this sight because deep down she wanted to become a female master celestial of sword, but due to Zhengyi Sect''s average level of sword incantation, plus the difficulty of sourcing the materials to refine a sword pill, she had no choice but focus on the talisman studies.


    Finally, the Cosmic Iron of Stars was won by an unknown cultivator. He looked quite aged, with his body full of goosebumps. Shen Lian''s guess was that he was cultivating a certain secret technique like the Wilting Zen, hidden with potential.


    Next segment was the real barter exchange, the real purpose all cultivators were gathered here.


    Jingting Tongzi took out a stalk of a mystical herb, its body glowing in dark green like a jade. The whole herb showed a shape of a human, with clearly segmented head and feet.


    Shen Lian could not contain his shaking when he saw it.


    Xuantong Demon Queen casually announced, "I believe all of you know well very well what this is. It is one of my friend''s accidental discovery. Everyone can now bring your treasures out, place it in the jade box. My assistance who made the announcement earlier will see it, and if he is interested in any of your items, you all may make your exchange discreetly with him. I shall be the middle person, and will definitely not reveal any information.


    With this move, Xuantong would know who was dealing with who, but with her fame and the reputation of her business in the celestial market, she would not reveal any information about her customers, a move that would ruin her business. This could be considered a fairer method.


    After all, an innocent person could be guilty of possessing something valuable. A cultivator may be pursuing immortality, but a great treasure could help them survive on material terms. Once they reveal their wealth, they could be targeted as well.


    All the boxes were now closed, where one could not look in from outside. Everyone knew that this mechanism was for everyone to place their own treasures. Whoever used their spiritual consciousness to detect anything, the restriction system of the box would be triggered.


    A while later, all lights came back on.


    Xuantong Demon Queen had already asked Jingting Tongzi to keep the mystical herb, and no one knew if anyone had succeeded in the bid.


    Although if these people wanted to hide something, they would not show it on their faces.


    Shen Lian was genuinely interested in that mystical herb. He also tried to trade, unfortunately, the seller was not interested.


    He was not too bothered anyway. At this high level, the real value of a mystical instrument or item was in its suitability, and not only on its function and power.


    Unless the quality difference was too big, that would be a different story.


    As the saying goes, there were things money cannot buy which would be the best expression of this situation.


    Following this, three more rare treasures were put out for exchange. They were so rare that not many items in the Qing Xuan could compare to them.


    It was not because of Qing Xuan''s purchasing power, but a collection of rare treasures come in different varieties in this world, no one could possibly have them all. Still, it was impossible for Qing Xuan to collect them all.


    Xuantong Demon Queen said, "The next treasure is something you should not miss."


    She pointed at the pond, then smoke arose, and its top was glowing in emerald lights. As the glowing dissipated, there appeared an emerald flower with petals as big as the lotus leaves, clear as the water, and booming with life. The water pond was then filled with blooming lotus flowers, all under the influence of this thing.


    Without Xuantong Demon Queen''s explanation, the crowd got quite excited.


    In the Record of Unusual Things, there was a mention of "A tree of miracles, its leaves shaped like lotus flowers, its trunk was like cinnamon, and its flowers'' colors follow the seasons. Emerald flowers grow at the beginning of spring and fall at the end of spring; red flowers grow when summer starts and fall when summer ends; white flowers grow when autumn starts and wilt when autumn ends; purple flowers grow in the winter and they fall when touched by snow. Hence, it is named Evergreen Tree."


    This Evergreen Flower was emerald in color, so it bloomed in the spring season and filled with life. If paired with the Sanguang Holy Water, it would create a mana refining magic potion.


    If one''s Huandan level was only at six to seven transformations, it would elevate its level by half to one cycle, greatly increasing the chances of surpassing whims, which was Xuwang, and coagulate Primordial Spirit.


    Hence no one would imagine that there was someone who would put this item out for trade.


    However, they also might not be able to present an item that would interest the seller.


    At the same time, everyone knew clearly that this was the mystical item from the divine ruins.


    Those who entered the divine ruins were mostly destined cultivators. All who entered, emerged as a different person, attaining the foundation comparable to the Nine Transformation of Huandan, a much-desired feat for all.


    All the cultivators here were of Huandan level at the least, but most were just at Huandan and Buxu. Those with Huandan could be just at the sixth or seventh transformation. They might have the chance to achieve immortality, but still miles away as compared to cultivators with nine transformations of Huandan.


    This item did not pose many functions to Shen Lian, since he had studied and mastered the Taixu Strategy, to begin with. He also had nine transformations of Huandan with a solid foundation and a bright future.


    A moment later, everyone tried their best to pick a treasure and put in the jade box and waited for the owner of the Evergreen Flower to make their decision.


    Then, Xuantong Demon Queen announced, "Everyone, now let us look at the next treasure."


    The folks looked on and silently cursed at her, which was a first towards this arrangement because she did not announce if the Evergreen Flower was traded away by anyone


    Suddenly, the clouds were shaking, and a long rainbow glided through. After a closer look, it was actually a yellow dragon, with distinctive scales and claws, its whiskers as long as tens of feet.


    Its humongous eyes shot through the whole floating pavilion.


    As the yellow dragon approached closely, it shook and transformed into a Daoist Master dressed in yellow Bagua robe, stepping on a form of yellow cloud. He faced towards Xuantong Demon Queen and said, "I am Huang Longzi of the Guangqing Sect. I have great use of this Evergreen Flower, which I am willing to get with a hefty price."


    All the cultivators knew that of the Incantation of Dragon Transformation was mastered by Huang Longzi from the Guangqing Sect, which seemed to be true.


    Xuantong Demon Queen squinted and replied, "That item has been traded off to and collected by one of my Daoist friends. You are late, sir."


    Huang Longzi replied with a smile, "That''s fine, which one was it who won this treasure? Can you please do me a favor? I''d like to make a deal with you, and I assure you will not lose anything."


    Xuantong Demon Queen smirked, "I am the organizer of this auction, but I did not invite you. If you want to trade, you will have to do it in the celestial market outside."


    The others thought this Guangqing Sect must be riding on its fierce trend to proudly barge into Xuantong Demon Queen''s territory, no wonder she was so upset.

 Chapter 236 The Devilry of Dark Skies

    The three disciples of Zhengyi sect were speechless. The green-dressed girl was clenching her fists. Their Zhengyi Sect was also a considerably large sect, but still quite a distance away from Guangqing Sect.


    For centuries, Guangqing had the five land immortals guarding the sect entrance. Other than Xuantian Sect, no other sects dared to offend them.


    Guangqing had been expanding rapidly, taking in disciples and spells, with the intention to strengthen its essence. There was a rumor about a few Celestials with thousand years of heritage being exterminated, and all these were the works of Guangqing.


    The three of them were here on their master''s orders. They were also well-taken care by Xuantong. The item that they had prepared would have satisfied the owner of the Evergreen Flower. With this intervention by Huang Longzi, it was unsure then whether they were able to bring the Evergreen Flower back.


    As Huang Longzi heard from Xuantong, he said, "You and me, we both born from the heavens and die on earth, only part of the living beings. Even if we surpass that, the earth here still belonged to the heavens. Everyone could go, and why are you chasing me away? Even the spirits of the mountains, rivers, and lakes were only executing the heaven''s orders, yet they were not that unapproachable."


    His words sounded so noble, his body filled with Dao aura, and the yellow cloud below his feet, stayed stationary and collected, signifying his solid cultivation.


    The Incantation of Dragon Transformation that he mastered enables him to transform into a Five Clawed Dragon. Even when he was now in human form, there was still a subtle aura of the dragon around him. Dragons fly above all beings with full majesty, prompting all other beings to bow before whenever they see one.


    Although all the attendees were highly ranked in cultivation, they could still feel the spiritual pressure emitted from Huang Longzi, which was kind of suffocating.


    Especially those demonic cultivators felt an even stronger restriction on them.


    Only Qing Huanger and Xuantong Demon Queen were the exceptions. Yet Qing Huanger had assessed the whole situation and kept quiet, he obviously also knew of the ruthlessness of Guangqing and not to oppose against.


    Xuantong Demon Queen could not help giggling. Even Zhenren Shen, the chief of Qing Xuan Sect was acting politely, not as pushy as him lot from the Guangqing Sect. Could it be that she had preserved herself for these years that all people had forgotten about the work done to achieve what she had today?


    Xuantong said lightly, "Since the conversation has been brought up to this level, I have nothing else to interact with you. However, if you can receive my sword attack, I will let this one go and let you do what you want."


    Huang Longzi smiled back, "Very well, Daoist friend, you are such straightforward person. If only I was not so desperate to get this Evergreen Flower, I would not want to cause trouble here."


    Judging from the persistence of a Daoist cultivator, this conversation had to end here, and all had to come down to a duel of Daoist techniques.


    Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of keen awareness, killed hundred thousand of demon soldiers when he attained Dao. In actuality, highly skilled Daoists may be retaining themselves in good behavior and would not start a fight, but when a real situation ensues, they would not back down as well.


    Huang Longzi also wanted to get the Evergreen Flower directly, but he knew very well that this treasure was untradable, all thanks to his premonition to predict the future events.


    Shen Lian sat up, as he got the opportunity to witness the great prowess of Xuantong Demon Queen. She possessed a very wide range of spells, was a talent amongst the demons. It seemed like she was going to use her sword skills today to chase Huang Longzi away.


    Xuantong Demon Queen hauled on, "Jingting."


    The child smiled and shook his body, then appeared as a gleam of sword''s ray, and then it fell on Xuantong''s hand.


    He was a piece of Jiejian Stone on Mount Jingting. For hundreds of years, there were countless sword cultivators who turned up at the mountain gates of Green Lotus Sect to place their sword on him as a sign of respect.


    Hence, he was under the influence of countless sword aura. This Jiejian Stone has its own spiritual consciousness as well. When Xuantong Demon Queen first achieved Shentong, she moved effortlessly in Green Lotus Sword Sect and took the Green Lotus Sword Codex by force, and materialized this rock into a Daoist child and a sword for her.


    The sword was clear as water, its hilt, guard, and blade had no other decorations. As it fell onto Xuantong''s hand, the sword and yielder fused into one, not one would tell the difference whether the sword aura was emitted from Xuantong or was it from the sword. Many sword cultivators might spend their whole lives but still could not catch a glimpse of this high-skilled way of sword.


    Xuantong Demon Queen arose, took a step in the void, then reached Huang Longzi''s altitude.


    Both of their eyes stared fiercely, accompanied by their long and unpredictable breath.


    Suddenly, a sword glided through the skies with an almost unmatchable speed.


    Huang Longzi had been matching this up silently, but he did not expect the speed of Xuantong''s sword gleam, as it all happened in a split second, almost impossible to defend.


    The yellow cloud below his foot shook and split into two streams of airflow, forming almost two rivers in the void, with its current flowing endlessly.


    This step itself had everyone in amazement.


    This step by Huang Longzi was not only exquisite but was also made with refined and rich mana, that surpassed most of the people there.


    The air current rolled on and held the sword aura down, whereas another stream came in like a dragon wagging its tail, charged up towards Xuantong Demon Queen''s body.


    However, the sword aura was indeed extraordinary. In a movement, the sword aura burst and split into nine lively green lotuses with both its flower and leaves.


    The nine lotus flowers sit on top of the air stream, and all the essence water entered the flowers as if they were sucked into it.


    As the lotus flowers rotated, every one of them appeared to be white, crystal clear like the pearl, and as the skylight hit on them, they all turned into seven gorgeous colors.


    The crowd was trying to admire the view when they saw the dews on the lotus leaves flew out to form thousands of water drop shaped sword aura sped through the air and pierced through Huang Longzi. The sharp sword aura filled the void all around. Before the aura hit him, he was shocked to feel a sensation as if his orifice points were combusting.


    This demon queen was such a genuinely feared character. She managed to cultivate the Green Lotus Sword Codex to the extent of ''One Sword Splitting into Nine Lotuses'', which could take in the essence of all waters and release the top sword technique of ''Outflowing Lotus''.


    He knew very well, if he got attacked by the thousand droplets of water, he would not get away so easily. Even though Xuantong Demon Queen said that she would release one step, but that one step had a thousand varieties, finally entrapping him. She might just follow through and leave him some souvenirs.


    Although Huang Longzi got a bit flustered, he transferred his mana and transformed into a dragon in a blink, with waving whiskers and shining scales.


    The thousand water droplets had him encased, with the sword aura hitting on its scales; as the sounds of collision between metal and gold could be heard. Finally, it still did not penetrate the dragon''s shield of scale.


    All the audience could not help but thought, "This yellow dragon is really one of its kind."


    Before this thought was done, Xuantong Demon Queen was seen putting up a Dao formula, and her hands lit up. She held a deadly Qi of devilry, threw it out like a flash, which then rammed through the dragon scales, leaving a big splash of bloody mist in the void.


    Now the audience was in shock, they all thought, "That was more than one step."


    Huang Longzi even yelled in pain, "The Devilry of the Dark Skies, you possess this sort of demonic technique!"


    Almost immediately after that, he disappeared into the sea of clouds, accompanied with the blood mist. Huang Longzi also did not expect Xuantong Demon Queen to go against her words, that she would attack him after one step, using the long lost demonic technique, The Devilry of the Dark Skies, to kill him.


    The Devilry of the Dark Skies was a mystical technique in the Dao of demons, created specifically to break through the protection of the Daoist cultivations. It did not matter if the opponent had the body of a


    Vajra, a hit would still inflict a great deal of injury.


    But once this Devilry of Dark Skies was released, not only would it take a long time to gather, it also required some specific Qi of devilry, coupled with a certain evil act to master. Once mastered, it would still be wise to use it moderately.


    Xuantong Demon Queen may not have defeated Huang Longzi in one step as she mentioned, but she still had the upper hand in the end.


    All the spectating cultivators just thought that Xuantong Demon Queen had just got herself into big trouble.


    Not mentioning the five land immortals in Guangqing, even the other eleven apprentice siblings were all Daoist Masters of Powang level, especially there was Daoist Huanzhen with a level that was approaching the gods.


    If he really brought his apprentice siblings here to seek revenge from Xuantong, it would be impossible for Xuantong Demon Queen to save this celestial market even if she ran away.


    Maybe this time, Guangqing would take this opportunity to take over this celestial market and monopolize the trade business.


    Even though Xuantong Demon Queen claimed that she had studied Daoism under Lu Jiuyuan, all the other cultivators would not believe that Xuantian Sect would stand up for her.


    With Lu Jiuyuan around, the Guangqing would never act opposingly to Xuantian Sect, the top Daoist sect in the world, no matter how arrogant they were.


    The girl in green sighed in relief, and whispered, "What shall we do now, Third Senior Apprentice-Brother? Senior Xuantong has offended Guangqing for our sake, this is not good."


    Third Senior Apprentice-Brother remained calm, "When Senior Xuantong ruled the world, both you and I were not born yet. She must have her reason to do such act. Guangqing has been acting quite ruthlessly. Grand Master did say, it would over flourish and then weaken down, and we the Zhengyi Sect mustn''t just sit back and watch."


    As compared to the serenity of the four grand Daoist sects, Guangqing sect was more worldly and they had the ambition to revamp the Xuanmen and rebuild the order of the cultivation realm.


    Although revamping the Xuanmen and rebuilding order may be helpful in promoting interaction between cultivators, but no sect would be willing to be part of this revolution.


    The Grandmaster''s orthodoxy of thousand years was so carefree. Though small, the sect was enough for one to fit in, much better than being restricted by the rules set by another sect.


    When Shen Lian saw how Xuantong Demon Queen injured Huang Longzi, he could not figure out why Xuantong would do such a thing. After all, no matter how high Xuantong''s cultivation level was, it was still inferior to Mister Hai''s level. All the twelve masters in Guangqing had cultivation levels as high as Huang Longzi''s. If two or three of them came, they would not be easy to handle.


    The Treasure Auction was about to end then. Shen Lian walked over to find Zhao Xiaoyu after collecting his bidded treasure.


    Looking from far, she stood there alone, so prettily like a lotus flower emerging from the water. One could only admire from far, and not offend her. As she saw Shen Lian walking over, she could not hold back her smile, "This is the first time Mister Shen came over to look for me. I am actually quite shocked."


    Her face was wearing the emotions of surprise and delight, just like the saying, ''After seeing the man, there is no reason to not be happy''.


    Shen Lian felt a bit helpless, that women''s thoughts were sometimes so difficult to read. Now he could not tell if Zhao Xiaoyu was being genuine or not.

 Chapter 237 An Encounter at the Seapor

    Huang Longzi transformed into a real dragon and flew for several days without knowing how far he had flown. He only saw a mighty in front that flows into the sea. The river was wide with its width spanning across at least a hundred miles. It was hard to separate the river from the sea if it was not seen from high above.


    This was the Qingshui River, the biggest river in Nanjiang of the Yuan Continent. The rainfall had been abundant for this river. As one goes up from the estuary to the source, most of it were high mountains and marshlands, where dragons and snakes appeared often.


    The most famous sect at the Qingshui River was the Qingjiang Sword Sect. Huang Longzi reached this river and remembered that the Qingjiang Sword Sect had gone to Qing Xuan. It was truly abominable.


    He was injured by the Xuantong Demon Queen''s Devilry of Dark Skies. There was a lump of evil Qi condensed on his injuries that would not dissipate for a long time. He could not resolve the Qi of devilry during these few days.


    Under the animosity of his mind, a malignancy welled up in him. At the thought of the Qingjiang Sword Sect, he had the urge to approach them to fight and get some spiritual medicine, while also punishing the Qingshui Sword Sect. This also had to do with his cultivation of the Dragon Transformation Incantation. The savage part of the real dragon was aroused by the injuries so it was natural for him to want to abreact.


    With this notion in mind, Huang Longzi was about to come up with a cumulus cloud to walk through the cloud roads and get to the Qingshui Sword sect. Suddenly, at this moment, there was a single boat that came from in front. It was flowing down from the upstream of the river.


    Originally, it was because of the fact that the Qingshui River was wide so there were a lot of seafaring visitors who would use this to enter Nanjiang and it was nothing strange for them to trade with the barbarians. However, to dare to crossover such a wide river by a single boat without being afraid of capsizing, only those who bore supernatural powers would able to do so. Another bigger possibility was a cultivator.


    As it was still far away, Huang Longzi did not use any mana and his gazing dragon eyes only saw a silhouette. With his mana conjured up, his dragon eyes bright and piercing, he immediately observed that it was a young person on the single boat. That person was clad in white and his clean robes fluttered. He was noble and graceful, like a lying celestial riding the waves.


    It was truly an excellent figure.


    It was as though the person had seen him and showed him a smile. Suddenly, the single boat grazed pass area of unknown miles like a flying arrow and it reached an area nearby him.


    And then, the single boat suddenly came to a stable halt on the flowing water, instead of flowing according to the current.


    The man in white freely and easily paid his respect to make an obeisance and it was exactly the formality when people from the same Guangqing Sect would meet. Simultaneously, the Qi of Dao that was shown to him was a Guangqing technique. Huang Longzi''s mind had doubts. It had been years since he last returned to the mountain gate when did the sect had such a remarkable disciple?


    While he was pondering, he heard the man in white said, "Qingwei greets Senior Apprentice-Brother Huang Longzi."


    This so-called Qingwei was, of course, Yanxu''s Daoist name in Guangqing. Yuming the Honored Celestial had granted him to descend down the mountains to gain experience and temper himself. Naturally, nothing was impossible for him. In five years'' time, he had actually secretly taken most control of the actual situation of the Guangqing Celestial Sect. It was only the five immortal Zhenrens that he still did not dare to look into so rashly.


    When Huang Longzi heard both the word ''Qingwei'', he then remembered that this was the new disciple of the chief Martial Uncle. To be able to have cultivation experience such as this in the span of five years truly surprised him.


    Daoist Huanzhen had sent him an air message and the praises would not stop at the mention of ''Qingwei'' but never would he have expected this Junior Apprentice-Brother Qingwei to attain cultivation experience to this state of perfection. There was a saying that Chen Jianmei had three years of Chushen and ten years of Ruhua, being the number one prodigy of the world. However, compared to this new Junior Apprentice-Brother Qingwei, who entered Dao at the same time, Qingwei was still very ahead of Chen Jianmei.


    At the mention of Chen Jianmei, Huang Longzi still had chills. This fellow''s high swordcraft and strong cultivation experience were simply something hard to encounter in his entire life. Even though the Xuantong Demon Queen had injured him but compared to the Chen Jianmei, she was still slightly inferior. When that fellow made his move, ''one man one sword'', it was hard to deal with because since it was made without mercy.


    Before that, he was worried that the revival of Qing Xuan was inevitable because of Chen Jianmei and Shen Lian but now, with the sect accepting this peerless prodigy, it seemed that this sect''s luck was still prosperous. As long as the chief Martial Uncle could accomplish this important matter, he would not be afraid of having more impact added to this tricky situation, he only needed to fret whether destiny was flourishing or not.


    With a sway of his body, Huang Longzi transformed back to his human body. He stood on a ball of clear Qi and landed on the surface of the water. Despite the huge waves surging, not one bit of water wet the hem of his robes.


    Since he was successful with the Dragon Transformation Incantation, his water abilities were powerful. This little bit of spray of water was naturally refined within his flowing mana.


    Huang Longzi laughed and said, "So it''s Junior Apprentice-Brother Qingwei. I have heard of you long ago. You should be properly cultivated in the mountains, why did you descend from the mountains?"


    Yanxu answered, "I am gaining experience and tempering myself with Senior Apprentice-Brother Huanzhen. I have heard that there was a celestial market opening at the Eastern Sea and was prepared to have a look of the bustle of it. I did not expect to meet Senior Apprentice-Brother Huang Longzi. Luckily before I came down the mountains, the honored master had shown me your aura so that I would not mistake you. Your Dragon Transformation Incantation is truly formidable. You were really majestic looking during this road trip, which I really admire."


    With that said, he looked at the right hem of Huang Longzi''s robe with mirth. There was still some dragon blood staining the Dao robes.


    How could Huang Longzi not notice Yanxu''s gaze? What''s more was that Yanxu also mentioned the celestial market of the Eastern Sea. He was filled with anger and he could not help but said hatefully, "I am going, to be frank with you, Junior Apprentice-Brother. My injuries were caused by Xuantong Demon Queen of the celestial market of the Eastern Sea when that conniving b*tch made her move. I was not aware and was hit by her Devilry of Dark Skies. I am about to go to the Qingshui Sword Sect to demands for some spiritual medicine to mitigate these injuries."


    Yanxu said, "If you are looking for spiritual medicine, why reject what is near at hand and seek what is far away? I have the Chijing Elixir that Uncle Master Dengfeng gave to me before I came down the mountains, it is known to be a healing panacea."


    With that said, Yanxu took out a small jade bottle and with a flick of the cork, an elixir pill came flying out. It was as big as a dragon''s eye and it suffused exquisite fragrance all around as it floated in midair, surrounded by a red cloud. It seemed that its quality was extraordinary.


    The swimming fishes in the water caught the fragrant scent and jumped out from the water one by one. However, they have not reached halfway before they were rolled back by the clear Qi beneath Huang Longzi.


    Huang Longzi thought, "This Junior Apprentice-Brother is really good. This Chijing Elixir seems to be newly refined by Uncle Master Dengfeng. Compared to the Chijing Elixir I had before, this quality was better by a good fold. Coincidentally, I have finished the spiritual medicine that I''ve took long while dealing with that matter for a few years now. Since this is your kind regards, I will accept it as it helps with my injuries."


    His pondering stopped and he no longer hesitates. He smiled, "I am lacking in elixir and it would be disrespectful of me to decline your Chijing Elixir then." Huang Longzi was a straightforward person who did not bother about small matters. He opened his mouth and with one inhale, he swallowed the Chijing Elixir. He then used the force of the true dragon and with one sweep of the fore, he scattered the elixir efficacy and converged it to where his injuries were.


    The elixir was truly miraculous. It indeed was the healing panacea that was personally refined by Daoist Dengfeng as it forced the evil Qi of the Dark Skies Devilry out of his body. Huang Longzi then broke out his mana to dispel it.


    As the elixir continued to work its efficacy, it promoted tissue generation and invigorated the circulation of blood, this immediately caused the injuries to recover quickly.


    He sincerely expressed his gratitude, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, the Chijing Elixir this time has truly increased significantly in quality. Could it be that Uncle Master had found some invaluable plants or minerals to further improve the elixir formula?"


    Yanxu laughed in his mind, "I gave you a little something extra so of course it was going to be more effective than that lousy elixir by that muzzle of an ox Dengfeng."


    As he thought of that, there were no changes on his face at all. It seemed that the heavens were helping him. This fellow, Huang Longzi, was the one with the lowest cultivation experience, the worst ability amongst the twelve Powang masters of Guangqing. Contrary to what he expected, he let him encounter him while he was injured so it was hard for him to not work Huang Longzi over.

 Chapter 238 Cultivation is a Serious Pastime

    Huang Longzi''s favorable impression towards Yanxu increased. He was not aware that Yanxu had added something extra to the Chijing Elixir.


    In the past years, even though Yanxu had been lighting the fire in Daoist Dengfeng''s cauldron for a long time, in actual fact, he had allowed his Free Form Incantation to enter into an abstruse state stably within these few years of peaceful time.


    When cultivators of Daoism enter the Powang state, they would also encounter demonic distractions. In actual fact, the demon in one''s heart transformed by those demonic distractions was part of the process breaking through Xuwang. That was why even when Buddha was all great and powerful, but still could not entirely eliminate the evilness on earth. As the heart of the masses was impure, and there would always be the bloom of evil thoughts. Yanxu could not break through Xuwang with his Free Form Incarnation because he himself as a part of it. Therefore, it was difficult for him to attain such achievements as the Buddha and celestials.


    No matter how formidable Yanxu was by using his Free Form Incantation to calmly advance and retreat before the immortal Zhenren, he still lacked something. He needed another way to break through the limitation of the Free Form Incantation and coagulate his Devil''s Body.


    It was said that the ancient Dipamkara Buddha, the bringer of lights, had gotten twenty-four Sea Setting Pearls, broke through twenty-four incarnations of heaven and had great attainment.


    The road Yanxu chose had some similarities. As long as he was able to turn twelve Powang-state masters from the same origin into his incarnation forms, he then could train a secret technique to reap one of the greatest strength of this universe. When the time comes, it may allow him to break the original form of his Free Form Incantation and establish a new one, see through falsehood and reality, make him no less inferior than any figure of heaven and earth and become one of the rare almighty of this universe.


    Yanxu freely and simply smiled, "You do not need to be courteous to me, Senior Apprentice-Brother Huang Longzi. By the look of your expression, the condition of your injuries should not be a problem for you. Now, you do not need to go to the Qingjiang Sword Sect to get spiritual medicine."


    As he was saying this, the Free Form Incantation secretly worked as an inconspicuous fluctuation primed an unknown aura inside of Huang Longzi. At that moment, Huang Longzi got really angry and the malignancy within him expanded even more.


    This was the extent of the subtleness of the Incantation. Huang Longzi was not aware that the seed of devilry had been planted in his heart and soul. Furthermore, in his current state, if he did not notice Yanxu''s little trick from the beginning, even if he was occasionally irritated, he would take it that he was agitated by Xuwang, which caused his unstable state of mind. It was difficult for him to be conscious of this abnormality.


    Huang Longzi raged, "The Qingjiang Sword Sect cater to those in power. They had actually join Qing Xuan just like that and to think Senior Apprentice-Brother had treated them kindly. Only the Senior Apprentice-Brother, who is moderate in temper, would not punish them. But I am unable to stomach this insult. I have to teach them a lesson and we''ll see if Qing Xuan would speak out for them or not."


    Now that his anger was stoked, he had no choice but to search for the Qingjiang Sword Sect''s trouble.


    Yanxu was indifferent when he heard the mention of Qing Xuan. To him, the few people in Qing Xuan that he slightly cared about were Zhang Ruoxu and Biyun. Nonetheless, both of them had passed away and their deaths were directly or indirectly caused by him.


    The purpose of him provoking Huang Longzi to search for the Qingjiang Sword Sect was so that he could begin slaughtering without regards and become even more lost. At the same time, he could get Qingjiang''s cultivators Qi of essence and blood of the soul to cultivate once again the Blood Dissipating Sword.


    Back then, it was unfortunate for the Blood Dissipating Sword while he schemed against Shen Lian. After all, to harvest the blood of the soul, one needs to be discreet. Most formidable cultivators have an extensive background and could not be easily killed.


    Now, by pushing Huang Longzi to the frontline, Huang Longzi could take the blame and lose even more of himself. He only needed to sit back and reap the benefits.


    Without being hunted down by Uncle Master Ziling, no one was holding him back anymore and now he could dispel apprehensions and act with courage. As long as he could reach his target in twenty years'' time, even when Uncle Master Ziling recovers from her injuries, he did not need to be afraid of the Taixu Strategy already.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial''s secret martial exercises were also something he had to obtain. With his wisdom, he had long found out that the Guangqing Celestial Sect did not only conspired for the position of the four main Daoist sects, they were also planning for a big event. Unfortunately, even with his unparalleled intellectual and wit, he still did not have a clue on that event in the past few years.


    This was also due to the fact that he did not want to trigger anyone''s suspicion and have Yuming the Honored Celestial and Daoist Dengfeng to have their guards up.


    Even though Daoist Dengfeng was part of the school of land immortals, the Taiyue Real Shape Incantation that he cultivated was also one of the few Dao formulae with boundless mana in this universe. Speaking solely about the profoundness of mana, it would be difficult to be equally matched. But he was still not as well versed as Yuming the Honored Celestial when it comes to being unpredictable. Most likely only the old fool in Qing Xuan would be on par.


    Speaking of that old fool, Yanxu still did not know how he feels towards him. For him to be able to be at where he was, it was credited to that half-dead old fool who wasted his time keeping watch the Taiwei Pavilion. Or else, he would have stick to the conventional method, cultivate with the authentic Xuanmen martial exercises and attained immortality.


    Yanxu did not think about the states in life. He did not feel remorse for the things he had done which was similar to how Shen Lian was.


    Of course, Shen Lian did not know that Yanxu now was creating a big problem for the Guangqing Celestial Sect. Now, he was with Zhao Xiaoyu on the high cloud, simply watching the deep blue sea beneath.


    The heavenly wind brushed past the side of his ear, it was pleasant to listen to. The sea water beneath was like a mirror that reflects the blue skies and white clouds. Even though the scenery was infinite, he was tired of looking at it.


    Zhao Xiaoyu sweetly said, "Shen, I actually enjoy this journey."


    Shen Lian''s gaze stopped at the cumulus clouds at the horizon. It followed the heavenly wind and irregularly change into different shapes. Sometimes it was like a dragon, sometimes it was like a tiger. There were no tangible shapes.


    He hard Zhao Xiaoyu said that and asked, as though surprised, "How so?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu gently replied, "Because it is during this time I do not need to think of anything. Occasionally I look at the sky, the sea and there''s nothing to fuss about. You are truly someone who could keep people at ease."


    Shen Lian chuckled and said, "If you were an ordinary woman, I would take that you were entrusting your entire life to me but I understand what you mean. This universe is like a sea of misery. As you and I swim across it, it is unknown when the stormy waves would annihilate us. All of these are really hard for us to predict so we could not loosen up anytime."


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled slightly, "Exactly. To pursue Dao is like sailing against the current, one either charges ahead or gradually falls behind. But if one persevere for a long-term, one''s mind would be indifferent and would not take many things into consideration. The feeling you give me, however, was like in this never-ending sail against the current, you are quite happy and gratified with yourself. When you face the stormy seas, you take more delight in it and did not struggle in this never-ending sea of misery and finally have your heart become as set as hard stone, not swayed by anything at all."


    Shen Lian chuckled and said nothing. Maybe he truly gave others this kind of feeling.


    Zhao Xiaoyu saw Shen Lian''s facial expression and an unknown relish of emotions welled up within her. She thought, "Perhaps cultivation is a serious pastime for you."


    She deeply understood that Shen Lian was mild and gentle like a jade. Even though he was not as forceful and overbearing as Chen Jianmei, but he was firm and tenacious as a jade stone, it was hard to break him and he did not even treat people with any prejudice. Other people would not have done what they have promised but as long as he gave his words, he would do his best to keep it.


    Or else Shen Lian would have dropped the burden, Qing Xuan, and have more freedom. After all, even though there were many benefits to this, it was more troubles for him also.


    For a cultivator who pursues Dao wholeheartedly, any obstacles in the path of Dao would be kicked to a side. Even if it was their school. If it ever violates their pursuit of Dao, they would rid off this entanglement without hesitation.


    If it was said that Shen Lian did not want to attain immortality, that he did not want to pursue this universe''s way of Dao, it was impossible but he could have his own bottom line and persistence.


    If slaughtering every living creature means attaining the supreme way of Dao, Zhao Xiaoyu would not hesitate but Shen Lian would not do that. He would prefer to pursue Dao in a way that he was comfortable with, it was also one of the rare kind of persistence.


    She now hated slightly her cold-blooded self but she would not change a thing. As for who was the more proper cultivator between herself and Shen Lian, even the ancient god could not give an answer.


    They roamed through the sea of clouds very quickly and they did not know how far had they went, the two did not keep count.


    Suddenly, a continent appears before them. It was a humongous island to be more precise. On top of it were endless forests and mountains, it was unknown that the number of years it took for the lush ancient trees to be this towering tall and straight.


    Shen Lian asked quietly, "Is it here?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu nodded and said, "This is called the Yan Continent, it is an island that spans across five thousand miles. The Fengsheng Beast you mentioned was found here. But with your mana and mine, to search in such huge area, I''m afraid it would be impossible."


    "Indeed, but once we know the approximate position, there must be a way to look for it." Shen Lian gazed across the endless Yan Continent, his eyes flashing.


    Zhao Xiaoyu asked, "Can I ask you something?"


    "You want to ask me why for a person who does not like killing as I would want to capture this spiritual beast, is it?" Shen Lian simply asked.


    Even though Zhao Xiaoyu who was used to Shen Lian''s extremely alarming insight, she still admired Shen Lian for it now. He was always able to have an unimaginable expression while mentioning something so casually.


    Shen Lian continued, "Because I feel like I have to do it, there was no psychological burden."


    This was his answer. Zhao Xiaoyu understood, at the same time, not really.


    Both of them glided down from the head of the cloud. With the boundless woodlands blocking in front, the size of these two was very insignificant against this immense forests.


    But with the strength they bear, it was enough to destroy the trees that blocked their vision.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu would not do such thing, of course, rather, they walked into the forest carefree. The wind brushed past the woods, the rustling of the leaves merrily blew.


    In front of the huge branch, a giant snake twined around it. Its red fork tongue flicking, its eyes as big as lanterns.


    It was one of the many dangerous species of this forest but with slight spiritual pressure released by Shen Lian, the giant snake lowered its head as though it had met its king. There was only esteem and respect.


    Figures like them had already gradually become a higher level of life. All they needed was to practice some coercion, the average living creatures with spirituality would naturally be fearsome of them.


    Especially for the creatures in the forest, the survival of the fittest was one phenomenon that they could not go against. Towards higher living being, they were really modest.


    They did not know how far they walked into the forest. Shen Lian stopped in his tracks and asked, "You noticed it?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "Last time, I came and go in a haste and did not notice the strangeness of this forest. By right, places such as this should at least have a formidable demon beast or a demon king appearing here. But now, we could not even detect a trace of demonic Qi, which is truly out of the ordinary."

 Chapter 239 Chunyang Daoist Pagoda

    Within this dense forest in the deep mountains, there were still tiny hills. Right in front was the col of the mountain. There were lesser forest woods and rickety grotesque rocks of jagged shapes scattered all around.


    Some of these grotesque rocks were as big as a slope, the smaller ones would require numerous people to encircle it.


    Between the rocks, there were tall and solid giant trees in the bigger gaps. The small gaps were infested with green shrubs and unknown wild grass.


    It looked to be in disorder, but it was rather tranquil without the wind.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu stopped in their tracks at the same time and continued their conversation. Shen Lian muttered to himself, "It seems LIKE someone came here earlier than us."


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s beautiful eyes narrowed. With her sleeves extended and with one wave, a gust of wind blew forth as she murmured, "Correct, this sizable formation seems to be trapping something. Could it be that this person who placed this formation is also capturing the Fengsheng Beast?"


    The strong wind dispersed from the wave of her sleeve. It may seem insouciant but even the giant trees which required numerous people to encircle it could be blown away by this wind. However, when the strong gust of wind reached the mountain col, it got dispelled without a trace and a vast white mist rose. It spread open and everything seemed hazy.


    Shen Lian was very clear that Zhao Xiaoyu had activated some kind of prohibition, which caused the formation to self-defend. At the same time, it was also some kind of distress signal.


    As expected, a man and woman came out from the white mist quickly. Their hair was in a bun and their tight clothing was part black and part white. They held long blades and came riding in on the wind.


    Both their backgrounds were unknown and their cultivation experiences were extensive. They seemed very young. Of course, it was hard to judge just how old they were. After all, there were too many methods for a cultivator to keep their appearances young.


    The two quickly came near. The woman first glanced at Zhao Xiaoyu. Perhaps, even cultivators would pay more attention to ladies with outstanding looks and temperament.


    Zhao Xiaoyu only smiles and she did not use any mana.


    The woman then only noticed Shen Lian, while the man beside her had already seen Shen Lian earlier. Both of them were about thirty feet away. It was neither too near nor too far.


    "This area has been cast a formation by the Chunyang Daoist Palace. My two friends, kindly make a detour to the left and walk a hundred miles." The one who spoke was the man. He was unhurried as he brought out the Chunyang Daoist Palace title, followed by asking both Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu to make a detour.


    The woman, however, coldly stared at the two. There was a sword aura concealed inside her, as though she would strike if both of them do not agree.


    Shen Lian was about to say something when Zhao Xiaoyu pulled Shen Lian''s hand. Gently, she said, "Thank you for your friendly reminder, we will leave immediately."


    The man smiled and replied softly, "That is good."


    He also did not apologize, as though it was perfectly justifiable for Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu to make a detour.


    Shen Lian knew that Zhao Xiaoyu would not say those things without any reason so he waited and see. As Zhao Xiaoyu pulled him along, they quickly went far away and disappeared from both the man and woman''s line of sight.


    The Chunyang Daoist Palace female disciple watched the two leave and said, "From the way I see it, these two would not simply walk away."


    The male disciple answered, "The heavens take care of the wellbeing of living creatures, so we give them that reminder. If they want to forcefully enter the Heaven Span Formation that we''ve set up it would be their greed that is causing the trouble. It would serve them right if they die there."


    "Even so, I do not know that background of that lady. Her spirit is steady. I''m afraid she would not be easy to deal with." The female disciple solemnly replied.


    "From how I see it, the scarier one would be the man. Did you not see that his aura is allusive, as though it had melted with the vast forest and formless like the cumulus cloud? The martial exercise that he is cultivating must be amazing." The male disciple smiled simply as he said. Even though he said so, but he did not take Shen Lian to heart. To be saying "amazing" to him was indeed a high appraise, but their Chunyang Daoist Palace Dao formula would be described as more than amazing.


    "So if they are formidable, could they be on par with Senior Apprentice-Sister? However, if it wasn''t for the fact that Senior Apprentice-Sister had invited Chen Jianmei to Mount Liubo for a sword duel, I''m afraid she would not have helped us in capturing the Fengsheng Beast," the female sighed.


    "It is truly surprising for the wilderness, Yuan Continent, to produce such an unrivaled master celestial of sword as Chen Jianmei. But I heard that Chen Jianmei has a Junior Apprentice-Brother from the same sect and he is not below him. It would seem that in this one hundred years, the Yuan Continent is starting to thrive." The man casually chatted away.


    "Even the honored master did mention that, even though the Yuan Continent was slowly becoming barren, but since the ancient time there had been the reincarnation of heavenly immortals and countless geniuses appearing here, so it should not be surprising at all. What''s more, Lu Jiuyuan of the Xuantian Sect also came from the Yuan Continent," the female disciple said softly.


    With that said, the both of them gradually faded into the fog.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu did not move far in actual fact. With Shen Lian''s supernatural power, it was too easy to hide from those two. Both of their conversations were heard by them.


    Shen Lian asked, "What are the origins of the Chunyang Daoist Palace?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu softly answered, "They are exactly the orthodoxy that was left behind by Daoist Chunyang of Shangdong Eight Celestials. You should not look down upon them. Their strengths, hidden abilities, and wisdom are not below Qing Xuan. They still are one of the ten biggest Xuanmen of the Tianhua Continent. There are still old geezers that could transcend beyond the mortal world."


    Shen Lian inquired, "Tianhua Continent is the original continent that the Taishang Daoist Sect was at?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu answered, "Yes. There are a million miles between the Tianhua Continent and our Yuan Continent. Not only there are countless demon beasts in between the continents, there is also the sea of confusion. This is also why there is very little interaction between the two continents. Also, speaking of the Qi of heaven and earth, the Yuan Continent could not compete with the Tianhua Continent. Therefore, even though the many people there possess the qualification to cultivate, but they have seen our Yuan Continent as some wilderness all along now. Basically, there would not be any intersections."


    Shen Lian, who inherited the Qing Xuan orthodoxy, truly knew a lot of secrets but he could not take part in all matters and be clear about everything. He focused more on some of the secrets of the universe, and the many origins of the priceless treasure, or the source of whatever Dao scriptures of godly prowess.


    The Tiandi Jian looks into the universe and knew more secrets than him. Perhaps it knew about this matter but being the priceless treasure of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian could not bring it out from the sect. This was to avoid it being a major blow to Qing Xuan in case it went missing.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Xiaoyu would know about this matter which he was unclear of, it could not be solely explained using her identity as the saintess of the Nine Lotus Order. Shen Lian felt that Zhao Xiaoyu had some other secrets.


    However, he would not ask if the other would not say because everyone had things that they would not tell others. Shen Lian too did not want to tell anyone that he came from another world and even the matter that he was cultivating the Mastery of Senses. Except for Zhang Ruoxu who was deceased, he never told anyone else.


    "Really? But I am a little happy that they complimented Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen and me," Shen Lian laughed.


    "From what they said, that Senior Apprentice-Sister is truly formidable. Hopefully, you do not get bullied by that time," Zhao Xiaoyu leisurely added.


    "No matter how good one thinks he or she is, there is always someone out there that is better. Which is a good thing so that I would not be complacent and arrogant." Shen Lian casually answered and brought Zhao Xiaoyu along to force their entry into this so called ''Heaven Span Formation'' like it was no one else''s business. Coincidentally, as the spiritual vigor streamed along, it did not disturb the formation at all.

 Chapter 240 Jiang Hanyan

    The ''Zhi'' Formula in the ''Interpromotion and Interrestraint'' of the Taixu Strategy was enough for Shen Lian to gain an insight to most of the spells in this universe and the profound theories of the spell formations. The Chunyang Daoist Palace''s Heaven Span Formation was still ingenious but it could not hide from Shen Lian''s Dharma eyes.


    No matter how those two thought, they would have never ever guessed that Shen Lian came from a very extensive background. The ten sects of the Tianhua Continent still have a profound heritage but the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect did not shy far away from it. Throughout the entire Tianhua Continent, they would not have found the Dao formulas that would be on par with the Taixu Strategy.


    Shen Lian, being the sect master of the Qing Xuan, he was one of the most distinguished figures in the world of cultivation in the Yuan Continent. If this formation could have stopped him, people would have laughed their heads off.


    These weird rocks, giant timber, wild grass, and Chinese wisteria were actually transformed from Qi of vitality. At the slight disturbance, it would become all kinds of beasts to attack those who entered this formation.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu were not afraid of this phase of the attack, but they also would not disturb the formation and go looking for trouble themselves.


    The formidability of this formation was not on its attack but that it followed the mountain, spread far and wide while with the help of the spiritual vigor of the mountain terrain, it took advantage of the terrain while it was being cast. It was indeed a marvelous creation excelling nature as it was in line in line with the true essence of Daoism and the natural principle of all things everything that has noumenal or phenomenal existence.


    Based on this point, Shen Lian appreciated it. It seemed that this so-called Chunyang Daoist Palace did not unearn their reputation.


    Zhao Xiaoyu too had an idea to break into this formation but it was not as easy and indifferent as Shen Lian''s idea that seemed like an idle stroll in a courtyard. There was even the possibility of alerting the others if she was not careful.


    She originally assumed that the distance between Shen Lian and her was not that big but then she daunted it. Shen Lian, who did not reach the so-called final Powang state of the nine states, gave her the feeling that he was like a vast body of water that was unmeasurable.


    This matter did not leave Zhao Xiaoyu dejected but it aroused the hidden ambition in her.


    Shen Lian seemed to be bringing Zhao Xiaoyu on an unmindful stroll but in actual fact, both their speed was really quick and they have walked approximately thirty or forty miles. Shen Lian suddenly stopped and stood on top of a giant rock.


    Zhao Xiaoyu asked, "We have arrived at the internal part of the formation?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "We should be. It seems as though it is not only both of us that have ventured in."


    "It seems we came at the right moment." Zhao Xiaoyu smiled sweetly.


    Shen Lian first studied the surrounding plants. The Chinese wisteria was the most with it twined at the limited bottom area. Occasionally, there would be clear spring water flying out from the gaps and from time to time, there would be two to three walking beasts that brush pass the bottom.


    This area could be said that this place was endowed with the fine spirits of the universe.


    By sensing the Qi dynamic alone, there were at least six cultivators with different methods of martial exercise that passed by here. They were all highly skilled in Dao techniques, and the marks they left were faint.


    If it was not for Shen Lian''s brilliant Tongtian Skill, adding to the miraculous Taixu Strategy, it was certainly hard to find out. At the same time, there was a wisp of sword will fifty miles away. It was like the cold smoke above the river, it was melodious and lingering that also brought along a bone-chilling chill, overlooking the creatures of this world.


    Based only on this wisp of sword will, it was known that this person''s swordcraft had great attainment, it could probably be topless even.


    Generally speaking, the cultivator of the sword is the cultivator with the strongest attack amongst other cultivators. They were also the ones that were the less likely to appear as a cultivator. This was because the other schools of cultivators would want to attain immortality, only the cultivator of the sword take life and death lightly. Whatever the obstacles before them, they would just chop it off in one go with their sword.


    This was evidently demonstrated by his Senior Apprentice-Brother, Chen Jianmei.


    Even though Shen Lian excelled in his swordcraft, he would still not be considered as a cultivator of the sword because he did not have the makings of it.


    Zhao Xiaoyu also felt it. Her brows crinkled.


    Shen Lian simply said, "Let''s go and have a look."


    Zhao Xiaoyu nodded slightly. Her dress fluttered as she went there in a flutter with Shen Lian on a clear breeze. Here, there was a shallow stream mingled within the mountain rocks. Occasionally, it would brush the sides of the shrubs, hit onto the giant trees and divide in the middle and passed through. This caused a good splash. Then, it would graciously follow below.


    The splash of the water rocks sounded wonderful, like the movement of the sound of nature. It could be found that there is the music of the landscape here.


    Once they reached here, the two landed and slowly walked forward.


    At this moment, Zhao Xiaoyu saw that there was a silhouette of a human hanging on a giant tree a hundred feet away. His chest was pierced by two swords as it hung from the trunk of the tree. The two swords glowed with raw light. The glow hummed and hawed as the black and white glow alternated between each other.


    Zhao Xiaoyu hesitantly explained, "This is Daoist Cixiong''s Cixiong Precious Swords. Why would it be here?" Daoist Cixiong was a famous non-formal cultivator. It was said that he encountered a celestial affinity, gotten both the Cixiong Precious Swords that could display the ancient swordcraft that was passed down, known as the two polarities spectral sword.


    This swordcraft contained axiomatic truth, once it was put to good use, it underwent a myriad of changes, which made it hard to resist. Rumors had it that this person had gotten a celestial elixir and successfully went through four transformations of Huandan. His reputation was huge but according to the calculation of the years, he was approaching his eight hundred years old doomsday.


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s divine thoughts went over and she could clearly see that person''s face. It was indeed Daoist Cixiong. However, she could not see why Daoist Cixiong could be injured by his own swords.


    Shen Lian did not even look and continued forward, but his steps were slower. He went against the stream of water and saw a compass on top of a shrub. Its brilliance was dim and faded, and a piece of the hem of the robe hung on the branches of the shrub.


    Shen Lian recognized the compass. It was called the Underworld Flying Needle. This was because, on this compass, there were three hundred and sixty-five orifices that correspond with the circle of Qi. As long as it was stimulated, flying needles condensed from the Gengjin Qi of Essence would be released.Hundreds of flying needles could be activated at once, coupled with the sharpness of the Gengjin Qi of Essence, like a furious storm, it was impossible to defend against. In the end, the person struck by the needles would lose their lives to the underworld.


    There was once a Qiaodong cultivator that killed a Huandan cultivator using the Underworld Flying Needles, which was evident just how formidable that instrument was. Even so, it seemed that the owner of this compass had the odds against him rather than in his favor.


    The two continued forward and saw a gigantic body propped on a huge rock. From the side of the body, there was a deep blade mark that overturned the flesh, black and yellow in color. The place the body was propped against, however, did not have any blood trickling down. This person''s body was ginormous, like a little giant.


    Compared to the herculean man who was like the mortal iron tower, this body was taller and stouter. From the characteristics of the flesh wound, it was enough to see that the Dao formula that this person cultivated was the rare Xuanmen art that could rival the Buddhist sect''s King Kong Strength��The Art of Gigantes.


    According to legend, one could cultivate the divine form of the Gigantes when this art has been cultivated to the end. One could be mighty enough to raise and move mountains, split the rivers apart. Its power and ability were not under the Buddhist sect''s King Kong Strength. In ancient times, there was an area that was tyrannized by floods because of the obstructing mountains. The flood waters could not be smoothly discharged into the sea, therefore the waters overflowed to the surrounding areas. The locals went through unbearable suffering and this disturbed a nearby almighty cultivator. This almighty cultivator was born human and he had cultivated the divine form of the Gigantes. So, in one night time, he moved the mountains and saved the living creatures of that area.


    Because of this, some places still have the Temple of Gigantes that enjoyed prayers from the mortal realm.


    Even though this person''s Art of Gigantes was no adept but it also could not be overlooked. After all, to be able to cultivate until the flesh and blood became black and yellow, even if he did not have Yuefei''s ability to shake the mountains, but his divine power and firm body would make it hard to the ordinary Buxu cultivator to behead him.


    Additionally, the Art of Gigantes had another particularity, which was that the cultivator of this art would naturally condense refined and pure divine Qi. As long as the divine Qi perpetuates, even if he was injured seriously he could still live. Unless the other''s attack was too formidable and was able to stifle this divine Qi in a blink of an eye, then only he could not have escaped.


    Since the beginning of time, the people who cultivate this art got lesser and lesser, because this was difficult with countless pain and suffering. Before achieving the divine form of the Gigantes, they were still of mortal lifespan, which meant they would not make it pass a hundred and fifty years old.


    Once this person perished, this art would be cut off. It was truly a pity.


    Zhao Xiaoyu blinked, as though deep in thought she said, "Even with both your power and mine, to be able to strike these three formidable cultivators dead in an instance would be pushing it. This person''s swordcraft is really scary."


    At that point, it was needless to say that the blade that started all of these was that person with the chilling mist-like sword will. There was also an even higher possibility that it was the Senior Apprentice-Sister that the two disciples of the Chunyang Daoist Palace mentioned.


    This swordcraft was indeed horrifying and daunting.


    As they walked upwards, there was a gradual thin white mist. The cold air was heavy and even the both of them felt a little cold.


    This was not caused by any formation. It was solely because of the aura that was given out by that sword will have caused the frigid mist to be formed here. Due to the natural infusion of the Qi of vitality, a cold sensation appeared, which was why the two felt ''cold''.


    The white mist thickened, hiding the stream, giant trees and rocks.


    Some of the sunlight from outside penetrated and landed on the frosty white mist, which was why it seemed dreamlike, like a celestial environment.


    Without realizing, they reached a tall cliff. This area was empty and big. In front was a pool of water with a small opening. The water slowly trickled down. This was where the river stream of the top of the mountain came from. As for the water that was against the edge of the cliff, it suspended as a streaming of gushing waterfall.


    By the side of the pool of water, a lady in a red dress stood quietly. It was not a dark red but a light red, pink dress. Frigid clouds and mist drifted around her and huddled underneath her feet was a green ermine-like small beast. It seemed as though it was unconscious.


    Shen Lian''s Dharma empowered eyes were like burning torches that could see the fine hair on other people''s faces from many miles away, but he could not get a clear view of the lady.


    He tried concentrating slightly and his mind naturally drifted.


    Zhao Xiaoyu extended a finger and a deep and quiet light broke through the white mist, which caused the sight of the lady in the pink dress to fall clearly in their line of sight. Her Wusheng Finger was more formidable than back then.


    However, the finger strength could only disperse the cold smoke, but not dispel the lingering sword will.


    Her eyebrows were arched slightly like two new moons. She had an oval face, her skin was white as snow. She was exquisite and fine like cool jade. Her slender frame stood in far away, like the plum flower that was cool and free.


    The autumn river water like the peaceful cold smoke, the reflection in the water like silk sateen.


    This verse suddenly popped out in Shen Lian''s mind, which was very suitable to the woman''s qualities.


    "Wusheng Finger. Are you the current saintess of the Nine Lotus Secret Order?" The lady in the pink dress had a pure and proud expression, she gazed at Zhao Xiaoyu with indifferent eyes.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled a little, nodding her head at the same time, which would account as a reply.


    "And who are you?" This time the lady pointed her slender and clear jade-like fingers. The direction was natural towards Shen Lian.


    "I am Shen Lian, you must be the Senior Apprentice-Sister of the Chunyang Daoist Palace. How do I address you?" Shen Lian asked bak.


    "Jiang Hanyan."


    "That''s a really pleasant name. Also, please put your finger down, I don''t really like it when others are pointing at me." Shen Lian added with mirth.���ɣ� A famous general from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.[2] һ����ˮ壺���,ˮӰ������. �� A verse by Nizan (���). Taken from "С�Һ졤һ����ˮ壺���".

 Chapter 241 One Sword To Swallow the Sun and Moon

    Jiang Hanyan put down her glazed frost-like, fair and clear wrist. The sword will from her was becoming more ethereal like a cumulus cloud as it dissipates in all directions without a trace.


    "You are also here for the Fengsheng Beast?" Jiang Hanyan stood quietly there, her eyes pinned on Shen Lian. Her gaze was not especially indifferent and strict, but it was like the lonesome moonlight that scattered on Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian had bright eyes and an elegant appearance, which somehow made him seemed harmless. However, from the moment he appeared, Jiang Hanyan did not once overlook him, she even paid more attention towards Shen Lian compared to that witch of the Nine Lotus Order.


    Being the Senior Apprentice-Sister of the Chunyang Daoist Palace and the disciple with the most extraordinary talent with fabulous looks of all time, there were few that she would think highly off. Even the venerable from before that, who cultivated the Art of Gigantes was merely a slightly stronger ant in her eyes.


    As for the two persons in front of her, no matter their mana or the demeanor that was displayed. They made her faced them squarely. This capture of the Fengsheng Beast was originally a task without challenge, but now there was some difficulty to it, it made it less bland for her.


    Before encountering Chen Jianmei''s Killing Sword, it would be nice to have both of these ''blade grinders'', to warm up her skills.


    Zhao Xiaoyu leisurely said, "Since you already know, why do you need to ask?"


    "Under the sky, there are cultivators of Dao amongst all things. From what I can see, ''Dao'' is strength. If your ''Dao'' could exceed my ''Dao'', this Fengsheng Beast is naturally yours." What Jiang Hanyan said clearly fell on both their ears.


    She was direct and very cruel.


    Shen Lian understood that since young, everyone had different experiences and grew up in different environments. Naturally, there would be different perspectives on the same matter.


    There was a good verse in Buddhist scripture, "All sages and saints have different enlightenment of the Asamskrta."


    Asamskrta was that there was no Dharma anywhere, so even if the wise person could see the nature of this world but their choices would not be the same.


    Even if the goal was same for the way of Dao, different people would have different temperaments.


    Towards Jiang Hanyan direct utterance, Shen Lian felt something that was different compared to Zhao Xiaoyu''s steadiness.


    For a person like her, he could only defeat her and not persuade her.


    Speaking from the bottom of his heart, Jiang Hanyan was the person that he felt uncertain about defeating. However, he really wanted to get that Fengsheng Beast so he would not simply give up.


    For all his life, he was quite casual but for matters that he was determined to do, he would not give up so easily.


    A strong coercion aura surged from Shen Lian and the graceful bearing of the master that he displayed made Jiang Hanyan concentrate even more.


    This was no figure that could be dealt with one or two thrusts of the sword.


    The stronger Shen Lian was, the happier she was. From the way she saw it, for one to have abilities that could shock the world, one should be able to make their way across the world to their heart''s content.


    Any obstacles in the way could be dealt with a blow of the sword. All she was after was the satisfaction.


    Zhao Xiaoyu appropriately backed off and did not participate in their confrontation. It was until this moment that she could finally catch a glimpse of that bottomless strength of Shen Lian.


    The Chunyang Daoist Palace had a huge reputation in the Tianhua Continent, it would not be overstating that being its Senior Apprentice-Sister, she was the exception one amongst the younger batches. A figure like her was enough to be described as the favored girl of the heavens.


    Despite that, Zhao Xiaoyu was still confident about Shen Lian. No one was more impressed than her with Shen Lian''s massive improvements over these years. Furthermore, this almost invincible strong temperament had always been hidden within the depths of Shen Lian''s inner mind. It did not easily show. This time, it was an excellent opportunity for Zhao Xiaoyu to observe.


    Shen Lian slightly lifted his hand and the entire pool of water was moved by him. The monstrous waves were like a giant palm that concealed the heaven and earth, as though it would smash Jiang Hanyan into pieces.


    This high proficiency usage of all things in this universe showed the profound Dao state of Shen Lian, being able to control all matters in the universe.


    It could be the grass, the wood, the bamboo or the stone; it could be the floating clouds or the clear pool of water, all these could be transformed into his weapons to attack the enemy.


    ''The Dharma is the method, the Dao is the origin.''


    With the originality of the Dao to control all beings, there were countless changes and endless power.


    The ordinary water, of course, would not affect Jiang Hanyan one bit but with the big wave crashing in, the immense force that was condensed would shatter even the strongest walls.


    Jiang Hanyan''s cold eyes brightened and her jade-like hands gently extended. A shapeless substance of mana condensed with such dumbfoundingly amazing force that it was more terrifying than a tyrannizing typhoon.


    The autumn river water like the peaceful cold smoke; even though it seemed calm, in actual fact when it moved, it moved in crashing waves that could sweep up a thousand snow piles.


    The wisp-like sword will become a looming cloud in an instance. It was vast and mammoth-like. It collided with the crashing wave by Shen Lian.


    Like a peerlessly sharp magic weapon, it split the palm-like stormy waves and cut off the immense Qi strength while at the same time, she mercilessly cut the pool of water in two. While the huge gap was being cut, it then charged towards Shen Lian''s slim body.


    Shen Lian was swept by the overpowering mana and his entire body immediately scattered.


    It seemed horrifying but in actual fact, there was no torn flesh to be seen.


    This was because his speed was too quick and that was the illusion which remained.


    There was no spells or occult, it was solely because he was too quick.


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s eyes sharpened. The spare energy of the vast attack used by Jiang Hanyan in an offhand manner finally spread to her direction, causing the surrounding shrubs and stones to be immediately turned into dust. The force of this strength was still above her expectations.


    The swordcraft of the Chunyang Daoist Palace was no trivial matter, but it was obvious that Jiang Hanyan did not truly use her swordcraft because her sword had not appeared.


    High up in the air, Shen Lian was like a flying celestial that remained still in the skill as he flew. He was like the spirit of the gods that looked down on the living creatures, lonely and proud. No language could really describe what it was.


    He swung his fist down with aghast and condensed the immeasurable abyss-like power mana. Like the most delicate work, it was plain and its crazy imposing manner immediately caused the cliff to crumble down like tofu.


    The Fengsheng Beast beneath Jiang Hanyan''s feet was startled. It crawled on the ground, shivering. Given that even he had a strong life force, a hopeless feeling grew inside of it when it is faced with such terrifying mana that came crashing down.


    Only Jiang Hanyan''s face was plain as before like a winter plum standing proudly on the horizon, not fazed by anything. However, there was a hint of surprise reflected in her cold eyes, expressing the fluctuation of emotions inside her.


    Shen Lian still had not displayed any exquisite abstruse supernatural powers and spells so far. He solely attacked with his condensed immense mana.


    With the lack of transformation came the lack of mistakes. It was not tactful, but it was a clash of who was tougher.


    It was easy for Jiang Hanyan to avoid it but would she avoid it? Impossible.


    Shen Lian really enjoyed this feeling of displaying this accumulated, endless mana in a crash. This feeling of being full and delightful was truly satisfying.


    Suddenly, Zhao Xiaoyu shouted from the side, "Shen Lian, crush her!"


    Her tone was full of encouragement, her voice lingered in the universe where people in a hundred miles could hear. However, since this came out from Zhao Xiaoyu''s mouth, it only made the corner of Shen Lian''s mouth twitched.


    He truly did not think that she still had this kind of guilty pleasure at that moment.


    However, he understood Zhao Xiaoyu did not do it on purpose. He saw there were two beams of light that came from the horizon. As it approaches, it heard this cheer and the speed increased even more.


    Zhao Xiaoyu moved her frame and intercepted the incoming beams of light. That created a shocking explosion of mana.


    That was Zhao Xiaoyu purposely diverting Jiang Hanyan''s attention while she voluntarily deals with two of Jiang Hanyan''s peers. With her powerful display of mana, her peers were no match for her, which engaged a wisp of Jiang Hanyan''s mind and soul.


    After all, even if Jiang Hanyan had some kinship towards her peers, she still had to remember slightly that to the cultivator of the sword, this slight hesitation was enough to cause the non-stop rising sword aura to be a little stagnant.


    Unfortunately, Jiang Hanyan was not affected at all, which was not out of Shen Lian''s expectation.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was also simply helping and resolving some minor issues from the surrounding to clear out the battlefield for Shen Lian and Jiang Hanyan.


    Jiang Hanyan was like a towering sword aura, her imposing manner was overbearing, so much so that the high cloud in the sky was chop apart.


    Countless sword aura rushed to the sky-like locusts and directly met with Shen Lian''s shockingly strong, never-ending palm strength.


    One heavy palm strength after another was like a natural barrier, its divine glow stacked and layered, it generated and diminished, diminished and generated.


    The earthshaking sword aura could not entirely seep the barrier that was blocking between her and Shen Lian.


    The crazy shocking divine flow and the imposing manner that came crashing down caused the cliff of the mountains to crumble.


    Only the ten feet area around Jiang Hanyan was still peaceful, which made it stood out.


    Her black cascading hair began flying, her beautiful face was cold as ice, like Guanghan Fairies who could not be bothered by the secular mortal world, had come to the mortal realm.


    A long sword formed in her hands. She chanted, "One sword to swallow the sun and moon."


    The sword force that simply cut through midair had an unexplainable force to it, it was priming a terrifying ancient force that would even swallow the sun and moon.


    The sky began to darken as the aura of this force began to permeate. Even though the mana clapped down by Shen Lian radiated an unlimited divine glow, it did not make the sky darkened. But this terrifying aura was making it hard for his state of mind to settle down.


    Even with Shen Lian''s Dharma eyes, he could not see the whereabouts of this force. Since he did not know about Dharma, it was hard for him to break the Dharma.


    Jiang Hanyan was truly an exceptional legend of the Chunyang Daoist Palace, to be able to display such swordcraft that could be said to be earthshaking and unpredictable.


    This craft had the most initial and ancient lasting appeal. Instead of saying that it swallowed the sun and moon, it could be said that it slowed the Yin and Yang to return to chaos and allowed the mana to become non-existence. The sword aura was like the permeating clear water on the ground, but the parameters that it affected was quickly spreading. Soon, it covered the divine flow by Shen Lian and caused it to disappear in an instant. It was truly shocking to the highest point.


    Shen Lian did not hesitate and cut off the never-ending mana. His body constantly moved in the illusory sky.


    That sword aura was like an untamed beast. It began chasing Shen Lian''s silhouette while it constantly invaded the space that Shen Lian could move into.


    However, in the clear heart of Jiang Hanyan''s sword, she noticed that with each position that Shen Lian appeared, he would leave a streak of condensed mana and there were runes circulating it.


    He actually could move in midair, set up a formation to counterattack her sword force.


    His grasp on the circulation of the spiritual vigor was really beyond her imaginations.


    The runes were extraordinarily miraculous, even her sword aura could not dispel it suddenly.

 Chapter 242 Spiritual Beas

    Runes were the oldest writing on heaven and earth and it was not one of the many.


    During ancient times, cultivation with runes was once very popular with many schools but until this day, there was only Zhengyi Sect which continued on this path. The rest of the schools were destroyed. While Zhengyi Sect attempted to reach Huandan by condensing Talisman seeds, it was different from the plain Dao of Talisman from ancient times.


    The cultivators of Tianhua Continent did not care about talismans, comparatively speaking, because Jiang Hanyan imprinted the talismans Shen Lian had laid down into her mind and heart.


    These runes were only the cloud and thunder seal script and not the seal of dragon and phoenix script, hence it would not grant one the power of those who were beyond humans, the holy deities. They were not as terrifying as the heavenly script, which was meant to understand the deepest principle of the universe, a form of Daoist writing.


    The cloud and thunder seal script was structured using the cultivators'' talismans on earth, and hence the writing was similar to the commoners. It also had the most basic characteristic of runes, which could activate the eight natural powers of the sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning.


    The runes Shen Lian had laid down were not more or less, there were exactly eight of them.


    These runes were continuously taking in the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth. In just a blink of an eye, eight blurry shadows appeared and they were not destroyed even under the influence of Jiang Hanyan''s sword aura that could consume the sun and moon.


    The eight shadows followed the shape of Shen Lian, and each of them represented the eight different power of nature, and as they became one with the ancient power of nature, it was extremely hard to destroy and swallow them.


    It was a technique akin to those of celestials and Buddha, which was not one that could be done by cultivators.


    While the power was not sufficiently strong, it had reached a higher level of Dao, which allowed Shen Lian, a cultivator that had exceeded the nine states of cultivation to reach the level of the celestials and Buddha.


    Shen Lian could do it, not only because of Taixu Strategy but also because of his spirit which could easily enter the underworld. It allowed him to forcibly emulate the level of Taixu Strategy at the state of land immortal, Dixian. If he was willing to take the path of Guixian, the ghostly immortal, he would indeed succeed more easily. It was all attributed to the Mastery of Senses. Furthermore, with the cultivation of this, it was much easier than any other incantation in the world. If this news spread, it would definitely cause a stir.


    However, forming the shadows that utilized the power of nature was not something easy to him.


    To Jiang Hanyan however, he had to demonstrate his extraordinary ability, and it was not because of the Fengshen Beast.


    As Jiang Hanyan wanted to have a sword battle with Chen Jianmei, while he was strongly confident of Chen Jianmei''s ability, he wanted to help weaken the enemy as a statement of intent for Chen. Hence he took the initiative.


    Even if Chen Jianmei knew his thought, he most likely would not accept it but Shen Lian still did it without hesitating.


    He did not have the pride of those peerless masters, and he did not have the swiftness of swordsmen. He just did what he could at the moment and he did not care too much about winning or losing.


    Runes were just soul guiding. They included the deeper understanding Shen Lian had towards the Taixu Strategy, which could stabilize the imaginary shadow and activate the core of the power of nature in its fundamentals. They still carried part of Shen Lian''s divine thoughts, and hence the dragon hallucination was a lookalike of Shen Lian.


    This was however not considered as a clone as it did not last and it was not realistic.


    But it was scary!


    For the eight Qi to circulate in Taixu Strategy was extremely horrifying, but when used, one still needed to consider the harmony of the eight Qi. With his level, he still could not make use of all the supreme techniques in the world.


    As the eight Qi were independent, they were less powerful but more nimble and many minor changes started to take place.


    The eight blurry shadows were moving in between the sword aura, like strange demons which were floating about.


    Constantly there were water and fire in action, wind and thunder booming, heaven flipping and earth sinking, and the explosion of mountain and rivers.


    It was hard to describe the battle between the two. The cliff was under a strong storm, which blocked out the divine region and affected the spectating of the real situation inside.


    While Jiang Hanyan had been through many battles, she had never met anyone as powerful as Shen Lian. While he might not be as good as her upcoming opponent Chen Jianmei, Shen Lian had the strangest techniques she had ever observed.


    The unpredictability of Shen Lian was built upon the fact that Jiang Hanyan could not detect his breath and it was something Jiang Hanyan was extremely cautious about.


    To her as a swordsman, if her spiritual senses could not detect where Shen Lian''s real body was, even if she killed all the shadows, she could not solve the fundamental problem.


    The power of nature activated by the eight shadows was horrifying, and they were all proofs to Shen Lian''s previous cultivation. When they took action together, their ultimate power could suppress the sword aura of One Sword to Swallow Sun and Moon, and hence keeping the horrendous aura of it down.


    Regardless of how terribly powerful something was, it could not escape from the thousand stars.


    For every technique, it could be broken; and if it could not, it was due to incompetence.


    Jiang Hanyan still possessed strong sword incantations which she had not use yet. It was not because she looked down on Shen Lian, but it was because it would weaken her if she used them.


    It was not good if she were to face Chen Jianmei later.


    When she sought out Chen Jianmei for a sword battle, it was to fulfill a request from someone.


    The rocks at her feet began to disintegrate as they could not sustain such power. At the same time, Fengshen Beast rolled down and was buried by the rocks.


    The longsword disappeared from Jiang Hanyan''s hand and the sword aura in the air was demolished by Shen Lian. As she quickly formed a mudra, an abstruse aura began to spread. A yellow paper appeared in front of her as she mumbled a chant. The paper began to burn and it blended in with the aura in between her hands.


    Lastly, a glaring divine light was released by Jiang Hanyan.


    The heaven and earth which was lighting up became dark again.


    A huge mouth formed along with the divine light.


    The violent swallowing power took in all the eight shadows and Shen Lian could be seen clearly now.


    Jiang Hanyan did not stop and her Qi became weaker, as it seemed like she was using too much of her mana. She leaped forward and the sword light led the way. She moved towards Zhao Xiaoyu, and she wanted to save the two who were from the same sect as her. They were helpless against Zhao Xiaoyu.


    Shen Lian felt that his body was chained by the swallowing power of the shapeless huge mouth. Behind the huge mouth, there was a shadow of a Divine Toad which was as huge as a mountain. With its huge mouth, it could swallow mountain and rivers and seas.


    The Divine Toad of ancient times had the ability to swallow heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian had never seen any of the technique Jiang Hanyan used but he was certain that the Divine Toad had the power that could exceed that of the celestials and Buddha.


    Shen Lian did not even resist being swallowed by the huge mouth. Along with the rocks on the cliff, they were all taken in by its mouth.


    Jiang Hanyan who managed to beat Zhao Xiaoyu with one hit used light to wrap around the two people from her sect, and she did not feel happy looking at the scene.


    It was because Shen Lian suddenly appeared next to her and was looking at her with smiling eyes.


    Even the Shen Lian which appeared over there just now was a clone, but Jiang Hanyan had no idea how he managed that.


    Jiang Hanyan who made use of a huge amount of mana to produce the swallowing huge mouth was already at her peak, and she intended to end this battle quickly by using divine techniques. She did not expect this to happen.


    She would face this tragedy was all attributed to the fact that she did not understand what power Shen Lian used, and hence, in the beginning, she was deceived.


    Jiang Hanyan was not the only one who was confused, as Zhao Xiaoyu had no idea too. Even if Shen Lian had the top occult technique which could hide all his presence, he could hardly achieve it in a battle.


    The swallowing huge mouth was still eating the cliff and it started to fade out.


    It was impossible for Jiang Hanyan to control it at her will and by using this technique, her mana was heavily expensed.


    She was determined and as such, while weakened, her sword aura exploded shockingly and she went straight for Shen Lian. The sword was extremely stunning as if it wanted to break away heaven and earth.


    The void not only began to vibrate, it became more twisted because the sword ray''s speed had exceeded the limit the area could withstand.


    At the same time, Jiang Hanyan brought along the two students and hid her presence with light travel. She went across the sky with them and disappeared.


    During the process, Shen Lian had a great reaction which helped him escape the sword light. However, even then his Daoist robe had a few cuts.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "If we follow now, we can probably still catch them. You have to know that Chunyang Daoist Palace''s Daoist techniques and occult techniques are comparable to those of Qing Xuan. If you can get them, you will be benefited greatly."


    "Don''t chase after a poor enemy. If she chose to use her life to replace the sword, I have to at least spend twenty years to heal. To me, nothing means more than twenty years'' worth of time," Shen Lian said.


    He was now thinking about why a swordsman like Jiang Hanyan would use such powerful occult technique to fight with him, and not just weaken him with prolonged attacks. It was indeed odd. If it was to save her energy in order for the battle with Chen Jianmei, it seemed that she was overly concerned about the battle. Something was wrong.


    While Shen Lian achieved his target in depleting Jiang Hanyan, he began to feel suspicious.


    The key to why he could achieve whatever that he did today was because of a celestial talisman he used �C''Lidai Taojiang'' which was his clone.


    Because of his background, he could utilize such celestial items. For other cultivators, they probably only would be willing to use it in dire situations.


    Even if Chunyang Daoist Palace had big business and houses, and Tianhua Continent being more bustling than Yuan Continent, it still would not be possible for Jiang Hanyan to use a celestial talisman.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "That''s true. Now Qing Xuan can''t be separated from you. I still don''t understand why you left as you are the core of Qing Xuan now."


    "Can I not answer it?"


    "Of course." Zhao Xiaoyu smiled and leaped forward. The huge mouth had disappeared from the tumbling cliff.


    There were a lot of rocks, woods and water spring underneath.


    Zhao Xiaoyu quickly picked up a small green mink. Its eyes were closed and it was not breathing as if it was dead.


    A stream of air was blown towards its mouth and it then opened its eyes. It stared at Zhao Xiaoyu pitifully. It wanted to resist but Zhao Xiaoyu was holding it tightly.


    Zhao Xiaoyu laughed, "Who ask you are a little spiritual beast which can help people to live an extra five hundred years."

 Chapter 243 Fulfilling Dao De

    Shen Lian glanced at the Fengshen Beast and said, "It is still a living thing and hence I can''t keep it using the Technique of Sleeve Storage. Xiaoyu, if you don''t think it''s too troublesome, please keep it in your arms."


    Zhao Xiaoyu laughed, "Friend, I''m not here to be your labor. If you want it, hold it yourself."


    She threw the beast forward and the beast was rather vigilant. It had the ability to turn into the wind. Its little body took a turn in the air and it wanted to escape with the wind.


    Who knew that the wind shifting method that always worked did not work this time as it was blocked by a steel wall. It immediately felt dizzy and it was caught by a net-like wind. Shen Lian fastens the mouth of the net and held it in his hand.


    The beast could not help but start to sob as it knew it could not escape. It was grieving and its black eyes were full of worry. It started to tear up, and the tears were initially held up in its eyes before they fell through the gaps in the net. They floated in the sky and flew off to somewhere unknown.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu stood side by side in the void. Zhao Xiaoyu glanced at the beast from the corner of her eyes. While she was pitiless by nature, but as a woman, and as the beast grieved with a pitiful and loving look, she could not help but feel guilty.


    It was not odd as some people could be decisive in killing, where an order could cause many to die but they too could spare pity to the weak and sometimes they would even feel guilty. That was the complication of human nature, but once aware, the weakness could be removed. To them, it was not a difficult task.


    As Zhao Xiaoyu said, "Shen, you tend to be kind. This time around are you indeed going to turn this spiritual beast into an elixir? Even if you don''t do it, there will be others who do and it seems like it is going against your principle."


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "If this is the Xiaoyu from the past, she will not say something like this. As a friend, I am glad to see this change as having some humanity and less pitiless isn''t a bad thing. Even Buddha cut off his meat to feed the eagles, but it didn''t mean he was trying to help or harm anybody."


    Zhao Xiaoyu had such a fast mind and hence she replied, "Are you saying you will let it go?"


    Shen Lian said to the beast, "You were born out of the gathering of the Qi of the wind and have had spirituality since birth, but it is limited to only the body. Even if you can live a long life, you will never attain Dao. Now I will give you a chance to be relieved of the body and to be reborn again as a human. You have a sturdy spirituality and you will not find it hard to cultivate. Even if you''ve lost a long time, you can still get out of the tough situations. When it is time I will invite you to Qing Xuan and return the favor you have been given to your body. Otherwise, I will just let you go, but you also know that even if you can escape this time, in the future it is still the fate you have to accept. When your body is dead, you won''t have such a good opportunity as today."


    The beast had such strong spirituality. Since birth, it had been hiding everywhere but it still fell into the hand of cultivators. Other than the wind shifting method, it had no other tricks. Even if it feigned death, it could only deceive the demon beasts and it had no effect on human cultivators like Shen Lian.


    The beast lied on its stomach and it nodded and blinked rapidly.


    Shen Lian did not have the intent initially but as he observed its spirituality, he felt that he should not kill it. It might not impact him but if the retribution fell on the students of Qing Xuan, it would be bad.


    He had succeeded in his Tongtian Skill and hence he had some senses. While he could not tell about fate or rebirth, but to the circle of life, or the path of good and evil, he had a new understanding. Among Xuanmen, the reason why the origin of them all was The Book of Dao, ''Dao De Jing'', was because of the words ''Dao De''. ''Dao De'' meant morals.


    ''Dao'' did not just mean the Dao of the universe or nature, but it meant the ways to attain ''Dao''. ''De'' did not just mean moral or behavior, but the right worldview, method and how you treated others as a cultivator.


    As long as it fulfilled ''Dao De'', one could then follow the fortune of the world and succeed in everything and avoid unnecessary danger.


    If the demon beast tried to attack him, Shen Lian could have just killed it. Every action has a consequence as in the moral principles.


    If he killed the beast with such spirituality, it might be inappropriate.


    Hence, Shen Lian found an alternative.


    To be reborn as a human was not something any spiritual beast could do. It would require someone like Shen Lian to help and the right opportunity.


    Unlike the rebirth of Zhang Ruoxu, for the beast, it was more accurate to say it remained in the same life but a different body.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu traveled for ten plus days then they finally found a family.


    It was a medium-sized village, and it was in the evening.


    As the saying went, there were many crows and the water circumvented around an abandoned village.


    The family just had a newborn baby who was unfortunately dead after a few days. It was not a rare occurrence as children were difficult to raise, even in wealthy families, the child could suffer an early death.


    Shen Lian took a piece of leaf that looked like one of the paddy plants, and it was from an acorus that had lived for several hundred years. He stuffed it in the Fengshen Beast''s nose and soon some green smoke rose from its head. It looked like the beast''s shape. It waved bye to Shen Lian and then Shen Lian formed some incantation to command a wind which sends the green smoke to the dead baby.


    The baby then began to cry and it shocked the adult who was holding it. The adult threw it away.


    Shen Lian managed to catch it.


    Shen Lian was now dressed as a scholar who seemed studious and laughed, "Please be careful to not drop the kid."


    People from the village tended to respect scholars, and as the man was just a farmer. He took the child from Shen Lian and he felt happy that it came back alive. He asked Shen Lian, "Where are you from? Thanks so much."


    When he asked Shen Lian in a confused state, Shen Lian disappeared all in a sudden as if he never appeared. He thought he was daydreaming, but looking at the kid who was blinking, it looked much alive.


    There was a green bamboo stick next to him, and he did not know who left it by his door.


    As Feng family''s baby came back alive, the news spread through the entire village and had become a miracle. They gave him a name, Feng Qingyang. The kids in the village were often just referred to as Goudan, Erdan and something similar, but for the treatment the kid in Feng family got, it was for the first time. When he was four, he could make poems, and hence it proved that he was a prodigy. More often than not people saw the Feng''s kid with a bamboo stick chasing after the cows and goats. They were all very tame and never ran away.


    This was of course what happened after. Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu were back in Longevity Temple.

 Chapter 244 Imperial Seal

    Gu Caiwei finished with her training that day. She opened her eyes filled with joy. When the Silent Room was filled with iridescent colors, she thought, "Junior apprentice-brother is back."


    She left the Silent Room and she could see the glowing mist ahead. There were two lights that went across the sky and were heading in the same direction.


    One of the lights was clear like the blue sky and turquoise water. As it went across the sky, it was definitely her junior apprentice-brother. She could see roughly in the other light, where there was a lotus within.


    When the light appeared in the sky, the pretty and delicate looking young man was Shen Lian.


    Standing next to him was an extremely beautiful lady, even by Gu Caiwei''s standard, she could consider her a gorgeous girl. She had clear eyes and jade-like teeth which were as neat as seashells. She carried a gorgeous smile which could touch people''s hearts. Not even Yaotai Fairies could compare with her beauty as her white clothes flowed with the wind.


    Gu Caiwei thought to herself, "Junior apprentice-brother isn''t one who''d be attracted by beauty. Why did he bring such a fairy back?"


    When they landed, the light faded.


    Gu Caiwei smiled and asked, "Junior apprentice-brother, what took you so long? You only come back after the celestial market has ended for a month. The friend here, may I ask which sect do you come from? Caiwei hereby sends my greetings."


    Shen Lian smiled as he spoke to Zhao Xiaoyu, "This is my senior apprentice-sister, Gu Caiwei."


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at the lady in front of her �C she looked graceful and gentle, while not extraordinarily gorgeous, her lucidity was not something that could be found easily among female cultivators. She immediately developed a liking towards her.


    Gu Caiwei had yet to reach Huandan, but she gave her a similar feeling as when she first met Shen Lian. It seemed that they both took on the same Daoist technique, which was Taixu Strategy. This person could be considered as the disciple''s disciple of Fairy Ziling.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "So you''re Sister Gu Caiwei. I have heard about you since a long time ago. Allow me, Zhao Xiaoyu, little sister, to greet you."


    With her cultivation experience, she would only refer to herself as little sister out of respect to Shen Lian and Fairy Ziling, also how friendly Gu Caiwei treated her.


    She intended to form alliances with Shen Lian, and hence she did not mind to lower her status in Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian knew the kind of person she was, and hence he did not say anything. Furthermore, Zhao Xiaoyu did help him out. It was not his style to turn against someone.


    Zhao Xiaoyu should supposedly have parted ways with him, but as she intended to visit Longevity Temple, Qing Xuan''s affiliate, Shen Lian just took the chance to invite her over as a guest.


    When the three arrived at the Silent Room, they were chatting about the interesting incidents that happened and after about ten minutes, Zhao Xiaoyu decided to take a walk.


    After Zhao Xiaoyu left, Shen Lian said to Gu Caiwei, "Senior apprentice-sister, if you have anything, say it now."


    Gu Caiwei said, "I can''t hide anything from you. Twenty days ago, Qingjiang Sword Sect sent air message to Qing Xuan. As you weren''t in, Uncle-Master Hong sent a message to me saying Guangqing Sect''s Huang Longzi went overboard and decided to eliminate Qingjiang Sword Sect. He had trained under Incantation of Dragon Transformation and could turn into a real dragon. He chased away the water demons and had cornered Qingjiang Sword Sect. He only allowed others to enter and not leave."


    Shen Lian frowned and said, "Guangqing is still a Xuanmen sect. Why would they do such thing which can bring shame to their name? Although Huang Longzi is impatient, he shouldn''t be without a sense of propriety."


    Gu Caiwei said, "As he has already committed to this, this is not the time to understand the reason why. Zuo Shaoqing has begged me for a few times and I did not let him go. I am waiting for your return to make a decision."


    Shen Lian sighed in his heart, if not because how shorthanded Qing Xuan was, such matter could be easily resolved by the sect.


    Huang Longzi was ranked the last among the Twelve True Cultivators of Guangqing but he was also a master in the level of Powang. Nobody in Qing Xuan could compete, other than Bai Suhuan and Drunken Daoist.


    However, the two would not take action easily, especially Bai Suhuan, who actually had some beef with him.


    Shen Lian made a decision quickly, "It was my mistake to not leave you a way to contact me in an emergency. Given Qingjiang Sword Sect can still send out an air message, it is not the worst yet."


    Gu Caiwei said, "There is nothing wrong with you not leave me a contact method. If I make a mistake and allow others to find you, it will be more of an issue. Helping Qingjiang Sword Sect is necessary, but it must be resolved at first shot. If it drags on, we then can''t show our status, and complications can happen."


    Unless if Huang Longzi was in the rank of celestials and Buddha, if not it would not be possible for him to break into Qingjiang Sword Sect in such a short time. If not, he would not even mobilize the Water Clan to affect the Mountain Defense Formation to deplete Qingjiang Sword Sect.


    Shen Lian said, "With my power, it is not difficult to beat Huang Longzi. But in order to give him a lesson, it will be difficult and it is not suitable for me to step in."


    Gu Caiwei understood, as Shen Lian was the chief, regardless of how powerful Huang Longzi was, he was just one of the Twelve True Cultivators of Guangqing. He was also the one ranked last, and Guangqing''s chief, Yuming the Honored Celestialist''s apprentice-nephew.


    If Shen Lian took action, it will not reflect well on him.


    To other sects, it could be useless, but to Guangqing, it was what they wanted.


    Gu Caiwei said, "Why don''t we let Jianmei go?"


    "If we send Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen, I am afraid it will also attract the others from Huang Longzi''s sect. It is not appropriate, "Shen Lian said.


    Zhao Xiaoyu could be a candidate, but Shen Lian knew that to have Zhao Xiaoyu help out in the name of Qing Xuan meant for her to be in the opposite side of Guangqing. It had a hefty price tag.


    Shen Lian said, "I have some measures for this. Apprentice-sister, please don''t worry. When you return to the sect, please send Yan Bugui over to Longevity Temple. I have other items for you."


    After that Shen Lian informed Gu Caiwei about the elixirs.


    On the fifth year of Zhou Dynasty, the Empress was sick. The Prime Minister, Yu Tianlin and several respected chancellors took the opportunity for a coup d''etat. They entered the palace by force and forced the Empress to give up the throne and pass it on to the prince, Zhao Xun.


    As Zhao Xun succeeded, the Empress took on the position of Taishang Huang, with the nomination of ''Divine Emperor''. The Zhou Dynasty was then returned to Dawei Dynasty.


    As the new emperor succeeded the throne, the throne for the Empress'' nephew was eliminated and nothing much happened from there. The political environment stayed relatively stable, and it was rumored that it was because Taishang Huang had stated her intent.


    The residents were fine with the change from Zhou to Dawei. The new emperor did not abandon the Empress''s orders. The only surprise was the Prime Minister, Yu Tianlin, as he retired after half a year.


    Before when Yu Tianlin was still Prime Minister, his door front was always bustling with traffic, but immediately after he retired, the house became abandoned.


    A lot of the scholars sympathized his situation. How the tides had changed. There were some famous wild artists who made poems to satirize how cruel the royal family was.


    When Zhao Xun became the emperor, he was cautious and conscientious. He dared not to relax, but as the operating environment became better, he indeed derived satisfaction from his effort.


    After he was done with his work, he went to the Imperial Garden and he saw how beautiful the blooming flowers were. He lingered around, immersing himself in the beautiful scenery. The garden was huge with small paths leading to the depth of it. He was lost.


    The path led to somewhere spacious, and there was a pavilion.


    The aroma of the tea entered his lungs and made him feel more awake. His fatigue was mostly gone.


    He saw a young Daoist who was dressed in feathered clothing and star crown sitting at the pavilion. The person was drinking steaming tea, and it was the source of the aroma.


    Zhao Xun despite having the sophistication of an emperor, when he saw an outsider, he could not help but felt shocked and lost some of his composure.


    The young Daoist laughed and said, "Your Highness, have you forgotten about me?"


    When Zhao Xun heard the voice, he found it to be slightly familiar but mostly unfamiliar. When he realized the servants around him had disappeared and that he had never been to this pavilion, he knew something was wrong.


    He stepped forward and he finally saw how the young Daoist looked like. He lost his voice for a little, "Mister Qingxia?"


    Shen Lian said, "I am glad that Your Highness remember me. Please, have a cup of tea."


    Zhao Xun knew Shen Lian was a powerful master, and at such a short distance, even if he had ten thousand soldiers, none would be able to defend him against Shen Lian, and even his mum sang high praises for him.


    While he was the emperor, he too had a sense of propriety. He knew Shen Lian was not one to care about the worldly wealth. If he did, he would not have left to seek the path to Dao when he was back in the extremely wealth Shen family at State Capital of Qing.


    It had been seven years since then and Shen Lian looked no different and perhaps even younger, akin to a virgin. His age should be approaching forty, and Zhao Xun could not help but to feel a bit envious, as cultivators while they lived with not much wants, they too enjoyed longevity and youth, and it was something which emperors did not get to enjoy.


    After he had a sip of the tea, which tasted like bejeweled nectar, the heat began to flow through all his meridian. It made him feel so comfortable like he was rising to heaven that he could not help but moaned.


    He felt that he had behaved inappropriately and hence he smiled awkwardly.


    He had not reached the age of fifty, but ever since he became the emperor, he had been working too hard and hence he began to have white hair. He thought about passing on the baton to the prince Zhao Xiang, but while Zhao Xiang was brilliant by nature, he was too headstrong. He could have a great career, but once he succeeded, he could get complacent. He always wanted him to polish his character further.


    Zhao Xun sighed, "Sometimes I indeed feel envious towards people like you, Qingxia. You don''t seem to have a worry in the world and are happy."


    "Emperor, you have the wealth of all four oceans. If you are looking for more, it is not the fortune for you." Shen Lian smiled when looking at him.


    "It is easy to say that if you know how to be satisfied, you can be happy, but in fact, it is hard to implement. Why does mister pay me a visit today, and with this cup of tea? It seems like you need a favor from me. If I can do it, I will not say no," Zhao Xun spoke with a low voice.


    For the emperor, he was used to calling himself as ''Zhen'', but when he was speaking to Shen Lian, he referred to himself as ''I'' instead. When he realized that, he could not help but feel amazed by Shen Lian''s aura, which could even suppress the presence of an emperor.


    "I am here to borrow something from you, Emperor."


    "I have all kinds of treasures here, but in your eyes, Qingxia, I am afraid they are not any better than the grass and wood on the mountain. What can be the item you''re looking for?" Zhao Xun felt curious.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I want to borrow your Imperial Seal to suppress a real dragon."


    Zhao Xun almost spits out his tea. He did not imagine that when Shen Lian had a request, it would be the Imperial Seal.


    He felt difficult, "If it is another item, I will just give it to you if you request, Qingxia, but this item is important."


    Shen Lian said, "I am not borrowing it against nothing. Do you think your life is worth more than the Imperial Seal?"


    Zhao Xun felt angry for a while, and thought, "Even if you were a celestial, you should not be threatening Zhen." But as he saw Shen Lian''s clear eyes, which did not have any contaminant or violence, he thought to himself, "He was not this type of person."�� ��A self-address for Chinese Emperor/Empress.

 Chapter 245 River Deity

    Zhao Xun recovered quickly as he was still the emperor. To date, he had been through a lot more than what a commoner could have experienced in three generations. Furthermore, in terms of calmness, he was not below cultivators.


    He stroke the golden sleeves of his golden dragon robe to calm himself down. He put down the teacup and spoke softly, "How so?"


    Shen Lian saw his reaction, while he had known him for a long time, he still felt that he was admirable. Even though he was the emperor, he did not have the cruelty emperor carried, at the same time he was determined and calm. If he pursued cultivation, he could be successful. It was no wonder that why the Empress was willing to pass on her throne to him.


    After the Empress fought with Zhao Xiaoyu, she was severely injured and hence could no longer borrow Qi of dragon and wishes of the masses to cultivate. It then became a heavy burden to her and hence she just followed the flow and retired. If not, in her ways, just a mere Prime Minister would not be able to move her.


    Zhao Xun was steadier. Even after succeeding the throne, he did not act callously to clear the rebellions, but he allowed the Prime Minister to retire. To others, he seemed cold and heartless, but he actually protected him. While it seemed a meritorious service to dethrone the existing and brought in the new emperor, such a person usually did not end well.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Since Your Highness began to manage the political affairs, your sister, Princess Yingyang had helped a lot. If not because of her who got rid of your mother''s old followers, I am afraid you won''t sit in your seat so comfortably. However, I think your sister will lead about half of the imperial court in the future."


    Zhao Xun knew what Shen Lian said was true. While he managed to resume the calmness without a purge of the old governors, but it also led the imperial court to be split into two groups, one half was led by the Prince and the other have was led by Princess Yingyang.


    Shen Lian changed the tone, "I suppose Your Highness is thinking that the sister will help you balance the situation in the imperial court."


    Zhao Xun said, "Qingxia, I know you are out of this world and are rather otherworldly, and hence you have the insight towards this. I am in the midst of it and hence I can''t see it clearly. You can just be direct with me."


    Shen Lian replied, "I will be direct then. You are the emperor but this is not your fate. Your sister has power, but she is just the stepping stone to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince decides to kill your sister, what will you do?"


    Zhao Xun had thought about it, but since birth, he had had enough of the slaughter within the family. He did not want to think about it and he was not willing to consider the possibility.


    Others would be mad at Shen Lian''s frankness, but as Shen Lian was in the rank of celestials, even if his order could command a city to be besieged, or for many to be killed, or even move mountain and river, at such distance, he could do nothing to Shen Lian. He then could understand what his mother was chasing after, as there were emperors, but there were also cultivators who went against the world''s principles.


    There were always this bunch of people who were not restricted by the emperors. Even if it was the palace, they could just come and go at their will.


    Zhao Xun said, "I can''t stop this from happening, just like I can''t stop you from being here."


    Shen Lian was extremely smart as he understood that Zhao Xun was still an emperor and had the desire to be in control of everything. It was not unlike other emperors.


    Shen Lian spoke lightly, "If Your Highness is aware of it, then please note that it will be your death when this happens. You are not your mother who can be Taishang Huang."


    Zhao Xun said, "Mister, this is enough. If you want the imperial seal from me, it is as easy as that. The reason why you''re saying so much is to get permission and make use of the imperial seal to do what only you lot can do. Zhen will agree."


    Shen Lian took out a piece of jade from his sleeves and said, "If and when emperor faces any difficulties, you can take this out and call my name."


    Zhao Xun accepted it and said, "Nothing else?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "As long as you are sincere in your promise to lend your imperial seal to me."


    After he finished, he then disappeared and the pavilion was gone. Zhao Xun felt a light breeze and when he opened his eyes, it was his close servant, "Emperor, you''re awake."


    He was at his desk, and it seemed that he fell asleep on it.


    When he saw the jade in his hand, it was apparent that he got it from Shen Lian, and then he knew it was not just a dream.


    He said nothing and he ordered his servant to leave the room. He opened the box where he kept the imperial seal and it was empty. There was only a note that said, "I will return what I owe you."


    The feeling of being bothered then disappeared.


    To him, whether the imperial seal was real or not did matter. It would not be an issue even if he made a fake one. As he thought about what Shen Lian said in the dream, to use the imperial seal to suppress a real dragon, it did not seem to be a lie. He had some longing towards it.


    Shui Liang Hall in the Daming Palace had always been the Empress'' residence even after her dethroning, first of all, it was serenity, second of all she did not want to be bothered by the external affairs, Daming Palace was quiet and rarely visited by any.


    The Empress saw that there was a Buddhist scripture on her table, along with a piece of paper. It was made of the bark of rosewood. With its natural vein lines, not even the top calligraphers would use such a paper to write as it was too precious. To be able to write in such a way that matched the vein lines was not easy and one would only do it if he was at his peak.


    Someone indeed wrote one, and on top of it was a Buddhist passage.


    "There is an unlimited number of techniques in the world, it would be difficult even if one were to experience all the misfortune. Today I had the opportunity to be taught, and I hoped I could grasp the true meaning of Rulai."


    A young looking cultivator was sitting in front of the Empress, it was Shen Lian.


    When the two''s eyes met, it felt that the air in the room went through a ripple. It was going up and down in the void, and it was also akin to two top swordsmen, discussing Dao.


    She kept her glance, and the Empress said, "There isn''t any other Buddhist passage that I like more than this. It is great and I like it a lot."


    "I haven''t seen you in many years. Empress, you seem to gain new perspectives," Shen Lian smiled.


    The Buddhist passage was written by Wu Zetian, who shared a similar experience with the Empress. Both took the position of the emperor as a woman and they were not any worse than men.


    "If not because of you, I won''t live until today. I always say that I will repay you, and it is still valid now."


    Shen Lian said, "I didn''t need your help then, but now I do. I hope you can find a way for me."


    The Empress squinted her eyes and asked, "What does that mean?"


    "You can enjoy the wishes of the masses for as wide as thirty thousand miles. By unifying the Water Clan and becoming the River Deity, you can be immortal. Will you be interested?" While Shen Lian delivered this in a calm way, they were all shocking facts.


    The smoke began to rise at the corner, and not even the breeze that came along could blow it away.

 Chapter 246 Waiting for Someone

    Even with what Shen Lian said, the Empress did not look particularly agitated. She remained calm, like a lake at night, which did not have any ripple.


    Since she was injured previously, the path to attain Dao had become a blind alley. As such, she gave up and handed her power to her children. She began to seek insight from Buddhism, and her previously sharp eyes had become soft. She looked like a sanctimonious lady in Buddhism, and she no longer carried the air of an emperor.


    The Empress spoke slowly, "Shen Lian, I know that there is no free lunch in the world. Immortality, or the wishes of the masses for a region of thirty thousand miles �C what do I need to do to get that?"


    What she subsequently said broke the image she had been let out all these whiles. She spoke slowly as if none of this mattered. Her domineering aura had now turned into the real aura of the emperor. She was at ease.


    Shen Lian knew that it was not easy to persuade the Empress, but it was also not a difficult task as she was an extremely intelligent woman.


    In Shen Lian''s eyes, he thought the Empress was a better ally than Zhao Xiaoyu as she had the temperament that even exceeded many heroes in the world. She just lacked a little bit of serendipity.


    "If I am right, Empress, you know ''Emperor Bestowment''s Technique'', which could bestow spiritual entities," Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    "Yes, but it is not that easy to bestow a deity," The Empress replied.


    The Emperor''s Bestowment Technique was passed on since the ancient time. Some emperors made use of this to become deity after they passed away. There was a lot of luck involved, and the few emperors that succeeded then became the Yinsi Deity in the Nine Underworlds. It was only slightly different from the deity in the human''s world, but it was considered another form of immortality.


    "It is different for water region. Also, for thirty thousand miles of the region, it will affect two sides of the shores and billions of living creatures. With the vast amount of prayers, you will have an infinite mana. To achieve this, you need one item," Shen Lian spoke softly.


    The Empress said, "You need a real dragon."


    At the same time, she felt slightly stunned about how much Shen Lian knew about the Emperor Bestowment Technique.


    There were three types of deities, one was born naturally in the mountain and the rivers, who defended the area. This was the most powerful deity with the greatest potential. In ancient time, a great deity was a naturally born deity of the river and sea. It ruled ten thousand water regions and had almost no competition, not even a Daoist Master could handle it.


    Secondly, was the deity bestowed by the Heavens, being under the control of the Heavens. It had less power, and to achieve it, one would need a powerful equipment. It would also involve several Daoist Masters, and people of the rank of Buddha. As the Heavens had disappeared for a long time, this type of deity too had been eliminated, or to say that in the flow of time, one could only tell they used to exist.


    The third type was the emperor''s bestowment. Since a long time ago, God had granted a Talisman order to the human ruler, and it could help them to bestow deities, as the representation of God in managing the mountain and river. It was apparently where the emperor originated from, but one could not tell whether it was the truth. Back then, the human emperor ruled the whole of the human world, and even cultivators served under him. It was nothing like the small dynasty now. Back then, the dragon clan was the human emperor''s closest ally and there were even some of the dragon clans who became human emperors. It was the reason why the dragon clan could rule the rivers and seas and every wide water region. The dragon clan was the deity of every water region.


    Since it had been a long time, to become the deity of the water region, other than Emperor''s bestowment, one would need the permission of a real dragon. For some dynasties, all the rivers would be called the dragon''s vessels, which one would attribute the fortune of the dynasty too.


    According to legends, the Talisman order from God was where the Emperor''s Bestowment Technique originated from. As the Talisman order had disappeared, people then began to use the imperial seal as a replacement. It was also why people referred the imperial seal as something that was honored by heaven.


    Shen Lian spoke leisurely, "Real dragon is indeed rare, and even though this one is not too pure, it can still be considered a real dragon. He is also my enemy and I need you to help me get rid of him. If you succeed, you can become the River Deity of thirty thousand miles worth of region. Till then, regardless of how wide the world is, there will be a minority amount of people who can inflict harm upon you."


    The Empress said, "I said that I owe you my life and since it is time to repay, you don''t need to say so much. I know your personality, you won''t let people take advantage of you and you won''t take advantage of people. I am convinced."


    To this point, her eyes seemed to carry a certain glister. Regardless, she always enjoyed doing something challenging.


    Shen Lian stared into the eyes of the Empress. The Empress knew what he meant - it was a sense of gratitude from Shen Lian, and it was sincere. At that moment she thought that if she had asked him for any help, he would certainly not reject and not ask for any favors in return.


    _______________________________


    The water flew quietly and the greenery was being reflected softly in the water. It was the perfect depiction of Qingjiang Sword Sect, being in such an otherworldly environment, where there was hidden sword aura. It was the intent of the founding master but not many successors could appreciate it, and until this generation, there was none.


    Zuo Shaoqing stood next to Shen Lian and he seemed to be able to understand it a little. At that point, however, it would not be possible for him to have otherworldly sword heart to face the obstacles in the world. Standing on the mountain looking at the others, there were overflowing water everywhere which were invading the sect. When the water rose up to that level, the Mountain Defense Formation would then be useless.


    The sword aura surrounding him was piercingly sharp and it killed off the demon soldiers which occasionally occurred. He looked at the flood and the yellow dragon which was circulating in the sky. The dragon let out a huge roar as if a grim reaper was announcing its verdict.


    There were still a number of students of Qingjiang Sword Sect who were fighting by the formation using their sword ray. They made use of the situation to kill the demon soldiers who tried to get past the gaps. The Qi of blood and Qi of devilry were everywhere and the two sides were no longer calm. It was what Huang Longzi, or Yanxu wished to see.


    Zuo Shaoqing thought to himself about when the person would arrive. Could the person be here in time? He believed in Shen Lian. If Shen Lian made a promise, he knew the person was going to come, but as time went by, his confidence decreased.


    Nobody realized the devilry and blood were all quietly going towards a spot.


    Huang Longzi had the opportunity to break through the formation since the beginning but he took Yanxu''s suggestion, to make them slowly accept their death verdict would be more interesting. He could even feel the fear in the mountain.


    The idiotic Meng Xunzhen even attempted to fight with him and in the end, the old man not only lost his sword mana, half of his cultivation experience was gone. He was useless ultimately.


    Not everyone was as good as Xuantong Demon King''s Devilry of Dark Skies, who could hurt his real dragon''s body. As he had the experience from last time, he would not give anyone a second chance to hurt him.

 Chapter 247 Breaking through the Mountain

    Fifteen minutes had passed, and the commotion was getting nearer. The sword gleam in the formation got weaker and weaker.


    Zuo Shaoqing could not resist gripping the sword handle. The ten feet rock formed by him was the central point of the Mountain Gate Formation, and he could not just abandon his post. At this point, there was nothing more that he could do.


    He wondered what Shen Lian would do if he was in this position.


    However, he could not have guessed it. He did not have the supernatural powers that Shen Lian had. He was also no equipped with Shen Lian''s carefree mentality.


    Someone was faster than Zuo Shaoqing. It was a middle-aged Daoist that had black hair. His Daoist bun was undone, and he held a long sword in his hand. He leaped and charged with his sword. There was a loud sound in the air, and a giant prawn head was tossed high up in the air along with its white flesh. It fell down eventually.


    That was Jiang Shuijie. He was a middle-aged Daoist who gave his all to the sect. He demonstrated his character as a Cultivator of the Sword at this moment, just as the rest of his senior and junior apprentice-brothers.


    A flash of electric spark appeared, and it fell into the water forcefully. The roaring noises made by the demon soldiers could not drown the sound of the sword gleam.


    Flesh and blood splattered all over. The brilliance of the sword gleam masked even the last ray of the setting sun.


    The yellow dragon in the sky saw the sword gleam. It swam amidst the Water Clan unrivaled.


    "I''m not going to fool around with you all anymore," it snickered as a cold gleam appeared in its eyes.


    It swirled around and created a giant wave with just a slap on the water. The Kuishui Qi of Essence it brought along was akin to the inescapable wall of iron and copper. With an unknown amount of layers, it rammed towards the mountain gate and shook the mountain.


    The formation lighted up to ward off the attack. Within moments, it was shattered completely.


    Seven screens of light appeared; it seemed that seven screens of light had been shattered.


    Zuo Shaoqing could not attend to his fellow sect members. He saw the yellow dragon started closing in, and the wave that was extremely hard killed countless people with just a slap. The opponent''s underlings from the Water Clan too were roped in as collateral damage.


    Huang Longzi was so evil that it did not care if it was killing friends or foes.


    Perhaps to him, the Water Clan was nothing.


    The sword gleam rose again, and ten over demon soldiers around him were killed. With the Qi of blood and devilry, he gained momentum that could break through the Nine Heavens; at that moment, Zuo Shaoqing genuinely thought that he was unstoppable.


    His sword gleam would slash even the yellow dragon into half.


    True Wandering Light Sword gave birth to limitless mana. Layers and layers, the force had continuity and was endless.


    He finally understood the sword will of endless water and clouds, and could comprehend the initial true technique of the Grandmaster.


    The rolling giant waves were harder than fine iron, and they could destroy anything. However, the moment that the Kuishui Qi of Essence was met with the sword body, it was absorbed away immediately. It was as though Zuo Shaoqing''s sword body was a sponge that could absorb all of the water.


    Zuo Shaoqing realized that his mana was getting more and more solid. His mana traveled around the acupoints in his body, and the power within him was sufficient to break the mountain. The countless members of the Water Clan would be exterminated along with Huang Longzi.


    The longsword gleam was like the water and clouds that traveled across the sky; it channeled the Milky Way and was limitless.


    The real dragon that was Huang Longzi roared in the sky. It rushed into the Wandering Light Sword gleam without any changes.


    Not far away on the lone ark, Yanxu was dressed in white �C a shade that was fairer than the clouds above. He held a gourd made of Blood Jade, and Qi of blood and devilry were constantly seeping into the gourd. Perhaps it had contained too much Qi of devilry, there seemed to be blood dripping down the Blood Jade Gourd.


    He stared at Zuo Shaoqing with smiley eyes and thought him to be a little genius. There were traces of Qing Xuan in his sword gleam too.


    He wondered what would the traces of Qing Xuan be, and decided that it was probably the creation of techniques within one''s heart, and understanding the truth of Dao from there on.


    However, it was so useless. The sword screen was as useless as the light screen of the formation, and they both could not withstand even a strike. Even though Zuo Shaoqing had cultivated the True Wandering Light Sword to this extent, it was still incomparable to a roar of the real dragon.


    "If it was the Milky Way Swordsmanship, I wouldn''t mind taking a look," Yanxu thought to himself.


    Zuo Shaoqing was blocked off by the dragon''s horn, and the protective sword gleam was shattered immediately. He was tossed at the mountain and ended up shattering the central rock of the formation.


    The entire formation was a gone case. The giant rolling waves of the Qingshui River rushed in.


    Huang Longzi was pleased. He was able to defeat an entire sect with the power of a single person. This would be considered as an impressive feat in the cultivation community. He did it today without putting much effort into it.


    He instructed the Water Clan to continue with their attacks; with a shift of his dragon body, he brought forth rolling waves of water. It was as though he was an ancient God of Water, and commanded impressive aura.


    A thought came to him �C his eldest Senior Apprentice-Brother and Uncle-Master insisted on alternating between being kind and being stern; however, that was not as satisfying as his approach. If there were anyone who rebelled, he just needed to beat them into submission. If they remained stubborn, all he had to do was just taking them out, how free and easy would that be!


    The ancient Dragon Clan triumphed over the four seas and eventually ruled over the ten thousand spiritual beings. Dragons had always been keen to fight, and the Dragon Transformation Incantation that he cultivated gave him a body full of the blood of a real dragon. He ended up inheriting their temperament as well.


    Moreover, he was under the constant influence of Yanxu''s Free Form Incantation.


    The body of a real dragon was a thousand feet long. A sweep with its tail could easily send a huge portion of the mountain, including the plants and the soil right into the water. The entire mountain seemed fragile as a tofu.


    Yanxu looked at Huang Longzi with eyes full of contempt. This was why he did not hold Guangqing in high regard. In spite of the presence of great inspiring figures such as Huanzhen and Yuming the Honored Celestial, most disciples were crude people like Huang Longzi.


    When searching for a disciple, Guangqing only looked at the prospective disciple''s potential. Minimal focus was placed on the nurturing of the mind, and it was the polar opposite of Qing Xuan.


    It was mere fate that they could produce five land immortals.


    Despite that Guangqing had the Twelve Real Cultivators, but amongst them, only Huanzhen had hopes of attaining immortality. The rest of them were all rubbish.


    However, rubbish as such was perfect as pawns in his grand plan. He would be having a headache if there were more people like Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei. Even though he liked a good challenge, but it was in his nature to prefer the easier route.


    Yanxu frowned. Just as he wanted to avoid troubles, troubles had found their way to him.


    A colorful cloud floated over out of nowhere, and its golden rays shone on the mountains and rivers.


    Huang Longzi''s dragon scales glittered under the sun.


    The golden rays seemed to be magical, and it made even Yanxu felt uncomfortable. It was just as the snow and ice were met with sunlight.


    For Huang Longzi, it was not mere discomfort. Each of the golden rays turned into a rope that restrained him.


    He could produce hundreds and thousands kilograms of force simply by moving. However, the golden rays were shapeless and yet had quality; they were extremely tenacious and difficult to break away from.


    Huang Longzi was knowledgeable. He noticed a foreign force within the golden rays, and the force was weighing him down. It was as though he was being dragged into the mortal secular world and could never be freed from it.


    The feeling of being trapped in a marsh was very uncomfortable to him.


    The dragon roared loudly, and the giant sound waves destroyed most of the plants in front of the mountain gate. A lot of members of the Water Clan and the disciples of Qingjiang Sword Sect fainted. The sound waves even vibrated away from the surrounding golden rays.


    The extremely strong mana vibrations exploded from within Huang Longzi.

 Chapter 248 So It Was You

    Huang Longzi''s dragon body vibrated; his dragon whiskers stood sharply as spears, and his aura was impressive. His spiritual pressure dispersed, and endless Huang Water was manifested out of thin air. Some of the prawn soldiers and crab generals were rolled into the Huang Water, and they were devoured completely with only minimum remnants left behind. It was a shocking sight.


    This supernatural power was known as "Real Trial of Red Water". Back in ancient times, the God was angered and a massive amount of water befell to destroy everything. This was considered as the ultimate calamity, and in the legends of every clan, there were records about a devastating flood.


    Because it came from above, hence it was unavoidable. At most, one could try to survive in secrecy by relying on instruments that could ward off calamities.


    This Real Trial of Red Water was similar to the great flood; the Trial of Red Water befell onto the world, most would end up being killed and their Dao would perish.


    The devastating flood could destroy all lives in the world. This was why when the Real Trial of Red Water was engaged; even the wishes of the masses could not tame Huang Longzi anymore. There was no choice but to let Huang Longzi have his way.


    The red body of water rolled towards the sky, and the dragon charged at the colorful cloud in the air.


    Huang Longzi was overcome by murderous intent; he would make anyone who got in his way pay a hefty price.


    The red-colored water gleam enveloped the dragon body, and it gave off an indefeasible aura.


    The colorful cloud gave way, and a lady dressed in dragon robe appeared. Her features were sharp. She produced a huge patch of light with her hands, and it was at least a thousand feet long. It was as though a long spear had come from beyond the sky, and it immediately charged towards the Red Water.


    At the same time, a glorious shadow emerged behind the Empress. It was the Daoist look of the Indestructible Immortal Body. Just as the ancient Saint Tianzi who encountered feral beasts that ran loose when he was managing his realm, and he decided to stop the beasts with brute force in order to save the spiritual beings from being harmed.


    The thousand feet light was extremely solid. It could crush through small hills effortlessly. Though, the Trial of Water produced by Huang Longzi was unexpectedly strong. The light was trapped within it the moment it made contact.


    In the end, Huang Longzi opened its dragon mouth and bared its white teeth. With just a bite, it broke the light into half. The Empress could not help but grumble in dissatisfaction.


    Indeed, the difference in their mana was huge. She could not have taken him down with just her power.


    Within moments, a piece of jade appeared in the Empress'' hand. It was the imperial jade seal of the Zhou Dynasty. It seemed to be a real dragon too, and clouds started forming around it. Golden flames were sparking from the imperial jade seal.


    Initially, the imperial jade seal did not have such supernatural power. However, Shen Lian had channeled it.


    At a corner amidst the river water, a temple had appeared out of nowhere. The sign on the door said "God of Qingshui River". Shen Lian was in the temple and he held a wooden sword in his hand. He was worshipping the Daoist astral deities. He mumbled strings of incantations and then obscure chants.


    The chants were known as the "Jishen Chants". As Shen Lian spewed out the divine chants, countless mystical river water flowed into the area on the side. The water flowed along with the current and rippled through both upper and lower stream.


    Steams were coming out of the top of Shen Lian''s head, and these were extremely solid mana. All of them were poured into the mystical river water, and together they flowed throughout the Qingshui River.


    Eventually, the mystical river water that flowed into the river had become countless words of spell, and they were giving off sounds that no one could understand. At the same time, the spiritual beings who lived in the Qingshui River heard a ringing sound in their head, and it was getting progressively intense.


    A lot of fish spewed bubbles and leaped out of the water. Some curious fish swallowed the words of spell floating on the surface of the river, and something about them seemed different.


    More words of spell floated over to the mountain gate of the Qingjiang Sword Sect, and they levitated upwards in the end. They merged with the golden flames of the imperial jade seal, and a gigantic golden dragon flew out of the imperial jade seal.


    At the same time, the golden flames set the Empress'' body on fire and she turned into a ball of golden light. Eventually, she merged with the golden dragon and became a part of it. The golden dragon glanced at the yellow dragon beneath it with pride and detachment.


    The gaze was identical to that of the Empress.


    There were constantly words of spell floating into the body of the golden dragon, and its aura was getting stronger and stronger.


    When faced with this, Huang Longzi should have rushed over immediately. However, someone had buried Sword of Heart in the light that he had bitten earlier. His bier was being ambushed. Despite the lack of significant detrimental effect, he was lagging behind due to bouts of dizzy spells.


    Such impressive Sword of Heart Technique was not something that could be operated by the Qingjiang Sword Sect or the Empress.


    Huang Longzi laughed and the roars of the dragon were loud. "How dare you go against my will when you are merely an illusionary dragon," he roared.


    The Trial of Water continued to roll over, and the great tides threatened to destroy the entire landscape.


    The golden dragon collided with Huang Longzi''s Trial of Water, and the roaring sound vibrated through the mountains. The echo was followed by an endless string of thunders.


    A yellow dragon and a golden dragon started battling against each other in the air.


    The endless words of spell accompanied the rolling murky tides.


    The words of spell that were constantly instilled into the golden dragon helped to elevate its aura.


    Huang Longzi did not notice that the words of spell did not only make their way into the golden dragon but had found their way into the Trial of Water as well.


    Yanxu frowned and thought to himself, "Who was helping her with the bestowment?"


    Huang Longzi commanded the Water Clan and triggered a great flood. He had killed countless spiritual beings in the process and had committed the sin of killing. The golden dragon would be doing a meritorious deed by getting rid of him. If the golden dragon managed to snatch over the blood of the real dragon, it would be able to form a real dragon body. With the help of the Bestowment Technique, it could become the Dragon King of the thirty-thousand-miles river basin. With its great mana, it could enjoy the endless worship of the spiritual beings, could command the clouds and rain and could act on behalf of the Heavens.


    Despite that, the Empress would enter into the path of Shen from now on, but she would be in control of the thirty-thousand-miles river basin. With this as her protection, not even the land immortals could do anything to her.


    The root of all these was the words of a spell that floated all over the air. Someone was using the technique and was performing the bestowment.


    The imperial jade seal overpowered the real dragon, and the words of spell had the force of bestowment. The Empress was giving her all.


    With his mind, Yanxu sent over thousands of demons to invade the river basin.


    Before the result of the battle between Huang Longzi and the Empress was determined, through the eyes of a demon, he saw a temple that was the source of the words of spell about three hundred miles away. Before he could figure things out, the demon was killed by sword aura.


    "So it was you," Yanxu smiled as he thought to himself.


    He looked at the two dragons fighting against each other in the air, and he transformed into a ray and was headed towards the temple of the "God of Qingshui River".


    Shen Lian who was in the temple of the God of Qingshui River ceased worshipping the Daoist astral deities immediately, and his gaze was clear. A sword gleam manifested itself and took out a demon who was prying on him. He stopped with his incantations and sighed, "There is only so much a human could plan. Whether it will work out or not, it is entirely up to the Gods then. I will have to entrust the remaining with you."


    Taking over the task of bestowment at the thirty-thousand-miles river basin from the Heavens would doubtlessly come with trials.


    Huang Longzi was the Empress'' trial, and the owner of the demon would be Shen Lian''s trial.


    The sun was setting in the west, and the remaining ray colored the river water. At the edge of the river water, there was no way that one could see the opposite bank. The surface of the river was smooth, and the river water flowed gently as the ripples reflected the ray.


    Yanxu was dressed in white, a shade that was akin to the clouds. He descended from the sky and stood right in front of the temple of the God of Qingshui River. He walked on the beach in a carefree manner, and he stared at the temple casually. It was empty inside.


    The remnants of the setting sun were akin to blood, and it had dyed the entire beach red.


    Yanxu walked over step by step, and his alert mind seemed to have noticed something. He raised his head and looked at the roof of the temple. Prior to this, he did not notice that someone was standing there. The person was dressed in green Daoist robe, and it seemed like a green body of calming water.


    Shen Lian stood at the rooftop and stared hard at Yanxu. This was the Guangqing disciple who accompanied Huang Longzi, and Shen Lian had noticed him collecting Qi of blood and devilry in secret earlier. He looked down on this person, and at the same time, looked down on Guangqing.


    However, he did not expect the expert who had pried on Shen Lian through the eyes of the demon to be him. Shen Lian was surprised.


    Ever since he cultivated the Tongtian Skill, he could predict fortunes and misfortunes. His sharp senses told him that this was an impressive character, but he was unsure what was so impressive about the Guangqing disciple that he was facing now.


    The person''s mana vibrations definitely had not reached the state of Huandan. His Qi of Dao was refined, which showed that he had great potential. He had also cultivated the Dao formula of an authentic Xuanmen.


    However, it would be ridiculous to think that this person was capable of causing Shen Lian trouble.


    Yanxu stopped at a hundred feet away from Shen Lian. At this distance, even Zuo Shaoqing could attack within an instance and it would be hard to dodge away, what more Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not attack.


    It was not because that the Bestowment Technique had drained more mana than he initially expected and he was not at his peak form anymore. It was just that the person felt familiar, and he was giving off a dangerous vibe.


    Yanxu smiled as he sized Shen Lian up. With the power of his sight, he could tell Shen Lian''s level of cultivation with just a glance.


    Of course, he did not strike too. He understood the foundation of Qing Xuan, and Shen Lian being the chief would definitely have plenty of good items with him.


    Both of them stared at each other. Shen Lian felt that this was beneficial for him, as his mana started traveling in his acupoints, and the spiritual medicine that he had consumed earlier was kicking in. The mana he had depleted was being replenished at a quick rate.


    The endless Qi of heaven and earth rushed into Shen Lian''s body the way the rivers would return to the sea. A night breeze blew past, and Shen Lian''s hair danced along with it. His fluttering sleeves was contrasted with his calm gaze, and it showed how indescribably proud he was.


    Yanxu spoke first. "I did not expect Shen Zhenren of Qing Xuan to be so sneaky. Since you are here, why don''t you make your presence known? Why are you operating the techniques in secrecy?" He spoke.


    Shen Lian frowned and did not reply. He cut off his connection with the Qi of heaven and earth. Black gas was coming out of his acupoints, and the clear sword gleam extinguished the black gas. At the same time, cries could be heard in the air. That was the last of the resentment of the resentful spiritual beings being taken out by him.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was calm and the incident did not bring emotions to his face. "So you have infiltrated Guangqing Sect," he spoke quietly.


    Demonic thoughts were secretly mixed into the Qi that he absorbed earlier. If Shen Lian had been careless, he would be a piece of meat at Yanxu''s mercy now. This was how he recognized Yanxu.


    Despite knowing that Yanxu most likely was alive, he did not expect him to have infiltrated into Guangqing that had five land immortals within it.


    The demon earlier led Shen Lian to think that it was a cultivator who was cultivating a strange Dharma. However, when he sensed the demonic thoughts that were invading his body, he recognized Yanxu immediately.


    Yanxu was not surprised at all. He looked at Shen Lian with a hint of playfulness on his face; it was as though he was looking at an interesting toy. Moreover, those below the rank of a land immortal would not be able to do anything to him now.

 Chapter 249 The District of Sky Demon

    Shen Lian stood on the rooftop, but he was not only on the rooftop. He was one with the temple, the far away sunset, and everything in the world.


    He zoned out of being "me", and the world stood out in contrast. Yanxu seemed out of place.


    This was not something that could be achieved with just any supernatural power or Dao technique; it was "force".


    Despite the extremely advanced state that Shen Lian was at, he felt uncomfortable still. That was when he finally realized what a scary character Yanxu was, and how his capabilities were beyond his imagination.


    This force that blended in amidst the heaven and earth did not affect Yanxu at all, it was as though he did not exist in the heaven and earth, and hence there was no need to be extracted from it.


    He turned into a Sky Demon and traveled between the three realms. Things were always going the way he wanted them to. Shen Lian had never encountered such a difficult opponent before; he was unpredictable and was in command of an array of secret techniques. It was hard to guard against him.


    Earlier, it was merely the invasion of some negligible demonic thoughts. If it was not for the fact that his spirit was as alert as that of deities, he would have fallen prey to Yanxu''s technique.


    Shen Lian stood at the high ground while Yanxu was standing down below. He should be able to see his every move and even the smallest action would not be able to escape Shen Lian''s eyes. However, Shen Lian did not feel like he had the upper hand at all.


    He was merely looking at what Yanxu had decided to let him see, and the real Yanxu was not visible to him.


    Shen Lian stopped waiting, and yet he could not leave. He needed to wait until the battle between the Empress and Huang Longzi had come to an end.


    Yanxu seemed to know what he was thinking and smiled, "Little Lian, you can still escape if you leave now. Why are you still staying put? There is nothing more precious than your life. It can''t be you are trying to replicate what my Senior Apprentice-Brother did?"


    Shen Lian was slightly angered when he mentioned Zhang Ruoxu. He was never like that, but at that moment, he could not hold back and he did not want to hold back.


    The sound of the sword could be heard amidst the night breeze, it sounded like a tragic ancient tune.


    The last ray from the setting sun faded away, and night had fallen as accompanied by the sound of the sword.


    The world fell into darkness, Shen Lian included.


    Shen Lian heard a long sigh. That was when he understood that it was not easy for him to leave from the moment Yanxu had spoken.


    Good thing that he was not planning to escape. Despite that, he was not infuriated, but he felt the dark abyss of his heart. It was bottomless.


    The sword gleam traveled in the dark sky, and it was just as the stars that shone brightly in the night sky; it pierced through the night sky and brought forth endless killing vibes.


    However, Shen Lian sensed that the sword gleam did not manage to slash away anything, not even the demons summoned by Yanxu.


    If his guess was right, this was an impressive supernatural power known as "The District of Sky Demon" that was part of the Free Form Incarnation. It was akin to a place of enlightenment of the holy deities.


    This was similar to the space created by Zhao Xiaoyu that he was trapped in back then, and he only managed to escape from it due to his success in cultivating the Taixu Strategy.


    He was a lot stronger than back then, but Zhao Xiaoyu was incomparable with Yanxu.


    "Little Lian, you are a lot like me. Regardless of how treacherous the situation is, it will never be a hopeless situation for you. However, I really want to see how you would escape from my District of Sky Demon today," Yanxu''s voice was right in front of Shen Lian. At that moment, any cultivator would have slashed at it mercilessly.


    However, Shen Lian retracted his sword gleam and protected himself with it. The sound of the sword swirled around him, and an insect with cow horns rammed onto the sword screen. It was shattered into pieces and emitted poisonous gas. Though, the sword aura blocked it out.


    All of these were visible to Shen Lian under the sword gleam.


    The flying insect with cow horns had the face of a human. Shen Lian could even see its resentment right before it was shattered into pieces. This was known as Sky Demon Insect and that was not its only form. It had a human face due to the gathering of the resentment of spiritual beings, and Shen Lian perceived it as a human face because he himself was a human. If he belonged to another species, he would have seen something different.


    That could not have been the only Sky Demon Insect. Another Sky Demon Insect appeared. Rather, it was the previous Sky Demon Insect that was shattered into pieces; its remnants regrew in the wind, and it was rebirth anew. It was a flying insect with cow horns and had black wings. It had the luster of metal, and it rammed hard into Shen Lian''s protective sword gleam.


    Shen Lian could feel clearly that the Sky Demon Insect had gotten slightly stronger as compared to before.


    Still, he killed the new-born Sky Demon Insect mercilessly. More remnants appeared, and they were all blocked out by the sword screen. A massive group of Sky Demon Insect appeared, just like how the human minds would conceive distracting thoughts late at night. The harder one tried to avoid the distracting thoughts, the more they would appear.


    Shen Lian continued slashing with his sword gleam, and he allowed for the dense group of flying insects that were getting stronger to ram into his weakening sword screen with their cow horns. He was completely surrounded by the flying insects, and he seemed like a giant cocoon. However, this cocoon was the purest of black, and it blended into the night.


    Initially, there was still sword gleam emitting from within the cocoon, but it had disappeared in the end, as it was sealed off by the cocoon. The only difference was, the black cocoon could not stop the sound of the sword.


    It was just as how the running water in the Qingshui River had never stopped flowing.


    The darkness masked overall auras, and the battle between Shen Lian and Yanxu did not take place in the real world.


    In the vast wide world, the Qingshui River flew with grandeur and continuity.


    However, the water was not flowing downstream this time. There was a golden dragon there, and it was emitting endless strong aura into the rolling river water; at the same time, it absorbed all of the words of spell. At that moment, the river water started flowing against the current and charged at the yellow dragon upstream.


    "I sacrificed myself because of my great ambition, and I dare to revamp the world."


    Without great ambition, one could not change the world and create new sceneries.


    The Empress was not just helping Shen Lian, she had finally understood the Indestructible Immortal Body. It was precisely because it was indestructible, so it could serve as an aid to attain supreme Dao fruit.


    Without sacrificing oneself, there would not be a state of Dao that was as pure as this and there would not be power to change the sun and the moon.


    Even though the river flowed in reverse, but her heart was pure. All the living beings in the thirty-thousand-miles river basin shared the same sentiment; all they wanted was a safe harbor, the bestowment of the Empress and the Indestructible Immortal Body had become a protective measure for the spiritual beings in this area.


    Zuo Shaoqing stood up and unsheathed his long sword. Maneuvering his sword gleam, he charged at the yellow dragon.


    "I''m willing to assist the River God to kill this demonic spirit."


    Jiang Shuijie too had directed his sword gleam and charged at Huang Longzi with no reserve.


    "I''m willing to assist the River God to kill this demonic spirit."


    Countless sword gleams followed each other; they seemed like soldiers of the River God and had repeated the same line. It echoed throughout the heaven and earth, and the power of the heart made the dragon, Huang Longzi, roared miserably in order to mask its fear.


    He could not understand how these people still managed to stand up, and how they could turn into sword gleam and attacked him.

 Chapter 250 The Supreme Heart Demon Chan

    The deities had the power to shift mountains and seas and were capable of plenty of unthinkable deeds. They transcended worldliness and attained holiness; they posited themselves above the masses and were detached from the mortal world.


    Regardless of how insignificant the masses were, the power they produced when they were united and joined their power of heart was unimaginable. The power of heart, when combined with the mountains and rivers, could produce a force that even the deities would fear.


    Back when the Empress used to run the world, she performed plenty of good deeds. However, only when she was walking on the path of Shen now that she harbored the wish to protect the living beings.


    The form of protection she offered was amalgamated with the survival instinct of the spiritual beings, and this had lent her immeasurable divine power. She finally stood a chance at victory in the battle against Huang Longzi.


    The sky full of sword gleam fell onto Huang Longzi''s dragon scales as though it was raining orange day-lily. Some had managed to injure him, but most of them did not break apart his protective shield; the piercing pain made him angry, but even more so, he was afraid.


    A giant wave rolled over, and endless Qi of Vitality formed around the Empress. It was like a giant millstone that was grinding Huang Longzi''s body of a real dragon.


    The living beings at the river made Huang Longzi uncomfortable with their power of heart. On top of that, the words of the spell were dissolved into the Trial of Water and Huang Longzi''s technique of the Real Trial of Red Water lost its effect too. Moreover, the fate of the Dynasty contained within the imperial jade seal suppressed Huang Longzi''s spirit.


    The roars of the real dragon and the mountains and rivers resonated in the night sky. The moon in the sky watched in silence, as though it was used to seeing the vicissitudes of life.


    Within the District of Sky Demon, Shen Lian was faced with the most treacherous situation he had ever encountered in his life.


    The giant cocoon formed by the surrounding Sky Demon Insect had grown to be as big as a little hill. At the heart of it, Shen Lian calmly drew out countless sword gleams. It was as though he was unaware of the fact that the more Sky Demon Insects he killed, the more Sky Demon Insects that would be reborn.


    It was as if the saying, "For every foot that Dao had grown, the Demon would grow by ten feet" had come true. Shen Lian had literally cocooned himself like silkworms, and there was no escape from it.


    A gentle voice rose slowly. In the quiet and isolate District of Sky Demon, Yanxu was akin to a deity. Even the slightest sound he made gave off the impression that he was in control here. "Do you still not understand that whatever you are killing is merely the thoughts in your heart? The thoughts came with the heart. There is no end to it," he spoke.


    The demonic voice sounded deep and it had traveled through a thick layer of demonic cocoon before reaching Shen Lian''s ears. However, Shen Lian seemed to be unaffected. He continued slashing repetitiously at a steady tempo.


    After some time �C perhaps a moment, perhaps a hundred year, sword aura akin to a long river had broken through the demonic cocoon. Just as the ancient Milky Way that crossed through countless stars, it had endless Dao meaning and was capable of washing away all form of filth.


    As he slashed through the demonic insects, Shen Lian had been purifying his sword gleam. He stripped off the impetuous characteristics of the secular world from it, and he cleansed away the distracting thoughts that came from being a spiritual being. From there on, he was able to see his clean and bright nature. Just as the Milky Way that encapsulated a variety of changes and rolled forward eternally, it was indestructible.


    "Where did you learn the Milky Way Swordsmanship from?" Yanxu asked in surprise.


    "It does not seem authentic. Though, you must have seen the real Milky Way Swordsmanship. It seems that you have been through more than I have expected. However, it is me that you have run into today. How unfortunate," Yanxu spoke lightly after the initial shock wore off.


    The darkness was condensing, and Shen Lian remained in the demonic cocoon. Despite that the sword aura was rolling like the Milky Way, he was still in danger.


    Suddenly, the brilliant Milky Way disappeared. It had turned into starlight that was as bright as the stars in the sky. The dots of starlight had dissolved the demonic cocoon completely, and the cocoon was replaced by a butterfly. The butterfly extended its wing as though it had just broken through the cocoon.


    "Pipe dream," those were the only two words that Shen Lian uttered.


    Zhuangzhou had a dream where he did not know if he was the butterfly or the butterfly was him; it was difficult to differentiate between real and fake, oneself and others.


    The butterfly flapped its wings gently, and someone snorted in the dark. Countless long ropes extended forward as they tried to restrain the butterfly.


    Yanxu smiled coldly. This time around, it was the old fool''s meaning of Dharma. He could never forget this. Though, would he not have spent all these years in vain?


    The world spun and the moon remained clear and bright.


    Shen Lian''s light green Daoist robe was in a tattered state and his Daoist bun had been undone. His long hair flew freely in the air and he was pale as a white sheet of paper. There was no hint of blood on his face. At the same time, black evil Qi appeared and hovered over all of the acupoints on his body. With the strength of his mana, he vibrated it away slightly. However, the Qi still found its way into his body, and there were flashes of demonic marks appearing on his pale face.


    Shen Lian did not have the luxury to contemplate about it. He jumped into the river water immediately.


    Yanxu appeared the moment Shen Lian had jumped into the river water. He did not bother with the battle between Huang Longzi and the Empress and stared closely at the river water. He pointed his finger and a small boat appeared on the water surface. The small boat remained static amidst the rolling water. In a flash, he appeared on the small boat; his white clothes looked like clouds and snow and he stood atop the small boat. "Are you still trying to escape even after you have been subjected to my Supreme Heart Demon Chant?" He smiled.


    However, Yanxu''s figure seemed translucent under the moonlight. The moonlight filtered past his body and his shadow was nowhere to be found on the small boat. He did not seem to be made out of blood and flesh. In fact, he was not as creepily scary as before. To be frank, Yanxu knew all too well that it was difficult to say who amongst the two of them had the upper hand. However, Yanxu was extremely focused this time around, as he was determined to capture Shen Lian.


    At the rate Shen Lian was improving, it would be very troublesome for him if he had missed this chance. Previously, he merely saw Shen Lian as an outstanding youngling. However, he was treating him as equal now.


    Shen Lian''s previous decision to slash away the Sky Demon Insects seemed to be the right choice. This was because the moment he stopped and focused solely on his defense, he might feel helpless for his predicament. At that moment, Yanxu would be able to leverage on that weak point of his and to defeat him completely.


    However, Yanxu did not expect Shen Lian to be so rational and decisive. He polished his sword will with it and had even gone as far as utilizing the Milky Way Swordsmanship to create an opening in his District of Sky Demon. At that moment, he had almost gotten away with the old fool''s "pipe dream".


    All these thoughts flashed past, and the lone boat flowed along with the current. It was like a sharp arrow that pierced through the river current and had disappeared at a faraway point.


    River water could cover a lot of traces, but it was difficult to hide from Yanxu. To a certain extent, dealing with Yanxu was tougher than dealing with certain land immortals. This was so as Shen Lian could hide his track with the Tongtian Concealment Skill. Even land immortals who were familiar with all sort of techniques would not be able to trace him down.


    However, Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation seemed creepier and was different from most spells in the world. Even after he had escaped to a few hundred miles away, Shen Lian still felt the shadow looming over his heart. Yanxu could roughly gauge his whereabouts and was tracing him down.


    When he emerged from the river water, the moon was still high up in the sky. Shen Lian entered the dense forest and was performing countless secret techniques. He had left behind a wide array of Dao talismans.

 Chapter 251 Tianguan Disuo

    Shen Lian could feel clearly that the mana within him was fraught with traces of evil Qi. The evil Qi intertwined with his mana.


    The traces of evil Qi were constantly consuming his mana and were even invading his spirit. He was starting to see doubles.


    Shen Lian raised his mana and crossed through the forest like a wisp of smoke. It was only until the sun was about to rise and he felt the clear distance between him and Yanxu that he stopped on top a giant tree branch. Yanxu would not be able to catch up to him in a short period of time. He raised his hand and saw that there were demonic marks all over his fair arm; the marks were pure black and seemed strange.


    The evil Qi had merged with his mana and it was not something that Shen Lian could undo within minutes. In fact, he might not be able to undo it even if he was given a long period of time.


    Daoism was not particularly remarkable when it came to tackling Sky Demons. Buddhism was the best in this. Back when Manjushri had attained Dao, he had killed one hundred thousand Sky Demons. On the other hand, millions of Sky Demons too had appeared when Buddha attained Dao. However, they were all purified by Buddha in the end. Of course, there was an endless stream of Sky Demons and not even Buddha could exterminate them completely. However, it was obvious that Dharma had a restraining effect over Sky Demons. Yanxu''s tactics were unimaginable and were connected to the Sky Demons. If Shen Lian intended to go against this person, he might have to pay the sacred site of Buddhism a visit.


    Shen Lian''s thoughts flashed past, and he immediately dispelled any long-term plans; his priority was on the current emergency.


    An ancient passage of words came to mind. That was a secret technique found in the records of Taiwei Pavilion, "Tianguan Disuo Formula". He did not expect that it would come in handy one day.


    Taixu mana started to swirl around according to the initial path; the evil Qi and mana that had combined together were moving along with the Taixu mana too.


    Thin strands of evil Qi intertwined with the mana. However, due to the unique path that the Taixu mana was traveling, the evil Qi was rolled up into a ball. It was encapsulated within Shen Lian''s Taixu mana and was unable to escape.


    The "Tiansuo Diguan" was a temporary measure that dealt with the invasion of foreign Qi that could not be immediately expelled. The foreign Qi was then locked up in the body with a special means. The foreign Qi would be in a limbo. On the other hand, the user''s mana would be restrained too. The amount of mana being restrained depended on the quality of the foreign Qi.


    Shen Lian did not expect Yanxu''s evil Qi to be so powerful that it had taken up a great portion of his mana. Though, this showed that Yanxu was probably at his weakest now.


    The evil Qi was so pure that Shen Lian would not believe if one were to claim that Yanxu still had his full force.


    However, from their overall performance, Shen Lian could tell that Yanxu was a lot better than him.


    Little did Shen Lian know that the evil Qi was a manifestation of the Supreme Heart Demon Chant performed by Yanxu, and it was something that could only be performed by him alone! However, if he were to lose this Supreme Heart Demon Chant, he would be faced with a great loss.


    Tianguan Disuo, the inside and outside were being isolated from each other, the shadow that loomed over Shen Lian''s heart faded slightly. However, Shen Lian could still sense danger hanging over his head.


    It would be impossible for him to return to Qing Xuan now. There was nowhere to hide amidst the vast sea, and it was difficult to battle against Yanxu now too.


    If he were to head towards the mountain gate, he would risk being ambushed by Yanxu and might not even be able to escape.


    Shen Lian made up his mind and continued to travel in the north-west direction. It was exactly opposite from the mountain gate of Qing Xuan. Though, he would not be able to meddle in the battle between the Empress and Huang Longzi anymore.


    He hoped that the Empress attained success with her Bestowment Technique. When that happened, no one in this thirty-thousand-miles river basin could do anything to her.


    The Empress should be able to walk on a wider path; however, not everyone was destined to fulfill their goals.


    On the other side of the forest, Yanxu seemed slightly disheveled. There were dust on his white clothes. With a gentle wave, his clothes became clean again. His body was like wind and smoke. He traveled across the giant trees and reached the sky. He stood on top of the clouds; there was no end to the endless forest, and he did not know where Shen Lian was.


    He activated the Supreme Heart Demon Chant, but to no avail. There was no response at all. If it was not for the tiniest of bond he still had with Shen Lian, he would have thought that Shen Lian had broken free from the Supreme Heart Demon Chant.


    He contemplated for a short while and smiled. He looked at the north-west direction and whispered, "So what if you have used the Tianguan Disuo? Back then, the Uncle-Master used to hunt me down; today, I shall return the favor and hunt her disciple''s disciple down. Perhaps, this is what they called, "an eye for an eye"."


    He felt that "an eye for an eye" was a bad sign, as he had committed plenty of bad deeds.


    He stood on top of the clouds handsomely. If a Yaotai Fairy were to see him now, her heart might flutter at the sight of him.


    With a tap of his toe, a portion of the sea of clouds was segregated from it. The cloud fetched him towards the north-west direction, and he disappeared amidst the mountains. It was not known where he had gone.


    ______________________


    Most of the river water flowed from west to east and they would end up in a big river or the sea. This was the case for Yushui as well. The stretch at Yuguan was the calmest of Yushui. All these while, no one planted crops at the river shore. They were afraid that when the flood came, it would destroy all of the crops. However, ever since the Goddess of Grains Temple was built, the weather had been great and the people had been living in peace and harmony.


    The Goddess of Grains was efficacious. Despite that, she might not answer to every prayer, but she had done plenty of good deeds for the people within a one hundred mile radius.


    Temple Attendant Qi who worked in the temple used to be addicted to gambling. Ever since he had answered to the calling of the Goddess, he had turned over a new leaf. He was almost fifty years old, and yet there was not even a strand of white hair on him. He looked as though he was thirty years old and was full of life.


    Qi Sanguang sat on the doorstep and watched the fisherman doing their job. He felt contented.


    Ever since the temple was built, it had not been expanded.


    However, as a temple attendant, he did not remain idle all the time. He had been going around and tuning in to the sufferings of the people. He would report the injustice that he had encountered to the Goddess of Grains, and she would lend help whenever she could.


    The satisfaction he derived from doing these were a lot more fulfilling than winning in a gamble.


    As for the offerings provided by the believers, he had used the money to purchase land. The land was then passed on to the kind people for them to plant on. He charged them some rent as a formality. If anyone were to be dishonest and tried to trick him, they would not be able to sleep in peace knowing that the Goddess of Grains was watching over them.


    The temple was not crowded on normal days unless it was the first or the fifteenth of the month. Even the fortune tellers were not here as the timing was not great.


    A young man dressed in white walked over. He held a folding fan in his hands, and a piece of jade dangled at the end of the folding fan. As the temple attendant, Qi Sanguang had seen his fair share of impressive individuals. The jade dangling off the folding fan seemed to worth a few popular shops in Yuguan, and not even Master Shuo from the town was as lavish.


    However, there was something strange about the young man in white. The hand that was holding the handle of the fan was as fair as the white jade. Not even a young lady would have hands as beautiful as his.


    He walked over with a smile and started fanning himself at the door of the temple.


    There were only two or three female believers at the temple, and they all blushed the moment they set eyes on him. They found themselves unable to look away.

 Chapter 252 Underneath Yin Mountain

    He stood in front of the temple for a long time. He did not come in, and he did not leave either.


    Qi Sanguang was curious. He stood up and walked forward to greet him, "May I know if there is anything that I can help you with?"


    The young man in white folded his folding fan and tapped his fair hands with a hint of playfulness. "I''m here to look for the Goddess of Grains," he replied.


    Qi Sanguang noticed he used the word "look for". He was certain that the young man in white was not a believer and probably had an impressive background.


    "You may enter the temple if you are looking for the Goddess of Grains," he replied carefully.


    "I''m asking you if Shen Lian is here." He smiled as he shook his head, and he pointed at the temple with his fan.


    This was a sentence meant for Qi Sanguang''s ears and no one else could hear it. He was backed by the power of the Goddess of Grains, and even though it was not much, it still made him slightly different from the normal people.


    As for why Qi Sanguang was certain that everyone else could not hear it, he noticed that no one else had reacted to this. Rather, it seemed like the temple and everyone else were in a different world from the young man in white and him. They were completely isolated.


    The statue of the deity in the temple opened its eyes. A beautiful lady walked over, and she looked exactly like the statue. She held grains in her hand and her eyes were clear. She headed towards the door slowly, "Fellow Daoist, the person you are looking for is not here," she spoke gently.


    "He must have been here. I promise to not cause you any trouble if you tell me where he is," the young man in white replied casually.


    "I am sorry but I cannot oblige," the beautiful lady replied after a moment of silence.


    The young man in white tightened his grip on the folding fan, and he slowly relaxed his grip again. A long shadow was drawn by the folding fan, and it was charging towards the beautiful lady''s chest.


    A misty water screen appeared at the door of the temple. The folding fan collided with the water screen, and the entire temple seemed to have shaken. In the end, the folding fan did not manage to make its way across the water screen and it could not injure the beautiful lady as well. It was bounced off and was sent charging at the young man in white at a higher speed.


    He caught the folding fan that flew towards him at a high speed with his fair hand effortlessly. He stared deeply at the temple and spoke, "I will return."


    It started to rain. The young man in white disappeared in the misty rain. Those who were staring at him did not notice the rain. When they came to their senses, they were soaked.


    Qi Sanguang coughed and woke them up. They had since forgotten how the young man in white looked like and also could not remember what had happened earlier. Eventually, everyone left.


    Qi Sanguang returned to the temple and noticed that the statue of the Goddess of Grains had dimmed slightly.


    Normal people would not be able to perceive the divine light. As the number of believers increased, the Goddess of Grains'' divine light had been getting stronger.


    The ground seemed to have turned into mud and had swallowed Qi Sanguang.


    The arrangement in there was the same as the temple. However, it was empty save for the Goddess of Grains. She was frowning slightly and seemed to be in deep thoughts.


    Qi Sanguang knew that this was the Goddess'' divine region. No one could enter without her permission.


    "The person earlier is very powerful. It seems like something big and troublesome will happen soon. You should leave and distance yourself from this," the Goddess of Grains spoke at last.


    "I have lived for tens over years. I only feel like my life is meaningful when I am working for you. There is nowhere else that I want to go. If misfortunes were to befall me for staying put, I would still have no regrets," Qi Sanguang shook his head and replied.


    "This person is powerful and there are very few cultivators in the world that could rival him. He did not leave today because he could not take me down, but he did so to avoid losses." A hint of solemnity flashed over the Goddess of Grains'' beautiful face.


    After all these years, she was not the same loquat tree that she once was. Her divinity had replaced her pure demonic heart. From the worship of the believers, she managed to absorb the wisdom of humans and had become calmer and steadier.


    Qi Sanguang finally understood why the young man in white was so unusual �C he was a cultivator.


    He thought of something. "He asked about Shen Lian earlier. Was Shen Lian the person from back then?" He asked the Goddess of Grains.


    "That would be him. He came over ten days ago asking for my help. He seemed to be in a disheveled state, and I was surprised that someone could corner him to that extent. After meeting with the young man in white today, I finally realized what a scary individual he is," the Goddess replied.


    "Do you have any solution that I can help you out with?" Qi Sanguang asked.


    "It''s fine. The only thing we need to do now is to wait for his return."


    Qi Sanguang remained silent. He did not ask what would happen if Shen Lian did not return, and he also did not question about Shen Lian''s whereabouts and the timing of his return.


    Both the Goddess of Grains and him were indebted to Shen Lian. The worst that could happen would be repaying him with their lives.


    A bright pearl appeared in the Goddess'' hands. It was wrapped in divine light, and there were eight colors swirling within it. At the deepest part of it, there was a ball of black Qi. This was what Shen Lian had left behind, and this was the reason why the young man in white managed to locate this place.


    Shen Lian said that it contained a huge portion of his cultivation, and part of the original source of the young man in white was within it as well.


    However, her divine region could isolate the outside world from it. Hence, the young man in white could at most track his way to the temple and he had lost all clues from here onwards.


    There was also a sword talisman in the temple that contained Shen Lian''s sword will and the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. The hints of killing vibes were strong, and it was a set-up that could hold back the young man in white if he had decided to take the temple by force.


    As for Shen Lian''s whereabouts, she was not sure herself.


    The Huang River contained the obsessions of the dead, and it connected the heavens and the earth, the living to the dead, and the dead to the living. It was as ancient and mysterious as the Milky Way was.


    The Huang River was an important component of the reincarnation cycle.


    Shen Lian did not head for the deepest part of the Huang River. He wanted to go to Yin Mountain.


    Yin Mountain was huge and had no bounds. It segregated the human realm from the Underworld. The Huang River would flow past the Yin Mountain too.


    At the back of Yin Mountain was the Underworld Demon Sect, and it used to be one of the most powerful sects in the world.


    Shen Lian did not go to the back of Yin Mountain. He was at the foot of the mountain, the side that was facing the realm of the living. It was very cold. It was not the kind of cold that would freeze water into ice, but the kind of cold that sent shivers up one''s spirit.


    Steadily, he walked towards one of the mountains.


    There was a temple on top of the mountain, and it was as old as Qing Xuan was. It was known as "Da Ming Wang Temple".


    This was the reason why Shen Lian had come here.


    Yanxu was difficult to deal with not because of his strength, but because of his understanding of Qing Xuan''s techniques; like Shen Lian, he too had originated from Qing Xuan. It was difficult to use Qing Xuan''s techniques to go against Yanxu.


    Moreover, the abstruseness of his Free Form Incarnation was not something that could be overcome by the Daoist Dharma.


    Shen Lian had to try something different. He was on good terms with the current Da Ming Wang, Huike. It was worth trying to look for a way to deal with Yanxu from Huike.


    Shen Lian had a question in his heart for the longest time. He wondered where did Yanxu get the "Free Form Incarnation" from, and hence he wished to find out about the origins of this demonic technique from Da Ming Wang Temple.

 Chapter 253 At the Top of Yin Mountain

    The sky at Yin Mountain was gloomy, though it was not completely dark. It was as though a layer of poorly-made colored glass had covered the sky, shielding the sun, the moon, and the stars from one''s sight.


    The ground was cold and dry. It seemed solid and impervious to external forces.


    Shen Lian wiped his eyelids and his eyes immediately brightened. He could see the source of the congregation of Yin Qi was at the waist of the mountain. The area was shrouded by a thin layer of mist, and it was not clear what was within it.


    Shen Lian knew that the sacred site of Buddhism, Da Ming Wang Temple was hiding beneath the mist.


    Half a year ago, an almighty had transcended beyond the mortal world here.


    Shen Lian was going at a steady pace. Yin Mountain was mysterious, and Da Ming Wang Temple did not monopolize the area. Allegedly, there was another sacred site of Buddhism at the deepest part of Yin Mountain. However, no one knew where it was, what its name was, and what kind of almighties had appeared there before.


    The sky far away started to change. Shen Lian could see the army troop formed by thirteen people, and they were flying towards Shen Lian''s direction. All of them were riding on black horses. There were blood stains on the furs; a clear sign that they had been killing their way here.


    The riders of the black horses were equipped with armors, and the armors were imprinted with complicated marks. Shen Lian could see all of these with his empowered eyes.


    These demonic soldiers were manifestations of dead souls. They were a combination of resentful thoughts, evil thoughts, and the evil Qi of Huang River. They represented death.


    Shen Lian was in deep thoughts �C Da Ming Wang Temple was not far away, how did these demonic soldiers of Huang River get here? Were they not afraid of incurring the wrath of Da Ming Wang Temple and the consequences that followed?


    The demonic soldiers were closing in and Shen Lian did not have much time left to ponder on this. The demonic soldiers would attack any living creatures made out of blood and flesh, and they would not bother with talking.


    Shen Lian spread his palms and a fireball appeared. The bright red flames were jarring. With a gentle toss, the fireball was in the air. It collided with the incoming demonic soldiers, and the soldiers who held long spears in their hands were set on fire in an instant. Within seconds, they had all turned into ashes. There seemed to be some remnants of armors and weapons that were getting closer to Shen Lian from above, but they were all vibrated away by intangible force.


    Shen Lian did not give it another look; despite the appearance of the demonic soldiers of Huang River was strange, but the incident did not deserve his curiosity. After all, there would be an endless supply of demonic soldiers so long as there were dead people, Huang River, and the secret techniques of Underworld Demon Sect.


    The demonic soldiers seemed to be a small patrol troop. After quite some time, there was no demonic soldier anymore.


    At that moment, Shen Lian had hiked up the mountain ahead and was getting closer to the mist.


    There were not a lot of plants at Yin Mountain. Those that survived were definitely of a precious breed, and the chances of them being found by the roadside were infinitely low. Shen Lian did not discover anything notable.


    If anything, the rocks of Yin Mountain might be of some use. After all these years of being amidst the Yin Qi, the rocks were capable of cooling a room down during the hottest summer. It would prove useful at the princes and marquises'' manors. However, prolonged exposure must be avoided. Otherwise, one would be fraught with sickness.


    Though, the rocks at Yin Mountain were extremely hard. It would not be easy to extract them.


    However, a huge portion of rocks had collapsed from the mountain. It seemed that they were impacted by considerable force. With a wave of his hand, Shen Lian hit hard on the wall. However, the damage he caused was merely a tiny crack.


    This showed that his force was focused, and it also showed the hardness of the rocks of Yin Mountain. The rocks were comparable to the finest of steel in the human realm.


    As he got closer to the peak, he noticed more and more damages. There must have been an intense battle here.


    When Shen Lian had entered into the mist, he heard a loud sound that was louder than thunder.


    This was the aftermath of the battle, and the residual vibrations from the battle could still be detected amidst the mist.


    Shen Lian was shocked and he wondered what had happened here.


    Out of a sudden, he detected danger. A monster with the head of a cow and the body of a man appeared, and he charged at Shen Lian with a steel fork. This time around, he had absorbed much of the mist and turned it into his own power.


    The tip of the steel fork was extremely sharp. The sound of friction could be heard when it was drawn across the air; it was as though space had turned into a piece of paper and a hole was created there by it.


    Shen Lian cleansed himself of distracting thoughts and let the steel fork pierce through his chest.


    The monster with the head of a cow and the body of a man disappeared.


    Shen Lian took another step forward and was met with a little hill that blocked his way. The hill was filled with sharp knives with their sharp tip pointing upwards. A wave of mist blew past and was turned into half immediately.


    The knives were significantly sharper than the steel fork earlier.


    The sight of the mountain of knives would make those who were faint-hearted faint on the spot. Even the best cultivators would choose to fly over the mountain of knives instead of walking past it.


    Shen Lian fished out a paper crane and tossed it up in the air. It was inflated and turned into a real white crane. The crane flapped its wings and flew towards the mountain of knives hesitantly. When it was halfway through, it fell down immediately.


    Shen Lian did not feel any spiritual vibration this time, and he could not tell what was the trick being used.


    He thought about it for a while. In the end, he stepped right into the mountain of knives. The knives cut into his skin, sending sharp pain up to his bier. The pain was clear.


    Each knife was followed by another; his blood and flesh splattered all over.


    Moreover, the knives were not static. They were whirring gently and rotated within his blood and flesh. Once in a while, they would extend themselves and shaved off a great portion of his flesh, rendering his white bones were visible.


    Shen Lian remained calm. He was not bothered by the extreme pain and suffering that most humans could not bear.


    Slowly, he made his way to the peak of the hill. The knives retracted themselves into the sand as though they were earthworms.


    His injuries started healing at an impressive speed. Only light scars were left behind �C the proof that he had suffered through extreme pain.


    Shen Lian wondered if there would be a sea of fire following the mountain of knives. He also wondered if all of the ascetic monks in Da Wang Temple including Huike had gone through this, or maybe worse.


    He had always found ascetic practices to be pointless, even though he had pulled through fifteen years of suffering in the River of Spirits.


    The pain earlier was real, and the injuries were not.


    However, to most mortals, real pain would make them lose their breaths and their lives.


    Most cultivators would not be able to make it through the pain brought forth by the mountain of knives.


    What greeted Shen Lian next was not a sea of fire, but the Golden Path. It was a path made of gold, and it was flanked by nameless trees that gave off a strange scent.


    He walked on the Golden Path and noticed how small the leaves on the trees were. The trunks were covered with a translucent layer of rubber-like material, which was the source of the scent. The scent filled Shen Lian''s nose and mouth.


    The scent was comforting and was even better than the scent of flower blossoms.


    After the painful journey through the mountain of knives, he felt as though he had reached the Heavens.


    The strange scent soothed his pain, and the Golden Path was filled with a comforting spiritual force that oozed up the Yongquan Point located at the bottom of his feet. He felt refreshed.

 Chapter 254 The Trapping of Celestial

    The pleasure that followed the pain could easily make someone let his guard down. Shen Lian welled-up with happiness; the spiritual force from the Golden Path made him feel as though he was turning into a Celestial.


    It was as though the completeness, freedom, and joy that one would feel after attaining Dao was nothing more than this.


    Celestial music started playing in the air, and golden flowers bloomed on the trees flanking the Golden Path. Just as the sea, the flowers on the branches danced in waves along with the wind; it was as though countless gorgeous women were waving at Shen Lian.


    When everything seemed to be going great, the gold caught on fire. The flowers and the trees were burning, and even the Celestial music became drums that urged the fire on. The flames surrounding Shen Lian burnt with greater intensity.


    The flames gnawed away at Shen Lian''s clean Daoist robes, and they even made their way up his hair, his brows, and even his skin and flesh. The strange and pleasant scent turned into the scent of charred flesh. It was nauseating.


    Shen Lian''s smile did not fade away from his face; he walked on the path at a steady pace. Amidst the sea of fire, he walked with great confidence.


    There did not seem to be an end to the road, and there was no end to the sea of fire as well. However, Shen Lian kept walking forward as though he was not concerned about the possibility of the path having no end to it.


    In the end, black True Light was emitted out of Shen Lian and rolled towards the sea of fire. Suddenly, the sky started pouring. The sea of fire was extinguished within moments. There was not even a single hint of flame at all.


    The black True Light rolled back into Shen Lian from the ground.


    The regulation between water and fire gave him a better complexion than before.


    Having restrained the fire with water, Shen Lian had absorbed the endless Fire Qi of Essence to nourish himself.


    Up ahead, the mist was still visible. Out of a sudden, the Qi started coagulating, and there seemed to be a flash of lightning in the sky. Eventually, it became sword gleam that contained an unimaginable amount of Yin Qi. The sword gleam was similar to jade; it was as though water flowed through it, and it was very clear. The sword gleam then charged at Shen Lian.


    The pierce had a sense of ultimatum, and it was wielded with murderous intent. When it came near Shen Lian, everything else stood still and all other sounds were drowned out. Shen Lian knew that this was real. If he were to be harmed by it, he would not be able to survive his injuries.


    Shen Lian stood still. An illusionary shadow of the Milky Way formed above him �C this was a manifestation of his spirit. Utilising the Milky Way Swordsmanship with the Deity Vanquishing Sword was his trump card. He did not have the luxury of time to go through his options now.


    The sword aura was scary; he could feel the murderous intent with his spiritual sense, and it was stronger than the sword will gifted by the Grandmaster Zhu Yuantu.


    The space was nothing more than a thin piece of paper for the sword aura to pierce around; more importantly, time had no meaning in this place.


    Despite that it was formed by Yin Qi, it seemed to have an eternal sense of Dao that subjected the deities to their fall.


    The illusionary Milky Way clashed with the sword aura. The supposedly eternal and unchanged Milky Way was defenseless against the sword aura.


    Shen Lian''s spirit having turned into the illusionary Milky Way was incapable of emotions such as being surprised and shocked. However, right when his spirit was about to shatter into pieces, the sword aura started melting into his spirit. The Milky Way sword will be nothing more than a backdrop for the sword will contained within the sword aura. Grandmaster Yuantu''s sword will restraint itself after the clash against the sword aura. It was hiding at some corner in Shen Lian''s spirit.


    The sword aura melted into the depths of his spirit, and it flowed along with the illusionary Milky Way. At that moment, the deity from The Mastery of Senses resurfaced in Shen Lian''s heart. It solidified after the instillation of the sword aura, but it remained slightly illusory still.


    Finally, Shen Lian returned to reality. He was shocked by the current state of Da Ming Wang Temple.


    The ancient temple was split into two by a sword''s mark. The signage of Da Ming Wang Temple was dull and dim, and it seemed to have lost the power of its Dharma.


    Shen Lian could not believe what he saw. What sort of master celestial of sword would it take to be able to break through the restriction place on Da Ming Wang Temple, what more to split the temple into half. This was the sacred site of Buddhism, also one of the oldest sects in the world.


    Shen Lian was dumbfounded. The signs of battle that he saw when he was hiking up were clearly not made by the person who split the temple into half. Unlike the sword''s mark, the damage to the mountain was caused by brute force.


    At least two Almighties were here before. One had collapsed the mountain rocks, and the other had split the temple into half. Both of them were different people. From the supreme swordcraft discernable from the sword''s mark, Shen Lian could tell that the sword''s mark was made by a powerful cultivator.


    At the same time, the supreme brute force was absolute. Both of them were fundamentally different from each other, and could not have been made by the same person.


    Though, if they were indeed by the same person, the person would be an extremely terrifying character and had transcended beyond Shen Lian''s recognition.


    Moreover, the sword aura that was merely a remnant of the sword''s mark had managed to deal a critical blow at Shen Lian. Despite that it was mainly due to the fact that he had spent most of his cultivation sealing away the Supreme Heart Demon Chant, it still showed what a terrifying character its owner was. In fact, he might be far better than the average land immortals.


    From the air of desolation shrouding Da Ming Wang Temple, Shen Lian could imagine the current damaged state of the temple without even going in. In fact, there might even be plenty of dead monks lying around.


    Shen Lian had come to seek the Dharma; little did he know that not even the Dharma could protect the monks of Da Ming Wang Temple.


    "Are you surprised? Huike the Venerable having obtained the essence of Jiaye Blade Technique could easily break any river into half. Even the notorious Nine-Headed Demon King was not his match, and yet, he was injured by just one slash of the sword and has escaped into the depths of Huang River. How unimaginable indeed," the voice flowed smoothly into Shen Lian''s ears.


    He turned and found a person in white sitting on a scarlet throne. The person was sitting still in mid-air and was unaffected by the wind. His purposeful gaze fell on Shen Lian, and there were ripples in his eyes. The hints of laughter in his eyes were hard to conceal.


    He smiled. Shen Lian returned his smile.


    As the saying goes, "Meeting an old friend in a foreign land", Shen Lian wondered if this was applicable to the current situation.


    Shen Lian leaped into the air. The Yin breeze wheezed past his ears, but his voice was not blocked at all. "Ye Brother, long time no see," he spoke calmly.


    Ye Liuyun raised his head to meet Shen Lian''s gaze. Just as twenty years ago, Shen Lian looked the same. The way he rode the wind made him seems slightly like a Celestial. Though, he merely nodded.


    Shortly after, Ye Liuyun turned his head to look at the sword''s mark, as though he was reminiscing the sword aura within it.


    The sword''s mark had lost its essence and the mark that it had left behind served no more than for one to admire the power of its owner. "Brother Shen, you are very mysterious indeed. I''m curious as to how did you manage to absorb the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura," Ye Liuyun spoke gently.


    Only then did Shen Lian realize that he had actually absorbed the sword aura, and it was not the illusionary Milky Way that had blocked it off. Shen Lian was not sure about the reason behind it as well.


    "I don''t understand either, but I do have a clue about what it might be. Though, I could not reveal it to you yet. Pardon me," Shen Lian replied.


    Shen Lian did not have plans to reveal anything about the Mastery of Senses to anyone yet.

 Chapter 255 The Extermination of Celestial

    "You are still pretty much the same as before. Let''s go in and take a look," Ye Liuyun said as he gestured from his scarlet throne.


    Shen Lian noticed that beneath his politeness, lurked killing vibes. It was not directed at him but was merely due to the fact that too many lives had been lost in his hands.


    What flew past Ye Liuyun''s hands now were not white fluffy clouds, but the fresh blood of living creatures.


    Shen Lian was curious about what happened to Ye Liuyun over the past twenty years, but he did not ask. He knew that there must be something unspeakable for someone to survive until then after killing so many living creatures. At least for now, Shen Lian did not despise Ye Liuyun.


    "Brother Ye, have you not been inside yet? You seem to know a lot about what happened here," said Shen Lian in spite of his inner monologue.


    "Don''t ask me too much about it. I did not lie to you. Before this, I have never been in Ming Wang Temple. It''s just that I have some supernatural powers now, and it is unavoidable that I know about certain things. I haven''t come to see this for myself until today. Though, I didn''t expect to run into you of all people," Ye Liuyun smiled.


    Shen Lian looked at the gentle breeze behind Ye Liuyun; the breeze blew at the corner of his white sleeve that was plated with golden rims. The condensation of Yin Qi seemed like clouds that were unreachable, and they had a certain mystical quality to them. Shen Lian wondered if it was because of a long time that he had spent in Yin Mountain, even the breeze and the clouds had become his eyes and ears.


    These supernatural powers must have arisen from his deep understanding of Dao.


    "I shall lead the way for you then," Shen Lian spoke.


    The dark and dull temple seemed creepy coupled the presence of the sword''s mark. Moreover, it was completely silent in there. Shen Lian suspected that the monster that had the head of a cow and the body of a man, the mountain of knives, the Golden Path, the sea of fire, they appeared when the enlightened monks of Ming Wang Temple had attained Dharma. These were left behind by the foreign Sky Demons, and they served as a natural restriction that isolated Da Ming Wang Temple from the outside world. Occasionally, they could be utilized to train the monks in the temple. They were preserved because the sword aura could not be used against them.


    However, the current predicament within Da Ming Wang Temple was not something that Shen Lian could extrapolate from his previous experience.


    The silent sword''s mark showed that Da Ming Wang Temple was not as scary as everyone thought it to be and that it could be easily broken with just one slash. However, Shen Lian was not at that stage where he could ignore all of these yet.


    Though, he still walked into Ming Wang Temple in a carefree manner.


    Ye Liuyun''s throne turned into a flash of blood light and trailed after Shen Lian.


    There were no monks within plain sight. Perhaps it was because that the restriction placed at the door of the temple had been broken, the Yin Qi had rushed in and turned the plants into deep green. When inspecting up close, they all seemed to have the face of a human and it was a frightening scene.


    The plants in Ming Wang Temple had gained spirituality due to the prolonged exposure to Buddhism. The invasion of the Yin Qi on the Yin Mountain had led to their spirituality being tainted with the resentment of the dead. A special type of spiritual grass had been formed.


    This kind of grass was full of resentment, and at the same time, they contained the dead''s desperate will to live. Some spiritual grass had gone haywire and started attacking Shen Lian te moment he appeared. The grass had sharp blades, and they even cut through a block of stone blocking in front of Shen Lian. The blades of the spiritual grass charged at Shen Lian along with the shattered pieces of rock. Out of a sudden, a flash of sword light appeared and it was quicker than lightning.


    Everything including the grass, trees, bamboos, and rocks within a fifty feet perimeter turned into dust. The resentment of the dead did not even have time to wail before they had disappeared from the world and turned into the purest of Yin Qi.


    It was not Shen Lian who struck, but Ye Liuyun who did so.


    At that moment, he held a short sword in his hand. The sword was clear as water. Ye Liyun swung it gently, and there was no vibration on it at all.


    This was known as the Sword within the Sleeve. However, when this martial art from the human realm was wielded by Ye Liuyun, it had turned into that one at the level of deities and demons.


    "Brother Shen, what have you encountered lately? You don''t seem well," Ye Liuyun queried with a frown.


    When Ye Liuyun''s sword gleam flashed past earlier, he could feel Shen Lian''s spirit and thoughts reacting to it. Shen Lian was well aware of his swordcraft. However, Shen Lian was unable to catch up with the movement due to physical limitations.


    This was why the sharpness of his sword aura ended up three feet in front of Shen Lian.


    "I lost seventy percent of my cultivation, and I have actually come to Ming Wang Temple to look for a solution. However, I did not expect Ming Wang Temple to be in this state now," Shen Lian spoke.


    Shen Lian smiled bitterly after his explanation.


    "Brother Shen, you are so candid. Aren''t you worried that I will take advantage of that information and extort you with it?" Ye Liuyun stared deeply at Shen Lian and spoke.


    "Even if I did not tell the truth, you can easily find out about it if you wanted to. I might as well tell you outright," Shen Lian laughed.


    "That sounds convincing," Ye Liuyun whispered.


    He did not say further and looked towards the depths of Ming Wang Temple.


    That was where the sword''s mark came to an end. Hints of killing vibes still remained.


    Shen Lian followed Ye Liuyun over while taking in his surroundings. Ming Wang Temple was eerily quiet, and Ye Liuyun too was calm. Shen Lian could not feel any changes in his emotions.


    It was as though Ye Liuyun felt Shen Lian''s emotions; he turned to smile at Shen Lian from his floating scarlet throne.


    When Shen Lian was met with his clear gaze, he let his guard down despite still being slightly wary of Ye Liuyun.


    Form the outside to the inside of the temple, besides the spiritual grass and spiritual trees, there were only some structures commonly found in a temple. Eventually, they reached a square. There was a Buddhist pagoda in the middle of it, and the pagoda had collapsed. The sword''s mark stopped right in front of the pagoda, and a giant pit could be seen on the ground. It was as though the foundation that the pagoda was built on had been dug out.


    Ye Liuyun looked at the giant pit and sighed, "Indeed, they have come for the rubbings of the Chart of Celestial Extermination."


    "What is the Chart of Celestial Extermination?" Shen Lian queried.


    "Are you aware of the true identity of the first Acala of Da Ming Wang Temple?" Ye Liuyun spoke.


    "Da Ming Wang Temple had always been very mysterious. However, I do know a little about the origin of the first Acala," Shen Lian replied.


    "Please continue," Ye Liuyun urged.


    Shen Lian was not concerned by the fact that Ye Liuyun might be trying to get information from him. Moreover, he was curious by what he had seen today. "Back when Buddha had attained Dao and purified billions of Sky Demons, he was still unable to exterminate all of the demons in the world. He was angered and a supreme sacred painting, known as "Acalanatha", was birthed. With the rage of the Acalanatha and the aid of supreme Dharma, the demonic obstacles were overcome. I''m guessing that the Acala of Da Ming Wang Temple had something to do with it," Shen Lian spoke.


    "Brother Shen, you are very knowledgeable indeed. You might have read about this from an ancient Buddhist scripture, and you are right. However, you might not know that the supreme sacred painting was not birthed from thin air. It was attached to a formation chart that came into existence at the same time as Dao, which was why it was also known as the Chart of Celestial Extermination. The foundation of the pagoda at Da Ming Wang Temple was made from the rubbings of the Chart of Extermination of Celestial. Otherwise, Ming Wang Temple wouldn''t have been able to overpower the Peacock King with this pagoda," Ye Liuyun replied.

 Chapter 256 Ziwei Sword Sain

    Ye Liuyun spoke of the Peacock King with admiration, and he seemed to look up to the Peacock King.


    "Was the Peacock King the Almighty who transcended beyond the mortal world about half a year ago?" Shen Lian asked.


    "That would be him. He was the strongest of the Demon Clan for the past three thousand years, and when he left this world, he managed to attain the status of Great Saint. Even tracing back to time immemorial, there were not a lot of individuals as strong as he was," Ye Liuyun seemed to be in great mood and explained to Shen Lian in great detail.


    "I''m more curious as to who stole the rubbings of the Chart of Celestial Extermination, and the person who collapsed the mountain with his supreme brute force," Shen Lian stared hard at Ye Liuyun, as though he was trying to ascertain something from his gaze.


    "The person who used the supreme brute force is an impressive character. To be honest, it is better that you cease being curious about him. Previously, he had swallowed one hundred thousand demonic soldiers of mine. I couldn''t do anything but to take it all in. As for the person who wielded the sword, he is one of the top Cultivator of the Sword in this world. After being defeated by Sword Saint Ziwei, he started searching for the rubbings of the Chart of Celestial Extermination to perfect his swordcraft in order to challenge her again," Ye Liuyun patiently explained to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian was shocked. He knew who Sword Saint Ziwei was; she was the most reputable Cultivator of the Sword two thousand years ago. There was not any news about her, and Shen Lian thought that she would have either transcended beyond the mortal world or had fallen during the Trial of Dao. However, from the way Ye Liuyun put it, it would seem that Sword Saint Ziwei was still around somewhere in this world.


    Shen Lian was shaken by what Ye Liuyun said next.


    Ye Liuyun paused and smiled at Shen Lian. "The sword technique used by Sword Saint Ziwei back in her younger days was known as the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. When she eventually attained success in swordcraft, she had polished the sword technique to its pinnacle and derived another sword technique named as ''Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura''. With that sword technique, she was unrivaled and had to travel around the world to look out for stronger opponents. Eventually, she sealed her sword and lived in seclusion. Lu Jiuyun only attained Dao after she had sealed her sword, otherwise, he would have faced defeat at her hands," Ye Liuyun spoke. Even he had to acknowledge Lu Jiuyuan strength.


    Shen Lian learned the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura from Mister Su back then. The sword aura was mysterious, and till today he had not managed to uncover all of its mysterious workings. He did not expect for it to have such an impressive origin. Mister Su must be connected to Sword Saint Ziwei somehow. At the same time, Ye Liuyun had seen him using the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura before. Memories started coming back, and Shen Lian was reminded how Xiaozhu was killed by his sword aura despite that it was not his intention to do so.


    Shen Lian looked apologetic.


    Ye Liuyun however, did not react at all. "I do not blame you for her death. Otherwise, I would not have introduced you to Qing Xuan back then. You, of all people, would know that your sword aura has an impressive background. Shen Lian, oh, Shen Lian, do you really think that you are where you are now out of sheer luck?" Ye Liuyun spoke.


    "I know, but there is no point in thinking about it when I don''t have the capabilities yet," Shen Lian replied.


    A hint of admiration flashed over Ye Liuyun''s face, and he spoke, "Actually, we are very similar. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have bothered explaining all these to you. If you still see me as the Ye Liuyun that I used to be, I will treat you as the gentlemanly Shen Lian that I used to know too."


    "Of course," Shen Lian smiled.


    Both of them trusted each other more now.


    Shen Lian understood what Ye Liuyun was trying to imply �C he wished that Shen Lian could trust him, and just like Shen Lian, he had gone through unexplainable strange encounters that he had no control over.


    Just as how Shen Lian got his hands on the Mastery of Senses, it was a strange occurrence as well.


    Moreover, Ye Liuyun was around his age and his level of attainment was similar to him too. On top of that, it was curious how he was privy to plenty of secrets.


    "Can you tell me about the reason why you are here at Da Ming Wang Temple now?" Ye Liuyun questioned.


    "I''m here to look for Dharma that could restrain Sky Demons, but I did not expect to see this," Shen Lian replied.


    "Indeed, Dharma could restrain Sky Demons, but if you were to see the rubbings of the Chart of Celestial Extermination, you would definitely benefit from it. Sky demons would be nothing in comparison. Too bad, we are too late. Though I can definitely help you out with your problem, I just need you to go somewhere and to look for something for me," Ye Liuyun replied.


    "Where is that?"


    "You will need to enter a door to get there. When the time is right, I will inform you. Though, to show my sincerity, I can solve your problem for you now," Ye Liuyun smiled mysteriously.


    After pondering on it momentarily, Shen Lian replied, "Alright then."


    "Let''s go now," Ye Liuyun smiled.


    "Now?" Shen Lian was taken aback.


    "It can''t be that you are trying to figure out where did the monks in Da Ming Wang Temple go? I''m only here to confirm my suspicion about the rubbings of the Chart of Celestial Extermination. There''s one more thing though, did you kill a troop of Yin soldiers before you entered here?" Ye Liuyun queried.


    Shen Lian nodded.


    "Those soldiers belonged to the Path Master of the Path of Hungry Ghost. They were attacking every living creature of blood and flesh that they have encountered because of an order was given by the Path Master of the Path of Hungry Ghost. He has always been a petty person. If you don''t leave before your presence is detected by him, even if you are spared from death, you would be skinned alive," Ye Liuyun sighed.


    __________________________


    The county hall of Yuguan Town was the most lavish building around town. Seeing how remote Yuguan Town was, there was no need to put on a show by acting poor, just to prove that they were honest with their earnings, and no corruptions. Though, the current Magistrate, Magistrate Chen was indeed an honest official. He was a second-ranked Jinshi. If not for his candor and sense of justice, he would not have offended some of the influential officials and ended up here.


    Of course, he was held in high regard by some influential individuals too. They promised in private that they would order his transfer when talents were needed after the succession of the new Emperor. Right now, he was just staying put and waiting for his time to come.


    Magistrate Chen initially thought that the people of Yuguan Town lived in poverty. However, during his two years term, everything had been going fine. There was a temple of the Goddess of Grains right outside the town and was alleged to be extremely efficacious. The people''s voices were heard and there was not much injustice in Yuguan Town. Magistrate Chen found himself extremely free and had been resting most of the time.


    The bailiffs who stood guard were tardy as there had not been much going on at the county hall.


    When the sky started drizzling, the two bailiffs left the door ajar and started snacking on peanuts and liquor to pass time.


    Suddenly, the door was kicked open and the two bailiffs almost choked on their peanuts.


    They were enraged as they wondered who had the guts to barge into the county hall.


    A young man in white stood at the door, and he held a folding fan in his hands. He looked so charming that not even the male descendants of the noble families in this town could rival his charms.


    Despite that he barged in rudely, the bailiffs knew better than to offend him. "May I know what are you here for? Do you have a business card with you?" One of the bailiffs asked.


    The young man in white would be Yanxu. He looked around at the courtyard of the county hall and smiled, "Indeed, this is the pivotal point of the town. This will do."


    He walked in without so much as looking at the two bailiffs.


    The two of them were not about to stand by and to do nothing. They walked towards Yanxu.


    However, the peanuts in their hands started popping up and attacked their companion. The peanuts landed right on their respective skulls and formed a huge bloody hole in it.


    After sprinkling the liquor, Yanxu created a spark and set those two on fire. Within moments, they had turned into ashes.


    Yanxu did not even pause as he did all of those. He proceeded forward and headed into the hall.


    Magistrate Chen was reading in the hall when Yanxu barged in. "Who are you? How did you get in?" He asked.


    "Head down now," Yanxu smiled.


    He pointed at Magistrate Chen and brought a breeze in front of him. Just as the breeze was about to fetch him away from his seat in the hall, Magistrate Chen roared. A string of words started flowing out from the top of his head and they shone brightly with a white ray. The breeze could not move him, not even an inch.


    Yanxu smiled coldly. He did not expect to run into a true scholar here.


    Yanxu immediately turned into a virtual shadow and appeared right in front of Magistrate Chen. With a press of his hand, all of the righteousness and glaring white ray disappeared without a trace.


    Magistrate Chen could feel malicious Qi rushing in from the top of his head. He shivered. He felt as though he was falling through layers of clouds and ended up on the main street.


    A lot of the people recognized Magistrate Chen and started getting closer to watch. Some even helped him up.


    Good thing that Yanxu did not plan to take his life, which was the only reason why Magistrate Chen survived his fall.


    However, black air started rushing out around town and monsters started to manifest. The monster with the body of a snake and the head of a human came first, and it was followed by the monster with the body of a human and the head of a bird. There were even snakes with four feet and birds with two heads amongst many other weirdly-shaped monsters. All of them charged towards the main street.


    Some of the stronger men were brave and they started battling against the monsters. However, it did not take long for them to be defeated. In the end, they all shivered and fell into a slumber.


    The monsters infested the streets and all of the residents were suffering.


    A lot of vendors did not dare to continue their businesses.


    Coupled with Magistrate Chen''s experience, everyone knew that a demonic god had come to Yuguan Town.


    If it was mere thieves and burglars, the soldiers would still be able to handle them. However, when it came to a demonic god who was skilled in supernatural powers and techniques, only a Dao Master could handle the situation.


    Magistrate Chen had never been one to subscribe to these sorts of tales and fables. However, when faced with a situation as such, there was nothing he can do but to coordinate the efforts to invite any Dao Masters nearby. However, batches of monks and Daoist were thrown out within ten minutes after they entered into the town hall. It was as though they had all gone crazy and were incapable of normal speech.


    Luckily, the monsters did nothing more than disturbing the residents. No one was killed. Most people had since moved out of town. Even then, the monsters still made their way out of town and caused disturbance to the residences.


    It was until the third day that everyone realized that the monsters would go anywhere and everywhere, save for one place �C the temple of the Goddess of Grains. Initially, everyone wanted to deal with these rogue monsters by seeking help from Dao Masters. When they noticed this phenomenon, they finally realized that the Goddess of Grains could do more than saving the people from the hardships of life �C she could protect them as well.


    Someone suggested for Magistrate Chen to lead everyone to invite the Goddess of Grains, so that she could help remove the demons in town and return peace to Yuguan Town once again.


    Little did they know that their course of action was exactly what Yanxu had wanted!


    In the temple, Qi Sanguang was frowning as he spoke to the statue, "They want to invite your help to deal with the demon, what are we going to do now?"

 Chapter 257 Summoning of Wind and Rain

    There were a lot of people gathering outside the temple. They were all formed by local squire groups and led by Magistrate Chen.


    As the Goddess of Grains blessed the people of Yuguan, in turn, his reputation was weakened. As a result, Magistrate Chen''s reason for asking the Goddess of Grains to get rid of the demon in the county was to see how she would deal with it. If the Goddess of Grains could not manage that and lost the heart of the people, he would definitely be happy.


    His ambition was to benefit the world and not to just be satisfied with one corner, hence he did not feel there was anything wrong with his attitude.


    Magistrate Chen was dressed in scholar''s attire and he carried a serious expression. He let the others to place the sacrifices, then he began to read the elegiac address. As he was a second-ranked Jinshi, he spoke fluently and eloquently. The squires and people were inspired to invite the River God to eliminate the demon with his words.


    Inside the temple, as Qi Sanguang was speaking to the Goddess of Grains, all in a sudden the temple was filled with white rays. He had some divine power and hence he could see what others could not see, and as one could see the white rays flew into the temple like mercury towards the statue of the Goddess of Grains.


    The Goddess of Grains sighed and walked out of the statue. The white rays were surrounding her �C her clean face carried an air of saintliness, and her gorgeous features made the most beautiful lady in Yuguan looked normal.


    Everywhere she had been through, the white rays turned into lotus and they followed the flow of her dress. When she stepped out of the temple, with a stalk of paddy in her hand, it was an apparition of the Gods which was being observed by everyone.


    All the people kneeled down and kowtowed to her, "Please, Goddess be kind and save us."


    Magistrate Chen was shocked as it was the first time for him to observe an apparition. Her graceful demeanor, white teeth with bright eyes were nothing compared to the mud statue in the temple.


    Watching the beautiful face of the Goddess of Grains, her magnificent eyes befell on the people outside the temple, "I will do something in return for your worship. I will not let the demon in the county affect you further." She did not speak in a loud voice but her words were heard clearly by everyone.


    After speaking, the lotuses formed an arc steps towards the sky. She took each of the steps on the lotus and as her foot landed, the lotus disappeared and the subsequent one appeared ahead. As such, she finally disappeared into the town. There was a clump of black smoke ahead, and it was Yanxu.


    With every lotus step, the Goddess of Grains entered the town and only her thin back was left facing the believers. It was solemn and stirring, and they were even more sanctimonious. They began to mumble in the name of God.


    "This deity has some guts. It is surprising that she has such a pure divinity." Yanxu who was sitting in the hall opened his eyes all in a sudden and spoke to himself.


    The Goddess of Grains stood outside the yamen, and she carried a long sword in her hand.


    She had divine power, and while she had created a lot of illusions, her final choice was the sword. Since she was born with spiritual intelligence, the first item she recognized was the sword. Back then the master and the mistress were often practicing the sword in front of her and it was magical, although unfortunately, she did not understand.


    As the mistress passed away, it was the first time she had observed death.


    Then, when the master got married to another mistress, he rarely practiced the sword again. The new mistress was younger and more beautiful than the old one, but the master never practiced sword with her. She too rarely saw her as the master had moved with the new mistress to another residence. The master rarely visited her either, and the last time was when he brought her to the human world to teach a pretty and delicate young man sword. When the new mistress found the master, he then returned and left her behind.


    The next time she saw the young man who learned sword, was when she failed the trial of shapeshifting. As a result, she was attacked by Green-faced Ghost King and it was when she lost the Ruyi instrument that could turn into houses.


    If he had learned swordcraft from her master, based on the standard of the human world, he was her young master.


    Young master looked the same as when he was learning sword from the master, but he had a high level of mana and he even helped her to walk towards the path of Shen.


    After he did it, the young master left and she thought she would never see the young master again, like her master. However, a while ago the young master appeared in front of her and even though it had been seven years, he still looked as pretty and delicate as before. The only difference was that he seemed to be in tough straits.


    It was because he met a strong enemy who was chasing after him for a long distance and he could not break away. The young master finally found her to borrow her divine region to deceive the person. He would leave for about half a month to find ways to deal with the person.


    Even if he could not, he would return in half a month''s time.


    However, even though there was not much time left until the half month''s deadline, the young master still had not returned.


    The demon had created fear among the whole of Yuguan. If she could not do anything against it, she would then lose the worshippers and no longer be able to maintain the divine region.


    As such, she could only rely on the wishes of the masses to take the initiative to attack. While she knew she could not take him down, she could not just sit and do nothing.


    She was now carrying the wishes of the masses and the power was coming in flow. She had a stronger divine power than usual but she did not feel very confident. Because of that, she created a weapon to improve her vigor.


    The long sword was created out of her memory of the master''s sword. After she became a deity, she had the power to be able to recall memories of the past. The memories could be extremely clear and hence the sword was totally similar to the one the owner had.


    The sky got darker, and there were a lot of shapeshifted demons in and out of the yamen but they were all circulating around her. The divine rays she was wrapped in prevented them from getting closer.


    The door of the yamen was not closed but wide open.


    The beautiful deity stood outside the door and her vigor became stronger and killing vibes flew towards the yamen and reached the hall in the blink of an eye.


    While the killing vibes were not material and were shapeless, they could be felt.


    Yanxu just gave them a blow as if he felt nothing and the killing vibes disappeared.


    He was not afraid of others'' vigor at all.


    The blow was not small, while it got rid of the killing vibes when it got outside, it turned into the wind and brought in the rain.


    The technique to summon wind and rain was not a high-level technique, but the difficult part was how Yanxu could follow the opportunity of the heaven and earth and turned them into techniques that covered a wide range.


    The rain fell on Yuguan, and slowly spread to other areas, such as Yushui.


    "If you don''t admit defeat, the rain will not stop." Yan Xu''s voice covered even the sound of the heavy rain and was heard clearly by everyone in and out of Yuguan.


    When the squires and the people heard it, they could not help but feel worried as in recent years, the weather was mild and hence a lot of people were involved in agriculture with great returns each year. What if the heavy rain caused by the demon flooded the fields?


    They prayed that the Goddess of Grains could defeat the demon, but at the same time they were worried what if she could not, and they would be worse off.


    Yanxu stood out from the hall and walked outside. His intention was more than to defeat the Goddess of Grains.

 Chapter 258 Heart of the people

    The rain was heavy but none of it fell on Yanxu. It was because they went past him like he was just a shadow.


    He could feel some sword intent, but it was from Shen Lian and it felt like it was not actually there. Could it be that Shen Lian was hiding somewhere to observe him?


    It felt odd that he could not feel his Supreme Heart Demon Chant.


    Outside the yamen and in between the wind and rain, was where the beautiful deity akin to that of the lotus stood. She seemed to be in a different world from the wind and rain as the rain that fell on her disappeared immediately.


    Yanxu first saw her, then her sword. The beautiful deity akin to that of a lotus swung her sword lightly, and then there were multiple water strings that appeared from the sword''s vibration. It was similar to a tensed bow that was ready to shoot out a thousand arrows.


    The tension broke through the air and the vibration would not stop. The sharp tension pierced through the wind and rain and before they dispersed, all the coagulated water strings were already in front of Yanxu.


    Yanxu just opened his mouth and revealed his white teeth. He took a light gasp and all the sharp water arrows then entered his mouth and never resurfaced.


    He then took a step forward and in the blink of an eye, he went passed the space and pointed his finger in between the Goddess'' brows.


    The longsword reacted and the tip just stopped in front of Yanxu''s finger. Once again the tension exploded and the Goddess was cast into the air.


    Yanxu moved and followed suit. A punch landed on her stomach and a white light exploded and went through the wind and rain. A lot of people saw the scene in the sky.


    The Goddess of Grains was as weak as a baby in front of the demon.


    People were starting to get disappointed and some of them even began to curse. Given the demon said that if the Goddess of Grains admitted defeat, then he would stop the rain and that she should. A lot of them had lost faith in her.


    At this moment there came the roll of drums. It was hit at a high point and was full of energy.


    A lot of people turned their head towards the temple, and all they could see was the temple attendant hitting the drum.


    The drumming beat was long and somber.


    While he said nothing, one could easily tell his intention to help boost the vigor of the Goddess of Grains. Qi Sanguang''s drumming was not great, but it felt heavy in everyone''s heart.


    The feeling to not admit defeat in the worst situation was strong enough to influence everyone.


    Most people were just staring quietly at the temple attendant beating the drum. It was far from the sky and with the wind and rain, perhaps the Goddess of Grains could not hear it.


    The reality in front of them was that the Goddess of Grains was constantly being hit by the demon, and she could not even fall from the sky. She looked like she was in a pinch.


    The beautiful deity could only swing the long sword in her hand mindlessly. The sword made a messy trail �C after all, she was only a demon who turned into an average deity.


    She could not save them.


    The last black rope tied her to the city gate.


    The roaring drum beats never stopped, but the Goddess of Grains had already been defeated.


    "Once you admit defeat, I will stop the rain."


    The deity said nothing and just allowed the black rope to tie her up. Her sword was already gone.


    Yanxu stood on top of the city gate as if he had become the conqueror of the world. He did not make a devilish laugh, but he just stood there quietly, above the female deity. The sword will was still there but was never activated.


    Yanxu was waiting for the people to lose faith and for the deity''s basis to disappear.


    The rain was the catalyst.


    As the rain kept pouring, the roaring beat too never stopped.


    Yushui was flooding and the water had invaded the paddy fields. The green paddies and other crops were being buried under the water. A lot of people came to the city gate and kneeled to beg the Goddess of Grains to admit defeat to the demon.


    Magistrate Chen stood afar and did not participate. He just felt it was funny. The people relied on the Goddess of Grains for the good weather, but now they wanted her to admit defeat to the demon. He wanted to help people gain a fortune, but if everyone behaved like this, they deserved to die.


    The squires were also standing far away because the people took the lead.


    The rain got heavier. The female deity''s hair was spread around and she looked out of color. Her body which was tied under the black rope started to turn a little illusionary. The people were still begging her, as sanctimonious as before.


    However, these requests now carried evil intention �C if she did not agree, she would be the worst sinner ever, and deserve to be turned into dust.


    She did not understand how the tides had turned, should she not return the favor of the young master, or did the people just forget about what she had done for them before?


    Yanxu spoke again, "Given that the Goddess of Grains isn''t going to save you, you should save yourself. Destroy her temple, then I will stop the rain."


    His voice was toneless, but as it fell in the people''s ears, every word felt like a whisper and they had incredible influence. None of them could have any doubt about what he said.


    In ten minutes'' time, a lot of people were carrying hoes, long sticks, and rakes towards the temple of the Goddess of Grains.


    As Qi Sanguang saw what they were doing, he took the drum sticks and blocked them from entering the temple door.


    The crowd, all dressed in straw rain capes and bamboo hats were staring at Qi Sanguang.


    Qi Sanguang spoke with a hoarse voice, "Please don''t believe in what the demon says. Without the temple, the Goddess of Grains will lose her power and will no longer be able to save you."


    "She can''t even save herself now."


    "Why doesn''t she admit defeat?"


    "Is it because of her that the demon appeared?"


    "Qi Sanguang was a gambler before. His family used to be cultivators. Perhaps he created the Goddess of Grains with witchcraft."


    These people used the worst words against Qi Sanguang to boost their courage in what they were going to do.


    The crowd went forward and despite the divine power Qi Sanguang had, it only helped him to get a stronger body. Furthermore, the divine power was born out of the wishes of the masses.


    As the people stopped believing in the Goddess of Grains, he could feel his divine power fading.


    If he was the same as before, he would have stepped aside.


    However, working as a temple attendant was the happiest time in his life. Those days were content and meaningful.


    He held the drum sticks high and stood undefeated to be the last defense of the temple.


    He was ready to sacrifice, but he did not expect that the attack would come from the people. Some of them had a really difficult life. The Goddess of Grains saved them, by giving them some money to buy land for them to work on.


    Yanxu''s calm eyes took all these to heart.


    He had seen too much of the ugliness of humanity and his heart felt nothing. He only felt that the sword will be getting closer.


    Was Shen Lian nearby?


    The female deity could still feel whatever that was going on in the temple, and she also felt the last resort Shen Lian had left for her �C a sword talisman was lying at a corner in the temple.

 Chapter 259 Lv Luo

    She recalled the scene, where the Young Master used his own blood to draw a sword talisman. His fair face became even more pale and without color of blood.


    It was then when he told her sternly that if the situation did not necessarily demand it, please do not use it.


    Given that the people wanted to destroy the temple and her divine power was fading away like waves, it seemed like it was the time.


    The wishes of the masses from before now all turned into curse and hatred, hatred as she could not chase away the demon, hatred because she did not admit defeat and hatred because she offended the demon. The hatred swallowed away her divine power, and it pained her greatly.


    She felt it before, but as a deity, she needed not to care about pain.


    At this moment in time, she felt it, and it was saddening.


    Qi Sanguang still held the drum sticks high, and he was still buried under the crowd. She saw the door of the temple was destroyed, and the sill was stepped on. The leading crowd then finally reached the statue and they were raising their hoes up high, and wanting to destroy the statue.


    She closed her eyes and with an intent in her heart, the sword talisman that was lying around quietly exploded suddenly.


    A ripple-like vibration spread in the temple, and everyone inside the temple was convulsed out and fell on the muddy ground. A lot of the people''s eyes started to show some confusion and they all had fear in their heart. Ultimately, the Goddess of Grains was still a holy deity, unlike them, the commoners.


    When hatred had turned into fear, the female deity could feel her pain disappearing, and that her divine power was no longer fading. However, the black rope was still limiting her actions.


    A sword ray began shooting out like tiny strings out of the temple. It was as fast as lightning, going by the heavy rain. Its target was not Yanxu, but the black rope on the female deity. As if it was slicing tofu, the black rope was sliced into different parts.


    The deity went back into the air, and her body was surrounded by a sword ray which was shining.


    Staring at the sword ray which seemed to have spirituality, Yanxu laughed, "It is just a sword talisman. Did he leave that for you?"


    The female deity bit her lip and said nothing. The divine power was gathering and it could explode anytime.


    Yanxu did not care about what she was doing, and said, "He is indeed not here. It seems that he has indeed gone elsewhere."


    The female deity said, "So what?"


    Yanxu laughed, "Nothing. After confirming this, I roughly understand �C he even left stuff for you?"


    He looked at the beautiful deity casually, and a killing intent appeared suddenly.


    As the sword ray erected and pierced towards Yanxu, Yanxu disappeared all in a sudden, and the sword ray only managed to hit the top of the city walls. The top then turned into just stone dust, and with the rain, to stone sludge. The remainder of the city wall was quite a shocking sight.


    And then Yanxu was already in a short distance with the female deity. He extended his hand towards her chest, where the divine heart was situated. He could open the door to the divine region through that.


    The female deity''s body was shining, and it was a representation of the divine power circulating in her body at a high speed. She wanted to burn herself to bring out her strongest power.


    But she saw Yanxu''s deep eyes.


    Then she felt a bit distracted and the divine power began to circulate slower.


    The sword ray turned around and broke through the wind and rain towards Yanxu''s heart. Yanxu allowed the sword ray to go through his body without realizing anything. The sword ray then rushed towards the heart of the Goddess of Grains.


    The sword ray, as though carried spirituality, came to a halt. A hand as fair as a white jade used a trick which was beyond human''s imagination, wrapped the sword ray around the fingertip. The ray was trapped alive.


    The sword ray struggled to escape, but then it got trapped even harder. It began to lose its light.


    The sword ray eventually just surrounded around Yanxu and then into his finger.


    Yanxun smiled unnoticed. The Deity Vanquishing Sword was useless against him.


    As Yanxu''s body expanded and contracted in a sudden, there was the sound of frying beans. The female deity knew clearly that Yanxu had destroyed the sword aura with some sort of special technique.


    Even the sword talisman written by Young Master''s blood had no effect on him.


    Suddenly she felt a coldness in her heart. Unknown to her, Yanxu''s hand was holding a transparent glowing ball, and at the same time his other hand formed talisman trail and the trail was inserted into the glowing ball. The glowing ball expanded into a door, and the building inside looked exactly the same as the temple.


    The female deity did not understand how he managed to open the path to her divine region.


    Yanxu turned into an illusion for a while, and then he had already completed the entry and exit from the divine region. There was a crystal ball in his hand which contained clouds of black Qi �C it was Supreme Heart Demon Chant.


    Both of them fell from the sky, and the divine heart which he threw away still remained in the mud. It had lost its shine.


    He stared at the crystal ball in his hand, and evil Qi returned to his body.


    As he kept the Supreme Heart Demon Chant, his body became more solid and the feeling that he was in in existence had disappeared. He became a more horrifying figure.


    His eyes then fell onto the crystal ball again. With Shen Lian''s mana, if he could succeed, while he would not have a Sky Demon''s body, he could have improved further to gain a better understanding of the Taixu Strategy.


    At that moment, there appeared a storm within the crystal ball and it was spinning rapidly.


    Yanxu finally showed a bit of surprise from his usually calm face, he could not believe it, "How can you be willing to do this?"


    The glaring light-colored rays appeared out of Yuguan, and they swallowed and destroyed everything around them. The scariest thing was that the city wall disappeared entirely, and the ground turned into a mud swamp.


    A sword ray flew in from far away and into the mud. A black shadow was revealing itself from the swamp. As the black shadow popped its head, a blood sword ray would appear out of nowhere and tore it to pieces.


    The black shadow then dispersed into multiple black dots and some of them landed on the people who had fainted from the convulsion.


    The rain stopped altogether and a soft cough was heard. Shen Lian appeared together with Ye Liuyun.


    Ye Liyun said, "The Free Form Incarnation is indeed the most miraculous incantation in the world. Even after you gave up your mana, you still can''t force him into a corner."


    "It is normal. My founding master has been after his tail for a long time and even he could not eliminate him." While Shen Lian said that, he had a regret in his heart. If the last attack was not sword ray but a technique that could suppress the Sky Demon, Yanxu would not be able to run away.


    Ye Liuyun gazed ahead at the people who had fainted and spoke softly, "It is possible that he hid underneath the hearts of these common people, should we kill them too?"


    Shen Lian waved his hand and said, "He has a secret technique, whereby he can make use of the anger of the living indirectly to sneak into our hearts. While we can defend against it, it is going to be troublesome, and in fact, he will not stay here for long."


    "Why?" Ye Liuyun asked.


    "For him to survive till today, he must have put survival in the first place, else it will not be possible." Shen Lian glanced at the muddy Yushui, which was akin to the world, full of dirt.


    When the river was calm, it would be clear; but once there was a ripple, it would turn muddy �C just like how human hearts behaved. When calm, there would be kindness; but when stirred up, all kinds of contaminating and despicable thoughts would appear and cloud the bier.


    Real Daoist could stay calm even in messy situations. The same clean state was akin to that of the void �C regardless of how lowly the mana was, once one could understand this point, one could then get freedom of the heart and be unlimited. One would have high hope to attain Dao.


    Shen Lian gave up the mana that could suppress the Supreme Heart Demon Chant, but he felt relieved. The cultivation experience could be gained back, but the state where there was no obstacle in one''s heart could not be met easily.


    Ye Liuyun could tell Shen Lian''s evolution. Despite not having the top cultivators'' pressure or horrifying aura, he felt peaceful and calm, like a lamp in the night, warm and comfortable.


    The temple of the Goddess of Grains was being repaired. When the Goddess of Grains regained her consciousness, she realized she was placed in the warm wishes of the masses, and her divine power kept growing.


    When she opened her eyes, she faced the warm gaze of the Young Master in front of her.


    Shen Lian said, "Thank you."


    Even though there were just two words, she felt whatever she had done was worth it. She felt happier than being a deity who was worshipped. She knew what this feeling was �C the commoners called it love, and it was a theme that penetrated through birth, old age, sickness, and death, and was an important element of the secular mortal world.


    She spoke softly, "I didn''t actually help you much." She wanted to call him Young Master but she did not manage to. She did not understand why.


    Shen Lian was not too concerned with the formality and he said, "Do you want to punish the people of Yuguan for how they have treated you?"


    She was surprised, "But they are worshipping me again, and even more sanctimonious than before."


    She could clearly feel the faith of the worshippers from the wishes of the masses, and an element of fear. The wishes of the masses provided were stronger than before, but she did not feel too happy about the upgrade in her divine power, as, since birth, she had seen one of the most powerful people on heaven and earth.


    After she had seen the ocean and the big river, she did not feel the streams were any wider.


    "Don''t you hate them?" Shen Lian glanced at her and asked.


    "No." It came from her heart because she could not. It was like a long time ago when an ivy was living off her, taking her nutrients and clinging to her but eventually, it wilted and turned into dust. She felt an indescribable misery then.


    "It is a good thing," Shen Lian sighed.


    Shen Lian stood forward and pointed in between her brows, and it was then she realized she was still in the statue and there was nobody in the temple.


    She saw the sea, and in the middle of the sea, there was an island. A celestial mountain was located on the island, in between the cloud and smoke.


    "This is Qing Xuan. After Qi Sanguang recovers, let him go over."


    "Can I go too?" The female deity''s bright eyes were looking at Shen Lian.


    "When you can leave this place, come and find me. By the way, do you have a name? I can''t call you by your deity name," Shen Lian laughed.


    "No."


    "Then I will give you one. Since you are born out of the woods, you will be Lvluo."


    "Mm." The female deity accepted the new name and she was feeling slightly infatuated. If she could become a human, it would be great, as she would be able to everywhere she wanted to.


    When she was daydreaming, Shen Lian disappeared.


    In the wind, one could hear the songs:


    "Lvluo had the fortune to meet the jade tree, and both of them were shining brightly.


    There were two Zhenrens underneath, and they too flew as if they had wings.


    My heart was excited and I intended to jump into the clouds to chase after them.


    The green peak of Xiyue.


    The greenery of the stone room was connected to the sky.


    There was a recluse in the room.


    His hair and beard were all white.


    He took on the journey with a stick.


    And he taught me to forget about words."

 Chapter 260 The North

    When Shen Lian took a leap into the clouds, Ye Liuyun was already there waiting for him.


    "Brother Shen, you now seem to care more about women, this is different from before. I start to wonder whether you will one day find a Daoist partner," Ye Liuyun spoke as he smiled.


    Shen Lian said, "I often just follow the flow. If I one day decide to have a change in lifestyle, don''t be surprised."


    Ye Liuyun said, "For the both of us to do as we please is not such an easy task anymore, even your Senior Apprentice-Brother, Chen Jianmei, who had been through a lot of challenges, can you really tell he is truly free?"


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "I realize Brother Ye seems to be really familiar with Qing Xuan, is it because Underworld Demon Sect has been studying Qing Xuan for a while?"


    "I told you I know something you don''t, and for the place I need to get to, not only do I need your help, whether I will be able to be released perhaps depend on you." Ye Liuyun knocked on the throne softly and it made a pleasant sound, like the knocking of the jade between gentlemen.


    Shen Lian said, "If I can help, I will not say no."


    As the cloud and smoke went by with thousands of changes, Ye Liuyun said, "I am leaving now, and I will inform you when I need you to help me get there."


    He intended to leave after he finished. Shen Lian said, "Brother Ye, do you indeed not know where Ming Wang Temple''s Huike the Venerable is?" Shen Lian respected Huike, and he also saw the terrible condition Ming Wang Temple was in, but he still hoped nothing happened to Huike. Speaking of which, for such an ancient temple to go through such a tragedy was worrying to Shen Lian. It was harder to read the message of the Gods now, and he could not say for sure that it would not happen to Qing Xuan.


    Ye Liuyun said, "Huike is unlike the previous generation of Acalas. He will still appear again, and till then there will be more interesting things happening at the Buddhist sect." As he spoke, he was actually rejoicing at other people''s misfortune �C the Buddhist sect had some issue with the Underworld Demon Sect.


    After Ye Liuyun left, Shen Lian was in deep thoughts. The condition at Ming Wang Temple was unexpected, and he could say the same for Ye Liuyun''s appearance. He gained nothing from this, but now he owed Ye Liuyun. It seemed like there was an invisible force behind all these.


    Ye Liuyun''s mysterious aura, Huike''s disappearance, the master celestial of sword who took the Chart of Celestial Extermination and another powerful person �C they all made the world not as simple anymore. However, if one lacked power, the truth had no use to him.


    The mana he possessed now was less than half of what it used to be. While it seemed to be purer and thicker, it was hard to say whether it was a gain or a loss.


    If he chose a place and retreated for three to five years, it was possible for him to recover his mana to the peak, but he had no time for it. Thankfully, Shen Lian had other ways to improve quickly, and the only precondition was for the bestowment of the Empress to be successful.


    Qingshui River had a wide flow region, and the widest river path was perhaps about five hundred miles. Even for the narrower place, it was about a hundred miles, and it was not even the widest river region in Yuan Continent. At the north of Yuan Continent, there was another river called Tongtian River. Its source was not known, but some said it led to heaven. Rarely did anyone managed to find its source.


    Shen Lian landed from the cloud and the Qingshui River Deity Temple was in front of him. The spiritual power of up to a perimeter of a thousand miles all were gathered at the temple, and the power was expanding.


    The door of the temple opened even without wind. The Empress walked out from within and looked at Shen Lian, "You''re finally back. I''ve been observing a perimeter of a thousand miles to look for you. I realized you have met a strong enemy, but unfortunately, I still can''t leave this river, and hence I wasn''t able to lend you a hand."


    Shen Lian said, "The person has unpredictable power. Even if you helped me, it probably would not matter. It seems like you are not as powerful as I expect you to be after the bestowment."


    "I only took half of his real dragon blood. He managed to escape with a broken tail. Guangqing Celestial Sect is indeed powerful. Five days ago, Huang Longzi''s Senior Apprentice-Brother, Huanzhen came, and he was looking for a student of Guangqing. There is no Guangqing''s student here, but he thought I was lying. In addition to Huang Longzi''s issue, he then fought with me. If not because of the imperial seal and the unlimited spiritual power of the river region, he almost destructed the temple," the Empress spoke with a cheeriness. While she called them to be powerful, it seemed like it was not a big deal to her.


    Shen Lian said, "You''ve become one with the Qingshui River. Other than the ultimate technique that can separate you and the river, there isn''t anything that can kill you. The Emperor Sealing Technique is indeed a legitimate path of Shen. However, it will be difficult for you to part from here. You probably can''t escape from the tragedy of the world."


    With incredible benefit, naturally came harsh consequences. Tragedy of the world meant any tragedies which could affect the world �C it could change the landscape of the world entirely. As the Empress was now the River Deity of Qingshui, her life was now tied to the rise and fall of the river. She could no longer escape.


    "We will talk about the future when it comes. I realize something is odd after I become the River Deity."


    "What is it?"


    "Follow me."


    The Empress did not lead Shen Lian to the temple but an odd space, or the divine region. Unlike Lvluo''s divine region where it looked the same as the temple of the Goddess of Grains, this divine region was placed in the river. It looked like a crystal palace where it was surrounded by fish. Shen Lian knew that the outside world could not see it, and they could not enter either. This was the space of Dao.


    When they took a seat, the Empress said, "I found the Heaven."


    "What happened?" Shen Lian felt slightly shocked, as while the Heaven existed since ancient time, it had now disappeared. It was considered to be an organization that was built to rule the deities and the Celestials and Buddha. One could also call it a divine region or a place of enlightenment and some would even call it a Lingbao. It was located next to the Milky Way. During those days, where the Heaven was, was also referred to as Tianjie, another term for Heaven. It was nice as there was more than one Tianjie which welcomed the immortals.


    "When I was cultivating, I felt the call from Heaven, but it was very minor and it was hard for me to detect," The Empress spoke with a low voice.


    "There are a lot of rumors about the Heaven. How do you know it was the calling from there?" Shen Lian asked.


    "I can''t say for sure. It could be an illusion perhaps," the Empress laughed.


    Shen Lian knew that if it was just a feeling, it could be correct. For someone to reach the level of the Empress, the feelings were more reliable than what one saw or heard.


    "It could be real. Can you tell the exact location?"


    "No."


    Shen Lian spoke with a deep voice, "Regardless of what happened, it is always right to strengthen yourself. If your divine power can reach all corners of Qingshui River, even if you encounter someone who has transcended beyond the mortal world, he will have nothing against you."


    "I was thinking about the same thing. Since you lost quite a lot of Qi of vitality, you can borrow some of the spiritual power from my river region," the Empress smiled brightly.


    She did not lack spiritual power, but she needed to continuously strengthen her spirit and mind to be a part of the thirty thousand miles region and truly turned Qingshui River into a part of her body. She could then have an almost unlimited supply of mana.


    She was not the only one who had used this method. It was rumored that someone once tried to turn the Milky Way into a clone so that he would become one that was beyond everyone else from the ancient times to date. He almost succeeded.


    Compared to the Milky Way, Qingshui River was not even the size of a small drain, but in turn, its difficulty level was much lower. It was possible for the Empress to achieve her target.


    "I am here for it," Shen Lian smiled.


    He then closed his eyes and fell into the state where he forgot about himself and the surroundings.


    The reason why the spiritual power of the river could benefit him greatly was because of how powerful it was. It was full of vitality and had been improved further with the Empress'' divine region and as such, all the spiritual power could be turned directly into mana. Also, as long as the Empress was in the divine region, there would be no worry about whether the area would run out of mana. It could be replenished anytime, and it was much faster than the like of Yiyuan Elixir.


    However, if he were to absorb the river region''s pure and thick spiritual power and Qi of vitality, he would need to rely on the Empress. Being the River Deity, the river region was like her breathing. If one were to take the spiritual power, one should also return. If it were for some outsider, without setting a limit could bring harm to herself.


    The Empress was willing to lend out these Qi of vitality because it was Shen Lian. She wanted him to regain his cultivation experience.


    Under the Empress'' generous help, Shen Lian had recovered within a month. It had saved him the effort of three to five years.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes and he looked calm. The Empress felt glad to see that he was now done.


    She clapped and laughed, "Now you''re getting even closer to immortality."


    "It is not that easy. I will be glad if I can break the whims, Xuwang, within a hundred year."


    "To our lot, hundred years go by quickly. It is indeed not worth mentioning. Are you leaving now?" The previous statement showed her lamentation, but the latter indicated the sadness of separation.


    "I have to go. I got off the mountain this time for something, else I don''t need to come to the secular mortal world," Shen Lian spoke softly, and his eyes were looking north.


    "It is the difference between us. You are able to see through most things, but you are not willing to let go. I have never looked back." The Empress let out a sigh, and the world had changed. Both of them were now on top of the calm river surface.


    "It is not because I don''t want to let go. I just want to follow the flow. Some things are a part of life, so why should we intentionally make ourselves cold and heartless?" Shen Lian laughed, and then he took the waves. One could see a shadow going rapidly upstream on the river. He disappeared quickly.


    In the north of Yuan Continent, there were desserts, snowy landscape and also forests. It was where Taisu Sect was, but it was hard to find it.


    As the sun set, the night fell like a humongous Kunpeng that was spreading its wings �C the sky and the sun were all covered, and there was no light. All the river and mountain and grass and wood were all covered.


    Shen Lian was sitting alone in the field. He relaxed his eyebrows and opened his clear eyes. It seemed like there were an infinite amount of mysteries within them. Occasionally some lights appeared from the depth of his eyes, like those of the stars.


    In this quiet night, the north was akin to the sea that he was used to �C it was without end, quiet and peaceful. Nobody knew how much secrets it was hiding.


    Shen Lian looked up at the big dipper in the sky, and it seemed there a rainbow-like light ribbon flew out. It was like smoke or mist, unsteady, sometimes quiet and sometimes active, like the river. It then formed into a big light halo, surrounding the big dipper. The halo suddenly got brighter, like a moon in the sky. It covered the earth with silvery light and lit up the whole field. Everything was clear now.


    It was the aurora of the north. After many days of waiting, it finally happened.

 Chapter 261 Sneaked in

    Taisu Sect was indeed hidden in the void. By setting up the formation, space was extended from this side of the world.


    Even if outsiders knew that Taisu Sect was in the north, but without depending on the mountain or understanding the profound, within the void, even if it was right in front, one could not enter.


    The aurora was the ultimate formation that Taisu Sect made use of in combination with the spiritual opportunity of heaven and earth to protect the sect.


    For outsiders who did not know, they would simply assume that it was a natural phenomenon of the world. Even if they observed it closely, they would not be able to relate or to even realize that there was spiritual opportunity circulating in it.


    Even if one could spot some oddities, the formation left no trace or trail for anyone to sneak into.


    As Shen Lian, who had Taixu Strategy, under Interpromotion and Interrestraint, he could understand the spiritual opportunity of heaven and earth. As the aurora went by his eyes, it was broken down into different trails, revealing the trails of the formation.


    The formation formed a huge network which even he could not see the end of it. It kept on extending and changing, and hence it was not easy for him to enter.


    However, he was not in a hurry. He simply followed the aurora and never attempted to break into.


    If he could follow the aurora for nine days, he would be able to understand how it changed.


    Shen Lian then found an extremely covert place, where he took out a Dao talisman. He focused all his spiritual consciousness on the Dao talisman, which transformed into someone who looked exactly like him subsequently.


    The talisman contained the celestial art called The Three Incarnations. It was extremely precious. If it was not for a way to retreat, Shen Lian would never use it, as even with Qing Xuan''s size and wealth, this was the only one they had.


    The celestial art could at least form three Powang-leveled incarnations, but over the years, he had used up two of them. It could only form one incarnation now, but still, it was precious enough.


    Once the talisman was used, the mana of the incarnation would be reduced every day and the existence time would not be longer than thirty days. It was nothing compared to Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation''s uncountable clones.


    Techniques that could help one create incarnations were minimal, and only immortal Zhenren could practice. For Yanxu to obtain Free Form Incarnation was something rare.


    The Three Incarnation was strictly not considered as a technique for clones. It was created by Taishang Daoist Master, and one could use it to understand Xuanwei. Unfortunately since ancient times, only few could succeed in this, and to date, it was a technique that was considered extinct.


    Shen Lian did not feel bad about using it, as the pinch Qing Xuan was in could not be overcome with one or two Powang masters.


    If he sneaked into Taisu Sect without an incarnation, he would have no way to retreat, as such, he had to do it.


    This time around he was here to look for Ruoxi. Even if he could not bring her along, he wanted to understand how she was doing, else he could not feel at ease.


    As such, even if Taisu Sect was extremely mysterious, he still had to venture into it.


    He pumped in his spiritual consciousness into his incarnation. He felt that his body was very light as if he was released from the burden of the body. He felt free but then he lacked an anchor, like a duckweed without something to depend on.


    Shen Lian stepped on the void and entered the formation of Taisu Sect based on his calculated bearing.


    After taking a few turns and following the spiritual opportunity, he finally felt some vibration at a location. When he fell in, he saw a lake which was reflecting like a mirror. Inside there were clouds and smokes.


    Shen Lian''s then used stealth. By twisting the light, he hid his presence.


    From far away there came a yellow cloud which was falling. As the mist went away, a yellow-clothed woman whose clothes were adorned with clouds appeared. She looked extremely pretty.


    As she stood next to a rock, she looked into the mirror-like water surface. She then took off her clothes and revealed her body. She leaped into the lake.


    Although Shen Lian in mid sky had hidden his presence, he still had his five senses. He could not help but frown, as the yellow-clothed woman had a decent cultivation experience and he did not expect her to take a shower in the lake.


    In Taisu Sect, the Qi of vitality was comparable to Qing Xuan, and the lake too was filled with spiritual Qi. It was extremely clean, but not as clean as cultivators'' body which had been through many cleansing.


    Even if there was some dirt on the body, with just some mana, the dirt could be removed. Who needed to shower? It could only be considered as a hobby then.


    Shen Lian did not have the hobby of peeking at other''s shower, but as he did not know the situation well since he was sneaking in. He figured that the woman could be a breakthrough for him to find Ruoxi.


    However, the situation seemed to be a little bit awkward.


    Shen Lian hesitated for a while, then he lifted his finger and light then went pouring down as fast as lightning. It froze the lake around the woman.


    If one did not prepare against the Ice Light, even he himself would have suffered. While the yellow-clothed woman seemed like she had some cultivation experience, but in the end, she was only at the standard of Ruhua. As a result, she fell into it easily.


    She was shocked, being frozen naked in the Xuan ice, she did not even know what happened.


    Once Shen Lian decided to take action, he did not hesitate. He turned into a mist and went away with the woman and her clothes to another place. It was a cliff that was covered with green ivies, and it was under the shelter of tall pine trees in the surrounding.


    Shen Lian then melted the Xuan ice and threw the clothes to the woman, "Please get dressed first."


    Taisu Sect only took in women as students, and all of them were extremely gorgeous. While the woman here was not as gorgeous as Zhao Xiaoyu, she was still beautiful. As she was caught by Shen Lian in the blink of an eye, she was naturally stunned, and as she saw that it was a pretty and delicate man, she was even more horrified. While cultivators tended to have the determination to stay away from lust, there was an exception.


    Some people liked to cultivate using the method, supplementing Yang with Yin, Buddhist''s Huanxi Chan were even considered as proper techniques. Taisu Sect''s techniques were considered as Xuanmen too. The female cultivators were pure and innocent, but some of them who were out in the world was faced with impudent cultivators who tried to force themselves on them.


    However, the Taisu''s techniques were not about peace, most of those people did not end well.


    It was the first time that a man was able to sneak into Taisu Sect. For someone to come through the formation, one must be at least Buxu and above.


    Her acupoints were all now restricted and hence it was not possible for her to user her mana. Even if she tried to scream, she had to pray that someone could hear her.


    She actually knew two or three celestial''s soundproof techniques.


    Given that Shen Lian allowed her to get dressed, at least it came to show that he was not one of those evil cultivators.


    It was the first time a man had seen her body, she could not help but blush. She cursed that she should not have been out showering today.


    Also, as Shen Lian looked gentle, hence she did not feel too disgusted. Furthermore, as it was his incarnation, his Qi was even purer, showing how he was unlike most men in the world.


    After she covered up her jade-fair body, she still had watermark on her body as her mana was still restricted. Even her black hair was wet, with her blushing cheeks, she looked like a drunken lotus covered in dew.


    Her beyond the world beauty had no effect on Shen Lian as he was just a clone and as his body was made of Qi, hence it was without gender.


    However, he was experienced with worldly matters. Therefore he understood how she felt. He said nothing until she calmed down.


    After a while, the yellow-clothed woman asked, "Who are you? Why did you sneak into Taisu Sect?"


    Shen Lian said, "Do you know reincarnation of Yuan Jun?"


    The yellow-clothed woman was stunned, she asked, "What is the reincarnation of Yuan Jun?"


    Shen Lian observed her heartbeat, expression, and emotions �C she was not lying.


    Shen Lian said, "Did the sect bring back a little girl aged about four to five years old seven years ago. She looks like this and she is my relative."


    He pointed his finger at the cliff and then he drew the outline of Ruoxi''s face. Even without color or ink, he still portrayed Ruoxi''s face well.


    The yellow-clothed woman looked at the outline of the cliff and she could tell the little girl was full of vitality. Her eyes were big and extremely expressive. She did not know if it was because Shen Lian could draw well, or that she indeed looked like that.


    She said, "I''ve never seen her."


    Now that she knew Shen Lian was here for someone, and the person was a little girl, she felt less worried. While she was a cultivator, she was still a woman, and she thought if the little girl was his relative, he could not be someone bad. She also admired how he was willing to take such a huge risk to be here.


    Shen Lian felt odd as Zhang Ruoxu would not lie to him. The person who took Ruoxi was indeed from Taisu Sect, and it was proven from the three ladies'' clothing the other day. He also found a lot of records on Taisu Sect.


    The woman then said, "I only came here three years ago, and previously I was from Xuanzhen Temple. Perhaps the little girl is here, but I''ve never seen her."


    Xuanzhen Temple was perhaps considered a temple that was served by small countries in the north, a lot of women cultivated there. One could consider it an extension of Taisu Sect, similar to how Longevity Temple was affiliated to Qing Xuan. The difference was that Taisu Sect would have to examine them under close observation for a long time. In fact, rarely did any woman made it in Taisu Sect.


    This was also because Taisu Sect applied influence on the north. They made use of the people and tribes in the north to find talented children and train them from young.


    If a woman was not brought up since young in Taisu Sect, the chances of her to be a core student was not high. To be able to enter the sect must be due to other factors.


    Then a melodious clock rang. Shen Lian saw a palace from far away. The sound came from there.


    "You''ve been found out. You should leave soon �C the Hall Master is almost a celestial now. If she catches you, you won''t be able to escape," the yellow-clothed woman advised Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian thought the Hall Master must be the chief of Taisu Sect.


    It was rumored that the Hall Master of Taisu Sect cultivated for less than two hundred years and had been one of the ultimate immortal Zhenren who had no enemy in the world. He could not let her find him before he found Ruoxi.


    Other than the Hall Master, there were three more immortal Zhenrens from the previous generation, but as they had been in retreat, they rarely came out. If any immortal Zhenren came out, Shen Lian needed not to look for Ruoxi. He could not even keep his incarnation.

 Chapter 262 Reincarnation

    Shen Lian said, "I will leave. You are kind. I apologize for offending you today. This chant with pure mana was produced by me. I hope it will be helpful for you."


    He swung his sleeves lightly, and the outline of Ruoxi on the cliff was covered by a chant.


    While the cliff was not exactly hard as Jingang, she was still stunned that he could leave that many words on the cliff with just a swing of his arm. She was knowledgeable enough to understand the profoundness of the script. It spoke of the tips for the cultivation of Qi. She understood that this person was indeed not evil and hence she stopped feeling frustrated.


    He was only here for the little girl, and she indeed felt that he cared about relationships with people, but the only thing she did not understand was why he did not visit directly.


    She looked at Shen Lian again, and as she saw that he was leaving, she asked, "What is your name? If I see the girl you''re looking for, I will let you know."


    Shen Lian shook his head and was about to leave.


    She could not help but say, "My name is Yang Miaoyun. If you were caught, you can inform them about me."


    Shen Lian turned around and gave her a smile, "Sure." In the blink of an eye, Yang Miaoyun had lost sight of Shen Lian.


    A piece of white cloud was coming in the direction of the lake. Yang Miaoyun tidied herself up then flew out. The white cloud was now in front of Yang Miaoyun and it was carrying a white-clothed lady. Her hair was tied into a triangular bun, and her long hair extended to her waist. She was as fair as snow, and under the light of the white cloud, she was not as beautiful as Yang Miaoyun. She wore a jade which made a melodious sound.


    Yang Miaoyun called out, "Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu."


    The white-clothed lady was called Liusu, and she was attending to Baisu Chamber. She had a high probability to become the next Chamber Master. Everyone in Taisu Sect stayed in Taisu Palace, and the chief was the Hall Master. Below the Hall Master were the Chamber Masters, Zisu, Huangsu and Baisu.


    Liusu was one of the students the Hall Master valued. She began attending to matters in the Baisu Chambers at a young age. Yang Miaoyun belonged to Huangsu, and as she entered the sect later, hence she called Liusu Senior Apprentice-Sister.


    Liusu asked, "Princess Miaoyun, why are you here? There is someone who sneaked into the sect today and the Hall Master asked me to search in detail. If you''re free, why don''t we look for this impertinent person who dared to break in?"


    Yang Miaoyun thought to herself, should she tell her? She gave up in the end as firstly, the person was powerful, and if she told Liusu and Liusu found him, she might be at a disadvantage. Secondly, she was kind-hearted and the person did not seem to be evil as he did not do anything to her. Furthermore, he was here for his relative. Since the hall was alerted, she hoped that person would just leave.


    Liusu looked at Yang Miaoyun who was staring at somewhere blankly, she asked, "Princess Miaoyun, what are you daydreaming about? Did you meet the person who broke in?"


    Yang Miaoyun said, "No, and Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu, please don''t call me princess. It is so embarrassing."


    The cloud moved forward and pulled Yang Miaoyun in. She squinted and said, "I wish I can be a princess. No, more like if I am a man I will like to be Princess Miaoyun''s husband."


    She spoke in such intimate way as she blew air in Yang Miaoyun''s ear. That made Yang Miaoyun feel weak.


    Shen Lian was hiding somewhere nearby, looking at Liusu. He thought that this was one of three from Taisu Sect that took Ruoxi away seven years ago.


    The reason why he sneaked in was because, like Qing Xuan, Taisu Sect was categorized as one of the four main Daoist sects, and they were well known for ten thousand years. It seemed that Ruoxi was valued highly at Taisu Sect. If he visited directly with his intention and if Taisu Sect said no, it would not look great for both parties.


    It was better if he investigated privately until he found Ruoxi. Even if he was caught, he could just give up the clone. No one would know he had visited.


    As long as they did not catch him, both the issue could be resolved.


    Also, if he had visited directly, not knowing why Taisu Sect brought Ruoxi away, and how the chief behaved, it was exactly putting himself at disadvantage against Taisu Sect.


    He was however surprised that Yang Miaoyun did not tell Liusu about him.


    For the chant he left behind, whether Yang Miaoyun wanted to copy down after or pretended that she did not know, was up to her.


    His focus was to find where Ruoxi was through Liusu.


    In Taisu Daoist Palace, there were four chambers, Zisu, Huangsu, and Baisu. The inner chamber was where the hall master was located. The inner chamber was in the deepest area of the palace. A female Daoist dressed in purple was in the inner chamber. She had gone past the long corridor which was built in the sea of clouds until she got to a door that was made of white jade stones. It wrote, ''Taisu Paradies''.


    "Ziyue is here to greet the Hall Master."


    The lady called Ziyue waited for a while, then the jade stone door opened slowly. An eleven, twelve-year-old girl walked out, and if Shen Lian was here, he would recognize that this girl looked like Ruoxi, but she was even more beautiful than the little girl she used to be. She started to look like an empress that could charm the entire country.


    She spoke, "Master is waiting for you inside. Senior Apprentice-Sister Ziyue, please follow me."


    Ziyue looked at her and thought, the reincarnation of Yuan Jun was indeed turning more and more beautiful each day. One day, there would not be anyone in the sect as beautiful as her. She could not help but sigh as she dared not to imagine what would become of her.


    She spoke softly, "Ruoxi, do you want anything? I can bring it for you next time. I remember you like to eat Tanghulu, that candied fruit. Why don''t I make some using thousand-year spiritual fruits?"


    When Ruoxi heard about Tanghulu, her eyes lit up immediately, but then she said, "Nevermind, Master said that I am now in a critical stage of cultivation. If I am contaminated, it can affect my cultivation."


    Ziyue thought, the faster you cultivate, the remaining days for her just gets lesser, but she could not say it. Furthermore, there could be twenty to thirty years more for her to achieve that. Even if she would live a shorter life than most cultivators, she wanted to try her best to let her live a comfortable life.


    Ziyue said, "Let''s go in."


    Ruoxi held Ziyue''s hand and asked, "Senior Apprentice-Sister Ziyue, do you know where my uncle is?"


    She now knew that Shen Lian was not her brother but uncle. She missed him a lot, but as Master said she could not leave as she had not succeeded in cultivation, hence she was working hard so she could see Shen Lian soon.


    Ziyue said, "Your uncle is doing well. Once the Hall Master is satisfied with your cultivation, she will tell you where he is."


    Ruoxi responded, "Oh."


    Ziyue now knew that Ruoxi''s uncle was Qing Xuan''s Shen Lian. She too learned from students outside that now he was the chief of Qing Xuan with an unimaginable depth of mana. Now it seemed that Taisu and Qing Xuan were in a bad state. The Hall Master, however, could not stop, one could only blame the fate of Ruoxi to have become the reincarnation of Yuan Jun.

 Chapter 263 Purple Fume Green River formation

    After several breaths, Ziyue and Ruoxi were now in the spacious room. The roof was adorned with three huge pearls, which lit the room up like the sun in the morning.


    At the stone steps stood an otherworldly beauty, whose hair was flowy like the clouds. The corner of her eyes revealed her sophistication, one could tell she was not young anymore.


    This did not hurt her charm but adorned her beauty with the sophistication of age. Even the stars in the sky or the landscape on earth were not worth mentioning in front of her. This was the chief of Taisu Sect �C Fairy Tianmeng.


    "We are here to greet you, Hall Master," Ziyue greeted politely. Even though it was not her first time seeing the Hall Master, but every time she did, she felt a bit nervous. The three immortal Zhenrens from the previous generation did not bother with most things in the palace. Fairy Tianmeng held great power, and she was also the top in mana in the palace. Not to mention for someone as insignificant as her, even the three chamber masters who were of the same rank as Fairy Tianmeng dared not to do anything out of the norm.


    Fairy Tianmeng seemed to notice Ziyue''s slight nervousness. She did not say anything, but called out, "Xi Er, come over here." Her eyes fell on Ruoxi lovingly, as if she was looking at a precious item. Her voice was soft and melodious like that of an Oriole.


    Ruoxi went forward obediently and she just let Fairy Tianmeng hold her hand. She had been in the palace for seven years, but she rarely heard of other places. Other than the three senior apprentice-sisters that had brought her back initially, she had not met anyone. Most people in the palace only heard that Fairy Tianmeng took in a student.


    Fairy Tianmeng then spoke slowly, "It seems that we have long not shown our prowess until someone dared to sneak in. Bring this Purple Fume Green River Formation out and set it up outside the palace. I want to know who''s here."


    As she finished, she threw out a scroll which was surrounded by purple fume. It was covering several green rivers, and it had deep Dao meaning.


    It was the formation chart of the Purple Fume Green River Formation. After several hundred years of ceremonial cultivating, it was indeed powerful. Not even Ziyue knew of the mystery of the formation, the only known was that there was once a Buxu cultivator who offended the hall master fifty years ago, and he was then trapped in the scroll. After three days, all that remained was a skeleton.


    Ziyue took the chart and was about to leave with her task.


    Fairy Tianmeng said, "I will be retreating to understand some Xuan technique in the next few days. If you''re bored, you can let Ziyue and Liusu bring you to the palace."


    Ruoxi nodded but she did not feel any happier, as it was just like the times when she was in her royal mansion when she was younger. She could only work in the compound of the mansion, and not allowed to leave. What was the fun of it?


    She missed her uncle a lot.


    Yang Miaoyun and Liusu were having fun on the white cloud, and after a while, Liusu said, "Let''s monitor the area for a while, and if we don''t find anything, how about if we go to the lake later?"


    Yang Miaoyun thought of what happened just now, she hesitated, "Maybe not."


    Liusu was surprised, "Are you saying I am dirty? You have to know I am much cleaner than you. In terms of cultivation, I have been through multiple cleanses. If you don''t believe it, why don''t you have a sniff?" After she said that, she put her fair and soft arm in front of Yang Miaoyun''s soft lips.


    Yang Miaoyun knew how Liusu behaved, so she was not offended, and said, "What if the person who sneaked in peeks at us?"


    Liusu smiled, "How do you know if it is for sure a man?"


    Yang Miaoyun said, "If a man sneaks in and he sees it, then we are at a great loss."


    "Why are you so nervous? Look at you, it seems like you''ve already suffered a loss."


    Liusu bit Yang Miaoyun''s ear softly and blew air into her ear again.


    Yang Miaoyun felt weak and all in a sudden Liusu grabbed Yang Miaoyun''s throat and sealed the important acupoints of Yang Miaoyun quickly with her fingers. She locked down her mana.


    She said coldly, "If you don''t come out now, I will eliminate her."


    Yang Miaoyun did not expect for Liusu to turn against her, "Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu, what are you doing?"


    Liusu sneered, "Our Taisu Sect does not have techniques that are extreme Yin and extremely cold. Do you think you can hide the Qi on you? Why are you trying to cover for him?"


    Shen Lian sighed, he did not predict that the remaining Qi of Ice Light could not be eliminated completely.


    He appeared from the sky and said, "This is had nothing to do with her. I threatened her."


    Liusu said, "You''re indeed a handsome man. Princess Miaoyun, if he''s here for you, why are you hiding? It''s not like Taisu Sect restricts you from looking for a partner."


    "It''s my first time meeting him. Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu you''ve mistaken. He''s not a bad guy. Please leave now." Yang Miaoyun looked at Shen Lian with her begging eyes. She knew Shen Lian was powerful and Liusu was unlikely to be a compatible opponent. If they fought and disturbed others, not to say that Shen Lian would not be able to leave in one piece, Liusu would suffer too.


    She hoped Shen Lian would leave immediately for the benefit of both. Even if there was punishment, it would not take her life.


    Shen Lian said, "It was indeed her first time meeting me, but you''re not, Liusu!"


    "When have I met you before? Don''t try to act like you did," Liusu responded.


    "We are all cultivators so you shouldn''t have such bad memory. Have you forgotten that seven years ago you three took a little girl away?" Shen Lian looked calm but it seemed that there was something hidden underneath which would explode anytime. It gave out an immense pressure.


    Liusu froze and recalled, "It is you. How dare you come here? Don''t forget your position."


    "It seems like you all know my position?" Shen Lian spoke coldly.


    Yang Miaoyun was confused, could it be that this person had some prestigious background? She felt that Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu seemed to be uneasy.


    Liusu said, "You should go. She''s doing well here and the Hall Master won''t let you take her. You should give up."


    Shen Lian sighed, "It made me want to get her more. I didn''t expect for Taisu Dect to be using a little girl. What''s the reason?"


    Zhang Ruoxu''s last words were that he did not need to worry about Ruoxi. If it was not because of that, he would not have restrained from looking for her for so many years. However, Liusu''s reaction was out of his expectation, and Zhang Ruoxu would not be fooling with him, there must be a reason.


    Liusu said that Ruoxi was doing well, but that Shen Lian could not take her away. Taisu Sect would not be lacking in talent and given that they knew he was the chief of Qing Xuan but still said so. It was not as simple as that Ruoxi was being absorbed into Taisu Sect. It was even weirder that Yang Miaoyun who entered the sect late still knew nothing about Ruoxi.


    Liusu now knew that this person was extremely smart, which was why he could become one of the most influential people in Yuan Continent. She telepathically informed others in the same sect.

 Chapter 264 Broke In Alone

    At that moment, a net wrapped around her and Yang Miaoyun. When she was struggling, a sword ray was in front of her forehead. The coldness prevented her from using any of her mana.


    She looked at Yang Miaoyun. She could feel that she was being apologetic but at the same time, she was angry. She felt empathetic towards Shen Lian, but Shen Lian never trusted her.


    Shen Lian treated her as equal and restrained her too.


    The sword ray was constantly at Liusu''s acupoint in between her brows. Another inch closer, her spirit could be damaged.


    Liusu spoke with hatred, "What do you want to do?"


    "Tell me the reason why you took Ruoxi," Shen Lian spoke softly and it got colder. The fume around was almost frozen.


    Liusu said, "For your position, it seems too much for you to treat me like this. If you like to know, you can ask directly at Taisu Palace. Ruoxi is also there."


    She did not stop laughing and she was challenging him.


    Shen Lian said calmly, "I will go, but you better tell me why you took her."


    Liusu said nothing but she still carried the smug on her face.


    As the sword ray moved, her arm was gone in a sudden. The ice froze her cut and hence there was not even a drop of blood. Liusu did not even feel pain, but it became realistic when she saw her arm in the net.


    Though there was no pain, she was afraid. There was not even ripple in Shen Lian''s eyes. They were as quiet as the depth of the trench. She did not expect Shen Lian to do that, as it was still within Taisu Sect. He should know that Qing Xuan was not in the best state. It was not the right thing to offend Taisu, which would definitely bring trouble to Qing Xuan during the Bier Discourse of Dao.


    Was he nuts?


    Shen Lian just looked at her quietly. The fear spread once it''s born. In the past, she thought she was hardworking when she cultivated his Qi as she always entered into a deep stage. She had the tendency to not be disturbed by external turbulence, but it was only now then she felt how weak her heart was. Stripping off her cultivation experience, she was nothing more than a commoner.


    If it was not the incarnation of Shen Lian but him himself, he needed not to go through the trouble. He could have just taken her soul to get the answer he wanted.


    Liusu''s mental defense had come crumbling down, along with Yang Miaoyun who was in the net. She did not expect how cruel Shen Lian even though he looked gentle. It was a shame that she was empathetic towards him. She forgot that when Liusu was attacking her, Shen Lian stood up the first moment.


    Ultimately speaking, Shen Lian still did not do anything to her.


    "Say it." The simple command beat Liusu''s heart hard like a hammer was knocking into it.


    She finally said, "Your niece is the reincarnation of Yuan Jun, and it is a rare occurrence every thousand years. Even in our Taisu Sect, it is extremely rare. Without special reasons, even people of my rank would not know about it. You can understand it as she is the reincarnation of celestials. When she came to the earth, she was not supposed to be seeking immortality but to experience trial. For her to be in Taisu is fated, but the Hall Master didn''t teach her Dadong Scripture, instead she was taught with the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu."


    Shen Lian knew the status of Dadong Scripture in Taisu Sect - it was like Taixu Strategy to Qing Xuan. It might not be as powerful as Taixu Strategy, but it was a direct path to immortality. It was not abnormal for Ruoxi to practice under Taisu Sect''s top technique, but what was the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu?


    Shen Lian said, "Why don''t you tell me what''s the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu?"


    "It is a method of spiritual enhancement. Once you start, it is impossible to stop else there will be infinite suffering. The technique with start with planting the divine aura of the predecessor in the core of the spirit and mind of the future successor. They will then grow together until the cultivator is replaced by the passer. Hence why it''s ''synchronized heart''," Liusu said, she felt that she was relieved of the burden.


    She had hidden this secret for a long time. If it was not because the three of them were a part of the Hall Master''s plotting, she would not have known it.


    Shen Lian''s heart was filled with an incredible anger. He always thought of himself as someone calm, but this time around he could not calm himself down. It was partly due to Ruwang, but there were also elements of self-blame and pity.


    To him, there was no difference between Ruxu and Powang, but he did not feel any happiness. He only felt an uncontrollable anger.


    Eventually, he suppressed his anger and asked, "Where''s Ruoxi?"


    "She''s always following the Hall Master." Since she had said it, she did not bother with hiding anymore.


    Shen Lian tore the net into two. Yang Miaoyun was transferred to the cliff previously with his mana. He then brought Yang Miaoyun to the palace on top of the mountain. There was only one entrance at Taisu Palace. The cloud and smoke around flew by with skylights, further painting the picture of a celestial house. However, regardless of how close the door was, he could not reach there.


    "How can I open the restriction of the entrance?" Shen Lian asked.


    This time round Liusu did not even resist. She just told him the method.


    Shen Lian followed the method and went a step forward with her as if she just went through a mystic block. They both landed on the pure white stone pavement. The palace door was right in front. The word ''Taisu'' represented externality and it was written with dragon phoenix seal scripture.


    The board of the palace door already beat the quality of a lot of the top equipment in the world.


    He focused his sight, and then he saw a purple-clothed female Daoist in front. Her face looked like the flower in spring and the moon in autumn. She was out of this world. As she walked towards them slowly, she was one of the three that took Ruoxi last time.


    She was holding a scroll, and as she saw Shen Lian, who was holding Liusu hostage, she was slightly surprised but then she immediately releases the scroll.


    Within a second, the scroll encompassed the surrounding. A purple fume rushed towards Shen LIan. He reacted accordingly, with one hand he produced wind and thunder, which destroyed the fume. At the same time, some water grabbed Liusu away.


    Shen Lian did not stop it. He just observed the surrounding quietly.


    All around him was water and purple fume. The flow of water was a melodious rhythm that flowed into one''s heart as something joyful.


    In reality, it was no different from a rhythm that could take one''s lives.


    The purple-clothed female Daoist was Ziyue. She spoke with her melodious voice, "This is Purple Fume Green River Formation, don''t expect that you can get away from it."


    She was usually composed, but as she saw Liusu''s arm was cut off, she could not help but feel angry. She also did not recognize Shen Lian at that moment. Furthermore, the restriction on Liusu was tricky and she could not break it.


    The Purple Fume Green River Formation activated quickly and then contained him. It was indeed powerful but he was not afraid. Even though the mana of the incarnation was being used, the formation was something dead. Even if it had a huge power, he was not afraid.


    His Interpromotion and Interrestraint state still existed and hence he could tell the weakness of the formation at one sight. It was not exactly the weakness but the core of the spiritual opportunity. It was protected by a thick mist of purple fume and one could say it was the strongest point of the formation.


    The purple fume could eat up mana and the water could melt flesh. The sound of the flowing water could take your soul.


    A mere Purple Fume and Green River Formation attacked from three aspects, essence, Qi, and spirit. It too revealed that the formation creator paid close attention to detail.


    Shen Lian''s sword will shine and forced the purple fume to retreat and to not fall into the water light. He threw out ten plus thunder talismans and the thunder was so powerful that it shook the whole formation. The purple fume and water which were in the way had a collision with the thunder.


    Initially, the purple fume and water subsided and rose like waves, but as Shen Lian simply used up his thunder talismans, he was attacking all the way and hence was unstoppable.


    These thunder talismans were made of precious materials. With these many being used, even big cultivators at the stage of Powang could not take it, but as Shen Lian had exchanged a lot of them with Ice Light during the celestial market of Xuantong Demon King, he was not stingy using it.


    One-off perishables were supposed to be used anyway. If not because it was just an object, it would not be useful in a battle with other cultivators of the same level.


    After Ziyue spoke a sentence when she contained Shen Lian in the formation chart, she felt it vibrating. A thunder explored and the formation chart fell on her hand. The purple fume and green river on it had faded. It seemed to have suffered severe damage.


    Shen Lian''s Daoist robe wavered. He stood proudly in front of the palace as if he was being condescending. It made Ziyue feel the chill.


    He laughed coldly and said, "Taisu Hall Master, can we meet?"


    Until this point, the only thing he could do was to use rock against rock. He was willing to let go of the incarnation and even if his divine thoughts were to be burnt, he needed to break in.


    "You''re brave. Come in." A soft as oriole voice was heard from the depth of the palace.


    Unknowingly there were up to hundred female cultivators outside the door of the palace dressed in three different colors - purple, yellow and white. Each of them was holding an equipment and surrounding Shen Lian.


    Until Fairy Tianmeng spoke, these people then formed a path for him.


    One of the female Daoist in yellow stood out from the crowd and said, "Please."


    Shen Lian followed the female Daoist in yellow with composure. He was not stunned by any of these.


    It was more of a shock to the female cultivators when he broke through Purple Fume and Green River Formation. Since they entered the sect, they had not met anyone who dared to break into the palace.


    There was a green mountain behind Taisu Palace which was floating in the sky. There was an abode of immortals inside. It was dark. Suddenly someone said, "Tianmeng seems to be in huge trouble."


    "Let''s not be bothered with this. I still owe his Senior Apprentice-Sister a favor," another voice spoke.


    "Hmph, Second Senior Apprentice-Sister, if it''s not Tianmeng''s fault this time, I will definitely teach him a lesson without considering about you," the third voice spoke.


    The three voices were all of the females.


    The first voice said, "The reincarnation of Yuan Jun is here to experience the trial. The remaining should just be following the flow. It has been pretty dead for the past thousand years. It''s time for a refreshing change."


    "Eldest Senior Apprentice-Sister, what you said is so true," Second Apprentice-Sister laughed softly.


    After a soft hum, the place went back to silence.


    Shen Lian did not know about it. Now, he had followed female Daoist in yellow to an attic. There was a gaze that fell on him from the attic.

 Chapter 265 Determination

    Shen Lian had felt the gaze of a lot of people, some had bad intentions; some were cold, and some were loving.


    This gaze, however, was not something he expected.


    The gaze was considered the reflection of the spirit and for a detail-oriented expert, one could detect a lot of things. As this gaze fell on him, Shen Lian could not describe how he felt. It was like there was rain falling on him, but he did not experience the wet or coldness that came with it.


    The courtyard was refined. The attic was on the side, and underneath it was fake mountain and flowing water. It was a work of art.


    Qi of vitality was almost present. The sound of the flowing water could be heard, and everything was ultimately intended to highlight how extraordinary the lady in the attic was. She was like the whole of the courtyard, who germinated and bloomed, and naturally became the most beautiful item here.


    Her hair was made into a bun and was adorned with an emerald-green jade hairpin. The long dress was a mixture of white and green. She looked noble but at the same time otherworldly.


    Seeing her was just like being in a dream that one would not want to wake up from.


    Shen Lian lifted his head, and his eyes were filled with killing intent which appeared all in a sudden to pierce through the dream.


    "Where is my niece?" Shen Lian spoke softly.


    He looked calm like an unmoving rock, but who knew what sort of power he was gathering in his heart deep down which would soon to be exploded. "Ruoxi is the reincarnation of Yuan Jun. Do you know what that means?" Fairy Tianmeng knocked on the railing, which let out a crisp sound.


    Shen Lian spoke nothing, but in reality, he was summoning his true form. He had decided to leave with Ruoxi no matter what.


    Fairy Tianmeng did not know it was only Shen Lian''s clone that was present. Shen Lian''s Tongtian Skill could hide even the breath. The thunder technique that he used to break the formation was in fact just thunder talismans. All of these caused Fairy Tianmeng to underestimate Shen Lian.


    She still did not want to have beef with Shen Lian, as ultimately she did not get along well with the three elders, and her decision to cultivate the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu was not agreed upon. Without the help of immortal Zhenren, to keep Shen Lian here was a difficult task.


    "Last time Taisu Yuan Jun killed Zhu Jiuyin, the Candle Dragon, who occupied the north and left the Dao meaning here, which was then inherited by our Grandmaster. From there, the Taisu techniques were born. The aurora outside the sect was also born out of Zhu Jiuyin''s remains. The Grandmaster made use of it and laid down the formation. Taisu Yuan Jun was the supreme presence among the thousand stars. Even in front of Daoist master or Buddha, he did not need to be punctilious. After she killed Zhu Jiuyin, she hid among the depth of the stars. However, as she did not obtain the successful Daoist result as a Daoist master or Buddha, hence she needed to divide her divine thoughts into multiple universe and experience ten thousand trials to achieve the Daoist result. These clones that were experiencing the trials were hence known as the reincarnation. Ruoxi was one of them. Before her, there was two more reincarnations of Yuan Jun in our sect. After going through the trials, they disappeared. I am not going through the detail of the previous generations. I just want to tell you that regardless of Ruoxi''s cultivation stages, they will all end in vain."


    Fairy Tianmeng told the story of this secret extensively. There were only the two of them in the courtyard.


    Shen Lian said, "So are you done?"


    Fairy Tianmeng gazed at Shen Lian and they exchanged sights. There seemed to be a ripple in between the space �C one could observe the tension between the two.


    She continued, "If she cultivates the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu successfully, she will then become one with me and cut off the connection with Taisu Yuan Jun. At the very least, she will not disappear into thin air, and her memories and emotions will remain. If you don''t make things difficult for me, I can help you combat the pressure coming from Guangqing. This is the biggest compromise I am able to make."


    Shen Lian knew there were some secret techniques that could form independent incarnations. Other than Fairy Tianmeng''s the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, among Xuanmen there was another mysterious technique known as Chop into Three �C it could form three independent incarnations. It was a very powerful technique.


    If one could get rid of the psychological factors, one could indeed treat these incarnations as an independent human.


    He did not doubt the sincerity of Fairy Tianmeng.


    But he said, "I will take her with me."


    "You do know that even if you bring her away, there is no stopping once one begins with the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu," Tianmeng sighed. She did not understand what Shen Lian was holding on to. In front of Dao, not to mention blood relatives, even if parents were to become an obstacle to enlightenment, one could get rid of them.


    Those who claimed that there were no unfaithful or non-filial celestials surely had never seen celestials before. For the years that cultivators got to live, emotions were something that would wear off until nothing was left.


    Shen Lian started to laugh. He flicked his finger and a sword ray flew out.


    Tianmeng took a turn and allowed the sword ray to pierce through the attic.


    The killing vibes could shoot through the sky.


    Ziyue and the like who were standing by went pale, they could not help but say, "We perhaps can''t do anything here. We should get the three chamber masters and the Doyens."


    The female Daoist in yellow shook her head, "We just need to lay down the killing formation here. I''ve already asked someone to go."


    There were about a hundred of them, and the ones with the lowest experience had at least reached Ruhua. The female Daoist in yellow and Ziyue were in Huandan. Each of them defended a position and by aligning Qi, they enclosed the courtyard to prevent Shen Lian from escaping.


    Fairy Tianmeng, to others in the palace, she was like Goddess. All of them were not afraid that she would lose, but with the killing vibes that were going through the roof, they could not help but feel a bit worried.


    They were all anxiously waiting for the Doyens and the three chamber masters to arrive.


    They had never seen anyone who dared to come so close to the core of Taisu Sect with such arrogance. They lost their composure.


    Even though up to a hundred people laid down the killing formation, the killing vibes were not comparable to Shen Lian''s in the courtyard.


    It could be because Taisu Sect was the top in the north. Even though they tried to temper the students, they were mostly proud, and had never really experienced any failures.


    Among all the Daoist sects in the world, as long as the sect was slightly more powerful, they would all have the same problem. Besides, the intention to cultivate was mostly for immortality. As long as the sect was not in such a bad situation, there were not many who spent too much time in killing techniques.


    Furthermore, even if one was successful in a swift and fierce technique, if the opponent was at a higher level with more mana, the technique would not be that useful.


    Ultimately as they were all of the same sect and the same origin, by combining the Qi of a hundred people, they began to consolidate even though they were initially affected by the killing vibes in the courtyard.


    There came a few more female Daoists with deeper mana from far and they were all the core of Taisu Sect and had at least the level of Huandan. The number kept increasing.


    They surrounded the place. The techniques and the divine lights in the courtyard lit up the Daoist palace with different colors. Shen Lian''s sword aura was ever changing with the divine intention which was kept at one single thought. There were several elderly masters watching from afar. They all could not help but began to spectate. They thought to themselves about how good a swordsman he was.


    They were all pretty relaxed as the Hall Master had the Xuan level of mana and with the others setting up the formation, they did not think Shen Lian had a chance to escape.


    Half a day had gone by within the blink of an eye. The night came, but the battle between Shen Lian and Fairy Tianmeng was flashing with divine lights. All the Taisu methods were at her disposables and they all felt fortunate for the opportunity. They were able to overcome their previous difficulties in some of the techniques.


    They all could tell Fairy Tianmeng was better and had the dominance in the battle. The sword ray of Shen Lian began to weaken.


    In reality, Yang Miaoyun had returned to the palace and was walking on the dark path. There was nobody beside her, but she was signaling in the void with this line, "I will bring you to where the Hall Master stays. Regardless of whether you find your niece, please leave soon."

 Chapter 266 The Qi Could Swallow Mountain and River

    Shen Lian''s voice spoke to her heart, "Let''s go."


    The voice seemed to have an irresistible charm. After Yang Miaoyun heard it, she could not even have the idea to turn it down and hence she kept walking. Most people in the palace was attracted to the battle. Furthermore, as she was the student of the palace, she could avoid most restrictions. As such, she had no trouble reaching the Hall Master''s residence.


    There was a long corridor in front of her. She stopped as the long corridor was set up with the Nine Continuous Rhythms Restriction. She did not know how to break in.


    From her body, a puddle of blood and flesh was extended and then turned into Shen Lian. It was a shapeshifting method under Tiangang Thirty-Six Technique. Shen Lian hid underneath her clothes and managed to deceive everyone.


    Looking at Shen Lian, Yang Miaoyun displayed affection. Shen Lian sighed and with the swing of his arm, Yang Miaoyun fainted. The reason why she was so obedient to bring her all the way to Fairy Tianmeng''s residence was because Shen Lian had planted the Curse of Love after he spotted the weakness in her heart.


    The pre-condition for the Curse of Love to work was for Yang Miaoyun to have some affection for him. Then it would be expanded infinitely, which then turned into love and with that, he could then control the person. Even though it was considered a Daoist technique, if the situation did not call for it, it was not something Shen Lian would like to use.


    Even though he felt sorry, he hoped that as time went by, the influence of the curse would be less.


    Since Fairy Tianmeng seemed to care about Ruoxi so much, it was only natural for her to keep her by her side. For an ordinary student like Yang Miaoyun to not know anything about Ruoxi further proved his point.


    The reincarnation of Yuan Jun and the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu were none of his concern. He only wanted to bring Ruoxi out of this place.


    The Nine Continuous Rhythms Restriction were connected at every link.


    With Shen Lian''s power, he too wasted some time to get through the long corridor. He figured that his incarnation could at most hold up for another ten minutes.


    Luckily Fairy Tianmeng had an advantage against the incarnation, and hence as she intentionally wanted to demonstrate the techniques of Taisu to the students, she did not use her full power to destroy the incarnation.


    If not, Shen Lian could not find a chance to sneak in before the battle ended.


    Fairy Tianmeng''s ego had clouded her judgment. As she was able to toy with one of the most talented cultivators in a thousand years like Shen Lian, she was getting full of herself and had the idea of playing a cat and rat game.


    After he went past the long corridor, he now stood in front a white jade stone door. When Shen Lian broke open the door, Fairy Tianmeng was shocked. She looked coldly at the incarnation of Shen Lian and said, "I''ve underestimated you."


    The incarnation smiled, and the four phenomena of wind, thunder, water, and fire exploded. He used up all the remaining mana. The effect was shocking and took all the students who were setting up the killing formation by surprise. They did not expect him to use mana for a self-explosion.


    As the smoke dispersed, there was no remaining of Shen Lian.


    Fairy Tianmeng was so angry, she started laughing. She did not believe she had fallen into Shen Lian''s tricks.


    The incarnation talisman was the technique of the celestials and Buddha. Even an immortal Zhenren could hardly tell the difference, let alone Tianmeng. Fairy Tianmeng felt some remorse, but before she even got to explain, she turned into a ray and arrived at the stoned room for retreat in seconds.


    Shen Lian at that moment was carrying Ruoxi in one hand and was exiting as a ray. When he saw Tianmeng Fairy, he flicked his finger and it was the Milky Way Sword Aura �C the illusionary Milky Way appeared and they were coming in like an endless wave.


    Fairy Tianmeng sneered and she swung her arm. The sunset mist appeared and as if a fire was burning the cloud, the illusionary Milky Way was lit up. The mana reversed the Milky Way and it was going towards Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian frowned and thought that the mana of Tianmeng was indeed fierce.


    The three powerful female Daoists that followed suit had such strong mana, they were not below Huang Longzi. As the three''s spiritual power consolidated according to the position of Heaven, Earth, and Human, it had the ability to turn the world over.


    If the three enclosed him, Shen Lian needed not to wait for the immortal Zhenren to take action. He could not possibly escape either.


    The three were Chamber Master Zisu, Chamber Master Baisu, and Chamber Master Huangsu.


    Shen Lian simply allowed the illusionary Milky Way to come his way and knock into his back. Relying on this impact, his speed was increased to a multifold. He felt the unstable circulation of mana in his acupoints. He was a bit annoyed because he was slightly injured.


    As Chamber Master Zisu saw Shen Lian intend to escape, a purple sword pierced through the sky, coming out from her sleeves and heading straight to Shen Lian.


    At the same time, Chamber Master Huangsu brought on her sword, which carried the ever-circulating Qi of Huangyun. She attacked along with Chamber Master Zisu, one from the left and one from the right.


    Chamber Master Baisu took out her jade and threw it towards Shen Lian with a tour-de-force power.


    The three masters attacked at the same time and it was even more dangerous than his battle with Yanxu the last time.


    Shen Lian moved around in the sky like a ghost. It was hard to predict the direction he was moving. He walked in the void with mysterious, illogical Dao patterns but he managed to dodge the purple sword.


    It was hard to avoid the sword ray as it became one with the jade. They went through the void and led to an undulation that could turn the world around. One would think that Shen Lian would have no chance of survival.


    Shen Lian was still carrying Ruoxi steadily. He managed to break through the combined attack like a trail of smoke. He avoided the combined attack of the three masters within inches.


    It was definitely not because of serendipity, but more because of how much better Shen Lian was in his cultivation. It was the reason why he managed to spot an opportunity within inches.


    However, his brows were still tied, as his crisis was not resolved.


    Now he needed to get out of this encirclement quickly. Else, if he was trapped by the three masters and Fairy Tianmeng, regardless of how powerful his spirit was, or how he was able to determine the circulation of spiritual opportunity and survived in between deaths, he would not be able to escape the ending of being defeated.


    Fairy Tianmeng''s dress was flowing. She let out an aura of being non-existent as if she had become one with the heaven and earth. The flowing Dao rhythm and the clouds surrounding her body made her look unlike a cultivator''s, but a celestial from Nine Heavens.


    She was unreachable, and beyond the secular mortal world.


    With the blast of a Dao formula, an extremely bright divine light approached fiercely. The light could cover the sky and the sun with no sympathy, like how the laws of heaven were unbreachable.


    It was Taisu Sect''s Palm of Triple Yin �C it carried the meaning of Taiyin, Shaoyin and Jue yin. It had no weakness, and with the force of mana, one could not escape.


    While Shen Lian had Taixu Strategy, he was too shocked by how powerful her mana was. Since he began cultivating, he had never seen anyone who had yet to reach the level of immortal Zhenren had such mana.


    That was the reason why Taisu Sect could conquer the whole of the north and no sect ever managed to take it off the position. Its techniques took a different path �C although they were for women, the mana was forceful.


    If it was a one-on-one, Shen Lian had many tricks up his sleeves for this, but for him, the most important thing was to leave this place.


    His empty hand was moving at an unimaginable speed and making detailed but profound seals. It was what he learned at Taiwei Pavilion, known as the Mark of Mountains and Rivers. If it was used by the founder, the Qi could have swallowed mountains and rivers. It could even have an effect on Daoist Dengfeng''s Taiyue Real Shape Incantation.


    While Shen Lian was not as good as the founder, but as the seal was formed, his essence, Qi, and spirit were suddenly lifted. The mana of Taixu was turned into two streams of Qi �C mountain and water. The pressure that was formed was as if celestials or Buddha had arrived.


    It was the benefit that he gained from forcefully understanding the meaning of Dharma from the forty immortal Zhenren. He could imitate the Qi of immortal Zhenren and awe the opponent via the heart.


    Unfortunately, he could not use it against Yanxu, and there was none in the world that knew the secret method of the heart better than him.

 Chapter 267 Tianyin Transformation

    The disciples of Taisu Sect thought Shen Lian looked young and weak. However, this was the same person who escaped the combined attacks of the three Chamber Masters through a wave of his illusionary Milky Way. After forming the Mark of Mountains and Rivers, his aura started to spike to its pinnacle; it was as though the demonic god himself had fallen into this world.


    The Mark of Mountains and Rivers soared towards the sky and split the divine light from Fairy Tianmeng''s Palm of Triple Yin into half. The amazing Qi strength capable of swallowing up the mountains and rivers swept across almost everything.


    The Qi of heaven and earth started brewing and was reaching its boiling point. The killing vibes filled the air, and the unsettling sound of explosion spread outwards. The sound wave was extremely terrifying, and a few disciples of the Taisu Sect who had a low level of cultivation had fainted.


    Right at this moment, Ruoxi woke up. There was confusion on her cute little face. However, when she realized that she was looking at Shen Lian, she was felt happy and yet was lost.


    "Ruoxi, I will bring you home," Shen Lian sighed.


    Shen Lian had always lacked in fearlessness, and it was only now that he understood why the old Daoist at Taiwei Pavilion showed him the dream of a caterpillar that never breaks through the cocoon and failed to turn into a butterfly. Of course, the old Daoist was trying to speed up his awakening; though, he was unable to truly break through his cocoon.


    Now that he was in the state of Powang, he finally noticed all of the whims that he was caught in. He realized that these were not merely passing clouds and smoke that was not worth mentioning. Instead, he was constantly surrounded by them. What he thought was right might be wrong; he thought that his heart was still as water, and yet there was a sense of high pursuits within him that had not been expressed yet.


    He came to Taisu Sect to rescue Ruoxi, and at the same time, he wanted to throw himself into a true trial. Under the extreme pressure, he wanted to see if he could feel the edge of Celestialism and to feel the path of immortality.


    This was not the proper way of training. It would only take one miscalculation for him to be trapped in the treacherous inescapable abyss. What he was doing now was unlike him.


    However, he was short on time. If he could not attain Dao in a speedy manner, he would not be able to deal with the pressure that followed.


    This was the same reason why Chen Jianmei refused to return to the mountains. He wanted to see speedy improvement by pitting his swordcraft against the world.


    If any one of them managed to attain Dao, the difficulty faced by Qing Xuan would be eased slightly. Only then, Qing Xuan would be able to shake off the label of a declining sect.


    All of the sneaky tactics and efforts would be futile when faced with absolute power.


    Moreover, he had always been worried about the five immortal Zhenrens of Guangqing. However, Daoist Dengfeng was the only one who actually plotted something against Qing Xuan. Besides their intention to be part of the four main Daoist sects, it was unclear what else did they have in mind.


    All these shrouded over Shen Lian''s heart like an inerasable shadow. He felt as though he was walking on wire. To be honest, even after taking care of Huang Longzi, he was still in a disadvantageous position. For reasons unknown, Guangqing had not retaliated yet.


    Shen Lian was troubled by these emotions. All of the pressure that he had been shouldering was released in the manner of ''Qi that swallowed mountains and rivers''.


    The actual clash was not ending anytime soon. Fairy Tianmeng noticed that Shen Lian''s Qi dynamic was akin to that of a Celestial, and she was surprised by the fact that he managed to overcome her Palm of Triple Yin. However, it was impossible for Shen Lian to take someone like her out merely by mimicking the Qi dynamic of an immortal Zhenren.


    A black pipa with silver strings appeared in her hands and she started plucking the strings. The moment she started playing on the pipa, a fierce beast was birthed. This was the ''Tianyin Transformation'' of the Taisu Sect. It could turn a sound wave into fierce beasts of the wild and was a miraculous supernatural power.


    Ever since Fairy Tianmeng became the Hall Master, she had never used it against an enemy.


    The melody was soothing, and the murderous intent filled the air. There were ripples in the air, as though it was stirred by the sound wave. The fierce beast leaped over and Ruoxi was shivering. She did not understand why her Master was acting like that.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was cold, and sword gleam manifested out of his eyes. The Deity Vanquishing Sword was unleashed without mercy. This strength of this technique depended on the user''s spirit, the stronger the user''s spirit was, the stronger the technique would be. Despite that, the usage would be detrimental to both the user and the opponent, but Shen Lian did not have time to think about that now.


    The two beam of sword gleam killed the beast instantly, and Fairy Tianmeng''s spiritual consciousness within it was wiped out as well. The control of the spiritual consciousness was at the core of this technique, without which, the Tianyin Transformation would crumble instantly.


    Both of them exchanged several moves. Within moments, they had used frightening techniques against each other without hesitation.


    If it was not for the fact that Shen Lian was carrying Ruoxi, Fairy Tianmeng would have utilized all of the secret techniques she had at her disposal. Even if she had to lose ten over years of mana, she would have taken Shen Lian down just to blow off some steam.


    The pretty young man who stood before her, he bore a striking similarity to the man from two hundred years ago.


    Her hatred was so intense that she almost lost control of herself.


    Shen Lian regained calmness after his expression. He latched onto the opening in Fairy Tianmeng''s heart that was not supposed to be there. He had a sixty percent chance of utilizing this opening to take Fairy Tianmeng down. He planned to magnify the opening and eventually obtain victory against her.


    However, he was in the lion''s den now. There were three experts standing next to him and were waiting for their chance to pound on him. He had no chance to utilize the opening.


    The three Chamber Masters of Zisu, Huangsu, Baisu had joined their Qi dynamic. There were three High Clouds - purple cloud, yellow cloud, and white cloud hovering above their heads respectively. The clouds showed signs of merging.


    The Qi dynamic was overpowering, and it threatened to crumble Shen Lian into powder.


    Shen Lian made a decisive move. He covered Ruoxi''s eyes and his entire body started shivering.


    He utilized the rest of his Ice Light and his aura changed completely. His face was frosty, and the air in front of him was frozen. He emitted scary killing vibes, and he was just on the other side of his founding master, Fairy Ziling �C Qing Xiao.


    His piercing aura seemed as though it was ready to break the world into half. It was so sharp and piercing that the moment it was unsheathed, everything in the world would be sliced apart.


    Taixu Strategy contained the Dao of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. Fairy Ziling had taken after Yin and Yang, which was why at the pinnacle of her cultivation, her nature was divided into half as Yin side and Yang side.


    The Dao of Yin Yang intertwined with the Dao of the world; it was abstruse and was an endless path.


    However, it was impossible to ensure that one stuck to one''s nature. If Shen Lian were to do as Ziling, it was likely that he would have a split personality as well. He might not even be able to master the Yin side and the Yang side of the Taixu divine Qi and ended up bring trouble upon himself.


    At this moment, he took advantage of the Ice Light and mimicked the Qing Xiao''s killing vibes. With Qing Xiao''s absolute killing vibes, he wanted to break through before the three Chamber Masters managed to join their forces.


    Otherwise, when these three managed to join their High Clouds as one, he would be constantly subjected to it. Even if he decided to escape then, the Qi dynamic would trail after him like his own shadow. If he was unfortunate, he would receive an impact from the bond of the Qi dynamic and would have no chance of escaping forever.


    The frost took over and the area within a thousand feet turned into an ice field. Instead of defending, Shen Lian chose to advance. He raised his sword and charged at the three Chamber Masters.

 Chapter 268 Putting Oneself in an Impossible Situation

    Xuande Sword was made out of merit, and it had the Fire of Nirvana. When Shen Lian combined the sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing within it, it was as though the sword had gained spirituality. The sword flew through the air and charged at the three Chamber Masters.


    The sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing contained the most vicious killing vibes in the world. When they were pointed at by the long sword, the three Chamber Masters could not help but shiver from within their spirits. It was as if they were stared at by a venomous snake and felt immense danger.


    Moreover, the ice field created by the Ice Light had dulled the three Chamber Masters'' mana, making them slow to react.


    Shen Lian was trying to take advantage of the change in Qi dynamic. He did not intend to injure his enemies, but he wanted to at least deter them from helping Fairy Tianmeng. Taisu Sect had plenty of experts, but those whom Shen Lian saw as a threat were no other than the Chamber Masters of Baisu, Zisu, and Huangsu. Each of them was more than capable of being his opponent. With Fairy Tianmeng at her peak, it was difficult for him to rival her.


    Despite that, he seemed to have the upper hand during the few exchanges, but he knew that the moment he made a mistake and let the battle dragged on, the four of them would be able to put their full force into the battle. If that happened, he would be damned.


    The long sword made contact with the three High Clouds; it was as though sparks had fallen into a pot of oil and the clouds exploded.


    Shen Lian froze the three Chamber Masters with his sword will and he slowed them down with the Ice Light. His trump card was the Fire of Nirvana that set the High Clouds on fire, which led to the explosion.


    The sounds were loud, and there was no time to waste in the exchange this time. Fairy Tianmeng was angered as she was charging up one of her supernatural powers. However, the explosion of the High Clouds was as good as an attack, and she had to protect herself with the Protective Light. She diverted the divine light that she was planning to attack Shen Lian with in order to cancel out the explosion and to protect the Taisu disciples.


    Shen Lian made the perfect calculation. In spite of the fresh blood coming out of his mouth, he reversed at the speed of lightning.


    However, there were unforeseen changes. The air seemed to be locked down by an intangible force. Shen Lian felt as though he was moving amidst mud, and his movements were sluggish.


    An old woman appeared in the sky. She had a head full of white hair, and her hair danced along with the wind as though they were the falling snow. She held a crutch that was engraved with the head of a dragon. The dragon''s eyes were half closed, and it looked strikingly real.


    Slowly, she walked down from the sky. All of the Taisu disciples bowed respectfully to her. Even the three Chamber Masters and Fairy Tianmeng showed respect to her too.


    The old woman looked old, but her voice was clear and freed of impurities. She coughed and spoke, "Young man, you have created quite a commotion and disturbed me. As your punishment, you will stay in this mountain and face the wall to reflect on what you did for ten years. This is to ensure that everyone knows Taisu Sect is not a place for just anyone to throw their tantrums."


    Shen Lian had acted out of line, and she could not help herself but interfere. Not even both of her Senior Apprentice-Sisters could stop her now.


    "Taisu Sect had taken my niece as a hostage, why shouldn''t I come looking for her?" Shen Lian smiled coldly.


    "She is fated to come to Taisu Sect, what is this talk about abducting her. Please respect yourself. Otherwise, I would have to show you some colors in spite of my respect for your elders," the old woman replied.


    She spoke with seniority, as though she was in the right.


    Shen Lian remained alerted. This old woman had attained immortality, and it would not benefit him to clash directly against her. It seemed that she was aware of his identity as well. It was just that she did not want to expose him.


    However, Shen Lian was not about to be captured by her and remained in Taisu Sect for ten years.


    Having an immortal Zhenren to intervene would be the worst case scenario. If he did not know that Ruoxi was about to be turned into an incarnation, he would not have reacted so strongly. There was no turning back.


    The only way to escape would be through that method.


    "I have heard that all three elders of Taisu have endless mana. I wonder which one are you?" Shen Lian remained casual and calm even when faced with an immortal Zhenren. The three Chamber Masters were impressed by his composure. They thought, regardless of his origin, he was destined for greatness. That was if he could make his way out of here today.


    Fairy Tianmeng was annoyed, and Shen Lian was not the reason why. It was the appearance of the Elder. The moment she appeared, she controlled the conversation and that made Fairy Tianmeng uncomfortable. When she had attained immortality and success in her cultivation, she swore to let her know who the Sect Master of Taisu was.


    "Amongst the three of us, I ranked last. My mana could not be considered as endless, but it would be sufficient for me to give you some pointers." The old woman was not harsh with her words, but her tone was commanding.


    Indeed, she was undoubtedly capable. As an immortal Zhenren, she could be considered as a powerful individual in the world. There were plenty of sects that could not even produce one or two immortal Zhenren since they were founded.


    "Alright, I will be sure to remember this. However, I have my own methods and I do not need the guidance of others. Perhaps in the future, there will be an opportunity for me to host you as my guest. I can afford to provide you a comfortable life for eight or ten years, so there is no need for you to face the wall and suffer," Shen Lian replied casually. His tone was proud and egoistic, which took all of the Taisu disciples by surprise. They wondered if this person was crazy, to think that he had the guts to speak in this manner to Elder!


    "What a strong willed person you are, but I''m angry now," the old woman laughed.


    On her last word, she imposed immense pressure on Shen Lian. The pressure was worse than the combined power of the three Chamber Masters. Shen Lian found it hard to breathe.


    He remained calm. Despite that he was tainted by the bloodstains from earlier, he behaved as though nothing had happened.


    With a gentle wave of her crutch, a current with the shape of dragon flowed over.


    It was not only the mana within it that was strong. The Meaning of Dharma within it was tenacious as well. The dragon-shaped current seemed to have come into life. It was as though a real dragon was birthed, and it could command rain and wind with its roars. The power it created could overcome all sorts of demonic gods.


    Shen Lian knew that this was the most powerful part about immortal Zhenrens. They could merge the laws of nature with their Dao. Even when they used their supernatural powers casually, it would still be immensely powerful and could turn what was impossible into possible.


    Just as how Mister Sea attacked Jinguang Temple back then, he had used the light of the water to create a flood, rendering thousands of cultivators helpless and powerless.


    At their level, normal cultivators were nothing more than ants.


    Their life had reached another level, and they were in control of the laws of nature. They could easily move mountains and seas to pass judgment on behalf of the Heavens.


    The space seemed to have turned into a layer of paper, and it was merely fluttering helplessly against the dragon-shaped Qi strength. The dragon was unstoppable, and it was right in front of Shen Lian. It was ready to shred him into pieces and would not stop until it has accomplished its purpose.


    Shen Lian could feel a strand of sword gleam that was dormant in the depths of his spirit. He cleared his mind of worries and immersed himself in the highest state of concentration in The Mastery of Senses. The nameless deity held a jade Ruyi and appeared quietly in the spirit sea within Shen Lian''s heart.


    Shen Lian had to anger the old woman in order for her to force him into a near-death state. That was the only way that he could try to make the nameless deity utilize the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura buried in the depths of his spirit.


    This was the biggest gamble Shen Lian had taken since he had started cultivating Dao. It was also a test.


    If he lost, he would lose everything. Though, he was already at the end of his wits.


    It was time for something different.

 Chapter 269 The Trapping of Celestial Virtual Shadow

    The dragon-shaped Qi was closing into Shen Lian at unimaginable speed; it was ready to destruct Shen Lian, and the air was nothing more than a piece of paper for it to tear across.


    At that moment, all of the Taisu disciples held their breath. In fact, they felt sorry for Shen Lian �C what a waste of talent!


    Unless the person had a grudge against Shen Lian, no one could bear to see someone as charming as Shen Lian disappear from the world.


    As for Shen Lian, time seemed to be passing painstakingly slow. His heart was clear, and he could feel the external space boundaries being shattered layer by layer. It was alternating between fast and slow speed, but the Qi strength that shattered through the air could clearly be felt in his heart.


    The nameless deity finally showed its true face in the moment of life and death. This was the first time Shen Lian managed to see his appearance. He had the appearance of a twenty-year-old. Though, unlike Shen Lian''s gentle physical appearance, the deity looked handsome and strong. However, his eyes gave off the vibes of annihilation. The vibes were neutralized by the peacefulness emitted by the jade Ruyi he held in his hand.


    Shen Lian noticed that he was holding a string of beads in his other hand. Though, Shen Lian could not see it clearly as the edges of the deity was still blurry.


    As though it heard Shen Lian''s summon, the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura buried deep in his spirit appeared in his heart. The sword gleam painted his heart red, and the killing vibes were so strong that it triumphed over the sea of blood in the Nine Underworlds that he saw in Grandmaster Yuanqing''s memories.


    When the dragon-shaped Qi finally reached Shen Lian, the virtual shadow of a sword hung above quietly.


    The body of the sword was blood-red, and the red light filled the world immediately.


    The red light reached every single spot in the area, and even the old woman was shocked. "Congenital Killing Sword," she yelped.


    Even though it was merely a virtual shadow, but its breath was constantly impacting her mind and spirit. She felt fear welling up from the bottom of her heart. Within the blood light, it was as though countless demons and deities were roaring and shivering. As if since time immemorial, there were plenty of strong people like her who had fallen under its power.


    The sword gleam was not powerful enough to destroy the world, but the impact that it had on her heart and soul was more intense than its actual power. This was the first time that she felt so frightened ever since she had attained Dao.


    At the same time, all seven of Shen Lian''s orifices points were bleeding, and the color seemed whitish-silver.


    The fresh blood that flowed out of him was the essence of his Qi and blood, which was why it was in the color of mercury. This was not strange at all. When an advanced cultivator of Qi had attained Dan Dao, his physical mortal body would start to undergo changes, and his body structure would evolve towards that of a Celestial.


    In the words of Daoist scriptures on the cultivation of Qi, this would be "Qi and blood akin to Dan Gong, Baodan and become whole".


    These previous Qi and blood were forced out from Shen Lian acupoints after he his body was made to withstand pressure beyond its limits.


    He did not let the Qi and blood go to waste. He set them on fire the moment they appeared, and he instilled them into the virtual shadow of Trapping of Celestial Sword. The attack was then directed at the old woman. Shadows swept past and disappeared from Taisu Chamber.


    The virtual shadow from the Trapping of Celestial Sword emitted thousands of blood-red sword gleams and the old woman was buried within it. At the same time, the experts of Taisu Sect were deterred from making a move. After ten over breaths, the disciples of Taisu Sect saw the Elder''s sleeves were turned into shattered butterflies. As it fell from the sky, there were a few visible sword''s marks on the dragon-headed crutch.


    She was overcome by anger and could not say a word. She was frightened and angered. At the same time, she knew that it was all part of an act and the move was not a fatal one. She immediately turned into light and chased after him. However, when she exited the mountain gate and tried to extrapolate Shen Lian''s whereabouts, she could not find anything. This was the power of Shen Lian''s Tongtian Skill. It was impossible for even an immortal Zhenren to predict his whereabouts from the designs of nature.


    She returned back into the sect and found Fairy Tianmeng consoling the disciples with great composure.


    She was slightly annoyed at how calm Fairy Tianmeng was, seeing how she was the one who started the entire thing.


    This had always been her nature. After she had attained immortality, she acted to her whims without boundaries. "Tianmeng, since your disciple is cultivating The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, you definitely are aware of her whereabouts. Tell me about it now," she demanded crudely.


    Tianmeng was polite and she nodded with a smile. "Uncle-Master, please don''t be angry. He used an unknown technique to break my bond with Ruoxi. However, we do know of his origin. The Bier Discourse of Dao was happening in ten over years, it would be a matter of time before we see him again," she said.


    "You are the Sect Master, you get to call the last shot," the old woman replied with a cold smile. When she was done speaking, she left with a wave of her sleeve without so much as glancing at Fairy Tianmeng.


    Even though Fairy Tianmeng had not attained immortality yet, but she was still the Sect Master. Regardless how much the old woman disliked her, she could not well embarrassed her in public. Her Eldest Senior Apprentice-Sister and Second Senior Apprentice-Sister who valued order in the sect would not allow her to usurp the reputation of the Sect Master.


    Fairy Tianmeng''s anger had been appeased by now. Even though Shen Lian could disable the sensory of the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, but the foundation of the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu had been planted within Ruoxi. Even if she did not cultivate it on purpose, the Dao formula would operate on its own. Eventually, Ruoxi would end up being taken over by the divine thoughts that she had planted within her.


    This was a done deal, what Shen Lian could do now was no more than delaying the inevitable.


    However, since Shen Lian was so determined to go against her, she decided to be on better terms with Guangqing. She decided to pick a direct disciple of hers to marry into Guangqing.


    After traveling past several mountains and rivers, Shen Lian finally stopped at a deserted mountain. Right now, there were three Dao talismans being placed on Ruoxi. It was as though she had been overcome by devilry and needed to the protection of the Dao talismans.


    Ruoxi had grown taller as compared to last time. She was almost at Shen Lian''s chest now.


    She bore a striking resemblance to her mother, Shen Ruoxi. On closer inspection, she looked alike to Shen Lian too.


    The bond of blood made an indescribable feeling well up in him, as though suggesting that he was not alone in this world. He felt a bond that could not be put down into words.


    Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He could not help but bend over.


    "Bro�� Uncle, are you okay?" Ruoxi queried.


    Shen Lian did not dare to operate his mana. He knew that his heart meridian had been severely injured. It was not easy to operate the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura after all. At the same time, he felt the sword gleam fading slightly, and what was expended felt like something that was incapable of being regenerated.


    He thought of the Trapping of Celestial, Mastery of Senses, and the handsome and strong deity. Moreover, the sword gleam had the ability to overpower an immortal Zhenren momentarily. Shen Lian could not help but to think of something that he had been avoiding all these while �C could the nameless deity be the Tongtian Leader mentioned in the legends of his previous life?


    Of course, he knew that the likes of supreme almighties went by many different names; Tongtian Leader might be the name given to him in the legends on Earth. Even in the legends on Earth, this name had only appeared in The Investiture of the Gods.


    According to The Investiture of the Gods, this almighty would be a scary character who was capable of reshaping the ground, fire, water, and wind. He could even go as far as changing the world entirely. If he was indeed as described, not even Daoist Master or Buddha could rival him. It might not be a blessing for Shen Lian to cross path with someone as such.


    He noticed that both Taishang Daoist Master and Buddha had appeared in his previous life. Moreover, even the Buddhist scriptures in this world bore a certain similarity to that from Earth in his previous life. It would seem that this world was somehow connected to the Earth he came from.


    Moreover, this was not the first time he noticed a term from his previous life was being used here. In terms of poetry, in the story Ling Chongxiao told him, the poem engraved somewhere in Qing Xuan had appeared on Earth too. However, he had never come across the place described by Ling Chongxiao in his story in Qing Xuan. He did not find anything when he looked through the records in the sect as well. Though, Ling Chongxiao had no reason to lie.


    Shen Lian was convicted that he had not time traveled here out of sheer chance. These thoughts flashed past as Shen Lian soothed his pain. "I''m alright," Shen Lian spoke to Ruoxi.

 Chapter 270 Change

    After seeing Shen Lian for the first time in seven years, Ruoxi felt that Shen Lian was strange and familiar at the same time.


    She took out an almost-transparent jade bottle which contained a red pill at the bottom of it. It gave off a gleam that was similar to a divine snake, and it was slithering within the bottle. It was undoubtedly a pill that could resurrect a dying person.


    Her lotus-white outfit was stained with blood �C it was Shen Lian''s blood.


    It seemed dirty. A normal girl would have been uncomfortable. However, she directed all of her attention on Shen Lian and did not notice the bloodstain on her clothes.


    "Uncle, why don''t you take this elixir? It will make you feel better," she spoke softly with her clear and melodious voice.


    Her eyes were like that of a shallow stream; they were not as innocent as they once were, but there was a hint of determination within them.


    Shen Lian stared at the elixir. He did not need to observe closely to know that it was an elixir prepared by Fairy Tianmeng for Young Ruoxi. She was probably worried that she would be caught in an accident. This showed how important Ruoxi was to Fairy Tianmeng.


    Bringing Ruoxi away was merely the first step. He knew that Fairy Tianmeng would not leave them alone. However, cultivators often fought against fate and destiny. Even if he had made an enemy out of Taisu, it was merely a small bump on the path of cultivation. As long as he could rise in the face of adversity, these struggles would be nothing.


    There was no point in criticising his actions and debating as to whether he was right or in the wrong. He knew that he was not about to ignore the fate of a young girl.


    Perhaps this state of mind was exactly what the Sages described as, "where righteousness is concerned, even hundreds and thousands of people could not stop me".


    After his narrow escape from Taisu, he had stepped completely into the state of Powang. He felt as though his heart and soul had just gone through a baptism. Not only that his combat power had increased, there were some changes to his state of mind too. It was sublimated, just like a cobblestone that had been washed by the river for countless years; it finally shone with its luster at a particular moment where it was hit by the flood. This sharp hint of moral nature would be a decisive factor when he was breaking away from whims.


    However, he did not have the luxury to think so far ahead yet.


    He gently pushed the elixir away. "My injuries are nothing. You should keep the elixir for now. Let''s look for a place to recuperate and I will bring you back to where we should be at," Shen Lian smiled.


    Ruoxi nodded. She was not as cheeky as she once was, and had become more mature now.


    With her intelligence, she made a few realizations. She knew that her Master was not as good as she thought her to be. They had joined forces and harmed her uncle. Moreover, there must be a reason why her uncle insisted on bringing her out.


    Seeing how she kept her questions to herself, she was a lot more mature than Shen Lian had expected.


    Shen Lian rested for a while. He did not want to rush his way back to Qing Xuan, and had decided to look for a place to rest.


    Tongtian Skill was especially helpful in the secular mortal world. The disorganized Qi in the secular mortal world was the perfect shield for Shen Lian to conceal himself away from the calculations of others. It would be hard for anyone to predict his whereabouts.


    Ten days later at a remote village, Shen Lian had changed Ruoxi into a set of new clothing. Even though he was using the common fabrics found in the mortal world, such as cotton, but Ruoxi''s shapely body was becoming obvious underneath the material. She was modest and looked just like a lotus flower that was waiting to bloom. She caught a lot of eyes.


    However, she dealt with the by-passers'' gaze naturally. As she was cultivating The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, her heart was still as water and was without ripples.


    In fact, she had started working on her Dead or Alive point and tried to obtain mana. She began to dabble in the proper state of cultivation.


    The inn was nowhere near the standard of Shen Lian''s "An Inn". However, it had wide windows that allowed plenty of light in. Moreover, Shen Lian was able to observe the streets from his windows. The street was flanked with rows of plane tree on both sides. The streets were clean and neat, and it could be considered as one of the main attraction in the small town.


    The night was dark, and Shen Lian was teaching Ruoxi another incantation on the cultivation of Qi. It was the Shenzu Scripture that he used to cultivate. Seeing how Ruoxi''s meridians were all unblocked, it would not be difficult for her to cultivate it.


    She was breathing in and out evenly at a long tempo. The Qi of heaven and earth shrouded around her, and she was covered in thin layer of mist as though she was a little fairy.


    The night breeze blew in, and the Plane trees swayed in the wind. As though they were making their little nocturne under the moonlight, it was both quiet and peaceful. Shen Lian was thinking hard under the moonlight.


    He cocked his head and looked out. A hint of pleasant scent crept in along with the night breeze, and Shen Lian stared beyond the Plane trees leaves and the river-like moonlight.


    The person who came walked without making so much as a sound. However, the tempo that interfered with the Qi of heaven and earth surfaced in Shen Lian''s heart. It was not filled with killing vibes at all. It was as though a lotus flower was dancing against the wind. Within moments, Zhao Xiaoyu appeared on the streets.


    In a flash, she went the rooftop opposite. Under the moonlight, she was as beautiful and moving as a fairy was.


    Her gentle smile was captivating.


    Shen Lian shifted slightly and went over to the rooftop opposite. The area was quiet, and there were only the both of them and the full moon hanging high up in the sky. The moonlight streamed down gentle the way mercury would.


    "How did you find me?" Shen Lian frowned.


    He had hidden his whereabouts, and not even an immortal Zhenren could track him down. How did Zhao Xiaoyu manage this feat?


    "Don''t forget, there are a lot of ways to search for someone besides utilizing my supernatural powers. The Nine Lotus Order is more influential than you think in the mortal world. Moreover, you didn''t even bother camouflaging when you are in the mortal world, of course, my believers would be able to recognize you," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke as she laughed.


    Shen Lian thought this would be his mistake. He had been away from the mortal world for too long and had ended up missing some of the details. The power of mortals had an important role to play in crucial moments like this.


    However, now that he was aware of this loophole, it would not take much to patch it back up.


    Despite that Taiwu Sect being the holy land of the north, its influence would not reach all of the mortals. On the other hand, Nine Lotus Order was able to extend their claws to the roots and made the people as their eyes and ears. In fact, some deities who attained the Shen celestial path were able to know everything there was in the world through their believers.


    "I have overlooked this," Shen Lian replied.


    "Dear Chief Shen, you are quite the character aren''t you? To think that you have entered Taisu Sect as though it was a deserted land and even abducted Fairy Tianmeng''s closest direct disciple! With your desperate sword aura and your dauntless bravery, not even the combined power of the Three Elders of Taisu could make you stay. You have made quite a name for yourself," Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.


    "Please don''t tell me that you believed these rumors. The Three Elders of Taisu have been immortal Zhenrens for the longest time and are honored as land immortals. Do you honestly think that I can come out alive if they have joined forces? I''m not Lu Jiuyuan," Shen Lian smiled.


    "I''m just joking. Even knowing that you were going to rescue your niece from Taisu Sect around this time and the description from my sources matches you, I still couldn''t believe that you are the person they described. However, I did not make this rumor up. It is just that no one knows that the person was, in fact, you, Shen Lian. Most have guessed that this was a revenge of a supreme master celestial of sword on Taisu Sect," Zhao Xiaoyu replied. Seeing how the person described by the rumors was Shen Lian indeed, even if the Three Elders of Taisu did not join forces, she was curious as to how Shen Lian managed to make his way out from Taisu Sect and rescued his niece.

 Chapter 271 Tianxiang Order

    Shen Lian saw Zhao Xiaoyu''s expression and immediately knew what she was thinking. "I made it out by chance. If I were to do it all over, I have no confidence that I can bring her out either," Shen Lian replied softly.


    Shen Lian turned to look at Young Ruoxi. She was like a little fairy and had no idea that a powerful lady was right outside.


    "The fact that you can do what you did; it was already an unimaginable feat. If you could not attain Dao, then most immortal Zhenrens in the world would not be able to as well," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled softly.


    "There is no need for comparison as such. The end game is still attaining Dao, regardless of the process, if one could not attain immortality means one simply could not. There is no purpose in saying that oneself triumphed over the predecessors who attained Dao," Shen Lian shook his head and replied. He was frank. He knew that he made it to where he was now partially by chance and partly by his own effort. Between success and failure, how could one claim that one had attained the supreme Dao and had lived a full life unless and until one was at the endpoint of cultivation?


    "I think you have changed. You are more determined in your pursuance of Dao now, and you are seeing yourself in a clearer light. Your awareness seemed to have heightened after you stepped into the state of Powang and have since gained a different perspective on life. To be honest, I have always been impressed by this aspect of you. Regardless of whether it was intentional or accidental, you have always managed to positively influence your pursuance of Dao without needing a steel heart of Dao," she spoke candidly.


    "Perhaps you are right. Anyway, you didn''t come here this late at night just to say these to me. What are you here for?" Shen Lian spoke.


    "Why can''t I visit you without any reason?" Zhao Xiaoyu replied with depression.


    Her expression changed immediately, and there were hints of sadness on her beautiful face. Even a heart of steel would have been melted by this sight.


    Shen Lian could only marvel at her level of cultivation. Coupled with her beauty, she was really taking a toll on him. He had to exercise self-restraint in order to maintain his composure.


    "I am really happy that you are finally acknowledging my beauty. Otherwise, I would be in constant self-doubt every time I see you," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled.


    "Xiaoyu, sometimes it is unwise for a woman to be too smart," Shen Lian sighed. This woman was observant and enjoyed great influence. She had also taken a liking to him. Despite being enemies in the beginning, Shen Lian could no longer find a reason to hate her now.


    "When I''m with you, I''m nowhere near being smart. Otherwise, why would I be losing every time?" Zhao Xiaoyu smiled.


    "I have requested for your help to obtain the honorable title of Daluo Saintess during the Daluo Devotion Ceremony. You have promised to help. Are you going to take that back?" She spoke with a serious tone.


    "That''s in four years time, isn''t it?," Shen Lian replied.


    "Yes, but Luoism has many different branches. I have to conquer a few branches that are capable of revolting against me in order to secure a greater advantage. Moreover, your ability to mask your aura is unrivaled in this world. It would not be hard for you to change your look completely, and it would not be too much of a hassle for you either. Since you are going back to Qing Xuan, how about doing me a small favor? As a reward, I will impart some skills unto this little girl. Even though the Nine Lotus Order could not compare to the intricacies of the Dao techniques of Qing Xuan, but there are some crooked ways that might be of great help to her in the future. After all, you cannot be protecting her for the rest of her life, right?" Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.


    "Tell me the details; I might be able to help out for a bit. However, don''t have great hopes for me. Even though I have stepped into the state of Powang now, but I am also suffering from serious injuries," Shen Lian spoke with a low voice.


    "You are injured? Why can''t I tell at all?" Zhao Xiaoyu replied in shock.


    "If you could tell that I''m injured, I would not have made it through all these days," Shen Lian replied softly. His injuries were not something that could be healed by even the most miraculous elixir. A hint of killing vibes remained in his body when the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura exploded in him. The nameless deity could not be operated unless it was a moment of life and death, and the only way he could deal with this hint of killing vibes was by eliminating it bit by bit with his strong mind and spirit. Though, this had more pros than cons. Clearly, the Trapping of Celestial Killing Vibes was beyond all of the techniques and supernatural powers found in this world. Eliminating it with his mind and spirit would be a good training, and his Deity Vanquishing Sword would reach new heights in no time.


    Perhaps, he might even be able to kill a powerful expert in a blink of his eyes after he had attained Dao. That would be a supreme technique of Sword of Heart.


    However, he was shouldering pain all the time as well. Just as when a rock had slipped into an oyster''s shell, the oyster had no choice but to polish it with its flesh and blood until the rock became a pearl. At the same time, its flesh would become strong and tenacious.


    "Since you are not feeling well, why don''t I escort you back to Qing Xuan?" Zhao Xiaoyu spoke in a serious manner.


    She was serious and genuine. It would seem that she spoke out of her concern for Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian was touched. Regardless, he would always remember their friendship.


    "If I really needed to urgently nurse my injuries, I would have said no to your request in the first place. It really is fine; tell me what you need me to do. After stepping into the state of Powang, it doesn''t matter if I return to the mountains or not. I myself am not sure what creates the opportunity for me to break away from the whims and attain immortality. However, I do need to settle Ruoxi down and consult the elders about certain things," he replied slowly.


    It was difficult to predict when one would be breaking away from the whims. Some people faced the wall for a hundred year and reached an epiphany; some tested their swordcraft against the world and eliminated all of their foes; some retreated back into the mountains and still did not manage to attain Dao; some died of old age in spite of their steel heart of Dao.


    Shen Lian desperately wanted to attain immortality and rose into the ranks of land immortals. However, he could not rush things as well.


    Still, there would always be opportunities for those who were ready. Regardless, he decided to work on himself and to make something out of it.


    Moreover, befriending Zhao Xiaoyu was beneficial to Qing Xuan as well. The fact that Zhao Xiaoyu managed to track him down proved that the Nine Lotus Order was a lot more mysterious than he thought. The wide coverage of their influence would be helpful if he decided to go against Guangqing.


    Moreover, after they had overlooked the differences in their gender, they had formed a beautiful connection with each other. It had nothing to do with procuring benefits; it was lighter than water and it was not deeply ingrained, yet it clearly existed.


    "Alright then, it is not a treacherous mission. It is just that with you around, I can be sure that nothing will possibly go wrong. Recently, fifteen of my branches were taken down along with the area they were situated at. I found out that Tianxiang Order is the culprit behind this." Despite having lost fifteen of her branches, Zhao Xiaoyu did not seem too bothered at all. After all, she was destined for greatness and could forego her personal emotions easily.


    "I thought Tianxiang Order had fallen a long time ago? The last time that someone in the Order had attained the state of Huandan was two hundred years ago. How do they have the guts to go against you?" Shen Lian asked out of curiosity.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was a genius, and her speed of cultivation surpassed that of the all of her predecessors, the saintesses of Nine Lotus Order. She was akin to the reincarnation of Celestial that the legends spoke of. Even though Shen Lian had interfered with her plan to steal away the luck of Zhou Dynasty and defeated her in Xi Huang, but she seemed to have a strange encounter that led to the tremendous elevation in her level of cultivation. She would reach the state of Shenxian, sooner or later.


    Shen Lian could feel the mysterious and unpredictable power lurking within her.

 Chapter 272 Shifokou

    Zhao Xiaoyu brushed her scattered hair on her forehead, looking amazingly gorgeous as she stared into the horizon. The light breeze blew as if it was going to flick her dress open. Her delicate heels showered under the moonlight, triggering one''s impulse to bow and worship it.


    She was filled with grace, yet Shen Lian remained motionless without a hint of desire.


    Zhao Xiaoyu sighed lightly, "Tianxiang Order is actually not worth mentioning, but there has been a mysterious character that holds power in Tianxiang Order lately. Besides her high level of mana, her origin is what fears me."


    Shen Lian asked, "What origin?"


    "My three undercovers in Tianxiang Order were found by her, and then seduced by her to betray me. If it wasn''t for my recent improvements in spiritual cultivation, I would have been injured by them. But as I observed from her techniques, they should be along the lines of Qingqiu", Zhao Xiaoyu sneered. Out of the countless dangerous scenarios she had been in, this one was nothing, but after what she suffered, she decided that she could not take this in and defeat both her and Tianxiang Order, since both originated from Luo Sect.


    Shen Lian murmured slightly. Qingqiu was said to be a celestial mountain since the ancient beginning. However slightly different to the celestials who lived in other elusive celestial mountains like Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, the occupants of Qingqiu were those of the fox clans. The divine fox which he had learned the Tongtian Skills from, was, in fact, originated from the mountainous region of Qingqiu.


    "There is rarely anyone emerging from Qingqiu nowadays. Even if those were techniques from Mount Qingqiu, she may not necessarily be from Qingqiu," Shen Lian replied. He was not lying either, since he himself learned the Tongtian Skills from the divine fox.


    "That could be true, but her seduction skills could only be cultivated by the fox clans, or could even be accessible only by those who had reached the level of a divine fox." As Zhao Xiaoyu described this, she had let out a little secret.


    Her understanding of the secrets of this world genuinely surpassed Shen Lian''s expectation. When they first met, Shen Lian was certain that the Zhao Xiaoyu back then did not know so well about these secrets. He could almost deduce that Zhao Xiaoyu had extraordinary ability inherited in her, even comparable to the foundation of the four main Daoist sects.


    Since the ancient times, there had been multiple sudden appearances of gods and celestials, sermons, and visions.From the Daoist cultivation of heavenly sons to the uprising of various sects, all these were signs of the unpredictable rising development of civilization. It was only recently when Shen Lian was certain that this piece of land had a large connection with earth from his past life.


    Zhao Xiaoyu might have inherited from a powerful person and helped her grow exponentially.


    However, the attainment of the path to immortality was still reliant on oneself. From the beginning, there were only a few ways that could help achieve immortality, but these kinds of encounters were really hard to come by, maybe once in ten thousand years.


    Shen Lian said, "Then, let me follow you there."


    Shifokou was situated in the middle of the Yuan Continent. Many years ago, a stone Buddha statue fell from the skies, with its back against the cliff and placed at the intersection of three main rivers, right on top of the water vein, hence the name; ''Shifo'' means Stone Buddha, while ''Kou'' means crossing.


    The main altar of Tianxiang Order was hidden somewhere in Shifokou.


    Along the way, Shen Lian asked, "You said to cause trouble there. Why aren''t you bringing any follower with you?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu chuckled, "A great expert like you have the strength of millions of celestial soldiers. You, my great Chief Master, has been in and out of Taisu Sect alone. If we are any more than that, we would be thought as being weak."


    Shen Lian''s face turned sour as he coughed.


    On the other hand, Ruoxi checked out her surroundings curiously. Since she had not been out play for such a long time, she was delighted to be wandering with her uncle, only slightly unadapted to the addition of this older sister, Zhao Xiaoyu.


    At this moment, Shen Lian''s face turned slightly pale yellow, a bit like a thirty-year-old. Zhao Xiaoyu was wearing a face veil to cover her stunningly beautiful face, whereas little Ruoxi looked like a blooming teenager at a marriageable age, making them like a good family of three.


    Some girls get married at young age, therefore it was not surprising to see a lady at the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight with a ten-year-old daughter.


    It was not that three of them had lost the ability to fly, but it was Shen Lian''s suggestion to walk, all because Ruoxi had not walked in the mortal world for a long time. Shen Lian knew that she still enjoyed the feeling of strolling, hence the suggestion.


    In the meantime, Ruoxi can practice her Qi utilization along the way.


    The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu was one of The Art of Spiritual Enhancement. However, it was not known why Fairy Tianmeng had only used her secret techniques on Ruoxi to clear all of her acupoints, and not passed on her high-level Qi techniques. However, Ruoxi had already learned the actual Qi techniques from Shen Lian, coupled with her talented nature, she was able to connect the Qi and almost achieve the level of Qiaodong.


    She was just one step away from assembling all her mana.


    Shen Lian did not push things as he allowed her to change her mentality, and told Ruoxi about her body conditions, preventing her from practicing the Taisu Synchronized Heart mantra by herself. The strange part of this Art of Spiritual Enhance was that even if one did not practice it consciously, its spiritual conscious would still strengthen at a slow pace.


    There were even times when Ruoxi told him that she dreamt of teacher Fairy Tianmeng consecutively.


    Shen Lian knew that this was caused by the Taisu Synchronized Heart Mantra, but he also investigated that this involved the core of one''s spirit, therefore must have no room for error.


    He could only wait till the whole issue resolved, and return to the mountain gates and find old Daoist at the Taiwei Pavilion for solutions.


    But he presumed that it would not bring much results too, as he was well read all the literature and records in the Taiwei Pavilion. There was no senior who had any idea towards the spiritual core. That was one field that, even the gods could not touch easily.


    Or else, one would study the human nature, and enable a Powang master to break through the realm of Xuwang easily. Yet no one was able to do this yet.


    Shifokou was at the crossing of three rivers, rich in spirituality. The grand rivers and canals were called the Dragon''s vessels, and if one looked from a far distance, it would look like there were three dragons holding a Buddha statue.


    The Buddha stone statue had gone through many years of winds and frost but still remained undamaged. Its face, body, feet were like the masterpiece of ghosts and gods, almost unbelievable.


    The huge Buddha statue gave a person some kind of a shock to their spirits, and an impulse to worship it.


    No wonder there were so many devoted worshippers along the way.


    It was almost too easy to teach a crowd of followers under such atmosphere.


    Tianxiang Order had such an advantage in its environment, yet it was so weak in the past years. It could only boil down to one conclusion, the lack of motivation in the order.


    Many pedestrians looked at these three outsiders and pointed fingers at them.


    Some even approached to ask, "What are you doing here?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked on at this unknown worshiper, "I am here to ransack the nest of Tianxiang Order."


    That person looked at the three. Shen Lian looked really ill, but with a black sword on his back, he did not look like a person easy to be messed with. The little girl looked rather cute, but with a pair of sharp eyes, whereas this arrogant sounding lady did not look like any ordinary person.


    He then hurried off to another direction, obviously going off to inform somebody.


    Ruoxi said, "Sister Xiaoyu, aren''t you causing a stir by beating the bush and stirring the snakes here?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu pinched Ruoxi''s cheeks and said, "Your uncle taught me this. We are beating the bush, but we are not stirring the snakes. These crappy bunch of Tianxiang Order are only bugs."


    She looked on proudly and filled with energy.

 Chapter 273 Order Master in Red

    The three walked on casually.


    As they approached the side of the canal, the intersection point of three streams forming huge currents, there it was, the majestic Stone Buddha with its back against the mountain wall, seated with its legs crossed. As the sunlight shot through the clouds, some purple mists were visible, making the Buddha statue looks like as if it had come alive.


    Shen Lian''s view was locked on the Stone Buddha. Beneath it was the never-ending flowing current, forming a great contrast against the peacefulness of the Stone Buddha.


    "This Stone Buddha endured the beating of wind and the rains, yet remain undestroyed. Has no one taken it away to research on it?" Shen Lian asked.


    "There was someone who tried to take away the materials of this Stone Buddha, but before he could do that, he got struck by lightning. That was a real Heaven trial, brutal enough to make a person to never recover from it. Tianxiang Order may be occupying this place, but they could never decode the mysteries of this statue. Moreover, many cultivators came along for many years, yet no one has gotten anything from this it. There was a senior monk who meditated here for hundred years, but he got nothing and eventually died with regrets," Zhao Xiaoyu explained.


    Shen Lian was already not surprised with her knowledge of so many stories, but this piece of land had so many gods and Buddha, he would never imagine how many more of such stories like this were around.


    He did think before if he had taken off this burden from Qing Xuan, he could follow the steps of the senior from cultivation school, travel to all the famous mountains and canals, wander everywhere and explore to the ends of the world. That must be fun.


    As little Ruoxi saw the fish wiggling its tail in the flowing waters, she was fascinated and played along the river bank.


    She had not caught a fish before. As she put her hand into it, she would miss by a bit. Then, she realized that the figures that she saw in her eyes were deflected from its real position by a little, so she started to use her senses to feel the fish''s position in the water and managed to slowly capture them, nine success out of ten tries. She had fun capturing and releasing them repeatedly.


    Zhao Xiaoyu sighed, "Maybe your niece should be my disciple. What do you think?" In her eyes, it was rare to encounter a talented genius. As she was able to figure out the refraction of the water that caused the image of the fish to slightly deviate from its real position, she had to be quite spiritually conscious.


    Shen Lian thought, "I don''t think you can teach her well."


    Then he replied, "She is sick. I need to treat her. Everything else should be discussed after that."


    Zhao Xiaoyu laughed, "Why can''t I figure that out? That''s fine if you don''t want me to teach her."


    Shen Lian saw that Ruoxi had wandered too far and shouted, "Ruoxi come back!"


    "I never thought that you care for her this much. With you and I around, she will be fine." Zhao Xiaoyu folded her hands and stood up as she smiled. She just thought to herself, what a bunch of useless junks the Tianxiang Order members were, there was still no one sent to them.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian''s eyebrows tightened.


    Zhao Xiaoyu felt a chilling murderous intent in her heart. It was from the clouds in the sky.


    Three flying arrows flashed through with shining tips like the shooting star were seen piercing towards Shen Lian, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Ruoxi.


    Shen Lian felt really furious as he never expected such ruthless act.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was angrier than Shen Lian. She waved her long sleeves, and as this one arrow approached her, it burst into endless emissions of golden rays which flashed through the air and tore Zhao Xiaoyu''s sleeves.


    On the other hand, Shen Lian took out his long sword. He flashed through as if there were two figures swinging its sword in the air. The sword tip vibrated and point through the thin air, almost crumbling the layers of the air.


    His One Sword to Break the Void techniques had almost got the essence of the Grandmaster, Fairy Ziling. The other two arrows immediate got sucked into the layers and broke into multiple butterfly-shaped pieces.


    In a blink of an eye, Zhao Xiaoyu also caught the arrow in her hand, as she took out a piece of jade hairpin and threw it into the sky. Almost immediately, a rain of blood emerged from the void, falling into the river. Their assassins turned into blood rain before they could show their real faces.


    Ruoxi was already under Shen Lian''s arms, and he slowly put her down.


    She had no fear as she trusted her uncle.


    Zhao Xiaoyu examined the arrow in her hand, and said, "This is a Cloud Piercing Arrow. Seems like it''s addressed to me."


    Shen Lian said, "Looks like Tianxiang Order is not only one you offended."


    The material of this Cloud Piercing Arrow was meteorite metal. The Dao scripture engraved on it must be the words of a master-level alchemist. With an arrow with the same value of a great quality instrument, that must be a big investment.


    If it was not for Shen Lian who deflected the attack together, Zhao Xiaoyu might have been injured.


    "I wouldn''t consider that as offending. Recently, there had been hidden force that is taking over branched sects of the Luo Sect. Although all that they had taken over were just minor branches which were not as significant as me, but it had grown its strength, it may now have the appetite to devour my whole Nine Lotus Order." Even so, Zhao Xiaoyu described this in a casual tone, as she had witnessed so many hard challenges in life.


    She always thought that this hidden force had the same intention as hers, which was to merge the whole Luo Sect, and grab the position of the Daluo Saintess, or else she would not have asked Shen Lian for help.


    She had her own plan. When she becomes the new Daluo Saintess, she could then implement her next step, to become Yifang Headmaster, and not fear of any Guangqing, or the four main Sects of Dao, and gain the power to conquer the world.


    This land would undergo a major restructuring. A lone ranger might not have a chance to live peacefully in the future changes.


    A moment later, a small little raft rowed out from the back of the Stone Buddha. It rowed to the side of the three. The rower on it shouted, "The three of you should be the honorable guests visiting our Tianxiang Order, right?"


    "I am not here to visit, I am here to pick a fight." The voice of Zhao Xiaoyu was hollow but filled with so much energy that it covered the rower.


    He got struck by the soundwave, and even though he had his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth bleeding, he still stood there without a moan of pain.


    Zhao Xiaoyu retracted her technique and said, "Since when did Tianxiang Order come out with a decent man like you? Not bad, not bad."


    The rower replied, "I dare not receive your compliments, dear Fairy. You all are still not coming up my boat, is it because my boat is too small?"


    He might not be as good as Zhao Xiaoyu, but he had a solid structure.


    Based on Zhao Xiaoyu''s characteristics, she would kill no matter how hard and solid one was. But if one flatters her, she would not do anything to the person.


    Shen Lian voiced out, "Let''s get on the boat."


    He felt the murderous aura of Zhao Xiaoyu, yet he would not want this rower to die here, that was why he spoke up.


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Shen Lian, as if he knew what she was planning to do.


    Tianxiang Order was built in the mountain at the back of the Stone Buddha, very well concealed. One still needed to show their badge even though there were frequent flows of members at the entrance.


    The main altar of Tianxiang Order was at the peak. There stood the new chief leader of Tianxiang Order, dressed in red robe, with her followers all gathered behind her respectfully.


    As the red robe leader looked on, she saw the trio of Shen Lian being led in by her subordinate branch leader.


    Her eyes rippled, and when her eyes met with Shen Lian''s, both of them were slightly stunned. What a place to bump into each other.


    Shen Lian thought, "That is her."


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked towards the red robe leader as well. Her robe was as red as the burning flames, her looks comparable to the flower, added with some charm.

 Chapter 274 Painting

    The hill where the chief leader of Tianxiang Order was standing on, was full of cinnamon tree, and its fragrance filled the mountains as it traveled along with the clouds.


    The trio of Shen Lian followed the rower to the peak. At this moment the leader of Tianxiang Order had already brought along her Doyens and followers to welcome them.


    The younger followers only caught a glimpse of Zhao Xiaoyu''s face concealed by her veil, but her uncovered eyes and eyebrows were already out of this world, even as beautiful as their Chief Leader, just like the beauty duo of the generation.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "Everyone is here. Very well, all of you can come after me."


    She looked as graceful as lovable as the water lotus, but her first words were so strong. Her ruthless confidence tainted everyone''s soul that they even thought that she had the abilities to travel through heaven and earth.


    The red-robed lady switched her view to Zhao Xiaoyu, and said calmly, "You are Zhao Xiaoyu from Nine Lotus Order."


    As soon as she said this, all the Doyens and followers behind her gasped. So this fearless lady who looked extremely difficult to deal with was Zhao Xiaoyu of the Nine Lotus Order. Although both orders had clashed before, they would never expect her to have the guts to bring along a sickly man and intrude Tianxiang Order''s main altar, accompanied by a little girl which is another drag.


    No matter how powerful her abilities were, she should not look down on Tianxiang Order in such a way.


    Zhao Xiaoyu sneered, "You are the newly appointed leader of Tianxiang Order? So the Grand Technique of Enthrallment is as rumored, but we shall see how much you have really learned."


    The red-robed lady turned and looked at Shen Lian, and calmly said, "Mister Shen, are you here to help our Daoist friend Zhao as well?"


    That sounded like a question, which showcased some respect she had for Shen Lian. All the Doyens were flustered that one Zhao Xiaoyu was tough enough to fight against, and yet the Chief Leader had the guts to look at a sickly man and treated him with respect. It seemed like this man could be even better than Zhao Xiaoyu, which was why Zhao Xiaoyu could come to the main altar so effortlessly.


    The most powerful person in the Tianxiang Order was their Chief Leader, as the other Doyens were only at Ruhua level. Their leader''s massive power was the only reason they dared to expand. If she lost this fight, would that not mean that the main altar will be wrecked?


    Though they won in crowd size, it still did not give them any additional sense of security.


    All this while, the only confidence they had was built on their leader''s invincibility.


    Zhao Xiaoyu thought, Shen Lian even knew this person. She still recognized him even after he had changed his looks. It meant that she had some capability in her as well.


    Shen Lian replied, "It has been twenty years since we last separated. Miss Xin is looking more charming than before. Is your father well?"


    He knew that this father and daughter pair of the Xin family was mysterious enough. She must have recognized her from his special trait somewhere on his own body.


    Xin Shisiniang sighed, "My father had passed away."


    Shen Lian looked surprised and said, "Things are so unpredictable. I thought we still have the opportunity to meet each other. I can still remember those good days of us chatting through the night around the fireplace, his words and advice still ring around my ears."


    "We dare not credit ourselves. Later, father heard of your encounters as well. He said that you have a heavenly destiny, so you would have come to where you are today even without us," Xin Shisiniang''s tone was calm.


    Zhao Xiaoyu interrupted, "I come today to settle debts, not to see your reminiscence here."


    Xin Shisiniang suddenly smiled. Her smile was as wide as the water canal, warm as the fire, and asked, "Mister Shen, are you helping both sides, or helping neither?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s face was calm. She never feared that Shen Lian would switch alliance for an old acquaintance, or she had the immense confidence to face all unexpected incidents.


    "Miss Xin, it will be hard for me to fight against you. Why don''t you hand over the Tianxiang Order to Miss Zhao, so no one will have to fight," Shen Lian grinned.


    A Doyen of Tianxiang Order was helplessly furious at this, but he dared not go against Shen Lian the fellow who sounded more arrogant, Zhao Xiaoyu, so he could only look at his own leader.


    A few young members even got emotional, "Chief, no matter how powerful they are, we are not afraid, even if we die."


    Zhao Xiaoyu let out a chuckle, moved her sleeves and landed a direct hit on the large boulder on the edge of the peak. That boulder was there for tens of thousands of years, it was so hard that not normal sword and weapon could scratch it.


    But this little move from Zhao Xiaoyu shattered it into ash.


    Both Tianxiang Order and Nine Lotus Order were branches of the Luo Sect, so there were Doyens who recognized it and exclaimed, "The Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo!"


    Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo technique was created by the first generation Daluo Saintess. Its power might not be the top of the world, but with her highly regarded level of cultivation, the first generation Daluo Saintess once used the Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo to shatter a mountain head of a celestial school into ashes and ruled the region.


    Those were the glorious days of the Luo Sect, what all Luo Sect''s disciples longed for, even until then.


    Although Zhao Xiaoyu''s Heavenly Sleeves of Daluo only shattered a boulder, it still showcased her unmeasurable depth of mana. At least this group of people was not as tough as that boulder.


    A few young members who stiffened their neck witnessed the ashes of the boulder being blown away by the mountain breeze into the clouds, as if seeing their consequence if they offend Zhao Xiaoyu, they could not help but become silent.


    Xin Shisiniang remained unfazed by Zhao Xiaoyu''s Heavenly Sleeves. She looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Mister Shen, why are you pushing me like this?"


    Shen Lian answered, "I will not put you in a loss as well. I will pass you the thing that your father desired last time."


    Xin Shisiniang''s expression changed, "You found it?"


    "I think you would want it too. I do not have it with me, but I remembered it all in my head, I can recite it for you," Shen Lian explained.


    "Thank you, Mister Shen. Tianxiang Order is only my temporary shelter. As long as Miss Zhao doesn''t dwell on the past conflict, I can order them to yield," Xin Shisiniang looked at Zhao Xiaoyu and replied.


    Zhao Xiaoyu glanced at Shen Lian. She could actually overtake with force, yet he wanted to make it so tedious.


    Shen Lian replied with a smile as if he was saying, "Isn''t it good not to use violence."


    She replied, "Then I have no choice but take this Tianxiang Order under my arms now."


    All the Doyens were flustered. The rower from before exclaimed, "I will not accept this, Chief. We are only willing to follow you."


    The lady in red said, "If you still consider me as your Chief, then do as I say."


    Her mystical mana far surpassed any leader from past generations. She was generous and nice, she even guided many other disciples, so she had gained quite some respect. Her eyes scanned through the crowd who dared not speak against her.


    These people had no idea that if Shen Lian joined hands with Zhao Xiaoyu, she would have no winning chance.


    Moreover, Shen Lian was about to pass her the Divine Fox Notes. That was an offer she could not reject.


    Finally, the red-robed lady said, "Mister Shen, there is something I need to tell you. That painting, I couldn''t save it for you, it got snatched away."


    Shen Lian replied, "I never really wanted that painting in the first place."


    The red-robed lady sighed and told the followers and Doyens around her, "All of you may leave. I have something to discuss with Mister Shen."

 Chapter 275 Prototype of the World

    The disciples of Tianxiang Order retracted under her orders, leaving behind Shen Lian, Zhao Xiaoyu, Ruoxi and the Chief of Tianxiang Order, who was also the female divine fox which Shen Lian knew many years ago, named Xin Shisiniang.


    She looked at Zhao Xiaoyu, and Zhao Xiaoyu squinted, "Looks like I should not eavesdrop here as well."


    She led little Ruoxi out of the place and vanished far away.


    Shen Lian said, "If she wanted to hear, we can''t hide it either."


    "Is she your Daoist partner?" Xin Shisiniang smiled.


    "No."


    "What a shame. She is quite a match for you," Xin Shisiniang carried on.


    Shen Lian said, "Miss Xin, I don''t think you were planning to tell me this right. What really happened to the painting?"


    "Father actually regretted not passing on the painting to you. Eventually, it got mugged away. Actually, this painting could be the prototype of a world," Xin Shisiniang whispered, but her words were shocking.


    "What does a prototype of a world mean?" Shen Lian seemed slightly shocked. He thought of a point, but it seemed hard to believe.


    "That painting was the work of an almighty who refined an unformed world into a painting scroll. However, this almighty did not proceed with the next step of refinement. So the painted scroll still looked blur and unopened. It still hasn''t formed the mountains, streams, and rivers. That was why we saw that the painting as pure white," Xin Shisiniang exhaled.


    "Did your father know about this back then?"


    "No, he did not know. We only knew that that painting brought catastrophe upon us. If we had passed it to you to bring back to Qing Xuan, that catastrophe would not have fallen upon us," Xin Shisiniang sounded rather sad.


    Shen Lian did not know what to say. Old Divine Fox could be mysterious, but he was quite a gentleman and knowledgeable. He handled things like a scholar. Even though he was in the demon clan. Shen Lian was rather fond of this Old Divine Fox.


    He lost his life for a piece of painting, this totally portrayed the meaning of ''an innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth''.


    He did not know how to console Xin Shisiniang.


    Xin Shisiniang continued, "That person was just trying to grab the painting, but he hurt my father along the way. Due to his brute strength, my father and I had no capability to fight back. Father had not totally lost the possibility to survive, but he decided to transfer all his life force to me, and finally, his spirit dissipated into thin air".


    Shen Lian thought that even though Old Divine Fox was not at the level of an earthly immortal, he should be of the same level as himself. Yet he had no chance of fighting back the painting robber. Who exactly was that man? He also understood why Xin Shisiniang''s mana had improved so much in only twenty years. It was the Old Divine Fox who loved his daughter so much, that he had his final works of cultivation transferred to Xin Shisiniang. At the same time, he would never recover and even lost the opportunity to reincarnate.


    Shen Lian lowered his voice, "Who is this painting robber?"


    Xin Shisiniang replied, "I remember his face. He had two horns on his head, huge body builds covered in black cow''s fur. He had cow''s hoof and eyes, so he could a demon king in the form of a cow. After I took over this Tianxiang Order, I went around searching the origins of this demon king, but as if he disappeared into thin air."


    She could never forget the face of this remarkable demon king. Any launch of attack would shatter the earth and heavens, so scary that she had woken up from this nightmare.


    Shen Lian noticed her fear, and sighed, "Your father had passed on his entire life''s worth of cultivation to you. So you have to keep on living for him."


    Xin Shisiniang knew that Shen Lian was consoling her. After all, the demon king was almost invincible. She could never match up against him.


    "I know this very well. But if you managed to attain Dao in the future, you can search for this painting. An unformed world is very helpful to immortal Zhenrens in understanding the theories of the formation of the heavens and earth. It could possibly make you the top of the strongest ones in this world," Xin Shisiniang said.


    "If that''s the case, I''m afraid that the demon king who snatched the painting had this figured out," Shen Lian said lightly.


    "You can understand this painting better than that demon king. No one else can possibly crack the divine restriction of Daoist Master Taiyi on it," Xin Shisiniang looked Shen Lian deep in the eyes. The destined owner of Daoist Master''s painting would have been decided when it was left behind. As the inheritor of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian could be this destined owner.


    All this was not baseless guessing. With the speedy development in Shen Lian''s cultivation, and him being the youngest leader of the Daoist sect, one would not believe that he had no Qi fortune on him.


    Every generation would give birth to a main character, a genius who would ride on top of the world. The previous generation''s protagonist was Lu Jiuyuan, so maybe this generation''s would be Shen Lian.


    Lu Jiuyuan had been sitting on the throne of top position for a very long time, but he might not stay there for eternity.


    Shen Lian answered, "No one will know what lies in the future. I will recite the Divine Fox Notes word by word to you, hopefully, you can become the world''s top divine fox."


    Xin Shisiniang bowed at him. The importance of this Divine Fox Notes far exceeded ten Tianxiang Orders.


    It was also rare that Shen Lian did not make any unreasonable demands in return.


    Father was totally right when he said that Shen Lian is a gentleman.


    ________________________


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s white robe was waving as she walked side by side with Shen Lian, holding Ruoxi in her hand. They left just like how they came, but Shen Lian was almost silent along the journey.


    She smiled widely, "Are you still missing that lady, Xin Shisiniang? If you fancy her, you should bring her back to the mountains. She could make a good servant."


    Shen Lian said, "You are right. I had a demon servant boy, Tongzi, if added with this demon servant girl, it would make a Yin and a Yang, the perfect balance."


    "But if you bring her back, I''m afraid the old man in Qing Xuan will hit you bad," Zhao Xiaoyu said casually.


    Ruoxi asked, "Why is that? The sister is so pretty, she should be loved by everyone."


    Zhao Xiaoyu lightly knocked on Zhao Xiaoyu''s forehead and chuckled, "That Xin Shisiniang has obtained the Divine Fox Notes from your uncle, and so she will be heading to evolve into a Divine Fox. Divine foxes can bring fortune, but they can also invite catastrophes. Her path will not be smooth sailing for sure. Beauty is a source of trouble, but still not comparable to the troubles a divine fox can bring upon the world. There was a celestial temple in the past that got exterminated because of a divine fox. A king was forced to burn himself to death."


    "Fortunes and troubles are always interrelated. It should be blamed on one person only. Since you have taken over Tianxiang Order, why didn''t you stay to manage the administration here?" Shen Lian finally spoke up.


    "If I need to do everything myself, what use are my underlings for? Do you really think that all my subordinates are useless?" Zhao Xiaoyu teased.


    "You are actually right. Looks like I should recruit some more talents for myself," Shen Lian replied.


    "My dear Chief Shen, how about me? If you let me live in your Taiwei Pavilion for half a year, you can make me do whatever you want." Zhao Xiaoyu looked up on him with her charming eyes.


    Shen Lian coughed, "I don''t think Qing Xuan has the capacity for a grand immortal like you. Let us split up here. I need to bring Ruoxi back to the mountain."

 Chapter 276 Mutiny

    Zhao Xiaoyu grinned and said, "Sure why not, looks like you do not need my escorting anymore. Four years from today, we shall meet at Mount Jimo. At the time, you have to help me snatch that position of Daluo Saintess, or else I will go after you in Qing Xuan and let your little disciples know how you abandon this weak little lady here."


    Shen Lian''s face dropped. Even Ruoxi stole a laugh. This Sister Zhao was so difficult to deal with. Looks like uncle cannot do anything about her either.


    Shen Lian waved, "I will be there. Four years from today, Mount Jimo, see you for sure."


    Zhao Xiaoyu stared at Shen Lian with her pretty eyes and then disappeared with the clouds while she ascended into heavens. Shen Lian was rather stunned that she left just like that.


    Ruoxi said cheerfully, "Uncle, are we going to see your sect now?"


    Shen Lian brushed her hair. This child''s long hair had reached waist level, so black and shiny, which would require his help to tidy her up now that Zhao Xiaoyu had left. He whispered, "That is now uncle''s sect. It is your sect well. From now on, Qing Xuan will be your sect."


    Ruoxi seemed to understand and not. She nodded and felt assured because she had Shen Lian by her side.


    Even though Shen Lian told her of the things that happened to herself, but she would need to experience a lot of the worlds turbulent times to fully understand it.


    In fact, Shen Lian hoped that she did not understand this much. Grudge would not bring happiness but only hurt herself.


    Of course, after Ruoxi was taken away by him, it did not cut off her ties with Taisu completely. If she needed to resolve the hidden injury caused by The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, the opportunity would appear to Fairy Tianmeng. After all, it was better for the doer to undo what he has done.


    He would pass on his lifetime''s worth of cultivation to Ruoxi, and do his best to help her find the solution to this hidden sickness, but the final trials would require her own efforts to overcome.


    Shen Lian said, "Remember this Ruoxi, if there is will, there is a way. If you give up yourself, that way will disappear."


    "I will keep this in mind, uncle."


    Shen Lian did not return to Mount Qing Xuan immediately, as he detoured to Qingjiang Sword Sect.


    Qingjiang Sword Sect only had a mountain peak, after the time when it incurred heavy losses under the furious attacks of Huang Longzi. Entering autumn, the whole mountain was covered in blood red maple leaves, floating along the rivers, dying the rivers red, as the remnants of last battle still remained.


    A huge waterfall was vaguely visible, shooting down from high ground majestically. This was when Huang Longzi hit the mountain and formed a waterfall by hitting the water vein. Every time the people of Qingjiang Sword sect saw that waterfall, it sounded and looked like the growling of the souls of the deceased.


    Thirty-three sword-wielding Daoists below the waterfall, saw a man walking down from heaven as he stepped on the clouds, holding an eleven twelve years old girl. He looked like a flying fairy from the heavens who descended with his fairy girl. The gushing wind and the vapor from the waterfalls refracted the sunlight and formed a rainbow, adding the mystical feel to it.


    Their leader was Zuo Shaoqing. He led his followers to bow at Shen Lian respectfully.


    "We sincerely welcome Zhenren Shen."


    Even as cold swordsmen, they could not hide their excitement to welcome this Daoist Grandmaster who was one of the closest to achieving the realms of the gods.


    Shen Lian and Ruoxi slowly descended to the ground, virtually supporting themselves. As their sleeves flowed, a gentle force could be felt by these thirty-three swordsmen. They subconsciously helped themselves up.


    This subtle move showed the extremely accurate control of mana.


    They looked at each other with a shocked face and impressed with Shen Lian at the same time.


    It was such a rare sight to see Zhenren Shen no older than fifty years old but in possession of such unfathomable prowess.


    "Everyone please spare the formalities. We are all pursuers of Dao, you can just consider me as a cultivator who is a few steps ahead of you. That''s all," Shen Lian''s gentle gave them a refreshing feeling.


    They looked at each other again and nodded in unison.


    Shen Lian said to Zuo Shaoqing, "Shaoqing, you are such an energetic man. Last time I had you be my sword servant because of the wager. That was so belittling to you. Now I shall pronounce this wager contract void and you are a free man.


    Zuo Shaoqing''s eyes almost filled with tears and said, "I have learned a lot from you, I do not feel belittled even by a bit. I still want to serve you as your sword servant."


    Shen Lian laughed, "Don''t be foolish. A real sword cultivator must have their sharp aura. Right, how come I don''t see anyone else in the mountains?"


    Zuo Shaoqing''s face turned as his voice sunk, "Since that day, the disciples of our Qingjiang Sword Sect were badly injured. Many of us had our Dao base damaged and can no longer continue with our cultivation. So attending leader Jiang made the decision to bring them back to the mortal world and settle their lives there. Now only thirty-three of us is left here."


    Shen Lian asked, "Where is Swordsman Meng then?"


    Once he asked this, all the disciples of Qingjing Sword Sect, including Zuo Shaoqing could not hide their humiliated blush.


    Finally, Zuo Shaoqing confessed, "Our teacher has taken the ancient teacher''s handwritten True Wandering Light Sword codex and the Milky Way Swordsmanship and gave to someone from Guangqing called Qingwei. He even caused the death of our Chief and surrendered to Guangqing."


    Shen Lian sighed, "So that is why I saw a bruise stain between your eyes and your mana stunted. I thought you have not recovered from your old wounds, but you actually got hurt by your teacher?"


    Zuo Shaoqing remained silent.


    Shen Lian knew very well, that no matter how clumsy this Meng Xunzhen was, he would not rebel against his teacher and ancestor. It seemed that the so-called Qingwei was actually Yanxu, because only his incarnation tricks could violate a person''s heart and turn Meng Xunzhen, a sword cultivator at Buxu level, into his puppet.


    Shen Lian obtained the Milky Way Swordsmanship from Meng Xunzhen, so it was not unusual for them to have copies. Shen Lian presumed that Yanxu wanted to use the Milky Way Swordsmanship to go against himself.


    Shen Lian was able to master the Milky Way Swordsmanship also because Bao Shaoliu showed him the linen filled with illustration.


    Initially, he thought that the linen looked rather interesting. Only when he saw the Milky Way Swordsmanship, then only he understood that the linen was illustrating its summary. If not for his ability of remembering everything he saw, he would not have figured out the mysteries of this Milky Way Swordsmanship. Even so, he only read them hastily, so this swordsmanship still had many unsolved riddles.


    He might know Yanxu''s identity, but he could not reveal it. Afterall Guangqing Celestial Sect would never believe him. At most, they would spread some rumors, but this Yanxu must have his plot to stay in Guangqing, which would be a bad thing for Shen Lian.


    Zuo Shaoqing and the group led Shen Lian and Ruoxi to the top of the waterfall, where the Sword Palace was concealed by the forest woods.

 Chapter 277 Lecture on Daoism

    Before Shen Lian set foot in the Sword Palace, he saw countless abrasions and sword scratch marks across the marbled rocks. The grand majestic sword palace was scattered with shards of glass and tiles.


    It was apparent that there had been a big battle.


    One of Zuo Shaoqing''s fellow disciple mentioned, "Zhenren Shen, all these are damages caused by our senior Doyen while he was fighting with our Chief before he ran on mutiny." It was not that the restriction of Qingjiang Sword Sect that was lacking, but Huang Longzi had invaded this mountain and shook its spiritual node, and significantly weakened the defense of the sword palace.


    Because of this, Meng Xunzhen had a big fight with the previous Chief of Qingjiang Sword Sect and caused such commotion.


    Shen Lian put his hands behind his back and said, "I never expected that Qingjiang would stoop to this level after depending on me. Don''t worry, I will stay on this mountain for a month and resolve all your difficulties in your cultivation. From here on, Shaoqing should stay here too to give you pointers."


    The disciple replied, "Thank you Zhenren Shen, but there is one more thing."


    Zuo Shaoqing sneered, "That is enough."


    Shen Lian showed his hand, "What is it? Just tell me."


    That disciple glanced at Zuo Shaoqing, whose eyes were filled with fury, yet he bit his teeth, bowed with his head to the ground, and said to Shen Lian, "Recently, Chiyan Clan, Five Venoms Order, Dark Wind Cave have been spying on our sect. I humbly request Zhenren to take charge of this for us."


    Shen Lian thought for a while, and he remembered that these three orders were the sects from the Nanjiang region. They were neither large nor small in size, not as grand as the previous Qingjiang, but with the recent leftover members of Qingjiang were like a couple of kittens, it made them comparatively stronger.


    Zuo Shaoqing did not want them to mention this because he did not want to trouble Shen Lian further and get through trial on his own. One must mention that since that direct encounter with Huang Longzi in his dragon form, he grew by a large scale, including his True Wandering Light Sword which had sharper sword spirit, possibly exceeding his teacher Meng Xunzhen.


    Shen Lian smiled, "No problem. Next time they dare come again, I will teach them a lesson."


    He had the whole order on his shoulders. With his unmeasurable supernatural power, he speaking up would be a pill of relief for these disciples. They knew that Shen Lian did not forsake them because Qingjiang Sword Sect had fallen, so they were more grateful for that.


    Instantly, Shen Lian was sitting on the rubbles of the Sword Palace, whereas Ruoxi was standing beside him. The setting sun shone on him, making him glow like a godly man.


    Shen Lian asked, "Do you lot want to learn about Dao of Swordsmanship?"


    A disciple then replied, "What are the essential points of learning swordsmanship and Daoism? Zhenren please enlighten us."


    Shen Lian continued, "A swordsman holds a sword in his hands to charge past ensuing trials. He would cut down any rough encounters and remain cheerful for life. That is not the case with pursuing Daoism. You would learn about the theories of advance and retreat. Your heart may be free, but your body may feel restricted, and finally just age without any achievement and wilt on a brick or tile with no one remembering you."


    Another person asked, "We have been learning swordsmanship since admitting into this sect, but we do not feel any more cheerful, can you tell us why that is the case, Zhenren Shen?"


    Shen Lian chuckled, "Only one reason, your swords are blunt."


    This reply triggered the laughter among the crowd. They all thought that this Zhenren Shen was so noble, but yet his words were so much approachable than the other elders.


    Someone shouted, "How about Zhenren give us a brief lesson of both?"


    Zuo Shaoqing sneered, "Nonsense, you don''t get to choose what Zhenren Shen has to say."


    These energetic young disciples saw that Shen Lian was rather easy going, so they let down their initial cautiousness, just like the village kids who saw a young teacher, their guts grew more as they saw that this teacher had no arrogance.


    They got louder and louder. Actually, this was their way of releasing their restrained emotions after the recent fall of their sect and the pressure on them being spied on by other clans.


    Shen Lian said, "Everyone be quiet and sit down. Since you all want to hear it, I shall tell you a few points in these days." His voice was not loud, but with the release of some spiritual pressure, these young men automatically settled down.


    They all sat under Shen Lian, despite the dust on the floor. Qingjiang Sword Sect''s cultivation process had always been tough. Since the defection of Meng Xunzhen, which caused a mess to the Sword Palace, they just found any spot to cultivate and practice their Qi techniques.


    The administration of the sect had to depend on Jiang Shuijie. So the placement of restriction on the Sword Palace still depended on the return of Jiang Shuijie.


    Zuo Shaoqing might have some reputation amongst his apprentice brothers, but he was not good at leading them in chore works.


    Moreover, the difficult environment could help their cultivation as well.


    He had been passing down his knowledge to his apprentice siblings without reservation. He would not do this in the past, but after spending a few years with Shen Lian, he was influenced to do so.


    As Shen Lian saw that everyone was settled down, and Ruoxi sat quietly on the side, he started his holy teachings. He said steadily, "When there is life, there will be death. But to complete the cycle and achieve holiness, one must not withhold its shape. Just like Huandan, undead and restless in life, and once its inner essence is gained, one can become a fairy. This is the real way of acting. Since the beginning, there has been may gods who gained Dao, but they never mentioned Huandan��"


    As Shen Lian mentioned Huandan, the disciples all paid attention. When Shen Lian started, they never bothered, but they never expected him to lecture on the ''The Dao to Huandan''.


    All along, Huandan had been unable to enter through the heaven moat. Most of the cultivators in the world had not succeeded in achieving Huandan. Even those who succeeded did so with outer assistance.


    Even some seniors who succeeded in achieving Huandan did so without the real essence of it. If they were to repeat it, they might not succeed again.


    Take the four main Daoist sects for example, in their long history; only two or three cultivators who achieved Huandan on their own emerged every one hundred years. If five or six had emerged, that would be a grand world event.


    Afterall, achieving Huandan on one''s own would mean entering Powang with one''s own abilities. Whether one achieve immortality or not would depend on one''s own doing, but the probability would still be ninety-nine percent compared to any other cultivator.


    The path to Huandan might be hard to describe with words, or even more abstruse than the Buddhist heart mantra, but the explanation from Shen Lian would bring some light to them.


    Especially helpful for Zuo Shaoqing who was half a step away from achieving Huandan, but still could not find the trick.


    Although Shen Lian was not really involved in the process of Huandan, this abstruse feeling still helped him improve himself.


    That was the biggest difference between normal disciples and the four main Daoist sects. Their first lesson would be to study the supernatural Dao techniques, making clear of every step in cultivation, put more emphasis on mana, and try their luck on the verge of Huandan.


    If Qing Xuan had emphasized, ''to practice cultivation, one should practice their heart first'', it would look like the sect had no concern for their disciples. But they did not purposely drive their disciples to pursue a certain realm, and frequently had Doyens giving Daoism lectures to explain the concept within, and not emphasizing on the method.


    Previously when Chen Jianmei achieved Chushen in three years, and Ruhua in ten years, other sects would have let him go out and wander around. However Zhang Ruoxu knew Chen Jianmei very well, so he let Chen Jianmei meditate for decades in the mountains until he felt the loneliness which eventually turned into the fuel to achieve Huandan.


    Shen Lian had no talent in pass on the method of achieving Huandan to the disciples of Qingjiang. He was just giving them a sort of psychological hint. Whether or not anyone used this hint and meditated on it, that would depend on their own doing.


    He need not exaggerate things, but all the disciples listened attentively, including Ruoxi.


    Suddenly, a noise was heard from the foot of the mountain.

 Chapter 278 Overconfidence

    "I, Mu Qiufeng of Five Immortals Order, am here to visit the respected ones of Qingjiang Sword Sect."


    This voice was filled with cold and slick mana, making every sick in the heart, instantly removing all the understandings they got from Shen Lian''s sermons.


    Shen Lian stopped his lectures and he saw a black gleam of light covered in poisonous mist, ascending from the mountain foot. As it traveled all the grass and woods as it passed them, stripping lives off them.


    The poison mist dispersed and there stood a young man in his twenties, dressed very cleanly in a white robe.


    So-called Five Immortals Order, was actually the Five Venoms, but ''Five Venoms'' was a nickname the outsiders had given them, while they self-proclaimed to be ''Five Immortals'' which showed their means of pursuing immortality.


    This most powerful skill of the Five Venoms Order was none other than the Mystical Art of Five Venoms. It was rumored that its founding grandmaster once used this venomous technique to kill an immortal Zhenren, which was a horrible sight.


    Zuo Shaoqing rose and said, "Are you looking for trouble by trespassing into our Qingjiang territory?"


    "No, no, we the Five Venoms Order are neighboring clans with Qingjiang Swords Sect for centuries. Our friendship is as long as it can be. I heard recently that you lot are facing a large trial, so I came here under my Master''s order to see how I can help. Please do not make me look like a bad guy." Mu Qiufeng held his fists to bow casually, but with his outstanding venom skills, as soon as Zuo Shaoqing caught a scent that smells like orchids, he felt dizzy and could not use his mana. Usually, he would have already swung his sword as soon as the young man appeared, but he couldn''t do so due to his injuries.


    He sneered, "We do not need your good Order''s help here."


    Mu Qiufeng was not angry as he slowly walked up. He was obviously an influential disciple of the Five Venoms Order, not only his venom prowess was outstanding, he was rather gutsy to enter the crowd of Qingjiang disciples alone, and he said calmly, "Qingjiang Sword Sect has always been the ruler of the Nanjiang region. Now that it is facing hard times, I believe that you gentlemen will be able to overcome this obstacle, and I only intend to come to your aid and help make that day arrive sooner. At the same time, my kind Master knew that you lot are not as capable as before, so he offered to help you gentlemen to safeguard your classic literature so they won''t get lost. We will return them to the original condition when it is done."


    He scanned around the rubbles of the sword palace as he talked, and brushed past Shen Lian. Only when he laid eyes on Ruoxi, his eyes glowed, an obvious show of interest when he saw her extraordinary beauty.


    Zuo Shaoqing only scoffed, "What a brilliant idea. You really think that we Qingjiang will do as you dictate?"


    Mu Qiufeng stopped his steps and smiled, "We in Five Immortals Order have no ill intentions, but the Chiyan Clan and the Dark Wind Cave are both your destined foe. It is my Master who stopped these two clans from charging in towards you. Brother, please do not frame me as the bad person here."


    "Are you done?" Shen Lian asked.


    Mu Qiufeng followed the voice and saw the good-looking man sitting on the palace rubbles. He smiled, "I actually have more to say, little brother. I see that the young lady beside you has some talents in her. Why don''t you let her admit to my order, and I assure you a bright future."


    Shen Lian replied, "Ridiculous."


    He saw Shen Lian lifting one finger. Before Mu Qiufeng could react, he saw a gleam surrounding him and sent him flying across layers of mountains and waters. In the process, all his venom skills were nullified and he finally slammed on the ground, causing him immense pain by breaking quite a number of bones.


    His white robe was shredded. The young man''s voice was heard saying, "Ask your leader to come and apologize to us before tomorrow evening, or your Five Venoms Order will be delisted from Nanjiang."


    Mu Qiufeng had his mystical arts nullified by Shen Lian using one finger. He did not know of Shen Lian''s origins, but his techniques were scarily powerful. He crawled and stormed back to his mountain gates.


    Zuo Shaoqing bowed, "Shaoqing is incapable that we need you to lift your finger."


    Shen Lian replied, "You must remember this feeling today, of how helpless you are. This will be your inspiration to improve yourself."


    Zuo Shaoqing said nothing, as he clenched his fist so hard that it was already covered in blood.


    "Looks like the more urgent matter here is not teaching you Daoism, but swordsmanship. Today I will teach you one sword formation. Once you have practiced this well, you can still stand tall in Nanjiang when I leave in a month''s time," Shen Lian explained.


    The disciples of Qingjiang thought that Shen Qian will teach them some high-level sword formation. Never did they expect that he was only teaching the thirty-six steps of the True Wandering Light Sword, which was only divided by Shen Lian into two parts of ''cloud'' and ''water'', eighteen steps each, allocated to nine people, and he explained in detail everyone''s position in every formation.


    They were very well versed with the True Wandering Light Sword steps, but only a few could release the sword gleam of True Wandering Light Sword.


    Shen Lian''s sword formation gathered their mana all into one Qi, with the correlation between cloud and water, a sword gleam of the True Wandering Light Sword was formed, so powerful and long-lasting, which would greatly increase their combat power.


    A night had already passed, but Shen Lian''s meticulous teaching had them in a daze and not realize anything else.


    In the morning, a ray of the morning sun shot through the white clouds, and as the red sun rose, the cloudy mist changed colors engulfing the heavens and earth, then only they were aware of it.


    Soon after, they saw Shen Lian and Ruoxi sitting on a cloud, a thousand feet from the ground. At this point he looked like a god with the eight colored mana around him, falling from the skies and fused into the rubbles.


    Then, everyone saw a miracle they could never forget. The stones grew and stacked up to form buildings, followed by the crawling ivy growing on it and the flowing waters. Within half a day, the rubbles of the sword palace turned into a majestic standalone Daoist courtyard. The noise of the rushing waterfall in front highlighted the serenity here. A Daoist restriction was also formed along the outer wall of the courtyard, taking in the spiritual energy of this mountain. It might not be as tightly guarded as before, but it was now rich in Daoist atmosphere, cutting out a lot of violence.


    To build this Daoist courtyard in less than half a day, even gods would find it difficult to achieve. Only Shen Lian''s Taixu Strategy had the ability to utilize the forces of the nature of his arms and perform such a feat.


    Now in the hearts of the Qingjiang Sword Sect, Shen Lian was not only a mere Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan Daoist sect, as their worship towards him had increased.


    The disciples of Qingjiang Sword Sect entered the courtyard to inspect their new living place. It was now more serene and delicate, much better than the previous cold Sword Palace.


    The way Shen Lian decorated this Daoist courtyard had its profound meaning as well. To become the number one sword cultivator in the world, one should not be in a violent environment for too long, so they would not deviate from their swordsman path and not achieve big things.


    Last time Chen Jianmei had only his sword and himself as the center, which was why Zhang Ruoxu prohibited him from leaving the mountain and travel. Instead, he was ordered to stay in Qing Xuan, be kept under the influence of the mountain, polish his swordsman''s heart, and eventually achieving Huandan.


    Shen Lian was the total opposite of Chen Jianmei. He had the Daoist heart from birth but lacked the firmness in swordsmanship due to this. Therefore, Zhang Ruoxu ordered him to leave the mountain, so he would be put on the verge of death and harbor his survival instincts.


    That was why Zhang Ruoxu once told him that, "Your challenge is in your own personality", meaning that he excelled and face obstacles both because of his natural Daoist heart.


    Shen Lian only understood all these recently, and he was increasingly thankful for Zhang Ruoxu''s goodwill, but he had passed on, so he felt quite sad.


    The evening had set in, and no sign of anyone coming to the mountain. Obviously, Shen Lian''s warning to the Five Venoms Order had fallen on deaf ears.

 Chapter 279 Guangfa

    The moon ascended the skies, glowing at the sky like water, very silently.


    Shen Lian was sitting in the hall of the newly built Daoist courtyard, accompanied by candlelight.


    Ruoxi was playing chess with Shen Lian. Her spiritual strength was not inferior to Shen Lian''s when he first entered Qing Xuan. She also had the ability to remember everything that she saw. With the help of The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, her spiritual strength had grown immensely, finally reaching the level of Fairy Tianmeng.


    In this chess duel, Shen Lian was controlling his mental strength, equal to that of Ruoxi''s. He made his moves with no extra thoughts.


    In contrast, Ruoxi had to think before she made every move. The more they played, the longer she took to think, and yet she could withstand his attacks.


    This time as Shen Lian laid his chess piece, Ruoxi held her chin and said, "Uncle, I don''t know how to play against this move. I need to think some more."


    Shen Lian looked at the sky and smiled, "It is evening already. Why don''t you do your Qi practice homework first, then we will continue later."


    Then he told Zuo Shaoqing who was guarding them, "Look after Ruoxi. Let her practice for a one-day cycle. I will come back later."


    Zuo Shaoqing asked, "Where are you heading to, Master?"


    Shen Lian might have nullified their master-servant contract, but Zuo Shaoqing still recognized Shen Lian as his master.


    Shen Lian just smiled with no reply, formed a sword gleam, stepped on the moonlight and disappeared in a flash.


    Ruoxi followed up, "Uncle is going to that Five Venoms Order."


    As she finished speaking, she closed her eyes to circulate her Qi, and the Qi of the heaven and earth started to surround her like mists of the heaven. This was because Ruoxi had refined the Qi of heaven and earth into the purest form of Qi, for her body to inhale and exhale, hence such a sight.


    With her techniques today, she could practice awakened entrance at will and make mana, but she did not do so as she wanted to improve herself and build the most solid foundation.


    The Five Venoms Order was one of the rare big sects in Nanjiang. Even when Qingjiang was at its strongest times, it was difficult for them to conquer the Five Venoms Order. This sect was different with other sects in terms of its cultivation, as their aim was not to live forever but to improve on killing.


    They combined the ancient people''s spells with to date''s techniques of cultivation to create various kinds of unusual spells, and finally compiled them into a "Five Venoms Scripture", recording all the techniques of the five venoms and sickening evil spells. Even though the disciples from other sects had higher mana levels than those in Five Venoms, they would still be careless and get poisoned.


    Five Venoms Order was situated six hundred miles from Qingjiang Sword Sect. There was a big lake there, its surface smooth as a mirror, reflecting the bright moonlight.


    There were many buildings on top of the lake water; all of them were wooden houses crossing with each other, forming a chain of water village. There were many glowing spots on the houses when watched closely, those there the eyes of the venomous beings, roaming on the wooden houses, such as colorful venomous snakes, the wiggling scorpion tails, and the crawling poison bugs.


    The mist of the lake water was seen wrapping around the wooden houses, acting as a natural barrier shield.


    If one did not take antidote pills regularly and cultivate the poisonous techniques of the Five Venoms Order, those cultivators from other sects would not be able to come near.


    Even the fish and prawns in the lake had evolved to carry poisons in their bodies over time.


    Shen Lian descended with his arrow gleam from miles away. He looked upon the Five Venoms Order. Even from miles away, he could smell a sweet but bloody, sipping his flesh and trying to dissolve into his bloodstream to affect his movements.


    However he Taixu Strategy was one of the most fearsome techniques in the world, a bit of operation of the Taixu Divine Prowess would convert this poisonous mist into healthy Qi to replenish his own body.


    Every inhaling and exhaling nourished his whole body.


    He carried his sword and came down from the moon, riding on the water like a classic sword fairy.


    Soon enough, a disciple of the Five Venoms Order guarding the water gates was heard yelling, "Who''s there?"


    The look of him riding on the water with a sword on his back was actually rather intimidating.


    There were many flying techniques in the world, but to find someone like Shen Lian who could step on a calm lake and not make any ripples, such Qi cultivator was a rare sight to these Five Venoms disciples.


    They did hear of the cultivators in the world who had entered the realm of Buxu, and could float in the air as if it was flat ground, but out of the three thousand miles region, only the old Doyen of Qingjiang Sword Sect, Meng Xunzhen had the ability to do so.


    There were rumors of the leaders of Chiyan Clan and Dark Wind Cave being able to do this too, but no one saw it for real to prove its authenticity.


    With Shen Lian''s young age, they naturally would think to that extent and brushed it off as some mysterious spell.


    This was the difference in the cultivation of Five Venoms Order with other sects''. They might have some earth-shattering spells, but their actual lifespan was only two to three hundred years, or even those disciples who rushed their cultivation would not live as long as a mortal. Even if they were lucky to live until two to three hundred years, this was also because they took all kinds of poisons to slow their aging.


    Comparatively, they would not care about the theory of the how the cultivation field sees a person''s age by their face.


    Shen Lian just smiled and took another step, then his body formed a shadow under the moonlight and traveled through the bodies of the guarding disciples.


    They only felt a gush of wind passing by, and before they could contact other apprentice mates, they felt a sensation as if they got pricked by a needle, causing their body to freeze and immobile.


    Shen Lian never stopped, as he used his spiritual consciousness to scan through the water village, and detected a spot where the spiritual strength was strongest.


    That spot was in a serene courtyard, where green ivies grew around its column, and the water flowed steadily like a symphony.


    Standing on the water village gave one a calm, out-of-the-world experience.


    He walked straight without any obstruction and shortly arrived outside a door.


    A voice said, "Who is this honorable guest? Why are you visiting me this late? Are you here to harm me?"


    The voice was low and hoarse. Not seeing its owner would guess that it was an old man at a very old age.


    The door opened itself, revealing what was inside.


    Inside the wide and clean house, there was sky window with tainted glass on time, allowing the moon the shine through and brightened the whole house, so there was no need for candle lights.


    A person was seen sitting alone, dressed in black, with a tea set in front of him. One would presume he was drinking tea alone.


    He was not like who Shen Lian imagined to be. He looked like he was thirty years old, with no sign of age.


    He saw this man tapped on his tea set, and out flew a cup, rotating in the air, but not spilling a drop of water, slowly levitating in front of Shen Lian. There were some bubbles visible in the tea in the cup, looked like it was poisonous.


    Shen Lian stuck out two fingers to lightly receive the teacup, and said, "Millennium Heart Decaying Grass, what a rare find."


    The man responded, "This honorable guest is quite knowledgeable."


    "When consumed for a long time, this herb could prolong aging, strengthen one''s body. However long-term consumption will also dilute a person''s emotions, hence the name ''heart decaying''," Shen Lian continued.


    The man clapped his hands, "Precisely."


    Shen Lian finished up his tea, and suddenly raised his voice, "You are not the leader of Five Venoms Order!"


    He remained emotionless, only his black robe shivered, as he sighed, "Shen Zhenren is, in fact, a prodigy of the generation. Greetings to you from Guangfa."

 Chapter 280 The Repeatedly Incoming Storm

    He was rather brisk about it. Since his disguise had been seen through, so he crisply admitted it.


    At the same time, in the east, south, and north, there stood three cultivators of Buxu in each of these three directions. All of their eyes were chilling and they directed their immense killing vibes towards Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian said, "My three Daoist friends here would be the Chiyan Order Master, the Dark Wind Cave Master, and the Master of the Five Venoms Order." Even though he was facing west, facing Guangfa directly, but he was still very accurately certain of his environment, even the auras of the three newly arrived cultivators of Buxu appeared in his heart and soul, becoming complete images.


    This was not detected by using his spiritual consciousness but he was still able to solely determine it with his aura, explore the spiritual vigor of the surrounding profoundly and hold onto his own force.


    Even though he was in a tight encirclement, in the eyes of others, it was like he had become the center of the cosmos and the surrounding objects were the sun, moon, and stars that were dragged in by Shen Lian''s Qi dynamic, forming into a subtle balance.


    In the east direction was a man in white, his outfit was similar to the autumn attire of Mu Qiufeng of the Five Venoms Order. However, he looked to be a little over thirty years old.


    In the south direction was a middle-aged Daoist nun, her spirits and appearance were cold and her fair complexion looked fiendish.


    In the north direction was a brawny man in red robes, his arms were bare and his entire body was like a stove, emitting a scorching hot aura.


    The three people were figures of the Buxu group and were considered as powerhouses in the entire Yuan Continent. However, the scariest one of all was Guangfa in front of him, he was the most powerful opponent Shen Lian faced tonight.


    Guangfa began, "Three of them are friends of mine. They came today to boost morale in case I could not make Zhenren Shen stay.


    Shen Lian nodded, "With the Three Talents Inversion Formation that the three of them laid out, it definitely would have stopped me for a while. I have long heard that amongst the Twelve True Celestials of Guangqing, they certainly did not lie that Daoist Guangfa, you, are the highest in resourcefulness."


    Guangfa smiled and said, "I am embarrassed by this undeserved praise. I have taken great lengths for today''s progress but I was also had only ten percent confidence that you would come."


    Shen Lian sighed slightly, "Why don''t you invite more senior and junior apprentice-brothers over. If that was so, it would be hard for me to take off tonight."


    "If there were more brothers here, I would still not be able to wait for your arrival," Guangfa glance was calm as he slowly replied.


    Shen Lian leisurely followed, "That is true. ''The cicada feels the autumn approaching before the golden wind blows, no one knows when their end will come.'' If it''s too dangerous, my spiritual sense would have been aware of it already. Not only could you scheme against others, you still could seize the abstruse of the laws of heaven''s continuous vitality. This is truly uncommon encounter in my entire life. Just with this, you excel over thousands of mediocre and ordinary person. What a shame."


    Guangfa asked, "What is so shameful, Zhenren Shen?"


    "You, my friend, are too conceited. You really thought you can rely on your cult of amateurs and yourself to make me stay?" Shen Lian laughed as he replied.


    The Five Venoms Order Master sneered, "You death is imminent and yet you are still not aware of it. Did you think you can be safe and sound by removing the virulent toxin of the Soul Baffling Froth by relying on the Millennium Heart Decaying Grass?"


    The Soul Baffling Froth was refined from ten different types of poisonous snakes and insects and even the saliva of the poisonous flood dragon that has the bloodline of the ancient real dragon. Before Shen Lian entered, he already caught the sweet fishy scent, which was the Soul Baffling Froth. Even those with profound mana could not fight against this poison with their own flesh and blood. After a while, the flesh of the body would be changed into a puddle of black water.


    However, those with formidable martial exercises could refine the Soul Baffling Froth for themselves without bearing any damages.


    Shen Lian''s Taixu Strategy was one of the top exercises amongst the other martial exercises in this universe, so it was definitely easy to refine the Soul Baffling Froth.


    But after it has been refined into a poisonous gas, if one quickly entered a place where the divine ivies grow, one could stimulate the poisonous gas inside the body because of the divine ivy''s special forces. The ivies growing in this compound were exactly the divine ivies. This plant was no different than the ordinary ivy but it is the most valuable treasure to those who cultivate the Art of Poison. It could yield twice the result with half the effort for the cultivators because it could stimulate the virulence of the poison.


    Especially when the poison was refined using the mana, this poison would relapse in the mana under the stimulation from the divine ivy''s special forces. In that instance, it would circulate throughout the whole body. Compared to smelling the Soul Baffling Froth, the virulence was more severe by ten folds.


    Of course, this poison could be detoxified. Not only could the Millennium Heart Decaying Grass postpone senility, but it could have detoxifying magical effects for those people with profound mana.


    This was because the medical efficacy of this grass could stagnate the entire body''s Qi of vigor, which could later give the poisoned cultivator time to bring the virulence inside his body under control and force it out.


    That was why Shen Lian accepted the tea that Guangfa passed over without thinking twice and drank the tea with the Millennium Heart Decaying Grass in it.


    This was also established on Shen Lian''s unmatched knowledge that he was able to understand the grass''s other usage.


    However, it seemed that his opponent had other defenses.


    Shen Lian was being insouciant when he turned towards the Five Venoms Order Master and glanced at him. His gaze was raw and sharp and it brutally planted into the Five Venoms Order Master''s heart. He was above the two-person when it came to the art of attack but the state of his mana was still not on par with these true Xuanmen''s Buxu cultivators.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was the Supreme Sword of Heart that brutally cleaved his heart, and caused a severe blow to his mind and spirit. The Five Venoms Order Master was caught off guard and he groaned.


    During this moment, the teacup in Shen Lian''s hand abruptly transformed into a shiny silver pole. It was quick. Simultaneously, there was a silver hoop that was decorated on top of it that precisely locked Shen Lian''s right hand. It embedded itself into Shen Lian''s flesh and blood and it was hard to extricate, which caused Shen Lian to be limited in his movements.


    It turned out that Guangfa had already accounted that Shen Lian would know about the Millennium Heart Decaying Grass''s other usage so the object that was messed about was the cup of tea. It was transformed from a high-quality instrument that possessed the ability to trap people.


    As long as Shen Lian was within a stone''s throw, it would carry out its function. It was dormant in the beginning for Shen Lian to exercise his mana to detox, which made him separate some of his energy. By doing so, it provides more assurance to the success of their attacks.


    Nonetheless, he did not expect the Five Venoms Order Master''s ridicule to also work, causing Shen Lian to divide some of his spiritual consciousness to attack him. This directly gave Guangfa to spot this opportunity and immediately activate the instrument to tightly lock one of Shen Lian''s hand.


    Shen Lian calmly said, "What a treasure, it is truly rare."


    Guangfa replied quietly, "This instrument was refined while I was reproducing the ancient magical weapon, the Shifting Dragon Pole. To search for the materials, I have fully spent forty years'' of time and used thirty years to forge it. Even so, its valance was still nowhere near the original Shifting Dragon Pole, so I gave it the name ''Shifting Flood Dragon Pole''. Even though it could not trap a real dragon, it could still trap a flood dragon for a while."


    Shen Lian was still calm and tranquil despite the honor or shame, unhurriedly he said, "Not only are you extraordinarily resourceful, to have such deep understanding of me, it seemed you had connoisseurs to give you advice and suggestions."


    Guangfa felt that victory was at hand at this moment. He stood up and replied, "I''m afraid you have offended many on a daily basis, Zhenren Shen. I indeed had help from other connoisseurs, it could even be those close to you. Of course, if you asked me who he is, I wouldn''t know. Even if I did, I would not tell you."


    He conveniently made this move. Even though he was assured that he would capture Shen Lian, but the hidden agenda was just in case Shen Lian did escape, he would then suspect that there was a rat inside Qing Xuan and he would be suspicious of those close to him, which would still benefit him.


    Shen Lian was formidable so it was no surprise he understood this principle. He also lamented on the fact that Guangfa really covered all aspects of the matter and he was truly a genius.


    His thoughts were like flashes of lighting that brushed past. He drawled, "I already know who it is, and also, why do you send yourself to me to be killed?"


    A killing vibe appeared. The pattering small rain suddenly became surged, like the huge waves of the river water, a storm began to collect together.

 Chapter 281 As Though The Celestial Demon Had Arrived

    But how could Guangfa''s shiny silver Shifting Flood Dagon Pole be trapping Shen Lian''s right hand? It was obviously a piece of dry wood.


    Guangfa was shocked in silence. The formidability of this person was beyond his predictions. He could actually display this illusion to trick him underneath his nose.


    Shen Lian flicked one of his fingers, a streak of black water was produced. It was the poisonous water of the Soul Baffling Froth that was driven out by Shen Lian using the Milky Way Sword Aura. Also, because of the force of the divine ivy, the virulence of the Soul Baffling Froth abruptly increased by ten folds.


    Guangfa was the closest and he did not dare to let his guard down. His hands kneaded a formula and a ray of clear light instantaneously appeared. It simply stopped the black water but it could be seen that the clear light that was condensed from the mana had a hole actually corroded in it by the black water.


    Guangfa backed up, continuously shooting out the clear light made out of the Qi of Xuanqing. Even though the Qi of Xuanqing that he cultivated was nowhere thick and pure as Huanzhen''s, but the ideomotor reflex of the casting was done instantaneously, it was extremely rapid.


    In one breath, he had cast a good thirty-six Clear Light Barriers. Although Guangqing was great, those who were able to do this were very few.


    However, Shen Lian''s intention was not on Guangfa. With a clear howl, he pulled out the longsword from behind. It flowed with a black and yellow light.


    At that moment, the moon and the stars were shining bright and the Milky Way was high up. There was no sound in the surrounding, as though there were no signs of human inhabitation.


    Even those poisonous insects and snakes went into hiding. It was obvious that they were spooked by Shen Lian''s killing vibes and they dared not to crop up.


    Shen Lian ascended to the skies by strolling upwards. His killing vibes were like the tides and river water, with the conception of infinite vastness hidden underneath.


    There were puffs of grey cumulus cloud produced underneath his foot. There were thousands of forms, like the lotus flower, the wild goose, and the ferocious tiger. The roar of the sword clanked on continuously, the skies were like tidings and the moonlight was like the sea, its waves running high.


    It was as though Shen Lian was the heavenly spirit of Buddha that had come to this universe to remove catastrophe and to make every evil demon yield.


    The Chiyan Order Master, Five Venoms Order Master and the Dark Wind Cave Master, all three of them simultaneously triggered their mana and a screen of light shrouded the sky. They wanted to block the path in front of Shen Lian. Black, red and white rays circulated on top, almost celestial and demon like. It was meant for self-protection and also to block Shen Lian''s path.


    Shen Lian''s black hair fluttered. Like a young deity, his Qi of vigor was masculine and unexpectedly, his spirits bore a likeness to that deity statue that he had envisioned. There was a cold gleam in his eyes as he scoffed at all creation.


    The Dark Wind Cave Master in the nun outfit sneered, "Do not think of escaping."


    The three of them had benefited greatly from Guangfa. Under the drive of these benefits, plus the fact that these three had the combat capability of the Buxu cultivators which gave them the habit of rampaging their way in Nanjiang, coupled with Guangfa holding the line, they thought they could make Shen Lian stay with all these considerations made.


    Also, Guangfa had promised that as long as Shen Lian was defeated, he would not take anything from him and would hand it all over to them. Under the drive of such huge benefits, not just Shen Lian, they would also dare to make a move on those from the schools of celestials and Buddhism.


    The only thing that they did not expect was that Shen Lian was able to easily break away from Guangfa''s Shifting Flood Dragon Pole without a scratch even though when everything went according to plan. Shen Lian had moved the poisonous water out from his body to attack Guangfa but his actual targets were the three of them.


    It should be known that the three of them had collaborated to lay out this Three Talents Inversion Formation. It was definitely not something that could be easily breakthrough. Once Shen Lian had been tangled in it and with Guangfa making his move, he was in a tight spot.


    However, Shen Lian ascended to the skies step by step. Once he was in the air, his sword made a prick that was as light as a feather. Even though it seemed very slow, but there was an unspoken pressure that suddenly welled up within them. This sword move did not leave a mark but at the same time, there was a gigantic valence hidden underneath it. The three of them could feel this rush of force inside their mind, which was ready to explode at any time.


    This terrifying spiritual pressure even made them felt like they had returned to a time when they were weak and puny, that this was their first encounter with a powerhouse. They were uneasy and anxious.


    The three of them actually cast a secret technique under this immense pressure. The divine lights flew all around and the sky trembled. The Qi strength scattered like paper as it could not be repressed anymore. The divine ivies were rendered to dust under the powerful pressure. There were ripples waving in midair and the lake water underneath roared. Even though many houses generated restrictions, in hopes to protect the water village, it became fragile under the absolute might of the Qi strength. From time to time, there were other Five Venoms disciples that jumped into the water. Those poisonous snakes and insects also slipped into the water, not daring to peak their heads out as they were afraid to be annihilated just like that.


    There were even disciples with the weakest cultivation that let out a curdling howl and finally exploding into a bloody mist.


    Under such immense attack of mana, any kind of formidable poisonous skills was a joke.


    If it was the authentic Xuanmen successor, who had trained one''s body and Qigong practice, his body would be able to experience the many scrubbings of the Qi of heaven and earth before his mana could be condensed. He would have mental fortitude. So how could he not be able to control his own Qi of vigor because of dissipating coercion, have his vigor in scrambles and end up self-exploding?


    Nonetheless, the Five Venoms Order Master was already having a hard time looking after himself. Before that, he was injured by Shen Lian''s Sword of Heart. Even though it did not injure his foundation but his reactions were slowed down.


    The contest between masters rested amongst the least bit.


    Shen Lian could see that amongst the three, even though the Five Venoms Order Master seemed like his method of attack was the most formidable, but in actual fact, his mind and spirit was the weakest. He completely relied on the Art of Poison to rampage Nanjiang.


    He used his advantage to attack his enemy''s weakness so it was natural for him to benefit in every way.


    The Xuande Sword in his hand was one with his mind. With the use of this extraordinary swordcraft to craft out an abstruse path, it was unstoppable like the laws of heaven. It easily broke into the spell cast by those three. Within the powerful airwaves, it was easygoing for it.


    At that moment, the Five Venoms Order Master could not help but let out a curdling howl as his entire body was covered in sword marks. It turned out that Shen Lian had broken into the three of them and that this Three Talents Inversion Formation was like nothing to him.


    In actual fact, even though this formation could link the three master''s mana together to use it trap and kill the enemy, fundamentally it was still not of the same source where their minds met. It was natural for Shen Lian to find this loophole.


    Not mentioning that if this was the case, even if there were loopholes, the three Buxu masters could patch up these opening in an instant. However, the Five Venoms Order Master''s mind and spirit were injured so he was slow to react. Even though it seemed that Shen Lian had made numerous sword blows within the blink of an eye, in actuality, in real time, it happened before the flash of a thought.


    Finally, a radiant black and yellow ray lit up in the flow of the three person''s spell. It was hard for people to overlook the brilliant sky.


    As though there was an earthshattering powerful ripple exploding.


    Even though they were caught in it, the brawny man of Chiyan Clan, the Dark Wind Cave Master in the nun attire felt their mind and spirit being shaken.


    The chilling sword will instantly douse their mind, causing them to involuntarily shiver. With a stern and absolute thrust, it easily broke through the Divine Light Shield of the Five Venoms Order Master.


    A red mark could be seen appearing between his brows, his body later froze and fell directly from midair. There was no sign of breath at all.


    Terror spread inside the heart of the other two as they watched the young man that was detached from this world. It was as though they had seen this demon god that had walked out from hell, he was that unbeatable.


    The cold smile on the corner of his lips became an unforgettable shadow in their mind.


    Shen Lian did not give them time to react at all. ''You want to kill me, then I will kill you.'' Such was the laws of heaven.


    At the same time, Guangfa already came pursuing along. In his hands were numerous flashes of lights as mysterious runes flowing about. This horrifying power and influence gave the other two the desire to live on. This desire welled up within them very swiftly.

 Chapter 282 Resourceful But Indecisive

    The nun held floating dust in her hands that were intertwined with a mysterious Dao pattern. The black wind screamed and devoured the moonlight around her. Everything was in darkness.


    She already used everything she has got to cast the Great Dark Wind Technique. Under the oppression of death, she pushed her combat abilities to its peak. Her entire Qi of vigor boiled. There were fine blood droplets of slight fragrance that rolled down from her brows.


    This was because the entire body''s potential had been stimulated and her Qi and blood were dissipating. She was determined to put up one last fight.


    At the same time, the brawny man''s body bulked up tremendously. His entire body burned with red flames like a demon god. The scorching heat caused the air around him to be twisted. His hair, like the flames, were very crimson as it fluttered willfully.


    The blazing flames instantly clouded in front of him, fighting against Shen Lian''s power and influence with full force.


    Shen Lian strolled leisurely in midair, his facial expression calm and composed. He viewed life and death as child''s play, not paying any mind at all to Guangfa''s spell wave that was about to drown him.


    The black and yellow color of Xuande Sword''s had a faint presence of the luster of blood. It was as though his entire body was emitting this dominating and supreme sword will that could make the heavenly celestials and Buddha to fall into his hands. This was the Trapping of Celestial Sword Will.


    It was beyond the mortal world and heavens, even the Milky Way in the sky lost its shine under this wisp of sword will.


    This sword will could make celestials and Buddhas to fall into the secular mortal world, enter into reincarnation once again to become sentient beings.


    Even though the conception he had gotten was not the true conception of the trapping of celestials, but the two in front of him were neither celestials nor Buddha.


    The Trapping of Celestial Sword Will that lingered in his mind and spirit had dimmed down under the smothering of his mind and spirit. Shen Lian took this opportunity to stimulate it. Even though Shen Lian would be troubled by the Trapping of Celestial Sword Will, his mind and spirit dazed, but because he was already used to the confrontation with this leftover of the Trapping of Celestial Sword Will, he was adapted.


    Nonetheless, for the Chiyan Order Master and the Dark Wind Cave Master, this was their first assault from a supreme sword will. Their thoughts were obtuse and even their spells were flawed.


    In that critical moment, Shen Lian did something beyond anyone''s imagination. The sword gleam of the Xuande Sword converged and it pierced into the nun''s Great Dark Wind Technique. In that dark sky, a volatile and extremely violent blood luster exploded. A beautiful woman''s head flew into the sky, bringing a spray of bloody rain that painted a beautiful picture in midair.


    The facial expression of the nun was filled with fear and disbelief. There was no turning back once something had happened.


    A streak of sword aura followed and annihilate the blue vapor of her spirit that came from her skull. Even if she did have another life, she would not be able to cultivate anymore because her spirits had been injured.


    The Chiyan Order Master''s state of mind crumbled. The two figures that were on the same level as him were killed on the spot effortlessly by Shen Lian. This was someone who could control the void. The number of cultivators of this world was numerous like the school of silver carps moving down a stream but to be able to achieve such adept, was truly one in a million.


    These extraordinary figures who had lived for hundreds of years actually died right in front him and it seemed like he was next.


    That hopelessness multiplied in his mind and in the end, he could not help but transformed into a glow of a fire and made his escape. He dared not turn back to look and he was even more afraid that Shen Lian would hunt him down in the form of a shadow.


    Shen Lian turned back in midair, the tip of his sword vibrating as his carved out one circle after another. It led all the runes that were cast by Guangfa into the lake water below. At that moment, a giant explosion rang out in a chain reaction and it annihilated the entire water village in an instant.


    The violent riot of the Qi strength did not affect Guangfa and Shen Lian at all.


    The both of them stared at each other in midair, as though there was a long succession of sparks that burst and flashed in the air. Their spirits were in constant probing and confrontation and it finally began influencing reality.


    Guangfa sighed, "If he had not escaped, you would have been defeated by me."


    Shen Lian, "There are no ''ifs'' in this world. Even if time could be reversed, there is nothing you and I can change."


    It was not as easy as it looked when he defeated those two Buxu cultivators in an instant. Shen Lian was no immortal Zhenren of the school of Celestials and Buddha.


    The biggest difference between the Huandan, Buxu and Powang states were not in the mana.


    Even though Buxu was after the Huandan state, but what made the Buxu cultivator formidable was that they began to have a true and independent sentiment of the laws of heaven. They were qualified to push down the old ways and establish new martial exercises for cultivation, to search for the cultivation methods that best suit themselves. Simultaneously, they understood some of the axiomatic truth of the universe and use it for their own. They did not need external force anymore and could break free of the shackles of the earth and roam the skies.


    The Powang state after Buxu was when one begins to blend with heavens. The cultivator would begin searching for one''s own nature and fused oneself into his own Dao. In the end, one would break through the fabrications, and be trained into the Primordial Spirit, adept the Primordial Spirit Celestialism and truly embark on the School of Celestials and Buddhism.


    Fundamentally speaking, Shen Lian, of course, did not have the capabilities to easily kill off two Buxu level cultivators. However, he had an inborn epiphany for combat and his powerful spirits allowed his heart to be still as water in this high-level fight. It allowed him to search for his advantage and his opponent''s disadvantage.


    He stimulated the lingering Trapping of Celestial Sword Will during the fight. That terrifying aura was even enough to shake figures such as the Three Elders of Taisu to their core, what more than these three Buxu cultivators?


    Firstly, Shen Lian injured the Five Venoms Order Master with his Sword of Heart. With one rampant hit, he killed off this person. He then brought this power and influence to stimulate the Trapping of Celestial Sword Will, causing both the nun and brawny man''s thought to be sluggish. Even though he too was affected by this sword will but the effects were far smaller than the other two. He took his opportunity and killed the nun.


    It was natural for this supreme power and influence to cause the Chiyan Order Master''s mind and spirit to fall apart.


    If the other had persisted on and put up a hard fight, Shen Lian would actually be stopped and it would be hard to kill him off. After that, Guangfa would be able to deal with Shen Lian. Shen Lian would be at a major disadvantage. The best outcome for him would be to immediately escape, even if it meant paying a small price.


    Unfortunately, the Chiyan Order Master''s state of mind was not that impregnatable. One hit after another, he absolutely could not experience and observe that much, that was why he would immediately shift away.


    As for Guangfa, he too lost the final chance to turn the tides and now, he was back on the same page as being on par with Shen Lian.


    The situation of the contest between masters would have many changes in a small instance. Shen Lian did not depend solely on his luck to easily turn the tides to his favor but his immense guts and his very concentrated control of the situation.


    Guangfa was getting more afraid of Shen Lian, even now the level of threat Shen Lian posted to him had far surpassed the scary Chen Jianmei.


    Chen Jianmei had this ''one sword one man'' manner, he had the talents but his state of mind was not as comprehensive as Shen Lian where it is undetectable, as the deep sea.


    Not only did Shen Lian have the potential to reach the peach, he also has an exceeding knowledge and extraordinary sharp Dao nature that was gradually appearing. All of it proved that he would achieve adeptness, which really sends chills one''s spine now that he thought about it.


    Guangfa said hoarsely, "Do we need to continue? You should know, even though I cannot make you stay, you too, cannot make me stay." He had this kind of confidence.


    Even though Guangfa was not number one amongst the Twelve Powang State Masters of Guangqing but he was definitely one of the top six. The skills and techniques he had learned, even though it was not as much as Shen Lian but it was close to it.


    Shen Lian could even feel the power of Guangfa''s spirit. Even though it was not the same where he could connect to the netherworld, but Guangfa would still be considered as overbearing. At least, it was hard for Shen Lian to solely rely on his advantage he had with his spirits to completely subdue Guangqing.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian laughed. Like the spring breeze that melts the snow, it injected another kind of vitality into this chilling night.


    He drawled, "Guangfa, even though you are exceedingly resourceful, but you should know you still have a major flaw. I cannot blame you for not attaining longevity."


    Guangfa''s eyes narrowed, "What?"


    "You are resourceful but you are indecisive. During this very moment, you still remained here. You really thought you are the only one with helpers?" There was an unspeakable flavor to Shen Lian''s tone of voice. It was as though he was lamenting, at the same time insulting.


    Guangfa was shocked to his core. He felt a very dangerous aura approaching at an unthinkable speed.

 Chapter 283 Left in The Evening, Returned During The Fifth Period Of The Nigh

    All of a sudden, a golden light overflowed and lit up half of the skies while dimming the Milky Way at the same time. Even the bright moon lost its shine. Within that golden light, there was a vast and majestic female deity clad in a dragon robe with an imperial crown on her head, in her hand was an imperial seal. She suddenly appeared in midair.


    The never-ending golden light came from the imperial seal in her hands.


    The incoming figure was naturally the Empress. Now, she was the God of the Qingshui River. It could also be said that she was half a Dragon King.


    The Dragon King was different than a real dragon. It receives instructions from the heavens and it controls the great rivers. It receives the consecrate of prayers from the valley that spans thirty thousand miles and its mana was close to limitless.


    Of course, once the Dragon King was further away from his river area, his mana would weaken as it was harder to get the force from prayers.


    Also, the Dragon King would lose the support of the spiritual force of the Qingshui River once it left the river area. It would not be as formidable as celestials and Buddha and even by leaving the river area, there was a risk of dying.


    Guangfa did not expect that this new river god would undertake this matter so fearlessly and vigorously on behalf of Shen Lian. It was even hard to predict that the river god would come this quickly. Furthermore, he did not even detect anything at all when Shen Lian informed the river god to arrive.


    One miscalculation turned into many miscalculations.


    He had compared Shen Lian against his own self, so he clearly could not understand this friendship where one could trust another with one''s own life and death.


    The Empress was as though a representation of the bright heavens. Her eyes were indifferent and merciless as she quietly stood in midair. There was a monstrous force that swept down and circled Guangda.


    Guangfa calmed down during this moment on the contrary. He converged his thoughts, his hands started nipping out formula while his mouth recited chants. Suddenly, a black cloud appeared in the sky and a streak of lightly descended from it and brutally cleaved towards the Empress.


    This was the ''Yuxiao Deity Thunder Incantation''. It was considered a superb technique amongst other thunder techniques.


    But when the lightning ray struck on the golden light, nothing happened. When in contrary, the golden light from the imperial seal glowed even more and absorbed the lightning ray.


    In the end, the imperial seal continuously expanded and flew to the sky until it reached the top of Guangfa''s head. It vehemently landed.


    It seemed like it wanted to subdue Daoist Guangfa so that he could not turn over a new leaf for a very long time.


    Shen Lian swung his sword with both his hands, the endless Qi of heaven and earth condensed and the mana in his entire body boiled. Anomalies of the wind, thunder, water, and fire flashed before one another consecutively and it finally condensed into an earthshaking sword gleam. The unmatched sharpness of the sword will was remotely locked on Guangfa.


    The two peerless powerhouses were enough to cause the mountain to crumble and the earth to break when they made their moves. They also caused the lake water of this area to dry up.


    The imperial seal in the sky above had the aura to subdue all living beings. Not far away was Shen Lian''s peerless sword gleam that was enough to split the mountains open and to crush Guangfa''s Daoist body.


    He had almost fallen into a hopeless state of absolute death.


    Initially, when the imperial seal vehemently came crashing down, there was the Qi of Xuanqing that transformed into a High Cloud to support the imperial seal.


    But Shen Lian''s unmatched sword will attack his mind and spirit.


    The confrontation of the spirit was much dangerous than the subduing of the imperial seal.


    He conjured up his mana to fight against the imperial seal. He also needed to divide his mind and spirit to fight against Shen Lian''s supreme Heart of Sword technique. Furthermore, he did not know when the sword gleam that was condensed by Shen Lian would be shot.


    He did not even have the chance to pull himself out as he waited for that deracinating blow.


    Because he would only have that chance when the other''s momentum had come down from its peak.


    Under these circumstances, the imperial seal came crashing down inch by inch, causing the High Cloud above Guangfa to disappear inch by inch, collapsing like the cumulus clouds.


    It was also wearing out his mana wisp by wisp, causing him to gradually lose the ability to fight back.


    Both of Guangfa''s eyes were bloodshot, as the essence and blood of his body boiled. His mouth was mumbling as his vigor continuously evaporated, supplying him with formidable mana. The High Cloud made from the Qi of Xuanqing gradually had the color of blood appearing and it strengthened back to its original state. The Shifting Flood Dragon Pole landed underneath his foot and transformed into a silver lotus with three petals. It supported him.


    At the same time, uncountable silver streaks circulated and guarded Guangfa.


    However, his facial complexion turned from red to white. The silver streaks of the silver lotus gradually dispelled under the pressure of the imperial seal, the Renwang Imperial Seal.


    During this moment, there was a melodious singing that rang in the sky:


    "The bright moon by the side of the clear pond, the green willow and the peach blossom by the shore.


    It had a certain clean taste, there were a few floating red clouds high up in the air."


    "Zhenren Shen, please have mercy. Daoist Mu Zhenzi is here to greet you."


    The singing stopped and far away in the skies, there was a break of the dawn light. A white cloud leisurely approach and there were two people on top of it. One of them was the incarnation of Yanxu, Qingwei. He was looking at Shen Lian with mirth.


    Another person had a kerchief on his head and his Dao robes were wide. His sleeves fluttered and he wore a pair of straw sandals and held a bamboo stick in his hand. He certainly has the manner of a celestial.


    It was the other pupil of Guangfa''s master, Mu Zhenzi.


    Shen Lian hummed silently and the condensed sword gleam viciously attacked Guangfa. At the same time, he spilled out a thunder rune and the sky full of lightning rays to block Mu Zhenzi''s way.


    The lightning cracked and flashed, separating the sky. Following that, the Empress and Shen Lian vanished without a trace.


    When Shen Lian saw Yanxu appeared, he already knew that things were going to be impossible. He was decisive and did not drag on, he telepathically told the Empress to retreat with him.


    The sword gleam was very formidable as it directly broke through the silver streaks that surrounded Guangfa.


    There was a long gash in the front of Guangfa''s chest. This sword mark that appeared on the fair and supple skin faintly had some of the sword gleam lingering in it.


    He continuously vomited mouthful of fresh blood, with some white essence of the blood mixed with it. His face was ashen like paper and his silver lotus treasure was on the verge of tethering.


    Mu Zhenzi waved his flocket and there was mana being inserted into Guangfa. Since they were from the same order, Guangfa''s injuries were soon stabilized. However, without ten or twenty years of laborious practice, it was hard to recuperate.


    Furthermore, this battle was a major setback for him. That was because while he was confronting Shen Lian, he was being subdued since the beginning till the end. This was very disadvantageous for his later cultivation.


    Guangfa''s look was of regret and his voice was very weak. It was close to being broken as he asked, "How did you get here in time?"


    Mu Zhenzi pointed towards Yanxu and answered, "It is all thanks to Junior Apprentice-Brother Qingwei that I could make it here in time."


    Guangfa cupped his hands towards Yanxu as a sign of respect, "Thank you, Junior Apprentice-Brother Qingwei."


    Yanxu sounded very concerned, "You do not need to be so courteous to me, it is my duty as the junior. I already foresee that Shen Lian would be difficult to deal with so when I saw him coming, I immediately gave Senior Apprentice-Brother Mu Zhenzi a message. Luckily, he made it on time."


    Guangfa nodded. The three of them sighed for a while and then went off on the cloud.


    It was not long after that Shen Lian arrived at the Qingshui River with the Empress. This was the Empress''s territory. Unless it was the Guangqing immortal Zhenren that made the move, or else it did not matter how many people come, it would be hard to contend with the Empress here.


    She had a curious look on her face as she inquired, "Why would you let them go like that? You should know that this time, as long as you and I collaborated, there is still a big chance that they would stay even if Mu Zhenzi came."


    She could not simply leave the river area. Today was an excellent opportunity to take them down, hence she did not expect that Shen Lian would so easily retreat.


    It was truly not his usual style of doing things.


    Shen Lian asked, "You saw the young man beside Mu Zhenzi?"


    The Empress answered properly, "That person''s Qi of Dao is pure and would be considered a genius figure, but he hardly poses a threat to you and me."


    "Actually, there is one matter that I did not make it clear to you. That young man is none other than the traitor of Qing Xuan. His Dao name is ''Yanxu''. Even though he is not from the school of the Celestials and Buddha but the ordinary immortal Zhenren could not do anything to him either. Furthermore, he is very well versed in the many secrets of Qing Xuan. I only did not think that he could be this deceiving and enter the Guangqing Sect. The formidable foe that I faced last time was him." Shen Lian explained plainly.


    The Empress asked, "Then what is the purpose of joining Guangqing?"


    Shen Lian quietly replied, "This is also the one thing that is hard for me to understand, because there are the five immortal Zhenrens in Guangqing, even though his supernatural powers are hard to detect, it would still be like walking on thin ice by being there. If it was because of some Dao techniques, it would not make sense for him to remain there for so long. After all, with his methods, he does not need too much time to get Guangqing''s true teachings. Not only that, Guangqing''s cultural inheritance is almost the same as us, Qing Xuan."


    "No matter what, it seemed like that person is an enemy and not an ally. Also, with your identity, it would be hard to expose him. Are you going to let him have his way like this?" She had always been someone who acted in a sweeping manner. Now that she had separated ally from foe, she would not hesitate to get rid of the enemy. That was why she would say this.


    Shen Lian answered, "It is actually a good thing that he had been found out by me. Doesn''t matter if he is exposed or not, he is already in the open. Also, he was also the one who was pushing in this matter with Guangfa. However, it was most likely that Guangfa did not notice that the one pushing from behind was actually Yanxu. He still thought about letting me be suspicious of the other people in Qing Xuan and leaked out information that is related to me."


    "What good does this do for him? If he wanted to deal with you, he should have appeared from the beginning and not wait until the arrival of Mu Zhenzi and allowed us to also injure Guangfa," the empress pointed out another suspicious point.


    A gleam flashed pass Shen Lian''s eyes and he asked, "How did Huang Longzi escape from your clutches?"


    The Empress answered, "He escaped by himself. But there was something fishy going on because originally, he had already exhausted all his options but with reasons unknown, he had a little bit more strength and forcefully severed half his body to escape from me."


    Shen Lian sighed, "Guangfa was also injured today."


    The Empress pondered for a while and said, "These two matters are related."


    "I''m afraid we had become his helpers. Or rather, his target is not only on me but the masters in Guangqing. As for why, I fear only he himself is clear about that." Even though Shen Lian was catching onto something, it was still not the complete picture.


    Even though Yanxu''s way of doing things seemed outrageous, but there was still some kind of purpose to it. For example, when he first encountered Yanxu, the other had given him the Qi Instrument when in actual fact, it was the Jingguang Temple''s relic.


    Even though Guangfa was known for being the most resourceful amongst the twelve Zhenrens, but compared to Yanxu, he was but a small firefly glow. He was nowhere close to Yanxu who was as bright as the moon.


    The Empress followed, "No matter what schemes he has, as long as you attained longevity within ten or twenty years, everything would be resolved. After all, those who have the biggest stick in this world could sprout their principles."


    Shen Lian nodded, "It is indeed so. Once I am done with this Qingjiang matter, I will return to the mountain gates and settle down to cultivate for a period of time. This month, you and I can properly exchange the gained knowledge from cultivation."


    "I have that intention too."


    The two spoke for a while and the moon began the set westwards. It seemed that it was approaching dawn and Shen Lian took his leave. He leaped into the sky and arrived at the Qingjiang Sword Sect that was beside the Qingshui River.


    He entered his compound and saw that there was still a candlelight burning. Ruoxi was leaning on the table while practicing her calligraphy.


    Shen Lian asked nice, "What are you writing?"


    Ruoxi answered, "Uncle, you are different from what the poem says."


    He then saw a poem written on the white paper.


    "Zhuoshu with the thick eyebrows spoke like thunder, once he heard of the news of unfairness he then put his cup down.


    He took his sword and went a thousand miles through the sky. He left in the evening and will return at night."


    Ruoxi said very seriously, "Uncle, you left in the evening and you only come back now at dawn."


    When Shen Lian heard this, he regretted in silence about the fact that he should not have told her about stories on Sword Celestials. The corner of his lips twitched as he said, "Go to bed."

 Chapter 284 There Is No Redeemer

    Ruoxi sneakily smiled and skipped her way to the inner chamber to sleep.


    With her current cultivation, an hour of deep slumber was enough for her rest.


    To a cultivator, the other advantage they had was that they did not need to waste too much time on sleeping like a mortal. Under the situation where their lifespan did not extend, they have more time to do the things they want.


    At that moment, Zuo Shaoqing came in and cupped his hands towards Shen Lian as an obeisance. He said, "I just received Senior Apprentice-Brother Jiang''s air message. He would return within these few days."


    Shen Lian clasped his hands behind his back, smiled and said, "This is an internal matter of your sect, there is no need to report it to me."


    Zuo Shaoqing replied, "My lord, you have granted us the grace of rebirth, we are determined to attach ourselves under your banner."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly, "Qingjiang was assaulted by Huang Longzi and your master defected. Fundamentally, the reason for this was because you attached yourself to Qing Xuan. Do you not hold a grudge?"


    Zuo Shaoqing calmly looked straight at Shen Lian and he quietly said, "I have indeed thought of this matter. However, to be in another man''s shoes, Guangqing would not have treated Qingjiang the way Guangqing would. The defection of our honored master should not have happened. I will search for him and bring him back."


    "You have truly grown a lot. Nonetheless, there is one point and that is with your qualifications, you should not limit yourself to this area. This time, once your Senior Apprentice-Brother Jiang Shuijie returns, you should try to go out and travel, witness the different kinds of cultivation of this world and also the kind of sufferings of the secular mortal world. Take these experiences and transform it to merits," Shen Lian slightly sighed.


    Zuo Shaoqing''s brows crinkled, "But now my sect is scattered and sparse. What would they do if I wasn''t there?"


    Shen Lian answered in a serious manner, "No one is a redeemer. You have to learn to trust your own senior and junior apprentice-brothers. You have better qualifications than all of them and your cultivation experience is higher, but this does not mean that they are sitting ducks without you here. Furthermore, how would they grow if they do not weather the storm? You should place more confidence in them."


    Zuo Shaoqing kept his silence. This was because the lessons he got from Meng Xunzhen was to have himself continuously become strong until he could finally guard the entire sect while also placing himself above the sect.


    What Shen Lian meant was that it was not wrong of him to want to become stronger but he only reminded him that he should trust his brothers more and give himself a little more freedom.


    He asked, "Then, are you very trusting of the other people in Qing Xuan, my lord?"


    Shen Lian nodded and answered, "I trust them. One day, Qing Xuan would become the most formidable sect in this universe because of them and myself. The same goes to Qingjiang that would also become the most outstanding sword cultivating sect. The vigor when you faced Huang Longzi and the current state of peril would soon become the precious experience in your later lives. No one on the path of Dao has it easy. You would suffer at the beginning and suffer even more in the later stage but an unbiased view is very important. Also, one should not forget the nature of cultivation is to achieve Dao and attain longevity."


    During the following period of time, Jiang Shuijie also returned. He helped in settling those disciples who had hurt their Dao foundation and could not cultivate anymore.


    Under Shen Lian''s witness, he also became the new sect master of Qingjiang. This sword cultivation sect with a thousand year legacy met one of the toughest times since establishment and was left with only thirty to forty people. Everyone had experience tempering themselves and their wills had also grown.


    When Shen Lian was preaching Dao, he only repeated the summary of the Huandan path. The hundred word summary was spoken eloquently every day until there were only few who were still willing to listen to him in the end.


    However, Shen Lian also spoke of the swordcraft. The knowledge within him far surpassed Meng Xunzhen and he bore the Milky Way Sword Aura and the path and meaning of Grandmaster Yuanqing. His superficial knowledge on the Trapping of Celestial Sword Will and its swordcraft were still something extraordinary.


    At the same time, Shen Lian also very thoroughly re-arranged the swordcraft he had learned by himself, he gradually had the tendency make everything into a uniform order.


    Of course, he still rigidly adhere to the set pattern of his predecessors and was nowhere close to Chen Jianmei''s conception.


    Nonetheless, he was not pure of the cultivator of the sword and the swordcraft was only one of his methods of self-defense. That was why he did not put much emphasis on breaking out from the predecessor''s framework but only tidied up the jumble of swordcraft.


    Shen Lian also visited Qingjiang only immortal Zhenren from the past generations, Shui Lingzi''s adobe. It was a grass hut. After being consumed by the years, there were no traces of Shui Lingzi to be found and the few lines of words on the mountain walls by the side of the grass hut were also blurred out.


    Shui Lingzi finally perished during the trials and Dao and vanished from this universe without a trace. Due to the underperformance of Shui Lingzi''s successor, that only thirty or forty percent of the swordcraft was passed down.


    This was one of the troubles that many immortal Zhenren faced. Even though Qing Xuan had many portraits of immortal Zhenrens but in actual fact, those who were able to pass on their true teachings to their disciples were very few.


    The greatest lesson Shen Lian got was that he deeply felt the mercilessness of time. Under the rinsing of time, many marks of powerful existence were annihilated.


    At the same time, with the passing time, there was one generation after another of new people who would rise up and reached the top of the world.


    Ruoxi only needed to cultivate in the Taisu Sect, that was why her mind did not grow much but her qualifications were out of this world. She quickly grew as she followed by Shen Lian''s side and drew inferences. She progressed really quickly in her epiphany towards Dao.


    Sometimes, when Shen Lian heard her explain the sentiment she had after the Huandan stage, he was shaken to the core.


    He did not know whether it was because of the reincarnation of Yuan Jun or that she was influenced by the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu and had absorbed Fairy Tianmeng''s knowledge.


    Luckily for him, after making a round outside, he could finally return to the mountains.


    The sky was high, the clouds were pale and the celestial mountains were adorable.


    Shen Lian held Ruoxi''s hand as they entered the little town at the foot of Qing Xuan Mountain. Now, many people in the little town knew that Shen Lian was Qing Xuan''s Celestial Teacher and his position was very high. However, they were unclear that he was exactly the Chief of Qing Xuan.


    After all, no matter how close a mortal was to a cultivator, there were still two separate worlds and there was hardly any intersection.


    Qing Xuan did not purposely divide the two, it was them who were unable to blend in.


    Yan Bugui had opened a restaurant but this did not mean that he could return to those days when he was still a mortal.


    It was inappropriate to vainly attempt to go on with one''s life as a mortal after becoming someone who is out of the ordinary.


    Shen Lian passed by Yan Bugui Restaurant, stopped in his tracks and held onto Ruoxi''s hand as he went in. In the big hall, there were two Daoists who were drinking alcohol and consuming meat.


    He said with mirth, "You two seem to have it easy."


    He was silent as he held onto Ruoxi''s hand and when he suddenly spoke, it startled the two Daoist until their three immortal souls and seven mortal forms came out.


    They turned towards Shen Lian and immediately bowed, "It is an honor to see you, Headmaster."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly, "You may rise. Why are you two at the foot of the mountain?"


    These two were Qing Xuan''s disciples, Shoujing and Shouxuan. Both their arms were cut off by Zuo Shaoqing back then and it was Shen Lian who used the Life-regenerating Elixir to connect their severed arms back.


    Shoujing whose name meant to guard silence was not so silent, he licked his face and said flatteringly, "How are you, Headmaster? Senior Apprentice-Brother and I were about to go on a voyage to search for the Flower of Golden Steel to forge two precious swords. We then remembered that Uncle-Master Yan is keeping watching of the Longevity Temple so we wanted to bring some alcohol for him from here."

 Chapter 285 To forget the means by which the end is attained

    Shen Lian said, "Sure, please go ahead."


    Shoujing and Shouxuan sent Shen Lian out. With a low voice, Shoujing said, "That little girl has a strong, soulful aura and she''s only eleven or twelve years old. Could it be that she''s the Headmaster''s daughter?"


    With an expressionless face, Shouxuan responded, "Nonsense! The Headmaster has been cultivating in the mountains for the past ten years. How would he have a daughter out of nowhere?"


    Shoujing murmured, "Who knows? The Headmaster is always so unpredictable. Maybe he went down the mountains during his cultivation. Plus, don''t you think they look alike?"


    Shouxuan looked at Shoujing with a hint of mercy, he sighed and wrote a message on the table using wine, ''Do you think the headmaster won''t be able to hear us?''


    Shoujing''s face changed immediately as he recalled how different Shen Lian looked when he''s calm and when he''s punishing someone.


    He scolded himself for being garrulous but why didn''t his cold-hearted senior fellow apprentice reminded him earlier?


    He then secretly decided that after reaching the open waters, he would stay at the Temple of Longevity to serve Uncle-Master Yan.


    Not long after, Shen Lian and Ruoxi arrived at the Wenxin intersection outside of gates of Qing Xuan. Ruoxi said, "Uncle, the two brothers said that I''m like your daughter."


    Shen Lian stroked her hair, it''s not appropriate for him to style Ruoxi''s hair and could only leave it unkempt. Unknowingly, Ruoxi has grown so much and it was difficult to see her as a kid. He calmly replied, "You could still hear them from so far away. Looks like you''ve been working hard in the past few years. Once we get back up the mountain, I will officiate your entry to Qing Xuan."


    Ruoxi happily said, "That''s great. Uncle, when can I start flying with the wind? I am now capable of lifting myself using my Qi and with the help of the wind, I can rise up to the sky for a brief moment."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Let''s not rush, take it step by step."


    Ruoxi looked down with a dejected expression and said, "I''m afraid that I won''t be able to wait until then. For the past few days, I''ve been having visions of the Master. I''m afraid that I might turn into someone else one day in the future.


    Shen Lian patted Ruoxi''s shoulders and said, "Ruoxi, no matter what, always remember that you are Ruoxi, your mother is my sister and you are my niece."


    Ruoxi lowered her head and said, "Yes."


    The both of them were quiet as they walked on the Wenxin Road. The force of Wenxin Road was strong but it did not affect Ruoxi at all. She did not go through any disturbance and managed to enter Qing Xuan very quickly.


    Wenxin Road was personally designed by Grandmaster Yuanqing. Although its main purpose was to test the newly recruited disciples, some deeply cultivated cultivators too could not bypass its effects.


    Ruoxi was not affected by the Wenxin Road at all because she possessed special qualities.


    Not only that she had to face the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu but her Yuan Jun incarnation was gradually affecting her. Spiritual techniques were not effective on her anymore.


    This was very similar to reincarnation as the reincarnated has several spirit levels and were not affected by millions in the human realm.


    She effortlessly entered Qing Xuan and as they were about to reach the Taiyi Peak, Gu Caiwei was already waiting for them. Shen Lian and Gu Caiwei both specialized in the Taixu Strategy and could communicate telepathically with each other.


    On the clouds'' road, Ruoxi curiously analyzed this gentle elder sister who looked at her with gentle warm like a stream in the mountain, or even the moonlight that shined through the bamboo window in a silent night.


    Gu Caiwei smiled and said, "So this is your niece? She does resemble you."


    Shen Lian said to Ruoxi, "This is Aunt Gu Caiwei. She is my Senior Apprentice-Sister."


    Ruoxi was not shy at all, she courteously responded, "Hi Aunt Gu, you look really pretty."


    She added, "As pretty as Sister Xiaoyu."


    Gu Caiwei was flustered and laughed out loud, "Shen Lian, you met Xiaoyu again? Please get her to address me as her aunty next time and that will make her your niece."


    Shen Lian let out a cough and said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, stop joking around. How is the Grandmaster?"


    Gu Caiwei recollected herself and said, "The Grandmaster is not showing any signs of advancing. But don''t worry, the Grandmaster has been through too much. Although she was heavily injured, this is not much of a hurdle for her. It''s just that the news about the joint marriage between Guangqing and the Taisu Sect was spreading like wildfire."


    Taisu had millions of years of history and the joint marriage with the powerhouse Guangqing would trigger the entire world of cultivation. Even the rise of Zen among Buddha sects that silenced that the eight sects of Buddhism were not as influential as the joint marriage.


    Three Doyens of Taisu and five celestials of Guangqing; when the two combined, there would be eight immortal Zhenrens and the force would be so terrifying, even enough to challenge the prestige of the Xuantian Sect.


    Shen Lian sighed, "The blame is on me."


    He recounted the incident of him rescuing Ruoxi to Gu Caiwei via telepathy, and Gu Caiwei finally understood the full story.


    However, she was not mad, instead, she said, "If I were you, I would do the same without any hesitation. Back then when Grandmaster Qingshui and the founding master were still young, they''ve messed up more than you. I recalled the founding master telling me that Grandmaster Qingshui pissed a lot of people off when she was younger. Ten or more immortal Zhenrens, some good and some evil, came knocking on her door but our Qing Xuan endured it and survived."


    Shen Lian had heard about Grandmaster Qingshui''s staggering history but he had never come across records stating about the ten or more immortal Zhenrens who came looking for her. He said, "This is my first time hearing about this."


    Gu Caiwei smiled, "Some things are passed on orally and not recorded in words. There were also records of secrets that were destroyed in the incident that involved Uncle-Master Yanxu. Although you''ve inherited the position of the chief and probably have heard of more secrets than me but not all secrets should be recorded down. Actually, after achieving immortality, you can use the Tiandi Jian to find out about the past and future. By then, nothing will be able to hide from you."


    Shen Lian knew that better than anyone else. The Tiandi Jian was one of the most precious treasures of Qing Xuan. It had not unleashed to its full potential when Zhang Ruoxu possessed it. Plus, the Tiandi Jian was actually incomplete.


    Shen Lian said, "I need to focus on cultivation. I can''t change much even if I knew many things."


    Gu Caiwei responded, "That is true. Actually, the Grand Ancestor Master predicted that you''ll be back today. He told me to tell you to go and see him if you''re back."


    Shen Lian nodded and asked, "Now?"


    The Grand Ancestor Master was the Old Daoist at the Taiwei Pavilion. He existed for a long long time, so long that he has forgotten of his name. According to the Zero Star Records of Qing Xuan, the old Daoist was known as ''Lord Deity Tianyan'', however, he banned Shen Lian from addressing him as that. It seemed that the name represented the bad memories of his life.


    Zifu Peak, Taiwei Pavillion.


    "Little Shen, you have indeed stepped into Powang. So how does it feel?" The old Daoist opened his usually semi-sleepy eyes.


    Shen Lian was surprised to see the old Daoist. He had lost a great amount of grey hair, his eyebrows faded and it seemed that he lost a huge chunk of flesh. He looked terrifying, almost like the evil spirits from hell.


    Shen Lian courteously bowed down and asked, "Grand Ancestor Master, what happened to you?"


    The old Daoist was not bothered by his state, he calmly replied, "The Trial of Dao that I have been delaying has finally caught up. On the bright side, many immortals couldn''t even think about matching my level."


    Shen Lian replied, "Immortal Zhenrens too have to face catastrophe?"


    The old Daoist laughed out loud, "I neither can age nor die, and I can''t leave heaven and earth. This catastrophe is the karma for countless years of encroaching the essence of heaven and earth."


    Shen Lian couldn''t help but fall into silence. What the old Daoist said was the truth. If a cultivator obeyed, that would make him a human. If he rebelled, that would make him a celestial. A human would go through birth, aging, sickness, and death. No matter how much they''ve gained from heaven and earth, they would all end up as dust. But cultivators would absorb the Qi vitality of heaven and earth to prolong their life. To heaven and earth, this was bad karma.


    Immortal Zhenrena would neither age nor die and their mana was boundless. Their invasion towards heaven and earth were like notorious bandits and the damaged cost was far worse than any demon. There was a verse in the Nanhua Scripture that said, "The thievery would not stop if Saints do not die."


    The old Daoist continued, "There will be three trials of Dao after breaking through Xuwang and being a Primordial Spirit. Of course, you should never expect to be stronger after each trial. If you have anything that you don''t understand after achieving that level, feel free to come and consult me. If I am no longer around, you can ask Ziling. Speaking of cultivation accomplishments, she might outdo me in the future. There''s no point for the current you to hear about this. I''m sure you''ve bumped into Yanxu in your outing this time around."


    The old Daoist swiftly switched the topic to Yanxu.


    Shen Lian replied, "His depth of understanding about Qing Xuan was really deep. I couldn''t turn the table over and failed to take him down."


    "If you are capable of taking him down, then Ziling should just kill herself. But you didn''t lose too much and that''s a good thing. When he was your age, he was far behind you." The usually untalkative old Daoist seemed to be very chatty this time.


    And that made Shen Lian really sad because a person''s character would change when they were about to die. Celestials were too humans. It was just that they were so high up and could conceal their humanity to the extent that they too, forgotten that they were in fact human.


    It seemed that the old Daoist could read Shen Lian''s mind as he said, "By any chance, are you thinking that I''m so talkative because I''m about to die?"


    Shen Lian replied, "I don''t even dare."


    The old Daoist laughed. His face had lost a significant amount of flesh and his bones were somewhat visible. He had a terrifying smile but Shen Lian was not intimidated by it. He said, "To forget the means of success when success is attained. You think death is fearful because you don''t understand the laws of death. I didn''t understand too and that''s why I''ve hurt Ruoxu and Yanxu. Thankfully, the present me would not be able to harm you."


    Shen Lian felt that there was hidden meaning behind the old Daoist''s words and wanted to ask further but the old Daoist pointed at him and the heaven and earth started spinning. In a split second, he was in a fragrant plum forest.

 Chapter 286 The Departure of the Old Daois

    Shen Lian asked, "Grand Ancestor Master, what is the purpose of sending me here?"


    He knew that it was the work of the old Daoist but he did not know why.


    "Grandmaster Qingshui once resided there. But once she transcended beyond the mortal world, she hacked this place and turned it into an independent space. You can consider that as a place of enlightenment for Celestials and Buddha. You should be able to see your true self by the time you leave this place." The old Daoist''s voice could be heard but Shen Lian could not identify the source of the voice.


    Shen Lian responded, "It''s ok for me to be here but my niece Ruoxi is troubled. What would happen to her if I can''t leave for the next ten years?"


    The old Daoist laughed, "Then you better get out from there as soon as possible."


    The place went dead silence after the old Daoist finished his sentence. No matter how hard Shen Lian hailed, all he could hear was his voice echoing throughout the space. He tried to investigate but he just could not find any traces of the source of the voice.


    He knew that the old Daoist would not do any harm to him and that he could only depend on himself if he wanted to get out of this place.


    At the first floor of the Taiwei Pavilion, the old Daoist was standing by the entrance. Ruoxi looked at him and asked, "Grandpa, where did you bring my uncle to?"


    The old Daoist had a terrifying face but she was not afraid of him at all and stared at him with her water stream-liked clear eyes.


    The old Daoist smiled, "Somewhere out there."


    Ruoxi responded, "And where on earth is that?"


    The old Daoist smiled and did not reply.


    Ruoxi stared at the old Daoist coldly and sent the Taiwei Pavilion into a sudden chill. Her clear eyes had a thin layer of silver light and that oozed out a sense of relentless, just like the highly God of the Nine Heavens who looked at sentient beings in contempt.


    A strong force of spiritual consciousness gathered in between her eyebrows and spread out in waves. It was an extremely mysterious aura and it appeared once again in front of her. It looked like a droplet of water and it made no sound at all.


    Ruoxi spread out her palms and that droplet of water turned into a flame. There was no heat to the silverish white flame but it looked like a representation of death.


    In a split second, Ruoxi became extremely mysterious. The silverish white flame reflected her beautiful face but it was an indifferent icy-cold expression that would never appear on the face of a girl of her age.


    She was still the old Ruoxi but it also seemed like turned into a greater being. She could undoubtedly turn the entire pavilion into ashes with the silverish white flame that was floating on her palm.


    She coldly asked, "Where did my uncle go?"


    The reason why Shen Lian brought her to the Taiwei Pavilion was to consult the old Daoist on how to help Ruoxi. Before he could mention it, he was tossed and trapped in somewhere unknown.


    The old Daoist was not surprised by the changes in Ruoxi, he quietly said, "If I don''t tell you, would you burn down this place?"


    Ruoxi responded, "I totally would."


    The old Daoist smiled, "Then burn."


    Ruoxi''s palms started shaking. Although she was in a strange state, she still knew that she was Ruoxi and not someone else. But at the same time, she felt that she was being influenced by a greater existence that gave her invincible strength that could potentially match her uncle''s power.


    She knew that the old Daoist was a Doyen of Shen Lian, and that this pavilion meant a lot to Qing Xuan. More than anyone, she knew that her uncle was the chief of Qing Xuan and that was why she should not set this place on fire. But she was so mad that the old Daoist would not tell her where her uncle was.


    She too, clearly knew that as a Doyen, the scary looking old man would never harm her uncle. However, she was also worried something might have happened to her uncle.


    When her rationale and emotions clashed, a hidden force in her body was triggered and awaken.


    The essential Qi that she cultivated turned into nothing at this very moment. But her psyche was so strong that it could actually affect reality.


    The old Daoist shook his head and he flexed a finger. Silently, his mana attacked and the flame was triggered and transferred from Ruoxi''s palm to the body of the old Daoist.


    The flame touched the flesh of the old Daoist and lighted up his rotten body.


    The old Daoist turned into a flaming man but flames only lighted up his body and did not affect every other part of him. A pure white flame came out from his body and absorbed the silverish flames to put it off. Although the old Daoist''s flesh looked rotten and his bones were visible but it gave out a feeling of crystal clear.


    Ruoxi was taken aback, she fell to the ground and cried.


    The old Daoist smiled, "Why are you crying? It''s been awhile since I''ve last moved around, come and accompany me for a walk."


    He got up and held Ruoxi''s hands as the void started to ripple. An elderly and a young girl appeared in the ocean and left Qing Xuan.


    If Shen Lian was around, he would have witnessed the pure white flames that came out from the old Daoist. It was an indescribable stunning flam known as the ''True Samadhi Fire''.


    Legend had it that only the celestial fruit or the gifted would be able to cultivate this fire. Once they mastered the fire, it would be very hard to beat them. Even an immortal Zhenren would suffer greatly if they touched the flame.


    One would only be able to understand the abstruse behind it once one cultivated it.


    Of course, Shen Lian was not aware that the old Daoist had mastered the True Samadhi Fire. Even if the old Daoist had yet to transcend beyond the mortal world, he was not far away from it. In other words, this was the greatest force in the world. Even if Lu Jiuyuan dominated the throne as the greatest person, he could only suppress and not destroy the True Samadhi Fire.


    On the other hand, Shen Lian was walking slowly on the Qingshi Road. The plum trees on the sides of the road were in full bloom. There were circulations of light rays but there were day and night. There were no stars neither were there any clouds.


    The scattered plum flowers, some landed on the Qingshi Road and some on the ground. But in the end, it all became part of the soil to fertilize the plum tree.


    He walked along the alley and headed deep into the plum forest. He had a feeling that this plum forest was the one Ling Chongxiao mentioned in his stories but he needed one more key evidence to prove it.


    He finally walked to the end of the alley and there was a plum tree that had lived for countless years. It was thick and strong, and there were traces of writing that has faded over time on the tree trunk.


    Shen Lian easily identified the writings.


    "Master Chongyang of Difei, people call him Lunatic Wang.


    When he came into the world, he nurtures the sun and moon; after he leaves the world, he will entrust himself to the west and east and roam freely.


    He makes himself a companion with the clouds and streams; he makes himself a neighbor with the empty void.


    His single numinous Real Nature exists; it is not the same as the mind of the masses."


    It was exactly the same as what Ling Chongxiao mentioned in his story.


    Behind the plum tree were a stream and a wooden house.


    Being in this place had cleansed the vanity in Shen Lian as his mind gradually distanced itself from the secular mortal world.


    Shen Lian arrived at the wooden house but there was no door.


    He stepped into the house and there was only a bamboo bed and nothing else.


    There should be a painting on the wall facing the entrance but there was nothing on the wall.

 Chapter 287 I Do Not Know

    Shen Lian released his spiritual consciousness to scan the wooden house but detected nothing. Perhaps it had been quite a bit of time, even the Dao meaning that Grandmaster Qingshui left behind was nowhere to be found.


    He walked out of the house and noticed the wood of the wooden house was as muddy as limestone and there was no texture to it. If it was not for the Qi of the wood, he would have thought the house was made of rock.


    But what was so special about this wood? He could not be dismantling it to forge alchemy with it.


    A light breeze swept past and Shen Lian''s body was swept up to the sky, about thousands of feet above the ground. He felt a strong suppressing force preventing him from taking action.


    The suppressing force was not exactly hard but it was more like a cotton that would absorb every inch of the power that he tried to release.


    Shen Lian paused in mid-air and he was holding a longsword in his hand. The tip of the longsword fluttered as he drew out the locus of the abstruse.


    This was the Qing Xuan''s supreme swordcraft known as One Sword to Break the Void. Once a person mastered it, they would be qualified to attain the path of heavenly immortal and transcend beyond the mortal world. Even if Shen Lian had yet to reach that level, he could use it at the outside world and send tremors down to the void. As a result, the void started to crack.


    However, even if the Boundless Universe crumbled, it would not reveal the gap to escape this space. This was because the outer worlds was indeed a real space that had several dimensions stacked up layer by layer. When one void crumbled, there would be countless more voids available and it did not really affect the Boundless Universe.


    Shen Lian came to that realization after several attempts. As he goes deeper into the state, he gained a different perspective on things. This is because when someone started to see things from different angles, they would be able to flawlessly understand a situation fully from all aspects. Perhaps only someone of the level of a Dao Master, Buddha, or even no existence could do something like that.


    Shen Lian''s One Sword to Break the Void was only capable of damaging a thin layer of skin of the Boundless Universe. However, he firmly believed that an independent space like this would be somewhat affected by his supreme swordcraft.


    The tip of the longsword touched the sky and the force of the flutter felt like the ripple as a result of tossing a stone into calm sea water. But the ripple caused a recoil effect on Shen Lian and caused him to fall from the void and was mercilessly tossed into the mud. As he was landing, he tried to discharge his power the ground but that caused him to drill through the earth and sunk downwards.


    He knew that the skies were beyond his reach and wanted to find out what was down below the ground. He made a large hole and then used the force of the earth to drill through underground.


    Shen Lian felt a sudden sense of great danger and then realized that the elements of earth, fire, water, and wind were raging not far away from him. His body may not be able to withstand it if he dug deeper.


    Ten days later, Shen Lian has attempted all sorts of means to escape from this space but none of it worked.


    It was as if he was trapped in a box where he could not tell the changes in time.


    He could only estimate the days based on his Qi and state of blood.


    Shen Lian has decided to stop fighting back and started to control his emotions and calm his mind.


    He began to enjoy the sweet fragrance of the plum flower as he observed the fallen petals that turned into fertilizers for the soil. He could hear the sound of the roots absorbing the water from the soil and he noticed the growth of the plum tree.


    Every fallen flower was the beginning of a new life.


    It reminded him of a line in a poem that goes, ''Fallen flowers were not heartless creatures, they turned into spring soil to protect the flowers.''


    Life and death had always been a part of the karmic cycle. They were of different sides of the coin and inseparable. Just like the life cycle of a plant, they bloomed and the seeds fall into the soil, the seeds then absorbed the nutrients of the fallen flowers to bud, grow and bloom.


    To heaven and earth, all life did not end with death. It only took on a different form.


    But to Shen Lian, there were differences after all.


    People seek for immortality was not purely to prolong their life. The plum tree would still bloom even if a flower has fallen. But it would never be the same flower again.


    He did not want to miss out on the present just because looking to the future.


    Shen Lian came to that realization while meditating. He did not even notice that he was sitting under the plum tree that had the poem on the back of the tree:


    "Master Chongyang of Difei, people call him Lunatic Wang.


    When he came into the world, he nurtures the sun and moon; after he leaves the world, he will entrust himself to the west and east, and roam freely.


    He makes himself a companion with the clouds and streams; he makes himself a neighbor with the empty void.


    His single numinous Real Nature exists; it is not the same as the mind of the masses."


    The writing traces of the poem was not deep as it did not have the intention to invade the Dharma of nature.


    Over time, it faded and its existence would eventually be forgotten.


    Shen Lian was not bothered by this and he did not even remember the poem behind him. He just leaned against the plum tree and silently meditated.


    It was exactly like Buddha who gained enlightenment while meditating under the Bodhi tree.


    He could not match Buddha, but neither was Buddha him. He was Shen Lian.


    His strong spirit flown throughout his body, into his flesh and blood like a raging river.


    The spirit eventually started flowing outwards as shadows started to appear near him.


    The shadows had a different outfit form him and too, had a different body shape.


    His eyes remained shut but he could see everything crystal clear.


    These shadows vanished as it came and each of it represented his past. In fact, some of the shadows were the dreams that he once had or even the intentions he had in a certain moment.


    These were all him, but also not him.


    Shen Lian had a natural understanding that this was, in fact, Xuwang. When his mind was at ease, these thoughts would start flashing. Who knew that he would be able to knock on the Changshen Door under such circumstances.


    All he needed to do was be cleared of Xuwang and he would be able to see his true self.


    He needed to get rid of all the fake and retained the true side of him.


    This shadow could sense that Shen Lian was trying to destroy them and came like a strong stream of water. They trapped him and it felt like he would be stuck in the mundane secular mortal world forever.


    Shen Lian''s spirit condensed as he used the Deity Vanquishing Sword. He pierced through and destroyed the shadows one by one with the sword but every move took a toll on him.


    He felt that his spirit was getting more refined as if he was cleaning the dirt on the bier in attempt to cleanse himself.


    As he was about to destroy all shadows, the last shadow was the innate god that he has always visualized, it was the innate god of the handsome and tough young man.


    The sword gleam smashed as he started to feel agitated. A thought flashed through his mind, "If these are Xuwang, then what am I?"


    The moment he had that thought, the wonderful state of mind he was in then shattered into pieces. He vomited blood and was wide awake.


    The shadows had disappeared but Shen Lian was frightened. He had yet to find his true self and yet he attempted to break through Xuwang. How would he know if the Xuwang that he tried to destroy was actually his true self?


    Zhuang Zhou had a dream; soon he awoke and there he was, veritably himself again. He was unsure if he was then a man dreaming he was a butterfly, or whether he was now a butterfly dreaming that he was a man, or maybe he was neither.


    Shen Lian was so close to stepping on the path of no return. If he had stabbed through that last shadow, he would have annihilated himself.


    If it was not for the innate god, Shen Lian could have been traumatized or even fall into a state of unconsciousness for several decades.


    Now that he had missed out on that state of mind, he would not know when will the next Xuwang come by.


    He laughed bitterly. People said that one would gain from your mistakes and his biggest reward this time was to escape death.


    Shen Lian also realized a terrifying reality. The innate god that he visualize was not part of his self-consciousness and yet it popped up at the crucial point and helped him escape.


    Also at the same time, the old Daoist who was traveling with Rouxi let out an "Oh" and turned to Ruoxi, "Your uncle is really interesting. He was able to wake up at the most critical moment."


    He left a hint of spiritual consciousness at the space and was able to track every move Shen Lian made. He could not see the innate god but felt that Shen Lian''s power of perception was extremely high.


    His plan was to wake Shen Lian up with the spiritual consciousness after Shen Lian hit rock bottom.


    He never expected Shen Lian to outperform his expectations by waking up when breaking through Xuwang. He was deeply impressed.


    Ruoxi said, "Grandpa, what happened to my uncle?"


    The old Daoist laughed, "It wasn''t anything bad."


    Ruoxi was respectful and fearful of the old man. She wanted him to tell her more about her uncle but she knew that old Daoist was way beyond his uncle''s level and she had no means of forcing him. Instead, she asked, "Where are we headed to?"


    The old Daoist answered in a soft voice, "It''s been a while since I came out, so we''re just going to roam around. By the way, do you want to learn how to produce the white flame just like what I did the other day?"


    Rupxi looked up and said, "That flame was impressive. Is it something that I am capable of learning?"


    The old Daoist laughed out loud, "It might be hard for others but it would be easy peasy for you."


    Ruoxi responded, "Then I''ll learn!"


    The old Daoist smiled, "It''s so easy for you to say yes."


    Ruoxi thought to herself, "After mastering this, uncle would be less worried about me and I can also help him."


    She could not hide her intentions from the old Daoist but he did not burst her bubble.


    The two of them traveled leisurely and the old Daoist did intend to teach Ruoxi the True Samadhi Fire and passed on an incantation to her.


    The old Daoist''s supernatural power was way beyond Ruoxi''s imagination. She thought Shen Lian''s flying speed was extremely fast but compared to the old Daoist, Shen Lian''s speed felt more like crawling.


    She observed the position of the stars and deduced that they have traveled at least ten of thousands of miles away from Qing Xuan.


    But she was not sure where were they headed too. The atmosphere seemed misty and confusing as she could not distinguish directions.


    Ruoxi did not know that they were at a very dangerous place known as the Sea of Confusion. It was so deadly that several immortal Zhenrens got lost and took them over hundreds of years to come out from this mayhem.


    On top of that, the Sea of Confusion was cut off from the Tianhua Continent and Yuan Continent, making it difficult for cultivators to come by.


    The old Daoist ignited the True Samadhi Fire to chase away the fog. Thanks to him, Ruoxi was able to look far ahead but all she could see was nothingness.


    The old Daoist had to slow down at the Sea of Confusion.


    At one point, the fog started rolling and Ruoxi could hear roaring sounds. A figure stepping on a giant beast appeared.

 Chapter 288 A Storm is Brewing

    Ruoxi finally had a good look at the enormous figure. It was a giant ape with golden fur and eight limbs that could cover the sky and hide the sun. There was some pale blood stain in between its eyebrows that looked like blood colored eyes but it was tightly shut.


    The giant ape stepped on a white serpent that had a pair of wings. The serpent was purging something red and its stomach was bulging as if something was about to pop out.


    The roaring sound was made by the giant ape. The clouds and fogs were intimidated by it and avoided this place.


    The old Daoist pointed at the creature and said to Ruoxi, "There are many demons in the Sea of Confusion and they are the descendants of ancient beings. They did not know anything about birth and only knew how to kill. As they do not take the initiative to evolve into their original Dao body like other psychic demonic race, they become a lot stronger. However, their population greatly decreased because us human cultivators would hunt and kill them while other shapeshifted demonic race eyed them for their bloodline. The remaining creatures could only seek refuge at the Sea of Confusion and that was the reason why they hated any other living beings that came from outside."


    As the old Daoist finished his sentence, the eight fist came striking towards them. It was a powerful force. Undoubtedly anything that was in its way would be crushed into powder.


    The flying punches came striking like a giant meteorite that came crashing down from outer space. Before the fist arrived, strong waves could be felt and that cleared out the fog about ten miles radius from that area.


    He held the Mark of Mountains and Rivers, that Shen Lian once, used in his hands and without any effort, a force of strength went charging towards the giant fist. Soon enough, the sound of bones cracking could be heard.


    The roaring sound of the giant golden ape intensified as the blood stain in between his eyebrows split open to shoot out a dash of golden thread. The golden thread that looked like the first light of dawn was aimed at the old Daoist.


    The old Daoist did not flinch as a transparent crystal mirror appeared in front of him and refracted the golden thread and it pierced through the giant ape''s chest.


    The giant ape then exploded into gold light as its flesh and bones dismembered from its body. This showed that the power of the golden thread was really something.


    The white serpent with wings was shaken as it curled up. Bits of the flesh and gold colored blood from the giant ape could be seen on the skin of the white serpent.


    The old Daoist said, "This flying serpent carries the bloodline of a real dragon. We can use it as our mode of transportation. You will be in charge of taking us around."


    He exuded endless pressure and killed the giant ape effortlessly. Although the white serpent displayed signs of evolution into a real dragon, it was so frightened that it looked more like a loach in front of the old Daoist.


    The back of the serpent was as broad as an ark. The old Daoist and Ruoxi sat on top of it as the white serpent pleasingly arched it''s back to make it more comfortable for them to sit on, and that made it looked more like an ark.


    Three days later, the old Daoist and the little girl riding on a flying serpent of the real dragon bloodline arrived at the Tianhua Continent. They traveled around the continent freely and collected spiritual medicine from spiritual mountains and prosperous lands. No one could stop them neither did anyone knew of their origins.


    However, the Dao sects of the entire Tianhua Continent was intimidated as if an enemy was about to come by. They were afraid that the old Daoist would visit their territory.


    It was the third time in two weeks Gu Caiwei came to the Taiwei Pavilion. However, the pavilion was empty and nobody knew where was the Grand Ancestor Master.


    Shen Lian''s whereabouts were unknown while Ruoxi too was missing.


    If it was not for his lighted Soul Lamp, Gu Caiwei would have been worried that something might have happened to him.


    When she first entered Qing Xuan, the old Daoist was already a figure of the Taiwei Pavilion. It was said that when her master, Zhenren Biyun, and founding master, Fairy Ziling first entered Qing Xuan, the old Daoist had already been part of the Taiwei Pavilion and had looked as old as he was today.


    Nobody in Qing Xuan knew how long had the old Daoist lived and how senior he was.


    If Shen Lian was the key person in reviving Qing Xuan, then the old Daoist would be the anchor of Qing Xuan. As long as he exists, Qing Xuan would survive.


    But now that the old Daoist and Shen Lian disappeared at the same time, and although Shen Lian''s Soul Lamp was still lit, Gu Caiwei could not help but feel insecure about the situation.


    She had to remain composed and announced to the world that Shen Lian was on a solitary retreat.


    Gu Caiwei was occupied in the Qing Xuan hall with errands to process. She was able to work on them systematically as Shen Lian generally would only provide the general instructions, and leave it to others to take action.


    The disciples were already suspicious of his last trip where he secretly went out; and now that he was back but would not show up. Although Gu Caiwei claimed that Shen Lian was on a solitary retreat, people could not help but feel dubious and that caused a rift in the peaceful atmosphere of Qing Xuan.


    Gu Caiwei had to hold back her anxiety and practiced her Qigong as usual. She was a heartbeat away from achieving Huandan but it was so difficult for her to breakthrough. She even suspected that maybe she had to interfuse divine Qi with Shen Lian in order to achieve Huandan. But she was not willing to do that unless it was really necessary.


    First of all, she did not know of Shen Lian''s whereabouts and secondly even if Shen Lian came back and interfused his divine Qi with her, it would be hard for her to accept it because this would mean that they''re Daoist partners.


    The Bier Discussion of Dao would come soon and she wanted to contribute by breaking through as soon as possible.


    Chen Jianmei and Yan Bugui had achieved Huandan while she was still stuck at this stage. She could not help but feel depressed.


    With distractions on her mind, it was hard for her to stay calm and practice her Qigong. She put away the methods of martial exercises as the Tiandi Jian released a clear ray of light on the ground to show a puddle of clear water.


    Gu Caiwei looked at the puddle of clear water and saw a Daoist heading towards the Taiyi Peak, and that person was Bai Suhuan.


    She was surprised and wondered about his objectives of coming to the Taiyi Peak.


    She used telepathy to inform Jing Qing to invite Bai Suhuan in.


    Not long later, Jing Qing Tongzi brought Bai Suhuan into the hall. Bai Suhuan was as arrogant as usual. He oozes the aura of a bully and was very oppressive.


    Gu Caiwei asked, "Doyen Bai, what is your purpose of coming here?"


    Bai Suhuan answered, "I want to meet Shen Lian."


    Gu Caiwei rebutted him, "Doyen Bai, how could you address the Headmaster by his name?"


    "He has yet to be born when I started cultivating. What''s wrong with addressing him by his name? Plus he was always so informal," Bai Suhuan replied sarcastically.


    Gu Caiwei thought to herself, "Why is this old man being so aggressive?"


    With a gentle voice, she replied, "The Chief is on solidarity retreat and refuses to meet any guests."


    "I heard that you''re the only person Shen Lian has met after returning from his trip. Why don''t you tell me if something has happened to him or if someone with ill intentions has killed him," Bai Suhuan said coldly as he was hinting to Gu Caiwei.


    Gu Caiwei calmly answered, "I don''t know what you mean by someone with ill intentions. Doyen Bai, please enlighten me."


    Bai Suhuan responded, "You would benefit the most if Shen Lian is not around. So who do you think this ill-intentioned person is?"


    Gu Caiwei replied coldly, "Doyen Bai, that is offensive. The school belongs to everyone. I wouldn''t dare to take anything for my personal benefits. Those words were pretty harsh on me."


    Bai Suhuan sarcastically said, "If the school belonged to everyone, then why are there people who could take the celestial medicine to prolong their life? I have been waiting so long for that."


    Gu Caiwei had a sudden hunch that things were about to go bad.

 Chapter 289 Five Elements

    Gu Caiwei squinted her eyes and said, "Doyen Bai, where did you hear that from?"


    Bai Suhuan replied aggressively, "It doesn''t matter where I heard it from. It''s about whether you admit that this is a fact or not."


    Gu Caiwei looked at Bai Suhuan coldly without saying a word.


    The surroundings of Jing Qing Tongzi started to combust as a big snake appeared and spiral around the pillar of the hall. The snake starred ferociously at Bai Suhuan as its enormous Qi dynamics spread across the hall.


    The vigorous Qi dynamics were about to release. Even if Gu Caiwei and Jing Qing worked together, they could feel that they were about to collapse in pressure like mud.


    Like flowing water, the Tiandi Jian released rays of lights throughout the hall.


    Bai Suhuan snorted and transformed into a light and departed beyond the clouds.


    Gu Caiwei was relieved while Jing Qing Tongzi who was on the pillar was cold sweating. The Tiandi Jian retracted the clear light and dimmed down gradually.


    Jing Qing Tongzi said, "He wouldn''t stop right there. We wouldn''t be able to stop him even if our powers combined."


    Gu Caiwei sighed, "Things would get really complicated if we don''t hand him the life-prolonging celestial medicine. It''s just that this was such a confidential issue, how would he know about it?"


    If Bai Suhuan did not have any other intentions, he would have waited for Shen Lian to appear. After all, he was highly experienced and had contributed much to the school over the hundreds of years. Even if he had some minor issues with Shen Lian, he could have just requested for it and Shen Lian would definitely agree to give him the life-prolonging celestial medicine.


    But he had to come and charge at Gu Caiwei when Shen Lian''s whereabouts were unknown, the old Daoist disappeared, and when her Grandmaster Fairy Ziling was in solitary retreat. This showed that Bai Suhuan was not a very honorable person.


    And more importantly, how would Bai Suhuan heard about the incident? Who on earth told him about it?


    Gu Caiwei felt a sense of burden on her. Bai Suhuan came by today just to test the waters. He would probably take action in his second trip and what if Shen Lian had yet to return? Considering that Bai Suhuan''s end was nearing, there was no way he would give up.


    She looked outside of the hall and thought to herself, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, where on earth are you? What happened to you?"


    Never had she ever wished so hard for the young man to walked into the hall with his cheeky smile. Any tensions and pressure would be easily resolved.


    Shen Lian had been sitting under the plum tree for quite some time already. He did not manage to return to the state of mind when he was in the deep hole. After that incident, he was still slightly traumatized and he definitely did not want to rely on the innate god to rescue him.


    The plum flower fell on the Qingshi Alley and formed beautiful patterns on the ground. The breeze lightly swept past and blew the fallen flowers, followed by a gentle rain that nourished the soil.


    Shen Lian starred at the Qingshi Alley and thought to himself, "The end of this road would be a space barrier. Maybe I should take another look at it."


    With his abilities, it only took him two hours to arrive at the border of the space.


    Which was also the end of the Qingshi Alley.


    There was no more road ahead as it was the space barrier in front and further out would be the endless void. Shen Lian could see some light ahead but he did not know how far away was the source of the light.


    There were no Qi of vitality in the void and it was not advisable to enter it all of a sudden. He tried to enter the void briefly but his blood vessels started to expand and his mana too, began to behave disruptively. He could only use his strong spirit to hold on to himself. Furthermore, there were no replenishments in the void. If he went far, it would be difficult for him to return.


    He observed the end of the Qingshi Road and released his spiritual consciousness to the maximum to feel the changes at the border. It took him a full day until he finally saw the birth of a grain of sand out of nowhere, and blended in the Qingshi Alley.


    As time past, he noticed more and more sand started to appear and expanded the area of the space. It seemed like the space was expanding gradually at an extremely slow pace.


    The birth of a grain of sand was not anything useful but it represented the means of creation and the formation of substance.


    Shen Lian finally realized that the most valuable wealth in this space was the experience of understanding the abstruse behind the birth of a grain of sand.


    A grain of dust had the perfect substance that could carry life.


    The Buddhist scripture said that a grain of sand was the world and that certainly was not a fib. Shen Lian could feel the liveliness and Qi of vitality in every grain of sand even though it was extremely tiny.


    If he could see every part of a grain of sand, he would obtain the Buddha''s Eye of Wisdom and that would help him cultivate supreme Dao techniques.


    He had a eureka moment and thought of the Taixu Strategy. The foundations of the Taixu Strategy''s power came from the eight natural forces of Tian, Di, Shan, Ze, Shui, Huo, Feng and Lei, which were the sky, land, mountains, swamp, water, fire, wind, and thunder, and those were the fundamental substances of structure.


    When that idea came to his mind, eight different colors of powers - red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, purple and black, was released and penetrated the space barrier. This was when the magic happened. The eight powers were like a catalyst that sped up the slow formation of the sand grains. Shen Lian''s spirit mixed into it and he could feel the changes in the eight Qi of Taixu. The eight Qi of Taixu interweaved to produced a mysterious force that cycled back and forth in the void.


    It reminded him of a paragraph he read, "Something mysteriously formed, born before heaven and earth. In the silence and the void, standing alone and unchanging, even present and in motion, perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things. I do not know its name, call it Dao."


    His mind was confused as his body was filled with the eight Qi of Taixu. As the force of power interweaved, it suddenly turned into Yin and Yang Taichi, and then suddenly radiated the colors of the five elements of Yin and Yang. The substances in the void gradually evolved and fell into the space to expand it.


    Ambiguously, every inch of his mana was squeezed out and mixed into the void. Just as he was about to run of out mana, Shen Lian started releasing an odd Qi. It was the Qi that Qianmo gave him last time. He thought that he has cleansed it off and never expected to have some lingering around. The odd Qi flowed throughout his body and it shook him. He was at a loss and then awaken. He retracted the eight Qi of Taixu that was released earlier and that mysterious force known as ''Dao'' drilled it together with the eight Qi into his body. When it hits the odd Qi, the eight Qi of Taixu turned into the five colors of green, yellow, red, black and white, in unbelievable speed.


    A thought flashed through his mind, "Taixu Strategy, the Dao of the Five Elements."


    The five colored mana was quietly hidden in the entrance while the eight Qi of Taixu remained outside. But the mana became the core and activated the eight Qi of Taixu.


    He recollected himself and entered the five colored mana. He felt heavy and it was extremely difficult for him to maneuver.


    But as he was composed and focus on the moment, his body released a mysterious Dao rhythm and that triggered a hint of movement in the space.


    Meanwhile, in Qing Xuan at Taiyi Peak, Qianmo flexed its wings and arrived at the hall of Qing Xuan. Its body too, released the five colored odd Qi of green, yellow, red, black and white, as the five colors protected its body.


    Gu Caiwei stepped out of the hall and looked at Qianmo. She thought to herself, "This bird is closely related to my Junior Apprentice-Brother. Maybe it has discovered traces of him?" She hopped on it and asked, "Did you sense Shen Lian?"


    Qianmo ignored her and continued chirping like a singing phoenix. At this moment, a dash of cloud and light came charging. Bai Suhuan came with the clouds and brought several Huandan Doyens and over ten disciples along with him.


    Gu Caiwei sighed, "They''re finally here."

 Chapter 290 By Chance

    Beneath the clouds and sunlight, Gu Caiwei analyzed the Qi situation. There were three Huandan Doyens and the skilled Daoist Bai Suhuan; their Qi combined, in terms of combat power, was stronger than any ordinary school of cultivation. Compared to Qingjiang back then, they only had an upper hand in terms of crowd size. Furthermore, Bai Suhuan himself could match Huang Longzi from the Twelve True Zhenrens of Guangqing.


    He gathered people of similar ideas to reason with them. It was a big world out there with tons of different approaches to Dao. Not everyone could be as charismatic as him, or if someone was not desperate, they would not have done it too.


    Furthermore, the sky and Dao were interrelated. Xuanmen cultivators who observed to get a better understanding of things would understand that it was not illusory.


    Gu Caiwei was not able to invite the Drunken Daoist and Ge Yuan to come and ease the tension. After all, Shen Lian and herself had yet built a strong credibility within the school. Shen Lian''s talent had been refined and was on par with Bai Suhuan, he could achieve immortality anytime. The celestial medicine would be safe in his hands. Other people could only try to move him with emotions or convince him with facts but would never use brute force against him. However, it was a different story with Gu Caiwei. It was absolutely hard for her to win the trust of the two Doyens and if it was not for Shen Lian and Ziling, the two Doyens would not have come by and watch.


    Fortunately, before the Founding Master retreated into solitary, she was told that she could summon her if she needed to. But that would interrupt the Founding Master''s rehabilitation. Additionally, what if she awakened Qing Xiao instead? With her stubborn character, things might get more complicated.


    After all, the human mind was delicate and it could not be subdued with pure force after all.


    Bai Suhuan was dressed in green, resembling the cold Qi of the forest. Behind him were Zhang Ruoxu''s nephew Zhang Lingxian and two other Huandan Doyens who had no hopes of attaining Dao. Although they were hundreds of years away from doomsday, they felt that they have yet lived long enough. With Zhang Lingxian and Bai Suhuan as their leader, they were fearless. A group of disciples followed behind; and if anything did happen in the future, these disciples would not be able to escape too. Might as well recruit them over to strengthen the force.


    An entourage of people was outside of the Qing Xuan Hall, the gathering of such high level of Qi dynamics was a first for Qing Xuan in the past two hundred years.


    With overwhelming pressure, Bai Suhuan took a step forward, and sinisterly said, "You juniors want to be bewitched by her too?"


    His Qi dynamic headed to the front of the Qing Xuan Hall, giving out a feeling of ''time was like a knife''. This showed that his Code of the Bright Moon has achieved the state of transformation.


    If it was not for the absence of the peaking Qi and blood, he could easily disrupt the Qi dynamics of any ordinary cultivators.


    The halo behind Gu Caiwei blinked as several disciples appeared with their hand-held instruments. The person behind Gu Caiwei, the leader of the pact, was Choushi, whom Shen Lian had disseminated Dharma to. After receiving useful pointers from Li Zhichang, he improved massively and his combat power was the creme of the crop among every other disciple. However, he might not be much of a help for this occasion.


    Yet he still showed up with other disciples who received pointers from Shen Lian. Their vitalities were raging and showed no signs of fear although Bai Suhuan was overwhelming.


    Bai Suhuan was furious to see these disciples going against him. His Qi dynamics expanded like a long cable or flying dragon, and it attempted to whip his enemies. The pack moved backward but no one fell over. He was outraged but also surprised by the disciples and thought of going easy on them. At this moment, Gu Caiwei''s eight Qi of Taixu soared, forming a shield of light to protect them while Qianmo who stood by her side released odd Qi and transfer it into Gu Caiwei''s body. It was exactly what Shen Lian did many years ago.


    With Qianmo''s help, Gu Caiwei''s Dharma increased greatly, with a loud voice she said, "Doyen Bai, what are you trying to do?"


    Zhang Lingxian came forward and shouted, "Junior Apprentice-Sister Gu, you''ve harmed the Chief in discreet and conspire to steal the celestial medicine. We are here to question you. If you still have any dignity in you, you should hand over the celestial medicine and tell us of the whereabouts of the Chief".


    Gu Caiwei coldly responded, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Zhang, do you think everything you''ve done today would not disappoint your uncle?"


    Zhang Lingxian responded, "It was my uncle who did not observe deeply and that''s why he didn''t see through your ill intentions."


    Meanwhile, Bai Suhuan''s Qi dynamics increased greatly and stacked down like a mountain. Gu Caiwei wanted to reply but the Qi dynamic suppressed her, making it hard for her to catch her breath.


    Zhang Lingxian''s force was overwhelming. He knew that it was a do or die situation and he would only stop if Gu Caiwei surrendered the celestial medicine.


    He said mean things to her and was involved in spreading rumors about her and Shen Lian. The suppressed anger of many years was raging in Gu Caiwei.


    Bai Suhuan''s force was getting stronger and even with Qianmo''s help, she could not top Shen Lian''s performance years ago. The reason why she was able to slightly balance the force was because Bai Suhuan was being easy and intended to wear out her mana.


    She was fuming with rage and her Taixu Divine Qi was a mess. The force coming from her Taixu Divine Qi was forced to retreat under such enormous pressure.


    She was furious and almost went into psychosis. However, the Taixu Divine Qi was able to self-operate under massive pressure and with the help of Qianmo.


    Somehow by chance, she stepped into a mysterious state of unintentional success. A spark of light came to her mind and she actually went into the perfect state of Dan Dao at this very moment.


    All Bai Suhuan could tell was that Gu Caiwei had some kind of help from some kind of bird. He tried to increase his pressure but she did not crumble and he was genuinely surprised by that.


    But he could not just release all forces of the Code of the Bright Moon in one shot as it would permanently damage her Dao and he would not be able to obtain the life-prolonging celestial medicine from her.


    With all considerations, he could only gradually increase his force until she surrenders.


    If it was not for Qianmo''s support, Gu Caiwei would not be able to gather such huge amount of Qi of vitality to aid herself when she stepped into Dan Dao. Under the great pressure from Bai Suhuan''s Qi dynamics, her pulse point could have collapsed before accomplishing Huandan.


    Again, with the help of Qianmo, it created the perfect Dao state for her


    With her body as the bronze stove, the Taixu Divine Qi as the fire, Qianmo''s odd Qi as the coal and Bai Suhuan''s Qi dynamics as the wind, she was the perfect medium to refine this human-sized medicine.


    This one in a million opportunity happened in the right time and if any single factor was absent, the outcome could be disastrous and irreversible


    She was infuriated by Zhang Lingxian''s words and did not have the time to bother about her body thus allowing the Taixu Divine Qi to operate freely on its own. As a result, she unintentionally mastered the art of Dao and overcame the first steps of Huandan. If Grandmaster Qingshui was still around, Grandmaster would say it was the work of luck and fortune.


    Seeing how foul-mouthed Zhang Lingxian could be, Choushi''s admiration towards Shen Lian increased to a god-like status and he could not bear to see Zhang Lingxian defame Shen Lian and Gu Caiwei.


    He stepped forward and released a ray of sword light as he coldly said, "Uncle-Master Zhang, don''t you think you''re going overboard?"


    Choushi would have been attacked by Bai Suhuan''s Qi dynamics but Bai Suhuan had transited the fundamentals of the Code of the Bright Moon to be released or sent through his heart, paving a way for Choushi.


    Afterall, he only wanted the celestial medicine and was not too bothered by the juniors. Moreover, he was a person with high ethics and he did not like Zhang Lingxian''s verbal attack on Gu Caiwei. If Choushi wanted to fight Zhang Lingxian, by all means. He could not care less who wins or lose.


    The tip of Choushi''s sword fluttered as a sword lotus appeared and zoomed towards Zhang Lingxian.


    His swordcraft was amazing and that took Zhang Lingxian aback. Zhang Lingxian did not expect his juniors with the exception of Chen Jianmei, to be so skillful. Although it was more like a small sparkle compared to Chen Jianmei, Choushi was still very impressive.


    Zhang Lingxian whisked a whirlwind that was constantly changing. As it was whisked in one shot, it was hard to tell if it force was strong or weak.


    The whirlwind looked like thousands of silver needles; it made a buzzing sound under the light as if it was a lightning.


    This ''Floating Sketches'' technique was a clever technique and he could transform the whirlwind easily. If it was not for Choushi''s awe-inspiring sword, he would not have used this trump card.


    Zhang Lingxian was indeed a highly experienced Huandan cultivator. His strong mana and the silver strands of the Floating Sketches was able to tap into the lotus sword in no time. Soon enough, the lotus sword broke in fragmentation. Zhang Lingxian wanted to show off his skills; the silver strands aroused violently, creating a sky of rain that aimed at Choushi.


    Sudden rays of light shined through just about when the silver strands were about to poke through Choushi''s body to heavily injure him.


    The rays of light were silverish white in color was was the illusion of thousands of swords. In a sudden, it started exchanging strokes with Zhang Lingxian. The smoke faded and a figure could be seen nearby. He had a scarf on his head and was dressed like a scholar. He stood there silently as he held a flame of white light that resembled the heavenly sword in his hand.


    The silver strands of the horsetail whisk in Zhang Lingxian''s hands turned into ashes. Obviously, he was defeated by the sword gleam.


    He looked to the direction of the figure and said, "Apprentice-Nephew Lu, why are you making it difficult for me? Have you forgotten how well my uncle treated you?"


    That person was Lu Shouyi. A year after Shen Lian succeeded as the Chief, he left to roam the world and only came back this very day.


    But no one expected him to have the ability to break the technique of a Huandan Doyen. Could it be that he had attained Huandan, and Qing Xuan had another disciple who had attained Huandan after Yan Bugui?


    In a short period of time, Qing Xuan had produced four Huandan cultivators and that was certainly a good sign for the school. Those were the thoughts of the disciples who were present at the scene.


    After all, they had a strong sense of belonging to the school and they were still young. Although many people died before reaching immortality, people like Shen Lian, Chen Jianmei, and Yan Bugui were great role models and that gave them a dash of hope.


    Lu Shouyi firmly replied, "I don''t want my late mentor to feel ashamed at the land of the dead and that''s exactly why I won''t allow you to do such a rebellious thing. If you still care about my mentor, you should just leave. I will explain to other Senior Apprentice-Brothers and beg for mercy on behalf of you."


    Zhang Lingxian responded, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Lu, you are wrong. Initially, my uncle wanted to groom you as the next chief. But the current Chief was spectacular and that''s why you were denied of succession. Now that the Chief was bewitched by Gu Caiwei, it''s hard to say if he''s dead or alive. If you can see the bigger picture, you should stand by my side and take down these disciples who can''t tell right from wrong. Before Shen Lian returns, I can promote you to be the temporary chief and we can maintain the operations of the school."


    Lu Shouyi laughed sarcastically, "Yes, my purpose today is to take down disciples who can''t tell right from wrong."

 Chapter 291 Convinced, in Heart and by Word.

    In an instance, Lu Shouyi''s sword gleamed like the tail of a comet and it mercilessly locked on Zhang Lingxian.


    Zhang Lingxian saw that and was fuming, "Do you really want to go against me?"


    He revolved his mana and released rays of green lights to shield himself; at the same time, he tossed a piece of jade up high. As the piece of jade went up in mid-air, it released numerous green wind daggers that ferociously spread out across the void.


    Lu Shouyi was surrounded by a peaceful Dao melody that fiddled the void. He moved his body and was able to avoid the wind daggers. This was indeed a brilliant method of self-defense as Lu Shouyi was able to invade the void that was filled with wind daggers.


    The sword gleamed in extreme brightness and it pierced through Zhang Lingxian''s light of shield as the shield convulsed. The wind daggers surrounded the sword''s gleam but as Lu Shouyi tapped on it, the wind daggers retreated back. Blood spilled out from Zhang Lingxian''s mouth, it was obvious that he was no match against Lu Shouyi.


    Bai Suhuan witnessed the scene and flexed his finger to trigger the water and fire. He still had some strength within him even if he was fighting against Gu Caiwei. Furthermore, he had great vision and could tell that Lu Shouyi had damaged Zhang Lingxian with little effort. At this very moment, his Qi dynamic was not stable as he counter-attacked Lu Shouyi who was in the process of exchanging his Qi.


    There was a strong blasting sound as the fire and water inter-stimulated each other to attack Lu Shouyi. The force of the power was terrorizing.


    He did not have the time to regather the sword gleam and could only use his palm to release his mana. In a split second, he converted thousands of palms to a single palm and threw it continuously like an endless stream of clouds.


    When the palm and the fire-water forces collided, it produced loud crashing flash flood-liked sound. The tremors of the collision were so strong as if the earth was about to split open.


    The tremors had inflicted some damage to Lu Shouyi as his meridian points were shaken, causing him some pain. As a result, he could not summon the mana and that was when he realized that Bai Suhuan was far beyond his level.


    He took three steps backward as the earth cracked open and absorbed some of the excess force.


    Bai Suhuan said coldly, "Kiddo, I advised you to not get involved in this matter. It took you so much effort to reach this level."


    Lu Shouyi forcefully suppressed his boiling temper, "Doyen Bai, why are you doing something like this? Are you not afraid that Zhenren Ziling and the Chief would question you?"


    Bai Suhuan smirked in his mind and thought to himself, "It would take Ziling another ten to twenty years or so to come back and we don''t know the status of Shen Lian. Now that my time is about to end, who cares about things like that?"


    In contrast to his thoughts, he said, "I served the school without any guilt. If Gu Caiwei is up to no good, why wouldn''t she tell us about Shen Lian''s whereabouts and why is she holding on to the celestial medicine and is not willing to hand it out?


    In a loud voice, Zhang Lingxian said, "Everyone, please listen to what I have to say. I have been trying to find out about the Chief''s whereabouts from Gu Caiwei for days. She would tell me that the Chief is on a solitary retreat. But when I tried to probe further on his location, she wouldn''t answer me. Doesn''t that sound fishy to you? Qing Xuan is going through a critical point now, you people have to clear your eyes and not follow the evil generation."


    Gu Caiwei had cut off her five senses and she could not feel any of the external disturbance. The Taixu Divine Qi was operating in full force, trying to complete Dan Dao.


    Zhang Lingxian''s words had provoked the morale of his people. Furthermore, as Lu Shouyi was defeated by Bai Suhuan, the disciples behind Gu Caiwei started to shake.


    "Doyen Zhang, how about you tell us who is part of this evil generation?"


    A young Daoist dressed in a feather robe and a star-shaped crown could be seen from some distance away. He seemed like a thousand feet away but in a blink of an eye, he was by the side of Gu Caiwei.


    He barely had any expression on his face but his eyes were deep and clear as he locked his vision on Zhang Lingxian and Bai Suhuan.


    Concurrently, he placed his hand on Gu Caiwei to increase the dynamic of her Qi. Bai Suhuan started shaking and took back his Qi dynamics. He had an unreadable calm expression on his face.


    Zhang Lingxian was stunned to see Shen Lian. Shen Lian''s deep eyes took a glanced at him and he felt a sudden mountain-like weight pressing on his chest, causing him to have trouble speaking.


    Bai Suhuan said, "Since Shen Lian has appeared, let''s make things clear. My doomsday is near and I would like to request for the celestial medicine to prolong my life. Gu Caiwei wasn''t cooperative and didn''t want to tell us about your whereabouts and that lead to what happened today."


    It was perfectly justifiable for cultivators to seek immortality, especially that his doomsday was about to arrive, and it somewhat still made sense for him to do something so out of ordinary like this.


    Shen Lian took a glance at Bai Suhuan and then radiated five rays of light - green, yellow, red, black and white; the five colored Qi of essence. The rays of light wrapped around him and that was quite a magical scene.


    He flexed a finger and the ray of black Qi of essence dashed towards Zhang Lingxian and his company. Within a spark, it has brushed through Zhang Lingxian, forcing him to fall to the ground. He cast a spell and in no time, everyone around Bai Suhuan collapsed to the grown defenselessly.


    With such minimal effort, it could be seen that Shen Lian''s skills were at the level of a celestial Buddha.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Doyen Bai, how did you hear about the celestial medicine?"


    He took down Zhang Lingxian in front of everyone without saying too much and he went straight to the point when questioning Bai Suhuan.


    Bai Suhuan answered with a low voice, "I found it out by chance."


    "And what do you mean by chance?" Shen Lian probed further.


    Bai Suhuan kept a straight face, he did not answer but instead asked another question, "Looks like you''re doubting me and you''re not willing to give me the celestial medicine."


    Shen Lian replied, "That''s right, I am indeed suspicious of you."


    Bai Suhuan sighed, "I am willing to surrender my life savings to trade for the celestial medicine. I don''t have any other requests, you have to grant me this."


    Shen Lian said, "You have to first tell me where you''ve heard about the celestial medicine and I will consider it. If you don''t, I won''t hand it over to you."


    Bai Suhuan replied in a low voice, "We shall let the winner decide then. If you are defeated, you will have to hand over the celestial medicine. I guarantee that I will never give any further trouble to Qing Xuan in the future."


    Shen Lian calmly responded, "Sure, you will be convinced, in heart and by word."


    He moved slightly and a ray of clear Qi dashed through the door''s Dao restriction to reach thousands of feet high up the sky. At this very moment, the clouds were floating by Shen Lian as he sparkled in five different colors. It was indeed eye-catching. At the same time, he howled with a clear voice, stirring the wind and clouds; he was in an imposing form.


    Bai Suhuan too did not slack. He released clear Qi from his body and swept through the clouds to produce strong windy clouds above his head. Both of their Qi dynamics were like an intertwined long cable. As the sky darkens, the wind and rain took over.


    It was the intertwining of their Qi dynamics that caused a changed in the Yin and Yang forces of the universe and as a result, the heaven and earth responded accordingly.


    Bai Suhuan''s Code of the Bright Moon had entered the transformation state and was considered one of the top cultivators in the universe. Compared to the likes of Huanzhen, he was not too far inferior from that. Shen Lian''s mana may have increased tremendously but it was still not an easy feat to take down his opponent.


    As Gu Caiwei lost the external force, she fell on her knees as the eight Qi of Taixu flows and the entire vitality of the Taiyi Peak came together. The Qi of vitality came by like a wave and it shook the disciples surrounding her. The disciples were generally skillful but they were still stunned by the scene, as it was a sign of Huandan.


    A pact of disciples silently surrounded Gu Caiwei to protect her. They cannot afford to be distracted by the fight between Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan.

 Chapter 292 Time Waits For No Man

    Judging from the changes of the ground, one could tell that Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan were in an entire league of their own.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Doyen Bai, shall we change to a different location?"


    Bai Suhuan took a quick look down and sighed, "Seems like I''ve become your grindstone."


    He could tell that he somewhat contributed to Gu Caiwei''s progress in Huandan.


    Bai Suhuan released a dash of clear Qi and broke through the dust cloud.


    Shen Lian let out a laugh and went after him, developing a chase between the both of them.


    Bai Suhuan could sense that Shen Lian was about to overtake him and in a split second, Shen Lian appeared right in front of him. Bai Suhuan was amazed that Shen Lian was able to achieve such feat although he had only been cultivating for less than thirty years. Shen Lian was indeed a rare prodigy


    Within thirty minutes, both of them had activated their full mana and traveled at the speed of light to somewhere far far away.


    They paused at the same time after traveling up to thousand over feet. The wind flew through their body as the clouds leisurely floated pass and changed its shape.


    Shen Lian was as calm as usual, his thin Dao robe swayed in the direction of the wind, he looked classy like a celestial being. His body gradually radiated the five rays of colored light beams; he looked like a holy deity.


    Bai Suhuan looked dignified while Shen Lian was calm and composed. Bai Suhuan would not say that this was a sure victory but as things progressed to this stage, he had no choice but to fight.


    Shen Lian took the first move by flexing his finger to produce a golden glow. The clouds and smoke condensed to form a gigantic sword that looked like a mountain peak, and the sword headed towards the direction of Bai Suhuan.


    He used gold to build up his Qi essence and produced the Qingjiang''s True Wandering Light Sword. The mighty sword was so strong, the only person who could probably defeat it would be Lingzi, the Grandmaster of the Qingjiang Sect.


    One slash with this sword and everything within a thousand miles radius were swept away.


    Bai Suhuan kept a straight face as clouds were formed above his head. The clouds formed a yellow giant palm that mercilessly aimed towards the direction of the True Wandering Light Sword.


    A ray of clear yellow light shattered and the void cracked as a result of the collision between the two forces. Wild waves followed by strong wind shook the lofty sky.


    In an instant, clouds and birds have washed away. The birds that came in contact with their Qi turned into bloody rain and it vanished with the wind.


    "The end of the world is distant as the moon cuts like a knife."


    Bai Suhuan''s voice echoed across the sky and it was somewhat fitting with the abstruse discourse of heaven and earth as the void played into his favor. Under the clear bright sky, the bright moon gradually rises.


    Shen Lian knew clearly that this was the Daoist form of the Code of Bright Moon that Bai Suhuan had been cultivating for years. Although it was not the real moon, it was still terrorizing.


    The moon raised from the east and the strands of moonlight shined downwards.


    What else could be quicker than the speed of light?


    The strands of moonlight were like flying knives.


    Bai Suhuan dissolved into the moonlight, his body gleamed in bright yellow as his flesh and blood looked crystal clear. He looked like a deity of the moon.


    Each ray of moonlight was produced by Bai Suhuan''s Taiyin Light Qi of essence that was engraved with his Dao sentiments. These rays could easily crush gold and metal.


    Shen Lian felt a strong sense of pressure as the rays of moonlight hit him; it almost felt like his whole body was being slashed by a knife. As the moonlight shined on him, Shen Lian felt the sensation of a thousand knives.


    This was the very first time Shen Lian encountered a person of Powang level fighting in full force and at the same time, he had a new found sense of admiration towards Bai Suhuan. This man had used his entire mind to practice and cultivate the Code of Bright Moon without any greedy thoughts and had refined his skills to a breathtaking level.


    Although Shen Lian had previously experienced the space and realized the five elements of Dao, everything he has learned was not as refined as Bai Suhuan''s hundred years of cultivation of the Code of Bright Moon.


    He needed just one more step to attain Powang and it was not something Bai Suhuan could provide. It had to come from the five elements of Dao of the Taixu Strategy that would be really hard to find.


    Shen Lian''s Qi kept rising; under the attack of the moonlight, he finally displayed what he had learned for his entire life.


    Countless of secret methods came together to form the fundamentals of the five elements of the Qi of essence that was constantly evolving to form endless layers.


    Every offensive tactic came in handy as it builds up the Taixu Strategy''s state of Interpromotion and Interrestraint of the five elements. He could apply the Piercing Flying Punches, the Mark of Mountains and Rivers, Shapeless Sword Aura, Beaming Red Flame, as well as many other different techniques simultaneously to engulf the moonlight.


    This was the ultimate battle between the art of spells - Bai Suhuan''s extremely refined Code of Bright Moon versus Shen Lian''s art of million techniques at will.


    The moonlight gradually dimmed as they collide each other for countless times; Shen Lian slowly gained the upper hand.


    The moonlight gradually dimmed as they collided with each other for countless times; Shen Lian slowly gained the upper hand.


    Up to this stage, Bai Suhuan realized that Shen Lian was a class above him. Even if he had yet to see Shen Lian''s true form, he knew that Shen Lian was only millimeters away from achieving Powang to become a Primordial Spirit and obtain immortality. It was totally possible and absolutely not far beyond reach for Shen Lian.


    He had a sense of hatred, why was God so unfair as some people like Ziling and Shen Lian had so much potential. To them, one year of cultivation was equivalent to other people''s ten years of hard work. Why was it that he put in so much effort in cultivating, cut off all desires, did not take in any disciples and yet, had to face such a tragic ending.


    All these hatreds fuelled his determination to fight Shen Lian.


    He held the incantation as a boundless stream of breath appeared and aimed towards Shen Lian.


    This incantation was known as ''Time Waits for No Man'' and it was second to the Ultimate Knife of Taiyin from the Code of the Bright Moon. The Ultimate Knife of Taiyin required immortality in order to cultivate it. In other words, it was the one and only technique that Bai Suhuan had yet to master.


    Time Waits for No Man was the ultimate abstruse technique of the Code of Bright Moon and it actually involved time travel.


    Shen Lian had briefly read about Time Wait for No Man at the Taiwei Pavillion. He had to experience it in order to tell how powerful it was.


    True warriors die in the field.


    Time Waits for No Man was not an offensive tactic but a Dao method that weakens the opponent. No matter how strong the opponent''s method was, it would weaken over time.


    In other words, no matter how strong one''s methods were, under the influence of Time Waits for No Man, even the most earth-shattering power would become an ordinary force.


    Bai Suhuan''s method was effective in reducing the power of Shen Lian''s mixed technique.


    However, Bai Suhuan too, took a toll on it as his expression turned dull. The moon has lost its power and moonlight too has lost its fieriness.


    Shen Lian, on the other hand, looked relaxed and composed. After all, Bai Suhuan was a Powang expert with hundreds of years of experience. It would not make sense to defeat him so effortlessly.


    His lips curved slightly, giving a light smile as he released the ray of light and pierce through the void. Every methods and spell that he had learned was played out and it came out more and more affluently.

 Chapter 293 Listen Using Your Qi and Not Your Mind

    Clearly, the two of them were still fighting for their lives against each other. Shen Lian continuously threw in different methods, one after another, just like the clouds that were constantly changing its shape.


    In a trance, the battle had become a game for Shen Lian. In this soon to be ended match, he seemed to be winning it with skill and ease. It seemed that after a grand finale, he would feel a sense of withdrawal.


    The Dao was concentrated but senseless while the mana was oblivious to oneself.


    In no time, Shen Lian was able to exert all sorts of methods effortlessly as his will, just like an antelope hanging up its horn, showing zero traces and effort. He was literally poetry in motion.


    Back then, Shen Lian would use the ideomotor reflex to cast spells but this time around, he could easily summon different methods just like a flowing stream of water that showed no sign of stagnancy.


    He did not push his powers to the maximum but the attack timing was perfect and every punches and blow came out smoothly.


    The vitality of the heaven and earth are one with Shen Lian. They are inseparable and they respond to him accordingly. The state of being one with heaven was the key to opening the doors of immortality. It was exactly what Bai Suhuan has been chasing after and it would have been a dream come true for him.


    He genuinely felt that Shen Lian was so close to breakthrough Xuwang while he, although seemed like a step away but was actually ten thousand miles of eternity.


    Bai Suhuan was miserably gutted by Shen Lian''s attack but there was nothing much he could do about it.


    Shen Lian became one with heaven as his Taixu entered Dao and he went into a state of oblivion. He held on to every hint of Dao senses and bind into one with all of it. Or in Daoism term, "Listen with your Qi and not your mind."


    As Shen Lian assembled the millions of methods and techniques together, the nothingness convulsed. Colored rays representing the five Qi elements - green, yellow, red, black and white, intertwined and condensed into one beam of five colored light right in front of Shen Lian, and that beam went straight to Bai Suhuan.


    Bai Suhuan was clearly taken aback but he did not want to be defeated just like that. He summoned the moon with the force strong enough to break mountains and rivers to attack Shen Lian.


    However, although the moon cuts like a knife and was able to separate between the heaven and earth, it could not cut through this five colored beams The beam was strong, sturdy, it was unbreakable.


    His ultimate method, Time Waits for No Man, had zero effect against the five colored beam. This was because Shen Lian had come to the realization of the five elements of Dao. Even if time was ruthless and could turn anything into ashes, the five elements were resourceful and changing endlessly. It will never run out of life.


    The Daoist form of the moon crushed as every inch of it was rolled over by the five colored beam. Bai Suhuan certainly did not see this coming but how things would end after this fight was really not up to him. This was because no matter how highly he estimated Shen Lian, Shen Lian''s cultivation progress was far beyond his prediction.


    After taking continuous blows, blood started flowing out from the border of Bai Suhuan''s lips.


    While the Daoist form of the moon was rolled over, Shen Lian gathered the Mark of Mountain and River as his magnificent Qi dynamics erupted. Shen Lian remained focus when using this method and naturally, that increased his combat power by many times as he unsympathetically aimed at Bai Suhuan. This terrifying endless streams of mana shook the nothingness. The Qi around the atmosphere was daunting to the maximum, giving out a sense of despair and helplessness.


    The illusion of the majestic Mark of Mountain and River appeared from nothingness and landed on the crown of Bai Suhuan''s head. It pressed on him firmly and knocked him down.


    The protective shield crumbled as Bai Suhuan was stricken down from a lofty altitude. As he was traveling downwards at rapid speed, he combusted into a long strand of fireworks, just like a comet. He plunged into the ocean and a blasting sound could be heard, causing monstrous waves.


    Shen Lian did not stop right there and instead dived downwards.


    The Taixu Strategy was one of the most brilliant martial exercise in the world of Dao as it touches the Yin Yang five Dao elements and it was almost an ultimate martial exercise in the human world.


    As it involved the original form of Dao and the million methods of the world, as long as one learned it, they could easily apply it. But once they mastered it, the would not touch on any other methods.


    Shen Lian continuously throws out light with both of his palms and it hits the surface of the vast ocean as the water evaporates to reveal Bai Suhuan. He looked sluggish with his green robe tattered and he just could not stop throwing up blood. He was severely injured by Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not intend to stop because he knew that he cannot give any opportunity to his opponent to breathe.


    From the ocean to the sky, then to the deserted island and the duel once again took center stage back up in the sky.


    No one knew how many birds and fishes were sacrificed throughout the battle.


    But Shen Lian could not care less about these as Bai Suhuan was such a stubborn character. Any other Powang master cultivator would have succumbed to Shen Lian''s intensity but Bai Suhuan''s level of cultivation was so refined that he was able to hold on for so long.


    It was all because his Qi was so refined and pure that it was beyond imagination.


    Bai Suhuan roared out loud, causing the heaven and earth to shake. He started to work his palms in all sort of manner and shortly, every single drop of the vitality of the heaven and earth were absorbed by him.


    A ray of mysterious beam appeared as a terrifying aura was emitted. It was the force beyond Bai Suhuan''s strength and it was almost equivalent to a holy deity.


    Shen Lian''s state of mind was crystal clear but at this very moment, he became a little solemn.


    He knew that this would be Bai Suhuan''s very last shot.


    In a sudden, tidal waves hit the shore as if a tsunami just erupted while earth-shattering booming sound could be heard. No one would know how forceful Bai Suhuan''s last shot would be.


    Shen Lian converged the five Qi elements and stood firmly in this stormy rain. To one''s surprise, Bai Suhuan forcefully activated the Powang state of Code of the Bright Moon''s ultimate weapon, the Supreme Knife of the Moon. The only way to summon the Supreme Knife of the Moon was by achieving immortality. In desperation, Bai Suhuan was willing to trade his many years of refined cultivation to fuel the activation.


    His physical body could not tolerate the burden caused by the forceful activation; he started to bleed throughout his body and his body was close to collapse. Shen Lian did not expect to see such determination from Bai Suhuan.


    Only the best rival would bring out the strongest side of a person. At this point, Shen Lian was fearless.


    He was confident that he could take on the strike that was comparable to the power of the holy deities.


    He wanted Bai Suhuan to be sincerely convinced by the defeat and even more, he wanted to bring him back to Qing Xuan alive.


    Shen Lian finally made his move. When the Supreme Knife of the Moon formed, he took a step out and the nothingness collapsed.


    He ultimately collided with the Supreme Knife of the Moon


    "Hong, hong, hong."


    Frightening sound waves exploded as the vast universe broke out into a stormy weather.


    End of the world-like phenomenon such as volcanoes eruption and earthquake happened as the tectonic plates vibrated as a result of the duel.


    With just one slash, the Supreme Knife of the Moon turned into ash.


    However, Shen Lian survived the hit and did not turn into ashes despite experiencing such strong blow.


    Under the stormy sky, Shen Lian carried Bai Suhuan out of the scene. His Dao robe swayed as he walked away.


    Bai Suhuan looked like he has aged ten years more as his face looked somewhat wilted.


    Shen Lian with a pale face sighed, "Why did you put yourself through this, and why should I go through this too?"

 Chapter 294 Easy to Obtain Dao but Difficult to Preserve Dao

    The sun set below the horizon as stars took over the skies. The ocean gradually regained calmness and eventually returned to peace unlike the tsunami scenario moments before.


    Shen Lian peeped to his right and could sense a killing vibe.


    As he visualized, the aura vanished without a trace, as if it was never there.


    Shen Lian''s mind was clear as he perceived that the person who was secretly peeping them had left.


    This person was certainly not any weaker than Bai Suhuan and was a highly skilled Dao cultivator. He was able to enter and exit the realm in a clear-cut fashion and that certainly would make him a fearsome person.


    Meanwhile, a dejected Bai Suhuan was finally ready to tell Shen Lian the truth.


    Apparently, Bai Suhuan had another blood relative of the name Chen Mubai, who was one of the Twelve True Zhenrens of Guangqing. Bai Suhuan only found out about this person fifty years ago.


    Shen Lian thought a person like Bai Suhuan who had given up desires would not be easily affected by the words of other people, even if that person was related by blood. But this person used this as an excuse to get in touch with Bai Suhuan and manipulated him to gain insider information about Qing Xuan. It was also through Chen Mubai that Bai Suhan found out about the celestial medicine that could prolong one''s life.


    When Qing Xuan declined, Bai Suhuan felt that it was not a big deal to leak confidential information as Qing Xuan would most probably not punish him as the school was desperate to fill up the vacancy.


    He objected the idea of Shen Lian taking over the chief''s position because he felt that Shen Lian''s talent and young age would jeopardize his position at the school.


    Because of that incident, Bai Suhuan felt that Shen Lian was suspicious of him. As for the case of the celestial medicine, he found it hard to explain to Shen Lian. Under the pressure that his doomsday was about to arrive, he made the risky decision to first obtain the medicine and then decide what to do with it later.


    In order to obtain the medicine, he had proved a couple of times and realized that no one knew about the whereabouts of Shen Lian. That was when he decided that he needed to take action.


    He coaxed Zhang Ruoxu''s nephew, Zhang Lingxian to join him as he knew that this person was extremely dissatisfied with Shen Lian. Besides that, everyone knew that Zhang Ruoxu''s treatment towards Shen Lian was beyond a teacher-student relationship. If things did not work out, at least he could use Zhang Lingxian to cushion the impact or even turn the tables around.


    After hearing Bai Suhuan''s side of the story, Shen Lian responded, "Doyen Bai, do you seriously think that your thing with Chen Mubai can be concealed from the Grand Ancestor Master who has been protecting the Taiwei Pavilion for years? If he sensed something odd in your activities all these years, he could easily trace back to you, even if the Guangqing Celestial School tried to cover up your tracks. If he has the intention, with his skills, he could easily track you down and watch every step you take."


    Bai Suhuan smiled bitterly, "Yes, I''ve thought of it but I''ve been fine for all these years. Naturally, I assumed that he knew nothing about it. But looking at it now, he probably knew everything but he chose to not confront me about it."


    Shen Lian calmly responded, "That''s because you''ve never visited the Taiwei Pavilion all these years."


    "Why would I want to go to the Taiwei Pavilion since I''ve committed something so terrible like this?" Bai Suhuan said.


    Shen Lian responded, "Perhaps he''s waiting for you to come. If you are not willing to face such a small matter, how would you breakthrough Xuwang? Practice and cultivation were like sailing against the current; you either keep forging ahead or you fall behind. Doyen Bai, can you try to rediscover your original intention when you first started practicing Dao and achieving Huandan. I believe you were more courageous, intelligent and determined back then compared to the person you are today."


    The journey of Dao cultivation was never an easy one as cultivators have to endure many painful experiences that ordinary people could not withstand and they might face all sorts of spontaneous obstacles. But the biggest obstacle was the long-term maintenance of the heart of Dao. Some people were still able to stay high-spirited upon achieving Huandan but once they get to the stage of Powang, they had long abandoned their original intention of choosing Dao.


    And that was how the age-old saying, "It is easy to obtain Dao but it''s difficult to preserve Dao" came about.


    A true Daoist would not only willing sacrifice themselves in a deadly fight but they too were brave enough to face the stains on the mirror of their bier.


    Although Shen Lian was impressed by Bai Suhuan''s determination to fight him, at this very moment, he could see through the weakness behind Bai Suhuan''s lack of courage. He had lost his heart of Dao and that was why he failed to make any progress for the past years. All he could do was cultivate his mana and refined his techniques.


    Bai Suhuan asked, "If I didn''t get involved in the incident today and waited for you to appear and request for the celestial medicine instead, would you have given it to me?"


    Shen Lian calmly replied, "I would have given it to you if you''ve done so. But I would feel sorry for you. You have yet to breakthrough Xuwang after hundreds of years, so what''s the point of living a few extra years. You''re only wearing down your Dao."


    Bai Suhuan replied in a sad tone, "That is true and it sounds foolish but I always have that hope that perhaps if I lived longer, I could return to my original path, my initial intention of cultivating and regain my true nature. I was foolish."


    Shen Lian sighed, "It''s not too late for you to realize this now but there''s a price to pay for your actions today. I have decided to insert a Celestial Sealing Nail on you to lock your cultivation. You will be in captivity for a hundred years at the back mountain of the Taiyi Peak. Do you subdue to that?"


    Bai Suhuan calmly replied, "I only have three years left, there''s no point of keeping me in captivity for a hundred years."


    Shen Lian smiled but did not answer. The melodious sea breeze led Shen Lian and Bai Suhuan back to the shore of Qing Xuan.


    Time slipped by without a trace.


    It had been a year since Shen Lian captured Bai Suhuan. He sat by the door and talked about Daoism. Even the Huandan Doyen benefited from his talk. Bai Suhuan and Zhang Lingxian were imprisoned at the back mountains to reflect on their actions. This was an extremely lenient punishment for them.


    Zhang Lingxian''s prejudice towards Shen Lian was too deep, he insisted that Zhang Ruoxu was unfair to him.


    Shen Lian was not bothered by trivial matters as such. Right or wrong, Zhang Lingxian psychosis-liked paranoia was beyond rescue.


    This turmoil in Qing Xuan was just a mini-episode.


    Shen Lian believed the old Daoist had seen it coming but wanted to help Bai Suhuan face his fears and recover his nature to obtain immortality.


    Unfortunately, Bai Suhuan failed to prevail over his barrier as he was still hoping to extend his lifespan and for a miracle to help him overcome Xuwang and obtain immortality.


    Miracles would not happen in an uncertain future. A true Daoist will seize the moment.


    The old Daoist took this as a test to polish Bai Suhuan, hoping that he could genuinely enlightened and stay clean of external desires. Unfortunately, Bai Suhuan failed to pass this level and took the road not supposed to be taken. As for why Shen Lian would appear at the right time when things were most critical, it was actually the old Daoist''s consciousness that led Shen Lian out.


    This had always been Qing Xuan''s way of honing their disciples; it was also the reason why they were able to produce countless immortals in their million years of history.


    "Qing Xuan will never give up on their disciples unless it is the disciples themselves that have given up. Qing Xuan too will not set boundaries to any of their disciples, unless it is the disciples that limit themselves." A melodious voice of Dao could be heard on the loop by the River of Spirits.


    Every Doyens and disciple who were present looked up to the Taiyi Peak to see Shen Lian who was on a lotus flower, leisurely delivering his speech.


    At this very moment, they felt that Shen Lian had entered the state of holy deities. Everything he said or did leave a deep impression on them.

 Chapter 295 You Can’t Escape From the Five Elements

    Shen Lian finished his speech and allowed it to sink in among the audience. Shortly after, his eyelid twitched; he turned to Jing Qing Tongzi and said, "Tong Er, please head to the gates to usher someone in."


    Jing Qing tilted his head upwards and responded, "Headmaster, may I know how does this person look like?"


    Shen Lian smiled and pointed towards the sky, a puddle of clear water was formed and a person''s figure could be seen.


    The audience could see the scenery of the mountain gate and were secretly impressed that their Headmaster could display such powers effortlessly without the help of any medium. Even if he had yet to obtain immortality, he was already almost there.


    People presumed that Shen Lian had yet to obtain immortality because breaking away from Xuwang and cultivating as a Primordial Spirit to become an immortal Zhenren would have triggered enormous dynamics that would not be able to hide from people.


    They had known that Shen Lian did not leave the mountain for the past year and instead cultivated in a forbidden area somewhere within the school, as the school had yet to experience the phenomenon they would go through when someone achieved immortal Zhenren.


    These thoughts flashed passed the fellow cultivators'' mind very briefly as it was nothing worth mentioning. They were all focus on the puddle of clear water and could see a middle-aged man in ragged clothes covered with dust on Wenxin Road.


    Even if they could not hear any sound, they could tell that this person was a typical mortal.


    The cultivator''s definition of mortals were people who showed no signs of Qiaodong and whose mana were not condensed. However, this middle-aged man''s eyebrows were heavy as if he has been through the vicissitudes of life.


    His eyes were stripped off of all superficialities and returned to innocence, and that would make a good Dao cultivation seed.


    This also showed that Shen Lian''s skills were so refined that the audiences could actually have such a close look at the person.


    Jing Qing Tongzi noted of Shen Lian''s order and left the hall.


    Shen Lian continued his lecture after commanding Jing Qing.


    After he started to understand the five elements of Dao, he had been gradually applying it into his life. He felt that Dao was so vast and anything in the universe could be considered as part of the five elements.


    He took on a different path as Ziling as he chose not to be enlightened by the changes of Yin and Yang. Instead, he wanted to focus on the generation and restriction of the five elements.


    However, the cultivation of the five elements of Dao was not simple. He could produce the five elements of essenced Qi and transform it into several supernatural powers but the Qi of Dan in him would also turn into the five elements. Once activated, it would feel as heavy as a mountain and it was also very difficult to control.


    Even if he was only a heartbeat away from breaking through Xuwang, it was still extremely challenging for him to activate the core of his Qi of Dan.


    He could still convert his Qi of Dan to the five elements of essenced Qi and the eight Qi of Taixu, and use all kinds of spells to be enlightened of the endless ingenious Dao. This was because the five elements of Dao were unpredictably deep and he was a lot more powerful now. If he had to fight Yanxu again, it may not be a sure win but he definitely would not be gutted.


    It was just a matter of time for him to break through Xuwang, but he still needed a turning point.


    Shen Lian decided to not force it and let it be.


    He had browsed through numerous books at the Taiwei Pavilion and became very wise. Whenever he delivers his lecture, he would emphasize on Qing Xuan''s Dao techniques. Qing Xuan had one hundred and eight techniques and all of them were Dao martial exercises that focused on the fundamentals of seeking Dao and immortality, not strength and power.


    One generation of people created the methods, while the next generation refined the methods to make it more current and complete.


    Therefore, the longer the inheritance of a Dao formula, the more disciples would cultivate it and naturally, it would become more abstruse.


    Although Qing Xuan''s hundred and eight methods were classified into Tiangang Thirty-six Techniques and Disha Seventy-two Techniques, they were constantly changing and people could not really tell which belonged to which category.


    For instance, the Shapeless Sword Incantation that Chen Jianmei cultivated would be considered as one of the Disha Seventy-two Technique. But he was such a rare prodigy that even Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will could only be a reference. If he indeed became an immortal Zhenren in the future, the Shapeless Sword Incantation would definitely eliminate a weaker technique to be a part of the Tiangang Thirty-six Techniques.


    Although there were distinct differences between the Tiangang Techniques and Disha Techniques in terms of power and Dao enlightenment, Dao formula was not all about strength and might. For instance, the Taixu Strategy was famed as one of the universe''s top method but it was extremely difficult to cultivate it. It required the perfect timing and opportunity to succeed and most people were not suitable to cultivate it.


    Moreover, as the Dao formula got more refined, the difficulty of cultivating it would also increase. Every cultivator possessed different experiences, qualities, and perception. The experience of a senior may be useful during the early stages of cultivation but it could also form a perception barrier that would hinder the cultivator''s progress in Huandan.


    This did not mean that a senior apprentices'' experiences were not relevant. As long as there were choices available, it would be a challenge of Dao.


    In other sects or schools, a disciple could only depend on himself to overcome this challenge. After all, most senior apprentices of celestial schools did not fully understand their own cultivations. Their experience may not be able to match the written records of the previous generations.


    Although Shen Lian was not able to fully understand all hundred and eight methods of Qing Xuan, he had his very own approach when lecturing about Dao.


    Everything in the universe could never escape from the five elements. Thus, when he lectured about Dao formulas and Dao methods, he would classify them according to the five elements. The five elements were the classification of the universe and not just simply the elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    Shen Lian was able to relate every single Dao method and Dao formula to the five elements of Dao. He did not have to go into details and yet the Doyens and disciples were more than delighted to listen to him. He used his very own approach to cultivation to create a new form of understanding towards Dao.


    But of course, things would take time and experience as Shen Lian could not enlighten everyone by just delivering a lecture or two.


    On top of that, a turning point or juncture would be necessary in order to improve and advance.


    There were no shortcuts to cultivations. If there was once, it would be a steep and arduous one.


    As his lecture was about to reach the climax, the flying serpent and another person arrived in the clouds. It was the middle-aged man outside the mountain, who happened to be Qi Sanguang, the temple attendant of the Goddess of Grains Temple. He was descendent of Qi Sanwen, and his relations to Qing Xuan was actually quite deep.


    Qi Sanguang followed Jing Qing to the Taiyi Peak and all he saw was scattered haze and natural lights instead of a golden palace and jade ladders.


    He recognized Shen Lian who was sitting on a floating green lotus while preaching on resonance. Although he was not able to make sense of a single world, Qi Sanguang was respectful. He traveled the mountains and seas to come to Qing Xuan to for immortality.


    It had been a long journey and he went through countless challenges. There was no harm in waiting for a while more and that was why he sat down quietly and listened to the resonance.

 Chapter 296 Assign the Dragon to Regulate and Control Water, Qi Penetrates Through Yin and Yang

    Shen Lian noticed Qi Sanguang''s arrival but he did not stop talking. He continued speaking for almost half of a day.


    In the beginning, although Qi Sanguang could not understand, he was still able to absorb everything because they sounded pleasant to his ears. Later, he felt so dizzy and every single word was like the cotton being stuffed into his ears. He was stupefied. He felt that he was floating in the air, unsure of what was going on.


    Until the moment that Shen Lian''s resonance stopped, Qi Sanguang instantly felt that he woke up from his dream. The moment he looked at his surrounding, the celestial Daoists already vanished from sight. All he saw was the bright moon-like water fell on Shen Lian''s body and the blowing wind like the waves swaying his Daoist robe.


    Qi Sanguang bowed his head to the ground, saying "Disciple Qi Sanguang is here to greet Celestial Teacher Shen."


    However, before his head touched the ground, there was an invisible force that stopped him and he failed to bow.


    He was aware that Shen Lian had extraordinary power and he was close to being a celestial. Thus, he was not taken aback and allowed the force to help him up.


    Shen Lian mentioned, "It has been a really far journey and yet you could be here, it already shows your sincerity. If you want to learn some supernatural power, you can stay here to cultivate for three years and later on you can go back to the earth to live your leisure and unconstrained life. I would not restrict you from passing the skills you have learned here to your descendants."


    Qi Sanguang uttered, "Through these few years, I have already experienced everything on earth. I no longer have the desire to look back on it. I just hope to pursue Dao to attain immortality."


    "If you want to learn the ways to achieve immortality, it is too late. When you cultivate it would be less effective and in the future, you may have to face the ending of your old and lonely death on the mountain. You better think about it again," Shen Lian said.


    "Disciple would still like to give it a try," Qi Sanguang looked up at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian grinned, "Pursuing Dao is not only difficult, but you still have to bear the loneliness. Whether you can take it or not, it still depends on yourself."


    Before Qi Sanguang managed to respond, Shen Lian pointed his finger towards Qi Sanguang, immediately beneath his feet there was a rising cloud. In a flash, he went through the clouds to reach the peak of a mountain. On top of the mountain was a sea of bamboos, the mountain stretched out and it was immense and way better than all the famous mountains and great rivers on earth.


    He soon reached a small courtyard whereby the door opened up itself without any help from the wind. It could be heard that there was somebody speaking inside, "What is the matter for your late night visit, Headmaster?"


    Qi Sanguang followed Shen Lian and entered the courtyard together. Upon entering, there was a young scholar sitting in the hall and he was holding a book. When he saw Shen Lian, he left the book on the table and approached him.


    Shen Lian mentioned, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Lu, this person is here to pursue Dao, I would like to entrust him to you."


    The scholar was, of course, Lu Shouyi. He encountered a strange incident which made him improve significantly and he entered the path of Dao and Huandan. He was already considered as someone who was super capable and skilled in Qing Xuan. The reason why he would come to Qingliang Peak which was located beside the Sea of Bamboos was that he preferred peace and quiet. Thus, he found an empty area and set up a Daoist courtyard for the purpose of daily self-cultivation.


    He took a glance at Qi Sanguang. With his current ability, a glance was sufficient for him to tell Qi Sanguang''s foundation level. He smiled and said "Since he is Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen''s descendant, there is no harm accepting him. But I am not as capable as you, Headmaster, in teaching Daoism and clearing doubts."


    Shen Lian said, "I take him here to you is not to learn anything about Daoism, but to study with you."


    Lu Shouyi smiled, "It is true that Headmaster is not as competent as me in teaching people in studies."


    Then he asked Qi Sanguang, "You are already at an old age, are you still willing to learn?"


    Qi Sanguang asked Shen Lian, "Celestial Teacher Shen, is studying relevant to pursuing Daoism? I have not really studied before."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Studying helps you to gain knowledge, whether it helps in cultivating, it is hard to say. Aren''t you willing to study with my Junior Apprentice-Brother?"


    Qi Sanguang said, "It''s not that disciple is unwilling to learn, but I have come a hundred miles to escape from life and death, to pursue Daoism, to attain immortality."


    Shen Lian said, "Then you follow by my Junior Apprentice-Brother''s side to study for a period of time first. If you are able to master your studies, then I will teach you the entry level of Dao formula, what do you think?"


    Qi Sanguang said, "Disciple obeys."


    Shen Lian said, "So this is it. Junior Brother Lu, since tonight''s moon, is looking fine, you and I shall go for one round. Whereas for Sanguang, you head to the bamboo forest beside to chop some of the bamboos back to replace for firewood burning to keep us warm."


    Qi Sanguang thought to himself, "How am I going to make a fire using the chopped bamboos? Moreover, the two of you should already have resistance towards the heat and cold long ago isn''t it?"


    He wanted to ask, but he changed his mind and thought that this could be a test for him.


    Thus, he took a bow and headed towards the bamboo forest.


    Lu Shuoyi frowned and said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, the bamboo in this Qingliang Peak is almost as tough as the high-quality iron. Although he has learned some Qigong practices, I''m afraid that he will not have the strength to chop it off."


    Shen Lian said, "Today he has listened to me speaking Dao, there is still some Dao will remaining in his entire body. This is the chance for him to vent it out. Or else with his half-aged body and elementary cultivation experience, he can only do so much."


    Lu Shouyi said, "I see. I did not expect Headmaster to bring Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen''s descendent back here. If he knows this from the netherworld, he would be relieved."


    "When we enter the school, the lower house was only left with Sanwen, Bugui, Senior Apprentice-Sister, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen. Now the three of them already enter the path of Dao and Huandan, except Senior Apprentice-Brother Sanwen who already stopped practicing Dao long ago. This shows that nothing is perfect, but after all, he had contributed quite a lot to the celestial school. At least now that his descendant has a good temperament, the celestial school should do something for him. Thus, we can repay him through his descendant," Shen Lian said in a carefree tone.


    Lu Shouyi sighed, "I''m afraid that all these issues on celestial school are restricting you, Headmaster."


    Shen Lian said, "Or you can be the Headmaster."


    Lu Shouyi''s sigh turned out to get a shocking reply from Shen Lian. It instantly made him speechless and did not know how to respond. Finally, he said, "Shen Lian, you are joking again."


    This had made him use the address which they used to call each other in the past. He no longer addressed Shen Lian as the Chief.


    Although it was slightly impolite, both of them looked at each other and smiled. It felt like the time back when they first entered the mountain gate.


    Shen Lian said, "I''m not joking actually."


    Lu Shouyi said, "If it''s back in the times when Qing Xuan was still powerful and prosperous, I could be the Chief. But now the situation in the cultivation community is chaotic, you''re the only one that can keep Qing Xuan''s thousands of years of foundation."


    "What you said is right. I''m not going to demise the position to you now. It''s just that if one day the right timing is here, you have to be mentally prepared. I will be passing this heavy responsibility to you," Shen Lian mentioned.


    Lu Shouyi said in a serious manner, "From the first day I know you, I already realize that it''s almost impossible for you to be restricted by anything. But after all you''re a person that prioritizes relationships a lot, thus you were willing to take over Qing Xuan despite such hard times. If this day comes, I would help you to protect Qing Xuan."


    Shen Lian sighed softly, "Shouyi, you''re a real gentleman."


    He waved his hand, then a chessboard and chess pieces appeared. The two of them stopped talking and each one took the white and black chess respectively and started playing.


    When Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi were playing chess, at Mount Taicang in Guangqing Celestial School, there were also two people playing chess.


    One was dressed in Daoist robe, and that was Huanzhen.


    Another person was dressed in white, like snow, he was filled with the aggressive and powerful aura. Even when he was playing chess, his magnificent murder intention could not be hidden.


    He held the white chess piece, hesitating to place it and finally, he mentioned, "Powerful first move, victorious strike only after enemies have struck; assign the dragons to regulate and control water, Qi penetrates through Yin and Yang. Mubai is unable to catch up to your skill level, Senior Apprentice-Brother."

 Chapter 297 The Ranked Celestials

    The moonlight was bright and clear, and the two persons were playing chess at a mid-hill pavilion. Upon looking up, there was a partly visible heavenly palace.


    Huanzhen waved his top sleeve, swept off the chess game, smiled faintly and said, "Brother I, am considered as nothing. Junior Apprentice-Brother Mubai eliminated Bai Suhuan using only the slightest force. This is the incredible means of hearing shocking thunder at a completely silent place."


    The man who was dressed in white that played chess with Huanzhen was Huanzhen''s Junior Apprentice-Brother, Chen Mubai. They even had blood relation but it was just that they belonged to different sects. But the fact that both of them could get into Powang together was already considered extraordinary to the world.


    Chen Mubai looked at Huanzhen''s direction, slowly said, "Unfortunately even if Bai Suhuan is gone, compared to years ago, Qing Xuan''s power is still unabated but continued to strengthen instead."


    He recalled the other day after Shen Lian caught Bai Suhuan, he was hiding secretly at one side. When he being stared at by the pair of eyes which were as clear as the clean water, he instantly felt that he was being read in and out completely, and that made him feel that chill was running down his spine.


    If it was not because he was very decisive, he might have to lose some things on that day in order for him to return.


    This has made him realize clearly that this young Qing Xuan Headmaster was already way ahead of them on the way of cultivation.


    Huanzhen looked at the partly visible heavenly palace located at the peak of Mount Taicang and said, "There is no harm. Even if Shen Lian can become an immortal Zhenren, there will still be an irreparable disaster that is going to happen to Qing Xuan."


    Chen Mubai looked stunned. He could not understand why Huanzhen would make such a statement, could it be possible that there was something he did not know? He said, "Why do you say so, Senior Apprentice-Brother?"


    Huanzhen said, "It is not time to tell you yet. I think Honoured Master''s Lingxiao Palace is going to become a magic talisman already."


    Chen Mubai also gazed at the colossal heavenly palace, majestic and grand. Under the moonlight, it could be vaguely seen that there was a purple Qi surrounding it, similar to a real dragon, as if its scales and claws could be seen. He could not help but said, "Even if it is so, I''m afraid that I have waited for my entire life, hoping to see that Heaven Courtyard could reappear again. From then on, the celestials become immortal and there will be no more disaster."


    Huanzhen held Chen Mubai''s hand, speaking in a low tone, "There will be this one day."


    Shen Lian lived alone at the highest point on Zifu Peak. Among the five peaks in Qing Xuan, Zifu Peak ranked second highest after Taiyi. Nonetheless, at this peak, not only one could see the rest of the four peaks, but one could also clearly see the quietly flowing river below.


    The clouds were surrounded by smoke and when sunlight arrived, it would turn to be all kinds of purple Qi which were dense and rising, just as the situation when Daoism Qi cultivators concentrated practicing at Zifu. This was where the name of Zifu Peak came from when ''Zi'' means purple.


    Yan Bugui walked up step by step from the bottom of the hill along the small path. This was because Zifu Peak was not only the second Fortune Land with the richest Qi of vitality among the five peaks in Qing Xuan, there were also a lot of Daoist courtyards built there. Although most of the Daoist courtyards were empty, some of them used to be the residences of immortal Zhenren who had spent the majority of their lives there.


    Although they were gone, the buildings still remained. The later generations must still show respect.


    Moreover, Qing Xuan''s Taiwei Pavilion which stored inherited ancient books and records was also located at this peak.


    The moment when he saw Headmaster at the peak, he instantly felt sentimental. Was this place real or not? Was Shen Lian real or not? These thoughts had suddenly stirred up his emotions.


    Shen Lian stood at the peak where many former elder teachers used to stand on. Beneath his feet was a bulged green rock which had been exposed to thousands of years of the Qi of heaven and earth, the essence of sun and the moon. Hence, there was plenty of lingzhi that grew near the rock. The rock itself also had some holes. They were interconnected and they communicated Qi of vitality, as though they were taking in and out the essence of sun and the moon.


    When Yan Bugui paid all his attention to the rock, it seemed like he heard the rock''s breathing. However, Shen Lian was not in his sight anymore. It seemed like the most outstanding and capable Qing Xuan Headmaster in history already broke away from the human earth and reached the state that all of them had always wanted to be at since they entered the path of Daoism and cultivated, which was the state of Celestials and Buddha. Whereas for this holy rock, there were some remains of Shen Lian''s traces of life. Due to good fortune, there will be a miracle in life.


    Suddenly he felt that this Headmaster was no longer the youngster that he used to drink together within the bamboo forest. In the outside world, the mountains and rivers were always changing. In the cultivation community, everyone was fighting against each other. Qing Xuan''s centuries of rise and fall, how did these have something to do with him?


    Even though Shen Lian was responsible for their destinies, and even Qing Xuan orthodoxy''s continuing existence and destinies of countless cultivators relevant to Qing Xuan, were all these just an illusion to Shen Lian? When Shen Lian made up his mind to eliminate this illusion, would he cut ties with all these too?


    Yan Bugui felt that he would rather be drunk for ten days and ten nights than to explore this question.


    Shen Lian suddenly turned around, and at this moment everything became so real.


    Then he smiled. Although his charm was so extraordinary, it still made Yan Bugui feel that Shen Lian was alive all over again and he felt relieved.


    He was so afraid that this Headmaster would suddenly be like Buddha and Daoist Master, to come to his realization and from then on ignored all worldly affairs. If that was to happen, it would disappoint so many people and it would also make this precarious cultivation community to generate even greater obstacles.


    Deep in Yan Bugui''s heart still contained bravery and boldness. This period of time when he was guarding the Temple of Longevity, he realized how Qing Xuan''s destiny would affect many people. Down the years, there were too many cultivators in Yuan Continent and the sea regions surrounding Qing Xuan that were closely related to Qing Xuan. Once Qing Xuan collapsed, all these people would be like the duckweeds in the rain.


    When Shen Lian saw Yan Bugui, he looked pleased and said, "Bugui, you''re here." Just now his mind and spirit were wandering and a little good fortune had infected the holy rock under his feet. There were no thoughts and no consciousness, and hence he was not aware of Yan Bugui''s arrival.


    Yan Bugui picked up the pieces and spoke politely, "Headmaster, I have already contacted every sea region cultivator that is relevant to Qing Xuan, but nobody has seen Grand Ancestor Master and Ruoxi."


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "I can''t even figure out Grand Ancestor Master''s location with my current Shushu calculation, it''s expected that you guys couldn''t manage to discover him."


    Yan Bugui said, "There were only so little people in this world who could cause Grand Ancestor Master any trouble. He would be safe since Ruoxi is with him now. Headmaster shouldn''t have to worry about it."


    Shen Lian slightly frowned and said, "I''m not worried about Ruoxi, but I have a bad feeling regarding Grand Ancestor Master."


    Yan Bugui was shocked and asked, "What could have possibly happened to him?"


    Shen Lian spoke, "It was not unlike today that I understand eliminating this illusion doesn''t mean that you get to enjoy peace and happiness for the rest of your life. This is why there were so many immortal Zhenrens who still couldn''t stop looking for their ways out. They tried to transcend beyond the mortal world to escape from disasters. Grand Ancestor Master has advanced skills and good fortune, so he could delay the heaven and earth trial of Dao for a very long time. However, in actual fact, he has not been able to pull through the trial of Dao that was imposed on him. Then he suddenly took Ruoxi out and left the mountain gate. Perhaps he''s already at the end of his life and so he decided to get out there for a walk."

 Chapter 298 Qi of Sky Demon

    Old Daoist was Qing Xuan''s biggest support. Whether one wanted to admit it or not, at least when Fairy Ziling had not yet fully recovered, and when Shen Lian had not attained Dao and immortality, he played an important role.


    Of course, the majority of Qing Xuan disciples did not know about this and they were not really clear about who the old Daoist in Taiwei Pavilion was.


    Yan Bugui was not one of the majority of the disciples. In Shen Lian''s generation of Qing Xuan, Yan Bugui was already considered as one of the seniors.


    He chuckled forcefully and said, "How is it possible. When I entered the school, Grand Ancestor Master has no difference compared to now. Since he''d survived through so many years, I think there shouldn''t be any problem."


    Although Yan Bugui responded with this, he was unsure about it. Then it was accompanied by a long silence.


    He also kept quiet, the clock slowly ticked away. In fact, the night fell quickly.


    When Yan Bugui came back to himself and realized that Shen Lian was already sitting on the rock that was about to turn into a creature, he laughed with disbelief. Shen Lian''s spiritual influence could actually make him inattentive for so long. Although it could be that he never tried to take any precaution, it still feared him on the inside.


    At the same time, he was relieved because Shen Lian''s scariness and power were exactly what Qing Xuan needed at this moment.


    He walked to the front towards Shen Lian. He started to feel more relaxed and so he sat by Shen Lian''s side.


    He realized that Shen Lian was looking at the stars in the sky. Right now Taiwei, and Ziwei were especially dazzling.


    Yan Bugui felt like drinking, thus he took out his liquor-filled Chinese gourd and passed to Shen Lian first. Shen Lian took the liquor over and suddenly said, "Do you know that the stars in the sky look like they are very close to each other but in actual fact the distance between any two stars, even with our cultivation experience, it would probably take hundreds of years for us to travel from this star to another star."


    Yan Bugui said, "How does Headmaster know about this? Could it be that you have read it from any remaining Daoist scriptures?"


    Shen Lian smiled and responded, "I saw it from a high school textbook."


    Yan Bugui was shocked and said, "What kind of ancient text is a high school textbook?" All along he seldom read, he even disliked going to Taiwei Pavilion. Thus he only had limited knowledge. But a high school textbook, it was the first time he had heard of such a term.


    Shen Lian said, "It is not an ancient text, it is just a book that I have read before in the past. Actually, I have always been thinking, if there is this one day when I finally have enough cultivation experience, I would definitely try to fly up to the Nine Heaven above, sail across the sky of stars and take a good look at it."


    Yan Bugui murmured, "I''m afraid that Headmaster can only do it when you have transcended beyond the mortal world. Hopefully, by then, I am able to see it."


    Upon completing his sentence, he saw a sword gleam suddenly come piercing towards him. Words could not describe the sword gleam''s radiance. It was so majestic and powerful that it stimulated the path between heaven and earth and aroused spirit''s astonishment.


    At that instant, there was definitely nobody who could avoid the sword. When it came close, the tip of the sword tossed and a shadow appeared in the virtual space that was cruelly pierced through by the tip of the sword.


    The shadow shattered into pieces and left no traces behind as though it did not appear before.


    Yan Bugui noticed Shen Lian picked up the liquor-filled Chinese gourd and gobbled down the liquor. His Daoist robe could not contain his boldness and at the same time there was a wooden sword beside him that was in with greenish yellow jade color. Just now the sword gleam was also exhibited by the sword.


    Moments later, Shen Lian returned the liquor-filled Chinese gourd to Yan Bugui and sighed softly, "Have you seen the shadow just now?"


    Yan Bugui murmured, "Come and go without a trace, that should be the Sky Demon."


    Shen Lian said, "You''re right."


    "Where did this Sky Demon come from? Could it be Yanxu, who secretly came back?" Yan Bugui spoked with slight fear. Although he did not confront Yanxu before, his Master, the Drunken Daoist had fought with Yanxu once. He still remembered the Drunken Daoist told him before about Yanxu and he actually looked frightened. That was the first time he saw that his Master, the Drunken Daoist was not behaving himself well.


    Shen Lian shook his head and said, "It is not. Zifu Peak always has the existence of Qi of Sky Demon, just that it was almost negligible. But now I am about to enter into Powang and bier is concealed, hence the deluded thoughts in me were influenced by the Qi of Sky Demon and turn into Sky Demon."


    Yan Bugui replied with shock, "How does Zifu Peak even have Qi of Sky Demon?"


    In Yan Bugui''s perspective, even if Qi of Sky Demon appeared in Taiyi Peak, it would be more reasonable than it appearing in Zifu Peak. This was because the inherited ancient books and records in Taiwei Pavilion had Qing Xuan''s fate protection. Moreover, there were too many immortal Zhenrens who used to live on this peak, their spirits should still be present. On top of it, there was also Qing Xuan''s Daoist Masters'' traces of rhythms. This was definitely a natural exorcism place. Not forgetting to mention that the old Daoist had spent such a long period of his life in Taiwei Pavilion.


    Shen Lian said, "This is also one of the reasons why I keep staying in Zifu Peak these few days. If it is not because I coincidentally am at the stage of breaking through Powang, it would be difficult to notice this even if I have become immortal."


    As his bier''s nature was concealed, thus the deluded thoughts would sometimes naturally be revealed. Moreover, his deluded thoughts about getting closer to breaking away from whims cultivating level, caused the Qi of Sky Demon to act like the flies that smelled cracked eggs. No matter how deeply it was hidden, it would be lured.


    It also was not the first time Shen Lian exterminated Sky Demon''s virtual shadow anymore. However, he still couldn''t find out where this Qi of Sky Demon that appeared was hiding in Zifu Peak.


    Yan Bugui said, "This issue has to be made clear. But hasn''t Grand Ancestor Master realized there was something wrong about this previously?"


    Since Shen Lian already discovered, this meant that he was better than the old Daoist who was a typical immortal Zhenren. Even if there was no such coincidence like what Shen Lian encountered, the old Daoist had been living in Taiwei Pavilion for so long. It was impossible that he discovered nothing about this.


    Shen Lian was silent for a while, then he looked at the sky and sighed softly, "I keep thinking, at that time he was weak and powerless, where did he get the Free Form Incarnation from? And how did he manage to secretly practice this evil art in Qing Xuan then only to be discovered by my Master, Zhenren Biyun, when he almost completely succeeded?"


    "Impossible, definitely impossible," Yan Bugui spoke with fear. If this did not come from Shen Lien, he would think the person who mentioned it was out of his mind.


    Then he forced a smile and said, "Why do you tell me all these, Headmaster? Junior Apprentice-Sister Gu was closer to you and Junior Apprentice-Brother Lu had a better fellowship with you, why do you tell me about these?"


    Shen Lian smiled faintly and responded, "Last time you used to be very brave when you were an outlaw. Why have you become timid now?"


    Upon hearing what Shen Lian said, Yan Bugui did not know how to respond and decided to take a sip of liquor.


    "Some things have to be said. Moreover, I am only making a guess, I''m not making an accusation that he was the person behind this. It''s just that whether Qi of Sky Demon has anything to do with him, I didn''t tell Senior Apprentice-Sister because I''m afraid that she would feel lost. I didn''t tell Shouyi because he''s a person filled with extreme justice. This conversation shall be treated as just a joke between us. Tonight there''s liquor, stars and moon, you and I shouldn''t disappoint such a good scenery and liquor," Shen Lian spoke without many expressions.


    Accompanying Shen Lian to drink the whole night, Yan Bugui realized that his hidden good quality liquor was all gone. His heart ached so badly. He left the hill at dawn. He would not want to meet Shen Lian anymore. At the same time, he went straight to his master, the drunk Daoist''s abode of immortals after he left the hill. If his master was not around, he would go to Drunken Daoist''s wine pool to steal some liquor.

 Chapter 299 The City of Vain Deaths

    Yan Bugui left but Shen Lian continued to stay at the top of Zifu Peak.


    He sat there cross-legged, purple Qi was billowing in the sea of clouds, looking super lonely.


    In between, Gu Caiwei came once and left shortly because Shen Lian looked well. Of course, the last time Gu Caiwei met Shen Lian was already one month ago. If she saw Shen Lian again at that moment, she must have thought that Shen Lian indeed was doing very well, perhaps maybe too well.


    Shen Lian looked clean and bright from his head to toes, just like the wax sculptures created by the artists in the mortal world. Although he still looked the same as before, his body was translucent and crystal clear, it was almost impossible to find any dust on him.


    His charisma was so miraculous, like the Nine Heavens'' celestials, transcended beyond the human world.


    But if anyone looked into Shen Lian''s eyes, they could be shocked because this pair of eyes had no glow and they looked hollow.


    These were not human being''s eyes, and it definitely was not any celestial''s eyes.


    This Shen Lian looked as though he was just a body that had lost its soul.


    His soul was really not within his body. His spirit has traveled to a place that was out of his expectation; the Taiwei Pavilion.


    Due to Taiwei Pavilion''s specialty, it could allow Qi of Sky Demon to hide within and nobody could discover. It could even integrate with Taiwei Pavilion as one, to convert evil Qi to Qi of Dao.


    Shen Lian''s physical body was still on top of Zifu Peak, together with the boulder which he was sitting on, breathing and receiving the essence of heaven and earth at the same time. The surroundings were filled with orchids. Occasionally, when a dew fell on the boulder, it would be infected by Shen Lian''s good fortune and that a strong spirituality would emerge.


    This kind of strength seemed insignificant at first but after years and years, this spirituality could grow so strong that it could make the boulder turn into a creature.


    Shen Lian did not bother about all these, his spirit traveled to a strange place.


    In the Boundless Universe, there were actually a lot of spaces hidden that human bodies could not enter. Even the spiritual consciousness could not even find this kind of space, but they actually exist.


    It was just like when one was dreaming, sometimes one would dream that one went to an unfamiliar place but everything that happened seemed so real. When one woke up, it was difficult to find any trace of that place in reality.


    Perhaps that place really existed, but in reality, one could never get in there.


    Shen Lian''s spirit was tracking down for evil Qi and it reached Taiwei Pavilion. However, in an instant, he came to a peculiar place. Right in front was a fortification, and on top of the city gate were five words - The City of Vain Deaths.


    The City of Vain Deaths. It literally meant the residence of those that died in vain. The meaning of dying in vain was not dying of old age but due to suicide, disasters, wars, accidents, murder or being murdered. Those who died being wronged were known as dying in vain.


    Shen Lian even knew that places like The City of Vain Deaths definitely did not only exist in Nine Underworlds, the Netherworlds. There was once an almighty from a Buddhist sect who sympathized with those living creatures who died in vain and so he opened up an independent space to serve as shelter for these living creatures'' souls, also known as The City of Vain Deaths.


    The City of Vain Deaths could not accommodate living creatures. Some immortal Zhenrens who had special martial exercises could also create such a space. This was a place that a living person could not enter but only the dead.


    Shen Lian was a living person, but then he was a spirit, a spirit that was tracking down the source of evil Qi.


    This City of Vain Deaths could even be considered still inside Taiwei Pavilion. The only thing about this place was that this space was special and thus it was difficult to be discovered.


    There, it did not have spiritual force, there was nothing at all.


    Shen Lian stepped into The City of Vain Deaths. His speed was so fast that he entered into the city in a split second.


    But he was not curious about why he could be so fast because he was as if a mere thought.


    In the City of Vain Deaths, there were a lot of shops and stalls. There were also a lot of hawkers. There was a river that looked similar to River of Spirits that cut through the city center. What made it different was that both sides of the river were residences.


    There were also livestocks such as cows, mules, donkeys, cars, sedan chairs, boats of various sizes, houses, bridges, towers, and buildings.


    Everything here looked almost the same as the prosperous cities in the mortal world.


    Shen Lian enjoyed his leisure walk. He was more like a mister that was strolling around aimlessly.


    He felt that he should get a folding fan and right at this moment, there was really a stall selling folding fan that appeared right in front of him.


    He seemed to forget about the strangeness of this city, that this was the City of Vain Deaths.


    Shen Lian came to the stall and started choosing a folding fan from the folding fans there. He casually took a folding fan and asked the hawker, "How much does this fan cost?"


    The hawker said, "Two dollars."


    Shen Lian took another folding fan and asked, "How much is this folding fan?"


    The hawker said again, "Two dollars."


    The second folding fan''s craftsmanship and the fan''s surface were obviously way more delicate yet the hawker only responded with the same answer, which was two dollars.


    Only when Shen Lian asked him questions like how much the folding fan cost, he would respond and the answer would never change.


    He experimented with a lot of hawkers or even pedestrians. Majority of them could only speak one or two same sentences. There were even some who could not even speak. There was a similar characteristic of them, they were dead.


    Just like the trees and rocks, they had no emotions, no self-consciousness, not even living creatures'' vital force.


    Everyone in this City of Vain Deaths all had the same look.


    Shen Lian did not find the Qi of Sky Demon on them. To be precise, they could not even be considered as ghosts because ghosts had some self-consciousness. Some ghosts even had their independent self-consciousness so they were almost same as a living person.


    All of them had lost the most important thing as living creatures, that was self-divine aura.


    Every living creature had self-divine aura which was an evidence of self-existence.


    Shen Lian went to each and every corner of The City of Vain Deaths. In the end, he realized that all the people and animals lost their self-divine aura.


    There was still one more place that he did not manage to go because this place appeared suddenly.


    It was a Daoist temple. When Shen Lian entered the temple, he realized that everything seemed familiar to him because all the decorations in the temple were identical to the Hall of the Grandmasters on Zifu Peak in Taixu Mountain. He saw the Grandmaster''s portrait again, that lonely but worry-free reflection.


    Right beside Grandmaster''s portrait, there was another portrait which was a woman, or more like a female Daoist.


    She was exceptionally graceful, just like the soft blue clouds.


    He had seen this female Daoist before. She looked just like Fairy Ziling''s disciple who also was Shen Lian''s Master whom he had never met before.


    He could still recall the last time when Gu Caiwei took out the portrait of Zhenren Biyun.


    He also heard that Fairy Ziling thought highly of Zhenren Biyun.


    This needed no explanation because Fairy Ziling had spent more than ten years in hunting for Yanxu and did not allow him to slack for even one moment.


    That could be Yanxu''s most embarrassing moment in life.


    Perhaps if Zhenren Biyun did not die and became an immortal Zhenren, Qing Xuan would not face a downfall.


    When Shen Lian was drowned in this memory, a sword aura appeared in silence.


    He was so familiar with this sword aura, which was Chen Jianmei cultivation of Shapeless Sword Incantation. The person who unleashed this sword aura had swordcraft that was near perfection. It was difficult to imagine that besides Chen Jianmei, there was somebody else that could have such great attainment in Shapeless Sword Incantation.


    However, this person''s attainment still had a distance that was almost impossible to exceed Chen Jianmei''s.


    When the sword aura was about to touch Shen Lian''s body, he slightly opened up his mouth and there was a powerful suction that swallowed the shapeless sword forcefully. He also saw a middle-aged Daoist who was holding a sword that came thrusting from the sky.

 Chapter 300 The Taiwei on Taiwei’s Pavilion

    Shen Lian opened his mouth and spit, an even stronger sword aura came out right from his mouth.


    The main hall was shaking and there came a sound as loud as the firecrackers. The middle-aged Daoist''s body seemed to be filled with air and it was expanding rapidly. In the end, it exploded in the mid-air and disappeared.


    The Daoist robe shattered into uncountable pieces of cloths that fell to the ground. Every piece of cloth turned into a person.


    These people consisted of both males and females. In an instant, various types of occult techniques came attacking him. All of them were Qing Xuan''s Dao technique which Shen Lian was already very familiar with. Also, looking at the way they performed their Dao technique, they actually reached a profound level of skills.


    He seemed like a man who was fighting alone in some era, like the elite disciples in Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian was roaming around the courtyard, crossing through these occult techniques and none of them even touched his body.


    Though he was just a spirit, he could still perform various Dao techniques to counter every single Dao technique that attacked him. He could catch their weaknesses and killed them with one attack.


    He broke every spell with no mercy. Everyone was easily killed by him.


    These people were no different from the hawkers, pedestrians, wealthy merchants and scholars in the city. All of them had lost themselves. They were only left with their physical bodies which were just shells.


    When all the spells and the figures were eliminated by Shen Lian, the main hall became extremely quiet.


    It was so quiet that as if there would not be any sound anymore.


    You could still take the silence and emptiness for a short while but the longer the time had passed, the eternal loneliness would slowly engulf a perfect heart of Dao bit by bit.


    Shen Lian heard the sound of water dripping.


    "Di da, di da."


    He saw that there was blood dripping down from the cornice outside of the pavilion and fell on the stone steps. The blood looked so bright and fresh.


    He could smell the scent of blood, then he saw there was a heavy downpour of blood rain outside of the pavilion. The blood water was rumbling outside the pavilion and it was ponding up. It was not as dense but it was flowing in swish.


    He did not realize when and how he was lying on a bed.


    Technically it was not a bed but a jade. Inside the jade was a slightly warm current which flowed into his body. This heat was streaming through his entire body.


    A cold and soft hand touched his forehead. When Shen Lian opened his eyes, he saw a slim and graceful young lady who had bright eyes filled with everlasting tenderness.


    There was a girl who looked pretty and had a delicate appearance.


    This description was probably just right for the young lady.


    Although his eyesight was slightly blurred, his heart was like a clean mirror. This young lady looked just like Gu Caiwei.


    When she saw Shen Lian open his eyes, she felt a little relieved and said, "Shen Lian, quick, get up, today is the day you will be apprenticed. From today onwards you will be my Junior Apprentice-Brother."


    Shen Lian looked into the mirror and noticed that the person inside the mirror was only about ten years old and he looked thin and still short. However, he was still good-looking and the young lady was standing behind managing his hair.


    Then, she got him a slightly oversized Daoist robe.


    He was led by the young lady who looked just like Gu Caiwei to come to the Hall of the Grandmasters. He saw a woman who looked almost identical to Biyun sitting in the hall. The portrait of Biyun at the side was empty, it seemed like this Biyun came out from the portrait.


    After running through the procedures for apprentice tea ceremony, he should bow down with his hands folded to show gratitude towards the master.


    But Shen Lian remained standing and did not bow down.


    "Junior Apprentice-Brother, why haven''t you bow down to your master?"


    "Junior Apprentice-Brother, why haven''t you bow down to your master?"


    "Junior Apprentice-Brother, why haven''t you bow down to your master?"


    Even this young lady''s voice was ninety percent similar to Gu Caiwei''s. It seemed like this was really who Gu Caiwei was when she was still young.


    Shen Lian clasped his hands behind his back and stood there staring at this Zhenren Biyun right in front of him. This was the dead master he had not met before.


    The sound of water dripping outside started again. It was still blood beads, it was still blood water, that was about to come flooding into the pavilion.


    The fantasy state right in front of Shen Lian''s eyes changed again. Gu Caiwei disappeared, the apprentice tea ceremony disappeared, Biyun who was sitting in the hall also disappeared. Just like before, it seemed like he did not leave this pavilion before.


    But one thing he realized was that the Zhenren Biyun''s portrait was already gone and he did not know when it happened.


    In the blood rain, in the blood water ponding outside of the pavilion, there was a woman who walked under the blood rain while holding an oil-paper umbrella that came in.


    Two of them were looking at each other at the same moment and they could not stop staring at each other.


    Shen Lian locked his gaze on this woman whose appearance was exactly the same as Zhenren Biyun and he asked, "Who are you?"


    The woman responded, "I am your master, Biyun."


    "You''re not," Shen Lian answered softly.


    "I am her, but I am already dead. You have to take revenge for me, kill Yanxu."


    "You are Sky Demon," Shen Lian ignore what she said.


    "You are right, I am the Sky Demon but I am also Biyun. Are you going to deceive and slaughter your mentor? Although I taught you nothing before, nominally I am still your master," the woman said.


    Shen Lian said, "You only have her memories. All the dead people''s regrets in this fortification were already engulfed by you. Even my former Qing Xuan elder teachers'' regrets were also engulfed by you."


    "You are very smart, and you are also very knowledgeable. I knew I won''t be able to hide from you. But since you''ve come here, don''t even think that you can leave," the woman looked at Shen Lian as though she saw her prey.


    Shen Lian could clearly feel that she had a very strong desire for him. That desire was just like suddenly presenting a delicacy to someone who had not eaten for ages.


    She could still manage to control herself and that was already something difficult to do.


    Because of this powerful Sky Demon, Shen Lian clearly knew that was why his divine aura was still perfect.


    Since she was born, she had never seen such a pure divine aura.


    "You''re wrong. I will leave as I wish," Shen Lian clasped his hands behind his back and stood up.


    The woman smiled sarcastically and did not believe him, she said, "Try to walk out here, then."


    Shen Lian said, "Goodbye it is."


    His body suddenly lighted up. It was so pure and bright and that was his self-divine aura.


    When this ray of light lighted up, there was a crack in the void which engulfed Shen Lian and he really left the scene just like this.


    In Taiwei Pavilion, countless light spots came and gathered together.


    A woman suddenly appeared and took a deep breath. That was how freedom tasted like.


    As a Sky Demon, if you lost your freedom, you basically had nothing.


    Luckily she still managed to find her freedom. Shen Lian was very smart but he did not understand that if he could get out, she could also get the crack to come out.


    She had been missing the days she used to spend outside. She wanted to engulf more thoughts so that she could be the Master of Sky Demon.


    Prompted by this feeling of pleased, she walked towards the entrance of Taiwei Pavilion and was about to walk out of it.


    But suddenly she felt her heart throbbing. There was something hanging at the entrance. It was three feet long and it looked like a purplish jade colored iron just like the green stone which was bright and nicely carved.


    There was still two words carved on it, "Tai Wei".


    Shen Lian was standing right outside the door, looking at her coldly, drawing the demon out of its hole.


    He was holding a mallet and he slightly knocked it against Tai Wei and there was a clear and loud sound being produced in between the heaven and earth.


    The lady felt extra suffocated in this loud sound and thus she held her head.

 Chapter 301 A Page of Scripture

    Demons were demons because of their inherently many and messy thoughts.


    A cultivator once said that all sentient beings were demons.


    As all sentient beings had these inherently messy thoughts which were hard to manage, all sentient beings were bound to these thoughts and would never be free.


    Demons did not need to be set free. The world was the joyful land on the other side despite it being full of sufferings.


    With Shen Lian''s methods, it was not difficult to overcome the Sky Demon who once swallowed all former elder teachers in Qing Xuan, including his master, Biyun who he had no chance to ever meet. It would be difficult to be able to catch her.


    It was because her existence was seemingly uncertain. She could go through the void of the boundless universe and had no fundamentals. She was a collection of thoughts and hence could not be harmed or eliminated by any techniques.


    Shen Lian once found out that Tai Wei, an instrument while not having special powers, could calm the soul.


    It could calm the soul, and also the thoughts.


    There were a lot of instruments in the world which shared the same function, but Tai Wei was fundamentally different.


    It used to be something a Daoist Master carried. While it had never undergone ceremonial cultivating, it had listened to lectures that could even make someone who was as stubborn as a rock to comply. It followed the Daoist Master for a long period of time.


    Under the influence of the Daoist Master, even though it was just an instrument, the pounding sound it made could even influence the master of Sky Demon, not to mention that this Sky Demon had not reached the state of celestials and Buddha.


    When he found Tai Wei, it was already too late. While he went through the memories of many people in Qing Xuan, nobody had any knowledge about Tai Wei.


    Even within Qing Xuan when it was still around, not a lot of people knew about it. When it was lost, nobody had any idea anymore.


    When Kuhui passed it to Shen Lian, it was then when the item was returned to Qing Xuan. Shen Lian recently was approaching the state of celestials, hence he managed to discover some of Tai Wei''s history through its aura.


    The crisp sound coming from Tai Wei was heard throughout Taiwei Pavilion, and it created a peaceful atmosphere. Shen Lian gazed at the Sky Demon coldly as she moaned in great pain and begged for forgiveness. Her begging sound could have melted any stone-cold heart in the world.


    He was not affected as he continued to pound on Tai Wei. The rhythm, strength, and mana were not even slightly disturbed.


    Her shriek became even more piercing, and it went straight through Shen Lian''s bier. It then dispersed like dust, in an attempt to spot any opening in Shen Lian''s mind.


    Shen Lian sighed. He then activated the Mastery of Senses and he visualized the image of the deity. Even with Sky Demon''s pervasive peep, when she saw the deity, the groaning body in Taiwei Pavilion was lit and clouds of black smokes came out. Her long black hair, her delicate face and snow-like skin all seemed as if they were burnt.


    It got easier for Shen Lian to visualized the deity - it was as easy as breathing. His spirit was growing continuously. As the spirit dispersed, it was not that much different from immortal Zhenren.


    With his tyrannical strength, it would be appropriate to describe him as having half of his foot into the path of celestial.


    As his spiritual opportunity circulated, he could feel that it was not as smooth as he wanted it to be. It was because after he understood the Dao of the five elements, he still lacked some divine essence which prevented him from achieving success. He could not make full use of the Qi of Dan of the five elements.


    If this was not successful, even if he could break away from whims and cultivate the Primordial Spirits, his Dao foundation would be lacking. As such, it would be an obstacle to his supreme Daoist result. Because of that, he would rather stop here and not move forward in order to wait for the opportunity to make it happen at one go.


    It was possible. Since ancient times, there was nobody that could be in such a flexible state before achieving Daoist immortality. If others knew that he could break away from the whims, cultivate his Primordial Spirit and achieve immortality anytime but he did not, they probably would wish that a lightning could strike him to death.


    The Sky Demon in front of him was begging him with a sad and moving voice, "Please let me go. Can you please just let me go? I will do everything you want me to as long as you stop."


    Shen Lian indeed stopped the pounding and visualization.


    He walked in front of her and asked, "I would like to ask you one thing, how did the City of Vain Deaths come about?"


    "I don''t know."


    Shen Lian sighed, "You''re not being honest."


    His piercing gaze fell on her, and it immediately made her groan in pain.


    She wanted to escape, but it was as if she was trapped in a quicksand. She could not make use of her Sky Demon power due to the influence of Tai Wei. Under the influence of such horrifying spiritual power, she almost could not move an inch.


    A trail of darkness appeared all in a sudden. It swallowed the Sky Demon, who then disappeared entirely.


    Shen Lian stood silently in Taiwei Pavilion, and spoke, "I know you did it. Regardless of the reason you stayed here, whether as a spiritual consciousness or an incarnation, please tell me what is this for. As the Chief of Qing Xuan, I have the right to know."


    Nobody could answer him. There was only silence.


    As usual, Shen Lian tried to look for it in every corner of Qing Xuan. He knew that it was impossible for anyone in the world to create something out of thin air. Regardless of how crafty the person was, there would be evidence left behind.


    The old Daoist''s cultivation experience had reached a level that not even he could find the trace he had left behind.


    Regardless of the relationship between the Sky Demon and the old Daoist, the City of Vain Deaths was the link between them.


    He did not believe the old Daoist would want to bring harm to Qing Xuan, but it was yet another unexplained mystery.


    A page of golden scripture descended from the sky. It had little light dots. The mysterious aura made Shen Lian''s heartbeat increase. On top of it, there were countless tiny ancient symbols. They were densely packed on the scripture.


    By the time Shen Lian got held of the scripture, the person had already reached for an escape.


    He did not have time to look at the scripture in detail. His body moved as fast as lightning in the void. He was chasing after the smell that remained until he almost broke through the atmosphere, the smell disappeared.


    At the last moment, Shen Lian grasped that the vital force came from the old Daoist. If he could catch it, he could then find out where the old Daoist was and get his questions answered.


    Even though it happened slowly, it was just in time.


    The page of golden scripture in his hand recorded a dense amount of wriggling ancient symbols.


    The symbols were called ''tadpole writing''. With Shen Lian''s knowledge, to be able to transcribe the densely packed passage would take a long time.


    Perhaps the scripture was a form of compensation from the old Daoist, and it was also for him to stop asking questions.


    Despite Qing Xuan having one hundred and eight techniques, the mysterious aura of the scripture amazed Shen Lian. It was not the Qi of Dao one could observe often throughout one''s life.


    He could see there was endless Qi of vitality which was gathering towards the scripture which then formed into the shape of dragon and tiger. The page of scripture was still swallowing the Qi of Vitality of heaven and earth and it almost flew out of his hand. It seemed to have gained humanity. The tadpole writing inside began to come alive. It released thousands of white rays, achieving Baoguang''s heaven shaking effect.


    Shen Lian could not help but to make use of the forbidden technique to seal the page of scripture.


    Fortunately, he was at a height of several hundred thousand feet. Some slight disturbances would not attract too much attention, not to mention it was still within Qing Xuan''s territory.

 Chapter 302 Jimo Peak

    A round moon was hanging in the sky. The moonlight that fell covered Qing Xuan like a thin veil.


    There was a cliff in front of Shen Lian. He sat facing it, and he tried to understand the page of mysterious tadpole writing. Each and every symbol swam through Shen Lin''s heart and the tadpoles seemed to come alive in his heart. They were being reorganized.


    The tadpoles kept swimming and a mysterious vital force began to spread within his heart.


    Shen Lian''s spirit was utilized to its max, and every little tadpole felt as if its outer layer was being removed and its inner self was being revealed.


    At the time, the river reflected a clear view of the sky, and Shen Lian stood up all in a sudden. He pointed his finger at the cliff in front of him.


    The cliff had been moisturized under Qing Xuan''s soulful aura for ten thousand years and hence not even normal sword could cause a scratch on it.


    However, it seemed that the depth of Shen Lian''s finger could even carve out the Great Way of Dao. Every stroke was like divine soldiers equipped with weapons, who looked extraordinary. Everything he penned, there was Qi from heaven and earth gathering on the stone sculpture like white fog.


    Even though it was a newborn stone inscription, there was ancient Dao meaning coming from it, as if they were the Dao words since the beginning of time.


    It was no longer tadpole writing, but Qin dynasty writing. It could be recognized by someone knowledgeable.


    Every stroke of the Dao words seemed to contain an infinite amount of profoundness. Observing closely, the stone inscription Shen Lian wrote had a strict technique but the Qi was free. It held a beautiful and open form. The whole passage, however, was the supreme technique of Dao cultivation.


    By the time Shen Lian finished, the moon was blocked by the cloud. Thunderstorms began to pour for the whole night.


    At the same time, Shen Lian''s ears were filled with Daoist music. It was not the sound of thunder but the tadpole writing he decrypted. Every word and sentence rang in his mind, and every word was akin to the Resonance of the Great Way. It resonated through his mind and cleansed his spirit. His spirit had become more transparent and dustless.


    Until Shen Lian finished going through the book, he then was aware that it was the legendary Huangting scripture, one of the primary scripture of Daoism. It was rumored that a Daoist master had imitated the heavenly script after seeing the Great Brahma''s Cryptology to the Infinity Hole. He then used it to form a part of the Daoist''s scripture, Huangting.


    The page of scripture he had was not the original copy of the Daoist Master''s Huangting but supposedly a version written by an ancient cultivator of Qi.


    This part of the Huangting talked about how to be enlightened. It utilized Daoist''s single-mindedness and appreciation of Qi as the basis to talk about how to cultivate for immortality.


    The scripture taught people to visualize the existence of a deity in every part of the body, such as the brain, the five facial features, all the organs in the chest and the abdomen, and also the stomach and intestines. If one could read the scripture often and say the deity''s name in silence, along with remembering the shape, color, residence, and role of the deity in mind, then one could communicate with the spirit and celestials to ensure the internal organs were at ease and that the body and the mind stayed together until an old age. Ultimately immortality would be achieved.


    How detailed and profound the technique was, compared with the existing Daoist formula, the difference was huge. In terms of whether it touched base with the fundamentals in achieving the Great Way of Dao, it was hard to say which was better.


    The benefit for Shen Lian to cultivate this technique was that if he always read this scripture in silence, he could visualize the deity and adjust his shape and mind. With that, he could neutralize the Qi of Dan of the five elements. When he succeeded in the Primordial Spirit, he could ensure the vitality of his body was maintained, and that he could use all kinds of techniques.


    Of course, the Huangting was not as simple as that. There was a limit to what this page of scripture could do.


    If he could one day restore the whole of Huanting, he then could find out the ultimate secret of this Daoist''s supreme scripture. It could even help him in peeping the level of Daoist Master, or even that of Buddha.


    The scripture fared way better than many other techniques in Qing Xuan in terms of adjusting the mana. If one ever suffered any internal injury during cultivation, by chanting the Huangting the injury could be healed without any medication.


    As such, not only did Shen Lian carved it out on the cliff of Taiyi Peak, he also invited other Doyens in the sect who had achieved Huandan and above to take a look at it.


    He realized that Huangting worked differently for different people. The result of cultivation differed for everyone. As a whole, after two years of chanting Huanting, Shen Lian had adjusted his essence, Qi, and spirit to his peak. He was about inches away from reaching the state of celestials.


    When he thought about his promise to Zhao Xiaoyu, Shen Lian then tidied up and descended from the mountain. He expected to not spend too much time, and he had a gut feeling that by the time he came back, he probably could have achieved immortality. He could give everyone a surprise.


    Jimo Peak was known because the founder of Luo Order was born and raised here.


    It was also where the founding temple of the supreme order, Luo Order, was located for ten thousand years. It was where Daluo Devotion Ceremony was held countless times and where each generation of Daluo Saintess, the leader of Luo Order was from.


    It was rumored that the Daluo Saintess who displayed overpowering mana in the ceremony would be granted the will of the founder of Luo Order and became one of the most talented people in the world.


    Since the appearance of the last Daluo Saintess, it had been two thousand years. There was not an overpowering individual in the subsequent Daluo Devotion Ceremonies. Other than the rumored two to three antiques from two thousand years ago who survived till today, Luo Order was already shattered and had already lost all its previous glory.


    However, despite Luo Order being largely divided, it had many powerful branches and they were not any worse than a usual celestial sect.


    As a result of Luo Order''s special characteristic, once it developed, it then spread like fire across the field, with a large territory and a horrifying influence.


    There were two spots in Jimo Peak which were considered myths.


    Firstly, was where the founder of Luo Order was born. If anyone found it, it was said that the person could obtain the founder of Luo''s remaining Daoist thought. The cultivation experience could be improved to an impossible level.


    Secondly, was the ancient graveyard of Luo Order. It was where a lot of the deities from Luo Order were buried. It had gathered the fortune of Luo. Whoever that found it could gain an indescribable benefit, and even the secret teachings of Luo Order.


    There were all myths. Nobody knew whether it was true or false and no one knew how they came about.


    The Devotion Ceremony this time was particularly intense. The entire Jimo Peak often had the Baoguang''s heaven shaking effect, and the Qi of vitality was flooding. It belonged to individuals from different power. They were fighting for the territory on the mountain.


    Even at the foot of a mountain, there was a market which served to bring convenience to the cultivators. It was for the cultivators who were here just for the show, or for those who had ulterior motives to had a place to gather. They could even exchange information within the restaurants in the market.


    "Apparently, the Sacred Nun Qingyin has already conquered Wuyuan Sect, Wuwei Order, and Laoguan Order. She is fully prepared, and underneath here there are about twenty masters who are at Xuanmen''s Huandan level. It seems like she is in this to get the position of the Daluo Saintess."


    "It is hard to say. Even Huang Jifo who has never stepped out for three hundred years is now in Jimo Peak. He even brought along a saintess. It too seems like he won''t give up easily."


    "Huang Jifo''s arch enemy, Hong Yangzi has already stepped out. They were fighting the day before yesterday and they destroyed one of the mountain''s peak. It is a horrifying scene even just in my imagination."


    "This is nothing. I heard that Fairy Zhao of the Nine Lotus Order was attacked by Tianwaitian''s fifteen masters. She managed to escape in full piece just by herself. I think in terms of power, I will consider her number one in Luo Order."


    When the name ''Tianwaitian'' was mentioned, all the cultivators in the restaurant took a gasp. There was a temporary silence subsequently.

 Chapter 303 There is No Limit to the Universe Beyond the Blue Sky

    There was a saying which was widespread about the cultivation community - ''There is no limit to the universe beyond the blue sky.''


    It was talking about Tianwaitian. It was a place, and also an organization.


    While cultivators sought for immortality, the people of Tianwaitian were different. They pursued the Dao of Killing. Even though the people within too practiced cultivation, they were no different from the typical assassins. The only difference was that the assassins in the mortal world killed the mortals, and Tianwaitian killed the bona fide cultivators.


    As long as there were spiritual beings, techniques, and treasure incantations to gain, they would assassinate even immortal Zhenren.


    It was also rumored that the existence of Tianwaitian was even longer than the four main Daoist sects. It had existed for more than ten thousand years.


    This was not odd because assassination was the oldest profession.


    The assassins of Tianwaitian were devoted to assassination methods. They did not care if it would hurt their Daoist bodies. Even if their cultivating experience was only at Ruhua, they would most probably succeed if they were to assassinate an individual of Huandan.


    Tianwaitian''s Killing Bible was known to be a treasured book that could point to the Great Way. It was definitely of the same level as Xuantian''s Enlightenment Scripture, Qing Xuan''s Taixu Strategy, and Taisu''s Dadong Scripture. However, most people who practiced Killing Bible turned crazy. Rarely did anyone reach immortality using this.


    Tianwaitian came with a hefty price tag, and the fact that Zhao Xiaoyu managed to escape in ease even though Tianwaitian had fifteen masters ambushing her, it was sufficient proof that Fairy Zhao was the same level as the previous grandmasters of Nine Lotus Order. She probably would hardly have any opponent below the level of immortal Zhenren.


    For the Daluo Devotion Ceremony, it made the atmosphere even more bustling.


    There was someone who said, "Fairy Zhao did not escape in one piece. It was rumored that she suffered severe injury and she is now in hiding somewhere. Sacred Nun Qingyin has sent someone after her."


    Everyone was surprised. Ultimately Nine Lotus Order relied on Zhao Xiaoyu to hold the show. If they lost Zhao Xiaoyu as a leader, regardless of how powerful they were, they had to be disbanded.


    While they did not know who was making such claims, they all chose to believe.


    If one could escape in one piece under the ambush of fifteen Tianwaitian''s masters, it seemed too unreasonable.


    Shen Lian sat near the railing at the restaurants and listened to the cultivators gossiping like the mortals. He found it funny, but then again the people of Luo Order were often of various standards. If not because they had it big in the beginning, they would have been gone by now.


    These cultivators were at most in Ruhua. They could probably enjoy themselves in the mortal world, but in the world of cultivation, they were in an awkward position. If they had no hope to achieve Huandan, and too could not find any external alchemy, they would usually fall into the secular mortal world and lose their Daoist hearts. They could hardly improve anymore.


    For one to be able to escape from the confusing and dazzling secular mortal world, one was either of great wisdom or of extreme viciousness.


    The chance of such people to reach Huandan was much higher than the students of authentic Xuanmen as long as they had the fortune. They could cause a stir in the world. For people who had the fortune, if they were in a story, they could be the protagonists at least once or twice.


    This restaurant was built facing the lake. Jimo Peak was at a distance. It looked as if it was penetrating the sky. After years of hardships, it carried an air of elegance, not unlike those ink landscape paintings. Only at such a place could someone as great as the founder of Luo Order to be raised.


    As Jimo Peak had an abundance of Qi of vitality, it could be considered as a fortune land. This was also why the founding temple of Luo was not taken over by other sects.


    Regardless of how disintegrated Luo Order was, some of the branches were very powerful.


    A lot of the celestial sects would not want to fight with the remaining Luoists for this fortune land.


    Among the world, there were countless great mountains and wider rivers. As long as one took some time, one could find a quiet place for cultivation.


    If there were immortal Zhenren in the order, the Qi of earth could be adjusted and the geographical position shifted. It would not be worse than other fortune lands. Shen Lian took in the beauty of the scenery while he listened to the chatters from the surrounding. He occupied one seat.


    Nobody had found out whether Zhao Xiaoyu was injured or not despite the starting day for the devotion ceremony was getting closer.


    His goal was to help her, so if Zhao Xiaoyu was not here by the time, he could just get ready to go.


    Then he could just be at peace while waiting for the right opportunity to take the last step of the nine states of cultivation.


    Suddenly a blood smell was detected. A Daoist in green entered the restaurant. His steps were light and his breaths were brief. It was apparent that he was injured.


    Someone spoke with a low voice, "This is Hong Yangzi''s disciple, Cang Yingzi."


    The discussion about what happened to Cang Yingzi then began.


    Some of the cultivators with good eyesight had already begun to activate the formula. If they spotted anything out of the norm, they would be ready to go.


    For the immortals to fight, the mortals always suffered. While they were not mortals, they did not want to be involved.


    They were just here for the crowd. When the leaders of Luo Order had sorted out the ranking, they would then just pick and follow whoever that was powerful.


    Before Cang Yingzi''s assassin appeared, the Daoist locked his eyes on one of the Daoists. His fingers turned into claws and a hand which was covered in green mana went through space and grabbed him.


    The person was immediately in front of Cang Yingzi. His mana was under the control of the green hand. His blood was being sucked dry and only the skin remained. The skin fell to the floor and Cang Yingzi''s face gained its colors back.


    This was an evil art of Hongyang Order. It was also known as the Green Hand of Yin Devilry. It was a nasty technique. If one was attacked, the blood would be sucked dry by the user for the user''s replenishment.


    The moment Cang Yingzi stepped in, he used this technique to recover his injuries. He then laughed and found a seat. The cultivators near the table all ran away, except for a few cultivators who deemed themselves to be more skilled.


    "Cang Yingzi, your Hongyang Order behave so nastily. You lot have ruined the name of the holy order," a female voice was heard from the outside. It sounded like a teenage girl. Her voice was soft, and some could even say she carried some form of resentment.


    "Bitch, you are not any better. You have caught a few men and stolen their Yang vitality. While they did not die, they need to rely on medicine for the rest of their lives. It is better to just be like me where their lives are ended just at that moment. Who knows, they might be lucky enough in the next life to be under Xuanmen sects. They still have to thank me for that opportunity." When he recovered, he was holding a large jar of alcohol. His voice was full of arrogance.


    A lady outside the restaurant walked in. She was dressed in azure green. She looked clean and plain and had no makeup on. She was indeed a beautiful woman beyond the time, especially the red dot in between her brows. It was well done, and for people who had seen it, it aroused some sort of thoughts.


    She was carrying a flower basket on her left hand. The fragrance spread through the restaurant and filled everyone''s heart with sweetness.


    The cultivators who had ingested the fragrance began to feel that the circulation of their mana was not as smooth as they were. They immediately concentrated on the Qi to return and to seal the acupoints in the body.

 Chapter 304 Jingzhu

    The fragrance was poisonous, but Cang Yingzi was not afraid at all.


    Because when he was drinking the jar of alcohol, he had already swallowed an elixir. With the alcohol, the effect had already been felt.


    Shen Lian observed all these. He knew clearly that these evil doctrines could survive until today because they were smart.


    The lady in azure green looked at Cang Yingzi and spoke, "You should go back with me so that you don''t have to suffer."


    Cang Yingzi laughed madly, "Let''s see what ability you have to be able to handle me."


    His right arm expanded suddenly and it swung swiftly towards the lady in azure green. A swift current lit the air like a flame knife. It went beyond the distance between the two and reached immediately in front of the lady in azure green.


    Nobody would doubt that the power of the fire could burn this beautiful lady to ashes.


    Hongyang Order''s techniques were the most unbending and the ultimate Yang. To the extreme, the Real Fire of the Sun could be cultivated. There was a senior master of Hong Yangzi who succeeded in producing the Real Fire of the Sun. His every action could evaporate the water of an entire lake. It was also the weakness of cultivators who practiced Yin and the devil arts.


    The lady in azure green carried the basket in one hand and her other hand was moving rapidly like she was playing a pipa. It rippled through the void and a current actually restrained the knife-like fire.


    The drizzle akin to those in the mountain wrapped up the fire, and silently it had overcome Cang Yingzi''s attack.


    Cang Yingzi''s expression changed. The witch''s techniques were indeed powerful. Not to say that he was not in the best condition, even at his best, he probably could not beat her.


    There was a reason why Huangji Fo had entrusted her to be the next Daluo Saintess.


    While they both were the branches of Luo Order, Huangji Fo and Hong Yangzi were arch enemies. They could not tolerate each other.


    He naturally could not fall into the hands of the witch, else his ending would be worse than death.


    When we thought about it, Cang Yingzi bowed his body slightly, and then he made a leap towards the lady in azure green, like an eagle soaring in the sky. His entire body was surrounded by red flames. The mana had taken its shape, and he made use of his technique fully. The restaurant could not stand the sudden increase in temperature, and the wood began to char.


    All the customers had already escaped, except for Shen Lian, as if he was not aware of the situation. He was still drinking by the lake, looking relaxed.


    Cang Yingzi had been through many battles. He knew that in order to escape, he needed to first beat the witch in front of him. He activated Hongyang Order''s Technique of the Red Sun in full with no reserve.


    The lady in azure green took out a bunch of petals from the flower basket and sprinkled them in the sky. The sky was suddenly filled with petals.


    Each of them was soft, and it was falling down from the sky.


    All the flower petals fell into the fire Cang Yingzi turned into.


    The petals were made of unknown materials and they were not affected at all by Cang Yingzi''s Gang Qi shield. They broke through the fire easily like extremely sharp flying knives. They pierced through Cang Yingzi''s Daoist robe. The fire was eventually extinguished and he fell hard on to the wooden floor. He lost the ability to fight back.


    Hong Yangzi''s favorite student, Cang Yingzi lost to the lady in azure green within a few breaths. If people knew about it, it would certainly damage Hongyang Order''s reputation and raise Huangji Fo''s status.


    The lady in azure green beat Cang Yingzi easily, but she did not look pleased. She looked at Shen Lian and spoke, "This friend, which branch of Luo are you from? Our Buddhist Master always appreciates talent. Are you interested in our Huangji Sect?"


    "Huangji didn''t even achieve Golden Luohan yet and he is already being so arrogant. Isn''t he afraid that it will attract misfortune?" Shen Lian''s deep eyes fell on the lady in azure green.


    That moment, the lady in azure green felt a heavyweight. She tried to activate her mana but she could not escape. She felt like she was running out of breath.


    Just by this, the lady in azure green knew Shen Lian''s mental cultivation definitely exceeded that of hers.


    He said the name of the Buddhist Master like it''s nothing. This was not the type of person she could offend.


    She thought quickly and then she greeted Shen Lian, "I have bad eyesight. I wasn''t aware an elder is here. I''ve disturbed you from enjoying your drink just now, please allow me to pay my apology with these three cups."


    She indeed did as she said. She had no hesitation with the three cups. She took the cup from the table on the side and she went through the three cups quickly.


    She then greeted Shen Lian again and was ready to leave with Cang Yingzi.


    As Cang Yingzi saw that there was an elder in the restaurant who even the witch was afraid of, he thought he found a savior, and said, "Elder, if you can save my life, my teacher Hong Yangzi will surely thank you with great rewards."


    The lady in azure green felt regret as she did not seal Cang Yingzi''s mouth. She stared at Cang Yingzi coldly.


    Under her stare, Cang Yingzi felt terrified. He turned around and looked at Shen Lian with a pitiful expression.


    When he first entered, he grabbed a Daoist immediately and took his blood. Now as he was a loser, he then acted like he deserved the pity. He did not have the Daoist''s spirit at all.


    The lady in azure green felt he was despicable, and she looked down on him. If not because he was Hong Yangzi''s student, she would have just fed him to the dogs.


    Shen Lian ignored Cang Yingzi''s pleading, but said to the lady in azure green, "Is the flower basket made of the branches of the Bamboo of No Desire, Jingzhu?"


    The lady in azure green''s expression changed. Her flower basket had special functions. Others could not tell what it was made of. What sort of eyesight did Shen Lian have to be able to tell that it was made of the branches of the Bamboo of No Desire, Jingzhu.


    She knew this person was mysterious and had a cultivation experience way exceeding hers. If he said it was the Bamboo of No Desire, he was probably right. She said, "So this flower basket is made of the Bamboo of No Desire. I have little knowledge and this is the first time I''ve heard of this. If you like it, I don''t mind giving it to you, but it is one of my favorite items. It''s been with me many years and I find it hard to let it go." She looked at Shen Lian with her delicate eyes.


    Shen Lian laughed, "For many years? It''s definitely not true. You probably have only obtained it for less than a month. Why should you put the flowers and use Qi of devilry to tame and remove the evidence of the previous owner?"


    The lady in azure green said, "Elder, you''re joking with me."


    Shen Lian said, "I''m not joking with you. Tell me where it''s from."


    The lady in azure green said, "Elder, you''re powerful. Why are you bullying me? If you want it, I will give it to you."


    "It seems like you don''t understand what this Bamboo of No Desire is. It''s not a fortune for you to have it," Shen Lian spoke to the lady in azure green with a mild expression.


    "You don''t need to be worried about me," the lady in azure green responded.


    With a whistle, there were several strong men who came flying. They were carrying a cloud carriage. She flew on top and released a net. After capturing Cang Yingzi, she then disappeared.

 Chapter 305 The Big and Stout Man

    Shen Lian did not chase after the lady in azure green as she got further. For him to keep the woman there was something he could do just by thinking about it, effortless.


    By now, other than the legitimate immortal Zhenren and Golden Luohan, nobody could do anything to him.


    The Bamboo of No Desire was the magical weapon of Zizai Temple. The flower basket was in fact weaved by the branches of the Bamboo of No Desire. Zizai Temple had a long history and there was once an immortal Zhenren who had achieved Basket-carrying Guanyin Body, and one of the instruments was just like the flower basket.


    The lady in azure green would not have the ability to steal an instrument from the Zizai Temple. Not even Huangji Fo could do it.


    It seemed likely that the instrument was stolen when a student of Zizai Temple was out wandering. He was most probably captured too.


    The abbess of Zizai Temple, Daoist Liuqing, was friends with his founding master, Fairy Ziling. Furthermore, Ziling actually took some Jingzhu, Bamboo of No Desire, by force to entrap Yanxu. Because of that, Shen Lian could not just ignore what happened.


    But now he still had to wait for someone, and hence the reason why he was still sitting there.


    A lady in white muslin dress walked in. She had an alluring body, but it was not profane.


    She walked slowly and sat down next to Shen Lian. Even Jimo Peak and the beautiful lake were not as gorgeous as her. Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "It seems that I''ve invited the right person. For you now, the people at Jimo Peak are no different from shapes without souls."


    "You are really injured," Shen Lian frowned slightly. He could tell that Zhao Xiaoyu''s cultivation experience had a significant breakthrough and she was perhaps only half a step away from becoming a deity. It was unbelievable that she was injured.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "With your word, despite how severely I am injured, I still feel happy because you care about me."


    Shen Lian sighed, "You are not wounded severely, but at the very least you still need to rest for a period of time to recover to your optimum condition. Until today, do you still want to fight for the position of the Daluo Saintess?"


    "Why not? You have to help me to get the position of the Daluo Saintess." Zhao Xiaoyu bit her petal-like soft lips. Her brows were slightly pressed, like the willow. With that appearance, countless men in the world would have been charmed.


    "Oh, why so?" Shen Lian felt odd.


    "Because we have common enemies now. Do you know who paid for Tianwaitian? It was Qingyin that little bitch."


    "There have always been conflicts between you two. I can tell she is indeed your strongest competitor," Shen Lian spoke. He knew what the Sacred Nun Qingyin was about. Regardless of her cultivation experience, she had a lot of masters under her. She was not someone people would like to offend.


    "Indeed, Hong Yangzi and Huangji Fo are nobody compared to Qingyin that little bitch. I am not a ''vegetarian''. I''ve already figured out even how many moles she has on her chest," Zhao Xiaoyu sneered.


    Shen Lian coughed, "Just tell me the main point."


    "Erm, so even Chief Shen wants to know how many moles she has on her chest?" Zhao Xiaoyu smiled like a blooming flower. Her beauty was unbelievable.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I am not sure how many moles she has on her chest, but I want to know about you, Xiaoyu."


    Before he finished, a stroke with the strength of Wusheng Finger approached suddenly and it made Shen Lian stop speaking.


    Shen Lian sat straight and stayed in place. The stroke of Wusheng Finger which could penetrate even a giant rock disappeared in mid sky. He dispersed the technique silently like it had no effect on him. It was because his cultivation experience had reached Ruhua and it was not something that could be measured by common sense anymore.


    Zhao Xiaoyu felt slightly stunned, she did not expect Shen Lian''s supernatural power had reached such an improved state.


    She gained her composure, "Stop joking. Qingyin belongs to Guangqing. If she wants to fight for Daluo Saintess, for what reason, even if not mentioned, it will not be a good thing, especially for you."


    Shen Lian''s expression changed slightly, and he said, "Is it true?"


    "Naturally, I won''t joke about this," Zhao Xiaoyu replied.


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Don''t worry, you will become Daluo Saintess."


    He spoke it like it had no significance, but it seemed to confirm Zhao Xiaoyu''s position as the Daluo Saintess, as if it was a fact that could not be overturned.


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Shen Lian silently. She could feel the depth and the determination of his words. She did not doubt if he could make it happen. She felt deeply moved as Shen Lian had grown to become a towering tree that could provide shelter to others. She did not expect this day to come so soon. It made her feel like it would be hard to catch up to him.


    ��������


    Huangji Temple was not called Huangji Temple initially, but as Huangji Fo became the master, the name was changed.


    In the main hall of the temple, Huangji Fo was sitting down on a lotus platform. He was tall, standing at six feet. His skin was glowing like gold, as if a Buddha had descended in the human world.


    From the color of his skin, for people who were knowledgeable, they would know this person was not far from Golden Luohan. The depth of his Dharma was comparable to those enlightened monks.


    The lady in azure green who was in the restaurant previously came in from the outside.


    Huang Jimo smiled widely and revealed his wide mouth, "Saintess, please get up. How are things?"


    "I''ve captured Cang Yingzi, but I need to report one thing to you, Buddhist Master." The lady in azure green responded with respect.


    "What is it? Could it be that there were some incidents related to the capture of Cang Yingzi?"


    "When I was capturing him, I met a master with incredible depth. He even asked me if the flower basket is weaved with the Bamboo of No Desire," The lady in azure green replied.


    After she finished, she looked carefully at Huangji Fo, hoping to notice something.


    Huangji Fo had no response when he heard about the Bamboo of No Desire. He asked, "Is that all?"


    "After that, I did not dare to deal with him any longer, so I brought Cang Yingzi along and left. Fortunately, he did not seem to be hostile, and he too did not follow us," the lady in azure green spoke softly.


    Huangji Fo sighed, "It is not that he did not chase after you, he is already here."


    The lady in azure green was stunned, "How is that possible?"


    Then Huangji Fo put his palms together and said, "My friend, since you''re already here, please come in." His voice was loud, and it was heard even far away like a legitimate Buddha had spoken.


    There came a distant voice from outside, "I used to spend some time in the Xi Huang and I''ve heard about your name, Huangji. While you are within the evil sect, you''re still one of the top masters. I have been wanting to meet you for a long time."


    A person who was dressed in green walked slowly towards the Huangji Temple. There were many students of Huangji Fo in the temple, and there were even tens of the restraints of the Buddhist techniques. He treated all of them like nothing and had entered easily.


    He walked leisurely into the main hall, and his eyes came in contact with Huangji Fo, as if there were sparks flying around within the fume of the main hall.


    Huangji Fo spoke with a deep voice, "My friend you have great experience in Xuan technique. If you want to see me, please come directly, why do you have to follow my Saintess? It seems inappropriate." The lady in azure green saw the man in green and she transmitted a message through her mind, "Buddhist Master, it is not this person."


    Huangji Fo looked slightly awkward, he then laughed to relieve the awkwardness. His laugh had shaken the main hall. He then asked, "Why are you here my friend? If you want to fight, I am afraid I might be too harsh and hurt the harmony."

 Chapter 306 Be One with the World

    The man in green stared at Huangji Fo as he said, "I''m only here to learn, and I have no ulterior intention. Fellow Daoist Huangji , your reputation precedes you; to think that you are too cowardly to engage in a battle against me!"


    Huangji Fo smiled. "Saintess, please leave for now. I shall test our fellow Daoist''s skills out."


    The Saintess'' clothes rustled as she bowed, and she walked out of the hall gracefully. Only the man in green and Huangji Fo was left in the Buddhist hall.


    She could tell that the man in green was mysteriously powerful. Though, he definitely was not as scary as the male Daoist who looked like a teenager back at the restaurant.


    She had high confidence in the Buddhist Master, and she was not worried that he might face any disadvantage in the battle.


    The smoke rose up as straight as sword and it did not shift into other shapes. It showed how eerily quiet the hall was right now �C there was not even a hint of breeze.


    "Fellow Daoist, you may show your weapon now. You can also use any technique that you desire," Huangji Fo spoke. He only said this because he was unsure of the man in green''s background. He wanted to take advantage of his powerful Dharma and to observe the situation before making a move. Dealing with changes by being static, that was his strategy.


    The man in green remained calm, and he smiled. "I have learned swordcraft, but I have stopped after seeing a certain person''s swordcraft. I knew I could never reach his state of attainment. I have also learned about Talisman in order to be one with everything. However, a friend of mine improved so quickly that he could create a move merely with his thoughts. I knew that I could never surpass this. It seemed that it was hard to be outrageously good at something, which was why I decided to focus on one martial exercise without caring about everything else. It has been ten years now, and I have not fought anyone until today. I do not know how to use any weapons," the man in green replied.


    Huangji Fo did not bother to listen to what he was saying. He was too busy trying to lock him down with his spiritual sense. However, the Qi circulating him was akin to smoke; it could be seen, but could not be felt.


    When one was about to feel it with one''s touch, there was nothing to be felt.


    Luo Order contained the essence of both Buddhism and Daoism, and it was clear that this person was capable of great techniques. He had created a resonance with the heaven and earth through his Daoist''s techniques, and there were no hints or marks left behind by his Qi dynamic. Hence, there was nothing for Huangji Fo to grasp on at all.


    He could not help but be impressed with that person''s ability to remain static. If he chose not to strike for three days and three nights, Huangji Fo would have to stay here with him for three days and three nights. Moreover, he had a lot of important tasks to take care of lately, and time was of the essence to him.


    He made up his mind and laughed. "Fellow Daoist, since you are not in the habit of using weapons, how about I start this off with my fists and feet? I shall stop at the limit, so it wouldn''t hamper our harmonious relationship. What do you think about this arrangement?" He said.


    His giant body was like a pile of meaty hills, and the moment he opened his mouth, he reminded one of the Maitreya Buddha. It was hard to harbor any hostile feelings towards him. However, those who were familiar with Huangji Fo would tell you that he was a Laughing Buddha �C the happier he was, the harsher and the crueler he would be.


    Back then, he was laughing happily as he smashed his Junior Apprentice-Brother, Hong Yangzi into a pool of mashed meat.


    "Fellow Daoist Huangji , why bother with the idle chit-chat? Just come at me with your techniques," the man in green smiled as he spoke.


    He seemed so calm and collected, it was unsure if it was out of his capabilities or merely out of his nature.


    Huangji Fo was not about to be careless. He sang his Buddhist chants, and his body of a pile of meaty hills started to disappear. This happened because of the high speed he was moving at; this was merely his remaining shadow that had not disappeared yet.


    A punch that was akin to the roar of dragons and tigers had gathered the breeze, and the hall was lit up with golden light. A dragon was birthed out of the sky.


    The ''Huangji Shocking Technique'' that he was cultivating could not rival the King Kong Strength, but it was still a great mystical art that trained the body. At the pinnacle of cultivation, it would give immeasurable strength.


    His punch had sent the dragon, that was the manifestation of his mana, flying at the man in green.


    The man in green''s gaze darted around casually and saw a dragon charging at him, as though it was trying to crush him into pieces. However, he seemed too calm �C it was as though he was not bothered by the potentially catastrophic consequences that followed this powerful move at all.


    The detachment and calmness of a Daoist were portrayed perfectly here.


    The dragon roared and the sky vibrated in response. The airspace seemed as though it was about to collapse, and the temple shook slightly. The smoke that flowed upright was disturbed.


    The Qi strength of the dragon was overwhelming and it was ready to crush the man in green. There was no chance of escaping.


    Despite his initial promise to stop at a suitable point, Huangji Fo did not plan to stop at all.


    At this moment, the man in green pointed his finger. He seemed casual and detached from the mortal world. Immediately, he drew the abstruse mark of Dao in the air.


    Huangji Fo got worried. He knew what he had just seen. The abstruse track drawn by his opponent affected the Dao, and it was more like the work of celestials rather than that of common cultivators.


    He was unsure about the mechanism behind this; to think that it had caused vibrations in the air! Divine lights shone ahead, and the power of the dragon was blocked out by it.


    The sky was hazy, and the golden ray emitting from the dragon dulled down. This was not Huangji Fo had expected.


    "Neat. Now, watch out for my Eight Dragons," Huangji Fo laughed cheerily.


    He stepped on the ground and the entire hall cracked into two. He formed a gesture with his hands, and the pressure increased tremendously.


    The man in green''s long hair danced in the air despite that there was no breeze. It was swept towards the back. He had a heavy expression. Out of a sudden, the area ahead was lit up with golden rays, and eight dragons had appeared and were dancing in the air.


    He rapidly drew the tracks in the air, and the tracks were overlapping with each other. The divine light was overwhelming.


    The eight dragons danced together as they were determined to bring the man in green down.


    However, the man in green drew the mysterious track repeatedly, and the divine light protected him from the wrath of the eight dragons.


    It seemed that the track contained the ingenious of Daoism, and enabled him to be one with the Dao. He was able to tap into the greatness of Dao and to resist against Huangji Fo''s eight dragons.


    The green rocks surrounding him cracked, and they bounced around aimlessly. Unable to resist the absolute pressure exerted on them, they turned into dust.


    In the end, it was the man in green who could not resist the pressure exerted by Huangji Fo, he flew out of the hall.


    Huangji Fo was stunted, and it seemed like he sensed something. "You thief! How dare you mask your true intention and kidnapped someone right under my lids," he roared.


    The Saintess who was outside the hall saw two men in green. One of them brought a nun in white with him. He had turned into a gust of fresh air and returned back into the body of the man in green.


    Immediately, both of them transformed into a rush of light and flashed towards the clouds.


    She knew that something was wrong and immediately chased after them.


    Huangji Fo headed outside of the hall with just one step and saw the chase between the lights. He shrunk his body and returned to the normal human form. With a stomp on the ground, the ground collapsed immediately.


    He shot towards the sky like a flying arrow. Within moments, he was airborne and was chasing after the light.


    After passing countless mountains and rivers, he saw that there was a pagoda at the waist of the mountain ahead. His Saintess was outside of the pagoda too.


    His gaze was cold, and he flew towards there immediately. Within two breaths, he landed at the pagoda.


    "The only way to be wise is to be one with the world, rid oneself of meaningless insistence, and do not be obsessed with any perspective or opinion," a voice spoke. A teenager dressed in Daoist attire sat within the pagoda.

 Chapter 307 The Clash of Dao Techniques

    The man in green and the nun in white stood behind of the teenager in Daoist attire. The Saintess did not proceed forward. After she noticed Huangji Fo''s arrival, she immediately moved towards him as though she was frightened by the teenager in Daoist attire.


    Huangji Fo had seen enough in his life to not feel overwhelmed by the teenager''s capabilities.


    His sloppy ears shifted slightly as they caught the messages from the Saintess. Only then did he realize that this teenager was the mysteriously powerful character that she ran into previously. Now it seemed that the teenager was beyond scary. Though, this did not change anything. He was determined to get the nun back, and he would stop at nothing.


    "''Dao'' is intangible and endless; it is to be carefree and unrestrained. Despite the matters in this world that has shape and is tangible, but how could one tell if what lies in front of them was real or not? Fellow Daoist, your wise words are beyond my comprehension. I''m not sure if my understanding is correct?" Huangji Fo spoke as he pointed out the reasoning behind Shen Lian''s words.


    This had shown his capabilities. Even the man in green looked at him in admiration as he thought about how Huangji Fo did have something in him.


    Huangji Fo sounded casual, but his entire attention was directed to Shen Lian. If Shen Lian could utter those words so casually, he was indeed beyond terrifying.


    In Buddhism, this was known as knowing one''s nature and heart; In Daoism, this was considered as breaking through whims and being one with the heaven and earth. If said person was not in the rank of celestials yet, he would not be far off by now.


    Shen Lian clapped with his fair hands; his fingers were slender and long, as though they were beautiful jade that was crafted with the natural essence of Dao. The claps were crisp and clear. His every move was full of the grace of a great master.


    "If Dao was something that could be put into words so easily, then it would not be the eternal Dao that it is. Fellow Daoist, you are asking me to explain my previous sentence, what about what I have just said earlier?" Even though he spoke so casually, those were words of wisdom.


    After hearing it, Huangji Fo felt like Shen Lian was like the sky �C he could see it, and that was all there was. He knew that there was no way that he could guess what he was thinking, given that he was in a league of his own.


    "I must be confused for a while back there. The greatness of Dao is not something that can be put into words. However, if Fellow Daoist refused my request to bring her away today, I supposed that it will not be a happy ending," he spoke.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I was planning to sort you out sooner or later anyway, I might as well let you know today that, not just anyone can call themselves a ''Fo'', Buddha," Shen Lian spoke.


    He seemed so casual and unaffected even when faced with Huangji Fo''s overwhelming Qi dynamic. He was sizing Huangji Fo cheerfully, as though he was looking at nothing but a mere strand of grass.


    Shen Lian''s demeanor pissed Huangji Fo off ever more.


    His Buddhist techniques were fuelled on by his rage, and he did not bother suppressing it himself either. He decided to just let the natural course of things have their way. Since he could not control his heart, he might as well let it be.


    All these years, he did not even have to bow to the Golden-bodied Arhat. However, right now he was being taken lightly by Shen Lian, whom background he was unaware of. Moreover, Shen Lian was shielding the nun from Zizai Temple and acted against his great plan.


    The Buddha might have patience, but not him.


    He laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed through the sky and swirled amidst the mountains. The echo did not die off until much later.


    "Fellow Daoist, you are forcing me to send you to meet the Daoist Master Heavenly King."


    In Daoist legends, the Daoist Master and the Heavenly King had once built a heaven and lived within it. When the cultivators of the Xuanmen died, they would be brought over to become one of the living creatures in the heaven.


    After he had spoken, his aura surged. His entire body swelled, as though it contained the world within it.


    Huangji Fo''s greatness made Shen Lian''s flimsy body in the pagoda seemed insignificant in comparison.


    It was as though he only needed to clap his hand to turn Shen Lian into a meat patty. Shen Lian would not be able to put up a fight at all.


    Shen Lian raised his head to meet Huangji Fo''s giant Buddhist eyes that looked like lanterns. Their Qi dynamic had actually been joined into one, and the clash between their spirits was not something that could easily be observed by outsiders.


    In Huangji Fo''s eyes, the pagoda in the mountains had disappeared.


    He manifested into his Buddha body. He towered over Shen Lian with his huge and impressive body.


    He saw a dot, an origin that seemed murky inside.


    It was segregated into Yin and Yang and the Five Elements; eventually, it turned into the galaxies and the vastness that was the Universe. His giant golden body seemed to have become a part of the universe.


    He could not find Shen Lian. At the same time, he knew that the Universe was Shen Lian''s work. In the vastness of the Universe, regardless of how gigantic he was, he seemed so insignificant.


    Out of a sudden, Shen Lian appeared amidst the galaxy. It was him, and yet it was not.


    He formed a gesture with his hand, and a divine mountain appeared immediately. The galaxy was rolled up and was sent flying at his Buddha body.


    Huangji Fo chanted his Buddhist chants, and eight dragons appeared. They were long and their bodies were dragged across the sky. The power of the dragon managed to resist against the incoming divine mountain. The dragon wrapped its body tightly around the divine mountain, as though it was ready to crush it into pieces.


    The golden light and the divine light clashed; the giant impact created an immeasurable force that could not be described with words. The stray, strange spiritual force was dispersed, and they clashed against Huangji Fo''s spiritual manifestation.


    He remained composed and was unmoved.


    "Huangji Shocking Technique," he yelled.


    The outsiders �C the man in green and the nun, saw intangible ripples broke through the air between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo. There was no impressive clash of Dao techniques, but the spiritual aftermath had shattered the pagoda into pieces. Even the trees at the back bent backward and broke.


    The man in green drew the tracks repeatedly and shielded both of them within the divine light as they retreated towards the back.


    At the same time, there was a flower basket hovering above the lady. Ray streamed down from it and isolated her from the external stimuli like a water screen. She was not injured.


    It was no longer important how these people managed to protect themselves. The clash between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo had attracted the attention of the surrounding cultivators.


    "Huangji Shocking Technique, who is Huangji Fo fighting against?"


    "Could it be Hong Yangzi?"


    "Doesn''t seem like it. Hong Yangzi''s techniques are not as pure as this; the techniques here combined the Dao with the heaven and earth, how scary indeed."


    The person who spoke last seemed knowledgeable and was able to tell that Shen Lian''s supreme techniques had incorporated the meaning of Dao within it.


    Regardless of the onlookers, Shen Lian remained calm and carefree.


    In fact, he was holding back. He allowed for Huangji Fo to hike up his aura with Huangji Shocking Technique. Yet, he was still not satisfied with the level of intensity. It was still insufficient to excite his spirit. He still could not find a chance that could allow for him to sweep away all of the whims and cultivated his Primordial Spirit.


    The chance that Shen Lian needed was a strong wave of pressure that could push him over to make the last step. Then, he would be able to make his way into the ranks of celestials.


    A Treasure Wheel appeared behind Huangji Fo''s head, and it was made out of eight golden dragons intertwining with each other.


    The eight dragons were almost able to deduce all living beings in the world.


    He was emitting golden rays, and his skin was close to being pure gold. It was translucent, and his eyes were kind and his expression solemn.


    It was as though a real Buddha had descended to the world and was ready to eradicate the evilness, bringing light to the human realm once again.


    The stronger his aura was, the more worried the man in green and the nun got. The monk had powerful Dharma, they were unsure if Shen Lian could keep him under control. Furthermore, why was Shen Lian allowing for him to hike up his aura instead of nipping him at his bud?


    The man in green was about to draw out the marks of Dao �C one of the Nine Secrets of Xuantian he learned from his Honored Master. It could be turned into the Killing Techniques of Heaven.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Qingyi, please hold up. Brother Shen is winning this fight," the nun in white spoke.


    The man in green was Song Qingyi, and the nun in white was the successor of the Zizai Temple, Qixiu �C the sole survivor of the Xiao family of Flying Celestials Island.


    Shen Lian looked into the designs of nature and was waiting purposely at the pagoda for the both of them.


    Moreover, Huangji Fo was Zhao Xiaoyu''s enemy. Conveniently, he could kill two birds with one stone.


    "Junior Apprentice-Sister, how did you know?" Song Qingyi asked.


    "Dao is endless, and the strength of a man is limited. The evil monk has not attained the golden body yet, and his mana was after all, limited. Though Brother Shen was letting him to gather his aura, it has now developed to the point where it is beyond the evil monk''s control. So long as Brother Shen could resist his attack, he will not have any strength left to put up a fight anymore," Qixiu spoke.


    "I can''t believe that bloody Huangji is going to have it easy. Though, according to Daoist Liuqing, you will be faced with a lot of trials and tribulations in life. You will have an ill-fated relationship with the one who absolved the misfortune in your life. Seeing how Shen Lian rescued you this time, it would seem that he is your ill-fated relationship," Song Qingyi sighed.


    "Ill-fated relationship is still a bond, no?" Qixiu murmured.


    Her expression was complicated; it was not known if it was joy or worry that was on her face.


    Song Qingyi kept quiet. If this was an ill-fated relationship, then its seeds had been sowed since long ago.


    He stared at Shen Lian, and he felt an indescribable feeling welled up within him. Initially, he thought that after his Honored Master had passed on the Nine Secrets of Xuantian to him �C Enlightenment Scripture - and having been sent into the little space by his Honored Master, his level of cultivation at the state of Huandan would elevate him nearer to the level Shen Lian was at. However, now it seemed that the distance between them was bigger than before.


    Even though he knew that he could trigger the monk to hike up his aura and let it spin out of his control, he would not dream of obtaining victory in this manner as he did not have the confidence to resist the first wave of attacks. Yet, Shen Lian looked so carefree. During their conversation, Huangji Fo had struck twice, and the sheer amount of power was sufficient to collapse even the sky. However, the power was nothing to Shen Lian. The moment it approached him, it was extinguished completely by the five-colored ray.


    It was as though the five-colored ray had absolved the scary power.


    He also noticed how wise Qixiu had gotten ever since she awakened her mental perception; to think that she could pick this up in such a short period of time.


    Huangji Fo kept waving his golden fist, and divine light was spilling out from the Treasure Wheel behind of him. The world was lit up, and it was as though a real Buddha had come to this world. The eight dragons roared endlessly. The power of the dragons accompanied that of the Buddhist fist, and together they charged at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian handled all of these casually and did not even bother hiking up his aura. He let the scary power come at him again and again. However, not even the corners of his clothes were touched by the power.


    The golden ray spilled all over the world. The overwhelming power rolled down as though they had come from the Milky Way. The scary clash between these two lasted until the evening.


    An immeasurable amount of energy spilled all over, and yet the five-colored ray captured all of them without letting any more of them spill out.


    The cultivators who were observing the fight saw the ground splitting open and closed up again; the trees being destroyed and regrew again.


    Eventually, Huangji Fo''s aura started to drop. His power was weakening.


    Shen Lian finally acted. He stood up like a deity who held the Dao in his hand and walked out from the void. He was shooting tangible silver rays from his eyes, and the rays could sweep away all obstacles within seconds.


    The silver-white ray triumphed over the moonlight in the sky. Everyone felt their heart beating with excitement.

 Chapter 308 I Heard That You Have the Pure Yang Technique, and That It Is Wondrous.

    Even after a full day had passed, the impact of Huangji Fo''s death news was still not watered down.


    He was a master who had walked on this world for centuries, and yet he did not die at the hands of his nemesis, Hong Yangzi. He gave it his best and ended up getting his spirit exterminated effortlessly by a teenage Daoist. He died instantly and might not even have a chance to be reincarnated.


    Some had recognized the teenage Daoist to be Zhenren Shen from Qing Xuan.


    Apparently, rumor had it that his actual age was less than fifty years old, and even by mortal standards, he was still in his prime. To cultivators, someone of his age was as good as a child.


    However, this teenage Daoist managed to cultivate at an incredible speed that was comparable to that of the reincarnation of a celestial.


    He was already the chief of one of the four main Daoist sects at such young age, and he got to where he was because of his capabilities.


    Everyone would agree that no one below the state of immortality could rival Zhenren Shen, and he was likely to have entered into the celestial state that countless cultivators were chasing after.


    The fact that he was young gave the other cultivators mixed feelings.


    Although attaining Dao was not a race, it was difficult to remain calm when faced with someone who proceeded at such monstrous speed.


    Even in the past five thousand years, there was only one person who could rival his progress - Lu Jiuyuan.


    However, even when Lu Jiuyuan attained Dao and immortality, he was more than fifty years old. At that rate that Zhenren Shen was going, it was likely that he could achieve the unexpected and cultivate his Primordial Spirit before he was fifty, and attain Dao and immortality from there on.


    Even compared to ancient times when the world was filled with talented individuals, this speed of cultivation would still be scary.


    Shen Lian killed Huangji Fo with his Deity Vanquishing Sword. In spite of the side effects, this was the best option that could ensure that he was eradicated completely so as to avoid any possible complications.


    After attaining the state of Huandan, there were plenty of occult techniques for cultivators to work on. Even if a person was exterminated, it would not be surprising for the person to come back from the dead. This was due to the development of the realm of cultivation over the years. Although people in this era might not enjoy the cultivation conditions that the ancients enjoyed during their times, the current techniques, albeit not as powerful, might have more wondrous uses in comparison. This was due to generations of research and development, leading to the birth of countless occult techniques.


    Thus, Shen Lian thought that the safest way would be to utilize a technique that attacked one''s spirit, such as the Deity Vanquishing Sword. This would maximize his chance of completely eliminating his opponent.


    It was not that he lacked empathy and did not take pity on the difficulties that his opponent had gone through during the cultivation process, but he knew that Huangji Fo was not someone who had grace and class. Moreover, his Dharma was powerful. Hence, he could not risk giving him a chance to rise again. He had to take the extreme measure in order to protect the people around him from harm.


    Huangji Fo captured Qixiu mercilessly in order to attain Dao. What he was cultivating had a hint of evilness to it, and it was not a pure Buddhist Dharma. Moreover, he ended up straying to the wrong path, cultivated the eight dragons, and had invited foreign deity to enter his body. Despite the rise in his mana and strength, his foundation was messed up. Even if he could unveil his nature and heart, there was no way that he could attain the state of Golden-Bodied Arhat.


    On the other hand, the Dao formula of Zizai Temple focused on entering Dao from the Buddhist perspective. It was extremely pure and pointed to the fundamental Dharma of Dao. There were plenty of holy deities that came from the sect.


    Huangji Fo thought about it and wanted to look into the Dharma of Dao; with that, he wanted to make up for his own deficiencies.


    Moreover, so happened that it was the time of Daluo Devotion Ceremony. He wanted to take advantage of the chaotic Qi dynamic of Jimo Peak and hide from Daoist Liuqing. Moreover, he was aware that trial was about to befall upon Qixiu. Hence, he wanted to ride on the tide. Unfortunately, he ended up getting caught in the current and rendering his several hundred years of hard work into nothing.


    Regardless of Huangji Fo''s plan, everything was meaningless due to his lack of capabilities.


    Shen Lian did not feel beaten, he was merely recognizing the essence of the world and the law of survival of the fittest. This was not something that he could change.


    Even if he had just killed someone of a master''s level, he did not feel any ripple in his heart. It was as though he had just done something small and insignificant.


    After killing Huangji Fo, he sat on a rock at the waist of the mountain. He remained silent as he watched the misty mountains and observed the sky.


    Song Qingyi and Qixiu did not want to bother him, but it did not feel right for them to leave either. Hence, they ended up waiting at the back.


    Song Qingyi noticed that there was something unique about Shen Lian that he could not pinpoint. It was not because that he had killed Huangji Fo and overwhelmed the world with his power. The essence of the way of Dao could be seen in him now.


    Despite the drastic difference between Shen Lian and his teacher, Lu Jiuyuan, but somehow he could connect these two together. He could not explain why. Perhaps, after the experts in the world had reached the pinnacle, they were similar to each other to a certain extent.


    Although Shen Lian was far from being at the pinnacle of the human realm, he could definitely reach the pinnacle with time.


    At this point, it was unlikely that anyone would doubt that.


    The sun rose again, and it was at this moment that Shen Lian stood up and smiled at Song Qingyi. "What are you both doing here?" He asked.


    "We are worried about you," Qixiu spoke.


    Shen Lian''s calm gaze fell on Qixiu, and he noticed how pure her Qi of Dao was. The Saintess who served under Huangji Fo was frightened by Shen Lian and abandoned the bamboo basket out of panic. Hence, the instrument was back in Qixiu''s possession again.


    She carried the bamboo basket, and she did look like a Guanyin who was carrying the bamboo basket - kind and wise.


    "I am fine. Both of you should leave now, it would be best if we do not cross paths again," Shen Lian replied.


    "Shen Lian, do you see us as a burden?" Song Qingyi queried.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother Song, let''s leave. Brother Shen is right," Qixiu replied dejectedly.


    Both of them left after Qixiu offered her advice to Song Qingyi.


    Shen Lian sighed. The misfortune that took place at the Flying Celestials Island had happened partially due to Shen Lian. Nothing good would come from this ill-fated relationship. With his current level of cultivation, he still could not predict the actual impact yet. However, it was something that would happen sooner or later.


    The human relationships were complicated and messy, he still could not break apart from all of these yet. The least he could do was to avoid complicating matters.


    Under the setting sun at Jimo Peak, there was a Daoist temple called Zhengyang Temple. It had always been a property of Hongyang Sect.


    Jimo Peak was the home to Luo Order, and there were countless Buddhist and Daoist temples built atop of it. These were the strongholds of the various branches of Luo Order.


    Hong Yangzi had spent quite a significant amount of time at Zhengyang Temple. Ever since his clash against Huangji Fo, he realized a deficiency in his technique and had gone into solitary retreat to work on it.


    It was only after he came out from his solitary retreat that he found out that his apprentice, Cang Yingzi was captured by Huangji Fo.


    However, he could not revenge against Huangji Fo anymore; this nemesis of his was dead.


    When his followers reported the news to him, Hong Yangzi was incredibly shocked. Even the joy of having overcome his deficiency was watered down. He was not as worried for Cang Yingzi anymore.


    It did not take long for his initial shock to turn into worries.


    He received a letter - each of the strokes seemed to be drawn by iron and silver; the sword aura oozed through from the strokes.


    "I heard that you have the Pure Yang Technique, and that it is wondrous. Midnight tonight, where Taiyin is complete, and Yin and Yang are one, I will be coming for it."


    The sender did not sign off on the letter.

 Chapter 309 Invitation from the King of Hell

    The sender did not sign off on the letter, but Hong Yangzi already knew who he was.


    This was definitely handwritten by Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan himself. Each stroke was akin to the mark of Dao. All of the strokes were natural and seemed like the work of nature.


    Even from a calligraphy point of view, this was something that deserved generations of fame.


    When inspecting the meaning it held closely, one would see the casualness of the author. As though the author heard something by chance, and penned his intention down in a carefree manner - there was nothing serious about it.


    If the author was just anyone, he would have dismissed it easily. However, he knew that Shen Lian indeed had the capabilities to place himself on the pedestal and looked down at everyone.


    In fact, Hong Yangzi felt proud that Shen Lian took notice of his Dao techniques. He felt like his life spent cultivating Dao was not spent in vain.


    Upon realizing what he was thinking, Hong Yangzi was not angered; if anything, he felt that it was something inevitable.


    Even before midnight had come, he acknowledged his defeat through and through.


    After all, Huangji Fo was the nemesis whom he had spent a good half of his life battling against. To think that he faced such a devastating defeat against Shen Lian, Hong Yangzi felt slightly better for himself. The Daoist child in the Daoist temple heard him saying, "Child, take good care of this letter. It might be more precious than our fundamental Dao formula in the future."


    The night was chilly, and the lake in the distance looked like a mirror. In the cold and dark night, it looked like calligraphy ink.


    The moon hanging above was big and round, and Taiyin was complete; the Dao rhythm was natural.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu were seated at the small tower next to the lake, and they were marveling at the reflection of the bright moon in the center of the lake. The image of the moon was distorted by the ripples in the water. The dots of light decorated the lake.


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked around with her beautiful eyes. "The view is great tonight, I like it," she said.


    Shen Lian replied, "The moon is up every night, the lake has always been here. It is just that unlike us, everyone else is too occupied to be enjoying the view."


    Zhao Xiaoyu stared at Shen Lian''s long and fair fingers; they seemed as though they were made out of ivory, and there were not any visible pores. This pair of hands could perform impressive Daoist techniques, and they could also wield swordcraft that could not be seen elsewhere in the world. Whether they are used to kill or rescue depended on him.


    She had never admired someone as much as she did Shen Lian; Shen Lian was the first, and he was definitely the last.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "Indeed, the toughest thing to have in the world is definitely ''leisure''. To achieve this would be more pleasant than being a celestial," she said.


    Shen Lian sighed as he replied, "Xiaoyu, you are wrong. There is nothing pleasant about being a celestial in the human realm."


    "You are closer to being a celestial than I am, it seems like I am in no position to debate with you," she smiled.


    "Xiaoyu, you are wrong again. Even after becoming a celestial or Buddha, there is no way that one could stray away from human nature. Holy deities, at the end of the day, they are still part of the world. Immortal as they are, they remain trapped in the reincarnation cycle," Shen Lian spoke casually, as though he was unveiling the ultimate truth.


    "Regardless, it would be nice to be immortal for a while. Though, some people might not understand this," Zhao Xiaoyu hinted.


    "Since one could not understand, one might as well just die," Shen Lian spoke softly.


    The ivory-like fair fingers turned into the scythe of the Grim Reaper within seconds. The next moment, the ten fingers were moving in the air and a low hum could be heard; it was as though the clear stream was singing under the moonlight. Countless columns of water shot out of the surface of the lake that calm moments before.


    The wind howled so loudly that it could be heard from anywhere.


    Shen Lian''s mana reached every corner within a one-mile radius, and his mana was refined.


    Each drop of lake water became an extension of his sight; each drop of lake water could contain his mana.


    Right now, he was no different from the deities. His Dao was endless, so was his mana.


    The once calm lake was full of violent waves that threatened to engulf the tower. Jimo Peak that stood far away hid amidst the clouds, and it looked eternal and solemn. It was impervious to the howling of the lake water.


    Amongst the sound of water and the wind, one''s heartbeat merged naturally within it; there was no difference anymore.


    Even with the sharpest spiritual sense, it was hard to tell the difference.


    Shen Lian did not seem to notice the difference either.


    The moonlight was akin to water, and the lake water was rolling. In the void, the tip of the sword could be seen, and it was flowing over along with the water.


    This was a powerful move; it was a simple motion that did not contain any abstruseness.


    However, even with repeated practice, one might not even be able to reproduce the move.


    The sword pierced open the void, and it disappeared without a trace. It was rebirthed in the void again, and it appeared without any previous signs. It seemed to carry both light and shadow within it and was moving as fast as lighting.


    It was only when the tip of the sword appeared that the murderous intentions started to flood the tower.


    This move was directed to Zhao Xiaoyu.


    The tip of the sword broke through the moonlight, the slight glint was reflected in Shen Lian''s eyes, causing him to feel chilliness from the depths of his heart.


    The determination that came along with countless training excited Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will that had become part of his spirit.


    If it was not for such pure murderous thoughts, there was no way that he could have activated the sword will that he had inherited from Grandmaster Yuanqing.


    Even when faced with such pure murderous thoughts, Zhao Xiaoyu remained calm. She was not stunned, but she trusted Shen Lian wholeheartedly. In fact, she did not even bother gathering her mana.


    The sword will within Shen Lian reacted faster than his thoughts. In the nick of time, he extended his hands and clasped his fair fingers together. The tip of the sword was stopped right in its track when it was about to make contact with Zhao Xiaoyu.


    The tip of the sword was vibrating. It seemed to have vibrated thousands of times in the blink of an eye. The power it carried was unimaginably scary, and it exploded within the confined space.


    The power was sufficient to destroy everything around the area - including the owner of the tip of the sword, the scary assassin.


    However, red ray exploded from the fair fingers. Meaning of Dao as solid as the ground flowed out, and it calmed one''s heart.


    The scary power was like an unstoppable flood; eventually, it was overpowered by the solidity of the ground. After releasing all of the remaining waves, it became quiet and still.


    A drop of blood dripped from Shen Lian''s finger. The surrounding atmosphere was quiet.


    With a flick of his finger, Shen Lian turned the droplet of blood into mist. It shrouded the air and a shadow appeared.


    The blood mist functioned as a net and restrained the person tightly. Flicking on the tip of the sword with his bent fingers, the impressive weapon was swallowed by the red ray and turned into a pool of iron water.


    The palm was bloody.


    This was the hand that held the sword, and this was also the hand of the assassin.


    Beyond the azure clouds, there was a sky beyond the sky. The assassin was from beyond the sky - Tianwaitian.


    When Shen Lian restrained him, a scary wave of energy rippled outwards and the entire tower was turned into ashes. Not even the slightest bit of the tower was left. It was as though no tower existed at that spot in the first place.


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu were not in the tower, but they were in the sky, amidst the clouds. They were soaked in the mercury-like moonlight, and they looked otherworldly.


    They watched as the lake water engulfed the ashes of the tower and washed away all traces of it. Only then did Shen Lian speak, "Even now, I still find Tianwaitian very intimidating."


    Even though Shen Lian defeated the assassin effortlessly, he did not feel happy at all.


    Only Zhao Xiaoyu understood why; at this point of cultivation, the assassin self-destructed without hesitation. This was the scariest part about Tianwaitian, and it even triumphed over their assassination methods.


    As the Daoist scriptures said, "The people have no fear of death, why threaten them with it?"


    When a person who was ready to give up his life easily had great mana at his disposal, he was a bigger threat than the state itself.


    Moreover, in organizations that specialized in the Dao of Killing such as Tianwaitian, there were plenty of people as such.


    The cultivators surrounding Jimo Peak received two news.


    Firstly, Hong Yangzi received the teachings of Zhenren Shen; he had decided to retreat into the mountains and paid no heed to what was happening in the world.


    Secondly, for the first time in a millennium, Tianwaitian withdrew from the mission that they had accepted.


    Both of these incidents were significant enough to generate gossip. What came as the most shocking to the cultivators was the identity of the person who made even Tianwaitian withdrew from their mission - Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan.


    Subsequently, the head of the main branches of Luo Order received an invitation card from Zhenren Shen respectively. Some people called it, ''Invitation from the King of Hell''.


    All of a sudden, the reputation enjoyed by Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan was greater than even that of his Senior Apprentice-Brother, Hall Establisher of Temple of Killings, Chen Jianmei.


    Some even said, "I would rather meet the King of Hell than Qingxia".


    Qingxia was Shen Lian''s nickname.

 Chapter 310 Five Ultimate Formations

    To be fair, amongst those from Luoism who received the Invitation from the King of Hell, only a small portion of them died. Those who got killed were either extremely evil or were cultivating some form of cruel and evil techniques, both serving as good reasons for Shen Lian to kill them.


    After Shen Lian''s intervention, there were only two of them left who were capable of competing in the Daluo Devotion Ceremony.


    One of them was Zhao Xiaoyu''s Nine Lotus Order, and the other was Sacred Nun Qingyin who had the support of Guangqing.


    In terms of mana, even if Sacred Nun Qingyin had three times her power, it would not stand a chance against Zhao Xiaoyu. Even if injured by the assassin from Tianwaitian, Zhao Xiaoyu would still be able to triumph over Sacred Nun Qingyin.


    However, Sacred Nun Qingyin had amassed considerable influences among the various branches of Luoism. She had plenty of experts to back her up. Apparently, even Guangqing Zhenrens had come to lend a helping hand during the Daluo Devotion Ceremony this time around and had shocked the petty opponents.


    Despite that Shen Lian had killed some of the members of Luo Order, after Shen Lian''s act of sending out the Invitation from the King of Hell around Jimo Peak, a lot of the branches of Luo Order gathered around him and looked up to Zhao Xiaoyu.


    These days, Shen Lian''s admiration for Zhao Xiaoyu''s methods intensified. She was a born religious leader, and she was able to conquer most of these people with her incomparable charm. They took her as their superior willingly without so much as complaining.


    Moreover, this showed how religions triumphed over celestial schools in certain aspects. At least in terms of manipulating the cultivators, they did it better than the celestial schools.


    However, most of these people were of dubious character. Despite that Shen Lian had killed most of the extremely evil individuals, those who were left were not too kind either. However, as the saying goes, ''there would not be any fishes where the water ran too clear''. Shen Lian did not have much influence over Luo Order anyway, and he decided to just let it be.


    Despite his talents and his attainment at such a young age, he was still humble around these people. After all, he bore the teachings of Qing Xuan and was knowledgeable. On top of that, he was at an advanced state of cultivation. Hence, the clash of ideas with these people ignited sparks of wisdom. He was especially moved by this.


    According to an ancient Chinese saying, it is necessary to experience the world in order to enhance one''s learning process.


    After all, the wisdom of a single person is nothing when compared to that of the masses. There would definitely be a mistake amid a thousand thoughts of the wise, and there would definitely be something to learn from a thousand thoughts of the unwise.


    Even if the masses were stupid, their combined wisdom was something even the Daoist master and Buddha could not ignore.


    While Shen Lian was discussing Dao with the rest, something was happening over Jimo Peak, at Temple Qingyin.


    Temple Qingyin was built recently by Sacred Nun Qingyin, and it was located on top of a giant rock with the radius of a few miles. It was impressive and had a hint of the calmness of Daoism.


    Chen Mubai was dressed in white, and his clothes were spotless. His expression was calm, and he walked into the hall from the outside.


    Qingyin welcomed him respectfully.


    Amongst the Twelve Zhenrens of Guangqing, Chen Mubai was the one who rarely fought against anyone. However, he was mysteriously powerful. Even Huanzhen treated him with respect usually. Apparently, he had reached an unprecedented breakthrough with the Hunyuan Qigong that he was cultivating. It evolved from what it once was and was something of its own now.


    He walked with great divine Qi, and he nodded when he saw Qingyin welcoming him. He did not seem too enthusiastic.


    Qingyin was familiar with the Uncle-Master''s demeanor and hence was not angered by his lack of enthusiasm.


    "Uncle-Master Mubai, you came at the right time. Senior Apprentice-Brother Chicheng is meditating in the inner hall," Qingyin spoke.


    Chen Mubai replied, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Chicheng is here? Perfect, I have something that I wanted to discuss with Apprentice-Brother."


    The Twelve Zhenrens of Guangqing Sect were all at the state of Powang. They could travel to somewhere that was a thousand miles away within half a day. Hence, most of them stayed far apart from each other instead of being closely clustered. Most of the time, they were not in Mount Taicang, but were at their respective residences outside of the mountain. They rarely appear at the same place together.


    After entering the inner hall, a Daoist dressed in a red robe sat on the cloud couch. It was hard to estimate his age by his appearance, but his sideburns were greyish. It was clear that he did not have much time left in life. He looked normal, but his eyes seemed to be covered with a thin film of yellow light. They were clear and pure, and there seemed to be vitality within it. The details within were hard to observe.


    He kept his mustache short and light yellow. His Daoist updo was held in place with a jade hairpin, and there was a pine sword hanging on his waist.


    "I haven''t seen you in thirty years, and Mubai, you look even better than when I last saw you," the Daoist in red spoke after noticing Chen Mubai''s arrival.


    Chen Mubai saw the Daoist in red. The Daoist in red was his Uncle-Master, Daoist Dengfeng''s direct disciple, Chicheng. He cultivated the Taiyue Real Shape Incantation, and his attainment was comparable to that of Daoist Dengfeng back in his prime. His mana was forceful, and there were not many with the rank of immortal Zhenren who could rival him. He kowtowed and spoke, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Chicheng, please stop making fun of me. Since entering the state of Powang, I''m fraught with different emotions. I definitely do not look as good as I used to."


    Chicheng replied, "Mubai, for you to say something like that, shows that you finally have a taste of Dao, and you still have it better than people like me who cultivated in penance." He smiled and gestured for Chen Mubai to take a seat.


    Qingyin went to brew some tea for the two of them.


    The Twelve Zhenrens of Guangqing did not have harmonious relationships. When the ranking was being sorted out, there was a competition going on. The reason Huanzhen was placed at the top was not due to the fact that he was more powerful than the rest, rather it was because Yuming the Honored Celestial had named him as the next chief. As the chief of the sect, his social status was naturally higher than the rest.


    As for the rest, some had attained the state of Huandan earlier than others, and they were all at least Eight Transformations and above. In the earlier years, there was some dissatisfaction amongst them.


    Initially, Chen Mubai thought after the surge in his supernatural powers in recent years, his Senior Apprentice-Brother would not be able to match his attainment in spite of his seniority. However, he was surprised at how his Senior Apprentice-Brother was not bothered by petty things as such anymore and had seen significant improvement in his cultivation. This confused Chen Mubai.


    After all, they were from the same sect, and whatever competition that they had between them was beneficial and constructive. Chen Mubai was not bothered by it at all.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother, you have such a mature state of mind, I must say I am impressed. I wonder if you have any good countermeasures for the current development at Jimo Peak?" He replied in a serious tone.


    Both of them stopped beating around the bush after the previous polite exchanges.


    Chicheng smiled and spoke, "Zhenren Shen''s move was good in the sense that he had eliminated the petty individuals, and things are quieter now. However, it is clear that he is trying to make Zhao Xiaoyu the Daluo Saintess. Even if both of our sects were not on bad terms, to begin with, this is still something that we could never agree on. However, he has seen his nature now, and it is only a matter of time before he takes the final step. This is very worrying and scary indeed. Mubai, you have probably observed him in secret before, you must have something to say about this."


    Chen Mubai replied, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, you are right. Zhenren Shen is talented, and it was very careless of us to allow him to get to where he is now. Back in the mountains, Senior Apprentice-Brother Huanzhen talked about this remorsefully too. To be honest, I sneaked another peek at Zhenren Shen again. His mana is definitely something that we cannot rival. Though, this is a good opportunity."


    Chicheng glanced at Chen Mubai, as though he saw this coming, "Zhenren Shen''s whereabouts are either uncertain or he would be residing in Qing Xuan. This time around, he used harsh methods to frighten everyone and has challenged the experts in Luoism. However, this has exposed his whereabouts. Junior Apprentice-Brother, are you trying to take the edge off his spirit?"


    "That is right, I intend to set up the Five Ultimate Formations and invite him over. Senior Apprentice-Brother, what do you think about it?"

 Chapter 311 True Void

    Celestial techniques were endlessly abstruse.


    Shen Lian has restored the building that was destroyed by the Tianwaitian assassin. With a couple of Dao techniques, he built a small building that came with a scenic view of a lake landscape.


    Cultivators were generally efficient people. Under the leadership of Zhao Xiaoyu, the believers of Luoism too managed to build several small houses surrounding the small building for temporary living. In no time, they turned the place into a celestial square that practiced trading. From elixirs, secret techniques to instruments, everything could be found here. It was somewhat surprising, but at the same time, it made sense.


    After all, if a celestial being or Buddha stayed in a place for long, they would attract cultivators around them. Back then, the founder of Luoism did not intend to form a big religion. He was knowledgeable about Dao and was actively interacting with fellow believers on Jimo Peak. Not long after, people who wanted to seek Dao started gathering there and that was the earliest foundation of Luoism.


    However, they did not have unity and eventually lost their influence and disintegrated.


    Although Zhao Xiaoyu has yet to achieve the celestial state, she possessed unrivaled leadership skills. She started off by riding on Shen Lian''s wave but eventually earned the respect of fellow cultivators.


    Shen Lian was genuinely impressed by Zhao Xiaoyu. If he was in her shoes, he would not perform as well as she did.


    After days of discussing on metaphysics and Dao, Shen Lian finally had some leisure time for himself.


    He was meditating in the quiet room.


    He had a sudden afflatus followed by a ray of light. A silhouette was visible outside the small building. Shen Lian speculated and immediately knew who it belonged to. It was the sacred nun, Qingyin.


    Before he could transmit his thoughts via telepathy, he noticed that Qingyin handed a letter to the believer who was guarding the small building.


    She then left swiftly as if she did not dare to enter the place.


    Shen Lian understood that this was a letter of challenge. After all these days, a legitimate challenge finally came, and he hoped that this challenge would not disappoint him.


    He received the so-called letter of challenge from the believer and let out a laugh. His opponent actually wanted to set up the Five Ultimate Formations and invited him to come to Jimo Peak''s Yuhua Stage in ten days time.


    Apparently, Yuhua Stage was the place where the founder of Luoism preaches Dao. Rumour had it that people would still be able to hear the founder''s resonance once in a while. However, the frequency of the appearance of the resonance decreased over time.


    But that was not surprising as nothing lasts forever, moreover the Dao resonance of the founder.


    The fact that it actually lasted for such long period of time showed that founder''s luck was comparable to a Daoist master''s or Buddha''s.


    Qingyin did not bother to seal the letter of challenge and left the contents exposed as she passed it to the guard. There was no point in sealing it as the news would travel fast and they were not worried about Shen Lian turning down the challenge.


    Moreover, they would be the one setting up the formation and Shen Lian would be the one solving it. From another perspective, it could be seen as a battle of reasoning.


    However, this battle of reasoning would not be any less relaxing compared to a deadly duel.


    Shen Lian was not afraid of it and in fact, he had some plans in mind. He could take this opportunity to pressure and push himself through the last step of the nine states of cultivation. He wanted to step into the state of Celestialism and then investigate Yanxu.


    He had a feeling that the Yanxu would know the truth behind the Qi of Sky Demon in the Taiwei Pavilion.


    Furthermore, this immortal Zhenren was a traitor and a threat to Qing Xuan. It was best to have him captured.


    He analyzed for a bit and then went into a state of spiritual calmness. He only woke up three days later.


    Shen Lian was ready to attend the Five Ultimate Formations challenge by the Sacred Nun Qingyin. People were aware of the challenge and it was one of the most anticipated events. Zhao Xiaoyu was in a solitary retreat to rehabilitate from her injuries. However, shocked by the news, she came out from her retreat. She wanted to meet Shen Lian but he was meditating. She came once and left.


    Once Shen Lian entered the state of spiritual calmness, he would roam around with Taixu and have natural defense due to his techniques. He would be more aware than he usually was and if someone tried to harm him, the person would be mercilessly attacked by Shen Lian''s protection spells.


    Although fiction always depicted that a connoisseur would die or lose his powers if he was ambushed when in solitary retreat, that was not the case for Shen Lian.


    That was also not the case for most people who were in a similar state as him.


    Ultimately, one would have broken away from practicing Qi and leveled up to understand Xuan and attain enlightenment after achieving Huandan. Otherwise, Huandan would not have been known as ''entering the path of Daoism''. Only after achieving this state, one would be considered to be different from the masses.


    When Shen Lian was awakened, he would not go back to meditate. Fortunately, there were seven days more to the Five Ultimate Formations challenge and he was about to get ready and depart.


    He walked out of the small building and noticed the pale white atmosphere. It was solemn and melancholic.


    Apparently, a person of Huandan level has passed away in a sitting posture at this very place. It would be a different story if a cultivator died of vendetta or if a cultivator passed on in a sitting posture.


    Nobody could decline their destiny when it was time to leave. Several cultivators were emotionally affected by the passing.


    Some people started feeling confused and lost as it occurred to them that everything, the joy, the happiness and the fun, would be nothing once doomsday approaches.


    Even if you possessed special instruments and supernatural powers, if you failed to obtain immortality and failed to understand Dao, you would eventually die and turn into soil.


    How much more depressing this could be?


    Shen Lian could hear people reciting, "Eternal venerable mother, the hometown of the true void."


    ''The hometown of the true void'' referred to the sacred land of the Luoism cultivators. It was similar to the heaven for Daoist Sects and the Western Paradise for Buddhist Sects.


    Their divine thoughts had produced a pure force of faith.


    Generally, such faith would be attributed to an unknown place but as Shen Lian''s divine thoughts were so refined, he could trace the faith to somewhere nearby.


    He followed the traces and saw Zhao Xiaoyu who was dressed in white. She was barefooted and her hair was down; her gaze seemed to be coated with a layer of black porcelain as it looked cold and pure, and she seemed to be recovering well from her injuries.


    Shen Lian investigated with his divine thoughts and that caught Zhao Xiaoyu''s attention as both of their divine thoughts interacted in the void.


    Shen Lian noticed another person that was definitely not Zhao Xiaoyu. That was an innate god smiling with a kind solemn face, a head full of white hair, dressed in a ceremonial robe with both hands holding on the Bagua. It looked like the incarnations of both Buddha and Dao.


    It also gave out an air of suffering in the secular mortal world.


    It brought out the sorrow in Shen Lian as he felt the misery of the world. He could not help his desire to hug this god.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoyu released a pure ray of light, as if she wanted to eliminate all filth.


    In this brief moment, Shen Lian''s spirit regained clearness as the gleam of a sword came through in the void to interrupt that air of suffering. At the same time, he could hear Zhao Xiaoyu whisper.


    He went to her side and tapped the middle of her back to disperse the mysterious power with the five elements of Qi of Dan.


    Zhao Xiaoyu seemed to be awake and her eyes were clear as usual. In a gentle soft voice she said to Shen Lian, "I am fine, please don''t worry about me."

 Chapter 312 Before Entering the Formation

    Shen Lian stayed silent for a while to sort out his train of thoughts. He then said, "The last step of the Book of Nine Lotus is the ''Abstruse True Void'', the inextinguishable divine aura. Although you took the shortcut by seeking for external sources, however as a consequence your future path is now extended further.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled and responded, "I live in the moment."


    Shen Lian nodded his head. It was unnecessary for him to further elaborate. She was responsible for her own decisions and would have no regrets if it was wrong.


    Furthermore, Zhao Xiaoyu was an extremely mysterious person.


    The believers of Luoism were sentimental towards life and death while Shen Lian ascended to the podium. Every word he uttered and every step he took were unpredictably abstruse. He was not preaching about Xuanmen fundamentals but the abstruse Dao of the true void.


    The way of Dao have the same goals. Moreover, Shen Lian was able to have a better understanding of the practices of Luoism after interacting with the believers. The cultivation practice of Luoism was in fact quite similar to Qingxuan as both emphasized on the cultivation of the mind and all that things were created by the mind.


    Although the nature of Luoism was related to the way of Dao, their derivative methods were too unorthodox and thus their practice and cultivation were inconsistent.


    Only with great wisdom, would one be able to appreciate the essence of Luoism and the founder''s original intentions?


    The more Shen Lian was in contact with the believers, the more he felt that there must be a guideline or general method besides the Book of Nine Lotus to rule the religion.


    The Book of Nine Lotus was originally from the Nine Lotus Order. With a touch of Louism''s doctrine, it took on the path of Shen to become a powerful method of martial exercises.


    But with his ability, the founder of Luoism would not have limited himself to the path of Shen but also spanned across authentic Xuanmen cultivation methods.


    Although legend has it that the founder did not pass down any written records of his methods, Shen Lian did not believe that a person like him would not have set down his lifelong cultivation into something to pass down.


    With Shen Lian''s current ability, it was still impossible for him to deduce the original intention of the founder even if he received the secret teachings from the different branches of Luoism. It was also unnecessary for him to seek unorthodox methods, as Qing Xuan itself has too many legitimate techniques and the Taixu Strategy was also related to Dao of Yin Yang and five elements.


    He only wanted to comprehend by analogy and at the same time diversify his cultivation experience.


    The more Shen Lian cultivated, the more he understood why ancient celestials and Buddha preached so zealously. No matter how hard he tried to pave a new path, he would always miss out something. Preaching to the masses was in a way using the masses'' wisdom to self-reflect. He used that to look for a direction in his path to Dao.


    However, this would also expose some of his weaknesses, so it has its pros and cons. Overall, preaching Dao selflessly was not necessarily an act of generosity.


    Shen Lian''s divine Qi was active as he arrived at the mountain peak a day before the challenge.


    In the outdoors, one would be able to see the condensation of the Qi vitality of the heaven and earth above Shen Lian''s head. It looked like a huge dragon and roared like the wind. The scene lasted for a day and as the time for challenge approached, the dragon gradually disappeared into the void and eventually vanished.


    The stars above the sky of Jimo Peak were shining brightly, just like a bustling swarm of fireflies that gathered by the river. It was a cloudless moonlit night with the milky way spanning across the vault of heaven. No one knew where it began and nor where it was heading to. Vaguely, people could hear the sound of a flowing stream coming from Yuhua Stage.


    This was in fact not the sound of flowing stream but the Five Ultimate Formations set up by the connoisseurs of Guangqing. Although it did not look stunning, the Qi of vitality was as vigorous as a coursing river. The sound of the flowing stream was caused by the vibrato of the Qi of vitality of the river that shook the void.


    As the Qi of vitality was extremely condensed, it attracted many spirited creatures. The flora and fauna surrounding that area was nourished by the Qi of vitality and was in full bloom; the fragrance of the flowers even lingered over a ten-mile radius.


    Even at the foot of the Jimo Peak, people could feel that Yuhua Stage had become the celestial environment on earth.


    Nominally, the purpose of the Five Ultimate Formations was to invite Shen Lian over to the peak. However, the real objective behind the challenge was to settle the score between the Five Zhenrens of Guangqing and the most outstanding Daoist of the era, Zhenren Shen.


    Several busy bodied cultivators arrived in advance to reserve a good spot or even set up their flying arc or sword gleam to get a good view of the void.


    If the cultivator was highly experienced, he would be able to get a seat within a ten-mile radius of Yuhua Stage. On the other hand, lowly experienced cultivators would sit outside of a hundred-mile radius as they do not want to be involved should there be any unforeseen circumstances.


    As a result of this outbreak, the event has become a major happening in the world of cultivation. After all, the number of these cultivators, regardless of their cultivation experience, were in the thousands.


    The gleam released by these thousands of cultivators took the spotlight of the stars in the sky.


    Looking up from the ground, people would have mistaken the gleams as sky lanterns floating in the void. It was a stunning scene.


    A floating white cloud could be seen at the edge of the blue sky. Under the clear sky of stars, the cloud was really eye-catching. An old Daoist and Daoist nun were peacefully seated on the cloud. They possessed an air of celestialism and had a star-like gaze, they did not show signs of old age.


    They were followed by ten or more sword gleams and those obviously belonged to their disciples.


    Several knowledgeable cultivators recognized the old Daoist and Daoist nun and saluted them from afar. Apparently the two old Daoist and Daoist nun were the two Doyens of Qinshan who had been cultivating for over five hundred years. They were equally as famous as Daoist Baishi and have extremely strong mana.


    Moreover, the two Doyens of Qinshan were Dao partners and have always been together and mastered the same Dao techniques. Legend had it that they have dealt with immortal Zhenren without acquiring so much as a scratch. No one knew if that was a fact or a fib but people could not help but felt more respect for them.


    Sacred Nun Qingyin was humble towards the two Doyens of Qinshan. Her five uncle-masters were occupied with the Five Ultimate Formations and thus she took the task of ushering them personally.


    It seemed that the two Doyens of Qinshan were around the area. As they heard about the challenge, they decided to come and witness out of curiosity.


    Qingyin was good at entertaining the guests. She was able to entertain the two Doyens with just a couple of small talks.


    She then ushered the two Doyens and their disciples to a spot near Yuhua Stage. Meanwhile, Chen Mubai and several other cultivators greeted the two Doyens via telepathy.


    About thirty minutes later, Shen Lian had yet to show up.


    The night was about to end and in a while more, it would be considered as the second day. Some cultivators started to think that maybe Shen Lian did not have the guts to show up.


    Among them, a young girl who was a disciple of the two Doyens of Qinshan impatiently said, "Looks like he doesn''t deserve the reputation of the chief of the four main Dao sects after all."


    This young girl was none other than the only daughter of the two Doyens.


    Cultivators were cut off of reproductive means and it would be an unexpected fortune to have children. The two Doyens were already in their sixth or seventh hundred years and yet, they were able to conceive a daughter; that was certainly the mercy of the heavens. They had no hopes of attaining immortality and thus spoilt their daughter greatly, causing her to be so rude and arrogant.


    As there was no application of sound insulation spell at the venue, every cultivator who attended the challenge, near or far, were able to hear it loud and clear.


    Someone said sarcastically, "If the four main sects do not deserve their reputation, then what about the two Doyens of Qinshan?"


    Although the audiences felt that the girl was rude, no one expected someone would stand up and refute. They turned to the source of the voice, a clear ray of sword gleam appeared with bursting loud sound and in a split second, landed on Yuhua Stage.

 Chapter 313 A Picturesque Landscape Fitting For a Hero

    The attention moved to the top of Yuhua Stage as a handsome young Daoist appeared. He had sword-like eyebrows and was oozing an air of savage. His eyes were so forceful that people did not dare to look at him directly and wanted to run away from him.


    Qingyin was stunned to see this person. She was reminded of the rumors about this person and did not dare to say much as she wanted to avoid trouble.


    The ignorant young girl was terribly spoilt by her parents and said to the young Daoist, "How dare you."


    She wanted to continue insulting the young Daoist but she started feeling the chills as a loud thunder could be heard. It was as if she fell into an ice cave and it was too cold for her to speak.


    A pair of black and white sword gleam flashed across her. It was her parent''s Double Poles Magnetic Sword that blocked the green sword gleam.


    "The thunderous sword aura... Daoist Chen, you are indeed a prodigy of swordcraft. Please forgive my naive daughter who spoke without thinking." The person who spoke was the old Daoist. His bright eyes were looking straight into the young Daoist who happened to be the genius swordsman of Qing Xuan, Chen Jianmei.


    The old Daoist nun sarcastically said, "Why are you afraid of him, old man? Even if his Killing Sword is invincible, our Double Poles Magnetic Sword never failed us." As the black and white sword gleam intertwined to produce an extreme pulling force, the green sword gleam vanished into thin air.


    The cultivators present at the scene could not help but hold their breath. Chen Jianmei was on a different level and his thunderous sword aura was a feat that several immortal Zhenren could not achieve and the two Doyens of Qinshan could actually crush it. Clearly, they had the upper hand.


    Although it was the combination of two separate powers, they worked together as a couple and the bystanders were speechless.


    Chen Jianmei stared coldly as the long sword on his back started groaning.


    He looked like he was ready for a big fight.


    At this very moment, Chen Mubai''s voice could be heard, "Daoist Chen, now that you''re here, are you going to assist Zhenren Shen in solving the formations? But it seemed that Zhenren Shen was delayed by something. Considering that the two of you are apprentice-brothers, why don''t you take up the challenge instead?"


    Chen Jianmei laughed out loud, "Chen Mubai, what a well-thought out plan! I should enter just because you tell me to? Who do you think I am? I was just about to kill you as an offering to my Killing Sword."


    "We have also known that you are a tyrannical person. But if you insist on behaving as such today, the five of us would have no choice but to team up and fight."


    Each of the Five Ultimate Formations released turbulent flows with thundering sounds that shattered the ground. It was louder than Chen Jianmei''s thunderous sword aura. The five of them combined into one and was imposing overwhelming force on Chen Jianmei.


    Chen Jianmei was not frightened by it as the groaning of his sword was intensifying and showed no signs of stopping.


    The two Doyens of Qinshan looked at each other and had the same thought. They were well aware that they would die eventually a couple hundred of years later.


    They were fine with the idea of death but they were concerned that no one would look after their daughter after their departure.


    Might as well do Guangqing a favor and maybe send their daughter to Guangqing. They have always wanted to enroll their daughter in an Xuanmen sect.


    However, the four main Dao sects were extremely strict and difficult to enter without luck. They have tried several times and even put down their pride for her, but they still failed to enroll her. That was also partially the reason why their daughter was so mad earlier on and said that the four main Dao sects were undeserving of their reputation.


    They claimed that they were around the area and decided to drop by for the event. In actuality, they had other intentions.


    Cultivators emphasized fate and swimming with the current. Now that they were in this situation and the five Zhenrens were present, they thought of being in the good books of Guangqing.


    With such intentions, the pair of black and white swords'' gleams dashed towards the sky and intertwined like a big grinding plate and charged towards Chen Jianmei.


    The double poles of the magnet was an ultimate sword technique by an ancient sword celestial. When the two of them combined, they would be as powerful as the fundamentals of a land immortal.


    But their powers were only sufficient to provide them the credentials to fight at the level of a land immortal. They stood no chance at all in beating celestials and Buddhas.


    Despite that, the power of the Yin Yang Grinding Plate should never be underestimated.


    Chen Jianmei had to first face the pressure from the five Zhenrens but as the Yin Yang Grinding Plate came charging towards him, the pressure intensified. As he was born a swordsman, he did not crumble under this tidal wave of pressure and instead the fighting spirit of his sword arose.


    The mighty sword was like a bamboo growing between rocks. Instead of being crushed under pressure, it grew even bigger.


    He single-handedly fought against seven people who were in the state of achieving Powang. Although not directly involved in the fight, it was still a nerve-wracking experience for the bystanders.


    The two Doyens of Qinshan thought that the combination between the five Zhenrens of Guangqing and two of them could crumble Chen Jianmei. Little did they know, his spirit was too solid and strong.


    Now that they have started the fight, there was no point for them to back down and all they could do was increase their power.


    Before they could defeat Chen Jianmei, the bystander cultivators felt their instrument shaking. The stars in the sky too were brighter than before as they fell from the sky.


    The spirited creatures started dancing while the cranes chirped in a crisp voice, they looked like they were welcoming something.


    A voice could be heard from the sky, "Cling to the green mountain, never give up; the bamboos take their roots in the cracks of the rocks. Though they suffer, they are still strong; unyielding regardless of where the wind blows. Senior apprentice-brother, these corpse-guarding ghosts would never understand your Daoist style."


    The wind breezed like the waves while the flowers bloomed like the sea.


    The Qi of vitality in the air was flowing endlessly as a milky way that spanned towards somewhere far away vaguely appeared in the void.


    A person riding on the waves of the void, wandered over to the scene as he sang a Dao song.


    The two Doyens of Qinshan and their daughter was awestruck when they saw young Daoist who looked like a celestial being that came out from a painting. He was dashingly handsome and had an unexplainable charisma of a Daoist.


    Shen Lian''s appearance had eased the tension in the air.


    Only people of the level of the two Doyens of Qinshan and Chen Mubai would know that Shen Lian''s Qi of dynamics was extremely thin and sharp, and could pierce through the gaps during the exchange of Qi of dynamics.


    Although he did not use any groundbreaking supernatural powers, it was indeed a frightening ability.


    Chen Mubai secretly sighed. First came Chen Jianmei, followed by Shen Lian. Why is Qing Xuan so fortunate?


    The twelve of them, him and his apprentice-brothers, they cultivated so hard for over hundreds of years in order to achieve what they have accomplished today. Only they themselves knew how hard the journey was.


    But Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei did not even cultivate for over a hundred years and yet they could easily overtake their accomplishments. Why is God so unfair?


    Shen Lian''s Qi of vitality was the Milky Way Sword Aura. He scanned every single person present at the scene and smiled. He crossed his arms behind his back and said, "Senior apprentice-brother, please give me a moment. Let''s catch up after I solve the formations."


    The bystanders were stunned and could not believe his words. How great his abilities were that he was so confident that he could break the formation in a brief moment of time.

 Chapter 314 Immortality Part 1

    Chen Jianmei''s gaze landed on Shen Lian. It had been ten years since they last met and Shen Lian had overtaken him in the road of cultivation.


    He was glad that things turned out to be as Zhang Ruoxu''s expectations.


    He was not jealous or envious of Shen Lian. He was genuinely happy that he had found an intimate friend on this lonely path of Dao.


    Chen Jianmei smiled and nodded.


    The murderous aura had locked on the two Doyens of Qinshan, causing them to be immobilized out of fear.


    They were also regretful of their actions as they never expected Shen Lian to be so frightening. Authentic Xuanmen, worldly prodigy, he sure lived up to those names. People could not help but wonder that perhaps this was his destiny and that was why he was able to accomplish so much at such a tender age.


    The thousands of bystander cultivators had their eyes fixed on Shen Lian as their hearts could not contain the excitement. Although they were nothing compared to Xuanmen sects, they had a feeling that they would witness the birth of an immortal Zhenren tonight.


    This feeling was not vague and was clearly carved in the minds of the bystanders.


    This was because Shen Lian''s form has exceeded the level of the nine states of cultivation and reached a mysterious point which people longed to achieve. That sort of worldly independent charisma was etched deeply in everyone''s soul.


    Their hopes and cheers reflected their new-found faith towards Dao and that was the dream of all cultivators.


    Shen Lian''s Daoist robe swayed with the wind and he looked stunning. He took a step out and landed on the ground.


    He looked ahead and all he saw was a vast stretch of yellow fog.


    He stepped on the soil and the yellow fog started to vanish as if an invisible black hole absorbed it. The path cleared up and a Daoist in a red robe appeared at the canopy.


    There was only a fresh aroma in the soil, no hints of filthiness.


    The red-robed Daoist walked from the canopy and kowtowed, "Greetings, Zhenren Shen."


    He was as steady as a mountain even though Shen Lian was right in front of him. There were wreaths of yellow gases around his body and a colorful cloud was concentrated above him. This showed the depth of his mana and his solid foundation, and that he was a person of Dao.


    The red-robed Daoist stood up, placed his palm vertically in front of him and said, "My name is Chicheng."


    Shen Lian nodded and smiled, "It''s great to see a successor to Daoist Dengfeng''s Taiyue Real Shape Incantation.


    Chicheng sighed, "Zhenren Shen, you are only a heartbeat away from achieving immortality. You should have stayed in solitary to become a primordial spirit. Why get yourself involved in the filth of the secular mortal world?"


    Shen Lian calmly replied, "Even when temptation knocks, you can resist it. There is no difference between me and the mortal world. When you lecture me about Dao, it sounds like a summer bug talking about winter.


    Chicheng was instantly displeased. He thought to himself, "Although your level of cultivation is higher, you did not need to insult me like that."


    But he was always afraid, as out of the Five Ultimate Formations, Shen Lian would target him first.


    Apparently, the Five Ultimate Formations were classified as gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    He was in charge of guarding the earth and was also the foundation of the Five Ultimate Formations as he has the strongest mana. In other words, if the earth formation was broken, it would be a piece of cake for Shen Lian to solve the remaining four.


    The five elements would intergenerate. Once the Five Ultimate Formations started running, it would be run endlessly. Even a celestial being or Buddha would not be able to break it so easily.


    There was nothing much left to say.


    Chicheng replied coldly, "Then we will have to see how deep is Zhenren Shen''s Xuan techniques."


    A loud thunderous sound could be heard as the atmosphere became blurry again.


    Chicheng could be heard reciting the mantra orally, "Indigenous, indigenous, indigenous within indigenous; abstruse, abstruse, abstruse and more abstruse. All verbal actions are performed in speeches and the celestials are silent. On the palm, it looks like a strange pearl; in the sky, it looks like the moon. Success exceeds material objects, it goes straight to the heaven of Daoism."


    The mantra did not stop even as Chicheng disappeared into the formation. Shen Lian''s eyes were in full focus as his spirit flowed vigorously.


    He could see that the yellow fog transitioned into clouds and its form was ever-changing.


    He clearly knew that this is the formation of the earth element. Once he fell into the morass, it would be difficult for him to come back.


    Shen Lian was calm despite being in a dangerous situation. A flock of clouds that radiated five different colors could be seen above his head. The clouds broke through the formation and the audiences saw it crystal clear.


    The formation was somber with a pressure that could suffocate anyone. It kept everyone quiet.


    As the five colored lights dashed through the barrier, people could see a stream of clear light radiating from Yuhua Stage and Jimo Peak. The bystander cultivators could not help but be amazed by the depth of Shen Lian''s Xuan techniques.


    The earth formation received endless Qi from the thickness of the soil of the ground. It could be easily transformed into unlimited murderous auras.


    Although Shen Lian''s divine Qi was able to break through the formation, he was actually greatly affected by it.


    He could not relieve the mountain-like pressure on him.


    Shen Lian then started tapping his feet on the ground and the thick yellow earth then began to crack. It was as if all Shen Lian did was lightly tap on the ground and yet the earth crumbled so effortlessly.


    Chicheng groaned as he did not expect Shen Lian to discover the node of the formation.


    His effortless tap was spot on the weakest part of the formation. It triggered the Qi of the earth and it gave Chicheng a taste of his own medicine.


    That was the frightening part of the Taixu Strategy. The four-word incantation of Interpromotion and Interrestraint, ''Sheng Ke Zhi Hua'', was the nemesis of most of the methods in the world. With Shen Lian''s talent, all he needed was the one-word incantation of ''restraint'', ''Ke'', and he could see through the changes of the formation.


    There was no need for someone like Shen Lian to delay the fight.


    In a split second, the strong aura of the sword broke open the yellow fog and charged towards Chicheng.


    Chicheng remained composed despite seeing the feisty sword aura charging towards him and having his true form revealed. He had a strong heart of Dao and stayed calmed despite being on the brink of death.


    He put his palms together and like lightning, he produced a thick earth gleam and went head-on with Shen Lian''s sword aura. Soon enough, the two forces collided and started fighting against each other.


    The thick earth gleam was not strong in attacking but was extremely well in defending.


    As their methods and techniques went against each other, loud explosions could be heard while the impacts shook the formation.


    Onlookers could only see the shaking yellow light that was filled with Qi of vitality.


    Chen Jianmei stood up with his sword in his chest. He was not concerned about Shen Lian and had full confidence in him.


    Qingyin, on the other hand, could not help but look worried. She kept looking up at the sky as if she was expecting something to come.


    Meanwhile in Lingxiao Palace of Mount Taicang, an old Daoist and a young girl stood outside of the palace. The vigorous fire stove triggered the Qi of vitality in the void as it displayed terrifying fluctuations of energy.


    The five Daoists in the Lingxiao Palace fixed their gaze on the old Daoist.


    Among them was Yuming the Honored Celestial. He said, "Senior, feel free to let us know if you need anything. There''s no need for you to block the doors."


    Daoist Dengfeng had a complicated expression as he stared into the stove. He was extremely embarrassed that the fellow who ate at his place was forcefully taken away. However, this elderly was able to use the Yin and Yang to start the True Samadhi Fire and make phenomenal elixirs. As an elixir enthusiast and master, he could not help but feel impressed.

 Chapter 315 Immortality Part 2

    It was the very first time someone blocked the doors of Mount Taicang since Yuming the Honored Celestial achieved Dao. It would have been a big news if this incident was spread out to the public.


    But the people at the Jimo Peak had no clue what was happening at Mount Taicang.


    Shen Lian entered the formation. Within a few breaths, the Five Ultimate Formations started to shake vigorously.


    Moreover, Shen Lian''s sword aura was surging high. No matter how strong Chicheng''s mana was, he has suffered greatly from the seismic force of the earth recoiling that was equivalent to the force of supreme strength. His breath was all over the place and all he could do was ward off the attack. He has no strength to counterattack.


    Looking at how vulnerable Chicheng was, a golden ray of light came out from the yellow fog.


    It looked like a long bridge with crouching waves that resembled cloud dragons.


    Vaguely, a gold mirror could be seen as the origin of the ray of gold light.


    The impeccable gold light came charging towards Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian released a ray of clear light and crushed it. The gold mirror showed no mercy and shined on Shen Lian, making him look like a gold foil.


    However, after Shen Lian radiated the five colored gleam, the gold light flash through and vanished without a trace.


    Shen Lian laughed, "An ant trying to shake a big tree; don''t bite off more than you can chew."


    Chen Mubai then appeared and was stunned. The gold light contained the five elements of gold essence that were as solid as steel. Taking a blow from the gold light would have caused him to bleed like a sieve but Shen Lian was still in one piece.


    With a motion of Shen Lian''s arm, the yellow fog reversed direction and headed towards Chen Mubai and engulfed him. Shen Lian''s Xuan technique was so refined that he could take anything in the universe and use them against others. Catching Chicheng off-guard, Shen Lian took the opportunity to take temporary control of the earth formation.


    The gold light blasted through the yellow fog as Chen Mubai used the force of the ultimate gold formation to defend himself.


    Chiheng secretly groaned as Chen Mubai fell into Shen Lian''s trap. The gold and earth elements were inter-restraining of each other. Chen Mubai''s move has prompted the Five Ultimate Formations to resolve by itself.


    The Five Ultimate Formations were no longer unified and Shen Lian could summon them as he likes. Shen Lian indeed broke the Five Ultimate Formations effortlessly within a brief moment.


    The surging Qi of vitality in the void gradually calmed down.


    Chen Mubai realized that he made a terrible decision out of desperation.


    A gush of liquid-like divine light came out from Chen Jianmei''s back. In a split second, it turned into an extremely long waterfall and the sound of water could be heard everywhere.


    Gold and water would inter-generate and that cause the Qi of Xuan to increase greatly. A Daoist nun with a hand-held horsetail whisk appeared and said, "Greetings Zhenren Shen, my name is Shui Yanlan." Her voice and her appearance looked like a woman in her prime.


    In fact, she was a Powang-level cultivator and she specialized in the Dao of True Water.


    Shui Yanlan and Chen Mubai aligned their spiritual vigor and directed it in between the gold light and waterfall. The gold light acted as a long bridge that transversed the waterfall. It spanned across the void and shined so brightly. It then developed into several gold-water killing techniques and aimed towards Shen Lian.


    In a loud voice, Chen Mubai said, "Zhenren Shen, we will consider this a tie if you back down today. You better not make the wrong decision."


    The gold light instigated the water to produce raging waves. The combination of gold and water contained infinite potential.


    Shen Lian was not angry. Instead, he laughed at the aggression of his opponent. He took a step forward and his spiritual vigor surged rapidly and threw Chicheng away within a breath. His mana was vast like oceans and mountains.


    Chen Mubai''s collaboration with Shui Yanlan may seem unstoppable but they were defeated by Shen Lian''s savage spiritual vigor.


    Shen Lian wielded his sword and it pinched on the gold light. The sword then transformed into a long sword and elongated towards one of Shui Yanlan''s arm and chopped it off.


    Shui Yanlan was quick on her feet as she caught her arm and fixed it back. She then swallowed an elixir, but at the same time, the mutual generation of gold and water collapsed.


    She has traveled around the world across the seven seas and yet she has never met someone so ferocious.


    All Chen Mubai could do was hold Shen Lian back. His seven orifices were bleeding milky white blood.


    Every drop of blood would weaken his cultivation experience, but he could not do much about it at such a crucial moment.


    At that very moment, a red fire broke out from the thorns. People could hear sky-shattering, thunderous noises as the sparks flew across.


    It turned out to be Guangqing''s Zhenren Huolong, who was the most vigilant of them all. He covered his tracks and when Shen Lian was fully focused on Chen Mubai, he began attacking.


    The red fire wreathed around Shen Lian like a long cable. It had thunderbolts hidden in it that were forceful enough to split earth and crumble mountains. Even if Shen Lian was made of iron, such power would take him to the point of no return.


    But Zhenren Huolong noticed that something was off. He then heard someone saying, "Stabbing someone from the back is not an act of a Daoist."


    He then noticed that Shen Lian was not in the center of the explosion. Instead, he had made his way up to the sky without anyone realizing. Shen Lian flexed his jade-like hand and within the blink of an eye, produced five colored rays as thunderous noises that could be heard from the sky.


    After Shen Lian finished his sentence, the five colored lightning launched towards Zhenren Huolong.


    Zhenren Huolong was a knowledgeable person and recognized the Dao''s True Thunder of the five elements. It was indeed impressive.


    One blow of the True Thunder could turn a fire dragon, ''Huo Long'', into a charred dragon.


    A huge green wooden Goumang[1] appeared in the sky and blocked the True Thunder of the Five Elements.


    The Goumang worked along the pace of the True Thunder of the five elements closely. As the True Thunder''s power faded, the Goumang too gradually vanished. It has nicely defended against the lightning.


    A Daoist in a green robe appeared in the void. His skin seemed to be plump with vitality with no sign of decay. This person was Guangqing''s Zhenren Musang. He stepped in to help upon noticing that Zhenren Huolong was in danger.


    It may seem like the green wooden Goumang aided greatly in defending against the True Thunder of the five elements, but the truth was that his mana was greatly shaken as his breath started to turn irregular.


    The battle seemed extremely long even though it had only spanned the duration of several breaths.


    The five of them realized Shen Lian''s ferocity and decided that it was best for them to unite together and attack at the same time. They no longer could afford to think about the Five Ultimate Formations.


    Shen Lian too was not bothered by the situation as he let all five supreme manas charge towards him. He took a step out as if he was reaching for the heavens.


    "After a long period of captivity, I can now return to nature," Shen Lian sighed resoundingly.


    Everyone who was present knew that from today onwards, there would only be immortal Zhenren Shen Lian, Land immortal Shen Lian and Shen Lian who was stepping into the state of celestialism and Buddhism. He was from a completely different world.


    Right after Shen Lian made his statement, he looked like he has returned to freedom.


    The sky turned gloomy as the earth started to tremble.


    A dash of vague Qi of Xuan gushed out of Shen Lian''s Bai Hui point like the legendary Feihong, dashed a million miles upwards to the sky and spiraled towards the nine heavens.


    The Yin and Yang of the void revolved for six times as the heavens and the land responded to it. The Dao was as deep as the ocean as millions of rays of golden light shone upon the void.


    The gush of spiritual vigor was shocking like ocean tides.


    The fishes in the pond below Jimo Peak leaped out of the water, greedily absorbing the abundance of Qi of vitality in the atmosphere. In a matter of minutes, they grew bigger by several feet.

 Chapter 316 Fate

    At that very moment, Shen Lian finally stepped into the state of abstruse.


    Although he had decided to let nature take its course when it comes to immortality, he was still delighted and touched when he finally attained it. Not only did he break free from the limits of a person''s lifespan, he also finally found the freedom to roam around the universe like a bird. He need not pay heed to the miseries of the world, as this freedom was more precious than anything else.


    No wonder Daoism emphasized on being at ease. Unless one experienced this personally, one would never understand that feeling.


    The empty bier transformed into a void as vast as the universe and had no boundaries.


    The extremely condensed spirit scattered to evolve into a sky full of stars with streams of the milky way spanning across the sky. The Milky Way Swordsmanship was indeed an authentic Xuanmen that complimented his cultivation and could even cleanse his spirit.


    With great clarity, he felt the micro changes throughout heaven and earth. It was his first time experiencing such vivid and touching sensations.


    No malice intentions of any being could stop him from viewing the real heaven and earth.


    Now, he could stop doubting that everything in the past could have been just a dream. With such evolutions, there was no need to probe further.


    He was not anyone else, it was just ''himself''.


    Endless streams of Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth gushed into his body as the entire Yuan Continent slightly tremored.


    Every school and every cultivator set their gaze in the direction of Jimo Peak.


    It had been over hundreds of years since someone attained immortality.


    Some were happy, some were jealous, and some had hope in their eyes. The luckiest lot of all were the cultivators at Jimo Peak who had the opportunity to witness Shen Lian attain primordial spirit Celestialism to become an immortal Zhenren and step into the state of celestials and Buddha.


    The five colored lights emerged from the void of the bier.


    And immediately dashed into the Qi of Xuan in the atmosphere.


    A marvel phenomenon was then manifested in the sky among the Qi of Xuan. Endless streams of Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth gushed into it as raging tides of spiritual vigor influenced the energy of countless beings.


    The marvelous phenomenon released five colored microlights and within the span of a few breaths, there were storms rippling through the skies with thunderous roars.


    It retracted as soon as it flashed and turned into micro dust, landing on Shen Lian''s bier. It left minimal traces of cinnabar on his brow, producing a stunning effect.


    He opened his eyes, smiled at his five opponents and took a stroll around the void with his hands behind his back.


    Clouds that hung like beads above of his head appeared as he moved towards the five opponents.


    In the process of becoming a Primordial Spirit, Shen Lian attained the ferocity of the heavens and the earth and the pressure had immobilized the five people. Once Shen Lian mastered the Xuan techniques, all visions disappeared. Although the five of them knew that they were caught in a sticky situation, they were also glad that Shen Lian has just obtained Dao and may not necessarily be in his strongest form.


    If you have to fight, you better throw the first punch.


    That was the reason why the five of them stayed united and use every method they knew on Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not have to do anything. As the methods and techniques touched the five colored microlights, they would be stripped down to their most basic forms and have zero impact.


    This was the frightening part of the Dao of the Five Elements. Any techniques that were related to the five elements would be stripped down to their most basic forms in a blink of an eye.


    He casually walked around and suddenly appeared in front of the five people.


    The bystanders could not get a good view of it. All they could see was the five colored microlights that shined through the sky. Soon enough, the five Zhenrens fell from the sky and landed on their knees on Yuhua Tai.


    Shen Lian completely ignored them and went to greet Chen Jianmei. He then transformed into a ray of light and disappeared.


    Only the five of them knew that Shen Lian had easily eliminated their mana and turned them into ordinary beings. This was way more devastating then killing them.


    Meanwhile, a million miles away, on the peak of a mountain, Chen Jianmei said, "You are so awe-inspiring after achieving immortality." Apparently, Chen Jianmei noticed how effortlessly Shen Lian had stripped down the manas of his five opponents and he was deeply impressed by it.


    Shen Lian shook his head and said, "At this point, the power of mana can''t be compared to cultivators who specialize in the nine states of cultivation. But this mana is not a big deal, it''s fine if I don''t have it. I was able to defeat them so easily because of the abstrusity of the Taixu Strategy. Their level of mana is not on par with mine and even if they outnumbered me, it would still mean nothing to me."


    He genuinely felt sentimental and it was indeed a different world after stepping into immortality.


    No matter how much Qi of vitality you absorb or how condensed your mana was, you could never outdo the vital energy of the sun, the moon, and the stars.


    The constant day-long flow of the Qingshui River that spanned three million miles too had a stronger mana than him. Even if he accumulated thousands and millions of years of cultivation experience, he would still not be able to outdo the river.


    Heaped-up earth makes a mountain. But as it reached a certain height, the mountain would start to collapse.


    This was because mountain ranges were formed by the pressure of geological processes and were the results of plate tectonics. The higher the peak, the more it would suffer from the invasion of the wind and rain. Moreover, the final height of a mountain would be affected by the ground.


    Upon reaching this point, if one was still simply chasing the accumulation of mana, he would get a taste of his own medicine in the future.


    Chen Jianmei responded, "Now that you have attained Dao, Qing Xuan would have a stable foundation. Let''s go and see the old man for one last time."


    Shen Lian sighed.


    At that very moment, the entire Yuan Continent was trembling violently, far more intensely than the time Shen Lian attained Dao. In fact, the impact was as strong as the time when the Ultimate Demon King of the Ming Wang Temple transcended beyond the mortal world.


    On Mount Taicang, Daoist Dengfeng''s elixir cauldron was frozen in the void. The True Samadhi Fire was rolling in the cauldron as it released smoke that filled the entire Lingxiao Palace.


    Its divinity was like a prison that suppressed the mortal world.


    There were tons of spiritual ingredients from the heaven and earth inside the cauldron and its spiritual liquid dyed the cauldron a golden yellow color. It released a nice scent and countless plants around the area adopted the fresh fragrance.


    On the other hand, all the cultivators in Guangqing were burdened by an extreme force that shocked their soul. They had no means of using any single hint of their mana. The five celestials of Guangqing, with Yuming the Honored Celestial as their head, did not have the luxury to care about the disciples.


    Not only did this crazy Daoist hijack the elixir cauldron and block the entrance, he also intended to rebel here. What a hateful person.


    Ruoxi was beside the old Daoist as tears rolled down her cheeks. The old Daoist could not stop coughing blood as his body started to tear apart like a cracked turtle shell.


    The only reason the Five Celestials of Guangqing did not attack was because of the enormous flock of thunderclouds that were condensed above the Lingxiao Palace. The situation was extremely tense and the five celestials were afraid to be involved with it.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial looked at the old Daoist and switched his gaze to Ruoxi.


    He knew exactly what the old Daoist was trying to do. Obviously, the old Daoist wanted to make a spiritual elixir to reform the spiritual shape of the girl and reset her karma.


    It was hard to believe that he would do something against nature''s will. So it seems, he was about to enter Daoism anytime soon.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial was somewhat relieved, as once the old Daoist departs, he would have one less rival. However, he also felt emotional. Fate is a funny thing. With Shen Lian who recently attaining Dao, this old Daoist followed through by departing.


    Such circumstance was indeed well-planned. Looks like the spiritual elixir would be a success this time.

 Chapter 317 Passing Away

    Ruoxi had been following old Daoist to many abstruse states between heaven and earth to pluck and collect spiritual medicines. The old Daoist had also passed on all his subtle Dao techniques and skills to her.


    Now, she realized with greater clarity that the spiritual elixir in the cauldron was meant for her. She was so touched that it was ineffable.


    Unfortunately, when the elixir was completed, it meant that old Daoist would die.


    Old Daoist had already told her long ago that he should have left three hundred years ago. However, due to a strong greed for life, it had been postponed until today. A big mistake was made and it was too late for regrets.


    Now, there was no doubt he would pass away. Yet, he was very pleased.


    His Daoist body ruptured and his blood gushed out. He looked pale and haggard, except for his eyes that still seemed at peace and filled with wisdom.


    The old Daoist said softly, "When this elixir is done, God''s punishment would follow, but you don''t have to be afraid. You should just use the Dharma that I''ve taught you earlier on and hide inside the elixir cauldron. Remember to adhere strictly to your conscience.


    Ruoxi nodded her head.


    The old Daoist looked at the Five Celestials of Guangqing again, especially at Yuming the Honoured Celestial who was related to Lingxiao Palace''s Qi dynamic. His mana was so powerful that it could almost beat old Daoist even while he was in his prime. Unfortunately, when the power reaches its peak, it would then start to decline. According to the natural order, surpluses would be used to fill shortages. In another five hundred years, his circumstances might not be as good.


    That day, the old Daoist could stop the five of them. This was due to a few reasons. Firstly, he would be entering Daoism so the five of them were afraid that he would counterattack when dying. Secondly, they did not dare to come close to avoid involvement, as it would lead to God''s punishment.


    The most important thing was definitely the spiritual elixir. This elixir could reconstruct a Daoist body and thus it would serve as a very big temptation for the immortal Zhenren. Upon getting the elixir, they could construct another innate Daoist body and duplicate themselves. If in the future their original self encountered any serious disaster, they could rely on the spiritual elixir to self-duplicate and be resurrected.


    Due to this thought, the five of them did not want to leave, as it might just realize Shen Lian''s primordial spirit celestialism.


    The Daoist mind is profound, the human heart is treacherous. As long as this thought was not pure, the old Daoist could go with the flow, bringing about this situation.


    Thunder and clouds clustered in the sky. When viewed from afar, it seemed like an enormous lake where the thunderbolts gathered.


    The thunderbolts clustered and formed shapes. Some even turned out to be physical forms like the various types of birds and animals, and even the spiritual animals in myths and legends.


    Sometimes one or two thunderbolts would spill and strike Lingxiao Palace, leaving the Five Celestials of Guangqing in a state of shock.


    Luckily, Lingxiao Palace was built uniquely. Although the outer layer of Dao defense could be easily broken, the inside would not be damaged at all, preventing injuries to any of them.


    Although old Daoist was weak and had one foot in the grave, he continued to give out marks of Daoism. The true Samadhi Fire continued to burn even brighter, at the same time there was an abundance of Qi of Dao being infused into the elixir cauldron.


    It seemed like the elixir cauldron could not take the old Daoist''s mana and the flame of Samadhi Fire, as there were some fine cracks.


    Daoist Dengfeng''s heart ached badly at the sight of his elixir cauldron. This cauldron had been together with him since he entered the Dan Dao when he was still young. Although the cauldron was not some magical talisman, it had been there for a thousand years and so it had sentimental value and was very meaningful to him.


    He almost resorted to using Taiyue Real Shape Incantation in order to get the elixir cauldron back.


    Fortunately, after cultivating for many years, he could get rid of his selfish thoughts. He remained rational and suppress his urge to do that.


    Finally, a place of enlightenment appeared mid-sky. It was a desolate sea of flowers. A butterfly fluttered gracefully in the sea of flowers. In the middle of it sat the old Daoist together with Ruoxi.


    At this moment, the thunder lake in the sky suddenly collapsed and stroke the area surrounding the elixir cauldron. Instantly, the elixir cauldron was crushed and turned into flying ashes.


    This elixir cauldron had been through thousand years of calcination but could not even handle a strike from the thunderbolt of God''s punishment. This showed how scary the thunderbolt was.


    In the thunderbolts, there was a waft of exotic fragrance which was hundred times stronger than before.


    One of the human-shaped elixirs suddenly appeared.


    Xuan Qi was surrounding the human-shaped elixir and the thousands of thunderbolts strikes did not hurt it even a little.


    The sea of flowers moved towards the human-shaped elixir.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial smirked and virtually performed an act of catching. Suddenly, an enormous Qing Guang hand appeared in the air. When he had this Xuanqing Qi Grappling Hands, he could even dominate and control the mountains. Last time Huanzhen used to tackle Shen Lian using a technique similar to this but Shen Lian managed to break it.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s techniques were definitely way stronger than Daoist Huanzhen. Similarly, the old Daoist''s ability was way better than the old Shen Lian.


    The place of enlightenment was captured by Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s Xuanqing Qi Grappling Hands. When the butterfly in the place of enlightenment slightly flapped its wings, immediately there was a tornado that broke the Xuanqing Qi Grappling Hands.


    This speed exceeded Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s prediction. At that moment, he could only watch as the place of enlightenment filled with a sea of flowers fall into the thunderbolts.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial said, "Let''s seal off this space."


    Upon completing his sentence, the Lingxiao Palace generated a Guangqing fairy gleam that covered the entire void and enclosed the area. At the same time, it stopped the thunderbolts from entering the area to avoid major damage to the Mount Taicang.


    The thunderbolts were horrifying. The place of enlightenment filled with a sea of flowers was like a rowboat as small as a piece of tree leaf swaying in the midst of thunderbolts but still moving steadily towards the spiritual elixir.


    The old Daoist sat quietly in the sea of flowers and sighed, "Butterfly enters the dream and I''m in the dream. There is no need to differentiate between dream or reality."


    He snapped his finger softly and a crystal clear water droplet flew towards Ruoxi''s body.


    At this moment the essence of his mana was considered as a mere worldly possession.


    The water droplet fell between Ruoxi''s eyebrows.


    Instantly, Ruoxi felt her body filling up with countless vitality. As if even if she was crushed into pieces, she could also recover.


    At that moment, the sea of flowers was struck by the thunderbolt. Under the protection of Qing Guang, she crashed into the thunder lake.


    When the thunderbolts hit her body, the entire void collapsed and they were unable to see inside.


    The old Daoist was calmly observing the situation. His body gradually weakened. The butterfly was flying around him in laps.


    At some corner in Mount Taicang, there was someone who was dressed in spotless white ensemble under a tree with flourishing camellias. He looked like a flying celestial that descended to the secular mortal world.


    It was Yanxu. His eyes saw through the boundless void and noticed the butterfly. He curled his lip as if he was sneering at the old Daoist, but at the same time, it also seemed like he was self-mocking.


    He held the goblet in his hand and poured the alcohol all over the ground.


    He mumbled to himself, "This old man, even if you''re dead, you won''t make it to the heaven. The place you should head to is the hell. Farewell."


    Upon finishing his sentence, he stopped looking at the sky full of thunderbolts, nor the spiritual elixir. These were not of his interest.


    He disappeared in Mount Taicang.


    Then, there was a slight ripple in the void. But at this moment everyone''s attention was captured by the spiritual elixir and nobody noticed this.


    Through the skylight, Shen Lian who had arrived at miles away from Mount Taicang suddenly sighed and said, "He''s gone."


    The old Daoist had disappeared quietly.


    Chen Jianmei and Shen Lian only spotted the shadow of the last butterfly from afar, which eventually disappeared with no traces.


    Then Shen Lian said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, we will hold up against the five Guangqing celestials for a short while. You should take this opportunity to help me to take Ruoxi away."


    He was the real Dao practitioner. Even if the old Daoist had passed away, it did not affect his decision. The fact that he could be so calm and certain that he could hold up against the Five Celestials of Guangqing when he had newly stepped into the immortality stage, any outsider would think that he was out of his mind.


    Shen Lian knew his own limits. There must be a reason for his confidence.

 Chapter 318 The Killing Sword

    Ruoxi followed the secret technique that the old Daoist passed on to her, she added one drop of Daoist force essence and finally moved closer to the spiritual elixir.


    The spiritual elixir was lying quietly in the heart of the thunderbolts. Surrounding it was all Xuan Qi and thousands of thunderbolts could not even go near to it. She was staring at the spiritual elixir, carefully looking at its surface. Surprisingly, it looked almost identical to herself, but its look was only around seven to eight years old.


    Vaguely, she saw a perfectly gorgeous Daoist nun in Nine Heavens. She looked glamorous, and she was wearing a precious pearl-like jade crown, her clothes were purple floating clouds embroidered cape on a nine-colored dragon embroidered flare dress. There was a golden fire talisman dragon book on her waist and she was sitting in the void. Below her knees were three shades of green-colored clouds.


    She looked indifferent and expressionless. She nodded her head and stared at Ruoxi. There was an inexpressible relation between the two of them, as though they were the same person. Ruoxi only felt that her body was floating, and with her ideomotor reflex, she entered the Nine Heavens. That was similar to the Daoist nun. She could change the weather when she breathed and with her ideomotor reflex, she could call upon the thunder and lightning.


    There would be nobody in the mortal world that could be put on par with her.


    Daoist nun finally spoke, "I am you."


    Ruoxi was about to respond in a daze. At this moment, she suddenly saw the old Daoist in her sight. He was at the shore of Nine Underworlds in the netherworld holding a fishing rod and then he tossed the hook.


    Like the speed of lightning bolt, it cut across eternal space and arrived in front of Ruoxi. She suddenly became agile again and without responding to the Daoist nun, she caught the hook.


    Instantly her eyes were clear and bright. She had no gap with the spiritual elixir anymore and they were connected as one.


    While her original body had vanished into ashes in the thunderbolts.


    Within two to three seconds, the thunderbolts had dissipated and the sky became clear and bright again. Yuming the Honoured Celestial and the rest only noticed that the spiritual elixir looked like a human shape and it had hands and feet. Surrounded by Xuan Qi, it was obscure but it looked like the chaos was getting in place and the essence was slowly revealed.


    Suddenly a divine aura flew into the Xuan Qi and about to blend into the spiritual elixir.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial scoffed, waved his hand and about to catch the spiritual elixir.


    Now the space that the five of them had laid out severely collided as though a mountain came crashing and shook the entire universe.


    The Five Celestial of Guangqing responded quickly, then they saw a young Dao practitioner came, walking on air.


    "Searching for alchemy fruit in the immortal world, the native heart of Dao desires to be immortal.


    Invigoration of Qi in the five organs and the three psyche, Qi and spirit gather, the celestials gather in hundred years to travel to the mortal world.


    Already ponder and get enlightened, then understand the mysteries of the world.


    The chief of ingenuity, virtue, and respect, divine lights shine through every place."


    The Daoist song was playing continuously in the mid-air, each and every word entered the five Guangqing celestials'' ears.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial took a bow and said, "Shen Lian you just evolved into a Primordial Spirit but you dared to burst into Mount Taicang. It wasn''t easy to reach your cultivation level, don''t commit this mistake."


    Shen Lian laughed out loud and said, "There''s no sequence in attaining Dao. Could it be that you have cultivated for more than thousands of years compared to me, then you can transcend beyond the mortal world and achieve the level of heavenly celestial?"


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial saw how arrogant this youngster was and remembering how he always went against Guangqing, he was infuriated and said, "Then, I''ll let you have a taste of Qing Xuan Great Spell."


    As soon as he finished his sentence, he extended his thousand feet wide of enormous hand to capture Shen Lian.


    The rest of the four celestials were enlightened connoisseurs. Since their headmaster senior apprentice-brother was the one fighting, the rest of them were cheering by the side and did not attack. After all, Shen Lian just mastered Daoism, they did not reach a point to have the nerve to launch a five-people attack on Shen Lian.


    Whereas for Yuming the Honoured Celestial, his mana was so powerful that in Guangqing, since last time there was still nobody that could beat him, not even any immortal Zhenren.


    When Shen Lian saw the extended enormous hand approaching him and about to get him, he knew this person''s supernatural powers were very strong and his mana was powerful. He was definitely better than the current Shen Lian.


    So why did he have to fight against him?


    There was a clear Qi rushing out from the top of his head and instantly he turned into a three-feet tiny man. That was the newly formed Primordial Spirit.


    When Yuming the Honoured Celestial witnessed this, his heartfelt scornful. After all Shen Lian was a beginner Primordial Spirit, when Shen Lian saw his supernatural power then he got panicked and already drew on his Primordial Spirit from the start.


    However, the moment this thought appeared, he felt something was not right.


    At the same time, the other four celestials too felt a hair-raising aura that locked on them, it seemed like they had met the strongest enemy.


    When Shen Lian saw the Primordial Spirit that he transformed was unexpectedly not his own appearance but a young Daoist who was handsome and masculine. Compared to his originally delicate features, there was obviously a vast difference.


    Then there was another transformation whereby the Daoist''s hand was holding another extra unique brutal sword that was ignited with red light.


    What made the chills run down their spine was actually the red light.


    Usually, if one managed to successfully train your Primordial Spirit, one would already be considered as an intermediate land immortal. Though it was not comparable to heavenly celestial''s nobility and ability, one would be clean of desires. It would not be too easy to feel terrorized.


    However, when the red light came into view, the terrifying aura filled the heart and soul of the five of them.


    At that instant, what they saw was endless of mountains filled with corpses and sea filled with blood. Even the Avici was not that terrifying as this sight was formed from the murder of all the celestials and resulted in the corpses and sea of blood.


    When they were hesitating, the entire sky was filled with Shapeless Sword Aura which instantly destroyed the blockade of Dao restriction that the five of them had set up. It entered and took away the spiritual elixir together with Ruoxi''s divine aura.


    It sounded like a long story but in actual fact, it took the time of only two to three seconds.


    Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit also felt severe stabbing pain but eventually finished using the remaining Celestial Trapping Sword''s sword will.


    This situation was way better than the time when he faced the old monster, Taisu Sect.


    Shen Lian got the Celestial Trapping Sword''s will but it was only Celestial Trapping Sword''s minimal true form so it could not cause any lethal damage to immortal Zhenren. However, if it came to its original true form, heavenly immortal, Tian Xian. could not even take it. Hence, this remaining sword will be sufficient to make the Five Guangqing Celestials to get distracted.


    But at this moment, there was only Chen Jianmei that could move around like usual when Shen Lian unleashed Celestial Trapping Sword''s will. This was because Chen Jianmei abandoned Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will and he practiced and created his own Killing Sword by upgrading the Shapeless Sword Incantation.


    Although he was an acquired achievement, it was still a killing sword just like the Celestial Trapping Sword. Though one was a seed that just began to sprout while the other one was already an enormous tree that soared above the sky and thus they were not comparable, their intrinsic qualities were almost identical.


    Such a sword will meant nothing to him, and hence it naturally would not affect Chen Jianmei.


    He grabbed ahold of this moment to take away the spiritual elixir. At this moment, Ruoxi''s divine aura was already diffused into the spiritual elixir, integrating with the divine Qi.


    Hundred thousands of miles to the north, there was a divine mountain named Mount Zhong. Beside it was a river which was dangerous and difficult to cross, the Ruoshui River, and a boundless land whereby birds could not fly there because once they stopped by they would drown. The height of the mountain was thirteen thousand miles, the top was seven thousand miles high whereas the circumference was thirty thousand miles wide.


    Since long ago there had been many people with special powers that had retired in this seclusion. People usually stayed away from this place because of the Ruoshui River which was dangerous and difficult to cross. Unless they possessed supernatural powers, or else it would be difficult for them to cross over and come to this place.


    In Mount Zhong, there was a temple by the cliff, and it snowed all year round. A youngster who was aloof and arrogant had a long sword on his back. It was made of neither copper, iron, nor steel. It did not have a scabbard and instead, it was only wrapped with a cloth which made it look like a package. Red light could be seen shining from the gaps.


    There was no snow that would dare to drop at a distance of three feet from him.


    At this moment the youngster looked at the sky. It seemed like the hundred thousands of miles of distance was not even an obstacle for his eyesight. He could clearly see everything that was happening in Mount Taicang.


    The longsword produced an elegant chant and it had soaring sword aura. At times when a spirited creature flew past the sky, it would be killed immediately. There was not even any cloud seen above the youngster''s head.


    "No matter who he is, you''re mine," the youngster''s eyes were filled with certainty, he seemed to be talking to his long sword with elegant chants.

 Chapter 319 The Destructive Technique

    The long sword''s red light gradually weakened and the youngster''s shadow slowly disappeared into the temple.


    The board on top of the temple was clearly written with "Mountain God".


    This place snowed all year round, but the accumulated snow on the cliff had never ever crossed the temple''s door sill. No matter how strong the snow outside was, the temple and the outside world were totally two different worlds.


    There was a green stone wall inside the temple and a codex of the sword was carved on it. The tracks of hand movements were abstruse. It was exactly the "Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura" that Shen Lian had learned.


    From the beginner hand movements, there were a total thirty-three sheets of sword techniques. Below every sheet of sword technique was a corresponding solution to decipher the sword technique.


    There were two sheets of the codex of the sword which were so exquisite that even when the deities saw they would acclaim loudly.


    If the two codexes of the sword were to be circulated, it would definitely shape a powerful celestial. If there was a chance, it could possibly be comparable to the Milky Way Sword Sect once upon a time.


    The youngster stared at the two codexes of the sword. Although he had spent countless effort trying to ponder the supreme master sword technique from the formation chart so that he could decipher the ''Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura''. However, he was uncertain whether he could actually win Swordsman Ziwei.


    When his eyes were locked on ''Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura'', he suddenly had an absurd thought.


    The moment when Shen Lian knew Chen Jianmei got his hands on the spiritual elixir, he used all his energy to strike Yuming the Honoured Celestial. At the same time, he transformed into a meteor and flew away.


    The five of them were only distracted for a second and quickly came back to their responses. With Shen Lian''s Daoist techniques, he could not hold up against them and they were already after him shortly. Shen Lian used his Taixu Strategy without reserve, the five-colored light rays appeared in the void and constantly following the Five Guangqing Celestials to wipe them out.


    Along this road, there were about ten mountains. Due to the repercussion of their collisions, some collapsed and some hills were even crushed and pulverized.


    It had been a while since the last time celestials at the immortal Zhenren''s level fought within Yuan Continent''s boundary. Because to this point, fighting here would be too appalling as it could cause extreme damage to the mountains and rivers.


    They had been chasing, avoiding and fighting for half of a day, finally, Daoist Dengfeng said, "Forget about it Senior Apprentice-Brother. If this continues to go on, we would definitely provoke God''s punishment."


    Although five of them were going against Shen Lian, in his whole journey, Shen Lian did not fall into their compass. The possibility of turning around the situation was high. Even if he was attacked by all the Celestial Arts, Shen Lian would not need to face them all the hard way.


    All he had to do was to give out five-colored light rays once in a while to hinder their actions.


    Although immortal Zhenren''s mana was not limitless, as long as Shen Lian knew when to stop fighting and with this fighting method, falling into their compass would not completely deplete Shen Lian''s energy even in three to five years.


    By then, they would not know how serious the damage would be, and how serious the sin of killing was.


    The endless karma would be borne by them. Needless to mention about God''s punishment, to eliminate this sin of killing would already require a lot of effort.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial scoffed, "Taisu''s b*tches did not keep their promises, or else how can you escape today."


    Upon completing his sentence, he stopped. Shen Lian was smart enough to flee using all his energy. It only took a few breaths for him to disappear in the detection of Yuming the Honoured Celestial and the rest.


    Daoist Dengfeng laughed and said, "There is no perfection in the laws of heaven, just let him go. Now that Lord Deity Tianyan has levitated, even if Fairy Ziling comes back, we have no fear towards Qing Xuan anymore. Moreover, although Luoism''s issue has been stopped, we have already collected the Milky Way Sword Sect''s remaining fortune. Thus, reforming the Heaven Courtyard is close so we should not cause any unnecessary trouble anymore."


    Since they had profound cultivation experience, they were definitely aware of the design of the gods. Although they could not know the details, they understood Luoism''s issues and that in the end it still failed.


    The other three celestials were all known as ''Shan'', which meant goodness or kindness. After all, there was only one spiritual elixir. Even if it fell into their hands, they still had to give it to their senior apprentice-brother, the Headmaster. By then, everyone would still have to bear the endless sin of killing caused and they definitely would not want to.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial also realized that four of his junior apprentice-brothers definitely would not work so hard under such cost.


    Reforming the Heaven Courtyard still required cooperation from four of his junior apprentice-brothers. It would be inappropriate to create hostility due to this.


    It was better for him to agree with their opinion.


    Luckily he already made early preparation. It would be make everything more perfect when he got his hand on Luoism''s fate. Even if he did not get it, he would also be able to use Milky Way Sword Sect''s remaining fortune to make up for it. When the Heaven Courtyard was done then only he would make comparisons.


    Qingshui River, River Deity Temple.


    Shen Lian, Ruoxi, and Chen Jianmei arrived at the temple. Ruoxi became a seven to eight years old little girl again. Her body revealed clear Qi and there was a celestial-fragrant smell. If there was no Shen Lian who set up the Dao restriction, the surrounding would be richly grown with a lot of magical herbs.


    He sighed quietly, to refine this spiritual elixir, how many spiritual materials had the old Daoist used?


    If they were used for Huandan, it was already sufficient for nine transformations of successful elixir.


    Even if now Ruoxi did not continue to cultivate, she could live for a very long time. She could even be considered as the celestial in Six Realms of Samsara.


    There was only the old Daoist who was about to pass away that had such overwhelming cultivation experience that would dare to produce such a spiritual elixir. If it were to be somebody else, just the God''s punishment alone would cost half the person''s life.


    Suddenly he felt something and sighed.


    Chen Jianmei asked, "What happened?"


    Shen Lian said, "Before this, the marks that I left on the bodies of Chicheng and the four others were secretly erased. This person must have a really good ability."


    Chen Jianmei said, "I''m afraid that the Five Guangqing Celestials have not met them, so who did that exactly?"


    "Yanxu. I already guessed that he was hiding in Guangqing, and he must have motive towards the Martial art experts. When their cultivation experience is destroyed, there would be marks of spiritual dissociation left. We should take this opportunity to see what Yanxu was planning. Even the five Guangqing celestials might not see it if they don''t analyze thoroughly. Besides, among those who are related to Chicheng, there''s only Yanxu who most probably is aware of my techniques. After all, he is very clear of what I have learned," Shen Lian said in a serious manner.


    Yanxu also had wide knowledge about Taiwei Pavilion. Since they were at the similar state, Qing Xuan''s secret technique could not be hidden away from him.


    There were only so few of Dao formulas such as Taixu Strategy that he would find difficult to understand. The other Dao techniques might be as easy as reading the palm lines to him.


    Hence, the one thing that bothered him was that Yanxu took that step to join Sky Demon. If it really happened, when Yanxu mastered Daoism, he would do it quietly. By the looks of it, he might have underestimated Yanxu''s supernatural power.


    In this big world, it was difficult to find somebody who could actually eliminate him.


    What Shen Lian thought of, Chen Jianmei could also think of it.


    After all, Shen Lian was already one of the deities now. The fact that Yanxu could eradicate his technique in such a short time indicated that the both of them were at almost comparable levels.


    Chen Jianmei said, "If I were to kill this person, I''m afraid there is only hope when I gain my Primordial Spirit."


    Shen Lian nodded his head. The person who had the highest possibility in Qing Xuan to kill Yanxu was not him nor his founding master Ziling, but Chen Jianmei. This was because Chen Jianmei practiced and created his own Killing Sword. It would be more effective to control people like Yanxu.


    After all, even if the Sky Demon could come and go freely between heaven and earth


    He was thinking, if they could find other innate killing sword''s sword will and let Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen study about it, maybe Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother could reach a more profound state. To compare, although now he was slightly better than Chen Jianmei, his future might not be as bright as Chen Jianmei''s.

 Chapter 320 The Chaos

    Fairy Tianmeng was on a green mountain. Before this, she was trapped in a tactical formation. The person who set up this formation was brilliant. She only realized that she was trapped when she completely got caught up in it.


    When she finally walked out of it, three days had passed.


    For a cultivator like her, three days'' time was just like a snap of fingers, a very brief moment.


    However, these three days were very important to her.


    What was scarier was that previously her heart and soul were being blinded and she did not even realize that time was passing and three days were gone just like that.


    She nipped her finger and counted, realizing that the telepathy between Ruoxi and her became so insignificant.


    Standing by a shallow stream, the water reflected her looks which were still the same as the past two hundred years. The relentlessness of the years that passed by was not seen on her body.


    She looked at herself in the stream and scoffed, "Didn''t you already betray our sect and got kicked out, why would you still stop me at such critical moment?"


    "You have two of the magical talismans, Fairy Binding Rope and Taisu Sword with you. If you really attack him, Shen Lian the brat would definitely be at a disadvantage, even if he already mastered Daoism." After several changes, the reflection in the stream became Yanxu''s appearance in the end. He was sighing in the water. By the looks of his expression, he seemed to feel regretful.


    However, at this moment, Taisu Sect''s Sect Master, Fairy Tianmeng was not surprised at all. Because the only person that she knew in her life that could blind her heart and soul and make her not realize that time was passing by, was only Yanxu, but nobody else.


    Just that she was surprised that Yanxu did so.


    "You''re right. To bring these two items out, I have to bear great responsibility. I cannot believe that you would be the person to stop me at the end. Why do you have to do this? You know that I can hate you but you don''t have any reason to hate me," her face looked as though it was covered with frost.


    "In the Sky Demon method that the old man had given to me, there was a significant defect. He used this to lure me. You know I''m somebody who can''t take any bait." Yanxu seemed like he was coming out from the water. His body was transparent and crystal clear, his body could be seen through to the scenery behind him.


    He seemed like a soul, but he was way more mysterious and inscrutable compared to a soul.


    Though Fairy Tianmeng had both Fairy Binding Rope and Taisu Sword with her, she was extra alert.


    At this moment, she took out the Taisu Sword at her back without hesitation. The moment when the sword got out from its scabbard, it was like the first moonlight after the dispersion of dark clouds.


    The sword gleam was domineering and uniquely sharp. There was no spell that could stop this sword.


    It was not because Fairy Tianmeng was very powerful, but because this sword was already psychic. Even if you were to find such a level of sword among the magical talismans, it would not be easy.


    With this sword, even if she was facing the deities, Fairy Tianmeng was confident that she could injure the other party with one strike.


    This unsympathetic sword gleam pierced through Yanxu''s body. There was no any repercussion because all the power was on Yanxu''s illusionary body.


    It could only be seen that Yanxu''s body transformed into uncountable fine water droplets and broke into pieces.


    There was no surprise for Fairy Tianmeng because the countless water droplets assembled again. Compared to the previous Yanxu, this merely became more transparent.


    Fairy Tianmeng scoffed and said, "After all you still got to cultivate as a Sky Demon Body," her heart was filled with shock and disbelief but she did not express it explicitly.


    In the midst of talking, she tried to strike another time. In the void, there were ripples of elegant chant. Instantly, the entire small stream was frozen. Only long frost flowers could be seen and also an ice sculpture that raised from the water surface, these were all Yanxu''s look.


    His eyes were full of affection, and there was smile at the corner of his mouth. He was filled with deep affection while looking at Fairy Tianmeng.


    However, Fairy Tianmeng retreated with the fastest and swiftest speed. She and the sword integrated as one and became a puddle of clear water that slit open the void.


    She was very clear that Yanxu''s presence was not to give her any explanation.


    If Taisu Sword and Fairy Binding Rope fell into this person''s hand, she would not be able to handle Yanxu anymore in her present life.


    However, when she transformed into a puddle of clear water and about to leave, although the ice crystals that covered Yanxu''s body was motionless, there was a shadow that flew out from there.


    That was indeed Yanxu. With his current supernatural power, even if he was to face Taisu Sword, it would not be able to hurt his fundamental.


    He must get this sword no matter what it had to take.


    With the puddle of clear water''s speed, at the few breaths'' intervals, she already ran a thousand miles away. At this moment, she felt something was not right because there was continuous black smoke that shot through the air and in the midst of black smoke, blood light could be vaguely seen.


    She quickly turned around, but the same thing happened again.


    All around her was filled with black smoke and blood light. In her agile spiritual sense, she could clearly feel that there were twelve strong auras locking at her.


    If the real deities were trapped in it, it would also be difficult for them to escape, let alone it was Fairy Tianmeng.


    These twelve strong auras seemed to have an inheritance from the powerhouse in ancient times. The earth-shattering suppression almost made her unable to catch her breath.


    She knew that this must be related to Yanxu, but how did Yanxu manage to do this?


    When Fairy Tianmeng was trying to make sense of everything, her entire body already vanished into the black smoke. Taisu Sword''s sword gleam had cut through the layers of black smoke. The collision with countless blood light did not give her the chance to get out of the trap in one breath.


    There were countless of intimidating spells that were approaching to attack her. She wielded the Fairy Binding Rope but unfortunately, it was useless.


    The twelve strong auras were not celestials or even demons. It was illusionary but real at the same time as though they were controlling the laws of nature and were not under the control of Fairy Binding Rope.


    _____________


    Taisu Sect''s Fairy Tianmeng had disappeared. The effect of this news was even greater than Shen Lian''s achievement on immortality. Even the Three Elders of Taisu who were in seclusion for hundreds of years were aware of this incident. It was because the two powerful magical talismans, Taisu Sword, the treasure that guarded the sect and Fairy Binding Rope were gone together with Fairy Tianmeng.


    The Three Elders of Taisu went after Guangqing Sect to question them about this. However, the Five Guangqing Celestials were all in solitary retreat and they did not appear at the critical moment. At that time there was also no representative at Mount Taicang. Because of this, the Three Elders of Taisu vented their anger by announcing that the marriage with Guangqing was canceled and then they left.


    The Three Elders of Taisu also knew that the incident was not caused by Guangqing, they were only attempting to put pressure on Guangqing.


    Moreover, nobody could think of anyone that had such bravery to abduct Fairy Tianmeng. After all, even if he got the Taisu Sword and the Fairy Binding Rope, but he had to face the revenge from the Three Elders of Taisu. Unless one achieved the level of heavenly immortal and was the connoisseur who was about to transcend beyond the mortal world, otherwise, nobody would have a peace of mind having to face the Three Elders of Taisu.


    After half a month, Guangqing Sect also realized something strange. Twelve Guangqing Zhenrens disappeared altogether. Because of this incident, Yuming the Honoured Celestial who had produced a masterpiece of magical talisman when he was in solitary retreat was so furious that he crushed and pulverized one of Mount Taicang''s peaks, not forgetting to mention the spiritual materials and birds that had to suffer the calamity.

 Chapter 321 Secular Emotions

    Shen Lian had stayed at River Deity Temple for one month long. During this time, Chen Jianmei had already left and gone back to the Temple of Killings.


    The reason why he went to the River Deity Temple was because, firstly, he wanted to have the aid of divine region''s power to guard Ruoxi and secondly, he went there to pay back somebody.


    At this moment, in River Deity Temple, Ruoxi already entered the Empress'' divine region and absorbing the river basin''s spiritual force non-stop. She operated Dream Heart Sutra that the old Daoist had passed to her to transform the part of Fairy Tianmeng''s into the butterfly dream.


    Therefore, the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu which was part of the divine thoughts that Fairy Tianmeng had sown, penetrated deeply into Ruoxi''s self-divine aura. But also because of the Dream Heart Sutra''s difficulty to differentiate between self and butterfly, it became a mixture of real and sham.


    Just that if Ruoxi would want to Powang in the future, but it would be more difficult. But after all, it was worth celebrating.


    Ruoxi entered into a state of spiritual calmness and did not mention a word about cultivation.


    At this moment, the Empress was standing by the Qingshui River with Shen Lian. Her increasingly majesty was not distinct from the river. Moreover, if they were to enter the Empress divine region, even Shen Lian had to be at a disadvantage.


    Nobody could neglect the power of sentient beings'' prayer within the thirty-thousand-miles perimeter.


    The Empress waved her wide flocket, then there came an imperial seal on her hand. Above it, there was a clear golden Qi of clouds surrounding the seal, just like a cloud-dragon which had well-defined claws and fangs.


    She spoke in an indifferent tone, "All these years we''ve been carrying out ceremonial cultivation for this person''s imperial seal that made it grew in spirituality. From then, it''s used to guard Dawei''s fortune of the nation. It could protect the country for at least a thousand years. This time I''d need to trouble you to bring it back to return to Xun Er, to make up for what I owe him."


    Shen Lian stared at the river water. Time passed like a river which flowed unconsciously, and it left no room for regret at all.


    He sighed softly and said, "Zhao Xun wasn''t supposed to have the emperor''s destiny. This time I help him to change his destiny, I''m not sure if it''s considered a good or a bad thing to him." To borrow the imperial seal, Shen Lian had to owe Zhao Xun a favor.


    At that time, his Shushu calculation was already remarkable, he could already predict what was going to happen. However, because of this, he changed the Emperor''s destiny, and thus now it would be difficult to predict if it would be prosperity or disaster.


    He could read and even change the destinies of secular mortals.


    There was nothing to be afraid at this moment. He was not afraid of the destiny nor punishment from ancestors.


    After all, going against God''s will for immortality was the biggest defiance towards the destiny. For cultivators, the way to achieve immortality was not to base it on their destinies but their own effort to fight for it.


    If you chose to believe in your destiny, that would mean you denied the hardships in the past.


    Of course, there must be a way things operated in the world. Destiny was only one biggest possibility in the future.


    When this possibility was being read like a book, it could definitely be changed. But of course, it depended on the power of the change, whether it would be able to control whether the destiny was on the fixed path.


    Shen Lian definitely had the power to control the secular kingdom''s rise and fall.


    The Empress scoffed, "Hopefully when he''s been through this, he would understand the meaning behind continuous self-improvement, or else he isn''t qualified to be my son."


    Shen Lian smiled. After all, the Empress still had feelings, she still never broke away from the secular relationships.


    He took over the imperial seal and said, "I''ll go first."


    Dawei, the Capital City, inside the imperial palace.


    The present Majesty, Zhao Xun was in Qinzheng Hall. Ever since he succeeded to the throne, he was conscientious. He eliminated all the contemptuous and lenient courtiers since the Empress'' dynasty.


    Nevertheless, even if he was generous, he could not stop the fight that was getting more and more heated up in the dynasty.


    The root cause of this problem was his sister, Princess Yingyang and the Crown Prince, Zhao Xiang who were incompatible with water and fire.


    Princess Yingyang took over the entire political assets that the Empress had left behind. Besides, she was also born with good leadership skills and thus there were many courtiers who were her followers.


    Since Zhao Xun was born, he was already used to the hideous royal fights which trampled family love.


    Thus, he could not bear to eliminate Princess Yingyang.


    Moreover, he also felt that there were checks and balances between Princess Yingyang and the Crown Prince. For him, this was a better situation.


    Moreover, it was difficult to be Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, Zhao Xiang was too strong. If the power given to him was too much, Zhao Xun would feel uneasy, but if the power given to him was too little, it would make his son feel wronged.


    If there was Princess Yingyang to check and balance the Crown Prince, he would feel more relieved and he would not have to impose too many restrictions on the Crown Prince.


    All these years, he had been acting as a peacemaker for both parties. Because the two of them did not dare to offend him, hence it was definitely arbitrary and he also felt more relaxed.


    As for the fact that the Crown Prince suddenly launched an attack, he was not aware of it in advance.


    The moment when the Crown Prince invaded the Imperial City, Zhao Xun already understood that his sister, Princess Yingyang should already fall into the hands of the Crown Prince. Or else if there was Princess Yingyang, the Crown Prince would not dare to defy the universal will to lead the army to invade the Imperial City.


    This was certainly his good son, so brilliant and so decisive.


    Zhao Xun had even thought of abdicating but he was not satisfied. He did not hope that Zhao Xiang would force him to the demise of the crown. Because if Zhao Xiang could force him to abdicate, in the future his grandchildren would also do the same to Zhao Xiang.


    How much tragedy would the suspicion between father and son cause?


    He held the jade that he had been wearing, and called for Shen Lian in a low voice.


    The jade gave out slight heat. He was unsure if Shen Lian could make it in time to be there but that was the only thing he could bet on.


    Moreover, the Crown Prince still did not realize one thing which was the imperial jade seal was taken away by Shen Lian and had not been returned yet. When Zhao Xiang discovered about this, it could still be able to delay him for a while.


    After all, even though there was an artificial imperial seal, it only imitated the imperial seal''s carved words. In the enthronement ceremony, it was definitely impossible to get by with the artificial imperial seal.


    The imperial army outside of Qinzheng Hall could not stand for long. A moment later, the Crown Prince entered the Qinzheng Hall, holding a precious sword.


    Zhao Xun stared at his Crown Prince while smiling, "Is Xiang Er here to take my life?"


    Zhao Xiang''s stunning eyebrows slightly jerked, then he spoke respectfully, "I''m here to get rid of the ''evil'' courtiers around you. Princess Yingyang had been planning for a revolution and so I''ve executed a majority of the rebels. I was afraid that it might have bothered Your Majesty, so I quickly send over some escorts."


    Zhao Xun sighed, "Since when have you become so subtle?"


    Zhao Xiang said, "I don''t dare."


    "This country will be handed to you sooner or later, why are you so nervous about it?" Zhao Xun''s eyes were cold while staring at his Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince was not afraid at all and he did not avoid the Emperor''s stare, and he said, "Your Majesty has been working so hard for the country. I can''t bear looking at Your Majesty being so stressful, I''d like to share your burdens. Please don''t worry Your Majesty, you can relax and enjoy your remaining years."


    Zhao Xun sighed, "You''ve already planned everything. However, this country only belongs to you if I give it to you. If I don''t give it to you, you can''t think of owning it, do you understand?"


    Zhao Xiang said in a loud voice, "I don''t understand."


    He abruptly stared at his father. The gaze was just like the Empress in those days, but it was merely just similar.


    Somebody said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you should just say you understand this."


    Suddenly there was a long rhythmic weapon landing sound.


    A delicate youngster with feathered clothing and star crown stepped into Qinzheng Hall when the weapons landed the ground. There were thousands of imperial army outside and suddenly none could move at all.


    Zhao Xiang said, "You''re really here in time, mister."


    The youngster laughed, "It''s not that I''m in time, I''m already here long ago."

 Chapter 322 Friend, Please Stay

    The Crown Prince Zhao Xiang looked up the sky and sighed. He threw the precious sword in his hand to the floor and said, "Sir, I knew you before father did. Why do you do this?"


    From the sound of dropped weapons, Zhao Xiang knew it was the end of his uprising.


    Shen Lian lamented - if not because of him, there was no reason why Zhao Xiang would not succeed. At this point, the purple Qi of Zhao Xiang turned into a real dragon. While others could not see it, the dragon was baring its fangs and teeth towards him.


    Shen Lian remained steady as he allowed the purple Qi to blast his body. He did not move an inch and the Qi dispersed.


    Zhao Xiang felt something deep in his heart as the purple Qi dispersed. He looked like he was in a slump, like he lost something extremely important to him. He felt lost and he did not know what to do.


    When Shen Lian saw it, he just shook his head slightly. This only happened because his personality did not stand strong. He took out an imperial seal from his sleeve, and suddenly there was the glitter of gold. It carried a heavy sense of authority.


    Zhao Xun felt the imperial seal was unfamiliar but familiar at the same time. He felt like he had an unknown connection with the imperial seal.


    The imperial seal flew off his hand and landed on Zhao Xun''s palm. At that moment, a warm stream entered Zhao Xun''s body. He felt energetic like he had an infinite amount of energy reserve. Zhao Xiang too observed that his old father suddenly became younger by ten plus years. His white hair had all turned to black.


    Zhao Xiang carried a complicated look in his eyes as he saw his father regained youth. He felt even more depressed, as even if father did not kill him, he would be old by the time his father passed away.


    Zhao Xun looked at Shen Lian and spoke with a deep voice, "Mister Shen, thank you." His gratitude towards Shen Lian was sincere, and just like what Zhao Xiang said, in the beginning, he was surprised at how soon Shen Lian turned up. When Shen Lian answered later, he then knew Shen Lian had already predicted what the Crown Prince would do previously.


    If he did not use the jade, perhaps Shen Lian would not appear. Ultimately, he decided to remain as the emperor. Shen Lian smiled, "Your Majesty, I''ve got all the insurgents under control. Your subordinates will be here soon. I shall say goodbye now."


    He wanted to leave as he was now done with his business. He did not intend to have any association with the royal family again.


    In the royal family, the father and the son had doubts about each other, and it was hard to say who was right or wrong. It reminded him of a poem from his previous life, he read it out.


    "The morals of three emperors and five kings, their fame were ranked Xia, then Shang and Zhou.


    The five heroes had a battle, and Qin and Han exchanged their glory.


    There were only several names that were recorded in history, but there were countless empty graveyards in the north.


    To pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger, such is the way of a fight."


    The recital rang through the palace, and it described a bleak but dignified situation. Zhao Xun did not know the content of what Shen Lian had just said, but the words hit on his chest. It made him sad.


    A white cloud was formed underneath Shen Lian''s feet. He flew to the sky by himself and he went quite a distance within the blink of an eye. He could not help but to feel envy.


    His eyes fell on Zhao Xiang, the phrase ''to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger'' rang through his mind. It turned into a sigh, and there was a painful groan.


    In the blink of an eye, the Crown Price Zhao Xiang had picked up the precious sword from the floor and committed suicide.


    The coup d''etat within Dawei Dynasty was quickly pacified by the current emperor. Since then, Zhao Xun managed the country with intense focus. One should not mention that the imperial seal had caused another crisis. It was an after-story.


    Shen Lian had not gone far enough with his cloud ride, and hence he knew about Zhao Xiang''s suicide, but he felt nothing.


    The mortals could only live once, and the plants only through to autumn. Despite having the success of a king, people would just end up being dried up skeletons. He was able to not get too caught up with many things ever since he achieved Dao''s immortality.


    It was not because he had cut out emotions and desires entirely, but that at this stage, even the same landscape would look different to him compared to the past.


    An analogy was that the world looked different to a kid and to an adult. Both were from two different worlds and hence it was hard to just lump them together.


    Shen Lian felt slightly lost now. To achieve Dao''s immortality was considered a great success, but for the next thousand and five hundred years, he had to go through three tragic trials. If he could not get passed them, immortality was just an empty talk.


    If the immortal Zhenren had the trial of Dao, it was natural for a getaway to exist. However, other than some of the earth-shaking secret methods, others getaways could only be used to delay the time the trial arrived. There was no way one could avoid it entirely.


    It would be fine if that was all. Now while Shen Lian had achieved the Dao of the Five Elements, but he had no idea what the next step was going to be. The Dao of the Five Elements was profound, and despite the fact that he could demystify all the techniques of immortal cultivators, but he only managed to scrape the surface of the Dao of the Five Elements. There were even more details to it, but he had to spend time discovering about it himself, and every new discovery would take a lot of time and effort.


    It was no wonder that the celestials in the myths would decide to just retreat for up to a hundred years.


    Shen Lian naturally did not have that much time to retreat and to understand Xuan, as ten years later it would be the time for the Bier Discourse of Dao.


    He had a lot of thoughts in his mind as he rode the cloud. Nothing happened during the time.


    This was because as he achieved immortality, he had an imposing aura which was let out slightly. The cultivating living creatures who detected it naturally stayed away. They dared not to get close.


    He could keep the imposing aura under control, but Shen Lian was happy about it, just in case there was any issue.


    The world was a huge place and there were a lot of cultivating living creatures. Some of the places had spirits of the masses who claimed to be the king of the mountain. They were tyrannical and they could not stand it if anyone flew past them.


    Given that, there would definitely be issues.


    Similar things happened frequently. Shen Lian could not be bothered to pretend he was not threatening, and hence he went by with his glory.


    It had made a lot of cultivation living creatures to notice there was an immortal Zhenren passing by.


    Shen Lian did not fly at full speed, and hence there were a few cultivators with spiritual wisdom who were following him with the intention to be his students along the way.


    This was something common within the cultivation community of Yuan Continent. It was hard to find an authentic technique. The ways to achieve immortality were held by the four main Daoist sects. For the celestial sects, such as Green Lotus Sword Sect, Qingjiang Sword Sect which had produced immortal Zhenrens, while they had the authentic technique, it was too simplistic and was only suited to a small group of people.


    For cultivators, a supreme technique was not even as precious as a suitable path to immortality.


    Most cultivators did not know what was suitable for them.


    Only deities who had the mental perception could easily tell the root of a living creature and hence give accurate advice.


    In this world, for people to achieve Daoist immortality, compared to the vast number of cultivators, was a pitiful numbered few. Within Yuan Continent, there were only several tens of immortal Zhenrens whose names were known.


    This was the accumulation of one to two thousand years.


    One could imagine how difficult it was to achieve immortality.


    While Shen Lian was not so stingy as to not spread Daoism to the boundless universe, but he would not simply teach others. It depended on whether there was destiny involved.


    As he thought about it to pass time, he suddenly heard a phrase that went passed the wind and transmitted to his ears.


    "Friend, please stay."

 Chapter 323 Unexpected Calamities

    Shen Lian felt stunned when he heard the voice, he then stopped his cloud. He saw a stroke of clear Qi that came from below. It was in front of him in a moment.


    The speed was unbelievable.


    He was knowledgeable so he knew what the shifting light was about.


    In the world and between Daoism and Buddhism, there were only two types of shifting methods which were the top in the world. Even some of the wild clans which specialized in flying could not beat these two shifting methods in terms of speed.


    The top shifting method of Buddhism was the Heart Shifting Method, or otherwise known as the corner of the world could be reached in one thought, and of course, this could only happen if one had achieved the highest level. Only Bodhisattva or Arhat could reach this level.


    The top shifting method of Xuanmen was called the Divine Aura Shifting Method. They did not overstate the description of the method - they just called it the fastest of Xuanmen. Ten thousand years ago, one monk and one Daoist who were both deities competed for the speed of their methods against one another.


    They made a promise to visit one place for flower admiration and they arrived almost at the same time. While Daoism and Buddhism were different, but the Great Way led both to the same ending, and hence as both were at similar levels, the difference between the two methods was not big.


    The passing on of the Divine Aura Shifting Method was mysterious, and the minimum cultivation level was Dixian, land immortal. If one was not an immortal Zhenren, one could not even get near to the doorstep. Even with Qing Xuan''s history and wealth, there was no detailed cultivation manual for this method.


    He recognized the method because of the characteristics.


    The clear Qi could be visualized, and in Shen Lian''s eyes, it was a green-robed Daoist. He had the bones of a deity, and he was surrounded by Qi of Dao. It was apparent that he had succeeded in the very authentic Xuanmen techniques, but even with Shen Lian''s knowledge, he could not tell the origin of it.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Friend, why did you stop me?"


    The green-robed Daoist laughed, "My friend, you''re facing an imminent tragedy."


    Shen Lian looked at the Daoist and thought, his cultivation experience did not seem to show that he had achieved immortality. He did not understand why he dared to make such a wild comment and what was his aim.


    He thought quickly but he said, "If there is a tragedy, friend, please leave now so you''re not affected."


    The green-robed Daoist laughed, "Yes, you''re right."


    Before the green-robed Daoist even ended his sentence, Shen Lian heard a booming sound, and a giant claw was coming towards him. It stirred up a strong wind which even covered the sun.


    Not even Yuming the Honored Celestial''s the grappling hand transformed from Qi of Xuanqing could compare to this grab. Combining with the ancient Dao meaning, with that grab, the Qi of heaven and earth from a perimeter of ten thousand feet was emptied by the giant claw.


    The mana of this visitor was unbelievably high. Shen Lian did not manage to dodge. He saw that the green-robed Daoist had turned into a stroke of clear Qi and escaped. At the same time, he pushed ahead with his palm and the depth of his mana had stopped Shen Lian from reacting. He had to face the giant claw directly.


    Shen Lian had to use the Mark of Mountains and Rivers. The mixed ray aura exploded suddenly and the grey current went towards the giant claw which covered the sun. Luckily the giant claw only had a strong aura, after locking its spiritual opportunity, it did not seem to be very nimble, else he would not be able to use the Mark of Mountains and Rivers easily.


    An explosion, followed by a large noise had affected the surrounding. The horrifying wave of Qi of vitality damaged everything in the upper sky.


    The two supreme mana counter reacted each other, as it settled down, there was no more dust.


    One could see a golden-robed king in the upper sky. He had a hook nose, and he was glaring, with eyes cold as sword. Wherever the eyes reached, one could hear the void was vibrating slightly.


    He was tall and far bigger than an average human. He was like a dignified deity.


    This was a supreme demon king and his power could exceed even the Nine-Headed Demon King from before, and Mister Sea was nothing compared to him. The golden-robed demon king gazed at the man in front of him. He was a human but he had a horrifying aura. The effect of time on him was minor, and it seemed that he was considered young among humans.


    He had gone around the world and he had never met such a young human master. In their words, this was called immortal Zhenren.


    "Are you associated with the crazy Daoist?" The golden-robed demon king stared at Shen Lian sharply and as piercing as a sword. If he was an average cultivator, perhaps his body had already been torn into pieces, and there would be nothing left including his spirit.


    As the piercing gaze came to the front of Shen Lian, it was swallowed like there was an invisible black hole. It did not affect Shen Lian.


    "I don''t know the Daoist." He did not say much. He spoke only one sentence.


    The golden-robed demon king looked at Shen Lian carefully. He nodded and the void trembled again. It happened because the space could not sustain the speed.


    Shen Lian understood immediately that the demon king was chasing after the green-robed Daoist and hence he stopped bothering him.


    If today he had reached the celestial state, it could be the end of him even before the golden-robed demon king asked him any question. He would have been killed on the spot.


    With Shen Lian''s knowledge, he could guess who the golden-robed demon king was. He was probably one of those scary demon clans.


    If he was right, the Shen Lian today could at most survive under his attack.


    Shen Lian did not figure out who the crazy Daoist was.


    The world is huge and there were a lot of masters in the world. If there were any retreated masters which were not known to the world, it was nothing surprising.


    As the green-robed Daoist cultivated the Divine Aura Shifting Method and carried the authentic Daoist techniques, and still he could not recognize where he was from was indeed odd. Perhaps he was not from Yuan Continent, or from this world.


    From Qing Xuan''s record, there were some messages from external visitors. Just like during the ancient time when there were a lot of celestials and Buddha, most of them were not born and raised there.


    However, an external visitor was extremely rare and was hard to come by.


    This incident, however, gave Shen Lian a warning that there were people out there who were better. Even though the golden-robed demon king and the crazy Daoist were rare individuals, it did not mean such individuals did not exist.


    If not because he had made great progress, he would not know if he would just lose his life easily.


    Also the phrase by the crazy Daoist, "Friend, please stay", now that he thought about it, he felt there was some hidden charm which caused him to be stunned and missed a beat.


    It could be possible that the phrase utilized a rare spell curse, and hence it could affect even his state of mind.


    This made the crazy Daoist even more mysterious, and why was he being chased by the golden-robed demon king? One had to know that the nickname of the golden-robed demon king was ''the deity in between the heavens''. It meant he was not far from the top position of the demons.


    Even among the famous immortal Zhenren, he doubted anyone would want to offend him because not only was he powerful, he was one of the fastest in heaven and earth. If one got into a conflict with him, one issue was that one could not win, and another was that even the escape would be hard.


    Another thing Shen Lian did not understand was that why did the crazy Daoist decide to drag him into the battle with the demon king?


    He still could not figure out an answer. He decided to just leave it behind. He increased his shifting light and decided that after bringing Ruoxi back to the mountain, he had to complete the Wing of Wind and Lightning shifting method.

 Chapter 324 Transformed Dragon Pond

    After Shen Lian had decided, he did not think any further and he just adjusted the speed of the shifting light to ten times faster as he was on his way back to the River God Temple. His light travel went through the sky, leaving a trail. Naturally, there was not anyone who dared to block his way.


    Flying at full speed was an indescribable feeling. He felt that he could reach anywhere on heaven and earth.


    When he arrived at the River God Temple, he saw the Empress was waiting for him. He lamented slightly about the fact that despite the Empress had gained the position of the River God in exchange for freedom, on the other side, her power had increased by a lot, especially in the river basin of Qingshui River, her power was even more unbelievable.


    For deity to cultivate, it was easy in the beginning but it got harder later. At his level, other than the fact that he could not leave the heaven and earth, he had no other restrictions, but the Empress had to stay with this Qingshui River. To get rid of it, she would need an insurmountable amount of power and fortune.


    Shen Lian landed from the light and smiled, "You are the River God of Qingshui, why are you by yourself? Why don''t you gather some servants to dispel your loneliness."


    At her cultivation level, she was naturally no afraid of loneliness, but it did not mean she enjoyed it.


    The Empress looked at Shen Lian and said, "You remind me. Last few years I was trying to stabilize my position and had no time to consider about this. It is time for us to gather some servants and nominate some small deities to manage my thirty thousand miles of river basin."


    The river basin of Qingshui River was wide and the number of living creatures were uncountable. Despite how powerful the Empress was, she could not take care of every one of them. It was natural for her to nominate some small deities along the different parts of the river.


    It then saved her a lot of energy.


    Shen Lian said, "This is good. Considering this, if I can''t survive the Daoist trial, I probably will not live as long as you." The Empress smiled and she did not reply. She took it as a word of comfort from Shen Lian, as Qing Xuan had a lot of people who achieved Tianxian, heavenly immortal. They all had completed their cultivation here and eventually transcended beyond the mortal world.


    Shen Lian''s talent was not less than those people. Though his Tianxian state was not ninety percent, it was about eighty percent.


    She did not cultivate the authentic techniques of Xuanmen so she was not clear, but these techniques pointed directly to immortality, but once one got there, they emphasized on the understanding of Dao.


    The path that the previous generation had gone through was an easy one for the later generation before achieving immortality. Beyond that, there was some knowledge gap. The later generation had to have a breakthrough to gain something and be successful in stepping into the state of Tianxian. Chen Jianmei who managed to renovate the Shapeless Sword Incantation even before immortality was a rare genius. If not because of Shen Lian achieving immortality before him, in terms of talent, Shen Lian was not comparable to Chen Jianmei.


    Humans had differences and they could not all be the same. The experience from seniors was more for reference than imitation.


    This was the cause of the four main Daoist sects'' wealth and knowledge. Throughout the generations, the talented students kept breaking new grounds, and hence they increased the secret methods or new techniques of the sect.


    Qing Xuan was the leader with a hundred and eight techniques. Any slightly knowledgable Xuanmen cultivators in the Yuan Continent would have heard of it.


    From this aspect, Xuantian Sect only begun to catch up with the rise of Lu Jiuyuan.


    This was part of the reason for Guangqing was going after Qing Xuan.


    While they had five celestials, their collection was less, and there were only ten plus techniques that pointed to immortality. There were less than ten techniques which were complete.


    The Empress swung her hand and a suction force was produced. Shen Lian did not resist and he allowed the force to get on him. Soon he entered the divine region of the Empress.


    The divine region was similar to the place of enlightenment of the celestials and Buddha, like an independent space in the heaven and earth.


    Comparatively, it was easier for a deity to carve out a new divine region, especially for a deity like the Empress.


    Shen Lian was not at the level for him to carve out a place of enlightenment.


    Ruoxi was in the middle of the divine region and the Qi of vitality was dense in the surrounding, and it was all formed from the spiritual power of the river basin of Qingshui River. There was no impurity. She sat with her knees crossed, and despite that she was small, she did not seem childish. She grew to be even more otherworldly.


    Her aura was dreamlike. If not because of Shen Lian being an immortal Zhenren, as his divine thoughts swept through, he could not detect the condition of Ruoxi.


    He could feel that the Dream Heart Sutra from the old Daoist was something significant.


    This sutra despite making an appearance in Taiwei Pavilion, it was not complete.


    From the description, the ultimate success was to turn the life into a dream. As such, despite experiencing death or tragedy, nothing would actually happen as all of them were an illusion.


    One would become inseparable from the void and could no longer be hurt by trials.


    But to get there, it was afraid that even the Tianxian level was not enough.


    While the old Daoist was powerful, Shen Lian knew clearly that he was not at the Tianxian level yet, else he would not pass away.


    When Shen Lian and the Empress appeared, Ruoxi detected it and hence the Qi of vitality was dispersed. She opened her eyes which had no impurity. She looked at Shen Lian and gladly called him, "Uncle."


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "Look at you, you are alright now. Let''s say goodbye to aunty and we will return to the mountain."


    "Shen Lian, are you implying this is somewhere dangerous? You do not even want to stay a while longer?" The Empress replied.


    Ruoxi giggled. She did not imagine the cold-looking Empress could be joking.


    Shen Lian, of course, did not behave in such a thick-skinned way to leave with Ruoxi on the day. He was discussing Dao with the Empress for a few days before he said goodbye. The Dao for the two were different, as one followed the celestial way and the other followed the deity way. To this day, however, they had a certain level of understanding of Dao, and hence it was not without fruition.


    For the Empress, when Shen Lian left, she had one less person to talk to and hence she decided to gather servants quickly.


    After she made the decision, she paraded the river basin of Qingshui River to demonstrate her authority. She went all the way to the sea and before she even got there, she found a lot of water demons. They had some cultivation experience and also mana.


    The Empress'' intention was to parade the water region and to solicit water clans. Along the way, she also saw some water clans who could breathe in and out of the Qi of heaven and earth, but she was not very satisfied. The water clan not only had mana, their Qi was not impure. It was apparent that they had gone through cultivation, but at the same time they did not take in too much blood or killing.


    They were good people to be solicited and hence the Empress utilized her power to capture a few water demons. After she got the detail, she then knew these water demons were from Heishui Kingdom.


    The water kingdom was built under the sea and the king was a fishman with a thousand years of cultivation experience. One dragon recently killed the fishman and crowned himself as king. As he was cruel, unlike the previous king, a lot of water clans were escaping.


    She also heard another news, where the dragon was expanding his territory, to attack the Dragon Transformation Pond of the dragon clan of east sea.

 Chapter 325 Mantra

    When the Empress heard about the Dragon Transformation Pond, she was slightly surprised and she remembered something.


    She took half the body of Huang Longzi''s real dragon and extracted his real dragon blood to secure the River Deity position.


    She also obtained some memories from the real dragon blood - there were different clans of dragons on heaven and earth, and if one was not of the pure blood, one could not turn into a divine dragon through cultivating. The potential was limited.


    Even though one could be fortunate to achieve a similar state of the immortal Zhenren of Daoism through cultivation, one could hardly achieve any improvements.


    The Dragon Transformation Pond was the hope for these side branches of the dragon clan to transform into the divine dragon.


    However, the Dragon Transformation Pond only opened every one thousand years. For the dragon to want to attack the dragon clan of the East Sea so soon, it must be because the Dragon Transformation Pond was going to open.


    The dragon clan of East Sea was not considered an authentic dragon clan too. They belonged to the category of the snake which had the blood of the dragon. They only gained the dragon body after cultivating, hence, they were never strong. They were always bullied by the other powerful demon kings of the sea region.


    The Empress did not know that the dragon clan of East Sea had a Dragon Transformation Pond under control.


    The Dragon Transformation Pond could potentially benefit her but then she could not leave the river basin of Qingshui River.


    The news could be of use to Shen Lian as Qing Xuan was in the sea region too. The Empress then sent a message to Shen Lian to inform him about this.


    Mount Qing Xuan, Taiyi Peak, underneath a cliff, Shen Lian was teaching Ruoxi.


    The cliff was carved with countless tadpole writing - it was the Golden Courtyard.


    Ruoxi now looked otherworldly, and it came as a shock to other Qing Xuan students who saw her. After they asked around, they then figured out this was the niece of the chief who was brought out to travel by the founder.


    Nobody dared to ask about the background of the chief, they only knew the little girl followed the surname of the chief, Shen.


    They did not know how complicated Ruoxi''s background was, as technically speaking she was Shen Lian''s cousin''s niece.


    Shen Lian and Ruoxi should not follow the surname Shen, but as the Shen family had no more descendants, plus Shen Lian did not care too much about his background, and for Ruoxi to not be any more involved with Dawei, both of them adopted the surname Shen. As such, he claimed Ruoxi was his niece.


    With the incident of Zhang Lingxian and Zhang Ruoxu, for Shen Lian to bring Ruoxi back, nobody was going to say anything, but the talent Ruoxi demonstrated was terrifying.


    As the doyens of Qing Xuan fell their eyes on the powerful mana and pure Qi of Dao, they all wished that the chief could let them have the kid under their teaching to bring glory to their line.


    One could not blame the doyens for having this though because Ruoxi had made use of an elixir to reconstruct her Daoist body and hence she was still a little of seven to eight years old. With the level of cultivation, it was a natural aftereffect.


    As kids had not undergone puberty, it was hard for them to have mana. If they could have mana by age ten, they could be considered to be extremely talented to be a Daoist. Like Ruoxi, not only did she only look like she was seven to eight years old, not even the students who had entered Ruhua for a few years had a compatible level of mana. Even if she was the reincarnation of a celestial, it was still too much.


    For this type of genius, with fine and thorough method to train the Daoist understanding since young, there was a ninety percent chance that she could achieve eight transformations of Huandan or more. Immortality was expected.


    Shen Lian began to worry, because as the elixir helped to reconstruct Ruoxi''s Daoist body, and the technique of the old Daoist had cut out the karma that she was the reincarnation of Yuan Jun, Ruoxi''s body was not made of blood and flesh anymore. She would not grow up anymore.


    This scenario was similar to the Investiture of the Gods which he read in his previous life - where the deity of the three seas, Naza had obtained a clone of the lotus, his shape was fixed. It was fortunate that the Daoist body was better than a mortal body, especially in terms of gathering mana, she had a unique advantage. It was a relative of the Great Way. It would be easier for her to cultivate the authentic techniques of Xuanmen using this body. There were pros and cons associated.


    Shen Lian said, "The Dream Heart Sutra from the Grand Ancestor Master is a rare sutra even in Qing Xuan. If you can practice it to a really high level, you will have a great future. Uncle will not help you modify it, but as the Dream Heart Sutra emphasizes on the moral nature, you will not be able to understand it even though the Grand Ancestor Master has guided you for a few years. If you venture into it without careful consideration, you may enter the wrong path. The tadpole writing on this cliff is the Daoist''s Golden Courtyard. It is profound and an authentic and neutral technique. It will not clash with what you''re learning."


    Shen Lian stopped for a while, he then spoke softly, "This scripture is wide but deep. Even though uncle managed to achieve Daoist immortality, there are some parts I have yet understand. If I explain to you, it is my own understanding and it may not be applicable to you. Hence, I will only explain what every writing means and you will have to decipher the rest of them yourself. Fortunately while one can not understand it in a short time, but as one identifies the tadpole writing and reads them in silence, there will be return. This requires years of persistence for the effort to come to fruition. You had a great destiny, but as luck and misfortune often come hand in hand, you should be more careful."


    Ruoxi hugged Shen Lian''s arm and she playfully said, "Okay, uncle. I understand everything you say. I am not a kid anymore, grandfather has brought me to many places."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Okay, I still think you''re the Ruoxi from ten years ago because of how you look."


    Ruoxi seemed a bit disappointed but she was hopeful, she asked, "Uncle, do you wish for me to grow up or to be a kid?"


    Shen Lian patted her head and said, "I am only a relative. You can do as you please as long as you don''t choose the wrong path."


    Ruoxi sighed, "Uncle, please don''t forget that my body now has no blood relation with you anymore."


    Shen Lian was slightly shocked but he coughed and said, "Come, let me explain what the tadpole writing means."


    Ruoxi''s spirit and understanding were so powerful that it even exceeded many people who had reached Huandan. She was quick to pick up and remember every word Shen Lian said. She could even argue against it with her own dissection. It really impressed Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian was also aware that Ruoxi''s understanding stemmed from the cultivation experience of the old Daoist. Through immersion, she had gained some of it.


    Because of that, Shen Lian found Ruoxi''s understanding to be very interesting.


    When she was talking about spirit, she revealed a method called the Divided Heart Mantra, which was to sneak into people''s heart and use a special method to steal the heart and turn others into clones.


    This method needed a basis, which was the body that was being sneaked into had to feel close to the person or had other connections.


    This was not a proper path, and Shen Lian deduced this from Ruoxi''s understanding.


    Looking at it in detail, this technique was similar to Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation. He connected the dot between the lessons Ruoxi picked up from the old Daoist. Shen Lian could finally be sure about his suspicions.

 Chapter 326 Heavenly Cauldron

    It seemed that Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation came from the old Daoist. With this deduction, when Yanxu was spreading tragedy in Qing Xuan, it explained why the old Daoist did not take action. It was probably not because he was stuck in a trial.


    As he was now gone, only Yanxu would know the truth.


    Shen Lian kept all of these in his heart. Regardless, before the old Daoist passed away, he had helped to block against Guangqing. This had helped him to get rid of a potential worry and hence he was enlightened successfully. For Chen Jianmei to be here was also under the order of the old Daoist.


    Ruoxi also had benefited from the old Daoist. From all of these, it seemed that the old Daoist did not have the intention to bring tragedy to Qing Xuan.


    When he thought about the seniors of Qing Xuan who died in vain, the City of Vain Deaths hidden in Taiwei Pavilion, and the death of Zhang Ruoxu, Shen Lian did not feel too comfortable.


    He did not reveal his emotions. He was multitasking as he explained the tadpole writing to Ruoxi.


    Ruoxi realized Shen Lian was not in the mood, but she did not know why.


    Suddenly Shen Lian looked up, and he flicked his finger. A stroke of sword aura went through the sky and broke the restriction of Qing Xuan. A clear Qi soon fell from the sky and Shen Lian had grappled it.


    After Shen Lian got hold of the clear Qi, he was silent for a while, then he continued explaining to Ruoxi about the tadpole writing like nothing had happened.


    The next day, a bell rang on Taiyi Peak. It was apparent that the Chief had something on. He gathered all the doyens and students.


    Since Shen Lian returned and when everyone knew he had achieved Daoist''s immortality, nobody dared to have any second thought.


    Immortal Zhenren was considered an unreachable existence of most cultivators. Qing Xuan had a history of ten thousand years and there were only forty immortal Zhenrens. Among the four main Daoist sects, Qing Xuan had the most number of immortal Zhenren. One could imagine how difficult it was to achieve Daoist''s immortality.


    Outsiders knew that Shen Lian was not even a hundred years old, but the people at Qing Xuan knew since Shen Lian entered the sect, it had not even been thirty years. Not even Lu Jiuyuan could achieve a similar height - by using only thirty years to achieve immortality.


    Nobody would deny the claim that Shen Lian was the first genius in ten thousand years of the cultivation community in Yuan Continent.


    After all, for three thousand years, only Lu Jiuyuan achieved Daoist immortality within a hundred years.


    Now not only did they respect Shen Lian, they too admired Zhang Ruoxu''s foresight. He could tell the great potential Shen Lian had and hence he passed on the headmaster position to him.


    If not, with Shen Lian''s personality, he would be spending his time leisurely somewhere, like Fairy Ziling and the Grand Ancestor Master who asked for nothing about the sect. As such, they were only a symbol of status, but they could not help develop the sect further.


    One would know just by thinking about Chen Jianmei. Since he achieved Huandan, he was out on a journey and he had never even returned once.


    The cultivators entered the hall one by one. For now, Bai Suhuan''s seat was empty and nobody was going to replace him. Some people lamented about Bai Suhuan. He had entered Powang for a few hundred years, but he went against the Chief. As such he was now imprisoned in the mountain and nobody knew whether he was dead or alive. For now, the Chief had already achieved immortality and had a long life ahead. One could only say comparison was the root of unhappiness.


    "Elder Lu, this is your new student."


    As other doyens saw Lu Shouyi with another person. From their eyes, this person was not young but his cultivation experience was low. He would not go any further, but they acknowledged his presence because of Lu Shouyi.


    Lu Shouyi too exchanged greetings with the other doyens.


    Most cultivators had a photographic memory. After a while, they then remembered the student of Lu Shouyi was indeed the mortal that was brought in during one of the classes of the headmaster previously.


    Nobody expected the headmaster to hand this person to Lu Shouyi.


    Some people felt it was a pity. Since Lu Shouyi had an odd encounter and had entered Huandan, while he was not as good as the headmaster, he was a rare talent. A lot of doyens had the intention to send someone to cultivate under Lu Shouyi, but they had no means to.


    Since Shen Lian achieved immortality. But it was not necessarily for him to be the chief for long. Lu Shouyi had the huge potential to be the next chief.


    As Qing Xuan was on the rise, even if cultivators were known to not care too much about fame or status, it did not mean they did not care at all.


    Young students were good as they mostly still had hopes to achieve immortality like Shen Lian. For older doyens or students, they most knew that they had no hope. They just wanted to gain more power or techniques to live longer. They wanted to form relationships with the powerful people in the sect, even if they had no hope to achieve Dao, they could still venture out to the mortal world and spread their wings.


    The cultivation community was not extremely calm, and there were almost always difficulties. Techniques, instruments and good relationships within the sect became even more important. After a while, Gu Caiwei entered and a lot of people greeted her in a polite way. This was because Gu Caiwei had been handling the matters in the sect in place of Shen Lian. Furthermore, Gu Caiwei was practicing under Taixu Strategy, once she achieved Huandan, she would be one of the top within the sect. No one could underestimate her.


    Some of the doyens realized that the core power of Qing Xuan nowadays were all in the hands of Shen Lian''s generation.


    Chen Jianmei, Gu Caiwei, Yan Bugui and Lu Shouyi, the four combined could form a force against the rest of the doyens.


    Every one of them belonged to the clique of Shen Lian. Even there were another immortal Zhenren in Qing Xuan within a hundred years, it was most likely to be one of the four. If they could work slightly harder, in a few hundred years, perhaps Qing Xuan would have four to five immortal Zhenren all at the same time. It was an inspiring thought.


    After the doyens and students exchanged greetings, they all spoke together, "May the Headmaster live through ten thousand years."


    After they finished greeting, they then took their seat.


    Shen Lian was sitting on the stone couch. Jing Qing and Ruoxi were standing next to him.


    He took a glance at everyone. His deep eyes had a piercing look. Everyone was afraid of the Headmaster''s power which was not measurable. As he evaluated them, they all felt that nothing could escape from his eyes in the Boundless Universe.


    As Shen Lian spoke, his voice was soothing like the spring breeze. It eased everyone''s heart.


    "Since I took on the position of the chief, I feel like I''ve contributed little to the sect. I feel sorry to the previous Chief, Zhenren Zhang."


    "Since Headmaster you took over, Qing Xuan is on the rise. Everyone can see that."


    Immediately some students responded sincerely, as Shen Lian had a mild temper, even the lowest ranked student had received his guidance. He did not have favoritism because of their talent.


    Shen Lian put his hand down and everyone turned silent. What he said was sincere, he had not been paying too much attention to the work within the sect.


    He continued, "Now I am approaching the states of celestial and hence I have some time now. I decide to open up the Heavenly Cauldron again to forge some treasures and to fill up the treasure chest. You can exchange it with your merits."


    The Heavenly Cauldron, by its name, implied that it was made in heaven. It used the spiritual opportunity of heaven and earth as the fuel, Taiyi Peak as the cauldron, and the mana of immortal Zhenren as a catalyst to activate creation and to forge treasure. Every treasure was extremely precious.


    The first thing was that the spiritual materials were hard to come by, and the spiritual opportunities needed to be accumulated. The second thing was that for the past few hundred years, as Fairy Ziling was reacquiring immortality, and the Grand Ancestor Master was going through the Daoist trials, there were no immortal Zhenren available to unseal the cauldron for the forging of treasure.


    As now Shen Lian decided to unseal the Heavenly Cauldron, all the doyens were glad, and as the students found out, they were all looking forward.

 Chapter 327 Discussion

    While everyone was happy, Shen Lian sighed. Regardless of Qing Xuan''s emphasis on ''before cultivating one''s behavior, one must first cultivate one''s heart'', only a small number of disciples could persevere and work on their moral nature. Even then, most of them did not manage to even get past the stage of Huandan - just as Qi Sanwen back then.


    "I can activate the Heavenly Cauldron, but there has not been any development in the sect in the past few hundred years. Most of the spiritual materials have been used, and with what we have left in the sect, it is definitely not enough for the forging of treasure. Any of you have any good idea?"


    His words sparked discussion. Since the incident with Yanxu, Zhang Ruoxu had emphasized on recuperating. There were not a lot of disciples who traveled around the world. What they needed for their cultivation process, they could get it from within the sect. It would have been fine if it was just any normal supplies, as those were easy to procure. However, some spiritual materials were rare and precious. After it was used, it was not replenished.


    Despite that Qing Xuan was in a slump, there were still two to three hundred cultivators on the mountains. Putting aside the fact that they had been tapping into the Qi of heaven and earth over the past few hundred years, they used a considerable amount of spiritual materials. There were not a lot of power characters, and hence there were not a lot of people who contributed. Hence, some of the rarer and more precious spiritual material faced greater demand than supply.


    Someone suggested, "Chief, you have attained immortality and could gather your Qi of vitality within seconds. I heard that Xuantong Demon King of the seas has introduced Yiyuan Elixir as the currency for the cultivation realm beyond the seas, and one could buy spiritual materials with it. Yiyuan Elixirs are made out of Qi of vitality. The Five Peaks of Qing Xuan derived from the lingering charms of Yuan Continent; the spiritual vigor is abundant, and the Qi of vitality is dense. It would be easy to produce Yiyuan Elixir from this. Why don''t Chief perform a great technique to mass produce Yiyuan Elixir, and we could exchange for the spiritual materials that we need at the celestial market."


    Everyone was speechless upon hearing this. Despite that, they entertained the thought of it, but they were too embarrassed to say something like that.


    However, everyone looked at Shen Lian, quietly hoping that he would say yes.


    After all, an immortal Zhenren was also known as a land immortal, Dixian; even though not as prestigious as a heavenly immortal, Tian Xian, but they could be considered as one of the holy deities. It would not be a lot of effort for them to create something like that.


    Shen Lian was not angered by the suggestion. The person who suggested was descendant of one of the elders, and the elders had contributed greatly to the sect. Hence, the person had received a lot of help from other elders. His process of cultivation had always been smooth, which was why he had the guts to say what he did.


    This was one of the downfalls of the upper house of Qing Xuan. Those who managed to attain something in their cultivation were not devoid of feelings and desires. Hence, if those they had blood ties with proved suitable to cultivate Dao, they would take care of them somehow, just as how Shen Lian himself had brought Ruoxi into the sect.


    Hence, the moral nature of the disciples from the upper house was not satisfactory due to the environment they were in.


    However, due to the great and conducive environment and the sheer number of disciples, there were quite a few of them who achieved something. These people were in their own cliques and formed a considerable influence in Qing Xuan.


    The good thing that came from the incident with Yanxu was that most of the cultivators who were related by blood died during that battle. Otherwise, it would be difficult for Shen Lian to take over the sect, and he would have faced great resistance.


    Of course, this form of influence was nothing notable to an immortal Zhenren. This was why Qing Xuan was able to exist for generations without falling into the hands of a single family.


    This was the main difference between Celestialism and the human realm. Celestialism was long and never-ending, and the power of an individual triumphed over that of a group. Cultivators focused on the cultivation of Qi and did not sire many children. Hence, the so-called family of celestial cultivation might not even have a successor most of the time.


    After all, despite the chance of a genius being birthed in such family was higher than normal, but this was not comparable to the ten disciples that were taken into the lower house every fifty years. These were people who were blessed by fate and opportunity amidst the masses.


    "Is this what all of you want? If so, I will grant your wish," Shen Lian smiled.


    Everyone did not expect Shen Lian to accept the request so readily, and everyone was at a loss for words for a moment.


    Lu Shouyi spoke, "The movement of heaven is full of power, thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring; even if the Chief has made the necessary preparations for you all, would you all be able to feel good about it? If so, what is the point of meditating and cultivating Qi every day then? It is impossible for anyone with this kind of mentality to attain immortality and attain Dao. You are better off at the secular mortal world. Then, you might be able to take advantage of your Dao techniques and ascend to an influential position, such as that of a minister. Or better still, you could find an uncharted territory and build a kingdom there."


    He did not hold back with his words at all; most of the disciples were too ashamed to even raise their heads.


    In comparison, there were over ten disciples who seemed at ease. It was clear that these people had never entertained such possibilities. Amongst them, six of them had entered into the mountain along with Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi. They were all at the state of Ruhua, and had reached the point of Huandan.


    One of them was dressed in clothes fairer than snow, and he was remarkable amongst all the disciples. His name was Zhao Siming. There was some conflict between him and Lu Shouyi in the beginning.


    Zhao Siming volunteered, "We are cultivating in the mountains, and even though it is pleasant to meditate and cultivate Qi every day, but mere discussion of Dao does not give us the training that we need. If the Headmaster were to forge treasures with great techniques, there is no way that we can just sit around and reap the benefits. Headmaster, may I seek your permission for us to go out of the mountain? I believe that if we put in the effort, it is possible to bring back rare treasures and materials from the vast world. Even if they were of no good to you, we can keep it in the treasury."


    Shen Lian looked at Zhao Siming approvingly, and Zhao Siming stood proudly in return.


    "Just as Zhao Siming say then, I will allow for a three-year period for all of you to source for spiritual materials from the outside world. All of you can bring it back to the sect, and if you intend to contribute it, Elder Hong would record it as a meritorious deed under your name. However, when all of you are out seeing the world, the first thing that you must not do would be to announce your origin. If any of you have disobeyed this, I will definitely be able to find out when you are back," Shen Lian replied.


    "What if they have recognized us from our techniques?" Zhao Siming queried.


    "That would be their problem, the point is that you must not rely on Qing Xuan''s reputation. Bear this in mind," Shen Lian replied casually.


    His words had caused the crowd to stir. It seemed that Shen Lian had agreed with Zhao Siming''s request.


    If they could not rely on Qing Xuan''s reputation when they were out, they ran a high risk of losing their lives if they were to run into some vicious characters. Some of the disciples from the upper house were planning to just pass time in the sect. If life in the mountains got hard, they would just return to the secular mortal world and to take advantage of Qing Xuan''s reputation.


    However, Shen Lian intended for them to head out and to search for treasures. Moreover, they could not rely on Qing Xuan''s reputation. It was very likely that they would have conflicts with other cultivators and ended up putting their lives at risk.


    "Is this done on a voluntary basis?" Someone asked.


    The person who posed the question was a disciple from the upper house. Their elders were people who had attained something in Qing Xuan. More importantly, most of the elders'' belongings were inherited by their descendants when they died during the incident with Yanxu. Thus, most of the disciples from the upper house had plenty of meritorious deeds. They did not have to worry about procuring common spiritual materials within three generations.


    The intention behind his question was clear - he refused to take the risk.

 Chapter 328 Understanding Dao

    Shen Lian heard the disciple''s question and replied, "We are all cultivators of Dao, and we emphasize on the natural course of things. Even if I am in charge of Qing Xuan now, I will not force you to do something. So yes, this is entirely voluntary."


    At that moment, a lot of cultivators felt relieved. After all, if they had to go out by the Chief''s order and traveled the world without so much as relying on the sect''s reputation, what were they going to do when they ran into danger? After all, cultivators did have a longer lifespan than the normal people; however, most cultivators cared about life and death, and most of them took great care of their body.


    Shen Lian took no concern about the disciple''s mood as he spoke, "Elder Hong, what about the task that I have entrusted you with?"


    Hong Qianya''s level of cultivation and seniority in Qing Xuan were considered high, and hence he was seated in front. Right now, he was seated on the second futon on the right. Everyone''s attention was directed at him. They were curious as to what was the task that the Headmaster had told him to do.


    Hong Qianya stood up and bowed to Shen Lian. He replied, "Headmaster, I have acted according to your instructions and have computed the value of the disciples'' inheritance in the form of a meritorious deed."


    With a flick of his finger, Hong Qianya produced a light wall in the hall. The words flowed on it, stating that the number of spiritual materials and meritorious deeds that each disciple had inherited. As to the particulars of the spiritual materials, they were all listed down in the form of words.


    The light wall was gigantic, and the Dao technique behind it was refined. It encompassed everything without swelling up.


    Hong Qianya cultivated the Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery. With just the slightest hint, he could investigate the background of every disciple thoroughly. This was why Shen Lian had instructed him to do this.


    "Chief, what is the meaning of this?" Some elders had queried.


    Shen Lian remained calm as he spoke, "The predecessors had done a lot to amass these savings, and I just wanted all of you to see for yourself. Look at how much you have gotten from your predecessor, how much you have spent, and how much did you manage to procure with your own ability."


    He did not use any harsh words, and he did not criticise the disciples who were wasting their time away by relying on their predecessors'' savings. He merely wanted them to see and think for themselves.


    If they could still ignore this and held onto the secular way of thinking, they were not meant for cultivation of Dao anyway. However, Shen Lian would not evict them. He would not lecture them too. Dao was right there, and so were the techniques. Shen Lian could offer pointers, but he was not about to spoon feed them.


    After a short moment of repension, some had expressed their willingness to source for spiritual materials from the outside world in order to contribute to Shen Lian''s forgery of treasures, and some even volunteered their inheritance up to the sect.


    Of course, there were some who remained silent and did not say anything.


    What Shen Lian did next was calling up each and every disciple. He reviewed their cultivation and told them to leave Qing Xuan Hall.


    It seemed that the announcement of his decision to activate the Heavenly Cauldron was not the sole highlight of the day, he wanted to provide pointers to the disciples'' process of cultivation as well.


    His insights were invaluable, and he had correctly identified every disciple''s deficiencies. He did not offer a solution but prompted them to solve it on their own. Everyone was happy and respectful about it, and they did not rely on him unnecessarily. Within just a few words, he was able to pinpoint the issues. Even the elders were nodding in agreement.


    The last disciple to come forward was Qi Sanguang.


    It was due to Shen Lian''s advice that Qi Sanguang came around at last. It would not be an exaggeration to address Shen Lian as his second parent. After coming forward, he knelt down and kowtowed respectfully.


    Shen Lian did not stop him. After all, he was in the position to receive such respectful greetings.


    "You have been here for quite some time now, do you see any improvement in yourself?" Shen Lian asked after he had calmed down.


    Qi Sanguang replied, "I have been cultivating the Qi cultivation technique that Headmaster taught me, I felt that my meridians are heating up, and my acupoints have swelled."


    The elders were surprised by what they heard. What he just described were the signs of breaking through.


    Shen Lian sighed and replied, "You are old and have started your cultivation process late. Even though you have received a hint of divine power, but your physical form did not improve. The reason why you are experiencing the signs of breakthrough in such a short period of time is due to the deterioration of your meridians and acupoints. Actually, you have not gathered enough essential Qi. If you want to cultivate your awakened entrance, you will end up draining your Qi and blood."


    The rest of the elders nodded in agreement.


    "Pardon my stupidity, but Headmaster, are you saying that I will never be able to attain immortality?" Qi Sanguang asked.


    Shen Lian smiled as he replied, "You are ambitious. With your current state, you might not even see the entrance to Celestialism after cultivating for another thousand of years. However, your situation is not hopeless. Since we have identified the problem, there will definitely be a solution. No miraculous elixir could change your dying physical form for the better. However, a previous strange encounter of mine might be of help here."


    Qi Sanguang asked desperately, "May I know what is the solution?"


    Shen Lian spoke with a serious tone, "This technique is not something of authentic Xuanmen. I stumbled upon it by chance, and it is immensely useful when it comes to physical form. At the pinnacle of cultivation, one would be able to remain in the world without having to cultivate the Primordial Spirit. One would be able to retain one''s youth, but the risk of cultivation is very high. If you are interested to learn, I can teach you. However, with even the slightest mistake you might turn into ashes, or face some other form of misfortune. You need to be mentally ready for this. You have been cultivating your Qi, and you are calm. With the dense Qi of vitality surrounding Qing Xuan, it is possible for you to live on for another seventy or eighty years. It is just that you have no chance of breaking through. If you decided to learn the technique that I spoke of, you will be putting your life on the line in exchange for significant improvement. Take some time to consider your options before making a decision."


    Shen Lian blew, and his breath was turned into a gust of wind that carried Qi Sanguang away.


    Right now, only the elders who were at least above the state of Huandan remained in the hall.


    All of them had straightened their clothes and were sitting formally.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Qing Xuan had spent the past few hundred years in isolation, and most of us have not been going out. It was only until Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen''s departure that we started to regain our fame. However, it is difficult to change the public perception of Qing Xuan with just his power. This is the reason why Guangqing is trying to replace us as one of the four main Daoist sects.


    Shortly after, I rose to fame. With the blessings of the Grand Ancestor Master, we were able to resist against Guangqing. After I have attained immortality, the world finally acknowledges Qing Xuan once again.


    However, we all know that ever since the Grand Ancestor Master had passed away, the power of Qing Xuan had been declining steadily. Luckily, I have only just entered into the state of immortality. As compared to the senior immortal Zhenrens, I am not as tied up and could act more flexibly.


    The disappearance of the Twelve Zhenrens of Guangqing is an internal problem for Guangqing. They have no time for us now, and this is the perfect timing for us to expand. In the foreseeable future, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen will be attaining Dao within the next few years.


    However, when the peaceful times have passed, I am afraid that a deadly trial awaits.


    According to my calculations, this trial is not something that could be easily stopped. It will involve many parties, and this is why I have decided to activate the Heavenly Cauldron again. I intend to improve on our combat power. Even if all of you have no chance to attain immortality, please do not wear out your moral nature. Otherwise, you might not be reincarnated after facing the trial."

 Chapter 329 Grandmaster

    With his level of cultivation, Shen Lian was not someone who would propagate unfounded rumors. Hence, the elders took what he said seriously.


    Cultivation was something that went against the natural course of things, to begin with. It was only natural for there to be a trial. However, the tragedy of the world was not the same - it was a trial that involved all of the cultivators.


    As for the tragedy of the world, Lu Jiuyuan did mention something about it. He said that cultivators were like the scabies of the world, and most of them would be removed when the time came.


    A few years back, the demon clan was great in numbers. Those who absorbed the Qi of vitality outnumbered the number of cultivators now. However, a great trial that was not found in the records took place. Since then, the demon clan had dwindled in numbers and was slowly eliminated by the joint effort of Daoism and Buddhism.


    Despite their current influence in the world, the demon clan was not as powerful as they once were.


    After that, there was Saint Tianzi who founded a dynasty and the deities were able to propagate Dao. However, the peak period did not last long, and soon it had disappeared without a trace.


    It was only natural for something to face declination after reaching its pinnacle.


    This was why despite the strong inheritance in the four main Daoist sects, they would never expand unnecessarily. Moreover, the immortal Zhenrens in the sect would be kept at around three to five. This was how they were able to become the sacred places of Xuanmen and lasted for as long as they did.


    Shen Lian offered his advice and engaged in idle chit-chats with the elders, and slowly, all of them left. Now that they were made aware of this, they would pay closer attention and start their own preparation in order to deal with the trial.


    In the end, only Gu Caiwei, Jing Qing, and Ruoxi were left behind.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, could you do me a favor?" Shen Lian said to her.


    Gu Caiwei laughed, "Tell me about it," she replied. Having entered into the state of Huandan and after consuming the celestial elixir, she could now go on living for a long time. There was nothing much that was bothering her heart of Dao now, and her speed of cultivation now was surprisingly faster than before she had attained the state of Huandan. Her mana had seen significant improvement day by day.


    "Could you go to a place called Feng Village, it is three thousand miles westward from here. There is a child who goes by the name of Feng Qingyang, whose father was injured recently by a wild boar. His father is dying, and I would like you to pass on an elixir to him. At the same time, could you please teach him about our Qi cultivation technique. When he is done paying his respect to his father, direct him to the mountain. I will tell you via telepathy as to the actual location," Shen Lian spoke slowly, and a gust of fresh breath was sent flying from his finger and landed on Gu Caiwei.


    "Easy job," Gu Caiwei replied as she looked at him with her beautiful eyes.


    "Actually, this child is related to you somehow. He used to be the Fengsheng Beast in his previous life. When he is on the mountain, let him be your disciple. This would allow for the cause and effect to come to a full cycle," Shen Lian replied.


    Gu Caiwei immediately knew what Shen Lian was going for. She knew that her Junior Apprentice-Brother had her best interest in mind; allowing the cause and effect to come to a full cycle would eliminate the risk of future complications.


    Gu Caiwei nodded and spoke, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, you have something else no?"


    Shen Lian raised the corner of his lips and replied cheerily, "Indeed, I cannot hide it from you. When the grandmaster attained Dao, she cultivated a killing instrument like that of Qing Xiao Sword. As the third person who managed to attain Dao through Taixu Strategy, I should cultivate a magical sword and walk the world with it."


    Qing Xiao Sword was the item that Fairy Ziling used to attain Dao. It contained the Dao of Yin and Yang, which was why it was also known as Taiyi Ying Yang Sword. Just a single thrust of it would be able to extinguish the Qi of death and to rescue someone; just a single thrust of it could kill someone with its absolute killing vibes. However, Fairy Ziling did not like the name, ''Taiyi Ying Yang Sword'', which was why she changed its name to ''Qing Xiao Sword''.


    "What kind of magical sword are you planning to cultivate?" Gu Caiwei queried.


    "I attained the Dao of Five Elements of Taixu Strategy, and this is a different path from that of the grandmaster. Naturally, the sword that I am cultivating would be related to the five elements," Shen Lian replied.


    "With your current status, you will need more than the common items if you were to cultivate a magical sword," Gu Caiwei pondered.


    A wooden sword appeared in Shen Lian''s hand, and that was the Xuande Sword. He rubbed his finger along the length of the sword, and yellow ray shone from within. He spoke, "This sword used to be a thousand-year-old sandalwood, and has since manifested spirituality throughout my cultivation. Moreover, it received merits and its quality was raised in turn. I have also merged the phoenix''s Fire of Nirvana within it. Out of the five elements, it now contains wood and fire. I still need three more in order to complete it."


    "The three remaining materials would be metal, water, and earth. However, these three elements exist in abundance. Which three are you looking for exactly?" Gu Caiwei asked in curiosity.


    "According to my calculations, the three materials that have the highest compatibility with Xuande Sword would be the cold iron of a thousand-year-old, Tianyi true water, and the star sand of the Universe," Shen Lian replied.


    "It would not be easy to procure these three items," Gu Caiwei laughed bitterly.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Indeed. I''m glad that I already found out where is the true water of the sky. At the Eastern Sea six thousand miles from here, there is a kingdom called Heishui Kingdom. The holy water in the kingdom is the true water of the sky."


    As he spoke, he pointed at Jing Qing and laughed, "The King of Heishui Kingdom was bitten by a dragon, and the dragon has taken over the water kingdom and is preparing to attack the dragon clan of the Eastern Sea. It is aiming to take over the Dragon Transformation Pond. I thought about it and remembered that Jing Qing is a flying serpent, Teng. As the saying goes, "After a thousand years of cultivation, snake would become Teng, and Teng would become dragon after overcoming the Trial of Heavens". With the help of Dragon Transformation Pond, he might be able to evade from the Trial of Heavens and become a dragon. He definitely has the potential that could rival the ancient Great Deity Yinglong."


    Gu Caiwei pondered upon it for a while and replied, "Jing Qing has been here for such a long time. Even though he is a Daoist child here, but he is a part of Qing Xuan. If we have the chance to help him to become a dragon, we should give it our best."


    Shen Lian replied, "That is what I am thinking too. I have decided to bring him along when I am searching for the true water of the sky. I will see if I can get him into the Dragon Transformation Pond."


    Gu Caiwei spoke, "Let''s not rush things. We can request for Temple of Longevity to research into it and see what we can find out about the background of the dragon clan of the Eastern Sea and that of the dragon."


    "Indeed."


    "Didn''t you tell me about all of these just so that I can relay the message to Temple of Longevity when I''m on my way to look for the child? Junior Apprentice-Brother, you are becoming more and more manipulative."


    Shen Lian coughed.


    Gu Caiwei smiled and left.


    After Gu Caiwei left, Shen Lian told Jing Qing to bring Ruoxi to the back of the mountain so that she can have a good rest. For the past few years, Ruoxi had been cultivating hard as she followed the old Daoist around. She had not gotten any rest, which was why Shen Lian wanted to let her relax and unwind.


    Shen Lian''s Daoist courtyard was located at the back of the mountain. It was decorated in a minimalistic manner, and he was sure that Ruoxi would love it when she was there.


    Shen Lian was the only one left in the hall. He operated his Qi and calmed his mood down.


    After that, he walked out of the door. Five-colored ray of the cloud manifested underneath his feet, and he soared into the sky. Within moments, he was at the foot of Zifu Peak.


    He walked up the mountain on foot, and he was not headed to Taiwei Pavilion, but the hall of the founding masters of the Taixu branch.


    Shen Lian walked calmly at a steady pace, and he could feel that the spiritual vigor up ahead. It seemed to be dormant and did not fluctuate at all. That was where his grandmaster, Fairy Ziling was having her solitary retreat. Ten years had passed, and her injuries did not heal.


    Daoist Dengfeng''s Taiyue Real Shape Incantation was impressive indeed. He thought he would help his grandmaster out and try to regain their reputation.


    Taixu Strategy was unrivaled in the world. Back then, Fairy Ziling had just attained Dao for the second time, and her foundation was still shaky. On top of that, she was ambushed, which was why she got injured. Given another three to five years, Fairy Ziling would not have been injured even if Daoist Dengfeng were to ambush her again.


    Shen Lian snapped out of his thoughts and realized that he was in front of a temple situated on top of the cliff.

 Chapter 330 Just as How Spring Had Met Winter

    The temple was located on top of the cliff, and there was a cave behind of it. Shen Lian could see the cave with his mind.


    He no longer relied on his eyes to perceive the world anymore. This seemed to be one of the signs that marked him as different from a normal human being; in fact, he felt as though he had become a unique existence that was disconnected and connected to the world at the same time.


    The fleeting feeling flashed past. What he felt was no coincidence.


    There were plenty of immortal Zhenrens who resided on Zifu Peak. In fact, there were plenty who transcended beyond the mortal world. To mortals, this was known as "heavenwards levitation".


    Hints of their vital force were left behind and the plants were exposed to these. Despite that hundreds and thousands of years had passed, there were still some traceable signs. The younger disciples who had attained the state of immortality such as Shen Lian, were able to resonate with them.


    The predecessors were succeeded by their successors, and the legacy of Qing Xuan was passed on as such.


    Shen Lian reached an epiphany that Zifu Peak was the most important place in the whole of Qing Xuan, as there were many immortal Zhenrens who once resided here.


    This was probably what people meant when they said it was not important for the mountain to be tall, as its spirituality derived not from its heights but from the presence of celestials.


    He hid his own vital force and did not use any spells. He walked up the cliff step by step, and a yellow tree leaf fell from above. It touched his head gently before flying further away. Eventually, it fell into the stream and floated gently. At last, it was blocked off by the rocks in the stream and started circling downwards before sinking into the mud at the bottom of the stream.


    Perhaps after some time, the leaf would be one with the mud and changed from the element of wood into that of the earth.


    Wood was a sign of life, whilst earth nurtured all form of life.


    Shen Lian slowed down his pace. Every step that he took was followed by signs of greenery; a budding plant would emerge from the earth and grow at a significant rate. Eventually, they bloomed and wilted. It did not take long before they returned to the earth as dust and sand again.


    All of these happened at the time of a few breaths.


    Every step he took signified a cycle of reincarnation. What was scarier was the fact that he did not disturb the Qi of heaven and earth at all. It was as though all these took place inconspicuously in accordance with the Dao rhythm.


    Shen Lian walked past the stream, the treacherous path; surrounded by the heavenly wind, he had arrived at the tall cliff.


    This was where he first saw Gu Caiwei use Taixu Strategy. It was an important day in his life.


    It had been twenty-six or twenty-seven years since that day.


    Despite that Shen Lian had spent two lifetimes as a human, but the timespan of twenty-six or twenty-seven years was considered as long in his life. Time could change a lot of things, but Shen Lian was glad that he was still who he once was.


    After seeing his true nature, he realized what it meant to be him, and he was no longer in doubt anymore.


    Slowly, he walked into the hall and saw the portrait of Grandmaster Qingshui. The portrait was painted by the Grandmaster. In the past, he was only able to see the image of clouds and the reflection in the pond - it was empty and blurry. However, now he could see the pond and the reflection of the clouds in the pond clearly - it was clear and there was nothing else.


    In the past, he did not see the mountains and waters for what they truly were.


    Now, he finally recognized them for what they truly were.


    Shen Lian stared at the portrait and left without a pause. He walked to the back of the hall and got through an intangible layer of restriction. He saw a cave.


    His master was inside - the genius who attained Dao twice, Fairy Ziling.


    Words could not do justice to her indescribable excellence and achievements.


    The entrance to the cave was sealed off with a layer of Xuan ice. It looked thin and seemed to be only a few inches thick. One could peep past the Xuan ice and see the lady in purple behind it. She was beautiful and frail, and her complexion was clear and glowy.


    As Shen Lian stared at her, he noticed that her clothes were turning green. She opened her eyes and stared ahead coldly.


    With just a glance, she seemed to be able to stare into the depths of one''s heart, stopping one from indulging in any desires that one might have harbored for her.


    Shen Lian knew that even though he had hidden his vital force, both of them were from the same source. Despite the difference with Yin and Yang, and the five elements, but in essence, they were the same.


    Naturally, Fairy Ziling would be roused from her sleep when he got close. However, he was looking at Qing Xiao.


    Shen Lian had made contact with Fairy Ziling when he first entered into the mountain, and he knew that she was a nice and easygoing person. Despite her impressive supernatural power, she was gentle, just as Gu Caiwei, who had taken after her.


    Back then he was a mere mortal. Even so, Fairy Ziling brought him to Nanke Town. Before that, she had even saved him from harm with the sound of her bells when he was captivated by the spirit-summoning messenger at the River of Spirits.


    He was glad to have Ziling as his master. However, it was unfortunate that the both of them did not get to know each other better.


    His impression of Ziling seemed like a dream - traceless, and beautiful.


    However, he was looking at Qing Xiao. Despite his carefree nature, he still felt slightly nervous.


    Shen Lian did not know why; logically, at his level of cultivation, it was difficult for him to harbor such feelings. Perhaps it was because of Qing Xiao''s seniority, or maybe it was due to her cold and detached demeanor.


    "Master Qing Xiao, how are your injuries?" He spoke slowly with a slight hint of hesitation. Though, it did not matter; he was certain that her injuries were still not completely healed yet.


    Qing Xiao did not answer. She stood up; her motion seemed fluid, but Shen Lian felt that there was a hint of rigidity.


    It was not from her physical motion but from the lack of coherence in her psyche and Qi.


    The hint of rigidity was something that he would not have noticed back if he had not attained immortality.


    If it was not for the natural telepathic bond between Shen Lian and her, he might have overlooked it.


    The incoherence was not caused by something as simple as her injuries.


    Qing Xiao made no move. The thin layer of Xuan ice that could have warded off the attacks of the best weapons melted within seconds. It turned into a pool of water on the ground and flowed out from the cave.


    The ground was nourished, and patches of grass were sprouting out.


    The grass was dark green in color; they stood in solemnity.


    She looked at Shen Lian with a blank face. As she stood quietly, she seemed so detached from the mortal world.


    Anyone who set eyes on her would have felt ashamed of themselves; it was not for her beauty, but for her otherworldly qualities that rendered her fit to be worshipped.


    However, Shen Lian did not have thoughts as such. He remained calm.


    After the initial nervousness that he had, right now he could feel a strange bond with Qing Xiao. It was comforting, but not too.


    Just as how spring had just come after winter, and the weather was fluctuating between warmth and cold.


    Qing Xiao sized Shen Lian up and spoke, "Shen Lian, well done. Not only that you have attained so much, but you also did not repeat my previous mistakes."


    She seemed to be complimenting him, but her tone suggested that she expected no less of him.


    She did not seem proud of him, and she definitely was not shocked by his sudden progress either.

 Chapter 331 Ziling and Qing Xiao

    As Shen Lian looked at Qing Xiao, he could feel her gaze.


    Her gaze was special. It was cold and detached, and she seemed to look down on everyone as though they were no more than ants.


    Such gaze was supposed to make someone uncomfortable, as most would not like to be seen as mere ants. However, most would not find Qing Xiao''s gaze repulsive, as she clearly saw everyone as ants; it showed that what she saw did not make any difference in her heart.


    An impartial heart; this was considered as an advanced state of attainment in both Daoism and Buddhism.


    He remained silent, and he finally spoke, "Master Qing Xiao, Daoist Dengfeng''s Taiyue Real Shape Incantation is not the only reason behind your injuries."


    A hint of shock flashed past Qing Xiao''s face, but it was a fleeting emotion. She replied coldly, "Why, you want to help me heal?"


    Shen Lian seemed to be in a complicated mood. He bowed respectfully as he said, "I shall excuse myself now."


    Qing Xiao''s cold glare fell onto Shen Lian like daggers. For normal humans, facing against the intensity of her gaze was comparable to being cut by daggers.


    Shen Lian did not dare to engage even the slightest bit of his mana. The metaphorical daggers made a few cuts on his Daoist vestment.


    He remained calm and excused himself.


    The following took place after Shen Lian had left.


    Qing Xiao spoke, "Do you know why he left so suddenly? Because he did not want to help me. The price for helping me would be to do harm to you."


    The green clothing shifted into purple. The cold expression melted away like that of snow and ice.


    She became Ziling again, "But I would never do harm to you, and he would not too," she replied. The breeze caressed her clothes, and they fluttered like waves in response. At that split moment, one could not help but feel melancholic.


    Shen Lian left suddenly because he realized that there was no way that he could help his founding master out. If it was just any other injury, he could utilize their combined mana and speed up her recovery process.


    However, the injuries that she sustained were not as simple as they seemed.


    Perhaps, one could even say that her injuries were not an urgent matter.


    What Shen Lian had discovered was the true problematic issue. Ziling and Qing Xiao were not just two different personalities. To be precise, they were two different entities altogether, but their natural divine aura was one and the same.


    If it was not for Shen Lian''s prior cultivation of the Mastery of Senses, which led to his spirit being significantly stronger than most immortal Zhenrens'', and the fact that he was cultivating Taixu Strategy just as Fairy Ziling did, which led to the resonance of their divine Qi, he would not have realised this.


    They were two different people, and yet they shared the same spirit. This was as ridiculous as it could get; and yet, this was precisely what happened right before his eyes.


    To a certain extent, this changed everything that Shen Lian thought he knew about cultivation.


    It was as though someone had lived her life, and was then turned into a blank sheet of paper. Subsequently, she was sent away to experience another life again.


    Hence, she now had two different set of personality.


    To outsiders, these two might look exactly the same, and there might not even be any differences in their spirit. However, they were indeed, two different people.


    Unlike a paper, a spirit was not something that one could doodle on and turned into a blank state once again.


    This was so as even after the memories were erased, there were still some marks that were ingrained deep in one''s soul.


    Just as how some experts in Buddhism could recall the memories of their past life once they were at the pinnacle of cultivation. Even if he had been reincarnated plenty of times, but certain experiences had been ingrained into him through the passing of time.


    However, this was not the vibe that Shen Lian got from Ziling and Qing Xiao. Even if the vital force of their spirit was the same, Shen Lian could tell that they were completely different.


    When he was looking at Qing Xiao, he could see Ziling at the same time too. Both of them did not take their turns to appear and disappear, but they had always existed together at the same time. The decisive factor was who managed to gain control over the body.


    Shen Lian guessed that they should have the same natural divine aura and Primordial Spirit. This was why they were unable to solve the problem by splitting their spirit apart and creating another body to contain it.


    The most efficient way would be to eliminate one of them. Then, Yin and Yang would be able to be reunited. Only then would the real Fairy Ziling return. Having attained Dao twice, she could rely on that as her foundation and finally complete her cultivation by stepping into the realm of Tian Xian. Then, she would just have to wait for the right moment to transcend beyond the mortal world.


    Even though he shared the same source of mana as them and was the best candidate for the task, Shen Lian would never help Qing Xiao to do harm to Ziling.


    Of course, he would not offer to help Ziling to eliminate Qing Xiao; not that Ziling would let him do so in the first place.


    Initially, he came with the intention of healing the founding master''s injuries; now, he had no choice but to leave - how unexpected!


    Shen Lian could not do anything but to let go of this for now.


    Half a month later, Gu Caiwei returned with news relating to the Dragon Transformation Pond. Apparently, it would only be activated in another thirty years, which was twenty years after the Bier Discourse of Dao.


    The dragon could not wait to take over Heishui Kingdom; however, demons and monster perceived time differently from normal humans. To the former, thirty years were the same as thirty days.


    As for the true water of the sky, unfortunately, it was no longer at the Heishui Kingdom anymore.


    Right before he died, the King of Heishui Kingdom had sent away the true water of the sky along with the princess.


    This was common knowledge at the sea regions, and the dragon even went as far as putting a bounty on the princess.


    After he heard about this, Shen Lian started calculating as to the designs of nature. However, the whereabouts of the princess of Heishui Kingdom was shrouded in mist, and he could not obtain any information in relation to that. He knew that something must have veiled the designs of nature.


    At this rate, he would have to delay his plans to bring Jing Qing to the Dragon Transformation Pond. After all, it would be another thirty years before the pond was activated.


    As for now, Shen Lian used the monitoring technique to observe the disciples who were out exploring.


    He was focusing on Zhao Siming and Choushi.


    Choushi hid his identity and had partnered up with the non-formal cultivators beyond the seas to explore the ancient relics left behind by the previous experts. However, he ran into great danger on his first expedition. He was the only lucky person who managed to escape.


    Even though he was probably thinking that he was in luck, but before every disciple left, Shen Lian had planted a strand of his divine thoughts on them. His Primordial Spirit was strong and he had understood hints of the profoundness of the Dream Heart Sutra. The divine thoughts attached to the disciples would come in handy in time of danger.


    After all, he was not a cruel chief who was void of emotions. He was not about to treat the disciples in the sect as livestock and let natural selection take its course.


    If they have joined Qing Xuan, so long as they did not betray the sect, Shen Lian would want the best for them. He would not want to see any of the disciples die without a good cause.


    Of course, the rest of the disciples were unaware that the chief was looking after them and monitored their every move.


    Zhao Siming was proud, and the first thing he did was to look for demon beasts.


    There were plenty of spiritual materials where the demon beasts dwelled; it was just as how the cows and goats would live near water and food source.


    In Qing Xuan, Drunken Daoist was considered as capable. He had mastered Dao of Talisman and swordcraft. However, Zhao Siming did not have the patience for Dao of Talisman, but he managed to learn the essence of swordcraft.


    He had a smooth beginning by relying on the sword pill given to him by Drunken Daoist and his sword techniques. However, he had been fighting against stronger demon beasts.

 Chapter 332 A Cumulus Cloud Transformed from a Ray of Spiri

    Sooner or later, Zhao Siming would encounter demon beasts that could not be defeated. Shen Lian did not do anything but to let him go with the flow. When the time comes and Zhao Siming had failed, he could at least remember the principle of ''he who knows of the Male, but remain as the Female, becomes the ravine of the world''. The ''male'' here referred to the toughness and power, while ''female'' indicates the calm and humbleness. Those who are willing to stay low and humble would strive in this world.


    The principles in the Daoist scriptures was not suitable for everyone but Zhao Siming was being a tad too arrogant, if he did not grind this air of arrogance off, it would be hard for him to progress further.


    Even so, Shen Lian still doubted that Zhao Siming could adept in the Huandan''s seventh transformation or beyond it.


    Just like that, as Shen Lian observed his disciples, he was in a fugue of the universe. The Great Way had always been there, no more no less for people to try to fathom. Shen Lian''s Dao techniques were concentrated, which allowed him to feel even more of the ever development of the universe. Nonetheless, each bit of change was very little. It took Shen Lian two years of being affected bit by bit that only could he be conscious of it. By doing so, with thousands upon thousands of years of accumulation, only could he see these changes.


    Shen Lian felt that this was normal. Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets all things. If there were no changes to the universe, the Dao would be exhausted and by then, this universe would be at its end.


    Within the two years, many had happened to the disciples who had traveled outside. It turned out that Zhao Siming did encounter a very formidable demon beast and got injured heavily. As the contrary for Choushi, after a few hunts for the predecessor''s adobe of immortals with his squad and a few brushes with death, he had become cautious. His methods also grew more and more. Even though his cultivation experience was not considered superb, he had transformed into a man with great depth from his original simple nature after going through the millstone. His rewards became more and more abundant.


    With his transformation, it was impossible for him to breakthrough Huandan by himself because his cultivation was still Qing Xuan''s fundamentals. If he lost that simple natural nature of his, it would be more difficult for him to have a taste of the successful state of Dan Dao.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian vaguely calculated that Choushi would be reaping some good fortune soon. This was what it meant by ''what one loses on the swings, he gets back on the roundabouts''.


    As for the other disciples, each of them had their own little improvements. Of course, it was still unavoidable that there were those who were crude and impetuous that caused massive problems. For this kind of people, Shen Lian manifested to them through his divine thoughts and summoned them back.


    Even so, there was still moments of qualms for Shen Lian and three disciples were killed.


    In the end, there was a limitation for Shen Lian for him to be able to divide his attention and expend his thoughts. He could not control the bodies of his disciples and it was hard for him to display other formidable supernatural power. He was truly helpless when he encounters sudden serious situations.


    He had avenged his three disciples and it was done very crisply. It was not clear that who was right or wrong but as long as he did not avenge them, he was not happy.


    However, even after he had done so, Shen Lian still did not feel that happy because the three disciples could not be resurrected after all.


    In this universe, there was indeed the karmic cycle but it was never how it was said in legends and myths with the ox head and horse face to bring the dead to the netherworld for reincarnation.


    This karmic cycle was more spontaneous. There were even some living creatures with fragile spirits would just scatter and disappear within this universe.


    Shen Lian could feel that their spirits have truly dissipated. It was just that he did not know where that bit of divine aura went. Perhaps it had been reborn into somebody and from this flesh, they get a new life and once again, they become a new life.


    It was also perhaps they have gone to another world, which was the Nine Underworld.


    A very long time ago, Shen Lian''s spirit had reached the state where it connected with the netherworld. This was exclusively a particular state after cultivating the Mastery of Senses. He knew that if he abandoned all care into the wind, he would perhaps be able to reach the Nine Underworld. However, he did not do so because he had a feeling that once he went there, there was no coming back.


    Legend had it that the source of the Underworld Demon Sect was in the Nine Underworld. The Yin Mountain was also originally in the Nine Underworld and it unexpectedly appeared in this universe.


    If he ever met up with Ye Liuyun again, Shen Lian probably would have asked him about it.


    As Shen Lian thought of Ye Liuyun, his clear eyes suddenly moved. He would not have to think about Ye Liuyun at this moment for no reason.


    At this moment, Shen Lian was not inside the Qing Xuan Hall, he was inside the Quiet Room of Cultivation at Daoist courtyard of the Taiyi Peak. Outside was a fluttering willow catkin. Ruoxi was fixing her concentration amongst the dancing willow catkins. She needed to count how many catkins there were clear and also calculation where and when each catkin would land. This was an extremely difficult task and many formidable cultivators probably could not even do so.


    But if one could do it, then there would not be much difficult task under the sun.


    Shen Lian did not purposely teach her Dao techniques and allowed her to be on her own devices. At the same time, Shen Lian also experienced the formidability of the Dream Heart Sutra. The rate of growth of Ruoxi''s spirits compared favorably to Mastery of Senses that he was cultivating.


    This was because each time Ruoxi had a dream, it was a cultivation and also a karmic cycle. Even when she had woken up and forgotten about the memories of these dreams, but the marks left by the flowing ages did not fade away.


    Therefore, even though she seemed young, but there was a bit vicissitude that inadvertently showed on her that even she herself did not notice.


    Ruoxi calculated each catkin''s directions but there was one catkin that did not follow the trend, which was strange to her. Because no matter how she calculated, this catkin would not have fluttered towards her uncle''s room.


    Once she noticed it, this bit of catkin was like star in the winter night, it could pierce through the void.


    Ruoxi''s spiritual sense was acute. It was as though she had seen the void tattered and what followed was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. A unique flavor lingered in the corners of her mind, it was the taste of death.


    The Qi of vitality began to be chaotic and the void trembled.


    Shen Lian quietly sensed all of it and he ''saw'' the windows turned to scraps. A bit of catkin flew in, at the same time, a state of death accompanied it. The sound of water resounded in his ears. That was the flowing sound of the underworld Huangquan River waters that was resonating in his soul.


    This was no Dao technique but it was brilliant than many of the Dao techniques in this universe.


    The might of the Dao technique was not about the profoundness of the mana used but on the caster''s spirit. Once his spirit was there, it was enough to move the mountains by just using a bit of the Qi of vitality.


    This was like the butterfly of the Eastern coast of the Yuan Continent. With just an unintentional flutter of its wings, when it coincides with some of the universe''s meaning of Dharma, it could probably generate a terrifying tornado on the Western coast of the Yuan Continent, destroying thousands of miles of land.


    Shen Lian extended a finger, as though he had prepared a long a while ago. This finger seemed similar to Zhao Xiaoyu''s Wusheng Finger but it had an extra wisp of abstruse of Daoism.


    All things in the world are produced by being, and being comes from non-being.


    The vital force of the universe flowed from the tip of the finger and quietly collided with that bit of catkin.


    There was no earth-shaking sound of collisions and there was even no roar of the thunder.


    There was another person in the room. This person was like a cumulus cloud.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I have never seen a guest quite like Brother Ye, to enter so quietly and yet only to cause such a commotion voluntarily in the end."


    "It''s too quiet here, that was why I wanted to have Brother Shen experience some sort of a bustle so that you won''t lose your liveliness by being in the mountains for too long. That would be boring," Ye Liuyun leisurely replied.


    Shen Lian waved his flocket and a clear Qi rolled up the scraps, pieced it all together until it finally became a window. It looked brand new as before.


    His smile fainted as he said, "You came looking for me, and it is because of our promise from that time."


    Skipping formalities, Shen Lian went directly to the subject.

 Chapter 333 Southern Heavenly Gate

    Ye Liuyun answered, "You still remembered. That''s good."


    His voice was slightly low-spirited.


    Shen Lian naturally remembered. At that time, Ye Liuyun asked Shen Lian to do him a favor to go look for an object at this one place. To enter that place, he first needed to go through a gate. He already felt that this matter was quite unusual at that time but he still agreed to it. Firstly, he accidentally killed Xiao Zhu off. Secondly, he really understood that Ye Liuyun was no ordinary person and had many secrets. This was what made him curious and also willing to be friends with Ye Liuyun.


    He asked coolly, "Brother Ye, where is this place that you want me to go to?"


    Ye Liuyun sighed faintly and answered, "Do you still remember that the place I mentioned, you first have to go through a gate?"


    "I would naturally remember this. You should be clear that for people like you and I, it is harder to forget than it is to remember." Shen Lian glanced at him. Now, the other was just a spirit with some cumulus clouds gathered around him. He could not see anything at all.


    Ye Liuyun replied, "You are correct. It is indeed harder to forget. That gate is called the ''Southern Heavenly Gate''. When that moment comes, you will see it. Please enter and help me find the ''Jinque Jade Booklet''.


    Shen Lian''s facial expression showed some surprise. This was because these three words ''Southern Heavenly Gate'', was exactly the heavenly gate of the legendary celestial court. The celestial court has four main heavenly gates in the east, west, south and north direction. Furthermore, the ''Southern Heavenly Gate'' was not only one of the gates, it was ''THE'' gate of the celestial court.


    Ye Liuyun asked, "What''s the matter? Brother Shen also knows about the Southern Heavenly Gate?"


    Shen Lian answered, "A little here and there. I''ve heard that the Southern Heavenly Gate is the portal to the ''celestial court''. So the place you want me to go would naturally be the celestial court then?"


    "That''s right. The reason I need you, Brother Shen, is because I have already entered the demon realm and I am unable to enter the celestial court. You do not need to fret either. There is absolutely no risk when you enter the celestial court because the celestial court has long been dilapidated and there is no deity guarding it. In fact, someone had entered and exited without a scratch five hundred years go. That person is no stranger to you. That person is Guangqing Celestial Sect''s Yuming the Honored Celestial," Ye Liuyun nonchalantly answered.


    Shen Lian then understood. He already knew about Guangqing''s intention to remold the celestial court. It was a natural matter for Yuming the Honored Celestial entering the celestial court and getting the heritage to follow.


    "Since Yuming the Honored Celestial had entered the celestial court, how do you know the ''Jinque Jade Booklet'' that you want has not been taken?" Shen Lian then asked.


    "If he had done so, I do not need to mention anything else other than the fact that you would not be alive today," Ye Liuyun answered slowly.


    "Since this Jinque Jade Booklet is as formidable as you say, you''re not afraid that I would not give it to you once I bring it out?" Shen Lian asked.


    Ye Liuyun simply answered, "Since you''re going to the celestial court, you might well look at this ray of spirit, perhaps it would be of help to you." He avoided Shen Lian''s question.


    Shen Lian only saw Ye Liuyun, who was like a cumulus cloud, suddenly transformed into a sword. A sword that symbolizing the mountain of corpses and the sea of blood.


    Even with Shen Lian''s knowledge, he had ever experienced such menacing killing aura from a sword will.


    When the sword will dissipated, a sword will leaped from Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit and resonated with him. It was the sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing, it seemed as though it has a deep connection to Ye Liuyun''s Killing Sword will.


    The word ''Avici'' suddenly appeared in his mind.


    At the same time, Ye Liuyun''s sword will continuously disintegrate, any profound mysteries of it was shown without any obstruction.


    ''The start of Taichi was boundless [1]�� It is not considered high even though it is above Wuji, it is not considered deep even though it is under the Liuhe, it is not considered old even though it grew with the sky and land, it is not considered ancient even though it grew since the ancient times [2]; the origin of the celestial masses, the ancestor of prosperity. The boundless Taixu, silent and solitary, being in the center, floating in Liuxu, it enters and leaves Netherworld, majestic and imperceptible, unique yet unchanging, independent and changeless, revolving, circulating and ceaseless, that can be regarded as the Mother of All Thing.'' The following paragraph of texts was hard to understand. With Shen Lian''s current state, it turned out that he could not really comprehend a lot.


    The good thing was that this paragraph was not too long, as though it was just a remnant of some Dao formula with parts of succinct contend and principles lost from the middle part.


    When Shen Lian exited from this conception, Ye Liuyun was nowhere to be found.


    That paragraph of text was actually a major help for him to comprehend the ''Avici''s'' sword will. It even made it easy for him to analyze the sword will that he inherited from Grandmaster Yuanqing.


    With a flick of his finger, the wisp of sword aura suddenly appeared and penetrated through the roof in an instance. With a sizzling sound, it reached the high skies. It left Shen Lian''s senses within the blink of an eye and it probably had already broken through the skies and reached the highest heavens.


    That condensed wisp of sword aura increased by one fold on his previous sword aura.


    He did not know the origins of the paragraph of text left by Ye Liuyun but it was so formidable that it allowed Shen Lian to have a deeper understanding of Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will, and that his swordcraft has improved significantly.


    Furthermore, that text paragraph was just a remnant and it has most of its crucial parts lost.


    Of course, for Shen Lian to be able to have reaped such benefits, it was more because of the sword will he has inherited from Grandmaster Yuanqing. Not only that, this text paragraph was like it was tailor-made for this sword will, allowing this sword will to be analyzed.


    Shen Lian felt that he had underestimated Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will back then. If he truly understood it fully, even though it was nowhere close to the Trapping Celestial Sword, he could still rampage through the universe and train up a supreme crusading Dao army. Even the celestials would be chilled to the bones.


    At the same time, curiosity welled up in him. Why did whatever Ye Liuyun had learned have anything to do with Grandmaster Yuanqing?


    Also, by really savoring this text paragraph, even though it was somehow related to the demon realm, its ingenuity was similar to Daoism.


    There was another suspicious point and that was with Qing Xuan''s formidable Dao restriction, for Ye Liuyun, who was in spirit form and not a Qing Xuan disciple, to trespass the gate restrictions and not alerting anyone at all, it was truly unthinkable.


    This was definitely not because Ye Liuyun''s unfathomable cultivation experience was on par with those of the celestial and Buddha sects.


    Shen Lian even confirmed that Ye Liuyun did not have the same cultivation experience as he did and he did not cross the threshold that separates the celestials and mortals.


    This was because Ye Liuyun''s previous manifestation of the spirit still lacked some transparency.


    All these suspicions did not have solutions. However, if it was as Ye Liuyun mentioned, that the Southern Heavenly Gate would naturally appear at that moment and he could see it, Shen Lian would still go and have a look.


    After all, the Guangqing Celestial Sect was already on its way of remolding the celestial court and their heritage. Shen Lian needed to get to the bottom of this so that he could deal with Guangqing. This was to avoid having the underhand when a huge war happens. Knowing your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.


    Furthermore, it was too late to resolve the grudges between the two sects.


    Shen Lian too was clear about this. Peace can only be achieved through war. Even if he does not want any squabbles while considering the disciples of his sect, he still needed to show the domineering strength or else there would be nothing to be talked about.

 Chapter 334 There Is Only One Who Can Take My Sword’s Blow

    The cultivation world was still a place where strength matters. One could be as unworldly as one wants, but it would still be hard for one to be free if one did not have domineering strength.


    Therefore, Daoist master Buddha did not only have profound wisdom, he also had supreme power.


    Back then, the Heavenly Emperor of the celestial court could restrain the celestial masses was not because of morals, but it was because of its supreme supernatural powers that allowed the Heavenly Emperor to not be bound by the three realms and five elements.


    Like Lu Jiuyuan who commands the Xuantian Sect, it would undeniably be the cultivation world''s number one celestial sect, no one could shake it.


    It is all empty talk if one wishes to remain free and unfettered for the rest of his long life without having any power.


    Shen Lian sighed in silent.


    He got up and pushed the door open. Ruoxi was outside and she looked at Shen Lian with widened eyes, she asked, "Who is that person?"


    "An old friend."


    Ruoxi seemed a little hesitant and then she displayed a determined gaze as she said, "I don''t like him."


    Shen Lian asked in surprise, "Why?"


    Ruoxi pondered for a while and she answered with all seriousness, "His vital force is very uncomfortable. You also have that vital force on you, uncle. It''s very unclean."


    Shen Lian was clear then. Ruoxi was mentioning about the killing aura that represented fresh blood and death.


    Her Daoist body was clean and flawless so it was natural for her to not like it.


    Shen Lian''s Daoist robe trembled, as though it was shaking something off. His aura was clean and pure as he stood there, which reminded people of the word ''sage-like''. He then smiled, "How about now?"


    Ruoxi pointed her nose upwards and gave a sniff, she then said, "It''s gone."


    Shen Lian smiled inside his mind, she was still a child.


    He converged his aura and hid it well. Even with Ruoxi''s keen spiritual sense, he still easily hid away from her.


    Now, the catkins flew everywhere and the flowers in front of the courtyard blossomed and wilted. The clouds in the sky first came together and then went apart. Ruoxi thought, "Just how great it would be if time stopped at this moment forever."


    In actual fact, she did not require a lot and she also did not have the resolution to blaze a way through all obstacles in her pursuit of Dao. She only wanted to remain by her uncle''s side, always.


    Shen Lian gazed at the mountains as the sound of the wind brushed past his ears. He thought about it more. It was not only about himself, there were also others. After all, the manners and morals of the time would still change. He needed to do something for others and himself.


    Afterwards, Shen Lian suddenly felt sensed something. With a move of his figure, he appeared outside of Qing Xuan and he saw a young woman coming towards him on a sword gleam. He stopped her.


    Once she saw Shen Lian, she immediately recognized him and halted her sword gleam. With a crying voice, she pleaded, "Martial Uncle Shen, hurry and save my Master."


    ��������


    Baoyue the Venerable of the Jinguang Temple was famous in Xi Huang and he was also one of the few secular Golden Luohan. His mana and supernatural powers were on par with the eight Zen masters of the main eight sects of Buddhism.


    Ever since he brought the rampaging demon king, Mister Sea, under control, his reputation grew and it was even one of its kind.


    However, the other monks in Xi Huang dislike him because his Dharma has entered the demon realm. Along with Huike, they propagated controversial doctrines of the study of Zen, which caused the abjectly obedient citizen to not abide by the law anymore.


    These monks naturally could repress the masses who were bewitched but it was hard for them to repress the monks who were also bewitched because they too had the Dharma.


    As a matter of fact, many of those who heard Baoyue the Venerable and Huike''s doctrine afterward did not return. They changed their sect.


    The good thing was that Huike had not appeared for a few years now, or else the influence would be much greater.


    Even though Baoyue the Venerable was skillful, he was still nowhere close to Huike when it came to bewitching the masses. That was why, ultimately, the monks who changed sect decreased significantly.


    Because Baoyue the Venerable was powerful and he had even rein Mister Sea as his disciple, even when there were monks who were dissatisfied with him, they did not dare to approach this Golden Luohan and reason things out.


    Mister Sea was originally a sensational figure but once he became a monk, his life became very austere.


    His true form was a spiritual snake, all matters aside, the only thing that gave him a very hard time was the matter of abstinence.


    He did argue with the monk and Baoyue the Venerable just answered him with mirth. If he truly could not resist, he could help him get rid of worldly desires. As for the how naturally he meant by breaking off the root of right and wrong.


    Mister Sea almost got into a fight with the monk. Unfortunately, he was cursed by the monk so he could not beat him at all.


    His days passed in the sounds of chanting. Mister Sea did not think that the Dharma would change anything.


    Also, he kept telling the other idiots about the Dharma with the monk. Sadly, not one of them understood. Even those who understood could not be at the state that was mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures.


    Therefore, even though Baoyue mentioned about ''learn, have an epiphany, and become a Buddha'', no one really did so. Also, those who originally believed in the teaching of Zen would later change back to the Sanlun Sect, Huayan Sect, and other sects.


    Mister Sea was used to being a demon king and he could not tolerate such betrayal. So, he said to the monk that the monk should capture back those monks who defected and use the Dharma to plant the notion of forever believing in the teaching of Zen into their minds.


    Baoyue the Venerable, on the contrary, stopped him and told him that the Dharma that changes other''s beliefs was not the Dharma, but the way of the Devil.


    The true Dharma would not cause a person to lose oneself but would have the person understand oneself.


    Mister Sea was very vexed with this saying but he also felt that it somehow had a point, therefore he did not say much anymore.


    Even though it was boring and dull by staying in the temple, but once many days have passed, it had also become a rare sort of tranquil. At least for him, who had been a demon for so long, definitely did not have such peace and quiet as these few years.


    Nonetheless, there was another bad thing about here besides abstinence from worldly desires. That was the fact that Monk Baoyue told him he wanted to return to the karmic cycle and Baoyue wished that once he entered the karmic cycle, Mister Sea would be the host of the Jinguang Temple.


    No matter how Mister Sea looked, the monk did not seem to be dying. Even there was someone who would return to the karmic cycle, it would definitely be him because his tragedy was approaching and it would arrive with the tragedy of the world. By right, he would definitely not be able to make it through.


    Until this one day, a golden shimmer sudden came from inside the temple. Mister Sea know that Baoyue the Venerable was displaying the Buddhist technique.


    Judging from the power of the golden shimmer, Mister Sea could not help but think to himself, "That monk''s supernatural powers have increased again."


    The golden shimmer blanketed the entire temple and a solemn nimbus suddenly rose into the sky.


    A groaning of the sword resounded through the skies and almost in an instant, the entire golden shimmer was annihilated by the sword gleam. That was Baoyue the Venerable''s supreme Buddhist Technique and so easily, someone had dispelled it.


    The first idea that came to Mister Sea mind was to run away. This was because for this kind of person, even with two of him, he could have beaten the person.


    To a demon king, it was practically instinct to flee when the opponent could not be defeated.


    Only a stupid demon would fight to the death. Naturally, stupid demons would not have become the demon king and live until now.


    The sword gleam annihilated the golden shimmer and shattered the nimbus. Under the moonlight in the sky, a young man in aqua blue Daoist robe appeared. He carried a long sword on his back. It faintly glowed red and the sword was still sheathed.


    His looks were truly ordinary and his features were not defined. His eyes, however, were very bright and sleek.


    The young man in the aqua blue Daoist robe quietly stood in the air as he watched Baoyue the Venerable, who was sitting cross-legged on top of the pagoda.


    There was a smile on his face. Even though his Buddhist technique was shattered, he did not lose his composure as he calmly stared at the young man.


    Mister Sea still had some conscience and even though he could not break his vows as a monk in the Jinguang temple, but the monk had still poured him with everything he knew and even thought of passing the temple to him. He did not fear him because of his demon origins.


    To put it in human sayings, it would be, ''If you treat me like the pillars of the country, I will contribute like the pillars of the country''.


    This was why Mister Sea hesitated for a while and still decided to become a stupid demon for this one time. He flew to the tip of the tower and reached Baoyue''s side.


    Both of their cultivation experiences were on par with those of the immortal Zhenren of Daoism. With them collaborating, even though they could not beat this terrifying figure, they could still be free to advance or retreat.


    "I came to Xi Huang, and only one person had taken the blow of my sword. You are the second one."


    "Who was the first?" Mister Sea asked.


    "That place is called Temple of Killings. It is not far away from here. The one that blocked my sword was their hall establisher. I don''t know whether that person is dead or not. If only he could improve further, then I would not need to search for others to try out my sword." The young man felt slightly sorry when he said this.

 Chapter 335 Godly Name, Beidou

    Mister Sea was in shock when he heard this. The reputation of the hall establisher of the Temple of Killings in Xi Huang was big and that fellow was also Qing Xuan''s official heir. Let''s not mention the fact that he was below the immortals, even many immortal Zhenren''s swordcraft was not as brilliant as his.


    The master celestials of swords have absolute combat abilities all along and it could be said that they have an edge over those in the same state.


    Even though Chen Jianmei was not impeccable yet to join the immortal Zhenren''s class, but his matchless swordcraft was truly terrifying. Even for him, to be able to subdue this person would require him to exert a good amount of work. He did not think that this figure from nowhere would be able to put Chen Jianmei in a life and death situation.


    Mister Sea''s evaluation of this person increased again and he was increasingly alert.


    Baoyue the Venerable faintly sighed after he heard what the young man had to say, "You are Beidou Xingjun who broke the Ming Wang Temple mountain gate?"


    The young man''s eyes narrowed and a radiance flashed through his eyes. He then said, "I am Chen Beidou, not some Xingjun but the Mountain God of Mount Zhong."


    Baoyue the Venerable clapped his hands together and said a mantra, He lightly followed, "Then it is true that Tanyue is an inborn deity, or else how could you easily leave Mount Zhong. I did not think that the universe now could breed such figure as Tanyue."


    Chen Beidou coolly asked, "Are you done?"


    Baoyue the Venerable nodded.


    "I am going to ask you something. If you do not answer, then you should just die." Chen Beidou''s eyes revealed the chilling sword will. It sizzled in the cloudless sky, as though there were undulated lightning.


    Mister Sea was a demon snake and had a natural fear of thunder technique. This was especially under Chen Beidou''s killing vibes, the lightning towered towards the skies and shot through the stars. The primed lightning was graver than the majesty of the Xuanmen''s thunder technique, causing him to tremble within.


    And then, this trembled transformed into embarrassment and fury. No matter how capable this person was, could he have surpass Da Ming Wang of the time, the current Lu Jiuyuan?


    Behind him, a light of water slowly rose and it covered the entire sky. Its monstrous force was enough to destroy ten mountains.


    Chen Beidou did not even bat an eyelid when facing such horrifying mana. "Ignorant demon, no matter how powerful your mana is, one is ignorant without understanding Dao."


    Baoyue the Venerable asked softly, "Tanyue wants to ask about Huike the Venerable whereabouts, yes? I truly cannot disclose. As for me, I should have already died."


    Baoyue the Venerable''s golden body scattered and disappeared. Bits of silver brilliance then condensed into a moonlight color treasure wheel that symbolized satisfaction and disengagement.


    This was the matchless Jinguang Temple''s Dharma that was passed down from the Moonlight Buddha named ''Wheel of Disengagement''. Originally, this could only be cast once the status of Bodhisattva was achieved but Baoyue was actually able to cast this ''Wheel of Disengagement'', which only those of the Bodhisattva status could use, by using his Nirvana Dharma, dispersed cultivation experience and his Golden Luohan state.


    At that time, it was unknown just how many peerless demon kings were subdued by Moonlight Buddha using this Wheel of Disengagement. Demons were vanquished and the Dao was protected, the people respected the Moonlight Buddha for it. The legend of it lived.


    The radiant light was resplendent. The wheel of light spun rapidly and it sizzled in midair. Even the night scene was influenced as it trembled continuously, as though the bright moon in the sky would be shaken from the sky and fall into the mortal world.


    The bright moon did not fall but countless moonlight surged into the ''Wheel of Disengagement'', accompanied by something similar to a thunderous clapping sound. Grains appeared on the wheel, as though it was portraying the scriptures that Buddha used for his lectures to liberate the masses.


    The pagoda of the Jinguang Temple even shattered immediately and with the pagoda as the middle, the cracks spread. The monks within the temple were in a state of unrest.


    Mister Sea could only protect himself with a protective light.


    Chen Beidou was fearless and did not even make a move to interrupt it. Despite the fact that even though while Baoyue the Venerable displayed the ''Wheel of Disengagement'', there was an unseen great power protecting him.


    Once the wheel of light spun to a speed limit, it directly flew out, as though it wanted to cut the universe apart.


    And the target of the wheel was Chen Beidou who was standing in the sky.


    This aghast and horrifying force was enough to destroy a ten thousand feet mountain and crush it to dust.


    The earth shaking fluctuation of the Qi of vitality at this moment caused the living beings in a hundred mile radius to quiver and it filled their heart with fear.


    In the midst of the ear piercing radiant brilliance, a groaning of the sword resounded slowly like wisps.


    The wheel of light that was like the millstone of the universe was grinding against Chen Beidou''s tiny body.


    He resisted the wheel with his long sword as his body could not stop going backwards. It was only until a good few miles that only could he slowly halted. While this happened, it was unknown just how many times the sword aura from the long sword attacked the Wheel of Disengagement.


    This horrifying power spread open like the willful wide ocean.


    Mister Sea, ultimately, still had feelings for the Jinguang Temple. The limitless light of water held up against the scattered energy.


    As for that Wheel of Disengagement, it was annihilated by Chen Beidou''s sword aura after a short moment.


    That person proudly erected himself in midair, the universe was filled with moonlight once more and Baoyue the Venerable was nowhere to be seen anymore. Only a small scrap of his monk robes floated about in midair, like a butterfly dancing in the night sky.


    Finally, it exploded abruptly and was turned to scattering dust.


    Chen Beidou left a remark, "Remarkable monk."


    The long sword returned to the sheath loudly and clearly. In midair, Chen Beiydou began shrinking into an inch and vanished within the blink of an eye, as though he was disdained to fight against Mister Sea and even refused to deal with the monks of Jinguang Temple.


    Mister Sea was at a lost in midair when Baoyue''s voice rang in his ear, "Fahai, this Jinguang Temple is yours now."


    The old monk had given him the name, Fahai, meaning that his mana was boundless and it could split the sea and mountains. Nonetheless, compared to Chen Beidou, there was still a big gap to be filled.


    ��������


    The Five Iridescent Clouds beneath Shen Lian''s feet extended and picked up the woman onto it. The heavenly wind brushed through her tousled hair. It could be seen that she was rushing the whole time and it was indeed taxing. As for the flowing tears from her eyes despite her exhausted looks meant that she was really worried about her master.


    Shen Lian was not fazed and he asked calmly, "Your master is Chen Jianmei?"


    The young woman nodded. An extremely gentle mana followed and made her stood up naturally. At the same time, this abundant and mellow mana infused into/with her body. The exhaustion from the days of rushing through was eliminated entirely and there was an unspeakable energy flooding her entire body.


    Because of the thought of her master, Chen Jianmei''s, serious injuries, she did not dwell in this feeling but began, "I, Fang Yanying, am my Master''s disciple. Ten days ago, my Master was injured fatally by someone at the Temple of Killings. In one night, he vomited blood a few times and could not get out from his bed. With his senior cultivation experience, he actually could not stop vomiting blood. We saw that we were helpless and so I made this bold move to personally steer the sword gleam and come looking for you, Uncle-Master."


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "The Temple of Killings is also considered a spinoff of Qing Xuan. Even though this child has not formally enter the sect, but Senior Brother Chen always had a high scope. Since he has recruited her as his disciples, chances are that he would also bring her back here. Or else, how would a kid like her know the whereabouts of Qing Xuan. Nonetheless, Senior Brother Chen is injured and I''m afraid I have to immediately reach him."


    His thought stopped right here and then he said, "You came here from thousands of miles and by right, I should let you rest but since Senior Brother Chen is injured, we have to immediately depart to the Temple of Killings. For you to be able to reach here in ten days, I could see that you''ve used Senior Brother Chen''s secret sword talisman. Give to me, I''ll re-cultivate ceremonially for you."


    Fan Yanying was filled with respect for this Uncle-Master Chief. He truly was an intelligent and wise man.


    She hurriedly handed the sword talisman over and Shen Lian took it and put it into his sleeves. He then said, "We''re leaving now. Be careful."


    Fang Yanying only felt dizzy as clouds surrounded her.

 Chapter 336 Life and Death is Ordinary

    In a flash, there was a continuous thunderous clap in the clouds and the lightning was everywhere in the cloud as far as her eyes could see.


    She did not know how long they flew but the lightning was still flashing, covering her field of vision.


    Fang Yanying told herself, "With Uncle-Master''s abstruse martial art skills and being able to enter the stormy clouds, we should be out of the clouds by now since we''ve been flying for so long."


    She was able to fly without a trace and cover a great distance quickly with the sword talisman given by Chen Jianmei. While Shen Lian had obtained the Dao and longevity, and his mana was a hundred or thousand times more than her. He even had more advanced celestial arts. So even with this short moment, he could at least fly out a distance of a thousand mile.


    If there were not the abundant stormy clouds covering the thousands of miles, then she would have known just how wide it was.


    However, Fang Yanying was wrapped within the clouds and the thunderous clap showed no signs of weakening. Also, uncertainty began welling up inside her even more, the thunderous clap happened one after another and it just kept going on, it was not like how lightning would occur in the natural world.


    She suppressed her uncertainty because even though she was wrapped up in the clouds right now, but she could still feel that they were flying at an incredible speed. There was immense pressure on her and she could not even divide some of her attention to speak, she still needed to exercise her martial art skills to fight against the pressure.


    Once she felt the pressure around her dispersed and that her feet were on the ground, she opened her eyes and saw that they had arrived at the Temple of Killings.


    Even though she did not know just how much time had passed, but in her mind, she knew that it would not have been more than half a day. She did not think that Uncle-Master was able to transverse over ten thousand miles in such a short span of time and to reach to the Temple of Killings in Xi Huang from Qing Xuan.


    Even though she already knew from the start that Uncle-Master had attained Dao and longevity from her master''s words and that he was one of the celestials, she would definitely not have expected that his light travel would be this rapid.


    She saw that there were still electrical sparks around her Uncle-Master slowly dissipating. She could not help but opened her mouth and asked, "Those electrical light were produced by you, Uncle-Master?"


    Shen Lian chuckled and answered, "This is one of the secret techniques of Qing Xuan ''Raging Storm Shifting Method''. Even though it is not the fastest shifting method of the world, it is still in the top up there. This is because after I have cultivated it, this is my first time flying so far while I have to bring you along, so I had to slow down and only arrive here after an hour."


    He nonchalantly described it as though it was not even worth mentioning. Fang Yanying could only stare dumbfounded. She muttered, "Uncle-Master is truly one of the celestials."


    Shen Lian did not respond. After all, this kid did not have her foundation laid within the sect, her scope was not wide yet.


    He looked at the wooden tablet of the Temple of Killings. It was no different than back then. He expanded his divine thoughts and noticed there were other eleven people inside the temple. All of them had the authentic Qi cultivation technique.


    However, speaking from a mana state point of view, they were not as close as Fang Yanying.


    They seemed to be the disciples that Chen Jianmei had recruited under the temple''s name.


    Shen Lian walked into the temple and no one noticed. He directly entered Chen Jianmei''s cultivation room.


    He saw Chen Jianmei was sitting on top of the stone couch in a lotus position, with an essence-Qi flower condensed from the white steam of the top of his head. It was shaky.


    Through the white steam, Shen Lian could see Chen Jianmei''s face was pale as paper, even his lips had no color. Then, a mouthful of fresh red blood came spraying out, dyeing the white robes on his body.


    He coughed vehemently.


    Shen Lian''s brows crinkled and he took out an elixir. Standing in front of Chen Jianmei, he passed the elixir into Chen Jianmei''s body.


    The Taixu Divine Qi streamed continuously afterward. The five elements'' Qi of Essence was then transformed into the wood element Qi of Essence. It nurtured Chen Jianmei''s flesh and at the same, it sensed a terrifying sword aura circling within Chen Jianmei''s chest area. This was also the cause of Chen Jianmei''s bloody coughs.


    After a while, Chen Jianmei slowly opened his eyes and said, "My disciple had been disobedient. She still went and brought you here."


    Shen Lian responded quietly, "Senior Brother Chen, you''re seriously injured, why did you not inform me directly?"


    There was a token on Chen Jianmei that could contact the sect directly. There was no need to send someone to pass the message.


    Chen Jianmei simply said, "I did not want to get you involved. Also, this is my own vengeance, I have to avenge it myself."


    Shen Lian stared coldly at Chen Jianmei and he chillingly said, "With your kind of injuries, if I had come a few days later, I''m afraid you would not be alive by then. How are you still going to avenge yourself then?"


    Chen Jianmei answered indifferently, "For me to be able to cultivate to where I am today, I have already moved on from matters related to life and death. Also, I have also decided to examine that person''s swordcraft. His swordcraft is simply advance, also, this is the Dao of Killing Sword. If I heal my injuries, I would not have the chance to understand his swordcraft."


    Shen Lian was stunned, he did not think that Chen Jianmei would not clear the sword aura and heal his injuries, just because he wanted to study the other''s swordcraft.


    This vigor he had to disregard life and death, Shen Lian did not know whether he should consider him idiotic or say that he is a sword maniac.


    Shen Lian followed, "No matter what, I cannot sit here and watch you die."


    Chen Jianmei propped his hand on Shen Lian''s shoulder, his gaze was determined and he did not allow his will to be rejected.


    Shen Lian knew that once people like him had already set his mind to something, he would not change it. He sighed faintly, "Based on your current situation, you should at least take some elixir and not let your injuries worsen."


    Chen Jianmei smiled forcefully and said, "Originally, I planned to take the medicine. Before this, because I was too caught up in this person''s sword aura and the memories of his swordcraft, I have forgotten about this matter."


    Shen Lian saw that even though his divine Qi was weak, but there was no deathly stillness within his eyes. He felt slightly rest assured.


    The fact was, for public and personal reasons, he did not want anything bad to happen to Chen Jianmei. After all, when Qing Xuan showed signs of rising again, Chen Jianmei had quite the expectation towards him to be the figure to attain Dao. If he was to be destroyed, it would be a major loss to the sect''s morale. Furthermore, even though the both of them hardly said much but their minds were mutual and their friendship was profound.


    Not only that, Zhang Ruoxu really loved and favored Chen Jianmei while he was still alive. Shen Lian was even secondary to Zhang Ruoxu. If anything were to happen to Chen Jianmei, Shen Lian would be unworthy of Zhang Ruoxu''s trust.


    Shen Lian said, "I will remain here during this period to protect you. I would not fold my arms and stand idly knowing you are in any real danger."


    Chen Jianmei said, "I did not go looking for death on purpose. Since you''re already here, it would be great for you to protect me. However, it would be best for you to converge your vital force right now so that that fellow won''t come looking here. I am not looking down on you but with your current capabilities, you are still worse than him. Also, I think he is a person who pursues the swordcraft wholeheartedly. Even though his path is different from ours but the path of the sword cultivator can easily separate life and death. You have to understand, Qing Xuan can stand without Chen JIanmei but it cannot stand without Shen Lian."


    Cold sweat appeared on his face as he said this many in one breath. Shen Lian knew that Chen Jianmei had divided some of his mind and spirit and now, that terrifying sword aura was moving restlessly once again within his chest area.


    Shen Lian softly responded, "I understand. You rest well then."


    What Chen Jianmei said were his heartfelt words. Even though his mind and spirit were devoted to swordcraft, to him there was only his sword and himself, but because of Zhang Ruoxu, he still could not cut ties with Qing Xuan.


    However, with his temper, he could sacrifice his life for Qing Xuan, but he would not see to the development of the sect and unite the sect.


    Even with his peerless cultivation experience, he was fated to only be helpful when it came to physical matters.


    But the legacy of the sect did not rely solely on the physical force for solutions.


    The dependency of Qing Xuan towards Shen Lian was very, very strong. Even if other people in the sect was not aware of this, but Chen Jianmei''s heart could see this clearly.

 Chapter 337 Temple of Killings

    Shen Lian had lived in the Temple of Killings for a while, which was why he was so familiar with it. Though, even if he had not been here before, it would not be difficult for him to familiarise himself with it through his divine thoughts.


    Chen Jianmei was not an extravagant person. The decoration in Temple of Killings was minimalistic and simple. The center of the hall was empty. The statue of Daoist Master was not displayed, and there was only an incense burner, a futon, a set of calligraphy that had the words, heaven, and earth written on it.


    The source of Chen Jianmei''s swordcraft was the heaven and earth, and this was why he could choose not to worship the deities, but never the heaven and earth.


    However, Shen Lian could not help but sigh as he set eyes on the words, ''heaven and earth''. This was so as he could detect the hint of murderous thoughts on the words; the murderous thoughts had seeped through unintendedly when Chen Jiamei was writing.


    Chen Jianmei''s cultivation could only be considered as complete when he could write something without any detectable hint of murderous thoughts. Only then he could make his way into the ranks of the holy deities.


    Unfortunately, before he even got there, he encountered a prodigy who was a lot better than him in swordcraft. To Chen Jianmei, the injuries he sustained this time were a huge setback, as they marked his defeat.


    Though Shen Lian could understand why he would risk his life to research into his opponent''s swordcraft. It was only when he was faced with the pressure of being in a life-and-death situation that he could activate his spiritual wisdom. At the same time, this would help to eliminate the trauma in his heart too.


    Despite understanding his reasonings, Shen Lian was still worried for Chen Jianmei. To Shen Lian, losing one''s life meant losing all possibilities. The focus should be placed on his recovery, everything else came after.


    This was why he was Shen Lian, and not Chen Jianmei.


    It was not as if he was brighter than Chen Jianmei, but it was merely a matter of one''s nature. Shen Lian too, could understand the great wisdom in a life-and-death situation; however, he would not be able to do it as natural as Chen Jianmei did.


    Despite having attained the Dao of five elements, but Shen Lian''s nature was closer to that of water. He preferred to let things take its natural course.


    All these while, he did not bother with manipulation and plans. He let things take its own course and acted in accordance with his nature. This was the reason why he could attain immortality in such a short period of time.


    He sat comfortably on the futon and was faced with Chen Jianmei''s twelve disciples. Besides Fang Yanying, the rest of the disciples only had a shallow level of cultivation. They were just Chen Jianmei''s informal disciples. Seven of them were from Hanhai Kingdom, and the other four were from some other kingdoms in Xi Huang.


    There were a significant number of kingdoms in Xi Huang; Shen Lian did not care about which kingdom they were from.


    Together with Fang Yanying, the twelve of them stood in two rows and bowed respectfully to Shen Lian.


    Back when Chen Jianmei took them as his disciples, they had seen Shen Lian. As Temple of Killings was considered as a branch of Qing Xuan, it was only natural that they remember who the chief of Qing Xuan was.


    Moreover, they also heard about how the chief who was a lot younger than the Honored Master had attained immortality two years back. This was a shocking news that everyone in Xi Huang was privy of.


    Despite their lack of experience in terms of cultivation and their inability to truly grasp the strength of an immortal Zhenren, but they still knew that Shen Lian was more powerful than their Honored Master.


    In Xi Huang, their Honored Master was considered as one of the top ten experts within a ten thousand mile radius. Besides Baoyue the Venerable and Zen Master Fahai from Jinguang Temple, he was practically unrivaled here.


    This was why they were so excited to meet Shen Lian, and this was the reason behind their curiosity too.


    Shen Lian was not as stern as their Honored Master was, and he had a hint of gentleness on his face. Even though he was not smiling, one could still feel how gentle he was, and that it was different from the courteous gentleness of a mortal being.


    It felt like the spring breeze and summer rain, drawing one nearer and inspiring respect.


    "All of you are Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen''s disciples. Despite that, all of you are not Qing Xuan''s disciples in the strictest sense, but you have received Qing Xuan''s Dharma. In terms of conducting lectures on Daoism, there will not be much difference in what I say and what Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen has said. However, it is common for all of you to be involved in battles and fights in Xi Huang. Merely listening to Dao would not get you anywhere nearer to immortality. Since all of you have attained the state of Qiaodong and have mana of your own now, I will teach each of you a set of Dao techniques. Of course, there is no point for me to teach you about swordcraft. If you work on it, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen''s swordcraft will benefit you immensely for the rest of your life," Shen Lian said as his gaze fell on each and every one of them.


    All of them were pleased. Despite Chen Jianmei''s strong supernatural powers, he was not well-versed in Dao techniques. Even though he could summon the wind and the rain, could inhale clouds and exhale mists, it was merely because he had attained the prerequisite state of cultivation.


    As Chen Jianmei''s disciples, they were exposed to his impeccable swordcraft. However, swordcraft was not something that was easy to learn. It would take ten or twenty years to just understand the fundamentals.


    At their current state of cultivation, unlike Chen Jianmei, they could not dispel all sort of spells with their sword.


    Hence, Dao techniques would come in handy when they were out and about in Xi Huang.


    "Thank you, Uncle-Master," they replied with gratitude.


    "With the exception of Fang Yanying, all of you, please tell me your name."


    And so, they volunteered their names, which include Li Yuanliang,Yuan Xuefeng, Ni Hongyi, Pi Yushan, He Gangjie, Jin Jianzhang, Liu Weiyi, Yu Yingfa, Xiao Kaiding, Song Xiuwei, and Wang Gaochang.


    Shen Lian passed the Fiery Flame Spell on to Li Yuanliang, Taiyi Jia to Yuan Xuefeng, Steps of the God of Wind to Ni Hongyi��


    The disciples realized that what Shen Lian taught them was deep, and each of them belonged to one of the five elements. Moreover, it was tailored to their current capabilities and was extremely useful. They could not help but be in awe.


    Fang Yanying was the last. Before Shen Lian taught her anything, she blushed and stammered, "Uncle-Master, I think I am not going to learn."


    The rest of the disciples looked at Fang Yanying; they were surprised at how brave she was. To think that she rejected the Uncle-Master''s offer!


    They started offering her words of advice.


    Chen Jianmei did not take these people in as his disciples because of their potential, but their character. Those who had evil thoughts would definitely not be one of his.


    He was straightforward. As long as he had taken a liking to someone, he would take the person in as a disciple. Those who had evil thoughts would not be able to mask themselves in front of him. If they pestered him, Chen Jianmei would make sure that they regret it for the rest of their lives.


    Hence, when they were advising Fang Yanying against it, they did it out of their sincere concern for her and meant no harm.


    Even if Chen Jianmei chose only Fang Yanying as his direct disciple, the rest of the disciples were not jealous of her at all.


    Shen Lian waved his hand and spoke, "All of you may leave now."


    Li Yuanliang and the rest were worried. Even though the Uncle-Master seemed kind, but they were not familiar with him as they had not been spending much time together. Could it be that he was angered by Fang Yanying and decided to teach her a lesson?


    Though, Shen Lian was great with his supernatural powers. With a wave of his arm, they could no longer stay.


    "Do you not want to learn because you thought lowly of my Dao techniques?" Shen Lian queried.


    Fang Yanying replied hurriedly, "No, I would not dare to think that! It is just that the Honored Master told me not to learn any other techniques other than the Shapeless Sword Incantation that he taught me."


    "Why didn''t you say this earlier?"


    "I am worried that they will be upset if they found out that the Honored Master has taught me the sword incantation," Fang Yanying murmured timidly as she looked at Shen Lian carefully.


    Shapeless Sword Incantation was the fundamental Dao formula of Chen Jianmei''s branch. The rest of the disciples only learned the foundation construction Qi cultivation technique that Chen Jianmei had created himself, which was nothing in comparison to the Shapeless Sword Incantation that would lead one to immortality.

 Chapter 338 White Moon Demon Clan

    Shen Lian smiled, "Let''s not learn then. However, I need you to do something for me, and you must not refuse." With Shen Lian''s level of cultivation, he saw through Fang Yanying since the beginning. He only did this to test her heart of Dao.


    Chen Jianmei only managed to attain something having immersed himself in the Shapeless Sword Incantation for ten over years. Fang Yanying did not have the luxury to be distracted by something else.


    Even when faced against Shen Lian''s authoritative presence, she was able to refuse his offer. This showed that she had guts. Despite his gentle appearance, after he had attained immortality, Shen Lian was at a Celestial state. His words and actions were more authoritative than that of a human Emperor, and it was difficult for anyone to say no to him.


    Despite her gentle physical appearance, Fang Yanying was strong-willed. No wonder Chen Jianmei took a liking to her and took her in as his direct disciple.


    She seemed cornered as she replied, "Uncle-Master, may I know how can I be of help?"


    Shen Lian glanced downwards and spoke, "Baoyue the Venerable from Jinguang Temple and I have met once. The last time I saw him, I have not attained Dao yet. Now that I have attained Dao, he is sent into the reincarnation cycle once again and has become a part of the sentient beings. What a melancholic situation.


    I need you to go on behalf of me and send the elegiac couplet over, so that we can show our respect to Baoyue the Venerable. Moreover, I want to send my regards to the current abbot of Jinguang Temple, Zen Master Fahai. I can rest easy knowing that this is done."


    "Uncle-Master, why don''t you do it yourself? The death of Baoyue the Venerable is a well-circulated news by now. After all, the commotion that night made it impossible to hide the news from outsiders," Fang Yanying replied hesitantly.


    Shen Lian chuckled, "As a junior who has attained the status of a land immortal, it would not be appropriate for me to go over when no one from Jinguang Temple has managed to attain Dharma. It would seem as though I was trying to show off."


    Fang Yanying asked further, "Zen Master Fahai used to be a supreme demon king, and his supernatural power is not below that of Baoyue the Venerable. Why do you claim that no one from Jinguang Temple has attained Dharma yet?"


    "You little girl, you do have a lot of questions, don''t you? I will tell you then. Fahai has the body of a demon. Even though Buddhism opens its door to everyone, but only a human could practice the purest of techniques to fruition. Why else do you think the holy deities propagated Dao amongst humans back in the ancient days? Even though at the pinnacle of cultivation, everyone enjoys equal treatment; however, in the secular mortal world, this has limited application. This is not something that you can fully understand now, just carry out my instructions, won''t you?" Shen Lian replied.


    Fang Yanying did not understand, but she nodded and replied, "I shall obey your instructions."


    Shen Lian produced a little pouch from his sleeve. The pouch was framed with fine silver threads, and the lines were smooth and natural. He spoke, "This pouch is known as Jiezi Pouch. I have cast the Dao technique of sleeve storage on it. Within it, a special formation is constantly absorbing the Qi of heaven and earth to keep the Dao technique running. You still have not learned the Technique of sleeve storage yet. Since I am not going to teach you about Dao techniques, I will give this to you as a gift. I have put the elegiac couplet that I wrote in it. Moreover, I have carried out ceremonial cultivation on the sword talisman given by your Master. If anyone tries to stop you on your journey, do not fret. Just kill the person with the aid of the sword talisman."


    Fang Yanying agreed and accepted the Jiezi Pouch. She felt a cooling sensation crept up her hands, reaching her bier. Instantly, she knew how to use the pouch. Her mind and spirit were melted into the pouch. With just her thoughts, she could extract whatever she wanted from within the pouch.


    After all, she was a girl, and she was very observant and sensitive. She did not test the pouch out on the spot. After making sure that there was nothing else that Shen Lian wanted to say, she excused herself. She decided to try out the pouch after she left, so as to maintain her etiquette.


    The moment she exited the hall, she saw the rest of her Senior and Junior Apprentice-Brothers waiting for her outside. The moment that they realized she was out, they rushed over and asked, "Did Uncle-Master do anything to you?"


    Fang Yanying was touched by the gesture, she replied, "Dear Senior Apprentice-Brothers, Uncle-Master was very nice to me. He did not scold me, and he merely sent me out to run an errand for him."


    Even though she had the most experience in cultivation and the strongest mana, she was actually the youngest out of everyone. Despite being Chen Jianmei''s direct disciple, she was not arrogant.


    This was precisely why everyone was not too bothered by the preferential treatment she received.


    "What''s with all the commotion outside?" Shen Lian''s voice came from inside.


    Upon hearing that, everyone left. It was not that they were afraid of being scolded or punished by Shen Lian, but all of them could not wait to try out the Dao techniques Shen Lian had taught them. After knowing that Fang Yanying was safe, they could rest easy and find a place to cultivate their techniques.


    Fang Yanying saw them leaving, and she too left. She found a place to familiarise herself with the usage of Jiezi Pouch. Actually, there were only two items within it - the set of the elegiac couplet and a sword talisman.


    She found it extremely intriguing and experimented with it.


    It was starting to get late, and she thought it would be better to leave now to Jinguang Temple. Otherwise, she would have to wait until the next morning.


    There were not many cultivators in Xi Huang. Most of them had a weird temperament. If one were to fly in the sky, one would risk offending a cultivator and had to engage in pointless battle. Hence, those who dared to fly in the sky in the middle of the day were those who were confident in their abilities.


    Fang Yanying used the sword talisman given by Chen Jianmei and flew without a trace; It was even better than most master celestials of sword. After flying over countless mountains and lakes, she managed to reach Qing Xuan at last.


    She was getting closer to Jinguang Temple, and the power of the sword talisman is limited. She stopped using it and merely moved quickly with her Qing Gong.


    She had never cultivated any techniques before. If she was not flying with a sword, she would not be able to fly at all. However, she was moving so quickly now that it seemed as though her feet were not touching the ground at all. It was as if she was flying low above the ground.


    She knew that her mana definitely got stronger without her realizing it.


    After Fang Yanying noticed that, she was pleased. Her skirt flew in the air, and she hummed happily. The stress that she faced in the past few days dissipated completely and she felt at ease.


    She was cultivating the Shapeless Sword Incantation that had been reworked by Chen Jianmei. It could be considered as one of the best cultivators of the sword Dharma in the world. As she felt the pressure lifted from her chest, she acted in accordance with the sword will and activated the mana within her. She operated it according to the flow of Qi of the Shapeless Sword Incantation; as she inhaled and exhaled, the sword aura within her was being polished into its purest form.


    One could say that she was lucky, as she ended up in a rare state of epiphany. This was actually a manifestation and cumulation of the long-term cultivation that she had gone through.


    However, she did not get to indulge in this state for long. All of a sudden, a white moon appeared in front of her. Fresh blood dyed the moon, and the wind whizzed urgently by her ears. In the vast field, some long grass with pricks started giving off chilly bouts of murderous intent, dragging her out from her state of epiphany.


    Fang Yanying stood on top of the grass; she tiptoed over the pointy end of the blades of grass. Gathering her mana, she looked ahead and noticed that in the dusk, the setting sun and the blood moon had merged as one.


    The moon was not a real moon - it was a manifestation of murderous intent.


    She wondered how much blood of the living creatures did it take to gather such murderous intent.


    She was still feeling the remnants of the state of Dao in her heart. She pointed her finger and charged at the red moon as a sword; the Shapeless Sword Incantation was operating naturally. All of a sudden, a hint of sword aura that was intangible and invisible flew out, shattering the red moon into pieces.


    A person walked out from the shattered red moon. He gave off an intense spiritual pressure, forcing the wild grass to bow to him, worshipping at his feet.


    However, this person seemed odd. His pupils were blood red, and he had a long tail - just like that of apes and monkey.


    Fang Yanying was reminded of something - "White Moon Demon Clan".

 Chapter 339 The Brilliance of the Sword

    White Moon Demon Clan was an ancient demonic clan. They were not demons who fought alone, they fought as a team. There were at least tens to hundreds of them in a group; they were born with great strength and supernatural powers. Most would even think of going against them in Xi Huang. During full moon, they would turn into a giant ape and massacre the living creatures around them.


    Despite bearing striking resemblance to humans, they had an extra tail. They were not subject to the Lightning Trials of Transformation.


    According to the oldest of legends, humans used to have tails and the blood coursing through humans'' veins were the same as that of the White Moon Demon Clan. Though as time passed, the bloodline was diluted. However, humans would still feel strange emotions during full moon. Perhaps, this was the effect of the bloodline.


    The White Moon Demon Clan was scary because of the thin streak of blood between their brows. It seemed like a human eye that was closed. This was a characteristic exhibited by only the king of the White Moon Demon Clan.


    Suddenly, she recalled that Chen Jianmei had killed countless demons and monsters in Xi Huang, and one of them was the King of White Moon Demon Clan.


    Every King of the White Moon Demon Clan had at least reached the state of Huandan.


    Those with talents could even cultivate up till the state of an immortal Zhenren. They had even produced a supreme individual amongst the demons and monsters - Great Saint. The King of the White Moon Demon Clan who was killed by her Honored Master was close to being a holy deity and was absolutely terrifying.


    That was one of the few times that her Honored Master got caught in a deadly battle. Fortunately, her Honored Master won in the battle. Ever since then, she felt that her Honored Master was not the same anymore. It was only until she met Uncle-Master Shen Lian that she realized that what she noticed was the vital force of a celestial.


    However, her Uncle-Master was in Celestialism, and her Master was still one step away from it.


    This King of the White Moon Demon Clan had probably come to seek revenge.


    He opened his mouth and spoke, "Woman, tell me how badly injured Chen Jianmei is. I shall spare your life."


    The person''s words confirmed her suspicion.


    She was afraid, but she thought of Shen Lian and his jade-like features. She recalled how calm and collected he was and was able to calm herself down.


    "If anyone tries to stop you on your journey, do not fret. Just kill the person with the aid of the sword talisman." The gentle words of the Uncle-Master started coming back to her.


    A sword talisman appeared in her hands, and she could feel the power rushing into her body. She felt invincible and confident. At this moment, she remembered the countless nights her Honored Master spent eradicating the demons. His impressive swordcraft, his proud and lonely sword will, all of these memories were resurfacing.


    The new King of the White Moon Demon Clan frowned. Five years ago, his father died under Chen Jianmei''s sword. Back then, he hid amongst his clansmen. The proud master celestial of sword came from the moon and fought against his father amidst the white clouds at the peak of the mountain.


    That night, the Lord Father that he thought was invincible left him forever.


    The scene that stuck with him was not the sight of his father beheaded by the sword gleam, or the dead silence as his head drew an arc in the sky. It was the calm look that Chen Jianmei gave him after he sheathed his sword.


    Despite the distance, he could feel Chen Jianmei''s gaze.


    It was as though Chen Jianmei was looking at trifle beings, and he was not the least bit bothered. Chen Jianmei''s gaze injured his ego.


    He rushed past the clansmen who were protecting him, and shouted, "I will avenge my Lord Father''s death."


    However, Chen Jianmei was not bothered by his declaration at all, and did not so much as react to it.


    He understood what Chen Jianmei meant. The impressive master celestial of sword did not take him seriously, and it did not matter if he was the son of his enemy.


    Following the death of the previous King of the White Moon Demon Clan, he was crowned as the new King and had received the inheritance of the clan. Just like his father, he improved tremendously in a short period of time and was able to reclaim the territories that had been previously invaded by other demon clans. This demonstrated the strength of the new King.


    However, there was something bothering him - Chen Jianmei. Despite his strength, he knew that he was not as good as his father was, and his capability was beneath that of Chen Jianmei. He faced an intense fear in his heart. He was worried that even after he became as strong as his father was, he would attract Chen Jianmei''s attention and ended up dying like his father.


    This became his nightmare, and his cultivation process had been sluggish ever since. There was once when he was fighting against another demon king, he purposely dragged the battle in spite of his stronger mana.


    He felt uneasy. He dealt with this by massacring the normal demons and humans, hoping to calm his inner fear.


    However, he knew that if he did not kill Chen Jianmei, he could never eradicate his fear.


    A few days ago, he received news that Chen Jianmei had been defeated by someone who was more powerful than him, and had received fatal injuries.


    However, he was still too afraid to act directly and did not go up the mountain.


    Moreover, he knew that there were plenty of humans and demons hiding nearby, and none of them had gone up the Temple of Killings. This was so as no one could be sure about the extent of Chen Jianmei''s injuries.


    All of them were waiting for a chance. They were waiting for a pioneer to find out more about the current situation.


    However, he was not aware that for most of these humans and demons, Chen Jianmei was not their only concern. They were also concerned about the celestial school behind Chen Jianmei - Qing Xuan, and Chen Jianmei''s Junior Apprentice-Brother who was alleged to be stronger than him.


    The woman who came from the Temple of Killings attracted a lot of attention the moment she left the temple, including his.


    It was only after she had traveled some distance away from the mountain that he finally could not resist making a move.


    However, the woman in front of him gave him a strange feeling. He could feel fear welling up in him.


    It was not because she had broken through his killing vibes earlier.


    Her vital force was similar to what he felt from Chen Jianmei back then - deep and terrifying.


    However, he knew that she was no better than the countless demons that he had slayed in the past.


    He was certain that he made a lapse in judgment due to his fear.


    He was furious and wanted to take his rage out on her.


    Immediately, he opened the thin streak of blood between his brows. A flash of blood-red gleam charged at Fang Yanying.


    The flash of blood gleam had once severed a flying sword that had received hundreds over years of ceremonial cultivating from a cultivator. It was a flying sword forged out of cold iron of a thousand-year-old.


    He aimed to severe her arm that was holding the sword talisman at high speed so that she would not be able to put up resistance.


    The moment the blood gleam was activated, Fang Yanying was fearless. The sword talisman vibrated in her hand and turned into a flash of sword gleam.


    The brilliance of the sword at that moment was indescribable, it even surpassed Fang Yanying''s imagination.


    The sword gleam was akin to the majestic Milky Way that flowed endlessly.


    Right from the moment that the sword aura was manifested, nothing in this world could stop it anymore.


    The wilderness in front of her disappeared from her sight; she could no longer see the plants, the blood gleam, and the King of the White Moon Demon Clan. All she saw was a smooth field that refracted the last remaining ray of the setting sun.


    The entire area was wiped clean.


    This was the work of the sword river originated from the sword talisman given to her by her Uncle-Master.


    This was beyond the power of her Honored Master''s sword talisman.


    Her face was full of disbelief as she stared at the sword talisman. Those who were secretly observing her retracted their gaze and left unnoticed. The sizzling sound in the air was the perfect evidence of their hurried escape.

 Chapter 340 When Gold and Jade Fill the Hall, Their Possessor Cannot Keep Them Safe

    The sword talisman seemed calm and peaceful. The ray bounced off from its veins, illuminating Fang Yanying''s face.


    This small sword talisman helped her to kill the King of the White Moon Demon Clan. She was not even aware that his power was comparable to that of a Buxu cultivator.


    In just an evening, a lot of impressive individuals witnessed the sword aura that shone as bright as the Milky Way. Their respect for the Temple of Killings deepened.


    Some claimed that Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan was the only one in this world who mastered the essence of Milky Way Sword Aura. They wondered if the Daoist immortal Zhenren who rarely come out had actually come to Xi Huang.


    However, no one had the guts to confirm their suspicions, and no one dared to stop Fang Yanying despite that there was nothing notable about her level of cultivation.


    The vast field disappeared, and by spring next year, countless wild grass would grow again. The cycle of life would not end because of one move from the sword.


    Fang Yanying calmed her shock and excitement. She continued her way to Jinguang Temple.


    She was at the door of Jinguang Temple as the moon rose from the back of the temple.


    The door was swung open slowly, and a young monk appeared at the door. The young monk put his palms together and greeted Fang Yanying, "Dear benefactor, please come after me. The abbot is waiting for you at the inner hall."


    Fang Yanying was not surprised at all. It was only normal that someone as exceptional as Zen Master Fahai had predicted her arrival.


    When she was following Chen Jianmei around, she had seen plenty.


    The moon was brilliant tonight, the pale-yellow moonlight seemed like a thin layer of veil that shrouded Jinguang Temple. The cicadas and insects chirped away in this quiet and chilly night.


    As she stepped into Jinguang Temple, Fang Yanying felt a strange emotion surfacing within her. It came from the sword talisman. She did not pocket it after taking it out.


    The sword talisman was like her flesh and blood, and it offered her a new perspective.


    It was an unusual perspective that allowed her to perceive different things. In her heart, Jinguang Temple was no longer a cold building, but it was a creature of blood and flesh that breathed.


    She followed the young monk to a pavilion, and she saw the heart of the giant creature - Zen Master Fahai.


    Zen Master Fahai had beautiful brows and handsome features. His eyes were full of life and they reminded one of the calm sea at night.


    He was clothed in gold kasaya, and there was a staff leaning against the pillar next to him.


    The staff was embellished with a round bead that was covered in a thin screen of light, making any observer forget about the moon in the sky


    Though, the bead was neither bright nor was it shiny.


    A thought occurred to her - this was a relic.


    Mister Sea who was now a part of Buddhism and went by the name of Fahai, spoke calmly to Fang Yanying, "This relic belongs to Monk Baoyue."


    Only then did Fang Yanying come to her sense. Slightly embarrassed, she bowed and spoke, "I''m Fang Yanying. I have come to send my regards to you on behalf of Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan. This elegiac couplet was written by Zhenren for Eluohedi." Eluohedi meant Arhat, and it referred to the accomplishment of Baoyue the Venerable when he was alive.


    A set of couplet appeared in her hands, and respectfully, she delivered it to Fahai.


    He stared quietly at the couplet, and the couplet was airborne. When it was in mid-air, it unfurled to reveal the content - "Body akin to Bodhi tree; Heart akin to mirror stand".


    In the phrase, ''Body akin to Bodhi tree'', ''body'' was the fundamental element of an epiphany, and ''Bodhi'' referred to an epiphany. Back then, Buddha reached an epiphany and became a deity under the Long Hua tree, and the tree was subsequently known as ''Bodhi''.


    ''Heart akin to mirror stand'' referred to a heart as clear as mirror, so that it could reflect everything in the world. When the images came, the mirror did not increase in size; when the images had gone away, the mirror remained the same.


    In just ten words, Shen Lian was able to convey an endless state of Zen and the fundamental qualities of Baoyue the Venerable''s cultivation.


    "What other messages did Shen Lian tell you to pass on?" Fahai wrinkled his eyes and asked.


    Fang Yanying answered frankly, "Zhenren did not say anything else."


    Fahai pondered upon the information for a while. He was slightly surprised that Shen Lian was able to see through the old monk''s fundamentals. This showed how advanced Shen Lian''s Dao was. It did not reflect the state of his mana and his combat power, but it did prove that Shen Lian''s progression would not be stagnated anytime soon.


    Of course, he would not hold Shen Lian in higher regards simply because of that, because this involved another layer of mysteries of the state of celestials and Buddha.


    Having received the teachings of Baoyue the Venerable, he realized why was it so difficult for the demons and monsters to become a Great Saint while the Daoists and Buddhists were able to produce an endless stream of individuals who transcended beyond the mortal world.


    The cultivation of those at the state of celestials and Buddha was extremely special, the state of mana would not improve with time.


    Most immortal Zhenrens or Golden-bodied Arhat of Buddhism would take a step forward in cultivation only to make one or two steps backward.


    When the growth of mana had reached a certain point, it would fall naturally - just as how the moon would go through different phases in a cycle.


    Shen Lian had only recently attained immortality, and he was in his prime. To use the words of Buddhism, his heart of irresistible force could destroy anything. The state of his mana was able to advance forward to an unimaginable state. However, in another five hundred years or a thousand years, if Shen Lian was not successful in attaining the state of Tian Xian, he would be in for a period of slump. He might not even be as good as he was now.


    Even though this seemed like a major flaw of the cultivation in Buddhism and Daoism, but it also showed why these two were the authentic schools of cultivation.


    Where not even the heaven and earth were perfect, how could one as a living creature birthed in the heaven and earth be perfect?


    Hence, this was why Daoist Master Taishang said, "It is better to leave a vessel unfilled than to attempt to carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness. When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honors lead to arrogance, this brings evil on itself. When the work is done, and one''s name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw into obscurity is the way of Heaven."


    If it was not for the fact that he had received the teachings of Baoyue the Venerable and had received inspiration from his death, he might not understand this principle and would not even stand a chance of becoming the ''Great Saint'' of the demon clan.


    This was why the predecessor from the demon clan who was restrained at the Ming Wang Temple was able to transcend beyond the mortal world back then. During the days he spent at Ming Wang Temple, he understood a technique, and that allowed him to transcend beyond the mortal world.


    Regardless of Shen Lian''s intention, his goal now was to wait for Baoyue the Venerable''s reincarnation to grow up and to find him, welcoming him back to Jinguang Temple.


    As one who was from the demon clan, his combat power was remarkable, but his ability to look into the designs of nature was not as good as that of a monk or the immortal Zhenrens of Daoism, who were famed for their calculation abilities.


    Hence, if he were to find the reincarnation of Baoyue the Venerable, he would need the help of a Daoist expert who was skilled in calculation. Right now, Shen Lian seemed like the perfect candidate.


    Since Shen Lian did not say anything, it could be that he had not come up with a calculation yet, or perhaps he was waiting for Fahai to ask.


    Fahai was not an indecisive person, and he said to Fang Yanying, "I will take this elegiac couplet. Tell Zhenren Shen that I will pay him a visit soon."


    He knew that Shen Lian still needed his help, and hence he was not worried that Shen Lian would refuse his request. For instance, Baoyue the Venerable had seen Chen Beidou''s Supreme Sword Aura firsthand, and there would definitely be traces of it that was left on the relic. Moreover, he himself had seen Chen Beidou techniques too.


    All of these were information that Shen Lian needed to know.

 Chapter 341 Wind and Thunder

    Fang Yanying acknowledged what Fahai just said, and Fahai returned to stare at the elegiac couplet for a long time.


    It was only after she drank three cups of magical tea that Fahai came back to his senses and told the little monk to see her off. It was clear that he was not interested in having a conversation with her.


    She came in a hurry and left in a hurry, serving as nothing more than a messenger for Shen Lian and Fahai. What she did not understand was, with their supernatural powers, her Uncle-Master and Fahai would be able to speak to each other even when they were thousand and ten thousand miles apart. There was no need for her to act as a messenger and pass on the message at all.


    Since she could not understand it, she decided not to think about it altogether.


    Unlike her outbound journey, no one came in her way during her homebound journey. The sun had barely risen from the east, and there were still plenty of morning dews. The early morning rays fell onto the plants and were refracted to create dreamy lights. The chirping of the birds suggested hints of life.


    Fang Yanying decided to return the sword talisman to her Uncle-Master when she was back in the Temple of Killings.


    After making such a decision, she deterred herself from thinking about its power.


    If she could rely on the power of the sword talisman, she could easily live a comfortable life in this mortal world. The thought occurred to her, but she forced herself not to think about it. She was afraid that the more she entertained the notion, the more reluctant she would be to return the sword talisman back to her Uncle-Master.


    Shen Lian was at the Temple of Killings, and before him was the formation made of five elements of Qi of essence. The surrounding Qi of Earth converged towards the Temple of Killings.


    The convergence was a slow and quiet process. It would take ten, twenty, or even a hundred years for the effect to manifest itself. When that happened, the Temple of Killings would truly be the blessed place for cultivation.


    Despite that, it might not rival the Five Peaks of Qing Xuan, but it would be sufficient for the formation of a sect.


    Shen Lian''s formation was unnoticeable to most. For one, Fang Yanying who just came in did not realize the formation. She only felt that the Qi of vitality was stronger than before, and it was comforting.


    Respectfully, she told Shen Lian everything about Jinguang Temple. To be fair, there was not much to talk about, to begin with. In short, Fahai would pay him a visit soon.


    Shen Lian was not surprised by what he heard. In the past, his level of cultivation was incomparable to Mister Sea, who had since changed his name to Fahai. However, they were equals now. Just as how he needed help from Fahai, Fahai needed his help too.


    Both of them knew it all too well.


    When it came to things like these, there was no need to hide purposefully. To them, feeling the elegance conveyed by a melodious tune was a natural process.


    At a more advanced state, one would realize how little words can do. This was especially true when one was in the presence of an equally advanced person. The other party would be able to understand one''s intention without even needing one to put it into words.


    Though, their cultivation was not about extradicating human nature. It merely allowed them to exert better control over themselves.


    Shen Lian knew there was nothing advanced about this. In fact, it hindered his cultivation process. It stopped him from attaining complete success in the state of holy deities.


    "To follow one''s inclinations but with perfect propriety", that would truly show one''s state.


    To him, it would only be impressive when he was able to express his emotions naturally while acting in harmony with Dao.


    This was not a state that one could attain by purposeful pursuit.


    Shen Lian smiled as he spoke to Fang Yanying, "Good work, I was watching you when you slayed the White Moon Demon Clan. It is truly remarkable that you could eliminate your fears at that moment. No wonder that your Master holds you in such high regard. One''s potential is determined when they are born, however, one''s attainment is contingent upon one''s determination and hard work. It might take ten over years, or even a few hundred years; however, so long as you do not give up, you will be able to reach my level of cultivation. Hence, you can keep the sword talisman. Need not to worry that you will become reliant on it. When you have thoughts like these, you are already reliant on it."


    As Shen Lian spoke calmly, Fang Yanying was surprised. She did not expect her Uncle-Master to know what she was thinking about. Moreover, what Shen Lian said at the end inspired deeper thoughts.


    Fang Yanying pondered upon it for awhile, and she handed over the sword talisman. With a determined gaze, she spoke to Shen Lian, "Uncle-Master, you are trying to test my heart of Dao by leaving the sword talisman with me. However, I am learning the Shapeless Sword Incantation. Since it is shapeless, what is the point to leave something that has the same shape with me. I may not be aware of the future, but I know that if I were to keep it, it would leave a mark on my heart. Hence, I beg for your permission to return this."


    After thinking about it, she decided to return it.


    The reason why Shen Lian told her to keep the sword talisman was to teach her the principle, "Do not be stagnated by material". However, after dissecting her thoughts, Fang Yanying knew that she was not someone who was born with Dao nature. Each step she took must be grounded. Her Honored Master told her to focus on cultivating the Shapeless Sword Incantations without being distracted, and she had been following his instructions.


    Hence, she decided to cultivate accordingly. She knew where she stood, and she did not bother to be ambitious.


    Shen Lian took over the sword talisman. He looked at her in awe and replied, "I have underestimated you. You are Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen''s stallion, and the Temple of Killings will be made prosperous by you."


    Fang Yanying did not have great potential for cultivation, and she did not have a natural heart of Dao. On top of that, she also lacked great spiritual sense. However, underneath her unremarkable appearance, she had an assertive heart.


    Chen Jianmei was able to identify someone as such and had passed on his techniques to her. In time, she would definitely shine.


    It might take ten over years, or even a few hundred years, but as long as she managed to survive, she had a bright future waiting ahead.


    Fang Yanying was surprised. She did not understand why did the Uncle-Master think of her so highly.


    She was aware of the extent of her own capabilities. Even amongst the group of disciples in the Temple of Killings, her speed of cultivation was not the fastest. She was only the most experienced out of them because of her hard work and the good foundation she had laid down since young.


    When compared to the Uncle-Master and the Honored master, she was as insignificant as a flicker of light.


    Shen Lian noticed her expression, but he did not elaborate further. He spoke, "I am going to leave now. Though the mustard in the mountains looks fresh and I feel like having it. I will be back later, and it will be great if you can prepare some of them for me."


    Fang Yanying was surprised. She did not expect the Uncle-Master to have an appetite today. Her culinary skills were not remarkable. However, since it was an instruction from the Uncle-Master, she had no choice but to obey. There was a cold spring in the mountain. It was full of Qi of vitality and was surrounded by wild mustard. It had a great taste and was full of soulful aura. As a food source, it could help with cultivation. Hence, she would pluck them occasionally.


    As she was going through her thoughts, she raised her head. A pair of purple and green wings appeared on Shen Lian''s back. With a gentle flap, he created wind and thunder. He disappeared the next second.


    The only thing she could think of was, how could there be such speedy shifting method in the world.


    As she was following Shen Lian the last time, she did not realize how fast the Raging Storm Shifting Method was. It was only now that she realized that the Raging Storm Shifting Method was beyond her imagination.


    Nanhai, Zizai Temple.


    Zizai Temple was located at Nanhai, and its location was not common knowledge. Even if one was privy to its location, it would not be easy to get there.


    Occasionally, some fishermen would notice the purple Qi shrouding the island in which Zizai Temple was situated. The sound of Buddhist chants could be heard. However, as they got closer, they found themselves being further away from the island.


    Sooner or later, the fishermen realized the magical aspects of the island and stopped trying to go near it.


    Because of the purple Qi and the Buddhist chants, some called it "Ziyin Island".


    As the thunder roared, someone entered the island.

 Chapter 342 Four Symbols

    The person who showed up was Shen Lian. Although his light travel could not match the crazy Daoist''s Divine Aura Shifting Method, it was still a class above most people.


    He was able to master the light travel in such short period of time thanks to the Deity Temple of Taixu Strategy and his newly attained Primordial Spirit.


    However, he was not too excited about his new achievements. If it was not for the coming of the catastrophe of the world, he would not want to be involved in too many supernatural techniques. Back then, he would make sense of things by analogy. Now that he had reached the state of celestialism, he tried to simplified things and focus less on supernatural Dao techniques.


    However, he had no choice as things did not turn out as he wished.


    The Restriction on Ziyin Island was not able to stop him. Soon enough, he passed through the fenced mystic block and landed on the island.


    The island had beautiful mountains and streams of spring water, it was literally a celestial paradise in the human world. Residing here for a long term would definitely cleanse a person''s soul.


    Above the high cliffs ahead, there were two nuns collecting herbs. They noticed Shen Lian and immediately put down their hoes and asked, "May I know where did you come from?"


    Shen Lian was strolling in the void as an invisible staircase appeared below his feet. He slowly lowered himself down as his robe swayed along in the wind. He looked magnificent like a heavenly being.


    Perhaps it was the rich Qi of vitality on the island that made the nuns looked like they were sixteen or seventeen years old. Their skin was fair as snow and had no signs of aging.


    Shen Lian knew that even if he made it to the island, there would be a different system here and it would require him to use some supernatural powers to get to the Zizai Temple. As a result, that would be a little disrespectful to the owner of the place.


    And that was why he had to trouble the two nuns in front of him in order to enter the residence.


    Shen Lian landed in front of the nuns and said, "Two little masters, I am Shen Lian of the Qing Xuan Celestial Sect. I am here to visit Daoist Liuqing.


    The two of them seem to be unaware of the happenings of the world as they did not know the power the name ''Shen Lian'' carried. However they were aware that Shen Lian must be someone extraordinary as he was able to descent from the void to enter the island.


    One of the nuns responded, "Since you are looking for the abbess, you just have to go behind this mountain and walk fifty miles more."


    Shen Lian nodded and gently replied, "Thank you very much."


    His extraordinary charisma and gentle voice charmed the other nun as her heart fluttered and her face blushing in red. She could not look at him in the eye but the other nun who spoke to Shen Lian was poised as she replied him smiling.


    Shen Lian too was straightforward. He turned and headed towards the back of the mountain.


    The nun who blushed asked, "Apprentice-Sister, the benefactor does not look like a bad person. Why does the abbess refuse to see him?"


    She then continued, "That Benefactor Shen was so simple-minded. He trusted you so easily."


    The apprentice-sister knocked her bald head and nagged, "So you''re captivated by him, huh? Why do you care so much for a man? There are reasons behind the abbess'' decision. Now that he has left for there, let''s return to report to the abbess."


    The two of them packed their hoes, carried their herbs pouch and went down the mountain.


    After their departure, Shen Lian''s figure appeared at the peak of the mountain as he watched the nuns leave. He thought to himself, "Looks like Daoist Liuqing has predicted my visit here. Her ability sure is something as she placed two nuns here to wait for me. If she was able to predict this, she should have known that the nuns were not able to hide anything from me. Maybe she was just using them to hint to me that she did not want to see me."


    Shen Lian''s purpose to visit the Zizai Temple was to borrow some Sanguang Holy Water.


    The Sanguang Holy Water was one of the best healing panaceas in the world. Since Chen Jianmei insisted to keep the sword aura in his body to learn that person''s swordcraft, there was a high possibility that he may not recover fully despite Shen Lian''s protective spell. Qing Xuan too had stocked up on several healing panaceas however those could not guarantee that there would not be any recurrence after recovering.


    If Shen Lian had to put down his pride and beg for the Sanguang Holy Water, he would still do it.


    But who knew that Daoist Liuqing did not want to see him at all.


    Shen Lian was not mad at her, after all she was the rightful owner of the Sanguang Holy Water and this area was under the territory of the Zizai Temple. Although Daoist Liuqing and the Founding Master enjoyed a friendship, Shen Lian cannot do anything if Daoist Liuqing refused to help him.


    He understood her intention and wanted to leave. But considering that Daoist Liuqing was lying why would she so specifically say to go to fifty miles behind the mountain?


    That was the reason why Shen Lian decided to probe further. If there was nothing over there, he could just leave.


    He contemplated the idea and transformed into the wind. Before he arrived at his destination, he could tell that something was off. He could clearly sense that the spiritual opportunity surrounding him was surging like the waves.


    He wanted to leave before he gets surrounded by it but a water light flash through his bier and he decided to take advantage of the situation and stay put.


    Shen Lian could see four bamboo roots coming out from the soil from four different directions of north, south, east and west.


    In a split second, it transformed into the Azure Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West, Vermillion Bird of the South and Black Turtle of the North.


    With just one look, Shen Lian was able to tell that the bamboos have evolved into the Four Symbols Formation.


    The Zizai Temple was indeed the fruit of Dao and Buddhism. Even Xuanmen''s formations too had its essence. Although it was just a simple Four Symbols Formation, once it was set up, the four symbols would change according to direction flawlessly.


    If Shen Lian wanted to use his mana to break out from this formation, it would take him about half a month to do so. By then, there would be no point of obtaining the Sanguang Holy Water as it would be too late.


    Moreover, his spiritual instinct knew that although the formation was set up by the bamboo, its roots were actually from the Sanguang Holy Water.


    He was able to sense the breath of the holy water and that was why he decided to stay put.


    Shen Lian''s body radiated the protective lights and reduced the impact of the Four Symbols Formation.


    He used the ''restrict'' word incantation from the Taixu Strategy to investigate the situation.


    The ''restrict'' word incantation was a useful tool when it comes to penetrating spiritual opportunity. It was the nemesis to all formations in the universe and that was why Shen Lian was able to feel the ferocity of this formation. It was a case of simplicity at its best.


    The four roots bamboo probably came from the same source as the six roots bamboo. Although it was not considered as a magic talisman, it became a pretty impressive instrument after years of refinement.


    Other ordinary celestial school''s mountain defense formation could not match the Four Symbols Formation.


    It would be easy if things were as simple as that. However, the formation was linked to the Sanguang Holy Water. If he forcefully breaks out from the formation, the Holy Water might fade away.


    Come to think of it, although Daoist Liuqing was not keen on meeting him, it was still possible for him to obtain the Sanguang Holy Water. Whether he could get it or not was up to his skills.


    If he did not apply any fancy tricks and took it on face-on, he would then fail to obtain the Sanguang Holy Water.


    By then, he could not blame Daoist Liuqing as it was his capabilities that caused the failure.


    With that in mind, Shen Lian became more relaxed.


    Perfection does not exist in this world unless the creation of creation had transcended beyond heaven and earth.

 Chapter 343 Exquisite

    Even so, there were still flaws in heaven and earth and people of that level still could not achieve perfection.


    As long as Shen Lian has the will, there would be a way to break the formation and obtain the Sanguang Holy Water.


    With a calm voice, he said, "Senior Liuqing, if you intend to test my cultivation experience, I am willing to fulfill your wishes."


    "This boy sure is confident." Under the bamboo forest, an elegant looking nun took a white chess piece and placed in on the board. She looked about twenty years old, had a sharp face and her eyes were as clear as the fountain spring. Under the oversized monk robe, she looked slim and weak.


    Behind her was a lady who was as elegant as her name, Qixiu.


    The lady who looked weaker than Qixiu was Daoist Liuqing. She was a rare connoisseur who specialized in both Dao and Buddhism, and a good friend of Xuantian Sect''s Lu Jiuyuan.


    Sitting opposite of her was a monk with a single limb. He took on the black chess piece and said with a smile, "Anyone who achieved immortality at his age can afford such confidence. On behalf of his master, you wanted to trap him for half a month to prevent him from confronting Chen Beidou and falling into the misfortune trials. But looking at it, this Four Symbols Formation may not hold him for long."


    The monk with a single limb was Huike who had disappeared for quite some time. No one would expect that he was actually in fact at the Zizai Temple.


    This was because the Ming Wang Temple has never dealt with the Zizai Temple.


    Daoist Liuqing responded, "If he could break free from the formation in such short time, he should be able to take on Chen Beidou''s sword. There''s no harm in giving him some Sanguang Holy Water."


    Huike shook his head and said, "Daoist friend, you have yet to witness Chen Beidou''s sword. His swordcraft was perfected using the Chart of Celestial Extermination. Not many people in the universe could be his rival."


    Daoist Liuqing said, "Back then when Sword Saint Ziwei came to my hermitage, he came up with the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura after reading the Zizai Scripture. That completed the art of sword and he became the most reputed master celestial of swords. Do you mean that Chen Beidou''s swordcraft is as good as Sword Saint Ziwei?"


    Huike responded, "Chen Beidou obtained my temple''s Chart of Celestial Extermination to complete his swordcraft. But I guess he has yet to reach the level of Sword Saint Ziwei. If not, he would have gone to look for Saint Sword Ziwei and not test his skills in the human world. But even if there is a gap, it''s not a big one." There was some despair in his gaze as if he recalled the day he witnessed Chen Beidou''s frightening swordcraft.


    The both of them chatted leisurely as they played a game of chess. If any ordinary being witnessed their game, they would most probably have the sentiments of, "If a man heads the right way in the morning, he may die in the evening without regrets."


    Qixiu''s gaze was not set on the game of chess. Instead, she looked towards the direction of Shen Lian and was worried for him.


    She hoped that Shen Lian could break free from the formation but yet she did not want him to come out too soon and faced the trial of misfortune.


    Her thoughts were complicated and have lost her sense of freedom.


    Daoist Liuqing was not bothered by her disciple''s state of mind and she too, could not care less about her Four Symbols Formation. She was fully focused on the game of chess against Huike who possessed impressive chess skills.


    Gradually, the sun sank down to the east and the Four Symbol Formation remained silent.


    Out of sudden, a dash of Qi of Xuan started raging.


    Daoist Liuqing made a bad move but she could not care much about it at the moment. Her concentration has moved towards the Four Symbols Formation.


    The Four Symbols expanded as if it was injected with endless Qi of essence.


    It then condensed into countless yellow sand grains covered the area, making it hard to see the situation inside.


    A hurricane then came by and the yellow sand grains twirled around the Four Symbols Formation and collided against the bamboo. As the momentum of the collision was huge, it stirred the spiritual opportunity and caused the earth to shake.


    Qixiu was stunned by the scene.


    She turned to her master but all Daoist Liuqing did was let out a snort and took out a handkerchief. The handkerchief expanded as it touched the wind and released countless crystals.


    Qixiu recognized this handkerchief. It was a treasured possession of the Hermitage and was also known as Ruyi Waterpipe. It was of heavenly muslin and could change as it like.


    The crystal fog produced by the Ruyi Pipe headed towards the yellow sand grains.


    The yellow sand sank as it came in contact with places that the crystal fog has passed by. It stopped the odd phenomenon and prevented other areas from being affected by it.


    Suddenly, the sound of the thunder cracked open the clouds above the sky but disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Daoist Liuqing sighed, "What a boy!"


    Huike was tongue tied but managed to say, "Exquisite".


    In his opinion, the method Shen Lian used to break the Four Symbols Formation was unbelievable.


    Qixiu asked, "Master, what happened?"


    Daoist Liuqing frowned at her and responded, "In between heaven and earth, is one Qi altogether. Alone it stirs, then divides into Yin and Yang. There is the elder and younger, divided into four symbols. The elder, during times of extreme movement, becomes greater Yang and greater Yin. The younger, when the movement starts, it started the motionless boundary, becomes lesser Yin and lesser Yang. The four symbols with five elements are all from within. Water is greater yin; fire is greater Yang; wood is lesser Yang; metal is lesser Yin; earth is Yin and Yang, also the elder and the younger. Wood, fire, metal, and water are clashing Qi, yet they connected."


    These were annotations and commentary by a Daoist connoisseur of the correspondence between the four symbols and the five elements. In other words, the five elements were another form of the four symbols.


    The five elements were formed by Yin and Yang; the existence of Yin and Yang brought about the five elements.


    Whether its north, east, west, south or the azure dragon, vermilion bird, white tiger or black turtle, each of them represented gold, wood, water, and fire. In other words, the gold, wood, water, and fire of the five elements were actually the four symbols.


    The ''earth'' that was not part of the four symbols was actually the four symbols - the combination of wood, fire, gold, and water. This was because earth contains all four elements and that was why the earth produces myriads of things.


    There was no earth in the four symbols but as it expanded, the four symbols interchanged and formed earth. That was how the yellow sand came about in the Four Symbols Formation.


    Shen Lian was extremely talented and was able to make sense of the Five Elements of Dao and utilized the Qi of essence of the five elements.


    He inserted the gold, wood, water, and fire four elements'' of Qi of essence into the four roots bamboo to heightened the powers of the Four Symbols Formation and expanded the space. As the four symbols interchanged, it formed the earth Qi of essence.


    Shen Lian then injected his earth Qi of essence into it to stir up the yellow sand and covered the entire Four Symbols Formation.


    The yellow sand was originally a product of the Four Symbols Formation and they came from the same source. By managing and spreading the yellow sand, Shen Lian was able to control the formation.


    As the four elements interchanged, every two intersections were known as the four corners and the earth lied within the four corners. Under the diffusion of the earth Qi of essence, the Sanguang Holy Water would sit in the water position of the four corners.


    Shen Lian then was able to obtain the Sanguang Holy Water. By the time Daoist Liuqing used the Ruyi Waterpipe to suppress the uproar of the Four Symbols Formation, Shen Lian would be able to escape with the Sanguang Holy Water.


    For the sake Daoist Liuqing, he chose to not say anything about it.

 Chapter 344 Where Are You, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen?

    Within a flash of a thunder, Shen Lian had passed the south sea of misery and headed towards Xi Huang.


    Although he successfully broke Daoist Liuqing''s Four Symbols Formation, he was not too delighted about it. He felt that his Dao was too shallow and needed to use tricks to overcome the formation. Such means were not the way of the proper Dao and one should never be obsessed with that feeling or else he would regret it in the future.


    Shen Lian was fully aware of this principle and could only remind himself to stay on track. Nobody knows what would happen in the future and he could not guarantee his loyalty towards Dao.


    Everyone knew the Xuan philosophy of Dao but even celestials and Buddha would not say that they could fully apply the knowledge into practice.


    There was no point in overthinking it and Shen Lian chose not to be over-fixated to the idea. By evening, he finally arrived at the Temple of Killings.


    He looked up at the Temple of Killings and felt uneasy as if the three Chinese characters of the temple''s name was covered in blood.


    He stared at the temple''s name and it felt as if the characters came to life like butterflies with their wings spread out. Hints of a murderous aura charged towards him like the breeze.


    Suddenly, an image of a bloodbath gently appeared in his mind.


    A rash of flame was ignited in his eyes and leaped out from his pupils to set the bloodbath ablaze and turned the illusion into ashes.


    Back to reality, the three characters of the ''Temple of Killing'' looked brand new but as a breeze blew past, it turned into dust, swept together with the wind, while a small fraction of dust landed on Shen Lian''s fingertips. He walked into the temple slowly with a solemn expression and saw the disciples were all frozen in motion. Some were sitting, some were lying, and while were holding on to the incantation but there were no fluctuations of mana.


    Their eyes were wide open but there was no spirit within them. The only thing that was left behind was an empty shell.


    In fact, it seems as though they did not realize that they were already dead.


    The spider that was building its web at the courtyard was dead; the colony of ants that was moving the body of a dead fly, too, was motionless.


    A cicada that was drinking the delicious tree sap was as stiff as a post and showed no signs of vitality.


    Shen Lian could not find any living beings in the Temple of Killing. It seemed like these souls were killed by a dash of murderous aura at the same time.


    What a terrifying killing vibes that could massacre the Temple of Killing in a split second.


    Buddha said that a bowl of pure water contained forty-eight thousand worms. Similarly, although the Temple of Killing was only an inch of land, it housed numerous living beings under its roof. The killing vibes were so micro fine that it actually killed every single being without them noticing. It was very petrifying and spine-chilling.


    Shen Lian stood outside of Chen Jianmei''s cultivation room. He opened the door and the room was empty with no signs of struggle or fight.


    He scanned the room with his divine thoughts but failed to find any traces that could be used to determine Chen Jianmei''s whereabouts.


    An ancient coin appeared on Shen Lian''s fingertips that was hiding under his Dao robe. The head of the coin had the word ''Emperor'', while the tail of the coin wrote, ''sky full of stars''.


    Shen Lian flipped the coin at his fingertips to seek for a divine reading. The reading was so chaotic, it was beyond measure.


    It felt like at a certain point of time, Chen Jianmei has disappeared from the world. The feeling was like a dream that disappeared after waking up.


    The coin was still spinning and Shen Lian did not give up. But after a while, a crisp sound could be heard as the coin split into half to reveal traces of rust. The coin has lost its power and turned into an ordinary object.


    The coin was stained with traces of time and was an efficacious tool for divine reading.


    But it failed to read any traces of the incident earlier and was destroyed by a shapeless force.


    More importantly, Shen Lian did not sense anything before leaving the temple earlier the day.


    He had no idea at all if Chen Jianmei was alive or dead, or his whereabouts.


    The disciples who were alive and kicking earlier the day were now ice cold corpse. This was the fragility of life.


    Shen Lian turned his body and noticed Fang Yanying.


    There was confusion, panic, and sadness in her eyes. She looked at Shen Lian and started coughing.


    She coughed up blood, staining the mustard greens in her basket red.


    The blood was sprinkled on the fresh and crispy mustard greens. But at the same time, the mustard greens started to wilt at a speed that can be observed with the naked eye.


    Shen Lian stepped in front of Fang Yanying and dripped a crystal clear water droplet on her lips. The droplet rippled in her body to rejuvenate the weak vitality in her.


    The killing vibes in the temple had yet fully dispersed. Shen Lian was not affected by it was a different story for Fang Yanying.


    Obviously, she just got back from plucking the mustard greens to see such a frightening scene.


    At the same time, the killing vibes attacked her body.


    If Shen Lian did not break off the meaning of Dharma in the characters of the ''Temple of Killing'', Fang Yanying could have been dead by the time she arrived at the gates of the temple.


    Fang Yanying passed out in Shen Lian''s arms. He sighed as he covered the girl with a thin layer of five colored films of light. He carried her into the cultivation room and placed her gently on the stone couch. He expected some killing vibes to linger in the cultivation room but there was nothing odd with the cultivation room.


    It was as if an invisible force has prevented the killing vibes from entering the room.


    Shen Lian was genuinely surprised. The spell cast on the Temple of Killing was very similar to the way of Dao of hid the living among the dead, and Chen Jianmei''s cultivation room was where the vitality was at.


    There were more crystal clear droplets on his hands. It was the Sanguang Holy Water.


    Shen Lian drips it to the void and gave it a blow, it generated a light breeze. The holy water started to rise, the sound of water gushing could be heard.


    The breeze did not stop and the water rose continuously.


    It was like a fountain spring that was never depleted.


    It grew gradually with the breeze.


    By the next day, the courtyard was as clear as a pond of water.


    The water started picking up the color of blood but strangely it had no bloody smell. It started with light red, followed by deep red and finally thick blood red. The bloody water then condensed in the centre to form a blood coloured water droplet as big as the size of a green bean.


    The blood colored water droplet landed on the Shen Lian''s palm. Shen Lian started reciting a spell that sounded like the sound of thunder. Green colored words of spell floated onto the blood droplet and covered it with a green colored halo to form a blood green bead of the size of a soy bean.


    Shen Lian kept the bead in his sleeves and walked out of the cultivation room. The Temple of Killing had been cleansed and the deceased disciples were buried beneath the earth with their names carved on a stone tablet respectively. There was a kind of ghostly yet enchanting atmosphere surrounding the temple. Shen Lian put on the lunar corona as his thoughts roamed to somewhere far far away.


    He looked up to the moon and thought to himself, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen, where on earth are you?".

 Chapter 345 When Would I Have the Ability to Borrow the Means of Heaven and Earth?

    Shen Lian''s purpose of obtaining the Sanguang Holy Water was to heal Chen Jianmei''s injuries. But Chen Jianmei went missing and no one knows if he was dead or alive. Shen Lian may be a prodigy who could easily break Daoist Liuqing''s formation but he cannot turn back time to understand what happened earlier.


    There was so much more about this world that he did not know off.


    He looked up to mirror liked moon in the sky and saw Zhang Ruoxu''s face.


    Zhang Ruoxu was smiling, just like back then when he was still alive.


    Shen Lian kept a straight face. He waved his hand and the illusion, like a reflection on the surface of the water, rippled and dispersed.


    He was clear that the secular mortal world was troubled by demonic obstacles.


    That was also the reason why cultivators who had overcome the nine states of cultivations and attained immortality would choose to reside in a peaceful area and avoid stepping into the secular mortal world. If they were tempted by the demon of temptation, they would not be able to progress on their path to Dao.


    Overcoming whims did not guarantee that one''s bier would be free from pollutants. It would enter a state of ''The body is the bodhi tree, the mind is like a bright mirror''s stand'', just like the elegiac couplet Shen Lian gave to Baoyue the Venerable.


    The following sentence of the couplet was, ''At all times we must strive to polish it, and must not let dust collect.''


    At this very moment, Shen Lian could empathize to the saying of ''easy to obtain Dao but difficult to preserve Dao.''


    He was not afraid of the hardship of the future but it ignited his passion and he was looking forward to facing each of them. The unpredictable incident of Chen Jianmei''s disappearance has spiced things up for him.


    The past was the past, it was pointless to remonstrate, but the future may still be to look forward to.


    Shen Lian looked at the moon again. It has sunk to the west but it was still shining brightly.


    He thought to himself, "When would I be able to be like this moon? Although it reflects the light of the sun, it was able to shine throughout the infinite vast land. If I can achieve that, I would have no regrets in seeking Dao."


    The moonlight came from the sun, just like how Daoist would borrow the means of heaven and earth to gain endless power.


    Although it was not the level of becoming one with heaven and earth, reaching that state would already be considered as invincible.


    Fang Yanying woke up feeling groggy and could hardly think. The sunlight outside was glaring and it was her first time waking up so late.


    She recalled the incident yesterday where she went out to pick some mustard greens for her Uncle-Master.


    It was a scorching hot day and she decided to take a dip in the cold deep pool after she was done picking the mustard greens. She did not realize how fast time has past and quickly made her way back to Temple of Killing as she was worried that her Uncle-Master might be back soon.


    The moment she stepped in the temple, she noticed that her apprentice-siblings were all dead. She was concerned for her master and rushed to his cultivation room but all she saw was her Uncle-Master.


    She then felt a huge blow to her heart and lungs that caused her to cough blood. Shortly after, she passed out.


    She looked at her clothes and found dried blood stains on it; she then tried to operate her methods internally but as the sword aura gushed through her cardiopulmonary meridians, she felt extremely uncomfortable. Then, a spring water-like breath came through her body to soothe her lungs. The sword aura was like a stream of a long river passing through her meridians and orifices point endlessly.


    The Shapeless Sword Incantation in her body was operating swiftly but her meridians and orifices point could not take any more of it. She was feeling carefree but at the same time sad and that caused a numb sensation that prompted her to moan.


    The clear spring water breath then came through to rejuvenate the damaged meridians and orifices points. Through the process of damaging and rejuvenating, the mana of her Shapeless Sword Incantation showed immense growth.


    Apparently, there was a limit to the number of times a cultivator could operate their methods in a day.


    Reason being the meridians and orifices points could only withhold a certain amount of pressure. If it was overworked, it would cause destruction and would require a long period of time to rehabilitate.


    Fang Yanying has been cultivating ever since she was a kid. Although her meridians were more capacious compared to others, it still could not support the operations of the method. With the help of the spring water breath, she was able to enter the fifth level of the Shapeless Sword Incantation. The sword aura too was raging vigorously as the Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth pour into her to fuel the process.


    She broke through the fifth level and entered the sixth.


    The sword aura was condensed and rolled around her meridian and orifices points like water droplets. When she reached the peak of the sixth level and was about to join the water droplets-like sword aura into a stream, the bier suddenly cleared off and stopped operating.


    The spring water breath too faded away as she slowed down.


    Within her sight, Fang Yanying could see Shen Lian appeared in front of her and pointed at her glabella.


    As she opened her eyes, he gradually retracted his fingers. Fang Yanying''s face was flustering not out of shyness but because of the vigorous blood activity earlier on. Even without a mirror, she knew that her face was as red as dawn.


    Her Uncle-Master was elegant and in peacefulness spread throughout the atmosphere while Fang Yanying gradually calmed down as her bier restored its cleanliness. She recollected herself and asked Shen Lian, "Uncle-Master, how did Senior Apprentice-Brother Yuanliang and the rest died? Also, is my master safe?"


    "I have no idea. By the time I got back, they have been robbed of their vitality. As for your master, I cannot predict his whereabouts. Maybe he is no longer in this world," Shen Lian calmly replied.


    Fang Yanying was stunned, but from her Uncle-Master''s words, just because her Master''s whereabouts were unknown, it did not necessarily mean something bad happened to him. She was slightly consoled by that but she then thought of her senior apprentice-brothers who were still alive and kicking during daytime and they were no longer around anymore. The most depressing thing in the world was nonetheless, bereavement, even for cultivators. Otherwise, why would they work so hard to attain immortality?


    The voices and smiles of her apprentice-siblings were still fresh in her eyes but she would never see it again. There were tears in her eyes but she held them back.


    Shen Lian did not see the point of consoling her and walked out with his hands crossed behind his back.


    In life, there were too many depressing matters. As people experience more, they would also suffer more. Witnessing a loved one departing from life was a helpless feeling that most Daoist who picked the path of immortality had to experience.


    The reason why Daoism preach to let go of emotions was not because of its cruelty but this experience was just too depressingly excruciating.


    When Zhuangzhou''s wife passed away, he sang happily beating on a basin. But in fact, he was so broken that the pain penetrated his bone marrow.


    Shen Lian did not think that sadness and despair were useless emotions. The greater the pain, the more people would understand the preciousness of life.


    If Fang Yanying could walk out of this traumatic experience, she would be the other person Shen Lian could bring along to the Bier Discourse of Dao in the next seven years.


    He did not think he was overly rational. Just that as the chief, he had to make plans for Qing Xuan with or without Chen Jianmei.

 Chapter 346 The Wind and Rain Would Follow

    If Shen Lian did not stop Fang Yanying, her momentum could help her get to the tenth level of the Shapeless Sword Incantation. However, if that happened, her foundation would be destabilized.


    If she were to reach eight transformations of Huandan and above, she would have to spend up to a hundred years to build her foundation again.


    For people who had yet to reach Huandan, how could they waste up to a hundred years?


    Every other student in the Temple of Killings was dead, except for Fang Yanying. One had to admit that this girl had some fortune.


    Shen Lian hoped that she would have a good ending with such fortune.


    It began to drizzle. Shen Lian walked towards the rain, into the Temple of Killings.


    When one had reached a certain level of cultivation, the relationship one had with the heaven and earth was no longer the same.


    There was a saying, "When the Dragon King is out on a tour, he will always be followed by the wind and rain."


    The truth was, it was not limited to the Dragon King. When one''s cultivation could resonate with the heaven, whether it was the wind and rain, or the hailstones, the world would resonate to show one was different from the rest.


    One could choose to seal oneself so such reactions were not garnered. With that, it would be peace everywhere with no bustle, like an emperor who went out for a private visit.


    The person who visited this time did not keep his presence, and in reality, he was someone rather impudent.


    There stood a monk dressed in golden kasaya in the wind and rain. He was holding a staff, and every time it hit the moist soil, it felt like it could shake the mountain.


    Fahai did not seem to understand what low profile meant. Even after he entered the Buddhist sect, he still had the proud expression and features that garnered attention.


    The first time Shen Lian came across the name of Mister Sea was when he was swallowed by the Holy Whale, which was the mount of Mister Sea. Later, he killed one of Mister Sea''s concubines.


    However, the first real encounter with Mister Sea happened about ten years ago. Back then, he was nothing compared to Mister Sea, who was then, Fahai. He was far worse than Huike even before he got his Golden-bodied Arhat.


    Fahai then would have thought he was someone incredible, but then he would not have considered him as equal.


    Now, Shen Lian and Fahai had similar strength, and in terms of status, Shen Lian stood at a higher position as he was the Chief of Qing Xuan.


    This all happened in just ten plus years. To Fahai, it was about as long as his nap.


    As such, when he looked at Shen Lian today, he did not attempt to hide his curiosity - he wanted to know how he could achieve such great success within such a short time frame.


    When Shen Lian was walking down the mountain, none of the wind and rain could get near him. Wherever he went, they stopped.


    For wherever he had been, the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth then regained peace.


    This was only natural.


    This line rang through Fahai''s mind. He read it from one of the books in Jinguang Temple - "The place of enlightenment of Taixu is not tainted by any technique in the world." The place of enlightenment of Taixu would only exist when one had practiced Taixu Strategy to its highest level.


    Shen Lian was far from achieving the highest level in Taixu Strategy. But such an aura could be detected, and hence it was able to interrupt Fahai''s interrelation with Gods.


    The clear weather on one side and the stormy weather on the other at the hillside formed an interesting scenery.


    Fahai smiled, "Zhenren Shen''s technique is indeed profound."


    Shen Lian replied, "One can''t tell how profound the real technique is."


    Fahai clapped and laughed. The staff, along with the relic on top were dangling and spilling out some Qing Guang.


    When he steadied his hand, the staff then did not move an inch. Shen Lian''s gaze fell on the relic.


    As his divine thoughts permeated it, he could see moonlight.


    Underneath the moonlight, there was sword gleam.


    While Shen Lian was not a cultivator of the sword, he possessed a rare sword will. In terms of his achievement in swordcraft, there were not many in the world who were better than him, so he indeed had the eyesight to judge this sword gleam.


    Nobody could ignore when a sword gleam was formed.


    The blood-red sword gleam looked as though it was made out of thick blood ink.


    It could make celestials or Buddha who had escaped from being trapped in the secular mortal world to experience the taste of death again.


    All of a sudden there was countless golden rays that appeared in the void. At that moment, the blood sword gleam was shattered with nothing left.


    A young man appeared in the void, carrying a blood-colored long sword. One could not describe his face, but when he appeared, he was as eye-catching as the big dipper, and like the big dipper, he had the power to command death.


    Another scene flashed by, and a light wheel which was let loose and was attacking the young man.


    The perfect and free meaning of Dao made Shen Lian''s heart tremble.


    It seemed futile in the face of the young man''s sword. The light wheel disappeared in the end.


    Shen Lian regained his divine thoughts from the relic and he stared at Fahai. He said in a formal way, "Thank you."


    Fahai was slightly curious, "Do you think you can win, looking at the person''s sword?"


    Shen Lian responded, "I now know that it is not easy for Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen to survive."


    It was his honest thoughts. The person obviously had mastered the meaning of Celestial Trapping Sword. His mastery was more profound than Shen Lian and he could control it well. Shen Lian could only scratch the surface.


    Shen Lian saw the person''s sword and his swordcraft. Although the sword itself and the swordcraft was not yet perfect, it was obvious that they were invincible.


    Shen Lian could see the bit that was not perfectly fused, but he could not solve it.


    There was not any other reason but that he did not have sufficient mana and cultivation experience.


    The blood-colored long sword was perhaps the legendary Celestial Trapping Sword, but it was definitely not the complete version of it. Else, Baoyue the Venerable would have died at the first attack.


    Fahai saw as Shen Lian did not answer his odds in winning, he understood that Shen Lian had no chance of winning.


    Even though he observed in person how powerful Chen Beidou was, he still felt the thrill.


    This person had broken through Ming Wang Temple. Huike dared not to appear and Baoyue the Venerable was forced to pass away. Would there be any master celestial of sword who could handle him?


    Fahai said, "He has been a big problem to many people in Xi Huang, but I feel that those are not his actual targets. It is possible that before you look for him, he will be here for you."


    Shen Lian replied, "Perhaps."


    Fahai saw how calm Shen Lian was, he could not help but admire him. Regardless of the state of his mana, with this calmness, he deserved his achievement.


    He continued, "This time I am here is to ask if you can help me figure out Baoyue the Venerable''s reincarnation."


    Shen Lian thought for a while and then said, "Zen Master, can you give me the staff?"


    Fahai nodded and the staff flew out of his hand. It landed lightly, like a feather in front of Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian took the staff and knocked it on the floor. The floor cracked and revealed some tiny but closely packed trails.


    Fahai gathered his spiritual senses on the cracks. He thought this was the Chinese hexagram of the augury. He wanted to know how Shen Lian practiced it.


    Shen Lian then returned the staff to him and said, "This staff is good."


    Fahai asked, "Are you done with the augury?"


    Shen Lian looked like he was about to laugh, "I am just taking the breath of Baoyue the Venerable, I have not started with the augury."


    Fahai''s expression went down, "So the cracks are not the hexagram."


    Shen Lian laughed lightly, "Of course not."

 Chapter 347 Hidden Scripture

    As Fahai looked like he was about the get angry, Shen Lian then continued, "I was just joking with you. My augury uses the Taixu Divine Qi as the basis to obtain the innate hexagrams to predict everything in the world. It''s only about eighty to ninety percent accurate. If you''re curious and intend to learn, I doubt that''s possible."


    Fahai snorted and said, "This... When this poor monk used to travel around, your ancestors weren''t even born yet. Who cares about your technique?" He wanted to call himself as this mister, but as he recalled that he was now a monk, he then changed his mind and called himself a poor monk.


    He had problems that were unique to the demon clan, but at the same time, he was really proud. Given that he agreed to Baoyue that he would be a monk unless Baoyue changed his mind, he would then be a monk forever.


    Naturally, he was interested in Shen Lian''s techniques, as Qing Xuan was one of the four main Daoist sects. The techniques within the sect were not something comparable with the other smaller sects. In terms of practicing augury during a normal day, the technique might not be useful; but in time of crisis, if one could learn the authentic Xuanmen technique, perhaps one could escape from any misfortune.


    It was often said that it was not a burden having a variety of Daoist techniques. Fahai could agree with it.


    As he saw that Shen Lian did not intend to share, he was indeed disappointed, but at the same time, he did not want the boy to look down on him.


    Shen Lian did not care about what Fahai was thinking. His fingers were moving about and a stroke of clear Qi was surrounding his fingers, like unbroken silk. Eventually, the eight Qi of sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning came out and they formed an image. In the void, it looked like a mirage. One could see the unbroken chain of carts. It was obvious that it was a fortification on earth.


    Shen Lian had gained some perception of the Four Symbols formation.


    He used the five elements to form the eight Qi, and the reverse of eight Qi to gain the five elements. The transformation happened at will. While his mana and cultivation experience did not improve, but he had obtained more tricks using Taixu Strategy.


    The people in the city came and left in crowds. The influence of the secular mortal world was deep. It was facing a lake.


    The scenery of the lake was the beauty of the secular mortal world.


    In the end, there was a baby crying. Its cry could pierce through clouds. The image was then shattered.


    When Fahai heard the baby''s cry, his mind could guess that it was the reincarnation of Baoyue. However, despite his rich knowledge, he could not identify this hustling big city. He asked Shen Lian, "Where is this?"


    Shen Lian replied, "You will find it if you head east."


    With Fahai''s ability, he could remember the fortification clearly even within the time span of several hundred to a thousand years. On the other hand, he was not going to look everywhere just to find it.


    He also had to sort out the matters at Jinguang Temple before he headed out.


    After saying goodbye to Shen Lian, Fahai then returned to Jinguang Temple.


    When he entered the mountain gate, he was scanning the surrounding randomly with his glaring empowered eyes. Behind the woods and the rocks, he saw a monk was digging a hole at the hillside. It seemed like he was burying something. He then attempted to shorten the distance between them to inches. Within a step he was already in front of him, to see what he was trying to bury.


    He could recognize this monk. It was the student of Baoyue the Venerable''s junior apprentice-brother, Zen Master Baoguang. His name was Huiming. He was originally a general in Yue Tuo Kingdom, as such, he had great martial arts skills.


    Monk Baoguang was once the national advisor of Yue Tuo Kingdom. Huiming had been assigned to be the protector for Baoguang then. He was under Baoguang for many years.


    Ten plus years ago, Baoguang had a battle with Chen Jianmei with the intention to obtain the Golden-bodied Arhat. He did not succeed, and worse still, he lost all his power and became a normal human.


    Baoguang then quit his position as the national advisor of Yue Tuo Kingdom. He then practiced Buddhism in peace at Jinguang Temple. Since Huiming had followed Baoguang for many years, he too followed suit and became a monk, and the student of Baoguang.


    Five years ago, Baoguang was bored of his life and hence he decided to travel. As he lost his power, the journey around the world was rather inconvenient. Huiming followed and offered his service day and night.


    Fahai came to the side of Huiming without using any technique to hide. Huiming realized it immediately.


    When he saw it was Fahai, he quickly greeted and said, "Abbot, why are you here?"


    When he was on the way back, he knew that Baoyue had passed away and that Fahai had become the new abbot of Jinguang Temple. While Fahai was originally from the demon clan, but his skills were akin those of celestialists. As he was also the student of Baoyue the Venerable, none of the students in Jinguang Temple dared to go against him.


    Fahai said, "Why are you not taking care of your master but back here in the mountain? What are you doing, digging a hole here?"


    As his divine thoughts dispersed, he knew that Monk Baoguang was not on the mountain.


    Huiming revealed some grief in his expression. He then said, "My teacher just passed away in Jingang Temple. Before he passed away, he asked me to bring this box, along with his ashes back. He asked me to bury this box here. He also wanted me to ponder about the Dharma in the temple and to never leave."


    He unwrapped the bundle, and there was an ossuary and a box inside.


    The box was of the color of green jade. It was translucent, but one could not see what was inside, not even with Fahai''s divine thoughts.


    He said, "This is where the spiritual vigor of the mountain is. Why will your master ask you to bury something here? Show me what it is."


    Huiming hesitated, "Abbot, master has ordered me to never open the box, else great misfortune will happen."


    Fahai laughed out loud, "Baoguang can fool you but not me. This poor monk has seen all kinds of things in the world. I wonder what this thing is, that it can even bring me great misfortune."


    Huiming wanted to advise against it, but then he realized now he could not speak, and his feet could not move.


    He felt angry, he did not understand why Uncle-Master took this demon king into the Buddhist sect. With his temper, he did not look anything like an enlightened monk great morality.


    While he was angry, he could not do anything against Fahai.


    Fahai took the green jade box to his hand, and soon there were countless swastika symbols flying around, like streaks of ribbons that entangled around the box, preventing Fahai from opening it.


    The small restriction could not stop Fahai.


    He opened his mouth and took in a huge gasp. His mouth was as big as a basin. The swastika symbols then flowed into his mouth like a stream. The symbols were swallowed completely within a short period of time.


    He opened the box, and he could see there lied an old-looking book. The title was written with the cloud script, and it said ''Sky Demon Scripture''.


    Fahai was curious since Monk Baoguang practiced Jinguang Temple''s Dharma, which was originally from the Moonlight Buddha who had transcended beyond the mortal world. With all the proper techniques, why would he have something like the Sky Demon Scripture?


    The Sky Demon words showed that it was definitely demon arts.


    While there were three thousand great ways which would end the same way despite the different paths, eventually the proper techniques and the devil arts could escape the shackles of the heaven and earth. There were, however, reasons why Daoism and Buddhism were considered proper.


    For countless years, whether it was the immortal Zhenren or the Golden-bodied Arhat, they were both from the Daoist or Buddhist sects. Their presence suppressed the other cultivating sects, especially since people like Tian Xian state and Bodhisattva''s highest level, who had transcended beyond the mortal world were continuously appearing from the two sects.


    As such, it was rare for the cultivators in the world to obtain the essence of such techniques. One could not even get it with money.


    There probably was a cultivator who possessed the strengths of both proper and evil techniques, but such existence would be rare, and the odds was not even one in a thousand years.


    Fahai lost interest, he said, "I was wondering what this was - it is just a book of evil arts. Look at how nervous you''re."


    He took out the Sky Demon Scripture and slapped it on Huiming. His restrictions were released.

 Chapter 348 With One Thought, One Could Become Buddha or Demon

    Once Huiming regained freedom, he hastily said, "Abbot, please return the scripture to me."


    He said that as Fahai did not seem to care about the scripture too much.


    Fahai said, "I will keep this Sky Demon Scripture. You come with me." He grabbed Huiming along, and with the blink of an eye, they were back in the temple.


    Fahai kept the scripture in his kasaya. He could not be bothered with Huiming, because Jinguang Temple had a discipline hall. If he dared to make a scene, there would be punishments from the monks.


    He did not care too much about the power he held in Jinguang Temple. For him, he did not need to spend too much time about anything in Jinguang Temple, as long as when he was out looking for Baoyue, nothing happened.


    Tonight Fahai sat in the cultivation room. His body was gleaming with golden lights - he was practicing the Dharma from Moonlight Buddha.


    The difference was that Moonlight Buddha was human and he was a demon. While Baoyue the Venerable had explained to him some of the advanced Dharma in detail, but he still could not get over some of the obstacles. This made him slightly frustrated.


    As he was originally a demon, even if he had cultivated his morality, it was hard for him to enter into a state of spiritual calmness. He took out the Sky Demon Scripture. He did not know that Baoguang obtained the Sky Demon Scripture by chance.


    Baoguang had deep Dharma, but as he lacked the vision, he just could not achieve the Golden-bodied Arhat. When he lost his supernatural power, he, in turn, profited from his misfortune as his Buddhist mind improved.


    After he obtained the Sky Demon Scripture, he knew that this script was of dissident nature, but some of the evil arts indeed indicated the path to understanding the heart. As such, it was useful for Buddhist''s revelation or Daoist''s breaking away from whims.


    As it involved the profoundness of the heart, if there was any mishap, one could fall into the demon realm and lose oneself. It took someone with great wisdom, who could overcome the three poisons, the greed, wrath, and obsession. Only someone with a pure mind could master the evil arts.


    Baoguang knew that if this scripture were to be circulated, it would create great misfortune. At the same time, he thought it was the heart and soul of the wise, and hence he could not bear to destroy it. Until he passed away, he was still contemplating about it.


    When the time had come, he then decided to have the eminent monk in Jingang Temple to set up the prohibition on the jade box. He then ordered Huiming to bring the scripture back to Jinguang Temple and to bury it at a place where spiritual vigor gathered. He wished that with the influence of the Dharma, the evil Qi in the scripture could be eliminated.


    If someone came across this scripture again, he would have the ability to withhold his mind and would not be charmed.


    Whether the person would have any success would depend on his destiny.


    When Huiming asked Baoguang about why he would not pass it to Abbot Baoyue, Baoguang smiled and said nothing.


    When Huiming was on the way back, he then knew that Zen Master Baoyue too had passed away. He then knew what Baoguang meant.


    Fahai looked upon himself highly as he cultivated for a thousand years. He was unfazed by the Sky Demon Scripture.


    With his cultivation, even though he did not possess a firm resolve like the eminent people of Daoist or Buddhist sect, but Sky Demon could not daze him.


    As he felt frustrated that night, Fahai decided to take a look at the Sky Demon Scripture to know what it was all about.


    He flipped open the scripture and in fact, it recorded a lot of profound techniques, but as Fahai was at the level of Dixian and Arhat, he did not think these techniques were worth mentioning.


    He glanced through the parts that talked about the techniques, and at the back, there was a passage which described the Dao of the Sky Demon.


    He had gathered advanced Dharma from Baoyue the Venerable, and as he was traveling in the world, he too had some knowledge of Dao. He was fascinated by the Dao of the Sky Demon which was being described.


    The reason being the Dao of the Sky Demon was similar to both Daoism and Buddhism. It involved the spirit, which was similar to what Baoyue described the Moonlight Buddha Scripture.


    For instance, Buddha used his millions of clones for divine intervention. He would go through cycles and cycles to spread the principles of Dharma. When people believed in it, it was the equivalent to the millions of clones. It was how the saying "All for one and one for all" came about.


    In the Sky Demon Scripture, it meant to focus the thought of oneself and then spread the seed in the sentient beings. As long as one''s heart and mind matched, under the coveted influence, the act of stealing the mind could be achieved and hence the others could be turned into a version of oneself.


    In the beginning Fahai thought he was knowledgeable, and with advanced Dharma, he did not need to pay much attention to this scripture. However, as he went on reading, he realized the similarity between Buddha and Demon. With one thought, one could become Buddha or Demon


    There was no difference between Buddha or Demon.


    He was not aware that when he had such a thought, a demon obstacle had been born.


    When he got to the end of it, it described a technique of the clones of Gods and Humans. He could not help but started cultivating.


    Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes in the Temple of Killings. After observing the swordcraft and the blood-colored long sword, he knew that he was not an opponent for Chen Beidou even though he did not want to admit it.


    He entered into a state of spiritual calmness to forget what he had just seen, to return the heart to the clear state.


    Regardless of what he did, the blood color at the bier could not be eliminated.


    Fang Yanying was guarding outside when Shen Lian was entering a state of spiritual calmness. Because of what happened to the honored master, she had a lot of questions, but as Shen Lian was in the state of spiritual calmness since he returned, she could not disturb him.


    During such a deserted night, the Temple of Killings was even more quiet than usual. There was not any sound from the birds or insects to construct the quaint scene of cicadas buzzing and birds chirping in the quiet forest.


    Even though Shen Lian had cleared off the killing intent of the Temple of Killings, but the instincts of the living creatures had stopped them from entering the territory of the Temple of Killings.


    The entire Temple of Killings only had two living things, Fang Yanying and Shen Lian.


    Because of that, Fang Yanying always thought the temple was filled with slight grief. She dared not to close her eyes, as she was afraid that she would see Li Yuanliang and the rest if she did. She dared not to face the people of the same sect as she was scared for them to ask why did all of them die but she survived.


    When Shen Lian opened his eyes, he did not ask Fang Yanying to come in. He thought that the chilly wind could make her feel more awake.


    Shen Lian was concerned about where Chen Jianmei was, and the reason why the students were murdered was puzzling to him.


    He knew that not even Chen Beidou could achieve such a thing, not because he lacked power but because of the fusion. He could not have killed every living thing''s spirit in the territory of the Temple of Killings within seconds.


    From the east, there came the breaking dawn. The morning light entered the room and as Shen Lian took them in, his face had a great color, and he looked like he was fuming like a jade. He slowly walked out of the door.


    Fang Yanying seemed to realize that, and she looked towards Shen Lian.


    What was surprising was that Shen Lian came next to her, and he sat leaning on the wall. He pressed the sword on one hand against the floor, and the few strands of hair in front of his forehead was flying along with the wind. He looked just like a leisure noble son as he simply allowed the warm morning rays to fall all over him.


    She wanted to speak.


    Shen Lian turned and stopped her with his eyes, as if he was saying that the sun was great today, one should just enjoy it.


    Perhaps because how warm the morning rays were, or how leisurely Shen Lian looked, Fang Yanying felt much better.


    Before her mood was lifted sufficiently, there were black clouds approaching from far. They soon covered the mountain.


    One could see countless demon soldiers on top of the cloud. One could not see the end of them.


    The birds around the mountain were all disturbed, and they escaped to the surrounding.

 Chapter 349 Hundred Thousand Demon Soldiers

    Fan Yanying did not know where the demon soldiers came from, but she knew that there must be a powerful demon king behind them for so many to appear.


    One had to know that while demon king could shapeshift through external help, it was not unlimited. For this amount of demon soldiers, it was an unimaginable effort. One could imagine how powerful the demon king was.


    Shen Lian''s voice spoke through her ears, "Are you scared?"


    Fan Yanying looked at Shen Lian as he still leisurely leaned on the wall. His mettle seemed to show that these countless demon soldiers were nothing and they were worth not more than one sight.


    She responded, "With Uncle-Master here, I am not afraid."


    Fang Yanying finally calmed down. In the past, she had seen countless demons with her Honored Master. Regardless of the number, they all died under the sword of the Honored Master.


    This time around there were more demons, but how could an ant shake a big tree?


    The Uncle-Master was the rare big tree on heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian''s eyes seemed to contain the clear lights of the stars. Even if the black clouds covered the morning light and caused the Temple of Killings to fall into darkness, the clear light of his eyes continued to flow. It made people feel that the world would never fall into complete darkness.


    His voice once again rang through Fang Yanying''s ears, like the breeze at night, "Yanying, there are countless woods on the mountain. Are you afraid of them?"


    Fan Yanying replied, "No."


    "Why not?"


    She was speechless. She could not say the reason why.


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "It is because the woods can''t hurt you. That''s why you''re not afraid. You assumed that these demon soldiers can hurt you, but as I am here, you know they can''t, and hence you''re not afraid anymore. The fear you feel stems from the difference in the weak and the powerful. For us cultivators, we are fighting against the heaven, and how can we be stronger than the heaven? If the heaven is strong and we are weak, should you be afraid?"


    Fan Yanying was confused, no one had ever told her such principles.


    Shen Lian continued, "The wise once said, ''Where justice stands, despite the hundred thousand people in my way, I will walk the path.'' It is the same for cultivators, ''Where Dao is, despite the hundred thousand in my way, I will still walk towards it.''"


    Fan Yanying understood all of a sudden, Dao was too, a form of persistence. Her Dao was not the swordcraft. It was not the heaven and earth. the river and mountain, or the wind and thunder or water and fire - they were just the surface.


    The Dao pursued by cultivators was like a great way, none of it could be destroyed.


    With such indestructible Dao, they could be fearless, and hence they could face everything with ease.


    She could finally understand why the Honored Master could react the same way against any enemy, with his killing sword.


    She too understood the attitude of Uncle-Master who seemed to be calm even if the sky was falling down.


    They had their own Dao, and hence regardless of what happened to the world, it could not cause any tremble to their hearts.


    Perhaps Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei were not as she imagined them to be, but she firmly believed that it was her, Fang Yanying''s Dao. Independent but unwavering, circulating but indestructible - so this was Dao.


    The suppressing aura brought by the demon soldiers were gone entirely.


    The clouds began to separate, a man and a woman appeared in the sky on top of the Temple of Killings. The demon soldiers were all behind them, like their decorations.


    The man was dressed in white, whiter than snow. His hands were folded and he stared at Shen Lian with deep eyes.


    The woman wore a plain blue dress. Even if a heavenly lady was dressed in rainbow clothes, it could not suppress how divine she looked. At the corner of her lips, there was a red spot. It did not affect her shocking beauty but enhanced her charm.


    The woman spoke to Shen Lian on the ground, "We are following the order of our Divine Master, to send ten thousand demon soldiers for Zhenren Shen kill, in order to breed Zhenren''s the murderous thoughts."


    Shen Lian needed not to ask to know the Divine Master was Chen Beidou. He was indeed someone heartless, as the lives of ten thousand demon soldiers to him were only worth as much as to help Shen Lian breed murderous thoughts.


    This also allowed Shen Lian to spot a point that the person seemed to be interested in him. After killing ten thousand demon soldiers, Shen Lian''s sword will would grow to a terrifying state. It could bring his battle power to a new level, but it was not what Shen Lian was looking for.


    Shen Lian replied, "What if I don''t?"


    The man seemed arrogant. He stared at Shen Lian coldly, "If you don''t kill them, they will kill you."


    Shen Lian spoke leisurely, "I won''t kill them. It will be sufficient to just kill you."


    He picked up the wooden sword and pointed at the man without any murderous Qi.


    Anyone could tell it was a wooden sword. It dissipated golden rays, but there was nothing too special about it.


    The tip of the sword was far from the man. He treated it merely as a threat from Shen Lian.


    When he was about to tease him, the tip of the sword was suddenly near his eyes.


    A horrifying sword intent pierced through his heart as the sword tip approached closer.


    He then realized he could no longer see using his right eyes as the tip had pierced through his eyeball. He could also hear the explosion of his brain, and a silent sword roar like that of a cloud.


    He extended his hand to hold the body of the sword. Only through the horrific tremor of power, he could then remove the sword from his head.


    He covered his eyes, and he stuffed the blood and brain back to where they were.


    When he let go of his hand, there was a huge hole in his eyes, and one could see the constant growth of meat granuloma. All in a sudden, there came a new eyeball. It turned around, and it stared at Shen Lian who was on the ground. The tip of the wooden sword had a drip of blood. It was his blood.


    If not because of the drip of blood, nobody could realize that Shen Lian had attacked.


    The sword was unbelievably fast.


    Shen Lian was still leaning on the wall like nothing was happening. He looked relaxed.


    The man said, "You dared to attack me. Do you know who I am?"


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, "I think I don''t need to know."


    At that moment, the woman''s eyes revealed that she could not believe what she had just seen. The man felt odd, but then he saw countless white rays which were as thin as silk.


    The source of the rays was his body.


    He did not know since when his body had a thousand holes, which were shooting out these countless white rays.


    The woman was filled in fear, "The sword was transformed into silk."


    The white rays which were thin as silk were the extremely concentrated sword aura. Each strand could cut open thousands of feet long of giant rocks. With such sword aura and the void as the net, even if one was immortal, one could be diced to minces and would not be able to survive.


    She travelled quickly with light, with the intention to hide among the demon soldiers. One could hear a scream.


    It was similar to the scream of a cuckoo when it was bleeding. It was an extremely mournful sound.


    The demon soldiers did not seem to observe how powerful Shen Lian''s swordcraft was which had diced the man. They carried huge maces and knives and other huge weapons as they were rushing down from the void.


    These demons were either of the cow''s head or the tiger''s body. They were all big-sized.


    The battle roar pierced through the sky, and as the mana of the countless demon soldiers gathered into a river, it could easily overcome not just a mountain, but a country in a short span of time.


    Shen Lian kept his sword, and there was a zither on his knee.


    He said before, that he was not going to kill these demons.

 Chapter 350 The Melody of All Sounds

    This zither was the replica of that of the Heritage Tune of the Great Saint''s, which Shen Lian bade for during Xuantong Demon King''s celestial market. It was made by the eminent cultivator of the previous generation, Zhenren Jinye. While it was not a magical instrument, it was incomparable to a normal magical weapon that had gained spirituality.


    Among man-made zithers, if one could nurture a connection akin to that of Zhenren Jinye and the zither, it could be considered a magical weapon. It could play the sound of the Great Way, the tremor could even shake the deities.


    Shen Lian did not look at the demon soldiers that were rushing towards him from the sky under the woman''s command.


    The black clouds above the mountain and the odd demon wind could not destroy the peace around Shen Lian.


    A cow demon was first to strike attack. It carried a massive mace, the spikes on top of it looked horrifying. The momentum it carried with from the top made it look like a golden armored hero with an unlimited strength.


    With a huge roar, it came to less than five feet away from Shen Lian.


    As the zither started to play, ripples being produced in the void. The cow demon which had an unlimited strength five feet away was suddenly faced with a huge morass. All its energy was dissipated.


    Not only the cow demon, all the other demon soldiers who were coming down could felt the invisible resistance in the air like a mysterious territory had ruled over the surrounding of the Temple of Killings.


    The demon clouds dispersed as the zither played. The beauty and purity of the sky were revealed again.


    The sound of the zither was clear and melodious. While the demon soldiers could not rate the rhythm, they knew this melody was one of the best they had ever heard in their lives. It was similar to going back to being a newborn.


    It was the birth of everything, and the sun led the way.


    The melody flowed to every corner like a stream of water.


    It passed on Shen Lian''s will to every inch.


    Shen Lian continued to play the zither without speaking a word. The demon soldiers were being controlled by every note he played.


    The hundred thousand demon soldiers had become his puppets. He could control them at will.


    This was the Supreme Heart Demon Technique. By having the battle with Yanxu, and having met the Sky Demon of Taiwei Pavilion, and with the essence of Dream Heart Sutra, was the only reason he could command the hearts at will. Otherwise, this would not even be possible even if he had become a deity.


    He was trapped in the secular mortal world, and hence there produced the demonic obstacles. All the demonic obstacles were now within the melody of the zither, along with his powerful spirit and mind, the hearts of the demon soldiers were being influenced.


    While there were hundred thousand demon soldiers, they were sentient beings who were forced to shapeshift under external help. They had only power, but they did not understand the Great Way or themselves. They were no different from animals.


    The melody of all sounds, the zither sounded like celestial music, demonic voice. It made the demon soldiers forget about their inherent tameness and how they were being shapeshifted into a human. They revealed their original appearances - they no longer looked like humans. The cows, tigers, lambs, and birds turned into the beast or livestock as they originally were in the mountain. They did not run away, but instead, they just rested by the rocks, or the river, on the branches of the trees, listening to the zither.


    It was rumored that when an eminent monk spoke, the rocks would nod and the animals would bow. It was like what Shen Lian was doing.


    He did not speak of the Dharma. He merely relied on the melody of the Great Saint''s Heritage Tune. As he played the zither, the melody of the heaven and earth was initiated. It infected the hearts of the demon soldiers and hence reverted them back to their original form.


    The demonic Qi was all absorbed by the demonic thoughts of the melody. The sky which was cloudless began to gather black Qi which formed into shape. The sound of the zither became louder all in a sudden. Every inch of soil of the Temple of Killings began to tremble, including the zither.


    In the void, a black phoenix began to take shape, it had the head of a swan, backside of a unicorn, neck of a snack, tail of a fish, scales of a dragon, core of a tortoise, jaw of a swallow, mouth of a chicken, body of a mandarin duck, wings like a rock and legs like a crane.


    As the black phoenix took shape, it headed towards the woman. Its roar could command all living creatures.


    The woman turned pale, and she began to mumble. She did not expect this ending.


    There were hundred thousand of demon soldiers, and Shen Lian managed to convert them just by the melody of the zither.


    The divine master wanted to see Shen Lian''s sword will to improve to the next level, but not his cultivation experience.


    She knew well that the male divine servant possessed power beyond any average Powang cultivators. However, within the blink of an eye, he was shaved to bits by Shen Lian''s sword aura.


    When she saw the black phoenix formed by the melody of the zither, she knew clearly about how terrifying the gap between their cultivation experience.


    The music could be shapeshifted, and even form a divine creature such as the phoenix. While the world was huge, there were not many who possessed such profound yet powerful Dao techniques.


    The black phoenix came too quickly. As she was trapped in the melody, her reaction was slightly more retarded. She could only allow the black phoenix to nod and peck lightly on her forehead. A chilly breath invaded her body.


    The black phoenix disappeared after it pecked her, like the reflection in the water, as if it never existed.


    The woman did not understand what sort of damage was dealt, but as she thought about it, it was her final thought.


    Fan Yanying saw that after the woman''s forehead was being pecked by the black phoenix, she lit up like a blazing black fire. Soon there was nothing of her left.


    As the playing of the zither stopped, the beasts began to regain consciousness. They moved slowly towards the direction of Shen Lian, and then they dispersed into the depth of the forest. If they were lucky enough, they would never have to fall under the control of other demon kings as demonic soldiers.


    Shen Lian sighed, and as the sigh fell on Fang Yanying''s ears, she was curious.


    Why did Uncle-Master sigh as he could destroy two powerful individuals and convert a hundred thousand demonic soldiers with a swing of an arm?


    As she did not understand, hence she posed the question.


    "Uncle-Master, what are you worried about?"


    "What do you think is unique about the man just now?" Shen Lian asked Fang Yanying.


    When Fang Yanying heard the question of uncle-master, she then recalled that the man was arrogant, and when Shen Lian''s sword pierced through his eyes and his head, he could recover quickly, as if he was immortal. If not because Uncle-Master''s sword aura sneaked into his body, and with the ultimate technique of the sword was transformed into silk, it seemed that he would not die.


    The most important part was that he seemed proud of his title, and he even asked Shen Lian whether he knew who he was.


    She gathered her thoughts, and said, "His body was odd as he could recover quickly. If it was not Uncle-Master, others will definitely suffer a great loss if they met him. From his expression, it also seemed that he was not someone average."


    "You''re right. He is not a deity, or a monster, or a demon. Even though he suffered an injury that pierced through his head, he could still utilize his strong power to dispel my sword. He then recovered his injury quickly, and this was not due to his cultivation experience, but his innate ability. For such terrifying power, this usually meant that behind him there is a clan that possesses the same bloodline," Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    The celestial sect was passed on through Daoism, and from there appeared celestials who could burn the river and boil the ocean.


    In this world, other than through cultivation within a celestial sect to obtain great power, there existed others ways, such as through the worship of the Gods, or through the passing on of the bloodline. One could obtain the power of the deities through these methods.

 Chapter 351 The Orthodoxy

    Fang Yanying could somehow understand what Uncle-Master wanted to express. That man in white had kins where their bodies had similar death-defying abilities, maybe some even mastered extraordinary powers.


    It was not a big deal when dealing with one or two with similar capabilities but if there was a whole group with the same death-defying abilities as the man in white? It did not matter whether there were some with weaker attacks and strengths than the man in white, it would still be a spine-chilling force.


    She could not help but worry because she was clear that Uncle-Master would not be afraid, but behind him was still Qing Xuan �� the other pupils of the same sect that she had never met before.


    Not all of them were as formidable as Uncle-Master.


    Shen Lian smiled at her, those pair of eyes filled with warm mirth and the deep significance that could pierce through Fan Yanying''s inner mind.


    Finally, Shen Lian said, "Follow me back to the mountains."


    Fang Yanying could not refrain from being stunned. She asked, "But what about the Temple of Killings?"


    The Temple of Killings was the foundation set up by Honored Master, there were the bones of the deceased pupils. As the disciple of the Honored Master, she was duty-bound to guard this piece of land.


    Shen Lian simply said, "You live, the Temple of Killings lives."


    Fang Yanying kept quiet. Without Uncle-Master and Honored Master, her enemies would definitely come looking. She was clear that she could not guard the Temple of Killings by herself.


    Also, Shen Lian''s meaning was very clear. She was the extension of Chen Jianmei''s orthodoxy. As long she exists, the Temple of Killings will always be here. Even if it got destroyed, it was merely a physical loss.


    However, the bones of her senior-brothers were already in the ground. Should she had dug them out or just let them be here?


    Finally, she still decided to stay. With a very solemn tone, she said, "My heart is here and I have no desire to go anywhere else."


    Her thoughts were simple. Honored Master left Qing Xuan, established this orthodoxy that was different than that of Qing Xuan and he never went back to the mountains, not even asking once for help from the sect.


    No matter how unworthy she was as his disciple, she could not allow Honored Master''s prestige to fall and take shelter at Qing Xuan.


    Fang Yanying was clear that her insistence seemed somewhat laughable and na?ve, but if she did not do so, she would regret it. If she stayed in the mountains, ground away for ten years, excel at the world-shaking swordcraft and let the people of this world remember once again that there is a peerless sword cultivator as Chen Jianmei. Now, with his successor now appearing in this world again, how wonderful that would sound. Nonetheless, would this be the matter that her Honored Master wished to see?


    She respected her Uncle-Master like how she respected her Honored Master. But, no matter what, she was the successor of Chen Jianmei and this would never ever change.


    Shen Lian did not urge her again. She was a stubborn child. She did not have the full extent of Chen Jianmei''s abilities, but her inner mind was similar to Chen Jianmei''s.


    Chen Jianmei could listen to Zhang Ruoxu and endure ten years of loneliness. That was because he did not know the circumstances after unsheathing his sword. However, Fang Yanying had been following by Chen Jianmei''s side, how could the sword be hidden after imperceptibly influenced by what she constantly saw and heard?


    Shen Lian admired Chen Jianmei slightly for having a successor like this that could be passed with the mantle, but he still could not remain here because he was still the Chief of Qing Xuan.


    Furthermore, regardless of what Chen Beidou had for him, going back to Qing Xuan was out of the question as it was his home field.


    He knew that sooner or later he would meet this so-called Lord of God and he would have an insight of other''s sword when the time comes. Once that person pulled out his sword, he would definitely not hesitate and pull back.


    The other really treasured him as his opponent, that was why he did not come looking for him. Shen Lian could almost guess why Chen Beidou was interested in him. Chen Beidou was that sword cultivator who smashed through the Ming Wang Temple and took the Chart of Celestial Extermination. He was also the one who lost to Sword Saint Ziwei''s Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura and Shen Lian learned the foundation of the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura from Mister Su�� the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura.


    Furthermore, Chen Beidou wanted to give him ten thousand demon soldiers to slaughter and cultivate his sword will.


    Therefore, the biggest possibility was that his opponent thought of him as a blade grinder to perfect his own swordcraft, so that he could once again challenge Sword Saint Ziwei.


    What Shen Lian learned was not only limited to the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura; but he also got the meaning of this sword aura. Even though he did not know how Chen Beidou had come to know him so well, but Shen Lian was clear that he did what he did, because he knew Shen Lian well enough.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian did not confirm whether his guesswork was correct or not with Chen Beidou.


    After all, his doubts would be cleared off when the time comes. Shen Lian did not pester further and returned to Mount Qing Xuan.


    Along the way, no one stopped him and nothing happened in Qing Xuan. Shen Lian also took the time to have a look at Chen Jianmei''s soul lamp. It was not extinguished. Even though this could not absolutely mean that Chen Jianmei was still alive, but it could give Shen Lian some peace of mind.


    At the same time, he also left a mark on Fang Yanying.


    Even though this child was stubborn, but she did not lack the seed of Dao cultivation. Shen Lian really did not wish anything bad to happen to her.


    What surprised Shen Lian slightly was that Choushi actually attained Huandan.


    Even though this fellow entered some celestial''s historical remains with eight other cultivators from overseas, he finally found a spiritual elixir which enabled him to go through the eight transformations of Huandan.


    Even though the eight transformations of Huandan was nowhere near the ninth transformation of Huandan but it was still a feat and there was still hope for longevity.


    Shen Lian was not sure if he should cry or laugh about it because the other cultivators that went with Choushi on this expedition perished.


    Speaking of which, the few times Choushi went on a hunt for treasure or celestial historical remains with other people, he would be the only one to stay alive till the end. If Shen Lian had not seen his birth chart, he would really have thought this fellow was some kind of a walking bad omen.


    However, with the series of events, Choushi was becoming more and more unpredictable. Moreover, Choushi had sensed the divine thoughts that Shen Lian left on him.


    But he did not act on it.


    Shen Lian took back his divine thoughts and stopped looking after him. After all, with Choushi being able to sense it, Shen Lian was worried that Choushi actually had some unknown cards up his sleeves.


    Everyone had their own secrets and Shen Lian has no intention to nose into his disciples'' business.


    There was no way for a human mind to be devoid of all conscience. Even with the secrets, Choushi had, Shen Lian still trusted that he would not do things that were disadvantageous to Qing Xuan.


    The three-year period was approaching. One by one the disciples returned. Some of them were full of energy and spirit, some of them were indifferent. While all of them traveled out, the changes were massive. Also, except for the three disciples that perished, everyone else was safe and sound. The disciples of Qing Xuan did not lack Dao techniques, this trip transformed the resources that they had saved up for half of their lives into the improvements for cultivation.


    There was even someone who, like Choushi, outstand amongst the disciples who attained the eight transformations of Huandan. It was truly something worth celebrating.


    With the way things went, with the talents emerged in Qing Xuan, there were signs of replicating the story of the Twelve Guangqing Zhenrens.


    If Chen Jianmei had not vanished, they were practically thriving.


    At this thought, Shen Lian felt more pity about it. He achieved Dao and attained longevity was to stop Qing Xuan''s deterioration. If Chen Jianmei achieved Dao again, Qing Xuan''s impetus would be boosted.


    To be able to have two immortal Zhenrens to appear consecutively was such an elating matter.


    But all of this became uncertain following the disappearance of Chen Jianmei.

 Chapter 352 Interesting Matter

    With the masses of disciples returning, it was inevitable for them to have brought some hustle and bustle of the secular mortal world back to the peaceful and quiet Qing Xuan.


    Most of them gathered at Yuyang Peak. Three years would pass very quickly when it is used to meditate and practice Qi. However, if it was used to fool around in the mortal world, gain experience and temper oneself in worldly affairs, it would not feel short.


    That was why most of them felt as if they had been a century apart when reunited in the sect.


    The bunch of disciples exchanged interesting stories that happened during their journey. There were even a few that met each other in person.


    Choushi spoke lightly and relaxed in the midst of the disciples, his manner was mature.


    Even though he did not speak much, the others noticed that after his return from his journey, his manner was extraordinary and unconsciously moved closer to him.


    This was the sensitivity of a cultivator. Even though the masses did not know that Choushi had already achieved Huandan, but his extraordinary state would naturally show and be sensed by others.


    "Speaking of which, I was on the sea for three months and I found a ripe ganoderma. Who knew, just as I was about to pick it up, one of the Seven Eastern Sea Cultivator, Yang Xian, poked his nose in. I remembered Headmaster''s order and did not announce my identity. I did not expect that fellow, who supposedly was reputable amongst overseas cultivators to be actually quite obscene. He asked for my identity, I said I was merely a non-formal cultivator and without even saying another word, he drove his sword towards me.


    Luckily, I met him with no one around, so I kept an eye and prepared my mana. I saw his sword coming and I swayed to dodge it. Both of us fought intensely and finally, he took a hit from my Thunder Palm and his body was paralyzed. I took this opportunity to break his flying sword and got hold of his orifices point.


    Normally, as disciples of Qing Xuan, we would not really bother with the likes of him. But then I thought that this person saw me as a weak non-formal cultivator and actually wanted to kill me immediately over a ganoderma. It would seem that he had definitely committed many similar offenses back then. It was a great evil to not vanquish this bad fella, so I made up my mind and ended him right there.


    Now that I realized, that was my first time taking a life."


    Then, a slightly chubby man told an interesting story about his adventure when he was out at the sea. It was his first time killing someone too, and it was a reputable cultivator. This left a deep impression on him and so happened that everyone was gathered together, so he told it.


    "It was said that each of the Seven Eastern Sea Cultivators was Ruhua cultivators for many years. Yang Xian even heard the teachings of Fusang Sword Cultivator, Dong Ziyang. Think about it, Dong Ziyang was a key figure for over a hundred years in Eastern Sea. Even with that basic swordcraft tips from him, and Yang Xian''s years of cultivation, it would still be extremely hard to deal with Yang Xian. Furthermore, cultivators from beyond the seas are rich with battle experience. To be able to defeat him, Senior Apprentice-Brother Jia must have superb Dao techniques. Since Senior Apprentice-Brother Jia did the heaven''s a favor by eliminating Yang Xian, then you deservingly have the ganoderma. Why don''t you take it out and give everyone a look?" The one who said this was Shoujing. He was someone who never knew his boundaries and nose into others'' business, so he wanted to have a look of the ganoderma after he heard of the story.


    Senior Apprentice-Brother Jia coughed slightly and replied, "I have already used that ganoderma to save someone."


    Senior Apprentice-Brother Jia''s original name was Jia Yili. Before the age of ten, he was a son from a wealthy family in the mortal world. However, at the age of ten, a Daoist came to his home and forcefully took him away and led him to Mount Qing Xuan to cultivate Dao.


    It turned out the Daoist''s surname was Yu. After tracing his roots, he was an ancestor of Jia Yili''s mother. Now, he was an elder of Qing Xuan. Elder Yu was persistent in his pursuit of Dao but unfortunately, he was too caught up with this obsession and could not succeed on his Dao of Dan. He finally chose the path of external alchemy.


    He was not someone who was willing to accept his fate. He then traveled far and wide, searching for a lucky chance to attain longevity. He idled until he was five hundred years old and finally, he was discouraged. He could not attain Dao by himself and so he placed this hope on a descendant. That was why he went to the mortal realm in search of a descendant of his own bloodline.


    He thought that he could not achieve Huandan by himself was purely because his qualification was not enough.


    That was why he wanted nothing more than to look for a qualified person amongst the descendants. Unfortunately, since he had been busy with cultivating Dao, he had not return for hundreds of years. His clan had actually become so sparse and most of the descendants were unpromising. Luckily, he found Jia Yili. Perhaps, since he was born in such a prestigious family, his mother had nourished herself with many expensive herbs and medicine while she was pregnant with him, so his qualifications met his requirement.


    Naturally, Elder Yu took favored on first glance.


    He also knew that this young man was born in a rich family, even his parents would not have agreed with him bring their son into the mountains.


    After all, there would be no turning back once one entered Xuanmen, it would be another lifetime when one looked back.


    People who were born with the heart of Dao got lesser and lesser. How could an ordinary person give up their own blood and kin, and the wealth of the mortal realm? Even though Jia Yili was still a child, he was no exception.


    Elder Yu noticed that he could convince Jia Yili to gain a heart towards Dao. Therefore, he confronted him and announced his identity.


    Even though the Jia family could not bear to part with their young, but they also could not stop Elder Yu. Furthermore, it was said that he was an ancestor of the Jia family''s matron. The Daoist entered from the outside. Even though the Jia''s lived in a big compound with high gates, with martial art-equipped servants, could not stand before Elder Yu. They fell to the ground like rag dolls before even encountering him.


    This Celestial technique made the Jia family even more fearful. They truly hoped that this Daoist was really the ancestor of the matron of the Jia family and so, they did not dare to even stop him at all.


    With that, Jia Yili was brought to the mountains by Elder Yu. However, since he was forced to leave home by Elder Yu from a very young age, he was not very willing to cultivate. That was why he still had to be forced by Elder Yu to put some work into it. Even so, his qualifications were nothing short of extraordinary and he was born suitably to cultivate Elder Yu''s Shenxiao True Technique. He was shut in the mountains for tens of years and his cultivation experience was pushed to Ruhua state.


    This matter made Elder Yu mad, and happy. Coincidentally, Shen Lian was sending out disciples out to travel, Elder Yu considered Jia Yili undisciplined but he still forced Jia Yili to travel beyond the seas.


    Even though he was born into a wealthy family and grew up in the mountains, he was actually a generous person. Back then, when he got the ganoderma, he then used it to save people. Perhaps he was born rich and he did not really pay much attention to material things. Within three years, he made friends with many cultivators beyond the seas and even landed a form of address, ''Ji Shiyu''. He was more than happy to help others in their time of need, but when he finally approached the mountains, he realized he had nothing else left. He had even given out some of the good spiritual items that Elder Yu gifted to him.


    Once this detail was disclosed, the crowd was marveled by it.


    However, a person sneered, "Such incomparable stupidity."


    Even though the masses felt that Jia Yili was being a little too generous and it seemed that he was tricked by some of the other cultivators, but his strong sense of justice and generosity was admirable.


    They did not think that someone would actually scold him directly.


    They all turned towards the source of the voice and saw a white shining ball of Qi of essence appeared not far away. It touched the ground and dissipated, but that terrifying white mist actually cut through the surrounding plants just like that, revealing an even grass patch.


    "Zhao Siming," someone exclaimed in the background.


    Zhao Siming was a disciple of the first elder, Daoist Laozui. His Senior Apprentice-Brother, Yan Bugui, was even the third Zhenren to achieve Huandan by himself within the past hundreds of years and was very trusted by the Chief.


    Furthermore, Zhao Siming disposition was exceptional and his cultivation was rapid. Even though he was not as shocking as Zhenren Chen and the Headmaster, he was beyond the leagues of the ordinary disciple. He had always been proud and looked down on his peers. He was not really popular with the rest of the pupils.


    Even so, he scolded Jia Yili and the other pupils saw that it was him, the counter-argument that almost came to them were kept back when they saw that terrifying sword aura.

 Chapter 353 Dao Assessmen

    Everyone else was afraid of Zhao Siming, only Shoujing was unafraid of him.


    Before Jia Yili even opened his mouth, Shoujing asked, "How is it uncomparable stupidity?"


    "An ordinary person is afraid of power and might, but not appreciative and understanding when being treated fairly. Does Qing Xuan, being one of the four main Daoist sects, really need to rely on this generosity of ordinary man giving out wealth? All of you who praised him, I''m afraid all of you are also thinking about benefiting from this person and the only intention is to reap without sowing." He took a step forward, his robes trembling as he held his long sword. There was an unstoppable imposing manner.


    That was truly a murderous intent that could only be cultivated after bathing in countless amounts of fresh blood.


    Jia Yili did not have the intention to stir up trouble and he too knew about Zhao Siming''s ego. However, he was talented and he had an extensive background. Even though Qing Xuan forbids internal fights, it would be best to not provoke this kind of person.


    That was why he answered, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Zhao, Yuyang Peak is the dwelling for upper house disciples. You are from Qingliang Peak, why do you need to trouble yourself by coming here?"


    Yuyang Peak was for the upper house disciples. Most of them were related to the adept of Qing Xuan. They were many in numbers.


    Qingliang Peak, however, was the residence for the lower house disciples who were recruited every fifty years when the mountain gates opened. For every batch, only ten were selected so there always had been fewer people. However, most of the disciples from the lower house had high qualifications and were talented, which was why for ten thousand years, there were many exceptional figures in Qing Xuan. There were even some upper house disciples whose predecessors came from the Qingliang Peak. Even Lu Shouyi, who had achieved Huandan, still stayed in Qingliang Peak.


    Even so, between the upper house and lower house, there was a vague unseen gap that separated them entirely.


    Zhao Siming sneered, "Did you all think I actually want to come here. I followed the Chief''s orders to come and inform all of you regarding a matter."


    Shoujing asked, "What is it?" He heard that Zhao Siming brought the Headmaster''s order and did not dare to go overboard with his words. All of those in Qing Xuan, who would not revere the Headmaster as god?


    Zhao Siming answered, "The Headmaster has ordered me to inform all of you that half a year later, there will be a once in twelve years Dao assessment. Due to the fact that this assessment is being held after the disciples returning from their travels, the Headmaster decided to change the content of the Dao assessment. Anyone''s cultivation that is sixty years and below are to register to participate this assessment. The assessment is that, within the group of registered disciples, a team of two shall compete on the mana arena. The victor will enter the next round. When the time comes, eight of the treasures forged from the Heavenly Cauldron will be chosen as rewards for the top eight. The top eight can even follow the Headmaster to the bier and discuss Dao, expand on one''s insight."


    The lot of them focused their attention on hearing Zhao Siming announcing the Headmaster''s orders. Every twelve years, a Dao assessment will be held within the Qing Xuan sect to inspect the disciples'' cultivation.


    Even though the other celestial sects would always hold big tournaments within their sect, but Qing Xuan prided itself on being unconventional. All this time, the Dao assessment''s questions were all kinds of bizarre and its main aim was to inspect the nature of Dao. Now that the Dao assessment had been changed to combat, it was truly beyond everyone''s expectation.


    However, at the thought of the Headmaster forging treasures using the Heavenly Cauldron, there would be uncountable spiritual material being tossed into it, there would definitely be many treasure items being forged. To distribute these treasures to the top eight disciples was fair enough to convince many.


    Another person asked, "I wonder, what different treatment would the top achiever get?"


    All this while, there was no first place in a writing contest, nor was there a second place in a martial art contest. The detail he asked was what a majority of them thought of.


    The one who asked was Shoujing''s Senior Apprentice-Brother, Shouxuan. The both of them had always entered and retreat together. Shouxuan always wore a cold expression and his words were sparse. This time, just to find out what was the difference for the first prize, he spoke a few more sentence.


    Zhao Siming added, "For the top achiever, besides all that I have mentioned just now, there is also a mysterious prize."


    "What is it? Spit it out!" The crowd shouted.


    Zhao Siming smiled coldly, "The Headmaster did not disclose this to me. What could you all do even if you all knew? To be number one for this Dao assessment, one only has to compete with one whose Dao techniques is superb. Could it be that there is someone amongst all of you that could endure my sword?"


    He stood firm and tall, his imposing manner was extremely swift and fierce.


    The rest of team not only thought that he was wildly arrogant but they also speculated Zhao Siming''s superb swordcraft. After this travel, he vaguely showed the lingering charm that Zhenren Chen had back then. That was why they could not guarantee they could take on his sword technique and quietly stared at him.


    Only Choushi contemplated Zhao Siming profoundly. However, his gaze blended with the gaze of the others. Zhao Siming did not sense anything.


    He did not even know that this person had already undergone the eighth transformation of Huandan.


    Shoujing had the intention to retort back but Shouxuan stopped him. It turned out that Shouxuan''s thought deep enough to know that Zhao Siming''s imposing manner was in its prime after returning from his travels. When he was provoked and starts to fight, it would cause a scene and alert the Headmaster. What if the Headmaster did not allow them to participate in the Dao assessment, would that not be a major loss?


    Why not just grit one''s teeth and then settle the score when the Dao assessment came?


    To the contract, Jia Yili said, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Zhao, we are from the same sect. It hasn''t even been thirty years since you joined Qing Xuan and most of the people here are more senior than you. Why do you need to be this overbearing? Qing Xuan has thriving talents, are you so sure that you can defeat all of us?" He was originally a well-tempered person but Zhao Siming absolutely did not have any regards for others. He could not take it and confront him.


    As he spoke, there was a blue light that sparked from his fingertips. It expanded with the wind and became an electrical snake of around ten feet. It smashed into the thirty feet wide rock by the side and it immediately turned to dust.


    These rocks on Yuyang Peak were nurtured by the Qi of heaven and earth, and they were as tough as fine iron that had been forged a hundred times. It actually turned into powder when Jia Yili hit it with his thunder technique. The key point was that when he cast that thunder technique, he made it seemed effortless. It was pretty obvious that his mastery of the thunder technique was hard to contend within the Qing Xuan sect.


    Zhao Siming''s expression changed slightly at first, and then his smile became chilling as his hand moved in a swoosh.


    The rest of them could not even react to what he was about to do when their eyes blurred and the booming clap of thunder rang in their ears.


    And then, they saw a strand of hair by Jia Yili''s ear landed on to the ground.


    The thunderous sword aura.


    Jia Yili''s face was pale, his hands shook slightly.


    The lot of them did not think that with Zhao Siming spending three years beyond the sea, he could actually cultivate such a terrifying swordcraft. Not even the weaker elders were his opponents. No wonder he was wildly arrogant.


    Zhao Siming''s sword aura was so quick. So what if Jia Yili''s thunder technique might was even stronger? Chances were, even before he could cast it, he had already been hit by the other''s sword aura.


    After Zhao Siming pulled out his sword and did not stay back. With a groan of his sword, he immediately transformed into an eerily pale Qi of essence, broke through the cumulus clouds outside of the mountain and vanished without a trace.


    All of them was inexplicably shocked. After a long while, someone spoke, "Zhao Wuji, junior apprentice-brother of Ge Yuan, is also a gifted leader of men. He wouldn''t be able to win if he was faced with Zhao Siming."


    The one who spoke suffered losses at the hands of Zhao Wuji.


    Apart from the crowd discussing Zhao Siming, they looked very much forward to this Dao assessment. After all, even without being number one, to be able to enter into the top eight, one would still receive a treasure item. Furthermore, one could even follow the Headmaster to the bier to discuss Dao. By that time, one could meet many of the big time cultivators and even the immortal Zhenren. There were also talents from other sects. How could this not be tempting?


    Of course, they had not achieved Huandan. Naturally, they were not qualified to participate the discussion of Dao at the bier. However, to be able to follow alongside Headmaster and to be able to have an insight of such a grand scene was also really great.


    Choushi, on the other hand, had a more solemn expression. He did not think that Zhao Siming had already cultivated the thunderous sword aura, which would be able to stir up some trouble for him. Nonetheless, the one thing he worried the most was that after the Headmaster understood his Huandan, the Headmaster would not allow him to participate in the Dao assessment. After all, he was very interested in that mysterious prize.


    As for the rest of the disciples, no one suspected the eligibility of Zhao Siming''s words. After all, who would have the guts to pass on fake orders by the Headmaster?

 Chapter 354 Instruments Completed

    Very quickly, the news of Headmaster''s order was known by the masses in Qing Xuan, and the fellow elders also paid attention to this Dao assessment. Once the group of disciples handed in the spiritual materials obtained during their travels, all of them began to quiet their minds and enter solitary retreats. It was till the point that no one was paying heed when the headmaster opened the Heavenly Cauldron to forge the treasure items.


    Of course, this was also due to the fact that once the Headmaster opened the Heavenly Cauldron, the Qi of vitality of Taiyi Peak boiled. It became a form of its own with the wind howling in the sky and the fire birthing from the ground. It was impossible to even get close.


    The Qing Xuan Hall point to the distant Zifu Peak. It was connected to the heavens so it gets the clear air of Qi. It was connected to the earth, the force of the earth element continuously flowed. There was even the water from the River of Spirits that lingered between Taiyi and Zifu. It flowed outwards, which made spiritual vigor of Taiyi Peak to continuously grow and reproduce without stopping.


    The Yin Qi of the River of Spirits could suppress the ground fire, causing it to not tyrannize outwards.


    Of course, only with Shen Lian''s massive mana that he was able to fuel the Heavenly Cauldron.


    The Qing Xuan Hall bore no resemblance to the past appearance. It was like an iron cauldron of a thousand feet. While on one side the blazing fire burnt, the other side was the chilling River of Spirits water. That water was extradited from the top of the mountain to the bottom. It was enough to fight against the ground fire.


    At the same time, Shen Lian continuously cast Ice Light into the River of Spirits water. On top of it, a thin layer of icy frost was condensed.


    The force of the ground fire was healthy and vigorous. The materials that were cast into it eventually melted into a pool of spiritual liquid.


    Once the spiritual liquid absorbed enough energy from the fire, it slowly flowed to the icy frost, melt the icy layer and sunk into the River of Spirits water. The towering internal heat dispelled without a sound and trace during the process of sinking into the River of Spirits water.


    Shen Lian continuously chanted spells as one portion of materials were placed in after another. The spiritual liquid condensed in the water. There was a ring, a sword seed, a long staff and many different kinds of instruments that eventually cooled down and set into its shapes.


    This was only the first step. What followed next was ingraining the runes. It had to be pierced in one go without any mistakes to be considered perfect.


    Shen Lian was not lacking in mana but to ingrain these Dao words consumed both the energies of the mind and spirit. Even if his Primordial Spirit was stronger than most immortal Zhenrens, he was still unable to stand it by a tad.


    His beads of sweat rolled down one by one and minor wind and small rain were produced. It stained the surrounding plants that wilted due to the force of the fire, causing it to revitalize.


    This was the body of the land immortal that had gotten the essence of the universe. With the drop of a sweat, it was a spiritual rain that would create plants.


    For this opening of cauldron, there were sufficient spiritual materials. This was not solely because of the contribution of the disciples that traveled. Ever since the establishment of the Temple of Longevity, it expanded Qing Xuan''s influence once again in the sea area. Even though the Temple of Longevity did not have top grade plants and minerals, it was bountiful in the usual spiritual material. Now, the good quality materials were put to use here.


    It was seldom that Shen Lian was somewhat adept in the Dao of the five elements. He categorized each material based on the five elements, whether its amount was more or less, he was like the doctor of the mortal that prescribed medicine using composing principle. All of it was just right.


    One portion of the material was tossed in after another, there was hardly any waste.


    After approximately one month''s time, the ground figure that surged in the Taiyi Peak slowly diminished under the might of the different kinds of Dao talisman.


    And the ten lights of Taiyi Peak shone brightly. It flew around Qing Xuan Hall. For a moment, the essence of all beings and the natural treasures towered into the clouds and it shook and fought.


    After one day and one night, only then the lights dispelled.


    Shen Lian then slowly let out his breath and kept the instruments into his sleeve.


    With this forging experience, he will be able to forge Xuande Sword into the Five Element Magical Sword when he collects the a-thousand-year-old cold iron, cosmic dust, and the Tianyi true water.


    Sadly, while there was ample time for other immortal Zhenrens, Shen Lian felt a pressing urge.


    He brushed away the faint apprehension that was brought by exhaustion. After regulating his breath, he was once again full of spirit and energy. He walked to the outside of the hall.


    A crowd of elders was waiting outside. When they saw Shen Lian coming out from the hall, they bowed.


    Ever since Shen Lian attained longevity, in their eyes, he had more and more of a deep temperament like the skies, it was splendid and unconventional. Which was what made them consciously disregard the fact that they were much senior to Shen Lian, their ego were naturally lower.


    Shen Lian nodded and smiled, "My fellow elders, you all have such good measurement of time. I just finished forging the treasures on my end, did all of you come to this hall to obtain the instruments from me?"


    The group of elders heard Shen Lian''s joke and most of them thought to themselves that it seemed the Headmaster was in a good mood.


    Hong Qianya said, "This is considered the first opening of the Heavenly Cauldron in hundreds of years. Most of us heard that the quality of the instruments forged out of the Heavenly Cauldron is exceptional, so we could not wait to see it."


    The rest of them nodded and agreed. Those such as Guo Caiwei and Yan Bugui only smiled without saying anything. They were different than the other old elders. Qing Xuan''s situation had been gradually improving and there were young people of outstanding ability appearing after one another. Furthermore, there was not much left of their heavenly fate and they already made plans to enter the secular mortal world. After all, under the hopelessness of obtaining longevity, there were still some thoughts to do the things that made them happy in the meantime. This also had something to do with allowing the elder from the sect to preach about Dao in the Temple of Longevity after Shen Lian built it.


    Because of the catastrophe with Yanxu, the previous Chief adjourned with the decision to close off the mountains in order to preserve the sect''s strength. The elders barely stepped out and were cut off from the secular mortal world.


    Afterward, because of this matter with the preaching of Dao in the Temple of Longevity, they took turns to go out. Their still worldly desires began to waver, coupled with the soon ending heavenly fate, it was a logical matter to want to enter the secular mortal world.


    While traveling, it was hard to guarantee that there would not be any fight encounters. This time, it seemed like there were many treasure items made by Shen Lian. They all wanted to use their savings to exchange an item or two with the Headmaster.


    In actual fact, the might of the instruments forged by Shen Lian did not exceed those instruments of other forging masters. It was, however, that it was forged with the ground fire and quenched with the River of Spirits water. It was very firm and tenacious and it did not spoil or disintegrate easily.


    Ultimately, when an ordinary instrument is stained with the mark of its previous owner, even if the marks could be wiped off, some of the soulful aura of the instrument would be destroyed, which would make it hard for it to develop spirituality. It was hard to yield a hundred percent of its might.


    Unlike the instruments that were newly forged by Shen Lian. The quality was extraordinary and it was like white paper. Under the quenching of the mind and spirit, if one was lucky enough to produce spirituality and have its Qi dynamic collude mutually, it would be beneficial on the accumulation of mana.


    Shen Lian chuckled and said, "Then I''ll take one out and show it to all of you."


    A light flew out from his flocket and danced in the air.


    They waited for the light to fade and to their surprise, it was a ruler.


    Shen Lian pointed that ruler from a distant and said, "This is the Xuanguang Ruler."


    But once Shen Lian finished with his introduction, he blew a puff of clear Qi. Once that ruler got the clear Qi, it suddenly burst with a multicolored halo and flew towards an elder.


    The elder saw the incoming halo and knew that the Headmaster was using him to test the might of the instrument.


    He did not dare to be careless. He took his flying sword and attacked the multicolored halo.


    Who knew that the multicolored halo spun by a little and a humongous attracting force was produced. It took away the flying sword.


    The Xuanguang Ruler displayed more color and circled the group of people. It finally stopped in midair and suddenly, the crisp clang sound. A total of nine instruments were spat out from the Xuanguang Ruler.


    The owners of these instruments forced a smile. They did not know whether to praise that the Headmaster''s supernatural power was matchless or that the instrument was abnormally marvelous for actually having the ability to collect instruments from their sleeves.


    Shen Lian drawled, "It seems like my fellow elders'' instruments are a bit aged."


    When the elders heard Shen Lian said that, they thought he was going to distribute the instruments.


    Shen Lian then followed with a half-smile as he said, "How about I put it back into the cauldron and re-forge it?"


    When they heard this, all of them roared with laughter.

 Chapter 355 Jade Palace, Where Celestials Stay

    "I was only joking, all of you do not need to take it seriously," Shen Lian said.


    The elders all let off a sigh of relief while feeling sorry. Perhaps it was a good thing to return it to the cauldron and re-forge it.


    However, how could they bring this little thought up with the Headmaster?


    Shen Lian took the Xuanguang Ruler back. The instruments naturally were returned to the elders, he then led them to walk around Taiyi Peak as they conversed.


    Even the worst of cultivation experience for these people were the people amidst Huandan. In the eyes of the ordinary mortal, they were considered as land immortals, Dixian. Even though Taiyi Peak was perilous, they could conjure cumulus clouds beneath their feet. They were happy and contented. Their Qi of Dao was peaceful, it encircled them like the mist and cloud during twilight.


    During this moment, someone spoke, "Headmaster has already attained Dao and longevity and is considered one of the deities. We should build a deity sanctuary for you, perhaps a Jade Palace."


    The one who spoke was Jia Yili''s master, Daoist Yu.


    He was the one who survived the Yanxu''s catastrophe from back then. He had Shenxiao True Technique to vanquish the bad and evil. If he did not have Shenxiao True Technique, he would have been cultivated as one of Yanxu''s incarnation.


    It was not like the doing of his to propose building a deity sanctuary. However, Jia Yili''s thunder technique showed improvements after he came back from the sea. Unfortunately, he was stunned by Zhao Siming''s thunderous sword aura and his drive was demoralized.


    In Elder Yu''s eyes, this blood kin and apprentice of his may seem undisciplined but he still had haughtiness in him. Even until now, he was still in solitary retreat. Day and night, he cultivated his thunder techniques. There was a saying, ''Woking beyond the limit is as bad as falling short''. Chances were, with his state, he was unable to show Jia Yili on how to get onto the right path, and he would need to trouble the Headmaster by then.


    Even though it was said that the Headmaster sees the group of disciples as equal. ''The heavenly heart is unselfish, but the human heart is selfish''. Not even the deities were exceptions. He thought that by doing Shen Lian a favor, there would be a chance that the favor could be a return to his disciple. He truly put a lot of his time, effort, and energy into nurturing this disciple of his.


    Of course, the merit of this proposal might be insufficient enough. Daoist Yu had other plans.


    Hong Qianya nodded as he agreed, "The storm rooms and Jade Palaces, are indeed where celestials live. Senior Apprentice-Brother Yu does have a point."


    Within Qing Xuan, there were a total of forty-one immortal Zhenrens that appeared, including Shen Lian. There were a total of eleven Jade Palaces and thirty stone rooms, all of which were the immortal Zhenrens'' Daoist court.


    There actually was not much difference between the Jade Palaces and stone rooms, it really depended on each person''s temperament.


    Like Shen Lian''s grandmaster, Fairy Ziling dug a stone room within Zifu Peak. One must not look down on this stone room because once it was completed, it became the connecting point for the Dao rhythm of the Zifu Peak. It aggregated the Qi vigor, cast the Dao restriction which was enough to block both the inside and outside.


    These types of abodes were not the primary features to reflect the status of the immortal Zhenrens. The primary feature was still the function of it. Because once one entered the state of immortality, every move they make could bring a huge impact to their surroundings. If the immortal Zhenren lost control while cultivating, there was a possibility to cause a disaster. It would have an impact on other pupils of the sect and would also damage the geographical structures of Qing Xuan.


    If they were within their Jade Palaces or stone rooms, that would not be a concern.


    Ge Yuan said, "Then a piece of the king of jades is needed if a deity sanctuary is to be built. I am afraid that would not be easy to find.


    The stone room was cut following the shape mountain, one only needed to choose a good position. There were quite some problems, however, for the Jade Palace. This was because to get a jade stone as big as a Daoist courtyard, they would need an entire vein of the king''s jade from a jade mine.


    After countless years of excavating, it was not easy to find this kind of king of jades in this world.


    The group of them then said, "Considering Qing Xuan''s material resources, we can definitely search for a top grade king of jades. Zhenren Ge, do not worry."


    Before this, no one mentioned this because of the death of the old Daoist. The day when Shen Lian attained Dao and longevity was also the day the old Daoist entered Daoism. Even though the people in Qing Xuan was unconventional, but there was still sorrow within their hearts, which was why no one suggested it.


    Now, after many years have passed, Shen Lian was forging treasure items for the sect. Ever since he took on the position of Headmaster, even though he was not as conscientious as Zhang Ruoxu, but his immense talent and temperament topped Qing Xuan''s previous headmasters.


    They were also part of the Zhongxing Sect, and everyone knew about the Headmaster''s elegance. Even though there were other courtyards in the back of the mountain, it was not enough to represent the respect the Headmaster deserved as an immortal Zhenren and his lofty morality.


    That was why after Daoist Yu suggested the Jade Palace, and everyone else agreed to it.


    Shen Lian did not express his opinion and he said, "While I appreciate all of your good intentions, my grandmaster had lived in a stone room, how could I, as the descendant, use Qing Xuan''s material resource to build a Jade Palace?"


    Every immortal Zhenren was someone with amazing talents, and they would never stay in the Daoist courtyards left by the masters of the previous generation.


    Furthermore, immortal Zhenrens were extraordinary people. There was a saying, ''The surrounding can change a person''s temperament, nourishment can change a person''s physique''. Any ordinary mortal can be changed according to their environment. In the case of an immortal Zhenren, it was the environment that would be influenced by the immortal Zhenren and they would have left their unique brand.


    That was why no one dared to suggest that Shen Lian could use the Daoist courtyards left by the predecessors.


    Daoist Yu heard Shen Lian''s reply and he panicked. He was afraid that the Headmaster would not build the Jade Palace and he continued, "Zhenren Ziling attained Dao twice and her determination for Dao is truly a good example for this generation of cultivators. Every time I think about this Zhenren''s experience, I would be carried away. Headmaster misses Zhenren, all of us do too. Why not build two Jade Palaces at the same time? In the future, if other celestial sects heard of this, they would be speaking in praise."


    Ge Yuan scoffed, "One Jade Palace is already hard enough to build, two is out of the question. You really think these priceless treasures would appear just by speaking about it?"


    Daoist Yu smiled as he replied, "You need not worry about it, Elder Ge. Since I have mentioned so, I would have thought about it. King of jades is hard to come by, but I have my ways."


    When he said this, all of them were curious.


    Daoist Yu too did not leave everyone hanging. He paused and then opened his mouth, "Have my fellow senior and junior brothers heard of the saying, ''The world''s divine jades come from Kun Mountain''?"


    Hong Qianya stroked his mustache and replied, "Indeed. However, Mount Kun is ethereal and hard to find, how do you know about its whereabouts?"


    Daoist Yu answered, "Of course, I actually know how to enter that Kun Mountain. All we need is to enter it, and look for a few spots with the king of jades. It would be like taking something from someone''s pocket."


    At this moment, a serene bird flew down from the skies and landed by Shen Lian''s feet. It chirped and tweeted, disturbing the group.


    The serene bird was Qianmo. She was also a pest within Qing Xuan. A majority of the spiritual plants and unusual flowers and fruits, which were cultivated by the elders and disciples, were ruined by Qianmo. If she had not been the Headmaster''s spiritual beast, she would already have all her feathers plucked and she would have been roasted for a meal.


    Shen Lian originally did not have the intention to stir up any disputes, even if it was Kun Mountain.


    It was not his first time hearing about Kun Mountain. So much so that when he rescued that Dongyi Tribe''s young man, Jimeng, he even met the Winged Men Tribe that came from one of the hundred tribes of the Kun Mountain. This mountain was mysterious and unpredictable, which made it hard for outsiders to get to the bottom of it.


    Nonetheless, Qianmo really wanted to go to that place.


    Ever since she followed Shen Lian, it was really rare for her to mention her request so fervently, close to begging for it. Shen Lian being able to adept the Dao of the five elements had a lot to do with Qianmo, so naturally, he did not want to dash her intention.


    Therefore, Shen Lian nodded and said, "I would need to burden Elder Yu by asking you to put down the matter in details in a jade scroll and then pass it to me. As for building a Jade Palace for the grandmaster, it should also be done."


    Jade has the special power to calm the mind and quiet the heart. Naturally, the king of jades would be even more effective. Even though till now, he still could not get the hang of the kind of situation that Ziling and Qing Xiao was in, but ultimately, it would be good to calm the mind and quiet the heart.


    Since he was going to accept Qianmo''s plea, why not just kill all the birds with one stone?


    He thought of that day after he met the grandmaster, the Dao restriction of that stone room in the celestial adobe of Zifu Peak became stricter. Not even Gu Caiwei could communicate with the grandmaster.


    Shen Lian sighed internally. When he took over the position of the chief, Qing Xiao went against all odds and calmed the mass''s mind; while for Ziling, he too had a debt of gratitude towards her when he was young. Even though the two were actually one body, they still had their differences.


    He too did not know how to treat them.

 Chapter 356 Scheming

    Daoist Yu detailed the incident at Mount Kun on the jade scroll and delivered it to Shen Lian.


    Back then, he discovered a secret Teleport Formation. Through that, he was able to enter into the legendary Mount Kun. However, Mount Kun was full of skilled and impressive individuals. In spite of his level of cultivation, it was still impossible for him to break in without anyone realizing.


    Initially, he wanted to bury the secret deep in his heart, and when his time was up, he would pass the secret on to the members of the Shenxiao branch. But now, he had offered the secret up to the sect for the sake of his disciple''s future.


    Shen Lian kept the jade scroll on the second level of Taiwei Pavilion. He did not have plans to head to Mount Kun immediately.


    He weighed his options and concluded that there were four things that needed his attention first.


    Firstly, he wondered if he should let Choushi join the upcoming Dao assessment. After all, he had attained much and had even attained the eight transformations of Huandan ahead of everyone. He was qualified to be the Hall Master of the Good Deeds Hall and the Discipline Hall. Even if he was not good enough, he could serve as a guard at the Temple of Longevity. This would lessen the burden of his Senior Apprentice-Sister.


    After much consideration, Shen Lian decided to let Choushi join the assessment. Judging from the martial art skills and the techniques of the disciples, it was likely that Zhao Siming would encounter Choushi in the Dao assessment sooner or later. After the defeat, it was likely that his dashing spirit would be dampened. Shen Lian could only hope that he could withstand the blow.


    Secondly, the Bier Discourse of Dao was set to take place six years from now. For the past two times, Qing Xuan came in last due to the lack of talented individuals. Besides making a joke out of themselves, they were held in low regard by everyone. He was determined to turn things around this time. If Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen was still here, all he had to do was to attain immortality and Qing Xuan would unquestionably be able to come in first in the Bier Discourse of Dao. However, now it seemed like that would need further consideration. Fortunately, he had attained immortality. Qing Xuan''s foundation was stabilized once again. So long as nothing went wrong at the Bier Discourse of Dao, it would be an acceptable outcome.


    Thirdly, Ye Liuyun had requested for him to obtain Jinque Jade Book from Southern Heavenly Gate. As he was unsure when would Southern Heavenly Gate appear, he would have no choice but to prioritize the Bier Discourse of Dao should there be a clash.


    Fourthly, Chen Beidou''s threat was something that he should take seriously. With his potential, even if he were to improve significantly, he would not be able to compete against Chen Beidou without at least a hundred years of hard work. Fortunately, Chen Beidou did not plan to come after him immediately, but that did not mean that he should let his guard down.


    Shen Lian was wary of people like Chen Beidou. It was not because of their capabilities, but their character; once they had set their mind on something, they would not give up. They would rise again after every defeat; they were determined and unmoved. This made it possible for them to find their true self. Those who were in the path of Shen were cold and emotionless. It was almost impossible to find their weaknesses.


    He wondered how talented Sword Saint Ziwei had to be back then for her to triumph over Chen Beidou in terms of swordcraft.


    The breeze swept past outside. The moon hung high, and two birds were dancing in the air.


    The birds were Qianmo and Xiaoxun.


    Xiaoxun was merely a normal bird. Even if it had spent a long time with Shen Lian at Taiyi Peak of Qing Xuan - a place shrouded in dense Qi of vitality, it was difficult for it to shapeshift. In fact, without at least a few hundred years, there was no chance that it could shapeshift.


    However, when Xiaoxun was with Qianmo, it stole and consumed plenty of spiritual medicine. It was strong and well-built. Its beak was sharp, its feathers wide and thick; it was a loyal guard that followed Qianmo around.


    Shen Lian focused his attention on Qianmo. After consuming a significant amount of spiritual medicine, its green feathers were shiny and smooth. When the moonlight fell on it, the moonlight dispersed into a thin veil of smoky clouds. Qianmo looked superior and otherworldly, it was inviolable.


    As it danced, not even the beautiful twirls of Yaochi Fairies could rival its elegance.


    This was precisely what it meant by, ''As I danced to my shadow, I could no longer feel the mortal tie''.


    Shen Lian could not help but to wonder, why would an extraordinary creature like Qianmo ended up so battered and exhausted back then? This was something that Shen Lian could not comprehend. He wanted to find out the truth through his calculations, but he realized that a mysterious vital force stemming from Qianmo was hiding its origins from Shen Lian. This confirmed Shen Lian''s suspicions about it being extraordinary.


    Shen Lian was extremely familiar with the ancient books and records, and yet, he had no clue about Qianmo''s origin. The strange Qi within Qianmo could be turned into Yin Yang and five elements - a marvelous ability indeed! However, Shen Lian was unable to link it to any of the divine birds described by the rumors.


    Noticing Shen Lian''s gaze, Qianmo flapped its wings and landed on Shen Lian''s shoulder.


    After consuming plenty of spiritual medicine, Xiaoxun had gotten bigger and was even stronger than the eagle in the sky.


    On the other hand, Qianmo''s size did not change at all. The spiritual medicine that it consumed and the nourishment from Shen Lian''s Taixu divine Qi seemed to be going into a bottomless pit.


    By right, with such a significant amount of nourishment, one could create even a shapeshifted demon king. Strangely, nothing had changed with Qianmo.


    Shen Lian turned his head and looked at Ruoxi, "Xi Er, do you have anything that you want to say to me?" Since she started cultivating the Dream Heart Sutra, she was exposed to what the Daoists called the ''Transformation of Things''. If it was not for Shen Lian''s celestial-like state of cultivation, he would not have noticed her.


    "Can I join the Dao assessment?" Ruoxi asked.


    Shen Lian smiled as he replied, "You can go if you want to. Though, if you have decided to join, you need to bring home the first prize."


    He did not expect Ruoxi to be interested in the Dao assessment. Since she was, he decided to see what kind of powerful supernatural powers she managed to cultivate.


    The venue for the Dao assessment and the battle of mana was right here at Taiyi Peak.


    Shen Lian utilized his great mana and created a spacious cloud platform out of thin air. It was comparable to the celestial market hosted by Xuantong Demon King back then, if not better. With his current state of cultivation, after finding out about the Dharma of cultivation for The Forbidden Technique of Xiaozhu Clouds, he took only half a day to achieve significant attainment.


    This was exactly what it meant to operate from a strategically advantageous position and yield twice the result with half the effort.


    At an advanced state of attainment, mana and Dao techniques would come easily.


    If a normal cultivator tried to rush into techniques, he might be able to attain something in the short run; more often than not, such person would end up regretting their decision when it was too late.


    All the disciples were capable of flying, whether through riding the wind, the aid of instruments, or light travel, all of them got to the cloud platform. Upon their arrival, they saw a serene bird dancing beautifully. Its low hums had the dynamic of the mountains and flowing river. The turning points were treacherous and unexpected, heightening one''s will and spirit immediately.


    Shoujing slung his long sword over his shoulder casually. He spoke to Shouxuan, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, at least one of us would be able to get into the top eight in the Dao Assessment at the cloud platform. It is a matter of how good are the prizes given by the headmaster."


    Shouxuan snorted, as though he was not concerned about what Shoujing had just said.


    Shoujing chuckled.


    He stared at the cloud platform and watched as their fellow disciples arrived.


    At that moment, a person rode atop of sword gleam and came forward at a steady pace. The person was Choushi.


    Shoujing was acquainted with Choushi, and he spoke, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Choushi seems to have improved a lot in the past three years. Among everyone here, no one would be able to match your ability to maneuver the sword."


    Choushi twitched his eyelids and replied, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Shoujing, you must be joking. Even though the headmaster taught me about swordcraft, but my lack of potential hindered me from achieving more."


    Shoujing smiled and decided that it was appropriate to not say anything. Despite his appearance, he was actually incredibly smart. As for Choushi, even though he was not maneuvering his sword at a remarkable speed, but he was moving at a precise and steady speed, as though he had measured it with a ruler. This showed the extent of control he had over his mana.


    With his abilities, he would excel at any sort of swordcraft and Dao techniques.


    Meanwhile, Choushi was in awe. There really were a lot of talented individuals in the sect. To think that even Shoujing, whom he did not think much of, was that observant!


    He did not reveal the fact that he had attained the state of Huandan for fear of attracting unwanted attention and making himself a target. After all, not everyone was like the headmaster and could cultivate at an unimaginable speed. Without taking long, the headmaster became a giant tree that could not be uprooted - instead of being jealous, everyone could only bow respectfully to him.


    Even if he managed to come in first in the Dao assessment, he would control the extent of power he revealed, and would only unleash it slowly.


    By doing so, he could build up his reputation over a period of time instead of making a showy display of his ability.


    After the previous incident, he was aware that he lacked remarkable potential. If he wanted to advance further, he would need to gain control of Qing Xuan. This would be the best way, as he could only hope to attain immortality with the aid of Qing Xuan''s resources.


    Choushi felt something tugged at his heart. He heard the sound of thunder and the roar of the sword. He could not resist directing his attention to it.

 Chapter 357 Thunder Method

    Up in the sky, the floating clouds were contracting abruptly. The lightning struck endlessly.


    A slightly chubby young man formed formula with his hand, and the lightning followed the direction his hand was pointing at. They charged at a stern-looking sword cultivator.


    Shoujing applauded, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Jia, you have successfully cultivated the Thunder Method in such a short period of time. Shenxiao True Technique is scary indeed."


    Choushi twitched his eyelids. He noticed that Jia Yili was not doing this effortlessly. Jia Yili''s forehead was covered with beads of sweat. The Thunder Method required the user to use his own Qi to generate thunder. It could be considered as the most basic form of interactions between Gods and humans.


    Of course, Jia Yili was only able to use the Thunder Method due to the impressive Shenxiao True Technique. Despite that, he seemed to have attained the basics of interactions between Gods and Humans, but it was not so.


    Even then, the power of the Thunder Method definitely triumphed over the likes of Palm Thunder Techniques.


    After all, human strength was limited, but the strength of nature was limitless.


    Apparently, at the height of its cultivation, the Thunder Method would allow its user to break apart the sky and the ground.


    However, even for an immortal Zhenren who was skilled at the Thunder Method, it was an impressive feat to casually turn a mountain into a pile of ashes.


    Countless blue lightning struck, and the disciples who came after could not enter into the cloud platform. At the same time, it kept Zhao Siming occupied.


    Choushi knew that despite the seemingly reactive position that Zhao Siming was in, he was more than capable to handle it.


    His spiritual sense was unbelievably sharp, and he could always dodge before the snake-like blue lightning managed to make contact with him.


    He was closing up to Jia Yili who was performing the Thunder Method.


    None of the elders intervened. Choushi noticed that Jia Yili was pale as a sheet of paper and wondered if he should intervene and stopped the both of them. Though, if he were to do that, he would be drawing attention to himself.


    Before he made a decision, the thunders got softer.


    Choushi was stunted. He was not the only one, the rest of the disciples was shocked too.


    Looking far ahead, the water-blue lightning were gathering in the air and took the shape of a lotus flower. They carried a little girl on top of them.


    Each step she took, the lightning would gather underneath her feet.


    Each step was accompanied by a lotus flower, as though a Celestial had come to this world.


    The little girl looked young. Her waist-length hair swayed in the wind, her dress was clean and neat. She had a beautiful and flawless face.


    The cold and detached vibes that she was giving off made her even more attractive.


    She did not have to perform any techniques to take control of the thunder, turning them into lotus flowers under her feet.


    Zhao Siming''s sword vibrated, and he had to exert force upon it to keep it under control.


    The little girl stared at them, as though she was saying that they had disturbed her.


    Casually, she had arrived at the cloud platform. The disciples who were on the cloud platform made space for her instinctively.


    She smiled beautifully like a flower, and someone was holding her pretty hand.


    They directed their gaze towards the person - it was the Headmaster.


    They speculated that the little girl was the child brought back by the Headmaster. What an incredibly gifted child; they heard the rumors, but now that they had seen it for themselves, she was even more powerful than the rumor suggested.


    Zhao Siming and Jia Yili descended onto the cloud platform and knelt before Shen Lian.


    Both of them had engaged in private battle and got caught red-handed by the headmaster. It was only natural for them to be nervous.


    "Why are you kneeling down?" Shen Lian queried calmly.


    Jia Yili replied, "I have made a lapse in my judgment and had a conflict with Junior Apprentice-Brother Zhao. I would accept any punishment you deem fit."


    "Seeing how you can use the Thunder Method, you probably have reached the sixth level of the Nine Levels of Shen Xiao True Technique. The three Zhenrens, Chonghe, Lingsu, and Zhichang would probably be glad knowing that there is a remarkable successor like you to Shenxiao True Technique," Shen Lian spoke to Jia Yili.


    Chonghe was the founder of Shenxiao True Technique; Lingsu was the talented one who perfected Shenxiao True Technique and subdivided it into nine level; Zhichang was the only one from Qing Xuan who managed to cultivate Shenxiao True Technique to the ninth level in the past thousand years. He dealt severe injuries to an immortal Zhenren with the Thunder Method and took the world by storm.


    Though, in spite of his talents, he was unable to progress further and attain immortality. In the end, he died with regrets.


    Also, Zhichang was Daoist Yu''s founding master.


    Jia Yili replied, "I am nothing as compared to the three founding master, and I am unworthy of your compliment."


    "There is no need to be humble, I trust my judgment. However, the power of the Thunder Method was above that of normal techniques. Hence, you need to strive to have a calm temperament in order to avoid activating the Thunder Method at your whims. This would end up hurting both yourself and others. In the past, you have been lazy, and your state of cultivation is mediocre. However, you managed to not compete with others and focused on yourself. After three years of traveling, you have improved significantly. Though, that made you proud and easily triggered. Ask yourself, is this not the case?" Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    Jia Yili came to a sudden realization and apologized, "I recognize my mistake now."


    Shen Lian replied, "Since you have recognized your mistake, after the Dao assessment, head over to face the wall and think about your wrongdoings for five years. During these five years, you are not allowed to interact with anyone, and you shall not perform the Thunder Method. In the event that you broke the rules, you are to leave the mountain immediately."


    Jia Yili was not in the position to say anything. He had no choice but to nod in agreement.


    At the same time, Shen Lian looked at Zhao Siming, who stood tall and spoke, "I am not in the wrong. Twice, he was the one who struck first and I was merely acting in self-defense."


    His gaze was bright and he stared directly at Shen Lian.


    "After the Dao assessment, you shall head over to the River of Spirits and obtain three pieces of Yin Jade every day. For each piece that you failed to obtain, you are to repay by obtaining twice that amount the next day. Come see me when you finally realized your mistake." After saying this, Shen Lian left with Young Ruoxi.


    Most were sympathetic to Zhao Siming''s current predicament. River of Spirits was no place for a human. Only a monster like a headmaster could withstand the pain of being in the River of Spirits and rose above it.


    All of the disciples had been to the River of Spirits. The moment they went in, they could feel pain shooting up to their spirit, and they could not shut off the pain. The pain of being in the River of Spirits was worse than being cut by thousands of blades.


    At some distance away, Ge Yuan and Hong Qianya were observing everything. Hong Qianya laughed and spoke, "Because of what the headmaster did today, twenty years from now, there will be two more talented individuals at Qing Xuan."


    Ge Yuan replied, "The Headmaster has always been kind, which led to these younglings being laidback. It was only in recent years that they have started to be more proper."


    Hong Qianya said, "Regardless, we would probably live to see the day where Qing Xuan become as prosperous as it once was two hundred years ago."


    Ge Yuan remained silent. Back then, Qing Xuan did not have prodigies like Shen Lian and Chen Jianmei, but there were plenty of remarkable individuals in the sect. Almost all one hundred and eight techniques were being cultivated by the disciples, and there were more than twenty disciples who attained at least eight transformations of Huandan. Biyun and Yanxu were the stars of the sect, and they were known as Double Walls.


    Back then, Yanxu alone had cultivated thirteen Dao techniques, including six types of Tiangang Techniques and seven types of Disha Techniques. He was capable of many Dao techniques, and yet there was no conflict. His achievement was definitely unprecedented. During the Bier Discourse of Dao, Yanxu was the champion and had made Qing Xuan proud.


    All of the disciples looked up to Yanxu. He was knowledgeable, and they were keen to exchange cultivation insights with him. The insights benefitted them immensely, and even Ge Yuan and Hong Qianya were amongst those who were benefited from it.


    Though, this was exactly why Yanxu managed to go through all of the techniques at Taiwei Pavilion and was familiar with the cultivation secrets of the different branches. He even got the chance to perform his demon arts on the disciples, turning a good half of the talented disciples in the sect into his clones.


    Despite Zhang Ruoxu''s effort to turn the tide around, but Qing Xuan still ended up in a state of deficit. Even Zhang Ruoxu himself who was so close to attaining immortality got stuck at the final stage and was unable to progress further till the day he died.


    Both of them thought about the same thing. They hoped that this round of Dao assessment would unveil the true gems in the sect, marching in the flourishing age of the new generation of Qing Xuan.

 Chapter 358 There Is No Direct Way That Would Lead One Right to the End

    All of the disciples had arrived. Puppets created by spells directed them to their respective seats.


    These puppets were created by an elder who cultivated Liu Ding Liu Jia. Even though they were not comparable to clones, but they were capable of performing menial tasks. The main ingredient was Yin Jade, which was why they seemed to have the power of the spirit and the physical appearance of a human.


    If they could obtain spirituality, they would look similar to the golden armored heroes and Celestial soldiers in the legends.


    Yan Bugui contributed to the Dao assessment too. As he was an expert in Dao of Talisman, he prepared a lot of Talismans and turned them into spiritual creatures. The mystique exhibited by them filled the cloud platform, and the entire setting gave off the vibe of Celestialism.


    At the center of the cloud platform, there were towers. Everyone was seated in different towers according to the branch they belonged to. These towers were joined and together they formed a Dao restriction that circled the center of the cloud platform. Under this arrangement, the surrounding areas would not be affected by the battles between the disciples.


    Some towers were more populated than others; there were some who sat alone in their respective towers.


    Moreover, not all of the disciples had a teacher-elder. After the incident with Yanxu, there were a lot of branches who lost their respective orthodoxy. Hence, some of the survivors had sent a few of their disciples to the branches that got wiped out as a sign of remembrance to their fallen comrades.


    The division of branches in Qing Xuan was not strict. Generally, it meant that the disciples in a particular branch mainly cultivated one of the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan.


    As for the prodigies who could cultivate multiple Dao formulas at once remained rare.


    The existence of different branches was to encourage exchanges between the disciples who were cultivating the same Dao formula. Moreover, the records of their cultivation experience would benefit the successors immensely.


    Since the creation of the one hundred and eight techniques, a lot of the contents had been modified. However, as a whole, the quality improved and had been perfected.


    The most valuable treasure of each branch was the records on the evolution that transformed the original Dao formula to the current Dao formula. This represented the complete inheritance and was something that Taiwei Pavilion could not record.


    The more successors a branch had, the likelier that there would be an expert who managed to attain the state of Huandan. The reasoning behind this was simple; the collective wisdom of the numerous predecessors were gathered and served as the foundation for the successors to cultivate upon.


    Dao formulas that were extremely powerful, such as Taixu Strategy, were at risk of being a lost art if there was no prodigy who could carry on the legacy.


    Shen Lian was accompanied by Ruoxi at the eastern tower.


    The rest of the disciples saw and could not help but to think that it was better to be born into the right family rather than cultivating hard.


    Gu Caiwei walked in the air at a calm pace. Ruoxi spoke, "Aunt Caiwei."


    Gu Caiwei smiled and replied, "Xi Er, I heard that you are going to participate in the Dao assessment. Do you have confidence to be the champion?"


    Ruoxi raised her head proudly as she replied, "Aunt Caiwei, let me know there are any disciples whom you are close with. If I happen to run into them, I will go easy on them."


    Gu Caiwei pointed at Shen Lian and spoke, "Indeed, she is from the Shen Family."


    Shen Lian rubbed Ruoxi''s head and replied, "Young child, you are talking big. Amongst these disciples, there is one of them that you might not win against."


    Ruoxi extended her fair hand and pointed at Choushi. She said, "He too, would not be a challenge to me."


    Choushi was seated alone in the tower. He was in deep thoughts when he noticed that Ruoxi was pointing at him. Even though he did not understand the meaning behind this, he still replied with a smile.


    Gu Caiwei was surprised, she exclaimed, "What''s with the brat''s transformation? His spiritual sense has gotten so sharp."


    Shen Lian replied, "Everyone has their own fate."


    Gu Caiwei continued, "Previously, I thought Senior Apprentice-Brother Zhao and Yu''s disciple are the distinguished individuals of their generation. However, I did not expect this brat to make it so far too. I am unsure about my initial opinion now."


    Shen Lian spoke, "Those who have entered Dao have their own established practices, and it would not be right to make generalizations. I used to think that the proper way was to break through the door sills of Dao with a heart of irresistible force and attain Huandan. In hindsight, that was not accurate at all. There are many ways of crossing the river, whether it is through a bridge, a boat, or to swim, there is no difference so long as one could make it past the river. The path of Dao is endless to begin with. Moreover, there is no direct way that would lead one right to the end. A Dao practitioner should strive to be inclusive, and that is the only way to ensure one''s progress. Here is something for our mutual encouragement."


    Gu Caiwei knew that for Shen Lian to say something as such, he must have experienced it first hand.


    Moreover, she was shocked. According to what Shen Lian said, he probably gained a new perspective about Taixu Strategy and intended to create his own path.


    This was what it meant to attain the Dharma without being constrained by it. Despite being a good move, the risk that came along with it was higher than recultivating after an initial failure.


    However, she was aware of Shen Lian''s determination to be inclusive of all possibilities and to walk off the beaten path. This fitted in perfectly with his character. She decided against voicing her worries, as she did not want them to come true unexpectedly afterward.


    Shen Lian did not direct his attention to Gu Caiwei''s thought process.


    There were a total of one hundred and twenty-eight people who participated in the Dao assessment. They were the cr��me de la cr��me of Qing Xuan. In another few hundred years, some of them would be the elites of Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian pointed his finger at the center of the cloud platform, and five-colored rays started emerging at that spot.


    The colored ray disappeared and the white clouds solidified. A lustrous veil appeared.


    Two disciples whose names were called marched forward to the set-up at the center. They started their battle.


    Ge Yuan and Lu Shouyi were situated in the south and the north respectively. They were on standby outside of the lustrous veil and were ready to lend a helping hand in the event of emergencies.


    It was not as though Shen Lian did not think about setting up more venues for multiple disciples to engage in battles simultaneously; it was his intention to create a tense atmosphere for the disciples who took part in the Dao assessment. As they fought in front of the spectators, the elders could review their performance and submit their views. The disciples who fought in the Dao assessment would have access to it so that they were aware of what they did well and what they did not.


    After informing the elders about it, they were all very impressed by the effort that the headmaster had put in.


    Dao assessment was not merely held to identify the best disciple, but it was also an opportunity for the average disciples to receive feedback from the elders who would be scrutinizing their performance to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This information would no doubt be useful to the disciples'' cultivation process in the future.


    In the beginning, sixty-four pairs of disciples had to battle against each other, and it took up quite some time - ten days.


    The second round took another five days.


    On the eighteenth day, three rounds had taken place. Sixteen disciples were left.


    It was only then that the atmosphere started to get tense. They only needed to defeat one more fellow disciple to receive a prize from the headmaster.


    Ruoxi had received significant attention in the first three rounds. Her opponents were popular candidates who were forecasted to be in the top eight. Moreover, they had at least fifty years of cultivation and were all in their prime. However, they collapsed right after meeting Ruoxi''s gaze.


    Not only that it was a quick defeat, they did not know how they were defeated. There was no point talking about summary and analysis afterward.


    Initially, some elders thought that Ruoxi had mastered Shen Lian''s Deity Vanquishing Sword, and they were blaming her for being so cruel. However, the disciples who were defeated came out unscathed. Only then did they realize that they had misjudged Ruoxi. Though, they were still unsure what technique she had used.


    There was another person who drew the same amount of attention that Ruoxi did. The person was Choushi. He would spend a significant amount of time-fighting against his opponent. It was only when his opponent had exhausted all means that he would strike the final decisive blow.


    Moreover, he would tell his opponent about his deficiencies afterward.


    However, Shoujing did not have the mood to think about Ruoxi and Choushi. His next opponent was Zhao Siming. He could not help but curse at the system of the Dao assessment. He only needed to be in the top eight, to think that he had such bad luck!

 Chapter 359 One Qi Fundamental Codex of the Sword

    If something was meant to happen, it would happen. Shoujing panicked for a while, but it did not take long for him to calm himself down.


    Shouxuan looked at Shoujing and spoke gently, "Prioritise your survival."


    Shoujing felt hundreds of millions of lightning struck in his heart. He glared at Shouxuan and nodded, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, I hope that you will have Shen Ruoxi as your next opponent."


    Shouxuan twitched the corner of his mouth. He decided that he would teach this brat a lesson if he ended up having him as an opponent. As for what he teased Shoujing about, he had completely forgotten about that.


    As Shoujing and Shouxuan spoke to each other, their mood lightened up gradually. Slowly, he walked into the veil of light. Zhao Siming had come in before him. At that moment, Zhao Siming''s overwhelming sword aura did not seem as scary anymore.


    Both of them gestured respectfully and bowed to each other.


    The moment Ge Yuan announced the beginning of the battle, a flash of cold light appeared in Zhao Siming''s eyes. The sword gleam in his hands was akin to a long snake, and it charged ferociously at Shoujing. The sword gleam had traveled a hundred feet when the thunderous roars of the sword were heard. The air turned blurry under the thrust of the sword.


    The speed of his sword gleam was unrivaled in Qing Xuan. He defeated his opponent in the first three rounds within the length of a single breath. Most expected him to come in first in the Dao assessment. No one thought Shoujing could last under Zhao Siming''s unbelievably fast sword gleam.


    Despite that Zhao Siming had only grasped the basics of the supreme swordcraft of thunderous sword aura, but not many people in Qing Xuan could compare to his speed.


    Shen Lian nodded as he observed Zhao Siming''s sword gleam. Besides Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen, this person was another disciple of Qing Xuan who was notable for his potential in swordcraft. However, his pride hindered him from peering into the ingenuity of advanced swordcraft despite that he had mastered the thunderous sword aura.


    Shoujing felt a chill in his heart, and the sword gleam was only a short distance away from him. However, his body reacted faster than his thoughts. A sword pill came out from his mouth and turned into white gas. It was then transformed into a rainbow that charged right at Zhao Siming.


    Zhao Siming was surprised. He did not expect the brat to be so extreme and ignored his sword. Shoujing was trying to deal injuries to Zhao Siming at the price of his own life.


    Ge Yuan frowned and was ready to step in. Yan Bugui too had a serious look on his face.


    Shen Lian stood on top of the eastern tower and seemed to be at ease. He did not seem to be worrying about the two of them.


    In fact, he was more than capable of stopping the two of them before they could seriously injure each other.


    Regardless of the speed, they were moving at, they were shockingly slow in Shen Lian''s mind. Shen Lian took his time to scrutinize Shoujing''s swordcraft. Shoujing''s flying sword was wielded with one Qi.


    All of his Qi of essence was focused on the sword, and this was an incredibly advanced technique of "Wielding the Sword with Qi". The force in both the beginning and the end was endless and infinite. This technique was even more powerful than the "Regenerative Sword of Cloud and Water" of Qingjiang Sword sect.


    This swordcraft was also one of the few Codexes of the Sword amongst the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan. It was known as "One Qi Fundamental Codex of the Sword". Upon successful cultivation, the Qi of Essence of the cultivator and the sword would be interconnected. The cultivator could feed itself with the sword aura and unblock the Gold Portico and Jade Lock within his body. Subsequently, the cultivator could feed the sword pill with his Qi of Essence, forming a feedback loop. At the pinnacle of cultivation, the cultivator and the sword would be each other''s wielder. Eventually, the transformation of Yin and Yang, Deficiency and Excess, would take place. Despite being a codex of the sword, it was a remarkable Dao formula.


    It focused on waiting for the right time to strike and emphasized on improvisation rather than a rigid set of moves.


    After all, Shoujing was not as good as Zhao Siming, which was why he had to resort to such an extreme measure and risked his life for it. Even though it seemed like they were fighting on equal footing, but he was actually the losing party as he did not show the essential quality of "Wielding the sword with Qi, waiting for the right time to strike".


    However, this was inevitable. If he were to wait for the right time to strike, he would have lost before the right time came.


    Zhao Siming was calm and at ease. The repetitive roars of the sword sounded like a heavy downpour, at the same time it also sounded like large and small pearls were falling on a jade plate.


    Shoujing was pale and he leaned forward. The white sword pill turned and transformed into a straight line, circumventing the sword gleam that was protecting Zhao Siming from harm. It circled around him and struck him from behind.


    Zhao Siming had a contemptuous look on his face. He leaped and dodged away from the sword gleam. However, the sword gleam was persistent and trailed after him. Zhao Siming was not surprised at all, though the spectators gasped. The rainbow light enveloped everything and a loud explosion could be heard. The clouds and smoke stirred, and even the layer of light that was covering the battle venue shook.


    The rainbow light disappeared slowly and a yellow talisman was floating in the clouds and exploded. It turned into shreds of paper and melted into the clouds.


    Shoujing withered and the sword pill looked dulled and had lost its brilliance. It flew back to him shakily. His clothes had been turned into ashes by the Qi strength. Even the flesh and skin on his hand were charred.


    He stared at Zhao Siming who was descending slowly from the sky and spoke, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Zhao, your swordcraft is very advanced. I admit defeat."


    If it was not for the protection offered by Yan Bugui''s Celestial Master Talisman, which had blocked out most of Zhao Siming''s attack, Shoujing would be gravely injured. Of course, he was the first opponent that Zhao Siming had taken seriously in the Dao assessment.


    Zhao Siming replied, "The fact that you made me used the "Heaven-Plundering White Rainbow" is applaudable."


    Shoujing almost vomited blood upon hearing what he just said. He had an extra twenty years of cultivation experience as compared to Zhao Siming, and to think that Zhao Siming was talking down to him now! He was exasperated and was determined to elevate the "One Qi Fundamental Codex of the Sword" to a higher level.


    Yan Bugui spoke lazily, "You two, stop dilly-dallying. Hurry up and come out."


    Zhao Siming remained calm, and he walked out slowly. Yan Bugui smiled and patted his shoulder, as though he was telling Zhao Siming that he did a great job. Zhao Siming wrinkled his brows and did not say anything. After all, both Yan Bugui and him were disciples under Drunken Daoist. More importantly, he looked up to those who were strong. Yan Bugui had attained Huandan, and was older than him by a lot. It was not that big of a deal to be patted on the shoulder by him.


    His stole a quick glance at the headmaster.


    He was the only person in Qing Xuan that Zhao Siming truly admired. One day, he would surpass this man whom he admired from the bottom of his heart. He would start by defeating Shen Ruoxi.


    The next battle was between Shen Ruoxi and Shouxuan. Shoujing wanted to offer encouragement to his Senior Apprentice-Brother and to urge him on to be one of the top eight. However, after overhearing the conversation between his Senior Apprentice-Brother and Shen Ruoxi, he left immediately.


    However, he could still feel the cold gaze from his Senior Apprentice-Brother directed at him. It was comparable to Zhao Siming''s sword aura.


    Shoujing thought maybe he should just cultivate Hong Elder''s "Solution of Ziwei Dong Mystery" - the ultimate deductive technique that would allow him to peer into the designs of nature. This technique would suit him, seeing how his prediction of his Senior Apprentice-Brother having Shen Ruoxi as his next opponent had come true.


    Shouxuan did not bother to entertain Shoujing. He walked into the battle venue solemnly. Ruoxi followed and she was as calm as she had been in the past three rounds. Her bright eyes were not stiffened with dismay, and it seemed as though she was not taking her opponent seriously.


    Shouxuan could not afford to be careless. He had been watching Ruoxi, and he knew that she definitely had a supernatural power that was based on the Dao of Spirit. He guarded his mind and spirit as he bowed respectfully.

 Chapter 360 Still Waters Run Deep

    Shouxuan guarded his mind and spirit closely as he bowed. He had enveloped himself in the light of the water; it was airtight and had no loophole.


    "Still waters run deep, enjoy the quietness amidst the noise, the echo in the empty mountain, something that one knows all too well. To think that this child has cultivated Xuanshui True Scripture to this extent! It seems like he had put in some hard work after losing an arm to Zuo Shaoqing. I am glad that your Life-regenerating Elixir did not go to waste." Gu Caiwei squinted her beautiful eyes as she observed Shouxuan.


    Shen Lian smiled at Gu Caiwei and stared at Ruoxi. He thought, "The goodness of water is that it benefits tens of thousands of creatures, and yet it does not compete. It is gentle yet strong. Unlike the three opponents from before, seems like it would not be possible for you to invade his spirit with just a glance and make him collapse right away."


    Ruoxi stared quietly at Shouxuan and queried, "Are you not going to use any instrument?"


    Shouxuan looked calm. He was too focused on operating the Xuanshui True Scripture. When operated, Xuanshui True Light would become part of him and there was no loophole. His spirit and Qi came together perfectly.


    Hence, he replied, "I have Dharma, and I do not need any instrument. I am ready to learn from you, Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen."


    Ruoxi whispered, "Alright, just remember that you chose not to use any instrument. Don''t try to blame your defeat on the fact that I have used an instrument." She spoke so casually that it almost seemed like she was not bothered by Shouxuan''s impressive technique.


    Shouxuan did not reply. He thought, "Just don''t you complain to the headmaster after losing."


    After being slightly distracted, he felt a sharp gust of malicious Qi trying to pierce through his protective layer of light of the water, aiming right at his heart and lungs.


    He focused his gaze and saw that Ruoxi was holding a short sword. It was less than two feet and the handle was as wide as the body. The body of the sword was pure white, and it had no pattern on it. From afar, it looked like water. The tip of the sword was pointed right at him, making him extremely uncomfortable and agitated.


    Being a disciple of Qing Xuan, he was knowledgeable. A paragraph of words surfaced in his heart, "For each inch that was cast, the malice tripled, hence only half was cast, and yet the malicious Qi soared, its name was Triumphant Malice."


    This was a famed magical sword, and it was also a malicious sword. It was made by a Master Alchemist from the tin of Mount Chijin and the copper of Ruoye Stream; it was only created after having faced rain and thunder and absorbed the essence of heaven and earth.


    A total of five magical swords were created back then. When they were made, the sky wept while the ghosts and deities sobbed. The sky was raining blood, and it did not stop after three days and three nights. It was only when the Master Alchemist sacrificed himself to appease the heaven and earth that the tremor stopped. In the end, the five magical swords were lost.


    How unexpected it was for Shen Ruoxi to be in possession of one of them - Triumphant Malice Sword.


    Gu Caiwei blinked and stared at Shen Lian, as though she was accusing him of giving her the sword.


    Shen Lian shook his head and thought, the Grand Ancestor Master must have given it to her.


    After all, Ruoxi had learned the Dream Heart Sutra and could be considered as the successor to the Old Daoist''s branch.


    The moment Shouxuan saw Triumphant Malice Sword, he knew that even his powerful Xuanshui True Light was no match for it. He was determined and roared, "Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen, I apologize in advance for offending you."


    Even beyond the veil of light, everyone could hear the sound of the water falling. The calm protective layer of light of the water was aptly described as "still waters that ran deep"; it had exploded into a giant waterfall and water droplets were flying all over the place. The water droplets continued to explode in the air. The little splashes that were produced floated towards Ruoxi.


    It was overwhelming and would definitely catch one off-guard.


    Ruoxi held Triumphant Malice Sword in her hands, her black pupil was tinted with blood, and she remained calm. She lifted Triumphant Malice Sword gently and pointed it at Shouxuan. The Qi strength shot out from the tip of her sword and stopped the first water splash that got to her.


    The tip of her sword vibrated and twirled the water splash around. Within moments, the air was vibrating for her.


    The normal disciples could not discern the wondrous workings behind her move, because it was simply too fast for them to notice. On the other hand, the elders with an advanced level of cultivation were in awe. The vibration of the tip of her sword was caused by the momentum of the first water splash; she blocked off the second, third, and fourth water splashes with it, and had done so naturally with a graceful arc.


    Ruoxi did not have to waste even the tiniest bit of her energy. She caught everything effortlessly. With a flick of her short sword, she created a sky full of water droplets that were sharp as pebbles. They had the shape of a cone and were colorful under the refraction of light. It was a beautiful sight.


    Cold and harsh killing vibes were hiding beneath the beautiful water droplets.


    Shouxuan had no choice but to defend himself instead of playing offense. He defended himself against the water droplets and the sword gleam of Ruoxi''s Triumphant Malice Sword that followed.


    Regardless of how well he had defended himself with the light of the water when faced with the sword gleam, he was merely fighting a losing battle. Ruoxi was one with the sword; instead of having far-reaching sword aura, her Qi strength was internalized and she was almost one with the sword gleam.


    Just as how she wielded the sword, the sword wielded her as well. The transformation was astounding, and Shouxuan was at a loss and did not know what to do.


    Before he thought of counterattack, the sword split into two and charged at his Ancestral Cavity and Entry point at the same time.


    Two sharp gust of malicious Qi invaded his body, withering his psyche immediately. His Mana was sluggish, and he collapsed immediately.


    A loud clang could be heard. Ruoxi sheathed her sword.


    Drunken Daoist exclaimed. Ruoxi''s move of splitting a sword into two earlier was not dependent on the strength of Triumphant Malice Sword. One of them was high and the other low, one was clear and the other murky, they were so well-coordinated that Shouxuan could not have defended himself against them. The sword technique had embodied the mysterious workings of Yin and Yang, it was unstoppable the moment it was put into motion.


    He could not help but look towards Zifu Peak. Through the endless clouds and smoke, he saw a lady in purple. She was absolutely stunning and was looking here. He sighed, "The fate of Qing Xuan is dominated by the Taixu Branch aye."


    Ruoxi had collapsed her opponents in the previous three rounds with just a glance. Despite their initial shock, the disciples knew that it was merely made possible by her strange Dao technique. If she were to encounter someone capable, she might not be able to use it so easily.


    However, after witnessing Ruoxi''s swordcraft earlier, the disciples knew that their assumption was wrong.


    Despite that Ruoxi''s swordcraft seemed a lot gentler when compared to that of Zhao Siming, but it was freed of secular qualities, which made it better than that of Zhao Siming. Her swordcraft was akin to the swordcraft of a Celestial. It was untarnished by secular qualities.


    The shiver of the tip of her sword was almost magical. It was twirling too fast for them to observe properly earlier. However, the track drawn by the tip of her sword became clearer in their heart as they tried to recall it. They could not forget about it. If they were to look into it, they would feel like it was just a dream, a dream that they could not trace.


    A white cloud appeared underneath Ruoxi''s feet, and she returned to Shen Lian''s side. Shen Lian stared hard at her and said, "Hand Triumphant Malice Sword over."


    Ruoxi hesitated before she handed over the short sword.


    Shen Lian held the sword hilt and felt a cold gust of malicious Qi crept up his hand. It was traveling through his orifices point and meridians as it charged at his bier. Shen Lian exterminated the malicious Qi with his thoughts.


    Silently, he kept Triumphant Malice Sword in his sleeve. He wondered, "The strength of the malicious Qi within the sword was stronger than he expected. Why did the Grand Ancestor Master give it to Ruoxi?"


    He looked at Ruoxi and was met with her gaze. Her gaze was clear as water and was freed of impurities. She did not seem like she was tainted by the malicious Qi.

 Chapter 361 Astral Projection of the Primordial Spiri

    Shen Lian quietly looked at Ruoxi while Ruoxi stared back at him with her clear eyes.


    Gu Caiwei leisurely asked, "What are you two doing?"


    Ruoxi held on to Gu Caiwei''s hand and jokingly said, "Nothing much."


    Shen Lian kept a solemn face and did not say a word.


    Next up were Choushi and Jia Yili''s battle of mana. Jia Yili who bears the burden of the Shenxiao True Technique has mastered the Thunder Method, and felt that Choushi was not a worthy opponent. But as they both appeared at the venue of the battle, Jia Yili realized that he was terribly wrong.


    All Choushi did was standing there and a dash of overwhelming Qi dynamics charged towards Jia Yili, making it difficult for him to summon his mana.


    If Choushi was not a class above him, it would not have ended in such manner.


    Shen Lian was not focused on their exchange of Dao methods and instead looked up towards the sky. The heavenly gates appeared in the sky without anyone noticing. It looked stunning with rosy clouds surrounding it.


    The heavenly gates gradually became more and more obvious and took up half of the sky. However, he was the only person from Qing Xuan who noticed it.


    Gu Caiwei curiously asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "Nothing. I''m not too interested in the battle between the younger juniors. Senior apprentice-sister, I''ll go and meditate for a bit."


    Gu Caiwei nodded her head. Considering Shen Lian''s level, she knew that he was probably not interested to watch her fight, let alone these junior disciples. Things would be in order as long as she is watching them.


    Shen Lian meditated on the cushion and not long later, a cloud of smoke that was invisible to others including Gu Caiwei, emerged from his head. It gradually condensed in the air and morphed into a transparent version of Shen Lian. Ruoxi was the only one who looked towards his direction but it seemed like she didn''t realize anything.


    Shen Lian did not want to alarm others and decided used the astral projection of the Primordial Spirit


    Leaving his physical body behind, Shen Lian felt a lot lighter and he could actually travel as fast as his Thunder shifting method.


    Not long later, he flew really close by to the heavenly gates and his spirit started to quiver a little. It was as if he belonged to somewhere beyond the heavenly gates, the place where every being who has attained immortality longed for. It has something they need, something that could help them avoid the trials of Dao.


    The closer he was to the heavenly gates, the more he could feel the soul cleansing Qi.


    Shen Lian may be a Primordial Spirit, but he could feel that the soul cleansing Qi was greatly beneficial for him. It felt like he was inhaling the fresh air after the rain, refreshing and energizing.


    There was a plaque with three letters on it at the heavenly gates. It was covered by clouds earlier but now it was visible. It was undetermined what font the three letters were written in but any living creatures who looked at the three letters would understand its meaning - the Southern Heavenly Gates.


    Legend has it that the Southern Heavenly Gates was a place of trade between mankind and the Heaven Courtyard. Whether it was the current world or the world where Shen Lian once belonged, there were much existing literature about the Southern Heavenly Gates, ranging from humans, gods, to demons, and even the devil.


    The front gate of the Heaven Courtyard that countless living creatures longed for appeared out of a sudden. It was mysterious, unfathomable, majestic and not everyone could see it.


    Of course, Shen Lian was not the only person who could see it. But that did not matter.


    From time to time, the Southern Heavenly Gates would release the soul cleansing Qi that made Shen Lian felt as heavy as a heroic poem that silently trespassed his heart of Dao. In fact, he felt like he saw ten or more unsmiling heavenly marshals, tall as the roofbeams, standing next to the pillars, holding metal-tipped bows and banners. All around stood gods in golden armor, brandishing their club and halberds, wielding their cutlasses and swords.


    They glared at him and yelled, "Trespassers of the Southern Heavenly Gate will be summarily executed."


    Summarily executed, summarily executed, summarily executed...


    The thunderous chant was ringing in his ears as their vast killing vibes came crushing on his heart of Dao like the flowing stream of water of the milky way. Most cultivators who were in the nine states of cultivation would have fallen from the sky and smashed into pieces.


    But Shen Lian remained composed and was not distracted by the deities. His mind was like a sword, it cut through whims and the voices of deities started to fade away from his ears.


    He then arrived outside of the Southern Heavenly Gates. The gates were wrapped by the clouds but the solemn-looking pillars were visible. It was so majestically huge that a human would look like an ant next to it.


    He observed the inside of the Heavenly Gates but all he saw was vast emptiness. It was an unknown territory, yet it was also the place where many celestial beings have come and gone.


    The plaque with the three characters of the ''Southern Heavenly Gates'' carved on was, in fact, thousands of miles away from him. But as he looked up, it was just right in front of his eyes. His divine thoughts alighted on the plague, giving him the point of view of the plague. Overlooking the world from that point of view was way above the secular mortal world.


    It was as if he could see the joys and sorrow, the birth and the death of mankind.


    He could see the birth of a bird in the forest and at at the same time, saw a cicada who died in its own sad song. He also saw a bedridden man who was being nursed by his wife. He could not swallow the medicine and be coughing blood.


    The joy and sorrow of the mortal world had nothing to do with him but he could see every one of it.


    All of a sudden, his hand was caught by another hand.


    A Primordial Spirit who wandered between whims and reality would still be able to feel sensations. In fact, as a primordial spirit was directly related to the soul, they could feel any slightest sensation with a great deal of sensitivity.


    He could feel the softness of the hand that held on to him, it was the warmest and most comforting jade-like hand. He saw Ziling''s beautiful face as she took his hand and said, "Let''s go."


    Mount Taicang, inside Lingxiao Hall.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial kept a nice beard. Whenever he encountered an important incident, he would caress his beard. The golden crown on his head would then radiate light. He looked so majestic and profound that living creatures would easily surrender to him.


    Four people then entered the hall, one after another. The first person was a man in a purple Dao robe with the embroidery of the eight trigrams. He had a head of long hair and long beard, and was oozing the vibes of a celestial being. His name was Daoqing and he was one of the five celestials of Guangqing. He had the longest history with Dao but his cultivation experience was not as deep as Yuming the Honored Celestial.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial was already standing, he walked towards Daoqing and said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Daoqing, after so many years, the Heavenly Gates resurfaced once more."


    Daoqing was followed by an ultimately beautiful nun who was dressed in a green outfit. The hall lighted up as she walked in.


    Daoqing responded, "Dengfeng and Shaowei have left for the Yin mountain. I believe they won''t be able to come back anytime soon. The three of us should depart first and this time around, we must find the Jinque Jade Book."


    The nun whose name was Lingguang smiled, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Daoqing is right. We have just mastered the Lingxiao Hall and then the Southern Heavenly Gates resurfaced. Looks like we Guangqing are fated with the Heaven Courtyard. Just like the saying goes, ''if we don''t accept the gifts of heaven, we would be punished.'' Chief, let''s start immediately."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial smiled and responded, "I totally agree with Senior Apprentice-Brother Daoqing and Junior Apprentice-Sister Lingguang. Without further ado, let''s go!"

 Chapter 362 Celestial Emperor

    The two of them nodded in agreement. This was a serious matter. Ever since Huanzhen and the other eleven Zhenrens went missing, Guangqing had suffered a major setback in terms of Qi of vitality and was hopeless for the future.


    If they failed to rebuild the Heaven''s Courtyard, it would be a devastating blow for them and they would have to reconsider the possibilities of moving forward.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial looked somber, he pressed both of his hands towards the ground and numerous rays of divine aura gushed out from his hands. In a split second, it drilled through the ground of the hall and made loud explosive noise.


    From the outside, it could be seen that the base of the Lingxiao Hall was releasing air currents which then took off towards the sky. Very quickly, it passed through the sound barrier; it was as stunning as a rainbow.


    Nothing dared to stand in front of the soaring palace. Some birds did not manage to avoid it unfortunately and disappeared in the vastness of the universe.


    Lingxiao Hall was in full force as it flew at a speed faster than most immortal Zhenren''s light travel.


    Daoqing and Linguang too had a serious face on. Their gaze pierced through the palace and longed for the vague and mysterious Southern Heavenly Gates.


    When the Lingxiao Hall was about to arrive at the Southern Heavenly Gates, Shen Lian whose hand was held by Ziling entered the gates in a flash.


    The body of the Primordial Spirit touched the land that was so hard that even a primordial spirit who could transform into nothingness could not penetrate through. He was not able to witness the boundless sky and the jade hall of the moon.


    It was a land of loneliness. There was neither air nor vitality.


    Shen Lian did not mind any of that. The chilly sensation from the Grandmaster''s hand that was transferred into his Primordial Spirit was a delightful feeling, it was a million times more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring. At the same time, his power of the Primordial Spirit too was flowing into Ziling''s body. Both of them were exchanging breath in harmony. It occurred to Shen Lian that the Grandmaster too went through the astral projection of the Primordial Spirit.


    Shen Lian did not want to be disrespectful towards the Grandmaster and was about to withdraw his hand. He may be in the body of the Primordial Spirit but it still looked exactly the same as his own physical body. He found it hard to adapt but at the same time, he was somewhat fascinated by the thought that the Grandmaster, was too, in the Primordial Spirit mode.


    It was not that Shen Lian''s moral nature was not strong enough but as their breath interchanged like the pleasure of close intimacy between couples. They were more intimate than any other couples and it was unavoidable to feel heated.


    Ziling calmly said, "This place is dangerous, please don''t let go of your hands."


    Shen Lian felt guilty when was faced with Ziling''s calmness. He then understood the Grandmaster''s noble and benevolent character and was curious about what was she doing here.


    It was as if Ziling could read his mind, in a gentle voice, she said, "You''re still young and I didn''t put in too much effort in guiding you. Although you''ve improved greatly, and have obtained many secrets of the school, in fact, you know nothing about the universe. That is partially my fault."


    She sighed as she spoke. As both of them were Primodial Spirits, their emotions would affect each other. He knew that Ziling was reminded of Biyun and Gu Caiwei. Unlike Qing Xiao, Ziling was an empathetic person. Shen Lian felt that he then had a better understanding of the Grandmaster.


    Without a doubt, he responded, "Grandmaster, you''ve treated me well enough. If it wasn''t for you, I would have been badly injured in the River of Spirits. Maybe I wouldn''t have entered Qing Xuan too."


    Ziling said, "Shen Lian, I know you are a sincere gentleman who can clearly distinguish between kindness and hatred. Even if there were contingencies, you did not lose yourself. If it wasn''t for that quality, Zhang Ruoxu would have never tolerated you. You want to know why am I here and I won''t hide it from you. I am here because this is related to the origins of the Taixu Strategy."


    Shen Lian asked curiously, "Didn''t Grandmaster Qingshui invented the Taixu Strategy?"


    Ziling responded, "Even if Grandmaster Qingshui was an ultimate Daoist in the ancient and modern times, the Taixu Strategy did not pop out from nowhere. The reason why the Taixu Strategy was known as the supreme Dharma was not purely because of its power but also because of its awe-inspiring origins. It''s a very long story."


    She could not help but set her gaze on the piece of dead land as she sighed endlessly.


    Pulling Shen Lian''s hand she spoke as they walked deeper into it, "No one knew when was the birth of the universe and it''s no longer verifiable. The first written language was said to appear at the same time as the birth of the universe. No one knew what was the first record of written texts and people named it the Heavenly Script.


    The script was condensation of Dao rhythm and was a natural Lingbao. The text on it talked about the Great Way of Dao or also known as the ''Heavenly script'' or the ''Daoist writings''. Not long after the Heavenly Script appeared, it vanished without a trace. Actually, the script was at the hands of Buddha for a long period of time. Since then, Buddha has achieved enlightenment and transcended beyond the abstruse of the universe to become a supreme existence.


    Later on, people found out that the Heavenly Script was in the possession of Buddha and Buddha named it as the Universal Principles of the Ultimate Reality.


    Even if you cannot read or understand the Heavenly Script on the Universal Principles of the Ultimate Reality, as long as you can replicate it, you would still be able to have powers beyond your imagination.


    Because of such power, people were fighting with each other for the Heavenly Script ever since Buddha had disappeared. The fight was so intense that the material of the Heavenly Script could not endure it and was severely damaged.


    Only a small fraction of the essence was left behind and coincidentally, fell into the hands of a Daoist. After obtaining the Heavenly Script, the Daoist endured many years of hardship of cultivation and did not hesitate to reincarnate into the mortal world. He then finally found enlightenment beneath that small fraction of the Heavenly Script.


    As a result, he achieved an unthinkable level that could almost match Buddha. Perhaps it was because he did not have the full text and that was why he still could not match the level of Buddha. Even so, he became one of the very few Great Adepts to have ever existed. During his time, he was unmatchable and he was able to build a new generation of Heaven Courtyard and dominated all living beings."


    Shen Lian always heard of the rise and fall of the two Heaven Courtyards but he never expected the most recent Heaven Courtyard had such a background.


    He asked, "I''ve heard that there was another Heaven Courtyard before this one. What was that about?"


    Ziling calmly answered, "That was the ancient Heaven Courtyard. It was said that the Heaven Courtyard was built way before Buddha was detached from the mortal life and the Daoist masters too had yet to be born. Most of the written recordings of the ancient Heaven Courtyard had been wiped out. The only thing known was that the period of time was known as the Era of the Emperor. The Emperor was the dictator of the ancient Heaven Courtyard and he was an unmatchable figure."


    Shen Lian could not help but feel fascinated. He wished he was born in that era, the era that was named after a majestic existence.


    Ziling interrupted Shen Lian''s fascination as she continued her story, "Although the Emperor was unmatchable, he still had rivals within the heaven and earth. That''s why there were four Imperial Lords at the Heaven Courtyard whose duty was to assist the Emperor in ruling the heaven. The power of the Heaven Courtyard then gradually reached its peak."

 Chapter 363 A Great Demon Sage Once Rebelled Against the Heaven Courtyard

    Shen Lian asked, "Declining after prosperity is inevitable, but how did the Heaven Courtyard collapse?"


    Ziling glanced at Shen Lian and answered, "The Emperor wanted to rule the heavens and dominate all living creatures, so naturally people revolted against him. In the human world, it''s like people would rise up for a revolution. Besides the Buddhist and Dao sects, the demon clans have never stopped rebelling against the Heaven Courtyard since day one. In fact, a Great Demon Sage actually made it deep into the Heaven Courtyard."


    Shen Lian then asked, "If the emperor was unbeatable, and the Great Demon Sage was about the level of a Tian Xian or deity, it shouldn''t be hard for the subordinate of the Emperor to defeat the Great Demon Sage. But how did he manage to attack deep into the Heaven Courtyard?"


    Ziling smiled and answered, "The Great Demon Sage was a supreme demon and when they entered this state, their mana and supernatural powers would improve greatly without any limits. In fact, the strongest Great Demon Sage could actually challenge a Daoist Master or Buddha as their levels of cultivation are endless."


    Moreover, the Great Saint of the demon clan were of noble blood and had gifted potential. He once became the apprentice of a Daoist Master, learned about the ways of Dao and became the head of Dao and Buddhism. It was rare to find someone like that in the entire universe. Even if the Heaven Courtyard was filled with talented people, they could not do much about him. On top of that, he had six sworn brothers who were also Great Demon Sages and each of them was as strong as him. Although they did not attack the Heaven Courtyard together, the Heaven Courtyard was still fearful of them. They had to bring in a military of soldiers to ease the commotion."


    Shen Lian responded, "Presumably the Great Demon Sage didn''t overturn the Heaven Courtyard, so what happened after that?"


    Ziling sighed, "That Great Demon Sage was suppressed but it wasn''t the work of the Emperor. I don''t know who did it but since then, the reputation of the Heaven Courtyard was badly damaged and its ruling power declined gradually. One day, the Emperor went missing and a civil strife broke out. That was the fall of the Heaven Courtyard that once dominated the heaven."


    Shen Lian had one more doubt and asked, "Was the Heavenly Script the reason behind the civil strife?"


    Ziling replied, "You''re right. The Heavenly Script was the source of the disintegration of the Heaven Courtyard. The Emperor named the heavenly script as Jinque Jade Booklet and used it to create many different magic talismans. The Jinque Jade Booklet was said to be the core of the Heaven Courtyard. Whoever obtained it could be the next Emperor. It''s an irresistible temptation and that was why it triggered such a catastrophe. You might not know this but the Heaven Courtyard that we''re standing in is actually one of many Heaven Courtyards."


    Shen Lian was stunned, "One of many?"


    Ziling smiled, "This is not the only place where living creatures would appear. Within the Milky Way, there are countless places similar to where we are. Many strong living creatures are born in these places and they have incomparably long lifespans. The Emperor was unimaginably ambitious and he spread out his influence to these places."


    Shen Lian nodded.


    Ziling added, "Nobody knew how big the Emperor''s territory was. In other to protect his sovereignty, he replicated the design of the original Heaven Courtyard. He used up an uncountable amount of spiritual material to make the magic talisman known as the Heaven Courtyard. He made one after another and then projected the Jinque Jade Booklet on it and used it as the core of the Heaven Courtyard."


    The Milky Way was the channel of communication between the Heaven Courtyards. It was visible to the naked eye but hard to enter as the Milky Way is on the fence between fantasy and reality. As the Emperor''s mana increased, the Milky Way too enlarged concurrently to the point where it reached every corner of the universe and expanded the influence of the Heaven Courtyard.


    Besides that, the Emperor and the four Imperial Lords of the Heaven Courtyard had several duplicate selves that would attend to different Heaven Courtyards. They then recruited the strong spirits of that particular area to make up the three hundred and sixty-five deities and make them embrace Celestialism and the path of Shen. With the help of the Heaven Courtyard, these strong spirits would be able to escape the trials of Dao and enjoy peace. But they had to obey the heavenly laws set by the Emperor and that means losing part of their freedom.


    Many almighty seniors came here because they wanted to dispel of their trials of Dao and transcend beyond the mortal world. As they completed their cultivation, they left the Heaven Courtyard as they did not want to be bound by the majesty of the Emperor. They left to find somewhere else where they can be free.


    This tradition was also passed down.


    Also, after leaving the Heaven Courtyard, one would realize the vastness of the universe and will want to seek higher knowledge. When we reach that stage, we would also leave.


    Shen Lian thought of the ambitions of the Emperor. It was probably something very rare back then during the ancient times and even now, during the modern times. The Emperor did not only wanted to rule the masses but also wanted to be an overlord to the living creatures that have attained Dao and become an eternal dictator. If the Emperor could defend such ruling system, he would probably be satisfied even if he could not detach like a Dao Master or Buddha.


    "Grandmaster Qingshui came to the Heaven Courtyard after it collapsed. The Grandmaster saw the projection of the Jingque Jade Booklet and was inspired to create the Taixu Strategy. Because it was only the projection, she was able to accomplish it quickly. If she saw the real form of the Jinque Jade Booklet, it would most probably take her about millions of years to overcome the overindulgence of Dao meaning of the book," said Ziling.


    Shen Lian had many doubts in his mind. For example, when the Emperor disappeared and the deities fought over the Jinque Jade Booklet, even if there was a civil strife that caused the collapse of the Heaven Courtyard, it should not collapse to such degree. Furthermore, if the Emperor was such an invincible figure, how did he disappear so easily? There were too many mysteries.


    Perhaps it was not Ziling who was withholding information, but her understanding of the matter was limited.


    But to think of it, if the Jinque Jade Booklet was so precious, and a small projection of it was able to inspire Grandmaster Qingshui to create the Taixu Strategy, would Ye Liuyun not be concerned that he might be tempted to own it and not hand it over to him after obtaining it?


    Shen Lian felt that he just walked out from a mystery but stepped into another one.


    Ziling Fairy held Shen Lian''s hand as they transformed into a ray of afterimage and departed swiftly.


    Shortly after they left, a loud explosive noise could be heard as a deep hole surfaced at the place that they were at before. Soon, a palace emerged from the hole. It was Yuming the Honored Celestial''s Lingxiao Hall.


    The Lingxiao Hall was once the core of the Heaven Courtyard and the Jinque Jade Booklet was the core of Lingxiao Hall. If Yuming the Honored Celestial obtained the projection of the Jinque Jade Booklet, he could rebuild the Heaven Courtyard and become the next Emperor. Although he could not match the previous Emperor, he would still be one of the strongest ever existed. Lu Jiuyuan''s position as the best in Xuanmen would also be threatened.


    There would be endless advantages if they could rebuild the Heaven Courtyard. At least they could avoid the trials of Dao and would not have to worry about the decreasing of their mana.

 Chapter 364 Burning God

    Shen Lian and Ziling have entered deeper into the Heaven Courtyard. Unsurprisingly, Shen Lian sensed the presence of the unwelcome guests.


    When Yuming the Honored Celestial steered his newly mastered Lingxiao Hall to this place, Shen Lian was able to envision it. He knew that the grandmaster saw it too.


    As they both practiced the Taixu Strategy as their fundamentals, the exchange of breath and unity of divine thoughts increased their senses greatly.


    He let go of the narrow view of Guangqing and focused on what was ahead of him.


    Even if it was one of the many Heaven Courtyards, or if it was a terrible damaged Heaven Courtyard, its vastness was beyond Shen Lian''s imagination.


    But it was not the vastness of this dead land that bothered Shen Lian and the grandmaster. It was the person right in front of them that was somewhat disturbing.


    He was not really a person but more of a majestic mountain that was semi-kneeling with both palms supporting the ground. Those giant palms could smash a mountain.


    He showed no signs of vitality. His eyes were opened but had no pupils. Judging from his expression, he was probably not in pain when he died, as if he did not manage to react to his sudden death.


    Ziling said, "The divine form of the Gigantes God! This person was probably the legendary practitioner of the Art of Gigantes, the God of the Gigantes. I didn''t expect his remains to be here."


    Shen Lian had encountered a practitioner of the Art of Gigantes. That person was killed by Jiang Hanyan of the Chunyang Daoist Palace. His remains were only as big as the Giant''s finger and yet he was already considered as an extremely skilled cultivator.


    Considering the giant had mastered the divine form of the Gigantes, he was a deity that was comparable to the likes of celestials and Buddha. Shen Lian wondered what sort of attack could kill a figure like that all of a sudden.


    He asked, "If Founding Master Qingshui had entered this place, didn''t she see this God of the Gigantes?"


    Ziling answered, "Founding Master Qingshui entered the Heaven Courtyard from a different entrance. She was a special case and it''s impossible for us to take the same route as her. However, some of her remaining Dao rhythms should still linger around the Jingque Jade Booklet. If we''re near the Jinque Jade Booklet, we would be able to feel the Dao rhythm and determine the location of the book."


    Shen Lian finally figured out the reason Ye Liuyun asked him to look for the Jinque Jade Booklet. It was not necessarily because Ye Liuyun couldn''t enter the place but it was because of the relations between Taixu Strategy and the Jinque Jade Booklet. The possibility of Shen Lian finding the Jinque Jade Booklet was higher than him.


    The remaining Dao rhythm of Founding Master Qingshui after she created the Taixu Strategy would definitely be extremely profound. Even if thousands of years have passed, it would not have vanished and Shen Lian would be able to sense it as it has the same traits as the Taixu Strategy.


    It was still a mystery how Ye Liuyun found out about this matter. If it was not for Ziling, Shen Lian would not know about it.


    Shen Lian could not think too much under such circumstances.


    The God of the Gigantes must have been dead for a long time. His body looked dull and wrinkled, and his strong face had traces of wind erosion. He was once an all-powerful person who could command the wind and clouds but now, he was just a lifeless object.


    But after all, the God of Gigantes was not an ordinary being. He may look like he did not have a special godly body but in fact, his body contained a horrifying hint of energy that should never be underestimated even after so many years of wear and tear.


    Shen Lian said, "Grandmaster, I heard that the divine form of the Gigantes has the powerful strength to pull mountains. Even if they were not equipped with spells or methods, they could easily cause celestials and Buddha to flinch."


    Ziling answered, "Even if he''s still alive, he would undoubtedly lose to the both of us."


    "That''s certainly true. Furthermore, he''s dead now and there''s no way he could stop us." Shen Lian responded.


    "But after all, he''s still useful."


    Zling and Shen Lian looked at each other and smiled. They knew exactly what was on each other''s mind.


    A loud explosive noise could be heard as the palace hanging in the void came closer and closer.


    Shen Lian and Ziling each wielded a ray of divine aura towards the giant at the same time and the both of them disappeared. It happened so fast that they flew up to the sky within a flash.


    In fact, their breaths were still lingering on the ground and have yet to disperse.


    The palace noticed Shen Lian and Ziling and dived downwards. It did not pay too much attention to the dead giant.


    The giant was attacked by the divine aura and was triggered like a lurking beast. Endless dashes of light radiated from his body to set off a horrifying force of energy. It was the cumulative energy from the past and although it had decreased over time, it was still very frightening. And now he finally came out from his final and most magnificent journey.


    An illusive portrait of the giant rose up from the ground. He threw a punch that was condensed with divine aura and a force so terrifying that he could tear down the sky.


    The punch landed on the palace as a hole with the patterns of a swirling pit appeared on the ground. The area around it was surrounded by strips of cracks that stretched several miles deep and ten feet wide.


    Although the palace took the punch, it was still swaying vigorously in mid-air.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial was furious as his hands trembled slightly. On the outside, he looked like he was impressed by the essence of the final blow of the God of the Gigantes but on the inside, he was very heartbroken that the spirituality of his Lingxiao Hall was decreased greatly as a result of the punch.


    He looked to an empty distance far far away with vengeance in his eyes. "


    Lingguang the beautiful nun said, "I didn''t expect Little Shen and Ziling to come. That''s not a bad thing. At least we can make sure that they will never return ever."


    Daoqing caressed his beard and said, "Junior Apprentice Sister, let''s not get involved in unnecessary battles. We should focus on searching for the Jinque Jade Booklet as that is the most important agenda of our trip."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial said, "The Jinque Jade Booklet and the Lingxiao Hall would be able to sense each other but now that the spirituality of the Lingxiao Hall is damaged, the senses are starting to fade out. Oh well, let''s just use the Burning God to fuel the spirituality of Lingxiao Hall."


    In a tender voice, Lingguang called out, "Senior Apprentice Brother!"


    The Burning God referred to the refining of a weak spirituality via occult techniques. Applying it on a magic talisman will induce irreparable damage but it could greatly increase the spirituality of the magic talisman within a short period of time.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial was forced to resort to this decision. The damage of Lingxiao Hall could somehow be fixed in the future but if Shen Lian obtained the Jinque Jade Booklet, his would never be able to fulfill his dreams in this lifetime.


    Shen Lian and Ziling used the remaining power of the God of Gigantes to delay the progress of Guangqing''s people. They then continued to explore deeper and walk pass ruined palaces, one after another. They also saw countless dead gods in gold armor.


    However, they failed to pick up any vibes at these places.


    Meanwhile, Shen Lian felt that the deeper he went, the weaker he felt. Even though he was exchanging breaths with the grandmaster, it did not stop his strength from depleting.


    If he did not hold on to Ziling''s hand, his mana would have depleted even more.


    He had a sudden realization that there was some kind of curse in this place that was undiscoverable by him.

 Chapter 365 Altar

    When Shen Lian felt the curse, his bier all of a sudden became clear. He could imagine himself enlaced with a lot of white strands.


    Not only were they on his body, they were on his grandmaster''s too.


    They were covered in a thin film of light which blocked out the white strands, but the white strands formed under the power of curse still persisted in invading their spirit and mind.


    All of a sudden the Daoist heart of Shen Lian was excited, it entirely overshadowed the discomfort brought about by the power of the curse.


    He and his grandmaster fell to a plot of empty land. To be accurate, it was not just a plot of empty land. The soil was black, and in the middle of it there was a purple circular puddle. When the wind blew, the surface of the puddle did not ripple.


    Ziling Fairy let go of the hand. This seemed safer than other places.


    Even though the ubiquitous power of curse continued to spread, this place was filled with a vitality not found in other places.


    There were no animals or plants, nor human beings, but Shen Lian knew this place contained vitality, within the puddle, but it was not the purple liquid.


    Ziling Fairy crossed her arms and stared at the puddle. She then said, "Shen Lian, can you release some Qi of water element on that puddle? You just need to expense about one layer of mana."


    "Okay, grandmaster." Shen Lian agreed, and he then pinched the formula. A ball of clear water appeared in front of him, and it slowly floated towards the purple puddle. The water was then poured into the purple puddle. Something odd happened.


    When the purple liquid encountered the water, they did not blend in together, instead, it absorbed the water like a sponge. The purple liquid then began to solidify and grow.


    When the clear water was completely absorbed, a purple altar appeared where the puddle originally was.


    The purple altar was shaped like a standard circle, with a total of three floors. Every floor had nine steps at the four corners of east, west, south, and north.


    The top gleamed gold. A jade tree sat floating in the center at the highest point of the altar. It was bursting with vitality, being lit with silver fire like blooming flowers.


    At the highest point of the altar, underneath the jade tree, there sat around rock engraved with mysterious lines. The rock was perhaps more attractive to Shen Lian than the jade tree.


    One had to know that the endless vitality of the jade tree would not make anyone doubt that it could bring a dead man back alive. Furthermore, as it appeared in this stillness, the vitality was even more charming. However, the round rock was magnetic to Shen Lian. He tried to discover the round rock with his divine thoughts.


    The jade tree continued to burn with the silvery white blaze. As Ziling Fairy swung her arm, a strong suction force wrapped around the jade tree, but it stayed still. Shen Lian heard the sound of flowing water, and a Milky Way fell from the sky, like an extremely sharp knife. It cut through the altar and extinguished the fire of the jade tree. Within seconds, there appeared a Milky Way water curtain around the altar which enclosed it.


    "Grandmaster, what is that jade tree? Could it be the Jinque Jade Booklet?" Shen Lian asked in a serious manner. He had suspicions that it could be the Jinque Jade Booklet, as while it was called a booklet, it might not be in the form of a book. Also, the round rock underneath the jade tree could be engraved with Grandmaster Qingshui''s Dao rhythm. It could be the reason why it was so attractive to him.


    Ziling did not respond, instead, she blasted out a sword aura which could pierce through the sky. It began to frost, and the frost even retarded the mind and spirit of Shen Lian. One could tell how cold the frost was by that mere fact.


    Ziling''s clothing began to turn green. She was dressed in a tight green suit which was clean and neat. The long sword she was holding was buzzing.


    She pointed the tip of her sword in front, but not at the altar.


    In the void in front, there appeared a beautiful woman in white silk. One could almost see her extremely charming body. Shen Lian thought that the color of the silk was not that of the snow, but of the skeletons.


    When he saw the beautiful woman in white, he thought about endless skeletons and the deaths they represented.


    She must have killed a lot of people, and then attained new life from death.


    The most important thing was, she was there before him and his grandmaster.


    The corner of Qing Xiao''s lips lifted slightly. The curve was well suited for her. It was perfect.


    When she smiled, it cooled the heaven and earth.


    The beautiful woman in white said, "If I don''t destroy you to the core, you will definitely be a disaster to me sooner or later. This time you have no opportunity to be reincarnated."


    Qing Xiao replied, "Battling against us, you will be the one being destroyed."


    Shen Lian knew clearly that the beautiful woman in front of him was his grandmaster''s enemy. It meant that she was his enemy too.


    He looked at the beautiful woman in white and saw her eyes. The eyes were supposed to carry all her enchantment, but deep down one could only sense coldness. She had no emotions.


    The beautiful woman in white looked at them mockingly.


    She did not explain but Shen Lian and Qing Xiao knew what the basis was.


    A green ray arrived from far, and one could see an extremely handsome and young Daoist with a green bull in the form of a green ray arriving in an instant. His head was all white.


    The four iron hooves of the bull could wreck the void, and the two horns could pierce through the sky. Its deep roar seemed to send everyone into a wide musical region, where the firm ground was shattered to ashes and being turned into a desert.


    The white-haired, green-clothed Daoist next to the green bull was Shen Lian''s acquaintance.


    It was Wu Qingzi. He smiled at Shen Lian, "Brother Shen, how are you? Congratulations on achieving Daoist immortality."


    Shen Lian replied leisurely, "My friend, Wu Qing, are you here to help this one out?"


    Wu Qingzi shook his head, "Taishang Daoist Sect and Qing Xuan have no conflicts. My brother bull here wants to help the lady. I am self-aware - I know I have no ability to intervene your conflicts, and I have no interest in doing so."


    Green bull mumbled, "Brat, stop talking so much. If we are going to fight, let''s end this soon. I still want to go back to my nap."


    It then glared at Qing Xiao and Shen Lian, "Which one of you would like to fight with me? Or do you both want to at the same time."


    Shen Lian said, "My grandmaster will have scorned to fight with you, beast. Let this disciple''s disciple take care of you."


    The bull laughed crazily, "Good boy, you''re brave. I will surely beat you till you turn into ashes, and you will never be reincarnated again."


    The bull roared again and it trembled the heaven and earth. The hooves stepped on the void and underneath it, it was just a blur. The pair of horns followed the path of the heaven, and they pierced through the void easily. Carrying with it the power to destruct the endless void, it rushed towards Shen Lian.


    While the bull was clumsy, it had tremendous power.


    It had obtained the real essence of strength.


    Shen Lian did not panic, he then formed mudra with his hands. An imaginary mountain and river appeared on top. He looked at the surrounding, and they were then pushed forward suddenly.

 Chapter 366 Five-colored Divine Peak

    Qing Xiao drew out the long sword, and the buzzing of the sword could pierce through even the bull''s roar. The cold gleam of the sword lunged towards the beautiful woman in white without hesitation.


    In that moment, Wu Qingzi calmly walked towards the altar which was enclosed by the milky way water curtain.


    Shen Lian was immersed entirely in the activation of the Mark of Mountains and Rivers. He blocked out all disturbances from the external environment, and even neglected the terrifying aura of the green bull in front of him.


    The Mark of Mountains and Rivers was not the scariest technique in Qing Xuan, but it had a grand boldness was uncomparable among the techniques in Qing Xuan.


    The importance of technique was not about the quantity but the quality.


    Since he entered immortality, his cultivation experience and mana had improved to an unimaginable state.


    Now that the Mark of Mountains and Rivers was formed, all the profound meanings began to appear in his Daoist heart like breathing. He could feel the real meaning of the Mark of Mountains and Rivers. At the beginning of time, the earth had nothing. It was clear and lonely, until one day there appeared the running rivers, and the tall standing mountains. They had brought the changes to this bare land.


    The river was its blood, and the mountain its soul.


    The Mark of Mountains and Rivers could only release its maximum power when the Qi of Essence and the spirit were fused into one.


    Primordial meant the Qi and the spirit meant the soul. The primordial spirit was the fusion of Qi of essence and the soul. It had the characteristics of the physical and the spiritual. It was another form of life, and it exceeded the limitations of characteristics of living creatures.


    Shen Lian''s heart was a blur. In a confused state, his Qi of essence and spirit began to circulate in a unique way, which flowed into the mark of mountains and rivers.


    The monstrous mana was surging, and it began to bury the blur void in front.


    Two horrifying powers were clashing, and the repercussions could break mountains and reverse the flow of water in a river.


    The green bull let out an angry roar, and the two horns'' divine lights glowed even stronger. They were burning like the sun, with a strong will for battle.


    It was a magical creature with noble bloodline. Even though it did not shapeshift, its horrendous power demands that an immortal Zhenren treat it seriously. The will of battle had an unassailable murderous Qi surrounding the bull''s head. It never stopped.


    Waves and waves of Qi of vitality, along with the roar of the sea were clashing the Mark of Mountains and Rivers. The imaginary mountains and rivers were standing tall. They were not shaken.


    The elephant was shapeless.


    When the power between the green bull and Shen Lian clashed, there was no loud roar which could shake the heaven and earth. The heaven and earth fell into silence, but the void between the two of them became layered, and odd phenomena began to occur. There was a bright moon on top of the sea, and there were suddenly peaks that were ten thousand feet tall. There were roaring rivers, mysterious palaces and endless forests.


    These images belonged elsewhere, it occured as the two''s attack pierced through space and bent light. The human and the bull fell into some form of silence.


    The bull''s eyes began to let out a purple fume. It got even more mysterious. Along with that was the body which was akin to that of a small hill. It was looking down at everything, like the king of beasts.


    The clear light in its eyes were like giant light pillars which were shining at Shen Lian, but as it got close to Shen Lian, it began to dissipate.


    Shen Lian stood quietly on the ground. Behind Shen Lian, the ground was normal, but the ground in front of him was a deep hole which seemed bottomless. It clearly demonstrated the damage caused by the battle between him and the green bull.


    Even with this terrifying exchange, the Qi of vitality in the surrounding did not seem to exceed that of Shen Lian. One could tell how terrifying Shen Lian was.


    Shen Lian was like a tall mountain and a huge river. He formed an obstacle which could not be stepped over by anything. Nothing could affect the battle between his grandmaster and the beautiful woman in white.


    A broken heaven courtyard was lonely, but Shen Lian was here, his divine aura burning independently. His expression was solemn, and he was forming the mark in a serious manner. There were five-colored lights surrounding him like the sunset mist. It seemed to reflect that he was the ancient deity which ruled over the mountain and river.


    The green bull moved, and there was a cold light that flashed through its purple eyes. It did not say anything. It wanted to crush Shen Lian with all his power.


    Strength could break ten thousand techniques. If the strength was sufficiently large, all Daoist techniques or supernatural power would be jokes. They were like paper tigers which seem fierce but could not even take one hit.


    It was a natural mutant and it stood at a high position since birth, and hence it never had the thought to shapeshift into a human.


    This human was strong and indeed powerful. It wanted to crush him.


    Shen Lian methodically set up the mark, it was still the Mark of Mountains and Rivers, but it was now different. He blended his divine aura into the mark with an unbelievable speed. All of a sudden the heaven and earth began to buzz.


    Then a green divine light was out, and it turned into a green divine peak on top of the green bull''s back.


    The green bull just stopped for a while, then it continued to rush forward.


    While the mountain was heavy, it could still move underneath it.


    Shen Lian behaved leisurely. He dispatched another streak of yellow divine lights, which turned into a yellow divine peak on top of the green divine peak.


    The green bull stopped for a while. The roar continued to shake the heaven and earth. It kept propelling forward.


    Shen Lian sent in a red divine light, and the red peak continued to stack on the green and yellow divine peaks.


    He subsequently ejected black and white divine lights, and they turned into two divine peaks.


    A total of five divine peaks were on top of the green bull. It could not support the weight anymore. It sank into the deep hole which was formed from their battle previously. Carrying the five divine peaks, where green, yellow, red, black and white lights of the five-colored divine peaks were circulating, and formulating a special prohibition which entrapped him.


    Shen Lian''s expression was indifferent, but his spirit was lifted - he never felt so happy before. He finally upgraded the Dao of Five Elements to his own supernatural power.


    The five divine peaks were all formed based on the Mark of Mountains and Rivers and the five elements of Qi of essence. Once they were formed, there would be no end to them. They would be connected to heaven and earth. Even if the green bull had a huge reserve of Mana, it would not be able to escape in a short while.


    He did not bother with where the wild bull came from. His attention was shifted towards Wu Qingzi.


    Wu Qingzi''s white hair was flowing in the wind, looking otherworldly. Outside of the altar, he attempted to break the milky way water curtain. When he noticed Shen Lian had kept the green bull under control using the five-element divine peaks, he was stunned.


    Shen Lian spoke, "My friend Wu Qing, if you leave now, I can let you go."


    Wu Qingzi did not answer. At this stage, if he could not get the item at the altar, every prior effort would come to naught.


    One had to know that the green bull had a powerful background, even the respected Daoists in the sect would have to pay respect to it. It was not because of his position or bloodline, but because of its divine strength which was not below divine forms of the Jingang or the Gigantes. He did not believe that Shen Lian could trap the green bull for long, and he too doubted that after Shen Lian kept the green bull under control, he would have much energy left.


    With that reason, it was impossible for Wu Qingzi to give up.


    Shen Lian''s expression was cold as he headed towards Wu Qingzi step by step. The deep footsteps seemed to come from the Nine Underworlds, representing death. His sword aura was akin the drizzle, which was omnipotent. Wu Qingzi felt shocked.


    Wu Qingzi''s fear turned into anger. Above his head there appeared an ancient tower, which was releasing some yellow Qi. It blocked away Shen Lian''s sword aura.

 Chapter 367 Milky Way Sword Seed

    "What is this tower?" Shen Lian asked suddenly.


    In Wu Qingzi''s gaze lies Shen Lian''s cold stare. His eyes were like a mirror, which is supposed to reflect him, but he only saw the ancient tower and a sword.


    "The Black and Yellow Tower of Protection." Wu Qingzi could not help but answer.


    Shen Lian replied, "It is a good tower, but it can''t save your life."


    A black and yellow wooden sword appeared in Shen Lian''s hand. His Daoist clothes were elevated, and he took the stepped forward slowly.


    The black and yellow wooden sword was made of extraordinary material. It had the buzz of metal, and the clanking sound it made was comparable to the metal strings of a pipa. Shen Lian''s sword will grew deeper, like a grim reaper.


    Even when the black and yellow Qi was lowered, like the supreme shield that blocked out the sword will, Wu Qingzi''s Daoist heart which was usually calm still felt cold.


    He had the black and yellow tower, which he was confident could save him. He was a true disciple, and he believed Shen Lian would take that into consideration and hence would not eliminate him, which could cause Qing Xuan to have a bad relationship with Taishang Daoist sect.


    They too had exchanged great conversations and seemed to understand each other. He believed Shen Lian was someone who appreciated old friends.


    Every word of the Taishang Detection Technique flowed in his heart. Wu Qingzi''s Daoist heart had the light from the sun and the moon. It swept away all the negative emotions and made him even calmer.


    Shen Lian was five steps away from him.


    Even a common man could have caused blood spill within five steps, more so for Shen Lian and Wu Qingzi.


    Within five steps, Wu Qingzi could immediately activate the supreme mystical art from Taishang Daoist sect. Even if Shen Lian had entered immortality, he could not ignore it.


    As long as he continued to keep Shen Lian around, he could then wait till the green bull escaped.


    The two of them never spoke again. When Wu Qingzi saw Shen Lian''s cold expression, he thought suddenly, "I must not make the first move."


    As he was under the protection of the black and yellow tower, if he attacked, it would reveal the weakness of the black and yellow Qi which acted as a protection.


    He was glad that he could still think properly. The endless Qi from the top of his head was pumped into the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection. The layers and layers of black and yellow Qi were indestructible. Even if Shen Lian possessed the ultimate killing sword, he could not pierce through the protection.


    Wu Qingzi was indifferent. Even if today he chose to only defend, he would definitely attack in the future.


    Shen Lian looked apathetic. His sword followed the trace of the great way, it was the starting ritual of the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura. It was not limited to just the starting ritual. Halfway through, the long sword was suddenly swung forward, and the vibration of the tip of the sword was indescribably elegant. It even stunned Wu Qingzi who was underneath the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection.


    It was also Wu Qingzi''s last reaction. All of a sudden there was a huge hole in his skull despite the fact that the black and yellow Qi was still protecting him. The killing sword aura came from nowhere and pierced through his skull.


    The sharpness of this sword needed no description, but the unpredictability of it was what made it hard to take precautions.


    With the aid of Taishang Daoist sect''s powerful defense instrument, the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection, even Wu Qingzi who had a great deal of mana could not take one sword from Qing Xuan''s Zhenren Shen.


    It resonated with the rumor that was often circulated, "Anyone beneath the immortal Zhenren is just insignificant dust."


    Until his death, Wu Qingzi did not understand how the sword could pierce through the protection of the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection and attack him directly.


    Shen Lian''s sword seemed to break some sort of rule of heaven and earth. An invisible ripple was transmitted through the void to the four corners of heaven and earth.


    Such swordcraft had already become one with the heaven and earth. Its appearance would shock the four corners.


    On top of Mount Zhong, and within the temple, Chen Beidou stood like a lonely peak. He was originally the deity of Mount Zhong, and he was initially a mountain. He spoke of the following words, "The Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura."


    He extended his finger, and a circular screen appeared in the void. Shen Lian''s face could be clearly seen. Chen Beidou''s eyes were deep, without any murderous thoughts, but they had a hint of inexplicable joy.


    Shen Lian did not even look at the corpse of Wu Qingzi that was rid of vitality. He too did not express any interest in the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection. He was unsympathetic towards Wu Qingzi''s death, despite the fact they used to befriend over shared personality traits.


    Everyone had their own choices, and every consequence was due to their choices, even if it was death.


    Qing Xiao who was battling with the beautiful woman in white began to laugh. The beautiful woman was in shock when she realized Shen Lian overcame the green bull and Wu Qingzi.


    When she intended to leave, the green fire on Qing Xiao began to burn, and all of a sudden the heaven and earth fell into a deep silence. Everything was frozen.


    Even the thought of the beautiful woman in white was frozen. She could only see Qing Xiao who waved her arm and pierced through the middle of her brows with her sword. The green fire then followed the sword and began to burn. Her beautiful skin disappeared, and her flesh and blood too disappeared, along with her gorgeous face. Within the ice, there remained only a cold skeleton. It then disintegrated into ice powder as it crashed.


    An illusive shadow attacked Qing Xiao, but it was stopped by the black and yellow wooden sword. It was burning in red, and the shadow was burnt till nothing was left.


    The smile on Qing Xiao''s lips did not disappear. She turned slightly transparent as if a wind could blow her away.


    Shen Lian knew the supernatural power that froze the beautiful woman in white brought great burden to Qing Xiao. If he was not around, and if the remaining spirit of the beautiful woman in white attempted to kill them, both of them could have died.


    Shen Lian felt relieved as he made it in time. If the sword was slightly slower, Qing Xiao would have been killed.


    He approached Qing Xiao and he passed on his power of the primordial spirit to Qing Xiao. He thought that after the experience with grandmaster Ziling, the two''s Qi could blend in well and help Qing Xiao recover quickly.


    As the power of the primordial spirit entered, it destroyed everything along the way and even swallowed some of Qing Xiao''s remaining power of the primordial spirit. Shen Lian immediately took it back.


    Qing Xiao was in worse pain, but she did not say a word. She calmly said, "Stop trying, accompany me up the altar."


    In front of the altar, Qing Xiao began to recite the spells. The heavy Milky Way water curtain then opened up. The two stepped forth towards the altar. After twenty-seven steps, they finally saw the jade tree.


    The whole jade tree was about nine inches tall. It had smooth branches and it was translucent. There was a small sword on top of it with water marks.


    Qing Xiao said, "Go and take the small sword"


    Shen Lian would not doubt Qing Xiao. He approached the jade tree and took down the small sword. After that, the jade tree began to burn with the silvery white blaze, like blooming odd flowers.


    As Shen Lian held the small sword, countless messages entered his Daoist heart. He immediately understood that it was the Milky Way Sword Seed. With it, his Milky Way Sword Aura would comparable to those immortal Zhenrens from Tianhe Daozhong.

 Chapter 368 Shen Lian Here

    The jade tree kept growing until it reached a height of ninety feet. Qing Xiao sat underneath the jade tree.


    The silver flowers of the jade tree were not comparable to the beauty of Qing Xiao. They were enhancing by contrast.


    She sat cross-legged underneath the jade tree and rested her hands on the knees. Her face had no expression, and it was not muddled by any dust. Her clothes were no longer green but were, instead, greenish purple.


    Shen Lian could not tell whether the person here was Qing Xiao or Ziling.


    He never considered himself someone who was fond of women, but at that moment he was infatuated with the grandmaster''s beauty.


    Beyond her, there were just ten thousand feet of the secular mortal world. In contrast, it enhanced the grandmaster''s nobleness.


    She was not affected by Shen Lian''s infatuation. She said, "Shen Lian, for the following three days, please don''t let anyone walk up the altar."


    Shen Lian nodded, and he turned to look at the palace which was approaching from far. He then rose slowly, to the front of it. At the back of him was the Milky Way water curtain. The Milky Way was born from the void, and it flowed underneath the feet of Shen Lian. It then blended into the Milky Way water curtain of the altar.


    Shen Lian finally understood one thing, that the vastness of the Milky Way was beyond anyone''s imagination. It could flow to any corner of heaven and earth.


    The Milky Way Sword Seed could help him get into the real Milky Way channel. Using the channel of Milky Way, he could go to other places which were once conquered by the heaven courtyard. He need not transcend beyond the mortal world to leave.


    This was not any less precious than the Jinque Jade Booklet.


    The grandmaster did not have any hesitation before handing the sword seed to him.


    The palace kept shrinking, and then it fell on the hand of a sage-like middle-aged man. He did not have to get angry to show his authority. The flow of his superb mystique was akin to playing a chilly ancient music.


    The middle-aged man was not just anybody, but the most outstanding person from Guangqing Celestial Sect, or so-called Yuming the Honored Celestial.


    While the immortal Zhenren had taken steps to becoming a celestial, the honored celestial was not something every immortal Zhenren could become. One could only imagine how powerful this person was.


    On his sides stood an elderly and a beautiful Daoist nun.


    The three greeted Shen Lian, and the elderly said, "My friend Shen, are you going to stop the three of us from going forward?"


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "What if I am going to?"


    The beautiful Daoist nun spoke coldly, "Then today we will resolve the conflicts between the two sects."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Okay, my friend Lingguang. I like your frankness."


    Yuming the honored celestial said nothing, the Lingxiao Hall in his hand was beaming.


    All of a sudden the weather changed and a loud explosion was heard. A gigantic palm appeared, the grappling hand transformed from Qi of Xuanqing was trying to get hold of Shen Lian.


    The hand-formed from Qi of vitality could be achieved by any cultivator who had reached Qiaodong. The power depended on how much mana one possessed. The technique was of a similar level to the Thunder Palm of the martial art world, which was not highly looked upon.


    However, for Yuming the Honored Celestial''s level every movement of his could have the mana which could turn the world around. It was not logical.


    This time around the grappling hand transformed from Qi of Xuanqing was different from what Shen Lian had seen at Mount Taicang.


    After Yuming the Honored Celestial completed the Lingxiao Hall, he managed to overcome the situation where his mana was at a decline. He entered a new level and no one could underestimate that.


    There was no reason for Shen Lian to be ignorant. The five fingers of the grappling hand were not only formed from mana, they contained incomparably sharp Daoist meaning. It turned the grappling hand transformed from Qi of Xuanqing into a killing method.


    As the gigantic hand approached, the Qi of vitality from heaven and earth it gathered accumulated, growing, like a snowball. It also made the gigantic hand slow down. It was like the accumulation of a flood, which made people aware of its horror, but at the same time could be avoided.


    The profoundness of Yuming the Honored Celestial was that he was sure that Shen Lian could not escape.


    Shen Lian was calm, and he knew that the being and non-being of sword aura could not be of use now because Yuming the Honored Celestial was much more powerful than Wu Qingzi. The difference was huge.


    Furthermore, he had more than one enemy, and the being and non-being of sword aura was not as simplistic as to just be an assassination method, but now there were no other opportunities for him to explore the other uses of this technique.


    Shen Lian did one thing only - he used his hand as the sword finger, and a sword gleam that was like the Milky Way appeared. It was only two-finger wide and three feet long.


    When the gigantic hand was almost there, it moved and pointed at the core of the gigantic hand.


    When the gigantic hand was about to grapple and crush Shen Lian along with the sword gleam, the endless Milky Way sword aura did not stop. The three feet sword gleam planted itself at the core of the gigantic hand. As the gigantic hand grasped, it released even more Milky Way sword aura. As the power of the gigantic hand increased, increasing amounts of Milky Way sword aura was released. The gigantic hand began to turn illusory.


    With a crisp explosion, only the Milky Way stood between Yuming the Honored Celestial and Shen Lian.


    While they were separated by just a way, but it was as difficult to cross as the heavenly moat.


    The waters of the Milky Way was never kind. The calmness was just the surface. The three of them were clearly aware of the surging power underneath.


    Lingguang said, "What a great distance separated by the Milky Way. Senior Apprentice-Brother, let me try out how great our friend Shen''s Milky Way swordsmanship is."


    The beautiful Daoist nun smiled and she stepped forward with an ink-colored long sword. Every step forward, the water of the Milky Way took a step back. By the time she got to where it originally was, the water of the Milky Way had disappeared.


    Shen Lian looked at the Daoist nun Lingguang, he spoke slowly, "My friend Lingguang, your Milky Way Swordsmanship is better than mine."


    Lingguang smiled, like a shallow river, but colder than before. It made people feel more comfortable, but at the same time more terrified. She said, "The Milky Way Swordsmanship you practiced is from our sect. You have to know that while I am not as talented as you, my friend Shen, but I have practiced this swordcraft for three hundred years. Even the immortal Zhenren of Tianhe Daozong can''t teach me more."


    Shen Lian knew clearly that if she had spent three hundred years practicing the Milky Way Swordsmanship, even if she did not have the core Milky Way Sword aura, with the knowledge of an immortal Zhenren, she could have fixed the weakness, and completed it to her own innovated Milky Way Swordsmanship.


    This was, of course, logical, as none of the immortal Zhenren could achieve Daoist immortality with their ancestors'' blessings. All of them were exceptional and there was no exception.


    It was also because the Milky Way Swordsmanship of Daoist nun was unique, hence she had the basis to challenge Shen Lian.


    There was no need to fear destiny, and there was no reason why she needed not to challenge the ancestors. This was the kind of behavior a Daoist like her possessed.


    With her newly completed Milky Way Swordsmanship, if she could beat Shen Lian who had obtained the original essence of the Milky Way Swordsmanship square, there were countless benefits for herself. It could even help her improve even further to achieve the success of her own technique. It allowed her to take a peek at the celestial state, which could allow her to be the unfettered celestial who had transcended beyond the mortal world.

 Chapter 369 The Silver Flowers in Between the Jade Tree

    Shen Lian suddenly laughed, he said, "Whether the swordsmanship is profound or not, we will know once we fight. My friend, you''re a woman. I will let you have the first move." He was calm as usual, even though he was facing the three immortal Zhenrens, it did not make him lose his composure.


    This manner indeed had touched Lingguang.


    Who was Lingguang? She was someone who had cultivated for eight hundred years and had achieved Daoist immortality for three hundred years. While she was a woman, her success was unequaled in this land. However, she could really tell Shen Lian was confident from his core that he could stop the three of them, whether it was an individual battle or to the three of them.


    Whatever the ending was, Daoist Nun Lingguang admired his manner. He deserved to lose under her superb swordsmanship which she had practiced for day and night for three hundred years.


    A phoenix would rest on none other than a phoenix tree; it would drink none other than the morning dew. Lingguang shared the pride of a phoenix.


    "Then I will have to take the offer," Lingguang''s smile was like a flower. She walked slowly towards Shen Lian, and suddenly silvery white sword gleam appeared, which adored the sky as if at every wave of hers, there were countless stars falling under her command.


    Shen Lian''s eyes were full of praise. Lingguang was indeed an opponent that brought him surprises. Her swordsmanship was like a seed that fell on the soil, took its root, germinated, bloomed and bore fruits. It was all natural.


    As such, the lustrous silvery-white sword gleam was all natural, and not forced at all. Daoists statement, ''From human there came the earth, from earth there came the sky. From the sky there came Dao, and Dao was natural,'' described that.


    Shen Lian''s eyes were filled with the sword gleam, and his ears were filled with the buzzing of the sword. His divine thoughts were occupied by endless sword will. Lingguang''s sword was everywhere and it pierced through all openings.


    She planted a seed, but it bloomed ten thousand flowers.


    Shen Lian smiled and grasped in awe, he recited, "The silver flowers between the jade trees, like the Milky Way was the Weaving Girl''s home."


    He formed a sword mark leisurely as he was being surrounded by countless silvery white sword gleams.


    Suddenly there appeared a tree in between the silvery white sword gleams, a tree that was exactly the same as the jade tree on the altar. It was blooming with silvery white flowers, and they were all formed by Lingguang''s sword aura. As the jade tree was growing, they all stuck to the jade tree by an indefensible attraction. They looked like they were born on the jade tree naturally.


    Lingguang was terrified.


    From far, Daoqing let out a long sigh and Yuming the Honored Celestial said nothing.


    The profoundness of Shen Lian''s sword was revealed to be his unparalleled ability to create during a battle. Lingguang''s swordsmanship was already near its peak, and she had never used it on others, but as Shen Lian was facing her, he could find a way to overcome it. Such frighteningly genius creativity could not be sufficiently described using only the profoundness of the swordsmanship.


    The woman who was sitting cross-legged underneath the jade tree smiled. She looked at Shen Lian gladly, then she continued to close her eyes and shut down her senses.


    Shen Lian did not advance. He merely stopped, which allowed his Qi dynamic to be at a balance with those of Yuming the Honored Celestial, Daoqing, and Lingguang.


    The sadness revealed from Lingguang''s eyes disappeared quickly. She then spoke softly to Shen Lian, "In terms of the achievement in Dao, I lost, but as you''re the obstacle of Guangqing, we will not stop here because this is a battle between the orthodoxy, the battle for the great way."


    What she said was shameless, but she had to do it because if she walked away in shame because her swordsmanship was broken, it would be a ridiculous joke.


    If she could break away from the whims, she could get rid of the title.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial spoke with a deep voice, "My friend Shen, with your talent, you can be anywhere regardless of how vast the world is. Why do you have to always be in Guangqing''s way? If you don''t step away today, even if you can stop us, you will have to pay an unimaginable price. It can even stop you from succeeding in this life. You have to think carefully."


    To this level of cultivation, sect, orthodoxy, and family, one could give them up if they hurt the path of Dao. Yuming the Honored Celestial believed in this view, as he was originally such a person, and he too reached a level where countless cultivators were not able to. Shen Lian despite being a genius, his level and mana were not necessarily stronger than theirs.


    Immortal Zhenren did not care too much victory or defeat, as long as they did not die and lose all their cultivation experience, a defeat could hardly qualify as one. With time, they could find a way, and for people like them, they did not lack time.


    They too recognized that it would be difficult to kill Shen Lian, and the same went for Shen Lian. Even if he managed to kill one of them, he had to pay a hefty price.


    This was also the reason why immortal Zhenrens stood highly. To this level, even though they were just Dixian, they could be considered a celestial. They could not be killed easily.


    Shen Lian laughed, "If the three of you attack me at the same time, and I just stand here, I will definitely suffer a great deal of damage."


    After he said this, Lingguang''s beautiful eyes blinked. She hoped Shen Lian would leave, as now she began to appreciate his talent. Even if he was her enemy, he deserved respect.


    Furthermore, it was not a good idea to force an immortal Zhenren into a desperate state.


    Before Shen Lian could continue, all in a sudden the bull''s roar could be heard from the deep hole over there. A Green Bull crawled out from it, and its eyes were slightly puzzled. After it shook its eyes a few times, it figured out what happened after he saw the corpse of Wu Qingzi and the fallen tower of the black heaven and yellow earth.


    It then saw the confrontation between Shen Lian and the three, including Yuming the Honored Celestial.


    The Green Bull looked clumsy but it possessed intellect. It roared again, "Damn you, I will kill you."


    It expressed an overwhelming aura towards Shen Lian, even though its hooves did not move.


    But the fact that even the Green Bull wanted to challenge Shen Lian made Daoqing happy. He said that "Shen Lian, if you don''t leave now, you will definitely regret." It was difficult enough to face three celestials from Guangqing, and now with the Green Bull, even if Shen Lian tried his best to resist, it would be a miss.


    Shen Lian was surprised too, as his five-colored divine peaks were formed from the Qi of five elements, it did not have the real weight of five real peaks, but when crushed on top of one''s body, it was more than hundreds of millions of pounds. Even if he was underneath it, it would be hard to escape.


    This Green Bull was frightening, not only did it possessed such strength, it escaped within such a short time.


    While he was surprised, he was not in despair. He followed the principle to take things as they came. He needed to protect the grandmaster.


    With that thought, all the despair disappeared. Even if he died, he had been through a great experience and had taken the step to become a celestial.


    He laughed loudly as he thought his mind was flowing smoothly. The water of the Milky Way was splashing.


    Everyone could hear his loud voice like a boomerang which rang through the void, "If I walk away today, I will regret for the rest of my entire life. Don''t talk too much, come all at once."


    Even though he was in a desperate state, he felt even more motivated to fight, which shocked the three celestials of Guangqing.


    "This individual is indeed a hero." The three celestials from Guangqing all had the same thought.


    They could not find any other description to describe this, and hence the word hero. While it did not quite match with a Daoist, but it was indeed appropriate.


    The Green Bull thought about whether this person was crazy, or whether he had a backup plan. It had to be careful and let the three humans take action before it took any.

 Chapter 370 Blood of Celestials

    The curtain of Milky Way behind Shen Lian was already getting very blurry. All the dust particles on the ground started to rise up to the void.


    If there was no surge of world-shaking divine lights, he would stay there and not leave at all.


    It was not because he did not acknowledge the three celestials of Guangqing and the Green Bull, but only when he did this he could clearly know how terrifying the three humans and one beast were.


    The more it was so, the calmer he was.


    Grandmaster Yuanqing''s sword will, the Avici sword will that Ye Liuyun had gifted, even the Milky Way Sword will and the Dazizai Shapeless Sword will that was just newly attained had all come together and integrated at this moment to transform to be an invincible sword will.


    Taixu could hold anything and everything. This newly formed invincible sword will too.


    However, just having this sword will was insufficient, he still lacked another sword.


    A sword that was almighty and invincible.


    Initially, that sword was a Five Elements Magical Sword that was formed by adding Earth, Water, and Metal elements into Xuande Sword. However, things did not go the way they were supposed to and the Five Elements Magical Sword was not successful.


    Xuande Sword could not take this sword will.


    Was it the only way for him to use his Primordial Spirit as a sword, and transform his whole life into a sword?


    If there was no other choice, he would do it without any hesitation.


    Now it seems like he did not have any other option.


    Yuming, Lingguang, and Daoqing could clearly see Shen Lian''s aura forming as an invincible sword will.


    When this sword will was formed, it definitely had to be released. It either destroyed the enemies or destroyed himself.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian had this unrivaled sword will, but he did not have the one and only magical sword in this world.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial did not smile but deep down he felt relieved.


    Five-colored clouds were formed on top of the three of them and they were linked together as one Qi. It was dazzling and the glowing light rays shone in all directions. They did not want to attack but instead, to defend.


    As long as they could defend Shen Lian''s matchless sword will, they could succeed.


    At the same time, it was an all-or-nothing battle. If one person succeeded, the three of them would succeed together. Similarly, if one failed, the three of them would fail together. This could help share the damage from Shen Lian''s sword will. Even if in the end the Green Bull had hidden motives, when Shen Lian drew his sword, the Green Bull''s Primordial Spirit would be heavily damaged and thus there would be nothing to be afraid of. The three of them would still have the ability to dominate the situation, force the Green Bull to negotiate to reach an agreement.


    Although there was no change in Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s expression, deep down he felt relieved because they were at the wheel.


    Daoqing''s mana condensed, he was prepared to fight the battle. He certainly would not commit any mistake and one might well say that he was experienced and steady.


    Lingguang was slightly apologetic, but the Milky Way Sword aura was constantly shielding the three of them at the outermost layer of the five-colored clouds.


    With endless Milky Way essence, it eroded part of the sharpness of Shen Lian''s invincible sword will. Even if the strike that Shen Lian was about to give out was world-shaking, it might not be able to hurt their fundamentals.


    She was whispering to herself, "Blame the fact that that you were not born in Guangqing." However, she knew that from then on, she would not be able to forget Shen Lian''s face, that there was somebody who exceeded her knowledge about the cultivators and he was so extraordinary.


    He was not merely trying to live an ordinary life, he was a real Dao practitioner. Once he had made his decision to do something, no matter how difficult it was, he would do it.


    This kind of durable morality was usually masked under his calm and leisurely appearance. But when it erupted, it would be so stirring.


    The Green Bull lied down at one corner and its eyes rolled a few times. Finally, it decided not to move.


    When Shen Lian''s sword will was about to peak when his Primordial Spirit was about to transform to the sword will''s medium, he was about to be at the most transcendent moment in his life. There was a blood red longsword flying down from far accompanied by a leisure groaning of the sword.


    The murderous intent that came from it actually integrated into Shen Lian''s invincible sword will.


    This felt like although Shen Lian''s sword will was already invincible, it was merely just a non-living thing. But with the long sword''s arrival, it then had the real backbone, a soul.


    "I''ll lend you this sword. Three years later, come up to Mount Zhong to look for me."


    When this voice appeared, everybody felt chill in their bones. It was colder than the snow and sharp like an exquisite sword that thrust into their hearts.


    When Shen Lian took over the sword, his Primordial Spirit merged harmoniously with the blood red sword, as though they had been each other''s companion for many years and they were connected at a deep level with each other.


    He knew its name was ''The Trapping of Celestial''. He also knew its current master was Chen Beidou, but it did not affect the connection between them.


    There was an upsurge of boundless red glow. Shen Lian moved forward calmly.


    The sword''s name was ''The Trapping of Celestial''


    Lingguang was shocked. She made a prompt decision to attack with the Milky Way sword aura and stopped her self-defense.


    The majestic sword aura was just exactly like the strong Milky Way.


    The greatness of this sword could be a perfect example to any Cultivator of the Sword.


    A lady''s sword could actually have such fiery vigor.


    When Lingguang struck with her sword and if the Milky Way went downright, it would be irreversible. It also carried an irresistible powerful momentum.


    Even Yuming the Honoured Celestial had strong admiration her Junior Apprentice-Sister.


    Shen Lian held The Trapping of Celestial Sword and struck. The strike came off lightly like a young butterfly which just came out of its cocoon, still carrying some uncertainties.


    This strike looked so fragile, so much so that it differs from the previously invincible sword will which was softly being conquered in the endless wave of the Milky Way.


    Just like the whispers between lovers and the flowing whimpers.


    However, suddenly the huge waves formed by the Milky Way sword aura was painted in red. One strike penetrated through the air, it was indeed invincible.


    It was just like a dream that slowed people''s ability to respond on time.


    Carried with some red rays, the bright red sword tip landed on Lingguang''s body just like the drizzle in a spring breeze.


    Shen Lian''s face was calm and he used one strike to pierce through Lingguang''s chest where the heart was located at. When he pulled out the long sword, the slightly clear fresh blood suddenly gushed out.


    Before Lingguang''s shocking expression had even faded, Shen Lian walked past her and approached Daoqing with a strike.


    Daoqing was already prepared, he did not have time to worry about his Junior Apprentice-Sister.


    One punch was being fired and infinite power was concentrated in that punch.


    It was just like a roaring dragon which swept away everything.


    If there was a mountain in front, that punch would shatter the whole mountain into pieces.


    When this punch was thrown, it was as though the entire space had collapsed, just like a completely sealed house with its air inside suddenly drawn out causing the atmospheric pressure of the outside world crushes the entire house.


    On top of that, there was a palace above the fist, which was pressed down together with the punch.


    This celestial palace was built from a lot of spiritual materials. Its weight was definitely no lesser than a gigantic mountain. Moreover, it contained Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s supreme mana.


    The dominating aura was so overwhelming that huge waves tore the banks apart and the jagged boulders would pound the clouds.


    It was enough to make anyone feel despair.


    Shen Lian calmly drew out his sword. His fair hand was stained by a drop of slightly clear blood bead which had a faint fragrance. This was not his blood but Lingguang''s blood.


    The blood was not in bright red color but an almost transparent light red water droplet.


    This was celestial''s blood essence, its mortal smell faded long ago.


    The strike by Shen Lian pierced through Lingguang the Daoist nun''s heart, where its blood essence was located at.

 Chapter 371 The Closing Ceremony/The End of the Show

    Although Shen Lian was holding the extremely brutal Trapping of Celestial Sword, he actually felt quiet and peaceful, not distracted by anything.


    The essence of the Mastery of Senses suddenly became clear in his heart of Dao. Every word and every sentence, and even the innate god''s blouse all seemed so wonderful.


    With the aid of his Taixu Divine Qi, he was so closely integrated with the heaven and earth that he could have a transcendent perspective to overlook the entire heaven and earth.


    He saw himself holding a sword, leisurely strolling while randomly swaying the sword. The exquisite sword moves were those that he had never seen before. He followed the tracks on the avenue while connecting with its majestic power.


    He was surrounded by a red glow which formed a deadly sword arena. Infinite sword aura filled the entire sword arena.


    The powerful dragon-like punch by Daoqing was shortly being crushed by Shen Lian''s sword aura. The sound made by the sword set the vastly majestic palace quaking.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial was filled with hatred. He even hated the person who sent the sword to the core.


    With the aid of Celestial Trapping Sword, his combat capability was not at the level of immortal Zhenren anymore. Moreover, those who were at the state of celestialism were naturally restrained by the Celestial Trapping Sword.


    He not only had to face the terrifying sword aura, his mind and spirit were constantly being attacked by the bloody murderous intent. Even with his immortal Zhenren''s moral nature, it was as miserable as the breakout of whims in the past.


    Yuming did not think that he still had any odds of winning this battle.


    He yelled, "My cow friend, when we are all defeated, how would it benefit you?"


    The green bull roared, as though he was moved by Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s word.


    A terrifying oscillation of energy appeared. His pair of horns, loud and clear like the heaven water, the sound waves was earth-shaking.


    Even Shen Lian was affected and thus he secretly took precautionary measures.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial was motivated by this and his morale and Daoqing''s were boosted. They decided to give all out and the terrifying lightning exploded. The thunder was so loud and all the talismans flew out from Lingxiao Palace. Endless of spells were attacking Shen Lian.


    Daoqing was non-stop giving out light rays using all his entire mana without caring about his life to form all the terrifying Dao techniques.


    The heaven and earth around it were involved in this battle and they were badly affected and damaged. The power of the curse flowing in the heaven courtyard was affected and it actually condensed to form blood rain in the void and it was flowing heavily.


    No doubt that this was an earth-shattering battle. If this happened in the mortal world, the consequences could be ghastly. There would be so many innocent living creatures being involved in this and faced death.


    Remnants of the celestials'' skeletons in the Heaven Courtyard were all affected by the battle''s repercussion. They had the similar remnants of the power of skeletons of the divine form of the gigantes, but more or less left with nothing.


    At this moment, there was an explosion. The resonance from the explosion filled the entire heaven and earth and dimmed the stars.


    Every explosive sound was not less terrifying than the immortal Zhenren''s powerful strike.


    The damaged Heaven Courtyard had already lost its core of operation, how could it still withstand such mighty force?


    The void started to collapse slowly, there was no time for recovery.


    The green bull''s enormous psyche power exploded which made people fearful. But what shocked everyone was that it did not attack Shen Lian. Instead, it opened its mouth widely, revealing the Black and Yellow Tower of Protection and Wu Qingzi''s corpse in its mouth. Then it turned around, his feet stepped on the void and disappeared quickly in distance.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial was so pissed off that his lungs were about the explode. Demon beasts lacked wisdom. They lacked the ability to consider. What a waste to have such a fierce look, but in actual fact, they were as timid as a mouse.


    This kind of creature could actually have power equivalent to that of immortal Zhenren, it was so unfair.


    If it was any cultivator who entered the path of Daoism for Huandan, he or she would definitely be more courageous than the demon beast.


    When Shen Lian got his hand on Celestial Trapping Sword, the green bull already decided to flee from the situation. The sword was too terrifying that it made the green bull feel that its life was threatened.


    Prior to this, no matter how strong Shen Lian''s attack was, it would not cause any lethal damage to its body. The most he could do was to suppress it for a short while only. But with the incomparable murderous intent of Celestial Trapping Sword, it really made the Green Bull tremble on the inside.


    It possessed a power that was comparable to the celestials. However, this originated from the bloodline inheritance, hence its temperament was not comparable to the celestials that had broken away from whims. It might not even be comparable to the demon kings who came from ordinary demon clans.


    However, it did not feel that something was wrong. One could only have everything if one was alive, this was the Green Bull''s first survival rule. As for its face and courage, they meant nothing.


    As for Yuming the Honoured Celestial who was still putting up a stubborn resistance had become a fool in his heart.


    When Shen Lian witnessed how the Green Bull fled without any hesitation, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.


    It was good that the Green Bull had left, his only biggest enemy was still Yuming the Honoured Celestial.


    He could clearly feel that using Celestial Trapping Sword consumed an immense mana which was way beyond his imagination.


    Even if his sword will be able to bear with Celestial Trapping Sword and there was no conflict and they even merged harmoniously, but the mana used to move this sword was so tremendous that even for his state of celestialism, it would be like a young child carrying a heavy hammer. It was not as easy as it looked.


    But Yuming the Honoured Celestial was not aware of it. Even if he knew, there was nothing he could do about it.


    The power of Shen Lian''s sword aura was real. If something went wrong and his body was hurt, that would be a serious injury.


    Yuming and Daoqing had been through so many fierce battles in their entire life but none was as dangerous as this time.


    When Shen Lian''s sword will merged into the sword aura, it would be so invincible that any Dao technique, Talisman or magical trick would be easily defeated when facing the sword aura.


    The repercussions from outside world finally spread here and endless of energy gushed in. At the same time, there was a real heavenly palace appeared in the sky that looked exactly the same as Lingxiao Hall.


    The illusionary heavenly palace possessed such supreme majesty which made the Lingxiao Hall that belonged to Yuming the Honoured Celestial look like an old and broken house at a rural area.


    The infinite divine lights appeared surrounding the heavenly palace, followed by the illusionary celestials filling the entire sky.


    This damaged Heaven Courtyard was manifesting the momentary recovery of its memory just before the end of its life and walking its last magnificent journey.


    Facing such a terrifying doomsday scenario, Yuming the Honoured Celestial could not even be bothered about where the Jinque Jade Booklet was at.


    Then, there was an excruciating scream. One of Daoqing''s elbow was being severed by Shen Lian. Yuming the Honoured Celestial was frightened and quickly went to give him a helping hand but it was already too late. Daoqing yelled, "Quickly, leave this place, Junior Apprentice-Brother."


    The firmness in his voice made Yuming the Honoured Celestial, his Junior Apprentice-Brother who had been living with him for hundreds of years understand his intention that even if he were to pay the price of destroying his Primordial Spirit, he would want to perish together with Shen Lian.


    Moreover, this place was clearly going to collapse.


    Yuming the Honoured Celestial did not even have the time to take his Junior Apprentice-Sister, Lingguang, who might have been dead away. The only way for him to break his way out was to leave the palace and get into the endless storm of energy.


    Followed by Daoqing''s location, a striking white glow which was brighter than the Milky Way suddenly exploded.


    Finally, the tide of Qi of vitality also surged in. The illusionary sky and the illusionary celestials were all destroyed in the surging tide and dissipated into the bright white glow.


    This Heaven Courtyard was finally going to disappear. The last traces of the celestials would also vanish.


    Shen Lian held his blood red Celestial Trapping Sword while carrying a beautiful Daoist nun and retreated to the altar. Then, the void collapsed and endless majestic divine power surged into the surrounding of his body. It was so much scarier than the catastrophes in the apocalypse.


    After the explosion, an endless darkness arrived.


    In the mortal world, those who were on their way to the scene witnessed the Southern Heavenly Gate vanished and there were not even any traces left behind.


    Anyhow, the Heaven Courtyard was an unconventional wonder at this place. Even if it came to an end of its life, it would make the outsiders feel somehow miserable and wasted.


    The disappearance of the Heaven Courtyard also signified the end of an era. This was something that the others have not thought about now.

 Chapter 372 Even the Negligible Secular Dust Could Overlook the Entire World

    What did the real void in the universe look like? If one had not seen it with one''s own eyes, one would never get the correct answer.


    Gazing at the stars from the ground, you would see the stars gathered and shone so brightly that it would weave an embroidered sky of stars.


    But when one was outside of the heaven and earth, what one witnessed would be boundless darkness. Even if one could see the stars glowing, it would be so distant that it filled people with despair.


    The universe encompassed countless of stars but there was even more boundless void. Aside from the peculiar energy rays, there was nothing in the void. It was difficult to even search for a dust particle in there.


    In such a void, there was a floating lonely altar. At the peak of the altar was a withered jade tree. Below the tree sat a beautiful looking lady whose eyes were closed tightly and she was not breathing. Of course, there was no oxygen there.


    She remained stationary and she was quiet like an exquisite sculpture and did not look like a living thing.


    One floor below the altar was Shen Lian with a blood red long sword on his knees. He was gazing at the front, that was also darkness but within the darkness was an enormous halo. This was because the darkness in front was actually an enormous star and he was right behind it. Thus, he was able to avoid the burning fire of the sun located at the sunny side of the star.


    This star was exactly where Qing Xuan was located at.


    Right beside Shen Lian lied a good-looking Daoist nun. At this moment, she woke up and opened her beautiful eyes. What came into her sight was Shen Lian''s side face. However, she could not see clearly. She realized that her eyes could not look at things anymore. She could only depend on her spiritual sense to detect that there was someone beside her.


    Thus when her divine thoughts were extricated, she felt infinite sharp pain in the beginning, then only she could see Shen Lian clearly.


    However, that suffering followed her.


    She could not recall how long ago she actually felt such terrifying pain. What made her feel even more helpless was that her body could not move at all, it was very stiff. To be precise, she felt numb and frozen.


    The power of her Primordial Spirit was flowing in her body and she finally felt slightly warmer. Her bodily control started to recover, her eyes gradually regained sight, but it was very dark here, there was minimal light.


    At the same time, the cold that she felt was indescribable. It was not chill, but cold, a bare cold that no heat energy could be stored here.


    What she was not aware of was that if she left this altar, she would not even have the chance to feel cold.


    In such a boundless universe, even an immortal Zhenren was just as if a negligible dust particle.


    Absolute cold and the blazing heat together with the peculiar energy that was at every corner would kick her down to the mortal world.


    Transcending beyond the mortal world did not only symbolize that you could free yourself from the restriction of heaven and earth, but it also meant you could use your body or Primordial Spirit to traverse the galaxy universe and that was the existence of majesty.


    Those that could travel from one place to another, at a distance that was impossible for ordinary people were immortal Zhenrens. To compare with it, there was still a vast difference.


    "You''re the one that saved me?" Lingguang remained silent for a moment and finally used her divine thoughts to ask.


    She did not really want to use her divine thoughts because her psyche was subjected to too much interference here. The peculiar energy was just like a hacksaw cruelly severing her divine thoughts which made her feel so suffocating that it had reached her limit.


    If it was not because she had been through so much ordeal back when she was trying to attain immortality, she would have faced mental breakdown by now.


    Perhaps after being immortal, she had been living a leisure life. Thus, when this kind of pain happened, it would be somehow more intense.


    Shen Lian looked at her and smiled, "Isn''t it obvious enough?"


    Lingguang was already sitting, she was at a very close distance with Shen Lian but there was no thought of fighting. Because any form of fighting thought at this moment was not rational. She would not doubt how terrifying Shen Lian was.


    Moreover, the even more horrifying sword was just placed right on Shen Lian''s knees. Although the red glow dissipated, the eerily horrifying aura was sufficient to be detected by her mind and spirit.


    She forced a smile and said, "I really shouldn''t be asking this. Where are my senior apprentice-brothers?"


    She asked a question which was way more terrifying for her.


    Lingguang might not even be able to face this question, but she still asked anyhow.


    "Zhenren Daoqing levitated, I''m not sure if Zhenren Yuming is dead or alive," Shen Lian''s answer was very short and simple.


    Although Lingguang already prepared herself mentally, when she faced the answer, she still felt an indescribable pain. She would even hope that Shen Lian would pierce her one more time with his sword than to know the outcome.


    Since the last unexpected encounter, Yuming the Honoured Celestial''s status was the highest among the five of them and that caused a gap between them. Because Yuming the Honoured Celestial wanted to be the Lord Emperor, thus the four of them could only be four Imperial Lords under the Lord Emperor, and this had distinguished the five of them in terms of status.


    Nonetheless, this did not indicate that their same sect relationship did not exist anymore.


    Upon hearing this news, the relationship that gradually became apathetic before this came back at that moment but she did not know how to express it.


    Her eyes were slightly moist and covered by a layer of frost. Because it was too cold and thus her tears could not flow out.


    "Look at you, I feel that saving your life wasn''t a bad idea, after all, at least you didn''t cultivate to become a cold hard stone," Shen Lian said.


    Lingguang scoffed, "Do you think that us Guangqing is really that that impersonal and that we are a sect that only knows how to plunder and use vicious attacks? Fortune''s favored child like you would never understand how difficult it has been for us Guangqing to come this far."


    Shen Lian looked at her quietly without responding but he seemed like he was listening.


    Lingguang was very confused. She was an immortal Zhenren but she was, after all, a woman. Thus, she still had the women''s nature of confiding. At such fragile moment, it was finally revealed.


    Then she said, "Qing Xuan used to have Daoist masters discussing Daoism. The Grandmaster who set up the sect was the almighty Zhenren Yuanqing. There would be immortal Zhenrens for every generation and it never stopped, you''re indeed the royal family of the cultivation community.


    But for us Guangqing, the Grandmaster who set up the sect was an ordinary cultivator who was experienced but in the end did not even get to step into the Huandan state. However, he did not forget about his dream of attaining immortality until his death. He used to say, "Even the dust of the mortal world was also qualified to overlook the entire world from the highest and furthest place."


    We dare not forget about Grandmaster''s words. The thing that one generation couldn''t accomplish could be passed on to the second and even the third generation to complete it. As long as we are determined to reach this target, depending on the ancestor''s progress. There will be this one day when we could finally stand straight at this vast heaven and earth and people wouldn''t dare to look down on us Guangqing anymore.


    Our Guangqing''s Qi of Xuanqing was only an insignificant technique in the beginning. However, when it was passed on to the era of my founding master, it was already flawless. Thus, there came the first immortal Zhenren in our founding master''s sect. This technique was tempered by our former elder teachers using all their lessons of blood and tears.


    Even if so, we treated the Qi of Xuanqing as a gem which was not even any more outstanding than your Qing Xuan''s Dao formula. Moreover, you Qing Xuan had uncountable Dao formula like this. You''ve even eliminated the Dao formula which was only slightly less powerful in order to maintain the number of Celestial Dippers and Nether Evils."


    Speaking of this, Lingguang''s resentment already reached the extreme.


    Because destiny was so unfair, why was the destiny of Qing Xuan forever favorable? Why their Guangqing had to face such ordeal but when Qing Xuan encountered such catastrophe, they could still have Shen Lian this kind of fortune''s favored child who was so outstanding in just a few decades. Why did favoritism have to exist in destiny?

 Chapter 373 The Boundless Taiyin

    Daoqing was dead, it was unsure if Yuming was dead or alive, the whereabouts of Huanzhen and the twelve Powang disciples were also unknown, they were most probably dead.


    Lingguang was overwhelmed with sorrow. She just saw the hope of her sect finally began prosperously, why did it have to vanish so quickly?


    Technically, she would not be controlled by these negative emotions but when these emotions came together, she could not hold it in anymore and her body actually started burning in fire.


    If everything went well, she would soon be burned to ashes by this fire.


    However, an extremely cold Qi poured from the top of her head and instantly suppressed the internal heat.


    It was Shen Lian who initiated the Ice Light.


    When Lingguang regained her consciousness, she heard Shen Lian saying, "Your trial of Dao is triggered earlier than expected. But what surprises me was that your first trial of Dao was not trial of Divine Thunder but a trial of Divine Fire."


    Shen Lian stared at Lingguang with amused interest. The pure expression in his eyes seemed to be able to see through the ins and outs of Lingguang.


    From the expression in his eyes, Lingguang realized the things about Guangqing that she was talking about just now but it did not touch him at all.


    Shen Liang changed the topic of the conversation and said, "But this trial of Dao of yours was triggered by internal heat, and so it is reasonable that you faced the trial of Divine Fire. And let me guess, in Guangqing, there shouldn''t be anybody who had been through this trial of Divine Fire, am I right?"


    Lingguang was shocked, "How do you know about this?"


    Although immortal Zhenren did not have worries about their lifespans they would have to face three trials of Dao, which were Divine Wind, Divine Fire, and Divine Thunder. The first trial of Dao was usually the trial of Divine Thunder. One would encounter this approximately five hundred years after he or she had become an immortal Zhenren. This was the easiest trial of Dao that they could overcome.


    As for both the Divine Wind and Divine Fire, they were intriguing.


    To be precise, these two trials of Dao were actually mother wit, they happened from within. The time it appeared could be as short as within one to two hundred years or as long as within thousands of years. There was no fixed timing. Once it got triggered, if the person could not take it, it would be prolonged.


    If there was no method found to overcome it, the trial of Dao would be like a malignant tumor in mortals, they would not go away but gradually spread to the entire body and could not be cured.


    Although Lingguang''s trial of Dao was temporarily suppressed by Shen Lian''s Ice Light, the symptom had started and if there was no way to overcome this, it could only be prolonged to the point that death was the only unavoidable outcome.


    Even for the immortal Zhenren of four main Daoist sects, these trials of Divine Wind and Divine Fire were considered so terrifying that when they mentioned about this, their expressions would change instantly.


    Of course if one managed to overcome this trial of Dao, he or she should not expect that their power would increase significantly. This was a trial from the God, there were only punishment and no reward.


    According to the saying, ''follow the nature to be a mortal, go against the nature to be a celestial'', those who attained immortality had actually violated the Mother Nature''s taboo. How could they still enjoy any blessing after overcoming the trial of Dao?


    Shen Lian said, "From what you were saying about how Guangqing endured great hardships in pioneer work and had high aspirations, I could already guess this point. We definitely have to compete for Dao but your sect has been too extreme and cruel, it is contrary to the natural rise and fall. In the progress of perfecting the methods of martial exercise, you''d have unknowingly planted bad temper. Even if you were to break away from whims, it wouldn''t be eliminated. Thus, when you really encounter the trial of Divine Fire, it would be the death of Dao. However, you Guangqing had not produced more than ten immortal Zhenrens in total and your sect hasn''t existed for more than thousand years, it''s normal that you wouldn''t have thought through about this issue. If you hadn''t met an ingenious chief like Zhenren Yuming, if it''s replaced by a conservative and vigilant person, your sect would start to go downhill. However, a thousand years later, the disciples of later generation would be able to get rid of the bad temper, even if your sect couldn''t make it to the four main Daoist sects, it would definitely be able to maintain eternity, passed on from one generation to another."


    "The battle of Dao was very intense. My Senior Apprentice-Brother wasn''t wrong. He was just lack of some good luck. Now that we''ve lost, the victor becomes king whereas the loser becomes a bandit. Even if what you''ve said doesn''t make sense it would all make sense by now," Lingguang''s beautiful eyes were looking coldly at Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian smiled with style, not wanting to express any opinion.


    He knew that although Lingguang refuted his statement, her heart must have believed it.


    Because even if what the winner said did not make sense at first, it would end up to make sense, was it not a truth after all?


    This was the peak of the altar which was already shrouded in a thin layer of mist. This was not supposed to happen at this place, but because they were at the universe''s void, and they were right behind the star which had blocked the Real Fire of the Sun. Besides, the void also did not have air and dust particles thus it could not contain any heat energy. Therefore, it would be way colder here compared to the mortal''s Arctic.


    This mist should have already formed ice crystals.


    In the midst, under the withered jade tree, an appalling Qi dynamic suddenly exploded, that was when grandmaster had exercised his art to the deepest.


    When the Qi dynamic started spreading, a majestic force cold to the core had flown out. It had an ancient smell.


    When Lingguang faced such extraordinary force, she could not even resist at all. A thin layer of frost was formed on the altar.


    As for the Celestial Trapping Sword on Shen Lian''s knees, it shone red glow which separated the two of them from the force and thus they were safe and sound.


    Shen Lian gazed through the thin layer of mist and his sight landed on the grandmaster who had an exquisite appearance. Her skin was rosy and translucent and her brows were frowning. She was extremely attractive.


    At the same time, Gu Caiwei who was spectating the battle of mana between disciples looked up to the void, she felt odd as though there was some kind of vibration at an external distant outer space that caught her attention.


    Then she looked at her Junior Apprentice-Brother who was sitting quietly and closing eyes and he was not breathing at all. If someone who did not know what was going on witnessed this, the person must have thought that he was already dead.


    Gu Caiwei did not want to wake his Junior Apprentice-Brother up because of her feeling that she felt out of nowhere. She continued to observe the disciples who were battling. At this moment, it was Daoist Yu''s disciple, Jia Yili, displaying exquisite Thunder Technique as though the lightning produced by the technique was dancing, looking splendid.


    Ruoxi was the one who commented first and she said, "This person''s showmanship is not bad."


    Her words made Gu Caiwei split her sides. If that fella had heard this, he might be so angry that his hands would tremble and that he might make mistakes when displaying the Thunder Technique.


    "Master, someone''s going to succeed again. It''s only been a few years. Nowadays things happen so rapidly," said the single-limb Monk Huike who was playing chess with Daoist Liuqing in Zizai Temple.


    "This vital force looks like Qing Xiao''s," Daoist Luiqing spoke with hesitation.


    Huike looked shocked and asked with curiosity, "The one from Qing Xuan?"


    "Cold to the core with a unique sword aura, it''s definitely her. I didn''t expect that she could disregard Ziling to succeed alone. What''s going on? If this is the case, I''m afraid we have to expect there''d be a lot of troubles soon," Daoist Liuqing sighed.


    Huike made the sound of mantra filled with benevolence.


    In Xuantian Sect, Song Qingyi who just came back from outside was filled with dust. There seemed to be bloodstain at the edge of his shirt that could not be removed. He went to Lu Jiuyan''s residence and he saw his mentor standing by the stream, looking at the sky.


    He asked in curiosity, "What are you looking at, Honored Master?"


    "Three thousand years in Xuanmen, this is the first time somebody successfully learned The Boundless Taiyin. When she''s able to finish learning The Boundless Taiyang too, there''d be someone who can finally discuss Dao," Lu Jiuyan chuckled.


    Song Qingyi''s face was filled with horror. The throne that his master dominated first had been with him for such a long time. Even those who had completed their cultivations to be celestials or even the old monsters who could transcend beyond the mortal world at any time were nothing in his Honored Master''s eyes. Now that this person might be able to sit by his Honored Master to discuss Dao, he was really curious about who this character was.

 Chapter 374 Qing Xuan’s Boldness

    Qing Xiao sat alone on a round boulder on the altar. Her smooth and fair skin emitted light rays which dispersed the thin mist. They flowed down along the frost that filled the entire altar.


    The Celestial Trapping Sword also restrained its red glow and became unadorned.


    The light rays made Lingguang feel extra surprised because these light rays contained an indescribable Dao. Only when one had reached her state would be able to understand how precious this ''Dao'' was.


    This was the Way of Taiyin which had existed since the ancient times.


    Besides, it could produce the Power of Taiyin at any time which could freeze one''s Primordial Spirit to death. Even if she attained immortality, she could be hurt by this type of terrifying power.


    Qing Xiao slowly got up and walked towards Shen Lian.


    At this moment, Shen Lian felt peaceful and calm. Because of Taixu Strategy''s Instant Connection, he could deeply feel the changes that had happened on the current Qing Xiao.


    Although Qing Xiao was powerful, she was merely just an ice mountain in the sea.


    Now that the glacier had melted and turned into water in the sea. Her strength was something that Shen Lian could not tell anymore.


    Qing Xiao''s Taixu Divine Qi already completely disappeared and replaced with the finest and purest Power of Taiyin.


    When Qing Xiao stopped in front of Shen Lian, his peaceful state of mind was filled with an indescribable bitterness. Because he thought that if the one there was Qing Xiao, did it mean that Ziling vanished?


    Ziling and Qing Xiao were equally powerful, but now that Qing Xiao had completed her own cultivation, would there still be room for Ziling?


    But he could not hate Qing Xiao, because if any of them were to disappear, he would not feel good.


    "Shen Lian," Qing Xiao''s cold and eerie eyes were as captivating as the stars. However, her voice was clear and rich as though it came from the jade stone. Upon hearing it, it would make people feel carefree and calm.


    Shen Lian spoke with slight surprise, "Are you Grandmaster Ziling?"


    Because Qing Xiao''s qualities were totally different from Ziling''s. Their voices also gave an entirely different impression. The person right in front of him, her voice was gentle and warm, it did not sound like Qing Xiao''s voice.


    As for Lingguang, she was instantly surprised because she realized one thing. There was actually no air at this place, they should be using their divine thoughts to communicate instead.


    However, at this moment, she could not only breathe, but she could also hear, and that was not done through divine thought sensation.


    This woman right in front of her could form an independent heaven and earth at her surroundings, as though they were in the mortal realm.


    As a woman, she could attain immortality, technically she should be proud and arrogant. However, when she saw this woman right in front of her, she could not help but admire her. She was definitely way better than herself, and this had nothing to do with the cultivation duration.


    It was because the difference between the two of them could not be made up with years due to the quality difference.


    Initially, Lingguang was already miserable that it was difficult for Guangqing to fight against Qing Xuan. Now she felt even more hopeless because the woman right in front of her was able to eliminate Guangqing on her own as she was already at one level above immortal Zhenren.


    Even if she did not enter the state of Tian Xian, it would be more or less the same.


    This kind of figure might not be able to find any opponent, except for those few old monsters in the mortal realm.


    If she continued to stay in the mortal realm, given time, there might be another Lu Jiuyuan, and Qing Xuan would become another Xuantian Sect. What could be worse than a Xuantian Sect was that Qing Xuan still had Shen Lian, this fortune''s favored child. His potential was unpredictable and he had grown to the extent that even Guangqing was afraid of him.


    Shen Lian had no time to take Daoist Nun Lingguang''s thought into consideration. He was looking straight at his grandmaster in front of him.


    She looked serious and said, "Are you that eager to see me vanish into thin air?"


    Her tone was so cold and eerie just like a cold ice blade. Even Lingguang could not help but to shudder.


    Shen Lian spoke without the slightest fear, "I hope that both grandmasters could be safe and sound."


    The lady gave a soft smile which was as beautiful as the flowers in spring and the moon in autumn. She said, "Shen Lian, you''re very kind, I know you didn''t lie. I''d also benefit if Qing Xiao manages to learn the Boundless Taiyin. Originally, we were mixed with each other''s divine aura. Therefore, even though she used to have the Way of Taiyin, she also has Yang within Yin. The ''Yang'' is my personal divine aura. Similarly, although I used to have the Way of Taiyang, I also have Yin within Yang and that was her divine aura. Thus, we''ll be entangled for the entire life.


    This time she landed the star and there wasn''t any distraction from the Real Fire of the Sun, she could get the nourishment from the Dao rhythm left by Grandmaster Qingshui. Then, she stripped the little Yang within Yin off and finally learned the Boundless Taiyin. As for me, I also got back the little personal divine aura to complement the defects.


    She wouldn''t disappear, so would I not. Perhaps after a period of time, we wouldn''t have to be entangled anymore."


    Shen Lian got it instantly. What was more important was that if Qing Xiao wanted to reach the real success of entire body and heart, she might have to get the Yin within Yang from Ziling.


    Then Ziling should learn the Boundless Taiyang then it would only be possible. It also proved that the two of them did not have to fight a life-or-death battle.


    He said, "So, Grandmaster has to refine the Real Fire of the Sun to be the Boundless Taiyang?"


    Ziling said, "It''s not a bad idea, but not now."


    Then she took a look at the Celestial Trapping sword. The sword made a bright and clear sound and left Shen Lian''s body. It flew to the stars right in front and disappeared.


    Ziling mumbled to herself for a second and said, "You don''t have to attend to Chen Beidou''s invitation to meet him at Mount Zhong three years later. I can help you to stop him."


    Shen Lian felt touched. Although Qing Xiao managed to learn the Boundless Taiyin, he might not be able to escape if he was fighting against Chen Beidou. It was because Chen Beidou was not only scary, but he was also the Master of Celestial Trapping Sword. He fully understood the scariness of the Celestial Trapping Sword.


    However, he might have to go against his grandmaster''s consideration and said, "Grandmaster, I''d go to Mount Zhong three years later."


    Ziling did not get angry but looking calmly at Shen Lian and continue listening to him.


    "Three years later, even if the disciple is no match for Chen Beidou, I''d still have the power for self-protection. But I''d need grandmaster to find me three items, which are dust sand of the Universe, true water of the sky and a thousands-of-years-old cold iron," Shen Lian said slowly.


    Ziling said, "Then it''s up to you on how to deal with her."


    Lingguang felt sudden tightness in her heart and she finally remembered that her relationship with Qing Xuan was indeed incompatible as water and fire.


    Shen Lian grinned, "There''s nobody taking care of grandmaster''s daily life, how about making her your maidservant?"


    Ziling smiled and said, "Alright."


    Lingguang spoke angrily, "Shen Lian, don''t you think you can insult me."


    Ziling did not wait until the sudden attack and already stopped Lingguang by making her unconscious.


    She definitely understood that Shen Lian did not simply want to get her a maidservant. Shen Lian might have already thought about the future when he wanted her to stay. If the news that Guangqing''s immortal Zhenren became Qing Xuan Fairy Ziling''s maidservant was spread, it would naturally let the entire cultivation community know that Qing Xuan''s status was way higher than Guangqing''s.


    If Guangqing was unable to stomach this, they had to go up to Qing Xuan to rescue Lingguang.


    By then, the initiative right would be Qing Xuan''s.


    Although there would be an immortal Zhenren left and it would seem like a latent trouble, from the perspective of strategic importance, it seemed to be totally worthy. At the same time, it would also manifest Qing Xuan''s great boldness. This should be the atmosphere in four main Daoist sects.


    It could also let people acknowledge that there were descendants after Founding Master Yuanqing and Founding Master Qingshui.

 Chapter 375 The Grandmaster’s Trial

    After Lingguang lost conscious, Shen Lian spoke in a serious tone, "Grandmaster, you have attained the state of Tian Xian?"


    Ziling replied, "That is not the case. If it was just Qing Xiao alone who successfully cultivated the Boundless Taiyin, she could have easily made it past the three trials of Dao and achieved the heavenly immortal state. However, both of us are still closely connected. If she were to go through the trial of Dao, she would trigger my portion of the trial. Essentially, the power of the trial of Dao would double. If this were to happen, our chance of survival is zero."


    Shen Lian queried further, "Grandmaster, if you were to successfully cultivate the Boundless Taiyang, what are the chances that you will survive the trial of Dao?"


    Ziling pondered over Shen Lian''s question and replied at last, "Ten percent."


    Shen Lian sighed as he realized why the grandmaster was in no hurry to absorb the Real Fire of the Sun and to successfully cultivate the Boundless Taiyang. Their respective trial of Dao would overlap on the day of her success. With Yin and Yang complementing each other, it would not be as simple as the power of the trial of Dao doubling anymore.


    He replied in a low tone, "Grandmaster, is there a way for you to circumvent the trial of Dao and achieve the heavenly immortal state directly?"


    Ziling saw the determination in Shen Lian eyes; she knew that if there was truly a way, Shen Lian would do whatever it takes to find it for her.


    She replied gently, "No, there isn''t. Stop thinking about it anymore. Moreover, with our combined power, we could easily stall the trial of Dao for a thousand years, just as the old man did. Starting from now, I just need to distance myself away from whims. With that, I should be able to delay the trial of Dao to at least three or five hundred years."


    She was aware that there was a way to circumvent the trial of Dao. She would be able to skip past the trial of Dao and achieve the heavenly immortal state directly. However, the Dharma existed only in legends. It would take a lot of effort if one were to search for it. She did not want Shen Lian to worry about her at the expense of his cultivation progress.


    Shen Lian had just attained immortality, and he was in his prime. If he was too distracted and missed the golden period, he would not be able to get it back anymore.


    As Shen Lian''s teacher, she had not done much for him - precisely why she would not allow herself to burden him.


    Whether it was for Qing Xuan or for the Taixu branch, Shen Lian was the best heir to the orthodoxy.


    Shen Lian was aware that there was a way to circumvent the trial too. However, he was unsure of the details. When he asked his Founding Master about it, she insisted that it did not exist. He knew what she was thinking; the more she behaved in this manner, the more determined Shen Lian was. He decided that he would find the way to circumvent the trial for her.


    He recalled the underwater palace in the depths of the sea and the strange words within it. He thought it was about time that he visited it again. After attaining immortality, he was in no hurry to visit the underwater palace. Instead, he had been working on his Dao nature, improving his supernatural power and mana. Now that it came to his mind again, he knew that it was the right time to head over.


    A Zhenren would act in accordance to his nature and the circumstances; a fitting description in Shen Lian''s case.


    Ziling swung out a ribbon. She caught Lingguang and Shen Lian with it. The next moment, she was standing in the void while the altar started shrinking. The jade tree on it underwent some changes and turned into a golden book.


    The altar flew into Ziling''s sleeve, whilst the little book was left for Shen Lian.


    Ziling replied, "This is the projection of Jinque Jade Booklet. I am handing it to you now."


    She gazed at Shen Lian meaningfully.


    Shen Lian could not help but to say, "Grandmaster, what if I could not keep it with me?" He was reminded of his promise to Ye Liuyun.


    Ziling replied, "It would mean that it was never yours to begin with. There isn''t much in this world that one could retain anyway." She continued, "Moreover, losing it might be a blessing in disguise. You will understand it soon."


    Shen Lian was tempted to tell Ziling about Ye Liuyun, but now, he decided that he would just hand the Jinque Jade Booklet over to Ye Liuyun.


    Though, Ziling did not give him a chance to speak. She dragged him along as she took a huge leap. The moment they appeared again, Shen Lian found himself hovering over Mount Qing Xuan.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "This must be the technique of Crossing the Void." At the same time, he was getting more and more confused by the relationship between Qing Xiao and Ziling. After Qing Xiao had successfully cultivated the Boundless Taiyin, Ziling could clearly invoke the state of The Everlasting Taiyin too. Hence, she could cross the void just as a Tian Xian could.


    Suddenly, he felt an incredible force tugging at his Primordial Spirit. He was being summoned to a secret location.


    An image appeared in his heart. It was at the side of the netherworld, and he could see an ancient altar. Immeasurable fresh blood was flowing down the trench on the altar, and the abstruse marks on the altar glowed. The force befell the world.


    Countless demonic soldiers followed behind Ye Liuyun. They worshipped at his feet. Ye Liuyun was sitting alone on his scarlet throne and had a purple cloak on. He looked exactly like an Asura Saint Lord. From afar, he communicated with Shen Lian through divine thoughts as he smiled at him.


    Shen Lian responded with a smile. The Jinque Jade Booklet was no longer controlled by him and had flown into a dark hole.


    "Brother Shen, you are an honorable man. Liuyun would definitely repay you handsomely." The words that seemed to have come from Nine Underworlds swirled around Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit.


    If Shen Lian wanted to resist the summon, there was a great chance that he would have succeeded. However, he did not do so. Regardless, he owed Ye Liuyun a favor. After this, he had been freed from his obligation. This was more comforting than having an invaluable treasure in his possession.


    Shortly after, his Primordial Spirit flew back into his physical body. He opened his eyes and walked towards Gu Caiwei and Ruoxi.


    Zhao Siming was fighting with Choushi; it seemed that they had met earlier than expected.


    Unlike the previous four rounds, Choushi was not as laid back in this round anymore. He took the fight seriously. Each spell was performed with great precision, and there was not even a single opening for Zhao Siming''s sword aura.


    Zhao Siming was floating up and down, left and right; it was as though his body was one with the sword gleam. Just as the moonlight, he had encompassed the entire sky. However, he could not get any closer to Choushi.


    That was when he realized that Choushi was not an easy opponent. In fact, he might be the strongest opponent that he had ever come across.


    Zhao Siming did not dare to perform the swordcraft of thunderous sword aura. The sword gleam may be fast enough, but he could not operate it flexibly. If he did not manage to achieve anything with it, it would be a waste of his mana. In that case, his responses would be dulled, which would put him in a much worse position.


    He was caught between offense and defense now. Even though he was still attacking, but he did not manage to deal any damage to Choushi. Albeit he did not use thunderous sword aura, Choushi was driving him slowly to the brink of exhaustion.


    Choushi''s previous opponents gave their best, and they did not manage to defeat him. In the end, they were worn out by Choushi.


    Indeed, one should learn from one''s predecessors.


    Shen Lian spoke to Gu Caiwei, "I have decided to let Choushi join the Bier Discourse of Dao. Senior Apprentice-Sister, do you think that is a good idea?"


    Gu Caiwei replied, "He seems to be a person who prefers to hide his weaknesses. I don''t think he will be willing to take up the task."


    Shen Lian chuckled, "He will definitely say yes. I''m going to let him take over Temple of Longevity."


    Gu Caiwei was shocked. As the founder of Temple of Longevity, she knew what the temple meant to Qing Xuan. It was more than just a supplementary branch. In fact, it represented Qing Xuan in the outside world and carried significant meaning. The person who took over Temple of Longevity would be an influential individual in the cultivation community beyond the seas. It would even be possible for the person to catch up to Xuantong Demon King. After all, Temple of Longevity was backed by Qing Xuan - a Daoist sect with ten thousand years of history.


    "It would be hard to convince everyone else," she replied.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Then he would just have to gain everyone''s acknowledgment."

 Chapter 376 The Decisive Battle

    Not surprisingly, Choushi defeated Zhao Siming. It was a glorious victory that he had secured with his mana and a wide variety of secret techniques. When he finally wore down Zhao Siming''s sword aura, Zhao Siming gave it his all and used his Thunderous Sword Aura. With that, he managed to injure Choushi. Little did he know that it was all part of Choushi''s plan - Choushi had prepared a clone for this situation. At that point, Zhao Siming had no hope of turning the situation around.


    As he proceeded through the rounds of assessment, Zhao Siming had been a top hit. No one expected him to lose in his first battle after making his way into the top eight.


    That was when everyone realized what an unfathomable character Choushi was.


    Despite the fact that Zhao Siming had not attained Huandan, most weaker elders were no match for him. This showed how impressive his supernatural powers were.


    Since he had come under the spotlight, Choushi decided not to conceal his abilities anymore. In the next round, he was faced with Daoist Yu''s disciple, Jia Yili, whom he had defeated in just ten breaths of time.


    On the other hand, Ruoxi defeated her opponent without any hiccups as well.


    The fight between Choushi and Ruoxi would determine who was the champion of the Dao assessment. In fact, some even thought that the result of the fight would influence the internal development within Qing Xuan in the next one hundred years.


    Though, most were convinced that Choushi would be the champion. This was what it meant by, ''for an obscure person to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat''.


    Everyone noticed how Choushi had improved significantly after his return, and they even thought that his progress was comparable to that of the Headmaster back when the Headmaster inherited the orthodoxy.


    Regardless, anyone who could be compared against the Headmaster was definitely a notable character.


    Moreover, Ruoxi was too young after all. In spite of her mysterious secret techniques and striking swordcraft, she could not outshine Zhao Siming. This was why most did not think too highly of her.


    Right before the battle between the two took place, the Headmaster announced that the battle was delayed till midnight. There would be a full moon tonight, and it would be delightful to watch the clash of Dao techniques under the full moon.


    The Headmaster also said that the benevolent elder, Yan Bugui, had decided to supply celestial wine for everyone to indulge in.


    Although, Yan Bugui found out about this along with the rest.


    He could not possibly have objected to everyone watching. He directed his annoyance at Shen Lian who did not seem to be affected by his anger at all.


    There was still some time before Ruoxi and Choushi fought.


    Shoujing could not stay still and had started a betting pool amongst the disciples. They were betting to see who would emerge as the champion of the Dao assessment tonight.


    It was human nature to gamble. Despite that everyone had been cultivating for quite some time, but their interest was piqued. Not only did the disciples joined, even the elders had chimed in.


    When done in moderation, gambling was a good form of entertainment. Recently, Xuantong Demon King was getting more and more well-known. On top of that, the usage of Yiyuan Elixir as the medium of exchange promoted fairness in transactions. Hence, most people in Qing Xuan at least had some Yiyuan Elixir in their possession. The Yiyuan Elixir was used here for gambling purposes.


    Shoujing did some calculations and realized that the amount involved was in the millions. He could not help but be in awe of his fellow disciples'' fortune. At the same time, he was worried that he would offend a lot of people if Choushi were to lose. In this one million elixir bet, at least nine hundred thousand Yiyuan Elixirs were bet in favor of Choushi''s victory.


    Even though he was not particularly close with Choushi, but he was not distant from him either. Now that Choushi was heading towards the peak, it would be a real shame if he were to be defeated by Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen.


    Shen Lian noticed everything, but he did not involve himself.


    The moon rose from the east and moonlight as clear as water fell onto the clouds. The cloud platform was illuminated by the moonlight, and it resembled a giant piece of jade. Everyone was situated on top and all of them looked like celestials.


    Gu Caiwei spoke to Shen Lian who was standing handsomely next to her, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, you are the most observant out of everyone here. Who do you think would win tonight?"


    Shen Lian stared at the moon and seemed laid-back. He was pulled back to reality by Gu Caiwei''s question. "The outcome of a battle is never set in stone until the very last moment. How about we talk about Ruoxi and Choushi instead of the outcome of the battle?" Shen Lian replied.


    Gu Caiwei blinked her beautiful eyes, she spoke, "You can talk about Ruoxi, while I form my judgment of Choushi."


    "Whatever you say."


    Gu Caiwei teased, "I will make sure the girl knows about everything that you have said."


    Shen Lian was thick-faced and was unmoved at all. He replied calmly, "Go ahead. Anyway, you can start first."


    Gu Caiwei nodded and spoke softly, "Despite Choushi having an unexpected encounter, his fundamental lies in the Spotted Laurel Technique of the one hundred and eight techniques of Qing Xuan. Upon the successful cultivation of this technique, his Qimai would be never-ending in a battle. This was exactly why he managed to wear Zhao Siming out. Of course, it was partially due to his comparatively more advanced level of cultivation. He is in a league of his own. Even though Ruoxi exhibits certain mysterious characteristics that even I myself cannot understand, but in terms of tenacity, she is definitely no match for Choushi."


    Shen Lian replied, "So Senior Apprentice-Sister, you opined that Choushi would recycle his old tricks, focusing on his defense and countering dynamic by being static?"


    Gu Caiwei shook her head as she spoke, "I don''t think that is what Choushi would do. He might just be the one who attacks first."


    Shen Lian smiled gently, "Why is that so?"


    Gu Caiwei replied, "Aren''t you supposed to be the one to elaborate on this?"


    Shen Lian smiled and spoke, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you are wise indeed. Aside from having learned the Dream Heart Sutra, Ruoxi''s swordcraft is well-balanced in terms of Yin and Yang. When performed by her, it would be never-ending. The beauty of it lies in how the Two Modes - Yin and Yang generate the Four Forms - Major and Minor Yin and Yang, the Four Forms generate the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Trigrams would, in turn, generate the Sixty-Four Trigrams. If things were to turn out that way, regardless of how tight Choushi''s defense was, it would be meaningless when faced with Ruoxi''s sword force that has embodied Dao. At that point, he would not be able to turn the tides. Not only that he should attack, he should attack with all that he has. If he does so, Ruoxi would not be able to perform her sword technique that embodied the Dao of Yin and Yang."


    Gu Caiwei sighed, "Even if Choushi were to attack right from the beginning, he still would not stand a chance at winning. However, when you took Ruoxi''s Triumphant Malice Sword back, you gave Choushi hope of winning."


    She was right. In the clash of Dao techniques between two equals, being in possession of a good instrument would tip the scale of the battle and change the outlook completely.


    Triumphant Malice Sword was a malicious sword, but at the same time, it was a magical sword too. It would help Ruoxi immensely if she were to use it.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, so you think Ruoxi would lose?"


    Gu Caiwei replied, "I can only say that Choushi has a higher chance of winning."


    Shen Lian did not comment on it. He stared at the moon and spoke, "The moon is so round tonight."


    It was getting close to midnight.


    Choushi was sitting in isolation in his tower. He was calm. When it was time, he straightened his clothes and headed down.


    He went into the battle venue.


    It was getting closer to midnight, and yet Ruoxi still had not shown up. Ge Yuan frowned deeply. Despite Rouxi being related to the Headmaster, he decided that he would treat her absence as forfeiture if she did not come on time.


    The young girl came from the moon in the sky in the nick of time. She donned a green dress and was not tainted by the dust. With a pine branch in her hand, she walked into the battle venue.


    What actually happened was, upon finding out that the final battle had been postponed, Ruoxi returned to Taiyi Peak and took a shower. She went to the cliff where Huangting Scripture was engraved on. After reciting Huangting, she procured a portion of the pine branch from the green pine at the cliff. Then, she made her way to the cloud platform.

 Chapter 377 Sword Aura of Green Smoke

    Choushi seemed calm, save for his sharp gaze directed at Ruoxi who was coming from far away.


    Even though she was still a young girl, there was no denying that she was a true beauty.


    She had waist-length hair and impeccable features. A portion of pine branch was in her hand, and it swayed in the wind. She looked just like Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara who held willow branches in her hand and was equally graceful. In the night lit by moonlight, there seemed to be dews seeping out.


    When Ruoxi stepped into the venue, dark clouds shielded the moonlight and sent the world into darkness.


    In this low-light situation, one could only sense the opponent with one''s divine thoughts.


    However, Ruoxi had disappeared the moment she walked in.


    Initially, Choushi had prepared plenty of Dao techniques and was ready to use them. He did not expect to lose his target. He remained calm as he gestured the Dao formula with his hands. Suddenly, the clouds and wind shifted. Immeasurable divine aura struck.


    The divine aura was like rainbows flying across the sky, or iron rope extending across the river; it seemed to be alive. It was bending all over the place; from the ground to the clouds and the sky, it was everywhere.


    Gu Caiwei sighed, "He is not cultivating Taixu Strategy, and yet he could use three Dao techniques of different nature - cloud, water, and wind. This is very curious indeed."


    The eight Qis of Taixu Strategy were the sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning respectively. This was the reason why it was so easy for the user to perform Dao techniques of varying nature. Moreover, the eight Qis had different qualities to them. Hence, it was possible for the user to manipulate the different types of Dao techniques at the same time with ease.


    The Spotted Laurel Technique cultivated by Choushi was remarkable due to his amassment of mana, but it was not quite possible for him to operate Dao techniques of varying nature.


    It was obvious that he had some other form of Dharma that allowed him to transform his technique.


    However, Gu Caiwei could tell that Choushi was only capable of this because of the strength of his divine thoughts. This was why he could multitask.


    However, if his secret technique was similar to Taixu Strategy, he would not have to put in so much effort.


    Choushi went all out. He engaged his divine thoughts and Dao techniques of three different nature just to force Ruoxi to show herself.


    However, Ruoxi took advantage of the timing and made use of the moment where the dark clouds had shielded the moon. That in itself gave her a head start. This showed that Ruoxi was definitely ahead of Choushi in terms of making use of the Qi dynamic of heaven and earth.


    A battle between Dao practitioners were more than mere spells and techniques. The Dao practitioner would have to make use of the timing and take advantage of the favorable climatic and geographical conditions. If one were to excel in the latter aspects, one would have to work on one''s attainment and state.


    The disciples who were spectating could not compare to the both of them in terms of capabilities, but they were still a part of Qing Xuan. Since young, they had been exposed to various theories about Dao. Hence, they only needed to ponder briefly on the current situation to understand what was happening.


    Initially, Choushi was conserving his strength and building up to the moment where his Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen had arrived. Then, he would charge at her like a rolling river. He was planning to keep her in a disadvantageous position by launching endless rounds of attacks at her. Moreover, with Choushi''s deep mana, it was unlikely that his pace of attack would slow down.


    Sooner or later, Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen would lose her ground and show an opening. If that happened, Choushi had a high chance of winning. However, even though Choushi was still attacking now, he did it out of necessity and not out of choice. It was not just to trace Ruoxi down, but he was attacking in order to make sure that there was no opening that Ruoxi could take advantage of. In essence, he was actually playing defense.


    Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen was able to make use of the natural phenomenon - the veiling of the moon by the clouds. With that, she turned her defensive stance into an offensive stance.


    Of course, Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen would have to be able to hide her vital force perfectly in the dark. Her tactic relied on her ability to achieve that.


    The wind and clouds stirred, and it affected beyond the battle venue. The Qi dynamic shot through the clouds and disturbed the clouds that were veiling the moon.


    Some disciples were in awe of Choushi''s state of attainment and his impressive wealth of mana.


    The gathering of the dark clouds was caused by the convergence of the Qi dynamic of Yin and Yang. Choushi had used his own Qi dynamic to trigger the explosion of the Yin and Yang convergence of the dark clouds.


    A lightning struck and the thunder shook the cloud platform.


    Under the Divine Thunder, the power of the spiritual Dao technique that Ruoxi had mastered would be severely discounted. At the same time, the cloud platform made out of clouds was situated high up in the air. As it was not far from the dark clouds in the first place, it was affected as well. It was charged with thunder and lightning.


    This caused the battle venue to experience the brightness of the day. It also gave rise to chaotic Qi dynamic which had disturbed Ruoxi.


    The disciples who were spectating saw the strong lightning, which illuminated Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen''s face - she was calm and unaffected.


    Her pine branch swayed gently and gracefully. Its overlapping shadows traveled at least one hundred feet, shattering both the lightning and divine aura emitted by Choushi.


    Despite the lack of manifestation of her murderous intent, but the disciples who were spectating knew that if they were the one who was caught in this situation, they would definitely have lost to this move.


    Choushi''s face darkened. A small hole appeared on his sleeve. Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen''s move earlier had gotten close enough to him. Its speed and precision were above that of Zhao Siming.


    At the same time, the sword aura emitted by the pine branch altered the balance of Yin and Yang. It had eliminated the Qi dynamic of Yin and Yang within the clouds through the Technique of Two Poles.


    This had effectively calmed the lightning and thunder.


    Being the calculative person that he was, he was not too disappointed.


    He shook his Dao robes and his mana started rolling like a powerful river.


    A gust of dark green smoke was coming out from the top of his head. Immediately, it transformed into countless small and intense sword aura. They charged at Ruoxi - just as how the autumn wind would caress the fallen leaves.


    Gu Caiwei remarked surprisingly, "He even learned Chang Qingzi''s ''Sword Aura of Green Smoke''."


    Of course, Shen Lian had heard about Chang Qingzi. He enjoyed quite a reputation in the cultivation community. His real name was Li Shouzhuo and was an orphan. However, he had an unexpected encounter, in which he had ingested a demonic elixir. Not only did he survive, he was a changed man. He managed to build up a solid Dao foundation. Subsequently, he cultivated to the point of awakened entrance and started having mana.


    After, he started to seek out the celestials and learn about Daoism. He had traveled through all of the famous mountains and huge rivers. However, due to his age and his previous informal methods of martial exercises, the hint of malicious Qi in his Dao foundation that stemmed from the demonic elixir remained. Hence, he was not taken in by any of the celestial sects. In the end, he lost the drive and retired in a quiet village after getting married to a normal woman.


    One day, after coming back from visiting his friend, he found that everyone in his village, his family included, had been massacred by a demon clan.


    The demon clan was a shape-shifting demon king. At that point in time, he was not equipped to do anything. However, after stumbling across a nameless sword scripture by chance and having attained Huandan, he set out to seek revenge on the demon king. Since then, he hated all of the demon clans in the world and would kill every demon that he came across.


    His temperament was extreme and he found himself in constant solitude. At last, he set out at sea and there was no news about him in hundreds of years.


    However, before he set out, he had his last battle at a huge desert. The swordcraft he was using back then was the Sword Aura of Green Smoke. He made a name for himself by slaying a doyen from the Green Lotus Sword Sect.


    The Green Lotus Codex of the Sword of Green Lotus Sword Sect was a remarkable offense technique. In that battle, the Sword Aura of Green Smoke triumphed over it. It was no surprise that the world was shocked.


    Choushi remained static and his gaze was intense. The numerous sword auras were slashing all over the sky. There were even ravines in the clouds created by Shen Lian.


    Some disciples were worried for Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen and hoped that she would emerge unscathed.

 Chapter 378 Turbulent Times

    Without anyone noticing, the moon was setting in the west. Ruoxi''s dress fluttered in the air and the pine branch created multiple shadows as it swayed. She shattered the sword aura created by the Sword Aura of Green Smoke and had engaged in a battle with Choushi till now.


    She was steady and calm as before. Her sword force was akin to clouds, clear and crisp as a bell.


    The disciples who were spectating thought she reminded them of the headmaster - equally calm, equally gracefully.


    In fact, Ruoxi did not even use the sword incantation that embodied the essence of Yin and Yang to generate Four Forms and Eight Trigrams.


    Even though Choushi was unable to take Ruoxi down, he did not seem too troubled by it.


    When the moon was at the same level as the platform, it shone towards Ruoxi''s direction. He took out a yellow gourd from his sleeve. The stopper flew out and showed its opening. Hundreds and thousands of yellow rays emerged from it and they flew towards Ruoxi like an inescapable net.


    Anyone could tell that this was a fine instrument.


    The yellow rays from the gourd were the essence of the sun and the moon. After performing ceremonial cultivation on it, they were tenacious. As flying swords could not harm it, the moment one was caught by them, there would be no escaping.


    Ruoxi remained calm when faced with the ferocious yellow rays.


    Everyone took a deep breath as they saw a pair of butterfly wings emerged on her back. As her wings gently flapped, the entire world seemed to have fallen into a dreamy and poignant state.


    On the clouds, flowers were blooming. Everyone picked up the pleasant scent and felt happiness welling up within them. They felt as though they had turned into a butterfly too; as though they broke apart constraints and were flying happily in the sea of flowers. The peaceful happiness was indescribable.


    A human''s life was dull and boring life, unlike the free and easy life of a butterfly.


    This was why when they dreamt that they were a butterfly, it was a dream that most would not want to wake up from.


    At that moment, Ruoxi flapped her butterfly wings and flew into the endless stream of yellow rays. Her gentle voice fell on everyone''s ears. They could see the beautiful butterfly flying around under the light veil of moonlight. She was right in front of Choushi.


    Suddenly, the sea of flowers disappeared. The light was clear as water. A skinny and dried branch was pointed against the middle of Choushi''s brows.


    In just a flash, Ruoxi had won.


    Choushi sighed, "I have lost."


    He released his tight fist. If it was a battle of life and death, there would not be any winner. After all, he had only regained his sense when the pine branch was pointed the middle of his brows; the brief period of time was sufficient for one to do certain things.


    However, he gave up. He did not have to go to such extreme lengths.


    The pine branch Ruoxi was holding turned into ashes and was dispersed in the wind. This was caused by Choushi''s impressive mana.


    She was not bothered by it. Her gaze met everyone in Qing Xuan; most disciples lowered their head as they found it hard to look at their little junior apprentice-sister.


    With one look, one might just be caught in a dream world.


    At the same time, they understood that Junior Apprentice-Sister Shen was comparable to any doyen in the sect.


    No one laughed at Choushi''s defeat. If anything, they were more convinced of his strength and that he was fit to be an elite of Qing Xuan. He was no longer grouped together with the normal disciples.


    Shen Lian''s voice floated in the air, "Shen Ruoxi came in first place in the Dao assessment. From today onwards, along with Choushi, they will be the true disciples of Qing Xuan and may access Taiwei Pavilion at will."


    This was the normal course of events, and no one was surprised.


    However, what the headmaster announced next shocked everyone.


    "Choushi, are you willing to be the Temple Manager of Temple of Longevity?"


    Choushi seemed shocked. After a momentary hesitation, he replied immediately, "I shall obey your orders."


    Shen Lian chucked, and this marked the end of Dao assessment.


    The disciples in the sect thought that the days that followed would be plain, little did they know that the true events had barely begun.


    Guangqing Celestial Sect announced the death of Daoqing to the entire cultivation community of Yuan Continent.


    It had been a long time since an immortal Zhenren had fallen. Moreover, amongst the Five Celestials of Guangqing, Daoqing had attained Dao for the longest period of time. People started asking around. There were rumors that Zhenren Daoqing was killed by Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan. No one believed this when the news first went around. However, the next news came - Zhenren Lingguang of Guangqing had become the servant of Fairy Ziling.


    The uproar caused by this news was comparable to that of the death of Daoqing Zhenren.


    Some tried to verify this with Qing Xuan, who then had answered in the affirmative. The truth could no longer be concealed.


    One could only imagine the wrath of Guangqing Celestial Sect.


    They did not dare to attack Qing Xuan directly. However, they had their eyes on Temple of Longevity and Temple of Killings. They were determined to eliminate these supplementary branches of Qing Xuan.


    For a few months, there were conflicts between the disciples from both sects. At the foot of the mountain where Temple of Killings was situated, there were ten over new tombstones. Those were the bodies of the disciples of Guangqing Celestial Sect and their allies. The person who was guarding Temple of Killings was a weak lady - Chen Jianmei''s direct disciple, Fang Yanying.


    Initially, Fang Yanying could barely defend Temple of Killings with the help of the Dao restriction placed on it. After a month, she started to strike back. It was unsure what sort of unexpected encounter she had, but her Shapeless Sword Incantation advanced at an unbelievable pace. Within just a month, she was at the tenth level. Her power was comparable to that of Chen Jianmei when he first made his name.


    Moreover, she managed to defend the temple without asking for help from Qing Xuan.


    The demons and monsters who had faced Chen Jianmei before spoke of Fang Yanying as the next Chen Jianmei, something that would definitely happen in the foreseeable future.


    After rounds of probing, the disciples of Guangqing and the rest of the cultivators surrounded Temple of Killings. Amongst their rank, there were those of the demon clan too.


    However, even after these intense waves of attacks, Temple of Killings remained unmoved, just as the rocks embedded firmly in the river bed.


    On the other hand, Temple of Longevity too took the world by storm. This was so as Guangqing''s main forces were directed at Temple of Longevity.


    The temple manager there was not Gu Caiwei, but a young disciple of Qing Xuan named Choushi.


    Initially, no one thought much of Choushi. As time went on, Choushi utilized Qing Xuan''s name and his own resources to gather a large group of cultivators beyond the sea. With Temple of Longevity being the nucleus, he formed an influential alliance that acted against Guangqing. It seemed as though he was ready to strike back.


    After countless death and injuries, the hatred between both sides was piling up. The cultivators from beyond the sea had to join either the Guangqing camp or the Temple of Longevity camp in order to survive. Another option would be to escape to Xuantong Demon King''s celestial market, at which they could receive protection after offering up a huge amount of spiritual material.


    The peace that the cultivation community had been enjoying ceased to exist. Due to the official falling out of the two big sects, Qing Xuan and Guangqing, the cultivation community was undergoing turbulent times.


    After all these years, Guangqing was more influential than Qing Xuan. However, ever since the disappearance of the Twelve Powang Zhenrens, their influences could not be united. Hence, Choushi latched onto the opportunity and formed an alliance to guard against Guangqing''s first wave of attacks.


    By the time Guangqing managed to reorganize themselves, Temple of Longevity was unbreachable.


    The two sects were caught in an intense predicament, and yet the immortal Zhenrens did not do anything. They were observing the turbulent times; it was as though they had agreed on something and were in the midst of plotting something..


    Mount Shouyang, Xuandu Dong.


    This was the location of the mysterious Taishang Daoist Sect.


    An uninvited guest came to this sacred place of the celestials.

 Chapter 379 Suli

    It was not easy to find Mount Shouyang. Even if one knew of its actual location, it would not be easy to access it.


    Even Yuming the Honored Celestial had to spend a full day to calculate and find the entrance.


    He was dressed casually. He wore a black set of royal ceremonial robes and gave off the solemn vibes of the chief of a reputable sect. After entering into the celestial environment, he was greeted by three flying waterfalls. The waterfalls were flowing in reverse - from the ground towards the sky. It seemed to defy common sense and was a shocking sight to behold.


    The waterfalls extended all the way up till the depths of the clouds, at which they had disappeared without a trace.


    As the waterfalls rolled, the Qi of vitality in the mountain put into motion and nourished the plants. The plants blossomed and produced strange fruits and flowers. Spiritual beasts were playing around, and the animals loitered around carefreely.


    The inverted waterfalls went beyond the peak of the cliff, which highlighted the majestic state of the celestial environment.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial walked along the mountain path and came across an abode of immortals not long after. It was shrouded in purple air; the Purple Palace was just as what Daoist cultivators imagined it to be. A set of couplet was found above it.


    ''He who observed the world in detachment, Taishang Wangqing the Honored Saint.''


    Each stroke was demonstrated the Way of Dao, and one would find one''s attention inevitably drawn to it.


    A boy was waiting outside of the door. He stood proudly. After noticing his arrival, he said loudly, "You, are you Yuming?"


    Yuming the Honored Celestial felt anger welling up from within. He thought that even if he were to meet with the boy''s respected Dao master, he would be his equal. To think that he was being treated so disrespectfully by a mere boy! Even though he came to ask for a favor, he was not about to be taken so lightly.


    He remained calm and gestured respectfully. He spoke as he bowed, "I''m Yuming, and I''m here to meet your respected Dao master.


    Yuming was one of the few immortal Zhenrens in the world. It would not be pleasant to be on the receiving end of his respectful salute. At that moment, the boy felt a crushing pressure being applied to him, pressing him tightly against the stone wall. Inch by inch, as though he was about to be crushed into powder.


    However, the pressure was too strong for him to even do anything.


    Right at this moment, a voice came from within the abode of immortals, "Young boy, how dare you receive Brother Yuming''s respectful salute. Hurry up and pay him your respect."


    The voice that came from the abode was akin to the wind in spring. Gently, it dispersed Yuming the Honored Celestial''s absolute mana. It did so gracefully, without a hint of worldly desires.


    As the pressure receded, the boy had no choice but to kneel and salute Yuming.


    Since Yuming the Honored Celestial had shown the boy his place, he was not about to press the matter further. With a wave of his hand, he stops the boy from saluting him. At the same time, he was impressed with the capabilities of the respected Dao master of Taishang Daoist Sect. Just one move, he was able to tell that he had strong mana. Moreover, he predicted his arrival, which showed his high level of attainment.


    The Daoist child led the way for him. It did not take long for them to arrive at a scenic pavilion surrounded by waterfall and mountains.


    A young man sat in the pavilion. The young man noticed his arrival and greeted him with a bow. He smiled, "My place is rural and detached from the rest of the world, please pardon the child''s insolence earlier."


    The young man wore a head-kerchief and was dressed in grey Dao robes. If he was in the mortal world, most would probably think that he was a poor and miserly Daoist who failed the Imperial Examination. Moreover, his facial features were not striking. He looked very plain.


    However, as he bowed, he moved with such indescribable grace. Not even the royals and Dragon Kings from the four seas could compare with him.


    After his earlier encounter with the boy, Yuming thought that the Taishang Dao master was going to be a cocky person as well. It was only when he met him that he realized how wrong his assumption was.


    At the same time, he was reminded of Shen Lian, and how both of them shared certain similarities.


    Yuming replied, "Dao master, you are too polite. Taishang Daoist Sect being one of the four main Daoist sects commands great respect."


    The young person smiled, "Fellow Daoist brother, please stop addressing me as Dao master. I am afraid that I do not deserve the title. I am Suli, and my Daoist name is ''Wu Chenzi''. Years ago, my celestial teacher had passed on. That was the only reason why I have inherited the Dao orthodoxy of Taishang. I myself am not capable, ever since I have taken over, I have been living in caution."


    Yuming sighed, "I do not know enough about your sect and am not privy to most details. After seeing how good you are, your predecessor must be the role model and aspiration of the cultivation community. It is a shame that I did not get to meet him. I have a Yin and Yang bracelet here, please take it as my humble gift to you. Consider it as my respect to your late teacher."


    He fished out a jade bracelet; it was half black and half white and was clear as water. The Qi of Dao within it was palpable. It was obvious that this was not an average item.


    Suli looked at the precious jade bracelet and said, "Fellow Daoist brother, you are not burdened by worldly possessions. You could let go of such precious item so easily, it is no wonder that Guangqing Celestial Sect enjoys its current status. However, one shall not accept an undeserving reward. You have come so far for a reason, and you must be facing some sort of difficulties now. Even though I am not very capable, but I am willing to help in whatever ways that I can."


    Yuming casually laid the jade bracelet down on the stone table. He sat next to the young Taishang Dao master.


    He sighed, and his demeanor suggested that it was difficult for him to start talking.


    Suli spoke, "Fellow Daoist brother, what are the difficulties that you are faced with? Why don''t you share it with me? Even if I could not be of much help, I can at least offer some opinion. It would still be better than keeping it to yourself."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial thought Suli must have known why he was here. Though, since he had put on a show, he decided to stop dragging the matter on. He spoke, "My junior apprentice-sister, Lingguang accepted Zhenren Shen''s invitation and visited Qing Xuan as his guest. However, Zhenren Shen is young, and he got too full of himself. He detained my junior apprentice-sister by force, and announced to the world that she is now Fairy Ziling''s servant. My junior apprentice-sister is an immortal herself, to think that she is humiliated by Zhenren Shen in this manner! Besides Guangqing''s reputation, his act tarnished every Daoist''s reputation. Fellow Daoist brother, don''t you think so?"


    Suli replied, "I heard that Zhenren Shen behaves like the spring breeze and summer rain; I did not expect him to act in such a frivolous manner."


    Seeing how Wu Qingzi of Taishang Daoist Sect was captured by Shen Lian as well, Yuming the Honored Celestial found it odd that Taishang Dao master did not say anything about it.


    He replied, "Fellow Daoist, you probably formulated your opinion based on what Fellow Daoist Wu Qingzi has told you. I heard that he once shared a close bond with Zhenren Shen. If he is still around, why don''t you invite him over to join us?"


    Suli spoke, "My senior apprentice-brother, Wu Qingzi was killed by Zhenren Shen. You were there that day and you saw it with your own eyes. What is the point of you probing around?"


    Yuming the Honored Celestial spoke darkly, "Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"


    Suli replied, "Fellow Daoist brother, little did you know that as much as I want to avenge my senior apprentice-brother''s death, I do not have the right to do so."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial replied, "Why is that so? That day, Zhenren Shen was overcome by greed after seeing the treasure. Because of that, he harmed Fellow Daoist Wu Qingzi. Even though I did not see it for myself, but I deduced as much after arriving there. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Green Bull from your sect knew about what happened as well."


    "Fellow Daoist brother, please do not be impatient. Ten thousand miles westward from here, there is a ridge named White Tiger Ridge. There is an ancient corpse demon within it, who cultivated an impressive set of demon arts and has great mana. A few hundred years ago, she dealt grave injuries to Fairy Ziling. Fairy Ziling had no choice but to recultivate after being reincarnated. She found out that Fairy Ziling was about to attain Dao the other day. She knew that Fairy Ziling held a grudge against her, and if Fairy Ziling were to attain Dao, she would definitely come after her. Hence, she decided to strike first.


    My senior apprentice-brother made a mistake during his cultivation. His demonic thoughts were incited by the corpse demon, which had led him to steal the Tower of Black Heaven and Yellow Earth in the abode. On top of that, he stole my founding master''s mount. This was what really happened that day.


    I knew that this was going to happen, but I also knew that he had no chance of breaking through the whims in this life. Hence, I did not stop him and allowed him to go ahead. Even though it was a big trial for him, it was also a good chance for him to be reincarnated and start from scratch. Through that, he will be able to attain much in his next life."

 Chapter 380 Magical Sword

    Yuming''s heart sank. While he did not know whether Suli was sincere or not, but it seemed to him that wanting to have Taishang Daoist Sect as an alliance against Qing Xuan would not be an easy task.


    He said, "Ultimately my friend Wu Qingzi was still the sect''s true disciple, do you really want to just let it go?"


    Suli laughed, "Zhenren Shen indeed behaved excessively. It has also affected everyone''s image. How about this, I will write a letter in the name of Taishang Daoist Sect to Zhenren Shen. I expect him to be reasonable."


    "I guess it won''t be that easy. Zhenren Shen isn''t someone who changes his mind easily," Yuming the Honored Celestial said.


    Suli tapped on the stone table and said, "My friend, why don''t you ask the three elders of Taisu to make peace? If you can get Zhenren Xiangshan to uphold justice, it will be best. While we lot have supernatural power, but life itself is innocent. If the situation reaches a stage which can''t be saved, the whole of Yuan Continent will be in trouble."


    Yuming the Honored Celestial knew Suli had some reservations about Qing Xuan, but he too did not want to be upfront about it. Ultimately he wanted Guangqing to make it a small matter and move on.


    If Huanzhen and the rest were still around, Yuming the Honored Celestial would be willing to let it go, but now Qing Xuan was on the rise but Guangqing had no continuation. If all the old folks did not pass the trial and passed away, Guangqing would be a rank below Qing Xuan forever.


    Guangqing was already in such a terrible state, and hence he was determined to make sure Qing Xuan did not have a good time. There was no way to resolve the conflict between the two.


    Yuming the Honored Celestial had thousands of thoughts, but they did not show on his face. He spoke peacefully, "I understand what you mean. I will stop disturbing you, but there is something I need to say before I leave."


    "What is it?" Suli asked.


    "Zhenren Shen''s talent is way ahead of me. I think one day he will be another Zhenren Xiangshan. If he chooses to stay here like Zhenren Xiangshan, I can tell you that only two out of four main Daoist sects will remain," Yuming the Honored Celestial spoke slowly, and gazed at the young man in front of him.


    The fortune for Xuanmen in the Yuan Continent was only that much. If you had more, then I would have less. Xuantian Sect had Lu Jiuyuan which already showed their strength. If Qing Xuan were to rise, even if Taishang Daoist Sect had always been outstanding, they could be affected.


    "Ups and downs have its cycle, but what you said makes sense. I will take note of it."


    Suli saw the departure of Yuming the Honored Celestial, and then he picked up the Yin and Yang bangle that Yuming never brought along. He passed it on to the Daoist child, and said, "Yuming is indeed generous. Even within Mount Kun, we can''t even have that many of these Yin and Yang bangles. Take it and have fun with it."


    The Daoist child took the bangle. He spoke in a curious tone, "Daoist, you said that if Qing Xuan were to rise, the other celestial sects will be on a decline. Why don''t you help the old man out?"


    Suli knocked on his head and pretended to be angry, "You talk too much."


    "Hee, respected Daoist, I will feed the cows." After taking the Yin and Yang bangle, the child was jumping around, and soon he was far away.


    Suli sighed and spoke to himself, "This is not the second Lu Jiuyuan. The honored master, you indeed had the foresight to leave this all behind and for me to bring Taishang Daoist Sect to an end."


    A look of worry flashed through his face.


    Eastern Sea, Qing Xuan Daoist Sect, Taiyi Peak.


    Shen Lian had never stepped out of Taiyi Peak for a year. Nobody had stepped foot in Qing Xuan Hall too.


    For such a person to be focusing on something entirely, he could have such unimaginable potential which he himself could not even predict.


    There was ground fire in front of him, which was concentrated in an area of ten feet.


    If the energy within it exploded, it could possibly burn the river and boil the ocean within moments, and even he had to pay a heavy price for it. That was the reason why he never diverted his attention throughout the days and nights in Qing Xuan Hall.


    Since the grandmaster found him Tianyi true water, cosmic dust, and cold iron of a-thousand-year-old, he had been ceremonially cultivating the five elements magical sword. Since three days ago, the sky had been rumbling, and on top of Qing Xuan Hall, there appeared the five-color lights which painted the sky of Taiyi Peak. They formed a huge whirlpool as if the sky had been pierced through. It made clear that some divine object would soon appear.


    "The five Qi are reaching the sky. I am not sure if it will affect the Big Dipper," Fairy Ziling stood at the peak and spoke slowly.


    Lingguang stood at less than one foot away from her. Her beauty beat even the five peaks of Qing Xuan. Even though she was next to Ziling, it felt like she was separated by the boundless Universe.


    She dared not to have any wrath, as she felt most closely about her increasing power, which had no end and was unpredictable, like the Great Way.


    Lingguang replied, "There is one thing I don''t understand. The sword seed he uses is just a thousand-year-old sandalwood. Compared it with the Phoenix''s fire of nirvana, Tianyi true water, cosmic dust, and a thousand-year-old cold iron, the material is far from inferior. How can he turn it into a magical sword? Is he not afraid that halfway through it fails?"


    Ziling seemed to be in a great mood, she replied, "Everything in the world is not separated from Yin and Yang, and the five elements, but it is the hardest to achieve balance within the five elements. As such, to cultivate a treasure of the five elements, one has to find five divine objects which are of equivalent quality. For Shen Lian''s sword it is different. In addition to practicing the sword, he is also obtaining a new Daoist body. When the sword is formed, it is a part of him. This is not something comparable to an external object. A thousand-year-old sandalwood is an object of his heart he obtained by chance. After going through the fire of nirvana, it became an extension of Shen Lian''s blood and flesh. Comparing it with the other three, they are now considered external. With the external object entering his body and taking consideration the five elements when the sword fetus is reformed, it will then blend in well with his spirit and Qi. Once it succeeds, the five-element magical sword will be one with him. There won''t be such a thing that destroys the balance. The eyes are weak, but the bones are hard. Do you think they clash?"


    Lingguang stayed quiet for a while and sighed, "I always thought in terms of cultivation experience, I can see through some part of you guys, but in terms of knowledge, it is hard for me to acquire."


    "Cultivation knowledge should not be kept to oneself. Our knowledge comes from the accumulation of Qing Xuan for generations. Qing Xuan doesn''t just have successful Daoists - there are countless Daoists who failed too, but as long as they are sincere in this pursuit, in our heart, we pay them equal respect. Without the blood and tears of the previous generation, how can the later generation succeed? From this aspect, Guangqing isn''t bad." What Ziling said did not express any bias towards Guangqing. In the beginning, Lingguang felt surprised, then she was impressed by her magnanimity.


    She was silent for a while, then she said, "In the end, Guangqing still cares too much about the result."


    Ziling smiled and said, "The last time when Taishang and Taisu sent a message to me saying that I''ve wronged you by only using you as a servant. When I told you about it, why didn''t you reply?"


    Lingguang''s expression looked complicated, "My heart doesn''t feel wronged, but as an individual I do."


    "You are an impressive woman, if it wasn''t because we had different standpoints, we could have been friends."

 Chapter 381 Situation

    The moment Ziling stopped speaking, the five-colored divine lights on top of Taiyi Peak disappeared.


    A hole opened up in the sky, and one could see the stars in the Universe. The infinite star lights poured from the sky, like the water of the Milky Way, into Qing Xuan Hall located at Taiyi Peak.


    Under the bright daylight, to be able to observe the pouring of star lights was one of the rarest phenomena ever.


    Lingguang was clearly aware that it was Shen Lian''s intention to make use of the power of the stars to temper the sword.


    The stars of Zhou Tian in the depth of the universe did not share the same characteristics, but they gathered as one still. Even if there was just a minor mistake, a huge clash would happen inside the body. As such, for the cultivation techniques in the world, if they chose to take in the star lights, they would only do it during a clear night, and pick only a specific one to cultivate its power. Not many would have been as daring as Shen Lian to directly take in the power of the stars of Zhou Tian to temper the sword body.


    One had to know that once the magical sword was formed, it would be one with Shen Lian. During the tempering of the sword, he was tempering his own body. The risk was the same.


    The star lights were like water, passing through Qing Xuan Hall directly into a five-colored magical sword.


    Shen Lian sat with his legs crossed nearby, and he could feel the power of the stars coming through the five elements magical sword. He felt like his body was placed in lukewarm water, and he could hear the excitement of every inch of his blood and flesh, and that the bones'' composition became denser.


    As time went, the lukewarm water turned hot but the power of the stars still kept flowing in. As the energy accumulated without being dispersed in time, the power from different stars began to clash.


    Shen Lian had predicted this. His bier was clear. Powerful Shen Lian began to force the circulation of the power of the stars to follow certain characteristics. All of a sudden the world turned upside down.


    He seemed to become a giant that stood strong in the world. His breath was turned into the wind, and his voice sounded like thunder.


    After he absorbed the power of the stars, the power of his body kept growing, with no end.


    Taking in the power of the stars to enhance oneself was not something original created by Shen Lian, but it was what he learned when he visited the eye of the sea for ice light during his retreat for sword cultivation.


    In the eye of the sea, there was the Black Water Residence. With his power then, he could break through the prohibition, but there was a long passage of odd-looking writings carved along the path outside the residence. He interpreted the Daoist meaning, and from there he deciphered a small part of an unnamed formula, which was the ultimate method for training the body. The intricacy of it even beat the Art of Gigantes. The only pity was that the formula was not complete, and what Shen Lian did was merely taking in the Daoist meaning. He did not actually understand the writing and hence some aspects of it were difficult for him to understand.


    Even then, the part of it which he understood could already allow him to cultivate the power of the stars and obtain a strong body. To the peak of it, his body could be as strong as the wild clan.


    If he did not possess the basis, how dared he activated the cultivation of the power of the stars at the last step of the formation of the magical sword?


    With a long drawn out sword hum, countless sword auras were let out from Qing Xuan Hall, and even the void was shaking for it.


    After a while, the tremble then stopped, along with the sword hum. An ancient looking longsword fell into Shen Lian''s sleeves. He walked out of Qing Xuan Hall slowly.


    Ziling was outside the hall, and Lingguang followed suit. She stared at the man that she hated slightly.


    This time Shen Lian was dressed in green Daoist clothes. It looked plain, but the sharpness underneath could not be hidden. It was hard for someone to look straight at him.


    Shen Lian bowed down and greeted, "Grandmaster."


    Ziling nodded and looked at him, "Do you really need to attend the three-year promise you had with Chen Beidou?"


    Shen Lian said, "Even if I don''t go, he will come. If I can''t avoid it, it''s better if I take the initiative."


    "Before I started cultivating, this person had already entered the path of Shen. Even if I have to fight him today, I will not be too confident. Have you got the countermeasure?" Ziling asked.


    "I only have the idea to take whatever as they come," Shen Lian replied.


    Shen Lian turned to look at Lingguang and smiled, "My friend Lingguang, are you used to staying at Qing Xuan?"


    Lingguang said coldly, "If I am not used to this, will you let me go?"


    Shen Lian shook his head, "Naturally no."


    After speaking with the grandmaster of some interesting news, Ziling felt tired, and hence returned to Zifu Peak with Lingguang. Ziling ultimately just wanted to see whether he felt sick after the successful formation of the sword. Under her empowered eyes, it seemed that Shen Lian did not have any problem, and hence there was no point for her to stay.


    Her attitude to go and leave as she pleased was similar to Shen Lian.


    After Shen Lian sent the grandmaster away, he then tidied up all sort of air messages, and the messages he saw from the Tiandi Jian, about the whole situation at Yuan Continent. It began to take actual shape in his brain.


    He did not find it surprising for Choushi to have gathered forces to turn the world upside down. He was surprised to find that Fang Yanying managed to defend the Temple of Killings by herself.


    Even though he had laid down some backhanded techniques which could save the kid at the most critical period, none of them was used yet. She already obtained a strong foothold.


    As the distance was too far, he was not clear about what changes had happened at where Fang Yanying was. It seemed that he would need to go and have a look.


    Shen Lian did not take the pressure from Taisu and Taishang to heart. Despite the little conflicts between the four main Daoist sects, they all shared the same unspoken understanding for ten thousand years. They would try to resolve everything during the Bier Discourse of Dao.


    The opposite standing Qing Xuan and Guangqing took had a huge influence on the situation of Yuan Continent, as ultimately Guangqing still had three immortal Zhenrens, and they had formed alliances with several celestial sects, such as Green Lotus Sword Sect and Luofu Celestial Sect. These Xuanmen sects all supported Guangqing, whether it was upfront or not. Some of the smaller celestial sects were already under the control of Guangqing.


    The fact that Shen Lian asked Lingguang to be the grandmaster''s servant had created a dent in Guangqing''s prestige. It also triggered hostility.


    Qing Xuan was on a decline for hundred plus years. Its influence in the cultivation world in the Yuan Continent was much less than Guangqing in reality.


    Even though there was the Temple of Killing as an amendment, and with Choushi turning against the tide, it seemed that they were only doing averagely in the sea region.


    The influence of the eight sects of Buddhism was not below the four main Daoist sects of Xuanmen. The eight Zen masters were all Arhat for many years, and it was rumored that two to three of them had achieved Boddhisattva''s highest level.


    If the clash between Qing Xuan and Guangqing became official, it would make the Buddhist sects more influential, and it would deal a heavy blow on Xuanmen.


    Furthermore, the Zen which was dissonant within the Buddhist sect was not something of significance after Huike''s retreat and Baoyue''s passing.


    All the menial tasks and common items disturbed his Daoist heart. Shen Lian had the thought to leave everything behind, as the environment felt restrictive to him.


    As the thought flashed through his mind, it was destroyed by Shen Lian.


    Living as a human being was a difficult situation; being in the universe was a difficult situation - to shy away from difficulties was not something a Daoist would do.


    This was yet another challenge. Achieving great things would make the long life fun and not boring.


    To Shen Lian, the meaning of immortality was to enjoy the challenges and fun of life, not just to drift along.


    He digested all the messages quickly, and a message from Zhao Xiaoyu caught his attention.

 Chapter 382 Miaoyun in Southern Mountain

    Zhao Xiaoyu set up the new headquarter of Luoism at Mount Jimo after becoming the saintess of Luoism. Her influence expanded rapidly within a short few years. It was rumored that Luoism had influence everywhere under the sun in Yuan Continent.


    Shen Lian knew this was not a rumor.


    Within a million miles of Yuan Continent, there were about a thousand small and big countries, and about half of the rulers had been converted to Luosim. As such, Zhao Xiaoyu took the chance to light up the divine fire and bring the Book of Nine Lotus to its peak.


    Everything could be considered smooth for her as not a lot of things could trip her. However, some difficult situations often happened when one was at his or her peak.


    Out of nowhere, appeared another group on the land of Yuan Continent consisted of cultivators from all kinds of sects, the Xuan methods of big celestial sects of Yuan Continent, and the Buddhist sect''s the secret methods.


    The secret methods were something passed on by mouth within the Buddhist sect. There was no writing involved and was a unique cultivation technique that involved two kindred spirits. It was the most secretive passing on for the Buddhist sect, which absolutely would not be passed on to any third party.


    This group managed to obtain even these secret methods. Its terrifying influence was beyond words.


    If one was able to pay the price, one would be able to get whatever one desired from the group.


    Within half a year, Luoism penetrated slightly by the group. If Zhao Xiaoyu did not realize in time, she would not have been able to keep more than half of her influence.


    The initially pleased Luoism had to contract their influence back to the countries where even the top rulers had converted.


    Half a month ago, someone broke in the headquarter of Mount Jimo and injured Zhao Xiaoyu. Because of that, she had to escape to a covert place for recovery. She hoped Shen Lian could help her this time.


    From Zhao Xiaoyu''s message, Shen Lian could tell that she was weak.


    He thought about this mysterious woman, and how they came to know each other. From the shocking glance at the first to being enemy, and then now friends. She had been a huge part of his cultivation journey.


    Regardless, they were brought together by fate.


    Even as a friend, Shen Lian should help her out when she was at her worst.


    Inside Shen Lian''s bier, other than the five colored divine light, there was a flowing milky way. It was the milky way sword seed.


    His mind blended in with the Milky Way Sword seed. Within the humongous Primordial Spirit, a lot of messages arrived. He began to imagine where Zhao Xiaoyu was recovering, and then he disappeared. Only the sound of the flowing water remained in the Qing Xuan Hall.


    The Milky Way Sword seed could help him communicate with the Milky Way, and the Milky Way was created for the Heavenly King. After a long time, it had become a path that existed everywhere in the universe.


    Due to the fact that it was everywhere, it could reach everywhere.


    A refreshing smell of the woods was detected. Shen Lian appeared at the foot of a mountain.


    He felt that the mana in his Primordial Spirit had decreased by about five per cent.


    If he needed to use the Milky Way Sword seed to reach other places in the universe, he would first need to know the bearing, and then he would have to use up an unpredictable amount of mana, but this seemed reasonable.


    He was not a Daoist master or a Buddha who was out of the three realms or the five elements. With just a thought, they could reach anywhere.


    There was a landmark that wrote, the ''Southern Mountain''.


    Southern Mountain was located in the south of Taisu and it was famous for a type of chrysanthemum, known as the chrysanthemum of the Southern Mountain. If one consumed it for a long time, it could extend life and also maintain one''s youthful look. However, one chrysanthemum of the Southern Mountain would only bloom once in sixty years. It would take another sixty years for it to have three seeds. It was precious indeed.


    Shen Lian smelled the faint aroma of the flowers, and he continued to walk. It seemed that he was taking a stroll, but instead, he was shrinking the ground to inches. He reached the end of the alley within moments. There was the cliff that was ten thousand feet deep.


    When he took a step forward, it seemed like the water curtain shifted. The scenery changed and he was in another realm.


    In front of him there was an old tree, and further, there was a small bridge and a flowing stream.


    Walking by the scenes could calm any frustrated souls.


    He stepped foot in a flower field planted with the chrysanthemum of the Southern Mountain. The water nourished the flower, and the aroma filled up the water. It was a comfortable environment for people to live in.


    It stood an independent wooden house ten steps away from Shen Lian. In front of the gate, there was a beautiful woman who was leaning forward. She pinched up a stalk of chrysanthemum. She was as delicate as the chrysanthemum. She was dressed in a yellow dress, and her elegance was moving.


    Shen Lian was slightly surprised before he said anything, the lady exclaimed, "Bro.. Shen... Zhenren Shen."


    She wanted to call him Brother Shen, but then she knew they had only met once, and hence she hesitated and called him Zhenren Shen instead. It was slightly estranged and at the same time, she was worried about whether Shen Lian remembered her.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Miss Yang, long time no see."


    The lady here was Yang Miaoyun, the one Shen Lian met when he invaded Taisu Daoist Sect. She was a kind-hearted girl, and hence Shen Lian felt sorry that he had used the Curse of Love on her, and hence she led him to the residence of Fairy Tianmeng in Taisu Palace because of her subconscious liking towards him.


    Memories remained at heart, and occasionally they appeared, like the misty clouds, and they disappeared the same way.


    Yang Miaoyun blushed, and she spoke softly, "Zhenren Shen still remembers me."


    She then realized, "You must be here for Sister Zhao."


    Shen Lian nodded, "Yes I am here for that. Why are you with her but not at Taisu?"


    Yang Miaoyun looked down and said, "The hall master wanted me to marry Guangqing''s Qingwei. I disagreed, then she locked me up. After the hall master disappeared, the three ancestors went out to look for her. Senior Apprentice-Sister Liusu then let me out and she told me to never go back. After I left Taisu, I dared not to return to my father, and hence I was in hiding because I didn''t want to go back. Later, I met three black-clothed cultivators with face masks. They claimed to be under the order to catch me. They were not from the same sect and were not the underlings of my father. I could not beat them and hence I was caught. Sister Zhao saved me. I had nowhere to go and hence I followed her. She was nice to me, and she told me it was not safe for me to be with her, and hence she sent me to this environment in the Southern Mountain. This place is nice as it is peaceful. The only thing is it is a bit lonely but I feel safe. Half a month ago, Sister Zhao suddenly appeared here. She told me she was injured severely and she needed to rest. She asked me to not step out of here and she would have a friend visiting. I didn''t expect the friend to be you."


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "It probably wouldn''t be a coincidence that she saved you as you were the princess of a country."


    He did not say anything but he asked, "Where is Xiaoyu?"


    Yang Miaoyun then said, "Zhenren Shen, please come with me."


    Shen Lian said, "Miss Yang, you can call me Brother Shen."


    Yang Miaoyun nodded, then she led Shen Lian into the wooden house. The decoration inside was simple and plain. It was kept clean, and the table near the window had a bunch of chrysanthemum of the Southern Mountain. It made the room look more beautiful.


    The wall right facing the door was a landscape ink painting. There was nobody.


    Yang Miaoyun took out the incense from the corner and let them in front of the painting.


    Soon there was smoke floating around in front of the painting.

 Chapter 383 Meeting or No

    After a while, the painting seemed to come alive as the scenery looked as if it was real.


    Shen Lian was entranced until his breathing and blood circulation had stopped.


    Yang Miaoyun saw a colorful fume coming out of Shen Lian''s head and within seconds he followed the fume into the landscape painting. She was a student of Taisu, of course, she knew that the colorful fume was Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit.


    Whether she would like to admit it or not, the difference between them now was that of the celestial and the commoner. She could not help but sigh in her heart.


    When Zhao Xiaoyu saved her then, she did inform Yang Miaoyun about the existence of the Curse of Love within her, and that the curse was planted by Shen Lian. Despite that, she did not ask Zhao Xiaoyu to get rid of it.


    In the beginning, she used it as something she could rely on so that she would not feel bored with the peaceful life within the secret environment.


    She did not expect that she would have the opportunity to see Shen Lian again.


    The scenery Shen Lian just entered was a divine region formed by Zhao Xiaoyu after she became a celestial. If not because of Yang Miaoyun''s wish that woke up Zhao Xiaoyu, the painting would not open. If others were right outside, without the permission of Zhao Xiaoyu, they would not be able to enter.


    Clouds surrounded the mountain, and at the foot of the mountain, there was clear water. Some lotus waved along with the wind - it was a charming scene.


    Zhao Xiaoyu had been waiting for Shen Lian. She stood by the lake. It was hard to say whether her beauty or the beauty of the scenery was superior.


    "Every time I see you, I feel defeated because regardless of how hard I work, I am still chasing after you." Zhao Xiaoyu''s beautiful hair was let down, and the humidity of the lake stopped it from flowing around.


    Her pressed brows made people feel pity for her.


    The most soul-stirring view was the hideous injury underneath the thin silk that was covering her body. There was still some blood. Shen Lian knew that not many people could deal such a severe injury to Zhao Xiaoyu in this world. She was really injured, as her injury could not heal.


    After she completed the Book of Nine Lotus, her body was supposed to be divine, but as there was still blood, it came to show that the technique used had the ability to turn everything into its original state. That was the reason why the wound at her injury was reverted back to that of a common human.


    Otherwise, it was hard to injure the body of a celestial which was intangible and without a physical form, and even if it did happen, it could be healed using the wishes of the masses.


    Shen Lian did not continue on what Zhao Xiaoyu said, but instead, he said, "Initially I thought it was Yanxu who had injured you, but now I know it is not him, so who was it?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at Shen Lian and sighed, "It was Fairy Tianmeng. She carried the Taisu Sword along with her and I did not expect that the sword had such a powerful prohibition against celestials. Also, I did not expect for her to have achieved Daoist immortality without anyone knowing."


    "Taisu is the beginning of tangible things. Your body is supposed to be intangible, without a physical form. Hence it is difficult for any techniques to injure you, but under Taisu, the body of the celestial will be infected by the power of Taisu. It will first be tangible, then physical. It is not surprising that you were injured due to your miscalculation. It also explains one thing, she came prepared." Shen Lian went straight to the point.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "You''re right, with my cultivation experience, I would usually be able to realize something before it happened. However, up until she got to Mount Jimo, then I detected it slightly. That was why I suffered a loss. Fortunately, I had some serendipity which allowed me to escape, but for my injury, without your help, I guess it will not heal."


    Shen Lian spoke with a deep voice, "It was not serendipity that allowed you to escape, it was her intention.


    Zhao Xiaoyu was shocked. She lowered her head and thought for a while. A sharp look flashed through her eyes as she said, "That is true indeed. I should have realized."


    "But why would you not realize?" Shen Lian spoke very softly, but his voice fell on Zhao Xiaoyu''s mind like thunder.


    The gloominess that was clouding her mind was suddenly dispelled. Her bier and the Purple Palace was immaculate. She finally understood a lot of things.


    There was a moment of silence, before she said, "The injury will require your origins of the five elements, in order to get rid of the power of Taisu."


    Taisu, Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, and Taichi were collectively known as the Innate Five Tais. The Innate Five Tais was none other than the five elements. As such, Shen Lian''s origin of the five elements could impact this innate power of Taisu.


    She then said, "Mana can be recovered quickly with the consumption of Qi. However, if you use the energy from the Primordial Spirit, even if it uses up just a little, you will need a long time to recover. If you heal my injury, how long will it take for you to return to your peak?"


    Shen Lian said, "Short of three years, long of five."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "Within the next three years, do you have any pressing matter?"


    Shen Lian said, "Yes."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "Stop healing me."


    Because she now understood one thing - the reason why someone hurt her was to weaken Shen Lian, and the urgent matter was probably something of an imminent danger.


    Shen Lian said, "If I don''t save you, you won''t live past a year. Even if I possess Tongtian Skill, I can at most make you live for another two more years. Till then, even with the Nine Transformations Golden Elixir, you won''t come back alive."


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "Shen Lian, do you really think I am afraid of death? Ever since I took over Nine Lotus Order from the honored master, what I am looking for is not immortality, but to be able to achieve something a lot of people can''t - to become the most impressive successor of Nine Lotus Order. I am not sure if I have achieved it."


    Shen Lian said, "You already achieved it, even if the honorable founder of Nine Lotus comes back to live, she won''t be more outstanding than you."


    "This mountain, this water is so beautiful, but they are illusory. Life is like a dream, and there aren''t many who are happy. If I have to die, so be it." The edge of her lips curved upwards slightly, she smiled.


    The acceptance in her eyes could move even Shen Lian. That was the gaze of the purest Daoist - there was no fear of death, for fate, and even the ancestors could not limit the potential.


    "You won''t die," Shen Lian said every word with pauses.


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s beautiful eyes gazed at Shen Lian and she replied, "I know that Fairy Ziling''s achievement in Taixu Strategy is above you, with the special characteristic of instant connection, she can transfer the energy source of the Primordial Spirit based on the Yin and Yang principle to you, which is then converted to the five elements. However, given Qing Xuan''s terrible situation now, if Fairy Ziling has to take a break because of this, your situation will be worse. Furthermore, you have that urgent matter pending."


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, "The grandmaster''s condition is quite unusual right now, she can''t do it."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "What is the way?"


    "Do you forget that Lu Jiuyuan exists in this world?" Shen Lian''s face looked relaxed as he spoke slowly.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said nothing.


    "I will bring you to him. Whether it succeeds or not, let''s just give it a try. I''ve been wanting to meet him for a long time, and I am sorry to say I will use you as an excuse," Shen Lian spoke softly.


    "Shen Lian, do you know that almost nobody of our generation is willing to see Lu Jiuyuan?"

 Chapter 384 He Still Stood in Front of Me

    For anyone who had achieved immortality, ever since Lu Jiuyuan achieved the Great Way, would rarely pay him a visit. This was a story that contained Daoists'' blood and tears. It was a story from a thousand years ago, about a friend of Lu Jiuyuan, who was a powerful Buddhist Layperson, called Wei Mojie.


    The depth of Wei Mojie''s Dharma was not below any Zen master of the eight sects of Buddhism. He was able to see through the shallowness and not get contaminated by the environment. Everyone said he would definitely achieve Boddhisattva''s highest level.


    This was the connoisseur he was. His pursuit of Dao was not something a commoner would imagine, and he had a Dao he strongly believed in. One day, he felt like there was nothing he could improve on, as all the rules and formulas in the world were written on the back of his hand. As such, he decided to see Lu Jiuyuan.


    At that time, while Lu Jiuyuan was famous, it was unlike today, where he had no enemy.


    When Wei Mojie was outside of Xuantian Sect, he was stopped by a young man - it was Lu Jiuyuan''s student, Wang Shidao. He said to Wei Mojie, "Please don''t go and see my teacher, else your Dao will be ruined."


    Wei Mojie knew Wang Shidao was one of Lu Jiuyuan''s most talented student. When he saw him, he could tell the air of Celestialism from him. He was not far from achieving Daoist immortality.


    For someone with Dao, he would not scare him intentionally.


    It triggered his competitiveness, and hence he went passed Wang Shidao''s hindrance and went straight up.


    When he visited the mountain, Wei Mojie looked like a middle-aged man, but by the time he left, his hair was all white and he looked withered. That time Wang Shidao was waiting for him at the foot of the mountain.


    He said to Wang Shidao, "I looked up to the height, I studied how solid it was. It seemed to be in front, but all of a sudden it was behind. He was good at guiding - he led me with formula, but bounded me with rules. I couldn''t stop myself, as I''d used up my talent. He still stood in front of me, and even if I wanted to follow, I could not make it."


    What Wei Mojie meant was, the more he looked at the Great Way of Lu Jiuyuan, the further it looked. The more he studied it, the more solid it was. It looked like it was always on the front side, but it suddenly appeared on his hind side. Lu Jiuyuan would guide one accordingly, and will first speak about the boundless formula, and then limit Mojie to the unchanging rules of the world. It was impossible for Mojie to stop learning as he exhausted. But the Dao of Lu Jiuyuan still stood right in front of him. He tried to follow, but there was no road for him to follow.


    After he said it, Wei Mojie kicked the bucket.


    From then, some other immortal Zhenrens went to see Lu Jiuyuan. They did not lose their Dao like Wei Mojie, but they went to imitate Lu Jiuyuan, until their lives withered away.


    There was no exception - none of the immortal Zhenrens proceeded any further since then, because they could not eliminate the shadow Lu Jiuyuan left in their heart. It could only happen if they gave up their own Dao and sought for guidance from Lu Jiuyuan.


    Shen Lian knew about this secret incident from his grandmaster. He still remembered the excitement the grandmaster had when she told him about this. From then it was clear to him that regardless of what happened when the grandmaster succeeded in the Boundless Taiyang, she would definitely go and see Lu Jiuyuan.


    For someone like Lu Jiuyuan, to most cultivators in the world, he could be a great teacher or a saint; but for those who had entered Dao through other sects, he was scarier than the various Sky Demons. After one had seen him, one could shift gear and had doubts about the Dao one chose.


    This sort of damage was more deadly than any supernatural powers or techniques.


    For a thousand years, Lu Jiuyuan never stepped out of Xuantian Sect, and he never fought. It was an unspoken rule, that was shared between him, Xuanmen''s three Daoist sects and the eight Zen masters of Buddhism. One could be lecturing or teaching Dao, but one could not step out of Xuantian Sect. Otherwise, in order to keep to orthodoxy, everyone would have to sacrifice.


    Despite how strong Lu Jiuyuan was, he also could not fight against so many connoisseurs.


    Because of that, for a thousand years, rarely did anyone know about to what impossible height Lu Jiuyuan had reached. The only thing everyone was clear about was that this person could cross the galaxy and transcend beyond the mortal world.


    Xuantian Sect used to reveal one instrument, which was made by the bones of the aliens killed by Lu Jiuyuan. There were several other examples. Xuantian Sect never invaded any mountains or rivers, but they never lacked any treasure. Some people ever revealed that Xuantian Sect had pathways which allowed them to reach other worlds in order for the core true disciple to cultivate. The pathways were all opened up by Lu Jiuyuan.


    Fortunately, Xuantian Sect did not have the desire to conquer the whole of Yuan Continent, else it would be a tragedy.


    Shen Lian connected with Zhao Xiaoyu using divine thoughts, and they exchanged a lot of messages.


    After a temporary silence, Shen Lian said, "As long as you believe whatever you do is not in vain, then you won''t feel shaken. Despite what everyone says about Lu Jiuyuan, as long as we haven''t met him ourselves, we can''t make the judgment."


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s beautiful eyes softened. She said, "I know you obviously lack respect within you. Sometimes I think about how you''re in fact rebellious, but you always behave like a gentleman while not being pretentious. It is hard to cultivate such personality. I''ve investigated into you, other than the unknown father, your background is clean. The environment you came from supposedly would not be able to cultivate someone like you."


    Shen Lian spoke with a deep voice, "You can just assume I am born this way."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "No, although there are many geniuses in the world, as time passes, they will slowly revert to their natural talent. For the reincarnated masters, after they identify the mystery of life during fetus stage, they will become their past selves. However, you''re different. It seemed to be that everything began to take an odd shift since your teen years. If you were indeed an impressive Daoist in your past life, there will be no need for you to pursue the paths of celestials, or to practice Shenzu Scripture as a starting point."


    Shen Lian knew Zhao Xiaoyu was someone smart and assertive. Having something so influential like Luoism behind her, it was indeed not difficult to dig out his past.


    He asked, "Xiaoyu, given that you need my help now, why do you need to ask about my secret?"


    "Because if I ask now, it then shows my sincerity." Zhao Xiaoyu slowly walked in front of Shen Lian until they were very close to each other. They could feel each other''s breath clearly.


    Shen Lian said, "I won''t tell you." He then grabbed her hand without hesitation and led her out of the divine region. As his Primordial Spirit returned, he turned to Yang Miaoyun and said, "I will find her a doctor. Don''t leave the secret environment. After I am done with her, I will come and see you and I will need to ask you for a favor. This is what I should do for you."


    Along with Zhao Xiaoyu and the sound of the flowing water, they disappeared in the illusory Milky Way.


    Yang Miaoyun was surprised, but at the same time, she was happy.

 Chapter 385 Wang Shidao

    @@


    Zhao Xiaoyu looked at the river in front of her, it flowed into the steep valley.


    The mountain was very high, as high as the clouds.


    The flowing stream of water was so deep that a dragon could hide inside.


    Within a brief period of time, Shen Lian and herself had traveled an impressive distance to reach the area near the Xuantian Sect. She had never been to the Xuantian Sect, but she could recognize the geographics of the area. After passing through the Tianmen Straits, that would be Xuantian Sect''s territory.


    A lonely boat sailed out of Tianmen Straits.


    In the fast flowing river, the lonely boat looked stable a rock.


    The boat docked in front of Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu and the realized there was no base to the boat and the fast flowing river water could be seen under the boat. The boat was poled a bony old boatman.


    With a hoarse voice steeled by the wind, the boatman said, "Come on, young man."


    Shen Lian held on to Zhao Xiaoyu''s hands@@

 Chapter 386 Being One With Dao

    @@


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Daoist Wang and fellow Daoist, sorry to interrupt your Dao discussion."


    Daoist Wang politely invited Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu to their seats and introduced to them each and everyone who was present. Most of them were neither from the Xuantian Sect nor any big figures in the world of cultivation. But a couple of them were famed cultivators with stunning accomplishments.


    Besides Wang Shidao, there were three other unfathomable people collectively known as the Trio of Suihan.


    They were Layperson Tiansong, Guzhu the Elderly, and Mister Jinghe.


    The three of them had stepped into celestial state, and each of them had different cultivations. Their Qi of Dao was as vigorous as the sea. Layperson Tiansong''s physical built was tall and big but he was friendly when he spoke, Guzhu the Elderly radiated a calm sword aura, while Mister Jinghe looked calm and noble.


    They were respectable true celestials.


    After greeting the host and g@@

 Chapter 387 Polished Rocks

    @@


    Shen Lian was using the power of his Primordial Spirit to stabilize Zhao Xiaoyu''s injury and thus he knew of the changes that happened to her.


    Obviously, Wang Shidao spoke about the Enlightenment Scripture specifically for Zhao Xiaoyu. It explained thoroughly about Primordial Spirit, Celestialism, and the path of Shen to reach to the source of Zhao Xiaoyu''s injuries.


    He did it indirectly through his preaching. Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu were aware of what was happening but decided to just keep quiet about it.


    After Wang Shidao had done his preaching, the guests, starting from the Trio of Suihan, started exchanging their thoughts on Dao. It did not matter if one''s cultivation experience was lower or higher than the other, everyone paid full attention to the discussion. Even though some theories have been understood by others, it was always good to gain insights from a different perspective. This was also the main objective of exchange between Daoist. After all, it w@@

 Chapter 388 Coercion

    @@


    Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu stepped on the water but they did not sink. Clouds formed above in the sky, making them look celestial-like.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled, "You walking out like that has left a blank space and I was not able to thank Zhenren Wang personally."


    "As long as you keep the favor in mind, you can repay it in the future. It''s unnecessary to fake a polite reply as an expression of gratitude. It''s not very classy to do so." Shen Lian walked along the river as every step he took were clear and precise movements.


    Zhao Xiaoyu too was not to be outdone by Shen Lian. After her gain from the Enlightenment Scripture, her injuries greatly healed and it seemed like she could face challenges ahead of her. She captured the lingering Dao rhythm at the Tianmen Straits and infuse it with herself to radiate a ray of holy light. She was able to catch up with Shen Lian''s pace.


    The two of them had a competition of shifting methods. They crossed the flowing water and yet @@

 Chapter 389 Spiritual Land

    @@


    There was no fear in her, she only had the determination to pursue Dao.


    But as she was just about to go out, she noticed a beautiful woman standing on the wall of the courtyard. Under the pitch black sky, there was a circle of the clear halo surrounding her and a veil that concealed her face. By looking at her figure and water droplet-like eyes, it was stunning enough to mesmerize anyone.


    Fang Yanying was somewhat alert. She looked at her and asked, "Who are you?". This person was able to enter without making any noise. She figured that she probably could not match her but yet she did not want to die meaninglessly.


    Fierce wind stormed up in the heaven and earth as if it wanted to sweep the Temple of Killings away.


    The laughter of the woman pierced through the wind and landed gently in Fang Yanying''s ears, "Don''t be afraid, I am a friend of your Uncle-Master Shen Lian."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    The demonic spirits finally started taking action under the commands of a demon king.@@

 Chapter 390 Perspective Beyond Nature

    @@


    Fang Yanying paused for a moment as her eyes had a hint of confusion. She absent-mindedly said, "One night when I was in spiritual calmness, I opened my eyes and realized that I was not at the Temple of Killings but at a strange place. I spent quite a significant amount of time cultivating and fight there, and as a result, my cultivation experience grew remarkably. I woke up after that, thinking it was a dream, but I had the same level of Qi of vitality in me like when I was in the dream. I remember going into concentration around the evening but I woke up just before night. The Qi of essence and experiences in the dream belonged to me so it took me only half a day of meditation to reach the tenth level of the Shapeless Sword incantation."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Shen Lian was curious. If Fang Yanying was telling the truth, she clearly had an out-of-body experience while meditating and roamed to a different world to experience her new body. As the divine aura and the Qi of essence belonged to the sam@@

 Chapter 391 The Breathing of Magical Sword

    Shen Lian took Fang Yanying and left for the north. The endless ravaged land formed from the damage of trial of divine lightning brought out the two lonely silhouette. Until the two shadows left the sight in her limpid eyes, she finally stopped looking.


    Not long ago, her life was at stake, it was unpredictable if she could live or had to die. Now that Shen Lian had left, she was unsure if she would be able to repay his favor. Living in the world with the abyss of worldly suffering, there would be unavoidable ebb and flow. She exhibited a faint smile, vanished into the sky with her divine lights. No matter what happened to Shen Lian, she should continue do what she should be doing. She should pick up and sort Luoism out again. After all, she should teach Tianmeng a lesson, or else, where would her indescribable divine solemnity be placed at?


    Fang Yanying might not know that this time her uncle-master who was inscrutable would be facing the most dangerous battle in his entire life.


    Suddenly, it started to rain and the wind blew. Fang Yanying looked at her uncle-master and she unconsciously felt a premonition, but she suppressed it to the bottom of her heart.


    Fan Yanying and her uncle-master had been on their journey to the north for three months. The surroundings gradually became colder.


    Despite her achievement on the Shapeless Sword incantation that was comparable to her master back in those years, she was still a mortal after all. The cold and Qi of devilry was slowly infecting her. Although it was not lethal, it made her suffocate more and more.


    She was very skillful at refining sword skills, but when faced with this extreme cold and the Qi of devilry, she still could not get used to it. She could only run sword aura constantly to eliminate the detrimental cold and Qi of devilry. Three months had passed and she looked haggard.


    However, the same did not happen on her uncle-master. Along the way to the north, his skin became translucent and glowed like jade. He became more aloof and he talked lesser. His previously gentle smile also gradually disappeared.


    They did not hasten their journey at night. Every night, her uncle-master who camped out in the wilderness with her always hugged his sword while staring at the Purple Forbidden enclosure. She always felt that the meteors of Purple Forbidden enclosure would intentionally fly towards her uncle-master.


    This time of the night would be the most comfortable time for her. In the daytime she always had to fight against the extreme environment of the north and thus she would always feel tired. Although in nighttime it was cold, there would be an unusual aura when her uncle-master hugged his sword and stayed silent. It would make her feel as though she was in a hot spring, her entire body''s Qi and state of blood would be active and refreshing.


    She took a wild guess that her uncle-master had an unusual method of martial exercise to train the physical body. Or this could be the difference between immortal Zhenren and Nine State cultivators like herself.


    The surrounding mountains along the journey were all tall and magnificent, the leaves of plants were sharper and thinner just like sharp-edged swords. They were not only vast but also sharp.


    She had experienced enough of this nature surroundings and started to get used to the weather. In the midst of the Shapeless Sword aura circulation, she was becoming more swift and sharp.


    Along their journey, they had met some demonic spirits but they were all killed by her. As for her uncle-master''s sword had been wrapped in the cloth, she did not even know how the sword looked like.


    She was curious about why her uncle-master''s sword was not put in his sleeves.


    Her uncle-master said, "You can only store non-living things in your sleeve, this sword is alive."


    She found it weird. She thought that even if the instrument had spirituality, it should not be considered as a living thing. Why was it a living thing? Fang Yanying did not continue asking her uncle-master, she just thought to herself.


    Until one night, when she was working on her incantation, suddenly she felt as though she broke a barrier and spirituality was spilled all over her surroundings and she heard a breathing sound. A breathing sound which was indescribable. It sounded melodious but there was a heaviness in it. Her spiritual sense approached the breathing sound then she ''saw'' her uncle-master''s sword. Then she understood that what she heard was the sword''s breathing sound.


    If there was breathing, it would naturally be considered as a living thing. Moreover, upon hearing this sword''s breathing rhythm, it became unforgettable to her. The following day, she unconsciously changed her breathing to the magical sword''s breathing.


    A sword''s breathing was definitely the most suitable for swords. But she was a human being. Under that breathing rhythm, there was gradual change on her physique. In the past when she used sword aura, there would be a process required but now the speed of her using the sword aura was faster, just like a flash of light. The thought and sword aura would appear simultaneously, quietly, it was incomparably sharp.


    All the monsters along the journey were killed by her Shapeless Sword aura.


    After all, she was still a human being with humanity and thus she really hoped that her uncle-master would be able to see her improvement and praise her. Unknowingly, she had already treated Shen Lian as the second honored master.


    However, her uncle-master was very reserved and quiet and he did not speak a word. The monsters'' meat quality was special and tasty because they had been taking in the essence of heaven and earth. The monsters were used to satisfy her uncle-master and her desire for good food.


    She also realized that her uncle-master actually had such good cooking skills. He could easily transform sand into a cooking stove and light a fire in the void. He could even make some imaginable or even the unimaginable peculiar cutleries out of thin air. Her uncle-master said in a carefree manner that all these meant nothing and those who were really brilliant could even easily make a majority of the existing spiritual beings. All it took would be merely their Qi of vitality and five elements.


    At that moment, she finally understood the power of celestials. In her whole life, she only bothered to go after the swordcraft just like the honored master, now she finally looked forward to being an immortal Zhenren.


    She knew her combat capabilities were already very high, and her cultivation experience was also sufficiently profound. However, she realized that being an immortal Zhenren was a common challenge for all the cultivators in the world. There were many geniuses being stopped at the entrance.


    Right in front of the Changsheng door, it was terrifying and bone-chilling, and that was nowhere close to an exaggeration.


    "Uncle-master, there''s a city right in front." They walked on a totally empty abandoned area. They had rarely seen any living things these days and suddenly, about hundred miles away, they saw a magnificent city.


    When Fang Yanying walked up a small slope, she was shocked.


    The bitter cold here was even worse than the places they had been through along the journey. Although she had cultivation experience, in the beginning, she could not get used to it. Thus, she was curious how people in this city could survive. To live in this place, there must be unimaginable grief. Whether it''s the food, water, or any other supplies, the inheritance of bloodline faced incredible difficulty.


    Shen Lian suddenly said, "Yanying, how long have we been walking since we departed from the Temple of Killings?"


    Fang Yanying said without hesitation, "A total of 300 days, which is equivalent to 10 months."


    Shen Lian said, "Within these ten months, you haven''t entered your dream to cultivate before, am I right?"


    Fang Yanying nodded her head and said, "Indeed."


    "There should be once. But when the odd incident happened coincidentally, it disappeared. To think about it, it could be because of me. It was an opportunity for you but I ruined it. So, in the end, I tried to find ways to make up to you," Shen Lian had his hands clasped behind his back and said.


    Fan Yanying knew it was about the breathing of the sword but she did not know that there was such cause. But why did her uncle-master mention about this?


    Shen Lian continued to say, "You have stabilized the fundamentals that were shaken due to your sudden improvement over this period of time. Now I''d like you to go to the temple to get something."


    Fang Yanying startled and said, "That''s a temple?"


    Shen Lian said, "You don''t need to doubt, a temple could look like a city."

 Chapter 392 The Bones Fragrance

    Fang Yanying did not know how to reject her uncle-master''s request. Thus, she asked, "What is it that uncle-master wants me to get?"


    Shen Lian closed his eyes, and used his index finger to softly knock the Five Elements Magical Sword and said, "When you''re there, you''ll meet the monk in the temple, then you ask from him for a drop of ''Amrtod''."


    Fang Yanying bowed her head as a sign of respect. Then she prepared to leave without asking what was going to happen if the monk did not want to give it to her.


    She went there just to take. If the monk did not want to give her she could still take it.


    When he saw that she was going to leave, Shen Lian passed her the magical sword that was wrapped in a cloth and said softly, "Take this with you."


    Fang Yanying got the sword then she left the mountain and approached the majestic city in front.


    Her breathing was the same as the sword''s breathing. When she walked past, she could feel the Qi of the heaven and earth like the tides were attacking her and the magical sword wrapped in a cloth in her hand. But she and the sword were like the bottomless black hole, despite being washed away by the spiritual tides, there were complete silence and no changes.


    Looking from afar, she could already feel that the city was tall and enormous. When it was near, she felt it was even more magnificent.


    When she walked into the city, she saw a board and then there were words appearing. She could not recognize the words but she understood the meaning of the words; ''Shengguan Temple''.


    Fan Yanying easily got into the Shengguan Temple and she felt that upon entering, her uncle-master''s attention on her disappeared.


    She saw a monk who was in his old age, hunching his body and he looked as though he already had one foot in the grave.


    "Why are you here, benefactor?" The old monk asked.


    Fang Yanying spoke politely, "I''d like to ask for a drop of ''Amrtod'' from master."


    The old monk shook his head and said, "There''s no ''Amrtod'' here."


    Fang Yanying knew that her uncle-master would not lie to her. She knew that there must be ''Amrtod'' so she stared at the old monk. But if he did not want to tell, how should she tackle him?


    The old monk did not feel irritated by her long stare but he suddenly laughed and said, "Do you know what ''Amrtod'' is?"


    Fang Yanying paused and spoke with honesty, "I don''t know."


    The old monk gave a mysterious smile and used an eerie tone and said, "That''s Buddhist sect''s drug of immortality, the same as the Daoist sect''s immortal celestial elixir. When one takes a drop, he or she will be able to live forever. But in order for one drop to exist, it''d be an aggregation of countless powers of decease from the dead."


    Then, Fang Yanying smelled a faint delicate fragrance, what came into her eyes was countless bones.


    She finally understood that the smell came from the bones, and that was the bones'' fragrant. The bones started moving and quickly piled up. The old monk sat on top of a small mountain made of the bones. His shriveled skin was filled with flesh, there was a crackling sound. His skeletons were transforming, and he looked extraordinarily tall and big.


    This was a glorious scene formed from bones, a temple for the dead people. Suddenly, the old monk''s soul and aura changed, there was an arrogant and autocratic aura in him.


    He spoke loudly, "If you don''t want to leave, then you can stay here."


    Fang Yanying finally realized why a temple as huge as a city could be built in this wilderness. People in this temple did not have a concern about daily routine because even if there was somebody here, the person would be a dead one.


    Those bones used to be living creatures but they were then dead.


    The monk was only wearing a ragged robe but at this moment, there was a glow as soft as water running out from his sleeve, and it had covered the entire Shengguan Temple with sheer.


    Fang Yanying could clearly feel the magnificent mighty force in the monk. It was very different from the Daoist sect''s mana from Buddhist sect''s power. He had profound Dharma but Fang Yanying was unclear if he was a dead person.


    Somewhere far away, Shen Lian was standing at the top of the city wall. Fang Yanying could not feel him and even the monk could not sense him. He was quietly watching everything inside, the soft white Buddhist ray penetrated through his body as though he did not exist in this place.


    A long time ago, Shengguan Temple was quite an enormous temple in the north, there were countless of Bhikkhu living inside. Until one day, a senior monk passed away and everyone in this place became dead people overnight. There was no religious ceremony performed to expiate the sins of the dead, so there was huge resentment in there.


    Then, all the resentment concentrated on the dead senior monk''s body and that helped to shape a ghoul. Because he had attained both Dharma and the deceased''s resentment, there was a unity of good and evil. Therefore, it was difficult to deal with him, regardless of whether the connoisseurs are from the Daoist or Buddhist sect. Moreover, he could not leave Shengguan Temple. Thus, as time passed by, he was left forgotten at the faraway north.


    Even if there was any living creature nearby, one also realized that this was not a place that living things could go and therefore, there was nothing in this wilderness.


    Also because he had not met any living creatures for a long time, thus the ghoul had spoken a little more than he was supposed to.


    There was a red glow in the ghoul''s eyes, and the bones under him started to have red blood color. Then, the deceased souls crawled out of the bones.


    One group followed by another group of deceased souls were surrounding Fang Yanying. She held the sword tightly and did not dare to let down her guard.


    She could already defend the Temple of Killings without her uncle-master. Moreover, now her supernatural power already improved, there was also the Five Elements Magical Sword.


    In her alertness was the brightly-lit heart of the sword. She could clearly sense every deceased soul''s emotions, dissatisfaction, resentment, and the unbearable feeling buried deep inside the heart.


    It was because the majority of the deceased souls were Bhikkhu in Shengguan Temple and so they were filled with mercy.


    Fang Yanying sighed from the bottom of her heart. Although she did not know the deceased souls'' origins, they were just human beings after all and they might have committed some sins in their past lives.


    She tore the wrapping cloth apart. The sword''s body was dull like the quiet water, there was no dazzling riot of colors.


    Fang Yanying''s slender finger gracefully flicked on the sword. The soft Buddhist ray emitted from the ghoul''s body was instantly swallowed by a black hole. The heaven and earth sunk into darkness.


    It was followed by an impressive ghost fire which almost burnt Fang Yanying''s shirt.


    Accompanied by a low-pitched chant, the soft Buddhist rays that were swallowed, accompanied by the infinite tides of heaven and earth''s Qi of vitality, were pouring like the sea water. In an instant, the tides surged and the entire Shengguan Temple was drowned in the tides and all the deceased souls and bones were washed into pieces.


    Fang Yanying''s body floated in midair, and the tips of her feet pointed on the high tide. She was feeling calm and peaceful. All of a sudden, there was a finger thrusting out from the tides and at that moment, it transformed into a divine peak that was so tall that it could reach the sky and the clouds, as though it was bound to destroy the small Fang Yanying.


    Just one attack and it was already at the Golden Luohan''s level of capability. Thus, Fang Yanying knew that she would not be able to defeat the other party.


    But she still wanted to give it a try.


    At this moment when she was facing this attack transformed from the mighty Buddhist power, her thoughts drifted away. She suddenly thought of the days when she used to follow her uncle-master on their journey to the north. In every cold and chilling night, her uncle-master would hold his sword while facing the Purple Forbidden enclosure, the infinite star power was even more magnificent than the mighty mana of this person right in front of her. Her heart was in a quiet and peaceful state. The stars at the Purple Palace''s bier lighted up. Those were the Purple Forbidden enclosure stars sparkling. The mighty mystery of the universe was her toughest shield.


    The Qi of vitality tides which flooded the entire surroundings were inspired and clustered near the Five Elements Magical Sword. It looked wonderful just like a sky of stars.�������� - Extracted from the Rebirth Mantra.

 Chapter 393 Reborn / Death

    When Fang Yanying struck, a thought appeared in her head. She thought that it was impossible for her to have such a strike anymore in her remaining life, that was the one and only chance.


    Because she actually contributed very little to this sword.


    She could form this star-like dazzling strike was all credited to the training she gain from her uncle-master in this entire journey and her understanding of the sword''s breathing. And of course, the fact that her uncle-master allowed her to take this magical sword along.


    If there was no Five Elements Magical Sword and no accumulated experience in this journey, there would definitely no such strike.


    She felt as though her entire body was being hollowed out, as though she was floating. She had no energy. On the other hand, sword gleam of the strike was as though it had detached from the universe, escaped from the gravity, ethereal without a trace like an imagination.


    The sword already had breathing and even spirit. She was merely the sword''s servant.


    This sword technique was indescribably terrifying because the sword was not controlled by a person, the sword was controlling the person instead. If her uncle-master was not around anymore, she would not doubt that this Five Elements Magical Sword had the ability to transform into demons and monsters. It could cultivate itself and make it to the state of celestials.


    Despite the fact that the magical sword''s spirituality was perfect without any impurities and it was not affected by the mortal world, it was vague like the stars in Nine Heavens, majestic and aloof, not having the slightest living creature''s emotions.


    All the bones quivered, as though they were affected by the intangible rhythms of the universe and instantly turned to dust. When they turned into the insignificant dust, it seemed like the decreased souls gained their freedom and they made a satisfied sigh. Aggregation of their sighs had shaken the ghoul''s mind and spirit.


    The ghoul was sitting in the air, shouting the Buddhist chants. The Buddhist chants originated from the Mount Sumeru, affecting the Boundless Universe and the souls of the deceased stopped moving. He raised his palm, as enormous as a mountain, covering the entire sky and the earth and it had shaken the rules of the universe.


    Fang Yanying had heard from her honored master discussing supernatural powers on earth and there was this one supernatural power named ''Mahamudra'', Seal the Giant Palm, by a secret sect. If one trained to the profound level of its essence, there was no escape from it.


    This was exactly Seal of the Giant Palm that honored master mentioned. An enormous hand that could block out the sun, was moving at a speed that was beyond Fang Yanying''s knowledge but on the other hand, Fang Yanying could clearly see the palm was coming. The combination of fast and slow speed produced a superb pulling force. The entire Shengguan Temple which as huge as a city instantly collapsed and shattered into dust.


    The force directly destroyed the temple''s firm structure.


    The ghoul was situated in the void with a face that looked like the hell''s bank note, there was not even the slightest change in his expression.


    The sky of stars that were formed from the strike. The sword aura was focused onto the enormous palm. There was no world-shaking explosion when the tip of the sword pierced through the enormous palm, there were only dissipating energy and the deep and quiet universe''s invincible power that shook Fang Yanying''s heart and soul.


    Dust fell like a waterfall before her eyes and piled up on the ground.


    The monk was after all just one of the ghoul''s hand, all his flesh disappeared, leaving only burnt bones.


    Even the power of stars could not burn his bones, but the sword aura could.


    The old monk exhibited a posture as though he just woke up from his dream and said, "You''re not alone."


    His eyes were pure and clean like the stars in the sky.


    Fang Yanying''s body was shaking, her mana was already being sucked empty whereas this old monk opposite of her only lost one arm. Even with the Five Elements Magical Sword and her everyday cultivation of the meaning of Dharma, it was impossible to defeat this demonized monk.


    Fang Yanying kept quiet, she knew that this monk who looked like a demon was right. Although she was the one using the sword, her uncle-master was the persons who launched the attack. On top of that, this magical sword was a living thing, which further amplified the attack.


    The old monk did not continue his attack nor further condemn her. Through Fang Yanying, his clear eyes could see the faraway Shen Lian. He smiled, just like Siddhartha Gautama infected Kassapa with his smile. Shen Lian smiled too and nodded his head.


    That strike was not meant to kill him but to pierce through the monk''s evil though, to trigger the monk''s inner side of mercy.


    The route that Shen Lian had chosen was for a purpose. He already knew in advance that there was a Shengguan Temple here and there was a tyrannical ghoul or senior monk. He came here for the Buddhist sect''s Water Element True Technique.


    ''Amrtod'' was formed from the infinite power of the deceased into a ''dew'' that could make people immortal. It could be considered as Buddhist sect''s water element essence. To form the ''dew'' would require one technique which was the Rebirth Mantra, and that was the Water Element True Technique yearned by Shen Lian.


    Then, the Rebirth Mantra was chanted, the deceased souls which got the power of Rebirth Mantra seemed to be bright and clean, emitting soft glow. They gradually clustered together, it became dense and condensed, just like the soft morning mist, it instantly covered the entire void.


    Force of Rebirth Mantra''s flowed, the mist was enlivened and it formed a swirl in the center, the mist-shaped souls of the deceased flew towards the whirlpool. The center of the whirlpool had a black hole which led to reincarnation, it took in the souls one by one. At the same time, it was stripped of the power of rebirth, all the mist condensed to form a drop of dew which lay in the midair while revolving.


    The monk said, "Unfortunately I can''t see the udumbara flowers blossom." Upon finishing his sentence, his body burned in flames. In the end, there was nothing left, there was also nobody who knew his name. He came empty handed and left empty handed too.


    Fang Yanying was a little disappointed and also a little envious but she did not know what she was envious about.


    "He was trapped here for a long time and today he finally regained his freedom." Shen Lian''s distant voice was in Fang Yanying''s ears. The drop of dew was revolving and dropped in front of Fang Yanying.


    Fang Yanying finally knew what she was envious about. The monk was finally set free, at least he did not have to be restricted in this place.


    She looked at the drop of ''dew'' and spoke with hesitation, "Uncle-master, aren''t you going to keep this?" Since this was Buddhist sect''s drug of immortality, it must be as precious as Daoist''s spiritual elixir. Even if after consuming it one could not be immortal, the person would definitely be able to live for a very long time.


    As long as one could live for a sufficiently long time, even a pig would have the chance to break away from whims. After all, it could afford to go through countless times of failures and it would find a solution to this in the end.


    There were a lot of hardships in this universe, but the biggest hardship for the living creatures who had not attained immortality was dying. Fang Yanying could actually resist herself when facing this Buddhist sect''s drug of immortality. It was sufficient to prove that she was qualified to be promoted to the celestial''s path.


    Shen Lian said casually, "I asked you to go isn''t because I want to have it. Moreover, I already got what I wanted in the first place."


    At his stage, nothing could influence his heart of Dao, even the legendary Daoist Master Taishang''s Nine Transformation Golden Elixir whereby if one had eaten, he would be able to achieve the state of heavenly immortal immediately and transcend beyond the mortal world.


    All he needed was the Rebirth Mantra that was the representative of Buddhist sect''s Water Element True Technique.


    He headed towards the north, restructured the five elements, the Rebirth Mantra was merely the first target. When the remaining four targets were completed, it would be almost time to be at Mount Zhong.


    Then, boundless gold light floated in the sky and most of it fell on Fang Yanying''s body.


    Fang Yanying was shocked and moved because gold light was merit. It was the first time she received the power of merit.

 Chapter 394 The Udumbara

    Fang Yanying clearly felt that, with a thought of it, she could refine the power of merit. Instantly, her mana could reach the peak, just below immortality, and she would be closer to being an immortal Zhenren.


    However, she gave up on this thought because she did not cultivate this mana by herself, it would be difficult to climb to an even higher state in the future. Although to many people, the peak of mana in Powang state was already something that was beyond reach.


    She actually got trapped in an awkward situation right now because her achievement on Shapeless Sword incantation was already at level ten. Moreover, through Shen Lian''s imperceptible influence along the entire journey, it stabilized her fundamental which was shaken due to sudden improvement. Nonetheless, she still had not achieved Huandan and enter the path of Daoism.


    In other words, now her strength could not be measured simply using the nine states of cultivation. She did not get out of this cultivation hierarchy, thus she still had to reach the final step to break away from whims, which was Powang, and attain Primordial Spirit to be an immortal Zhenren.


    She did not enter the path of Daoism and Huandan was not due to her insufficient state, but due to the fact that Shapeless Sword incantation was already somehow not suitable for her. She needed to be like her master to get out of the boundaries of Shapeless Sword incantation and create a new swordcraft. This process could either be done easily or it would never be achieved at all in one''s entire life.


    However, despite the blood and tears, she would still continue this journey without any second thought. It was not to inherit her honored master''s glory, but the fact that she was really willing to sacrifice everything for swordcraft.


    Fang Yanying''s heart was indecisive. In the end, she decided to infuse part of her merit''s power into the Five Elements Magical Sword as means of repaying her uncle-master. However, the Five Elements Magical Sword only took in a small part of the merit''s power, it did not accept Fang Yanying''s merit.


    Shen Lian pointed out his finger, endless Qi of Dao was released from his translucent, jade-like finger. Instantly, it took away Fang Yanying''s power of merit which condensed into a dark golden hairpin that flew to Fang Yanying''s hand in the end.


    "This golden hairpin can save you when you face danger. Remember that you can only use this for three times, be cautious while using it," Shen Lian clasped his hands behind his back and said while looking at somewhere far away.


    Fang Yanying did not reject it and softly inserted this golden hairpin into her bun. Her silky hair was like the clouds and waterfall, it was difficult to see the golden hairpin from outside and it was unnoticeable.


    However, Fang Yanying felt that her mind became clearer after wearing this hairpin. This could be another function of merit.


    She took a bow with respect to her uncle-master and asked, "Are we going to continue our journey, uncle-master?"


    Shen Lian said, "Let''s go."


    Fang Yanying was about to speak but she said nothing in the end. She wanted to ask her uncle-master where their next destination was because she already understood that coming to this place was not a coincidence.


    Shen Lian could figure out her thought, he smiled and said, "Do you still remember what the senior monk said before he died?"


    Fang Yanying said without hesitation, "He said he couldn''t see the udumbara flowers blossom."


    Shen Lian said leisurely, "The world has udumbara but there were only fruits and no flower. When Buddha visits the mortal world, only will it blossom." He paused for a while and continued saying, "This was what Buddha told his disciple, Ah Nan. This is also the extraordinary thing about this udumbara. The place we''re going has an udumbara. The tree will only blossom with flowers when Buddha is present in the mortal world. Otherwise, it''d only bear fruits, there''d be no flowers."


    Fang Yanying muttered, "There''s actually such an extraordinary tree in this world. Udumbara must be something special. Will we be able to see it when we are there?"


    Shen Lian said, "When you see it, this world would then have Buddha."


    Actually, there was more to it. Aside from Buddha, there were still the legendary primitive six Buddhas, one of them was Kanakamuni who attained enlightenment under the udumbara. That period of time, the flowers blossomed and showered in all directions of the world which proved the Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, the enlightenment in Buddhism.


    Although the legendary primitive six Buddhas were not comparable to Buddha, their abilities were not far from each other. They might even be better than Founding Master Zhu Yuanqing. If Shen Lian wanted to go to the place where the udumbara grow, it would be the place where Kanakamuni had appeared before, the Jinji Country.


    At that moment, in the capital of Jinji Country, there was an enormous tree which the leaves were as big as pears. There were a lot of fruits growing on the tree branches. The big ones were as big as a fist, the small ones were as small as a thumb. That was exactly the udumbara.


    Below the tree was a palace. Inside the palace lived the monarch of Jinji Country named Golden Wheel King. He had the same Dharma as Golden Luohan. Even the Zen master of the eight sects of Buddhism had to be courteous to him.


    There were originally two monarchs in Jinji Country because, at that period of time when Kanakamuni manifested as an incarnation, he accepted two disciples. One named Shu Panna, and another one named Yu Duolou.


    These two who came from the same sect vowed that their descendants would never betray each other. Jinji Country would be under the control of these two families at the same time. The two families would take turns to choose one candidate to be the monarch, and each chosen one could hold the position for one hundred years.


    However, one of Shu Panna''s generation had disobeyed their ancestors'' vow and massacred all Yu Duolou''s descendants, one, fortunately, managed to escape, that was the senior monk that Shen Lian and Fang Yanying met.


    To commemorate their ancestors'' achievement, every descendant who had the achievement of Golden Luohan would be crowned with the ancestors'' name.


    Hence, at that time, the monarch of Jinji Country, Golden Wheel King, was named ''Shu Panna''.


    Perhaps because Yu Duolou''s family was massacred by Shu Panna, there was resentment lingering that would not disappear. Thus, all these years in Shu Panna''s family, their descendants died one after another. Except for their monarch, there was no descendant left in Shu Panna''s family.


    Upon the death of his family members, Shu Panna became reserved and surreptitious. He was very strict in ruling the civilians of Jinji Country. He even announced an act that if one were to be a Jinji Country''s government official, he must have castrated and he must be a loner.


    Due to the fact that all government officials in Jinji Country were perverted, incomplete beings, their minds were twisted and it had worsened the exploitation of their civilians. Although, everywhere in the north was freezing cold, because Jinji Country used to have traces of Buddhism, it contributed to these three thousand miles of habitable land.


    The monarch had mastered all the advanced Dharma in his hands. The civilians without Dharma that depended on their own were unable to cross the wilderness to find a new habitable land. They could only endure the exploitation by their monarch and the government officials.


    It was pathetic that the civilians had sacrificed everything to live such torturous life. They did not even have proper clothing and sufficient food to survive. The fruits from udumbara in the palace were left to rot instead of being given out to the civilians that were considered as having lower status in the eyes of their monarch and government officials.


    In the beginning, Jinji Country encountered drought for a few years, there were no clouds and no rain. That time, the monarch had given the fruits from udumbara to the civilians because for every fruit they took, they would not feel hungry for the next three months.


    Now, the corpses of people who died of starvation could be seen everywhere in Jinji Country. You could even trade a young girl for an udumbara fruit. Thus, to be able to survive, all poor people could do was to keep reproducing offspring. If the child was a son, they would give it up.


    Young ladies were the most delicious. They were sacrificed to the Golden Wheel King and the supporting officials to feed on to maintain their youth. That was the way they maintained immortality.

 Chapter 395 In the Jinji Country

    Golden Wheel King was enjoying his meals and drinks with his courtiers. It was very lively and there was melodious music being played consistently using traditional Chinese instruments. There were four-gill sea bass, bear''s paw from North Sea, Mount Zhong''s cocklebur, Great Snow Mountain''s snow lotus and so on. These were rarely seen in outside world but in Golden Wheel King''s national treasury, it was something ordinary.


    As for now, the food that Golden Wheel King loved the most was still the young ladies'' breast meat. It would firstly be reared with spiritual materials, cleansed with top quality wine, trained with yoga to give it soulful aura. It was so delicious because it had to go through ninety-nine stages of procedures.


    Golden Wheel King always felt that even if at the Western Paradise, they like the Mahasattva might not even have such pleasure like what he was having.


    The Mahasattva he was referring to was Big Bodhisattva who was close to being a Buddha.


    When Golden Wheel King was satisfyingly enjoying his meal, suddenly there was a strong wind at the entrance of the palace, followed by a black smoke that dashed in directly and hit his body. It made him lose his stability and from then on, he started to fall sick.


    People in the palace said that was a curse from Yu Duolou which finally arrived and attacked the monarch.


    Ever since Shu Panna the Golden Wheel King stayed in his chamber, he rarely got out to meet anybody. It was said that there was a courtier who went to meet the monarch was beaten to death because he accidentally saw the scarlet spots on his arms.


    Sometimes when the monarch fell sick, it did not affect him ruling the Jinji Country. The civilians would still have to pray for their monarch, hoping that Buddha would cure their monarch''s illness with a mighty force.


    Ever since the monarch fell sick, there had been ten days of continuous heavy snow. The entire country became a city of ice. Majority of the people did not have warm clothes for winter, not even food. All they could do was to hide in the corners.


    If one were to fall sick, he would not survive.


    Originally, that snow would cause the death of many people. Luckily, three days before, there were two strange people that entered the country.


    They were one male and one female, both looked like they were below the age of twenty.


    The woman looked as beautiful as a princess. Most probably the civilians did not have the right to, or had never seen a princess, but they thought that only the monarch''s woman could look so beautiful. There were people who attempted to take liberty on her, but upon looking into her eyes, they were shocked and did not dare to move.


    They said that the woman''s eyes were even sharper than the fastest sword in Jinji Country.


    There was no man in Jinji Country that could compare to this man''s delicate appearance. His skin was fairer than the Great Snow Mountain, finer than the snow lotus flowers on top of the Great Snow Mountain. His eyes were equally special. According to the old folks, his eyes were even deeper than the last profound scholar and it was filled with the glow of wisdom. The profound scholar also came from another town. He used to say a lot of meaningful things which convinced both the poor and rich people and even some of the government officials. In the end, he was nailed on the wooden donkey and he died after suffering three days and three nights of pain.


    From then onwards, there was no knowledgeable profound scholar in Jinji Country anymore. The civilians of Jinji Country also realized that they should not trespass against the monarch''s authority.


    However, even if the amount of civilians who had castrated themselves were ten times more than the government officials, since then, there was nobody who could replace the vacancy of the government official who was executed by the monarch.


    Upon observing the bones of the dead people with incomplete body parts that were abandoned outside of the palace walls because they did not have any family or descendants to bury them, the civilians accepted the fact that they were being treated like animals.


    "This is already a hopeless world," these were the profound scholar''s last words before he died. Even until now, this sentence was recognized by all the civilians and even the wealthy ones.


    A man similar to the profound scholar that self-claimed he was a Daoist from the east had bought a house using gold. Every day, he would boil a big pot water outside of his house. Anybody who could get to his place to drink a bowl of hot water could not only get rid of all their illnesses, but they would also not feel hungry for a long time and their bodies will be filled with energy.


    A lot of poor people could finally survive by depending on the water boiled by the Daoist.


    The method of boiling water that could save people''s life was very easy. Firstly, the Daoist would take out a talisman and burn it. The ashes from burning would drop in the boiling hot water. He called this the holy water that could treat all kinds of diseases, even the disease of starving could be treated.


    Everybody could only get a bowl of holy water, there was no second time. The Daoist''s wisdom could remember all the stars in the sky. Hence, no matter who came to attempt to take the second time, it would be discovered by him. His energy was definitely able to move nine cows. Therefore, those that were slightly pushed by him would fly out to somewhere far away.


    Every day, he would only boil one pot of water, no more nor less.


    After distributing the holy water, the Daoist would sit on his rooftop for story-telling. He would tell a lot of stories. The civilians barely had any entertainment usually, thus no matter how simple the story might seem, it would attract their interest. Even later there were many wealthy people and government officials who came over to listen to storytelling.


    The Daoist was no doubt Shen Lian. The stories he told were also from the Buddhist scriptures that were so full of wit and humor that it took people''s minds off other things. If it was not because he had long hair and self-claimed that he was a Daoist, the others thought that he was the reincarnation of an eminent monk.


    When the night approached, people were driven away by the cold wind and snow, and there were only Shen Lian and Fang Yanying left.


    Fang Yanying asked, "Uncle-master, we''ve been in this city for three days and we realized that the people here lead terrible lives. Regardless of status, whether it''s the government officials, wealthy ones or the civilians, their eyes are filled with hopelessness. This is all caused by the monarch. He was eviler than a demon. He''s done a lot of bad things. Why do people like this still have such profound Dharma?"


    Shen Lian said, "Tell me why you think he can''t have profound Dharma."


    "Disciple had seen a lot of monks in Xi Huang. They cultivate Dharma and they''re merciful, they rarely kill," Fang Yanying spoke with honesty. The influence of Buddhism was so significant in Xi Huang that even she was influenced by what she saw and heard about Buddhism.


    "How sure are you that the mercy you''ve seen is real? The monks enjoy worships from their believers but they don''t do anything productive for them. The monks use the excuse that they help to eliminate the demons to occupy spiritual vigor fortune lands to build majestic temples everywhere. You''d see luxurious temples everywhere in Xi Huang regardless of whether the land is fertile or infertile. Meanwhile, how many lives are buried beneath the temples?" Shen Lian scoffed.


    Fang Yanying startled. She did not know there were so many hidden stories. Nevertheless, she still said, "But the senior monks lead very simple lives, they even used ascetic practices for self-improvements. They''re also very willing to help the civilians. They have both profound Dharma and a merciful heart."


    Shen Lian said, "Do you think the civilians in Westfall are living good lives?"


    Fang Yanying was speechless. She was born in an elite family in Yuelun Kingdom. She was only accepted by Chen Jianmei as a disciple later. She had a tough diamond sutra heart since young and thus, she could have such extraordinary improvement in swordcraft. However, after all, she used to have knowledge about Buddhism which only surfaced after she came to this place and witnessed the sufferings of the Jinji Country''s civilians.


    This also aroused her doubt in her understanding that one with a merciful heart must have profound Dharma.


    Because Golden Wheel King was an exception, but he had Dharma way better than the senior monks and even comparable to the Golden Luohan.


    The civilians in Jinji Country suffered but the civilians in Xi Huang was nowhere better. They were all the targets of exploitation.


    Then Shen Lian chanted softly and said, "Since their Dharma is profound, they must have the power to change the plight of the civilians of lowest status. However, the sufferings they must have were no lesser. While the benefit that majority of the civilians get from Buddhism delivered by the monks was merely ''learning how to endure''."

 Chapter 396 Three Minds, Twofold Truths, Two Kinds of Emptiness

    Fang Yanying only felt something was out of place because why would her martial uncle recite something before speaking out of a sudden?


    After she heard this recitation, she saw a clear light rippled on the pure white snow on the house on the opposite side. There was a lucid snow lotus that bloomed on the white snow, there was a matchlessly handsome monk in white standing on it.


    It turned out that Martial Uncle''s recitation was a technique that exposed the monk in white who was eavesdropping using a secret body hiding technique. She was full of respect for Martial Uncle and was also very cautious and afraid of that person.


    She prided herself on her profound swordcraft and would consider her spiritual sense to be brilliant. However, she actually could not even notice the tiny trace beforehand. Even now, with his whereabouts being exposed by Martial Uncle, she could not even find any abnormalities with it now that she really thought about it. If the monk in white wanted to take her life, it really came down to that split second.


    In this vast world, she was too considered a formidable figure but she never thought there would be such a terrifying monk to be in the north. He was close to being on par with the eight Zen masters of the Buddhist sects.


    The monk in white, whose whereabouts was exposed, was not embarrassed at all. His demeanor was graceful and he stood with all the magnificence of a snow lotus. He happily opened his mouth and said, "All living creatures suffer, not even the celestials and buddhas are the exception. Only by learning patience, then there is a chance to reach the Other Side and see that Lingshan. Therefore what Benefactor Shen said is a little biased."


    Shen Lian said, "I heard that if I travel three thousand miles from the Jinji Country, there is the Great Snow Mountain and on top of it is the Dipamkara Temple. You are from there, yes?"


    The monk in white smiled, "It is an honor and pride to have my temple''s name to even enter Benefactor Shen''s ears."


    Shen Lian simply replied, "I originally needed to go the Dipamkara Temple."


    Even though the snow lotus under the monk in white''s feet was only three feet, but the nine layers of Buddhist ray rippling around him filled the air with exotic fragrant, it fumigated Fang Yanying till the point of almost intoxication. After listening to Shen Lian''s reply, his expression did not change but he softly said, "Benefactor Shen has the riches of the Eastern Sea and a highly esteemed position. Not many in this world can come close. If you come to my temple, we are more than happy to sweep the mat and welcome you."


    His pleasant and courteous answer did not receive Shen Lian''s kind words. Instead, Shen Lian coldly smiled, "Why do I need to waste my breath with you. Once I reach the Dipamkara Temple and see your original form, then we will discuss Dao."


    As he was casually mentioning this, he gave out a punch. It was actually accompanied by limitless currents of spirit, the wild strength condensed into a streak and hatched the monk in white through the air. This punch was enough to crumble mountains and break the ground. However, the punch happened to be silent and the spirit currents were like simmering undercurrents that blasted the position of where the monk in white was. That lotus flower immediately shattered and the Buddhist ray floated away.


    The monk in white took this blow and his body scattered into shimmers, there was a Buddhist essence that was solid and not scattered. From within it, his divine thoughts was broadcasted, "Then we will wait for Benefactor''s Shen grand arrival."


    After that, the Buddhist essence scattered and only white snow is seen.


    Fan Yanying was then clear that the other was just an incarnation that had its trace hidden in midair. That was why it was extremely hard to discover him.


    Shen Lian said to Fang Yanying, "It is not that his cultivation experience is brilliant but in reality, there is some abstruse to this person''s cultivation. In this vast world, there are very few who are capable regarding the matter of hiding one''s track. If I was just an ordinary immortal Zhenren, even I could not have discovered him."


    Fang Yanying said, "Martial Uncle, this person is from the Dipamkara Temple. I have never heard of him before but it could be said that his state was close to the Zen masters of the eight Buddhist sects. Why is there this many secluded masters in this world?"


    Shen Lian''s flocket swayed lightly with the wind and his low voice resonated, "In the land of the Yuan Continent, there are not only billions and quadrillions of living beings. Even the living beings who are cultivating are numerous like a school of silver carps moving down a stream, it is countless. However, to reach the level of the Daoist sect''s immortal Zhenren and the Buddhist sect''s Golden Luohan, it is actually very limited. Even including those previous connoisseurs who are unknown, it would not be more than a hundred. Therefore, to have someone appeared within the celestials and Buddhas from out of nowhere, it is hard for it to happen. Unless he was out of this world, or he was some connoisseur that from other continents that are separated by the sea, but that monk in white is not either of them."


    Fang Yanying asked, "Then, the Dipamkara Temple most likely has a history then?''


    Shen Lian smiled faintly as he softly answered, "It could be said that the Dipamkara Temple has a history but that monk in white''s roots is not limited to the Dipamkara Temple only. In his past life, he was the Junior Apprentice-Brother of the previous Zen master of the Chengshi sect, which is one of the eight Buddhist sects. His religious name was ''Shan Jue''. After he re-entered the karmic cycle, he entered the Dipamkara Temple of the Great Snow Mountain. Even so, the current Zen master still calls him Martial Uncle when he encounters the monk in white.


    The other name of the Chengshi sect is called Xiao Chengkong sect. The sect''s essence is none other than ''Three Minds, Twofold Truths and Two Kinds of Emptiness''. Shan Jue was exactly the most attained prodigy on ''two kinds of emptiness''. As for the so-called ''two kinds of emptiness'', it is the emptiness of men and the emptiness of technique. The ''emptiness of men'' is like a bottle with no water, the ''emptiness of technique'' is like the body of the bottle that is not solid; it does not show the person''s movements and expression, neither does it fall to worldly cares. That is why it is hard for people to discover him.


    Even though it sounds very abstruse, but Qing Xuan also covers all phenomena of the universe and also has similar Dharma. Like the Dao formula, the ''Figureless Holy Script'' that is cultivated by Elder Ge''s disciple, Zhao Wuji. Once it reaches the immortal Zhenren state, when compared to Shan Jue, it could go even further."


    Shen Lian tirelessly describes, he talked about the true roots of Shan Jue, the monk in white, and also pointed towards Qing Xuan''s embrace of all phenomena of the universe. Not only did Qing Xuan has similar Dharma to the one practiced by Shan Jue, it was even better than it, this immediately vanquishes the mysterious feeling Fang Yanying had towards the monk in white. From this, she also recognized the reason why Qing Xuan was able to remain erect for ten thousand years and was an authentic four main Daoist sect, this was because its cultural heritage could not be measured.


    Fang Yanying discarded the pride she felt for Qing Xuan''s formidable array and asked about another matter, "Martial Uncle said that you were going to the Dipamkara Temple, could it be there is something that you need to get from there?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "It is not take but to encounter. Even though the Dipamkara Temple is not on par with the founder''s temple of the eight Buddhist sects, but it still has its thought-provoking part. Or else Shan Jue would not have reincarnated into the Dipamkara Temple and look for the fine truth of the Dharma."


    "Then when will we be going to the Dipamkara Temple. When will the matter here be put to an end?"


    "It will be dealt very quickly. Tomorrow, the monarch of the Junji Country, the Golden Wheel King, will invite us to the palace to have a look at his illness. Once I treat him, everything will come to light at that time." It was like Shen Lian was holding the pearl of wisdom [1], he was very sure that the monarch of the Jinji Country would definitely voluntarily seek him out.


    This action of him was not that he wanted anything but he was placing importance on the process. He wanted to re-cleanse the Dao of the five elements. When the time comes to engage Chen Beidou in a real battle, he would not be in a spot where he was completely hopeless.


    The reason for Shan Jue''s incarnation to be here was no different from Shen Lian. The thing he was after had something to do with the udumbara. However, Shen Lian was quick and flexible. Firstly, he ferreted out Shan Jue''s incarnation and not only purged him out from this game but also claimed that he would come to the Dipamkara Temple of the Great Snow Mountain. It was enough to spook Shan Jue.


    Now, Shan Jue would not come again because the might that Shen Lian displayed just now forced him to welcome Shen Lian at his home place. If it were to be at other places, he did not even stand a chance.


    For them who were at this stage, it was rare to have battles of temperaments, most of them were for the achievement of Dao. Because once there was conflict, sufficient preparation will be needed, or else with even just a slight mistake, a regrettable or fatal ending was unavoidable.


    Simultaneously, once a decision was made, there would be no superficial courtesy of the mortal world as the actions are taken would be straight to the heart of the matter.

 Chapter 397 Save us all, Nasser

    The next morning, the ten-day heavy snow finally stopped.


    The chill after the snow could not stop the happiness that welled up inside of the people. After all, once they made it through that day and the next day, everything would be fine once the snow melted. They watched the first ray of the morning sun appeared in the skies above. It would be a good day. Furthermore, a fall of seasonable snow gave promise of a fruitful year, perhaps they would not starve as much in the coming year.


    For these brutally victimized peasants, they would feel the very warmth from this tiny appearance of hope. Compared to those that were well-provided who grieved over the passing of spring or felt sad with the advent of autumn, it was too easy to satisfy them. This was originally not a good matter but in this hopeless state of the country, they could only treat it as a good matter.


    As per routine, Shen Lian gave out a pot of holy water. Once the last poor person who was attracted to come here had gotten the holy water, there was a mish-mash of the sounds of musical instruments that came from the street. Very quickly, a pale, mustache-less imperial guard reached to the front of Shen Lian on his horse, with a piercing tone he read out the imperial decree that he took out.


    It turned out that the monarch had summoned Shen Lian for a meeting to treat his illness.


    Once the imperial decree was out, everyone kept quiet. This was because the previous profound scholar that was nailed to death was also summoned to the palace. The monarch was sick and his temper only got more irritable. It would seem that this Daoist from the east was fraught with grim possibilities.


    They did not realize that if they were to be in the past, they would not dare to critic the monarch in their minds.


    The story that Shen Lian told them left a mark in their minds. Besides enduring the pain, they began to grasp the basic concept of what was right and wrong and had the urgency to leave this current state.


    They even placed their hopes on Shen Lian, they needed someone to become the mass'' leader.


    Many of them even had a ridiculous thought of asking Shen Lian to not obey the imperial decree, and not enter the palace.


    "Do not go, Nasser." Finally, someone shouted out loud.


    The meaning of Nasser was very close to ''Teacher'' but it was more honorable. Only those who had become a god in the mind of the people were bestowed this title.


    Once there was the first one, there was the second one. The thoughts of the masses began to converge, and there was a spiritual echo.


    It was as though the word ''Nasser'' had magical powers, it infected every peasant in the capital city. The tall and majestic udumbara began to sway, its leaves that were as big as snow pears danced in the air as it followed the rise and fall of the waves of sound.


    It turned out that each and every one of them craved for a god-like Nasser who was knowledgeable enough to know everything from the heaven to the earth, to save them and liberate them from all these sufferings. It turned out that they too, knew that this kind of life was too miserable. It was absolutely painful.


    The oppression of a rebellion that could not be dispelled, but only silent the people.


    But once the strength before this silence exploded, it usually outshines the universe.


    The imperial guard who passed on the imperial decree got down from his horse. His face was paler than white paper and there was not a hint of color anymore. He was furiously trembling. These bunch of lowlife, how dare they behaved this way.


    Even Fang Yanying could not stop this burning righteous ardor, while at the same time, the deepest part of her mind shivered a bit. If the people of Xi Huang were like the people of the Jinji Country, she was afraid that those all high and mighty cultivators would be torn to pieces by this insane current of the mass'' wishes.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    It turned out, even the trifle ones could let out their own shout, that their cries had the power to shake the heavens and earth.


    She knew that this was not only because of her uncle-master. When the sky cleared up after the snow, the people started to feel hopeful and that restless wish to rebel was actually close to subsiding. But because of the monarch''s decree, it reminded the people about the cruel ending of that profound scholar. That was no longer bearable for them.


    This was because their hope was built on Shen Lian, who would continue to help them in making it through the tougher days. But it seemed now that the monarch was about to burn that final thread of hope.


    Even if the monarch did not punish Shen Lian, Shen Lian would be subdued by the monarch. Would he still be by the side of the people then?


    The scary part was not the hopelessness. It was when one had endured hopelessness and then had hope presented to him, only to have it vehemently burnt away in ashes.


    This kind of torture detonated the silent strength that had accumulated throughout the many years.


    Shen Lian actually wanted to say this, "Silence, oh silence, when one does not explode in silence, one perishes in silence."


    He had done many things but nothing made him so happy than that continuous calls of ''Nasser''.


    The countless wishes converged in the sky. That was the purest strength in essence under the divine aura of human nature. It was not enough to split the sky and land, nor destroy the world, but it could beat any cultivators into the dust of the mortal world.


    The udumbara that was the foundation of the Jinji Country was even shaken. The government officials felt terrified but also a hint of unspeakable satisfaction. Many looked to the palace, hoping that that monarch would be exasperated and incapable of action.


    Shen Lian finally opened his mouth. His own voice overpowered the thousands of other voices but it could not extinguish the boiling wishes of the masses.


    These wishes were too extreme as the most powerful side of the self-divine aura burst open. It definitely could not match the wishes that were converged by the Imperial Seal in the country of Zhou.


    "I will go meet Shu Panna, but all of you do not need to be afraid. Today is a good day, tomorrow will be a better day, and everyone will be free." This was spoken using the strength of the Primordial Spirit. It resonated in the deepest corners of every people''s mind. It seemed as though it had calmed their restlessness but also made them steadier.


    It seemed that they really recognized Shen Lian as the ''Nasser''. This was the true god, who was as stalwart as Buddha.


    Shen Lian followed the imperial guard, who was scared to the point of soiling himself, to the bottom of the udumbara. The first rays of the morning sun pierced through the cracked between the snow pear-like leaves. It infected the quietness of the shade of the tree, making Shen Lian seemed exceptionally aloof.


    The monarch, Golden Wheel King, arrived. He neither walked here nor did he come in on a horse carriage.


    There were a total of sixteen imposing Gods in Golden Armor that lifted the golden giant chariot and approached with full of power and grandeur.


    The fineries on every Golden Armored God looked like they were the heavenly kings from legends.


    There were matchless ripples of Qi of vitality on them. They could separate a mountain in Xi Huang and make themselves king of that region if they were released, but now there were merely slaves of the Golden Wheel King.


    In actuality, every Golden Armored God had his own background where Shen Lian could at least recognize. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Golden Wheel King to this place and became his slave, where they had no control over their own life and death.


    The monarch''s voice was full of dignity as it rolled off like thunder, "Can you treat my illness?"


    Shen Lian answered, "The dead should never have illnesses."


    The monarch wore a wide robe. Even though his physique was not imposing, but his forehead was full and his gaze was sharp. Even the majestic eagle in the sky would crawl before him and not spread its wings and soar. His thundering voice boomed once again, "The dead also cannot treat. You must be asking for death."


    "You must have taken the drug of immortality when your vigor was cut off. You think staying alive would earn you everything, and that is the reason why you would do anything to stay alive. That kind of immortality drug cannot give you limitless vigor when in actual fact, it is squeezing all of your potential, including your soul. Therefore, you used your clansman who had the same bloodline as you as a sacrifice to a demonic god in the unseen world. That way, only then you could continue keeping your powers and your body. However, it has been a long time since your last sacrifice, because you do not have any clansman of the same bloodline." Shen Lian spoke with confidence and composure, his facial expression was calm. The gleam in his eyes was caught by the monarch. That was the wisdom that gave insights into the facts.

 Chapter 398 Vajra Jiedi

    The monarch took a furtive glance of Shen Lian''s unmeasurable wisdom and quiet down instead.


    Those who had followed him for many years knew that the moment the monarch kept quiet was his scariest moment. The monarch now was the same as his ancestors who could measure the gain and losses like an accurate scale.


    He spoke slowly, "The things you wanted, I can give it to you. As long as you can help me." The Golden Wheel King already had an insight into the nature of this matter. There was no one in this world who had no desire. As long as there was a desire, then there would be a loophole.


    Shen Lian looked around his surrounding and quietly asked a question, "There are too many lost souls here. Do you sleep soundly every night?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    The Golden Wheel King''s eyes became cold, like the giant python, he was boundless and domineering. He plainly asked, "I see living ones as ants, what more of the dead ones?"


    Suddenly, a chilling cold wind blew through the entire palace and countless spots of soft white light slowly appeared. It dyed the floor of the palace, and it slowly converged around Shen Lian''s body.


    As more syllables sprouted out from Shen Lian''s mouth, the Golden Wheel King''s eyes got brighter, it showed a kind of desperate desire. This was Yu Duolou''s unique Rebirth Mantra. He killed all of Yu Duolou''s descendants in hopes of getting this mantra, but to no avail.


    He only hated the fact that there were not enough lost souls in the palace. What if the power of rebirth was insufficient, that it was not enough to condense into the true drug of immortality, the Amrtod, would that not leave him with eternal regret?


    The last time he got hit by the black gush of Qi in the palace''s banquet, everyone thought that it was the Yu Duolou clan''s curse. Only he himself knew, that it was the backfire of the consecration to the evil art he had been practicing.


    At that point, he had no more vigor to sacrifice and he constantly faced the imminent perils of vanishing in thin air.


    The Golden Wheel King hungered and was also afraid. He only needed to wait for Shen Lian to finish reciting the Rebirth Mantra and condense the Amrtod. Then, he would have his hands on it. The best case was to force Shen Lian to give the mantra to him.


    Before that, he needed this eastern Daoist because of the amazing holy water that could restore back some of his vigor, he did not expect such a huge surprise.


    However, the rolling power of rebirth and the soft white lights were like the flowing water that rushed non-stop, it did not converge neither did it concentrate. It did not show signs of becoming a drop of the Amrtod.


    The countless phantoms of the lost souls all bowed towards Shen Lian and entered into the karmic cycle. As for Shen Lian, he was bathed entirely in the soft white flow. It was hard to describe the heavenly and elegant manner.


    The Golden Wheel King shouted, "Where is the Amrtod? My Amrtod! Why is it not condensed?"


    Shen Lian plainly smiled as he said, "I am not of Yu Duolou''s bloodline, neither do I possess a Buddhist''s heart, how could I condense this medicine of immortality? I am only collecting the power of rebirth while conveniently helping these poor lost souls to cross to the next life. It seems that you, the monarch, still has some conscience in you, since you did not disrupt me."


    The last two sentences were naturally bitter irony. It was then that the Golden Wheel King knew that Shen Lian was toying with him.


    He spoke with loathe in his voice, "If you cannot condense the Amrtod, do not think you can walk out of here today."


    In actual fact, the Golden Wheel King did not plan to allow Shen Lian to get out from here alive at the first place. He knew too much and triggered the rebellion of those low lives. If he had not used one of the Buddhist treasure, his precious body would have been destroyed by the wishes of those low lives.


    Shen Lian leisurely replied, "You really want the Amrtod that badly? Well, I did see a drop not long ago."


    The Golden Wheel King coolly said, "There is no use for you to tell me more. I will know everything once I capture you."


    The udumbara shone brightly. The Golden Wheel King gave a stern grunt and the sixteen golden armored gods, who were lifting him, bathed under the holy light of udumbara and in a swift movement like the wind, they circled Shen Lian.


    The Golden Wheel King''s facial expression was fierce as he announced, "There is still time for you to beg for my forgiveness. Or you can taste the power of my Sixteen Vajras Exorcism Formation."


    His body moved in a flash and he stood on top of the udumbara with limitless Buddhist rays swirling around him.


    Shen Lian waved his sleeves as he laughed, "I came just to see this Vajra Jiedi Dharma. Why should I beg for forgiveness?"


    The Golden Wheel King could get the Buddhist Zen masters to be extra polite and respectful towards him. That was certainly not solely because of his title as the monarch of the Jinji Country. As long as this udumbara was here, the Golden Wheel King could use its Buddhist power to subdue these sixteen golden armored gods and transform them into the Vajra Jiedi. As for that Sixteen Vajras Exorcism Formation, it would still be information even with incomplete numbers of them.


    Shen Lian lightly moved his fingers. Those power of rebirth flowed out like cascading waterfalls. Like the two-edged sword and halberd, it hit it from all directions, but it still could not break through the formation created by the Vajra Jiedi.


    It did not have any abstruseness to it. It was solely that the power of the Vajra Jiedi was forceful and it was hard to be injured by solely Dao techniques.


    The Vajra Jiedi could be said that it had attained the ''gold'' of the five elements. The Buddhists had a saying, ''The technique that could not be destroyed nor exchanged is called the Vajra.''


    Shen Lian saw that the power of rebirth was in vain, yet he was not annoyed. With a gentle smile, he extended his flocket like a deity, and all the soft white glow went back into his sleeves. After all, this power of rebirth still had its use in the future.


    Since this was the Abstruse Technique of the Vajra, he was not in a hurry to solve it. However, in the five elements, fire restrained gold. The Dao of creation and destruction was the most efficient in examining the changes of the five elements. And so, Shen Lian opened his mouth and a ball of fire appeared.


    The red glazing flames were like the afternoon sun. It raised the temperature of the area significantly, steaming hot waves caused the snow pears like leaves of the udumbara to roll up and wilt. The Golden Wheel King even felt the scorch on his face.


    He grunted in disdain, and a dispersing light was released from between his brows.


    The sixteen Vajras, as though they were being inflated, their body began to tower. The tip of their heads touched the sky with their feet remained on the ground. Even though the flames were fierce, but it only burnt their calves.


    Shen Lian''s body floated in midair. He shook his head and he pointed a finger towards the flame. Green Qi appeared and blended into the flames. He was making fire with wood and the flames grew fiercer, the force of it increased substantially as it oppressed the Sixteen Vajras Exorcism Formation.


    His demeanor was poised and serene. He even had the time to glance towards the Golden Wheel King. This look sent a chill down the other''s spine. How could this person cultivate such horrifying mana?


    Even though the Golden Wheel King still had the power that was equal to the level of the Golden Luohan, but his mind and cultivation experience still had not reached that level yet. Even that senior monk of the Shengguan Temple only gotten to the Luohan state after he had finally attained the Buddhist''s heart of liberation.


    The Golden Wheel King was infinitely frightened. He had already used half of his mana and yet, he still could not subdue this Daoist. It seemed that he needed to deal his ace regardless of whether the plan would backfire afterwards. With anger and determination in mind, his body shriveled down at a speed that the human eye can catch, and the fruits of the udumbara blackened. It was as though the Qi of essence were tossed into an endless pit in his body. Suddenly, a dispersing light flared between his brows and it entered the bodies of the Vajra Jiedi. What followed was the Vajra Exorcism Formation became a tight barrier, trapping Shen Lian within in.��սҵ� - Vajra here is adapted from the Buddist''s reference. This term portrays strong, God-like men, who are usually guards of the sacred. This term is adapted from "Journey to the West".

 Chapter 399 Demonic God

    Shen Lian''s fire could burn down plants, crack rocks as tough as steel, and boil the endless flowing river water dry. However, it could not cause any damage to the bodies of the Vajra Jiedi.


    There were also born from flesh but it happened to be that they were tough, close to being indestructible.


    Shen Lian could deeply feel that the sixteen Vajra Jiedis were that way because of the abnormalities of their body structure, and each of them had an unspeakable Dao rhythm, which was the ''Vajra''. As the saying goes, ''Those that could not be destroyed was the ultimate resistance, and those that could not be replaced was the ultimate Dao.''


    This was the ultimate ''Dao'' of the gold element, it was also the ''Dao'' of the mortal world derived from forging through brambles and thorns. Unfortunately, the master of these Vajra Jiedis did not have a profound understanding of the essence of this strength. He only had its power but not its technique and its usage.


    It was as if someone owning a modern thermal weapon but they still used it for a hand-to-hand combat which they only benefited slightly from the solid material.


    In Shen Lian''s eyes, this so-called Vajra Exorcism Formation was riddled with loopholes.


    In the Golden Wheel King''s eyes, the flames that were thrown out by Shen Lian gradually extinguished under the might of the Vajra Jiedis. The space where Shen Lian could evade and hide was getting smaller and smaller. However, as long as he did not let go, he could crush this Daoist from the east into dust.


    There was a cool smile hanging at the corners of his lips. If this Daoist was that stubborn, he would nail him to death. His soul would forever be silenced within the yellow dirt, just like the previous scholar, there would be no chance of starting over again.


    The pleasant sensation of unleashing the power made him felt like he was the center of the universe. By just one thought, these Vajra Jiedis could help him crush every obstacle and he could look at all the beings disdainfully from the corner of his eyes.


    However, Shen Lian felt that these Vajra Jiedis were more like a laughing stock, clumsy and laughable. He strolled in midair as he leisurely said, "What is Vajra? Those that cannot be truncated, that is why it is called Vajra; its Dao cannot be assessed, its Dharma also cannot be assessed, this is what it meant as Vajra."


    All of the flames extinguished at the same time. Each of Shen Lian''s step was like walking on a lotus flower. However, as he was reciting, his hand shot out and ripped through a Vajra Jiedi''s heart effortlessly. Countless golden dust sprinkled out, forming a tadpole-like rune.


    Shen Lian did not stop. He took another step and did the same thing. He crushed another Vajra Jiedi''s heart.


    Within a moment''s notice, he had undoubtedly ripped through each of the sixteen Vajra Jiedi''s heart. The air was filled with runes made of golden dust. It finally converged, forming a nine-level staircase. Shen Lian got on top of it in midair and as his feet landed on the staircase, he was staring at the Golden Wheel King on an equal level.


    There was disbelief in the Golden Wheel King''s eyes. During the moment when all of the Vajra''s bodies perished, his entire body suddenly shot up and then, came crashing down. Suddenly, a pair of bloody eyes shot out a ray of light towards Shen Lian.


    It was mysterious and fearful. It was a secretive power that came from the darkest corner of the universe. It had the similar speed of a traveling light and it pierced through the palm of Shen Lian''s right hand.


    The eyes then slowly shut. At the split moment when his right hand was pierced through by this mysterious power, he stepped to a side and a five-colored sword gleam embedded into it before the eyes were shut entirely. It was as though two different worlds were linked up and it caused a vortex in the void with numerous lightning beginning to spark.


    By the time Fang Yanying made it, she only saw a bald udumbara with a charred body. There were no leaves neither were their fruits. Her uncle-master was under the tree with his arms clasped behind his back. His facial expression was a little unnatural as he said, "Do not come over."


    Fang Yanying asked, "Uncle-master, what happened to you?"


    And then, she saw her uncle-master suddenly extending his hand and a blurred shadow flitted before her very eyes. It was only by a thin line before it could spread to her. There was a neat, deep trench on the floor.


    In actual fact, she was not clear that if it had not been for the udumbara, the entire imperial city of the Jinji Country would become a dead city from that turbulence caused by the chaos just now.


    Shen Lian''s left hand vehemently held his right hand. There was a hole in the middle of his right hand, his once jade-like translucent skin had become pitch black.


    His left hand generated golden threads continuously, one circle after another that wrapping around his right hand. The pitch black vital force slowly sunk and accumulated onto his palm. It made Shen Lian''s right hand turned ink black. It was as though black ink would drip out from it and it seemed very distorted and scary.


    Shen Lian finally opened his mouth and spoke, "Sometimes, I am too complacent."


    When the Golden Wheel King''s body died, Shen Lian was prepared for the malicious Qi that exploded from it. Only, he did not think that there was a mighty presence in the deepest corners of the universe that befell a mysterious power to this world, at the moment when the malicious Qi of the Golden Wheel King was backfiring.


    The bloody eyes were the manifestation of that presence. The mysterious force that was shot at Shen Lian was beyond Shen Lian''s expectations. Its speed was as quick as light and there was no way to block it.


    If he had hesitated even the slightest and waited for those eyes to close, there would be a second incoming attack. It would be even more devastating than the first attack.


    With the aid of some fine clues, he knew that the demonic god where the Golden Wheel King offered his sacrifices to was very formidable, but he absolutely did not expect that through the endless far distance, the power that was unleashed could still harm him.


    He was careless. This carelessness was the result of arrogance and complacent festered from the recent smooth sailing.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    When virtue improves by a foot, the devil improves by ten. Complacent and arrogance does not have an obvious border. This experience truly gave him a whooping lesson, it was like cold water being poured on him.


    The pain of his flesh and the spur on his mind and soul caused his vital force to float in an ethereal manner and it headed towards a real and heavy transformation. It even automatically brought out a bit of malice.


    Shen Lian knew that he was subduing the counterattack of that malicious force, but he was well aware that his clear mind was infected by this malicious Qi which could not be wiped off. In fact, every time he detected the position of that malicious Qi, it would immediately disappear. There was no way to ponder about it and it was hard to deal with.


    Fang Yanying carefully said, "Uncle-master, your complexion does not look right." Even when her uncle-master was crinkling his brows, the corners of his lips could not help but hang a devilish smile. She saw it and her heart was chilled by it, it was close to emitting cold air.


    Back then, her uncle-master would not have that look. Her instinct told her that something scary had happened to her uncle-master.


    Shen Lian sighed, "Even you could sense that something is wrong. It seems that this trouble is not a small one."


    Fang Yanying immediately replied, "If there is anything that I could help with uncle-master, just tell me."


    Shen Lian lightly replied, "I have already thought of three methods that could resolve my current situation."


    Fang Yanying let out a sigh of relief. It was already good that there was one way to solve it, let alone when there were three.


    She said, "Uncle-master, how about we deal with it immediately."


    Shen Lian replied, "However, two of the ideas are not possible to even execute. We can only use the third idea and that is to follow the original plan and go up the Great Snow Mountain and enter the Dipamkara Temple."


    The first idea was that Shen Lian would actually go find Lu Jiuyuan but it was simply impossible to do so. This was because Lu Jiuyuan simply could not be found. He had already gone to the deepest corners of the galaxy.


    The second idea was to cultivate Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation and he could even have greater success with it. This could allow him to refine this malicious force. Naturally, this idea was just a blabber.


    They were only left with the third method, the least promising method. It was to light up his Lamp of the Mind, and by using his own force to get rid of this malicious spirit.�ĵ� - A Buddhist reference.

 Chapter 400 Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightning

    If it was an ordinary malicious spirit, with one thought Shen Lian could vanquish it with his unbreakable sword will. However, he was afraid that the demonic god that dealt him this damage could be considered as one of the rarest formidable figures in this entire universe and galaxy. The essence of that thread of malicious force was far beyond Shen Lian''s expectation. He tried to visualize the innate god of the Mastery of Senses to defeat this malicious force, but the force could actually sense it and disturb his state of mind before Shen Lian uses the Mastery of Senses. It caused his clarified bier to be dimpled with ripples like the surface of the water, Shen Lian was unable to visualize the innate god like this.


    At the same time, Shen Lian also understood that this malicious force had its own spirituality. Just this point was enough to astonish anyone beyond compare. In this universe, besides the demons and human who cultivated Dao, it was hard for spirituality to appear on other matters. If a top grade instrument had its own spirituality, it would be like the carp that had not leap over the dragon''s gate. If it could leap over the dragon gate, then it could evolve into a magical talisman and cultivate by its own since then.


    Even a wisp of mana could breed its own spirituality. This was simply like the ''Primordial Spirit within the Dharma'' state in the legends. Once one had reached this step, it was almost impossible to die.


    No matter just how vast and stalwart this other party was, Shen Lian still needed to get rid of this malicious force. Furthermore, it was a blessing in disguise. At least this difficult situation served as a warning to himself to be alert. If he went to Mount Zhong with a heart filled with complacent, even if he was a man of practice, the possibility of him surviving would not be big.


    Zhao Xiaoyu had already long return to the Luoism headquarter in Mount Jimo. She cleared out all the subordinates that were unloyal and took the opportunity to re-organized Luoism. Its system became stricter. Anyone who did not give it their all would be punished according to the sect''s rules and those who could accomplish matters were rewarded and promoted.


    The force of the entire Luoism was not what it once was but with Zhao Xiaoyu''s control over it, it was finally pushed to its peak. In each important spots in the entire Yuan Continent, three hundred and sixty branches being laid down according to the number in the circle of Qi. Every altar master had his own unique abilities. Even when they encounter cultivators of the Huandan level, they would have the means to deal with it.


    Meanwhile, with the noble deity, Zhao Xiaoyu conferred four auxiliary deities to help her control Luoism. The people called the Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning, The Four Oracles. All of them had abilities that were undetectable even by the spirits and gods.


    Within a short span of time, she completed each magnificent feat. If one were to look through the entire cultivation world, there was no one that was equal to Zhao Xiaoyu''s execution ability. However, she did not have much-enlightened sentiments. She stood on top of a huge rock that had been weathered. The broad moonlight was like a layer of thin satin that covered her lithe and graceful figure. Her beautiful face that was enough to topple the masses was slightly contorted. There was also some coolness to it.


    Until then, she still could not find traces of Fairy Tianmeng. Also, after the fleeting of that huge organization, it vanished without a trace. Even with the Zen masters of the eight Buddhist sects coming together, they came to a unanimous decision to send out the ''Four Nobles of Sramana'', which were Daosheng, Sengzhao, Daorong, and Sengrui to enter into the world and scout out. They too did not even catch any odds and ends of that organization.


    Zhao Xiaoyu deeply suspected that the leader of that terrorizing organization was Yanxu. However, there was no way for her to prove that even Fairy Tianmeng was in that organization. She once again held up the piece of fabric in her hand. This was the item that the Wind Oracle of the Four Oracles brought back. It only had three words on it, ''Mid of July'', the date of the Hungry Ghost Festival.


    It was obvious that it was a date. Furthermore, mid of July had passed and there was still less than ten months before the next mid of July. What did that day actually meant? After careful calculation, that day would most probably be the day Shen Lian arrived at Mount Zhong.


    Zhao Xiaoyu lightly sighed. She hoped he could come back alive, for official and personal reasons. Otherwise, she found it hard to go on in this gradually tough times, let alone establishing a grand immortal sect.


    After the death of the monarch of Jinji Country, all of the peasant, most of the government officials and the rich people celebrated. This was because the monarch of the Jinji Country used his power to squeeze his own people dry which made him truly not popular with the people.


    But a country could not go on a day without a leader. Most of them wanted to elect Shen Lian as their monarch and accept their support. However, when they went to search for Shen Lian, this mysterious Daoist from the east had vanished without a trace.


    A Daoist in green and a young female with a sword appeared on the boundless wasteland. The coagulated black dirt was left with one person''s footprints. The footprints were not of the young female, but it was of the Daoist in green with the empty flocket.


    This was the permafrost of ten thousand years. It was even hard for the cultivator''s flying sword to leave a mark on it. However, with every step that the Daoist in green landed on the ground, there was a full three-inch mark appearing on it.


    The distance between the footprints was one feet. No more, no less.


    Fang Yanying followed behind her uncle-master, the worry in her eyes could not be wiped away. This was because her uncle-master was going through unimaginable pain and he was deliberately suppressing it. Although he intentionally hid the fact from her, his footprints revealed the truth.


    If it was not for the energy that needed to be vented out, her uncle-master would not even leave marks on the thinnest snow.


    One of Shen Lian''s hand was fair like jade, his other hand was wrapped in white cloth. He did not speak when he was crossing over mountains, neither did he speak when they crossed the big crack in the ground. Shen Lian had not spoken a word for a good ten days, he only walked continuously like a machine.


    Fang Yanying was even glad that her uncle-master left his footprints because sometimes when she was in a daze, she would realize that her uncle-master had no vital force at all. He seemed to only have a deathly stillness to him.


    At one moment, Fang Yanying passed her uncle-master''s silhouette by and her eyes were filled to the brim with snowy white.


    This was because it was as though all of the snow storms of this universe had arrived at the mountain in front. Besides the white endless snow, there was no other scenery that could be seen.


    Shen Lian finally stopped in his tracks and he stretched his back for comfort. With a slight yawn, he said, "We''re finally here."


    With this stretch of his body, it was like the icy layers that covered the river current had suddenly melted off. Even though it was still very cold, but it was clear that spring was coming. There was nothing or anything that could stop the arrival of spring.


    One of Shen Lian''s hand was still wrapped in a white cloth, it was snuggly dressed. However, his entire person had swept the deathly stillness away at that period of time. He was exceptionally refreshed and genuine.


    The permafrost beneath his feet actually had green young buds sprouting out. In a blink of an eye, its height grew to half a feet and golden flowers bloomed. Shen Lian walked towards the Great Snow Mountain at a leisurely pace. Wherever he walked by, there were wild grass and flowers that grew. The small golden flowers were laid out on the permafrost, as though a golden road was being laid.


    There was a story in Buddhism. Back then, when Buddha came down to the mortal world from the ninth heaven, there was Indra who used the Vajra Technique and transformed golden stairways for Buddha to step on to descend to the mortal world. This was to propagate Buddha''s immense dignity.


    Of course, Shen Lian did not have Indra as his company but the little golden flowers beneath his feet were infected by the Vajra Technique. Even though it still was not the same as the profound Indra''s technique, subtle and far-reaching, but it had gotten the meaning of the Vajra.


    The snowstorm could not stain it, the permafrost could not stop it.


    One small golden flower after another grew luxuriantly and finally spread to the top of the mountain following Shen Lian''s footsteps.


    From here, a golden winding path was opened and it directly connected to the deepest part of the Great Snow Mountain.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

 Chapter 401 The Lone Lamp Above the Copper Coffin.

    In the beginning, Fang Yanying could still keep up with Shen Lian''s pace. As they kept going, she could feel the weight of each snowflake, as if it burdened her, crushing her body and stalling her movements. Furthermore, the Qi of heaven and earth here felt as if it originated from a single source, belonging to a master. She could not absorb it and her footsteps became increasingly heavier. It felt as though her consciousness had been lost, as she numbly followed the footsteps left by Shen Lian.


    If she did not step on the path guided by a trail of golden flowers, this snow-capped mountain would not be scalable. One would even end up somewhere in the snow mountain, eternally frozen, trapped in a state where one is neither dead nor alive.


    Shen Lian''s pace remained steady. The footsteps he left when he started was heavy. Then it gradually got shallower. The golden flowers too grew fainter and fainter.


    There was no light on the snowy mountain - neither sunlight or moonlight shone on the mountain, there was only snow.


    Barefooted, Shen Lian walked deeper into the mountain, everything became pitch black, the snowfall fluttered down, the cold wind howled, turning the world frozen and quiet. Apart from Shen Lian, there were no other signs of life, even the gilding technique could not bloom any golden flowers.


    Shen Lian finally stopped. Although he did not know which part of the snow mountain this place was, he was clear about one thing, the snow mountain was the Dipamkara Temple, and vice versa. There was no difference.


    Even the white-robed monk Shanjue could not change that fact, because this snow mountain was not a product of nature, but the product of a seemingly everlasting spirit.


    There were no other powers in this place, nor any natural Qi of vitality that could be found here.


    Shen Lian closed his eyes and shut off his five senses, relying only on the spiritual sense, going to a place no one can go.


    A sharp awl appeared as Shen Lian took his first step, right where his foot landed. Having his five sense shut off, Shen Lian took no notice of it and landed his foot. The sharp awl did not go through Shen Lian''s tender sole, it was pressed back instead.


    With Shen Lian''s every step a sharp awl appeared, stemming out from the everlasting snow, only to be pushed back into the ground again by Shen Lian''s bare feet. The awls were not an illusion, but a Buddhist instrument called ''nullifying awl'', others would call it ''a nullifying awl upon touch''. What it meant was that this awl would be able to absorb other magical energies, resulting in one to lose their power, and the awl was made of materials harder than steel or diamonds. Anything other than a Vajra''s body would be easily pierced.


    But the nullifying awl lost its effect in the presence of Shen Lian. Shen Lian shut himself off in a world of his own, not leaking any power. His body had the composition similar to that of Vajra, matching the nullifying awl''s material by its own.


    A total of eighteen awls came from the ground, each failing to achieve their purpose. When Shen Lian opened his eyes, it was as if a ray of black and white leaked from his eyes, breaking the spatial barrier.


    Among the dark snowy mountain, two separate rays of black and white intertwined and became a spherical disc, rotating the black and the white. The darkness of water, and the whiteness of gold, were as if a reflection of itself, rippling slowly, continuously absorbing the surrounding darkness, seemingly erasing a void in space. The darkness was absorbed by the disc. Eventually, the entire disc turned black save the bit of white left in the middle.


    A copper coffin appeared in front of Shen Lian, carrying a mottled appearance that spoke of its ancient age as if it had endured many millenniums that gave it such an appearance.


    At one end of the coffin stood a lamp with a red light, it''s light akin to the shape of a bean. A lamp shining its light would radiate outward until it dispersed in the darkness.


    The lone lamp above the coffin shone on Shen Lian and stilled.


    ''The speed of light is the fastest in the universe, and every lux is many times smaller than a speck of dust.'' It was impossible to imagine anything that would be able to stop light.


    But not a single ray leaked through, as the light there was stilled.


    Fang Yanying managed to keep up, but her uncle-master was nowhere in sight. Movement eluded her as she felt the undeniable force of heaven and earth binding her where she stood.


    The black and white disc disappeared as the light appeared, seemingly absorbed into the light itself, and in Shen Lian''s heart came a special feeling, as if he was a part of the light.


    ''A coffin is where the dead were laid to rest and a lamp is used to light the dead''s way back.''


    A lone lamp and a copper coffin. Could these represent death?


    ''Where there is life, death is inevitable. And after death comes life.''


    Shen Lian felt his spirit being invaded by a deadly force, his nostrils, mouth, eyes, and ears bled. This lamp lit his Primordial Spirit causing his body to not be able to withstand the energy released by the burning spirit.


    Shen Lian went and stood in front of the lamp without regard for where the white-robed monk, who appeared in Jinji Country, was spying on him from.


    If the light did not extinguish after some time, Shen Lian might cease to exist in the world.


    Because the black and white ray of light scattered into the light of the lamp, Shen Lian thought he was a part of the light. In fact, he was not wrong. But it also led him to start facing the greatest danger, which was being turned into light.


    Shen Lian reached a hand out into the light, to find his hand was possessed by a force of evil. Wisps of that dark aura lit up under the light and Shen Lian''s hand turned into ash.


    Shen Lian appeared as though he was light itself. Exuding a faint glow. The ancestral cavity located at his glabella opened and out poured multi-colored thin rays, merging with the luminescence coming from the light.


    Light is an amazing thing. If one was perceptive enough, one would be able to observe everything happened in the past because light records all experiences and acts as a witness to history.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    In a trance-like state, Shen Lian saw the past playing out in front of him and discovered the origins of the copper coffin.


    The copper coffin changed when Shen Lian reached his hand into the light. From the coffin came an immense and terrible force that overwhelmed and influenced everything. It was fortunate that there was no other life in the Great Snow Mountain save Shen Lian, Fang Yanying and the spying white-robed monk. Otherwise, the minds of any mortal creatures hit by this overwhelming force would be decimated, washing away the will of a living spirit, causing irreparable harm.


    Under the overwhelming influence, Fang Yanying turned into a bloodied person, but she was more concerned about Shen Lian, not knowing his condition because the light had been stilled. Her senses were sealed, completely lost in the darkness. Her body would not allow her to even take one step. She could not recall a moment when she was as powerless as this.


    Fortunately, she had the mystical sword in hand. It was silent at first, but under the terrible influence, it let out a sharp cry of retaliation. However, it was pushed back by the influence. The sword let out a soft cry, to alleviate Fang Yanying''s condition and gave her her ability to move again.


    Step by step she advanced with the sword in her hand. Sightless in the dark, she did not know how far she was from uncle-master. She was not even sure if her uncle-master was anywhere near to her.


    Holding the sword, her steps were heavy as she advanced. Relying only on sheer determination, she crept forward in the darkness.

 Chapter 402 Being Buddha Is Not the End Goal

    Shen Lian''s hand was still burning. The coffin has slowly opened, revealing nothing but a never-ending accretion of resentment, releasing a ceaseless amount of thick miasma.


    It was as if many years ago, this coffin laid an extraordinary person.


    After that person disappeared, the coffin was stained with his remaining resentment. Left due to his enclosure in the coffin. It was enough to destroy all souls of all mortal beings in the mortal realm.


    The green light looked like a bean. Suddenly it violently ignited, taking Shen Lian''s Qi of vitality as fuel, making its flame burn stronger and brighter. The resentful aura that appeared rushed outward and into burst into blazing flames.


    The fire roared for a brief moment, given only an enclosed space, it also gave off a feeling of limitless.


    Under the impact of the flames, Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit became fragile and fragmented, his memory blurred. The memories of this body''s past owner became clearer and clearer, so was his memories as a traveller.


    The clean, unsullied sea of the heart, swept at once by the two memories, became a murky sea of uncertainty.


    a


    In the deepest part of his memory, Shen Lian saw a man whose back was facing him that looked incredibly familiar, yet foreign, at the same time. This man has never appeared before, yet this seemed to have etched deep in his soul, giving him an indescribable sense of closeness.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Layers upon layers of images appeared, entangling with each other. Even dreams he had dreamt before appeared in his memory. What was real or fake was indiscernible. Maybe everything was real. Maybe everything was fake. There was no way of comprehending.


    The images resembled a monk''s ragged robes, pieced together randomly and without order, which led to his confusion.


    Or perhaps it was an ignorant child who wandered out to the street, surrounded by an enormous crowd, and the opulent clothes he wore, complemented by his handsome face, revealed an aloof temperament that does not belong to this mortal realm.


    A lady cradling a basket appeared in front of him. She was young and beautiful, dressed in white with long flowing hair, with a gaze that looked like she was about to shed tears. He looked up at her and felt a sense of familiarity. She resembled a lady called Qi Siu, but he could not remember who this Qi Siu is.


    He did not lose his memory, rather he felt that his thoughts were obscured.


    He could not help but question her identity, at the same time questioning his.


    The thoughts were instantly dismissed as he smelled hints of floral scent, his wits returned to him. Apparently she had kept a five-stemmed lotus flower in the basket she was carrying.


    Lotus flowers were not rare in general, but a five-stemmed lotus flower is incredibly uncommon. One may not find one even after searching through thousands of them.


    Knowing how precious the flower is, Shen Lian stopped the beautiful young lady, and said softly: "I will buy your flower."


    The lady stopped in her tracks. A gentle voice that elevated her attractiveness even more left her mouth, able to tug on the heartstrings and causing one''s heart and soul to swoon.


    "My flower is not for sale."


    Shen Lian did not stop but continued: "What would it take for you to give me that flower?"


    The lady''s beautiful eyes revealed a strange hint of colour. Eyes scrutinizing him for a long time, and softly, she said "Promise that you will never forget me, and I will give you this flower."


    In his heart, Shen Lian thought it a simple task, and so he said "I will."


    "Don''t you regret this", the lady put down her flower basket and looked deeply in his eyes, as he caught whiffs of her unique scent again, as she disappeared into the crowd, as if she had never appeared at all.


    Shen Lian carried the basket, his body that of a young child. Such a unique scene that proved to be. A child dressed in beautiful clothes, wandering around aimlessly with a flower basket in hand, attracting the attention of gesticulating pedestrians.


    These people seemed nice, they were just surprised, none had the evil intentions of snatching this lovely child away.


    Absentmindedly, he found he had wandered into a temple, the temple was located in the bustling city, but there were no worshippers milling about, what is more visitors. In the main hall sat a quiet Buddha, his features skinny as if he had shriveled up.


    Shen Lian suddenly thought: "Poor Buddha, no worshippers, that''s why he is so thin."


    He walked towards the Buddha with the basket, offering the precious five-stemmed lotus flower to the Buddha.


    Upon receiving the offering, the Buddha smiled, his smile made him looked sad, but it could be his face that is too dry. He said: "Kind child, you will definitely become a Buddha in your afterlife."


    Hearing the Buddha''s words, Shen Lian was very upset. Why would he look forward to the afterlife when he was living a good life right now. Besides, he did not want to become a Buddha, there was no reason to it. Perhaps he has no inclination to be a Buddha since his birth.


    Because deep in his consciousness he thought, he would be greater than even a Buddha.


    An overwhelmingly confident thought, but he did not think there was anything wrong.


    Shen Lian wanted to refuse, but suddenly something terrible happened. Uncontrollably, his body knelt down against his will. The Buddha, smiling, extended a finger as if trying to grant him vyakarana.


    Shen Lian absolutely loathed such an action, but resistance was futile.


    In that moment of powerlessness, a sound rang clearly from the recesses of his heart. Unknown was the source of the sound, but it manifested into a state that seemed to have an interlinking connection between flesh and blood. He does not know why, but an inexplicable power emanated from his body, enabling him to slowly break away from the shackles that bound him. Shen Lian looked at the Buddha and casually said: "I will only live this lifetime, there would be no afterlife, I will not be a Buddha."


    The smile disappeared from the Buddha''s face and his face twisted up. With a tone as cold and as eerie as hell, he said: "Do you know what you are doing?"


    The five-stemmed lotus flower grew and grew, the Buddha flew to his lotus seat with Shen Lian below it, who seemed as small as an ant.


    Shen Lian spread open his palms, revealing a long shape with a hollow space inside filled with lamp oil, flames burned from it, exuding an ineffable atmosphere.


    Tranquil light filled the entire Buddha palace, but did not escape to the outside of the complex.


    Light enveloped the Buddha. Spots and speckles appeared on his skinny body, revealing a copper green colour that was frighteningly disgusting.


    Shen Lian lets out a laugh. It seemed that his body was rapidly growing, reverting to his original adult appearance. "Even if you are a true Buddha, you could not force me into becoming one, let alone making me in my afterlife", he said.


    "I am Buddha, I am the Dipankara ancient Buddha. You have been disrespectful towards a Buddha, you will be condemned to the eighteenth floors of hell, beyond redemption.", great and sturdy Buddha voice resonated. The unyielding light resonated in response.


    "You are not." Shen Lian said, slowly and calmly.


    From that sound, he had found himself again. the sound came from the magical sword. The link between them saved him. The lamp could not be easily seen as the trickiness of it was beyond his expectations. He did not have a choice. If the light went out, how would he be able to repel the evil forces, and how would he able to see the light of the heart.


    Although this person is not Dipankara Buddha, he is, on some level, still related to the Dipankara Buddha that had once guided Buddha to the path of enlightenment. But this was not the Lotus Lantern Buddha who could not escape the fact that he enlightened the Buddha.


    Therefore, he will not overstep his boundaries, for he would be guaranteed to fail.

 Chapter 403 Untemptable

    The Buddha seemed furious as he simultaneously manifests into many different incarnations. In the blink of an eye, Shen Lian was surrounded by a circle of Buddhas.


    Shen Lian showed no signs of panic for the most dreadful time had passed. Under the light of his heart, his memory fragmented and he was forgetting who he was.


    One was able to face any danger if one knows himself well enough.


    He did not have many dangerous encounters in his life, nor had he had it easy. But his attitude towards this had always been consistent, always calm. A victory meant an obstacle conquered while a lost did not mean anything, no feelings of dismay and no disappointments.


    For all the terrors that waited between life and death, ordinary people will rarely experience something unexpected or surprising. Shen Lian was born with an indifferent demeanor, a state of mind that did not waste time on unnecessary things.


    The surrounding Buddhas had no other expressions but anger. Akin to Vidyaraja, it was Buddha''s manifestation of anger, a raw anger that could turn a thousand worlds into ashes.


    Shen Lian closed his eyes and opened his mind. His body experienced an indescribable feeling of clean purity as if he was the clouds. He landed in the pool and his being scattered and reunited, his image combining and separating into a thousand forms, as the water remained clear.


    In the mind''s eye, there was still no way to differentiate the Buddhas that surrounded Shen Lian, and they spun around him quicker and quicker, as the circle gradually shrunk.


    Shen Lian did not have the magical strength to fend off the coming attack, eradicating these manifestations, so he had to wait for his best chance to strike.


    It did not matter if his mind''s eye could not see a way out, he needed to rely on his instincts, a sense of his enemies'' weak points and land a convincing strike. From there, only would he be able to find his way out of this predicament.


    Fang Yanying walked to Shen Lian''s side. Uncle-master''s hand was grasping on to the lamp, devoid of flesh and blood, all that was left was bone. To the side sat the coffin, a horrible aura emanating from it. One could also see the flicker of embers within.


    If the embers were aggravated in any way, it would ignite the aura bleeding from the coffin, setting off a monstrous blaze that would destroy everything in its path, together with uncle-master and herself as well.


    She could not help as she held the mystical sword in hand, her breathing in sync with the sword and concentrated her internal energy towards the sword. She let out a loud shrill as she slashed and a void appeared in space. This was the soul of the sword and its instinct to protect itself.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    And from the void manifested a white-robed monk, and his speed was too fast for Fang Yanying''s spiritual sense to perceive. All she could do was hold on to the mystical sword as tightly as possible, not letting anything near her.


    She could feel the mantra sweeping across the lamp held by uncle-master many times, each time he let out an agonizing cry. Following it was an urge of greed that made her extremely uncomfortable.


    Fang Yanying understood that the lamp was precious. But for a Buddhist monk to still carry such greed in his heart, it was incomprehensible because the stronger the greed, the harder it was to abstain oneself from it.


    The terrible aura in the coffin transformed into a massive swirling spiral with the ember enclosed in the center. Beneath the ember, the lower part of the coffin, gushed a thick black pool of liquid that slowly crept outwards, unbeknownst to them what kind of creature could this be. It climbed up the walls of the coffin but had hit an invisible force that forced it back down. All while the black spiral continuously released more of the aura, completely filling the coffin and enclosing the ember.


    The ember did not move, and this prevented the terrible aura from igniting itself and letting out its monstrous energy, truly releasing its shackle to the coffin, releasing the pool of darkness within.


    As for Shen Lian, his real concern were the surrounding Buddhas that were gradually getting closer, and they were very close already. Any closer and Shen Lian would be crushed into dust.


    Shen Lian did not resist, as it went on he was calmer, the corners of his mouth curled upwards, revealing a faint smile that was as pure as a lotus flower, recalling the Mastery of Senses.


    This was the world''s most profound spiritual enhancement in Dharma and once it was cast, it would be lonely, surreal, and passive.


    He did not find any loophole in the oncoming barrier formed by the Buddhas, but he discovered a flaw that may be helpful. With such rage, why did they not punish him as swift as fire and lighting?


    At that moment, Shen Lian entered into a state without temptation, through the mystical Art of Spiritual Enhancement. Untempted, unmoving, peaceful and without scars.


    All the Buddhas eventually stilled and melded into a black-robed monk, who hoarsely whispered, "So you have mastered the Dharma by the highest and most supreme predecessors, I will honor that and let you go, you need to only aid me in escaping and I can even grant you a favor."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly, "I would like to how would you not release me."


    Despite his effort to vex the black-robed monk with his words, smiling even, his original heart was unmoved.


    After passing the test of rage in his heart, Shen Lian''s soul experienced a strange indescribable change. As he reflected on the Mastery of Senses, the Primordial Spirit transformed into a surging river, coming from his flesh, carrying the river out, silent and never changing.


    The power surged and filled his soul, but will never leave the silent core.


    The black-robed monk responded coldly, "You could not possibly stay within unmoved forever, even if you do, I will not let you go."


    The temples disappeared before a surging body of black water came gushing, wiping everything off.


    The black waves roared like a demon as it came crashing down, and on top came twenty-four demons, as large as the sky itself, dwarfing Shen Lian''s into nothingness.


    The demons seem to be holding heavy beads. One by one they threw the beads in Shen Lian''s direction, in an effort to crush him into oblivion.


    A person from the mountain came flying, surprising the people who were losing their hope with countless lives despaired in the face of hopelessness.


    Face with such a terrible attack, it was difficult to not be swayed by the fear.


    Shen Lian softly uttered, "Sword."


    This sword was not the Five Elements Magical Sword, but it was a sword of the Milky Way. It came from Shen Lian''s spirit, the conjuration of his soul.


    A bright white flash appeared just like the heavenly dragon and in a short time, pierced through the heavy beads thrown his way, letting out an immense light and enveloping the black-robed monk.


    The beam of the sword, like a dragon''s tail, rushed in to slay the black-robed monk, and rushed towards the sky, breaking through and creating a void of turbulence.

 Chapter 404 Netherworld’s Soil

    At that moment, Fang Yanying fully concentrated on defeating the ninja-like white-robed monk. A series of crackling sounds could be heard coming from the copper coffin. From the coffin itself came countless melodious sounds of the Buddha mixed with the sound of the magical sword. The entire coffin turned pitch black, resembling the color of thick black ink as if it came from a dark and void universe.


    A faint divine aura radiated from the coffin and melded into Shen Lian''s body. He had finally freed the divine aura from the copper coffin. At the same time, he also felt intense pain from his burnt flesh, which made his mind reel.


    But the pain and suffering could not hide the satisfaction of ridding the forces of evil and having a clear mind.


    Taking in the surroundings, the void was riddled with sword marks that kept increasing in numbers.


    There was nothing in the void, but the void itself. But these sword marks were able to carve themselves on it. The swordsmen of the world would die without regrets having witnessed such divine ruins.


    Fang Yanying was reassured after she had seen that Shen Lian restored his sanity. Her body suddenly lost strength and fell to the ground. No matter how incredible she may be, the power in her body would not allow her to wield the magical sword properly. The sword then penetrated the ground, and the sword marks stopped manifesting.


    A snow lotus flower emerged together with the white-robed monk, if time went on, he would be able to seize the Lamp of the Mind.


    "Monk Shanjue, you are unparalleled in skill, why resort to such a despicable act?" The spiritual energy that was as fine as gossamer flashed through Shen Lian''s eyes, and he looked at the monk as he faintly opened his mouth.


    "All sentient beings are the same. To escape from the sea of suffering and attain enlightenment, the means hardly matter, it is only the results that matter," laughed Shanjue. "Daoist Shen, such words should not be uttered by someone of your character."


    Shen Lian laughed coldly. "As expected from someone who has a flair for words, good enough to flip the tables of truth and falsehoods. However, there is an infallible reason in my mind. What would you trade in order for you to leave the Great Snow Mountain alive?"


    Shanjue propped his head up with his palm, and he sighed before saying, "I have heard from my apprentice-nephew, that Qing Xuan Shen Lian will be Daoism''s next Lu Jiuyuan. From what I have observed, you have only inherited Lu Jiuyuan''s arrogance."


    His apprentice-nephew was a Zen master from one of the eight sects of Buddhism, his religious name was ''Miaodi'', one of the highest authorities of the Buddhist Dharma of that time.


    Not all the Buddhist Zen masters from the eight sects could attain the fruit of Buddhism, transcending beyond the mortal world. But in Lu Jiuyuan''s previous years, before his culmination in Daoism, he had a discussion with Miaodi who was then below fifty years old. Though after the discussion had ended, Miaodi came out, his face pale, as if his parents had just died. Lu Jiuyuan told other people that Miaodi had Dharma as deep as the sea and immense wisdom.


    To garner such an evaluation from Lu Jiuyuan was no ordinary feat.


    Shen Lian was considered to be the very next Lu Jiuyuan by such an extraordinary individual. Qing Xuan Shen Lian''s influence in the cultivation community could obviously be seen.


    Shen Lian replied indifferently, "There is no need to speak it aloud whether I am arrogant or not."


    The Lamp of the Mind rippled and flew to Shanjue''s hand in an instant while Shen Lian was speaking.


    Shanjue said, "Daoist Shen, what do you have to say this time?"


    Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and said, "A spatial manipulation technique. It seems that your mastery is extensive. You should have used it when I regained consciousness. Even though you would be hurt by my magical sword''s aura, at least you can still take the lamp away. Do you not worship this temple because of the lamp? I was dealing with the miasma of resentment left behind by the burning lamp. Why do you still insist on choosing the art of totality? Ah yes, you are afraid of being hurt, but why is that so?"


    The Great Snow Mountain was the Dipamkara Temple, and vice versa. Shanjue should not be the only monk in the temple, but Shen Lian could not sense any other vital forces.


    He knew there was a reason behind all this, but the clues were too few, making it difficult to decipher.


    After getting the Lamp of Mind, Shanjue laughed and said, "Because I have had them descend the mountain. You knew this mountain is both a Dipamkara Temple and a manifestation of a spiritual ban. What you definitely do not know is the function of this spiritual ban."


    Shen Lian knitted his brown slightly, and asked, "What is suppressed underneath? To be able to defeat the remaining resentment left by the Light."


    Shanjue was surprised, it was no wonder this was a person of prominence, higher than many of the previous generation''s connoisseur. There were certain things that Shanjue could not understand. It was just now that he had the Lamp of Mind at hand, he would not need to worry about the burning light of resentment sealed in the copper coffin, and his longtime wish would be fulfilled. Least to say, he was rather pleased with that. He said, "What is at the bottom is none other than a square foot of netherworld''s soil. The Mind Lamp and copper coffin acted as the entire mountain''s core. Once it was removed, the Great Snow Mountain would be gone. When that happens, if there was no Mind Lamp to lead the path, one will forever be buried in the netherworld''s soil, for eternity, never to return."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Just as he finished speaking, chunk by chunk the Great Snow Mountain melted at an unimaginable speed. The entire mountain had vanished as if it never existed before.


    Shen Lian did not try to escape before this inevitably happened, nor had he ever intended to leave.


    From beneath his sole, chilling vital forces gushed into his body, dirty and impure.


    This was a dark and forlorn place, but it was not completely dark. A few ghost fires can be seen lingering in the surrounding vicinity, which allowed one to roughly be able to make out the terrain of the place. It was a boundless plain and the existence of any sentient beings of flesh and blood was obsolete. His hand that was burnt to ashes had started to slowly melt at a steady speed due to the invasion of the chilling vital forces.


    The reason why Shanjue could not afford to get hurt was because if he was injured, the chilling vital forces would invade his body through the wound.


    This was the power of the netherworld, limitless.


    Shen Lian was not concerned. He was not even slightly surprised. Initially, his plan was to head to the Jintu Sect''s commemoration temple, Lindong Temple, and borrow a square foot of pure soil to obtain the Buddhist sect ingenious Dao of earth element. The Jintu Sect was one of the eight sects of Buddhism. Although inferior to the four main Daoist sects, only by a small margin. Shen Lian was worried he would not defeat them by himself but it seems that possibility would not need to be considered as he would not be going.


    The pure soil and netherworld soil were exact opposites, but for all intents and purposes, they were fundamentally the same.


    He was not worried that he could no longer see where Shanjue was. He was only certain Shanjue''s biggest mistake was snatching away the Mind Lamp. He smiled and helped Fang Yanying up, the magical sword emitted a faint multi-colored halo, purifying the netherworld soil around it and resisting the invasion of the power of the netherworld.


    Shanjue carried the lamp, leisurely strolling on the filthy netherworld soil. The Mind Lamp contains invincible Dharma, and the ray of light emitted from it could withstand the power of the netherworld''s soil. There were also no wounds on his body, even if it was invaded by the power of the netherworld, it would not have a significant effect on him.


    The greatest danger of the Mind Lamp was the grudge within the copper coffin. He had always known the location of the lamp, but dared not take it. Shen Lian had helped him alleviate his worries, naturally, he would have obliged and accepted it.


    Thinking of the copper coffin, he had a sudden realization. The coffin and the Mind Lamp are one, he took the Mind Lamp, why had the coffin not flew over?


    He then noticed the light emitting from the Mind Lamp had turned into strings of light and drilled into his body, he could not help but cry, "Mind Locking Curse."

 Chapter 405 As Everlasting as the Sky

    The strings of light formed by the Mind Locking Curse were like silk, drilling into Shanjue''s temple. The last string seeped into Shanjue''s ''Lingshan'', twisting his face.


    The ''Lingshan'' here was actually referring to what is located at the glabella of the Xuanmen disciples'' ancestral cavity. To be able to see the Lingshan, then only can one become a Luohan, become a Buddha. Hence, it was evident the importance of a Lingshan to people of the Buddhist sects.


    A faint fiery red was appearing on Shanjue''s glabella. It meant that he had reached his spiritual power''s maximum capacity by breaking away from the silk-like curse of the Mind Locking Curse; once his bier had been controlled, any Dharma, no matter how strong, could not be used.


    He did not even have the leisure to hate how sly Shen Lian was. How dare he trick him by secretly placing a Mind Locking Curse in the Mind Lamp.


    The more Shanjue struggled to break away, the more he discovered a terrifying thing. The Mind Locking Curse placed by Shen Lian was placed with a pastlife''s power. A deceased person''s power of rebirth was, in truth, the world''s most formidable power. Formidable not in its force, but that once one got tangled in it, it will be mixed together with the survival instinct present in mortal realm''s sentient beings, making it hard to be distinguished. But what was even more terrifying was that the power of rebirth was a curse from the Buddhist sect called the ''Rebirth Mantra''. It naturally had a shred of Dharma-like attribute, making it harder for Shanjue to break away from the Mind Locking Curse.


    He was aghast at Shen Lian''s superior tactics. Versatile and flexible use of both Daoism and Buddhism techniques without restrictions. He was simply a natural-born saint of combat.


    "The sky will not age, the laws will not be broken; the intertwined web of a thousand knots in the mind will not be untangled so easily. Monk Shanjue, you will not escape." A person emerged from the darkness of the netherworld, carrying the copper coffin singlehandedly. The other hand had no flesh nor blood, only bone. A young lady followed the person, carrying a sword, something was amiss.


    The Mind Lamp Shanjue was holding disappeared from his hand in the blink of an eye, and landed on the copper coffin that was black as ink and shone brightly. The surrounding ghost fire dispersed, illuminating the netherworld soil on the ground, driving away the silence that wandered in the void.


    Monk Shanjue saw Shen Lian and understand that the tide had turned, he asked, "When did you place the Mind Locking Curse?"


    Shen Lian faintly smiled, "Is this important? You would need to give me a reason to release you." The collection of the Jinji Country palace''s power of rebirth was preparation for this matter. He did not know of the past and future himself, but the principle, to always be prepared, would never be wrong. Had there been no power of rebirth to form the base for the curse, to capture Shanjue would be difficult.


    Because he was not only a golden bodied Arhat, he also focused on cultivating the ''two emptiness''. He would be one of the best in the world in his ability to stay hidden, to conceal himself, and had various skills that would let him escape dangerous situations.


    Shanjue let out a long sigh and said, "Had you not cast the curse, I will surely be able to escape. I am now on the chopping block, and at your mercy. Will you let me go if I were to give you the undisclosed Dharma of the Chengshi Sect, and the ceremonial cultivating technique of Dipamkara Temple''s Mind Lamp?''


    Shen Lian coldly said, "It seems you are still unwilling to give up. Had I taken up your offer and accepted the undisclosed Dharma, regardless of how accepting Zen Master Miaodi is, I''m afraid trouble is inevitable. As for the Mind Lamp''s ceremonial cultivating technique, I don''t need to focus on cultivating Dharma. Even if i were to totally master it, it will remain a foreign thing to me. Are you suggesting that I convert to Buddhism?"


    Shen Lian was not afraid of Zen Master Miaodi. He had no intention of making the world his enemy, but he did not even have the capability to do so. The Zen masters from the eight Buddhism sects were intensive in their cultivation, each with their own secret technique. To thoughtlessly provoke them would mean grave trouble.


    Once the karma of Shanjue and his was involved Chengshi Sect''s undisclosed Dharma, it will evolve into a huge dispute. Since Shanjue had left Chengshi Sect and joined the Dipamkara Temple instead, he found it hard to ask for Zen Master Miaodi''s help. To ask Zen Master Miaodi to aid him would be a difficult task.


    As for the Mind Lamp ceremonial cultivation technique, Shen Lian had a deep-seated fear towards it. There was a fine line between the laws of Buddhism and demonism. He was afraid that after extended periods of using the Buddhist sect''s Dharma, its foundation would be unconsciously altered.


    Throughout the ages, many Daoist connoisseurs were converted to Buddhism like that. Although there were means to extricate oneself, the doctrine was incompatible to Shen Lian''s intention. Thus, Shanjue''s two conditions did not do anything to move him. He went so far as to think the first condition was designed to trick him.


    Shen Lian had always been someone who lived with this principle, ''Good is not to be returned for evil; evil must be met simply with justice.'' If he were to think from Shanjue''s perspective, he would not think Shanjue would treat him kindly. Since this monk would be willing to leave Chengshi Sect and, in turn, worship the Dipamkara Temple as a mean of escape. It could be seen that he was a character that would do anything, regardless of the means to attain powerful Dharma.


    Shanjue noticed that his intention had been exposed, but he was not worried, and went straight to the point instead, "What do you actually want?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Shen Lian calmly said, "What secret lies in this netherworld soil to the extent of having it suppressed by the entire Dipamkara Temple? Even if there is no Dipamkara temple, having the netherworld soil expand itself, it will at the most turn into a small Yin mountain, separating Yin and Yang. There was no need to go to such extent. Since you coveted the Mind Lamp, your concern was probably about the power of the netherworld soil, as it would pose the biggest threat to you. But now that it is gone, you did not hurriedly leave the netherworld soil. It is obvious that you have another purpose, am I right?"


    Shanjue said, "Nothing can be hidden from you. You are indifferent towards the Dharma of Buddhism, but I am curious about the Dharma of Daoism. Truth be told, the Dipamkara Temple had suppressed a celestial being beyond the skies, named ''Xuantan Zhenjun'', who was an extraordinary individual from the Daoist''s deity realm. It was rumored that his hierarchy beyond the skies was on par with the ancient Dipamkara Buddha. However, in the end, his attainment was still no match to the ancient Buddha, finally being trapped in a palm-sized abode of Buddha. Xuantan would rather choose death than to bow to the ancient Dipamkara Buddha. Lastly, the intention to die silently covered the abode of Buddha, converting it into a netherworld''s soil, even leaving an excerpt of real technique in the netherworld''s soil.


    The ancient Buddha gave birth to fury, and in the end, he maintained grievances and Mind Lamp, suppressed the snow-capped mountains, and blocked the earth. Later, the first generation of the founding master of the Dipamkara Temple was a sadhu who had traveled and dreamed of the ancient Buddha. He passed down the Daoist system here and it was passed on since then. If I did not have the Mind Lamp and the excerpt of real technique in my mind, why should I come to the Dipamkara Temple, and I would never think that after all this painstaking effort, in the end I have cheapened you."


    Shen Lian did not know the truthfulness of the statement and whether it was just a series of rhetoric. Even if the ancient Dipamkara Buddha was no match for the great Buddha, he was still considered as a supreme power in the universe regardless of the past, present, or the future. Although the celestial being Xuantan lost to him in combat, it was still an unimaginable terror. Thinking about this, Shen Lian''s heart paled, he even lost the intention to thoroughly investigate. Either way, it was still a worthwhile trip as the netherworld''s soil enabled him to realize the exquisitivity of a Buddhist sect.


    He directed Fang Yanying and said, "You carry the sword and send Monk Shanjue on his journey."


    Fang Yanying heard, and without hesitation, carried the sword and steadily walked towards Shanjue.


    Shanjue was so angry, he laughed and said, "Daoist Shen must you really execute me? I''ll have you know that I know of many secrets. Don''t you want to know?"


    Shen Lian kept his silence, even more so for Fang Yanying.

 Chapter 406 Dancing Tree, Fruit of Immortality

    Fang Yanying held her sword up high, a five-colored Halo circulated, and with a simple chop, Shan Jue''s head fell to the ground.


    But when the head that fell from the neck rolled and turned, it reattached itself to Shan Jue''s headless body, seamless, it hardly looked as if the head was cut off in the first place.


    Fang Yanying stepped back in shock, she did not expect the cultivation of this person to be so high. The head of person is the Point of Concentration for the Six Yang, once it is severed, death is sure to follow. But Shan Jue had a high cultivation, and could even reattach his decapitated head, without any trace of the decapitation.


    If his head can be reattached, then it would surely not be of use to sever any of the limbs.


    Shan Jue chuckled, "Daoist Shen, how about you make the move, poor monk moving unhindered between the heavens and earth, would not want to go back and take the walk of reincarnation again."


    Fang Yanying turned back to see Shen Lian, but the Uncle-Master only smiled lightly. She took the sword and abruptly delivered another chop, the head fell and reattached itself again.


    But then the more times she chopped off his head, the more Shan Jue''s body looked withered. After countless times of repeating her actions, in the end Shan Jue fell to the floor and seated cross-legged, his body was like gold all over, his skeleton and skin the only visible remains. The gold light faintly emanated from within him, similar was the skull that lay just beside, motionless.


    It was only now that Fan Yanying retracted her sword and walked towards the Uncle-Master. Shen Lian let out a breath, and the golden body immediately turned to dust, mixing with the soil of the netherworld. At the end there was spring water that flowed through, converging into a small lake, the golden dust became one with the soil and turned into golden sand. A single lotus flower blossomed in the middle of the pond, swaying with the wind, calm as the breeze, a distant feeling of Zen was present.


    Shen Lian softly asked, "Is there any difference in your heart now that you''ve killed him?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Fan Yanying replied, "There is none."


    Shen Lian looked at her with praise, and warmly said, "Where there is life, there is also death. One only fears that immortal Zhenren and Golden-Bodied Arhat are the same, there must be added cautiousness when one cultivates higher, yet one cannot lose the spirit of aggressive bravery. Just like riding against the current, your state of mind must be even more aware. Shan Jue is strong in chi, barring a calamity, whether he dies by your hand or mine is no different, only by my hand or by the laws of heaven, the trouble for it. Actually, I gave him the chance to lay out his conditions for a way back to life, but there was actually a meaning behind it. He still wanted to be calculative, it could be said that his last chance at life was vanished just like that. Both the lives he cultivated, it is all just a picture now. Such a pity."


    Fan Yanying replied, "According to your words, Shan Jue cultivated in both lives. But is it not true that when you are reincarnated, Daoist immortality becomes harder, could it be that nothing could bind him?


    Shen Lian laughed, "In the 3 thousand years of Qing Xuan history, the only twice Daoist Immortal is my master, fairy Ziling. Therefore, to be twice the Daoist, is incredibly hard, and this is not an exaggeration. However, this is not applicable to Buddhists, for they have their own secret method of reincarnation, capable of bringing with them all the cultivation, start afresh, progress, become one, and finally break free of all restraints with the use of the their great technique; proof of an Arhat, Budhha. Only on this point, they are supreme, and can be considered better than those of the Profound School."


    Thoughtfully, Fan Yanying said, "Putting it that way, the Ultimate Indigenous Technique of Buddhism, could it be greater than Daoism?"


    Shen Lian answered, "True obsession, the Way of Dao is there, even though there is no difference between those who are enlightened, one fears the long nights and many dreams, the Golden-Bodied Arhat can perhaps easily be proved, but for Buddha''s karma, thousands of years of cultivation is not necessarily enough, lingering in this word, in oneself only good and bad are born, born floating, karma floating, the more time passes, the more likely it is to encounter danger. One bit of carelessness, and the ending will not differ from Shan Jue today."


    He paused, then continued, "The Buddhist sect passed down a saying: a good man who passes the immeasurable trials, can then become Buddha. But these immeasurable trials take place over a long span of time, and whoever can guarantee nothing happens during that period? That is why people of my generation only cultivate today and ask nothing of the next life, treading lightly as if on thin ice, being able to stay content even in times of adversity."


    Shen Lian spoke with a certain spring, and gesticulated, one hand stretched out, with eerie-looking bones, but it was not the "ghostly" eerie, there was even a sort of easy-goingness about him that was indescribable.


    Fan Yanying felt a bit of sadness, and asked Shen Lian, "Uncle-Master, can your hand ever heal?"


    Calmly, Shen Lian told her, "There is a tree by the name of Dancing Tree, on it lies the Fruit of Immortality. As long as you find the tree and witness its subtlety, I would feel that tiny bit of success, and restoring this hand will be easier, and by that time I can have a showdown with Chen Beidou."


    Fan Yanying asked, "So do we still explore this netherworld?"


    Leisurely was the reply, "We have the earthen jar of which Zhen Junyi left with the Dao meaning, now we shall not think too much, obtain some of the netherworld soil, and let us go."


    Fan Yanying looked again at the small lake and the lotus flower in it, obviously it is an extremely precious thing, and after all it came from a Golden-Bodied Arhat. But from the reaction of the Uncle-Master, clearly it was not needed.


    She somehow felt that there was a deeper reason for leaving behind the golden lake, but could not figure out why. She wanted to ask, but felt that if she had done that, it would have been stooping below her level. In the end she kept her mouth shut.


    Shen Lian took a handful of the netherworld soil with his skeleton hand, and immediately there was black smoke, and one bone disintegrated. His expression looked content, but not because he absorbed the power of the soil, but because he challenged the laws, and comprehended the fine truth, and gained a deeper understating of the soil. The Netherworld kept death and stored filth, but this can be described as a virtue, for it cleansed the soil and kept it fertile for the new growth. In the laws of heaven, in in its eyes nothing is higher or lower. Just like the virtuousness of water, carrying everything be it the upper or lower stream. This closely resembles Daoism.


    Appreciating the significance, after a while, Shen Lian raised the Copper Gong and Heart Light, shouldering his robe, the Heart Light shone brightly, and in the void a long bridge appeared, carrying them out of the netherworld.


    On the other side, the snow had already vanished, and what remained to be seen was a huge swirl, slowly moving, swallowing the surrounding heath, with no sign of shrinking. Shen Lian thought for a moment, and exclaimed, "The Jintu sect is not far from here, leave it to the rest of them to settle the endgame."


    Not long after Shen Lian and Fan Yanying left, two clouds appeared, a monk seated on the each of them. Both were full moon, eyes wide like a lotus flower, their monk clothes moved with the wind. Difficult to describe in words, the outward demeanour of the two monks, in the realm of the living, one would fear that they attract countless female followers, and also giving a male followers a sense of good feeling.


    Bhudda used to build grand temples for the people to be in shock and awe, sent out treasures and venerable monks, converted sentient beings. The treasure of the two monks were enough to save the world, which was why they walked amongst the people. Therefore after noticing the irregularities, they came the earliest.


    One of them muttered, "Under Great Snow Mountain is actually the netherworld, how unexpected."


    The other replied, "No wonder Monk Shan Jue visited the Temple of Light, because it still concealed and harboured this secret. The netherworld is home to many monsters. I think even cracking it down takes some merit, this can even be used as a pretext to evolve into Diyu Dao, creating a small karmic cycle, from the looks of it God wanted to encourage Jintu Dao."


    "Excellent, excellent, but for the demise of Great Snow Mountain and the emergence of the netherworld, there must be a reason. It is best we report to the Zen master first."


    "Good."

 Chapter 407 Beside the Ruoshui River

    At the foot of Mount Zhong, a village gathered. Everyone there bore the surname Chen, no one exempted. The Chen Village stayed at the foot of the mountain for so long, that nobody even the eldest among them could remember. That person who lived over a thousand years old, was the Honourable Witch.


    It can be inferred upon that innumerable joys and sorrows had been experienced by a person who had lived for over a thousand, witnessing dynasties after dynasties being replaced. But for this small village, a thousand years was no different from one year. Not a lot of people left the village, neither were there people coming in, because the Ruoshui River that separated Mount Zhong from the outside world was difficult to cross. Only the Mountain God who resided in the temple atop the mountain could bring them out.


    Chen was also the surname of the Mountain God. Whether or not he was a member of the village was beyond anyone''s guess. But it was because of him that the villagers could live in Mount Zhong, as the mountain was so vast that it needed two years to walk from one end to another. That part of the mountain was very much the Ruoshui River, where neither goose feathers nor bamboo could float.


    Other than the Mountain God, only the divine servant could fly over those waters and see the outside world.


    The divine servant was selected from the Chen Village. It was possible to gain an incomparable amount of power during a short time as long as one became the divine servant of the Mountain God. However, the power was not given by the Mountain God, but as all of the villagers were descendants of the God, the Mountain Gods had mastery over the key which could unlock the powers from their bodies.


    In fact, should they be able to go out, they would realize how different they were, for even the ordinary members of Chen Village could run for a month with no sleep or rest towards the direction where the rays of the sun touched the mountain. They could even fight most beasts bare-handed. The only thing was that the light from Mount Zhong was not enough, and at every interval, there will be mass reproduction of animals, and if not for the shelter of the Mountain God, the village will be razed to the ground.


    The Mountain God undoubtedly had always protected Chen Village, yet did not descend from the mountain even during the selection of the divine servant. Instead, the Honourable Witch was to choose and send the candidate to the temple. The Honourable Witch could communicate with the Mountain God, and could also heal sick villagers, but what the villagers were most in awe of was a transparent crystal ball which the Honourable Witch kept in her room. With it, one could see the outside world.


    The youth in the village yearn for the outside world. Their yearning was so strong it went over and beyond their desire to become a divine servant who had the powerful strength and vast knowledge.


    Mount Zhong was huge, but it was also small; land there was vast, the boring life there made it small.


    A young heart could not tolerate boredom. They wish to breathe as if their breath was the breath of heaven and earth. They dread to experience stimulating experiences both imaginable and unimaginable.


    Of all the youth who had peeped inside the Honourable Witch''s room, one of them was especially calm, even though he followed his friends up to the Honourable Witch''s room, he quietly sat under a tall tree and squatted looking down at the ants on the floor. He was deeply interested to watch the ants move their nest. When the wooden door slowly creaked open, the peeping youth scattered like frightened birds and beasts. He was the only one to stand up, with respect he greeted the Honourable Witch and smiled humbly.


    "Chen Jinchan, why are you looking at the ants moving their nest?" Came the voice of the Honourable Witch, clear as the still water on an autumn day. From the clear distance, she looked like one of the teen girls from the village, rivaling their beauty even, save for those pair of eyes that were always endlessly cold, the village''s youth could easily have bad dreams after having seen them.


    Even the grown-ups of the village dared not meet her gaze.


    Chen Jinchan was the only exception, as he could not be considered as one from the Chen Village. He came to Mount Zhong as a baby, floating on the Ruoshui River. The waters brought him here. Originally, nothing could stay afloat on the river, but the wooden bucket that contained him could do that. He was quiet in the bucket neither did he cried nor made noise, the only belongings he had was a golden cicada carved out of yellow jade.


    The Chen Village had not seen many outsiders, and Chen Jinchan''s appearance caused quite a bit of a stir. Contrary to being rebuked, he received much love from the villagers. But as he grew older, the villagers realized he was a weak and sickly boy, with little strength and incapable of hunting.


    In actual fact, he could not have been considered weak, but in comparison to the other villagers, his strength was clearly much lesser.


    Everyone was afraid that he would encounter some sort of danger since the teenagers would always bring him along to their group activities. Fifteen years passed by in a flash, and Chen Jinchan seemed to have gotten used to these kind of days.


    The youths that have scattered were not that far away, and from the distance, they watched Chen Jinchan, worried that the Honourable Witch might reprimand him.


    Because he was quiet by nature, Chan Jinchan had a quality unlike them, so he gained quite a bit of popularity.


    Having heard the Honourable Witch''s question, he softly replied, "Dear Honourable Witch, I''ve observed the ants moving their nest countless times, and I noticed that every single time they move from the low ground to higher up, the rain come not long after. I think this is a very curious phenomenon, that is why I was thinking about it."


    The Honourable Witch then said, "Even the most humble of creatures have perception. Small as these ants may be, the perception they have is particularly heightened. That is why they can predict the dangers that come from the natural world and make preparations to flee and save their lives. You, being able to notice this phenomenon, is no small feat. If you wish to deepen your knowledge, I can be your teacher. Are you willing to learn?"


    Chen Jinchan was a bit surprised, as his status was that of an outsider. Furthermore, the Honourable Witch did not accept disciples. He absolutely never would have thought that the opportunity would knock on his door. Even though he never desired for anything, he could not be happier, and immediately nodded with assent.


    Faintly came the answer, "According to etiquette, the apprentice must present something for the master. Go to the Ruoshui River and bring back one fish."


    Chen Jinchan had no reason to disagree, he waved goodbye and left. The other kids quickly surrounded him and he then told them the details, earning the admiration of everyone. However they were worried that something might happen to him at the Ruoshui River, and so they bravely volunteered to help him.


    He declined, as he knew that the Honourable Witch would not be very happy if she found out that others had helped him.


    After he borrowed a set of fishing gear and a straw rain cape, he quickly set off in the direction of the river. He admitted that he had never read before, but he knew the principle that undue delay may give rise to hitches, hence he departed as soon as he could. But as soon as he reached to the river bank, there was wind and rain. Even though he expected the rain, he did not think that it would come so fast. Fortunately, he was wearing the straw rain cape.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    In fact, his quiet demeanor gave him added advantages in fishing, compared to the rest of his friends. Even when he cast the bait into the water, calmly, he could feel the undercurrent below the surface of the water. More than that, he could even picture the fish taking the lure, it was floating clearly in his mind, and this was something he never told anyone.


    But that day was odd. Not even a single fish appeared in the river. He then saw something even more incomprehensible, he did not know when, but at some point in time, not far from him, there appeared a delicate young person, who managed to hook a fish and placed it in his own basket. Chen Jinchan''s opened his eyes wide and enhanced his perception to its peak, but noticed that the waters were completely empty and devoid of fish.


    He thought he was seeing things, but the young person then hooked up a second fish. He look at Chen Jinchan and smiled at him, just like the spring wind and autumn rain, which left Chen Jinchan feeling a sense of familiarity and comfort.

 Chapter 408 Shen with the Radical ‘Water’, Lian with the Radical ‘Fire’

    The first fish caught could have been accidental, but having caught the second live fish made Chen Jinchan serious at once. The good thing was that after some time had passed, the young person did not hook a third fish during that period, but Chen Jinchan himself did not hook any as well.


    The wind and rain became increasingly desolate, and mist rose from the river. Chen Jinchan heightened his perception to the maximum, and yet still could not sense the presence of a fish. During his moment of tiredness, the young person caught a third fish, jet black all over, with thick lips and long barbels, it looked extremely formidable.


    This time, Chen Jinchan was not only amazed but also very envious. That type of fish was known as ''dragon carp'', said to possess dragon blood, if it could leap that dragon''s gate, it would transform into a dragon. But dragon''s gate was a myth, after all, even old Mountain God probably had no idea where was it located at.


    That was why the dragon carp was so precious. After one ate it, one could live for another ten years. The people of Chen Village, the Honourable Witch excepted, the rest only had lifespans up to a hundred. The addition of another ten years was a surprise that could not be envisioned.


    Chen Jinchan knew that even though this dragon carp was no more than one feet long, but he feared its power could surpass an adult of Chen Village. He once saw one of the villagers, who hooked a fish with his fishing rod, but in the end, was dragged into the waters of the Ruoshui River.


    Even a goose feather could not float, if a man were to fall into the river there would surely be no way to resurface.


    From then onwards, Chen Jinshan was extra cautious when he went fishing.


    Fortunately, his perception was exceptionally acute, so as long as he was just that extra bit more careful, more cautious, his rewards would be quite considerable. To him, fishing was a pleasure and not a means of livelihood, and so as not to cause the villagers to ask all sorts of questions, almost all the fish he caught was released by him back into the river.


    In actual fact, he himself did not notice that he was a person who values life very much.


    That young man retrieved his rod and was prepared to leave, but he did not bring along his catch. Chen Jinchan quickly chased after him and called, "Brother, your fish!"


    The delicate young person smiled, "Take this as my gift for you, it seems that you are more in need of this fish. After all, fishing in this weather is not pleasurable at all."


    Chen Jinchan was startled, then put on a serious face and bowed, "Thank you so much big brother, may I know your name? I will return your kindness in the future."


    The delicate young man replied, "My name is Shen Lian.for visiting.


    Shedding his straw rain cape and bamboo hat, he respectfully offered the dragon carp. The witch appeared unsurprised, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who did you meet?"


    Thus, Chen Jinchan told her in detail about everything that happened. The witch listened to everything and was lost in thought.


    Eventually, the eyebrows on her beautiful face knitted in a frown, and depressingly said, "It is likely that you met a Qi cultivator."


    This prompted Chen Jichan to ask in amazement, "What is a Qi cultivator?"


    The reply came faintly, "Long ago, the forefathers of our clan were the rulers of the land until the Qi cultivators emerged. People like us gradually lessened, and in the end, we had to seek refuge in an out-of-sight corner of the world, even to a point where our powers slowly disappeared. You know, once one is awakened as a divine servant, one can possess strength and knowledge, but the Qi cultivators can also attain the same through cultivation and learning, and some of them are even stronger and live longer than the Mountain God."


    Chen Jinchan could not help his wonderment, for he knew the Honourable Witch had lived over a thousand years, and although the Mountain God probably lived longer than her, he was after all a deity. He could not imagine how humans could live this long.


    She noticed Chen Jinchan''s disbelief, and told him, "You don''t need to be in disbelief, because the mystery of Qi cultivators cannot adequately be expressed in words. They can raise up their hands and the clouds in the sky will gather together. Their one breath is a fierce wind. They can create fire out of nothingness, burning rivers and boil seas, they can even produce enough energy to cut off the mountains."


    Chen Jinchan trembled slightly, unable to imagine that delicate young name by the name of Shen Lian, was actually a Qi cultivator, possessing terrifying strength.


    The witch''s words, even if only half was true, were already far beyond what Chen Jinchan could imagine. He could not fathom that such strength could be associated with humans.


    He muttered, "Could it be that Qi cultivators are even stronger than the Mountain God?"


    There was a glint of splendor from her eyes, and with a gleam of respect, she told him, "Old Mountain God is also special, long ago he was also from the Chen Village. Later on, he became a Qi cultivator, and after that became the Mountain God of Mount Zhong, thus letting generations of Chen Villagers avoid the turmoil of the world."


    Chen Jinchan would never have thought old Mountain God was connected to the village, and not only was a Qi cultivator but also became a deity. He was oblivious exactly how old Mountain God''s life unfolded on such a magnificent scale.


    Since Shen Lian was a Qi cultivator, then what reason would he have for coming here?


    Shen Lian stood by the side of the Ruoshui River, and looked at the waters undulating. He searched high and low, but still had not found the Dancing Tree and fruit of immortality. Three years time were almost up, so he went to Mount Zhong. Only when he saw Chen Jinchan did he realize maybe, just maybe, his search would come to an end.������Translated as ''Shen'', ''Lian''. The left part of ''Shen'' is written as three strokes, in Chinese symbolises the ''three water droplets''. While the left part of ''Lian'' is ''fire'' in Chinese character.

 Chapter 409 That is a Good Sword

    In the void came a tearing sound, and Fang Yanying appeared behind Shen Lian, as if the void was a curtain, pulled open to reveal her.


    This was a sword traveling technique of the highest caliber, where the sword aura was assimilated into the body, and the flying speed incomparable because of the nature of the Shapeless Sword Aura. Once put to use, there was not a trace left.


    Fang Yanying said, "Uncle-master, I went up the mountain and met with the Mountain God, challenging him on your behalf."


    Having said this she could not help but recall the scene going up the mountain. A young man who wore a green Daoist robe stood on the cliff, the air was full of snow. Upon the groaning of the sword, all the snow became dust, which finally settled in the void and became fog, and dripped down to become wind and rain.


    Not only that, Fang Yanying herself could feel it, and her transformation with the Shapeless Sword Aura at the time was too affected by the groan. The natural frequency of mana converged with the groaning of the sword, even the spirits were no exception. As if, if the person changed the frequency of the groaning, it would suffice to render her into a pool of blood mist. She never imagined that such a fearsome sword technique would exist in the world.


    "You heard the groaning of the sword, could it be that you saw the Celestial Trapping Sword," Shen Lian face looked carefree, along with the waves of the Ruoshui River.


    Fang Yanying thought back for a bit, she heard the groaning, but did not see the sword, "Looking back, uncle-master, I did not see it."


    "That''s a pity. That truly is a good sword. It is hard to come across the pleasure one gets if one could defeat this sword, or suffer defeat at the hands of the sword," Shen Lian said while he turned his body, smiling, the Five Elements Magical Sword let out a soft chant as if dissatisfied with what Shen Lian said.


    Fang Yanying was perplexed as to how the uncle-master knew that she heard the groaning of sword, but hearing him say, ''to suffer defeat at the hands of the sword'', she could not help but feel worried, and asked, "Mountain God told me, ''During the night of the full moon, become an immortal using the way of the sword''. I counted, the next full moon is twenty days from today. Uncle-master, can you find the fruit of immortality?" The uncle-master''s wide sleeves covered the skeleton hand. If he used this incomplete body, to engage in a swordfight with the Mountain God, the outcome could change completely with a tiny bit of distraction.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    "You could say that I found it, but you could also say that I did not because the fruit of immortality is not a fruit, but a person," Shen Lian sighed.


    "A�� person?" Fang Yanying did not understand what he meant.


    "The Dancing Tree is a treasure tree of the Sukhavati, the Western Paradise. The way it bears fruit is different from what we know. The fruit of immortality is a type of ''karma''. It will fall into sea of bitterness in the human world, but it will fall specifically on the body of one being. That person will have the ''immortal karma'', and in the future, he surely can become Bodhisattva or even Buddha. On this point, I had to meet the person before I can understand. It can be said that this person, in the eyes of those who cultivate and practice, is more valuable than the drug of immortality. His flesh and blood contained the retributory powers of the fruit of immortality, once it is eaten, there is hope for even a demon to become a great saint, for a Daoist to become a heavenly immortal, for a Buddhist to become the Bodhisattva. If I eat him, I will improve even more in the Dao of the five elements and can compete with Chen Beidou," Shen Lian laughed.


    "Where is this person, will he be hard to capture?" Fang Yanying''s eyes lit up with hint of strangeness in her look. Even though she had kindness, but when it comes of matters of life and death in the way of Dao, she can throw that away. Moreover, the gratitude she had towards her uncle-master was like a mountain, if he had any misgivings, countless sins, descending down to the netherworld after death, punishment by hacking, all of it she took on his behalf.


    Shen Lian restrained his smile and quietly turned to her, "You need not mind this business anymore, for the rest of the days, find a place, cultivate the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura that I passed down to you, or else when the time comes, you would not even qualify to be a spectator, and it will also go against the original intention of me bringing you here."


    Fang Yanying saw uncle-master''s firm look and had no choice but to muster a ''Yes'', before vanishing in the wind and rain.


    Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura was only one word short of Shapeless Sword Aura, but in essence, it was as different as the heavens and hell. The word ''Dazizai'' came from Buddhism, but had the subtlety and profound will of the peak of Daoism. Even if it was only a small success, it could still confer a bit of freedom by protecting oneself during battles that shake the sky and tremble the ground.


    Shen Lian himself could not say where the fate would take him, as of now he could only work hard to sow the seeds of cultivation in his school. At this point in time, he missed Senior-Apprentice Brother Chen even more, because, for all of senior-apprentice sister, Lu Shouyi, or Yan Bugui, all were merely chosen at one time, they were not the long-term backbone of Qing Xuan.


    In Qing Xuan, other than himself, the only grandmaster could make the Sea Stabilising Needle.


    But it was a pity that both of them were afraid that they may not be able to stay at this place for long, especially Shen Lian himself. Though his efforts were fast, it did not mean that there will be no future troubles. He had already attracted the attention of ''heaven''s law'', even if he won against Chen Beidou this once, there might still be greater trials awaiting him. In terms of this he gained more and more respect for Lu Jiuyuan, as he did not know how the latter could stay so long in the heavens and earth, continuously improving, and come and go as he pleases.


    Even so, no matter how good the other person''s path was, it was not easier than the path he chose now. Shen Lian admittedly felt admiration and was not envious. He looked up to Mount Zhong and thought in his heart, "You would have thought the same, no?"


    ________


    Chen Jinchan followed behind the Honourable Witch, unsure if it was the dragon carp soup that he drank or the protection of the witch that made him climb the mountain so effortlessly, no matter how steep it was. His body had a wave of heat, over and over again, giving him no less power. Similar to the pace of the witch that was neither too fast nor too slow, but he did not realize that his pace and frequency was the same with that of the witch.


    Mount Zhong was very high, the peak was nowhere to be seen. The good thing was that the Temple of the Mountain God was not built at the peak. Even so, they had walked until it was midnight and could see the moon up in the sky. It was barely a few days past the full moon, and the moon was then crescent-shaped, and looked rather swift and fierce, the moon showed its distinctive water-caltrop-like horn even in the snowy night.


    Chen Jinchan who was always unaffected by external factors, became quite excited, after all he would be meeting the Mountain God very soon, someone of the highest order, taking care of all the life and death of all the beings in Mount Zhong.


    His thoughts floated like the snowflakes, and suddenly with one step, in the ripples of the moonlight, he and the witch had already reached a piece of flat land on a cliff. The snow was very thick, the clouds were so thick he could almost touch them.


    Even if the temple was not located at the top of the mountain, mere continuous walking of a half-month span, would not necessarily guarantee that one would reach there. He was unsure whether a moment ago the witch used a Dao technique that was akin to ''shrinking the ground into inches'', first letting him follow behind to get him used to the pace and frequency, and later on utilized the technique, thus reaching the place in one step, so as not to place too much of a burden of his body.


    After he finished cultivating, then only these complications can be understood. Then, he only saw that at the temple roof, a young man wearing a green Daoist robe seated there crossed-legged, he was the source of faith for all the beings in Mount Zhong �C old Mountain God.


    In front of him was a sword, placed flat. The moonlight flowed down his body like water, but other than this, no other extraordinary phenomena could be seen.

 Chapter 410 Exhale, Inhale

    That would be Mount Zhong''s Mountain God, Chen Beidou. Regardless of whether people knew him or not, that could not change the fact that he was the strongest deity.


    Chen Beidou''s first gaze landed on Chen Jinchan, the latter felt that his gaze was indifferent, mixed with a slight bit of a baffled look. Then Chen Beidou turned his gaze to the Honourable Witch, and shook his head slowly.


    Chen Jinchan barely had time to think, when Chen Beidou appeared about three feet away from the Honourable Witch. His stature was not really big and tall, nor did he show a posture of indomitable spirit, but Chen Jinchan''s astonishing spiritual senses told him that Chen Beidou stood more stable than the whole of Mount Zhong, even if the waves of the Ruoshui River lashed against Chen Beidou, the water will not displace him in the slightest!


    Without unnecessary opening remarks, the cold voice of Chen Beidou drifted in the moonlight, "Fifteen years ago, you brought him to me, and I did not accept him. My decision is no different now."


    The Honourable Witch, as if having used the greatest courage, looked at Chen Beidou. His lips were thin, with a stiff nose, his facial lines akin to the cuts of a knife, looking closely one could see his determination, and nothing can waver him. But tonight the Honourable Witch seemed to be determined to waver his heart of steel, "A Qi cultivator came to the foot of the mountain. He has already seen the child. You are well aware of the significance of this child towards those who cultivate. He is a member of the Chen Village, deserving of your protection. Not to mention Afeng and Ayun are already dead, wouldn''t it be good if he becomes your new divine servant? I will pass my knowledge unto him, and you can teach him the Qi cultivation technique. This child is special, he will catch up to your footsteps, and can replace you as the guardian of the clan."


    Chen Beidou seemed indifferent, the Celestial Trapping Sword at his hands was intensely dark, even the moonlight was scared and flowed to some other place. With a piercing gaze that did not budge an inch, he told the Honourable Witch, "That Qi cultivator is here to look for me. I forgot to tell you, Afeng and Ayun died at the hands of his. If he wishes to have this kid, then let him have it. As for the people of Chen Village, they do not need to be protected any longer, the enemies are no longer here. I did not open the seals on all of you because when you all are young it could exist, but when you are stronger it would perish, and this is not my words but the words that white-haired old man, who told it to the forefathers of the whole Chen Village, you must have known. I solemnly guard the promise made to your grandfather, that I will always let two of the village people follow by my side, to gain knowledge and power, but as you can see, no one can ever live peacefully and die naturally of old age."


    A flash of stubbornness came over the soft expression of the Honourable Witch, who told Chen Beidou, "That was my grandfather, and also your father, uncle why did you become so heartless? Now I am finally convinced, even if I die, you won''t do much as wrinkle an eyebrow."


    In response to her question, Chen Beidou plainly replied, "If we are talking about blood relation, then the blood that flows within me is no longer the same with you. Moreover, when you were young, you treated me not just with the closeness of a family, I was your first fantasy during your teen years. That time you did not think of me as an uncle."


    His expression and mood did not change in the slightest after he said that, as if it were something trivial and not worthy of being mentioned, but his words cut deeper than a knife. Because what he said was the Honourable Witch''s true emotions deep down, and were of a revolting nature. Even if the people of Chen Village had been intermarrying for generations, but they would have never allowed a relationship between people who had such closeness in their blood as Chen Beidou and the Honourable Witch.


    Chen Jinchan could only curse that he was born with ears, and at this point he did not dare to exhale and take a breather, afraid to attract the attention of the both of them. He even did not have spare time to care about why he was so special according to the words of the Honourable Witch.


    The Honourable Witch was not ashamed into anger but merely said, "I will leave him here. Do with him what you wish." She took out a crystal ball, and placed it on his hands saying, "Everything I know is inside, you yourself must learn the knowledge within. Even if old Mountain God does not keep you here, you need not return to Chen Village anymore, because if one Qi cultivator found you, then a second Qi cultivator will find you too. Chen Village cannot protect you anymore."


    With that, the Honourable Witch abruptly left. After being brought here, Chen Jinchan suddenly felt that these two people were certainly the closest of all, both had extraordinary determination and stubbornness.


    But he felt awkward staying here, not knowing what to do.


    Chen Beidou did not look at him and entered the temple in a flash, locking the main door tight. From the looks of it, Chen Jinchan need not think about getting lessons from the Mountain God, as even if he wanted to enter the temple and obtain shelter from the freezing cold seemed like an impossibility.


    Fortunately, he was used to the days of living under someone''s charity, and always maintained a calm heart.


    It was cold outside the temple, the floating snow dissolving under the moonlight, bringing with it endless cold, like a knife cutting bone. Chen Jinchan suffered quite a bit, so he held the crystal ball in his hands.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    His intriguing sensing abilities and the crystal ball had a natural affinity for each other. Inside the crystal ball were endless astonishing words, like fishes swimming about. He even saw countless drawings, the nooks and crannies of Mount Zhong, places he visited and places he had not seen before.


    Chen Jinchan''s mind was fully immersed in the crystal ball, and he quickly forgot the feeling of being cold. All the words entered his thoughts, enabling him to understand the meanings of many characters. Even regarding Shen Lian''s name and the meaning of the two words, he gained an even deeper understanding of them.


    Having remembered Shen Lian, a thought sprouted up. Since the crystal ball could show many places, could it show him Shen Lian''s location?


    The moment the thought formed, he really did see Shen Lian, who was lying down on a huge boulder, exhaling and inhaling, with no bugs near him, and was not far from the Ruoshui River. Chen Jinchan felt a special frequency that appeared to be no different to the frequency of Shen Lian''s breathing.


    Chen Jinchan did not know why he could feel Shen Lian''s breathing through a mere screen. He did not notice that his own body, his breathing, was on the same frequency as that of Shen Lian. It has been said that during the path of cultivation, the first thing one has to grasp is that of breathing.


    Exhale, inhale. The actions comprised of some kind of mystery to the answer to life and universe.


    Chen Jinchan slowly felt as if his body was immersed in lukewarm water, very comfortable. All his limbs and bones created heat, traveling to all openings in his body. From the outside, it could be seen that throughout his body there appeared over three hundred light points. The darkness combined with the sky full of constellations, the magnificent moon, and the power of the stars, as well as Mount Zhong''s Qi of vitality, successively flowed into his body.


    Inside the temple, Chen Beidou''s eyes lit, then dozed off, and softly caressed the Celestial Trapping Sword. Just like that, the night passed.


    When the day came, Chen Jinchan felt some sort of refreshing feeling. He received much knowledge and understood many principles. More importantly, it was as though he had been reborn from that one night, by just moving his toe he could jump up to thirty feet high, gliding through a distance that was neither far nor near. When his body soared up to the air, the heat naturally filled his limbs and bones, and made his body as light as if it was devoid of content.

 Chapter 411 Ruo Shui May Have Boundless Water, but Only One Jug’s Worth Was Needed

    Chen Jinchan was aware that his body was as light as a feather but he was not sure what a great opportunity he had. Even with the crystal ball the noble witch passed down to him, Shen Lian was not a person that you could easily meet as you like. Moreover, he was able to gain insights of Shen Lian''s breathing method.


    With the breathing method of a Dao elite like Shen Lian, he would have the strongest foundation he has ever achieved in his lifetime. With the help of his physiques, he was able to achieve a feat that a genius would require at least ten years to accomplish with just one night.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    He had no time to think about his luck and would not be able to comprehend is anyway. After all, he did not practice cultivation officially and he was still immersed in the changes his body was undergoing. That full-body transformation gave him a taste of heaven and earth that was beyond his imagination. No matter how high the sky was or how thick the ground was, it was just a layer of separation. As long as one has the ability to fly out of the sky and break out from the ground, one would be able to seek freedom without any restrictions. Such way of life was the ultimate satisfaction.


    Chen Jinchan leaped around like a monkey and was more agile than the apes when he climbed the mountain. The tip of his feet lightly tapped on the bulging rocks and a strong recoil force was produced. The force gave him the mobility to move around with ease.


    The temple door creaked as Chen Beidou''s figure appeared at the door. The falling snow came to a standstill and Chen Jinchan felt a strong condensation of pressure in his heart. He landed on the ground and paid his respects to the Mountain God Master.


    Chen Beidou squinted his eyes and said, "Did I ask you to stay on the mountains?"


    Chen Jinchan''s face turned awkward and said, "Mountain God Master, I will leave now."


    Chen Beidou replied, "Did I ask you to leave?"


    Chen Jinchan was embarrassed. Although he a whole-body transportation overnight, deep down his spiritual sense knew that he and the Mountain God Master are miles apart. They were a world of difference.


    He responded, "Mountain God Master, do you have any orders for me?"


    "Noon tomorrow, I will go and plant clouds for rain. I will need to produce a total of three feet and three inches of rainwater. I will use the water from Ruo Shui. Please go and take the water that I need. One drop less and I will carve your spirit on the pillar of the temple and you will be whipped as a punishment." Chen Beidou said coldly.


    Chen Jinchan startled and submissively said, "Mountain God Master, I am not a celestial being. How is it possible for me to take such a huge amount of water? Even if I could, how am I supposed to bring it back? If you intend to punish me, I would rather you punish me directly. I will not have complaints."


    Chen Beidou wielded his sleeves and said, "Cut the crap." The moment his sleeves moved, Chen Jinchan was teleported to Ruo Shui in a blink of an eye.


    He looked at Ruo Shui and sighed. The Mountain God Master wanted him to bring back three feet and three inches of water. Even if the Chen Village was not far away, it was a massive amount of water, equivalent to the sea. Moreover, Mountain God Master was the Mountain God of Mount Zhong. He probably wanted to plant clouds for rain over the entire Mount Zhong and this was beyond man power.


    Chen Jinchan thought of returning to the village but as he studied the terrain of the land and cross referenced it to the wisdom of the crystal ball, he realized that the Chen Village was at least thousand of miles away. It would take him more than a day for a return trip.


    It then crossed his mind that the Mountain God Temple was also thousand of miles away. Even if he had the equipment to take the water, he would still not be able to make it back by morning.


    Even though he was always calm, he did not know what to do at this very moment.


    The hot qi in his body could not stop leaping and he thought to himself that maybe the hot qi was in fact the essential qi. According to the wisdom of the noble witch, there would be marvel when one release the essential qi out of the body. He tried to use his senses to release the essential qi and as the essential qi touched Ruo Shui, he felt a strong force of absorption. Could it be that the Ruo Shui has absorbed the essential qi? Along with the qi, he fell into the water.


    At that very moment, Chen Jinchan realized how terrifying Ruoshui could be. His essential qi was flowing away and his feather-light body could not stop sinking. Water filled up his mouth and nose and it was hard for him to breathe. His orifices points started to expand but it just could not absorb any oxygen. He was able to stay conscious temporarily but he was sinking deeper downwards and the essential qi started to leak out from his orifices points, and that caused him to feel lethargic.


    He then noticed a shadow swimming towards him, it was a dragon carp. The dragon carp open its mouth as it head towards him. Chen Jinchan could only feel helpless as he thought about his fate. Just moments ago, he had a miracle, and now, he would soon be buried in the belly of a fish.


    Yesterday, he had a bowl of dragon carp soup and soon, he would be eaten by a dragon carp. Even if that was karma, things should not end in that matter.


    The dragon carp opened its mouth and charged towards one of his arms. Chen Jinchan was defenseless and could only move his limbs with all his might. But this had no effect on the Dragon Carp which was considered as the top predator on the food chain of Ruo Shui.


    He could feel a sharp pain after his right hand hit on the head of the dragon carp. This gentle hit caused him a fractured arm. But if this happened to his old body before the miraculous transformation, his bones would have crushed into powder.


    The dragon carp was furious. It swayed its tail gracefully and swam towards Chen Jinchan''s face. He thought to himself that this would be the end of everything.


    All of a sudden, he felt his body moving upwards to the surface of the water. The dragon carp flew up from the water but helplessly dived into the water again without harming him.


    A familiar voice could be heard, "I was wondering what creature that I have caught. Apparently it was you."


    Chen Jinchan landed awkwardly. He did not bother about the sharp pain he was feeling and looked towards the source of the voice. All he could see was a person with a fishing rod up above the cliff. The fishing line was released from his body and once again landed in the water. Everything was so natural and not pretentious at all.


    After the incident last night, he was certain that Shen Lian was legendary. By just learning the way Shen Lian breathed, he had a full-on transformation. Now that Shen Lian was his life saviour, there was no way he could repay this favour. He adjusted his clothes, ignored his fractured arm and politely kowtow to Shen Lian, "Thank you for rescuing me. I do not know what can I do for you in return."


    Shen Lian laughed, "You are a sharp-witted boy. So tell me. Yesterday it was fishing and what are you up to today? Since you are pleasing to the eye, I might help you."


    Chen Jinchan was surprised and happy, so he told Shen Lian about Chen Beidou''s order.


    "The Mountain God can easily summon rain. If he wants it to rain, he would not need you to provide the water. He just wanted to make things difficult for you. But you do not need to panic as it''s not difficult to take the water. Ruo Shui may have boundless water, but only one jug''s worth was needed for three feet and three inches of rainwater." Shen Lian said calmly.


    The reason why Chen Jinchan would fall into this situation was actually Chen Beidou''s idea of testing Shen Lian. It was a response to Shen Lian for a being a busybody by teaching Chen Jingchan a method.


    Unfortunately, Chen Jingchan was smacked in between the battles of the two celestial being.

 Chapter 412 Heaven and Earth Symbolism

    Chen Jingchan did not realized that he was smacked in between a legendary duel, he said, "How would one jug of water produce three feet and three inches of rain?"


    Shen Lian packed his fishing rod and leisurely came downwards from the rocks filled with moss. Like a light smoke, he landed in front of Chen Jinchan. Chen Jinchan realized that beyond the oversize Dao robe, Shen Lian''s right hand was all bone with no flesh.


    It was a big contrast compared to his radiant face and sparkling skin.


    Chen Jinchan was stunned but he did not probe further.


    Shen Lian noticed that Chen Jinchan''s eyes were fixed on his fleshless right hand but he did not mind at all. He said, "If I say it will work, then it will work. Even if it does not work, it will work."


    The words sounded light but the content was shocking, just like a devine and demon dictator of the heaven and earth whose words were obeyed by all beings.


    Chen Jinchan felt bleesed to his soul and asked Shen Lian, "Teacher, please help me. I will obey your orders."


    Shen Lian looked at him and smiled, "How do you know I have orders for you?"


    Chen Jinchan let out a deep sighed and said, "You gifted me the dragon carp and taught me the breathing method yesterday. I thought about it and it''s strange that you would treat me so well when we have never cross path before this. I was thinking that I might be useful for you."


    Shen Lian asked, "When did you come to such thoughts?"


    Chen Jinchan lowered his head and said, "I am a foolish person. I have only just thought about it."


    Shen Lian smiled ambiguously and said, "You have probably guessed that it is not a coincidence that the Mountain God sent you here and handed you an impossible task, and then coincidentally meeting me here. How can there be such a coincidence in the world? Even if there were, it was man-made. You are guessing if I know the Mountain God and if we have any feud between each other. Am I right?"


    Chen Jinchan lifted his head to see Shen Lian''s deep calm eyes that looked like the waters of Ruo Shui after a storm. The eyes looked knowledgeable and any of his intentions were not concealable in front of this legendary person. He lowered his voice and said, "Yes, it was exactly as you said."


    Shen Lian calmly said, "Taishang was also Laozi, the accomplished could be teachers. Considering that you addressed me as your teacher, it showed your sincerity towards me. Would you want to be a disciple of my school?"


    Chen Jinchan hesitated, "It is extremely fortunate if I could be a disciple of your school. But I was born in Mount Zhong and bred in the Chen Village.I will need to first get the blessings of the Mountain God Master and the noble witch. I do not dare to overstep the both of them."


    On top of that, he has only just met Shen Lian and he was still pissed at the Mountain God Master for pushing him down the mountains. Moreover, encountering Shen Lian at the bottom of the mountain was definitely not coincidence.


    Considering all that factors, and moreover Shen Lian was an outsider. Maybe Shen Lian had hidden agendas against the Mountain God Master and noble witch. Chen Jinchan was definitely not the a cruel and unscrupulous person even if the Mountain God Master treated him like grass. He has benefited from the protection of the Mountain God Master and if he turned his back against him, he would not be any better than a beast.


    Shen Lian did not say much, "If that is what you think, I''ll first help you with the water so you can fulfill Chen Beidou''s orders."


    As he finished his sentence, a huge hurricane came sprawling up from the ground. Chen Jinchan was not able to withstand the force and landed on a thousand years old pine tree. He held on the tree tightly but set his gaze at Shen Lian''s position.


    Chen Jinchan''s body was shaking vigorously along with the old pine tree. The situation looked really dangerous but it was nothing compared to what he witnessed with his eyes and sensed with his heart.


    The hurricane surged out from Shen Lian''s chest. Chen Jinchan could feel the heaven and earth qi vitality of Mount Zhong raged towards the sky along with the hurricane. It dispersed layers of thick clouds and falling snow. For a moment, the sky was clear from clouds as if it was wiped out.


    The hurricane that swept the qi of vitality of heaven and earth condensed in mid air and was particularly attention grabbing. The waters of Ruo Shui by the side was also affected and started to oscillate. The creatures around the area did not dare to rest in the water and the flying birds flew back to their nest.


    The core of the condensation of the qi of vitality radiated a hint of five colored divine lights. The lights shined the entire land and the waters of Ruo Shui too reflected the pink clouds. It was indescribably stunning.


    Chen Jinchan was shocked and stunned. He always knew that Shen Lian was powerful but he did not imagine him to have such capabilities.


    The mountains responded to the phenomenon as a five coloured divine being appeared in the sky. Looking at its appearance, it was actually Shen Lian who was magnified for thousands of times. This phenomenon would occur when a Daoist connoisseur used the primordial spirit to trigger the heaven and earth symbolism to emulate the spiritual body. It would require a lot of mana to make it happen, but once its emulated, it would have abilities to lift mountains and set the sea ablaze. Any gifted divine beings and demons would be cautious when dealing with someone like this.


    Shen Lian was in his primordial spiritual body as his clear qi dashed up to the sky to form a ten-acres whirlpool that took on a shape of a jug. Shen Lian took the jug and it took a scoop of the waters of Ruo Shui. The deep waters of Ruo Shui was started gushing into the jug as if there was a gravitational force pulling it in. The observant Chen Jinchan noticed that the water level of Ruo Shui was slowly but surely decreasing. The waters of Ruo Shui were so vast that even the smallest drop in water level would mean an incalculable amount of water was drawn away.


    The rich vitality of Mount Zhong surged towards Shen Lian''s primordial spiritual body as his mana grew gradually and continuously to support the process of refining the waters of Ruo Shui.


    As the water level kept dropping, Chen Jinchan could not help but said, "Teacher, it''s enough! If you continue any longer, the waters of Ruo Shui will dry out."


    Shen Lian who was floating in mid air retracted his primordial spiritual body as the coloured rays dispersed in the air while the dust on the ground dispelled. Shen Lian had a black jug filled with crystal-liked water droplets in his hand.


    Chen Jinchan climbed down from the tree and walked towards Shen Lian. He was still shaking as he said, "Teacher, could it be that the water that you just gathered was inside this jug?"


    Shen Lian squinted his eyes and said, "Then where else could it be?"


    Chen Jinchan was stunned and had no words to say.


    Shen Lian continued, "Didn''t you ask for water? Here you go." He passed the jug to Chen Jinchan who was in so much shock that his face was terribly pale. If this was jug of water was the water collected earlier, it would have been more than millions of catty of water. An ordinary person like him does not deserve something like that.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Chen Jinchan knew that Shen Lian would never use this to harm him but he still had his reservations. As the jug came closer to him, he made the tough decision to accept it. He flexed his arm to catch it and it was the arm injured by the dragon carp earlier on.


    He took the jug and it was as light as smoke. But his fractured arm started to hurt and he trembled. The water in the jug started spilling. Within a blink of an eye, the water level below his feet has surged above his calf.


    Chen Jinchan forced himself to endure the pain and passed the jug to his left hand for a stable grip.


    He looked into the jug and the water level was still as full as it was earlier.

 Chapter 413 Without Dharma and Without Mindfulness

    At this very moment Chen Jinchan was finally convinced that the jug was filled with a massive amount of water. But he could not fathom how would a tiny jug as such take in a sea-worth of water. As he was pondering on it, the answer- Naxumi Yujiezi popped up in his head.


    Very quickly, he understood the meaning of this saying. There was a trick that could keep Mount Sumeru into an apparatus of the size of a mustard seed. He managed to grasp the idea of it but he still could not fathom how would it work.


    But that did not affect Shen Lian''s rising position in his heart to a God-like status.


    As for how he managed to lift the jug, he could only attribute that to a miracle. These strange forces were something that he have always wanted to explore further. In fact, it felt like he was born to learned these things.


    A million words were not enough to describe Chen Jinchan''s gratitude towards Shen Lian, and Shen Lian too stopped him from expressing his gratitude. If it was not for Shen Lian''s deformed right hand, Chen Jinchan thought Shen Lian would have left with the wind.


    That freedom feeling of being detached from the heaven and earth was especially obvious when Chen Jinchan was in front of Shen Lian.


    The term ''Flying Celestial'' popped up in his mind.


    Chen Jinchan asked, "Teacher, do you have any other commands?"


    Shen Liam smiled, "I told you that I will help you with the water and you could return to complete your task."


    Chen Jinchan felt that it was not right to just leave like that. But it seemed that Shen Lian had no intentions of asking him to stay back. Moreover, even if he had a complete three-sixty transformation, it would be almost impossible for him to return to the Mountain God Temple before noon tomorrow.


    The more he delayed, the slimmer the hopes of him arriving on time.


    He decided to make a move and even if it might enraged the Mountain God Master, he would still ask him about Shen Lian.


    Chen Jinchan bidded his goodbye to Shen Lian and his limbs started to fill up with hot qi. As the hot qi rejuvenated him, his fractured arm recovered and the pain reduced greatly.


    Actually this was the first time something like this happened to him. Everytime he injured himself, he would recover after sleeping. But this time, he has yet to sleep but the injuries healed a lot faster than his past experiences.


    He could only attribute this to the hot qi in his body, or in the other words, the essential qi. He noticed that the essential qi in his body would automatically roam around his meridians and orifices point all the time. It would absorb the qi of essence from his flesh and expand in an observable speed.


    He has never cultivated and did not understood that such shocking accumulation of essential qi could make ninety-nine percent of cultivators in the world go crazy over it. After all, everyone''s meridians has a limit on how much it could endure and cultivation time could be a luxury to many. Moreover, to meditate, one would first need to be clear of all distractions and temptations in order to not fall into psychosis.


    Chen Jinchan did not have any of these concern. His essential qi kept expanding without consuming his mind and spirit. Even his breathing would naturally changed to Shen Lian''s breathing method.


    Shen Lian knew that this could be described as a state of ''without Dharma and without mindfulness''. Back then, the old fox deity could tell that Shen Lian''s body does not match his spirit and suggested that he needed to reach a state of Dharma-less and mindfulness-less in order to eliminate the drawbacks. Soon after that, Shen Lian entered Qing Xuan and received the guidance of Zhang Ruoxu and endured fifteen years of sufferings at the River of Spirits. He had to go through all that to resolve his plight and that became a solid foundation for his accomplishments in the path of Dao.


    It took him so much effort to achieve such feat but Chen Jinchan only needed one night to do so. Moreover, it came by so naturally for Chen Jinchan without having to force anything.


    If Shen Lian was easily jealous, the internal heat would have set ablaze externally. After all, he has always been ahead of other people and this would be the first time someone''s potential has outdone him.


    Shen Lian knew that his speedy cultivation was contributed by many factors and was not because of his potential. That was why he genuinely admired Chen Jinchan''s heavenly created perfect Daoist body.


    It was not a difficult task for him to attain the immortality that was longed by every beings in the universe. All he needed was time and cultivation Dharma. There should not be any difficult obstacles that he could not overcome during this period.


    Chen Jinchan gathered his essential qi and his swallow-light body headed towards the mountain top. As he took off for about ten miles, Shen Lian reappeared in front of him out of nowhere. He could not stop in time and was cushioned by a shapeless soft force.


    Shen Lian said, "I forgot to tell you something. Please take this stone plate with you and walk towards the Mountain God Temple. No matter who called you, do not respond nor stop for them until you have arrived at the Mountain God Temple."


    The breath of grass and mud was still lingering around the stone plate. It was obviously fresh from the oven. Chen Jinchan did not know to laugh or cry but he did not want to be rude and accepted the stone plate anyway.


    He carried the stone plate and the jug, and headed towards the Mountain God Temple. The trail of Mount Zhong was steep and some roads were not accessible by foot. Surprisingly, the stone plate had some sort of power that helped Chen Jinchan leaped a great distance. Or more specifically, a very long distance was shortened into a step for him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    The scenery around him kept moving backwards as he progressed with his journey. When the moon hit the middle of the sky that was full of stars, he noticed a beautiful girl walking out of the moon.


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    Besides the noble witch and the girls of Chen Village, Chen Jinchan has never seen any other females. But he was sure of one thing, this girl was a rare beauty.


    Like the lonely geese in the sky, her beauty shined through the moonlight.


    The girl had a sword behind her but Chen Jinchan could not see her full face. All he noticed was the five colored halo that looked so similar to the five colours of Shen Lian. A hint of sharp qi forced towards his mind and spirit, making it hard for him to breathe.


    He continued walking thanks to the mysterious force of the stone plate that helped him to do so.


    "Chen Jinchan." The ice cold voice of a girl pierced through his ears. He almost responded to it but he remembered Shen Lian''s words and resisted.


    He tried his very best to suppress his urge to look at the girl and focused on heading back.


    He walked from night till dawn as the voice of the girl calling out for him lingered in his ears. Her voice has caused his peaceful lake of mind to ripple.


    He almost fell for his urges but managed to resist. As soon as he saw the Mountain God Temple, he tottered up the peak and almost tripped to the ground.


    The girl left as he arrived at the Mountain God Temple.

 Chapter 414 Perceive Falsary As Truth

    Before the girl could reach the bottom of the mountain, she saw Shen Lian resting on a pine tree. The branch of the pine tree oscillated back and forth along with his body, as if it fell into a melodious breeze. It was an indescribable sense of freedom.


    If the heart had no restriction, one would still be a celestial being even if he was at the secular mortal world.


    The faint moonlight from a distance away has yet to fade from dawn. The sound of the waters of Ruo Shui came through along with the wind, as if they were speaking the lonely language of an empty mountain.


    "Yanying, didn''t I tell you to cultivate the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura in solitary retreat? Why did you not listen to me?" His words came striking like a bomb that exploded in Fang Yanying''s mind.


    Fang Yanying who had her Five Elements magical sword with her said, "Uncle-master, I have mastered it."


    In a split second, the pine needles of the tree started to fall off as if it was raining in green. The shapeless sword aura was extremely fine as it pierced through each of the falling pine needles without hurting the branches of the tree.


    The pine needles rain scattered freely, they went either downhill or landed in the soil.


    Fang Yanying held on to her sword while standing, making her look like a sword innate.


    Shen Lian gaze landed on her. He sighed and said, "You cultivated in your dreams again."


    Fang Yanying responded, "Yes, uncle-master. I cultivated in my dreams again. This time, the dream was really long. Through my dreams, I found out that Chen Jinchan was the fruit of immortality that you have been looking for. Also, he would be responsible for the fall of Qing Xuan in the future.


    Shen Lian sat upright on the pine branch and it stopped swaying. The tree, its branches and Shen Lian stayed static. The light breeze had no effect on him and the pine branch.


    He let out a deep moan and said, "Looks like you dreamed of the future and your little adventure is not just limited to travelling to other worlds but also to time travel. This was definitely way beyond my calculations."


    One could tell autumn by observing a piece of leaf; that was the realm of ancient gods. Shen Lian was almost reaching that level and such spiritual sensitive would be a highlight of his cultivation in the future. Speaking of which, the'' Mastery of Senses'' has always emphasized more on the soul and lesser on the cultivation of qi as it focused on enhancing the spirit to the path of Dao. At this very current stage, it could actually overpower the abilities of the Taixu Strategy.


    Shen Lian knew that he needed to focus on spiritual enhancement and he would eventually reach the stage where the primordial spirit would combine with the void. By that time, no one would be able to kill him unless there was a stronger almighty who could see his primordial spirit exiting the void. Technically, this would be the only way to get rid of him or else, he would still be able to resurrect.


    But he was not the only one who was on this path. Yanxu''s Sky Demon method too took on this path. In fact, the Buddhist Bodhisattva, the strongest Mahasattva would too eventually arrive at this stage.


    In other words, the three approaches of Dao, Buddhism and Demon would eventually return to the same destination after achieving a certain level.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Fang Yanying responded, "Uncle-master, that''s not it. I''ve also dreamed that you eventually succumbed to Chen Beidou because you failed to attain the fruit of immortality.


    The mountain breeze shook millions of trees and triggered a wave of green. Dawn has finally sent the moonlight off as the sun took over Mount Zhong. As Shen Lian and Fang Yanying was at the south side of Mount Zhong, they did not really feel the heat from the sun that was rising from the east. Instead, the thick dew of dawn was sparkling in glory and it was very dazzling.


    "Life is like the morning dew, it is bright yet comforting. When you dream of my death, how did I look? Did I die heroically?" Shen Lian smiled as if he was talking about someone else. At this very stage of life, he has looked beyond death.


    This does not mean that he did not mind death. It was more like a ''if I am alive, I am alive, if I am dead, I am dead'' mindset. Such news would not affect his attitude towards enjoying life.


    In other words, no matter how cruel tomorrow will be, you would still have to endure today to get there and that was why you should make today count.


    He was not numbing himself against death but he was just being more open-minded about it.


    Fang Yanying laughed. All she could thought of after waking up was to kill Chen Jinchan. She was still at the helpless and desperate state of mind until her uncle-master''s words cheered her up.


    She responded, "Uncle-master''s sword would empty the entire Mount Zhong. Even Chen Beidou''s temple would no longer exist after the dual."


    "Oh! So my swordcraft had such power during the duel. If I still get defeated under such circumstances and if you did dreamed of the future, that means Chen Beidou is capable of ignoring the material world for a brief period of time." Shen Lian arched his eyebrows as he wondered why would Chen Beidou invite him to test his swords when he could have just went ahead and challenge Sword Saint Ziwei. Even if he lose the match, he would still be able to protect himself.


    His train of thoughts went on full speed as he thought of several possibilities. He then said, "Yanying, did you dream of anything related to the Bier Discussion of Dao?"


    Fang Yanying''s expression changed slightly and said, "Nope."


    "Looks like someone might have planted a possibility of the future into your dreams and caused you to perceive falsary as truth. I know a few people who were capable of doing so but only one person would have the motive and potential to do it. No matter what, I can no longer tolerate him." Shen Lian sounded calm but the killing vibes in him was indefinite. A hint of the killing vibes leaked out from his mind and it caused a pine tree to wilt. Mount Fang Cun that hosted the Bier Discussion of Dao was a special place where if someone attempted to cast a spell, they would not be able to borrow the Mountain''s Shadow. Even if it was just a dream, they would still need the permission of Mount Bier Fang Cun. This proved that Fang Yanying did not travel to the ''real'' future as the Bier Discussion of Dao did not pop out in her dream.


    Shen Lian came down from the wilted pine tree with a slight sigh. The image of Yanxu was formed gradually in his mind, as if he was standing somewhere far far away in the middle of the sea, smiling at Shen Lian.


    The vision was fragmented. Shen Lian cleared his bier and it was once again clear from distraction.


    If Shen Lian was not quick minded, Fang Yanying would have killed Chen Jinchan, but Fang Yanying also would not be able to kill Chen Jinchan. There were deeper abstruse hidden in this.


    The only thing that existed in this side of the world was a pond. Beyond the pond, there would be the lake, river and majestic vast sea. Chen Jinchan''s origins were probably from the rivers and sea beyond the pond.


    It would not be difficult for Shen Lian to transfer Chen Jinchan''s fruit of immortality to him. Initially, Shen Lian was not willing to do so but now, he would never do. His powers might be able to improve greatly in a short period of time if he did it but that would also mean that he has stepped into a trap.


    In fact, the deformation of his right hand by the demonic god and the lighting up of the Heart Light was part of someone''s plan.


    Shen Lian knew that as he rise higher and become stronger, he would be closer to the truth. However, when the time comes, he could also possibly be so hung up about it that he would collapse deep down.


    He was reminded of Ye Liuyun''s advice that was hinting that the both of them were caught up in circumstances.


    Ye Liuyun would have known part of the truth earlier on, or at least made some guesses about the truth.


    But there was not point to overthink. The duel between him and Chen Beidou would be the most imminent event and Fang Yanying''s dream were not completely false. If Shen Lian does not change anything, Shen Lian would be doomed.

 Chapter 415 Rain Ceremony

    Shen Lian came to a conclusion that Xuyuan wanted to plat a failure seed in his mind. They started with no grudges against each other but now their hatred could no longer be resolved. Maybe Yanxu could only blame Shen Lian for being too strong to the extent that one universe could not contain the two of them who were from the same school.


    If Shen Lian was affected by the drama, he would not have been Shen Lian anymore. He was deeply aware of his own flaws and he was able to face them with an open mind. Until the deciding moment, no one would be able to predict his next move.


    Fang Yanying felt guilty when she found out that she was a pawn in someone''s plan. But her uncle-master''s warm gaze has calmed the ripples in her mind.


    Shen Lian said, "Pass the sword to me."


    Fang Yanying respectfully handed the Five Elements magic sword to Shen Lian. Even if she has mastered the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura, she still felt like an amateur swordsman in front of Shen Lian. At this very moment, her body was empty without any hints of sword aura and sword will.


    The moment Shen Lian took over the sword, a strong force gushed through her and caused her to feel indifferent.


    She had a sudden realization that the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura was in fact the same thing as the Shapeless Sword Aura. The only difference was that the former was more refined and hidden.


    The force that came from Shen Lian was the ''Nothingness'' of Daoism with a touch of the ''Voidness'' of Buddhism. By combining the essence of the two approaches, one would be able to achieve the highest soul (Dazizai). This was also the reason why Sword Saint Ziwei went to the Zizai Temple to create the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura.


    The first temple master of Zizai Temple was a powerful figure in the Dao sect whom eventually switched to the Buddhist sect and finally comprehended the meaning of ''freedom''. Sword Saint Ziwei was inspired by that and came out with this word aura, and then effortlessly defeated Chen Beidou who was one of the top swordsman back then.


    Before making the trip to north, Shen Lian was already capable of using the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura. But he only mastered the ''nothingness'' and have yet to attain the ''voidness''. It was only today where he was able to master it at a refined level.


    This was also the reason why Chen Beidou set their dual to take place three years later. Shen Lian''s Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura back then was not worthy of his sword.


    Fang Yanying was touched but also terrified. She was touched that the uncle-master passed on his swordcraft to her but she was also afraid that Shen Lian only did so because he does not stand any chance against Chen Beidou.


    She blurted out, "Uncle-master, if obtaining the immortality fruit would bring you any side effects or trouble, is it possible for you to use the graft method and transfer it over to me?"


    Shen Lian gave her a pat on her shoulder and said, "Silly girl, stop making things difficult for Chen Jinchan. If I survive this dual, I would take him back to Qing Xuan and pass on to him some methods."


    After finishing his words, Shen Lian drew the sword out and marked an abstruse trail. A shapeless force was triggered within ten miles radius and the bald and rotten pine tree started to rejuvenate. The surrounding plants too started blooming in green buds, it was a feeling of overflowing of vitality, as if spring was already here.


    The sword force of this sword was derived from the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura but Shen Lian has carved his mark deeply on the sword.


    He paused briefly after getting into the ready position and then wielded several sword forces that were inscribed deeply in heaven, earth and Xuan philosophy. He danced with his shadow as if he was able to leave this world anytime soon.


    He then demonstrated seven different techniques continuously. Each and every techniques were beyond Fang Yanying''s imagination. In fact, it felt like they have experienced life and death, and the generation and restriction of the five elements in this inch-small space.


    She felt that any immortal Zhenren and Golden Luohan would be defeated by the sword if the swordperson mastered this eight sword techniques.


    She was finally confident that her uncle-master still had the chance to win this sword battle.


    Shen Lian withdrew the sword and the surroundings, including the soil were already empty. Below their feet was a bottomless black hole that looked like a bridge to other unknown spaces. It took the black hole a while to shut close.


    Snowstorm, Mountain God Temple.


    Chen Jinchan did not expect the weather to be so strange. It snowed as it like, just like how Chen Beidou would appear as he likes, without giving any signs.


    Deep down, he was in awe of the Mountain God Master. The Mountain God Master has never been fearful of anyone neither nor anything and yet has the ability of making others be in awe of him. There was a reason why people like him was able to live for so long.


    If there was a competition for longevity, the Mountain God Master was definitely one of the longest living person ever.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    "Since you brought back the water, I would not punish you." Chen Beidou''s words gave Chen Jinchan a sense of relieve.


    He looked at Chen Beidou and asked, "Mountain God Master, do you know the person who helped me extract with the water?"


    "You want to know why I sent you to him and what is my relationship with him?" Chen Beidou sharp gaze pierced through Chen Jinchan''s mind causing him to panic. He tried his pace to stand upright but he could not control the shivers of his body.


    He answered with a shaky voice, "Yes, that was what I wanted to know."


    "The next full moon, he will be having a sword battle with me." Chen Beidou answered coldly.


    He was not deliberately cold towards Chen Jinchan but he has always been that way and Chen Jinchan has gradually gotten used to it. The fear in his heart too reduced by a little.


    "Could it be that he was your enemy?" Chen Jinchan asked.


    "You don''t need to know that. If he wants to teach you, you should learn from him and need not to worry about other people."


    Chen Jinchan did not really understood the relationship between Shen Lian and Chen Beidou. But he could tell that the Mountain God Master did not have any ill-feelings towards Shen Lian and they had a pretty odd relationship, unlike rivals that would love to kill each other.


    He has witnessed the people of Chen Village battle beasts and has seen fights between beasts. That feeling of ''only one of us can survive'' could not be seen in the Mountain God Master.


    Chen Jinchan did not probe further, neither did he have the time to ask more questions. The jug of water started flowing out and his sensories were filled with the sound of river waves. The water started to evaporate to the sky and as it hit the cold temperature of the sky, it turned into layers of thick clouds.


    Thunderous sound could be heard as the water started to pour out. The dark clouds were roaming without direction like a serpent. The prestige of the heaven and earth was so mighty that most ferocious beasts would creep down to it.


    When noon came, the jug stopped pouring water out and the layers of cloud scattered out to places beyond Chen Jinchan''s view. As a thunder struck, rain started pouring down towards the earth.


    Chen Jinchan was stunned as every drop water water that landed on him would weaken the hot qi in him. Soon enough, the heatiness in him faded away completely.


    Rays of light started to flash throughout the Mount Zhong as the profound Qi of Dao started to fight against the erosion of the rain. A voice could be heard, "Chen Beidou, what the hell do you want?"

 Chapter 416 Sacrificial Ritual

    Chen Beidou tilted his head to look at Chen Jinchan and said, "Listen, this rain is a ''sacrificial ritual''."


    The affairs of a nation was always about worshiping and war.


    Those were the words that popped out in Chen Jinchan''s mind. Now that Chen Beidou viewed this rain as a sacrificial ritual, the next step would be the clashing of the armies. Other nations would worship their ancestors and the deities by praying, but over here, Chen Beidou was the deity, also the ancestor of the Chen Village.


    Plus, there were not many cultivated spiritual beings on Mount Zhong that could be used as a scarification.


    The person who questioned Chen Beidou did not receive any answer as Chen Beidou felt that there was no need to explain to them. After the stunning transformation, Chen Jinchan''s sensories became sharper and he was able to sense human and non-human spiritual beings who were making their way to the Mountain God Temple. They were struggling with their movements as every droplet of the rain weakened their powers.


    Chen Jinchan noticed a ray of light turned into a puddle of blood and then disappeared along the rain and wind.


    He could not help but felt empathetic towards them.


    These were all cultivated living creatures and were turned into offerings out of the blue. They had no explanations and did not even have the chance to fight back. The Mountain God Master used a very cruel example to teach Chen Jinchan about the nature''s law of the survival of the fittest. Being weak was the biggest mistake anyone could make. If the person at the lower-hand was as strong as Shen Lian or the Mountain God Master, they would not have died or at least, could escape from the situation.


    Some of the cultivated living creatures were enraged and dashed towards the Mountain God Temple without any order. As their cultivation experiences were deeper than Chen Jinchan and they had stronger essential Qi and mana, they were able to withstand for a longer period under the rain.


    One person managed to dash across the rain and entered the mountains. Although it was a bumpy journey, he still made it in and he literally rolled his way to Chen Beidou and said, "Mountain God Master, please spare my life. I can give you everything, including my soul."


    Chen Beidou was not unmoved. The person turned to Chen Jinchan and said, "Brother, please beg for mercy on behalf of me."


    Chen Jinchan opened his mouth, turned to Chen Beidou and was about to say something.


    The man on the ground raised his arm and it transformed into a black bear''s limbs with a big bear paw that swept across like a fan.


    Chen Jinchan noticed the action but he could not react in time. However, the demon bear awkwardly paused its movement and started to radiate in white light. Many subtle sword gleam started to explode out of its body and the demon bear turned into a rain of blood, with some blood splattered on Chen Jinchan''s face.


    He looked lost as he pondered why the demon bear wanted to attack him. Could it be that it wanted to take him as hostage?


    But it no longer mattered anymore. Chen Beidou stood under the rain without any expression as a shapeless breath of the heaven and earth gathered around his body. It started flowing vigorously like the phenomenon of a long river.


    Chen Jinchan could not tell what benefits have the Mountain God Master gained from this. Although the Mountain God Temple was located at semi-high altitude, but at this very moment, it felt like the Mountain God Master was standing on the highest peak ever.


    He turned his head and realized that the Mountain God Temple has vanished.


    If there was a god, there would be a temple. Without a place temple to gather the believers, deities were no different from trees that had no roots, it would not be able to have the energy to nourish. Some of the knowledge on the Path of Shen popped up in Chen Jinchan''s mind but it was nothing close to what he was experiencing.


    The beautiful voice of the noble witch saying "Your path to Dao would not take place on the ground, it would still be the same as when it was in the sky" started to ring in his ears.


    "Your path to Dao would not take place on the ground, it would still be the same as when it was in the sky,"


    "Your path to Dao would not take place on the ground, it would still be the same as when it was in the sky,"


    "Your path to Dao would not take place on the ground, it would still be the same as when it was in the sky,"


    It was the voices of the people of the Chen Village that sang together with the noble witch. The power of faith gathered to form an unexplainable breath of the heaven and earth, and surged into Chen Beidou''s body.


    The hymn left Chen Jinchan stunned but he also somewhat yearned for it. The trauma from the bear demon attack has faded while Chen Beido''s majesticness and prestige was carved deeply in the spirits of every living beings of Mount Zhong.


    The sword gleam took one cultivated living being after another as the rain of Mount Zhong turned into the colour of blood. The spirits were grunting and roaring but Chen Beidou was not bothered at all.


    The rainwater attacked every corner of Mount Zhong except for two places, Chen Village and the place where Shen Lian was at.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    It was an abode of the immortal excavated from the wall of the mountain. It was rainy outside but extremely dry inside.


    "This rain is a ''sacrificial ritual''." Shen Lian said to Fang Yanying the same way as how Chen Beidou told Chen Jinchan.


    Fang Yanying was surprised. Sh said, "He took all of the cultivated spirit of Mount Zhong as offerings. Is he not afraid of karma?"


    "He would feel guilty if it was the life of the masses. But to heaven and earth, these living beings are tumors. They would absorb the qi of vitality of the heaven and earth day and night without fail, and they have never once contributed back." Shen Lian explained.


    It was not Fang Yanying''s first time receiving lectures from her uncle-master but she find it hard to accept that view of cultivators were tumors to heaven and earth.


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    She said, "Uncle-master, wouldn''t it be disadvantageous for you if the Mountain God became stronger from the power of the sacrificial ritual?"


    "You are right but this was as a mutual acquiescence between us. He asked Chen Jinchan to take the water but it was something beyond Chen Jinchan''s ability. But I lent him a helping hand because no matter what circumstances, I want to bring him back to Qing Xuan. As a condition, I should not interfere his ''sacrificial ritual'' and that was the difficult puzzle that he gave me." Shen Lian smiled as if he was not forced to solve this puzzle.


    Fang Yanying responded, "But uncle-master, you have definitely suffered loses here." The extraction of the waters of Ruoshui has caused Shen Lian a great amount of energy. Moreover, he could not interfere Chen Beidou''s sacrificial ritual that aimed to make him stronger. If it was someone else and not Shen Lian, Fang Yanying would have thought that person was out of his mind.


    However, the wisdom of her uncle-master was sufficient to cut of all troubles and he was definitely not a fool.


    "Chen Beidou needed a stronger force because he wanted to immolate himself. This is his wish and it is not something that I can stop. Moreover, attaining stronger powers in such a short time frame does not necessarily means its a good thing." Shen Lian replied mercilessly.


    "Uncle-master, do you mean that he will be overwhelmed by his power during the battle and would eventually revealed his flaws? Just like the saying of the Daoist master that goes, ''A Daoist would not go far with heavy burdens''?" Fang Yanying responded to Shen Lian after giving some thoughts to the situation.

 Chapter 417 The Sword of Flying Celestial

    The rain on Mount Zhong only lasted half a day. The sunset dyed the mountains, water and sky into a light pink.


    The blood was originally dark red, but as the rain diluted it, it faded to a light pink.


    There were many cultivators in the world, but there were not many who could cross the river to cultivate in Mount Zhong. They could be considered the top among the non-formal cultivators in the world. Chen Beidou however, killed them all with just rain.


    Cultivators paid great respect to heaven and earth, but not demons or gods. Ultimately Chen Beidou was still the Mountain God. He represented the will of the mountain and river here. The cultivating living beings took in the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth daily. They owed a great deal to not only heaven and earth but to the Mountain God. In some sense, Chen Beidou was just eliminating the thieves in his backyard.


    Deities existed alongside Dao. They governed the laws of heaven and earth and took care of every being. The laws laid down since ancient times were long forgotten with the rise of the Daoist and Buddhist sects. Even if the previous generation of Lord Emperor formed the Heavenly Courtyard, deities did not manage to recover their influence such as when the heaven and earth were just formed. Nowadays, even powerful celestials or Buddha could command the deities around like slaves, and they called the path of Shen to be an outsider path.


    Chen Beidou gave these cultivators a hit in the head.


    As long as one had sufficient power, one could deconstruct all the rules, and reconstruct them. One could even recover the forgotten justice.


    There were up to a hundred top instruments, and one to two unknown magic talismans trapped in the soil of Mount Zhong. The treasure light had faded. There were even more instruments that could not stand the rain as their spiritual light diminished and entered into Chen Beidou''s body as an unknown breath.


    Where he stood was not just similar to the summit of heaven and earth, it was also similar to the center of the universe, where he mastered the revolvement of the stars.


    Not only the living beings of Mount Zhong could feel the grand stateliness, it also affected the whole of Yuan Continent, even till late night. The stars in the sky were bright, and the power of the stars fell onto the world. Some of the beasts who were spiritually active benefited greatly from this as they began to possess spiritual intelligence.


    Zizai Temple''s Daoist Liuqing looked northward and said nothing. Acala Huike stroke his broken sleeves softly. The humming of the sword exploded.


    Temple of Contentment''s Wang Shidao held a scroll, but he could not take in any word of it. Every stroke of writing contained overflowing sword aura, and it had disturbed the peace of the temple.


    Taishang Daoist sect''s young but respected Daoist looked quietly at Ziwei Palace. The green bull was burping as it lied on his legs.


    The Qi of Chen Beidou increased endlessly as the days went by. In the morning there was the real fire of the sun, and at night there was the light of the stars - they all gathered towards the cliff where he was at. They colored the cliff a jade green.


    It was a night of a full moon. Since Chen Beidou began his sacrificial ceremony, Shen Lian never stepped out of the abode of immortals he created. It created a barrier between itself and the outside world. Even if the outside world had been turned upside down, the inside of the abode of immortals would remain calm and unaffected.


    The last ray of the evening pierced through the thin mist and into the abode of immortals. It shone on Shen Lian''s delicate and elegant face. Every hair on his eyebrow could be seen clearly underneath the sunlight. His deep eyes reflected the sunset.


    Perhaps he would not live to see the break of dawn the next day, but it was good enough to be able to see the twilight and the full moon.


    Many years ago he told old master Shen about how life was all about following the heart and that was the reason he pursued immortality. For now, even if he took the sum of his two lives, he did not live longer than the old master Shen. If he died, perhaps it was the biggest irony to what he was chasing for. However, even if he could go back in time, he would not change anything.


    Whatever that had happened in the past was just like the mist. Every bit of it was recalled at that moment. He still remembered the cry he made when he was born. It was the same for most. Why was it that the first thing people did when they were born, was cry? Was it because the world was a sea of bitterness?Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Shen Lian too recalled the first time he felt affection for the opposite gender. It was during school in his previous life. It was not because she was gorgeous, but because in that particular moment, it just happened to pull on his heartstrings. In the secular mortal world, it only takes one glance to fall in love with someone, and then it was a painful story. Until now he still felt strange about himself, and the person he met then.


    His life went by normally until he had a car accident, to which he was reincarnated to this world, and it was the beginning of this grand life. It felt like he belonged here. With an insipid heart, he cultivated leisurely. He overcame all the challenges and never complained. He finally achieved Daoist immortality and made two to three good friends. He held such a high position in life and stood on the summit of mortals.


    The best time of his life brought along his most difficult opponent - Chen Beidou.


    Until now he the image of Chen Beidou in his mind was not complete. He only knew that this person had an indestructible will. His behavior was not constrained by the worldly standards, and he had the determination to focus on the pursuit of swordcraft.


    He was indeed the perfect cultivator - he possessed all the necessary criteria to become someone successful. Most importantly, his strength exceeded that of all the opponents Shen Lian had ever met.


    They did not have anything against each other, it was destiny that led to this battle.


    If he did not study the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura, such thing would not have happened today. If he did not step foot in Su''s Fort, without meeting Mr Su, this would not have happened. Life offered him countless paths, but he still ended up on this one.


    At that moment it was hard for him to stay calm, but at the same time he was not afraid. There was an indescribable excitement in him. It was a form of curiosity towards the unknown. It was the kind of relief that came from the will to give everything up in the face of a challenge.


    When he stepped out of the abode of immortals, wind began to blow and rain began to fall.


    The fog was blown away by the wind and the rain fell on his dark bun. It fell between his brows and his face. The chilly feeling made him alert, and at the same time cleared away the contaminated Qi outside the abode.


    As usual, Fang Yanying followed behind her uncle-master. However, this time around she figured she could not follow his face. She could only see her uncle-master holding the Five Elements Magical Sword and that the wind and rain were circulating around him. The heaven and earth Qi of Mount Zhong too followed suit.


    Chen Beidou was the center of Mount Zhong, and at this moment Shen Lian was the other center, center of the flow.


    Every step, every shift in body movement, was similar to the music played by each pluck of the string of the zither. It sent a signal through the heaven and earth Qi of Mount Zhong. In Fang Yanying''s eyes, the image of Mount Zhong began to blur. Space began to fold into itself. It was hard to differentiate between up and down and the four cardinal directions.


    Shen Lian did not intentionally calculate how far away Chen Beidou was, let alone calculate when the moon would appear. He just naturally folded his sleeves, with the right hand which was still a skeleton, he drew his Five Elements Magical Sword as smoothly as the flow of water.


    The wind and rain, along with the Qi of the mountain followed the sword of Shen Lian, and they stormed towards the jade-green cliff.


    The full moon was now out in Mount Zhong. And the wind and rain appeared to be of a faded yellow under the moonlight.


    The sword of flying celestial.

 Chapter 418 Eternal Dao

    There was the moonlight, there was the starry night, and there was the flying celestial, Shen Lian. He swirled up a sword aura akin to that of the Milky Way, and which operated like the Zhou Tian principles, as he followed the Xuan philosophy of heaven and earth.


    The whimpering sound from the void was similar to the cry of the demons and the divines.


    Shen Lian had a missing arm, along with the Five Elements Magical Sword. The skeleton right hand symbolized death, and the swish of the Five Elements Magical Sword went by the ground like a spring breeze.


    This act of the sword was unprecedentedly stunning.


    Under the order of the Mountain God, Chen Jinchan arrived at a giant protruding rock located some distance away. Looking from afar, he could see the glittering sword river. Shen Lian who was stepping on the wavefront of the sword river looked like a flying celestial as he headed towards Chen Beidou at the cliff.


    In the face of the sword river which operated according to the Zhou Tian principles, the cliff of Mount Zhong which was once respected by all living beings seemed to turn into something as insignificant as a speck of dust. The jade-green cliff even seemed as if it was shivering under the grandeur of the sword river.


    Chen Beidou stood on the cliff, looking otherworldly. He did not let any divine light shine through. His black hair was flowing with the wind and his clothes were as black as ink. He was so calm that perhaps not even doomsday could make him move an inch.


    The sword river finally rammed into the cliff, and the cliff which had undergone the tempering of the heaven and earth seemed like it was not better than something made out of paper. It was full of debris, and under the starlight, it looked like a meteor shower.


    All of a sudden, an explosion could be heard from Mount Zhong. It shook the void, and also the woods and grass on top. Countless specks of dust on the mountain began to hover underneath this vibration. They were vibrating at an extremely high speed, and it affected everything on Mount Zhong, including Chen Jinchan.


    He groaned and the rocks underneath his feet formed a deep hole, as the rocks too felt the vibration. Unknowingly, he too transferred his power into the rocks underneath his feet.


    Chen Jinchan suffered under the vibration and blood flowed out of his mouth. The smell spread around, and as the affected plants around him gained the blood, they were killed and revived again each time.


    The smooth giant rock, entwined with green Chinese wisteria wrapped around Chen Jinchan to help him distribute the power when Shen Lian''s sword river crashed into the giant rock.


    When Chen Jinchan tried to analyze internally, he realized there were cracks in his organs.


    He had kept a far distance, and even with his special body, he still could not avoid being injured. He could not imagine what was happening to Shen Lian and Chen Beidou in the battle.


    Chen Beidou did not attack when the sword river crashed into the cliff, but now he had initiated an attack.


    The countless resentful spirits on Mount Zhong �C the resentment which would never disappear, all turned into a killing sword, a sword of death under Chen Beidou''s command.


    About thirty of them had such strong divine aura that they could even compete with the full blast of a master celestial of sword at the level of immortal Zhenren.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    The star lights in the sky, as well as Shen Lian''s sword river formed with the breath of heaven and earth, could not undermine the gleam of the swords formed under the resentment of the living beings.


    This was the real cry of the demons and the divines. Mount Zhong roared along with it.


    Shen Lian who stood on top of the wavefront of the sword river had no reaction. The sword river then transformed into countless sword nets, which captured the swords of the resentful spirits.


    The sword gleams already possessed spirituality as it blended in with the resentment of the living beings. They were struggling to get out of the nets formed by the sword river.


    Then, the nets were kept like a wild beast who took a lazy yawn in the midst of its sleep. All the sword auras disappeared.


    The sword nets in the sky did not stop and all of a sudden it took a leap. They were broken down into countless small swords, directed at Chen Beidou.


    The cliff shattered a little, and while a part of the sword river formed sword nets, the sword river was still endless. It seemed that Chen Beidou was in a pinch and there was nowhere to escape to.


    He never thought of escaping. He just raised his hand.


    The tiny sword auras formed by the sword nets were all caught in one grab. There was no way to describe how profound that motion was. It seemed like with that technique, he could even pluck the stars in the sky.


    He was calm and his eyes looked insipid. It seemed that Chen Jianmei only did something minor, but occasionally some sword auras would appear on the cliff, and soon they would become countless tiny holes which seemed to have no end to it.


    Shen Lian stood calmly as he continued to command the sword river to attack the jade-green cliff.


    Underneath Chen Beidou''s feet appeared a film of water like Qing Guang which blended into the almost transparent cliff. The spiritual tides were rolling in the cliff like the source of spring water. Seven dots were lit up in the cliff, in the shape of a dipper, pointing at Chen Beidou.


    Qing Guang, the spiritual tides and the cliff became one and was inseparable. Shen Lian''s sword river could no longer damage the rest of the cliff. It was clear to him that Chen Beidou had laid down the Big Dipper formation in the blink of an eye.


    The Big Dipper formation was not some supreme formation, but as it was laid, it broke the connection Shen Lian had with the power of the stars. It also snatched away Mount Zhong''s power to control.


    The geography and the mountains and rivers in the world contained the profoundness of the Great Way, but it was only during a quiet night when Daoists understood the most profound principles of the world when they were observing the stars of the sky when they were trying to find something unchanging in the ever-moving stars. In the beginning, as they did not know what the name was, they referred to it as Dao. From the movement of the stars, they then reconstructed the formation based on the spiritual objects on earth, which then transferred the Dao of the stars onto earth.


    This Dao could make enormous stars follow a certain path. If it fell on the mortal world, its impact was unimaginable, and the principle it demonstrated was something beyond Shen Lian''s capabilities.


    Without the replenishment of the Qi of heaven and earth and also the power of starlight, the sword river began to slowly subside under the impact, but Chen Beidou and the cliff both did not move.


    From the time that Shen Lian began to cultivate the Milky Way sword aura, this was the first time he felt helpless, even though he borrowed a lot of power from heaven and earth.


    He remained silent, not expressing any anger.


    There was no spark when his eyes met Chen Beidou''s, but Shen Lian''s mind seemed to be absorbed into Chen Beidou''s Big Dipper formation, and through the meaning of Dharma in his eyes, he saw the eternally lonely stars.


    The stars were something that would not change even after a few hundred centuries. Every single one of them burned brightly to show the world their uniqueness. The Big Dipper had the brightest stars out there. It was like a clone of Chen Beidou.


    It seemed that the rumor was not wrong, that every individual would have their own corresponding star.


    Shen Lian did not know where his star was.


    There was no knowing of Dao, and there was no end to the heart''s desire, and there was no understanding of the repeatability of objects.


    In that dazzled state, he felt separated from the self. He could see the heaven and earth, the universe, and the void.


    The last bit of sword aura of the sword river eventually stopped flowing while Shen Lian was in a state of trance. There was only the void underneath his feet.

 Chapter 419 If You Die Tonight, I Will Bury You Under the Moonligh

    Supposedly nothing could float on the river, but a raft did.


    If one paid close attention, one could observe that there was a layer of Qing Guang at the interface between the bottom of the raft and the water surface. As it separated the raft from the water, hence it did not sink. An extremely beautiful woman sat kneeling down next to a small tea table in the raft. On top of it, there were delicate spiritual fruits and desserts.


    The woman was the spy Guangqing placed, Qingyin. At the moment, her eyes were looking down and she nodded as a gesture of respect at the nose of the raft. The wind blew, and a handsome-looking middle-aged Daoist appeared. It was the missing Daoist Huanzhen from Guangqing Celestial sect.


    He looked fairer than before, and there was Qing Guang flowing out his eyes, as if they contained an insurmountable amount of wisdom.


    Qingyin looked up at Daoist Huanzhen with her burning eyes, "Your Holiness, you''ve finally contacted me, else I will have thought that something happened to you based on the rumors."


    "Qingyin, everything you have had been granted by me, and hence we have this connection beyond imagination. Everyone assumed that I had an accident, but you know that I am fine. The reason I am only contacting you now is because this is the first time I have a chance to." Huanzhen sighed, and his eyes revealed the fatigue he felt. Qingyin was adopted by Huanzhen since young, and he also planted the seed of the first essential Qi in her. Even her meridians and acupoints had Huanzhen''s mark. If Huanzhen was crueler, he could easily turn her into a clone. This was the reason why Huanzhen asked Qingyin to understand the distribution of power for Guangqing. She was trustworthy.


    Since Huanzhen and the other twelve disappeared, and since Zhao Xiaoyu unified Luoism, Qingyin had been undercover. In between she had gone back and forth to Mount Taichang, but as her position was too low, she was never called in by Yuming the Honored Celestial. While she had the feeling that told her that Daoist Huanzhen was safe, Huanzhen kept reminding her through telepathy to not do anything out of the ordinary.


    The feeling was so weak that she could have almost ignored it, but she still chose to believe it. Before her patience was used up, she finally managed to contact Huanzhen and decided on the river as the meetup point.


    Huanzhen felt different from before. He seemed unworldly, and this reminded her of Shen Lian at Mount Jimo, and the five celestials of


    Guangqing. The only difference was that Huanzhen seemed to be lacking something, and he did not enter the miraculous state completely.


    She too could feel the fatigue in Huanzhen''s heart vividly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    She did not know what was Huanzhen facing all this while that led to his fatigue. She could even feel a tinge of fear.


    Qingyin said, "Your Holiness, what happened to you? You did not even return to Guangqing, what can I do for you?"


    Huanzhen looked at the sword gleam on top of Mount Zhong. The impact of the battle even stirred up a giant wave in the river which was crashing towards the raft. His vision turned into the reality two giant palms which hit the giant waves. It was a supernatural power which interfered the physical world through the spiritual world, which only the Buddha and Demon could play out well. However, to say that Huanzhen was better than a lot of enlightened monks and the top in the demon realm would be an understatement.


    He said, "You can''t help me directly. Even though you asked someone to find out where I was secretly, and even going so far as to find out the secret group that has dealt a huge damage on Luoism, you still can''t hide from that person. Even without doing anything, you are still involved."


    Qingyin was shocked. She could not imagine who was this terrifying person that even the Huanzhen today felt scared about. She intended to ask, but Huanzhen said, "Don''t ask who he is, I''m afraid he has already reached the state of divine response. He can detect it if someone mentions about him."


    Qingyin dared not to ask. She looked at Mount Zhong and said, "Today is Zhenren Shen and Chen Beidou''s battle day. Your Holiness, I believe there are more than just us who are watching, the dragon king from the Dragon Transformation Pond of the east sea is here. He is hiding underneath the river, and it is hard for anyone to realize, but as he ate one of my underlings, I know about it."


    "A dragon can''t make it. The reason why he is watching is because of Chen Beidou''s position as a god. Even though he is a dragon, without the Dragon Transformation Pond he can''t become a king. Surrounding Mount Zhong there is the river, and Chen Beidou''s job includes controlling the rain and it overlaps with that of a dragon king. If he can take the position of god at Mount Zhong, he can also control the river and become the commander of the river where not even a feather or a log can float. It far exceeds being the fake dragon king of the east sea." Huanzhen spoke of the dragon king''s intentions clearly.


    Qingyin said, "Even I know that Chen Beidou is one of the most powerful Gods, and not even the old monsters from Tian Xianjing or the State of Pusha can beat him. While Zhenren Shen is strong, but this time the odds are not with him, would the dragon want his efforts to be in vain?"


    Huanzhen spoke in disdain, "He is not someone who knows the height of the world. Perhaps he has some power backing him, but he is still overestimating himself." Subsequently, he spoke in a serious tone, "The reason why I took such a huge risk to see you today, is to save Shen Lian when he loses."


    Qingyin replied, "Ah." If it was not because of the feeling, she would have thought he was a fake. Guangqing and Shen Lian were not considered the worst arch enemies, but it was not far from that. How was it possible to save Shen Lian?


    Shen Lian stood in the void, and even with the Qi of heaven and earth of Mount Zhong, along with the power of the stars, none of those could aid him in this battle. He could only rely on himself. The feeling of helplessness in the world wrapped around his heart. Even though he had entered an indescribable state of Dao, he still could not stop the feeling of helplessness from entering. It seemed like it could almost pull him out of the state of Dao.


    He slowly opened his eyes and knocked lightly on the Five Elements Magical Sword.


    He looked up at the full moon and said, "Tonight''s moon is extremely bright. If you die today, I will bury you under the moonlight."


    Chen Beidou spoke coldly, "I know you already transformed Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura into the Eight-Step Sword Art, but you''re aware that everything would only be complete at its ninth step. As you''re not complete, you can''t churn out the ninth step. This is not something that can be solved by a sudden revelation. I''ve given you an opportunity, but you gave up because of the laughable ''passing on of the sect''. Today you don''t have a chance to get out of here alive, but I will remember you because my swordcraft is complete because of you."


    Shen Lian spoke leisurely, "You''re indeed at a high level, but you can''t know everything in the world. Do you think you''re a Daoist Master or a Buddha, where nothing can go beyond you?"

 Chapter 420 It Will Be the Decline of Heaven and Earth by the Time My Sword Is Ou

    Chen Beidou said nothing. He was not someone who was good with words. Furthermore, regardless of what Shen Lian said, a weakness was a weakness. It was not something that could be covered up with words.


    Shen Lian said nothing else, as he let the Dao rhythm flow naturally. There appeared a portrait behind him.


    It was a portrait of a young Daoist carrying a sword in the midst of a sea of blood. It was Qing Xuan''s Founding Master Yuanqing.


    There was also a portrait of a fallen milky way in the Nine Heavens �C it was the Milky Way Grandmaster.


    A portrait of Avici which carried the pain of the passing spirits appeared too. The demonic voice was overflowing.


    The portraits of the previous generations of immortal Zhenrens from Qing Xuan appeared one by one.


    These portraits were like the divines and demons as they gathered behind Shen Lian and disappeared, ultimately becoming one with Shen Lian. His sleeves were bloated as he stood alone in heaven and earth. It seemed like they were keeping away countless items �C there were the five colored divine lights, the variance between Creation and Destruction, and the explosion of wind and thunder. The void hummed.


    All the odd images began to disappear as he swung his sword slowly. All the sounds or odd motions of heaven and earth were carried away by the sword. There were countless golden flowers blooming in the void, like the arrival of Buddha with the blooming of the cereus. It was like the divine ruins.


    The path of this sword was what Shen Lian categorized as the first step of the eight steps of Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura, ''the sun that nourishes every being'' or it could be named as ''The Birth of All Things''.


    The most powerful wish of the masses was not the faith towards deities, or towards the heaven and earth and mountain and river, but the desire to live. The dead wanted to live, and the living wanted to be immortal. The wish was never diminished, and it had no end to it, coming through since ancient times.


    The essence of the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura was released in this step, as the wish was something that was invisible and untouchable, yet was present everywhere.


    With the sword, every formula was spoken without the words. The wild sword aura disappeared in the void. It was intangible and without a physical form, but it reached everywhere. The cliff where the Big Dipper formation was laid all in a sudden crashed. A huge surge of power flowed out of the cliff and caused it to collapse into mere dust.


    The power was akin to the continuous growth of weed. It eventually toppled the rock on top of it. It seemed impossible, but the power of vitality was strong and miraculous.


    While Chen Beidou commented that Shen Lian''s swordcraft was not complete, he could not ignore it when the sword technique appeared. In the face of that grand power, he could not sit and do nothing, else he would fall into passivity easily.


    The Celestial Trapping Sword was drawn. It did not restrain its killing aura just because it once was a comrade of Shen Lian. It was ultimately a killing sword, whether it had any intelligence or not. Killing was its instinct, and the reason for it to exist.


    Chen Beidou had full control of the murderous thoughts of the Celestial Trapping Sword. When the blood-red sword gleam appeared, everything withered, like the breeze in autumn that rid everything of life.


    The blood-colored sword gleam which was not strong did not spread its murderous sword aura all over the void, but the moment it appeared, it had already snatched away all vitality on heaven and earth, and caused the starlights to lose their beams. The moonlight was no longer a soft yellow.


    All of a sudden, part of the vitality of heaven and earth was sucked out and it lost its shine.


    The power of the Celestial Trapping Sword and Chen Beidou combined into one. The indestructible power could stop everything, including Shen Lian''s attack which contained the wishes of the passing.


    Chen Beidou''s expression remained unchanged. The blood-red sword gleam got closer, and the void was akin to a bubble on the verge of popping. Once the blood-red sword gleam pricked it, the huge reserve of power then exploded. The cliff no longer existed.


    Shen Lian''s sword aura which was everywhere too exploded before it could demonstrate its power. This placed him in the turbulence of spiritual tides, worse than that of a tsunami or an earthquake.


    He stood still as he gazed at the blood-red sword gleams which were attacking him in between the turbulences. His mind had fallen into the eye of the east sea, and it became extremely clear.


    The Qi of heaven and earth, and the turbulences of spiritual tides were not a mess in his mind. They began to show order. Every explosion of the Qi of vitality began from the tiny flow of energy, which corresponded with the energy principles.


    The Five Elements Magical Sword let out a sword soar, like an unworldly phoenix that traveled through the nine heavens. There was a faint pink on the skeleton right hand. He was one step away before the sword tip could reach the Celestial Trapping Sword.


    It was an indestructible power which could cause everything to fall, and a power that not even deities or Buddha could resist. They could only watch as their supernatural power and mana were snatched away.


    The Five Element Magical Sword also turned the sword hum into a cry under the influence of that power. Shen Lian''s right sleeve was turning grey, but he stood still. He and his sword were completely trapped in the turbulence of the spiritual tides in the void.


    His Primordial Spirit suddenly let out an unimaginable mental power like countless feathers which invaded every node of turbulence of the Qi of vitality. Swirls began to form and they reacted with each other, like the acupoints in a human body.


    All of a sudden the countless stars were lit in the night, and they began to follow an odd path. Shen Lian was in the midst of these bright stars and his body was moving alongside the swirl. He was moving freely, like fish in the water. He looked like he was enjoying it.


    The Celestial Trapping Sword that followed closely was stopped by the swirls one by one. It could not get close to Shen Lian as the swirls kept regenerating. There was no beginning and no end.


    It was Shen Lian''s second attack.


    Chen Beidou naturally would not just do nothing, and to some extent, Shen Lian''s resistance was futile to him, but he admired the swordcraft Shen Lian created �C how creative and flexible it was, and how natural the flow was. It inspired him.


    To have a battle with such an opponent was an indescribable joy.


    His counterattack got even stronger.


    Chen Beidou had a pause in the void, and another attack went out.


    "It will be the decline of heaven and earth by the time my sword is out." Every living being around Mount Zhong heard the same voice, coming from the depths of their hearts.


    This was the real sword technique of Chen Beidou. The previous attack was one of Celestial Trapping Sword.


    When Chen Beidou''s sword was out, everything in the world fell into a decline.


    Despite the sword aura having no beginning and no end, it could not really escape from the heaven and earth. Chen Beidou finally revealed his terrifying power which had caused despair to the living beings in the surroundings.


    All the spiritual tides seemed to lose the footing in the void. They all dispersed without resisting.


    An analogy to this was that while the water contained in a bottle could be stirred, once the bottle was broken, the water lost the vessel it could retain itself in.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Shen Lian could no longer relax in the spiritual tides as the sword gleams that followed closely seemed to block all the possible escape routes, as if there was no longer a place for him in the boundless universe.


    He had no escape, as Chen Beidou''s sword had broken the power of the heaven and earth as if he was creating a whole new battleground in the void. He could not borrow any external help anymore.

 Chapter 421 The Battle in an Inch

    Despite the fact that they could not be there, but the living beings who were hiding at every corner of Mount Zhong could all feel the unstoppable power of the sword, which blocked out space and time where the two were battling.


    Shen Lian''s ''no beginning and no end'' lost its flare under Chen


    Beidou''s supreme technique. Chen Beidou''s technique served as a perfect illustration of power reaching an exceedingly high level, it could ignore the detail and profoundness of swordcraft. This was the reason Chen Beidou went on with the sacrificial ceremony despite knowing that the short increment in power had its flaws.


    He chose power, and he believed in it.


    Shen Lian had nowhere to run, and hence he did not. The sword will ignored the distance between time and space and it came like a tide. It first entered Shen Lian''s heart. In his heart, it lit up a light, with the intention to show him the way in his desperation.


    Under the command of Chen Beidou, the tip of the Celestial Trapping Sword was touching in between the brows of Shen Lian. Shen Lian could even feel that his Primordial Spirit was disappearing. The Heart Light was like the fire of a candle in the wind, fluttering under the imminent danger of the sword.


    His light of spirituality was dim in the depth of his Primordial Spirit, as if it too had predicted the danger.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    A deep sigh was heard. The Five Elements Magical Sword of Shen


    Lian was akin to that of water. An unknown sword region all of a sudden filled up an area of up to several hundred miles. Moonlight was trapped inside.


    That area was like the black hole in the universe �C not even


    light could escape. It was the area of true darkness and silence.


    At the same time, the heat in heaven and earth were being


    sucked away alongside the light. It became cold suddenly. There was a thin layer of ice in some regions of the river. The raft which Daoist Huanzhen and Qingyin were riding on was not moving as it was stuck in between the thin layers of ice.


    After the sigh, Shen Lian''s voice was heard by everyone. That


    was because the movement of Dao was made aware to everyone, that this technique was called ''the void of Taiyin''.


    The deep voice seemed to come from the corner of the universe


    which was the coldest and had the most Yin. It extinguished every agitation everyone''s hearts to the point where no one would know where they belonged. Even thoughts were frozen at that moment.


    Since the heaven and earth were on a decline, might as well just freeze


    all beings. It was said that the heaven and earth would go through a trial after a long period of time had gone by. By then, there would not be any light, and the world would be at its most Yin and coldest. Most living beings would be frozen.


    Freezing was not an action, but when its presence could stop everything. Under the ultimate Yin and coldness, not even the smallest dust could be activated.


    Shen Lian''s Heart Light was not extinguished, but the light no longer fluttered. The sword will in his heart stopped exploding and the


    sword tip which was near his brows had turned from fast to slow. It was having difficulty advancing. There was no light in the surrounding, but only unresolvable Yin and coldness.


    His first attack was ''the sun nourishes every being'' which represented the Yang part of heaven and earth, it was also Shen Lian''s understanding towards the state of immortality. The second attack was ''no beginning and no end'', which carried the meaning that Dao began from no beginning, and that sect had no end, and hence the name ''Daoist Sect'', where there was no beginning and no end. Daoist sect was also the teaching of Qing Xuan, and his interpretation of Qing Xuan''s tradition. The third attack was ''the void of Taiyin'', it was the dead or alive experience he went through with his grandmaster. The grandmaster obtained everlasting Taiyin, and he too gained something from there, especially the instant connection under Taixu Strategy. It had an indescribable profoundness.


    The three attacks went out one by one, with ''no beginning and no end'' as the core of it, which turned Yang into Yin, following the natural principles of the development of heaven and earth, and subsequently constructed an indestructible power of Dao. Hence, he managed to turn the void into this most Yin and coldest darkness during the most critical time and froze it.


    This time around it seemed that the flooding power of Chen Beidou''s sword had come across the strong dam which was being repaired. It could not deal any more damage.


    Shen Lian used his supreme intelligence to identify the weakness Chen Beidou had in his heart due to the expansion of his power. He planned this out carefully and hence he managed to see an opportunity in the bleak situation.


    The opportunity did not come by easily, and if he was careless, it would be gone. Shen Lian finally struck back, signaling that it was not the end yet.


    All of a sudden Shen Lian swung his sword five times so quickly that the five swings seemed to be released at the same time. The green, yellow, red, black and white sword gleams appeared in the darkness of the void.


    It was the last five steps of his Eight-Step Sword Art.


    This was his trump card �C it contained the sword aura of the five elements.


    Once it appeared, it had the power to kill celestials and demons. Chen Beidou was trapped.


    To the living beings who were watching the battle, they saw that there were five-colored rays of green, yellow, red, black and white which appeared in the dark void. Nobody could believe that Shen Lian could come back with a counterattack in such a pinch.


    When the five-colored rays were lit, everyone understood that the blessed child of heaven did not hold back.


    Shen Lian''s Eight-Step Sword Art which was based on Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura was something unprecedented. It had created a monumental moment in swordcraft.


    Huanzhen looked at the space and time where the two were fighting. Despite not being able to see anything, the appearance of the five-colored rays revealed a lot �C it meant Shen Lian was using his origin of five elements. It also meant it was the last attack of Shen Lian, unless he could go above and beyond. During a battle however, Chen Beidou would not give him the opportunity.


    If the Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura which was propelled under the origins of the five elements could do nothing to Chen Beidou, Shen Lian had no other tricks up his sleeves.


    He took out an imperial seal, and it seemed like there was chaotic air surrounding it, and at the bottom left corner, there was an edge which was black and yellow. Huanzhen spoke to Qingyin seriously, "If Shen Lian loses later, I will bring him over to the raft. I will let you handle the rest."


    Qingyin asked, "Your Holiness, why do we have to save him?"


    "It is all for Guangqing." Huanzhen sighed, and his eyes were sad as if he was mourning over something.


    In the quiet darkness, an unimaginably fierce battle was happening.


    The five sword gleams surrounded Chen Beidou, and they were advancing at an unimaginable speed as the area again shrunk to a perimeter of a hundred miles.


    This distance was incredibly small for two top celestials. Only Taishang could have turned dust into a flood, but at this point, while the two were not better than Taishang, they had exceeded most cultivators in the human world. They already reached the essence of power.


    Chen Beidou''s blood-colored sword gleam invaded the five-element sword gleam inch by inch. As the power of the impact was too huge, it caused the internal area of the frozen void to shatter. The two battled in the turbulence of the space. The normal space outside of the turbulence was however frozen. It reflected an odd imagery of the most active and the most passive.


    Shen Lian stood still, and his Primordial Spirit was dull. He was trying to command the five-element sword gleam to keep up with Chen Beidou''s


    high speed. At the same time, the flesh on the skeleton of his right hand began to rot. His tough body was slowly collapsing.


    A small wound can lead to major consequences. Shen Lian''s unhealed right hand was the biggest weakness of his body. At this point in time, it was as if the water of the dam was flowing through a crack �C it was losing control.

 Chapter 422 Sever

    Shen Lian had been caught in countless difficult situations. However, he had never been in a place as dangerous as now, where death was slowly creeping up on him. His self-divine aura even saw a clear scene flashing by - his physical body would collapse, and his Primordial Spirit would be torn apart by the force of the void. His Five Elements Sword Gleam would not receive any replenishment and would disappear along with this time and space.


    He held the Five Elements magical sword as the essence of everything that he had learned surfaced in his heart. He wanted to make his last swing with the sword. In fact, he had been going through all the possibilities, and he thought, ''Perfection does not seem flawless, but it can be used for long. What is full still has a vacancy, but it can be used endlessly.'' It was only at extreme moments as such that he could operate his last hint of aura against all odds.


    The world was birthed from existence, and existence was birthed from non-existence; hence, only when one was ''non-existent'' that one could finally be free. This was also the essence of Dazizai Shapeless Sword Aura.


    If his spirit and his body were still in existence, how could he turn into ''non-existent''? However, to go from being ''existent'' to ''non-existent'' was against the laws of nature, and it was almost impossible to achieve. Even if one were to do it, there would be a hefty price to pay. Hence, the deficiency of Shen Lian''s body was the main deterrent that held him back.


    If he were to consume Chen Jinchan, he would be able to overcome the deficiency. However, to do so would be to go against his moral principle. At least he still saw himself as a human being; even after he became a Celestial, at least half of him was still human. Moreover, what was the point of forcing oneself to act against one''s will? That would be an outright rejection of what one stood for.


    The frozen space-time started to shake due to Chen Beidou''s supersonic intense battle.


    The Five Elements Sword Gleam started to dim, and the Five Elements magical sword that he was holding wailed.


    Shen Lian caressed it gently and whispered, "Your owner has never been particularly afraid of anything in his life, and today will not be an exception."


    He flicked his finger against the magical sword. Sparks flew immediately and it was burning in a raging white flame. The flame enveloped Shen Lian along with the sword. Amidst the flame, the cries of phoenix could be heard.


    Back at Qing Xuan, Qianmo started flying and soared into the Nine Heavens. Green flames shrouded its body and it was flapping its wings with all its might. The spiritual tides of heaven and earth flooded the surroundings, and everyone in Qing Xuan found it impossible to continue with their cultivation.


    On top of Zifu Peak, Ziling stared at the north without saying anything.


    Lingguang followed behind Ziling and whispered, "This is nirvana?"


    Ziling sighed, "It is not nirvana. It is turning from existent to non-existent and becoming one with Dao."


    Lingguang was taken aback, "I might not know as much as you all do, but even I know that becoming one with Dao is a serious matter that not even those in the state of Tian Xian would carelessly attempt. It only takes one mistake for one to be doomed eternally."


    The strongest power in the world was ''Dao''. ''Dao'' ensured that everything in the Universe, from as big as stars to as small as dust, travel on their designated tracks. Even the rogue movements embodied some sort of unchanged laws within it. Everything was an embodiment of Dao, and everything would take place in accordance with Dao.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    To become one with Dao was the final pursuit of every cultivator. In fact, a person who could become one with Dao whenever he wanted to was often thought to have reached the end of his cultivation process.


    As for something more advanced, such as being a Daoist Master or Buddha, these were not achievable through cultivation.


    Even though Shen Lian was exceptional, but his current state was nowhere close to the step that he was about to take. This was something that only the best from the state of Tian Xian could attempt.


    What he was trying to do, it was beyond going on a long journey with a heavy burden. In fact, it was comparable to a mortal crossing the Northern Sea with Mount Kun on his back.


    He might even perish in the process of becoming non-existent from existent.


    Beyond Mount Zhong, above Ruo Shui, Huanzhen held the Imperial Seal and sighed, "I should have befriended him back then."


    The ice on the river was starting to melt, and there was a strong undercurrent at the bottom of the river. A giant beast was lurking beneath.


    Shen Lian had no time to care about his surroundings. He visualized the supreme deity from The Mastery of Senses.


    His mind and spirit seemed to have entered a point in time where the Universe was not created yet. Everything was non-existent, there was no crystal, no light, no channel, and no dimension.


    ''Of non-existence, the root of birth, the essence of deities, the vitality of the heaven and earth, all creatures were birthed from it, the Five Elements were derived from it'', a paragraph of dry Dao words flowed through his heart. From this paragraph, he understood clearly the meaning of ''Dao''.


    Yin and Yang, Five Elements, and all creatures; all of them came from Dao. To revert them back to their original form, to turn existence into non-existence, that would be Dao.


    Hence, the deity that he visualized was neither Yin nor Yang. It was an impressive being who knew about everything, a being who transcended the mortal realm.


    Daluo Lingbao Tianzun, Shangqing Great Emperor, Tongtian Order Master, he could be addressed with any of these names. Yet, none of them was him. In fact, he only existed in the galaxy universe as part of the Dao, and he no longer existed in the void universe anymore. From past, present to future, traces of him could be found. However, there were no substantive marks left behind by his existence.


    Shen Lian thought about Dream Heart Sutra that was handed over to Ruoxi by Old Daoist. There was a line that stuck with him, ''The heaven and earth are but a dream, so is life too. When you finally wake up from the dream, you will truly be freed.''


    This might not be absolutely accurate because being truly free was not something that could be put down into words. One would only know how it feels like when one had been freed.


    Shen Lian was turning ''existence'' into ''non-existence'', and he was not trying to become one with Dao in the strictest sense. After all, he knew all too well that he was not well-equipped to do that for now. Even though he had activated the True Fire of Nirvana, it remained impossible for him to turn his body into non-existence.


    His true purpose was something that even Chen Beidou, who was in the midst of completely extinguishing Five Elements Sword Gleam could not understand. This was because he did not know that Shen Lian had cultivated ''The Mastery of Senses'' before. This was Shen Lian''s trump card.


    Even though the deity that he visualized might have been freed since, even if he had broken through the past, present, and future, it was impossible for the traces left behind by him in the galaxy universe to be completely wiped out.


    Otherwise, it would not be possible for Shen Lian to visualize him now.


    Even now, Shen Lian still could not fully comprehend how terrifying the great being and its supreme existence once was. However, he did have some clues.


    The deity that he visualized was definitely not an imaginary existence. On the contrary, the deity had severed a part of the eternal ''Dao'' from the galaxy universe, and he had become an existence independent of heaven and earth now.


    This was why Zhang Ruoxu said that ''The Mastery of Senses'' had imposed a Dao restriction - he was absolutely right.


    It was a part of Dao, to begin with, and it was extracted by some sort of great being. This was why it was impossible to find something similar to it in the galaxy universe.


    Dao birthed all creatures, and all creatures could return to their origin. However, if ''Dao'' had been extracted, those that derived from this particular ''Dao'' would cease to exist.


    Shen Lian was trying to shut off all distractions, as he was determined to merge himself with the deity that he visualized. He would then become the ''non-existent'' Dao.


    When the fire died out, Shen Lian ceased to exist. The Five Elements magical sword was all that was left in the soundless void.


    Chen Beidou had since taken care of the troublesome sword gleam. He looked towards the Five Elements magical sword, and he suddenly felt a hint of inaction that transcended the vital force of heaven and earth.


    A deity whom face could not be made out appeared, and he held a magical sword. He spoke, "This is ''Sever''."


    That was Shen Lian''s voice. ''Sever'' represented the part that was severed from Dao.

 Chapter 423 Settled

    The moment Chen Beidou saw the deity that encompassed Shen Lian, he knew who he was facing. He was not ignorant, which was why he was trembling - out of excitement.


    There was no one else who could represent the ultimate stage of swordcraft better than the person before him, even though he did not major in swordcraft.


    A deity could either be acquired or innate, the one that he was facing was an innate deity. The deity was a great being who was birthed before the creation of Universe. Even the Daoist Master and Buddha attained Dao at a later stage than this deity.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    Despite he was once a Celestial and was currently a god, but when he recalled secrets as such, Chen Beidou still harbored the ridiculous feeling that legends were coming alive in reality.


    Of course, the deity in front of him now was not the real deal; he might not even have one-millionth of the power of the real deity. In fact, this might just be a trace that was left behind, which Shen Lian had since combined with.


    This was precisely why he got to peek into his swordcraft now. In fact, he could feel the excitement and jealousy of the Celestial Trapping Sword, the sword which had been completely subdued by him. The reason behind its emotion was clear - Shen Lian had merged with the deity, and he was holding the Five Elements magical sword.


    In the entire world, from the past to the future, there was only one sword that was fit to be commanded by him and Shen Lian''s Five Elements magical sword was definitely not it. This statement remained true even if the deity was merely a remnant left behind in the passage of time.


    Above was what the Celestial Trapping Sword felt.


    The power of the Celestial Trapping Sword was not even one-thousandth or one-hundred-thousandth of what it used to be back when it was used by that deity. However, so long as he could take even just a look at the shadow of that deity''s swordcraft, he would have a chance to revert the Celestial Trapping Sword back to its original strength. Together, both he and the sword could progress towards the pinnacle of swordcraft.


    Shen Lian merged with the deity that he visualized, and what he managed to capture was just a small portion of the severed Dao. Despite its unique characteristic, it would not be able to allow him to even make contact with the true power of the great being.


    Though, it would suffice for now. Even a hint of the shadow would elevate him to a higher state. Right now, he could even perceive everyone in the world who was connected to him.


    He saw the founding master, Ziling was staring at his direction, he saw his Senior Apprentice-Sister Gu Caiwei praying at the Hall of the Grandmasters, and Zhao Xiaoyu was at Mount Jimo playing a melancholic tune on an instrument that looked like a flute. He also saw Ruoxi riding on Qianmo and was making her way to Mount Zhong.


    He saw Yanxu, and he saw Huanzhen who was on Ruo Shui.


    Fang Yanying was somewhere in Mount Zhong, and she was looking ahead at his direction.


    In fact, he even saw Mr. Su who taught him the Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura.


    Mr. Su was in an exquisite room. He was drawing the brows of a beautiful woman who was dressed in red. The woman had a mark of the flames on her forehead. Suddenly, he unleashed his sword aura towards the air.


    "Why?" The woman asked.


    "Nothing, just felt like someone was peeping at me. Maybe I made a mistake," Mr. Su smiled.


    "That is weird. There is only a handful of those who have the capabilities to spy on the Palace of the Undead, and these people are not that rude. Should I look into it?"


    Mr. Su held her soft hands and replied gently, "It is fine. The reason why we are living in seclusion is to stand aloof from worldly affairs. Mrs., let''s let this slide."


    "Looking at you now, no one would believe that you are the famed Sword Saint Ziwei."


    After being discovered by Mr. Su, Shen Lian stopped looking at him. Moreover, he realized that the move that allowed him to be fully aware of the world earlier dimmed his self-divine aura considerably.


    To think that a Daoist Master and Buddha could see through the past and the future by just opening their empowered eyes; they were privy to all causes and effects, this was unimaginably scary.


    Shen Lian''s thoughts spun faster than the sparks.


    At the same time, he thrust forward with his Five Elements magical sword; it was a simple pierce without any variation or ingenious Dao. In fact, it was so light that it seemed almost non-existent.


    When faced with this simple pierce, Chen Beidou behaved as though he had lost his soul. He was unable to react and could only see the tip of the sword closing in.


    It seemed like the only plausible outcome for Chen Beidou was to perish under the simple pierce of the sword.


    Not only Chen Beidou thought so, but all the surrounding living creatures who cultivated Dao felt that way too. No one expected Chen Beidou who had the upper hand and was in complete control to lose his advantage so suddenly.


    However, Chen Beidou was as impressive as ever. He did not give up.


    Regardless of how strong Shen Lian was, he was no more than a paper tiger. Things had not gotten to the point where Chen Beidou could not put up any resistance. Even if the piercing was akin to the great Dao and could operate the sky full of stars, he was not exasperated.


    He threw away all the unnecessary thoughts, and he forgot where he was. All he could see was the original heart and nothing more.


    Chen Beidou seemed to had broken through some sort of restraint and shackle. The shattering sound echoed throughout the world.


    He finally drew his sword. His divinity, body, heart of sword, and spiritual response - everything about him seemed to have joined as one with the Celestial Trapping Sword. They were together as one and had turned into a pure stream of sword gleam.


    Shen Lian''s ''sever'' was simple, to which Chen Beidou had responded with ''purity''.


    Chen Beidou was nowhere to be found, and there as only a hint of red. The hint of red was not brilliant, and it did not shine like the Milky Way. However, whoever set eyes on this hint of red would understand the determination of a swordcraft practitioner.


    His loyalty did not lie with the heaven and earth, his ancestors, or the believers. However, he was absolutely loyal to swordcraft and searched for nothing more.


    Shen Lian''s ''sever'' went at a steady pace, but Chen Beidou''s sword gleam tried to circumvent Shen Lian''s sword like a rainbow and was charging directly at the deity that he had morphed into.


    Shortly after, on top of Mount Zhong, underneath the starry night, a ball of light that shone as bright as the Beidou - The Big Dipper exploded. The world was encapsulated in white; everywhere was clean and the polar lights turned the night into day.


    At this moment, a giant monster surfaced from the bottom of Ruo Shui. It had two intertwining horns on his head, and there were green scales below its neck. It leaped out from the water. It was a flood dragon. It rose from the water and tried to make its way to the core of the white light.


    The sword sang and cropped off a portion of the flood dragon''s horn. It moaned painfully and fell into the river again.


    The endless white light had dispersed and Chen Beidou stepped out from the void. He held the reddish Celestial Trapping Sword and his body gradually turned transparent. At last, along with the Celestial Trapping Sword, he became a blood-red light dot and disappeared without a trace.


    The void started to mend itself. The night after the intense battle remained clear and beautiful, and not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere.


    Huanzhen stood on top of the raft. He had kept his Imperial Seal long ago. He thought that he would have a chance to interfere, and now he realized how misinformed he was.


    Qingyin murmured, "Who won?"


    Huanzhen replied, "No idea."


    "He did not win." The raft shook gently, creating ripples in the surrounding water.


    A young Daoist dressed in feathered clothing and star crown was seated next to the coffee table on the raft. He helped himself with a piece of pastry. He seemed to be emitting weak starlight and his physical appearance was blurry.


    Qingyin looked at him in shock and did not manage to utter a single word.


    The young Daoist ingested the pastry and helped himself to a crystal-clear spiritual fruit. He smiled, "Your pastry is too sweet. You should try making something savory next time."

 Chapter 424 第243章 会晤

    "How did you survive?" Qingyin stuttered as she queried.


    Shen Lian ingested the spiritual fruit and smiled, "Who says I''m still alive?"


    Only then did Qingyin realize that despite his usual appearance, Shen Lian was emitting gentle starlight all over, and his body seemed to be slightly transparent. If one were to stare hard enough, one would be able to see the river behind him.


    Shen Lian was hollow, and she failed to notice that earlier because the starlight blurred him out.


    Huanzhen took a seat opposite of Shen Lian while Qingyin sat in seiza by the side. She brought out a pot of wine and filled both of their cups.


    Huanzhen looked at Shen Lian and smiled. He spoke, "In the past, I have run through countless possibilities, but I did not think that one day both of us could sit in peace and have a drink."


    Shen Lian sat calmly and stared ahead with his gentle gaze. His gaze seemed to be able to erase all sort of restlessness. His heart was still and his spirit grounded, he had no distracting thoughts - even the gentle ripples of Ruo Shui were eased by him. This was not a feat attainable by sheer force. There was a unique form of Dao rhythm radiating from him, which had combined a type of eternal and unchanged rules within the world. This was the reason why he was able to do that with his gaze.


    He spoke to Huanzhen, "I did not expect that you would come to my aid tonight."


    "Though, I was not of much help," Huanzhen replied slowly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.


    "It is the thought that counts. Let''s drink up and let bygones be bygones." As Shen Lian raised his glass, the starlight fell from his sleeves. It was gentle like the water in Ruo Shui and had filled the raft. The surrounding seemed almost magical.


    Huanzhen was surprised. He raised his glass and drank.


    He fell into silence, and Shen Lian too did not say anything. Finally, he seemed to have made up his mind and said, "After you lost your physical body, your self-divine aura could not adhere itself to anything, which is why the light is flowing out from you. After attaining longevity, one would not have to worry about the exhaustion of one''s lifespan. However, the moment that you cease emitting starlight, it will be the day your Primordial Spirit is worn out and your self-divine aura is extinguished. If there is anything that I can do to help, I will."


    Qingyin finally understood why Shen Lian said that he was not alive. On a certain level, he had died. It was just that he did not perish completely. The starlight that he was emitting was his self-divine aura and the source of his Primordial Spirit.


    When he stopped emitting these, he was akin to an oil lamp that ran out of fuel.


    Despite that Chen Beidou did not win, but if Shen Lian could not find a solution, it was a definite defeat for him.


    Shen Lian did not seem bothered by his current state. He spoke gently, "I am well aware of the current state I am in. In fact, I have expected for this to happen. This is actually better than the worst case scenario that I had in mind. You do not have to do anything for me, there is no need for it."


    Huanzhen replied, "However, I have a favor to ask."


    "I know what you are going to ask. Though, I cannot let Yanxu live. Whether it is for Qing Xuan, or for our previous Chief, Zhang Ruoxu, or even for my Honored master, Zhenren Biyun whom I have never met. I will do it, and I guess I am capable of doing it now." Shen Lian''s exquisite face had a smile on it, he looked like the brilliant Milky Way that was somewhere far away in the dark sky.


    At that moment, he was thinking if luck were not on all of the Qing Xuan Chiefs side for the past few hundred years. Zhang Ruoxu was suffering from unrecoverable injuries. After dragging on for a few hundred years and worrying for the fate of Qing Xuan, he finally died. Right now, Shen Lian''s current predicament was no better. For each and every moment passed, he was constantly losing bits of his self-divine aura and Primordial Spirit. If things got to the point of no return, he might not even be able to be reincarnated and would go up in smokes directly.


    This was the price that he had to pay for becoming one with Dao by force. Even though he merely merged with a portion of the Dao severed by Lingbao Tianzun, but even then this was something that he was incapable of bearing.


    However, he was definitely at his strongest right now. In this world, he was unrivaled. After all, the best in the world, Lu Jiuyuan had gone into the depths of Milky Way and his return was unscheduled.


    Even at the other continent - Tianhua Continent, where skilled individuals were in abundance, there might not even be a single person who could hold his own against Shen Lian.


    If he was someone who chased after power, there was definitely no regrets for him now. However, even if life was but a great dream, he would gladly live in this marvelous dream and not wake up.


    "Regardless, I still have to thank you," Huanzhen said.


    "There is no need for it. Though, I am curious as to how you managed to keep your spiritual intelligence under Yanxu''s Sky Demon method," Shen Lian queried.


    "Because of this." Huanzhen took out an Imperial Seal. The chaotic air flowing out from it even expelled the starlight emitted by Shen Lian. Despite that one of its corner was missing and was patched up with Xuanhuang Merits. Still, it was obvious that it was a rare treasure that was hard to come by in this world.


    "I have heard about the king''s jade of Kun Mountain, but I have never thought that I would see an Imperial Seal made from a piece of king''s jade that was about to shapeshift. This is indeed the nemesis of Sky Demon method. However, you must have taken plenty of other measures in order to conceal this from Yanxu. Based on that, I must admit that fellow Daoist Huanzhen, you are the most remarkable individual in this world." Shen Lian only took a glance to recognize the origins of the Imperial Seal. Indirectly, he complimented Daoist Huanzhen on his wisdom. After all, it was not easy to hide something as such from Yanxu.


    "Despite having retained my spiritual intelligence, I still could not escape from his control. To be honest, with his current supernatural powers and with Lu Jiuyuan of Xuantian Sect departure, no one in the four main Daoist sects would be able to fight against him. His previous move on Luoism was an early warning. The day that he decided to make his debut, he would take the world by storm and it will be a demonic trial for the world," Huanzhen sighed.


    "If he did that, he might be a demon in our eyes, but in the eyes of the world it was the proper and righteous thing to do. So long as he makes use of the good timing, he would be aided by the strength of the world and complete his Sky Demon method," Shen Lian replied casually. Even though Yanxu was his enemy, he could not help but to admit that he had not faced with a greater rival than Yanxu in his life.


    His intellect, decisiveness, adaptability in tactics, and knowledge were all on par with him.


    Hence, Shen Lian did not plan to use any tactics when it came to dealing with Yanxu. He decided to tackle him head-on as that would be the best move.


    Unfortunately, even though he had been making good progress all these years, Yanxu had not been slacking off either.


    Free Form Incarnation was a clear contrast from Dream Heart Sutra, representing Yin and Yang respectively. Shen Lian studied about Dream Heart Sutra and only then did he realize that how difficult it was to deal with someone who was cultivating Free Form Incarnation. In fact, it was almost impossible to kill them.


    "Before being controlled by him, I have never realized how scary the Sky Demon was. I have encountered heart demons every now and then, but there was no reason to fear them. When I set eyes on him, he put all the heart demons that I have previously encountered to shame. In fact, they should not even be acknowledged as ''demons''," Huanzhen spoke with emotions.


    If it was not for his heartfelt emotion, he would not be able to speak of it like that.


    "It is hard to deal with him, which is why I am here to see you now. I need to find out something about him through you."

 Chapter 425 Flood Dragon

    The garden was quiet and empty, the moon hung high in the sky.


    Yanxu appeared out of thin air in an area with a small bridge and flowing water. He stood alone at the end of the bridge. His sleeves fluttered in the wind. Not far away, Fairy Tianmeng was holding a sword and staring at him with mixed emotions - her gaze was vicious and loving at the same time.


    This was inside of Tai Su Chamber, the base of Fairy Tianmeng. The Three Elders of Taisu were at the mountain right behind the chamber. Though, Yanxu was not worried about being discovered by the Three Elders of Taisu at all.


    He stared at the flowing water and the reflection of the moon. The shape of the moon was constantly shifting as the water flowed, as though there were tens of thousands of mirrors, and within each, a different sight could be seen.


    Especially in his eyes, each moon contained the face of a person - someone who was either directly or indirectly killed by him. These illusions could be said to be real, as they were the resentful thoughts left behind by the ones he killed. They trailed after him and hated him immensely.


    However, he was not bothered by it at all. In fact, he found them interesting. After all, these people wanted to get revenge on him but were unable to - how amusing indeed!


    Suddenly, he heard a sound besides that of the flowing water. It was ''Huanzhen'', and young brat Shen. Lately, his Sky Demon method had reached an unimaginable state. In the human realm, he was the true Master of Sky Demon. When someone talked about him, he could feel it, what more Huanzhen, someone whom he had planted the demonic seed on.


    Young brat Shen too had peeped on him once tonight. This young brat was probably the most interesting person that he had ever met, even Yanxu was tempted to befriend him.


    At the same time, the likeliest person to destroy him was young brat Shen. Indeed, he was the most disturbing genius that Yanxu had ever come across in his entire life. He was also equipped with immeasurable wisdom and strong resolve.


    Yanxu was unable to listen to their conversation clearly. He was deterred by the starlight emitted by Shen Lian. Moreover, Huanzhen carried an Imperial Seal with him, which suppressed his Sky Demon method.


    Although it was clear that these two meant him harm. Yanxu was surprised by how Huanzhen carried his demonic seed, and yet he was able to maintain an independent mind. Even though he knew that it was because of the Imperial Seal, he was still slightly surprised.


    However, he was not angered. If anything, he found it intriguing - how boring would life be without some good challenges! If life was that boring, he might even consider killing himself.


    As he was peeping on them, Shen Lian was just telling Huanzhen about how "It is hard to deal with him, which is why I am here to see you now. I need to find out something about him through you."


    Even with the distance between them, Shen Lian seemed to have seen Yanxu. He smiled and waved at him.


    Yanxu smiled in return. This was the second time that they were greeting each other.


    The next moment, his expression changed. Thunders could be heard within his bier.


    Everything seemed normal in Tai Su Chamber. Even the moon looked clear and brilliant. However, Fairy Tianmeng felt an unusual aura which irritated her.


    He saw the blue light emitting from Yanxu. That was the light of lightning.


    When you hear the sound of thunder, the lightning would have already struck. Lightning traveled as fast as light, and no one who was in the material realm could travel faster than light.


    However, the Thunder Technique Yanxu faced with came from within.


    Yanxu finally realized how skilled Shen Lian was. Shen Lian made use of the demonic seed that he had planted and delivered the power of the Thunder Technique through it.


    Moreover, the Thunder Technique was the most powerful technique of them all, and it was a natural inhibitor of the Sky Demon.


    The thunder traveled over after leaping through countless space. It had even dissociated into the Five Elements and went on endlessly. It had turned the spirit sea in his heart into ferocious waves of thunder.


    Under the thunder, Yanxu perished again and again. If he perceived himself as being dead even once, he would be doomed.


    Fortunately, he was determined. So long as his thoughts remained, he would be alive.


    To the Sky Demon, physical body and spirit were not the most important of all. So long as a hint of thought was retained, it would be possible to regenerate, just as how the wild grass covered the grounds after a wave of spring breeze.


    Life was but a dream, filled with countless cold autumns.


    Yanxu was not about to sit around idly and wait for his death. He struck back.


    He turned the thunder in his heart into an illusionary dream which dispersed like smoke and clouds. The thunder too had disappeared. As though the autumn rain had passed, his heart was clear without clouds and was even slightly chilly. The chilliness reached his bier, clearing it up.


    Fairy Tianmeng spoke, "You are still alive."


    Yanxu disappeared and reappeared again, but this time with his arms around Fairy Tianmeng''s waist. He gripped her waist gently and spoke, "Since deep down, you wish that I''m alive, why are you not being honest with yourself?"


    Tianmeng replied grudgingly, "One day, you shall die by my hands."


    Yanxu smiled and spoke, "It seems like the ''one day'' you speak of will not be coming anytime soon." He continued, "Let''s go. The commotion earlier definitely had alerted the three old hags. I am not in the mood to deal with them tonight. We shall go and kill another person."


    On the light raft above Ruo Shui, Huanzhen was relieved. He felt as though the dark haze shrouding his heart was eliminated. As he looked at the reflection of the moon in Ruo Shui, he could not help but to feel that everything finally fell into place.


    He bowed respectfully to Shen Lian and spoke, "Thank you Zhenren Shen for giving me a new life."


    "Yanxu would not let you go so easily. You should return to Mount Taicang immediately," Shen Lian spoke casually.


    He knew that Yanxu would not let him go so easily. After all, he was the only one who escaped Yanxu''s Sky Demon method. Even though he did so with Shen Lian''s help, but his knowledge of the Sky Demon method was deeper than anyone in this world. However, he did not understand why Shen Lian had not asked him about the secrets about the Sky Demon method. After all, his personal experience would be of immense help to Shen Lian.


    The reason why Shen Lian did not ask him was simple. Because he knew that if he were to formulate all sorts of tactics to take Yanxu down, he would end up hindering his own prospects. Moreover, he learned about the Dream Heart Sutra from Ruoxi, which would be sufficient.


    Huanzhen knew that time was not on his side and he bade his farewell. The light raft soared into the sky, the speed of light travel was comparable to that of sword travel.


    Shen Lian stood on the river and pointed at it. The river split into half and revealed the river bed. A giant flood dragon rested on the surface of the river, and half of its partially formed horns were shaved off. Its giant eyes were big like lanterns.


    Shen Lian made his way to the dragon head and smiled, "Are you willing to be my mount? If you are unwilling, reply me now."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Of course, the flood dragon understood Shen Lian. It opened its mouth and tried to utter his reply. However, it was unable to produce even a single syllable, as though an invisible force was restraining it.


    Shen Lian laughed, "Since you did not reply, I shall assume that you agree to the arrangement. I have always wanted to try riding on a dragon and soar in the sky. I did not expect for my dream and reality to be that different. I guess I will have to settle for a flood dragon. Even though it is not the best, but I shall make do."


    If the flood dragon could move now, he would flatten Shen Lian with a smash. Not only that Shen Lian made such a noble breed of dragon into his mount, but he even complained about it not being a real dragon! Not only was the flood dragon unable to utter any syllable, it was not even able to communicate through its divine thoughts, and was completely restrained by Shen Lian.

 Chapter 426 Senior Apprentice-Brother, You Cannot Head Ou

    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Since you have agreed to it, you must not go back on your word. Otherwise��"


    "Otherwise?" The flood dragon felt the pressure being lifted and it was able to open its mouth. He replied in human language and queried urgently.


    Shen Lian caressed its half-gone horns as he replied, "I heard dragon meat tastes good, if you were to go back on your words, I will get to find out how dragon meat tastes like. Even though you are not truly a dragon in the strictest sense, but I guess you should taste just fine."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The flood dragon noticed that even though it had regained freedom, but Shen Lian only had to exert a little pressure on it to render it powerless. It was capable of generating tens and thousands tonne of giant force. However, it was no different from a tiny snake in front of Shen Lian.


    Indeed, it was of dragon breed, but it did not have the pride that came with a divine dragon. It understood the law of the jungle. After hearing what Shen Lian said and seeing his overwhelming power, it did not think of resisting. Hurriedly, it smiled and replied, "Master, this tiny dragon here will not break its promise."


    "Ah, so that''s all you have. To think that you have the guts to come up to Mount Zhong." Shen Lian knocked on its head.


    The flood dragon thought to itself, "If I knew that abnormals like you actually exists in this world, I wouldn''t have come here." It was cursing Xuantong Demon King who sent it here, completely forgetting that how it admired Xuantong Demon King for her beauty and was determined to procure the spirit tablet of the boundless water of Ruoshui. As a God of Rain, it would be a matching partner for Xuantong Demon King.


    "You look too ugly now and you are lucky to run into me. Otherwise, if you were struck by Chen Beidou''s sword aura, you can forget about having dragon horns in this life." Shen Lian leisurely pointed his finger and the starlight around him started to focus and ended up falling on top of the flood dragon''s head. The once-broken horn took shape again and was returning to its original shape at an unimaginable speed. Its inner injuries too had started to heal by themselves. It was washed over with a sense of wellbeing.


    "Thank you Master." The flood dragon bowed lowly, and it was doing it with sincerity this time.


    After seeing how Shen Lian could heal its injuries with minimal effort, it thought that it would be nice to be connected to someone capable. Moreover, it heard that Shen Lian was the Chief of Qing Xuan, one of the four main Daoist sects. The celestial sect had ten thousand years history and had produced a lot of great individuals who were stronger than even the true divine dragons.


    "Bring me somewhere now." Shen Lian sat on the dragon head, both of its horns were akin to branches and was as tall as a person. He sat in between of the horns calmly, giving off the same vibe as Buddha did when he sat under the Budi tree, albeit in a much simpler form now.


    Before Shen Lian had incarnated into a deity, Chen Jinchan was thrown off into the wild by the vibrating Qi strength. When he was half dead, he was carried by a stream of sword aura to the opposite shore. Because of that, he remained in safety.


    The owner of the sword aura was the women who wanted to kill him the other day. The woman did not interact with him, but she was watching the intense battle at Mount Zhong. When the world was covered in white light, Chen Beidou walked into the void and disappeared into a blood-red light dot.


    From that moment onwards, the women seemed relieved and her mood lightened up.


    Mount Zhong had been standing sturdily for over ten thousand years, and yet it seemed tattered now. Its mountain range was dwindling, and Chen Jinchan was not sure if the villagers in Chen Village were safe. Although, with the protection of the noble witch, their current predicament could not be that bad.


    He barely interacted with his savior. Even though she saved him, but it was obvious that she was not fond of him.


    He was sharp, and he knew that there must be a reason behind her demeanor. However, he did not ask about it. After all, if a person hated you that much, it was better to minimize the amount of interaction. This was especially true if the other party was a woman. Most of the time, women were unreasonable.


    He learned about this in the noble witch''s crystal ball. Though, Chen Jinchan did not think that the noble witch who was a woman would have had this sort of knowledge in her crystal ball.


    He was a learned man now, and his knowledge would be unrivaled by most people in the world. In spite of that, there were certain fields that he did not know much about. Such was true, as some things were better understood with one''s personal experience.


    Chen Jinchan thought the process was all over the place, and time passed quickly. The sudden splash of water shocked him.


    On top of the calm Ruo Shui, a line appeared. This was followed by the emergence of a giant monster. This was the flood dragon who was trying to take advantage of the situation earlier and ended up having its horn cut in half by Chen Beidou''s sword aura.


    However, Chen Jinchan''s attention was not focused on the flood dragon. He was looking at Shen Lian who was sitting steadily on the dragon head. Shen Lian was shrouded by starlight and was emitting intangible and illusory vital force. Looking at Shen Lian, Chen Jinchan felt that it was both an awe-inspiring and melancholic sight. It was a very complicated feeling.


    The woman spoke excitedly, "Uncle-Master."


    Shen Lian''s gaze fell on both of them. He spoke, "Yanying, follow me back to Qing Xuan and attain the state of Huandan. Fight for the nine transformations of Huandan, so you will be better than what your Honored master achieved back then. Then, I will hold the Great Ceremony of Golden Elixir for you."


    "I dutifully obey. However, the number of transformations that I can attain depends on my fate. Both Honored Master and Uncle-Master are rare geniuses. I do not think that I can surpass both of you," Fang Yanying replied.


    Shen Lian dismissed her remark with a smile, and he spoke to Chen Jinchan, "Are you willing to be my disciple now, Chen Jinchan?"


    Chen Jinchan pondered upon it and replied, "Teacher-elder, it is my blessing that you think so highly of me. However, I have something that I would like to ask you. May I know what happened to the Great River Deity?"


    Shen Lian asked, "What do you think of my current condition?"


    "When I look at you now, I feel like I am looking at the sky. If you ask me how does the sky look like, I don''t think I can answer that. Hence, it is difficult for me to describe your current state now," Chen Jinchan bowed as he replied.


    "Even though it is difficult to say, but you should try telling me about it. You may speak to your heart''s content, I will not blame you for it," Shen Lian stared hard at Chen Jinchan and spoke.


    Chen Jinchan had no choice but to say, "To put it crudely, teacher-master, you are like the sky that is getting darker, you look dim."


    Shen Lian clapped and replied, "Besides your remarkable physical qualities, you are more observant than the average person. You deserve to be in my sect. To be honest with you, I am indeed like the setting sun. However, Chen Beidou is not in a better position either. To say that he is a dying man would be quite apt."


    He thought, if it was not for the Celestial Trapping Sword, Chen Beidou would have turned into dust and ash. Though, Shen Lian was not angry at him. However, seeing how Chen Beidou was the reason behind his current predicament, it was impossible for him to maintain any friendliness towards him.


    "Jinchan is willing to join the teacher-elder''s sect." Chen Jinchan took a step back. He bowed thrice and kowtowed nine times - it was a solemn and respectful gesture.


    However, when Fang Yanying heard about how Chen Beidou was a dying man, she could not help but to be worried.


    Shen Lian received his gesture and waved his sleeve. Both of them were invited onto the dragon head, standing on the left and right side respectively. They leaned against the dragon horn, and was akin to two Daoist children, with one being a male and the other being a female.


    The flood dragon spoke, "Take your seat."


    It shook its tail and created foams of breaking waves. In just a moment, it was high up in the sky.


    At the same time, on top of Mount Taicang, in the Lingxiao Hall, Yuming the Honored Celestial who was seated on the throne opened his eyes. Dressed neatly in his imperial robes, he walked out of the palace.


    When he was at the door, a Daoist clothed with a yellow Daoist robe and straw sandals appeared. The Daoist stopped him and exclaimed, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, you cannot go out."

 Chapter 427 The Matter Is Difficult Because One Fears It, The Matter Is Easy Because One Does I

    Yuming the Honored Celestial''s sleeves fluttered by itself without the wind, his expression was somber as he said, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Dengfeng, if that was you today, I will also go and rescue you." Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Daoist Dengfeng made a deep obeisance towards Yuming and said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, even if I were to meet up with Apprentice-Newphew Huanzhen in a foreign land, I would not want you to come to my rescue. Even I know that the Huanzhen''s return will be beset with obstacles. Senior Apprentice-Brother, do you really not know? Qingwei was able to remain under our noses for so many years without us being aware of anything was unusual. Do you think that with the kind of person that he is, that his target would solely be Huanzhen alone? Senior Apprentice-Brother, if you left Mountain Taicang, this would definitely be as Qingwei wishes. By then, how many percent is there for us to completely retreat from Qingwei''s clutches, forgive me for being direct but there will not even be a ten percent."


    Yuming angrily said, "What ''Qingwei''? That was obviously ''Yanxu'' from Qing Xuan. While I was cultivating Qi, that youngster was not even born yet. Just how long did he achieve the Sky Demon method, based on what can I not subdue him?"


    Daoist Dengfeng stared intensely at Yuming and replied, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, Shen Lian of Qing Xuan had attained Dao in how many years? If we''re talking about the current attainments, who else in our Guangqing has a higher attained than Shen Lian? What more about the fact that Qingwei has been with Guangqing for so many years now, let us not talk about his deep understanding of you, I am afraid that he has already thoroughly known about my Taiyue Real Shape Incantation. That Sky Demon method is all pervasive and it only needs to catch the shortcomings in our methods of martial exercises. Even by himself, it would be enough to end us both."


    Yuming coolly said, "Both your method and my method have been thoroughly tempered and are truly unbreakable Dao formulas. Even if he had become the Sky Demon Overlord of the mortal world, how could he crack our celestial technique? Junior Apprentice-Brother Dengfeng, at that time, you were not even afraid of Fairy Ziling, how did you become the way you are now?"


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother, your mind is in disorder, you would not have said the things you said on your usual days." The melancholy on Dengfeng''s face grew even more, how could there be an unbreakable Dao technique in this world? These innate techniques would definitely have its restrains. This was also the principle for the universe to live on. If it was truly perfect, there was no place in this boundless universe for this kind of technique and person.


    Yuming choked a little when he heard this. His mind was truly in disorder. The disappearance of the twelve major people, the fall of Daoqing and the enslavement of Lingguang. All these continuous blows were causing him, the most ingenious Guangqing chief out of all the successive chiefs, to lose his mental balance. He even second-guessed himself and this shook his firm heart for Dao ever that he had cast since achieving longevity.


    This was why after he had sensed the design of nature, found out that Huanzhen was fine but would immediately face a tragedy, he could not help but to leave to protect his favorite disciple. At the same time, he wanted to defeat Yanxu who had deceived him to restore his own self-confidence.


    It could be said that his mind was in turmoil already. If this had happened on any other usual day, he would definitely not disregard everything and left just like that.


    "The matter is difficult because one fears it, the matter is easy, however, because one does it. If Senior Apprentice-Brother Dengfeng is worried about Senior-Apprentice Brother and chief, why don''t the three of us go together and rescue Apprentice-Nephew Huanzhen. Could the traitor of Qing Xuan, Yanxu fight against the three of us who have collaborated?" A clear and sonorous laugh came from the skies. The clanking of the sword groan chased away the clouds under the moonlights.


    A clean and pretty looking Daoist with a long sword, who was clad in water cloud patterned robe and scorpion grasses shoes, was revealed. He instantly landed in front of Lingxiao Palace, not far away from the other two.


    Yuming and Dengfeng were delighted and both of them called out, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Xuanting."


    The person who came was the youngest member amongst the Five Celestials of Guangqing. His surname was originally Lin. He was ten years later than Lingguang the female immortal in achieving Dao and attaining longevity. But his will and spirit were extraordinary and he always said ''to open the abstruse of the Great Way with the sword of thunder'', that was why he came up with the name Xuanting.


    Lin Xuanting showed his obeisance and said, "I hope everything is still well, my two Senior Apprentice-Brothers."


    Before this, Guangqing got into trouble in the Yin mountain territory, and that was why Daoist Dengfeng and Lin Xuanting left together to resolve it. Afterward, with the falling of Daoqing and the enslavement of Lingguang, to avoid Yuming from being the one log that could not prop up a tottering building, that was why Daoist Dengfeng rushed back from Yin mountain. Lin Xuanting was left back to assume personal command of Yin mountain and ward off the Huang River demon army under Ye Liuyun''s banner.


    Ye Liuyun attained the Dao of Avici and the sword of killing, which was quite rare. Nonetheless, the sword of thunder that is cultivated by Lin Xuanting was the best bane towards all things evil. With his own strength, he slaughtered countless demon armies on the border of the Huang River. He had even come to grips with Ye Liuyun several times. No one could do anything to each other. In fact, through the action of slaughtering the demons, Ling Xuanting even had an extraordinary quickness of comprehension towards the Great Way. Recently, his swordcraft had some good fortune and abstruse and he actually invaded Ye Liuyun''s main camp in one fell swoop. Coincidentally, Ye Liuyun was attending to urgent matters and saw that his swordcraft was excellent and brilliant. It was even better than before which made it absolutely difficult to subdue him, so he could only set down the treaty of mutual non-aggression.


    Lin Xuanting rushed back from Yin mountain was because Huanzhen was still a very important figure for Guangqing. Followed by the battle between the battle between Shen Lian and Chen Beidou, the sword aura could move unhindered and it cleansed the heaven and earth, causing the design nature on this night to be exceptionally lucid. There was a sense within him and all kinds of epiphany came to his mind, which caused him to coincidentally come back at the moment when Daoist Deng and Yuming was bickering.


    Recently, he had been in high spirits. He felt that just with the sword in his hand, nothing was impossible, that was why he spoke those word. His words were truly from sincere affection and it came from the bottom of his heart.


    Dengfeng stroke his mustache as he said, "Xuanting, your current sword aura is soughing and sighing and there is the abstruse from the Great Way. It could be said that it has greatly surpassed your previous sword aura. If I had known earlier that you were returning and that your attainment has massively improved, I would not need to try to persuade Senior Apprentice-Brother."


    Yuming saw Xuanting''s powerful return and his mind was put at great ease. He said, "You are right, Xuanting. The matter is difficult because one fears it, the matter is easy, however, because one does it. Guangqing worked hard to get where we are, how could we lose heart and have our spirits dead by some hardship and setbacks?"


    Even though there was still some uneasiness within Dengfeng''s mind, but now that he had seen Junior Apprentice-Brother Xuanting return and his spirits were unbeatable. Coupled with Senior Apprentice-Brother''s rally on lofty aspiration, it would be counterproductive if he made more obstruction, which was why he changed his mind.


    After all, even with more planning, with people of different mind, it would still prove futile. But the three of them teaming up together, even with any schemes Yanxu had, it could not stir up a storm under their imposing strength.


    Even more, the Dao Xuanting was cultivating restrained all evil. If it was pitted against the Sky Demon method, perhaps there would be some miraculous effect.


    The three of them had a momentary discussion. Their original intention was to order about the Lingxiao Palace to head out, but with the previous battle of the Heaven Courtyard, Lingxiao Palace''s was heavily damaged and its power was barely there. In the end, they scrapped it.


    The three land immortals, Yuming, Dengfeng and Lin Xuanting then transformed into clouds and headed towards the direction with Huanzhen''s vital force.


    The three of them flew in cloud form and it was unknown just how much distance they have covered. It did not take long before dawn started breaking. They were getting closer and closer to Huanzhen. However, suddenly, there was a violent gust of wind and the rolling black smoke blanketed the skies and land.


    Out of thin air, eleven demonic gods appeared and obstructed their paths.


    Each of their vital forces were harrowing and their mana was entirely undetectable. Even though the three of them were immortal Zhenren, the three of them were in awe.


    Furthermore, the vital forces of these demonic gods have colluded. Even if the three of them were to make a move simultaneously, they most probably could not have breakthrough their line.


    Dengfeng laughed loudly as he said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother Chief and Junior Apprentice-Brother Xuanting, you two go first, and I''ll catch up soon."


    His bright yellow Daoist robes immediately projected a bottomless yellow light and his primordial spirit appeared. It was exactly a great towering mountains and it immediately came crashing down on the eleven demonic gods with a loud thundering rumble.


    With Dengfeng making his move, the eleven demonic gods did not have the leisure to stop Yuming and Lin Xuanting. The two did not hesitate and the clouds crossed the skies as they continued moving forward.

 Chapter 428 A Sky Full Of Dark Clouds

    Huanzhen was on a flying ark as he flew in the endless skies. Suddenly, innumerable clouds converged and within a blink of an eye, the whole world was thrown into darkness. The heavy layers of clouds even came crashing down from the high altitude.


    For people like Huanzhen, they were no longer afraid of the wind and rain. However, when he saw those dark clouds, his facial expression immediately changed. Qingyin also felt the slight tremble in his inner mind.


    Huanzhen choppily said, "Summoning of wind and rain."


    If the cultivator of Qi in the mortal realm wishes to summon the wind and rain, they only needed to cultivate superficial spells after they condensed their mana during Qiaodong, stir up the Qi of Vitality and the wind and rain would spring out. This could also be called ''summoning of wind and rain''. However, for these five words to come out from Huanzhen''s mouth [1], its meaning was naturally very different.


    There were a total of one hundred and eight Dao formulas within the Qing Xuan sect. It was a combination term for the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques and the Disha Seventy-Two Techniques. In actual fact, there was a reason to use the ''number of Celestial Dippers and Nether Evils''. This was because a very long while back then, the old people of this world passed on the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques and the Disha Seventy-Two Techniques which were the supreme supernatural powers of the Daoist sects.


    There was one supernatural power within the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques called the "summoning of wind and rain''. After it was displayed, its might was endless. It was even hard for celestial beings to escape it once they are trapped in it.


    With Qing Xuan''s source that spanned tens of thousands, the passing on of the Daoist Master, even with some of the figures that had transcended beyond the mortal world, there was an endless emergence of immortal Zhenren. This prominent influential sect even linked their own sect''s Dao formula with these supernatural powers. Naturally, they thought very highly of these supernatural powers where half of it were lost. There was an equivalent, even outstanding implication to it.


    In fact, while Qing Xuan''s successive Zhenren were traveling the world, because of chance, they also collected parts of the essential section of the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques and the Disha Seventy-Two Techniques.


    If there was anyone in this world that looked highly of this great supernatural power of "summoning of wind and rain", it could only be someone from Qing Xuan. That was why there was no need for guessing. In this world now, the only ones who could use this supernatural power were only Shen Lian, Ziling and Yanxu. The one with the most motive was naturally none other than Yanxu.


    Huanzhen took out a small dark golden booklet and handed to Qingyin. He said, "You must return to Mount Taicang alive."


    Qingyin was at the end of her own wit as she simply took over the small booklet. However, she did not know that this little booklet was Huanzhen''s review on his personal experience of the Sky Demon method and his more in-depth opinion on the Qi of Xuanqing. As long as these contents were taken back to Guangqing, it was enough to lay the Dao foundation of the established Guangqing sect, which would be even more helpful.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    But Yanxu had arrived and Huanzhen was very familiar with just how formidable the other was. He knew that on this day, it would be most likely that his life would end here.


    He could only give his everything and try to see if he could let Qingyin escape.


    The light beneath his feet was profound and his flying ark immediately broke apart. Countless streaks of light were shot in all directions. After Qingyin took the little booklet, she blended in with one of the streaks of light and hurriedly flew in one direction.


    The wind and cloud met in midair, Huanzhen was as though he was in the center of the universe, facing this horrifying supernatural power by himself.


    Those layers of black clouds that came pressing down caused his dustless heart of Dao to be dyed by black ink. It was even hard for him to work his heart mantra.


    The black clouds fluctuated and finally became the shape of a human face. It was Yanxu''s face.


    "For hundreds of years, you are the first person that I''ve miscalculated. Huanzhen, I have belittled you." Yanxu''s voice came in an ethereal manner, as though there was some commendation towards Huanzhen.


    Huanzhen smiled coldly as he said, "As long as I could make it through this day, you could never succeed in the end."


    His Daoist robe began expanding and it even began to tear. The strong muscles were revealed and his skin was like the color of golden jade. His entire person looked like he had expanded twice his size and the more unbelievable thing was that there were two pairs of flesh wings that sprouted from both sides of his chest. One pair was yellow in color, another pair was green in color. With the wings opened, it spanned a good hundred feet. As it slightly flapped, a fierce wind rolled by and thinned the layers of dark clouds.


    "Not only did you shake off my control, you have also refined the demonic god''s body. If you were given another hundred year time, even old man Yuming has to give his seat to you." Yanxu''s voice leisurely transmitted through the dark clouds.


    Simultaneously, the wisp of clear wind from far away that bore a beautiful lady approached lightly. It was Qingyin who was sent away by Huanzhen previously.


    Yanxu had always dealt with all kind of matters, regardless of how big or trivial it was. Even if Qingyin was an ant to his eyes, he would also not pass her up.


    Qingyin looked at Huanzhen, as though she wanted to say something. Huanzhen averted his face away, not looking at her. He was afraid that he would show any signs of weakness. Qingyin looked up to him as a teacher and a father, how would he not also see her as his own daughter>


    There was a loud bang and Qingyin immediately became a rain of blood. It rippled through the wind and as it was nearing to Huanzhen''s front, he clenched his fist and blocked the bloody rain by extending his flesh wings.


    "Such a heart of stone." It was as though Yanxu''s voice was just by Huanzhen''s ears.


    Huanzhen''s expression was chilling as h said, "You only know these kinds of tricks." It turned out that Yanxu''s Sky Demon method could not work with nothing. There was also his meaning of Dharma in Qingyin''s rain of blood. Once it gets close to Huanzhen, he would be at a disadvantage.


    The sky full of bloody rain did not drift profusely and disorderly and fell to the ground. Rather, it gathered together and condensed into a small blood color sword. It was full of Qingyin''s fresh dripping blood and it sizzled as it thrust towards Huanzhen.


    The sword gleam moved about in midair, vaguely appearing and disappearing and its trail was very elusive. Even Huanzhen''s divine thoughts could not catch its next move.


    Finally, his inner mind sensed the danger. The tip of the green flesh wings slightly bent and with it following the course of nature, it damaged the blood color sword heavily.


    A layer of bright moonlight blanketed the small blood color sword. It was then seen that Qingyin''s soul mournfully wailed and it disappeared.


    Huanzhen''s flesh wings flapped rapidly, the green and yellow airstream were inseparable as it spun and brought him to charge into the dark clouds. In an instance, heavy rain came crashing down like tens of thousands of arrows being shot at the same time.


    ...


    Yuming and Lin Xuanting passed the demonic gods that were set up and were closely approaching Huanzhen. Finally, they saw that there were thick layers of clouds in front of them. There was a furious storm and Huanzhen''s vital force was in it.


    Lin Xuanting suddenly pulled out his sword. The thunderous crack moved the ninth heaven as it attempted to chop through the cloud layers.


    During this moment, celestial music rang through the skies and it seemed like there were thousands and thousands of flowers flying, making it seemed dream-like. A lady in white with a black long sword in her hand walked out from the sky.


    Even though she did not pull out her sword, but under the detection of the qi dynamic, she had firmly entangled Lin Xuanting.


    Lin Xuanting said bright and clear, "So it is Fairy Tianmeng. I have long heard that you and Yanxu were a couple. Now that I''ve seen it, I am not surprised."


    The lady in white said plainly, "Lin Xuanting, you are talking nonsense. Are you attempting to try out my Power of Taisu?"


    Lin Xuanting burst out in laughter as he replied, "I have not bear false witness in my entire life, how could I be speaking nonsense? Nonetheless, even if the fairy does not admit, it seemed that this Daoist would still try out this Taisu Sword."


    His divine thoughts were passed to Yuming, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, I''ll stall Fairy Tianming. You go save Apprentice-Nephew and all of us will leave together."


    Yuming naturally consents to it. He did not think that not only did Yanxu''s supernatural powers improved vigorously, he had also colluded with Fairy Tianmeng. He had even gotten a group of demonic gods as his subjects. It could be said that his own strength was already enough to rival Guangqing.


    Before that, he still thought that the Five Celestials of Guangqing had enough grandeur to swallow the earth in one go. He did not expect a series of bad days. Could it be that besides the four main Daoist sects, other celestial sects should flourish and then decline? It was hard to linger around.


    Yuming suppressed that thought. His gaze was sharp as a knife and thunder exploded by his ears. Lin Xuanting was already one with his sword, he was flying and circling Fairy Tianmeng and they were fighting vigorously at a corner.


    Yuming did not even hesitate at all. He transformed into light, broke through midair and rushed into the furious storm.

 Chapter 429 To Cast Beans On The Ground Which Would Transformed Into Soldiers

    Yuming rushed into the dark clouds and into the heavy rain. Even though he consecutively took multiple blows, but speaking from a mana point of view, he was still a strong contender that ranked well in this world.


    The formidable part of the summoning wind and rain supernatural power was that there was a copious and hard to control power that followed the flow of the wind and rain. No matter how strong the body was or how formidable the Primordial Spirit was, there were still moments when one could not resists the unending wind and rain.


    Once Yuming entered, he then realized that every drop of rain and every wisp of wind was not enough to end a life, but the most terrifying part was its constant corrosion. The might that converged from this caused him to have divide part of his power of the heart to withstand it.


    The deeper he went in, the fainter the sword groan from the intense fight between Lin Xuanting and Fairy Tianmeng on the outside.


    In the end, it was faintly discernable. While at this moment, Yuming already saw his own disciple, Huanzhen.


    At the same time, Huanzhen too saw his Honored master. However, Huanzhen''s body was entirely covered with bloody wounds. His golden jade skin had bled with gold like blood. Both pairs of his flesh wings were dropping. For him to be able to still ride on the wind through the sky was already unbelievable.


    As for Yanxu, he was nowhere to be seen. Huanzhen was surrounded by wind and rain. It was like countless fine little arrows that interweaved and passed through his entire body.


    Yuming hummed coolly and a giant hand that was full of clear Qi lifted Huanzhen. The countless fine little arrows that collide with the giant hand let out sounds of drumming metals. One after another, its strength dispersed.


    The giant hand only trembled slight and within the blink of an eye, it brought Huanzhen back.


    Huanzhen''s qi dynamic was dim but he still said, "Honored master, I am incompetent."


    Yuming''s stern expression softened a bit but he then restrained his emotions. He simply said, "You just control your internal injuries and just leave the rest to me."


    Yuming''s divine aura extended and was shaped into a humungous sphere like qi shield. Pure and concentrated Qi of Xuanqing flowed in it. It was complete and undamaged and it also slowly turned. No matter just how many wind and rain slapped against it, it ultimately blends into the qi shield which caused its light to shine brighter.


    The dark clouds converged into a black lotus flower. A person appeared vividly on it. He was clad in a black robe with some wind pattern on it. It fluttered constantly. The person looked at Yuming and said with mirth, "The heavens that gotten Dao are bright and pure, the earth that gotten Dao is tranquil. It could be said that honored master''s Qi of Xuanqing is truly ingenious. Even my summoning of the wind and rain could not shake you."


    Yuming said chillingly, "Who is your honored master? Yanxu, your evil deeds are uncountable and sooner or later, you will have your retribution."


    Yanxu vaguely smiled as he replied, "Speaking of retribution, it would not be in my hands. It was natural for all being in nature to repay for their breeding. I am in the business of slaughtering but this is also done in accordance with the design of Heaven. The magnanimity of this merit is enough for me to even become Buddha, how would I have retribution?"


    He simply waved his hand and thousands of golden beans were thrown out. It gathered on the dark clouds and immediately, one celestial soldier began appearing after another. The numbers were as thick as huckleberries and there were approximately more than ten thousand of them. They circled Yuming.


    Yuming''s mind was chilled even more. This was the ''Casted Beans Soldier Transfiguration'' of the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques.


    The celestial soldiers layered and stacked and it surrounded Yuming from all directions. They gradually got closer. After that, there were also uncountable amounts of troops and horses being birthed in an uninterruptible flow. It was as though the wind and rain had not stopped and there was no ending to the celestial soldiers.


    With this entrapment, two days and nights had actually passed. Within this battle, Yuming''s Qi of Xuanqing exploded a few times and in one breath, he had killed thousands, even ten thousands of celestial soldiers. Nonetheless, the other celestial soldiers would follow up and immediately fill up the hole in front. They were fierce and unafraid of death, as though they wanted to use their numbers to drain Yuming till he died.


    Even with Yuming the Honored Celestial''s boundless mana, he still felt the exhaustion in his mind and soul as he continued later on.


    However, he still could not recklessly increase his combat capability and breakthrough the tight siege. This was because Yuming felt that now was a good opportunity. He only needed to wait for Lin Xuanting and Daoist Dengfeng to come blazing in and with the many years of mutual understanding between the three of them, it was enough to lay down the Three Talents Formation and give Yanxu an unforgettable lesson of his life. But, as more time went by, Yuming become even more fearful. Why did Daoist Dengfeng and Lin Xuanting not come forth yet?


    Could it be that Dengfeng Daoist could not shake off those demonic gods? That Lin Xuanting could not win against Fairy Tianmeng? This was definitely out of his expectation.


    Those demonic gods seemed like it lacked intelligence so he estimated that Dengfeng would shake them off really quickly. Ten years ago, Fairy Tianmeng had not attained longevity and was not a figure of matchless talent. It was even not possible for her to rival Lin Xuanting whose cultivation experience had improved aggressively. Nonetheless, the both of them still had not come till now, which caused a dark haze to appear in his mind.


    In actual fact, even he did not realize that back in time, whenever he encountered this kind of matter, he would definitely not placed this hope on others. Rather, the person that was now was no longer that ingenious Yuming of the past.


    Huanzhen, who was under the wraps of Yuming''s clear light barrier, was seizing every minute and second to recover from his injuries. But with the unending celestial soldiers and the reinforcement that did not arrive, Yuming the Honored Celestial could only last until this evening at most. Then, they would need to break through the heavy siege no matter the cost.


    In actual fact, Dengfeng had already long used the Taiyue Real Shape Incantation to temporarily subdue the eleven demonic gods. This was because the qi dynamic of the eleven demonic gods seemed like it colluded, but they were missing a central link. How experienced was Daoist Dengfeng that he had realized its profound mystery after a slight contact with it. He worked his massive mana, moved the mountains and subdued each and every eleven demonic gods. As he was preparing to compress the mark to seal them off, he suddenly realized that the eleven demonic gods turned out to be his lost pupil Chicheng and his other Apprentice-Nephews.


    His mind and soul were slightly jarred and a clear sword gleam appeared. It froze space and time and it stabbed him.


    It transformed him into an ice sculpture. Simultaneously, the demonic gods were also frozen by the sword gleam and they were unable to move.


    He suddenly noticed that a snow like chilling lady appeared in midair. It was Qing Xiao. Back then, he had ambushed Qing Xiao once, and now he was being ambushed.


    He forcefully worked the Taiyue Real Shape Incantation to tremble the layers of ice off. However, the flesh of his body was damaged by the Power of Taiyin and he could only rely on his own mana to maintain his body from disintegrating. At the same time, his Primordial Spirit was working sluggishly. Even if he did not want to take care of his flesh and break his Primordial Spirit free of the body, he was afraid that could not display any more mana.


    After Qing Xiao thrust her sword, she did not care what happened to Dengfeng afterward. An eye for an eye. Back then he ambushed her once, and now she naturally was returning the favor.


    The confrontation between Lin Xuanting and Fairy Tianmeng could be said that it ascended to the heavens and descended to the earth, it was happening at every corner. Under the unrestrained sword aura, the peaks of ten mountains had already been shaven and broken off.


    However, each time Lin Xuanting''s magical sword that could easily move like thunder wanted to unleash its invincible might, there was a slight sense of powerlessness. It was as though his mind was fogged with a layer of dismal and his entire being was sinking into shapeless mud.


    There was even a thought that sprang to his mind. Why not just surrender? It was like this voice came from the devil and it was extremely enticing. It continuously tugged on his mind and soul and it felt like he was about to enter a bottomless abyss.


    ...


    Shen Lian had returned to Qing Xuan a day before and now it was already close to the evening. He was not at Taiyi Peak but was within the bamboo forest of the Qingliang Peak. The whistling sound of the bamboo leaves was like great waves as it played the most wonderful music in nature, which calmed the mind and soul of others.


    Chen Jinchan followed behind Shen Lian. He did not why his newly acquired master brought him into this bamboo forest.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Even though this area could calm oneself and it was suitable to cultivate Qi, there was not much motion in his state of mind and his body could even absorb the Qi of Vitality of the universe to wash over himself.


    Therefore, the fixed concentration needed by ordinary people who cultivate Qi to him was directly looked over. This was why he was having a harder time understanding the profound meaning that his master had.

 Chapter 430 It Was Originally Unintentional When Nature Formed The Works Of Nature

    A jade green bamboo leave that swayed in the wing was coincidentally being clipped between the index finger and middle finger of Shen Lian''s right hand. Chen Jinchan''s vision that was already superb could see the clear patterns of the bamboo leaves.


    What followed next was something that amazed him appeared. The starlight that was showed now from the clear starlight that covered his master was gathered between the ring finger and pink of his right hand. The same jade green bamboo leave appeared, as though it had grown out of midair, even its pattern was no different than the other bamboo leave that swayed to the wind just now.


    Shen Lian turned over and allow Chen Jinchan a clearer look. He plainly asked, "Jinchan, could you tell the difference between the two leaves?"


    Chen Jinchan focused his gaze on the two pieces of bamboo leaves. From the shape and size of the pattern and even to the darkness and brightness of the color, he was unable to see the difference. Therefore, he shook his head and said, "I cannot."


    Shen Lian smiled slightly and asked, "If I were to put these two leaves together, could you differentiation which leave is made by me?"


    He opened his palms. The two bamboo leaves were wreathed together. It then spun at a really high speed and finally, both of it separated and quietly laid on Shen Lian''s palm. Even with Chen Jinchan''s vision and senses, he was still unable to differentiate the position of each leave after the spinning.


    This time, he closely took notice of the seemingly identical bamboo leaves and finally pointed to the leave on the right side, "I guess this leave is created by you, master."


    Shen Lian''s palm shook slightly. The bamboo leaves that Chen Jinchan pointed at was transformed into bits of starlight as it scattered in all direction. The surrounding Qi of heaven and earth then later became exceptionally fresh and active.


    Chen Jinchan did not felt joy because that dispersing starlight was his master''s life force.


    Shen Lian smiled a little as he said, "Since you could not differentiation the differences between the two bamboo leaves, then what did you based on to know that which bamboo leaf was created by me?"


    Chen Jinchan pondered slightly and after a while, he answered, "There was no difference between the two bamboo leaves. But the one master created lacked a certain naturalness to it. Nature created its works of nature with no intention. You create the work of nature with an intention. This is why it had its differences. Even though it could not be seen or heard, but by using the heart to feel it, it could be seen that these two bamboo leaves each had its own glow. One was daylight and another was the candlelight."


    Shen Lian said, "The daylight comes from the sky and the candlelight comes from men. For you to be able to tell me this experience truly surprises me. I could see that not only do you have the innate Daoist body but you are also born with intelligence. Even though it could be hard to say about future accomplishments, but based on your talents alone, the younger me is nowhere close to the current you."


    Chen Jinchan did not become self-complacent because of his master''s place, neither did he pretend to be fearfully humble, he was indifferent and composed. However, deep in his mind, he deeply respected this teacher who he was indebted to, Shen Lian. Just how broad-minded for him to be to be able to easily admit that his younger self was not as talented as his pupil.


    Even though he did not directly perceived and felt Shen Lian''s status, but from the side, he was still able to get much information on him. Not only did Shen Lian had a highly esteemed position in Qing Xuan that was similar to the noble witch in the Chen Village, he was even one of the few Great Adepts in this vast expanse of the universe.


    Even in Chen Village, there was a hierarchy. Furthermore, according to the crystal ball knowledge given by the noble witch, the world outside had an even obvious hierarchy level.


    Even more so, he lamented even more on Master Shen Lian''s amiable and approachable nature, the absolute wisdom that he unintentionally shows even surpassed those of the noble witch greatly.


    The noble witch indeed had much knowledge but knowledge did not mean wisdom.


    These laments were gradually being felt as he followed by Shen Lian''s side for these two days. In fact, with every moment, he could experience new things from his master. This caused him to be like the thirsty sponge that soaked up the information being passed from Shen Lian, catalyzing the knowledge in his mind into wisdom.


    The two of them were in deep thought for a while.


    Shen Lian''s clear and quiet voice then rang within the bamboo forest, "The cruelest part of life is that the most wonderful things are like the beautiful sunset, it disappears after it fleet pass. Now, every flower and leaf that I see, even the micro dust on the floor, would make me feel curious. I could even see the many microorganisms that are hidden within a dew drop with my own eyes. They reproduce while they breathe and their lives and deaths happened within the blink of an eye. All these new experiences make it harder for me to let life disappear just like that. It also helps me understand just how precious it is to exist in this universe."


    He sighed deeply, as though there was an unlimited reluctance to it.


    Chen Jinchan could hear the distress in his mind and he could not help but added, "Master, I heard from Senior Apprentice-Sister Fang that my flesh and blood has unlimited vigor. It could regenerate the bones and flesh of the dead. If it could of help to you, I can sacrifice my own flesh and blood."


    There was a compassionate mercy in the deep corners of his mind. Furthermore, he deeply respected Shen Lian and that was why he would say this.


    Shen Lian smiled as he replied, "Jinchan, life to me had always been a wonderful game. I personally am reluctant to part with this game and I really like the endless possibilities of this game and do not wish to be disqualified. Nonetheless, I would not do anything so unscrupulously because of this. Furthermore, the problem I have with my body could not solely rely on elixirs to solve it.


    Even though Yanying is a genius in swordcraft, but ultimately, she grew up in a powerful family in Xihuang and has some worldliness to her. I encouraged her to undergo the nine transformations of Huandan and surpass my Senior Apprentice-Brother was to exactly have her throw out the chains of this worldliness, to forget about the difference in the hierarchy and to draw out the heart of sword that will not turn back. If she still could not go through with the ninth transformation during Huandan, I am afraid that she could not break through the whims in this lifetime. This is exactly the hardest point in achieving Dao and attaining longevity. It is never up to the mana and supernatural powers but it is based on whether one could witness the purest self."


    Chen Jinchan did not fully understand and so he asked, "Is that the real self after attaining longevity?"


    Shen Lian answered, "This is not so. When one breaks through one''s whims, they could truly witness their self. However, with one being in the secular mortal world, there are uncountable disturbances that would influence oneself. Unknowingly and unconsciously, one''s true nature would still be kept hidden away while one''s anger and greed would be displayed. It could be said that any being in this universe would be tainted by the secular mortal world and their souls would be affected. It is out of human control. Therefore, even the celestials and Buddhas would also have fights. Talking about all these are actually too profound for you to understand. However, I might not have much time so I could only forcefully imposed my own view onto you. I hope that you will not blame me for it in the future."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    After saying this, Shen Lian took one step out and reached under a stone bamboo. His hand waved and with one hack, there was a length of bamboo in his hand. It was exactly one foot and eight inches.


    Chen Jinchan did not know what his master wanted to do and so he concentrated and looked carefully.


    Very quickly, the bamboo became a musical instrument that was similar to a Chinese vertical bamboo flute. It had a total of five holes, four in the front and one in the back.


    Shen Lian picked up this musical instrument, his gaze passing through the far vast void, and he began playing it.


    A wisp of voiceless sound dispersed in the universe. It was deep and desolate, but it also included an ethereal and tranquil prospect to it.


    Yanxu also heard this voiceless sound and the memories in his soul that were related to Qing Xuan came gushing out like a fountainhead. He saw that amidst the stone bamboo forest of the Qingliang Peak, a young Zhang Ruoxu was swinging his stone axe and was diligently chopping the stone bamboos. He sat on the strips of stone bamboos by the side. He was leisurely swinging about as he watched this foolish fellow pool the floor with his sweat.

 Chapter 431 Making a Choice

    The sound of Zhang Ruoxu chopping the stone bamboo combined with the voiceless sound that came from a faraway time and space caused Yanxu''s always unrestrained soul to become slightly heavy, as though it was being tangled up in a shapeless rope.


    The dark clouds in the outside world dispersed and the steady stream of celestial armies was no longer there. Yuming finally felt a thread of hope to retaliate. Now, Huanzhen''s injuries had already recovered a lot and both master and disciple looked at each other. Even though they did not know where this wisp of voiceless sound came from, but it did shake Yanxu''s Sky Demon Heart. They would definitely grasp this thin line of chance.


    Both green and yellow pairs of Huanzhen''s flesh wings slightly contracted and it then expended with a bang. Two streaks of hurricanes engulfed everything in its surrounding in a split second. Innumerable celestial armies were torn within these hurricanes and they finally went up in smokes.


    Finally, both master and disciple looked at each other and they began to brew each of their own strongest blow.


    It seemed like the thick layers of dark clouds was being stirred apart by that wisp of voiceless sound that came from faraway. Yanxu was sitting in a lotus position on a dark cloud, his eyes were shut.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Yanxu now was very irritated. He always had moments where he was irritated but this was not the same as before. This was because Zhang Ruoxu was truly one part that he did not wish to recall.


    After all, he was the one that caused Qing Xuan to be in that bad spot. Zhang Ruoxu too did not really had any true resentment towards him. Even until Zhang Ruoxu passed away, Yanxu could feel that Zhang Ruoxu did not have any obsessions entangling him.


    Zhang Ruoxu did what a chief was supposed to do and no one did it better than he did. To Qing Xuan, he was the one who, like the person who saved a gigantic building from collapsing at the last critical moment, had reversed an overwhelmingly adverse situation. There was no predicament that could strike him down or had him complaining. Even Yanxu still clearly know that Zhang Ruoxu had actually thought that the incident back then happened because he did not manage him well.


    It was exactly because of this temperament that Yanxu could not find any reason to hurt Zhang Ruoxu. Nonetheless, in the end, Zhang Ruoxu died because of him.


    He was cold and merciless but when he faced this memory in the deepest corner of his mind, the obstruction-free Sky Demon Heart was finally a little slow.


    Back then, Yanxu had always thought the person he felt the most regret in his life was Biyun. It was not until the voiceless sound that was played by Shen Lian that stirred his inner mind that he realized that he was wrong. He could see past the love and hatred but when it came to dealing with people like Yanxu, even though he had all kinds of disdain for him, how could it not be said that he also yearned to be the kind of person that he was from the beginning?


    Life was full of change and those who could persist without changing were probably conservative or would have been eliminated by the general trend of the universe. However, they would also have won respect.


    Zhang Ruoxu could not have Yanxu to go on the right path and that was why he cultivated Shen Lian. This same person who yearned for freedom and also had matchless talents. Shen Lian did not discard his humanity after elevating his strength and state and he still had the kind side in his nature. Shen Lian also had been quietly influenced by Zhang Ruoxu.


    From the moment the voiceless sound infiltrated Yanxu''s spirit sea in his mind, he already knew that today was his trial.


    The trial was not external, neither was it internal, but it was on his conscience.


    The sky demon did not have any conscience, therefore it could not be totally obliterated; the human, however, does have a conscience and that was why they could find their true self and attained celestialism or Buddhism.


    Shen Lian laid down this trial with the voiceless sound and this trial was to make Yanxu make a voice. Either he had lost his own self and become a demon entirely, or he had seen the error in his ways and repent and become a celestial right on the spot.


    Yanxu was a person who did not like to make choices. He was truly someone who thought about something and would do it. He was who defied every law and regulation and therefore, he was unrestrained. As long as there were choices, Yanxu was no longer that Yanxu. For Shen Lian to elicit this trial of Dao was truly ingenious.


    Zhang Ruoxu finally caused the chopped stone bamboo in front of him to fall. He wiped his sweat off and turned his head back towards Yanxu, who was sitting on the bamboo, and said, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, today''s task is finished. We can return now."


    After he said that, Yanxu shifted from the top of the bamboos to the front of Zhang Ruoxu. With a faint smile, he said, "There is still one task that is not completed yet, we cannot go."


    Zhang Ruoxu was stunned as he asked, "What is it?"


    Yanxu pointed towards his left chest and quietly said, "I need to trouble Senior Apprentice-Brother to hack this place of mine open, and see if there is a heart inside my chest."


    Zhang Ruoxu did not really understand and replied, "Are you pulling my legs again. Of course, a human has a heart. How could one live without a heart?"


    Yanxu shook his head and said, "Who said that a person could not live without a heart? Furthermore, without seeing or hearing about this matter, one cannot simply assume it. I too also want to know whether I have a heart or not."


    Zhang Ruoxu replied with a severe countenance, "Your thoughts are too trippy and you constantly think up of weird matters. You''re wasting your energy. You should know that the chief said that you are the first genius Qing Xuan has within this three thousand years. If you could put half of that energy into your cultivation, you should have surpassed all of us already by a long stretch. Let us go back now and not speak of this matter again. And you should not even look for other Senior or Junior Apprentice-Brothers about this or else they would think of you as a joke."


    Yanxu leisurely replied, "Do you see me as someone who really cared for all this? If you are not willing to hack open by left chest and allow to me whether I have a heart of not, I''ll just let someone else do it."


    "You and your horseplay." Zhang Ruoxu dumped the axe, pulled him along and returned to the lower house of the Qingliang Peak.


    As Yanxu was pulled along, his form became fainter and fainter. Yanxu sighed, "Even in this illusion, you still would not harm me. This truly leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nonetheless, Shen Lian, why did you not temper that moment slightly? Just now, you should have him hack me with the axe, I would definitely not have resisted."


    Zhang Ruoxu heard Yanxu''s words and he was dazed and confused. He only saw Yanxu''s form fainting away and finally disappeared.


    Yanxu did not choose. He only returned the choices to this trial of Dao and Shen Lian who was behind this. It was up to him to choose whether Zhang Ruoxu would hack him with that axe.


    At Qingliang Peak under the bamboo forest, the setting sun, like a streak of blood, tainted the clear light that flowed out from Shen Lian. He pulled the flute-like instrument from the side of his lips and the voiceless sound was cut off.


    He clasped his hand behind his back as he looked towards the far horizon of the sky, "Jinchan, do you know that there is no immortal that could live forever, no one is an exception."


    Chen Jinchan placed this saying in his mind and until the time he finally understood it, it was already a very long time.


    Yanxu, who was on the dark cloud, opened his eyes. There was a faint bloody color in his eyes. The celestial soldiers in the front had already vanished without a trace and it seemed that both Huanzhen and Yuming too had vanished in this universe. However, two massive and terrifying vital force suddenly exploded before him, destroying everything.


    The evening had completely passed by and the dark night descended. There was the most concentrated and the purest Sky Demon Strength and the constant stream of Qi of Xuanqing that completely covered his entire body.


    The Sky Demon Body was torn to bits from the exploding Qi of Vitality. It was as though his entire thinking was fragmented into many pieces and he could not concentrate at all.


    However, no matter how powerful the block was, there was a moment when it stopped. The two strongest force was not enough to destroy this part of the universe and finally, the tides of this power came to a rest.


    In midair, uncountable spots of light began to converge one by one. Yanxu quietly erected himself in midair, his long cuffs fluttered in the air, his black hair cascading like a waterfall and his cloud robes was pure white. He was more than eye-catching.


    In the dark night skies faraway, Huanzhen was flapping his green and yellow wings. Yuming, who was divine as a god, was standing face to face with Yanxu from afar.


    Nonetheless, their stomach sunk to the bottom. Just now, Yanxu definitely did not come back to his senses but with both of their most powerful blows, they still could not exterminate him. Could this person even be killed off?


    Could it be that he had truly adept the imperishable body, that no one could ever exterminate him?


    Huanzhen himself thought that he already understood Yanxu, Now, he realized just how shallow his understanding was."


    "Do you know why I look down on your Guangqing? Because like the frogs in the bottom of the well, it thinks that the opening of the well was already the entire sky, and you two are no different than the frog at the bottom of the well." Yanxu smiled with disdain.


    If they had immediately run off, perhaps they could have escaped as well. Unfortunately, they have missed this opportunity.

 Chapter 432 Nowhere to Hide

    Yuming and Huanzhen finally realized that they had committed a huge mistake. They should have had the idea that they would be able to defeat Yanxu just like this. They had underestimated Yanxu''s scariness. Huanzhen suddenly realized one thing, why did Shen Lian not ask him about things relevant to Sky Demon method? Shen Lian had most probably realized that Yanxu already surpassed Sky Demon method itself.


    Yanxu was right. He was like a frog living at the bottom of the well. He thought that what came into his sight was already everything. In reality, the more you saw, the more you did not know. He thought that he already had a very good achievement that he was able to hide from Yanxu for a period of time. He even subconsciously thought that he would be able to defeat this terrifying character.


    Until this moment, he realized that he was wrong.


    Perhaps Yanxu could be defeated, but it would definitely not by him. He already understood this since long ago, but after Shen Lian helped him to eliminate the demon seed, it made him have such a thought again.


    He had even involved his mentor in this.


    He was instantly filled with frustration and guilt and he did not intend to abandon these distractions.


    At this moment, Yuming pressed and held his shoulder without looking at him.


    Just like whenever he committed any mistake when he was young, his dignified Yuming the Honored Celestial would never punish him. All he did was to press and hold his shoulder in order to give him the confidence to start all over again.


    Huanzhen raised his head to face Yanxu and said, "you''re definitely not without flaws, otherwise how would you be disturbed by the resonance?"


    He quickly counterattacked Yanxu upon coming back to his senses.


    Yanxu said, "if it wasn''t for your body, why do I bother talking nonsense with you?" Huanzhen''s words did not stir him up. He swiftly avoided the attack but it did not mean that the know in his heart was loosened. He might not even be able to loosen it, all he could do was to forget about it.


    There were divine lights reflected from Yanxu''s body, flowing like the running water and instantly filled the entire void. The divine lights had even wrapped Yuming and Huanzhen around.


    Huanzhen was almost near to the state of celestialism, no less than when Shen Lian had not attained immortality. However, at this moment he could not even move at all.


    Countless of spells burst around Yuming. In the end, his power was only limited to within inches from him. The divine lights were like water compressing on him. In fact, he looked like his body was already distorted.


    This time, Yanxu had utilized his real power. With the perfect penetration without obstruction from the Sky Demon method, he put the two of them down by forming The District of Sky Demon that he had control over.


    There was Yanxu in the void, but Yanxu also appeared in Yuming and Huanzhen''s minds. His shadow was magnifying in their minds, suppressing the space that was originally occupied by their self-divine aura.


    They would lose themselves when Yanxu''s shadow-filled their minds.


    This could be considered as a psychic battle, or more dangerous than that.


    In fact, Yanxu was almost at an invincible position because he was very familiar with Huanzhen and Yuming''s cultivation experience. Once attacked by the Sky Demon method, it found their weaknesses. This allowed the demonic spirit to find a gap that could be attacked. It surged into their minds like floods and thus Yanxu''s shadow appeared in their minds.


    To compare the state of reality, Yuming was almost same as Yanxu. However, his method of cultivation was not considered as top in the world. Thus, in this psychic battle, while facing Yanxu''s demonic spirit, he was already inferior in the first place. He was even attracted by the mystery of Yanxu''s demonic spirit which led to the deterioration of his self-divine aura.


    If the other cultivators in this world had seen this sight, they would feel unbelievable because Yanxu alone could easily put down an experienced immortal Zhenren and a master who was about to attain immortality.


    At this moment, the biggest regret for Yuming was that he should not have spent too much time on Lingxiao Palace, or else he would not have been embarrassed today.


    It was no doubt that Lingxiao Palace''s had mighty power, but it also made him neglect his energy. Or else since he attained immortality, he could have concentrated in cultivating The Qi of Xuanqing which would inevitably improve this method. Besides, he would also not be defeated at The District of Sky Demon that Yanxu formed.


    Most of Yanxu''s divine lights had already fallen on Huanzhen and Yuming''s body, but his sight did not only consist the two of them, he was mostly looking at the other end of the sky.


    There was a mountain peak which was not tall but neither was it short at where he was looking at. There was a woman whose shirt and skirt were all in light green and she was holding a frosty long sword. She was followed by a beautiful Daoist nun who was her maidservant.


    He recognized the two of them. The one holding sword was Qingxiao whereas the maidservant was Lingguang from Guangqing.


    There was nothing to be afraid of Lingguang, but he was fearful of Qingxiao.


    He was waiting for Qingxiao''s strike to destroy the galaxy. Sky Demon belonged to Yang, Qingxiao had also successfully trained The Everlasting Taiyin. He had always wanted to have a battle with her in order to see who was better.


    However, now Qingxiao was way terrifying than before. She not only knew how to used her sword, but she also knew how to not strike.


    With Qingxiao''s personality, the only reason she could reach this stage was because she already got the essence of The Everlasting Taiyin. Thus, there was no way to break the everlasting complete of emptiness.


    As long as Qingxiao did not strike, Yanxu would not be able to accurately judge her capability, he would be distracted anyhow.


    However, she must strike in the end. But at that moment, it would definitely be Yanxu''s weakest time which was also the most dangerous time for him.


    He could avoid Shen Lian''s Trial of Dao.


    But if Qingxiao were to give him a strike to settle his karma, he would not be able to avoid it.


    Through the ages, there were no land immortals who had more enemies than he had.


    Yanxu was not frightened, instead, he found it interesting. He had a clear insight of the defect in his temperament; in his pursuit of life, he was also longing for death at the same time. Because he was a person filled with curiosity, it was normal for him to want to taste and experience the mystery of death.


    At times like this, the clock seemed to tick very slowly. Lin Xuanting and Tianmeng fairy outside of Yanxu''s The District of Sky Demon were battling from the ground to the sky.


    He saw his struggling Senior Apprentice-Brother and Apprentice-Nephew were stuck in an unknown divine light in the void.


    Lin Xuanting struck and made Tianmeng retreat. Then, he transformed into sword gleam and pierced through The District of Sky Demon with a thunder-like speed.


    After all, the Thunder Technique was a nemesis of Sky Demon. Along the journey, Lin Xuanting was able to surmount all the obstacles easily with surging lightning. Huanzhen instantly felt relieved. At the same time, Yuming''s face revealed a pleased smile.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Due to Lin Xuanting''s thunder-like speed of sword gleam, Yanxu''s Qi of Sky Demon weakened, his vital force was also gradually weakening.


    At this moment, the distant horizon was filled with clear frost at a speed that was impossible to be captured using naked eyes. The night was frozen, in the end, it started to come in contact with The District of Sky Demon. Not even a blink of an eye, there was a crystal clear sword gleam that jumped out. There were no changes but only cold and sharpness that approached Yanxu in order to kill him.


    Huanzhen and Yuming got themselves out from the restrictions, Yuming shouted, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, let''s do this together!"


    Huanzhen''s power of demonic god was like the boiling water. Surrounded by the green and yellow wings, it formed into a gigantic ball of Qi of Vitality. It was about to be thrown out any time to where Yanxu was located at.


    The sword gleam that Lin Xuanting transformed into already entered The District of Sky Demon. Upon receiving Yuming''s divine thoughts, the mighty power of Xuanting sword was about to erupt. However, the sword gleam that was formed from the integration of himself and the sword had no means of turning around to approach Yanxu. Instead, it was approaching Yuming and Huanzhen with a loud thunder sound.


    Yuming was unable to respond in time, Huanzhen could not even understand what was happening right in front of him.


    Yanxu could not avoid Qingxiao''s sword gleam. Similarly, Yuming could not avoid Lin Xuanting''s sword gleam.

 Chapter 433 Conditions

    Tianmeng fairy was witnessing what happened in the sky, recalling the conversation with Yanxu in the past.


    She and Yanxu were at this same location, Yanxu asked her, "do you know what technique is Sky Demon most fearful of?"


    She said, "definitely the Thunder Technique."


    Yanxu smiled and said, "you''re right. Or else Shen Lian wouldn''t use his heart to heart seal and Five Thunder Strike to test me."


    She asked in return, "you suddenly mention about this, could there be something mysterious about it?"


    Yanxu had his hands clasped behind his back and said, "there are countless of Thunder Technique in this world but if you were to name the most powerful Thunder Technique, there are only a few. One of it has Qing Xuan''s Sehnxiao True Technique. Ever since Chonghe invented Sehnxiao True Technique, Lingsu tried to make up and finally, there was Zhichang that trained this true technique up to the ninth layer, using the cultivation experience of Powang State to rebuild an immortal Zhenren that cultivated the demon arts. It''s world-shaking. This shows that Sehnxiao True Technique already pried on the essence of the Thunder Technique."


    "So what does it mean?" She was curious at that moment.


    "After Zhichang, there was nobody else in this world who could train the Sehnxiao True Technique to the ninth layer. But now there''s one," Yanxu''s eyes were quiet, as though they could see through the thousand miles of stratus and noticed somewhere far away.


    "The person couldn''t be your, or Shen Lian, right?" She continued asking.


    "Shen Lian had Taixu Strategy, he could produce millions of techniques and thus he wouldn''t learn this. Whereas for me, I already attained the Sky Demon Body, if I were to learn the Thunder Technique again, it''d be finding faults for myself. The person I meant is the youngest of the Five Celestials of Guangqing, Lin Xuanting.


    "How could he? Is it because of you?" She thought of a possibility at that moment. She was very shocked because this man''s motive was too scary and cunning.


    "You''re right. Although I don''t learn, it''s not difficult to understand the Dao meaning behind Sehnxiao True Technique. Together with Xuanwei of the Sky Demon method, it invaded his heart and soul quietly. Lin Xuanting fought with the guy from Underworld Demon sect in Yin mountain, he thought that he finally got the Thunder Technique but he did not realize that I was the one who used the resentment from his killing of the demon army to pass him the essence of Sehnxiao True Technique. The more essence he got, the more he would absorb my Sky Demon meaning," Yanxu was smiling but Tianmeng realized that this man could be as terrifying as possible.


    Who would even think that the ingenious Dao was a type of poison? The more you got, the more serious the poisoning was. In the end, it would make you so addicted to it that you would not even realize that your life or death was under the control of somebody else''s hand.


    Moreover, Yanxu''s Sky Demon method was getting more delicate. He could simply set a trap that looked totally natural. After all, no matter how careful Lin Xuanting was, he would not say no to improving his cultivation.


    Even the immortal Zhenren had not necessarily broken away from greed, wrath, and obsession. Yanxu merely took advantage of his greed on the path of eternity but this had easily framed an immortal Zhenren up. She would not even be able to think of this kind of tricks in the past.


    Her memories flashed by and she continued to look at what was happening in the sky. It saddened her but also frightened her at the same time. What if she had the same ending as that person?


    Tianmeng fairy realized that the purpose of Yanxu telling her these things was also to deter her.


    For example, like now, she did not dare to make any move, all she did was to observe the fight in the sky.


    Lin Xuanting transformed into sword gleam and he involuntarily flew towards Yuming in an attempt to kill him. His mind was filled with all sorts of realizations about the Thunder Path and even the abstruse Dao. This felt intoxicated but why was his body not in his control? He integrated with the sword and the target was unexpectedly his Senior Apprentice-Brother and Apprentice-Nephew.


    Instantly, Yuming cast 13 divine lights but that did not help. Lin Xuanting was fast like the speed of the wind. The thunder-producing sword gleam penetrated through all the shields with a clean sweep and it made Yuming and Huanzhen fell into the thunder lake at the same time.


    Yanxu already did not bother about what was happening with Yuming, because he already had this planned earlier on. The ending would only be neither side won. No matter how bad it was, he was still able to hold on to this side and allowed him to pay attention to face Qingxiao''s strike that contained The Everlasting Taiyin.


    When Qingxiao struck, she already knew about Yanxu''s plan but she was not surprised. She did not have to strike only at the Yanxu''s weakest time, all she needed was to have her sword force to reach a peak then she could do everything accordingly.


    With her state of The Everlasting Taiyin now, nobody in this world could easily avoid this strike.


    This strike that resolved antecedents was only for excitement.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Clear frost covered the entire sky. When one strike pierced through, there was a long sword''s mark left quietly and secludedly. However, it felt as though there was nothing left in this world that could stop the extending sword''s mark.


    The sword gleam entered The District of Sky Demon like it came piercing from the air into the sea. However, this strike''s elegance did not disappear just like this. Instead, it split open The District of Sky Demon and made it shatter into pieces.


    It turned into black particles that tangled on Qingxiao''s sword gleam as though they wanted to pull it into the Nine Underworlds to sink forever.


    Then, the Qingxiao sword emitted groaning of the sword, the sound that broke the higher stratus.


    Qingxiao was holding a long sword in the void and she looked cold while walking. Instantly there was a sharp murderous intent that shattered the black particles into dust.


    Yanxu could feel the murderous intent was exquisitely sharp that it made him feel as though the center of his eyebrows were holding on to a heavy item and he felt unhappy.


    Qingxiao holding her sword and ran to Yanxu. She held the long sword and approached the center of his eyebrows to split open his ancestral cavity.


    She split his body from one to two parts. Qingxiao passed through in between of the two parts but a strange thing happened. Yanxu''s body that was split into two was like mud. After wiggling, it formed two identical Yanxu. Their vital forces were also exactly the same, it was impossible to differentiate who was real and who was not.


    Qingxiao turned around while holding her sword. She was shocked.


    Yanxu smiled and said, "Uncle-Master you''ve been hunting for me for ages. Even if I am stupid, I would''ve thought of ways to counterattack you. Even if you''ve learned The Everlasting of Taiyin, it shouldn''t be worse than the land immortals from the Tian Xianjing."


    Qingxiao said, "you''re right. You''ve already learned the Sky Demon method to a stage whereby it''s difficult to differentiate between real and fake. With only The Everlasting of Taiyin, I can''t kill you."


    The two Yanxu spoked at the same time, "Uncle-Master you can''t do anything to me, I also can''t do anything to you. Why don''t we just stop here, Apprentice-Nephew would repay you in the future."


    Qingxiao said, "keep your trick of trying to confuse people''s minds, there''s nothing much we can talk about."


    The two Yanxu came together and formed as one again. He smiled to Qingxiao, "why don''t you let me finish my sentence, Uncle-Master."


    He paused and said, "if Apprentice-Nephew can lend Shen Lian a helping hand, would Uncle-Master let bygones be bygones and let go of our past grudges?"


    Qingxiao''s face changed and said, "do you think I''ll trust you?"


    Yanxu''s eyelids were slightly closing and he said, "Uncle-Master, aren''t you aware that there''s only one way to save Shen Lian and that''s to enter Mount Bier Fang Cun. But the ancestors of the four main Daoist sects used all their powers to seal up the Mount Bier Fang Cun. Each of them has a token. Unless you can collect all four tokens, it''d be impossible to open up the seal of the Mount Bier Fang Fun. Apprentice-Nephew already had the Tai Su Sect''s token in hand."


    What he tried to imply was very clear. If there was no this token, Shen Lian could not enter the Mount Bier Fang Cun. The so-called help was merely to not cause more troubles.

 Chapter 434 Shen Qingxia is People’s Only Hope

    At Qingxuan''s Taiyi Peak, there was a pavilion built somewhere near a cliff carved with Huangting. There was smoke of tea floating in the pavilion just like the constantly changing cloud-dragon. The fragrance of tea can be smelled lingering in the pavilion. Regardless of who was in it, they would feel clear and refreshing.


    "So Qingxiao founding master let Yanxu go because of Lian?" Shen Lian took the entire cup of tea while looking at Ziling founding master who was wearing light purple robes.


    Ziling also took a sip of the fragrant tea. A cooling feel surged into the bottom of her heart. There was aftertaste lingering in her mouth continuously just like the nebula somewhere far in the universe.


    "Unless you''re calm, the tea wouldn''t be made good. It''s seen that you now have a calm and peaceful mentality, there''s nothing that bothers you. As long as you have this state of mind, you can get through everything. As for Qingxiao she didn''t let Yanxu go entirely because of you, it''s also because she couldn''t kill him," Ziling said. Today, Lingguang was not by her side.


    Shen Lian''s eyes were gloomy and dim which was a big contrast with the continuously flowing stars on his body. He softly put down the jade-like teacups and said, "founding master do you know ever since that day, how much has Yanxu done?"


    Ziling said, "what did he do? I went out to Tianwai and now I just got back. I feel like the world and the designs of nature are in a complication. I also feel everything is blurry and thus I quickly come back to Qingxuan and luckily it''s safe."


    The present Ziling gave people an impression that she had a personality as vast as the universe, her eyes were clear like water but when you looked closely, there was no shadow of things in her eyes. This was the state of not leaving any traces. It also indicated that there was nothing worth lingering for her in this world. She would transcend beyond the mortal world very soon.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian had a feeling that he might not be able to meet his founding master that much anymore in the mortal world.


    He said slowly, "because the tragedy of the world is finally here. Even I was shocked at the power that Yanxu controlled within his hands. He revealed the power in his hands to the public and named it the Demonic Order, involving the entire Yuan Continent.


    Green Lotus Sword Sect''s mountain gate was defeated in half a day and there was nobody who survived. Our Qing Xuan''s affiliated Qingjiang Sword sect was also attacked by the Demonic Order at the same time and there were only three people who managed to escape. Zhengyi Sect''s Celestial Master, Zhang Ziling had his Talisman Seeds that he reared for hundreds of years taken away. Even the Tai Su Sect had initiated to join the Demonic Order. Now the slightly expanded celestial sect also closed its mountain gate tightly for self-protection. As for the smaller celestial sects, some initiated to join the Demonic Order and there were a lot that ran away.


    Even so, the Demonic Order is still keeping its speed of demolishing one orthodoxy each day. I''m afraid that not long later, the land of Yuan Continent and all the past masters'' orthodoxies would be eliminated by the Demonic Order and it''d gradually have the power of ruling the Yuan Continent. If he''s able to reach this stage, by combining the power of heaven and ground, he''d be able to continue to sweep Tianhua Continent away, until he conquers all the places that we have to achieve his great undertaking that has not happened before. By then he would be so powerful that it''s not just about being immortal anymore."


    Ziling''s expression did not change but she said, "it seems like the Eight Sects of Buddhism didn''t suffer any damage."


    Shen Lian smiled while saying, "you''re almost right founding master. The Demonic Order intentionally avoids the Eight Sects of Buddhism. Yanxu is smart, he knows the long-lasting conflicts between Daoism and Buddhism. As long as the Demonic Order only goes against Xuanmen, the Eight Sects of Buddhism would be happy to see that. However, Miao Di Zen master is a discerning person. He once gathered the rest of the seven Zen masters in an attempt to kill Yanxu but unfortunately, nobody responded."


    Ziling said, "when it comes to the deities, which of them isn''t clear of the pros and cons? Just that everyone had their own mighty mana. They don''t think that they''re incomparable to the others. Thus, they didn''t realize that once Yanxu rules the Xuan Men, after he gathers all the mighty powers, it''s impossible for them to defeat him. Or maybe they think that the rest of the three main Daoist sects will still be able to stop the Demonic Order. At the same time, they''re glad to see Yanxu wearing away our abilities."


    "Regardless of how they think, it doesn''t matter anymore. Lian has already decided to have Bier Discourse of Dao with Yanxu, to make an end to the antecedents that Qing Xuan hadn''t resolved in hundreds of years," Shen Lian said.


    Ziling said, "But you need to gather the tokens from the four main Daoist sects to activate the Mount Bier Fang Cun. Tai Su''s token is already in Yanxu''s hand. He''s always been longing for the things within the Mount Bier Fang Cun. You invite him for Bier Discourse of Dao, he definitely wouldn''t say no. But it''s not easy to get the tokens from Tai Shang and Xuan Tian."


    Shen Lian took out a painted scroll from his sleeve and open it up on the stone table. There was nothing on the painted scroll except a Taichi illustration of a clear distinction between black and white. There was nothing special about it.


    "So Taishang Daoist sect''s token is a Taichi illustration, this should be the monotype of Taichi illustration from Tai Shang Daoist Master. Its value is no less than of a magic talisman. How did you get this?" Ziling asked.


    Shen Lian said, "Taishang Daoist sect''s newly selected respected Daoist, Wu Chenzi sent a boy to personally deliver this illustration. He brought one sentence too, "Shen Zhenren cares about the people, Taishang Daoist sect wouldn''t dare to not contribute this illustration''."


    Ziling found it funny and said, "he''s trying to get himself out of this trouble. As long as he contributes this, he would be able to stay out of it."


    Shen Lian sighed, "since he''s willing to give in to this Taichi illustration, he must be broad-minded. Actually I not only don''t blame him, but I also admire this person''s certainty on winning and losing. If it were Xiang Rili, I''m afraid that I''d have to discuss Daoism with him."


    "Now your heart is loosened, but you must know that going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short. Treating everything lightly would be able to make you understand more about the state of Dao, but it''d also make you easily lose your desire for competition. You may be at disadvantage during ''Bier Discourse of Dao''. That''s all I have to say. The Taichi illustration is useful for me, when you''re about to go to the Mount Bier Fang Cun, come here to get it," Ziling took the Taichi illustration and kept it. Since she pondered the Yin Yang ingenious Dao, Taishang Daoist sect''s Taichi illustration is significantly useful for her, thus she naturally would not feel embarrassed with Shen Lian. Moreover, she also produced an apparatus for Shen Lian through the Yin Yang ingenious Dao.


    Shen Lian said, "The reason why I take this out is to give it to founding master in the first place."


    Ziling smiled while saying, "good to know that you have a little filial piety. Since Taishang Daoist sect''s token is already on your hand, could it be that Xuantian Sect''s token is also already with you?"


    Shen Lian said, "I sent Lu Shouyi to help me to go to Xuantian Sect. When he reached Tianmen Straits and before he even entered the Temple of Contentment, Wang Shidao already delivered a message to him, saying that on the ''Bier Discourse of Dao'' day itself, there''d be someone from Xuantian Sect who will send the token over and he''d not cause any delay."


    "It seems like Xuantian Sect is still not as generous as Taishang Daoist sect," Ziling said.


    "Because they''ve got no request. To be frank, all the issues in this place don''t affect Xuantian Sect at all. Even if Yanxu ruled the Yuan Continent, he may not dare to ambush Xuantian Sect''s mountain gate," Shen Lian said.


    Yanxu''s demonic power was very strong. Yuan Continent''s Qi cultivators seemed to be caught up in fire and water, they no longer had peace of mind like before. The Eight Sects of Buddhism stayed out of it, Xuantian Sect sealed its mountain gate, Taishang Daoist sect went away and it was difficult to find them whereas Tai Su Sect had mixed together with the Demonic Order. These insignificant Qi cultivators in this demonic trial could only put their last hope on Qing Xuan.


    There were even people who made up a sentence these days and it was widely circulated among the Qi cultivators, ''If Shen Qingxia doesn''t come out, what can the people do?''

 Chapter 435 Determination

    Destruction rained down on the plains of Yuan Continent, Within half a year a third of the Daoist Cultivator of Qi with experience in Dao cultivation died, not counting the countless number of demonic spirits in the western wilderness that perished too.


    The blood of the living creatures was extracted, forming a pond of blood used to inscribe a sigil. The individuals of the Demonic Order can gain access to any part of heaven or earth through the use of the sigils that correspond with the pond of blood. This significantly expanded the Demonic Order''s power as they mustered their forces for more power and control.


    This mythical art of teleportation has existed since time immemorial. Although it was only limited to creatures with special abilities, it was not until Xuan Men thrived, like the other Four Main Daoist sects whos heritage were a profound source, that a celestial school was able to produce many talented people, who would have the ability to dissect this miraculous art. Under Mount Qing Xuan''s extensive supernatural Dao techniques, discoveries led to progress. However, the spiritual materials needed to establish the formation of teleportation were enormous, and at the same time difficult to gather because of its rarity, thus it laid covered in dust within the Taiwei pavillion.


    But that was not the case for Yan Xu, to source living creatures'' blood as the base material used to form a pond of blood and inscribing sigils was a problem that has been easily solved. At the same time, this helped the Demonic Order to be more deeply rooted and subsequently made them harder for their foundation to be eliminated.


    When pond of blood of the Demonic Order was revealed, it sent the remaining celestial schools and Buddhist sects into a frenzy of terror, because the Demonic Order can now provide support from anywhere without fear of decentralizing its power. Even the leader of the clan, Yan Xu, would be able to reach any place within his influence through the pond of blood. He would also be able to reach other areas anytime with the pond of blood too.


    This person would prove to be a nightmare to the remaining Qi cultivators as long as he exists.


    One would not be guaranteed safety even if they joined the Demonic Order, as it is always a brutal competition, turning free-spirited Qi cultivators into something less than a mortal, in a constant struggle for their lives. All this to satisfy Yan Xu''s desire for entertainment as if watching ants fighting for survival.


    Yuan Zhou was respected by the four main Daoist sects, though the four sects are often indifferent and seldom intervene with the orthodoxies of the other sects. Hence the Qing Dynasty rose with an overbearing and forceful rule, holding an extensive amount of vassals across the land, which left many sects and Qi cultivators disgusted. Until the Demonic Order came, which made the Qing Dynasty look good compared to the Demonic Order in the eyes of the Qi cultivators.


    The Demonic Order''s teaching style is exactly the same as Yan Xu, the founder''s philosophies. These philosophies are decisive, fierce and without hesitation. It is unknown how many sects were destroyed, their established teachings and their scriptures are taken away by the Demonic Order.


    Even the ancient books and records, where the knowledge and ideas were inscribed and accumulated by the effort of dozens, were taken by the Demonic Order without exception.


    Meritorious deeds were encouraged within the clan, and as long as one is loyal to the clan, and were willing to do one''s part, one is praiseworthy. And this gave members of the clan the access into the Demonic Order''s collection of artifacts that can be used complete any tasks given.


    But the terror is much more than this, Yan Xu has a measure in place that would surely overturn the entire cultivation community.


    Meritorious deeds can not only be used to exchange spiritual objects or powers and techniques, it can even be used to exchange demonic elixir that heightens an individual''s state. Yan Xu''s all-encompassing knowledge, in addition to the mythical demonic magic, enables him to comprehend the sentiments needed for an individual to enter the next state. According to different individual''s cultivation, he would be able to condense required sentiments into an elixir for consumption. After consuming the demonic elixir, individuals can obtain the sentiment required to enter the next state.


    There is hardly a thing that can be used to describe such a method.


    In order to gain a heightened state of power and ability, certain members of the Demonic Order would further commit themselves into working hard for the Order, in order to obtain meritorious deeds used to exchange for the demonic elixir.


    Only the brightest individuals were aware of the drawbacks that came with using the state enhancing demonic elixir. Even if the elixir was not as good as it seems, the truth of it is it is hard for natural cultivators of Qi to not be tempted.


    But for the sake of gaining merit, the Demonic Order did not show mercy even to their own kind, because the records of merits can be transferred to another person.


    Already in a state of disarray, Yuan Zhou has descended further into chaos.


    As countless people were getting more agitated through the massacre and bloodshed, more and more people longed for the peaceful days that have passed.


    With the current situation as such, the world''s hopes for a person capable of facing Yan Xu grew stronger.


    The phrase ''What would befall the people if Shen Qing was not brought salvation'' was spread under these circumstances. What is spread cannot be taken back nor controlled, it has become the knowledge of all cultivators of Qi in the world.


    Many cultivators of Qi fled the seas to gather outside of Mount Qing Xuan, turning the town of Nan Ke outside the mountain gates into a bustling hub of excitement and activity.


    The sincerity of the masses touched Qing Xuan and Shen Jin''s disciple, Chen Jin Chan, personally came forward to appease the practitioners outside the mountain. Thus came this message, Shen Lian had already put out a letter of challenge and invited the Demonic Order leader Yan Xu to a Bier Discourse of Dao on the third day of the third month next year.


    The letter of the challenge seemed to have garnered a response from Yan Xu and the Demonic Order''s activity seemed to have lessened significantly thereon.


    The undercurrents of Yuen Continent remain hidden and waiting, to see the unparalleled talents of two generations from Qing Xuan, and what the results would be after Mount Bier Fang Cun''s Discourse of Dao.


    .


    ...


    ''Heroes reverses an overwhelming adverse situation, kings rebuilt the country, the saints could create a religion to continue their thoughts." Shen Lian said in the bamboo house on Taiyi Peak.


    Puzzled, Chen Jin Lu asked him from behind: "does master think the leader of the Demonic Order is a saint?"


    Shen Lian was writing on a scroll, with no intention to drop his pen nor to look back, he said: "there is not much difference between being a demon or being a saint, in the end, all they want is to change the minds of people, the real difference lies in the methods used."


    Chen Jin Zhao replied in a heartbeat, "then is master also a saint?"


    Shen Lian laughed silently and playfully said: "I am but a human."


    Chen Jinmao said: "I am still confused. They have all said that master has already visited the celestial environment and have discarded the mortal realm. Why does master say you are human?"


    Suddenly Shen Lian was struck with inspiration, and his pen fell on paper like snow on the ground, the pen etched without pause and two lines of words were written. He placed the pen down and said: "What do you think is human?"


    Instinctively, Chen Jin Chan began to counter with an explanation that a human had to have a head and feet and was capable of walking upright to be considered as such, but immediately realized that was not the context of what was being exchanged, because not only humans but powerful demons too possessed the shape of a human, or were humanoid.


    He shook his head and said: "I do not know."


    Shen Lian asked: ''Then do you think you are "human"?''


    Chen Jin Luo replied: "but of course."


    Shen Lian said softly: "Then why would you say you don''t know."


    Chen Jin Luo said: "I do not know where to start."


    Shen Lian casually turned around and said: "the Confucians have a saying that is widely known and used, ''A steady mind for the world, determination for the people, constantly learning for the sake of sainthood, and peace for all ages''. You should have studied it when you first came."


    Chen Jin Lua nodded his head, he had studied whatever Shen Lian required him to study. Although the knowledge of the Crystal Ball of the Noble Witch was vast, there was still much knowledge left to be desired.


    Of course, he did not understand enough, many of the books he studied were compiled by Shen Lian and his combined views of two worlds. The knowledge was not only limited to this world alone.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian further explained: "Most words in these four phrases can be disregarded. But, the world phrase ''determination'' is the essence of it all and the most fundamental part of a ''human''."

 Chapter 436 There Still Exists Zhao Xiao Yu

    Chen Jin Chan was unclear of what Shen Lian had said, on the contrary, he became more confused and asked: ''what is determination?''


    Shen Lian laughed: ''To know what you want and what you do not want, is determination. Any creature satisfying this condition can be regarded as a human.''


    Never would Chen Jin Chan thought that the answer could be so simple, upon contemplating, he understood. To know what one wants, perhaps an easy task for most; but to know what one does not want, few would be able to do this.


    To know a lot would be the prerequisite, and one needs to be able to abandon all external falsehoods that override human nature, only then one can clearly know what one wants and does not want.


    Master spoke of determination, but in actuality, he is still passing on the Dharma of immortality.


    To live a long time does not equal to immortality. Real immortality is to know what you want and what you do not want and to live forever knowing it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    You will gradually grow numb and lose yourself if you do not grasp the concept, no matter how long you live. You would not be able to tell the difference between yourself from the mountains, rocks, and trees.


    The more he pondered, the more his admiration grew. He understood why Master was loved by the people of the school of cultivation because someone like him would be revered no matter what.


    It snowed outside, the land was covered in a thick blanket of white. Shen Lian left the bamboo residence, the starlight on his body flowed to the snow, glittering and moving. Chen Jin Chan saw the words written by his Master - ''Ling Tai Fang Cun Shan, Xie Yue San Xing Dong''


    This is a word puzzle, the upper part of the character ''Ling'', when combined with the word ''Chun'' from the word ''Fang Chun'', will form the word ''Xun'', which meant search; and Xie Yue San Xing, after opening one''s heart, would form the word ''Xin'', which mean heart.


    Together, it would form the word ''Xun Xin'' - meaning to find one''s heart.


    Master is a human, he would already have a heart, that means ''in search of a heart'' was meant to be written for him. But there was no other person here but his master and him, could it be that it was meant for him? But that could not be right, because the master had already spoken to him about determination.


    Then who is the person ''in search of a heart''? and where is the ''heart''?


    Not only is their snow on Taiyi Peak, Jiemo Peak was also snowing, similar to goose feathers, it was a heavy snowfall. And it was particularly appealing during the cold night.


    Similarly appealing would be Zhao Xiao Yu. In the snow, the Jimo peak was empty. Ever since the appearance of the demonic order, Luoism had no power to resist. Therefore, Zhao Xiao Yu reluctantly gave up all the territories and allowed the backbone of the team to take refuge in the north and the south, choosing to remain at Jimo alone.


    She has seen countless snowfalls in her life, but never once had she found the peace of mind to watch and admire the snow-filled night


    Now that there was nothing else plaguing the heart, she could let go of all that is, with only the snow filling her mind.


    To pour your heart and into something no matter how important it is can be the most satisfying and pleasurable thing. This was something she had never experience before, something she hopes to experience more often from now on.


    Time was lost, snow continued falling between heaven and earth. She could hear no sound, without realizing, the noise between heaven and earth had ceased.


    She understood deeply that it was not the sound that had disappeared, but her sense of hearing had been covered.


    It was unbelievable, it was as if a person who was fully conscious who had her ears cupped by another person, which took a while for her to realize.


    Zhao Xiao Yu did not panic, or it could be said that she expected this to come.


    "You are going to die."


    Her gaze seemed to be coated with a layer of mercury. She could see through all the truth and falseness. So she saw the person who spoke. It was an indescribable man who seemed inseparable from the dark, quietly walking through the mountainous paths towards her seemingly as a worthy opponent. He followed her gaze and viciously penetrated into her soul.


    In the event sprawled endless oceans, violent volcanic lands and various worldly scenes that can be felt.


    Zhao Xiao Yu flashed a smile alluringly, and said softly: "Don''t the demon lord knows, the divine cannot die."


    This man was Yan Xu, the leader of the demonic clan. He was fortune''s favored child for three thousand years before Shen Lian is in Qing Xuan. He even had removed Shen Lian''s name from the letter of a challenge after the Bier Discourse of Dao on the third of March.


    In today''s world, everyone cowered before Yan Xu''s demonic magic. After all, it was Guagqing that started it. It was said that Yan Xu with had almost uprooted Guangqing, which is comparable to the top celestial schools of the Four Main Daoist sects with his own strength.


    To this day Guangqing has only the bare support of the remaining, half-dead Dengfeng Taoist priest and the Taoist priestess of divine aura, with no competent disciples.


    This was remembered vividly for a period, but Zhao Xiao Yu did not fill her with the worries and fears.


    Yan Xu''s Qi dynamic did not impact Zhao Xiao Yu''s soul, as if a light breeze had blown against the peak of Mount Jimo, the peak remained unfazed.


    "Those who consume Qi lives as a deity, those who do not consume attains immortality as Gods, you have to abandon all religions and faith in the mortal realm in order to attain immortality, but can you do it?" Yan Xu retracted his terrible Qi dynamic as he spoke with a smile.


    Zhao Xiao Yu did not spoke but stared at Yan Xu intensely and replied: So you do not have confidence in defeating Shen Lian."


    Such insulting words struck into Yan Xu''s soul like a sword from heaven.


    Yan Xu clapped in response: "Your intelligence is far beyond what I have expected. Indeed, if I had the confidence to defeat Shen Lian, I will not make such a move before the start of the discourse. But you have erred slightly.


    Zhao Xiao Yu hesitated and spoke slowly: "You would say that you are a human in every sense of the word and not a demon, then it can be inferred you are saying that you are a person who does not play by the rules. Killing me tonight has nothing to do with Shen Lian, maybe you just feel like killing.


    She meted out her analysis calmly as if it had no impact on her. The endless snowfall behind her emphasizing the desolation of her heart.


    The pervasive magic could not find any opportunity to invade and taint her divine heart.


    Yan Xu, in his indifferent composure, mildly said: ''if Shen Lian is still ''human'', he shouldn''t have missed you. I am here thinking, if he is close by tonight, perhaps it is the best opportunity to annihilate me, and not die also want to hope to destroy me at a place like Ling Tai Fang Chun Shan.''


    Zhao Xiao Yu let out a sigh and replied, "You are wrong, demon lord. Shen Lian is the only opponent that matters in your eyes, but you have forgotten the existence of Zhao Xiao Yu and the Book of Nine Lotus Scriptures, compared to the Dream Heart Sutra, Free from Incarnation and Shen Lian''s Art of Spiritual Enhancement, the difference would be unnoticeable.


    And he too holds an important place in my heart, could I not do something for such a person such as making you pay the price this night?"


    Yan Xu smiled slightly and said: "You really do have a heart."

 Chapter 437 Because It Exists, It Can Be Eliminated

    Zhao Xiao Yu gazed into Yan Xu''s eyes with a sort of deep affection but at the same time a coldness, and said: "I know, you are heartless"


    Yan Xu laughed, if a smile can be used as a weapon, his smile would be the most deadly weapon that beckons death no matter what. He said, ''I need to reacquaint myself with you, Lady Zhao Xiao Yu. You are one of the most unique ladies I have ever met.


    Zhao Xiao Yu remained silent for what seemed an eternity, her gaze fastened on Yan Xu who was standing before her, unmoving.


    Yan Xu did not feel awkward and continued: ''Do you not want to find out which lady is more special in my eyes?''


    Zhao Xiao Yu appeared indifferent towards Yan Xu''s words and the snow fluttered around her giving her an aura of divinity. Even the Nine Lotus Lord would be shamed in Zhao Xiao Yu''s divine presence.


    Yan Xu said: "Perhaps I should let you know who Shen Lian considers the most important in his heart. After all, besides me, I''m afraid nobody else can see his heart.


    It was that statement that garnered a response from Zhao Xiao Yu in the form of a snow whirling up to gather and form of a giant lotus flower made of frost. It rotated slowly and gravitated to the position where Shen Lian is located.


    The large ice lotus moved slowly, but it still rotated, as if trying to gather all the snow falling around it.


    Even creatures from outside Jimo Peak could see a lotus flower of pure white slowly rising in the night sky, a gentle white glow emanating proudly in the dark night, there was no one who missed it.


    Yan Xu could not ignore the white lotus flower above his head, just like how he could not ignore Zhao Xiao Yu. A limitless glacial vital force came from the white lotus, forming an invisible domain, catching him within it.


    He could control himself to feel hot or cold whenever he needed. He could even disable his senses, but this time it seemed ineffective.


    The frigid isolation brought by the glacial vital force made him feel as if he is in a rifter. He did not need to check to know that his eyebrows and hair has been covered in frost.


    He turned into an iced sculpture, silently remaining upright and unmoving as if losing his mobility permanently.


    The chilly breath of the ice lotus is unordinary, for it contains the spirit of Vyupasama to be able to freeze even the likes of Yan Xu.


    The Nine Lotus Scriptures were born from the essence of Luoism, while Luoism teaches the mysticism of both Daoism and Buddhism. What Zhao Xiao Yu did was an incorporation Buddhist teachings of death and emptiness.


    She was aware of the gap between her and Yan Xu and she did not hesitate to use the ultimate technique in the Nne Lotus Mie Di, meaning death and nirvana, akin to a white lotus.


    Amongst Yan Xu''s sky demon indigenous techniques, there is also a move similar to Zhao Xiao Yu''s, it was the ''Sky demon disintegration''.


    Yan Xu sighed gently, the frost covering his body began to crack, he prodded: "Was this worth it?"


    Zhao Xiao Yu gazed right into Yan Xu''s eyes as if replying it is to Yan Xu.


    Values inherently differed from person to person, one man''s trash is another man''s treasure and thus, cannot be generalized so.


    Yan Xu said nothing more, his lips parted ever so slightly and a loud roar came rushing out, shaking away the frost around his body.


    At the same time, numerous green and yellow light spots emerged from his body, lastly forming a pair of green and a pair of yellow wings, resembling the wings of the then demonic God.


    The wings gently flapped, the tips of the wings drew out numerous mysterious runes in a combination of yellow and green strings of light at incredible speeds. Lastly, accompanied by Yan Xu''s dwindling howl, the yellow and green light net sprayed out. Like the first rays of sunrise, igniting tens of thousands of rays of light, which turned into a giant yellow and green web, netting the giant ice lotus in the air.


    Zhao Xiao Yu narrowed her eyes, the empty space in front of her suspended a pure, white and flawless lotus. Changing several times, the white lotus turned into a beautiful white knife. The cross-guard took the shape of a lotus seed pod, the lotus petals formed the blade of the knife, and the hilt resembled the color of a lotus leaf. She stretched her soft hand that is as white as jade, through her wide sleeve and grabbed this unique knife.


    At this moment, no one glimpse at Zhao Xiao Yu''s waves of divine power, it was as if after casting the ''Nine lotus miedi'', not only did her power grew rapidly to a frightening degree, but her control of the power became extremely precise.


    Every drop of power would not go to waste, and no extra vital force would leak from it.


    Zhao Xiao Yu threw the sword, its trajectory clean and untraceable like water. The sword managed to contain Zhao Xiao Yu''s incredible divine power within it.


    When it came close to Yan Xu, it suddenly erupted with Qi of the blade with the force of landslides and tsunamis, silently aimed at Yan Xu.


    Yan Xu seemed to be ignorant of his surroundings, closing his eyes and immersing himself in eternal darkness as if it had become his home, more so his source of power.


    His mind is faster than fire sparks and lightning. Therefore, even if it seems as if an eternity has passed in the realm of his heart and soul, the Qi of the blade which bears destructive power akin to landslides and tsunamis that was outside the realm had yet to reach him.


    Yan Xu would still have the leisure of considering what would be the outcome if the knife that Zhao Xiao Yu launched with all her might ever landed on him. Not only did the Qi of the blade had the essence of her enhanced power, but also her spiritual power which would be sure to guarantee significant damage.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    But will it guarantee his death?


    He seemed lost when posed with this question, there will only be death if there is life. Could he be considered as a living being?


    He thought himself alive, after all, he was capable of thought. He recalled looking into the depths of Shen Lian''s heart and soul and saw a phrase that stuck with him until now, ''I think, therefore I exist.'' Did this phrase not affirm what he thought at this very moment?


    To think is to harbor intentions, an endless intention creates endless demons. This very reason is why Buddha could not sever the roots and eliminate evil for good.


    But all the intentions of all the creatures that have existed will always remain countless, like the sands of the Ganges. However, there is only one Yan Xu, and why is that so?


    Yan Xu already had an answer to that question. Within his silent and dark soul, a sky full of stars suddenly manifested, but the most amazing was that among the stars, there hung a bright moon above the sea of the heart, dominating the star-filled sky.


    In the actual universe, the starry skies did not look like this. The actual moon, compared to any other stars, looked like a speck of dust. But the moon in Yan Xu''s soul seemed to command the attention of the starry sky.


    It is also Yan Xu''s utmost intention, with it, it was proved that Yan Xu is not amongst the countless demons in the Ganges.


    When he truly understood, the darkest part of his soul seemed as if a piece of paper was torn, the Qi of the knife came gushing out and pointed straight towards the moon.


    Yan Xu clearly understood that the terror of that knife from Zhao Xiao Yu not only lies in its power, but it also shed light on an entirely different understanding, that he was different from the other demons, making him awakening to his reason for existence.


    Because it exists, it can be eliminated.


    The sword was not able to destroy the sea of stars of Ganges, but it succeeded in destroying the bright moon, and that was enough.


    And upon the knife, Zhao Xiao Yu would definitely qualify to be his worthy opponent. What he thought to be something that only Shen Lian can accomplish was accomplished by Zhao Xiao Yu.

 Chapter 438 A Powerful Escape

    Yan Xu was unable to discern his current feelings, whether it was sympathetic towards his opponent or a loss for words because of underestimation, it could be he was just indifferent towards the entire thing.


    Maybe he had all of these thoughts simultaneously.


    The star-filled sky in his soul paled at the strike of Zhao Xiao Yu''s Qi of blade, this strike of the sword that asked only the conscience and nothing else


    The star-filled sky in his soul paled in the light of the turbulent darkness of his soul that engulfed him, wanting only the heart and nothing else.


    And since Yan Xu already has a conscience. It is the bright and pure moon that represents the core intention of his heart, his purest nature.


    His mind moved, countless stars were wiped from existence at the same time, leaving only twelve especially bright stars, even the moonlight cannot take away their brilliance.


    Rather than calling it twelve stars, it is better to say that it was twelve demons that radiated light.


    Some sprouted green and yellow wings, some were as green as bamboo, some were chimeras with a snake''s head and a human''s body.


    These demons were not the manifestations of Yan Xu''s core intention but were a kind of peculiar yet outstanding vestigial existence that were uncovered by Yan Xu through special means.


    The twelve demons roared in the sea of the spirit, forming a surge of the tide, rushing towards Zhao Xiao Yu''s sword.


    In the tyrannical wave of magic, Zhao Xiao Yu''s sword became exceptionally thin and frail, rendering it helpless.


    If a steady stream was suddenly met with a gushing landslide, one can only sit and watch as the stream was swallowed by the landslide.


    However Zhao Xiao Yu''s lifetime''s essence was invested in the gleam of the blade, its mysteriousness and unpredictability have truly exceeded Yan Xu''s expectations. It crashed together with all twelve demons'' monstrous demonic power at the same time, but something extraordinary ensued.


    In a flash, a song resembling a prayer was heard resounding through Yan Xu''s soul, ''''Eternal Venerable Mother, the hometown of the true void". These eight words seemingly held a fantastical unconventional power that allowed Zhao Xiao Yu''s knife to pierce through the demonic magical wave, heading towards the bright, clear moon.


    The gleam of the blade resembled smoke and mist that was unpredictable. It even passed through the twelve demons'' obstruction easily and headed closer for the moon.


    WIth a speed that even Yan Xu did not have time to react to, the gleam of the sword left a scar on the moon, leaving a mark on its flawless surface.


    Yan Xu opened his eyes to the outside world, the instance his index and middle finger of his right hand caught the gleam of the sword and its blade, it stopped Zhao Xiao Yu''s knife.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    At this moment, he was not like how he used to be in the past, going unnoticed in heaven and earth, so that people could not grasp the real movement, but there was an added real, more profound and powerful qi dynamic to him.


    His fingers immediately vibrated at an incredible speed, what ensued was countless small sparks, which broke Zhao Xiao Yu''s blade into countless pieces, even Zhao Xiao Yu was thrown into the air.


    It was hard to guess the amount of damage that Zhao Xiao Yu''s knife inflicted to Yan Xu, but even now Yan Xu still has the remaining power to counter her attack.


    His eyes were faintly red, he stood still but it also seemed like he could fill the skies with his figure.


    The sky could not cover him and the ground could not take his weight.


    It was as if the Demon Lord who was a match with Buddha has descended upon the world, unrivaled.


    No doubt Zhao Xiao Yu was high up in the sky, but after she has condensed her lifetime''s essence into that one strike, she was inevitably faced with misfortune. Yan Xu naturally took advantage of this and sent her flying even further, and so that she won''t be able to break away from the vast qi dynamic caused.


    She had failed, even though the magical knife had been effective in harming Yan Xu.


    Because she felt Yan Xu''s rage as well as a shred of disconcerted, also, the Yan Xu today felt more real than the Yan Xu in the past.


    However, she experienced another strange feeling that puzzled her. That is, Yan Xu''s strength seemed to have grown. She could not ascertain the depth of his spirit and the twelve demons were like a moth to a flame, following the scar that Zhao Xiao Yu''s knife had made on the moon and merged into the moon itself.


    The remnants of the twelve great beings have finally been absorbed into Yan Xu''s body, no longer separate.


    This would guarantee that Yan Xu''s strength would grow significantly, but he can no longer go back to his past when his existence was little and uncertain, which would have made him difficult to eliminate.


    Yan Xu thought only Shen Lian could push him to this extent. When that time comes, even if Shen Lian was in a better condition than Zhao Xiao Yu, the difference would not be much. And Yan Xu will definitely be able to take a hit from the refined Shen Lian, he only needed more power to take on Shen Lian when he is at the top of the pinnacle.


    However, everything has changed over time. He has become stronger, no longer vulnerable.


    Yan Xu whispered to himself: "The matters in this world, as expected, could not be fully estimated. But this was also the reason why I could not afford to be annihilated between heaven and earth."


    He lifted his head and watched Zhao Xiao Yu still flying in the sky. His eyes were cold and he said, "So you shall die."


    He extended his hand, grabbing the void. Zhao Xiao Yu could feel an invisible force wrapping around her from all sides as he tried to crush her into dust.


    She still had a rather large amount of power remaining at that moment, but she could only hold the suppressive force at bay and had no power left to retaliate. As time passed, she felt her own power waning. The time when her power completely dry out will be the time where she would disappear and no longer exists in heaven and earth.


    A quiet yet beautiful sound resonated like the endless falling leaves.


    In the pitch dark of a snowy night, many colorful lights lit up clearly, and the one who hung in the sky was a young, beautiful girl. She was mounted atop an unknown sparrow in the sky.


    The young girl was Ruoxi, she waved her hand and let out a sea of flowers, there was a single butterfly flying. It was like a dream that kept Yan Xu trapped.


    Following that, a congregation of colorful lights converged to form a five-colored light, absorbing Yan Xu into the flowers.


    Zhao Xiao Yu felt the pressure relieved from her entire body. The Sparrow flapped its wings and grabbed Xiao Yu in mid-air. The wind howled and they passed mountains and rivers in a blink of an eye, finally landed on the shore of a lake.


    The sparrow''s speed was beyond comprehension, exceeding even imagination, Zhao Xiao Yu was secretly surprised.


    Her expression was as pale as jade, but she was clear-headed and could see things clearer than after a torrential rain had washed clean the night sky She caressed her cheeks and said: "my child, the others have grown so well, why are you growing smaller and smaller."


    The fowl squeaked uneasily with a certain dissatisfaction as if asking why have they not dismounted themselves yet.


    Zhao Xiao Yu held Huang Ruo and brought her down. She looked at Hang Ruo''s complexion, she seemed paler than Xiao Yu. The spell she cast to hold Yan Xu took a big toll on her.


    She locked her gaze on Zhao Xiao Yu''s eyes and said earnestly: "I used the Dao meaning left by my Grand Ancestor Master, sister Xiao Yu, you must compensate me."


    Zhao Xiao Yu laughed gracefully and said: "Not going to."


    Using her peripheral vision, she looked at the direction of the East corner. On the lake water trickled shreds of starlight. What was swallowing those starlights, were fishes - rapidly growing, with scales which seemed to glimmer with light.

 Chapter 439 Third of March, a King Will Be Born

    The quiet and profound movement followed the starry glow on the lake, flowing into Zhao Xiao Yu''s ear.


    She stepped onto the lake without causing any ripples and walked quietly to the source of the starry flow and saw Shen Lian. He held a place in her eyes, and in her heart, but this is not a limitation in her quest in Daoism, instead, she felt curious and interested because of this feeling which she has never experienced before.


    Shen Lian was the one who broke the silence, the constant loss of life did not made him appear fragile and aged. Instead, he seemed to be more mellow, just like he was thirty years ago, a fetching appearance like a youthful mountain. He said slowly: ''Xiao Yu, you are very amazing.''


    Zhao Xiao Yu wanted to raise her head high and reply: ''I am always this amazing''. But it turned into a laugh before she conveyed what she meant.


    She did not know what humored her so. She just wanted to laugh.


    Shen Lian stood on the shore, while she floated on the surface of the water, the hem of her dress flowed a limitless stream of stars, that is Shen Lian''s light of life.


    She thought she would worry for him, mourn for him, only to find that these feelings that should be there, were not present, what was present was simply a smile.


    Shen Lian''s life began to flow to its end, but he felt an ease he has never felt in a long time.


    When he praised Zhao Xiao Yu, he meant it from the bottom of his heart. He did not feel restrained by Zhao Xiao Yu''s feelings. That kind of feeling was like the gathering of clouds in the sky, there were no conflicts in merging together.


    Perhaps they would melt into rain together, or maybe they would go their separate ways after meeting for a brief moment. But the natural tacit understanding between the two exceeds countless humans.


    Finally, Zhao Xiao Yu stopped smiling, her eyes set on Shen Lian opposite her, she said: ''Shen Lian, do you think I will live?''


    Shen Lian lunged and shorten the space between them, he stood in front of Zhao Xiao Yu and said: ''Naturally, until this day, as long as the person in front of me is alive, it is difficult for them to die.''


    The starlight that flowed on him suddenly rushed and gathered on Zhao Xiao Yu''s body. Her pale, jade-like face gradually turned blush, the feeling of dying has been flushed out of her system like rushing water, towards Shen Lian''s body, the price is the acceleration of the starlights flowing out from his body.


    Zhao Xiao Yu did not prevent, nor could she prevent what was happening in front of her. Because the process of Shen Lian''s spell cannot be stopped nor denied by her. Because Shen Lian''s primordial spirit is as vast as the seas. When he is staring at her, her mind sat still, a peacefulness shrouded her that was as deep as well water.


    She exhausted her energy after casting the ''Nine Lotus''s Mie Di'', leaving her with only a tenth of her power to spare. But Shen Lian was able to do this to such an extent that it left her greatly surprised.


    She first thought that Yan Xu is capable of suppressing Shen Lian in every aspect, but has now truly understood that the injury she managed to inflict on Yan Xu, most likely won''t be able to injure Shen Lian. Shen Lian has trained to an unbelievable state, making his primordial spirit difficult to be measured.


    She could feel her body gradually getting warmer as if she was in a hot spring. With an amazing amount of warmth flowing through her, she felt that every activity of divine power is stronger than ever.


    The starlights stopped flowing into her body, the feeling of death has all been absorbed by Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian''s eyes are now pure black as if it was able to absorb any radiance, leaking no light at all.


    Zhao Xiao Yu could not help but ask: ''if you could save me, why can''t you save yourself?''Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian gently brushed aside the hair on her forehead and said softly: "have you not heard the phrase ''he who has fallen cannot help he who is down''? The same goes for Daoism. Besides, you should not underestimate Chen Bei Dou, for if a day comes when he could leave this place without harm, I''m afraid to even Yan Xu would not dare stand before him."


    "This battle between the two of you was the most widespread battle in thousands of years, it even surpassed Lu Jiu Zhou''s battle against the demonic sect in the underworld. I would not have imagined that the damage dealt to you in that battle you could not heal in your current state. What was the matter?" Zhao Xiao Yu said.


    ''On that day, I combined a section of the great way obtained by a certain great being that existed in the past and emulating it to form ''to become one with Dao'', in order to defeat Chen Bei Dou''s unregretful Qi of the blade. I have expected the dangerous risk that comes with attempting it, but after experiencing it myself, I realized that my own flaws were bigger than I would have imagined. That also made me realize that where no matter how skilled I am, I won''t be able to save myself because I lack a part of ''me''. This is analogous to a filled bottle with a leak, no matter how much we fill it, in the end, not a drop would remain. This is also why my life force is constantly flowing out.'' Shen Lian calmly said.


    He did not only lose his mortal body in that battle but also the soul fragments that has merged with the previous ''Shen Lian''. In his years of spiritual cultivation, that part of ''Shen Lian'' has already merged in him like milk and water, never separating. But it was not until the emulation of ''to become one with Dao'' that Shen Lian clearly understood that it was far from it. It was not his and it never will be. That part of ''Shen Lian'' was forever gone, but that also caused him to completely lose a part of ''him'', causing the irreparable defect to his basic spirit.


    That is why Shen Lian wanted the Bier discourse of Dao because if there is still a place in the world where the defects of the spiritual light can be repaired, it can only be Mount Bier Fang Cun.


    The most fundamental meaning of ''Mount Bier Fang Cun and '' is ''the search of a heart'', for the heart hid a type of marvelous object, which could help him to make up for the defects of the spirit and complete himself once again.


    But not only Shen Lian needs that thing, Yan Xu too, needs it.


    Should Shen Lian have the item, he would be able to restore himself fully. However, should Yan Xu acquire it, he would be one with the true demon lord, and would be successful in dominating the realm. Fate would befall him and he would have truly entered the state of ''the great sky demon''. He would then be relative to the Great Mahasattva, relative to the Celestial Tai Yi of Daoism, and on par with the Ancients who have attained Dao.


    Zhao Xiao Yu sighed and said: "I will not let anything happen to you, I will beg Apprentice-Sister to teach you The Sutra of the Total Annihilation so you might find a more assuring victory."


    Shen Lian did not reply but stared at Yan Xu in the distance and whispered: "third of March, a king will be born."


    ...


    Fairy Tianmeng donned a black robe, walking out into the windy night and heard Yan Xu whisper: "Third of March, a king will be born."


    Huang Di was amongst the greatest known emperor in the world of men, with an aura as vast as the universe, achievements impacting the past and the present, and he was born on the third of March.


    The ''Bier discourse of Dao'' between Shen Lian and Yan Xu would commence on the third of March, it would also mean it would be a battle between desires and the ancients, both the pride of their generations. This great fight between the ancient and the modern was definitely not something any average cultivators can understand.


    The battle between the pride of the former and the latter generation. No matter who had secured the victory of the ''Bier discourse of Dao'', the victor would be peerless in the current state of affair, and would go after the founding grandmasters of the Four main Daoist sects, and could even have the chance to supersede the founding grandmaster.

 Chapter 440 Noble Qi Dynamic

    "Do you want to try becoming an emperor?" Fairy Tianmeng asked in a faint and cold voice.


    As if the whole of heaven and earth turned, Fairy Tianmeng who was originally behind Yanxu appeared in front of him, and she laid her eyes upon a body she both loved and loathed, the body and its features that looked as if they were carved from white jade. It also made her aware that there was an extra bit of worldly desire after she appeared in front of Yanxu compared to the past times, but this body and the strength which it concealed could easily crush a person like her into pieces. Even a person who transcended the mortal world could not possibly have attained such gruesome strength.


    Though she understood that a state is not conclusive of strength, she was still very much amazed.


    Fairy Tianmeng was actually the sect Master of the Four Great Daoist Sects, so she clearly understood the terrors of Shen Lian and Yanxu. When a cultivator reached Daoist immortality, his strength will continue in an upward curve until a certain point. Once it passed that point, it would be like a moon that waxes only to wane, and the strength will gradually decrease. That point has not yet come for both Shen Lian and Yanxu. At the same time, both of them have their own secret and mysterious means, and within a short time enabled them to gather and even enhance the power which their bodies can bear.


    This was precisely the reason why, after reaching Daoist immortality, these two could quickly become the greatest minds on this side of heaven and earth.


    However, Fairy Tianmeng could only guess what actually happened and on what grounds Yanxu could gain the power that surpassed an Immortal Zhenren, in such a short time after cultivating the Sky Demon Body.


    She did not ask, but merely felt uncertainty in her heart.


    Yanxu lifted that smooth and flawless chin of hers, seemingly with endless love and a face that bore a deep emotion, just like the quiet seawater underneath the moonlight. Enough to melt any woman''s heart, he whispered into her ear, "After I become Saint Tianzi, you shall become my Saint Queen, how about that?"


    Fairy Tianmeng was immediately flustered, and though she hated with a passion the man in front of her, she had no way of stopping this violation of his, to the point where after having heard that sentence, she felt secretly felt a slight joy.


    She stepped back and her chin left his hands. Hands that were so unblemished, she could not find any fault with. She coldly said, "Don''t forget, I only agreed to cooperate with you."


    Yanxu smiled, "How could I forget? When have I not fulfilled my promises to you? You know, had it not been your female disciple that saved Zhao Xiaoyu, if it was not because of the fact that killing her would have caused you harm, she would long be dead."


    Fairy Tianmeng spoke with ridicule, "She has learned the Dream Heart Sutra and changed her bloodline, breaking The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu from the start. I have long abandoned my responsibility towards her, so why did you have to lie to me? There is no meaning at all in doing all this."


    Retort came out of her mouth, but the suspicions in her heart had been there early on. After all, Yanxu would have never used this kind of lies to trick her. But she knew of Yanxu''s behavior which frequently planted seeds of curiosity in one''s heart, only to later hang you with a shapeless string. The end result was that you lost yourself in his manipulations.


    Yanxu placed his hands behind his back and looked into her eyes, then softly said, "It looks like you don''t wish to know the reason anymore. You should know that no one in the world understands the Dream Heart Sutra more than me. Nor is there anyone who could understand those frightening means of the old man. Could it be that you''ve given up on The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu? If you can finish the plan you conceived back then, at least you need not worry that I would play tricks on you."


    Fairy Tianmeng''s expression grew increasingly wary and she coldly replied, "All three of my Uncle-Masters have been taken by you. The Tai Su Sect has now entered into Demonic Order. Even I have no choice but to admit, that I cannot go against you, what more do you want from me?"


    Yanxu told her, "I only want to help you, seeing as you do not trust me anymore."


    "Funny. Do you think that anyone would dare to believe you at this point?" Fairy Tianmeng said.


    Yanxu unhurriedly replied, "At least Shen Lian would believe me."


    ...


    The mediocre Qing Xuan had no clue that one time, headmaster quietly went out. The moment after Shen Lian gave the ''Bier Discourse of Dao'' challenge, all the Qi cultivators that came to seek help from Qing Xuan each scattered themselves at sea. After all, was said and done, anyone who had brains would understand better that, if Zhenren Shen were to win than all is good. But if he were to lose, Qing Xuan would be stepped all over.


    Even though Qing Xuan still had Fairy Ziling to keep watch, but news was spread early on. Fairy Ziling had already resolved the antecedents and completed all the work. Even though she lingered here in this side of heaven and earth, she feared that she could not stay here as long as Lu Jiuyuan. Moreover, by the time the Demonic Order became a real threat, Fairy Ziling alone could not protect all the Qi cultivators who gathered outside the mountain.


    But in this way, the fall of Qing Xuan would be cleaner by a lot. And furthermore, the mediocre Qing Xuan understood things well, aware that a war is approaching. No one would be willing to trouble the headmaster that they so admired.


    There was only one person in Qing Xuan who could truly meet Shen Lian at any time and place. That person was Chen Jinchan.


    Most of the disciples were jealous and admired Chen Jinchan because he bore the mantle of successor as acquiesced by the headmaster. Even if he did not become the Chief of Qing Xuan in the future, but being the successor of the headmaster, his prospects were much brighter than the others.


    Naturally, Chen Jinchan experienced finger pointing from his fellow Qi cultivators in a place unfamiliar to him. But he inherited the calm and frankness of his master, and so did not let that occupy his mind.


    Even though he had the privilege of meeting his master anytime he wished, but the most he did was greeting him personally in the morning and at night. Much of his time was spent walking up in Qing Xuan Five Peaks as well as in Nanke Town at the foot of the hill, and he also mingled with his fellow cultivators.


    He did this because most of the significance of meditation were insignificant to him. Chen Jinchan could refine his Qi of Heaven and Earth at any time or place until it became small drops of Mana, which nourished his meridians and orifices point.


    Shen Lian also did not pass down the Taixu Strategy, but instead left him to create his own Dao formula, then he would start cultivation. Even though he had a lot of knowledge, but it was not enough to let him have the outlook and self-cultivation of a master level to be able to invent a new branch of technique.


    Having reached today, the second of February, it had been three consecutive days that he did not feel the tiny bit of entry of the accumulated Mana. The reason was that he did not have the proper formula to channel his own Mana and enter a deeper state of qualitative change.


    This led Chen Jinchan, who up till now had been cultivating so smoothly, to feel a bit distraught. While he strolled in the mountains, he absent-mindedly found himself at the foot of the hill, where he heard an argument.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Some time ago there gathered a large group of Qi cultivators outside the mountain. Their purpose was to stop Qi cultivators with no fixed duties to stray into the Qing Xuan Formation. Below the mountain, Qing Xuan disciples were assigned to take turns and keep watch. Later on they gradually strayed, but the Discipline Hall did not revoke their assignment, so there still remained some Qing Xuan disciples keeping watch there.


    Chen Jinchan could see clearly the outsider who argued with his fellow cultivators. A kerchief was worn over his head, his body was clothed in a green upper garment made of linen. On his waist, he wore a light yellow belt, and his shoes and socks were clean. His features were delicate and pretty while his face was fair and white. He was speaking in a genial manner towards two of Chen Jinchan''s fellow cultivators.


    "Dear friends, I really am waiting for the Demon Master''s life, and I come bearing a gift for Zhenren Shen." Genial though his manner and the words he says, yet it was something that shocked people. For it was unexpected that that came forth and said of himself as one who was waiting for the Demon Master''s life.


    Both of them naturally did not believe him. But Qing Xuan was not the kind of sect that was evil and caused the loss of life, and they only let him report the truth of his origins, and not fool around like this.


    It should be known that people from the Demonic Order could not possibly be this gentle. Furthermore, the vital force on him was just and honorable. As far as Chen Jinchan was, he could still feel the Noble Qi of the outsider.

 Chapter 441 The Tree Loses its Leaves, the Meaning of Life Ends

    If it were not so, both the Qing Xuan disciples would have made their move.


    Because Chen Jinchan did not conceal his vital force, the three who were arguing could sense him.


    Chen Jinchan then walked over, and the two disciples greeted him, "We''ve met you, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen."


    Chen Jinchan nodded in response. He was the successor of headmaster, so his status was an honorable one. Therefore most of the people in and out of Qing Xuan knew him.


    One of the disciples asked, "Senior-Apprentice Brother Chen, this person is imitating a member of the Demonic Order, even asking to meet headmaster. We are not sure of the idea, what do you think should be done?"


    That disciple was not convinced of Chen Jinchan''s instant success, and simply took advantage of the situation to leave the stranger in Chen Jinchan''s hands. If the stranger was merely an ordinary Qi cultivator, the both of them would have long shooed him off. But the visitor has not converged his Qi dynamic, and Mana in the two guardian disciples slowly increased. In addition, even though the visitor was intent on meeting headmaster, but there was no posture that required them to make a move. That was why the two disciples held the visitor off by arguing with him.


    Chen Jinchan smiled, and soon afterwards spoke to the visitor, "I am Chen Jinchan. Zhenren Shen is our teacher. My friend, you say you are a member of the Demonic Sect, waiting upon the Demon Master''s life and bearing a gift for our teacher. Do you have any proof?"


    The two disciples that had just been holding the visitor back laughed. Chen Jinchan believed this kind of nonsense?


    The visitor smiled, "Yu Zhongjie, at your service. I am the person sent by the Demonic Order. I come bearing a gift. My friend, since you are Zhenren Shen''s disciple, may I trouble you to inform him? As Zhenren Shen has the Monitoring Technique, he should know that I am telling the truth."


    Chen Jinchan muttered, "It is not that we don''t believe you, but our teacher has not been meeting outsiders as of late. And you my friend, have noble Qi in your body, completely inconsistent with that of a member from the Demonic Sect. By any chance if this is a game, and you are purposely trying to trick us, we bear no responsibility should our teacher be offended.


    Yu Zhongjie nodded, "It appears the Demon Master was right, the successor to Qing Xuan and Zhenren Shen, is an ordinary person."


    How arrogant were those words that the two Qing Xuan disciples could not take it anymore. The Mana inside their body boiled that instant, and they wished to give Yu Zhongjie a show. They just only started the ideomotor reflex and a surge of Noble Qi was already pressuring each of their orifices, stifling them in their steps.


    Having seen this, Chen Jinchan frowned. He took a step forward and all the Noble Qi was absorbed into his body. At this point the Mana flowed out, going so far as to have them refined.


    Yu Zhongjie accordingly was startled, he cultivated the Confucian Sect''s Noble Qi, but when faced with the disciples it will never be in his favour. Today he gave up his move, and still could not see though the means by which Chen Jinchan employed.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Chen Jinchan was also confused as it was just his subconscious thought. He never imagined it would be this miraculous. Furthermore the Noble Qi that was refined became a clear spring, which gushed into his brain and entered his bier, and at that moment became a line. His bier lit up vigorously, his heart was filled with countless knowledge, and suddenly his bier was full, as if the sea was thrashing against him, giving him a sense of fulfilment and suffering.


    At this time, a sound brushed through his bier, and the scene started to calm down. He heard Shen Lian''s voice, "Bring him to me."


    Chen Jinchan immediately came to his present senses, he did not know that the righteousness of the Confucian Sect was accumulated from learning, bearing fundamental differences to the cultivations practiced by the usual Daoist Qi cultivators. When Yu Zhongjie''s Noble Qi entered Chen Jinchan''s body, it sparked a reaction with the knowledge present in the latter''s heart, akin to a spark that came into contact with boiling oil, desiring the said knowledge.


    If it were not for Shen Lian''s interference and the situation was left to develop further, Chen Jinchan would immediately be unable to bear the sudden explosion of knowledge. All his orifices would bleed, and it would be hard to predict whether he could stay alive or die.


    Just that strand of righteousness could spread its roots in his bier, if it went to the point of blossoming and bearing fruit, it could see Chen Jinchan''s birth.


    Neither Yu Zhongjie nor Chen Jinchan understood anything, but Shen Lian knew all too well. Yanxu would not simply send over anyone, it could even be deliberate.


    Shen Lian could guess Yanxu''s motives. It was not to see whether Chen Jinchan was qualified. Yanxu was afraid of the lonely future and deliberately nurtured a worthy opponent. This winning confidence, he also did not omit from showing Shen Lian. It was considered a response towards that night when Zhao Xiaoyu wounded Yanxu.


    The decisive battle would take place on the third of March, but clashes were everywhere.


    Shen Lian sat quietly in the main hall of Qing Xuan, and meditated on all this. He increasingly looked forward to having the ''Bier Discourse of Dao'' with Yanxu. To be battling a person of such terror and intelligence, it was even more possible that his potential powers could be stimulated, and that a higher level of state can be pursued.


    After a while, Yu Zhongjie, led by Chen Jinchan, reached the main hall of Qing Xuan. When he reached within thirty-three steps of Shen Lian, he stopped. He greeted Shen Lian by raising one hand to his chest then bowed to the hand. After that, he got to his knees and ceremoniously bowed four times. Each nod was accompanied with carefulness, precise as though it was measured with a ruler.


    Chen Jinchan saw such respectable greetings and could not help but be solemnly silent in his heart.


    After four rounds of kowtow, he intended to get up, but found that he had no way of moving. Shen Lian was looking intensely at him from the top of the stone couch, "One more bow."


    Yu Zhengjie lifted his head and looked at the Qing Xuan headmaster. But it was as if he saw a mighty mountain, a clear sky, an endless sea. His heart profoundly admired this attainment that could not be measured, and said, "Zhenren Shen, why do you say so?"


    Shen Lian plainly said, "You inherited the teachings of Confucianism, you should know solemn worship is only feudatory manners, it is not respectable manners. In times of now, he and I are all respected. Ordinarily when you meet him, do you only give him the solemn worship?"


    Yu Zhengjie replied, "When I meet Demon Master, of course I give him the solemn worship. When Zhenren and Demon Master engage in the ''Bier Discourse of Dao'', demonstrably it would be on equal footing, and indeed your humble servant will kowtow one time less."


    He abruptly kowtowed, striking the floor of the hall. Sparks flew. The flesh and blood of his head were indistinct. But he simply did not pay any attention to it, and slowly got up, calm and unruffled.


    Shen Lian told him plainly, "This sort of loss of dignity and integrity, even if you acquired Noble Qi, it could be that you cannot train to the highest."


    Yu Zhongjie replied, "Your humble servant learned Confucianism for practical use, not to be a loyal and filial son. Moreover, what Zhenren said is the plain truth, and your humble servant is naturally obedient."


    "There is a bit of meaning. Take out the Yanxu''s gift. I would like to see what big present he has for me." Shen Lian slowly said.


    Yu Zhongjie heard these words and opened his flocket, and in the hall there appeared a withered poplar, with leaves and branches that were already falling.


    Shen Lian saw this and sighed, "The tree loses its leaves, the meaning of life ends."


    Yu Zhongjie said, "Demon Master let me tell this to Zhenren, that when this tree is planted in front of Taiwei Pavilion and is watered daily with Water from the River of Spirits, then vitality would be high."


    Shen Lian softly said, "Tell him that I will do so. Go back and report the completion of your mission to him."


    With a wave of his flocket, Yu Zhongjie immediately and autonomously flew up, and when his feet touched the ground, he was already out of Mount Qing Xuan. He was actually shocked and amazed. Eventually, his Noble Qi became a cloud, and he went back to report the completion of his mission to Demon Master.


    Inside the Qing Xuan main hall, Chen Jinchan asked, "Master, Demon Master is crafty. The gift he sent, why should it be kept?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "On suspicion that scourge may occur, the Sky Demon Technique is used to combat this. My heart bears no doubt that no matter how mighty his Demon Technique is, it cannot endure me. Jinchan, you must remember, an honest heart is not insight, insight is not undisturbed, and having reached this step, any being can enter celestial state. The heart must not have terror, and whatever trials may come, all of them can be faced much more leisurely."

 Chapter 442 Techniques are Like Flowing Water

    Chen Jinchan told Shen Lian about the bier and Noble Qi dynamic. After he heard everything Shen Lian could only muster a laugh, asking Chen Jinchan, "What did I tell you was the purpose of cultivating Qing Xuan?"


    The reply came, "Master, you said ''before cultivating one''s behaviour, one must first cultivate one''s heart'', your disciple remembers this in his heart."


    Shen Lian laughed, "Techniques are like flowing water, hearts are like river channels. The river does not change, the water flows with it."


    Chen Jinchan seemed as though he understood, then left and went out the hall.


    Not long after he left, Gu Caiwei leisurely walked into the main hall, and while laughing said, "This disciple of yours, I have no idea where you found him. Even before 30 years are up, he would already surpass me."


    Shen Lian waved a sprinkle, and in the middle of the hall the vital force of the universe condensed, as if it were substance, and formed into a small stool under him. Gu Caiwei helped herself and sat down.


    He gazed at her and smiled, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, is something the matter?"


    Gu Caiwei gave him an angry stare and said, "Grand Headmaster Shen, am I to meet you only when something is the matter?"


    "Naturally, if you came here without any reason, my heart feels even more joyous", Shen Lian chuckled, his body was bright as though there were divine lights, shaped like a celestial.


    Praise was given to him by Gu Caiwei, "Looking at you, I am envious, yet my heart worries. If man hears the right way in the morning, he may die in the evening without regrets. But being able to live is much more glorious."


    Shen Lian replied, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you are afraid that I was serious when I said that we will not meet after the third of March. In life it is rare that anyone could spend their time together for long. The past and the future is all cloud and smoke. It is enough that we remember the good things, and not ask questions of anything else. Besides, there is no difference between Senior Apprentice-Sister not seeing me and me not seeing you."


    Feelings were stirred in Gu Caiwei''s heart, and she sighed, "Since it will be that way, my guts know, it is beyond expectations to be able to enter the path of Daoism. As for breaking away from the whims, Daoist immortality may not be achieved."


    Having heard her words, Shen Lian lightly smiled and pointed at the stem of the wilted poplar tree in the middle of hall, "That poplar is a gift from Yanxu. I wish to plant it beside Taiwei Pavilion. If it blooms in the future, I will have to go."


    Gu Caiwei frowned, "You are well aware he acts for the people, would there not be a problem to plant it in front of Taiwei Pavilion?"


    Shen Lian said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, let me tell you the origins of this poplar tree. Everyone knows that the Bamboo of No Desire lies in Zizai Temple. For it is not a common thing. It cleanses the mind and spirit, letting the people be free of demonic thoughts, but without knowing that Zizai Temple still bears a clean bottle which a poplar tree grows. It emits wood and water, clean and wonderful, capable of crossing death and entering life, extinguishing all demonic enmity. By my action of planting it in front of Taiwei Pavilion, it will enable all the residual resentments of the ancestors, left behind from their unjust deaths as a result of catastrophes, to be all removed by the poplar tree. This will be considered a small token of appreciation for the younger generation. Yanxu sent this tree also with the future in mind, if I did not believe him, and instead let the resentment of the ancestors pent up, it would be unworthy.


    Gu Caiwei said, "Then he correctly predicted you would believe, but just like this all along how it has not fallen with the wind."


    Shen Lian rose up and walked to the dry poplar tree, then touched its shrivelled trunk, "A thousand things with the floating clouds, all of them passing Taixu, why should I dread him."


    At this point he suddenly stood up, his Qi dynamic expanded to the heavens and earth, and even managed to affect the Demonic Order whose ''Blood Precipice'' was gathered in an earthen jar, where it was not far from the original position where the Tai Su Sect was built. Water from the Tongtian River was attracted and mixed with the Pond of Blood, which then surged endlessly and rammed against the cliff.


    Demon Master Yanxu was standing up on the tall cliff, beside him was a tall and towering tree. Its leaves were as big as a pear, its fruit was borne on the trunk, and no flowers were open. It was the Udumbara tree of Jinji Country.


    At that moment the tree danced, as if it received a collision from a shapeless breath, as its roots were bound to the mountain, it incidentally shook all the earthen jars of the Demon Sect.


    It just only stopped when the sticks and leaves of the tree dropped. At the same time blood water at the bottom of the cliff slowly returned to its calm state, and stopped moving, reflecting the clear sky above. The gathering together of the cloud shadows was clearly that of Shen Lian''s appearance, which smiled indifferently at Yanxu, then whirled and dispersed without a trace.


    Yanxu knew what Shen Lian meant. Be it in heaven or on earth, Shen Lian could always find him, and they need not sound out each other.


    He smiled under his breath, "Grandmaster Yuanqing, Grandmaster Qingshui, I now do not regret that I was not born during the same time as you."


    At this time, Shen Lian had already carried the stem of the wilted poplar to Zifu Peak at Taiwei Pavilion, and planted it. It was hidden in the middle of Taiwei Pavilion, where another empty layer of The City of Death was wrapped immediately in innumerable roots. Without resistance, it extracted an uncountable number of demonic enmity Qi that was lingering.


    Shen Lian spat out a curse, softly crooned and gently chanted, and finally surrendered having spent half a day on this. He took some water from the River of spirits and watered it. Only then did green sprouts slowly emerge from the declining and wilted branch of the poplar.


    After this, the task of watering the poplar will be handed over to Apprentice-Sister Gu Caiwei.


    ...


    Water from the Tongtian River came from above, flowed quickly to the sea and never returned.


    Its length and width was still greater than that of Qingshui River, as though it could block off the Yuan Continent, with its majestic and boundless aura. In the beginning there were many cultivators who followed it upstream, appreciating the Great Way of Heaven and Earth.


    But the headwaters of Tongtian River is precisely the location of Yuan Continent''s northernmost glaciers, that majestic iceberg, which was actually not inferior compared to any tall mountain in the human world. More so, it had almost no population, and a person not of transcendent celestialization will find it hard to reach here.


    Zhao Xiaoyu treaded on the icy surface. With pants white as snow and skin like crystal, she looked like a Ku-yi Fairy, footsteps on the earthly existence of dust. If beside there were still earthly existence of ordinary persons, afraid only that they should bow incessantly, for the sake of being captivated.


    From the distance there was a dark shadow, from far and near came a person treading on the sleigh, as nimble as a phantom, but stopped immediately after a long metal shovel was abruptly plunged into the icy surface by the hand that held it, where a clear figure of a person was finally shown. It was Bai Shaoliu, the one who worked for Zhao Xiaoyu in the Capital City of Da Zhou. Through him, Shen Lian was introduced to the sword will of the Milky Way Sword.


    Bai Shaoliu reverently said, "Auntie let me tell sister-in-law, it is better if we were not to meet, so please go back."


    Zhao Xiaoyu let out a laugh, all heaven and earth lost colour, and softly said, "Senior Apprentice-Sister lives in seclusion, from the looks of it her Qi improved quite a bit, but since she is determined not to meet, what need would she then have to send you as a messenger? Bring me to meet her then."


    Her soft voice and delicate words fell on the ears of Bai Shaoliu, and was as if she was saying the Constitution. Words that were hard to go against.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    As if the body was no longer one''s own, once again he sled the sleigh along the endless glaciers, passing mountains over mountains of ice, and finally reached an igloo.


    The igloo was the only thing that was visible in the snow and ice, all around it were tall ice mountains that did not see the light of day nor were there any living things. If Bai Shaoliu did not lead the way, Zhao Xiaoyu would still be able to find the place, albeit rather slowly and at the expense of her Qi energy.


    Only when Bai Shaoliu reached there did he regain his sense of freedom. From inside the house came a soft voice, as indifferent as the icy fog, "Junior Apprentice-Sister, why did you take the trouble to find me? The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma cannot be passed on to an outsider, please just drop the idea."


    Zhao Xiaoyu shifted her gaze to the igloo. As if it grew from the icy surroundings, it was a work of nature, not a trace of carving was seen.


    It was even possible to feel the distribution of the Shapeless District, causing divine power to incessantly flow on her body, which eventually started to weaken. Even if it were just a bit, but it was enough to move her.

 Chapter 443 Never Again to Meet in Life and in Death

    Zhao Xiaoyu suppressed her shock and sweetly said, "With your means, Senior Apprentice-Sister, it is not hard to hide from me. But since I managed to find you, this proves that I can still get The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma. As for any of your needs, Senior Apprentice-Sister, little sister''s principle is to consent."


    Those gentle words were like a layer of shapeless ripples, causing the piece of Shapeless District to hold down. It was as if Bai Shaoliu saw white light emanating from the layers of snow and from on top of the igloo. It was consistently bright all around and not a shadow was seen.


    Out came a beautiful young woman from the igloo. It was Zhou Ling, Zhao Xiaoyu''s Senior Apprentice-Sister. Compared to previously, she looked younger by about 10 years. The hair on her temples were like clouds, her skin was like snow, with a pair of eyes akin to the murmurs of clear water, even girls who saw her might be entranced.


    Zhou Ling spoke softly, "Junior Apprentice-Sister, you have never done these things for anyone ever before. Does your heart really think that highly of him?"


    Smiling, Zhou Xiaoyu replied, "Not that highly, but exceedingly higher."


    "It seems you have not changed one bit. You still do not shy away from your inner thoughts. Perhaps this was the reason why Master passed down the orthodoxy to you, but only I have no way to understand it. You, who pursued Dao wholeheartedly, yet still bearing emotions." said Zhou Ling, as she looked into Zhao Xiaoyu''s deep eyes.


    Zhao Xiaoyu gently said, "Some things are just this intriguing. Some things you have never even thought about suddenly happens but you will not let yourself be half as surprised, and instead treat it as it should be expected. Just like Senior Apprentice-Sister who sought refuge here, having already completely forgotten the thoughts of being determined to seek revenge against Lu Jiuyuan, and by accident obtained the true meaning of ''The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma''."


    Soft came the reply, "Your wisdom, insight, and cultivation experience, they are all miles ahead of me. Suppose I remain steadfast in my unwillingness to pass The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma to you, I fear that you may raise a hand to me with no hesitation whatsoever."


    Zhao Xiaoyu kept silent, as if displaying acquiescence. This was her pattern all along.


    Zhou Ling then said, "If today the person with The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma was Master, and she also is unwilling to pass it to you, would you still insist on it?"


    Zhao Xiaoyu bore a calm demeanor, "This is the difference between you and I, Senior Apprentice-Sister. If you would stand in my shoes, I would not ask this way. Similarly, I will not give up even if what you said was the reality."


    "Long ago, you were not willing to give me the token from the divine ruins. At present, I will also not let you have the The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma so easily, and nor will I request you to do anything. That is why I am taking advantage of this opportunity that we, as Apprentice-Sisters, may resolve antecedents. From now onwards, we will never again meet, in life and in death." Zhou Ling coldly said.


    Zhao Xiaoyu glanced deeply at her: "Never again to meet, in life and death."


    Zhou Ling darted her gaze at Bai Shaoliu, and plainly said, "Walk away along the South side, and do not come back."


    Bai Shaoliu was about to speak, but said nothing. Eventually he walked towards the South, his head held low. From the looks of it, a battle looked set to be underway.


    Both were silent for 15 minutes. Zhou Ling chanted softly, and as if breathing out The Dao of Subtlety. Every syllable caused Zhao Xiaoyu''s mind and spirit to tremble, as if each slap of the drumming beat and each beat of the heart were one. It was extremely hard to bear.


    She deeply understood this to be edification of The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma. Without a doubt, Zhou Ling obtained its true essence, but she has not cultivated to its most extreme level, so she intended to use the sound curse to incite The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma to unleash its powers. All the same Zhao Xiaoyu had no way to block it, as it was the very same thing which she came to obtain.


    For this type of situation where the course of events are particularly hard to bear, Zhao Xiaoyu committed each syllable to her memory, inscribed them in the recesses of her spirit. At the same time the powers of The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma were imprinted on her body, as if it were a red hot branding iron, annihilating her divine powers bit by bit.


    No matter how much was the pain she had to bear, she never complained, her mind and spirit remained calm as the water.


    Life was hard, but there were some things that could turn all that pain and suffering into happiness.


    Both of them were hauling their Qi dynamic, Zhou Ling could also clearly feel that part of Zhao Xiaoyu''s tranquil satisfaction. She knew the taste of emotions, but when she was enamoured it was not the same as Zhao Xiaoyu''s peaceful joy. Moreover, that person died long ago by Lu Jiuyuan''s hands.


    A twinge of jealousy grew in Zhou Ling. She felt jealous of Zhao Xiaoyu''s stability, of Master''s favouritism towards Zhao Xiaoyu, of Zhao Xiaoyu''s talent. Whether being in command of the Great Teachings, or in the formula of cultivation, Zhao Xiaoyu always caught up and eventually went miles ahead of her.


    In the end, after breathing out the last syllable, a roll of thunder sounded, as if judgement was passed from the heavens. Bolts of lightning fell towards the ground. Thick as a python, they rolled down and caused the icebergs all around to shatter into countless icicles, which flew about in all directions. Heaven and earth entered a state of chaos.


    Much of the The Total Annihilation of the Dharma, was naturally a scene of the end of times. The most terrifying power of The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma was when it merged with God''s punishment, both punishing the Qi cultivators and all the sentient brings in the world, annihilating the Law of Detachment, returning heaven and earth to Ching Ning.


    After the lightning came countless sparks. The icebergs melted, the layers of ice collapsed, drifting along with the current, which surged and swept everything. When faced with this immense power, every living creature seemed low.


    But Zhao Xiaoyu obviously was not an example of such lowliness. She licked her vermillion lips, stood up on a piece of iceberg, and went with the flow of the wave. More than just waves, a large one which contained numerous hard icicles rushed and headed her way, but once they reached in front of her they all dissipated.


    However, just to calm down the scene was not in her capabilities. Because the icebergs contained spiritual forces spanning over innumerable years, it led to vital force of the universe in the area to become more chaotic beyond comparison. She could only use her own divine power to drown out the hardship and force herself to remember the The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma, which then caused her divine power to drop from the tenth stop to the ninth stop.


    The thunder was dispelled at some point, displaying a clear and starry sky, with countless bright stars of the universe, as if they were right in front of one''s eyes. At the same time, the star power gathered together, and actually had no less heat than the heat of the sun, causing Zhao Xiaoyu to be surrounded with ice water as the iceberg she was on suddenly and completely melted. The Qi of Vitality madly exploded, and coupled with the cold water, it began to boil, causing Zhao Xiaoyu to be placed in the middle of a fog. Not only was it hot, but she also could not tell left from right.


    Trapped in the white fog, Zhao Xiaoyu''s heart was as calm as the cold tide, and closed her eyes. No matter how strong she let her Nine Lotus Great Spell become, she feared it would be hard to use her divine thoughts to drive a part of the Qi of Vitality, passing through like a fish in water to the heavens and earth until that point where all the Qi of Vitality became like an enemy towards her. If it were to touch her divine thoughts just a bit, it would result in an explosion of the Qi of Vitality.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    It turns out that even the minutest amount of Qi of vitality can still have a shocking mighty force, once it explodes. This led to her divine thoughts being extremely uncomfortable.


    If she wished to come out of this alive, she could not display her Nine Lotus Miedi just like she did with Yanxu. If she displayed it this time, she feared it really would be incorrigible.


    The only way was to heavily defeat Senior Apprentice-Sister in this shroud, then only can the day be reopened. Otherwise, she could only die alive in this battlefield of all The Total Annihilation of the Dharma.


    The quieter Zhao Xiaoyu''s heart was, the more she could feel the intricate surroundings of the heaven and earth, her divine thoughts received the baptism of numerous explosions of the Qi of Vitality, gradually condensing just like Vajra.


    She bore a smile and looked far out of the fog, unhurriedly calling out, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, for The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma, you have yet to cultivate to the extent of The Mantra of Total Annihilation."


    Zhao Xiaoyu noted something undoubtedly conclusive. The Nine Lotus Great Spell existed deep within her heart, and was not affected by The Sutra of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma.

 Chapter 444 You Have the Wine, I Have the Story

    Zhao Xiaoyu suddenly smiled, her hair scattered like a waterfall. She walked to the middle of the white fog and the boiling water, and her body sank deeper. She actually could use the Godly body to enter the water boiled by star power, and not a bit of her supple skin was scalded by it.


    She was like a mermaid now, clean drawn-out ripples, floating deep onto the waterbed. It was sand that shimmered, like a heap of snow powder. She did not care for her image and sat on the bed of sand, seeing everything inside the water.


    Despite the white fog that spewed out from the boiling water, the waterbed showed a completely different scene. Layers and layers of waves rippled, and the water was filled with the star power. It was as if she placed herself in a star river, since it was already bright and beautiful. She also deeply felt the heat of the star power which constantly attempted to break through her skin, infesting her divine lights.


    This type of environment gave people an unbearable suffering, yet was also as clear as colored glass. It made one feel as though one were immersed in a dream, with one''s heart and soul set free with no limits, indeed forgetting all the obstruction caused by suffering.


    During The Total Annihilation of the Dharma, demons surfaced, and as if there was no colored glass anywhere, an exotic fragrance filled the air, naturally there was no way to attract the falling of the Penitential Buddha.


    All composed things are like a dream, a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning. That is how to meditate on them, like a lotus, to observe them.


    Zhao XIaoyu gradually felt her divine powers weakening, a pristine lotus flower also grew out from her heart, and she felt happy and calm.


    The Book of Nine Lotus had a certain mysteriousness, all the more without a doubt at this time. From Mount Jimo it obtained the heritage of the Meaning of Dharma from the founder of Luo Order. And at this time it was like the lotus seeds that were borne by the lotus flower, clear and capable of moving people, within easy reach.


    All of The Total Annihilation of the Dharma, did not annihilate the heart and soul. When Zhao Xiaoyu''s last strand of divine power was depleted, her whole being felt like it sunk into a vacuum, her spirit floating around, and the heart of the world in a flash.


    The melodious lake water was all around, as was the heartfelt moonlight that rippled with the water, crystal and clear was the gleaming light of the waves. Just like a starry night sky, the scene was a moving one.


    At this quiet place of heaven and earth, Zhao XIaoyu silently sat on a boat. Her finger plucked the strings of a Guqin, the sound of which elucidated her meditation, bright in the way the moonlight was cleansing.


    It was in this poetic moment in heaven and earth that Shen Lian suddenly appeared. He came from out of nowhere, but when he appeared, it like the look of a painting, as if a splash of ink painting broke into the heaven and earth. With no discernible difference in ally, it impacted the calm and happy divine heart of Zhao Xiaoyu.


    She quietly kept a close look on Shen Lian as he came nearer. Her mouth bore a shallow smile, and she seemed to have an endless amount of deep emotion.


    Shen Lian moved like the fresh rain on an empty mountain, like the wind on an autumn''s night. Surely not a girl in this world can ever resist such a man walking towards her.


    Zhao Xiaoyu suddenly looked as if her young heart''s desire sprouted, she smiled in flowers, and her whole body was enveloped in the midst of the emotion. But when Shen Lian stepped on the deck of the boat, her playing of Guqin suddenly became impatient, like a silver bottle that broke, armored horses pushing out, her sombre qi was like a knife and sword. Swiftly the sound took on shape, strangling the incoming Shen Lian without a moment''s hesitation.


    She slowly closed her eyes, and after a while opened them again. The surrounding water stopped moving, enabling her to see quite a distance. However she need not look that far, for Senior Apprentice-Sister was just nearby,


    "If you had just hesitated to kill, you would have lost." Zhou Ling felt disappointed and blank.


    Zhao Xiaoyu rose up from the bed of shimmering sand and looked to Senior Apprentice-Sister. She plainly said, "I knew it was fake, so why should I be so engrossed? Senior Apprentice-Sister it was real only to you, but you could not discern the real from the fake."


    She pointed with an empty hand and out grew a lotus flower. This was borne from the heart and soul, displaying its manners and beauty to the fullest.


    Zhou Ling saw the lotus flower attacking her, and in the end could not dodge it one bit.


    But the lotus flower leisurely rotated, stopping inches before the space between her eyebrows, and stayed stationary. But the pressure coming from the psyche power was imminent, if she moved slightly, that would spell the end with no hope of reprieve.


    Zhou Ling''s heart saddened. She spoke with slight resentment, "In the end I am still inferior to you."


    The lotus flower dispersed like the waves of the water. Zhao Xiaoyu vanished in the water, but a faint voice sounded from the depths of Zhou Ling''s heart, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, not once have I thought of fighting with you for the sake of comparing strengths."


    ...


    Today was the 15th of February. Shen Lian had left Mount Qingxuan and reached a simple and clean Daoist temple which bore the words ''Qing Xia'' on it. Coincidentally it was the Daoist temple which he passed by long ago. On this day a few years back, it was also the day which he had sought a new lease in life from this place.


    If Shen Lian had a birthday, it would be today.


    Counting the years, he had reached this place at exactly thirty-three years.


    Having used thirty-three years'' worth of time, from an ordinary person he became the apex person in this side of the heavens and earth. If he told anyone, they might even not feel that it cannot be believed.


    Truth be told, the bigshots in the Cultivation Community knew only of the fact that Shen Lian cultivated for less than fifty years, even the disciples of Qing Xuan could not remember that clearly. After all is said and done, if one thinks about it, it really is a very frightening thing.


    However, Shen Lian did not feel that this was something so universally shocking, since whatever that happened on his person was all logical.


    ''The Mastery of Senses'' enabled him to train his spirit to become strong. Thousands of years of Qing Xuan sources let the potential of his body to be unleashed. His naturally simple heart of Dao further enabled him to break free of countless obstacles during his path of cultivation. He has faced near-death situations many times, but he managed to avert them all.


    Everything was too smooth, even the dangers that befell him were like a well-established script.


    Shen Lian was enjoying everything today, but he also was in deep fear, because it felt like as if there was a shapeless pair of eyes watching his every move.


    In particular was the experience of the imposing Lingbao Tianzun. Only then did he understand that the kind of power in Daoist masters and Buddha, would terrifiyingly surpass that of his current knowledge, leading him to neither have a way to figure it out nor to resist.


    More so then, to gradually let his heart be filled with ambitions and aspirations that no one can ever feel, in addition to the share of the desire to explore.


    The so-called inactive heart of Dao, also would not stop at anything.


    To face this unimaginable hardship, Shen Lian''s heart was even more delighted. For it was this kind of life that brought pleasure, leaving him deeply nostalgic.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    In the sunset there was a man carrying a bundle of firewood on his back. He dragged a long shadow behind him. He came nearer, and it could be seen that he was a middle-aged woodcutter. Both of his temples were slightly weathered, only his two slender hands were strong, and his five fingers were callus-free. If anyone saw him, they would know that he was no ordinary person.


    But in Shen Lian''s eyes, the extraordinary people were not much different from the ordinary.


    The woodcutter asked with a slight hesitation, "Mister Shen?"


    Shen Lian smiled back, "Brother Bai! You were living away in seclusion at Qing Xia Temple all along, you made some renovations to it, I am very grateful."


    The woodcutter was Bai Yufei, from back in the day. Originally the lone thief in the wilful aspect of humanity, but was later saved by Shen Lian. He served Shen Lian for some years, eventually saving Shen Ruoxi. After Shen Ruoxi was passed to the hands of Shen Lian, Bai Yufei set off for further lands.


    Of course, he was a mere mortal, but when he faced the Shen Lian of today, he was like an ant. But Shen Lian, having seen him, felt close to him.


    Bai Yufei felt the same, and he movingly said, "I never thought you would come back, that you and I would meet again."


    Shen Lian nipped his finger and counted. With that he could know of Bai Yufei''s stories in the past years. But Shen Lian did not use his supernatural power, and simply asked, "Brother Bai, have you always been here all these years? Have you also any other stories?"


    Bai Yufei brightly chuckled, "I have been here for quite a few years, but I do not have any stories. What I do have is Monkey Wine that I obtained from the mountains. If you have nothing to take care of today, we could drink to our heart''s content."


    Shen Lian laughed, "How coincidental, brother Bai has the wine, Shen Lian has the stories. It appears we have no choice but to drink!"

 Chapter 445 Man’s Life is but the Morning Dew

    Bai Yufei let out a laugh, "Nothing could be better!"


    Age has taken away his vitality, but it cannot change the fact that he was once a Jianghu drifter. It takes one day in Jianghu for a person to never leave Jianghu, for even if Jianghu is a place of unpredictability, but that kind of wilfulness and pride was also what every man''s heart yearned deep down.


    Carrying the firewood, he beckoned Shen Lian into Qing Xia Temple. Inside it was clean, all of the firewood was stacked neatly. The furnishings at the top of the hall remained largely similar to when Shen Lian was last here. One could see the carefulness of Bai Yufei.


    He watched over Qing Xuan temple, whether or not one day Mister Shen came here for Celestial Cultivation, at least he would not feel that the place was not homely.


    Bai Yufei did not say it, and thus no one knew, but the person he had the most respect for was Shen Lian. Shen Lian saved him, and gave him some peace of mind.


    Some say that a calm heart is better than an abundance of wealth.


    Bai Yufei was an outstanding thief, money was something he could easily get. But before he met Shen Lian, he was only a pitiful wretch, to the point where Ye Liuyun tramped over mountains just to chase him down and kill him.


    Shen Lian gave him new life. Therefore at the time, he guarded over the Shen family for many years. In the end he even saved a young Shen Ruoyi.


    One after another they stepped into the temple. Bai Yufei tossed about in the kitchen for a while and brought out the wine. The both of them did not bother to be couth, they immediately started drinking.


    The mountaintop in February was equivalent to December below the mountain. Cold and chilly, after the last remains of the sun left its afterglow, there then came a pitter-patter of rain and snow.


    Shen Lian only had wine in his mind, so did not display even the slightest of techniques, allowing the cold air to intrude upon Qing Xia Temple. The occasional snow and rain dampened the window lattice.


    They drank, accompanied with the wild mountain soybeans that Bai Yufei fried.


    To be frank, even though the wine was Monkey Wine, but the taste was only so-so. If one placed more thought into it, it would seem hard to fathom that monkeys could ever brew good wine. In deep mountainous forests, far off the beaten track, it was very likely that the monkeys harvested various spiritual fruit and fermented them into fruit wine. Perhaps it could taste better, but with the spiritual fruit, even after they went through Celestial concoctions, no matter what the effect and taste, might not be better by any margin.


    That was why Shen Lian drank for the sake of drinking, and not to savor the flavors within.


    Just like an emperor, who amongst the people wore lavish clothes, sat in a small tavern, content with being able to eat and drink, one could also feel the different moods from the past.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian drank while he told his life story. He started from Qing Xuan Temple. The memories he spoke of happened long ago, but when he spoke about them, it was as if it happened just yesterday, for every little detail, not a single bit was omitted.


    Towards the end there was one particular story that Bai Yufei experienced in the flesh. As for the matter that involved Shen Lian seeking the way of Dao, Bai Yufei did not know the details.


    After all he was only an ordinary person, in his eyes the heavens and earth are small, completely incapable of imagining the means of a deity and first class figure that could produce clouds and rain with one wave of the hand and stop the flow of rivers in a mere instant


    But he was a good listener, happily lending his ears. Humans all have curiosity, and towards matters of deities they naturally could not understand, but they were incredibly curious.


    Another sip of wine, another story.


    Everything that Shen Lian went through in his thirty-three years, other people would not even encounter in three-hundred and thirty years.


    It was as if he was a spectator and everything was expounded, beneath the warm smile was an icy tone of voice.


    Bai Yufei had wanted to get drunk with Shen Lian since a long time ago, but back then the session at the inn was supposed to be the last chance. But now Shen Lian feared than he would only get drunk if he drank the mythical Celestial Wine of the Heaven Courtyard.


    After they finished the wine, Bai Yufei leaned over the table. The rain and snow outside were still present. Shen Lian had finished telling all of his stories.


    Bai Yufei had finished listening to the story at just the right time. Shen Lian would have a Dao discussion with an extremely terrifying Demon King on the third of next month.


    When Bai Yufei passed out from being drunk, Shen Lian rose up and went outside. He allowed the raindrops and the snow to fall on the hair on his temples and on his forehead.


    Apart from the candlelight of Qing Xuan Temple, the heavens and earth were dark beyond comparison. No other light could be seen. The silent darkness, the pitter-patter of rain, and the snow that melted in the rain, they contained the Qi dynamic of heaven and earth and its natural growth and decline.


    If a person could sense the complex Qi dynamic of heaven and earth as well as the many transformations, even if there was not a strand of Mana it was still possible to move mountains and turn seas.


    To the point where one could go along with the changes of Mana, a point could be found, where a single interference could reverse the Yin and Yang.


    The Qi of Vitality in Mount Qing Xia was not that thick, it could properly be called thin.


    As of this moment that little bit of Qi of heaven and earth started to clash with each other, then exploded and dispelled in the heavens and earth. A raging wind started in the mountaintop, blowing the trees that were caught in the rain.


    It was in this scene that Shen Lian once again met Zhao Xiaoyu.


    Natural beauty, the crescent of her eyebrows, a sweet smile, the beauty of her eyes, various beautiful words can be heaped onto her, but none of them do her justice.


    Shen Lian could feel that Zhao Xiaoyu was different. With her every step, the control Shen Lian had over the Qi of heaven and earth weakened slightly. In the end, the surroundings were all the domain of the technique.


    Shen Lian softly told her, "Xiaoyu, in doing this, I''m afraid that the mutual affection you have with your sister is finished." On worldly things he could not be outsmarted, not to mention his body was equipped with Tongtian Skill and Tiandi Jian. Once all the power peeped into the world, the fear was that in such a short time, it really could have the type of Ouija where deities know all.


    But then again everything was done, and to him it was absolutely an extremely high burden. To be like the Daoist Masters and Buddha, knowing the cause and the end result through ideomotor reflex, the past and future not omitted, may not be possible even throughout one life.


    "If I had not done this, our fate would also be finished." Zhao Xiaoyu plainly smiled, empty and quiet in spirit, her whole person along with the heaven and earth were ill-matched. Such simple words were much more powerful than any other touching words of love. Shen Lian was left unable to avoid them.


    Shen Lian was speechless and could only look quietly at her. The bitter cold of rain and snow were completely forgotten.


    Zhao Xiaoyu gently pursed her vermillion lips, the heavens and earth sounded one after another with intriguing syllables, clean and clear was the sound quality, the chants of these syllables had an indescribable demonic power. Shen Lian committed each of these syllables to memory.


    This was The Sutra of The Dharma of Total Annihilation. Made known by Buddha, passed down by Maitreya Buddha, and that which contained the great mystery of the karmic cycle.


    Shen Lian could not melodramatically refuse. In addition, Zhao Xiaoyu was not the type of her who would willingly be with him all day and night. Even though she had feelings for him, she was still Zhao Xiaoyu.


    Shen Lian knew he already had an unbreakable involvement with a girl who was like a witch and a fairy, but he was not burdened by this, it gave him a kind of transparency that ''Dao is both with and without emotion''.


    After the night, the rain and clouds dispersed. The morning sunlight shone on the water droplets that remained on the tree leaves, which resulted in much radiance, as if one were in a dream.


    Bai Yufei was still leaning on the tabletop, eyes barely open. Shen Lian was long gone. The tables were cleared and cleaned, and a line of words were inscribed on it -------------- ''I lift my drink and sing a song, for who knows if one''s life is short or long; man''s life is but the morning dew, past days many, future days few''.

 Chapter 446 How Time Flies

    Bai Yufei stared at the two lines of words on the desk, his heart filled with an inexplicable feeling of sadness but at the same time, a sense of relief.


    It was like the experiences Shen Lian mentioned last night, and his outtake in life could be described with the phrase ''How often does one get to drink with the accompaniment of song and dance; like the morning dew that dissipates, how fast days go by''


    In the end, gods and deities are just human, trapped in the vast sea of suffering without relief.


    He carefully removed the desktop and pondered for a long time, finally putting it back to its original place. Regardless how precious the two lines are, they should not be removed for private possession nor should it be worshipped like God. That would not be what Shen Lian desired.


    From then on, Bai Yufei married a farm girl and gave birth to children. He also told the children about the story of Shen Lian. It was passed down from generation to generation and Shen Lian''s story has now become a myth.


    ...


    Mount Qing Xuan did not experience the cold drizzling rain in spring, but a marvelous spectacle has occured at Zifu Peak - for a while, winter will come, with drifting snowfall; then after a while the winter cold will be replaced with spring, with flowers blooming and trees growing. At almost every moment in time, seasonal changes occurred at Zifu Peak, performing the transition between yin and yang.


    Shen Lian returned from the springtime drizzle of Mount Qing Xia to the clear sight of this scene. Not only Shen Lian, but everyone from Qing Xuan saw it too.


    Zhi Fu Peak is where Ziling fairy meditated. The remaining disciples and doyen have guessed that Ziling fairy - who has obtained the ingenious Dao of Yin and Yang, was the cause of the marvelous scenery, possibly due to a leak in the meaning of Dao in her attempt to comprehend a certain Mysterious Nihility Theory.


    His feelings are in excellent condition, he felt that there was nothing to be worried about in the world. After all, he told the story and had wine to keep his emotions at bay.


    Towards the battle with Yan Xu, his heart only harbored. He did not know what would the outcome be, but the process would surely be wonderful, because that would be the most exciting battle in his life, with someone on equal footing.


    The battle with Chen BeiDou could be seen as a loss for both sides. However, in a sense, Shen Lian was forced to fight that battle. Since the beginning, compared to Chen Bei Dou, his skills were lacked slightly in comparison. Until the way of Dao obtained by the fake Lingbao Tianzun, enabling him to use the sword that transcends secularism - To become one with Dao sword.


    However, the same could not be said with Yan Xu, both Yan Xu and Shen Lian were on par. From times past, both have achieved great accomplishments in this world.


    This kind of achievement is not based on state and mana, but on an integrated level of considerations.


    Shen Lian stepped over the River of Spirits, onto the soft grassland and went towards the depths of the Zifu Peak, seeing the falling leaves and pulling branches in Zhi Fu peak, seeing the cold and winding clouds gather together.


    Past the Taiwei Pavilion, past the withered willow that only sprouts but does not grow new leaves, and went into the depths of Zifu Peak.


    Wrapped in silver, dazzlingly beautiful, a magical scenery, it left Shen Lian in wonder.


    Grandmaster Ziling donned a pale purple skirt of thin silk with a thin veil. It was like a soft cloud in the sky. Silky smooth waist-length hair even the world''s best silk could not compare, it cascades freely like a waterfall, an indescribable leisure. With skin as white as white jade capable of putting people in a trance. Enviable, yet intimidating to look at.


    A piece of paper that seemed like it was made from snow allowed her to flow the ink on her pen. A pair of yin yang fish settled onto the paper, as if alive. Intertwined and flowing together, forming an indescribable Dao rhythm.


    Up till the very last stroke only did Zhi ling fairy saw Shen Lian that was next to her, as if she had just awoken from a dream.


    Shen Lian silently observed the taichi Yinyang painting, attentively looking at the taichi painting that was alive, his mind and spirit experienced a mixed feelings of stillness and high-speed movement. The pair of Yinyang fishes, constantly moving, people cannot guess what would the tai chi painting look like the next moment.


    As the flow of yin and yang fish continues to flow, a steady Dao rhythm between heaven and earth slowly converges, like a hundred rivers naturally flowing back to the sea.


    What''s even more exquisite is that the side of the scroll is written with the word ''Lingtai Fang Cunshan and Xie Yue Samsung''. It was precisely what Shen Lian wrote, as it has his vital force. This let Shen Lian and the painting to have an indescribable feeling of closeness.


    After a long time, Shen Lian said: "Everyone knows grandmaster specializes in one, not seeking external Dao, but what they do not know is the great Dao begets One, and ends at one; meanwhile, the phrase ''One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things.'' is just an illusion. Grandmaster uses one begets one, the path of Taixu is not far from being cultivated."


    The Tai Chi in this painting was made by mimicking the Taiji painting of Taishang Daoist sect. However, after the gifted writing of Ziling Fairy, it is not restricted to the meaning of Dharma left by the Taishang Daoist Grandmaster. To inscribe Taixu strategy''s Dao of Yin Yang between the ink and brush, it is only natural to leave no chisel marks behind.


    Even though Shen Lian had experienced many unexpected encounters, in terms of Taixu strategy alone, he could not compare with the grandmaster.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Ziling smiled and said: "I will always have things to teach you, otherwise, I could not bear the title of your grandmaster."


    Shen Lian can''t help but sigh out of admiration, his heart filled with regret. It was evident from the calligraphy of the painting that the Grandmaster has obtained consummation, and no longer requires anything to aid her in transcending this world.


    Maybe at this moment, or perhaps the next moment, Grandmaster will follow the footsteps of Grandmaster Yuan Qing and Grandmaster Qing Shui. They will cross the starry road to seek a higher level of transcendence instead of continuing to waste time remaining in this world.


    It is precisely because of this that distinguished Lu Jiuyuan from any accomplished Taoist in heavens and earth. He transcended and broke through an even higher level in this world itself, and he stepped out of the path that no one had ever passed.


    If it weren''t for the fact that this person has crossed the galaxy, his location unknown, perhaps Shen Lai and Yan Xu would not be able to set themselves as the prime belief of this world.


    Shen Lian whispered: "Master Zu, I initially hoped that you would remain in this world longer. However, to have only discovered what you have always been willing. People like us, to stay or to leave, how can we hesitate. Although extremely reluctant, a resolve must be made."


    Zi Ling smiled and said: "Shen Lian, to be able for you to successfully cultivate Taixu strategy, what lies therein was definitely not your blessing. For you to be able to cultivate the Taixu strategy is definitely worthy of Grandmaster Qingshui''s admiration. Taking this road, we are nothing but struggling people groping in the dark. Compared to the countless, ignorant beings, it is the greatest test for you and me to grasp just how hopeless this darkness is.


    But your biggest difference is that darkness does not make you helpless, but you readily accept all the darkness in your life, and you can have a bright future. This is what Yan Xu could not fare against you. Therefore, he will surely be defeated by you. What the Grandmasters can do is only make a footing for your victory. "


    Shen Lian profoundly understood the preciousness of the Grandmaster''s words, far-reaching the newly painted taichi painting. Because this is a fair and just evaluation given by a Supreme Daoist Cultivator, giving him confidence.


    He bowed deeply, and said: "The result will only be clear at the very last moment, but Shen Lian guarantees, I will fulfill Uncle-Master Xu''s cause, Master Biyun''s cause, and all the teacher-elder''s that I have never met; otherwise, Shen Lian will never reincarnate, sinking into the six realms and never escaping."

 Chapter 447 There Are Suddenness in Life

    Shen Lian''s resolution did not move Ziling fairy. She kept the scroll of painting, took another one out from her body and passed both scrolls to Shen Lian.


    She then removed the purple bell tied around her waist, the melodious ringing tone was like a shallow stream, gently flowing into Shen Lian''s heart and it filled his heart with joy. He paid attention to Ziling, knowing that this was the magical weapon with its infinite powers that grandmaster had become famous for. It was only that in this vast world, it would be difficult to encounter someone who would be able to make the grandmaster use this weapon in battle.


    The shape of the bell was nothing outstanding, it was the pattern on it, seamless like flowing water. At the same time, it was filled with the rhythm of Tiancheng.


    The dense pattern, if closely observed, had as many as tens of thousands of twists and turns. Its arcs and curves were totally different. Even if the most skilled Master Alchemists saw the patterns, would wonder how was it carved so intricately so because it was overly natural. As if all patterns were simultaneously carved on it at the same time, with its even colors.


    Only Shen Lian knew the pattern on the bell, just like the Yin Yang fishes drawn by the Grandmaster, both done without any effort. The time spent on it might not even be more than a breath. The scariest part was that these patterns were not done unintentionally, just like the changes in the Taixu strategy''s qi dynamic, every turn was constantly flowing and intertwining with each other.


    These patterns though pale in comparison to the bell''s value itself. If someone devoted energy to studying the mystery, even if they could not prove their longevity, they would be able to comprehend the Taoist ancestry and would instill a deep implication in their natural aura.


    Ziling Fairy said calmly: "This bell has been with me for a long time, its power is nothing ordinary. It is that I do not need it on the journey back anymore. You may pass it to Caiwei for her self-defense."


    Shen Lian respectfully took the bell, and it felt light as if there was nothing in his hand. He said: "Grandmaster does not intend to see the sister once more?"


    Ziling said gently: "She is a good child, so I hope the future presents me with opportunities to meet her, instead of now. Shen Lian do you understand?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian naturally understood the meaning of Grandmaster Zu, even though his Apprentice-Sister herself knows her hopes in attaining immortality is nil, let alone be able to transcend beyond the mortal world like the Grandmaster, and pursue the footsteps of Grandmaster Qing Shui. However, Grandmaster still bore expectations towards her, even leaving two valued treasures without any hesitation with Shen Lian, to be passed to her.


    And in this moment, Shen Lian realized the love Grandmaster has for him and his Apprentice-Sister are the same. Regardless of the quality of the descendants, they all received the same care.


    Shen Lian could not express his gratitude to the Grandmaster through actions, nor could he comment on her extraordinary action and simply whispered back: "Disciple understands."


    Zi Ling looked at him with a smile, her body like a transparent haze, inviolable, telling people to look into her heart.


    A smack in the air broke the atmosphere. At once, a flash of purple and green rushed into the sky, as if a certain rule between heaven and earth was disregarded. Causing a tremble of Qi and was spread to countless place


    The two flashes lasted for a quarter of an hour. The lingering spiritual pressure made it impossible for any of Qing Xuan''s doyen and disciples to engage the contingency. All kinds of visions appeared on Zifu Mountain, mysterious depths of the starry sky, surging springs, dark universe, and fascinating ceilings��


    Shen Lian expected Grandmaster to be able to transcend beyond the mortal world at any time, but he would never have imagined a scene like this. Everything happened so fast and so suddenly.


    Just as some encounters in life which come unexpectedly, when people were not half prepared.


    Shen Lian understood completely that Grandmaster used her departure to give him a practical life lesson that not everything could be predicted.


    Until the vision disappeared, Shen Lian dragged himself down the hill. Apprentice-sister Gu Caiwei was at the foot of the mountain, the Youhe River was not far from her. Shen Lian held her hand and delivered the lightly-clouded purple bell to her, and did not say anything more.


    Next would be the discourse


    ...


    Water is the origin of life, it is the vastness of the sea as if it existed since the beginning of the epoch, it is not known how many tyrannical creatures were born during the period, with a long history of civilization.


    When the sea is quiet, it is like light blue silk, quietly displaying its infinite beauty and softness. Once the turbulent wind whistled, the undercurrents of the seabed raged, and it was possible to set off the momentum of the sky. It was no worse than the magical power of any one of the fairy figures in the world.


    Now the sky is full of dark clouds, which told of the approach of a raging storm. Shen Lian looked up at the deep sky and in the vastness, there was a dragon''s head, two horns branched out of the sides of its head, like loyal guards.


    A gust of wind did not come from where it came from. The high waves seemed to be a city wall. They pressed down directly, and the dragon''s horn shot out an intense ray of light in pale blue color. Before the waves touch the corner of Shen Lian''s robes, the ray of light parted the waves into two parts and conveniently passed through him.


    The flood dragon snorted proudly with a deep and low call as if to vent his own energy. It traveled in the sea, a kind of carefree posture that allowed the intelligent monk to comprehend the mystery of the wonder. The fluctuation of water lines has an inexplicable and simple beauty.


    There is no trace of the dragon''s tail as it seemed almost insignificant.


    With the dark clouds and the turbulent winds suddenly became fierce, numerous waves collided with the dragon, which seemed to make them give way to the power of nature. However, the dragons were washed by the waves, and they grew more jubilant, riding the wind and waves, speeding fast like lightning, playing arbitrarily in fierceness. In the shipwreck, there was no annoyance at all.


    Shen Lian allowed the flood dragon to swim in the immense sea. His feet, as if rooted, were firmly stood on the forehead of the dragon, his eyes shut tightly, as if he was drifting away from the sky, or to get a shut eye. Intending to ascend Mount Lingtai Fangcun on the third of March with full spirit.


    There were endless waves, and suddenly the sky rang with thunder, and a thick trunk-like lightning bolt linked the sky and the sea. While traveling through the waves, the flood dragon swiftly avoided the quick lightning by a hair''s breadth.


    The thunder and lightning could not hurt it, but to disturb the master who was resting on its head is a crime of great insolence. Therefore, the flood dragon seems to be avoiding the lightning by a hair''s breadth. In fact, he is trying his best to get the slightest margin out of avoiding the fastest thing in this world.


    This ultimate avoidance gave the dragon an unknowable feeling of ecstasy. In addition to the vastness of the sea, giving it a rush that cannot be compared, so much so that it did not control the roar it let out.


    The dragon''s wild roar was powerful, but the dragon stifled its roars immediately, minding Shen Lian who stood on its head, luckily Shen Lian had no reaction and it let out a sigh of relief.


    During this little distraction, a flash of lightning suddenly crossed its face, causing it to shut its eyes, its mind a disoriented by it.

 Chapter 448 Heaven and Earth as One

    Just when the flood dragon was still disoriented, Shen Lian''s ancestral cavity opened, and manifested a large hand with flowing colorful light, extending out to the sea, straight up to the sky; it waved, and the air immediately cleared. There were no clouds, but what could be seen were bright stars, its brightness infinite; and a crescent moon, curved like an eyebrow. Hung far away from where the ocean and the sky meet.


    The flood dragon was secretly scared, Master Shen''s supernatural power certainly an incredible thing to behold, a thunderous tide this scale was calmed with a wave of a hand.


    Unbelievably, it blinked once to confirm that ahead of them, where the ocean and the sky meet, appeared a tall mountain, right below the crescent moon.


    The flood dragon was not blind, a mountain this tall should have been discovered earlier. However, there was a lack of awareness on its part.


    Blessing it''s heart and soul, it opened its dragon mouth, and spoke in human language: "Master Shen, could this be Mount Lingtai Fangcun?"


    Shen Lian opened his eyes, his ancestral cavity closed long ago, his gaze set upon the tall mountain ahead of him. He chuckled and said: "If you can see it, it is not."


    The flood dragon seemed to understand, yet seemingly not. It moved its dragon body, and reached the foot of the mountain in an instant. It whipped its tail, attempting to leap above, but what followed was a shock. Upon contact with the mountain, it seems as if it had leaped into a mixture of nothing. Resulting in its fall onto the surface of the water, creating a huge spindrift akin to a slight sea rain.


    It turned and looked back, there was no tall mountain. It was only the surface of a calm sea. But when it turned to look ahead, there the mountain was, the same as before. The crescent moon still positioned above the top of the mountain.


    The dragon was shocked and said: "Master Shen, what illusion was used to create this tall mountain? Why is it that I can''t see that it is fake at all?"


    Shen Leng laughed and said: "That was painted by others, only you think it is true."


    The flood dragon could not believe that such a tall and lofty mountain was actually painted. It touched the mountain with its divine thoughts. The mountain felt real, not just some conjured product of imagination. But since Master Shen said it was a painting, it feared it will be a joke again and continued swimming forward.


    The flood dragon thought that if the mountain that felt so real turned out to be a painting, and what was painted were dragons and phoenixes, it will surely turn tail and run in fear.


    While its thoughts ran wild, the tall mountain disappeared in the moonlight. Heaven and earth filled with vital forces of peace and tranquility. Thereafter, a brush appeared. The tip of the brush was painted towards the sky, and above it, someone dressed in green was floating. It seemed like there was a brilliant aura woven around the person, capable of taking away the brilliance of the sun and the moon.


    Shen Lian did not look at the person, he only looked at the brush, and said: "Qingyi, I felt the Deficiency and Excess from the brush, so it seems that he has ''become one with the heaven and earth''. No wonder you are holding his divine brush, to be able to mix the spurious with the genuine with a stroke of a brush."


    The person who came was Song Qingyi, Lu Jiuyuan''s closest direct disciple. What was called ''become one with Heaven and Earth'' is similar to Daoism''s ''Unity of Universe and Human'', but it is more profound and thorough. Reaching this state, there will no longer exist a difference between Heaven, earth and oneself, one is another as one is each other.


    Shen Lian understood how Lu Jiuyuan actually broke through, because he did not cut off the connection between Heaven and earth, in search of a wider Dao path; but firmly integrated with the Heaven and earth, growing together without distinction.


    Or could it be said that this world has been deeply imprinted with the mark of Lu Jiuyuan. Lu Jiuyuan has an unseverable bond between Heaven and earth. Therefore, even if he were to travel through the Galaxy, he would not lose the way of Dao and would be guided back. Even if he were to lose his life, he would be able to lend the origin of Heaven and earth, and be rebirthed.


    So this is the true meaning of the ''Enlightenment Scripture''. Using the Dao of Heaven and earth to mend oneself.


    The attainment of immortality could not even compare to the longevity of Heaven and earth.


    At the same time, he also understood as to the Grandmaster''s refusal to remain in this world. Perhaps the Grandmaster has already realized this, and to remain here would be no different from parasitizing. Therefore, she left without any hesitation.


    At this moment, even Shen Lian had thought about wanting to leave this world. Since, to be a guest at someone''s home would be different to permanently residing in it.


    To have this sudden realization was just ridiculous, funny even. He was even curious as to what mood Yan Xu was in now.


    The brush continued to shrink, and eventually, it became a normal-sized brush, and it was being held by Song Qingyi. He descended slowly from the sky, and came to the front of Shen Lian. He smiled bitterly and said, "Senior Apprentice-Brother was right, as soon as I appear, the matter could not remain concealed. Brother Shen mustn''t blame me for not telling you this earlier, for I too, had just found out about Master''s state in being one with Heaven and earth not long ago."


    Shen Lian smiled and said: "How could I blame you, after all, you are Lu Jiuyuan''s disciple."


    Song Qingyi sighed and said: "I have always regarded you as a friend. Furthermore, Qixiu also respects you very much."


    "Qingyi, did you know, I have actually always admired you." Shen Lian looked at him with his hands at his back, his gaze stable and silent.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Song Qingyi said dejectedly: "I do not have anything worthy of your admiration. I could not rival in any aspect, this I know. But Shen Lian, you have to believe me, even if I am a little jealous of you, but should you require my assistance, I will do my best."


    Shen Lian leisurely said: "I never doubted this, I also believe in our friendship. This is also where I admire you the most. Because you possess a pure essence and a sense of sincerity that would put even me to shame. Believe me, continue to retain your sincere trait, and your future will be broader than that of your senior fellow apprentice Wang Shidao, to step into Confucianism''s ''path of sincerity''. This is also where your Master truly values you."


    What Shen Lian said was not a lie. Reaching his point, qualifications and awakening could all be cultivated. He received Chen Jin Chan as his successor, mostly because he has no time and energy to create a descendant like Chen Jin Chan, but also precisely because Chen Jin Chan has similar qualities as Song Qingyi.


    Especially the inherent part of human nature, it could never be cultivated, only guided out, just like his natural indifference, and Yan Xu''s unrestrained. These are all core qualities, more concrete than gilded


    Not everyone possesses these qualities. Those who possess it, some would find it hard to retain.


    Song Qingyi''s traits are his sincerity. From the time when he tried saving Shen Lian after mistaking that Shen Lian was in distress, to the time when he used the life-saving item given by Lu Jiuyuan to inquire about Huike''s whereabouts without any hesitation.


    Whether it was many years ago or many years later, Song Qingyi''s sincerity in dealing with Shen Lian is always the same.


    Shen Lian knew that he could not be as honest and consistent as Song Qingyi.


    This is a beautiful aspect of human nature. Even if Shen Lian can''t do it, he admired it.


    Song Qingyi was incomprehensible at this time. He could also feel that Shen Lian had not perfunctored him, and he could not even think of fortune''s favored child as he had such a high appraisal.


    He also asserted that he would have a far greater future than Master Wenshi, a gentle and humble master.


    "What a good and touching friendship. Shen Lian, oh Shen Lian, you are so sentient. After I defeat you, I will kill all the people you are close to, to accompany you. Then you will not be lonely."


    The faint words, with the source of the sounds unknown, it disappeared.

 Chapter 449 To Only Open the Eyes in a Long Nigh

    Song Qingyi''s look changed, the divine brush on her hand radiated with immeasurable light. The night was like day, exposing everything around it, but it still failed to force Yan Xu out of hiding.


    He was frustrated and terrified. This demon master was actually unafraid of Honored master''s valued treasure. He was indeed the scariest demon lord in thousands of years.


    However, Song Qingyi was not who he once was. He has suffered many hardships throughout the years. It has enabled him to have a clearer understanding of the present difficulty in what it takes to defeat an opponent like this. Or should he say, how hopeless it was to secure a victory.


    The light dissipated and the night, silent.


    Shen Lian chuckled and said softly: "You are angry."


    A seemingly irrelevant sentence brought the starlight of the heavens to gather, the crescent moon flew down from the sky and turned into a crescent moon blade, falling onto the hand of the figure formed by the gathered starlight. The blade seemed to possess immense demonic characteristics. With Song Qingyi''s state of mind, he dare not take another look. It felt as if another glance might sink him into the abyss of the suffering of the secular world; his mind, interrupted by endless desires, unable to rid himself of it.


    The demon lord Yan Xu appeared without warning. A body formed out of condensed starlight speaks of an indescribable sense of impressiveness, with a curved blade that seemed to be able to split the sky and crack the earth, and lay waste to deities.


    His qi dynamic was not extraordinarily overwhelming, but it deeply shook Song Qingyi''s heart and soul. Because once the demon master appeared, he knew deep down in his heart that he would not be able to resist the sluggishness of his thoughts.


    "I can get angry whenever I want, but you can''t." said a deep and eerie demonic voice from afar.


    The reason why Shen Lian said that Yan Xu was angry was because he had also discovered the truth, hence the spiteful words; at the same time, revealing his inner discomfort.


    It did not matter how Yan Xu''s mood changes, it will not affect him in the slightest. But the same could not be said for Shen Lian.


    The corner of Shen Lian''s lips was slightly raised, resembling the blossoming of a lotus flower, infinitely beautiful and tranquil, he said calmly: "Let''s cut the chatter, I can''t wait for what would come next."


    Yan Xu smiled slightly: "Me too."


    Yan Xu threw out a sword, the Tianmeng fairy''s Taisu sword. An immense sword aura was born out of the void as if layer upon layer of states of dreams were being destroyed. Reverting the sea regions to ancient times, its seawater undulating, vaguely seeing magma ooze out from the deepest part of the ocean.


    A Yinyang taichi painting flew out and metamorphosed into a red and black platform, with magma permeating the bottom of the platform, giving it unlimited propulsion, soaring through Heaven and earth. An opening of a well was mounted on the top of the platform. In it contains the spread of vital force of the secular mortal world, seemingly comprised of all sorts of secular mortal worlds, it also seemed to be able to view the past and the future.


    The divine brush in Song Qingyi''s hands flew and inserted itself into the well, transforming into a baton of gigantic stature. As if paving a special corridor, divine light emitting off it.


    Shen Lian and Yan Xu went along the giant baton, they did not stop escalating. Finally escaping this world, and entered into a space-time continuum.


    A thundering waterfall shot up from the canyon, forming a spectacle of a scenery. Indifferent, Shen Lian stood on the void above the canyon. This was a mountain whose peak did not see an end.


    There were no traces of Yan Xu, but Shen Lian deeply understood he was in the mountain range. Perhaps he was using an incredible demonic art to search for Cave Xieyue Sanxing.


    The clash of Dao techniques between the two has officially begun. The competition was to be the first to find Cave Xieyue Sanxing.


    Shen Lian did not anxiously carry out the search, he merely stood in the void quietly. His primordial spirit gradually merged into Taixu.


    The light of life that was constantly flowing out of his body has significantly decreased the moment he stepped into the mountain. Its as if there is a special vital force existing in the mountain''s atmosphere, making people''s heart and soul thoroughly clean.


    The rustling sound of the waterfall echoed in Shen Lian''s heart. But when experiencing it in detail, it was silent and empty.


    Shen Lian''s heart and soul was not bothered by the emptiness and loneliness. The light of life that was slowly leaking, has gradually integrated with the void, inside and out. Allowing him to have a closer connection with the mountain.


    Such as spring rain, moist and silent.


    Everything seems to be closely interlinked to him, but his heart and soul felt an ancient time that could make the stars collapse, flowing in his heart.


    His perception has entered into a completely new domain. He could clearly distinguish the basic forms of every drop of moisture and micro dust particles in the air, and be able to perceive their differences from the most subtle point. He experienced the continued strength in the running of the waterfall, but it is not unified.


    He saw the innumerable micro-endogenous creatures hidden in the soil, trying its best to populate. He could even clearly perceive the impact brought upon this tall mountain by the movements of those micro-endosses. Even if they''re subtle, it exists.


    Shen Lian even saw himself, delicate eyebrows, handsome face, and a body created from uncanny workmanship. His eyes were already as profound as the star.


    The current him has already lost his body long ago, this body was only a collection of mana, deswai only can he be impeccably perfect and flawless. This allowed him to, under such perception, clearly understand that this body has no potential to be tapped. Just like a finished work of art, no matter how beautiful, has already lost its most touching natural spirituality.


    Perceptions of this kind is not better than the state of ''omniscient'', but a precise experience would be more profound, so that his heart and soul would be able to withstand such observation, without forming a burden.


    His perception crossed the canyon, the stream, and went towards the depths of Mount Lingtai Fangcun.


    As places went higher and higher, their minds became more and more imaginary. He barged into the clouds and saw with his own eyes that droplets of water was automatically gathering under the inherent gravitation of all things. When it is close to a certain distance, there was repulsion generated between the two, and this forms a fog of aloofness.


    A seed germinated not far away, and the budding of life has deeply moved him.


    The higher place was like the infinite universe, with the burning of the milky way. The Milky Way Sword Aura in the depth of his heart and soul seems a bit restless.


    Shen Lian enjoys feelings like these, his divine form melded into his psyche, able to achieve any distance with each movement. Where he wills, he will be there.


    It seemed he realized the supremacy of Buddhism''s Hearting Shifting method at that moment.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He became light, a light of life that walked on the side of the Lingtai mountain, never straying from his directed path, going only where the light permits.


    With light, there is darkness.


    A dark shadow followed, or it would be more accurate to say that both light and dark were entangled and cannot be separated.


    When the darkness came, enveloping the light around it, Shen Lian''s was filled with waves that roared, suffocating all his senses like he was a small lone boat drifting in the vast ocean, able to capsize any minute.


    The darkness surrounded him, bit by bit the light was swallowed and not only did Shen Lian struggle with the violent waves of the sea, besides the light of his soul, his eyes remained dark.


    He seemed to float in the endless sea, trapped in a long night of silence. He opened his eyes which were as black as the night but there was no end in sight.

 Chapter 450 The Decisive Battle

    The scariest thing about darkness is, you will never know what is inside.


    The fear of the unknown is deeply rooted in the depths of every creature''s soul. Fear will morph into all things imaginable to haunt an individual, to pull one into a never-ending abyss, to never be able to make a comeback for all eternity.


    Shen Lian could see tiny details, but could not infer the specifics in the dark, yet he fears nothing, nor does he feel any other emotions. His mentality was not like the calm surface of the lake, susceptible to the wind, but it was more like the cold ice, unchanging.


    The cold heart can always overcome obstacles and eliminate all obstructions to the road of cultivation of Dao. In his heart, he gave birth to a resoluteness that had never existed before in this life. Nothing in the world could stop his cold and fearless Daoist heart.


    This time he will no longer try a challenger, but he will truly be on the path to becoming a man of the world''s absolute freedom. He will clearly understand himself, and will not be fazed by his own short lifespan that resembles candlelight.


    He took hold of the present and grasped the best moment in life - which is now.


    The strong essence of life no longer had any reservations, the pale glow of light has finally turned into a river of life, shining more brilliantly than any Milky Way.


    The darkness shattered and the ocean disappeared. At last, an abode of immortals appeared up ahead, its entrance tightly shut, and on top of the entrance ''Mount Lingtai Fangcun, Cave Xieyue Sanxing'' was written on it.


    The river of life emulated from Shen Lian had no shred of hesitation, it struck the entrance of the cave with immense force, like rushing flood water.


    The essence of life was being poured out, the entrance to the cave had been forcefully slammed open, peering into the depths of the grotto-heaven.


    Even though the Taiwei pavilion has Qing Xuan''s thousands of years of information, its supernatural power was still insignificant compared to the Dao technique in the grotto-heaven''s Resonance of the Great Way.


    This was just an experience of instant temperament. Soon he re-imagined his stature. A Yaotai in front of him stood still silently, and Yan Xu donning a moon-white robe was standing on it. The supernatural powers and Daoism were transposed across countless roads. The eyes of the two people converge and there were no other thoughts. They just want to kill each other and occupy all the mysteries of the cave.


    Past grudges from the cause and effect of the Qing Xuan, are like clouds, dissipated in the deep eyes of the two.


    Yan Xu smiled, and the moon-white robe floated without any wind as if it was trying to sweep the Heaven and earth.


    He held out his fist, a fist that seemed like it could drive a hole in the sky. The punch reached Shen Lian in a blink of an eye.


    This punch pierced through space and condensed the time. It was impossible to avoid it.


    Shen Lian''s heart of Dao proved harder than Vajra and he was not perturbed by the attack at all. He grabbed with his hand countless Dao musical notes as if it were microscopic dust, he lightly swiped his hand and a river of divine power hit Shen Lian''s powerful punch.


    Raging fires covered the first and lightning roared, rocking the space and an unseeable power burst from all directions. But aside from the turbulent atmosphere in the grotto heaven, there was no sign of the slightest shattering.


    The sturdiness of the space here is beyond imagination.


    The fist shattered, and 12 demons of different shapes were born. Each of them stood upright in front of them and Shen Lian was dwarfed by their size.


    The power of countless violent devils spilled down like the Milky Way in nine days.


    The blade let out a pure cry, a hissing attack that lost form in its cry. There were no words to describe Shen Lian''s swordsmanship, every thrust a display of his power, releasing his Dynamic of Qi without effort.


    He stood tall, unfettered by the reality and laughed silently as if he is ridiculing the demonic god in front of him.


    Yan Xu stepped into the middle of the twelve demons and one by one the twelve demons entered his body, turning his weak body into an invincible one. Muscles harden and his senses combined, like countless black vines that combined into each other.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    His face was beautiful and innocent, like a marble sculpture with a straight body that was more upright than a javelin, a burly god that was filled with an explosive power.


    This time he was no longer a Demon Master of the worldly realm but had become a Demon King that exuded an ancient and terrifying power that knew no bounds, be it ancient or modern.


    He held a curved knife that was shaped like an eyebrow, small and exquisite, created a contrast that was peculiar but at the same time, it was as if they were one and there was no disharmony that can be seen.


    Yan Xu stared at Shen Lian without flinching and contemplatively, looking down on him in a condescending manner and he slowly said: "I will remember you Shen Lian, remember your past, memorize your skills, and remember everything unique that is deep within your thoughts"


    Shen Lian raised his head and looked at the Yan Xu whose aura filled the heaven and the earth. This was the most outstanding figure that existed between heaven and earth, the one Demon Master who would be able to become his opponent today.


    However, his heart did not carry any unnecessary feelings, as if it wasn''t a battle of enlightenment, but a conversation with people.


    He smiled softly, but his face told of the indifference and loneliness that did not go away, and the faint but clear sound floated, "From now onwards, everything about Yan Xu will go down in history."


    Yan Xu did not want to express an opinion and simply said: "This blade, called ''circular mortal world'', also known as ''sentient being''."


    Yan Xu''s blade appeared before he uttered a single word, in Shen Lian''s eyes this blade emanated a Qi strength that turned into countless silk threads that have form and without form. The threads covered the grotto-heaven and turned it into an inescapable sky of the web that did not have a leak.


    The source of the net did not only come from Yan Xu''s blade, it contained the rage of sentient beings, the distress of secular mortal worlds as well as the demonic obstacles within Shen Lian.


    This blade''s power could definitely not be described as earth-shattering and sky-splitting, but it concentrated all his magic powers in the blade.


    And in the face of this blade, Shen Lian''s indifferent characteristic that he is proud of, actually palpitate with nervousness


    After all, a heart cannot stop beating, from his mind Shen Lian came up with such a thought. This thought meant that he was invaded by his own demonic obstacles, his Heart of Dao which was cold as ice had shown some movement.


    His heart released the exquisite essence of ''The Mastery of Senses'', then it suddenly stopped.


    The large net inch by inch enveloped Shen Lian, causing his vital force to diminish bit by bit. Every heartbeat causes the net strings to cut deeper, but there was no pain, only the weakening and a greatly magnified fear.


    The endless number of webs wrapped around Shen Lian, forming a huge black cocoon, making Shen Lian''s sword techniques hard to be used.


    The hardships of the secular mortal world, the boundless beings, has been the source of the black cocoon''s power. Shen Lian''s heart of Dao that has been broken into was forcefully controlled, and it was forcefully controlled, rendering him unable to resist.


    Unless he surrenders his agitated heart and finds peace within the infinite worries of the secular mortal world and the boundless beings that plague it.

 Chapter 451 All Things Must Come to an End

    Step by step, Yan Xu tentatively approached, the Grotto-Heaven shook, and he knew that his next attack would be a successful strike.


    This was the essence of who Yan Xu is, that despite his respect for Chen Lian, he would never hesitate in the slightest.


    He was the only person in the world who caught Shenyang''s flaw unmistakably, that is his ever-growing nostalgia and limitless desire for the mortal realm.


    Shen Lian culminated and attained immortality, though he did not regard mortal beings as weak and with contempt, and found the aspiration of seeking relief from endless suffering akin to a hobby, unlike learned Buddhist and Daoist masters who were willing to forsake everything in order to attain nirvana.


    This was not who Shen Lian is. He shared a love for life that was actually similar to that of YanXu. The both of them threw themselves into the unknown, braved new challenges and fulfilled their curiosity with high spirits.


    It was impossible to detect Shen Lian''s love for life through his indifferent demeanor. YanXu knew to take advantage of Shen Lian''s deep-seated love towards life, how he regarded mortals as equals, to draw out his demonic obstacles, and trap it in a demonic cocoon.


    Shen Lian soon realized the reason for the appearance of his demonic obstacles. He should have abandoned those weaknesses and became a pure celestial, complete without hindrance, with complete freedom. He felt that the void in his soul can even be cured after abandoning what he always considered to be a ''human'' part of himself.


    But at that time, he would be a different Shenlian, a ''Shenlian'' that was truly rid of all emotional attachment.


    Only he did not even have the slightest hesitation, he reminisced every person and incident worth remembering - encountered throughout his lifetime and the night where he drank with Bai Yufei on Qing Xia Temple.


    ''How often does one get to drink with the accompaniment of song and dance; like the morning dew that dissipates, how fast days go by''


    Although life could be a bitter thing, he was happy.


    In life laid finite joy, amongst it, an infinite joy.


    He, Shenlian, lived a life pursuing that infinite joy, being the person he truly wanted to be.


    Shen Lian''s mind became enlightened towards this. His thoughts have seemingly transcended through endless time and space and caught a glimpse of Mount Lun Tai Fang cun, and Cave Xie Yue San xing.


    Above the Yaotai, manifested an old man with white beard and hair, and immediately he understood the old man''s identity as the ''Patriarch Bodhi''.


    Seeing the grandmaster, his first impression was that the grandmaster will never change, in another word - everlasting.


    When Shen Lian stared at the grandmaster above the yaotai, the grandmaster seemed to be staring back, he then glanced at the disciples under him and said, "This time we will talk about how to conquer your mind."


    All the disciples nodded, composed themselves as they awaited his sermon.


    Awed, Shen Lian waited eagerly to hear what the Patriarch would say next.


    The Patriarch started by talking about the "mind". He said that the mind was the origin of all spiritual power: limitless, capable of surpassing time. Conquering it, one would naturally have boundless spiritual power to deal with the world''s disasters.


    After the Patriarch finished speaking on this, he began to talk about mantras.


    The start of the mantra enlightened Shen Lian once again, it began with a quote ''To stop is to have stability, to have stability is to have found tranquility.''.


    This was a classical phrase of Confucianism, but it has been adopted by the Patriarch Bodhi as a mantra. Of course, ultimately, it was not only limited to that well-known classic. With the narration of the mantra, Shen Lian''s thought seemed to enter an unknown place. He could not describe it. He felt his thoughts were increasingly drifting away, slowly fading into oblivion. He found himself unable to form concrete thoughts.


    All of a sudden, yanked from that state of mind, his mind roiled like water. Bodhi''s grandmaster looked at him and said: "Is it understood? This is how you conquer your mind"


    Of course, Shen Lian did not fully comprehend what was said, he did not understand what he meant by "this is how", but still he vaguely understood some parts of what has transpired, but his understanding was murky and lacked clarity.


    Just then, the grandmaster placed a finger on Shen Lian, as he did it, a strange atmosphere descended upon him and the grandmaster said: "The talk will end here today."


    Shen Lian jolted awake, seemingly returned to reality, or it would be that he travelled from the past to present, the light of life that shone from him under that influence shone no more, although an infinity of thoughts raced through his mind, they were calm and unobtrusive, all at once these different thoughts led him to experience a whirlwind of different things.


    He thought of the full moon, how there were different phases when different parts were illuminated, creating different angles, but the moon was in fact always spherical. The parts that are illuminated were merely the results of an observer''s perspective.


    Like a moon, what he thought to be imperfect was only his perception, and Bodhisattva''s great spiritual influence cleared his mind of the facades.


    It is ironic that he would fall for the illusions of truth.


    He unsheathed the long sword in hand, the vital force flowed to the gleam of the sword, the demonic cocoon disintegrated and became debris. He would not abandon the mortal realm, which he has always watched over. This was always a part of what he believed in, and it did not clash with his conscience.


    There was no need for him to give that up, much less the need to get worked up about it.


    Yan Xu''s figure could be seen high along the skyline as the power of his palm technique split the sky.Shen Lian extended his sword in retaliation, and though Yan Xu expended all of his strength into that one strike, it was slowly driven back by the gleam of the sword.


    Yan Xuan felt an ancient vital force emanated from Shen Lian''s gleam of the sword, and it melded with the grotto-heaven, forming an unstoppable force that impacted Yan Xu and the Free Form Incarnation he was conjuring.


    At that moment, he had an infinite amount of demonic thoughts, he channeled it into an infinite and unstoppable supernatural power. And now, it has all come to a halt.


    The gleam emitted from the sword stilled his thoughts, along with the core of his conscience.


    This is akin to a fish that swam freely in the water. Suddenly the water condensed and turned into cold hard ice.


    The aura did not dissipate, and as karma would have it, it had found every identity he has hidden within heaven and earth.


    As the grotto-heaven collapsed, Yan Xu was taken aback by surprise, as his magical body dissipated. At the same time, many people in the mortal world died without cause.


    Song Qingyi watched the rip in the space-time continuum collapsed into itself in the sky from the surface of the sea. The Lingtai Fangcun mountain finally disappeared. The magical sword that glowed with a rainbow of colors fell from the space-time continuum and wept.


    Song Qingyi held it in his hands and murmured, "What happened to your master?"


    After the disappearance of the evil lord - Yan Xu, and the priest of QingXuan - Shen, the Demonic Order finally collapsed. What was left was the pond of blood teleportation technique left behind by the evil lord, it was researched and studied by the humans. And since then, long-distance communication had not been a problem for the monk.


    After the disappearance of zhenren Shen, the people of the world thought that Qing Xuan Daoist sect would once again start deteriorating. However, a group of surviving cultists, who tried to provoke Qing Xuan, but was trapped in a bell and shaken until they suffered a horrible death, proving that within Qing Xuan there still exist people who possess powerful abilities equal to an immortal zhenren.


    Later, from time to time, it was seen that there were two dragons flying in Mount Qing Xuan, which discouraged the reckless from disrespecting Qing Xuan.


    Whereas, Luoism''s sacred saintess - Zhao Xiao Yu, was last seen taking a small boat, heading to a TianHua continent, a faraway place separated by an ocean. Since then, no one knew her whereabouts.


    Under the support of the half-dead Dengfeng Taoist priest and the Taoist priestess of divine light, Guangqing, where they learn from Qing Xuan, to focus on sharpening the disciples'' minds. In the course of several decades when it seems like it has resurged, the world will gradually replace the position of Tai Su sect, and list Guang Qing as one of the Four Main Daoist Sects.


    However, many years have passed. Although celestials rose to this world again, no one can transcend beyond the mortal world.


    A few of the eight Buddhist masters who were close to the state of bodhisattva spent their whole lives training, yet unable to continue any further, but their stubbornness eventually led them down the wrong path, entering into Psychosis, with a heart filled with regrets and in a permanent state of limbo, neither alive nor dead.


    Qing Xuan Shen zhenren and the Demon Lord Yan Xu were believed to be the last two people in the world to transcended beyond the mortal world, both of which became legends.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

 Chapter 452 Reborn

    Right when the paradise was about to collapse, Shen Lian exhausted his last spiritual response to send the Five Elements Magical Sword away. As for himself, he employed ''The Mastery of Senses'' to the maximum without hesitation. He was able to form a connection with a world that seemed to be the Nine Underworlds and started ''connecting the netherworld and entering the Underworld''.


    Taking his current predicament into consideration, this was the best option he had. He would not be able to return to the outside world by shattering the void when the paradise had collapsed. Moreover, his Primordial Spirit as it was would not be able to make it through the terrifying power in one piece. Regardless of how strong his Primordial Spirit was, it was incomparable to a magic talisman such as the Five Elements Magical Sword.


    Hence, he made up his mind and formed a connection with the world that appeared to be the Nine Underworlds. When he completely entered the state of ''connecting the netherworld'', he could feel the pull of reincarnation dragging his Primordial Spirit into a passageway without any resistance. Inside, it was filled with the river water of Huang River. Up ahead, the endless darkness awaited him. His divine thoughts must not stray too far from his Primordial Spirit, otherwise he would not be able to retract it back.


    He felt that there was a peculiar power in the river water of Huang River. It was something that he had never felt before, not even when he was back at the River of Spirits. The power rolled over his memory repeatedly, and within moments he realised that he had lost some of his finest memories. Shen Lian retracted all of his divine thoughts and guarded his bier. He stilled his heart and spirit. His Primordial Spirit no longer took the shape of a human, but had transformed into a solid round ball. He kept the consciousness that was deep within himself tightly wrapped in the innermost area. At the same time, he posited the distracting thoughts and irrelevant memories at the outermost layer of the ball in order to withstand the corrosion of the river water of Huang River.


    Shen Lian begin to understand why most people could not recall their past lives after being reincarnated. For someone who was not a powerhouse with an unimaginably strong Primordial Spirit like that of Shen Lian, it would be a remarkable feat to be able to preserve even one''s consciousness.


    The length of the passageway was fascinating. Shen Lian was unsure if he was the only one who had to go through such a long corridor before entering the Nine Underworlds.


    Besides, the river water of Huang River was extremely unique, and it was much scarier than its branches, such as the River of Spirits in the human realm.


    Shen Lian was glad that he managed to suppress his curiosity back when he had attained the state of ''connecting the netherworld'' during his cultivation of The Mastery of Senses. If his spirit had wandered into the Nine Underworlds, at least half of his memories would have been eroded. In fact, he might not even remember his identity anymore.


    As the Huang River washed over him, Shen Lian minimised his consciousness to the greatest extent. From outside, one would only see a light dot flowing along with the current of the Huang River in the corridor, travelling to an unknown place.


    Finally, there was light waiting ahead. Shen Lian felt a burning sensation. He saw a giant flaming ball of fire that was emitting countless greyish-red rays, supplementing heat energy to the world.


    Naturally, that would be the sun. Shen Lian was shocked - could it be that he was not at the Nine Underworlds?


    His consciousness drifted along with the current and entered a blood-red sea. His heart was impacted by countless resentful thoughts, the strength of which was a few times stronger than Yanxu''s demonic thoughts. They were endless.


    All Shen Lian could do was to ensure that he did not lose himself in the blood-red sea.


    However, as he flowed into the blood-red sea from the corridor, he did not realise that leave-less fiery red flowers were blooming at the shore of the blood-red sea. They were emitting strange magical powers and had shocked many powerful beings in this world.


    They scanned through the sea of flowers and the blood-red sea with their divine thoughts, but they did not manage to discover anything. More accurately, the variety of resentful thoughts and hatred in the blood-red sea had made it impossible for them to investigate into each and every corner.


    "The Red Spider Lilies have bloomed. The last time they bloomed was during K?itigarbha Bodhisattva''s visit." An ancient and low voice spoke above the air of the blood-red sea, and only a selected few beings could hear it.


    "When the flowers on the shore blooms, the Lord of the Netherworld will be born. This was the prophecy left behind by the K?itigarbha Bodhisattva." The reply was accompanied by hints of Buddhist chants. The gentle golden ray showered on the blood-red sea; at the same time, countless transparent spiritual bodies floated up and bowed at the source of the golden ray. Shorty after, they were dispersed into the different corners of the world.


    Beyond the sky, someone snickered, "The bald donkey is so pretentious. Even now, he still has the time to convert a couple of resentful spirits to show his kind heart."


    The other party responded with a Buddhist chant and did not engage in further argument.


    The Red Spider Lily was the Flower of the Other Shore, because it bloomed on the shores of the blood-red sea.


    Legend says that following the K?itigarbha Bodhisattva, when the Red Spider Lilies bloomed again, it would mean that the true owner of the Netherworld had come.


    Those who noticed the blooming of the Flower of the Other Shore were aware of the legend, but no one wanted it to become a reality. Regardless, they were not about to be subordinates to someone else anymore.


    Undercurrents started forming in the world that had enjoyed a long peaceful period. However, the vastness of the blood-red sea and the boundless Netherworld made it impossible for even the supreme beings to detect the whereabouts of the legendary Lord of the Netherworld.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian was struggling in the blood-red sea when a stream of golden light fell upon the blood-red sea and reduced the pressure tremendously. He hid himself amidst the pure spiritual bodies and was dispersed along them.


    However, the moment he rose up in the air, he could feel himself being rejected by the world, as though the world refused to acknowledge his identity. With a change in his thoughts, he condensed his Primordial Spirit and leaped over numerous space. Eventually, he fell into a big courtyard and had escaped from the pressure exerted on him by that world.


    He entered into a fetus that was not fully formed yet and found himself surrounded by the warmth of amniotic fluid. This was what every cultivators of Daoism longed for - to return to one''s origin.


    Shen Lian did not think that this was a fortunate encounter, as he realised that the fetus was too fragile to combine perfectly with his consciousness. If he were to force his way through, he would be killing both the mother and the fetus.


    Moreover, he knew nothing about this world. It was impossible for him to find another way to exist in this world in such a short period of time. On top of that, he was unsure of the reason as to why he was being rejected by this world. Though, he had a premonition that he would be able to escape the pressure through rebirth.


    He condensed the force of his Primordial Spirit to its limit and hid within the fetus. He scattered some of his divine aura from his consciousness within the blood and flesh of the fetus, and they were closely knitted now.


    Through the divine aura, Shen Lian managed to obtain his right to legally remain in this world. Shortly after, he could hear the people from this world talking.


    Of course, with the tiny bits of divine aura, he was unable to search through the world like before. However, it was still possible for him to sense the outside world.


    His current ''mother'' was caressing the hair of a cute young girl. However, the moment he tried to perceive something beyond his mother''s body, the feedback was extremely blurry. When reflected into his thoughts, the outside world seemed like a mirror covered in mist, and he could only see human shadows within it.


    The language was similar to the previous world, albeit with slight differences.


    Fortunately, with divine thoughts, one could experience another person''s thought process clearly. Especially for Shen Lian who was at such an advanced state, he could understand what his ''mother'' was saying quite effortlessly.


    ''Mother'' was narrating a legend of this world in a gentle tone.


    "In the beginning, there was no day and night. There were neither stars nor sun and moon. The world was grey and full of spirits who had nowhere to go."

 Chapter 453 Shen Lians Hard Work

    Shen Lian was listening to the legend, which was also the origin of this world. According to ''mother'', there were only spirits in this world and not human beings.


    Later, a sun appeared in the sky. The world welcomed its first batch of inhabitants. These inhabitants - the First Men came from a place that had a sun too. From then onwards, the number of spirits declined.


    First men were mortal, and they faced death too. However, the stronger ones became the stars after they died. Some stronger spirits too had turned into stars in the sky.


    There was a star called the moon. It engulfed the light of other stars and became the brightest star in the night sky.


    Then, the moon made a promise with the rest of the stars. In order to not be in the way of their light, the moon promised to only shine to its heart''s content only once in every thirty days. That day was known as ''full moon''.


    The number of stars in the sky increased, and the moon too remained strong.


    They were no longer happy coexisting with the sun. The rays from the sun shadowed their light, and that prompted an alliance between the stars and the moon. They agreed on an eternal oath. Whenever the sun was out, the stars and the moon would not appear; when the stars and the moon were out, the sun too would retreat.


    The sun brought warmth to the world, and the world started to come alive. As the First Men procreated, the spirits actively merged with them.


    However, the sheer size of the world meant that there would always be an endless stream of spirits. This world was known as the Netherworld. There should never have been human beings such as the First Men in this world. If it was not for the sun in the sky, the First men would not have procreated in this world.


    Because of the sun, the First Men survived and the world developed into the way it was today.


    Shen Lian was unsure what the world looked like today, he was even more unsure if the legend told by his ''mother'' was real. However, he felt like the sun that he saw was not the same as the normal stars.


    If the spirits had turned into the stars, would that not mean that the supreme beings in this world found another way to exist eternally?


    All these mysteries were something that he could only look into when he was born.


    However, Shen Lian was sure of one thing. The Netherworld that he was in now seemed to be extremely different from the records of legends and myths.


    The little girl next to his ''mother'' was not his sister, but his ''mother''''s sister - Shen Lian''s aunt in this life.


    Her name was ''Yun''. As for their surname, Shen Lian was not sure about that.


    After chatting for a short while, his ''mother'' started to get tired and took a nap.


    After having wandered around with his divine thoughts, Shen Lian felt exhausted. His subconscious even absorbed energy from his surrounding blood and flesh of the fetus.


    Fortunately, he was enveloped by the amniotic fluid. Being in the Daoist ''innate'' environment enabled him to absorb the purest of innate Qi to recuperate his divine thoughts.


    However, the fetus would experience a delayed growth due to this.


    Shen Lian was extremely alert and was determined to not stunt the growth of the fetus because of his personal reasons. If he were born a year and a half later, he would be treated as a freak.


    In the days that followed, he did not check on the outside world with his divine thoughts. Instead, he focused his attention of experiencing the growth process of his barely formed physical body.


    This was a strange and new experience to him. Moreover, his ''mother'' was from a good background and had been consuming food that were rich in Qi of vitality. Hence, Shen Lian did not hold back and had cultivated all of the Qi of vitality with his divine thoughts as a source of nourishment for both his ''mother'' and his ''body''.


    One day, Shen Lian noticed that he had started developing a head and a brain, and was doing so at a shocking speed. That took up about two-fifth of the bulk of his body.


    His other organs started to form too - his fingers appeared.


    Shen Lian was not too excited about this, as he realised something else. His private part was lacking in male reproductive organ, and was developing its female counterpart.


    He could not help but to exclaim at his misfortune. Even though at this point, gender did not matter much to him, but he still could not accept the fact that he was turning into a woman.


    If it was any other cultivator, they probably would have accepted their fate. However, Shen Lian was not one of them.


    He was clearly aware that the determination of gender was due to a special substance in one''s body. Hence, he refined his divine thoughts and latched onto the special substance that promoted male features. While he was encouraging the secretion of that substance, he suppressed the secretion of its female counterpart.


    This was too great and taxing of a task to be accomplished with his weak divine thoughts. However, he had no intention to give up.


    Although, the secretion of said substance required a lot of Qi of Yang.


    His ''mother'' was not one who loved physical activities and spent most of her time out of the sun. Hence, the source of Qi of Yang was scarce.


    With regard to this, Shen Lian could not interfere due to his fragile state.


    The solution he came up with was to stall the development of the fetus. He did so by absorbing the energy available daily and to replenish his divine thoughts. Through that, he was able to slow down the physical development of his body.


    Even if this would delay his birth and ended up getting treated as a freak, he had no choice now.


    Whenever his ''mother'' was out in the sun, he would release his divine thoughts without holding back. Greedily, he absorbed the Qi of Yang from the outside world. He spent at least two months to correct his gender to that of a male.


    However, because of what he did throughout this period of time, his ''mother'' became sickly and a few doctors came to diagnose her.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Mother''s sister, ''Yun'' only came over once in three or four days. It seemed that they did not live in the same courtyard.


    Shen Lian found out that his mother was staying with her family. He had yet to meet his father.


    After dealing with the issue of gender, Shen Lian had time to transfer some of the Qi and blood back to his mother. Even though he was in the Daoist ''innate'' environment, he did not snatch too much of his ''mother''''s Qi and blood to nurture his own body. To him, there were plenty of ways to influence his physical potential. He could work on it after being born.


    In the following days, besides the necessary replenishment for his divine thoughts, he let the fetus developed naturally.


    Meanwhile, he found out about something strange. Every time when the night was dark and his mother was sound asleep, he could feel a prying gaze.


    However, the peeping tom seemed to be at a far distance away and he was unable to find out about the person''s identity.


    It was only when he developed his auditory organs that he perceived that there were two skilled individuals lurking around his mother.


    One of them almost never left the courtyard. The person did not talk to his mother, and seemed to have hidden his or her existence from his mother.


    As for the other person, that would be the person who had been spying on his ''mother''.


    When ''mother'' was in the tenth month of her pregnancy, Shen Lian was still not fully developed. If he were to have his ways, he would spend two more months before being born - even if this meant that he would be treated as a freak.


    Last night, Shen Lian heard sounds of battle. The person who had been spying on his mother was fighting with his mother''s guardian.


    The person left at last, but his mother''s guardian suffered from injuries.


    Shen Lian could not wait any longer. The last thing he wanted was for something to go wrong.

 Chapter 454 The Reason

    Fortunately, this world observed a ten-month pregnancy term. All the necessary preparations had been made.


    When his mother showed signs of labor, the female servants got busy boiling water and the midwife did her best. In the evening, Shen Lian was finally born.


    Perhaps it was because of his incomplete development, Shen Lian was small in size. His mother too suffered tremendously in the process.


    With her remaining strength, she spoke weakly, "Let me see my daughter."


    Shen Lian found it strange, he thought, "Why is she so sure that I''m a daughter?"


    The midwife had since washed Shen Lian up and handed him over with her trembling hands.


    His mother hugged him and looked at him lovingly. Shen Lian felt unwell and shut his eyes.


    His mother smiled and spoke, "She has such beautiful eyes, just like the stars in the sky."


    The midwife smiled reluctantly.


    His mother looked at the midwife and queried in confusion, "Grandmother, what is wrong?"


    The midwife looked at Shen Lian and stuttered.


    His mother looked down. Her gaze fell onto the lower part of Shen Lian''s body that was not fully covered. After brushing away the cloth, her already pale face lost all hint of blood. She was in disbelief and roared at the midwife, "My child, where is my child?"


    The midwife knelt down and replied, "Lady, this is your child. All of them can be my witnesses."


    The mother looked at the surrounding female servants and was met with their hesitant gaze. She was starting to believe in the midwife''s words now. However, she could not imagine how she managed to give birth to a ''boy''.


    Even with his eyes shut, Shen Lian could feel his surroundings clearly. However, he could not understand why the ''mother'' of his body lost her composure after finding out about his gender. The same applied to everyone else too.


    His mother regained her composure and sighed, "Is he really my child?"


    The midwife replied, "Yes, he is of your blood and flesh."


    His mother spoke, "However, I drank the water of Zimu River. How is it possible that I gave birth to a boy?"


    The midwife who knelt down was trembling. If this incident was made known to the public, it would be a massive scandal. If that happened, they would be held responsible too.


    She spoke bravely, "Perhaps, the young lady that you gave birth to was unlucky, and had died the moment she was born."


    His mother glared at her coldly, "And with that, all of you would be able to escape liabilities?"


    The midwife replied grudgingly, "The Master of the city is not back yet, and there is still time to send the young master away. The water of Zimu River will always run, lady, you will still get to have a child in the future. However, if the Master of the city found out that you gave birth to a boy, this boy will not live."


    Shen Lian''s mother caressed his face gently and landed a kiss on his forehead. She sighed, "Even though I am not sure how did I give birth to you, but you are of my blood and flesh after all. Unfortunately, I do not have the power to protect you. Please do not blame me."


    She stared out of the window and spoke, "Han Ying, I know you are here. Bring this child away. Bring him out of the city and go as far as possible."


    A shadow appeared in the house. The woman was clothed fully in black. Her speed was so fast that she almost could not be perceived with naked human eyes.


    Shen Lian knew that Han Ying was his mother''s secret guardian. However, he did not think that his mother was aware of it judging from her usual reaction.


    At the same time, he heard his mother mentioning about ''Zimu River''. He had heard about this before. The river water from this river would impregnate a woman. However, he did not think that he was conceived because his mother drank the water from ''Zimu River''. No wonder he developed female characteristics when he was a fetus.


    This was why he never met his father, because he did not have one.


    Moreover, not even a single man had appeared around his mother, and even the doctors were females. Initially, he thought that maybe they paid more attention to these details due to their social status, but now, he thought maybe this place did not even have any man.


    Being born in the Kingdom of Women was probably a pleasant turn of events for most men, but Shen Lian was unamused. Because of this, he almost became a woman.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Moreover, his act of changing his gender by force may have even left behind complications.


    Also, he was not completely developed yet. His innate physical body was suffering from deficiencies, and he probably had to spend time to work on that. In short, his reincarnation process was extremely rough.


    It was as though he had used up all of his good luck from his past life.


    Fortunately, he could still feel his Primordial Spirit at the depths of his bier. The enormous energy was his only source of reassurance. As long as his physical body grew, he would be able to recombine his spirit and body, legally be able to use the force of the Primordial Spirit that he had amassed in his past life.


    Even now, he could still tap into the force of his Primordial Spirit - he just had to pay the price.


    Now that he was no longer rejected by this world, he considered himself to have accomplished his goal.


    However, Shen Lian decided to observe quietly for a period of time. After all, there were plenty of things that he need to learn again in this world. For now, Shen Lian need to make it through this difficult situation. He would engage force if he needed to.


    Before Han Ying replied, there were shouts outside. She frowned, "Gao Jie probably plotted a rebellion."


    His mother replied in anger, "How dare she."


    Han Ying replied, "Last night, her dark warrior tried to abduct you. I managed to defeat her and I have reported to the Master of the city. She told me to come back and protect you. Maybe it was because of the Gao Jie incident that the Master of the city still has not visited you yet. The commotion is getting louder, and the city is probably in chaos now. Lady, let me escort you out and we shall decide on our next course of action after this."


    Shen Lian almost rolled his eyes. After the series of unfortunate events, to think that he was faced with a rebellion now!


    Before his mother gave a reply, Han Ying helped her up and directed both of them outside.


    The midwife and the female servants were at a loss and followed Han Ying, Shen Lian, and his mother. However, Han Ying''s physical capabilities were beyond that of normal humans. With just a gentle leap, she brought Shen Lian and his mother out of the inner wall. The female servants and the midwife were left behind.


    The breeze whizzed past Shen Lian. His tiny face was painful.


    Even with that, he paid close attention to his surroundings. Indeed, everyone he saw was a woman. There were two teams of female soldiers. One team had red scarves tied to their right arms, and the other did not. They were dressed in similar fashion and donned light armor.


    Form what he had seen, the team without red scarves were losing.


    If Shen Lian was truly a kind person, he would have released his Primordial Spirit and overcome this rebellion without caring about the consequences.


    Even though he might be a righteous person, but he was not ready to make such a huge sacrifice. Especially in an unclear situation as such, he decided to observe in silence.


    Perhaps it was due to the injuries she sustained last night, Han Ying started slowing down as she protected Shen Lian and his mother.


    Shen Lian had sensitive hearing that was superior to normal humans. He could hear her blood vessels rupturing and her old wounds splitting open.


    His nose was filled with the tangy scent of women''s blood.


    Before they got close enough to the city gate, they were forced behind by rain of arrows.


    Ten over female soldiers rushed out from both sides. They seemed to have recognized Shen Lian''s mother.


    Shen Lian sighed, he thought, "Guess I have to do something to overcome the situation."

 Chapter 455 I am Slightly Greater than The Stars in The Sky

    He looked at his ''mother'' with his soulful eyes. She seemed touched when she was met with Shen Lian''s star-like gaze.


    Shen Lian''s gaze filtered into the depths of her bier like starlight. Perhaps it was due to their mother-and-son bond, there was no barrier between the both of them. There seemed to be something unexplainable within her conscious.


    The light in Shen Lian''s eyes dimmed, and there appeared to be a gentle stream flowing into her gaze.


    The female soldiers were attacking from both sides. Han Ying drew out a narrow and thin sword. She pierced into a female soldier''s throat at a skillful angle.


    Unfortunately, her opponents were not merely a single female soldier, but a troop of well-trained female soldiers.


    The female soldiers seemed to be under a spell and were fearless. They charged with their long swords.


    Han Ying felt herself weakening. The hand she used to hold the sword was trembling slightly. As she charged at a female soldier, she missed her mark by an inch.


    Another female soldier attacked from the side. As she brandished her sword, she was ready to shave off half of her opponent''s brain. She drew back her sword and was trying to pierce with her backhand. That was when she saw something she could never forget.


    The lady that had an average physical capability caught a sharp arrow aimed at her and made her way out of a torrent of flying arrows.


    She traveled along a crooked track and aimed at the female soldier''s wrist.


    The female soldier''s wrist turned and pierced her comrade with her long sword.


    There was a strange scene on the battlefield. A weak young lady who was carrying her baby was killing her way through the battlefield with a sharp arrow. She moved along crooked tracks and used strange moves. What was shocking was how each and every move was calculated to bring down at least one or two female soldiers.


    With the help of the young lady, Han Ying was not under as much pressure. She only had to deal with the remaining female soldiers who were not within the young lady''s reach.


    Intentional or not, the young lady shifted the battlefield towards the direction of the city gate. Due to the presence of their comrades, the archers on top of the gate did not rain arrows on them. A troop of female soldiers lined up and they were getting down from the wall.


    They feared her as she had single-handedly killed over twenty female soldiers.


    At last, the young lady held Han Ying''s hand. There was a layer of green light shrouding her, and together, they walked through the city gate.


    Before she managed to inquire further, the young lady collapsed on her. A young voice spoke, "Hurry up and leave."


    Han Ying did not have time to make out the source of the voice. Along with the mother and son, she leaped into the Hucheng River. Only then did the rain of arrows came, but the trios were far down the Hucheng River by then.


    The mother and son were dragged out onto the shore. Shen Lian''s mother was exhausted and had no strength left.


    Han Ying saw the Eldest Young Lady carrying Shen Lian, who was completely drenched. She thought about how the water did not wash him away earlier, but the young child probably did not survive.


    The moment she opened up the carrier, the baby crawled up and sat nakedly at the side. He was drenched and his eyes were dull. He spoke, "Thank you for the hard work."


    Han Ying was a dark warrior trained personally by the Master of the city and had strong heart and mind. Even then, she was shocked.


    She spoke, "Is that you who is speaking?"


    Shen Lian wrinkled his tiny face and tried to smile as bright as possible. He looked adorable, and he replied, "If it is not me, who else could it be?"


    Han Ying unsheathed her sword, "What kind of monster are you?"


    Shen Lian stared at her calmly. He pointed at the sky with his gentle fingers and spoke, "You can think of me as the stars in the sky that had fallen in the human realm. I mean no harm. Moreover, I am her child too."


    Shen Lian pointed at his ''mother'' at the side.


    When Han Ying was met with Shen Lian''s gaze, she realized that she could not muster any murderous thoughts towards him. What a gaze it was, to think that it was even more calming than the starlight in the sky.


    She seemed to think of something and replied in excitement, "You are the stars in the sky?"


    Shen Lian replied, "The spirits of powerful beings who had died on earth would turn into stars in the sky. I am slightly greater than the spirits of the First Men who had turned into stars in the sky."


    Of course, he was not blowing his own trumpet. After the Bier Discourse of Dao, his essence had entered ''the state of Tian Xian''. In fact, he even stood a chance to become ''Taiyi Tian Xian'', which was a being as great as the Mahasattva Bodhisattva.


    Although, a state of being remained a state of being. It did not represent his combat power. To be at the peak of this world, Shen Lian needed to strengthen his understanding of this world.


    Han Ying queried gingerly, "Will you be able to help us overcome the rebellion? After all, you are of the Master of the city''s bloodline now."


    Shen Lian replied, "Naturally, I would have the ability to do so. But I cannot do that yet."


    Han Ying asked, "Why? Are you not greater than the stars? You only need to use a little power to help us."


    Shen Lian pointed at the river. At the same time, a fish jumped out of the water and started spitting bubbles. He spoke calmly, "Do you think it is better to fish for someone or to teach someone how to fish?"


    Han Ying pondered upon it for awhile, she asked at last, "You feel like eating fish?"


    Shen Lian rolled his eyes. He was used to teaching disciples who were cultivators and was familiar to this form of teaching style. After all, the disciples who were cultivating did not lack wisdom. Even though Han Ying was better than the normal people, but she was incomparable to the cultivators who absorbed the essence of the heaven and earth and peered into the secrets of the sun and the moon.


    Shen Lian spoke, "I am saying that I will teach you how to obtain power."


    Han Ying was taken by surprise, "Is that not troublesome? Can you do it or not? If you can''t, just let it be."


    After talking to Shen Lian - perhaps due to his unique charms, she found it difficult to hate him. She became at ease and had let down her guard.


    She even wondered if this baby who was slightly greater than the stars were exaggerating as to his capabilities.


    Fortunately, she was not ignorant. After seeing how he could speak and strange occurrences with the Eldest Young Lady, Chen Qing earlier that were probably related to him, she did not doubt Shen Lian''s allegedly powerful abilities.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Fine then, you should bring my mother and I to somewhere dry and quiet. She exhausted herself. If this continues, there will be trouble that follows."


    Han Ying replied, "Seems like you are not that capable after all. However, the Eldest Young Lady''s health is a real concern."


    After he was born, Shen Lian planned to observe the world quietly before deciding on the next course of action. However, his plans did not manage to keep up with the changes. Since he had performed the Spirit Rapping Technique on his ''mother'', he no longer bothered with concealing his identity anymore. This would serve to foster trust between them.


    Despite his extremely fragile physical body, there did not seem to be any beings with supernatural powers around the area. His power was more than enough for the purpose of self-defense.


    Moreover, he noticed that Han Ying had gone through special training. She was extraordinary and was able to obtain enormous explosive force through a certain method, which was why he wanted to teach her something. This would bring convenience to him as well. However, one indeed could not carve on rotten wood - she was not enlightened at all!

 Chapter 456 Moving in the Forest On A Tiger

    Humans could only see the world as it is, but Celestials were capable of seeing beyond it.


    Han Ying did not understand that when Shen Lian said he was greater than stars, it was not all talks. The Eldest Young Lady, Chen Qing was on her back and Shen Lian was lying on top of her head.


    She did not have much energy left, and yet Shen Lian was resting next to her ears, correcting her breathing methods. Despite it being awkward at first, but she realized that she could always muster up energy with her exhausted body.


    Shen Lian told her to get into the woods. In nature, even if the rebels were to find their way over, Shen Lian would be able to protect the both of them easily.


    Even though Shen Lian was merely a baby who could not even walk yet, Han Ying chose to believe in him - she herself was unsure why.


    She thought Shen Lian''s peculiarity was the reason, but little did she know that she had been undergoing training since young and was not exposed to lies and trickeries. Hence, her heart was purer than most people. She could judge kindness and malice more accurately than others. On top of that, Shen Lian was a convincing person.


    Shen Lian taught her the proper breathing methods in order for her to utilise her strength better. It was not for her to generate energy out of thin air. She started slowing down, but not before they had reached the nearest mountain to them - Mount Jieyang.


    The ravines overlapped, the vines were dense. Far away, one could see the never-ending mountain range and the lush green forest. Some trees extended up into the sky, it would seem that they had lived for more than a few hundred years.


    Perhaps it was one of the peculiarities of this world, Shen Lian noticed that the leaves looked smooth and shiny from a far, akin to pieces of jade. The leaves were broad too.


    Han Ying carried Chen Qing and Shen Lian to a mountain stream. She was too tired. It was relatively quiet here, she could leave both of them safely and start a fire before heading off to search for food.


    A gust of wind blew past. A black tiger jumped out of the rocks.


    The dragons controlled the clouds, while the tigers controlled the wind. Wind started blowing wildly after the black tiger leaped out. Han Ying had no energy left, and she was stunned.


    She stared as the tiger leaped down from the rocks and made its way towards them.


    She held her narrow and long sword tightly, her gaze meeting the black tiger without so much of a blink of her eyes. This tiger was bigger than an adult. It walked forward casually, its cold gaze was a terrifying sight.


    Han Ying thought that this would be the end of her. Fortunately, the Eldest Young Lady had fainted. At least she would not die a painful death.


    Suddenly, she remembered about the Eldest Young Lady''s strange son.


    The moment that her attention was divided, the black tiger leaped forward. The breeze whizzed and she almost lost her footing.


    However, the black tiger was not leaping towards her. It was in front of Shen Lian and she almost yelled. She knew that Shen Lian could not even walk. Despite his peculiarities, this sudden development might cost him his life.


    As she groaned inwardly and was about to charge at the black tiger with everything she had, she was surprised by how the black tiger was curling up on the ground in front of Shen Lian. It was akin to a big black cat who was trying to lick Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian reached his fair hand forward and slapped on its tongue.


    The black tiger no longer looked like the King of the Jungle. It was nothing more than a pet, a big black cat.


    Shen Lian carressed its fur and spoke gently to Han Ying, "It told me that behind the rocks, there is a cave not far away. Bring my mother there and start a fire. Xiao Hei and I will look for food." Just like that, Shen Lian gave the black tiger a cliche name.


    Han Ying was stunned. She saw the black tiger lowering its head carefully, letting Shen Lian climb up its neck.


    A weird scene occuring in front of her - a baby looked as though he grew out of the black tiger''s neck. It was very strange indeed.


    The black tiger stepped into the forest. Han Ying had no choice but to follow Shen Lian''s instruction and went to the back of the rocks. There was a cave and it was dry inside. Albeit unintentionally, she seemed to have found the black tiger''s den.


    Shen Lian rode on the black tiger. The Qi of heaven and earth rushed over from all directions, benefitting even the black tiger. It was a pleasant experience.


    Shen Lian did not cultivate the Qi of heaven and earth. Instead, he gathered them and analysed the qualities with his divine thoughts.


    The Qi of heaven and earth in the forest was denser than that in the city, and the quality of which was purer too.


    He noticed the uniqueness of the Qi of heaven and earth in this world - they were gloomier than that from the previous world. Hence, the world was not as cheerful and active. He imagined if he were to use the same kind of spells here, the power would be significantly discounted.


    As for the fundamental force of nature - sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind and lightning, they still existed in this world. However, the power of earth, mountain, swamp, and water were way stronger than that of sky, fire, wind and lightning.


    He tried to cultivate a hint of Qi that entered his body and observed the changes when it was combined with his blood and flesh. He noticed how the structure of his blood and flesh became studier and more solid after combining with the Qi. However, a gloomy hint of Qi would not disperse. It rushed towards his head. In the depths of his bier, the Primordial Spirit containing his cultivation from his past life rest within it. The gloomy hint of Qi could not rival the divine thoughts that he could engage in his bier. Just as a drop of water than rushed into the sea, the gloomy hint of Qi was eliminated immediately.


    Shen Lian felt like he had just washed his face with clean water,the divine thoughts that he expended was replenished.


    He continued to absorb the Qi of heaven and earth, taking only the gloomy hint of Qi and used it on his divine thoughts. He allowed the rest of the pure Qi to travel in his blood and flesh or to exit his body.


    The black tiger carried Shen Lian as they patrolled the forest. All of the pure Qi in Mount Jieyang congregated towards Shen Lian who was riding on top of the black tiger.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The essence of the sun and the moon that it absorbed over the course of ten over days to half a month could not even compare to those that he just absorbed.


    After spending so long in the forest, the black tiger had developed spirituality too.


    Initially, it was drooling when it saw the humans. However, Shen Lian reminded him of an incident he witnessed as a child. It was a lot younger back then, and a person with the physical appearance of a human used to stay in the mountain. There was also a giant python, and the essence of the sun and the moon that it absorbed was a few times more than what the black tiger could absorb.


    One night, the black tiger saw the python who was able to break through branches as thick as its waist being frozen by a stream of white lights that came out from the person''s gourd.


    The giant python was at least six to seven times the length of the black tiger. Under the white lights, the giant python gradually shrunk and became a tiny snake that was as big as one''s palm. It was kept within the person''s gourd.


    That was the first time the black tiger experienced fear. After that, it found out that people as such were known as cultivators. Even if it were to attain success in cultivation, it would not be able to fight against the cultivators.


    When it set eyes on Shen Lian, it was reminded of the cultivator from back then. If anything, it was more terrified by Shen Lian''s presence.


    Once harbored, it would not be easy to erase one''s fear. It was only natural for it to submit to a stronger being.


    Shen Lian observed his surroundings. Light began to restore in his eyes. To him, it was a lot easier to deal with a black tiger than a normal human. After all, he was privy to the mysteries of the Dream Heart Sutra. Moreover, he had fought against Yanxu plenty of times. His understanding of the Sky Demon method allowed him to take advantage of the weakness in the black tiger''s heart. To manipulate the beast''s heart was significantly easier than to manipulate a human''s heart.

 Chapter 457 It All Began In the City of Xi Liang

    The landscape of Mount Jieyang was like a treasure bowl. The Qi of vitality within a hundred miles radius was gathered on the mountain. It was no wonder the black tiger on the mountain possessed spirituality.


    Shen Lian walked to a spot and signaled the black tiger to stop. He pointed at the col ahead and communicated via spiritual telepathy, "What is over there?"


    Mount Jieyang was indeed filled with spiritual Qi. According to the trends of the mountain range, the spiritual cave should be further downwards and not at the col. The position of the col that Shen Lian pointed to did not quite make sense. The entire mountain''s soulful aura was gathered at that spot and yet it showed no traces of man-made formations.


    The black tiger looked towards the col and roared.


    Shen Lian was able to made sense of what the tiger conveyed. According to the black tiger, someone with a similar temperament as Shen Lian once resided there. The black tiger was not sure of the situation now as it did not dare to go survey the landscape.


    Shen Lian gazed intensely at the col and knew that there was something strange about it. However, he decided to not be a busybody this time as the sky was getting dark. He would come back here another day.


    He ordered the black tiger, who caught a goat, and headed towards the lair of the black tiger.


    The bright moon has risen and Shen Lian fixed his gaze on the moon. It was a full moon that was as shiny as a silver plate filled with mercury.


    The moon lit up the forest, painting it in a flowing shade of silver.


    He observed the moon for a bit and felt that there was a layer of mirage that shielded the true side of the moon. In other words, there were some kind of unspeakable existence that was hidden beneath the moon.


    The moonlight was a reflection of the vigorousity of the Power of Taiyin. Shen Lian had a recollection of scriptures of the ''Code of the Bright Moon'' that Bai Suhuan cultivated. With such pure and vigorous power of Taiyin, it should be easy to cultivate the ''Code of the Bright Moon''.


    But at his current level, power was always readily available. What he really needed to explore was not something as simple as cultivation and Qigong practice.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    When he arrived at the cave, he noticed the bonfire. When noise could be heard from outside, Han Ying who was dressed in black saw Shen Lian and the black tiger who had a goat in its mouth.


    The black tiger tossed the goat next to the mountain stream and entered the cave. Shen Lian''s mother, Chen Qing was already awake.


    There was a hint of happiness in her pale face as she hesitantly asked, "Son?"


    Shen Lian nodded and said, "Mother, looks like she has informed you about me. You don''t have to worry about it. Now that I was reincarnated as your son, I would never deny it."


    Back then when Buddha was swallowed by a peacock, he came out and took the initiative to recognize the peacock as his mother and gave her the title of Mother of Buddha Mahamayuri. Although Shen Lian was far from the level of Buddha, he still had the generosity of Buddha.


    He picked several incidents that happened during his foetal stage and spoke about it in detail. Chen Qing was then convinced and cleared her doubts. She thought that it was strange that she did not bear a daughter after consuming the waters of the River of Mother. Instead, she conceived such a unique person.


    As Shen Lian did not conceal his identity, the both of them had an inseparable bond that was accumulated during the ten months of pregnancy. However, they did not have a very strong mother-son relationship like other mothers and sons.


    Shen Lian has displayed several unbelievable abilities and he was actually capable of taming ferocious beasts like the black tiger. It was as if he walked out into reality from a legendary fiction.


    As the daughter of the Master of the city, Chen Qing has studied many literatures. She recalled reading a book from Da Xia that had a saying, ''As he grew he showed himself to be sincere, wise, honest and compassionate. He became very learned and developed keen powers.''


    It was a description of a somewhat legendary figure but compared to her son, it felt like nothing.


    She was a well read person. If not, she would not have told her sister, Chen Yun about folktales and other stories. Shen Lian knew of that and concluded that they would be able to communicate.


    Chen Qing said, "I am the daughter of The Master of Xi Liang City. Chen is our family name. Do you want to take up our family name or do you want to have your own name?"


    She knew that extraordinary people needed to be treated extraordinarily. Moreover, with the current insurgency in the city, it would definitely be impossible for her and Han Ying to hold back the uprising. But things could possibly turn around with the help of her extraordinary son.


    Han Ying was a warrior groomed by her mother. She knew nothing about the world compared to Chen Qing. All she knew was that the world was a big place where miracles exist.


    Shen Lian replied with a childish voice, "I have experienced two lifetimes and it''s unnecessary for me to change my name. Fortunately I have a mother but not a father. It is perfectly explainable that we do not share the same family name. Mother and this sister here, you can call me ''Shen Lian''."


    When he said ''Shen Lian'', the two of them knew immediately that which two characters he was referring to and their awe-inspired level towards Shen Lian increased.


    Shen Lian then started to converse with the two of them.


    The city of Xi Liang had a long history of over thousands of years. The Master of City then led a group of poverty-stricken and oppressed women and laid the foundation of the city. The River of Mother was the fundament of the city as the women of Xi Liang would not need to depend on men outside of the city to reproduce and continue their lineage.


    After thousands of years of development, the city of Xi Liang was no longer like how it used to be. They now have thousands of citizens and each had their own responsibilities. Once in a while, traders from Da Xia would visit the city to trade for silk and textiles. They would import it back to Da Xia to seek huge profits.


    As long as human exists, there would be fights. Forty years ago, an uprising broke out in Xi Liang which led to a decline in the power of the Master of the City. On the other hand, the Gao family started to rise and took control of the military power.


    The Gao family too has secured the trade with the trades of Da Xia, making them even stronger financially.


    The collision of the two parties was the perfect formula for an uprising.


    The uprising was the result of the bitterness over the many years. Just days ago, Han Ying dealt with an expert assassin that was assigned to assassinate Chen Qing who was the first legitimate heir of the Master of the City.


    After all, the Master of the City had two daughters, Chen Qing and Chen Yun. Chen Yun was still young and if they got rid of Chen Qing, the Gao family would have one less problem.


    Shen Lian was not too bothered by trivial affairs as such. But now that he was the son of Chen Qing, there were things that he would need to do. Besides, he would benefit from the restoration of the city of Xi Liang. He could use this secular power to explore the mysteries of this world secretly and conveniently.


    When his Primordial Spirit crossed the distance to reincarnate here, he did not have the time to explore the world. But from the moment he was set free from the blood-red sea, he realized that the golden light that took of some of his pressure was released by someone of an extraordinary level.


    It was just that he did not have the opportunity to explore the power and could not tell how deep or shallow the person was. While he was secretly deducing the situation, he was sure that the person was not inferior to him, and maybe even more cultivated compared to him.


    Moreover, the ray of golden light coincidentally landed on him and took off some pressure from him. Shen Lian could not help but ponder if it was done intentionally.


    He was excited by the thought of the mysteries waiting for him to unveil.


    Everything began from this city of Xi Liang.

 Chapter 458 Wizard

    After ending the conversation, Han Ying was done with preparing the goat and they began eating. Shen Lian on the other hand did not consume any food as he could absorb the Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth anytime to replenish his body.


    To him, the baby of an infant still possessed some elements of the heavens. Consuming food or anything that has blood would contaminate the body.


    Chen Qing and Han Ying found that strange but they were not too surprised as there were too many strange things about Shen Lian. They went to bed after eating and Shen Lian too was not in a hurry to teach them methods of cultivation.


    He made the black tiger lead him outwards and gradually entered the state of concentration. He continued to analyze the Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth and the reaction of his body towards it.


    His heart was suddenly shaken as a vision flashed through his mind. In a hall under the moonlit sky, an elegant and wealthy woman was decapitated.


    Strange laughter started bursting out in the hall as the woman''s cranial cavity oozed out a dash of green Qi that was packed into a pouch by a strange person dressed in black robe.


    Shen Lian was aware that he was somewhat related to this woman and no doubt this was the Master of the Xi Liang city, also his grandmother.


    The strange person obviously possesed special powers and could be considered a cultivator in this world. The green Qi collected by the strange person was probably the condensation of the will of the people of the city.


    Looks like the uprising in Xi Liang city was not as simple as it seemed.


    The vision tattered and Shen Lian took a deep look at Chen Qing. He closed his eyes and decided to let her have a good sleep tonight.


    The strange person in the hall could not sense the gaze of Shen Lian. Or it could be said that not many people in the world would be able to sense Shen Lian''s passive gaze.


    Shen Lian''s divine thoughts were no longer as powerful as it used to be. But it was still at a level that was beyond ordinary living beings. In fact, it was at the highest state of the ordinary realm.


    The quality gap was not something the a person of the level of the strange person in black could imagine.


    A female general in an armour suit walked in. Her eyebrows were as thick as ink and it was slanted to her temple, giving out a murderous aura. She held on to her sword and said to the strange person in black, "Wizard, how did it go?"


    The female general was the Gao Jie, the head of the Gao family who started the uprising. She was also Xi Liang city''s most powerful person.


    The wizard replied, "I have taken the will of the people from her. You can now legitimately take the throne of the city."


    Gao Jie laughed out loud, "Perfect! I have been waiting for this day since forever."


    "But what about the thing that you promised me?" The wizard stared coldly at her.


    Gao Jie felt the chills down her spine and said, "I was careless and caused Chen Qing to escape. But her prestige was not as established as the old woman. She won''t be able to stir any waves."


    The wizard coldly responded, "I said I wanted the other daughter. Who cares about that woman?"


    Gao Jie forced an answer, "The old woman was well prepared. She has assigned someone to send the girl along with a trade entourage to Da Xia. I was just about to order my subordinate to chase after them."


    Green ghost fires started to light up in the wizard''s eyes. It dashed out like two long cables and knocked on Gao Jie''s chest and caused it to rip. She was moaning in terrible pain.


    "I hate it the most when someone does not deliver what they promised. If you do not find her in a month, I will give you a taste of living hell.", the wizard replied coldly.


    Gao Jie furiously left the hall with the aid of her subordinate. The wizard was not bothered by her furiosity because he was far more superior than a female monkey like her. If she refused to obey, he could just look for another one.


    His thoughts remained focused on the little girl. He has attempted to abduct her several times but she had a pendant on her that was a concentration of the will of the people of Xi Liang and that prevented him from getting close to her. On top of that, she was the daughter of the Master of the City. She was well protected and security was always tight around her.


    That was the reason why the wizard decided to help the Gao family with the uprising, so that he could disperse the concentrated will of the people. He delivered his promise to get rid of the Master of the City but did not expect the Gao family to be so useless to fail capturing the little girl.


    Even the prized possessions of the Master of the City could not make up for the loss of the little girl. The moment he laid his eyes on the girl, he knew that her soulful aura would be able to help him cultivate to a higher state. He then would be able to return to his tribe and take back the position that initially belonged to him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The city of Xi Liang was nothing compared to the rankings of a Doyen of a tribe.


    As long as he returned to the tribe, he would be a true ''wizard'' or even achieve his ancestral trait of immortality.


    ...


    Chen Qing woke up to a terrible morning as Shen Lian told her the bad news.


    Her mother was no longer around and Chen Qing believed his words. She dreamed of her mother last night, the mother who was strict yet loving. They were now separated by life and death.


    Shen Lian guessed that this place was part of the Nine Underworlds and anyone who passed away here would not have a beautiful ending. But at least he managed to observe the person in Chen Qing''s dream was definitely not her mother. It was more of a collection of scattered spirits.


    When an ordinary person passed away, their spirits would never be as scattered as the one he observed. There would at least be some concentrated spirit''s will and if the deceased was lucky, it could turn into a ghost.


    Maybe it was something that has to do with the structure of their body. After all, they were conceived by drinking the waters of River of Mother.


    Chen Qing was in grief but Shen Lian just could not feel sad about it.


    His sentiments towards Chen Qing was not even close to the likes of old Master Shen and Ruoxi.


    Chen Qing was a little upset by his coldness.


    She wanted to say something but nothing could come out from her mouth as she looked at Shen Lian''s eyes.


    Shen Lian pointed at the fruits and said, "These fruits are free from poison, you can have this for breakfast. We will stay here for a couple of days more and the two of you would need to rest well and recover. It makes no sense for the living beings to be affected by the deceased. Grandmother too would like to see you cheer up and be strong for the future."


    His words were calm and objective but what consoled Chen Qing was his thoughts of preparing the fruits for her. Her son that was born a deity actually cared about her food consumption and that caught her by surprise.


    She did not know if her mother once had such sentiments too. After all, this was her first time being a mother.


    Han Ying and Chen Qing did not enjoy a close relationship prior to this. But after a couple of days, they shared a sister-like deep relationship.


    Shen Lian was not surprised by this and he did not think that such relationship, formed so quickly, would last long. But it was a good thing that the two of them could get along with each other well.


    After two days of preparation, Han Ying''s body had fully recovered and Chen Qing had regained her health. Her speedy recovery after giving birth and experiencing the loss of her mother was beyond her imagination.


    But it would not be too surprising if they knew that Shen Lian and the Black Tiger has almost wiped clean of all the spiritual fruits and herbs of Mount Jieyang for them for the past two days.


    The poor Black Tiger wanted to eat their excretion to absorb the undigested soulful aura but Shen Lian told him very clearly that he should never consume feces.

 Chapter 459 Yin Shang

    Just after two days, the divine thoughts that Shen Lian could use had quadrupled compared to the time he was born. The enormous Primordial Spirit deep in the bier was like an ever-burning star that kept radiating the powers of the Primordial Spirit. It combined with the Qi of vitality of this region to produce a slightly gloomy Qi of vitality to fuel Shen Lian''s mindfulness.


    Shen Lian did not have a sense of stealing from the heaven neither nor viewed the world as a child''s play.


    He was not in a hurry to train his body as his bone and structure has yet to form fully. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity for him to switch to a different foundation. After all, Shen Lian had already achieved greatness in his cultivation and it would be hard for him to achieve even greater heights. But with this new body, he could start afresh, take on different paths to test this body and fuel for his future.


    He had decided to not re-practice the Taixu Strategy. After all, he was about the same level as the time Founding Master Qingshui transcended beyond the mortal world. This was the perfect time to let go of what he possessed.


    After arranging his thoughts, Shen Lian did not feel that the reincarnation put him in an unfavorable situation. In fact, it was the perfect opportunity for him to erase this forerunners, wipe off all his methods to reestablish Dao and make new progress.


    Chen Qing and Han Ying recovered physically and went to look for Shen Lian. Chen Qing was, after all, his mother and she did not hide anything from him. She said, "What should we do next?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Mother, please do not rush into things. For the sake of the present, we need to first take over a place and that would be the foundation of Xi Liang in the next hundred years. You would also be the greatest Master of the City in the history of Xi Liang and it would be absolutely possible for you to build a country by then."


    If it was not for Shen Lian, Chen Qing would think it was a senseless person speaking nonsense. The three of them were so weak and it was a great achievement to even stay alive, what is more talking about revenge or even building a country.


    Chen Qing had been consuming spiritual fruits for the past two days and her mind was clear and sharp. She asked, "Where should we take over? Could it be that you are referring to this mountain?"


    Shen Lian replied, "Yes mother, you are right. I have been touring around Mount Jieyang with Xiao Hei for the past two days and noticed that the col has a high condensation of soulful aura. It was really odd and I sensed that there was something strange behind it. Now that the two of you have recovered, we can head there and take a look at it. If we can take over that place, I can set up a Soul Gathering Formation and teach you all the methods of cultivation."


    Chen Qing looked at the infant Shen Lian. It had been two days since they had such conversations and she had gotten used to it. She responded, "Sure, let''s do as you said. According to books, a wife would devote to their husband and if their husband had passed away, they would devote to their son. I do not have a husband but I have a son like you. I would certainly depend on you."


    Shen Lian was moved and said, "Mother, did the books that you read came from Da Xia?"


    Chen Qing said, "Every three years during autumn, traders from far away would come over to the city of Xi Liang to purchase goods and import them to Da Xia. Every trip, they would bring some books to sell it to us or the countries along the way to Xi Liang. Although the books were extremely expensive, we would purchase any books that Xi Liang has never had. This is something that we have been practicing since the time of my grandmother. But I can only recognize characters and never really understood the meaning behind the text."


    Shen Lian thought to himself that the inheritance of civilization was highly related to culture and practices. The books could only serve as a guide and to fully fathom the meaning and knowledge of civilization, one would need to experience it personally. Otherwise, wise predecessors would not have said that it was better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.


    Shen Lian did not explain too much as he knew that there would be plenty of time in the future. He said, "Were the traders from Da Xia?"


    Chen Qing gave some thoughts about it and answered, "I think they were from a county known as Yin Shang. They were an affiliated country to Da Xia and were experts in trading. As their people were skilled in buying and selling, we refer to them as traders.


    In fact, only the traders of Yin Shang were able to come to such a remote place like Xi Liang to trade.


    There was once I spoke to a trader and he told me that the lives of traders is getting better. The newly appointed Tianyi Master of the Country of Yin Shang was a person of virtue. He was wise, had a divine vision and was kind to people. Many unique people were willing to serve under him and as a result, Yin Shang flourished greatly. Even people from great dynasties like Da Xia went to him."


    That was how ''Yin Shang'' and ''Da Xia'' came to Shen Lian''s mind. He thought it was too coincidental as it coincided with a fraction of the ancient history of the world.


    The only thing was the impossibility to verify the eras of the world, especially Xia, a country that only appeared in legends. It was impossible for Shen Lian to reincarnate to the ancient times of the world.


    But that does not necessarily means that it was not related. There must be some type of abstruse behind it. He would look for an opportunity to make a trip to Da Xia.


    The three of them prepared briefly and departed before the sky turned dark. Shen Lian rode on the neck of the black tiger and led the other two to the col.


    While Shen Lian was travelling, he released his divine thoughts and as a result, the entire mountain''s spiritual vigor started to flow along the stream. It then leaped pass a stone bridge and re-routed its direction to flow into a manor as if it was avoiding a place where tigers crouched and dragons coiled.


    Shen Lian came up with the plans. He asked Han Ying to carry him and used spiritual telepathy to tell the black tiger to go ahead and explore the path.


    With Shen Lian as its anchor, the black tiger had been absorbing the abundance of Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth for the past two days. Its fur was shiny and silky and it was high spirited. It intended to show off as it turned its body to run with the wind. Very quickly, it went up to the stone bridge.


    Movements in the manor were then detected. A person in a long robe with the hairstyle of a Daoist came out from the doors. He saw the black tiger but he was not surprised by it. He said, "You little beast! I am fine if you sneakily watch at the foot of the hill but how dare you come over to my place. I will slaughter you and use you as an offering to my stomach."


    The black tiger was relieved that this person was not the person he encountered during his adolescence. Besides, this person had some sort of unpleasant smell to him. He was not as pure as the little master and was not as divine as the person he encountered the last time.


    The black tiger roared and charged towards the old man.


    Below the feet of the old man was a green lawn. As the black tiger charged across, it scratched a turf.


    The old man reacted by opening his mouth and his human head transformed into the head of a python. His opened his mouth so big that he could engulf the black tiger.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The black tiger was hanging in mid-air and was surprised that this was the phyton he encountered when it was younger. It wondered how did it become human-like?


    Desperate, the black tiger tilted its body and clawed with force the head of the python. It looked like the inter-knocking between gold and iron as sparks flashed.


    The old man had transformed into a giant python that was seventy to eighty feet long. It swiped the black tiger away from its body and entangled him like an old tree.


    Shen Lian and the two ladies arrived at the stone bridge and saw the giant python. Chen Qing almost passed out while Han Ying managed to keep a straight face but her hands indicated otherwise as it was slightly trembling.


    Shen Lian very swiftly scanned through the manor and the giant python that shapeshifted to a human appearance was the only resident here. It was strange as the giant python''s cultivation experience was not sufficient for shapeshifting. Looks like there was some other reason behind this transformation.

 Chapter 460 The Daoist in the Painting

    With his child-like voice, Shen Lian said to Han Ying, "Take five steps forwards, not one step more and not one step less."


    Han Ying''s body was shivering but her many years of training had facilitated her reflex action to take five very precise steps forward.


    The black tiger was strangled tightly by the giant python. The python noticed Shen Lian and the others but it was not too bothered by them as it thought that they were not capable of harming it.


    But this black tiger could be a threat.


    But as Han Ying took the fifth step, Shen Lian fixed his star-like gaze on the giant python.


    The python felt a sudden death threat and froze from head to toe. It could not move as if it was being held by something.


    Shen Lian''s eyes were like a bottomless abyss that trapped the giant python down below and had no chance at all to make a comeback.


    The python did not expect a gaze to be so powerful. This was something that even his previous master was not capable of.


    Shen Lian looked at it and asked, "How did you shapeshift?"


    The body of the giant python was stiff. When Shen Lian asked the question, it tried his best to open its mouth but no voice came out. However, Shen Lian was able to hear its thoughts.


    "I ate the shape shifting elixir produced by my master.", the python replied. It does not know why it revealed the truth to Shen Lian so easily but there was no chance for him to not answer.


    Shen Lian asked, "Who is your master?"


    It thought of the old master, a Daoist who tamed him. Just when it was about to recall the old master''s smile and voice, it went blank as a dash of spiritual consciousness pierced deep in its spirits. The spirit started to pop out like mushrooms after rain as it regained control of its body. Its Qi and state of blood were surging, causing the huge body of the python to expand as if it was filled with gas.


    But everything came to an end when a sword gleam surfaced in its mind to annihilate everything. The head of the python fell on the ground and was dead.


    Han Ying was expecting some fancy spells from Shen Lian but the giant python died so suddenly that she had no idea what had Shen Lian done.


    The unknown was terrifying, and the unknown would leave people feeling helpless. She was glad that Shen Lian belonged to the same side as her.


    All Shen Lian used was the Deity Vanquishing Sword. At his current level, he would leave no trace behind when using this sword. It was so subtle that it was far beyond the expectations of the creator of the Deity Vanquishing Sword.


    It was true that giant python''s cultivation experience was shallow, but even if an accomplished cultivator was in the range of Shen Lian''s divine thoughts, he would also be killed mercilessly.


    What would define power? This would. Even if a person who once was at the peak of the world arrived at a broader and wider world, his knowledge and means were still untouchable and beyond imagination.


    Shen Lian was capable of killing immortal Zhen Ren and could calmly face legendary people like Chen Beidou and Yanxu. Killing a python did not fluctuate his emotions at all. Instead, he was focused on wondering how did the master of the snake plated spiritual consciousness into it.


    Instead of feeling troubled, Shen Lian thought this was a good thing.


    He could use this opportunity to lure bigger fishes. After all, the act of planting spiritual consciousness in demon clans in such secretive manner was something that could only be done by a high levelled cultivator. In other words, this was the perfect opportunity for Shen Lian to touch base with cultivators from this world.


    The black tiger freed itself from the entanglement of the python and went to Shen Lian pitifully with puppy eyes. It even crawled sideways to show the blood marks under its fur.


    The black tiger lived in the jungle and this was not the first time it got injured. But today, he wanted to show his little master that it fought for him bravely.


    Shen Lian squinted his eyes at the black tiger and did not console it but the black tiger was ecstatic as if it has eaten a spiritual fruit.


    The poor black tiger that was tamed by his little master had zero traces of the majesticness of the king of beast. Even when its little master took an extra glance at him, it would think that Shen Lian was spoiling him with love.


    But it did not mind at all. There were so many tigers in the world but none of them were as fortunate to have a little master like Shen Lian. It knew that it would be the greatest tiger in the history of Mount Jieyang.


    The idea accompanied it for its entire life and it did accomplished it too. At that time, he kept telling its grandchildren that the most important thing for a tiger was to seek the right master.


    Shen Lian was too lazy to bother the little plan the black tiger made. He did not even plant any prohibition on the black tiger so technically, the black tiger had no master.


    This was Shen Lian''s arrogance. He was not the type of person who would put in too much effort on just any beasts around.


    They entered the manor and saw two rows of empty houses that were visibly dusty. There was a hall with a scroll of painting of the portrait of a Daoist. The Daoist had a star crown and was dressed in a red robe with gold enamel. He also wore a pair of gleam shoes that had the prints of the clouds, a treasure band around his waist and had a Ruyi golden hook on his hands. He had the eyes of fire, bright red lips, puffy hair and an evil look.


    All of a sudden, the Daoist flew out from the painting and turned into a handful of flames, and charged towards Shen Lian.


    Han Ying was not able to react while Shen Lian let out a breath that cooled down the hall and extinguished the hire.


    Shen Lian was secretly surprised by the fire that had some hints of the True Samadhi Fire.


    The True Samadhi Fire had existed in Qing Xuan for over thousands of years. It was the specialty of the old Daoist and was something that Shen Lian had yet to explore. After all, the True Samadhi Fire was extensive and profound. It would not be effective if one learned only one small part of it, and would in fact be a waste of time and energy if one were to invest deeply in it.


    Shen Lian pondered on why a small place like Mount Jieyang would attract such a person to reside her.


    He pondered carefully, closed his eyes and released his divine thoughts to feel the surroundings. Sure enough, he noticed something odd and was sure that there was another universe in this place.


    Shen Lian turned to Chen Qing and said, "Mother, please step out with Xiao Hei."


    Although Chen Qing knew that she would be safe with Shen Lian around, she could not help but feel frightened by the sight of the giant python and a painting that would spit fire.


    But when Shen Lian told her to first step out, she was not willing to do so and said, "I want to accompany you all."


    After all, it was the nature of a mother to be worried for their children.


    Shen Lian looked at Chen Qing deeply and did not refuse her offer. He said, "Sure, let''s do it".Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The black tiger had one of its feet out of the hall but it retracted its foot to show its determination to be with the little master. It did not learn anything from Shen Lian for the past two days as its mind was focused on how to impress Shen Lian.


    Nobody knew if it was the traumatic experience during its adolescents that caused this King of all Beast to completely lose its ancestor''s bravery.


    Shen Lian noticed the actions of the black tiger and found it hilarious.

 Chapter 461 Seven Peaches Mountain

    Shen Lian could not do much if Chen Qing chose not to leave.


    He fixed his eyes on the painting. The portrait of the Daoist was no longer on the painting. The only thing left behind were some fire marks.


    The True Samadhi Fire was the essence of all fires. Although the Daoist only left behind hints of the True Samadhi Fire, it was still something extraordinary. The scroll of painting was obviously not a decoration but to suppress a certain cold spirit.


    After just a brief observation, Shen Lian noticed the oddness behind this place. Breaking this mystic block would release an air of suppressed cold sensation. Even if Chen Qing has been taking the spiritual fruit, her body was still not as strong as Han Ying. She would definitely suffer a little when the air of cold sensation was released.


    Since her love to her son was so sincere, Shen Lian did not bother too much about her.


    After three breathes, Shen Lian''s glabella opened a gap that resembled a hollow eye. A dash of silver light surged towards the empty scroll of painting and wiped clean of all the dust that was around the hall. The hall became extremely clean.


    The empty scroll of painting started to expand and transformed into a door. A dash of cold air that was spine chilling came out from the painting.


    Chen Qing could not withstand the chills as her teeth started to chatter. She finally understood Shen Lian''s intention of asking her to step out.


    As the chills attacked the black tiger''s wound, it started to feel an unbearable numbness throughout its body.


    The price it had to pay for being loyal was too high.


    The black tiger''s body was able to withstand the chills but as the chills entered the open wound caused by the giant python, it made it really difficult for the black tiger.


    Shen Lian felt the breath of the chills and secretly complimented it. It was only the Yin Sha spiritual hole that was capable of producing such refined cold hatred.


    Shen Lian waited for the chills to disperse before asking Han Ying to carry him and proceed to enter.


    Beyond the door was an entirely different world. The grass were lusciously green and there was a well in the middle of the grassland that oozed an air of forest chilliness.


    When Shen Lian broke open the prohibition, there was a mountain thousand of miles away known as the Seven Peaches Mountain. The mountain was given such name because the mountain had a peach tree with seven peaches. The peaches hung on to the tree and had never once fell off it.


    The Seven Peaches Mountain was once a war-torn battlefield and thus had countless lost souls. Ever since the peach tree started growing, the number of lost souls gradually reduced. Once, an ignorant woodcutter went up to the mountain and came across the seven peaches that shapeshifted into human faces. He was horrified by the sight and returned to the village and told other villagers about it. The villagers then formed a group and went to investigate together. But all they saw was a deep hole at the original spot of the peach tree.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    People started spreading rumours that the peach tree left and became a spiritual being.


    Three years ago, a fierce looking Daoist came to the mountain. The villagers were greatly intimidated by his looks and did not dare to come in contact with him. Soon after, the Daoist started to distribute holy water and healed the sick. The villagers eventually opened up to him and asked what can they do for him to return this favour.


    The Daoist said that he wanted to set up a Tai Qing Daoist Temple at the original spot of the peach tree to worship Daoist Master Taishang and he would be the temple''s abbot.


    The villagers were supportive and built him a temple within the next couple of days. The Daoist resided in the temple.


    The villagers would frequent the temple to offer their incense while some would seek the Daoist for a divine reading. The Daoist would never refuse anyone who came and his readings were eighty to ninety percent accurate, as if he was a Buddha fairy in the mortal world. The villagers admired him more and more, and increased their offerings and worships sincerely.


    With the presence of the Daoist and the temple, the Seven Peach Mountain was well protected by a ring of green Qi against idle trouble-maker demons.


    The Daoist was meditating in the temple but he was awakened from the state of concentration. He thought to himself, "Xi Liang was such a deserted place with weak Qi of vitality. How can there be an expert that is capable of breaking the prohibition I set on Mount Jieyang."


    Mount Jieyang was one of his cultivation places. There was a Yin Gathering Fountain there and consuming the water of the fountain could help one shed their old body in exchange for new bones. He relied on a sip of the Yin Gathering Fountain to get rid of his filthy Qi to achieve his current cultivation accomplishments.


    No matter how wonderful someone else''s home could be, nothing would beat the soil of your very own hometown.


    After achieving what he wanted, the Daoist left Mount Jieyang to return to the Seven Peaches Mountain. Although Mount Jieyang was extremely deserted, it was indeed a good place, especially the Yin Gathering Fountain. If he would take in any disciples in the future, Mount Jieyang would be useful. That was why he put it so much effort to produce a Shape Shifting Elixir and fed it to his python pet. The giant python then shapeshifted into a human figure and was tasked to protect the Yin Gathering Fountain.


    He knew that the giant python was cruel and menace, and thus he planted spiritual consciousness in the python. If anything odd was triggered in the python''s mind, the spiritual consciousness would be activated.


    But now, the prohibition on the Yin Gathering Fountain was broken and the giant python too was annihilated.


    It took him so much to achieve what he had today. In order to seek true techniques, he had endured so much hardship, and that was the reason why he was hesitating if he should or should not return to Mount Jieyang to see what was happening.


    It was hard to ignore Mount Jieyang as he could not let go of the Yin Gathering Fountain.


    Now that he failed to enter the state of concentration, he decided to make a ''Thousand Miles Magical Travel talisman and get a delivery man to inquire about the situation of Mount Jieyang.


    All cultivators of the heaven and earth had a universal promise that was to never easily kill the human race. As he attained Dao differently, he may not be able to avoid conflict if he encountered certain types of cultivator.


    That was why he decided to hire a human to investigate for him and then decide on what actions he should take.


    After all, the Yin Gathering Fountain would remain there and not run away.


    It was just a pity that the giant python that he had put in so much effort into was dead. Things were starting to look more negative than positive.


    ...


    Shen Lian looked at the well and knew of its value.


    Chen Qing and Han Ying were already in their adulthood, their bones have stopped developing and they have completed puberty. But with this well, it has the potential to reshape the foundation, or at least it would be very helpful for his future path of cultivation.


    Shen Lian looked at Chen Qing and asked, "Mother, is Mount Jieyang under our Xi Liang?"


    Chen Qing replied, "The area a hundred miles radius surrounding the Xi Liang city are considered as our territory. Mount Jieyang too is no exception."


    Shen Lian responded, "That''s great. In the future if someone tried to take it back, we would never return it back to them. After all, this belonged to our ancestors."


    There were deeper meanings to his words.


    Han Ying did not fathom fully but Chen Qing was able react to it. No one would build a manor out of the blue on a mountain. What Shen Lian was trying to say was if the original owner of the manor returned, he would never give the place back to the owner.


    Initially, she thought that was inappropriate. They were seeking refuge here temporarily and would eventually return to the city of Xi Liang. Why would he want to forcefully take down this place?


    But as she look at Shen Lian who looked like he had other plans, and considering that the Mount Jieyang belonged to Xi Liang anyway, it was not entirely right to say that they forcefully took down the place.


    With the Yin Gathering Fountain, Shen Lian started to teach Chen Qing and Han Ying the basic methods of Qigong practices. It was also an improved version of the Shenzu Scripture that he has been reforming for the past few days.


    Although Qing Xuan''s Shenzu Scripture was not the most refined techniques, it could turn dynamic power into static power that flowed from the external to the internal of the body. It could improve the condition of a person''s physical body and worked like a lubricant.

 Chapter 462 Decapitation

    Ever since Shen Lian passed on the Shenzu Scripture to both of them and allowed them to have a successful cultivation, Chen Qing returned once again to the city. However, Shen Lian did not do so.


    They consumed the spiritual fruit, coupled with the spiritual force from the Yin Gathering Fountain, they had the sense of Qi in one night.


    The essential Qi was a peculiar power. Han Ying experienced it the clearest. With the help of the circulation wisp of essential Qi of her body, her understanding towards her own body increased another level. Originally, a female''s stamina would come up short innately. But, she deeply felt that this wisp of essential Qi could push up her stamina. Even though it was by a bit but for a dark warrior such as her who had undergone brutal training, she very clearly understood what this little bit of stamina meant. It would save her life during those special moments.


    Furthermore, the Dharma that was passed down by Shen Lian was not impossible to popularize. She thought that if the ladies in the armies could cultivate this Dharma, even without the excellent resources that they have, but with the long years, they would definitely surpass the now. By that moment, they could definitely build a formidable army.


    Han Ying thought of this matter but Chen Qing did not. She was not someone who liked to fight.


    Chen Qing looked at Shen Lian who was in front of her. After hearing what he had to say, she asked, "You mean that you want to declare that we are at Mount Jieyang?"


    "That''s right. The rebellion of the Gao family is only but a few days. In fact, this new establishment of power would inevitably be accompanied by a dispute of interest. There would even be resentment in the heart of the people. During this moment, mother, as the millennium orthodox of Xi Liang City and as per the natural principle of law, there would definitely be people who will offer their service to you." Shen Lian slowly said.


    Chen Qing asked with confusion, "Principle of law?"


    Shen Lian replied, "The principle of law is the inertia that has been formed for so long. The heaven and earth naturally has its principle of law. That is why there is water flowing from the high places to low places. After the fruit on top of the tree has ripen, it will fall to the ground. These are the principles of law and the people of Xi Liang City had already gotten used to the people of the Chen family being the Master of the city. In such a short amount of time, how could they easily accept the fact that the people of the Gao family had become the Master of the city? Furthermore, with the rebellion of the Gao family, they would certainly seek for bigger advantages and this will harm the interest of others."


    Chen Qing listened to Shen Lian who spoke continuously and pleasantly and it was then she knew about the advantages and disadvantages of it. Immediately, she felt as though the air was cleared for her. They were in the remote mountains but there was not only two or three person. There were definitely others who had not acknowledged their allegiance to the Gao family.


    Shen Lian continued said, "Actually, it isn''t hard to annihilate the people of the Gao family. It also isn''t hard to take back the city. The difficult part is after all of these, how you are going to hold onto the foundation that is Xi Liang City. This would really depend whether you have enough abilities and virtues."


    Chen Qing answered, "I understand the meaning of what you''re saying. That merchant once said to me that their monarch, who was a prominent merchant, once said, ''I am virtuous, the people would subject themselves to me voluntarily; I am not virtuous, the people would also leave by themselves."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly, his scrunched little face slowly unfolded, but within his mind he thought, this merchant is certainly someone special!


    Han Ying asked, "But how are we going to take siege of the city? I''m afraid it would be impossible to directly invade the city then?"


    Shen Lian spat out the word ''decapitation''.


    In the next few days, word had gotten around Xi Liang City that Chen Qing and the rest were still alive in Mount Jieyang and there were people who arrived in droves. As expected, they saw Chen Qing. There was a part of the group who was loyal to the Chen family, another part of the group were neutral forces. However, when they heard the Chen Qing showed up on her own initiative, they knew certainly in their minds that were was someone to count on. That was why they sent people over to have a look first, there were even some who were scouts from the Gao family who came to try to find out the abstract and the concrete.


    Chen Qing and Han Ying were brimming over with health and spirits. They did not looked to be in a tight corner at all and it even calmed the people who had offered their services. It also surprised and bewildered the others.


    Under the deterrence of Han Ying''s military might and Chen Qing''s perfect order of commands, a group of people were quikly being incorporated into their forces. There were more than three hundred people and within them, there were ten female soldiers who were loyal to the previous Master of the city.


    Once the people who were gathered became more, the consumption naturally also became more. Mount Jieyang was also a dangerous place that was easy to hold but hard to attack. That was why the troops were waiting for Chen Qing''s next move.


    Chen Qing''s movements were swift. She decided that they would lay siege to the city after the skies had brightened.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    This caused a commotion within the crowd. There were some who returned to the city that very night. Chen Qing did not stop them.


    As for Shen Lian, he rode on Black Tiger and lived in solitude in the high ground by the hillside. He observed the crowd clearly. Everyone''s tiny and subtle facial expression was seen in his eyes.


    The subconscious movements of these people betrayed the activity that were going on inside their mind. Not only that, Shen Lian could also sense the will of the people. Within the ten people, there was two who accepted Chen Qing.


    This could be considered not bad. It was also enough to see that the Chen family had bestowed profound bounties towards Xi Liang City. Only then there would be these people who refused to forget about their old master. They had even set up camp and brought their own rations.


    There were also the majority of the people who warned Chen Qing against laying siege to the city. However, no matter their best effort to convince her, Chen Qing did not change her mind.


    Shen Lian was riding on Black Tiger in this night and he had made a move first to Xi Liang City.


    The news arrived at the inside of the city around the evening. Gao Jie was sending people to look around for Chen Qing''s younger sister, Chen Yun. She had no time to investigate Chen Qing. What she did not expect was that not only did she showed up by her own initiative, she also wanted to lay siege to the city. It truly surprised and bewildered her.


    Unless Chen Qing was committing reckless haste, or else she should have known that with her come storm back, it was no different than trying to crush a stone with an egg.


    Gao Jie could not help but be deeply suspicious whether there were prominent families in the city that had pleaded their allegiance to Chen Qing and plotted to rebel together in secrecy.


    Her current forces were actually weakened by a lot compared to before the rebellion. This was because after she had taken Xi Liang City, she still needed to search for survivors from the Chen family and even placed some prominent families under surveillance. These coupled with the losses from the siege of the city, this was the weakest moment for the Gao family.


    Back then, the Gao family started out through the rebellion in the city so naturally, Gao Jie did not permit a second Gao family to appear.


    She ordered her subordinates to lay out defenses throughout the city the whole night. After finishing all of this and not long before the skies brightened up, she still felt an uneasiness within her mind and she went to meet the wizard.


    It should be mentioned that even though she really hated this person''s guts, she still needed his help.


    The wizard stayed in the residence the previous city master. Inside, a huge cauldron was burning and six infants were thrown into this cauldron alive. This caused the infants to let out painful howls as they boiled in the boiling water and they quickly died off.


    The fresh smell of meat entered Gao Jie''s nose. She was suffocated and was about to throw up, but she still pretended to be happy and greeted the wizard who was picking up a piece of infant flesh and he ate it.


    After he finished chewing up the plump flesh inside of his mouth, he then gloomily asked, "Did you found that person for me?"


    Gao Jie was more respective than last time and answered, "We are searching now. However, there is another major matter. It has to do whether you could capture Chen Yun."


    The wizard coldly asked, "What is it?"


    Then, Gao Jie told Chen Yun''s matter to the wizard. The general meaning being that she had hoped when Chen Yun laid siege to the city, the wizard would capture her.


    The wizard pondered for a while and said, "Did you find out why she would lay siege to the city?"


    Gao Jie answered, "I did not. But my subject has met them. He said the two seemed as though they had been thoroughly reborn and they were brimming with health and spirits. I reckoned that they had an unusual encounter because I heard that there was an unusual person who once stayed in Mount Jieyang, that this person had the ability to summon the wind and rain."


    The wizard asked, "You mean that they had gotten the help of that unusual person?"


    Gao Jie answered, "That unusual person had since left. I guess that they had the treasure items left by the unusual person."


    What she said was partially true but she knew that this one point was already enough. This was because the wizard was a greedy person.

 Chapter 463 The Restoration of Morning

    The happiest moment for Black Tiger was when his young master sat on him. The vital force of the universe that was shapeless and had no substance would surround Shen Lian''s side. It could be said that Shen Lian himself was a spiritual cave where the Qi of vitality would gather anytime. In fact, with his extraordinary divine thoughts that purified the Qi of vitality, those vital force of the universe was actually the spiritual force that was purer than the sun essence and moon radiance. For the Black Tiger to get a breath of it, it was enough to fulfill a whole night of absorbing the sun essence and moon radiance.


    This was one of the perks of being in a high state. With the same breathing and respiratory, Shen Lian''s efficiency was more than a thousand times of the ordinary cultivators.


    However, the one thing that really mattered to Shen Lian was the wisp of dismal vital force within that Qi of heaven and earth. This could help him to legalize the power of the Primordial Spirit from his past life. As for his flesh, he could temper himself naturally and slowly make up for the weakness that was caused by the premature birth.


    This replenishment was slow and natural. Shen Lian did not deliberately interfere.


    When he reached the outside city walls of Xi Liang City, he looked at the mottled city walls. His divine thoughts then penetrated it. An ancient vital force was felt sensed by him. His divine thoughts borrowed the extension of the city walls. The location of the patrols and the soldiers and the regular pattern of their movements, all these of the current situation were viewed by him without interruption.


    Under the order of Shen Lian, Black Tiger climbed the city wall. Each time its paws landed, it would definitely be on the cracks on the city walls. Hit lightly leveraged itself as it continuously rose on an arched route. It finally reached the top of the city and flashed pass. Coincidentally, there was no one around.


    This opportunity was only present within the blink of an eye and once it was missed, it was missed. However, Shen Lian did not missed it.


    He was not delighted at all. Like a sophisticated computer and even more like the brilliant laws of heaven, he covered all living beings and calculated with precision.


    It was as though in that instance, Shen Lian had mastered the past, present and future of the space that is the city wall.


    This wonderful feeling made his heart yearn and then detest it. This was because he could touch the past, present and future of the time and space of the city wall so naturally, there would be a greater existence. He had seen pass the past, present and future of all living beings and made best use of the situation. Using this time and space as the chessboard, the masses as chess pieces.


    The feelings of self-satisfaction and vigilance existed simultaneously, causing Shen Lian to calm his state of mind.


    Black Tiger light paws had gotten through the heavy security and it was getting closer to the residence of the city master.


    Shen Lian had not came to the residence of the city master and had never met Gao Jie, but he could find the whereabouts of Gao Jie. He could even feel that Gao Jie''s vital force was next to the eccentric person in the black robe.


    It was obvious that the both of them were in one spot.


    Once Gao Jie had finished speaking to the wizard and she saw that the wizard was deep in thought, she knew that this matter was most probably in prospects. No matter how powerful a person it, as long as there was freed, they would also be used too.


    Without waiting till the answer from the wizard, the tightly shut door of the room was opened.


    The brilliant green eyes of the wizard stared outside of the door while Gao Jie pulled out her long sword There was an infant riding on a black tiger that waltzed in. It was as though the guards outside had been placed under a spell and they had slipped into a deep slumber.


    The gaze of the wizard was focused on the infant. Gao JIe saw the infent and then she thought back to the infants inside the cauldron. Her heart was filled with terror.


    Black Tiger moved its steps forward and the sound of its foot pitter pattered on Gao Jie''s heart. She was getting more and more afraid but no words could come from her throat. The black tiger pounced with ferocity and snapped her neck with an extremely well-trained movement.


    It then turned its head and stared ghastly at the wizard as it let out a low rumbling roar.


    The wizard looked at Shen Lian and said, "What backgrounds do you have? If I had offended you in anyway, I am willing to pay for my offences."


    A young child voice rang throughout the inside of the house, "You are not qualified to offend me."


    Rage filled the wizard''s mine. Should one need to be qualified to offend others? This was the last thought in his mind.


    This was because his skull had just burst like that. It was unknown when a ray of sword gleam had detonated the various kinds of needs within his mind. It came in a continuous stream and it directly caused the wizard to have his brains to burst out


    Shen Lian was not even interested to question this kind of malicious cultivator and he did not think it was even worth it to know his name or background.


    Black Tiger that witnessed the entire process of the explosion of the skull of the wizard, in its mind, it wondered just how great it would be when it could learn this trick by his young master.


    Shen Lian''s voice resonated within its mind, "I can teach you if you want to learn. However, if you do not learn it well, there is a possibility that your own brain will explode too."


    Black Tiger shook its tiger tail in a fawning manner, his inner mind answered, "No, no."


    Shen Lian felt that this black tiger was slightly funny. It was obvious that it was the king of all beast but t only knew to flatter and cajole to it. It did not had any might bearing. He even suspected that whether it was the soul of the dog that had reincarnated wrongly.


    Hardly enjoying the flatters and toadying from Black Tiger''s inner mind, he directly ordered Black Tiger to stain its paws with the fresh blood from Gao Jie''s body and carve strange and crooked groove marks on the ground. Shen Lian''s surging psyche power was infused into the bloody groove marks. It was as though it had primed a hidden force and in a blink of an eye, there was a shapeless vibration that emitted from within the room.


    This shapeless vibration was able to spread very far. Finally, within the city, it was as though anyone that had the same blood as the Gao family could hear a special tune and their gazes were becoming more and more lax.


    At the same time, Shen Lian was chanting towards the cauldron that the infants were cooked in. The strange syllables disclosed from his mouth and on top of the cauldron, many of the spirit smoke gathered.


    Under the syllables that came from Shen Lian''s mouth, the spirit smoke began to condense. However, it did not take shape in the end and with a short burst, it dispersed in all directions and it withdrew into the vast universe.


    Shen Lian sighed in silence, even the Rebirth Mantra could not let them cross over into the next life.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He found it somewhat strange. Could it be that because the female infants were born due to the Zimu River that it was the reason why there were insufficient innate spirits? It actually turned out that even after death, the resentment thoughts that had not been resolved could not even take shape as it scattered into the universe.


    Shen Lian had already done all that he could do. The rest of the following matters were up to his mother to complete.


    The night gradually faded away. The sun obeyed the covenant it had with the moon and stars as it gradually risen from afar. Shen Lian rode Black Tiger to the tallest point of the tower and welcomed the ever-changing rosy clouds.


    Now, he could exercise more of his divine thoughts. It seemed that a blur silhouette could be seen from that reddish grey sun. It was like a type of bird.


    The sun here was definitely not that a giant size star.


    Shen Lian felt that perhaps this world was similar to the spherical heavens and square earth that he had read in legends back then.


    Simultaneously, Chen Qing calmly and serenely brought hundreds of people to march towards Xi Liang City. The mottled thousand year old ancient city appeared before Chen Qing and the troops. Slowly, there was a commotion within the troop. Many of them thought that their momentum later would not be good and so, they took the first step to stop Chen Qing. This was a great service.


    Han Ying protected Chen Qing by her side. Her gaze was chilling and her imposing manner was display undisguised. This shocked and awed the troop of people who were of different minds.


    The city was getting nearer and nearer and the sound naturally alerted the soldiers who were guarding the city. Nonetheless, they were still slightly out of their wits. Every people from the Gao family in the military had died without a sound.


    There was no breathing and no scars.


    It was like there was an unspoken curse which caused the traitors to have a taste of their just desserts and there was no more chance to repent.


    The unknown caused fear. The absence of the binding of the leader caused this fear to spread.


    Chen Qing took Xi Liang City back without bloodshed. It was easy till the point that even she was surprised.

 Chapter 464 Creator

    In a few days, the city walls changed flags for the second time.


    Shen Lian was looking down on everything from the highest point of the tower. He felt the losses, anxieties, and hopes of the masses within the city. They were people who were used to being rules. They were even more afraid of no one ruling inside the city. This disrupted the fixed rhythm of their lives.


    If a person had gotten used to how to live, they would be terrified themselves if they wanted to make other changes.


    Everyone''s inner demand was not the same but the demands of the same kind of people were similar in the bigger direction. Shen Lian could feel the many kinds of wandering thoughts.


    He could not be any clearer in understanding why deities needed to draw in faith. This was because this kind of thought was impure and not powerful, but it was hard to annihilate. It would reproduce in an endless succession and it was endless.


    As long as a portion of the thoughts were satisfied, one could gain reciprocation beyond their imagination.


    In the eyes of that kind of existence, the mases were the lambs of the monarch and they were the spring source of its might.


    Not only did deities needed the faith of the masses, the ruler too needed the recognition and the support of the people. This was the basis for ruling. When this recognition and support disappeared, those higher ups in the position of power would be knocked down into the dust.


    Of course, Shen Lian being the kind of person who was detached from the ordinary was not in this league. They were the other kind of people who existed in the universe, but they also had dependency. They depended on the power that they drew from this universe and the power that they controlled by themselves.


    However, when this dependency was compared to the dependency of the masses, the dependency of faith was much lighter.


    The sun that was high up in the sky was emitting limitless light and heart, as though not only it did not relied on anything matter, it took the initiate to release energy that covered every corner of the universe.


    The greatness of the sun lied in its giving in charity. Shen Lian was unable to achieve this tall banks for now.


    In the legends of this world, the moon devoured the radiance of the stars but it did not mentioned that the sun devoured the radiance of the moon and stars. This was enough proof of the uniqueness of the sun.


    It was naturally unavoidable for Shen Lian''s curiosity towards the sun to thicken even more.


    He had a feeling that one day, he would be able to see the kind of shocking truth that was hidden within that humungous ball of fire.


    With the support Chen Qing gotten along the way, she entered into the residence of the city master. Finally, she met Shen Lian who was riding Black Tiger.


    "It turned out as you have said. It was very easy to take siege of this city." Chen Qing looked at Shen Lian complicated. This was the flesh that had fallen from her body. It was both intimate and also strange.


    After all, she was pregnant with him for ten months and tey were related by flesh and blood. If Shen Lian was in any danger, she could even give up everything she had in exchange of his wellbeing. However, this was not enough for them to have the intimacy of the worldly mother and son.


    Shen Lian too keenly understood the relationship between the both of them. They were unlike the worldly mother and son but this was also unchangeable. This was because he was Shen Lian, Shen Lian who had not lost his memories. He was an independent, knowledgeable and extraordinary existence.


    He could repay the grace for being birthed but there was no way to change his own thinking. Furthermore, he was never an ordinary person!


    Therefore, Shen Lian did not struggled. Rather, he told his own observation of Xi Liang City to Chen Qing who was listening. By doing so, she was able to run this city better.


    The content was a lot and very complication. However, Shen Lian explained slowly and leisurely. It was simplified which made it easier for Chen Qing to comprehend.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Next, Chen Qing promulgated decrees in an orderly manner, all of it were directed towards the current situation within the city. The decrees were not oo many and they were easy to remember. After a few days of adapting to it, everyone had a profound respect for the new city master, but they did not know that it was Shen Lian who was giving advices and ideas in the back.


    Under Shen Lian''s direction, Chen Qing chose twenty of the most loyal people and taught them cultivation. This was going to be the very core military might of Xi Liang City.


    As for Shen Lian, he returned to Mount Jieyang after giving out suggestions. Very little people knew about him.


    However, as he stayed in Mount Jieyang, Chen Qing would send people to interact with him every day and they would bring along the necessities that she thought that Shen Lian would need. Then, they would draw out a pail of Yin Gathering Fountain back.


    Shen Lian went to the Zimu River before he left Xi Liang City. That river passed through Xi Liang City and once it was out from the city, it did not have the wonderful ability to allow people to be pregnant.


    The essence of the water of the Zimu River had the characteristic of Yin within Yang. This was why after someone had conceived, they would give birth to a girl.


    Because of this body that had undergone more recovery under his divine thoughts, he had come in contact with things that were of deeper levels. His bloodline was pure and the inner body structure was regular. It was the same as someone who had been forcefully created using a template. However, ultimately, there was a naturalness that was lost, which caused the bloodlines and inner body structures of the Xi Liang City''s female to be very fixed, It was hard for it to change.


    Shen Lian could not help but associate the legends of the creation of humans.


    With Shen Lian''s pass capabilities, he could gather the Qi of heaven and earth as sacred paintings and it was no different than a living human being. Naturally, it was extremely easy for him but it was entirely impossible for him to create a human. It was even more impossible to create living beings.


    It was something similar to someone sculpting a mountain rock and it would be lifelike, but ultimately, it was not a living being.


    After Shen Lian''s state had reached the state of Tian Xian, there was no more front road to be followed. He only knew that to take a step further, it would be ''Taiyi Tian Xian''. However, what exactly was ''Taiyi Tian Xian'', he was unclear about it.


    Until now, he vaguely had ideas of it. If he could understand the most subtle and exquisite structure of the body flesh, under the reference of a temple, perhaps he was able to introduce bloodlines of other species. He could even alter his own bloodline and transform from one species to another species.


    By then, he was able to transform into a dragon, phoenix, prehistoric beast, a pure male or female. Could this be consider as systematically and supposedly entering a higher level?


    Shen Lian named this state as ''change''. After change was creating living beings and even after that, was creating humans. Men were the souls of the universe, so it was natural for it to be the hardest being to be created.


    He did not went deep in thought for this state because this was different that his previous cultivations. It needed a huge amount of practice and even more help of the power of the Primordial Spirit


    There were times when the cultivation needed to be quick, because once the chance was missed, it was very difficult to search for it again.


    However, there were times when the cultivation needed to be slow because this time, it needed accumulation, lots and lots of accumulation and outside conditions.


    Now, ten days had passed since he left Xi Liang City Under the tempering of the Qi of vitality, his body was slightly sturdy. He could walk upright on the ground. However, due to the limitation of the condition of his body, it was not very quick.


    Currently, he hardly displayed spells because he wanted to experience more of any kind of subtle changes of the flesh while he interacted with the kinds of Qi dynamic of the universe.


    His cultivation was too quick in the previous world. He had gotten a lot but he had also lost some of the interest that came with cultivating.


    He reached the small house by the side. Its big doors were open wide and bright light shone from the outside.


    Inside, there was a forty year old middle aged man who was leaning on the wall. He watched as Shen Lian entered, his expression was slightly stiffed. Anyone who was locked up for seven days and had no one to interact with and no one to talk to would become numb.


    Even though he was only forty years old, but his face was marred with weathered marks. This result originated from his yearly rushing about.


    The middle aged man was a letter delivery man. This was an ancient professional because there were some people who were travelling outside and had difficulties corresponding with their family back home, hence the birth of this profession. They help others run errands, mainly delivering letters and light items. For those in this profession, the most important was not the quality of one''s body being good but their credibility.


    Shen Lian keenly looked at him and said, "I know you are a man of integrity, which is why I need you to help me send a message back."

 Chapter 465 Trials of Lightning

    The letter delivery man was exactly the one who was being dispatched by the daoist from the Seven Peaches Mountain.


    The daoist had given him two Magical Travel talisman. It could extract his energy and allowed him to travel thousands of miles in one day. This was one treasure item that was hard to turn down by the letter delivery man.


    He reached the bottom of Mount Jieyang and was discovered by Shen Lian. This was because there were mana vibrations contained within the Magical Travel talisman, which could not be hidden from him at a.


    Shen Lian only allowed Black Tiger to capture him and lock him up.


    Until Shen Lian had straightened out the matters on his hands within these few days, only then did he have the leisure to deal with him.


    The letter delivery man stared at this weird talking infant, his expression blank. Once his inner mind responded, he could also accept this. After all, he was the letter delivery man that had travelled extensively. In his normal days, he had heard of stories being told by those storytellers in tea booths while he was on his way. He had heard many deeds of demons and the supernatural.


    He had heard that in the most western part, there was a country where once the people were born they could open their mouths and speak. Their entire behavior was no different than an adult. Furthermore, the young master that was just born to the old master of an aristocratic family had more strength than an adult bullock.


    At that time, he was uncertain as to what to believe. But now that he had met Shen Lian, he knew that perhaps there was some truth to the stories being told by the storyteller.


    The letter delivery man hoarsely asked, "You already knew where I came from?"


    Shen Lian''s baby-like throat stirred slightly, his tiny tongue spouted words. It was pure and ethereal as he said, "The things I want to know, I could know. The person that sent you here would naturally be the previous owner of this manor. You tell him, I am the young master of Xi Liang City and Mount Jieyang is my property. Every tree and bush does not belong to him. If he wants to come and argue, he can come and look for me. I am only afraid that he would dare to come."


    The letter delivery man''s memory was not bad and he had already remembered what Shen Lian said. He asked, "You only need me to bring these few sentences?"


    Shen Lian answered, "Just these few sentences. Do you want to rest before you leave?"


    The letter delivery man originally wanted to leave directly. However, he thought that if Shen Lian wanted to end him, it would also be a matter of a backhand moment. That was why he decided to properly rest before he left. After all, he was someone who was busy running about year in and year out. He knew that in order to hit the road, he needed to be in a fine mental state.


    Shen Lian allowed him to first step out. He had his small hands on his back, his stature was infantile. However, the letter delivery man could only follow behind with extreme caution, because he deeply feared this small kid.


    After Shen Lian had the daoist''s Prohibition dismantled, the backyard was a very good resting pace. Soft green grass carpeted the ground and there were a few small white flowers that occasionally grew by the side of the well. It opened silently, emitting a silent and beautiful fragrance. The letter delivery man followed him here and he only felt refreshed.


    There was a stone table and stone stools by the side of the cooling and still ancient well. Shen Lian slowly sat on top. Black Tiger lied next to the well. It greedily breathed in the spiritual force, lazily glanced the letter delivery man and continued to doze off.


    Shen Lian asked him, "Since you want to rest, why are you not sitting?''


    The letter delivery man had his mind clear right now by the delicate fragrance of the plants and his thoughts were already rested by a good deal. Even so, when he heard Shen Lian asking him to sit, he was overwhelmed by this unexpected favor. This was because someone as unusual as Shen Lian should see him as worthless grass. How could he allow him to be sitting as him?


    Even if these were civilities by the other, that was also something truly hard to come by.


    He waved his hands as he replied, "I''ll just squat here and I''ll be fine."


    He searched for a spot that was far away from Black Tiger and the squatted on the ground. His back and waist were stooped. His face was full of crisscross marks, like one ravine after another, which really spoke about the cruelty of the years towards him.


    Shen Lian gazed at him and in his mind, he thought that this was the most ordinary human. To him, these people were no different than the dayfly that was ephemeral. Nonetheless, Shen Lian had never looked down on these most ordinary humans. He was living with difficulty every day and he was working hard to live.


    In actual fact, this also reminded Shen Lian just how uneasy it was to be alive. This allowed him to have more vigilance and restraint when he was being capricious.


    There was a stone bowl and stone kettle on top of the stone table.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The cover of the stone kettle flew up and there was a handful of cool spring water that flew from the pail by the side of the well. It poured into the stone kettle. A few young green buds flew out of nowhere and were poured together into the stone kettle.


    As the letter delivery man saw everything that Shen Lian did, he was full of astonishment.


    Shen Lian borrowed a wisp of fire Qi from the heaven and earth and he purified and refined it. He then shrouded it on the surface of the stone kettle. Not long after, the tea boiled and scorching hot tea sprayed out, entering into the two stone bowls. He asked, "Since you''re here too, how about I treat you to a cup of tea?"


    The tea was just ordinary spring buds but the water of the hot tea was the spiritual water of the Yin Gathering Fountain. The fire used was even the wisp of succinct fire will that Shen Lian had purified.


    The letter delivery man did not know just how precious the water was but he had drank many tea in his entire life, it was just that there was not one cup of tea that had the taste of the tea he was having now.


    After he drank it, he was filled with energy. It was as though it was impossible to vent it all out even after three days and three nights. He needed exercise. He needed to walk to work it off.


    Thus, he very quickly said his farewell to Shen Lian and descended Mount Jieyang.


    He tied the Magical Travel talisman once again and continuously sprinted on the road. The scenery by the two sides were rapidly reversing. Before that, when he was using the Magical Travel talisman, he could clearly feel that he was more tired than usual. But now, he noticed that he was not tired at al.


    If he knew about the term perpetual motion machine, he would definitely thought that he had it installed on himself. He did not know just how far he ran. The pedestrians by the sides only felt a breeze brushed by and they could not even see the person clearly.


    The letter delivery man had been on the road for ten over years now and it was only today that he felt just how carefree he could be as he walked. All of this boiled down to that cup of tea that Shen Lian had let him drink.


    If anyone in cultivation knew about Shen Lian treating an ordinary mortal to such a precious spiritual tea, they would definitely groan out what a waste of god''s good gift. After all, this one cup of tea was enough to make up for a whole month''s work for those who were cultivating. It even had magical effects of reposing one''s mind and building one''s body.


    It was also only Shen Lian who would not really mind these kind of stuff. To him, even the drug immortality was something that he would give away if he wanted to.


    Not long after, the dark clouds in the skies began to roll. The letter delivery man thought that it was close to raining.


    With rain, there was definitely wind. The wind blew in the direction of the letter delivery man, which caused him to run even faster. His mind was also getting more unstable. However, it was hard for him to stop because he was just oo quick. Even if he slowed down, he still needed time to buffer.


    He gradually slowed down his speed but the wind that blew on his back caused him to follow its course like a blow up sailboat. He did not slow down one bit.


    A rumbling thunderous sound brought a heavy pour of rain in the blink of an eye. The letter delivery man sprinted urgently as he seek for a place to hide from the rain.


    Shen Lian was on Mount Jieyang. It was still clear skies here and the sound of thunder could only be heard. There was no sign of huge rain.


    He locked his faze that the faraway place with the sound of thunder and said, "The old man up there truly frowned upon the living creatures who did adept in their cultivation. I wonder which demon is shapeshifting."


    Black Tiger cowered as it looked into the distance. The might of the divine lightning caused it to tremble from its soul. It crawled on the ground and continuously got close to the side of its young master. As though by only doing this, it would be even safer.


    He was just a tiger from the mountains with spirituality. Fundamentally, it was unclear what the trials if lightning meant to a demon. It was a ridge, a ridge that blocked thousands of the masses in obtaining their personal self.


    There were demons who had cultivated for a thousand years just because they only wanted to wait for such an opportunity. If they could not make it pass, there was a possibility that they would go up in smoked. But those demons that had reached this steps, not many would hesitate and not venture into this trial of life and death.

 Chapter 466 Not Human

    The rain fell in torrents as the boundless and indistinct streams of waters filled the heaven and earth. The front could not be seen and the back could not be heard. The middle aged letter delivery man lost both his eyes and ears. Perhaps it was because of his speed being too quick, the water droplets that were supposedly to hot his body were winded off by the flowing wind coming from him.


    It was unknown just how long ad passed when the sound of thunder faded away and the torrential downpour vanished in an instance. The letter delivery man finally fell onto the ground. He stumbled a few steps and finally stood properly. There was a tea booth in front.


    Being a letter delivery man for so many years, he could recognize that this was the courier route that was a hundred miles away from Seven Peaches Mountain. However, he did not know when there was an extra tea booth on this courier route.


    Perhaps it was after the rain, there was not one passerby on the road and the tea booth did not even have business.


    There was only one owner who was making tea while another old man sat by himself in the tea booth.


    The owner in the front greeted the middle aged letter delivery man, "Official guest, come in and have a drink."


    The middle aged letter delivery man originally wanted to decline but his footsteps subconsciously entered into the tea booth. He found a place to sit down.


    The owner eagerly attended to him with bringing him the tea. The hot vapor was steaming and there was tea foam floating on top of it. It was refreshing and natural. However, the middle aged letter delivery man just had the spiritual tea that Shen Lian had not long ago, how could he still drink the tea here?


    Nonetheless, the owner did not solicitously asked him to drink the tea and he continued to shuffle the items in the booth.


    The other old man said to the middle-aged letter delivery man, "You lad seemed unoccupied, how about this old man tell you a story."


    The middle-aged letter delivery man did not know whether to decline or accept but the old man did not give him the chance to choose.


    The clear voice of the old man slowly rose in the tea booth. He first began with a poem that begins the play, "Talking for the sake of talking, listening for the sake of listening. Everyone come sit under the bean rack and melon stand, accompanied by the fine wisp of raindrops for the mottos in life. Human words of this world are given up, go for immortal tales from the crypt."


    From the beginning, the storyteller would mostly come up with an opening poem before telling the story. The purpose was naturally to have the audience to focus and listen to what he had to say.


    The opening poem of this old man was truly enough to strike the heart of people. The sentences were concise and the meaning was profound. The middle-aged letter delivery man immediately felt energized.


    The old man truly did not use human words of this world but he did spoke of a story. The location where the story happened was at Seven Peaches Mountain. There was a originally a peach tree on Seven Peaches Mountain, it absorbed the sun essence and moon radiance. It purified the resentment thoughts of the wandering ghosts that were all over the mountains and plains. Finally, it bore seven fruits.


    Each of these seven peaches had spirituality. After a very long period of time, the peaches had human faces and it was about to grow into an infant. However, these seven peaches were bright colored and they enjoyed their innocence. They did know how to disguise themselves. Later, a woodcutter that went up the mountain noticed the oddity and the peaches were spoked by the scent of human. From that moment on, they were tainted by the secular mortal world.


    Since the beginning of time, the spirituality of these unusual objects were not fixed and they were like humans in their childhood. They were spooked by the woodcutter and since the seven peaches grew in these mountains, they had quite a divine response. When they heard that the people below mountains told the woodcutter of their intention to come up to the mountains and see them, they urged the mother tree to flee out from the mountains all night.


    However, these peaches did not know an item away from its native land was worth nothing. Under the panic, they escaped from their home mountain and they lost the source of their spiritual force. They began wilting halfway through.


    They only had some spirituality and hardly knew any supernatural powers or Dao techniques. They were more than vulnerable once they left Seven Peaches Mountain. Even if they stayed on a spot and grow their roots, they were unable to draw in the sun essence and moon radiance from the Seven Peaches Mountain.


    The spirituality wilted and under the instinct of survival, there was one peach that began engulfing the spiritualties of his other brothers. Five day passed and there were five peaches with their spiritualties entirely swallowed by that one peach. The only smallest peach was barely breathing.


    Just as that peach was about to engulf its youngest brother, a white stork flew down from the sky during this moment and took advantage of the opportunity to carry off the smallest peach.


    After the peach that was left behind had engulfed the spiritualities of other five peaches, its spiritual knowledge was strengthened. It gradually took control of the entire peach tree and its roots eventually rejuvenated.


    A wild rabbit trespassed into the area of the peach tree and the peach had different notions in its mind. The roots emerged and strangled the wild rabbit to death. After it engulfed the rabbit''s flesh and blood, its vigor became greater.


    From then on, after he had a sweet taste of blood and flesh, it began to kill other living beings. At the same time, it continuously shifted its location and lived on blood. Gradually, it had mana and supernatural power.


    Unknown amount of years had passed and its cultivation had reached a hiatus. It attracted trials of the divine lightning and it spent every ounce of its effort. Finally, it crossed over peacefully and transformed into a human.


    After the old man had told the story till here, his keen sparkling eyes were on the middle-aged letter delivery man as he asked, "Tell me since it had gotten the body of a human, could it be considered as human?"


    The middle-aged letter delivery man was becoming dim and his awareness was becoming empty. He wanted to nod and answer, "Since it has the body of a human, it could be said that it is human."


    He did not feel that anything was wrong with it. Just as he was about to open his mouth and answer, Shen Lian''s words suddenly rang in his mind at this moment, "The things I want to know, I could know. The person that sent you here would naturally be the previous owner of this manor. You tell him, I am the young master of Xi Liang City and Mount Jieyang is my property. Every tree and bush does not belong to him. If he wants to come and argue, he can come and look for me. I am only afraid that he would dare to come."


    The content of the message that Shen Lian had him to pass on was unrelated to this moment but its silence and ethereal vital force awaken his awareness in a split second, causing him to regain consciousness.


    The middle-aged letter delivery man answered, "It is not a human, because it had consumed even his own brothers."


    The old man asked with disappointment, "But he was just surviving at that time. Do humans not have times when they would cannibalize each other?"


    There was anger in the mind of the middle-aged letter delivery man. Even though he was only a petty and low figure, but he had guidelines when it came to conducting oneself. He replied, "A human that cannibalize is not a human."


    He did not know about abstinence but he had a simple concept of good and evil. He firmly believed that it was a demon, even when it had a human body, it was still a demon and it was no human.


    The expression of the old man gradually withered. A gust of foul wind blew and blew the middle-aged letter delivery man out of the tea booth. At this moment, he saw the Daoist from the Seven Peaches Mountain. He sighed at the letter delivery man, "What kind of person did you met when you want to Mount Jieyang?"


    The middle-aged letter delivery man then told the Daoist everything that he had encountered. That Daoist''s expression moved visibly as he said, "So there is somebody who could use spells once it is said out. Master did not lie to me."


    The middle-aged letter delivery man did not know that the words that Shen Lian had said to him had become a spell. This spell had no other uses but only that it was not easily wiped off.


    That was why when he wanted firmly confirm the demon that had shapeshift into a human, that spell verse jolted him awake.


    Shen Lian did not expect this matter and that old man who told the story was also not in his expectation. Everything seemed that everything was by chance. However, the most important thing was that even when the middle-aged letter delivery man was petty and low, he was also clear that a demon like that that had gotten a human body was no human.


    The middle-aged letter delivery man was slightly anxious as he said, "Daoist priest, there is something wrong with that tea booth."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The Daoist faintly answered, "It is not human so naturally, it is a demon. Next, it would begin to devour humans. This is a good thing, once this karma is settled, it would also not be too late to go meet that connoisseur in Mount Jieyang."


    While the middle-aged letter delivery man was jolted awake, it was followed by a touch in Shen Lian''s mind. The spell that he had spoken was an unintentional action and a spell like that did not even have any substantial might.


    This was because once he had reached this state, there would be this kind of effect.


    His Primordial Spirit had not completely been restored and it was hard to know about the sequence of events. However, he also knew that mishaps had happened.


    Shen Lian had no intention to occupy his mind with this matter and entered into a concentrated state following according to his routine. Day and night, he was tempered by the vital force of the universe. Even though he did not deliberately interfere, but the development of his body was so much quicker than the ordinary infant.


    The Daoist of Seven Peaches Mountain was being worrisome regarding this matter.

 Chapter 467 Peach

    What the middle-aged letter delivery man heard was real. There were two peaches; the one that was taken by the white crane was the Daoist. While he was an unusual object, after going through many challenges, he finally achieved enlightenment under Xuanmen.


    His Mana however was not as deep as his elder brother, as ultimately he took in blood and flesh of living beings. The cumulation of Mana allowed him to go through the trial of thunder. One could imagine the level of Mana the elder brother possessed.


    Fortunately, the Daoist was from Xuanmen and hence he had other divine response. It was not impossible for him to beat the elder brother to save the living beings on the Seven Peaches Mountain. The woodcutters'' Qi on Seven Peaches Mountain had disturbed them when they were young. Given that now he had become a real demon, for the greatest satisfaction, he would definitely take revenge on the human of Seven Peaces Mountain. The living beings of the mountain too had to suffer without a reason.


    Because of the unintentional words of the middle-aged letter delivery man, they had eliminated the last strand of possibility for the evil to be good.


    The Daoist was not willing to allow this to happen. Furthermore, the elder brother had the idea to swallow him for replenishment.


    There was a thick demon fog ahead. One could hear the endless scream of living beings. The fog spread to a larger area, and every inch of the ground was soiled by the blood of the living beings.


    The Daoist made up his mind to step into the demon fog. He was protected by the divine light of Tai Qing. In the depth of the fog, there were two people. One of them was the owner of the tea shop, and the other was the storytelling elder.


    The owner of the tea shop was the evil thought, but the storytelling teller was the good part his elder brother possessed. However, the elder was now withered, but the owner of the tea shop looked energetic.


    His cold eyes stared at the Daoist from head to toe. The enormous pressure made the Daoist realize that after going through the trial of thunder, the demonic power was even stronger. Even though he was protected by the divine light of Tai Qing, he still could not stop the demonic power from invading.


    The owner of the tea shop sneered, "My seventh younger brother. Long time no see."


    The Daoist calmed down, and said, "Elder brother, today I will grant the wish for all my other brothers."


    The tea shop owner began to laugh wildly, "Just by you? Luck is on my side. You have to know that if not because that human was dumb, he would not allow me to become a real demon. There is no such rule that says that I have to become a human after I obtain a human form. The divines and the demons all have a human form, but do they think they are the lowly human? Ridiculous."


    The Daoist spoke slowly, "Elder brother, you''re wrong. Humans are not lowly. You haven''t been to Da Xia. There are some people there who are more terrifying than divines or demons. You haven''t been to Yin Shang, there are other Qi cultivators who are much more powerful than me. The heaven and earth place a great deal of fortitude on humans. For the Gods who do not get approval from Emperor Xia for sacrificial rituals, they can only become demonic gods without ever being recognized. Only by getting close to humans, blending in with them and following the morals, we can then have access to the fundamentals of power. Please stop being stubborn."


    The tea shop owner spoke in disdain, "I believe in power, and the fundamental of power is that the truth lies with the person with the strongest fist. So what if you get a human form? Do you dare to tell the dumb fools you are just a peach?"


    The Daoist sighed, and all of a sudden his hands went through thousands of transformation and countless formulas were released. The techniques formed into a flooding stream that broke through the demonic power of the fog and it went straight for the tea shop owner.


    All the demons retracted, with some color of blood, they dispelled the techniques easily.


    During that gap, the Daoist pinched his nose and opened his mouth. A fire dragon was let out, and it was Daoist''s True Samadhi Fire. Although the power was not even a hundredth of the real True Samadhi Fire, the fog was still unable to extinguish it. It began to burn.


    There were ways to extinguish the True Samadhi Fire, like for someone like Shen Lian, he could use the divine thought to eliminate the fire meaning of the True Samadhi Fire, and disturbed the connection between the essence, Qi and spirit and extinguish the fire easily. However, the tea shop owner was definitely not one of them.


    He could feel the inextinguishable fire on him. He made a decision to stop considering for what could be the consequences. As the demon fog gathered towards the fog, they exploded. All of a sudden within a perimeter of two miles, one could feel the shocking wave. The letter delivery man who did not go away was impacted by the wave. His body was torn apart and he was dead.


    The Daoist did not have time to care whether the letter delivery man was dead or alive. His daoist robe was a mess. He was dusty, and his face was like a burnt charcoal. He took out a gourd and he removed the cork. With the opening facing the tea shop owner, he shouted, "Elder brother."


    The tea shop owner heard his thunderous voice, but he kept to his bier and said nothing, because he knew there was such a technique called a spell curse. Once he responded, it would hurt him.


    Although he did not reply, someone else did. It said, "Seventh younger brother."


    The voice was hoarse and weak, like a candle in the wind, but it was extremely eye catching at that moment. The one who responded was the storytelling elder. He was the same person as the tea shop owner.


    It was a pulling factor, like the irresistible principles every living being had to obey.


    The tea shop owner and the elder turned into a jet of smoke and it was absorbed into the gourd.


    The Daoist fell to the ground. If not because of the true Samadhi Fire that distracted his elder brother, and the aid of the elder, it would be difficult for him to get to this.


    He shook the gourd, and there was the sound of water inside. The gourd exploded, and the instrument was rendered useless. A green peace fell to the ground, and it was releasing demonic Qi, polluting the surrounding.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The Daoist had to set up eleven layers of Dao restrictions to prohibit the peach from spreading the Qi of devilry.


    He knew that with his power it would be difficult to keep it under control, and that one day he would escape. In addition, if he was carrying this peach, it would be hard for him to cultivate.


    He thought about Mount Jieyang. Perhaps the connoisseur in the mountain would have a way.


    Furthermore, from the middle-aged letter delivery man''s attitude and words, he could tell he was not a cruel person.


    He found the blood and flesh of the letter delivery man which was torn apart, and then he buried them. He built a tomb for him, and the words ''letter delivery man'' were carved on the piece of wood.


    Later, when other villagers found this place and when they recalled his faithfulness, they always paid respect to the tomb. It then gained intelligence. Later a rather famous scholar wrote the story, which was make known to the government and reported to Da Xia. It was even granted a piece of land. These were the afterwords.


    The Daoist carried the peach and walked towards Xi Liang City. He took only a day and a night to go across three thousand miles. When he was there, he walked from the foot of the mountain to the top. At one of the intersections, someone was stopping him from going forward.


    It was not difficult for him to get passed the guard, but he was afraid to be impolite.


    A beautiful woman ahead asked in a seductive voice, "Daoist, where do you come from?"


    The daoist bowed and replied., "I am Liu Mengde, and I want to meet the Master of Xi Liang City. Can you please let him know?"


    The female soldier replied, "You are out of luck, daoist. Early in the morning, the young master has left for Xi Liang City.


    The daoist thought about how he should go about to find a person in the midst of the crowded city. He suddenly had an idea. He then smiled and said, "Thank you, lady."


    He then pointed ahead and said, "eh?"

 Chapter 468 Planting the Peach

    There was naturally nobody in front. By the time the female soldier turned back, the Daoist was gone like a wind.


    The female soldiers felt dizzy all of a sudden and they fell into deep sleep.


    The spring breeze swing technique behaved like a spring breeze that led you to your sleep. Even if one woke up, it was like a dream that left no trace.


    Daoist Liu Mengde continued to walk towards the peak. He had stayed here for many years and hence he was familiar with everything. Once he crossed the natural stone bridge in front, he would be at his homebuilt residence in no time.


    There was a board on the door, and on top of it, the words ''Xuan Du Temple'' were written clearly.


    Xuan Du, otherwise known as Xuan Du Purple Palace was Daoist''s so-called supreme celestial environment, Tai Shang Daoist master''s residence. One could imagine how wide a space his residence occupied. It was grand.


    He entered the old garden, and Liu Mengde found the courtyard where the Yin gathering fountain was. A formation was set up at the courtyard. When he stepped in, the silent vital force of the universe turned into sharp swords and knives which headed towards him.


    Liu Mengde was immediately forced out of the formation. When he looked closely, he realized the vital force of universe here, driven by the formation was extremely pure. It seemed like any malicious Qi could be purified by it.


    Within the formation, it was filled with sword aura; outside the formation, the vital Qi was peaceful.


    The core of the formation was the Yin gathering fountain. At its surrounding, the vital force of the universe was sure to be even more pure. It would be sufficient to suppress the evil peach.


    The formation ultimately was static, and the swords and knives it possessed within would not kill anyone. The purpose was to merely stop someone from entering.


    Liu Mengde spent about thirty minutes to get close to the Yin gathering fountain. There was no longer cold air coming out from the water. The surface was calm, and he could see the reflection of himself. He used the wooden bucket by the well to get a bucket of water, and it was found to be as heavy as a hundred of them worth. Liu Mengde almost did not manage to lift it.


    One could see that the formation did not just make use of the Yin gathering fountains to be its core, the Yin gathering fountain too used the formation to improve on its essence.


    With time, the unrefined parts of the well water would be removed. Till then, maybe a drip of water could help to cure a hundred diseases.


    He dug a hole next to the well, and he then buried the peach. He watered it with the well water, and the malicious Qi was dispelled entirely with the Qi from the formation. It returned to its initial state of purity.


    After Liu Mengde did all those, he thought about the fact that even when the person returned, he could not dig out the elder brother''s peach, as it will be a spiritual peach once it grew.


    His worries were finally dispelled. He felt his mind was clear, and that his Tai Qing technique had improved. The bottleneck he was facing was feeling loose.


    Liu Mengde was happy inside, until he saw the rock by the well that were carved with the two lines: "The peach tree within Xuan Du Temple, was going to be planted after Shen left."


    Liu Mengde was shocked, as if a lightning just struck him. The person was too powerful, as he was able to predict what was happening today without seeing or hearing about it. He thought he was smart, but in the end he was still following his prediction.


    It was as if the person had an invisible string that was controlling him at the person''s will.


    Liu Mengde was covered in cold sweats.


    Shen Lian naturally predicted it beforehand. He was not aware of Daoist Liu Mengde'' story, but since he had the thought to come to Mount Jieyang, he then had connection with Shen Lian, unknown to him. The longer he was in the mountain, the easier for him to realize what was going to happen. It was not something to do with Mana, but an indescribable level of height.


    That was why in mythologies, if anyone broke into the celestial''s abode of immortals, he or she would be found out way ahead.


    For a connoisseur of that level, if he was at a place long enough, he would have the ability to predict what was going to happen in the time and space he was at.


    If his cultivation experience was higher, reaching the Daoist level of Taiyi Tian Xian or the Buddhist level of Mahasattva Bodhisattva, he could even score a few points by telling the fate of the world.


    Because for him then, the abode of immortals was not limited to just a mountain and a lake, but the entire world.


    By then, the boundless universe would be the place of enlightenment.


    Black Tiger had spent quite some time with Shen Lian, and as it was great with observation, it could identify some of Shen Lian''s little habits easily. As it took note of Shen Lian''s odd behavior, it stopped its steps.


    Shen Lian felt the query it had in its heart, and hence he told it about the Daoist. It seemed that the habit to tell a story was something common between humans and celestials.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian did something he was rather proud of, and how so, was associated with what he did to the Daoist. It was similar to what he longed to do as a celestial in the past.


    Being able to predict the future was not something that rid life of fun, but it provided him the fun of having a cheat in the game.


    After listening to the story, the Black Tiger felt stunned. The reason why the little master asked it to carry out so much hard labor was just for his own satisfaction.


    It did not feel it was lame but it actually admired it. Just by listening to it, it sent chills down its spine. To have such a power would be such a great feeling.


    When it was absorbed in its imagination, it suddenly recalled, "Before this, didn''t little master want to meet that person to understand something? Since he is here, why not meet him up?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian said, "To a cultivator, a year is like a day. When the peach tree he planted blooms, it is not too late. "


    It was not because Shen Lian did not want to meet the Qi cultivators in this world, but it was because Chen Qing needed him to make a trip to meet her.


    As the timing was not right, he could actually just reject Chen Qing''s request, but he did not want to do it, because he wanted to follow the flow. Since it was a miss, he was not in a rush to find out about all the secrets.


    Riding the black tiger and speeding through the roofs of the city, they reached the residence of the city master promptly.


    With time, Chen Qing was left soft, but more intimidating as she now had authority.


    Chen Qing was surprised to see Shen Lian coming in, as she did not expect that Shen Lian would come just because she requested it.


    As her relationship with this son was not so intimate, she did not expect Shen Lian to be so filial to her.


    Ultimately Shen Lian was still her own, as she saw Shen Lian''s slightly toned up body, she was happy, "Little Lian, what else do you need in the mountain? I will ask someone to send them over."


    She called out little Lian like it was natural. After she said it, she felt there was something wrong, but as Shen Lian did not have any change in expression, Chen Qing felt relieved. From her rough understanding of her son, it seemed that the son was not against this intimate name.


    Shen Lian said, "Everyday there are people coming my way in the mountain. The items already take up a room. I don''t need any of them. Mother, there is no need to bother the servants with this."


    He looked at Chen Qing again and said, "Mother, it seems like you''ve been neglecting your cultivation."


    Chen Qing said, "There are too many things to do, I am not free."


    Shen Lian did not say anything else. Everyone had a different pursuit in life, and there was no need to push for something to happen. As long as she used the Yin Gathering Fountain often, she could have lived a long life with no sickness. It was already way better than most.


    Chen Qing then said, "I have two things that I need to discuss with you, and it is not appropriate for me to ask someone to pass the message to you. You know it, there are too many things going on in the city, and it is hard for me to leave. Hence I asked you to come over."

 Chapter 469 Bloom

    Shen Lian looked at Chen Qing oddly. It made her feel uncomfortable.


    She asked, "Do you know what I am going to say?"


    Shen Lian laughed softly, "You are thinking about having another sister for me."


    Chen Qing sighed, "I am not taking precaution against you. If you are willing to be the master of Xi Liang City, I am more than happy, but do you care about the fortification?"


    Shen Lian said, "Since you''re clear about it, why do you need to ask me? I will try my best to take care of her."


    Chen Qing was slightly touched. She felt that while Shen Lian was cold, he had a warm heart.


    Shen Lian subsequently said, "For the youngest aunt, she has left with the merchants of Da Xia. It is hard to find her, but after a few years, there will definitely be a way for me. You don''t need to worry."


    Chen Qing nodded, "This is what I am about to say."


    Shen Lian laughed, "What else do you want to talk about?"


    Chen Qing was slightly embarrassed as she heard it. She indeed wanted to continue the conversation but she did not know what to say. She could only say, "On your way here, can you see if the residents are living and working in peace and contentment?"


    Shen Lian said, "They will follow all your orders. However, Xi Liang City is still a small place, why don''t we try to expand outside?"


    Chen Qing was quiet for a while before she said, "Let''s wait a bit more."


    She was smart. She knew that Xi Liang City would never be the same with Shen Lian. With the Shenzu Scripture, it would excite the heart, and lead someone to explore how big the world was.


    This was not something that could be stopped by anyone.


    Recently she began to realize something had changed about Han Ying. She always went to the top of the city wall in the evening. She would stare at the sunset quietly. It seemed like she wanted to know what was outside of the mountain.


    Han Ying became more and more different. The city wall was tall, but she could reach the top with a few leaps from the bottom. She was always running around at night.


    She was not like Chen Qing who focused on political affairs. She put all her effort in cultivation and hence she improved greatly.


    If Han Ying behave like this, surely the other guards who were cultivating under Shenzu Scripture would do the same. To be able to stay put despite having great skills was only for someone who got sick of the glamor, or for someone who was no longer surprised with how miraculous one''s technique was.


    She was aware that Shen Lian had predicted this. He planted a seed for this to happen.


    After a while, Chen Qing said, "Little Lian, I heard that there is this flower at a far far away place. It will bloom in the sky, and within seconds it will be gone. However, the beauty of it can touch any soul. If one day Xi Liang City were to reach the end of it, I hope it will bloom like that flower."


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Xi Liang City''s flower will only bloom and not wither. You have to have faith in me."


    Chen Qing wanted to say there were still Da Xia and Yin Shang in the world. If Xi Liang City became a kingdom, surely it would attract the attention of the two giants. A weak grass could still survive in the storm, but an emerging shrub could be destroyed anytime.


    She did not manage to say it, as the son was granted to her by God. He had a special power. It seemed like nothing became difficult in front of him.


    Time flew by, and it had been nine years since Xi Liang City''s last rebellion movement. During the past nine years, one tenth of the residents had cultivated Shenzu Scripture.


    Most importantly, there was a holy water in the residence of the city master. Once someone consumed it, the cultivation speed could be raised to five to ten times.


    With the popularity of Shenzu Scripture, these people entered another world. They were stronger than men, and their minds were clear. The traders felt it the most. They could sense the similarity between them and the residents of Yin Shang, which was one of the Qi cultivators.


    Compared to Yin Shang, the sum of Qi of Xi Liang City added up was not even one hundredth of Yin Shang''s capital, Chao Ge. However, it was indeed rare for such a desolate land to have that many residents with Qi.


    The traders were knowledgeable, and hence they just treated it as something absurd, as there were some countries in the world where a newborn baby could fight with tigers; or like the more impressive nobles of Da Xia who could even carry a mountain on their back and chase after the moon once they were adult and were nominated to be a baron.


    Compared to these, Xi Liang City was not worth mentioning.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian stood on Mount Jieyang, and behind him there was a tree of peach blossoms.


    It had been nine years. He grew well and he did not look like a kid of nine-year-old. He looked more like he was thirteen or fourteen. He was wearing a light blue robe, and it was flickering under the night breeze. The sunset fell on him, and made him look like an illusion.


    Perhaps because he inherited Chen Qing''s face, and hence his features were even more delicate and elegant than his previous life. His face was impeccable.


    After nine years, the peach tree finally blossomed. Shen Lian by now had obtained about one tenth of his Primordial spirit from his previous life.


    Perhaps it was not appropriate to say obtain, but to say the power was recognized.


    Xi Liang City kept expanding, and finally it made its first strong opposition, the stet of Da Xi. It was on the west of Xi Liang City, and they were separated by Luo River.


    By chance, Daoist Liu Mengde from Seven Peaches Mountain became the national advisor of the State of Da Xi.


    The State of Da Xi killed a few residents of Xi Liang City, and Xi Liang City too killed a nobleman of State of Da Xi, just because he flirted with Xi Liang City''s woman.


    In other countries, women had a lower position. To some extent they were no treated as human in some of the worse countries, but in Xi Liang City, women held the power.


    As the nobleman was killed just because of that, the state of Da Xi was angry.


    They could not imagine that a nobleman could be killed just because he killed a commoner.


    The state of Da Xi wanted to teach Xi Liang City a lesson about power, but the national advisor stopped them.


    The national advisor only told the reason to the monarch of state of Da Xi. The monarch then assigned the national advisor to visit Xi Liang City.


    The national advisor Liu Mengde did not head to Xi Liang City, but instead he visited Mount Jieyang under an invitation. He wanted to meet Shen Lian for a long time. Perhaps this was a good opportunity.


    By the time the last ray of sunset went away, Liu Mengde was once again on Mount Jieyang. The moon rose from the east, and it was full moon today. What a great time.


    The sun set, but the world did not fall entirely into darkness. The round moon was showing off its existence, and the stars were dim compared to it. There were only a few stars which were trying to steal the limelight from the moon, but they were not successful.


    Liu Mengde never saw such a deep gaze, which was unique to cultivators. It was indescribable, but once one saw it, one would get it.


    Not even his master had this gaze, but it appeared on a teen who looked like he was thirteen or fourteen.


    Shen Lian smiled, "You planted the peach tree last time, and today it blooms. You get to see me, and the flowers. How great."


    Liu Mengde bowed, "I didn''t know you''re a reincarnation of a connoisseur. Please tell me about it, perhaps we have some history in the past."

 Chapter 470 Xuan Zhen Temple

    Shen Lian did not answer directly, but instead, he said, "The technique you use to cultivate is to turn the essence, Qi, and spirit into a crux of fire. One can imagine how important the essence, Qi and spirit are. Others cannot simply get hold of it, but as the first step of your cultivation already involves the three elements, the profoundness is beyond words is indeed amazing. Furthermore, the crux of fire will one day reach the level of the True Samadhi Fire as your cultivation improves. Till there, there aren''t many places in the world where you can''t move. In addition, you are of the wood element and as wood generates fire, the technique seems to be designed for you."


    Liu Mengde felt the chill down his spine. He expected Shen Lian to be at a high level in terms of cultivation experience, but he did not expect that Shen Lian could even see through his fundamentals. True Samadhi Fire was the technique he was cultivating, and it was the ultimate level he had to reach.


    In the beginning, his master told him that his talent was average. In order to achieve the Great Way, he had to seek an unusual path. If he had the fortune and intelligence to cultivate the real True Samadhi Fire, till then he was not just successful, he would be one of the top successor of his generation, as good as demons in the level of Great Saint.


    There were countless demons which possessed great supernatural power in the world, but the few that were called the Great Saint, they were all someone that mattered at their respective areas, and not even Emperor Xia had a say on them.


    Liu Mengde spoke politely, "You have eyes like the light. Everything you said was right. Actually, I have a query. I was able to let go of a burden and hence my cultivation bottleneck was loosened. I thought I was able to ride on the momentum and allow the fire to enter a state where it will never extinguish, but I never managed to. Hence I went down to the state of Da Xi, to ride on the state''s fortune in order for me to break through the bottleneck. But I''ve tried a few times, they all failed. I can only think of it as not having sufficient accumulation, but I am confused about the reason for it."


    Shen Lian could tell that the fire was about to take shape, but it never became the true fire, and subsequently the source of Mana in his body that would never extinguish. Actually if he could get there, it was not far from achieving Huandan. There were ten thousand worth of techniques that led to the same ending, there was a reason why the Daoist master decided there should be the nine states of cultivation.


    This was indeed the hurdle countless Xuanmen cultivators had to go through, but as the techniques were different, some techniques had the momentum in going through certain hurdles.


    For any technique, the state of Huandan where the core of Mana was formed, was extremely difficult. Despite ways such as relying on external forces or quick fixes existed, it was not the best choice.


    To be able to get passed this, one had to understand the heart, or otherwise known as entering the path of Daoism. It was only till then they could refer themselves as real cultivators, as they would possess a certain degree of understanding about the heaven and earth, and not just following the paths that were crafted for them.


    Shen Lian laughed, "I too faced similar challenges as you before, but my experience is not applicable to you. Since you''re here, why don''t you sit down and watch the peach flowers with me?"


    The moonlight in the sky concentrated into a ball of light which placed Shen Lian under the clear light. At this moment, Shen Lian was like the bright moon in the world, which one could not move his eyes away from.


    All in a sudden, the ball of light exploded, and the night was lit, and everywhere was filled with the clear light. One could even observe the smallest stripes of the peach tree in the courtyard.


    Liu Mengde got closer to the peach tree and he felt a thousand feelings.


    Shen Lian was sitting down underneath the peach tree. Liu Mengde followed suit. The environment was as if it was surrounded by countless mirrors, and none of the lights in the courtyard could escape.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The wind blew, and the flowers of the peach tree began to fall as the tree fluttered. It was a flower rain.


    After sitting down for a while, Liu Mengde began to have some understanding.


    The peach flowers relied on the peach tree to live. Once they left the branches it would be the time for them to die. They would become one with the ground when they fell, and they would be decomposed into fertilizers, and ultimately be absorbed by the root of the peach tree again. It was a cycle that kept on repeating.


    He let out a deep sigh, "I was too stubborn and hence I did not observe what is natural. The peach flowers fall not because the wind blows, but because it''s time."


    Shen Lian smiled, "If you can understand that, it means the sect you cultivate under focuses on the governance of the nature. Furthermore, as you''re an unusual object who managed to study the proper techniques, it seems like you''re not from an average sect. Now I am interested."


    Liu Mengde said, "Everything I learnt was from Xuan Zhen Temple, but as there are countless students under Xuan Zhen Temple, I am not recorded as their students. My master Mu Zhen was the real famous successor of Xuan Zhen Temple."


    He spoke about Xuan Zhen Temple carefully, but Shen Lian did not seem to have a reaction.


    One had to know that Emperor Xia did not quite like Daoism or Buddhism, and hence within Da Xia, there was rarely any temple. For those that could be conserved, all of them were famous in the world.


    Xuan Zhen Temple was one of them.


    Due to Da Xia''s restriction on Daoism and Buddhism, there were very limited number of space available for Daoist students. Hence, even though Xuan Zhen Temple was famous, there were less than fifty students. All of them went through a thorough elimination process to be able to register under Da Xia as Zhenren.


    The most famous seven from Xuan Zhen Temple was called Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. They each represented Xuan Zhen Temple''s seven branches.


    Liu Mengde''s master, Mu Zhen was one of Xuan Zhen Qi Zi - Chang Shengzi''s student. Hundred years ago he was already registered under Da Xia, with the Zhenren nomination. Chang Shengzi was also the one with the most mana among the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. Even though there were lots of powerful people in Da Xia, not many could be his enemy. Even Emperor Xia''s younger brother too made his son to study under Chang Shengzi.


    Regardless of how powerful Shen Lian could be in his previous life, Liu Mengde could not imagine that he would be powerful than the founding masters, the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. He could not tell anything odd about Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Is Xuan Zhen Temple powerful?"


    After he said that, Liu Mengde almost began to doubt that Shen Lian was an outlaw who had the intention to be provocative.


    Shen Lian saw his expression and he knew what he was thinking. He subsequently said, "I''ve indeed never heard about Xuan Zhen Temple."


    Liu Mengde was surprised, "With your cultivation experience, I am surprised you''ve never heard of Xuan Zhen Temple. Is it because you came from outside of the sea of blood? The sea of blood is terrifying, and it is not something that can be easily crossed by celestials. It will only make sense if that''s the case."


    Shen Lian looked at him and said, "You too know about the sea of blood, but your guess about my background was not correct. Tell me what exactly is going on at Xuan Zhen Temple."


    Liu Mengde could not hide, and the situation at Xuan Zhen Temple was not to be hidden.


    From his description, Shen Lian thought that the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi must be the top Qi cultivators in this corner of the world. However, as cultivators did not tend to follow the rules, for such top cultivator of Qi to compromise, how powerful Da Xia could be?


    If the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi were all at the level of Dixian, it seemed to Shen Lian that Da Xia''s power was not one to be underestimated.


    From Liu Mengde''s cultivation level, he could guess that his master Mu Zhen was at least Huandan and above, and from there he could conjecture that the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi were all Dixian, or within the realm of Tianxian.

 Chapter 471 The Book of Life and Death

    Shen Lian kept quiet for a while, then said, "Do you know if your founding master Chang Shengzi has gone through the cultivation hurdles to reach the state of immortality?"


    Liu Mengde said, "I don''t understand what you said about the cultivation hurdles, but I practice a different technique from the founding master. I feel odd that you asked about whether the founding master is immortal. With your cultivation, can you not detect the book of life and death?"


    Shen Lian was moved, "The book of life and death really exists?"


    Liu Mengde was confused, as for someone who had sufficient cultivation experience would definitely detect the book of life and death. As Shen Lian asked about it, he then told him what he knew, "The book of life and death was formed by the force of the universe, it is otherwise known as the book of human, as it has a record of all the knowledge of the intelligent beings in the universe. As life and death are recorded in the book, it possesses divine power. Once you''re in the record of the book of life and death, when you reach what''s recorded in the book, you will die. Even my founding masters'' names are not removed from the book of life and death. When the time is here, they only have the choice to go through a cycle of reincarnations."


    Shen Lian was slightly surprised, as he did not expect there was this mystery on this side of the world. If the book of life and death did exist, and if it was so much more powerful than the rumors, why did he not feel anything? Was it because he was not a living being that was from this side of the world, or was there other reason?


    Shen Lian continued to ask, "What do you mean by removing the name from the book of life and death?"


    Liu Mengde said, "You should know that in the deepest level of cultivation for Xuanmen cultivators, the essence, Qi and spirit can be made into one, and the primordial spirit is subsequently born. At this level, one is not a commoner anymore, but someone known as Dixian, or the walking celestial of the earth. My founding masters are all the walking celestials of the earth, and hence they have supernatural power beyond consideration, but this is not the end of cultivation. After the walking celestial of the earth is the state of Tianxian, who can understand one of the Great Ways of the heaven and earth and take it in for personal use. Till then it can detect the connection between the self and the book of life and death, and hence cut it off, to be removed from the book of life and death. For my cultivation technique, to the maximum, it will be about the understanding of the Great Way of Fire in heaven and earth, to be able to produce the purest True Samadhi Fire. By then my name will be removed from the book of life and death. You''re powerful beyond my imagination, but you are not aware of the book of life and death. Is it because something went wrong during your reincarnation which removed the connection between you and the book of life and death? I hope you don''t mind if I ask about your current cultivation level."


    Shen Lian thought about the different paths that led to the same ending. From this side of the world, the Qi cultivators too walked the path of primordial spirit celestialism, but there was nobody like the Daoist master, whose words became the rules of governance, and hence the birth of the nine states of cultivation.


    He smiled, "From your words, I guess I was at the level of Tianxian."


    Liu Mengde was stunned as he never expected Shen Lian to say he was at the level of Tianxian. He could not tell the depth of Shen Lian, but he held the pride of being a student from Xuan Zhen Temple.


    Ultimately, there were countless living beings, but Xuan Zhen Temple had the limited number of top individuals, the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. All of them achieved the Daoist Primordial Spirit and had power that could reach the sky. There were even several tens of people studying under the sect like his master Mu Zhen, where even Da Xia dared not to neglect them, and to register them as Zhenren individually.


    Even in Yin Shang where Qi cultivators were blooming, Xuan Zhen Temple was considered one of the top celestial sects.


    Furthermore, Xuan Zhen Temple had lasted for more than a thousand years. It was recognized as an authentic Xuanmen by the world.


    Even with such a force, there was no one in the level of Tianxian.


    It was a level where the founding masters of Xuan Zhen Temple could achieve. Even though his master Mu Zhen said that he could have the power to go against the Great Saint if he had True Samadhi Fire, to step into the level of Tianxian was just a hope. While that level sounded easy, there were only the top in the world who could achieve it, and not even Emperor Xia had them under control.


    As the Great Saints among the demons were too could not be suppressed by Da Xia.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Even though Liu Mengde had the cultural exposure and knowledge from Xuan Zhen Temple, he too was not clear about whose names could be removed from the book of life and death. Perhaps only the founding master Chang Shengzi could tell.


    Liu Mengde thought of a question. If Shen Lian was a Tianxian, why was he reincarnated? He asked, "You said you were roughly at the level of Tianxian. Was it because you faced some misfortune and hence you never recovered to your peak?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I indeed have not recovered back to my peak, but it is not necessarily true that my past self was more powerful. You''re still at the level of seeking for power, hence you cannot understand what my current situation is. Let''s say the ending of your cultivation leads you to the Great Way of Fire, but I did not only just obtain fire, I too obtained wood, water, metal and earth, the Dao of the five elements. They were all as clear as writings on the back of my palm to me. Even if it''s the True Samadhi Fire, it will not be difficult for me to learn it."


    As Shen Lian flickered his fingers, a white fire appeared at the tip of his finger. The vitality of the universe all gathered towards the fire at his fingertips.


    This was indeed the True Samadhi Fire, although it was not its purest form, it was much more powerful than Liu Mengde''s.


    In the beginning, Liu Mengde was filled with respect, and now he was filled with admiration.


    Shen Lian did not lie, in terms of power of the Primordial Spirit, it was not comparable to his peak, but his understanding towards power had changed. At the very least, his past self would find it difficult to hurt his current self.


    He also would not say he was more powerful than the past, as he currently too would not be able to hurt his past self, as his primordial spirit was unbelievably strong.


    After the battle at the bier discourse of Dao, Shen Lian''s largest reward was having a clear understanding of the art of spiritual enhancement. The profoundness of Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation both became his resources. They helped him to understand the mastery of senses better. It was no longer something he did not understand at all.


    Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation still relied on external sources to boost the spirit, but the mastery of senses sought from the inside, to dig out the impossibly strong power of the psyche from the heart.


    Just like the nuclear weapon from his previous life. When there was a nuclear reaction, even a tiny bit of material could cause an explosion that could destroy the world.


    The Mastery of Senses was the supreme art of spiritual enhancement Lingbao Tianzhun left behind. It contained another cultivation method Shen Lian did not manage to analyze. It dug out the powerful psyche he had from the depth of his heart. The spirit was enhanced with the absorption of the power of the psyche.


    It was close to saying that something was born from nothing. Shen Lian had to admit it, and it was the existence of Lingbao Tianzhun. It was not something he could understand. He could not even describe it.


    Perhaps only those who had become Daoist Master or Buddha could understand such existence, but till that step, even if it was just another step away, it would require one to cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers.


    Just like the Heavenly King in the past, who was much more powerful than Shen Lian by a thousand times, he too failed at the last step. He was not able to walk the same path as the Daoist Master or Buddha.

 Chapter 472 Not Intentionally Targeting Anyone

    After coming down from the Seven Peaches Mountain, Liu Mengde did not head to Xi Liang but instead, turned back to the state of Da Xi and had an audience with the Monarch of Da Xi.


    The Monarch asked, "National advisor, why did you return so swiftly? What did the Master of the Xi Liang City said?"


    Liu Mengde answered, "You need to stop fighting if you want to protect Da Xi."


    The Monarch responded, "What do you mean?"


    Liu Mengde said, "The Master of Xi Liang City had a son who was a phenomenon person and he could single-handedly turn the state of Da Xi around. If you insists of fighting, I do not dare to take action on behalf of the state."


    The Monarch smiled, "I''ve always knew that you are a wise person but it''s ridiculous that one person can single-handedly turn a country around. The city of Xi Liang is expanding and blooming. Sooner or later, they will come and violate me. If they do not give a proper explanation, how can I face our people?"


    Liu Mengde tried his best to convince the Monarch but to no avail, and he left. The Monarch of Da Xi had other plans in mind. His objective was to make Xi Liang surrender to them and dispel their rising momentum. It does not necessarily mean that they had to go to war.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The highest form of general ship was to counter-attack the enemy''s plans; the next best was to prevent the junction of the enemy''s separated forces; and the worst policy of all was to besiege walled cities. Unless necessary, the Monarch of Da Xi would prefer to avoid war, but this does not mean that he was afraid of using force.


    Moreover, he did not believe that a person could single-handedly overturn a country.


    The waters of the Luo River surged as the troops of Da Xi stood by the other side of the river. The troops gathered together like a cloud of warriors. Even the tigers, leopards, and other beasts were intimidated by their them. Once the water level of the Luo River decreases, they would cross over from the shallow part of the river.


    The state of Da Xi did not only had Liu Mengde as their national advisor, they also had a medium who was an expert in astronomy and geography. The medium predicted that the water level would go down in three days and the weather had been really sunny for the next few days. The water evaporated fast and the water level decreased greatly. Soon enough, the water level receded to around a person''s waist-height and the state of Da Xi decided to cross the river that night.


    On the other hand, the troops of Xi Liang city were on standby across the river.


    Chen Qing visited the camp personally with a solemn face. Although the majority of her subordinates had cultivated the Shenzu Scripture, not all of them were capable of flying on eaves or walking on walls. Furthermore, their combat experience were not as much as their opponents who were capable of intimidating tigers and leopards. This showed how dangerous this battle could be.


    She had done plenty of preparations for the battle, so much so that she had not been getting proper sleep for the past few days and depended on Shen Lian''s holy water to keep her moving. She had more responsibilities on her shoulder now, she had to fight for her people as well as for the sake of her daughter.


    Compared to Shen Lian, she had invested a lot of love in her daughter.


    This war would be quite dangerous and that was why she entrusted her daughter under the care of Shen Lian who was at Mount Jieyang.


    This time, she did not want to rely on the powers of Shen Lian and wanted to make a career with her own hands. Although she unified a land spanning three thousand miles, it was still nothing to Shen Lian.


    Chen Qing observed the drop in the water level and knew that at one point, the opponent would overcome the trials of nature and the warriors that were more ferocious than the untamed beast would charge towards them. That would be a great war.


    On the evening of the third day, a paper crane flew into the camp. Chen Qing took over the paper crane and read the message on it. She let out a bitter laugh and ordered the troops to return to city of Xi Liang. They were also told to abandon the heavily weighted items and to depart immediately.


    The opponent across the shore noticed the commotion and reported to the Monarch of Da Xi. Many generals laughed upon hearing the news that the girls of Xi Liang were so afraid of them crossing the river that they abandoned their heavy items to escape.


    The Monarch of Da Xi was the only person who was puzzled by the actions of Xi Liang. He could not find a reason why they would do so.


    On Mount Jieyang, Liu Mengde came over to Xuan Du Temple after resigning from the position of the national advisor of the state of Da Xi.


    An adorable little girl was playing under the peach tree. With fallen petals and peach flowers, it was a beautiful sight.


    Shen Lian let out a laugh and said, "This cup of wine is known as the peach blossom brew. The last time you came, you were considered as our nation''s enemy and that was why I did not offer you a cup. Now you can have some."


    Liu Mengde hesitated. After all he was the manifestation of the peach. It would be weird to drink the brew of the peach blossom.


    Shen Lian noticed his hesitation and said, "Fallen flowers aren''t heartless creatures, they turned into spring soil to protect the flowers. Life and death, death and life, are you still not over it?"


    Liu Mengde lifted the tea cup and placed it down.


    Shen Lian said, "A cup of peach blossom brew is worthy of a year of cultivation for you."


    Liu Mengde sighed and said, "I am over it, but I am not used to it."


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "I only have one thing to say. Keeping the fire will alive is going to be a matter of course. You and I are beyond mortals and naturally we are not constrained by moral etiquette. But after awhile, it is inevitable to have some fixed habits. But if cultivation became something fixed, there would not be anything interesting about it. Just like the peach blossoms that came from the same tree. Some would end up along the streams, some would fall around the well while others would fall into the muddy soil. It''s all in their luck."


    Liu Mengde was convinced down to his spirit, he said, "What you said was profound and I have gained from it. Although in different shapes, but the heart remained the same. Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."


    He meant that cultivators come in all types of appearances but the heart of cultivation would never change. If today was not the day, there would still be next year.


    Shen Lian responded, "I look forward to it."


    Liu Mengde said, "I was really panicky when I met my Grandmaster at the Xuan Zhen Temple. But I''ve spoken to you twice and and I am not as terrified anymore, as if the spring wind just breezed through me. I really don''t understand why because the Grandmaster treated me equally too."


    Shen Lian gazed leisurely as a peach blossom fell and landed on his younger sister, Xiao Ke''s head. He said, "Any ordinary being will feel solemn when they see a tall mountain. But the sky is higher than the mountain and people tend to take that for granted. Your next question to me is how would I deal with the country of Da Xi, am I right?"


    Liu Mengde said, "That was my intention. Da Xi treated me well. Although the Monarch refused my advice, but I do not want to just fold my arms and look on when they are in trouble."


    Shen Lian calmly said, "They are not worthy of me. But Da Xi would fall for sure. Supernatural powers could never beat fate ordained by the heavens. It''s close to night, you should hurry and go to the Luo River. Maybe you still can rescue some people. It all depends on the will of heaven."


    Liu Mengde was shocked, "Senior, what was it that you are trying to say?"


    "Thunderstorms, earthquakes and landslides. The heavens were not intentionally targeting anyone but these natural disasters would still happen. For instance, would you care about the ants at the side of your body before you turn your body over when you are in bed?" Shen Lian replied.


    Shen Lian got up, he went to the peach tree and carried his sister Xiao Ke. He caressed her hair and asked, "What do you feel like having today?"


    Xiao Ke looked at the Black Tiger and swallowed her drool, "Can we have dog meat?"


    The Black Tiger trembled and angrily thought to himself, "My little Master, I am a tiger! I allow you to ride on me everyday and yet you still want to eat me."


    Shen Lian looked at the black tiger and said, "Yinyin, this is not a dog."

 Chapter 473 Shen Lian Left the Mountain

    The black tiger was fortunate to escape this disaster but the people of Da Xi were not as lucky. As they prepared to cross the Luo River, the ground started to shake, causing the river course to open and yellow water started pouring in.


    The troopers that were ahead could not escape the waters. But as the earth trembled, the tigers and leopards panicked and had caused a stampede that took the lives of many troopers.


    The dark clouds up in the sky converged, sending thunderous sound down. The wind and clouds changed their colours as lightning came striking down from the tip of the clouds.


    The Da Xi troops looked insignificant in front of the prestige of the heaven.


    The Monarch of Da Xi trembled to the prestige of the heaven. It was extremely chaotic and he had to be protected by his personal guards. But as all hell broke loose, the yellow water emerged through the cracks on the ground to engulf the lives of many more troopers.


    The upheaval of the beast turned the situation from bad to worse. The disaster happened so suddenly that the Monarch had no time to prepare at all.


    He brought the elite warriors of Da Xi for this very battle. If God gave him another chance, he would do otherwise. However, he was not capable of turning back time.


    The thunders were striking, heavy rain pouring, it was pitch black. The entourage of the Monarch''s personal guards was getting smaller and smaller and everything under his feet felt muddy. Not far away, a lightning struck down and the Monarch could smell the odor of charred human flesh.


    Under such weather conditions, Liu Mende could not cast any spells. He was like a lonely lamp that lit up in this stormy night and shined on the sacrificed troopers. The high ranking generals were no different from these ordinary troopers. They were like ants who shivered when disaster struck, they were either struggling to survive or were dead.


    Liu Mengde had finally found the Monarch. The confused Monarch was sitting on a small earthbag. The earthbag was filled with his most loyal personal guards.


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    The Monarch said, "How could this be?"


    Liu Mengde sighed, "This is a trial of the heaven. Monarch, please leave with me."


    "Leave? Where do we go?" The Monarch answered emotionlessly.


    "Let''s go to a place where you can get some rest." Liu Mengde answered gently. His voice penetrated the wind and rain and landed in the ears of the Monarch.


    "When I close my eyes, all I see are their souls. How can I sleep? The state of Da Xi started off with only ten miles of land and we now have thousands of miles of territory. So much blood and tears went into it during the expansion. But tonight, those blood and tears were drowned in the flood. Where else can I go to? National advisor, tell me, is this disaster coincidental? Or was it the intentional work of the son of Master of Xi Liang?" The Monarch needed to clear his doubt or else he would not be able to rest in peace.


    Liu Mengde responded, "I am not sure."


    The Monarch said, "You have to take me to see him. I need to know the answer."


    Liu Mengde gazed intensely at the Monarch and said, "Come with me."


    He wielded the sleeves of his robe and a group of clear light transformed the Monarch and him into a fire wire and headed towards Mount Jieyang.


    It was already morning by the time they arrived at Mount Jieyang. It was quiet and peaceful with barely any people.


    The first morning sun came through the clouds and shined on the dew on the plants. It was a beautiful sight.


    When the Monarch saw Shen Lian, Shen Lian was trimming the plants skilfully, just like the movements of clouds and flowing water. Even the most interesting dance he had seen was not as smooth and charismatic as Shen Lian''s actions when trimming the plants.


    With grey hair and a haggard look, the Monarch could not help but feel terrible about himself. A crisp childlike voice could be heard, "Why are you here again and who is this person?"


    Liu Mengde smiled at the little girl and then turned to Shen Lian, "Senior, the Monarch would like to see you. I could not bear to disappoint him and that''s why I brought him here."


    Shen Lian finished trimming and turned toward them. His deep eyes were like a painting, as if he was a celestial being. He looked at Liu Mengde and said, "Do you think you can come and see me as you like? Today onwards, you will have to guard this mountain for me for the next ten years as a punishment of your rash actions."


    His words were calm but it was hard to disobey. Liu Mengde nodded his head and promised to do so.


    Shen Lian was an extraordinary person. Liu Mengde was able to meet Shen Lian because he was blessed and also because Shen Lian wanted to meet him. Conversely, the Monarch of Da Xi did not have such blessings and was someone that Shen Lian did not intend to meet. Liu Mengde was prepared for this when he decided to bring the Monarch to Shen Lian. Moreover, not anybody would have the rights to owe Shen Lian. Thus, he was not maddened by the punishment and instead was glad that Shen Lian noticed him.


    The Monarch opened his bitter lips and asked, "Why did you not give us a chance and destroyed my entire military with spells? That was the lives of ten thousand people."


    Shen Lian did not look at him and said, "They are not worthy of my actions. It was the will of the heaven."


    "Will of the heaven? Then why would it be so coincidental to have such a disaster last night? Also, your mother left with her troops just before the disaster? They even abandoned their heavy equipments." The Monarch questioned with a loud voice.


    Shen Lian placed his hands behind his back and answered, "Because I knew about the will of the heaven."


    The Monarch laughed dejectedly, "You will face retribution one day."


    "Who dares to retribute against me?" Shen Lian smiled.


    The Monarch somehow managed to summon all his strength and charged towards Shen Lian. All of a sudden, the scenery in front of him changed and he was standing in the void with a deep clif under his feet. The Monarch fell downwards from mid air but a sound could only be heard after a while.


    Shen Lian looked at Liu Mengde and said, "He does not hate me, he hated himself."


    Liu Mengde responded, "I know."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian continued, "Maybe I was a little cruel. There were better ways to solve it but I was too lazy to do so. Although I''ve known about the disaster last night in advance, the source of it was you. You planted the seed of the peach and disrupted the spiritual vigour of this surrounding area and as a result affected the Luo River. After nine years of subtle influence, the crust of the earth started to change and caused the incident last night."


    Liu Mengde was shocked. He thought of all possibilities but it did not cross his mind that his actions of planting the peach of his Senior Apprentice-Brother would trigger such a disaster.


    He dejectedly said, "If I knew sooner, I would have never done that."


    Shen Lian responded, "I''ve heard of a saying that goes ''those who are virtuous by intention, though virtuous, shall not be rewarded. Those who are wicked without intention, though wicked, shall receive no punishment.'' There''s nothing much behind this saying but maybe it would make you feel better."


    Liu Mengde laughed bitterly, "Senior, I don''t know if I should thank you for consoling me or hate you for not reminding me in advance."


    "I don''t mind either. Just remember to guard the Xuandu Temple for the next ten years. I will be back and I hope by then you''re still around." Shen Lian embraced his sister, rode on the Black Tiger and headed downwards of the mountain.

 Chapter 474 Diqiu

    Chen Qing and her troops were able to feel the effects of the disaster on their way back to the city of Xi Liang last night. A scout who was sent out to observe the situation came back and reported the horrifying scene. Chen Qian and her troops were terrified and if they delayed their departure last night, they too would have suffered great damages.


    Miles away from the city of Xi Liang, Chen Qiang could see Shen Lian and her daughter Xiao Ke was riding the black tiger to come and meet her.


    Shen Lian and the black tiger joined the troops and stopped in front of Chen Qing.


    With a cutesy voice, Xiao Ke said, "Mummy~."


    Chen Qing did not care about her dignity and went ahead and carried her daughter. She looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Why did you come down from the mountain?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I intend to go for a long trip and that was why I brought her down to return her to you."


    Chen Qing recalled the incident last night and sighed, "No one will be able to stop you once you have made up your mind. Now that we are free from our great enemy, I don''t think there would be another threats around and I don''t have any other reasons to ask you to stay."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian responded, "Although I am leaving, I have tasked a Daoist named Liu Mengde to guard the Xuandu Temple. If you are struggling to make any decisions, feel free to send someone to the temple."


    Chen Qing asked, "Where are you heading to next? Over the years, I have been collecting information about extraordinary people. The information are all in the city of Xi Liang, let''s go back together and review it."


    Shen Lian placed his hands behind his back and said, "I was about to return to the city with you, and I have something to tell you."


    Chen Qing asked, "What is it?"


    Shen Lian calmly said, "Build a kingdom."


    ...


    The city of Xi Liang officially became the Kingdom of Xi Liang. Chen Qing even prepared a letter of credence for Shen Lian to declare their allegiance to Da Xia.


    Da Xia was the king of nations and any city who wanted to form a kingdom would have to declare their allegiance to Da Xia. If they failed to do so, Da Xia would come and attack them. On top of that, the letter of credence also functioned like a passport for Shen Lian to enter Da Xia. It worked like a credential that declared his purpose of visit.


    Shen Lian did not depart immediately. He waited until autumn and joined an entourage of traders and left with them.


    The traders knew that he was the junior master of the Xi Liang Kingdom and they treated him well. After all, the Xi Liang Kingdom was the strongest nation in this thousand miles radius of land.


    Even if they came from the great Yin Shang and they have traded with the great Da Xia, the traders remained humble and avoided getting into dispute.


    This entourage of traders did not just consists of humble traders. There were also Qi cultivators who were tasked to protect the entourage.


    Shen Lian sat in the carriage of the entourage. The carriage was like a sturdy building that was pulled by two giant beasts that was known as the mammoth in the world of Shen Lian''s past life. The beasts were capable of travelling thousands of miles in a day.


    Just this two giant beasts would be sufficient to destroy a city. But the traders travelled to trade and not to prey.


    Tianyi, the Monarch of Yin Shang strictly prohibited his traders from provoking fights. Even when they went hunting, they must leave some room for their prey to escape.


    Tianyi''s benevolence was deeply carved in the hearts of the people. He was greatly respected by the Qi cultivators and everyone, from the ministers to the people, were more than willing to fight for the country.


    Even Emperor Xia was full of compliments for Tianyi''s benevolence.


    Shen Lian heard plenty of stories about Tianyi on the carriage. The stories were mainly about his moral and honesty. Occasionally, people would also mention about Tianyi''s strength.


    Shen Lian was curious about Tianyi. A leader who had the respect of the generals was definitely a bright leader. But not all bright leaders could earn the respect of Qi cultivators who were beyond the mortal world.


    Shen Lian predicted that Tianyi was a saint from the outside and emperor inside. Tianyi was definitely not a simple figure.


    The entourage of traders were headed to Da Xia and Shen Lian thought that it would be difficult for him to meet Tianyi. But on the way to Da Xia, rumour has it that Tianyi was summoned to have an audience with Emperor Xia at Diqiu.


    Diqiu was the capital city of Da Xia.


    There were different versions of what happened to Tianyi after entering Da Xia but one thing for sure was that the Emperor Xia did not mention when could Tianyi leave.


    Some said that Tianyi would never be able to return to Yin Shang because in Yin Shang''s growing influence was a threat to the rule of Da Xia.


    Emperor Xia was a brave and intelligent leader who wanted everyone to submit to him. Therefore, people like Tianyi, no matter how virteous they were, as long as it was a threat to Da Xia, the Emperor would be dissatisfied.


    Because of Tianyi, the traders felt uneasy and as the insecurities creeped in, everyone started to feel blue and dejected.


    Without Tianyi, Yin Shang would decline and the traders would lose their source of protection. The wealth of Yin Shang would be root of chaos and the Qi cultivators too would lose a save place for them to cultivate.


    The only exception on the carriage was Shen Lian and the black tiger.


    The black tiger crawled under Shen Lian''s feet and slept lazily. It would drool and spit its tongue out from time to time as if it was dreaming about something delicious while Shen Lian would just stand next to the window. They just passed empty wilderness that did not even have an inch of grass. They heard that this place was known as Zhuo Lu, and was a battlefield before this. The lost souls of Zhuo Lu had dispersed but their hatred still lingered around, making it difficult for grass to grow there.


    After Zhuo Lu, they have entered the territory of Da Xia. Even if they were travelling about a thousand miles everyday, it still took them two years to arrive.


    Throughout the journey, the traders have collected all sorts of goods and it was also an eye opening experience for Shen Lian.


    Due to the incident of Tianyi, the traders were uncertain if these goods were able to be sold. They were afraid to hear news about Tianyi being prosecuted once they enter Da Xia. If that really happened, their fate would not end well in Da Xia.


    The most unique feature of Da Xia was the classification of slaves and the aristocrat. They had no commoners in between.


    It would be tragic if anyone ended up as a slave as it was almost impossible for the following generations to escape slavery. Yin Shang too had slaves but they also had commoners. The merciful Tianyi gave the slaves a chance to become commoners while Da Xia does not have such opportunity.


    Yin Shang did not only open their arms to the people of other countries, they also accept slave refugees from Da Xia and made them into commoners.


    Perhaps this was what Tianyi did that angered the Emperor Xia and the aristocrats of Da Xia.


    There were twelve aristocratic families in Da Xia. They were the Xiahou''s, Youhu''s, Younan''s, Zhenxun''s, Tongcheng''s, Bao''s, Fei''s, Qi''s, Zeng''s, Xin''s, Ming''s and the Zhenguan''s.


    The twelve aristocratic families had the most noble blood of human race. It was not the prestige of the family that made them stood out but the nobleness of their own blood. They were born with the ability to tear tigers and leopards, and once they hit adulthood, they would have invincible strength that was as strong, or stronger, than Qi cultivators.


    The Xiahou family was the royal family of Da Xia. The ''Xia'' of ''Da Xia'' came from the family''s name.


    On the way to Da Xia, they heard that Tianyi was alright and they could trade their goods. Soon, they made it to Diqiu.

 Chapter 475 Yinglong

    As Shen Lian entered Diqiu, something strange happened. A huge dragon could be spotted at the north of Diqiu, the location of the capital city. That dragon revealed its head and body from the clouds and it was as tall and big as a hill.


    The dragon had a pair of beautiful shiny wings that wielded the clouds away as it gently flapped its wings.


    Its big broad eyes lasered out rays of lights which scanned the entirety of Diqiu. Its presence was so intimidating that the two Mammoths creeped on the ground and trembled.


    Shen Lian looked out the window and saw it crystal clear. This huge dragon was the legendary Yinglong.


    Yinglong was a type of winged dragon and records has it that ''a five hundred year old dragon is Jiaolong while a thousand year old dragon is Yinglong''. Of course that was not true as Yinglong was not achievable with a thousand years of cultivation. Besides, compared to the Jiaolong, Yinglong was a lot more powerful and Shen Lian regarded it as the same level as his current level.


    Yinglong scanned the entire Diqiu but did not pick up on anything. It then retracted its body and submit back to the capital city.


    The traders were discussing about Yinglong, saying that it was the guardian beast of the city and no one knew how long had this Yinglong lived. They claimed that the Yinglong was as strong as Emperor Xia and even the royalties would bow down to Yinglong when they see it.


    But today, something odd seemed to have triggered it.


    Shen Lian knew that regardless of how hard he tried to slow his breath down, Yinglong would still be able to sense the invasion of an overwhelming existence and that was why it came out.


    There was nothing strange about it. Even the most ordinary person would be alarmed if someone invaded their personal space.


    Shen Lian could isolate his breath but he could not block Yinglong''s instinct.


    Fortunately he was not in the mood to get into unnecessary trouble and Yinglong was not able to sense him.


    Perhaps it was because Yinglong did not detect anything odd that Da Xia did not assign any people to guard the place. This was also the charisma of Emperor Xia. Regardless of who you were, he would never be afraid of you.


    This was Diqiu, the leaders of the twelfth aristocratic family were present here and every one of them were exceptionally talented.


    However, Shen Lian felt that the city was being scanned by divine thoughts throughout time. He was surprised that the owner of the divine thoughts had a very strong sense of breath but the divine thoughts were not as strong. It was a lot weaker than of an immortal Zhenren.


    A genuinely wise cultivator would be more complete as they progressed with their cultivation. Regardless of Daoism or Buddhism, it would be natural to also cultivate the life as they further their cultivation. Even if there were distinction between the two, the gap should not be too big.


    Judging from the divine thoughts, the owner of the breath could be considered weak.


    A trader came to Shen Lian and said, "Little prince of Xi Liang Kingdom, if you want to hand in your letter of credence, you would need to go to the Manor of the Prefect Grand Usher Dongcheng. The Prefect Grand Usher is in charge of foreign affairs. I''ve said this before but you only brought a letter of credence. It would be difficult for you to enter if you did not offer any tribute to them."


    Shen Liam smiled, "Of course I have prepared an article of tribute. Thank you for your reminder."


    The trader noticed that Shen Lian came empty handed and shook his head. If it was not for Chen Qing who paid him a hefty sum of money, he would not have bothered to look out for Shen Lian. After all, Chen Qing once learned from Zu Jia. Although she was not an official disciple, they still enjoyed a good relationship.


    Zu Jia was the royalty of Yin Shang. He was the nephew of Tianyi and had onced hid among the entourage of traders to travel the world.


    Chen Qing was fortunate to receive guidance from Zhu Jia. The knowledge that she gained was beyond any ordinary trader.


    After Shen Lian departed from the entourage of traders, a young man appeared. He had a broad long sword that was made of green bronze and other metals behind his back.


    He observed Shen Lian for quite a while until Shen Lian was out of his sight.


    The trader said, "Wu Ding, why are you so bothered about the little prince of Xi Liang kingdom right now? He has been around with the entourage for quite some time and you have never talked to him."


    The young man named Wu Ding responded, "Yi Gui, don''t you think he is somewhat special?"


    The trader''s name was Yi Gui and he did not have a family name. ''Yi'' represented the second son while ''Gui'' means that he was an intelligent person. Yi Gui responded, "He is indeed special. You noticed too. He had an ordinary breathe, he is not a Qi cultivator neither did he posses any special bloodline."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "But in this long journey, have you ever seen him panic? He was always looking outside and yet he never had any exciting expression when someone discovered something new. He was always so calm and that calmness reminded me of someone." Wu Ding answered.


    "Like who?" Yi Gui did not pay attention to the details and thought the little prince of Xi Liang Kingdom was very quiet and composed. But he had a black tiger that followed him and it looked really imbalance.


    Wu Ding did not continue the conversation but a figure came to his mind. The person was slightly taller than average, he was not very handsome but was not ugly either. The person was always calm and warm. Nothing in this world could baffle him and there were no problems that he could not solve.


    He was as skillful as Emperor Xia in terms of martial arts but he never liked to show off unlike Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia compared himself to the sun and wanted to spread his prestige to every corner of the word like the sunshine. That was why the prison built by Emperor Xia was very intriguing. It was a high platform set in the entrance of the Wang Cheng Square. Anyone who entered the Wang Cheng Square would see it.


    The four sides of the prison had sun sacrificial formations that gathered endless Real Fire of the Sun that kept the platform on fire.


    Rumour had it that the temperature there was so high that refined iron would melt in there.


    The platform was known as Xia Tai. It was custom made according to Emperor Xia''s wishes. The fine pattern carvings of Xia Tai were carved by thousands of slaves who died during the process.


    Xia Tai had one prisoner. He looked like he was in his thirties but after a closer look, he looked more like he was in his twenties. He had deep eyes that looked like it hid million years of knowledge in it.


    The guards around did not dare to look at Xia Tai. The man''s clothes had turned into ashes as his flesh and skin were burned in red. His headful of black hair was not ignited but it looked somewhat charred.


    "Zi Lu, the Emperor really admired you. As long as you apologize sincerely and not act so recklessly , the Emperor would allow release you from Xia Tai." A loud voice passed through the raging Real Fire of the Sun to reach the platform so that the man could hear it clearly.


    Zi was the family name while Lu was the name. Zi Lu was Tianyi, the Monarch of Yin Shang, also the strongest person of Yin Shang.


    The Real Fire of the Sun of Xia Tai could easily immolate any one of the seven people Xuan Zhen. But Tianyi had been held captive for half a year and looking at his conditions, he would probably remained safe for the next six months.


    Tianyi did not ignore the words of the passerby, he said, "What happened to Yinglong? He would usually stay asleep for ten years and would not wake up even if lightning struck on it. But he made an odd movement just now. Could it be that a great existence has entered Di Qiu?"


    "Zi Lu, no one is able to save you. The only way out is to be pardoned by the Emperor. Even if a powerful person entered Di Qiu, there is no way that you could escape. As a minister of the Emperor, there is nothing wrong with admitting your faults."

 Chapter 476 Prefect Grand Usher

    Tianyi who was imprisoned in Xia Tai looked at the person who was talking to him with peaceful eyes. The person was covered in black leather armor and his eyes were the only visible part of his body. The black leather armor was tightly sewn and had no visible seams.


    Not many people in Diqiu could look Tianyi directly in the eye and this man in the leather armor was one of them. Only warriors like him who had conquered many nations and killed countless demons could use their willpower to not be affected by Tianyi''s peaceful gaze.


    If he was not there to guard Xia Tai, every other guard would have been influenced by Tianyi''s benevolence and set him free.


    Tianyi smiled, the curvature of his lips was perfect. It was like a spring breeze that could comfort anyone deeply. He said, "I am a minister of Emperor Xia and that was why I chose not to leave. Do you think this Xia Tai is capable of trapping me?"


    He scanned the surroundings with his gentle gaze. Wherever his gaze landed on, the true fire of the sun in that area would extinguish itself. After scanning the room once, all the true fire of the sun had been extinguished.


    The man in the armor leather was surprised and terrified. He started chanting a weird syllable which was simple yet, had an ancient air towards it. Eight black caples then popped out from the void and started tying Tianyi up.


    Tianyi accepted it without any resistance.


    The true fire of the sun started to ignite again but the man in the leather armor was no longer confident that he could prevent Tianyi from escaping.


    In fact, he hoped that Tianyi would escape. Then, Emperor Xia would be furious and gathered the aristocratic powers of Diqiu. Regardless of how strong Tianyi was, there was no way that he could escape from that.


    Tianyi ended the conversation and closed his eyes. He let out a peaceful smile and thought to himself, "Da Xia is not capable of making everyone submit to them or at least he would never do so, neither will the person who just entered Diqiu. When he came to Diqiu, Guan Longzi had told him that if Yinglong appeared, he would have the chance to leave Diqiu and return to Yin Shang. Looks like Guan Longzi''s prediction would come true anytime soon."


    Da Xia was strong and Diqiu was broad. Even the river streams in the city were flowing with raging spiritual tides. Any ordinary person would change wholly after soaking in the spiritual tides for several times.


    However, Shen Lian felt that hustle bustle of the mortal world was lacking in Da Xia. It was too solemn and cold here and he does not like it at all.


    Even if he sensed ten or more breathes that were as powerful as Liu Mengde, but the breathes belonged to lowly ranked troopers of the Diqiu military force.


    With such terrifying forces, it was no wonder that Emperor Xia had the ambition to dominate the world and make celestial beings and Buddha submit to his sovereignty.


    Because of the prestige of Da Xia, thousands of nations surrendered to them, causing the manor of the Prefect Grand Usher to be extremely busy throughout the year.


    But of course, an affiliated country had to be strong enough to earn the credentials to meet the Prefect Grand Usher.


    The Prefect Grand Usher''s name was Lei Nuo. The reason why he had such great influence was because he was from the Youhu family of the twelve aristocratic family and his wife''s family name was ''Si'', which was the family name of the Xia royalties. His wife, Si Jiang was the sister of the Emperor Xia.


    Prefect Grand Usher Lei Nuo had not been feeling peaceful for the past few days. It was because Yinglong came out from its dragon pond and that alerted Emperor Xia. Emperor Xia assigned him to investigate this issue. As every warrior in Da Xia was registered, that unknown great existence probably came from somewhere beyond Da Xia. The Prefect Grand Usher was in charge of foreign affairs and he would be able to find out about that person.


    Emperor Xia would never allow a strong presence to leave his sight in his city.


    Prefect Grand Usher Lei Nuo had been tirelessly investigating about foreigners who entered Da Xia for the past five days. He really wanted to figure out who on earth triggered Yinglong.


    But his efforts were to no avail. Lately, the stronger ministers were in a state of fright and most of the powerful people had left Diqiu due to Tianyi''s imprisonment at Xia Tai.


    Lei Nuo returned to his manor and was thinking of how he could get his wife to beg for mercy on behalf of him. Perhaps it was his bad temper lately, the numbers of ambassadors who were queuing up to see him had greatly reduced. But after all, people were afraid of death. If Lei Nuo was triggered, he would not tone down his breath and the surging power in him could easily crush the ambassadors to death.


    But things were different today as he stopped before entering the manor. There was a huge Plane tree that was over thousand years of age outside of his manor. Legend has it that a phoenix once rested on the tree. But that was not the reason why Lei Nuo did not chop off the tree.


    After all, he does not need such treasures. Furthermore, if he wanted a phoenix he could easily get one from the palace.


    A Daoist from the Xuandu Temple once told him that this Plane tree was as Sage Tree. As long as the tree grew outside of his manor, it would guarantee his prosperity and luck.


    Even if they had immense power, they could only live for about a hundred years and unlike Qi cultivators, they were not capable of cultivating their spirits for reincarnation after the death of the body.


    A young boy was sitting under the Plane tree and it seemed like he had been seated for quite a while. Lei Nuo noticed the boy who was seated there earlier on but he was not bothered by it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Lei Nuo''s memory was not as good as other Qi cultivators but things that happened recently were still fresh in his memories. He tried to recalled and was sure that the boy had been sitting there since the evening five days ago.


    People come and go but the boy was just sitting there.


    He looked at the guard next to him and said, "Bring him in to the manor. I have something to ask him."


    Lei Nuo felt that the boy was special and had an air of calmness around him. He was intrigued and decided to summon him into the manor.


    The guard walked towards Shen Lian to explain the intentions of Lei Nuo and invited Shen Lian in to the manor.


    The guard could not help but felt that Shen Lian was really lucky. There were people who queued up for ten days to months and yet it does not guarantee an entry pass to the manor. All Shen Lian did was took a seat somewhere far away and he had the opportunity to meet with the Prefect Grand Usher.


    He smiled and said, "You are one lucky person."


    Shen Lian got up slowly and smiled at the guard, "I have always been lucky."


    The guard was disgusted by Shen Lian''s calmness and said, "You better pray for better luck because the Prefect Grand Usher has been in a foul mood for the past few days. If you''re unlucky, you might not be able to walk out from the manor."


    Shen Lian starred at the guard with a serious face. His deep gaze made the guard uncomfortable.


    The guard asked, "Why are you looking at me?"


    Shen Lian answered, "Your bad fortune is coming."


    As the guard opened his mouth and wanted to rebut, a white-yellowish liquid entered his mouth. It was a bird dropping.


    It was not difficult for him to avoid the bird dropping but for some reasons, he did not notice it at all. He then saw a black tiger climbing on the Plane tree. It was an odd sight and since when could tigers climb trees?

 Chapter 477 The Young Lady at the Back of Pegasus

    The reason why Lei Nuo sent people to take him back to the residence was due to his curiosity about Shen Lian. When he got back to the backyard, he heard his wife, Si Jiang was raging. Back in the palace, Si Jiang''s temper was already exceptionally bad. Now that she got married to Lei Nuo, due to her elite status, Lei Nuo was always being scolded.


    However, she was really a great beauty. It was difficult to find any lady that was prettier than her in the royal family. Her features were delicate, she had a pair of phoenix eyes with royal family''s elegance. Her figure was also attractive. Aside from her meanness, there was almost flawless.


    As for why Si Jiang got angry was because of the fact that her daughter was missing again. The servants were useless because they could not even take care of a girl who was about 15 to 16 years old.


    When Lei Nuo knew what happened, he was secretly laughing at himself. The adult and child at home were all difficult to be handled. He quickly comforted his wife, or else the moment when she could not contain her anger, killing the servants was only a small matter, what mattered most was that she would damage most of the exquisite decorative items in the room.


    By then when the news got spread out, it would be a laughing stock for outsiders.


    Filled with grief, the imperial guard led Shen Lian into the residence. He warned Shen Lian not to wander around on his own. He was wondering what hallucinogen drug he had consumed to actually agree with this brat in taking this Black Tiger back home.


    When they reached the garden, there was a manmade stream right beside the garden whereby the stream water was filled with spiritual vigor and it was so clear that the you could actually see the bottom of the stream clearly.


    The imperial guard hesitated for a very long time, and in the end he decided not to allow Shen Lian to continue bringing the Black Tiger along. He said, "you stay here and don''t walk away, I''ll be back very soon."


    He planned to get a steward to lock the black tiger first then he would proceed to take Shen Lian to the side hall to wait.


    Shen Lian nodded his head.


    The imperial guard was very furious. If it was not because the Prefect Grand Usher wanted to meet him, he would have already teach this brat a lesson. After all, the taste of bird poop just now was not favourable. He believed that was the brat''s doing.


    The imperial guard left hurriedly and quickly came back together with a steward.


    Shen Lian randomly found a boulder to sit on by the stream whereas the black tiger was happily drinking water from the stream.


    Lei''s Residence was enormous, it was almost as big as a small fortification. This was still not the inner court, and the stream was also not the broadest stream in Lei Mansion.


    Buildings in Da Xia seemed to be extraordinarily huge. It was not densely populated here. In one glance, you could see the grass and trees side by side, the river water was calm and crystal clear.


    Shen Lian had been sitting under the Plane tree outside for five days. There used to be phoenix perching on the Plane tree that had lived for almost about five thousand years. It was limited to Da Xia''s majesty, thus it did not dare to grow anymore and definitely not transforming.


    As for Shen Lian, he had the phoenix aura. Thus, the Plane tree was very close with him.


    Shen Lian had communicated a lot with it in these five days. This tree could not move or walk. It also could not grow without restraints. Nonetheless, it had been here for a very long time.


    Lei''s Residence was built for not more than 20 years. It used to be an abandoned land here. Yu Yang Daoist from Xuan Du Temple wanted to build a Daoist temple here in the past but Emperor Xia did not allow it to happen. Later on, Emperor Xia''s biological sister, Si Jiang got married to Lei Nuo who owned Hu and then Emperor Xia granted this place to Si Jiang.


    Although the Plane tree was located outside of Lei''s Residence, its rhizome extended into Lei''s Residence. From its memory, Shen Lian saw a small girl enter Lei''s Residence and that small girl was Chen Yun who was Shen Lian''s youngest aunt.


    However, there was no sight of Chen Yun anymore after the Plane tree''s rhizome extended not too far into the residence. It could not remember how Chen Yun looked like anymore after years had passed.


    Shen Lian felt that this was a coincidence and a must at the same time. The Prefect Grand Usher was supposed to be responsible for the foreign affairs. Chen Yun came from outside into the Xia City. Perhaps she entered Lei''s residence due to coincidence.


    Shen Lian hoped that she was still alive.


    The biggest inconvenience for Shen Lian after entering Diqiu was because it was hard to see the obscure secret. It was an uphill task for Shen Lian that he wanted to find out the truth about what happened. If he made any significant action, it would alarm the mighty existence in Diqiu.


    Although he was not afraid, after all the other party was comprised of many people. He would naturally not want to put himself into troubles.


    Fortunately, he got into Lei''s Residence. With the aid of linked bloodline, he was aware of it.


    As for the Prefect Grand Usher, Lei Nuo, his vigor was definitely extraordinary. Shen Lian could see that his mortal body was very strong and there was a mighty force comparable to that of a reckless beast hidden in his body. However, he had not witnessed the battling techniques in Da Xia''s royal families and thus he was unable to particularly judge their combat capabilities.


    Of course it would be a piece of cake if Shen Lian were to subdue him. It was because Shen Lian could directly ram him down through his spirit. Even if he had strong Qi of Vigour shielding him, it would not be able to defend him from Shen Lian''s spiritual attack. After all, there was a quality difference between the two of them.


    The entire Diqiu that could frighten Shen Lian was only three vital forces. All of which was located at the North City. One of the vital forces was very vigorous just like the scorching sun that could show its significant presence. Another one was Yinglong, and the last one was indistinct, it secretly integrated abstruse Dao of the nature, just that it was slightly different from Shen Lian''s cultivation method. Its qi dynamic was extraordinary, but Shen Lian was aware that the party''s power was definitely not weaker than him.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian''s power of Primordial Spirit from his previous life already transformed more than half. Hence, even if he encountered any existence that could defeat him, it was not difficult for him to escape from the scene.


    After all, it would be difficult to be killed when one reached the state of Tian Xian.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    There was a reflection of white shadow which looked like the cloud and mist in the clear water. That was a Pegasus and on top of it seated a young lady who looked as though she was from a dream. Her skin was tight and energetic, her skin colour was as fair as the Pegasus. Her delicate appearance looked like a bud and her hair was falling like the waterfall.


    "What a big cat," she sounded like a skylark which produced rhythmic melody that could attract the hearts of people.


    The Pegasus gradually landed right in front of the Black Tiger. The girl on the Pegasus was staring at the Black Tiger with her clear and bright eyes which were filled with intelligence and curiosity.


    The Black Tiger instinctively curled itself up. There was a majestic dignity in the young lady that terrified him.


    Shen Lian was staring at the young lady from top to bottom but she did not even feel embarrassed at all. She asked with curiosity, "are you the new animal trainer? You look even younger than me, just call me your sister."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "if I address the Prefect Grand Usher''s daughter as Young Lady and if it''s overheard by the others, I''m afraid you won''t be able to leave this place."


    The young lady pouted while saying, "how boring of you. Won''t you just pretend to cooperate with me?"


    "You''re riding a Pegasus, it seems like you want to go out and there''s no servant with you. You should be running out without the Prefect Grand Usher and your mother''s knowledge. There''d be people coming here soon, so you better be gone quickly," Shen Lian spoke continuously in an unhurried manner like the slow flowing river water but there was an indescribable power within.


    The young lady saw the imperial guard from far and she only said one sentence, "young kid, the way you talk is just like how an adult talks," the Pegasus slightly flapped its wings then what was seen in the void was only traces of smoke which disappeared instantly.


    The imperial guard took a servant along and he walked towards him and said, "just now I think I saw the Pegasus in the residence. The one sitting on it looks like...."


    Then, he kept quiet.


    Shen Lian looked at him while smiling. Then, the servant did not continue to say anything. He thought that he should not put himself in trouble. If the young princess wanted to go out, just let her be. He did not see anything. Later on, he was showing some gestures to the servant beside him.


    This was a deaf and dumb servant who did not even have ears and nose.

 Chapter 478 An Unspoken Goodbye

    The servant who was deaf and dumb was a profound animal trainer. He only touched the Black Tiger softly for a few times, it made this animal feel as though it was high in the clouds, feeling very comfortable.


    The imperial guard said, "now we go to the side hall."


    Shen Lina nodded his head. Then, he walked a long journey. Along the journey, he saw a skylark which its body was burning with fire and a dwarf that suddenly dug into the sand and became invisible.


    The skylark was the Fire Bird. When it turned dark at night, it would be put into the cage to serve as the source of light. The dwarf was Tu XingSun. He could comb the lands and thus he was the spiritual vigor of Lei''s Residence. He could move around under the land just like how the fishes swam freely in the water. It was born with the ability to move under the land.


    After the imperial guard led Shen Lian to the side hall, he left after talking a few sentences to a maidservant.


    If the Prefect Grand Usher could recall to meet Shen Lian, he would naturally call him in. However, if he could not recall, Shen Lian would sit there waiting, and he would not disturb any other visitors.


    Since the imperial guard was filled with biases, he would not be happy with Shen Lian. In fact, Shen Lian''s physical appearance could make 99% of the girls in this world fall for him. The maidservant noticed that he sat there like a blossoming lotus, what a serene sight. She unknowingly felt embarrassed, then she walked to the backyard to make a cup of tea and delivered to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian took the tea over and drank it. The maidservant was thinking how a person could actually have such elegance even when drinking tea. It looked way more elegant and better than the postures of the foreign female dancers.


    Shen Lian still did not utter a word. This made the maidservant a little angry, thinking that why he would not even say thank you when she had made him tea.


    The first sentence she asked was, "where are you from?"


    "Xi Liang Kingdom, " Shen Lian replied.


    "Where is that place? Is it very big?" the maidservant asked again.


    "From Da Xia, you walk towards the direction of west, you can reach there in around two years or more if you walk a thousand miles a day," Shen Lian said softly.


    "That''s really far! It''d take few months even riding Young Lady''s pegasus," the maidservant propped her chin in her palm while speaking. She was even closer to Shen Lian now. Shen Lian smelled really good, it was natural and refreshing that she was somewhat attracted.


    Shen Lian smiled dimly and said, "how about you? You look like a normal person, how did you get here?"


    The maidservant startled and said, "I don''t know who my parents are. We grow up here in this residence. We''re born to serve our Young Lady and Madam. But as soon as we reach 20 years old, we would be assigned to elsewhere accordingly. The only thing is that we don''t know where we will end up at because those who have gone out never came back before."


    Shen Lian asked again, "could it be that all the servants are brought here since young? Is there no girl of around seven or eight years old from outside that came into the residence?"


    The maidservant startled and recalled something, then she said, "no, why are you so concerned about what happens in the residence? It''s dangerous."


    Shen Lian stared right at her and spoke softly, "please don''t lie to me."


    "I''m not lying, " she wanted to respond like this but when the words came to her mouth, she secretly went close to Shen Lian''s ears and spoke softly, "throughout these years, there''s only one girl came into the residence from outside. I heard this from those who mentioned last time. I didn''t meet her before, the rest too."


    Shen Lian''s abstruse eyes had seen the deepest part of her heart and he knew that she did not lie. That girl she mentioned should be his youngest aunt, Chen Yun. However, he was unable to sense Chen Yun''s existence from their linked bloodline. At least she was not in Lei''s Residence now. So where did she go to? Or was she not around anymore?


    Shen Lian felt that there was a big possibility that Chen Yun was still alive because his premonition indicated that she should be alive.


    At this point, his premonition could almost be considered as a fact, it was way closer to the truth than any logical judgment.


    They continued their conversation but it was just mainly chatting. Shen Lian did not expect to get any information from a maidservant. In fact, he did not have to do such thing.


    Most of the time, she was the one that was talking and Shen Lian was listening. This maidservant was only average-looking, but Shen Lian found something here that he did not ever get from anywhere else in his life, that was respect.


    The social class in Da Xia was very strict. The royal family had no respect for human lives and the blood and tears of the lowest class civilians. Moreover, the civilians did not have any capability to revolt all these.


    This was because the royal family could make countless of civilians disappear from this world. Hence, despite Da Xia''s prosperity, it made the lowest class feel hopeless.


    Even if Xuan Du Temple''s objective is to enlighten the mortals so that the common living creatures could obtain the power to chase after immortality. However, this enlightenment was still under the control of Da Xia.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian sympathised with them. Compared to the social classes which were ruled, not being able to see the hope of changing one''s life was more hopeless, just like a pool of stagnant water.


    He used to be one of the common people. He was fortunate enough to get out of it. Shen Lian felt that he could do something for them, such as passing on doctrine which actually allowed the numerous living creatures to break free from the misery.


    When he had such thought, there was countless of wisdom appearing in his spirit sea like the lightning. He thought of K?itigarbha Bodhisattva''s vow, which was ''before the hell is empty, I will not become Buddha''.


    K?itigarbha Bodhisattva was at least Mahasattva Bodhisattva''s level, which was Daoism''s Taiyi, or maybe an even higher level.


    He made this vow was definitely not to restrict himself but for his sympathy for the people.


    Rescuing the other living creatures was also rescuing himself.


    After resolving the root cause, he could enjoy the success, that was an unbelievable situation.


    If he could open up a road that could lead these living creatures who saw no hope at the end of the tunnel to get out of this misery, he would definitely have big gain.


    These common living creatures were not just the Da Xia''s living creatures, it also included the rest of the world''s living creatures.


    Buddha left the classics, Daoist masters were meant to cultivate, whereas Shen Lian could also open up a cultivation path for this world.


    Shen Lian''s heart was instantly full of wisdom, there was a burst of his divine aura but it could not be seen from the outside.


    The maidservant asked, "what are you thinking about?"


    Shen Lian looked outside of the door, he smiled and said, "somebody''s here."


    The maidservant could not help but to feel upset because the person who came was to invite Shen Lian to meet Prefect Grand Usher. She could not even bid him goodbye because she was afraid that she would not be able to see this young lad for the rest of her life anymore.


    It could not be considered that she liked him, it was just that she could not help but to feel like talking to this person more. There was no way that she would not cling on to the feeling of being treated fairly.


    Shen Lian told her, "My name is Shen Lian."


    The maidservant nodded her head. She would remember it forever.


    However, to the very end, she did not tell Shen Lian about her name. She was also not aware that the person who was willing to listen to her talking for so long was actually a mighty existence like the Emperor Xia.


    The Prefect Grand Usher, Lei Nuo met Shen Lian in his study room. His books were all carved on the wood chip made from the jade tribute offered by Kun Wu.


    He had heard from Guan Longzi that knowledge was a priceless treasure. Thus, it was more than appropriate to use precious jade to carry the knowledge.


    The first sentence that Lei Nuo said was, "you''re a Daoist?"


    Now he could recall that the qualities within Shen Lian was not really similar to those of Daoists. Actually, he had also associated it with one more person, that was Tianyi who was being banned from the entire Diqiu.

 Chapter 479 Guan Longzi

    Shen Lian took a quick glance at him and said, "you can say so."


    "From Xuan Du Temple?" Lei Nuo''s eyes suddenly became sharp and his vigor was slightly boiling just like the boiling oil which gave out enormous heat energy. With his pristine Gang Qi, even a small movement could wipe away everything in front.


    In Shen Lian''s eyes, he could see Lei Nuo''s essence was very condensed over his head. Any spirit which went slightly near him would be left with nothing but ashes.


    However, when this kind of mighty force appeared in front of Shen Lian, it seemed like the wind blowing against the hill; there was no effect no him at all.


    Lei Nuo, the Prefect Grand Usher of Xia Dynasty, the present Emperor Xia''s brother-in-law, one of the strongest in Youhu''s, was extremely shocked at this moment.


    Shen Lian gradually opened his mouth and said, "do you think Xuan Du Temple can produce such a person like me?"


    Lei Nuo felt that Shen Lian was like an intangible black hole. No matter how his vigor was stimulated, how his Gang Qi had erupted, it was all sucked by Shen Lian and there was not a single bit left.


    Shen Lian did not operate any of his supernatural Dao techniques, but it seemed like Lei Nuo had been in a battle for three days and nights. His sweat dropped and fell on the floor.


    Lei Nuo wanted to open his mouth and he wanted to move, but he realised that his qi dynamic was being pulled by Shen Lian. There was no way that he could make any movement, as though he was in a nightmare.


    This young lad right in front of him was way terrifying than any person he had ever met.


    Shen Lian''s face was beamed with smiles. Lei Nuo slumped against the chair and said, "you must be the one that alerted Master Yinglong."


    "I think there''d not be someone like me who enters Diqiu in this period of time, am I right?" Shen Lian said.


    Lei Nuo said, "indeed."


    Then, he spoke in a cold tone, "since you''re clear that this is Diqiu, as long as you''re exposed, even if you have superhuman abilities, there''s no way you can escape from Diqiu."


    "What if I liaise with Tianyi?" Shen Lian asked.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Lei Nuo shuddered. He was not sure of how strong Tianyi was, but there were only Master Yinglong and Emperor Xia who were stronger than Tianyi in the entire Da Xia.


    If Shen Lian liaised with Tianyi, it was possible that they would be able to escape from Diqiu after turning the entire Diqiu upside down.


    For a second, Lei Nuo panicked but he was able to calm himself fast enough. Then he said, "what is it that you want to do? I can try my best to help you but I hope you don''t cause any trouble. I can help you to solve the minor problems."


    Shen Lian''s eyes fell on Lei Nuo and noticed that his entire body was slightly shivering. That was a type of compression on the soul. In addition to that, due to the high security level in Da Xia, Lei Nuo''s powerful force was a waste. At this moment, he could not even think of revolt.


    Shen Lian said, "I''m not a person who likes troubles. I come to Diqiu is to deliver the letter of credence, you can take a look at it."


    He took out a letter of credence which the words on it was simple and good. What the letter was talking about the history of Xi Liang City since their ancestor''s generation. Then, they decided to build a country, hoping that they would get recognition from Da Xia.


    Lei Nuo finished reading in a very short while and said, "I can help you to handle this."


    He was finally relieved. At least he could see from the letter of credence that Shen Lian was someone that had origin, and this would be easier to handle. If it was someone like the Great Saint from demon clans who was fearless and could do anything as he wished, that would be a pain.


    Just like Tianyi. If you were to meet him alone, it would be impossible to invite him to Diqiu, what more about imprisoning him in Xia Tai.


    Nonetheless, one should not offend people like this, or else there would be a big trouble. One day, if he got annoyed and decided to attack the palace, even if he could be defeated in the end, it was already be a big laughing stock.


    Shen Lian nodded his head and continued saying, "I''ve also brought our local specialty from Xi Liang Kingdom, this is also to be passed to you."


    He took out a gourd from his sleeve, and a vague sound of water from inside could be heard.


    With Lei Nuo''s vast knowledge, he could clearly see that the gourd is just an ordinary one, but he did not know what was so special about the water in it.


    He smiled forcefully and said, "I''ll take this."


    Shen Lian looked at him seriously, saying, "I hope you can drink this."


    He delivered the gourd to Lei Nuo and his tone sounded like he would not allow any intervention.


    Lei Nuo could feel that the surrounding space was about to collapse instantly and that he would be shattered into pieces at any moment. He would not die if he drank this water, but if he refused to, he might have to die immediately.


    People would die in the end but at least, he did not want to die at this moment.


    He spoke with much hesitation, "I drink."


    The lethal threat vanished after he said that. Then, Lei Nuo carefully drank the water from the gourd.


    Shen Lian nodded with satisfaction and said, "you have to know that the water that I presented to you originates from the Zimu River in our Xi Liang Kingdom. That was the foundation of our established kingdom. This water was not only taken from the Zimu River, but it was also specially made by me. Now do you feel that your entire body''s Qi and blood start to move towards your abdomen and agglomerating?"


    Lei Nuo had indeed felt it. His entire body''s Qi and blood essence started to move towards his abdomen and was agglomerating and he actually did not have any idea how to turn this around.


    Qi and blood essence was his source of energy. He could clearly feel that he was weakening. As time passed by, this weakening feeling was getting stronger.


    He asked with fear, "what''s the harm of this water from the Zimu river?"


    Shen Lian smiled while saying, "there''s golden elixir Yuan Ying in Daoism. I''m just gifting you a chance to have a child. Moreover, I''m actually very curious about why your bloodline can make you possess such strong power. Thus, when the time comes I''d help you to extract the Qi and blood essence but you shouldn''t take it out yourself without permission."


    Lei Nuo was grinding his teeth while asking, "what will happen if I take out myself?"


    "Before you take it out, it''d explode. You should be clear about how terrifying it would be once your Qi and blood essence explodes. Or it could crush you into pieces and also raze the surrounding of your study room," Shen Lian was still smiling gently, whereas for Lei Nuo, he would rather face the Yecha King from San Yue Demon Kingdom than to see this young lad ever again.


    "If you want me to be your slave, I can tell you it''s impossible. I''d rather die now," Lei Nuo spoked with hatred.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not interested to make you my slave. Now I want to know, if I want to stay in Diqiu quietly for a period of time and not to be disturbed at all, where should I go?" Shen Lian asked while clasping his hands behind his back.


    "I can authorise an instructions, and you can go to the Dynasty School in South City to look for Guan Longzi. He can help you to lead a stable life in Diqiu. But it''s better for you to not stay in Diqiu for too long," Lei Nuo was in silence for a moment and finally said it.


    "Who''s Guan Longzi?"


    "He''s the imperial astronomer."


    "Isn''t imperial astronomer supposed to be staying by the side of Emperor Xia to record about the lifestyle and country issues?"


    "He''s been kicked out by the Emperor Xia."


    Shen Lian said, "Fine. Then I''ll ask you another question."


    "You can ask anything."


    "About eight to nine years ago, did you take this girl in?" Shen Lian eyes were staring at Lei Nuo.


    There was an image of a little girl''s surfacing in his heart. Take a closer look, she actually looked somehow similar to the Shen Lian in front of him."

 Chapter 480 Astrology

    Following the little girl''s memory, that was a main hall. He sent the little girl in, and there was a person wearing a black robe seated above.


    When it reached this point, the memory suddenly started to vanished like the stars, it could not be replicated.


    The person that he spotted was also the one that Shen Lian saw.


    "Who''s that?" Shen Lian''s tone was slightly more serious. From Lei Nuo''s memory, he could not differentiate the actual situation of the person wearing a black robe.


    "The hierophant," Lei Nuo said.


    "Who''s the hierophant?" Shen Lian continued to ask.


    "I don''t know. He''s already been living for a long time when I was born. When my great grandfather''s great grandfather was born, he''s already the hierophant. In Da Xia, he''s the only one that cut off the ties with the Book of Life and Death aside from Emperor Xia."


    Shen Lian asked, "then where is he now?"


    "I don''t know. Nobody could ask about the hierophant''s whereabouts, even the Emperor King isn''t an exception." Lei Nuo finally recalled about the little girl. She was being chosen by the hierophant and thus was taken to the main hall which served as a place for Da Xia''s ancestor Sacrificial Ritual. It seemed like after that time, the hierophant did not appear anymore.


    Shen Lian was clear that Lei Nuo did not lie. A person that could cut ties with the Book of Life and Death and lived for so long must be a very powerful existence. As for the Emperor Xia who had also cut ties with the Book of Life and Death, it was not surprising at all for Shen Lian. The Emperor Xia had such mighty force and thus it was definitely not difficult achieve it. Unfortunately, his situation was special and thus he could not feel how the Book of Life and Death looked like.


    If one can control the living things'' life or death, he could not do it. The Book of Life and Death must have had hidden some significant secrets which aroused his curiosity.


    Temporarily, there was nothing that Shen Lian had to ask Lei Nuo. He needed to wait for a few more months until the Qi and blood essence in Lei Nuo''s body had sufficiently agglomerated and then he would extract it and use it to explore the secrets behind the bloodline of these royal families in Da Xia.


    Lei Nuo had completed the instructions for Guan Longzi. Initially, he wanted to send Shen Lian out himself but Shen Lian rejected. He did not say any threatening word to Lei Nuo. This made Lei Nuo feel even more terrified because he could see Shen LIan''s stamina and fearlessness.


    In the end, he still sent the same imperial guard as before to send Shen Lian to the Dynasty School in South City.


    Firstly, they found the deaf and dumb servant. The Black Tiger was currently enjoying the highly skilled massage. This was the real tiger''s life. It was a little reluctant to leave.


    Shen Lian only took a glance at it and the Black Tiger quickly stand up and walked towards Shen Lian with a face of trying to ingratiate him.


    Suddenly, the imperial guard felt that this tiger did not only have ordinary spirituality. Its looks of adulating its master gave him a feeling that this Black Tiger was like a big black dog wagging its tail to please its owner.


    Along the journey out together with the Black Tiger, there were a few times the imperial guard wanted to talk to Shen Lian. After all, he had noticed that Shen Lian got special treatment from Lei Nuo and he had never seen the Prefect Grand Usher value a young lad so much.


    The grudges before this was already negligible. He did not intentionally wanted to fawn upon Shen Lian, just that his instinct and his curiosity about Shen Lian''s background prompted him to do so.


    When they reached a junction, there were two servants carrying a corpse.


    Shen Lian could clearly see the corpse belonged to the maidservant who chatted with him previously. Her internal organs were already shattered into pieces, there was no sign of life force anymore. Her soul already vanished and so even Shen Lian could not revive her.


    He approached the servants to stop them and asked, "how did she die?"


    The servants could not recognise him but they knew the imperial guard.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The imperial guard thought why Shen Lian wanted to mind other people''s business, after all there were people dying in Lei''s Residence every day.


    However, he still helped to ask, "what happened?"


    One of the servants replied, "Madam got so mad that she''s accidentally beaten her to death. So she told us to find a place to bury her."


    Shen Lian said, "leave her to me."


    The servant was looking at the imperial guard and the guard did not want to continue saying here to argue, so he said, "leave her here and we''ll deal with it."


    The two servants happily agreed with it since this was not a big deal after all.


    As for the maidservant''s body, it was being held by the Black Tiger. Although it was not really willing to do so, it had to pretend that it was happy. The Black Tiger had summed up the three criteria to serve its master. First criteria was to obey master''s orders, second criteria was to never say no to master''s orders, third criteria was to refer to the first two criteria.


    Shen Lian was also somehow speechless about the Black Tiger because he could clearly understand what the Black Tiger was thinking about using his ideomotor reflex. He was unsure why this Black Tiger would behave like this.


    On their way out of the residence, they reached the surging river edge of Diqiu. That was a spiritual canal which had aggregated Diqiu''s spiritual vigor. Its surging flowing water had clearly shown Da Xia''s prosperity.


    The spiritual canal was also known as Xia Canal.


    The imperial guard asked, "you want to bury her in the Xia Canal?"


    Shen Lian said, "why can''t I?"


    "You have to be quick. Or else if you''re spotted by the people who patrol the city, you''d be in deep trouble," the imperial guard said softly. He was not hard-hearted. Since he had chosen to take care of this business, he should have done something more. Moreover, there was no difference between them and the maidservant, they were all just servants in the eyes of the noblemen, their existence was insignificant.


    Shen Lian''s fingertips had come together to produce a wisp of flame. Instantly, it had burnt the maidservant''s corpse to ashes. Lastly, it flowed towards the Xia Canal and with the surging force of the Xia Canal''s spiritual vibrations, it would wash away everything in the past.


    There was a melodious syllable coming out from Shen Lian''s mouth and that was the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. There was a glow on the surface of the canal and wrapped within it was the maidservant''s spirits. In the end, it had flown away with the Xia Canal. Perhaps at one moment when she finally took insufficient spiritual vibrations, she could enter reincarnation.


    "You actually know how to chant. Did you learn it from Sramana land mortals?" The imperial guard had seen Daoists and monks before. Although he did not understand the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra, he was clear that the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra sounded similar to the chants of the monks.


    "I know because I''ve heard of it before last time. If one day you''re going to die, and you can manage to find me, I can help you to chant. This is the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra, it''s used to help the dead to cross the death for reborn," Shen Lian turned around and told the imperial guard with smile.


    Instantly, the imperial guard did not want to talk to him anymore.


    It was already late at night. The Dynasty School''s entrance was very small. It looked like a small wooden house from outside.


    However, only those who had actually entered the place would realize that space inside was actually so big. Moreover, the sky above was actually filled with stars, and you could actually have a very clear view of the sky of stars.


    Tracks of the stars movement were actually abstruse. Every connection between the stars had given all the stars their fixed tracks to move. Everything was standardized.


    Guan Longzi had spent majority of his time and energy to study about astronomy. From this, he was able to understand the legendary astrology which allowed him to see the destiny which ranged from as important as a country''s destiny, to as insignificant as a person''s destiny.


    The future was just like a river, there would be numerous branches in the middle and fork in the road, but where it would flow to was already destined.


    From 12 years ago when the Flower of the Other Shore blossomed, it was already destined that a new chapter of this world destiny had been opened. The future could look good but scary as well.

 Chapter 481 Hearing About the Heaven Courtyard Again

    The Xia Canal originated from the North and flowing to the South. The way to get out of the city was exactly the entrance to the Dynasty School.


    Guan Longzi had walked out from the school. The first morning breeze had blown towards his face. He took the Prefect Grand Usher''s instructions from the imperial guard, then he looked at the young lad and the Black Tiger.


    He looked very young, but he had a deep pair of eyes which reminded him of the stars in the sky. Full moon could not even take away the glow of those stars which were deeply hidden in the dark that would still glow.


    When the morning breeze blew from behind, Shen Lian''s side hair was being blown. It seemed like this young lad was extraordinarily aloof.


    This was not the first time Guan Longzi had actually met a person like this. 20 years ago when he met Tianyi, it was about the same. However, Tianyi''s aloofness was slightly better. When he was young, he met the founding master of Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. That was one of the originators of Daoism who had transcended beyond life and death, and approached the unknown world.


    As for this young lad, it was actually not lower than that of the founding master of Xuan Zhen Temple.


    With his wisdom, he would never go wrong. He knew that this person was the one in the prophecy that would change the world. Finally, now this person appeared in front of him.


    This person''s appearance would cause Da Xia to die out. Not only he knew about this, but the hierophant also knew about it. Thus, the hierophant had left Diqiu to find ways to eliminate this existence.


    Guan Longzi did not know what he should do but he knew that the destiny could not be changed. The hierophant wanted to go against the God''s will to change the destiny, he would have to pay an unimaginable price whether he succeeded or not.


    However, for Da Xia, the hierophant was willing to sacrifice everything.


    Guan Longzi could sacrifice his life for Da Xia, but he would never sacrifice everything for Da Xia.


    There was always something which was more important than life, more important than anything, and that was ''Dao''.


    He had seen the content in the instructions with one quick glance, then he told the imperial guard to leave.


    Shen Lian clasped his back behind his back and took a step to reach in front of Guan Longzi. This person did not have power but he had the genuine wisdom. As long as there was wisdom, it was easy to get power. If there was power, it would be difficult to get the wisdom.


    This was because energy power could solve almost every difficulty, and thus it would make wisdom lower its function.


    However, some issues would require wisdom to solve. Just like the glow of wisdom could enter the star and forever illuminating people later on.


    Thus, people such as God, Daoist Master and Buddha had all transformed their wisdoms into classics to be kept in the world.


    The reason why Shen Lian could reach this state today was definitely inseparable from the being enlightened by the wisdom of his predecessors.


    The morning breeze had brought the first sentence from Shen Lian, "hello there."


    Guan Longzi felt that he travelled back to 20 years ago when he first met Tianyi. He smiled and said, "hi there."


    "My name is Shen Lian, the Shen with water, the Lian with fire," Shen Lian was staring at Guan Longzi while speaking softly.


    "I''m Guan Longzi. I''m sure you''d have known this beforehand. I''m staying here in the Dynasty School during this period of time. We can share our knowledge with each other," upon completing his sentence, he stood with his back so straight that he looked like a person with high morality and wisdom, portraying his style as a true Master.


    He had such confidence. No matter how abstruse and powerful you were, when it came to knowledge, we were both at the same level, there could be sharing of knowledge.


    Shen Lian nodded his head while smiling. He totally agreed with this point. A person''s power could be seen through his eyes.


    Guan Longzi owned a pair of eyes filled with wisdom. The quality that he had fostered from his cultivation of knowledge was even better than Wang Shidao from Xuantian Sect''s Temple of Contentment.


    Guan Longzi raised his hand and made a ''please'' pose, he said, "Daoist Shen can follow me into the school," they would be friends if they were from the same sect, this address was not specially used by only the Daoist. Guan Longzi could see that Shen Lian was a genuine person who pursued Dao.


    Shen Lian followed his wish to walk in front whereas the Black Tiger was following by Shen Lian''s side and Guan Longzi was right behind. There was nothing wrong with this.


    Guan Longzi who was walking behind Shen Lian was observing every step of his. The Black Tiger beside Shen Lian did not catch any of his attention, because all his attention was being taken away by Shen Lian''s steps.


    Shen Lian''s steps were not like those that had been measured using a ruler. Instead, it was very messy. However, Guan Longzi who had been studying astronomy for many years actually discovered that the tracks of stars were actually being skilfully used in his steps that looked absolutely natural.


    Even the force being exerted by each step he took seemed like the attraction between the stars. It was so natural and everlasting that it could not be destroyed.


    There was still a speciality in Shen Lian from his head to his toes. He was never tainted by even a speck of dust. Any dust would naturally avoid him, as though he was a lotus flower that bloomed in the mud.


    He was unsure if this was all the reflected from Shen Lian''s entire life of cultivation. He could perfectly combine Daoism''s Ta Gang Steps and Buddhism''s Step by Step Blooming Lotus without incurring any conflict, and thus he had the steps today.


    The difficulty of this step was not on its mastery but the integration of Daoism and Buddhism''s meaning. One was definitely unable to do this if he did not use his great wisdom to see through the subtlety of Daoism and Buddhism.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    If one wanted to learn about this, he would fail to do so.


    Upon entering the school, there was a shocking expression on Shen Lian''s face. He was not surprised that he could clearly see the sky inside the school, and neither was he surprised at the spaciousness within the school. What he was shocked at was that it was an entirely new world, a world that was distinctively different from the outside world.


    This had reminded him of the past in Zifu Peak in Mount Qing Xuan when the Old daoist used to put him in the small world which was definitely the miniature of the Boundless Universe; five elements were all readily available, the rules were breeding.


    With his present level, he still could not create a small world from the void. All he could do was to establish a place of enlightenment and create space, but he could not produce myriad of things.


    Guan Longzi said, "I''m sure Daoist Shen can see the speciality of this school."


    Shen Lian nodded his head and said, "this is a world but not a space. To be frank, you''re stronger than me at this place, because the sources of this world are under your control."


    Guan Longzi said, "you''re right, but I''ve never tried to use this point to fight."


    Shen Lian sighed while saying, "you''re still being so careful even when you can get everything in life. You''re the one who is really preserving Dao."


    It was easy to obtain Dao but difficult to preserve Dao. Shen Lian evaluated that Guan Longzi was a person who could preserve Dao, and that was already almost the best evaluation. He had the power but he did not unbridledly used his power. There was no justice if such a person could not be enlightened.


    Guan Longzi laughed and said, "it''s just my habit. Let me describe the origin of this school. Actually, it used to be a fragment of this world."


    Shen Lian stopped walking and Guan Longzi was already standing by his side. He turned his head to the side and looked at Guan Longzi, he asked while thinking, "what world?"


    Guan Longzi said, "I''m sure you''ve heard of the Lord Emperor and the Emperor."


    "Of course I''ve heard of it. There were two generations in the Heaven Courtyard. The first generation was built by the Emperor, there were even records of some Qi cultivators in some daoist ancient books and records. Since the Emperor got enlightened, he had supernatural power. The second generation of Heaven Courtyard was built by the Lord Emperor. The Lord Emperor had completely disappeared after a battle, and that''s how the second generation of Heaven Courtyard came to its end," Shen Lian said.


    Guan Longzi nodded his head and said, "you''re right. Looks like you know more about the Lord Emperor compared to that of the Emperor."

 Chapter 482 Lecture

    "That''s right. I have experienced a fragment of the Heaven Courtyard but I know nothing about the Emperor." Shen Lian looked at the stars above the school. Those were not real stars but a projection of the stars.


    Guan Longzi noticed Shen Lian''s micro-actions. He smiled and said, "The Emperor was the strongest in the universe. I have looked into numerous records but only found a few words that mentioned his deeds. He was born as a God and had the ultimate power of the universe. One of the records claimed that he was the strongest among the three realms."


    Shen Lian could not resist but move, "The strongest among the three realms?"


    Guan Longzi nodded, "Yes, exactly. But the three realms here does not refer to the Three Realms of heaven, earth and human. It was the realms of past, current and future. Of all the Three Realms and Five Elements, he was the strongest in all time of this tiny universe."


    Being the strongest in one realm was already considered a terrifying feat, what is more being the greatest of all time. It was an accomplishment beyond words, beyond imagination and beyond legend.


    Shen Lian was moved, "But from what I understand, no one can be stronger beyond Daoist master and Buddha. Could it be that the Emperor was actually stronger than them?"


    Guan Longzi answered, "That''s right, this involved the mysteries of life and death. Judging from your abilities, I believed you have detached from life and death."


    Shen Lian answered with a light voice, "That is true."


    Guan Longzi was amazed and said, "You have probably accomplished enough to carve a deep mark in the River of Time. I believe it would be hard to find another person who could top your accomplishments."


    He paused for a second and continued, "Please forgive me for my frankness, you have detached from life and death but it was not a complete process. You did not have the closure and some trials are yet to be overcome. Such detachments would only bind you up."


    "That is right. Although I have attained immortality, there were still constraints. I fit the bill for detachment but I did not achieve the real detachment," Shen Lian answered.


    "The real detachment from life and death was to jump out from the Three Realms and not within the Five Elements and be free from the constraints of time and space. It should transcend beyond the past, future and current, which was also the levels of a Daoist master and Buddha. Thus, the Emperor was indeed below them. But if a Daoist master and Buddha were to manifest in the Three Realms, they may not be above the Emperor," Guan Longzi said.


    Shen Lian understood Guan Longzi''s point. If it was a test with a hundred as the full marks, the Emperor would score a hundred points so does the Daoist Master and Buddha. It would be hard to tell who did better than the other but the reason why the Daoist Master and Buddha would score a hundred was because the full marks is a hundred.


    He replied, "Now I understand. A Daoist master and Buddha were beyond imagination but the Emperor was also beyond the reach of many. Why would someone like that disappear?"


    "Just because the Emperor was unbeatable does not mean that he had no rivals. His rivals were the ancestors of Emperor Xia and the other eleven aristocratic families. Their million-year-long battle affected the entire universe and the ripple effect was magnificent. I could feel it from the text and my heart was racing with excitement while I was reading it. This part of the universe was founded by the ancestors of Emperor Xia and the other aristocratic families to take in the lost souls of the war that had no place to return to. This place was eventually known as the Netherworld," Guan Longzi explained.


    Shen Lian could finally confirm his presumption that this world was the legendary Nine Underworld. The existence that could manifest the Netherworld must be an incredible power that was beyond belief. Even if Shen Lian could enter Taiyi, he could only manifest a small world and it was impossible for him to open up a world as vast as the Netherworld.


    Such level of mana was extremely extraordinary.


    He continued to ask, "But this place seemed to be a little different from the Netherworld that I have read about. Could it be that the records were erroneous or have it undergone some sort of change?"


    Guan Longzi looked at Shen Lian with surprise. He responded, "Looks like you were aware that the Netherworld was once the center of the karmic cycle."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I have heard about it briefly."


    Guan Longzi said, "Not many people knew about it and I have only heard little of it. There were no living beings at the Netherworld initially, but the spirits were not the only existence here. There were countless powerhouses in the Netherworld and the most powerful of all was the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the ancestor at the Asura blood-red sea, followed by the Ten Kings of Hell and the manifestation of a second generation Emperor of the Heaven Courtyard. It was a very exciting era and things seem so dead now compared to then."


    "Where are those existing at the present time?" Shen Lian asked.


    Guan Longzi answered, "I do not know about that but their disappearance was related to the turmoil during the second generation of Heaven Courtyard. The war has compromised the heaven created by the Daoist Master, so does Buddha''s Western Paradise, the human world and the Netherworld. Although the war did not last long, the affected score was so vast that it could match the damage of the battle between the Emperor of the Heaven Courtyard and the ancestors of Emperor Xia and the aristocratic families."


    He sighed and continued, "The world of the State''s Academy became a pile of debris from the two battles of the Emperor and the Heavenly King respectively. The debris fell into the Netherworld but I am not sure if the State''s Academy was a product of the Emperor''s conquest of heaven and earth or the turmoil with the Heavenly King. Over the years, the school has changed many masters and there were no methods to verify its origins."


    Shen Lian said, "I see. The academy was complete with the Five Elements and the Theory of Fa was crystal clear. Perhaps it''s because the school once belonged to an extraordinary world. Moreover, it was so stable even if it was just a fragment. That is indeed very rare and it''s the perfect place to disseminate knowledge."


    "You are right. The school''s purpose is to disseminate knowledge. Unfortunately, Emperor Xia was a believer or power and chose not to emphasize knowledge. The person who valued the school was Tianyi, the monarch of Yinshang." Guan Longzi sounded low-spirited.


    Shen Lian laughed, "We have chatted so much yet I still do not know what should I do here. I want to borrow your place as a temporary residence."


    "The humble academy is honored with your visit. Furthermore, I need your help with something. Ever since Emperor Xia sent me here, I have been fully focused on learning and have gained slightly from that. But I do not want to just keep it to myself and intend to start giving lessons and recruit some students from Diqiu. I might need you to deliver some lectures when you are available and if you have any difficulties, you can access the collections of records of the academy. You just have to talk about the knowledge that exists in the school," Guan Longzi said.


    Shen Lian responded, "May I know what type of students you would like to recruit?"


    Guan Longzi answered, "Anyone who is willing to seek knowledge regardless of their nobility."

 Chapter 483 Preach

    Shen Lian responded, "So you will be teaching without discrimination."


    "Yes," Guan Longzi replied with a serious face.


    Shen Lian looked at him, sighed and said, "Although teaching without discrimination is not absolutely fair, it is fair enough. Do you know what are the consequences of this?"


    Guan Longzi remained silent for a moment and replied, "If it was not me, someone else would have done the same."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "That''s great."


    No one knew if he was referring to the idea or Guan Longzi''s character, but it did not matter.


    Guan Longzi''s student recruitment and preaching was the first blow towards Xia Kingdom''s strict policies on hierarchy. It was an open challenge towards the power of the aristocrats and royalties.


    The Xuanzhen Temple and Buddhist sects had done such acts too but they all fell to the strict control of Xia Kingdom. Even if the Seven Disciples of Xuanzhen were the noble guests of the aristocratic families, they still could not change the situation.


    The academy was a vast little tiny world but the interior of it was mainly bare and looked somewhat ridiculous. Even if Xia Kingdom had a big collection of books, it only took up a small area of the school.


    Of course, Emperor Xia knew about this little tiny world but the aristocratic families and royalties'' style of cultivation were not connected to their spirits and thus, they could not control this little tiny world.


    That was why the Prefect Grand Astrologer was in charge of this place. Although the Prefect Grand Astrologer did not practice Qigong to refine their spirits, the cultivation of their psyche were as deep as the connoisseurs of Daoism and Buddhism. Besides, this was Diqiu. Even the most powerful Daoist and Buddhist would not dare to mess with such a precious place.


    Shen Lian knew exactly what this tiny little world has to offer. The Buddhist sect had a supernatural power known as the Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm. What made the cultivation of this power so difficult was the requirement to have a fragment of this tiny little world.


    According to legend, there were twenty-four worlds to the ancient Dipamkara Buddha which were transformed into heavens with supernatural powers that could match the Heavenly King. When the Heavenly King was at his peak, he dominated the universe with celestial beings and Buddhas that surrendered to him. However, the ancient Dipamkara Buddha was one of the few that did not bow down to the Heavenly King.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Daoism too had a similar spell known as the technique of ''Having an Ace Up One''s Sleeve''.


    The technique of ''Having an Ace Up One''s Sleeve'' was not the spell that Shen Lian used to store items. It was the ultimate celestial art that could entrap and suppress the enemy. However, even with the rich history of Qing Xuan, there was no inheritance to this celestial art.


    Shen Lian knew how precious this school was but he had no greed in his mind. He knew that he would be able to open a new world in the void one day in the future.


    However, he did not want to stay at such a barren place and thus he brought the water of Xia Canal to the school and planted some green vines. He also brought some seeds of the Plane tree from the Prefect Grand Usher''s manor and planted it around the school. Overnight, the school had a full transformation. The green vines wrapped around the structure of the school that had land full of grass with Plane trees along the walkway.


    Such green landscape would require ten to twenty years to form but it only took Shen Lian a day to achieve it.


    Guan Longzi was amazed and felt that it was a great decision to host Shen Lian.


    The reason why he hosted Shen Lian was not just to seek knowledge from him but also to have a better understanding of the person who appeared in the prophecy.


    The news about Guan Longzi, the scholar of State''s Academy started recruiting students and delivering lectures spread like wildfire. Aristocratic families like the Youhu''s, the Ming''s and the Xin''s were dismissive towards it. So what if a person acquired intelligence that was as deep as Guan Longzi and became the Prefect Grand Astrologer? He would still be a dog that Emperor Xia could easily get rid of.


    Furthermore, these aristocratic families had countless powerhouses and their influences were deeply rooted. Even Emperor Xia could not eliminate them completely and had to rely heavily on them. Thus, the news of the student recruitment was only a conversation topic over dinner among the aristocratic families.


    However, Diqiu had countless smaller aristocratic families that were not as prestigious as the twelve aristocratic families. It was impossible for them to make it to the top with their bloodline and that was why they were the main target of Xuandu Temple and Buddhist sect''s Da Jue Temple. But the two temples were located outside of Xia Kingdom and as they were deeply influential, they had to be under the strong supervision of Xia Kingdom, causing these smaller families to be fearful of being involved.


    Now that Guan Longzi started giving lectures, it was a new way out for them. The strength of the disciples of the stronger aristocratic families was inherited through their bloodline. When they hit a plateau, they could use their bloodline for a breakthrough. The smaller families on the other hand, had to look for other means to elevate themselves.


    Although Guan Longzi had no cultivation experience, people as high profile as the immortal son of Xuanzhen Temple who was also a roaming celestial had a moment of awakening when he met Guan Longzi.


    He realized how little he knew about Dao.


    Many of these smaller families were tempted by the student recruitment but it was the ambassadors who were stationed at Diqiu that were excited to hear about the school. They have heard so much about the profound scholar Guan Longzi, and even if they could only understand half of what he said, the knowledge would still be useful and relevant when they take it back to their country.


    The news also traveled to the ears of Emperor Xia. Although Emperor Xia was strong headed, he was a wise person. Despite not liking the naggings from Guan Longzi, he was still respectful of him. Furthermore, Guan Longzi had no foundations and even if he was capable of teaching a couple of powerful students, it would still not affect the rule of Emperor Xia. In fact, it could make things more interesting for Emperor Xia to kill time.


    After becoming the biggest powerhouse of Xia Kingdom and achieving the state of Dawu, not much was able to pique his interest.


    Emperor Xia sentenced the news bearer to the hot pillar punishment as he said with contempt, "Anyone who tried to provoke things would end up with such punishment."


    However, Emperor Xia who was high above did not notice that there was a new addition to youth at the State''s Academy.


    There were two classrooms at the school, one belonged to Guan Longzi and the other belonged to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian suggested to Guan Longzi that they would teach their students respectively and have a test between their students just to make things more interesting.


    They decided to have the test three months later.


    Guan Longzi agreed to the suggestion. After all, this seemed like a fun thing to do.


    But another issue arose. Guan Longzi was already a well-known figure and students came because of his fame. Shen Lian, on the other hand, was a nameless youth and no one would believe that he was the second teacher of the academy unless if Guan Longzi said it personally.


    There were people who guessed that Shen Lian was actually a personal student of Guan Longzi. If they could choose to attend Guan Longzi''s lecture, there was no point in wasting their time on Shen Lian''s classes.


    After three days, Guan Longzi had recruited hundreds of high potential students while Shen Lian had none.


    That was until a youthful boy came with his pegasus and stopped right in front of Shen Lian''s classroom. The rest was history.

 Chapter 484 A Young Woman who Swayed Her Slender Hips was a Distraction to the Eyes

    The boy had neat eyebrows and eyes that were clearer than the Xia canal. His facial features were so dimensional that even the master craftsmen who constructed Wang Cheng would not be able to carve something so perfect. His hands were fair like snow with some pale green veins that looked like jade marks.


    Anyone who was not blind could tell that he was actually a girl disguised as a boy.


    The white pegasus waved its pure white wings and retracted it as the girl came down from the back of the Pegasus. A young man came out from Guan Longzi''s classroom and said to the girl, "Miss...Mister Lei, come over here. This is Guan Longzi''s classroom."


    More and more people came out to look at the commotion and all of them were more than ordinary.


    The girl smiled, "You recognized me?"


    The young man responded, "My mother''s family name is Fei and I took on her family''s name. I reside in Dongcheng and have attended the palace''s feast with my mother. I have seen you once from far far away.


    The girl blinked her eyes and said, "I remember you, you are Fei Zhong, right?"


    The young man was delighted and said, "I did not expect my humble name would make it to the ears of Mister Lei.


    She looked at him with a deep gaze and said, "Well, your mother is pretty famous in Diqiu."


    Before the young man could react, everyone else started laughing. Fei Zhong''s mother''s name was Fei Ya and she was known to be a promiscuous woman. No one knew who was Fei Zhong''s father and his mother too did not get married to anyone.


    Fei Zhong was raging but he kept a warm expression. He smiled and said, "I would introduce my mother to Mister Lei some day. Plus, my grandfather always talked about you."


    He did not turn his head back but he has deeply memorized all the faces of the people who laughed at him like a joke.


    The girl responded, "That would be unnecessary. I am not the kind of person who enjoys visiting."


    She then held on the leash of the Pegasus and headed towards Shen Lian''s classroom.


    The Fei''s were ranked the last among the twelve aristocratic families of Da Xia. They were not as prestigious as the Lei family of the Youhu''s. Furthermore, the girl was also Emperor Xia''s niece, making her a lot higher in status.


    If Fei Zhong could get into her favor, he would rise up among the hierarchy and the people at the Fei''s would not look down at him anymore.


    He did not expect the girl to show up at the school but he has always been a scheming person and wanted to use the influence of Guan Longzi to improve his reputation. The disciples of other aristocratic family did not see the good in the school but Fei Zhong did not mind that at all. Furthermore, he had the noblest blood of all among the students of the school and that would definitely make him a prominent figure here.


    Now that the girl attended this school, he felt that it was a golden opportunity for him. But if she chose to attend Shen Lian''s lecture, his master plan would not take off.


    As the girl heads towards to the other classroom, he tried to stop her and said, "Mister Lei, that teacher came from an unknown background. Moreover, Guan Longzi is second to none! Why are you headed towards the other teacher?"


    The girl stared at him coldly as she oozed out a heavenly aura. That was an aura that only the purest bloodline of the descendants of the Xiahou''s and Youhu would possess. It was the nobility that was deeply etched in their spirits.


    Although Fei Zhong had the aristocratic blood, it was not as pure. His inferiority made him take a step backward.


    The girl led her Pegasus to the door of Shen Lian''s classroom. The door had a plague that said ''Brief knowledge''.


    A pair of couplets were hanging on two sides:


    ''The sky was black and the earth was yellow, the universe was vast and a dark whole.''


    These simple characters had the depths of heaven and earth, and was more immense than the universe. But the horizontal scroll above it had ''Brief knowledge'' written across it. It was perceptive of the minutest details and definitely intriguing in a way.


    Even Guan Longzi was full of compliments when the couplets were placed up.


    The girl noticed the couplets but she did not fathom the true meaning behind it. She thought it sounded nice.


    She walked into the classroom and Fei Zhong was dissatisfied by it. He wanted to follow her in but the door shut tightly after she entered.


    Guan Longzi''s voice could be heard, "Fei Zhong, that''s enough. Please return to your seat."


    Fei Zhong had no choice but to give up. The girl was a great idea but for now, being in the good books of Guan Longzi was the best strategy.


    The Zhiwei classroom was spacious and empty. As the girl walked with her pegasus, she heard the sound of the zither.


    In front, someone was sitting on the seats while stroking the strings of the zither. Beautiful melody came out from his fingertips that were stroking on the fifty stringed zithers.


    Shen Lian lifted his head and the melody was still flowing out from his fingertips as he looked deeply at the girl.


    The girl picked a spot, then used both of her hands to support her cheek and closed her eyes to listen to the melody. She did not know much about rhythm but she could hear the sound of water flowing and birds chirping, and could picture flowers and trees with flocks of birds flying around.


    It was indeed a beautiful scenery, but unfortunately, she did not have enough of it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    When the melody stopped, the dreamy expression on the girl''s face did not fade away.


    She said, "I did not expect us to meet again so soon."


    Shen Lian responded, "Actually, Guan Longzi''s knowledge is as deep as mine and he would be a more suitable teacher for you. After all, he knows people like you better than I do."


    The girl replied, "There could be a thousand good things about Mister Guan Longzi but he is not as cute as you."


    Shen Lian gently caressed the strings of the zither and a produced a sound. He smiled and said, "I did not expect such a reason would lead me to a disciple."


    The girl questioned, "Am I not good enough for you? I heard that you had a bet with Guan Longzi to see who had better students in the next three months. You would never lose if you have me."


    Shen Liam smiled and nodded his head, "Looks like I have no choice but to take you as my disciple."


    The girl lifted her head to reveal her beautiful collarbone. She said, "Then you are now my master."


    Shen Lian knew of her purpose of coming to the school the moment he saw her. The Prefect Grand Usher was a smart person and that was why he sent his daughter to the school. It was for the sake of calming Shen Lian and at the same time make him feel at ease.


    With his only daughter by Shen Lian''s side, Shen Lian would never suspect him. It was also a good thing for Shen Lian as he would not need to put it so much effort to monitor the Prefect Grand Usher.


    In other words, the girl was here as a hostage.


    Shen Lian said, "Now that you are learning from me, you can address me as your teacher but there is no need to bow and salute me."


    "That is great! It is weird for me to kowtow to you. But are you not curious as to why I am here to be your student?", the girl asked.


    Shen Lian then found out that her name was Lei Jing.


    A young woman who swayed her slender waist was a distraction to the eyes. ''Jing'' was a wonderful term that described the nice figure of a woman.


    Lei Jing sure lived up to the word.


    The reason she joined the school was indeed her father''s orders. Lei Nuo sent her to join Guan Longzi''s lecture but Lei Jing was an opinionated girl and wanted to learn from the other teacher. Furthermore, she wanted to look at Shen Lian''s face and that strengthened her determination to join his class.


    Shen Lian could only lament that a father knew his daughter best. If Lei Nuo had sent her to become Shen Lian''s disciple, Lei Jing would not have decided to join his class.

 Chapter 485 Flying Stars

    Guan Longzi had stopped accepting students and told those who did not make it to return three months later.


    Shen Lian did not announce that he would stop accepting students but no one else besides Lei Jing showed up. Also, besides Fei Zhong, no one else knew of Lei Jing''s true identity.


    Her status was too high above and compared to other students, she was the cloud above the sky. It was not odd that she had no interactions with other students.


    Meanwhile, on the south side of the city, there was a huge courtyard that looked simple and plain.


    The courtyard was known as the Yin Garden and it was the residences of the ambassadors and traders from Yin Shang. As Tianyi was held captive at Xia Tai, people who were at the Yin Garden rarely left the place to prevent unnecessary misfortunes.


    Wu Ding, the young man who traveled with Shen Lian and the entourage of traders too stayed at the Yin Garden. He carried his sword and breathed according to the breath of Diqiu. He inhaled the fresh air and exhaled the foul Qi.


    An airbag popped up on his back around the area of his Conception and Governor vessels. His mana then started to circulate around the Conception and Governor vessels.


    After he was done absorbing the essence of the sun, he continued to absorb the power of the stars.


    Wu Ding''s cultivation was based on the stars known as the Flying Star Incantation. A Qi cultivator taught it to him when he was young and it was said that he was the only person who could master it to a deeper, whole new level.


    He was a prodigy and was able to fathom the depths of the Flying Star Incantation. That was the reason why he chose not to cultivate his family''s Dao incantation.


    However, the cultivation of the Flying Star Incantation was more difficult than he expected. There were twelve levels to it but he hit a plateau at the fifth level as he failed to form stars with his Qi internally to become the source of mana.


    Despite that, the Flying Star Incantation brought him enormous mana that was way beyond his peers.


    But this was not sufficient, it was far from sufficient.


    His current strength was not enough to bring him to Tianyi who was held captive at Xia Tai.


    Tianyi, the person whom he admired the most in his lifetime.


    When the Flying Star Incantation was running, the surrounding stars and moon would act like a lake that soaked Wu Ding in it. He would be able to sense anything within a mile radius that triggered a ripple in the power of the stars.


    The power of the stars flowed naturally within the heaven and earth. Wu Ding picked up an odd energy from the stars towards the northern side. He thought it was odd because the power of the stars was too evenly distributed in that direction.


    He took his sword along with him and headed out. His footstep was so strange that one could not tell his next step.


    This was the star steps as recorded in the Flying Stars Incantation. If he mastered ten levels or more, he would be able to use the fluctuations of the star power to transport himself to anywhere the star power could reach. He could also use the star steps to absorb the power of the stars to rejuvenate damaged mana.


    The best thing about the star steps was that it helped him camouflaged his Qi dynamics against the black shadow in the dark.


    A figure dressed in black showed up at the northern side of the courtyard. The man in black had deeply hidden breath and a silver bow in his hands. The moon passed by and the silver bow pierced through the moonlight and halved it.


    There were no arrows to the bow but as the black figure released the bow, the shapeless breath of the heaven and earth would form a bright silver arrow. Before anyone could hear anything, the arrow had left the bow.


    Wu Ding leaned downwards and was almost parallel with the ground. The bow flew past his hair and a small patch of black hair fell off. Before it could land on the ground, the second arrow had reached his legs.


    Wu Ding made a turn with a high-speed maneuver and avoided the arrow. He did not reduce his speed and ran further away from the man in black.


    Someone who was at the Yin Garden noticed the man in black and wanted to warn others but before he could do so, the arrow had pierced through his throat.


    The bow was like the Book of Life and Death that reaped the lives of people encountered by the man in black.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The man in black was as composed as the moon. Every shot released by him would have two to three arrows. One would charge towards Wu Ding while the other arrows were used to kill the people who were at the Yin Garden.


    Wu Ding knew that this person''s strength was terrifying. No one else at the Yin Garden beside him could dodge the arrows.


    He could not bear to watch the people of his tribe die in vain and thus he leaped and sacrificed one shoulder in order to escape from the Yin Garden.


    He headed towards the South City and would arrive at the Xia Canal soon.


    If there was anyone in Diqiu who would protect him, that person would definitely be Guan Longzi of the Dynasty School.


    Wu Ding resisted the severe pain in his arm and threw a backhand sword move. Under the concentration of the power of the stars, countless metal pieces were formed and charged towards the man in black.


    He finally had the chance to showcase the power of the Flying Stars Incantation after many years of cultivating it.


    However, as the man in black slammed into his body, the void started to become distorted and the flying metal pieces scrape across his body but causing zero damage.


    The man in black blended into the void and made air marks in the sky that were chasing after Wu Ding.


    Wu Ding arrived at the Xia Canal but there was no one else there. He stopped because he was surprised that he did not manage to escape from the man in black.


    But the stars by the river and the moon that surged at the Xia Canal provided him with the unlimited spiritual vigor that healed his wounds.


    He was exceptionally calm as he took in every detail of the surroundings including the wave patterns of the Xia Canal into his mind.


    The man in black stopped at a range of hundred steps. If he comes closer, Wu Ding could attack him. But if he stood further, Wu Ding could escape from him.


    This was the experience accumulated from roaming around life and death.


    Wu Ding stared at him and said, "You are an assassin of the Eastern Barbarians."


    The Eastern Barbarians were not an ethnic group but a tribe that was based in the east side of Da Xia. They were the biggest supporters of Da Xia, also the biggest hater of Yin Shang.


    "You are indeed a talent of Yin Shang. Being in Wang Cheng, I wouldn''t dare to go all out but you actually managed to hold up till now. Looks like you are as good as your father Xiaoyi was when he was younger." the man in black said.


    Xiaoyi was Wu Ding''s father, also one of the powerhouses of Yin Shang.


    "The Eastern Barbarian is willing to sacrifice you just to kill me?" Although I don''t know who you are, you have the potential of the leader of a tribe. Emperor Xia may not like us Yin Shang but we have the same blood as Tianyi and our ancestors have contributed to the foundation of Da Xia. He would never allow me to die in the hands of someone else and you would soon be captured." Wu Ding spoke of the truth calmly.


    Emperor Xia possessed the power to punish Tianyi and to issue an edict to kill Tianyi and his descendants. Emperor Xia was the only person who had the rights to do so.


    Even if Wu Ding hated the tyrannical Emperor Xia, he could not deny that Emperor Xia was an upright person.


    The man in black too had a respectful expression when he heard about Emperor Xia. It was the respect for the strongest powerhouse of the universe.


    He said, "I have arrived at the dusk of my life while you are still at your dawn. It is worth it to use my life to trade for yours. Furthermore, it would be an honor for me if Emperor Xia was the one who killed me. At least Emperor Xia would know of a person like me."


    After he finished his sentence, a ray of maniac flashed through his eyes.

 Chapter 486 Just because He was Emperor Xia

    Wu Ding''s heart sank. The man in black was a person who was not fearful of death.


    There was nothing the man in black was afraid of. Moreover, he had an extraordinary weapon, the bow that had taken several lives. The Eastern Barbarians were skilled assassins with the sword and the bow as their strongest weapons. Countless powerhouses had collapsed under their bow and arrow. It was said that ancestors of the Eastern Barbarian were an ultimate powerhouse who was not afraid of the sun. His choice of weapon was the bow.


    The man in black''s bow was not on par with the legendary ancestor but it was still extremely powerful. Furthermore, there was an arrow made of black iron on the tight bowstring. The tip of the arrow was so sharp that it hurt Wu Ding''s eyes.


    But Wu Ding refused to blink because if he did so, he would never be able to blink ever again.


    Wu Ding''s sword had been crushed into pieces. Even if he still had his sword intact, it would not be of much help. The tip of the arrow was aimed at the glabella and was released. It drew a perfectly straight line in the sky, just like the motion of the stars.


    He held tightly on a piece of jade that hung on his waist. It was a gift from Taiyi and he still remembers the moment when Taiyi handed him that jade.


    It was a starry night without moonlight. Taiyi handed him the jade and said, "Zi Zhao, remember. Even if the jade is broken, the person is still alive."


    Zi Zhao was Wu Ding''s original name.


    This piece of jade had been with him for some time but it broke today.


    A layer of water started to rise around Wu Ding. It was a protection Qi shield made of mana that prevented the black iron arrow from piercing through.


    Instead, the black iron arrow looked like a spear that smashed into catkins.


    The arrow failed to pierce through the Qi shield and ended up falling into the Xia Canal along with Wu Ding. The man in black groaned and charged towards the surface of the water. He could see Wu Ding swimming downstream like a fish.


    Within two breaths, the man in black caught up with Wu Ding. But there was a bridge ahead and a person riding a white pegasus that was held by an elegant looking girl was on the bridge. The person on the pegasus looked like he was in his teens.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The teenager on the horse did not move at all but the man in black felt as though he had just seen the distant sky.


    The waters of the Xia Canal, the moon, and the starry sky disappeared from the view of the man in black. All he could see was the white pegasus, the girl, and person on the Pegasus.


    It was as if he was forcefully detached from the world.


    The man in black had imagined the greatness of Emperor Xia for countless times. He could pull mountains, pluck stars from the skies, ignite like the sun and burn down vast lands.


    But he had never imagined that such spooky way of fighting would exist in this world. He then realized that even Emperor Xia would not be able to do such a thing.


    It was an unusual form of fighting that was beyond his knowledge. He was deeply puzzled and it was already a matter beyond life and death.


    Meanwhile, Wu Ding noticed the teenager on the white pegasus.


    This teenager was no longer the little prince of Xi Liang. He was a terrifying demon king. The scene that he witnessed was the same thing the man in black saw.


    "Wu Ding." Shen Lian''s voice was gentle but it came pouring into Wu Ding''s ears from all directions. The voice also went into the ears of the man in black.


    Although Wu Ding had seen Shen Lian many times and had always known that he was extraordinary, it felt like this was the first time he really knew this person.


    He nodded his head but was speechless.


    Shen Lian''s voice came through like the night breeze, "I have promised Guan Longzi to rescue you. Come over here."


    Wu Ding then realized the purpose of Shen Lian''s sudden appearance. It was Guan Longzi''s favor after all.


    After Shen Lian took in Lei Jing as his student, Guan Longzi wrapped up his class of the day.


    Guan Longzi then went into Zhi Wei classroom and noticed Lei Jing who was just loitering around. He smiled to her and went to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian looked at him and asked, "How can I help you?"


    Guan Longzi said, "I need you to help me rescue someone tonight."


    "And who is it?"


    "Wu Ding. He is the nephew of Tianyi. Tonight, someone would assassinate him but he cannot die." Guan Longzi responded in a deep voice.


    Shen Lian said, "As long as one is human, they would eventually die. But what to do? I am a guest at your place and I have no problem with this tiny favor. But you would need to explain it better though."


    Guan Longzi replied, "As you know, I practice astronomy and thus, can see the future."


    Shen Liam strummed the zither and said, "You did not see the future, it was just the biggest possibility of the future."


    Guan Longzi smiled, "You are right. Through my astronomy skills, I found out that an Eastern Barbarian would assassinate Wu Ding. The assassin''s name is Zuo Ling and he is a very famous assassin of the Eastern Barbarian. It is said that he has never failed any mission."


    Shen Lian responded calmly, "I am not interested to know how skillful he is. But what does the Eastern Barbarian assassination of Yin Shang''s royalty had to do with a loyal minister of Da Xia like you? By any chance, have you admired Tianyi for too long and you just can''t wait to be a minister of Yin Shang?


    Guan Longzi sighed, "If I had the choice, I would willingly serve Tianyi. He was the truly virtuous Monarch. But there is no way that I would betray Emperor Xia and for the sake of Da Xia, I am asking you to rescue Wu Ding."


    "That sounds interesting, tell me more about it." Shen Lian smiled.


    "I think I know what it is about." The daughter of the Prefect Grand Usher, Lei Jing walked towards them and sat next to them. At this very moment, she was as quiet as a child with a pair of beautiful eyes that were filled with wisdom.


    She adjusted her clothes and looked calmly at Guan Longzi and Shen Lian.


    Guan Longzi said, "That is right. As the daughter of the Prefect Grand Usher, you should know the reason why. After all, the Prefect Grand Usher was in charge of foreign affairs for so many years."


    Shen Lian remained quiet as he waited for Lei Jing to continue her sentence.


    Lei Jing said, "Although the Eastern Barbarian did not become a centralized nation like Yin Shang, they had many powerhouses that should never be underestimated. They enjoyed a close relationship with Da Xia and at my place, we had many precious collections and beautiful women sent by the Eastern Barbarians.


    Plus, the Eastern Barbarian and Yin Shang were like fire and water, it is hard for them to coexist at the same time. This was a situation that was in favor of Da Xia. In fact, if they started fighting against each other outside of Diqiu, we Da Xia would never take the initiative to mediate.


    Moreover, Wu Ding was born extraordinary and he became the disciple of a mysterious Qi cultivator who had experienced beyond life and death. He was recognized by Yin Shang as one of the people who would take over Tianyi throne.


    If the Eastern Barbarians assassinated him, they would only add on more hate for Yin Shang. But if Wu Ding died in Diqiu, it would certainly be a provocation of my uncle''s prestige. Judging on my uncle''s temperaments, he would never give an explanation to Yin Shang or he might take the most extreme measure by going all out against Yin Shang and also go after the Easter Barbarians.


    It would hurt Da Xia''s national power if we had to go against both the Eastern Barbarians and Yin Shang at the same time. The suppression of Dao and Buddhism had cost us a big part of Da Xia''s resource."


    Guan Longzi looked at Lei Jing with agreement. Any wise emperor would never make such a decision to go against two different forces but it would be a different story of Emperor Xia.


    It was not that Emperor Xia did not know the consequences but he would do it anyway just because he was Emperor Xia.

 Chapter 487 One Punch

    Lei Jing made it clear, and Shen Lian did not regret after listening to it. Ever since he came to Diqiu, his divine response to deduce the effect after being told the cause had dwindled down. However, finding a good timing for his rescue plan remained an easy feat.


    From Guan Longzi''s attitude, the Prefect Grand Usher''s daughter, Lei Jing could tell that the teacher she chose out of a joke was not to be taken lightly.


    Lei Jing had always been an unusual woman. This was not due to her noble bloodline, but her temperament. Unlike the nobles, she was not conceited and full of herself. Compared to wealth and glory, she preferred being free and unrestrained. Neither the grandeur of the Manor of the Prefect Grand Usher nor the young successors of the noble families could pique her interest.


    Shen Lian was one of the few young men who caught her eyes. Initially, she was attracted by his unique characteristics. Now, she was curious about his many mysteries.


    At some point, she obeyed Shen Lian''s instructions and even invited him to mount the pegasus. They were now on the bridge on top of Xia Canal right outside of the school.


    Shen Lian sat on the pegasus as she led the way for the Pegasus. It was a strange sight. However, Lei Jing insisted on doing it. She claimed that she wanted to be respectful of her teacher, but she was trying to gauge her little teacher''s reaction. She did not expect Shen Lian to mount the pegasus casually and started telling her a story about a prince charming and his white horse.


    The story was not very interesting, but Shen Lian was truly the prince of a country. Although, it was a small country located at the west of Xirong.


    Lei Jing saw Wu Ding who was being hunted down - he was a stellar young man. However, he was inferior to Shen Lian.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Given Da Xia''s practice of worshipping the strongest, Lei Jing should be more attracted to Shen Lian. However, her previous impression of Shen Lian was better than her current one.


    She had seen too many strong individuals. Moreover, she was not fond of the way Shen Lian fought. She preferred physical combat, just as how her uncle, Emperor Xia once killed a strong cultivator of Qi with his iron fists. Even his spirit was dispersed and turned into ashes.


    The Eastern Barbarians assassin stood at a distance. His eye was blood-red, with a hoarse voice, he spoke to Shen Lian, "Oh Great Being, it is not my intention to offend you today. If you could stay out of this matter today, the Eastern Barbarians will be indebted to you."


    "What if I insisted on intervening?" Shen Lian''s voice fell like the shooting stars in the sky. It was a great impact on Ling''s heart.


    Ling spat out fresh blood and seemed to be in a difficult position.


    After finding out that Shen Lian would not comply with his request, he did not hold back anymore. His resolve to fight was strengthened - he did not plan to come out alive anyway.


    When faced with a man with a death wish, not even ten thousand men could rival him.


    A hint of coldness flashed on Ling''s pale face. He struggled to form a mudra with his hands and uttered strange syllables. All his blood seemed to have evaporated at that moment. Shortly after, Ling''s body started collapsing and eventually became a thin sheet of paper. In the end, a stroke of lightning seemed to have flashed past and completely hollowed him out. A giant bow appeared where he once stood. An arrow made out of pure energy hung upon the bow.


    He had transformed his body into an arrow - a forbidden technique of the Eastern Barbarians. Once used, not even the ghosts or gods could escape from it. Of course, the user of the technique would end up losing his spirit. He would be wiped off from the world completely.


    Due to the massive sacrifice, not even Shen Lian''s Sky Demon method could restrain it.


    He had transformed his body into an arrow; on top of that, he emitted an indestructible will to battle. This was not something that could be influenced by demon arts.


    Lei Jing thought she heard Shen Lian sneer. Time in the entire space seemed to have slowed down.


    Shen Lian was clearly still on the white horse. However, at the same time, he went in front of Wu Ding and picked him up. Then, he turned to face the overwhelming divine arrow.


    Wu Ding''s Flying Stars Incantation was affected and started operating at high speed. Four words rang in his heard - ''Move like Orion and Antares''. This was one of the strange occult techniques recorded in the star steps.


    The Orion was situated in the West, while the Antares was situated on the East. Each took one direction; as one rose, the other fell, staying out of each other''s path eternally.


    Just as the flowers and leaves of the Flower of the Other Shore; it bloomed as the leaves fell, and when the flowers wilted, the leaves grew. Both of them could never see each other.


    However, with just a step, Shen Lian seemed to have appeared on both the Orion and the Antares at the same time.


    There were two of him within the same space.


    This was not a shadow clone. Both of them were Shen Lian, appearing at the same time and space. The Flying Stars Incantation magnified the complicated conflict, allowing Wu Ding to experience it clearly.


    Shen Lian remained impartial and ignored the immensely powerful long arrow. He extended his fist and punched on the long arrow that was the embodiment of Ling''s essence of his spirit.


    The immense Qi strength shattered the long arrow, affecting even the Xia Canal and the giant bow. Within moments, the three hundred feet long Xia Canal evaporated and the giant bow was shattered to smithereens.


    Wu Ding could even see the river bed of the Xia Canal - the water that was over thousands of feet deep was disintegrated immediately.


    The power of Shen Lian''s punch earlier was immeasurable.


    Lei Jing opened her mouth and found herself speechless.


    The water from upstream flowed down, and only then the emptied out Xia Canal was filled up.


    Besides the slightly lowered water level, the experts in the Xia Canal did not notice the battle here. Shen Lian''s in-depth analysis of the time and space made the area within a thousand feet radius his place of enlightenment. The battle that took place earlier seemed to have happened within his body and clothes, and the outsiders were not privy to it.


    Just as how the Daoist experts used to say, ''The world is my house, the house is my clothes''. Shen Lian had attained this state. The moment his place of enlightenment appeared, his surroundings were his clothes and the battles that took place around him were inconsequential.


    Shen Lian was still on the white horse, and his expression remained calm. Wu Ding rested against the bridge barrier in an awkward manner. Shen Lian''s Celestial Arts that made the Orion and the Antares meet were derived from the Ta Gang Steps, and were similar to Wu Ding''s Flying Stars Incantation. On top of that, its sublime quality was one of the reasons why it had such a great impact on Wu Ding.


    The Flying Stars Incantation was not just any Dao formula. It was a Dao formula that had its own spirituality. It experienced Shen Lian''s skillful operation with the way of the stars and tapped into its profoundness. This had fueled its evolution.


    Shen Lian''s empowered eyes could see everything and he too felt this. Though, it was the first time that he saw a Dao formula developing spirituality of its own, which opened up a whole new world.


    Despite the fact that all beings in this world had spirituality, but it was still unthinkable how a martial exercise could manifest spirituality too.


    Of course, this was not to say that the martial exercise cultivated by Wu Ding was better than Taixu Strategy or The Mastery of Senses, but its unique characteristics gave rise to endless possibilities.


    Just as how normal humans could not rival the likes of tigers, leopards, and beasts, but with wisdom, humans became the lords of all living beings. When the opportunities knocked on the door, humans stood a much higher chance than animals to attain Dao and be freed of mundanity.


    Many years ago, Shen Lian was but part of the mundanity. Yet today, how many people could claim that they had attained more than he did?

 Chapter 488 Fluttering Hear

    Starlight burst out of Wu Ding''s burly body and he was embodied within the high-speed light. His mana stirred within him and his facial expression was starting to get twisted.


    The Flying Stars Incantation did not operate according to his will. The operating speed of his mana was nearing his limit, and Shen Lian was paying close attention to Wu Ding''s condition.


    Fortunately, the martial exercise had spirituality and co-existed with its master. It stopped right before the breaking point.


    After a while, the starlight shrouding Wu Ding faded away. It was only then did the Flying Stars Incantation stopped operating.


    Shen Lian gave a wave with his hand, a gust of chilly air current seeped into Wu Ding''s major acupoints. Eventually, the air current congregated within his body and coursed through his meridians, soothing out the hidden damages dealt by the operation of the Flying Stars Incantation earlier.


    Wu Ding took a few deep breaths and restricted the mana in his body to his Qihai. He gestured respectfully to Shen Lian, "Thank you, prince."


    Shen Lian smiled and replied, "Why don''t you follow me to the Dynasty School?"


    Lei Jing pointed at Wu Ding, "Come and lead the horse."


    Wu Ding was taken aback, but he proceeded to lead the horse. Shen Lian however, refused, "You are an old acquaintance of mine, there is no need for this."


    Lei Jing puffed her cheeks and continued to lead the horse. Despite her intelligence, she was still a teenage girl. She instructed Wu Ding as part of her effort to calm her heart that still fluttered from witnessing Shen Lian''s punch earlier.


    Shen Lian''s punch had cut off the Xia Canal and sent the heart of a teenage girl beating intensely. So it seemed that this young teacher had such strong power, power that was comparable to her grandfather''s.


    When she was a child, she followed her grandfather - the clan leader of Youhu, Lei Hong to hunt outside of town. A thousand-foot-hill blocked his way, which he had then shattered into ashes with just a single punch.


    Although, Lei Jing was unaware that Shen Lian''s punch derived its force from the world, while her grandfather''s punch was a manifestation of his own capabilities. Both were significantly different methods of cultivation and were hence difficult to be compared with each other.


    When they first met, Lei Jing saw Shen Lian as a good-looking young man who came to the manor to ask for a favor. His black tiger piqued her interest. Before coming to the school, she was surprised to find out that he was connected to Guan Longzi and had taken in disciples together.


    Due to this previous encounter, she defied her father''s order and chose Shen Lian as her teacher without hesitation. Shen Lian played better than the best musician in the palace, and she knew that he was a prince from a small and remote nation in Xirong.


    She was becoming more and more curious. However, Shen Lian''s impartiality towards her did not sit well with her ego. She was not fond of him. This was why she offered her analysis when Guan Longzi requested for Shen Lian''s help, just so that Shen Lian would take her seriously and hold her in higher regards.


    Lei Jing could tell that Shen Lian did see her in a different light. However, that was not enough because Shen Lian was not surprised yet.


    Now, every ounce of her pride was shattered by Shen Lian''s punch earlier.


    As she was guiding the horse, she stood at a close distance to Shen Lian. Previously, she noticed his fresh scent. However, her current state of mind was different.


    After all, she was only sixteen years old.


    Of course, someone of Shen Lian''s caliber would have noticed Lei Jing''s miniscule transition. The transition was beneficial to Shen Lian. At least he knew that this proud young girl would be more obedient when he taught her later.


    However, Shen Lian wondered how she would feel if she were to find out that she will be expecting a younger sister as Shen Lian had made her father consume the river water from Zimu River.


    Of course, if the Prefect Grand Usher, Lei Nuo found out about the function of the river water from Zimu River, he would probably be dying to skin Shen Lian alive regardless of the scheming and calculating person that he was. In fact, it might even involve a life and death struggle.


    Shen Lian who rode on the white horse queried suddenly, "Do you think a man could give birth to a child?"


    Wu Ding seemed confused. Lei Jing stared at Shen Lian, she thought that he would look good as a female with his gentle features.


    "Weirdo," Lei Jing replied.


    Shen Lian was shocked. Too bad that he could not tell Lei Jing about her father. Shen Lian raised his head and tried his best to suppress his laughter.


    He liked the person that he was - one who knew how to smile and had a sense of humor.


    The white horse made its way into the Dynasty School. The black tiger rested lazily at the door. If one were to chain it and masked its head, it would actually look like a big black dog guarding the door.


    The white pegasus snorted loudly, signaling for it to make way. The black tiger opened its sleepy eyes and was ready to teach the pegasus a lesson. However, it recalled the fight they had, one in which it had lost.


    The black tiger roared and made its way to the white horse.


    Judging from the black tiger''s movement, Wu Ding thought that they were about to engage in a fight. However, Shen Lian was still on the horseback.


    The black tiger made its way to the white pegasus and crouched. It seemed to suggest for Shen Lian to use it as a mat.


    After all these years of living, this was the first time that Wu Ding had seen a fierce beast who was such a people-pleaser.


    The corner of Shen Lian''s lips lifted, he was amused by this tiger.


    Shen Lian''s feet did not fall on the black tiger. The black tiger wrapped its claws around Shen Lian''s them when they were within its reach.


    The black tiger had teary eyes and dished out his rehearsed wail, "Master, why are you abandoning me? I do not eat much and am loyal to you. Did you see how the damned horse was trying to hit me earlier?"


    Shen Lian spoke calmly to Lei Jing, "Bring him in, Guan Longzi is still inside."


    Then, Lei Jing brought Wu Ding in. Laughter like a carillon of bells could be heard as they stepped into Zhiwei Home.


    Shen Lian spoke with disgust on his face, "Fine, I will not abandon you. You have amassed enough spiritual force throughout the years. I shall teach you a set of cultivation formula someday. Also, do not fall asleep when I am teaching. Pay attention. To think that you are incapable of defeating the Pegasus, what an embarrassment you are."


    The black tiger released its grip and looked at the pegasus provocatively.


    The pegasus snorted loudly to express its displeasure.


    Shen Lian spoke to the Pegasus, "You could listen to me when I am teaching too."


    The black tiger was stunted, so it seemed like he would have to put in some hard work.


    After dealing with the lazy tiger, Shen Lian walked into Zhiwei Home. Guan Longzi was speaking to Wu Ding, while Lei Jing was making tea obediently.


    Guan Longzi and Wu Ding rose as they saw Shen Lian walking in.


    Guan Longzi smiled, "So you both have met before!"


    Wu Ding replied, "Even though I knew that the prince was unusual, but I did not think that he is the reincarnation of a Celestial."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Now that he was freed from the Book of Life and Death, he could be rightfully addressed as a Celestial.


    "Initially, I too did not know that you are a noble of Yin Shang. I thought you are a common Qi cultivator and was unaware of the uniqueness of your Dao formula," Shen Lian replied.


    Guan Longzi spoke, "Zi Zhao, what is so unique about the Flying Stars Incantation that you cultivate?"


    Wu Ding smiled bitterly, "To be honest, I found out that the Flying Stars Incantation has spirituality today."


    Guan Longzi was shocked, "The martial exercise manifested spirituality?"

 Chapter 489 Inextinguishable

    "Not bad. The Dao formula he is cultivating felt the Dao of the Stars that I mastered and absorbed the essence, and had even recalibrated itself. This is the first time that I am witnessing something like that," Shen Lian spoke calmly to Guan Longzi.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Wu Ding was paying attention too. If there was anyone who could explain the reason behind this, Guan Longzi would be the likeliest person to do so besides the master who taught him the Dao formula.


    Guan Longzi stroke his beard and spoke, "This is rare indeed. However, it is not unprecedented. At the end of cultivation, most will have to go through the process - ''To become one with Dao'', combining one with Dao. Of course, Fellow Daoist Shen would know how powerful such a person would be."


    Shen Lian smiled and nodded. Not only did he know, he experienced it himself. During his fight with Chen Beidou, he merged with the portion of Dao cropped out by Lingbao Tianzun. It was an experience of a lifetime despite the short period of time in which it occurred.


    If one could remain in the state of being one with Dao on a long-term basis, said a person could only be killed with special means - to vibrate his Primordial Spirit out of the void. This would be the only way to attain success.


    At this point of cultivation, one could say that their physical being in the world was merely an incarnation. Harming the incarnation would not be sufficient to hurt the person''s foundation. Hence, the person was close to being inextinguishable.


    This was why we could only presume that the ancient characters such as the Heavenly King had only gone missing after the great battle. It was hard to say if they had fallen.


    It was not that Guan Longzi had no power, he just did not bother to procure it. People like him had their heart set on Dao, and pursued Dao with the purest of heart. Even if his physical body could be destroyed by force, his spirit could not be worn down by the likes of Emperor Xia and Shen Lian.


    Without such a heart, Guan Longzi would not have attained the level of success that he did.


    However, both power and wisdom were merely means leading to the same end. They were equal. Buddha had both supreme wisdom and supreme supernatural powers.


    Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of keen awareness was alleged to have the greatest wisdom. When he attained Dao, he killed countless demon army troops with his great mana.


    Shen Lian was similar to them, yet not completely identical.


    Guan Longzi continued, "Since the beginning of time, no one managed to attain Dao. However, there were deities and demons birthed with limitless mana. They knew ''Dao'' since the day they were born. The common spiritual beings who did not have the spiritual wisdom that they did turned to them and started learning through imitation. Sooner or later, they attained supernatural powers and mana. Some of the deities and demons even recorded their ''Dao'' in the form of Dao formula. Due to the difference between them and the common spiritual beings, the Dao formula did more harm than good for the spiritual beings. At the more advanced state of cultivation, the spiritual beings became psychotic or had their spirit disintegrated. Later, some wise men extracted the essence of the Dao formula and passed it on.


    The nature of this form of Dao formula was close to Dao. Coupled with the sentiments of the deities and demons, there was a spiritual response. However, once cultivated, the spirituality would merge with the host. Without the hint of spirituality exhibited by the Dao formula, one would not be able to cultivate it even after securing its essence.


    Hence, these Dao formulae were elusive. Since the beginning of time, countless Dao formulae had been lost. As time changed and techniques evolved, coupled with the difference in the host, it was only logical for these Dao formulae to evolve into a form that was suitable for their current host and the world that they were in.


    Despite the spirituality exhibited these Dao formulae, it was not a task that could be carried out by them alone. External resources were needed, alongside with the recalibration of the host, the perfect martial exercise that was tailored for the host was birthed. If the host''s body was especially close to the Dao formula, the process of evolution would naturally be quicker and it would be easier to achieve the final step too.


    A person who wielded great supernatural powers researched into the uniqueness of this form of Dao formulae and created a form of supernatural power - ''Imposition of Dao Restriction''. With that, the martial exercise was passed on. Only one person could cultivate his martial exercise, eliminating the risk of exposure and rendering the identification of the origin of the martial exercise an easy task.


    When he heard that no one else could cultivate Wu Ding''s martial exercise, Shen Lian thought of his own - ''The Mastery of Senses''. Shen Lian was especially moved when Guan Longzi mentioned the Imposition of Dao Restriction.


    People like Lingbao Tianzun would never impose a Dao restriction. After all, a man of his caliber would not bother himself with the inheritance of martial exercises.


    Even if outsiders were privy of everything about him, they would not be able to identify any openings or disharmony. This was something that could only be understood by the likes of Lingbao Tianzun.


    Hence, the person who imposed a Dao restriction on Shen Lian''s Art of Spiritual Enhancement was someone else. It could even be Shen Lian''s father.


    Wu Ding was completely unaware of the impressive origin of the Flying Stars Incantation that he was cultivating.


    Guan Longzi looked at Wu Ding meaningfully and spoke, "Zi Zhao, you are destined to be different. When you were young, you studied under a mysterious Qi cultivator. Even though I am aware of this matter, but I am not sure of the identity of the mysterious Qi cultivator. Can you tell me more about it?"


    After all, a person who could pass on this form of Dao formula would be someone impressive.


    Wu Ding replied, "Throughout all these years, I have only met my Master thrice. He comes and goes in a rush, but he did not restrain me from telling someone else about his physical appearance. He rode on a black Qilin. He comes and goes like lightning. Also, there is an eye in the middle of his forehead. Everytime that he opened that eye, it seemed as though he knew about everything in my heart."


    "Born with three eyes? That is unusual, it seems like your Master is more impressive that I have expected," Guan Longzi spoke with a deep voice.


    Wu Ding spoke, "My Master said I am too attached to the secular world and he could not take me in as his disciple directly. Moreover, the sect that he is in is not the likes of the Tian Xian, which is why he could not take in disciples officially. So, my Master is still within the ranks of land immortals. You should have found out about this through my uncle."


    "Tianyi did mention something about this. With his capabilities, it would not be difficult for him to find out about your Master''s origin. He just did not want to do it. After all, your Master meant you no harm and there is no need for him to probe," Guan Longzi detailed slowly.


    Wu Ding replied, "Sir, you are right. My uncle would never do anything of that sort."


    He gestured respectfully to Shen Lian and Guan Longzi, "Zi Zhao is grateful to be rescued by the Prince and Sir today. I promise to payback one day. However, Wu Ding has one last request, and I hope that Sir could grant my request."


    Guan Longzi spoke, "Silly, I performed a divine reading when Tianyi was entering Diqiu. It said that he would escape harm unscathed. Now that your lucky star is standing right in front of you, do you still not see it?"


    Wu Ding was surprised and realized how silly he was. He bowed to Shen Lian and spoke, "Prince, could you please rescue my uncle? The whole of Yin Shang would be indebted to your kindness."


    Lei Jing spoke coldly, "Are you all not afraid that I will tell my uncle about this? Whether Tianyi could make it out of Xia Tai is up to my uncle."


    She appeared to be cold purposefully, but she was shaken inside. She wondered if Shen Lian would be angered by this. However, the blood of Xiahou coursed in her veins and she could not just ignore this.


    For this, Lei Jing glared fiercely at Guan Longzi too.


    Guan Longzi smiled and did not say anything. He looked at Lei Jing, as though he saw past her.

 Chapter 490 Flower of the Other Shore

    The steam from the boiling water sent the teapot ringing, breaking the silence after Lei Jing''s little speech.


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Lei Jing, please serve the tea."


    His voice was calming. Lei Jing freed herself from Guan Longzi''s gaze and replied, "Hmm." After that, she followed Shen Lian''s order and served the tea to everyone.


    The tea was not great, though the water was excellent. The pleasant after-taste lingered in Wu Ding''s mouth.


    However, his attention was focused on Shen Lian. He was waiting for the little prince''s answer.


    With a cup of tea in his stomach, he found his agitation eased. This was good for his thought processes.


    Shen Lian emptied his teacup. The moonlight filtered in through the surrounding windows, shrouding Zhiwei Home in its gentle glow.


    He sized Lei Jing, Wu Ding, and Guan Longzi up.


    Lei Jing was taken off guard, but she managed to calm herself down. She returned to being the fearless high-born lady that she was.


    Wu Ding''s eyes were clear and he faced Shen Lian''s gaze directly; with his sincere eyes, he pleaded with Shen Lian.


    Guan Longzi was modest. Shen Lian''s gaze did not affect him. This showed how detached he was with the events around him.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Lei Jing, you do not want me to interfere. Meanwhile, Wu Ding requested for my help. Fellow Daoist is caught in the middle. Though, I am the one who gets to make the final call. I am not a busybody and I usually would not get myself involved in this."


    Initially, Lei Jing was pleased, but her good mood did not last long.


    She replied, "Did you hear that? My teacher decided not to interfere with your business."


    Lei Jing seemed to notice the unnecessary harshness in her tone and added, "Actually, Tianyi just needed to succumb to my uncle''s will and he will be fine."


    Wu Ding thought, "If my uncle is willing to do that, he would have done that long ago."


    He wanted to talk back, but Shen Lian stopped him midway, "However, I decided to let you decide for yourself. Three months from now, I want to compare with Guan Longzi to see whose disciple is stronger. As Lei Jing is my student, Fellow Daoist Guan Longzi''s disciples would not stand a chance. However, Wu Ding is a remarkable individual. Wu Ding, why don''t you study under Guan Longzi for three months and if you manage to secure victory over Lei Jing, I will grant you a wish."


    Wu Ding was surprised, "Prince, do you mean what you have just said?"


    Shen Lian replied casually, "There is no reason for me to lie to you. If you don''t believe me, we can have Guan Longzi to be the guarantor."


    Guan Longzi smiled, "My pleasure. It will be fun to watch this together."


    Lei Jing could not object, after all, she held her own fate in her hands.


    After sending Guan Longzi and Wu Ding off, Lei Jing batted her eyes at Shen Lian in a demure manner. Her curly and long lashes framed her beautiful eyes and it was a moving sight. Any man who was not moved by her beauty would be a man with a heart of stone.


    Even though Shen Lian''s heart was not made out of stone, but it was a lot harder than stone.


    He smiled and looked at this beautiful student of his. He did not speak.


    Lei Jing protested playfully and dragged her last note, "Tea...cher."


    Shen Lian smiled in his heart; so it seemed that women everywhere were flirtatious. This was probably their innate talent.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He spoke with a serious tone, "Disciple." After speaking in a serious manner, he did not speak further.


    Noticing how unbreachable he was, Lei Jing spoke, "You wouldn''t let me lose in the battle three months from now right? I am ready for my first lesson now."


    Shen Lian replied, "Alright, here we go."


    Lei Jing seemed surprised. She did not expect Shen Lian to grant her request so easily. Actually, it was not that Xiahou and Youhu did not have any exceptional occult techniques. However, these occult techniques were too cruel and lacked aesthetic values. In spite of the power of his techniques, Shen Lian was always elegant and graceful while using those techniques. Even though she appreciated manliness in a man, she was attracted to Shen Lian - a graceful man who attained an advanced state of cultivation.


    With Shen Lian as her role model, she was assured that she would not look too vulgar after going through the cultivation process.


    Of course, it was her intention to increase the time she spent with Shen Lian too.


    As she was thinking, she opened her perfume pouch. A small box flew out of it and landed right on her fair hands. The box was made out of ten-thousand-year-old ebony, something that would elicit the envy of any Qi cultivator who set eyes on it. Ebony was resistant to water and fire, and it was tough. It was difficult to estimate its power when it was used to manufacture flying needles and flying swords. Even with the strongest of body, it would be difficult to resist the attack of the instrument.


    Yet, the ebony was turned into a box for treasured belongings. Lei Jing looked at Shen Lian, "Eh, since I am taking you as my teacher, it is right and proper for me to present you with a gift. Ten over years ago, this Flower of the Other Shore bloomed on the shore of blood-red Asura sea. This is extremely rare. A monk from Da Jue Temple secured it and gave it to my uncle. My uncle passed it on to me as my birthday gift. Now, this shall be my gift to you."


    She opened the box, revealing a flower that was red as the fire inside. The fire had a stem but not leaves. It rested within the box quietly.


    Shen Lian found himself faced with extreme hunger as he looked at the Flower of the Other Shore that was red as fire. He desperately wanted to give the Flower of the Other Shore a bite.


    This was a feeling stemming from the soul and not something that he could eliminate.


    Shen Lian suppressed his instinct and accepted the box casually. He closed the box.


    He remained calm and at ease, battling his impulses at the same time. Lei Jing did not notice anything.


    Shen Lian whispered, "Aren''t you afraid that your father would find out about this?"


    He had seen enough to know that he should remain cautious where the desire to ingest the Flower of the Other Shore manifested itself. After all, even if he would be able to attain the state of Taiyi immediately after ingesting the Flower of the Other Shore, he would still think thrice before doing so.


    When dealing with power that was not within one''s control, one should remain extremely cautious. Unless absolutely necessary, Shen Lian would not look out for these strange encounters.


    Lei Jing spoke, "I get to decide what I want to do with my property. Moreover, my mother is the master of the house."


    If Prefect Grand Usher Lei Nuo were here now, he would probably wish that he had never given birth to his daughter. Shen Lian smiled, "It seems like Prefect Grand Usher led quite a pitiable life."


    Lei Jing thought about how her father coaxed her mother usually and laughed, "My father called this his little boudoir pleasure."


    Judging from Lei Jing''s emotions, Shen Lian decided that the Flower of the Other Shore had nothing to do with Prefect Grand Usher Lei Nuo. Moreover, his premonition did not go off because of the Flower of the Other Shore. It seemed like there was something more behind the Flower of the Other Shore and this was unlikely to be some part of a malicious plot against him.


    He did not want to seem overly enthusiastic about the Flower of the Other Shore in front of Lei Jing. He spoke, "I shall accept the gift. Let''s begin our first lesson now."


    Lei Jing nodded and was curious about the content of Shen Lian''s lesson. However, she fell into a deep slumber after hearing Shen Lian speak.

 Chapter 491 Moving the Mountains

    Shen Lian laid on his right and closed his eyes. A strand of his fair fell from the side of his face. He looked refreshing.


    Lei Jing was overcome by lust. However, she was intelligent and managed to shake off her lustful feelings. She realized how she did not hear Shen Lian breathe.


    Thinking that it could not be right, she walked closer to Shen Lian who was on the couch. She focused on listening. She heard hundreds and thousands of tiny sounds of breathing; it was a beautiful symphony of melodies that hinted at something profound.


    Shen Lian was breathing through all the pores on his body instead of his mouth and nose.


    Daoist termed breathing through mouth and nose as external respiration while breathing through the pores was termed as internal respiration, which was also known as Guixi. The divine turtle led a long life due to its breathing technique.


    Shen Lian''s blood flow was close to being stagnant. The breathing of his pores caused the Qi of heaven and earth converging to the surface of his body. This was just as how iron would be purified gradually when under pressure, turning it into the purest of steel.


    Extracting the impurities in one''s body via this method would get progressively difficult, but a strong command of the technique would enable one to have a body as pure as glass. The benefits were endless.


    For the entire night, Lei Jing was experiencing Shen Lian''s method of breathing - internal respiration. She tried for countless of times and ended up turning into a red tomato when she held her breath for too long. Moreover, it was extremely uncomfortable for her. As she repeated her attempts, she found herself being able to hold her breath longer and longer. Even though her pores did not loosen, she was able to prolonged her breathing period significantly.


    Moreover, she noted down Shen Lian''s unique characteristics as he slept, ranging from the twitching of a tiny muscle to the sound of his organs and the crack of his bones.


    Shen Lian slept soundly for the entire night. Lei Jing had bloodshot eyes and she looked exhausted.


    Shen Lian looked at her exhausted state and pretended to not know anything, "Jing Er, did you sleep well last night?"


    Lei Jing was thinking how could he address her in such a loving manner; she found herself suddenly angered and said, "I slept well."


    Shen Lian gave a gentle knock on her head and spoke, "Only when you could truly sleep well that you can consider yourself having mastered the lesson last night."


    Lei Jing blushed and retorted, "Teacher, even if I have learned the way your sleep, there is no immediate beneficial effect. Moreover, the Dao formula Wu Ding is cultivating seems powerful. If I lose, it will be your reputation that is on the line."


    Shen Lian replied, "Forget about it. Address me as "Sir." Being addressed as "teacher" makes me feel old."


    Lei Jing spoke, "Sir, do you have no plans to teach me something else? I am aware that you know some powerful Celestial Arts. Why don''t you teach me those?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I do know plenty of Celestial Arts, from something as simple as turning beans into soldiers and riding the clouds, to something as complicated as summoning the rain and the wind or moving the mountains and the seas; I know all of these. Would you like to learn?"


    Lei Jing spoke, "Turning beans into soldiers and riding the clouds? I will pass. Although, I would love to learn how to summon the rain and the wind, or to move the mountains and the seas. I wonder if I would be able to master them in three months?"


    Shen Lian chuckled, "Do you know how long have I been cultivating before I could move the mountains and the seas ?"


    Lei Jing replied, "How long?"


    "Twenty over years," Shen Lian answered.


    "That is long," Lei Jing replied with a pout.


    Shen Lian spoke, "The speed of my cultivation was considered as fast. With your potential, you might not even succeed after a hundred year of cultivation. Do you still want to learn?"


    Lei Jing looked at Shen Lian and herself before speaking, "Is there that big of a difference


    ?"


    Shen Lian stared at her chest and spoke meaningfully, "Indeed, there is."


    Lei Jing gritted her teeth, then she thought of something. She spoke, "Sir, you claimed that you could move the mountains and the seas. I don''t believe you. Why don''t you prove your point by moving a mountain?"


    Shen Lian replied, "Do you really want to see that?"


    Lei Jing thought, "You are definitely bluffing. There is no way that you can move a mountain here."


    She thought of how Shen Lian was teasing her all of the time. Now that she finally found the chance to tease him, she was determined to embarrass him for once.


    Lei Jing spoke, "Of course, I would love to see that."


    Shen Lian stretched lazily and smiled, "Your wish is my command."


    Lei Jing saw Shen Lian walking to the window and a green ray flew out of him. He remained still, just like a perfect statue. No vital force could be detected from him at all.


    Lei Jing did not bother herself with Shen Lian. She knew that the green ray was definitely something strange. She followed it out of the school only to see it disappear into the sky. The speed was mind-boggling.


    "Mister Lei, you are here for morning exercise?" A surprised voice spoke cheerfully.


    Lei Jing turned her head and saw Fei Zhong. He was a pleasant-looking man, but he was a bit too sinister for her liking.


    She was too focused on wondering how would Shen Lian move the mountain and had only responded with a snort. It was a warning for Fei Zhong to stay away.


    Fei Zhong heard her. He was more pleased than surprised - getting a cold response was better than no response. He believed that with prolonged exposure, one day she would be his.


    Fei Zhong chuckled as he walked over, "Mister Lei, you in a bad mood? Tell me who pissed you off and I shall deal with the person on behalf of you."


    Lei Jing smiled coldly, "Indeed, someone did piss me off. Do you really want to take care of it for me?"


    "It is my pleasure to be able to contribute to Mister Lei," Fei Zhong shook his head as he spoke.


    Lei Jing wanted to tell him that he was the person who pissed her off. Out of a sudden, she saw a giant black shadow flying at her direction.


    Even Fei Zhong was shocked and could not utter a word.


    A black shadow shielded the sun and sent the world into darkness. It was not because of the dark clouds in the sky, the sunlight was blocked off by a mountain that was more than ten thousand feet tall. It was flying from the end of the sky towards Diqiu.


    It was akin to a giant beast from the wilderness that was treading in the air, sending waves of fear even before its arrival.


    Everyone had seen a mountain before, but the same could not be said about a flying mountain that was heading to Diqiu.


    The powerful ones at Diqiu were both surprised and angered. They wondered who was the brave abomination that had the guts to offend Diqiu.


    The mountain was Shen Lian''s handiwork. With his Primordial Spirit, it was easy to move a mountain as it was not beyond what he could handle. As for the talks about moving mountains and seas, he meant his word.


    His true form was hidden in the Dynasty School and it would not be easy to locate it. He thought that this was a good opportunity for him to examine the powerful techniques engaged by the powerful ones.


    Moreover, he acted on Lei Jing''s request and did so in a carefree manner. He did what he did by chance, which was why it was difficult for even someone like Guan Longzi who had strong premonition to find out beforehand.


    ''Human intention, something that the heaven and the earth were aware of''; of those who had a premonition, they prophesied when their thoughts were moved by the detection of the heaven and earth.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    If their thoughts had not been engaged prior and were unleashed without any hint, it would be difficult to guard against it.


    As for an augury that could actually peek into the future, this required a deeper level of spiritual response. It was not something that could be noticed in the blink of an eye.


    As the mountain got closer, a voice rougher than the thunder boomed, "How dare you."

 Chapter 492 Dust and Sand

    An aqua blue giant hand stuck out from the side of Wangcheng. A horrifying Qi of vigor permeated from there. Any cultivators that were involved in spiritual enhancement or cultivation of Qi in the entire Diqiu did not dare to move a muscle. Even the manas that were inside their bodies were suppressed and none of them were not able to operate it.


    That horrifying authority went deep into the hearts of every Qi cultivators who were hiding in Diqiu.


    As for the powerhouses within the Xia Clan of Diqiu, many of them shouted and acted in concert with the thunderous sound of that person who directly cried out ''audacious''. It conquered the world and made one turn up one''s nose at the arch of the heavens.


    The giant hand quickly reached the front of the mountain peak that came flying. There was a layer of rampaging green clouds and it dismissed the giant hand that seemed to be able to pluck the sun, moon, and stars.


    It brutally quashed it.


    A lot of the powerhouses in the Xia Clan of Diqiu were beginning to be alarmed. This was definitely the peerless powerhouse who slipped into the imperial city that day. The powerhouse''s mana was certainly boundless.


    Even the Youho''s clan leader, Lei Hong, was at a disadvantage when he appeared in the fight.


    The mountain peak vibrated but it still came pressing down, an inch by an inch.


    Under the gaze of the many powerhouses in Diqiu, if any grasses or woods were damaged by an outsider, it would be a humiliation to Xia Kingdom. They would definitely be ''welcomed'' with the rage of Emperor Xia.


    Within Wangcheng, on top of Xia Stage, a man in leather armor looked to the arch of the heavens. The peak that came flying was suppressing the giant hand. It was soundless, which made its vital force seemed even more frightening.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The man in leather armor said, "Those who have such massive mana within the Qi cultivators are usually those with high reputations. However, I have no impression of his vital force. Zi L��, you truly have found a good helper."


    The man in leather armor held onto the long blade that was on his waist, his eyes resembling the burning flames.


    Tianyi, who was sitting contently within the Mystical Fire of the Sun on top of Xia Stage, had long hair reaching his shoulders. He smiled as he said, "Ming Luo, he is not the person I know. Nonetheless, we would get to know each other soon enough. Since Emperor Xia could not tolerate Tianyi, then naturally he will not tolerate him."


    At this moment, the man in leather armor, Ming Luo, sneered, "There is no need to wait. He better not think that he can leave today."


    Tianyi looked at Ming Luo. More accurately, he looked at the blade by Ming Luo''s waist. This man in leather armor, Ming Luo, was the Ming''s first powerhouse of the twelve aristocratic families of Xia Kingdom. Emperor Xia''s most faithful servile follower. He once entered the blood-red Asura sea by himself, challenged the Asura Clan and had an epiphany for the Supreme Dao of Blade.


    Afterward, he fought battles throughout the length and breadth of the country and annihilated countries by the hundreds of thousands. There were countless dead souls that went under his blade. The heaviness of the Qi of devilry made him the best in Diqiu. If that was not the case, then Emperor Xia would not have dispatched him to guard Tianyi.


    This was the emperor''s way of valuing Tianyi and it was also the emperor''s trust towards Ming Luo.


    The blade by Ming Luo''s waist had already gotten the true meaning of the Asura Clan''s Blood Dissipating Sword. That was the true demonic blade and even within the Asura Clan, there were few who could rival its demonic characteristics.


    The ''Luo'' in his name was also the approval of the insufferably arrogant Asura Clan towards him.


    Following the mountain peak that was mercilessly subduing, it was about to land on Diqiu rapidly. By then, not only did the Youhu''s clan leader, Lei Hong, was going to get hurt, he was also going to humiliate Xia Kingdom.


    Ming Luo finally pulled out his sword. It was not enough to use the term ''thoroughly tempered'' to describe the movement of him pulling out his sword. Every movement could be dismantled into countless similar movements.


    With each layer pushing forward, there were a total of eighteen thousand times of the same changes when the knife was pulled out and all of these were completed in the time of not even a split second. Finally, it transformed and expanded into a long river of Qi of the blade. With a sizzled sound, the blade came chopping down on the top of the mountain peak. The mountain was immediately split open by the gleam of the blade and there was an extremely huge crack emerging from the middle.


    With the help of the long river of the Qi of the blade, the giant hand underneath the mountain peak immediately grew its strength. Rows of thunderous sound rumbled in all directions. The giant hand spread out a big net that was weaved out of countless lightning and wrapped the mountain peak within it. The green cloud that was on top of the mountain peak was trapped as well.


    That green cloud suddenly exploded. It was as though the stars hanging down from the night sky and it was brilliant as ever. Simultaneously, everyone could feel the temperature in Diqiu increased by a notch. The mountain peak had actually been scorched in a blink of an eye. As the lightning web got closer, it exploded with a loud bang and countless burning dust flew into the air. The long river of Qi of the blade was then lost its grasp on the green cloud.


    The entire Diqiu sunk into an intense sandstorm. A dragon howl rose from Wangcheng and the maddening hurricane cleared the dust in the air within moments. On top of Yinglong''s gigantic body, there was a man on its spine. His eyes were deep brown and the beam of light that came from his eyes were like two balls of sun, shining down on all living creatures.


    A head with disheveled golden hair draped over the top of his shoulders. Even though he did not have an indomitable and imposing body, but the natural vigor that was revealed by him was enough for him to look at all beings disdainfully from the corner of his eyes. His profound authority scattered to every corner of Diqiu, like the diffusing rays of the sun.


    He looked around and the man chillingly hummed, "All of you come to the morning audience now."


    Yinglong slowly returned to Wangcheng. During this moment, every aristocrat in Dongcheng hurriedly tidy up their apparels, got onto their luxurious cloud carriages and headed for Wangcheng.


    At this time, Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes in the school. As he recalled the incidence, the person who pulled out his sword and the owner of the giant hand could fight with him for a while after they collaborated. As for Yinglong that appeared in Wangcheng afterward and the one on its spine who was most probably Emperor Xia was truly powerful beyond comprehension.


    Shen Lian had experienced Chen Beidou''s Unrivalled Sword and Yanxu''s destructive magic. Both of them were considered as the strongest rivals in his entire life. Nonetheless, with the two people''s pure power combined, they would still be at a disadvantage compared to Emperor Xia even though Emperor Xia had not really shown hand.


    There were still some figures who were similar to the owner of the demonic blade in Diqiu. With his ability, he could mostly cause some commotion in Diqiu. Even if from today onwards, his Primordial Spirit had fully recovered, he would definitely not be able to fight against the entire Diqiu by himself.


    Nonetheless, the ones whom Shen Lian feared the most were still the combination of Emperor Xia and Yinglong. With the dragon and the man being one and the combination of Qi from their body, their combat ability would be catching up to the level of Taiyi state.


    Just now, if he were to hesitate even just for a bit, and without the independent world in the school to cover his tracks, there was a chance that he would come to grips with Emperor Xia on his home field.


    Even though he really looked forward to coming to grips with Emperor Xia who was a powerhouse that chose another cultivation pathway, but it should not have been now. Before that, he needed to have a deeper understanding towards the bloodline of the Xia Clan.


    It was not success or failure that Shen Lian was after, it was the exploration towards Dao and other cultivation methods that he cared most, as this exploration would allow him to proceed further on his path of obtaining Dao.


    The ivy outside shaded the window. Lei Jing returned.


    She entered Zhiwei Home and she looked at Shen Lian with a mixed expression. She said, "That giant hand just now was my grandfather''s."


    Shen Lian asked, "What about it?"


    Lei Jing sighed, "What are you up to exactly? I am going to tell my grandfather and uncle about your existence for real."


    Shen Lian stared keenly at her as he lightly replied, "I understand, that is why it would be appropriate for you to forget everything that had happened just now."


    Shen Lian rarely messed around with other people''s memories but there were times when he was required to do so.


    If he was someone who was indecisive or had a tender heart for the fairer sex, he would already have passed away before this.


    Luckily, he was not.


    Under Shen Lian''s faze, Lei Jing suddenly had a trance. She recalled the matter that had happened before.


    A while ago, she saw a flying mountaintop that came flying to Diqiu and her grandfather made a move. Following that, even the great commander of Wangcheng, Ming Luo''s demonic blade appeared. All these had also startled her uncle in the end.


    Diqiu had not been in a buzzle for many years and she was unclear of the person driving the mountaintop.


    If that person was placed within Qi cultivators, he would most probably be the best amongst them.


    Her teacher, Shen Lian, was plucking the qin on the couch. The sound of qin was light and elegant, like the flowing spring in the quiet mountains.


    The teacher was most likely not the person who was driving the mountain. This was because he had just woken up from his sleep. She was really tired because she had spent the whole night pondering about the internal respiration of Daoism before she was startled by the incident in the morning. The lack of sleep must have caused her state of mind to be uncertain.


    Lei Jing had forgotten why she had gotten out from the school when the mountain was flying into Diqiu and also the part where green clouds were seen flying out from Shen Lian. In the deep corners of her mind, she subconsciously separated Shen Lian from the Qi cultivator that drove the mountaintop and voluntarily trying to figure out all kinds of reasons to convince herself that Shen Lian would not do anything to go against Xia Kingdom.

 Chapter 493 Sword of the Emperor

    Shen Lian said to Lei Jing, "Go, sleep for a while."


    Lei Jing fell asleep for real as she was truly exhausted. This slumber was especially unstable. She had many dreams. In her dreams, there was Shen Lian, her uncle, endless mountains filled with corpses and sea filled with blood. It was very hard for her to wake up.


    Shen Lian walked out of Zhiwei Home. Within the school now, ivy blanketed everywhere and the green trees provided shades. The Xia Canal that was introduced by Shen Lian was now nourishing the grounds in the school.


    Besides Guan Longzi, nobody else knew what methods Shen Lian had used to divert the water from the Xia Canal since there was no way of noticing it from the outside.


    Wuding stopped by the stream of running water within the school. He used a piece of wood and carved out a sword that was the same as the original green copper sword. He swung and danced with the sword while enjoying the morning breeze.


    He was a withdrawn person who hardly communicated with the people from his clan. Even though he had become Guan Zilong''s student, there was nothing that could be exchanged with those people. Furthermore, that Fei Zhong had an unknowable hostility towards him.


    "Has anyone told you that you are not suitable for learning the sword?"


    Wuding looked back and he was unsure when Shen Lian had appeared on the green grassland not far away from him. The grass was very soft and yet he could easily stand on the tip of the grass, not crushing any of the leaves.


    Even Wuding could not tell whether Shen Lian had used his mana. At that moment, Shen Lian could be described using a phrase, which was the leaves grew from the root and stem while Shen Lian grew from the tip of the grass.


    It was as though this matter had already been justified and there was no need to get to the bottom of it.


    Wuding sheathed the sword with one hand and walked closer to Shen Lian. He said "Why would you say that I am not suitable to learn the sword. My uncle once said that the sword is a person of noble character and also the king of weapons in the world. By applying the way of the king to this world, thus, this world would comply."


    Shen Lian answered with mirth, "From this saying, I can already know. Tianyi is truly a rare and genuine king, which is why I think Tianyi must have used a sword."


    Wuding smiled, "You have deduced wrongly, my prince. My uncle has never used a sword or any kind of weapon."


    Shen Lian shook his head, "Tianyi does use a sword. In fact, he uses the Sword of the Emperor."


    Wuding''s expression changed as he warned, "Be careful with your words, my prince. The Sword of the Emperor has the word ''emperor'' in it. That would mean only Emperor Xia could use it. How could my uncle be using it? Furthermore, I have never heard of the Sword of the Emperor."


    Shen Lian asked lightly, "Then, would you want to hear what the Sword of the Emperor is?"


    Wuding''s mind was indeed very curious but he knew that there were things that one should refrain from asking. That was why he pondered slightly and answered, "I do not."


    Shen Lian chuckled and went to his side, his body light as a smoke. Shen Lian patted him on the shoulders and whispered, "Actually, you''re suitable to train with knives."


    Just as he got near to Wuding light as smoke earlier, he left with the exact same manner.


    Wuding was indeed suitable to use the knife because he had always been a quiet person. Therefore, whenever he wanted to do something, he was especially clear-cut.


    No matter the kind of knife method, it was overbearing and straightforward. After all, this was the nature of the knife.


    Tianyi used the way of the king, Wuding was then the potent one.


    Wuding might think that he and Tianyi were still worlds away, but the Flying Stars Incantation could help him shorten that distance. It was just that he himself was unclear of it.


    Shen Lian brushed out from the school light as smoke. He wanted to take the opportunity of Lei Jing''s slumber to travel around Diqiu. Actually, Diqiu had many hidden secrets but the average person dared not investigate these secrets. Or rather it could be said that those who dared to investigate do not exist anymore.


    Because of the major event that had happened this morning, Diqiu''s security became very strict. But in actual fact, this was the moment when Shen Lian was like a duck in the water.


    In the account of Emperor Xia who was angered by the incident, all chancellors were gathered and were having their morning audience with the emperor. The core strength of Xia Kingdom was assembled within the Xia Palace. Regardless whether it was the clan leaders of the twelve aristocrat families, or the other chancellors, or even the monks from the Xuanzhen Hall or the Da Jue Temple, all of them chose their own spots in the hall and dared not make a peep.


    Xia Kingdom was the center of the Netherworld, even the Asura Clan within the blood-red Asura Sea could not deny this fact. This was because the ancestors, great-grandfather, and grandfather of Emperor Xia used their fists to brutally have them admit that.


    As for Emperor Xia''s father, he had not even been the Emperor for a day before he died out of a blue.


    No one knew how Emperor Xia''s father passed away but rumor had it that the current Emperor Xia once said that he did not wish to become the prince-consort even just for a day.


    It was rare for Emperor Xia''s words to not be honored.


    The current Emperor Xia intimidates those around him. When he became the emperor, there was not a day in Xia Kingdom that the war stopped and Xia Kingdom''s authority had never been this profound in all places.


    Most of the countries such as the Northern Barbarians, Eastern Barbarians, Southern Barbarians and Western Barbarians, also known asfor visiting.


    Furthermore, there were envoys from different countries in Diqiu. When the news of this matter spread out, Diqiu would naturally become the butt of the joke.


    At this moment, Emperor Xia''s face was expressionless but from the looks of it, the volcano within him would erupt any moment. There was a huge pillar extending from the ground to high above the ceiling in the middle of the main hall. Yinglong was sitting on top of the pillar and it was dozing off with its eyes closed.


    When Emperor Xia was in a foul mood, only Yinglong would dare to be in a good mood.


    Everyone else did not share Yinglong''s good mood as they were shaking. They dared not lift their heads and did not even dare to lower their heads too much.


    Emperor Xia eyes swept through his chancellors and said, "Useless, all of you are useless."


    Every blue stone and glazed tile within Xia Palace reverberated the angry voice of Emperor Xia and did not subside for a very long time.


    "Come out, Lei Nuo." Emperor Xia simply pointed and pointed towards his own brother-in-law, which was the Prefect Grand Usher who was standing behind Lei Hong, the Youhu''s clan leader.


    Lei Nuo groaned inwardly as he said, "I am here, my king."


    Emperor Xia looked deeply at Lei Nuo and he slowly began, "What is the matter with you? I ordered you to investigate that person''s tracks. Not only did you failed to do so, you allowed him to display his demonic tricks under my nose."


    Lei Nuo immediately knelt down and exclaimed, "A thousand deaths will not atone for my crime." He truly understood Emperor Xia''s temper. If he had reported to the king from the beginning then he would have been fine. Now, if he were to reveal just about anything related to Shen Lian''s matter, not only did he have to face the destruction of the Prohibition within his body, he would also need to face the punishment of the enraged Emperor Xia.


    This was because Emperor Xia could never tolerate people who lied to him. Since he had decided to keep it a secret from the beginning, he could only take this secret to his grave.


    He could only continuously kowtow. The blue stone within the main halls was broken by his kowtow and fresh blood pooled the floor.


    Lei Hong looked on as his son suffered and he could not bear the sight at all. He stepped out of line and said, "It is my incompetence in teaching my son, please deal with me too, my king."http://www.iciba.com/%E5%8C%97%E7%8B%84

 Chapter 494 Tyran

    Suddenly, Emperor Xia contained his wrath. However, it was also like the calm before the storm.


    Lei Nuo, who was on all fours on the ground, grew anxious. He had too much experiences with Emperor Xia''s moodiness, which was why even he did not dare guarantee whether he could retreat unscathed.


    Lei Hong was one of the few older chancellors within the court and he made a move by his own accords today. That was why he had something to rely on as he begged for Emperor Xia''s sentiments just now but more importantly, it was because Lei Nuo was his son.


    The expression on Emperor Xia''s face was like the spring after a heavy rain. He said slowly, "Since Elder Lei had begged for mercy, then you will keep your life for now. Get up."


    Lei Nuo then slowly got up and returned to his spot behind his father, Lei Hong.


    Emperor Xia''s eyes swept through his chancellors and finally opened up and said, "This person''s mana has reached the level of understanding the mysteries. Since he is in hiding, it is most likely that it would be hard to check on him. Today, I gathered all of you here is to regard this matter."


    The group of chancellors were bewildered and surprised. They did not know what Emperor Xia wanted to do next. They were already used to Emperor Xia''s wishful thinking. They could not do anything back then when Tianyi was imprisoned but to matter of fact, Yin Shang should be controlled as they were gradually getting more powerful. However, there were times when Emperor Xia would have a moment of frenzy and he would mobilize troops and stir up the people. Before that he had even thought of using the hot pillar punishment. To increase the effect of this punishment, he had actually introduced the death flame from the core of the earth. This almost cut off the spiritual vessel of Diqiu and caused the entire Xia Canal to capsize.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    For this, uncountable lives and spiritual materials were lost in order to dispel the repercussions.


    Even so, the soulful aura of Diqiu was dialing and they needed to move the capital after a few decades.


    After all, the Xia Clan''s power came from their bloodline but their divine power did not come out of nowhere. They had a massive reliance towards the spiritual materials of this universe and all kinds of rare resources. Therefore Da Xia began to go on a campaign in all corners of this universe and one of the main reasons behind this campaign was this.


    Ultimately, the rule of the Xia Clan was to plunder the resources of this world, and it was a barbaric and imposing plunder.


    From the left side, a chancellor walked out. His entire body was burning in flames but it was cranked down by a lot. If one did not look closely, other would assume that the skin on his body was fiery red.


    This person was Xin Lie, the clan leader of one of the twelve aristocrat families, the Xin family. The power of their bloodline was that they could generate heavenly fire. Their clan was known as the seven reincarnations. They burnt out the remote areas beyond the Netherworld and finally mastered the heavenly fire. The size of its power could rival the True Samadhi Fire of Daoism.


    In fact, the heavenly fire that they''ve mastered through the power of their bloodline would undergo seven reincarnations. After the seventh reincarnations, it would reach its zenith whereby the true strength of the heavenly fire would be acquired. This true strength of the heavenly fire would be enough to rival against the acquired lame that was the True Samadhi Fire.


    Now, Xin Lie had already undergone six reincarnations. He only needed to leave out and converge the flame into his body once more and then he could enter the seventh reincarnation.


    The group of chancellors saw Xin Lie came out and they all sighed in relief underneath their breath. At least there was someone who could stand out and deal with Emperor Xia.


    Xin Lie began, "My king, I have something to report, would you permit me to speak first?"


    Emperor Xia''s gaze fell on Xin Lie. It was more scorching that the lames on Xin Lie''s body and the temperature within the main hall visibly rose.


    Xin Lie''s unflinching gaze meet Emperor Xia''s gaze and he did not back away at all.


    Emperor Xia slowly took back his faze. At this moment, there was a row of charcoal black mark on the blue stone floor between the emperor and Xin Lie. It could be seen that even there were no movements between the two, the lingering power was enough to frighten anyone. If before this, there was a person between these two, that person would most probably be immediately burnt into charcoal.


    The emperor plainly replied, "Speak."


    The group of chancellors could not help but cheer for Xin Lie''s courage. In recent years, there had been few who dared to trespass on Emperor Xia''s authority. However, Xin Lie''s nature was impatient like fire and was born with bare sincerity. It was understandable and was not unexpected by the group of chancellors.


    Back then, he had similar measures too. During that time, Emperor Xia had yet banished the imperial astronomer, Guan Zilong out from the palace.


    Xin Lie loudly exclaimed, "I beg my king to return Tianyi to Yin Shang."


    "Denied." Emperor Xia slammed his palm on his throne and the entire Xia Palace trembled. Yinglong was jerked awake and it very proficiently let out a light to stabilize the shaky Xia Palace.


    Xin Lie said, "Then I beg my king to kill Tianyi."


    His previous sentence had already gotten the hearts of the group of chancellors racing. His next sentence immediately caused an uproar.


    When Xin Lie said the first sentence, the group of chancellors thought that he had accepted a huge advantage from the king of Yin Shang. However, they did not expect that Xin Lie''s words would take such a turn where he wanted Tianyi killed.


    This time, Emperor Xia did not fly into a rage. He remained silent for a good while and plainly said, "I also cannot allow this matter. Xin Lie, say no more."


    Xin Lie did not keep his mouth shut and proceeded, "My king, Tianyi has the makings of a king. The people of this world regarded him as a saint. Since my king cannot tolerate him, why not get rid of him so that there are no loose ends."


    Lei Nuo could not help but sighed when he heard Xin Lie''s words. In his many years as the Prefect Grand Usher, he had a deep understanding of the situation of the world. What Xin Lie had said was in the interest of the country. Tianyi''s prestige was still present and he was the saint in the heart of people. If Emperor Xia tolerated him, Tianyi would probably not rebel while he was still alive, or else the image that he had worked for would be entirely destroyed.


    However, Emperor Xia would not tolerate Tianyi and with Emperor Xia''s temperament, it was fated that there would not be a peaceful relationship between him and Tianyi. He might as well get rid of Tianyi to tie up loose ends.


    Before Tianyi rebel or forcefully leave Xia Tai, Emperor Xia would not kill him. Or else it would seem that Emperor Xia, who was supreme over all else in this world was afraid of Tianyi.


    Emperor Xia sneered, "I already told you to say no more. Do you not have ears?"


    He paused and his anger flared up even more as he continued, "Someone, cut off Xin Lie''s ears and banish him to the Xia tomb. There will be no amnesty for him and he cannot step a foot out from the Xia tomb." Immediately, a troop of sergeants clad in black leather armor that took hold of Xin Lie. The general in the front was Ming Luo. He took out his blade as he entered the door and with a flick of his blade, he cut off both of Xin Lie''s ears.


    The entire time, Xin Lie did not put up a fight. This was because if he were to resist, the entire Xin Clan would be wiped out by Emperor Xia. He could not give Emperor Xia this excuse.


    As a chancellor, he had already done the best he could and he regretted nothing.


    The man in leather armor, Ming Luo, personally escorted Xin Lie and brought him to Xia tomb. That was where the Xiahou''s ancestral spirits were.


    "Is there anyone else who wished to speak?" Emperor Xia asked calmly.


    The group was as silent as a winter cicada. They all understood. Emperor needed a group of chancellors who obeyed, not bluntly admonish loyal chancellors.


    Emperor Xia had divine heroic bearing and matchless force. He did not need anyone to help him correct his mistakes. Or it could be said that he could not make mistakes. Even if he was wrong, he would turn that wrong into a right.


    "Good, since you lot have nothing to say, then I shall continue speaking. I once said ''those who complied with me shall thrive and those who resisted me shall perish''. The Youshi of the Eastern Barbarians, also known as Dongyi Tribe is not satisfied with my edifying. I plan to annihilate that country as a warning to others. All of you return and get prepared." Emperor Xia''s booming voice passed into the ears of every chancellor.


    Each and every one of them was shocked. The Youshi had always been the closest tribe from the Eastern Barbarians to Da Xia. Every year, without fail, they would pay their tribute to the emperor. Why did Emperor Xia suddenly wanted to go on a punitive expedition on Youshi?


    The reasons behind this were definitely not the dissatisfaction of edifying Emperor Xia as their king but no one dared to question further.


    Lei Hong went up and announced, "I am willing to be my king''s vanguard."


    Emperor Xia nodded with satisfaction, "Good, I am pleased with Elder Lei''s loyalty. However, I already have a candidate for the vanguard."


    Lei Hong replied, "It is entirely up to my king''s assignment. For this crusade towards the Youshi, who would be the commander of the army and be in charge of the military power?"


    Emperor Xia plainly answered, "This time, I am going to personally go on this crusade towards the Youshi."

 Chapter 495 Xia Tomb

    The group of chancellors did not expect that Emperor Xia would personally go on this crusade towards the Youshi''s tribe. It should be known that there was still an exceeding Qi cultivator lurking around and it would seem that this person had surpassed the level of the walking celestial of the earth, Xuan Zhen QI Zi. If this person''s background had not been found out and with Emperor Xia simply taking his leave, unintentionally, this would be a future trouble.


    If this was during common times then it would not be that bad but there was also Tianyi who was being imprisoned on top of Xia Tai.


    This would even cast a layer of shadow for this future trouble. However, if Emperor Xia was a little wiser, he would not dare to take such measures


    Emperor Xia''s scorching gaze swept back and forth along the group of chancellors and he burst out in laughter, "I know what all of you are worried about. I have set the date for the punitive expedition towards Youshi to be after half a year."


    It was then the group of chancellors slowly let go of their breath. There were also people who thought just what did Youshi did that offended Emperor Xia that would spur the emperor to personally go on this crusade. If they were to catch on the news of Emperor Xia going on a punitive expedition towards them, they could quickly surrender and do something to show to Emperor Xia and patch up their mistakes. Perhaps then, they could dispel this military calamity.


    After all, Da Xia being the center of the universe, it was still true for the country to go crusading in all directions. Nonetheless, the underlying current within this country could only be stifled with Emperor Xia personally attending to Diqiu. With him simply leaving Diqiu to go crusading, if there were any changes, the loss practically outweighed the gain.


    Emperor Xia acted willfully and this war was set. The news quickly spread and reached the Eastern Barbarians with unusual speed. Finally, it reached Mount Meng where the Youshi tribe was.


    During this moment, Shen Lian traveled in the wide Diqiu. The side of the Xia Canal was the most densely populated area. Since the beginning till now, it could say that it had always been a habit for humans to settle down near waterfronts.


    After all, before any life could directly absorb the Qi of heaven and earth and enter into inedia, they could not separate with water. Even some Qi cultivators who were cultivating till they reached the stage of inedia, they still needed to feed on the wind and drink the dew initially. It is only until their skills had deepened then only could they really cut off cooked food.


    Diqiu is divided by East, West, South, and North and each division is entirely different.


    The North City would, of course, be Wang Cheng and East City would be the residence for other aristocrat families. The South City is for the sub-first grade ruling class. West City is where people of good and evil mingle, it could be said that this is where the lowly people are.


    Nonetheless, in this land of wilderness, there were hidden dragons and snakes. The Qi dynamic there was practically multifarious. Even if Shen Lian did not go in deep it, it was also hard for him to determine what exactly was going on and what kind of formidable figures hid within.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    However, no matter how formidable the other was, he could never be as formidable as Emperor Xia and him.


    Generally speaking, Shen Lian was walking along the Xia Canal. This morning with that kind of incident that happened, the warlike Xia Clan did not panicked. Rather, they started strolling out to display the tenacity of their great country.


    The confidence of the people from Xia Clan showed on their faces, which became a very striking comparison to the people in the same area.


    This was the quality formed after a thousand years of undefeated battles, ever-victorious and plunders in all directions. Da Xia became the center of the universe, not only because they occupied the best land but it was also because their unique civilization and bloodlines were higher than the Four Barbarians.


    Shen Lian''s mental state melted into the civilized air of Diqiu and he felt the spirit of the Xia Clan. It was vast, arrogant and noble. Shen Lian recalled a book he read once. That book was called ''The Book of History in Chinese''. Within it, it wrote, "the gaudiness of the hat and clothes are called ''hua'', the country with many people be called ''Xia''."


    In the past, on Earth, there was a big country with the name ''Xia''. That legendary dynasty was even somewhat similar to the Xia Kingdom today, they were that powerful. However, Shen Lian was truly clear that this was not Earth''s history. Not only did this place has Qi cultivators and Buddhist sects, there were even saints and demons. The people of the Xia Clan were born with divine powers and they crusaded in all directions.


    However, he still could not help but to associate these two ''Xia'' together. He had a feeling that there was a connection between these two.


    Unknowingly, Shen Lian had walked through most of the places in Diqiu. And then, he stopped outside of a spot. That was the ancestral hall of Da Xia. Behind the ancestral hall was the Xia tomb. The head of the Xia Canal was there.


    Shen Lian stood on the side of a stone bridge. There was a banyan tree next to him and its vines and roots shielded him. Even getting near the stone bridge, it was hard to see him. And his line of vision directly reached the ancestral hall. He saw that ancient, deep and serene building. It was like a ferocious beast that was lying low and deep in slumber, it neither talked nor did it say anything. However, if it was to be startled, there would be unforeseen calamities.


    Uniform footsteps rang from across the stone bridge. There was a troop of sergeants clad in black armor. Their Qi of vigor rushed out from the top of their head and it condensed into a semi-substantial cumulus cloud.


    These sergeants were the elites of the Xia Clan. They were so full of Qi of essence that it was almost going to dissipate out, therefore it would form such a strange sight of those semi-substantial cumulus clouds. Not only that, they must have lived together for a very long time and have practiced a set assassination method of joint attacks. Once they displayed it, even those of the walking celestial level would need to be careful while dealing with it.


    This was the one point where the Xia Clan''s terror lied. They were trained, had pure power and could obtain strength through their bloodline. They were able to produce this kind of army troop.


    An elephant could be bitten to death when there were a lot of ants. What more that these sergeants had extraordinary military force.


    Under the rush of that cumulus cloud of Qi of essence, any snooping through divine thoughts was hard to remain hidden. Even the divine thoughts of those on the level of celestials needed also to go deep into hiding.


    However, Shen Lian only used his eyes to see, unmindfully watching.


    His eyes were like mirrors as it reflected everything he saw. It did not leave any marks but it allowed him to obtain the information he needed unintentionally.


    To drive the intention with unintentionality.


    The leader of the sergeants was the owner of the demonic blade from this morning. His entire body was clad in black leather armor and only his eyes, mouth and nose were revealed. The person they were escorting was covered in fire and he had vibrations of Qi of vitality on his. But both of his ears were cut off.


    Of course, a powerhouse like this could be killed but to have his ears cut off while he was still alive, it would seem that should have been done on his free will without resisting.


    Shen Lian could see that this person had his ears cut off not long ago. That was why the Qi dynamic around him was not in conformity after he lost his pair of ears.


    They continuously got closer to the ancestral hall and approximately thirty steps into the stone bridge, the leader in the leather armor stopped.


    Ming Luo turned to Xin Lie and said, "Brother Lie, I will escort you until here. If you have any message to bring home, you can tell me."


    Xin Lie''s ears could not hear any sound but for him to have reached this level, he already knew what the other wanted to say by just feeling the slight vibration that was caused by the sound.


    He replied, "I would need to trouble you, in general, to tell my son that to remain loyal to the monarch before his family. He does not need to miss an old man like me."


    Ming Luo nodded and said, "I will personally bring what Brother Lie has said myself. Actually, within the Xia Tomb, there is the Beginning Qi of Life that was left behind by our ancestors. With Brother Lie focusing on it, you would definitely reap the rewards. You could even enter the seventh reincarnation and there is also the possibility of cultivating it during your lifetime."


    Xin Lie smiled as he said, "I am very clear about this. In fact, I have never had any resentment towards the king. Both your loyalty and mine towards the king are the same."


    Ming Luo clasped both of his hands and said, "With these words from Brother Lie, there will definitely be a time when you could leave the Xia tomb once more. By then, I will definitely seek Brother Lie''s advice."


    Xin Lie smiled and did not answer. He turned and with big steps, he walked towards the gloomy ancestral hall. The sunlight in the sky naturally dimmed when he approached the ancestral hall.


    Ming Luo watched with his own eyes as Xin Lie walked into the ancient building. He then focused his gaze to the bottom of the banyan tree that was beside the stone bridge on the other side.

 Chapter 496 The Great Asura

    There was nothing there but with Ming Luo''s shocking intuition, he felt that there was something there.


    The reason why he only diverted his attention towards the banyan tree after Xin Lie had entered the tomb was that he was ordered by the emperor to imprison Xin Lie into the Xia tomb.


    No matter how great the heaven and earth were, the greatness would not be any greater than Emperor Xia''s. To Ming Luo, his life was not as important as completing the tasks given by the emperor.


    People had always said that he was Emperor Xia''s most loyal dog. Ming Luo had never rebutted because even he himself thought so.


    It was extremely difficult for a true powerhouse to submit to anyone. They only believed in themselves and thought that they could not be defeated by anything. Nonetheless, when it came to Ming Luo, it seemed that it was unsuitable.


    He was a true powerhouse and he also was a loyal dog that completely surrendered himself to Emperor Xia.


    Ming Luo was a straightforward person. He would not be unnecessarily suspicious unless he felt that there was a problem. Thus, he pulled out his sword, the sword which was tainted by demonic characteristics.


    These demonic characteristics were born from the blood-red Asura Sea, and it was developed after it went crusading in this world. This sword could destroy anything.


    When a sword develops demonic characteristics, it would influence its master or have its master to transform into a sword slave.


    The Blood Dissipating Sword of the former years was as so. As for this demonic blade that had gotten the true meaning of the Blood Dissipating Sword, it should have been so too but Ming Luo was not enslaved by the demonic characteristics of the sword. This was because he only had one master and that was Emperor Xia. Even the sword was Emperor Xia''s slave.


    Shen Lian was under the banyan tree. He could clearly sense the demonic characteristics of Ming Luo''s sword. In the morning, he only had a brief glimpse and did not have an impressionable experience with Ming Luo''s sword.


    He could feel the true meaning of the Blood Dissipating Sword from Ming Luo''s sword. That was a demonic sword that had absorbed the essence of many living beings for its own use.


    Not only was Ming Luo''s sword more powerful than the Blood Dissipating Sword that Shen Lian had encountered by a thousand times, its true demonic characteristics had already been adopted.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    However, Shen Lian was also far from being the Shen Lian back then. Even if the demonic sword had its own demonic characteristics, it was still only at the level of the land immortals and Arhat in which Shen Lian had already surpassed this level.


    Even since the beginning of time till now, there had been countless cultivators. Those who could truly cultivate till the current state where Shen Lian was were countable, which was why Shen Lian could thoroughly see-through Ming Luo''s demonic sword but Ming Luo could only have a subtle feeling. He could not see Shen Lian at all.


    Forgot about the banyan tree that was blocking him, if Shen Lian was willing to imitate Yanxu''s Sky Demon Method, Ming Luo would also not be able to see him even if he were to walk to the front of Ming Luo.


    This was the state of non-being. All reality was a phantom, and all phantoms were real. Shen Lian had entered the path of phantom and reality. It was the domain of the state of heavenly immortal. It was the state of Bodhisattva.


    Ming Luo pulled out his sword. It was not the same tempered sword method from this morning where its destructive power was shocking. This sword was like the spring breeze blowing, rippling through a pond of clear water.


    The space of the Netherworld was very stable. If it was the world where the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect was, the space would be like window paper and if that was so, the Netherworld would be like an impregnable fortress. It was extremely hard to be shaken.


    Contrary to what was expected, this light flick of his sword by Ming Luo caused the space to ripple like a pond of clear water.


    This sword movement was very elegant and it was as natural as the blowing wind.


    The wind started small. Once it took its shape, it could turn into a hurricane that could destroy everything.


    When the demonic sword reached the bottom of the banyan tree, it then underwent an intriguing transformation. From a small wind, it transformed into a devastating storm in an instant. This banyan tree that was probably more than a few thousand years old was about to come face to face with the calamity of being annihilated.


    However, when Ming Luo''s sword produced the storm, a mysterious force came in like the tides and covered the space within a few miles radially. The sword that went ahead boldly suddenly began to revert, as though time was ticking backward. Ming Luo sheathed the demonic sword just as how he always pulled out his sword.


    Only his thought had experienced everything that had happened before this. He was positive that he had indeed pulled out his sword but there was a force, which could juggle with the true and false senses of the heart and soul, had reset everything.


    A young man in white, whose face was unclear, walked from the bridge. Not only did he walked over, the entire world behind him came pressing towards him. A blurred haze multiplied in the space and very quickly, it drowned Ming Luo.


    He was definitely someone who would not be bewitched by illusions. However, this illusionary world that was built by the power of the heart and soul not only consisted of the incoming person''s world, it also consisted of his.


    This was like that idiom, ''It was not the wine that intoxicates but the drinker who had gotten himself drunk'' .


    "Celestial." Ming Luo squinted, as though he was working hard to see through the light mist and to see the person who was hiding behind the mist clearly.


    The sound of rushing water beneath the bridge did not stop but the image now was as though nothing had changed. The sergeants behind Ming Luo were like people who were drawn out. They had lost signs of living and intelligence.


    Only Shen Lian and Ming Luo could surpass this world.


    Which was why Ming Luo was still able to talk, but he could only talk.


    However, Ming Luo was still very calm when he came face to face with this kind of matter. The demonic sword that he was holding also seemed very calm.


    This was a powerhouse that had experience life and death and was not afraid of the terrors of it.


    When a person was not afraid of life and death, it was hard to have matters in this world that could cause fear in him.


    "Your sword is very unique. I once encountered a similar sword but its mightiness was nowhere close to yours." Shen Lian said leisurely. To him, the Blood Dissipating Sword was already something that happened ten years ago, but he had a profound impression of it.


    The reasons behind that were because of Yanxu and also due to the malignant nature in the cultivation of the Blood Dissipating Sword.


    "I understand. You have seen someone cultivating the Blood Dissipating Sword before," Ming Luo said quietly.


    "Yes, I wish to know where you have trained your sword," Shen Lian asked lightly as he clasped his hands behind his back.


    Ming Luo uttered one word at a time, "Blood-red Asura Sea."


    Sword gleams came from both his eyes. They moved forward as though wanted to grind open the mist that caged around Shen Lian''s body. However, it was a futile movement.


    The mist around Shen Lian was plainer than a spring''s dream yet it was very stable. This immobility gave Ming Luo the feeling that it was as though he could not stop the sun from rising from the east and setting at the west.


    Shen Lian nodded. Suddenly, the white robes he was clad in turned to blood red, as though he was in the mountains filled with corpses and sea filled with blood. A monstrous killing aura permeated, not only did it minced Ming Luo''s sword gleams, it even caused him to stagger a few steps backward before he could stand properly."


    "Avici, Yuantu. You are one of the Asura Clan." Ming Luo was exceptionally surprised. He had finally unmistakably confirmed Shen Lian''s background. He wanted to return to Xia Palace immediately and report everything that he had encountered to Emperor Xia.


    The blood-red Asura Sea was the most mysterious place in the Netherworld. The birth of it could even be on par with Xia Clan''s ancestors and could be traced back to when the cosmos was opened.


    During that time, there was still no Netherworld and there were not even the Six Realms of Samsara.


    The Asura Clan was born from the Asura Blood Sea and had lived through countless years. Ultimately, they were not annihilated.


    However, before K?itigarbha Bodhisattva left the Netherworld, he once entered the deep corners of the blood-red Asura Sea and vanquished all of the Great Asuras. That had caused the Asura Clan to almost not be able to recover from the setback. Until now, there had only been one Great Asura that had appeared before. Shen Lian was definitely not that Great Asura. That was why this matter would mean that the apex power of the Asura Clan could rival the Xia Kingdom.


    This was not a good matter. After all, the Asura Clan was the same as the Xia Clan. They had powerful bloodline powers and they were many of them.ɫ���ǿ�,�ռ���ɫ - Means everything in this world in non-being, be it something that is visible or invisible. If one can truly understand the meaning of this, even the non-being can be anything and everything in this world.�Ʋ����������� - Means that what happened to a person was not due to the object or matter that he is dealing with but it was because of the lack of self-control.

 Chapter 497 sOnes slash

    Shen Lian thought in his heart. It seemed to him that the opponent recognized the two sword wills he inherited from Founding Master Yuanqing and Ye Liuyun. Were Yuantu and Avici the origins of the two sword wills? He recalled from before the Asura Blood Sea that he saw when the sword will of founding master Yuanqing descended on him. Perhaps he should find a time to revisit the Asura Blood Sea to know how the Asura Clan was really like.


    "Do you really want to leave now? Shen Lian did not reply yes or not, but Ming Luo''s intention was revealed with that one sentence.


    Ming Luo held the demonic blade which was as black as ink tightly. His hand was pale. His behaviors were akin to that of a tall standing mountain and deep waters. His face had no expression.


    He asked without much changes in his expression, "What if the answer is yes?"


    As long as the blade and the human existed, there would be infinite possibilities. Even if Shen Lian''s power was out of this world, Ming Luo was not short of yet another battle. If he could walk out of Shen Lian''s deranged heart, he would then have the ability to master demonic characteristics, and to get rid of the shackles of the demonic blade. The demonic characteristics could be turned into divinity, and he could then return to Dao, and reach the state of the celestials.


    The demonic characteristics of the demonic blade held by Ming Luo were triggered, and they were flowing like a swift river, which could not be stopped. Little vibrations too brought along Ming Luo, combining them into one. The human was the blade, and the blade was the human. There was no longer difference.


    The demonic blade seemed to feel the dead or alive situation it was currently in. The demonic characteristics exploded fully, and the evil aura filled the space with a thin layer of ink.


    Ming Luo took a step forward, and his body was tall and straight like a mountain.


    "I killed someone when I was three. I learned swordcraft when I was seven, and I had great success in three years. Within Diqiu, I had no enemy under the age of twenty. By the time I was ten, I switched to practice the blade technique, and by age twenty, I reached the blood-red Asura sea by myself. I went to the depth of the blood sea alone, and I fought with the connoisseurs of the Asura Clan seven hundred and twenty-three times. Out of them, I came back from death''s door thirty-seven times. I went on to take on battles around the world and I''ve won ten out of ten times. Until today then I realize, my previous successes or failures meant nothing. Even though I can kill millions of living beings, it won''t be as satisfying as breaking a hair of yours."


    Shen Lian did not stop him and he just waited silently until he was done. It was not because he was arrogant, but because he had the utter confidence in himself, in addition to the accurate interpretation of every change in Ming Luo''s essence, Qi and spirit from the beginning.


    As Ming Luo became one with the blade, his aura was released. The spiritual opportunity within himself, however, was kept more within, as it began to combine into one with the demonic characteristics of the blade at a deeper level. A power that was in between illusory and reality was born.


    The reason why it was illusory was that this space may not differ from the outside world, it ultimately was the district of the Sky Demon constructed with the power of the heart.


    The heart had infinite possibilities. Given Ming Luo was bound here, he too needed to break the bind by the real world in order to move forward and reach to the level beyond him.


    The overflowing illusory power could too affect reality.


    However, only the old Daoist and Yanxu could exceed Shen Lian''s understanding towards Dream Heart Sutra and Sky Demon Method. While it was a dream here, the boundless universe could too be a dream. He was comfortable traveling between the dream and the reality.


    Ming Luo could feel intensely about Shen Lian''s unpredictability. His aura kept climbing but there was nowhere for him to release it.


    This form of suffocation was something that he had never encountered in his life. He refused to believe that he could not even draw his blade once. He swung the demonic blade in his hand with difficulty. The blade gleam rose up to a level of several ten thousand feet, like the height of the milky way.


    As the mist surrounding Shen Lian in the void became thicker, the color of blood began to appear. Yuantu''s and Avici''s sword wills began to intertwine in Shen Lian''s heart, like the Taichi of Yin and Yang.


    Suddenly blood-colored mist gathered around the undisturbed Shen Lian and formed a red-black Taichi in front of him.


    The blade gleam poured like the timbers that went straight down the channel, which ultimately crashed into the red-black Taichi.


    The red and black fishes of the Yin and Yang intertwined and circulated.


    Like a gigantic millstone that could wear off the gleam of a sword.


    Shen Lian who was standing on the stone bridge moved suddenly, and his right hand became a sword finger, which poked through the void on the side.


    Ming Luo immediately felt that he was ripped off from the connection with the demonic blade, and the blade gleam from far had been worn off completely by the millstone. With a loud tremble, there appeared a blade, black as ink in Shen Lian''s hand. It could not stop trembling, but its once overweening arrogance was restrained at that moment.


    Shen Lian smiled, "You don''t understand demon. Even with the demonic blade, you can''t understand the divinity within the demon."


    The divinity within the demon meant the divinity that led to clarity.


    Until this step, one could then be considered to walk into the laws of heaven from the demon realm. It could then be considered as an ever-changing form that had no limitations. Every battle was filled with infinite possibilities.


    Ming Luo did not refute, "You understood."


    Subsequently, he saw something that was unforgettable. The opponent''s calm breath suddenly took a turn. It became reckless and had no considerations for anything in the world.


    If Emperor Xia was born to reign, then the opponent right in front of him had no interest in anything in the world, anything from the earth to the high above the sky.


    Other than himself, nothing was worth mentioning.


    Ming Luo had never felt fear before, but this time, he did.


    Not only did this person possessed immense power, he did not care about anything, and he was reckless. You would never know what he was going to do next, or rather, it could be said that everything was just a game to him.


    This was a demon, a reckless demon.


    Shen Lian was still Shen Lian, but the only difference was he was experiencing how Yanxu felt before, to discover the supreme Dao of the Sky Demon.


    The demonic blade could become the best carrier for the demonic characteristics he developed in order to imitate Yanxu. It would protect him from the demonic characteristics'' nuisances.


    It was a slash. Shen Lian''s slash had no variation, but it was not straightforward. To be more accurate, it was ''one'' slash.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    From Dao, one was born. From one, came two; and from two, came three. The three could give rise to ten thousand beings.


    This ''One'' meant Dao, the real demonic realm, which from there arose countless sorceries, but the source was just from the ''One''.


    Shen Lian suddenly had a revelation. He could create an out of this world''s blade technique, which combined the killing and the fierceness of Avici and Yuanto into this ''one'' slash.


    It was a slash that could really banish the celestials, and he too had the ability to palm off the spurious for the genuine.


    Everything would turn into dust with that ''one'' slash.


    Nothing would exist anymore, and that ''one'' slash fell on Ming Luo entirely.


    The only difference was that nothing had changed in the outside world. Ming Luo was staring at the banyan tree on the opposite side. The flowing water still continued with its splashing sound. The ancestral hall was not far away, like a beast in hiding.


    After a long while, Ming Luo still did not move an inch.


    By then Shen Lian had left the ancestral hall and he was walking on the bustling street.


    With that slash, he had a hundred feelings in his heart. He was finally aware of one thing, that Yanxu was not completely eliminated. The profoundness of Sky Demon Method went beyond death. Yanxu was affecting him in another way.


    He laughed, and mumbled to himself, "Dead means dead, why does he still have to bother me?"

 Chapter 498 Carving

    Shen Lian was currently at Xicheng, West Town, where traders and diplomats from other countries gathered. With the crowd, it had a thick air of the secular mortal world.


    He strolled around the streets and listened to the hawkers crying their wares. There were all kinds of people in the restaurants, discussing what was happening in their respective countries. The messages all went by his heart. He could manage the messages in his surrounding better now.


    Despite being able to read everyone''s mind, in the face of all kinds of odd thoughts, he could still be an impartial observer and could predict what would happen to everyone in the next moment.


    This was not to deduce the designs of nature but to perform an accurate analysis.


    He did not even spend much effort, as it was conducted by his enormous Primordial Spirit subconsciously.


    The ancestral hall of Xia Kingdom where he was at before was protected by a mysterious power. Shen Lian did not have the intention to discover further.


    On the other hand, he was touched by Ming Luo''s demonic blade, which in turn caused some mild changes in his temperament. It was because of Yanxu''s Sky Demon Method.


    During the bier discourse of Dao, Yanxu was, in fact, dead, but the key message of Sky Demon Method and Dream Heart Sutra was to turn everything in life into an illusion until eventually, one woke up from it, it would then be transcendence.


    As such, the meaning of death did not mean death to Yanxu who was an expert. Even though countless clones of Yanxu and his egos were destroyed, he too planted a seed of himself in Shen Lian during the few encounters. If one day Shen Lian decided to let go of the boundaries and to be reckless, Yanxu could then make use of his shadow to reincarnate himself.


    This generation of Shen Lian had a minor difference with the one from before. He did not realize before that he actually shared a similar personality with Yanxu, but the main difference was that Shen Lian had his boundary and Yanxu did not.


    If others took note of it, they would perhaps be paranoid, and try out all the methods to eliminate the shadow of Yanxu, but after Shen Lian was made aware of it, he just laughed it off.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He knew how he was like and there was no definition to it. Shen Lian felt that he was like water which took the shape of the environment it was in.


    A stream of water falling from the cliff would lead to the formation of a grand waterfall, but if it flowed downwards slowly, it would then become a clear and beautiful stream. Hundreds of rivers gathered and then the sea would be formed. A puddle would be formed if water flowed inside a pothole.


    Because he understood it, Shen Lian could then live freely and easily.


    Ming Luo was still alive, but he did not live in a complete way. He stood quietly outside the ancestral hall. The blade in his hand was filled with demonic characteristics. The soldiers who followed him to the ancestral hall all went mad and dropped dead, because the demonic characteristics of the demonic blade lit up the accumulated Qi of devilry within themselves, and messed up their thoughts.


    Emperor Xia visited the ancestral hall himself, and he saw how Ming Luo look, and the demonic blade in his hand. The blade had become something that could absorb the essence of sun and moon by itself, and it could even swallow the essence of living beings. To some extent, this blade had become a demon.


    Emperor Xia took away the demonic blade and took away Ming Luo''s body. His most devoted dog had now lost his spirit, and only his body remained.


    The chancellors thought Emperor Xia would try every method to find the murderer, and it was clear to everyone that the murderer was the person who moved the mountain in the morning, but Emperor Xia did not do anything, everything was business as usual.


    The chancellors were nervous in the beginning, as even Ming Luo was killed by that person. They all wondered who would be next.


    As Emperor Xia was so calm, the chancellors all felt more relaxed subconsciously.


    For ten days, nothing happened in Diqiu.


    The undercurrent which was previously rising and falling began to subside. The school became busier.


    Guan Longzi''s knowledge brought a lot of surprises to the students. They did not obtain any concrete cultivation methods from Guan Longzi, but they had a clearer understanding of the principles of the law of heaven and earth. They too learned about the source of power.


    Yin and Yang, the five elements, and the birth of all beings were all taught by Guan Longzi.


    Wuding and Fei Zhong were the two that benefited the most. Significant improvements were observed, as their breathing increased day by day. The two were surprised by the speed of their improvements.


    To Guan Longzi, it was due to the reason that they had great potentials that led them to an opening. It was akin to the saying that if you understood one theory, you could understand everything, and with that you would become a Buddha or Celestial.


    On the other hand, what Lei Jing was learning from Shen Lian was much simpler. She was still at the first level, whereby she was learning to stop breathing through the mouth and the nose, but instead make use of the pores of her body to take in the air.


    This was a continuous and lengthy process, and this period could penetrate through a large part of her subsequent life.


    Lei Jing enjoyed this period of time a lot because it was pleasant. Anyone who had spent some time with Shen Lian would not dislike him. He was not cold, but he too was not overly passionate. He was never far or close, but he always seemed to know what was the most appropriate distance.


    Sometimes Lei Jing felt annoyed with Shen Lian''s teasing, but as Shen Lian understood her well, he could easily resolve her annoyance.


    It was easy to get along with Shen Lian, but it was extremely difficult for one to get close to his heart. Lei Jing really wanted to get close to Shen Lian''s heart to know who he truly was.


    This had nothing to do with love, but an inborn curiosity of human.


    From three days ago, Shen Lian liked to visit the stream, where he would sit next to it, focusing on carving a fresh tree branch he picked up with a sharp knife.


    The knife was the one Lei Jing saw when Shen Lian went to request one to be made by a normal ironsmith in the city. The material and quality were commonplace.


    When Shen Lian was carving the wood, he would enter a selfless state, and the wood would slowly turn into a knife. The knife had a larger curve than most knives. It looked like the crescent moon in the sky.


    The wooden knife had a natural flow, like that of the water. In three days, Shen Lian carved three wooden knives, and each of them looked the same, but Lei Jing felt there were some slight differences.


    The wooden knife on the first day was not as alive as the one on the second day, and the wooden knife on the third day was more alive than the one on the second day.


    Lei Jing did not understand why she would use ''alive'' as a description, but it was probably because she could not think of other adjectives.


    Every time Shen Lian was done with carving the wooden knife, he would throw it into the water. This time was no exception.


    Lei Jing would pick up the wooden knife stealthily, although she did not know why she would pick it up, as it was something thrown away by Shen Lian. She was the Eldest Young Lady of Prefect Grand Usher. It was embarrassing for her to do something like that.


    This time Lei Jing predicted wrongly. After Shen Lian was done the carving, he passed the wooden knife to Lei Jing. The back and the blade of the knife were natural but traditional. The body of the knife carried vitality as a whole like it was about to come alive anytime.

 Chapter 499 The Difference Between Spirituality and the Demonic Characteristics

    Lei Jing took over the knife, and she felt a stronger vitality than the two wooden knives before. She finally asked, "Sir, I have a question."


    Shen Lian kept the small knife in his robe. He removed his clogs and dipped his feet in the clear stream. The flowing water rinsed his feet, like once upon a time what Buddha did to his feet in the water of the Ganges river. This peaceful demeanor, if caught by any Qi cultivators who were experts in cultivation of spirit, was to be considered a fortune as one could improve in his spirit by visualizing Shen Lian''s current demeanor.


    He indicated Lei Jing to sit next to him. The teacher-student pair washed their feet in this secluded area. Lei Jing was a little shy in the beginning, but she sat down with grace.


    The rocks were chilly but clean. The wood dust produced when Shen Lian was carving the wooden knife had already been carried away by the water.


    Shen Lian turned his head to his student, "You can ask the question."


    Lei Jing felt the chilly water which was tinkling the senses of her feet. Her pores were filled with the spiritual opportunity of the water, which were more powerful within the opening and closing. The great circulation made her feel good.


    She spoke slowly, "Sir, why were you carving wooden knives? Was it just fun? I am curious as to why a dead object like the wooden knife can carry such spirituality if the carving was done by you. I thought i could feel that the two wooden knives I picked up previously were breathing over my sleep. It was indistinct, but I could tell they were indeed taking in the spiritual opportunity."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Jing Er, you''ve improved a lot as you can now detect the breathing of the wooden knives. Indeed, every spiritual being in heaven and earth breathes, but it is not restricted to just between the mouth and the nose. Your feeling was right - the wooden knives have gained spirituality or demonic characteristics. The only thing is that they are incredibly weak at the moment. There is no difference between spirituality and demonic characteristics."


    Lei Jing thought for a while, and she subsequently said, "Sir, so spiritual and demonic characteristics are supposedly a state of mind, or a spirit by itself, but why is there a difference between them?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian clapped, "You can infer three things from one case. Jing Er, I believe you will become a Daoist in the future. About the difference between spirituality and demonic characteristics, actually, it is hard to distinguish them. I too cannot make a judgment easily, but I can tell you a story. Once upon a time, there were two lambs, and in their surroundings, they had a grassland each, and the both of them loved eating grass. However, one of them always wanted to eat until it was satisfied, and when it ate, it did not even leave the roots alone. Soon, there was no longer grass in its surrounding, and because of the situation, it had to leave early to find the next grassland. The other lamb, however, knew how to eat in moderation, and it would not destroy the roots of the grass. It divided the grassland into many regions, and after it consumed about half of every region, it would switch to another. With that, the grassland had helped it live for a long time."


    Lei Jing seemed to have a revelation, "So what sir was saying is that spirituality means one knows how to act in moderation, and that demonic characteristics mean to be unrestricted."


    Shen Lian''s gaze was focused on the opposite side. A piece of leaf fell from the branch into the water, and within moments, it lost its direction. The reason why it fell was that a bug ate its base.


    He replied slowly, "You''re right, but not entirely right. It is natural for lambs to love grass. In the beginning, it just wanted to eat grass, and it kept wanting to do so, but it did not control its desire and it went on a binge. That was why the grassland was wasted. The other lamb could control its appetite, and it even divided the grassland into different regions. It told itself about how at one time it could only eat the grass in a region."


    Lei Jing seemed to understand, "I understand, your intention is to tell me the difference between doing whatever you want and doing whatever you don''t want to. It also means for us to be disciplined, and not just go on without it, like this stream. Even though it can flow anywhere, as it is restricted by the channel, it will not overflow and hence can be an existence that lasts."


    "I have another question." Lei Jing asked.


    "I know what you want to ask. Do you want to say that if the lamb left and found a richer grassland, or that it snatched the grassland which the other lamb was grazing on, it could still consume in an unrestricted manner? In other worlds, if one has the supreme power, there is no need to worry too much. One can do whatever one desires, like your uncle, Emperor Xia. As long as he wants to do it, there is no restriction that says he can''t." Shen Lian replied slowly, and the answer was exactly what Lei Jing was thinking about.


    The worldview she had constructed for the past ten years would not change just because of what Shen Lian said.


    Furthermore, the reason why Xia Kingdom could be the unrestricted lamb was that they were more powerful than others. If anything was lacking, they could just snatch it from someone else.


    The fittest survived, it was the law of nature.


    Lei Jing nodded, and she paid close attention to Shen Lian''s reaction.


    Shen Lian''s expression was like normal. It did not seem like he had any dissatisfactions with her. Perhaps he was not happy, but as he did not show it, she would not change her mind now.


    She spoke softly, "So sir, you think that the Xia clan has demonic characteristics?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I did not say that. You should take care of the three wooden knives, and next, I will teach you another skill." It was difficult to change someone''s opinion. Even though Shen Lian could make use of Daoist techniques to force someone to change his or her worldview since young, but what was that different from Yanxu? If he always just wanted others to be just like him, the world would be a tremendously boring place.


    Lei Jing was curious, "Sir, are you going to teach me supernatural techniques? I have no mana yet."


    Shen Lian looked at her slightly curled and long eyelashes. Her eyes were more active than the flow of water. He thought to himself that this lady was blessed by the creator. He said, "Even though you''re a woman, in your body flows the noble blood of the Xia clan, and hence you have power. I will teach you how to carve next."


    Lei Jing thought carving was more interesting than breathing. She said, "Sure, what will you teach me to carve?"


    Shen Lian said, "There are twenty days to a full moon, and it is the Moon Sacrificial Ritual of Xia Kingdom. Emperor Xia will have a palace''s feast that day. Try using the three wooden knives to make a stone sculpture that looks like your uncle, but don''t carve the eyes. I will be guiding you until I am satisfied with the stone sculpture."


    Lei Jing became more interested as she listened to what Shen Lian said, if uncle saw that she carved him into a stone sculpture, he would surely be surprised during the palace''s feast.


    She had some hesitations about carving a stone, but if sir wanted her to do it, even if he did some tricks, it would be hard to deceive her. If that was the case, she would let Guan Longzi have a look first.


    Although this person always acted like a sage, but Lei Jing knew clearly that he would not betray her uncle.

 Chapter 500 Kunwu Stone

    As Shen Lian promised to teach Lei Jing sculpture, he did not renege. In the evening, Lei Jing saw an enormous stone in Zhiwei Home. The stone had a smooth texture and was filled with an abundance of spiritual opportunity akin to that of water. Lei Jing could feel it from far away.


    More importantly, she came to know about this stone, or more accurately, the origin of Kunwu Stone.


    The production of Kunwu stone was in the hand of Xi Hu. Since Xi Hu admitted defeat to Xia Kingdom, it had paid five Kunwu stones as a tribute, and three of them fell into the hand of her father, Lei Nuo, the Prefect Grand Usher.


    The swords and knives tempered by the stone beamed like it was daylight, and it could shave a jade like it was made out of the mud. Jade was considered a tough one in the range of stones, but if this stone could do that to jade, one could only imagine its hardness.


    Lei Jing walked towards the Kunwu stone and pressed on it with her finger. She had the noblest blood of the Xia Clan, and hence she had an abnormal strength. However, even using her strength to press on the stone, she could not even leave a mark. She could tell it was a bona fide Kunwu stone.


    She asked Shen Lian, "Sir, where did you get this stone from?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "Your father heard that you want to learn sculpture, hence he gladly gave this Kunwu stone to me."


    Lei Jing''s mouth twitched. It could not be the truth. Her father took a great deal of effort to hide the Kunwu stone from the eyes of the public. As much as her father would pamper her, he would not be willing to let her use it for sculpting because even her grandfather, the clan leader of Youhu''s, Lei Hong too could not get one.


    She was right, Lei Nuo naturally did not want to hand out Kunwu stone, but he could not reject Shen Lian. Furthermore, Shen Lian took it out before informing Lei Nuo.


    The various defenses within the huge manor of the Prefect Grand Usher were like nothing to Shen Lian.


    As Lei Nuo knew about what happened to Ming Luo, he could only treat Shen Lian as his ancestor.


    Lei Nuo was aware of how powerful Ming Luo was. Back then Xin Lie had already reincarnated six times, and his body was covered by heavenly fire. Any near-body attack would in return be harmed by the heavenly fire. Ming Luo however, just cut off his ears according to Emperor Xia''s order like it was nothing. None of the heavenly fire got to him. Thus, one could tell the depth of his cultivation and could rank him in top ten within Diqiu.


    Even someone like that was killed outside the ancestral hall without any signal. It could only reflect how terrifying Shen Lian''s method was.


    The only thing Lei Jing was clearly aware of was that Shen Lian was powerful. A smart girl like her too realized Shen Lian shared an unusual relationship with her father.


    She did not pursue the answer further if her father decided to not mention anything.


    Furthermore, she was unwilling to think about the disdain side of Shen Lian, but she was rejoicing in her father''s misfortune as he had to give up the stone.


    Lei Jing said, "Alright, when do we start, sir?"


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Wait for a while."


    He took out a book from Zhiwei Home''s book rack. The book was about stone sculpture. Since intellectual beings were born, they began to communicate. Especially for human beings, they had the biggest exchange of messages, which involved everything from what they had seen to the occasional crazy ideas they had.


    The writing was the best medium to carry these messages.


    Writings, however, were not the earliest medium, and before them, there were stone sculptures, which were the oldest message carriers in any civilizations.


    The stone sculpture had more dimensions than writings and hence it carried a more comprehensive message within. A connoisseur could replicate his or her messages completely through time, and it was something that could not be achieved through writing.


    In the tombs of Xia, there were many relief sculptures of the ancestors of Xia Clan. Their spirit and essence were sculpted in an expert manner and passed on to the next generation who could benefit from watching them.


    Shen Lian continued to flip the book and explain the details of the stone sculpture. This teaching method was out of this world.


    He understood the art of stone sculpture in that split seconds, and he passed his understanding to Lei Jing at the same time. If Guan Longzi saw this, he too would say he would never get there.


    After Shen Lian explained all the techniques, he looked at Lei Jing.


    Lei Jing smiled with her lips closed, like the blossoming of a lotus flower. She then spoke about what she had just heard. Her soft and crisp voice attracted a lot of eavesdroppings from the students of Guan Longzi outside.


    They all knew Lei Jing was a woman, and hence they always tried to peek at her, as such a beautiful lady from Xia Clan was rare.


    Despite not being able to date her, it is good to have such an eye candy.


    After they heard Lei Jing''s repeat on sculpting, at that time a lot of people thought of learning it too. After that night, stones that are slightly bigger became a rarity in the school.


    Lei Jing did not pay attention to the others. Her spiritual intelligence was high and she had a strong ability to learn. When she repeated, she learned it all over again as she spoke of the details of stone sculpting.


    Shen Lian nodded, "Not bad, but there is something that the book did not discuss. It is something important."


    Lei Jing said, "What is it?"


    Shen Lian grabbed Lei Jing''s hand and placed it on the Kunwu stone. Lei Jing''s heartbeat increased slightly, but she pretended to be calm, "Sir, what do you want to do?"


    Shen Lian said, "How do you feel?"


    Lei Jing posed a shy demeanor, "Sir, your hand is warm."


    Shen Lian shot a glance at her. His eyes were deep.


    Lei Jing stopped teasing Shen Lian. She said, "I can feel the texture of the stone, and the spiritual opportunity within it, which is flowing within the texture. It has an indescribable rhythm. It is beautiful."


    Shen Lian admired her talent, "Good, techniques are just the branches. The most important thing is for you to feel the texture of the Kunwu stone, to understand its structure, and then to disintegrate it. From now onward, keep feeling the Kunwu stone, until what falls into your eyes is no longer a stone. Then you can move on to the next stage."


    Lei Jing looked up at Shen Lian and said, "This is not hard, give me a night''s time."


    Her words were full of confidence, and her gaze was firm.


    Xia Palace was enormous and deep, and where Yinglong stayed was a huge pond. A few black steel pillars were found not far away from the pond, and they all displayed a black-red color. Underneath the steel pillars was the fire of the Netherworld. There were individuals tied to the pillars, and they were either aristocrats or the country leaders from outside of the region.


    They had no energy left to even scream. The fire of the Netherworld not only dealt damage on the body but also the spirit. As the strength of the fire of the Netherworld was passed on by the black steel pillars, these people would not die too soon.


    This was the hot pillar punishment invented by Emperor Xia, it was known to be the most fearful punishment within Xia Kingdom.


    Emperor Xia sat at a high place, observing the suffering of these people as he smiled cruelly.


    Since Yinglong was woken up by Shen Lian last time, it no longer slept. It was not too interested with Emperor Xia''s distasteful hobby, but the meat cooked by the fire of the Netherworld was indeed different.


    When Yinglong opened its mouth to chew on another person, a loud and bright squeak by a bird was heard from the sky.


    As Shen Lian promised to teach Lei Jing sculpture, he did not renege. In the evening, Lei Jing saw an enormous stone in Zhiwei Home. The stone had a smooth texture and was filled with an abundance of spiritual opportunity akin to that of water. Lei Jing could feel it from far away.


    More importantly, she came to know about this stone, or more accurately, the origin of Kunwu Stone.


    The production of Kunwu Stone was in the hand of Xi Hu. Since Xi Hu admitted defeat to Da Xia, it had paid five Kunwu stones as a tribute, and three of them fell in the hand of her father, Lei Nuo of Prefect Grand Usher.


    The swords and knives tempered by the stone beamed like it was daylight, and it could shave a jade-like it was made of mud. Jade was considered a tough one in the range of stones, but if this stone could do that to jade, one could only imagine its hardness.


    Lei Jing walked towards the Kunwu stone and pressed on it with her finger. She had the noblest blood of the Xia clan, and hence she had an abnormal strength. However, even using her strength to press on the stone, she could not even leave a mark. She could tell it was a bona fide Kunwu stone.


    She asked Shen Lian, "Sir, where did you get this stone from?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "Your father learned that you want to learn sculpture, hence he gladly gave this Kunwu stone to me."


    Lei Jing''s mouth twitched. It could not be the truth. While her father pampered her, but he took a great deal of effort to hide the Kunwu stone from the public eye. Even her grandfather, the clan leader of Youhu''s, Lei Hong too could not get one. He would not be willing to let her use it for sculpting.


    She was right, Lei Nuo naturally did not want to hand out Kunwu Stone, but he could not reject Shen Lian. Furthermore, Shen Lian took it out before informing Lei Nuo.


    The various defenses within the huge manor of the Prefect Grand Usher were like nothing to Shen Lian.


    As Lei Nuo knew about what happened to Ming Luo, he could only treat Shen Lian as his ancestor.


    Lei Nuo was aware of how powerful Ming Luo was. Back then Xin Lie had reincarnated six times, and his body was covered by heavenly fire. Any near-body attack would in return be harmed by the heavenly fire. Ming Luo however, just cut off his ears according to Emperor Xia''s order like it was nothing. None of the heavenly fire got to him. One could tell the depth of his cultivation, which could rank him in top ten within Diqiu.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Even someone like that was killed outside the ancestral hall without any signal. It could only reflect how terrifying Shen Lian''s method was.


    The only thing Lei Jing was clearly aware of was that Shen Lian was powerful. A smart girl like her too realized Shen Lian shared an unusual relationship with her father.


    She did not pursue the answer further if her father decided to not mention anything.


    Furthermore, she was unwilling to think about the bad parts of Shen Lian, but she was rejoicing in her father''s misfortune as he had to give up the stone.


    Lei Jing said, "Alright, when do we start, sir?"


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Wait for a while."


    He took out a book from Zhiwei Home''s book rack. The book talked about stone sculpture. Since intellectual beings were born, they began to communicate. Especially for human beings, they had the biggest exchange of messages, which involved everything from what they had seen to the occasional crazy ideas they had.


    The writing was the best medium to carry these messages.


    Writings, however, were not the earliest medium, and before them, there was stone sculpture, which was the oldest message carrier in any civilization.


    Stone sculpture had more dimensions than writings and hence it carried a more comprehensive message within. A connoisseur could replicate his or her messages completely through time, and it was something that could not be achieved through writing.


    In the tombs of Xia there were many relief sculptures of the ancestors of Xia clan. Their spirit and essence were sculpted in an expert manner and passed on to the next generation who could benefit from watching them.


    Shen Lian continued to flip the book and explain the details of the stone sculpture. This teaching method was out of this world.


    He understood the art of stone sculpture in that split second, and he passed his understanding to Lei Jing at the same time. If Guan Longzi saw this, he too would say he would never get there.


    After Shen Lian explained all the techniques, he looked at Lei Jing.


    Lei Jing smiled with her lips closed, like the blossoming of a lotus flower. She then spoke about what she had just heard. Her soft and crisp voice attracted a lot of eavesdropping from the students of Guan Longzi outside.


    They all knew Lei Jing was a woman, and hence they always tried to peek on her, as such a beautiful lady from Xia clan was rare.


    Despite not being able to date her, it is good to have such an eye candy.


    After they heard Lei Jing''s repeat on sculpting, at that time a lot of people thought of learning it too. After that night, stones that are slightly bigger became a rarity in the school.


    Lei Jing did not pay attention to the others. Her spiritual intelligence was high and she had a strong ability to learn. When she repeated, she learned it all over again as she spoke of the details of stone sculpting.


    Shen Lian nodded, "Not bad, but there is something the book did not speak about. It is something important."


    Lei Jing said, "What is it?"


    Shen Lian grabbed Lei Jing''s hand and placed it on the Kunwu Stone. Lei Jing''s heartbeat increased slightly, but she pretended to be calm, "Sir, what do you want to do?"


    Shen Lian said, "How do you feel?"


    Lei Jing posed a shy demeanor, "Sir, your hand is warm."


    Shen Lian shot a glance at her. His eyes were deep.


    Lei Jing stopped teasing Shen Lian. She said, "I can feel the texture of the stone, and the spiritual opportunity within it, which is flowing within the texture. It has an indescribable rhythm. It is beautiful."


    Shen Lian seemed to be admiring her talent, "Good, techniques are just the branches. The most important thing is for you to feel the texture of the Kunwu Stone, to understand its structure, and then to disintegrate it. From now onward, keep feeling the Kunwu Stone, until what falls into your eyes is no longer a stone. Then you can move on to the next stage."


    Lei Jing looked up at Shen Lian and said, "This is not hard, give me a night''s time."


    Her words were full of confidence, and her gaze was firm.


    Xia Palace was enormous and deep, and where Yinglong stayed was a huge pond. A few black steel pillars were found not far away from the pond, and they all displayed a black-red color. Underneath the steel pillars was the fire of the Netherworld. There were individuals being tied to the pillars, and they were either aristocrats or the country leaders from outside of the region.


    They had no energy left to even scream. The fire of the Netherworld not only dealt damage on the body but also the spirit. As the strength of the fire of the Netherworld was passed on by the black steel pillars, these people would not die too soon.


    This was the hot pillar punishment invented by Emperor Xia, it was known to be the most feared punishment within Xia Kingdom.


    Emperor Xia sat at a high place, observing the suffering of these people as he smiled cruelly.


    Since Yinglong was woken up by Shen Lian last time, it no longer slept. It was not too interested with Emperor Xia''s distasteful hobby, but the meat cooked by the fire of the Netherworld was indeed different.


    When Yinglong opened its mouth to chew on another person, a loud and bright squeak by a bird was heard from the sky.

 Chapter 501 The Son of the White Emperor

    It was a phoenix that was as black as ink. If Shen Lian saw it, he would think that it looked similar to the serene bird, Qianmo. Not only from its appearance but more importantly, the pair of eyes was exactly the same.


    Yinglong let out a deep roar, and the storm went towards the black phoenix. The dragon breath within the storm could destroy gold and even break the jade.


    The black phoenix flapped its wings, and the storm was dispersed. Its powerful claws grabbed hold of the black steel pillars. The fire of the Netherworld flowed towards it. It let out a burp, and its sharp eyes were cold as it faced Yinglong up front.


    Yinglong belonged to a noble dragon clan, and it was very likely that it had cultivated for more than ten thousand years. Normal living things could only bow down to it as they shook.


    The black phoenix was not afraid of Yinglong''s authority. After roaring for a while, Yinglong lost interest and began to stay in its Dragon Pond.


    The black phoenix turned to look at Emperor Xia. It opened its mouth, and a letter dropped out. The letter was made of gold leaves. On top of it carved a dense amount of ancient writings, which finally fell on Emperor Xia''s hand.


    The followers of Emperor Xia quickly recognized where the black phoenix came from. They were all shocked.


    The Eastern Barbarians had existed longer than the Xia Clan. Even Yinshang to some extent was divided out of the Eastern Barbarians, but the only difference was that the Shang Clan had broken off from the Eastern Barbarians'' civilization and became a real kingdom.


    There were a lot of worthwhile people that were recognized by the Xia Kingdom came from the Eastern Barbarians'' side. The owner of the black phoenix was one of them.


    To be exact, he was not human. He was a half demon.


    He should be twenty by now.


    His name was Yunyang. He was accompanied by five phoenixes when he was born. The High Priest had predicted that Yunyang was born out of thefor visiting.


    After reading the letter, Emperor Xia appeared calm, but cracks began to appear on the stone pavement underneath his throne showing how disturbed he really was.


    The black phoenix flapped its wings again before it flew towards the sky. Emperor Xia pumped his palm forward, blood mist and several tens of black feathers which were as if made of black steel fell from the sky. Still, they did not manage to keep the black phoenix there.


    As Emperor Xia did not manage to kill it, he stopped pursuing it.


    Subsequently, people found out the content of the letter. The son of the White Emperor, Yunyang would build a country in the east, and with Qiong Sang being the capital. He too would marry the most gorgeous girl from Youshi - Meixi.


    People from Diqiu finally understood why Emperor Xia had the intention to conquer Youshi. Previously he asked to marry Youshi''s Meixi, but Youshi rejected.


    This angered Emperor Xia, and hence the idea of attacking Youshi.


    The reason why Youshi dared to go against Emperor Xia was naturally that of the son of the White Emperor, Yunyang. If one day this person became somebody, perhaps it would be as predicted by the High Priest, that he would be the king of the unified Eastern Barbarian, and the next Tianyi.


    The next day, Emperor Xia discussed this matter with his officials during the morning meeting.


    No one knew what the authoritarian Emperor Xia thought, but as it involved the fortune of the country, Xiahou, Youhu and the rest of the twelve aristocrats and the Xia Clan discussed seriously about the issue as it would affect their fundamental benefits.


    The son of the White Emperor, Yunyang''s letter was humble and calm as he implied to admit the superiority of Xia Kingdom. At the same time, he was firm about forming his own country as well as his marriage with Youshi and these had no room for negotiation. Furthermore, the White Emperor was recognized not just as the king of the demonic clans and one of the elites of The Great Demon Sage, he was the top among the great powerhouses. His extreme powers allowed him to achieve immortality during the era of the Emperor. Since Yunyang was born out of his Qi, his purity could gain recognition among the demonic clans, especially when he grew up.


    Tianyi who represented the influence of Qi cultivators was sufficient to cause a headache to the Xia Kingdom. If Yunyang could unify some of the demonic clans, and the whole of Eastern Barbarians, he could be a worse of an enemy compared to Yinshang.


    The official''s opinions were divided into two sides. One was to release Tianyi immediately to ease the war between the Eastern Barbarians and Yinshang over all these years. As they were both at the east of the Xia Kingdom, a war could break in anytime. If the two of them decided to form a coalition against the Xia Kingdom, it was likely due to the stressful restrictions from the Xia Kingdom, forcing the Eastern Barbarians to choose between life or death and cooperated with their greatest enemy, Yinshang.


    It was a profound strategy, as even with Tianyi''s saintly quality, it too could not resolve the conflicts between the two easily.


    The other side had a totally different opinion. They thought to kill Tianyi immediately to shock the world. Then they would attack Youshi with a lightning speed and eliminate the clan. They would snatch Meixi over. As long as the Xia Kingdom could achieve it within several months, they could make everyone bow down to them through military control.


    The two sides argued for ten plus days, as Emperor Xia never said anything.


    These days Lei Jing paid no attention to nothing else other than the Kunwu stone. She drank next to it, slept next to it. From dawn till dark, she never left the Kunwu stone.


    Nothing is difficult on this earth if your mind is set.


    Shen Lian looked at her behavior and said so to Guan Longzi. Guan Longzi too agreed with the quote. Even though Lei Jing was of aristocratic blood and looked to be slightly spoiled, she was, however, smarter than people of her age within Xia Clan, and too she was more hardworking.


    A talent was not something scary, but what was scary was that she was talented and extremely hardworking.


    "She reminds me of someone." Guan Longzi said to Shen Lian. They were playing Othello.


    Shen Lian placed the white piece and took out a black piece. He smiled as he asked, "Who?"


    "Tianyi in his teenage years." Guan Longzi spoke seriously.


    Shen Lian shook his head, "Still far from it."


    Guan Longzi spoke slowly, "I understand, to your level, talent and determination are no longer determining factors, but without talent or determination, one will never get close to the door."


    "What you said is right, but I hope that she will just be herself, and not like anyone else. " Shen Lian spoke with a deep voice.


    Guan Longzi slowly reacted with another piece. A dragon appeared all in a sudden. Even though he lost a black piece, he managed to break the constraints. It almost as if it was ready to pierce through the sky.


    He stared at Shen Lian, "I know you want to learn about the mystery of Xia Clan''s blood, but I hope that one day you won''t make her hate you."


    Shen Lian replied with the white piece. This piece was extremely profound and out of this world. It seemed to not have any relation with Guan Longzi''s dragon, but if Guan Longzi had no way to break through the situation, the aura of piercing through the sky would be halted.


    Shen Lian asked, "Actually I''m curious about one thing, what if one day Xia Kingdom comes to an end? What will become of you?"


    "I will live and die with the Xia Kingdom."�׵��� - in the ancient history of China, it was said that the son of the White emperor was the Duke Xiang of Qin. White emperor was on of the five emperors in the world of China who governed the east of the country.��ʱͻ������,��ȻʧȥһƬ����,����ȴ��������,������һ�ɳ���ļ��� - A way of describing the style of the game.����ͬ�����ӵĴ������޹���,����������������ƽ�취,һ�ɳ�������ƾͻ��Ȼ��ֹ - A way of describing the style of the game.

 Chapter 502 Dotting in the Eyes

    He did not esteem nor regret because of this. He understood but he did not agree with Guan Longzi. After all, this was his own choice.


    Regarding their states, Guan Longzi was definitely above Daoism land immortals. To reach Tian Xianjing, it was not impossible to be done if he wanted to live for another few thousand years. As a matter of fact, it was already very difficult to encounter natural death as his cultivation level already reached the level of a land immortal. This had nothing to do with the strength of power but their abilities to surmount the restraint of mundanity. Even the Book of Life and Death could only use certain special means to induce the deaths of land immortals.


    Because Shen Lian had yet to interact with the land immortals of Netherworld, he could only roughly understand from Guan Longzi. He guessed that it could be relevant to the land immortals'' three biggest Trials of Dao.


    Qing Xuan daoist sect''s Earth and Star Great Way rules and the Netherworld had significant differences. Although the trial of Dao was challenging, it would never be as terrifying as the Netherworld. According to Guan Longzi, since the foundation of Da Xia, the amount of cultivators who could actually reach Tian Xianjing and Buddha Jing from Di Xianjing was never more than fifty. There was not even one land immortal who could live since foundation of Da Xia to present. The difficulty to reach Tian Xianjing from the Netherworld was clear to see.


    Back in the past, for those that had attained Tian Xianjing, some might already have found the way out of the Netherworld and moved to another world. There might also be some who had always been hiding in the Netherworld and had not been through reborn. Just like there was a rumour about a senior monk by the blood-red sea who had already achieved The K?itigarbha Techniques which was ranked highest in the world. His great mind had proved the state of Mahasattva which was comparable to Taiyi from Daoism.


    There had always been the saying that it was easy to attain Dao but difficult to preserve Dao. However, when it had reached the stage of Mahasattva and Taiyi, then there would be no reversal of state of Dao but only defending your own Dao and it was ranked the highest among the world''s sentient beings.


    There was a rumour about this senior monk who would always use his big mana to convert the resentful spirits in blood-red sea. However, due to the fact that the resentment in the world would flow in the direction to the blood-red sea, hence even with K?itigarbha Bodhisattva''s boundless mana, it still could not clear up the blood-red sea. Therefore, the effort that the senior monk had put in actually went down the drain.


    Shen Lian knew the story about this senior monk and he was determined to go to the blood-red Asura sea in the future. The thought of having to witness a living Mahasattva had aroused him.


    All these thoughts happened like the lightning, they did not leave any track in his heart. When Shen Lian made his move, all the changes in the chess game were instantly being held back.


    Shen Lian said, "my friend, you''ve lost."


    Guan Longzi swept the chessboard and everything instantly scattered. This sweep was like a flying celestial, there was no sign of it and it actually concealed from Shen Lian''s premonition. Although Guan Longzi''s speed was not fast and Shen Lian could stop it from happening, he did not do so. One with sincerity had the ability to predict, and Guan Longzi''s premonition was before him.


    On the other hand, Lei Jing who had been in silence for a long time had already gotten up one moment ago. She had completely witnessed everything that happened between Shen Lian and Guan Longzi. Her haggard looks could not conceal her satisfaction deep in her eyes. She walked slowly to them and said, "Mr. Guan Longzi, I can remember clearly about the chess game. Remember your promise since you''ve lost."


    Guan Longzi spoke while smiling, "you teacher and disciple team up to bully me. Goodbye."


    He stood up and left, as simply as the flowing water.


    Shen Lian silently looked at this disciple while sizing her up. Compared to before, the expression in her eyes had become so much deeper that even Qi cultivators who had profound cultivation experience would feel embarrassed meeting her.


    Shen Lian had even seen an unmeasurable vital force which originated from her bloodline. It was filled with ancientness, maturity, stalwartness and vastness.


    Lei Jing stood quietly in front of Shen Lian. It instinctively felt like there was a high morality master manner which originated from the inheritance of bloodline. Naturally, it had caused earthshaking changes in her qualities.


    She was no longer the soft girl but the Lei Jing who was the descendant with both Youhu and Xiahou''s bloodline.


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "although I can predict a lot of things, I''ve underestimated your Xia Clan bloodline''s extraordinary gift. The things that Qi cultivators can only understand after spending up to hundred of years on it, you can actually get it within such a short period of time."


    Lei Jing stared at this man right in front of her, her admiration for this man never faded at all although she was already different from before.


    She had finally come to her realisation. It was not the realisation of her bloodline''s power, but the realisation deep within her soul that had brought her enormous spiritual force and the Great Way rules.


    If it was not due to Shen Lian''s guidance, she could not open up the inheritance deep within her bloodline.


    On one hand, the bloodline provided the Xia Clan with energy but on the other hand, it was a shackle. The way to unlock this shackle was the awakening of spirit. Shen Lian had taught her how to breathe and how to carve, these two were the most important steps in Daoism for the cultivation of Qi and spiritual enhancement. When there was Qi, your blood would be clear, and when your heart died, your spirit would be alive. Being in the state of dead loneliness had gained her something that could benefit her forever.


    Lei Jing said, "this is all because of you, teacher."


    Shen Lian asked softly, "do you want to sleep?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Lei Jing blinked and her beautiful eyes seemed to be filled with glow, she said, "no, I''ve never felt so lively and vigorous like today in my entire life."


    Shen Lian smiled while saying, "then you can start carving."


    "Okay."


    Lei Jing had taken out three wooden knives from the shelf at the side. First, she had chosen the weakest knife. She starting carving from the bottom to the top. The weapons made from the tough Kun Wu stone was very durable, it could easily cut anything but once it touched the edge of a wooden knife, it would be very vulnerable.


    There were wooden chips continuously falling off and in the end, a pair of legs was formed.


    It seemed as though there was already a perfect and energetic pair of legs being hidden in this Kun Wu stone and all Lei Jing did was removing the outer wrapping layer using the wooden knife.


    When Lei Jing had finished carving the lower body, the wooden knife also broke into two halves.


    Half of the sculpture''s body figure was filled with a strange magical power, as though a demonic god was showing half of his body which was already enough to send chill down people''s spines.


    The wooden knife broke into two halves but Lei Jing did not bat her eye on it. Though the wooden knife was broken, its possessive demonic characteristics were already being injected into the pair of legs.


    Lei Jing took out the second wooden knife and started carving the upper body. This time, her speed was slower than before. However, Lei Jing was still leisurely doing it. The wooden chips were continuously falling and in the end a magnificent body figure was produced. Although there was no head on the sculpture, there was a majestic grandeur which felt as though the mortals were instantly being thrown down the edge of a cliff and when they looked up, their minds and spirits were being taken away.


    The second wooden knife also broke into two halves. Then, Lei Jing continued by using the third wooden knife. Her sweat was dripping continuously and she did not have enough time to wipe it off.


    At this moment, she was so absorbed into carving her uncle''s appearance.


    Her speed of utilising the knife was not accompanied with any shadow. Every strength she used was right on the spot. There should not be more or less strength.


    The entire look of Emperor Xia was produced. Then, Lei Jing kept the wooden knife which did not break into two halves in the end.


    The sculpture of Emperor Xia was still lack of a pair of eyes. Lei Jing looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction. If there was a pair of eyes, the sculpture would look alive.


    However, she finally understood why her teacher did not allow her to carve the eyes because no matter how she did it, it would make this sculpture no longer perfect and her past effort would go down the drain.

 Chapter 503 The Journey Ahead

    Lei Jing stopped carving and the wooden knife was left in her hand. Shen Lian said softly, "Jing Er, you can stop now."


    Upon hearing that, her entire body felt relaxed. Fortunately, she did not fall and she spoke with exhaustion, "looks like you''ll still have to complete the process of dotting in the eyes in the end."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I''ve never said that I''ll have to complete this process. You should sleep now. Tomorrow is the Palace''s feast, he''ll like it when you gift him this sculpture."


    Lei Jing startled and said, "tomorrow is finally Palace''s feast, why does time pass so quickly?"


    She thought that only one or two days had passed because previously the period of time when she woke, there had been only the extremes of time that was in her mind. She thought that only one day had passed.


    Shen Lian said, "there was no counting of days for cultivators. It''s also normal if a year feels like a day. You should get some rest so that you''re able to attend the Palace''s feast tomorrow."


    His words seemed to have unlimited magical powers. Even if Lei Jing woke the inheritance, there was an irresistible sleepiness in her after hearing Shen Lian''s words. Her body started to weaken and fall and Shen Lian helped her up to the bed.


    There was already no more breathing from her mouth or nose and her body instinctively applied the inner breathing. The moonlight from outside circulated and came in that in the end, it entered into her body through all the tiny pores in her body and transformed into a mysterious power. The mysterious power then transformed into a special form which could communicate with the unconventional power which was so strong and ancient that it was impossible to obliterate.


    Shen Lian could deeply feel the unconventional power which had natural attraction to his spirits. To be precise, it was deeply attracted to strength of the spirit cultivated through The Mastery of Senses .


    Lei Jing had already learnt from Shen Lian and unknowingly she cultivated the true meaning of The Mastery of Senses and thus she coincidentally had the chance to wake the inheritance.


    Once reached Shen Lian''s stage, even if a Dao restriction was imposed, it would not be able to stop him from resolving parts of the true meaning of The Art of Spiritual Enhancement. Nonetheless, the mysterious relationship between The Art of Spiritual Enhancement and Xia Clan was something that Shen Lian did not expect.


    Perhaps this originated from the conflicts between Lingbao Tianzun and Xia Clan, and maybe it involved an ancient secrets from long ago. Shen Lian was filled with curiosity about this.


    However, now he was more interested about the Emperor Xia. Because the most that Lei Jing had done was only to wake the inheritance, but the Emperor Xia had already come to the end of this inheritance and he had even open up a new path.


    The sculpture made from Kun Wu stone beside him was in silence but it felt as though the Emperor Xia was just right beside him. Shen Lian stared at him deeply, hoping that this Emperor Xia could give him more surprises.


    At his stage, any illusion of Dao was not real and not as comparable to the collision between cultivators in reality. Besides, it could also stimulate the sparks of wisdom.


    The journey during when Buddha attained Dao, there was resistance from Parinirmita-va?avartin. This was also another type of challenge.


    As for Buddha, the power of Parinirmita-va?avartin was not crucial. What was really important was that the Demon realm that Parinirmita-va?avartin had exhibited actually complemented Buddhism, just like Yin and Yang.


    Shen Lian''s past cultivation experience was actually just more on sharpening his spirit whereas Xia Clan''s cultivation was totally opposite. The Emperor Xia had even reached the stage where he was at the same level as Shen Lian, and that was the reason why Shen Lian wanted to stay in Diqiu.


    The mercury-like moonlight shone on the Zhiwei Home. Shen Lian stared at Lei Jing who was sleeping soundly and he said softly, "one day you''ll finally realise that your life journey is so long and so difficult, but you''d not want to stop halfway, just like the present me."


    Of course Lei Jing would not be able to hear this but Shen Lian hoped that she would understand in the future.


    After all, he had been a teacher for one day and thus, this lifetime relationship was already formed and it was irrelevant to race issues.


    Shen Lian also felt sentimental. He was aware that once he reached Tian Xianjing, the biggest challenge he had to face was the long days which was not just one or two years, or even ten or hundred years, but thousands of years.


    During these long years, as long as he did not enter Taiyi, he would feel more and more lonely as time passed by and this would be the biggest enemy for him from now on.


    No matter how interesting this game in his life was, it was difficult to change the fact that there was no one who would accompany him until the end. Even his acquaintance like Zhao Xiaoyu had already forgotten about him in Jianghu in the end.


    He finally understood more about Yanxu. Perhaps this person already realised the loneliness after being on this track, and thus he acted so rebelliously. Maybe it could be just a way for him to vent.


    When the night was all dark and silent, it was difficult to avoid overthinking. Shen Lian had a lot of thoughts in mind. He thought of the missing Chen Jianmei. That arrogant man who had also clearly understood the loneliness of this path, where would he be at? Was he still alive? Would they still be the two men from the same sect that understood each other, or would they become opponents who battled for Dao?


    Destiny was so unpredictable but this was also what made destiny interesting.


    This time around, Emperor Xia had gathered a lot of people in this Palace''s feast, including Wu Ding and Guan Longzi who were also invited. This time, due to the issue about Bai Dizi founding a country, how Tianyi was going to be punished had become the most popular topic in Diqiu recently.


    Some people said he would be set free while the others said he would be killed. There was no third option about this. This was no doubt the affirmation of Xin Lie on that day. Unfortunately, this old man''s pair of ears had been chopped off by Ming Luo.


    Ming Luo''s sword was made through blood-red Asura sea. Since he had chopped Xin Lie''s ears off, it would naturally leave the unconventional power of the demonic blade on his wound. This had destroyed all the orifices points ad meridians near his ears. Even if Xin Lie could reincarnate for seven times in the future, he might not be able to reproduce his pair of ears anymore.


    However, there was nobody who dared to talk about Xin Lie, including Xin''s tribe who could only pretend to be dumb.


    Or else, it would mean disrespecting Emperor Xia and there would be more people who would die, including Xin Lie.


    Wu Ding followed Guan Longzi and they came to the Xia Palace. During that time, they had passed by Wu Men which was situated very closely to Xia Tai. Wu Ding almost could not resist himself to go to Xia Tai. He was eager to find out how his uncle, Tianyi was doing now.


    Fortunately, he had been staying and learning with Guan Longzi for a period of time. There was a significant improvement in his cultivation of mind. Regardless of how much he had been missing his uncle, he could control his feelings.


    Solely looking from this point, Wu Ding was definitely a sentimental person, which made him different from majority of the Qi cultivators.


    Guan Longzi clearly felt Wu Ding''s emotions but he did not comfort him. But he suddenly recalled Shen Lian saying that Wu Ding would have a big achievement in the future. Hopefully nothing would go wrong. If a sentimental person like this were to become Yin Shang''s monarch, unless he had profound cultivation experience as a protection, it would be difficult for him to last long as a monarch.


    A lot of people were aware that the recent debate should be solved in this Palace''s feast. Nonetheless, the final decision right belonged to Emperor Xia. As for how Emperor Xia would make his choice, it was difficult for the outsiders to guess and they did not dare to make a guess as well.


    However, everyone was hoping that the Emperor Xia could make his choice out of the two options.


    Little did anyone know that there was an uninvited guest who came for the Palace''s feast, and that was Shen Lian. Emperor Xia not only invited his courtiers, but he had also invited each country''s diplomat in an attempt to use this opportunity to show Da Xia''s wealth.


    Shen Lian was Xi Liang Kingdom''s diplomat and hence, he could make it into Xia Palace.


    However, when he was alone mixing among the bunch of diplomats, he seemed a little too glaring. At least there was a person who was not only dissatisfied with him, he even walked to the front of Shen Lian.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

 Chapter 504 Ancient Eight Surnames

    The person who walked to the front of Shen Lian was no taller than Shen Lian''s shoulders. His skin tan, his physique powerfully built - especially on his shoulders, indicating that he was strong.


    This man wore clothes made out of leopard skin, a jade-colored bamboo hung from his chest. A dagger was kept on his waist. His hair was kept short, voluminous and greasy. His eyes looked fierce.


    He pointed at Shen Lian: "You, surrender this seat and move to the back."


    It seems that there exists certain protocols to Xia Kingdom''s palace banquet, the envoys of various countries will be divided into three classes of seatings - top, middle and lower seatings. All food and alcoholic beverages served differed according to the class of seatings. More importantly, the divisions were based on the Kingdoms'' influence in Da Xia''s eyes


    In order to be less conspicuous, Shen Lian''s seating was specifically arranged by Lei Nuo to be placed in the middle. However, top and middle-class seatings are initially numbered/limited to start with, to place Shen Lian in the middle-class seating would naturally necessitate the removal of a certain Kingdom''s envoy.


    The person who happened to be removed came from a Kingdom called Ba.


    The people from the Ba Kingdom specializes in the dark arts, residing in caves located in the Southwest of Da Xia. Shen Lian had never gone through the Ba Kingdom despite traveling from Xi Liang Kingdom to Diqiu. But he heard of the bravery of the Ba people that were known for.


    Their physiques were not considered tall, their powers were sourced from ghosts, but they were unafraid of death. The Kingdom of Ba were considered prosperous and powerful in the Southwest region.


    They were also descendants of the ancestors who first arrived in the Netherworld long ago, and were among the eight great surnames.


    The ancestors who first arrived in the Netherworld were not only the Xia tribe, but there were also other tribes. All of which possessed a unique bloodline, which was classified by their surnames. Among which eight surnames were the most prosperous, with numerous tribes. They were also the strongest ethnic group that were pit against the ghost god of the Netherworld. Respectively, the surname associated with Xiahou - Si, as well as Ji, Jiang, Yao, Ying, Yun, Gui, and Ren.


    Tens of thousands of years down the road, only the Si surname thrived due to an assimilation of bloodlines with Xiahou, with most of the Si surname belonging to Xiahou. The other seven surnames had more or less dwindled, some were even subject to a life of destitution.


    However, although the people in the country of Ba belonged to the surname of Ji, they were looked down upon by other countries. Because they had abandoned their ancestries, serving the ghost god that had great vengeance with their ancestors. The territory of the country of Ba were concentrated around the region of Mount Zhong Li, where the ghost god remained. In order to survive in the Netherworld that was gradually being encroached by humans, they made a deal with the people of Ba.


    The people of Ba would be able to borrow the power of the ghost gods. In exchange, the people of Ba would offer sacrifices in order to feed the ghost gods, preferably in the form of humans. Consequently, the country of Ba was in hostility with its surrounding countries.


    However, due to the remoteness of the Southwest region, the Xia find it undesirable; thus letting matters slide. Moreover, the country of Ba feared the strong and had paid significant tributes to Da Xia.


    Shen Lian did not speak, naturally, someone would deal with the person before him in his stead. When the envoy of Ba was seen approaching Shen Lian, someone had already notified Dianke from the Prefect Grand Usher. Dianke was an official empowered to maintain order, and he arrived expeditiously.


    Dianke was a member of the Hu surname. After working for the Prefect Grand Usher for more than a decade, he was known by many of the envoys.


    The person from Ba also knew him, saluting/greeting him upon sight. Dianke shot a glance at him, and said: "Someone lead him out."


    Once Dianke ordered, naturally someone lifted the envoy from Ba away. Even if the envoy had extraordinary force, and was able to be possessed by ghost gods, he would not have dared to cause a scene here. He merely made some noises before he was sent far beyond the palace gate.


    Dianke merely smiled at Shen Lian before leaving without a word.


    There were numerous envoys from various countries, but his impression towards Shen Lian had been deeply etched. Not only was he given orders by the Prefect Grand Usher to take care of Shen Lian, he had also witnessed Shen Lian casually chatting with Nobleman Jing. He dared not treat Shen Lian as an ordinary envoy, like the rest of the countries.


    Since the founding of Da Xia years ago, it had long since been an unspoken rule that a certain position could not be occupied based solely on the merits of outstanding force. For example, to be promoted as an official. Eventually, connections would prevail.


    Although he bore the Hu surname and the purer the bloodline in the Xia tribe, the harder it was for them to reproduce. But after so many years, there were more than hundreds of thousands of people in the Hu tribe. Even after the release of many tribesmen, those remaining in Diqiu would be no lesser than five thousand.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The Prefect Guard Usher naturally would not take much care of him. They would at most offer some protection when he had made any mistakes.


    Dianke was a self-motivated person, naturally, he would be unwilling to remain in his current position in office for the rest of his life. In his current capacity, the opportunities to meet the Prefect Grand Usher and its family members are incredibly slim. Even if there was such an opportunity, it would not be easy to obtain a meeting in private. Hence, he thinks Shen Lian was perhaps an opportunity.


    Dianke drove away from the envoy of Ba without question, attracting the look of the crowd towards Shen Lian. Although Dianke said nothing to Shen Lian, the smile before he left had already won over a thousand words.


    They were all whispering, and the identity of Shen Lian had also been excavated. He turned out to be a youngster from Xi Liang Kingdom. Envoys who came from all over the world were extremely broad in scope, and soon the story of the Xi Liang Kingdom was being told. It was told that the country was established not long ago, but it destroyed the somewhat famous state of Da Xi.


    It was told that in that battle, there was someone high ranking who backed the Xi Liang Kingdom, which caused the mountains to fall apart, tearing the river. Tens of thousands of soldiers and the tigers, leopards, dholes, and wolves controlled by Da Xi all died without burial.


    Therefore, Xi Liang Kingdom newly emerged as a powerful country and became famous.


    Certain important information required special means of transmittance in the Netherworld. Therefore, years later, the envoy faraway in Diqiu knew about Xi Liang Kingdom, and even its neighboring countries.


    The envoy explained it to others, and the people who knew about it thus increased.


    The ability to cast the landslide spell would already establish a strong foothold in the Netherworld. Therefore, once the mystery of the identity of Shen Lian had been unveiled, many were awe-inspired towards Shen Lian. Envoys from stronger countries or tribes were even contemplating whether West Lian''s Dynasty would be classified as an opponent or an ally that could be won over.


    But they would not know that it was God''s will that brought about the landslides and earthquakes, not techniques. There was no other connoisseur behind Xi Liang Kingdom other than Shen Lian, because Shen Lian himself was a connoisseur among the connoisseur.


    Tonight''s Xia Palace lighted up. The sky full of stars seemed to be celebrating the banquet held by Emperor Xia, with starlights pouring down. A full moon was seen rising from the east, expelling any darkness existing in the Xia Palace.


    Shen Lian was especially clear that the Xia Palace had set up a special tactical formation that mobilized the stars and the moon, transforming the Xia Palace into a crystal palace on the ground.


    The full starlight and moonlight were also a grand banquet for cultivators. By remaining in the Xia Palace a while longer tonight, would save many cultivators half a month''s worth of work, simultaneously refining their mana.


    If Shen Lian could notice this, so could many people.


    Therefore, the closer it was to the square of the palace banquet, the more many people began to experience a shortness of breath, because the closer it was to the square, the denser the starlight and moonlight were.


    Only Shen Lian walked casually, feeling the enormous essence of vital energy and blood the royal palace did not bother hiding. It was akin to the bright day, capable of outshining the sun and the moon.

 Chapter 505 Di

    Today, Emperor Xia was dressed in simple imperial attire.


    The top is black, representing the sky at dawn, when the sun has yet to rise. The bottom is yellow in color, representing the land that was naturally yellow in color. However, this analogy did not apply to the Netherworld, as the Netherworld is more to the color of greenish-black.


    Yellow soil was only found in the homeland of Xia tribe''s predecessors, it has been passed down as a tradition. That generation of predecessors could not return to their hometown until their death, perhaps the homeland of the Xia tribe had long perished.


    After so long, the people of the Xia tribe no longer reminisced the hometown they have never seen before. Daxia has occupied the center of the Netherworld, conquering many. But there had been no major change in territory, for no other reason other than that other places were deemed undesirable.


    Although the world is vast, only a handful of territories were capable of moving the heart of Emperor Xia. Perhaps the blood-red Asura sea could classify as one, but ever since the emergence of the Great Asura in the Asura tribe three hundred years ago, the territory was no longer one easily conquered.


    Recalling that man''s self-cultivation of the complete blood-red Asura sea massacre swordcraft, and to think that the fully evolved sword of Asura could have actually made him feel a sense of danger. Emperor Xia narrowed his eyes. One day, he would pay the blood-red Asura sea another visit, and try the demonic sword again.


    Before that could happen, he shall first complete the demonic sword in the palace. He never used any weapons, not because he was arrogant, but because there was no weapon for the time being capable of matching him. But that demonic sword seemed to have underwent a miraculous transformation. If it continued evolving, it could be made his weapon. However, to complete that step would require more blood; therefore, he would have to create more bloodshed.


    The only fear Emperor Xia deeply has, was towards the mysterious Qi cultivator hidden in Diqiu. Reasons like this fueled his hatred towards monks and Daoist. These people may not be as powerful in terms of combat, but they are overly tactical, especially in hiding. Even he would not be able to discern that person''s exact location. He only knew that the person has not left Diqiu.


    Fortunately, Emperor Xia knew that the opponent would eventually find him. Although it was only his premonition, but his premonitions were never wrong, just like how the sun will always be certain to rise.


    As for Tian Yi, the Emperor did not decide to put him to death now. He wanted to keep him as a sacrifice. That required an opportune moment, for he could not just kill casually.


    The most important thing is that even fellow courtiers are unaware that Tianyi''s cultivation was Daoism''s supreme Nine-Turn Technique, and has already reached the eighth turn. Beyond this point, Tianyi''s primordial spirit was nearly immortal. Even if the Emperor would be able to suppress Tianyi, he could not easily put him to death.


    However, how would he be able to bring this up to other people. If Emperor Xia could not kill Tianyi, that would prove that prominent merchant to be on equal footing as the leader of Da Xia.


    It was thought that the reason Tianyi came to Diqiu was because he has concluded the Emperor Xia would not be able to kill him.


    For every day Tianyi spent staying in Diqiu, the misunderstanding everyone have would deepen. The ideal solution would be for Emperor Xia to liberalize him. But Emperor Xia knew that if he were to release Tianyi, it would mean that he has lost the invisible battle to Tianyi, and he has never lost in his lifetime!


    Everyone thought the reason for Tianyi''s confinement was due to Emperor Xia''s temperament. As ridiculous it is, the emperor''s thoughts will never be easily guessed.


    Fellow courtiers swarmed the hall. They wore solemn outfits, but did not dare look at Emperor Xia. They searched and settled down onto their respective seats.


    There was only one person in the main hall who would dare fixate his gaze on Emperor Xia for a long period of time, and that person''s position was not far from Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia''s sight followed the gaze, and laughed and said: "Jing Jing come and sit beside me. It seems like you have grown taller."


    Because the Emperor has no daughter, only a prince. Therefore, his adoration towards Leiqing was known to all.


    Everyone was of the opinion that only Leiqing could openly speak her thoughts to the Emperor of Xia.


    Lei Jing drifted to the side of Emperor Xia like a feather, elegantly sitting, exuding a sense of extravagance. She pouted and said: "I have been here for so long, and yet uncle has just noticed me."


    Emperor Xia patted her shoulder, his domineering gaze softened, he said gently: "These days you were not seen entering the palace, had you not come, uncle would have gone out of the palace to look for you."


    Lei Jing chuckled and said: "Uncle, I did not visit you recently because I have been preparing a present for you. I guarantee you will like it very much."


    Emperor Xia laughed and said: "There is nothing the Xia Palace does not have. I would have to see what kind of gift did you prepare in anticipation that I will like it. If I do not like it, you will have to be punished."


    Lei Jing spitted her tongue and said: "That can''t do, what if you deliberately said you did not like it?"


    Emperor Xia said: "Only you dared to speak to me that way. Had it been someone else, that person would be guilty of death."


    When fellow courtiers heard these words, most people muffled a laugh. Emperor Xia then looked around at the people, and they suddenly went silent. Emperor Xia smiled slightly, seeming to find it interesting.


    He said: "Come forth people, bring forth Jing Jing''s gift for me to see."


    Thereafter, two men lifted a statue covered in a light cyan-colored veil of silk gauze and placed it firmly in the main hall to prepare for the unveiling.


    Emperor Xia looked over and felt a strange feeling in his heart, he said: "Hold on, I''ll do it myself."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    ...


    Shen Lian took his seat, and around him were envoys sent by tribes that were neither strong nor weak.


    Shen Lian''s background that was shown earlier has occasioned the enthusiasm of the envoys towards him. After all, Xi Liang Kingdom''s strength has nothing much to do with them. However, Dianke''s attitude towards Shen Lian earlier has forced them to show Shen Lian their enthusiasm.


    After all, if a good relationship could be established with Shen Lian, it might lead to an acquaintance with Dianke. As a result, their life in Diqiu would be much better, they might even be able to bring back lots of produce from Da xia.


    Shen Lian spoke casually to them, and learnt that these envoys came from the northern part of Da Xia. What laid there was an endless wasteland, and the existence of many demon beasts. They attacked other tribes by developing demon beasts riders, or by commanding demon beasts to pull the chariot. It was very difficult to establish a fortification in the wilderness. Each battle determines the tribe''s survival or death. Because the tribe is in harmony with the demon beasts, therefore, they were addressed by Da Xia as ''Di''.


    But they all share a common belief. In the land millions of miles north of Da Xia, there is a mountain - You Dou Mountain. It is the sacred mountain of the entire northern region, also the faith of the entire Di tribe.


    It was once told by the prophet of Di tribe, that the true king of the Di tribe would be born in You Dou Mountain. When that time comes, the king will unite the Di tribe, and a strong empire will be built.


    Therefore, the struggle of the Di tribe for the You Dou Mountain has never ceased. Many Di tribes are of the opinion that whoever claims You Dou Mountain, would be able to establish an imperial court, and rule over Di tribe.


    Listening to these, Shen Lian merely chuckled went along with it. However, compared to absurd predictions, he was more interested in the customs of the northern region.


    Suddenly, a voice rang in his ear. "Would it be convenient to meet?"

 Chapter 506 Three Spheres

    Shen Lian has experienced Spiritual telepathy many times and has long been accustomed to. However, the telepathy communication this time has rendered him a little surprised.


    Because he could not trace the source of the voice. It was as if the telepathy communication was directly transmitted to him without any intermediary/intermediate process, it was quite unbelievable.


    The opponent did so in order to pass through the Dharma formation of Xia Palace, and so not to alarm Emperor Xia and Yinglong.


    Shen Lian looked at the direction of the south gate of Wang Cheng, where the Xia Tai was. The only person in Wang Cheng capable of doing so was none other than Tianyi who was on the Xia Tai.


    He smiled and ignored it. Having received no response, the opponent went silent.


    Shen Lian was not afraid of the misunderstandings/gossips that would arise from meeting Tianyi, but because Emperor Xia has already seen the stone sculpture, he could not afford to be distracted.


    A battle involving telekinesis/ a remote battle was not unfamiliar/foreign to Shen Lian. He assumed that Emperor Xia would find it interesting. As a guest, it was only natural to have brought gifts to the host. Shen Lian secretly thought.


    Emperor Xia walked towards the stone sculpture without any premonition. The cyan-colored veil of silk gauze instantly dissipated like a cumulus cloud, revealing the true appearance of the stone sculpture.


    Fellow courtiers were even more fearful yet revering towards the king. Although countless strong people has emerged from Daxia, but for five thousand years, it was said that there was no one stronger than Emperor Xia. The extent of the emperor''s power was not one they would be able to guess.


    Therefore, no matter how domineering the emperor is, they were not emboldened to exhort him.


    The veil vanished, revealing a sculpture that looks similar to Emperor Xia. In the main hall, there was an inescapably overbearing wild vigor. Each and every line of the stone sculpture was graceful and natural. The occasional straight lines are full of explosive force. The curvature of the lip has extensively exhibited Emperor Xia''s disdainful disposition towards the past and the future/ancient and the modern.


    There was no shortage of skilled craftsmen in Xia Palace, but only a handful are able to produce work of art of such level of perfection.


    However, regardless of how perfect the skills demonstrated on the stone sculpture were, it would never attract the Emperor''s attention. Only the demonic characteristic deeply hidden in the stone sculpture was able to attract the Emperor''s attention. It was akin to the surging tide, yet it did not leak. It remained locked in the stone sculpture.


    Others only saw that the stone sculpture was indistinguishable from Emperor Xia, even the domineering aura was incredibly realistic. But it was a pity that the stone sculpture has no eyes, regrettably indeed.


    Just like the endless stream of waterfall on an empty hill to have abruptly stopped midway, obtaining no outlet.


    Emperor Xia crossed his hands at his back, his expression intensified. Within the lines were three blades. The line at the bottom was the most concise, but its demonic characteristic was the shallowest. The line on the forehead was lightly traced, indicating that the blade used to sculpt it was gentle like a spring rain in a brief night. It was exquisitely carved, yet leaving no trace.


    The line on its upper body conveyed yet different feeling, it was neither shallow nor deeply carved, yet it was righteously stately. It was a blade suitable for anyone. When Jing Jing was carving, she was entirely absorbed, yet not to the point of distressed. Each carve were just the right appropriateness.


    Emperor Xia''s cultivation was beyond any ordinary person''s comprehension. He knew that the craftsperson was, without a doubt, Lei Jing. But the blades used to carve the sculpture was forged by a peerless craftsperson. No matter who used the three blades, the Dao rhythm left by the person will never be left aside.


    And it was precisely the three spheres: Heaven, Earth, and Humankind, bearing far-reaching implications.


    "Good, good, good." Emperor Xia said three consecutive ''good'', sufficiently indicating his excitement at the moment. The moonlight and starlight outside suddenly cleared, rapidly cohering in the main hall. A blade comprising the force of the stars were formed, and It was easily held in the hands of Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia had only casually propelled the blade forward, without any mysterious trajectory and terrifying changes.


    Shen Lian sat in the palace banquet, talking and laughing with the people around him. But what held his gaze was a blade.


    Such as the call of the mountain and the roar of the sea, an overwhelming aura that would render the Heaven asunder and the earth cracked has been released.


    The blade could not be seen by anyone, because the power of the blade was too concentrated. It sought only the thought left in the stone sculpture, and nothing else.


    Therefore, the aura went by unnoticed even by the people sitting next to Shen Lian.


    A power to the extreme would be the way of Dao; It was not unattainable but simply choosing not to. Although Emperor Xia has not evolved his power into Dao, a word from him would be law. Not only the power hidden within this blade was capable of destroying the thought left by Shen Lian, it could even go a step further. It could lock his spirit, enabling Emperor Xia to be able to find him anywhere in the world, up to the skies, down to the earth.


    However, when the spiritual vigor bursting out of the strike of the blade had almost enveloped the stone sculpture, a white light emerged from the stone sculpture. The main hall is then filled with an unrestrained, tranquil atmosphere. Like a mischievous fish, swimming freely around stagnant qi dynamic without getting caught by Emperor Xia''s blade force.


    Xuan Du Temple has also sent someone to attend today''s palace banquet. It was Liu Mengde''s mentor, Daoist Mu Zhen. He was astonished at this moment, and he could not help but stare at the monk from Da Jue Temple who sat opposite him.


    The monk''s gaze was complicated. He clearly knew the appeal of the white light. It was precisely a profound Zen of Buddhism - ''The highest soul''


    With this Zen, attaining Boddhisattva''s highest level is assured.


    The most important thing is that no matter who this person is, it will inevitably lead Emperor Xia to suspect that this has something to do with Da Jue Temple.


    After all, in the eyes of Emperor Xia, all monks belonged to a family.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Daoist Mu Zhen was somewhat compassioned, yet he was secretly relieved. This has finally proved one thing, that the person causing the trouble was definitely not a Daoist. Even though the person is an extraordinary Qi cultivator, he is more likely to have a muddled relationship with Buddhism.


    However, he was a bit disappointed. If a connoisseur of such level emerged from Daoism, perhaps the days of today would be much better.


    The seven sons of Xuan Zhen were renowned to be prestigious, but what would that mean in the eyes of Emperor Xia.


    Land immortals, land immortals; bound to the land, subject to the control of a mortal king and the strings of life and death itself. Unable to truly be carefree and unrestrained.


    The speckle of white light traveled through the main hall, the blade extended by Emperor Xia suddenly turned, and tens of thousands of vibration occurred. The level of fine control exerted was capable of teaching shame to any Xia tribe person in the main hall.


    Some of them were powerful enough to hurt walking celestials of the earth but has very shallow knowledge in relation to the use of that power. For the most part, it was either a punch to separate the life and the death, or a kick to still the mountains and rivers.


    The gleam of the blade was bright and the hall was full of light, but it did not hurt anyone in the hall. The white speckle was engulfed in the gleam.


    The white speckle was finally caught by the gleam of the blade. All gleams suddenly gathered together thereafter, as if hundreds of rivers were surging back to the sea. The white speckle that was engulfed in the gleam could no longer escape, but it was at this moment an unimaginable change occurred.


    The white speckle has actually ignited, forming a flame that would cause a person to palpitate. It was Daoism''s True Samadhi Fire. With the gleam of the blade comprised of moonlight and starlight as the Qi of Essence, the speckle manifested from Shen Lian''s thoughts as the spirit, and the three spheres; thus was born the True Samadhi Fire.


    At this moment, Mu Zhen has met with the same complex gaze that of the monk from Da Jue Temple.


    Who was that person, to have simultaneously cultivated both Buddhism and Daoism, so as to hinder one from discerning his origin?


    In reality, Shen Lian still belonged to Daoism. What was called the Zen of The Highest Soul is the essence of The Highest Soul Aura derived from the Sword Saint Ziwei. He merely adopted it out of convenience.

 Chapter 507 Only Because He Is Shen Lian

    Actually, most heavenly immortals could not roam as freely as Shen Lian. Reason being the Taixu strategy and his exceedingly strong primordial spirit.


    The Taixu strategy comprises the Dao of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. Such principle exists regardless of the realm. The only difference, if any, lies in the details.


    The Dao of Yin-Yang and Five elements formed the basis of evolution. Therefore, it was thought that only Shen Lia possess the foundation to cast any technique. But it was not unlimited. The emulation of any supernatural Dao techniques would require profound understanding and memory. This aspect requires an enormous primordial spirit to act as a support.


    Even a heavenly immortal could not have infinite memory. As Zhuangzhou said, life is bounded, and knowledge is boundless. To put it in another way, there is a limit to an individual, whereas the universe is infinite. To contain the limitless with the limited was simply impossible.


    Shen Lian could not boundlessly emulate all Dao techniques, it was just that his primordial spirit was large enough to accommodate many things. It resulted in his ability to display many supernatural Dao techniques he has ever seen, to obtain its charms and to be able to emulate it to a large extent.


    Whether it was a good or a bad thing was difficult for Shen Lian to discern, because no one would be able to say for sure whether it was necessary to retain the memories in order to reach the next level.


    Some people specialized in one, unaffiliated with the secular mortal world. Ultimately ascending to the heavens as an immortal, attaining the Great Way.


    Some people were born with talent, but because they could not choose between them, they struggled in the secular mortal world. Only managed to escape from the secular mortal world after much hardship, ultimately also attaining the Great Way.


    There was no difference between the two.


    Similarly, Shen Lian did not compare with Emperor Xia. The Emperor, dressed in black and yellow, stared blankly at the True Samadhi Fire before throwing a punch at it.


    The True Samadhi fire that could burn everything could naturally burn the fist. However, just as the wind would aid the flame; if the wind is too strong all of a sudden, the fire would be put out before it could burn intensely.


    What was even more terrifying was that a dominating punch of that extent had merely extinguished the fire without hurting anything else.


    As to locking down on Shen Lian''s Qi dynamic, Emperor Xia did not do it. Because once the True Samadhi Fire has been lit, that would mean that Shen Lian has given up on the thought. Naturally, it would not be possible to pursue it.


    The attention of Emperor Xia returned to the stone sculpture, where the surging demonic characteristic did not dwindle one bit. A blade rang in the depths of Xia Palace, and in an instant, a demonic blade had appeared in the hands of Emperor Xia. He struck the stone sculpture with the blade, and the stone sculpture finally had eyes.


    It was not easy to describe that pair of eyes. If one were to insist on describing, ''spirited'' would be the word.


    The strike of the blade by Emperor Xia had concurrently carved out two eyes, giving life to the sculpture. Anyone staring at the stone sculpture would have the impression that the stone sculpture was staring at him.


    At last, both the sculpture and the demonic blade were moved to the depths of Xia Palace by burly men.


    Emperor Xia smiled at Lei Jing, and said: "I am very satisfied with this gift."


    Lei Nuo was scared to death and could only send eye gestures to his wife. Si Jiang knew her husband''s concerns and she, too, was worried about her daughter. She left her position, performed a curtsey and went on to say: "Brother, Jing Er is young and ignorant. Us husband and wife would be willing to bear today''s fault in her stead."


    Emperor Xia laughed and said, "Wrong? Jing Jing did no wrong. Not only that, she also deserves merit. You only thought the person who used Jing Er in offering the stone sculpture would be able to hurt me, but did not know that he would certainly remain in the Xia Palace. Since he has come, then don''t bother leaving."


    He cast a cold eye towards Lei Jing, and asked: "Say it, who is that person? Tell uncle and you shall be substantially rewarded."


    Lei Jing clenched her lips and said nothing.


    Emperor Xia took one step forward and continued: "Are you going to tell, or not?"


    Lei Jing lowered her head under the presence of Emperor Xia. Like a grass placed in a storm, even if it quivered, there were no sign of being uprooted.


    Emperor Xia was very intimidating. Not mentioning a frail lady such as Lei Jing, apart from the hard-headed Xin Lie, no one in the remaining eleven aristocratic families would dare be willful towards Emperor Xia.


    It was well-known what became of Xin Lie. Therefore, fellow courtiers secretly sigh, for it will mark the end for noblewoman Jing if she refused to speak.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Emperor Xia laughed coldly: "Truly the offspring of the Si family."


    Si Jiang knelt in front of Emperor Xia, and said, "Brother, if you want to punish my daughter, punish me as well."


    Emperor Xia said: "You are threatening me."


    "How could I threaten you," Si Jiang quavered.


    The meaning of this sentence is only clear to Emperor Xia and Si Jiang, because Si Jiang had witnessed her own brother killing her father.


    "Why trouble a child when Your Majesty is looking for me?" The sound of faint solitude was heard passing into the main hall, like the arrival of a spring breeze, calming the disturbance in the main hall.


    Lei Jing bit her lip and stared out of the hall. A white cloud floated into the main hall, above it stood a handsome youth. He was not wearing any gold armor, but just the fact that he came had already put people at ease.


    She told herself in her heart, "Mister is more courageous than anyone else."


    To find a place that is more dangerous than the current Xia Palace, there surely be. But it will never exceed the numbers countable with a hand.


    At the same time, fellow courtiers also saw the person who stirred up the stormy situations in Diqiu all these while. They thought he would be a Daoist or a monk with white hair and beard. Never would they have thought that he would be a handsome youth.


    But as if it was natural and logical, the white clouds under his feet descended on the marble stone of the main hall before immediately dispersing. His deep eyes seemed like the vast sky laid hidden within it.


    Emperor Xia thought this man would flee, but he did not expect him to show up. He actually dared show up.


    Shen Lian shocked Ying Lung. All of the images, which includes killing his most faithful dog - Ming Luo, as well as the small confrontation between them, were nothing compared to his unperturbed entrance into the main hall.


    Even Emperor Xia was surprised. Had it been him, would he had shown up?


    The answer put him in shame because he could not say for certain.


    He remembered his deceased father once said: "My son possessed valor surpassing others, and would have no match in the world. But he has yet to be considered as greatly courageous."


    Emperor Xia was dismissive at that time. However, in this moment, he truly knew what would truly be considered as greatly courageous.


    Shen Lian stood there, his physique still seemed a little weak. But what hid within that fragile body was not only astonishing power, more so a fearless heart.


    Shen Lian came, it was something even he did not predict, but he still came nonetheless. There was no specific reason, he came just because he was Shen Lian.


    It seemed abstruse. But in reality, this was only a matter of course. After the probing, he knew what he needed to know. What was unclear required a large amount of blood seal, in order to study the of the bloodline of the Xia clan.


    But nothing in the world could be perfect.


    He would not stand by and allow Lei Jing to suffer in order to conceal his whereabouts.


    Furthermore, he has nothing to fear. The matter of life and death have long been an accepted fact. Furthermore, what could happen that would be worse than Emperor Xia approaching him with rage after the probing?


    This stimulating feeling derived from ''venturing deep into the mountains with full knowledge that there are tigers'' made his heart of Dao more acute.

 Chapter 508 National Advisor

    The white cloud dispersed. Shen Lian bowed slightly, considering that they have met.


    Emperor Xia said coldly: "Since you have come, do not leave then?"


    Shen Lian smiled slightly: "I could still leave."


    Emperor Xia waved his hand, in an instant, armors as dense as the forest has assembled outside the hall. A divine dragon swirled above the palace, its faint roar could be heard. The growlings of strange beasts of all kinds could be heard, one after another. Even the clan leader from major tribes was seen releasing their qi dynamic, awaiting.


    Emperor Xia sneered and said: "How would you leave this way?"


    There were tens of thousands of elites from Xia Clan that have had the main hall surrounded from the outside. Gradually advancing level by level, their Qi of Vigour filled the atmosphere. Any supernatural Dao techniques cast in this environment would be greatly reduced in effect.


    Not to mention the place where Emperor Xia stood, that in itself was an insurmountably high mountain. His cold face was full of callous intent, releasing his qi dynamic and holding Shen Lian down with it.


    Shen Lian casually uttered: "the dense bamboo forest could not hinder the flowing river, nor could the high mountain obstruct the passing clouds."


    Emperor Xia laughed hysterically, and said: "I am like the burning sun, even if you are the flowing river or the white cloud, you will eventually dry out or dissipate."


    Shen Lian whispered: "I''m afraid that Your Majesty''s glare was insufficient to dry out the flowing river that I am. As for clouds, it would be unusual for clouds to gather in the first place."


    Emperor Xia narrowed his eyes, his radiance seemingly flickering. The entire earth began to tremble. The microdust in the air was rotating at exceedingly high speed.


    At this moment, Xia Canal suddenly stopped, and the spiritual vigor of entire Diqiu went towards Xia Tai. Everyone felt a chill and an invisible sharpness in their heart.


    The sharpness was like a sword''s will, it was also like an indispensable rule.


    Shen Lian remained where he stood. He was obviously there, but Emperor Xia''s pounding Qi dynamic and the invisible sharpness seemed to have nothing to do with him. It was as if he has detached from the world.


    Lei Jing subconsciously leaned towards Shen Lian, and the closer she leans, the smaller the pressure was.


    She thought in her heart: "Even if the heavens had fallen, mister would be here."


    Emperor Xia grunted coldly.


    Suddenly, the tremors of the earth stopped, and the spiritual planes that converged on Xia Tai began to be bound by an immense force, subsequently retreated like the receding tides.


    He kept the coldness displayed on his face. He quietly looked at Shen Lian, and said: "Da Xia lacks a national advisor."


    He said nothing more, but everyone knew what Emperor Xia meant. The usually arbitrary emperor had actually compromised and decided to invite Shen Lian as Da Xia''s national advisor. This was an unprecedented scenario.


    Even more so, they understood that Emperor Xia''s compromise was not something achievable by relying on Shen Lian''s ability alone, but also on Tianyi''s. To think that the sword''s will would be able to drive the geographical spiritual vigor of Diqiu. How terrifying Tianyi''s cultivation experience was.


    To have another person as strong as Tianyi in the hall, was the truly terrifying part.


    For a while, Shen Lian remained in silence. He then leisurely said: "I think I might be competent."


    "I see that you truly would be able to qualify for the position of the national advisor." Emperor Xia said softly.


    Shen Lian smiled and nodded without saying anything.


    Emperor Xia said: "someone provides a seat for the national advisor."


    As a result, Shen Lian sat in the lower right of where Emperor Xia was sitting, not far from the throne.


    Emperor Xia seemed to have asked unintentionally: "National advisor, what is your Daoist name?"


    Shen Lian said softly: "Your majesty can call me Qing Xuan."


    "Da Xia has the virtue of green wood, and black robe as its beauty. The two words ''Qing Xuan'' could be said to be a perfect match with Da Xia. It seemed that the fate of the national advisor and Da Xia has been determined on the onset." Emperor Xia said gently. His speech refined and abstruse, the appearance of a cruel emperor was nowhere to be seen.


    The courtiers were not at all surprised.


    Shen Lian remained indifferent. He and Emperor Xia talked about the Heaven, earth, life and all creations, the impermanence of the universe, indifferent to introspection, Xia and Emperor Xia talked about heaven, everything in life, the universe was impermanent, all within the language. Although his voice was weak, it was not covered by any noise, every word was audible to the fellow courtier, and they could not help but secretly admire this person.


    Daoist Mu Zhen and the monk from Da Jue Temple were considered articulate among their peers. However, compared to Shen Lian''s knowledge, they pale in comparison. Causing them to feel ashamed.


    A crisis was alleviated just like that, fellow courtiers had laid their hearts at rest. Otherwise, considering the strength of Emperor Xia, and the dire situation then; it would be thought that there would be people that would die.


    Da Xia has awe-inspired the earth. Even though these aristocrats possess extraordinary force, but it was nothing compared to the gut of their ancestors.


    Otherwise, how could Emperor Xia act arbitrarily, treating the courtiers as trifle beings?


    Shen Xia thought that Emperor Xia was an extremely rigid person. He did not think that he also had a soft side. However, rather than calling it soft, tough would be apter.


    The difference between steel and iron lies in that steel was tougher than iron.


    The more Shen Lian finds Emperor Xia troublesome, the more motivated he is. It was fun to compete with the Heaven and earth, but it was even more so with people.


    He could not fathom why would Emperor Xia want him as his national advisor. It could even be an obvious trap. But if it was, it was one Shen Lian jumped in without any hesitation.


    There were no other reasons. Emperor Xia needed a buffer, and so does Shen Lian.


    Emperor Xia thought that he had figured out the details to Shen Lian when in fact he did not. He did not know that Shen Lian''s huge primordial spirit had yet to be fully converted. He had, at the very least, underestimated Shen Lian''s strength by 30%.


    What was more important was that Shen Lian did not want to leave Diqiu so soon, more so in an unpleasant way. However, he deliberately provoked Emperor Xia with the stone sculpture to demonstrate his strength. It was seen that there were contradictions in his heart.


    Fortunately for Emperor Xia''s and Shen Lian''s respective compromises, a terrifying crisis seemed to have at least superficially subsided.


    On the other hand, Emperor Xia''s mood was also somewhat complicated. If he were to make a decision between Tianyi and Shen Lian, to choose a more easily defeated opponent, Emperor Xia would unhesitantly choose Tianyi. It was not because Shen Lian was stronger, but because he was a fearless person.


    However, Emperor Xia had to admit that Shen Lian''s personal charisma was one he has rarely seen. Subconsciously, he has spoken his views about practice and cultivation with Shen Lian. When he noticed it, he does not know whether to laugh or to cry.


    Actually, to have reached this step, the path beyond was uncharted. Everything would be upon them to grope in the dark. The loneliness was one difficult to be described.


    He regarded the courtiers as trifle beings, precisely because these people did not deserve to speak with him.


    The kind of loneliness that goes deep into the bone was not something that outsiders could understand.


    The palace banquet continued until dawn. The envoys who had previously talked to Shen Lian had met Shen Lian again before dawn, and they all came forward to bid their greetings.


    They discovered the troop of guards around Shen Lian, keeping a reasonable distance. They seemed to be guarding Shen Lian.


    The envoys from Di tribe could not help but be even more curious as to Shen Lian''s identity. This youth from Xi Liang Kingdom was definitely not ordinary.


    One of the envoys said: "Young sir seemed to have an interest in our Northern Plains. Therefore, we would like to give you some of our specialties. But because young sir had abruptly left, so we have been waiting for you."


    Shen Lian nodded slowly and said: "I would like to thank fellow brothers for your kind intentions. It was just that I don''t have any belongings with me, I am afraid there was nothing I could give in return."


    That envoy smiled brightly, and said: "It was just some local produce, It was nothing precious."


    Another envoy then said: "We did not know where did you go. Last night, a strange phenomenon had happened in Wang Cheng. We wondered if you knew?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Leng smiled and said: "Everyone, let''s go out and talk."

 Chapter 509 The High Pries

    After a night of drinking, Emperor Xia was still full of vigor. To put it another way, he has not felt tiredness in a long time, as he practically had unlimited energy. Fitness that knew no bounds coupled with a high intelligence made him into the strong person he is today.


    Emperor Xia arranged for his carriages and left the main hall. The palace maids and eunuchs were far behind him. Emperor Xia passed through a garden and reached a Jade lake. The gleaming waves were like mirrors, and the grass spanned thousands of acres.


    This lake was the biggest in the kingdom. Water from the sky above and the ground below were drawn in. Spiritual vigor was accumulated. All of this formed the lake. It took 30 years to complete and costed the lives of 20,000 slaves.


    The clear waters of the lake masked the immense amount of blood and tears behind its conception.


    At the heart of the lake was a pavilion. It was the only thing in this boundless expanse of water. This kind of beautiful scenery could only be captured at its best in the pavilion.


    The palace maids and eunuchs could only stay by the lakeside. Emperor Xia took one step and reached the waters. With another step, he was already present in the pavilion at the heart of the lake. Inside the pavilion there stood a person, a thin body as viewed from behind, and shrouded in a black robe. Just like ink, the person''s hair was equally black and gradually reached the waist, like a waterfall that started from the shoulders. The hands that peeked out from the long sleeves were white as jade, with long and beautiful fingers. Both hands were clasped at the back, and the person was looking out at the similarly white waters of the lake.


    Emperor Xia exhaustedly looked at the sky, and carelessly muttered, "Ever since I was young, I have never let anyone here. This time you best have a reason for me."


    The person slowly turned, and the boundless light that radiated from his back gathered to become a picture, and he was the person in the picture, the main character. He was wearing a green copper mask. The surface of the masked looked like it was covered in a layer of fog. In the midst of the blur, a pair of eyes could be seen. One could clearly see the profound quietness at the corner of those eyes, as if it was the darkness of the void.


    His silent gaze landed on Emperor Xia. Faced with the strongest person of this era in the country, his expression and posture was leisurely. Emperor Xia stared at him intently without wavering his gaze.


    "The chancellors all said that you were not tolerant and generous towards people. What harm would it be to show that magnanimous side of yours?"


    "I do not care at all what others think of me."


    "Saying that you do not care just goes to show that you do."


    "You being ill does not give you the right to be presumptuous towards me."


    The man with the black robe and the green copper mask was the High Priest of Xia Kingdom. No one knew his age. The same could be said of his abilities.


    While the strongest man in Da Xia was Emperor Xia, the most mysterious person in Da Xia was the High Priest.


    The High Priest coughed and used a silk cloth to wipe his mouth. Blotches of dark coloured blood stained the cloth.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Slight concern could be seen in Emperor Xia''s eyes, and it looked genuine.


    "Do not worry. It is hard for me to continue living, and equally as hard for me to die within a short time." Slowly and methodically, the High Priest took out a bright red medicine pill and swallowed it.


    Emperor Xia said, "Alright then. You must find a way to keep on living regardless of what happens. Surely the day will come when I am able to find a way to cure your illness."


    The High Priest gazed upon Emperor Xia, "It matters not if I cannot be cured. I have lived for a long time."


    Emperor Xia coldly chuckled, "No one resents being able to live a long life. Or do you loathe the fact that I may not be able to do it?"


    Emperor Xia took one step forward and plainly said, "It is true that I cause people to loathe me. But I want you to live."


    Soft came the reply, "But I do not care about my life and whether I live or die. I care about the survival of Da Xia, the continuance of the Xia clan. Do you know that the moment you were born, I immediately understood that you would be the strongest of his sons? And that you would be the last king of Da Xia?"


    "Without you even saying it, I knew, and my father knew. That is why he wanted to kill me, for the sole purpose of Da Xia''s continued existence. Perhaps if I was gone, Da Xia could continue existing for a long time," Emperor Xia said.


    "When I found out, I killed him," he continued.


    The taboo subject came out of his mouth as if it was nothing. The fact that he killed his father sufficed to show how savage he was.


    The High Priest''s lips quivered and he sighed, "You need not personally confess to this."


    "It has already been done. What is there not to confess? But since you knew of that fact when I was born, why not kill me there and then? Why teach me about so many things and turn me into a person incapable of committing such things?" Emperor Xia coldly stared at the High Priest.


    "I thought that if you were strong enough, fate could be changed. And to add to that, you have never let me down. The Xia Dynasty produced so many talents, and yet you were the only one able to surpass them all. There was even more hope that you could reach the same state as them," said the High Priest.


    "This is not your reason. But as you do not wish to say it, I will not force it upon you. Now that I have told you the truth, you can tell me the matter involving the young man with the Daoist name ''Qing Xuan''." Emperor Xia changed the subject to that of an earlier time.


    "You should know that the world around us is not originally the world of the living. If there were no stars are no sun, the children that were born simply cannot survive for long. It is more impossible then, for them to reproduce and create the many populations of clans we see today," the High Priest faintly said.


    "Of course I know that. This world is the world of the dead. Or rather, it could be said that this world originally ought to be the final destination of departed souls," Emperor Xia said plainly.


    "You are correct. Furthermore this world has considerable origins in the Xia clan. Its birth was very much connected to the birth of your forefathers and the birth of the first living beings in the Asura Blood Sea. Therefore if there was legitimism in this world, half of it would be the Xia clan, while the other half could be considered as that of the Asura Blood Sea," the High Priest casually mentioned. However this was a secret even the university students of Guan Longzi could not comprehend.


    "That is why I wanted to wipe out the blood sea and become the true legitimism of this world. If it were not for the people in the blood sea that cultivated to become swordsmen of slaughter and successfully achieving great Asura, I would have succeeded," Emperor Xia still harbored those troubles at heart. The Great Asura in the blood sea occupied and dominated the home ground, and it was because of this that he had no way of coping with the opposing party.


    The High Priest continued, "It is true that combating the Asura Blood Sea is much more important than eliminating the Eastern Barbarians or Yin Shang. I believe that one day you will complete this task. But it only 30 years ago did I understand that fate cannot be resisted. That year, the Asura Blood Sea''s Flower of the Other Shore bloomed.


    Once the Flower of the Other Shore bloomed, it signified that the true owner of this world has arrived. Just like there can be only one sun in the sky, the world can only have one owner. Once he comes, it would represent the perishing of Xia, because the Xia clan is only half of the legitimism of the world. This is one of the things that the new owner cannot be tolerant of, unless you surrender. But surely you will not.


    As for the young man, he is probably the person that was released for this situation by the Flower of the Other Shore, and also the last owner of this world."


    Emperor Xia coldly replied, "All the more reason we should dispose of him."


    "What makes you think you can kill him if you could not kill Tianyi? That is why I have been thinking, that maybe we can come to an agreement with him before everything happens. So in the event that Xia perishes, at least the Xia clan could continue in existence," the High Priest unhurriedly said. This was something he started to prepare for many years ago.


    The general trend of fate is that there is no way to resist it. Even so, the tiniest details still contain many changeable aspects.

 Chapter 510 The Ways of the World Are the Catalysts for the Ways of the People

    Swiftly, in the South City of Diqiu, just beside the Xia canal, opposite Dynasty School, a simple Daoist temple was built. Small though it was, the temple could not be easily overlooked. It was given the name ''Zhiwei'', and the sentences written vertically down the sides of its doorway read ''The black sky and the yellow earth are in your hands, the dark and vast universe will be in your heart.''


    The doorman was a fierce Daoist with dark skin and a small stature. Both the doors of the main entrance had drawings of Door Gods, and altogether they were fierce fiends.


    He was the person from Ba Kingdom who provoked Shen Lian. He got a fright after having found out that Shen Lian became the Imperial Preceptor, he quickly went to him and begged to be punished.


    At the time a new temple had just risen under Shen Lian, and he still needed one doorman. That position was thus filled by that fierce Daoist.


    His name was Xiezhao, so named because at the time he was born, it was sunset and the sun was shining at an angle. As for the Door Gods that were drawn on the doors, they were true supernatural beings, and were constantly worshipped by Xiezhao. Shen Lian subsequently imprisoned them to become the Door Gods.


    Xiezhao had a face full of fierceness, but he was picking the fleas and cleaning the fur of Black Tiger. Black Tiger moaned softly and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been many years, and he finally stepped up and became the master of the tiger.


    The students of the school opposite of Zhiwei Temple, notably Fei Zhong and the other students, were incessantly upset. All they could do now was curse the fact that they did not learn under Shen Lian at the time. After all, amongst all of the political women of Emperor Xia, only one of them became the national advisor.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Moreover, everyone more or less knew that Shen Lian was the celestial who entered Diqiu and transcended the existence of living and dying.


    As long as one worships at the door of Shen Lian, there may even be hope to achieve immortality.


    All the more during that time where no one showed any interest in Shen Lian. If one were to become the first to worship at his stand, one may even be viewed in a different light.


    But it was all too late. There is no use in regretting. All they can do now was to console themselves over the seemingly harmonious relationship between Shen Lian and Emperor Xia. Maybe one of these days Emperor Xia might even kill a celestial such as Shen Lian, seeing as the latter was not the type of feudal official that will always do what he is told.


    Long ago, a celestial had his life fallen, but people no longer remembered when that was. In truth, deep in their hearts they believed that even if Shen Lian could be defeated, he could not possibly fall in the hands of Emperor Xia.


    At that time when the Grandmaster of Xuan Zhen Temple was yet to be in this world, Xuan Zhen Temple did not suffer such suppression. As long as one bore the cultivation experience of a celestial series, there will be nothing to be afraid of even if one offended Emperor Xia.


    On that day, everyone experienced a shapeless cut of the knife, which represented Tianyi''s entrance into the celestial stage. It is no wonder then, that Emperor Xia did not kill him. Many intelligent people had already guessed that perhaps Emperor Xia could not kill Tianyi.


    Shen Lian and Tianyi were like the sharpest and most piercing of awls, inserted into the most vulnerable point of this ancient yet powerful empire. This showed the society of all the countries that neither Emperor Xia nor the Xia Kingdom was incapable to be contended against.


    When Baidi''s son Yun Yang was born, the mountain of the north side that belonged to the Barbarians of the North shone with light both day and night. Shen Lian came from the West side of Xi Liang Nation, and towards his north was a sea. The Asura Blood Sea.


    Da Xia had no idea of the peril.


    It was for Da Xia that the peril loomed, not Zhiwei Temple. Shen Lian had a new home, but he did not think that it was better than Dynasty School. It would not be proper to live away from home under someone else once his status was known.


    The fact that he is a go-with-the-flow kind of person is an advantage of his. Be it a tall building, a golden jade temple, or even the wilderness, it was all the same to him. He could still be able to live in any of those places.


    The undercurrent of Diqiu served as a foil to his calmness. Emperor Xia truly did make him the national advisor, thus the fate that derived from Da Xia followed suit with him. However, Shen Lian placed it outside of the Daoist temple, so if anyone uses their spirit to look at Zhiwei Temple in the night, they would feel that there was a small galaxy shining brightly on top of the temple.


    What Shen Lian saw from this fate was that the destiny of Da Xia has not yet ended. Even more frightening was the fact that from yesterday onwards, a completed Qi of Dragon and Da Xia''s destiny became intertwined and indistinct with each other. In the heart of the empire there was a noble power and influence, and it was enormous, profoundly enveloping Diqiu.


    That was the fusing of Emperor Xia''s undercurrent and the destiny of Da Xia. Henceforth the king died with moral integrity for the dynasty.


    Originally, with Emperor Xia''s cultivation, Shen Lian could withdraw at any time, even if the nation perished. But with this new development, the fate of Da Xia is parallel to the fate of Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia became strong, but he also let his weaknesses slip.


    If Shen Lian was in the position of the emperor, perhaps early on Shen Lian would already pay no mind to his position, and would freely go to heaven and earth by himself. "Then again, the reasons for pursuing differs from person to person," Shen Lian thought to himself.


    Regardless of what others do, Shen Lian went about his own business in his own pace, just as before. His body and flesh properly placed inside the temple suddenly stiffened with both eyes tightly shut. With this, a faint and untraceable green ray thus departed from Zhiwei temple.


    From that day onwards, Lei Jing was locked inside the Manor of the Prefect Grand Usher, unable to go outside.


    This was her mother''s orders. Lei Jing cried and made a fuss out of things. Yet, she still was not allowed to leave.


    She tried a myriad of escape plans, but none succeeded.


    It was late in the night. Lei Jing did not want to sleep. Tomorrow and today were no different anyway. Her heart was full of resentment. She did not blame her parents, but instead blamed her sir.


    Why would he not come find her, since she could not leave the place?


    It did not matter that he was the national advisor, or that he was the young king of Xi Liang Nation, or even if he was the enemy of Da Xia. For Lei Jing, he will always be her sir, the person she admired the most.


    "The ways of the world are the catalysts for the ways of the people, a person lives not only for himself and so cannot pursue only his own comfort��" Lei Jing leaned in front of the window and softly sang the song, as if she was a nightingale paying tribute to one of the small countries of Xirong, sweet and melodious, poignant and touching.


    She did not like the song. She only like the verse, ''A person lives not only for himself and so cannot pursue only his own comfort''.


    Whenever this verse popped in her head, her first thought was her sir.


    Her sir lived quite comfortably himself, so what kind of woman could be a match for him?


    "Such a beautiful song. If I did not come, Qing Er, I would not know how beautiful it is when you sing," those unhurried words unexpectedly sounded just beside her ears.


    At first, Lei Jing was shocked, but that quickly turned to joy. From her window, she saw lots of starlight leaking in from the outside, and with a gust, they morphed into the shape of Shen Lian.


    "Sir! You finally came to see me!" Her voice held resentment, but she was happy nonetheless.


    Shen Lian told her, "I never said I would not come to see you. Moreover, I have yet to finish teaching you. Leaving this uncultivated, your mood would keep fluctuating."


    Lei Jing''s face reddened, "It is alright. I can quickly pick them up."


    Shen Lian laughed, "I would not force you to cultivate. But I have said before that you are comparable to Wu Ding. When the time comes and you lose, it is me that you will disgrace."


    Lei Jing turned her pretty face, "Sir, can''t you see that I am locked in this house? Why not bring me out of here? And by the time I could give Wu Ding a beating so good that he ends up picking his teeth from the ground." She raised her soft look for Shen Lian to see, and her craftiness flashed across her expression.


    Shen Lian replied, "If you follow my advice, you will be out of here in no time."


    He quietly looked at Lei Jing. Her quality as a disciple might even be slightly better than that of Chen Jinchan. As for her feelings towards him, Shen Lian did not think much of it. Love and hate are part of human nature. Such issues should not be blindly prohibited, but rather should be guided with good tendencies in mind. No matter how indifferent he was, he still bore the appropriate feelings. The only difference was that those feelings were weaker than normal people, and thus lacked the intensity.

 Chapter 511 To Slice Water with a Knife

    "Sir, I have another question to ask you." Lei Jing displayed a slight uneasiness as she looked at this man that was made of starlight. The good thing was that Shen Lian did not come in the flesh and thus the mood was much more relaxed. Lei Jing looked at him and felt just slightly braver.


    "Speak." Shen Lian emphatically and succinctly replied.


    Lei Jing took a deep breath and straightened her body. Her beautiful swanlike neck was showing, and her eyes were like water from a cold spring night. She faintly asked him, "Sir, do you treat me this well because you want me to help you, or because you like me?"


    Shen Lian replied, "In the end you still managed to ask that question. Let me tell you this. Since you are my student, as long as I have not chased you out of the martial sect, my duty is to teach you. You are not the first person to feel this way towards me."


    Shen Lian spoke of Zhang Ruoxu, who used the last days of his life to teach his Dao practitioner. It enabled Shen Lian to understand that there was something so heart-warming as to transcend life and death.


    Even though the cultivation experience was no different between now and before Zhang Ruoxu''s birth, but regardless of how time passed, Shen Lian could never get rid of the reverence given to him.


    Lei Jing felt disappointed, but at the same time she was happy. She was disappointed because Shen Lian neither had important plans for her nor had feelings towards her. She was happy because at the very least she could receive his sincere concern.


    She firmly nodded, "I will not let you down."


    Shen Lian smiled, "As a matter of fact, it cannot be said that I have no plans for you. There is much that I can gain from you. Do not be touched as a result of assuming that I am selflessly investing in you."


    Lei Jing looked at him in earnest, "Sir that is not important anymore. Please continue to teach me."


    She gave him a slight and sincere bow.


    Shen Lian nodded, "Have you not always wanted to learn spells? Now I will teach you."


    Lei Jing was elated. She had always been curious with spells, but not many amongst the Xia clan could practice and cultivate spells. The problem was that they had no mana, and their spirit could not be compared a Qi cultivator.


    Shen Lian contently said, "In essence, spells are just a method of using strength. At the start of ancient times and before the birth of civilisation, there were thunderstorms, thunder, and lightning. This was the nature''s mighty power. The small, weaker beings trembled in fear. But some of them were brave and they pondered the hows and whys as well as the origins of the rain and storm."


    "They succeeded then?" Lei Jing was curious.


    "Who knows? But you must always bear this in mind. The steps to become something from nothing is the hardest. Even if they succeeded, they would surely have spent an immense amount of time to do so. That is the reason we are lucky. From the very start we need not fumble over things. The spell I am going to pass on to you is called ''Summoning of Wind and Rain''. Once you have mastered it, the wind and rain of heaven and earth will become your friends," Shen Lian leisurely answered.


    Lei Jing pouted, "That sounds so unsophisticated."


    Shen Lian smiled, "If you do not wish to learn the spell, then so be it."


    "No. I will learn it." Her face immediately changed.


    Even if Shen Lian taught her the most ridiculously easy spell, she still would be willing to learn. At this point she could care less about what she gained from the whole exercise as long as she could spend some time with Shen Lian.


    As unsophisticated as it sounds, the Summoning of Wind and Rain was actually an incredible supernatural power. It originated from the Tiangang Thirty-Six Transformations of ancient times. For thousands of years, only a few people of Qing Xuan managed to cultivate this branch of supernatural power.


    Yanxu was one of them. So was Shen Lian.


    The key to practicing ''Summoning of Wind and Rain'' was to feel about the reasons behind the formation of wind and rain. Naturally this was connected to lightning and thunder. Wind and rain were like the dark, and the dark was a consequence of dark clouds. Dark clouds produce lightning and thunder. A flash of lightning and thunder would immediately result in wind and rain, and the mighty power of this kind of wind and rain is extremely high.


    Lightning and thunder originated from the interaction of Yin Qi and Yang Qi. This is the plainest of all powers that originated from heaven and earth.


    The Netherworld contained a lot of Yin Qi, while the pure and grand appearance of Yang Qi could be obtained from the sun.


    Those who have Youhu''s blood naturally bore slight essences of lightning and thunder power. Therefore, when Lei Jing practiced Summoning of Wind and Rain, she would surely possess the foundation for it.


    Of course, only a rare and remarkable talent such as Shen Lian could dissect this branch of technique, since he was not at a disadvantage to begin with. He could complete the cultivation of Summoning of Wind and Rain with Lei Jing''s understanding and her ways of doing it.


    If Lei Jing could complete the cultivation of Summoning of Wind and Rain, she would equally have cultivated parts of Taixu Strategy and obtained the power of wind, water, and thunder. Even if the peak of a Qi cultivator''s Daoist techniques were not counted in, it was already valuable enough.


    Perhaps the Summoning of Wind and Rain and this branch of supernatural power had been noticed by talents from the past dynasties since its first conception in the ancient times up till it came to the hands of Qing Xuan. And for the analysis of its success and failure in being cultivated, it could even be said to be thoroughly tried and tested. If Lei Jing had sufficient spiritual wisdom, it might even be possible for her to derive from it a new branch of cultivation and Dao formula. This new branch would not be under the one hundred and eight techniques, but it would be enough to teach people to cultivate to a higher state. Much of it would be smoother down the road.


    The more concentrated she was, the faster time passed. When tomorrow came, Shen Lian along with his starlight dispersed and he vanished.


    Lei Jing was still engrossed in exploring this branch of spell. A new world was opened to her by virtue of the mysteries within. As it turns out, aside from being able to topple mountains with one fist or stepping on rivers and seas with one''s feet, there existed such a technique of force manipulation that was this fascinating.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    In comparison to using one''s own flesh and blood to battle the heavens, the spells of Qi cultivators were more exuberant, and mesmerising.


    Wind and rain are not solely forces of destruction. They bring vitality too, just like the sight of almond blossoms in the morning after a night of spring rain at the quaint tower.


    ...��.


    The light of dawn scattered its rays on the Xia Canal and turned into rays of red light, rippling with the waves of the water.


    Wu Ding woke up early every morning and today was no different. He held a thick back knife in his hands, and he looked at the Xia Canal. His spiritual senses rippled with the waves of the water and he fully experienced the minutiae of the water movement.


    Suddenly there was a downward swipe of the knife, and then he retracted. A gap unexpectedly appeared in the fervently galloping flow of water. A layer of shapeless blade Qi parted the water continuously for quite some time.


    He heard the sound of clapping. It rang clearly in his ears.


    "Zi Zhao, your knife technique is marvellous, slicing a gap in the flowing water. You let the knife take its course with a swift movement, and you parted the continuously flowing water. If the assassin from Dongyi (or is it Eastern Barbarians? cause the databank has both) the other day met the current you, life and death as well as success and failure would be 50/50," came the words, clear as the wind. At the end of the bridge not too far away stood a brightly elegant Daoist.


    Wu Ding said, "My prince, you woke up quite early. And it appears my knife technique has become your source of humor."


    Shen Lian took one step and was immediately beside Wu Ding. Not even the slightest gust of wind was present, as if Shen Lian did not pass through space or time and immediately appeared at one point from another.


    After having experienced Shen Lian''s celestial power, Wu Ding had a yearning in his heart.


    "The journey of a thousand-miles begins with one step, a terrace with nine-storeys must be built from the bottom up. As long as the path you walk is the correct one, the distance could be levelled by years and months. I walked the same road to reach where I am now. I will not laugh at you." Shen Lian replied.


    Wu Ding mustered a smile. As true as those words may be, not many have lived long enough to reach their destinations, even if the road they set for is the right one. The path of human life is long and not easy. As of now, he could be considered to have profoundly experienced that.


    Ever since the day of the palace banquet, the Shang people of Yin Shang received a tremendous amount of oppression, to the point where such oppression spread throughout the whole of Da Xia and the neighboring countries that were obedient to Da Xia. Do not be fooled by his leisurely outlook in the early morning, in actual fact he had to meet many Shang people each day and placate them. Placating them was all that he could do, and as for the situation, there was nothing that could be done about it.

 Chapter 512 Lianshan

    This feeling of powerlessness severely upset Wuding in the beginning, as it gave him a deep feeling of despair. But he lifted it with both hands. As the man of Yinshang and the nephew of Tianyi, he could do so much more.


    This time, Wuding would no longer entrust his hopes on another person like before. Even if he was earlier in time compared to Lei Jing, Wuding obtained a greater victory, and he would not plead to Shen Lian for help in saving Tianyi.


    The movement of heaven is full of power, thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring. This was told to Wuding by Guan Longzi himself. Only then did Wuding understand the meaning of it.


    He continued to display for Shen Lian the knife techniques he thought were not worth mentioning, a slice here and a slice there, with no pauses in between. The last gap did not decrease with the gushing of the water but instead slowly increased, bearing the tendency to cut rivers and break the flow of water.


    Shen Lian thought about uttering some words of praise, but having seen Wuding''s concentrated look, he knew that an enormous change had occurred in the young man''s psyche.


    It could be foreseen that in the future, Wuding would be reticent for a large span of time. He would speak less, but he would spend his energy in deep thought. He would witness all kinds of worlds and comprehend the Dao that belonged to him.


    "How about it? Have you now come to bear some regrets in pushing this student to me?" Guan Longzi chuckled.


    Out of nowhere, he appeared beside Shen Lian, with movements that were both silent and devoid of vital force. This was the state of ''Great Stability'' told in legends.


    Contentment enables stability; stability enables quietness; quietness enables calmness; calmness enables thought, and thought enables achievement. Stability comes after contentment, but before quietness, calmness, thought, and achievement. This is the state of the Sage.


    Guan Longzi could be known as the ''saint'' of the holy deities, and furthermore, he was outstanding amongst the sages.


    Shen Lian spoke without looking back, "Why should I be? Teaching a person of such high talent is your pleasure, not mine. Moreover, Lei Jing will surpass him."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Guan Longzi replied, "That remains to be seen."


    "I am certain, for she is a student of mine," Shen Lian replied with words full of confidence, and naturally so. For if Shen Lian did not have such confidence, he would not be Shen Lian anymore.


    "Perfect! Why don''t we continue to raise the stakes? I know you want to see my treasured ''Lianshan''. If Lei Jing wins, I will show it to you. If Zi Zhao wins, I would like to know the Taixu Strategy," Guan Longzi suggested.


    ''Lianshan'' was the most treasured hidden book of State''s Academy, all the more it as it was the summary of everything Guan Longzi studied throughout his life. Even though Guan Longzi himself compiled it all to this one book, he himself felt that there was no lacking in the knowledge contained and thus it was difficult to completely understand.


    Shen Lian''s curiosity perked up after hearing this, but Guan Longzi was reluctant to show it to Shen Lian, and instead used it as a gambling chip.


    Shen Lian smiled, "The Taixu Strategy is my past cultivation technique. As precious as it is, I am not obverse to giving it away, but there is an inherent difficulty in doing so. This technique was established by Founding Master Qingshui, which Grandmaster Ziling made into the essence of Dao. They were both my masters. By right others should not see it. However, I have with me a scroll of ''Huangting Scripture'', the Yellow Court Classic. It is not so much a cultivation technique as it is an extreme mystery of cultivation. If you are willing, my friend, I will bet you ''Huangting''."


    Guan Longzi replied, "You''ve got yourself a deal."


    "There''s no going back," Shen Lian muttered those words without the slightest hesitation.


    Guan Longzi let out a hearty laugh and headed back to the academy. He knew the origins of ''Huangting'', as that was where all the Daoist techniques could be traced from. Many years ago, he heard that if one recites Huangting daily, you could fly and become a celestial.


    Of course, it remained to be seen whether there was still a complete Huangting Scripture when it was likely that even the environment spoken about in the rumors at the time might not be found anymore. Even if the Qi of vitality in the Netherworld could be considered abundant, it was extremely thin now compared to when the forefathers of the Xia Clan lived in this world.


    Shen Lian stood on the bridge and kept his gaze on the Xia Canal. A smile formed at the corner of his lips. The world was huge and full of interesting things.


    Black tiger, Xiao Hei, strode over, turning its head as it walked. It appears that Lei Jing''s Pegasus snorted to chase the black tiger away.


    Xiao Hei scolded, "Go to hell. I will not argue with someone with low intelligence."


    What actually happened was that all this time, the Pegasus had bullied Xiao Hei. Therefore the latter made a determined effort and evolved his transverse bone. Now he could speak.


    Pegasus kept silent and only coldly looked at the black tiger.


    Xiao Hei moved backwards one step at a time. Finally, he bumped into Shen Lian''s trousers.


    Shen Lian lazily said, "Stop bickering you two."


    Xiao Hei immediately fawned on Shen Lian and licked his shoes even though there was no dust on them, guiltily smiling, "Master Shen, I do not want to debate with him."


    Shen Lian unrelentingly replied, "On the contrary, I want you to do just that. Are you able to?"


    Xiao Hei lowered his head, "Master Shen, I was told that Dongcheng will organize a lantern festival at night. How about I carry you there on my back?"


    Shen Lian replied, "We''ll see."


    Having said that he walked past Xiao Hei and patted Pegasus. The white Pegasus had a deliberate arrogance.


    It wanted to become the most remarkable Pegasus in history, and so could not be as degrading as Xiao Hei, who completely lacked integrity.


    The black tiger deftly followed Shen Lian from behind. As they passed Pegasus, Xiao Hei looked at Pegasus with disdain, as if to say, "Master Shen will surely ride on my back tonight."


    Having returned to Zhiwei Temple, Shen Lian received a greeting card. Originally he could choose whether to attend or not attend the lantern festival, but the contents of the greeting card explicitly invited him to the event. There was no other inscription on the letter save for the invitation and a line of words, "Yun is the sweetest and cutest girl I''ve ever met."


    ''Yun'' was the name of the youngest aunt of Shen Lian''s current life. He told Chen Qing before that he would bring her home. Shen Lian was not the type of person to go back on his word, so naturally, he had to go to the lantern festival.


    The most renowned influential authorities of Diqiu gathered here in Dongcheng that night. That was the reason for the lantern festival. The atmosphere was indescribable.


    That night, Diqiu had an endless charm. The lantern lights in the city were enough to shine with the starlight in the night sky. It was hard to discern the starlight from the lantern light at the time, all that could be seen was the bright rays of light which illuminated all its surroundings.


    Most of the young men and women of Xia were out. They were told that this event would be organized by the High Priest, and that the power of the Moon God would be harnessed. If fate looked kindly upon the young men and women, the night would end on a high note for them.


    Love transcends the boundaries of clans and the boundaries of space and time. All these young aristocrats hope to achieve the same thing that night, they hoped for a marriage destined by fate.


    Within the lantern festival itself, there was another particular attraction. Each lantern had its own lantern riddle. If one can break all of these lantern riddles, one could reach a particular place. Upon reaching that place, one could make a dream come true, albeit that dream must be a reasonable one.


    Xia Canal was at the edge of Dongcheng. The lights brazenly flowed into the Xia Canal. Many boats came and went on the misty surface of the canal waters. Under the quiet and still moonlight, everything looked like a beautifully painted scroll.


    The noblewomen were all dressed in beautiful clothes. They took a ride in the boats. Many young men stood at the edge of the canal and whistled at the young ladies. Still more were the many young men from other countries, who came to the event out of the allure of the Xia ladies. These men looked from afar. They knew that if luck were on their side, they might just catch the attention of a Xia woman that night.

 Chapter 513 Terrifying Intelligence

    The person who invited Shen Lian only requested Shen Lian''s presence. He or she did not specify any meeting point. Shen Lian understood this person''s intentions all too well. This was to test whether Shen Lian was capable of finding him or her.


    The lanterns in the surrounding shone bright like day. The truth was that it could be traced to the transformation of the spirit flame. Someone got rid of the wishes of lost souls, and what was left behind was pure spirit flame. This was what made the lantern festival so grand.


    It could be said that the stars in the sky were the transformation of souls. The lanterns on earth were also transformed from the will of a spirit. The interaction of stars and lanterns made it truly difficult to tell one from the other. This caused quite a bit of interference with Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not bring Xiao Hei with him but rode on Pegasus instead. They buoyantly arrived at Dongcheng and drew the attention of many onlookers. He may have become the State Preceptor of Xia Kingdom, but few really knew him.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Hei was pitifully guarding the temple. Shen Lian, however, gave Xiao Hei an elixir just before he left. The elixir contained pure spiritual vigor. After all, Xiao Hei could speak, but only superficially.


    On the other hand, Pegasus did not have high natural qualities but was very hardworking. Tree branches gradually protruded out from the head of Pegasus. It turned out that Pegasus had dragon blood, albeit in extremely thin form. After having been with Shen Lian for some time, Pegasus was tainted with the Qi of Dao. Pegasus would gradually be able to purify its own thin dragon blood and perhaps one day, Pegasus could transform into a dragon.


    Shen Lian rode in the sky on the white Pegasus, fitted with a silver saddle. People might not know him, but their attention was still drawn to him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    They circled the whole of Dongcheng and finally reached the shore. Wherever could the person who invited Shen Lian be? Even the use of divine thoughts did not yield any results. His unseen premonition was even malfunctioning here.


    As he looked down from the sky above, all the lanterns were assembled to become a picture. Shen Lian was reminded of the Flower of the Other Shore that was given by Lei Jing.


    Every time Shen Lian observed the flower, he felt the urge to eat it. No one in this world had more self-control than Shen Lian, yet he still could not resist that desire. This just goes to show how much of an impression the Flower of the Other Shore gave to him, to the point where he was at a loss as to why the flower incited such lust within him.


    It appears that the person who invited him to the lantern festival understood him quite well.


    All the young men and women around Shen Lian were pointing their fingers at him. Some of the well-informed people already knew that this man was Xia''s State Preceptor.


    Mixed feelings were stirred in the young men. Shen Lian alone quietly made a living dead person out of Ming Luo, and furthermore broke into the ranks at Xia Palace. Still, he escaped unscathed, and to top it off he became the State Preceptor. Even though it was known that Shen Lian''s doing might bring about harm to Xia Kingdom, people could not help but look to him with respect and admiration.


    Many young women thought of Shen Lian as a hero. Their hearts skipped a beat after having seen Shen Lian riding his white Pegasus in such a dashing manner. There were a certain freshness and elegance compared to the vigorous heroics of Xia''s young men.


    Shen Lian was unknowingly surrounded by the young women. Some of them were accompanied by dates, but once Shen Lian was there, none of their dates could pry them away from him.


    Some of the men were infuriated but were met with retort. "If you could perform the same feats as Shen Lian, we would be willing to do whatever you ask of us," the ladies explain.


    For the most part, this was the difference in the disposition between the two genders. Lei Jing was a woman, so she was predisposed to womanly natures.


    Whether it was envy, grudge, a wish-wash of every emotion, or even the sizing up of him with an infatuated look, Shen Lian did not feel uneasy. He only mulled over that thought that he became a superstar of Diqiu.


    More and more people gathered around, and the flow of water was obstructed. Shen Lian smiled and fished out a handful of soybeans. These soybeans were harvested from Zhiwei Temple. With Shen Lian''s mana, one night was all that was needed for the beans to sprout, flower, and produce more beans.


    The beans were fresh. He scattered them all around. Before the onlookers could react, gold light filled their eyes. At that point in time, a group of tall and strong gods clothed in gold blocked Shen Lian from the crowd of onlookers and paved a way for him.


    The young men of Xia inherited noble blood. Even if they had not put in hard work in cultivation, they were still more skillful than most Qi cultivators and had greater strength.


    But these soldiers that were created from Shen Lian''s technique possessed the strength of thick earth and they formed an unbroken line. A mere comparison of strength with the noblemen of Xia and one could immediately deduce that the noblemen were no match for the soldiers.


    The crowd was pushed away.


    One or two outstanding young men of Xia were sent by the crowd. But since there were many people all around them, they feared that if the strength was not controlled the onlookers might be injured. Eventually, they gave up.


    Moreover, they knew the story of Shen Lian. They dared not to make an enemy out of him.


    Because the people were all gathered towards Shen Lian, it meant that some places were relatively empty. Shen Lian deeply absorbed the sight of every lantern in front of him. A riddle was attached on each of them. A blank space was left for the annotation of the answer.


    Once the correct answer was given, the light would go off.


    Up until then, no one managed to get even a single answer correct, hence the light was still shining.


    Shen Lian understood that if all the lantern light were to be extinguished, this formation of interference would be dispelled.


    With the use of brute force alone, Shen Lian could destroy this formation. However, that action would signal his inability to use delicate means. Therefore, Shen Lian decided to use a less brutal method of breaking the formation.


    There were eighteen thousand lanterns altogether, and the riddle on each one of them was complex. There were many types of riddles and none of them were easy.


    Shen Lian quickly picked one. The riddle was, ''Holes without worms, hives without bees, silk without silkworm, an open umbrella without people''.


    In a flash, Shen Lian had the answer written down in the blank space, ''lotus root''. The light was extinguished and Shen Lian left without looking back.


    Someone was already following Shen Lian from behind, but the person could not chase after him, managing only to see Shen Lian leave in that split second after the answer was written down.


    The second riddle was, ''Directly up the floating clouds''.


    Without so much a half second of thought, Shen Lian wrote, ''Go''.


    At this time, everyone felt the ground shake. The formation seemed to be linked to the lanterns. Each lantern was a node of spiritual vigor. As more lanterns were extinguished, the spiritual vigor would be disturbed even more, with the end result being the occurrence of a grave destruction.


    If Shen Lian could not break the spirit flame of all the lanterns within a short time, he would lose a little in the end and bring disaster to the surrounding people.


    In an instant, Shen Lian already pondered and understood that, but he still calmly and indifferently analyzed the riddle.


    However, he sped up the pace. He rode on Pegasus in one straight motion, just like smoke and cloud that gathered. With no time to examine, he left to another place like clouds.


    Here the light was extinguished like rain, later the light was extinguished into pieces.


    The people who witnessed Shen Lian solving the riddles trembled and broke into rapture. It was hard to restrain oneself after seeing that there was a person with such nimble thought processes on earth. Even though it could be said that Xia Kingdom advocated military forces, the mere presence of a person with such high intelligence struck terror into people.


    Shen Lian sincerely felt a sense of carefreeness. His state of mind was so sharp that even the tiniest of things could be sensed, and his touch was very much enhanced. It was a wonderful and touching feeling when of all his strength was calculated and operated in his Primordial Spirit.

 Chapter 514 Si Wenming

    When all the lights went out, Shen Lian had suddenly left the hustle and bustle of the mortal world. There were no starlights nor any sentient beings. It was just nothingness.


    Fortunately, it was only a brief moment of nothingness. Shen Lian lowered his head and saw the Dragon Pond.


    Shen Lian once heard of an idiom that goes ''a dragon''s pond and a tiger''s cave'' and it was used to describe a very dangerous place. He was not intimidated by a tiger''s cave. After all, he kept a pretty ferocious black tiger as a pet.


    The dragon pond was indeed scary. The divine dragon was nowhere to be seen and it was a deep pond that was pitch black as far as the eye can see. The misty fog emitted from the pond, too, gave off a dangerous feeling.


    After destroying the formation, Shen Lian traced the spiritual vigor of the formation and entered an unknown place. That was the only way for him to find out who was the invitee.


    Shen Lian had a chance to break free but he chose to enter deeper.


    He was not being conceited nor did he have the thought that nothing in Diqiu could stop him. It was his innermost instinct that could help him escape from extreme situations, just like Guan Longzi''s sincere approach that helped him dodged danger.


    But that did not mean that no other trials could destroy him. Just like ordinary people, if he was caught in a dangerous situation such as an earthquake or volcano eruption, he would also not be able to escape in time. All he could do was to use some means to hide. Would he end up alive? It all depends on God''s will.


    The dragon pond was very dark and the waters run deep. There were no lights in this space, it was Shen Lian''s gaze that pierced through the misty fog and saw a huge black figure that was gradually rising.


    There was a bulge in the black figure which was a human figure. Gradually, a pure green ghost fire came to light and dispelled the misty fog. Shen Lian managed to take a good look at the appearance of the human.


    Shen Lian noticed the dragon scales of the huge black figure under the refraction of the light. It was a Black Dragon, ancient and strong. But its scales seemed to be real yet dreamy. Shen Lian''s gaze pierced through the Black Dragon to reveal a strong endless spirit rather than dirty blood.


    The Black Dragon was not a living being. It had been dead and what Shen Lian saw was the manifestation of its magnificent spirits.


    But what really surprised Shen Lian was the breath of the Black Dragon. It reminded him of the incident where he discovered the Black Water Residence in the eye of the sea back then in the world where Qing Xuan existed. There were weird characters recorded at the residence and Shen Lian even translated an article about a cultivation method. Although there were lots of potential behind the method, it was incomplete as some key points were missing. Shen Lian did not further cultivate that method.


    The breath of the Black Dragon reminded him of the Black Water Residences as if the Black Dragon once resided there.


    Shen Lian wondered if the world where Qing Xuan existed was connected to the Netherworld. Could this be the crucial point that would lead him back to Qing Xuan? It was still too early for him to tell.


    "It seems that you are interested in it." The man on the head of the Black Dragon finally initiated the conversation. He had a bronze mask on his face and a slender figure. His hands were extremely pale and clean, just like carved jade.


    Shen Lian could sense an odd power from this person. It was somewhat similar to the wizard he killed at the city of Xiliang. But this person''s breath was many times stronger than that wizard.


    If that wizard was an ant, the man in the bronze mask would be a mammoth.


    Shen Lian replied with a light voice, "If I am not wrong, you are the High Priest of the Xia Kingdom."


    "It''s hard to hide small things like this from you. I have always wanted to meet you. But I don''t understand why are you interested in it? It has lived a longer life than me and technically, you shouldn''t have encountered it," the High Priest said as he fixed his gaze on Shen Lian.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The Black Dragon too stared at Shen Lian and was not even bothered by the pegasus that had a hint of dragon blood on it. The dragon''s eyes were large just like two lanterns lit up with ghost fire.


    The green flames were exceptionally creepy bearing a hint of loneliness.


    Dragons, especially real dragons stood highly above the masses and were second only to deities and Buddha. In fact, the stronger dragons could match or even be more powerful than deities and Buddha.


    In front of the prestigious dragon, the pegasus was about to foam in the mouth. Shen Lian consoled it gently and comb its hair to calm it down.


    With an extremely calm voice, Shen Lian said, "I once went to a very deep into the eye of the sea and saw a Water Residence and it had a similar breath to the breath that I remembered lingering around the residence."


    The High Priest said, "Could that be your former residence?"


    He lowered his body to ask the Black Dragon but the Black Dragon gave no reaction.


    The High Priest then said, "I have forgotten that it has drunk the Soup of Forgetfulness and has erased of all of its memories. Currently, it is living in this world that was founded by Wenming in order to protect its own existence."


    Shen Lian was surprised and said, "Were you talking about Wenming who was the monarch and founder of the kingdom of Xia? I have heard of him but I did not know that he was capable of opening up a world. The Dragon Pond had strong vitality. But what really amazed me is that this world is as stable as the State''s Academy. Man-made would never be as good as nature''s creation. Looks like Wenming was a lot stronger than what I imagined him to be."


    Wenming''s full name was Si Wenming. He was the monarch and founder of the Xia Kingdom and was also recognized as the strongest powerhouse of the Xia family. He led the ancestors and sorted out the overflowing Netherworld. He had fought with all types of ghosts and gods to form the Kingdom of Xia.


    Coincidentally, Si Wenming was the name of Yu the Great. He was a legendary ruler from the world of Shen Lian''s previous life who founded a kingdom known as Xia.


    Shen Lian was very surprised when the thought crossed his mind.


    Fortunately, although no connections were found between them, Shen Lian could still calmly accept all this.


    The High Priest said, "He was beyond powerful. Did you know that he once had the chance to become the master of the Netherworld but he refused? I do not know where he left to but I know that he would be guarding the Xia family and the Kingdom of Xia. He would eventually return."


    Shen Lian curiously asked, "Could it be that you belonged to the same era as him?"


    The High Priest responded, "I do not only belong to the same era as him, do you know why I was able to live for so long?"


    Shen Lian said, "Although it was said that there was no end to the lifespan of walking celestials of the earth, it still does not make sense to live beyond thousands or millions of years. There is a great chance of getting killed in various disasters and there would always be the risk of succumbing to calamities. Considering that you have lived such a long life and it has nothing to do with the realm, I am guessing that it is the curse in you that is either helping you or harming you."


    The High Priest had a mask on his face and thus his expression was hidden. But his body quivered in the most noticeable manner and yet, Shen Lian was able to sense it.


    "You are smarter than I imagined and are indeed the Man of Destiny. Wenming told me that he refused to be the master of the Netherworld because the real master has long been destined. I did not believe that there would be someone else better than him but now I have my doubts."

 Chapter 515 Headstrong

    Shen Lian remained silent for a moment and smiled, "Guan Longzi and you may regard me as the Man of Destiny from the prophecy but to be honest, it does not matter to me at all."


    "It does not matter if you are bothered or not. Even if you are not the destined one, your existence here has disrupted the balance of this world. Hundreds of years ago, the person from the Asura Blood Sea destroyed the balance and as a result, there was a monk who would never leave the shore of the blood sea. Whether you like it or not, your appearance here would garner a lot of attention. Every step you take and every move you make will deeply affect the format of this world," The High Priest sighed.


    The white Pegasus managed to muster up the courage after being consoled by Shen Lian. The dragon prestige released unconsciously by the Black Dragon no longer intimidated the Pegasus. In fact, it triggered the discharge of impurities of the blood of the Pegasus, and it slowly gained a glow on its face.


    Shen Lian released the Pegasus from his hands and turned his clear eyes to the High Priest, "All these had nothing to do with me. But I want to know where is she? If you refuse to answer, I will use all means to make you undo your decision. You should trust that I have the determination and power to do so."


    The prestige of the Black Dragon was terrifying enough but it could not match Shen Lian''s stance at that very moment.


    Shen Lian was not tall but it felt like his height was tall enough to stab through the sky of this space.


    A hurricane came out of nowhere and swept the misty fog away. The Hellfire was replaced by the flames released by Shen Lian and it spread throughout the entire Dragon Pond.


    There was lightning in the sky, shaped in the figure of a snake.


    With this pure looking teenager standing in front of him, the High Priest tear away his mask to reveal the true colors of a Demon King.


    The High Priest was fully aware of how terrifying Shen Lian could be.


    "There were many barbarian tribes in the south and among them, some were homologous to the Xia Tribe. But their cultivation approach was different from Xia as they practiced witchcraft and sacrificial rituals in exchange for power. In other words, they were witches and wizards. Yun was born as a medium and is more skillful than I am in witchcraft. I brought her there to cultivate for five years. She then became the Saintess that was highly looked upon by the Southern Barbarians and a friendly figure to Xia Kingdom. Now that you are Xia Kingdom''s State Preceptor and the price of Xiliang, if you choose to retire to focus on cultivation and never be involved in mortal affairs, I can guarantee that Xiliang will be one of the most respected nations ever aside from Xia Kingdom. You will become the God of the Xia Kingdom and be respected by all. Xia Kingdom would generously provide you with our fortune so you can pursue a higher realm," the High Priest said.


    The conditions he proposed were really attractive. As long as Shen Lian stayed out of trouble, he would gain tremendously.


    Shen Lian sighed, "What if I don''t agree with it?"


    The High Priest said, "Yun would be your enemy and Xia Kingdom would be your obstacle. Even if you became the master of the world, you could still be a lonely person."


    "Are you threatening me?" Shen Lian lifted his head and questioned the High Priest.


    The High Priest said, "If you agree to it, you can always be the Xia Kingdom''s State Preceptor. In fact, I am willing to surrender my position as the High Priest to you."


    Shen Lian shook his head, "But I am not interested in the things that you said. To be honest, I do not intend to go against Xia Kingdom because I dread getting involved in unnecessary troubles. But I noticed something and that pissed me off."


    "What was it?" The High Priest fixed his gaze on Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian answered, "I am sure you have taught Emperor Xia many things. I do not know if you have noticed that the two of you are actually very similar to each other. You all love to be in control so I am sure that you have taken her away a long time ago. You also want to recruit me to be part of Xia Kingdom through this compromisation. You must have told yourself that you could sacrifice everything for Xia Kingdom and it was not for the sake of immortality but for spiritual sustenance. In order to achieve this, you have planned everything meticulously.


    You got it right. I absolutely hate being involved in unnecessary affairs and troubles. If I did not have all these supernatural powers, I might have stayed in the mountains in solitary. I would be content with my life, spend a good amount of time experiencing new things but very few people would know me.


    However, I have cultivated such powers and I could not help but show it off. It is not a good habit but it''s hard to change my character.


    And that is why I would never compromise just to get out of trouble. I would just take the practical way, which is my fist, to eliminate all troubles."


    Shen Lian lifted his fist and effortlessly threw out a punch.


    From this punch, the High Priest could see Shen Lian''s wildness, wantonness and his determination to not be played like a puppet.


    After all, he did not know the real Shen Lian. With such wisdom and resolution, what Shen Lian really wanted was not to embark on a comfortable journey of Dao but a path where he could follow his heart.


    If he ignored Shen Lian, Shen Lian would leave eventually, just like how he came quietly.


    Shen Lian was definitely not a good person but neither was he a bad person. He was just very headstrong, headstrong with principles.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Up until that moment, he had yet to show any hostility towards Xia Kingdom and was more irksome and provocative. If one looked at it in a deeper sense, it was a case of a mutual intolerance between a celestial beyond the mortal world and an absolute monarch.


    Shen Lian could play by the rules and use his wisdom to fight with the High Priest but what he did best was to just settle everything in one shot.


    At least that would let the High Priest know what kind of person he, Shen Lian, was.


    The dead Black Dragon was alarmed by Shen Lian''s fist and it triggered its instinct. The dragon stood upright, its scales sparkled as the chants of High Priest awakened its memories and powers.


    The force of the punch got really close to the Black Dragon and was countered by the dragon''s breath.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The space was filled with sounds of explosions. It was the sound of the collision of pure strength as well as the surging of Shen Lian''s fearlessness.


    Dark clouds surrounded the sky of Diqiu and it started to rain.


    Tianyi sat on Xia Stage and allowed it to rain on him. The chilly sensation was effective in taking out the heat in the body.


    He smiled and thought to himself, "This celestial is so intriguing. He is such a stubborn person."


    When one arrived at their current level, every move they make would have an impact on the world. Even if Shen Lian was in the world founded by Si Wenming, it was still a world attached to the Netherworld.


    The battle inside would still affect the Qi dynamics outside. Tianyi was able to experience the part of the context of the battle through the changes in Qi dynamics.


    He was somewhat envious of Shen Lian''s unconstrained behavior. Shen Lian would take action as he liked, unlike him who scruple too much.


    But he would never give up the scrupling because the purpose of his cultivation was to make things better for other people, not for himself.

 Chapter 516 Creation and Evolution

    The High Priest did not expect Shen Lian to attack as he liked but he was also well prepared as he chose the venue to meet Shen Lian.


    This small world had taken the shape of evolution and even contained certain laws that the High Priest could control.


    The ''law'' here referred to the order of natural phenomena such as the rising of the sun from the east and the flow of river water from high to low.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The High Priest held his fist tightly as his eyes sparkled. The body of the Black Dragon became delicate and light as the High Priest''s breath continued to rise while the mana increased.


    The sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning stimulated by Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit gradually subsided. The small world released a strong repressive force that charged at Shen Lian from all directions.


    That felt like deja-vu for Shen Lian. It was somewhat similar to the time where Zhao Xiaoyu used a square divine soil to propagate a space and used it to confine the Empress. However, it was different in a way that this small world was thousands of times stronger than the divine soil and the powers of the governing laws were like sturdy ropes that bound Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit.


    He clearly felt the laws came surging at him and these laws had the fundamentals of Dao. It felt like that time when he combined with the Lingbao Tianzun to intercept a part of Dao. It was just that this experience was more intensified.


    But that did not mean that Lingbao Tianzun was not as strong as Si Wenming. It was just that the process came by more naturally and not intentionally.


    Besides, the Dao in this tiny world had combined with the laws of the heaven and earth to become the proof of the cultivation experience of Si Wenming.


    Shen Lian was ecstatic. In a couple of years, he would be dealing with an almighty existence who witnessed the birth of Taiyi. He did not know what he would have gained in the meantime but for now, he needed to first deal with what was in front of him.


    As the laws increasingly bound on to the Primordial Spirit, and it was excruciating for Shen Lian. He then realized that the power of the Primordial Spirit was counteracting with the powers of the law.


    Even if he walked out victorious, part of his Primordial Spirit would still be damaged and he would not be a threat to Xia Kingdom for a long period of time.


    The bronze mask worn by the High Priest turned into ashes and a flawlessly beautiful face was revealed.


    Shen Lian had seen much unrivaled beauties but none of them could surpass the beauty of the High Priest. His facial features were almost perfect and he was more beautiful than any other girl.


    Shen Lian was already considered a handsome person but the High Priest was good-looking on a different level.


    "With such a face, it is no wonder that he has to put on a bronze mask." Shen Lian may be in danger but it still did not stop him from having such leisurely thoughts. In fact, he was laughing inside as he thought about how even men would fall in love with such a beautiful face.


    Although his train of thoughts was running, his hands were skillfully in command as he ignited a ray of five colored divine lights.


    The creations of the world could never derail from the Five Elements of Yin and Yang. If Si Wenming was present, Shen Lian would admit defeat. But he knew that he would never be defeated by the laws that were left behind.


    Shen Lian then activated the origins of the Five Elements of the Primordial Spirit. This was his real method, and it would also allow his opponent to see his roots.


    The High Priest was moved. The five colored divine lights were irresistible. Shen Lian tapped it lightly and a big hole appeared at the tight net.


    The hole was not real, but a thought that flashed through his mind.


    He blurted out, "You are a peacock."


    The High Priest felt odd after Shen Lian made the comment. Shen Lian''s five colored divine light was similar to what he had heard about. But legend had it that the five colored divine lights would mercilessly sweep through every single thing. A Daoist master once was swept by the five colored divine lights and that definitely did not end well.


    Shen Lian''s five colored divine lights may have attained the origins of the five elements but it was not as strong as the one stated in the legend.


    The hole was sealed back very swiftly thanks to the forces of this small world.


    Shen Lian was not surprised by it. After all, it was the laws that were left behind by a person who was the level of Taiyi. If he could easily destroy it, he would have been Taiyi then.


    Shen Lian took a step forward. His face paled and his gaze dimmed. This step forward was filled with complicated feelings. It was like the movements of the stars in the sky, the stars were moving but it was hard to see it with the naked eye.


    The High Priest recognized the steps as the Dao of the Stars but it was not just that. He was shocked and wondered about Shen Lian''s background. Within a couple of breaths, Shen Lian was able to display several advanced methods of the universe.


    The High Priest was not fearful and was more than welcome to take on the challenge. He took a step forward, it felt like a step that would take him to the unknown void, far far away.


    At the same time, the High Priest was like a snake that was shedding its skin. He shed off the dead skin to reveal a new body.


    The dimmed vitality became stronger. He started chanting some mysterious syllabus as if an unknown greater existence had heard his call and came to him.


    Stepping on the Black Dragon, a phantom structure of a snake tangled him.


    The water of the Dragon Pond started to surge and formed a huge waterfall.


    The inexhaustible black water turned into terrifying power and charged towards Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian was busy tapping on the net. As he destroyed one, another one would be formed. He only looked up when the waterfall charged towards him.


    What was more terrifying than the waterfall was the breath of the High Priest. The ancient powerful aura shook Shen Lian''s core.


    At this very stage, his state of mind was stronger than gold and iron. It was almost impossible to shake his heart of Dao.


    Although Shen Lian could control water with the Taixu Strategy, his Primordial Spirit was invaded by the waterfalls and was drowned under the water. He had no chance at all to take control of the waterfall.


    It was as if that mysterious greater existence was the true master of all waters. He was beyond anything that had the water element and Shen Lian''s origins of the Five Elements were not excluded.


    That was the embodiment of the ultimate cultivation of the Dao of water.


    It was refreshing for Shen Lian to witness such an extreme state of cultivation that had once taken on an alternative path and then eventually returned to the right path.


    Shen Lian had encountered many dangerous situations in his life. Even if he was forced to the lowerhand by the High Priest''s Spirit Rapping Method, he was still able to stay composed.


    He was able to calm down his emotions within a split second.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian did pull a really odd movement. He leaned his head forward and twisted his body. Like a human drill, he generated a powerful vortex force.


    Soon enough, the Primordial Spirit too swirled along and formed a crystal-like layer of protective clothing.


    It was one of the ancient thirty-six heavenly transformations, the ''Creation and Evolution''.


    The laws were part of the creation. At that very moment, Shen Lian actually resorted to using a long-lost ancient supernatural power.


    Shen Lian let out a sneer as a hint of demonic spirit descended on his heart of Dao.

 Chapter 517 Reversal

    Shen Lian''s ''Creation and Evolution'' turned the forces of the laws of this small world into a protective divine clothing that wrapped him up. It may sound marvelous but all he did was took advantage of the High Priest''s cultivation experience.


    Shen Lian was an expert in this area. Ever since he started to pursue Dao, his heart and soul had always been stronger than his cultivation experience. Or in military terms, ''the good fighters first put themselves beyond the possibility of attack and then wait for an opportunity to attack the enemy''.


    But as this demonic will descended on him, he knew that he would undergo great danger tonight.


    Regardless of heavenly immortal or land immortals, as long as they existed within the universe, they would have faced trials and natural disasters. If it was a serious disaster, one might re-enter into the reincarnation cycle or even be wiped out into ashes.


    Just because someone attained immortality does not mean that they could never be destroyed.


    The demonic will that descended on Shen Lian was not the revive of Yanxu but it was still related to Yanxu. This was Shen Lian''s karma for imitating Yanxu''s Free Form Incarnation.


    The heaven of Devas, also known as the Sixth Mara Demon, was known to be one of the strongest Mara Demon. He was so strong that even Buddha failed to kill him.


    This Mara Demon loved preventing people from attaining Dao. He would make use of opportunities to deliver karmas of the universe in order to improve his demon arts. This time round, he had his eyes fixed on Shen Lian.


    The Sixth Mara Demon started to release a hint of demonic will in the dark with the intention of taking Shen Lian into the demonic state. He wanted to make Shen Lian his slave and use his heart and soul to hone his demon arts.


    The High Priest could not help but felt emotional when Shen Lian used the Creation and Evolution. Fortunately, the emotions were swept away when the demonic will descended.


    It felt like he went from the ninth hell to ninth heavens in a flash.


    He was very fortunate that Shen Lian encountered the demonic trial at this very moment.


    The High Priest used the Spirit Rapping Technique to summoned Gonggong, the water God who was in charge of controlling all things water. Gonggong was an invincible god that could match the likes of the Heavenly King.


    Gonggong''s will had blended into the Dao of the void. Even if he had fallen, his will still linger around to be one with Dao.


    With the waterfall that was charging at him and the demonic trials of his heart of Dao, Shen Lian was literally having troubles internally and externally. On top of that, his Creation and Evolution were showing signs of inconsistency.


    The demonic will came like water and pervaded every single inch of him. By the time Shen Lian got his mind together, it was already inexhaustible and difficult to expel.


    However, the power of Shen Lian''s heart and soul was united as he visualized the heavenly Lingbao Tianzun. The images became clearer and clearer and if to take a good look at it, Shen Lian''s visualization was at least seventy percent similar to the real Lingbao Tianzun.


    Shen Lian remained still in the face of the demonic wave while the Creation and Evolution gradually became weaker as the forces of the law that was attached to it started to loosen.


    If this continued, he would suffer the greatest punch ever in his life tonight.


    The Lingbao Tianzun incarnated from Shen Lian''s heart and soul looked at the demonic wave and smiled ambiguously.


    The demonic wave was uncertain and paused for a moment.


    Suddenly, an endless sea of blood was manifested in Shen Lian''s heart and mind and the sea of blood swallowed the demonic wave.


    A dash of terrifying killing sword will intertwined with a ferocious winning sword will and melted into the sea of blood to gobble down the demonic wave, leaving not even one drop behind.


    A groan as loud as the thunder was heard coming from the void. Half of a demonic hand manifested in the void and the small world founded by Si Wenming started to crumble. At the same time, the origins of Dao appeared subtly and crushed the demonic hand.


    Apparently, the Sixth Mara Demon could not manifest in this world although it could still affect the world to a certain degree. If the true form of the demon appeared, even ten Shen Lians would not be able to overcome this trial.


    Fortunately, that did not happen. But actually, Shen Lian''s Avici and Yuantu Sword will were on par as the Free Form Incantation.


    Avici and Yuantu were the highest forms of killing sword wills ever since the universe commenced. They were part of the Innate Six Killer Swords and rumor had it that the remaining four killer swords were under the possession of Lingbao Tianzun. That was why Shen Lian chose to visualize Lingbao Tianzun and control Yuantu and Avici at the same time to destroy the demonic will.


    The High Priest did not expect the tables to be turned in such a short period of time. The weakened Creation and Evolution gained its momentum and drilled mercilessly into the waterfall.


    The small world crumbled layer by layer as the laws and demonic power diminished. Shen Lian took the opportunity and transformed into a killer sword gleam and stabbed the High Priest.


    A loud roar came from the void, "Enough!"


    A giant golden fist in the shape of a dragon came dashing down from the void and collided with Shen Lian''s sword aura to produce a buzzing sound. The sword gleam pierced through the dragon-shaped giant fist and the space started to shatter with yellow liquid flowing out of it.


    The small world was officially destroyed. Shen Lian failed to make a strike so he transformed into the clouds and took the Pegasus along with him as they landed on the Xia Canal.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian rode on the Pegasus and looked into the distance towards the stone bridge. Emperor Xia was embracing the High Priest while staring at him coldly. His right fist was bleeding in gold colored blood.


    Emperor Xia''s head too turned gold in color. It was a sign of the maximum performance of his blood power. How many years had it been since he last got injured?


    Shen Lian could sense how terrifying Emperor Xia''s power was. The waters in the Xia Canal were raging as Shen Lian transfer the tremors of Emperor Xia''s punch into the waters.


    He could feel that his organs ruptured but it was his Primordial Spirit that patched it up together and made him looked normal.


    Emperor Xia sneered, "State Preceptor, you have angered me."


    Shen Lian sighed, "Anyone would be angry if their beloved was injured."


    A hint of anger flashed through the extremely beautiful face of the High Priest, "Shen Qingxuan, why do you have to shame?"


    Emperor Xia laughed out loud, "You are right. I love him, so what?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Dear Emperor, are you not worried about the criticisms of the people?"


    Emperor Xia answered coldly, "If they criticise, I would kill them until they stop."


    The High Priest said, "Si Qi, let me down. You are insane."


    Emperor Xia tightened his embrace and said, "Why is it that you could love Si Wenming but not me?"


    "That is different." The High Priest struggled but Emperor Xia''s hands were like tight cables that made it hard for him to break free.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Looks like you would have to find another day to peck at me."


    He then took off with the Pegasus.


    The people of the Xia tribe who were around there were dying to dig a hole and bury their head into it.


    Emperor Xia took a good look at them and did not bother to chase after Shen Lian. A loud dragon sound was heard and then vanished.

 Chapter 518 Wen Zhong

    Shen Lian left Diqiu at that moment of time, but ultimately he decided to continue staying in Diqiu.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    After all, Shen Lian had injured the High Priest and although he was able to resolve Emperor Xia''s dragon fist, his body was slightly wounded throughout the process.


    Emperor Xia''s dragon fist was a killer blow for all strength training cultivators. When the dragon fist came into contact with Shen Lian, the impact of the punch seeped into Shen Lian''s body and ruptured the tiniest blood vessels and meridians. If it was someone else who was taking the punch, the person''s organs would have ruptured into a puddle of blood.


    It had been a while since Shen Lian had a taste of defeat. Emperor Xia had taught him a good lesson.


    Up till then, the impact of Emperor Xia''s dragon fist was still lingering inside Shen Lian''s body. It was the Primordial Spirit that was keeping it suppressed.


    But it was not entirely fair to say that Empire Xia had the upper hand. The Avici and Yuantu Swords'' will were not easily removable. Emperor Xia would most probably have to go through excruciating pain during his cultivation at night. But what Shen Lian did not know was that Emperor Xia had tested out the killing sword will prior to this.


    Shen Lian was resting in a dark solemn forest. He laid against a big tree while the Pegasus chewed on the leaves to ease the tension from before.


    Suddenly the Pegasus stopped chewing and took several steps backward towards Shen Lian.


    A stout black calf appeared. Its breath was terrifying. It almost felt like an immense stagnant pressure that suddenly emerged and it was almost at the same level of Yinglong.


    The owner of the stout black calf was most probably a divine creature as heavenly as the dragon or phoenix in order to inflict such fear on the Pegasus who possessed dragon blood.


    Shen Lian set his gaze ahead and the owner of the stout black calf was finally revealed. It was an ink black Qilin with smooth shiny fur.


    A man dressed in linen was sitting on the back of the Qilin. There were clouds under his feet, and he had a green headband that held onto his black and grey long hair.


    From Shen Lian''s angle, all he could see was the profile of the man in linen. He seemed cold and arrogant, as if he walked out from a piece of art carved from stone.


    The man riding the ink black Qilin seemed to not notice the Pegasus and Shen Lian and walked past them.


    Shen Lian was moved, "Fellow Daoist, please stay for a moment."


    The man dressed in linen heard Shen Lian and the huge Qilin appeared out of nowhere in front of Shen Lian. The breath of the Qilin was scorching hot and it almost sprayed on Shen Lian''s face.


    Fortunately, the Pegasus had passed the test of the Black Dragon and was able to stay composed when it encountered the Qilin. It kept itself motivated with the inspirations of becoming the king of Pegasus and that prevented it from collapsing.


    "I am Wen Zhong and I am heading to Diqiu. May I know why did you tell me to stay?" The man in linen may looked unapproachable but he was warm with his words. He had some grey hair but he looked like he was in his the prime of his early thirties.


    Shen Lian smiled and asked, "May I know why are you heading to Diqiu? I just got out from Diqiu actually."


    "Oh, you just got out from Diqiu? When I first saw you, I thought that you were a fellow cultivator from a famous mountain. I wanted to approach you but you looked like you are not feeling well. Nowadays, the world can be so chaotic and I do not dare to approach you directly as I did not want you to misunderstand. That was why I ignored you earlier. But I did not expect you to call for me."


    There was a bulging scar on Wen Zhong''s forehead that looked like a closed eye. His words were very contagious like the spring breeze and it was hard to be careful towards him.


    Regardless if he was sincere or pretentious, the Qilin was proof that Wen Zhong definitely came from an impressive background.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian once read a novel known as the ''Investiture of the Gods'' that had a charismatic antagonist known as Wen Zhong who was the Grand Preceptor of Yinshang.


    A thought came to Shen Lian''s mind. Maybe this world was somewhat related to the legends and history he had read of in his previous world. But it was not exactly similar to what he had read and he could only use it as a reference.


    For instance, Emperor Xia''s name was Si Qi and not the tyrant Xia Jie Si Gui.


    According to the legend and history, Shen Lian read, Si Qi was the son of Si Wenming, and not the descendant after uncountable generations.


    However, Emperor Xia Si Qi was such a hot-tempered person that he was more similar to the tyrant Xia Jie who compared himself to the sun.


    Shen Lian smiled, "You have great eyesight and it seemed that your techniques are a class above. It was no wonder that you can tame a unique creature like this ink black Qilin."


    Wen Zhong was embarrassed, "You compliment me too much. I did not tame this Qilin, it was a gift from my master as I did not have a mode of transportation after honing my art."


    "Based on your description, I am certain your master must have been a powerful person. If I have the chance, I would love to meet him," Shen Lian said with a smile.


    He wondered if Wen Zhong''s master, who was generous enough to gift a Qilin, was the legendary Jinling Shengmu. Even if it was not her, the master would still be someone extremely powerful.


    With all these interweaving legends and history, it was as if Shen Lian was not straddling between two different worlds but went on a time travel.


    The best thing Shen Lian could ever hope for was it to be the reversal of time. It would be thousands of times better than reincarnation as Daoist master and Buddha took a leap out of time in order to attain Dao.


    In order to leap out of the River of Time of the three realms of six Dao, it was necessary to go against the flow and also to go with the flow. That way, the past, current, and future would condense into one to form a special biomass that could leap from the River of Time.


    Shen Lian had yet to arrive at that point of being and thus naturally would not know the details of it.


    Wen Zhong sighed, "I would love to meet my master again. But unfortunately, my master''s mana is deep and all these while, she would be the one who comes and meet me. It would be extremely difficult if I want to go and see her."


    Shen Lian became serious all of a sudden and said, "So that is why Daoist Wen would be the one who takes the initiative to go and meet your disciples. You indeed lived up to the standards of your master. No wonder, no wonder."


    Wen Zhong was stunned by Shen Lian who said ''no wonder'' twice while having a serious face on. He reacted, "Are you teasing me? Looks like you have known that my disciple is Zi Zhao, and you had already known of my identity."


    "I have admired you for long and that was why I decided to play around a little. I hope you don''t mind," Shen Lian smiled sincerely with humility.


    Wen Zhong was a carefree person and there was no reason for him to get angry.


    He laughed and said, "Since we are fated to meet here, let me offer you an elixir to heal your injuries."


    He immediately took out the black elixir.

 Chapter 519 Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir

    Staring at the black elixir, Shen Lian could not help but let out a sigh, "The Pure-Hearted Yang Elixir from Xuanzhen Temple and the Recovery Elixir from Dajue Temple were both the best medicine. It was said that, no matter how bad the injury, once one had there two elixirs, it would guarantee a survival of ten days. Based on the level of my generation''s practitioners, if no cure were found within ten days, the injury might take ten months or even years to recover. Hence, these two elixirs were valuable. Having said that, these two Elixirs were still inferior to your elixir."


    Shen Lian''s appraisal brought Wen Zhong to smile. "You were right. The Recovery Elixir and Pure-Hearted Yang Elixir did not justify Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir. Everyone could take these elixirs but only people like you are able to consume my elixir," said Wen Zhong.


    Leisurely, Shen Lian said, "Indeed. When a thing reached its extreme, it reversed its course. Judging by the name, the ''dragon'' and ''tiger'' elements meant that this elixir was a strong supplement. However, the Ruyi element may not be on par to complement the strong elements. My bet is that you were not sure about the effects of the elixir and dare not try it out."


    The conversation ended with Shen Lian giving Wen Zhong a look.


    As Wen Zhong looked into his eyes, he thought, "The honored master said that I was born with a vision that could distinguish the authenticity of a person. Nonetheless, Shen Lian''s glance is fiery. It seemed that he might be a level above me. The world is huge and there exist different people with special powers. No surprise that the honored master advised me to make friends, not to glorify my roots and not to provoke trouble."


    Admittedly, Wen Zhong was born with a strange ability to be able to differentiate the good and the evil. Noticing that Shen Lian possessed no malicious Qi, he knew that Shen Lian was a good person on the right path. Hence, the conversation took place. As for the issue of the elixir, Shen Lian was right. However, it was certain that he had no intentions to try the elixir on Shen Lian. It was just a test to gauge Shen Lian''s ability.


    Wen Zhong bowed slightly and defended, "Brother, your perception was precise. I apologized for my behavior. This elixir was just a tool to test your ability. For my mistake, please accept this other celestial elixir. There is no issue with this one. Please take it with confidence."


    Before he could end his sentence, a breeze struck and the elixir fell on Shen Lian''s palm.


    Wen Zhong said, "Brother, what were you doing? That is the defected medicine. Even if you did not notice it, I would have taken it back regardless."


    Shen Lian motioned Wen Zhong to be patience. On one hand, the black elixir was on his palm while the other hand summoned a mark. A pure white flame emerged and it immediately turned green. Soon, it became red, transformed into a lotus-like figure flame and gradually moved towards the black elixir.


    Wen Zhong was shocked. What was the origin of this man? He could actually summon the True Samadhi Fire.


    Initially, he wanted to prevent Shen Lian from taking this elixir. As he saw True Samadhi Fire, he decided to go against it. The True Samadhi Fire was also known as the Ultimate Fire. It had the ability that no ordinary people could think of. If The fire was to use in the making of weapons and elixirs, the result could be enhanced.


    Although Shen Lian''s true fire was not pure and precise, it was sufficient to refine and complete the process of making the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir.


    The flames were like the dragon and snake, circulating the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir. Immediately, the black elixir was like a coal that turned red and gradually transparent under the pressure of high temperatures.


    Using his strong Primordial Spirit, he was able to observe and steadily control the amount of flame entering the elixir. The flame removed the impurities, improving the substance of the elixir.


    The whole process occurred within a few minutes. As Wen Zhong was concentrating on his movements, he was impressed by Shen Lian''s control over the fire that was mysterious and unrestrained.


    It was a pity that his mana and supernatural power were extraordinary but his control over of his Primordial Spirit was weaker. Therefore, it would not be easy for him to learn from Shen Lian.


    Finally, a translucent, red rhombus-shaped elixir appeared on Shen Lian''s hand. It gave off a hint of fragrance. In a sudden, the vegetation around it began to grow wildly and the leaves that had been eaten by the Pegasus had sprouted in a short while.


    Wen Zhong sighed and uttered, "Your ability is not inferior to the Art of Creation."


    Shen Lian replied, "You are too kind. If you did not create the base of the elixir, I would not be able to refine it. Nonetheless, I would not be returning this elixir to you; would you be fine with that?"


    Wen Zhong laughed and said, "This is merely worldly possession. You can rest assured that the elixir would be able to condition your body."


    Shen Lian responded, "Thank you for giving me this Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir."


    Listening to Shen Lian''s reply, Wen Zhong felt that Shen Lian was a modest gentleman. Having mastered an earth-shattering ability, Wen Zhong naturally had lofty ambitions. Hence, naturally, he was keen to make friends with men who are clean and unconventional like Shen Lian.


    However, Wen Zhong was dumbfounded by Shen Lian''s actions. Shen Lian did not take the elixir but handed it to the Pegasus. Overjoyed, the Pegasus swallowed the crystal red elixir without hesitation. Feeling that the elixir was gone to a waste, Wen Zhong looked distressed.


    To make matters worse, Shen Lian asked the horse''s opinion on the taste of the elixir. It replied like a human, "It was a little sweet."


    Shen Lian patted the Pegasus''s head. Both of its horn was growing rapidly and its head already had the form of a dragon.


    Wen Zhong asked, "Why don''t you take it for yourself?"


    Shen Lian replied earnestly, "I appreciate your kindness but it had been awhile since I was injured. Hence, I would like to take this moment to experience it."


    Taken aback, Wen Zhong did not know how to respond to him.


    Shen Lian got up to the Pegasus''s back and greeted him, "Farewell my friend, till we meet again."


    After that, the Pegasus spread its wing and flew into the clouds. As the Pegasus just took the elixir, the power within was just waiting to explode. Hence, Shen Lian was taking the Pegasus out for a ride, in the hope of soothing the Pegasus for better absorbent of the elixir.


    With the help of Dragon Tiger Ruyi Elixir, the Pegasus''s chance of becoming a dragon might be higher.


    As Wen Zhong was watching, he came to the realization that he forgot to ask for his name.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Then again, Wen Zhong''s apprentice knew Shen Lian. He could just look for his apprentice in the Diqiu and asked him about Shen Lian. There was no chance that his apprentice would not remember someone like Shen Lian.


    Riding on a black Qilin, Wen Zhong arrived at the gate of Diqiu City swiftly. Then, he went to a secluded spot and transformed himself into a walking business traveler. He shouldered some goods and strolled into the Diqiu City. As for the black Qilin, it turned into a black dog and followed its owner.

 Chapter 520 Public Notice

    Wen Zhong was a person with skills. Although his attainment of Primordial Spirit was not as brilliant as the others who had attained the state of heavenly immortals, he was involved in various studies. Just like the Art of Reformation, while others found it difficult to learn, Wen Zhong mastered it within half a day.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    After paying ten thousand Xia currency, Wen Zhong was allowed to enter the city. To his surprise, a walking trader was required to pay such hefty tax. In the long run, this might deter people from trading in Diqiu. However, Wen Zhong saw that the city guard was impatient even after receiving his money. They were sneering at him as he walked into the city. In the city, his businessperson attire attracted much attention. Wen Zhong used his supernatural powers to investigate the cause of attention. The truth was that recently the businessmen who came into the city suffered a blow.


    Wen Zhong posed as a businessperson because his apprentice was a trader as well. Knowing the cause of attention, he returned to his original attire. However, the black Qilin was still in the form of a dog.


    Diqiu, the capital of Xia Kingdom, was the world''s first-class city. As Wen Zhong walked down the streets, he noticed that most of the business was not doing well and it seemed lethargic.


    It was not until the edge of the north side of the city that it was suddenly crowded with people. As he approached, he saw the public notice issued by Emperor Xia. It was a recruitment of people with special powers to enter the palace to practice medicine. Once he became successful, he was free to take any items from the Xia Palace or even to request anything from Emperor Xia.


    Not only did Diqiu posted this notice, but also the notice would expect to be widely spread around the world. Day or night, rain or shine, this notice must be spread.


    Wen Zhong thought to himself, "As my apprentice had the fit of the monarch, the world would eventually belong to him. Nonetheless, Emperor Xia was not a mediocrity. Even though Xia Kingdom is bound to fall, there might be twists of plot. Since Emperor Xia is recruiting people with special powers, I may just take this opportunity to enter the palace, test his fate and lay a trap for the ease of future overthrow."


    Therefore, Wen Zhong walked towards the board and tried to lift the notice. The small commander of the Xia Palace imperial army beside the board placed the notice on the board. Seeing Wen Zhong''s action, he asked, "Are you trying to go for the role?"


    Wen Zhong replied, "Yes."


    He seemed like a man with vision and the small commander trembled upon looking at him. Noticing that, Wen Zhong''s expression was calmer and prestige and this caused the small commander to fear him.


    However, he wanted to clarify with Wen Zhong, "Are you sure about going for the role? If you cannot diagnose anything, you might lose your life."


    Wen Zhong was an expert in military strategy and literacy. He was also involved in various studies, even medical and astrology. In the event that the person in Xia Palace had any incurable diseases, he was confident that he would still be able to see what was going on. Hence, he was not afraid of lying to the Emperor.


    He said, "Rest assured, my practice in medicine is excellent."


    The small commander stopped arguing. He observed that this man was extraordinary. Yet, the reason he voiced his queries was that he was afraid that the man was not up to standard. Subsequently, he might provoke trouble as Emperor Xia made the penalties. Eventually, the small commander had to be held accountable for.


    Since he insisted, it was obvious that he was very confident and was not merely fooling around. In addition, as the announcement was posted, it was better to send someone to the palace early. He could then observe the mood of Emperor Xia and share this piece of information with the noblemen, he might be able to make a small fortune by that.


    Moreover, he just had a new member in the family. At that time, it was getting harder for the Xia people to reproduce. It was also more difficult because the success of a family would not only depend on the purity of blood, but also the availability of resources and connections. Hence, for the sake of his future generation, the small commander was determined to settle this matter quickly.


    With Wen Zhong''s experience, he could distinguish between the good and evil. By the look of the small commander''s roving eyes, he was most likely calculating his gains and losses. Having said so, Wen Zhong had to go to Xia Palace. He said, "You had a knife wound on your back and you had frostbite on your calf when you were young. Every time it rains, your calf must be hurting."


    In shock, the small commander said, "How do you know?"


    Wen Zhong grinned but did not speak.


    Listening to that divine response, the small commander felt that he gained a treasure. As the Xia Clan runs a unique bloodline, their body structure was different from ordinary people. Even the advanced Daoist cultivators may also not able to see his underlying infection within a glance.


    With eager attentive, the small commander brought Wen Zhong and his Qilin-in-disguise black dog, to the palace.


    ...��.


    After bringing the Pegasus for a run, Shen Lian returned to Diqiu and landed his cloud at Zhiwei Temple.


    Immediately, the door attendant moved forward and took care of the horse. A big black tiger ran towards Shen Lian and complained, "Master."


    Shen Lian squinted at it and asked, "What?"


    The big black tiger replied, "In the future, if you were to go out, please ride me. Last night, in your absence, the ugly creature did not help me to catch the lice."


    Speaking of this, the big black tiger really wants to give out a long sigh.


    Shen Lian sneered, "If I were to take you out last night, you wouldn''t be able to come back today." He was not kidding. The big black tiger was not as tough as the Pegasus. Even with the Black Dragon Soul, it was difficult to pass. Therefore, if it managed to pass with the help of Shen Lian, its heart and soul would still be severely injured and subsequently, in the future, he might not be able to progress himself.


    Shen Lian felt resentful, as the black tiger did not meet his expectations. After all, it had followed him for many years. Even with stray animals, having spent enough time, feelings could develop. However, the tiger was just lazy and wasted his cultivation.


    However, Shen Lian''s mood would be slightly better if the black tiger were to flatter him. The thought of the black tiger''s flatter brought Shen Lian to smile.


    When Shen Lian smiled, the black tiger knew that his master was in a good mood. Hence, it energetically shot up and flattered Shen Lian. If Shen Lian was just an average person, he might not be able to understand the black tiger clearly.


    Listening to the black tiger''s praises, both of the door attendants laughed. Although they had seen various tiger, leopard and wolf, there were none as this shameless and soft character as the black tiger.


    At this moment, there was a far-reaching voice, intercepting the black tiger''s praises. "I am junior, Muzhen, seeking to meet the State Preceptor."


    The black tiger was very unhappy, as it was about to take advantage of its master''s good mood to ask for some treats.


    It prepared to roar to scare the person away. The black tiger took a deep breath and opened his mouth.


    Suddenly the sound of the Buddhist chants resonated. The voice passed the Xia Canal and entered into the hearts of the people. "Can this young monk seek for the State Preceptor?"


    The resonance of the Buddhist chants used the method of Lion Roar from the Buddhist sect. Hence, the voice would not be blocked and would be able to pass to the host clearly. There was also a hidden Buddha''s power which was able to purify one''s mind and soul. As the black tiger was interrupted, it almost blew itself up.


    Its demonic power lost control, causing both eyes to turn white.


    After seeing its situation, Shen Lian was between laughter and tears.


    With a point of a finger, he produced the Qi of essence to calm the black tiger.

 Chapter 521 Requests

    The finger pointing had the charm of Zhao Xiaoyu''s Wusheng Finger. When there was no birth, there was no destruction and all would return to its original form. Therefore, the black tiger who received this Qi of essence managed to calm its erupted demonic powers. It was like the wind of the spring that blew away the winter. The blood flowed into its limbs and its bone. Although it lost some demonic power, its power was comparably purer.


    After Shen Lian settled the black tiger, he could not help but to shake his head slightly.


    The descendants of Qing Xuan always held on the principle, ''Before cultivating one''s behavior, one must first cultivate one''s heart''. Hence, the disciples were recruited based on their temperament. For example, Fang Yanying, Chen Jinchan, and Lei Jing were all spiritually intelligent. Therefore, with some pointers by Shen Lian, they could progress further and subsequently, their future would be far-reaching and inestimable.


    For the Pegasus, although it was not as spiritually intelligent as the others, it had determination. That mind would propel it further. As for the black tiger, Shen Lian was clueless.


    It was not only lazy but its talent and spiritual intelligence were only ordinary. His temperament was not even worth mentioning. Its situation suited the saying, ''A dead wood cannot be carved, and the wall of a manure is not masonry''.


    Some of these things could not be forcibly demanded but to let it go with the flow.


    He gazed out of Zhiwei Temple and saw a monk and a Daoist walking towards this direction.


    The monk wore a white robe and his clean face seemed to glow. Hence, his face seemed like the moon while his features were pure like the lotus flower. There was a faint glow of Buddhist ray around his body, like the blossoming of a lotus flower. This person must had practiced a type of meditation from the Bodhi and his level of attainment was not shallow. Although he was not an Arhat, his high attainment would enable him to solve the mystery of reincarnation and to continue his practice and cultivation.


    As for the other Daoist, he seemed to be full of vitality, such as the tree at the prime of its life that had a long pulse during the height of the summer. Although the way the Daoist breathe was not the superior way of attaining the highest form of Daoism, it was practiced in such a depth that he could enter the realm of Daoism and use it in myriads of changes.


    Shen Lian recognized both men from the Xia Palace.


    Lifting his foot, he appeared in front of them immediately. As he moved from inside to the outside of the door, there were numerous layered figures. Barely catching a glimpse of the graceful figure, Shen Lian had arrived.


    Both of them were shocked. The move that Shen Lian made was not ordinary, as the monks did not practice it. It was the highest attainment for the state of meditation in Dajue Temple. Being able to view this, it opened one''s eye to the non-being realm.


    The non-being realm was referring to its material, not appearance. It was not a place similar to the human world nor the netherworld. In fact, it was a wonderful place in between the material world for psyche sustenance.


    The marvel part of his posture was the ability to use his psyche to navigate around the non-being realm yet adhering to the material world. Therefore, the countless figure could be seen but it was hard to reach.


    Just like the Buddha who saved the sentient beings; everyone saw it but they could not get close to it.


    Fortunately, it was a known fact that Shen Lian was a celestial. Hence, they did not overreact.


    Muzhen also behaved the same.


    "Why are you looking for me?" Shen Lian asked leisurely. As he stopped in front of them, he was in a defensive position.


    Muzhen threw a look to Buneng.


    As the bald donkey in the Buddhist sect was smooth-tongued, he decided to let Buneng persuade. Immediately, Buneng took on the role. It brought its palm together and saluted, "State Preceptor, the King was furious as we badly injured the High Priest yesterday. Hence, His Highness had given order that within ten days, all the Daoist and Buddhist temple within the Xia territory had to be closed down and the practitioners had to return to the normal life. Those who registered and left records were demanded to drop off their cultivation experience. Anyone who disobeyed the order would be sentenced."


    Shen Lian lowered his eyelids and replied, "This has nothing to do with me."


    Buneng sighed, "This cause might not happen if it wasn''t for you, State Preceptor. It is better for the doer to undo what he had done. If Sate Preceptor could help us through this time, all of us; everyone in my temple, would be very grateful."


    Shen Lian folded his arms behind, smiled and said, "Aren''t all the Daoist and the monk in Xia territory belonged to Xuanzhen Hall and Dajue Temple? You all recruited many disciples and your power of influence has begun to take shape. At the same time, Dongyi has rise and Yinshang is growing stronger. Being a farsighted man, Emperor Xia would not allow this to happen. However, before he could solve any of the foreign matters, his territory has to be worry-free. Hence, it is imperative to tone down your rising power. Having said that, why would the issue have to do with me? Emperor Xia could not possibly hate everyone from Xuanzhen just because I offended him."


    Buneng was speechless. He was able to think of the reason behind it but was unwilling to do so. After all, although Shen Lian was strong, he was just an individual. The strength of Xia was its masses; the strong army and their horses, the better men that came forth in numbers. On top of that, Emperor Xia was bold and visionary. Hence, Dajue Temple and its similar cohort had to depend on Emperor Xia.


    Hence, they only needed to be respectful towards Shen Lian. In the event that they offended Shen Lian, Dajue Temple would still be able to find a way of self-protection against Shen Lian.


    To persuade Emperor Xia to change his mind was a difficult task as compared to seeking help from Shen Lian. After all, Dajue Temple might be able to offer something that may spark his interest. In contrast, the tyrannical Emperor Xia had the wealth of the country and so he could just demand anything. Thus, it was difficult to negotiate the terms and conditions.


    Muzhen secretly scolded the bald donkey for not helping. Therefore, he continued, "The Xuanzhen Hall had decided to retreat from Xia Kingdom. However, it was very difficult to get past the scrutiny of Xia Kingdom. Hence, we required the assistance of State Preceptor. I received the order from my teacher that if you were willing to cover up for us, the Xuanzhen Temple was willing to offer the Pure Yang Inherited Engravings by the founding master."


    The founding master of Xuanzhen Sect obtained the Pure Yang Engravings through an adventure. It included his life journey for the attainment of Daoism and the origin of the various Xuanzhen methods. It could be referred as the foundation of the sect. Thus, this offer proved Muzhen''s sincerity.


    Muzhen could not be blamed too. Surprisingly, the Daoist was so cunning that they reverted the previous agreement. However, Shen Lian understood where he was coming from. After all, compared to Xia, Yinshang was more suitable to develop Xuanzhen Hall. This was because not only that they would be severely monitored in Xia, but also their influence on the believers was far behind Dajue Temple.


    Therefore, if Xuanzhen Hall maintained their core disciples and retreated from Xia safely, they would be able to start again at any time. On the other hand, the Dajue Temple had to pay a higher price if they were to withdraw from Xia. Furthermore, it was extremely difficult to hide from Emperor Xia.


    The reason for that was Dajue Temple had absorbed many female nobilities from Xia Clan as believers. Hence, they were deeply rooted in Xia. Any actions taken would fall under the scrutiny of Xia officials.


    Shen Lian gave away a mirthless smile. Although the Pure Yang Engravings was famous, he was not impressed. He said, "There was still one person in Diqiu who can help to conceal your secrets. Look for him."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Surprised, Muzhen replied, "That better not be Tianyi because if we meet him, I fear that Xuanzhen Hall would be ashes within a day."


    Muzhen was not lying. They planned to seek refuge from Yinshang. But if they managed to get in touch with Tianyi, and got caught by Emperor Xia, it would lead to the extinction of Xuanzhen Hall.

 Chapter 522 Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis

    Shen Lian looked towards the direction Wangcheng, smiled and said, "This person is not to be taken lightly. You may be able to meet him if you wait at the Meridian Gate of Wangcheng."


    "Meridian Gate?" Muzhen was puzzled. The Meridian Gate of Wangcheng was a demonic place. He who offended the King would be dragged to this gate and to be executed. Although a person was able to condense his spirit, it would be futile. This was because the surrounding Qi of devilry would attack the spirit and subsequently when it contacts with the sun of midday, the spirit would vanish.


    Shen Lian nodded.


    Muzhen continued, "Do you mean that the person will come out from the Meridian Gate?"


    With a grin on his face, Shen Lian said, "I am sharing this piece of information with you only because I am also from a Daoist origin. It will be your choice whether to believe." Muzhen saw Shen Lian lightly waving his sleeves. All of a sudden, the scene around him began to recede until he managed to direct his Qi to stop. Then, he realized that he had crossed the Xia Canal, overlooking the Zhiwei Temple.


    He was frightened. The celestial''s means were unpredictable. It also had been awhile since he was playing around like a baby.


    However, since Shen Lian sounded certain, Muzhen must try his luck in the Meridian Gate of Wangcheng.


    Buneng witnessed the whole process. He deeply felt that the move was as smooth as thin clouds and mild winds. Moreover, it exceeded the essence of a non-being. Using the power of space, he moved Muzhen away without resistance.


    Having this state of the realm among the bodhisattvas was considered good.


    At the same time, Buneng was jealous of Muzhen because there was a sign of positive outcome for Xuanzhen Hall. However, Shen Lian''s attitude towards Buddhism did not seem friendly. What he did not know was that Shen Lian had a predestined relationship with Muzhen''s disciple, Liu Mengde. Hence, it was time for Shen Lian to return the favor.


    Sluggishly, with his arms folded behind, Shen Lian told Buneng, "Are you sure you want to ask me for help? It''s not an easy task to impress me."


    In a serious tone, Buneng answered, "As you wish, State Preceptor. If there is anything that you want, we will go all out to get it and will not let you down."


    Shen Lian laughed and said, "Although there are things that I am interested in Dajue Temple, I can take it directly, without your permission. Hence, you don''t have to say that. Well, allow me to ask, who is the founder of Dajue Temple?"


    Buneng could not figure out the reason behind the question but he truthfully answered, "The founder of our temple is the Kasyapa Bodhisattva."


    There were many disciples of Buddha whom there were five people whose name was Kasyapa. Nonetheless, only Mahakasyapa could be individually called ''Kasyapa'' to show his uniqueness.


    To answer how powerful is Kasyapa, it could be seen by the title ''Maha''.


    Daoist ''Taiyi'' was corresponding to Buddhist ''Mahasattva''. ''Maha'' was the surname of Kasyapa. This showed that Kasyapa was one of earliest Buddha''s disciples to enter the realm of Mahasattva.


    Shen Lian explained, "There were countless almighty Bodhisattva from the Buddha sect. However, Kasyapa is one of the top ones. I read about his records and one of the thing that blew my mind away was his conversation with the Buddha. Knowing that you had learned from Kasyapa and frequently practiced meditation, I would give you a chance."


    In his heart, Buneng was happy. Even if the conditions requested by Shen Lian was hard, it was not vague. As long as he was able to do it, this effort was worth the trip.


    He did not plead Shen Lian to give a task that was within his ability. After all, Shen Lian was a person of honour. He would not be so petty. In an earnest manner, Buneng asked, "Please tell me what to do."


    Shen Lian said, "Since you practice the state of meditation, you can''t diverge from four Dhyanas and eight Samadhis. Therefore, what is your current stage?"


    Buneng not at all curious that Shen Lian knew about ''four Dhyanas and eight Samadhis'' because this was not something unique to Buddhism. He replied, "I am now at the second Zen and its second heaven."


    The practice of meditation was mainly for exploring the realm of non-being, noticing what the ordinary people had not seen, practicing the psyche and laying the foundation for future detachment.


    There was no detailed distinction between the realms of the non-being but according to the realm of meditation, it could be slightly different.


    In the different realms of meditation, the world of the non-being was divided into four Zens and seventeen heavens. Even at the first of Zen, there were three heavens; the second Zen had three heavens; the third Zen had three heavens; the fourth Zen had a total of eight heavens. In this way, the world of non-being was divided into four Zens and seventeen heavens. In other words, the level of meditation state determined the level he would be if he achieved to the non-being realm.


    This non-being realm was unlike the Daoists'' Heaven Enlightenment and the Western Paradise. It was a place that everyone in the universe could go to gain spiritual pleasure and to enhance their pysche power. This was also one of the three realms that Buddhism mentioned.


    For Shen Lian, the non-being realm was nothing more than a mysterious space that could help one to extend great techniques of the spirit. It was full of forces that could enhance one''s pysche power.


    However, Shen Lian did not go to the non-being realm to obtain the psyche power. This was because his practice of the Mastery of Senses improved the psyche power to be pure and clean with minimum karma. At this stage of the journey, strength was readily obtainable. However, It was important that the source should be known to prevent frauds.


    Most of the source of strength for his practice was related to Lingbao Tianzun. Being a status like him, there would not be other things that were worthy of his attention in this world. Hence, if Shen Lian were to be used by Lingbao Tianzun, it was considered as a blessing.


    Shen Lian did not mean to be self-sufficient, but based on the Daoist master''s status, there was no such thing as seeking help from another. It was usually the other way round. Otherwise, he would not be called as a Daoist master.


    Shen Lian suddenly grinned. Buneng was actually second of two.


    Buneng did not understand the reason behind Shen Lian''s laughter. On the other hand, Shen Lian did not explain, because after all, only he knew the inside joke. Shen Lian''s movement was as light as the thin smoke. He walked one circle around Buneng and stopped. He said, "If you are able to break this circle, you can come to see me for an explanation."


    After speaking, Shen Lian entered the Zhiwei Temple. Both of the door attendants shut their doors, walked out of the door and guarded the circle which was drawn for imprisonment.


    Buneng tried to walk to the edge of the circle. Suddenly, a wave of vigorous golden light flashed. It not only confused his perception but also seemed to have a hand, constantly pulling him downwards.


    ...Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Wangcheng, Xia Palace, a green cotton curtain, enveloped a bed carved by king of jades. The whole body had no extra texture. It was simple and neat.


    King of jades calmed minds. This could prevent evil spirits and could delay the onset of injuries. It was a rare treasure between heaven and earth.


    In addition, king of jades of the Netherworld had mostly adhered to the pure power of the spirit. Furthermore, rarely any item could directly rejuvenate the soul with no side effects.


    A beautiful man was lying on a bed. His face was paler than the jade. The king of jades produced spiritual vigor but still could not stop him from losing his life.


    Not far away, Emperor Xia furiously said, "Rubbish, a group of useless people. If he is dead, all of you would be buried together with him."

 Chapter 523 Longevity Curse

    Soon, a eunuch ran over and reported to Emperor Xia that there was someone answering to the public notice.


    Quickly, Emperor Xia saw a man with black and white hair that was tied with a blue headband walking towards him. The man was well-built, light-footed, and there was Qi of Dao flow surrounding him. From the first glance, he seemed like an extraordinary practitioner.


    The man stepped forward, not far in front of Emperor Xia, and made a confidante, "I am Wen Zhong, Your Highness."


    Emperor Xia eyed him and said, "Can you cure my High Priest?"


    From the moment he entered the main hall, Wen Zhong began to judge Emperor Xia. This person was condensed with Qi, like a huge fireball, always emitting a masculine vigor. Qi cultivator who was proficient in spells were afraid to be close to Emperor Xia. This was because those with lower cultivation experience may not be able to use their techniques, which allowed themselves to be slaughtered by Emperor Xia.


    Wen Zhong noted himself, "My honored master said that the world is a big place. For the Art of Strength Training, it is recommended to follow Xia Clan. I have to agree with that."


    He pondered a lot but said, "I need to take a look at the High Priest to be able to judge his circumstances. Please do not worry."


    Emperor Xia coldly said, "I do not like Qi cultivators. If you cannot cure his sickness, you need not think of surviving.


    Wen Zhong smiled and said, "Please let me diagnose him. As for that matter, it can be discussed later. "


    Wen Zhong took a step further. It was the start of Jiugong. It was also the area with Emperor Xia''s highest Qi dynamic. As he was there, he felt comfortable and was not distracted by the blazing Qi dynamic.


    As Emperor Xia saw that, he folded his arms behind him. The strong masculine Qi and blood suddenly converged. He became indifferent to ordinary people but his eyes were still bright.


    Wen Zhong was jerked forward by the sudden convergence of the Qi dynamic. By this, Wen Zhong evaluation of the King was brought to a higher level.


    Emperor Xia said coldly, "Go quickly."


    Wen Zhong regained his state of mind as he walked to bed craved by king of jades. He looked at the High Priest''s countenance and secretly exclaimed, "The Longevity Curse actually existed."


    The so-called Longevity Curse was a magical trick by the Daoist. Once someone had been casted with a Longevity Curse, they would never die. However, if a spell was able to allow people to live forever, there would not be so many geniuses who died in front of the longevity gate.


    The Longevity Curse had its flaws. One of its biggest drawbacks was that once the curse was in place, Qi energy of the physical body would remain in a static state. In other words, this Longevity Curse would deter one from growing or experience change of any sorts.


    Apparently, the High Priest suffered serious injuries before the Longevity Curse was in place. Maybe he could not even be treated, thus he was cursed. This would stop his injury to worsen. At the same time, it also diminished the possibility that the High Priest would continue to make progress.


    Wen Zhong pulled out a white hair, lengthened his hair and soon got it into the palm of the High Priest. Everything in his body flashed in Wen Zhong''s heart. Finally, he found out something that surprised him the most; the High Priest did not even have a heart. Although his Qi was still slowly flowing, he was gradually weakening. In the end, the body of the High Priest would no longer be in use.


    If this was only the case, it may be possible to use the law of reviving dead bodies to rejuvenate him. However, the spirit of the High Priest was closely linked to its flesh and body and it was difficult to distinguish the both.


    If the flesh died, it was the time where the High Priest lost his soul. He would no longer exist in this world.


    When Emperor Xia saw Wen Zhong''s expression, he knew that this man had a way.


    In fact, the High Priest''s injuries were not incurable. Although Emperor Xia was not proficient in Primordial Spirit from the celestialism and meditation from the Buddhism meditations, the avenues achieved the same goal.


    Actually, the High Priest needed the Ultimate Art of Spiritual Enhancement and the help of someone with strong Primordial Spirit, in order to survive this plunder.


    Over the years, Emperor Xia had suppressed the Buddhism and Daoism and collected a lot of magical material exercises and Dao formula. However, it was difficult to find The Ultimate Art of Spiritual Enhancement.


    When he actually found it, he felt that, for the first time, his ability was falling short from his wishes.


    In the city of Diqiu, there were two people who not only possessed The Ultimate Art of Spiritual Enhancement but also had extremely strong Primordial Spirit.


    Of course, they were Tianyi and Shen Lian.


    Tianyi practiced the Nine-Transformations Technique and already reached the eighth turn. His strong Primordial Spirit was one of the tops in the Netherworld. Even before Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva left the Netherworld, when heroes came forth in large numbers, Tianyi would still be one of the best.


    For Shen Lian, he was no less powerful than Tianyi. Moreover, as compared to Tianyi, Shen Lian''s origin was a mystery. Hence, this further confirmed the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva''s prophecy.


    Emperor Xia had mixed feelings for Shen Lian. The High Priest''s injury was definitely related to Shen Lian. However, on the other hand, due to his injury, the High Priest could not leave him again; which was Emperor Xia''s long-cherished wish.


    However, if the High Priest died, Emperor Xia would not let this away easily.


    Emperor Xia was not a Daoist practitioner. He did not need to cultivate any state of mind. He needed to be self-reliant. He continuously upgraded his strength, broke all bottlenecks that stopped him, and finally reached the incredible realm.


    He was not alone in this path. The Lord Emperor went further.


    Wen Zhong''s fingers trembled slightly and the hair suddenly recoiled.


    Emperor Xia said, "What did you see?"


    Wen Zhong smiled and replied, "Your Highness, you knew how to save him so why did you still request for a doctor?"


    Emperor Xia smirked, "You are brilliant but I would like to use other methods."


    "I cannot do anything to help," Wen Zhong uttered indifferently. He knew that to cure the High Priest, the Daoist practitioners of the Art of Spiritual Enhancement would have to grow his soul and spirit. Then, they would use his spirit to restore his body and to reconcile the Yin and Yang. Lastly, he would be able to recover or in the worst-case scenario, he will still be able to live.


    However, the Art of Spiritual Enhancement was precious. Even though Emperor Xia was rich, he could only find some common evil path of the Art of Spiritual Enhancement. It would be pointless.


    Wen Zhong thought of two-person, namely Tianyi and Shen Lian. Both men had practiced the Art of Spiritual Enhancement. Especially, it was the supreme law. They were in Diqiu, especially Tianyi who was imprisoned by Emperor Xia in Xia Stage. Wen Zhong did not believe that Emperor Xia would not have taken notice.


    Coldly, Emperor Xia commanded, "It seemed that you were in the same mould as them. Guards, bring him to the Gate of Meridian to behead."


    All of a sudden, the long green cables surrounded Wen Zhong. That cables stretched out from the void to deal specifically with Qi cultivators.


    Wen Zhong was tied, and immediately his mana was locked.


    The sergeant came forward from outside and escorted Wen Zhong out.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

 Chapter 524 Qingming

    Wen Zhong, who was tied up by the heavenly cables, laughed, "Dear Emperor, why the rage? It was just a short acquaintanceship with them.


    Emperor Xia said, "Take him out."


    Regardless of what it was, Emperor Xia did not want to see this person anymore.


    The Royal Guards took Wen Zhong to the Meridian Gate and the muscular men of the Xia Tribe were standing by. The flag of Xia Kingdom was waving under the merciless scorching hot sun that shone down on the Meridian Gate.


    Wen Zhong was calm and submissive as the guards escorted him. He thought to himself. "Master said that I will have to endure the trials of blade and fire. Looks like I have to face the trial of the blade today."


    Emperor Xia''s heavenly cables were a class of its own. Only people like Shen Lian or Tianyi could break free from it in a short amount of time. Moreover, it would also suppress one''s mana. Regardless of how powerful a person could be, he would only be a piece of meat after being bound by the heavenly cables.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    However, Wen Zhong was born with a sense of heroic generosity. When stuck in a difficult situation, he would remain composed and take things easy. The Royal Guards picked up his energy and were feeling so uncertain that they did not dare to utter a single word.


    Wen Zhong was pushed to the execution stage as the scorching hot sun poured down from the sky. The Royal Guards may be exceptionally strong but they felt uncomfortable with the heat.


    The executioner took out a dragon-like chopper with a pair of wings attached to it that was obviously a replica of Yinglong. The air was intense and filled with killing vibes.


    The executioner very skilfully asked, "Any last words?"


    Wen Zhong laughed out loud, "There is nothing to be bothered about life and death. But I am destined to do something big and I would not die here."


    The executioner smiled and responded coldly, "No extraordinary being has survived the decapitation at the Meridian Gate and you too would not be an exception."


    Wen Zhong smiled without saying a word.


    The executioner rubbed his palms against each other and heat started to emerge from his palms like a soldering iron. He forcefully pushed Wen Zhong''s head down on the chopper and groaned. His voice shook the atmosphere as the chopper split into half.


    A white mark emerged on Wen Zhong''s neck and he was fine.


    The executioner yelled, "Somebody inform the Emperor that this person has mastered the Death Proof Body!"


    He then took a pair of heavy hammers that would produce blue lightning when they hit together and aimed it at Wen Zhong''s body. Thunderous sounds could be heard and every strand of Wen Zhong''s hair stood still.


    The heavenly cables started to fall apart and turned into ashes.


    Wen Zhong let out a laugh and opened his mouth to allow the current of the lightning to enter his mouth and stir up his mana. The executioner presumed that the power of Thor''s Hammer would numb Wen Zhong''s body but it turned out that he was not afraid of the current and actually absorbed the current to break free from the cable.


    A groan could be heard coming out from the Xia Palace as a ray of white light dashed out and shielded Wen Zhong. The light then spun and a human head landed on the ground.


    The white light dispersed to reveal a black demonic blade. Once the blade sensed that there was no more vitality in Wen Zhong, it flew back towards the Xia Palace.


    Everything happened in a split second.


    Wen Zhong''s skull landed a few feet away from his body, his eyes were shut and there were faint traces of green Qi in between his brows.


    The executioner took a deep bow towards the direction of Wangcheng and took a sip of liquor and spit it on Wen Zhong''s skull. A long fire dragon then came out and wrapped the skull.


    The green Qi was buzzing but soon dispersed.


    The executioner wiped his sweat and said, "Shit, what kind of monster is this? He is finally dead."


    If it was not for that demonic blade, the executioner would not be able to slaughter Wen Zhong successfully. The Death Proof Body was a feat that not many people of the Xia Tribe was able to achieve.


    Shortly after that, the executioner started rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Like a puddle of clay, Wen Zhong''s corpse transformed and manifested into two iron rods.


    Beyond Wangcheng, a voice could be heard saying, "How would the army and blades get rid of a celestial-disaster? Demonic thoughts could lead to blind anger."


    The Dao melody lingered that sounded like a prophecy lingered in the deeps of Xia Palace.


    Emperor Xia was not furious by it. He looked at High Priest who was lying on the bed and asked, "What is the background of this person."


    The High Priest leaned against the pillow and sighed, "He is most probably a descendant of the Shangqing School."


    "A disciple of Lingbao Tianzun?" Emperor Xia was doubtful.


    "He should be the third generation. If he is Lingbao Tianzun''s disciple, he would have the cultivation experience of a heavenly immortal. Now that these hidden ancient figures are beginning to appear, it would be a tough road ahead for us. It''s wiser for you to give up on Xia Kingdom," the High Priest said.


    Wen Zhong''s appearance signified that a certain group of ancient connoisseurs who had been hiding over the years would make a comeback soon.


    The Netherworld would no longer be dominated by Xia Kingdom as it used to be.


    Emperor Xia looked at the High Priest with a scorching hot gaze and said, "Without Xia Kingdom, would I still be Emperor Xia? Sustaining a career is harder than starting one. I will protect Si Wenming''s legacy and let everyone know that who is the real Emperor of Xia."


    The High Priest sighed, "The two of you are different. There is no need for you to prove it to anyone."


    Emperor Xia lets out a laugh and exited the hall. The High Priest looked deeply at the back view of Emperor Xia and thought to himself that Emperor Xia had entered Dao with his emotions.


    Generally, people of Xia would only cultivate their strength and not cultivate Dao. That was the reason why they had the strength and yet were weak spiritually. When they reached the level of walking celestials of the earth, they had a slight upper hand compared to Qi cultivators.


    However, Emperor Xia had broken free from this limitation. His spiritual sense entered a exquisite state, prompting him to the path of Dao with his emotions. The manipulation of the demonic blade earlier showed that his blade craft could match with swordcraft of Asura Blood Sea.


    When the time comes where Emperor Xia could kill either Shen Lian or Tianyi, he would have achieved the level of Si Wenming. Emperor Xia would be untouchable even if there were any hidden ancient connoisseurs in the Netherworld.


    .......


    Shen Lian took a seat inside of the Zhiwei Temple. The monk of Dajue Temple was still struggling to escape from the prison circle where Shen Lian drew.


    He looked towards the direction of Wangcheng and said, "You knew of the tactic of sacrificing the plum tree to preserve the peach tree too." The pressure that was clouding Diqiu had dispersed greatly and the design of nature became a lot clearer.


    There were five different Qi dynamics in Diqiu that swept across the universe. Among them, there were four that were most tyrannical and was capable of competing with the stars, moon, and sun. It was also possible to see the four rays of raging Qi dynamics gushing up to the clouds during daylight. As a result, the weather would be clear and perfect with zero dust.


    Shen Lian had a sudden realization as he vaguely saw a dark heavy book in a corner of the void. That book was the root and source of the Netherworld and anyone who controlled it would be the master of the world.

 Chapter 525 General Trend

    The vague shadow of the Register of Life and Death flashed across Shen Lian''s mind briefly but it left a deep impression on him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    That was the manifestation of the Dao of Life and Death, the roots of the Netherworld, the source of the power of this universe, the existence of every being, and the secrets of the karmic cycle.


    Shen Lian believed that he was not the only person who was interested in the Register of Life and Death. After all, the secrets of the karmic cycle were irresistible.


    Furthermore, if someone else took control of the Register of Life and Death and used the resources of the Netherworld, the person would be a big threat and it would be a bitter pill for every great existence out there.


    Shen Lian had yet to figure out why Diqiu underwent such a drastic change. But he felt that the reason was related to Wen Zhong or more specifically, Wen Zhong''s master. Wen Zhong''s master must have been a great existence from the ancient times who could match or even was more advanced than the level of Taiyi.


    He was fully aware that the Netherworld was closely related to the legends and history of the world, and believed that the answer would eventually surface and things would get interesting.


    The monk from the Dajue Temple was struggling to break free from the ''Grounded Circle'' outside of Zhiwei Temple and had no idea of the changes that happened in Diqiu. The grounded circle was a highly skilled method where Shen Lian used his divine thoughts to create a special realm within reality that felt like a dream that was difficult to be awakened from.


    Even the most outstanding disciple of the Dajue Temple could only meditate to keep himself calm when dealing with this entrapment created by someone like Shen Lian. It would have been more difficult for him to escape if he fell into an illusion instead.


    Shen Lian observed the monk silently. The Buddhist sect''s state of the four Dhyanas and eight Samadhis was the basis for the detachment of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Although Shen Lian did not cultivate Buddhist methods, it still served as a good reference for him.


    At this very stage, he was already qualified to pursue the path of supreme detachment and to him, that was the most interesting thing in the world.


    ��... ...


    Mu Zhen stood by the Meridian Gate and could feel the raging Qi dynamics that stirred up Wangcheng earlier. He also sensed the incomparably sharp Qi of the blade and felt fearful of Empire Xia. That fear had strengthened his determination to move Xuanzhen Temple out of Xia Kingdom.


    If it was the past, the Seven Disciples of Xuanzhen could have put on a fight against Emperor Xia. But over the years, Muzhen had seen Emperor Xia''s cultivation level increased greatly and their fate would eventually lie on Emperor Xia''s hands.


    Emperor Xia had never concealed his Qi dynamics. Like the sun and the moon, he was not afraid to show it all.


    Muzhen tried his very best to tone down his breath as he peeped into the Meridian Gate. He wondered what happened after that Qi of the blade flashed across. He waited and waited but no one brought out any corpse from the gate.


    "Are you waiting for me?"


    Muzhen turned his head and saw a man with a green headband with a headful of grey and black hair. The man was taller than average and as riding on an ink black Qilin.


    His gaze was not as mysterious as other cultivators and in fact, it was extremely bright. When he set his gaze on Muzhen, Muzhen did not dare to have any ill intentions as if that person had some sort of prestige yet it was not as terrifying as Emperor Xia.


    Muzhen bowed down and said, "I am here on the advice of the State Preceptor."


    "State Preceptor?" Wen Zhong tilted his head and questioned.


    He wiggled his fingers and smiled, "So it''s him! And you are from the Xuanzhen Temple, the disciple of one of the Seven Disciple of Xuanzhen."


    "My name is Muzhen, my master is Zhenren Chang Shengzi," Muzhen responded with respect.


    "Oh, I see. Years ago, I was collecting herbs at Mount Zhongli and saw him slaying demons with his sword. At that moment, I thought he was a rare hero among Qi cultivators. He was different from others. I wanted to meet him but something came up and I had forgotten about it," Wen Zhong said as he touched his chin.


    All of a sudden Muzhen recalled an incident. Forty years ago, Chang Shengzi roamed around and arrived at Mount Zhongli. There were five notorious ghostly spirits. Chang Shengzi brought his sword along to get rid of them. Back then, Chang Shengzi had already stepped into Primordial Spirit of celestialism and was a walking celestial of the earth. The five ghostly spirits were no match for him and he noticed someone was watching him indiscreetly. But it eventually led to nothing.


    Chang Shengzi told Muzhen the story and spoke about how vast the world was and one should always be humble and careful.


    Muzhen nodded, "My master once told me about that incident. Looks like you and my master had such a relationship."


    Wen Zhong smiled, "Xuanzhen Temple is an authentic Xuanmen. I have heard about Xuanzhen and I roughly know what favor you need from me. It is not something too difficult and it is predestined that Yinshang would replace Xia. If you are willing to follow me, there would be a lot of success for you in the future."


    Muzhen was delighted, "The State Preceptor and you are extraordinary people, of course, I am more than willing to serve you."


    Wen Zhong laughed out loud, "Speaking of which, he is indeed an odd person. He knew that I needed assistance in order to make things right. As long as you return to Yinshang, the affairs of Xuanzhen Temple would also be my matter."


    Wen Zhong escaped from the misfortune of the blade and troops. As a result, his Dao experience improved greatly. He also had a better understanding of the designs of nature, and Yinshang replacing Xia would be the trend of the laws of heaven. Qi cultivators would soon replace the Xia, and make cultivation mainstream. There was no other reason for the fall of Xia besides the Xia Clan who had taken their resources for granted, and the laws of heaven that were rendered damaged beyond repair.


    Wen Zhong was about to recruit extraordinary people to strengthen his force. Considering that Xuanzhen Temple took the initiative to approach him, there was no reason for him to turn them down. Furthermore, the founding master of the Xuanzhen Sect was a powerful figure of the Netherworld and his Pure Yang Celestial Method was once unbeatable. Although no one knew of his current whereabouts, protecting the Xuanzhen Temple could gain him some good karma points.


    Muzhen had some suspicion of Wen Zhong but he did not want to offend Wen Zhong by displaying distrust towards him. He felt that it was best that he trust Wen Zhong and be more cautious in the future.


    Muzhen answered, "I still do not know how to address you."


    A voice could be heard saying, "He is the Grand Preceptor of Yinshang, Wen Zhong. Muzhen, you need not to be suspicious."


    The voice was peaceful and the tone was clear. It was Tianyi who was speaking.


    Muzhen was shocked. Tianyi was imprisoned in Xia Stage and yet he knew what was happening beyond the stage. It was pretty scary.


    Wen Zhong looked towards the direction of Xia Stage and sighed, "He is a genius but unfortunately, my master said that Tianyi will have a trial of death that he would fail to overcome. Otherwise, he would have achieved as much as Si Wenming."


    Muzhen politely responded, "I now understand."


    "Brother Wen, you came from far away. I want to greet you personally but unfortunately, circumstance does not allow. I hope you don''t mind," Tianyi continued speaking.

 Chapter 526 Lady Mother of the Chario

    Wen Zhong nodded his head and smiled. He wielded his sleeves and picked Muzhen up and place him on the back of the Qilin. The Qilin let out a low roar and flew towards Dongcheng.


    A man flashed out from the Meridian Gate. It was the executioner. He was extremely dissatisfied and as he witnessed Wen Zhong took off with the Qilin. He pointed at Wen Zhong''s figure and said, "One day, you will die in my hands."


    The executioner made the oath as he watched Wen Zhong leave. But deep down, he was secretly impressed and admired the marvelous means of Qi cultivators. That was his very first time in his entire life that he had ever doubted the power of the Xia Clan. After all, regardless of how strong one was, it would be a joke if one failed to strike your opponent.


    "Yun Zhongjun, these are the Emperor''s orders. Now that the Dragon Head Guillotine has been damaged, you should no longer serve as the execution officer. Please return home and reflect on yourself." A eunuch came out from Wangcheng with an iron plate, it was the token of order from Emperor Xia.


    The executioner''s name was Yun Zhongjun. His original surname was Yun, and it was one of the Eight Great Surnames. His mother was a royalty of Xia. For many years, he was the execution officer at the Meridian Gate and had never failed at his job.


    Yun Zhongjun said, "Emperor, I have been serving you relentlessly for the past few years. But one mistake render me expelled. This is indeed your style. What else is there for me to self-reflect on? From now onwards, I have nothing to do with the Xia Kingdom."


    He removed his robe to reveal a ripped body. Like a leaking balloon, his body deflated rapidly and turned scrawny. The Qi of essence then dispersed to invade the Meridian Gate, causing it to collapse.


    Just like that, the most notorious territory of Wangcheng turned into a wasteland.


    The eunuch was frightened, "Are you giving up on the royal blood?"


    Yun Zhongjun pulled out a white robe and wrapped it around his body. He said, "Since I am leaving, I should cut clean from everything."


    Emperor Xia witnessed the scene at the Meridian Gate. He could not help but smiled and uttered under his breath, "That kid."


    The Meridian Gate executioner officer was a significant position that only important figures could hold. If one failed to deliver, he would bring shame to the prestige of Xia Kingdom.


    Yun Zhongjun held on to his position for years and had never once missed. This incident was an accident and there was no need for Emperor Xia to remove him from his position. But Emperor Xia did it anyway.


    Bystanders would have thought that Emperor Xia was being temperamental. But in actual fact, it was the affection of Emperor Xia that prompted him to release Yun Zhongjun. After all, Wangcheng was too small to breed a true dragon.


    He was not a pure descendant of the Xia and without this burden, he would be able to do greater things out there.


    Emperor Xia was capable of handling the sudden turbulence in the Xia Kingdom. He crossed his arms, looked at the sky and thought to himself, "You have groomed me to what I am today and do not even think about destroying me."


    The black blade flew into the hands of Emperor Xia and he caught it with his backhand. It felt like he was ''dissecting'' the laws and heaven and earth and the. A tablet appeared, it wrote, ''The law of man takes from what it lacks in order to supply what was in abundance''.


    Each and every character was stained with blood and possessed with demonic characteristics. It was haunting and terrifying.


    ...


    In Dongcheng, within the Yin Garden, someone had a wooden knife. His knife play was the endless water stream and the constellation that had an eternal movement pattern.


    It was Wuding who was practicing his knife technique. He took it very seriously and was using his strength to its optimum capacity. He was oozing a star-like mana and created an indestructible knife domain.


    "The Dao of nature takes from what is abundance to supply to the deficient." Guan Longzi''s eyes were filled with surprise as he watched Wuding.


    Wuding''s knife technique had improved tremendously and went beyond the purpose of the laws of heaven. He knew more than enough, and he could compliment his weaknesses with his strength to form a perfect knife domain and step into the perfect state of Qi cultivators called Dan Dao. Although his Flying Stars Incantation had yet to achieve the levels of walking celestials of the earth, it had the basis of entering the stage of celestialism of Primordial Spirit.


    Throughout the times, many cultivators were stuck at this very stage, but Wuding was able to break through it easily.


    "My good disciple, you are not considered a cultivator of Dao." Laughters could be heard coming from the sky. Before Wuding could retract his knife, the earth shook. a Qilin covered with thin clouds landed on the ground.


    There were two people on the Qilin. They were Wen Zhong and Muzhen.


    Muzhen descended from the Qilin and greeted Wuding politely, "I am Muzhen, greetings to Young Master Zi Zhao."


    Wuding thought Muzhen looked familiar but once he heard his name, he smiled and said, "You are the Chief Daoist of Xuanzhen Temple." The Xuanzhen Temple may not be welcomed at Xia Kingdom, but to Yinshang, the temple was exactly what they needed. After all, the Xuanzhen Temple''s cultivation methods were authentic and their methods were difficult at first but would get easier along the way with minimal after effects. This was the supplement that the Qi cultivators of Yinshang could really use more of for their cultivation development.


    He kept his knife and passionately held Muzhen''s hand. He then bowed down to greet Wen Zhong, "Greetings from your useless disciple, my master."


    Wen Zhong responded, "How are you useless? You are so much stronger now compared to me back then. You should master the Flying Stars Incantation soon so I can take you to meet your grandmaster."


    Wen Zhong wielded his sleeves and gently help Wuding up.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Wen Zhong looked towards Guan Longzi and said, "This must be teacher Guan Longzi. I have admired you for a long time."


    Guan Longzi turned towards Wen Zhong and smiled, "I have heard so much about you and now that I finally get to meet you, I am quite surprised of your background."


    Wen Zhong said, "Your knowledge is indeed as deep as the ocean as you could tell the lineage of my knowledge with just a glance."


    "I should have thought of it earlier. Besides the Lady Mother of the Chariot who was the leader of the constellations, who else could create such a deep Dao incantation like the Flying Star Incantation? I am guessing that Brother Wen is the disciple of the Lady Mother of the Chariot," Guan Longzi responded in a soft voice as he revealed an information that Muzhen was stunned to hear.


    In the ancient times, the stronger ghost and gods would transform their spirits into stars after they passed on. This was another method for them to exist longer within the universe. These stars were not happy with each other and tried to outshine their opponents. They fought all day and eventually the moon engulfed some of the stars.


    The stars then came together and attacked the moon, causing the moon to have its waxes and its wane. It was the stars'' way of saying, that the well water should not interfere with the river water. This is a Chinese saying of not interfering with each other''s businesses. But that did not end the battles between the stars. In fact, the stars got greedier and the desire to possess more starlight increased.


    At that very moment, a star appeared and tamed all the raging stars. That particular star was the Lady Mother of the Chariot. Technically, the Lady Mother of the Chariot was not the brightest star. However, the Dao incantation that she cultivated could project her Primordial Spirit to the void and transformed into a star. She was traveling the starry skies and saw the battle between the stars, and tried to suppress them. Eventually, the stars were convinced and ceased their battle.


    She earned the name ''Lady Mother of the Chariot'' from this incident and became the true leader of the constellations.

 Chapter 527 Mahayana Sutra

    Judging from the looks of Wen Zhong, Guan Longzi thought of the possibility that the Lady Mother of the Chariot could still be around in the Netherworld. But he was unsure if her existence at the Netherworld was her true form or just an incarnation.


    Besides that, the Lady Mother of the Chariot had always been very mysterious and very few people knew about her origins. It was a coincidence that Guan Longzi was one of the few people. The Lady Mother of the Chariot was a supreme existence in the universe, one could only imagine how reputable her honored master was.


    The honored master of the Lady Mother of the Chariot was Lingbao Tianzun who was one of the very few people who was fully detached and was of the levels of Daoist master and Buddha. If Lingbao Tianzun was still around this universe, he should be able to feel Guan Longzi''s thoughts about him.


    A figure like that could effortlessly kill anyone just like a walk in the park. Unless if they relied upon another person of the levels of a Daoist master or Buddha who had detached, they would never be able to call this universe their home.


    Muzhen was secretly delighted. He did not expect to score both Yinshang and also gained such great support. Before disappearing, the founding master of the Xuanzhen Temple, Wang Xuanzhen was only a beginner at the heavenly immortal level and was neck and neck with State Preceptor Shen Lian. On the other hand, the Lady Mother of the Chariot was a person who was beyond Taiyi and was considered as an elite even during the era of the Emperor.


    Wen Zhong said, "You are indeed very intelligent. Xia Kingdom is about to fall, why don''t you abandon the dark side and come to the light? When the new dynasty is established, you can still preach."


    Guan Longzi caressed his beard and said, "I have preached enough and it''s unnecessary to preach anymore. Xia will collapse, so will I."


    Wen Zhong sighed and no longer tried to persuade Guan Longzi.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The designs of nature were now clear. The Great Xia would be conquested by its neighboring nations. Emperor Xia would not be able to turn the tables around and Guan Longzi intended to die for his country.


    ...


    Buneng had been meditating for five days in the circle Shen Lian drew. The blood-red color of the sunset shined across his face but he did not feel it at all.


    His face was a lot more languished and pale compared to ten days ago along with his eyebrows which has started to turn grey. In the past five days, he witnessed a sea of blood, experienced weightlessness of the void, and was placed among wretched spirits. He had pretty much experienced every horrifying scenario possible. Although he knew that it was all a fantasy but it was difficult for him to remain unmoved.


    Buneng was not a Qi cultivator who could depend on the wind and dew to feed themselves. He was a cultivator of character and thus needed to consume food. But in the past ten days, he had yet to consume a single drop of water and yet he was able to seal his orifices point to prevent him from losing his Qi of vitality. But being in the fantasy state had taken quite a toll on him and that was why he looked like a breathing old tree that was about to wilt.


    The doors of Zhiwei Temple opened and Xiao Hei walked out.


    Xiao Hei looked at the two demonic gods outside and said, "The two of you can leave now. The master ordered me to take him in."


    The two demonic gods looked at each other and nodded their heads. They then transformed into a flash and entered the portraits of the Door Gods that was pasted on the door. They have been guarding outside for five days and have endured the wind, the rain and the scorching heat of the sun. If it was not for the fear towards Shen Lian, they would have complained about it.


    Xiao Hei bit lightly and held on to Monk Buneng and brought him into the hall of Zhiwei Temple.


    Buneng opened his eyes slowly. He first saw Shen Lian and then noticed the portrait behind him. It was a picture of the pristine one, the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure, or more commonly known as Lingbao Tianzun.


    Shen Lian then flicked a dew that entered Buneng''s mouth. Buneng immediately restored his spirits and his vitality was replenished.


    Buneng knew that this was the ''Amrita'', the nectar in Buddhist sects that would grant immortality. He did not expect Shen Lian to own it.


    Buneng regained his consciousness and took another glimpse at Shen Lian who was sitting in the middle of the hall. He felt that Shen Lian looked somewhat similar to the portrait of Lingbao that was behind him. It was as if the lord had reincarnated into the human world.


    People of the Dajue Temple, Xuanzhen Temple, and Diqiu had been making assumptions about Shen Lian''s background. It was now clear that Shen Lian was somewhat related to Lingbao Tianzun. After all, his charm was similar to Lingbao and it was not something anyone could imitate.


    Buneng placed his palms together and said, "I am ashamed as I have failed to walk out of your circle."


    Shen Lian responded, "If you could walk of it, you would not have come to seek for my help. But this four Dhyanas and eight Samadhis was indeed something. If it was someone else, he would not have survived the second day. But you managed to hang on for five days. Furthermore, after this vigorous training, you should be able to step into the third level of the second jhana."


    Buneng placed his palms on the floor and kowtowed to the green rock in the hall. With a clear voice, he said, "Much appreciated, State Preceptor."


    The biggest favor any cultivator could ever receive was the opportunity to refine their cultivations. In fact, there were some cultivators who practiced the idea of participating in the duels of Dao until they die.


    This showed how important making progress was to cultivators.


    Shen Lian responded, "You don''t have to thank me. After all, I used you to observe the abstruse of the four Dhyanas and eight Samadhis. We do not owe each other anything."


    Buneng said, "State Preceptor, I would like to once again ask you to help Dajue Temple."


    Shen Lian glanced at him like a supreme lord of thunder. It was heavy, dignified and terrifying at the same time.


    Buneng did not flinch and instead said, "There is a Mahayana Sutra in Dajue Temple. Although this scripture is extremely precious, it should not be relevant to you. But I think you would be interested in one of the excerpts in it."


    The vigorous training earlier helped him to stay composed and thus he was able to communicate with Shen Lian without fear.


    Shen Lian said, "Tell me more about it."


    "The Mahayana Sutra was a gift from an eminent monk to my founding master when he was traveling around the Blood Sea. Each and every character of the Sutra was personally written by that eminent monk. My temple''s founding master read the Sutra for fifty years, gained tremendously from it and founded the Dajue Temple. The Mahayana Sutra was kept in the Dajue Temple and the content inside is not only mysterious but if you take it with you to the Asura Blood Sea, you would be able to meet him," Buneng spoke fluently.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Looks like you''ve already known that I will promise to help you."


    Buneng responded, "I do not dare to make such assumptions. I thought that someone of your level would not be bothered by trivial matters as such but would be interested to seek higher enlightenment. That eminent monk has attained the Mahasattva and it is rare to find someone like that even at holy places like the Vulture Peak and the Western Paradise. I am sure this is something that would interest you."


    "This indeed is interesting. I have heard of this eminent monk and would love to meet him. If so, let me tell you something. The day when the first piece of leaf of Diqiu falls on the ground is the day Emperor Xia would depart to the Eastern Barbarians. If Dajue Temple could receive the approval of Emperor Xia and send several deeply cultivated monks to follow his entourage, it would inevitably dispel Emperor Xia''s suspicion towards Dajue Temple," Shen Lian said.


    The night before, Emperor Xia had delivered his personal order to invite Shen Lian to join him at his trip to the Eastern Barbarians.

 Chapter 528 She Likes

    Buneng left after receiving the answer he wanted to hear. Before departing, he told Shen Lian that he would deliver the Mahayana Sutra the following day. He did not say what would happen if Shen Lian''s suggestion did not work out.


    This was because Shen Lian just did them a big favor by giving them his suggestion.


    Furthermore, the Sutra was not a living being. If it was someone else other than the Buddha or the Heavenly King who obtained it, the person would probably not be as accomplished as Buddha and the Heavenly King.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The Mahayana Sutra did not help much in the Dajue Temple. Otherwise, they need not to be fearful of Emperor Xia at all.


    After Buneng left, Shen Lian took out the black metal token which was the personal order Emperor Xia delivered the night before. The token did not only contain Emperor Xia''s invitation to conquer the Eastern Barbarians, but also his determination.


    The determination was so heated that it could have burned Shen Lian''s divine thoughts if he was slightly careless.


    Although Emperor Xia had found a new breakthrough, he had yet to reach the level where he could create a chiliocosm. Even if he was stronger than Shen Lian, his powers were limited.


    Shen Lian looked at the black metal token and his eyes lighted up and melted the token to reveal an ember. That was the determination of Emperor Xia. Even if Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit was strong, it was still difficult to destroy it.


    It was late at night, Shen Lian opened his hands and the ember landed in his palms. The portrait of Lingbao Tianzun looked like it came to life and was with Shen Lian.


    The ancient deep breath wrapped around the ember. Shen Lian clenched his fist slowly and soon the sound of the extinguished ember could be heard.


    There was nothing indestructible. If there was, the person was just not powerful enough.


    A cold hum entered Shen Lian''s mind. Shen Lian responded to it in his heart, "I will be there."


    Shen Lian was interested in the Eastern Barbarians and the son of the White Emperor. Moreover, if Shen Lian chose not to join Emperor Xia, the feud between them would be endless.


    After all, Diqiu still had Tianyi.


    Emperor Xia''s conquest of the Eastern Barbarians was actually him giving Tianyi and opportunity to escape. This was the gentle side of Emperor Xia. If Tianyi did not take this opportunity and leave, Emperor Xia would no longer give him a second chance.


    This war with the Eastern Barbarians would also settle the score between Emperor Xia and Shen Lian. It may not necessarily be a physical fight but it would definitely determine who would advance from wherever they were at.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian was able to witness the battle between his disciple Lei Jing and Wuding before the trip. He was really looking forward to the battle.


    If he could return to Qing Xuan, he would love to bring Lei Jing along. He thought that his senior apprentice-sister would like this girl. The grandmaster too would be pleased to have a disciple like Lei Jing.


    Taixu had always favored the girls. If it was not for Zhang Ruoxu, Shen Lian would not have the chance to cultivate the Taixu Strategy. Whether it is Founding Master Qingshui or the grandmaster, they would most probably prefer to have a girl to be their disciple.


    At this point, gender did not really matter. But if there was an option, people would naturally prefer to stick to their habits and reject others'' opinion. It was not difficult to predict what the grandmaster and Founding Master Qingshui would pick.


    Shen Lian could not help but think of his grandmaster. The girl dressed in purple with a hint of green shadow. It was an extremely unforgettable scenery for him.


    Shen Lian did not know where would his grandmaster be. After all, the universe was vast and the space-time was rather confusing. It was difficult to get a grasp of it unless one was a Daoist master or Buddha.


    ��.....


    Lei Jing had been cultivating the Summoning of Wind and Rain for quite a long period of time. The deeper she delved into it, the more she was amazed by it. The wind, rain and thunder could mutually transform each other and generate different types of power. From there, she also learned about the path of life and death.


    However, her cultivation was not all smooth sailing. During every cultivation session, she realized that her psyche and Qi of vigor were absorbed by a stream of air current, that was to fuel mana to the Summoning of Wind and Rain.


    She felt like a river, whose water was constantly pouring in to a reservoir. The river then dried up as the reservoir expanded.


    There was no gain neither were there any loss. When the reservoir expanded to a certain degree, it could regulate the amount of river water. Also, when the gates of the reservoir suddenly opened, an enormous force could surge out from the reservoir. Lei Jing could only imagine this terrifying explosive force as she felt that she would not be able to control it.


    The Summoning the Wind and Rain that Shen Lian taught her was not the original version from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformation. Furthermore, Lei Jing''s special lineage had brought upon different variation while she was cultivating this supernatural power.


    Her lineage was the huge reservoir that accumulated such an enormous amount of Qi of vigour to generate the mana for Summoning the Wind and Rain.


    Lei Jing had mixed emotions as she sensed the changes in her body. She was happy that she was making progress but felt sad as she has not seen her teacher for a long time.


    However, her sorrow soon disappeared as a green whirlpool appeared and formed into the appearance of Shen Lian in front of her. She was used to Shen Lian''s unpredictable appearance and disappearance, and she did not feel that it was wrong for a man to break into her room suddenly.


    Shen Lian was satisfied with her progress and said, "Jing Er, you have progressed so much. You indeed did not let me down."


    Lei Jing was delighted and jumped off her bed. She stood in front of Shen Lian with her barefoot and looked like a water lily in full bloom. She seemed shy but looked stunningly beautiful.


    She wanted to hug Shen Lian''s arm but she caught nothing and remembered that this was just a spiritual body of Shen Lian.


    She said, "Teacher, why did it take you so long to come and see me?"


    Shen Lian laughed, "You are always thinking about running away from home. For someone who does not think about her parents, would you even miss me?"


    Lei Jing responded, "Of course I missed you. Just look at how hard I have cultivated. I have followed your methods exactly but I still do not know how to release that force within."


    Shen Lian said, "That is why I am here to teach you how to master the Summoning the Wind and Rain power."


    He pointed at the moon and said, "Look, the moon tonight is bright and clean. The starry sky looks really beautiful too."


    It was around midnight and the moon was hanging in the middle of the sky. The stars were like water and the courtyard was empty.


    Shen Lian was leisurely enjoying the view.


    Soon enough. Lei Jing started to feel the changes in the surrounding. She looked up and the stars seemed reachable. It turned out that she has reached the rooftop of her residence.


    She was really close to the starry sky and was also close to Shen Lian. Lei Jing felt that her happiest moment in her lifetime was at that very moment.


    Some form of happiness needed no reason. If to really name a reason, it was the feeling of being able to be with the person you like. It did not have to last forever, just a brief moment was good enough.


    Lei Jing knew that Shen Lian would never like her back, but that did not matter as long as she liked him.


    Shen Lian had to call her three times before she recovered from her wandering thoughts.

 Chapter 529 Guard of the Netherworld

    Shen Lian gazed into Lei Jing deeply as he spoke softly, "Do you know, the free-spirited wind in between heaven and earth is too an exhibit of the summoning of wind and rain?"


    Lei Jing looked up to the fringe by Shen Lian''s ears that were swaying in the wind. It was not that she was dazed by infatuation, but it felt more like a spring breeze that caused a ripple in a pond.


    The puff of air not only affected Shen Lian''s hair but also the edge of his clothes. The motion was reflected in the water.


    At that moment, Shen Lian felt like the deity at the center of the world, who was looking down to all living beings underneath him. She was so insignificant. Despite Shen Lian''s gentle words, they could not dispel the fear she felt deep down.


    Lei Jing was not a cowardly woman, but as she placed Shen Lian at too high up of a position, she appeared to be lowly in contrast.


    Shen Lian could tell, but he did nothing because he rarely interfered about what people thought and what they wanted to do.


    He lifted his hand, with the palm facing down and the back of the hand facing up, Shen Lian''s gaze was focused on the void. In the middle of his hand, there appeared the mana of the origin for summoning the wind and rain, like spirals which were circulating in opposite direction and causing a swirl endlessly. The carefree wind gathered in Shen Lian''s hand in just a moment of time. Lei Jing could feel that the humidity of the surrounding air increased, and the wallflowers seemed to be a little wilted, as they had lost a lot of water.


    Lei Jing was deeply moved by the scene and hence she paid attention to the spirals underneath Shen Lian''s hand. As they rotated at high speed in opposite direction, they ultimately formed an unbreakable energy ball.


    Shen Lian''s hand was moving in the void, like the motion of the sun and the stars, which was full of an unstoppable glamor. More and more wind and water gathered underneath Shen Lian''s palm but the ultimate mana of the origin for the summoning of the wind and rain did not increase.


    Eventually, the energy ball in Shen Lian''s palm was thrown towards the sky, which was immediately turned into a sky full of dark clouds. As the wind rose and the clouds scudded, it began pouring.


    Shen Lian and Lei Jing still sat on top of the roof, and the strong wind and rain could not invade the space within three feet from their surroundings.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Lei Jing felt like she was in another world as she looked at the pouring rain.


    She could tell that while sir had only used part of the mana of the origin for the summoning of wind and rain and it was already sufficient to cause such a stir. The more stunning part was that when Shen Lian made use of the power, there were no signs of disturbances in his body. The mana for the summoning of wind and rain was very stable as well.


    Lei Jing thought for a while, "Sir, what you did to demonstrate the supernatural power was to turn the mana into a spiral that has a positive and a negative sign. In that case, there will be the power of attraction and repulsion. With a balance of the two powers, inevitably it will become stable. If I can form such a mana seed within myself, when I expel the mana, I will not have to worry about losing control of the supernatural power. I can also control the amount of the mana needed to blend into the Qi of heaven and earth in order to achieve a true harmony of the internal and external world that do not clash with each other and cause damage to myself."


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Jing Er, your spiritual wisdom is extraordinary. You can try now, following the same actions as I did."


    Lei Jing followed what Shen Lian did. Her palm was facing downward, and the mana of the origins flooded over suddenly. As she was thinking about controlling the mana and dividing it into two streams to be circulated in two opposite directions, the mana exploded. The wild storm which was in the vicinity of the two was stopped before it could cause any damages.


    At the same time, Lei Jing noticed that regardless of the amount of pouring rain, the rain was limited to her corner only. As there were no maids or servants around, the world felt like it was stopped and only Shen Lian and she were still in motion.


    Shen Lian waved his hand. The wind and rain in the outside world stopped and time became stagnant and it was as if Shen Lian and Lei Jing were the only ones who could move in the paused timing.


    Lei Jing looked at the wind and rain, lines of water were naturally formed by the water droplets. From her angle, it seemed that the world was covered with a huge curtain. Every bead of water was clearer than the crystals.


    This scenery could not be found in the whole of Diqiu, as no one could stop the time.


    Lei Jing even began to doubt if it was a dream born from Shen Lian''s tricks but everything in the dream was too realistic.


    She bit Shen Lian''s arm suddenly and felt the pain in her teeth.


    Shen Lian smiled and asked, "Is it painful?"


    Lei Jing nodded in a serious manner, "Very, but now I am sure that this is a dream."


    Shen Lian said, "Because it''s a dream, you can try what I did just now without fear. You don''t need to be afraid of injuring or damaging the body."


    Lei Jing came to a revelation about sir''s intention of crafting a dream, as it was only possible for her to keep trying the technique of summoning wind and rain in such environment until it became natural for her.


    If the cultivators in the world knew of such a realistic dream existed, they would probably treat it as a supreme holy land, as even if they failed while cultivating here, the consequence was minimal as they could do it all over again.


    As Lei Jing had understood the purpose of the dream, she had no reservation in summoning the wind and rain. She finally succeeded once after trying for the hundredth time, and she did it again after trying for another fifty times. Later, her success rate was at about eight to nine out of ten times. In the end, she almost never failed.


    The wind and rain in her surrounding came and ago, same for the lightning and thunder.


    Lei Jing was immersed in it as she summoned again and again.


    Shen Lian had already left her side long ago.


    Prefect Grand Usher Lei Nuo was still awake at midnight. He had been hiding in the reading room recently as his abdomen grew bigger each day. Even heart beats could be heard from his big abdomen.


    A living thing which had not taken shape was being nurtured in his body. To be exact, he, as a man, was pregnant.


    He was a careful thinker, but the only thing he did not predict was that Shen Lian''s prohibition could make him pregnant.


    Lei Nuo did not dare to let anyone know about this or else it would bring shame to the Youhu''s.


    He dared not to abort it either as the essence of his Qi and blood were all gathered in his abdomen.


    If he damaged the fetus, he would be destroying more than half of his Qi and blood and this would cause him to lose a great deal of his power too. Ultimately, he would be weakened to a state of an average individual from Xia Clan. Till then, it would be impossible to hide.


    He could only hope that Shen Lian would keep to his three-months promise. Afterall, the date was closing.


    Lei Nuo''s study room was adorned with night pearls. At night, he would order people to remove the lampshades. All four corners of the walls would be lit, and there would not be any shadows.


    Under this impossible circumstance, a pool of black shadow appeared in the study room. It was as black as ink and as soft as mud.


    Lei Nuo''s stared at the black shadow as he sprouted the words, "Guard of the netherworld."


    The black shadow gathered and formed a monster with a human head and a dragon body. There were dark scales all over its body. He looked as if a dragon had a failed attempt at transforming into a human.


    The guards of the netherworld were indeed the extraordinary guards who would only obey the orders of Emperor Xia. They all possessed unique bloodline, which granted them supernatural power. Their unique attribute in certain aspects made them excellent candidates for certain tasks, and the standard was as good as the walking celestials of the earth.

 Chapter 530 Reborn From A Drip of Blood

    For instance, this guard of the netherworld had the supernatural power to turn his body into a pool of shadow which allowed him to sneak into anywhere without being found easily.


    It was also hard to injure a shadow, and hence this guard from the netherworld was hardly harmed.


    "Following the order of the emperor, I''m inviting you to the palace," the guard of the netherworld spoke each of the words slowly with no emotions in his eyes, as cold as a stone.


    Lei Nuo asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "You will know by then." The guard of the netherworld replied with a poker face.


    Lei Nuo''s eyes looked cold. He stared at the guard of the netherworld and asked, "What if I don''t go?"


    "It''s hard to say because the emperor wants to see you alive, and without any damage." The guard of the netherworld was extremely patient as he spoke slowly.


    Lei Nuo sneered, "Perhaps it''s not possible if it''s just you."


    The guard of the netherworld replied in an emotionless tone, "Of course it''s not possible if it''s just me."


    Lei Nuo soon realized something was wrong as there was a sweet smell in the room. He looked up and saw a small snake which was about seven feet long at the beam. It was hissing, and the smell that came out of its mouth was not of rotten stink but fragrance.


    Lei Nuo was stunned. The small snake was red all over, with tightly packed scales which were made up of black-red spots. Its eyes were green, like the ember which would never be extinguished.


    This was a drunken dragon, a type of mysterious snake that had the bloodline of a dragon. It had a special power whereby it could secrete something akin to that of dragon''s saliva and released it through its tongue. The saliva''s fragrance was considered a strong anesthetic. There was once a drunken dragon which caused a celestial of Taiyi state to be drunk for a thousand years.


    Soon Lei Nuo began to feel numb in his limbs. They were not under his control anymore. The guard of the netherworld came prepared, whether it was intentional or not. Lei Nuo despite being the Prefect Grand Usher who possessed great skills, he too could not resist the attack this time.


    The fact that Emperor Xia made use of the drunken dragon, this suggested that he had something important to speak to Lei Nuo about. As Lei Nuo had followed Emperor Xia for many years and along with his intelligence network, he could already guess that Emperor Xia''s motive was to ask him to stay put in the palace for the baby.


    Even if he could keep the matter away from his wife''s and daughter''s acknowledgments, it was a tough challenge to keep it from Emperor Xia.


    Furthermore, Emperor Xia had previously expressed his love towards the hierophant. It seemed that he was interested in men giving birth. As Lei Nuo was in such an awkward situation, it was possible that Emperor Xia was extremely interested in men giving birth.


    He was a king who was not restrained by traditions and he would do whatever that he could think of. As such, Lei Nuo had no doubt that Emperor Xia had interest in this topic.


    As his limbs went numb and his eyelids got heavier, he lost the ability to resist.


    Lei Nuo could hear the hissing sound of the snake and the red drunken dragon was currently winding itself on a finger that was as clear as jade. It belonged to a young Daoist who was bathing under the glitter of the stars It was the national advisor of Xia Kingdom, Shen Lian.


    The guard of the netherworld had become an ice sculpture in the reading room.


    The red snake which looked like the drunken dragon kept hissing and secreting the saliva of fragrance, but it just could not escape within three inches from Shen Lian''s finger. The secretion was too frozen into ice, floating in mid-air.


    "National advisor." Lei Nuo was shocked and terrified.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Why, am I not welcomed?"


    "I don''t dare to." Lei Nuo slowly felt that he had regained control of his body but he was even weaker compared to before in terms of resisting against the force.


    Shen Lian spoke leisurely, "I''m here to fulfill my promise. I will extract the item from your body."


    Lei Nuo spoke hatefully, "You calculated this. The water you gave me could make someone pregnant. That was why my Qi energy all gathered in my abdomen."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Isn''t it an interesting experience? A commoner can improve the body state after giving birth through confinement. This is your chance."


    After he finished, he stepped forward and his hand went through Lei Nuo''s abdomen. Lei Nuo felt a streak of cold air gusted through and that he was missing something. It was the blood and flesh essence in his body. It was taken away by Shen Lian.


    He then heard Shen Lian saying, "Don''t forget to avoid wind and water for the next month. Eat well."


    His tone was sarcastic. It embarrassed and angered Lei Nuo but he dared not to follow him out from the door.


    The blood and flesh essence in Shen Lian''s hand was frozen in Ice Light. He could feel the strong vitality of the blood and flesh essence deeply and it was actually formed by an extremely condensed blood of Xia Clan. It contained the secret of the Xia Clan''s bloodline.


    Only through the oddity of the water from Zimu River, the blood in Lei Nuo''s body could be condensed forming the blood and flesh essence.


    Shen Lian felt an odd vitality from it, which was that if the blood and flesh essence was divided into countless portions, countless lives could be born out of it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    It was another form of immortality, where one could replicate indefinitely, as it absorbed the Qi of vitality from the universe and grew infinitely.


    It was said that when a body had reached its highest state, there was a characteristic where it could be reborn from a drip of blood. It meant that even if one was killed, as long as there was a drip of blood remained, it could absorb Qi of vitality from the heaven and earth and regain life from the message imprinted in the body and soul.


    It seemed that this blood and flesh essence carried that characteristic.


    Given Lei Nuo who was a relative of Xia Clan and the Youhu''s, the blood and flesh essence extracted from him could help Shen Lian in understanding the secret of the bloodline of Xia Clan and hence understanding the cultivation route for the Xia Clan.


    What Shen Lian said to Lei Nuo was not a lie. It was an opportunity for Lei Nuo as he had been stagnant for a long time. If he could make use of this opportunity, it was possible for him to achieve greater height.


    If Lei Nuo did not make use of this opportunity, he had only himself to blame.


    ...


    Lei Jing naturally did not know the entanglement between her father and her teacher. She slowly mastered the supernatural power of summoning the wind and rain. When she broke out of the state, she realized her teacher had disappeared.


    As she lost her state of mind, she was no longer on the roof.


    She sat on her bed and listened to the chirping of the Kalavinka from Xirong. She was confused as she was not sure whether the teacher that she saw belonged in the dream.


    Subsequently, she thought of something. The powerful mana in her body which was formed after cultivating the summoning of wind and rain went through various orifices points and gathered in her palm as though they have heard some summons. Two spirals in opposite directions were formed.


    The Qi of vitality from the outside world flowed into her room. Before the guards outside could react to it, Lei Jing''s eyes were full of joy, and she cast the spiral streams outwards.


    Eventually, there were dark clouds on top of the courtyard and the wind began to blow strongly. All of a sudden the wind and rain blew off like swords and countless flowers flew in the wind.


    Shen Lian''s body had already reached the residence of the Prefect Grand Usher, next to the beaten plane tree.

 Chapter 531 Phoenix Tree

    This phoenix tree had gone through many trials by the wind and the rain and once there was a phoenix resting on it. As such, it possessed spirituality which was not found in a normal tree.


    For most flora and rocks out there, even if thousand or ten thousand years had gone by, they would not possess such spirituality.


    With spirituality, one could cultivate. With cultivation, one had the hope to be released from the cycle of life and death.


    When Shen Lian stood in front of the phoenix tree, there was no wind, and the sky was clear. The stars were shining brightly.


    He stood silently in front of the phoenix tree for a while as he examined it''s every stripe. They were the marks of time, and they too represented its past observation.


    Shen Lian asked suddenly, "Do you want to become human?"


    The phoenix tree began to shake gently, and a divine thought was channeled, "It''s great to be a human, at least I do not have to worry that one day I will be cut down. Also, in Diqiu, I will never be able to shapeshift successfully."


    Shen Lian said, "Follow me in my cultivation."


    Although the phoenix tree was not human, it had lived a long time and had many experiences. It knew how difficult it was to get an opportunity to cultivate under a celestial. It had never even thought about it but the opportunity fell on it suddenly.


    "Why?"


    "No particular reason, I just like how you look." Shen Lian replied leisurely.


    The phoenix tree then indeed began to follow Shen Lian in his cultivation. It channeled its spirituality to the blood and flesh essence in Shen Lian''s hand. It had the opportunity to become human and hence the opportunity to break out of the samsara. All these were granted by Shen Lian.


    It thought Shen Lian would ask for something in return but Shen Lian did not say anything.


    Since that day, there was a new baby in Zhiwei Temple, and its name was Feng Qiwu.


    The responsibility to take care of the baby fell onto black tiger. It was the only task Shen Lian assigned to the black tiger which was to take good care of the baby.


    The news of a baby in Zhiwei Temple spread to many people within Diqiu. As Shen Lian was the national advisor of Xia Kingdom, his every action drew a lot of attention.


    Regardless, he was of important position in the Xia Kingdom.


    However, everyone''s eyeball was attracted by what happened subsequently - Yinshang''s young master, Wuding would be having a battle with Emperor Xia''s niece, Lei Jing. It would happen in the evening three days later at an altar located at the outskirt of Dongcheng. It was sufficiently spacious and it was also next to Lake East.


    It was a huge lake which covered a large area. There were many marine mammals being reared in it as tributes paid by other countries. If one was not powerful enough, one dared not be in the vicinity of Lake East.


    When Lei Jing succeeded in summoning the wind and rain, Lei''s residence could no longer keep her. She did not know how powerful she was currently but she could produce wind, rain and even lightning and thunder with simple movements. It all felt natural.


    Without Shen Lian''s help, in order for her to get to such level of summoning wind and rain, it would take her at least thirty years.


    Lei Jing was confused on how she felt about her teacher. She knew that her father was sick because of her teacher. After Lei Jing knew about the reasons, she knew that he was not faking it when he was being nice to her. Unfortunately, his niceness did not extend to her father.


    When Lei Jing thought about perhaps the teacher had ulterior motives towards her, it made her sad. That feeling did not feel good at all.


    However, she was not qualified to ask Shen Lian to treat her in any certain way.


    Despite that, Lei Jing still wanted to have a battle with Wuding and announced it to Diqiu. This news shocked even Emperor Xia and he supported her decision.


    Wuding''s oddity too was spread around. He was seen as the most outstanding young man in Yinshang and he was thought to be the future master of Yinshang.


    Emperor Xia did not have a daughter and hence he favored Lei Jing strongly. Even though Lei Jing was not a princess, her status was not too different from one. A lot of people thought that the battle between Wuding and Lei Jing was a showdown between Xia and Shang. As Lei Jing was a woman, it was alright if she lost but It was not the case for Wuding.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    This was the most stressful challenge for Wuding in his life as the reason for battle was because of a joke between Shen Lian and Guan Longzi.


    Shen Lian was not at Zhiwei Temple but the Dynasty School. Guan Longzi was at the school too. Due to the upcoming battle between Lei Jing and Wuding, a lot of the students had lost interest in the class. In addition to the fact that Guan Longzi did not add anything new, instead, he kept repeating the same principles.


    That was why there was nobody in the classroom. Even if there was, it was Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian listened to Guan Longzi''s lecture from the start till the end today and Guan Longzi too followed the sequence of the knowledge as he spoke.


    After he finished, Shen Lian clapped, "Even though I''ve never observed your Lianshan but I am already extremely interested in it."


    The knowledge taught by Guan Longzi was not difficult. It mainly involved the division of the four seasons, the twenty-four changes in Qi dynamic in a year and also the location when the sun rose from the east and set in the west.


    The knowledge was dead and not particularly useful. That was why the students were not too interested.


    Shen Lian however, managed to understand at a deeper level about what Guan Longzi said. It involved the principles of the world and the understanding towards the world. The knowledge that Guan Longzi was teaching was something unchangeable, something as rigid as the mountain.


    Shen Lian had the temperament of water as he had countless forms. As such, when he fought with others, he could adapt quickly. He did not stick to just one cultivation method. This was his strength but it could hinder his development.


    Guan Longzi was different. He did not change what he believed in and he could stay put in everything he did. His Dao was unbreakable, like a free-standing mountain, whether you saw it or not, mountain remained as a mountain.


    Guan Longzi smiled, "Lei Jing may not win and hence you may not be able to get Lianshan for me. Furthermore, Lianshan is my Dao and not yours. You better not have too high an expectation, else you will only be disappointed.


    "Jing Er will not lose, even if Wuding''s knife technique has entered the path of Daoism and that he has received guidance from Wen Zhong every day." Shen Lian spoke slowly.


    "I know you''re confident but do you know what is Zi Zhao''s level now?" Guan Longzi asked slowly.


    "I don''t want to know." Shen Lian looked at Guan Longzi with a serious look.


    Guan Longzi could not help but laugh. Shen Lian was indeed fun at times and you would never be able to guess what he was thinking and would be doing.


    Spending time with such a person would not be too boring.


    Wuding was currently at Lake East which was at the outskirt of Diqiu.


    Wen Zhong, riding on top of a black Qilin was on top of a small hill. From there one could see the Lake East. It was a gorgeous view.


    A topless young man jumped into the water.


    He was holding a light wooden sword. While the water of the lake seemed calm, in reality, it was the hideout for many gigantic sea mammals.


    Some sea mammals were just average in terms of cultivation level and spirituality but they were talented and had strong power. They could even cause a small tsunami for all four corners.


    The young man was naturally Wuding. He was now at Lake East and his mana was sealed.

 Chapter 532 Secluded Bamboo

    Before Wuding was here, Wen Zhong told him one thing, "Strength and state can''t reflect how powerful one is."


    Some people''s strength far exceeded the limitation of state. Wen Zhong hoped Wuding could be one of them.


    Hence, his mana was sealed as he came to the dangerous Lake East.


    Three more days until his battle with Lei Jing. Three days were sufficient for many things to happen.


    After Wuding lost his mana, he then realized how weak he was. The water surface was calm, but beneath it was tempestuous.


    The undercurrent was constantly distorting Wuding''s form. This was not the scary part. The scary part was the man-eating sea mammals in the undercurrent.


    Wuding was not able to rely on Flying Star Incantation but only his wooden knife and his astonishing spiritual sense.


    Without mana, he found it difficult to make use of the knife technique which could separate water and he could no longer make use of the formation of the ever alive knife domain.


    He was more powerful than a commoner but his strength was significantly less than the sea mammals in the undercurrent.


    At a distance away from where the sky and water were connected, there appeared a water wall which was extremely tall. In front of the water wall, Wuding looked minuscule.


    Wuding held on to his knife tightly until the water wall was coming towards him ferociously. His body flipped and the enormous power shook his bones all over as if he was about to be shattered.


    While Qi cultivator''s body was not as strong as the Xia Clan, it was way better than a commoner. However, in the face of nature''s tremendous power, it was nothing.


    Wuding was cast to the sky, and he swung out his knife as he fell painfully back into the water.


    The knife made use of the momentum of falling perfectly as it landed on the highest point of the water wall. The water wall was split into two and it revealed a bare, black back. It was the back of a sea mammal. It was extremely smooth and had a surface area of more than three hundred feet.


    The back curled up quickly, and the fish head was revealed. It was showing its gleaming sharp teeth and the gigantic mouth which seemed to have no end. In the face of danger, Wuding did not hesitate to attack with his knife. The wooden knife was plain and unassuming. It carried along the sound of air resistance as he hit towards the fish head.


    At such a high speed, Wuding could not ''see'' the fish head. In replacement. What he could see clearly was a gigantic three-dimensional image with lots of piping and gushing blood, and also the gaps in between.


    The structure of the fish head was as clear as day to him. He knew which part of it was the weakest, and he could even control the exact strength he needed to use and the subsequent reaction of the sea mammal.


    With one hit, the fish head was split open without resistance. The red blood splashed around and stained Wuding''s chest. They were soon washed away by the water.


    The real challenge was just about to begin. Because of the blood of the sea mammal, more and more sea mammals were approaching Wuding. He still needed to be here for three days until the battle began.


    Wuding was going through hellish training in order to achieve the top knife technique.


    At the same time, Lei Jing was much more relaxed.


    After she was done with summoning wind and rain, she felt dreamy, like a drizzle, which was beautiful but none could really see clearly in it. It gave people rooms to imagine but at the time could not get the true meaning of it. It was like being above the clouds.


    Lei Jing was at Xia palace where next to it was too a lake, Lake Jade. She did not come here voluntarily but Emperor Xia made her. People said that the water of Lake Jade was from the heaven. While it was an exaggeration but in reality, the lake was full of spiritual opportunity which exceeded even that of Xia Canal. Furthermore, the water was calm and hence it was extremely suitable for cultivators who were pursuing the Dao of water element to absorb the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth.


    Lei Jing did not go to the mid-lake pavilion where the spiritual opportunity was the highest, but instead, she was sitting by a white bay. There were willows behind her. It was a beautiful scene, but it was not as beautiful as her.


    She liked to stay at such a place where it was tranquil and peaceful, where nobody would be around.


    This was not who she used to be. It seemed that she was influenced by someone, hence the changes.


    She did not feel there was anything bad about it as she enjoyed the present.


    Tranquillity was after all, hard to maintain. She heard someone coming.


    It was not that she heard footsteps but that she had a feeling that someone was here. In reality, the visitor had no sound, it was the High Priest.


    He took off the green copper mask he usually wore. His beauty exceeded even that of Lei Jing. He was carrying a zither as he walked towards her like a ghost.


    Lei Jing did not turn back. She smiled and asked, "High Priest, are you looking for me?"


    "There is no one else here other than you." The High Priest replied.


    Lei Jing spoke softly, "I heard you aren''t feeling well recently. Why are you out?"


    Subsequently, there was a coughing fit. It was weak.


    The High Priest walked up to Lei Jing''s side. Despite not turning back, Lei Jing saw the reflection of the High Priest from the Lake Jade. He was terribly skinny and he looked as if his bone was just wrapped with a layer of skin.


    It was not the first time Lei Jing saw the High Priest but compared to the past, he was indeed much more withered.


    She sighed and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"


    The High Priest laughed, "I wanted to listen to the zither. Do you know how to play the zither?"


    Lei Jing replied in helpless tone, "You already brought the zither along. It is not appropriate if I say I don''t know how to."


    The High Priest replied in a serious tone, "Naturally it isn''t appropriate."


    After he finished, he began laughing.


    The High Priest passed the zither to Lei Jing. The body of the zither was black all over with not less than fifty strings.


    Lei Jing fiddled with the string, and she said, "This is a secluded bamboo."


    The secluded bamboo was a famous zither which was once used by a celestial for summoning a soul that had fallen into the endless hell. The endless hell was a mythical place in the Netherworld. By now, nobody knew where the endless hell actually was. Perhaps it no longer existed.


    In general, falling into the endless hell meant one was beyond redemption. In the endless hell, the soul would suffer endless pain but the celestial successfully relieved the soul of that pain from the endless hell.


    Celestials were powerful but secluded bamboo had its attribute too.


    "Not bad, this is a great zither. It has been with me for many years but unfortunately, it is hard for me to play it now with my condition. Hence, I have to ask this favor from you." The High Priest said.


    Lei Jing asked, "What do you want to listen to?"


    The High Priest replied, "Anything, it depends on what you want to play."


    "My teacher once chanted this ''Mountain Ghost'' for me and there the secluded bamboo was mentioned. I like it a lot, so I will be playing it." Lei Jing spoke softly.


    The secluded bamboo carried an air of mystery and depth. Its melody was graceful and bright which made it perfect for ''Mountain Ghost''.


    Playing the zither could help calm her down and allow her to be in her best state for the battle three days later.


    The beautiful melody of the zither was accompanied by her soft but beautiful singing:


    It seemed that someone was passing through the bend in the mountain and it was me carrying a ficus and having binata around my waist.


    I was looking at your graceful smile and you said, you admired my elegance.


    You were riding on a leopard, followed by a raccoon, the cart was dressed in flowers and colorful flags.


    It was me carrying an orchid and I was willing to break a flower just to tell you how I feel.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    I was still in the secluded bamboo where I could not see the day of light and the path was dangerous and hence I was late.


    I stood alone at the tall mountain, the clouds were all underneath my feet.


    The day was as dark as the night, as the east wind blew, the Gods made the rainfall.

 Chapter 533 A Heartless Man might not be A True Hero

    There was an ending to everything, regardless of whether it was a long song or a lengthy play.


    When Lei Jing was done, the lanky body of the High Priest was leaning on the white bay. His arms wrapped around his knees, his eyes were closed and they will never be opened again.


    When Lei Jing was released of the playing, her heartbeat raced as she saw this. She panicked and a string broke. It cut her finger. Drops of blood were dripping from her finger and they stained her light green dress. She did not have time to treat the cut as she was looking at the High Priest blankly.


    Was he really dead?


    Lei Jing approached the High Priest carefully. She could not hear his breath or his heartbeat. She pulled open his eyelid and there was no light anymore.


    He looked like he fell asleep quietly but in reality, he was dead.


    Every living being would die one day but Lei Jing did not predict that the High Priest would die next to her.


    The secluded bamboo could summon souls but there was no soul left for the High Priest.


    Lei Jing felt a sudden increase in temperature and then she saw uncle. His eyes were cold. He did not look at Lei Jing at all and he went straight to carry the High Priest into Lake Jade. Wherever he went, the water evaporated, until he was in the middle of the lake. There was an underground path. It opened up and Emperor Xia walked inside.


    Lei Jing did not follow. She could feel that the usually strong and firm uncle seemed to be revealing his weakness and sadness.


    Even though one could move mountains and overturn the sea, one could not reverse death. This was not exclusive to only Emperor Xia but to most cultivators.


    Lei Jing hugged the broken secluded bamboo to Zhiwei Temple. She did not feel at ease now and only her teacher could help.


    The Xia Canal in front of Zhiwei Temple continued to flow. The clouds in the sky were sometimes there and sometimes not. In the temple, Lvluo, grass, and bananas were planted. When the storm came, the scenery would be dilapidated.


    A pegasus was leading the way for Lei Jing. It could speak now. As it saw its owner''s down face, it just quietly followed her and occasionally it would rub its warm nose against Lei Jing.


    Shen Lian was in the room of cultivation which was facing the east. The sunrise would shine directly on his room and at night he could also see the stars of the Azure dragon of the east. All the glittering stars in the sky were available for his view.


    He already knew Lei Jing was coming and hence he already made tea with two cups prepared.


    When Jing walked into the room of cultivation, Shen Lian just finished pouring her tea. There was not a drip more or less. The steams rose and swirled into a dragon shape which did not disperse for a long time.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The two cups of the tea had gained spirituality. Creations that had spirituality was at the level of Taiyi. It seemed that Shen Lian had uncovered a small mystery of Taiyi.


    Of course, Lei Jing did not realize this. She only thought that the teacher was much better than her in making tea.


    Shen Lian put down the teapot and said, "You''re not calm right now. Have a cup of tea."


    Lei Jing had no reason to reject but as she saw the steam coming out of the tea, she knew that it was boiling hot. Luckily her body was not afraid of the heat which would burn her throat and hence Lei Jing swallowed the tea quickly. Surprisingly, the tea in her mouth was indeed cold. It flowed through her body like a comfortable cold stream.


    Looking at Lei Jing''s stunned expression, Shen Lian smiled, "Don''t be surprised, hot and cold are felt by the external sensory organs. In reality, there are a lot of ways that can help reverse the feeling. I will teach you the techniques later, but I know you''re not interested in it yet."


    Lei Jing nodded. After a while, she then asked, "Sir, can you tell me why the High Priest died, just like that?"


    "Since you''ve asked, I won''t be talking about junk like humans have to die. In reality, when you reach a certain level, it is as hard to die as to stay alive. The High Priest could survive since the Xia Kingdom was formed, it is definitely possible for him to live for a few years more. If Taiyi and I help out, we can even help him get rid of the root of the sickness but you have to know that while survival is an instinct, there are certain things in life which are more precious to these people than living. They are willing to give up their lives for it." Shen Lian sighed as he thought about Zhang Ruoxu.


    Shen Lian admired someone like that but he could not do it himself. This had nothing to do with cultivation state.


    Lei Jing bit her lips, "So the High Priest wished to die himself? Why did he do that?"


    "Because Tianyi and I did not save him and because he wanted Emperor Xia to be the real Emperor Xia." Shen Lian suddenly replied in a severe tone, like a sharp knife.


    Lei Jing said, "I still don''t understand. I can understand why you and Tianyi did not save him but isn''t uncle already the emperor?"


    "Xia Kingdom is a strictly hierarchical country. It is a tower from the bottom to the top and Emperor Xia is at the top. Do you know that the people at the top not only get to enjoy the most beautiful scenery, they too have to withstand the strongest storms? If they are not careful about it, they can soon be blown off to dust. At that spot, you can''t afford to be weak, and you can''t afford to have any weakness. The truth is, the High Priest has become his weakness." Shen Lian said.


    Lei Jing understood now, despite how strong uncle was, he still had a soft spot and it was the High Priest. If the High Priest was no longer there, he would have no weakness. A person in power who had no weakness was hard to be beaten.


    If Emperor Xia never lost, Xia Kingdom could continue to exist even for a thousand years.


    This was an extremely good thing but she still felt painful for the High Priest. Why must he die?


    "Why must he die..." She did not just think about it, she actually said it.


    Shen Lian spoke as soft as the night breeze. It was cold, but it would not hurt. He said, "He doesn''t have to die but dying is the easiest way. He let you play the zither to help you calm down but as he died, it made you feel disturbed. This is to make you understand one thing."


    Lei Jing did not ask, she replied, "The High Priest wanted to tell me that the heart is not at the human''s will. Emotion is not something that can be controlled easily and it will be affected by the outside world but we can make use of the power of emotions. Sir, you taught me to summon wind and rain was because that when the thunder roared in a quiet place, the wind and rain will follow. The more peaceful one is, the more powerful the emotions. It is right for me to be calm but what I was working towards was wrong."


    Shen Lian smiled, "I don''t need to teach you more. Follow me until three days later. You can''t say no."


    Lei Jing had some grudge against it. She wanted the teacher to explain why he had to treat father that way but as it was the first time Shen Lian acted dominantly, she could not resist.


    She felt wronged. She did not know who she was to Shen Lian. Perhaps she meant nothing. She too lost her strong personality, she was way different from before.


    Lastly, Shen Lian looked at the sun outside the window as he spoke in a low voice, "A heartless man might not be a true hero."

 Chapter 534 The Wind and Rain above Lake Eas

    Lei Jing''s young heart was thinking of how she could experience Shen Lian''s current state.


    Ever since Shen Lian decided to seek the supreme path of detachment, he desired to truly surpass past generations of Qing Xuan founding masters and follow the footsteps of Daoist Master Buddha. In the eyes of those in pursuit of Tian Xian state cultivators, it was merely wishful thinking. Shen Lian however, did not doubt his abilities in achieving it.


    After having sought the founding masters of previous generations of philosophers as well as the scripture of Daoist Master Buddha, the principles laid down by the predecessors were like formidable summits. Nevertheless, that did not mean that it could not be scaled.


    Shen Lian''s confidence was miles ahead of almost anyone else. He had walked the path to the pinnacle of cultivation, he had seen the prospect there and he knew how moving it was. Having reached that step, could he from then onwards, discard the shackles that bound him? Could he become truly free from anyone and anything?


    Perhaps freedom was not a sense of being absolutely unrestrained but rather a sense of liberation within the body and mind. This was similar to a Daoist Master or Buddha, but Shen Lian could not concretely understand this state, for he had yet to achieve it.


    Within Shen Lian''s heart and soul was a clear understanding of the transformation in the Qi dynamic of Diqiu.


    In the Wangcheng in the north, Emperor Xia increased in strength. He was strong to the point of having almost no flaws and to the point where an unbreakable Qi of Essence in the kingdom morphed into the shape of a real dragon. The essence of the sun and moon was absorbed and a flying dragon was inclined in the sky. Atop Xia Stage, Tianyi suffered pressure as a result of the Qi of the real dragon. His psyche and Qi dynamic gradually deadened but just like a boulder that did not yield to the current of water, he remained steadfast.


    Tianyi had already reached the eighth transformation in the cultivation of the Nine Transformations Technique. If placed just before the birth of Emperor Xia, it was considered to be utterly strong and devoid of obstacles. Now, even the eighth transformation was not enough and both Emperor Xia and Shen Lian would narrowly surpass him in terms of strength.


    However, Shen Lian still did not underestimate Tianyi. Tianyi was a person who may possibly achieve the state of Saints since he has already touched upon the state of the philosophers.


    Time flowed like water and three days passed by just like that.


    In that three day span, Lei Jing did not receive any pointers from Shen Lian but merely kept quiet and followed Shen Lian''s way of living. With Shen Lian, she brewed tea, ate, looked at the sunrise and appreciated the sunset.


    Today, Lei Jing went out early. She first went to see her parents and later on set off to Dongcheng. Wherever she went, the rain and wind were summoned.


    Finally, she reached Lake East. Wuding was clad in white clothes and he was waiting for her.


    The Xia Clan and people of Yin Shang came early to the vicinity and saw a very clean Wuding. Many of the aristocrats of Xia Kingdom thought to themselves that it would be nice to have a person like him to be their son-in-law. The noblewomen of Xia, on the other hand, could not shift their gazes away from his body.


    After being polished by the Lake East, there was a certain quality about him that was like pure starlight, neat and clear-cut.


    Compared to Wuding, Lei Jing was not inferior herself. After she reached Lake East, the wind and rain halted and the sky was full of dark clouds. Lei Jing stood not far from Wuding and clasped her hands behind her back. She was reminiscent of her Master, like a tall s for visiting.


    Lei Jing raised her head towards the south and saw someone standing on top of a boulder, facing the wind. It was her teacher, Shen Lian. He waved at Lei Jing.


    With that, Lei Jing''s heart calmed down. She glanced at Wuding and said, "You will lose."


    The wind blew and out of nowhere a fallen leaf drifted slowly. The leaf made its journey and landed in the middle of the empty space between Wuding and Lei Jing.


    This was the first fallen leaf of the year for Diqiu. The chilliness of autumn was not far behind.


    Lei Jing suddenly vanished from sight and thunder sounded from the void.


    Throughout the booming of thunder, Wuding did not make a move. The fallen leaf, having suffered the tremor of the thunder, shattered into countless pieces in a split second. Rain appeared to rumble and charge here.


    Wuding unknowingly squinted as the Qi of Chilliness in front of him was too exasperating.


    Lei Jing''s summoning of wind and rain was not simply the harnessing of power from the wind and rain to kill unprepared opponents. With Shen Lian''s improvements, the technique harnessed the true meaning of wind and rain from the heavens and earth, applicable in many situations.


    Shen Lian observed everything from afar. The Qi of Vitality from the Netherworld was thicker than all the earth and stars of Qing Xuan but it was inclined to darkness and so was not very dynamic. Even if the mana was of the same state, its appearance in the outside world is different and both worlds would have a great discrepancy between them.


    What Lei Jing did just now would be enough to cause the Qi of the heaven and earth to move about like the rolling tide had it been done in the earth and stars of Qing Xuan. It was even enough to tear open the void slightly.


    And at that time, space in the Netherworld froze. It bore the full weight of Lei Jing''s mana.


    Faced with the omnipresent leaf shreds, Wuding still did not move. Instead, he let himself be bombarded and his figure subsequently shattered.


    This type of shattering was akin to the shattering of a mirror but in reality, there was not a scratch on him.


    Wuding vanished right before Lei Jing was about to commence her first attack.


    Lei Jing appeared from the void and the flowing Qi present in the surroundings whirled and centered around her, forming a wall made out of wind and rain. With a pull of knife light that struck the wall of wind and rain, the whirl was removed using a whirling power. Immediately after the wind and rain erupted and extended all around, Wuding appeared.


    On the other side, Wen Zhong rode his black Qilin and appeared next to Shen Lian. He chuckled and said, "Childish techniques they used. How boring it is."


    Shen Lian replied, "Brother Wen, it seems you have no concern over whether Wuding is capable of winning."


    "Zi Zhao is destined to become the king. Winning and losing are the tastes that he must savor in order to become a complete person." Wen Zhong showed his true colors.


    Shen Lian said plainly, "Brother Wen, I beg to differ. No one can stipulate this to be the measure of true completeness in one''s life."


    Wen Zhong replied, "This is the difference between you and me, national advisor. Only time can tell which one of us is correct."


    The black Qilin let out a low grunt and clouds formed below his feet, bringing Wen Zhong away. He headed east, towards the direction of Dongyi. From the looks of it, Wen Zhong had no intention of staying until the fight was over to inform the public.


    Shen Lian knew that they will meet again for there was still an unsettled karma between Wen Zhong and himself.


    On the Lake East, Lei Jing was already floating on the surface of the lake. She took over the terrain and boundless lake water was hers for the taking. The sky was laden with strong winds and heavy rain. Wuding could not hide. He could only struggle bitterly.


    In this wind and rain, his knife technique sharpened. Each movement of the knife sliced a piece of wind and rain but Lei Jing persisted with her technique. Throughout the ordeal, Wuding could not get close to her.


    If everything continued like this, it would only be natural that Wuding would struggle to get a win.


    But in the storm, with his white clothes moving with the wind, his calm and leisurely qualities made the spectators feel as though Wuding had the battle in the palm of his hands.


    Even if Lei Jing was already resembling her Master, she had no way of erasing the idea in other people''s minds that Wuding was poised for victory.Ԩ�s���� - refers to a person with a noble moral character as in, having moral character as deep as the waters (Ԩ�s) and as tall as a mountain (����)���� - can be both male and female, it was used to address the children of the feudal princes or dukes under the emperor.���� - a mythical hooved chimerical creature variously depicted as having the body of a deer or ox or horse, with hooves, scales, and antlers, known in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler; Buddhist influences depicted them as divine and peaceful, walking upon clouds and water because they do not want to harm the grass by walking on it; although sometimes referred to as Unicorns, this cannot be considered an accurate depiction

 Chapter 535 Finally We Mee

    The kind of qualities on Wuding was a result of his mana which was sealed up within the past three days. Those qualities were gained through facing the highs and lows of Lake East as well as the ferocious nature of the marine mammals with the flesh and blood of his mortal body. Because he relied on this mortal body to overcome all this inescapable doom, nothing in the future can ever defeat him through his heart and soul.


    In this aspect, Wen Zhong was adept in teaching students based on their respective abilities. As for Wuding, everything that he had experienced during the past three days could be said as a wealth of knowledge that could span him a lifetime.


    Lei Jing''s gradually sharpened her summoning of wind and rain. Her hair flowed with the wind which caused a lock of hair to be caught in the corner of her mouth, her eyes were cold. With a wave, the wind and rain shot down like thousands of flying swords. They penetrated the air and headed towards Wuding.


    With the wooden knife in his hand, Wuding slowly drew a circle and produced a stream of Qi. He stirred the wind and rain together and deflected them back to Lei Jing.


    Lei Jing pressed her hands on the surface of the water. Immediately a jaw-dropping waterspout burst forth and blocked the oncoming wind and rain. The sky once again burst with the sound of thunder and in her eyes, there was a flash of lightning.


    She merged with the lightning as a whole and then surged towards Wuding''s direction.


    With his steady and powerful hand, Wuding tightly gripped the long knife. He delivered one strikeout of a sudden and it landed on the lightning.


    Along with the rattling sound of the explosion, the wooden knife broke into half.


    Lei Jing''s attack was like the tide. It was relentless. The water in Lake East was surging and turbulent, rippling with the brightness from the lightning. The Xia Kingdom''s spectators who were watching from the dark could not contain their amazement. For someone as young as Lei Jing to develop the Lei family''s bloodline strength to such heights, even Lei Nuo might not be able to reach it.


    Most of the aristocrats could not help but secretly felt regretful. If they knew Lei Jing was this strong to begin with, they would unashamedly proceed the marriage between Wuding and her.


    The lake water surged forward and enveloped Wuding in it, trapping him within the waves of the water and the lightning.


    Wuding''s wooden knife was already broken, so all he could do was to use the Flying Star Incantation to produce the divine lights continuously in order to protect his body. However, he could not guard against the erosion caused by the lightning all around him.


    Wuding felt a particular sense of helplessness after having seen just how terrifying was the true strength of Lei Jing''s ability in the summoning of wind and rain. As soon as it was put to use, the wind and rain would be unceasing. At no point in time did he see Lei Jing''s exhaustion. Furthermore, the dark clouds were thickening and no light was seen from the sky. The Flying Star Incantation would lose some of its strength in the account of that. Wuding''s current predicament was because his strength was diminished for a long period of time.


    Of course, he had the determination and perseverance to welcome all sorts of adversities, but to overcome the present problem with mere determination is easier said than done.


    In his heart, Wuding was thinking of a way to solve this dilemma. He continuously produced divine lights using the Flying Star Incantation but there were no collisions. The good thing was that the Flying Star Incantation had a drawn-out Qi pulse and Lei Jing also lacked a killing technique capable of causing a violent death, so Wuding could still hold her off.


    Similarly, to break this predicament, Wuding also needed a trump card. It was a pity that Wen Zhong never taught him the kind of immensely strong supernatural Dao techniques.


    At this point, Lei Jing was far calmer and composed compared to Wuding. She had the patience and she waited for the moment where Wuding could no longer hold off. Since summoning of wind and rain could rank among the Tiangang Thirty-Six Techniques, she was in an excellent position. Only when Lei Jing battled mana did she understand how strong this branch of supernatural power really was. The longer she put it to use, the more the Daoist within her felt the kind of Unity of Universe and Human. The power of the wind and rain was continuously produced from the heaven and earth. The power of thunder and lightning was employed endlessly and the usage was not exhausting at all. The more she fought, the stronger it became.


    She could master the power of wind and rain. Not only did it not diminish, her power even expanded with no end in sight.


    Having reached this point in time, winning and losing were of no importance. Lei Jing had mixed feelings in her heart. The summoning of wind and rain proved how one can never assume anything about her teacher. In between her teacher and her uncle, there might also be a day where they would have a life and death battle. She wanted nothing to happen to both her teacher and her. But with such formidability, it would spell doom for whoever that made the slightest mistake.


    At the present moment, Shen Lian shifted his focus away from Lei Jing and placed his gaze firmly on Wuding.


    A faint and untraceable divine aura suddenly pierced into Wuding''s body. It was a type of Bloodline Empathy Technique which was more abstruse than Buddhist sect''s Heart Seal.


    All of the spectators felt something was changing. Wuding who was trapped in the midst of thunder, lightning, wind, and storm used his hand as a knife to draw an abstruse track. A Dao path was opened and he freed himself from the elements, reaching the top of the Nine Heavens.


    Wuding''s clothes were immediately shredded into pieces and there was charred scarring on his body. His appearance was calm and his eyes were formless as though he became one with a God from an unseen word.


    Naturally, this could not be the work of Wuding himself.


    Tianyi made his move.


    Shen Lian also induced a strand of divine thought, along with an unseen sense, he suddenly reached a high platform which was surrounded by raging fire.


    It was the Xia Stage and he could finally ''see'' Tianyi in person.


    "See the clouds in water, above the water the clouds fly; clouds are present when water is gone, water flows when the clouds are gone." A delicate voice reached Shen Lian''s thoughts. On top of Xia Stage sat a man with swaying long hair. The man was naked but he seemed comfortable. His eyes looked as though they could cut through all whims.


    Throughout his life, Shen Lian met countless opponents but none could surpass the sheer vision of Tianyi. One sentence was enough to break the innate character that Shen Lian cultivated.


    Those four verses of prose were coincidentally the explanation for the ''Idle Clouds Reflected on a Pond'' that Founding Master Ziling painted back then. It was also the subtle meaning by which Founding Master Qingshui developed the Taixu Strategy.


    Between oneself and the outside world, neither encroached with the other but were able to completely merge into one and became indivisible. This was the essence that was left behind after the Taixu Strategy abandoned the operation of ''Sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning''.


    Founding Master Qingshui established the Taixu Strategy not to be invincible on earth but to transcend the highest level of wisdom.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Tianyi only saw a trace of Shen Lian''s spiritual incarnation and yet he was able to experience this point. The training of the psyche was enough to move Shen Lian emotionally.


    Shen Lian said slowly, "Finally we meet."


    Tian Yi smiled, "I longed to meet you, national advisor. It is you who did not reciprocate."


    "I wanted to meet but the time was yet to come," Shen Lian replied.


    "Has the time arrived, then?" Tianyi questioned.


    Shen Lian said, "I am not a very generous person and this match, my disciple shall not lose. Therefore my only recourse is to meet you and sever the relationship you have with Wuding. Thus, the appropriate time has come. I must meet you, and I have met you."


    Tianyi stood up. The infinite Real Fire of the Sun around him weaved to form a piece of white gold clothing, which covered his slender and handsome body. His whole person gave out a feeling of warmth akin to the warmth of the spring wind.


    He gave a slight bow, "To be honest I am grateful to you, national advisor. If you did not come, my days will inevitably be much troubled. Perhaps Wuding has received teachings from you and obtained your helping hand. All of Yin Shang would be grateful towards you."


    Shen Lian extensively sized up Tianyi. This mild-mannered man was no less terrifying than Emperor Xia.


    If Emperor Xia was like the sharp summit of a mighty mountain, Tianyi was akin to the dark depths of still water.


    Tianyi calmly received Shen Lian''s sizing up. Tianyi did not avoid the gaze and his eyes met with Shen Lian''s.


    Shen Lian leisurely said, "There is no need for gratitude as I am in no such a mood. There is one thing I must ask you and please, do not try to hide anything from me."

 Chapter 536 The Cultivation of K?itigarbha Bodhisattva

    With a similarly extensive look, Tianyi sized up to Shen Lian.


    After a while, he spoke, "I know that the subject of your question is inevitably difficult. I would answer if only I knew."


    Shen Lian''s voice sank, "Thank you."


    Tianyi shook his head, "My pleasure."


    "Yin Shang replacing Xia was something that had already happened in the past. Why must it happen all over again? What exactly is the matter with the Netherworld? You must surely know why, so please tell me." Finally, Shen Lian asked the question he wanted to ask, the contents of which if heard by other people would perhaps confound them.


    Tianyi did not react to the question, as if he already expected it. He sighed, "It seems that you are indeed different from us. It is true that Yin Shang replaced Xia long ago, but that does not mean that it will not happen for the second time."


    The question Shen Lian posed was not without reasons. Wen Zhong, Xia, Yin Shang, Wu Ding, and even Tianyi were all people and places of historical folklore or mythical records. But the happenings around Shen Lian were vastly different from that of myth and legend, peppered with clues and signs that gradually sowed seeds of doubt in him. Did he passed through space and time or did he reach a parallel universe similar to when Yin Shang replaced Xia? Or maybe he was truly a part of the history?


    Tianyi''s answer clearly enabled Shen Lian to understand that neither did he passed through space and time nor reach a parallel universe.


    Shen Lian said, "This surely contains a shocking secret. I hope you will share it with me."


    Tianyi seemed as though he was in pain, his supernatural power was distorted and it spoiled the calm and genial qualities he had all along. In the end, he sighed, "I know but I cannot tell."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    His pain gradually subsided, and finally, he said, "Even if you knew the truth today, there is no use in it. If you could obtain Taiyi, you would naturally know and this would prove that you are really the Man of Destiny."


    Shen Lian replied, "This is not the first time I was called ''Man of Destiny''. Do not tell me that having reached this step, you still believe K?itigarbha Bodhisattva made the prediction with nothing to base it upon."


    Tianyi regained his calmness, "That is not a prediction, that is something that will happen. Perhaps you did not know that in the Netherworld, the cultivation of K?itigarbha Bodhisattva had already surpassed that of Mah��sattva Bodhisattva. Three lives were cultivated: the past, the present, and the future. Therefore during his time in the Netherworld, he was no different from that of Daoist Master Buddha. Since the future was seen by K?itigarbha Bodhisattva, that future is a real one."


    Shen Lian astutely grasped the crux of it and questioned, "K?itigarbha Bodhisattva cultivated in this world?"


    Tianyi gave a drawn-out reply, "Correct. It seems that your inheritance did not involve the specific depictions of Taiyi and also those above it. In fact, once Taiyi is cultivated, one can pave way for the world and be the creator of beings. However, that kind of world is dependent on the Boundless Universe and therefore could properly be called a lesser chiliocosm. Its raw substance is actually a higher level of development for the things that we cultivate, for example, the place of enlightenment and Heavenly Nations, among others. But once we have the lesser chiliocosm that we ourselves paved way for, we could accommodate our own understanding of the laws of nature. In our own lesser chiliocosm, we are equivalent to the most supreme of deities. We could even be assimilated with the spirits of some of the living creatures, letting them exist with the lesser chiliocosm and gain a different type of immortality."


    Shen Lian faintly replied, "Therefore, there were deities who disseminated faith to them, and upon entering the Heavenly Nations, could become immortal. Naturally, this is not a form of deceit but this dependence upon the immortality that was gained is not stable. One could easily be deprived of it at any given time."


    Tianyi answered, "Indeed. Regardless of the fact that we are the most supreme of beings in our lesser chiliocosm, there are some things that we cannot do, namely turning back time."


    "This is something that only Daoist Master Buddha can do. Taiyi State is trivial and miles behind that of Daoist Master Buddha." Shen Lian plainly said.


    "The powerfulness of Daoist Master Buddha lies in the fact that he is able to assemble the past, present, and future states as one, regardless of the world. Moreover, they are able to finally be detached from all this. To reach that step is something we can never imagine. However, from the powers that they display, we may still be able to imitate them. One such example is where the past and future bodies become one with the current. K?itigarbha Bodhisattva has achieved that, though it is limited to this world only." Tianyi sighed.


    Shen Lian pondered, "I understand now. K?itigarbha Bodhisattva borrowed this world to imitate the state of Daoist Master Buddha. Even though he did not imitate in its entirety, it is certain that much was gained in the process. If he is as you portrayed to be, perhaps he is the one with the most hope of becoming the next Daoist Master Buddha."


    Tianyi replied, "Correct. Maybe he has already detached but that is not certain. You understand now, do you not?"


    Shen Lian said, "But I am not necessarily the person that he spoke of."


    "The one who possesses the greatest likelihood is you. The Lord of the Netherworld is not originally a person of the Netherworld. The Flower of the Other Shore will not open for a person of the Netherworld." Tianyi replied, with a speechless look.


    Shen Lian heard a sense of helplessness from Tianyi''s words. That was the unwillingness in resigning to fate. Regardless of how much one worked hard against fate, the end scenario had already been preordained. Nothing could be done to change that.


    Regarding all this, Shen Lian had no feelings of rejoicing, but instead, he felt lamentable. Now he was the Man of Destiny. So what if in the future he was no longer the Man of Destiny? Just like those who received the spirit of immortality only after devoting themselves to the Heavenly Nations, it was all just an accessory and could be abandoned at any time.


    Shen Lian thought to himself for a bit and said, "The next time we meet, I hope not to see you at Xia Stage again."


    Tianyi laughed and did not utter a word.


    Shen Lian''s divine thoughts scattered with the wind as if they came from the future.


    When the battle at Lake East had reached its most intense point, Tianyi merged with the Nine Heavens and used both hands to make a mark that looked like a bird''s beak. All around him, the incomparably drawn-out sounds of bird chirps could be heard and his back appeared as though a pair of wings had grown out.


    "Heaven commissioned the swallow to descend and give birth to Shang."


    Legend had it that when the first ancestor of the Shang dynasty was born, he received the Qi of Essence of the Swallow. The Swallow was a great spiritual animal, as old as the phoenix ancestors and dragon ancestors that were born when the universe was first opened up. It was not a part of the Xia Clan''s remote ancestors.


    At this time, Wuding finally understood the principles of the interaction of Gods and humans. He summoned the projection of the Swallow that had countless associations with his ancestors.


    The Xia people who were watching the battle were the first to feel an extremely terrifying coercion. It may only be a projection but the vital force of the Swallow was brought out.


    Sharp chirping sounds were present throughout the void, entering the spirit deeply. This caused Lei Jing''s summoning of wind and rain to suffer a heavy suppression as the manipulation of the supernatural power of the summoning of wind and rain depended heavily on the control of the spirit towards one''s supernatural power and Qi of heaven and earth.


    Lei Jing''s initial strong wind and heavy rain turned into light breezes and delicate drizzles. The originally explosive sound of thunder now became sporadic tinkling sounds.


    Suspended in the void above Lake East, she looked at the Wuding who was far away. At the same time, she saw her teacher who was standing even further away. He had a look that contained the slightest touch of encouragement.


    Shen Lian had told her before that she would not lose. Thus, she would definitely not lose.


    Lei Jing waved her hand and not one bit of the dark clouds in the sky remained A clear and immaculate starry sky was revealed.


    The starlight fell upon the open plains, the moonlight rose above Lake East.


    The brightest thing in the sky was a galaxy known as the Milky Way.


    Starlight and moonlight emerged in the void. Wuding was naturally the most pleased after seeing this. Most of the Xia people sighed. What was noblewoman Jing was doing? She knew that Wuding cultivated the Flying Star Incantation and yet she dispersed her clouds and expanded his odds.

 Chapter 537 Expedition

    Wuding did not care for whatever ideas that Lei Jing had in mind. Like a cascade, the starlight scattered down. With all his power, he sped up the Flying Star Incantation and absorbed all the starlight and moonlight. His body was originally exhausted of mana but he was quickly recuperating. The sharp chirping sounds of the Swallow gradually grew more piercing to the ears. This would surely cause Lei Jing to be unable to do her summoning of wind and rain.


    Lei Jing rose into the air. Her beautiful eyes showed indifference and she lifted her head to look up at the galaxy. The sleeves of her robe moved gently and a zither appeared in her hands. The strings of the instrument were abundant and complicated and its body contained numerous winding patterns. The lines on the instrument were remarkable.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    With Lei Jing''s beautiful fingers plucking at the strings, there were mysterious voiceless sounds akin to the relaxed chant of the wind or the symphony of golden jade. It cannot be felt or seen but it touched the laws of nature.


    At that instant, the galaxy shone with immense brightness. Boundless starlight headed towards Lei Jing and spilled onto her. It became the projection of the galaxy''s virtual shadow. Lei Jing stood atop the galaxy and looked much like the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens.


    The onlookers were only able to see the projection of the galaxy wounding all around Lei Jing. Wuding was the only person who could properly experience the fact that he might need to face the most challenging and perilous situation in the entirety of the battle.


    In his chest, he could feel an overwhelming sword will, the sword pressure akin to the magnificence of the Asura Blood Sea. This made him feel suffocated.


    Lei Jing''s musical strumming was not only mysteriously heart-warming. In reality, it was the manifestation of the laws of the galaxy. Immediately after it was unleashed, an attack of the sword will follow suit, constantly breaking the spiritual response of the interaction of Gods and humans.


    The sword will was unique and it was not something that Lei Jing could comprehend by herself. Nonetheless, since the situation had reached the present stage, there was no use in contemplating all these.


    No one knew how long the galaxy had been in existence. For it to come together, it would not only be like an endless torrent but also incapable to be stopped. All the more reasons that it could not be restrained. The sword will passed through and it was as though the void was wiped clean and it could no longer bear any impurities.


    There were layers upon layers of the mysterious music that caused the galaxy to move. As if without cessation, each note went one step higher than the previous. Bit by bit, Wuding''s spiritual response of the interaction of Gods and humans was weakened.


    It took only three breaths for the Swallow power that Wuding drew in with his mark to suffer three layers of weakening.


    As for the fact that he actually felt a slight helplessness, if he knew the situation would come to this, mere reliance on his state would already have been insufficient for him to strive against Lei Jing. Though he did not let thoughts of winning or losing occupy his mind, he had no intention of merely forfeiting the battle just like that. Hence he shouted, "Mister Jing, accept another slash from my knife. Regardless of the outcome, I, Wuding will step down gracefully."


    Lei Jing''s cold and quiet eyes glanced at Wuding. She appeared to nod slightly and softened the music. It was considered as a response to Wuding''s words. Her actions represented the fact that victory was within her grasp and she also managed to show off her Master''s tolerance and elegant demeanor which was really applauded by others.


    After Wuding received Lei Jing''s answer, he retracted the mark. Every single strand of his hair, from head to toe erected with a killing Qi that shot through the air and caused the stars to move.


    When the killing Qi finally took on shape, it was a blade gleam that was sharp beyond comparison, brighter than the stars in the sky. As soon as it appeared, it was suspended in the air and lighted the entirety of the surroundings, abundant with radiance. People were almost unable to blink.


    Eventually, he realized that some things were exclusive only to him. Those things would not be wiped out by Lei Jing''s Milky Way sword will. They were also Wuding''s last chance at a counterattack. Once the knife was deployed, he did not have any remaining power. That was the reason for his words of surrender.


    Being forced into grasping for life signaled his defeat. In the end, the only way of measuring the competition was winning or losing, not life or death.


    Lei Jing''s body continued to be encircled by the galaxy. It was continuous, unbroken, and surged incessantly. The blade gleam took on a shape and with the speed of an arrow that was launched from a bow, a slice of the knife appeared. As if with the moon that had yet to fully wax, it plunged into the crowd.


    The knife sliced the water!


    The continuous, unbroken, and incessant virtual shadow of the galaxy lost its state of endless growth after being severed by Wuding''s sword gleam. As it turned out, Wuding proved to be the absolute higher person of innate skill that received Shen Lian''s imperial command. His knife techniques had already incorporated Dao and once the blade gleam was unleashed, it successfully cut into the small cracks of the galaxy in one swift move.


    Part of the reasons why Wuding was able to seize this opportunity was because Lei Jing immersed herself for too short of a time in the Milky Way sword will.


    However, Wuding''s successful attempt at cutting off the virtual shadow of the galaxy which protected Lei Jing did not cause the latter to feel the slightest bit of franticness.


    All the spectators who were watching in the dark cried out in surprise within their hearts because Lei Jing was too unperturbed to the point of where she did not make a single movement. It was clear that the unmatched blade gleam eventually landed on her body.


    A slight lifelessness could be made out in Wuding''s eyes. Despite his anticipation of various possible scenarios, he never would have thought that Lei Jing would cease to resist the attack.


    The blade gleam came just in time to cut open Lei Jing''s body. Curiously blood did not splatter everywhere and neither was there the proverbial decaying of jade or the wilting of a flower so often used to describe the death of a beautiful woman. Instead, there was a branch of the plane tree in the void, cut in half.


    "The Art of Li Dai Tao Jiang." Wuding blurted out with a look of slight disbelief.


    ''Li Dai Tao Jiang'' was the most powerful substitution dharma in Xuanmen. Wuding''s master, Wen Zhong, once explained to Wuding that even if the person had the same level of power of Wen Zhong, the technique could only be utilized by the user alone. Furthermore, it cannot be inscribed onto any weapon for battle or transferred to anyone else to use. Wuding himself could not use the technique. He had only vague memories of it.


    The substitution technique of Li Dai Tao Jiang did not flow from illusions but passed off distortion as reality. Even the mediocre heavenly immortal could make an oversight if they lose their concentration for a short moment.


    Wuding was stunned and subsequently felt something peculiar on his waist and abdomen. It appeared to be a scarf that was winding around his waist and abdomen. With a light movement, the scarf brought him to a patch of earth and unwrapped itself from him. Wuding tumbled to the ground and saw a beautiful person quietly standing on the shore of Lake East, watching him silently. She softly said, "You have lost."


    Wuding felt a slight agony. After all had been said and done, Wuding did not take to heart the matters of winning and losing. The reality was that he lost and he naturally harbored an unwillingness to resign to that fact.


    At the time, Lei Jing did not relish in the joy of being the victor but only glanced at the direction where her teacher had originally been. His traces had long vanished. Lei Jing''s heartfelt somewhat forlorn. She felt a considerable yet slight feeling of upset, notwithstanding her victory.


    A great distance away from Diqiu City, there was a vast army. They numbered approximately fifty thousand people. They marched in unison and their Qi of Essence converged like a smoke signal indicating the presence of hostile forces, penetrating the blue sky. The Qi of Vigour that radiated from their bodies were each capable of thawing the spirit, especially the spirits of the former cultivators of Dao and Buddhism. If the cultivators had yet to attain the Primordial Spirit, a mere three days in the army would cause death to both their bodies and their Dao.


    Shen Lian stayed in a luxurious chariot, almost like an exquisite room. Food, drink, and everything that should be available was there. A precious and calming incense was even lighted in the chariot. The scent lingered in the room and not only calmed the Qi but also cleansed the spirit.


    The army of fifty thousand was only a part of the elite soldiers of Xia. All of them were stationed at Yangcheng. Troops for this punitive expedition towards Dongyi, led by Emperor Xia were only requisitioned from Yangcheng. None of the troops from Diqiu were used.


    Emperor Xia bore responsibility towards his military force. As long as he was there, there would be no battle he could not conquer and no fight he could not win.


    Shen Lian abided by his promise and set off with the troops. In his hands was a scroll of book, the very collection of ''Lianshan'' that Guan Longzi so painstakingly compiled. This time, Guan Longzi also set off with the troops.


    Shen Lian concentrated his attention and studied ''Lianshan''. He could largely understand whatever that was written on it. But when everything was put together, a deeper meaning was revealed. Upon an attentively mulling over, it was revealed to have much in common with the Taixu Strategy. The only difference was that the principles in Lianshan were much more profound.


    Black tiger was very pleased with himself, having had the chance to set off with Shen Lian to battle while Pegasus had no such chances. Since Shen Lian was the national advisor of Xia, naturally the luxury he received was second only to that of the emperor. The chariot was thus filled with offerings of luxury goods as well as other everyday essentials.


    By following Shen Lian, black tiger enjoyed a share of the good life.����ҽ� - literally meaning "the plum tree (��) withers (��) in place (��) of the peach tree (��)", it is defined as the substitution of one thing for another in order to gain the long-term goal. This technique is the eleventh strategems in the thirty-six strategems which is commonly used in politics, war, and civil interaction. This is the scapegoat strategy whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not.

 Chapter 538 War

    Emperor Xia''s army walked more than a thousand miles each day. They traveled over land and water as if it was an ordinary thing to do.


    Throughout the journey, not once did Shen Lian step out from the chariot. He was completely immersed in the exquisiteness of ''Lianshan'', and as far as the Taixu Strategy was concerned, Shen Lian obtained an even greater understanding of it. He lacked an in-depth knowledge of the strategy but gradually began to understand a bit more. However, he still harbored fears of not being able to reach a state similar to that of Founding Master Qingshui when she first conceived the Taixu Strategy.


    Attain the Dharma and forget the Dharma. If Shen Lian wanted to improve, he needed to transcend the Taixu strategy and create a branch of fundamental Dharma. Only when the time comes he could truly advance to the state of Taiyi. Otherwise, even if he had achieved Taiyi, it would still be within the perimeter of what Founding Master Qingshui had established.


    As Shen Lian understood this point, he started to put in effort into this domain.


    These days, even with some spare time, Shen Lian did not meet with Emperor Xia. He would not have anything to talk about with the emperor anyway. Furthermore, Shen Lian also did not receive any visits from Guan Longzi, who was following the army.


    It started snowing ten days ago and yet the movements of the army were unaffected. In fact, they quickened the pace in this snow. Emperor Xia''s Mobile Barracks of High Command was not in the midst of the army, but they were at the front line which was the position likeliest to be confronted by the enemy.


    Shen Lian was in the middle, sandwiched by the Xia army.


    Shen Lian''s chariot was drawn by an exceedingly good horse. In terms of strength, it was not inferior to the strength of an ordinary flood dragon. After all, this was the imperial horse of the emperor.


    Shen Lian tactically did not wander around as he pleased because he had at least received a generous amount of respects from the troops.


    When Shen Lian saw the snow, he could not help but feel joy, and thus he opened his window.


    Outside the window, the pure white scene was a sight to behold. The sea and the plains were all white. Snow fluttered about and landed on the ground. It was enchanting. Shen Lian loved this kind of weather and scenery.


    The chariot was moving fast but Shen Lian''s keen eyesight enabled him to look clearly at the snow by the edge of the path. Perhaps Shen Lian was able to see more of the scenery because the chariot was moving with such speed.


    All of a sudden, the chariot stopped. The army of fifty thousand stopped as well. Everyone stopped because the front line stopped first.


    The whole army was akin to the body of a person. The demands of exacting obedience were dutifully abided by. The strength brought about by such orderly discipline was stunning.


    Shen Lian was inevitably somewhat confronted by the army.


    He did not step out of the chariot but only tasked black tiger to fetch him a basin of clear water. With one wave, the scene at the front line appeared in the water.


    Through the clear water, Shen Lian saw two eye-catching figures. One was a man clothed in black and yellow imperial robes, it was Emperor Xia. The other person was standing opposite to the emperor, clothed in a white fox fur coat. He looked to be in his twenties.


    Shen Lian had previously come across many people who were completely clothed in white. Be it, men or women, in all cases they were out of the ordinary. But compared to this person''s wholly white appearance, there was something different. It was not his quality nor was it his manner but it was as if he was born to wear white.


    The fluttering snow served as a foil to that person. Even though the pressure of Emperor Xia''s power was like the sea, the person seemed to be unconcerned.


    Shen Lian was rather silent. He actually wanted to go out and see the two of them but now was simply not the right time. If he were to go out, there might be a possibility that the man in white would leave. If that happened, Shen Lian would have no opportunity of watching the exchange between these two exceptional forces.


    He tried as much as he could to restrain his Qi dynamic and silently looked into the clear water to watch the situation unfold.


    The man in white was not just anybody. He was Yunyang, the legendary son of the White Emperor, chief of the Dongyi.


    Emperor Xia sent troops with the intention of attacking the Youshi of Dongyi, therefore, Yunyang had to come up with something. Any ordinary person would probably figure that Yunyang would unite all the clans of Dongyi, and together they would resist against Emperor Xia and eventually seek peace.


    However, a bystander would definitely not have imagined that Yunyang would appear to Emperor Xia in the middle of the latter''s path to attack Dongyi, let alone the fact that Yunyang dared to come alone.


    It was not only the bystanders that would think of this as unimaginable, Emperor Xia thought the same as well.


    Emperor Xia once sent people to chase after and kill this youngster, so he had almost no impression of Yunyang. When Yunyang sent a phoenix to deliver a message to the emperor, that was when the emperor sensed some heroic spirit in the boy and that was all.


    Today was a different story. Emperor Xia now saw that the boy not only had heroic spirit but also guts.


    In near distance, Guan Longzi grasped his pen and a jade scroll. Finally, he wrote down some words, "The Emperor and Yunyang meet in the wilderness".


    With that simple sentence, Guan Longzi managed to capture every light and every shadow made by the swords as well as each hair-raising moment. Regardless of its succinctness, if future generations chanced upon Guan Longzi''s handwriting, they would be able to see the excitement revealed by each stroke of the pen.


    The dispute between Yunyang and Emperor Xia was the epitome of Dongyi and Xia Kingdom''s thousand-year-old resentment. The precise resentment was unclear. Even if they took three whole days just to argue it out, they would still be left without a clear answer in the end. There were times where the Xia Kingdom has fallen and one of those times was a result of Dongyi''s attack on the Xia Kingdom. When the Xia Kingdom was at peak strength, Dongyi was a deferential vassal. There was even a point during Dongyi''s deference where the Xia Kingdom experienced civil unrest. The emperor fled to Dongyi, requesting aid from Dongyi''s military force to quell the revolt.


    Regardless of how debatable the resentment may be, the tension still had to be resolved.


    In this world, however, a resolution was not so much of a solution as it was the deciding factor in life and death.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Yunyang was younger than Emperor Xia. His cultivation was slightly more shallow compared to the emperor and yet he stood there all by himself. He was at a disadvantage but still, he came. Regardless of whether he would win or lose in this fight, he would be a person of celebrated reputation. But if he lost, he would have to pay a heavy price. That price would be so heavy that there would not be the slightest chance for him to regret.


    No one could comprehend his reasoning behind this, including Emperor Xia. The emperor neither understood nor wanted to understand.


    Only one sentence was spoken by the emperor, "Since you have come, you shall die."


    Yunyang stared intently at Emperor Xia and softly replied, "Try me."


    Emperor Xia said nothing further. He was not a man of many words. Furthermore, he understood long ago that it was much more effective and efficient to get a point across by a blunt exchanging of fists as compared to the flowery exchange of words.


    A fist appeared between the heaven and earth out of a sudden. From Yunyang''s perspective, the only thing that remained was this massive iron fist.


    The Xia army quickly retreated. Within a flash, they retreated more than five thousand meters but it was still not enough.


    They kept on retreating as if they knew that a great destructive force would be unleashed once the emperor made his move.


    Shen Lian calmly and attentively watched the events through the water as they unfolded. With his Monitoring Technique, he observed the fight between the two from a brilliant viewpoint.


    Emperor Xia''s fist did not undergo any unnecessary transformations, only his bare strength was released. Even so, it would not be easy to dispel the transformation of the fist.


    There was no earth-shaking explosion. Anything in the way of Emperor Xia''s mighty power would simply be crushed to dust. The only thing that could be seen was the appearance of a crater in front of him. When viewed from above, the crater was a large impression of a fist with a surface area of roughly five or six meters.


    Emperor Xia''s figure continued to build up to about a thousand feet.


    The muscle and flesh of his body coiled and entwined. It was lavish with the beauty of power.


    Having retreated some hundred thousand meters away, each soldier dug a pit from where they stood and buried themselves there. Apparently, they had received special training and knew that this was the best way of avoiding the effects of Emperor Xia''s power.


    Naturally, Emperor Xia''s one punch could not dispose of Yunyang, for the latter was up in the sky, carried on the back of an emerald phoenix. His hair danced along with the breath of the wind and he stood upon the beast with his hands clasped behind his back. With an imposing countenance, he looked at Emperor Xia.


    This might just be the most exciting battle the Netherworld had seen in more than a hundred years.

 Chapter 539 The Method of Taihao

    During the time Yunyang was born, five phoenixes appeared. At that time, there was only one green phoenix that appeared.


    It could also be said that Yunyang still had not shown his last card but Emperor Xia did not care.


    Yunyang''s entire body was bathed in green flow as it dyed his white robes green. A Daoism mark gradually appeared between his brows and finally converged into a mysterious pattern. It was like a tree, with the leaves, the trunk, and the roots.


    His eyeballs were pure green with a slight transparency to it. It divulged a fathomless and mysterious vital force.


    Emperor Xia''s move was very simple. It was another punch.


    However, this simple fist brought about an extreme beauty of power as it accorded to the principle of the law of this universe. With this one punch, it was locked on Yunyang and it made it impossible for him to escape.


    The coercion of Emperor Xia''s fist was like lofty mountains befalling. The force of the punch surged like the Asura Blood Sea. There was a faint hum of a dragon instantiate in the void and it was grander than the legendary Buddhist chant of the Heavenly Dragons of the Buddhist sects.


    This was the Emperor Dragon First. Only the Xia Kingdom''s King with the Emperor Dragon Qi could exert it. From ancient times, there were many of the deity class who were defeated under this fist and there were many insolent ghost spirits and demons that were struck with terror by it.


    Shen Lian gazes deeply at all of this. The being and power of Emperor Xia had already combined together and had become an impregnable ensemble. His every move and act could burst forth unimaginable tremendous force to topple the mountains and overturn the seas.


    The heavy snow of the universe drifted profusely and disorderly. However, under this one punch, there was already no snow.


    The seemingly boundless force of the first had directly invaded to the front of Yunyang. Before him, a tall and big tree rose up. It was sturdy and vigorous and its green shades were layers upon layers. It was so tall it entered the clouds, it was so deep that it entered the Netherworld.


    The originally unstoppable Emperor Dragon Fist was blocked by the tall and big tree to one''s surprise. It could also not be said that it was blocked but it slowed down the tremendous force of the dragon fist. The surging force of the fist destroyed its branches and leaves, roots and trunk. Nonetheless, when it reached to the front of Yunyang, the force of the fist was as though it had transformed into a rivulet from a river.


    Yunyang used hisfor visiting.


    Yunyang stared imposingly at Emperor Xia. A faint and unnoticeable green flow flashed through both his eyes. Ever since he was young, he had been hunted down in all corners by the masters from the Xia Kingdom. When he could finally see the appearance of Emperor Xia, the other was strong and powerful as he expected.


    In actual fact, Yunyang''s decision to personally try out Emperor Xia''s force did not receive the approval of every big clans'' elder in the Eastern Barbarians. Nonetheless, he himself had extraordinary bravery and also methods that others could not imagine, which was why he was determined to battle Emperor Xia. He only needed to be alive as he leaves this place and this would be a massive encouragement for the huge clans in Eastern Barbarians. This would allow them to escape the shadows of Emperor Xia''s matchless powerfulness. He could also prove to Meixi that he, Yunyang, would definitely be a match for her.


    More importantly, Yunyang was only a young man who was in his early twenties.


    However, Shen Lian let out a sigh out of nowhere. Because they were too far apart, it was natural that Yunyang did not notice it. He could see that even when Emperor Xia exerted the Emperor Dragon Fist, he also had not gotten serious.


    In actual fact, Shen Lian had not seen the true capabilities of Emperor Xia so far. The Emperor Dragon Fist was overbearing, it was not enough to be the ace card of Emperor Xia.


    Yunyang plainly said, "If Emperor Xia were to be inured even before reaching the Eastern Barbarians, that would be the biggest joke in this world."


    Emperor Xia coldly snorted. The void in the sky and the earth, with the snow on the ground, trembled strongly. A crisp hum of the blade broke through the sky and within a blink of an eye, there was a long blade, as black as the night, in Emperor Xia''s hand.


    When Emperor Xia''s right hand was holding that demonic blade, the qualities of his entire being suddenly changed. Before this, if Emperor was vast like the ninth heaven and filed with the prestige of an emperor, his qualities now had an extra strangeness and unpredictability to it. It was like the changes in the water flow of the Nine Underworlds where its source and root could not be found.


    Shen Lian was slightly and visibly moved, to his surprise, Emperor Xia had gotten to such a deep state in the Dao of the demonic blade.


    Even compared to the Avici and Yuantu Swords'' will he had, it would not be inferior to it. This was not to say that Shen Lian''s Avici Yuantu was incapable but he only had a superficial understanding between these two methods. While Emperor Xia had already comprehended the demonic characteristics of the demonic blade which allowed him to receive and dispatch it freely.


    There were some of those, who even with the demonic blade in hand, still could not become the matchless Demon King, just like Ming Luo previously. However, Emperor Xia was not the same. Deep within his bones, he was someone with true feelings and true character with a stubborn streak hidden within it. There was a natural accordance with the demonic blade, coupled with Emperor Xia''s exceedingly high cultivation, this allowed him to be able to venture far on the Dao of the demonic blade.


    The Emperor with a blade in his hand would undoubtedly still have people who would be his opponent in this heaven and earth, but it was definitely not Yunyang who was before him.


    The green phoenix hissed and shrieked. Very quickly, four more cries responded.


    Yunyang''s face was imposing. The tree pattern between his brows became deeper. The blinking green glow was cold and faint as an ethereal Dao meaning seeped out.


    Those who did not have great wisdom could not enter Dao, those who were not of true feelings and characters had difficulty becoming the true demon.


    With the long blade in his hand and one cut from it, the gleam of the blade was like a vast blur of misty rain as it attacked. This time, the same tall and big tree that blocked Yunyang was chopped off like splitting bamboo.


    The profound and subtle gleam of the blade was finally going to touch Yunyang''s body.


    His expression was imposing and he combined his palms as one. He went to the length of clamping the ethereal gleam of the blade with his own flesh and body. The green glow from his entire body converged towards the area between the two palms. He was bound to curb the demonic blade of Emperor Xia.


    Nonetheless, it appeared that the area where Yunyang was had transformed into a world of green. There was no way of seeing what was going on inside. A long streak of the gleam of the blade chopped into that ball of green.


    From four corners, four phoenixes came tripping down.


    Firstly, there was an intense all burning fire which took the lead and was sprayed towards the head of Emperor Xia.


    What followed next, was the soil of the ground becoming extremely loose as it wanted to swallow Emperor Xia into its pit. Then, a surging wave of black light enlaced both of Emperor Xia''s foot. In the midst of the void, there were uncountable thin golden lights and it did all it could to greet the divine body of Emperor Xia. ��ָ�ɽ� - A type of finger movement in Taichi.

 Chapter 540 Seriously Frightened

    The relationship between the five phoenixes and Yunyang was that they were associates. Since Yunyang''s birth, they had grown up with him and protected him from Xia Kingdom''s masters, from being hunted down by powerhouses of the Eastern Barbarians that had gotten closer to Xia Kingdom. Now, each of the phoenix had grown to the state of land immortals and each of them belonged to one of the elements of the five elements. Once they collaborated, there would be a variation between creation and destruction and it was profound and boundless. With the addition of Yunyang, even those of the heavenly immortal state would feel that he was extremely troublesome.


    Facing the natal invasive killing of the four phoenixes, the corners of Emperor Xia''s lips had a cruel and cold smile. In the blink of an eye, a huge explosion rang out.


    It was seen that within the orifices points on Emperor Xia''s body, wisps and strands of Universal Qi of Virtue floated like willows, like thousands of silk sashes.


    From the earth, Emperor Xia slowly moved up as his facial expression was chilling and forbidding. The surrounding flames, black water, mire and thousands of golden needle-like light that harassed him were destroyed by the Universal Qi of Virtue and it vanished without a trace.


    Emperor Xia stood in brilliance, as though an ancient divine demon had entered to the world. He was filled with harsh, impassive and haughty aura as he looked at all the being disdainfully from the corner of his eyes.


    Shen Lian sighed to himself, there odds were completely against Yunyang. This was because Emperor Xia had defended using the indestructible body.


    Like the King Kong Strength, the Art of Gigantes or any similar cultivation methods that had reached the state of the land immortal and Arhat, it could be called damage proof bodies, even the thunders from the gods could not do anything. Nonetheless, these kind of bodies still had its weakness. Once it encountered any restraining magical talisman or occult techniques, the body would be destroy and the Dao would vanish. But, when it was brought to one level higher, it would be an indestructible body. For those who have cultivated to this level, it was not that difficult for one to defeat people of this level but to kill these people, it was extremely challenging. If this was brought even one further step, it was the so call the reborn from a blood drop state. Only those of on the level of Daoist master and Buddha could entirely eliminate these kinds of people.


    To cultivate the Dao of the physical body, it did not have many transformations compared to the Primordial Spirit of Daoism. However, once it had reached a higher and deeper level, it could surpass the connoisseurs of Daoism.


    Just like that monkey  for visiting.


    Shen Lian''s mind and spirit were jarred as he could sense with his gut that there was an intriguing transformation that had happened to Yunyang. That would be his true root.


    Emperor Xia was unfazed. With one chop of his blade, it was as though there was a glow of the morning light had shone in the eternal long nights.


    "A marvel done by Nature''s hands, o''er light and shade it dominates." Out of nowhere, Shen Lian thought of this phrase from a poem, which somehow coincided with Emperor Xia''s current blade technique.


    It was definitely hard to use any words to describe just how quick the blade was, this was because the blade gave out a perplexing and contradictory feeling. With this blade movement, the specific trail of the blade could be seen. As for the principle of law of heaven and earth that were attached to the gleam of the blade told of an unexplainable Dao of Yin Yang Udayabbaya.


    But for Yunyang who was directly facing this blade, he was the one who could feel the most when it came to the terror of this blade. The flow of time of the space that he was in seemed like it had become extremely slow, even an instance felt extremely long. Thus, even his thoughts were slightly sluggish. He could only watch as the blade crossed through the space and came for him. The blade manifested the abstruse of birth and fragmented into the paths of Yin Yang Udayabbaya and deliver him from life to death.


    Once the blade got close to the front of him, the gleam of the blade completely exploded into pieces and it completely engulfed Yunyang.


    If it was said that those of the Buddhist and celestial sects make a move, the mountain would crumble and the earth would shatter, then this blade by Emperor Xia was annihilation. This gleams of the blade would annihilate everything in reach. There was no difference between the weak or the strong, every matter within the parameter of the gleam of the blade would vanish.


    The formidable part of this blade was that it was like the morning light that broke through the veil of the sky, to give the land its light.


    Emperor Xia''s blade method was definitely not limited to this, but Yunyang could only encounter this blade.


    In this vast world with hundreds of years passed, there were not many supernatural powers that could compare favorably with this blade.


    No matter the kind of cultivator, if one encountered Emperor Xia''s blade, even with just a slight weakness in the Daoist''s mind, there was a possibility the blade''s shadow would be left behind. This would cause the Daoist to not be able to have another breakthrough for the rest of his life.


    Once the blade passed, the universe cleared up. However, there was still the loud and clear shrieks of the phoenix ringing, it was unyielding. Following that, there was a streak of True Fire that sprinted towards the eastern direction. It transformed into a red rainbow and there was no trace of it within the blink of an eye.


    Shen Lian recognized that True Fire. It was the Phoenix Fire of Nirvana. It was true that Yunyang did not block against Emperor Xia''s demonic blade but he had the Fire of Nirvana. To one''s surprise, he rose from the ashes and preserved more than half of his origins.


    He reincarnated into a red rainbow and just reincarnated.


    Nonetheless, Yunyang was considered a failure. Even if he could reincarnate, his Qi of vitality was severely hurt. Even more, he did not even injure Emperor Xia by an inch and even got the Emperor to display his almost unbeatable military force.


    Emperor Xia and Yunyang caused their battleground to have a humongous crate that spanned up to hundreds of miles. It was exceptionally smooth. The heavy continued falling and very quickly, it stuck to the top of it. The snow was pure white. If one person were to be within it, it would be hard for him to realize that he was within a huge snow pit.


    Fifty thousand Xia soldiers quickly gathered by Emperor Xia''s side like ants. They continuously cried out Emperor Xia''s unique words of praises. Emperor Xia transformed back to the normal human size and did not look delighted. He only said to Guan Longzi who was before him, "This time, I have truly frightened the younger generation."


    Guan Longzi''s gaze was fevered. He could finally witness his Emperor''s heroic posture after so many years. It was exactly this display by Emperor Xia that allowed him to follow after him even till death without remorse.


    Shen Lian poured a pot of water to the outside. He closed his eyes and thought about Emperor Xia''s blade method. He had at least six methods to overcome the blow of the blade, dismantle the will of the creation of the Yin Yang Udayabbaya. Nonetheless, Emperor Xia''s blade method was definitely not confined to that one move. There were more.The monkey here refers to Sun Wukong, a famous monkey character from "Journey to the West".

 Chapter 541 Being a Free Person

    Even if Shen Lian had no intentions to oppose the Xia Kingdom, with the way things were going, it was also inevitable for Shen Lian to fight Emperor Xia.


    In actual fact, to people like Shen Lian and Emperor Xia, they could have let their families and countries go just like the cumulus clouds. However, with life in this world, there were some things that could be let go but there was no need to let go. This was exactly just like how previously, Shen Lian did not give up on Qing Xuan, Emperor Xia would also not give up on the Xia Kingdom.


    Shen Lian finally opened his eyes. It was already a cold night at this hour and there was no light within the carriage. There was only the bright light from his eyes. Xiao Hei was also startled and it carefully looked at his master. It had followed Shen Lian for many years now and it was good at reading Shen Lian''s body language. He knew that the confrontation between Emperor Xia and that person would definitely have an influence on his master.


    In the dark, Shen Lian suddenly quietly asked, "Ol'' Hei, is there anything that you want to do in your entire life?"


    Xiao Hei did not expect his master to suddenly ask this question. He thought and thought, then answered, "Follow you I guess, I''m fine with doing anything."


    Shen Lian could not help but chuckle as he knocked the tiger on the head. It was really good for nothing. Finally, Shen Lian answered, "Then you just follow me."


    Xiao Hei felt a warmth within him. His master was still concern about it and for a moment, it felt that its buttering up just now was not for nothing. Afterward, it suddenly felt a chill in its entire body. It looked around suddenly. The stars and moon in the sky were distinct. They had already reached a wilderness area. It lifted its head and asked, "Master, where are we now?"


    Shen Lian simply answered, "We are not following the Xia Kingdom''s troops. The Eastern Barbarian is such a big place, I want to have a look."


    Xiao Hei gave an ''oh'' as a reply. Perhaps under these skies, only his master dared to ignore Emperor Xia''s decree. He had already agreed to follow the troops but then he just suddenly left.


    In actuality, it was unclear about the fact that even though Emperor''s Xia blade was against Yunyang, it was actually meant for Shen Lian to see. There was a slight hint offor visiting.


    Shen Lian then rode on black tiger and simply said, "Let''s go."


    Emperor Xia communicated with Shen Lian through telepathy, and finally gave up the intention to engage Shen Lian in a combat. From this, Shen Lian could speculate that Emperor Xia''s Dao of the Demonic Blade was incomplete, which was still why he did not want to combat Shen Lian at this time.


    While Shen Lian left the Xia troops, it was also to give Emperor Xia some space. However, for the rest of the clan in the Eastern Barbarian, they were in for trouble.


    But all of these had nothing to do with Shen Lian. He was solely a free man in this world. To be able to take care of the matter that mattered to him, he had nothing to be ashamed of.


    The Eastern Barbarians had high mountains and lofty hills. There were flourishing woods and tall bamboo bushes. There were even countless tribes, both big and small.


    Excluding the Youshi Tribe, there were other big, strong tribes such as Gaoyao [2] and Boyi.


    Shen Lian rode on Xiao Hei. Along the way, he discreetly observed the sceneries of these tribes. Some of it was primal and there were some that were new and strange. For example, for the tribes here, almost everyone knew either witchcraft, Dao techniques, or some other bizarre abilities. There was quite an atmosphere where all the people cultivated. Yinshang departed from the Eastern Barbarians and completely took on the path of the Qi cultivator. Perhaps it was because of the origins here.


    Compared to the earth where Qing Xuan was, the general level of cultivation level of the Eastern Barbarians and the Xia Kingdom was relatively high. Nonetheless, no matter where the world was, it was not easy to attain longevity and not to mention the state of heavenly immortals.


    As for the Taiyi state, that was already not a state that could be reached by a chance or natural gift. It involved many other factors. Looking to the long river of time, there was a limited number of figures like such.


    Without realizing it, Shen Lian had already entered deeply into the Eastern Barbarians. With his supernatural powers, he would naturally not startle the powerhouses of the Eastern Barbarian easily. On this day, he reached a nearby small tribe.


    It was not that he came to this place on a whim. Rather, he saw that there was dense demonic Qi on the peak of the opposite mountain. Even during daytime, this black air could be seen circulating the mountain head and lingered there for a long time. There was definitely a formidable demon being entrenched in this area.


    In fact, that black air was extremely vicious and it definitely had harmed many living beings.


    Shen Lian was definitely not the one to enforce justice on behalf of heaven but he could not overlook it after all. That was why he decided to take some measures to exorcise that demon.


    The mountains there were white and the water was black. The land was fertile. Over the years, the small tribes were self-sufficient and would even have a surplus. When Shen Lian observed the wind direction and clouds there, he only saw that the vital energy of the human body of the tribe declining, their fates scattered.


    Shen Lian patted Xiao Hei and said, "Your current appearance is too fierce, change into something else."


    Tiger replied disgruntledly, "Master, I have never eaten a human before. What malice is there? What more, everyone in the Eastern Barbarians is formidable that even I cannot fight against them."


    Shen Lian said, "Stop talking nonsense. Didn''t you just learn the illusion technique? You just become a black horse then."


    Xiao Hei anxiously looked at Shen Lian as it answered, "Master, can I not become a horse?" The horse was the most hated animal by Xiao Hei. After all, Pegasus had bullied it so many times that Xiao Hei hated all the horses in the world.


    Shen Lian chuckled as he scolded, "Then you become a donkey then. If you''re not going to do it, I''ll help you."


    Looking at his master''s mirthful expression, a chill ran down the black tiger''s spine. It then rolled onto the floor and became a donkey. Its fur coat was black and shiny. It even snorted loudly.


    Shen Lian rode on the donkey that was transformed by the black tiger and they waltzed their way down the mountains.


    Within a five-mile area, they heard a crying sound. In front, there was a woman holding her child as she wept by the steam side.


    Shen Lian used the common tongue that was used in the Xia Kingdom as he asked, "What are you crying about?"


    The woman only tilted her head while she stared at him, her tears not dried yet. Nonetheless, she did not understand what Shen Lian was saying.


    Shen Lian then used various kinds of Eastern Barbarians'' dialects that he had recently learned. The woman still shook her head and finally, Shen Lian had no choice but to use his divine thoughts to telepath the question.


    The woman then understood and with some respect, she looked at Shen Lian as she answered, "Celestial master must have come from afar. This lady, myself, is of the Wuzhong''s."


    Shen Lian knew why she called him celestial master. It turned out that since the beginning of time, the Eastern Barbarians had the tradition of worshiping celestials. For those cultivator of Qi that cultivated his spirit and was able to transfer thoughts, they were thought that they had achieved the celestial method and they were called celestial masters.


    Even though it was a small tribe, they still had some common sense. After all, the Eastern Barbarians was wide and plentiful with resources. There would still be many cultivators of Qi who crossed the mountains and rivers to come to these places. They would give out holy water, heal sicknesses and save people to exchange for the spiritual materials and treasure items they needed.


    The tribe that the woman was in was called the Wuzhong tribe. Their legacy was approximately a thousand years old all of them were people who banded together from big tribes who could not continue living in those big tribes. Finally, they converged to this land of white mountains and black water.


    As for the child in her embrace, it was her daughter. That day, she was selected to be sent to the mountain peak in the west side as an offering to the demonic god, in exchange for a half a month peace in Wuzhong.


    The woman could not bear to part with her child. That was why she embraced her and wept uncontrollably by the stream.


    After listening to her description, Shen Lian then learned the Wuzhong language. With a smile, he answered, "Do not cry anymore. I am exactly here to help you all get rid of that demonic evil."ɱ���Ӻ� - It means to make an example out of someone as a warning to another. The literal translation is used to fit the translation for this text.

 Chapter 542 Changgui

    The woman showed some signs of happiness and later hesitated as she said, "I don''t mean to hide this from you, celestial teacher. Before this, there were two other celestial teachers that came here but did not live to leave."


    After saying this, she then added another sentence, "Those two celestial teachers could mount the clouds and ride the mist."


    Even though she could see that Shen Lian was a celestial teacher, but he was young and had delicate features, so he may not have much mana. The people were simple and honest, even though when her own child was about to be sacrificed to the demon, but the woman still could not bear to see Shen Lian being so ignorant and simply give his life away.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "This is a rather good person." He smiled simply and he asked, "How about you bring me to meet with your tribe leader?" The leader definitely had a hand in the idea for the children in the tribe to be food for the demon. Furthermore, for the demon to not cause calamities after eating the child, someone was definitely needed to communicate with the demon and perhaps, there was a collusion within this.


    Sometimes, for a demon to cause harm was not as scary as a person harming another person. Unfortunately, not many people understood this principle.


    The woman stopped her weeping, agreed and was prepared to bring Shen Lian to meet the tribe leader. Suddenly, she felt there was something soft beneath her feet. It turned out that she was being transported by a ball of white cloud. She then heard Shen Lian''s light chuckle as he pointed downwards to the tribe area that was laid out like a vegetable field. He asked, "Where is the tribe leader?"


    The woman was shocked and ecstatic. Shen Lian''s abilities were much more brilliant than the celestial teachers that came previously. After all, not only could Shen Lian ride the mists, he could also transport her on it. That was one thing that those two celestial teachers could not do.


    The eyes of the daughter within her embrace turned round and round. She curiously looked at Shen Lian and then to her surroundings, she was filled with novelty.


    Shen Lian had gotten the woman to point. With a wave of his flocket, the woman only felt a rapid descending force. Afterward, she had her feet on the ground.


    All of this naturally startled the people within the tribe. One by one, they all came out and saw the celestial teacher who descended from the sky that was Shen Lian.


    The person in the front, his body was rickety and his skin shriveled. But his pair of eyes were filled with spirit and it stood out amongst the rest. Shen Lian took a look at him and asked him, "You are the leader of Wuzhong tribe?"


    The person replied, "I am Binghu and I am the leader of the Wuzhong tribe. Whatever does this have anything to do with you, Celestial Teacher?"


    After saying this, Big Hu looked at the woman, his gaze fleeting.


    The woman saw that and hid behind Shen Lian.


    People began gesticulating. They were probably saying that, could it be that the woman did not want to offer up her daughter that she went and found Shen Lian as her reinforcement. At the same time, Shen Lian''s divine thoughts swept through the crowd and did not discover that there was the woman''s husband within the crowd.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Is the Wuzhong tribe a ghost tribe? You all actually allowed afor visiting.


    "I mean, you''re not a living person." Shen Lian simply answered.


    Binghu pointed towards the woman and said, "Ah Lian, it''s alright if you do not wish to give out your child. Why do you need to look for this celestial teacher to frame? Ever since your husband passed away, did we ever skim out on your food and clothing?


    The woman called Ah Lian stammered, "I just knew this celestial teacher."


    Binghu sighed, "It is a waste for you to be in the Wuzhong tribe with your beauty. Since the celestial teacher has his eyes for you, you two should go. As for the child, with the celestial teacher calling the shots, we could not make you stay either."


    The surrounding tribesmen were becoming unkind as they looked at the woman. And after being accused by Binghu, she did not know how to rebut and she could only shed tears.


    Shen Lian smiled as he clasped his arms behind his back, "Such a great capability of turning things upside down. Unfortunately, you may be hiding it from the people around you but you cannot hide it from me."


    Binghu said with a serious expression, "I know you are formidable, celestial teacher, and you have the capabilities to transform me into the Changgui that you speak of. However, I am indeed the tribal leader of the Wuzhong tribe and my heart has always been for everyone."


    Shen Lian said, "You said your heart is for every, is that why you send young children every once in a while to the demon in the mountain to devour?"


    Binghu replied, "That is a helpless act. As long as we could fight, I would not bear to do so. You can ask my tribesmen, I have also sent my child to the demon king in the mountains."


    The surrounding tribesmen all nodded. They surrounded Shen Lian and the woman one after another, and their looks were becoming hostile as they looked at Shen Lian and the woman. In succession, the lifted the weapons in their hands and there were some who used their witchcraft. There were miraculous lights emerging.


    Shen Lian shook his head, "It is too troublesome to explain to you all. No wonder Buddha said that the masses were benighted." The Wuzhong tribesmen only saw Shen Lian''s finger wrong a word in midair. They could not recognize it but it was the ''ding'' character of the runes.


    Shen Lian then completed after a little while. Following that, the rune gave out a white light and the surrounding Wuzhong tribesmen were anchored in place by the white light from the rune. They could only blink.


    However, Ah Lian and her daughter could move.


    The tribe leader, Binghu, was also anchored. And then, Shen Lian patted the body of Xiao Hei.


    Xiao Hei had gotten the order from his master. It went up and took a bite at Binghu''s neck. Immediately, it was as though his entire being was deflating and there was a roll of human skin left on the ground. Black smoke emerges and within it was a little person. It looked exactly like Binghu. It gave Shen Lian a hateful look and it flew to the mountain head where the demon was entrenched.


    Ah Lian was shocked to the point of being speechless. With her shallow understanding of Dao techniques, she could not tell whether Shen Lian''s technique turned the tribe leader into human skin to fool her, or was the tribe leader actually a monster.


    Xiao Hei leaped back. This moment, Ah Lian then noticed that how the black donkey''s head was now a tiger''s head. Xiao Hei then transformed into a complete tiger. Fawningly, it said to Shen Lian, "Master, I lost control and transformed to my original form."


    Shen Lian said with slight anger and mirth, "That''s fine."


    Xiao Hei''s opened its mouth and laughed.


    After that, Shen Lian then said, "It seemed that the demon might be a relative of yours."


    Changgui was a demonic beast of the tiger species. They could imprison the ghost that they had killed, and summon them as their own slaves. Changgui had served as an inspiration to establish the Five Ghosts Transport Technique in Daoism.


    As for some formidable figures in Heaven Courtyard or Mahasattva, the ghostly spirits they controlled were the protectors of heaven, Liu Ding Liu Jia Deities, the Protectors of the Five Regions, the Four Duty Gods, and those who were similar to all these. In legends, the ancient Dipamkara Buddha had twenty-four protectors of heaven, each of their mana were at the level of Taiyi. That was why he was amongst the famous ones within the other Buddhas and he stayed above the Four Great Sattva.


    Xiao Hei smiled apologetically, "I do not have the habit of devouring people."


    Shen Lian then turned to the woman and asked, "Did it scare you?"


    The woman nodded and then quickly shook her head.


    The little girl, however, was being tightly hugged by the woman. She was only two years old. She seemed like she had gone through the affairs of life without even understanding what just happened around her.


    Shen Lian replied, "Do not be afraid. We will now go see the demon in the mountaintop. By then, the truth will be revealed. If you do not trust me, you can also choose to stay here."


    The woman saw her own tribesmen. They were all vehemently glaring at her. Like a mosquito, she softly answered, "I will follow you, celestial teacher."


    She was a weak and soft woman so she lacked her own opinions. But at least, Shen Lian seemed much friendlier compared to her own tribesmen. She dared not imagine how both her and her daughter would end up if her own tribesmen could move again after Shen Lian left.���� - Ghost of one devoured by a tiger, it leads the beast to devour others.��������� - Literally means ''five ghost transportation technique''. It is a saying in ancient Chinese history, where there are the five ghosts that could be summoned, and transport goods or fortune from other''s house to one''s own residence for personal benefit. In the story describes a technique cultivated in Daoism.

 Chapter 543 Tempering a Sword

    Shen Lian did not move on with riding in the clouds, instead, he brought both mother and daughter up the mountain by foot. The wilderness in the mountain was filled with snow and the northern wind howled. Under normal circumstances, it should be freezing for the mother-daughter duo. However, being close to Shen Lian, they felt as warm as spring.


    The uneasiness within her heart subsided following the warmth. Shen Lian suddenly asked, "Is there a name to this mountain?"


    "Yes, it is called Chong Hou. The king of the mountain here is Chong Hou Tiger. He was conferred with that title by the son of the White Emperor, Yunyang, and made this mountain his feoffment." Ah Lian became a little braver as she answered Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian pointed towards Xiao Hei and said, "Chong is a good surname. How about I call you Chong Heihu from now on?"


    Xiao Hei replied, "Sounds good, sounds good." It was speaking the common tongue of the Xia Kingdom. Ah Lian did not quite understand but looking at Xiao Hei''s expression, she too felt he was being funny.


    It was said that the king of the mountain was a tiger demon. Xiao Hei, on the other hand, seemed easier to get along, at least it would not eat human.


    Xiao Hei could not be bothered if he had embarrassed itself, as long as he could make his master happy.


    Shen Lian traveled for quite a while in the Eastern Barbarians and knew many of the folklore and legends. He then picked a few and told it to both Ah Lian and her daughter, which made the journey less wearisome.


    By the time Shen Lian finished his third story, they reached a cave area. The cave was dry and wide. It was the source of the demonic Qi emerging from the mountains.


    Shen Lian reached the entrance, and a gust of demonic wind blew. For a moment, the surrounding was dark. Finally, a demon king with the head of a tiger and the body of a human emerged, behind him, a massive army of ghost followed. The previous tribe leader of Wuzhong was among them. He gesticulated towards Shen Lian and said many things to the demonic king.


    Shen Lian was unfazed as he looked at them.


    The demon king opened his mouth and said, "I am Chong Hou, the King of this mountain. My title is conferred by the son of the White Emperor. All areas within three thousand miles from here would be my feoffment. You, young cultivator, want to look for trouble with me? That would mean you are also opposing the union of the Eastern Barbarians.


    The demon king, Chong Hou, was a fierce tiger within the mountains that cultivated into a demon. He cultivated for a thousand years and had shapeshifted for three hundred years. Within this three thousand mile of area, he acted like a tyrant. At that time, Yunyang was gathering warlords from the Eastern Barbarians. Coincidentally Chong Hou Tiger had some reputation and mana, coupled with the fact that he was a demon, he was then simply conferred by Yunyang


    Originally, he wandered all over different mountain peaks. Ever since he accepted the conferment, he settled on this mountain peak. Due to the evil arts he cultivated, he needed to consume humans. He turned the Wuzhong tribe leader into his own Changgui, so the tribe leader could steadily supply fresh ingredients to him.


    Before that, there was a simple-minded cultivator of Qi which was hardly his opponent. He was devoured within two or three moves. But this cultivator before him, even though he seemed young, he was hard to read. Chong Hou could only use the name of the son of the White Emperor in hopes that he could scare the other.


    Shen Lian opened his mouth and replied, "There is a good saying in the human world, '' for visiting.


    He kicked the black Qilin with both feet and left.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another," he thought. He then took another look at the spiked mace that was embedded within the wall of the mountain and turned towards Xiao Hei and the mother. He said, "I would like to temper a weapon here."


    Xiao Hei asked, "What kind of weapon does master want to temper?"


    Shen Lian stared at Xiao Hei and leisurely spat out, "The Treasure Sword."


    Xiao Hei was stunned and muttered to itself, "This name sounds a little tacky." But his reaction was quick as it said, "This name is really good. It appeals to all. Master is truly formidable."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Of course, this will not be the true name. But I am serious about tempering a treasure sword. I have other uses for it."���ٻ��� �C Literally translated as ''a fox masquerading as a tiger'' to fit the context of the text. This Chinese idiom means assuming the dignity or authority of somebody else as one''s own.

 Chapter 544 Qing Xuan Cave

    This mace was made entirely of refined steel, an extraordinary material. Shen Lian did not kill the demon tiger completely because he intended to use this material to forge his sword. Otherwise, Shen Lian could have exterminated his form and soul in just a one palm technique, regardless of how strong the demon was.


    Wen Zhong was well aware that his cultivation method was different from Shen Lian''s, as was his way of doing things. He was truly angry.


    As Ah Lian witnessed how Shen Lian had defeated the Chong Hou Tiger King, she instantly kowtowed to Shen Lian while holding her daughter, as her husband was also killed by the demon king.


    Shen Lian accepted Ah Lian''s kowtow with no reservation and said as she got up, "I am going to forge my instrument in the mountains. If you dare not return to the family of Wuzhong, you can follow by my side for a while. I will teach you the breathing techniques, which should be sufficient for you and your daughter to live a peaceful life. As for your future, I cannot promise anything."


    As indecisive as Ah Lian was, she knew that staying with Shen Lian was far better than returning to her tribe. Besides, Shen Lian''s exceptional techniques put her at ease, and at least Shen Lian would not covet anything from her based on his status. Since Shen Lian is someone inimitable, he does not need to covet anything from a commoner, putting Ah Lian at ease.


    So she replied, "Ah Lian will never forget your great deeds to us, great celestial teacher."


    Shen Lian waved his sleeve, a tornado rose instantaneously from the ground and traveled towards the demon king''s cave, followed by the sounds of rustling and swooshing. A quarter of an hour later, the tornado exited the cave. The tornado was translucent when it was entering the cave, however, it becomes completely filthy black when it exited, one could imagine how much filth there was in there.


    Shen Lian rose his arm again, and directed the gush to the back of the mountains, and then released a clear stream of water into the cave for a thorough cleansing, subsequently lighted it up, turning it into a refreshing environment.


    Then he proceeded to say, "There are a lot of houses in there. You may choose one for your temporary stay."


    Ah Lian was greatly thankful, as she never imagined that a celestial being like Shen Lian would be so thoughtful.


    Suddenly, she remembered that she never knew this celestial teacher''s name after such a long time, so she asked, "Celestial Teacher, I still do not know who to address you as."


    Shen Lian thought for a while. He opened his hand, the mace immediately landed on his palm. Shen Lian walked to the cave, replacing the previous name with words �C''Qing Xuan Cave''.


    Though in a different world, one should never forget their own origins. He replied, "You may call me Qing Xuan".


    When he was in the earth and stars of Qing Xuan, his Daoist name was Qing Xia, which reminded him of the Qing Xia Temple where he traveled from. Now his Daoist name was Qing Xuan, which would remind him of the cultivations under Qing Xuan.


    Only he himself would know of this intention, no one else.


    Ah Lian memorized these two words by heart, and had a good look at the writings of ''Qing Xuan Cave''. She guessed that the two words among them should read Qing Xuan.


    Later, Ah Lian went into the cave and Shen Lian remained outside.


    Three days had passed. Ah Lian realized that Celestial Teacher Qing Xuan never entered the cave. Initially, she thought that the celestial teacher was avoiding gossips, which she eventually found out was not true.


    Moreover, she thought it was strange that the celestial teacher did not move even though he wanted to forge his instrument.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian was not mute. He even passed on the breathing techniques to her. The tribes of Eastern Barbarians have their own collection of spells and Daoist techniques, so Ah Lian did not come without any foundation. As she learn the breathing techniques, there was no thorough transformation, but her stamina improved significantly, so did her appetite. Therefore, she had to collect more and more fruits each time she went in the woods for food.


    Since this mountain was ruled by the Chong Hou Tiger King, there were very few people crossing the mountains. So the variety of fruits there was in abundance, and its water source was clear, which helped the mother and daughter to live in self-sufficiency and free of worries.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian was standing on a high upright rock outside the cave. He had not gone down for three days. Till now, Ah Lian only noticed a dense purplish gas floating so subtly around Shen Lian''s body. Sometimes the sleeves of celestial teacher would rise from the winds, giving her the illusion that celestial teacher would fly off with the winds.


    What she did not know was that Shen Lian was preparing to forge his instrument.


    Shen Lian had forged the Five Elements Magical Sword before, which power was strong enough to be a mystical treasure in Qing Xuan. However, in the Dao of Five Elements, it was cultivated before he became a heavenly immortal. Though full of potential, it was still lacking to go against those in the state of heavenly immortal.


    Now that Shen Lian had leveled up to be an expert in the state of heavenly immortal, coupled with his past experience with Celestial Trapping Sword will and murderous thoughts of Avici and Yuantu Swords. In terms of the Dao of Killing Sword, other than his Aenior Apprentice-Brother Chen Jianmei and his nemesis Chen Beidou, no one else could surpass him in this.


    However, with his great exceptional abilities, he had to go beyond the barriers of his predecessors. This was why he intended to utilize his swords practices to transfer his sword will onto the instrument and purify his own body.


    At the same time, the cultivation of this killing sword would increase the probability of winning against opponents like Emperor Xia and Tianyi. He might be someone out of this mortal world, and he might not have control over the rights and wrongs here, but the leveling up of combative power would not bring him any harm.


    The killing sword was not easy to master even if one is determined to cultivate it. Moreover, he was not a prodigy swordsman like his Apprentice-Brother Chen who could form his heart like a sword, and turn it into a formless killing sword, which would save him the effort of cultivating a weapon.


    Since Shen Lian decided to practice the killing sword form, firstly he would need the materials, secondly an extraordinary mana level, and thirdly a powerful flame.


    The fire was the most important element among all three.


    The sword that Shen Lian wanted was no ordinary sword, so he naturally could not use ordinary fire, which he came prepared. He was going to use the True Samadhi Fire.


    Mastering the True Samadhi Fire was easy, but it was versatile and refined, which the potential was almost endless. Even Taishang Laojun, who was believed to be the reincarnation of Taishang Daoist Master also used the True Samadhi Fire in his Eight Trigram Furnace.


    Though Shen Lian could make a True Samadhi Fire, it was not a refined fire, so it was impossible to be as magical as the flames in the Eight Trigram Furnace.


    So he was determined to spend some time to elevate his skills in producing the True Samadhi Fire. Others in the state of heavenly immortal would spend decades and centuries to master it even if they knew its method, but for Shen Lian who had the knowledge as deep as the ocean, and also understood the concept of heaven and earth from his recent reading of Lianshan, he would need to borrow the sun essence and moon radiance to master the True Samadhi Fire in a short time.


    All the stars in the sky had an ever-burning undying fire, whereas the sun and the moon were the highest of these stars. Both the sun and moon had the unique characteristics of Yang and Yin, which Shen Lian spent days and nights to absorb both its elements into his body and readjust his Qi of Yin and Yang, reorganized his five elements to finally achieve the purest Qi and injected it into the seed of True Samadhi Fire. It actually worked.


    However, even the laws of heaven had its incompleteness. Shen Lian''s method had a flaw. This mysterious Qi was only man-made by Shen Lian, it lacked some sort of Dao rhythm. Although it did strengthen the fire, as if ''spoiling things by undue haste'', its power would increase significantly for a short amount of time, but would never last through the period like those which were actually produced through many years of cultivation and practice.

 Chapter 545 Four Directions

    Half a month had passed. It was midnight when Ah Lian and her daughter who were settled in the cave heard a gushing sound that was unsettling to their souls.


    Her daughter woke up. The little girl''s clear eyes shone like the cold stars, curiously looked towards the source of the gush.


    Ah Lian was feared something might have happened to the celestial teacher, so she carried her daughter out of the cave, and instantly saw a pair of huge eyeballs. She practiced the incantation which Shen Lian had taught her, which enhanced her sight and eventually saw the tiger, the celestial teacher''s mount, only then she felt relieved. After that, she focused on the boulder which celestial teacher was sitting on. The stars and the moon were shining bright like flowing silver, but all these were significantly inferior when compared to the majestic scenery around Shen Lian''s body.


    Shen Lian''s body was surrounded by sparkles, all gathered into a river, as all the stars in the night skies had been compressed to his sides, so mysterious, profound and unfathomable. The gush was projected from Shen Lian''s mouth, producing an echo around the mountains, shocking countless creatures, insects and reptiles from the woods to look towards Shen Lian''s directions.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Even the ground shook a bit, where a pure and rich spiritual vigor appeared from the mountain peak, shaped like a dragon or a snake, and finally charged towards the purplish starry aura around Shen Lian and eventually merging with it.


    Shen Lian''s howling stopped, with all his pores shut, leaving the Bai Hui point open. A little mist rushed out from within and formed a greenish-white colored flower, which remained stationary in the night breeze, motionless and beautiful.


    Ah Lian never realized the oddity in this sight, but the nearby tribes of Eastern Barbarians noticed this unusual surge, barging into the altar of the tribe. Primarily, the altar of an Eastern Barbarian tribe of a bigger scale would have an ever-burning fire being a symbol of eternal presence of the tribe.


    Even though it was merely a normal flame, it was kept burning for a thousand years. It would have gained spiritual awareness from the spiritual presence of the underworld around it. At this moment, the flames in the altar all pointed towards the direction where Shen Lian was, bowing towards it.


    All burning flames were now bent, in a shape of a person bending forward to pray and show respect.


    Five thousand miles westward of Qing Xuan Cave, there lied a strong tribe called Boyi, named after its ancestor Boyi. Boyi and Yinshang shared the same ancestor, both were the leaders of the Eastern Barbarians tribe who followed after the founding emperor of the Xia Kingdom, Si Wenming. Both of them possessed immense abilities, but when Si Wenming vanished, they disappeared too.


    The flame burning in the altars of Boyi tribe was lighted by Boyi himself. The altar fire was fed using the pine resin collected from the cloud pine trees that grew in the clouds, particularly rare.


    This spiritual fire would burn eternally like the stars in the skies. Even at night, this spiritual fire prevented them to fall into darkness and fended of the attacks from unknown demon creature.


    This night, the spiritual fire actually bowed towards the direction of the Qing Xuan Cave, which shocked the chief of the Boyi tribe. He was also a cultivator, so he instantly moved towards the altar, where there was already a person standing inside, his uncle, the doyen of his tribe.


    "What is happening here, old master?"


    The altar fire was a spiritual one. It bore a fire spirit. But it made a bowing stance under the influence of this shockwave. Its spirituality was shockingly decreased.


    The tribe chief''s heart wrenched looking at this sight. He was waiting for the fire spirit to mature, which then he would use secret techniques to reincarnate it into the tribe, and produce a heaven fire''s Daoist body with much-cultivating potential. This plan would have to be adjourned because of what just happened.


    I heard that there was a demon king named Chong Hou Tiger living eastbound where the family of Wuzhong was. He even received conferment from Young Master Yunyang. However, he was removed by a foreign Qi cultivator, who lived in the mountains after that and never left. This strange shockwave is indeed coming from that direction," the doyen replied in his coarse voice.


    "What is the deal with this Qi cultivator, such inconsiderate fella. It doesn''t matter what secret technique he is practicing, why can''t he issue a restrictive notice beforehand? We are not the only family who got affected tonight. How about I take the lead and reason with this man," the tribe chief could not hold his anger. Boyi tribe was a large tribe of the Eastern Barbarian region, so he could invite a couple or two people of land immortal level to join him.


    He expected that no matter how strong this Qi cultivator was, he would not be better than a land immortal. They would need him to surrender something, since Qi cultivators of these sorts had traveled high and low, they must be quite loaded.


    The doyen sighed, "This Qi cultivator is no ordinary character. I suggest you forget about it."


    Tribe chief asked, "Why do you say so, old master?"


    The doyen squinted his eyes and answered, "His is the Xia Kingdom''s State Preceptor."


    These seven words were enough to dull the chief''s facial expression. Recently, the Xia''s Emperor attacked the Eastern Barbarians, and no tribe could withhold his attacks for half a day. Moreover, thirty-three tribes of all sizes had presented their offerings to the King as a sign of submission.


    If it was not for Yunyang, the son of the White Emperor, a true Eastern Barbarian, coupled with the help of a saint from the demonic class, the expected outcome would be more than half of the Dongyi falling under the Xia Kingdom.


    At present, the Emperor was also leading his army in a standoff with Young Master Yunyang at Mount Meng. A battle could unfold any time there. Even the Boyi Tribe had sent a portion of their fierce warriors to support the defence. Ten of them went, none was expected to return.


    The tribe chief was well informed and understood clearly that the Xia army had not unleashed their full force yet. It only consisted of the Youhu''s, Xin''s, Ming''s warriors, in whom the strongest would the chief of Youhu''s, Lei Hong.


    This was why he only sent the brave from his tribe, and retained the elders in hiding here.


    If Young Master Yunyang could not defend Mount Meng, he had prepared to surrender to the Xia.


    Knowing that the Qi cultivator was Xia''s State Preceptor, he could not help but panicked.


    The chief tribe then resented, "Looks like we have to suck this in then."


    "You should not hide this from the people. Release this news at once tomorrow, so that no fools would march on and get involved with him," the doyen warned.


    "Old master, can''t we just tell this to only our tribe people?" The chief whispered.


    "You are such a small minded man. If you tell only our people, you cannot ensure that our people will not spread this news out anyway," the doyen replied.


    The chief sighed, "You are the better thought person, after all, old master."


    Not all the tribes in Dongyi were united and harmonious. Boyi could have one of the biggest influence, but its development had stunted for hundreds of years.


    Even some fearless fool went head to head with this Xia State Preceptor, one would be in for a good show.


    Though feeling like a wasted opportunity, he still obeyed the doyen''s orders and spread the news to the tribes to all four directions, which quickly escalated to all those within ten thousand miles.


    He did not only announced the news, he also secretly sent extravagant gifts to Qing Xuan Cave, which later other tribes also followed suit.


    These gestures eventually reached the ears of the Wuzhong''s. When they found out, all of them regretted their own foolishness for missing the grand opportunity to have a good relationship with the State Preceptor of Xia.


    These people were the convicts who were evicted by other tribes. Wherever they went, no one would want to see them. If they could be acquainted to the State Preceptor, their status would be up leveled multiple folds. Now, Ah Lian was the only one from their tribe who got hold of this opportunity.


    Which was why Ah Lian felt troubled.

 Chapter 546 Holy Temple

    Naturally, the family of Wuzhong would not dare to go after Shen Lian directly, so they had to go for Ah Lian instead.


    Their request was simple, to be associated with Shen Lian the great State Preceptor of Xia empire through Ah Lian, even if it meant becoming Shen Lian''s slaves.


    Ah Lian could fend them off for a day or two, but she could not endure their pester day and night, so she finally entered the Qing Xuan Cave to see Shen Lian.


    Qing Xuan Cave had almost a hundred stone rooms, large or small. Shen Lian''s was the largest and brightly lit even without any fire torch or night glowing pearl.


    Ah Lian was already familiar with this sight, having seen this a few times.


    In the middle of the stone room, Shen Lian sat on a stone couch in lotus position, his mind in a fugue of the universe, and his body surrounded by lotus shaped Qi of Dao, full of celestial charisma as if there was a galaxy around him.


    Below the stone couch lied the black tiger, dozing lazily, only when Ah Lian entered it finally opened its eyes to examine her.


    Ah Lian cautiously walked towards the stone couch and stopped five steps away from it, she was still slightly afraid of the black tiger. Shen Lian opened his eyes too, and the magical sight subsequently vanished. He fixed his eyes towards her.


    Ah Lian went straight to the point on why she went to see him, and nervously expecting his reply.


    Shen Lian asked, "You couldn''t say no to them?"


    Ah Lian looked at Shen Lian''s calm look and felt slightly uneasy. This celestial teacher was usually very mild-mannered, but she felt like she had done something wrong this time, so she feared Shen Lian would scold her.


    Ah Lian nodded slightly, "They would not stop pestering me."


    Shen Lian sighed, "Since I have taken over this mountain, it would be considered that I had some connection with you lot from the Wuzhong''s. Alright, you shall descend the mountain and ask them to erect a statue of me, and then build a holy temple around it. If they are sincere towards me, they will be rewarded. If they are not, you shall leave them be."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Ah Lian let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, celestial teacher did not blame her, he even provided a solution.


    She nodded, "I shall respond to them right away."


    Shen Lian added, "Also, once you have descended, you do not have to stay in Qing Xuan Cave anymore. Just go together with your daughter."


    Ah Lian was shocked. She replied bitterly, "Are you blaming me for causing you trouble, celestial teacher?"


    "You are no longer the woman whom everyone could bully. So, you shall return to where you came from," Shen Lian answered. Actually, if she could purify her heart and stay out of the mortal world, Shen Lian would not let her descend. However she could not achieve that, and it would be better to send her back.


    Not everyone was made to be a cultivator, as there were too many temptations in the world, even celestials and gods had hard times getting rid of them.


    Ah Lian did not argue. She kneeled and kowtowed towards Shen Lian and said, "Your servant know very well I cannot repay all the good deeds celestial teacher have done for me and my daughter. As soon as the holy temple is built, I will worship celestial teacher every day and night."


    Shen Lian smiled lightly and waved for her leave. He actually did not expect any repayment from Ah Lian, but mortals were heavy hearted. If he did not agree to any repayment, they could not have peace.


    Ah Lian went back to her own stone room and left with her daughter.


    Shen Lian had not start forging his sword yet. He was waiting for an opportunity, which was when the blood of the people flow as they were being killed by the King. He had to wait for the Xia''s Emperor to take over Mount Meng, which he would collect the burning killing vibes to forge the sword tip, and then only he could create this killing sword at once.


    After all, he was still the State Preceptor of Xia. He could use this killing fortune occurred from the battle between Xia Kingdom and the Eastern Barbarians. However, this would mean further deepening his karma with Xia.


    But since karma was everywhere, one could not see it nor touch it, therefore it was futile to run from it.


    The thought for Ah Lian to build the holy temple was not born at a brink of the moment. His true intention was that he wanted to explore the path of Shen.


    There were five immortals in the world, namely heaven, land, human, gods, and demons, all with the path to immortality. Shen Lian had achieved the paths of heavenly immortal and land immortal, the most superior among the five. However, the human, gods, and demons were also passed down from ancient times with very contrasting paths, but with the same destination, as these three would be followed up by the heaven immortals.


    After all, Shen Lian was determined to escape the barriers of his predecessors and explore the paths of Dao himself. He would have to make multiple trials to seek for the best path.


    All these were slow efforts which could not be succeeded with haste; hence Shen Lian was patient about it.


    He planned to refine his own True Samadhi Fire and wait patiently.


    Ah Lian''s breathing method was an authentic Xuanmen technique, enabling her to be more calm and collected. She was never the weak girl from the past when she faced her tribesmen. She transpired the orders from Shen Lian, and even made many detailed arrangements for this.


    The holy temple was erected in only five days, but without a name. Everyone only knew that the statue was of Celestial Teacher Qing Xuan.


    Celestial Teacher Qing Xuan was not a god who answered every prayer. All from the Wuzhong''s were well aware of that.


    However, after praying for a few days, none had their prayers answered, so they were quite disappointed. Some even took this up on Ah Lian.


    But there was one thing that everyone did not expect. Since the temple was built, Ah Lian prayed there day and night. Soon, an ineffable halo appeared around her body. When those complainers went near her, the halo would shock them and sent them flying, and the others who went near Ah Lian were unharmed. Soon people gradually understood. This was not because of Ah Lian''s high mana level. One must not visit the temple with ill intentions, whether it was towards Ah Lian or Celestial Teacher Qing Xuan.


    Slowly, everyone started to respect and worshipped Celestial Teacher Qing Xuan like a real god. And people started to dream of a celestial, and his face was exactly the face of the celestial teacher.


    Those who dreamt of the celestial teacher would find it easier to cultivate magic spells and Dao techniques.


    From then onwards, everyone had no doubt in Ah Lian, and she naturally became the temple attendant of the temple.


    As people started to worship religiously, Ah Lian could see some gaseous aura which looked like floccule gathering towards Qing Xuan Cave. Even she was able to take in some of those. Whenever the floccule shaped gas entered her body, she felt so comfortable as if she was soaked in a warm water bath. At the same time, she could clearly feel the changes in her flesh and blood, good changes.


    She even knew that this floccule form gas was emitted from the tribesmen and only those who worshipped religiously would emit these.


    Ah Lian felt the benefits of these floccule form gas, and eventually started to think of ways to make more people come to worship the celestial teacher since she had no other ways to repay his deeds, and this floccule gas was obviously a good thing and all gathering towards the celestial teacher.


    The more she could think of, the better she could repay the celestial teacher.


    Ah Lian''s thoughts were clearly reflected Shen Lian''s heart. He was not peaking at Ah Lian''s spirit intentionally. It was just a unique relationship between the two, built on belief and spirituality.

 Chapter 547 Mount Meng

    On certain definition, Ah Lian had become his most loyal follower,. She would not hesitate to do whatever Shen Lian asked her to do.


    This was not Shen Lian''s initial intention, but all because Ah Lian was too immersed into this. She even saw Shen Lian as her only pillar of support.


    That floccule gas was the strength of the prayers and incense. However Shen Lian did not reply to all of them, so it lacked in feedback and did not come in big amount. But it was very pure in the absence of human desires.


    The strength of prayers was different from mana and the Qi of heaven and earth. It was a mystical power which shared some similarities with Qianmo''s mystical Qi on certain levels.


    It could be used on to increase the strength of Dao techniques, godly prowess, and mana. When it was saturated to a certain level, it could even break the shackles between states. This meant that when sufficient, it would overcome any form of mystical medicine or potion.


    As estimated by Shen Lian, to cultivate to the state of immortality, the required strength of prayers would be in vast scales, which were the prayers from at least half the population of Eastern Barbarians.


    Dongyi was a large place, not inferior to the land size of Xia Kingdom. The people of half a Dongyi would be a large amount. Evidently, the cultivation towards the path of Shen would be extremely difficult. He could even observe how difficult it was for Zhao Xiaoyu to improve.


    No matter how pure the prayers were, it still contradicted with Shen Lian''s purer mind and spirit. If it were not for his intricate use of Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation, this strength of prayers was very generous, yet Shen Lian had to put it aside.


    At his level of cultivation, it was easy to form an incarnation. However to use it for the purpose of cultivation, it would be impossible, unless he could discover the ultimate Daoist way of incarnation �C The Three Incarnations, then only could he really form individual and independent incarnations for him to study the path that would clash with his own cultivation.


    From this, one could realize the versatility that the ancestors provided for the exploration of cultivations. A cultivator should use inspirations from ancestors'' teachings and apply it to future studies. Shen Lian also would not forsake the intricate studies of his predecessors. He only wanted to go beyond the boundaries set by them.


    As compared to Shen Lian''s unhurried pace, Mount Meng was engulfed in a depressing and heavy atmosphere. It was covered in white snow, and the killing aura could be felt by anyone.


    Within the tents of the Dongyi alliance, there were more than ten strong men of land immortals level and above. Their combined strength could flip over rivers and seas of all directions, but the brutality of Emperor Xia alone could match them.


    Two men were sitting at the top section, one being Yunyang, another man covered in white hair and was wearing a face of authority. He was the demon saint invited by Yunyang elsewhere.


    This saint was the reason why Emperor Xia had not made a move yet.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    A ravine with the depth of tens of miles lied between the arm forces of Xia and Dongyi alliance. This was all the works of Emperor Xia and the demon saint.


    Yunyang had become sworn brothers with this great saint. So, the other doyens of Dongyi had to pay respect to him whenever they saw him.


    Though defeated by Emperor Xia in the last battle, Yunyang remained unfazed, and he even made an alliance with other tribes of Dongyi with an organized management like a real King.


    Everyone present was won over by Yunyang.


    Yunyang scanned through the audience, and spoke, "Everyone, the tyrant king came in great force. He was unbeatable. Yet, his fighting spirit aroused by the first roll of drums was depleted by the second and exhausted by the third. Now he is gridlocked by us here, it would only diminish his army''s spirit. Please do not have doubts at this brink of time and miss this once in a lifetime opportunity."


    He spoke calmly as if he was winning, impressing everyone. But, someone asked, "If we are in this gridlock for months, it will also be a torture for us. Furthermore, Emperor Xia has an imperishable body, which is difficult to kill. If we cannot break through his body, even if we killed tens of thousands of the Xia army and Lei Hong, it would not achieve anything. What strategy do you have for this, Young Master?"


    Yunyang set his eyes on that person, whose name was ''Feng'', born in the family of Fenghou''s. He had unrivaled archery skills which could kill an enemy who was a thousand miles away, gaining him the reputation as the most feared assassin in Dongyi region. Even Yunyang himself had reservations towards this man.


    This man was so proud of his godlike archery skills he never had respect for anyone. Even though all tribes of Dongyi thought of Yunyang as the young master, they still addressed him as the alliance leader. Only Feng addressed him as young master.


    The great saint sitting beside Yunyang suddenly opened his mouth in a thunderous volume, "My brother has his strategy in mind, but how can he recklessly blurt it out here. The Xia army has its own skilled talent too. If we reckless speak of our plans, it will let them put up their defense. Have you all forgotten our earlier secret assault, which led to us being ambushed by them? If I had not made it in time, all of you will not be sitting here."


    As if his body circulation was going to explode, he had the voice of a thunder and eyes of lightning which was staring at Feng, prompting him to feel a sense of chillness.


    Feng never looked up to Yunyang, but he viewed very highly of this demon saint. No one knew where Yunyang invited this giant demon from, but he could actually match up with Emperor Xia for half a day before retreating in one piece. It was such a chilling feat.


    One could say that this demon had at least half the contribution for Yunyang''s current standstill with Emperor Xia at Mount Meng. This demon was not only fierce, he was also detailed and loyal like a normal human, who cared very much for Yunyang, prompting his position to be unmovable.


    As of why Feng never looked up to Yunyang, it was all solely on conflict of interest. Everyone knew about Yunyang''s ambition to unite all tribes of Dongyi and form a nation to match up with those of Yinshang and Xia Kingdom.


    This was also what the people wanted. However Feng was used to going solo, so he would not accept working under anyone''s orders. Moreover, he already had his plans to annex the tribes around Fenghou''s to become the largest tribe in Dongyi and form his own nation.


    This time his participation in the alliance was also to form an allegiance with other tribes and kill the royals of the Xia Kingdom at the same time, building his own reputation. He never expected that Yunyang was not only highly skilled, and even had assistance from this demon, preventing him from unleashing his own potential.


    This time he threw out a comment, only to be refuted by the demon. Feng''s expression dropped, and then he hissed, "Since Young Master has such a calculated plan, looks like you have no use for me anymore."


    Then, he dashed out of the tent.


    The demon saint scorned, "He was never pleasing to my eyes since the beginning. If he continued to stay on, I will strip the skin off him, it''s just the matter of time."


    Yunyang then faced the others and said, "I am sure everyone here knows of my elder brother''s temperament. Please do not take this in heart. I will personally send a letter to Division Chief Feng to explain to him. As for the battle strategy, please do not worry, as the Emperor Xia''s imperishable body doesn''t come without flaws. I will be able to overcome him when the right time arises."

 Chapter 548 Forest Covered in Snow

    Feng left Mount Meng albeit very unwillingly. After all, he wanted to build up his reputation in the Dongyi tribes, now that he left the alliance army, he could not achieve his plan anymore.


    He was a proud man, coupled with the suppression by Yunyang and the demon saint, he knew he had no opportunity to shine. In addition, going against Yunyang had cause instability in the alliance army. Although Yunyang was being compromised, he was finding an opportunity to eliminate him.


    That was the real reason why Feng caused a scene and found an excuse to leave, or else he would be killed by Yunyang, sooner or later.


    Once out of Mount Meng, he could only return to Fenghou''s. When he left he was filled with ambition, now he returned with zero achievements. This left him very embarrassed.


    So, Feng spent many days wandering around the mountains and waters of Dongyi. Throughout this whole period of time, he received messages from various tribes, yet he had mixed feelings on what effect his departure had left to the alliance army, but no one was talking about this.


    Feng self-consoled that maybe these tribes had limited access to their news, but one thing repeatedly echoed in his ears, showing that these tribes were still quite well informed.


    That news was that the State Preceptor of Xia Kingdom had arrived at Wuzhong''s, a tribe formed by sinners of various tribes, which caused discussions among all the tribes.


    Shen Lian never did anything significant. It was his identity that had gained much attention, causing discomfort in Feng, who also had a fair dispute with Shen Lian.


    Feng was the number one archer in Dongyi region and was considered the best since ancient times. Therefore, many disciples gathered at his school, but his most appreciated disciple was Ling.


    In return, Ling never failed his expectations and became a rather well-known assassin in Dongyi. However, Ling was killed by none other than the State Preceptor of Xia Kingdom, Daoist Qing Xuan himself.


    When Feng first heard this news, he was furiously enraged. If it was not for Daoist Qing Xuan being in Diqiu, capital of Xia, he would have gone to avenge his dear disciple long ago.


    Now, this Shen Lian did not only draw all the attention of all tribes, he also had a feud with himself, so Feng promptly had a thought. If he pursued and killed the Xia''s State Preceptor at this time of standoff, he would gain worldwide fame which would far exceed that of Yunyang.


    This thought could no longer be diminished, as it was too good for Feng to reject. However powerful this Shen Lian was, he would never have attained imperishable body. He would have completed the assassination with his incomparable archery skills. Even if he failed, he could escape unharmed with his traveling method as well.


    Once Feng had this idea, he had to execute it, but he could not move recklessly. He still needed more information about Shen Lian. Every time he went on an assignment to assassinate a major character, he would make multiple preparations, even prayed and showered, and counted his fortune.


    When Feng had this idea, Shen Lian had just retracted his Primordial Spirit from the void, which had completely recovered to the level when it was the most powerful. His heart was like an ocean reflecting the full moon, serene and peaceful, yet when a certain light leaked out; it would illuminate the whole stone room.


    This was also why the stone room was bright at all time.


    Black tiger was rather confused, "Master, you have concluded your cultivation earlier than usual today. Did something happen?"


    Shen Lian replied, "As I was going through a fugue of the universe, I was interrupted by an unknown killing vibe, prompting me to leave the state of Taixu.


    Black tiger said in fury, "Which blind sighted man would dare think of killing the master, I will kill him in one bite."


    "If this person''s killing vibe is enough to shock me, he must be some character. I don''t think you can match up with him. Alright, whoever he is, he would never expect me to have detected him. I have done many things in the Netherworld. Since someone wishes for death, I shall grant his wish." Shen Lian looked rather calm, but with a presence of a strong man''s aura.


    Shen Lian rarely showed this sort of fierce aura. Black tiger thought, "Whoever this unlucky man is, he is in for a good beating."


    Then, Shen Lian''s tone changed, "Since I finished early today, let us roam outside."


    Black tiger responded in delight, "Yes master! You could never imagine how bored Xiao Hei is, a bird would hatch out from me."


    Shen Lian kicked it, "Now, where did you learn such gibberish?"


    Black tiger replied with a cheeky laugh.


    The man and tiger duo exited Qing Xuan Cave and saw that the mountain was covered in white snow, bright skies shining, forming boundless grand scenery. Moreover, the Qing Xuan Cave was so strategic that some windy snow had blown over to form a natural drape of snow, blocking the view from outsiders to peek in.


    This was a mountainous area, not particularly high but extremely long, like a jade belt surrounding the boundary of Wuzhong''s, forming some sort of partial imprisonment, which was why various tribes of Dongyi had exiled their convicted here.


    Shen Lian was delighted to see the windy snow and told black tiger, "I have not seen such snow scenery for a long time, but it is still not big enough. Let me add on to the fun."


    Black tiger replied, "A fall of seasonable snow gives promise for a fruitful year. Master''s spells will give benefit for those foolish peasants down the hill."


    Shen Lian smiled lightly, "Since I have received some strength from their prayers. I can just take this little prayer and bless them with a fruitful season."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian stood motionless and blew a gush of pure white steam. Those were the prayers which he took in for days. The white steam rushed into the windy snow straight into the clouds. This mystical white steam had gifted the initially thin layers of clouds with strong suction force, sucking in plentiful of water from water sources from the heaven and earth, forming thick layers that engulfed the sky.


    Then, Shen Lian said lightly, "Come, wind."


    Almost immediately, the northern wind rose to add to the chilliness and wilted the trees.


    He proceeded to say, "Fall, snow."


    The layers of cloud roared and snow in the shape of goose fur descended to cover the land of thousand miles.


    The heavier the snowfall, the happier the people of Wuzhong tribe were. All the people of Dongyi tribes were cultivators, but not many were isolated from five valleys, so they were heavily reliant on food supply. Furthermore, normal bad quality food would only bring harm than good, so they would spend much energy in agriculture and farming. If the harvest was bad, they could only seek help from other tribes.


    Some cultivators might have the ability to change the weather, but very few could change it on such a large scale. Even if there were such character, they would hardly do such deed for minor tribes.


    There were some in Wuzhong''s who could predict the weather. They knew that the snowfall this year would not be this heavy, so this heavy snow was totally out of their expectations, prompting to guess that someone had cast a spell.


    Even some clever ones could associate this to Shen Lian. After all, the Xia''s State Preceptor was here. There should be no one else nearby casting such spells.


    Those who had this guess all rushed to the holy temple. If Shen Lian could bless the Wuzhong tribe with good climate every year, this would prosper the tribe to multiply, greatly benefiting them.


    At this moment, Shen Lian stood outside Qing Xuan Cave staring at the forest flooded in snow and grinned, "The snow filling the forest is a sign of the arrival of a high scholar. Since you are here, my Daoist friend, why don''t you show yourself?"

 Chapter 549 Peng Boshou

    The sound of wind and snow could not conceal Shen Lian''s voice which gradually reached somewhere in the snowstorm forest right in front.


    The black tiger opened its bronze-bell-like eyes wide and all it could see in front was a snowstorm. It still felt surprised because after all, there were only a number of people who could be considered as an eminent master by his master.


    Soon, it saw a person walking out from the forest filled with snow. A grey-haired old man with his white brows dropping and his white beard fluttering in the air. He was in a white robe which seemed whiter than the snow. Even the shoes sewn with cloud-shaped patterns that he was wearing was made with white hemp except for the bamboo crutch in his hand that was a greenish jade color which filled with the joy of life. It seemed to stand out in this land covered with ice and snow.


    Although its cultivation was ordinary, the black tiger had been following Shen Lian for many years and his judgment was already well trained. It was looking at the old man who was walking in the snowstorm towards it, but it did not seem like there were traces of snowstorm on his body. It was as though he was walking in a different dimension.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    That was not the only strange thing about this man. Through observation, it felt as though his body was giving out an indescribable fluctuation of divine Qi. While looking deep into his heart and soul, the black tiger''s heart filled with awe.


    From all these observations by Xiao Hei, it clearly proved that the old man was extraordinary.


    In Shen Lian''s eyes, it was a different scene. Regardless of how profound the old man was, he was not stronger than Shen Lian. However, Shen Lian was unable to make a precise judgment about how profound the old man''s cultivation experience was. It was because the old man''s solid mana that was accumulated after countless years. Shen Lian could not help but to bemoan about his insignificance in the face of this great old man.


    This old man was like a Qi cultivator who had been cultivating since ancient times. If one were to savor it, he could taste an ancient aura with a long passage of time.


    The old man spoke from afar, "State Preceptor could detect me so easily. You really do have a supernatural power, knowing all that is under the heaven, as what I''ve heard from the rumors. But what''s even more praiseworthy is that you''re not even old, and you''ve not even the at the age of eighty. It really amazes me."


    He gasped with admiration upon looking at Shen Lian because Shen Lian did not use any extra action or trick to connect the vital forces of heaven and earth, he did so naturally. Shen Lian was always at the mysterious state of the unity between universe and human. This mountain was still a creation of the universe, but in fact, it already became almost a part of Shen Lian. Thus, when the old man appeared, he was instantly discovered by Shen Lian.


    The fact that Shen Lian could easily connect with the universe was something that he had been going after in his entire life. The feeling inside his heart was indescribable upon seeing how Shen Lian could do this at this young age.


    On the other hand, after he heard the old man''s speech, Shen Lian was slightly touched because the old man said that he was not more than eighty years old which were the years he added up after three generations. The fact that the old man could clearly know made this point had made him even more mysterious again.


    He said, "You didn''t come for nothing, how about following me to the Qing Xuan Cave to have a chat inside?"


    "Thanks for your hospitality, national advisor." The old man softly caressed his white beard. With one step, he reached the cliff outside of Qing Xuan Cave.


    Soon, two persons and one tiger had entered into the Qing Xuan Cave. Shen Lian used the chanting technique and instantly, there were a stone table and chairs in the stone room in which all resembled nature itself of the highest quality. There were also a variety of illustrations on them that were filled with celestial fun.


    Then, Shen Lian took out a canteen and goblets and he poured two cups of water which had the aroma of a wine.


    Upon seeing the water in the goblet, the old man said, "State Preceptor is really generous. There are only nine wine springs in this world and each wine spring produces no more than ten drops a day. I''ve been living for so many years but I''ve only had five cups in my entire life. It''s surprising that this is my first meeting with the national advisor and yet you''re already willing to serve me with this."


    "This was gifted to me by the Boyi Tribe. I have another jar here. If you like it, you can have it," Shen Lian never had a concern about material possessions. If he was in a good mood, he could gift even more precious things to the others.


    Moreover, when he reached the stage of Taiyi, the things that he created would have spirits, and he would be able to create a majority of the priceless treasures in this world.


    The old man smiled and said, "It''s alright. The taste of the wine would not be as good if it isn''t shared with people like State Preceptor, you."


    Shen Lian responded with a deeper meaning, "It looks like the five times when you drink this wine, you must be with some extraordinary people."


    The old man said, "State Preceptor is right. This wine was tasted the very first time when I was with Si Wenming. As for the rest of the four times, the taste of the wine was slightly worse than the first time."


    Shen Lian soon realized that the old man was trying to uncover the fact that he was a Qi cultivator of the same generation with the king founder of Xia Kingdom through the topic of wine. Instantly, he understood the old man''s identity, then he smiled, "So you''re Peng Boshou from the Dapeng Kingdom."


    The old man was surprised, "I didn''t expect the national advisor to know who I am."


    Peng Boshou was a very old Qi cultivator. A long time ago, he accidentally took an exotic fruit which was one of the immortal spiritual medicine that mortals could take without side effects. Peng Boshou was originally a mortal. After taking the immortal spiritual medicine, he had nothing to worry about the shortening of his life anymore. From another point of view, he was no different from the walking celestials of the earth.


    Later on, he traveled around the entire world and began to learn some techniques on the cultivation of Qi. Besides, he also learned some supernatural power and even became friends with Si Wenming. After Xia Kingdom was established, a manor named the Dapeng Kingdom was given to him.


    The Dapeng Kingdom was located at the east of Dongyi which was surrounded by Yellow Springs. Three hundred years ago, the overflowing Yellow Springs flooded and inundated the Dapeng Kingdom. From then on, nobody knew the whereabouts of Peng Boshou.


    Even the seniors in Xia did not know much about this mysterious secret. Little did the old man expect that Shen Lian could see through his background so easily.


    Then, he was clear about the reason and he continued saying, "It seems that the rumor that the national advisor has a good relationship with Guan Longzi is actually true. I''m pretty sure he had shown you all the various types of ancients books and records of Xia. I remember that he didn''t allow when I wanted to go to take a look at Xia''s ancient books."


    Shen Lian said, "An elderly senior like Uncle Peng shouldn''t have many mysterious secrets that you don''t know of. Why''d you have to take the trouble to go to Xia''s library to find out about something?"


    "I''ve been concentrating on the augury methods since thousands of years ago. Then, I gained some knowledge about it and predicted that I''d have to face a trial of death but I couldn''t find out the origins of it. This is a serious matter and thus I wanted to borrow the fragmented River Map from Xia''s library to improve my augury technique so that I''m able to find out everything about the trial of death in advance in order to escape from it. I didn''t expect that Guan Longzi wouldn''t want me to look at it," Peng Boshou said.


    Shen Lian drained the cup of wine with one gulp, his mouth was filled with the exquisite taste of the wine. After pondering over the wine, he said, "I think Uncle Peng doesn''t need the fragmented River Map anymore since you can clearly calculate the cause of trial of death, I''m sure your augury technique is already perfect. Could it be that your trial of death has anything to do with me?"


    Upon hearing what Shen Lian said, Uncle Peng got up from his seat and he held his greenish jade bamboo crutch and approached Shen Lian in an attempt to gift it to him, "National advisor, please save me."


    Shen Lian''s eyes fell on him, then he said, "Uncle Peng, why do you have to do that? You can be frank to me about what''s on your mind."

 Chapter 550 Unusually Demonic

    Since Peng Boshou heard what Shen Lian had said, he did not beat around the bush and he told Shen Lian everything.


    Although he had taken the immortal spiritual medicine and he could be immortal. He did not even have to go through the trial of Dao. Nonetheless, it was not compulsory that he would not die.


    In actual fact, not only him, even if one was trained to the state of Taiyi, it was not necessary that he would be eternal. There were definitely trials of death which could trap them in dire straits.


    Upon encountering these trials of death, what mattered the most would be their attainment, plots, and whether they had valuables or unexpected help. A lot of things were to be prepared and plan. However, the most crucial thing was to be able to predict in advance so that there would be a chance to turn things around.


    Peng Boshou had spent his thousand years of power to realize the cause of his trial of death. It was all because the immortal spiritual medicine which he had taken was transformed from the origin of a star which was the Southern Dipper Tian Liang Star. The owner of this star was in charge of longevity and thus Peng Boshou could be immortal after he had taken the exotic fruit transformed from the origin of the star.


    There were a few other types of immortal spiritual medicine similar to this in the world, but the worse thing was that the immortal spiritual medicine that Peng Boshou had taken was originated from the star. It was an extraordinarily rare treasure for the Qi cultivators who trained the Dao of the Stars.


    What Wuding from Yinshang trained was exactly the exquisite martial exercise from the Dao of the Stars - Flying Stars Incantation. This was because he had the fate as a King in his birth chart, destined as a King. The Flying Stars Incantation would eventually be at its peak in his hands. However, there was a trial of deteriorating life in Wuding. In the end, he would need the spiritual medicine to get through it. There was no other spiritual medicine in this world that could be more suitable for Wuding other than the origin of Tian Liang Star on Ancestor Peng.


    Therefore, once Peng Boshou realized this, he was restless all day and he had even pried into Wuding one month ago. Little did he expect that Wuding was also a Qi cultivator of the master level. His mana was even stronger than any ordinary land immortal. The Flying Stars Incantation that Wuding had been training reached the entering path of Daoism. Due to the innate spirituality within the Flying Stars Incantation, there was an embryonic form of the star owners which had the power to inspire the origin of Tian Liang Star within Peng Boshou''s body. Regardless of how strong Peng Boshou''s mana was, he was innately restrained by Wuding, not to mention that there would be people who were of powerful characters secretly protecting Wuding by his side. Besides, he had even met a top Qi cultivator who was riding on a black Qilin which was unfathomable and there was already a third eye grown on his glabella.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He almost left a trail behind that day. Later on, he went around to ask and finally realized that the person was Yinshang''s Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong, who was also Wuding''s master. Due to the fact that Peng Boshou had been living for so long, he had a lot of private friends who led him to know about Wen Zhong''s background. The fact that he was actually descendant of the Lady Mother of Chariot had startled Peng Boshou. Hence, Peng Boshou did not dare to mess with him further.


    Nevertheless, he knew that even if he did not provoke Wuding on purpose, sooner or later, he would fall into Wuding''s hands. This was a knot that could not be untied and there was no escape from this.


    Unless he did not want the origin of Tian Liang Star in his body anymore and he wanted to get rid of the power of immortal spirituality medicine. However, this would be no different from committing suicide.


    Therefore, there was only one way to solve this critical situation, which was to find out the technique to break the Flying Stars Incantation and kill Wuding to spare all the later trouble then fled to the Asura Blood Sea as the Blood Sea was one of the few places that the Lady Mother of Chariot would not go. This was known by very few people, and Peng Boshou was one of them.


    Moreover, he knew that people like the Lady Mother of Chariot were almost invincible in the Netherworld. Nonetheless, she was subjected to restrictions and thus she could not recklessly intervene in the mortal''s issues.


    As for why Peng Boshou would want to beg Shen Lian was because Shen Lian was one of the few celestials who had peeked on the particulars of the Flying Stars Incantation before. With Shen Lian''s eyesight and state, he would definitely have a remarkable understanding of the Flying Stars Incantation. Thus, Peng Boshou would want to understand about the particulars of the Flying Stars Incantation from him.


    Upon listening to Peng Boshou, Shen Lian could not help but wonder about the mystery of fate in this world. In the end, fate could link the two irrelevant people due to an unexpected encounter.


    He told Peng Boshou, "Uncle Peng, it''s not that I''m not willing to help you but the Flying Stars Incantation is equipped with self-development method. Hence, even if there was any loophole in the past, I''m not sure if it still exists now and it is unpredictable. Moreover, you''re already restrained by the Flying Stars Incantation at the first place."


    "I''d be truly grateful as long as State Preceptor can tell me everything you know about it. Anything that I can do for you, or you can have any treasure that you want. State Preceptor, please believe that Peng Boshou is sincere," Peng Boshou noticed that Shen Lian had the intention to reject him and thus he could not help but feel slightly anxious.


    In the beginning, when he looked for Shen Lian he was looking forward to some hope, but when he finally met Shen Lian, he had no more doubt because he could clearly feel how profound Shen Lian''s state was. In this world, the existence of such people was only very few. He had seen Si Wenming when he was young, and Si Wenming was not significantly stronger than the present Shen Lian.


    Moreover, even if Shen Lian did not have the technique to solve this, it would already give him a significant help. Peng Boshou would not be careless when facing issues regarding his life.


    In fact, after all, the reason why he could be immortal was because of his unexpected counter. There was definitely no one Qi cultivator in this world that could take the sufferings while cultivating like the land immortals. As much as one''s mana was profound, or even better than the ordinary land immortals and that his supernatural power could be immense, there would be inadequacy in his mind after all.


    Regarding improvement on one''s mind, it could not be made up as years passed by. What was worse was that Peng Boshou had cultivated another unusually demonic secret method to find out the cause of his trial of death, and that had significantly affected his mind.


    Shen Lian stared at Peng Boshou while saying, "Uncle Peng, from what I think, your misfortunate trial will only arrive a hundred years later. Instead of thinking of how to deal with Wuding''s Flying Stars Incantation, why don''t you think of ways to get rid of restraint from the immortal spiritual medicine? It has been restricting you."


    Peng Boshou sounded displeased and offended, "Looks like State Preceptor has a really good relationship with Wuding. If you don''t feel like helping me, it''s alright. Why do you have to find all sorts of excuses to decline and sound so dissatisfied?"


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "We''ve cultivated up to this point, why do I have to be hypocritical to you? Uncle Peng, you''re also a Qi cultivator that''s been cultivating for a very long time, and yet you can''t control your own emotions. Don''t tell me that you didn''t realize this isn''t normal?"


    "What''s wrong with having human emotions when they''re of human nature? Is it because State Preceptor is at a more profound state so you look down on me?" There was slight anger in Peng Boshou''s tone.


    Shen Lian said, "Since Uncle Peng had such prejudice, there''s nothing more we can say. I shall gift this wine to Uncle Peng as means of courtesy."


    When Peng Boshou''s bamboo crutched hit the surface of the floor, Qing Xuan Cave wobbled instantly. It was followed by the shattering of the canteen, and the wine was spilled on the table. However, Shen Lian did not stop him when he witnessed Peng Boshou transformed into a white ray and left Qing Xuan Cave.


    The black tiger scolded and said, "This old man really doesn''t know who he''s messing with."


    Shen Lian had been staring at the outside of the cave for some time then only he responded, "There''s an unusual demonic vital force hidden within him. If it wasn''t because he raged, I couldn''t discover that."


    The black tiger asked with curiosity, "What malicious Qi could actually bother master?"


    "There''s a familiar smell. Forget about it. Since he''s been living for so long, it can''t be easy. This time I''ll just let him go," Shen Lian waved his hand, the shattered canteen turned into clay which blended into the surface of the floor.

 Chapter 551 Outside of Qing Xuan Cave

    As for the wine that spilled out from the canteen had flown from the stone table to the ground. Gradually, all the wine had come together and rolled to be a ball filled with water. There was a greenish white color True Samadhi Fire that sprung out from Shen Lian''s fingertip and a fire will fell on the ball. Instantly, there was a black smoke breaking out that scattered invisibly into thin air upon being blown by the wind.


    The black tiger asked with confusion, "What''s this all about, master?"


    Shen Lian smiled while replying, "Uncle Peng was really thoughtful. He had left some tricks in the wine. Unfortunately, how can he hide this from me? Hopefully, he''s not flying in the air now."


    At this moment, the ray that Peng Boshou had transformed into was roaming in the sea of clouds. The ground was a vast landscape of mountains and rivers. However, it could not pacify the anger within him. Suddenly, his heart scolded Shen Lian in silence, "What a vigilant young brat."


    Then, there was a fire which turned to attack him. His vital force was in a mess and the traveling light ray dissipated. Peng Boshou''s body figure appeared and fell from the sky.


    What could be seen in the snowstorm was a gigantic white object with a tinge of green fell from the sky and dropped on the snow-covered boulder and an enormous hole was formed.


    The snowstorm was rustling and rolling to be bigger and it caused an avalanche at this part of the mountain, this alerted another person in this space.


    This person was Feng from the family of Fenghou''s, the best marksman in the world. His eyesight was very good, he gazed at the entire Dongyi and he could see the entire process of the avalanche. Then, he moved to the boulder covered with snow and witnessed a big human-shaped hole.


    Uncle Peng homogenized his vital force and climbed out from the hole. He looked embarrassed but the greenish jade bamboo crutch made of surprisingly good quality actually did not suffer any damage at all. Peng Boshou''s head was anyhow broken after being seriously knocked out.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    His body first climbed up from the hole, then he grabbed his head which he then mounted onto his neck. However, this brought a laughter, "Uncle, you''ve placed your head wrongly."


    Actually Uncle Peng was aware that there was a presence of another person, and he suddenly got anxious, accidentally placing his head wrongly. He was embarrassed and positioned his head back correctly. Then, he stared at the person who laughed at the first place, scoffing coldly and said, "So it''s you, young brat."


    Feng squinted his eyes and said, "I was wondering who it is, so it''s you, Uncle Peng. Could it be that you''re old and your body isn''t agile anymore? You actually fell from mid-air."


    There was actually a conflict between Feng and Uncle Peng. Hundred years ago, before Feng became popular, in order to train his physique, he went all the way to somewhere nearby the Yellow Springs located at the east of Dongyi to practice his archery skills. Every day, he would be prepared with his archery bow so that when the tide came in, he aimed to shoot and bring down the tidewater using his power of godly arrow.


    This had caused a lot of disturbance and troubles to the Dapeng Kingdom, which then was yet to be flooded by the Yellow Springs. After all, at that period of time, Feng''s godly arrow already possessed an unconventional power which could disturb the spiritual vigor of heaven and earth and it affected a lot of areas.


    At that time, coincidentally, Peng Boshou came back to the Dapeng Kingdom, thus he went to teach Feng a lesson. Feng at that time did not possess such supernatural power like now and hence, he suffered injury by Uncle Peng''s bamboo crutch and he quickly hid away.


    That incident made Feng witnessed how Peng Boshou made a fool of himself, Feng would definitely want to tease him. However, he was secretly surprised at how this old man could mount back his broken head, thinking that he must have learned some weird Dao technique. Although it was not comparable to Emperor Xia''s imperishable body, it was already considered very unusually demonic.


    Peng Boshou said, "I''m still healthy. I just got staged by someone. Something''s worse for you. The darkening of your glabella means something bad is going to happen on you. You actually still have the mood to nose in my business."


    Feng felt unlucky that he provoked this old man. After collecting Shen Lian''s information and background, he did feel that this old man was unfathomable, and thus he felt apprehensive. Upon listening to Peng Boshou, he was even more alarmed. After all, as one age, one would be more experienced and steady. This old man might have somehow learned the art of reading a man''s character from his features and his saying could turn out to be a prophecy.


    He said, "Everything has been going smoothly for me, how would I be unlucky? Uncle Peng, please do not talk nonsense."


    Feng was afraid that this old man would say something unlucky again. Hence, Feng instantly threw himself into the snowstorm without bidding him goodbye. Feng was startled by Uncle Peng and thus he made a decision to go to Wupeng for fortune telling. If it was a bad omen, he would not go to trouble Shen Lian, the Xia''s State Preceptor.


    Wupeng was the most famous wizard in Dongyi since three hundred years ago. It was rumored that he was from the Xia Clan, then wandered to Dongyi. The answer to every question that one wanted to know was always accurate. In the past, Feng had tried to look for Wupeng three times, but it was such a coincidence that Wupeng was always not around and thus he went to find the other famous fortune tellers.


    However, this time he felt really uneasy and he decided to only make a decision after going to Wupeng for his fortune telling.


    Peng Boshou noticed that Feng left immediately with unspoken words lingered in his Feng''s mind, he told himself, "Something fishy must be going on with this young brat."


    Then, he took out a begrime mugwort and animal bone. He twisted the mugwort into stripes and lighted it under the animal bone. A crack was heard and he stared at it for a while, he turned to gaze at the direction where Feng had left and said, "Hehe, you still can''t get away from me."


    Then, Peng Boshou removed the tracks of the augury and his entire body sunk into the snow. He used the Earth Shifting Method to travel to the direction which he wanted to leave to.


    Since the time Shen Lian cast a spell to create snowfall, two days had passed. Outside the Qing Xuan Cave, the snow was thick and it almost covered the entrance of the cave. However, there was a weak-looking thin figure kneeling down outside of the cave.


    This was a young lad of approximately thirteen years old. Almost the entire face of his was covered by fine snow. Even his lips were in greenish purple color which clearly meant that he could have been seriously frozen.


    Although the physiques of people from Dongyi were relatively good, they were still not comparable to the Xia Clan. Not everyone was immune to the cold and heat.


    He was still young and hence his Qi and blood were not strong enough. He would naturally not be able to endure the freezing cold.


    Nonetheless, this young lad persevered. He did not make a fuss no matter how the ice cold chill pierced through his bones. Even if he was kneeling down, his body posture was very straight and he did not move at all as though he was a still carved sculpture.


    If it was not because of the steam between his mouth and nose, people might have thought that he had stopped breathing.


    Shen Lian who was inside the Qing Xuan Cave was definitely clear about this, he asked the black tiger beside him, "How long has this young brat been kneeling down here for?"


    The black tiger replied, "Master, this young brat came when you went for a fugue of the universe last night. He''s been kneeling down here for more than one night already."


    Shen Lian said, "This young brat has good perseverance but if he wants to beg me, this perseverance is insufficient, we should let him continue kneeling down for one more night."


    The black tiger said, "I''m afraid that this young brat can''t take it."


    Shen Lian said, "Pursuing Dao is facing death with a calm and still mind. If there''s no such determination, what is his purpose of coming here for?"


    The young lad had no idea about the conversation between Shen Lian and the black tiger that were in the cave. All he wanted to do was to use his determination to touch the celestial teacher.


    As compared to the rest of the people in the family of Wuzhong who only wanted to believe in the celestial teacher in an attempt to benefit from it, the young lad wanted to know more about the ways to enter the real path of Dao. His desires were to be like the celestial teacher who had the abilities to summon the wind and the rain and alter the phenomena.


    He had a dream when he was younger, which was to become an outstanding celestial who had the abilities of the summoning the wind, the rain, and the Bean-Soldiers Transfiguration. Even after he woke up from his sleep, he could not seem to get the dream off his mind and he had a stronger desire for this.


    However, as the snow was sealing the mountain pass, he quietly got up the mountain and found the Qing Xuan Cave.


    Not everyone was allowed to enter Qing Xuan Cave but he knew that the celestial teacher possessed extraordinary abilities and thus they would know the reason why he came. The young lad could not find any treasure that could touch the celestial teacher. The only thing he had was a sincere heart towards Dao and thus he had been kneeling.

 Chapter 552 The Tes

    Another day had passed, the young lad did not understand why he would be kneeling down, however, he could not stand up anymore.


    He wanted to move, but he realized that he had lost the ability to do so.


    Later on, he lost in his thoughts. He was not aware of how much time had passed and when he opened his eyes, he was soaking in warm spring water. There was a warm current flowing in his entire body.


    At the same time, he felt that his face was very sticky. What came into his sight was a long red tongue sticking out from a gigantic mouth.


    The tongue retreated back into the big mouth which closed. He witnessed a black tiger''s head. At this moment, his mind had gone blank. He was not even afraid and he only dazed.


    "You''re awake. Get dressed and come with me," the black tiger could speak like human beings and his voice sounded like the strike of precious metals and it wasn''t really scary.


    The young lad gradually recovered and he finally remembered that he came all the way here to look for the celestial teacher in the Qing Xuan Cave to pursue Dao and there was a black tiger beside the Celestial Teacher. He was filled with joy when he could recall things. Finally, he was going to meet the celestial teacher. Hence, he carefully got dressed and realized that the water in the puddle where he was lying in had turned black and it even stank.


    As for his body, he felt way lighter. When he walked, he felt as though he was about to fly.


    The black tiger was waiting for him and it snorted. Thus, the young lad quickly followed behind it. After a few rounds and turns, they entered a well-illuminated stone room.


    This time, he discovered a strange thing. There was no torch or any source of light in this cave, but it looked as bright as daytime, especially the stone room which was brightly lit.


    The first time he met the Celestial Teacher, he looked almost alike to the portrait in the temple. The only difference now was that the Celestial Teacher right in front of him was alive.


    The young lad simply kneeled down and said, "Guzhu is here to pay a visit to the celestial teacher."


    "Why are you here for?" Shen Lian''s voice was not loud but it reached directly to the heart.


    Guzu said, "I''m here to pursue Dao."


    "I do have ''Dao'' here but unfortunately, there''s no ''Dao'' of yours," Shen Lian seemed to be slightly apathetic and he looked cold.


    Guzu hesitated for a second and continued saying, "I want to be someone like the Celestial Teacher and I desire for the ''Dao'' like yours."


    "You''re not pursuing Dao, but dharma. I only have one type of Dao here, but there''s a variety of dharma. I can''t pass on my Dao to you but you can have two types of dharma since you''ve been kneeling down here for two days and two nights. But once you get the dharma, you should leave here," Shen Lian said.


    He pointed his fingertip at Guzu and there was a turbid current surrounding his fingertip that went into Guzu''s glabella in the end. Later, Guzu felt that he was in a vast space and he had spotted many Celestial Teachers. Some of them could swallow the wind and kiss the rain, some could shoulder the mountains and chase after the moon. There were some who were as fast as lightning and some who could perform Bean-Soldiers Transfiguration. All the techniques and supernatural power that he could imagine were all presented right in front of him and there was also a lot of those which he could not have imagined.


    Guzu was dazzled by the sight of these but he soon realised that the countless Celestial Teachers assembled together to form light spots which were flying towards him. He hesitated for a second but he did not grab the light spots which were passing by him.


    The light spots which were transformed from the Celestial Teachers became more and more. Gradually, he could not see the Celestial Teacher who had the supernatural power to shoulder the mountains and chase after the moon. He also did not know the Celestial Teacher which was represented by each of the light spots. He got anxious and randomly grabbed two light spots.


    These two were magical techniques whereby one was the Golden Touch and another one was the Five Elements Fleeing Method.


    Later on, he got away from this vast world and reached the foot of the mountain.


    All that had happened previously seemed to be like a dream. However, he could hear Shen Lian''s voice in his ears, saying, "Don''t come up to the mountain anymore in the future. Don''t even tell anybody where and how you get these techniques. Or else no matter how many thousand miles away you''re from me, I will take your life. Bear in mind of what I said."


    Guzu kept closely of what Shen Lian said in mind. Although he failed to formally become an apprentice to Shen Lian, he managed to return to his life after death and obtained two magical techniques. He was filled with gratitude towards the Celestial Teacher, thus he bowed with hands in front of his chest towards the direction of Qing Xuan Cave and left after some time.


    Inside Qing Xuan Cave, the black tiger was filled with confusion and thus he asked, "I thought that master will make him your disciple since you''ve even let him used such precious spiritual item, the stalactite. I didn''t expect you''d only pass him two techniques. What''s happening?"


    Shen Lian said, "You are having more and more questions."


    The black tiger was wondering if its master had gotten angry but when it looked up, it saw its master smiling.


    Shen Lian said again, "The fact that you have a lot of questions means you''re curious about things. This is a good thing. It''d make me feel irritated if you only eat, sleep, and repeat every day."


    Instantly, the black tiger felt relieved. It thought that it must be boring its master. However, it realized that its master''s temper had turned out to be significantly better lately. Could his temper improve due to the fact that his master had practiced the True Samadhi Fire?


    It said, "What''s the true meaning of this matter for master exactly?"


    Shen Lian said in a carefree tone, "You have been following me for some time. You must''ve realized that as your master, I''m not someone without any background. I came from a very famous school of cultivation. Your master, I, being considered as one of the most capable ones. However, in my school, when we train our disciples, we prioritize a person''s temperament as compared to the natural qualities. Since Guzhu came, I might as well test him. The fact that he could kneel down in a world of ice and snow for two days and two nights clearly showed his perseverance. Nonetheless, this only indicates that he has the potential to cultivate, it doesn''t necessarily mean that he can pass the temperament stage."


    The black tiger seemed to have been enlightened, "Looks like master wants to test his temperament." At the same time, it was talking to itself. It ate a lot but never worked and all it knew was to toady his master. Did it mean that it will fail the temperament stage? At the thought of its master might abandon it, it started to feel uneasy.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Absolutely. Now he has the Five Elements Fleeing Method and the Golden Touch. I''ve left my meaning in these two supernatural powers. Hence, he can master it easily and should successfully practice it in a short time. I''d like to see what he''d do with these two supernatural powers, now that he''d obtained them."


    The black tiger said, "Master is so smart, you can see his characters through this way. If it was me, I definitely would not think of such method."


    Shen Lian said, "You should stop trying to flatter me. When I go back to the school of cultivation in the future, you''d also have to go through some tests."


    The black tiger''s face was filled with resentment while staring at Shen Lian. It seemed to be asking his master to not abandon it.


    Shen Lian said, "Do you know that there are already two mounts in my school. I think they''ve already become divine dragons. With your little cultivation experience, you''d only embarrass me. If you can''t pass the tests, you''d have to look for a way out yourself in the future."


    The black tiger did not expect that aside from that dumb horse, there were still two divine dragons as its competitors. Suddenly, the black tiger felt hopeless and that it would most probably have to leave its master in the future.


    It was such a kind-hearted tiger. If it left its master, it would definitely be badly tortured by the rest.


    The black tiger was very depressed, what a difficult life.


    Feng had once again visited the celestial mountain which Wupeng was living in. Halfway up the mountain, Feng met Wupeng''s young apprentice who said that his master was not around. He had left for home to collect some herbs.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    This time, Feng was not in a hurry and thus, he waited somewhere nearby. Ten days later, he was informed by the young apprentice that his master had returned.

 Chapter 553 The Yarrow

    Wupeng was not only a wizard, but he was also a highly skilled doctor who saved countless lives in Dongyi. Hence, a lot of people who could recognize him but it was indeed the first time that Feng was meeting Wupeng.


    He was led by the young apprentice to Wupeng''s residence. He witnessed an old man watering a piece of land. The farmland was grown with grass which looked like wormwood. The fragrance emitted by the grass was refreshing and gladdening. The grass grew closer together. There were about ten to twenty stalks per root, and the most could go up to fifty stalks. Its difference from the wormwood was that they grew tall and straight. When the grass blossomed, there were reddish purple branches which looked like the shape of a chrysanthemum.


    Feng could recognize this grass. It was named as the yarrow. The flowers of the yarrows should have already withered by then. However, in Wupeng''s land, they still blossomed. This indicated that Wupeng had used some techniques to change the season of the particular area, but Feng could not see any traces of Wupeng performing any technique.


    Nonetheless, it was not something that Feng took to heart because he was never a person who was good at techniques and witchcraft. All he needed was a mystical bow which could counter all the techniques and crafts in this world.


    When Wupeng saw Feng, he stopped whatever work he was doing. His entire body was hidden in a black long gown and he was wearing a mesh net hat. His cheeks were rosy. His eyes were bright and clear, full of expressions.


    Feng paid obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest and said, "Greetings, Sir Wupeng."


    Sir was a term of address to the elderly for Dongyi. Wupeng was obviously older than Feng. Besides, Feng had a favor to ask him and that was also why he would address him as much.


    Wupeng said, "Are you here to seek medical treatment? Are any of your family members ill?"


    Feng could not help but to feel proud that even Wupeng recognized who Feng was. However, he did not show it on his face, he said, "I''m not here to seek for medical treatment from Sir Wupeng. There''s something that I can''t make a decision on, hence I''d like to have Sir Wupeng to perform augury for me."


    Wupeng spoke with a low pitch, "I''ve not performed augury for quite some time. I''m afraid that I''m lacking of practice and skill and that I''ll not be able to predict it accurately."


    Feng said, "No worries, I''m only seeking a peace of mind. I trust you."


    Wupeng stopped rejecting, he said, "If that''s the case, then I shall give it a try. Coincidentally, I''ve recently studied about matters of heaven and earth and refreshed some some knowledge there. If you are not in a hurry, we can share our knowledge and Minister can also learn about how I perform augury from our discussion."


    Although it was expected that Wupeng was a sage since he had saved the lives of many, Feng could not help but feel impressed at how Wupeng was so open and willing to share with the others about his knowledge on cultivation. It was no question that nobody tried to find fault with him all these years.


    He spoke with a firm tone, "Then I''d have to trouble Sir Wupeng."


    Wupeng then led Feng into his residence. Earlier on, a young apprentice brought a basin of clean water for him to wash up. Upon seeing this clean water, Feng was astonished because this was the Yangquan[1] Water. The Yin energy was especially strong in Netherworld and thus, the finest and purest Qi of Yang was extraordinarily precious. As for the Yangquan Water, it was one of the rarest water source which were rich in the finest and purest Qi of Yang. If one was to consume this water for a long time, the Yin and Yang within his body can be regulated that fostered longevity.


    Soon after Wupeng had done washing up, he sat opposite facing Feng.


    Wupeng did not beat around the bush. He said directly, "Nowadays the augury methods in Dongyi develop more rapidly compared to the ancient times. A lot of wizards have started using copper coins, flat bamboo sticks, small stones and so on to perform augury. They were indeed efficacious. However, I coincidentally got my hands on an ancient literature, only then I''ve come to realise that the most efficacious augury item is the yarrow, which is the grass you''d seen grown on my land just now."


    Feng spoke with astonishment, "I didn''t know that the yarrow could be used to perform augury. This is my first time hearing such a thing."


    Wupeng sounded slightly proud and pleased with himself, "When I discovered this, I was also quite surprised. However, the yarrow was mostly used in performing augury in the ancient times. Hence, that''s the reason why the yarrow slowly became extinct and being replaced by other items. In the near hundreds of years, it wasn''t known when the seeds of the yarrow started appearing. Gradually, more and more yarrow can be seen in Dongyi but almost no one knows the actual use of the yarrow. They only think that it smells good and it can cure some illnesses. The yarrow''s fruits were almost similar to the ones from the mugwort."


    Feng tried to flatter Wupeng, "If it wasn''t for Sir Wupeng, I''m afraid that this treasure would be unknown and its uses will be neglected." At the same time, he was thinking that the reason why this old man''s augury was so efficacious should be because of the fact that he had used the yarrow. When he thought of this, Feng thought of getting some yarrow from this old man so that he could bring it back and ask his tribe to plant it.


    After all, although there could be yarrow elsewhere, it might not be as healthy as the ones that Wupeng had taken care of and nurtured with effort.


    Wupeng grinned and said, "Actually it still won''t be efficient enough with only the yarrow. You''d need a corresponding augury dharma. You can see me demonstrate for one time. Since your cultivation experience is profound, perhaps you can help me to find out the flaws in it."


    Feng nodded his head and said, "I''ll try my best."


    When Wupeng''s young apprentice took out a bundle of the yarrow, Feng''s brilliant eyesight could instantly recognise that this bundle was exactly fifty, which was perfect for the Dayan number.


    Feng did not understand those deep words at all but he figured that he understood a little. Wupeng must be talking about how he used the yarrow to perform augury and the deep justification within it.


    Therefore, Feng believed in Wupeng''s augury without any doubt.


    If Shen Lian was to listen to what Wupeng said, he would have gained more compared to Feng. His understanding about Lianshan and Taixu Strategy would further level up.


    Using the method that he had mentioned earlier on, Wupeng used the yarrow to arrange a complicated and indescribable pattern using a total of forty nine blades of grass which included both long and short ones.


    He looked like he was drowned in his contemplation for a moment. Then he told Feng, "The favour that you requested, there are calamities in the blessing, and blessing in the calamities. I don''t know how to interpret it."


    Feng said, "Sir, do you mind explaining this further?"


    Wupeng sighed, "Your birth chart is noble and thus, it''s beyond my ability to predict accurately. But I can gift you ten words ''death and life have predetermined appointments; Dragon in the Sky''.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Feng said, "I''ve heard of a sentence from Xia''s Guan Longzi, which was ''death and life have predetermined appointments; riches and honour are from heaven'', why is it ''Dragon in the Sky'' when it comes to me?"


    Wupeng smiled and said, "If the dragon doesn''t act and doesn''t jump but ''rests in the sky'', what else should be done but by ''being in flight''? It''s said that the flying dragon is like a fish that goes back to the sea, which means it can roam freely. If it''s to be applied on human affairs, it means the phenomenon is at its peak phase of the cycle. If it''s to be applied to building an empire, it suggests the person can be the Emperor."


    In his heart, Feng felt the excitement because becoming the Emperor had always been his long-cherished wish. However, he was filled with some doubts and so he asked, "According to you sir, this is a good omen. How would there be calamities in the blessing, and blessing in the calamities?"

 Chapter 554 Yi

    Wupeng smiled lightly, "Life and death are decreed by fate. If obtaining the Emperor''s throne means being fated to have a short life, your good fortune will be turned to adversity, whereas if obtaining the throne means being fated to have a long life, it is a matter of time before you would succeed. Naturally, good things come with bad consequences while the bad events would have a blessing in disguise."


    Feng squinted his eyes and said, "Sir Wupeng, can you check whether I have a long life or short life?"


    "This is not something that I can foresee. If you can check your records in the Register of Life and Death, it would be clearer," said Wupeng leisurely.


    Feng sneered, "I will read the Register of Life and Death eventually." The Register of Life and Death was the greatest regret that had ever happened to him. He was considered as one of the greatest men in Dongyi but he was still tied by the Register of Life and Death. Although he used various secret techniques and spiritual medicine to stay alive, he was worried as death was like a sword that hung from his neck. He was unable to attain the highest stage of the God of Arrow because of that concern and failed to become the legend all archers yearn to be - ''Hou Yi''.


    Wupeng smiled and said, "You are the Leader of Fenghou Tribe, the Dongyi''s great archer. Hence, you would not have a short life. In my opinion, if you be careful, obtain the throne, nothing would stop you."


    Feng laughed loudly, "If there is such a day, you can visit me and request for anything you wish."


    Wupeng smiled faintly, "Is there anything that I can be of assistance to? Otherwise, I would like to resume making the medicine."


    Feng asked, "Would you be able to lend me some yarrow?"


    "You must be thinking to plant it. Here are some yarrow seeds. You can take all of it," Wupeng took out a small sack made of cloth and passed it to Feng. There was also a faint light emitting from the sack.


    As Feng accepted the small sack, he felt a surge of spiritual vigor. There was even a hint of yarrow fragrance. He said, "Thank you, Sir Wupeng, I shall stop bothering you. Allow me to excuse myself."


    When Feng left, the little kid asked, "Master, this fella is stingy. He left nothing but requested for you to interpret his augury and took a bag of yarrow seeds. If I knew that he was such tight-fisted, I would not have told him that you were back."


    Wupeng gave an eerie smile, "I am not a person that would be so easily taken advantage of."


    The little kid shrugged as he saw his master''s smile. He was merely complaining but his master seemed to take this seriously. Feng would need to pay for this.


    ...


    Guzhu from Wuzhong tribe quickly learned the Golden Touch and the Five Elements Feeling Method. Although he was not a celestial, he already developed an unconventional perspective.


    The Golden Touch caused him to not even spare a glance on the ordinary goods. This was because by using the Golden Touch, he would be able to gain plenty of gold. However, his mana was weak. Hence, the dough would transform back into stones after a short period of time.


    For the Five Elements Fleeing Method, it enabled him to use Golden Touch without worrying being caught. This was because by using his mind, he would be able to flee his way out, unnoticed.


    Using these two supernatural powers, Guzhu managed to accumulate wealth. Under wraps, he became the richest person in Wuzhong Tribe. There were many followers who obeyed his orders too.


    Nobody suspected that Guzhu''s mana came from the celestial as Guzhu never worshipped any celestial, let alone went to the temple.


    Most of his people did not believe in celestials. It was no surprise that there were many who did not worship celestials because they did not get anything in return by doing so. Eventually, they stopped believing.


    Although Guzhu managed to increase his status in the tribe, he would still prefer to be the likes of a celestial. However, he knew that no matter how hard or long he knelt before the celestial, he would only get this two mana.


    Therefore, Guzhu developed his influence on top of power. With his influence, he would be able to do more things, achieve greater heights and find whatever he wanted the most.


    Besides that, having a group of men that followed his orders flattered him.


    This was the taste of power, it lead to addiction.


    Power and wealth were not all-powerful. However, most of the difficult situations can be solved using these. As one gained more power, harder problems would be easier to settle and in return, the rewards would be better.


    Guzhu had the desire for power but he felt that the desire was due to practice and cultivation. Wuzhong tribe was too small. The clear-headed Guzhu knew that he could not lay a finger on the temple''s influence. Besides, he still respected the celestial teachers.


    Therefore, he made a decision that shocked his subordinates; he wanted to rob other tribes.


    He had the Five Elements Fleeing Method. If the source was precise and there were no other larger forces inferring, the chances of success were high. Furthermore, he might be able to subdue some Dongyi citizens.


    There were various kinds of Dongyi witchcraft and Dao techniques. As Shen Lian imparted his knowledge of the two spells, he included the true meaning of Xuanmen. Hence, it became easier for Guzhu to learn basic witchcraft and the Dao technique.


    Before the snow stopped, Guzhu left Wuzhong Tribe with thirty of his most trustworthy subordinates.


    Little did he know that all his actions were reflected in Shen Lian''s monitoring technique. It was clearly observed by Shen Lian and the black tiger in Qing Xuan Cave.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    As the black tiger saw Guzhu left, he said, "It seems like he failed the test, master."


    Shen Lian said, "Although his attitude does not fit Qing Xuan''s mark, Guzhu would be successful one day."


    Curiously, the black tiger asked, "Why?"


    Shen Lian replied, "I might be testing him but I was also experimenting the ''Yi Principle'' I had from ''Lianshan'' and ''Taixu Strategy''."


    Shen Lian was not bored. It was a coincidence that Guzhu came into his sight and so he used him to experiment the Yi Principle and subsequently to determine his faith.


    Destiny was mysterious and it could be separated into fate and fortune.


    Fate was predestined while fortune depended on the path that one chose. Combine both, it became one''s life journey.


    If one could grasp these two points, the future of this person could be known.


    Shen Lian could predict matters that were about to happen but could not predict the life journey of a person.


    However, the Yi Principle inspired Shen Lian.


    Everything revolving around the world was changing but this change had a regular pattern; Yi. Shen Lian used this pattern to conclude one''s fate and fortune and subsequently had a vague idea of the matters that were about to happen to that person. Moreover, this method of prying into the future would be able to prevent the boomerang effect onto oneself because it was a method of calculation and deduction. It did not affect the creator.

 Chapter 555 A Lotus-like Lamp

    The technique of Yi was one of the paths Shen Lian set for himself. It was also his first step to try on destiny.


    Regardless of Daoism, Buddhism, demons, or the various school of thoughts, the last stage of cultivation was not the thirst for strength. It was pointless for the celestials to opt for pure strength. There were many stars in space that was stronger than a celestial. Anyone of the stars had the strength to destroy the earth. This was something unachievable by any celestials.


    However, a celestial that was able to see through the subtle path of revolving would be able to find a way to destroy the stars. Even those stars which never dim had no chance against the real, powerful celestial.


    Therefore, strength and power may not be the same.


    From this point of view, Shen Lian was ahead of Emperor Xia. This was because Emperor Xia seeks strength as the true power and deems himself as undefeatable. Hence, there was an obstacle ahead of him that would be difficult for him to overcome. Nonetheless, if Emperor Xia conquered everything with strength, he could keep up with a Daoist master and Buddha.


    As a result, it was hard to explain any loss or gain in this world but, Shen Lian understood that by doing things that are suitable for him and cultivating spells that fitted him, he would not regret it even though he might not succeed.


    Hence, Shen Lian would not judge the decisions that Guzhu made even though his attitude and actions proved that he was not suitable to enter the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect.


    This did not mean that Guzhu would not achieve anything but instead, his diligence would bring him success if he survived.


    Based on Shen Lian''s prediction, Guzhu would lead a long, and better life. His future accomplishments would enable him to obtain more methods of cultivation and to build a new nation. Nonetheless, he would not be able to break out from the cycle of life and death and hence would not escape death.


    This observation was a unique experience as Shen Lian may have understood the state that Lu Jiuyuan was in. As Lu Jiuyuan combined with the Qing Xuan Star and formed a body, he probably could see the destiny of most people. This form was way above the mortal creatures of Qing Xuan. It was a special being which could not be described with Taiyi.


    Lu Jiuyuan did not exceed Taiyi but instead, it was just a different state of cultivation. For example, a common person who claimed the throne would not be treated as a normal human being as he was entrusted with the power given by the country.


    This meant that there would not be any advancement for the nature of life.


    If one managed to practice and cultivate to Taiyi, that would be a different level playing field.


    As Shen Lian deciphered this, he understood the segregation of Daoism into nine states. There were no segregations between the celestial beings, because it was not necessary to attain the state of heavenly immortals and Taiyi after obtaining immortality.


    However, it was not easy to break out from this circle. This was because, as one followed the authentic cultivation of Xuanmen, the path eventually leads to heavenly immortal, Taiyi, or an even higher state.


    These states were the paths taken by the ancestors. Then, they left Dao formula for the disciples to follow suit. Hence, it slowly formed a pattern that was hard to reform.


    This was unless one gave up cultivation and practice what was known and returned to the cycle of life and death to look for a new path. Having said that, the new path might be harder than the previous one.


    The highest form of Xuanmen was the Daoist Master, while for Buddhism, it was the Buddha. These were the real unbeatable. Nonetheless, for the demon realm and the other sages, there was no prominent representative like the Daoist Master or the Buddha.


    This may be the reason why both Daoism and Buddhism adhere to the authentic path of cultivation, it had been proven that those paths could lead one further.


    In a blink of an eye, one month had passed. The snow in Qing Xuan Cave started to melt. Shen Lian stopped his meditation and wondered about. He could be seen by many Wuzhong Clan as he frequently hiked up and down the mountain.


    Most of the people respected the celestials but rarely got in touch with them.


    This was an exception for Ah Lian and her daughter. Her daughter stuck by her side.


    Shen Lian seemed to like the little girl too and named her, Fuhao. Ah Lian liked the name too.


    That day, the sunset and the snow flowed to the east. The cold air was particularly dense. Ah Lian met Shen Lian in the temple. She felt something unusual so she queried, "Celestial, what brought you here?"


    Shen Lian smiled lightly and said, "There is someone trying to kill me but he won''t succeed. However, he knew some martial arts that could hurt the both of you. Since both of you were devoted and I am not heartless, I cannot be indifferent. Hence, I came to give this to you."


    Ah Lian had lots of questions in her head, like who would want to kill the celestial. Suddenly, Shen Lian''s hand was holding a lotus-like lamp and the lamp flew towards her.


    Shen Lian''s voice appeared beside her ears, "This object has consciousness. It can protect the both of you from getting hurt. No spells needed as it works with just your sincerity."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Suddenly a clear thought passed through her mind and she realized that she was sleeping by the tabernacle in the temple. She woke up because her daughter was playing with her hair.


    The arrival of Shen Lian was just a dream. Immediately, she realized that it was not. There was a lotus-like lamp in front of the tabernacle. There was no lamp wick, no lamp oil but it gave out a warm feeling.


    The celestial did visit her. It was his methods that made it abstruse. It seemed like a dream but it was not one.


    Fuhao also saw the lamp. She wanted to hold it but Ah Lian stopped her, "My dear daughter, this will be used to save your life. Do not play with it."


    However, even though she studied the lamp for a while, she still could not figure out how to use it. She remembered Shen Lian mentioning to use her sincerity.


    Little did she realized that this special lamp was made using the strength of the incense. This was an instrument from the path of Shen. Hence, the power of this instrument depended on the sincerity of the devotees.


    Shen Lian was enigmatic while doing things. He might have a better instrument to give to Ah Lian but the lamp was the most suitable thing. Only people who were willing to help themselves were the ones that deserved help from god.


    The next day, Wuzhong Clan and Ah Lian witnessed something magical. The mountain that the celestial stayed on was still white even though all the snow melted.


    This was because, within a night, all the trees turned to white plum blossoms, covering the mountain.


    "The plum blossoms thrive in the wintery forest, not mingling with the plums and the peaches to be reduced to secular. Suddenly, a hint of fragrance started to spread and dispersed into the universe bringing spring." Shen Lian told the poet while enjoying the scenery. The scenery mentioned to Shen Ruoxi before he left Shen Family was easily achievable.


    During that time, he was a mortal. It was different then that he was immortal. Although he was still Shen Lian, the past occurrences were over.

 Chapter 556 Sun Vanquishing Arrow

    The plum blossoms forest in the mountain was created by Shen Lian''s spell and became the Mountain Defense Formation. Hence, whenever the Wuzhong''s went into the mountain, they could hardly reach the Qing Xuan Cave like Guzhu.


    Once an opportunity was missed, it was hard to find.


    The purpose Shen Lian laid the formation was not to stop the person who tried to kill him. It was merely just using the plum blossom forest to lay footprints in this mountain.


    The mountain was not high but it was famous due to the celestial. The water was not deep but it would be spiritual if there was a dragon.


    As Shen Lian stayed on this mountain, the mountain would be well known. Hence, the people who came into the mountain would make the place into a pandemonium.


    In order to prevent this, Shen Lian decided to lay the Mountain Defense Formation.


    The Wuzhong''s would not give much thought. As the whole mountain was covered with plum blossom trees, it was given the name, Mount Mei.


    If the white plums would survive another thousand years, the name of the mountain would not change.


    Thousand of years later, there would be many fables and tales being told due to the plum blossoms and Shen Lian. It would become a beautiful story and the place would be one of the sources for Shen Lian to journey the path of Shen during his practice and cultivation.


    The Wuzhong''s slowly got less curious about the strange occurring on the mountain.


    Without causing suspicion, an unexpected person came from the east side of the mountain, and that was Feng.


    As he returned to Fenghou''s, he planted the yarrow seeds and went into a solitary retreat. His heart and soul entered into a state of concentration. He was the almighty god archer. As he adjusted his state of mind to the most relaxed and natural state, his shots never missed.


    Shen Lian was the most famous person in his list of targets. Honestly, when he made up his mind, he felt an unstoppable sensation. All the incense showering did not help much. He could only calm down by solitary retreat after the snow melted and spring began.


    He made the decision to come to the surroundings of this mountains after much consideration. The final battle between Emperor Xia and Yunyang was about to begin.


    If Yunyang won, nothing would matter. But if Yunyang lost and at the same time, if Feng killed Xia''s High Priest, Feng would obtain an incomparable reputation. He would become the person Dongyi depends on. The accompanying luck and fortune would enable him to become the genuine ''Hou Yi''.


    If Feng became ''Feng Yi'', although he could not kill Emperor Xia, it was enough to overawe most citizens in Xia. Then, he would become dominant in Dongyi, accomplishing his wishes and obtaining the throne.


    These thoughts were highly possible. He did not believe the augury Wupeng interpreted.


    No matter how frightening Shen Lian could be, Feng treated him as a large obstacle. This time, Xia''s High Priest must die in his hands, even though they did not meet before.


    Feng could ensure that Emperor Xia would not notice him within the distance of one hundred kilometers. With this distance, he would make use of the arrow that he was always reluctant to use, the ''Sun Vanquishing Arrow''. According to the legend, the greatest god archer, Hou Yi, used this skill to shoot the nine suns. There were initially ten arrows and Feng was holding the last ''Sun Vanquishing Arrow''.


    For an instant kill, Feng had to use this.


    The east wind blew and the plum blossoms gently fell. From afar, Feng could smell a hint of the plum blossoms. But he could not use his spiritual sense to pinpoint Shen Lian''s exact location because it would alert Shen Lian.


    Therefore, he imagined the environment that Shen Lian was in and looked for his existence.


    This was a god-known spiritual sense. It was also a state he well tempered and trained, a state of the god archer.


    The plum forest was within his field of vision. The picture of the whole mountain was clear in his mind. Feng closed his eyes and endorsed into the magical state.


    The sound of water gushing rang in his ears. That was the bottom of the spring water. The water sounded cold. It seemed like the residue of the cold snow remained. The falling plum blossoms were blown towards the water by a gust of wind. As there was no one in the plum forest, the place seemed like it had been cast aside by the world.


    There was a hardly noticeable music of stringed instrument among the sound of the wind, water, and the fallen plum blossoms. It was divine music, not artificial. This reminded Feng of the north arctic, the ocean he saw behind the Youdu was not water from the Netherworld but he did not know the origin of the water. The place was dead quiet so it was named ''Ming'' and as the location was in the north, it was named as ''Bei Ming'', as ''Bei'' means north.


    Bei Ming was too large that Feng had not finished exploring. However, he saw a huge demon beast, called Kun.


    The Kun was a length of a few thousand miles. When it float resting on sea level, it formed a huge island. Kun produced a strange sound was not earth-shattering, but it was similar to the music of nature. It seemed like it was a voice of a human''s heart and also the hidden rhythm of the path of Dao.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Feng listened to the sound of Kun for a month. It was the reason behind his success in becoming the strongest god archer in Fenghou''s. He comprehended the undying interrelation between gods and humans.


    Upon hearing the similar divine music from Mount Mei, Feng was shocked. There was no one else in the mountain. Hence, the only source could be Shen Lian. This changed his perspective of Shen Lian to the better.


    Thousand of thoughts passed through his mind. Finally, he followed the music and climbed up the mountain.


    Mount Mei was not high but Feng ''saw'' a light mist in front. The mist was like the ones that had always surrounded the high mountains. The source of the music originated from the mist.


    He was not mortal and this time around he was in a magical state. Hence, he could see through the mist and obtained the truth.


    At the same time, he took action. He raised his bow and laid the Sun Vanquishing Arrow.


    As he ''saw'' Shen Lian, the Sun Vanquishing Arrow shot out from his bow.


    A figure of a young man playing the instrument appeared in front of Feng. He sat by the cliff, against the cave with the name ''Qing Xuan Cave''.


    By his side was a black tiger, quietly asleep surrounded by the music.


    As he saw the whole picture, the young man looked into his eyes and said, "I have been waiting for you."


    Feng was shocked. Little did he know that he would face this situation. His strong mind and soul suddenly snapped.


    Without hesitation, he pulled the arrow and fired the Sun Vanquishing Arrow.

 Chapter 557 Da Yi

    Although Feng was the strongest archer in Dongyi, the shot depleted all his spirit. As he had never used this arrow, he could not imagine the situation that he was in.


    However, as the arrow left the bow, besides feeling weak, he felt that he fell short of ''Hou Yi''. There was still a huge gap to become ''Hou Yi''.


    When Hou Yi, also known as Da Yi, fired nine shots, he showed no hint of tiredness. This feeling of defeat overhauls the sentence that Shen Lian said, "I have been waiting for you."


    The Sun Vanquishing Arrow seemed to have its own life. It vanished among the void and also outside of Shen Lian''s mental state.


    Shen Lian never took Feng seriously but this time, he felt threatened. The divine music flowed out from his fingers and the surrounding was filled with the sound of wind and water. Mount Mei was under his control but something still felt different.


    A sense of a devastating killing vibe poured over him like the wave. The Primordial Spirit was covered by a black and thick ink, pitch-black. At the same time, his thoughts became slower as if it was tied with the Fairy Binding Rope.


    This vigorous sense of danger was comparable to the battle between him and Yanxu. No, it was more than that. It was still the Sun Vanquishing Arrow arriving in front of him, he realized that he did not sense this.


    For a person who specialized in the Dao of Yi and the theory of destiny, this unexpected event caused him to feel frustrated.


    Everyone in the human realm had to go through an obstacle. Shen Lian realized that this was his obstacle. It became unavoidable because he could not sense it coming.


    If he interpreted and investigated Feng''s past, he would know the origin of the Sun Vanquishing Arrow. Then, he would able to take precautions. He was overconfident.


    The worst part of this obstacle was Shen Lian lost confidence in his premonition. This premonition had helped him in many situations but this time he was blinded.


    Instantly, the Sun Vanquishing Arrow appeared, on Mount Mei, outside the Qing Xuan Cave. It penetrated the emptiness, stirring up many spiritual vigors from the sky and land, switched the moon and sun, switched the five elements, and turned the land into a horrible, pitch black place.


    Shen Lian saw the Sun Vanquishing Arrow. It was black in body, symbolizing it''s unstoppable and unavoidable force. This was one of the accomplishments of a Daoist. This was the mind of ''Da Yi'' which originated from the past.


    Shen Lian felt that he was in the past, looking at the young man. He picked up his bow and arrow and tried to shoot the undying sun.


    That arrogance, that temperament, that nothing in the world could shatter him, deeply embedded into Shen Lian''s heart and soul. This was followed by the Sun Vanquishing Arrow, like the knife of karma, unavoidably penetrated into his heart.


    As the Sun Vanquishing Arrow went into his heart, Shen Lian felt that his Primordial Spirit was attacked. His Primordial Spirit showed signs of breaking but he could not summon any Lingbao Tianzun.


    The young man definitely did not reach the state of Lingbao Tianzun. He could not even escape from the time but he proved that he could be successful like Daoist master and the Buddha. He was undefeated among the heaven and earth.


    This accomplishment was only achievable if one finished the path to the end. He would leave his presence in the indestructible path of Dao. Even though if the young man vanished or fallen, the mark would still exist.


    If Feng knew the power of Sun Vanquishing Arrow, he would not use it. He would rather use it on Emperor Xia or the demons beside Yunyang.


    He did not become ''Hou Yi'' so he would not understand this accomplishment. Unfortunately, Shen Lian became the target of Sun Vanquishing Arrow. More precisely, this was the consequence of karma with Xia. This was an opportunity to stop his relation with Xia but this was dangerous too.


    In the mundane world, he was regarded as dead. The Sun Vanquishing Arrow had destroyed his flesh and even his Primordial Spirit showed signs of cracking.


    If this was in another state of heavenly immortal, his would be gone. However, Shen Lian was different. He was barely ''surviving''.


    All thanks to the Old Daoist and Yanxu.


    Dream Heart Sutra could transform one''s life into a dream. The Free From Incarnation was the skill to freely transit into the dreams.


    One good one evil; one Dao one demon. It was like the Yin Yang fish, represented both Qing Xuan''s geniuses. They were the ones who understood detachment.


    Shen Lian inherited the knowledge of Law of Detachment from the two geniuses in Qing Xuan. No one in the human realm could understand this, Yanxu and Old Daoist included.


    The information left by these two masters enabled Shen Lian to sustain his life.


    The moment his Primordial Spirit was destroyed, he followed the rare understanding by the two geniuses and created a dream state to put himself inside. Hence, he was not in the netherworld, rather in a dream.


    This move could cause him to stay in his sleep forever but he had no choice.


    Only in the state of dream, he could manage the strong, unstoppable state of mind by ''Da Yi''.


    This dream also enabled Shen Lian to discover the some of the secrets hidden by the time.


    That was an era when god disappears and the Heaven King had not begin ruling.


    There was no leader, but many Daoist were stirring up the situation.


    ...


    The family of Wuzhong could not see any sunlight. Darkness spread fear among the people. Spiritual vigor was mixed up. That moment brought many natural disasters. Strong winds, the appearance of fire and houses being destroyed my houses were occurring in many various placesFind authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    In the temple, Fuhao hugged her mother and said, "Mom, I am afraid."


    Ah Lian started at the lamp on the tabernacle, hugged Fuhao tightly and prayed hard. However, there was no response. This lotus-like lamp did not respond according to her prayers but Ah Lian knew that the celestial would not lie to her.


    The disasters were getting worse and the temple was shaking along with the wind and rain. Ah Lian did not know how to show her sincerity as she had done her best.


    Water entered into the temple. There were even ghost screams. Finally, Ah Lian got her courage and took a knife to cut a wound on her wrist. She was dripping her blood on the lamp.


    This was a blood sacrifice. Offering her blood while praying was the greatest sincerity for the deities. If this was not the right way, Ah Lian would not know what to do next.


    Finally, there was a response from the lamp. It did not light up like how she expected but it gave out a strange feeling. This stabilized the temple.


    Ah Lian looked into Shen Lian''s portrait and asked, "Celestial, how could I save more people?"


    The portrait was silent and did not respond.

 Chapter 558 Human Sacrifice

    Outside the temple, the wind and rain showed no signs of stopping, whereas, inside the temple, it was peaceful. Ah Lian was unsure when the wind and rain would erode the temple.


    Suddenly, there was an unexpected guest in the temple. Ah Lian saw a flash of light and it reduced the darkness in the temple. It was a pair of eyes.


    Ah Lian recognized this unexpected guest. It was the celestial''s mount, the black tiger. It rarely leaves its master but it was alone.


    The black tiger''s eyes lit up brightly like the stars in the sky. It told Ah Lian, "My master had treated you well, it is time to repay him."


    Ah Lian understood the unresponsive portrait. The celestial was in trouble.


    She was delighted as she was able to help the celestial. Regardless of the consequences, she was willing to give in. Hence, she said, "I am willing to do anything in my ability."


    The black tiger pulled a serious face and said, "My master is in trouble. I could only think of a solution that is to light this lamp. This is the only object which has the closest connection to my master. My master once said that cultivation is like lighting, a light in one''s heart. It will brighten the path and clears all obstacles. Although this lamp is not my master''s Lamp of the Mind, it is condensed by the incense from the devotees. Hence, it will function the same."


    Ah Lian said, "I do know how to light it up."


    The black tiger said, "It is lacking a lamp wick and the lamp wick is you."


    Ah Lian shivered. Suddenly, she understood that the greatest sacrificial ritual to the deities was not blood sacrifice but a body sacrifice. This lamp was the medium between her and the celestial.


    However, there was a point that she did not understand. Hence, she asked, "From the start, the celestial would have known the ending as he gave me this lamp. I was not worried about death but I was worried about my daughter. The celestial knew this, but why did he not explained it to me?"


    The black tiger answered gravely, "That was the path given by my master. You have become his most loyal devotee so it would be hard for you to enter the karmic cycle. Human flesh is something detachable. As you transform into the lamp wick, you will become the soul of this treasure. Hence, it is just another form of living in this world. Besides that, my master would have a way to create another human form for you if you decide to experience the life as a mortal."


    Ah Lian whispered, "What should I do?"


    The black tiger said, "Hold this lamp."


    Without hesitation, Ah Lian held the lamp. Soon, she felt that she became a void. The process was not difficult.


    Then, there was light.


    Her blood was the oil lamp while her body was the lamp wick. The lamp originated from the path of Dao, leading people to eternity. At the same time, Ah Lian ''saw'' the black tiger covered with blood. None of its furs were clean. She understood its brightly lit eyes. It was because the black tiger was burning its soul.


    The reason behind the black tiger survival was his undying determination. He was willing to burn his soul so that he could bring itself to this temple. All these just to enable Ah Lian to lit up the lamp. He was afraid that if he was late for even a minute, his master would not return.


    The black tiger was lazy and afraid of death. Nonetheless, it was willing to sacrifice everything for its master. After following Shen Lian, he managed to know a lot of things and it allowed the black tiger to view the world in a different perspective.


    Regrets filled the black tiger. He should have made extra effort to practice and cultivate. Subsequently, he would not be injured badly and be able to contribute.


    The light from the temple chased away the rain and the wind outside the temple. Within the range of the light, the disordered spiritual vigor became neat. Many from the family of Wuzhong noticed that.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    They started to move closer to the temple. At the same time, they quietly uttered the celestial''s Daoist name, Qing Xuan.


    The black tiger laid by the temple''s threshold, observing the people. Looking at the glowing light, it murmured, "My master, can you feel it? Come back quickly!"


    It still remembered the destruction of Shen Lian''s human flesh which vanished in a blink of an eye and the unforgettable arrow.


    The black tiger could not believe that his master could be easily annihilated. It accompanied Shen Lian for many years and knew of the theory that his master mentioned. That was to transform life into a dream to prevent any harm.


    However, this would cause one to be lost in the dream and hard to wake up. Hence, an external force was needed to wake him.


    While Shen Lian vanished, the black tiger immediately thought of this. His master could turn into a dream without a trace.


    As Shen Lian told the black tiger this, it could be an unintentional act. To construct the lotus-like lamp from the path of Dao, he would never think that the lamp would be his life savior.


    The lamp was intended to save the people but it could also save Shen Lian.


    ...


    Shen Lian passed through a blurry time and arrived in a time zone where he could not imagine. The land was filled with mighty mountains. Some of the lands were larger than the Qing Xuan Star. The widespread of flatlands were harder to cross, compared to the galaxy.


    There were many formidable vital forces from the sky and land, causing him to feel small and negligible.


    However, he could not move to any place and had to stay on the mountain.


    This mountain was a young man''s colonial. Shen Lian clearly knew the young man. He was Da Yi. He was the person closest to the undefeatable powerhouse after the Emperor.


    Da Yi seemed like he was unable to see Shen Lian. In fact, every living creature in the mountain could not see Shen Lian. It was as if he was the passerby of the time, quietly observing the happenings in the mountain but could be part in it.


    Shen Lian saw with his own eyes a fierce creature from the state of heavenly immortal easily hunted by Da Yi. However, this did not spark an interest in Da Yi.


    Da Yi did not have many friends but he had many tribesmen. He treated his tribe well. Every prey he killed was passed to the tribe but no one dares to go close to him.


    This was because he had a naturally born arrogant temperament, so much so that the world could not accommodate him.


    The temperament was unlike the unworldly and refined celestials, it''s something that the world could not accommodate. Shen Lian could see strings of Dao techniques that transformed into invisible chains, twining around Da Yi.


    If the celestials were as strong as Da Yi, they would hide their temperament and communicate with the others. However, Da Yi did not do so. He was being himself. Hence, the world could not accommodate him while he did not take the heaven and earth seriously.


    Compared to Da Yi, Emperor Xia was considered as weak.


    Although the person was strong, once you got used to it, he could hardly affect you. Moreover, Shen Lian was in a state of a passerby.


    He could see and hear but could not get involved.


    This might be his state of dream. He could only be a lonely sober but could not get away from the dream. Furthermore, he did not understand the meaning of this dream.


    He could only feel the time passing in this boundless never-ending solitary.

 Chapter 559 Siblings

    Maybe he was used to loneliness. But one day, Da Yi finally took in a wife.


    Shen Lian''s first impression of Da Yi''s wife was how was it possible for such a beautiful person to exist in this world. His second thoughts on her were her terrifyingly deep cultivation experience.


    If Da Yi was the most majestic mountain that was not crossable, this woman''s cultivation experience was like the vast sea that had no end to it.


    Without a doubt, Shen Lian determined that her state was at least above of Taiyi and had progressed further in cultivation compared to himself.


    Shen Lian could not make sense of why a person like her would want to marry Da Yi. After all, she would have her own pride and she was one of the darlings of the essence of the universe. Why would she want to get married and be bonded to something?


    But what really moved Shen Lian was that this woman''s cultivation seemed to be related to time. In fact, she reminded him of the Code of the Bright Moon of one the hundred and eight methods of Qing Xuan.


    The Code of the Bright Moon took on the way of Taiyin, also known as the way of moon, and its highest level was related to the profoundness of time. Among them, the Ultimate Knife of Taiyin had infinite power but no one had yet to cultivate it to such levels.


    The woman''s state was higher than the limits of the Code of the Bright Moon but they were of similar nature.


    Perhaps it was because she was involved with the profoundness of time, every time Shen Lian looked at her, he felt that she was also looking back at him.


    It was an indescribable feeling, just like finally meeting another human after long hours of walking in the desert. Even if it was just a mirage, it was still exciting.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    At the same time, Shen Lian found out her name. She was Heng''e, her father was the most powerful person on earth. Everything below the sun and moon was ruled by him.


    Da Yi was the strongest man and Heng''e was the noblest woman in the world. Shen Lian predicted that this was the reason why they got together.


    Shen Lian was able to associate them with the legend of Hou Yi and Chang''e. However, Da Yi and Heng''e were way more powerful than what was recorded in the myth. At least, the Heng''e in the literature did not have such deeply unpredictable cultivation experience.


    Besides Lingbao Tianzun, Shen Lian was not able to find someone who was more powerful than Heng''e in his entire lifetime.


    There were times where he suspected that Heng''e could pull him out from this strange state but she did not do anything. Of course, Shen Lian could not see the intimate moments of Heng''e and Da Yi as it seemed that she blocked out his senses during those times.


    This reaffirmed his theory that Heng''e could see him.


    Years later, Da Yi had become more gentle and homely. He rarely went hunting after getting married.


    Shen Lian became more lonely. He thought things would be different when Heng''e discovered him. But nothing had changed since and he was still a lonely spirit whom no one spoke too neither could he speak to anyone. In fact, he realized that his mobility had decreased along with time.


    He knew that if he did not make any changes, he could turn into a thoughtless rock and fall into eternal loneliness.


    Shen Lian also knew that the opportunity for change must come from Heng''e. This was because she was the only person who noticed him. Sometimes, Shen Lian was so desperate that he would rather be caught by Heng''e than to suffer in this hell-like torture.


    If it was him in the past, he would never have such depressing thoughts. But the Sun Vanquishing Arrow had crushed the state of mind that Shen Lian was so proud of, causing his celestial heart to fade away and his humanly desires started to rise.


    Shen Lian''s opportunity was finally here. One day, a teenage boy came from the west. Shen Lian was surprised that this boy''s face somewhat looked similar to Yunyang. But he did not have the same charisma as Yunyang.


    The teenage boy felt more like the cloudless autumn clear sky, high up and crystal clear. But it was hard to tell how high up nor how clear it was.


    In other words, the cultivation experience of the teenage boy was about the same level as Heng''e.


    Shen Lian was aware that if he wanted to achieve such level in cultivation, he would need years of experiences and opportunities.


    It seemed that the teenage boy could see Shen Lian. When the boy sneakily smiled at Shen Lian, he felt a sudden chill down his spine and that froze his divine thoughts.


    Fortunately, at the very moment, someone called out to the boy, "Xuanqi, please come in."


    The tone of the voice was cold and felt distant like the moon but it dispelled the chills in Shen Lian''s mind. At the same time, Shen Lian felt that his divine thoughts had regained some agility and his mobility too improved slightly.


    The teenage boy''s name was Xuanqi. This name reminded Shen Lian of the White Emperor Shaohao. Reason being, Shaohao was also known as Xuanqi and the White Emperor''s son Yunyang looked somewhat similar to this boy.


    Since Da Yi and Heng''e existed here, it was not too far-fetched to associate the White Emperor to the discourse.


    But Heng''e was able to notice Shen Lian because she specialized in the cultivation of time. Shen Lian wondered how come this teenage boy whom he suspected was the White Emperor, was to be able to notice him.


    Shen Lian cast his doubt aside. He followed behind the teenage boy and entered the residence of Heng''e and Da Yi.


    Considering that Heng''e helped him with her voice earlier, Shen Lian concluded that she would not destroy him. Even if she wanted to do so, she could have done it earlier. He had no choice and mustered up his courage and walked in.


    Moreover, Shen Lian was not the kind of person who would passively wait for death to come upon him. That was never his style.


    It seemed that Da Yi was not home. Heng''e walked out from layers of muslin curtains and called for Xuanqi while ignoring Shen Lian.


    Xuanqi was no longer bothered by Shen Lian. He looked at Heng''e and said, "Sister, it''s been a while."


    Heng''e responded, "Tell me what is it. You would never come and if nothing was bothering you."


    Xuanqi smiled, "Then I will not beat around the bush. Well, you know our father is the Lord of the human race, and I am his most outstanding son. But my bloodline was not of pure human race and because of that, I would never have the chance to take on that position of our father. That''s why I was looking for other alternatives but there were so many roadblocks. I really hope that you can help me."


    "How can I help you? You should know that although my cultivation experience is above everyone else but if we were to fight, I am easily defeated. Moreover, I do not like violence," Heng''e frowned slightly.


    "Yes, I know that you do not like violence but my brother-in-law is different. I am certain no one is not afraid of brother-in-law''s mystical arrow. He is the only person who can help me and naturally, no one else would be able to stop me," Xuanqi replied.


    "It is not happening. He had promised me to stay away from any forms of combat. You should not expect me to convince him to help you and you should also not expect him to help you," Heng''e said with disapproval.

 Chapter 560 Supernatural Powers

    After a long argument, Heng''e got angry and chased Xuanqi out and Shen Lian finally had the chance to witness Heng''e''s techniques.


    Heng''e took out a silver hairpin from her hair and gently stroked it. A Milky Way then appeared between her and Xuanqi. Xuanqi attempted to cross over the Milky Way but regardless of how fast he was, he just failed to cross over. This was because as Xuanqi moved, the Milky Way would expand concurrently. As long as Xuanqi did move, the Milky Way would not stop expanding.


    Heng''e''s supernatural power reminded Shen Lian of the monkey from ''Journey To the West'', who failed to escape from Buddha''s palm. This supernatural power was known as the ''Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm'' among the Buddhist sects.


    Xuanqi eventually gave up. He took a step back and exited the Milky Way. Before he left, he angrily said, "My sister, you are so cruel."


    Heng''e watched Xuanqi leave and let out a sigh of relief. Xuanqi was her one and only younger brother. If he requested for something else, she would have delivered it without a doubt. But Xuanqi wanted to unify the demon clans and become the Emperor of the Demons. The karma effect of this would be so deep that it would definitely kill Da Yi.


    Shen Lian was unsure of Heng''e''s thoughts but he was inspired by her supernatural powers. Xuanqi failed to fly over to the other side of the milky way and that meant that there was something extremely abstruse was hiding behind it. The constant expansion of the Milky Way was stunningly unbelievable. It was understandable if she created a space. But to have the ability to expand it after creating it, and expanding it quicker than Xuanqi''s light travel, this was definitely unexplainable.


    In other words, this would mean that Xuanqi was far below the level of Heng''e.


    Technically, even if there was a gap between Xuanqi and Heng''e, it should not be too big. Moreover, the moment Heng''e drew out the Milky Way until the time she retracted it, the surrounding sceneries were not affected at all. It was as if the Milky Way was in a parallel world that had no intersection with the reality.


    This was somewhat similar to the Dream Heart Sutra and the Free Form Incarnation. Was it real or was it a fantasy?


    If he could fathom the abstruse behind it, he might have discovered the method to escape from this state of ''is this a dream or a time-space''.


    It was hard for Shen Lian to make sense of it alone but at least he found hope.


    Heng''e still ignored Shen Lian. She leaned against the door and looked outside, like a wife longing for the husband to return.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Anyone who saw her looking like that would never associate her with those with supernatural power as mentioned in the legends.


    Just before sunset, Da Yi returned.


    He walked towards Heng''e and hesitantly said, "Xuanqi was here?"


    Heng''e told him about the incident earlier.


    Da Yi said, "He is after all your brother and I can relate to him. Ever since the Emperor disappeared, the demon clans had lost their restriction. The demon kings had been terrorizing the world and had brought tremendous sufferings to the living beings. Although he cannot be the Lord who unites all, at least he could still unify the demon clans and set their boundaries. There are also merit in it and it is a good thing to all living beings and him."


    "I am sure he hates me with all his guts. Collecting demons would give him access to the demon''s fate and this is a key to his path to Dao. But now that I am married to you, I need to consider things for you. Once you are out there, you will be bound to trials and misfortunes. Even someone as strong as the Emperor too succumbed to misfortune trials. I do not want you to follow his footsteps." Heng''e held on tightly to Da Yi''s hand.


    This was the first time Shen Lian witnessed the intimate moments of Heng''e and Da Yi. He found it extremely odd as legendary folks like Heng''e and Da Yi actually had the husband and wife feelings for each other just like any ordinary mortal being. After all, the more cultivated a person was, the more detached the person would be. Shen Lian knew better than anyone that relationship and bonds were obstacles of cultivation.


    He could not help but admit that the deeper he entered Dao, the lesser he was attached emotionally. Everything would happen naturally and he would not be able to prevent it from happening.


    Obviously, Heng''e''s state was higher than Da Yi but they were so deeply bonded and her feelings towards Da Yi was genuine.


    Shen Lian knew that it was not him that was wrong neither was Heng''e. There must be something that he could not observe behind it.


    Da Yi said, "Although the Emperor had to succumb to misfortune trials, he was attempting to detach. Moreover, you knew too that as long as we exist here, there would be unavoidable misfortune trials."


    Heng''e responded, "According to the Queen Mother of the West, there were three Daoist on the Mount Kunlun that collaborated to open a new world known as ''The Other Side of Heaven''. As long as we reside there, they would be able to avoid every misfortune trials. Shall we go and check it out?"


    "Aren''t the three Daoists, the Daoist Masters of the Three Pure Ones? To be honest, I have met them and besides the Celestial Extermination Sword of Daoist Master Tongtian, I do not see the value in the other two Daoist Masters," Da Yi replied sarcastically.


    Heng''e was mad, she said, "You would eventually lose out if you keep devaluing others."


    Da Yi pointed at his bow and said, "With this, everyone else would lose out."


    Heng''e raged furiously and went down the mountains.


    Da Yi went to chase after her but Heng''e used the same method she used against Xuanqi. Da Yi may be strong but he could not do anything when his wife used her supernatural powers against him. He could only return home.


    He hung his bow on the wall and said to himself, "Looks like you would be the only one accompanying me for now. I do not know how long will she stay angry and how soon will she come back."


    Shen Lian who witnessed the drama did not know whether he should he cry or laugh.


    After a period of time, there were sudden drastic change to the sky. Ten suns appeared in the sky and everything started to wilt.


    Shen Lian was not able to experience it as he was in a special state but he could see the constant oozing out of Qi of death from the mountains. On top of that, the True Fire of the Sun was too blazing hot that even if a living being died, their soul could only scatter everywhere.


    People of the same tribe as Da Yi gathered around and Shen Lian was able to connect the dots of the reason behind the ten leaping suns. It all started from Xuanqi.


    Apparently, Xuanqi received the support from the Phoenix, and as a result, his forces gained tremendously. He tamed the demon kings of millions of mountains and waters and proclaimed himself as the White Emperor. People would call him the Emperor of the Demons and that angered the Golden Crow.


    In this world, the sun was not stellar but was made up of ten Golden Crows. They would take turns to inspect the sky and their job was to bring brightness to the world. Because of that, they have accumulated merits that improved their cultivation experience.


    They were part of the demon clans and now that Xuanqi claimed to be the Emperor of the Demons, this meant that he was above them. Moreover, the bad blood between the Phoenix and Golden Crow had been ongoing for a long time. The Golden Crows were jealous and boiling with hatred when they saw the Phoenix supporting someone so glamorous like Xuanqi. The Golden Crows came together to teach Xuanqi a lesson.


    The ten leaping suns were indeed the coming together of the Golden Crows in attempt to kill Xuanqi.


    That was why people could see the ten suns flying around the sky in no particular direction.


    Xuanqi could only try to protect himself. Moreover, the Golden Crow''s True Fire of the Sun was tyrannical and a menace. Even if the world was a big place, very few people could overcome the True Fire of the Sun that got too close to them.

 Chapter 561 The ‘Me’ In the Pas

    If no one put a stop to the Golden Crows, a majority of the living beings would eventually extinct.


    But as the ten Golden Crows joined forces, very few people in the world had the ability to put up a fight. Even if there were any, they could just protect their territory and it was unnecessary for them to pick a fight.


    Besides, as long as Xuanqi was defeated, the Golden Crows would stop. If they continued terrorizing, then the resentment of the living beings would bring bad karma to them.


    Xuanqi did not dare to escape to the ground. The Golden Grows had brought such catastrophe to the heavens. If they chose to terrorize the ground, it would be disastrous and Xuanqi''s fate in Dao would be affected.


    Da Yi was sad when he said everything on earth was dying. Furthermore, Xuanqi who was being hunted by the Golden Crows, was his wife''s brother. Thus, he decided to break his promise to his wife and take action.


    Although Da Yi was unrivaled in heaven and earth, his old arrows were not capable of inflicting much harm on the Golden Crows.


    Thus, Da Yi went down the mountains and told the people of his tribe that he needed help and wanted to cut down a part of the World Tree of the east to make his godly arrows.


    Back then when the Emperor built the Heavenly Courtyard, he planted a tree known as ''Jianmu'', the World Tree. Jianmu was deeply rooted in the Nine Underworlds and had access to the Nine Heavens. If there were ordinary beings who could climb the World Tree to its peak, he would reach the Heaven Courtyard to become a celestial and attain immortality. This was a shortcut to heaven provided by the Emperor.


    Ever since the Emperor succumbed to the unfortunate trials, the Heavenly Courtyard collapsed and the only thing left behind was the tree. The tree had spirituality and as it was deeply rooted to the ground and it absorbed the Qi of vitality from the ground. It was extremely sturdy and only very few weapons could cut through it. Xingtian''s battle ax was one of the weapons that could do so.


    When Da Yi left the mountains, Shen Lian thought to himself that this was it. He actually had the opportunity to witness this legend. This was different from meeting Tianyi, Wen Zhong, and Wuding at Xia Kingdom. He was about to witness a historical moment of a legend, the legend of Da Yi shooting the suns.


    Suddenly, there was a wonderful feeling of the ''me'' who existed in the past and the ''me'' who would exist in the future. The Daoist master and Buddha too was a combination of the past, present, and future. Without separating each other, they would leap into the Three Realms of past, present, and future. Even someone as strong as the Earth Treasury was seeking for such experience and Shen Lian was having a taste of it at that very moment. If it was any other cultivators who were beyond the level of Taiyi, they would pay any price to be in Shen Lian''s position.


    Even if this was a dream, it felt extremely realistic. To any Daoist who wanted to detach, this was indeed hard to refuse the temptation.


    Da Yi did not waste any time and returned quickly. He had a log on his shoulder, an ax-shaped weapon around his waist and his mystic bow behind his back. He looked extremely lethargic.


    Shen Lian was slightly taken aback by it. Over the years, he found out that Da Yi had infinite energy stored deeply in his body. Who knew that he would have moments of fatigue. He must have encountered something unusual down the mountain.


    Da Yi did not take any breaks. Instead, he took that ax and started working on the arrows. Da Yi had superlative craftsmanship as that log of wood made exactly ten mystic bows. When the mystic bow was produced, the ghost and gods were crying and the wind and rain were weeping. This was the first time the weather turned chilly since the leaping of the ten suns.


    Shen Lian had an indescribable feeling when he saw one of the mystic bows. It was exactly this bow that shot him and put him in this current situation.


    When he was done with the Sun Vanquishing Arrows, Da Yi went to the peak of the mountain. At that very moment, the rain and cloud had dispersed. The ten suns were still hanging in the sky and they formed a circle with Xuanqi trapped in the middle.


    Da Yi did not start firing immediately. Instead, he looked towards the west side, it was the direction his wife Heng''e took off to. He knew that once he released the first arrow, there would be no turning back. Before he pulled the bow strings, he wanted to first look at his wife.


    However, Heng''e did not show up.


    Da Yi waited but Xuanqi''s breath was getting weaker and weaker. Da Yi had no choice but to muster up his determination and place the Sun Vanquishing Arrow on his bow.


    He gently released it and Shen Lian could feel the powers of the Sun Vanquishing Arrow. Everything between Da Yi and the Golden Crows was engulfed by the arrow. The Sun Vanquishing Arrow was unstoppable.


    The once omnipotent Golden Crows lost one of their members. To the living beings on the ground, all they saw was one less sun.


    The remaining Golden Crows noticed Da Yi and were raging. They flew in at unbelievable speeds towards Da Yi but Da Yi''s arrow outflew them. One by one, they fell.


    Throughout the process, Da Yi was extremely calm. One by one, he released the arrows as if he was hunting for birds and not the sun.


    Soon enough, there were only two Golden Crows left.


    In the meantime, Shen Lian noticed that Da Yi''s hair was turning grey and he had aged a lot. Shen Lian was familiar with the Dao of Yi and knew that although the ten leaping sun terrorized the sky, they have accumulated a good amount of merits from their many years of orbiting around the universe. When they fall, their raging grudge and resentment were reflected on Da Yi. More importantly, Da Yi had used up all his energy to kill the Golden Crows. He could only fight against the backlash with his supreme godly body.


    It was beyond imagination that he could fire his arrows calmly despite the situation.


    This was finally the chance for Shen Lian to escape. After Da Yi fired the ninth arrow, Shen Lian threw himself to the tenth arrow and it felt like he blended into the water.


    Considering that his arrival to this time-space was related to the Sun Vanquishing Arrow, it would make sense to solve it from what triggered it. Thus, Shen Lian took this as an opportunity and he felt that his chance was coming.


    The Sun Vanquishing Arrow had blocked out his instincts but as it was calling out for him in the loudest voice.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Technically, Shen Lian should be skeptical of his instincts as he had failed once.


    But he did not think too much about it and threw himself to the arrow without any hesitation. Suddenly, a lotus flower-shaped light shined on the arrow.


    That shocked Da Yi. He sighed and said, "I need to leave one sun behind."


    Because of Shen Lian''s actions, Da Yi stopped firing his arrows and the last Golden Crow became the ''bird that was startled by the bow'' and disappeared without a trace.


    Earth finally had a taste of night after days of constant sunlight. Xuanqi came down from the sky shamefully and bowed down to thank Da Yi.


    Meanwhile, Shen Lian could not sense everything that was happening externally. But he saw the lamp that was in the shape of a lotus flower and the lights shone on him. He could feel something was pulling him and he also heard the words ''Qing Xuan''.


    The pulling force was not strong enough to pull him physically. Subtly, a strong dash of fate came to him and Shen Lian left this time-space like a sailing boat on a windy day.


    When he regained his consciousness, he found himself in a temple.

 Chapter 562 Biyou

    The temple was his temple as Shen Lian came through the godly portrait of him. The damage to his Primordial Spirit was healed by fate and his thoughts were now clear and thorough.


    Shen Lian understood that his act of preventing Da Yi from shooting down the tenth sun, saving the time-space from being sunless had gained his good karma. To a certain extent, he was the savior of the tenth sun and Shen Lian felt a wonderful sentiment towards it as he returned to the Netherworld. He had a theory in his mind but he needed to verify it first.


    But there was no need to spend time thinking about these things now. He released the Primordial Spirit mana with his thoughts and the agitated spiritual vigor stopped moving. His divine thoughts were focused on Xiao Hei that had blood all over its body. Xiao Hei died and its spirit flame was about to extinguish.


    Shen Lian was able to fathom the karmic cycle and he was moved by it. At the same time, the godly portrait opened his mouth to blow out a dash of Qi of Yang and healed the wounds of Xiao Hei. However, this did not bring Xiao Hei back to life.


    Shen Lian used this Qi of Yang to temporarily seal Xiao Hei''s spirit in its body, preventing it from diminishing. The lotus lamp landed on the altar the fire within it turned into Ah Lian. She popped out from the lamp and said, "Celestial teacher, you finally appeared."


    At the same time, she said emotionally, "Xiao Hei could not wait for you to come back." Ah Lian witnessed the injuries of Xiao Hei personally and was impressed that Xiao Hei actually made it to the temple under such conditions. That was also why she felt sorry when Xiao Hei took his last breath.


    Shen Lian did not say much about Xiao Hei. Instead, he used his divine thoughts to say, "Thank you so much for what you did. I will create a physical body for you. There is something else I need to do now. Please first return to the lamp so that you won''t be disturbed."


    Ah Lian felt a gust of wind that shoved her back to the lamp. She then felt a gush of strong overwhelming Qi dynamics that charged towards the outside of the temple. The calm Qi of vitality then systematically gathered above the temple. People of the family of Wuzhong who were outside of the temple saw the formation of a giant hand that was big enough to toy with the moon and sun. Once the hand was formed, it passed through space and traveled hundreds of miles away.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The hand was headed to the location where Feng was. After releasing the Sun Vanquishing Arrow, his Qi of essence had been drained completely and he could only lie on the ground. The power of the Sun Vanquishing Arrow was beyond his expectation and he regretted using it against Shen Lian.


    Before he could overcome his emotions, he saw a giant hand charging towards him. The pressure was overwhelming like the sea and mountain and the hand did not give him any chance to defend himself. It just crushed him to the ground.


    Poor Feng may have been one of the powerhouses of Dongyi and could match the powers of deities but he stood no chance at all against this giant hand. He did not have the time to react and was crushed into ground meat. The mountain he was at too crumbled and eventually buried him within.


    The giant hand was, in fact, Shen Lian who used his Primordial Spirit to imitate Guangqing''s the Qi of Xuanqing that was fused with the killing sword will. As a result, Feng did not only turned into ground meat but his spirits too disappeared along with the wind.


    Shen Lian did not even bother to question him and just destroyed him directly.


    When he was done with this, Shen Lian switched his focus to Xiao Hei. His Primordial Spirit walked out from the godly portrait and he was radiating so brightly like the countless stars in the sky.


    He started chanting and green spirit smoke started to ooze out from the body of Xiao Hei. The spirit smoke then gathered together to form a mini black tiger that had sluggish eyes. Even Shen Lian could not recognize it.


    Shen Lian said, "I''ve told you so to cultivate and not be lazy and you refused to listen. It is upon you that you have to suffer so much now."


    Shen Lian opened up his sleeves and Xiao Hei''s spirit smoke flew into his robe. He then adjusted his sleeves and step out of the temple to travel a million miles above the sky. At that time, the stars and moon dissolved in the sky, just like billions of clear waves. He roamed around the rim of the sky and was humbled by the vastness of the universe.


    He got rid of his empty sentiments and transformed into a puddle of clear water and traveled to somewhere far away.


    His Primordial Spirit had received the recognition of the Netherworld and he could roam freely using purely his Primordial Spirit. He could gather them up into a shape or disperse them into Qi. There were millions of possibilities available as his supernatural powers were unbelievable.


    The speed of his light travel had most probably caught up with that Daoist''s Divine Aura Shifting Method back then.


    Shen Lian relentlessly calculated the best place for Xiao Hei to reincarnate and finally decided to head to the north. He crossed several mountains and waters without stopping and arrived in the northeast region of Xia. He finally stopped at the northern side territory of the barbaric tribe.


    At that very moment, the sun had yet to rise and the earth was still. Out of millions of families, one house was oozing with Qi of vigor. It was a family that was expecting a baby.


    Shen Lian observed the family, there was a purplish red aura around this family. From that, he could tell that they were either a wealthy or a noble family.


    Shen Lian calculated with the Primordial Bagua in his mind and came to a conclusion that this family would be perfect for Xiao Hei. He slouched his sleeve and said, "Don''t be lazy anymore in this lifetime."


    Black tiger''s spirit smoke flew towards that family. Soon, a gentle puddle of water appeared and music started playing. The woman in labor let out a painful groan and a baby with tan skin popped out. The right shoulder of the baby had a mark that looked like Xiao Hei, it was indeed eye-catching and a divine vision.


    The family was surprised and delighted although it was not rare to have an extraordinary baby in the Netherworld. Also, these children usually grow up to have superlative powers.


    Shen Lian intended to leave after reincarnating Xiao Hei but when he was about to make a move, he sensed a fluctuation of mana that felt like a deja-vu. He looked over and found a strong kid of two to three years old. The kid was holding a majestic tigress and was feeding on her.


    Although he was small, his Qi of vitality was enough to dispel ghostly spirits.


    Shen Lian thought to himself, "So it''s him."


    He then looked towards the sky and said, "Is this a warning to me?"


    Shen Lian sneered, he ignored the kid and returned to his temple.


    In the vast sea, there was an island hidden within the wind and tide. The island was shielded by a thick fog that divine thoughts were not able to pierce through.


    There was not even an inch of grass on the island nor were there any fake mountains and water streams. In the middle of the island, there was a palace that had ''Biyou Palace'' written on it. Inside the hall, towards the right, a Daoist nun that seemed somewhat hollow was seated on the cushion. A man was kneeling in front of her, it was Wen Zhong.


    The stars were flowing in between the both of them as Shen Lian''s silhouette surfaced.


    Wen Zhong said, "Even the Sun Vanquishing Arrow failed to kill him and his black tiger coincidentally reincarnated in the Chong Hou family. This was exactly what the founding master stated in the will. Honored master, do we really have to invite him and make him the master of the Biyou Palace?"

 Chapter 563 God and Goddess

    There were stars surrounding Shen Lian when he traveled with his Primordial Spirit. But the Daoist nun was a step ahead of him. She had the universe and the coexistence of darkness and light around her.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Although Wen Zhong was of the level of a walking celestial of the earth with a combat power of a heavenly immortal, he looked like an ordinary being in front of the Daoist nun. It was the differences in the nature of their life.


    The Daoist nun fixed her gaze on the Star Mirror that she used to stalk Shen Lian. As the stars faded without a trace, the image of Biyou Palace surfaced.


    The Biyou Palace was made using special materials, especially the surface that was made by an unknown construction material. One could observe its detail with the divine thoughts but they would never be able to see the gaps in it.


    The Daoist nun was the Lady Mother of the Chariot. She was undisputedly the highest supreme figure of the Netherworld. It was said that she was a cultivator who attained celestialism during the era of the Emperor.


    "You know it too. The Biyou Palace has never accepted non-disciples. Regardless of who he is, we should never break this rule. But if he is willing to submit to our teachings, we can still hand over the Biyou Palace to him. After all, he possessed the breath of my master and he coincides with my master''s message." The Lady Mother of the Chariot had a youthful voice that sounded like a teenage girl. It was hard to associate her with an ancient existence.


    Wen Zhong responded, "Judging from his character, he would never submit to our teachings. But if it was destiny, what should we do, honored master?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot sneered, "This is just the destiny of this world. You are not aware of certain things but ''destiny'' is just a joke."


    As the Lady Mother of the Chariot uttered those words, a huge notebook appeared on top of her head. It was the legendary Register of Life and Death. The book released black Qi and drilled into her body. The lights of the universe that surrounded her had diminished, leaving only darkness behind.


    Although Wen Zhong was right in front of her, he could not see what was happening to her.


    Fortunately, this was not the first time something like this happened in the past thousands of years. He was not taken aback and knew that his honored master was battling against the Register of Life and Death, which was also the force of karma of the Netherworld.


    Truthfully, even if a person had cultivated to the state of heavenly immortal were still bound by the Register of Life and Death. But the honored master and the still nether spirits at the sea of blood had absorbed most of the power from the Register of Life and Death, giving cultivators of the heavenly immortal state a chance to break free from the Register of Life and Death.


    Unfortunately, most people were not aware of this.


    Shen Lian did not know that he was deeply related to the Biyou Palace. Even if he knew about it, the current him had no intentions to be the Man of Destiny.


    The Sun Vanquishing Arrow had brought him to the myth of Da Yi and the ten suns, and he was greatly touched by it. Indirectly, he had influenced the past significantly although it was not his initiative to be in that situation.


    Although traveling to the past was very useful for his cultivation, he would never want to return to that state of limbo.


    Moreover, Ye Liuyun once hinted that there was a greater force out there that was toying with them in the dark. Shen Lian had never forgotten those words and understood it more profoundly after this experience.


    If he was experiencing history, Yinshang would be an unstoppable force and would replace Xia Kingdom eventually. But Shen Lian knew that it was time for him to challenge this force.


    This was also a test for Shen Lian.


    Of course, it was unlikely for him to go completely against the trend and help Xia destroy Yinshang. But what he would do next was guaranteed to surprise everybody.


    Xiliang Kingdom would play a major role in his plan. Although Shen Lian initially did not intend to drag Chen Qing into the affair but judging from the current situation, there was no way that she could stay out of it. As the paradoxical history unfolded, the battle between Yinshang and Xia Kingdom would involve the nations surrounding them.


    Instead of going with the flow and passively playing along with fate, Shen Lian would rather be involved and take control.


    Although Shen Lian would never be able to achieve as much as he did last time, he needed to challenge the greater existence that was in the dark. This sacrifice was necessary.


    Moreover, the challenges and difficulties in life were something Shen Lian truly enjoyed. Although being emotionally detached would help him attain Dao but he did not want to be that sort of person.


    By the time he returned to the temple, the people of the Wuzhong family had restored their homes. No matter how difficult things were, life goes on.


    Despite the ugly aspects of human nature, the positive attitude that kept them move forward and work hard for survival was a good thing.


    The positive vibes had cleansed the dark clouds in Shen Lian''s mind and his Primordial Spirit too became a little higher in spirits.


    The temple was filled with the power of the incense. Besides the portrait of Shen Lian, the lotus lantern had become a significant object for people to pray too. It was evident that the lotus lamp had rescued the people and left a deep impression in their hearts, and thus they decided to split the incense between the two.


    If the faith expanded, maybe the lotus lamp would become a powerful treasure of the path of Shen. Due to the characteristics of the path of Shen, even a mortal would gain unimaginable combat power if they hold on to this lantern.


    But it was time for Shen Lian to deliver his promise, which was to create a new body for Ah Lian.


    Shen Lian said to the extinguished lotus lantern, "Please come out from the lantern."


    Ah Lian heard Shen Lian and flew out from the lantern. Although she was hollow and had no physical body, she had a different kind of charisma, just like a fairy who came out of the rain.


    Shen Lian smiled, "If you walk out like this, you would definitely be more popular than me."


    Actually, most religious propagandas were based on female deities. Reason being, the female deities were beautiful and had inherent qualities of a woman that would easily touch anyone. It was indeed effective in spreading the faith.


    If that was not true, why would the Goddess of Mercy who was born a male chose to be a female?


    Compare to some among the Four Bodhisattva, like Manjushri of Great Wisdom, and Samantabhadra of Great Conduct, the Goddess of Mercy still had higher cultivation level.


    In Shen Lian''s past life, the number of temples dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy could match the number of temples dedicated to Buddha.


    A humble Ah Lian said, "There is no way I could be more popular than you. Maybe I should make myself look uglier."


    She was not in her true physical form and could change as she likes. But it was a habit of all spirits to maintain their appearance from their previous life.


    It was effortlessly easy if she wanted to change.


    Shen Lian said, "You don''t have to do it. You look great. I will make a body based on your current appearance. With the body, things would be more convenient for you. If your daughter runs out, at least you can go and look for her."

 Chapter 564 Yin Yang - Live and Death

    Ah Lian was in her astral form. Although in a certain sense, that meant that she was immortalized and she somehow felt rather regretful. She could not leave too far away from the lotus lantern and also, her daughter disliked being near her after she lost her physical body. Owing to the radiation of heat from her, her daughter, Fuhao was scorched by her during the day and left with burnt marks.


    Although her daughter did not mention it, she was still heartbroken.


    Shen Lian was willing to build her another physical frame and Ah Lian was more than willing to accept the offer.


    After Shen Lian told her, he returned to Mount Mei to Qing Xuan Cave. He still could not get attuned to the stifling scent of incense. After all, this was his first attempt at dwelling with the creation and it would be almost impossible to succeed upon his first try.


    However, he was still eager to try. Although he had never truly set foot in the state of Taiyi, if he were to succeed, he would embody the characteristics of a Taiyi.


    It was foretold that N��wa created mankind with water and clay in accordance with her own appearance. She sculpted the clay figurines, endowed them with spirituality �C this was the birth of humans.


    Legends were difficult to attest to, but it shed light on the key to creation. Clay belonged to the element of earth, which was the product of fusion with other four elements, metal, wood, water and fire, thus it encompassed the Five Elements. This also explained the reason of life encompassing all of the five elements inherently. Since water shared similarities to morality, utilizing water to moderate the formation of clay would naturally bestow mankind with the sense of morality in which thousands of other living things lack.


    Therefore, amidst the ancient forms of worship, both the God of Earth and God of Water were highly respected by a large proportion of the human population.


    Various tribes of the Eastern Barbarians provided Shen Lian numerous Spirit Fountains. The Boyi tribe even offered their Wine Spring. Thus, there was sufficient water element, not to mention Shen Lian also had one Spirit Fountain in Mount Jieyang that was usable.


    With regards to the earth element, Shen Lian was reluctant to seek help from others and decided to adopt the True Samadhi Fire to formulate it.


    The previous deadly hit on Feng had created stone rubbles, which was the best ingredient to be used.


    Given that Feng was someone with years of cultivation, his spiritual energy would naturally be channeled into the rubble after his demise. Shen Lian extracted the essence from the stones and was able to create spiritual beings of the earth element.


    As Shen Lian had experienced life and death, he did not worry over such matters. He did whatever that came to his mind, utilized the True Samadhi Fire, and extracted the essence rapidly. He then applied a small flame to it for it to simmer over a span of three days. He finally attained one bowl of yellow colored sand, where each of them was filled with spiritual elements.


    According to legend, it was mentioned that Buddha once formulated a bowl of Gold-steel sand, to represent its firm and stern nature. Though Shen Lian felt that his own formulation of yellow sand shared similarities to the works of Buddhas, he was certain that the sand would be indestructible, not even affected by the power of divinity. Hence the spiritual body that it creates will definitely be extraordinary.


    In the following days, he used water from the Soul Fountain to homogenize the yellow sand and sculpted a human figure thereafter. Nevertheless, it seems that a crucial factor was missed out in the process because no matter how careful Shen Lian paid attention to each detail, without fail, the mud-made figurine exploded towards the very last moment when the holy will was channeled into it.


    Shen Lian exhausted all the ingredients he had. There were not many viable methods. Even after he switched several ingredients, the same result recurred.


    Until one day, he stopped trying.


    Shen Lian suddenly had thought in mind. He utilized the Eight Trigrams for prediction and realized that there was an impending, deadly fate in Mount Meng. This was an omen on the war between the Dongyi Coalition from Yunyang and the Xia Army. It was a war that would have affected the world. Yunyang cannot bear to lose, neither could Emperor Xia afford a loss.


    Shen Lian had waited for this moment for a long time. Therefore, he immediately transformed into a puddle of clear water, slit through the sky and briskly arrived at the position where the two troops crossed fire.


    However, the speed of Dongyi Coalition failing had far exceeded Shen Lian''s expectations, since Yunyang was courageous enough to spearhead a conflict with Emperor Xia. Apart from the support by the demon lord, it was expected that he should have in hand, other trump cards.


    Nonetheless, the truth was, when Shen Lian arrived, Yunyang had lost miserably, saved by the demon lord, and was nowhere to be found.


    In the midst of chaos, Shen Lian sensed the will to kill which was produced throughout the warring of the two armies, as Yunyang was defeated too quickly, the will to kill was weaker than Shen Lian originally predicted.


    Nevertheless, for the creation of the killing sword, the collective will was sufficient, but this meant that there can be no failures during the process.


    Shen Lian was in fact not troubled and was rather leisured and relaxed, analyzing the reason behind why Yunyang was defeated so tragically. After spending some time over this deliberation, he finally had a rough idea of what had happened.


    When he figured out the situation, he did not leave urgently. In fact, he stayed out of sight, erased his tracks, and observed the Xia Camp from a distance. There was an astounding aura of some treasure that heightened Shen Lian''s awareness. He managed to examine the origin of it.


    As the Xia Camp had an extra treasure of the fire element in their possession, specifically, a lamp. It was termed as the Lamp of Yin and Yang, life and death. This lamp can radiate two versions of light, one red and one white. The red directed the death while the white directed the living.


    If one was exposed to the red light, one''s spirit would be severely damaged instantaneously and could even cause a complete destruction of the spirit, that even the almighty Buddhas were unable to escape such a fatal fate.


    The white light, however, was the complete opposite of it. No matter how fatal one was wounded, as long as they live, they could be reborn when exposed to the white light and healed into their original healthy form.


    This light was originally an irreplaceable treasure of a historic celestial. Ensuing his demise, the treasure was left in the cave which he used to reside in. Yunyang inherited much from his forefathers and clearly understood the mysterious secrets of this treasure. It was not long before the deity''s cave was unearthed. He had long planned to acquire the valuable lamp and used it to defeat Emperor Xia.


    Unfortunately, despite Yunyang''s deliberate plots, he failed to estimate the advanced abilities of Guan Longzi in the Xia Camp. He used Lianshan to predict Yunyang''s plan and followed Yunyang secretly. As the treasure was unearthed, he swiftly seized the lamp in hand before Yunyang did.


    As Yunyang''s scheme was disrupted, he immediately returned to his league, where Emperor Xia challenged him unexpectedly and arrived furious as if thunders struck through the empyreal, leading the army and ignited a war. Guan Longzi returned speedily, used the Lamp of Life and Death to entrap the demon lord, thereby preventing counterattacks from Yunyang''s coalition.


    By then, Yunyang was already in a state of tumult and was not a capable opponent to Emperor Xia. Owing to the demon lord''s harsh acceptance of the flash of deadly light from the lamp, Yunyang had a close escape from the soldiers of Emperor Xia. Regrettably, the situation could no longer be salvaged.


    This was also the very first time Shen Lian witnessed Guan Longzi''s profound mastery. His achievements in the fields of fate prediction had perhaps surpassed that of Shen Lian''s.


    If he did not leave the Xia Camp that very day, he might have been deceived, given that the power of the lamp was able to ensnare the demon lord. Such power would also be able to affect Shen Lian as well.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Even though he and Guan Longzi were good friends, but when it comes down to hostile battles, Shen Lian believed that he would not have any mercy, yet Shen Lian found difficulty in living alongside Emperor Xia.


    This was because since the High Priest had passed, there were no possibilities of reconciliation between the two.


    However, Shen Lian''s furtive observations over Xia Camp did not alarm Emperor Xia and Guan Longzi. This had led to confusion and there must have been certain changes. This was also the reason that kept Shen Lian distancing himself from them.


    In fact, he hoped to meet Guan Longzi once more. He was extremely wise whereby his intellect can be compared to the depths of the sea, with that he clearly understood the reason for Shen Lian''s failures in creating a physical body.


    With the regard to the state of Taiyi, he admittedly lacked much understanding of it. Although, through life experiences, such deficiency can be offset. His confidence of setting foot into the Taiyi state was also rather strong, but Shen Lian wished to enter the state earlier and this was the only method available. Only then can he further develop his ambition without any worries.


    ...��.


    Currently, in the Xia Camp, numerous tribes of Dongyi had ordered representatives to send their greetings to Emperor Xia, but Guan Longzi, a major contributor to the successful defeat of the Dongyi Coalition was imprisoned in a part of the camp.


    Those who pleaded mercy for Guan Longzi were all executed, the number of generals who sacrificed themselves amidst the battle against Yunyang''s army was not even comparable to the number of generals who died upon their begging of mercy for Guan Longzi.

 Chapter 565 The Taste of Dao

    The tent that held Guan Longzi captive was looked after by mere ordinary soldiers, and control was not established. But if he left, these people would surely die since no one dared to harbor any suspicions towards this matter.


    Deep down, all the soldiers respected Guan Longzi. Although they dared not to set up the camp with luxury, they cleaned it thoroughly. The books or antiques that were seized from the allied armies of the Dongyi were sent to him, but no one was brave enough to speak to him.


    Guan Longzi did not step out as well but merely sat at ease in the tent.


    Then nightfall came. A sole brightness emanated from the tent. Emperor Xia had yet to take the Lamp of Yin and Yang from Guan Longzi.


    A woman clothed in grand purple came in with an air of elegance. Once the guards saw her, they knelt down and gave her a salute. The woman was Lei Jing. She won the battle with Wuding, and cultivated to surpass the older generation, with the aim of establishing authority in the Xia army.


    Furthermore, Lei Jing beheaded two seasoned warriors of the Youshi''s in this punitive expedition of the Dongyi Allied Armies �C those two were Nanqiao and Dongyou.


    Nanqiao was a Tree Man. He possessed endless vitality. A number of the Xia army had been strangled to death by his branches. In the end, one blow of Lei Jing''s Lightning Technique was all it took to extinguish his vitality.


    Dongyou once learned closely guarded witchcraft techniques. He could incorporate himself into the wind where no person could see, enabling him to silently kill a few of the high-ranking military officers of the Xia army. However, Lei Jing''s Summoning of Wind and Rain forced him into exposing his silhouette, and he died by getting ripped to shreds.


    Lei Jing''s contribution was by no means modest. Because Emperor Xia had no woman, it was rumored that he intended to make Lei Jing his princess by virtue of her contributions. This would have the effect of inheriting the position of the High Priest. In the event of this occurrence, the Youhu would be poised to welcome their most golden era yet. That was the reason why many clans wished to be connected to the Lei family through marriage, even if they might have to pay a heavy price in doing so.


    However, it was only the Youhu''s who knew all too well that they were already unable to constrain Lei Jing.


    Guan Longzi was likened to an untouchable volcano, but Lei Jing still brought him food and met him daily.


    Lei Jing brought his food into the tent all by herself. Guan Longzi was carrying and looking at a tortoiseshell that had been used to record writings. Those writings were trivial matters, but he looked to be absorbed in them. The expression on his face was peaceful, and he did not let his captivity sully his countenance.


    Only when Lei Jing was close to him did he place the tortoiseshell down. He peered into the food and said, "Why is there no meat again today?"


    Guan Longzi then sighed, "Daoist Shen once said, one rather have a house not made with bamboo, than to have a meal without meat. Now I profoundly accept that he is correct."


    As soon as she heard Guan Longzi speaking about her ''teacher'', a complex set of feelings could be seen in her expression. In reality, she had already understood that her past thoughts were merely wishful thinking. Her teacher was indeed an odd man, different as compared with the crowd, and she had absolutely no way of letting him linger on to anyone. Not even her.


    He was like a cloud. With just a turn of her body, she may never meet him again.


    All these moods passed through like a flash and Lei Jing sternly replied, "Master Guan, I will have you know that in the beginning, uncle was prepared to give you molten metal to drink and copper beans to eat. If it were not for me sneakily ensuring that they never sent it to you and suffering whatever consequences that arise from my actions, you would not so much as to have even these vegetarian meals."


    Guan Longzi chuckled, "I do bear some slight discontent, but you need not be angry, Jing."


    Lei Jing plainly told him, "If I was angry, I would not have brought you food every day."


    A speechless Guan Longzi let out a smile, opened the box, and slowly started to eat. Even though it was a vegetarian meal, it was still incredibly exquisite. There was lotus seed soup slow-cooked by stewing over a small flame, white Dim Sum that looked like a heap of snow, and bamboo shoots that were tender and juicy. These ingredients in particular, all contained soulful aura. Even more remarkable were the cooks behind the dishes. They showed great ingenuity. The delicate heat control used in the preparation of the lotus seed soup was like the life-giving spring breeze, permeating the water as well as each and every ingredient, cooking them evenly. Not only did the flavor and freshness of each separate ingredient remain intact, the separate components of the dish were a complement to each other. It was an experience hard to come by.


    Like clouds blown away by a strong wind, the food was gone in an instant. A happy and satisfied Guan Longzi muttered, "I have forgotten how meat tastes like."


    Lei Jing knit her eyebrows and asked him, "Is it really that good?"


    Guan Longzi replied, "This meal is delicious not only in the normal sense of the world but also in the Dao sense of the world. Ruling a large nation is like cooking a small delicacy. Whoever the cooks are, they must surely be extraordinary people."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    His words were not empty. Just from that bowl of lotus soup, it was as if Guan Longzi saw a Daoist that had a thorough understanding of the Great Way. That Daoist was vastly different from Shen Lian and he was also a person who possessed an extremely bright secular characteristic.


    Lei Jing said, "Are you talking about the chef? He is quite an oddity indeed. He may just be a slave, but many of the aristocrats were willing to befriend and engage in scholarly conversations with him. Just a few days ago, my father beckoned him to take an official post. He refused and instead offered to be my entourage. Father said that even if a person like him did not take an official post, he would not be able to go anywhere. It was better for him to stay here, and so I accepted his offer.


    Since Master Guan did not find vegetarian food to be appetizing, I thought of finding a better cook from the army. I did not expect that he would offer himself for the job and even managed to cook up meals that were very delicious indeed. That is why I brought his dishes for you. It never crossed my mind that you would look up to him."


    In his heart, Guan Longzi knew that this person was certainly a genius. Nonetheless, he felt quite pitiful. If Emperor Xia could not accommodate Guan Longzi, then surely the emperor could not accommodate this genius. A thing or two could be understood from the unwillingness to take up an official position. Furthermore, Guan Longzi himself understood that the Prefect Grand Usher was a person whose circumstances not many people understood in the current Xia. And under the Prefect Grand Usher''s flattery of Emperor Xia, there was a firm killing heart. Evidently, the genius saw through this and decided to decline the official post, choosing instead to give himself to Lei Jing, avoiding a disaster capable of taking one''s life in the process.


    Wisdom is no small matter and must be taken seriously. Guan Longzi''s soul-searching and knowledge was as vast as the sea. But as for the ability to survive, he might fall short of the other party.


    Guan Longzi said, "Enough about him. Today''s meal was extremely delightful, and my salute goes to your charitableness, Jing. I, Guan Longzi, have nothing on me but some old ideas and advice that can be used to return your favor. It seems untimely, but within those old ideas there still some crudeness. If Jing is in no hurry, is it possible for you to listen for a bit?"


    Lei Jing wanted to decline at first, but after seeing that sorrow was the reality behind his seemingly unaffected state, she thought to herself, "How could uncle do this to him? Uncle has crossed the line. I should talk to Guan Longzi and keep him company for a while."


    What she did not understand was that Guan Longzi''s sorrow arose not from his situation, but rather because he was mulling over the fact that the genius at Xia was unwilling to take up an official post. It was clear that Emperor Xia had already broken the hearts of many in Xia. There might be layers upon layers of goodness, but one wrongdoing might just cause one to be sent to the flames.


    Guan Longzi might be buried with Xia Kingdom, but at least the knowledge on him would be passed on.


    Although he had given Lianshan to Shen Lian, the truth was that some of the knowledge within it could not easily be understood in its true meaning by anyone, unless Guan Longzi himself personally explained it to them.


    Perhaps Guan Longzi wanted, even more, to entrust his Confucian orthodoxy to the people of Xia. If Xia Kingdom collapsed in the future, Lei Jing was also one of the few who would survive it. Naturally, no one was more befitting of receiving this entrustment than Lei Jing.


    Lei Jing did not understand the complicatedness within Guan Longzi''s heart. She only felt that her current divine thoughts knew that Guan Longzi''s words are so, but did not understand why they were so. All she could do now was use a tremendous amount of memory power to remember everything that he told her, and think deeply about it later on.


    After speaking for a long time, Guan Longzi still had not fully expressed himself and wished to continue, but he was afraid that if he did continue, Lei Jing might not remember it all.


    Guan Longzi paused, then told her, "Jing, if there is anything you do not understand, you can ask that cook of yours. It is inevitable that you will gain something from him."�ظ� - Literally means ''old ideas'', or outdated. However in this case, it is Guan Longzi speaking with some form humbleness.

 Chapter 566 With Soaring Expectations

    Lei Jing nodded and stared deeply at Guan Longzi. Finally, she breathed out a faint sigh, then turned towards the entrance and left.


    After Lei Jing had left, a drawn-out ray of blood-red light peeled itself off from thefor visiting.


    The ''unrivalled'' that was spoken of here was not in terms of strength, but in terms of attitude �C''as long as there is ''me'', there will be no ''enemy''.'' Therefore one was able to detach from the importance of life and death as well as success and failure. This person could make precise judgments at any given situation, with no error.


    But Shen Lian''s response drew a forced smile from Guan Longzi, "My friend, you are finally determined to mix the right and wrongs in the world. You should know the implications of this. One wrong step and you will lose all that you have cultivated up till now. There is no possibility of turning back."


    Shen Lian gaze sized up the food box that Lei Jing sent a moment ago to Guan Longzi, "Lei Jing''s cook, if my guess is correct, is a person who understands Dao at a high level and is closer to attaining the philosopher''s state than you are. If this kind of person could wish to show his splendor in this world, then why should I, Shen Lian, become a corpse-guarding ghost that merely attracts the ridicule of people?"


    A dumbstruck look came over Guan Longzi''s face, "My friend, what do you wish to do?"


    "If Tianyi obtained him, it will be like a fish back in water. If I, Shen Lian, obtained him, he would be like a dragon that flies in the sky. Seeing as he relied on Jing Er, and knowing his current contradictory attitude, he misses Xia Kingdom. But at the same time, he knows that Xia Kingdom will collapse and he is not willing to be buried with Xia. This is my best opportunity yet." Within Shen Lian''s happy and content appearance, a flash of resoluteness was revealed in its entirety.


    Guan Longzi was hardly able to believe him, "You wish to overturn the destiny of ''Xia replacing Yinshang''. No, you wish to establish a country."


    A person who reached the same heights as Guan Longzi would naturally understand that destiny is a trend. This trend was that Qi cultivators will replace Xia and its governance of the Netherworld. That was the original source of determination for the Netherworld. If these trends were going against, karma will bite back. If one did not stop, defeat and death would be inevitable unless one prevailed over the whole world.


    The reason why the Qi cultivators would replace the Xia clan was wholly because Xia''s plundering of the world was too severe, and the idea of cultivation was not in line with the development of the Netherworld. But it was none other than Tianyi who represented the benefit of a great Qi cultivator to the Netherworld. Throughout an uninterrupted ten years, he disseminated the pure merit of Buddha. He made a deep-rooted and favorable impression in the hearts of people from many clans, and he gained respect everywhere.


    A direct contrast to Xia''s brutal plundering, he started off by carrying out trade. From the exchanging of natural resources from all around the world, he made a great contribution to the people of Yinshang. It was only natural that he was even more well-received and welcomed by people from other nations.


    Essentially, Yinshang concentrated the natural resources from all around the world by engaging in commercial activities. All these resources were accumulated in Yinshang. Such means, however, showed too much of moderateness.


    This particular perspective revealed Tianyi to be proficient Daoist and a brilliant strategist.


    If Emperor Xia was not this strong, the accumulation of resources in Yinshang along with the help provided from everywhere else could possibly even replace Xia immediately. It was a pity that the tyranny of Emperor Xia caused the people to be angry, but fearful of showing that anger. This led to the perpetuation of Xia''s phase of power over the world.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Can''t I?"


    Complex expressions were revealed in Guan Longzi''s face, "In this path of cultivation, my overcautious nature is less than yours, my friend."


    It was also a form of cultivation for Shen Lian to establish a nation. He would neither assist in commerce nor lend a hand to Xia. Instead, he wanted to forge a path by himself and cut his way through the thistles and thorns. He wanted to do what others could not do.


    It was destiny for Shang to replace Xia. However, this destiny was not absolute, because it was the trend accumulated by Tianyi. After all, when Xia collapses, only a colossal power such as Yinshang could be able to replace Xia''s original position and quell the Netherworld once again.


    And yet, under the current trend, Shen Lian wanted to build a nation to be capable of contending supremacy with Xia and Yinshang. He wanted to build a surprising summit even under the forceful crushing of Yunyang.


    Guan Longzi''s heart could not help but not be affected.


    Shen Lian leisurely said, "Only you, Guan Longzi, are able to get a glimpse of my thoughts through my words though few." After completing this sentence, Shen Lian sighed and continued, "Now, I deeply begrudge the fact that you will be buried along with Xia."


    Guan Longzi unflinchingly replied, "My friend, there is no need to feel sorry for me. Perhaps the great king will understand me in the end. But there is something I absolutely cannot comprehend. Why do you suddenly think such, my friend? With your brilliance, you would surely understand the principles of conforming to nature."


    "My friend, you think that the Dao of Daoists'' is the Dao of Nature. But you know not that the Dao of celestials'' bears differences with the Dao of the Daoists''," Shen Lian joyfully said.


    Guan Longzi questioned, "How can you explain that?"


    "My friend, how could you not know ''becoming celestial by going the wrong way''? To keep going resolutely despite knowing the task is impossible, creating Dao with little or no knowledge. A tall mountain may stand in the way, I can neither fly nor crossover. I, Shen Lian, then have no choice but to spread open the mountain and forge my own path."


    Shen Lian did not know what the destiny placed on him was. But Yinshang replacing Xia was naturally destiny as well. After all said and done, he knew this part of history. He damaged this destiny just to see what those in the Netherworld, who cared only for their own existence, would feel.


    More so, he did not think of the consequences that flowed from his doing. After all, this was the most perfect trying-out opportunity for him. If it was not for the impeccably coincidental experience with participating in the shooting down of nine suns with Hou Yi, causing Shen Lian to act in spite of himself, he feared he would find it hard to make a firm resolution.���������� - Same as the Lamp of Yin and Yang, these two terms are use throughout the story.

 Chapter 567 A Falling Ou

    Guan Longzi was silent for a while. Finally, he spoke, "If you wish to forge a new path, there are many great methods of doing so. Your power, my friend, may not be sufficient."


    Shen Lian plainly said, "Since that is so, I would like to seek confirmation from Taiyi and gain his power. But there is still an orifice point lacking."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "In the case of Taiyi in Daoism, or Mah��sattva Bodhisattva in Buddhism, their names may be different but they are not that distinct from each other. They are nothing else but the limit of a celestial''s path, and then become one''s own cultivation. In order to gain the state, one must first have the will, and the hardest to gain in this world is the will. In this respect, I am of no help to you. Besides, even if I can help you, I will not," Guan Longzi replied.


    Shen Lian''s attention was drawn to the Lamp of Yin and Yang, and faintly said, "It seems that you wish not to help me. And yet you still want me to pay you a small cost before leaving."


    Guan Longzi sternly told him, "Since that is the case, Brother Shen, please forgive your friend, Guan Longzi, for being unable to let you walk that road. If you do that, many people would die. Should the selfishness of one person cause all beings to be run to the ground?"


    Whether or not Shen Lian was capable of building a nation equivalent to that of Xia or Yinshang, the emergence of a sudden power with such rank will surely bring about much bloodshed and sacrifice. Moreover, it might be that the Netherworld will head in a direction even more impossible to predict. When that time comes, no one knows how many more lives will be sacrificed then.


    Long ago, the Shen Lian that Guan Longzi saw surpassed worldly standards. Then, Guan Longzi saw from Shen Lian''s eyes a heroic emotion that had never been present in the past. This was also the reason for the profound change Shen Lian experienced throughout his life.


    Guan Longzi could not yet reach the ability to know the past and future states. Naturally, he could not know what actually happened to Shen Lian, but he understood that the things Shen Lian did cause neither Xia nor Shang to be able to coexist with the Shen Lian. Catastrophes were bound to happen when the times comes �C an unimaginable situation indeed.


    After all, Shen Lian was largely different from other demon saints or the heavenly immortals. If Shen Lian was given a period of time to nurture a talent, he could establish a great power in a short amount of time. This could plainly be seen in Shen Lian''s capability to teach according to the abilities of an individual student, coupled with Lei Jing''s rapid progress. Such means were not easily possessed, even if one was a demon saint or a person who achieved the state of heavenly immortal.


    Guan Longzi also deeply understood the reason why Shen Lian had such capability. The knowledge Shen Lian acquired was all-encompassing, was not any inferior to Guan Longzi. As for the understanding of techniques and Dao formulae, they were not even within Guan Longzi''s capabilities. It could be said that these factors were able to create a cultured person.


    Although the old Shen Lian did many things that affected the world, they had nothing to do with the great powers. Furthermore, Guan Longzi was also capable of understanding Shen Lian''s undeniable attitude. That was why he sincerely made friends with Shen Lian.


    But the current Shen Lian was no longer the man with the undeniable attitude.


    Shen Lian sneered, "My friend, how could I Shen Lian be rattled by mere use of words?"


    Guan Longzi sighed in reply, "Although I cannot admire you enough for your resolution, my friend, it is unavoidable that I, Guan Longzi, will become the evil person this time."


    Shen Lian beamed, "I wanted to test out your means from the very beginning."


    Guan Longzi let out a long whistle. The Xia Camp shook and out came the Lamp of Yin and Yang, Life and Death, rotating to a spot in front of him. It let out two streams of light, one red and one white. Like two fire dragons, the two streams wound themselves over his shoulder. When Guan Longzi joined both hands together, the white and red fire dragons came into contact with each other. An immense and terrifying strength was incited as soon as his hands were joined. The entirety of the strength was like a landslide or a tsunami gathering itself in such a small compound. It headed towards Shen Lian, as if to greet him.


    An ordinary person would know different properties of light that emanated from the Lamp of Life and Death �C the red light was capable of damnation and death, while the white light was capable of salvation and life. But an ordinary person would not know that the lamp was strongest only when both streams of light were used in tandem.


    Life and death were opposites, just as Yin and Yang were opposites. Where life is present, death is present too. Where death is present, life is present too. Life and death alternated between each other and their position was ever-changing. The power that was drawn was more than just the power of life and death.


    More so, these powers were the pull of reincarnation. Deities who touch on these would fall into oblivion.


    Shen Lian could not help but exclaim in applause, "Delightful."


    In the void there appeared a cold groaning voice, "Shen Lian, do you think you can just come and go as you please in the domain of the Emperor?"


    At that moment, a large shadow appeared in the Emperor''s tent. The shadow was so large it appeared as though it was a giant that was as tall as the sky. A mighty power strong enough to fill the heavens began its pressure, completely disregarding the soldiers in the tent.


    Within a short time, many of the soldiers fainted. The power of the karmic circle stifled Shen Lian even more.


    Immediately Shen Lian laughed, "Emperor, you have waited for this moment for quite a long time, have you not?"


    At this point, Shen Lian was only an avatar. He would not lose his foundation even if he died in this battle. However, Guan Longzi had already set his desire to kill in motion. Furthermore, there was the appearance of Emperor Xia. In the heavens and earth, the emperor will not stop until he has pursued the true body.


    Shen Lian had already expected this. After all, when he was determined to enter the Xia Camp, he already anticipated the worst possible outcome.


    Sooner or later a falling out would occur. But why that day, out of all days?


    It was a pity for Guan Longzi. To make do of the flesh and blood of his mortal body in this supernatural power. Even if the state was made higher, the strength in his heart was not enough. Damage to his body was but a natural consequence.


    Faced with the pull of reincarnation bursting forth from the Lamp of Life and Death, Shen Lian let out a laugh and performed the mark of lotus. In his mind, it was as if there was a red sun and a round moon that were simultaneously born. Soon after the scene became a marvel where the sun and moon transformed into a golden crow and a jade rabbit, chasing after each other.


    All of a sudden the sun and moon were engulfed by the pull of reincarnation. But there appeared to be a slight halt.


    The mudr�� gestured by Shen Lian was Buddhism''s Mark of the Sun and Moon. The grandeur of the sun and moon could receive and attract all living things, so as not to fall into the karmic cycle. At that point in time, his Primordial Spirit did not actually go in person, and there was a bit of discrepancy, so all that could happen was a standstill.


    However, the standstill was what Shen Lian wanted all along. Soon after, it was as if there was a meteor slashing pass the mountaintops in the distance. In fact, it was a godly arrow, perfectly hitting its target �C the core of the pull of reincarnation.


    It was not known how much more power the Divine Arrow had, to be able to cause an explosion of the pull of reincarnation. At that point in time, Guan Longzi''s face went pale and he spat out blood. The Lamp of Life and Death in front of him fell over, and its light gradually dissipated.


    The charm that was originally present decreased tremendously. That was probably because the lamp suffered extensive damage.


    Because of the explosion of the pull of reincarnation, Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit slowly diminished as well.


    Emperor Xia transformed into a giant and so with one step he could reach the place where the arrow was shot.


    Shen Lian relied on the void to control the emptiness and threw aside the bow he was holding.


    In his Primordial Spirit, there were still remnants of the Sun Extinguishing Arrow''s power. That night he will surely be using it all. The Lamp of Life and Death was not fearsome enough a weapon.


    However, Emperor Xia would not let him get away with exposing of the true body of the Primordial Spirit.


    Emperor Xia said, "Even if I kill you, he will not be resurrected. But if you remain alive, I will forever bear regrets."


    "Would it not be the case then, that your greatness should kill Guan Longzi? After all, aside from wiping out me and Tianyi, if the Lamp of Life and Death was in your possession, the High Priest might still have a chance to go on living," Shen Lian chuckled.


    Emperor Xia coldly laughed, "I originally did not want to kill him. I wanted him to know, the peace of this world is dependent on the talking of fists and not the talking of principles. If anyone disobeys, they will be killed until they obey. It is only by doing so that Xia Kingdom will continue its existence for thousands of years to come."


    "Your greatness, you cannot even subdue me. And yet you wish to subdue the whole of the world?" Shen Lian softly replied as the sleeves of his robe floated with the wind.


    There was no further comment from the Emperor, only a fist towards the direction of Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian immediately transformed into a mass of clear water. Towards and from the dangers of the fist, he floated away and reached the clouds of the Nine Heavens.�������� - In Chinese folklore, the golden crow (����) represented the sun, while the jade rabbit (����) represented the moon (because of white jade).

 Chapter 568 Disappointmen

    After having seen Shen Lian dodge the fist, Emperor Xia retracted his Primordial Spirit and returned to normal size. A coldness flashed through his eyes, and his flesh and body pierced through the air. He chased after Shen Lian and left behind only a stream of air.


    When Shen Lian dodged Emperor Xia''s attack, the latter could feel that the former''s divine Qi had gaps that could be taken advantage of. With his discerning eye, he would surely not miss such an opportunity that comes only once in a blue moon.


    In the end, Shen Lian''s state of Primordial Spirit, as well as the light travel speed, was more nimble and quick as compared to when he initially performed it with his mortal body. If Emperor Xia did not firmly lock his spiritual senses, Shen Lian might not catch up with him even if the duration of the technique used by the emperor was less than ten minutes.


    In the horizon, Emperor Xia produced endless sounds of explosions. The clouds that spanned thousands of miles were scattered, and for a short time the clouds did not raise.


    At this moment in the Xia Camp, Guan Longzi continued to spit out blood. Lei Jing who left before all this happened, returned. Only after she fed him three elixirs did his condition improve.


    Lei Jing faintly asked, "Why did you engage in a fight with teacher?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Guan Longzi distressingly replied, "Jing, throughout my life I have not done anything wrong. This is probably the first."


    Lei Jing asked again, "Why? Tell me why?"


    Lei Jing was absolutely baffled. If Guan Longzi had intended to make an enemy out of Shen Lian, Diqiu City was the best place to do it. So why not then?


    Guan Longzi profoundly sighed. His expression appeared to suggest that he aching inside. He replied to Lei Jing, "At the spur of the moment, I was arrogant. I thought that the Lamp of Life and Death and the Emperor are enough of a match for him. I did not expect that he would have all those spiritual items. This time, if your teacher can slip away from the grasp of the Emperor and defeat the allied forces of Dongyi, providing Xia Kingdom with unmatched power over the world, it would still be a wasted effort. I, Guan Longzi, would still be a wrongdoer of Xia."


    It would not be possible for Emperor Xia to maintain a lifelong state and wipe out Yunyang''s allied forces in a single strike. Even his trump card �C the Lamp of Life and Death �C was accurately anticipated by the profound attainment of Guan Longzi, in that it was truly of strong effect with regards to all the nations.


    After all, whoever that had the audacity to oppose Xia would have to weigh in the possibilities of whether they were superior to the allied forces of the Son of the White Emperor. The opposition would have to think clearly as to whether it was possible for a demon lord to help them, let alone the fact that such a tremendous force had been annihilated by the Emperor. A brief look at the rest of the world, even Yinshang, and it was clear that there might not even be anyone else that dared to go against him.


    It was because Emperor Xia wanted to gain this deterrent force, that he took himself to the field. No doubt he wanted to attack Dongyi, with an attitude that suggested he would not leave any stone unturned.


    But that night, the deterrence brought by conquering Dongyi might vanish. Shen Lian managed to escape from the current situation of Guan Longzi and Emperor Xia''s cooperation and even managed to destroy the Lamp of Life and Death. Moreover, he seriously injured Guan Longzi. In addition to all that, Shen Lian held the position of Xia''s State Preceptor. This battle could not by any means be trivial to Xia.


    More importantly, Guan Longzi profoundly understood that after that night, it would no longer be foolish talk to say that the nation Shen Lian would establish may rival that of Xia Kingdom and Yinshang. In fact, there was a dependable basis upon which that statement may be grounded. The upcoming seizing of power would result in either a sturdy foundation or the gaining of a great reputation. Either way, it would contribute to the gathering of talents and the accumulating of power.


    Otherwise, each territory had to be struck down individually. It would not only require the expanding of an immense amount of energy to stabilize the will of the people, it would also consume the power inherent in him.


    If, before the completion of the task, people had already believed him to be a capable person, the cohesiveness of his own people would definitely be stronger. It goes without saying then, that the enemy''s resistance would be diminished greatly.


    As an example, Yunyang managed to convince the Dongyi Coalition because of his status as the Son of the White Emperor. It was Yunyang''s impeccable reputation that bestowed upon him such incredible influence.


    Although Shen Lian''s earlier reputation was nothing short of spectacular, he still did not possess a military success that could truly shock the people. Not to mention he was still Xia Kingdom''s State Preceptor. That position may be a high one, but he would still be bound to it even if he were to establish a nation.


    As of that day, his actions were tantamount to breaking away from Xia Kingdom without publicly declaring so. Adding to that, he single-handedly destroyed the power and influence of an untouchable Xia Kingdom. For those who were itching to make a move on Xia Kingdom, it was undoubtedly a tremendous encouragement. It also destabilized the basis and foundation by which Emperor Xia governed �C forcing the world into submission. Unless Emperor Xia succeeds this time in inflicting a punishment suitable for Shen Lian, there would surely be a second person, a third person, and many more others who would continue to challenge the authority of Emperor Xia.


    Even if Emperor Xia''s indescribable divine sovereignty was untouchable, could it still be possible for him to personally lead his troops out to battle?


    To this end, if Emperor Xia really killed the people of the world, how could Guan Longzi face all those dead beings? His original intention was to aid the Emperor in attacking the Dongyi Coalition for the sake of maintaining Xia Kingdom''s stability and to ensure that fewer people were sacrificed. All this went down the drain as a result of his fight with Shen Lian.


    Guan Longzi was to blame for the destabilization of Xia Kingdom''s foundation. So it happened �C his greatest pain, the event he wished would never happen. And for it to happen by his own hand instead of another. How brutal.


    The disappointment and heartbreak within Guan Longzi, no outsider could ever comprehend.


    Lei Jing was smart. Perhaps it was because she was the daughter of the Prefect Grand Usher that she had a deeper understanding of the world''s affairs. She was one of the few amongst the Xia Clan who could comprehend the crisis of Xia Kingdom. She understood even more that the Xia Kingdom then could still achieve peace. That was dependent on the reason that Emperor Xia was unparalleled in his unhindered movement between heaven and earth.


    She sighed, "Guan Longzi, sir, why do you have to blame yourself? After all, no one could foresee that the situation would come to this."


    Guan Longzi replied, "Jing, you do not understand. People of the world all feel that the Emperor is conceited, that he considers everyone to be beneath him. He has delusions of grandeur. It is a fact that in Xia Kingdom, with the exception of the founder, no former emperor could rise up to the level of brilliance and courageousness of the current emperor. You might as well think about it, Jing. If the emperor really is such a megalomaniac, how can he control himself when your master and Tianyi had a falling out with him at Diqiu, especially when the High Priest had passed away? In not making a move, it indicated that the Emperor had the ability to clearly understand. He knew that if he could not send Shen Lian and Tianyi to the ground, it would not be as good as not making a move. In this way, he still could preserve Xia Kingdom''s majestic presence. But with my attack, the Emperor saw new hope in eliminating your master. That was the reason why he made his move without the slightest hesitation. In fact, up until the point where your master wounded me, I myself thought that this time would be his trial of death. Never in my wildest dreams did I, Guan Longzi, expect him to have a spiritual item capable of destroying the Lamp of Yin and Yang. And before this even happened, my attainment was not able to detect in the slightest the fact that there was inevitably a person in the state of Taiyi that was helping to conceal the truth from behind the scenes. Truth be told, the state of Taiyi is already the pinnacle of the Netherworld. From my knowledge and experience I can roughly guess that in the Netherworld today, there are not more than three and a half persons who could demonstrate such a state. Two of them would not be bothered to make a move. As for the other one and a half, it could reasonably be said that they ought to stay detached from worldly affairs. I never would have thought that they would be get themselves involved in such murky situations."


    Guan Longzi did not speak without thinking. In his accomplishment of the Dao of Yi, even if the world had Shen Lian who could experience it slightly, there were not many who could conceal from Guan Longzi, less still those who are able to do so without having the Dao of Tongtian.


    Taking everyone into account, it was only those few people who could patiently accomplish that. It had never crossed Guan Longzi''s mind that one of those would make their move, especially not under such a situation where two people were in control. The reason why he could know the two persons were being controlled was because he had just recently accomplished the cultivation of Lianshanyi. Adding to that was Xia Kingdom''s attack of Dongyi. The flourishing of Qi was the reason why his Dao of Yi received help in refinement.


    Speechless, he looked up to the sky, and said in his heart, "You are the sun of the heavens, he is the sun of the earth. Could it really not be possible for the both of you to be tolerant of each other?"��ɽ�� �C An alternate name for Lianshan

 Chapter 569 Pursuit and Attack

    Lei Jing naturally understood the significance of the state of Taiyi. It was a mysterious Dao state that even her teacher had yet to achieve. Since the establishment of Xia Kingdom as a nation, only its founder, Si Wenming, proved to achieve it.


    She was bewildered, "Would that not be dangerous for uncle?"


    Guan Longzi bitterly smiled, "If it is who I think it is, it would no doubt be a very troublesome affair. Ever since the Emperor cultivated the imperishable body, there were few means by which anyone in the world could cause him harm. Coincidentally, the person possesses a treasured item that is the nemesis of the imperishable body. As of now, we can only hope that he will not do anything pertaining to the use of strength to oppress the weak."


    Guan Longzi thought about the magic talisman that the person possessed. Guan Longzi''s heart was not confident. Furthermore, Guan Longzi was completely at loss as to how Shen Lian and that person in heaven had a connection.


    Lei Jing replied, "That will not do. I will go and take a look."


    "No. Jing, please do not think of meddling in Xia Kingdom''s affairs. If in the near future Xia Kingdom collapses, it is certain that no one would lay a hand on you if you were not involved," Guan Longzi softly told her.


    Lei Jing was slightly confused, so she asked, "Why?"


    Guan Longzi burst into a severe coughing fit, and strongly tried to control it until it stopped. He then told her, "You should go back first. We will talk about this after today."


    ...��.


    The densely packed forest far away was so vast that its borders could not be seen with a mere glance, and its height was ten thousand feet. Even if it were not that tall, it would still be at least a thousand feet. It was not known how much time had passed for this majestic scene to be produced.


    Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit appeared on the trunk of one of the thousand-year-old trees there. In a quick flash, he appeared on another tree.


    Only the exuberant vitality of the dense forest could conceal his own vital force. Still, he was unable to break free of Emperor Xia''s pursuit.


    A demon beast that looked very much like a tiger was resting on one of the ancient trees. It looked up and saw Shen Lian, who appeared in the tree bark opposite the beast. Before it could even react, Shen Lian disappeared without a trace.


    In the deep forest, every demon beast had its own territory. The territorial concept was etched deeply in the minds of the beasts. This creature was called a Bi''an Tiger and it had dragon blood. In this endless mountainous forest, it had its own patch, where it lived unfettered. The abrupt arrival of a person offending his patch naturally drew outrage and ire from it.


    Just as it prepared to use its special sense of smell to seek out Shen Lian''s direction, it suddenly noticed somewhere in front of him there was a huge and tall ancient tree that fell down. The speed of the tree''s falling was so fast, it was incomparable to the beast''s top speed.


    At the same time, it picked up the scent of danger. Just before the beast reacted, the Emperor appeared wearing his black and gold imperial robes. His laid his cold eyes on the beast. At that point, the Bi''an Tiger crawled on the ground and felt a Qi of dragon most pure. It was completely unable to form thoughts of resisting.


    The Emperor took one step forward and was now beside the beast. He pressed on the beast''s head. Immediately the beast remembered his earlier encounter with Shen Lian, and in its heart, it was extremely terrified, but it could not retaliate.


    There was only the sound of the Emperor''s gentle breath. Other than the giant tree where it made into its home, all the other trees around it had been fallen. It was not known how many of the birds and animals around were shocked by this.


    A body of clear water suddenly appeared but disappeared without a trace shortly after. The Emperor also vanished, piercing the void.


    Similar occurrences continued to happen in this endless ancient forest. Each and every strong demon beast received word and knew that this endless southern border was welcoming two of the most terrifying powers of the human world. A confrontation unfolded at the hands of these two, so great even the heavens were emotionally moved. It was sad to see that the many trees which had spirituality but yet to shapeshift were reduced to dust and ashes by their actions.


    Still more were the many demon beasts and demon birds which could not react in time. Instead, they met their demise through their attainment. Some of the beasts that were able to shapeshift were not spared. After going through the intense and shocking pressure, they reverted to their original shape.


    Shen Lian and Emperor Xia were oblivious to this. In the boundless primitive forest, all they cared about was each other.


    Even if Emperor Xia was insufferably arrogant in his powers, he still had no way of keeping Shen Lian behind so that they could fight their last battle. At the same time, Shen Lian could not use his Primordial Spirit and its constant permutations to seek out Emperor Xia''s weaknesses.


    Never before had Shen Lian encountered an opponent with the likes of Emperor Xia. With solely a surge of vitality, the emperor could produce a grand and hard to withstand the killer blow and was able to cultivate to the peak of his mortal body. Any strong attack that landed on Emperor Xia would be ineffectual, just like a mere scratch.


    In other words, both parties represented a different field of cultivation in this confrontation.


    Shen Lian''s cultivation was that of the primordial spirit and Celestialism, in the end, it was all emphasis on the mortal body. What more, as of that day, Shen Lian''s mortal body no longer existed. Only his Primordial Spirit was left.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    On the other hand, Emperor Xia was close to perfecting the union of spirit and flesh as one. He cultivated his mortal body to the point where its imperishable state was stronger than a Buddhist Sect''s Vajra. The mere raising of a hand or a foot was enough to display the Great Way''s charm. If Shen Lian was not enough of a match for him, other people would be annihilated without even needing to break a sweat.


    Emperor Xia glanced far ahead at a clear stream of water that not only looked like a flowing dragon but seemed as though it was ready to rocket to the sky. He whistled loudly, and immediately the earth and sky shook. An enormous Qi energy engulfed the forest, uprooting the trees around, trembling the heavens and earth as it smashed towards the water.


    The water that Shen Lian transformed into, clearly felt the marvel by which Emperor Xia cut through the empty space. It was clearly heading towards him, and yet there were two strengths �C one at the front and one at the back. The vitality, violent like the waves of the sea, bound up everything in its way.


    Immediately, Shen Lian used a bit of his earth-shattering strength to cut the power at its core. The essence of his Primordial Spirit''s nucleus was silent and unmoving as if dissolving into the boundless void.


    The clear water abruptly moved and transformed into an unceasing Milky Way. Surprisingly it was like the Nine Heaven Milky Way, flying down and heading towards the direction of Emperor Xia.


    Even if Shen Lian''s great attainment of the Milky Way Swordsmanship was just comparable to back when Milky Way founding master was reborn, the Milky Way that came engulfing contained an endless sword aura. In an instant, the giant trees were destroyed and reduced to dust.


    Just when the Milky Way was about to reach in front of Emperor Xia, suddenly folded upwards to the sky. The surging mighty force that was originally chasing and pursuing behind the Milky Way, was then headed to Emperor Xia''s direction.


    However, the Emperor did not even move in the slightest. The mighty power was absorbed into his body, and below his feet, the numerous Qi energy of a perilous situation wildly bubbled up. Deep prints appeared in the ground below. Emperor Xia borrowed this terrifying quaking strength and transformed into a prehistoric giant dragon. With the roaring of a massive wave, he dashed to the Milky Way.


    Emperor Xia''s terror stemmed from the fact that once he made his move, he did not require any time to condense his strength. Almost immediately, he could use all of the strength in his body to attack his opponent.


    Furthermore, he had great control over the release or suppression of his power. He abandoned the use of flashy yet empty techniques. Simplicity that derived from complicatedness. His Qi dynamic had countless changes in spiritual response, enough to teach any opponent. Those who fought him were fearful of his extremely terrifying strength and dreaded the attacks that were closely associated with that strength.


    Faced with Emperor Xia''s direct attack, Shen Lian dared not to lower his guard. The Milky Way that originally condensed now abruptly dispersed like wind and rain in all directions.


    At that point, the endlessly torrential Milky Way became the finest droplets of drizzle. From something tough and strong, it had now transformed into something supple and soft. It happened almost immediately �C a wisp of light breeze and a drop of fine rain �C and it was able to whittle away Emperor Xia''s frightening attack.


    The wind and rain were like a thin yet endless large net. It continuously wrapped around, showing no signs of stopping.


    It did not matter that Emperor Xia could break through the many-layered waves. He still had no way of thoroughly destroying all the wind and rain. And it was likely possible that the natural instincts of Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit could conceal itself within the tiniest drop of rain or the tiniest breeze. If he could just eliminate Emperor Xia''s slight flow of his Qi dynamic, he would experience a sword technique that would kill the unprepared.

 Chapter 570 Counter Attack

    When two highly skilled cultivators fight, the process would be very long unless one of them was being restrained. Shen Lian came prepared but he did not expect their fight to last this long.


    Although the layers of wind and rain were not destroyed by Emperor Xia''s oppressive Qi dynamics, it did not hold Emperor Xia back. The power of Shen Lian''s enormous Primordial Spirit was spread throughout the void and penetrated every single pore to test the divine Qi of every orifices point of Emperor Xia''s body.


    Unfortunately, Emperor Xia''s Qi dynamics was deeply sealed and Shen Lian had no chance to seep through. Even if his spirits and physical body were not combined in the most perfect condition, he was still a divine power figure and things seemed to play out to his favor.


    In the water-like sky above the moon, Emperor Xia and Shen Lian''s power showed no signs of diminishing. The confrontation was overwhelming as if they needed to put an end to things on that night.


    The portrait of Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit instantiated. Behind him was the bright moon and below his feet was the clouds. It was a bright scene.


    On the other hand, Emperor Xia who was far away in the void had no signs of glow around him. When the moonlight approached him, his enormous Qi dynamics would distort it and it eventually vanished.


    To Shen Lian, Emperor Xia was like a bottomless black hole that would absorb everything surrounding him to vitalize his divine form. If Shen Lian to stand near Emperor Xia, his Primordial Spirit too would be absorbed. This made it difficult for him to estimate Emperor Xia''s true depth.


    Besides that, Emperor Xia had the special ability to recover in a split second regardless of how much power he used. He was like an inexhaustible river.


    It was up to that moment that Shen Lian realized how difficult it would be to defeat Emperor Xia. It was no wonder that someone as strong as the demon lord, too, fell to Emperor Xia. Moreover, his inexhaustible strength was sufficient for him to gain victory in single challenges and group fights. It was not too ambitious for him to say that he could tame the world with one strike.


    If it was not for Shen Lian''s Art of Spiritual Enhancement that helped him gather endless heart and soul power by visualizing Lord Lingbao, he would not have recovered from the damage of his Primordial Spirit so quickly. Also, if the battle prolonged further, he would have the lower hand.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian passed the most critical phase. When his avatar was destroyed, his divine Qi was somewhat affected. Emperor Xia noticed the disunity in the Qi and took advantage of it. But Emperor Xia did not expect that Shen Lian would be capable of diverting him and make use of this very brief moment to rejuvenate his divine Qi. This was despite Shen Lian''s involvements in the Dao of Yi not being as deep as Guan Longzi.


    This was the inevitable result of Shen Lian''s actions of destroying the Lamp of Yin and Yang, causing serious injuries to Guan Longzi. Afterall, even if Shen Lian was in perfect form, Guang Longzi''s Lamp of Yin and Yang would still have distracted him. Unless Shen Lian had attained the state of Taiyi, it would difficult for him to escape from this trial. If he was lucky, he would be suppressed but if luck was not on his side, all his Dao achievements would perish.


    Fortunately, the possibility of the worst case scenario was eliminated. This was Shen Lian''s chance to build a reputation and shake the Netherworld. For that to happen, he took his important first step of challenging destiny.


    Shen Lian wanted to teach Emperor Xia a lesson as much as Emperor Xia wanted to kill Shen Lian. But things were more difficult for Shen Lian as he wanted Emperor Xia to reap from the lesson. In other words, he needed to control his force so that Emperor Xia would not die from the battle as that would benefit Yinshang.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    After all, Shen Lian''s foundations were not strong enough to build a strong force immediately after the fall of Emperor Xia to rewrite the destiny of Yinshang replacing Xia. Things would be too easy for Yinshang and Tianyi would use this opportunity to attain Taiyi and become a figure like the founder of Xia Kingdom, Si Wenming.


    The more difficult the task, the more accomplished one would feel. To someone like Shen Lian, the feeling of accomplishment was more effective than any elixir in the world.


    Shen Lian let out a child-like smile and shook the void with his divine thoughts, "Do you still insist on putting me to death?"


    Under such intense situation, Shen Lian still had the leisure to release his divine thoughts across the void. This showed that he was calm and confident and it was effective in putting Emperor Xia under more pressure.


    Emperor Xia''s iron body was like a golden hooped rod. It made people feel that his determination would never be shaken even under immense pressure. He let out a hint of killing vibes and it changed the atmosphere of the void into the horrifying Asura bloodbath.


    At the same time, inch by inch, a jet black blade started to emerge on his hand as hints of magical powers revealed itself and sent chills down in the void. But what was really terrifying was that the chills actually felt scorching hot and it melted the bright clouds below Shen Lian''s feet, causing him to stand without any support in the void.


    Shen Lian felt the chills of the demonic blade. In fact, he could also sense the hatred within the chills. Besides the demonic will, the blade also consisted the demonic thoughts that Shen Lian had gotten rid off.


    The feeling of being abandoned would definitely cause hatred.


    Shen Lian did not focus on the blade. Instead, he fixed it on Emperor Xia''s decisive gaze.


    Emperor Xia did not respond to Shen Lian verbally and used his actions to speak for him.


    Shen Lian let out a smile. He seemed more relaxed once he had to deal with the leveled up Emperor Xia. At the same time, the portrait of his Primordial Spirit had cut off all connections with the Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth and became a lot more condensed. He looked similar to any other ordinary person as if his physical body had blended into one with the Primordial Spirit.


    The moment Shen Lian finished gathering his Qi dynamics, Emperor Xia immediately charged his blade forward. There were no vibrations in the void, it felt like a steady flow of water in a man-made canal.


    Emperor Xia''s attack was steady as a rock. It was not flashy but it was set to kill and inflict harm. At that point, Shen Lian felt that eventually, he would have to suffer from a stab regardless of how well he played.


    Emperor Xia''s action was the ''cause'' and Shen Lian suffering from the stab was the ''effect''. Just like blooming and wilting of the flowers, these were unchangeable principles of the heaven and earth. The hint of demonic thoughts that Shen Lian abandoned was the reason why Emperor Xia was able to use this Blade of Karma against Shen Lian. This blade was indeed an evidence to indicate Emperor Xia''s wisdom.


    Shen Lian had neither the incarnation of the wind and rain nor the Milky Way swordsmanship to help him fight against the blade. He extended both his crystal clear palms and brought out the exquisite killing method.


    It was an upgraded version of the creation and evolution technique of the thirty-six heavenly transformation. When it landed on Emperor Xia''s spiritual sense, Shen Lian''s palms threw a counterattack, just like the catkins that came from the wind. It was a light one but it triggered thousands of reactions from the blade.


    The exquisiteness of the palm method profoundly interpreted the laws of heaven and earth. Snow started to fall into the void and yet the demonic blade showed no signs of melting. In a split second, Shen Lian disappeared within the snow, leaving no traces behind.

 Chapter 571 World Honored Earth Treasury

    Unlike ordinary snow, each and every snowflake represented the meaning of the Dao techniques Shen Lian had mastered. As the meaning condensed together, the snowflakes were formed.


    Shen Lian had mastered completely the Taixu Strategy''s inter-promotion and inter-restraint of the four states and he was displaying the state of ''living''. He used the eight Qi of Taixu to produce millions of methods and attacked Emperor Xia.


    Shen Lian had been waiting for this opportunity for the longest of time. There was no holding back once Emperor Xia drew out his demonic blade. This was his only chance to rebuild Emperor Xia. If Shen Lian fought like his previous fights, it would take him forever to hurt Emperor Xia.


    Shen Lian may be recognized as a supreme celestial being if he did so but it would take up too much of his precious time and there would be too much brain drain to Yinshang.


    Shen Lian did not want to delay any further, neither did Emperor Xia. Moreover, Shen Lian was confident that he would be the victor of this duel.


    A faint melody of grief could be heard across the heaven and earth. Countless innocent lost souls that were casualties of their battle surfaced from the earth and came together to form a river. Like the Yellow Springs, the waves came raging. So much so that the aura of battle could not stop the flow of the river.


    In the void, Shen Lian did not move as the image of a woman came to his divine mind. The woman had jet black hair, skin that was fair like snow and a mesmerizing figure beneath her black robe. She stepped on the altar barefooted and was holding a musical instrument that resembled a flute. Her pink lips pursed on the lip plate of the flute and her jade-like fingers lightly held on to the body of the instrument. She then started playing the melody of the dead soul while a group of barbarians with painted feathered bodies danced to the music, the dance look demonic like the Mara Dance.


    The souls of the deceased were triggered by the melody and that was why they gathered at the River of Deceased.


    "A man''s life of a hundred years under the sky is nothing compared to the age of this world. Life is but a fleeting dream, an illusion. Is there anything alive that lasts forever?" The Barbarians that surrounded the woman on the altar recited the song in a spooky tone of voice. At the same time, their dance had gotten more and more demonic with a hint of mania.


    Along with the music, countless ghosts appeared out of thin air and ripped the void. They stepped on the River of the Deceased and charged up.


    Emperor Xia''s eyes were like two bright suns as it displayed the glory of the sun. Two rays of gold light shot out mercilessly from his eyes, like fighting bulls, as the demonic blade slashed across in thin air.


    No words could describe Emperor Xia''s Blade of Karma. It was almost like a stream of water from the mountains that was fated to fall to the pond, but a plane came out of nowhere and diverted the flow of the stream. The blade produced billions of water droplets and revealed earth shattering killing vibes at the same time.


    The Qi of the blade spread out and attacked each and every snowflake. Like the waves in the tide, it flooded everything that was in front of it.


    Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit emerged from the void and the moonlight behind him was extremely bright. The ghosts of the River of the Deceased held on to Shen Lian relentlessly like an unbreakable cable.


    However, Emperor Xia did not seize the opportunity and instead shifted his gaze to his left. He then slashed ferociously towards his right and forced Shen Lian to come out from the void.


    Emperor Xia groaned, "You can use the plum tree to substitute the peach tree but don''t even think about fooling me."


    At that very moment, Shen Lian was deeply impressed by Emperor Xia''s spiritual sense. The ever useful ''Substituting of the Plum Tree for the Peach Tree'' celestial method failed to fool Emperor Xia.


    Although Shen Lian was forced by the Qi of the blade to reveal himself, he was still able to remain composed. His mental state swept across the witch on the altar and he was able to let go of all unnecessary sentiments.


    The Primordial Spirit held on to the gleam of the blade like a shadow and released white explosive flames in the void which produced air streams that looked like mushroom shaped clouds. The River of the Deceased was shocked by the Qi and countless mourning cries of the ghosts could be heard as the river fell apart and dispersed like smoke.


    Shen Lian surfed on the surge of the Qi and ran away.


    Emperor Xia regained his form and chased after Shen Lian. A gentle voice of a woman could be heard whispering in his ears, "Emperor Xia, if you go any further, it would be the Asura Blood Sea."


    A hint of hatred flashed through Emperor Xia when he heard the whispers. But he eventually gave up on the idea of chasing after Shen Lian.


    At that very moment, the dancing barbarians started to throw up white foam and collapsed to the ground. Spirit smoke started to emerge from their bodies and evaporated immediately. Their bodies were dead and their spirits annihilated. It was clear that the Mara Dance earlier was not an easy trick.


    Shen Lian was at the border of the old-growth forest and further down was the Asura Blood Sea. He wanted to lead Emperor Xia to this place to interfere his mind causing maximum harm to Emperor Xia in the shortest amount of time, then he would withdraw himself from this place.


    Regardless of how dangerous the situation was, Shen Lian wanted to take a step ahead of Emperor Xia. But he did not expect Emperor Xia to not take the bait. Under such Qi dynamics, Emperor Xia would not have looked back and made such a decision. It looked like that witch had cautioned him.


    The witch was none other than Chen Yun.


    Although Shen Lian had lost his physical body and was left with only his Primordial Spirit, his physical body, blood, and Qi of essence had combined well with the Primordial Spirit. That was undoubtedly the pulsation of his blood.


    The High Priest may have passed on but he had left behind some tricks to deal with Shen Lian. If Shen Lian cultivated the Merciless Laws of Heaven, he would kill Chen Yun without hesitation. If he eliminated Emperor Xia''s assistant, things would have been easier for him.


    But Shen Lian was not that type of person. Moreover, now that he had arrived at the Asura Blood Sea, he decided to first complete the Killing Sword. There would be other opportunities for him to hurt Emperor Xia.


    The sea breeze was salty but the smell of blood was not disgusting. In fact, it had a hint of sweet notes in it and it was almost rousing. The impression of the Asura Blood Sea etched deeply in Shen Lian''s mind, it was a foreign yet familiar feeling.


    More than ten years ago, he left the Asura Blood Sea and reincarnated at Xiliang. He was once again back here at the Blood Sea. Furthermore, Founding Master Yuanqing also seemed to have a fated relationship with the Asura Blood Sea. He did not like the idea of it but at the same time, he felt strange about it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "World Honored Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Buddha of Wisdom, you are finally here." Buddhist chants could be heard as a scripture flew out from Shen Lian. The scripture cleared up and the text of the scripture flew out to pave a golden path that led to a mountain with a golden pagoda.


    Besides the sound of the wind, the other sounds surrounding Shen Lian was the singing of the cicadas. Everything looked normal but he was sure that no one else could see the golden path that led to the mountain and the pagoda.


    In fact, the mountain was not on the ground and was floating in the sky. The foot of the mountain was shaded by the clouds and was filled with the Buddhist ray. It looked magnificently magical.


    As for the text of the scripture, it was the Mahayana Sutra that Dajue Temple gifted to Shen Lian. He did not gain much from it after receiving it but it had such a wonderful effect once he arrived at the Blood Sea.

 Chapter 572 Someone From the Pas

    The low-pitched Buddha chants contained a magnificent universe within it. A curved rainbow raises up at the pagoda. It was a Buddhist ray that only enlightened monks with great morality would possess. Furthermore, this rainbow shaped Buddhist ray had a sense of detachment and seemed unusual.


    Over ten years ago, Shen Lian fell and was trapped in the Blood Sea. It was a Buddhist ray that liberated the lost souls of the Blood Sea. It triggered a fluctuation and Shen Lian took that opportunity to escape. The master of the Buddhist ray then could be the same person who uttered the Buddhist chants.


    Shen Lian looked at the bright golden path and longed for it. In fact, anyone who saw it would feel the same too.


    Despite longing for it, Shen Lian''s feet did not move.


    "Don''t you want to meet me?" The Buddhist chant appeared in Shen Lian''s mind and it did not seem like it went through the physical world.


    The image of a monk popped up in Shen Lian''s mind. The monk was young and handsome and was slightly more charismatic than Baoyue the Venerable.


    Shen Lian was aware that this was not something as simple as a projection of thoughts, it should be related to the legendary mind shifting of the Buddhist sects.


    Shen Lian was not taken aback and was able to skillfully visualize Lingbao Tianzun. People who were of the level of a Daoist Master would possess their very own unique breath. It suddenly alerted the monk and Shen Lian used his divine thoughts to form a sword and slashed towards the monk. The image of the monk disappeared and left no traces behind.


    A gust of wind breezed through the pagoda and the sounds of bells ringing could be heard. Apparently, wind chimes were hung on the pagoda. As the wind chimes rang, Shen Lian could hear the sound of thousands of arhats chanting in his mind. He was affected by it and the Lingbao Tianzun that he visualized crumbled along with his state of mind.


    Lingbao Tianzun was a great existence that attained detachment. Whoever who was able to kick Shen Lian out of the state of concentration where he visualized Lingbao Tianzun was definitely someone powerful with the means of Taiyi or Mahasattva.


    Shen Lian smiled, "Today is not a good day. I will return next time for another visit."


    At the same time, his impression towards Dajue Temple had fallen a little. Obviously, this so-called Mahayana Sutra was a bait to attract the deep unfathomable monk to come out.


    If Shen Lian arrived at the other side of the Blood Sea, it would have triggered the same situation.


    He was more willing to meet this figure of the level of Mahasattva but it had to be under his own initiative. If he cannot dictate his own fate, there was no point in being a celestial or a saint.


    Once he made up his mind, Shen Lian receded without any hesitation. But regardless of how quick his steps were, the bright golden path would still be at least three inches away from him.


    "The sea of suffering is boundless, the shore is just right ahead of you. There is no need for you to be stubborn." The monk''s voice could be heard. It did not sound tempting but no matter how hard Shen Lian tried to turn back, the bright golden path, the mountain, and the pagoda were still ahead of him.


    Shen Lian wanted to laugh at himself. He wondered if Emperor Xia found out that he was trapped, would he regret losing the golden opportunity to kill him or would Emperor Xia be glad that he did not follow along and thus, did not have to deal with this mysterious monk.


    He wanted to laugh, but he did not laugh and instead had a composed expression. He said, "If one is self-contained, why would they seek something externally? The more I try to free myself, the more constraint it would be. You said it was the shore ahead of me, and I am sure it is not the shore. So why would I go?"


    "Very good indeed. You have a great understanding of the laws of Buddhism. That shows that you are fated with Buddha and that is exactly why I cannot let you leave." The monk sounded delightful and was not one bit annoyed by Shen Lian''s refusal.


    Shen Lian could tell that the monk was sincere and genuine but so what? If he was the one who decided to visit the monk, he would have done it even if the world was against him. But this time, it was not him who made the conscious decision and thus, he would never proceed.


    It may sound stubborn but it was Shen Lian''s determination to not be affected by external distractions.


    However, if he refused to go forward, he needs to have an escape plan. The supernatural power of the monk looked somewhat similar to Heng''e''s Milky Way and it probably was one of the supernatural powers of the Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm. It was indeed true that arriving at the cultivation state of Taiyi did not necessarily mean that one would be unmatchable. Techniques that used the Dao of Space was still something Shen Lian was not capable of applying even if he understood the principles behind it.


    Fortunately, he did not need to apply the techniques. He just had to figure a way out to overcome it.


    The monk''s techniques were not as flawless and impeccable as Heng''e''s Milky Way.


    Shen Lian''s Taixu Strategy was a supreme method and not many ordinary celestials were comparable to it. He had mastered the ''Interpromotion and Interrestraint'' of the four states and the ''restrict'' state had the beauty of seeing through thousands of methods. Moreover, he was in good form and his eyesight was almost on par with the legendary clairvoyance sight.


    He was able to see through the weakness of the monk''s power.


    At that very moment, a bloodied cloud appeared on top of the Blood Sea. There were twelve people standing on the cloud and each of them looked extraordinary. Among them, one had a horsetail whisk on his hand and had an air of Dao around him. It was clear that he was beyond the remaining eleven.


    The Daoist with the horsetail whisk was the only one without the sword. The rest had a sword and was oozing with killing aura. Even if the grudges of the Blood Sea was over the top, the lost souls did not dare to go near to the bloodied cloud.


    The Daoist who was leading the pact looked at the shore of the Blood Sea and saw Shen Lian. He was extremely moved and said, "Junior Apprentice-Brother Chen was right! Junior Apprentice-Brother Shen is indeed here!"


    The eleven people behind him had solemn faces. They were all in different body shapes and sizes but it was clear that they cultivated the same Dao incantation and swordsmanship. Their divine Qi was interconnected although they did not do it on purpose.


    One of them said, "Senior Uncle-Master, why did the Chief Uncle-Master not notice us despite his cultivation level?"


    "You are right. Looks like Junior Apprentice-Brother Shen is in trouble. There is only one monk in the Blood Sea that is capable of making things difficult for him. Apprentice-Nephew, I know now why your master sent us here. Looks like he had predicted this scenario. Come, let us form our formation," the Daoist answered calmly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    He swung his horsetail whisk and the eleven swordsmen stood apart. Their sword aura dashed up the clouds as their murderous thoughts surged. It then condensed to form a bright red colored Tongtian Sword Cloud.


    The sword cloud condensed and the surroundings waves of blood started to surge. It then stood still and eleven sword gleams flew and blended into the sword cloud.


    The Daoist started to chant as he swung his horsetail whisk. He swung it downwards and then the sword cloud charged towards Shen Lian''s direction.


    A sizzling sound could be heard across the void as a golden dragon leaped out and bit the sword cloud.


    The Daoist snorted, "It was indeed the monk''s Dawei Heavenly Dragon."


    He tossed the horsetail whisk and it expanded once it came in contact with the wind. In a speed quicker than the sword cloud, it released dashes of silk and tied up the golden dragon. The sword cloud then traveled past the dragon like a fish and arrived above Shen Lian.


    The Buddhist ray then shattered and Shen Lian looked up to the sky and noticed the sword cloud. He did not have the time to be surprised by the familiarity of the Qi of sword as he released a breath towards the sword cloud.

 Chapter 573 Defenders of the Dharma

    @@


    Shen Lian''s thoughts were bright and clear. He could tell that detached Dao rhythm of the rainbow above the pagoda was somewhat unharmonious. He rampantly went on to the bright gold path and attacked it like a thunder. It was indeed effective. But he did not expect to see a Tong Tian Sword Cloud the moment he broke free from the monk''s Dharma.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian may not be a genius swordsman but had experienced and fathomed the meaning of supreme Killing Swords such as the trapping of a celestial, Yuantu and Avici. To other people, this Tong Tian Sword Cloud was terrifying to the core but to Shen Lian, it was not that scary.


    A mouthful of pure Qi of vitality that contained the Killing Sword spurted out and clashed against the Tong Tian Sword Cloud. The clouds scattered, waves of the Blood Sea surged. The dragon groaned loudly and then came dead silence.


    The mountain, the pagoda, and the bright golden path vanished. A horsetail whisk landed in the hands of a Daoist with silv@@

 Chapter 574 Profound Blessings

    @@


    Li Yuanliang picked Mo Luojia as his opponent and the remaining ten disciples also each picked a sub-leader of the Defenders of the Dharma to fight against. Perhaps it was Shen Lian''s presence that spurred them to fight harder. They were generous with their swordcraft and were evidently more murderous.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Li Yuanliang, in particular, was the most outstanding among all. The groaning of his sword could be heard but the shadow of his sword could not be seen. He indeed lived up to his nickname of ''The Shadowless Sword''.


    If Mo Luojia''s Dharma was not deep enough, he would not be able to protect himself.


    Daoist Sanwen lightly caressed his horsetail whisk and said, "Junior-Apprentice Brother, what do you think of the boys?"


    Shen Lian laughed, "They look the part."


    Daoist Sanwen sighed, "You, you set the bar too high."


    Shen Lian laughed and said nothing. Sanwen was right. These apprentice-nephews may be first class sword celestials in the eyes of cultivators@@

 Chapter 575 Fugue of the Universe

    @@


    Li Yuanliang and the rest had chased the demonic soldiers back into hiding in the blood-red sea. Shen Lian looked on and nodded. If the Asura clan of the Asura Blood Sea had not split and fought amongst themselves, this Asura Blood Sea would have been one of the major forces in the netherworld.


    However, this monk had converted many Asura clans to Gods of Protectors, and his own Buddhist prowess was limitless, strong enough to force the Asura clans out of the blood sea, reducing their power in the netherworld almost to nil. Shen Lian would never believe that all these were unintentionally done by the monk.


    It was a silent journey. Soon, ahead of them lay a piece of stone tablet, its height piercing through the sky. It was black in color, and its height above sea level could be as high as ten thousand feet. Seeing it upfront, one would be intimidated by its sharp aura.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Fortunately, Li Yuanliang and the others seemed to be used to this. He even explained to Shen Lian,@@

 Chapter 576 Blood Between the Eyebrows

    @@


    Even though Chen Jianmei''s sword will filled the whole void, it did not stop Shen Lian from casting his prowess.


    As the saying went, ''Accumulated soil could form mountains to start rain and storm; accumulated water could form deep pools to breed water dragons''. Shen Lian''s Mark of Mountains and Rivers could not only summon the mountains and waters, it also possessed the magical power to summon wind and rainfall. The dark water in the void was seen to be carrying a high mountain. As the mountainous rain approached, a strong wind had caught up to it first.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    The clinging of clashing swords could be heard in the air. Layers of formless sword auras vibrated through the air and came facing the strong wind. It then formed a stance like forces of many rivers and gathered towards Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian remained smiling casually and unfazed at this sight. The fictional huge mountain followed the flow of the dark water and clashed with the sword aura.


    The sword aura appear@@

 Chapter 577 Saintess

    Shen Lian gave a little thought and smiled, "With your talent, Senior Apprentice Brother Chen, you would have been one with Dao already. However, I am still curious, how did you come to the netherworld?"


    Chen Jianmei answered, "I was murdered before being reincarnated into this netherworld. However, the one who did it was not Chen Beidou, but a mysterious Daoist.


    Shen Lian squinted his eyes. That time when Chen Jianmei was seriously injured, he had not attained immortality yet, so it was not unusual to be murdered. However, there was no living being in the Temple of Killings, not even the microorganism which was hiding in the soil. Yet those buildings had not had any scratch. This sort of massacre was rather disturbing to Shen Lian.


    Chen Jianmei being killed would match his opinion.


    He asked, "Do you have any clue, Senior Apprentice Brother?"


    Chen Jianmei replied, "The mysterious Daoist also used the killing sword, and sometimes they let out similar killing will as Chen Beidou. However, after some investigation, it was in fact authentically Daoist, and quite frankly, even that monk could not match up to the mysterious Daoist.


    Shen Lian sighed, "I am afraid the monk has achieved Mahasattva. So with what you''ve just mentioned, Senior Apprentice Chen, the mysterious Daoist is above even that level. Even then, the Founding Master Yuanqing would not have such achievement before achieving Daqian. Why would that sort of character make a move on you himself?"


    "This is the most confusing part. I actually accept that one sword kill from him. But one day, I will return to avenge this one," Chen Jianmei said softly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Shen Lian knew that Chen Jianmei''s reincarnation into the netherworld would be encountered with an adventure which escalated his cultivation, or else he would not give empty promises. Shen Lian felt slightly pressured by this. After all, he was the headmaster of Qing Xuan. If he was tossed down by Chen Jianmei, he would lose face.


    As of what Chen Jianmei had encountered, Shen Lian did not ask further. Both of them gradually reminisced about what happened after they split up. This was when Shen Lian found out that Chen Jianmei had incarnated for three hundred years, and his arrival in the netherworld was less than twenty years ago, which was another point worth investigating. However, Shen Lian never said it out loud because he himself had experienced going back in time to participate in the legendary incident of Da Yi shooting the sun.


    Although surprised, it was not entirely unacceptable. He also thought that things were not as easy as it looked, so he did not tell Chen Jianmei that hastily.


    Finally, Shen Lian also shared his recent goal.


    Chen Jianmei said, "I once fought Emperor Xia. He was actually very good. As for Tianyi, he was rather famous, but I think you know better about the overall situation. If you gauge their influencing power, my armed forces in Asura Blood Sea is enough to match up with Xia and Yinshang. Even if there was a difference, they cannot overlook that too. Actually, they might as well pass down this foundation to you, but with the restriction of an oath, I am afraid I cannot exit the blood sea and help you, nor can I assign a large army of Asura clans to go with you. However, you can select a few of my disciples and some demonic soldiers to go with you. They should be able to offer you some help."


    Even after being reborn into Asura, Chen Jianmei''s personality remained unchanged, not burdened by worldly things. Shen Lian still felt touched and said, "In my recent fugue of the universe, I have put up some pieces, so I will pass down to you and Senior Spprentice Sanwen in these few days."


    Chen Jianmei smiled, "If this was hundred years ago, even if you bring the Buddha''s cultivation to me, I would not give it another look. But now, even if you never brought it up, I will still ask you to reiterate the cultivation notes."


    Shen Lian said, "This is exactly what I wanted to bring it up for," They shared a laugh together. Chen Jianmei used to devote himself to swordcraft in the past, ignoring other prowess skills. Since he had mastered "The Sword that Surpassed Ten Thousand Techniques" he had to learn other skills as well.


    In terms of knowledge, there was plentiful of literature in Qing Xuan. Out of all people, only Heng Xu could match up to Shen Lian in terms of knowledge. This was especially true when Chen Jianmei dueled with Shen Lian earlier, he could feel the complexity in the prowess that Shen Lian possessed. Even though he managed to overcome them all, he was also impressed by this junior apprentice brother and his accomplishment.


    After that, Shen Lian stayed at the blood sea briefly for more than a month. He spent this time passing down all that he learned to Sanwen Daoist and Chen Jianmei without reservation. It was Chen Jianmei who benefited more from this. As for Sanwen Daoist, with his skill level, it would be fortunate enough for him to be able to master the formation of Primordial Spirit.


    Luckily he was of the Asura clan, so he would not worry about aging. This was, in fact, the special trait of the Asura clan. If accident never fell upon them, they would go to survive for ten thousand years.


    Buddhism taught about the six paths of beings, first being holy men, followed by Asura which was not hearsay only.


    Finally, Shen Lian left the Asura Blood Sea. When Chen Jianmei offered to rebuild his flesh body with the essence of blood lotus, Shen Lian rejected the offer, as he wanted to master the realm of Taiyi and build himself a perfect body without anyone''s help.


    In addition, his Primordial Spirit was gathered to take in the essence of heaven and earth, so he had no worry of dissipating.


    In the countless woods of the Nanjiang southern border, besides the various kinds of demon clans, there were those barbarians who lived in the woods as well. The barbarians were very much different from those from Dongyi. They almost never practiced the art of divine techniques, whereby they worshipped brute strength and magic. Every barbarian clan''s village would have a priest who prayed to the God and also protected the village using the mysterious power bestowed on them.


    In certain definition, the belief of the Nanjiang barbarians was still quite primitive. However, recently all the villages had shared one priest, the Saintess.


    This Saintess lived in the southern border ten years ago. She was beautiful and highly skilled in voodoo magic. She had this magical herb which could control human bodies, and she need not make any sacrifice to communicate directly with god. She taught the barbarians how to identify different kinds of herbs, helped many villages to overcome diseases and catastrophes, and even got the fiercest beasts to bow under her feet.


    The barbarians recognized and worshipped the Saintess as god''s daughter.


    It was her who united those scattering barbarians. Many strong warriors were willing to pursue without asking for anything in return.


    Her living quarters was beside the biggest valley of Nanjiang. The valley was the ''Holy Valley of Voodoo''. It was foggy all year old. Legends told that this valley was transformed from a powerful voodoo god billions of years ago. Its status was as holy as the You Dou Mountain which the Di clan of the north worshipped.


    Today, an uninvited guest arrived outside the Holy Mountain of Voodoo.

 Chapter 578 Bamboo Flute

    This person donned a white robe and a silver hairpin in his hair. As he came in front of the cliff and saw the ever twirling fog, he hesitated and thought, "Chief Uncle-Master said I would have no obstructions coming. With this thick fog here, I will not be able to pass through with my current swords knowledge. Maybe I can just walk in to see what is really inside."


    This person was none other than Chen Jianmei''s disciple, Li Yuanliang, who had orders from his master to serve by the side of Shen Lian together with his apprentice juniors Yuan Xuefeng, Liu Weiyi, and Yu Yingfa.


    The four were delighted to do so, as they would benefit a lot from their chief uncle-master who was so fluent in celestial skills.


    Li Yuanliang was ordered by his chief uncle-master to deliver a letter to the owner of the valley. He was ever ordered to respond in specific words when he saw the owner. However, this fog made him hesitate. After all, Li Yuanliang was one of the sword celestials. If he could not determine the realness of this fog, he knew very well of its unpredictable danger. But chief uncle-master would not deceive him too, which was why he was in such a dilemma.


    As he walked back and forth not knowing what to do, a green shadow flew down from the valley. Li Yuanliang saw unmistakably, that person had two pieces of tree leaves on it, as big as plantain leaves, so thin one could see through it very clearly. These two thin leaves extended from the back of the person, flashing like a pair of wings.


    That person flew out of the valley and paused. As it saw Li Yuanliang, it shot down in front of Li Yuanliang and said, "It is under the Sacred Nun''s order that I escort you in. Follow me."


    That was when Li Yuanliang caught a clear view of this person''s appearance. Its face looked like it was painted with some kind of plant-based coloring. A greenish-yellow hue which masked what was really beneath it. It was wearing a headband braided with tree vines, and a bird''s feather pinned on its head. An unknown demonic power could be felt rippling around, and its body figure was clearly defined, a sign of large strength.


    He asked, "Your sacred nun knew I was coming?"


    The person snorted, "Our Sacred Nun knows all things in this world including the logic and laws of the heaven. It is not unusual that she could foresee your arrival."


    After Li Yuanliang heard this, he tried to hold back his laughter, as his chief uncle-master was very right about him not facing any obstruction. He could even foresee that this sacred nun would foresee him coming here.


    However, as a disciple of the grand Qing Xuan clan, Li Yuanliang had to keep his composure. He showed no expression and said, "Let us move on then."


    The escort took a piece of vine from its body and threw it in front of Li Yuanliang, "Hold tight to this so you will not fall from the sky later."


    Li Yuanliang looked at the tree vine and held onto it tightly without saying a word.


    After that, it moved its wings that looked like tree leaves and flew up forming a green shadow. As they flew into the valley, the thick layers of fog almost immediately dissipated. Li Yuanliang looked on carefully and saw that all this was the work of the tree leaves. However he did not know this fog was the violent miasma from the heaven and earth, and the leaves was one of the rare surviving plants in the valley, which was why it could repel the miasma.


    Suddenly, it was all bright. Figures of clouds and pelicans were in sight. It was scenery of a celestial place. Li Yuanliang had not returned to the Qing Xuan sect, but according to Daoist Sanwen, most celestial places looked like this.


    There was a hill in front that emerged from within the cloudy fog. A platform could be seen on its peak; next to it was a bamboo field. A lady donned in snowy white dress was holding a green bamboo flute, playing an ear-pleasing piece of music.


    Li Yuanliang instantly recognized that this lady was the so-called sacred nun, the intended recipient of his letter.


    He immediately formed himself into the flash of sword light and swooshed to appear in front of the lady.


    The barbarian with the leafy wings panicked as he never thought that this fellow would come up and offend the sacred nun. He furiously waved his palm to give out a slap, but before he could take action, a formless soundwave was heard to stop him. It was the lady, "Xinba, stop."


    That man''s name was Xinba. He worshipped the lady like a god, so he moved aside while glaring at Li Yuanliang.


    The lady stopped blowing her flute and looked at Li Yuanliang. She frowned and said, "There is a heavy presence of the devilish Qi on you. You are from the Asura Blood Sea. What do you want from me?"


    As Li Yuanliang saw this lady, he subconsciously moved in front of her. He never expected to be so captivated and so offensive. To overcome this awkwardness, he took out a piece of silk cloth and said, "This letter is for you."


    The lady took over the cloth, with only one sentence written on it, "In the beginning, there were no stars."


    Her mind wandered off reminiscing momentarily before letting out a sigh, "You can go back and tell him, my name is ''Yun'', and I do not have a family name."


    Li Yuanliang was surprised, "The author of this letter is my uncle-master. He said that if you answered that you do not have a family name, please do not let him see you, or else he will not show mercy."


    Yun remained unfazed and said, "You can tell him, we will meet sooner or later."


    In the eyes of Li Yuanliang, her beauty was so natural and pure. He could not help but be mesmerized by her. So he said, "It is better you do not go against my uncle-master. You do not know how powerful he is."


    Yun laughed, "Now is there anyone who does not know him? Of the Three Saints of the Netherworld, Qing Xuan is the best. Even Emperor Xia and Taiyi have to come after him. However I promised the Hierophant, as long as Xia kingdom is here, I will help even for just a day, even if it will destroy me."


    Li Yuanliang saw the determination in her eyes, the same determination he saw in his master''s eyes before, a determination no one can change.


    He held his fists and said, "I shall return and complete my mission."


    However, before he could move his feet, he had to take the same route back, which meant he had to pass through the fog again.


    Yun noticed and smiled, "Well well, let me send you out."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Li Yuanliang felt awkward. Then, he saw Yun threw her long flute into the sky, which then inflated into a shining green light. He heard a gentle voice, "Get on."


    Li Yuanliang only felt his body floating. Gushes of air were flowing out of the pores of the flute, holding him, as it pierced through the miasma towards the outlet of the valley.


    "You can help me to gift this bamboo flute to him. After all, I have not given him any gifts."


    Shen Lian was playing with the bamboo which was translucent like a piece of jade, which was emitting a sweet floral aroma. He told Li Yuanliang, "Actually, you are not required to do a chore as insignificant as posting letters. The reason I sent you is to let her know about your identity as an Asura, which is also a hint to her that I have the support of the Asura clan now."


    Shen Lian paused for a while, and continued with a sigh, "She should have understood my hint as well, yet she still gave such reply, which seems that she will cause me problems in the future. Judging from her years of training, she is still not good as me in terms of cultivation and mentality. However, there is a mysterious thing about voodoo which can turn impossible things possible. The hierophant must have something up her sleeves against me by training her. That was why I said that I will not show mercy the next time we meet."

 Chapter 579 Part of the Royal Family

    After hearing Shen Lian''s explanation, Li Yuanliang could not help but felt worried for the Sacred Nun. His uncle-master and master might have contrasting characteristics, but both of them were Daoists who were unshakeable once they had made up their minds. Coupled with their extraordinary prowess, their opponents would be most unfortunate.


    Shen Lian caught sight of his expression. Shen Lian asked him, "Are you worried about her?"


    Li Yuanliang looked down shamefully, "You are right, Uncle-Master. For some unknown reason, she seemed very familiar to me, but actually, she is as pure and wonderful as the clouds in the waters, yet so unreachable."


    Shen Lian explained, "This is not caused by your lack of determination. It is exactly the traits of her cultivation, also a result of training by the Xia hierophant over the span of ten years. The vital force from the laws of heaven had penetrated into her, which was why the barbarians of the south worshipped her so religiously. Although you are from the Asura, your actual cultivation still follows the authentic ways of Daoism, so some of her aura that comprises elements of nature is rather irresistible to you. Any Qi cultivator lacking the experience will be at a disadvantage facing her." Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Shen Lian sighed in his heart. Evidently, the hierophant was totally loyal to the Xia emperor. She not only trained Yun to fight Shen Lian, she was also the mortal enemy to all Qi cultivators in Yinshang. Sadly, this sort of cultivation also cut off Yun''s path as a Daoist, which would be a squander of a good talent like hers.


    After hearing Shen Lian''s explanation, Li Yuanliang finally understood the reason for his emotions. Even so, he could not harbor any ill feelings towards the beautiful impressions he had of her.


    After a while, Shen Lian ordered Li Yuanling and the rest to go to Xi Liang Kingdom and assist Chen Qing momentarily. With their combined strength and the Killing Formation of Four Divisions taught by Shen Lian, they would be as strong as the earthly immortals, who could have provided some resistive strength too.


    As for Shen Lian, he did not plan to return to Xi Liang just yet. He had one thing left to do: recruit the cook of his own disciple, Lei Jing.


    This person was the key person for him to form his own empire, and also to hit on the national fate of Yinshang. If he served for Yinshang, the difficulty for Shen Lian to overturn the destiny would be amplified.


    Emperor Xia had returned to Mount Meng earlier but without the head of Shen Lian. So, most of the people understood that this ruthless Daoist of Qing Xuan had really escaped from the Emperor Xia''s pursuit, who also injured Guan Longzi badly and destroyed the Lantern of Life and Death.


    Although the Xia army''s grand victory against Dongyi was worthy of a big celebration, the incident with Qing Xuan Daoist had casted a dark shadow over this conquest.


    However, as if not noticing a thing, Emperor Xia gave the order to wed Meixi of Youshi, and increase his exploitation against various clans of Dongyi.


    All the clans of Dongyi were furious but speechless because even though Emperor Xia might not be unmatchable, there were very few who could go up against him.


    When Emperor Xia wedded Meixi as his concubine, Yunyang never appeared. His reputation had plummeted. Even if he was the son of the White Emperor, his numerous letdowns made the people of Dongyi felt disappointed in him. Moreover, Meixi who initially had a marriage agreement with him was now being married to Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia spent a lot of resources to build a temporary imperial residence in Mount Meng for this wedding with Meixi. The palace was at the peak of Mount Meng, surrounded by clouds, planted cloud pines and all sorts of exotic plants. At every sunrise, all the clouds created a colorful and magical scene.


    All the high officials of Xia Kingdom knew very well that Meixi would definitely be highly favored by Emperor Xia, the only reason being was none other than her strikingly identical appearance as the Hierophant. She would be the king''s exclusive favorite.


    Guan Longzi was locked up in the underground dungeon of the palace. Only Lei Jing could visit him in the dungeon. In the meantime, Guan Longzi had passed on all teachings in the Lianshan literature to Lei Jing without reservation.


    He was now covered in white hair and all skinny. The damage from Shen Lian had injured him badly. But this did not kill Guan Longzi''s mentality, as he looked quite contented. Lei Jing was worried for him, so she asked Ah Heng the cook to change his menu daily. However, for some unknown reason, Guan Longzi had eaten lesser and lesser even though he was at ease. He was not cutting his diet for his Qi cultivation, but he actually could not eat any food.


    This time, when Guan Longzi finished teaching the Lianshan scripture, he never gave Lei Jing time to meditate. He said, "Lianshan originated from Xiangshan. Once in use, all four seasons are used as guidance of prosperity and poverty; Liu Jia is used to differentiate between fortune and misfortune.


    At this point, it was different from the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth in terms of quality. This is also the difference in study between your master and I. Let''s not discuss who is better, but he learned too much to the intent to learn about everything, and finally simulated the development of all things in this universe, so he can understand the past, present, and future and transcend time. His concept was never as pure as mine.


    This is also why he never achieved Taiyi. However, he will understand this sooner or later. My little selfish request is that you do not tell him the essence of Lianshan to slow down his advancement."


    Le Jing answered, "If master asked me, I cannot reject him. But as long as he did not ask, I will tell him voluntarily. Since you have already passed the Lianshan to him, why would you not want him to understand its essence now?"


    Guan Longzi smiled bitterly, "I consider myself a righteous person, but I still did one trick against your master. I passed the Lianshan to him as a bait to attract him towards the path of Yi. This path of Yi comprises a wide scope, so it would distract him and deviate his attention from reaching the realm of Taiyi."


    Lei Jing felt sad hearing this. She knew Guan Longzi as a proper gentleman, and she understood that his trick was actually an act of loyalty towards his uncle, which was why he had to do something against his own principles.


    Someone as intelligent as her master would find find out about the trick in no time, which was also why their relationship had finally broke.


    As of now, Guan Longzi did not get the reward he deserved despite his efforts. Her uncle had not pardoned him yet.


    Lei Jing had then decided, no matter what, she must ask her uncle to pardon Guan Longzi.


    At that moment, a neat set of footsteps could be heard. An eunuch arrived at the prison cell accompanied by a group of guards. As the eunuch saw Lei Jing, he greeted her, "Miss Jing, His Majestic has a royal order for you."


    Lei Jing nodded and paid respect to receive the order.


    The eunuch''s expression turned serious, "Female Lei Jing, has contributed much to the society, I hereby reward you the surname of Si, and be part of the royal family."


    Since the development of Xia kingdom, rewarding of lands were on very rare occasions. Even the royal members had rarely been given a reward of land. This reward of the royal surname, Si for Lei Jing and inclusion into the royal family was really a heavenly reward. After changing her surname to Si, she would be added into the royal bloodline, and in line to inherit the kingdom.


    Although there was no precedence of a female king in Xia kingdom, she did have the opportunity according to the law and constitution.


    Moreover, the Emperor only had one son who was assigned to guard the borders near the northern Barbarians for a long-term period, evidence that he was not favored by the king.

 Chapter 580 A Heng

    Lei Jing had predicted this as previously there were already rumors about this matter. However, the fact that uncle ordered Guan Longzi to be there right after he finished explaining Lianshanyi to her was something she could not comprehend.


    She accepted the decree with respect. Immediately after she felt the abstruse Qi had descended on her. If she had not obtained the Xuanmen''s essence from Shen Lian and developed the treasure of her own bloodline, it would be hard for her to detect the Qi.


    As she was aware of some of the essence of Lianshanyi, she knew this Qi was the Qi of dragon. The Qi of dragon was not unique to men. It was tied to the fate of a country as Guan Longzi had said to her before. If the ruler of a country had an exuberant Qi of Dragon, Qi cultivators would not attempt to kill him because of the repercussion.


    This sort of repercussion even if it did not cause any harm to the Qi cultivators, it would cause harm to people who were related to him by karma. For the Qi cultivators who were seeking the path of celestials and freedom, they naturally would not do such a thing.


    However, if the Qi cultivators knew about the laws of heaven, they did not need to handle the rulers by themselves. The higher the cultivation level, the less frequent one needed to kill anyone with his own hands. One reason was to avoid troubles, another reason was that one took into account the countless revenge that would follow suit. With just some planning, one could simply have a scapegoat.


    "Is the king free? Can I meet him?" Si Jing''s clear eyes gazed at the eunuch and it sent chills down his spine. It was not the first time he met noblewoman Jing. This time around, other than her polished behavior, she seemed to be more unpredictable and that made him fear.


    The eunuch said, "Princess, the king said that after you accept the decree, you have to leave for the nominated country immediately."


    Si Jing''s eyebrows furrowed, "Did the king mention about Guan Longzi?"


    The eunuch replied, "King mentioned that Guan Longzi can be released from the jail and he will regain his position as the Prefect Grand Astrologer."


    Si Jing let out a sigh of relief and said, "That''s good."


    The eunuch said, "The guards of honor are outside on standby, princess. Please get going."


    Si Jing nodded and she turned to look at Guan Longzi. He smiled at her and cupped his hands. Si Jing then followed the servants out of the jail.


    However, when she was on her way out, she still felt hanging as if it was the last time she was going to see Guan Longzi.


    When Si Jing was outside, the guards of honor were all ready and her servant A Heng was a part of the guards of honor. There were six horses for Lei Jing''s cart. They were all white, except for their hooves which were black.


    This type of horse was not of the pegasus strain which could fly but it could travel up to thirty thousand miles in a day. It was also known as walking swallow.


    The emperor rode on eight horses and Lei Jing had six. One could obviously tell Emperor Xia''s liking towards her because of the status. Furthermore, she was granted the surname Si and with a country nominated to her. It was natural for anyone to call her princess.


    Emperor Xia had no daughter and hence, she, as a princess got such unique treatment.


    On the cart, other than Si Jing''s usual servants, there was only one other person, A Heng. A Heng looked like he was less than thirty-year-old. He had a common face but his friendliness could make people ignore the status difference and just focus on the conversations with him.


    A Heng had no teacher but he knew a lot of principles. He was rather famous in Diqiu. For a nobleman like Lei Nuo, he too was willing to befriend of equal status with him.


    Youshen kingdom was not far away, it was at the north of Mount Meng and it was considered as part of Eastern Barbarians.


    By the time they reached Youshen kingdom''s border, the cart slowed down. It probably was Lei Jing''s intention. She wanted to observe the country that was nominated to her.


    A Heng was too paying attention to the scenery outside. He exclaimed, "Monarch, this is a good place. If I were to describe Eastern Barbarian as a dragon, Youshen Kingdom is located at the dragon head where there are countless spiritual opportunities blooming. As long as it is set up the right way where we hold the geographical advantage, we can control the trades of Eastern Barbarian''s tribes with other places and bring in lots of wealth." Everyone else called Si Jing as noblewoman or princess but A Heng called her as monarch. This was not by chance. With wartime ahead, good animals would choose the tree they wanted to lean on, same for people who would choose the right leader. In A Heng''s eyes, there was no other leader which was more suitable for him than Lei Jing.


    Si Jing replied, "Even if I am as rich as my uncle, it doesn''t mean too much to me. A Heng, I know you''re interested in running a country. I can leave all the governing matters to you."


    A Heng spoke seriously, "Monarch, I know you''re a cultivator and hence you''re not too concerned with worldly matters. I think you probably think this is affecting your cultivation."


    Si Jing replied, "Is that not the case? If you feel that every moment the secret of life is waving at you and the abstruseness of the world is summoning you, asking you to discover it further, you will feel that wasting your time on world matters is a waste of life." When she said that, she thought about her teacher.


    A Heng smiled, "What monarch is saying is perhaps not the truth. If you''re focusing on cultivation, you wouldn''t say such a thing. The real cultivation can''t be forced. The abstruseness in the world is usually hidden within these small matters. Just like the wind will gather at the duckweed before it begins blowing and how by a piece of leaf falling that you will then be aware of autumn. These insignificant matters are often the representation of the abstruseness of the world. Furthermore, monarch, are you aware that you have obtained the opportunity where every cultivator in the world will wish to have? If you focus on the matters that you don''t even care about, you can achieve cultivation success just like the founder, Wenming." He spoke fluently.


    Most people would think he was bluffing with what he just said but Lei Jing knew how different A Heng was. Lianshanyi was considered difficult but everytime Si Jing had a question and sought out help from A Heng, he could always explain to her in a clear and easy manner. Sometimes, he would even explain with a different understanding from Guan Longzi. He too could form his own understanding that touched on the basis of the profoundness of Dao. At times, when she listened to A Heng, she felt as if her teacher was next to her.


    Si Jing said, "Just say it if there''s anything."


    A Heng gazed at Si Jing, his eyes as deep and mysterious as the starry night. He spoke, "Monarch, I''m sure you''ve heard the rumor that the heavenly fate determines that Yin Shang will replace Xia."


    Si Jing let out a sigh, "Even though uncle has defeated the Eastern Barbarian coalition, the situation at the Great Xia is still not positive. Guan Longzi too told me to not be involved in such matters."


    A Heng smiled, "I understand Guan Longzi''s intention. That''s because he thinks that the heavenly fate where Yin Shang will replace Xia can''t be changed and hence, he advised against it. However, monarch, the thing you don''t understand is, power can shift. The heavenly fate where Yin Shang will replace Xia isn''t something that can''t be changed because heavenly fate is just the shift in power. The shift mainly came from Tianyi''s operating effort, especially ever since Eastern Barbarian''s Yun Yang lost, there isn''t any other country that can unify the underworld and hence, the rumor is rooted deep in people''s hearts."


    He stopped for a while and said, "Emperor Xia will not let you have it as you please. In addition, in this day and age, in terms of brilliance and decisiveness, there is nobody as good as Emperor Xia. As such, monarch, you have an unprecedented opportunity ahead."

 Chapter 581 Yi River

    Si Jing asked, "What''s the good opportunity?"


    A Heng spoke with a delight, "Monarch, do you know why the king does not return after he overcame the Eastern Barbarians?"


    "It is probably to cower the people in Eastern Barbarians." Si Jing spoke slowly. She had her views on military-related matters. It was just that that was not what she pursued.


    A Heng said, "Monarch, you''re right. The tribes of Eastern Barbarians have always had a close relationship with the Xia Kingdom. This time, as the coalition was defeated, they are naturally in fear. If not because of your teacher, Emperor Xia''s authority is deep in the hearts of the people of Eastern Barbarians. He will only need to send the generals over to comfort the people. However, after the previous incident, Emperor Xia can only stop for a while and marry Youshi''s daughter to comfort the tribes of Eastern Barbarians. As such, Youshi''s will not be eliminated and that as other tribes saw Youshi''s fate, they will give up trying to fight to the death. However, ultimately the relationship between Emperor Xia and the tribes of Eastern Barbarians is already far and apart. I suppose Emperor Xia will extract the top talent of every tribe in Eastern Barbarians and form an army to achieve peace."


    Si Jing was rather indifferent, "So what?"


    A Heng smiled, "If I say that Emperor Xia wants to form an Eastern Barbarians army and that you''re his favored general, will you believe me?"


    Si Jing''s brows furrowed, "I will not accept and the Xia Kingdom does not lack any experienced general."


    "If Emperor Xia is going to form an Eastern Barbarians army, he will not make the tribes of Eastern Barbarians happy, as ultimately he is extracting all their top talents. If he assigns an experienced general, these tribes will be afraid that their people will be under the control of the Xia Kingdom entirely. They will further resist it. If it is you, monarch, they will only think that you''re still too young and inexperienced and they will think that Emperor Xia is still so full of themselves. Anyone who has ambition within the tribes of Eastern Barbarians will assume they have the chance to take control of the Eastern Barbarians army and achieve great success. This will be how it goes." A Heng told the story slowly as if he believed firmly that was what Emperor Xia was going to do.


    Si Jing did not change her expression. She stared at A Heng and spoke softly, "I believe whatever you said but if you think my uncle is brilliant, why don''t you work for him?"


    A Heng carried a serious expression, "Because the demise of the Xia Kingdom is indeed the true heavenly fate. Monarch, you should understand how the Xia Clan strips off other countries and has an unresolved conflict with the Qi cultivators. Ultimately cultivation doesn''t just rely on talent and understanding but also resources. If the Xia Clan has more, the Qi cultivators will have less. Furthermore, Xia Clan''s usage of the spiritual beings is considered wasteful. Compared to when the Xia Kingdom was first formed to now, even though there is still little addition to the Xia Clan, it still has increased. The resources spent are tremendous but because of Emperor Xia''s power and the contribution from ten thousand countries, it is sustained. This is, however, a very painful burden for every clan out there."


    Si Jing could not deny the truth behind A Heng''s statement. As a part of Xia Clan, she too obtained the cultivation method of Qi cultivators. She felt first hand the difference between the two cultivation methods. Xia Clan focused on the art of strength training and hence required a lot of spiritual beings between the heaven and earth. While the Qi cultivators too needed divine objects, once the mana was formed and that one was able to breathe in and out the Qi of vitality of heaven and earth, the demand for the spiritual beings was much less than Xia Clan.


    "Everything fades away in the face of development and improve in the face of decline. Once upon a time, even if the people did not cultivate, for them to die would take three hundred plus years. However as the Qi of vitality today is not as great as before, the lifespan of human has to decrease. This is the decline of the people in this era. In terms of the description to the profoundness of cultivation, the current state is much better than the past and hence, resulting in more land immortals than the past. Monarch, not only do you possess the bloodline of Emperor Xia, you too study under Qi cultivators which can be considered as the two biggest sects in the netherworld. If you have any success, surely a lot of people will be willing to be of use to you. If you can change the world, till then there will be much less killing and blood spill, it is a great merit. What is difficult for you to achieve the state of Taiyi or Mahasattva?" A Heng smiled.


    Si Jing was surprised, "But my uncle and Tianyi are both the top in the world. Like you said, even if I have great summoning power, I am still behind them in terms of cultivation. How can I rise to the top? I will take Yunyang as an example."


    A Heng smiled, "Forgive me for the following claim, in terms of fighting and killing, even A Heng has a way against Emperor Xia and Tianyi without suffering a defeat."


    Si Jing was indifferent, "A Heng, I know you have your oddities but to say that you''re comparable to my uncle and Tianyi in fighting and killing, I don''t think it is possible."


    "Monarch, do you forget that other than the celestial method, there is still the witchcraft. I will call myself number one in witchcraft, not even the famous Wu Peng is better than me." After A Heng finished speaking, he looked at Si Jing quietly.


    Si Jing kept quiet for a while, then said, "I will let you handle everything of Youshen. Don''t say what you said today to me again."


    A Heng sighed in his heart. He was not lying and for the country to be run peacefully was his cultivation path. Lei Jing was his number one choice even though she had not formed her own forces but she had an advantage because of her status, alongside with Youhu behind her. In addition, Lei Nuo was the Prefect Grand Usher for many years and that he understood the netherworld better than anyone in the Xia Kingdom, these were all advantages to her as long as Lei Jing was willing to let him run the strategy. With his help, Youshen would surely become one of the biggest power within the netherworld.


    During the rise of Youshen, with Lei Jing being the monarch and with the Xuan technique, she would surely benefit. Till then achieving the state of heavenly immortals was not something unthinkable. If she could change the world, she could be considered as the female Si Wenming.


    Unfortunately, he could tell Lei Jing was not too interested in it. In that case, he would have to look for the second alternative, Tianyi, and follow the heavenly fate.


    The only thing was Tianyi had already formed his forces for many years, along with Wen Zhong''s aid, it would be tough for him to be in the center of Yin Shang unless he achieved something.


    If not because of that consideration, Tianyi was considered to be A Heng''s number one leader.


    Ahead of them was a big river which was flowing. The waves were splashing and the water was clear. Lei Jing''s eyes fell on the water as she enjoyed the scenery.


    A Heng too stared at the water as he thought about a lot of things. After a while, someone patted on his shoulder and asked, "Why do you look like you''ve lost your soul when you see the water?"


    A Heng smiled bitterly, "Monarch, in reality, this is where I was born."


    Si Jing was surprised, "No one knew where you were from but you were actually from Yi river. Where''s your mother?"


    "Every mountain and river has a god, there is the mountain god and also the river god. My mother was Yi river''s celestial and hence, I know a lot of things. She disappeared when I was seven and later I moved to Diqiu. As I am not from Xia Clan, I become a servant." A Heng sighed.


    Si Jing smiled and did not ask for the details. She knew that A Heng carried a lot of secrets which was the reason why she did not want to accept his strategy. Youshen was a good place which would allow her to be far away from Diqiu. She decided to spend a long time at a quiet place in her nominated country and not be bothered with any troubles. If she could achieve immortality, she would be able to achieve her wish. She said, "Let''s get off the cart and look at how beautiful the scenery is at Youshen."


    A Heng said, "Then I will introduce to you the great parts of the place."


    They were walking slowly by the Yi river, in addition to A Heng''s story-telling which was extremely enchanting, even the servants and guards were into it. Si Jing too listened closely. His storytelling style was like her teacher.


    Unknowingly, it was sunset, the river was reflected red and that the waves were like red flowers. Ahead of the river, there was a bush of reeds which were too shone red.


    All in a sudden, everything including the river, the sunset, the reeds disappeared. She could only see the fishing man.


    Si Jing saw the fishing man, A Heng saw him too.


    He was wearing an aqua blue Daoist robe, where the two sleeves were embroidered with the eight trigrams. His long hair was let down and the face underneath it was pale and clear. The pair of eyes were as dark as the night that had no stars or moon.


    A Heng had never seen such a gorgeous and mysterious gaze. He could not move his eyes away just by one sight. He was different from others the moment he was born. He knew what he was chasing after and it was to discover the most mysterious secret of the universe. It was not something unique to him as there were a lot of others who were doing it.


    He too would claim that he was ahead than most in this path but at that moment, he hesitated because, in the eyes of the man on the other side, it was revealing an essence of the eternity. It was the eternal Dao rhythm that even if the sun, the moon, and the stars were to fade away, he would not. The state of heavenly immortals or the state of Taiyi were nothing in the face of such Dao rhythm.


    It was just like the Great Way was all hidden within his eyes as they revealed indefeasible power which could make anyone feel defeated under his gaze.


    A Heng ultimately was different from most. He kicked a rock which then followed the path of the Xuan philosophy as it hovered on the surface of the water, breaking the silence and making it rain with the splash.


    The fishing man naturally picked up his fishing rod and the black fishing lines suddenly extended and pierced through the rock like it was nothing. It shot towards Si Jing mercilessly.


    It was not a technique that was difficult to counter but A Heng realized that there was no longer Qi of vitality in the space. Any application of supernatural powers would be discounted. This revealed that the fishing man had planned ahead for this.


    The supernatural power required to overcome this restriction, to him, was as easy as peanuts. However, A Heng did not do anything because Si Jing said, "Don''t move."


    Si Jing lifted her wrist and all in a sudden the splashing water gathered and transformed into a huge net. Ignoring the black fishing lines ahead, it went straight towards the fishing man.


    There appeared a windshield in front of her which was formed by green gas. The black fishing lines were shredded to pieces by the windshield.

 Chapter 582 Dao and I are One

    Once the fishing line was shredded, they were turned into pieces and by chance, they fitted into the gaps in between the currents of the windshield. The windshield disappeared all in a sudden and eventually, the black pieces floated around Si Jing like the dim stars in the universe.


    The huge net formed by the water beads was blown away by the fishing man and had disappeared entirely.


    The fishing man spoke leisurely, "Jing Er, it is still too early for you to blend in Lianshanyi''s endless meaning with the summoning of wind and rain. Even if you are bad, you would be able to resist for a while longer and not lose straight away."


    A Heng narrowed his eyes. The Daoist was in fact, Qing Xuan. There was a reason why he gave out a feeling that he was too high to be reached.


    Si Jing bit her lips, "Sir, are you here for me, or for him?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I am of course here for Yi Zhi."


    Si Jing looked disappointed. She said nothing.


    A Heng laughed, "National advisor, you''re indeed profound to know even my real name."


    Yi Zhi was A Heng''s real name. He never mentioned it to anyone. Shen Lian''s knowledge about it made Yi Zhi feel alerted, given that if the name was known the person''s origin and background could be known too.


    Shen Lian spoke lightly, "I have no intention to know where Yi Zhi, you got your skills from. I have no idea at all." The wind began to blow on top of Yi river. Half of the sunset was covered by the mountain afar. Shen Lian sat alone by the Yi river as the water continued to flow underneath his feet. One felt that he was beyond time and that he could be immortal.


    Yi Zhi knew for sure Shen Lian was not there yet but he felt disturbed by Shen Lian''s gist of Dao. He smiled subsequently, "National advisor, you have the aura of a Daoist master. With your success, if you''re going to flaunt your connections, it indeed makes me feel flattered."


    Shen Lian''s soft eyes fell on the reeds that were being brushed gently by the wind as he said, "Yi Zhi, don''t you want to be out of this world to discover the most profound and mysterious matter of the universe. What the previous generation could achieve does not mean we can''t achieve it today or else it will go against the rule of continuous development. I am displaying this Qi not because I want to scare you but because I want you to follow me to prove the higher state. Jing Er is not the best person for your cultivation. Let me just say this without shame. Only by following me, you can get out of the trap the heavenly fate has for you."


    Yi Zhi clasped his hands and said, "National advisor, that was an unfounded claim."


    Shen Lian set aside the fishing rod, which was no longer a fishing rod but a sword. The tip of it was dipped into Yi river. As the sunset was blood-colored, the water of Yi river too as if it was flowing with blood. All in a sudden the relaxing riverside of Yi river turned into an Asura bloodbath. Shen Lian continued, "I will add one more line. If you decide to not follow me, I will not allow you to go to others."


    Yi Zhi felt like he could smell blood. Even though there was not any but he smelled it. He immediately understood that Shen Lian''s technique was as good as real and hence, to others, the flowing blood-colored water of Yi river was no different from the real blood water.


    He was not shaken as he replied leisurely, "National advisor, if you think I am as easy as Guan Longzi, well, he is still far from my level. He used eighty thousand sentences to form Lianshanyi but when it came to me, only four thousand and three hundred sentences remained after refining it and none of the profoundness was reduced."


    Shen Lian smiled, "I will make sure you''re convinced."


    Shen Lian stood by as he held the fishing rod. There was an irresistible power waiting to be unleashed, just like the height of the sky, or the depth of the sea that no one could imagine. All the powers in the world were just a joke to him.


    As if he was the Daoist master who had attained Dao for countless years. The moment he descended into the human world, all the resistance were just like pitiful ants to him.


    Shen Lian had not stepped into the state to Taiyi but he currently possessed the abstruseness beyond the state of Taiyi. He combined great wisdom, strong determination and along with Lingbao Tianzun''s breath within himself, he used Lingbao Tianzun as Dao, entering the state of "Dao and I are one". That was how he managed to control the killing sword. It was more than to command at his will and that was the only way he could be sure to convince Yi Zhi to be under his service.


    Furthermore, he was indeed looking to give in his all. If Yi Zhi could not be of use to him, he would have to send him through the karmic cycle.


    As Shen Lian decided to fight against the heavenly fate, in the face of this grand ambition, he could not afford to be weak or have any hesitation. He too let go of his previously unfettered heart so that he could be on this path until the very end.


    This grand ambition was going to be a rare experience for him in his life, as it continuously activated his Daoist heart and sparking brand new experience. This made life more interesting for him.


    Si Jing stepped forward until she was in the middle of Yi river, as she pleaded, "Sir, please stop. I beg you."


    Shen Lian smiled, "What a foolish child."


    He pointed at Si Jing and right after she was flown towards the bush of reeds. She landed safely. Her supernatural power was considered good but when compared to Shen Lian, she was as insignificant as the light of a firefly in the face of a bright moon.


    Yi Zhi replied with a deep voice, "Monarch after I defeat your master, you should know that you can do no wrong listening to me. The world is as cruel as that. If you can''t stand strong, you are at others'' mercy."


    Si Jing spoke with a cold voice, "Enough, A Heng. If sir wants to manipulate me, he has plenty of chances. I am sure that all the whiles he only treats me as his student and nothing more."


    She did not add this line, the fact that she was willing to be manipulated by Shen Lian as in that case, sir would have a period of time where he would be inseparable from her. Unfortunately, Shen Lian did not do it even though there was much he could make use of with her position.


    Si Jing stopped Shen Lian, not entirely because of Xia Kingdom but because she could acutely feel the joy Shen Lian had just by going against the world. She knew what Shen Lian was going to do was something that was beyond just the description of danger. She could roughly guess what Shen Lian was trying to challenge and could feel the underlying tone of craziness in him.


    In Yi Zhi''s eyes, not only was Shen Lian scary, he was a little similar to Emperor Xia, especially his insufferable arrogance.


    What he did not understand was that the insufferable arrogance was not unique to Shen Lian but in fact, it was originated from Lingbao Tianzun''s moral nature. Even if one was a Daoist master, after achieving enlightenment, one would still have one''s own personality. Lingbao Tianzun was too, different from other Daoist masters. Even though he was under Daoist teaching, he had his own defining moral nature. Shen Lian''s interest in fighting against the world fitted in well with that of Lingbao Tianzun, and hence where the insufferable arrogance came from. In reality, it was just a showcase of Shen Lian''s "Dao and I are one".


    Yi Zhi could only guess that Shen Lian was a Daoist master, but what he did not realize was the ability of Shen Lian to blend in the self-divine aura with Dao nature. The blend was not to increase power but to lean on Lingbao Tianzun to activate the power of the killing sword.

 Chapter 583 Convinced

    Shen Lian pointed at Yi Zhi with his fishing rod. At that moment, Yi Zhi felt like it was the end for him.


    It was just like what was written in the register of life and death. If the person was recorded to be dead by midnight, he would not live till dawn the next day.


    Yi Zhi moved but he was not moving forward or backward. He was not going up, down, left or right but he gave out a feeling that he was moving.


    Because of this odd "movement", all in a sudden, Shen Lian''s killing vibe had lost track of its target.


    Shen Lian was impressed as Yi Zhi, in fact, had moved. This movement was not made by him but instead, it was from his surrounding with him being at the center of everything.


    The movement was relative. As everything was moving, Yi Zhi was moving in relation to it.


    Shen Lian too was part of the everything and he did not escape from Yi Zhi''s odd technique. Shen Lian felt that the reason why Yi Zhi was better than Guan Longzi was that he had a better understanding of things. He was able to peel off the external layers to see the principle.


    The reason why Yi Zhi said he was number one in witchcraft was that the most famous witchcraft was the Prayer of the Masses and Yi Zhi made use of the prayer in this principle.


    He was not praying to the God or the demons or any grand beings. He was praying to the unwavering principle that existed in everything.


    As people always said, to make changes with feelings and to make an understanding with principle. It was appropriate to be used here too as Yi Zhi made the principle move and hence, everything else followed suit.


    The principle within everything was the essence of the technique of Yi. From Yi Zhi''s description, it was definitely not a boast that he could refine Lianshanyi.


    Shen Lian did not intend to compete against Yi Zhi in terms of achievement in the technique of Yi. He swung his fishing rod around and the reeds that were tainted red by the sunset soon flew around. The odd thing was that when they flew, they behaved as if they were out of the physical world and that the red sunset could not leave a trace on them. If that was the only thing, it was fine but the thing was, Yi Zhi could see clearly the original color of the reeds.


    The reeds were as white as snow.


    The reeds which were white as snow was coming towards him in a stern manner. They were not like everything else and they were not dream-like. He could not treat them as something that really existed but he too could not ignore them as they pointed straight to his heart.


    Yi Zhi was surprised, "What a great "difference between the object and the self."


    He could peel off the external layer to identify the real principle but even the ''principle'' was only his mere understanding. Shen Lian sent the reeds flying and hence, what he saw were the reeds but then again, they were not exactly the reeds. They could well be imaginary. Whether they were real or imaginary, it simply depended on his judgment. In reality, they were where the "difference between the object and the self" were hidden. They were what Yi Zhi could see by his eyes. He needed to distinguish whether what he saw were the reeds or whether "he" saw the reeds.


    Just like the saying by Buddha, "Everything that has a form is not real. Once one is able to realize that, one can then be enlightened."


    This was just like how when a common man was knocked out, he felt like he could see stars dancing in his eyes but in reality, there were no stars seen. They could only be observed because of the concussion. However, if there were indeed stars in the void and what the eyes were seeing were still imaginary, what should one do with this?


    This was the "difference between the object and the self". An object was an object and the self was the self. If one could see an object because of the self, would one consider the object as real?


    That was the challenge Yi Zhi was facing, whether he could ignore the snow-like reeds that were flying towards him and simply treat them as imaginary. However, if there was a reality within the imaginary, what should he do?


    To be enlightened meant to be able to see the principle, seeing not the shape but the reality.


    The technique Shen Lian just used was from Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incantation. Furthermore, he combined the Powang state among the nine states of cultivation from Qing Xuan Earth and Star with the two techniques.


    Even though everyone had to overcome Powang, only after the Daoist master Tianyi from Qing Xuan Earth and Star decided on the nine states of cultivation with a systematic approach, people then had a grasp on the concept.


    Yi Zhi surely had broken through the whims. However, even if one could break the whims, it did not mean there would be no whims for the rest of the life as he was limited in terms of the systematic understanding of Powang. Hence, he was facing such a difficult situation. He did not know the foundation of the technique thus, he could not break through.


    For someone from Qing Xuan Earth and Star, if they knew Shen Lian turned the most terrified state by ninety-nine percent of cultivators into a technique, they would surely be shocked. They too would exclaim about Shen Lian''s creativity and his ability.


    If not because he was riding on the old Daoist''s and Yanxu''s sources, regardless of how creative Shen Lian was, he would not be able to use this trick.


    From this aspect, Shen Lian was considered an exemplar to the statement: plant a tree where the descendants could sit under.


    Shen Lian not only possessed the dream-like technique. When Yi Zhi hesitated, the fishing rod moved and pierced through the void. As the void collapsed, the spiritual opportunity from the two sides of the river was concentrated at that one spot which ultimate target was Yi Zhi.


    The scary thing was, while it was a killing sword, at this point in time there was no sound. Nothing odd was happening.


    Shen Lian calmly became one with the sword. He turned into a streak of ray and headed off without looking back.


    Yi Zhi finally came to a revelation, his mind was clear and he could see the reality. However, it was already too late. Shen Lian needed not to daze him for long, that short moment was sufficient.


    The bit of ray remained in between Yi Zhi''s brows was not a bit more, not a bit less. The terrible killing vibes spread from his brows to his limbs and into his soul.


    While he successfully cultivated an inextinguishable divine aura where at most he only had to go through the karmic cycle again, he still was not willing to just go away. Afterall, if he missed this opportunity where the world would be turned around, he had no idea how long he would have to wait for the next one. Whether he could get hold of the timing, was another story.


    When Yi Zhi was having thousand of thoughts, Shen Lian''s true body had already appeared. From the side of the water, none would realize he turned into a killing sword just now which could send Yi Zhi through the karmic cycle.


    Yi Zhi sighed, "I am convinced."


    "I apologize for any offense, friend." Shen Lian smiled, as he stood by the wind. At that moment, the sunset. The stars and the moon lit up the Yi river. The quaint scenery was beautiful.


    Occasionally the cicadas sang, and the swimming fish sunk and resurfaced. It could stir a thousand thoughts.


    Yi Zhi said, "What do you want me to do?"


    Shen Lian said, "Your previous suggestion to Jing Er is great. If only I can be as great as you at strategic planning, I would not have to seek you out and hence, naturally, we will follow your idea in the early phase."


    Yi Zhi looked slightly pleased, as ultimately his strategy was reliable. He looked at Si Jing, "As long as monarch agrees with this."


    Si Jing''s restriction was released. Shen Lian''s deep eyes looked towards her and sighed, "Jing Er, can you just let this be the one time I ask for a favor from you?"


    Si Jing''s heart shook as she responded softly, "Sir, you know I can turn down anybody but you."


    Yi Zhi''s comfort disappeared after he saw this scene. He really doubted that if Si Jing previously agreed with his plan and in the most critical moment, whether she would let Shen Lian win just because of what he said.


    By then even if he exhausted the whole of the underworld, he still would not be able to relieve his anger and pain.

 Chapter 584 Kong Sang

    Shen Lian smiled, "Don''t take this to heart, the five elements are not parts of the quest."


    Yi Zhi was awe-inspired. Shen Lian''s sentence was meant for him. It was to warn him to not be too calculative. At the same time, Yi Zhi was relieved. Whether it was Si Jing or Shen Lian, as long as he could achieve his cultivation, there was no need to care for more.


    It seemed like Shen Lian wanted to say something to Si Jing but in the end, he said nothing. Eventually, he sighed and left at a leisure pace. He disappeared within the depth of the reeds and nobody knew where he was going.


    Shen Lian appeared and disappeared in a sudden manner. Other than Yi Zhi and Si Jing, no one knew he was ever around. What made Yi Zhi most surprised was that Shen Lian did not leave any restriction techniques on him.


    At the same time, Shen Lian had no other requests. From the result, it seemed that Shen Lian made Si Jing agreed with his strategy.


    Si Jing did not have many complaints about Shen Lian leaving. She looked slightly somber and she said nothing. The next day, Si Jing gathered every important individual in the Youshen Kingdom and she nominated Yi Zhi as Yi, and Yi meant the minister.


    Hence people in the Youshen Kingdom from then onward referred to Yi Zhi as Yi Yin.


    Guang Longzi had advised Si Jing to not be involved but Si Jing ultimately did. She could not just take care of herself and the world. Just like what Shen Lian said, she was just a foolish child.


    The people at the Youshen Kingdom, in the beginning, did not think Yi Yin who occupied a high position could amount to anything but as Yi Yin displayed his skills in governance, Youshen Kingdom was afresh within ten days. As the news that Emperor Xia was returning was heard, it brought along the decree where there was a need to form the advisor of Dongyi, and that Si Jing''s the Youshen Kingdom would be Dongyi''s commissioned country.


    The commissioned country literally meant the leader of an area, for Youshen to be Dongyi''s commissioned country, it meant that Si Jing would be the leader of Dongyi. She was qualified to lead the Dongyi coalition unless the tribes decided to rebel again or else all of them had to approve Si Jing''s status.


    The decree of Emperor Xia too placed Si Jing at the focus point of the whole mess at Dongyi. Youshen was at a great location, despite not having a huge land mass and had only average power. As Si Jing ultimately did not possess Emperor Xia''s military force and reputation, and in addition to that Yunyang was still hiding somewhere within Dongyi, it seemed that Si Jing would not have a good time ahead.


    However, everyone was wrong. Si Jing had handed the governance to Yi Yin and Yi Yin did not disappoint. He smoothed out Youshen''s governance matter and made every official stay put for their duty. "If people at the top can be understanding, the people at the bottom will be willing to swear their allegiance." was the perfect description for Youshen. For people who were observing Qi, they could see that while Youshen did not have a strong fortune, it was starting to look alike to that of a flood dragon or as known as Jiaolong.


    When Shen Lian was on his journey back to Xiliang, he had the intention to bring Yi Zhi along but he gave up in the end. In reality, Yi Zhi''s strategy was indeed profound but he did not achieve his target of injuring Emperor Xia. Despite having a good reputation, he was not considered to be the number one in the world. He had to reconsider the previous setting.


    Just like to unify the netherworld, there needed to be power and accumulation.


    Up till this moment, Shen Lian never felt the change in the heavenly fate. Yinshang''s fortune was still at its peak and it was unshakeable. Looking at Diqiu which was far away, Shen Lian could feel the Qi of Tianyi was increasing each day as he entered into a deeper level of unity between the universe and human and as he connected with a miraculous existence. He continued to absorb the spiritual opportunity of Diqiu and destroy the Qi of dragon of Diqiu.


    Shen Lian had a sudden revelation that Emperor Xia would surely look for an opportunity to let Tianyi go or else Diqiu''s spiritual opportunity would ultimately be sucked dry by Tianyi. By then, it would be a huge joke.


    The origin of everything should be Shen Lian because, with Emperor Xia''s unequaled conquest of Dongyi, he could surely go to the next level. By forcing Guan Longzi to pass him the Lamp of Yin and Yang, it was very likely he would be able to suppress Tianyi. This was because Tianyi would not have a divine object such as the Sun Vanquishing Arrow to destroy the Lamp of Yin and Yang.


    Because of Shen Lian, these all went to ruin.


    Furthermore, previously at Diqiu, had it not been due to Shen Lian who attracted Emperor Xia''s attention and caused the fall of the High Priest, Tianyi would still be under the Xia Kingdom''s strict monitoring. He would never have the opportunity to achieve unity of the universe and human and to improve his power further.


    Tianyi obviously mastered some sort of technique which could not even be handled by Yinglong who was standing by at Diqiu. It could only allow him to achieve unity of the universe and human and to continue to absorb spiritual opportunity, which in relation reduce the Qi of dragon of Diqiu and damage the dragon''s vessels of the Xia Kingdom.


    Shen Lian recalled the description of Tianyi, what remained the most impressionable was Tianyi''s warm and gentle appearance. He made people feel great but the seemingly honorable gentleman had deceived everything. Nobody could imagine, not even Guan Longzi that Tianyi who was jailed at Diqiu could rise to be the biggest winner.


    Afterall, the current atmosphere at the Xia Kingdom did not receive a boost because of Emperor Xia''s successful conquest, not even after he defeated Yunyang who was the most qualified to unify the whole of Dongyi.


    Because even though Dongyi was against Xia, they were too mortal enemies with Yinshang.


    At the same time, Shen Lian too opposed the Xia Kingdom and hence, it was impossible for him to assist the Xia Kingdom.


    After he figured this out, Shen Lian was no longer down as he realized it was not the end. Furthermore, he had little accumulation and he too started late. It was not surprising that he fell behind.


    Furthermore, this matter helped Shen Lian understood the force of the heavenly fate did not deviate too much from human behaviors. Whether Yinshang would replace Xia was a real event or it was other forces concealing it as heavenly fate, he, Shen Lian would still challenge it. As such, he would have the opportunities to get out of the crisis.


    He would be able to get out of the chessboard and see the wider world.


    ...


    The Qi of vitality in the surrounding of the city of Xiliang was thin, there were rarely any profound cultivators or powerful demons. Within a perimeter of ten thousand miles, there were small villages scattered around, along with cities which were just like Xiliang before. They were neither big nor small.


    Before the rise of Xiliang, a country like the Xi Kingdom was a rare powerhouse.


    After the demise of Xi Kingdom, within a short few years, Xiliang rose to become the master of this area. If not because Xiliang''s government was formed by women, the small cities and villages would have rushed to be under Xiliang''s protection and call themselves the citizens of Xiliang.


    Until recent time, Xiliang finally faced its biggest danger since the country''s formation. The nearby villages and countries were glad they did not join forces with Xiliang.


    In the east of Xiliang, there was a small country called Kong Sang.


    Kong Sang was an odd country as everyone in the country, while they did not differ with other humans in terms of look, in reality, they were all part beasts.


    By logic, a human could not breed with beasts but Kong Sang broke the logic. Tracing back many generations, all of them would at one point have a beast as their mother or father.


    Perhaps because of the breed of human and beasts, the people of this country was particularly violent. However, as they only had limited military force, they could only bully the small cities and villages around.


    Recently, however, Kong Sang suddenly became powerful. Just like the rise of Xiliang which was too fast and unbelievable.

 Chapter 585 The Unforeseen Even

    Although Chen Jing had become the monarch, there was still no large-scale constructions going on in Xiliang City. She did not like to be in the spacious main hall when she dealt with work matters and instead, she preferred staying alone in her study room.


    With the growing prosperity of Xiliang, she could now collect more books and literature. As long as she was free, she would let the maidservant light up a joss stick and then she would read alone quietly. The more knowledge she gained, the sharper her thinking became. She was not aware that, through this, her cultivation of Qi had also improved tremendously and it even surpassed Hanying who only concentrated on cultivating.


    Naturally, she became more hardworking in studying. However, she was unsure of the relevance of the prosperity of Xiliang and the fate that was draped on her.


    Fortunately, the fact that she had no scheme was exactly compatible with the inadvertence of Daoism cultivation of Qi. Lately, she could feel that the orifices points on her entire body were filled with the so-called mana. Sometimes when it was slightly revealed, the maidservants would freak out.


    Regarding this matter, she had enquired the Daoist Liu Mengde from Xuandu Temple in Mount Jieyang. Upon hearing this, Liu Mengde was astonished as he spent sixty years to be able to feel how Chen Jing felt at that moment.


    Liu Mengde had to tell her to not care about it too much. After a period of time when her mana reached the critical point, she could attempt the out of body experience. That time, she could get the four master celestials of sword filled with a murderous aura that Shen Lian had sent home to act as protectors.


    Somehow, Chen Jing still had the suspicion about the four master celestials of sword. The reason behind it was because if they were actually Shen Lian''s Apprentice-Nephews, why did they not be his protectors when Shen Lian was born? After all, during that period of time, there was a significant change that happened in Xiliang City. Comparatively, Shen Lian was also in danger. Although they had presented a keepsake and also delivered Shen Lian''s message, Chen Jing''s doubt about them did not dissipate. Fortunately, the four of them did not do anything which crossed the line. All they did after informing her was staying in the city and they also notified her that Shen Lian would be back after a short period of time.


    Chen Jing was still doubtful about this, and thus she remembered it at heart.


    She had not met his son for a few years and thus, she missed him even though Shen Lian was the reincarnation of a spiritual being and thus he was different from the ordinary kids.


    However, Chen Jing did not want to spend too much effort overthinking about it. She was reading a dossier in her study room and on top of it was the updates from her subordinate, Anzi regarding the Kong Sang Kingdom.


    The power of Netherworld was extraordinary. Aside from Xia Clan and Qi cultivators from Yinshang, the power of the majority of the tribes and countries was most probably related to Sacrificial Ritual and Ghostly Spirits.


    After being investigated by Chen Jing''s subordinate Anzi, those people in the Kong Sang Kingdom who had special power could attach some of the animal spirits on their instruments that could then unleash extraordinary power.


    In order to be stronger, these Ghostly Spirits would need Sacrificial Ritual of fresh blood. Therefore, this had, in turn, made Kong Sang more aggressive. There had been a lot of communities being massacred by them.


    Three days ago, a conflict had officially happened between Kong Sang and Xiliang. For this, five female soldiers who had been with them for the cultivation of Qi were sacrificed. In the end, the bodies of these five female soldiers perished and nothing was left behind because all were being taken away as sacrifices for the spirits.


    Despite Chen Jing''s supremity over many years, she somehow felt miserable because she might have met these five female soldiers before.


    Moreover, everything in Xiliang City had been going on smoothly in these few years. Incidents such as these loyal subordinates being killed rarely happened.


    Thus, Chen Jing was very concerned about this matter. Aside from the sorrow, she was also furious. Fortunately, she had been cultivating for a very long time and thus, she could control her emotions. She was still very rational and that was why she had a dossier right in front of her.


    Unfortunately, these messages alone were insufficient to make a conclusion about Kong Sang''s actual strength.


    Nonetheless, Chen Jing was at least sure about one thing, which was the fact that Kong Sang definitely did not annex Xiliang''s strength. As these two days, they started to be on their guards. This clearly showed that they were taking precautions against Xiliang''s revenge.


    Chen Jing was slowly sorting out everything about Kong Sang and the current strength of Xiliang. The various types of messages were aggregated in her mind, like a river flowing through her heart. In the beginning, it was turbid but towards the end, it gradually became clearer. However, before she was done sorting out her thoughts, the door of her study room suddenly opened up.


    Everyone in the palace was aware that when she was in the study room, no matter who the person was, nobody could abruptly burst into her study room or else the person would be severely punished. Besides, there were also maidservants guarding outside the room, somebody decided to burst into the room.


    However, two people could be the exceptions. One was Hanying because the two of them had been through thick and thin together. However, Hanying rarely used this special right. Another person was definitely her daughter, Chen Ke.


    The one that came into the room was not her daughter but Hanying. Chen Jing knew that Hanying would not enter the room hastily without any reason. Something serious must have happened.


    Without beating around the bush, Hanying said, "Young master was taken away by people from Kong Sang."


    Upon hearing this news, Chen Jing felt as though her heart was pierced with a knife. Nevertheless, she still asked calmly, "What happened?"


    "Young master went out of the town for entertainment and she was taken away by those people by the riverside. Also, they took the water channel, it was too fast that I couldn''t catch up with them. Now Li Yuanliang is tracking them. He''s also the one who told me that those people are from Kong Sang. He also wanted me to tell you to not make any rash decision. If he''s not back, you must wait for the young monarch to be back to solve this matter," Hanying said.


    Hanying still remembered Li Yuanliang''s stressful expression. This master celestial of sword''s profound cultivation experience was also revealed at that time. With the effort of a blink of an eye, the light ray which he transformed into vanished completely in her sight.


    After Li Yuanliang went to track them down, three of his Junior-Apprentice Brothers also appeared but they did not follow behind him because they were afraid that this was a tactic to maneuver them out of the way. Hence, the three of them stayed back to defend Xiliang City and they were on standby outside of the palace.


    Upon finished listening to what Hanying said, Chen Jing said, "Hanying, please invite Dao Master Liu from Xuandu Temple to here."


    Hanying said, "I''ve already sent people to invite him."


    Chen Jing nodded her head and said, "Very good. I want to leave the town immediately. You stay here and don''t tell anyone else."


    Hanying said firmly, "Monarch, you can''t leave the town."


    Chen Jing said, "Even if that''s a trap, I must go. Because the one that''s being captured is my daughter, do you understand?"


    Hanying said, "That''s also a no. You''re still the monarch of Xiliang City, you''re not just solely young master''s mother. If monarch is a parent, all the people in this place are also under your protection. If something happens to you, what are these people going to do?"


    Chen Jing said, "Sooner or later, Little Lian will be back."


    Hanying wanted to advise her again but when her sight met Chen Jing''s, she could not say anything anymore.


    She took off her garments and sighed, "You should just pretend to be me."


    Chen Jing did not reject. Soon, she changed into Hanying''s garments and at the same time, she made some slight changes to her facial muscles.


    When Chen Jing was clear of the direction where her daughter was taken away, she immediately moved to find her. Let alone the fact that there was blood relation telepathy between her and her daughter. This telepathy became more profound especially after Chen Jing''s cultivation became stronger.


    Chen Jing very quickly got out of the town. Now, she could only hope that there was no problem with the identities of Li Yuanliang and the rest. Or else Xiliang would be doomed forever and they could not wait for Shen Lian''s return.


    At this moment, Li Yuanliang was exhausted. From the time that he had successfully attained his swordcraft, he was never as tired as today. He had encountered an extremely strong opponent or to be precise, a group of strong opponents.

 Chapter 586 Nobody Would be Hur

    In the past, Li Yuanliang was always aware that if the evil spirit could cultivate successfully, they could transform into human beings. Of course, to reach this stage, they would have to go through the Trial of Shapeshifting. Some evil spirit which had high self-esteem about their royal status would not transform into human body despite going through the Trial of Shapeshifting.


    However, Li Yuanliang had never heard of anybody saying that human beings could transform into an evil spirit and it was not only one type of evil spirit. It was not an illusion but an actual change into an entirely different species which was gifted with supernatural power.


    On his way of chasing, Li Yuanliang had changed into many different types of evil spirit. Some looked like cows, some had the face of a human but a body of a tiger, and some had red eyes and red mouth.


    Chen Jianmei was not knowledgeable and all that Li Yuanliang had learned was from Chen Jianmei. Thus, it was fair that he could not recognize many of the evil spirits'' origins. However, each type of evil spirit that it changed into had its unique supernatural power. Some howled like babies and it could especially interfere with the operation of his mana. There were a few times it actually forced him out of the light ray from the integration of his body and the sword. Otherwise, even if it was impetuous, he could have already caught up with it already.


    During the period of time, there was once whereby he almost caught up with it but it transformed into an evil spirit which looked like a cow. Its head was white with only one eye and there was a snake tail grown on it. It suddenly roared at him and spurted out an extremely ferocious poisonous gas. At that moment when he swept with his sword gleam, his mind and spirit quaked because the thoroughly tempered flying sword was actually corroded by it.


    He had Asura Body and this sword was made out of the blood-red Asura sea. It was arguably not afraid of filth. However, it was still badly damaged. It could be seen that the supernatural power of evil spirit which it transformed into was extremely powerful, which frightened him.


    Since it had taken away his uncle-master''s sister, Li Yuanliang had also promised his uncle-master to protect Xiliang. He was duty-bound and hence, he had no reason to retreat. Moreover, he was a sword learner, he had to keep his promise. Although he had already admitted inside his heart that even if he could catch up with it, he most probably could not defeat it and possibly die being defeated.


    Before this, when he was at the blood-red Asura sea, although he had been through countless life-or-death battles, his mentor was always by his side. Thus, he was not too nervous and felt more confident at handling things. However, this time, he was not prepared for what was coming at all. In the beginning, he was slightly nervous and even if he could now disregard about life or death, it dawned on him that if he could get through it this time, he would definitely be able to see through the state of No Regret at the Heart of Sword and also attempt to cultivate the swordcraft of Thunderous Sword Aura.


    Li Yuanliang was determined and thus he fastened his speed and swiftly disappeared from the upper stream of the Zimu River. Once this Zimu River flowed out of the Xiliang City, it would lose its mysterious effect. However, with the convergence of the cross-strait tributaries, the river channel became wider. The shore nearby was grown with a lot of aquatic plants and many poisonous snakes as well as insects hid there.


    The evil spirit taking Chen Ke along were not flying. They were only leaping among the aquatic plants, their movements were completely silent and they were also trying to conceal themselves which caused a great disturbance to Li Yuanliang who was trying to track them down.


    Nonetheless, he was a Cultivator of the Sword after all. In the glimpse of the light ray, his speed was faster compared to the ape. The numerous battles had still slowed down his speed.


    He had even peeked into Chen Ke''s sleeping face. She seemed to look fine.


    Unknowingly, he flew to a place whereby a giant tree was grown in the middle of the river. The gushing river water could only flow by its sides.


    Perhaps the tree had absorbed all the nearby spiritual vigor, thus, there was no lush growth of aquatic plants at the shores. The evil spirit which took Chen Ke away leaped onto a tree branch and it actually stopped running away.


    At this moment, under the moonlight, it was unknown whether the evil spirit changed back to its original form or it was transforming into something new. It was a long arm white ape, Chen Ke was being placed at the tree branch. He was holding a stem while staring at Li Yuanliang scornfully.


    Li Yuanliang detached from the sword gleam and took the opportunity to stand up. He held his sword and he looked at the ape. He spoke in a cold tone, "Regardless of where you''re from, I advise you to return the kid to me or else you''ll certainly die."


    The long arm white ape tore open its mouth, there was actually a small black needle rolled on its blood-red tongue. When it met the air, it expanded with the wind. Finally, the needle turned into a long iron stick that fell on the long arm white ape''s hand and it laughed.


    When this weird noise entered his ears, Li Yuanliang''s instantly felt slightly dazzled. Then, he saw the long arm white ape holding its black iron stick, it suddenly hopped up and a black iron stick came right in front of his eyes.


    Li Yuanliang was disturbed by a weird noise and his cultivation experience was already discounted. He attempted to avoid using his sword gleam but he felt an enormous strength shuddering the limbs and bones of his body.


    The long sword made a sound and then he, together with the sword, dropped into the river, and there was a very big splash on the river surface.


    The long arm white ape stood in the void, holding his black iron stick and hit the river once again. Instantly, there was a gigantic strength that split open the river. Li Yuanliang spurted out a mouthful of blood and flew out from the watercourse.


    Li Yuanliang''s heart sank deeper. He did not expect that this evil spirit''s strength could be so great. He already could not contend with its straightforward attacks.


    He shouted loudly which then, his body and the sword integrated as one. Instantly, there was no trace of him in the void. The Shadowless Sword definitely did not have an unearned reputation. If it was not because of the never-ending roars of the sword, people would think that he disappeared without a trace.


    After all, Li Yuanliang had the Asura Body and he had been cultivating in the blood-red sea. Although his mana was incomparable to that of the land immortals, he was not worse than Daoist Muzhen and the rest of the Dao Qi cultivators. Therefore, the long arm white ape''s black stick did not hurt his fundamentals.


    Now, he stopped attacking and transformed into shadowless. The long arm white ape could not attack him so easily like before anymore.


    The long arm white ape giggled and tossed the black iron stick into the air. Instantly, one stick turned into two, two turned into four and eventually the entire sky was filled with shadows of the sticks in a flash.


    Then, there was a continuous interweaving sound of gold and iron. Under the moonlight, the shadow of a flying sword and countless of sticks battling could be seen. The entire sky of black sticks seemed to have spirituality; they could fly, advance and retreat in all directions. Very soon, the flying sword was at a disadvantaged position.


    Suddenly, the flying sword was being badly hit by two black sticks. Li Yuanliang spurted out one mouthful of blood, he fell on the surface of the river and slid away to a far distance.


    The ape witnessed Li Yuanliang''s entire body was drowned in blood and his disheveled hair made him look like a bloody person under the moonlight.


    The long arm white ape was laughing with his mouth wide open, it seemed to not be in a hurry to kill him and it took back its black stick.


    Finally, it used an adult-man-liked voice to speak, "So this is how capable the successor of the Asura sword is."


    Li Yuanliang said, "You''ve been fooling me the entire journey?"


    The long arm white ape smiled and said, "I heard that the human beings who successfully learned the Killing Sword are very capable. Since you''re his disciple, you shouldn''t be too bad. But you''ve disappointed me."


    "That''s because my cultivation experience is still not perfect. If my master or uncle-master is here today, your body and spirit would all be completely vanished," Li Yuanliang said.


    The long arm white ape clicked its tongue then it looked to a far distance. A strong wind gusted through the river and there was a graceful shadow seen. It was Chen Jing.


    She first spotted her daughter on the faraway tree, then she saw the injured Le Yuanliang and the long arm white ape in the void. She looked alert, "Elder is from the Kong Sang Kingdom? What''s the purpose of taking away my daughter?"


    Li Yuanliang forced a smile and said, "Monarch, he''s definitely not from the Kong Sang Kingdom," before this, he saw the barbaric and cruel beast type of vital force within it and he subconsciously thought that it was from the Kong Sang Kingdom. However, the strength that it exhibited now was already sufficient to wipe out a majority of the countries in Xirong, how could it be from the Kong Sang Kingdom?


    "Brat, if I were to kill all of you, do you think that the Asura sword would come after me?" The long arm white ape did not respond but asked a question instead.


    Suddenly, a soft and faint deep voice dispersed on the surface of the river, "I guarantee that you can''t hurt anybody at all today."

 Chapter 587 Seventy-Two

    The white fur of the long arm white ape started erected as though they were protrusions from its body. Deep in its heart, it was extremely frightened because the spiritual sense that he had achieved from years of cultivation had made him sensed the arrival of an extremely spine-chilling danger.


    The void in all directions was like a swamp. Although the ape was energetic, it could not utilize its energy.


    The white ape spoke in a shiver, "You''re not the Asura sword. Who are you?"


    The long arm white ape was very clear that it was impossible for the Asura sword to leave the blood-red Asura sea.


    "Your body possesses the methods of martial exercise from Buddhist sects. This is strange." The voice was still soft and ethereal but the long arm white ape could obviously feel that the person got closer. It just seemed to not be able to find this person''s exact location.


    The fact that this person could actually see through that it possessed the methods of martial exercise from Buddhist sects, it was surprising yet nerve-wrecking to an extent.


    The white ape could not take it anymore. The one black stick in its hand transformed into thousands and swept past the surrounding of its body. However, it got frightened so badly when countless of Giant Palms of the Qi of vitality appeared in the void and the palms had managed to catch all the shadows of the sticks. In the end, they were aggregated into one single stick and there appeared one Giant Palm. Then, there was a greenish white flame rising from the Giant Palm which turned the thoroughly tempered black stick into a puddle of black water. The black water flowed down from the gaps in the Giant Palm of the Qi of vitality. Under the moonlight, it could be seen that there was blackish golden sand falling and floating on the river surface, washed away by the river water and disappeared.


    The white ape quivered and asked, "Where are you? Who exactly are you?"


    Li Yuanliang''s face was filled with joy instead. He said, "Uncle-master, you''re here."


    Chen Jing looked excited but she could not speak a word.


    "I''m right behind you, can''t you see me?" The voice was light and the words drilled into the ears of the white ape.


    The white app moved its body inch by inch and it turned around to take a glance. All it saw was a young Daoist picking up the little girl which it had taken away on the giant tree grown in the middle of the river.


    The moonlight shone through the tree leaves and covered his body. It was a little obscure and his face could not be seen clearly.


    The little girl seemed to have woken up from shock. She opened her eyes wide and revealed a strange expression. Then, she rubbed her eyes and said, "Brother."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "You''ve grown taller and also heavier."


    The little girl used her head to rub against her brother''s neck with satisfaction. She was able to remember things since she was still at a young age. Therefore, though her brother had left for a few years already, she could still remember him.


    She seemed to not understand the situation at all or she must have just thought that she was still in a dream. Later on, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.


    Li Yuanliang and Chen Jing came under the giant tree. When he came close to the giant tree, Li Yuanliang could feel a vigorous vitality being injected into his body. All the wounds recovered at a speed which could be seen by naked eye. As for the insufferably arrogant white ape, it did not dare to take any actions at this moment. Perhaps it could not even move at all.


    Shen Lian nodded to Chen Jing then he looked at the white ape and scoffed, "I give you the time of thirty breaths now. You should run as far as possible."


    The white app suddenly felt the pressure which was surrounding it disappeared instantly. Although it did not know the reason why Shen Lian let it go, if it did not run away now, when could it run away later?


    Suddenly, the white ape howled and it turned into a hawk. It spread its wings and flapped its wings against the howling winds and disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    Li Yuanliang, "Uncle-master, why did you let it go?"


    Chen Jing said, "Little Lian, you''re trying to track something down by following it?" After all, she had been a monarch for a long time and so, she must be overwhelmed with thoughts. She could somehow understand Shen Lian''s purpose of doing so.


    At the same time, she felt much relieved because her daughter was safe and her extraordinarily capable son was also back. Finally, she could have a peace of mind.


    Shen Lian said, "If this white ape doesn''t have The Art of Seventy-Two Metamorphoses from Buddhist sects, how could it transform into so many evil spirits? The Art of Seventy-Two Metamorphoses is almost the best technique of cultivation of the physical body. It''s also the Dao formula in Buddhist sects that almost faces extinction. There were not even any traces of this formula in Dajue Temple. I think it must have some solid background."


    Li Yuanliang said with hatred, "Another Buddhist monk again." Chen Jianmei was being forced by the monk at the blood-red sea to the extent that he could not even take a step out of the blood-red sea. Moreover, the both of them had been battling with the Defenders of the Dharma of Buddhist sects and thus, his hatred for these defenders naturally extended to everybody relevant to the Buddhist sects.


    Chen Jing was slightly worried, "What are we going to do if the character behind it is very powerful? Moreover, why did it take away Xiao Ke? We''ve got to figure this out."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly and said, "It just wants to make up some stories about the bloodline on Xiao Ke."


    This was because the women from Xiliang gave birth by consuming the water of Zimu River. Hence, the same type of blood was flowing in Chen Ke and Shen Lian''s past physical body. There must be someone who had thought of using Chen Ke''s blood to perform some surreptitious techniques in order to threaten Shen Lian.


    Fortunately, Shen Lian had already lost his physical body. Even if the opponent was lucky enough to succeed, the effect would be greatly reduced. Moreover, he was already back to save Xiao Ke.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit had taken in too much of physical body''s Qi of Essence and thus, there were still traces remained behind. Anyhow, this method still had a little effect. This opponent had reminded Shen Lian to start looking for an opportunity to refine his spiritual form. Though it would spend quite a lot of energy, it was worth it in long term.


    As a matter of fact, although Shen Lian had witnessed The Art of Seventy-Two Metamorphoses in the white ape, he thought that the character behind it might not be from the Buddhist sects. After all, a majority of the monks who had cultivated up to a high level were all focusing on understanding and exploring more of the meaning behind good fortune and designs of nature. Even if they were to scheme or plot something, they would not use such rough means because they might become laughing stocks.


    Nevertheless, the guess that the white ape and Buddhist sects were related might not be false too.


    Shen Lian was tired of continuous pondering. He would have answers to his questions when he managed to catch up to the white ape.


    He was calculating in his heart that the time of thirty breaths was almost up and he was still talking to Chen Jing. However, there was a shadow coming out from his body and quietly went after the white ape.


    Since Shen Lian had cultivated up to this stage of Primordial Spirit, he was already unpredictable. Moreover, his cultivation experience already exceeded the average heavenly immortals of Daoism. It was not a big deal for him to split his spirit and shadow.


    The hawk which the white ape had transformed into was named Da Feng. It was a very powerful animal in the ancient times. It could fly at a very high speed, there were rarely any other bird species which could overtake it. Although Da Feng was very fast, it was not faster than Da Yi''s arrows. Thus, many were hunted and killed by Da Yi in the past.


    Previously when Shen Lian traveled back to the past, he had witnessed with his own eyes that five hawks died under Da Yi''s arrows.


    However, he had found out that the white ape had not been able to reach the top-notch stage of The Art of Seventy-Two Metamorphoses. Otherwise, if it turned into the Suparna bird, Shen Lian would not be able to catch up to it.


    The white ape had managed to run away to a far distance of approximately ten thousand miles away at the time of thirty breaths. This showed its capability but it also revealed the fact that it was extremely afraid of Shen Lian.


    If Shen Lian''s supernatural power was not way above it, he might too face some difficulty in catching up to it.


    After the white ape had managed to escape to a faraway distance, it thought, "I don''t believe you can still catch up."


    It was frightened and worn out. When it spotted a peach mountain in front, although it was not the season to eat peaches, it could not help but to feel like having them because the peaches on the mountain were all as huge as the Saturn peaches. They looked fresh and even emitted attractive peach fragrance.


    The white ape turned around and took a glance, its eyes shot out golden rays to a faraway distance and it was relieved when it did not see anything in sight. It seemed like although the Daoist was very powerful, his flying speed was only average. Perhaps he might already be lost in his way of catching up to it.


    Looking at the mouth-watering peaches, instantly the white ape was starving. Finally, it made the decision to fly up to the peach tree. Without even transforming back to the original form, it used its beak to peck and directly suck a peach clean.

 Chapter 588 The Bottomless Boa

    The white ape finally got to eat the peach and there was an indescribable wonderful taste lingering in its heart which made it feel great satisfaction. It felt that its entire body was almost weightless and there was smoke surrounding it. In the end, it felt a slight heaviness which helped him regain his consciousness.


    When it was awake, it looked around and found itself situated in a flowing river. The river water was washing its ape body non-stop which made it feel super heavy. At the upper stream of the river, there was an extremely huge lotus flower floating at the direction of the water flow. There was an elegant lady sitting on it and a red mark could be seen between her eyebrows. She was holding a delicate lotus stalk.


    Suddenly, a good-looking lady came right in front of the white ape, she scoffed and said, "You''re an idiot. You didn''t even realize that you were being followed."


    The white ape was a little terrified of this lady. It said, "I used my Dharma empowered eyes to look, there wasn''t anybody following me."


    The lady scoffed, "That guy had cultivated the Free Form Carnation before. If he wants to, you won''t even realize if he''s right in front of you. Moreover, what''s the use of your Dharma empowered eyes with your insignificant attainment?"


    After being criticised by the lady, the white ape could not contain its anger anymore, it said, "If it wasn''t you, how''d I mess with him? And since you''re so clear about it, why didn''t you tell inform me earlier that he''s so powerful? He''s almost as good as the old monk in the past."


    The lady said, "I only told you to take the little girl away but you purposely wanted to tease Asura''s disciple. Otherwise, you''d be able to reach the safe place long ago and you wouldn''t be caught."


    The white ape said, "The Asura sword was exactly the greatest obstacle for the old monk to attain Dao. So I definitely want to know more details about the Asura sword. If you had informed earlier about this, I wouldn''t even attempt to do so. Now, what should we do? I''m safe now because I''ve entered your illusory world but if I go out there, I definitely can''t defeat him."


    It showed a rascal face, thinking of the treasure it could get from this lady this time.


    "You don''t have to be afraid of him. He has the demon method from the Master of Sky Demon, the sword will from the Master of Netherworld, Qi of Dao from Lingbao Tianzun. You''ve not recovered the memory you lost in your past life and thus you''re not aware of the capability of these few people. I''m very clear that all these are ruthless people. I think he''s going to die sooner or later. Only the old monk thinks that this person is the key to him attaining Dao and thus he wanted to use every possible way to please him but this guy didn''t even acknowledge it," the lady said.


    The white ape said, "Even if he''s going to die, that''d be in the future. Now you''d have to think of ways to help me to get through this crisis. Otherwise, I know where your true body is at."


    "If I didn''t want to save you, why would I cast this spell to let you be into this illusory world? Actually, I''ve already hinted you today, if you can''t get rid of your habit of eating peaches, you''d be involved in a tragedy sooner or later," the lady said.


    The white ape said, "My tragedy is already right here, faster, tell me what I should do."


    The lady scoffed and thought, animals would always be animals. Even if they had learned about Dharma, they would not be able to get the enlightenment. If it was not because she had karma incrimination with this white ape in her past life, she would have already abandoned it.


    Then, the girl said slowly, "When your spirit is back to its position, you should just travel towards the north direction. You should stop when you see a river. By then, you''d see someone rowing a boat by the riverside. Do not ask anything and just get onto the boat, it''ll keep you safe and sound."


    The white ape said, "You should still give me a treasure item for self-defense or else I''d still be scared."


    "You''re so noisy," the lady made a ''hmph'' sound and the white ape was awake all of a sudden.


    It felt that a long time had passed but in actual fact, not even a blink of an eye had passed. Since he knew that Shen Lian was coming after it, it definitely did not dare to stop. Hence, it turned into a hawk once again and went soaring into the sky.


    When the white ape flew to the rim of the sky, Shen Lian''s shadow presented on the peach tree. He was muttering to himself. It seemed a little strange to him as he had witnessed everything including this white ape which stopped halfway to eat the peach. Logically speaking, it must have thought that it had managed to escape from him and thus, it had the courage to stop. However, why did it flew away hurriedly after eating only one peach?


    Shen Lian thought to himself but he felt that the rim of the sky looked blurry and he could not see clearly at all. This had made him be on the guard. He was not rushing to catch up with the ape and hence, he opened his mouth to spurt out the True Samadhi Fire which burned this peach tree into ashes. He had actually felt an odd spatial fluctuation. He was already well-prepared beforehand; his sword aura was going after it.


    The void seemed to have an intangible black hole which had directly engulfed the sword aura and then it disappeared.


    Shen Lian looked surprised, "I knew something fishy is going on."


    "What an alert brat. Unfortunately, you not only can''t catch the ape but you also can''t find me," there was someone of unsure gender descending in the void, whereby his or her origin was unknown.


    Shen Lian was secretly astonished but he looked casual on the outside. He said, "If I only have such few techniques, it''s impossible for me to live up till today. Are you trying to delay on me, you''re picking on the wrong person."


    Heavenly music was playing endlessly all around him. There was an auspicious light ray in the void and then, there were many faintly visible, graceful heavenly ladies. Their holiness, beauty and attractive figures were constantly alluring one''s desire.


    However, Shen Lian was not attracted to it at all. He remained calm in the midst of this situation by making up a formula which was summoning of wind and rain. Instantaneously, the wind and rain were pouring and the heavenly music along with the attractive heavenly ladies vanished into thin air.


    Doing this had already wasted a total of three breaths of Shen Lian''s time.


    The white ape had already traveled a long distance and it really came to a small stream. There was no reflection of sunlight and clouds on the surface of the stream, it was very quiet.


    A dull and surreptitious vital force emitted from the water. There was a bottomless boat which silently appeared by the riverbank. On the boat sat a man dressed in white and he was holding a white flag.


    When the white ape was about to jump onto the boat which was initially very close to it, suddenly, there seemed to be thousands of mountains and ten thousands of rivers in the middle. It was too far for the ape to cross over to the boat. After two or three breaths had passed, someone said, "Where do you think you are running to?"


    The white ape screeched and said, "That b*tch tricked me."


    From far away, Shen Lian had shrunk the ground into inches to come right in front of the ape. It was obvious that the hidden person did not want to reveal who she was and she managed to only stop Shen Lian for three breaths. Under normal circumstances, the white ape should have already gotten on to the bottomless boat in front. Unfortunately, Shen Lian had witnessed the supernatural power of Heng''e to create the Milky Way and also the Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm technique performed by the monk at the Blood Sea. With his talent, he could somehow imitate something similar.


    Although this technique was not comparable to the genuine Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm technique which could create a small world, there was at least some imprisonment effect.


    The white ape felt that its entire body was weakening as it watched Shen Lian walking towards it. Regardless of how world-shaking it could have been in its past life, the fact is that it could not defeat Shen Lian. Although its cultivation experience in past life was profound and that it had already achieved the inextinguishable divine aura which enabled it to not completely vanish into ashes and smoke, after going through reincarnation, it would not be the same from its past life anymore.


    Though enlightened monks with great morality would not be concerned about this, the white ape was worried about it. Thus, for this, it did not only hate Shen Lian but also the lady. Even if its brain was not working that well, it clearly knew that if it was not because the lady purposely withheld some information, this would definitely not be the ending now.


    The white ape was filled with so much dissatisfaction and hatred that there was a foul Qi contained in it. Suddenly, it transformed into a gigantic ape whereby its head could already touch the sky. Its eyes were like the lanterns and its mouth was so fierce-looking. Countless of Qi of vitality came together in its hand and formed a spiritual stick which seemed to be able to pierce through the heaven and earth by just a wave.


    The spread of this terrifying vital force in the Netherworld had alarmed many people.

 Chapter 589 Can I Get to The Other Side of Heaven After Riding on You?

    The white ape''s violent Qi dynamic was like the howling wind and torrential rain; like the rocks wrecking the clouds.


    Under the attack of the terrifying Qi dynamic, Shen Lian''s Dao robe merely fluttered a little. His cold eyes were like an abyss, there was no motion seen at all.


    However, the deep small stream behind the gigantic ape was rising continuously and there appeared many Yin spirits which looked almost identical to the person dressed in white on the bottomless boat.


    Shen Lian could definitely recognize such Yin spirits. Back in the past before he entered Qing Xuan, he had encountered this spirit-summoning messenger dressed in white in a river and his spirit was almost taken away. Fortunately, the grandmaster Ziling had saved his life and thus, he was able to escape this trial. Otherwise, there might not even be the Shen Lian of today.


    It seemed like the white ape''s odd change had broken some rules which made these Yin spirits appear. Then, the heaven and earth were filled with a type of Yin energy from Netherworld.


    The Qi of vitality in the Netherworld was already in excess of Yin, now it felt colder and stranger. Ordinary people would assume that the weather had turned cold. Only those with profound cultivation experience could feel that there was a gradual change in the rules of the world. The spirits of those who had died were supposed to dissipate quickly between the heaven and earth. However, now that it was infected by the cold and strange vital force, the dissipating spirits'' wills began to stop dissipating.


    In Bi You Palace, Lady Mother of the Chariot looked startled when the power of the Register of Life and Death strengthened rapidly in this tide of cold and strange vital force. It was even suppressing her divine power.


    "Rama, you''ve to settle the trouble that your ape has caused," Lady Mother of the Chariot''s voice penetrated through countless of space to arrive at a mysterious space by the Blood Sea. There were mountains, pagodas and also Bodhi Buddhist ray.


    Rama was exactly the name of the monk by the Blood Sea. There were only a few people in the Netherworld who knew about that and the Lady Mother of the Chariot was definitely one of them.


    "You can''t blame it. Who''d have thought that the person would put his evil intentions on Hanuman? Is it still not enough for him after messing things up in Nine Underworlds once?" A Buddhist chant penetrated through the void and responded to the Lady Mother of the Chariot


    It seemed like Rama tried to avoid saying the name of the existence. He only used "that person" and "he" as a replacement.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot stopped talking. The Register of Life and Death had been taking good care of her, especially. Now that there was a significant increase in its power, the stress she felt was thirty percent more than before.


    ...


    The gigantic ape held its spiritual stick which was like an enormous pillar that could support the entire sky and broke through the clouds in the sky. When it tried to swing the stick, instantly, the wind was blowing and the clouds were scudding. Then, it furiously struck using its stick, targeting was Shen Lian.


    At this moment, there was still no change in Shen Lian''s still expression. He slowly lifted his hand and there was a sword which had the pattern of a fishing rod piercing the world-shaking stick suddenly.


    Shen Lian''s swordcraft seemed to have advanced to the next level upon completing the Killing Sword. The momentum of this sword was not as majestic as before. However, there was an indescribable feeling about the moment when he struck using his sword. His expression seemed like those fishermen whose fishes had taken the bait and he was making the last movement to pull back the bait.


    The invincible world-shaking strike seemed like a fish which had taken the bait. The tip of the fishing-rod-like Killing Sword made a vibration which looked like it was narrating about the abstruse and deep meanings of the universe. Later on, a white ray was emitted at the point when the tip of the sword and the stick intertwined. The void seemed like a quiet surface of water whereby a stone dropped into it and there were ripples forming at the rate which could be seen by naked eye.


    The layers of ripples of the space was a terrifying power that could send a chill down the spine of any land immortals. If they were unguarded, this power could make their bodies and spirits completely vanished.


    The ripples had finally spread to the whole gigantic spiritual stick which caused it to rapidly dispel. The gigantic ape howled in pain and it was as though there was a thunderstorm.


    The fact that even if there was a change that had happened to the gigantic ape, it was still incomparable to Shen Lian and this fact was verified at that very moment of time.


    Initially, Shen Lian wanted to just capture it and then solved the matter regarding the Yin spirits. However, he suddenly felt agitated.


    A violet gold alms bowl flew out from the pagoda which Rama was located at and crossed countless of space and suddenly appeared in the sky, reaching directly above the gigantic ape''s head. It emitted unlimited golden rays which shielded the ape. In a blink of an eye, before the fierce and cruel gigantic ape could even launch an attack towards Shen Lian, it kept shrinking in size and finally entered the violet gold alms bowl.


    It was followed by a Buddhist ray which was shining over the heaven and earth. The Yin spirits which were initially coming together seemed like they were melting. In the end, all of the spirits looked like they finally got their freedom and disappeared from the world. However, the cold and strange vital force was still there and even the Buddhist ray could not help with it.


    "Dear benefactor, this animal had been with me for a long time and I didn''t expect that it''d escape when I wasn''t alert and thus, it''d made such a big mess. Now I''m keeping it into the alms bowl that Buddha had once used and suppressed under the pagoda. Hopefully, by using Dharma, it can resolve the evil intentions within it. If you have any more doubts, you can come to the Blood Sea to look for me. I''m Rama, the old monk. I''d definitely say all I know and say it without reserve. " The monk''s tone was filled with anxiety. As for the violet gold alms bowl, it seemed to not be able to completely constrain the white ape, there was a change in its shape.


    In the end, there was a piercing sound in the sky and the ritual bowl crossed the space and returned back to the pagoda where the monk was at.


    The turmoil which happened to the Qi of heaven and earth subsided quickly. When Shen Lian looked forward, all he saw was the calm river and the bottomless boat was still there but without the spirit-summoning messenger.


    It was the second time that Shen Lian met Rama, the monk. The techniques of Taiyi State was really unpredictable. At least Shen Lian felt that he would not be able to pacify what happened just now in such a casual way.


    Something was really different about the white ape after the happening of the odd change on it. There was a terrifying vital force hidden in its body that could make it unscrupulous and also brutal. However, that had brought about an indescribable longing in it. It seemed like the vital force represented the breakthrough of the plight and a gain of indescribable freedom.


    The evil intentions which Rama mentioned might be the vital force.


    If Rama was aware that Shen Lian could realize all these, he would be really shocked at the acuity of Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit.


    A monk''s words were still so sincere after all. However, Shen Lian did not plan to go to the Blood Sea to look for him. After all, the troubles he had to face were already more than enough.


    Rama was definitely very powerful but his movement was still restricted in the Netherworld. This showed that the water in this world was very deep.


    Thankfully, he did not face all these alone. Although Chen Jianmei could not get out of the Asura Blood Sea, Shen Lian believed that sooner or later, Chen Jianmei would be able to help him. Just like how he would be able to help him one day too.


    This habit of helping and protecting each other in the same sect was most probably the true meaning behind the orthodoxy left by the Founding Master Yuanqing.


    There were only so many immortals in the River of Time. Only by helping and protecting each other in the same sect, they could walk a further journey to get the uncertain detachment.


    Shen Lian left those emotions behind and looked to the front. After losing the spirit-summoning messenger, the bottomless boat quietly floated on the surface of the stream, looking surreptitious.


    There seemed to be a demonic voice rushing Shen Lian to get up to the bottomless boat. By doing so, he could be taken to a place that everyone desired to be.


    Shen Lian almost took a step forward but in the end, he only scoffed and said, "Can I get to the other side of heaven after riding on you?"


    The bottomless boat was speechless, and the water drowned in complete silence.


    Shen Lian said, "No I can''t get there."


    Then, he turned around and did not stop at all. His body and spirit vanished in between heaven and earth.


    The bottomless boat gradually changed its shape and transformed into a divine sculpture. It disappeared together with the entire river. There seemed to be a faint sigh heard between the heaven and earth, accompanied by regret and dissatisfaction.

 Chapter 590 The World’s Three Saints, Qing Xuan is Number One

    The moment he left, Shen Lian lost an opportunity. This opportunity would allow him to become Taiyi.


    At this stage, the sensation of an outbreak would not be wrong. However, for Shen Lian, the missed opportunity also meant that he had one less trouble.


    He had enough trouble.


    With lesser problems, Shen Lian''s heart became brighter, just like a mirror. The body was the bodhi tree, the mind was like a bright mirror''s stand. At all times, he must strive to polish it, and must not allow dust to collect.


    Up to this moment, the heart of Dao had to be practiced timely in order to achieve the perfect mirror stage. To reach the stage of ''nothingness left no dust'', one had to practice and cultivate the heart of Dao to the most satisfactory stage.


    This was because ''Dao'' not only needed to be understood but also to be proven.


    Without prove or experience, ''Dao'' was just a theory. The Sixth Patriarch Huineng who quoted ''nothingness left no dust'', did not need to lower himself to the mundane world and experience it.


    Zimu River was flowing while the tree in the middle of the river remained unmoved. However, the gloomy vital force caused the leaves to be greener. Chen Jing who was talking to Shen Lian noticed the odd situation too.


    She could not sense the changes of Qi of heaven and earth but the large trees could. Just like when the east wind blew, thousands of pear blossoms bloomed. Hence, as a spiritual tree, it had sensitivity.


    A dim light blended into Shen Lian''s body. The spiritual form returned. Due to that little realization, his body became different. However, the others did not notice it.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "How about we return to Xiliang?"


    Chen Jing responded, "Great. It suddenly became cold. I have to be careful not to let Ke Er catch a cold."


    Li Yuanliang would not disagree. Fortunately, his master-uncle arrived at the right time. Otherwise, the danger would be unpredictable and he would break the trust of his master-uncle.


    As they were about to leave, a tender and lovely voice of a little girl rang.


    "Celestial, can I ask you for a favor?"


    Chen Jing was shocked while Li Yuanliang pulled a stern face. Shen Lian was the only one unbothered and looked towards the source of the sound.


    By the trunk, stood a little girl wearing a dress similar to the color of the leaves. She looked like a tender flower bud, while she bit her lips pitifully.


    Shen Lian gently said, "The being with the toughest path of attaining Dao is the Silvan Elves. If the birth of spiritual body is known, it will mean extinction for them. You should be careful as you just manage to condense your spiritual body. There is no need to risk the danger looking for me."


    He was not lying. Once the Silvan Elves managed to form the spiritual body, they had the potential of becoming the immortal spiritual medicine. This would naturally gain attention by the greedy cultivators.


    Hence, very few Silvan Elves dared to show their spiritual body. This was because spiritual grass and wood were a rarity, not to mention, those that could be formed spiritual bodies.


    This large tree had the ability to condense spiritual bodies. However, due to limited Qi of essence around Xiliang, it was hard to outbreak the last step. Coincidently, the mysterious Qi of Yin from the netherworld infected the tree, enabling it to pass the obstacle and form a spiritual body. From then onwards, it was able to move its body and search for a secretive spot. Then, it shapeshifted. Of course, the waiting time would take hundreds of years but once it was found by the humans, it would almost lose the hope of attaining Dao. Otherwise, it could gather the essence and entrust to the care of the spiritual body. This was the case for Daoist Liu Mengde.


    For the phoenix tree in Diqiu, it got help from Shen Lian to blend its spirit into flesh and blood, transforming into a human. This opportunity was rare and only materialize once in a thousand lifetime.


    However, spirits were unlike the spiritual body, weak in nature. The heavenly immortals had to be capable of blending the whole spirit into the flesh and blood in order to produce new life.


    "Celestial had a pure Qi of Dao so you will not be demonic. This is a hard-to-come-by opportunity. I will seek for your kindness to hand down to me the technique of entering Dao. By this, I am willing to listen to your commands," she said carefully.


    Shen Lian smiled apologetically and spoke, "Mother, Yuanliang, let''s leave."


    Shen Lian stretched his sleeves, formed a cloud and disappeared.


    Upon reaching Xiliang, Li Yuanliang recalled the pitiful Silvan Elf. Although he was a master celestial of sword which had a strong heart, he sympathized her.


    He questioned, "Uncle-master, it is not easy for the Silvan Elf. Since it is psychic, its leaves could be made into spiritual medicine and subsequently, we could use it to supply the army. Why don''t you keep her if there are such benefits?"


    Shen Lian smiled and queried, "Mother, do you know why?"


    Chen Jing replied, "Her speech was too orderly. Besides, she knew about ''pure Qi of Dao''. An unmovable Silvan Elf will not be able to recognize this as she will not have this sort of experience. Moreover, her new spiritual form is a figure of a little girl. She must have seen Ke Er so her figure was intended to scheme us."


    Li Yuanliang suddenly understood.


    Shen Lian explained, "Yuanliang, if you purely practice sword techniques, you need not care about the schemes. However, your weakness is the lack of purity. You are not as refined as your master and Yanying. If you want to improve, you have to experience life. The same goes for your junior apprentice-brother.


    Next, I am going to form an army with Four Symbols. Four of you will take each army and become their general. You will gain tremendously later."


    It was rare to have geniuses like Chen Jianmei and Fang Yanying who purely indulge in swordcraft. Li Yuanliang was nothing if compared to the both of them. Hence, even though he practiced for many years, constantly building strong mana and improving his swordcraft, it was hard for him to improve qualitatively. He could become a Martial arts expert but to become a master, training itself was not sufficient.


    Chen Jianmei understood this. However, going through life and realizing the teachings by heart was hard to teach and explain. Therefore, he needed the help of Shen Lian.


    Having said so, Shen Lian could only point a direction, give tips and provide guidance. It still boiled down to the person''s good luck.


    Although Shen Lian achieved the Taiyi state, he could not help them to break away from whims and obtain longevity.


    However, with these tips and guidance, they were luckier than most cultivator. This was the purpose of the Dao celestial school.


    Moving forward, Shen Lian stayed a few days in Xiliang to declare his existence. At the same time, his doings in the Xia Kingdom were spread to the whole country. Even the whole Kong Sang knew about it.


    Although there were no actions from Xiliang, Kong Sang was on pins and needles.


    The Xia Kingdom was not something that these small countries could imagine. Being the State Preceptor of Xia Kingdom, Shen Lian was even feared by the neighboring countries. A point had been made; Xiliang was not an easy target.


    Among the higher rulers, they knew Shen Lian killed Feng from Dongyi and retreated safely from Emperor Xia and Guan Longzi. ''The world''s three saints, Qing Xuan is number one'' was the slogan passed among the celestials and the Great Demon.

 Chapter 591 Master The Techniques and Forget Its Principle

    To claim Qing Xuan was the first was destroying a talent by overpraising. On a side note, it did prove Shen Lian''s ability. Shen Lian''s return to Xiliang calmed most of the forces. This was because the countries in the Netherworld and their forces would not take Xiliang lightly even though Xiliang had a few cultivators.


    Owning a country, Shen Lian would not act recklessly and would follow some of the rules. This thought put most of the people at ease.


    Before Shen Lian perished, nobody would initiate to conquer Xiliang. This was because not one force could withstand the revenge of such a celestial.


    Rarely people would notice the difference between Shen Lian, Emperor Xia, and Tianyi. Emperor Xia and Tianyi''s successes were related to the bloodline and home country. On the other hand, Shen Lian owed Chen Jing her karma. Few days after his birth, he managed to regain Xiliang. Hence, in other words, Shen Lian contributed more towards the country.


    For Emperor Xia and Tianyi, they could find a way to give up the relationship with their home country because it was not tied to karma. However, they were too indulged in it. They would not let it go unless they could achieve the total merciless or Taishang Wangqing.


    Everything had its Yin and Yang. The human may be selfish but they would have a generous side. At most was one side was dominant of the other. It was difficult to remove one side totally. Although Shen Lian had a carefree attitude, he still could not give up on Qing Xuan. Nonetheless, it was not as extreme as Zhang Ruoxu''s case.


    Sitting in the Xuandu Temple, by the Yin-Gathering Spring, Shen Lian''s spiritual body could not be seen. What was left was the black and white Qi. In between, there was the sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning. All the natural forces collided and attached to the milky way. Pure music also surrounded the place. Finally, all the odd scenes faded. Shen Lian let off a deep breath. There was no sign of the black and white but it was misty.


    The breath caused rainfall. The peach trees that absorbed the rainwater bloomed the peach blossoms.


    The flower bloom was not caused by Shen Lian''s breath. It accumulated a lot of vitality throughout the whole winter and the rainfall was just a kindle.


    The peach blossom in Xuandu Temple bloomed but the Daoist, Liu Mengde who planted the peach tree had left. He originated from Xuanzhen Temple and since Shen Lian returned, he kept his promise and left.


    Although the Daoist left, the peach trees were still there. These years, it grew well, absorbing spiritual vigor to increase its soulful aura. Besides that, the gloomy vital force from the Netherworld was good for the Silvan Elves. A few years later, the Silvan bogeys might take a form of a body.


    However, for human and the demon beasts, the heavy Yin energy was not a good situation. Cultivators who had lower cultivation experience would felt that their mana stopped growing. If the situation did not turn for the better, after a prolonged period, Qi cultivator had to stress on the path of Ghostly Spirits and Sacrificial Ritual. Subsequently, they had to emphasis on The Art of Spiritual Enhancement.


    Cultivating Dao of the physical body was vigorous. Hence, the cultivation would bring success easily. Although Xia Clan''s bloodline was richly endowed by nature, they could not help to go downhill in this circumstances.


    Shen Lian sighed secretly. The ruin of Xia Kingdom was fated. There were many factors that led the Xia Kingdom to the losing side. In addition, his actions, intentionally and unintentionally, prompting the fall of Xia Kingdom.


    However, the ups and downs of this path of cultivation made one stood at a higher level. This enabled Shen Lian to understand the operation theory of the laws of heaven.


    For someone who was familiar with Shen Lian, it was not hard to notice the vibe of solitariness on him. It was just like the galaxy without the stars.


    A galaxy without the stars was the start of everything and the creation of nature. Legend said that, during the birth of Pangu, he felt that very lonely and that the heaven and earth looked like chicken. Hence, he separated heaven from earth and created the world. This proved that solitariness and creation of nature had a relation.


    Shen Lian observed the changes on his body. He was filled with pleasure as he was closer to Taiyi.


    During this time, he made divided Li Yuanliang and his three brothers into Four Symbols, each taking a troop. Each troop was formed by the four supernatural powers, namely, the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermillion Bird and the Black Tortoise. As their fighting capacity increased, Shen Lian could go for a solitary retreat in peace. He would precipitate his harvest and turn those into sentiments.


    Without Guan Longzi''s essence of Lianshanyi, Shen Lian still would be able to figure the things he lacked to reach Taiyi.


    Previously, he was confused by the legend. The legend said that human could be created. Hence, he thought by finding the right materials, he would be able to create nature spiritually. In reality, the key point for the creation of spiritual nature was not about the materials.


    To create nature, it had to be made by the void. Then, from nothingness formed the spirit. When he was trapped in the small world left by the Founding Master Qingshui in the Zifu Peak, he saw the creation of soil on the edge, bit by bit. This was all from the void.


    The core, derived from Qi of the origin, turned into something.


    The origins of Five Elements of Yin and Yang could be said as the base of natural creation.


    If Shen Lian understood these, he would know the importance of Taixu strategy.


    The path of Taixu had to be complemented with the Taixu technique and the basics of Five Elements of Yin and Yang. Thus, the mystery of Deficiency and Excess could be solved. He could then create nature and achieve the state of Taiyi.


    This was a meticulous job and a little bit of good luck.


    His accomplishments in Taixu strategy may not lose to the Founding Master of Qingshui. However, he was not the founder of Taixu strategy. Hence, the technique of Five Elements of Yin and Yang and the teachings of the path to Five Elements of Yin and Yang were not his Five Elements of Yin and Yang.


    That was the reason Shen Lian had to forgo the teachings and techniques; to complete the path.


    Shen Lian had separated the Five Elements of Yin and Yang from the Founding Master of Qingshui in the Taixu strategy. He was thankful for Qianmo''s mysterious Qi. It was also one of the origins of the Five Elements. Furthermore, the origins of the Five Elements had no strong conscious. It belonged to the Taichu. It was formed naturally before the universe so it was untouched and undusted.


    Shen Lian tapped onto that to realize his Five Elements.


    The Dao of Yin and Yang was gained fully from the Founding Master Qingshui and the grandmaster Ziling. Hence, he had to return.


    To forget the technique, it is not as simple as it seems. Master the techniques and forget its principle while forgetting its principle would gain techniques. Everything has a start and an end to complete a cycle.


    Shen Lian had found a solution for this but the key was Zimu River.


    Zimu River would cause a girl pregnant without intercourse. Hence, it actually had indescribable abstruse.


    Pregnancy would not occur without the male or the female. But, Zimu River broke this law of nature.


    Moreover, Zimu River exists on earth. Hence, it means that it still obeys the law of nature. There will be a reason behind this existence.


    The ability for a woman to give birth to children came from the Dao of Yin and Yang Unity. Xiliang women were no exception.


    Zimu River filled up the gap for women to make them pregnant.


    The reason behind giving birth to a daughter was probably related to the soulful aura of Zimu River. The soulful aura was subjected to Yin within the Yang. However, this theory had to be rectified.

 Chapter 592 Homeland and The World

    Since the Shen Lian came back, Xiliang Palace lost its luxurious ornaments and became simple and serene. However, the courtiers showed more reverence in the palace. This was because the Shen Lian had used a strange flame and turned the palace into a whole. The terrazzo, the top of the ceiling, and the variety cravings of exotic animals on the beams and columns had shallow lines.


    People with Qi sensation would find out that the palace was lively and strong. Those who stayed there would be able to absorb some Qi of vitality. Thus, even if he did not eat or drink, he would still be able to survive for a long time.


    If he initiated to practice and cultivate, he would progress faster than the others would.


    This, of course, could not be compared with the well-known Fortune Land but it was one of a kind in Western Barbarian.


    With this environment, Chen Jing naturally managed to unshell her spirit. It was a new experience. She could fly freely in the air without any spell. Moreover, the heart and soul felt relief without the burden of the flesh and body.


    Shen Lian once told her that, this was considered as ''Trance'' in Daoist. By doing this step, one could consider themselves as cultivators. They would enter the path of Dao after ''entering perfection'' and ''Huandan''. Fortunately, ''Huandan'' was enough to stop ninety-nine percent of the world''s cultivators.


    Yinshang had the most Qi cultivators but not many were ''Huandan''.


    However, Chen Jing was very satisfied. If it was not Shen Lian, she could not even practice and cultivate.


    Besides, her children were around by her side. Although she could not find her sister, Chen Yun, she was still satisfied. Shen Lian promised to find Chen Yun but there was no news about her.


    As Chen Jing was deep in thought, a servant came in and reported, "The prince is back."


    Shen Lian had a privilege in the Xiliang. He could meet Chen Jing without being informed of him. However, Chen Jing was the monarch. Although he had a higher position, he did not want to challenge the authority of Chen Jing.


    In the eyes of the people, he could become the monarch anytime without any objections from the citizen.


    That was exactly what the people looked forward to, even Chen Jing.


    Shen Lian''s low profile in Xuandu Temple had disappointed many people.


    This was not to badmouth Chen Jing but a powerful monarch would affect a country. For example, Emperor Xia from the Xia Kingdom and Tianyi from Yinshang.


    Chen Jing saw Shen Lian in the Imperial Garden. A gust of wind rolled her daughter, Chen Ke, up and down in the air, filling the air with her laughter. Furthermore, the moment she came in, the quiet garden bloomed and was filled with the fragrance of the flower.


    "Why did you look for me, Lian Er?" Chen Jing looked at the flowers in the garden, sniffed the aroma, listened to her daughter''s laughter and felt better. It was as if she did not need to be unshelled, did not need to cast any mana and thus, could fly.


    Chen Ke giggled and went into Chen Jing''s arms from the air.


    Shen Lian spoke, "I needed to discuss a matter with you."


    Chen Jing''s face was slightly stern. She knew that her strange son had never put anything else on his mind. Hence, ''to discuss'' was a heavy term used.


    "Go ahead and say it," Chen Jing did not make a promise but did not take this lightly too.


    Shen Lian gently explained, "I wanted to use the great mana to refine Zimu River. By doing so, I was afraid that the women in the city would never be able to get pregnant by drinking water from Zimu River. Hence, I would like to consult with you. If mother did not agree, I would let it be."


    "There must be a reason for you to do this. However, the river is related to the birth of the next generation. If the divine effect of the Zimu River disappears, do they all have to get married?" Chen Jing frowned.


    Shen Lian responded, "Some people might be reluctant but there are women in our country begin to marry. Therefore, not everybody wants to be alone."


    Chen Jing said, "No one can stop you if you do this directly without discussing with me.


    Since you are willing to discuss with me, I may wish to ask you a favor."


    Shen Lian smiled and answered, "Mother, you wish for me to take the place of the monarch?"


    Chen Jing sighed privately. There were pros and cons of having a celestial son. However, she was not like the past owners of Xiliang. She understood that her vision and capability were limited and it was not suitable for the growing Xiliang.


    The expansion of the territory caused many talented people with special powers to seek refuge in Xiliang. However, it was hard for them to be convinced of Chen Jing''s practice and cultivation. Hence, it was not conducive to the stability of the country.


    On the other hand, it would be foolish to prevent them from coming to seek refuge.


    The mountains did not reject the soil so they were able to grow; The ocean did not choose the streams so it was able to grow deep. Chen Jing could not provide the avenue like the mountain or the ocean but Shen Lian could.


    Nonetheless, she was always clear about Shen Lian''s distance relationship with Xiliang.


    Chen Jing responded, "Are you still rejecting?"


    Shen Lian said, "No. Initially, I wanted you to be the monarch for a few more years because you could feel that the progress of your cultivation was very fast. This was actually due to your position as the monarch. However, since you requested, I should not refuse as all mana should come naturally. Believe me, I will be better than Emperor Xia and Tianyi."


    Chen Jing sighed and spoke, "I believe you. Although I do not know what made you change, you must have your own reasons. I shall not ask further. However, there is one thing I have always wanted to ask, have you found ''Yun''?"


    Shen Lian answered without reservation.


    Chen Jing was sad. Finally, she replied, "I should have advised you to hold back on her but if it arrived at that situation, you could do as you wish."


    Although Chen Yun and she were sisters, she regarded Chen Yun as her daughter. Both of them were close. Hence, in order for her to reply like this, she must be contradicting herself, feeling guilty and pain at the same time.


    Shen Lian answered, "Mother, I sent Li Yuanliang to pass her a message. If she sees me next time, I will not show any mercy."


    Chen Jing''s eyebrows tremble. Although she allowed Shen Lian to do as he wished, she did not expect him to be cruel. This was the first time she realized that under the gentle appearance of Shen Lian, there was a cold side in him. She felt a little sad and made a decision to herself. After she quieted as the monarch, she would go to the Southern Barbarians to look for her.


    Shen Lian continued, "Mother if I become the monarch, I will change the title of the reigning dynasty to show the intention of innovation. Besides, Xiliang is only a city with a small structure."


    "Changing the title of the reigning dynasty was one of my considerations. After all, most of our territories were not from Xiliang. To limit the country to one family or one clan was not a good option. Therefore, establishing a new title of the reigning dynasty would complete the country," Chen Jing disregarded her emotions and explained her insight.

 Chapter 593 I am The Mighty God of Thunder

    Shen Lian laughed, "We were on the same page. Besides, I made a plan."


    Chen Jing questioned, "So, what was the title of the reigning dynasty?"


    Shen Lian looked at the horizon, and answered, "Zhou."


    He spat out the one word. Then suddenly, there were thunderstorms in the four directions. The lightning stroke and the sky changed rapidly. The sudden change awed the people.


    The beasts that experienced Lightning Trials of Transformation did not encounter this scene. The sky was thick with clouds and the lightning was like dancing silver snakes. The weather seemed like the strong tidal waves.


    Chen Jing turned pale. Her daughter was frightened by the sudden change of the weather.


    Shen Lian whistled loudly. A line of clear water, like the arc of the eyebrow, rushed into the sky filled with thunderstorm. Chen Jing did not expect that Shen Lian''s word would cause the world to change, creating fear among the people.


    She was more worried about Shen Lian who rushed into the thunderstorm. However, the Qi of vitality was boiling and the thunderstorm was fierce. She had no idea what she could help.


    At this time, in Bi You Palace, the Lady Mother of the Chariot took out an edict that had no mysterious word or singularity. It was just like the white character. The Lady Mother of the Chariot pierced herself between her eyebrows with a gold needle. Light green current flowed to the edict and golden words appeared.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot commanded, "Wen Zhong."


    The voice seemed to have come from the ancient time and crossed the river of time as if it would never be broken.


    A floating light entered Bi You Palace and landed in front of the Lady Mother of the Chariot. It saw the face of Lady Mother of the Chariot looking like the grey jade. Worried, it said, "Why did you use the essence of Qi of vitality?"


    Lady Mother of the Chariot answered gently, "Wen Zhong accept this Talisman order."


    Her face was stern and she did not say much. Wen Zhong was afraid of his honored master''s dignity. He raised his hand to receive the Talisman order.


    The Talisman melt upon his hands. At the same time, he heard the thunderstorm and seemed like tranced to a high platform. There was a list full of names in front of him.


    Under the list, an old Daoist, dressed in a white Taichi suit, held a god whip. He thundered, "The start source Tianzun decreed, Wen Zhong, entered Xuanmen and cultivated the way of Dao. Although he had not achieved the truth from the fruit of Chaoyuan and had no chance of obtaining Daluo, he could enter the path of Shen. He would be granted the Mighty God of Thunder. Then, he would nourish all beings by fighting against the evil. Letting the good to prosper whereas the bad to be troubled."


    Wen Zhong felt that the mystery of a myriad of lightning rules in the void and the Xuan philosophy of the first path of thunder came to his mind. His mind continued to expand and accommodated the more profound law of heaven and earth, the rule of lightning. It was like a spider web, interwoven with all the mysteries and meanings of the Lightning Technique that could not be understood in the past, in his mind.


    It seemed that with one motion, he was able to adjust the good luck around the heaven and earth, to gather the wind and thunder, to wipe out any evil in the world and to restore the origins of heaven and earth.


    Soon, he was full of thunder and lightning. The countless thunderbolts were made into a suit of imperial robes and he wore it. He was like the deity that ruled and his words became mana.


    That high platform, the list, and the old Daoist vanished. Wen Zhong appeared in front of the Lady Mother of the Chariot. He heard the tired honored master said, "After two hours, you will become Lord Thunder. Capture Shen Lian to Bi You Palace and wait for further notice."


    Wen Zhong queried, "My honored master, what was the issue? What was the high platform and the Daoist?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot looked into his eyes and explained, "That was an experience in your past. The fate that you had not been able to unravel. However, both of us had the privilege of changing it since we were in this Netherworld. Shen Lian was going to destroy this. Without further ado, catch him and bring him back to Bi You Palace. I need to suppress him for another five hundred years. Otherwise, we would be in deep trouble."


    Wen Zhong answered, "I shall make my move now." Wen Zhong did not dare to take this lightly after listening to the serious explanation from the honored master. Quickly, he turned into a lightning and departed towards Xiliang.


    He felt that all the lightning and thunder in the world became his ears and eyes. Hence, he was able to find Shen Lian that was in the middle of the thunderstorm.


    When Wen Zhong left, the Lady Mother of the Chariot rambled, "My honored master, I had used that person''s Talisman order, would you blame on me?"


    The empty Bi You Palace was filled with her heavy sigh.


    Bi You Palace was initially one of the best places of enlightenment. However, it had been very long since Lingbao Tianzhu appeared. Therefore, there was not anyone to answer her query.


    The face of Lady Mother of the Chariot became dimmer. If the honored master was still there, he would be everywhere and of course would be able to hear her voice. However, there was no feedback. The honored master had left or was still angry at her.


    Shen Lian could become the master of the Netherworld and the master of Bi You Palace. However, she did not understand Shen Lian''s destruction of her efforts. If this was fate, she would still want to reverse this. The worst-case scenario was her losing her spiritual form. But, why was she depressed?


    Perhaps it was due to her mentor would not be her greatest defender.


    A drop of tear silently fell in the Bi You Palace.


    On the edge of the blood-red sea, in the mysterious space, there was the sound of the wooden fish from the pagoda. The ape, who was suppressed under the pagoda, shouted, "Old monk, stop knocking the wooden fish, I am going to have a headache."


    The sound of the wooden fish did not stop. The handsome monk Rama looked towards the horizon and sighed, "Heaven commissioned the swallow, to descend and give birth to Shang. However, The real carrier of prosperity was ''Zhou''. In the end, it was unknown that who went against the fate. This was ridiculous."


    The sound of wooden fish was breaking up. The white ape under the pagoda was holding its head and rolling on the ground. Suddenly, a violent ape slowly appeared, trembling the pagoda.


    Rama was still as though he did not see or hear it. There was a Buddhist ray coming from him. Even if the man existed, the man would not be able to subvert his Dharma with evil thoughts, even if the man was the Buddha.


    "World Honored Earth Treasury, The Buddha of Wisdom", the loud Buddhist chant surrounded the pagoda and the mountain. Asura Clan from the Netherworld and blood-red sea who heard, quickly transformed into the Defenders of the Dharma of Buddhist sects and hurried towards the pagoda.


    The groaning sword from the blood-red sea overrode the Buddhist chant to stop the situation.


    At the same time, the thunderclouds above Xiliang became thicker. It seemed like a huge curtain that wanted to cover the whole of Xiliang.


    The thunder and lightning, like the surging tide, seemed to be only a short distance from the city. Countless citizens were shivering in their rooms.


    Li Yuanliang and the other three men were wise in their practices and cultivations but they would also have to restrain their Qi to avoid the thunderstorms from the sky. They were Asura, so the thunder would restraint them. Moreover, in the depths of thunder and lightning, there was a kind of will that the heaven and earth could not be disobeyed.


    An almost unnoticeable ray of light integrated into the thundering tide and into the will of the heaven and earth. In the core of the thunderclouds was Shen Lian.


    "I am the Mighty God of Thunder, representing the heaven to carry out the punishment. Shen Lian, are you guilty?"


    "Are you guilty?"


    "Are you guilty?"

 Chapter 594 Impartial

    The voice of "Are you guilty" rang upon the heaven and earth. Almost all sentient beings in the Netherworld could hear it. Some of the ancient existence recalled that when the Netherworld was a complete Hades, the sound of the judge that held the Register of Life and Death was similar to this. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Some people even wondered what crime had the head of three saints, Qing Xuan done. He even managed to provoke such a dignified and terrifying figure to punish him.


    After all, the title of "Mighty God of Thunder" brought a string of inexplicable fear among the people. They were afraid of any evil thoughts as the sound seemed to embody justice.


    Emperor Xia was looking at his newly appointed concubine, Meixi dancing. He ignored the strange sound but a ray of coldness flashed across his eyes. The courtiers who accompanied him trembled.


    Tianyi had been released and returned to the Yinshang. No one knew that Emperor Xia and he had made an agreement to not to expand their territories for nine years. Tianyi understood the reason behind nine years. This was because Emperor Xia had to turn Dongyi to become his most obedient hound.


    By that time, the power of Xia Kingdom and Dongyi was enough to deter their ambitions.


    Tianyi understood that the key to breaking this situation was Youshen.


    In Yinshang, Tianyi heard the judgment of Wen Zhong. He felt Wen Zhong was the divine nature that transcended all. In the dark, he also felt a crisis was lurking but did not know of the source.


    Wen Zhong was a walking celestial on the earth but suddenly, he transformed into a deity who governed the Thunder and went on to deal with the mysterious and unfathomable Shen Lian. Tianyi did not understand this leap. However, he knew that Wen Zhong was closely connected to the Yinshang. Hence, if Wen Zhong was in trouble, he had to help even though it meant to go against Shen Lian.


    Wen Zhong had only one thought which was to bring Shen Lian back to Bi You Palace for his honored master.


    In the vast thunder tide, anyone would be frightened but Wen Zhong was at ease. The thunder was like his citizen while he was the Lord Thunder, controlling them.


    The eye between the eyebrows opened. He could find Shen Lian anywhere.


    Thunder was not simple. It was a piece of woven mana. As Wen Zhong walked towards Shen Lian, the thundering tide gathered and formed human figures. There was a total of twenty-four thunder-formed humans, separated to his right and left. Each had the power of thunder to transform the celestials into ashes.


    They were all Wen Zhong''s followers. Respectfully, they arch guarded, Wen Zhong.


    The thunder tide shattered the whole place but the core was peaceful and tranquil. It was like another paradise that was not from earth. Shen Lian which turned into a puddle of clean water was there.


    When Wen Zhong arrived outside the puddle of water, Shen Lian''s figure appeared from the puddle of water.


    "Are you guilty?" The same question uttered.


    The words seemed to have infinite magic, urged the thunder from all directions. It constantly invaded the void occupied by the puddle of water.


    All of a sudden, the puddle of water became a bluish-white flame and the thundering tide was ignited. Even the void seemed to be melting. It was the mysterious fire, also known as the True Samadhi Fire was rebirthed. It only belonged to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian said melancholy, "Yin and Yang were cast to coal by the creator." Finally, he looked at Wen Zhong and questioned, "Would you be able to defeat me?"


    Wen Zhong commanded, "Take him down."


    The twenty-four thunder-formed humans seemed to have received the highest order. They courageously entered to the bluish white flame.


    However, these twenty-four thunder-formed humans who could turn the celestials into the ashes evaporated as soon as they entered into the flame. There was no trace left.


    The divine thoughts that were felt among the flames were the howling of the thunder-formed human. Those disappeared too.


    Then, the bluish white flames became heterogeneous. A series of crackling rattling and subsequently, a huge explosion annihilated in the small black hole.


    Shen Lian was astonished. Wen Zhong''s operation of the thunder attained the acme of perfection. The thunder-formed human destroyed the structure of the fire mana he created and detonated a great energy. If he did not create the black hole using the completed Sky Demon Method, Xiliang would be destroyed.


    As the Mighty God of Thunder, Wen Zhong''s divinity occupied the main body, transcending all the sentient beings. Hence, he did not care about the death or injury of any living spirits. As long as he managed to bring in Shen Lian, the sacrifices were worthy.


    He was just like the God who destroyed billions of lives when he was angry. The worldly life and death was part of the laws of heaven. No family, no self.


    Wen Zhong''s eyes were open and his hands were empty. Then, there was the sound of the Dragon singing in the sky. Two full of exploding thunder divine dragons appeared, blotting out the Sun. They absorbed all the thunderstorms like the tidewaters, causing their hair and scales to be distinct.


    When these two Thunder Dragons appeared, everyone in Xiliang had a sense of despair.


    The length of the dragon was unmeasurable and it swirled around Wen Zhong and Shen Lian. It was hard to see what was happening inside.


    Shen Lian also stopped emitting the mystical fire. The most fearful part of the Thunder Dragons was the undying divinity that drove the source of thunder. Moreover, both of the dragons were transformed by the Qi of Yin and Yang. The combination power of Yin and Yang indirectly portraying the immensity of the universe.


    Shen Lian seemed like the inferior dust in front of Thunder Dragons while facing the immensity of the universe that the Thunder Dragons represented.


    There were threads of clear Qi surrounding Wen Zhong. Under the guard of the Thunder Dragons, the solemn gown and the divinity that transcended above all, the law became materialized. It revealed a deep and mysterious rhyme, causing Wen Zhong''s divinity like the God that worshiped by of by thousands of celestials.


    The undying divinity light flew out from between the eyebrows of Wen Zhong and continuously injected into the Thunder Dragons. They came immensely.


    Shen Lian''s Qi of vitality was restrained under this pressure.


    It seemed that he had become a candlelight, which could no longer withstand any blow. However, anyone who had seen his calm eyes would dispel that idea.


    The horrifying Thunder Dragons, the unpredictable Wen Zhong, and the immense pressure fell into Shen Lian''s induction. It was like the shadow of the sky and white clouds reflected on the clear pond. In any case, the clouds and sky would change but the clear pond was not affected.


    Shen Lian continuously deriving the changes in Taixu Strategy. He continuously integrated the technique of Yi. The sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning; every phenomenon appeared inside the void of his heart. It was as if a new universe was going to be born from his heart.


    This silent confrontation made every moment seemed very long yet soul-stirring.

 Chapter 595 Taiyi

    If this was Wen Zhong in his past self, he would never be able to experience the changes that had occurred to Shen Lian. He had now become the Mighty God of Thunder. This position not only brought him ultimate powers, it too gave him a state that was equally majestic.


    As the saying ''In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God'', achieving immortality was not necessarily the only way to be venerated as a god. One could become a god through the boulevard. One or another, these two methods led to the same goal.


    Wen Zhong understood that he could not let Shen Lian had the chance to dwell into such abstruse realization as it would be extremely difficult for him to be taken away.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot, the eldest goddess in the Netherworld, took out a Talisman order and made Wen Zhong the Lord of Thunder Technique. This way, with the aid of it, Wen Zhong would definitely be able to defeat Shen Lian. In other words, Wen Zhong would be more powerful than Shen Lian.


    At the point of time, not only the Lady Mother of the Chariot and Wen Zhong understood the situation of it, even Shen Lian himself knew the fact that there would always be a slim chance of survival in this world.


    And as for Shen Lian, his survival would depend on Wen Zhong as Wen Zhong could only temporarily be the Mighty God of Thunder for two hours, not a second more, not a second less.


    Although Shen Lian was unsure of the matter, he made a resolute choice to follow the principle of ''defend first, attack later''.


    Only then, he started to restrain himself and summoned up his powers, combining them. He laid out all his cards, all that he had, openly to his enemy. The main motive behind the transparency was to protect himself and not to defeat Wen Zhong.


    Shen Lian made such a move because he understood a point very well. It was not long since he met Wen Zhong, even though Wen Zhong had received a fortuitous gift, the Goddess should not have raised his powers and state to that extent, surpassing far beyond what he originally had. The standard practice to god in nature was like the Taiyi and Mahasattva, but Wen Zhong was originally a land immortal of Dao. He would definitely have a hard time coping with the sudden and enormous change that he received.


    It was an unattainable goal for a mortal to become a deity because the Accumulation  in between must not be missed out.


    With that being said, those accumulations were an undeniable fact. Shen Lian could feel that Wen Zhong had only seized the potentiality to become a great deity but not owning it.


    He would not need to suppress him with such massive power had he owned the title for good. Instead, as the Lord of Thunder Dao, he could have diligently used his understanding towards the principles of powers to restrain him and torture him to death like cat and mouse game.


    The more Shen Lian tried to understand that point, the calmer he became.


    Out of a sudden, Wen Zhong raged. Two Thunder Dragons assailed towards the direction of Shen Lian, as if they were trying to clash-up the sky and the earth.


    A peculiar scene appeared in the sky with Shen Lian sitting in mid-air. His whole body glowed with divine aura which was shining like the stars in the galaxy. Two Thunder Dragons hovering outside, crossing each other as they moved like a big millstone and Shen Lian situated in the core, being crashed and strangled by it.


    The scared rays were dim, like a flame that was about to be extinguished, defending hard against the brutal attack of the Thunder Dragons.


    At that point of time, the citizens in Xiliang City could only see what was happening but could not feel even the slightest eeriness. However, for those who possess Qi would be able to feel that the Qi within them became stagnant.


    Lightning was originated from the Qi between Yin and Yang. It symbolized the execution from the heaven, possessing a very high divinity. Thus, it was able to repress everything.


    Li Yuanliang and the other fellows could not provide any help to Shen Lian but only watched him being strangled and tortured by the Thunder Dragons.


    Chen Jing gnashed her teeth in anger, her stares penetrative and just like others, she could not move a little. On the other hand, the young Chen Ke was merely watching the scenario in the sky, not understanding what was happening. At that moment, only Thunder Dragons and the remarkable deity, Wen Zhong was seen up in the sky. Apart from the shuddering thunder, it was very quiet between the heaven and earth.


    The silence lingered and even Chen Ke was affected by it. She was cautious with her movements.


    The divine lights emitted from Shen Lian became dimmer. He could feel that his Primordial Spirit was depleting rapidly but he could not reach out for help from anyone.


    ''Primordality'' signified the essence in the body which was transformed into Qi through motion and subsequently called Qi; ''Spirit'' signified the spirit of the body and together they were called ''Primordial Spirit''.


    Primordial Spirit was a combination of the divine Qi in the body, allowing the Qi cultivator to separate his spiritual self from his physical self. With a special method, they were able to live for eternity in their spiritual form.


    Shen Lian had used up the Qi that he accumulated throughout the years to defend himself from the strangulation of the Thunder Dragons and also to protect the spirit within his deepest core.


    This was the only way for him to prolong his life.


    The method that Shen Lian used was similar to the Mara Separation Technique but Mara Separation Technique would consume all three elements of essence, Qi and spirit. The technique that Shen Lian was using, however, was able to conserve the spirit completely.


    Wen Zhong remained silent as he used every single ounce of his power to restrain Shen Lian. All that was left in this matter would be to drain Shen Lian''s Qi completely, rendering him defenseless.


    As with Primordial Spirit, ''Primordality'' resembled the brain while ''Qi'' resembled the limbs. If Qi were to be totally depleted, every power that one owned would disappear. Regardless of the presence of the state, he or she would no longer be qualified as an immortal.


    Just like the story told among the folks: an immortal that was defeated by his enemy had his five Qi ripped off from his chest and immediately, he became nothing more than the mortals on earth.


    And as that being said, that was the sole reason behind the phrase ''training of Qi'' instead of ''training of spirit''.


    Apart from exhausting Shen Lian''s Qi, Wen Zhong could not come up with a better plan. The slightest slackness would complicate the whole matter as it would allow Shen Lian to connect with people and channel Primordial Spirit from the other side of the border of his restraint.


    Even though the Qi between heaven and earth would be incomparable to the Qi that was gained through years of training, it would still stir up unnecessary problems. It would not be beneficial for him if the time were to be delayed.


    It could be said that Wen Zhong was fortunate to come up with this plan. He would definitely be able to use up all of Shen Lian''s Qi within two hours.


    If he were to have the spiritual treasure Hunyuan Jindou that was mentioned by his Master, he would have empty Shen Lian''s power within moments and take him away but the treasure was nowhere to be found.


    Even though the precious and pure Qi of Shen Lian were depleted swiftly, he did not show any sign of agony, he was very calm instead.


    In between loss and gain, there was no clear demarcation differing between both of them.


    All the powers within him rooted from Taixu Divine Qi which had enabled him to master all kinds of techniques and masteries. Hence, he was capable of braving the world, rarely defeated by his enemies.


    On the contrary to these advantages, for him to gain and to loss powers, Taixu Shen Qi was his greatest hurdle.


    Wen Zhong''s presence had given him an opportunity to discard all his powers, both to defend himself against Wen Zhong as well as to remove his powers through this process.


    The universe in his heart was not fully formed but Shen Lian understood that he would be expecting a constitutional leap-through.


    Just when Wen Zhong and Shen Lian had used up all their powers, the two Thunder Dragons let out a loud roar, prepared to contain and bring Shen Lian away once and for all. Just when the dragons were about to do so, a silent rhythm occurred in the Netherworld.


    This rhythm was like a seed which went through the freezing cold in winter and budded out from its kernel as it welcomed the arrival of spring, touching the hearts of people with its new life.


    Where there was no distinction between yin and yang, no limits to the boundaries of emptiness, in this state, there were no light, no images, shapeless and nameless. Silent and without any form, this state was called Taiyi. Taiyi was the beginning of all gods but Qi did not exist just yet.


    Shen Lian smiled, the smile flaunting, breaking the solemn in his face.


    Among the practitioners, Taiyi was regarded as the first stage in the birth of heaven and earth where it was an empty universe without boundaries.


    There, Yin and Yang were not disintegrated into their respective forms; there were no separations between heaven and earth.


    This explained as well that it was a phase that Shen Lian must go through in order to convert from his original state of heavenly immortal into the State of Taiyi.


    It was not compulsory for all heavenly immortals to understand the meaning of Taiyi, it was just that when Shen Lian reached the State of Taiyi, Taiyi was the path that he needed to go through. It was a phase that he had to experience however it was not a phase that would be required to credit his achievements.��Ϊ��֮����ʤ,��Ϊ��֮��ʤ - Original translation from text was ''For one self shall not win, to be enemy then, one shall win.'' It means one should lose in order to protect himself first, and regain his victory in the future when he was capable to.���� - Accumulation in the text means to accumulate good deeds and Qi from continuous training.��ͬ��Ҷ�黨һЦ - which translates into ''like Mahakassapa smiling at the flower''. Mahakassapa was one of the principal disciples of Gautama Buddha.This phrase was used to describe a faint smile, like how Mahakassapa smiled at the white lotus held up by Gautama Buddha when all the other disciples just looked on without knowing how to react.

 Chapter 596 The Village of Nothingness

    What happened later was even more surprising for Wen Zhong. Shen Lian had disappeared. To be precise, Shen Lian''s spirit had disappeared. Moreover, he did not have a physical body and thus, it was safe to say that he really vanished.


    Wen Zhong did not know what to do. With his state, he was able to be sure that Shen Lian really disappeared. He somehow felt that it would be helping Shen Lian if he were to be the one to capture him.


    The sigh of the Lady Mother of the Chariot came into his ear and a divine thought entered into Wen Zhong''s divine heart. His honored master summoned him to return.


    Currently, Wen Zhong was in control of the source of the Lightning Technique. He could transform into lightning at almost the fastest speed in the world. Very quickly, he got back to the Bi You Palace. This was the first time that he actually witnessed his mentor looking so gloomy.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot said, "This time I''ve made a mistake. You didn''t get to capture it and gave him a helping hand instead. Karma is caused for this."


    Wen Zhong asked in confusion, "What''s happening?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot was silent for a moment, then she said, "His spirituality is entrusted in The Village of Nothingness and thus it''s normal you can''t find him. It''s not just for you, if I''m in your situation now, it''d also be difficult for me to find him too unless my cultivation experience recovers to the previous standard."


    Wen Zhong was moved. As the descendant of the Lady Mother of the Chariot, he was definitely aware of what this meant. The state of heavenly immortals was already considered as having topnotch mana and even the state of heavenly immortals of some holy deities could defeat the connoisseurs in the State of Taiyi in terms of their combat powers. Nonetheless, the holy deities in the state of heavenly immortals were never comparable to those in the State of Taiyi. The most important reason was that the celestials in the State of Taiyi were already stripped from their innate spirituality and assimilated into The Village of Nothingness.


    That place was difficult to be described. If one had not been there, he definitely could not describe the place but even if one had been there, he would also not be able to describe the place. Thus, The Village of Nothingness was known as Taixu by some people. Nevertheless, how to address the place was not important. What was crucial was that if one had been there, as long as there was some spirituality left in The Village of Nothingness, no matter how badly injured the person was in the mortal world, he would be able to start all over again.


    Although sometimes it was not easy to cultivate mana and supernatural power, in addition, it would require a lot of time to start over again, what celestials had was abundant of time.


    For the cultivators who cultivated their physical bodies, if they cultivated to an extremely profound state, they could reborn from a drop of blood which was also known as immortality. Then, entrusting their spirituality in The Village of Nothing could also be considered as another type of immortality.


    Throughout the ages in the entire universe, there were countless of people who had managed to cultivate to be heavenly immortals. However, those who were able to reach this stage were rarely seen.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot said, "Actually there''s no big deal about it. After cultivating up to this stage, it doesn''t mean you can be free from lifetime worries. In the past when our Bi You Palace was still at its golden age, there were so many celestials who came here. There were dozens of people who could cultivate up to this stage but in the end, they did not manage to stay at this place. At least half of the spirituality was being forced out of The Village of Nothingness. In the end, either their bodies and spirits completely vanished or they were being enslaved and it was hard to get out of it."


    Moreover, this time he also fell into a trap. The Lady Mother of the Chariot scoffed. Now she finally understood why the Talisman order would fall in her hands.


    "My uncle-master, you''re really careful in your plans but what are you trying to do? Do you really hate the honored master so much that you''d only stop after annihilating his orthodoxy?" The Lady Mother of the Chariot sighed in her heart.


    Wen Zhong could feel the complicated emotions within his honored master and the sadness which could not be masked. He said in a serious manner, "My honored master, no matter what happens, I''ll make Yinshang the replacement of the Xia Kingdom."


    "Wen Zhong, if one day you can survive for killing me, don''t hesitate to do so," she looked at Wen Zhong peacefully and slowly said this.


    "If there''s this day, disciple will die together with you," it was the first time Wen Zhong stared directly at his honored master''s eyes and showed no tolerance.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot remained in silence for a long time. Finally, she closed her eyes and said softly, "Alright."


    The spacious Bi You Palace seemed extremely secluded and quiet at this moment. But it seemed like countless of shadows of spirits could be vaguely seen. In the end, the surrounding was filled with deep lament which was almost never-ending.


    ...��...


    Shen Lian realized the various types of essences of Taixu Strategy already completely vanished together with the disappearance of Taixu Divine Qi, hence, there were no more Five Elements of Yin and Yang. The condition of Taiyi was indescribable. In a flash of light, ''he'' arrived at an unclear place. His mind and spirits seemed to be assimilating into the vast void. There was no source of light here, and there was no shape, and hence, he could not mention the name of this place. If one were to forcefully say a name, this place should be named ''The Immortal''s World''.


    Why was this place known as ''The Immortal''s World''? Because once one had come to this place, one''s heart and soul would seem to have found their homes. One would have really gotten rid of every restriction and at that instance, you could not differentiate that place with eternity. Moreover, this place could be eternally huge but it could also be considered as eternally small.


    It seemed like everything that he had witnessed in the mortal world became meaningless at this place. The only meaningful thing was "him". He seemed to be the only specialty at this place.


    The ''he'' who was profound with Daoism and Buddhism scriptures had come to a quick realization about the place he was at. In some of the undisclosed scriptures, it was mentioned that in the space-time of the entire galaxy, there was a hidden place which was known as the ''Formless Mass Before Creation'' in some of the scriptures. Zhuangzi named that place as ''The Village of Nothingness''. There were also some sages who named the place as ''Taixu'' or ''the void''. Those who could entrust their spirituality at this place were the ones who had achieved significant accomplishments. There were even some who named this stage as detachment from the origins.


    However, this was not a type of state. Just like a frog living at the bottom of the well. A frog is still a frog after getting out of the well but whatever it witnessed and wherever it definitely became different.


    It was not necessary that he was considered to have already reached the State of Taiyi after being at this stage. However, if one was at the State of Taiyi, he could definitely entrust his spirituality at this place. Of course, there was also those at the State of Taiyi who chose not to entrust their spirituality here but all in all, the State of Taiyi definitely had the ability to do so.


    It was said that The Three Pristine Daoist Masters had opened up the other side of Heaven which comprised thirty-three heavens at this place. There was also a myth about Amitabha opening up the Western Paradise and Buddha opening up the Vulture Peak at this place.


    It was said that these supremely-detached people established these places just to guide and lead the deities with profound innate characters to the other side of Heaven, the Western Paradise and the Vulture Peak so that they would not face any more catastrophe.


    Ever since Shen Lian started cultivating, he did not see anyone who could really reach the other side of Heaven, the Western Paradise or the Vulture Peak. Even the Qing Xuan star who had cultivated up to the state of heavenly immortals only transcended beyond the mortal world. To be frank, that was traversing the galaxy and searching for a breakthrough opportunity in the universe.


    Although Shen Lian arrived at this place, he seemed to not feel the other side of Heaven, Western Paradise or the Vulture Peak. Maybe that was just a legend after all or that these places had already disappeared, just like how the two generations of Heaven Courtyard had collapsed, or even because there were some reasons which he failed to realize.


    All these were not important to him. Shen Lian had also deeply understood that there was really nothing much to gain at this place because this place had nothing initially. Hence, if there was nothing, what could be gain from here? However, Shen Lian also understood that this was the safest place to be at. As long as nobody stripped his spirituality from here, it would almost be impossible for him to perish.


    However, his thoughts could not stay here forever. Otherwise, it would be diluted by the surrounding non-existence and assimilated together.


    Hence, he had a sudden thought and arrived at the Netherworld.


    A new yet strange feeling sprung up involuntarily.

 Chapter 597 The Blacklist on the Register of Life and Death

    The place whereby Shen Lian appeared was the entrance of the Xiliang City. The Qi of vitality between the heaven and earth naturally attached on the surface of his spirit, integrating and forming as the new Primordial Spiritual Body.


    Nonetheless, as compared to the tempered Primordial Spiritual Body in the past, the mana in this type of Primordial Spiritual Body had significantly weakened and it was not as pure as before.


    The previous Primordial Spiritual Body was like the well-tempered steel but the present Primordial Spiritual Body was like the newly-shaped iron filled with impurities.


    However, all these were not important. What mattered most was that he could really feel the tight yet loose integration between the world and him. As long as Shen Lian was willing, he could become part of the Netherworld at any moment. At that time, aside from the Netherworld itself, there was nobody who could be above him, not even the Lady Mother of the Chariot and Rama, unless the Netherworld perished.


    The feeling that this gave to him was that the Netherworld had officially recognized his status and was offering amnesty and enlistment to him.


    "Offering amnesty and enlistment" was exactly the technique used by the dynasty in the mortal world to deal with the bandits. They would use high post and generous salaries to lure them to be part of the dynasty. All these were not due to any unstable factors.


    He could then spend the Qi of heaven and earth freely without any constraints. In some sense, this would be similar to how the bandits were treated. The governor of the will of the Netherworld was definitely aware of the difficulty to eliminate Shen Lian and thus, they wanted to first use the pacifying way.


    Shen Lian rejected without any hesitation because he believed that Rama would also get this treatment. However, they clearly did not accept it. Otherwise, it would definitely be impossible for him to break Rama''s supernatural power, the Buddhist Kingdom on the Palm.


    A person who could cultivate to the state of Mahasattva was definitely not a fool. Although Shen Lian did not understand the specific reason, he still determinedly rejected the readily available benefit.


    When Shen Lian''s mind was rejecting, he felt a heavy pressure. The more Qi of heaven and earth he took in, the greater the pressure on his body. If he could not endure it, he would be dragged into the karmic cycle, by then, he would also become part of the Netherworld, unless he chose to leave.


    At the same time, under the circumstance that he was not aware, there was a page of the Register of Life and Death appearing on top of his head. He was the only one who could see it. He could clearly see that there were two bloody words on the page namely Shen Lian.


    He appeared on the third row. There were two names in front of him. One was Rama, another one was Jinling Shengmu who was the Lady Mother of the Chariot. This had conformed to the mystery which Shen Lian knew. He also felt that this ranking was based on their abilities. Rama was obviously above the Lady Mother of the Chariot.


    In the mystery, the Lady Mother of the Chariot was a proud disciple of Lingbao Tianzun. Lingbao Tianzun was also one of the few supremely-detached people, Shangqing in the Three Pristine Daoist Masters. He was detached from the years of ancient existence even earlier than Daoist Master Taiyi. How was it possible for Rama to be at a higher status compared to his proud disciple? Even if he was the descendant of Buddha or Ambitabha, it was almost impossible to be better than the Lady Mother of the Chariot.


    In actual fact, Shen Lian was not aware that when the Register of Life and Death appeared on top of his head, the Lady Mother of the Chariot in Bi You Palace and Rama on top of the pagoda had both realised that the power of the Register of Life and Death which was restraining them had weakened by twenty percent.


    This weakening power of the Register of Life and Death had flown back to the original copy of the Register of Life and Death and one part of it had flown towards Shen Lian.


    However, Shen Lian was very clear about one point which was the Register of Life and Death was not equipped with humanity, it was same like the laws of heaven; they had no feelings. Its pressure on Shen Lian was based on the Shen Lian''s consumption of the Netherworld''s Qi of vitality or to be more precise, the sin that Shen Lian had formed with the Netherworld.


    The more Qi of vitality that Shen Lian took in, the heavier his sin was and thus the pressure was naturally stronger.


    Due to the fact that the previous Qi and physical body had already been defeated and dispersed, the sin which he and the Netherworld formed due to the Qi of vitality had also disappeared from then on. However, now that he was back to the Netherworld to take in the Qi of vitality and that he even rejected the amnesty and enlistment offerings, there would be considered as new sin. Thus, he felt the pressure of the Register of Life and Death.


    Nonetheless, there was still one thing that Shen Lian did not understand. Why did he not feel such pressure in the past? Besides, obviously, people like the Emperor Xia and Tianyi also did not feel such pressure. There must be other reasons in this. Moreover, like what Liu Mengde said last time, if one could cultivate to the state of heavenly immortals, he could remove his name from the Register of Life and Death. It made no sense that the two names of Rama and the Lady Mother of the Chariot who were in the State of Taiyi were incomparable to the state of heavenly immortals.


    Actually, Shen Lian was unsure that the names which were previously stated in the Register of Life and Death were not simply for the recording of the sentients'' names. What was even more crucial was that it could take the opportunity to control their birth, old age, sickness and death, which also meant, their destiny.


    When one had reached the state of heavenly immortals, it was obvious that the resistant capability was very strong. Moreover, all could perform the Unity of Universe and Human which seemed to mix well with the Netherworld. In order to not waste the power of the Register of Life and Death, the Register of Life and Death gave them the freedom to remove their names. Regardless of their birth, old age, sickness and death or because the price to be paid for taking control was too costly, it was better to let go, as long as they did not leave the Netherworld.


    Those that had left the state of heavenly immortals also had to be the same like Shen Lian previously. They had to return their physical bodies and Qi of vitality together back to the Netherworld. There was only a little spirituality that could detach, or else they would all have to face the revenge of the Register of Life and Death. There were definitely some powerful people who did not return anything and they even left the place. These evil people obviously had to have the combat power at the State of Taiyi.


    Just like if the Lady Mother of the Chariot and Rama were to choose to leave the Netherworld, they would not have such pressure anymore. Due to the eeriness of the State of Taiyi, they received special treatment from the Register of Life and Death.


    It was even safe to say that the page on the Register of Life and Death which consisted of Shen Lian, Rama and the Lady Mother of the Chariot was independent from the entire book. It was something like a blacklist as the three of them were extremely dangerous.


    As Shen Lian''s thoughts were everywhere, Li Yuanliang and the rest had managed to arrive first. At this moment, the anxiety and horror of people in the city were still lingering. Since Li Yuanliang and the rest were master celestial of sword, their minds were stronger compared to everyone else in the city. Thus, they were the ones whose state of mind recovered the fastest. They were able to sense it once there was fluctuation in Qi of vitality in the city. When they arrived at this city, they really managed to find Shen Lian who temporarily established his Primordial Spirit.


    The four of them paid obeisance to Shen Lian together. In the end, it was still Li Yuanliang''s disciple, Yuan Xuefeng who talked to Shen Lian, "Uncle-master, why do you give me the feeling that you seem to have weakened a lot?"


    Among the four of them, he was the sharpest in terms of the training of heart and soul. Moreover, Shen Lian never had the habit of playing dumb when he had the capability. Before this, the feeling that Shen Lian gave them was like he was pretending to be ordinary but in actual fact, he was a very capable cultivator. Even if he looked like an ordinary cultivator, they could somehow observe that he was outstanding.


    However, the current fluctuation of mana on Shen Lian was exactly as weak as he showed.


    Shen Lian smiled faintly and said, "Xuefeng your feeling is right. In terms of the level of mana, now you are all above me."


    Li Yuanliang spoke without hesitation, "Fifth Junior Apprentice-Brother, Seventh Junior-Apprentice Brother and Eighth Junior-Apprentice Brother, let''s escort uncle-master back to the Asura Blood Sea."


    The three of them looked at Li Yuanliang with determination in their eyes.


    The relationship of people from the same sect in Qing Xuan had always been very strong. They had all made up their minds that even if their uncle-master was to reject them, they must escort him back to the Blood Sea when he was weak. They could be free from worries only with their master''s protection.


    Otherwise, if something happened to their uncle-master, they would not have the face to go back to the Asura Blood Sea. Besides, they would disappoint Shen Lian for his favor of guidance towards them.


    They could not care anymore even if Xiliang City would fall into desperate situation after Shen Lian left with them. There was nothing more important than their uncle-master''s safety.


    Shen Lian suddenly had a mischievous thought. He seemed to be smiling but also not at the same time, he said, "What if I don''t follow you to go back?"


    Yuan Xuefeng drew his long sword out and said in a serious tone, "Then I''m sorry to offend you, uncle-master."


    The rest of them seemed to be thinking of the same thing, they drew their swords out at the same time.


    They did not have the courage to hurt their uncle-master. They only wanted their uncle-master to know when to take a step back and go back to the Asura Blood Sea with them for cultivation purpose.

 Chapter 598 Incarnation

    After Wen Zhong''s valiant effort a moment ago, the four of them still had lingering fears. So much so that they felt even Master would not be a match. How could it not be extremely dangerous?


    As long as they could accompany Uncle-Master back to the Asura Blood Sea, it would be much safer there than in Xiliang.


    However, they all understood that if they did not put themselves in the shoes of another, changing Master to Uncle-Master, he might not follow them. They thought that Uncle-Master was not willing to go with them. Even though this might offend their superiors, for the sake of Uncle-Master''s safety, it was something they were unable to change.


    When everything finally comes to an end, they were perfectly willing to bear the brunt of whatever punishment that may come their way.


    With regards to their thoughts, no doubt Shen Lian understood all too well. Mana could be the representative of many things, and yet there were times where it represented nothing at all.


    Yuan Xuefeng took the lead and drew his sword, "Uncle-Master, your disciple has committed a wrong so great even a thousand deaths would not do justice."


    He acquired the Black Turtle Demon Sword Incantation passed down by Shen Lian. Recently the heat control was deeper, and the sword would be ferocious once it was unleashed as if time and space were frozen.


    The other three tacitly approved. With the particular characteristics of his sword freezing time and space, they could then unhurriedly invite Uncle-Master to return to Asura Blood Sea. If Uncle-Master in his current condition could still be able to play them down and put them in their place, it would mean that he was not in critical condition yet, thus they were able to somewhat worry less.


    Shen Lian gave a weak smile. With a move of his finger, he could manipulate the angled piercing of Yu Yingfa''s sword, exchanging it with Yuan Xuefeng''s sword body. The technique Yu Yingfa used was also passed down by Shen Lian �C the Vermillion Bird Clinging Fire Sword Incantation. As Shen Lian drew it in, Yuan Xuefeng''s water and fire intersected. A large shaking power promptly puts an end to the dashing spirit of Liu Weiyi''s White Tiger Seven Killings Sword.


    Shen Lian walked leisurely. One step across and he placed his hands on Li Yuanliang''s shoulder. Even before the sword Qi of his Azure Dragon Heaven Ascending Sword could flourish, Li Yuanliang felt the restriction of the whole of his sword Qi.


    From beginning until the end, Shen Lian did not need to display any universally shocking mana. Without so much as a breath, he stifled them all.


    The four of them bitterly smiled, dumbfounded as to whether the events that just unfolded was a good thing or not.


    Shen Lian spoke, "The strength of all four of you are already ahead of ninety percent of the cultivators out there. Combine that strength, and you are on par with the class of land immortals such as that of the Seven Disciples of Xuanzhen. If they were to battle with you for a short time, it would difficult to predict who will be the winner. With my current strength, however, it would not be easy for me to quickly and efficiently put them in their place during battle. And yet, when I face the four of you in my present condition, I can do so quite easily. Can anyone tell me why?"


    Yu Yingfa was the first to reply, "When Uncle-Master manipulated my Vermilion Bird Clinging Fire Sword, I felt that Uncle-Master''s conduct at the time was similar to when I usually spur my Qi of heaven and earth, with no difficulty. It was as if in Uncle-Master''s eyes, the sword Qi that I refined was no different from the Qi of vitality that incessantly flowed in the heaven and earth."


    Shen Lian smiled and nodded, "Yingfa, do you know the precise reason why that is?"


    Yu Yingfa had the lowest aptitude among the four, but the most hardworking. The cultivation experience he had today was gained mostly from taking advantage of the Asura body. He could easily describe what he experienced, but he was not able to comprehend the reasons for experiencing it.


    He shook his head and a reply came from Liu Weiyi, who was just beside Yu Yingfa, "The reason why we can drive the Qi of heaven and earth was that our power of the spirit was strong. The power enabled us to clearly see the whole sequence of events of the Qi of vitality that was all around us. From this, the divine thoughts spilt out, prompting our Qi of vitality, thereby using this as a pretext for the supernatural Dao techniques. A moment ago, Uncle-Master managed to accomplish this. That accomplishment was the natural result of seeing clearly Apprentice-Brother Yu''s sword force."


    In response to the answer, Shen Lian asked, "What must be done in order to see clearly?"


    Li Yuanliang''s restrictions were loosened. He rushed to answer first, "Uncle-Master''s Primordial Spirit is strong. It is able to clearly understand everything within a short time. Therefore it is only natural to see clearly."


    Shen Lian shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and smiled, "I will go into solitary retreat. Wait until I advance. I will use the exact same state as I am using now to test you all one more time. When the moment comes, I hope you will not disappoint me."


    Li Yuanliang and co could do nothing but look at Shen Lian entering the city. Finally, he vanished into Zimu River.


    After a long while, Yuan Xuefeng spoke, "My apprentice-brothers, a while ago, it was not because of Uncle-Master using the mighty strength of his Primordial Spirit that he was able to defeat it. Did you all not realize that it was like we were caught in a game that Uncle-Master created from the moment he first made his move? Everything was played by his rules. We were helplessly toyed around and there was nothing we could do about it."


    The hearts of the other three trembled. In the end, they acknowledged Yuan Xuefeng''s view. Even if what he said was so, when Uncle-Master once again advanced, they were still without a way that would enable them to endure the test after Uncle-Master''s advancement. As of now, that became their most pressing dilemma.


    The four of them did not notice the tacit admission they simultaneously made �C Uncle-Master would not be in any danger anymore.


    As Shen Lian sank into the Zimu River, he heard the words of Yuan Xuefeng, and it seems that the latter could still be considered to have perception.


    In fact, it was not only rules that Shen Lian could formulate. Inside his body, there was an embryonic form of a non-existent/illusory universe. The plan he wished to commence today was indeed akin to what Daoist Master Taishang said �C all the things in the world are produced by being, and coming from non-being.


    The so-called being was Taiyi, while the non-being was Taiyi.


    Taiyi was indeed the soulful aura which led to the creation of heaven and earth and all living things.


    The water from Zimu river, if drank, enabled the embryo to be born of the parent body with no foundation, not that it was a different kind of being from non-being. This was the reason why Shen Lian needed the essence of the Zimu River.


    It was precisely because of this point, Shen Lian gradually understood something. From the beginning up until the end, not once did he escape from the plans fate had in store for him. He came to the Netherworld because Chen Jing had drunk the water from Zimu River to give birth to Xiliang, in the end, reliance on the river''s water was still needed in order to achieve Taiyi. Everything was too coincidental.


    Even Wen Zhong''s sudden appearance with the use of the Mighty God of Thunder could not be as simple as just another plan. If there was no Wen Zhong, forgetting the principle would require a longer time and Shen Lian would definitely be unable to be in his current position with so quick a period of time.


    Even though Shen Lian had earlier on established Zhou and caused Xia, Shang, and Zhou to coexist at the same time, there was still some uncertainty on whether he could achieve the desired outcome in the end.


    He could not help but to miss Ye Liuyun. Among the both of them, there were empathy as fellow sufferers. If they were together, it would be more certain that they could join forces and collapse.


    For Shen Lian, the quest for freedom contributed to the heightening of his power and state. Even though he seemed to be free, the truth was that it was all predetermined by fate. He and he alone could profoundly understand this.


    Regardless of how much danger and torments he experienced, and how the complicated and touching story unfolded, ultimately he was still unable to break free of that unperceivable shadow.


    Shen Lian slowly sank into the depths of the water. There was neither any light nor any sound. Even the flow of water was absent. It conjured up the thought of the self-divine aura that he still entrusted in the Realm of Dreams (databank uses Village of Nothingness).


    Only after he thought about the aura did he feel a slight peace of mind. No matter what happens, he had already reached this step. Whatever the dangers were, he faced them all. Surely a chance would still exist for Dongshan to rise up again.


    In another sense, from this day onwards any Shen Lian outside the Realm of Dreams (Village of Nothingness) would strictly, be an incarnation. Even if the incarnation was annihilated into scattered ashes and a puff of smoke, another Shen Lian would still appear in the world.


    If he cultivated for a thousand years, then that is the amount that would be restored in his cultivation experience.


    As this gradually happened, Shen Lian finally understood more on a deeper level why the State of Taiyi was this fearsome. If one''s karma was bounded with a person possessing the Taiyi state, it would result in a lifetime of nightmares.

 Chapter 599 Simuwu Ding

    The depths of the Zimu River were very cold, but the feedback to Shen Lian''s mental state was that of warmth and abundance with Yang Qi. All that Yang Qi was like countless of fireflies, floating in the waters of the Zimu River.


    Today, however, it was as if the fireflies had the same target �C Shen Lian''s ''spirit''.


    They were the river''s Qi of the essence. Any of them could cause a mortal virgin woman to conceive, creating new life out of nothing, to be born into the world.


    Presently, they adhered themselves to Shen Lian''s spirit, integrating with it, forming a new Primordial Spirit.


    The pressure that originated from the Register of Life and Death was still present, but Shen Lian was able to experience the new ''Primordial Spirit'' becoming more durable and firm. His Primordial Spirit even started to transform into properties. Now it had flesh and blood as well as muscles and arteries. The transformation even caused orifices to begin taking shape. Finally, the shape of a human being was born in the deep waters of Zimu River, continuously absorbing the essence of the river, perfecting its own body.


    It was derived from the purest and concise of flesh that was constructed from Yang within Yin. The creation of every inch of skin, every single orifice, even each strand of hair, and each drop of blood �C everything was completely and unequivocally controlled by Shen Lian''s ''spirit''.


    This was a complete process of creation. The new body could be said to be his Primordial Spirit and the entirety of him in the mortal world. As of now, he was thoroughly different from any living being that was intrinsically present in any other world. He was special, one of a kind.


    As the days passed, the essence present in the waters of Zimu River became lesser and lesser, while Shen Lian''s new body gradually solidified. The depths of the Zimu River contained a pressure equivalent to at least millions upon millions of kilograms. Regardless, his body did not suffer any pressure.


    Shen Lian was able to profoundly experience the storing of his own spirit by his flesh and blood, continuously taking in and sending out the bizarre energy present in the heavens and earth. There was not a time where his mana had not increased.


    From this, he could feel a deeper connection with the evil of the Netherworld. The pressure started to mount.


    Up until the point where Shen Lian felt the pressure was too hard to bear, he disconnected the mind from the body. The pressure became constant and the universe of nothingness that was present in his heart of Dao started to solidify. Finally, it turned into a seed.


    Yet, Shen Lian was filled with joy. Today he truly achieved the State of Taiyi. The seed lay between what was true and what was false, nevertheless, it was the most important part of his whole body.


    The seed slowly floated, finally reaching the space between Shen Lian''s eyes. Every square inch of his bier was dense with rising vapor. If an outsider had seen this, he or she would only be able to see a small point of light red cinnabar between Shen Lian''s eyes, as if made by heaven.


    Only Shen Lian and Shen Lian alone could truly fathom that the seed his red cinnabar was akin to an embryo, continuously absorbing the Qi of essence from every single part of his blood and flesh, gradually strengthening itself.


    The embryo will grow, but what it became in the end, would not be a person.


    Strictly speaking, the traces of the red cinnabar represented the Placenta of Heaven and Earth. As time passed, it would grow to become and new world.


    Up until now, Shen Lian did not truly understand why the three persons of the Netherworld were dissatisfied at the State of Taiyi. Now he did. It was because each of them represented an embryonic form in the world, continuously drawing nutrients from the Netherworld. If one day the world truly was born, the process would be identical to a woman who finally gave birth after being pregnant for ten months.


    The difference was that the Netherworld did not have the motherly instincts inherent in every living being. It would be bitter and hateful towards those who took their essence away.


    After all, when the world was truly formed, the end result would be detachment from the Netherworld. It would become its own body.


    It would either exist like the formation of the Qing Xuan Star, or it would be like the Netherworld, possessing extraordinary properties and concealing many unknown places. However, after all, what was said and done, Shen Lian himself could not properly estimate how much Qi of vitality the world really possesses. In all seriousness, it required an amount so vast as to be completely unfathomable.


    Even so, Shen Lian understood one thing from this �C the cultivation of the State of Taiyi may not have any limits. Even if there was no breakthrough in the state, the mana that was accumulated will unceasingly continue to increase.


    Regardless of how much Qi of heaven and earth was taken in and sent out when merged with the seed, it could still be completely absorbed. There was simply no limit.


    In the past, much was said about how those among the deities were borderless. That actually meant that they and the heavens were one, able to manipulate the vast powers of heaven and earth. It was not because of genuine accumulation of mana did they become boundless.


    However, when released in specific places, these advantages became absolutely meaningless. Just like the crossover of a void, if it was discovered midway that there was a star capable of being replenished, it was similarly possible for a heavenly immortal to finally meet a dull and lonely demise in the emptiness of the void.


    With this Placenta of Heaven and Earth, however, the mana assimilated with those bearing the State of Taiyi could be without boundaries. Along with the added depth in age limit for cultivators, there would be more and more advantages associated with it.


    Shen Lian even thought that if a person could open up the beginning of a universe, it would mark the achievement of the State of Taiyi. If throughout the course of everything there were no disasters or calamities, one could only imagine how tremendous one''s mana could be if one continuously cultivated. The mere thought of this was frightening for Shen Lian.


    Even without cultivating any exquisite supernatural powers, that kind of person could cause every enemy to yield with only the mere raising of a hand or the lifting of a foot.


    The reality was that such a person did exist. He commanded the attention of Daoist Master and Buddha, even though he did not reach either of the states.


    Even during the time where pressure was unexpectedly exerted by Emperor and the Lord Emperor, that person could still maintain his independent nature.


    ...


    Yinshang''s capital city was called Zhaoge. It was bigger and grander than the city of Diqiu. It was also the largest trade hub in all of the Netherworld. Day and night, Daoist cultivators from various sects came to the heart of the city. They bartered Dao formulae and spiritual items, as well as various important ingredients needed in the process of cultivation.


    The largest attraction in Zhaoge was a Simuwu ding. It was Zujia of Yinshang''s royal bloodline who spent his whole life''s savings to create it. Nobody knew how heavy the Simuwu ding was. It stood silently at the core of Zhaoge City. Day and night, a Universal Qi of Virtue wound and encircled it.


    It was rumored that if the Universal Qi of Virtue was absent, the Simuwu ding would sink into the ground, so much so that it would pass through the Netherworld.


    Zujia once tried to test the strength of the Simuwu ding. He invited twenty land immortals to attack the Simuwu ding with a display of their spells. This lasted for about a year. In the end, there was not even the slightest scratch on the Simuwu ding.


    If anyone was put down inside the Simuwu ding, they might not even be able to turn their body for the rest of their lives �C this was a common understanding held by many.


    Twenty years prior, Zujia, the creator of the Simuwu ding, did not leave the Simuwu ding even by a step. Even when Tianyi was forced into Diqiu to become its prisoner, Zujia did not budge.


    Tianyi was the only one who understood what Zujia wanted to do �C refine the Simuwu ding to become his own Lingbao. By then, any strong enemy could easily be suppressed by calling upon this treasure.


    Refinement of the Simuwu ding depended on the Universal Qi of Virtue. Twenty years on, Zujia still only managed to incorporate only a fraction of the Universal Qi of Virtue into his body.


    "Never in my life have I ever seen a person with such an unstable mind and spirit as you. Tell me, why is that?" Vicissitude could be heard in Zujia''s voice, and yet he looked just like a person that just entered his fifties.


    The person who walked to face him was Yinshang''s Monarch: Tianyi �C one of the greatest and strongest persons of this world.


    Tianyi spoke, "You should know, the likes of you and I can ''die and be reborn'' in this marvelous world. After all, how precious is it, really? Of course, if the mission cannot be completed, you and I would not have the opportunity to relive another life. In fact, life and death are things both you and I have already understood clearly since a long time ago. However, neither you nor ''I'' can ever let ''Yinshang'' go because the both of us understand that its existence bears more ''significance'' than ours. And yet today, Yinshang may well be eliminated by my hand and yours. How could I be at peace, then?"

 Chapter 600 Xia, Shang, Zhou

    Zujia plainly smiled and said, "We are actually sensing a very mysterious feeling right now. Our past memories are gradually awakened, and yet, at the same time, we experience events that seem as though they have already passed when in fact, they have not."


    Finally, Tianyi gave Zujia a profound gaze, "Truth be told, everyone in the world feels that the most incredible person in Yinshang is Tianyi. But they know not that Zujia is not inferior to Tianyi. Twenty years ago, I was actually very curious. Why do you keep returning to a place as secluded as Xirong? Why instruct that commonplace girl and give her knowledge? Now that I look at it, you knew back then that she would become the mother of Shen Lian. Am I correct?" Ever since the event that happened between Shen Lian and Wen Zhong, Tianyi suddenly gained some added memories. He had gone through these experiences many times, but not once did he gain as many memories as he did this time. Before this, it was not as clear nor as profound, but now he understood a lot of things, so much so that it was not inferior to another rebirth.


    Under Tianyi''s gaze, Zujia looked down and replied, "Do you know that as long as we are in this world, we are constantly making decisions? Sometimes it is just a thought. Sometimes, a gesture. Other times it could be an expression in one''s eyes. Our life changes with any one of these actions. By right, we should be walking towards a different conclusion. Surely you, of all people, understand that things are not that simple."


    Tianyi thought for a moment, then said, "Of course I know. Obviously our every thought, gesture, and look, could lead us to a different conclusion entirely. In reality, there is only one conclusion for us. No matter how many variables are added into the equation, the ending has already been predetermined. Yinshang will still perish, just like Yinshang itself was predetermined to supplant the Xia kingdom. And just like Shen Lian''s arrival corresponding with your awakening ahead of time."


    Zujia was silent. Finally, he spoke, "In reality, my awakening was but an unexpected occurrence. Do you know Luomo?"


    Tianyi replied, "Of course I know Luomo. He is the only one from the Netherworld who is proficient in the Dharma of K?itigarbha. That proficiency is of an unfathomable depth." In truth, however, there was still some things that Tianyi did not speak about. If there was anyone who could transcend from this game of ''Destiny'', Tianyi was most optimistic not of himself, nor of Shen Lian, but of Luomo.


    "In his lower seat, there is a monkey by the name of Hanuman. In his previous incarnation he was of incredible persona, but of course, compared to someone truly incredible he was still quite far behind. However that monkey has beaten up Heaven''s Courtyard, and the evil thoughts of the Great Demon Sage were entrusted to him. With my own eyes, I witnessed that process, it was only then that I was awakened." Zujia softly said.


    He did indeed witness that process. Only then did he know that a magic talisman was invincible if it was heavy beyond comparison. The Simuwu ding came into existence from precisely this, but he neglected to take into account one point �C to spur the magic talisman in this manner required a large volume of mana.


    The strength akin to the Demon Lord, able to prevail over ten skilled persons and wipe out the universe in one clean sweep, was a result of eating both the peaches of immortality kept by Wangmu and the Golden Elixir of Taishang Laojun. It enabled one to have a thousand lives'' worth of accumulated mana within just a short time.


    Zujia did not take this into account, therefore at the present moment, he found himself in a stalled position, unable to advance nor retreat. Looking at it from a different perspective, it could be said that he and the Simuwu ding were now connected with each other.


    As long as he moved, the Simuwu ding would move as well. He was thus trapped in Zhaoge.


    Zujia revealed everything in his heart, to which Tianyi hesitantly muttered, "Well then it seems I thought wrong. It appears that even ''he'' has not been able to master it all. Truth be told, I now feel rather grateful for Shen Lian''s emergence."


    "Why is that so?"


    "At least now I understand one thing. Since he wishes to turn his destiny around by setting the title of the reigning dynasty to ''Zhou'' in order to restrain ''Yinshang'', what if we were the ones to restrain him instead? Would it not be a type of breakthrough as well?" An expression of relief and repose came over Tianyi''s expression.


    Zujia gave a plain response, "There is one thing that you forgot. How could you be sure that Zhou will control Yinshang?"


    "Heaven commissioned the swallow, to descend and give birth to Shang. I know, why I know and what I know. You should not forget, our replacing of Xia kingdom does not only fulfil the great trend, but the support of Lady Mother of the Chariot''s disciple Wen Zhong represents that Lady Mother of the Chariot is standing on our side. In the end, our long-cherished wish will come true." Tianyi said this with assurance, both toward himself and toward Zujia.


    Zujia replied, "Whether it will come true or not is a different matter. If in the future a sacrifice is insisted upon, let me be the one."


    Tianyi was silent.


    Zujia continued, "Yinshang can be without Zujia, but it cannot be without Tianyi. You were waiting for me to say precisely this, were you not?"


    All throughout, Zujia''s expression did not change. It was as if he was not talking about himself.


    Without so much as a sigh, Tianyi slowly disappeared.


    Having walked to this particular point, words of consolation were merely excess talk for them. Zujia did not need consoling. It was not a must for Tianyi to become the one who secured a big win. Nevertheless, Yinshang needed it.


    ...


    Yinshang could not be without Tianyi, nor could Xiliang be without Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian secluded himself for exactly nine years. The new him produced an exquisite feeling in the girls of Xiliang who were created from the Zimu River. It was as if one sentence or one look from Shen Lian could cause them to consecrate themselves to him. Chen Jing was no exception. As a result, no one objected to Shen Lian taking the position of the monarch, and when he changed the official name of the nation to Zhou, no one objected as well.


    This time Shen Lian really did establish a nation. He called himself King Wen of Zhou. The Zhou Kingdom was now a completely independent nation. It does not bow to any other power but instead was an imperial order to the whole world.


    It was truly a very frightening event. Even if it was better than Yinshang, nominally it was still the subject of Xia Kingdom''s rule. The Zhou Kingdom today was no more than a pellet of land compared to Xia, and yet Zhou dared to take on a stance that demonstrated it to be on an equal footing with Xia.


    If Shen Lian was not of such fame, one would think that all the people of Zhou kingdom went mad.


    The lessons learned from the mistakes of the Eastern Barbarians were not that long ago. Furthermore, Zhou Kingdom would not necessarily be able to find someone such as Meixi who was able to eliminate the fury from Emperor Xia.


    As of today, however, the nation that was most terrified were the neighbors of Zhou Kingdom, especially Kong Sang that had completely surrendered. These nations were at a loss as to what actions they should take. After all, they would have to face an attack from the Xia Kingdom if they subdued the Zhou Kingdom. Would that not be a similar pit to fall into? Even if they did not subdue Zhou, Zhou was a force not to be trifled with.


    Before the rest of the world could digest the news of Zhou Kingdom''s formation, another piece of news followed. Tianyi of Yinshang announced that he would sever all ties with the Xia Kingdom, calling himself King Tang.


    The East had King Tang of Shang, the West had King Wen of Zhou. It was precisely these two which the Netherworld still accepted as two of the Three Saints. At present, all the cultivators who possess knowledge and experience could sense that the Xia Kingdom was genuinely far from being in prime condition.


    This time, things were different. It was not like the time of armed rebellion by Yunyang and his Dongyi Coalition, where pacification could be done at will.


    Yinshang had a firm power. Tianyi represented the endless number of cultivators that were behind him. His foundation was deep. This was certainly not like Yunyang who merely relied on his righteousness and identity as the Son of the White Emperor to be on equal terms. It was absolutely impossible for the Xia Kingdom to pacify Yinshang within a short amount of time.


    In the Court of Xia Kingdom, Emperor Xia coldly laughed, "There is a King Tang and a King Wen. I kid you not we could have both Tang and Wen. What do you think? Which of them should we go up against first?"


    "My king, our front line points out that neither Yinshang nor Western Zhou is a match for the Xia Kingdom. The only concern that your humble servant has is if the both of them decide to cooperate." The person who said this was none other than Lei Hong. During the past few years, Lei Nuo lost the special generosity accorded to him by the Emperor. Since Lei Hong was Lei Nuo''s father, the former was slowly conferred a greater position, with added importance attached to that position.

 Chapter 601 To Annihilate Humanity

    Emperor Xia thundered, "Hence, all of you thought that the Xia Kingdom would not be of a competitor for both of the families if they cooperated?"


    There was a sunk in heart of the courtiers as they did have the thought. Unwittingly, the courtiers actually agreed that the once powerful Xia Kingdom would lose.


    Emperor Xia gazed everyone blazingly. No one dared to look at him nor answer his question. Lei Hong was not an exception.


    "Let it be. Court dismissed," Emperor Xia demanded loathingly.


    Hence, the issue was left unsettled. After the court, Emperor Xia continued joyous singing and dancing with Meixi. Although nine years had passed, his love towards Meixi was still the same. It was as though the once proud, knight-looking Emperor Xia had disappeared in the mist of alcohol and women. What left unchanged was his willful attitude.


    As melody from the Chinese instruments in the palace passed through the ears of courtiers, they looked at each other and found the despairing look in their eyes. Although Emperor Xia was ruthless, he was the pillar of Xia Kingdom. However, that belief started to waver.


    Lei Hong was the last to leave. As he was about to step out of the palace, he heard someone calling his name.


    Without noticing, Guan Longzi was outside the palace doors. After nine years, Guan Longzi''s hair turned white and his face was full of wrinkles. The unchanged part was his eyes that was lit with insights of the worldly affairs.


    Lei Hong was not young among his tribesman. With his experience, there were not many people to look up to. However, Guan Longzi was inexorable one of the few.


    Lowering down his usual loud voice, he put up a smile and said, "Why did the Prefect Grand Astrologer call me?"


    "Elder Lei, were you disappointed with Emperor Xia?" Guan Longzi''s piercing gaze seemed to be able to read his mind.


    Lei Hong explained, "As a loyal official, I treated my emperor with my utmost respect. Hence, I had no thoughts that differ."


    Guan Longzi cautiously said, "The emperor may not speak out but he had decided to conquer Yinshang. If you do not believe my words, you could ask Her Highness personally. She would receive the secret order by this time. The advisor of Dongyi would be the frontier."


    Lei Hong shuddered. He turned and looked at the Xia Palace. Suddenly, he felt that the Xia Palace was unpredictable, causing his goose bumps to rise. Conquering a big country like Yinshang could not be ready by just preparing overnight. It was obvious that Emperor Xia had used his sovereign power to make the decision.


    The power of the soldiers depended on the courage of their general. With capabilities but without the courage, the frontier would lose their enthusiasm. Therefore, it was obvious that his actions disappointed Emperor Xia.


    Lei Hong bowed and spoke, "Thank you the Prefect Grand Astrologer, for informing me."


    Guan Longzi uttered, "I had advised Her Highness to not involve herself in this matter earlier. Unfortunately, she did. This meant that she would not listen to my advice. Hence, I would like to give an item as my last token of appreciation."


    Guan Longzi took out a yellow silk manuscript. There were drawings and writings on it. Lei Hong found it mysterious as he recognized Guan Longzi''s handwriting but could not understand the meaning.


    Lei Hong questioned, "What was this?"


    Guan Longzi explained, "It was just a small toy. I hoped you were able to pass this to Her Highness. This was the last thing I could do for her."


    As Lei Hong heard the word ''last'', he quivered.


    Then, a eunuch ran towards here and told Guan Longzi, "The King gave his orders to meet the Prefect Grand Astrologer in the palace."


    Guan Longzi dutifully accepted the order. Beside him, Lei Hong saw a sense of relieving pass through his eyes. It seemed that he had been waiting for this moment.


    Since that day, Lei Hong never saw Guan Longzi.


    .....


    Guan Longzi met Emperor Xia near the hot pillar punishment platform. The heavenly lady looking Meixi imperial concubine snuggled between Emperor Xia''s arms. The beautiful melody was ringing by the ears while the sixteen palace maids were dancing on the empty land. The atmosphere was like under a spell.


    "You seemed to understand my thoughts," Emperor Xia spoke.


    Respectfully, Guan Longzi knelt on the floor and bowed, answered, "My wise King, if I could not see that, I must be blind."


    Emperor Xia said lightly, "Get up."


    "Yes," Guan Longzi gradually stood still. Although he knelt on the floor, he looked clean and unspoiled.


    "Do you know that it was frustrating to communicate with idiots? However, I did not like smart people. You were the only one who stayed by my side after so many years," Emperor Xia uttered.


    "I knew about it. Last time, I was resentful but this time, I realized my na?ve. Your Highness had been indulging in sensuous for nine years owing to the success in demon arts. The tribesmen that crossed you had been punished with death using the hot pillar. However, in reality, they were not dead but became your demonic generals. I thought I had the sage heart but still, I am fooled by Your Highness. This was a disgrace," Guan Longzi''s gaze pierced through the dancers and looked at Emperor Xia. His face looked like it was crafted from Kunwu stone, flawless.


    The pair of eyes were like the owner of million demons. It could steal one''s heart and soul and willingly submit oneself to him.


    Emperor Xia was not surprised, he replied, "You were right. Nine years ago when I released Tianyi, I was preparing for today. It was only recently that my demonic powers were successful. However, this path was a path to emotion and character destruction. If the intention did not match, it could not be accomplished. Hence, I would like to throw this question to you, were you loyal to me?"


    Guan Longzi responded, "Of course."


    "Good. Owing to your loyalty, I needed to kill you. Consequently, you would lose your human character. You could blame me, but it did not matter," Emperor Xia moved his eyeballs. All of a sudden, the sixteen dancers became blood rain, annihilated between the heaven and earth.


    Meixi shivered in Emperor Xia''s arms but did not dare to utter a word.


    Guan Longzi sighed, "If I realized Your Highness secretly practiced the Primeval Demon Technique, I would have stopped it."


    "It was too late. Many times, I tried to make you leave me due to resentment. However, you were too loyal to me that I could not bear killing you. Therefore, I needed to make a move. I needed to kill you to lose my human character and became the Primeval Demon," Emperor Xia''s hand gently caressed Meixi''s face. His eyes seemed to produce purple mist, turning to two irises.


    Guan Longzi spoked, "The Primeval destroyed emotions but it was not comparable to an unruffled Taishang. Your Highness, if you entered the path of Demon, you were beyond redemption."


    "I would like to forget but who could I forget?" Emperor Xia thundered.


    Guan Longzi let out a sigh and responded, "I was guilty, Your Highness."


    The thing he regretted the most was he did not put in effort in saving the High Priest. Emperor Xia could have taken the path of unruffled emotions which was better. The technique of Primeval Demon was powerful but it could not escape from the Six Realms of Samsara and Five Elements of Destruction. He would not have to destroy his human character.

 Chapter 602 Imperial Consor

    Emperor Xia left his seat, with a curved knife pointed at the chest of Guan Longzi.


    "I heard that sage''s heart had seven orifices. I wonder if yours were the same," the voice of Emperor Xia came from a distance.


    The knife pricked through the body and the heart jumped out. It was still beating.


    Guan Longzi''s heart was not much different from ordinary people. It did not have seven orifices.


    Slowly, he sat crossed-leg on the floor and there, he lost all signs of living.


    A heart fell into the dust. Emperor Xia commanded, "Guards, throw him out to feed the dog."


    Soundlessly, two guards with an iron mask and black armor appeared. They took away Guan Longzi and his heart.


    In the dog shed, the two guards threw the body and the heart. A group of hounds hurriedly ate the body, leaving the heart untouched. None of the hounds dared to eat it. It was as if the heart was poisonous.


    Emperor Xia commanded to feed the body ad the heart to the dogs and no other beings should they fed to. If the heart was left untouched, the task was deemed incomplete.


    At that moment, an old man with a blind eye and a lame leg walked in. He held an ugly dog that looked sick and skinny. Its skin was revealed as a lot of black hair on its body was peeled off.


    The sick dog barked fiercely all of a sudden when it saw the heart. The dog jumped out of the old man''s arms, ran to the dog shed and swallowed the heart. After consuming the heart, the dog foamed at the mouth and died a tragic death as all the blood vessel in its body burst.


    The guards were not bothered by the scene and went back to report on the completion of the task.


    The old man squatted in front of the dead dog, patting its bloody body. He chuckled eerily. The other dogs kept a long distance from him, curling their body while whimpering.


    The old man had been feeding the dogs in the dog shed for a long time. Many people in the palace could not remember the time he existed. After that day, all of the dogs in the dog shed died and the old man disappeared as well.


    The man who took over the task counted the dog''s corpse. As he compared with the record, he found that there was one missing dog. It was the most precious dog in the dog shed. According to rumors, it was a pure breed of the Heavenly Dog, a species as noble as the Phoenix and Qilin.


    However, no one reported the loss as none of the people wanted any troubles from it. To the matter of fact, all the dogs in the dog shed were dead anyway.


    ...��.


    Meixi was let off by Emperor Xia. She was a lady from Youshi. Since she entered the palace, she had been spoiled by Emperor Xia. Emperor Xia mostly did not refuse her request but she knew that Emperor Xia was very ruthless. As she saw the fate of Guan Longzi, she was more convinced of that fact.


    Now that Emperor Xia let loose of her, she was filled with fear. The dancers who had been taught carefully were annihilated and the profound scholar, Guan Longzi was dead. Was this her time?


    Meixi''s eyes were filled with tears. The tears were like the water in the autumn and as if like a frightened rabbit, she trembled in fear.


    Emperor Xia took her chin with the knife tip. There was no bloodstain on the knife but she thought that she could smell the blood of Guan Longzi and hers might be next.


    "Are you scared?" Emperor Xia stammered.


    Meixi dared not nod or shake her head, she said, "I dare not."


    Emperor Xia gazed at her with extreme affection and whispered, "You looked the same as my lover."


    She almost cried. She knew that if Emperor Xia had something towards her, she would be killed. Guan Longzi was loyal but yet he was killed and sent to the hounds by Emperor Xia without hesitation. This was an elimination of human character!


    However, she could not die. This was not for her but her baby.


    Emperor Xia laughed, "I would not kill you."


    The knife disappeared just like how it mysteriously appeared.


    Meixi gave out a huge relief and answered, "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Emperor Xia asked, "Do you know why didn''t I kill you?"


    Carefully, Meixi responded, "I don''t know."


    Emperor Xia explained, "This was not due to my baby."


    Meixi turned pale. Immediately, she knelt and begged, "Your Highness, I know the location of Yunyang. Please spare the baby."


    Emperor Xia smiled coldly. He lifted his leg and kicked Meixi''s lower abdomen. Then, blood oozed and flowed down from her thighs. Meixi helplessly sat on the ground, looking pale.


    "Scramble away."


    Confused, she left the punishment platform and then Diqiu. She did not understand why the king did not kill her. She felt resentful towards Emperor Xia but did not know what to do.


    After the departure of Meixi, the night came. The cold moon in the sky was shining on Emperor Xia.


    Emperor Xia also looked straight at the cold moon. A clear and gentle voice of a woman rang by his ears, "You killed the most loyal courtier, you killed your own baby but I still don''t know if you have destroyed your emotions. "


    "Is that important?" Emperor Xia whispered.


    "Of course, if you had not succeeded in the Demonic Technique of Emotional Destruction, I would not dare to cooperate with you." If someone looked at the cold moon from the perspective of Emperor Xia, he would vaguely see a graceful fairy among the misty moonlight.


    "The moon is subject to the changes of being full and crescent, cloudy and clear but the sun is always perfect. Hence, I have no flaws." Emperor Xia answered.


    The moonlight, like a gentle yarn, spread on Emperor Xia. Gradually, it turned into a beautiful fairy with a beautiful face. She hugged Emperor Xia from behind and murmured, like a lover, by his ear, "That better be the case. Otherwise, you won''t be able to escape his Celestial Slaying Flying Sword, even if you manage to inherit the Primeval Demon Technique."


    Emperor Xia brushed off her hand, turned to look at her and commented, "I do not like your tone, do you understand?"


    The fairy laughed softly and did not speak.


    ...


    After becoming the Emperor of Da Zhou, Shen Lian was not busy. This was because he had the wisdom that was as extensive as God, he used salutary measures and he had no intimidating dignity. The lowly civilians even got the same treatment with the others. From Shen Lian''s ruling, everyone fully understood the meaning of equality.


    All the matters in Da Zhou were well organized. At the same time, Shen Lian summoned the wind and rain so that the citizen would anticipate a bumper harvest next year.


    It might not be important for the cultivators but it was, for the citizens of Da Zhou.


    The number of cultivators who did not require food was little and most of the human beings among the citizens were still mortals. They naturally still require food crops on earth to survive.


    A butterfly flew into the palace of Shen Lian''s residence. Finally, it transformed into a human form and knelt before him.


    The Demon butterfly was called Liu Shibei. He was born to be proficient in the art of illusion. After he turned to Shen Lian, he initiated to go to Diqiu to extract any valuable information as his talent in the supernatural power was able to blend in different occasions.


    Looking at him, Shen Lian asked, "What was the matter? You even used the sword talisman that I gave you. This matter must be serious."


    Liu Shibei replied, "Emperor Xia married a woman and gave her the title, the imperial consort. Her origin was mysterious and undetectable. It was also said that her supernatural powers were not inferior to you and Tianyi."


    Shen nodded his head and said, "You can go now. I believe you have other news to pass to the specific intelligence department. After the transfer, come and see me again. There is work for you."


    Liu Shibei left.


    Shen took out a pen. He held the pen for a long time on the white paper before his desk. Finally, he drew up a painting. There were green hills and green water. The highlight was beyond the green mountain, there was a crescent moon, like a beautiful woman''s eyebrows.


    He knew that Emperor Xia was going to marry a new queen but not sure of her origin. It was until this time he had a hint of it. He regretted that his foundation was too shallow and his capable subordinates were too few.


    Li Yuanliang and his three men were quite capable but they were not able to act according to circumstances and they were lacking understanding and spiritual intelligence.


    If only there was the support of Daoist Qing Xuan, things would be much easier. The disciples of Qing Xuan who passed through Wenxin Road had the best qualifications. They practiced different Dao formula and each had different characteristics. Hence, they would be able to help him a lot.


    However, the two worlds were separated and he could not find the specific coordinates of the Qing Xuan star. Thus, he ignored the thought.

 Chapter 603 Back to The God Temple Again

    The rules of the Netherworld were obviously different from the Qing Xuan star and the Earth. The Netherworld, in the view of the sky, was like the dome, covering the vast fields. In the other hand, Qing Xuan star and the Earth were a spiritual body in the void universe.


    The stars from the sky were not stellar but were spirits. Of them, the Sun and the Moon were the most mysterious and unfathomable. Even Shen Lian who had reached the Tianyi state could not understand the moon and the sun unless he crossed the infinite space to have a look in person.


    Nevertheless, Shen Lian tried using his divine thoughts. When his thoughts reached a certain level, he noticed a supernatural power that was comparable to the galactic-cutting and space-obstructing power by Heng''e. Unless he was able to break that, he would never be able to get to the stars in the sky.


    With essence scattered by the Moon and the Sun in the Netherworld, the accumulation of energy was definitely greater than him. Unless his body was formed from the wise celestials or Buddha, otherwise, it would be tough challenging it.


    According to a variety of clues, the Sun and the Moon may be an incarnation of a higher being. The Sun itself was the golden crow who escaped from Da Yi''s shooting.


    However, as for the origins of the moon, Shen Lian was not sure about it. He felt that the imperial consort that was married to Emperor Xia was related to the moon and in fact, they might be of the same body.


    The reason behind their cooperation was beyond Shen Lian''s knowledge.


    These complicated issues would not be solved just by thinking. Besides that, he had plenty of uncompleted tasks. Hence, it was time to move on.


    As Liu Shibei transferred his information, he returned to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian ordered, "I would like to travel. Since you had been to many places, you could accompany me. At the same time, you could recruit some talents."


    Liu Shibei was excited. Being able to spend more time with Shen Lian was a blessing as he was well known for his extensive supernatural powers and in addition, he was the leader of the three Saints.


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Shen Lian waved his hand and the royal costume changed into a green- colored Dao suit. There was a red cinnabar in between his eyebrows, which added to his Daoist demeanor.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I''m sorry but you had to change your form to a Daoist child and follow me."


    Liu Shibei nodded. The art of illusion was his inborn supernatural power. Swiftly, he shrank his body to the size of a child and changed into a robust Daoist child. Moving a step forward, he giggled, "May my master grant me a new name?"


    Shen Lian answered, "Since it is September, let''s name you after this."


    Liu Shibei bowed with his hands in front, "September greets my master."


    Shen Lian smiled. Without any movements, the supernatural power acted.


    Immediately, both of them disappeared. As they reappeared, they were moving towards the direction of Dongyi. Nonetheless, Shen Lian was not in a hurry. Unless he reached the end of the mountain or the river, he would pass slowly. He wanted to understand the situation in Da Zhou.


    Xirong was not peaceful but Li Yuanliang and the other three were used to killing. Hence, they killed a lot of the demons and bandits. From then on, Da Zhou became peaceful and the citizen had a better sense of belonging.


    However, Da Zhou was still far from peace and prosperity. It was not even similar to the scenario mentioned in the book, the great harmony. Fortunately, Shen Lian was not pursuing these states. Not everything could be accomplished in one stroke. Gradual progression would be easier to cope in the future.


    With supernatural powers, the person would be faster than a mortal. Within a month, when the autumn wind was still blowing, Shen Lian arrived at Mount Mei. Nine years had passed yet everything remained the same. However, Wuzhong Tribe seemed livelier. When Shen Lian stepped into the border, innumerable incense surged, causing air current. Suddenly, the wind rose and flowed into his body. The sky which had no daylight seemed to be gloomier.


    Shen Lian''s body was like an invisible black hole and he did not feel a thing. Instantly, he absorbed the incense without any disturbance. As he had practiced and cultivated to Taiyi, he could act as he wished. This was because the cultivation was not confined to a grid. If he desired, he could be the God or the celestial. To become the Demon or the Buddha was just a thought away.


    All roads lead to Rome. Hence, Taiyi was also known as The One. Cultivation that reached this stage was like a person who passed the examination; they were free to explore.


    The strange occurrence alerted Ah Lian who was practicing and cultivating in the precious lamp. She used her thought to figure what was happening. As soon as she saw Shen Lian, she turned to a human form and greeted him.


    After greeting, Shen Lian asked, "Where is your daughter?"


    Ah Lian answered, "Seven years ago, she quarreled with me and left the temple. At that time, something went wrong with my Martial arts training so I was unable to catch up with her. Later on, a businessman came, bringing her message. I was told that she was in Yinshang. My current situation did not allow me to get her back as I cannot leave the god temple."


    Shen Lian calculated and knew that Ah Lian did not lie. He said sassily, "I came to fulfill my promise. Don''t worry."


    Ah Lian was excited. She understood that the Qing Xuan Celestial was here to rebuild her body. Hence, she was able to leave this temple and find her daughter.


    Before she could kneel down, Shen Lian pointed the space and a spinning black and white Qi appeared. Shen Lian directed her, "Quickly enter!"


    Yin Qi and Yang Qi were the original creation of all things. The heaven and earth between Shen Lian''s eyebrows were not completely cultivated. Hence, the moment he took out the Yin Qi and Yang Qi, he was deferring his own practice and cultivation. Nonetheless, he was a person who returned good for good. Ah Lian sacrificed her flesh and body to become the precious lamp and guided him back. He owed her a debt of gratitude so he did not mind even if it required him to reduce a hundred years'' worth of cultivation.


    If it was a common human flesh, it would not trouble him. However, Ah Lian had absorbed a lot of incense and became a deity. So, the method of reincarnation could not be used. The mortal flesh would not be able to withstand the deity and would wither away.


    Fortunately, while Shen Lian was practicing in Zimu River, he got a better understanding of flesh and blood of a being. He was able to integrate the God and the flesh and body.


    Shen Lian''s loud call dispelled the residues in Ah Lian''s heart. The spirit became pure and entered the black and white Qi.


    Based on Yin Qi and Yang Qi, Shen Lian blended Ah Lian''s spirit into the black and white Qi. After some time, Shen Lian produced a wonderful female body surrounded by enshrouding mist.


    Finally, a beautiful person walked into the sight and the enshrouding mist turned into a colorful dress. Her features were beautiful with light makeup and she was wearing a motley dress. Like the clear dewdrops, she was lovely.


    Shen Lian had seen many beautiful beings and her look was created by him. Therefore, he had not swayed away.


    Ah Lian finally felt the sense of security with the flesh and body. Using her thoughts, she condensed the water droplets and created a water ball from the void. As she looked at the mirror-like water ball, she was delighted by her looks.


    The body created by Shen Lian was not ordinary. There were no black spots nor pores. The skin was flawless and glowing. Although there were not many changes on the features, she looked ten times prettier.


    The lotus lamp flew to her hands from the tabernacle. Shen Lian told her, "This was useless for me so you could keep it. As the strength of incense was strong, you could lit it up and ordinary magic would not take effect on you."


    Ah Lian bowed and greeted, "Thank you, Celestial Teacher."


    Shen Lian nodded and summoned, "September, do come in."


    September was curious. The Yin Qi and Yang Qi were the origins of all things. It was comparable to immortal spiritual medicine. If Shen Lian did not order him to stay outside, he would have gone in a long time ago.


    As he entered, he saw a beautiful lady in her twenties. His heart pondered as her eyes and lips seemed smiling.


    The beautiful lady giggled, "Celestial Teacher, who is this?"


    Shen Lian replied, "This was the new boy I recruited. It seemed that the body that I created was acceptable. He who had cultivated was also mesmerized by your beauty."


    Awkwardly, September greeted her, "Hello goddess sister."


    He was a demon with cultivation. Hence, he immediately spotted the difference in Ah Lian.


    Ah Lian felt his change in behavior too. She realized that people who stood by Shen Lian were not mediocre. She greeted him back and reduced her glow. Although she was still beautiful, she was not glamorous. It was a standard, acceptable by the ordinary people.


    Shen Lian questioned, "Are you going Yinshang to look for your daughter?"


    Ah Lian nodded. Hesitantly, she answered, "The intensity of the incense was high recently. I was afraid that my departure would cause the collection of incense to reduce."


    Shen Lian consoled, "Do not worry, I will leave a part of divine thought here. This is sufficient to organize the temple. Since I have never been to Yinshang, I will follow you."


    Ah Lian was surprised, "How do you go to Yinshang? What if someone noticed?"


    As she held the position of the priest, she was aware of things that happened within the perimeter. Hence, she knew some of the Celestial Teacher doings. Fortunately, Youshen kingdom was powerful and controlled Dongyi. Besides that, Si Jing the monarch came to the temple in person three times. Otherwise, she would have lost her position.


    Over the years, she has grown and gained some experiences. She was not just a village woman. Hence, she knew that with Shen Lian''s current status, going to the Xia Kingdom and Yinshang would attract trouble.


    A Primordial Spirit clear Qi appeared from Shen Lian''s head and went to the Godly statue. The clay Godly statue had some spirituality after being worshipped by people. As it obtained Shen Lai''s Primordial Spirit clear Qi, it seemed to be able to walk out from the tabernacle.


    Ah Lian and September let out a cry as the Godly statue moved his finger and a door appeared from the void. Through the door, they saw everything inside was similar to the temple.


    Shen Lian smiled, "The incense enabled me to set up a divine region. After you returned, you could stay there but you had to remember the method of opening."


    Immediately, Ah Lian thought of a verse of incantation. That was the method of opening the divine region.


    Although she had a good memory, she found it hard to remember. This was because the verse was obscure and had the rhythm of heaven and earth.


    After some rest, Ah Lian followed Shen Lian and September to Yinshang.


    The occurrence before was covered by Shen Lian''s Sky Demon Method. Many of the believers were not aware and they did not know that the gods that they prayed to just left.

 Chapter 604 Spell Wine

    Shen Lian did not go to the Yinshang before, so he never knew what the Yinshang was like. Carrying the highest achievement of the world, Taiyi, he felt strange while entering Yinshang.


    Yinshang occupied the one-third of Dongyi and extended to the west of the Xia Kingdom. Therefore, he knew that Yinshang territory was equivalent to the Xia Kingdom. However, he found out something worth pondering.


    When he set foot in Yinshang, he felt like he was a ship that had entered into the vast sea. The sea was made of the thought of countless Yinshang citizens.


    Although Shen Lian''s huge ship was enough to crush any waves in the sea, he had to admit that the broad ocean was remarkable.


    In fact, this was to make it clear to the outsiders that Yinshang was united. The thoughts of the citizens were equivalent to one and they were accumulated, becoming the ocean. This was far more powerful than the holy deities were. If the cultivator was hostile to Yinshang, he would fall into the public opinion of the ocean. Careless, one would be dead.


    If he was still in his previous field of vision, he would not realize this. As he approached Taiyi and became the heaven and earth, he had a broader vision. If Yinshang changed its core, it might become the ground heavenly nation. However, Shen Lian could guarantee that nobody in Yinshang could win him even though his Tianyi did not reach the state of Taiyi.


    Unless someone could destroy the Yinshang heavenly nation, no one could beat Tianyi.


    Although Shen Lian reached Taiyi state, he too found it difficult to accumulate that huge amount of power. This would require over ten thousand years of hard work.


    His life could be unlimited at this stage but he had to go through obstacles while living. This was unavoidable.


    It may be difficult to die in Taiyi state but his spiritual body might be injured. If that was the case, he would still have to start over his cultivation to recover. That would require another round of many years of Accumulation.


    Moreover, the true cultivation required the essence of the Primordial Spirit. Celestials had transformation techniques but it could not replace cultivation. The only way out could be, obtaining celestial arts like The Three Incarnations by Taishang Laojun. Then, one could produce many forms that could cultivate at the same time.


    After his exclamation, his heart remained unmoved. Since Shen Lian reached Taiyi, he had completely cleared the line with the common custom. This was a wonderful state. While he was immersing in Taiyi, he still had his human nature. However, when the emotions arose, it did not obstruct his peaceful heart of Dao.


    This was similar to the mirror. As the scene changed, it did not affect the mirror. Dao was ruthless or merciless; Shen Lian understood the substance this time.


    Nonetheless, the other Taiyi might be different from him. This was Shen Lian''s Taiyi.


    They walked the streets of Yinshang and did not cause any commotion. This was because Ah Lian reserved her glow. Besides that, Yinshang had plenty of people with special powers. There were even ghosts. These mixtures of people managed to get along with harmony even though there were occasional quarrels, they understandingly avoided the mortals.


    From here, Shen Lian had to admit that the Yinshang did a very good job. In contrast, Xia Kingdom was more like a primitive tribe. They believed in the law of jungle whereby the strong would conquer and defeat the weak. Even rules were to obey their power.


    The law of jungle was not wrong but there was a difference between the beast and the human. The establishment of the rules that could protect more of the same tribe, could unite more power. This was the reason behind Yinshang''s accumulation of thoughts as one.


    If one practiced and cultivated in a hostile view of Yinshang, one would even be possessed by the devil.


    Unconsciously, snow started falling and everything became white.


    Nine years ago, there was a change in the world. The Yin Qi from the Netherworld was aggravated. When it was snowing, the cold would creep into one''s spirit. For those who made some accomplishment in their cultivation, they did not dare to stay out in the cold too. This might cause their spirits to be injured and then they might fall sick.


    To avoid attention, Shen Lian and his company had to find a place to rest from the cold.


    However, Shen Lian did not plan to do so. He thought it was an opportunity to train September and Ah Lian. The persevered spirit was grown out of from tribulation. There was no Dao formula that could produce a persevered spirit but endurance of hardship could.


    Although Ah Lian was a mortal, she went through much hardship. She also had a strong side that managed to endure the coldness.


    September was behind her. Although he was talented, he did not have a persevered heart of Dao. This could be seen by him seeking shortcuts from Shen Lian.


    Finally, the trouble came. A Daoist with gourds on his waist and sword on his back came forward.


    He stood in front of them and looked at them. The man looked like he was in his thirties. In fact, he could be more than three hundred years old. He had high attainment with Xuanmen technique and his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate anything.


    He said, "My three friends, are you all tainted something unclean?"


    September answered preemptively, "No."


    The Daoist stared at them sternly, "Excuse me for being blunt. Are any of you inhuman?"


    Shen Lian smiled and replied, "Daoist priest, are you suspecting one of us is an evil spirit?"


    The Daoist focused on Shen Lian. This little Daoist priest seemed normal but he gave him an unpleasant feeling. He pulled out a mirror and said, "It was hard to identify the evil spirit. But, if you did not mind, I could use this mirror to figure who was the culprit."


    "What if I do mind?" Shen Lian responded.


    The Daoist answered respectfully, "I am not a bad person. You don''t need to worry. "


    Shen Lian questioned, "What if you can''t see anything with the mirror?"


    The Daoist was surprised. He thought that his act was with good intentions. Hence, if there was nothing, it would just be a false alarm. Shen Lian sounded as though he did something wrong.


    Although he thought that way, he was still kind in nature. He did not want any demons to blend in the mortals, so he replied, "What do you plan to do?"


    Shen Lian pointed the gourd and answered, "The weather is cold. If the mirror did not show anything, you can give us the gourd filled with wine."


    The Daoist secretly cursed the little Daoist priest as he had a good taste to pick the spell wine.

 Chapter 605 Soul is Always Accompanied by Qi

    A Daoist was different from other Qi cultivators. He attained enlightenment and practiced cultivation in the secular mortal world and yet his Chivalry Qi did not reduce. If there was an evil spirit among the three and the rest did not know, it would kill them.


    If he did not see it, he would not care. However, he did and hence, he had to be responsible.


    Besides, he was sure that he would not make a mistake.


    Hence, the Daoist priest told Shen Lian, "No problem. This is up to you."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Try it."


    September was still unsure because he was, in fact, a demon. On the other hand, Ah Lian was calm. Although she knew that she was a different kind, she believed that Shen Lian would be able to handle this.


    September knew Shen Lian was tough but he could not trust wholeheartedly like Ah Lian.


    Amidst the boundless wind and snow, the blinking golden light shrouded all three of them. The golden light was floating and sinking, reflecting the snow. It was dazzling. Although they were covered with the golden clear snow, nothing happened.


    The Daoist priest did not believe that there was nothing. He continued pinching the formula.


    His spiritual mirror was modeled on the ancient Lingbao Demon-revealing Mirror. As a land immortal with mana, he even managed to reveal the leading figure of the Demons. However, in this case, there was nothing. His spiritual sense could be wrong.


    The Daoist''s face became red. He uttered, "I think I have gotten it wrong. Please accept my gourd wine."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "A willing bet is a good mind."


    The Daoist man said scoffingly, "The fact that you can look up to this wine here, you must know a thing or two regarding wine. Hence, do accept this. Nonetheless, do not overdrink."


    He removed the gourd and the gourd gently flew towards Shen Lian. Suddenly, it sank near Shen Lian. Ah Lian and September could not react in time to this turning point.


    However, Shen Lian seemed to be expecting it. His fingers moved gently and nipped the mouth of the gourd. He gave a faint smile and answered, "I will remember your advice."


    The Daoist commented, "I look up to your capability. I shall make my move now."


    Shen Lian whispered, "Daoist priest, why don''t you leave your name. Then, I would be able to return the gourd to you."


    The Daoist''s face turned black and laughed whole-heartedly.


    As he moved his foot, he became an airflow and disappeared. His departure brought up the snow and the dust. At the same time, there was a song playing in the sky;


    Let both feet come from my way,


    Soul is always accompanied by Qi,


    Sometimes Si Da is drunk,


    May I ask heaven who am I?


    The song was faint and the laughter was endless. The ghosts around these hundred miles were shattered by his laughter. They would not be able to create trouble.


    Finally, Ah Lian stated, "The Daoist seemed like a person on the path of Dao. Why do the celestial Daoist embarrass him?"


    Shen Lian answered, "If it isn''t for the both of you, why shall I offend people? Now, split this spell wine equally among the both of you."


    Ah Lian was hesitant because she felt sorry for the bold and generous Daoist. On the other hand, September looked at the gourd with curiosity. He belonged to the demons so he was not subject to moral etiquette.


    Shen Lian explained, "The spell wine will adjust your divine Qi and the clear sound will enter your spirit. This wine was named ''spell'' because it was not easy to make. Furthermore, one of the best things about this wine is that it is able to reconcile your divine Qi. You two have been resisting the wind and the snow for some time and this would affect your divine Qi. Although you could make up by the Technique of Concentration, it would not be faster than drinking this wine. Moreover, if you drink it, you will feel a breakout and become better."


    After listening to Shen Lian''s explanation, she stopped herself from being affected by the thoughts.


    They divided the spell wine and drank it. Immediately, they felt cold from the outside but on the inside, they felt as if like a burning fire. Amidst the ice and snow, they got agitated.


    Finally, they ran with all of their heart to ease the restlessness.


    Shen Lian shook his head and leisurely followed them.


    Without them noticing, it was dusk. The wind and snow stopped while the distant red sun was like blood. The snow seemed to be dyed red. The view was amazing.


    In front of them laid, an ancient village which was surrounded by an icy stream of water. The smoke rose from the kitchen chimneys but the silence was frightening.


    September and Ah Lian trembled and paused by the stillness. It was like a cold, chilled water poured from the top of their heads.


    Their hearts shivered while looking towards the ancient village.


    "Let''s rest in the ancient village," Shen Lian''s voice rang by their ears. Unnoticed, Shen Lian was already in front of them.


    September responded, "Master, something doesn''t feel right."


    Shen Lian answered, "That is why we are checking it out."


    September chested out and shouted, "I can."


    Ah Lian hid her smile. With dainty steps, she followed Shen Lian. At the front of the village, she saw the Daoist again. This was such a small world.


    Ah Lian''s improvement was due to the help from the spell wine. In her view, the Daoist was filled with Qi of Dao and it seemed that there was white fume floating above his head. The white fume looked like it was forming the shape of a flower. His exquisite cultivation attracted her admiration.


    The first person who came into sight was Shen Lian, followed by Ah Lian and September. With his ability, he knew that the spell wine was already in their stomach.


    With a bright smile, Shen Lian walked towards him and said, "I was wondering how I could return this gourd to you."


    Shen Lian threw the gourd towards him and it dropped to the Daoist''s hand steadily.


    He gave a wry smile and replied, "Ah, you guys indeed drank all of it."


    Shen Lian eloquently continued, "It was hard to get by a great wine. Such a shame to waste even a drop."


    The Daoist was just grumbling. Actually, he was very broad-minded and did not cling to material things. He was one of the eminent people among the Cultivators of Daoism. In a serious tone, he asked, "Do you all know where this place is?"


    Shen Lian answered, "I never came and never heard of it. However, it was strange. There was smoke but there was no one except the four of us. It was as if everyone in the village disappeared suddenly."


    The Daoist agreed, "You were right. They disappeared suddenly. If I was not mistaken, the villagers were abducted by a demon who had supernatural power. Therefore, I planned to investigate further. Would you be able to help me?"


    Shen Lian glanced at the Daoist and replied, "Do you have a strong relationship with the village?"


    The Daoist stared at Shen Lian, and finally sighed, "You are great. Three years ago, I passed this village and stayed with one of the family. They were ordinary people but they were the person of noble nature and unsullied character. At the same time, the hostess was having a baby. I felt that the unborn baby had the fate of becoming my disciple. Hence, I decided to come back three years later while laying the foundation for Qi cultivation. When the time came, it would be easier for him to enter Daoism. However, this happened."


    Open-mindedly, Shen Lian replied, "After dinner comes the reckoning. Therefore, it is hard to refuse you."


    The Daoist was relieved. After meeting for the second time, the Daoist still could not see through the ins and outs of Shen Lian. Nonetheless, the fact that he was willing to give the precious spell wine to the both of person beside him, he knew that Shen Lian''s bearing and cultivation were out of the ordinary.�Ĵ� - The four genres of material in the universe �� the earth, the water, the wind, the fire, which the physical form of everything is from, and goes back to.

 Chapter 606 Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura

    One should understand the preciousness of the mystical wine. Not only was it scarcely seen by a Qi cultivator, it was even more precious seeing that it was put in the palace of Yinshang.


    The fact that Shen Lian could gift this wine to his servant, meant that he was not only generous, he actually had no need for this mystical wine as well.


    "I am Chang Shengzi from Xuanzhen Temple. Yet, I do not know which mountain you learned your Dao from. Maybe we are somehow related?" Since the Daoist was candid and frank enough and already had a high impression towards Shen Lian, he decided to open up to him.


    Shen Lian thought that since he was part of the celestial ranks, he would be clear minded and not be obsessed with ghostly tricks.


    He smiled and said, "I am Shen Lian."


    Upon hearing the name Chang Shengzi felt that it was familiar. Then his expression promptly changed into shock and he exclaimed, "You are Zhenren Qing Xuan!"


    Shen Lian asked, "Do you, Zhenren Chang Shengzi think that I am joking?"


    Chang Shengzi sighed, "I think there isn''t anyone who would doubt your authenticity, Zhenren Qing Xuan. I am guessing one of your followers must be a demon since I had my mystical wine scammed off by you."


    He was shocked beyond words, as his usually calm soul had rippled in turbulence. As one of the Seven Sons of Qing Xuan Temple, how could he not know who Shen Lian was? This was a real and actual living Tian Xian (heavenly immortal), who was at the level that Qi cultivators of his rank spent their lives pursuing after. There would not be any fakery in this.


    Everyone knew that the current world was divided into three major forces. Xia kingdom was naturally opposing forces with Yinshang. However, judging from the way that Wen Zhong, the national advisor of Yinshang, wanted to cast heavenly punishment upon Shen Qingxuan, one would guess that these two were not in good terms either.


    Shen Lian could have infiltrated into Yinshang unnoticed since he had the ability to do so. However, he had revealed his identity to him. If this information was leaked out in the future and he pretended to be clueless, one could not imagine where his Xuanzhen Temple would stand.


    Chang Shengzi might be cool and unattached but he was still a disciple of Qing Xuan Temple which had its Dao tradition. Now he did not know what to do. He even felt a slight sense of regret for asking. If he never asked, Shen Qing Xuan would never reveal his own identity.


    Shen Lian said, "This lady is Ah Lian and she studies the path of Shen. The child''s name is Jiu Yue, a shapeshift of a butterfly demon. You two should come up and thank Zhenren Chang Shengzi. This jug of wine can save you three to five years of cultivation."


    As both proceeded to bow, Chang Shengzi never avoided them either, but he replied, "What do you suggest I can do now, fellow Daoist brother?"


    Shen Lian answered, "You just act without going against your own will. Why would you want to ask Shen Lian?"


    Chang Shengzi felt that he had used up his lifetime''s worth of sighs that day. This man was in fact unpredictable. He had not seen Shen Lian''s characteristics yet, and he had already known of his own mind, temperament, and nature, leaving him speechless.


    This was clear evidence that, of the three saints of the world, Qing Xuan was number one.


    If Chang Shengzi had doubts about him before this, now he was impressed by him.


    "I would still invite fellow brother to help me," he said.


    Shen Lian said, "Zhaoge is not too far from here. Even those in the mystical ranks are to behave themselves a little. Maybe you should capture the demons of unknown origins from this village since they are so reckless."


    Chang Shengzi replied, "This is also my question. If they are normal mountain spirits, their spiritual wisdom would not be explored yet. It would still be understandable for him to conduct such reckless acts. However, looking at the remains of this village, that demon seems quite powerful, more so than other normal beings."


    Shen Lian chuckled, "There is no point in us guessing here. How about I cast some spell to look into it?"


    Chang Shengzi asked, "What spell are you planning to cast, fellow brother?"


    Shen Lian answered, "I seem to have some progress these days. In respect of my seniors, I shall reenact the mystical spell of Yuan Guang Retrace. Since fellow brother is from Xuanmen, you must have heard this celestial skill before. Why don''t you help me comment on this?"


    Chang Shengzi was surprised again, as he never expected that Shen Qing Xuan could even cast the Yuan Guan Retrace, a godly prowess which was recorded in the Pure Yang Inherited Engravings but without a clear method of cultivation.


    This godly spell was said to be able to turn back time and trace back what happened in the past. Its length of observation timeline all depended on the mana level of the spell caster.


    It was said that celestial immortals knew the past as far as five hundred years and could predict the future five hundred years. In actuality, it was just a peek into the timeline where they could make something out of the unclear future. So these kinds of people could only make some vague predictions which could still match when the exact incident happened. Yet, this was still not considered as knowing the future to the dot.


    This Yuan Guang Retrace was a highly regarded spell since the ancient times, a prowess to observe the past. Even in legends, there were not many who had mastered this skill. Besides Lady Mother of the Chariot and that enlightened monk from the Asura Blood Sea, there was no one else who had the ability to cast this spell. Now if Shen Lian was able to cast it, this news would worry many people in Xia kingdom and Yinshang.


    As Chang Shengzi was deep in his thoughts, Shen Lian was making hand signs for his chant. At this moment, the last bit of sunset had been replaced with a bright moon emerging from the east side.


    A clear sound started to emerge from the void, where a clear stream was seen flowing out of it, flowing down the void and finally gathered into one.


    That was not any water; it was the remnants of time, which was captured by Shen Lian using a certain method. At this instant, the red cinnabar on Shen Lian''s forehead turned bright red, which signified the amount of toll it had taken on him to cast this chant.


    Actually, if Shen Lian had not traveled through time and space, and also be well versed with the Bright Moon Verse, the exquisite incantation involving the principles of time, he would definitely not be able to cast the Yuan Guang Retrace spell.


    Even the elder master from Qing Xuan who authored this Bright Moon Verse would not have thought that Shen Lian would possess the ability and strength to cast Yuan Guang Retrace out of the Bright Moon Verse.


    Within the light, there was a twisting and rotating ray which was then flattened by something that looked like a hand figure, finally showing the view within.


    It was snowing scarcely then. The villagers were starting to prepare their dinner, as smoke was seen rising from their house roof. Suddenly, a gush of black mist completely engulfed the whole village. A while later, the black mist rushed towards north direction like a wave.


    Chang Shengzi''s expression was stern. He said, "If I am not mistaken, that black mist is the unique devil aura emitted from the Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura. I never thought that someone would practice this incantation."


    Shen Lian asked, "This is the first time I heard of this name. Is this skill related to the Asura clan of the blood-red Asura Sea?"


    Chang Shengzi explained, "It is not untrue that this incantation is related to the blood-red sea. Initially, when Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was still in the netherworld, there were many monks who sat down to listen to his teachings. As the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had a large conflict with the Asura of the blood-red Asura Sea, a monk under him went into constant battle with those Asura clans. During these battles, the monk managed to understand this incantation from the Asuras, which was rumored to have nine levels. Those who master the highest level will be able to merge with the Nine Underworlds and become invincible."

 Chapter 607 Six-Character Great Bright Mantra

    Shen Lian merely smiled. It would be true to say the ninth level of the Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura was powerful, but calling it invincible would be an exaggeration.


    After all, the so-called highest level nine was the mergence with the Nine Underworlds. Even if it was real, the strongest it could be was also within the limitations of the Nine Underworlds. Now that Shen Lian had achieved Taiyi and walking on the path of forming heaven and earth, that, was the real definition of limitless possibilities. Every flora in this world, every leaf and Bodhi was also formed through this path. Taishang Laojun also made the spectacular move of forming universe with dust. All these showed that there was no way of transcending the laws of heaven and earth.


    A moment later, the Yuan Guang Retrace dissipated, so Shen Lian could not continue any longer.


    With the possession of brilliant eyesight, he still managed to spot a trace of unusualness from the vision earlier. He said, "The black mist seemed to be losing its own maneuverability for a self-cultivated incantation. That seems rather strange."


    Chang Shengzi nodded, "What great eyesight you have, fellow Daoist brother. Let us find the other tracks and make our plans later."


    Suddenly, Shen Lian''s eyes squinted slightly and calmly replied, "There is no need to look for it, it is planning to eat us clean."


    In a flash, Chang Shengzi could not see where Shen Lian was. Thick layers of black mist emerged from the whole village and blocked all sources of light.


    Not only Shen Lian, even his divine thoughts were consumed by an extremely horrifying devilry aura, cutting all contacts with his Primordial Spirit.


    With years of cultivation, Chang Shengzi immediately knew that the Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura was mastered to its ultimate high, so powerful that even his Pure Yang Primordial Spirit could barely withstand it.


    He emitted a strange note which then transformed into a warm breeze that scattered away from the black mist of Devilry aura around him. He was finally able to see his surroundings as far as ten nautical feet, but Shen Lian was nowhere to be seen.


    Chang Shengzi felt strange since Shen Lian''s prowess was ten times better than him, he would not be so easily defeated and disappear without any trace.


    At this instant, a lamp lighted up and dispersed much of the black mist. The man and woman who were accompanying Shen Lian earlier walked towards him with a flustered expression.


    Chang Shengzi walked up to join them. He finally saw clearly that the woman had a lotus flower-shaped lantern in her hand, glowing slightly which seemed to be holding up the black mist a little and was protecting them.


    Chang Shengzi asked, "Where is Zhenren Qing Xuan?"


    After meeting up with Chang Shengzi, Ah Lian''s resistance to the black mist strengthened, and she finally let her guard down slightly, "It was too sudden, I, too, do not know what was happening."


    Jiu Yue originated from a demon butterfly, so he was extremely sensitive to the aura of demons and devils. He could clearly sense the hint of devilry aura in the black mist, which made him extremely fearful and had zero intent to fight against it.


    Suddenly, a quick shadow flashed through and hopped towards Jiu Yue. A crisp swing of the sword was heard as it landed a merciless blow on the shadow. Blood was seen splattering into the void and lighted up the lotus lamp flame.


    Chang Shengzi said with a serious expression "This is the killing spirit from the Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura. It shows no trace and moves faster than the flying sword of any celestial sword. It is also very deadly, so you all must focus fully on it."


    Chang Shengzi had faced many dangerous situations in his life, but he felt rather tied up this time, as the killing spirit rose and disappeared together with the killing aura of the Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura. As long as the killing aura was still present, the killing spirits could never be completely exterminated.


    What was more terrifying was that even if these killing spirits were beaten off, they would merely return to the killing aura, not causing any damage to it.


    He subconsciously looked at the lotus lantern in Ah Lian''s hand and could not help but be impressed with this instrument which was able to completely exterminate those killing aurae.


    In comparison to the situation of Chang Shengzi and the rest, Shen Lian was clearly in a less harrowing state, as he went underground below the village, but not exactly under the ground. That was a rather large space, with a measurement of ten thousand feet from top to bottom. At the core of it was an ancient well, with a dried-up corpse of a monk lying beside it. A notice paper was seen attached on top of the well, with six words written on it: Ong, Ma, Ni, Bei, Mei, Hong.


    The paper was secured tightly on the face of the well, emitting golden rays. It was seen to be continuously attacked by a fierce killing aura, which was then dispersed as black mist.


    In the knowledge of Shen Lian, he was able to recognize the origin of these words. The six words were also called the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra, which too was the Mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. This mantra had the blessings from various gods, an audio symbol of their compassion and wisdom. Its content was amazingly rich, serene and filled with the grand potential, wisdom, and capability of the universe. In Buddhism, the Profound Heart Seal of Bodhisattva possessed limitless and boundless merit, which was well praised by other gods.


    More importantly, this mantra inherited the path of Buddha, so it was considered as Bodhisattva''s deduction after hearing his teachings, so it would be equivalent to Buddha''s sermon as well.


    Everyone could learn, write and read this mantra, but to use this mantra to suppress such a powerful demon, one must require the merit prowess as high as Bodhisattva. It was also possible that this seal was written by Bodhisattva herself.


    Suddenly, a baby''s crying was heard. A tiny demon creature which was shaped like a rabbit with long pointy ears, a foot-long body, and its tail which had a crying baby hanging on it, was climbing up from the edge of the well. It peeked its head out, but it was shielded by the golden light, so it could not leave the well completely.


    This baby''s hair was only an inch long. Its eyes were like black gems, its face features were refined, and its skin silky smooth. It was biting on its fingers and was grabbing the creature''s tail with its other hand. It was an adorable sight.


    However, in the current situation, this scene looked extremely weird.


    Shen Lian moved his divine thoughts; the black mist in that dimension began to flow towards the red cinnabar at between his eyebrows. Within a breath, those black mists were completely absorbed into it, and Shen Lian could finally sense the slight growth in the seed of heaven and earth.


    Going at the pace, the seedling would only grow in donkey years.


    "Did your teacher not teach you to respect your elders and teachers? How can you not pay your respect to me?" These were the words of the one-foot tall creature.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I think you have gotten this wrong. I do not know who you are."


    "Are you not ordered to save me here?" The little creature looked up with its expression suddenly turning violent.


    Shen Lian replied, "Looks like you have misunderstood."


    "Hmph, I don''t care whether you have come to save me or not. You have the imprint of the purest Shang Qing Primordial Spirit on you. That cannot be faked, so you should at least call my uncle-master!" the creature sounded like an angry old man.


    Shen Lian said calmly, "This is interesting. So you are from the Order of Jie. However, you have just consumed the flesh and essence of a whole village. This is literally an act of a demon, not of a pure Daoist. This makes us non-related even for a bit. I will not address you as uncle-master of any sort."


    Little creature said coldly, "You even mastered the killing sword. I do not believe you have never killed any person at will. Moreover, I was only trying to escape from my entrapment. If I do not kill those mortal peasants, they are still the little specks of dust in the Six Realms."


    Its tone turned even more vicious, "A few years ago, this monk here, this fellow killed even more than a village worth of people. I killed him to enforce the justice of the heaven; this should redeem back whatever sin I committed here."

 Chapter 608 Alienation

    Shen Lian continued, "So, you not only killed the monk, you also ''took'' his Yin Devilry Incantation of Asura."


    "If it wasn''t to break open the Buddhist post of Daoist Cihang, and if this was in the past, I would never lay a glance at this type of demonic technique. It is good that the netherworld was falling this whole while. It went berserk and released a wave of energy source which greatly increased the power of the demonic technique. Then only did I have the opportunity to use this technique to corrupt the Buddhist mantra casted by Daoist Cihang. It was all those villagers to blame for staying nearby. I had to kill them to be able to escape." The creature had no reservation in that answer.


    Shen Lian looked at the child, and said, "You not only killed people. You obviously saw this boy''s natural born Daoist body and wanted to use it as your human body vessel when you escape. Or maybe your nature is cruel like that, and you do whatever you desire, and that is why I will not save you."


    The laws of heaven were just and fair, but Shen Lian was not the law himself. Every significant Daoist had their principles of doing things. If two Daoists had varying principles, there would be friction regardless. As the saying goes, ''when people have the same principles; they share the same views.''.


    The demon creature sighed, "Looking at how heartless you are, seems like you are not the heir of my school. We in the Order of Jie put intra-sect brotherhood at the highest priority. Even if I have committed a great sin, I will be punished by the master, and not be left stranded here, or else we would not be defeated so badly back then."


    Its words were filled with sadness and regrets. Any heartless person could not help but feel sorry for it, anyone except Shen Lian. He knew very well, this creature was using the ultimate art of Dao to shake the clarity of his Primordial Spirit. This sort of art that utilized personal emotions revealed its deep authentic Xuanmen foundation, or else its own heart of Dao would be disrupted before it could affect people''s emotion. It also shared a resemblance with his ''Mastery of Senses'', so his words might not be entirely untrue.


    "I have heard of some rumours about the Order of Jie before. My Art of Spiritual Enhancement is truly related to Lingbao Tianzun as well. However, I have my own orthodoxy which is not connected to you. Even if I owe Lingbao Tianzun a favor, I will not repay him by helping you either." Shen Lian replied very coldly.


    The demon creature smirked, "I can still get out even if you do not release me today. At that time I will not do anything else. I will take back everything that has connections with our Order of Jie from your body."


    Shen Lian said, "Since you could ''take'' the Asura Devilry Yin Incantation, it is apparent that you have the ability to strip off other people''s cultivated techniques from their body. I will not doubt your words, but I still have to say one thing, give that child to me, and if you are able to come out, you can come and find me."


    "Even Daoist Cihang was not able to kill and could only lock me up here. I remember your vital force now. What is so great about achieving the state of Taiyi, even I have achieved this many years ago. Once I am out of this, my second aim is to come after you."


    Since it could recognize Shen Lian''s current state, he must be quite fearless and may even possibly knew of a way to break the immortality of the state of Taiyi.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I do not think that Bodhisattva was not able to do anything to you. It seemed more like she was not bothered to pay attention to you. The state of Taiyi is in fact not something very significant. You could have achieved this state long time ago, but I''m afraid your real soul is no longer in that village. Or else you would be able to escape any restriction if you kill yourself. Or is the legend of Investiture of the Gods real, whereby creatures who achieved Taiyi state will have your souls driven out from the village of nowhere. Could it be in the Investiture of the Gods?"


    The demon creature''s expression finally changed, "You even know about this, where are you?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "I read it from a novel. I have great memory. Should I narrate it to you in detail?"


    The creature replied coldly, "No need, I will read it myself."


    It suddenly looked up and let out a roar. The golden ray immediately made a crack, and it crawled into the body of the monk which was lying by the well. The monk suddenly ''came back to life''.


    At the same time, the monk''s clothing turned into dust. The monk was seen crawling on the ground, with its flesh and blood all concaved into its bones, its veins were clearly visible. The body then started to grow golden colored hair, leaving only its neck to be covered in white hair. ''Its'' eye sockets were sunken in, showing its eyeballs in blood red.


    Apparently, vampires have bodies that do not decay after death, its blood and flesh shrunk into its bones, and a vein started to appear with white hair on it. Five hundred years later, the white hair turned black, and another five hundred years after that, the black hair turned red, and finally, the red hair would turn golden in color after another five hundred years. At the thousandth year, a trial of lightning happened, killing off almost all vampires, all except those with golden hair survived. Those were the Golden Haired Hou, whose body was covered in golden hair; all expect its neck which had a hint of white hair.


    Shen Lian finally understood that the demon creature''s real soul was of a Golden Haired Hou, but since it was obviously past the stage of Taiyi, it had already exceeded the limitations of species and gained the ability to turn the body of a monk into ''Golden Haired Hou''.


    However, this fresh ''Golden Haired Roar'' which was newly born had no strength to fight. The demon creature''s real aim was the baby''s flesh and body. That was the real aim of its plan.


    Otherwise, when Shen Lian wanted to take the baby away, it would not make such a fuss.


    From the Investiture of the Gods, which he read before, some of its recordings might be true, but not all were believable, and Golden Haired Hou here might have been able to answer some of his questions here.


    Shen Lian would have left a long time ago if he wanted to just save himself. Obviously, he was not going to run away. After all, if one avoided dangerous situations when they faced with it, life would be too dull and boring. He was a pursuer of Daoism, not a guard of a dead body.


    Ever since he achieved the state of Taiyi, he also never knew how strong he had become. Now a sparring partner had appeared, he was rather delighted.


    The Golden Haired Hou seemingly traveled past the barriers of dimensions and appeared in front of him; however, it was still stuck at the side of the well in this dimension.


    When his sense of danger started to escalate, a thin and long fish rod appeared in his hand almost the same time. He used it to pierce towards the front and it locked the dimension, immediately locking the void in front.


    It looked like the dimension turned into a pile of mud, dragging his killing sword through it, so he never knew if his attack hit its mark.


    His spiritual consciousness told him that he missed.


    The tip of the fish rod bent like it had caught a big heavy fish, which then managed to escape, causing it to bounce back.


    When it was retracted back from the mud of dimension, it sketched out a stunningly beautiful curve, where a crack had formed within, and a patch of golden hair was visible in it.


    The Golden Haired Hou from the face of the well had moved to the back of Shen Lian. Though bizarrely, after the tip of Shen Lian''s fishing rod had cut through the dimension, its sharp bit reached into the dimension and it was pointing at the Golden Haired Hou which was standing behind Shen Lian.


    At the moment, all directions of the dimension had lost all its meaning. A human and a beast were about to start an unprecedented battle.

 Chapter 609 The Right Path

    After a round of testing the water, Golden Haired Roar knew that Shen Lian was very difficult to deal with. When Lingbao Tianzun was reincarnated into Tongtian Order Master and founded the Order of Jie, this creature was a disciple which he took in when he passed by Ermei at the Celestial Mountain. It became a psychic when it was enlightened by the golden light of the Ermei Golden Peak, hence it gained the name ''Golden Light Deity''.


    He might not have mastered Daoism and gained limitless godly prowess like his apprentice elder siblings, it still had some incredible qualities, for he had already achieved the realm of Taiyi when the Heavenly King built the Heaven Courtyard and lived a free life.


    However, it was captured by Daoist Cihang in the battle of Investiture of the Gods. Its soul was chased away from the Realm of Vagueness into the Investiture, which greatly weakened his attainment. He managed to escape from the grips of Daoist Cihang several times, at which the last fight finally angered Daoist Cihang, who utilized Bodhisavatta''s help to trap its spirit in the Nine Underworlds and left him without any care.


    Many years later, the Nine Underworld had undergone several major changes. Bodhisavatta might be one of the best Dao practitioners that ever lived, but her entrapment techniques were not timeless and impenetrable. Golden Light Deity managed to escape from the entrapment when it finally gave way and loosened.


    Even if Shen Lian did not appear, Golden Light Deity would still be able to leave the place in thirty to fifty years and be free again.


    It was at this critical point that Golden Light Deity did not expect to encounter a difficult opponent like Shen Lian, who yet to be so closely related to the Order of Jie.


    That killing sword especially reminded him of his honored master''s Celestial Trapping Sword in his previous round of testing. Had Shen Lian not intended to take the innate Daoist body away, it would have given up on fighting him.


    Now that they were both so connected, they could not stop now. They must fight until one party gained an upper hand of the fight and decide whether they should stop.


    The tip of the fish rod-shaped killing sword vibrated at least ten thousand times in a second, filled with an unpredictable aura, carrying a deadly sword aura to attack Golden Light Deity from all directions with the intention to kill it until it becomes ash.


    With its senses disrupted, however rich Golden Light Deity''s cultivation experience was, it was not able to predict Shen Lian''s next step.


    Another deep roaring sound was heard. Its claws made a unique mark, and the void was instantly engulfed in webs stitched with multiple lightning. This web''s power was no worse than the lightning dragon formed by Wen Zhong that day.


    A lightning hit Shen Lian''s Daoist hairstyle, which caused it to split open. A greenish black gash emerged on his fair skin, leaving his eyes wide open.


    The reason Golden Light Deity''s lightning technique was able to cause a bit of damage towards him was entirely due to the profound theory of heaven and earth which Shen Lian was unable to decipher.


    Golden Light Deity''s current state of shock was inexpressible. That lightning was the same lightning that punished the Golden Haired Roar when it took form, it was also enhanced with the mixture of Shang Qing Lightning technique. Its impact should be strong enough to slow Shen Lian''s senses for a while, but he never expected that it only scratched him a bit, and did no harm to his mobility.


    This had nothing to do with Shen Lian''s strength. This was actually due to Golden Light Deity being weakened by years of suppression. Since the weakening was accumulated over the years, it never knew to what degree its strength had declined.


    Moreover, Shen Lian''s the Art of Spiritual Enhancement, had close connections with Lingbao Tianzun, so the Shang Qing Lightning Technique did not cause much damage to Shen Lian.


    The Golden Light Deity was no simple character as well. The lightning web caused Shen Lian to be trapped, causing itself to be distracted and received a blow from Shen Lian''s sword. So, it took out a large piece of fur and controlled it with its spirit, protecting it from any more harm.


    Large explosions were heard; the dimension was rumbling and trembling, except the well which stood untouched. The Six-Character Great Bright Mantra never faded, and the child on that well had no clue of the danger it was in. Only when the two were infighting that the dust stirred up landed on the kid.


    In the middle of the fight, Shen Lian never cared about the injury he got, as the red cinnabar between his brows were flowing and fell to the ground.


    Only then did he understood the profoundness of self-inflicting heaven and earth. Most of the power of nature would feed him until he was full, then the damage on him was the largest.


    Unfortunately, a powerful opponent like the Golden Light Deity was better than normal people, so it managed to dodge Shen Lian''s killing sword, which frustrated Shen Lian a bit.


    It was slightly envious of Shen Lian, as not all those at Taiyi state were able to reach the state that he was in. Only cultivating on the right path would make all cultivations be perfected and make up the components of heaven and earth when they achieve Taiyi.


    This would be a journey that took countless numbers of years. Many failed due to their ego and pride. Daoist Master of the Three Pure Ones, Amitabha were the fortunate ones who walked on the right path and figured the way themselves.


    Even though later both of them understood the right way and tried to teach the principles, many of their proud students had gone too far and could not return unless they forego their past success, even forsaking the spirits from the realm of vagueness, and start afresh.


    Golden Light Deity insisted on keeping that innate Daoist body, mainly for this reason. If it was still Golden Light Deity, it would not blame on Bodhisattva and seek revenge, since it had experienced the time when Daoist Cihang went through the transition from Daoism to Buddhism.


    If it made the decision to forsake everything and found the Soup of Forgetfulness in the netherworld, wash off all its past sins, and overtake this Daoist body, it might have achieved a breakthrough, gained the path of Dao and benefited more.


    Shen Lian''s current sword attack had surpassed the ingenious Dao of a Celestial, yet he could not capture any trace of the Golden Light Deity''s shadow. He could not deny that this was really the disciple of Lingbao Tianzu. Even with its shielded strength, it was able to survive this long in his hands.


    It also made him understood that there was a still gap between himself and these ancient celestials.


    However, he Shen Lian not only had the killing sword, which was strong but not long lasting, weak in defense. He laughed, "If you my friend only have this much to show, you are going to be embarrassed."

 Chapter 610 World Destructing Power

    As soon as Shen Lian said those words, the Golden Light Deity felt a hint of fear. Shen Lian looked to be near and distant, vague and clear as if God was instilling its punishments onto those who offended him.


    And it was as if this punishment towards Golden Light Deity was ultimate and irreversible.


    Golden Light Deity felt a great sense of fury. It could not believe that he would lose to a junior. It ignored all warning signs from its spiritual sense, all its golden hair stood up like pricks. It used all its might to squeeze out every bit of energy without care that this action might cause this flesh body to dissipate into dust.


    As a cultivator who had reached the state of Taiyi, it could not accept the fact it had passed its prime and the fact that Shen Lian was only a junior who stole the imprint of Shang Qing Primordial Spirit. If a true disciple of Shang Qing like itself was defeated, even if no one knew about this, it could never deceive its own heart into forgetting this painful lesson.


    It stood motionless in the void. It opened its mouth wide and then a loud roar was heard. The void turned into waves of ocean under the spell of this roar. The sound notes then turned in many fierce creatures, all hopping around the direction and chasing each other.


    Many years ago, Shen Lian used to witness a skill of Fairy Tianmeng from Taisu Sect, the Tianyin Transformation Skill. If compared to this Yinyin Transformation by Golden Hair Roar, the former was no match to it.


    The dimension was really on the edge of disintegration and losing its stability due to Golden Hair Roar''s growl. Those fierce creatures formed from its voice were seen floating around the dimension, ready to fight and tear down the dimension, no weaker than any incarnation formed by the Daoist cultivations.


    Every fierce creature had spine-chilling strength, all charging towards Shen Lian to bite him.


    Its entire powerful aura was enough to shake any fairy and god.


    At the same time, the roar of Golden Hair Roar never stopped to enhancing the strength of the creatures.


    Shen Lian was delighted instead of being fearful. This roar had to be the very well known, highest ranking Lion Roar.


    Shen Lian formed a ball in his hands, the ball was filled with two Qi of Yin and Yang, black and red colored. These were the heavenly seeds harvested from the source of Yin and Yang from his red cinnabar. As Shen Lian gestured, the ball of black and red Qi instantly turned into an ever-rotating swirl pool of Yin Yang. The entire rumbling dimension started to calm down as all the creatures were sucked into this swirl pool and vanished.


    It was only then Golden Hair Deity realized that its spiritual sense was not mistaken. It had missed the best opportunity. The Swirl Pool of Yin Yang possessed this strong gravitational pull which it could never run away from unless its mana could be restored to its original state.


    Actually, this was the first time Shen Lian used this Swirl Pool of Yin Yang, so he had not clearly estimated the magnitude of its power.


    However this swirl pool''s ability to absorb everything in view was a copy of how the heavenly seed took in all kinds of energy. But this swirl pool had a large flaw, which was that a high-level cultivator would have the ability to dodge or escape from the suction of this swirl pool.


    It was just that the Golden Light Deity had lost the last chance of escape due to its own pride.


    The body of Golden Hair Roar kept shrinking until it was forcefully sucked into the Swirl Pool of Yin Yang. Yet, there was still a minor accident. The bones of its entire body let out a big boom like some sort of self-exploding skill, disrupting the energy of the swirl pool, causing the ten thousand feet dimension to cease to exist anymore.


    It was at this intense nail-biting instance when Shen Lian went to the well to carry the child away and escaped from the dimension, without any care of the well.


    Chang Shengzi, Ah Lian and Jiu Yue who were battling the killing spirits simultaneously felt an intense presence of aura which they could not interpret. At this moment, a water-like bright ray, Qing Guang emerged in front of the trio. Ah Lian felt at ease, so she telepathically said, "Let''s go now."


    She and Jia Yue went into the bright ray without reservation. Chang Shengzi was slightly hesitant when he stepped in. Finally, the nerve wrecking aura finally got to his back, and he felt like the flesh of his body was about to be torn apart. He quickly formed a flower of Qi and put it on his back to resist the aftershock.


    The Qing Guang dragged the trio to the sky until they saw Shen Lian in the clouds, staring at the ground with a baby in his hands.


    All they could see from the earlier ancient village was a large mushroom-shaped cloud rising from it. It remained for a long time as the Qi of heaven and earth gathered like a storm of dragons and tigers, shaking all lives within ten thousand nautical miles.


    Even with Shen Lian''s strong divine thoughts, he could not look into the contents of that mushroom-shaped cloud, so he was unable to capture the remnants of Golden Hair Roar''s soul.


    Shen Lian knew that even if Golden Hair Roar was weakened, it still had its foundation of the Taiyi state in it. It would be able to escape as a soul remnant in such circumstances. It could even use this explosion to escape from the barrier set by Bodhisattva and take away what was left in the well too.


    To a certain degree, he was the benefactor of Golden Hair Roar, though he would never admit so.


    Fortunately, Golden Hair Roar had to pay an almost unbearable price for this, and he would run away every time he saw Shen Lian around.


    Shen Lian never felt much regret. As someone reached the state of Taiyi, they could not be killed unless their real spirit was located and destroyed completely. However, it was a shame that he was not able to get any secret information about The Order of Jie from it.


    Even though the real spirit of Golden Hair Roar was not in the universe, it was very likely to be in the Investiture of the Gods. Shen Lian would have to locate this Investiture first, which was something he could not do.


    Chang Shengzi was extremely petrified. He could care less about his own injury because if this explosion was to happen anywhere near Chaoge or Diqiu, it would pose a serious threat to the authority of Yinshang and Great Xia.


    Those of the Taiyi state and Tianxian state could definitely survive this explosion, but the others who were below the ranks of earthly immortals would not be able to do the same. Even if they survived, they would suffer some incurable injuries, not to mention other mortal lives with zero chance of escaping this.


    Such technique with this large magnitude of prowess could potentially destruct the world. Evidently, this explosion was closely connected to Shen Lian. If it was released by Shen Lian, Yinshang and Great Xia would not have any scrap left.


    However, Shen Lian did not act that nobly as well. He looked at Chang Shengzi and said, "Unless there is another one in the state of Tianxian, with the resolution to sacrifice with me, or else it would be closely impossible for this to happen again.


    It would be all by chance for this much damage to be incurred. Firstly, one would need to measure the dimension which Bodhisattva was trapping the person in, and then bring in a Tianxian level character, trap them in the Swirl Pool of Yin Tang to self-explode, then only they could have cause damage of this magnitude.


    Shen Lian even got certain enlightenment from this incident. In his past life, on the earth where he stayed, there was an even more horrible and powerful earth destructing weapon which was entirely man-made by mortal humans, easily accessible to anyone. Now that was truly daunting.


    Maybe he could meet a similar scholar civilization which could invent such earth destructing weapon or even some instrument that surpassed it. If they had any more mind binding tricks, they might pose quite a big problem for him.

 Chapter 611 Coveting the Throne

    With the wisdom of a cultivator, if one decided to embark on the path similar to the development of the earth, it was entirely possible to use the accomplishments of the digital world to come up with terrifying weapons. These weapons would be more powerful than any instruments and magic talisman created by cultivators in the past centuries.


    In the vast universe, such civilization of the cultivator definitely existed.


    "Perhaps he could lead such civilization." Shen Lian thought to himself.


    It may sound impractical to create civilization and pass it to someone else to manage it. However, although Shen Lian''s experience in cultivation was not considered long, his knowledge, state of mind, and experiences were sufficient to help him achieve immense greatness. If he succeeded, whether in a good or bad way, it would have been the highlight of his life.


    The feeling of strangeness raised in his heart. Shen Lian looked towards the direction of Zhaoge and said to Chang Shengzi, "Tianyi is coming. On behalf of me, please tell him that I will go and weigh the weight of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel. For my mother''s sake, tell him to not worry and I will work together with Zujia."


    As Shen Lian''s voice faded away, Chang Shengzi could no longer see Shen Lian and his people. What he regretted the most was that Shen Lian had no intention of returning the kid to him. However, at the same time, he had an odd feeling that his teacher-disciple bond with the kid had yet to end.


    It was a pity. To every celestial school around, disciples with high potential were extremely precious. The more geniuses they have, the more the school''s traditions were guaranteed to last.


    A ray of light broke through from a distance and stopped in front of Chang Shengzi. The person was dressed in a deep black royal costume with a lively looking embroidered bird on his chest. With gentle and warm eyes, the person smiled at Chang Shengzi and said, "Were you with Daoist Qingxuan earlier on?


    Chang Shengzi let out a bitter laugh and recounted the incident earlier.


    Tianyi responded, "Zhaoge is not Diqiu. I hope Daoist Qingxuan would behave himself. Otherwise, I may have to ignore the sentiments that we have between us."


    Chang Shengzi said worriedly, "From my observations, Daoist Qingxuan''s cultivation is beyond the state of heavenly immortals. Emperor Shang, please be careful if he misbehaves."


    Tianyi smiled as he recalled the nun who arrived at Zhaoge together with Wen Zhong. Everything was as she predicted. Shen Qingxuan oh Shen Qingxuan. Please be careful and not fall into this trap that was set up specifically to kill you.


    He asked, "Zhenren, what kind of person is Daoist Qingxuan?"


    Chang Shengzi let out a slight groan and said, "That is hard to say."


    Tianyi smiled, "Even if it is difficult, you can still say it. Let''s have a chat." He seemed not to be bothered by the roaring of the mushroom clouds down at the ancient village and was instead more concerned about Chang Shengzi''s thoughts on Shen Lian.


    Chang Shengzi answered, "He is like water. Sometimes, he is the light drizzles of the spring, giving people a comfortable feeling. Some other days, he is the crazy storm that terrifies people to their core. We could somewhat tell if it is going to be a light rain or if a storm is coming by observing the weather. But when it comes to him, you would not be able to tell what he is up to. To be honest, although I have always claimed that I am a man of liberty of the mountain but after meeting him, I fell that this person sure is the true definition of liberty."


    Tianyi responded, "He sure is a person of liberty but there are restraints in life and there is a price to pay for freedom. He should know better but obviously, he does not have the intention to change. That is why I think he is an extremely courageous person."


    Tianyi held back and did not finish his sentence. Courage would not necessarily lead to a positive outcome. Emperor Xia was an example and Shen Lian too would follow his footsteps.


    In order to make Yinshang a heavenly nation on earth, Tianyi did not mind being the devil who crushed countless warriors.


    ...


    Ah Lian embraced the toddler with lots of love. She looked at Shen Lian and said, "Celestial teacher, this child looks so helpless, please let me adopt him."


    Shen Lian replied, "I will make the arrangements for him personally."


    Ah Lian was a little sad as she said, "Sure, we will obey to your plans."


    Jiu Yue then interrupted the conversation, "Master, you said you wanted to go and weigh the Queen Mother Wu Vessel. Is that for real?"


    Shen Lian calmly asserted, "Do I look like I was joking?"


    Jiu Yue responded in a deep voice, "I have heard of that vessel. It was said that the vessel was as heavy as the mountain and sea, and no one else beside Zhujia who made the vessel, was able to lift it. But I believe you would be an exception. It''s just that after the incident earlier, Zhaoge may not be a friendly territory. Above all, please be careful."


    Shen Lian smiled, "Looks like you have made some improvements. It was not a bad idea to take you out after all. But Ah Lian''s daughter Fu Hao is still in Zhaoge. We definitely have to make a trip there."


    Ah Lian replied, "Maybe we should forget about it. If something went wrong, I would not be able to redeem myself."


    Shen Lian commented, "Nothing would go wrong." Actually, Shen Lian sensed the danger in this. After all, Zhou was not as deeply rooted as Yinshang and Da Xia. However, if he, the Emperor, was not capable of being an invincible force of deterrent, he should forget about ruling the Netherworld nor becoming the showstopper of destiny.


    Yes, the situation could be dangerous but it was a chance for him to show himself. The weight of the vessel could show what was the deal with this person called Shen Lian.


    ...


    In the city of Zhaoge, there was a mansion adjoining the palace of Shang. It was the Residence of the Grand Preceptor, a gift bestowed by Tianyi to Wen Zhong. Tianyi also allowed Wen Zhong to set up his own governing department and this was a treatment that most royalties did not have.


    The incident at the ancient village shook the Residence of the Grand Preceptor. The beautiful nun across of Wen Zhong opened her eyes and said, "Wen Zhong, your mind is not still."


    Wen Zhong responded, "I do not know what was that commotion. What should we do if Shen Lian left Yinshang because of that?"


    The beautiful nun was the Lady Mother of the Chariot. She left the Bi You Palace and came for Shen Lian. If Shen Lian did not enter Zhaoge, the price she paid for leaving the Bi You Palace temporarily would have been a waste.


    Wen Zhong knew best the price his mentor had to pay and that was why he was anxious.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot had a change of her always serious character. She smiled and said, "This is not something you can change regardless of whether he shows up or not. There is no need for you to be anxious. This has always been your shortcoming. If you are too much of an opportunist, you will not be able to experience the natural subtleness of the meaning of Dao. It is my fault for teaching you too much at the beginning and it eventually held you up."


    Wen Zhong responded, "My Honored Master, I am happy from the bottom of my heart that you have taught me so much. I am more than satisfied even if I can''t catch up to your footsteps."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot condemned, "You are always like that. Anyway, everyone has their own practices. As for Shen Lian, I really hope to have a heart to heart talk with him for once. Despite everything, the breath that he possessed was indeed a direct descendant of my honored master. If it was not for the recognition of my mentor, this breathe would have been deadly."


    After all this, the Lady Mother of the Chariot had cast aside all her burdens. If Shen Lian was there, he would notice that the Lady Mother of the Chariot was like a withered tree that came back to life. She went beyond the clones of Gods and Humans, just like a new starting point after the end of a karmic cycle.


    This was not the progress of the Lady Mother of the Chariot. It was the relief of letting go of everything, the abandonment of the fuss of gaining and losing, and the rediscovery of the beauty of the meaning of Dao.


    This was not her peak but this version of the Lady Mother of the Chariot was definitely the toughest of all.

 Chapter 612 Daoist Lu Ya

    Commotion struck at the Residence of the Grand Preceptor and it surprised Wen Zhong and the Lady Mother of the Chariot.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot and Wen Zhong came out and saw an almost an inch long flying dagger that was about to pierce through Wuding''s skin. Not far away was a girl in red who was controlling the flying dagger.


    Anyone would be stunned in disbelief to see the young monarch of Yinshang being held in control by a girl in red.


    Wen Zhong questioned, "Who are you and why did you strike him?"


    "This courtyard looked lavish and I wanted to take a look at it. But this person insisted on stopping me and wanted to fight me. Of course, I would fight back." The girl groaned. If her face was nice points, her charisma would make it ten and Wuding was stunned by her. It was not his first time encountering a heroic female. Lei Jing was definitely more magnetic but she was definitely not as lively as this girl.


    "What are you looking at?" the girl in red said with displeasure.


    Wuding smiled bitterly, "I am sorry."


    The girl in red looked at Wuding with contempt, then switched her focus on Wen Zhong and the Lady Mother of the Chariot and proceeded to scan them thoroughly.


    Wen Zhong said, "Young lady, could you please release him? There is nothing shady about this courtyard. If you want to look around, go ahead."


    "Why should I listen to you? I could still look around the courtyard if I do not release him. What? Are you going to eat me up if I don''t obey?" the girl in red twitched her eyebrows.


    Wen Zhong was pissed. He wondered which school produced such a rude girl. With a deep voice, he said, "Then don''t blame me for being rough."


    Dissatisfied, the girl said, "The hands are yours, if you want to be rough, go ahead. Why would I blame you?"


    Just as Wen Zhong was about to teach her a lesson, the Lady Mother of the Chariot smiled and gently whisked her hand. A warm and gentle mana surged towards the flying dagger and it was a force that the girl in red could not resist. The blades transformed into white gleams and flew back to her body. Her limbs and bones were ruffled by the gentle yet great force and she almost lost her balance. The girl had to take a step back as she lost control of Wuding.


    The girl in red found her balance and could not help but be surprised, "You are amazing!"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot responded calmly, "This is nothing compared to your master, Daoist Lu Ya."


    "How did you know?" the girl in red got more surprised.


    "I could tell from your choice of weapon. Tell me, why wouldn''t someone like your master go and die?" The Lady Mother of the Chariot said sarcastically.


    The girl in red was pissed as she said, "An old bag like you should just die."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot was not angry. Instead, she laughed and asked, "Wen Zhong, am I very old?"


    Wen Zhong awkwardly responded, "Honored master, you are forever youthful. Nothing about you is old."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "I am in fact very old, but I look young. Young lady, you sure are not likable. If no one dares to marry you in the future, how about marrying my grand-disciple?"


    The girl in red laughed sneered, "My husband must at least win me. I don''t think he can."


    Wuding flushed awkwardly. Their mana was pretty much on par with each other. However, her flying dagger was too strange and he was caught off-guard.


    If they restarted the fight, the situation would have been a lot more balanced, or at least he would not look like a loser.


    The Lady Mother of Chariot grinned, "Wuding is a man of honor. If all goes well, he would definitely outdo you in the future. Your master has taught you the flying dagger but he did not teach you the Celestial Slaying Incantation. It is obvious that he did not see you as a descendant. Come and be my grand-disciple in law. I will teach you everything I know and I can guarantee that whatever he can teach is not as great as what I have to offer." This was an irresistible offer that anyone in the Netherworld would be more than happy to accept.


    The girl looked suspiciously and said, "You are indeed powerful but I am still young and eventually I will be more powerful than you. Moreover, I want to marry celestial teacher Qingxuan. Why would I want to be your grand-disciple in law?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot exclaimed, "Oh, so you know Shen Lian? But if you learn from me, Shen Lian may not be able to outdo you."


    "I don''t believe you. Celestial teacher Qingxuan is second to none. My master is the second most powerful and you�� you could only be ranked third." She wanted to say fourth as she wished to be third but judging from the situation, it was not wise to pick a fight, and thus she chose to sell herself short.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "Young lady, you sure are interesting. But you are right. Lu Ya definitely has the upper hand against me in this world. But he is destined to hide from the world so how the hell is he going to fight me? Furthermore, the skills that you learned were incompetent. You have no rights to fight me with your half-assed flying dagger."


    The girl in red felt uneasy by the Lady Mother of the Chariot''s gaze. It was a gaze that was scarier than her master when he punished her. She made a sheepish expression and said, "Old...I mean little aunt, I have to leave now. My master is calling me to go back for dinner."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot responded, "You can eat here too. If you want to eat dragon liver and phoenix bile, we can provide it all for you."


    The girl in red smiled and looked like she was about to accept the offer. However, her face changed as she said, "Master, you are here!" As she uttered her sentence, she transformed into a ray of rainbow light and wanted dash out.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot was unmoved. She flicked her fingers and a puff of smoke turned into a net and trapped the rainbow light.


    The girl returned to her original form and struggled to break free.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot said with a gentle voice, "Stop struggling. Your master might be able to escape from this ''Inescapable Net'' but you stand no chance at all."


    Tears rolled down the girl''s cheek, "You are a bully."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot responded, "You are right, I am a bully."


    The girl in red cried out loud. But in fact, she took out her flying dagger and attempted to cut the net of Qi. She never expected the flying dagger that she was so proud of could not do anything to the net of Qi.


    The net of Qi retracted and was flung across. It hung on to the roof. It swayed in the sky and huddled the girl. She had run out of mana and no clue at all what to do.


    The girl in red said ragingly, "Let me go!"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot answered, "It''s easy to let you go. But you have to first answer my questions. Are you clear?"


    The girl was pissed and mad, "Yes just ask, just ask."


    Wuding could not help but let out a laugh.


    The girl whined, "What are you laughing at? When I get out of this, I will cut your tongue."


    Wuding held his laughter and turned to the Lady Mother of the Chariot, "Grandmaster, I think we should release her. It''s not appropriate to tease a young kid."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "It is so rare for you to ask for a favor. Alright, I will release you."


    The net opened up and the girl in red fell from the net. She thought that she was going to end up hitting the ground but a layer of starry clouds caught her and helped her get up.

 Chapter 613 Divine Blade

    The person who helped her was Wuding. But the girl in red did not appreciate it at all.


    She looked up and asked, "What was it that you wanted to ask?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot questioned, "What is your purpose of coming to Zhaoge?"


    "I really miss my mother. My master told me that my mother would come and find me here at Zhaoge and that was why I came here to wait for her. Who knew that it would take her so long to come here. I was so bored and started to wander around. This place looked cool and that was why I came in." the girl in red responded.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot squinted her eyes and said, "Your mother? Ah, I see. That is really sly of him. Where is your master? Where is the place that he taught you cultivation? I don''t believe that he would show you his true form."


    "Why should I tell you? Aren''t you super powerful? You should figure it out yourself." the girl in red pouted.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "Your master is one of the most cultivated people in the Three Realms. I am not capable of reading him."


    The girl in red said, "Looks like you are aware of it too. Anyway, you can ask but I don''t have the answer because I have no idea where is my master''s cultivation site."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot responded, "Forget it then. Meanwhile, you should stay with me. I believe that was your master''s plan. I knew of all his wicked plans and he probably wanted to return me a favor. Fine, I shall give him a chance and see how much has he progressed after so many years of being sneaky."


    The girl in red became wary and asked, "What are you up to?"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot answered, "By now you should know that the place that I am at is not somewhere you can come and go as you like."


    The girl''s expression changed, "You want to detain me and wait for my mother to come?" She then shook her head and continued, "No, that is not right. Considering that you are so powerful, my mother is definitely not your target. What do you want? Wait till my master comes...hold on, I am sure my master is also not your target."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "You are a smart girl and I am more fond of you now. My dear grand-disciple, I have found you a good wife."


    Wuding blushed, "Grandmaster, please stop joking."


    The girl in red angrily responded, "I don''t want to marry him!"


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot smiled, "Wuding, head to the palace and bring some fresh dragon liver and phoenix bile. I want to entertain your sweetheart."


    Wuding had an awkward expression, "Grandmaster, we are not allowed to harm phoenixes in Yinshang."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot responded, "Then get us some dragon liver and dragon meat, and also bring us some celestial wine."


    Wuding responded, "Sure I will leave now." He then turned to the girl in red and spoke to her in a soft voice, "The grandmaster is not fierce. You just need to speak nicely to her and she would not make things difficult for you."


    The girl in red turned her head away and scolded him in her heart, "Mind your own business."


    Wuding sighed. He could tell that the reason his grandmaster wanted the girl to stay behind because of Shen Lian. Maybe the grandmaster would use her as a bait to attract Shen Lian. This was not something he wanted to see."


    Guan Longzi and Shen Lian were among the very few people Wuding admired. Previously, Wuding had received information that Guan Longzi had passed away. He did not want Shen Lian to be in a situation that could jeopardize his safety.


    He also knew that there was no way that he could influence the thoughts of great figures like Shen Lian and Uncle Tianyi. He also had no say in the actions of his master and grandmaster. Although all of them believed that he would master the Flying Star Incantation, achieve greatness and be the next generation leader of Yinshang, he had no self-confidence at all.


    Furthermore, he did not want to take up such a burden. The happiest moments of his life was the time he spent at Diqiu. Although he was troubled by a whole lot of issues, he enjoyed the time he spent learning from Guan Longzi and Shen Lian. Not only could he feel his progress, he also did not have to bear that much expectations back then. Moreover, the goal of rescuing Uncle Tianyi kept him on track without losing himself.


    With complex emotions, Wuding returned to the palace. He took the dragon meat, dragon liver and a bottle of celestial wine. As he was about to depart to the Residence of the Grand Preceptor, he sensed something odd and drew out his blade. The Qi of vitality of the heaven and earth were attracted to his blade as his blade sparkle like the star. If an outsider saw him, they would think that Wuding''s blade was a shooting star beyond the universe.


    Wuding''s blade was fully activated by his spiritual senses. With the addition of his complex emotions, the blade unintentionally attained the abstruse of the Supreme Dao of Blade.


    As he drew his blade, he felt somewhat lost in his heart.


    Just like the calligraphers in the mortal world, when their emotions were disturbed or when they were stimulated emotionally, they would produce greatness in their work. Many masterpieces that have survived through time were produced in such manner. Even if the calligrapher returned to the same situation, it would be difficult for them to reproduce the same artwork.


    But the effect of his blade did not live up its name of the divine blade. A finger gently touched it and its divine Qi disappeared.


    Wuding looked and struggled to speak. He forced himself to stay composed and said, "Why are you here?"


    The person who blocked Wuding''s divine blade was not anyone else but Shen Lian. Shen Lian smiled and said, "Am I not allowed to enter Yinshang?"


    Shen Lian''s calm composure helped Wuding to calm down. Wuding responded, "Please leave."


    Shen Lian said, "You have delicacies and fine wine in your hands but you are asking me to leave. Are you afraid that I will eat those up?"


    Wuding smiled bitterly, "If there is something that you want to eat and if it is something that I can offer, I would definitely offer you. But you should know better that this is not the reason why I asked you to leave. Please stop joking around."


    Shen Lian replied, "Wuding, your heart is too soft. People may think that you are not strong enough to achieve greatness but I really admire the sentimentality in your character."


    Wuding said, "I know that life is like a game for you. But please have some mercy for people like us who are trapped in worldly suffering. Is it really necessary for you to meddle in this puddle of dirty water? It would only make other people unhappy and you too would end up being unhappy."


    Shen Lian smiled, "You have progressed so much and are capable of applying your knowledge to mortal affairs. Guan Longzi indeed taught you well. Although he has passed away, I am sure he would be very proud to have a disciple like you."


    Wuding responded, "Please don''t praise me. Everyone says how good I am but I do not like such compliments. In fact, I am very envious of you although I know that it is impossible for me to be like you. That is why I am feeling so wishy-washy and struggling emotionally."


    Shen Lian laughed out loud and Wuding was afraid that his master and grandmaster would find out that Shen Lian was indeed in Zhaoge. It would definitely trigger many unpredictable developments of events.


    Shen Lian continued, "It has been a while since I last drank with someone. Why don''t you accompany me today?"


    "I am not worthy enough to drink with you." Wuding shook his head and laughed bitterly.


    "There is no caste system on the table of wine. I can promise you that I have no other purpose and I all I wanted is a good drinking session, and I can also make you feel better." Shen Lian laughed.

 Chapter 614 Keep it Simple

    Yinshang inherited the Eastern Barbarian''s ritual of augury. They would face towards the north when they perform a divine reading and hail the northern God of Immortal as Xuan Ming. In fact, ''Ming'' and ''Wu'' shared the same meaning in Yinshang.


    The residence of the Grand Perceptor and the palace were located at the north as a symbol of honor. Wuding brought Shen Lian to the southernmost point and found an exquisite wine bar. They got themselves a room that faced the river and had willow trees planted at the opposite. Although it was not a magnificent view, the wine made things a lot more pleasant.


    Moreover, they were eating dragon liver and dragon flesh as well as drinking hundred-year-old celestial wine. What else could be better than that?


    Wuding started with three shots in a row to dispel the mixed emotions he was having. He then fixed his gaze at Shen Lian, the wonderful Shen Lian whom he does not know how to treat.


    Shen Lian started the conversation, "We are all real men. Just say whatever that is on your mind."


    Wuding responded, "Actually, I don''t really understand all of you. Just look at Guan Longzi. Obviously, he had the chance to survive but why did he choose to die? Could it be that death is more attractive than being alive?"


    Shen Lian answered, "You are right. Only the people who are alive are qualified to enjoy the good while the deceased have nothing at all. I have heard of a saying that goes ''once deceased, all would turn into dust''. Thus, ever since I was young, I made a goal to live and enjoy life to the fullest. To me, Guan Longzi was a representation of extreme foolishness."


    Wuding was stunned by the words. He thought Shen Lian would compliment Guan Longzi but Shen Lian did the opposite. He asked, "Why does it feel strange to see you this time?"


    Shen Lian answered openly, "Well, I am a different person now compared to the last time you saw me. To be honest, I have achieved the state of Taiyi. I am sure you know what this means."


    Wuding almost spat out his wine. He said, "I would judge a person''s character if they boasted about their accomplishments. Strangely, I don''t have any ill feelings towards your arrogance. But honestly, my heart is filled with bitterness now."


    The willow trees swayed along with the wind. Although it was winter, the slim tree branches still looked elegant.


    Wuding, on the other hand, was not as classy as the willow tree. He just wanted to gulp down an entire altar of wine.


    Shen Lian smile faintly, "You must be thinking that as long as Shen Lian is still in the state of heavenly immortals, the powerhouses gathered in Zhaoge would be able to hold me back without paying a huge price. Then you would go and beg for mercy on behalf of me. It would fulfill your values and morals although the people who are close to you would be greatly dissatisfied. But that also means that you have tried your best. However, the current Shen Lian was stronger than you expected and your most ideal plan has shattered completely. That is why you are feeling so bitter and dejected."


    Wuding sighed, "Could you not crumble all the self-respect that I have for myself? I feel that my heart is so ugly right now."


    Shen Lian responded, "Human nature is ugly. Do you think Shen Lian is squeaky clean? Even people like Tianyi and your master too have a dark side. In fact, the Primeval Lord of Heaven that had achieved supreme detachment too had a dark demonic side to them. Because of the ugliness, people are inspired to seek beauty. Anyone who exists in this universe would share the same view too. However, everyone has different views on beauty. Just as you said, me meddling in this puddle of dirty water would bring displeasure to you and myself. But you are not me and you don''t understand that I take pleasure in this sense of displeasure."


    Wuding had given up on persuading Shen Lian. He wanted to tell Shen Lian about the girl in red but just could not bring himself to it. He hated the fact that he was weak and incapable of influencing them.


    He sighed, "To be frank, I knew and understood completely of what you are going to do next. There is nothing that I could hide from you."


    Shen Lian smiled, "For the very first time, the Lady Mother of the Chariot violated the divine commandment and came to Zhaoge to teach me a memorable lesson. It would be rude for me to just leave without satisfying her. Whatever objectives we have, it is best to just settle the score once and for all and everyone would be happy. Isn''t this simplifying complicated matters?"


    Wuding questioned, "Do you really have the confidence to retreat in one piece?"


    Shen Lian answered, "Frankly speaking, I am not familiar with the means of the Lady Mother of the Chariot. If there was a clash, I am uncertain what would happen. But it does not matter as she too does not know about my abilities. But before that, I am more interested in Zhaoge''s Queen Mother Wu''s Vessel."


    "The Queen Mother Wu''s Vessel is also known as the root of the earth and is the hard work of Zujia. Why must you involve Yinshang''s lineage? Looks like you are willing to forgo the relationship that we had. I really do not understand. Do you have to give the ultimatum? I have always thought that you are not this type of person." Wuding responded after taking another shot of wine.


    Shen Lian fixed his gaze on the willow trees along the river. The willow trees were then rejuvenated and started to bloom in this cold winter. The willows danced with the wind and landed in the peaceful river. It was a beautiful scene and it attracted onlookers to stop and watch the scene.


    He then said, "That is not the ultimatum. I started too late and the only way to go around is to do something extreme, take the drastic path and obtain the utmost achievements. Actually, you are not aware that Tianyi does not want to simply replace Xia. In this battle, both of us are not willing to play a safe game of chess. We would rather be radical or even flip the chessboard over. Eventually, everyone would be satisfied."


    Wuding could not fathom Shen Lian''s analogy but he could tell that Shen Lian did not do it out of hatred towards Yinshang. Shen Lian''s purpose was something beyond his ability.


    This was sufficient to comfort him a little.


    As Shen Lian ended his sentence, he lifted up the cup of wine. This was his first and also last cup of wine for the day.


    Shen Lian was not exactly honest when he told Wuding that he had no other purposes besides wanting to drink. It was unfortunate that Wuding was the influencer of Yinshang''s fortune. In other words, this murder plotted against Shen Lian would definitely need to borrow Wuding''s Qi of fate.


    During their conversation, Shen Lian was able to pick up a lot of information from Wuding.


    Actually, he knew that he had fallen into a killing formation the moment he entered Zhaoge. He would have been doomed if his Qi dynamics revealed its flaws.


    Intentionally or unintentionally, Wuding became his cover.

 Chapter 615 A Sudden Recount of A Remark Made in The Pas

    After downing that cup of wine, Shen Lian said, "I am leaving."


    Wu Ding responded, "Are you leaving just after one?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "Mortals need to drink until they are thoroughly satisfied but no wine in the nine underworlds and the netherworld can make me drunk. There would not be any difference whether it is one or ten thousand cups. This is the first and also the last." Such ability was what all drinkers seek for. However, it was the truth behind his words that showed the freedom and easygoingness of celestial beings.


    Mortals who learned from celestials being could only learn their skills and not their sentiments. That was why they still had to experience sufferings and had to fight the temptation of desires.


    Wu Ding sighed, "I really hope to drink with you." This was Wu Ding''s sincerity and also what Shen Lian admired the most. After all, it was difficult to find such a sincere heart.


    Shen Lian smirked, "You would then have to look for a celestial drunk grade of celestial wine. That would satisfy me and you could even stop me from meddling with world peace."


    Wu Ding responded with a serious face, "I would definitely stop you before you get drunk. It is not necessary to drink until you are drunk. You can also enjoy when you are semi-drunk and semi-conscious."


    Shen Lian laughed out loud and patted Wu Ding''s shoulder. Wu Ding felt a spinning sensation and lost his sense of directions. When he was able to find his footing, he was already at the residence of the Grand Preceptor.


    He regained composure and knew that even if made it back to the wine bar, Shen Lian would no longer be there.


    The truth was his judgment was incorrect as Shen Lian had yet to go far.


    Shen Lian was standing by the willow tree as his thoughts ran free. Back then when he was at Qing Xuan, he planted a willow tree that was gifted by Yanxu outside of the Taiwei Pavilion. He once told Gu Caiwei, "When the willow flower blooms, he would definitely return."


    Back then, Shen Lian''s spiritual form was about to break up and had the ability to predict to the future. Thus, he made such a statement. Now that he was trapped in the killing formation of Zhaoge, the willow trees by the river reminded him of the remark he once made. That was also why he injected vitality into the weathered willow, giving a new life to it.


    Shen Lian placed his palm on the revitalized willow tree and it felt like he went on a time and space travel. He had visions of Celestial Mountain Qing Xuan, Zifu Peak, and Taiwei Pavilion. The willow tree outside of the pavilion had yet to blossom and below the tree was a grave covered with green grass and had no monument to it.


    All of a sudden, the visions disappeared without a trace. Shen Lian could feel the surging of the killing vibes from the killing formation that was feeding on Yinshang''s soulful aura. It was in the final phases of evolution and once it was completed, he would have nowhere to hide.


    Shen Lian did not turn back to look at the residence of the Grand Perceptor and instead took a different direction.


    He walked around the city of Zhaoge and none of the bustling pedestrians, the cultivators, and the soldiers could see him.


    The sound of the wind, water, and thoughts of the people landed in the bier of his Dao heart. A three-dimensional visual of the city of Zhaoge was formed in his mind. Even the tiniest details could not hide from him.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot was towards the northside while Zujia was towards the east. As Shen Lian closes the distance between him and Zujia, he could clearly feel the oncoming raging Qi dynamic of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel. It felt like a clear tidal wave that swept his entire body. With every breath he took, he was able to absorb a good amount of Qi dynamic to replenish the seeds of the heaven and earth in between his eyebrows. The Qi dynamic was sufficient to top his one day worth of cultivation. Meanwhile, Shen Lian''s body oozed a unique dash of Qi of Dao that was one of a kind and different from any other holy deities.


    The Queen Mother Wu Vessel was protected by the most elite guards and their leader was an outstanding talent of the royal family.


    It was a young general that felt the chills down his spine. He unconsciously looked outside but saw nothing although he felt that someone was walking towards him. The thumping footsteps did not only sounded like the ticking of the clock but also very resembled the summoning of the grim reaper.


    He drew his long sword and every other guard too became alert. The Qi of devilry gushed towards the front and yet they failed to notice anything.


    The young general spoke out, "Which foul demon has the guts to stage a revolt?"


    The longsword flickered then condensed into sound waves and charged towards the front.


    The Qi of sword may look powerful but it was nothing compared to Wuding''s divine blade. Shen Lian who was in a dream-like state was not affected by the Qi of sword continued moving forward.


    The young general still could not see Shen Lian but he could feel Shen Lian coming closer and closer.


    Just when his mind was filled with disappointment, a voice could be heard next to his ears, "What are you afraid of?"


    The young general could not help but spread open his sword force towards all directions. As a result, his divine Qi severely depleted. Meanwhile, the guards released their sword devilry simultaneously and the void started to buzz with a sharp noise.


    If there was any magical treasure in this space, it would have turned into scrap metal under such intense conditions. Yet, they failed to find any traces of the intruder.


    A gentle wind breezed past, the guards and the young general started to feel dizzy. They then collapsed to the ground and fell into deep sleep.


    A group of guards snoring outside of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel...that was quite a scene.


    Zujia was below the vessel but he looked like he was part of the vessel and people tend to forget that he was actually human.


    Everyone else could not see Shen Lian but Zujia saw him crystal clear. The Shen Lian that Zujia saw was very close to the appearance of the real Shen Lian, which was also the spiritual form of Shen Lian.


    Zujia had heard so much about Shen Lian and had an impression of Shen Lian''s grace. However, he was still surprised when he first saw Shen Lian.


    He suddenly blurted out, "Those who discovered the greatness stay on neither this shore nor the other shore. They are able to leave both shores."


    This profound sense of righteousness was initially used to describe the state of Tath��gata. In this occasion, although it sounded like he was praising Shen Lian, it was actually somewhat inappropriate.


    Shen Lian''s Taiyi was not merely a sustenance of the spirits but was also a legitimate proper path. He may be a lot more powerful if he followed the path that was once taken by Buddha or other people who had detached. But Shen Lian chose to take the most proper path.


    He borrowed the seeds of the heaven and earth to develop the Sky Demon Method and the Dream Heart Sutra. He inserted his imprint of the Shang Qing Primordial Spirit into it and simulated a dash of vital force that was similar to a Daoist Master. With this, he could roam beyond the world and come back to it anytime.


    "How much does the vessel weigh?" Shen Lian had finally manifested completely. His question was sharper than any other magic weapon.


    It was as if Zujia''s calm as snow bier had encountered with the scorching heat of the true fire and melted. The divine lights in his eyes were fuming and gushing.


    He then sighed, "Daoist Qingxuan, why bother asking when you already have the answer?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "What if I do not have the answer?"


    Zujia tried to suppress the pounding of his heart, he smiled and said, "Then I have no idea."


    Shen Lian said, "Actually, you have no idea that regardless of how heavy this vessel is, it would never outdo the golden hopped rod."

 Chapter 616 Beginning Qi of Earth

    Shen Lian''s words spoke clearly of Zujia''s demonic obstacle. It stirred up his heart, like the soaring mountain and tsunami.


    Zujia''s expression did not change, "How did you know?"


    "Last time Guan Longzi too managed to scheme Yunyang''s Lamp of Yin and Yang. Given my success in the Dao of Yi is higher than him, how is it surprising that I know of such thing? I suppose you''ve prepared this vessel for me. Without the destruction of the Primordial Spirit, this vessel can pull on the Beginning Qi of Earth and replay the incident at Mount Five Finger. Unfortunately, I am not the monkey, and you''re not Buddha." Shen Lian stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Like the boundless sky, no one could tell of his depth.


    Zujia said, "The reason why I prepared this treasure is just to protect Yinshang, and it''s not specifically aiming at anyone. It seems like you, my fellow Daoist brother from Qing Xuan, has a more mysterious origin than I expected, as you know of so many secret techniques. Today, I''m not here to give you a hard time. I just want to request you, my fellow Daoist brother, to have several hundred years of serenity and stop making troubles."


    All of a sudden the world came crumbling down. Shen Lian was already then under a gigantic vessel.


    The image of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel was indeed just an illusion of the vessel as the entire space was a part of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel.


    On top of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel, Zujia''s body was lit with blue cauldron fire. It was an unusual celestial art extracted from True Samadhi Fire by an ancient true celestial. It could exhibit the essence of the body in the form of blue cauldron fire which allowed the treasure item to exert its highest potential.


    Innumerable divine lights were released from Queen Mother Wu Vessel, revealing a frightening aura like that of a deep sea. Space was frozen within seconds. It was impregnable.


    As Shen Lian was already under the vessel, if he was a Dixian, by then he probably would not be able to have any thoughts.


    The exception was that his mind was clearer than any other time. The reason why he came and asked about the weight of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel was for its Beginning Qi of Earth. If he obtained it, it would improve his seeds of the heaven and earth further and save him up to a thousand years of hard work.


    Shen Lian always had a thought that time waited for no one. Wen Zhong, Lady Mother of the Chariot and even Golden Celestial, who were all famous individuals from myths, appeared in front of him. They were all students of Order of Jie, which was closely related to the Mastery of Senses he was practicing. If one were to say it was not coincidental, Shen Lian would not believe it even a little bit.


    He could only be prepared for whatever sudden changes that could happen in the future by enhancing his power with the greatest speed possible. Even if he had to pay a hefty price for a higher level, he still had to sustain it. No one knew better than Shen Lian about priorities. Furthermore, even the fact that Zujia had come to seek for Chen Jing at Xiliang since many years ago and had taught her to read and write, was too, part of a plan since early days.


    This time round Shen Lian wanted to bring in chaos to Zhaoge with his most overbearing form. He wanted to announce to everyone that any conspiracy in the face of ultimate power would appear to be pale and pitiful.


    Because of Chen Jing, Shen Lian would not harm Zujia severely but he would take in all the Beginning Qi of Earth of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel to teach him a lesson.


    At that moment, the divine light of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel kept strengthening the barrier of the space to prevent Shen Lian from making use of the abstruseness of Free Form Incarnation to escape from the space.


    At the same time, Shen Lian felt enormous pressure which was trying to crush him. He could not have any unnecessary actions.


    Shen Lian smiled drily. He suddenly gave an upward punch and that moment everyone in Zhaoge could hear the buzzing sound of metal. What made Zujia most surprised was that the accumulation of essence of Beginning Qi of Earth for many years on the Queen Mother Wu Vessel was pouring out at Shen Lian. Zujia''s blue cauldron fire became the catalyst and it was too late for him to stop it.


    At the same time, Zujia did not understand the ability Shen Lian possessed as he dared to swallow in so much of Beginning Qi of Earth.


    The red cinnabar in between Shen Lian''s brows was letting out an infinite red light, When the Beginning Qi of Earth encountered the red light, it began to combine. The Beginning Qi of Earth was black, it looked just like a black dragon which was traveling in the void, was being swirled into a vast sea of blood.


    Its nasty character was revealed as it attempted to turn the river and sea over and made terrible things happen. However, the red light was extremely sticky. It forced the black dragon to swim towards the red cinnabar mark of Shen Lian.


    The abstract seeds of the heaven and earth kept on taking in the black dragon from the outside world, the Beginning Qi of Earth. It was not afraid of indigestion at all. The initially illusory seeds of the heaven and earth started to take form.


    Shen Lian oddly felt like he was full. It was a feeling passed on by the seeds of heaven and earth. He forcibly removed the feeling as there was about seventy percent of Beginning Qi of Earth left. If he broke out of the vessel now, he would pay the price, and it would be hard to overcome the killing formation set up by the Lady Mother of Chariot.


    The Beginning Qi of Earth still gushed in the point in between his brows. After he absorbed about fifty percent, the seeds of the heaven and earth could no longer take in the Beginning Qi of Earth. Shen Lian knew it had reached its limit. The Qi of vitality was gathering at the acupoints and his body was empty like Taixu, which continued to accept the Beginning Qi of Earth. His pale face begun to turn black.


    The clear celestial body he reconstructed as he exceeded the state of Taiyi had become polluted by the Beginning Qi of Earth.


    At that moment Shen Lian thought about his investigation of the Xia Clan''s bloodline and the odd formula he saw at the tunnel of Black Water Residence underneath the eye of the sea.


    The Qi of vitality hidden in various acupoints appeared again as they combined with the Beginning Qi of Earth, as if they were restoring the birth of the heaven and earth where the clear Qi and the dirty Qi were not fully separated.


    To this step, if there was any mistake, it would bring immeasurable consequences. It could even destroy Shen Lian''s hard-fought celestial body. Eventually, he could only rely on the bit of real soul left in the Village of Nothingness to give rise to another ''Shen Lian''. It would take a long time.


    At that moment, Shen Lian focused on his defense. He forcibly activated the messy Qi in his body, and he punched once again. The exceptionally heavy Queen Mother Wu Vessel shattered into pieces with that punch.


    In the midst of dust, Shen Lian stood quietly. At that moment, an even larger and frightening pressure finally descended. It was the first time Shen Lian was shocked because the killing formation set up by Lady Mother of the Chariot relied on the power of the Register of Life and Death. It was something he did not at all expect.


    In the depth of the Netherworld, the Register of Life and Death jolted. All living beings of the Netherworld felt a discomfort.


    The strong power of the Register of Life and Death exploded and covered Shen Lian. Furthermore, countless people took note of the original form of the Register of Life and Death in the sky, which had mastered the fate of the Netherworld in the dark all these whiles.


    Several strings were extending from it. Almost everyone in the Netherworld had a string from the Register of Life and Death and these strings would be exposed to everyone.


    When people looked at the Register of Life and Death, they would know clearly of when they were born and when they were going to die.


    Even though death was something most living beings had to experience, however, if one knew when one would die, it would be something extremely cruel and depressing.��ϧ�ҷ�����ֻ����,����Ƿ��� - This sentence is referring to Journey to the West where the Monkey was under the control of Buddha.

 Chapter 617 Trial within Trial

    In the Residence of the Grand Preceptor, while the Lady Mother of Chariot was taking in dragon liver and other rare foods, her hand was holding onto a triangular flag. The flag had six tails that were fluttering.


    She kept on waving the triangular flag. The dragon livers and other foods that contained spiritual Qi all went into her mouth, which subsequently was turned into the purest Qi of vitality at an unimaginable speed, aiding her to wave the triangular flag.


    The hair on the temples of the Lady Mother of the Chariot had turned grey, even with the replenishment of Qi of Vitality, she was still paying a hefty price. She continued to wave the white flag firmly. The odd changes to the Register of Life and Death were caused by this.


    Nobody expected the Lady Mother of the Chariot could discover a method of utilizing the Register of Life and Death by hard work. While the killing formation was real and the besiegement of Shen Lian was real, her motive was actually to force Shen Lian into an impasse in order to bring out even more terrifying enemies.


    Since then, the Lady Mother of the Chariot could achieve retribution. She too could get rid of a resistance. It would then be possible to rebuild the Order of Jie.


    When Wen Zhong observed the suffering his teacher had to go through, he wished he could be in her place. Unfortunately, his cultivation state was not sufficient to even wave the small six-tailed triangular flag.


    The girl in red suddenly had an idiotic question in her mind, "Is she not afraid of getting fat by eating like that?"


    She dared not to ask this question.


    At the same time, due to some form of fear of nature, she dared not to get close to the white flag.


    The whole of Zhaoge City was split into two. Looking down, one could see that Zhaoge City was shaped like a giant millstone. The power of the Register of Life and Death kept swirling into the millstone and unfortunately, Shen Lian was at the center of the millstone. If he could not withstand it, he would be milled into a powder.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot continued to wave the divine flag mercilessly. Until this point, there was only one course of action left. Shen Lian could only blame himself for getting involved. Even if it was the arrangement of the honored master, she still had to go against it, as she could not seek to avenge the Order of Jie. Shen Lian''s existence too threatened the plan that she was breeding for many years.


    When she first entered the Order of Jie, Tongtian Leader had awarded her the name of Jingling Shenmu, which meant gold which would not rust and would always be sharp. It was just like Lady Mother of the Chariot''s temper. Once she decided on something, she had the gut to go all out, unlike other celestials who were lacking in this domain.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot glanced at the girl in red. This time as Shen Lian was trapped in a real impasse, whether you should join in, as there would not be another great opportunity as such for her to pay for the favor of him saving her life. The karma of saving someone''s life was not less than for one to attain Dao, there was no reason for her to not come.


    The girl in red felt a chill down her spine by the gaze of the Lady Mother of the Chariot. All of a sudden she felt a heat all over her body and her red clothes were turned into a red flame. In between her brows, there was a fire mark. She was still the same as before, but her attitude had changed entirely.


    When she spoke, she had a manly voice, "My sister Jingling! Why do you bother? If you tell me earlier, we can resolve our previous conflicts and work together, and the Netherworld will be our playground! Now both of us can''t rest until either one of us is dead."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot laughed, "This student is the trial you carefully cultivated. It is no wonder that despite her normal demeanor, she is unexpectedly powerful. I know you''re hiding something and hence you did not teach her Celestial Slaying Incantation, but it seems like you just want to use to overcome the trial during the key moments, for your Primordial Spirit to descend on her. As such, whether she practices the Celestial Slaying Incantation doesn''t matter."


    The ''girl in red'' smiled, "After this is done and dusted, I will teach her everything."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot replied, "Do you think after this, you can still be the Daoist Lu Ya?"


    The ''girl in red'' remained indifferent. She lifted her palm and said, "Lunar Deity, come out now. All these times you constantly want to steal the origin of the Mystical Fire of the Sun to attain Dao. Today I will give you the chance."


    "My fellow Daoist brother, as long you give me the origin of the Mystical Fire of the Sun, I will leave immediately. You know it, it will take me at least a hundred years to absorb the origin of the Mystical Fire. I will not have time for anything else." In the void there rang through a soft female voice, like the gentle moonlight. Even though one never saw her, one would not doubt she was an extremely beautiful woman.


    The ''girl in red'' laughed in a disdained manner, "People say I am a mystery in terms of where I am, but compared to you who never dares to even show your face, I think I am considered a hero, like my fellow Daoist brother Lingbao."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot spoke coldly, "If my honored master is here, you won''t have a chance to speak in such an arrogant manner."


    The ''girl in red'' looked to be indifferent. She looked towards the north and said, "What, so Emperor Xia, after fake marrying Lunar Deity, you too become someone who dares not to show his face?"


    From the north, a darkness appeared from the void. Someone came in carrying a knife. He wore a black royal costume, and his black long hair was fluttering like it was sneaking into the void. From his Herculean body, no one doubted that a demonic flood would happen anytime.


    Emperor Xia''s cold eyes glanced towards the girl in red who was being possessed by Lu Ya. He said coldly, "Once I get rid of all of you rebels, I can announce real peace in the Netherworld."


    When he said that, he was full of confidence. In reality, nobody could measure the depth of his demon technique. A lot of people had cultivated under the Primeval Demon Technique, but all of them had a terrible ending. However, Emperor Xia could be the exception.


    The girl in red laughed drily, "Tianyi, what say do you have if Emperor Xia wants to get rid of you?"


    Yinshang''s king, Tianyi too appeared somewhere near Emperor Xia. He sighed and said, "I did not wish for this to happen today, as until now, I have no idea whether we can deal a heavy blow to the senior. If we fail this time, with the senior and my fellow Daoist friend, Shen''s ability, they will not give us a second chance for this favorable condition to occur."


    Tianyi turned a dead ear towards what Emperor Xia said about getting rid of the rebels. He was an expert in using the united front in beating the opponent. Despite the conflicts between Yinshang and the Xia Kingdom, the target for today remained unchanged, that they had to get rid of the two most unstable factors.


    If Shen Lian did not fall into an impasse, it would be impossible for Daoist Lu Ya to appear, as all these whiles, he was waiting for the opportunity to settle the score.


    If that was the case, they would have to accomplish the whole task at one stroke, else the consequence would be unimaginable.


    Until what happened, Tianyi all the while had a conflicted attitude. He did not wish for Shen Lian to be involved in this murder. As Shen Lian and Daoist Lu Ya were the main characters, for any of them to escape would not be considered a success.


    Without Daoist Lu Ya''s help, despite Shen Lian had attained the Taiyi state, he was still beaten flat by the Register of Life and Death. Even if Shen Lian found the biggest opportunity through the Queen Mother Wu Vessel by taking in Beginning Qi of Earth, it would not change the ending.


    It was unfortunate that despite the many years of calculation, Zujia did not manage to suppress Shen Lian. He probably could not feel at ease until he died.

 Chapter 618 Unparalleled in The World

    The Register of Life and Death represented the origin of the Netherworld even though the current Netherworld was only the pieces of the original Netherworld. The Netherworld was the representation of the Dao of life and death, hence, even if it was just a small part of it, the power of the origin was not something Shen Lian could handle.


    The Millstone of Life and Death kept rotating and Shen Lian was trapped in the core. He could not help but let the terrifying power erode his celestial body inch by inch.


    Fortunately that he was in the state of Taiyi. Even if the body and spirit that he used to walk the earth vanished completely, he still had the bit of real soul in the Village of Nothingness. In the future, another Shen Lian would be born but it would take a long time to restore his current cultivation experience and mana. Furthermore, as the real soul which he left at the Village of Nothingness was pure, he would not be able to completely copy his existing supernatural powers and understanding of cultivation. That was the only way for the real soul to exist in the Village of Nothingness in an independent form.


    The killing formation the Lady Mother of the Chariot set up was something she obtained after years of hard work and isolation. It was also called Trial of Life and Death and the most critical part was the divine flag in her hand.


    The original name of the divine flag was the six-soul flag. It belonged to Lingbao Tianzun originally, which was subsequently lost. It was found by the Lady Mother of the Chariot in the Netherworld. Compared to the power at the beginning of time, the six-soul flag had weakened. Otherwise, the Lady Mother of the Chariot could rely on just the six-soul flag to destroy any with supernatural powers in the Netherworld in opposition in order to achieve her plan.


    Currently the six-soul flag could only act as a barrier for her to be temporarily relieved of the Register of Life and Death, and for it to be the core of the ''Trial of Life and Death'' which pulled on the power of the Register of Life and Death, turning into the Millstone of Life and Death against Shen Lian.


    While Shen Lian did not predict the situation to be as dire, his expertise in the Dao of Yi told him that it was possible for him to turn the table for this one.


    When the Primordial Spirit of Lu Ya descended, despite being trapped in the Millstone of Life and Death, he detected his breath.


    It was not an unfamiliar breath, as his guesses previously were now verified. Even though he was re-compensating a huge favor he extended, Shen Lian understood that it was better to end this relationship, otherwise, it would become an obstacle for him to attain Dao. In return, it could turn into hatred, causing more harm than good.


    With Shen Lian''s clarity, he understood that it was a trap within a trap. It was designed to trap him and the other, and hence, he could not rely on his aid entirely. He needed to find an opportunity to get out.


    Even though the consequence if he failed only meant for him to reincarnate again, Shen Lian still did not want that to happen.


    The Register of Life and Death was not a self-made enlightened true celestial, and as it did not have the perfect formation, Shen Lian was not without an opportunity. As long as he could get out today, with the complete digestion of the Beginning Qi of Earth, Shen Lian could guarantee that even if in the future he was in such a situation again, he was confident that he could get out of it easily.


    On the other hand, while Daoist Lu Ya seemed to be joking leisurely, in reality, he was defending strongly.


    This murder, if it was done one on one, the Lady Mother of the Chariot had to admit defeat. The difficult part was that these people wanted to do it all at once, with no consideration for the rules.


    However, Daoist Lu Ya did not express his anger, as he had done this previously on the people from the Order of Jie.


    Among the people who were besieging him, Tianyi''s cultivation experience was considered the weakest but Daoist Lu Ya knew that if he underestimated Tianyi, it would be his biggest mistake.


    Furthermore, the person who reacted first was Emperor Xia. Where he stood in the void had countless clouds gathering. Zhaoge City was entirely covered by Emperor Xia''s clouds. People at Zhaoge could see no light.


    The clouds were steaming with blood-red black Qi, like coagulated blood clots, which made people shudder.


    At the same time, Emperor Xia drew his knife. His speed was unimaginable but the opponent, Lu Ya could see every small action of Emperor Xia clearly.


    His high-level cultivation experience allowed him to predict all one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred actions of the sword. None of the action repeated and it was the number of times in a Yuan.


    It was not Emperor Xia''s intention but as he had achieved the Supreme Dao of Blade, his knife technique naturally matched the number of times in a Yuan.


    The moment Emperor Xia drew his knife, all the blood clouds which gathered were as though they were screaming, as if there were countless vengeful beasts which would descend along with the knife. It was the purest form of the original demonic Qi.


    Tianyi''s expression was heavy as he asked himself whether he could handle the knife of Emperor Xia. He only had less than forty percent confidence.


    This time when everyone was besieging Lu Ya, despite having a tacit mutual understanding, this ally was only temporary. After this battle, they had to fight each other again, and hence, while they shared the understanding, they were not unified.


    However, Emperor Xia''s unreserved knife was a silent announcement that time they could not let Lu Ya escape.


    What was surprising was that the original demonic Qi reached Lu Ya before the blade gleam. Even with the cultivation experience of Lu Ya, he too could not escape from the original demonic Qi. All of a sudden he was trapped in a dark world.


    The storming blade gleam after the original demonic Qi had the aura as if it was going to split the world into half in order to end the battle in one attempt, to kill Lu Ya, who was a supreme existence even within the three Dao of Celestial, Buddha, and Demon.


    The original demonic Qi in the surrounding of Lu Ya began to disturb his flow of Qi, making him feel like he was facing countless enemies.


    "This cut wasn''t clean enough, it still was not sufficient for the Primeval Demon Technique." Lu Ya smiled until the blade gleam was in front of him, he then clasped his hands. A light ball as bright as the sun kept the blade gleam in place.


    As the sun descended, the original demonic Qi too disappeared.


    If it was just Emperor Xia alone, Lu Ya had already turned from passive to active.


    However, suddenly the coldest and the most Yin Qi of essence entered like a flood, eroding the power of the sun. In the void, there was a gorgeous shadow which appeared and disappeared and transformed into a thousand forms as it blended in with the coldest and the most Yin Qi of Essence. It brought Lu Ya into the fiercest waves ever.


    "For you to make use of the Taiyin Water to this level, even Heng''e from before would have complimented you, but for me, it is still not good enough." Lu Ya behaved in a relaxed manner within the fierce waves. He was demonstrating his profound steps as he was at ease within the waves of Taiyin water. He was also exhibiting his profound finger techniques to which, every flick could calm the Taiyin water.


    In reality, Lu Ya knew that as long as he fell into the weak side, he would be disadvantaged and he would not be able to save Shen Lian. In the end, he would be kicked out of the scene and be only an observer.


    Suddenly, there appeared a moon on top of the waves of Taiyin Water. It was the second hit of Emperor Xia. Compared to the flooding demonic Qi previously, this blade felt as clear as the moon, one could say that it was a blade that allowed one to enter Dao from that of the demon.


    Even with Shen Lian, when he saw Emperor Xia''s blade, he had to say that Emperor Xia was really unrivaled in the world.һԪ - A Yuan is a cycle of life from birth to death

 Chapter 619 When The Flower Bloomed, It Saw Me, and I Saw Tathagata

    Under the bright moon blade gleam, everything had nowhere to hide. The Supreme Dao of Blade created by Emperor Xia using the Primeval Demon Technique as the basis was currently exhibiting its power. The void became eroded. Taiyin Water wrapped around Lu Ya and Emperor Xia. From the outside, people could only see the two badgering.


    Every blade of Emperor Xia was as clear as the moon in a clear sky. Where the blade gleam went through, there was a huge drain formed silently in the void. An odd dimension appeared and disappeared and there were storm, thunder, water, and fire.


    It was not known whether Lu Ya intentionally led the blade gleam of Emperor Xia step by step. The two were fighting in the depth of the chaos of the void. Tianyi too had to consider the pieces of space when he wanted to interfere.


    When the Lady Mother of the Chariot stopped waving the six-soul flag, a giant deity appeared. He wore a golden crown and he had eyebrows like the mountain. His face was fierce, and he had three faces and three bodies. When he appeared, the void was filled with terrifying divine aura, the spatial waves were almost frozen.


    When she stepped out, she crashed the sacred painting into the battle between Emperor Xia and Lu Ya. The three-face-three-body formed a formula, with the blinding Shangqing Celestial Light, it attacked Lu Ya directly, who was trying to fight against Emperor Xia''s heartless demonic blade.


    Even with Lu Ya''s calm demeanor, he too could not underestimate the Lady Mother of the Chariot''s Shangqing Celestial Light. One had to know that the Order of Jie had countless talents but among the students, in terms of mana, the Lady Mother of the Chariot was among the top three. Even though she was not at her peak, the same went to Lu Ya, and hence he had to treat her seriously.


    Lu Ya followed the blade gleam of Emperor Xia. He turned into a ray of rainbow, from there, a Buddha who was wearing a white Five Wisdom Crown flew out from the rainbow, his hand formed a Great Wisdom Mark as he sat steadily on top of a lotus bier. The Buddha was smiling, he could be explained as ''When the flower bloomed, it saw me, and I saw Tathagata''. After he studied Buddhism, not only did he achieve supreme demon body, he too achieved Mahavairocana.


    There were up to ten thousand Buddhist light rays all of a sudden. A huge punch went against the Lady Mother of Chariot''s Shangqing Celestial Light but even with his Mahavairocana, he could not beat the Shangqing Celestial Light as when the Lunar Deity''s Taiyin Water combined with Shangqing Celestial Light, the power was enhanced greatly.


    The Buddha punch dispersed within Shangqing Celestial Light. Lu Ya''s Mahavairocana was inferior. Tianyi''s brows furrowed further.


    One could see the body of the Lady Mother of Chariot appeared in every coordinate possible and countless Shangqing Celestial Light and Taiyin Water were intertwining in the void in an indescribable manner.


    The Buddha body was like the island in the midst of a stormy sea. While he stayed stationary, it seemed like he could be destroyed by the waves anytime. If Lu Ya only had this trick up his sleeves, it would be impossible for him to retreat entirely during the bestowment.


    The Buddha face suddenly smiled in a mysterious manner as he sent two palms out. People felt that the world was crumbling down.


    There was no doubt that Mahavairocana was a supreme technique as it tried to turn the tide around. The plain palm revealed the supreme profoundness hidden within it.


    On the other hand, Emperor Xia''s blade gleam and the rainbow light kept intertwining. Daoist Lu Ya''s Rainbow Light technique was famous and it was a technique he learned in his early years. Not only was it the fastest among the three sects, it was also the most maneuverable within a small area.


    Even with Emperor Xia''s knife technique, he could not harm the slightest of the rainbow light or the Primordial Spirit. One could tell how terrific Lu Ya''s movement was.


    Daoist Lu Ya alone was fighting against three others, and hence, he could not give in his all. At the same time, Emperor Xia never gave him an opportunity to attack.


    Daoist Lu Ya too never summoned his famous Celestial Slaying Sword. Tianyi dared not to join in, otherwise, it would be a terrifying view.


    In reality, it was not because Lu Ya did not want to use the Celestial Slaying Sword but because it was not just a Ling Bao. It was an object in between Ling Bao and formula. When others gained permission from Lu Ya, they could make use of the Celestial Slaying Sword, but it would not be as powerful as when Lu Ya was using it.


    When Lu Ya used the Celestial Slaying Sword with his spirit, Qi, and essence in one, his sword would be as powerful as karma. No matter how powerful the opponent was, his body and spirit would vanish completely.


    In the besiegement of the top three masters, regardless of how arrogant Lu Ya was, he never had the chance to blend spirit, Qi, and essence into one to summon the Celestial Slaying Sword. Also, once the sword came out, his Qi would weaken significantly, hence, opening room for the others to attack.


    Shen Lian constantly felt the pressing of the Register of Life and Death. He could not move, and in the process of fighting against the Register of Life and Death, he slowly analyzed the real form of the power of the Register of Life and Death.


    Life and death stood just like Yin and Yang. Thus, there was a saying whereby there was the realm of the living as the Yang and the realm of the dead as the Yin. However, the Netherworld no longer looked to be ghostly as the sun brought in Qi of Yang into the world of death. The sun allowed for the world to be inhabited by people wherein the ghostly spirits had weakened significantly since Xia Clan and Dongyi chased them away.


    Shen Lian still had not found an answer to why the sun appeared in the Netherworld.


    The key reason why Shen Lian found it difficult to oppose the power of the Register of Life and Death was that of the two words, ''Life'' and ''Death''. As the power of life and death combined, Shen Lian''s celestial body was stuck between destruction and rebirth.


    Furthermore, this situation got worse every time the rebirth and destruction happened. Shen Lian''s spirit within the celestial body was eroded each time which was equivalent to his Primordial Spirit and his essence being separated alive by the millstone.


    If one had to use a metaphor to describe, Shen Lian was currently being tortured like a normal human being.


    This was directly reflected in the psyche and the pain it brought along was a thousand times or ten thousand times worse than the torment a normal human being went through. If Shen Lian did not possess a firm Daoist heart, by then he would have lost his mind and would no longer resist.


    Shen Lian made use of many techniques, including Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation. However, in the face of this event, the methods remained futile and not even the Mastery of Senses could help.


    Every method was meaningless in the face of the Millstone of Life and Death. It was as if he could only wait for his death.


    Shen Lian did not intend to give up. There was fear in between life and death, there was too, freedom.


    His Primordial Spirit got rid of the pain and he began to observe the reaction of every inch of his celestial body after destruction and rebirth so that he could analyze the real structure of the power of the Register of Life and Death.


    By deducing using the Dao of Yi and finding the source, he would find the solution.


    It took tremendous effort and he had little time left. Once he broke the power of the Register of Life and Death, it would bring great benefit to him. After the self-imposed heaven and earth, he still had to recreate the karmic cycle, otherwise, the living beings in the self-imposed heaven and earth had no place to go and could not go through the karmic cycle again.


    This experience potentially determined whether he could find the answer to the mystery of the karmic cycle.


    The sea of blood was vast and the endless waves were crashing into a small hill.


    "Benefactor Chen, you can''t leave the sea of blood." The voice of Buddha rang through the sea of blood, soothing the blood waves.

 Chapter 620 Shapeless Sword, Lifeless Sword, Anattā Sword

    A ray of sword gleam separated the sea of blood as it went for the small hill.


    A rainbow suddenly appeared on the small hill and it was the Bodhi Buddhist ray. It blocked the sword gleam exactly. The sword gleam never got past the Bodhi Buddhist ray despite its brightness.


    There appeared a young Daoist from the separated sea of blood. His blood-colored eyebrows extended to his temple. His blood stained Daoist robe, however, did not have the stale of blood but instead, it gave out a pure and clean aura which was not fearsome.


    As he lifted his hand, the sword gleam was returned to his sleeves. He looked at the Bodhi Buddhist ray and said, "Let''s see if I can get out today."


    Chen Jianmei had lost his previously sharp aura except for the extremely long blood-colored eyebrows which still revealed he was not to be trifled with. His eyes were kind and his expression was calm. One could not tell that he was once a killing god who had banished countless demons.


    "It seems that benefactor Chen has improved by heaps and bounds recently. However, with your current cultivation experience, it is still insufficient to counter against my Bodhi Buddhist ray. It is better for us to be at peace today." A deep Buddhist chant rang through, advising Chen.


    There appeared a blood lotus underneath Chen Jianmei''s feet. Beneath the blood lotus, waves kept building up until it became a water pillar leading to the sky. It allowed Chen Jianmei to be at the same level of the Buddhist ray. He said, "I must get out today. If you try to stop me again, I will burst this blood lotus and turn your countless years of experience to nothing."


    Currently, the Level Nine Blood Lotus was boiling. It looked like it was covered with a thin layer of blood-colored mist. Luomo, however, was clearly aware that Chen Jianmei had refined the blood lotus to be connected with his heart. As long as he wanted to, he could cause the blood lotus to explode. Even though it would be a waste to the most precious item of heaven and earth, and it would deal a huge damage to Chen Jianmei''s cultivation experience, Luomo too would not benefit in any way. His cultivation experience would indeed turn into nothing.


    Luomo let out a sigh, "You can go."


    His innate character was that once he understood the cost and benefit, he no longer hesitated. Afterall, Chen Jianmei was really going to cause the Level Nine Blood Lotus to explode. Chen Jianmei nodded. With a blowing wind, the blood lotus was already carrying him out of the Asura Blood Sea. Luomo felt it was a great pity as he looked towards the blood lotus. If the treasure item could fall into his hand, he would have left the Netherworld with no regrets.


    Unfortunately, even the most precious item that existed since the universe was born, in the flow of time, it had to experience countless trials which caused it to weaken to such a state that it was at the bottom of its energy. After this time, it probably could not even keep its cultivation fetus.


    If not because the real soul of the blood lotus had been incarnated into Chen Jianmei, the Level Nine Blood Lotus would probably not exist in this world.


    The blood lotus carried Chen Jianmei across Nanjiang, across the tall mountains and rivers. The wind blew up Chen Jianmei''s hair. He felt calmer than he had ever felt.


    The speed Chen Jianmei went through the sky was impressive. In the void, one could see only a blood-red rainbow across the sky. One could not tell of what it was or where it was going. To the living beings of the Netherworld, it was just a blood-red rainbow in the sky.


    Within a short while, Chen Jianmei had arrived at Zhaoge City. The war had broken out for a while. Countless fleets carrying Qi cultivators and Yinshang residents were leaving from Zhaoge City, escaping from the terrifying war.


    Even then, half of Zhaoge City had turned to dust, including the living beings who did not manage to escape.


    Chen Jianmei could even feel death was being dispersed in the air, as it attempted to crush his Daoist heart.


    He had neither melancholy or sorrow. He was indifferent.


    He even ignored the besiegement Daoist Lu Ya was facing. At the same time, Tianyi realized Chen Jianmei''s presence.


    He was apprehensive as he did not know how this person escaped from the sea of blood.


    Chen Jianmei did not look at Tianyi at all. He spoke only to Shen Lian who was in the middle of the Millstone of Life and Death, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, can you still hold on?"


    Shen Lian was exerting his utmost strength against the power of the Millstone of Life and Death. When he heard Chen Jianmei''s call, he tried to split out a divine thought, which went through the time with the response, "I am still fine. If you come a bit later, Senior Apprentice-Brother, I think I won''t be fine anymore."


    Chen Jianmei said, "This joke isn''t funny."


    If Shen Lian still had energy, he probably would have laughed.


    At that moment, Chen Jianmei''s terrifying sword will be exploded. Within seconds, a sword gleam, which was as good as Emperor Xia''s appeared. It was as unpredictable as a heavenly sword, but at the same time as ethereal as a divine dragon''s tail.


    It slashed towards the Millstone of Life and Death, but as the Millstone of Life and Death drew endless energy from the Register of Life and Death. A rotation already wore down the sword gleam. A path for Shen Lian to escape could not be crafted.


    Lu Ya took a short break from his intense battle to said, "My friend, don''t waste your energy. Only I have the ability to break the Millstone of Life and Death in the whole of the Netherworld. If you want to save your Junior Apprentice-Brother, kill Tianyi first and get rid of all these clowns with me. Till then I will save Shen Lian. Don''t hesitate. Time is precious now if you hesitate, Shen Lian might not be able to survive."


    Tianyi said, "Daoist Lu Ya, if you manage to escape today, you will not let us go for sure, but you too will not let Asura sword go. After all, his Level Nine Lotus will be of great benefit to you."


    Lu Ya laughed out loud. His Mahavairocana''s Buddhist palm once again released the unrivaled strength, with the intention to destroy Taiyin Water and Shangqing Celestial Light.


    "Senior Apprentice-Brother, Tianyi was right. The worst ending is for me to give up my power and start again. You should return to Asura Blood Sea. No one can do anything to you there. We still have a chance to meet again." The pressure Shen Lian was feeling became stronger. The reason was that Chen Jianmei''s sword gleam had attracted more power of the Register of Life and Death into the Millstone of Life and Death.


    Chen Jianmei replied coldly, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, you think it was alright regardless of whether I was cultivating Shapeless Sword in the realm of the living or Lifeless Sword in the realm of the dead. The one thing you''re not aware of is that my real swordcraft isn''t Shapeless Sword or Lifeless Sword, but Anatt�� Sword. Today, let me use this Anatt�� Sword to craft the path of your return to the sect. I will also let these people know what is called ''sword''."


    He had entered a sect since he was a kid. Within three years, he achieved Chushen; within ten years, he achieved Ruhua. In forty years, the ground one sword, his success was made known to the world in a day. Since he killed a mountain worth of demons in Xi Huang, where he set up the Temple of Killing, he never had a doubt with his countless killings. It was about time for him to kill himself, with nobody, and without the self, it could then be considered as the killing sword.


    Thoughts were like hails, they were cold and heartless. Each of the thoughts was reflected in Chen Jianmei''s heart.


    Eventually, all the memories flashed by his eyes but they did not disturb his peace. The loneliness of grinding the sword for forty years, the pride of weaving through Xi Huang, the battle in the Asura Blood Sea, none was as clear as the image of the old man.


    To this day, he did not thank himself for his persistence in swordcraft, or his enemies. He only felt thankful towards the old man, who taught him, an innately heartless man empathy.


    After the Anatt�� Sword, it was not known whether the last bit of empathy would be worn down. He was slightly reluctant, but after feeling reluctant, he felt firm about his decision.

 Chapter 621 Returning to the Monastery

    In this Millstone of Life and Death, Shen Lian already knew what Chen Jianmei wished to do �C he wanted to obliterate himself completely, demonstrating the paramount swordcraft of annat��.


    He knew that it was Chen Jianmei''s goal in swordcraft, but at that moment Shen Lian could not help but feel dejected. He was no longer miserly to his primordial spirit, sending out his divine thoughts as best as he could, saying, "Senior Apprentice-Brother, please think it over."


    Finally, Chen Jianmei thoroughly erased what was previously inerasable from his heart. He regained his former calm spiritual appearance and smiled, "Junior Apprentice-Brother."


    Those simple words were indeed more capable of conveying a message than thousands of words. Whatever that Chen Jianmei wanted to say and did not want to say were contained in those few words.


    Throughout Shen Lian''s life, he has heard Chen Jianmei speak many times. However, none of those times could compare with the far-reaching emotions and profound gratitude expressed in the words said at that moment. It was the origin of friendship in the Qing Xuan orthodoxy and also the unsaid sincerity between the two. Even more so, it was their mutual worship and admiration towards Zhang Ruoxu.


    If this was in the past, Shen Lian would have definitely dragged Chen Jianmei for a drink or two, preferably to the point of being absolutely wasted. The situation was different now. Shen Lian would rather forgo seeing this emotional and loyal side of Chen Jianmei ever again. For only with emotion can one be indifferent; only with a strong attachment can one truly let go.


    No one could empathize with Chen Jianmei''s current emotional state better than Shen Lian. To dispose of all joy, to be indifferent towards both success and failure, and to renounce one''s ego in decision making.


    In his heart, Shen Lian had numerous things he wished to tell Chen Jianmei, to the point where he hated himself for not stopping Chen Jianmei immediately. From his primordial spirit, there were violent waves like never before disrupting his originally persistent and inactive tranquil heart of Dao. Even the Seed of Heaven and Earth in the red cinnabar between Chen Jianmei''s eyes made an unprecedented sudden movement.


    The more vigorously he resisted, the more sorrowful he became, which led to an even greater suppressive force from the Millstone of Life and Death. The Seed of Heaven and Earth was on the brink of subjugation, and yet he paid no mind to it. He only hoped to rush forward immediately and break Chen Jianmei''s Anatt�� Sword.


    At this point, drops of fresh blood trickled down the bridge of Chen Jianmei''s nose. All the blood was absorbed by the Level Nine Blood Lotus at the base of his feet and his whole body emitted an enchantingly strange ray of light.


    In some sense, one could say that the Blood Lotus was Chen Jianmei and Chen Jianmei was the Blood Lotus. Once the Anatt�� Sword was unleashed, there would naturally be no Chen Jianmei, and all the more there would be no Blood Lotus.


    Any of the self-detonating suicide techniques similar to the Sky Demon Disintegration Method were incomparable to the might and power of Chen Jianmei''s Anatt�� Sword technique. It was a sword that had evolved to a paramount swordcraft, a sword which, for a Dao practitioner at the pinnacle of being celestial, meant sacrificing everything.


    Only with great sacrifice can one bring about great changes.


    Chen Jianmei smiled and stabbed. Brother, oh brother, even I myself did not foresee my actions today.


    Tianyi was absolutely frightened. A horrifying vital force disseminated from the Blood Lotus, so terrifying that even Tianyi was trembling in fear.


    Further away, the war with Noble Daoist Lu Ya was still ongoing. Lady Mother of the Chariot, Emperor Xia, and the Lunar Deity, were all startled by this strange occurrence.


    Even Daoist Lu Ya, who had the highest attainment, and Lady Mother of the Chariot, who is the most knowledgeable, experienced the venerability of Chen Jianmei''s Anatt�� Sword.


    If anyone of them were in Chen Jianmei''s position, they would not have been able to make such a sacrifice.


    He was willing to relinquish his ''self''. Even if he could prove himself and take the position of the highest Daoist Master, how would he return? There would not be any more meaning to it. However, this was indeed the meaning to it, for only when there is no self can there be an understanding of Dao.


    The origin of the Millstone of Life and Death''s power was from the Dao of Life and Death that was inherent in the Register of Life and Death. It was the perpetual Great Way of the universe. In the face of such strength, only a Dao strength that was equal in rank could possibly break it.


    Was all this worth it? No one except Chen Jianmei could answer this.


    The significance of what was worth it and what was not lied only with those who made the sacrifice, not with anyone else.


    Chen Jianmei gazed intently into the sky. Before this, he never realized how emotionally moving the sky could be, and he also never felt that he would reach such a brilliant point in his life.


    The laws of heaven, human reincarnation, and swordcraft. All of these were not worth mentioning.


    The blood had run dry and the Blood Lotus blossomed perfectly and swayed gracefully. It was indescribably beautiful.


    In the end, the Blood Lotus gradually blossomed into a long blood-red sword. It was three feet three inches long, and one inch wide. It serenely reached Chen Jianmei''s grasp.


    He took one step into the void and aimed to stab the Millstone of Life and Death that was just in front of him.


    There was no universally shocking explosion of Qi of vitality. There was no desolate sword aura. Oddly enough, the Millstone of Life and Death crumbled at this very moment.


    At the same time, Noble Daoist Lu Ya''s Mah��vairocana Body was defeated. There were cracks on Lady Mother of the Chariot''s divine form. Lu Ya was also unable to transform into the rainbow light. Emperor Xia wielded the knife and stood, his hand that was previously as steady as Mount Tai shuddered uncontrollably.


    The silent law of slaughter had long ago infringed upon their bodies.


    The ''Anatt�� Sword'' could surprisingly target all of them at once. Within a short time, they were unable to continue their battle.


    The Register of Life and Death rushed forth unceasingly, but in the end, its source was inhibited. In an instant, the Millstone of Life and Death started to disperse. Finally, not a trace of it was found.


    Shen Lian recovered his freedom and saw Chen Jianmei who was walking towards him from the sky.


    From outward appearance alone, Shen Lian could see no discernible injury on Chen Jianmei. Shen Lian''s heart virtually sank to an all-time low. He could only feel that Chen Jianmei''s body was emptily swept into nothingness, and was devoid of any vital force.


    When Chen Jianmei went closer to Shen Lian, the longsword once again pierced out, and at that moment the light of the water spouted out of the void. Inside it was another world, one which was incredibly familiar to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian extended his hand, wishing to touch Chen Jianmei. However, with the speed of lightning and flint fire, Chen Jianmei transformed into ash. That was the truly the doing of the Anatt�� Sword.


    Chen Jianmei was no longer there. Only the blood red killing sword remained.


    It silently fell to Shen Lian''s feet.


    Shen Lian''s bent over and picked up the sword, and turning over to Lady Mother of the Chariot, Noble Daoist Lu Ya, Tianyi, and the Lunar Deity, he gazed at them for a moment. Soon after, he walked into the light of the water, without turning back. Shen Lian would return again.


    ��


    The Qing Xuan Daoist Sect was now undoubtedly the second largest Daoist Sect in the cultivation community, largely because of its propensity to teach students according to their strengths, with flexibility instead of rigidity. There were a large number of cultivation sects that were now associated with Qing Xuan. These various sects all bore different names respectively and passed-down their own respective techniques, but without exception they considered themselves to be branches of the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect. All of them paid tribute to Qing Xuan as their sect leader.


    In addition, the many concealed powerhouses of cultivation in the islands across the vast ocean were largely associated with Qing Xuan in multiple ways. If Lu Jiuyuan did not suppress all of the Xuantian Sect, they might have given up their number one position to Qing Xuan a long time ago.


    Presently the headmaster of the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect was Chen Jinchan. He was the successor of Shen Lian, the previous generation of Qing Xuan''s chief. Chen Jinchan has had thousands of years of cultivation. Unless the laws of nature changed, everyone unanimously regarded him as the next Shen Lian, and the first celestial to transcend beyond the mortal world.


    Qing Xuan did not only have Chen Jinchan who was a delicate wind deity of good judgment, it also had the number one sword master celestial in the world �C the r��k?asa-fairy Fan Yanying. Ever since the respected master of the Taishang Daoist Sect suffered defeat at the hands of the r��k?asa-fairies, Fan Yanying''s stock shot up higher than Fairy Ziling in the past.


    If it came down to a real battle between Chen Jinchan and Fan Yanying, some people felt that even with Chen Jinchan''s high cultivation, there would be an eighty to ninety percent chance he would lose to the r��k?asa-fairy.


    After all, Fan Yanying had been passed the Dao of Killing Sword by her master and has already surpassed Chen Jianmei during the latter''s time in the wind.


    With those two to suppress the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect, even if the Demon Master resurfaced and caused demonic chaos to the world, perhaps he would not rashly intrude Qing Xuan.


    Suddenly something happened. In Taiwei Pavilion, the most strictly off-limits area inside Qing Xuan, the ancient poplar suddenly bloomed. Its abundant vitality and wafting delicate scent startled all the distinguished cultivators of Qing Xuan.

 Chapter 622 The Grave Below the Poplar

    Ever since Shen Lian disappeared, no other person moved in to stay at Zifu Peak. Taiwei Pavilion became more of an off-limits area. Without the headmaster''s imperial decree, not even a Zhenren of Powang State could enter on his own accord.


    Chen Jinchan added more control to the experiential realms in the whole of Zifu Peak. If there was no control by the means of an immortal Zhenren, it would still be incredibly difficult to break into, let alone alarming Chen Jinchan who kept watch in Taiyi Peak not far away. Breaking in would be mission impossible.


    Thus, the strange changes that happened in Zifu Peak caused all the somewhat successful cultivators throughout the peaks of Qing Xuan to feel an inevitable inward feeling of shock.


    What on earth could possibly produce such an odd change? If the strange occurrence was caused by an outsider that secretly broke in, it would be quite humiliating for Qing Xuan.


    Chen Jinchan sat silently in the main hall of Qing Xuan and quietly concentrated on his supernatural powers. Golden light emanated from his eyes, and he directly shifted his gaze towards Taiwei Pavilion at Zifu Peak. With the height of his land immortal cultivation experience, surprisingly he was unable to clearly see the scene at Taiwei Pavilion at the present moment.


    It was quite awe-inspiring for Chen Jinchan. If the visitor was an enemy of Qing Xuan, he or she would certainly be on par with the person Yanxu sent back in the day.


    From each peak, black lights started flying everywhere and gathered at the foot of Zifu Peak. Chen Jinchan''s figure moved and he crossed over the void. In an instant, he was also already at the foot of Zifu Peak. He arranged his experiential realms that were still in intact, where the Qi of Dao was moving and flowing continuously. But its abundant vitality could surprisingly penetrate the experiential realms without damaging the realm''s original structure. It was unimaginable.


    A ray of sword gleam flew by and landed beside Chen Jinchan. All the cultivators who rushed here bowed to Chen Jinchan and the bearer of the sword gleam. They waited for that second person to speak.


    The bearer of the sword gleam was none other than Fang Yanying. There was practically no difference between how she looks currently compared to how she looks a thousand years ago. She looked like she was in her adolescence! This was not because of her superior cultivation experience. Instead, it was because of something else that happened many years back. Before she could manifest immortality, her Aunt-Master Gu Caiwei gave her an immortal spiritual medicine to take, prolonging five hundred years of life.


    When the five hundredth year of prolonged life was almost up, Fang Yanying was finally cultivating in her eight hundredth year. She broke away from all whims and established her immortality in one go. Since then, Fang Yanying boldly and fiercely dedicated herself to progress, and her swordcraft succeeded higher and higher. A hundred years ago she entered Taishang Daoist Sect all by herself and defeated its headmaster. She forcefully borrowed the Taishang Detection Technique, and broke through the original restrictions of the Shapeless Sword Incantation, becoming aware of the Taishang Sword. Up until today, no one was worthy of challenging Fang Yanying except for a select few people. Even those of the older generation who could transcend the mortal world only realized their relative inferiority after having battled Fang Yanying.


    After Fanying arrived, the faint feeling of worry in Chen Jinchan''s heart disappeared tremendously. He knew clearly that Senior Apprentice-Sister was strong. If they worked together, the matter could surely be settled �C that is, unless Lu Jiuyuan was the intruder.


    However, Chen Jinchan was curious himself. Who was this intruder? Chen Jinchan believed that in the flow of deities in and out of the world, none of them could match the capabilities of this intruder with the exception of Lu Jiuyuan. Wang Shidao and Song Qingyi of the Xuantian Sect were admittedly well-acclaimed. In Chen Jinchan''s eyes, the discussion of Dao between the two was still short of his own. Surely they could not block the vision of his empowered eyes from investigating the matter at Taiwei Pavilion.


    His thoughts were as fast as lightning and he immediately said, "All of you need not panic. Taiwei Pavilion contains the remnants of the meaning of Dao from our predecessors. Adding to that, each the Five Peaks of Qing Xuan has the Dao rhythm of Daoist Master Taiyi. Any of the odd changes may be reasonable."


    The doyens of each peak and their respective disciples were all bright people who could understand completely. Deep inside, they knew that for more than a thousand years, such events had never happened before. So how could it happen now on such a whim? Perhaps the headmaster himself could not be certain of what is truly happening on Zifu Peak, leading to them being more astonished. After all, even if headmaster did not make the battle of mana his forte, he was nevertheless publicly known and accepted to be the successor of headmaster Shen Lian �C the number one genius that even Lu Jiuyuan himself has commended. In this sense, it showed that whatever that happened today was very odd indeed.


    Before Chen Jinchan could continue speaking, two divine dragons flew out of Taiyi Peak. On their own accord, they charged at Zifu Peak. Though the experiential realms were designed by Chen Jinchan, there was no way it could hold off the simultaneous release of power of both the dragons. At once the dragons were left to charge into the peak.


    The doyens and disciples originally thought that there would be an immediate and drastic change, and so they inwardly and attentively applied their mana. They would never have thought that once the Divine Guardian Dragons of the Mountain entered Zifu Peak, it was completely noiseless. There was absolutely no activity.


    Each of them ineffably turned pale. What on earth was happening inside Zifu Peak? The divine dragons endured compared to two immortal Zhenren. Back then when Chen Jinchan had yet to achieve immortality, he relied heavily on these two Divine Guardian Dragons of the Mountain to protect the status of Qing Xuan by intimidating the evil spirits outside of Dao.


    Today, the two Divine Guardian Dragons of the Mountain surprisingly entered Zifu Peak and yet with no news. This was when everything was most peculiar.


    Chen Jinchan turned to Fang Yanying, "Senior Apprentice-Sister, let us go together and take a look. We shall get to the bottom of the matter and see what the current situation is."


    Fang Yanying nodded. She had the same thought. Today''s happenings were too weird not to do anything about it. She also harbored a lot of doubts, "If the situation is not right, I will use the Taishang Sword."


    Chen Jinchan understood what she meant. The Taishang Sword had immense power. Once it was unleashed in Zifu Peak, it could potentially destroy all the decorations inside it. Granted, if the time comes when the source of the odd changes was averted and pacified, it would still spell humiliation for Qing Xuan.


    Perhaps what Fang Yanying inherited was the orthodoxy of the Temple of Killings outside of the Qing Xuan Sect. If the Forbidden Area of the Ancestors was damaged, it would indeed be possible that those actions will carry negative associations, affecting Chen Jinchan''s authority.


    Chen Jinchan could not care less about these minor details and instructed, "Doyens and disciples, I ask that for the moment you do not enter Zifu Peak.


    After finishing his sentence, Chen Jinchan and Fang Yanying went up the mountain and promptly reached Taiwei Pavilion.


    They were doubly shocked. Their suspicions had been true all along �C someone did indeed enter Qing Xuan.


    All they saw was a person standing with their hands clasped at the back, facing the grave at the base of the poplar tree. The both of them only saw his back. If they did not actually see ''him'', surely he would not notice that a person was standing there.


    The gosling-yellow of the poplar flowers looked like an ear of wheat. They alternated between the leaves of the tree so that some were visible and some were hidden, and petals swaying gently and gracefully with the wind. The scene was beautiful, but it gave one''s heart an inexpressible feeling of sorrow.


    Both the Divine Guardian Dragons of the Mountain shrunk themselves to three feet long and crept on the ground.


    There was a length of a Blood Red Long Sword in front of the two dragons. The sword was finally noticed by Chen Jinchan and Fang Yanying. For reasons she did not know, after Fang Yanying saw the Blood Red Long Sword, the inexplicable sorrow in her heart completely transformed into an insuppressible pain and suffering. Her tears silently trickled to the ground.


    Chen Jinchan opened his mouth to ask, but before a word could be uttered, the person turned around slowly. As he turned, the person exhibited an aura that was incredibly familiar to the both of them. They were quite astonished, and that astonishment immediately turned into wild joy. The both of them kneeled immediately.


    "Headmaster."


    "Uncle-Master."


    Shen Lian spoke, "When did my Senior Apprentice-Sister pass away?"


    Chen Jinchan''s emotions were immeasurably stirred, but he tried his best to control himself and replied, "Aunt-Master had left us for about thirty years now. Before she left, she instructed the disciples to lay her to rest here."


    Even if Shen Lian was already among those of Tianyi, he still could feel an endless sorrow after losing two of his closest colleagues within one day.


    "Senior Apprentice-Sister, you were still unable to crash through that preoccupation of yours, to the extent that you could not be rid of that wild fantasy. It was my fault." Shen Lian thought to himself, Gu Caiwei decided that after she passed she must be laid to rest here. However, Shen Lian could not understand the reasons why Gu Caiwei was unable to rid herself of the fantasy. She had never stated clearly this sentiment, and now she had passed away and laid to rest in her grave.


    And today was truly a day where his heart was filled with grief �C words could never describe the pain he felt now that Gu Caiwei was in eternal rest.

 Chapter 623 Buddha’s Birthday

    Chen Jinchan''s memory of Shen Lian was still stuck at the thousand years prior. At that time, his headmaster lived a simple life and let things follow their own course as if nothing could bother him. Today, he saw him unexpectedly wearing a sad expression and his heart knew that surely he was incredibly sorrowful.


    Chen Jinchan kowtowed and said, "It was us disciples who were unable to keep Aunt-Master alive."


    Shen Lian slowly walked over to the both of them. He stretched out his hand to them and pulled them up saying, "The both of you are good children. It was unexpected of me to leave Qing Xuan for so long a time." Shen Lian only understood now, he indeed has left for a very long time. When he dropped down from the Yellow Springs and reached the Netherworld, he had wasted a lot of time. It was anticipated that Chen Jianmei went in about the same time, perhaps the speed by which both of them went in and out of were different, causing their return to have a gap of three hundred years.


    At least Chen Jianmei''s sword was already capable of directly running through both Qing Xuan''s earth and star as well as the Netherworld. It need not go through the Yellow Springs to descend to the Netherworld.


    The saddening thing was that unless he could turn back time, he would never be able to find Chen Jianmei and Gu Caiwei anymore. Even if Gu Caiwei was reincarnated into a person, it would not be easy to understand the secret of the womb. Thirty years had passed. Even if he could find her the body of her reincarnation, it would not be her anymore. Not to mention the fact that Chen Jianmei had already given up his self, evolving into that paramount swordcraft. The universe may be vast and obscure, but there will never be another Chen Jianmei.


    Having been pulled up by Shen Lian, Fan Yanying saw the happiness in him fade. She glanced at the Blood Red Long Sword, and her eyes started to tear again.


    She had a lot of cultivation experience. One would not be able to find anyone who was stronger than her in the earth and star of Qing Xuan. Thus it seemed as though she could feel something, and so asked, "Uncle-Master, does this sword have something to do with my master, the old man?"


    Shen Lian was silent for a good while. In the end, he drew the Blood Red Killing Sword. Its blade was like water, and also like time. Aside from the undispersed blood-red color, not a bit of the murderous aura leaked out.


    Finally, Shen Lian gave a profound sigh, "Yanying, this sword is called ''Jianmei''. Chen Jianmei''s ''Jianmei''."


    Fan Yanying understood what Shen Lian meant. In her heart, she felt a deep pain. Without a word, she knelt down, and tightly pursed her lips. She faced the sword and gave three kowtows and nine prostrations. In the end, Chen Jinchan had to lend his arm in support of her standing up.


    At this time, Shen Lian erased all sorrow from his expression and in a heavy tone asked, "Jinchan, how many cultivators are there in Qing Xuan temple at the present?"


    Even though Chen Jinchan did not understand why his headmaster changed to this topic, he replied, "The cultivators that the headmaster asks about, what is the minimum cultivation experience they should have?"


    Shen Lian answered, "They should at least have achieved the State of Trance."


    Chen Jinchan pondered slightly and in a moment he composed all the information he wished to convey, "In these few thousand years, a total of a hundred and eight schools had adhered to our Qing Xuan Daoist Sect. Beyond the seas, the powerhouses who have countless associations with us total at three hundred and sixty. In addition to Aunt-Master''s Temple of Longevity and Senior Apprentice-Sister''s Temple of Killings, as well as those disciples who have never left the school, the number would be roughly around ten thousand."


    Shen Lian was surprised, "That is quite a number."


    Chen Jinchan replied, "The truth is that this was all because of the favor that headmaster did for everyone back then. After all, during the demonic chaos in the world, the headmaster was the one who took the initiative to wage war against the Demon Master, the one who brought everyone out of that predicament. Ever since then, we received deep affection and respect. Many of the schools adhered to us, one after another. In addition, the disciples of our School also spread our networks after they left the mountain. In time, it has reached the current phase."


    "It may not be as simple as it looks. What else is there that you are concealing from me?" Shen Lian looked at Chen Jinchan as soon as he uttered the question.


    Although Chen Jinchan had already reached the absolute peak of a land immortal, when the headmaster looked at him like this, he still felt slightly scared.


    This time it was Fan Yanying who voluntarily spoke, "Uncle-Master, when you disappeared three hundred years ago, Tianhua Continent was invaded by Luoists. The Orthodoxy of the Shangdong Eight Celestials were all killed off by Fairy Zhao. The remaining schools in Tianhua Continent that survived were all pushed out. At that time, there were also some conflicts with the cultivators of Yuan Continent. That was when Jinchan won the support of many schools and brought them over to Qing Xuan''s side, providing us with a peripheral barrier.


    Shen Lian pressed, "What else happened?"


    Fan Yanying continued, "Fairy Zhao took hold of Tianhua and her supernatural power became a force that was hard for one to wrap their head around. In the end, she attracted the attention of Lu Jiuyuan. It was said that the both of them engaged in battle, and since then Fairy Zhao was never to be seen again. And because Fairy Zhao lost constraint over Luoism, they did numerous evils. In the end, Jinchan, with the help of many schools had to thoroughly eradicate them for the sake of preserving peace within the cultivation community."


    This drew out a forced smile from Chen Jinchan, "Headmaster, your disciple had no other choice at the time. Aunt Zhao had the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning in the palm of her hand. Each of them was high ranking people amongst the Immortal Zhenrens, the crowd of Luoism was led by them. Ordinary schools could do nothing but be bullied and humiliated. Five of our Qing Xuan disciples had also run into misfortune. We had no choice but to disregard the friendship between you and Aunt Zhao. In order not to cause any more damage, we had to eliminate Luoism completely."


    Having heard this, Shen Lian sighed, "You did nothing wrong, why did you have to conceal this from me? Well, enough about that. Go and make an imperial decree: in one month''s time, convene all those cultivators who are willing to listen to the orders of Qing Xuan. Something big is going to happen. I need your help, and the help of everyone else."


    Chen Jinchan replied, "It will not be hard to convene them, but we lack an ostensible purpose."


    Shen Lian looked up at the sky and leisurely said, "I, Shen Lian, will be that purpose! Also, along the way, send this news to all the Immortal Zhenrens out there: I, Shen Lian, wish to organize a Dragon Flower Assembly for Buddha''s Birthday! I extend the invitations to all of them!"


    Chen Jinchan was surprised at this unusual request. Buddha''s Birthday has been present since ancient times. Generally speaking, it was a gathering meant for people who achieved Dao and became immortal. However, for the past thousand years, the earth had only seen one person who had the power to rally enough supporters and organize the Dragon Flower Assembly �C Lu Jiuyuan. But he had no interest in dealing with these matters, and furthermore between Chen Jinchan feared Lu Jiuyuan. Chen Jinchan felt that there was surely an incredible secret in Lu Jiuyuan. If there was none, why would someone with as high a cultivation experience as Lu Jiuyuan not leave this world in search of the Great Way?


    However, when his headmaster battled with Demon Master back then, it was universally shocking. It could even be said that the battle was the biggest event in three thousand years. If today he returned only to send a message, there might not be any Immortal Zhenrens who would decline him. After all, he was the one who broke the chiliocosm from an irreversible precedent. If people said that they were not curious in the least, they would be lying.


    He thought for a moment, then said, "Your disciple will start to plan this. But with your sudden return today, headmaster, it caused quite a bit of an odd shift. All of our doyens and their disciples received quite a shock. Let your disciple inform them of the situation beforehand."


    Shen Lian replied, "No need for such trouble. Let us all descend from the mountain."


    Chen Jinchan could not object.


    Shen Lian looked at the still distressed expression of Fan Yanying. "Yanying," he called, "Please do not be sad. As cultivators, we will surely be able to execute actions contrary to the laws of heaven and make that which is impossible, possible. If now you start to fall into depression, not only will I be disappointed, but your master will be too."


    Fan Yanying replied, "Uncle-Master, I understand all these things. But I find it very hard to bear my grief."


    Shen Lian thought about patting her on the shoulder and continuing to give her words of consolation, but in the end, his arm was only half extended and those consoling words did not come out of his mouth. All he could muster was a sigh, "Truth be told, I feel the same way as you."

 Chapter 624 Dengtian Building

    After he finished his words, he turned and took one big step forward. Even though he told Fan Yanying not to sink into despair, as long as she saw the back of uncle-master, she would still feel somewhat desolate.


    She knew and understood that Shen Lian not only felt grief for Chen Jianmei, but also for Gu Caiwei. After all, aunt-master had told Fan Yanying countless times that it was Gu Caiwei herself that personally passed down the Taixu Strategy to uncle-master. During the time of his youth at Qing Xuan, uncle-master and Gu Caiwei were very much close.


    But uncle-master was too far ahead. Gu Caiwei wanted to catch up, but never could.


    Chen Jinchan and Fan Yanying were following Shen Lian close behind. Suddenly a divine thought was transmitted, "Why did headmaster not ask about Junior Apprentice-Sister Ruoxi?"


    Fan Yanying replied to the divine thought, "With uncle-master''s ability, what more can be concealed from him, be it in or out of Qing Xuan? He may have already sensed the current condition of Junior Apprentice-Sister Ruoxi, but was not willing to share it with us."


    Chen Jinchan was silent.


    He could not ensure that Gu Caiwei endured until the headmaster came back. In addition, he could not stop Junior Apprentice-Sister Ruoxi from choosing to be in seclusion. He was truly ashamed to face the headmaster.


    On Shen Ruoxi''s choosing to be in seclusion, Fan Yanying had no opinions regarding it. After all, what uncle-master said was true �C transforming the impossible into something possible was inherent in cultivation. Since Junior Apprentice-Sister Ruoxi was determined to do it, it was her own choice. As outsiders, who were we to interfere?


    Perhaps she knew more than Chen Jinchan. Ever since Junior Apprentice-Sister could demonstrate Daoist immortality, she frequently acted in an odd manner. There was even a time before she decided to commit to seclusion where she went out and came back with an abnormal divine Qi. Chen Jinchan may have only thought that Dream Heart Sutra was acting up in a bizarre manner, but only Fan Yanying with her brilliant heart of sword felt that something was fishy.


    Before Ruoxi''s seclusion, she asked that question in her heart. Ruoxi did not conceal anything from Fan Yanying. The former told the latter that she, Ruoxi, was Tai Su''s reincarnation of Yuan Jun at trial. For this reason, Fairy Tianmeng planted the Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu in her heart, even though she could dispel it later. All along a gap was planted in her heart of Dao. Even if she borrowed the peculiar qualities of the Dream Heart Sutra to forcibly break away from the whims, it would, in fact, be incomplete.


    The day that she went out was coincidentally the day where she battled mana with Fairy Tianmeng. In the end, she disposed of the great danger. However, at death''s door, Fairy Tianmeng launched a counterattack, finally inducing the arrival of Tai Su Yuan Jun''s consciousness, which fought with Ruoxi over the control of her own body.


    If not for the Dream Heart Mantra being incomparably astonishing, and more so as there were no heart and soul techniques higher than it, none of the miraculous effects would have been cast on these kinds of matters. Ruoxi would have become the incarnation of Tai Su Yuan Jun from the very beginning.


    Although she and Tai Su Yuan Jun were now one and the same in body, at the bottom of it all she has yet to assimilate with Tai Su Yuan Jun. Therefore, it could still be seen that there were two bodies. It can be said that Ruoxi did not concede to become Tai Su Yuan Jun.


    In the end, she relied on her own natural talents and finally figured out a way to maintain her self �C seclusion. By this she turned her primordial spirit into emptiness, the existence of her body became a dream. In the dream, she fought with the consciousness of Tai Su Yuan Jun.


    Because dreams had endless possibilities, this was the only way for her to contend against the consciousness of Tai Su Yuan Jun. If by luck she could achieve victory, she could once again awaken. If not, she would be trapped in the dream forever.


    In this matter, there was no one else that could help her but herself.


    Fan Yanying''s guess was right on the mark. Shen Lian''s divine thoughts were spread all throughout Qing Xuan, and he had long sensed that Ruoxi had been in seclusion. Furthermore, he was the one person who knew clearly the situation Ruoxi was in, and he also deeply understood the Dream Heart Mantra. Therefore the reasons for Ruoxi''s decision were not at all concealed from him. But this was personal. It was a family business. There was no need to nag on the disciples and Niece-Master.


    If he was profoundly emotional, yet powerless, he would not be Shen Lian.


    The matter concerning Ruoxi can be dealt with later. Now, it was time to meet all the doyens and disciples of Qing Xuan and declare the good news: Shen Lian has returned.


    ��


    Since thousands of years ago, several calamities resulted in the eliminating of the sect partitions between the Celestialisms. There was no longer any attachment to material things due to sentimental value. Most of the necessities of cultivation and the spiritual items were all used for trade. The Xuantong Demon King was originally the big expert on such endeavors, using this as a pretext for fixing in place the transactions of the celestial market and establishing Lingyan Pavilion. Day and night, a large number of cultivators went in and out. With the reputation of Lingyan Pavilion, even the demons and monsters could trade freely inside.


    Therefore, although the number of Immortal Zhenrens have yet to increase since previous years, the cultivators who had immortality demonstrated a blowout in their position because of these exchanges. Adding to the situation back then was the research of Demon Master''s Teleport Formation by Lingyan Pavilion. Through the Teleport Formation of Lingyan Pavilion, cultivators from all around the world could come faster and more efficiently than before. Furthermore, the transmission of messages would be just as fast and efficient, spreading quicker. As of today, the cultivation community was much more prosperous compared to the past.


    The Yuan Continent''s Mount Jimo was coincidentally the headquarters for the Luoists back in the day. Ever since Luoism was defeated and eradicated, Lingyan Pavilion became the largest branch of the Demon Master''s trading in Yuan Continent. Cultivators came and went, just like a fair in the secular world.


    However, in this place teeming with worldly desires, there were still untouched places. Dengtian Building was one of those places, a rare scenic viewpoint far outside Lingyan Pavilion. From the top of the building, nothing else could be seen except for haze and evening mist, and the worldly celestial environment.


    The cultivators that rested on Dengtian Building either had high family status, or extraordinary cultivation experience or came from a good background. Whatever news that was discussed here could only be the most major events happening within the cultivation community.


    Only one of the cultivators was narrating today. The rest were listening to him. He narrated the story of how the previous Qing Xuan headmaster, Zhenren Shen, who had disappeared thousands of years ago, once again appeared in Qing Xuan. The narrating cultivator was coincidentally a person closely associated with Qing Xuan, coming from one of its powerhouses. When he was telling the story of Zhenren Shen returning once again to the realm of the living, not a detail was spared. He was vividly describing each detail with much enthusiasm as if he was at the scene in person on that very day.


    "You all know that my disposition is not prone to falsity. Zhenren Chen is a sublime person, and within the cultivation community, it could even be said that he is as weighty as Mount Tai and as brilliant as the Big Dipper. But on that day, when he was beside his headmaster, Zhenren Shen, it was like me facing my father at home. Reverent and respectful. From what I could tell, the respect was not merely because Zhenren Chen honored the teaching of his headmaster, but because Zhenren Shen''s cultivation experience was miles ahead of Zhenren Chen! To the extent that Zhenren Chen revered and held Zhenren Shen in high esteem!


    This time, according to my aunt''s husband, Zhenren Shen ordered Zhenren Chen to convene us Qing Xuan cultivators to return to the mountain. Zhenren Shen has something he wishes to instruct us on. Furthermore, back in the day, Zhenren Shen was the most modest and unassuming of persons. Be it the later generation, the current generation, or the past generation, anyone who asked him about the complications of cultivation would be met with his honest answers. He has never been one to be selfish. This time when we return if luck permits that we meet Zhenren Shen, let us take the chance to ask him about the complications of cultivation. His advice is worth so much more than any elixir in the world."


    The cultivator who was speaking was quite plump. His surname was Jia, and he came from a background of a big cultivation clan from Yuan Continent. Before his family picked up cultivation, they were already a prominent clan. Later on, one of their ancestors was brought into Qing Xuan by one of the Qing Xuan doyens. They obtained and cultivated the Shenxiao True Technique, and during the process of eliminating Luosim by armed forces, their reputation soared. They were known as The East of Qing Xuan, number one in Lightning Techniques.


    The East of Qing Xuan was precisely Tianhua Continent, and also the original head camp of Luoism back in the day. That was why people of the current times speak highly of his ancestors, that they were strong in their Lightning Techniques. The talents of Luoism came forth in large numbers, but not a single person was worthy enough an opponent.


    Although his ancestor achieved eight transformations of Huandan, he still could not achieve Powang. After he passed away of old age, the Jia family had no other talents and so they could not return to the glory days. However, in the end, his ancestor still served Qing Xuan, taking up the position of a doyen. His ancestor brought all the uncles bearing the Jia surname into Qing Xuan before dying, making them his disciples. His uncle was also of extraordinary talent, unexpectedly achieving the seventh transformation of Huandan a few years back. The Jia family thus made a turn for the better, once again returning to the glory days.


    The Jia cultivators established Dengtian Building in his uncle''s honor.


    "Brother Jia, you say that Zhenren Shen is highly skilled. That is indeed true. But if it were his teachings, perhaps he is not as good as Zhenren Xiangshan from the Xuantian Sect. All in all, Zhenren Shen did nurture an amazing disciple in Zhenren Chen, but lest we forget, Zhenren Chen was a natural-born Daoist body. Who knows how much easier it was for him to achieve Dao, compared to the likes of ordinary people such as ourselves? On the other hand, the nine disciples of the Xuantian Sect nurtured by Zhenren Xiangshan all turned out to be Immortal Zhenrens in their own right. The cultivation of Zhenrens Wang Shidao and Song Qingyi are far beyond that of Zhenren Shen. I heard from one of the more distinguished pupils from Xuantian that Zhenren Xiangshan''s teachings were better than any elixir." Among the crowd of cultivators, someone yelled eccentrically.

 Chapter 625 King Kui Li

    Cultivator Jia was immediately unconvinced, sneering, "Zhenren Xiangshan is skilled in teaching his disciples, that much is true. But have you not noticed the great number of years he has been in this world? From the time Zhenren Shen started his cultivation up until the time he transcended beyond the mortal world, it was only a few years. Where would he find the time to nurture any disciples?"


    All the cultivators there were rational people. One after another they entered into discussions. They heard that Zhenren Shen''s speed of cultivation was outstanding be it then or now. Until today, no one from the four main Daoist sects could break the record for achieving Huandan, Immortality, and transcend beyond the mortal world in such a short time. There is no one who can truly compare to such innate talent. Even Zhenren Chen and his natural-born Daoist body required over two hundred years before it could break away from the whims, and become one of the deities. The rumors were that the years Zhenren Shen needed to reach this step was just short of a hundred. In comparison to Zhenren Xiangshan during that time, Zhenren Shen was undoubtedly much quicker.


    Cultivator Jia heard the discussion of the crowd, and he gradually grew excited as well. With a smile, he proclaimed, "I presume everyone has only vaguely heard about Zhenren Shen''s rapid cultivation, but clueless about the specific details. I, however, have heard some of these details from my uncle. Maybe some of you wish to hear those intricacies?"


    Although to these cultivators neither reaching first nor reaching last were not impossible, but with regard to a legendary person such as Shen Lian who could cultivate with such speed, the details were very much a curiosity. They all beckoned, "Please tell us."


    The eccentric cultivator was now silent. After all, the only thing he did not like was to see Cultivator Jia with such a complacent look on his face. As for making light of Zhenren Shen, the eccentric had no such courage.


    It should be known that Zhenren Shen and Zhenren Chen did a great service to the cultivation community. Only a few of the Celestialism orthodoxies that exist today did not receive their benevolence. During the demonic chaos in the world, if Zhenren Shen did not take the initiative to engage in the bier discourse of Dao with the Demon Master and eliminate the vast demonic trial on behalf of the cultivation community, half of the currently existing Celestialism orthodoxies would have been wiped out.


    Later on, another problem arose �C the revolt of the Luoists. This time it was Zhenren Shen''s favorite disciple who came to the rescue. Zhenren Chen upheld the right way, and once again saved the Celestialisms from suffering such trials. It should be known that Fairy Zhao of Luoism was rumored to be Zhenren Shen''s close friend and confidante. Even those such as the Demon Master wanted to kill Fairy Zhao, using this as a pretext to disturb the heart and soul of Zhenren Shen.


    Qing Xuan honored its masters and respected their teachings, but at that point, it was none other than Zhenren Chen himself who killed Luoism and Fairy Zhao. That action alone demonstrates how hard it was for Zhenren Chen to make that decision.


    Perhaps Chen Jinchan was the kind of morally righteous cultivator the community lacked. He was often serving others, and before he achieved immortality he earned a reputation for being ''The Gentleman of Dao''�C meaning, Chen Jinchan was a gentleman amongst those who cultivated Dao. Therefore in the thousand years after that, there were many throughout the world who became his disciples and his friends. If any person dared to speak ill of him and word got out, those accusations would not stand in the cultivation community unless it was someone extraordinarily capable.


    At the moment, Cultivator Jia paid no mind to what the eccentric cultivator was talking about. Shen Lian''s past achievement in cultivation was something Cultivator Jia knew inside out. Every time he thought about it, he would still be as excited as the first time. He began the story, "Zhenren Shen was sixteen years of age when he went out to sea and entered Qing Xuan. He left the mountain when he was thirty-three. At that time he was already a Huandan, an opponent not to be messed with.


    Even a normal and incredibly able person on the third or fourth transformation of Huandan was no match for him. Moreover, he was the first person in almost a hundred years to successfully cultivate the Taixu Strategy, the most supreme technique on this world. It is purportedly known as such because it was the hardest Huandan Dao formula in the realm of cultivation. Since its conception by Founding Master Qingshui, Fairy Ziling and Zhenren Biyun were the sole two who completed Huandan. Shen Lian became the third after he left the mountain, and he only needed a year.


    Fifteen years later, Zhenren Shen adopted the position of Headmaster in Qing Xuan. Immediately after that, he broke the juncture to immortality. At forty-nine years of age, he engaged in the bier discourse of Dao with the Demon Master, and finally transcended beyond the mortal world. Taking everything into account, Zhenren Shen used less than thirty-three years to transcend the mortal world since he started cultivating at Qing Xuan.


    Moreover, all throughout his fifteen years of being headmaster, there were Zhenren Gu, Zhenren Yan, and Zhenren Lu �C the trio of which all achieved the eighth transformation of Huandan. Place this achievement in any other Daoist sect, three Zhenrens each achieving the eighth transformation of Huandan, and it seems impossible to comprehend. If I say none of them were influenced by Zhenren Shen, would any of you believe me?"


    Having finished the story, Cultivator Jia stared at the eccentric cultivator.


    His words were rational and true. Moreover, there was no need to fabricate, therefore everyone believed him. As what he spoke was the truth, everyone was stunned speechless after they heard some of the details told. The reason for their shock was because Zhenren Shen''s cultivation speed was simply contrary to what they acknowledged. By what logic could a person''s cultivation be quicker as he neared the end?


    Seventeen years were used for Huandan. After Huandan, came the transcending beyond the mortal world. The latter required a year less than Huandan �C sixteen.


    Since ancient times countless cultivators, as many as the grains of Ganges, devoted their whole lives to gain immortality. Most of them, however, did not have good prospects of achieving this. For Zhenren Shen to achieve that in as short a time as thirty-three years, it was more incredible than the rumors of a celestial who was reincarnated.


    In fact, they had no clue that Shen Lian was admittedly a natural genius, but if he did not have the supreme Mastery of Senses derived from the supreme Lingbao Tianzun Art of Spiritual Enhancement, he would not have been able to improve himself so rapidly.


    Furthermore, the Art of Spiritual Enhancement created by a person of such stature as Lingbao Tianzun was the only one of its kind that was of help to a cultivator in all stages of cultivation. In the initial stages, it enabled a non-reliance on outside factors to expand the power of the spirit. In the later stages, it helped to smoothen the cultivation process.


    These reasons were not obvious to all, except for Shen Lian himself.


    The eccentric cultivator who was given the stare by Cultivator Jia, flew into rage out of humiliation, "You with the surname Jia, what are you looking at me for?"


    Cultivator Jia laughed with disdain, or maybe even with contempt.


    In the end, the eccentric cultivator was fuelled with rage. He thought to himself, It is not only you who have a supporter in Qing Xuan, I have my own supporter too. You can boast all you want for all I care but you did not have to step on my dignity. I do not dare to speak of Zhenren Shen and Zhenren Chen, so I will not speak at all and instead beat you to a pulp. Let us see whether you have any dignity left after that.


    His method of cultivation was somewhat biased, and not the right way. At the present, he was extremely angry and he did not care at all that he was at Dengtian Building. He immediately conjured up ten needle-shaped weapons which hung suspended in the air.


    The other cultivators muttered to themselves, saying that this was not a good sign. This instrument was called the murderous Zimu needle. It was a Mu needle cultivated from the cinnabar fields within the body. Borrowing the magnetic strength of the Mu needle, the needle was controlled and launched. Cultivator Jia had some attainment, but it was likely that it would be immediately pricked into a hole.


    People of the Jia family were prone to making provoking remarks, this cultivator had already shown his tone of voice. Perhaps next time he would not dare to be so careless.


    The onlookers see everything clearly. But the cultivator, in his anger, had a clouded brain.


    The cultivator did not care at all for anything else. Clearly, the anger had gone to his head, giving him the courage to do. The ten murderous needles approached Cultivator Jia.


    How could Cultivator Jia foresee that a minor disagreement would lead to such a confrontation? It came as no surprise that he was immediately scared out of his wits. He looked at the murderous needles as they came his way, but immediately a ray of golden light flew out and headed towards the direction of the needles.


    Before the golden ray could block the needles, a five-colored divine light followed behind. It immediately brushed aside both the needles and the golden light.


    All they saw was a girl in a green skirt at the foot of the staircase. Her brows were knit in a frown as she stared at all the people there.


    At that point, the door flew open and a handsome youth entered. He was the person-in-charge of Dengtian Building. It was he who used his own instrument, the ceremonial Golden Wire Mesh, to save Cultivator Jia. He did not expect that his Golden Wire Mesh, as well as the murderous Zimu needle, would be perished by the five-colored divine light.


    When the handsome young man''s instrument was taken away quite leisurely, he was not too happy about it. But when he saw the young girl''s appearance, his look changed abruptly and dramatically. He ran towards her and bowed, "I greet you, King Kui Li".


    The cultivators at the scene were nothing short of surprised. Only those Demon Kings who have experienced the Lightning Trials of Transformation could be referred to as such.

 Chapter 626 As the Demon Lord Comes and Goes

    Places similar to the Lingyan Pavilion were usually privy to information. Hence, the lady was swiftly recognized as the Demon Lord Kui Li, who was publicly renowned in the last hundred years.


    The reason why she was termed to be extremely popular was due to Kui Li''s accomplishment of a major task. The cultivation sect had always deemed either Daoism and Buddhism as their authentic practice. Those who took lead in Daoism are Xuantian and Qing Xuan. While Buddhism was divided into Hinayana, which it was comprised of two sects, the Tattvasiddhi, and the Kushahu, and Mahayana which comprised of six sects, namely the Risshu, Sanlun, Tiantai, Yogacara, Huayan, and Shingon. Subsequently, Fahai from the Jinguang Temple joined the Jintu Sect. After the destruction of Vidyaraja Temple, also sometimes referred to as Vidyaraja Temple, Huike entered the Zen Sect. Above all mentioned were collectively termed as the ''ten sects of Buddhism''. Since then, the Zen master of each sect was no longer inferior to Golden Luohan''s cultivation experience and was compatible with Dao''s immortal Zhenren.


    Ever since Huike entered the Zen Sect, within a span of a thousand years, a total of five generations of eminent monks were born and termed as the ''Five Masters''. It was then that the Zen Sect''s popularity surpassed the remaining nine sects. They possessed the power to govern almost all of the Buddhist sectors in the world. As there were many Zen Sect connoisseurs, they could almost be on par with Qing Xuan. Their commemoration temple was constructed at the late address of Vidyaraja Temple, it was then renamed as Small Lei Yin Temple, adopting the idea of Buddhism being as mighty as thunder. The reason for the term ''small'' in its name was because there was a Big Lei Yin Temple which Buddha resided in according to legend. Hence, ''small'' was used to differentiate between the two.


    It can be said that in the mortal world, apart from Xuantian and Qing Xuan, the toughest places to intrude was Small Lei Yin Temple. However, a hundred years ago, the Demon Lord Kui Li managed to utilize supernatural powers, intruded into the Sutra Repository of the Small Lei Yin Temple and stole the precious Mahamayuri Scripture. Other than Zen Sect''s Huike, the other four masters collaborated to assassinate Kui Li over ten years. However, she still managed to escape, causing the four zen masters to give up the chase, condoning the stolen scripture to go adrift.


    Thereafter, Demon Lord Kui Li constructed a place of enlightenment at Chui Ping Mountain, claimed herself to be the owner of Chui Ping Mountain, and possessed infinite mana. Not to mention ordinary cultivators, even immortal Zhenrens, were unwilling to infuriate her.


    Such an intimidating and prominent figure like Kui Li arrived at Lingyan Pavilion''s division out of a sudden, causing the handsome young lad to tremble in fear.


    Kui Li seemed slightly unhappy and mentioned, "Do not call me King, sounds too bucolic, call me Lord of the Mountain."


    Her voice was sweetly-tuned and extremely melodious. If the handsome young lad had never addressed her as King Kui Li, all the other cultivators might have thought that she was a maiden of some aristocracy.


    The handsome young lad forcefully held back his fear, tried to keep himself calm and spoke, "Greetings to you, Mountain Lord, I am the person who is responsible for the Lingyan Pavilion, Wei Ran. Do you have any orders?"


    Kui Li cast a glance at the cultivators upstairs, waved her hand as though she was trying to shoo away flies and said, "You people, get out." After which she pointed at Cultivator Jia and said, "You can stay."


    Instantaneously, there were cultivators who showed signs of fury. Even though she was a shapeshifted demon lord, there was no reason for her to bully others so brutally. As some wanted to voice out their dissatisfaction, Wei Ran immediately said, "Dear guests, let me, Wei Ran, buy you this meal, this is King Kui Li, the Lord of Chui Ping Mountain, please do not commit mistakes recklessly."


    Very few actually knew the name of the Lord of Chui Ping Mountain. When Lord of Chui Ping Mountain was mentioned, many cultivators found it familiar. Some suddenly recalled this name and whispered to the people around them and within a short span of time, many people were shocked and astonished. Who else dared to make an extra comment? Even the cultivator who lost his Murderous Zimu Needle immediately followed the mass to leave Dengtian building through light travel.


    Instantly, the whole of the upper story was left with only the Demon Lord Kui Li, Wei Ran, and Cultivator Jia.


    Cultivator Jia was extremely restless, he did not know why the world-renowned demon lord requested for him to stay. Fortunately, the Lord of Chui Ping Mountain saved his life prior to this account, thus he was not as terrorized.


    Kui Li tidied her hair strands that were dangling at her ear loop, radiating a sense of indolence which an elegant lady would have. However, the other two dared not even to catch a glimpse of her. She chose a seat catered for tea drinking which was previously not occupied by anyone. It was a spot that allowed one to have a good view of the scenery of a misty evening. One that was wide, expansive, and ever-changing. It was closely similar to the clouds and mist she once saw on the Taiyi Peak.


    Wei Ran hinted Cultivator Jia with a glance and both of them walked towards Kui Li respectfully. Nonetheless, it was still Wei Ran who initiated, "My Lord, what orders do you have for us?"


    "I am here to pick a present for someone." Kui Li let out a smile. She looked at the misty view surrounding her and it seemed to improve her mood.


    Only then Wei Ran was relieved. As long as the Demon Lord Kui Li did not spur chaos, even if she did not want to pay for the goods, it was also acceptable for it was worth it. He said, "What kind of goods are you searching for? Let me find it for you and if there is one, I would hand it over to you right now. If there it is not found here, I would send my men to fetch it from the main department."


    He spoke with full confidence, for thousands of years, the family business of the Lingyan Pavilion had expanded greatly, Demon King Xuantong can even be considered as the disciple of Zhenren Xiangshan, his fame cannot be undermined. Moreover, Demon King Xuantong was known for completing his work justly. Even though many cultivators'' treasures were unable to be sold out within a short period of time, he would willingly store them in Lingyan Pavilion. Therefore, there were all kinds of goods for cultivation in Lingyan Pavilion. Even unique treasures that were rarely seen can be found here, or there would at least be significant clues about the treasures.


    Kui Li took out an invitation, it flew graciously into the hands of Wei Ran. On top of it plastered a spiritual will and Wei Ran immediately understood what kind of present Demon Lord Kui Li wanted to pick.


    Wei Ran pondered for awhile and said, "My Lord has listed ten treasures, it is possible to search for three types of it here if I remember correctly. Out of the remaining seven treasures, six can be found from our main department. I can immediately order my men to travel back to the main department to collect it for you, with the exception of the Fruit of Desire. That, we do not have it here in Lingyan Pavilion. After all, after the plummet of a deity that was compatible with celestials or Buddhas, only then can the condensation of the remaining spirituality and spiritual form produce such a treasure. Usually, once such treasure is found, it would be used right on the spot, or be kept in secret for inheritance purposes."


    Demon Lord Kui Li furrowed and said, "I worked so hard to produce a list of ten special gifts, you are now telling me that I would be short of one present, how can such presentation of gifts be termed as perfection?"


    Kui Li groaned softly and spoke with a tinge of dissatisfaction, "Those things that you mentioned, I can easily find them myself if I were not bothered by the hassle. I would not be even bothered to come to you. Forget about it! Prepare the nine treasures you have mentioned, I will personally obtain the Fruit of Desire myself."


    Wei Ran let out a sigh of relief and said, "I will immediately start the preparation. Within roughly two hours, I should be able to get all of them."


    Kui Li said, "Oh right, tell me would you. Are there any deities that is compatible with the level of celestials and Buddhas nearby the Yuan Continent?"


    Wei Ran felt that her question appeared to be rather strange but still replied, "Head north for about thirty-five thousand miles. There is someone called King Ahyu. It is rumored that he has a book that contains the theories of deity cultivation. Hence, it caused a whole nation of civilians to worship him following a brutal blood-shedding ceremony by using a physical form to conceal God. It is extremely powerful and there is a possibility of him being close to the level of celestials and Buddhas."


    Kui Li said, "Good." Thereafter, only five colored divine light rays could be seen. It slit through the sky and disappeared.


    Cultivator Jia asked curiously, "Brother Wei, why did Lord of the Chui Ping Mountain leave out of a sudden?"


    Wei Ran furrowed and said, "How would I know?"


    He then continued. "There is no need to fear Brother Jia, I have heard that Lord had some relations with Qing Xuan which you belong to. She will not harm you in any way."


    Cultivator Jia was shocked and said, "What relations were there?"


    "I have only heard the master of our pavilion mentioned it a few times. However, I am not aware of the details, I will be leaving to instruct my men to collect the things requested by Lord, please do wait for a moment," mentioned Wei Ran softly.


    He left just for a bit and returned. Since Lingyan Pavilion had their rules and regulations, as long as the order was released, there would be people who would accomplish the tasks very quickly.


    Wei Ran knew that it was not very nice to neglect Cultivator Jia. Hence, both of them drank about two pots of tea together. Then once again, they saw five colored divine lights slit through the sky, headed towards them. They knew Kui Li had returned. Hence, they immediately rose to attend to her.

 Chapter 627 Technique of Thunder

    A divine light shined swiftly into the building where the elegant, emerald-dressed lady sat at the same spot she last sat. At the same time, there laid a man on the sandalwood floor beside her, whose skin was as tan as bronze that glimmered with golden-like luster and had a ferocious appearance.


    Wei Ran seemed anxious, his voice quavered as he said, "Lord, did you leave to capture King Ahyu earlier?"


    Kui Li replied, "If I did not capture him, how do I find the Fruit of Desire? However, I am still unclear on how the fruit is formed, so I spared his life. Do you know the secret theory of nurturing this fruit here in Lingyan Pavilion?"


    Wei Ran steadied his nerves and said, "If a large part of the deity''s spiritual form remained in perfect condition as he dies, his divinity would be left behind. If coupled with some special conditions, it is highly likely that a Fruit of Desire can be produced. Even though this process is time-consuming, our pavilion has a secret theory that aids in a quicker formation of the fruit, I will now collect it for you."


    Kui Li said, "Quickly, go get it."


    Wei Ran stroked away a few droplets of sweat on his forehead, he then bowed and left.


    At this moment, Kui Li looked towards Cultivator Jia and said, "What is your name?"


    Jia cultivator mentioned, "My name is Jia Zhen."


    Kui Li''s nose quivered a little, she then mentioned, "Are you the descendant of that Shenxiao True Technique practitioner?"


    Jia Zhen said, "My ancestor is the cultivator of Shenxiao True Technique, Lord, you knew my ancestor?"


    Kui Li replied, "Of course I do, I have stayed in Qing Xuan for some time, however, it has been a hundred years since I''ve left. Is he still around?"


    Jia Zhen said, "My ancestor had levitated two hundred years ago." As he thought about this, Jia Zhen was filled with a sudden sense of sadness, this was because his parents only gave birth to him at the age of two hundred years old. If his parents were unable to Hundan again, he might have to face the death of his parents very soon. Though his uncle treated him extremely well, it can never be replaced with the love from his father and mother.


    As he pondered on this, Kui Li came to mind with her supernatural powers and technique, her association with her ancestors and how she still managed to remain so youthful. These facts led him to deliberate over the notion of immortality. He did not only desire to verify the possibility of immortality now, but he desired the immortal spiritual medicine to increase the lifespan of his parents.


    Though his ancestor Jia Yili did not impart the Shenxiao True Technique to his family members because of some ground rules, Jia Yili was widely extolled as ''Qing Xuan of the East, Thunder Technique at its prime''. Such appraisal was a derivation from the Shenxiao True Technique, termed as ''Technique of Leiyuan Thunder''. Though this technique was slightly inferior, it was specialized in extracting the essence of lightning and thunder within the earth and sky that would nourish one''s physical form.


    However, ever since this technique was founded, none of the Jia family members managed to learn this technique well. One of the tribe''s disciple once asked Jia Yili about this to which Jia Yili was unable to provide an explanation. Gradually, many people lost interest in practicing this technique and instead requested Jia Yili to discover other techniques. This situation continued throughout the generation of Jia Zhen''s parents and most of them had forgotten about this past too.


    This was until twenty-three years ago when Jia Zhen was born. His parents were blessed with a child at an old age and they loved and cherished him. Coincidentally, they encountered writings that were left behind by Jia Yili. Those which were related to the Leiyuan Thunder Technique suggested that the person who is able to successfully acquire this technique would be ranked amongst Qing Xuan''s one hundred and eight laws of technique.


    Jia Zhen''s parents were ecstatic. The writings they found on the Leiyuan Thunder Technique were very detailed and was also completely reinterpreted by Jia Yili before his demise making the writings to be perceived as being fully complete. His parents even brought it to Jia Zhen''s uncle for advice on the writings and it was highly praised. With that, Jia Zhen''s parents felt assured and allowed Jia Zhen to practice this technique.


    However, due to limitations of resources in the Jia family, when Jia Zhen practiced the Leiyuan Technique, he was always hindered at the stage of trance. Never once had he break through this stage. His parents understood that it could not be rushed and instead, advised him to take a break and relax.


    In actual fact, his parents were not aware that the essence of thunder and lighting was the most righteous essence in heaven. The Leiyuan Technique was one that extracted the essence of thunder and lighting. During the Qiaodong state, the essence was condensed to form the Qi of thunder, of which would be used as the mana within one''s physical form.


    However, after the cultivation of Qi of thunder, there was a need to combine the Qi of thunder with spirit. Only then can the spirit leave in order to enter the state of ''trance''. This was the only step, it was the simplest yet toughest step.


    It was deemed to be difficult because Qi of thunder upheld the sense of righteousness of the earth and sky. It was intolerant of any form of evil will. As such, those who once cultivated this technique in the Jia family were also hindered at this particular stage. Though Jia Yili understood the reason for these failures, he could not mention it and it might cause disruption psychologically, making it even tougher to breakthrough this stage.


    Fortunately, if anyone managed to cultivate this technique successfully, it would be indicated that this particular person was virtuous. To have such a prominent figure born in the Jia family was rather a comforting thought.


    At the current moment, Jia Zhen had an unwavering determination to pursue immortality and to reciprocate his parents'' effort in nurturing him. This was the most righteous will in the world and on top of that, he had no other desires. At that very moment, both of these pure wills merged into the Qi of thunder, and bizarre changes were happening to him.


    He heard a roaring sound of thunder and suddenly, the world he once saw had a brand new view. He looked towards Kui Li and vaguely saw a circular figure that looked like the scorching sun in a bright sky that pierced his eyes. With a sudden shock, his spirit immediately returned to his body.


    Jia Zhen knew that he had unknowingly entered into the ''trance'' state and according to his uncle, he would be able to go to Qing Xuan Celestial Mountain and meet Zhenren Shen.


    He was extremely delighted, so much so that we wanted to jump for joy.


    However, there was a soft melodious voice which rang in his ears. That voice was like having a pool of chilled water splashed all over him, ''You are leaning so close to your Lord, are you seeking death?''


    Jia Zhen was startled. He did not realize he had walked towards Kui Li and was only one foot away from her.


    He feared of accidentally offending her. Though he broke through the state of ''trance'' and became Huandan Zhenren, he was afraid that he was not capable to be her opponent.


    At this very moment, Wei Ran returned and took out a jade scroll which contained the secret method. Kui Li scanned it with her spiritual consciousness and she understood it swiftly. She practiced a mana which fell upon the dying body of King Ahyu. Instantly, King Ahyu turned into a crystal clear fruit, astonishingly beautiful.


    Kui Li nodded her head satisfactorily and said, "This secret method is indeed useful."


    Wei Ran smiled and said, "As long as my Lord likes it. This box contains the six treasures that were collected by my men who I ordered to obtain it from the main department, along with the three remaining treasures found in this very building. I have placed them together in this box."


    He took out a treasure box which was three foot long and opened it. In the box laid nine scarce and precious treasures, amongst the lot was a bunch of Zhima that seemed to be dozing off, yet it had an overwhelming spiritual aura.


    Kui Li conveniently placed the Fruit of Desire into the box, covered it, created a seal made out of five-colored divine lights and then proceeded to conceal the box.


    She said, "Jia Zhen, I, Lord of Mount Chui Ping hand you this present, when you have reached the mountain, pass it to Shen Lian. Do tell him that I have another task yet to be completed so I will not be attending Buddha''s Birthday Celebration he''ll be hosting."


    The thought that Kui Li''s present was prepared for Zhenren Shen never once crossed Jia Zhen''s mind. What was more surprising was that Kui Li entrusted him with the task to pass it to Zhenren Shen.


    He spoke rather slowly and said, "I am afraid that I might lose this present along the way, or have it snatched by others."


    Kui Li replied confidently, "In this treasure box lay my five colored divine lights and in the whole world, there are only a few people who are able to open it. Even if there was such a heedless person who dared to take it away from me, would he not be afraid of me murdering all of his family members?"


    Wei Ran, on the other hand, admired Jia Zhen for having such luck, only a mighty figure like Demon Lord Kui Li would not prioritize these scarce treasures. Hence, being able to voice out such brutal words with utter confidence.


    Moreover, if the people knew that these treasures were presents for Zhenren Shen, no one would dare to steal it. Given that celestials or Buddhas all had the ability to predict and calculate future events, they would not be foolish enough to take such advantages.


    After Kui Li finished speaking, she vanished into the air and left once again. Her actions were naturally graceful, Wei Ran and Jia Zhen watched her with admiration. Although Demon Lord Kui Li was rather ferocious, it was undeniable that her existence was compatible with celestials and Buddhas.


    Wei Ran also did not let Jia Zhen embark on his journey with the treasures alone, he had ordered guards to protect Jia Zhen. Through the use of telepathy formation, they promptly arrived at a seaside that was near Qing Xuan.


    When Jia Zhen reached the destination, he was much more composed. He went to find his uncle to firstly inform him about this matter.


    His uncle made him rest for the night and advised him to visit Zhenren Shen when he would be more refreshed the next day. That night, Jia Zhen was rather excited. He tossed and turned throughout the night reflecting on how he once thought that he would not have the opportunity to meet the widely-acclaimed legend, Zhenren Shen. Who knew that he was blessed with such an opportunity. This time, not only did he manage to break through the stage of ''trance'', but he even had the chance to be met Zhenren Shen very soon.


    Bright and early the next morning, he headed for Taiyi Peak accompanied by his uncle. As he proceeded further into the misty depths, he saw two young Daoist battling one another, each equipped with white and black chess pieces respectively.


    His uncle was extremely mannered and respectful, then asked him to kneel and he said, "Founding master, headmaster, this is my nephew - Jia Zhen."


    One of the younger Daoist had a dot of red cinnabar between his eyebrows. It glimmered as the moon did, and he was undeniably, Shen Lian. He looked at Jia Zhen, nodded slightly and smiled as he said, "This is one good young lad, belonging to the lineage of Shenxiao True Technique. It seems like a worthy descendant really exists."֥�� �� A mythical herb of Lingzhi, shape like a horse. It is said to have spirituality, and that it can ''ran away'' and ''escape'' if not properly kept. To prevent it from ''escaping'', herb collectors tie them using a red string with a drop of fresh blood.

 Chapter 629 Bull King

    Chen Jinchan remained silent. In actual fact, once a cultivator reached the stage of Huandan, it can be said that he had the ''fortune to gain powers of the heaven and earth, endowed with gifted spirit to invade the sun and moon''. Moreover, he would continue this journey further. Hence, such a contradiction was almost unavoidable.


    Can they even prevent them from improving, dispersed all forms of cultivation and reconstruct anew? Fallen flowers were not heartless creatures, they turned into spring soil to protect the growing ones. However, the concern where no flowers would transform into spring soil would prevail if flowers flourished without withering.


    Chen Jinchan said, "Founding master, there are very few immortal Zhenrens currently, thus it is still possible to traverse the doors of two worlds in which you had opened with ease. Nevertheless, how can the cultivators whom you ordered me to assemble traverse the doors? Even if the number of people attending does not reach one hundred thousand, there would be at least eighty to ninety thousand participants."


    Shen Lian said, "You do not have to worry over this, Qing Xuan once lost a treasure, drifted into the outside world. It seemed like a scroll of empty white painting. In actuality, it was a world yet to be formed. If we were to have it back, even if there were a million people, it is still possible to traverse with ease, not to mention a hundred thousand people. If it wasn''t for my lack of foundation in Netherworld, I do not have to bring so many cultivators over. Fortunately, the Qi in Netherworld is much denser than this part of the world, having to develop and extend our regime is way more beneficial than having to be oppressed in this part of the world."


    Chen Jinchan said, "I wonder where is the drawing now."


    Shen Lian''s replied heavily, "Xuantian Sect."


    Chen Jinchan was appalled, to claim this drawing back would be challenging.


    As to how the drawing landed in Xuantian Sect, this matter dated back to three days ago.


    Shifokou of the Yuan Continent had always been the assembling destination for the Tianxiang Order. The Order leader of Tianxiang - Xin Shisiniang - was an enlightened demon lord. It was rumored that she had mastered the Divine Fragrance Spell, capable of spellbinding any beings that were not as powerful as celestials and Buddhas. Even when it came to celestials and Buddhas, if were they not careful, they would fall into her trap.


    Nonetheless, Xin Shisiniang was a disciplined person, she rarely caused any conflicts. Under her rule, Tianxiang Order had amassed into an astonishing amount of wealth within the past thousands of years, there were a handful of great demons eyeing on Xin Shisiniang''s wealth, desired to gain her wealth through marriage. Their pursuits were, however, all declined by Xin Shisiniang. There was then one great demon who employed force to compel her into marriage. He announced publicly. "If Xin shisiniang does not marry me, I will set fire to burn Shifokou into ashes, eradicating the very existence of Tianxiang Order."


    A day after the great demon''s public proclamation. His abode turned into ashes and the demon, transformed into a puddle of mud. Ever since then, there were no great demons who dared to court Xin Shisiniang.


    Since that particular incident, even enlightened monks with great morality who belonged to the ten secs of Buddhism, or people with special powers from Xuanmen dared not linger around Shifokou.


    People rumored thereafter, that the order leader of Tianxiang had married a highly powerful demon.


    Xin Shisiniang viewed the river from the mountain behind Shifokou, there was a mountain opposite of it, which its shape was closely similar to naturally-made Shifokou, this was also how the name, Shifokou, came about.


    There was a waterfall at the top of the mountain, thin and fine, illuminated pure white gleams, similar to snow and white paper. However, at a closer look, there was nothing. Leaving only the sight of flurry mist that flew away into emptiness. This was due to the naturally formed spaces between the rocks on the walls of the mountain. The water would flow downwards due to the empty spaces. Given that there was no other form of support, the waterfall thus appeared to be thin and fine.


    It was as if there was a human shadow amidst the misty waterfall, it stood firmly in a void of space. Due to flurry mist that was alike to chiffon, a glanced at it from far made it all seemed unreal.


    Xin Shisiniang had her eyes fixed on that spot. Hesitated, she then flew towards it. When she was nearby, the human shadow hidden behind the waterfall became clearer, he held a scroll of an ancient scripture in his hand. His celestial appearance was elegant, and then gradually walked out. The flowing water of the waterfall did not even splatter on his body, he walked through a void of space as though he was walking steadily on a flat surface.


    Xin Shisiniang scrutinized his celestial appearance and asked in uncertainty, "You are Zhenren Wang?"


    The elegant man who had an ancient scroll of scripture in his hand was indeed Wang Shidao from Xuantian Sect. He smiled and said, "Shifokou is a conducive place for studying, I love this waterfall in particular. If we can empty the mountainside, build a shack in it for accommodation, it would be extremely joyous."


    Xin Shisiniang said, "You over-praised us. This place of mine, how can it be compatible with the breathtaking view of the Tianmen Straits?"


    Wang Shidao chuckled and said, "Each has their own enigmatic beauty, there is no comparison over this."


    Xin Shisiniang replied hesitantly, "Why did you travel over to this place, is there anything we can help?"


    "I would like to trouble you to return that scroll of empty white painting to me," said Wang Shidao courteously.


    Xin Shisiniang said, "That scroll of painting had been taken by my husband."


    "However, I am aware that when you, Shisiniang, married the Bull King, you had requested to have that painting as your betrothal gift. I am afraid that you have the idea of using this painting to request help from Qing Xuan connoisseurs in defeating Bull King, inadvertently murdering your father''s foe. Nonetheless, because of Daoist Master Taiyi''s divine restriction on that painting, Bull King was unable to reap any benefits from it. He must be angered. So, he would not let you have the painting," said Wang Shidao patiently.


    Xin Shisiniang replied plainly, "What can you do even if that was the case? When I married him, these terms were discussed, yet he was still willing to marry me."


    Wang Shidao chuckled and said, "Bull King is a heroic figure amongst the demons, he would naturally neglect your status. Hence, he is not fearful of your prospective revenge. Moreover, he had once fallen in love with a lady from the fox clan, you two looked extremely alike. She passed away. That is why he married you."


    Xin Shisiniang was stunned, she was silenced for a period of time and spoke plaintively, "Now I understand, this was the reason why he married me."


    "Shisiniang, there is no need for you to worry about revenging him. Do you know why the Bull King had left this time? It was because there were people who challenged him to a battle of life and death. Though he generously agreed to it, he had in fact, no confidence to claim victory. Thus, he left beforehand, fearing that as the battle was nearing, he might weaken as he sees your face. When the battle starts, the possibility of him surviving would be slim," said Wang Shidao calmly.


    Xin Shisiniang seemed rather surprised, she said, "I know his abilities better than anyone else. Who was it who challenged him to this battle of life and death? What is his intention? It is a known fact that such a mighty figure like him would never fight against any foes who were as strong as he is."


    Wang Shidao replied, "A thousand year ago, Bull King had collected an item from the Vidyaraja Temple. The owner of that temple had successfully cultivated. It is not surprising to have the owner seeking Bull King, forcing him to return the stolen item. The two of them are now one of the top demons in the world. Once they start battling each other, no one will be able to predict the results. It might be possible that even the Bull King cannot fight against his opponent''s supernatural powers. Having said that much, I once again request Shisiniang to return me that painting or I will have to take it myself."


    Xin Shisiniang spoke coldly, "Zhenren Wang, you are known as an enlightened and highly respectable man. Are you not worried about destroying your image with such ill-mannerism?"


    Wang Shidao sighed and said, "Those are merely honorifics that are insignificant, I understood this long ago."


    Once he channeled his divine Qi, Xi Shisiniang was heavily pressured. She eventually said, "I will give it to you."


    She removed the scroll of white painting from her body and threw it towards Wang Shidao. Wang Shidao had a glanced of it and smiled, he said, "Do excuse my offenses."


    He then transformed into a white blaze and left towards the sky.


    In the late evening, Xin Shisiniang met Shen Lian. She immediately understood what was going on and left him only one statement, "Zhenren Shen, you are too late."


    After Shen Lian had a clear understanding of what had happened from Xin Shisiniang, he realized that this was the doings of Lu Jiuyuan, if it was not him, Shen Lian could have predicted this incident. He was currently not inferior to Lu Jiuyuan. However, at this side of the world, he was still considered as a guest and Lu Jiuyuan was the host, which the host would be blessed with more advantages.

 Chapter 630 Reminiscing You Made Me Age, It Was Too Late for Time Had Passed

    A thousand years had passed, Shen Lian leisurely thought that he still wanted to meet Lu Jiuyuan.


    Chen Jinchan, however, was rather worried. His cultivation experience was closely similar to that of Shen Lian''s when the latter was facing the battle with Yanxu. He had also met Lu Jiuyuan once. Thus, he was able to perceive the frightening abilities of Zhenren Xiangshan.


    Whatever the honored master was planning to do, Zhenren Xiangshan would definitely not approve of it. Since there was a need to head to Xuantian Sect to attain that painting, it would be extremely dangerous.


    However, he did not advice against honored master''s will, he only hoped that things would proceed smoothly.


    ...


    The school of Xuantian Sect was not located in a common fortune land. It was formed by numerous refined abodes that were scattered around and were classically situated far away from mountains yet alongside water sources. Everywhere was a good field for vision. Every pagoda, building, and pavilion had its very own unique beauty.


    At the same time, every refined abode was a representation of their respective schools in Xuantian Sect. The way Lu Jiuyuan imparted knowledge to his disciples was not merely through lecturing. He unearthed the special talents of every student, developed his teachings based on each talent. Hence, he did not restrict his teachings to Dao, Buddhism, or Confucianism. Instead, he used all the knowledge from these three sects, obtained the goods to replace the bags.


    Amidst all the refined abodes, one building stood out among the others. It was situated in the middle of the mountain, amongst the luxuriance of abodes, the pagoda stood out distinctively, it had a total of nine stories. It was reputedly a pagoda with a few hundred years of age, amongst the Xuantian Sect, only the elders among the nine disciples of Xuantian knew clearly the construction period of this pagoda.


    Not far away from the pagoda was a bamboo abode, that was the where Lu Jiuyuan resided, it was also the stricter area of Xuantian Sect. Other than the nine disciples of Xuantian, or disciples who were valued by Lu Jiuyuan, almost no other beings can enter this area.


    Wang Shidao was kneeling outside the Lu Jiuyuan''s bamboo abode. Through a rough estimation, he had already kneeled for three days but Lu Jiuyuan was not awakened.


    At this very moment, there was a soft, melodious voice of a lady that came from the top of the pagoda. The voice was as lyrical as the singing of a nightingale, yet it was also similar to the soothing sound of flowing streams. It even had the aura that was comparable to ''Lotus flower which emerged from the clear water, decorated by the beauty of nature''. The voice said, "Old man Lu, what was the major mistake your disciple had committed that he has to kneel for such a long time?"


    "There was once an almighty who wanted to fabricate an ancient celestial weapon, the Painting of Mountain, River and Country. Thus, he took a part of the unformed world, cultivated it into a painting. However, it was never completed. The painting was then found to be in the hands of Daoist Master Taiyi, drifted into the lands of Qing Xuan, it is now brought back by this disciple of mine. As the saying goes, ''There are no gateways towards fortune or disaster, it can only be caused by oneself.'' This is indeed a treasure, but it is also a cause of chaos." Lu Jiuyuan''s reply transmitted from the bamboo abode. The reply seemed grave and serious as if it encompassed axiomatic truths of the world.


    The lady on the pagoda clapped her hands. Tith a crystal-clear voice, she said, "Good then, it seems like Shen Lian has returned."


    Lu Jiuyuan said, "Xiaoyu, you are smart indeed."


    "If it was not because of Shen Lian''s return, what else is there to make you so unsettled?" Zhao Xiaoyu who was on the pagoda mentioned softly.


    Lu Jiuyuan said, "In fact, apart from this matter, there exists another matter that is more troublesome. Nonetheless, it is a fortune, not a trouble, we cannot shy away from troubles anyway. Please rise, Shidao."


    It was as if Wang Shidao was granted amnesty, he rose quickly.


    Zhao Xiaoyu who was on the pagoda chuckled and said, "Old man Lu, though I see you blaming your disciple for causing this trouble, I am pretty sure that it was you who hid the designs of nature. I believe that painting matters a lot to Shen Lian, but before your disciple went to collect it, Shen Lian should have managed to perceive it. Yet, your disciple collected it with such ease, without Shen Lian knowing."


    "Xiaoyu is right, when a teacher sees his disciple committing a mistake, there is indeed a need for punishment. However, he would also protect him, moreover, he did it not for the others, but for me," said Lu Jiuyuan.


    Wang Shidao replied rapidly, "Honoured master, you''ve taken this too seriously. After three days of kneeling, I understand your concern. This incident does have certain aspects of recklessness, after analyzing the designs of nature, this was indeed not a favorable matter."


    Lu Jiuyuan smiled as he said, "It is good that you have understood it. Given that I have lived for so long, I am not someone who is timid nor someone afraid of challenges, I do not even have to wait for people to search for me. Bring that painting to Shen Lian, convey this message on behalf of me. I am old. Hence, my movements are no longer adapt. Therefore, I would not be able to attend Buddha''s Birthday Celebration and listen to his lectures. Invite him to arrange a suitable timing to visit and have a chat with me."


    Suddenly, a key query previously buried within Wang Shidao''s heart was answered, he immediately understood the honored master''s intention. He said, "I shall head to Qing Xuan this very moment."


    Wang Shidao did not hesitate when it comes to getting the work done. Hence, he immediately started his journey to Qing Xuan.


    After his leave, Xiaoyu who was on the pagoda was silent for a moment before she said, "Old man Lu, you made Wang Shidao travel over, but Shen Lian would definitely come to you. I am both happy and fearful at the same time."


    Lu Jiuyuan said, "You are afraid that Shen Lian would also be locked up in this pagoda by me? If that is the case, you should be glad."


    Zhao Xiaoyu replied slowly, "Shen Lian would never let you entrap him, I am afraid that he might not like seeing my wan and sallow appearance."


    Lu Jiuyuan burst into laughter, a melodious tune of a zither echoed out from bamboo abode.


    The ingenious tune of zither was crisp and clear as the bright moon. Although Zhao Xiaoyu had listened to it countless times, the tune still sounded extremely melodious.


    The tune of the zither was a reflection of one''s true emotions. Anyone nearby who had heard it would be able to imagine the meaningful message hidden within the melody, this was Lu Jiuyuan''s contentment. Amidst the tunes of zither, one would be able to form sentimental, imaginary sights of ''Mighty and colossal aura of mountains, the vivacity of the flowing streams of water, ringing sound of wood chopping, the melody of sailing amidst the creaking sound of a moving boat'' in his mind.


    However, Zhao Xiaoyu only thought of Shen Lian in her heart, murmuring deeply, "Reminiscing you made me aged, it was too late for time had passed. Our lives were born within the earth and sky as if we were visitors from a far-away site."


    The lyrical singing was as usual, similar to the clouds and mist of Qing Xuan. It did not fade away even after a long long time.


    ��


    A thousand years ago, the Yin of Yin Mountain had become the restricted area for life. The mighty Underworld Demon Sect who was once prosperous had vanished within a day, with their tracks all eradicated. No one knew where they went, but within the earth and sky, there was completely no trace of the Underworld Demon Sect.


    Moreover, since then, those who had the intention to intrude into the Yin of Yin Mountain had died violently after coming out of the mountain, there was no exception. No one managed to survive more than a day, at the same time, the way of their demise were bizarre and queer. The only trace they had in common was they all experienced a brutal death.


    That day, however, the area outside Yin of Yin Mountain, appeared a young lady appeared beside the Netherworld spring that flowed continuously. She faced the spring water, tidied her hair. If it was not because of the peculiar environment, whenever other people saw such a sight, they would definitely say, "Oh my lover, she stands at the other side of the water stream."


    The young lady was not anyone, she was Qianmo, also known as Kui Li and the world-known great demon who was innately born with the Qi of Five Elements.


    Suddenly, the water of Netherworld spring started to quiver, the earth trembled. Far away, a bull-headed, human bodied demon who wore black armor, stepped on the land as he headed over.


    Kui Li turned, stared at the demon with her pair of clear eyes, smiled as she said, "You are late."


    "No, you arrived early," said the demon.


    "That is because I cannot bear to wait any further, have you brought me the item?" asked Kui Li softly.


    The demon smirked and said, "No, I did not."


    Kui Li snorted softly and said, "Even if you did not bring it, do not expect that I will keep you alive."


    "Such a coincidence, I also had that in mind. Five colored divine lights are indeed impressive, but you are still too young, how dare you challenge me? Do not assume that just because a few monks were not able to suppress you, you can claim to be invincible in this world," the demon spoke coldly.


    Kui Li laughed with despise, she jumped into the air and vanished to the point where her shadow was nowhere to be found.


    The demon was the Bull King. He felt an extremely deadly innate force, aimed directly at the spot between his brows and attacked murderously.

 Chapter 631 Peacock Killing Method

    Bull King had a serious expression. A green-black demonic power emerged from his body. He stood unshaken like a pillar that pierced through the sky as he simply let the innate Qi attack.


    The highly concentrated and unrivaled innate Qi released a scary aura and the sky was filled with screams which caused the Yellow River to boil.


    When the innate Qi almost got to Bull King, the green-black demonic power suddenly turned into a big hand and blocked out the space. It caught the swift Qi and forced Kui Li to reappear.


    Kui Li was not surprised. She extended her arms and two gushes of Qi were released, like the clouds in the sky.


    The two gushes of Qi combined and they were in the form of Yin and Yang. All of a sudden, the space in the vicinity seemed like it was returning to the birth of heaven and earth as everywhere was wreaked havoc by fire, wind, and water.


    At that moment, a divine light appeared in the vicinity of their battle. It created a barrier for their powers which protected the heaven and earth from further damages.


    It carried such dignity that the message was sent to the duo''s hearts.


    Kui Li grunted coldly. Bull King cursed, "What are you rushing for?"


    The two seemed to share a tacit understanding as Kui Li turned into a shadow and flew by Yellow River, into the depth of Yin of Yin Mountain. It was a prohibited area for the living and it was rumored that there hid the path to the deepest of the Nine Underworlds.


    Bull King stepped on his steel hooves, as if like he wanted to break through the mountain and the river. He caught up with Kui Li in two steps.


    It was not known when the previous territory of the Palace of Yellow Springs was flooded by the water of the Yellow River. Bull King followed Kui Li to the prohibited area for the living and he turned into a giant of ten thousand feet. The horns on his head could pierce through the sky. The two hairy legs were stepping on the Yellow River. Countless lost souls were crushed underneath his steel hooves. They would never have a chance for another life.


    When they were there, the two peerless demons then revealed their most barbaric and primitive killing intents.


    Kui Li stood on top of the ten thousand hectares vast Yellow River as she looked down on Bull King. Even though she was not the size of Bull King''s one fingernail, their silently opposing aura was comparable.


    Bull King needed not to demonstrate any world-shaking supernatural powers as every part of his body could become an absolutely terrifying weapon.


    His gigantic hand attempted to grab Kui Li and the grasp was so strong that it seemed like it could break the sun, the moon, and the stars. The profound trail was able to block out all possible changes of Kui Li.


    In comparison to Bull King''s effortless gigantic hand, Guangqing''s grappling hand transformed from Qi of Xuanqing was like child''s play, relatively insignificant.


    The initially dark space, at that moment, it seemed that the rest of the light was stolen by Bull King''s grasp. Only darkness remained.


    If another demon was involved in this, in the face of Bull King''s grasp that contained the power of divines and demons, it would have to accept defeat. However, Kui Li was the most powerful demon for the past thousand years and in her, flowed a noble bloodline.


    Kui Li complained a little with her soft voice and she immediately released a terrifying divine technique. She blew out a gush of Qi which was the innate Qi of Taixu which combined the five elements. It could destroy everything and anything. It headed straight towards Bull King''s gigantic hand.


    Suddenly there was a bright explosion in the void. The water from the Yellow River in Bull King''s surrounding began to form a pouring waterfall which was flowing towards the sky. It too was ten thousand feet tall. The Yellow River in his surrounding dried up immediately.


    The strong Qi still flowed within the waterfall of Yellow River. It did not go away. Within the blink of an eye, the waterfall was evaporated into the night. At the same time, the power of rebirth was pumped into the water of Yellow River, which was spread across and subsequently covered everything.


    The effect of peeking into the void for spiritual consciousness was halved and halved again.


    Bull King was as big as a mountain but at that moment, he was like a drop in the ocean as he disappeared into the mist.


    Just like a divine dragon which could expand or shrink, extend or shorten, for a demon with Bull King''s level, he could be as big as the world, or as small as a speck of dust.


    If Kui Li only gained her skills through cultivation, in this battle she would definitely be on the weak side because, in terms of experience and power, Bull King was better than her.


    For a battle between the top demons, other than talent, personal experience was important. Kui Li was at Qing Xuan for several hundred years and hence, she already understood the Dao of Chongxu. She was not restricted to the heaven and earth.


    When Bull King hid amidst the mist, his horns appeared when he was approaching Kui Li. He carried with him the aura to break through everything and as he wanted to deal a critical attack on Kui Li, Kui Li escaped by an inch with an ultimate speed. Only a strand of hair was fluttering in the void, which implied how alarmingly dangerous the situation was.


    As Bull King''s attempt to assassinate her failed, he returned to his form and with just the opening of his mouth, there was no longer mist in the surrounding.


    "The Peacock Technique is indeed extraordinary." Bull King spoke each word slowly and it was like several ten thousand stones were hitting the ground. The echo in the void was attacking Kui Li wave by wave.


    However, when it got close to Kui Li, innumerable divine lights were released and the echoes were defeated.


    Kui Li in green made her look like a fairy of Lvluo, out of this world. Until then, one could still see her calmness. Her cold eyes gazed at Bull King in a disdained manner.


    Bull King laughed crazily knowing her thought. He took a wide step across the void and he approached her step by step. The infinite dignity of the demon was not reserved even for a little bit. The space was crumbling underneath his steps.


    The surrounding space in the two''s vicinity was shrinking. It felt like the void was a scrap iron which was being beaten continuously by a hammer until it became a good piece of material.


    At that moment, Kui Li was not scared but instead, she laughed. Her water-like eyes were filled with blood all of a sudden. There seemed like there were blood-colored light balls in her pupils. The killing vibe was concrete.


    Bull King finally stopped, with a shocking expression, "You only obtained Emperor Peacock Ming for about a hundred years and you''ve achieved the Peacock Killing Method!"


    "And why do you think I will want to kill you piece of old shack this time around?" Kui Li finally spoke.


    After Kui Li demonstrated her Peacock Killing Method, a bronze bell appeared in Small Lei Yin Temple, which covered the whole of the mountain gate. Even though they were battling in the prohibited area for the living, which was between the dead and the living as well as isolated from heaven and earth, the Five Masters of the Zen still felt that the Small Lei Yin Temple could be affected by the repercussions.


    The connoisseurs in the world all knew about their battle. Even Wang Shidao who was welcoming Shen Lian and the rest could feel the killing vibe from the killing method although it was weak. When they felt it, it was as clear as bright daylight.


    Wang Shidao remained calm, "I have brought the message from my teacher. What is your response to this, my fellow Daoist brother Shen."


    Shen Lian smiled, "If it''s Zhenren Xiangshan''s invite, I will be there during the full moon of this month."


    Wang Shidao cupped his hand, "Then I shall look forward to Zhenren Shen''s visit." After that, he retreated. The coldness he felt from meeting Shen Lian finally faded after he retreated to a distance outside of Shen Lian''s line of visits. He did not imagine that after only a thousand years, he could not look at Shen Lian neck to neck.

 Chapter 632 The Same Dream

    Shen Lian gazed at the direction of Mount Yin which was cut off by the Yellow Springs. In addition to being where dead and alive met, the rules were different and hence, even he could not detect what was happening over there easily. However, he roughly knew that was Qianmo, also known as Kui Li who was fighting with the Bull King.


    They were both top demons, it would not be easy for them to know who would be the winner in the end.


    Even Shen Lian could not get involved because of the innate pride Kui Li held.


    If she needed help, she would have gone to Shen Lian previously.


    Chen Jinchan who was by Shen Lian''s side said, "Honored master since Lu Jiuyuan already assigned Wang Shidao to send the painting back, I don''t think you should go and see him."


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, "Lu Jiuyuan invited me with honor to discuss Dao. If I don''t attend, it is a small matter for my personal reputation, but it will bring shame to Qing Xuan, and it is not something you and I wish to happen. Furthermore, even if he did not send me the painting, I was always ready to attend. Now, after he sent the painting over, if I decide to not go because I don''t dare to, it seems rather absurd."


    Chen Jinchan had nothing to say. Not everything in the world could be analyzed by its cost and benefit.


    Shen Lian gazed into infinity and said softly, "Furthermore, someone has waited for me for a thousand years."


    Chen Jinchan was curious about who had waited for the honored master for a thousand years. He was sure it was not Lu Jiuyuan but who among the Xuantian Sect could it be?


    He tried his best to figure it out but he could not, because nobody outside the Xuantian Sect knew Zhao Xiaoyu was trapped within the Xuantian Sect.


    Shen Lian went to Zifu peak again. He walked past the willow tree, he green willow leaves were just like Gu Caiwei''s eyebrows. The willow flowers were just like Gu Caiwei''s smile.


    He owed a great deal to a lot of people throughout his life. The only thing he could do was to remember those who had made him feel wonderful in his life. Even though it was meaningless to the people who had passed on, such as the shortness of life, who could even be able to keep track of everything that was meaningful?


    Eventually, Shen Lian arrived at the Hall of the Founding Masters where the line of Taixu stood. He removed the painting of Founding Master Qingshui and Shen Lian replaced it with the painting from Wang Shidao. There was no other painting which could represent the line of Taixu better than the empty scroll. When one reached the top of Taixu and had his own thoughts about the teaching, one for certain would be acting like a Great Way of heaven and earth. Only as such the Taixu Strategy was known as the supreme technique in the world.


    Throughout Shen Lian''s life, he had a lot of miraculous encounters but only the Mastery of Senses and Taixu Strategy had a determining effect on his life. Whether it was intentional or not, he had to thank Lingbao Tianzun and Founding Master Qingshui.


    He kept the painting of Idle Clouds Reflected on a Pond that represented Founding Master Qingshui with him. Unknowingly, the grandmaster Ziling had left Qing Xuan for a thousand years. The universe was vast, even the nearest star was of a far distance from this world. He did not know which star the grandmaster Ziling was on, or whether she was in another world, and that whether her and the grandmaster Qing Xiao were fine.


    Chen Jianmei''s Anatta Sword had brought ripples to Shen Lian''s still Daoist heart. Gu Caiwei''s death brought his Daoist heart to the secular world again. When he was in front of the Hall of the Founding Masters, Shen Lian began to miss her.


    From a human to a celestial, a lot of his emotions had faded out as he attained a higher state. However, he had gained some humanity again and this was not because he had lost his Daoist heart. Furthermore, it seemed to contain the profoundness of ''Dao is compassionate but heartless; Dao is heartless but compassionate''.


    The reality was, Shen Lian did not feel repulsed by these emotions in the recent days. He allowed them to stick around, just like a fine wine, the longer it was kept, the better it tasted. Everything had its place, and living was just like a dream.


    The essence of Free Form Incarnation and Dream Heart Sutra had finally combined into one. Shen Lian all the while had kept to the principle that, "the Daoist heart is like a bright mirror; one has to clean it often." This time when he tried to clean the dust in his heart, his heart was clearer than ever.


    It was just like cleaning the mirror with a dirty cloth. As he changed it into a clean cloth, the bright mirror in his Daoist heart was clearer.


    It was a matter of course, but ultimately, Shen Lian was who he was because of the important people in his life. Hence, instead of feeling happy, he was feeling rather melancholic.


    Fang Yanying''s pain was temporary but Shen Lian''s grief would last a long time.


    The reason was so because Fang Yanying chose to walk on the path of the killing sword, just like Chen Jianmei. As there was only oneself, hence, there was no self. As Fang Yanying was one with compassion, she would eventually end up walking on the path of heartlessness.


    This was, however, not the highest state for swordcraft as Shen Lian came to a revelation at that moment. The heaven and earth were born being and being was born from non-being, and from non-being, there came the being. The heaven and earth were born from being and hence, it was a circle with no end. It was the most beautiful and kind swordcraft but not the highest swordcraft.


    The only thing was whether Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother was aware of it when he was using the Anatta Sword. Shen Lian could not be sure, otherwise, Chen Jianmei perhaps could have survived. However, other than Chen Jianmei himself, no one would know about it.


    He needed to look for an opportunity to share his revelation with Fang Yanying, in hope that she would understand. Otherwise, when Fang Yanying became completely heartless, it would be irreversible.


    Shen Lian continued to walk towards a cave which was behind the line of Taixu section. A long time ago, grandmaster Ziling used to isolate herself in there to heal herself. Currently, it was Ruoxi who was inside.


    The cave was filled with ice formed by Ice Light. After a thousand years, it continued to absorb the spiritual opportunity of Zifu peak and the Daoist rhythm of Daoist master Taiyi. The Xuan Ice was inseparable from Ruoxi. If Shen Lian were to break the ice, it would mean to hurt Ruoxi.


    In addition, Ruoxi was still fighting against the will of the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity in her sleep.


    Even with the barrier of the Xuan Ice, Shen Lian could feel a strong will, like a star which never seemed to fade.


    However, even with such a strong will, Ruoxi''s body was not entirely under her control.


    It was not that Shen Lian could not do anything. If Ruoxi was dreaming, Shen Lian too could be dreaming.


    They would have the same dream this day.


    Shen Ruoxi had died again and again. She could no longer differentiate whether it was a dream or another karmic cycle. The first time she died, she was born as a Young Lady of a rich family. Out of curiosity, she ran away from home with a poor scholar. They were stopped by her family and eventually the scholar dumped her. Her reputation was tainted and eventually, she was nailed to death in a coffin.


    Since then, her soul was filled with anger and as such, it was easier for her soul to retain its form compared to others. It also helped her retain the memories of her past life.


    However, after every reincarnation, her memories would disappear. Until the moment right before her death, she would then regain her memories of the past.


    This time she was dead again. Just like in the past, she would reincarnate again.


    She thought that this time around, it would be a mystery in the fetus but this time, it was not. She was born in an extremely wealthy family and to be exact, she became the Princess of a Commander. She was well loved but such happy times did not last long.


    When she was eight, a Daoist nun arrived at the residence and she killed everyone within the residence and took her away. The Daoist nun was apparently the lover of her father but her father, in the end, married her mother instead. After she attained Dao, the first thing she did was to seek revenge. In the Daoist nun''s words, it was to cut the ties.

 Chapter 633 The Red Leaves Would Flutter Every Autumn

    Shen Ruoxi could not help but think about why she did not kill her if she wanted to cut the ties. Shen Ruoxi did not ask this question because she did not want to die. She was not sure whether she would have the memory of her past lives in the next reincarnation.


    The Daoist nun was a beautiful woman but she did not like to dress up. Even so, she was still more beautiful than any woman Shen Ruoxi had ever met. She was also curious about why did her father marry her mother instead.


    After a while, an unforeseen event had happened at the imperial capital. The chancellor, Xiao Dao successfully seized the throne. He kept the royal bloodline who was close with the previous emperor under lockup and Shen Ruoxi''s father was one of the sons of the previous emperor''s first wife. Because of that, Ruoxi''s bloodline was considered the authentic descendant of the King. If some people made use of the fact, it would bring a lot of troubles to Xiao Dao.


    As such, during the period, there was a continuous stream of connoisseurs appearing in the vicinity of the Daoist nun and Shen Ruoxi. Among them, there would even be people who practiced Dao. Even though none of them was better than the Daoist nun, they successfully delayed her journey.


    Speaking of which, Shen Ruoxi was not Shen Ruoxi in this life. It was not her name for many of her lives but she always recognized herself as Shen Ruoxi.


    The previous generation of the royalty also had the surname Xiao. The country formed was called Qi. Xiao Dao who seized the throne had nothing to do with the royalty of the Qi Kingdom other than sharing the same surname as them.


    Apparently, the reason Xiao Dao could successfully seize the throne was attributed to two people. One of them was Zhenren Taohong from the Way of the Celestial Masters and another was Shen Lian from Jiangdong''s first family. The two represented the biggest power in the Daoist sect and the commoners'' world. They were too, the pillar supporters of the theory of unceasing psyche. The both of them were also one of the three Masters in the world.


    The only thing was that they had no opposers. Not everyone in the imperial capital was willing to pledge alliance to Xiao Dao. When the third master of the world, Fan Zhen brought up the theory of ceased psyche, he gathered a huge force from the court and Jianghu which was of equivalent standing with Shen Lian and Tao Hong''s the theory of unceasing psyche. Xiao Dao had sent about fifty enlightened monks and Daoists to debate with Fan Zhen. All of them lost. They could not do anything to him. Furthermore, when one was dealing with a Master, one could not do anything by force. If he asked Shen Lian or Tao Hong to handle this issue, it would mean for him to completely acknowledge the dissidence with Fan Zhen. There was also no guarantee that the two of them would definitely win.


    It was what the Daoist nun told Shen Ruoxi. She also knew the reason why the Daoist nun did not kill her as her task was to bring her to the imperial capital and hand her over to Fan Zhen. They would make use of her position to gather more power from the previous emperor in order to overthrow Xiao Dao.


    Till then, when the theory of ceased psyche became mainstream, all the talks about celestials and Buddha would disappear.


    Shen Ruoxi felt odd. If that was the case, it meant the Daoist nun was against the theory of unceasing psyche. Even though she was a cultivator and a powerful cultivator at that.


    The Daoist nun told her that cultivation could only make one stronger, just like if an ant turned into a human. However, whether it was human or ant, they would one day disappear. It was impossible for their psyche to be unceasing.


    Shen Ruoxi felt like opposing her because she was the living proof of the unceasing psyche. Regardless of how many times she died, her psyche continued to exist.


    She was slightly worried. If everyone thought that the theory of ceased psyche was right, it meant she should not exist. She also remembered a story told by someone who she was rather close to. Once upon a time, there was a country where everyone there was crazy, except for the Queen. The Queen was eventually assassinated because she was an oddity.


    If she became an oddity, would the same happen to her?


    Shen Ruoxi thought it was very likely but she could not do anything about it. Despite the fact that her psyche was unceasing, it did not mean that she had extraordinary ability.


    There were more and more people coming after her and the Daoist nun. The closer they got to the imperial capital, the more obstructions they met.


    Shen Ruoxi and the Daoist nun finally met someone powerful on a hidden path. The person was unharmed even though he was lit with fire.


    The surrounding woods and grass all withered when he got closer. One could tell the fire was of a high temperature.


    He was carrying a huge sword. The handle of the sword was wider than Shen Ruoxi''s forehead. He also had an unusually big build.


    Shen Ruoxi was not too scared as the Daoist nun was considered her for. Even though the people from Xiao Dao were trying to catch her, it would not necessarily be worse than when she was in the hand of the Daoist nun.


    Furthermore, she really disliked the theory of ceased psyche. If they forced her to support the theory, it would mean for her to oppose the meaning of her existence.


    "Shen Lian is one of the three Masters in the world, and he holds an important position. Under the residence of Divine Planning, he had the Black and White Impermanence, the Five-Element Folks, and the Eight Generals of sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, fire, wind, and lightning. You must be the Fire General, Chi Zhuiyang." The Daoist nun''s squinted as she let down the duster which had silver strands. It had a cold gleam.


    The person on fire laughed loudly, "Yes it is me. Which Taisu sect''s fairy are you?"


    The Daoist nun said, "There is no more Taisu sect in the world. I am Taisu."


    Chi Zhuiyang asked in a serious expression, "What do you mean?"


    The Daoist nun replied, "I killed everyone from Tai Su Sect as I wanted to cut the ties. It is not enough to just kill the man who cheated on me. I need to kill everyone from Tai Su Sect, including my teacher, my Senior-Apprentice Sister, my Junior-Apprentice Sister and everyone in Tai Su. This will then be considered complete."


    She said it calmly. Even though Chi Zhuiyang had successfully cultivated Fire Sword, whereby the fire could melt even gold and iron. His heart felt cold. It was the Tai Su Sect, which had existed as a holy land for cultivation since ancient time. Everyone was killed by the Daoist nun. He could only imagine her power was beyond their imagination. Perhaps not even the three Masters could be as powerful as her.


    Chi Zhuiyang did not think about leaving because she had indeed done that. If he were to escape, it would mean a faster death for him.


    He calmed down and said, "Even if you''ve killed the King, you have to beat my Fire Sword. Otherwise, I will bring the little Princess of Commander with me."


    The Daoist nun carried Shen Ruoxi and spoke with a deep voice, "If you don''t want to die, you''d better not move around."


    Shen Ruoxi hesitated. She felt that it was better for her to die this time and be reincarnated later but deep down she felt that if she just died, the ending would not be great.


    When she was still hesitating, Chi Zhuiyang had already swung his sword. The fire, along with the heat waves felt like he wanted to dry up the whole place.


    The Daoist nun was calm, as she swept her duster lightly. The soft wind dispersed all the heat.


    The silver strands of the duster were like the countless hair of a bull which attacked all the acupoints of Chi Zhuiyang.


    Chi Zhuiyang felt his body numbed. The sword in his hand became extremely heavy. He fell from mid sky.


    He could not do anything other than to stare, as the Daoist nun kicked his skull and left.


    There was only a crossing to the imperial capital which was known as the Red Leaf Crossing. During autumn, the red leaves would flutter and as they fell into the river. It was a gorgeous scene like it was a river filled with the blood of heroes.


    Shen Lian was at the Red Leaf Crossing as he spoke to the servant next to him, "How long do you think she will need to get past the Eight Generals, the Five-Element Folks and the Black and White Impermanence?"


    The servant replied politely, "Perhaps she will not be able to make it to you."

 Chapter 634 The Heart Is like a Bright Mirrors Stand

    Shen Lian looked into a distance, over numerous hills and streams, as he spoke, "By the time the sun rises tomorrow, she will be here."


    The servant''s expression turned serious. He had served the master for thirty years and he had never even seen him make a mistake once. This would not be the exception but regardless of who he assigned the task to, whether it was Black and White Impermanence, the Five-Element Folks or the Eight Generals, they would be able to demonstrate their powers. If even they could not stop the woman, could she be a Master?


    Shen Lian continued to admire the red leaves in the mountain. He felt calm and contented even though there was some accident in his dream. He only woke up completely three days ago. The dream was special as it made him feel like it was real, or perhaps it was indeed a real place but Ruoxi and he got there through the channel of the dream.


    Where it was Fan Zhen or the coming Fairy Taisu, they were both the representation of the will of the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity, just like his relationship with Tao Hong.


    The reason why Fan Zhen brought up the theory of ceased psyche to eliminate the basis that Ruoxi''s psyche still existed. If nobody in the world believed that it was possible for the psyche to remain, Ruoxi''s death meant it was indeed the end.


    This was the counter the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity utilized when she felt Shen Lian was interfering.


    While Shen Lian did not wake up previously, he too, took the opportunity to help Xiao Dao achieve a regime change, so he could make use of the imperial power to weaken Fan Zhen.


    Fan Zhen was indeed terrific as he did not at all lose out even a little. He could even counter attack. If Fairy Taisu brought Ruoxi to Fan Zhen, the two would know the truth. Till then, Shen Lian would be trapped in a passive situation. Fortunately, he woke up earlier. As long as he could get rid of Fairy Taisu here, he would have the leisure to deal with Fan Zhen and bring Ruoxi out of the dream. The only thing was, he would have another strong enemy, the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity but he had no other choice.


    This time, a ball of fire descended on Shen Lian but he was fine. He sighed as he said, "Chi Zhuiyang is dead."


    Chi Zhuiyang was raised with his eight Qi of Taixu, and even he could not withstand Fairy Taisu for just a while. Shen Lian had to pay more attention to this opponent.


    The servant was shocked as he heard it. If the timing was right, Chi Zhuiyang had probably only arrived at the location a while ago. The Daoist nun was fast.


    Shen Ruoxi''s could only hear the wind. She could not even see what was in front as Fairy Taisu was moving too quickly.


    ...


    The sound of the splitting wind suddenly disappeared. In front of them stood a woman who was holding an umbrella and in her surrounding, the intangible wind was circulating. She was looking down at them from the sky.


    "You''re Feng Qingyu!" Fairy Taisu stood on the tip of a big tree while carrying Shen Ruoxi like she was weightless.


    The woman smiled and kept the umbrella, like a poisonous dragon drill, she gushed forward and attacked with a strong wind. The Daoist nun looked at her in a disdain manner as she was able to see through every action of Feng Qingyu. She brushed it lightly to give her a critical attack.


    What happened next was out of the Daoist nun''s expectation. When she was near, there was an explosion in the sky which almost destroyed the entire tree.


    Fairy Taisu appeared in the midst of the dust, in a dismayed state. Her hair was messy.


    She did not expect the opponent would sacrifice with no hesitation.


    What was the charm of Shen Lian which made all these powerful individuals willing to sacrifice everything for him?


    Fairy Taisu felt nervous like she had become a prey in a carefully designed trap. Shen Lian was the hunter and what she had faced so far were merely the hunter dog and the eagle.


    It was not unexpected that subsequently the Six Generals of sky, earth, mountain, swamp, water, and lightning appeared. She had to waste her energy but the key was that they kept coming. They did not give her a chance to rest.


    There was no exception. All of them were willing to risk their lives in this battle.


    While her essential Qi recovered quickly, her psyche felt the fatigue as she did not manage to rest well.


    She felt firmer. If the opponent was willing to wear her out with such a strategy, he was naturally afraid of her.


    Regardless of how powerful Shen Lian was, she would still go straight ahead to kill him and bring the little girl to Fan Zhen.


    However, after she eliminated the Eight Generals, the Five-Element Folks did not come one by one, but altogether. There was even the Dead and Alive Impermanence who besieged her.


    None of them was an exception, as their deathlike eyes revealed their willingness to die.


    None could stop a person who defied death, furthermore, all seven of them who were powerful individuals had given up their lives. It was not an easy situation for anyone.


    If Shen Ruoxi was not around, she could leave in ease but it was impossible for her to leave her behind.


    The seven of them formed the seven-star formation with the variation of Yin and Yang and the five elements. Every time Fairy Taisu attacked, she was facing the seven of them together.


    From their formation, one could take a peek at a profound Daoist rhythm and it touched Fairy Taisu''s heart like her Daoist techniques were not restricted as such.


    There appeared lightning and thunder in her palm, as it kept roaring, it still did not manage to break the formation.


    The dusty silver strings went through several hundred and thousands of circulation. However, with the activated formation, all seven of them avoided the strings nimbly.


    As time went by, Fairy Taisu slowly was able to distinguish what was real and what was not. She pointed her finger at the void and by chance one of the Five-Element Folks crashed into her. The finger could destroy gold and break the jade. It pierced through his heart.


    The unbreakable formation was eventually broken.


    Fairy Taisu still felt that she escaped from the barrier.


    Failing to set up the formation, the other six were all killed by Fairy Taisu. She finally realized something was wrong as she recalled that the people who died previously all turned into a gush of Qi with different colors.


    The seven were the same, as from their corpses, a gush of Qi flew out and it did not go far.


    She looked up at the sky and the bright moon was about to go down. She could hear the flowing stream.


    Fairy Taisu walked up to the little bump ahead and she finally saw the vast river. There was someone standing by the riverside with his hands clasped behind his back. For the first time, she felt a heavy heart.


    She was not in a rush to head forward and she began to regain her Qi. However, because of the existence of that person, she could not relax. Even though her mana recovered, her psyche did not.


    Eventually, the sun rose slowly, inch by inch from the river. The bright red rays lit up the leaves in the river.


    That person finally turned around slowly as if he was an all-important deity who just descended to the world. He looked no different from the heaven and earth.


    Shen Lian took note of the person earlier than Fairy Taisu. She felt that he was incredibly familiar and friendly but she could not recall who he was.


    Fairy Taisu''s face was as cold as ice and her gaze was sharp The enormous pressure that came with it made it feel like she wanted to slice Shen Lian up, although her effort was futile.


    Shen Lian spoke slowly, "Since a person was born, his innate spirituality is continuously polluted postnatal and eventually it becomes dirty. This is similar to a child doodling on a piece of paper. By the time he becomes a great painter, he can no longer make use of the original paper. For a human to learn how to draw, he has countless paper at his disposal but a pure spirituality is only available when a person is born. Hence, people try to figure out a lot of ways, such as through cultivation to get rid of the dust and return the spirituality to its original state. I conclude this as ''The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind is like a bright mirror''s stand; one has to clean it often so that it will not be clouded by dust''. Until today, I only dare to say that my effort in this isn''t wasted. Your heart has to be brighter than others for you to ''wake up'' earlier."

 Chapter 635 The Painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale

    Shen Lian''s words were like the evening drum and the morning bell. Every time, Fairy Taisu felt like she caught a glimpse of the meaning, it never felt too realistic, just like she was looking at flowers in the fog.


    All of a sudden, she felt a wind blew. Shen Ruoxi was no longer with her.


    Shen Ruoxi was still rather confused at that particular moment but it soon became clear to her as she said joyfully, "Uncle."


    Shen Lian patted her head and smiled.


    Fairy Taisu''s gaze became sharper, "Whoever you''re, you will have to die today."


    Shen Lian sighed, "I''ve woke up but you''re still in a dream. The battles you''ve gone through with Ruoxi have exhausted you. You don''t stand a chance."


    ....


    Within the imperial capital, Fan Zhen opened his eyes all of a sudden. He walked out of his residence. The moment he crossed the door, he saw a Daoist waiting ahead, like the respected Daoist Lingbao at the palace of Sanqing. He gazed at him as he held on to a jade Ruyi.


    Fan Zhen sneered, "Indeed you guys are playing a trick. I will kill you first, and him next."


    The sleeves sent out the Qi of Qian and Kun to kill Tao Hong. Tao Hong clasped his hands, and a layer of Qi blocked out the Qi of Qian and Kun.


    He was the independently formed Shangqing Primordial Spirit. His psyche was strong and it was easy for him to control the Qi of heaven and earth.


    Specks of dust were flying everywhere in the imperial capital. The weather had changed. The last time this happened was when Xiao Dao seized the throne.


    ...��...


    Fairy Taisu said, "You''re just dressing up as God and playing the devil."


    Shen Lian smiled. Regardless of how powerful the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity was, what was here, was only part of her will. She was not comparable with the fully awakened Shen Lian.


    He had also taken back the Qi of Taixu which he had divided.


    Fairy Taisu could see Shen Lian''s aura increasing as if he was out of this world and everything was just his background.


    The silver strands of her duster were like the waterfall. They came crashing as if they were being attracted by an invisible energy field. The mana attached to the silver strands were absorbed by the mysterious energy field and she could feel herself weakening.


    Shen Lian''s aura was still increasing as if there was no end to it.


    Even before Fairy Taisu pulled out the duster from the mysterious energy field, the mana absorbed suddenly reversed its course. This felt like the reversal of the water at a leaking dam. It turned into a disaster within the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, Shen Lian pushed his palms forward like he was pushing the entire heaven and earth. The strength that could shatter mountain and sea eventually landed on Fairy Taisu''s chest. She was filled with disbelief and turned into dust in the end.


    Shen Lian felt he was losing his strength. This once again proved that this world was not so simple as just a dream.


    Within the imperial capital, Tao Hong was still stopping Fan Zhen from leaving.


    He had taken three hundred and eight attacks by Fan Zhen. The thick wall of Qi was already shattered. However, wherever Fan Zhen went, Tao Hong followed suit.


    The path of the bluestone had turned powdery, revealing the yellow mud underneath.


    Soon, Fan Zhen stopped. He sneered suddenly, "This time I admit I lose. You should pray that you will never see me again."


    Subsequently, he dispersed like the dust. He left no trace behind.


    At that moment, Shen Lian was holding Shen Ruoxi''s hand towards the direction. Shen Ruoxi''s brows furrowed, "After this will returns to the original body, it will have revealed about us. In the future, there will surely be problems." While in theory she was one with the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity but in reality after her acquired knowledge, she had never thought about becoming the Primal Lord of Grand Simplicity even though it would be asking for the moon.


    Shen Lian said, "I guess there''s nothing we can do about it."


    Then Tao Hong turned to look at Shen Lian and vice versa, the two laughed. They were the same person but at that moment it felt like it was between ''you and me''.


    Suddenly Tao Hong spoke, "I want to stay here and contain the world within me."


    Shen Lian asked, "Are you trying to imitate Lu Jiuyuan?"


    Tao Hong smiled, "You''re the one who''s trying to imitate Lu Jiuyuan. I am you."


    Shen Lian smiled, "I am you."


    Subsequently, Shen Lian and Shen Ruoxi disappeared from the imperial capital.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes and the painting scroll in the Hall of Founding Masters was now in front of him. Inside the painting, it had all the mountains and waters. There was a Daoist who looked the same as him. He was meditating in the mountains.


    The dream was using the heaven and earth in this painting which never materialized to play the realistic heaven and earth. This was not something that could be explained by the Dream Heart Sutra.


    Furthermore, he had the seeds of the heaven and earth and hence, he understood how difficult it was to create the living beings of heaven and earth. The time it would take was tremendous and immeasurable.


    He too knew that, from the dream to waking up, it was just a flick of the fingers.


    Using the flick of the fingers to demonstrate the real world could only possibly be achieved by Daoist Master or Buddha.


    Within Qing Xuan, for those who had the Daoist rhythm of Daoist Master Taiyi, they would definitely not play the tricks here. There was only one explanation which was the arrangement of Daoist Master Taiyi.


    Shen Lian, however, did not understand the intention of the Daoist Master. For that sort of level, even until then he could not have even guessed. The one thing he was sure of was that the Daoist Master Taiyi, the supreme person who had detached was paying attention to him.


    Shen Lian felt that it was a pity that the world within the painting had too little Qi of vitality. As such, it was not great for cultivation.


    He looked at the scroll once, and he spoke with a deep voice, "From now onward, you will be named the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale."


    The scroll shook silently as if it silently agreed with the name.


    Shen Lian could feel the imprint of Shangqing primordial spirit combining with the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale slowly. It too began to absorb the Qi of vitality of the external world and it was making the mountain and the river within the painting more spiritual.


    If sufficient Qi of vitality was absorbed, it was possible that the world within the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale could become a Fortune Land.


    If that was the case, this part of the world would be sucked dry.


    However, Shen Lian too had finally obtained a legendary Lingbao. The painting was not as great as the bestowment of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale but it could continue to grow until it became a new world.


    The Xuan Ice was finally melted and Ruoxi was safe. Shen Lian could consider having another burden down before he went to see Lu Jiuyuan. Shen Ruoxi was too happy that she got to meet her uncle again. She knew that her uncle would not be gone forever.


    The only thing was when Shen Lian told her about Gu Caiwei''s passing. Shen Ruoxi was not too happy about it, although she already predicted it before she went through death.


    She could tell how down her uncle was and hence, she decided to not pursue the answer. Instead, she mentioned something important.


    She said, "Uncle, Yanxu is probably still alive."


    Shen Lian asked, "How do you know?"


    "Fairy Tianmeng once told me that, before the battle with you, Yanxu went to the Underworld Demon Sect. She said that Ye Liuyun from the Underworld Demon Sect is a mysterious and scary person. It would be impossible for Yanxu to be at the Underworld Demon Sect without him knowing. However, Yanxu returned unharmed. It seemed that the two of them didn''t have any conflict and furthermore, the demonic seed Yanxu planted on Fairy Tianmeng too doesn''t disappear after you and Yanxu went missing."

 Chapter 636 A Sentimental Heart, Merciless Spells

    After listening, Shen Lian pondered briefly and said casually, "actually, it does not matter whether he is alive or not. The past is like a veil of cloud and smoke; besides, Ruoxi you have underestimated your uncle''s ability."


    Ruoxi had doubts. After some brief perceivement, she noticed that although her uncle was within a stone''s throw from her, it felt as if he was at the far end of the world, incomprehensible and elusive.


    Her attainment at that time would be considered great. Having survived a near-death experience, her attainment has far surpassed what it was before. And yet she discovered the significant gap in power between her and her uncle. Only then she knew that the reason she was worried about whether Yanxu lived was because she had perceived her uncle''s situation through past perceptions.


    After Ruoxi''s near-death experience, Shen Lian held a small Devotion Ceremony to celebrate. Then he wandered around the Five Peaks of Qing Xuan, he took no heed to avoid fellow disciples and doyens. This affirmed the legend that the Headmaster of Taishang was easy-going.


    Moreover, Shen Lian''s every little move represented a profoundly abstruse law of heaven and earth. Those disciples did not need to ask Shen Lian about the difficulties in cultivation. Having only seen him, many of the difficulties of cultivation had already shown signs of resolving.


    As The Book of Dao said:


    The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way; The names that can be named are not unvarying names; it is the mystery of mysteries, the gateway to spirituality.


    Therefore, in their eyes, Shen Lian was like the sky, the earth, the seas, everything; and yet, nothing.


    However, Chen Jinchan felt it slightly weird. He only sensed that the honored master was weaker than when he first returned, but yet he seemed stronger.


    In actuality, his perception was not wrong. Shen Lian stripped himself of the mark of Shangqing''s Primordial Spirit and dissolved it in the Painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale - giving the newly shaped magical talisman of infinite possibilities. At the same time, it enabled him to break away from the vestiges of the Supreme Art of Spiritual Enhancement in The Mastery of Senses for the first time.


    In terms of individual strength, he has indeed weakened. But it was also the beginning of his attempt in purging himself of some of the shadows that these great people shed on him.


    He dared not say that he was already his own man, but this step was inevitable. Regardless of whether the shadows of those great people brought good or bad to him, it would not have been as valuable as being purely himself.


    Once there was a sage with a single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink. While others could not have endured the distress, he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. The reason being the sage had obtained self-liberation, and had rid himself of the various false pleasures derived from external materials; and was spiritually satisfied. That was not happiness on a false pretense/faked happiness, but it was a pleasure derived from freedom.


    After experiencing the baptism of his state of mind towards the secular and monastic life, Shen Lian vaguely felt those stages. It was that he had too much to bear, hence, it was too early to say that he was completely relieved.


    Finally, with ten days left to the Longhua ceremony, Shen Lian disappeared from Mount Qingxuan. No one knew that he had left.


    The bright moonlight followed the clear waves outside Tianmen Straits. After a thousand years, he, Shen Lian, has once again reached the mountain gate of the Xuantian Sect.


    At that time, there was a ferryman from the Underworld Demon Sect who steered the boat for Zhao Xiaoyu and him. And now he was alone, as he stared blankly at the water.


    However, he did not immediately cross the water. He merely stood silently by the waterfront and looked as the moonlight changed into wafting smoke, dancing gracefully. Lastly, a sampan has arrived through the shuffling waves. A young man stood at the bow of the sampan, looking towards Shen Lian''s direction.


    In an instant, the sampan paused before Shen Lian. The young man took on an inviting pose.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Qingyi, I have said that you would prove to be formidable, it seems that I was indeed not wrong."


    Song Qingyi said, "had it been someone else who told me that, I would have taken it seriously. But for you to say this, Shen Lian, it sounded more like sarcasm."


    Shen Lian laughed as he boarded the sampan.


    The sampan did not have a hull, nor was there any oars; but it steadily broke through the winds and the waves. In the melodious waves, it sailed like an arrow.


    Somewhere along the way, the boat paused. Song Qingyi pointed at a mark on the side of the boat and said, "the year I kept your Five Elements Magical Sword, I sunk it here. It will return to its rightful owner tonight."


    "It seems that Qingyi had always believed that I would return."


    Song Qingyi pointed at the surface of the water and a magical sword immediately leaped out of the surface and fell into his hands. He sighed, "I had always hoped that this day would not happen, but matters in the world were often contrary to what one had hoped. Maybe some would always get their way with things, but that would never be me."


    With his hands behind his back, Shen Lian fixed his eyes at the depths of Tianmen Straits, where the moonlight was clear, with wafting smoke and water.


    He did not answer Song Qingyi''s words. Instead, he said, "by building that tower for Xiaoyu, Zhenren Xiangshan did not ill-treat her; but I know that she has always been one to dislike being restrained. To have such boundless nature, she could never fare against the preciousness freedom could offer. She has indeed suffered."


    Song Qingyi smiled bitterly and said, "My master could not just watch Zhao Fairy accept the fate of heaven and earth upon herself. Otherwise, fulfilling her would disappoint every living being.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "that is why the Laws of heaven is incomplete, there will always be someone who would have to suffer. But the reason you and I cultivated, was it not to lessen our sufferings?"


    After that, the Five Elements Magical Sword leaped from Song Qingyi''s hands. It was ecstatic to be reunited with his old owner. The groaning of the sword was clearly audible.


    It was that:


    In a cold chilly environment, a tune could be heard; it sounded like the chimes of accessories, but also like the deafening roar of a dragon; in reality, it was a weapon capable of controlling the life and death.


    Shen Lian continued, "go, my sword."


    Song Qingyi has yet to come to himself, the Five Elements Magical Sword flew towards the ancient tower like a dragon''s roar. The moonlight turned into smoke and dissipated. Only a glimpse of multicolored ray was seen breaking through the ancient tower. Only sounds could be heard from the collapse of the ancient tower, producing unlimited smoke and dust.


    The Five Elements Magical Sword had passed the most magnificent journey of its life, reverting to the laws and vanished from the world.


    Song Qingyi regretfully said, "It''s a pity, this sword."


    Shen Lian remained silent but did not show any sign of pity. How powerful was Lu Jiuyuan''s divine restriction, he had to retain his own strength to deal with Lu Jiuyuan. He could only sacrifice his beloved sword of a millennium years ago. That was also the most brilliant ride of the Five Elements Magical Sword.


    Until that moment, it was only clear to Song Qingyi that night''s challenge was probably the biggest challenge his honored master had ever faced. For several millenniums, Lu Jiuyuan has dominated the seat of the strongest Demon King. Numerous warriors came and left, like a school of silver carps moving down a stream. However, there were no exceptions; not one was able to shake the honored master''s position.


    And now Shen Lian has finally come, he was not the warrior that came to challenge the Demon King, but another Demon King.


    To sacrifice the sword he had forged himself, a sword he held dear, to break through the ancient tower. It deeply reflected Shen Lian''s undeniable scariness at that time. With a sentimental heart, he casted merciless spells. It even declared that Song Qingyi''s strategy to move him with his emotions at that night a failure.


    Song Qingyi had always believed that Shen Lian was a person who cared about long-standing relations. But not a shred of flaw could be found in Shen Lian that night, just like the full moon that hung in the sky.


    The sampan continued to sail towards the depths of Xuantian Sect. Both were silent, with Song Qingyi not knowing what to say, and Shen Lian not having to say anything more.


    The boat was already out of Song Qinyi''s control. Slowly it flew from the surface of the water. Throughout that process, there was no sound from the friction with the water surface.

 Chapter 637 To Finally Meet Lu Jiuyuan

    Song Qingyi only managed a bitter smile. Leaving the boat, he would no longer be able to intervene in what happens next. One was a close friend, and another was his mentor. He was closer to his honored master, but if the situation intensified, he would not be able to fight Shen Lian. Rather than being upset when the moment comes, it would be better to leave now.


    Shen Lian cared fully about the departure of Song Qingyi, and the flying boat has approached the remains of the ancient tower at a constant speed. However, if it is separated by mountains and rivers, it cannot be reached.


    Lu Jiuyuan and his confrontation had truly begun.


    It was not the first time Shen Lian had seen this supernatural power. Up until now, he has had more experience than ever before. It was all because Lu Jiuyuan was neither stronger than Heng''e nor Luomo.


    It was not difficult for Shen Lian to break the Space Manipulation Technique. He drew a long howl and spat out an endless resplendent Milky Way. The unlimited Sword Will that was plain and innocent flowed at a great speed.


    This sampan of his was carried by the will of the sword, which caused the end of the world, closer.


    The endless will of the sword was sharp, breaking through space, causing the entire void in producing a rush of sunset mist. What was reflected in the Milky Way of sword will, was an unparalleled beauty.


    Only that if there were cultivators in the world who would carelessly break into it, they would definitely be crushed, and there would be no reason to survive.


    The Milky Way, like a stretch of shining silk, eventually landed outside the remains of the ancient pagoda. Zhao Xiaoyu in white clothes and long hair quietly stood at the end of the Milky Way. It seemed to have been like that for thousands of years.


    The sampan came to a sudden halt, and Shen Lian, like sunset mist, smiled. Thereafter, the vision disappeared, and Shen Lian steadily landed.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said softly, "I am happy that you came, and I like the sunset mist-filled sky very much."


    Shen Lian grabbed her hand and whispered, "I''m here today to avenge you."


    Zhao Xiaoyu laughed while covering her mouth, "Do not speak so surely, Old man Lu is very strong."


    Lu Jiuyuan laughed, "there are changes in human affairs; as time has come and gone, the past and present have been connected. I am now incapable of surpassing Zhenren Shen''s sharp will."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "Old man Lu, seeing that he wants to vent on my behalf, I would be more than glad. Our grievances shall hereby be voided, You do not owe me as I do not owe you."


    Lu Jiuyuan then continued, "Thank you then, Xiaoyu." He stepped out of the bamboo residence, dressed casually. He looked like he was less than forty years old, with a beard about five inches long. If he was placed in the eyes of the secular world, they will think he was a teacher. Never would it cross their minds that he was the first in the world.


    The entire bamboo residence and the wreckage of the ancient tower were stripped from heaven and earth, surrounded by endless empty space, the Xuantian Sect was no longer in sight, only the stars in the distant universe remained, as well as the darkness of the edge.


    In the blink of an eye, Lu Jiuyuan used his great supernatural powers to divert heaven and earth and sent them all into outer space, but this casual statement goes to show that Lu Jiuyuan dominated the throne as the first in the world for thousands of years, was definitely not an undeserved reputation.


    This was the second time Shen Lian had been in outer space. Countless peculiar and powerful cosmic rays surrounded him. The rays approached his body and was swallowed by the seeds of the heaven and earth in his gabella.


    It seems that the seeds of heaven and earth were unsatisfied with this kind of food. It was as if they were used to the finely selected grains and had no interest in the lowly sediment.


    But Shen Lian did not care about the seeds and what they thought.


    A thousand years later, he, Shen Lian, has finally met Lu Jiuyuan, the person who was the first in the world.


    Qing Xiao Grandmaster once said that he wanted to challenge Lu Jiuyuan, but in the end he failed to complete what he wanted to do. Now it is time for his grand-disciple to pick up where he left off.


    Furthermore, the battlefield carried a wonderful experience for Shen Lian, it was in outer space where grandmaster attained Dao.


    Shen Lian whispered: "I admired Zhenren Xiangshan for many years. At this time, I have finally been able to meet you, Shen Lian was glad."


    Both of Lu Jiuyuan''s hands were hidden in the wide sleeves of his robe, his gaze fell on Shen Lian. Like a beam of warm sunlight, he smiled and said, "I have been noticing you for a long time. To be honest, for the heaven and earth to produce a prodigy like you, it was afraid that it would have to consume most of the fate of heaven and earth. However, as you grew up, the consumption of he fate of heaven and earth not a lot. It seemed that most of the fate came from you. That was why I would only allow you to continue growing. In addition, Qingyi he takes you as a real friend, I would not want to do anything to you, lest it makes him sad."


    Shen Lian said, "Zhenren Xiangshan treats his disciples very well indeed, Xuantian Sect has indeed flourished in your hands."


    Lu Jiuyuan sneered at that moment, and said, "If Lu Jiuyuan was really good, he should have left long ago. That way, Xuantian Sect could only grow. It may seem enormous now, but it was only an illusion/mirage tied together with my general appearance. It was a pity that I have gone on this path from the beginning, there was no space for turning back. Meeting you, I know how terribly wrong I was."


    With a faint smile, Shen Lian said, "that was only because zhenren had no other options at that time. Since you did not know there are other ways to go about it."


    Lu Jiuyua said, "Indeed. Enough with the chatter, you want to bring so many immortal Zhenren to leave, you would have to go through me first. Today, I will not bully you with the state of heaven and earth as one. Let us decide this with our true strength, show me how powerful is that Path of Authenticity of yours.


    Shen Lan narrowed his eyes, and whispered: "then I might offend you, Zhenren Xiangshan."


    Zhao Xiaoyu gently relaxed her grip on Shen Lian''s hands, she knew very clearly that there was no hatred between the two men, but their respective purposes were different, and the interests of one person were ultimately to be damaged.


    Therefore, a fight for mastery would be their only option, so that the other party would be convinced to give up his previous idea.


    However, was Zhenren Xiangshan scrupled about Shen Lian, the rising star; thereby giving Shen Lian a chance to fight in fairness. If Shen Lian loses in that way, he would have no choice but to accept it.


    If Zhenren Xiangshan loses, he would have to give Shen Lian an opportunity, but only once.


    Lu Jiuyuan was, after all, relying on the state of heaven and earth as one. Even if Shen Lian is powerful, he must be driven out, just as they would appear in outer space.


    However, if Shen Lian was directly driven away, a dead-knot would be tied. It would not be a good choice for two people who have no great hatred.


    After all, Shen Lian possessed limitless possibilities, he could always return to kill.


    Therefore, in this situation, Shen Lian did not speak. With his temperament, as long as this turned out to be a defeat, he would never seek trouble with Lu Jiuyuan and the Xuan Tian Sect. After all, Lu Jiuyuan sent the painting back and even gave Shen Lian a fair opportunity to fight, throwing away the convenience of a home ground.


    Zhao Xiaoyu''s mana could not be compared to those years when it was at its prime. But it was just that in these years, she has awakened, to discuss the metaphysical and Dao, and the knowledge in practicing Daoism with Lu Jiuyuan, she has already entered the pinnacle of the heavenly immortals, the only difference was time.


    Therefore, she could be said to be the world''s most qualified person to watch the confrontation between the two people.


    There was nothing that could be said about Shen Lian. In the eyes of Zhao Xiaoyu, he was still as unfathomable as he was in the past. As for Lu Jiuyuan who does not rely on the origins of heaven and earth, although he no longer gave Zhao Xiaoyu the feeling of vastness, he had undergone some wonderful changes. Just like the tigers who have been kept in cages for a long time, once they were released, they would roar with pride.

 Chapter 638 Each Exhibiting Their Supernatural Powers

    After Zhao Xiaoyu consciously backed away to a remote place, Lu Jiuyuan and Shen Lian unleashed their Qi dynamic without reservations. Any spiritual confrontation bore no great significance once it had reached their level. The true determining factor of the outcome lied in their individual accumulated source, and their grasp in subtlety during their fight.


    This sort of confrontation was like both individuals had obtained forty-nine out of the fifty numbers from the Dayan''s divination. Whoever was able to find the missing one, would be declared victorious.


    Otherwise, it would only fall into a long struggle with no release.


    Therefore, since ancient times, every celestials confrontation that entered the State of Taiyi was a well-planned calculation. Finally, when these two individuals met, the results were quick and decisive.


    But the real difference was definitely not as great as the result showed.


    Shen Lian and Lu Jiuyuan were exceptions. The two have not sized each other up completely. Furthermore, Shen Lian and Lu Jiuyuan represented a completely different path of Taiyi.


    Lu Jiuyuan was one with the heaven and earth, to put it plainly would be the core of Qing Xuan Earth and Star. It could also be said that it was Qing Xuan Earth and Star''s manifestation of the will of the laws of heaven. Just like Shen Lian''s imprint of Shangqing primordial spirit towards the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. It was just that, numerous thousand years down the road, Lu Jiuyuan and Qing Xuan Earth and Star was already inseparable; bounded together for good or bad.


    For Shen Lian, it was a self-imposed heaven and earth. The seeds of the heaven and earth in his glabella were, without a doubt, extremely important to him. However, the two were not equal nor one. This kind of Taiyi was the right path of Xuanmen. It would not end up wounding an individual''s fundamentals due to the damage of heaven and earth. There would not be too much burden.


    The one who struck first was Lu Jiuyuan, He made a gesture with both his hands, as if he was strumming the pipa. In an instant, a crystalline web of filigrees appeared in space. This Celestial Art was called out to be Xuantian Net of Smoke, born out of the Inescapable Net, but more troublesome and not as powerful.


    However, it was unquestionably still equal to the state of Taiyi.


    Although Lu Jiuyuan''s speed in taking action took no more than a split second. Had it been any other immortal zhenren, it would be expected that they would have already fallen into the net at that moment.


    However, when it came to Shen Lian''s level, nothing escaped his scrutiny. Therefore, any attempts of an ambush would have no real significance.


    His mind moved, the killing sword which was concise in the Netherworld was split-up into hundreds and thousands of gleams of sword. They cut towards the Xuantian Net of Smoke, and the endlessly dark universe lit up.


    There was no air nor water in outer space, light traveled without obstacles, sword aura moved unobstructed. Its speed almost exceeding the perceptions of divine thoughts, even its power highly condensed.


    Xuantian Net of Smoke was originally created by Lu Jiuyuan''s collection of heavenly essence and ground fire. Although it was took the form of an energy, in reality, it was as good as any hard magical talisman and instrument. But having encountered the Qi of killing sword, which was filled with Shen Lian''s State of Taiyi, a declaration of defeat seemed inevitable.


    The sword gleams were imbued with spirituality. After defeating the Xuantian Net of Smoke, they were like the Milky Way that withered and fell, neverending. Murderous vibes directly pointed at Lu Jiuyuan, as if they were able to nail his primordial spirit that caused his body and spirit to collapse.


    The swiftness of the sword gleams were sufficient in allowing Shen Lian to break through any immortal zhenren''s body in Qing Xuan Earth and Star, and send them back to another cycle of reincarnation. However, Lu Jiuyuan''s spiritual sense has far exceeded the state of a God. It was as if he had sensed it before Shen Lian acted.


    In a short amount of time, a ray of sword gleam leaked from Lu Jiuyuan''s body, like smoke contained in cloud and water. And in an instant, it bursted opened, weaving an impregnable line of defense.


    Only the fight between sword gleams were audible. Ripples were vaguely visible in the void, followed by an expansion and proliferation of the sword gleam. It was like an emotional meteor shower, cutting across the rim of the sky.


    Lu Jiuyuan''s swordsmanship could be said to be infinitely magnificent. He was no less inferior than any master celestial of sword Shen Lian had ever seen. Only Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother''s Anatt�� Sword could overpower him.


    However, Shen Lian''s heart was not distracted. In his mind, defeating the world''s first person was all that mattered. Although his killing sword was not as good as the Anatt�� Sword, it was still the absolute top in the world. Under the will of his mind, with full maneuverability, he was omnipotent.


    Even if Lu Jiuyuan''s swordsmanship was strong, still he gradually retreated. The two were giving their all, displaying their individual swordsmanship in outer space. The spread/circulation/passing on of any of the sword techniques were sufficient in benefiting cultivators who were cultivating The nine states of cultivation.


    Soon after, they broke into a huge group of meteoroids. Those meteoroids were as large as the mountains in the mortal realm. Small meteoroids were also three hundred meters large. The two traveled back and forth the crevices of the group of meteoroids, each displaying absolutely impeccable swordsmanship, unreservedly attacking their opponent where the divine Qi was weaker.


    Once a meteoroid passed by, it would inevitably be fragmented and shattered into smaller pieces.


    As the group of meteoroids was traveling at high speeds. Zhao Xiaoyu could only watch from the sideline, among the gaps, lest he added chaos by entering the group of meteoroid.


    Up until now, although Shen Lian possessed the upper-hand in swordsmanship, to win against Lu Jiuyuan would still be a heavy task.


    At that moment, Zhao Xiaoyu suddenly blinked, as if surprised.


    Maybe Shen Lian was impatient, a blood-red killing sword appeared in his hand. It was an item left behind by Chen Jianmei. He could be seen piercing the void with the long sword, a small circle of Qi with high-speed rotation appeared one after another, exhibiting the colors of black and white. There was nothing that could stop the small circle of Qi in killing Lu Jiuyuan


    Lu Jiuyuan''s expression finally changed. Shen Lian''s sword aura was not invincible because of his Killing Sword, but because of the law of heaven and earth revealed from the small circles of black and white.


    It was a tactful, flawless and ultimate sword. If this sword could be evolved into a Sword Incantation, it would be sufficient for it to be placed in any sects'' most treasured Daoism scriptures. Once an insight was gained, even if it was of no use, it would still be a state of heavenly immortals.


    Those meteoroids could no longer be a hindrance to Shen Lian. However, it obstructed Lu Jiuyuan''s actions and made him divert his attention at the meteoroids when he needed to counter to the boundless sword aura.


    Lu Jiuyuan was Lu Jiuyuan. He had finally shown the true strength of the first in the world. A five-colored cloud could be seen flying out of his head. It did not establish a flower of vitality, but various magical talisman of all kinds of shape and sizes appeared. The Divine light of tens of thousand weight burst forth and enveloped him. Any meteoroids that passed by would be instantly disintegrated and turned into powder.


    He was sheltered by those magical talismans like a turtle shell, rendering Shen Lian''s boundless Killing Sword useless as it could not break it with a blow.


    After all, some of those magical talismans were as old as a thousand years, some even tens of thousand years.


    It was expected that within Qing Xuan Earth and Star, better magical talismans would already be collected by Lu Jiuyuan.


    Shen Lian used spiritual telepathy, laughed and said, "Old Lu were you planning to win by establishing a ground that you would not lose? Please forgive Shen Lian for disagreeing."


    Lu Jiuyuan''s mind and spirit was slightly moved. Immediately then, a scroll was seen flying out of Shen Lian''s body like the gradual galaxy. He paused to have a closer look, the galaxies had clear rivers and mountains, and they were another heaven and earth.


    Without a word, Shen Lian sacrificed the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale, and sent it towards Lu Jiuyuan. No matter how powerful the magical talismans were, it would never be as powerful as the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. Under the impact, the outermost magical talismans instantly turned into dust.

 Chapter 639 Incomparable To You

    For the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale to have such power, it was beyond Lu Jiuyuan''s expectation. Since he would not have thought that Shen Lian would be able to obtain the attention of Daoist Master Taiyi, to aid him in completely evolving the unfinished painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale.


    Although Lu Jiuyuan did not know what had happened, he knew he had no chance of success when he saw Shen Lian flashing the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale.


    The magical talismans glowed divine light and collapsed one after another, forming a circle of cataract surrounding him. It finally stopped the frantic momentum of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale, but that was all.


    As long as Shen Lian refused to stop, he would eventually grind away the layer of shell. If that time comes, all reputation would truly be lost. Of course, he could also take advantage in extracting the real soul, and proceed to return to planet earth. By then, as strong as Shen Lian was, unless the entire planet earth was wiped out, he would not be able to do anything towards him.


    But Lu Jiuyuan would not take that step. He used spiritual telepathy and said, "Zhenren Shen, I admit defeat."


    Shen Lian heard and smiled, he said, "Zhenren Xiangshan surrendered.''


    The map was instantly retracted and it vanished within his body. Only Shen Lian himself understood that it was not easy controlling the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. Even using it briefly had consumed a little of his primordial spirit mana.


    However, this is a matter of course. The painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale was in a sense a small world. Its weight far surpassed any famous mountains and rivers. If it can still be easily controlled by him, that would be extremely strange.


    Lu Jiuyuan might have thought of this point, but he too, could not guarantee that he would have withstood it until that time. In addition, Shen Lian has in fact damaged his protection spell. What was the point in him being persistent?


    In the end, Shen Lian only wanted to bring some immortal zhenren in leaving this side of heaven and earth, he was not trying to destroy the land.


    Even if he had to suffer some loss, it would not be unacceptable.


    A celestial figure is precisely decisive. He had made his decision in a short amount of time, which was to simply admit defeat.


    Shen Lian understood that he could only return Lu Jiuyuan to Qing Xuan Earth and Star. He could not do anything towards him. Reaching their level, if it was not a deathmatch of the Great Way, there was no need to fight to the death.


    Lu Jiuyuan took in the divine light of protection. Although these magical talismans were physically damaged, its true nature still exists. Once he returned back to planet earth, with some time and effort, they could still be recovered. Otherwise, he would not have been so swift as he decided to collapse those magical talismans and turn them into a divine light of protection.


    Lu Jiuyuan sighed and said, "Ever since I have attained Dao, this was the first time I had tasted the taste of defeat. This was a very good experience. If I could escape from the planet earth, I would definitely thank Zhenren Shen."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "If zhenren could do it, regardless of where Shen Lian would be at that time, you need only notify and I would personally congratulate you."


    Lu Jiuyuan laughed, "At that time, I will also return the taste of defeat to you."


    Shen Lian said plainly, "I''m afraid there would be no such possibility."


    Lu Jiuyuan smiled and disappeared.


    Zhao Xiaoyu appeared from the void, and went near Shen Lian. She said, "when I first met you, I never would have thought that there would be a day where you would be able to appear victorious against Lu Jiuyuan, placing him in an unfavorable situation. If my Apprentice-Sister was still in the human world, she would be extremely grateful to you.


    Her Apprentice-Sister harbored a bit of hatred towards Lu Jiuyuan, but she could not avenge herself in the end. She could not even pass the stage of Lu Jiuyuan''s disciples.


    Shen Lian said, "that was because Zhenren Xiangshan most definitely would not want to make things ugly. Otherwise, had this fight took place on planet earth, that would give rise to another ending."


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "had it been me, I would not start a fight in my own home."


    Shen Lian laughed, "indeed"


    The two went silent for a brief moment. Hand in hand, they stared out at the stars in the distance, at the vast universe and its beauty. It was only in situations such as this, one would be able to show some appreciation.


    Suddenly Zhao Xiaoyu said: "I really hope that time would stay forever in this moment."


    Before Shen Lian replied, Zhao Xiaoyu said, "You would not have helped me in the past, and now you have saved me. I am very happy, but Xiaoyu would like to ask you for another favor."


    Shen Lian said, "you know I could not reject you now."


    Zhao Xiaoyu then said, "but I am clear that you could bear to at any time."


    Shen Lian went silent. After all, Zhao Xiaoyu understood him more than anyone else.


    Zhao Xiaoyu smiled plainly, "But for you to say something like this, even if I were to drop dead at this moment, I would still be very happy. Even if it was untrue, you have rarely said it to someone else. Therefore, in Shen Lian''s heart, Zhao Xiaoyu was different after all."


    Shen Lian tried to speak, but stopped. In the end,no replies could be found.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "well, I wish to ask you to accompany me on a stroll in the world. I have been trapped for such a long time and am incredibly bored of it."


    Shen Lian nodded. The both of them simultaneously turned into streamers, joining the upper atmospheric wind and instantly reached planet earth. No matter how the human world changed, there would not be much change towards the mountains and rivers of the world.


    If the sea changed into mulberry fields, that would mean a long time had passed. A millennium was a long time, but not long enough to turn seas into mulberry fields. Both of them came to a tacit understanding, and went to places they had experienced together. They walked past the mountains and passed through the waters.


    Lastly, they arrived at the Qingshui river. The River Deity was no longer there. The Empress had abandoned her identity as a deity two centuries ago, and was once again reincarnated. She was not satisfied with the position of a River Deity, and wanted to achieve higher accomplishments.


    Because of the reincarnation of the River Deity, the River Deity Temple was also abandoned. Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu sat on the roof of the River Deity Temple, allowing the wind to blow through the hair and the tip of the brows.


    In this journey, they were like a true couple. They cherished each other with tacit understanding, feeling the love and lust of mortals, letting it fill their heart of Dao.


    Zhao Xiaoyu also became increasingly ordinary. With her former extraordinary and refined qualities fading, she seemed more like a member of the sentient beings.


    She was fully invested in this romance. There was no shred of falsity involved.


    The hill people on the other side raised a bonfire, and had began to sing and dance around the bonfire. They were enthusiastic, although their clothings were ragged, it could not conceal the smile from their hearts.


    Zhao Xiaoyu said, "let us dance too."


    Shen Lian hesitated, "forget it."


    Zhao Xiaoyu would not have it any other way. She pulled him across the river, both of them descending from the sky and landed into the crowd of people near the bonfire,which cause a commotion.


    The hill people swung their limbs even more impulsively, with extreme enthusiasm.


    Zhao Xiaoyu enjoyed this atmosphere. Pulling Shen Lian, making him twist and turn his limbs, her laughs were like a crisp silver bell, leading the atmosphere of the song and dance to a climax.


    Shen Lian just moved according to Zhao Xiaoyu. Gradually he was infected by the passionate atmosphere, he forgot the difference between a mortal and immortal and knew not what a heart is.


    Zhao Xiaoyu and Shen Lian were after all, not ordinary people. They did many special gestures without a care in the world, and attracted roaring applause of the hill people.


    When the bonfire has gone out, Shen Lian and Zhao Xiaoyu left quietly.


    Ever since the start of practice and cultivation, Shen Lian has had very little sleep. He slept soundly that night, with no worry in his heart.


    When he woke up, Zhao Xiaoyu has gone. A leaf was in front of him, and two lines of words were written on it:


    All kinds of supernatural power, endless ingenious Dao, were incomparable to you.


    Forget me not.

 Chapter 640 The Nodes Stripped Away from the River of Time

    After reading it, Shen Lian was stunned and reached his hand for the leaf. The tree leaf turned to ash when it came in contact with his fingertip, it flew and disappeared along with the wind, just like Zhao Xiaoyu''s sudden disappearance.


    It was that he would never be able to forget about this woman. Her cunning, her shrewdness, her decisiveness, and her unconcealed love.


    He stayed in this mountain for a day and watched the bamboo leaves sway with the wind, the waterfalls grew smoke, and the gathering and dispersing of the clouds. He tried to calm his heart, but it had no effect.


    He had always liked to be alone, but now he actually felt lonely. The taste of loneliness rose in his heart. Just like aged alcohol, he knew that alcohol was bad for body but could not help but drink and continue to drink.


    Just like that, three days had passed. Shen Lian finally left and returned to Qing Xuan.


    Chen Jinchan was greatly relieved at Shen Lian''s return. At least his honored master has returned, regardless of the outcome of his fight with Lu Jiuyuan.


    Shen Lian said to Chen Jinchan, "Lu Jiuyuan has already reached an agreement with me. There was nothing to stop this Buddha Purnima ceremony."


    Chen Jinchan listened to his honored master''s casual statement, but he could imagine that because of the agreement, it was concerning that it has profoundly affected the souls of many. He knew to be considerate so as to not ask about the details. More so, he did not want to discuss who proved to be better, honored master or Lu Jiuyuan. After all, between Qing Xuan and Xuantian, it was better to have had no conflict. Otherwise, it will only benefit the Buddhist sects.


    He said, "among the immortal zhenren that came this time, there was one special guest. Only I could not tell if honored master would let him come."


    Shen Lian listened to what he said, he thought for a moment and said, "You were talking about Daoist Dengfeng of Guangqing. It has been a millenium, what else could not be gotten over with? He could come should he wish to."


    Chen Jin was really impressed. His honored master knew even before he spoke. This ability, he did not know how long does he need to take in order to learn, he said, "yes."


    ...


    Zhao Xiaoyu had reached a mysterious time and space. Everything the day before was the best experience of her life, without a doubt. As a result, her Grand Technique of the True Void has finally come to a completion. She has completely surpassed the past dynasties'' predecessors of Luoism, catching up to the founder of Luo Order.


    She indeed harboured true feelings towards Shen Lian, that was why she had painstakingly guarded a millenium in order to occupy a important position in Shen Lian''s heart. Otherwise, she would rather have not attained Dao.


    Zhao Xiaoyu has indeed achieved this, but she understood that no matter how hard it was to leave this feeling, the time to leave has come. Because she did not want to become Shen Lian''s restraint, to forget was probably the best outcome for the both of them.


    Moreover, she was now the true successor to the founder of Luo Order. The dangers that would come next would be far from what Shen Lian could deal with now. Therefore, it was even more important for Zhao Xiaoyu to not burden Shen Lian.


    The founder of Luo Order was indeed the genius of Qing Xuan Earth and Star, even more powerful than Shen Lian. When he transcended beyond the mortal world, he was already in the State of Taiyi. After that, he went a step further and became almighty - a rare power in the entire universe, capable of attaining Buddhism and becoming a grandmaster. However, the founder of Luo made an enemy. It was a deity born since the beginning of the universe. Their battle ended with the loss of the founder of Luo, that body and spirit of the founder of Luo completely vanished. Even the real soul that had merged into the village of nothingness has been captured and annihilated.


    Fortunately, the founder of Luo predicted his death several years in advance and secretly returned to the Qing Xuan Earth and Star, leaving a complete legacy. Zhao Xiaoyu was the one who inherited the complete succession, and learnt of many secrets. She had also finally completed the core of the inheritance - Grand Technique of the True Void, which left only one more step away from being able to enter the State of Taiyu.


    However, once Taiyi was accomplished and the village of nothingness has been merged, because of the Grand Technique of the True Void''s leak in vital force, she would never be able to hide from the enemy of the founder of Luo.This resulted in an eventual extinguishment by that horrible existence.


    The founder of Luo had expected this to happen, he had left a beacon of time and space. After Zhao Xiaoyu completed the Grand Technique of the True Void, it will guide her to the land of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma. The land was created by a certain individual of a Daoist Master level, who cut out a certain node from the River of Time, forming another space-time. It was also likely to be formed out of debris of the core of heaven. It was found by the founder of Luo by chance, and was sufficient enough in ensuring that Zhao Xiaoyu attained Taiyi there without alerting the enemy.


    Furthermore, a day in that space equals to a year in the outside world, maybe after a few decades when she came out, Shen Lian would also be able to protect her already. As Zhao Xiaoyu thought of this, she could not help but smile.


    Of course, this was just an unrealistic idea. Zhao Xiaoyu could not guarantee that when she comes out, Shen Lian would have become invincible in the unrestrained universe, becoming a figure like the Heavenly King.


    Unless Zhao Xiaoyu remained in this place permanently. But once she steps out, being found by the deity was just a matter of time. According to his temperament in taking away the spleen of the roots, if she was with Shen Lian, Shen Lian would not be able to escape as well. She has inherited the legacy of the founder of Luo, naturally, she would have to accept the karma of the founder of Luo. Compared to burdening Shen Lian, she would rather take responsibility of everything herself.


    Fortunately, her Apprentice-Sister''s Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma gave her a slim possibility in the chance of defeating the deity. In front of it was a cerulean-colored planet, not far away there was a much smaller planet, its appearance riddled with potholes and craters, it was exactly the moon of the current planet.


    She felt that her primordial spirit and mana were decaying at a speed beyond imagination. That place was indeed a land of the Total Annihilation of the Dharma.


    Zhao Xiaoyu soon arrived to a planet with many towering buildings about a few dozen feet high in its surrounding. Relying on the Sutra of Total Annihilation of the Dharma, she managed to retain a part of her mana. It would be considered as her safeguard against that mysterious space-time.


    Coming towards her were many iron boxes, big and small. Zhao Xiaoyu walked in the gap between the torrents of steel in a graceful manner, attracting the attention of many passers-by.


    After a while, she learned the language of the place, and it was not much different from her original planet.


    She also learnt that by walking in the gap between the torrents of steel would violate common sense; thus, she went to the roadside. The people in this world were interesting, although she was a deity, the majority of people merely shot a few glance before they hurriedly left as if they were busy.


    The building opposite used a spell that resembled a wall of floating lights, constantly flashing some very clear picture. This indicated that this world has its unusual aspect.


    A shop beside it rang a song:


    Had it been meeting you, where would I be?


    How would my days be like, whether life should be cherished


    Might get to know someone, living an ordinary life


    Don''t know will have love as sweet as honey or not


    Let time pass hurriedly, I care only for you


    Willingly contract your breath


    How often in life will one find their confidant


    Losing the power in life also not a pity


    Zhao Xiaoyu heard the song and was touched. Emotions were not differentiated according to one''s mortality. The lyrics were similar to the emotion she has towards Shen Lian. Therefore, she stood aside silently listening.


    No matter where she was or how the future would be, she wanted to finish listening to this song.


    Before Zhao Xiaoyu finished listening to the song, someone leaped beside her, holding a square piece of paper and asked, "Beauty, I am a talent scout, would you be interested in becoming a huge star?"

 Chapter 641 The Spectacular Even

    Zhao Xiaoyu stared at the man in front of her. It seemed that she could look into his inner thoughts.


    Although this place was the Total Annihilation of the Dharma, there was still the psyche state. Zhao Xiaoyu used to be the Saintess of Luoism, as she portrayed her grandeur, the talent scout felt diffident.


    Hence, he believed that her strong aura was the reason of her being a celebrity.


    Shakenly, he took out a work permit. It contained his picture, his name, Zhao Feng and the company''s information.


    Zhao Xiaoyu nodded and answered, "Let''s find a quiet place to talk."


    Swiftly, Zhao Feng replied, "Let''s go to Starbucks," while, he pointed towards the direction to the front, by the right corner.


    After reaching the Starbucks, they ordered two cups of coffee and sat face to face. Zhao Feng did not dare maintained eye contact with Zhao Xiaoyu. Her aura was stronger than some of the stars. Common people would not easily develop this aura. However, since she followed him here, there was a chance that she would agree.


    He looked at her clothes and complemented, "The ancient suit that you wore seemed like the heavenly immortals that came to Earth. It is better than those i''ve seen in the movies."


    As Zhao Feng was speaking, there were people taking pictures of Zhao Xiaoyu secretly. If he noticed it, Zhao Xiaoyu would notice it too. Nonetheless, she did not complain so he was not in the position to do so. Furthermore, becoming the star required some exposure to the public. After this encounter, he believed that the passer-by would post her pictures online. She would become an internet celebrity in no time.


    Zhao Xiaoyu thought, "I am, in fact the heavenly immortal that came to the world."


    Zhao Xiaoyu talked to Zhao Feng. She used her remaining psyche power to pry information from Zhao Feng''s mind. Previously, this could be done easily. However, it was different this time, she had to make greater efforts to shape the view of the world and to have some understanding of the country.


    Although this secular society had religion, it was difficult to develop believers like the past., The power of belief was necessary for her to outbreak.


    Besides that, in this place of Total Annihilation of the Dharma, the only thing not restricted was the power of belief.


    Becoming a celebrity was indeed an option. Admirations from fans had for their idol was similar to the belief between the deities and their followers. Moreover, this path fitted law and perspective of this world.


    In addition, the world''s so-called sports celebrity had a fan base of six billion people. Zhao Xiaoyu was really surprised by the figure. She noticed the spiritual wisdom of people in this world was especially high. This was even better than some of the Qi cultivators that just entered into the path. Even though the power of belief was not strong, it cannot be underestimated. If the power of the six billion fans belief was refined, it was enough for the cultivators from the path of Shen to ignite the spiritual fire and achieved bestowment. Ranking of this newly bestowed deity would be high. He might achieve the state of Taiyi immediately. She was relieved that sports celebrity did not practice and cultivate any path of Shen. Otherwise, they would turn into the masters of this world.


    Both of them talked for the whole afternoon. Zhao Xiaoyu had obtained the information she needed and at the same time, Zhao Feng had completely submitted himself to her. Zhao Feng may not have realised himself but any demand made by Zhao Xiaoyu, he would not oppose. Zhao Xiaoyu came up with an excuse that she was robbed by a thief and did not know where to go.


    Zhao Feng volunteered to help and found a shelter nearby for Zhao Xiaoyu.


    He was from Beijing and a relocated household. If he was not interested in the entertainment industry, he would not have joined this business. Unfortunately, he did not have an outstanding ability and influential relationship. Therefore, he could only scout for talent and wandered around. He had a cousin who was a doctor, unfortunately, he passed away in a car crash nearly three years ago, leaving the house empty. His uncle lived in the University of Jing Cheng because he was a professor there. Moreover, his uncle was old and did not trust other people. Hence, he sought for Zhao Feng''s assistance to spare some time to clean the house weekly.


    Speaking of this, Zhao Feng was still sad. His cousin had a car accident and his aunt died of grief not long after, leaving his uncle alone. His uncle did not live in his cousin''s house as he could not bear thinking of them.


    Zhao Xiaoyu answered inattentively. After reaching his cousin''s house, she sensed something and questioned, "What was your cousin''s name?"


    Zhao Feng stunned but answered, "Lee Feng."


    Zhao Xiaoyu replied with an utter of acknowledgement. After a while, Zhao Feng followed Zhao Xiaoyu''s order and left for the house.


    Zhao Xiaoyu surveyed the house. She felt a sense of familiarity.


    However, the important part was to come up with a reasonable and legitimate identity, to integrate into this world. Fortunately, this was not a difficult task for her. Within a night, she became the world''s top hacker and screened databases for a reasonable identity. The next thing to do was to prove her existence. As a religious leader who often changes her face, this was her profession, as easy as eating and drinking.


    To be a celebrity with six billion fans, she believed that by working hard, it would pay off.


    As she began to prepare, she had a great interest in the culture of the country. Fortunately, the spread of knowledge in the world was very convenient by using the Internet. Hence, she managed to obtain a lot of information and confirmed certain issues.


    Hence, Zhao Xiaoyu decided to attend the class of the former owner''s father of this house in the University of Jing Cheng.


    ....


    The next day was Qing Xuan Zhenren Shen''s Dragon Flower Assembly. Today, Zhenren Shen would expound the longevity, the path and its fruition doctrine by the altar. Anyone who was related to Qing Xuan or had the cultivation until the state of trance could join the talk.


    The indigenous incantation of celestials was not afraid of the number of audiences. Ten golden bridge appeared from the Qing Xuan Taiyi Peak to welcome the guests.


    The sky was patrolled by two dragons who went around in circles, the scene looked magnificent.


    News circulated that Zhenren Shen went to Xuantian Sect to discuss Dao with Zhenren Xiangshan and obtained his appraisal. However, other news surfaced that it was not a Dao discussion but a battle of mana. On top of that, Zhenren Xiangshan lost by a whisker away.


    Amidst the rumours, the Xuantian Sect did not clarify. It confirmed that the rumours were not baseless. This encouraged more cultivators to go Qing Xuan and it had exceeded the expectation of ten thousand guests.


    Shen Lian used his celestial methods to open a cloud realm. Hence, it accommodated more than a million cultivators without being congested.


    Although Zhenren Shen had not stood by the altar, there were already incidents that caught everyone''s attention. The famous immortal Zhenren and Lords of Louhan in the cultivation community showed their presence. This spectacular event surpassed the past and future.


    All of a sudden, a water light dashed upwards, to the sky on the west side. The cassock illuminating like rosy clouds and were floating in the water light. Someone exclaimed, "When the mana was boundless, the sea would crack and the mountains would collapse. The Zen Master Fahai is here!"


    The Zen Master Fahai was originally a sea snake, which was in the path of Dao for many years. After he entered Buddhism, his mana became stronger and he eventually became Jintu Sect''s Zen Master.


    Some people even explained that the Zen master Fahai and Shen Lian were old friends.

 Chapter 642 Shen Lian Expound Doctrine

    As the commotion between the cultivators had not subsided, there was a thick yellow Qi in the sky. The power was similar to the Zen Master Fahai.


    The sensation was greater than that of the Zen Master Fahai, because the person was the last immortal Zhenren in Guangqing. Guangqing fell because of Zhenren Shen. Although Zhenren Shen did not kill everyone in the sect, the courage that the immortal Zhenren came to Celestial Mountain Qing Xuan was commendable.


    On the Taiyi Peak, Shen Lian felt his presence and told Chen Jinchan beside him, "He came to ask for it."


    The Daoist''s voice rang over the Qing Xuan Daoist Sect, "Zhenren Shen, I am here to die, please come out and see me."


    Before the voice ended, there was an exceedingly powerful sword river appeared above the Taiyi Peak. Immediately, the Daoist was drawn into that and what remained was silence.


    From that day onwards, the gratitude and resentment towards Guangqing evaporated. Before he died, the only regret from the Daoist was not being able to talk to Shen Lian even.


    Chen Jinchan sighed. Their difference was too far apart. If all the five deities of Guangqing were here, Shen Lain would meet them.


    The cultivators who traveled from afar thought that they could witness a show. However, everything ended too quickly and they were not given the time to respond. What was left was just an awkward silence.


    Soon, they realized that the Daoist was an immortal Zhenren, a land immortal. With at least a thousand years in the path and strong mana, he was reduced to ashes even before meeting Shen Lian.


    The rumor that Zhenren Shen was better than Zhenren Xiangshan could be true after all. Then, the world number one would change.


    Zen Master Fahai''s expression changed. He did not expect Shen Lian to be so powerful. He knew that he was slightly better than the Daoist, but with a limit. However, Shen Lian''s stroke of sword river was powerful enough to send him to incarnation.


    Initially, he thought that it was hard to improve further beyond this stage. Hence, there would be a limit to Shen Lian''s power. However, it seemed that his first impression of Shen Lian and this time was incomparable. He could be on par previously but the gap this time was huge.


    Luckily, Zen Master Fahai relationship with Shen Lian was good. He could still seek advice from him.


    Later, another ten immortal Zhenren and three out of the Five Masters of Zen came. The guests were all big names. However, they had a tacit agreement to not discuss the past occurrence as they knew about the resentment between Qing Xuan and Guangqing.


    The death of the Daoist was let to an end to that enmity.


    Chen Jinchan realized that it was the time for his honored master''s appearance. The golden bridge was closed. Surrounded with mystique, the prominent cultivators were in a floating place of enlightenment.


    The place of enlightenment was exquisitely structured. With the guidance from the people from Qing Xuan, the cultivators were brought to their seats. On the other hand, the immortal Zhenren were brought to other designated seats, which separated them from the ordinary cultivators.


    Not long after, the celestial music rang and a lotus stage appeared. Shen Lian stood in the middle of the lotus stage and beside him were two Daoist children.


    With Shen Lian''s permission, Jiazhen was one of the audience. Beside her stood a delicately beautiful girl who seemed to come from an extraordinary family. She was lucky to be here. Hence, she appreciated every moment and tried to be at her best.


    Shen Lian did not pay attention to the both of them. He looked around and slightly nodded towards the celestials to show respect. He did not seem overly confident. The celestials also did not dare to give a cold reception as everyone witnessed what happened to the Daoist not too long ago.


    Zhenren Shen was not a notorious person, so certain etiquette had to be maintained.


    Furthermore, Shen Lian''s close friends like Zen Master Fahai also requited earnestly.


    Shen Lian went straight to the point and started to expound doctrine.


    He did not talk about the path of Dao but talked about the nine state of cultivation; Yangqi, Tongmai, Qiaodong, Yunhun, Chushen, Ruhua, Huandan, Buxu and Powang. He explained every detail clearly and the feature of each state. Most of the cultivators were in a trance state. It was just a step away from the next stage. However, after listening to Shen Lian, they realized that they themselves had missed out on many details.


    On the other hand, the celestials who listened to Shen Lian''s remarks felt that they did not practice cultivation to perfection.


    From time immemorial, nobody explained the nine state of cultivation such incisively. This time, Shen Lian''s concluded his understanding and described the reason behind the split among cultivation state by Taiyi Daoist Master.


    Before Shen Lian finished, an immortal Zhenren told his friend, "After today, Zhenren Shen made his words the laws of the country and held himself up as the example of posterity."


    His comment was not hidden. Most of the immortal Zhenren who heard it felt the same way too.


    Shen Lian used the heart seal of Buddhism to expound doctrine. The Buddhism used it on a one to one basis whereas Shen Lian sealed it on every cultivator''s heart. Hence, they would be able to remember clearly, what he preached. As they arrived at this state, they could personally experience the essence of the doctrine.


    The three Zen Masters were utterly impressed. Founding Master Hui Ke said that Zhenren Shen was a genius and she did not overpraise.


    Zen Masters paid attention to insights. Hence, the insights that all three of them had gained were not lesser than their Daoist friends in Xuanmen.


    As the sun rose from the east and set in the east, Shen Lian finished his doctrine. Although he was talking about the nine state of cultivation, it was indirectly talking about longevity, the path and the fruition. The cultivators felt lucky to have experienced this incredible opportunity.


    Later, the girl beside Shen Lian obtained her Founding Master''s order and uttered, "My Founding Master said he will randomly pick any of the Daoist friends to ask him questions, so please be prepared. Those who are picked will have their image in the air."


    The audience was excited. If they were picked to ask a question, they could enter Qingyun.


    After some time, a cultivator was picked and his image was portrayed in the air. Cultivators from all sides could see him.


    The cultivator was slightly nervous but managed to calm down quickly. He questioned, "Zhenren Shen, there is a saying that the God rewards the diligent. However, why do some try so hard to cultivate but still make little progression whereas some do not try hard but improve tremendously?"


    He was fifty years old but he just reached trance. On the other hand, others reached trance by twenty years old. Therefore, he felt uneasy.


    Shen Lian smiled and answered, "Someone asked the Zen Master Hui Ke, "Do the monks work hard to cultivate Daoism?" The Zen Master answered yes. Then he questioned, "How do you define hardworking?" The Zen Master replied, "Eat if you are hungry; sleep when you are sleepy." He continued, "Everyone in the world sleeps and eats like that, is there a difference to the monks?" The Zen Master responded, "It is different." He queried, "What is the difference?" The Zen Master explained, "When it is time to eat, the worldly people do not eat but demands others; when it is time to sleep, the worldly people do not sleep but disputes. That is the difference."


    The three Zen Masters looked at each other. Although Shen Lian referred to Hui Ke in the context, he highlighted the essence of cultivation.

 Chapter 643 Cannot See nor Hear Shen Lian

    Like a thunder that struck, the cultivator understood and did not continue.


    Next, another cultivator asked, "I heard Zhenren Shen have seen all the collections of Daoist scriptures. Was this helpful for the cultivation?"


    Shen Lian answered, "It was helpful."


    The monk added, "What was your opinion after viewing the scriptures?"


    With a faint smile, Shen Lian responded, "Obtain the significant and forget the words."


    The cultivator seemed to understand. He bowed with his hands in front and remained silent.


    The following cultivator that questioned was a young female who had the Talisman Seeds and in the Huandan state. She was a female Celestial Master from Zhengyi Sect. She was able to speak the moment she was born. While she was three years old, she was able to cultivate. Before forty years old, she achieved Huandan. At a young age, she became a Celestial Master in Zhengyi Sect and had the potential of becoming the leader of the Southeast Yuan Continent Dao.


    Many connoisseurs from Dao stated that this female Celestial Master would gain enlightenment in Daoist immortality within one hundred years. She was another Chen Jinchan.


    Among the two hundred thousand audiences, she could be one of the top talents.


    She queried, "Zhenren Shen, is there only one path of Dao or an unlimited path of Dao?"


    As the question was thrown, even the celestials were affected. This was because she asked a question everyone in the cultivation realm would face. There would be a thousand different supernatural powers that could lead to Dao. However, as one progressed further, they would realize that one had to return to its original nature and all methods would merge as one.


    Nonetheless, the Dao path to enlightenment varied among people. Even the same Dao formula would make a huge difference if different people were using it.


    For example, the Taixu Strategy cultivated by Shen Lian. If a person''s character was like fire, his ultimate path would not be Yin-Yang and Five Elements. It would be the great path of fire. This was because of the character of that particular person.


    Cultivators paid attention to follow the flow. If one''s character was like the fire but cultivated a cold path, one would suffer and fail their cultivation.


    As the cultivation realm developed for two years, the cultivators would allow their disciples to cultivate the exercises suited for them, even though they did not understand the meaning behind it. They would not force them to cultivate the one-in-the-world Dao formula.


    The smaller sect had lesser choices whereas the bigger sect like Qing Xuan had more choices. They were involved in almost everything and so any cultivation geniuses would be able to find a suitable Dao formula in Qing Xuan. Therefore, if Qing Xuan Daoist Sect went downhill, it was a matter of time whether they would regain their prosperous.


    With a smile, Shen Lian asked, "What is your name?"


    The female Celestial Master answered, "I am from the Zhengyi Sect. My surname is Su while my first name is Xiuqing."


    Shen Lian explained, "Xiu was like the far mountains while Qing was like the near water. Your master gave you a good name. There were millions of beings in the world and the name Su Xiuqing would be common. Nonetheless, there is only one Su Xiuqing. Do you understand?"


    Su Xiuqing paused and replied, "Zhenren Shen describe that there might be many Su Xiuqing but I am the only one. The others might be named Su Xiuqing or Zhenren Shen can be named Su Xiuqing but I am the only one. On the contrary, the avenue of reasoning is infinite. In my eyes, mountains, rivers, fire and thunder are all different ways but they are just what I see in my eyes. That infinite path of Dao is what I see in my heart. The evolving thousand roads to the path of Dao are to be judged through my perspective. This is the only way. Apologies for my ignorance but I can only understand this much."


    Shen Lian gave out a laugh and replied, "If someone saw Shen Lian, it might not be Shen Lian but the name is Shen Lian. The doctrine ends here today."


    Then, Shen Lian''s figure disappeared from the lotus platform. Some cultivators complained about Su Xiuqing. If it were not her, Zhenren Shen would not leave early.


    Only the connoisseur understood that Su Xiuqing asked a good question. There would not be any question better than this. It left a lasting impression by ending the doctrine here.


    After arranging the accommodation for various immortal Zhenren and Lords of Luohan, Chen Jinchan met Shen Lian in the Taiyi Peak.


    Shen Lian stood by the mountain cliff by himself, looking into the clouds and mist. They were interchanging like white clouds and grey dogs.


    Seeing Chen Jinchan, he pointed at the cloud mist and uttered, "The universal nature is in this sight."


    Chen Jinchan had a bright heart of Dao. After his honoured master said those keen words, he moved his sleeves. A gust of strong wind blew scattered the cloud and mist. What was left was a clear void.


    He answered, "My honoured master, where is the universal nature now?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Just look at me."


    Suddenly, the place that her honoured master stood became the never-ending mountain, river and the secular world. He could see all the sceneries that he saw, thought of and wished for.


    Immediately, the strange occurrence disappeared. Chen Jinchan smiled bitterly, "Honored master''s Supreme Dao techniques could reverse the truth and the lies."


    Shen Lian replied, "Jinchan, you may think that your master is powerful. However, compared to the vastness of the universe and the never-ending timeline, I am nothing. In fact, this is the reason that the Zhenren cannot outbreak. On top of that, there is the limitation of heaven and earth and the eye boundary. In the future, we shall let the disciples go out so that they can understand the immensity of the universe. Therefore, one will have the motivation to pursue an infinite possibilities."


    Chen Jinchan answered, "I understand."


    Shen Lian ordered, "Invite Su Xiuqing here. She is an outstanding cultivator. Zhengyi sect is prosperous to have a person like her. Nonetheless, she is lacking the understanding of cultivation. I will preach her some of my experience in the hope that it will improve her cultivation."


    .....


    Su Xiuqing was in the abode in Qingliang Hill. She was surrounded by her peers. One of the elderly cultivators spoke to her, "Junior sister, you put yourself in the limelight today. There are many that have opinions about it."


    Su Xiuqing glanced at her senior apprentice-brother and responded, "Nobody had an opinion on Zhenren Shen when he was in the limelight."


    Her apprentice-brother mumbled, "There is only one Zhenren Shen."


    Su Xiuqing proudly replied, "There is only one Su Xiuqing too."


    Her apprentice-brother sighed and said, "You will suffer losses if you do not change your attitude."


    Su Xiuqing gently answered, "Apprentice-brother, no one''s path of cultivation is smooth. In fact, many celestial fear the speed that I used to attain this state. It was not easy for the four main Daoist sects to merge into two. They will not want another branch. Furthermore, the Talisman Seeds cultivated by Zhengyi sect was different from the path of Huandan. In addition, there are sayings that I would be the next Zhenren Chen. Hence, if I do not gain enlightenment within a hundred years, I will be humiliated. At the same time, Zhengyi sect will be affected."


    Her apprentice-brother smiled bitterly and questioned, "When we were not famous, our path was still smooth."


    Su Xiuqing secretly sighed. Her apprentice-brother was too ordinary, like an awl in a bag. She was different, not ordinary, just like Zhenren Shen.

 Chapter 644 Runes Method from Zhengyi Sec

    When both the brother and sister were going to argue, an illuminating light appeared outside the abode and dissipated within seconds.


    The Zhengyi sect knew that they had a visitor from the connoisseur. Without losing their courtesy, they went out together. They were surprised to see what awaited them. Even Su Xiuqing''s expression was different.


    The person that visited was Chen Jinchan, the headmaster of Qing Xuan. Quickly and without hesitation, they stepped forward to greet her.


    Chen Jinchan gazed at them. Among the crowd, Su Xiuqing stood out. She was filled with Qi of Dao, like a flowing river and her mana purity was clearer than the blue sea and sky.


    She was indeed a rare cultivation genius. It was no surprise there were rumors spreading that she was going to be the leader in the Southeast Yuan Continent.


    The world was not only contained to Qing Xuan, talents were scattered all around.


    Su Xiuqing noticed Chen Jinchan had her attention, she then responded, "Zhenren Chen, is there anything that I can help?"


    With a smile, Chen Jinchan replied, "My master wanted to invite little celestial master to meet him at Taiyi Peak for a while."


    Su Xiuqing''s face turned red. She was a female and the night was getting dark soon. Hence, it was improper to meet Zhenren Shen alone.


    In addition, Shen Lian had many romantic affair rumors in his early years. If she attended the meeting, even though there was nothing between them, no doubt there would be rumors. However, she would be seen as arrogant to refuse the invitation.


    Before Su Xiuqing could weigh the pros and cons, her apprentice-brother encouraged happily, "Apprentice-sister, why are you hesitating? Zhenren Shen will be teaching you. Go quickly and don''t let him wait."


    Su Xiuqing was angry at first, then, almost immediately, something switched inside. Zhenren Shen was second of the world''s cultivators. Qing Xuan''s influence was dominant. Besides that, the cultivators that came were definitely related to Qing Xuan. She was just a firefly if compared to Zhenren Shen, which was like the moon. There was nothing to compare with between the both of them.


    There would be a suspicion that she wanted to provoke Zhenren Shen. If she showed signs of refusal and the word of it leaked out, the whole Southeast Daoist sect would find trouble towards Zhengyi sect.


    Furthermore, she could not put the blame on Zhenren Shen. After all, she was not worthy for Zhenren Shen to treat her hostile. Although she had great potential and high qualifications, the gap between both of them was enormous.


    Su Xiuqing secretly sighed. She soon realized that she boasted greatly about her speed of cultivation and also belittled her apprentice-brother, she was going to take the connoisseur for granted. Her greatest outcome she obtained in Qing Xuan was to reflect the evil side of her heart.


    Having said so, she was still a talented cultivator. Therefore, this time, her heart and mind were like a sword, cutting away the arrogant spirit. Humbly, she said, "I will meet Zhenren Shen."


    "Follow me," Chen Jinchan ordered with a smile. Like a rainbow, the light passed through Taiyi Peak and Qingliang Hill and disappeared.


    In Qing Xuan, most people were not allowed to fly, except those who were distinguished and honored. Hence, the light from the Qingliang Hill drew a lot of attention and the soon the news were slipped to many.


    Some of the talkative cultivators wanted to talk about a love affair. However, before they started, the listeners left him as if they saw a plague.


    These people were muddled. The celestials had supernatural powers. If caught with slandering, retribution was the only outcome. This was known as the karma effect.


    Recalling the Daoist, he was an immortal land celestial with more than a thousand years experience in the path of Dao. Due to his karma with Zhenren Shen, he had to come to give his life. Therefore, what makes the others with no merits to gossip about Zhenren Shen?


    When Su Xiuqing arrived behind Taiyi Peak, Chen Jinchan showed her the way and left as he needed to catch up with some celestials. Shen Lian was of high status and in a higher state. The others would be uncomfortable to talk to him after the Dragon Flower Assembly. At the same time, Shen Lian had no patience with networking. Therefore, Chen Jinchan was suitable for the role.


    The stars shined brightly in the sky. It seemed so close that the stars seemed like it could be hand plucked. The path towards Shen Lian''s home was shining brightly too. Su Xiuqing calmly walked to the end of the road. The door naturally opened and the interior was bright like the full moon fell into the house.


    As she entered, there was no source of light.


    Shen Lian laid on a stone couch, it seemed like he was sound asleep. Su Xiuqing did not dare to disturb Shen Lian so she quietly waited by the side. There was no superfluous decoration in his house, only a picture, hung in the hall. In the picture, there were mountains, rivers and a couplet. It wrote:


    ''There is nothing in the heaven and earth that I can rely on, I can only rely on myself;


    The Book of He Tu Luo cannot be depended on, as its basis is all void.''


    After reading the couplet, Su Xiuqing was amazed.


    There were only Zhenren Shen and Zhenren Xiangshan who had that breadth of mind. She would take many years to reach that state. In fact, she might not reach it in this lifetime.


    When she was not paying attention, Shen Lian got up.


    immediately, Su Xiuqing gathered her thoughts, put her hands in front and bowed attentively.


    Shen Lian smiled and commented, "You are not my disciple nor my grand-disciple, so it need not be so formal. We can lose the arrogance but do not lose your self-esteem.


    Su Xiuqing responded, "Thank you for your advice. Zhenren Shen, why do you call me?"


    Shen Lian answered, "I find that you have the potentials so I decided to direct your cultivation."


    Su Xiuqing was comforted by Zhenren Shen''s straightforwardness.


    Shen Lian added, "After receiving the teachings, I demand some reward."


    Su Xiuqing became ashamed as she thought the reward in the wrong way.


    As she listened to Shen Lian''s request, she knew that she overthought.


    "The runes method from Zhengyi sect is authentic and successive generations had evolved it into a variety of methods. Hence, even the mortals were able to to use them. This gave Zhengyi sect a good reputation in the mundane world. I hope that you could work for me for a few years. Your job is to teach the cultivators some ordinary Talisman. It would be better than even people with different cultivation are able to use it too. Within the years that you work for me, you are free to ask any questions regarding the difficulties you face in your cultivation. I would not let you delay your cultivation and would give you an identity as a disciple under me. What do you think?" Shen Lian spoke carefully.


    There were more cultivation sects here than the netherworld. The development of Qi cultivator was much better compared to Yinshang. For example, unlike the Qi cultivators in Yinshang, the runes method from Zhengyi sect was ingenious and it was able to be absorbed into different levels.


    Su Xiuqing was a genius in runes method and the highest accomplisher in Zhengyi sect. Her uniqueness was she even managed to grow the Talisman Seed. Therefore, he hoped that he was able to bring her to the netherworld. This would help Da Zhou greatly.


    At the same time, as Su Xiuqing was working, she would be able to receive some fortune of the nation. This would also enhance her cultivation. However, Shen Lian did not press further. It all depended on her decision.��ͼ���� - Book of He Tu Luo is the original source of culture in the ancient China.

 Chapter 645 The Heaven and Earth Was a House to One

    Su Xiuqing thought for a moment. Shen Lian was a rare Daoist prominent figure. He would not deceive her. Working in Qing Xuan had more advantages than disadvantages. Besides that, Zhengyi sect had not had any immortal Zhenren in the past thousand years. After condensing the Talisman Seed, she was actually lost. She did not know what laid ahead of her. However, if she received guidance from Zhenren Shen, even if the future was not bright, she still had something to rely on.


    When she had a clear picture of her own intentions, she said, "I am willing to work for Zhenren Shen."


    Shen Lian nodded and explained, "Zhengyi sect''s Sanshan Runes Book and Huandan were the right methods to the path of Dao. Both has a similarity, which was to pass the whim level. The deepest Xuan philosophy between the heaven and earth was the abstruse. It was also ingenious and its presence exceeded the ghosts and gods. Most teachings avoided it, leaving behind few records. They only guided the disciples through Dao scriptures and Buddhist sutra. This was because they were afraid that disciples would face knowledge barrier. Secondly, this would interrupt their process of creation, leading to catastrophe. I can only give these pointers to you. The rest is up to you to figure it out."


    Su Xiuqing had the Qi of stillness. However, as she heard that Shen Lian was about to preach the path of immortality, excitement filled her. She asked, "Please teach me, Master Shen."


    Shen Lian explained, "The path of immortality is simple and easy. If known and refined, it will be permanent once obtained. Then, one will attain the realm of Buddha and celestial and will accomplish the Primordial Spiritual Body. The golden mean of the Confucian school, the ancestral of Daoism and The Truth in Buddhism were three different religions but all Dao belong to one..."


    As Shen Lian was explaining the platitude to Su Xiuqing, she was not focused. Nonetheless, Shen Lian continued to describe the details. When it combined with the platitude, the Art of Spiritual Enhancement could enhance one''s character. Not only that, the knack to it was like tailor-made to her. Zhenren Shen actually customized the Art of Spiritual Enhancement for her.


    Although the outbreak from the whim was different for everyone, the orthodoxy remained the same. As the spirit grew stronger, the chances of breaking the whim will be higher. This law might be baseless but there was a reason to it.


    Every time when Shen Lian justified the beauty of it, Su Xiuqing fluttered. Her psyche became happier as time passed.


    Finally, Shen Lian ended his preach. Su Xiuqing felt lost and wanted more. Fortunately, her Dao character was good and did not press on. Hence, she bowed sincerely and thanked Shen Lian. Then, she left the abode.


    The East started to light up and the clouds were coloured. Su Xiuqing wanted to go back to learn eagerly. She returned as fast as the wind and soon, she arrived at Qingliang Hill. Her peers were mediating and practicing Qi.


    She pushed open the door and happily said, "Quickly get up."


    Her peers from Zhengyi sect went closer to her after looking at her gradient face. They knew that she gained something from the encounter with Shen Lian. They tempered her for the details.


    Everyone admired her as she described her occurrence yesterday. As the news spread, some thought that she had obtained the secret to longevity, the path and fruition. They could not wait to lay their hands on it.


    .....


    After Shen Lian taught Su Xiuqing, he did not follow up. From today onwards, Qing Xuan will formally screen out the cultivators who are willing to go the netherworld with him. Fortunately, he did not need to work on petty things. All he had to do was to liaise with the deities.


    If there was a one on one combat against Shen Lian, none of these people would be able to win. Nonetheless, these people were not ordinary as they managed to cultivate and reach the state of deities. They could be one of the best connoisseurs in the netherworld.


    The cultivators were not be bounded by the laws of heaven and earth in the netherworld. Hence, it was a matter of time where they would achieve more.


    Besides Tianyi and Emperor Xia, there were others that were powerful too. Thus, Shen Lian could not afford to pay attention to every detail. These deities could be his arms and helped him to ease some burden. At the same time, he would not be afraid of enemies attacking a group. The celestial tactical formation done by ten highly cultivated deities would be destructive.


    On top of that, everyone had an ultimate technique that was not to be underestimated.


    This was the advantage as compared to the netherworld. There were hundreds of schools of thought and everyone had various techniques of cultivations.


    When the time arrived, Shen Lian changed his divine Qi. As though the sea, the brightness was unmeasurable. The painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale in the abode shone. Suddenly, a majestic heaven and earth Qi burst out.


    Soon, the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale rushed to the top of Taiyi Peak and formed a heavenly palace. The grand heavenly gates appeared between heaven and earth. It seemed like it was a portal to another world.


    The immortal Zhenren and Lord Luohan knew that was the venue for Dragon Flower Assembly. Secretly, they admired his unmeasurable power as the venue produced was equivalent to a small heavenly palace.


    About twenty-three sunglow flowed towards the heavenly palace. As they arrived outside the heavenly gate, they saw the temple that was filled with mystique. They nodded approvingly and went in together.


    Once they entered, they saw Shen Lian seated in the middle of the hall.


    They nodded and greeted him.


    There were twenty-three cushions in the middle of the hall. Each cushion produced Qi of Dao, which matched each connoisseur.


    Based on their senses, they took their seats.


    Shen Lian spoke, "I am glad that everyone can make it here. Do you feel the difference in here?"


    Fahai was the first to respond, "I had a strange sensation. As I entered, my body felt lighter and comfortable."


    The others agreed. The Lord of Zen, Dao Yuan gave a deep thought and queried, "Did we leave the previous place and arrived into another world?"


    Dao Yuan''s words shocked the people in the hall. Hence, they relaxed their mental state. They could sensed that the interrelation between humans and Gods did not exist. Obviously, this was a different world.


    In other words, it could be said that they transcended beyond the mortal world.


    With a smile, Shen Lian replied, "I invited everyone here to tell you where I went previously."


    Everyone paid attention to Shen Lian. This was because the experience of transcending beyond the mortal world was not stated in any Dao scriptures or Buddhist sutra. They were curious.


    Furthermore, they agreed that Zhenren Shen was a person with good ethics. Zhenren Xiangshan had transcended beyond the mortal world but he never disclosed anything. In other words, they would not reach the level of Zhenren Xiangshan even though he shared his experience.


    Zhenren Xiangshan kept the knowledge to himself whereas Zhenren Shen was generous to share his knowledge.


    It was when they listened to Zhenren Shen''s experience that they knew the reason. They had been practicing cultivation in Zhenren Xiangshan''s house. Hence, the thought of everything they did, Zhenren Xiangshan knew. It induced a strange sensation.

 Chapter 646 Irregularities in the River of Spirits

    Shen Lian quickly finished what he was going to say. These people had lived for thousands of years, though they never doubted Shen Lian''s words, for them to forsake all their accomplishments in the present world and follow him to the unknown netherworld, they needed more time to consider.


    But they also knew the limitations of training in such a place. They would only reach the level as high as Chen Jinchan. In addition, the celestials and gods had to endure more severe trials of Dao. They understood very well that after passing through the three major Dao trials, there would be never-ending human trials awaiting them. Those would be the most difficult trials. If they remained stagnant and did not advance, they might not be able to save themselves if they got involved in other trials.


    The longer time a Daoist had achieved the state of immortality, the more they understood that the misfortunate that ensured would be more unbearable. This was also the laws of the heaven, or else the number of people with immortality would increase and cause only harm and not benefit to the universe.


    Shen Lian iterated the reasoning of such, as he was also aware of his unwritten pact with Lu Jiuyuan, so there was only one such opportunity to the Netherworld, the promised place. In future, Shen Lian would never bring the celestials leave this place again, unless it is absolutely needed. This was so that he would not fall out completely with Lu Jiuyan.


    Shen Lian now had his eyes closed silently as if he was in the fugue of universe, the immortal Zhenren too had their time to think.


    A motion disrupted Shen Lian''s blending into the void. The River of Spirits situated between Zifu Peak and Taiyi Peak was rustling and emitting countless Qi of essence from the netherworld, which interrupted Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian cast The Primordial Bagua to track its source, and he saw a picture of a sky-piercing enormous tree spiking out of the netherworld. Its root was deeply planted into the netherworld, its trunk extended into the void with no end.


    At this moment, a ruthless bull was in a standoff against a serene bird under the mammoth tree.


    They were both Bull King and Kui Li. They were finally going to have their ultimate fight, but for an unknown reason, the mammoth tree just sprung out, which Shen Lian guessed had something to do with the World tree in the urban legend.


    He could not sit still with such an event going on. So, his mental state returned to his body, opened his eyes and told the celestials, "Gentlemen, something is happening outside. If you are not interested, you may leave now."


    They were not normal folks, especially Fahai who then asked, "What is it that is happening now? Let us go and see together. Even if the sky crumbles down, we lot can still help Zhenren Shen patch things up a bit."


    Everyone else agreed. After all, they were the top class of people in this heaven and earth. With the accumulated strength of theirs and Shen Lian the monster, they had nothing to fear.


    Shen Lian replied, "Very well then, let''s not treat each other as outsiders."


    Soon, the grand hall shone in golden light and then turned into the sceneries in The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country at the size of a thousand feet, which carried everyone.


    This was only when they realized that the original Qing Xuan River of Spirits suddenly rose. Chen Jinchan was casting his prowess to pick up those cultivators who fell into the river by accident.


    When Fahai saw this, he exclaimed, "Chen my friend, let me give you a hand."


    He threw his kasaya into the source where the River of Spirits was flowing into Qing Xuan and blocked the flow of the Yellow Springs.


    Fahai''s face was seemed to have become bloodshot, as the Yellow River of Spirits became heavier for an unknown reason, seemingly comparable to the essence of Yiyuan Chongshui. Even with his boundless mana and earth-shattering powers, he had to pour out all the mana he had.


    A Daoist chuckled, "Fahai my Daoist brother, let me Long Quanzi give you a hand."


    This Daoist then pointed at the kasaya, and a ray of light emerged to support the kasaya.


    Shen Lian nodded towards both of them and said, "Thank you, my Daoist friends."


    A nun holding a purifying then came out from the crowd and said, "Zhenren Shen, let me help wash that unlucky aura off you."


    Shen Lian initially could handle things himself, but since Master Jiunan, the current abbess of the Zizai Temple was so eager to help, he could not reject, so he replied with a smile, "Why, thank you."


    Master Jiunan nodded, "The pleasure is mine. Zhenren Shen, you were an old friend of my Uncle-Master Qixiu from thousand years ago. It is my pleasure to do some deeds for you."


    While she was talking, she poured the holy water out, a spiritual rain then ensued almost immediately. The essence Qi of the Yellow Springs quickly dissipated. Even those Daoists who were hurt from the essence Qi could also quickly stop their injuries and recover quickly.


    With the help of Fahai and Long Quanzi, Chen Jinchan also managed to rescue those Daoists from the river.


    He then moved in front of Shen Lian in a flash and asked, "Honored Master, what exactly happened there?"


    Shen Lian replied, "I am not entirely clear with the situation as well. Let us have a look in front."


    Chen Jinchan said, "When the River of the Spirits turned unstable, Apprentice-Sister Fang has rushed in there to investigate. There is still no news from her yet."


    Shen Lian said, "With Yanying''s abilities, she should be fine. Let us go over together."


    The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country moved and carried the crowd into the source of the River of Spirits, all surrounded by the heavy yellow spring water, which was blocked by Shen Lian''s Water Repelling Incantation. Then Shen Lian ordered, "Fahai and Long Quanzi my friends, please retract your prowess, and let me handle this."


    Fahai relaxed his mind and withdrew his kasaya. The peaks of Zifu and Taiyi were seen to merge back together, completely blocking the River of Spirits. They would also need to wander through these two celestial mountains on their exit.


    The others were very impressed with Shen Lian''s ability to move mountains and flip oceans. Shen Lian was really no ordinary character to be able to use those abilities so casually.


    After swiftly walking through a long and deep tunnel, they appeared on the Yellow Spring, where they were surrounded by the Yellow Spring water with no end as if it was a different world.


    Hongyuan the Venerable said, "Isn''t this the territory of the Underworld Demon Sect?"


    As soon as he asked this, all the others wore a strange expression. Qing Xuan Daoist Sect''s River of Spirits was connected to the Underworld Demon Sect.


    The Small Lei Yin temple of Zen study was situated on the Yin Mountain, where the Yin of Yin Mountain was the Underworld Demon Sect. So, Hongyuan would never recognize his neighbor by mistake.


    Now some people were regretting this, as they accidentally found out about a big secret of Qing Xuan, or maybe Zhenren Shen might have other motives.


    Though Shen Lian was slightly surprised, he was not shocked as he did have the similar speculation. Now he had gotten his confirmation that Qing Xuan had, in fact, some connection with the Underworld Demon Sect.


    However, when he explored the River of Spirits previously, there was no such tunnel which they walked through earlier. There should be a restraint which prevented him from discovering this.


    The unstable movement of the River of Spirits today could have broken through this restraint to reveal the tunnel that was directed to the Underworld Demon Sect.


    Ye Liuyun would have had the most knowledge about this, but both the Underworld Demon Sect and Ye Liuyun had vanished for thousands of years.

 Chapter 647 Ox Head and Horse Face

    Shen Lian used The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country as a raft to float on the vast Yellow Spring and approached the direction where the mammoth tree was. He also felt that the Yellow Spring was quite peculiar this time.


    There were whirlpools after whirlpools on of the water surface. He cast his prowess and realized that every whirlpool was connected to one dimension. If someone was to fall into it, they might not come back so easily.


    In that vast dimension, no one could imagine what would happen in there.


    Shen Lian told his discoveries to the people, so they would not fall into the whirlpools. The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country was so incredibly abstruse, while the group through the waves of the Yellow Spring, it was also absorbing the Qi essence of the spring to replenish itself.


    The Qi essence of the Yellow Spring was extremely dark and filthy, something that was not suitable for the celestials to take in. The resentment of the demons within it were capable of contaminating the bright mirror in their hearts. Even though they might gain some Qi of vitality, but they would lose more than they could gain.


    The Painting never had such worries, as it was only a little landscape that could merge with anything and the consumption of the Yellow River''s Qi would fulfill its laws of the karmic cycle.


    Shen Lian suddenly felt a tug in his heart and sensed a demonic Qi was increasing by ten folds and was still rising.


    Shen Lian ramped up his raft''s speed and glided through the Yellow Spring. There were layers of black mist carrying countless demonic figures and the howling of ox and horse could be heard. Every howl carried the demonic aura that could seize one''s soul.


    Though the celestials were not affected, their hearts still skipped a beat.


    Long Quanzi was inherited with the wisdom of his ancestors, so he quivered, "There are many Yinsi Deities in there."


    The crowd turned to look at him expectantly for his explanation. Long Quanzi continued, "According to legend, there were ten Yama Deities in the netherworlds, all with extremely fearsome prowess. They had countless Yinsi Deities working for them, with the Ox Head and Horse Face ones being the majority. They all possessed the capabilities of Guixian and were tasked to capture the fierce ghosts who did not want to fall back to the karma cycle.


    Guixian was considered the lowest ranked amongst the deities. They only used the Yin spirits to break away from the whims and were more powerful than cultivators from the Powang state. The group would be enough to fend off three to five Guixian, but if there was more than that, they would be better off bailing.


    Judging from the layers of demonic shadows, there were more than hundreds of them.


    They were truly not easy to fend off.


    At that moment, they were shocked to see a sword aura charging towards them, and Fang Yanying was dragged towards it.


    Shen Lian, stunned, hastily said, "Jinchan, go and help Yanying out."


    He did not rush out to help, because he felt a strong thirst peeking at him. If he guessed correctly, it was the mammoth tree.


    Maybe he had something on him that attracted the mammoth tree which gradually agitated it.


    These Yinsi deities were quite certainly connected to the mammoth tree too.


    Chen Jinchan acted on the order.


    The others saw Chen Jinchan casting a mark, and then his body was wrapped in lightning rays which quickly dissipated most of the dark mist and revealed the real surroundings.


    Fang Yanying was now surrounded by demonic creatures donning either ox head or horse face. All of them were holding metallic ropes with sharp hooks. They were determined to capture Fang Yanying.


    However, Fang Yanying did not fall short of her fame as Taishang killing sword. Her flashing swords prevented the metallic sword and sharp hooks from approaching her.


    Some of the ox head and horse face creatures were even cut down by her and they instantly vaporized. This was obviously the act of killing sword that could disperse even the souls of the Yinsi deities.


    Chen Jinchan arrived with a smile, "Apprentice-Sister, let me give you a hand here."


    The mystical lightning shot appeared in varying colors, where some of them fell on the Yinsi deities and caused their bodies to expand until they exploded, even causing collateral damage to those around them.


    Some lightning fell on the Yinsi deities, instantly combusting them till nothing was left of them; whereas some lightning froze their bodies and turned it into a fine powder when touched by Fang Yanying''s sword aura.


    The crowd could not help to be impressed by the Zhenren Chen''s display of his deep Daoist cultivation. They never thought that his mastery of Five Lightning technique would be so advanced.


    Yinsi Deities were born to be restrained by lightning techniques, but such strong effect proved the battling powers of Chen Jinchan which exceeded their expectations.


    The participation of Chen Jinchan took significant pressure off Fang Yanying. She was still inexperienced in using the Taishang Killing Sword, coupled with the death of Chen Jianmei, she killed more mercilessly, as her killing aura increased with every Yinsi deity killed. It also allowed her to understand the weaknesses of the Yinsi deities.


    Her fight for survival turned to killing with ease.


    The others did not want to stand and stare, and they said, "Daoist friend Chen, Fairy Fang, let us help you too."


    Fahai did not hesitate any further to transform into a black snake. As the snake opened its mouth, a Yinsi deity was instantly consumed by it.


    The crowd could not help but shook their head. If the loyal devotees of Jinguang Temple found out that their Zen master Fahai was a large snake, they might not pray in Jinguang Temple anymore.


    Fahai had not fought as much after he embraced Buddhism. Now he had the perfect opportunity to kill as he wished.


    Even though the Yinsi deities were not weak, they were still not as strong as these celestials. They were defeated and left in a daze in a blink of an eye.


    Fang Yanying finally felt no pressure at all. There were around ten ox head and horse face creatures left. They posed very little threat to her.


    She raised her sword gleam and disappeared. Next, all the deities were left with deep cut wounds, all emitting black vapor, but there was no sight of their opponent. They started to panic and swung their hooked ropes aimlessly, only to further injure their comrades.


    These hundreds of ox head and horse face were completed defeated. Those lucky survivors were left crawling back into the netherworld.


    The celestials and Buddhas were unscratched, except Fahai who swallowed a few Yinsi deities and as he transformed back to human, his stomach was extremely inflated like the Maitreya Buddha.


    Hongyuan saw that Fahai was too greedy to consume so many Yinsi deities for him to digest. He took an elixir out and reached out to Fahai, "Apprentice-Brother, this is the Dahuan elixir of our Small Lei Yin temple. Please take this to help you replenish your essence Qi and spiritual vigor."


    Fahai laughed out loud and replied, "Thank you, but you should address me as Grand Uncle-Master."


    Hongyuan''s lips twitched. Baoyue the Venerable of the Jinguang Temple was of the same rank as Huike the Venerable. When Fahai found the reincarnated body of Baoyue the Venerable, he accepted him as a disciple before Baoyue regained memories of his past life. As Grand Master Huike was of the same rank as Baoyu the Venerable, Fahai was right.


    Shen Lian ignored the jokes between Fahai and Hongyuan and asked Fang Yanying, "Yanying, where are all these Yinsi deities from?"

 Chapter 648 Ancient Tree of the Netherworld

    Fang Yanying said, "Uncle-Master, I was just gliding through the Yellow Spring when an extremely fast virtual shadow hit my body, and then the next thing I knew I was surrounded by the ox heads and horse faces.


    The others were shocked. The spiritual consciousness of a sword immortal was the most sensitive, yet she was still selected by the virtual shadow. Moreover, Fang Yanying''s battle strength was amongst the strongest in this world. If they were attacked in the same way, they might have been seriously injured owing to the lack of strength to resist the attacks of those Yinsi deities.


    During this change in the Yellow Spring, even Shen Lian was unable to detect his surroundings because a mysterious force was blocking his senses.


    The biggest change was the mammoth tree, where it was most possible to understand the secrets of this Yellow Spring.


    The Painting of Mountain, River, and Country pierced through the dimension, approaching the mammoth tree at the speed of light. A few moments later, they finally reached a huge tree covered in green, rooted in the Yellow Spring with no ends. Pieces of leaves were as big as houses whereas its branches were arranged like bushes made of magnified blades and swords.


    An immortal sparrow used its pair of claws to scratch the head of a bull as huge as Taixing Mountain, creating multiple sparks, but it was not able to uncover it. The bull was ramming into every corner, forming waves on the Yellow Spring.


    Suddenly, another virtual shadow rushed towards Fang Yanying. Before Fang Yanying could react, Shen Lian immediately appeared beside her and flicked his finger, hitting the virtual shadow.


    Ripples were formed in the dimension, where a small black hole appeared, releasing a scent familiar to Shen Lian. It was the Nine Underworlds.


    Shen Lian reacted by releasing his sword aura and pursued the virtual shadow. Finally, a gush of red blood appeared in the void, and a tree branch fell from the thin air into the Yellow Spring. It wiggled for a bit before growing into a fully grown tree, just like a mini version of the mammoth tree.


    The branches were shaking, the tree leaves were singing, and the killing aura was more imminent.


    Shen Lian felt the hunger in his opponent''s mind as if it wanted to consume him alive.


    Due to the two attacks on Fang Yanying, Shen Lian finally confirmed that the opponent was actually drawn to his and Fang Yanying''s killing sword aura.


    As expected, the sky-piercing mammoth tree shook. Countless virtual shadows came through from the skies. Shen Lian sent the Painting of Mountain, River, and Country off, leaving himself behind.


    His spiritual shape changed as he cast the grand prowess, its size not smaller than the original shape of Bull King. Both his feet stepped into the Yellow Spring, and then the Yellow Spring''s Qi of Essence dashed towards the seeds of the heaven and earth planted between his eyebrows.


    Now he could not care about whether the seed of heaven and earth enjoyed this food or not. He had no extra time to cultivate the Essence Qi of the Yellow Spring.


    Shen Lian was only seen waving his arms to grab the branches which were shot at him. At this instant, Shen Lian unlocked his released his aura to exterminate any demonic barrier.


    Even Daoist Dengfeng saw Shen Lian''s rich mana shining as bright as the bright moon. His Taiyue Real Shape Incantation would never gain him the strength as great as Shen Lian''s.


    In Shen Lian''s current state, all that he saw were his resources, be it the Art of Gigantes, Taiyue Real Shape Incantation or the great strength from the bloodline of the Xia clan, he could all receive into his system. He was also stepping into the all-knowing realm.


    He lost count of the branches he had hit off. These branches eventually fell into the water, forming small sized trees with the intention to entangle his feet. However, his feet were still discharging strong Taixu Divine Qi, blending the void into a lump. Whether it was the Yellow Spring water or the little trees, they all disappeared due to this unmatched force.


    On the other side, Kui Li was sending a spiritual consciousness for Shen Lian to investigate the origin of the tree. The heavenly King once planted a Jianmu, the world tree that would grow through the barriers of humans and Heaven, helping mortals to become celestials. Eventually, a grand disaster ensued and the Jianmu was destroyed, but its core''s source fell into the Yellow Spring and grew into the ancient tree of the netherworld, just like the Dao bearing tree of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or the Bodhi tree of Buddha.


    However, the underworld was saturated with filthy Qi. As time passed, the ancient tree of this netherworld finally grew into a demonic tree with a cruel habit of killing. It enjoyed feeding on killing aura the most to develop its own divinity.


    Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva could no longer tolerate the sins made by the ancient tree, hence he restrained it. After countless years, the restraint weakened, and then Kui Li and the Bull King stepped on it accidentally, broke the restraints and finally released the ancient tree.


    Although the tree had not transformed yet, its mana had reached the level where it was unmatchable by demons and saints.


    If it was not for the restraints that weakened it, maybe even a Daoist of Taiyi level, like Shen Lian, would not have been able to overcome it.


    However, Kui Li saw this as an opportunity he could not miss. Defeat the Ancient Tree of Netherworld and he would enjoy unimaginable benefits.


    After Kuili transmitted his divine thoughts, the large bull let out a sad howl, as its crown was finally lifted up by Kui Li, revealing the brain within.


    A bull shaped Primordial Spirit flew out of the bull and looked at Kui Li begrudgingly before it blended into the Yellow Spring and vanished within the waves of the spring.


    At that moment, the Netherworld''s Ancient Tree saw the opportunity and used its roots to wrap around the body of the bull. The bulls flesh shrunk at a rapid pace.


    Even Shen Lian could hear its sigh of content.


    Kui Li continued to scratch open the bull''s stomach, grabbed a colorful pebble and flew off. Its feathers were already damaged, revealing wounds that could no longer be patched back. It was also badly injured, but this seemed to be compensated by its satisfaction of getting the pebble.


    The pebble was also known as Spirit Mixing Pebble. It was extremely meaningful for her. Using a special method to inject its own Qi into it, it would receive the feedback of Qi of origin in multiple folds. This was extremely crucial for her to accumulate her mana in a short period.


    If it was not for the Bull King who took this treasure, even Shen Lian would not be able to defeat him.


    As for the Ancient Tree of the Netherworld, Kui Li also knew that she would not be able to move this ancient tree, a feat only possible for Shen Lian and Lu Jiuyuan.


    If Shen Lian could overcome this ancient tree, he would surely gain the experiences of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a great boost for his future improvements. If Shen Lian could really exist like Buddha, she would gain shelter from this too, just like one of her relatives whose status was improved through relationships and no longer worried about being arrested.


    Shen Lian never knew Kui Li''s intention to lick his boot. He had put his entire focus into fighting this mammoth tree.


    The ancient tree of this netherworld had the ability to grow from wherever it was at. In addition, its roots were planted into the Yellow Spring, replenishing it with countless Qi of essence. It was almost invincible. It was the most troublesome amongst all his opponents.

 Chapter 649 Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao Frui

    As compared to the immortality of the ancient tree of the netherworld, the filthy air it emitted was comparatively insignificant.


    Fahai and the rest who were standing afar were even more fearful. This filthy aura of the ancient tree was one of the things celestials hate the most. Those who cultivated and reached the state of celestials were all with clear minds and pure souls. Once contaminated with the filthy aura, god knows how long they needed to meditate to get rid of their demonic barriers. If they were careless and caused a Dao trial, they would have no place to go cry at.


    Those who were eager to help earlier were no longer volunteering to assist anymore.


    Chen Jinchang and Fang Yanying looked at each other. They would not sit and watch Shen Lian fight with that weird mammoth tree alone.


    Fang Yanying had the Taishang killing sword in her hand with an intimidating look on her, a bit like a jade faced raksasa and not a Daoist fairy. She felt the same thirst from the mammoth tree just like Shen Lian.


    Actually, the ancient tree of the netherworld had a stronger thirst for her compared to Shen Lian. The reason being that Fang Yanying had seen the Taishang Detection from the fundamentals of Taishang Daoist sect and her cultivation of killing sword towards the realm of merciless killing sword. These posed very deadly attraction to a demon tree like the Ancient Tree of the Netherworld. Once it obtained the source from Fang Yanying, it could study the merciless killing sword, cut itself of the restraints, understood the path Dao and become an actual god and not only a demonic tree.


    Although Fang Yanying did not understood this entirely, she was clear that the mammoth tree must be destroyed, or else it would have seized any chance to consume her clean, skin to bone.


    She murmured, "Junior Apprentice-Brother, I will charge in to assist uncle-master. You look after me from the side and just guide me out when you see something is wrong."


    Fang Yanying already knew that Chen Jinchan created a Void Transmittal technique from the Daoist scriptures, where he could turn ones Primordial Spirit into a stone bridge in dire situations, so the person stuck in there could be transmitted out from danger.


    Chen Jinchan nodded in agreement. Senior apprentice sister''s strategy was perfect. Despite his high-level attainment, his actual combat experience was nothing compared to her. Moreover, Fang Yanying''s swordsman skills were well improved enough to be of great help for the honored master.


    Fang Yanying remained silent as her sword was projected like a ray of red light, which flashed to another side of the Ancient Tree, cutting a branch off it.


    However the Ancient Tree had regenerative powers, so Fang Yanying had not made any damage to its roots. But the interference of her killing sword still posed some trouble to the Ancient Tree. It had to divide some of its attention towards Fang Yanying, whereas Shen Lian casually approached the main trunk of the Ancient Tree.


    As expected from the only inheritor of Chen Jianmei''s path of Killing Sword, Fang Yanying was not only polished in swordsmanship, her every strike point was its shift point of dynamic Qi, which was more unbearable for the Ancient Tree.


    Usually the Ancient Tree would not feel a thing, but now its exhausted was almost exhausted by Shen Lian. So Fang Yanying''s every strike would have caused it to be extra flustered.


    The path of Killing Sword had always been one of the most powerful attacking powers in all worlds. Its strength could be witnessed when the Lingbao Tianzun formed a killing formation using the Killing Sword to resist the attacks of four people at the Daoist Master level.


    As Fang Yanying was purely taught in Daoism, her spirit and soul was crystal clear, unlike those sword celestials who were addicted to killing only. Her every strike was conclusive, and every blow added to her understanding of the Ancient Tree of the Netherworld, as she was getting a hang of the combat at hand.


    Fahai and the rest could not help but wonder that if Fang Yanying was their opponent, how many strikes would they be able to take.


    They could never picture that!


    They unanimously agreed that Qing Xuan''s position was unshakeable in the field of cultivation with Shen Lian being the front and Fang Yanying supporting at the back.


    Chen Jinchan was also a person with great analytic skills. He was well recognized in Qing Xuan as the headmaster who was the best versed in managing the school, after Zhang Ruoxu. Shen Lian was viewed as ''the respected person who saved a gigantic building from collapsing at the last critical moment''; whereas Chen Jinchan was the one who built Qing Xuan from a timid past to its current standing as the leader in Daoism. Anyone in touch with him might not be satisfied with his character, but they had to admit that Chen Jinchan''s management was just and noble.


    Comparatively, although Xuan Tian produced many talents, yet it still needed to be maintained by Lu Jiuyuan to achieve its current status, or else it would just be a strengthened version of Guangqing Celestial sect.


    Ever since Shen Lian attained the state of Taiyi, this was the first battle that he could go all out. The previous fight with Lu Jiuyuan was not as satisfying because both of them were reserving their strength.


    He also understood now the difficulties and complications of fighting against an immortal and strong opponent. The attacks of the ancient tree were actually very straightforward using its twigs to strike from left and right only.


    Ultimately, it all came down to one key point �C strength.


    As compared to the prowess of Xuanmen, this was simply crude, but such a simple attack used its immortality to drag on with a Taiyi immortal like Shen Lian.


    Once Shen Lian released his sacred look, all his movements were majestic. Although he was dragged down by the strange restraints of the Yellow Spring in the underworld, he could not move mountains and seas in his movements, but it was still quite intimidating.


    However, the Ancient Tree of Netherworld did not turn into fine powder instantly. That was the proof of its tenacity, which was also why it could be the sacred tree for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha.


    Despite its strength, the Ancient Tree was still not as refined as the Taiyi Immortal. Combined with the side attacks from Fang Yanying, its energy source was exhausted.


    A telepathic message was transmitted from the Ancient tree, "Young man, how about we put it to a stop here. I promise not to cause you any trouble anymore."


    Despite its evil aura, the telepathy transmitted from the tree was comparatively pure and clear like the old spring water in the mountains.


    Shen Lian knew very well that this was the positivity born from extreme negativity, like an extremely filthy being with a pure untouched core within.


    Therefore, he deduced that this Ancient Tree of the Netherworld also had deep Daoist cultivation, only to be restricted by its own true form.


    Amongst the demons and monsters, the plants and rocks were the ones with the most difficulty in achieving Dao. All of the legendary plants were naturally born to be mystical trees, but eventually had to be accepted under the care of high-level characters like Daoist masters or Buddha, or else their conditions would be very bad.


    Its intention to battle had dispersed as it kept its branches and shrunk itself. Shen Lian would need to spend more energy approaching it, but it would have been more difficult to counter-attack too.


    Ku Li''s telepathic message was heard, "We can let you go with a condition. Produce one Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao fruit for us and we will let you go."


    "Hmph, your ancestors had to call me old grandmaster when they see me. How dare you bully me like this?"

 Chapter 650 Daluo

    Kui Li chuckled, "My ancestor was the Phoenix. If she was here, I dare you to ask her to call you old grandmaster. I think she would have killed you."


    The Ancient Tree was frustrated but dared not reply. The Phoenix was born out of Yin Yang and the Dao of Five Elements when the universe was created. Even Buddha had to pay her some respect. When it was still Jianmu, the World Tree, the Emperor had been eagerly inviting the Phoenix to stay on the Jianmu to escalate the standard of the Celestial Court. Nevertheless, Phoenix never cared about it and even teased the Emperor for it. When the highly regarded Emperor was teased and still did not get mad, it was proven that he respected the Phoenix very much.


    Many years and several major catastrophes later, the Phoenix was still nowhere to be seen. Even the Ancient Tree dared not badmouth the Phoenix, to protect it from being judged, wasting its years of practice.


    The foolish mortals might curse at gods and ancestors in their times of anger. However, the higher their level, the better one knew of the majestic heaven and its cycle of date. Some major characters were no different from the laws of heaven and were not someone the small characters could badmouth. They all knew very well that if the major characters were angry, they were capable of destroying someone even if they were worlds apart.


    The Ancient Tree replied, "I was not referring to the Phoenix. You know very well who I was talking about."


    Kui Li said, "That person is not my ancestor. Now he had passed through all trials and obstacles to enter Daluo. Who are you to claim that you''re higher than him?"


    The Ancient Tree''s stance had weakened a fair bit. It silently cursed Kui Li as he had no idea that even that guy had gotten Dao and achieved the state of Daluo.


    Since the creation of the universe, those who achieved Daluo were no more than the number of Dayan (fifty).


    The Ancient Tree thought for a while. This kid here was obviously the most powerful, but the little lady beside him who used the Killing Sword was no ordinary person either. Furthermore, Kui Li came from such a significant background. Going up against all of them would not be of any benefit.


    It felt unfortunate that it was just released and was not in its best form. Or else it would have called out hundreds of thousands of ox head and horse faces and cause trouble to this group.


    Now, the grandfather tree was flexible enough to make the smart move of retreating.


    It thought for a while and said, "Little girl, I will not argue with you. This Perfected Lord here, you know very well that if I fight with my best ability, you will be at a loss. However, I would not waste my energy on giving my all to fight you. There are too many good things in this world for you to give up and pursue me. I could see that you have formed an embryo of the heaven and earth. You will have a bright future. To be honest, I was just worried for you. I was worried that if you come against me, we will have to fight to our deaths, and when you achieved Dao by then and return for me, I am afraid my old body cannot withstand any of your attacks anymore.


    The Ancient Tree was saying those harsh words, but it was actually trying to negotiate. Ignoring the background of Kui Li, it knew very well about Shen Lian''s abilities through their fight just now. This Perfected Lord actually formed an embryo with the heaven and earth, which was a remarkable feat. He would advance towards the co-existence with the world after achieving Daluo.


    It would not risk offending a person of this caliber. So, the best strategy was to make amends with him. Only if Shen Lian did not agree, they would have battled their lives out.


    Kui Li silently transmitted a thought to Shen Lian, "We are on an advantage. No matter what, we should still ask it to leave one Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao Fruit for us. This is an opportunity we should not miss."


    Shen Lian asked Kui Li, "What is this Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao Fruit?"


    "Initially, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha intended to use this fruit to carry the Dao and refine it into a mystical treasure like the Mystical Tree with Seven Treasures. He never succeeded in the end, but a lot of his gist of Dao was left on it. However, my nature was limited to understand the Dao meaning in it, so I wanted it to pass the fruit to you." Kui Li said it with the pure intention to help Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian also never decorated his words, "If you surrender the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao Fruit, I owe you this favor. In future, if you are in trouble, I will consider helping you once."


    His eyes were pure and his tone was clear.


    The Ancient tree was in a great dilemma. The Dao Fruit was actually not much of a use to it, but it was too precious to be gifted to somebody just like that. However, it seemed to have no other choices. The Ancient could only blame itself for being so greedy. All these would not have happened if it just ran away earlier.


    It was not this greedy, to begin with. All these evil desires were only born after being fed with the filthy aura of the Yellow Spring.


    This was also one of the reasons why Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha never refined it into the Mystical Tree with Seven Treasures, besides the fact that he himself gave up on that path.


    The Ancient Tree finally decided to surrender the Dao meaning of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. A flowerless fruit emerged from its treetop, green in color, carrying a deep sense of Dao meaning.


    Finally, Kui Li grabbed the fruit with its claw, came to the front of Shen Lian and transformed into a girl in the green robe. She held the fruit and smiled, "Take it now at once."


    She looked at Shen Lian with a cheerful and admiring way.


    Actually, there was no personal emotion involved. It was the natural attraction of Shen Lian had on her. When Shen Lian achieved the state of Taiyi, his understanding of the Yin Yang and Dao of Five Elements had increased, which naturally merged with Kui Li.


    Kui Li used to be a demon that was casual and never hid her likes and dislikes. Everything was expressed by words and expressions.


    Shen Lian took the fruit and smiled, "If I get something out of it, I will tell you everything I know."


    Kui Li replied, "No need for that. I have my own ways, no need to beg others."


    After surrendering the Dao fruit, the Ancient Tree sneaked away.


    Shen Lian knew very well that this Dao fruit was not only an opportunity, it was also trouble. After all, the Rama was a Mahasattva who gained orthodoxy of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, and he was respectful to him. Who would expect him to gain this Dao fruit one day?


    Maybe Rama only predicted that he had a great connection with himself achieving Dao. That was a more reasonable explanation.


    Shen Lian''s guess was not that far from the fact.


    He did not want to study the Dao Fruit at this moment, as he wanted to return to Qing Xuan first. Those deities were now more impressed with Zhenren Shen''s capabilities. They were not aware of how powerful someone was above the level of land immortals. After seeing it with their own eyes, they were all eager to pursue it now.


    They preferred to fight hard for it rather than living aimlessly in this place. They would never surrender to old age!

 Chapter 651 The Void Setting Pearl

    It was a big relief that the Ancient Tree of the Netherworld was able to leave safely. It was originally a plant. After spending years listening to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva preach about Dao and the long-term absorption of filthy Qi of the Netherworld, it evolved to its current spiritual form. Despite that, the speed of its light traveling skill was just average and would never be able to travel from the North Sea to the southern Mount Changwu within a day.


    In order to escape from the group of people earlier on, the Ancient Tree did not hesitate to use its divine Qi to speed up its light travel. When it felt that it had traveled far enough and was exhausted, it slowed down.


    Soon, it noticed that something was not right. Regardless of how slow it was, it should be able to travel over a hundred miles within a split second. Although the Netherworld was vast and there were no objects to serve as a reference point, the Ancient Tree could tell that it could not go beyond a mile.


    It was as if space had infinitely lengthened. What would originally take a step to complete became ten steps or more.


    The Ancient Tree of the Netherworld thought it was odd but it could not sense any changes. It lived for many years and was equipped with the wisdom and instinct to survive. It could have surrendered to Shen Lian earlier on. Despite being trapped, it still kept calm and secretly observed the surroundings without revealing any flaws.


    After about ten minutes, the branch of the Ancient Tree stretched forward and exploded. The essence Qi of the wood element shook the void and triggered a shift in space. The Ancient Tree could no longer see what was happening at its surrounding.


    A pearl then descended and shined through all directions to prevent the void from shifting. With a shaky voice, the Ancient Tree of the Netherworld said, "The Void Setting Pearl."


    Like the name suggested, the Void Setting Pearl could set the void and was a first-class numinous treasure. Although it was not as well known as the Sea Setting Pearl and the Wind Setting Pearl, it was capable in freezing the void and turn the ground into a prison to trap enemies within the range of the pearl''s divine aura.


    The pearl was a magical talisman made by an ancient ancestor of the void. The ancestor of the void was then slaughtered by the Master of the Netherworld and the pearl ended up in the possession of the Netherworld Master. However, not many people were aware of that as the Master of the Netherworld barely left the Blood Sea. The Ancient Tree would not have recognized this numinous treasure if it had never been for the underling of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He also would not have known about the rivalry between the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Netherworld Master.


    A flash of blood appeared and got really close to the Ancient Tree. The Ancient Tree was trapped by the Void Setting Pearl and it would take it some time to break free from it. All it could do at that moment was to look ahead. A handsome teenager dressed in white came to its sight. The teenager was sitting on a bloody throne, smiling at the Ancient Tree.


    The Ancient Tree shook its branches and communicated with his divine thoughts. "Young man, who are you?"


    "I am Ye Liuyun, the Master of the Underworld Demon Sect. I would like to invite you to follow me to the Mount Youdu." Ye Liuyun smiled.


    The Ancient Tree responded, "Since when was there another Underworld Demon Sect? I can feel that you possess the breath of Avici. Could it be that the Underworld Demon Sect was founded by that fellow Avici?"


    Ye Liuyun said, "Ancient Tree, come with me if you want to know more about it."


    "What if I refuse?" The Ancient Tree of the Netherworld secretly accumulated Qi of the essence. Ye Liuyun''s had a very strong gush of devilry Qi in him and was way beyond the level of the little girl. The Ancient Tree could tell that he was a wicked character, unlike the gentleman it met earlier. Shen Lian and his people may have outnumbered the Ancient Tree but this time, it would not allow Ye Liuyun to walk over it so easily.


    Ye Liuyun calmly answered, "You can either choose to follow me or I can take you along with me by force. There are no other options for you to choose from."


    Ye Liuyun''s words caused the Ancient Tree to shiver. That kid was confident, determined, and had the Void Setting Pearl. There was no way the Ancient Tree would escape without putting up a fight. It was indeed a bad year for the Ancient Tree. It encountered so many misfortunes after breaking free. Perhaps the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was right. If the Ancient Tree did not try to break free, misfortunes would not strike it. The moment it came out, its life would lie in the hands of fate and not in itself.


    Since the matter had unfolded to that point, the Ancient Tree was not willing to just sit still and wait for death. The trunk of the tree started to disintegrate into fumes of the Netherworld and spread out across the space that was locked by the Void Setting Pearl.


    The fumes of the Netherworld was the most filthy of all. The void was filled with dust and it overshadowed the divine aura of the Void Setting Pearl. The Ancient Tree took this opportunity to escape from the range of the Void Setting Pearl.


    Ye Liuyun smirked and a big bloody hand shielded against the fumes of the Netherworld.


    The Ancient Tree was not afraid of Ye Liuyun''s big bloody hand, but his opponent predicted his next move and was obviously a step ahead of it. The Ancient Tree would always lose out whenever it fights with someone so unfathomable.


    It did not want to fight any further and thus released a gush of dark and heavy divine aura. The divine aura was its cultivation of the innate divine Xuanming Qi and it struck the big bloody hand. The Ancient Tree was not willing to use this against Shen Lian earlier on. It felt sad as this divine Qi was extremely difficult to condense and it would require over a hundred years of cultivation to recover completely.


    If it was not desperate, it would not have taken such drastic actions.


    Ye Liuyun groaned. His big bloody hand was struck and his divine Qi took a toll.


    However, he still felt leisure and was not worried that the Ancient Tree may escape.


    The sky rang with a grotesque laughter. The Ancient Tree sensed something bad as a gust of ghostly wind breezed through and dispersed its spirit.


    An extremely menace whiff of devilry Qi charged towards the Ancient Tree''s Netherworld fumes, sending chills down to the spine of the Ancient Tree. It was fully aware that this was the sign of a damaged Daoist body.


    The person who assaulted it in the dark was obviously very sneaky. He cleverly hid his tracks and when the Ancient Tree made a move, he pulled the trigger. It was a shameless act yet effective.


    The Netherworld Ancient Tree was about the accept its fate. That assault did not only damage its Daoist body but also put it in a sticky situation.


    The battle with Shen Lian earlier on had drained a lot of its energy and this assault had pushed him to the edge. Although its body was immortal, nobody knew what the opponents would do to him.


    Just when it was feeling helpless, a ray of sword gleam shone through and slashed the ghost wind. A black hole that was connected to other parts of the world appeared and revealed an escape route for the Ancient Tree.


    The Netherworld Ancient Tree did not hesitate to escape. Ye Liuyun''s big bloody hand tried to chase the Ancient Tree but it was stopped by the sword gleam. Within a split second, the black hole disappeared without a trace and Ye Liuyun failed to capture the Ancient Tree.


    The owner of the grotesque laughter snorted. "Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan, you are as impressive as usual."


    The sword gleam transformed into a teenage Daoist with a vague figure. He fixed his gaze on Ye Liuyun and said, "Brother Ye, it has been a long time."


    Ye Liuyun responded, "Brother Shen, you are indeed brilliant. You hid your sword Qi so flawlessly on the Ancient Tree."


    Shen Lian replied, "This is the work of my brilliant Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen. He attained the Anatta Sword and I borrowed a hint of his imagery to conceal myself from your senses."


    Ye Liuyun sighed. "Damn Chen Jianmei. Unfortunately, I do not have the chance to have an exchange with him."

 Chapter 652 Into the Netherworld

    The other person sinisterly said, "Master, Daoist Yuanqing has cut all ties with the Underworld Demon Sect and now this person is raining on our parade. I need to teach him a lesson."


    He was not afraid as Shen Lian was just an incarnation of the sword aura.


    Shen Lian responded, "Fellow Daoist, your Yin energy is strong and your breath is fierce. You must be Hungry Ghost Path Master."


    "There is no use even if you recognized me," the Hungry Ghost Path Master answered coldly.


    He released a dash of Xuanshui of the Netherworld with the intention of polluting the incarnation of Shen Lian. However, the Xuanshui only managed to wrap Shen Lian and had no effect on him.


    Ye Liuyun spoke in a gentle voice, "Ghost Master, there is no need to be furious. The incarnation of Zhenren Shen''s sword aura could transform reality into fantasy. He is as impressive as the ancestor''s Blood Shadow Technique and we could really learn from him."


    He unhurriedly tried to calm the Ghost Master down.


    Shen Lian said, "Brother Liuyun, you are becoming more and more unfathomable. I have something to ask you. Why is there a secret path from the Underworld Demon Sect that leads to Qing Xuan?"


    Ye Liuyun smiled, "You will have to ask senior Yuanqing about that."


    Shen Lian responded, "Then I will have to look for Founding Master Yuanqing. It is alright if you are not willing to tell me. We will definitely meet again sometime in the future."


    After finishing his sentence, the incarnation of Shen Lian dispersed like the starlight. Even someone like the Hungry Ghost Path Master failed to catch him.


    Ye Liuyun sighed, "Isn''t it sufficient to have one Ye Liuyun in this world? Why must there also be a Shen Lian?"


    The Hungry Ghost Path Master said, "You have always been interested in recruiting this person but at the same time you are so cautious around him. Besides being a brilliant person and a quick cultivator, I really do not see how is he better than you."


    Ye Liuyun responded, "Ghost Master, although you are a fragmented reincarnation spirit of Fengdu''s Great Emperor and come from an extraordinary background, regardless of how powerful the Great Emperor was, Shen Lian would eventually outdo him."


    The Hungry Ghost Path Master sneered. "Even if he was a true disciple of a Daoist Master, he would never outdo my previous life. I am sure he does not have what it takes to do so."


    Ye Liuyun squinted his eyes and said, "Simple. Because he is brilliant."


    The Hungry Ghost Path Master felt an unexplainable chilling sensation in the words of Ye Liuyun.


    ...


    Although there were some hiccups at the Buddha''s Birthday Celebration on Mount Qing Xuan, it still achieved its objective. At least twelve immortal Zhenrens expressed their determination to follow Shen Lian to the Netherworld and the cultivators affiliated to Qing Xuan too did not object to the idea. After all, the influence of Qing Xuan was deeply planted in them and it would be very difficult for them to form an anti-organization against the highly ranked personnel of Qing Xuan.


    With such a huge plan ahead of them, the cultivators first settled their home affairs and then prepared for Shen Lian to lead them to a whole new world. In fact, most of them were actually longing for it to happen.


    Finally, all the cultivators below the state of immortality have entered the Painting of Mountain, River, and Country.


    Shen Lian, too, did not waste any time and prepared to return to the Netherworld.


    At Zifu Peak, in front of the Taiwei Pavilion, Shen Lian walked towards the willow tree and gazed deeply at the tomb that was covered with luscious green grass. If the mission to the Netherworld went on smoothly, he would take some time off and accompany his senior apprentice-sister for a couple of years. If the mission ended up as a failure, then there would be nothing worth mentioning.


    The longer he waited, the more attachments and considerations came to his mind. Shen Lian transformed into a form of light and arrived at Taiyi Peak. Fang Yanying, Fahai, Long Quanzi, Hong Yuan and the rest of the twelfth deities too arrived.


    "Honored Master."


    "Uncle Master."


    "Zhenren Shen."


    They greeted Shen Lian at the same time and could not hide their excitement. This trip to a whole new world was something that even the seniors from the previous era were not capable of.


    Those who were accomplished would never want to just stay put in their current state.


    Shen Lian nodded his head, but he did not take off immediately. Instead, he looked toward somewhere far far away. Shortly, a ray of clear light came charging towards them. Even Qing Xuan''s Mountain Defense Formation was not capable of defending them from it.


    The visitor was a handsome young Daoist.


    Everyone besides Shen Lian was stunned and never expected him to show up.


    This young man was no other than Song Qingyi.


    He said, "Brother Shen, would you bring me along?"


    Song Qingyi''s eyes were sincere although he did not explain his intentions. But Shen Lian knew better that Song Qingyi wanted to help him.


    Shen Lian was moved but kept a cool and said, "Sure."


    Song Qingyi laughed out loud and walked to the side of Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian uttered nothing else. He drew out a bloody long sword and stabbed the void. Immediately, the void started to split open and was filled with surging Yin energy, stirring a storm in the void.


    Shen Lian looked toward Qing Xuan Hall and saw Chen Jinchan bowed down to him. Qing Xuan was passed down throughout the generations and definitely needed someone to lead the school. Chen Jinchan naturally took on this responsibility.


    Moreover, if there was any mishap in this trip, Chen Jinchan could still pass on the legacy of Qing Xuan. In general, Shen Lian had a lot of hopes for this disciple.


    Shen Lian nodded his head, leaped towards the void and entered the opening. The fellow deities, too, followed behind him.


    When Shen Lian and the fellow deities walked out of the opening, they arrived at the Netherworld. There was no sun nor moon at the Netherworld. It was pitched black with minimal light that lighted the bareness of this world.


    Gusts of colorless Qi started to appear and wrapped around Shen Lian. This was the punishment by the laws of the Netherworld for bringing in a hundred thousand cultivators into the Netherworld.


    But the current Shen Lian was able to withstand this backlash as he allowed this colorless Qi to infect his body. He then used his Primordial Spirit to refine this Qi and transfer the pure Qi of vitality into the painting of Mountains and Rivers of the God of Earth and Vale for the cultivators to absorb. With this mark of the Netherworld, they would not be infected by the laws.


    However, Fahai and company did not have it easy. Their faces were slightly distorted as they were fighting against this strange force.


    Shen Lian did not offer to help them. The Qi of vitality of heaven and earth in the Netherworld was not as vivacious as the Qi of vitality of the earth where Qing Xuan existed. Thus, the power of the different techniques and method would greatly decrease on this side of the world. But that was not exactly a bad thing.


    As they were battling the determination of the Netherworld, they would also absorb the Qi of vitality of the Netherworld. When combined with the Pure Yang Primordial Spirit, the Primordial Spirit would become more condensed and bring benefits to their cultivation.


    Of course, Shen Lian would help to stabilize their Primordial Spirit if the situation was too tough for them. However, the intention of honing their skills would not reach the maximum effect.


    Fang Yanying was the most stable of them all. The Qi of vitality drilled into her body like a storm but she did not hesitate to refine it. She was like a sword that was sharpened by the Qi of vitality of the Netherworld. From time to time, she would release sword aura that could break the sky.


    Song Qingyi and Fahai were second to Fang Yanying. The both of them eventually adapted to the torture and gradually kept their composure to start refining the Qi of vitality.

 Chapter 653 Bei Mingzi

    Lady Mother of the Chariot who was at Biyou Palace sensed the astronomical changes. Her attempt to kill Daoist Lu Ya failed but instead, she was heavily injured. It had been a while and her wounds yet to recover fully.


    She felt pissed just thinking about it. If it was not for Chen Jianmei, Lu Ya''s incarnation in this realm would have fallen in her hands. Furthermore, she could have also prevented that young brat, Shen, from interfering with the matters of the Netherworld. If things went on as planned, she could have borrowed the fate of Netherworld, rebuild the orthodoxy of Jie Order, and restore the glory they once had in the past.


    Chen Jianmei''s unexpected sword charged over and crushed her meticulously planned scheme.


    However, Lady Mother of the Chariot was sincerely impressed by Chen Jianmei''s sword. In the past, if her senior apprentice-brother was as gifted as Chen Jianmei, she would not have been left alone to support the Biyou Palace.


    She got up and headed toward the room of cultivation that had a portrait of Tongtian Order Master hanging on the stone wall. If Shen Lian was present, he would have noticed that this portrait seemed a lot more lonely and empty, unlike the Lord Lingbao that he visualized. The Tongtian Order Master was dressed in a red robe and had disheveled hair. Instead of an auspicious jade, he had a long sword in his hands. But it was his eyes that oozed a hint of destruction was the most terrifying of all as if he could destroy and change the world as he wished.


    Only those who had reached a very high level of cultivation could fathom that the Tongtian Order Master was, in fact, Lord Lingbao, but Lord Lingbao may not necessarily be the Tongtian Order Master. The two were not equal.


    She took a joss stick and bowed toward the portrait three times. Lady Mother of Chariot then lighted a lamp in front of the portrait. A golden light lit up the room. It radiated the room as if the Tongtian Order Master was about to walk out from the portrait alive.


    The lamp was one among the tens of thousands of golden lamps that Tongtian Order Master produced. The war back then did not affect the Tongtian Order Master''s body, but several of his golden lamps were jeopardized. Lady Mother of the Chariot found one of it. By pairing it with the portrait left behind by her honored master, she was able to absorb the spiritual vigor of it for a speedy recovery.


    She had value this opportunity dearly and was reluctant to use it. However, she had no other choice as Shen Lian was making a forceful comeback while she was still injured. There was no way she could defend herself from that.


    As she was recovering, a voice came from the outside of Biyou Palace. "Is Daoist Jinling around? I would like to request for an audience."


    The voice breezed through the Dao restriction and entered the palace.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot was stunned. She had no idea whose voice was that, and anyone who was capable of disseminating their voice into Biyou Palace must be quite a character.


    She was inside Biyou Palace and naturally she was not fearful of that person. She took a formula and started chanting. Biyou Palace''s restriction then opened up a small gap.


    A stream of light flashed through the gap and landed outside of Biyou Palace''s hall. Concurrently, Lady Mother of the Chariot arrived at the entrance of the hall.


    The visitor was dressed in ancient Chinese clothing and had a long sword strapped behind his back. He was gold in color from head to toe, but it was his eagle-like nose that was most memorable. He also had a terrifyingly sharp gaze, so sharp that it was as if he could cut through space.


    However, Lady Mother of the Chariot was focused on his vigorous Daoist force. It was both Yin and gloomy, and it was obvious that he had been cultivating in the Netherworld for several years.


    She was surprised that she had never noticed such a ferocious figure in the Netherworld.


    She coldly questioned, "Who on earth are you?"


    "I am the current Tiryagyoni Path Master of the Underworld Demon Sect. My Daoist name is Bei Mingzi." The person smiled as he responded to the question. His tone was sinister and it was somewhat disturbing.


    Lady Mother of Chariot gave a quick thought and recalled the origins of Underworld Demon Sect. Ever since the Netherworld Master vanished, he took two supreme killing sword, Yuantu and Avici, and reincarnated.


    Yuantu reincarnated to be the apprentice of Daoist Master Taiyi and became accomplished. Avici on the other hand reincarnated to be an apprentice of an unknown person, but also attained similar achievements as Yuantu and founded an orthodox known as the Underworld Demon Sect. It was short-lived and nobody knew where did the people of demon sect ended up at.


    Back then, she was fearful of the supernatural powers of Avici and did not probe further. She did not expect Underworld Demon Sect to appear at this crucial period.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot asked, "And why are you looking for me?"


    "Nothing else. Now that Xia, Shang, and Zhou are side by side in the Netherworld, they would eventually have to decide on a Master of Destiny. I am here to offer you my support," Bei Mingzi responded.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot asked, "Do you represent the entire Underworld Demon Sect?"


    Bei Mingzi looked at Lady Mother of the Chariot deeply and answered, "I represent myself."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot spoke, "Everything coexists in Yin and Yang. Between Yuantu and Avici, only one could exist, am I right?"


    Bei Mingzi sighed, "You are indeed the direct disciple of Daoist Master. Founding Master Avici and Senior Yuantu have been fighting endlessly. But my intention of supporting you had nothing to do with Founding Master Avici and the Underworld Demon Sect."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot may have gone off topic but she actually captured the essence of the conversation. Yuantu and Avici were born at the same time as innate killer swords. However, everything coexists in Yin and Yang, and there were no exceptions to these two. They would not have had conflicts if they were still the killer instrument of the Netherworld Master.


    However, as they attained and sought Dao, they had to engulf their rival to complete themselves in order to attain the Dao of supreme detachment. Otherwise, even if they were powerful, they would still be incomplete.


    This was a natural contradiction and there was no way to resolve it unless one of them was willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other party. However, anyone who had reached this level of cultivation, regardless of background, would never self-sacrifice. Lady Mother of the Chariot had only encountered one person, and that was Chen Jianmei. Even so, he did not sacrifice for anyone.


    Furthermore, Yuantu and Shen Lian had a relationship. It was nothing unusual for Lady Mother of the Chariot to assume that Underworld Demon Sect did not want Shen Lian to succeed.


    However, Bei Mingzi denied this and she could not understand why.


    She said, "You and I are not gullible people. If you are determined with your intentions, prove it with actions. I would never trust verbal agreements."


    Bei Mingzi smiled. "Of course I would show you my sincerity. The newly founded Zhou Dynasty has a weak foundation. I am not talented but I have tricks under my sleeves. You would see my sincerity when I turn the Zhou nation into an ocean."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s expression changed, she said, "Are you not afraid of the sin of killing?"


    Bei Mingzi laughed. "In my Dao, I cultivate enlightenment as well as the sin of killing."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot was awe-inspired. There were indeed techniques that would convert the sins of killing into cultivation. But these techniques were not easy. This person may be from Underworld Demon Sect but it was impossible for him to obtain such a technique from the Underworld Demon Sect. What on earth was this person''s background?


    But whatever he intended to do would cause no harm to her and it would be foolish of her to stop him.


    She responded, " I look forward to witnessing your intentions."The ''borrowing of fate'' refers to a Fengshui practice where one would take someone else''s good fortune and swap it with the borrower''s bad fortune.

 Chapter 654 Flying Guillotine

    Bei Mingzi responded, "If you are happy with my performance, please return me a favor."


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot asked, "What do you need from me?"


    "Primeval Talisman Order." Bei Mingzi answered.


    The Lady Mother of the Chariot gave it a brief thought and agreed, "Sure."


    Bei Mingzi laughed and left with the wind. He was so skillful with his light travel that even someone like the Lady Mother of the Chariot failed to view his spiritual shape. Such light travel skills were extremely terrifying and were comparable to Lu Ya.


    ...


    The cultivators and holy deities that followed Shen Lian to the Netherworld settled down at the Zhou nation. The Qi of vitality in the Netherworld was a lot more abundant than of Qing Xuan. Although this realm was gloomy and dark, it still brought them good opportunities especially for Fahai and the rest. They felt relaxed, burdenless and hopeful of the future.


    Also, Shen Lian decided to deduct with a complicated formation to drill the hundred thousands of cultivators who came along with him. Once the military force was being formed, it would be a dog-eat-dog world.


    Fortunately, this was not the first time such magnitude of formation existed in history. Years ago, the Order of Jie too had a Thousands of Celestials Formation that united the holy deities and demons to act as one powerful force.


    Although Shen Lian''s level was far below the Tongtian Order Master, he was well versed with the Dao of Yi and his Primordial Spirit was powerful. He had many ideas and was confident that he could complete this task although it may not be as forceful as the Thousands of Celestials Formation as he failed to recruit over ten of thousands of holy deities.


    The Order of Jie indeed peaked during its glorious days. There were only about two hundred or more holy deities throughout the Netherworld and Qing Xuan Earth and Star. It was beyond imagination how did Order of Jie recruited thousands of holy deities to join them.


    He entered into a state of spiritual calmness and a mini-universe came to his mind. There were countless stars shining throughout the canopy and the spiritual vigor put things to live. Those who were rushing were the rivers and those who stood still were the mountains. These wonderful sceneries were indeed majestic.


    One by one, came the birds and the beasts. The ants may be just ants but they were perfectly full of vitality.


    He was using the essence of the Free Form Incarnation to look at the masses and the heaven and earth.


    The universe in his mind became more and more complicated as he pushed his ability to deduce to the edge. When it reached the maximum, Shen Lian could roughly confirm the range of complicity of the formation he would deduce and made sure that it was a practical formation that would not waste everybody''s time.


    Just before he reached his limits, his mind diverted and the secular mortal world in his mind vanished, leaving behind only hints of dark and gloomy Qi. He sensed trouble while he was deducing the designs of nature but he just could not tell what was the problem.


    With his skills, it was unusual for him to not be able to predict the future of certain incidents of the Netherworld. It was safe to say that this upcoming issue was most definitely not something trivial.


    The cautiousness in him increased as he summoned Fang Yanying with his thoughts.


    Shortly, Fang Yanying arrived with the sword gleam. She entered Shen Lian''s palace, bowed down and greeted him, "What can I do for you Uncle-Master?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Please go and look for Jiunan of the Zizai Temple and borrow a Pure Bottle from her. With the bottle, you go to the Asura Blood Sea and collect some blood water, and then pass it to me."


    Fang Yanying asked, "Uncle-Master, what is that for?"


    "There may be some trouble in the coming days and that''s why I wanted to make some flying guillotine. Regardless of who the intruder is, I would like to teach them a lesson by contaminating their Daoist body." Shen Lian answered calmly.


    Fang Yanying knew that her uncle-master could predict like a god and did not comment further about it. But she thought about which unlucky person would encounter her uncle-master. The flying guillotine was one of the rare evil arts among the Dao techniques of Qing Xuan and was passed down from Founding Master Yuanqing. The material to make it need not necessarily be the water of the Asura Blood Sea. It could be something that contained a high content of Qi of Vigor and filthy Qi, just like the menses of a girl. Once a person was infected by the flying guillotine, they would be terribly contaminated and their thousands of years of hard work would go to waste.


    Shen Lian would not stoop so low to go around and collect menses to make the flying guillotine. Thus, he took the second best option, which was to use the waters of the Asura Blood Sea.


    However, the waters of Asura Blood Sea was extremely corrosive and most apparatus would not be able to contain it. That was why Shen Lian told Fang Yanying to borrow the Pure Bottle from the Zizai Temple.


    Fang Yanying received Shen Lian''s order and left to look for Jiunan.


    After Fang Yanying departed, Shen Lian went back to the state of spiritual calmness. He can start making the flying guillotine once Fang Yanying return.


    On the other side, the Mount of Youdu was the sacred mountain of the Northern Territory of the Netherworld. It was a place of worship for the people of the Northern Territory.


    But no one knew that the Mount of Youdo was actually the Underworld Demon Sect''s hiding spot in the Netherworld. In fact, the occasional holy phenomenon displayed by the mountain was actually the work of the Underworld Demon Sect.


    The mountain stretched for over millions of miles and below it was the Yellow Spring of the Nine Underworlds and the Underworld Demon army was based there. This area was extremely spacious and was almost like an independent country. At the very center was a palace that had the word ''Senluo Hall'' written on it. Every stroke of each character contained the killing aura of the Blood Sea.


    Ye Liuyun was present in the Senluo Hall and the boundless evil Qi did contaminate his white outfit at all. He was on the Avici throne in the hall and countless demonic armies and generals were there proclaiming him as the supreme authority of the Underworld Demon Sect.


    He started from the bottom and climbed the ranks up to his current accomplishments. No one knew how much he had suffered and endured throughout the process. No one dared to question his supremacy ever since he decapitated his master, Daoist Youjian.


    Everyone of the Underworld Demon sect reached a consensus that Ye Liuyun was definitely the most qualified Sect Master in history.


    Ye Liuyun was warm and approachable. He even knew the name of the most ordinary disciple of the Underworld Demon Sect. On top of that, he was very good-tempered and had never once shown the irritable side of him. He was always very graceful and classy.


    However, if someone broke the rules set by him, they would not be able to live to the next day. Before the person was executed, they would be given the last meal treatment.


    In spite of that, Ye Liuyun lost his usual grace and was very unhappy.


    He questioned the demonic general kneeling in front of him, "How dare Bei Mingzi leave the palace without my permission!"


    The demonic general responder, "Sect Master, the Path Master just went out for a while and he might be back soon."


    Ye Liuyun declared, "But I have made it clear that no one should leave the Mount of Youdu without my permission. Does he think that he can be ignorant just because he had more experience in cultivation?"


    Everybody could tell that Ye Liuyun was furious. The demonic general who was kneeling down was shivering in fear. It was his duty to guard the exit but he did not stop the Path Master. But even if he wanted to stop, he would not be able to do so.


    "Sect Master, have you forgotten about the background of Bei Mingzi? With the support of that person, he has never taken us seriously in the past thousand years." the Path Master of the Evil Spirit Path uttered coldly.

 Chapter 655 Captured

    Ye Liuyun could not help but kept quiet after the Path Master of the Evil Spirits Path made his comment. It was not that Bei Mingzi was stronger than Ye Liuyun. But because Bei Mingzi carried the lineage of that person, he could blatantly disobey the rules set by Ye Liuyun.


    Considering that the person related to Bei Mingzi was an extremely terrifying existence, Ye Liuyun felt that it was wise to not make enemies with him. Ye Liuyun sighed. He needed to look for new options and escape from this suppression.


    Looking at the universe, the most suitable person to back him up was Mahamayuri who had gone through tons of trials thousands of years ago.


    But the only one who was aware of the whereabouts of Mahamayuri was Demon King Kui Li. But Ye Liuyun knew better about Kui Li''s temperaments. She was arrogant and disdainful, and it would be difficult to ask her for the whereabouts of Mahamayuri. Moreover, his possession may not be able to touch Mahamayuri.


    Ye Liuyun could not help but wonder what would Shen Lian do if he was in the same situation. But as Shen Lian''s ''I am not bothered'' face came to his mind, Ye Liuyun concluded that Shen Lian would not overthink like him and would possibly let go of everything and start anew.


    But after all, he was not Shen Lian. He was Ye Liuyun. He could not conduct himself virtuously like Shen Lian neither could he play the secular mortal world like a game. Everyone saw him as a new generation of demon ruler but only he himself knew of his real objectives.


    With the surge of cultivators, the originally bared Zhou nation became prosperous. The Dao techniques of Qing Xuan came in handy in the development of the nation. Spiritual canals opened up while spiritual vessels assembled together. On top of that, the runes method of Su Xiuqing of the Zhengyi Sect had prompted mortal beings to easily pick up cultivation techniques. As a result, the Zhou nation became more and more resourceful as time went by.


    One day, colonies of ants scurried as if something terrifying was about to unfold. Flocks of birds flew out of the mountain while the beasts scampered aimlessly and even attacked the villages.


    Hong Yuan who was promoting the theories of Zen and cultivation ceased his talk and looked towards the north. He saw dashes of raging Qi of Xuan that was about to engulf the entire Zhou nation.


    Someone was up to no good and wanted to destroy the earthly foundations of the Zhou nation. Hong Yuan thought it was strange as a person''s power tend to be weaker in the Netherworld. Who on earth was this person whose supernatural power could affect such a huge range of area.


    Very soon the Qi of Xuan that came from the north finally revealed its hideous identity as part of the borders of the Zhou nation turned into a sea of oceans.


    Hong Yuan would never let the other party succeed. He tossed the prayer beads that was in his hands towards the north and the beads turned into a golden circle and pounded against the Qi of Xuan.


    A loud explosive sound could be heard and it triggered tidal waves. The golden circle had eighteen prayer beads and each of the beads crushed into powder and was swept away by the waves.


    Hong Yuan groaned as he realized how strong the opponent''s mana was.


    A kasaya appeared and transformed into a huge wall and blocked the waves. But soon a sharp beak of a bird pierce through the kasaya, causing the Xuanshui to spill over.


    Just when the civilians of the Zhou nation were feeling hopeless, a ray of Qing Guang surged out from the ground and lifted the gushing water of Xuan. The same rays of Qing Guang appeared concurrently throughout the entire nation and eventually shielded the Zhou nation.


    The endless Xuanshui actually poured itself into the Qing Guang.


    Hong Yuan recited the Buddhist chants and felt a sense of relieve. This was Zhenren Shen''s painting of Mountains and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale and it was safe to say that Zhenren Shen was taking care of the issue.


    The painting of Mountains and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale served as a small universe but transformed into the Nation Protecting Divine Lights and engulfed the Xuanshui into the universe in the painting. They would still be fine even if the enemy brought a sea worth of water.


    Bei Mingzi who was deep inside the Qi of Xuan lost his composure. He had amazing supernatural powers and could swallow a sea worth of water to erode the lands of the Zhou nation. He did not expect them to have the Storage of Hundreds of Rivers magic talisman that absorbed the Xuanshui of the North Sea that he brought over.


    When all the Xuanshui was swallowed down, the universe became sparkling clean with not a speck of dust. A watercolor painting of a mountain opened up in the void and the water level in the painting raised midway up the mountain.


    Bei Mingzi looked towards that direction and saw the magic talisman. He was startled and was in disbelieve. How was it possible that Shen Lian had Empress Wa''s painting of Mountains and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale.


    He quickly regained his composure and understood that this was actually a replica. If this was Empress Wa''s painting of Mountains and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale, it would be able to contain the three thousand cosmos or even Mount Sumeru. There was no way that the little amount of water he brought would raise midway up the mountain.


    As his plan crumbled, he took on a decisive role and transformed into the wind to escape.


    However, he was one step too slow. A killer sword slashed through the void and charged towards the wind that he transformed into. It was obvious that the sword was prepared in advance and thus Bei Mingzi was not capable of avoiding it despite his amazing light speed travel. In fact, it looked like he was the one who collided with the ferocious sword gleam.


    Bei Mingzi had no choice but to reveal his spiritual shape to block the sword gleam. He traced the sword gleam to see a coldly elegant girl.


    He thought to himself that this mistress celestial of sword had a strong murderous intent and wondered where had she pop out from.


    Bei Mingzi knew that his cultivation experience was deeper than his opponent but the combat power of master celestials of sword was generally preeminent. Moreover, this mistress celestial of sword looked fierce and there was no point of fighting. He turned to a different direction with the intention of leaving.


    He had learned his lesson and decided to not transform into the wind. A pair of golden wings came out from his ribs, he flapped the wings and flew hundreds of miles away.


    Just before he could let out a sigh of relief, he heard someone laughing, "Fellow Daoist, I, Song Qingyi have been waiting for you."


    A sharp nib fluttered out like a painting of the mountain and river and headed towards his brain. Bei Mingzi felt an unexplainable sense of chills and realized how powerful the instrument was. He knew it would be foolish to continue the fight and thus dodged the nib and took off in another direction.


    After traveling for over thousands of miles, he could not help but felt cocky about himself. He thought that even if Shen Lian had the perfect plan, his light travel was the best of the best.


    Before he could indulge too deeply in his conceitedness, the melody played by a zither and a singing voice rang in his ears.


    "The wild orchids fade as the waters of Yishui flows, once the orchid was picked and worn by the king, its elegance and fragrance would shine like the moon��"


    A river appeared in the void at the source of the voice. A middle-aged Daoist dressed in oriental costume was playing the zither. The musical notes came out from his fingertips blocked the way ahead.


    That man said, "I am Yi Zhi and I have been expecting you."


    Bei Mingzi furiously yelled, "Where is Shen Lian? What stupid games are you all playing?"


    With utmost sincerity, Yi Zhi responded, "You have violated the constitution of the Zhou nation and will have to face the music. But first of all, you would have to be trialed by three judicial sections." He paused for a moment and continued, "But if you want to meet His Majesty, I can pass your message on your behalf."


    Bei Mingzi sneered, "Do you think you are capable of doing so?"


    As he uttered his words, a blood-colored water droplet landed inside his mouth.

 Chapter 656 The Demon Master

    Bei Mingzi was also a demon who had attained Dao for many years and thus, it was never easy to defeat him. However, Shen Lian had first destructed his technique, then he sent Fang Yanying and the rest to besiege him. Every step had successfully trapped him. Upon seeing Yi Zhi blocking his way, his mind and spirit were already in a mess.


    At this moment, Shen Lian used his Mountain Reversal Illusionary Technique to make Bei Mingzi lose the defense of his mind and spirit. Thus, Yi Zhi could take his time to send the Flying guillotine into Bei Mingzi''s mouth.


    Once the Flying guillotine entered into Bei Mingzi''s body, he instantly showed his true form which was a Suparna bird. When he flapped his pair of golden wings, there were boundless aurora rays appearing instantly, dispersing to all directions. However, when it traveled up to three hundred meters away, the rays seemed to have touched an intangible restriction and they instantly disappeared.


    He could not be bothered by these at this moment. It could be seen that his pair of sharp eyes looked bloody and he was howling non-stop. He was obviously trying to force the Flying guillotine that diffused into his body to get out of his body.


    In spite of that, Shen Lian had made the Flying guillotine from the essence of Asura Blood Sea and it was the most filthy. Once this entered into his demon body, it instantaneously polluted his pure demonic power and also infected his Primordial Spirit.


    Although Bei Mingzi was quite powerful, he was lost when he faced this extremely Yin and filthy thing. He was determined to die together with this man. He had the demonic body and he belonged to the bloodline of divines and demons. Thus, his physical body was very sturdy. Although he could not utilize his demonic power at this moment, he could still be invincible, depending solely on his physical body.


    A pair of sharp claws approached Yi Zhi and attacked him crazily. Due to its extreme craziness, his attack was even more aggressive than usual. The space was like the window paper, it was instantly being pierced through. The Qi of vitality gushed in madly in all directions, thunderbolt and lightning could be seen vaguely.


    Yi Zhi did not move at all. He actually allowed Bei Mingzi''s demon claw to scratch his head. However, the strangest thing had happened. Bei Mingzi''s mystical claws which could pierce through the heaven and earth could not break Yi Zhi''s scalp. Bei Mingzi''s entire demon body was filled with blood veins which drained all his energy and hence, his sole remaining power was easily taken away by Yi Zhi.


    After the Flying guillotine polluted Bei Mingzi''s demonic power, his mind, and spirit, it had also polluted his Qi and state of blood. The madder Bei Mingzi got, the stronger the extremely Yin and filthy evil Qi. Thus, the circumstances happened.


    At this moment, Yi Zhi calmly took out a net and threw on Bei Mingzi''s demonic body that managed to trap this Underworld Demon Sect''s Path Master who was also a demon with a powerful background. He then became a prisoner.


    When he took Bei Mingzi back to the capitol, he did not try to avoid the public. A lot of people had seen that he caught a Suparna bird. After locking Bei Mingzi up, Yi Zhi went to meet Shen Lian.


    At this moment, Shen Lian was dressed in the emperor costume which was as though the sun, the moon, and the stars were all within his control, and his majesty was strong. However, upon meeting Yi Zhi, the grandeur on his body immediately disappeared and he was only left with a Daoist''s elegance.


    Yi Zhi made an obeisance by cupping one of his hands in the other before his chest and said, "Your humble servant already captured the evil demon and I''m here to report on the task completion."


    Shen Lian asked, "Did he mention anything?"


    Yi Zhi said, "He asked for Your Majesty to set him free or else not only the Underworld Demon Sect will not forgive Your Majesty but also when his ancestor comes, he''d make Your Majesty vanish into ashes."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly and said, "Looks like this demon''s background is not simple. Did he mention who his ancestor is?"


    Yi Zhi said, "He didn''t want to tell."


    Shen Lian said without much concern, "The result is going to be the same whether he wants to tell or not. The day after tomorrow, at twelve o''clock, you''ll be the one to execute him. Let his body and spirit all completely vanish in front of everybody."


    Yi Zhi hesitated for a second and said, "Although he doesn''t want to tell his background, I can somehow guess a little. This demon might be related to the Demon Master of Kunpeng in tales."


    The most powerful ones among the demons were the Great Demon Kings, however, the mortal world was not aware that there was another powerful character among the demons named the "Demon Master". There was only one person with such title after countless years, that person was Kunpeng. There were rumors saying that he had already attained Dao during the Emperor''s time immemorial. Besides, his mana was only second to the Emperor. He was being given differential treatment by the Emperor to teach the immemorial demon tribe and he was favored by thousands of generations of the demons. Then, the disappearance of the Emperor and the dictatorship of the Lord Emperor made all the deities worship him and even The Three Pristine Daoist Masters from the thirty-three heavens on the Elysium also transformed to start their duties in the Heaven Courtyard to exhibit their support towards the legally constituted authority of Heaven Courtyard except for Kunpeng. He did not obey the rules of the Heaven Courtyard. He was the few powerful ones that could stay independent from the Heaven Courtyard.


    However, the tragedy of the world which happened later on and there were rumors that he had disappeared, thus, some of the things gradually became unknown to people. However, Shen Lian was not surprised that Yi Zhi knew something about the ancient secrets since Yi Zhi''s background was mysterious and his mother was also the deity of Yi river.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "So what? If the Demon Master of Kunpeng really wants to fight for him, the result will be the same whether we release him or not. Moreover, I can predict that in the future the Demon Master of Kunpeng definitely will not appear. To be precise, he might not appear for a very long time.


    Yi Zhi asked with doubt, "Why does Your Majesty make such a judgment?"


    Shen Lian said, "Previously, I got the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dao fruit from the Netherworld''s old tree and I managed to find out some secrets about the Netherworld. In this world, Taiyi was already the strongest, technically there shouldn''t be character better than Taiyi. Besides, this world is involved in a huge secret. Now I''ve managed to guess about something but it''s not time for me to tell you now. As for the demon who dares to offend me, he must have the realization of the annihilation of his spirit and body. I also want to take this opportunity to warn the future enemies."


    Yi Zhi was aware that although he had started serving Shen Lian long ago, he was still not someone who Shen Lian trusted. It was normal for Shen Lian to choose to be selective in telling him things. However, ever since Shen Lian appeared again, he could not see through Shen Lian anymore. Hence, when Shen Lian recalled him from Youshen, he did not hesitate as he was afraid that Shen Lian might have any suspicions about him.


    "Your humble servant will act according to Your Majesty''s command," his thoughts were in a complication but still, he obeyed to Shen Lian''s order.


    When Yi Zhi left the palace, Fang Yanying and Song Qingyi were on their way into the palace.


    Song Qingyi smirked and said, "Brother Shen, your Dao of Yi is really extraordinary. I''d really like to know if you can see through my past and future one day when you''ve improved."


    Shen Lian smiled faintly and said, "The past can''t be changed and so, it''s actually not too hard to calculate. As for future, aside from Daoist Master Buddha, who has the courage to say that they can predict accurately? What I can do is only finding out the changes which may happen in the future and give some guidance using this advantage."


    Song Qingyi sighed, "That''s already considered very rare and precious. But from what I see, that demon''s background is something big, how are you going to handle this?"


    Shen Lian said, "I''ve already ordered Yi Zhi to carry out the execution on the day after tomorrow."


    Song Qingyi said, "I''m afraid that there may be some troubles."


    Shen Lian laughed inexplicably and said, "Actually I''ve already had a lot of troubles."


    Fang Yanying did not agree with Shen Lian, "This demon attempted to destroy your establishment. If you let him go so easily, I''m afraid that other people in the Netherworld would look down on you. By then you''d have even more troubles."


    Song Qingyi thought to himself for a second and said, "I''ve not thought more deeply about this matter. Niece Yanying seems to understand the entire picture."


    Shen Lian said, "Alright, it''s been a tiring day for you, Yanying and Qingyi. However, I''ve got one more favor to ask."


    Song Qingyi said, "You can just ask us, Brother Shen."


    Fang Yanying did not respond. Since her master was not around anymore, she considered her uncle-master as her own master. She will listen to any of Shen Lian''s instructions.

 Chapter 657 Undefeatable by Thousands of Trials

    Shen Lian pointed his finger-tip towards the front and instantly, there were clouds come flooding. After a short while, all the clouds congealed together to form a lump. Shen Lian waved his hand again and immediately, the clouds dispersed and a light ray reflection as clear as a mirror appeared. There were countless of mountains and rivers in it. As one paid slightly closer attention to it, one would be able to see the scenery inside clearly.


    This supernatural power of his evolved from the Monitoring Technique. However, capturing Qi dynamic and peeping at the heaven while watching the earth were way more powerful than the Monitoring Technique. There were not only mountains, rivers, and people inside but it also emitted a smoke very quickly. The smoke represented a Qi dynamic emitted from living creatures. If the smoke came together, it would be very vigorous and powerful. Sometimes there were also independent living creatures. If it was extraordinarily strong, the smoke emitted would congeal like the wolf smoke.


    Shen Lian smiles while explaining to them. The two of them seemed to be impressed because this technique of Shen Lian was about insight Qi and shape. It was indeed extraordinary.


    There were a total of thirteen types of smokes which were like the wolf smokes which congealed together. It was obviously very strange.


    Shen Lian said, "This place is known as Youshen. A female disciple of mine named Si Jing is the monarch of this place. Yi Zhi was actually her advisor but now that Zhou nation required excellent talents and thus, I invited him to come back. Yi Zhi does not only have the capability to govern a country but he is also a very powerful cultivator. Although the Dao which he cultivates is different from our way of cultivation of Qi, in terms of combat power, he is almost comparable to the heavenly immortals. Moreover, the witchcraft he practices is mysterious and difficult to defend from. Otherwise, even if I messed the demon''s mind and spirit, Yi Zhi wouldn''t be able to send the Flying guillotine into his body and capture him."


    Song Qingyi nodded and said, "Just now I could really sense a pure yet mysterious vital force on him. I didn''t know he''s actually an expert in witchcraft cultivation. Just by looking at the pure side of his vital force, it seems like his cultivation path is nature-based which is quite similar to Daoism''s cultivation method. What arouses my curiosity is that in terms of mana, the demon is way ahead of Yanying and me, and he''s almost comparable to Brother Shen. How can he be so incompetent to lose defense on his mind and spirit so easily under Brother Shen''s Dao of Yi?"


    Shen Lian smiled, "It''s not surprising at all. Although his power is sufficient to withstand the mountains and sea, there wasn''t any sign of the minutest detail of his heart. After all, these demons got their psyche power from the heaven and thus, it''s not comparable to our Daoism authentic handed-down techniques. Of course, if he has a treasure which could defend his mind and spirit, I''d have to be the one to do it."


    After listening to Shen Lian''s explanation, Song Qingyi finally solved her curiosity. He also knew that regardless of how bad the mentality of this demon was, only people like Shen Lian could plot something against him. If it were to be him who faced this demon alone, even if he had the godly pen granted by the honored master, he could only withstand for a short while. It was impossible for him to turn things around.


    Ever since Fang Yanying entered the Nine Underworlds, she was continuously improving. The power of her Killing Sword could actually force the demon to temporarily stay away from the sharp edge and that left Song Qingyi in shock.


    It was no wonder the honored master used to say last time that there were only three persons in this whole wide world that were worth meeting. One of them was Chen Jianmei. At that time, Chen Jianmei had not attained immortality but he was already being looked up by the honored master. Now it was his disciple, Yanying''s turn. The honored master''s words were indeed nothing like empty words.


    Only Shen Lian knew what was going on with Fang Yanying''s improvement. The last Anatt�� Sword by Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother was vividly imprinted in the Netherworld. Fang Yanying entered the Netherworld as his disciple, thus she was able to absorb the remaining vital force from the Anatt�� Sword. This was also another type of passing on of swordcraft. Of course, if Fang Yanying was not successful in practicing the Tai Shang Killing Sword and gradually entered the State of Ruthlessness, she would not have such lucky chance.


    However, he definitely would not reveal this because the higher the swordcraft achievement was, the more painful Fang Yanying''s heart would be, just that she was always using the State of Ruthlessness to conceal it.


    Shen Lian hesitated and said, "Due to the fact that I transferred Yi Zhi away, it''s actually unstable to leave my disciple as the monarch of Youshen alone. I''ve been thinking it''d be more suitable to send the both of you there to secretly protect her. If she''s in danger, it''s alright to abandon the title of Youshen monarch as long as you can escort her back safely."


    Song Qingyi said, "This isn''t tough. I''ll try my best."


    Fang Yanying nodded her head.


    Shen Lian said softly, "Thank you so much, Qingyi."


    Upon finished talking about this, Shen Lian told them about his perceptions about things lately. The path of cultivation was filled with challenges and danger and thus, nobody knew what hardship they would face at the next moment. Therefore, it was always a gain to constantly exchange experience with people who share the same views. At the same time, one could also leave traces of his or her knowledge so that if anyone faced any misfortune in the future, there would at least be some traces of his or her left in this world.


    This was also one of the reasons why the Qi cultivators extremely prioritized the passing on of the sect. After all, although the land immortals were addressed as immortal Zhenren, there were only so few land immortals who could live above thousands of years since a long time ago. Even if one were to be a coward, he could also be struck with sudden disasters.


    Not just the land immortals, even the mortals who did not reach the age of one hundred, there were only so few of them who could die at old age.


    Shen Lian took the rarest and fastest speed to attest and construct the State of Taiyi. The more it was like this, the more aware he was that everything came too fast and in actual fact, his foundation was not solid. Under his Dao of Yi, he was getting clearer at the fact that he would face a lot of catastrophes in the future and he might not be able to turn peril into safety.


    Those who were born with great dharma would have conflicts with those of equally great dharma. Shen Lian was not perfect. One day, someone who was in conflict with him in every aspect would appear and that person would be the biggest trial of his life.


    These trials could be overcome but only by overcoming all these trials, one could be resistant to all the future trials and continue to move on. Otherwise, there was never any chance to reach the supremely detached State of Daoist Master.


    He must work hard for Chen Jianmei, Gu Caiwei, and even the genie-liked Zhao Xiaoyu. All these had become part of his life. Even if he had to give up the better, he would never choose such a way. It was not that he did not have feelings, but he placed it in such a way that he seemed to have forgotten because those who prioritized feelings always ended up in bad circumstances. But Shen Lian chose to accept the beauty and restraints of life.


    Upon finishing exchanging experience with the two of them, Fang Yanying and Song Qingyi left in mutual understanding because they spotted the changes in Shen Lian''s emotions. Though he was not distracted, he was clearly not focusing. As for people like Shen Lian, this kind of situation is very rare. They were aware that Shen Lian needed some time alone at this moment.


    After the two of them had left, Shen Lian was aware of their thoughts but with his present cultivation level, it was unnecessary for him to keep his mind. All the chaos in the secular mortal world, life and death were no harm to him. Any knowledge and experience could be part of his cultivation. Only by this, he could get closer to ''Dao''.


    Because ''Dao'' was inclusive of everything; gold and jade, chicken and cow feces all had ''Dao'' and it was not restricted to any form.


    Hence, the Book of Dao said ''nature is not benevolent and partial, it treats all things on the earth the same and fairly'', Buddha said, ''Equality in all sentient beings''. These two sentences all had one common meaning which was ''At their stage, everything they thought and saw was about the intrinsic quality of the matters and they saw through the physical appearance.


    It was not difficult to understand this principle. After all, Daoism and Buddhist scriptures stated this principle but being able to understand and do it were two different things.


    Days had passed and Shen Lian had gradually completed his tactical formation of training one hundred thousands of cultivators.


    The thunder and lightning struck and in the end, there were countless bolts of lightning attacking Shen Lian''s palace.

 Chapter 658 The Flying Celestial Formation Char

    When Shen Lian''s palace got attacked by the thunder, a formation chart flew out of the palace and faced the bolts of lightning. In the berserk lightning sparks, the formation chart emitted a boundless Qi of cumulus cloud as though there was breathing and it started to gorge and disgorging.


    The lightning also started to attack the formation chart orderly, like a brilliant blacksmith who ground a piece of pig iron into well-tempered steel.


    The formation chart was continuously condensing and the smoke gradually dissipated but the thunder sound was still ongoing. A total of nine days and nights was spent for the clouds to disperse and the sky to become clear. When the moon shone, a formation chart expanded and there were countless of stars circulating in it. They were circulating around the three-hundred-sixty-degree globe in their respective positions. Under the connections of Qi dynamic, it actually formed an indestructible entity.


    Finally, when the formation chart was rotating, uncountable stars revealed themselves and dropped in the hands of Shen Lian. It still seemed tranquil and shining, as though a universe dropped in Shen Lian''s palm.


    Shen Lian said softly, "Once a tactical formation is successfully formed, it''s better than the flying celestials. So I''ll just name you ''The Flying Celestial Formation Chart''."


    It was always known as the one which transcended beyond the mortal world and it was also addressed as the flying celestial. The collective power of that one hundred thousands of cultivators was actually way higher than that of the flying celestials but it did not have the ethereal transformations like the flying celestials. Hence, it could only be used in certain special occasions and it was not a disgrace for Shen Lian to name it ''The Flying Celestial Formation Chart''.


    The treasured item turned into living creatures due to Shen Lian. Hence, the rapid flickering of stars was counted as a recognition of Shen Lian''s form of address for them.


    Although Shen Lian had refined many treasure items before, his mood was still extremely great because of it. Upon the completion of deriving this tactical formation, he held this refined formation chart which seemed to be completed in one go. Every structure within it reached his ultimate power and when it was finally formed, there seemed to be no deficiency. Although it was not the most precious asset, it was a successful item.


    For him, it was exciting to be able to complete such a treasure item.


    At the same time, he recalled the imitation of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale, he could not help but think that one day he might be able to imitate all the mythical treasure items which he had heard of previously. At that time, if he was able to meet the genuine edition, it must be something.


    Not to mention that upon the completion of Shen Lian''s formation chart, it caught everybody''s attention. After Bei Mingzi got executed, due to its special bloodline, his mind and spirit did not vanish. His little spirituality was wandering in between the heaven and earth alone. In the end, it followed the contact in the unseen world and passed through countless space to reach a place where Ruoshui River was located at.


    If the ancient celestials encountered this place, they would know that this place was the legendary bottomless valley in the sea. It was a place that many celestials used to gather at, aside from the Heaven Courtyard. It was a very rare and mysterious place in the Three Realms. Very few people would enter and also very few people who actually came back out from there.


    In the endless water, there was no goose feathers, no sunlight and not even fishes. The remnants of Bei Mingzi''s spirituality came to the top of the bottomless valley in the sea as though it entered The Village of Nothingness. Its self-awareness got slowly worn away and it almost incorporated as one with the bottomless valley in the sea.


    At that moment, he turned into an iceberg.


    The iceberg was ten thousand miles long and had a perimeter of one hundred thousand miles. It was comparable to some of the stars in the universe. What was rarer was that it was one of the extremely rare buildings that could float in the bottomless valley in the sea.


    Bei Mingzi''s leftover spirituality dived into the iceberg and passed through many gaps to finally be on the outside of a palace made of crystals. On top of it was written ''Demon Master Palace''. At the same time, there was many strong Qi dynamic coming out from within the palace and there were actually about ten. All were not less powerful than when Bei Mingzi was still at the peak of his life.


    One of the Qi dynamic differentiated into a cumulus cloud and wrapped around Bei Mingzi''s remnant spirituality and said, "He got infected by the filthy Qi of the Asura Blood Sea. Did he happen to have encountered the favorite disciple of the Master of Netherworld?"


    "My dear third brother, you must be confused since you''ve not been out there for some time. The Master of Netherworld was sent by Daoist Master Taiyi for reincarnation. The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva took the opportunity to massacre the entire Asura Blood Sea. Even the Demon King Bo Xun already collapsed. How could there be a favorite disciple of the Master of Netherworld appearing out of nowhere?" Another voice appeared. It seemed like they knew quite a number of secret news.


    "Ninth brother is old ancestor''s favorite and thus he got granted to get out there to experience and gain knowledge. Now that he got fooled to the extent that he couldn''t even be a spirit, he really humiliated us, the Kunpeng Clan."


    "My dear fifth brother, anyhow he''s also one of our brothers who achieved the demon body, let''s not gloat over it," The person who spoke was dignified. The moment he started talking, those around him kept silent.


    The one who wrapped Bei Mingzi''s remnant spirituality said, "My eldest brother if we want to restore ninth brother''s physical body, we have to go to the Western Paradise to request for lotus root from the Eight Treasures Pool of Virtue. There''s nobody else they''ll listen to except for you. After all, they don''t respect monks but only the buddhas. Since the Winning Buddha is your sworn brother, the Western Paradise will have to show you some respect."


    "Yes yes yes. Ninth brother is also the grandson of the Suparna King. If he''s in trouble, it shouldn''t be just us Kunpeng Clan that has to put in an effort to rescue him," Someone else continued by saying this.


    The eldest brother said, "Alright. I know you guys are dissatisfied with how old ancestor favors him more than you guys. But he''s still got the same bloodline relationship with us. It''s hard to continue seeing him go on like this. When old ancestor comes out and if he knows about this, we''ll all be punished."


    The eldest brother made the final decision with that sentence. Then, the rest of them stopped talking about this topic.


    When they were discussing, Bei Mingzi''s remnant spirituality was grabbed by a Suparna bird. There was light faintly appearing on its claws. This clearly showed that there was Daoist force being injected into Bei Mingzi''s remnant spirituality. The moment when he flapped his wings, he flew out to ninety thousand miles away. He flew out from the bottomless valley in the sea and broke the void without any permission.


    When it left, there was somebody saying, "Eldest brother''s supernatural power has already improved again during these few days. If we fight against him collectively we might not even be able to defeat him."


    "That''s for sure. Look at how our eldest brother used to join the six of them to fight against the Lord Emperor."


    "Stop exaggerating about it. That time when eldest brother and the six of them joined hands, they said they wanted to turn over the Heaven Courtyard but upon hearing that the Heaven Courtyard sent their army to encircle and suppress them, all of them fled. The only one left was the Winning Buddha''s previous incarnation, the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal who fought alone against the one hundred thousands of Celestial soldiers.


    "The Winning Buddha has always been my idol. By the way, you criticise him, I''ve decided not to play the Heritage Tune of the Great Saint tonight. I''ll see how you guys can focus without my piano melody when you meditate."


    "Eleventh sister, I''m so thankful that you''re not going to play the piano. I finally can get a good night sleep in these one hundred years, why would I still want to meditate?"


    "Eighth brother, all these while it''s a lie when you say you''re hardworking in cultivating. You actually sleep when I''m playing the piano. Do you know that ever since I heard that the Heritage Tune of the Great Saint can help in cultivating, I''m only trying to help you guys to improve your cultivation by playing piano every day?"


    "The few of you are really crazy. Once the eldest brother has left, you guys became like this. I think that the tragedy of the world is about to arrive, if you still don''t want to cultivate, your ending may be even worse than ninth brother."


    "What''s there to be afraid of? We have the old ancestor''s protection. We''ve gotten through so many years in peace and stability," The eleventh sister snorted.


    The rest stopped talking. It seemed like Bei Mingzi''s misfortune not only made them gloat but it also served as a warning to be vigilant to them.


    When the eleventh sister saw them in silence, she thought to herself, "Since none of you wants to play with me, I shall go find Kui Li sister."


    At the thought of it, she had the idea of leaving the bottomless valley in the sea but no one else realized about this. After all, jokes were still jokes. When they felt that they should be on guard, they sensed some unusual vital force. The last time they had this feeling was during the collapse of Heaven Courtyard.

 Chapter 659 Vishnu

    Hence, in the Demon Master Palace, when people started to settle the agitation caused by Bei Mingzi''s issue, they did not discover that a figure quietly disappeared in the iceberg and flew out of the bottomless valley in the sea.


    After some time had passed, somebody said, "Looks like eleventh sister isn''t going to play the piano tonight."


    They explored their eleventh sister''s palace using spiritual telepathy and they realized that her palace was already empty.


    "Eleventh sister left."


    "Leaving the palace without permission is a very serious offense. When the eldest brother is back, he''ll definitely punish her."


    "Then what do we do now? Why not I secretly go out to look for her and take her home?"


    "I think you just want to sneak out right, eighth brother?"


    "I''m worried about eleventh sister only."


    "So are you saying that we aren''t worried?"


    "When these Kunpeng descendants were talking among each other, a Daoist child''s voice came into their ears, "The founding master has an order. From today onwards, all of the young masters aren''t allowed to take a step out from the Demon Master Palace."


    Although all of them were considered as some powerful characters, they did not dare to go against Kunpeng Founding Master''s command. At this moment, somewhere deep in the Demon Master Palace, there was an enormous yet vicious Qi dynamic rising that was closely watching them. This was to make them realize that the founding master already went out. They were all very concerned about their eleventh sister because they were not sure if she could make it back home after leaving home this time.


    They did not dare to continue talking. All of them held back their spiritual telepathy and were all focusing on meditating to get enlightenment on the Great Dao.


    ��


    The eleventh sister flew out of the bottomless valley in the sea and came to the sky of the universe. She was the grandchild of Kunpeng and thus, she could travel in light at an extremely fast speed. Besides, her mana was born to last long. Hence, even if she was at the space, she did not have to worry about the withering of her mana. After all, it was impossible for her to not be able to meet a star filled with the soulful aura that can provide her with the chance to restore her spiritual vigor.


    She bypassed a flying group of aerolite then she fell into the endless void. She immediately felt boring. After all, even if space was beautiful, after seeing it for too long, it was not any better than the quiet bottomless valley in the sea.


    Not knowing how far she had flown, she finally discovered a beautiful scenery. Deep in the universe, there was a Milky Way which looked extremely nice. It was way better compared to anything she had seen before in her entire life and she even almost stopped breathing.


    When she got closer to the Milky Way, she finally realized how vast it was. She was unsure whether the thing that was running in the Milky Way was the river water or something else. Her spiritual telepathy could not even enter Milky Way at all. She could not help but think that maybe she had encountered the legendary Milky Way which flowed past the Heaven Courtyard.


    Then she looked around her and she spotted a strange scene. She saw an old man wearing a Daoist robe. She was unsure when this man appeared somewhere near her and he was holding a fishing rod which stretched over to the Milky Way. The fishing line dropped and floated with the waves.


    Aroused by curiosity, she walked closer to the fishing line and she saw there was water coming out from the fishing line and she could actually see that beneath it was a star. She could even see everything in the secular mortal world.


    "Is this star real?" Eleventh sister asked.


    "Then are you real?" The old Daoist said without turning his head around.


    "Of course I''m real."


    "Is there any proof?" The old Daoist said.


    Eleventh sister turned her eyeballs and in her embrace was an illustration of a piano which was filled with animals on top of it. On the piano''s body, there were four words, the ''Heritage Tune of the Great Saint''. When she softly waved the chords, there were countless of tunes coming out that flew towards the old Daoist. Then she said, "If you feel pain, it means I''m real."


    In the midst of speaking, she realized that the tunes which were supposed to move at the speed of light were actually flying slowly towards the old Daoist. Then, when the old Daoist opened up his sleeve and revealed a black hole, all the tunes got contained in the hole. Even she had felt a terrifying attracting force. If her Dao foundation was not firm, she might have flown inside too.


    She seemed to have thought of something then she quickly said, "I''m Kunpeng Founding Master''s great-great-granddaughter, named Jing Shu. Is this supernatural power of yours the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve? Are you Zhen Yuanzi the Great Celestial?


    Jing Shu could recognize the technique and then she immediately knew that she was not as capable. After all, this is the unique technique of the Wu Zhuang Temple, and the temple owner, Zhen Yuanzi''s supernatural power was comparable to her old ancestor. Besides, when the old Daoist showed his technique, it was clear that his supernatural power was way above hers. If the one right in front of her was Zhen Yuanzi, if she was indecisive in admitting defeat, ten of her could not even beat one finger of Zhen Yuanzi. That man was really one of the greatest persons who were formidable and renown. Even the Winning Buddha who was her role model was defeated in his hands.


    The old Daoist smiled and said, "I''m not Zhen Yuanzi but I had been to the Wu Zhuang Temple in the past. I was granted a ginseng fruit using the title of Daoist Master Taiyi. Then I was being passed on the supernatural power of the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve. This technique''s entry level was too difficult and hence I simplified it countless times and I left it in my orthodoxy. I used to hope that my descendants would be able to restore the actual power of this Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve. However, up until today, there''s still nobody that can do it."


    Jing Shu was relieved. Fortunately, it was not Zhen Yuanzi. Then she had a thought and said, "The reason why your disciples are disappointing because their intelligence is not good enough. My innate talent must be bearable for you. Why don''t you pass on the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve to me? Even the simplified version is fine."


    The old Daoist laughed and said, "Mini Kunpeng, you''re as greedy as your ancestor. But it''s fine if you want to learn the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve but under the condition that you have to do me a favor."


    Jing Shu said, "I''m not greedy. I don''t want to learn the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve anymore. You can try to find the others in your favor. I have something else to do, so I''d have to leave first."


    Upon finishing her sentence, she wanted to leave. She was not a fool. The Daoist''s words only revealed one thing which was the fact that he had already been waiting for her at this place long ago.


    She would not be so foolish to fall for it.


    Then, she transformed into a Suparna bird. When she flapped her wings softly and was about to leave. Immediately, she realized something was wrong. Why would the old Daoist appear in front of her when she was traveling in the opposite direction from the old Daoist? Moreover, his sitting position did not change at all, and his fishing rod was still stretched over the Milky Way.


    Then, no matter how she attempted to wave her wings, she could not move anymore.


    The old Daoist laughed and said, "Looks like although you said you don''t want to help me, your body is very honest. Here you are."


    Jing Shu said, "I admit defeat. So what do you want me to do?"


    She was a gangster. Since she could not do anything about the old Daoist, why not just act hypocritically first?


    The old Daoist said, "Here I have an Amitabha scripture. You help me deliver this to the Asura Blood Sea in the Netherworld. When you arrive, you open up this scripture. At that moment, there''ll be someone who will come and guide you to a pagoda. There''ll be a monk in there, his name is Rama. You pass the scripture to him and please tell him that I want to meet Vishnu."


    Jing Shu said, "Vishnu was once defeated by Buddha and his whereabouts was unknown then. So what''s the relationship between Rama and Vishnu?"


    "You indeed come from a family of scholars. You''re even clear about this kind of matters but you shouldn''t ask more about it. By looking at your background, not to mention about Rama, even Vishnu will not make things hard for you. All I ask is for you to deliver a message on my behalf then you can learn about Wu Zhuang Temple''s Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve. Where can you get such a good deal?" The old Daoist said.


    Jing Shu said, "Aren''t you afraid that I''d take the chance to run away to go back home together with your Amitabha scripture when I''m on the way to deliver the letter?"


    The old Daoist smiled without talking.

 Chapter 660 The Band-Tightening Spell

    Jing Shu felt terrified being stared at the old Daoist, she said, "What else do you want from me?"


    The old Daoist smiled and said, "Mini Kunpeng looks so beautiful so allow me to gift you one more item."


    Jing Shu said embarrassedly, "Old man, you can keep the good stuff for yourself."


    The old Daoist shook his head and said, "I must gift you this item no matter what," He took out a wreath whereby the colors of the flowers looked magnificent but they were not fragrant.


    Jing Shu was still captivated by its beauty after all and so she stared at it for a long time.


    At last, she spoke with determination, "Old man, can I not take this?"


    The old Daoist smiled and said, "Cannot."


    Finally, under the old Daoist''s forceful Qi dynamic, Jing Shu was forced to reveal her human form and wore the wreath.


    After that, the old Daoist was chanting something. Then she instantly felt that the wreath started to contract and it felt as though her brain tissues was about to be squeezed out. Although she would not die even if her brain got squeezed out, this pain was excruciating.


    Jing Shu spoke in sobbing tone, "I won''t try to do anything behind you, please stop chanting."


    Then, the old Daoist finally stopped the spell and said, "This Band-Tightening Spell was only used by only a few people who were punished and the most popular one was definitely the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal. The reason why I use this Band-Tightening Spell on you is that I hope that one day you can be like the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal. So please don''t blame me."


    Jing Shu nodded her head non-stop and said, "I''d definitely not blame you but this is too painful, can you please stop chanting?"


    The old Daoist smiled and said, "Alright, I''ll stop chanting."


    Jing Shu said, "When can you help to get rid of this thing from me?"


    The old Daoist smiled and said, "I''ve never learned how to release this Band-Tightening Spell, if you meet the Winning Buddha one day, you can try to get the Buddhist scripture from him."


    Jing Shu was stabbing the old Daoist thousand times in her heart. If she could get the legendary Nailhead Seven Arrows Book now, the first thing she wanted to do was to carve the old Daoist''s name on it but before this, the old Daoist must tell her his background.


    There was nothing Jing Shu could do about it. However, aside from this Band-Tightening Spell, the old Daoist did not treat her badly.


    He really passed on the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve to Jing Shu and she was a fast learner. This was because she was Kunpeng''s descendant, hence, she naturally understood some parts of the laws of space and the foundation of the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve was related to the laws of space.


    However, even if she had managed to learn it, she was definitely not as powerful as Zhen Yuanzi. She might not even be as powerful as the old Daoist but it might work when she went back to compete against her brothers.


    After she managed to learn the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve, the old Daoist passed her the Amitabha scripture. Jing Shu knew the origin of this Amitabha scripture. It was the scripture being passed on by Amitabha. However, these scriptures were most common in Buddhism. This type of scriptures was everywhere. Even if it was written by Amitabha, the most useful thing found in it was only the Dao rhythm. She did not want to become a Buddhist nun and she was a free demon, hence, this scripture was no use for her.


    Of course, all these were the excuses for her to not lust after this scripture. In actual fact, it was because of the excruciating pain from the attack of the Band-Tightening Spell, thus, she did not want to mess with the old Daoist.


    During this period of time, she had performed well. When the old Daoist passed the scripture to her, he gave her a sign of time and Jing Shu utilized the sign of the space to arrive at the Netherworld in a short period of time.


    Upon arriving at the Nine Underworlds, she was somehow agitated. After all, this was the place where the Winning Buddha became known. Unfortunately, currently, there was neither Ox-Head and Horse-Face nor Ten Kings of Hell at the Hades. Besides, the area was significantly way smaller compared to the past.


    She could not find the Looking Homeward Stage, The City of Vain Deaths or even Naihe Bridge and Sansheng Stone.


    Jing Shu was not in a hurry to go to the Asura Blood Sea since the old Daoist did not give her any time limit. Therefore, she wanted to get to understand the stories of the Nine Underworlds. She had never heard of the Antithesis of the Three Kingdoms Xia, Shang, Zhou, Emperor Xia, Tianyi or Qing Xuan Zhenren. The only thing which sounded familiar to her was Qing Xuan as the descendant of the Phoenix, Kui Li sister used to communicate with her through telepathy. She mentioned to Jing Shu that she was temporarily residing at a place named Qing Xuan Daoist Sect on a star in the mortal world.


    Although Kui Li sister was young, she was Jing Shu''s favorite. She did not know where Kui Li sister was at already because after all, they had not contacted each other for some time.


    Fortunately, she knew the location of the Phoenix Clan''s Palace of the Undead. Hence, she wanted to go there to make some inquiries which might somehow get her the information of the exact location of where Kui Li sister was located at. Kui Li sister might even be back to the Palace of the Undead.


    However, she was terrified of the Palace of the Undead''s present Hall Master because he was the Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� who had broken through all the trials. Even her old ancestor might not be able to defeat him. Besides, the Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� was well-known for his arrogance, she did not want to go there to see his cold and emotionless face.


    Looking for Kui Li sister was not a rush. Since she finally got to sneak out for once and she recently just learned the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve, it was time for her to get some entertainment.


    Unknowingly, she entered Yinshang''s territory. Along with her journey, regardless of the ones flying in the sky or the ones running on the ground or swimming in the water, she could not resist but to show off her supernatural power of the Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve.


    On this day, she encountered seven Daoist. Upon remembering the Band-Tightening Spell that the old Daoist cast on her, she felt irritated when she met Daoists. Hence, she utilized her Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve without a second thought.


    However, the seven Daoists seemed to be the descendants of L�� Chunyang, one of the Shangdong Eight Celestials. They formed a tactical formation which broke her Technique of Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve.


    She was furious at that moment. However, she did not expect herself to be so sharp as her brothers. She knew that L�� Chunyang''s previous incarnation was Imperial Lord Dong Hua, a famous celestial in ancient times. Although he was not comparable to her old ancestor, he was someone with strong supernatural powers. She should not take the risk to mess with this kind of people. After giving a taste of hardship to the Daoists, Jing Shu quickly left.


    Of course, she was not frightened by these seven Daoists and continued to act in her own way. She took the advantage of her good supernatural power and her extraordinarily fast light travel to flee every time before people in Yinshang tried to surround her.


    She seemed to not have enough fun of it so she even played hide-and-seek with people in Yinshang.


    Very quickly, this news got Tianyi''s attention.


    In the palace, Tianyi was standing in the main hall. Upon listening to The Seven Disciples of Xuanzhen''s narrative, he seemed troubled and said, "According to your description, this person may at least be a Demon Lord. Where did she come from?"


    Chang Shengzi took the lead to answer, "This Demon Lord''s mana was indeed strong and even extremely terrifying but it may not be that case too. The moment when the seven of us formed the seven-star formation which isn''t even considered as the best tactical formation, she could''ve been able to break it as long as she had Zhenren Shen''s attainment before he entered Taiyi and then we wouldn''t be able to break her supernatural power."


    Tianyi said, "If it''s so, that''s even more troublesome. This person must be someone with extraordinary power and thus she has such great mana and an incomparable state. Moreover, she''s also a demon and she might be some powerful demon''s talented assistant."


    Chang Shengzi said, "What Your Majesty said is right. Why not we go to Biyou Palace to inquire from the Lady Mother of the Chariot? Her knowledge is very wide, so perhaps she could recognize her background. If it''s not possible to find out, we should ask the Lady Mother of the Chariot to confront her, maybe it can make her back off."


    Tianyi was in his deep thought before saying, "It''s fine, I will go and meet her personally."

 Chapter 661 Jinji Ridge

    Jing Shu did not know that the monarch of Yinshang, Tianyi, was coming to search for her. Even if she had known, she would not be bothered.


    She walked over a mountain range that had the semblance of a bird. Specifically, it was similar to a peacock that had its wings widely spread, as if it was eager to soar. The lush greens made it look even more alike to the feathers of a peacock.


    However, the name of this mountain range had no associations to peacocks. This place was named Jinji Ridge. Its topography was precarious and the magnetic force within the mountains was extremely multifaceted. Even immortals and land immortals were unable to fly across this area, they could only track through the mountains.


    Owing to the unique topography of Jinji Ridge, the area had always been securely guarded by the troops of Yinshang. Within the place, there were numerous intractable cultivators of Qi who had a handful of cultivation experiences. They did not merely shoulder the responsibility of protecting the entrance, they even utilized the magnetic force of this place for cultivation.


    Nonetheless, there were not even one soldier in Jinji Ridge today, not even any cultivators of Qi. Such a colossal ridge became a hollow, empty city.


    This was because all the living beings in the city were frightened away by the arrival of two people.


    Jing Shu found out that the city was a little odd, but she still walked in without any apprehension. These people vacated in a rush as there were a few steaming hot snacks left behind along the streets. Jing Shu took the food and placed them in her mouth brazenly. From Jing Shu''s perspective, the food of mortals was filthy. However, she wanted to have a taste of it.


    She had never experienced the hustle and bustle of a city. Hence, everything here appeared fresh and interesting to her.


    Raindrops began drizzling on the Erhou Street. Every raindrop seemed to be a spirit, born in the sky, and ceased to exist when it reached the earth. They simply dispersed before even having the chance to experience the mortal world.


    Jing Shu was suddenly saddened by the fact that although she had lived for a long time, she was never contented. In the past, she had always been in the cold, icy Palace Yaoshi. Even though she knew many things about the external world, being informed was vastly different from having a personal experience.


    That was why she liked the Winning Buddha because he did what he wanted to, unrestricted with the utmost freedom. Even though he failed in the end, from Jing Shu''s point of view, the Winning Buddha would always be deemed as a courageous and rightful hero. This differed from those who were from Palace Yaoshi, it was also unlike the celestials or buddhas with whom she was familiar with.


    Amidst the misty drizzle ahead, there were two different individuals.


    One was clad in a white garb resembling floating clouds, sitting on a bloody throne; the other''s attire flowed like spring water where she stood alone in the rain and howling wind.


    Both of them were in a silent stand-off, where their presence had seemed to influence the heavy storm clouds that covered the sky. If one had seen these two people, all of the surroundings would have bern easily neglected.


    Jing Shu recognized the lady whose garment flowed like spring water. That was sister Kui Li that she had been looking for. However, as both of them were confronting each other, the intermingling of Qi dynamics had changed, she actually had difficulty interrupting this confrontation.


    In terms of mana, she believed that she was better than any one of them. Nonetheless, it was bizarre because when both of their Qi dynamics merged, she could not view it clearly.


    This was because both of them were alike to a circle, without any imperfections. Just like a cobblestone that experienced the flush of flowing water over thousands of years, having it being pressed under a stone bridge, it would still remain as a cobblestone, there would not be any changes made.


    When the two cobblestones started to collide with each other, it seemed that neither one could force anything upon the other.


    The intensity of the storm increased, every rain droplet had life, some even roared or screamed. This was not surprising because the merger of the two person''s Qi dynamics represented some in-depth way of Dao in the world. That was sufficient to create all living things.


    Hence, the creation of some rain droplets was very normal.


    When Jing Shu appeared, Kui Li had already discovered, she had no remaining strength to be shocked. The man in front of her had brought immense stress, it even made her a little distrait.


    The opponent''s Qi dynamic changed frequently, like that of floating clouds. It was also similar to the ever-flowing waters, continuous and fine, so elongated such that the end was unable to be found. Most importantly, the Qi of heaven and earth was surprisingly well attuned to him. Though it was said that the rain water was produced because of the merger of the two''s Qi dynamics, in actuality, most of them were controlled by the man who was standing at the opposite side.


    When the rain was in its heaviest moments, Kui Li would receive the opponent''s strongest attack. Of course, this was what she asked for. Originally, the opponent had some request, but she did not bother to attend to it and even initiated the attack.


    Until now, their Qi dynamics reached an impasse, all tangled up and unable to be resolved.


    As such, none of them was able to retreat, so they would not be able to recover forever.


    This result was not predicted by Kui Li, the man opposite of her had never thought of it as well. Please heaven, do pity and protect, he had never wanted to fight against Kui Li.


    Jing Shu''s arrival was an unexpected accident, but it was also an opportunity for when both of them confronted one another, there were not many who can reach their sides in close proximity.


    The man in white was Ye Liuyun, he had been in contact with Bei Mingzi for a long time, hence once Jing Shu arrived, he had already known her background. However, it was not the time for formalities. In addition, his relationship with Bei Mingzi was not well either.


    Therefore, Ye Liuyun did not initiate any conversations, he merely heightened his awareness in secret. He then hoped that he would be lucky enough that Jing Shu would not help either party.


    Jing Shu did not do as he wished, she said, "Sister Kui Li, do you still recognize me?"


    Kui Li calmly blinked her eyes, those pair of clear eyes easily surpassed any beautiful scenery in the world. Jing Shu really wanted to kiss them. But she, fortunately, managed to restrain her urge.


    Jing Shu mentioned, "Let me help you."


    Inevitably, Ye Liuyun started to panic a little, hence he thought of initiating the attack first. Suddenly, the wind and rain that filled the whole sky converged into a river. A river that was the crossover for the dead. Sadly, if Ye Liuyun had ample preparation, there would be another vision, that is, a bridge would be formed out of the Ahbi Throne, that was the Naihe Bridge. He definitely would be on the bridge, not on either side, nor in the middle of the river, and above all, he could be reincarnated and escape death!


    Kui Li felt the attack and reacted. Her body radiated the five colored divine lights which waved towards the underworld that charged against her. It was as if a gigantic whale had absorbed water, the underworld was absorbed and contained.


    Ye Liuyun let out a suppressed groan, bolted and left helplessly.


    Kui Li felt worse, she bent down and started coughing uncontrollably. Blood stains appeared at the corners of her mouth. Droplets of fresh blood fell onto the ground, flowers then grew out promptly. Those were green flowers, there were no leaves.


    This plant had a very appealing name, it was called the Feathers of Peacocks.


    Jing Shu supported Kui Li as she got up and said angrily, "I will kill him."


    Kui Li furrowed and said, "There is no need for that, he had already shown mercy. If he had not, it would definitely be more than just a few mouths of blood."


    Jing Shu said, "His supernatural powers were indeed mighty, and it was like he had cultivated the Yama deity body. If this was not the case, he would not be so lightly wounded."


    Kui Li nodded and mentioned, "This person is unfathomable. Nonetheless, when I meet him the next time, I would not be as passive anymore."


    Jing Shu smiled and said, "I have learned a new technique of supernatural power, if practiced comprehensively, I would be able to possess great powers, just like how the colossal Xumi Mountain can be comfortably fitted into a small mustard seed. How about imparting this power to you? This power is in fact, very suitable for you."


    Kui Li was slightly surprised, she then mentioned, "Your Kunpeng tribe''s supernatural power- ''Bei Ming'', this I am not able to learn. In fact, I do not have such a great ambition as you do."


    Jing Shu smiled and said, "Well, it is not ''Bei Ming'', my supernatural power is called, ''Having An Ace Up One''s Sleeve'', used to entrap and defeat enemies. It may not be inferior to your five colored divine lights."


    Kui Li lifted her brows and said, "It seems that I no longer have time to learn it from you now."


    As she spoke, Jing Shu also felt an abundant sense of Qi approaching them, and the spiritual vigor between the sky and earth also instantaneously had the notion of repelling both of them.

 Chapter 662 Retained Forcefully

    Jing Shu frowned and said, "This person practiced Daoist Yuding''s Nine Transformations Technique, he had finished eight transformations."


    Kui Li said, "It seems that Palace Yaoshi has been well preserved over these few years. As such, it had collected much surreptitious news. I would have never known that this person was practicing the Nine Transformations Technique if you had not mentioned it."


    Jing Shu replied gracefully, "Founding master had built a place called the Cangjing Pavillon. It encompasses universal things. I have read numerous books in there, hence was well-informed of much surreptitious news. Unfortunately, many of the profound Dao scriptures only comprised titles and brief introductions, there was absolutely no information in relation to specific methods of cultivation."


    Kui Li said, "I am afraid that even the Demon Master himself is unwilling to keep such treasures. If mystical arts such as the Nine Transformations Technique had been kept by your people, would people like Daoist Yuding and Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao not seek revenge?"


    Both of them shared a small conversation and did not move away from their original spot. The reason was that Kui Li was currently unsuited for any form of movements since she was suppressing her own injuries.


    Into the floated space far away, there were overlapping light shadows. Thousands and millions of sunbeams emerged suddenly and many cultivators of Qi appeared. The person that was leading had a distinctive appearance. His garment had the fair view of mountains and rivers. There was a swallow which seemed to flourish with vitality at the front of his chest as well.


    This person was Tianyi. He took notice of Jing Shu first. After all, no matter how shallow or great her attainment was, her whole body was filled with divine Qi that was as profound as the sun and moon. This was an astonishing trait.


    However, as his Nine Transformations Technique had reached the summit of the eighth transformation, he was unified as a form with the sky and earth in Yinshang. He had the support of a whole nation and was closely related to Shen Lian as well. Hence, he was not particularly terrified. Instead, he felt rather peaceful.


    Nevertheless, when he saw Kui Li, his sense of security and peace was almost lost. He even felt a gush of ecstasy. Given that he was pretty shrewd and was someone who did not expose his thoughts easily, he spoke calmly, "How do I address the both of you?"


    Kui Li was very displeased and mentioned, "I do not like your gaze."


    Her spiritual cultivation was much more sensitive as compared to Jing Shu''s. This was due to Shen Lian''s influence. Though Jing Shu was older and had greater mana than her, Kui Li was much steadier on details. Hence, her status in the Palace of the Undead was in fact, rather high, and many felt that she had the ability to pursue Mother of Buddha Mahamayuri''s achievements.


    Tianyi had never thought that Kui Li''s spiritual cultivation was so powerful. Based on the Primordial Spirit of his Nine Transformations Technique, his internal turmoil was still disclosed to Kui Li. There was no way of deceiving.


    Tianyi said, "Daoists, please do not misunderstand. Ever since King Gu met you, he knew that we shared a fate in our past lives. If you were willing to stay, half of this Yinshang would belong to you."


    Jing Shu smiled coldly and said, "Even if you have given the whole of Netherworld to my sister, she would not even be bothered. Do you even know the origins of my sister?"


    Palace of the undead was one of the most ancient holy lands in the world that belonged to the Demon Clan. Mahamayuri had a greater chance of advancing into the level the Lord Emperor once achieved. He would become a rare existence since the past and in the present, a scarce being amongst the countless number of livings in the world.


    Even when Nine Underworlds was at its peak, where the Ten Kings of Hell were all present, they might not have the bravery to cause chaos in the palace of the Undead. No one had an idea why this leader in the devastated Netherworld had such confidence.


    Tianyi said, "Heaven commissioned the swallow, to descend and give birth to Shang. Daoist''s appearance had realized my ancestor''s edification. If you agree to be wedded to me, I would willingly hand over the Nine Transformations Technique to you. When that happens, you would be the leader of two families. Besides, attaining an indestructible celestial body is not an impossibility either."


    He was extremely earnest for Kui Li''s appearance had meant much to him. Only the true swallow could help him fulfill his merits in his current life. Until then, not only could the Nine Transformations Technique successfully advance into the ninth stage of transformation, Yinshang could also transform into a heavenly nation at the same time.


    Not to mention Emperor Xia, even if he were to combine forces with Shen Lian, in addition to Lord of Dao Luya''s incarnation in this world, Tianyi also had the confidence to preserve the Yinshang Heavenly nation. He could even disengage the curse that came from the past life and leads Yinshang into an extensive, unknown world.


    Kui Li''s brows moved slightly. Many thought that her organic form was a peacock. In actuality, this was not the truth. In her body, half of her bloodline belonged to the swallow. It was the most original, ancient, and noblest swallow bloodline. This bloodline was as noble as the bloodline of Phoenix that was in her body as well.


    "I am not willing to do so. If you were to mention this again, I would murder the whole of your family." Kui Li spoke calmly.


    Tianyi said, "Daoist, you seem to have some misunderstanding. This matter would actually benefit you."


    "Would I even be bothered?" Kui Ran replied coldly.


    Jing Shu held onto Kui Li''s hand, smiled and said, "Why bother continuing the conversation with them?"


    She waved her sleeves swiftly like flowing clouds. Instantly, there appeared a black hole in the sky. Those cultivators of Qi did not predict that she would suddenly initiate an attack, hence they were all absorbed into the hole just within a breath.


    This technique of having an ace up one''s sleeve, in addition to her horrifying mana, was a big supernatural power where only very few from the Netherworld could withstand.


    Tianyi had never thought that Jing Shu possessed such a horrifying supernatural power. Layers of divine lights started to appear around him. Gradually, he became tall and minute, appeared to be rather illusory. Once he held his hand up, a gigantic mountain nearby flew over. It was subsequently thrown against the black hole that was created from Jing Shu''s ace up one''s sleeve.


    If Shen Lian was there, he would have understood this clearly. In Yinshang nation, Tianyi was compatible with another Lu Jiuyuan. During the time where Lord of Dao Luya was trapped and murdered, though Tianyi''s cultivation experience was the lowest, he still managed to participate in it. This was the reason why he could do so.


    If Yinshang was able to transform into a heavenly nation, Tianyi''s attainment would become even more terrifying.


    Jing Shu still could manage even though she had swallowed a whole mountain. There came another two mountains. This obviously became slightly unbearable for her. Moreover, at this very moment, Tianyi did not only employ one supernatural power. Those remaining cultivators of Qi started casting a similar spell in order and numerous fireballs emerged together at once. The fireballs then amalgamated with one another.


    After the amalgamation process conducted by the group of Qi cultivators, the fireballs that were originally crimson colored became pure white. It was almost invisible.


    That fireball descended from the sky and Jing Shu immediately felt a threat. She had never thought that the people here managed to create such a spell. Through thousands and millions of Qi cultivators'' synced movements of spell-casting, the simplest supernatural power of the fire faculty could produce such an effect.


    The pure white flames seemed as if it could scorch and melt anything. Although she was a Kunpeng, she was not the three-legged Golden Crow. Thus, her body would not be able to bear the attack of such a flame.


    Usually, even if these Qi cultivators, who were as insignificant as small ants, had such a unique supernatural power, she would not even be bothered to treat them seriously. They merely merged their spells together, they were not perfectly and neatly combined as one.


    However, given that she was being entangled by Tianyi as well, she had to be concerned over their spell.


    Kui Li tightened her grip on Jing Shu''s hand. There was some cold sweat on it. Jing Shu was startled for sister Kui Li''s injuries might be more severe than she had previously expected. After all, based on the cultivation experiences Kui Li had, she would be able to control every part of her physical body under usual circumstances. There would not even be any forms of secretion, not to mention perspiration.


    As such, she even directed her hatred towards the man who was clad in white.


    Kui Li faced the approaching white flame coldly. Suddenly, she opened her mouth. An odd Qi that was distinctively split into black and white hurdled out. It engulfed and extinguished the flame. This had caused her injuries to worsen.

 Chapter 663 Friends

    Jing Shu was more heartbroken than Kui Li herself. She mentioned assertively, "I will carry you and leave."


    Amidst her resistance against Tianyi''s powerful attacks, Jing Shu shapeshifted into a Kunpeng in a blink of an eye. Without permitting any other forms of interference, she carried Kui Li on her back, spread her wings and soared. The approaching colossal mountain was forcefully flapped aside, causing it to be led astray.


    Before she could catch her breath, she saw a lady Bodhisattva whom eyebrows were as magnificent as mountains and the moon. There was a sudden change in Jing Shu''s mien, she said, "Jingling Shengmu."


    Lady of the Mother Chariot smiled and said, "The Demon Master of Kunpeng had told you my honorific? Leave the lady who is on your back, I will not trouble you."


    Jing Shu said, "Do not even think of it."


    Surprisingly, Kui Li spoke. She said coldly, "Jing Shu, head west. Find someone called Shen Lian, let him come to Bi You Palace to save me."


    When she finished speaking, she flew away from Jing Shu''s body willingly and landed by the side of Lady of the Mother Chariot.


    Jing Shu mentioned loudly, "I would immediately return after seeking for help."


    Since Lady of the Mother Chariot had successfully caught Kui Li, she did not bother about Jing Shu anymore. After all, Jing Shu appeared in her original form, which was Kunpeng. How could she not recognize her origins?


    Tianyi caught up with them very quickly. Lady of the Mother Chariot, however, did not bother to attend to him. She took Kui Li with her and turned into flowing lights. Promptly, they had entered the Bi You Palace.


    Having entered the place of enlightenment that once belonged to Tongtian Order Master, Kui Li examined the place irresistibly.


    Lady of the Mother Chariot spoke softly, "In the past, Mahamayuri had come to Bi You Palace too. I have no intentions of harming you despite capturing you. As long as you help me to convey a message, remind him to return a favor he once owed me in the past, I would help to heal your injuries and let you leave as you wish."


    Kui Li spoke calmly, "I will not do it."


    Lady of the Mother Chariot sighed and said, "I only have this request. If it was not due to my lack of options, why did I have to take the risk in enraging Tianyi to save you?"


    Kui Li said, "Mahamayuri is not Kong Xuan. Even if I did convey the message for you, he would not help you anyway."


    Lady of the Mother Chariot said, "You would never know until you try."


    Kui Li smirked and said, "You should be more worried about the fact that he would be coming to save me, what can you do?"


    Lady of the Mother Chariot spoke sternly, "This is Bi You Palace, if he can save you out from here, it means that I would be powerless to mend the situation."


    Kui Li deliberated and said, "It seems that you do not only want me to convey him a message, you also want to lure Shen Lian."


    "I would have never thought that such a noble origin of yours had been his mount once if someone had not told me so," said Lady of the Mother Chariot as she smiled.


    "You are wrong, we are friends," Kui Li shook her head as she replied.


    Lady of the Mother Chariot said, "Now, do you think your good friend can save you out?"


    "Yes," answered Kui Li assertively.


    Lady of the Mother Chariot saw her unwavering stance and confident look. It did not appear as if she was deceiving. Instead, she truly affirmed this point. She asked curiously, "You actually have so much faith in him?"


    Kui Li said, "This is because he is someone who can change impossibilities into possibilities. You are doomed to fail for you do not understand this."


    Lady of the Mother Chariot said calmly, "Irrefutably, Shen Lian is a remarkable talent. However, I have also seen people who were more impressive and talented than he is. Besides that monkey, Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao''s cultivation speed and his enlightenment towards Dao had far preceded him. However, despite these facts, Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao had never once in his life reached anywhere near my honored master''s side. This is the very place where my honored master held his lectures of Dao for years and it still contains this old man''s mighty force."


    Kui Li replied casually, "Do not forget, his Art of Spiritual Enhancement has deep relations to the Supreme Jade Emperor."


    Lady of the Mother Chariot said silently, "If he managed to save you out from here, it means that the honored master had abandoned me. If this was the case, there would no meaning in my existence anymore."


    Suddenly, Kui Ran was speechless. Though this person was abominable she was truly someone who treasured relationships and ties.


    Even though the respectable Mahamayuri had attested and constructed the supreme Dao fruit, she would never forgive him. Never would she respect or admire his achievements.


    Lady of the Mother Chariot then brought Kui Li to the silent room that worshipped Tongtian Order Master''s portrait. She said softly, "Once Chen Jianmei''s Anatt�� Sword initiated a strike, it never fails to impress others. However, in comparison to my honored master''s sword, it was not worthy to even be mentioned. Not to mention the Quadruple Extermination of Celestial sword, even with Qingping Sword alone, he was already far from being contestable."


    Kui Li said, "Your teacher is someone I deeply admire. However, the people around him were unable to compete with him. Ever since the universe was founded, only Daoist Master Taiyi and the Buddha managed to attest and construct the supreme Dao fruit with their postnatal bodies. How can the others compare themselves with your teacher and these great figures?"


    Lady of the Mother Chariot said, "In actuality, both the Heavenly King and the Emperor had the opportunity to reach that supreme level. Nonetheless, they ultimately missed and lost the chance of doing so."


    Kui Li said, "You think that the opportunity has reappeared?"


    Lady of the Mother Chariot answered, "Is that not the case?"


    Kui Li did not reply. She found a futon in the silent room and sat down. When she inhaled and exhaled, each breath produced white smoke that looked alike to two mythical dragons which traversed in and out of her nostrils. At the same time, her injuries started to heal gradually.


    ...


    The palace of Zhou nation had three thousand successful cultivators as guardians. These three cultivators did not even manage to suppress the single breath of a young lady.


    They were severely defeated. If the lady had not control herself, they would have lost their lives.


    This young lady arrived at Shen Lian''s palace and only made one statement, "Kui Li is at Palace Bi You. She is waiting for you to save her."


    When she first saw Shen Lian, she felt a sense of familiarity. After some thought, she discovered that Shen Lian''s pulses were pretty similar to the old Daoist. However, the old Daoist was more unpredictable and it seemed that he lacked something which Shen Lian had.


    Of course, it was not to say that Shen Lian was more powerful than the old Daoist. Instead, it meant that Shen Lian had a unique trait. It can be said that this specialty was extremely scarce and exceptionally precious.


    Such a trait was not even possessed by Kunpeng''s Founding Master.


    As such, she finally understood why Kui Li requested her to seek for Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian crossed his hands behind his back and said, "Palace Bi You is the place of enlightenment of Tongtian Order Master. In addition, its coordinates change from time to time. In order to seek for its exact location, I need some time."


    Jing Shu said, "There is no need for time. I know the exact location of Palace Bi You. You only have to follow me."


    Shen Lian did not inquire how Jing Shu knew the location. This was because he had identified her pulses which were identical to Bei Mingzi''s. With such an origin, it was not surprising that she possessed much more information than the others. It just seemed that this lady was still not aware of the incident that happened between him and Bei Mingzi.


    Shen Lian had no intention of informing her about the matter for he had more important things to attend to.


    Saving Kui Li was an irrefutable decision. As what Kui Li had mentioned, this was because they were friends.


    Shen Lian did not have many friends. However, as long as one was acknowledged by him, he would help his friend willingly. In addition, he should have already made a trip to Bi You Palace. This was because he had never clearly understood the things mentioned in ''the Mastery of Senses''. With this trip, he might receive an answer.


    Shen Lian brought no one along with him. He merely held a ceremonial cultivation of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale and transformed into a white cloud that floated swiftly. He took Jing Shu with him and headed towards the direction of Bi You Palace in accordance with Jing Shu''s instructions.

 Chapter 664 Cultivation of Celestial Form with The Yellow River of Nine Provinces

    Both of them arrived on a foggy sea promptly. Though millions of waves rolled in and out, there were no living things present here. This place was engulfed in a deathlike silence.


    Jing Shu identified a direction and said, "Continue ahead for a thousand feet."


    Shen Lian adhered to her instructions. However, when they have reached the spot which was a thousand feet away, Jing Shu seemed rather perplexed. She mentioned, "This is not right, head a hundred feet backward."


    Shen Lian was not shaken by the changes and moved five hundred feet backward.


    Jing Shu said, "This is still not right. How about trying to turn left for about three feet?"


    Shen Lian did not move this time around, he looked towards the front and said, "Do not try anymore."


    Suddenly, the mist started to emerge on the expansive sea. Both of them were engulfed by it unknowingly. Jing Shu was stunned and blurted, "Yellow River of nine provinces Formation."


    Shen Lian replied plainly, "This is not the complete Yellow River of nine provinces Formation."


    At this moment, Shen Lian''s divine Qi was completely amassed. All of his Primordial Spirit and mana were concealed within the worldly seed of Ancestral Cavity. Based on his external and internal presentation, he seemed like an ordinary being. It can also be said that he was a strong and built ordinary person.


    Nonetheless, Jing Shu did not follow what Shen Lian had done. Thus, when she came into contact with the mist, she groaned in pain. Instantaneously, her mana that was accumulated over thousands of years disappeared swiftly.


    Fortunately, the anadem on her head provided some help. It had prevented her Primordial Spirit from damages. The Band-tightening Spell was one indigenous incantation to capture Primordial Spirits. Hence, Jing Shu''s Primordial Spirit was well-protected and freed from external interferences despite the deformation of her anadem.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian pressed one of his hands on her shoulder. The mist that touched Jing Shu previously was immediately absorbed by Shen Lian''s hand. However, Shen Lian''s hand turned from white to black.


    "The state of void does not emerge over a single thought," a mellow voice was heard by Jing Shu. It actually sounded like the Resonance of the Great Way. In an instant, Jing Shu was enlightened. She concealed all her mana within the orifices point. As such, the loss of her divine Qi was slowed down immediately.


    Jing Shu mentioned hatefully, "This old demon lady is so vicious."


    It can be said that the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation was a primary demonic formation in the eyes of all cultivators. This formation was based on the Three Spheres. It encompassed profundity of the world; inclusive of Celestial elixir of confusion, Enclosed incantation, God of the loss of celestials, Soul of celestials eradication, Form of celestial trapping, Qi of Damaged celestials, Organic form of the outcasted celestial, body of the Damaged Celestial. While celestials who entered the formation would become mortals, mortals who entered would be dead immediately.


    In short, even if you had the greatest supernatural power in the world, once you have entered this formation, your mana would be lost. In addition, souls would be damaged and spirits lost. One would descend into the state of mortality. The collection of cultivation experiences by Qi cultivators was not an easy task. Only with daily determined practice could they amass a good deal of attainment and mana. Nonetheless, were they fall into this formation, they would be harmed. So many years of hard work would vanish into mere dust.


    Though Jing Shu had a remarkable origin, it was not easy to have amassed such great mana. If Shen Lian had not lent a helping hand, she would have lost her basic mana. Even thousands of years of practice would not be enough for her to regain her lost mana.


    Shen Lian said, "Let us think of ways to resolve this formation instead. Even though we managed to deceive this formation by concealing our pulses, it would be impossible for us to escape this formation without utilizing supernatural powers and mana."


    Jing Shu replied, "This formation designed by Empress Yun Xiao was only resolved when the deity bodies of Yuqing and Taiqing descended to provide help. What other solutions do we have? Is inviting these two Daoist Masters the only solution we have?"


    Shen Lian said, "This formation is not fully completed. We still have some available solutions."


    Jing Shu asked curiously, "With only one glimpse, how did you realize that it is not complete? Although it can be guessed that this old demon lady would not have the ability to lay a complete version of the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation, you clearly did not rely on an instinctive guess."


    Shen Lian stared into the blurry mist and spoke softly, "If this was the complete Yellow River of nine provinces Formation, it would have followed the rule of circulation, gained the Art of Creation and continued this cycle repetitively. It would not be in such a state where killing vibes thrive gradually within the formation."


    As he spoke, the mist thickened even more.


    Though Jing Shu was very knowledgeable, she did not understand the beauty of Dao''s Xuan Philosophy. She asked, "Why is the thriving of killing vibes a sign of defect?"


    Shen Lian explained patiently, "Thriving to the point of extremity invites dwindling for extremity invites opposed outcomes. In the world, the principle of permanent thriving does not exist. The flourish of killing vibes does not exist on its own. Things have to be taken from others in order to transform them into this formation''s killing vibes. It is alike to paddy in the fields. As it flourishes, the fertility of the land would wane. If there were calamities, lands that had lost all its fertility would be easily destroyed. This situation is alike to the saying, ''Without the presence of skin, where does the hair grow?''"


    Although Shen Lian''s metaphor was not very incisive, Jing Shu was able to comprehend it. She understood that Shen Lian had found the foundation of this formation. Hence, all problems would be resolved once this basis was destroyed.


    In addition, as the killing vibes within the formation became stronger, its foundation would become increasingly weak.


    Jing Shu said, "Let us destroy this formation at once."


    Shen Lian lowered his voice and replied, "There is no need to rush."


    Not only was Shen Lian unhurried, he calmly sat on the floating clouds transformed by the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. The floating cloud was already infected by the mist. Fortunately, the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale was not a living creature. Thus, the infection was not a problem for there would only be some contamination of its vital force. After this incident, a ceremonial cultivation of the painting would be sufficient.


    Shen Lian''s body was continuously contaminated by the mist. Though his Daoist robe was not severely affected, it turned into black color. However, his skin that was exposed had black speckles. Clearly, his Daoist body was bearing the corrosion brought about by the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation.


    Shen Lian did not move. He stood still like an old monk, closed his eyes and rested.


    Jing Shu could not bear such pain. Her whole body was itching and she desired to dig out every flesh that was itching. The claim that the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation could transform celestials into mortals was undoubtedly true. A living creature like her should not have felt itchiness on her physical body. Surprisingly, she was severely tormented by this itchiness.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes. When he saw her suffering so badly, he spoke plainly, "Place your hand on my shoulder."


    Jing Shu said, "There is no need to help me bear my burden. I can still handle this."


    Shen Lian stopped talking. In actuality, he had shouldered much stress. This was because he did not only had to handle the pain, he still had to calculate all forms of variations in the formation. His ability was greatly suppressed especially when his Primordial Spirit had been concealed in the seed of heaven and earth. Thus, this was not an easy task.


    Ultimately, the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation was based on Three Spheres- sky, earth, and men. When laws of Heaven were established, there were Yin and Yang; when laws of Earth were established, there were soft and firm; when laws of humanity were established, there were benevolence and justice.


    Therefore, any one sector of the Three Spheres was the direct opposite of the other two.


    The mist had a corrosive trait. However, once it was destroyed, it could be considered as a kind of newborn. Though it seemed that his Daoist body had been corroded, a newborn force had actually appeared. Nonetheless, it was extremely minute. One would not discover its existence if he was not deliberate enough. When Shen Lian had discovered its existence, he started to utilize these newborn force to refine his celestial form and directed it towards a condition that was more perfect.


    When this transformation was complete, he could advance into the next stage which was to seek for the foundation of the formation and destroy it.


    If he were to seek for the foundation of the formation by force, he might not be able to find it. In fact, before he could realize the minute changes in his celestial form, he would not only lost the opportunity for betterment but also have his celestial form completely destroyed.


    Since Jing Shu could manage the pain, Shen Lian did not interfere. If she discovered the profundity of this formation, it would be considered as her own development.


    Shen Lian did not tell her about this because he felt that they might not be friends. Owing to the incident involving Bei Mingzi, they might actually become enemies.

 Chapter 665 Golden Pitcher

    Ultimately, Jing Shu did not have the nuanced state of Dao as Shen Lian had. Hence, she was unable to discover this secret. Nonetheless, her Kunpeng demonic form was truly exceptional for it had supported her to this state and it could support her subsequently.


    Her tender skin had lost most of its moisture and some parts of her flesh had started to decay. The pain of nails piercing into her flesh was unbearable. Nevertheless, this intensity of pain was not compatible with the Band-tightening Spell.


    The heavy mist became denser. Although Jing Shu and Shen Lian were in close proximity, they could not see each other. The mist started to swirl like a gliding gigantic snake and engulfed both of them.


    Shen Lian opened his eyes carelessly. Finally, they have reached the last moment.


    Internally, Shen Lian lowered his validation of this Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. This was because its dwindling stage caused by extreme thriving had happened too early. Clearly, the person who laid this formation did not understand the Three Spheres sufficiently. If Empress Yun Xiao laid this formation herself, even if it was not complete, he would still be in enormous danger.


    However, this did not mean that Shen Lian could belittle this person for he knew that this opponent would not only have a single technique. Of course, everything must wait until he had butchered that snake-like mist.


    It was created from the condensation of all Yellow River of nine provinces Formation''s mighty force. Despite Shen Lian had concealed his mind and spirit within the seed of heaven and earth, he was still uncontrollably perturbed.


    He knew that this indicated the destabilization of his Primordial Spirit. If he extracted his Primordial Spirit from the seed of heaven and earth, the situation would only worsen.


    The snake twisted its body and entangled Shen Lian in circles. When viewed afar, it seemed that there was a gigantic snake entwining a young lad amongst black mist. The snake contracted gradually and it seemed that the young lad would ultimately end up as a pool of blood.


    Though Jing Shu felt much better, she was still attacked by the pervasive mist. Moreover, her demonic form was severely damaged and had no energy left.


    When she saw Shen Lian, she thought, "Is he someone of no use?"


    Shen Lian was completely enveloped by the gigantic snake. The snake''s circulating body appeared like levels of the pagoda where the ground level of the nine-storied building had Shen Lian securely suppressed.


    Jing Shu was shaken aside. All she could do was to witness Shen Lian being completely engulfed by the gigantic snake.


    Given that she originated from the Kunpeng clan, she had occult techniques to survive in desperate circumstances. However, Shen Lian was not worth her help. Moreover, the price she had to pay in order to perform that occult technique was unbearable. Nevertheless, sister Kui Li seemed to have a good relationship with him and Jing Shu did not want Shen Lian to collapse.


    When she was in dilemma, Shen Lian was surrounded by complete darkness. His senses only managed to detect darkness.


    All sounds had vanished. At the same time, he knew that his Primordial Spirit was weakening at an unprecedented speed. Even the seed of heaven and earth could not protect him from this crisis.


    Shen Lian seemed to have fallen into a state alike to the time when the world was first created. A state where karma was unknown, misfortunate trials were hidden and supernatural powers were unfounded. However, his heart of Dao became clearer and the Dao of Yi was churning speedily. Ultimately, this enabled him to ''witness'' an image. It was a Golden Pitcher. With a look of the pitcher, he knew that it signified the birth of heaven and earth, everything had begun fresh anew.


    It seemed that the seed of heaven and earth was also influenced by this vital force such that it started to bud.


    There was a flow of luster between his brows. The image of the Golden Pitcher deeply influenced the seed of heaven and earth. The seed started to change and grew eventually. It ultimately became a smaller version of the Golden Pitcher.


    Shen Lian carefully investigated the location of the Golden Pitcher. Without hesitation, he attacked with a punch. That attack comprised all of his useable mana. A hole was blasted out of the snake''s body. Given that the last punch landed in emptiness, cracking sounds were heard.


    Inexplicably, a wail reverberated in the space. A Golden Pitcher appeared and swirled continuously when it was punched. Eventually, it disappeared like sand and left no tracks behind.


    When the Golden Pitcher vanished, the gigantic snake also disappeared like sand. It was untraceable. What was left were Shen Lian''s weary spiritual appearance and festered flesh. These were indications of his previous sufferings.


    Jing Shu said, "That was Huanyuan Jindou?"


    "It was just an illusionary image. Now I understand why Huanyuan Jindou comprised the word ''Huanyuan''," said Shen Lian softly.


    "Why is it so?"


    "Huanyuan signified the heaven and earth. It was also because Huanyuan Jindou was witnessed during the time when heaven and earth were founded. I have understood this point," Shen Lian spread his hands. Gradually, a clear light appeared in his palms and transformed into a Golden Pitcher. It had a dim and minute vital force. The remaining mist entered the Golden Pitcher as if they had found their parent body.


    Jing Shu asked surprisingly, "You also have the Huanyuan Jindou?"


    "You can say that, but this is not completely true. Apart from Huanyuan itself, Huanyuan Jindou also comprised the essence of the Degenerate Age''s way of Dao. I have not comprehended this. Though these remaining mist can be utilized to frighten others, it cannot be used against powerful figures," said Shen Lian carelessly.


    However, Shen Lian''s greatest attainment was enabling the seed of heaven and earth to bud. This attainment was more significant than attaining any other treasures.


    Although it was not a major breakthrough in his cultivation, this meant much to him in a long-term. He could even conceal everything about himself in it and force his own heaven and earth into a space-time of endless chaos. There would be nobody who can capture him, with the exception of Daoists and Buddhas.


    After all, space-time had no limitations. Only the Buddha''s Eye of Wisdom could perceive everything clearly.


    He understood why Sanxiao from the legend of Investiture of the Gods could easily defeat anyone who was below the level of a Daoist. Even the twelve Golden Celestials of Lianchan sect was rid of their attainment. The complete version of Huanyuan Jindou was too terrifying. Moreover, it was a righteous path of Dao. No wonder Sanxiao was able to be so haughty.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian''s Huanyuan Jindou which was borne from the seed of heaven and earth was ultimately an empty shell. It was not compatible with the level of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale.


    The sound of waves outside Bi You Palace remained the same. Lady Mother of the Chariot had a stern gaze. She had never thought that Shen Lian could pass the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. Although the formation was not as powerful as the one laid by Yun Xiao herself it was still an emulation of the formation that severely defeated the Chan sect.


    She felt an indescribable sense of helplessness at this very moment. However, she could not admit her own failure. No matter how things had developed, she would never give Bi You Palace to others.


    When this will was present, she had an infinite source of fury. It burned her own heart of Dao.


    Kui Li was also stunned. When she walked out into the main hall, she saw the body of Lady Mother of the Chariot being engulfed in burning flames. Even a Holy girl like her was fearful of that flame.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot did not seem to realize the changes of her body. She appeared to be a little deranged. Amidst the flames, her body started to become transparent. Kui Li took notice of her chest, there laid a heart. However, it was shrinking at a speed that was identifiable by sight. It ultimately disappeared into nothing.


    The flames then subsided at a speed that was also identifiable by sight. Lady Mother of the Chariot cast a glance towards Kui Li. Surprisingly, she was no longer furious. She was unusually calm or perhaps, somewhat indifferent.


    Kui Li hesitated for a while before she asked, "What happened to you?"

 Chapter 666 Tiantai Mountain Which Is a Hundred and Eighty Thousand Feet Tall

    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s expression seemed empty. There was no mixture of moods. With only a pointing of the finger, a ray of light immediately stopped Kui Li in her tracks, unable to move even a single step.


    All of a sudden, Kui Li''s heart was shocked. The mana was incredibly terrifying.


    Kui Li could not sense that Lady Mother of the Chariot was like emptiness. Inside Bi You Palace there were countless unseen shadows squeezing unto her body one after another. Those shadows were remnant souls of thousands of celestials from the former years. As of today, they were all gathered into one body.


    Shen Lian was already quite close to Bi You Palace. Even though the aura of a thousand celestials was no longer like the rising tides, the vital force that was emitted was far from ordinary. This induced a bit of solemn-ness and respectfulness in his heart.


    Jing Shu looked at Bi You Palace and said, "I would really like to know how appalling Jie Order was back then. Just these remnants of aura in Bi You Palace was enough to tremble the hearts of people."


    Shen Lian replied, "Quite odd."


    "What is it?" Jing Shu asked.


    Shen Lian was silent for a moment. He then blew out a breath of air which shortly after turned into a violent tornado, capable of sweeping away any obstruction in its path. Without anything to stop it, the hurricane charged into Bi You Palace. After a while, a sever explosion was heard.


    Jing Shy questioned, "Is there no restriction outside Bi You Palace?"


    "It is not as simple as it looks. The hurricane I blew a moment ago could absorb the surrounding Qi of vitality by continuously rotating but when it reached inside of Bi You Palace, it could not help but scatter itself in all directions. That was why there was such an explosion." Shen Lian spoke in a low voice.


    Jing Shu very quickly understood what Shen Lian meant. She replied, "Since we are already here, we might as well go in even though we know it to be a trap."


    She was not fearful at all and within one step she reached just outside the main hall of Bi You Palace. Very quickly, she understood the source of the anomaly. Ever since she arrived here, she could not extract even the slightest bit of Qi of vitality from the surroundings. As of now, she could only rely on her own strength as there was no way of acquiring the Qi of vitality from the outside world in order to supplement her.


    For Jing Shu who had just gone through the calamity of the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation, it was not good news.


    All of a sudden, Jing Shu understood the significance of the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. It was intended as a pretext to exhaust their energies.


    She looked back. Shen Lian was not hesitant to take action. Instead, he similarly arrived just outside Bi You Palace.


    He looked at the three words on top of the main hall of Bi You Palace. With each stroke, it all seemed so simple. There was no Dao rhythm and there was also no change. Yet, anyone who saw these words would find them hard to forget.


    Dao was most simple, Dao was like the sky �C this sentence was encapsulated in great detail in those three words.


    Shen Lian was touched by Bi You Palace. It had its origins not only in his own Art of Spiritual Enhancement but also in a particular feeling. Regardless of what happens, he would always have a profound respect for Tongtian Order Master.


    Jing Shu did not have that kind of feeling. Most of her feelings came from winning a battle with Buddha.


    She looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Are we entering?"


    Shen Lian did not answer but merely started walking towards the flight of steps at the bottom of the hall.


    "Tiantai Mountain which is a hundred and eighty thousand feet tall." Came the chanting of this verse by an apathetic and faintly discernible voice. It was like a cloudless night sky, indifferent and cold.


    The stairs were then stretched. Each step was ten feet high and there was a total of eighteen thousand stairs. It was only when Jing Shu started walking up the steps did she realize that the difficulty of the steps was not limited to it simply being hard to complete.


    Her first step was very relaxed but on the second step, the pressure abruptly doubled in proportion.


    With every step of the stairs, the pressure doubled. The wheel came full circle, as if without limits. Presently, she was still unable to derive the strength from the outside world to benefit herself. It was because of this that each step exhausted much of her own strength.


    After quite some time had passed, she caught up with Shen Lian. The both of them were divided by a mere three stairs, and Shen Lian needed only one more step to reach the end.


    As of now, every step she took was harder than the last. The pressure bore down on both her body and her Primordial Spirit. Even the mere formation of a thought seemed to be too much for her.


    Shen Lian felt a similar challenge but he did not have any reaction to it and merely walked up the stairs with a sluggish pace. The real difficulty was walking up that last stair of Bi You Palace.


    The stairs had their limit and human strength was no different.


    Shen Lian had reached his limit.


    However, he did not cower by even a half step because such great supernatural power was definitely not something which Lady Mother of the Chariot could deploy. Rather, it was a prohibitive technique passed down by Tongtian Order Master.


    Tongtian Order Master was an arrogant man. Deep down, Shen Lian also had an arrogance that he never once expressed.


    Just because I learned your techniques, it does not mean that I will never surpass you.


    Shen Lian was not quietly angry with Lady Mother of the Chariot. All he wanted was to challenge that Shangqing Daoist. Under this horrifying pressure, Shen Lian was able to clearly and distinctly experience the sudden weakening of his celestial body that was cultivated from the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. As a result of the pressure, each minute structure began to tear apart, verging on the edge of collapse. This caused Shen Lian to be unable to absorb the strength from the air in order to restore his mana.


    The speed at which his power of the Primordial Spirit was consumed could be seen by the naked eye and replenishment could not be obtained.


    The cultivation experience could not simply be replenished by anyone of superior heart and soul. This prohibitive technique of Tongtian Order Master was truly teaching Shen Lian a lesson on what ultimate strength was.


    Shen Lian heard the loud explosion of his celestial body and then heard his mana boil over. It was hard to bear. The boiling produced a sound akin to the roaring of the Yangtze and Yellow River. If he took a step back, he would be greatly relieved of this kind of pressure.


    Regardless, he did not give up. As with all the other steps, he unhesitatingly proceeded to the last stair. Immediately, a pressure double that of the previous started to mount. Each structure of his celestial body collapsed. It was as if a pile of fine powder was used to build a statue of him that very moment.


    Just like the fire of a light that was directly blown upon by the wind, the red cinnabar in the space between his eyes would go out at any time.


    However, the moonlight-like brightness of that point still persisted on emitting its own light, protecting Shen Lian''s consciousness.


    A tall deity appeared in front of Shen Lian. The deity clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Shen Lian without saying a word.


    This was the first time Shen Lian saw such a deity outside of his mind-sea, a deity of respect which he visualized countless times in the past.


    The expression in the deity''s eyes was exactly as Shen Lian visualized �C empty and lonesome.


    Soon after, the deity lifted his hands, where he held a Jade Ruyi and beat down on his chest. The Jade Ruyi appeared to be able to destroy everything. If Shen Lian did not retreat, a complete vanishing of his body and spirit would await him.


    At that point, the red cinnabar shed itself off from the space between Shen Lian''s eyes and transformed into a small Golden Dipper, which proceeded to greet the Ruyi. The Jade Ruyi was very indestructible, so much so that cracks appeared in the small Golden Dipper right after it was struck by the Jade Ruyi.


    The deity showed no emotion and continuously struck the Golden Dipper three times. The golden dipper broke, transforming into the Four Elements �C earth, fire, wind, and water. Havoc was wrecked on the surrounding.


    For Shen Lian, the Golden Dipper signified many things, so much so that it was the fundamentals of his future pursuit of Dao, owing to the fact that it was a world that he created with his own hands. In addition, it was in a condition of growth and maturity. No one could know what heights the world would reach in the en, and whether or not it would turn into a separate, greater world.


    As of now, all of Shen Lian''s longing and vision for the future could be declared to have come to an end. Originally it was to be a new world but under the pounding of the Jade Ruyi, it had no other choice but to return to being the Four Elements.


    For the first time, Shen Lian felt somewhat dismayed and indecisive as he thought about whether the disparity was really so great. The Four Elements that were wreaking havoc floated on the stairs. All of the empty space appeared to incline towards a state of formless mass. Shen Lian''s consciousness was like a fish that suffered the pounding of strong currents in a small river. Destruction of it was a possibility that may happen at any time.

 Chapter 667 He Is Not as Perfect as You Imagined Him to Be

    In the realm of nothingness, the real soul entrusted with Taixu was also in an indecisive state of mind. Never before had Shen Lian felt this feeling of helplessness. When the real soul in the realm of nothingness had a state of mind, it signified that the danger he encountered was already capable of thoroughly wiping him out of the River of Time. There would be a possibility that Shen Lian would no longer exist in the world.


    Even if in the future, there existed a person that was similar to him and possessing the same experiences, it would not be him anymore.


    For a celestial, the most terrifying thing in the world was not death but the loss of one''s existence.


    Shen Lian even felt remorse over his stubborn provocation of the Shangqing Daoist Master''s prestige and dignity. He was so arrogant as to believe that he was able to sound out the Daoist Master. There was no use in regretting everything and the time to repent had come too late.


    The emergence of such thoughts displayed the deep shame he had as of this moment. If it was any other time, it would be absolutely unlikely for him to think that way.


    Shen Lian was somewhat angry and humiliated. This demonstrated that his human nature had never disappeared and that there were still traces of inherent weaknesses that remained in him. Even with regards to his characteristics, Shen Lian understood that he has yet to be able to call himself truly and exceedingly outstanding. Having witnessed his own repulsive heart, it was indeed something that was not easily confronted.


    There was another matter that was even harder to confront which was Shen Lian did not know how he could get out of his current plight. When he faced many of the impasses in his past, the Mastery of Senses would always be his trump card. The same could not be said now as the trump card was of no use whatsoever. This was the reason for his being stuck in such a predicament.


    The pure capabilities of the Four Elements were indeed very terrifying. If his consciousness touched it even in the slightest, the result would be an unimaginable and never-before-felt suffering. One of the advantages of undergoing this suffering was that he could lighten his own anger and humiliation.


    The high and mighty deity had not yet concentrated on the petty and low Shen Lian. After the Golden Dipper was struck and broken, the deity no longer made any movements. The wreaking Four Elements also dared not go near the deity.


    Instead, the strength of the Four Elements dared to torment Shen Lian. There was nothing but consciousness left on him and that made for an enjoyable tormenting.


    Shen Lian was at a loss as to how he could fend them off. He had no way of doing so. This kind of suffering would lead to numbness if experienced repeatedly.


    It went to the point where he started having thoughts of wanting this to be over as quickly as possible as he was completely drained of strength.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot spoke to Kui Li, "You said that he could make the impossible possible. At this point, there is already no possibility that he will survive."


    Kui Li was unable to move but her perception and awareness were still present. In addition, whatever that Lady Mother of the Chariot inflicted upon Shen Lian was through a display of her Dao techniques.


    Kui Li was also suffering as she could experience the transmission of Shen Lian''s indecisive state of mind. It was Kui Li''s first time seeing Shen Lian having this sort of mental state. Regardless of how cumbersome an event was in the past, Shen Lian gave the impression of being ever-reliable and that nothing was ever too difficult for him.


    This time was the complete opposite. Shen Lian was no longer the celestial who was always brimming with confidence. He had become a person, a true person who was full of weaknesses.


    Mortals would say, ''The person on the street is like jade, the son of an official is matchless and unique''. In the eyes of the spectator, Shen Lian was exactly like the official''s son �C matchless, unique, and incomparable. By virtue of being a celestial that walked amongst the mortals, Shen Lian also thought of himself as such.


    In the end, he was not as perfect as people imagined and hoped him to be.


    In this aspect, Shen Lian was similar to Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� whom Kui Li hated with a passion. Both of them were naturally born with talents, possessing the same arrogance and the ending to their stories were both rather similar. They were both put in their rightful places by an aloof and remote Daoist Master. Their earlier conceits were smashed into pieces and they fell in this mundane world, to the point where the option they chose caused people to lose hope in them.


    "No one is perfect," Lady Mother of the Chariot said in a voice filled only with apathy and with ridicule even.


    Kui Li did not speak and she looked at Shen Lian with as firm a look as before. She still remembered that fateful day where the snow fluttered about, at the lowest point of her life as a demon, a young man came and saved her from the snow.


    During that time, Shen Lian was a hundred thousand times weaker than the present. One thing, however, would never change. Kui Li could still remember the expression in Shen Lian''s eyes when he saved her. There was neither pity nor apathy in his eyes, instead, there was a look of yearning for the beauty of life in itself.


    She always believed Shen Lian to be special. Among friends, he was someone worthy of being relied upon. Among colleagues, he was respected. Shen Lian never displayed the kind of attitude that looked down on people, even if it was a disciple with the lowest of cultivation experience in Qing Xuan. He was more than willing to narrate an account of his own experience in cultivation. If today, Kui Li was no more than an ordinary demon, she still believed that Shen Lian would come to her rescue. It was simply a question of friendship and nothing else.


    From Kui Li''s eyes, Lady Mother of the Chariot could still see the unwillingness to give up. She did not say anything further since the truth was plain and clear to see. Shen Lian was not that good, at least not as good as people thought him to be.


    The burning anger was still present in her heart. It was a tranquil rage but rage nonetheless.


    It was because of Shen Lian''s inferiority that he was still the one who was selected by the honored master. Even though honored master broke Shen Lian''s external existence as well as his self-respect, Shen Lian was still the only one that had been tested by honored master in the span of countless past years. This rare honor was once again, never possessed by anyone else.


    She felt that no one else could respect honored master as much as she could. No one else could attach that much of importance to the orthodoxy of the Jie Order as compared to her. Why then was honored master unwilling to choose her?


    Perhaps this was another reason why she was determined on setting herself against Shen Lian. She was envious, very envious.


    Jing Shu was no longer on the stairs. She was not as strong-willed as Shen Lian so she pulled out when she could no longer bear the pressure and watched Shen Lian in that position of an impasse. That bit of consciousness from the Primordial Spirit that floated in the wreaking of the Four Elements was akin to a small boat that could be buried in the midst of a vast sea at any given time.


    Jing Shu understood that she was of no help. She was already unable to go near that area.


    However, she knew that she could not simply just descend. After all, it could be said that she and Shen Lian had experienced trials and tribulations before at the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation. She thought about that roll of Amitabha scripture and also recalled the fact that the enigmatic old Daoist allowed her to search for R��ma.


    If the old Daoist allowed her to do so, it meant that R��ma and Vishnu had a connection. Vishnu was the most powerful figure in the universe. If he could set himself against Buddha, even if he loses in the end, it would still be a kind of honor and glory. It could be interpreted that he was an extremely formidable deity indeed.


    Jing Shu thought that perhaps this R��ma person had a way to request Vishnu''s assistance in saving Shen Lian. Her light travel was fast, which meant that she did not need a lot of time to reach the sea of blood. If Shen Lian could hang on, this may be a solution.


    If R��ma was unwilling to help, she could return and seek founding master but it was likely that Shen Lian may not be able to hang on for such a length of time.


    Regardless of the outcome, she had to at least try. Sooner or later, she would have to go to the sea of blood.


    With that, Jing Shu unhesitatingly incarnated her light travel and headed to the sea of blood. Within a mere fifteen minutes, she reached. The moment she took out the Amitabha scripture, a Bodhi Buddhist ray immediately drew her into an independent small world. It was a small mountain with a pagoda on top of it. The Bodhi Buddhist ray was on top of the pagoda.


    A monk was in front of her. He did not need to speak in order for her to know that it was R��ma.


    "A Daoist requested me to present this Amitabha scripture to you. He said that he wishes to meet Vishnu." Jingshu immediately said.


    R��ma accepted the Amitabha scripture and placed his palms together, "Many thanks, female benefactor. Poor monk understands."


    Jing Shu spoke again, "Considering the fact that I was troubled to deliver the scripture, I wish to request for your help in saving someone."


    R��ma looked at Jing Shu and sighed, "I cannot save him."


    Jing Shu asked, "Would it be possible for you to request the help of Vishnu in saving him?"


    R��ma replied, "Vishnu cannot save him as well."


    Finally, R��ma continued, "That is his trial and also his fate. A bystander can do nothing. Everything depends on him alone."

 Chapter 668 Could There Still Be a Miracle?

    Jing Shu replied, "I do not believe you."


    She left as soon as she finished the sentence because she wanted to return to the Demon Master Palace as soon as possible. She hoped that founding master would advance and save that darn Shen Lian. If he could not be saved, at least she tried her best.


    R��ma eyes followed Jing Shu as she left. The Amitabha scripture that he held in his hands had an embroidery of a Buddha''s image. It looked as if all worries were resolved, with endless knowledge, forever untiring.


    It was the image of Amitabha, also known as the immeasurable Buddha. Among the heavens, he was one of the few people who possessed supreme detachment.


    At the bottom of the pagoda a monkey''s head emerged. It said, "Amitabha has already disappeared for a long time. Who could find him?"


    R��ma softly replied, "Rumor has it that Daoist Master Taiyi once traveled to Sukhavati, taking away with him three scrolls of scripture. The Amitabha scripture was among the three."


    After hearing the taboo name of Daoist Master Taiyi, Hanuman could not help but form an expression of deep reverence. He said, "Could it be that Daoist Master Taiyi is the one who wanted to meet the great Vishnu? After all, if it were him, it would not be surprising at all that he knew the connection between you and Vishnu."


    R��ma answered, "It is not Daoist Master Taiyi. Because regardless if it were me, or Vishnu, we are both considered too petty and low in his very eyes. I already know who this person is. And if I''m sure Vishnu would know as well. Regarding this matter, Vishnu will deal with it."


    Hanuman was still rather clueless, and so asked, "Vishnu and Buddha had set themselves against each other before. Daoist Master Taiyi is equal to Buddha. How could Vishnu be considered petty and low in the eyes of Daoist Master Taiyi?"


    With a forced smile, R��ma replied, "Vishnu was ignorant. That was why he went and challenged Buddha. On account of them having reached such a stage, it would be an existence that we can never understand."


    Hanuman asked, "Similarly, this little brat seems to be very ignorant. Do you think he can pull through and overcome this trial?"


    R��ma leisurely replied, "I do not know, but I hope that he is able to do so."


    Hanuman questioned, "Why?"


    R��ma gave his answer, "Because in this way, things will be much more special. It signifies that he is able to challenge the power and prestige of the Daoist Master. It also represents that bystanders are able to do so. Vishnu lost his confidence owing to his challenge of Buddha, but I have not lost mine."


    It was only now that Hanuman suddenly understood what R��ma meant. R��ma genuinely wanted Shen Lian to succeed because the Daoist Master represented the supreme and unsurpassable, unable to be challenged. However, if Shen Lian succeeded, it would give R��ma a kind of confidence. That was what Vishnu lacked. Now, R��ma could rediscover it.


    Vishnu was great, but he could never be as great as Buddha. R��ma was different in a way that he had endless possibilities.


    ...


    Even though Jing Shu had a Dao target in returning to that once-populated-but-now-barren place, it took her half a day''s time to shuttle between time and space to return to Demon Master Palace. However, she did not notice that the palace was sealed shut. Regardless of what means she used, she was unable to open its doors.


    She believed that founding master knew of her return, but with the palace closed shut, she had no way of returning to the palace, not for the time being at least. No one dared to attack the palace, so it being closed shut was not because of defending against someone, but rather to prevent anyone from leaving. Jing Shu immediately understood what this meant.


    Formerly, when Demon Master Palace was sealed shut, it symbolized that a great trial was to happen in all of heaven and earth and the universe.


    This time was no different. She may not be in the palace, but she was also a part of the trial. She was not afraid of going through the trial, but she took some pity upon Shen Lian.


    She somewhat absent-mindedly headed back towards the direction of Biyou Palace. It would had been the second day by the time she returned.


    The morning sun appeared just above the sea and a bright golden light glazed everywhere. Clear and crystalline was the gleaming reflection of waves in the sunlight. The scene was beautiful and touching, but it could not spark even the slightest of interest in Jing Shu.


    She reached Biyou Palace and noticed that the Four Elements were yet to quiet down. It was because of Biyou Palace''s special characteristics that the Four Elements were yet to shatter into pieces.


    To be precise, Biyou Palace was a world of its own, and a very special one at that.


    Jing Shu was rather surprised, as Shen Lian''s consciousness was surprisingly still present, though in a much weakened state compared to the previous day.


    This was like a sole flame. With even the simplest of blows, the flame became smaller. It flickered from side to side, but it was inextinguishable.


    Jing Shu was not the only one who was surprised. Lady Mother of the Chariot felt the same as well. It was obvious that Shen Lian was already dejected and listless as if he was dead. Why then, was he still stubbornly withstand everything?


    The portraits of Lingbao Tianzun''s technique were still in existence, similar to an illusion filled only with emptiness and obscurity.


    When faced with the portrait, Shen Lian''s consciousness was like an insignificant piece of dust. It was safe to say that there was absolutely no need to stubbornly resist until the end. The feeling of powerlessness had already spread onto the totality of his thoughts.


    Ever since he had his consciousness, he had never once experienced this kind of despair, as he had tried all means before. Yet, when faced with Daoist Master, Shen Lian was but a mere game.


    The deity in front of him did not even need to use any state in order to cause each of Shen Lian''s attempts to be in vain.


    He should not have attempted to surpass the Shangqing Daoist Master. It was truly the stupidest thing he had ever done in his whole life. He was now paying the price for being so unbelievably egoistic and ignorant.


    The Four Elements could extinguish his consciousness at any time, and by then the real soul which he entrusted to the Realm of Dreams would suffer the same fate. There was no doubt in his mind that the real soul would be stripped out of the Realm of Dreams at any time.


    The jade Ruyi broke Shen Lian''s arrogance as well as the outward perfection of his. It also enabled him to become a truly vivid human. He was no higher than the ordinary, common folk Shen Lian of the past �C he remained a sentient being, a living entity.


    He suffered too �C association with that which he hated, separation from that which he loved, and inability to fulfil that which he desired. The pain, difficulty, and suffering experienced in life did not simply vanish just because he became a celestial.


    Shangqing Daoist Master''s Supreme Art of Spiritual Enhancement contributed to a Shen Lian that was perfect only in an illusory sense. It was not the real him.


    Until now, Shen Lian still retained the independence of his consciousness, because when the time came and he had to return to being nothingness, he displayed an incomparable will to live owing to the fact that he wanted to continue living.


    There was so much that he was unwilling to let go of in this world. He wanted to revive Chen Jianmei. He wanted to retrieve Gu Caiwei again. He wanted to cause the Daoist who passed him the secret to immortality to reappear in front of him.


    Most importantly, one particular person emerged in his thoughts. A thousand supernatural powers and endless magnificent Dao fall short of the goodness of a gentleman; if he reverted to nothingness, she would be very disappointed indeed.


    If he was not at the end of life, he would never have realised the things and people that he still cared for. Perhaps he had to lose them all in order to feel how precious and valuable they were. This was but a common failing inherent in human nature.


    In the midst of such unwillingness, Shen Lian withstood another day, though the havoc-wreaking of the Four Elements was fiercer now. The illusory portrait of Lingbao Tianzun solidified a little more, it was as if the real Shanqing Daoist Master would manifest in the world yet another time.


    Shen Lian understood however, that the solidifying of the portrait was because he himself was being absorbed.


    Nonetheless, it was hard to say, because when the face of Lingbao Tianzun gradually became clearer, it was surprisingly similar to him. This ''him'' was the map of Shen Lian''s original self and not his actual appearance.


    Shen Lian thought of something absurd: could it be that Lingbao Tianzun wished to arrive in this world through the devouring of ''him''?


    Shen Lian could not delve deeper into this thought, because along with the solidifying of Lingbao Tianzun''s virtual shadow, a more serious defeat appeared in his consciousness. This time, even if he was unwilling, it seemed as though he had no way of persevering further.


    "As of this moment, do you think that there could be another miracle?" Lady Mother of the Chariot indifferently asked Kui Li.


    Shen Lian''s endurance up until now had caused Kui Li to be rather worried. However, the time had come for her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 669 Shangqing Daoist Master

    Not a word came from Kui Li. Even though Shen Lian may soon disappear, she did not uncontrollably look towards his direction.


    The Four Elements were reaching the most maddening point of their havoc-wreaking, turbulently surging forth with their violently astonishing capabilities, thoroughly obliterating the last bit of Shen Lian''s real soul.


    Shen Lian''s consciousness was presently undergoing the cruelest ravaging since its conception. There was only one end in sight if he was unable to bear it �C the world would no longer have any trace of him.


    He neither had a choice, nor did he have a way out. All he could do was to endure.


    He had to bear it even though he had already passed his breaking point. Shangqing Daoist Master''s virtual shadow grew to become more and more like Shen Lian''s, and the latter started to forget many events and memories. The experiences that happened in the past seemed to peel off him and merge with the virtual shadow of Shangqing Daoist Master.


    Layer by layer, his consciousness were peeled off like an onion. Lee Feng the doctor on earth, Shen Lian the young Daoist in Qing Xia Temple, Shen Lian the headmaster of Qing Xuan, Shen Lian the Zhou Emperor of the Netherworld �C all these past experiences were stripped away. There were no longer any experiences nor were there any memories: without them, what else could there be for him to identify himself as Shen Lian?


    The answer to that question was far from simple. Shen Lian himself could not answer because he was rapidly forgetting who he was. If every layer of an onion was peeled off, what else would there be left of that onion?


    If it reached that point, Shen Lian would be reduced to nothingness.


    It seemed as though the end was inevitable, and that the possibility of turning the situation around was non-existent.


    Jing Shu was rather disheartened. She was did not have many good impressions of Shen Lian, but her three days with him opened her eyes to how Shen Lian could persevere up until now. She was but a mere spectator, and yet she was able to understand how difficult it was to persevere for so long. He kept on going and worked hard, but in the end he was unable to change his destiny. Not only was this the harsh reality of destiny; it was also the most lamentable aspect of human life.


    The kind of despair one feels when one gave it one''s all and yet the ending could not be changed, was enough to cause a bystander to feel deeply saddened.


    If Shen Lian did his utmost best but no miracle came to his aid, he would not be the only one to feel the sorrow.


    Shen Lian''s consciousness was like the last firefly in an empty night sky, exerting all of its strength in an attempt to continue illuminating the darkness of the night.


    However the havoc-wreaking Four Elements was like the deepest and darkest of wind at night, wanting to completely devour him into the darkness.


    Being on the verge of death was a catalyst for people to truly appreciate each precious moment of life. It was only then that the beauty and splendour of life could truly be understood. Shen Lian was more likely to experience death than the true understanding and appreciation of life, for he was already incapable of remembering anything as all his memories were destroyed.


    It came to the point where he did not know he was Shen Lian. Every important event in the past that represented Shen Lian no longer remained in his heart.


    His heart of Dao was dull and lonely. Only darkness remained. The radiance of light was like a shooting star: fleeting and transient. Shooting stars were also an apt depiction for his life �C brilliance, splendour, glory, and honor �C in the end they passed never to return.


    Hundreds and thousands of years in the future, no one would know him; just like hundreds and thousands of years ago, there was no him.


    Like the rising tide, the onslaught of darkness finally came. The last bit of Shen Lian''s divine aura abruptly disappeared.


    In the wanton devastation, Shangqing Daoist Master finally solidified his body and stood atop the Four Elements. What followed was a Resonance of the Great Way, causing the Four Elements to begin having order and tangle up together. In this small space, they began to weave in structure, gushing with the Qi of birth, creating an entire universe once again.


    A myriad of things could be seen: beautiful mountains and rivers, dry land and continents, and the rippling of vast seawater. Pure Qi rushed upwards and served as the heavens, while impure Qi sank below and became the Nine Underworlds. Up in the sky there were stars as well as the sun and moon. Down on land there were birds, beasts, insects, and fish �C exuberant and full of life. This world was lively, vivid, and emotionally touching.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s had an expression that reflected the stirring of her emotions. She had yet to shift her gaze. Her honored master personally displayed this supreme technique, demonstrating the Dao of Creation that split heaven and earth.


    With a square inch of land, a great world was evolved; with a snap of the fingers, the heavens and earth were established. This was the means of the Daoist Master.


    However, Kui Li was not in a mood to pay attention to all that. After all, there were truly no miracles anymore.


    The Shangqing Daoist Master was silent. Densely packed symbols and words of the Great Way emerged on a body that strikingly resembled Shen Lian''s, annotating the profound principles that were unsurpassed in this world. Those who had the opportunity to chance upon this scene would find themselves facing prospect that was hard to find even in a whole lifetime.


    Jing Shu grinded her teeth. Since he was already dead, she had better just use this opportunity to observe and emulate the supreme technique of Daoist Master. At least she could obtain some benefits in studying this occurrence.


    However, no one noticed that in the newly-formed world, there was a chrysalis on top of the leaves of one of the trees. It trembled continuously.


    Shen Lian''s consciousness had yet to be completely annihilated. In the end he turned himself into a chrysalis that was strong beyond comparison. It enabled him to spin a cocoon around himself and ultimately sank into the midst of the complete darkness.


    The present situation bore no difference to a genuine death as he was now in the center of solitude, emptiness, and a darkness that had no end.


    This was rather like the condition of his real soul in the Realm of Dreams �C thoughtless, mindless, featureless, yet to transform into Taixu, and not having anything at all.


    It was not known how long time was taken for Shen Lian to once again develop an awareness of his self. He had no eyes, no ears, and no mouth. He was simply the most primal of sources when he began to realize his own existence.


    He did not know who ''me'' was, as he still had no concept of it.


    In the lonesome and empty darkness, there finally appeared an existence that was different from his. This led him to form the thought of ''me'' once again, and further designated that the other existence was a ''him''.


    After the ''him'' appeared, ''him'' stood straight as silently as the darkness, as if everything in front of ''him'' was insignificant.


    The eyes of ''him'' flickered, and a powerful flood of information squeezed into Shen Lian''s body. A whole century happened in an instant. Shen Lian suddenly understood who Shen Lian was, and understood that the ''him'' was Shangqing Daoist Master.


    Shangqing Daoist Master gave Shen Lian a personal experience of despair as well as new life.


    He enabled Shen Lian to experience having nothing at all, but also immediately returned whatever that belonged to the latter.


    He could be everything and also able to wipe out everything.


    Shangqing Daoist Master need not say anything further. Shen Lian had already understood how fearsome Daoist Master was. Such terror was something Shen Lian could never understand.


    Shen Lian resembled an ant or a mole cricket, forever incapable of understanding a person''s line of thought.


    Shen Lian also genuinely experienced what despair was, so much so that every single time he thought about what happened before, he could not help but felt pain.


    He became as silent as Shangqing Daoist Master.


    Though he had already tasted despair, he still did not have a way out. It was clear that there was nothing that he would not do. As he thought back and recalled every event that happened prior, one by one he understood the helplessness and desperation he felt back then.


    As he did not reach the most terrible of circumstances, he still had the ability to reflect and ponder.


    He recalled the image of having everything. Then he recalled the last moments of his unwillingness and powerlessness. All those experiences were very painful, and yet they were novel.


    "Absence of trials and tribulations does not a Daoist Master make."


    Shangqing Daoist Master finally spoke. His tone of voice was indifferent. Like the wind that blew in the lowest level of the Nine Underworlds, it caused the depths of one''s heart to feel cold. This unsurpassed a person of great achievements, the Daoist Master that jumped out of the three realms of past, present, and future, surprisingly spoke to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian did not reply. He need not ignite the so-called fighting spirit. He knew he had another chance. Even if it were Shangqing Daoist Master who gave him that chance, it was all on Shen Lian to personally seize it.

 Chapter 670 Spare Me Some Mana

    Shen Lian''s present situation was actually quite similar to the time where he visualized the Mastery of Senses. Both happened in a lonesome and empty darkness with Shangqing Daoist Master appearing alone. There was one difference, however. This was the first time under those circumstances that a ''me'' appeared.


    After going through a despair which had no way out despite the great effort, Shen Lian was not dispirited. Rather, he quickly scrutinized himself with the words of Shangqing Daoist Master.


    Even though he suffered a crushing defeat in his grudge against Daoist Master, so much so that he experienced the dullest of despair in his life, there were some things which anyone in the world would regard as extremely precious. That would be his genuine experience of death. With that experience, he gained many precious things. As long as he continued to live, it would be a treasure of Buddha''s law that would be endlessly reaped throughout his life.


    The virtual shadow of Daoist Master was still as unconjecturable as ever. Shen Lian also experienced the fact that he still had no way of using any means to restrain Daoist Master, even if it were just a shadow. Regardless, there was already no need for him to be concerned with Daoist Master since he already did that which he knew he could not do and displayed his bravery. What he needed now was not a legend that future generations would remember fondly, but rather, he needed to get a grip on reality and get out of this darkness.


    Shen Lian ''got up'' and walked around in the darkness of the void. The path ahead had no end in sight. He did not know how long he would have to walk alone in the dark but he continued walking. He walked from the past to the present, and then from the present to the future. Darkness was not an eternal home. The interweaving of light and darkness was the true everlasting theme.


    During the process of walking, Shen Lian gradually became a lamp. The totality of his knowledge was arranged neatly throughout his walk. Each level of light signified a piece of knowledge he had towards heaven and earth and all living things.


    The chrysalis that originally lay twitching on the leaf of the tree slowly emanated rays of light. The entire cocoon began to break, exposing its inner brightness.


    A butterfly emerged from the chrysalis, as if in a spring dream. The insect blended in the world without so much as a trace left behind.


    Shangqing Daoist Master was still the core of this newly evolved world. The countless laws were finally created to perfection, and in the end, they headed upwards to Shangqing Daoist Master''s virtual shadow and gathered there. The butterfly that Shen Lian transformed into was fixed in the middle of the void, allowing the laws to storm the world and violently engulf everything. He stayed majestically motionless.


    He was both a butterfly and a dream of nothingness.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot and Jing Shu stared at every movement that Shangqing Daoist Master made. The incessant storm of laws was similar to countless sounds of thunder that added onto the body of Shangqing Daoist Master''s virtual shadow. The destructive force that caused them to tremble was added in the void where Shangqing Daoist Master was.


    It was precisely this moment that the newly formed world welcomed destruction.


    This was the true force of world-destroying power. Even though the world was born in this small empty space, it was a world nonetheless and was by no means imaginary.


    The incessant storm of laws brought about a destructive force similar to the layers upon layers of fire trial. The storm wanted to cause Shangqing Daoist Master to return to nothingness.


    In the unceasing annihilation, this mighty deity gradually solidified. The horrifying situation akin to purgatory gradually set off the greatness and imposingness of Daoist Master.


    Layer upon layer of Xuan philosophy interweaved around the body of Daoist Master. Jing Shu looked on with an expression of stupefaction. She could guarantee that after going through this, her ''Northern Underworld'' would welcome an astonishing change. There could even be hope for her in this life to be on equal footing with her boss, ''Roc Demon King'', and acquire the superior distinction of the Seven Great Demon Kings.


    The ''Roc Demon King'' himself had no opportunity to personally witness the techniques of a Daoist Master.


    Founding Master Kunpeng was already skillful enough, so much so that he was the peer of several Daoist Masters, though he was not one himself.


    At the present moment, Lady Mother of the Chariot''s heart of Dao had a myriad of billows as she had never seen honored master displaying such supreme techniques. Each Xuan principle that revolved around Shangqing Daoist Master was that much abstruse, so much so that if ordinary people understood it, they would immediately turn into a deity.


    Only Shen Lian and Shen Lian alone had yet to concentrate his mental state on the Xuan philosophy. Instead, he turned a blind eye to them. What Shangqing Daoist Master was currently unfolding was not any profound theory of heaven and earth. Going over that unusual event, it revealed his innate character which was even if the world and the universe perishes, it would not cause any disturbance to him; he had already created a world, and thus the ''true me'' was eternal.


    This also served as a reminder to Shen Lian. Regardless of the Underworld or the world, a galaxy of the universe or even the heavens, all of them would someday perish. All that remained of their demise would be a ''me'' that transcended everything. Whoever that could retain that ''me'' would be the Daoist Master. A Daoist Master was everything and all things. Everything could perish, and all things could revert to nothingness but a Daoist Master would not face either of those.


    Thus, the resemblance of Daoist Master to Shen Lian or to anyone else was not at all surprising. Shen Lian formerly believed that Daoist Master had to go through him to arrive in the world. In fact, that was an absurd understanding.


    After a while, the law of destructive power began to quieten. There was also no trace of Shangqing Daoist Master. Outside Bi You Palace, the stairs were as before. It was as if nothing happened at all. The Four Elements that were wreaking havoc, the evolved square inch of heaven and earth, and the extremely terrifying law of destruction, none of them left even the slightest trace.


    A butterfly flew into Bi You Palace and landed on Kui Li''s shoulder.


    At first, she felt a warm flow extending throughout her demon body. After that, she finally could move.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot noticed this and stared at the butterfly in bewilderment. The motion of its wings appeared to bear the unceasing brewing of a storm.


    Kui Li could finally sweep away her hazy thoughts. She smiled.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot coldly spoke, "Never would I have thought that a miracle could still happen."


    The butterfly fell from Kui Li''s shoulder and rapidly transformed into Shen Lian. He plainly replied, "There was no miracle. All that happened was a lesson given by Shangqing Daoist Master. Considering his reputation, I can now allow you to leave Bi You Palace and find another place to live in seclusion."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot said, "Why, the person who should be leaving is you."


    Shen Lian explained, "You have been in Bi You palace for hundreds and thousands of years. Not once did Shangqing Daoist Master ever appear to you. As for I, you could see that my arrival brought about that performance just a while ago. Do you not understand? Do not know who the new owner of Bi You Palace is?"


    Lady Mother of the Chariot did not imagine that Shen Lian would be so powerful. She gradually burned with rage.


    What she did not know was that Shangqing Daoist Master gave him a lesson on ''despair''. After going through the deepest of despair, Shen Lian was much more optimistic. Why should he restrain himself when he had already experienced the most terrifying things? Whatever he did or did not do was now coming directly from the depths of his heart. Since Shangqing Daoist Master gave him this birth, there was no need for him to be overly suspicious. He calmly accepted everything as it was. After all, every terror and precaution seemed laughable after having faced the means of Daoist Master.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot could not inherently know the thoughts of Shen Lian. In her extreme fury, she laughed at him, "Your celestial body no longer exists and you have no mana. What are you going to battle me with?"


    Shen Lian nodded, "You are correct. If before this I had to face the current predicament, indeed I could not take you for naught. But now a leaf is covering your eyes and blocking your view of Mount Tai. You do not see reality. Do you really think that what Shangqing Daoist Master performed just a moment ago was just mere Xuan philosophy? Are you completely ignorant of what it takes to walk the path of Dao to supreme detachment?"


    He smiled and looked at Kui Li and also Jing Shu who just walked into Bi You Palace, "Dear fairies, could you spare me some mana?"

 Chapter 671 The Great Battle of Bi You Palace

    Kui Li nodded while Jing Shu hesitated for a while before she conceded.


    Instantly, both of them felt indescribable changes in their bodies. This was inexplicably related to Shen Lian. Shen Lian''s illusory spiritual shape changed suddenly and released an astonishing Qi dynamic. In an instant, his mana was much stronger as compared to the time when he was at his pinnacle phase.


    Kui Li and Jing Shu were out of Bi You Palace in a gust of breeze. Only Lady Mother of the Chariot and Shen Lian was left in the main hall.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot exclaimed, "You can practice the Art of Celestial Invitation in this manner?"


    In the mortal world, there had always been ordinary cultivators who would utilize various techniques to invite celestials in order to obtain the force and blessings of holy deities. However, there were limitations. Shen Lian was able to receive the approval of two deities and obtain the majority of their mana in such a short period of time. He had truly performed this technique incredibly.


    She was rather confused. During Daoist Master Shangqing''s lecture, Shen Lian had clearly understood the idea of infusing one''s physical form with heaven, earth, and all living things. Ultimately, everything would be concealed within one''s own body. This was one of the righteous paths of supreme detachment. Although what he had practiced differed from his prior enlightenment over the idea of utilizing self-imposed heaven and earth for world creation, both techniques have achieved the same purpose. It can be considered that Lu Jiuyuan had some understanding of this path of Dao. Nevertheless, he was too deeply rooted to the Qing Xuan Earth and Star. Hence, his potential worn out and was deemed to have chosen the wrong path.


    Kui Li and Jing Shu were also part of the living beings in the world. Given that Shen Lian had received their approvals and utilized the Art of Celestial Invitation as a conduit to perform a path of Dao he recently learned, he was able to obtain great mana. This execution of decisions was undoubtedly logical.


    He spoke plainly, "If you leave now, I could spare your life."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot was furious. She rose to fame for countless years and had never been despised by anyone before. When she reached her pinnacle, she was able to sustain the combined attacks of Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang. Even if she had deteriorated, she would not condone denigration by juniors like Shen Lian.


    Her deity body appeared where countless stars started to gleam brightly. It was as if she was blessed with the force of the universe. These were spirits of the demised from Jie Order, also known as the stars of Netherworld. They could unite with her to boost her divine solemnity.


    At the same time, celestial tones started ringing around Lady Mother of the Chariot. That was the chantings of Yellow Court Classic. An enormous vital force filled the whole of Bi You Palace. It could suppress all forms of techniques and prevent them from spurring chaos.


    Her eyes glinted with wrath and killing vibes. When she pointed with a finger, throngs of runes appeared and transformed into a huge flood of Daoist technique. They glittered brightly and stormed towards Shen Lian murderously.


    Bi You Palace remained still as it endured the ferocity of the flood of Daoist technique which was alike to roaring waves. It had exhibited the quality of a firm Daoist''s divine palace. Only venues like this could sustain such a frightening great battle between the two.


    Shen Lian was battling an ancient celestial for the first time. Although this opponent had deteriorated greatly since her bestowment, she was still considered as a challenging opponent.


    Faced by the ferocious and roaring flood of Daoist technique, Shen Lian spat out an astounding sword gleam. It speared through everything.


    The technique which was alike to rolling waves of flood became mere dust under the strike of the sword gleam. It seemed that the powerful sword gleam could destroy every obstacle, travel against the flood, and pierce through Lady Mother of the Chariot''s deity body.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot was not petrified by the approaching sword gleam. In the past, she had witnessed mightier attacks.


    The fluttering sleeves embraced a strike of the sword gleam. It seemed like her sleeves were overlaid with mountains and rivers where they engaged themselves in a startling collision with the sword gleam.


    A thunderous sound nearly penetrated through space. Uncontrollably, Jing Shu questioned in trepidation, "Sister Kui Li, this old demon lady is truly psychotic."


    Kui Li replied softly, "Amongst all disciples of the Jie Order, Jinling Shengmu was a celestial who possessed profound mana, succeeding the celestial who had the greatest mana. She was better than Guiling Shengmu, a great figure amongst the ancient demons. If her original Daoist body was not damaged by Daoist Randeng''s Sea Setting Pearl, resulting in the weakening of supernatural powers, leaving Bi You Palace alive would be an impossibility even if Shen Lian had great improvements in his attainment and mana."


    Jing Shu said, "I am aware of all that you have mentioned. However, I did not expect that the remaining force could be so terrifying. I cannot imagine how petrifying it would be if she advances into her pinnacle phase."


    Kui Li replied plainly, "She would never be able to return to her pinnacle phase. We would never witness it."


    Jing Shu tightened her grip on her hand, smiled and said, "You have so much faith in this lad."


    While they were conversing, Shen Lian and Lady Mother of the Chariot had attacked one other several times. The storm and ferocious sword gleam in Bi You Palace had become the main subject.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot appeared calm and attacked Shen Lian continuously with techniques he had never seen. This exhibited her powerful abilities as a great figure amongst ancient celestials.


    Shen Lian retaliated her attacks as well. A strike from the sword gleam enabled him to envision the technique''s Qi dynamic. Hence, he was able to resolve Lady Mother of the Chariot''s multifarious techniques calmly and even managed to gain an upper hand.


    However, if there was no party being completely suppressed, the result for battles between celestials was not able to be revealed within a short period of time. It was just like the battle between the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal and Wang Lingguan. Although Wang Lingguan was not a prominent figure in the Heaven Courtyard, the powerful Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal was still entangled in ten rounds of battles with Wang Lingyuan.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian''s spiritual shape that was wandering amidst blazing lights of the technique transformed into a Kunpeng. With the aid of Jing Shu''s mana, he was able to evolve such a great demon that was scarcely seen in the universe. The speed of Kunpeng was incompatible in the world. Not many could keep up with its pace. When he flapped his wings, he charged towards Lady Mother of the Chariot with a strike of sword gleam at an indescribable speed.


    There was a sudden change in Lady Mother of the Chariot''s serene mien. She barely escaped the strike. A strand of hair that formed by the condensation of fluorescence gradually descended. A narrow cut appeared on her beautiful face. Some blood marks were present on that cut.


    Her unparalleled beautiful spiritual appearance was flushed. This indicated how furious she was, so much that she engaged the Qi and blood of celestial and Daoist bodies, causing it to surge.


    Jing Shu said, "Oh no, the old demon lady is enraged."


    Kui Li silently stared at the situation in Bi You Palace. She unknowingly tightened her grip on Jing Shu.


    The two ravishing celestials of the demon clan could only oversee the battle. They were unable to change the state of affairs.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s let out a clear celestial tone. It engaged universal galaxies which surrounded the Daoist body, causing the appearance of uncountable starlights which subsequently transformed into a border untouchable by any forms of techniques. Shen Lian had maneuvered freely in the world for years. Hence, the sharpness of his Killing Sword''s gleam was incompatible. As he laid a murderous strike on the starlight border, millions of swords appeared instantaneously. Subsequently, they merged into a single sword. With a condensed force, the border was broken.


    That starlight border which was supposed to be impenetrable by all techniques did not manage to sustain Shen Lian''s powerful attacks. It shattered like a pricked bubble.


    Though this did not provide much help, Shen Lian''s indomitable Killing Sword managed to delay the progress of the battle. Lady Mother of the Chariot punched out her fist that seemed like an indestructible crystalline structure.


    This was a supernatural power created by her through years of hard work. It was called the ''Holy punch of Doumu''. With only one punch, even Bi You Palace quivered. Clearly, it encompassed an enormous force, one that was able to destabilize this Daoist divine palace.


    That punch seemed to have engulfed the sun, moon, and stars. Numerous stars clustered into a clear crystalline structure. It was an indication of its indestructible divine solemnity. Mercilessly, it charged towards Shen Lian.


    Both of their stances were immediately overturned.


    Though Shen Lian retreated speedily, he was not able to escape the destructive holy punch. However, there were no signs of panic and only calmness was present in his appearance.

 Chapter 672 Repression

    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s appalling punch changed her state of defense into attack. It seemed that the space in front of Shen Lian was fully filled by the single strike of Lady Mother of the Chariot''s white colored crystalline punch. The space was filled to its brim.


    The tightened fist fully demonstrated the great path of strength. It even had a sense of indescribable desolation.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot seemed to have returned to the time where she was bestowed. Finally, she regained the demeanor she once had during her battle against the three bodhisattvas: Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Cihang.


    Shen Lian''s heart of Dao was unflustered. It was filled with the strong vital force dispersed by Lady Mother of the Chariot''s punch. Suddenly, he halted amidst his rapid retreat. A seal was formed by his pair of hands in an indescribable speed and embraced Lady Mother of the Chariot''s potent holy punch.


    An appalling force exploded in Bi You Palace. The main hall was fully filled with blazing white radiance. If this happened in the outside world, every flora or rubble would be eradicated. Nothing could survive this destruction. Even the void would be annihilated.


    Nevertheless, Bi You Palace was only slightly shaken. It managed to embody this terrifying explosion of Qi of vitality which was alike to a tsunami. Though Shen Lian''s spiritual shape whirled amidst the roaring waves, it was not damaged. The seal he created had changed his qualities drastically. He was gracefully celestialized and appeared like he did not belong to this world. He then merged with the initial stage of Taixu and was no longer easily harmed.


    This seal represented his profound interpretation of the path of Taixu. It had defeated all of Lady Mother of the Chariot''s attacks.


    The terrifying waves of Qi of vitality finally ebbed under Bi You Palace''s Dao rhythm. Lady Mother of the Chariot and Shen Lian looked at each other from afar. They both have realized that each other''s reputation was genuine and not mere rumors.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot was especially astonished. Such feeling was inexpressible. She had already gathered in her body all remaining spirits of her sect to boost her energy. However, she still did not have the confidence in defeating Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Daoist, if these are all the techniques you have, you might not be able to leave Bi You Palace alive."


    Lady Mother of the Chariot sniggered and said,"I was not planning to leave."


    Shen Lian sneered as the Qi of black and white gushed throughout his body. Under his feet, there were gleaming waves of light which appeared like an expansive sea. He used Jing Shu''s mana to create a Northern Underworld while Kui Li''s mana was used to create Yin and Yang. A serene bird and a Kunpeng emerged beside him, unleashing a supreme demonic force.


    Jing Shu exclaimed, "He managed to utilize our mana to materialize forms through emulation. This can be compatible with the Winning Buddha''s seventy-two polymorphic transformation."


    Kui Li nodded in agreement. This indicated that Shen Lian had a deeper understanding of the inherent qualities of all things. As such, he could utilize their mana to create their demonic forms. Although these were only illusions of mana and Qi of vitality, this supernatural power was almost compatible to theirs.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot stared coldly towards the odd view ahead of her. The starlight that surrounded her flowed like stardust. A small cross-legged person appeared in her eyes. That was her thoroughly tempered Primordial Spirit. Celestial tones started ringing and melodious music was played. In her eyes, numerous seals appeared and surrounded her Primordial Spirit.


    This was a vision in the ''Inner scene of Huangting''. It meant that her cultivation experience in Daoism had reached a terrifying stage.


    Outside of Bi You Palace, stars of the Netherworld''s vault of heaven shone brightly.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s celestial tone was alike to an ancient covenant. As she communicated with the stars, infinite meteors traversed the sky and descended to her side.


    Shen Lian looked at this sight serenely. In accordance to the Netherworld legends, Lady Mother of the Chariot was the leader of the stars. She had once defeated all the stars apart from the moon and sun. It seemed like this was not a fabricated story.


    Kunpeng and the serene bird could not sustain Lady Mother of the Chariot''s force of the amassed stars. One charged towards Lady Mother of the Chariot from the top while the other attacked her from below. They were both fearless of death given that they were merely illusions of Qi of vitality.


    They collided aggressively amidst the infinite starlights. All the space in Bi You Palace was shaken and Lady Mother of the Chariot had almost stumbled over.


    However, she still managed to gather the starlights orderly and started to chant an ancient syllable. Whenever each syllable was mentioned, the intensity of the starlight would increase. This made it even more difficult for the illusory demons to attack her.


    Shen Lian had a stern look. Although he was not clear what form of master technique Lady Mother of the Chariot was using, he knew that he could not let her continue.


    He made a step and dashed into the starlights subsequently. His mental state was firstly engulfed with scorching vital force. Out of a sudden, the vital force turned freezing cold.


    Once Shen Lian waved, the illusions of Kunpeng and serene bird broke through the suppression of the starlights. They merged with Shen Lian and caused him to become increasingly tough. He seemed as archaic and distant as the mountains and rivers.


    Shen Lian strode through the starlights slowly as if he had arrived in outer space and traversed through the galaxy to reach the opposite land.


    Even a careless attack he made was a petrifying Dao technique. Some were as tall as the sky and could contain almost everything while some were as thick as the earth and could sustain any forms of attack; some were as explosive as the heaven''s thunderous punishment.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot''s had a cold and stern mien. She also walked amongst the starlights. Apart from her continuous chant of the mysterious syllable, she released her mana at the same time and charged towards Shen Lian.


    She strode with confidence and serenity. That was actually the supernatural power that could shrink the ground into inches. Based on her cultivation experience, the power would no longer be limited by distances for she could manage with any forms of range.


    Shen Lian averted a lethal supernatural power from Lady Mother of the Chariot. He analyzed all of her chanted syllables within his heart of Dao explicitly. Finally, the technique of Yi churned speedily and managed to decipher its profound mysteries.


    Those syllables were an interpretation of the path of Dao''s resonance. If the path of Dao was compared to a clock, Lady Mother of the Chariot''s syllables would be alike to the tones produced by the clock when it got struck.


    She actually wanted to sacrifice herself to create Dao. She was determined to kill him in Bi You Palace at all cost.


    Shen Lian admired her determination but he would not allow her to succeed. A scroll of painting appeared at the front of Shen Lian. It looked like an ancient ferocious creature. It opened its mouth and absorbed the infinite essence of the stars.


    The painting trembled uncontrollably. Clearly, it had contained immense pressure. However, there was no hindrance in between of Shen Lian and Lady Mother of the Chariot anymore.


    A Tongtian sword gleam appeared in the hands of Shen Lian. He spoke plainly, "The merciless state of Taishang, attainment of Dao through self-sacrifice. This is one of the most profound stages in the Killing Sword. I would like to invite you to have a taste of this impassive Anatt�� swordcraft."


    Prior to Shen Lian''s return, he had suffered through the psychological state of despair. His heart was therefore as dark and lonely as the universe. He had forgotten about himself and neglected all emotions. The sword gleam had no petrifying or glimmering divine glows. It was extremely simple where pure lights whirled like they had never changed their form since thousands of years ago.


    Lady Mother of the Chariot only felt an impregnable sword force engulfing her. She was not able to chant a single syllable anymore.


    Her explosive divine powers in her Spiritual Body started to subside and a widespread of coldness sprouted in her heart of Dao. Inevitably, she started to shiver.


    Although the magical trick which involved the attainment of Dao through self-sacrifice was not fully performed, Lady Mother of the Chariot was too unsettled. Her spiritual body radiated infinite divine lights and transformed into a floating golden flower. It spun continuously and seemed to have the ability to cause the heaven and earth to spin accordingly.


    Shen Lian''s sword gleam attacked timely. Instantly, he arrived at the locale where the golden flower was present.


    With only a momentary contact, infinite energy was released and a myriad of things was transformed. This was alike to the scene when the heaven and earth were newly founded.


    The last defeated golden flower erected amidst the void alone. However, the sword gleam was nowhere to be found.


    Shen Lian was rather pale. Nonetheless, he still proceeded ahead without hesitation. He had transformed into a Golden Pitcher during this process. The mouth of the pitcher faced downwards and forcefully repressed the golden flower.

 Chapter 673 Secret Rumor

    In the Golden Pitcher, divine lights erupted. Clearly, Lady Mother of the Chariot did not sit and wait for her death. However, all kinds of laws of nature started to appear inside the pitcher. The divine power which Lady Mother of the Chariot used to retaliate Shen Lian''s attack melted instantaneously like snow under the heat of spring.


    Promptly, Lady Mother of the Chariot''s retaliatory attacks became increasingly weak. Ultimately, the golden pitcher stopped its quirky movements.


    Jing Shu and Kui Li knew that Shen Lian had succeeded when they felt their energy recovering speedily. Hand in hand, they entered the main hall and saw that reverted Golden Pitcher fluxing on the floor like streaming water. Eventually, it transformed into human form. That was Shen Lian and he sat on the floor as if he was paralyzed. He looked extremely lethargic.


    Repressing Lady Mother of the Chariot was not as easy as he portrayed it to be.


    Jing Shu extolled, "If this fight is rumored, you would be considered as one great figure in the Three Realms."


    As Shen Lian was about to reply her, roaring sounds erupted in his body. In an instant, he was segregated into pieces and exploded into thousands of light beams. Fortunately, Jing Shu and Kui Li''s strength had been recovered. They performed the protective barriers divine light swiftly and were not harmed.


    Stunned, Jing Shu asked, "Is he dead?"


    Kui Li shook her head. It seemed that the light beams in the main hall were affected by a force. Ultimately, the formed a whirlpool somewhere in the hall. A human form was shaped subsequently and Shen Lian reappeared. Nonetheless, his spiritual shape became more illusionary.


    He said, "Lady Mother of the Chariot was decisive enough. Even she had abandoned her Daoist body, there are still other available incarnations. I believe she had nothing to fear."


    Kui Li asked, "Are you alright?"


    Jing Shu said mischievously, "My good sister, you did not even bother asking me about my condition. Bearing in mind that you have not recovered fully from your previous injuries, I have resisted a handful of attacks on your behalf."


    Kui Li rolled her eyes against Jing Shu and said, "Based on your current condition, you could even capture and devour a few divine dragons."


    Kunpeng clan was also known as the Dragon-devouring clan. They were a mortal enemy of the dragon clan. However, divine dragons are no longer a common sight. Herds of dragons have resided in a world created by the almighty of the dragon clan. Therefore, ever since Jing Shu was born in the bottomless valley in the sea, she had only tasted scraps of dragon meat when she was young.


    When Jing Shu thought of the scrumptious dragon meat, she said uncontrollably, "I heard that there is a Yinglong in the Xia Kingdom. Would you capture it and share it with me?"


    Shen Lian chuckled and said, "Do not even bother going after it. There are two powerful figures in the Xia Kingdom. Yinglong is not an ordinary figure as well. If you were to go, you might be barbecued and eaten instead."


    Jing Shu rolled her eyes and said casually, "Why not lend me a helping hand? If three of us cooperated in this devastated Nine Underworlds, everything could be eaten."


    Irresistibly, Kui Li smacked her arse and said, "Shen Lian is a connoisseur of Daoism. He does not only think about eating like you do."


    Jing Shu flushed in response to Kui Li''s actions. She gripped her hand and said, "My good sister, do not smack that part of mine."


    She breathed out some air beside Kui Li''s ears. It was mesmerizing and had aroused a peculiar feeling in Kui Li. Jing Shu then glanced towards Shen Lian. It seemed that she was declaring to him that she was closer to Kui Li than he was.


    Shen Lian found this small Kunpeng rather entertaining. His bias against her which was borne from the incident involving Bei Mingzi had vanished after this matter. He told Kui Li, "I am fine. How did you reach Netherworld?"


    After experiencing such a tough battle, his attainment had improved greatly. When Lady Mother of the Chariot performed the separation technique, he was already alarmed beforehand. Hence, he transformed into thousands of light beams in order to segregate his spirit. His own form was thus unharmed.


    However, his mana had to be regained through practice. This was not a difficult task for Shen Lian had already thought of a solution.


    Kui Li said, "These are the beacon of time and space of the world and some constellations. They were gathered in the Palace of the Undead over countless years. It is better if you choose not to travel to faraway and enigmatic places for enormous Qi of vitality is needed. Some are also places of enlightenment created from the void by the almighties. Do not enter these places by mistake."


    Shen Lian replied, "Thank you. The information about the beacons of time and space you have given me is rather complete. However, what is the Palace of the Undead?"


    Jing Shu answered before Kui Li did, "The Palace of the Undead was originally a volcano of the ancient primitive world when this world was first created. The first Phoenix of the heaven and earth was born in this volcano. When the phoenix attained Dao, it refined the volcano. Hence, it created a Daoist Palace in the void and named it the Palace of the Undead. All descendants of the Phoenix could enter this palace. Throughout the years, the Palace of the Undead had undergone numerous rise and fall. Ultimately, the line of inheritance was lost. In this world and universe, it is considered as one of the few great powers."


    Kui Li said, "It is not as terrifying as she mentioned. Based on your current cultivation experience, not many from the Palace of the Undead can supersede you."


    Jing Shu grinned and said, "Sister Kui Li is right. Although the Palace of the Undead is powerful, it was still not compatible with places such as Bi You Palace, Yuxu Palace, and Bajing Palace even when it reached its pinnacle phase. Though Bi You Palace had fallen, Bajing Palace and Yuxu Palace are still being inherited by their descendants. The Shangdong Eight Celestials of Bajing Palace have almost reached the level of Daluo and have countless incarnations. The hall master of Bajing Palace, Xuandu Lord of Dao is one who had genuinely reached the state of Daluo. Even Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� may not be able to defeat him successfully. As for Yuxu Palace, Celestial Yuding is the current hall master. He is an ill-tempered celestial who extremely protects his own people. His Celestial-slaying sword has been stained by the blood of countless deities and demons. His disciple, Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao''s fame is even on par with the Winning Buddha of the Western Paradise. With the presence of these two great figures, no one would dare to intrude Yuxu Palace. If you were to take over Bi You Palace, you would be inevitably karma incriminated by Bajing Palace and Yuxu Palace. You must deliberate over this matter."


    When Shen Lian finished listening, he smiled and said, "I am left with no choice but to take over Bi You Palace. Daoist Master Shangqing once told me, ''If you do not undergo hardships nor experience misfortunate trails, you would never become a Daoist Master.'' I am able to be so powerful today because I have attained his Shangqing''s art of Spiritual Enhancement. Hence, I am long related to Bi You Palace prior to this. If Bajing Palace and Yuxu Palace want to seek karma incrimination, they would come to me even if I had not taken charge of Bi You Palace."


    Jing Shu spoke with an unusual mein, "You actually attained Shangqing''s art of Spiritual Enhancement. Is that art also termed as the ''Mastery of Senses''?"


    Ever since Shen Lian cultivated this art, he had never heard others naming this art correctly. He asked curiously, "How did you know about this so clearly?"


    Jing Shu looked around her, sighed and said, "Fortunately, this is Bi You Palace. You could have caused me major trouble."


    She seemed rather unsettled. Clearly, ''the Mastery of Senses'' had involved an appalling secret rumor. Even Jing Shu who had such an established origin was terrified by of it.

 Chapter 674 Depiction of Biscui

    Shen Lian''s heart of Dao was rather sensitive. Hence, he knew that Jing Shu''s fear was not falsified. Although she had an impressive origin, her Spiritual cultivation experience was not as profound given that she seldom face hardships. However, since she had lived for such a long time, she would be able to grasp the state of concentration. Shen Lian was even more curious about the reason that made her so terrified.


    In the past, Shen Lian would not question over such matter and avoid unnecessary troubles. Nevertheless, ever since his state of mind experienced the sense of helplessness and despair, Shen Lian was more open-minded. He was no longer afraid of major troubles.


    He asked directly, "Can you tell me what is this about?"


    Jing Shu glanced at Kui Li disconcertedly. As Kui Li''s talents were the best amongst all demons, she understood Jing Shu''s intentions swiftly.


    She smiled and said, "I will take my leave."


    A green light flew out of Bi You Palace like the streams of a waterfall.


    Jing Shu spoke after she saw Kui Li''s departure, "This matter involves too many things, If she had known, I am afraid that calamities may occur," When she finished, Jing Shu looked towards Shen Lian with resentment. Clearly, she felt that she had been deceived.


    Shen Lian smiled and mentioned, "Tell me about it."


    He spoke calmly as if nothing could cause him to lose his sense of serenity.


    Jing Shu thought to herself, "Wait till I tell you about this matter. I shall see whether you can remain as composed as you are."


    She calmed her state of mind and said, "The Art of Spiritual Enhancement you cultivated is not the complete version."


    Shen Lian nodded and said, "I have sensed this too. Although my spirit has been strengthening continuously and has not faced any hindrance ever since I cultivated this art but I have always felt that something was lacking."


    He was telling the truth. Others who cultivated the Art of Spiritual Enhancement, like Zhao Xiaoyu''s Book of Nine Lotus, for example, the Nine Lotus characteristics of phenomena could be formed when the cultivation reached its end. If Tianyi''s Nine Transformation Technique was explicitly cultivated, his Primordial Spirit would never be shattered. However, his Shangqing''s art of Spiritual Enhancement seemed to have only strengthened his spirit. There were no other specialties. The only specialty Shen Lian could think of was that the visualization of Daoist Master Shangqing had great resistance against many forms of enigmatic and heart-demonizing techniques. With this, Shen Lian had successfully survived several hardships.


    Jing Shu spoke slowly, "This Art of Spiritual Enhancement is made incomplete by Shangqing Lord of Dao intentionally. The very few elites in the world would have known about his intention in imparting this art. However, though this art had been present in the universe for such a long time, none of the indomitable connoisseurs went to obtain it, not to mention cultivating it."


    Shen Lian asked curiously, "Are there any taboos over this?"


    Jing Shu replied, "In cultivating this Art of Spiritual Enhancement, your spirit would strengthen for an infinite period of time. Even if you stop cultivating this art, you would still be able to reach a level just below that of Daluo after millions of years. You would have the most profound Primordial Spirit and even possess abilities which are compatible with the presence of State of Daluo''s great land. It can be said that if the cultivators of this art have lived long enough, they would eventually become great figures in the world.


    Shen Lian was not pleased by these facts. Instead, he asked, "If there are such great advantages, I believe the disadvantages are severe too?"


    Jing Shu said, "Those are not exactly disadvantages. In the world, there is no such principle of permanent thriving. Daoist Master Shangqing''s creation of such art had truly defied the fundamental rules of the universe. He does not fear God''s punishment for he is a Daoist. However, those who cultivated this art would ultimately suffer God''s punishment at some point in time. Death is their fate and there would be no exceptions."


    Shen Lian said, "The laws of Heaven states that a chance of survival in any forms of despair would always be present. According to what you have mentioned, possibilities for survival does not seem to exist."


    Jing Shu said, "There is only one solution to survive the God''s punishment. That is to obtain both Daoist Shangqing and Yuqing''s own imprint. This is because the art was created from Daoist Shangqing''s own imprint. After you have obtained both of their imprints, you would be able to amass the imprints of all three Pristine Daoist Masters in one form. With that, the art would be completed and flawless. Since there was no beginning, there would be no end as well. Even if you did not become a Daoist, you could still escape this lethal punishment."


    Shen Lian smiled bitterly and said, "Now I understand. There is no one in the world who dare to take the original imprints of Daoists. No matter who managed to cultivate this art, it only meant that they are against the favor of both Daoist Shangqing and Yuqing."


    Jing Shu said, "Not bad, you would have also understood that one would be in immense despair in the face of both Daoist''s techniques."


    Shen Lian sighed in his heart. It was not merely despair. Even if he was a thousand times stronger, he knew that he was still not compatible with the Daoists.


    He then mentioned, "It seems like all Daoists have not appeared in the world for a long time. The two Daoists are remarkable figures. If they were no longer present in the Three Realms, does it mean that the cultivation of this art will never be successful?"


    Jing Shu said, "In actual fact, you need not find the two Daoists. If you can find two treasures that enabled the Daoists to attain Dao which are Pangu Hatabu and Tai Chi diagram, they might contain the imprints of the Daoists. Moreover, it was rumored that two of these treasures have always been in Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace."


    Shen Lian was instantly in joy. He finally understood Daoist Master Shangqing''s intentions. Once he started cultivating Shangqing''s art of Spiritual Enhancement, he was fated to defy both Shangqing and Yuqing Daoists. In other words, he was subverting their orthodoxy. If even Jing Shu was aware of its secrets, there was no reason for both Daoists and their orthodoxy to have no knowledge of it.


    Clearly, prior to this incident, the people of Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace did not know Shen Lian had cultivated Shangqing''s art of Spiritual Enhancement. This was rather odd. However, this news might have been purposely suppressed by Daoist Master Shangqing. Only so, could Shen Lian''s secret be concealed. However, no secrets could last forever. Once the secret of him cultivating this art has been exposed, he would be murdered by the connoisseurs from Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace before he could unify the Netherworld.


    Moreover, if the God''s punishment against him surfaced someday in the future, he would definitely have to meet the people of Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace in order to avoid the punishment. Hence, his secret would ultimately be exposed.


    Daoist Master Shangqing adage, ''If you do not undergo hardships nor experience misfortunate trails, you would never become a Daoist Master'' was like a depiction of biscuit. If there was someone who could sustain the hostility of both Daoists, it would not be surprising for him to become a Daoist Master. Nevertheless, how can anyone manage to survive through such misfortunate trial? As what Jing Shu had mentioned, none of the elites in the world had the intention of obtaining it. Obviously, the cultivation of this art was like diving into a deep pool of water, it was too difficult to be handled. Even those who were present feared the prospective troubles which entailed.


    Amongst all the benefits, it can be said that Shen Lian only became a knife that belonged to Daoist Master Shangqing. He was a knife that fought against the knives of Daoist Masters Taiqing and Yuqing. The Daoist had long attained detachment. Even if Shen Lian cultivated into a Daoist Master, he still could not go against the Daoist. All he could do was to challenge the orthodoxy of both Daoists. This was probably the intention of Daoist Master Shangqing.


    If the legend of the Investiture of the Gods was true, Daoist Master Shangqing''s orthodoxy would be destructed in the hands of two Daoists. All Daoist Master Shangqing''s actions were meant for revenge. If he had not done so, annihilation would be his fate.


    Irresistibly, Jing Shu observed Shen Lian closely. She wanted to find feelings of terror and unsettlement. However, Shen Lian disclosed no emotions. Of course, she was not a fool. She knew the intentions of Daoist Master Shangqing. Unfortunately, she was brought into this sophistication unwillingly. After all, she knew Zhenren Yuding''s temperament. Once this secret was exposed, she would not survive unless the Founding Master protected her from death.

 Chapter 675 Chowhound

    While Jing Shu was pondering over why Shen Lian was not fearful, she was suddenly met with Shen Lian''s warm gaze.


    Shen Lian said, "At least I am still alright for now. Things have not reached its worst state," Though he mentioned this, he knew that things could never be worse.


    In his prior trial set by Daoist Master Shangqing, everything he had was destroyed and his real soul was ultimately reconstructed. Therefore, spiritual items such as the seed of the heaven and earth and painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale had vanished in the trial. At the same time, the charm of these spiritual items integrated with his real soul that passed the trial. Hence, he was able to transform into the Golden Pitcher to repress Lady Mother of the Chariot. In fact, if he had sufficient mana, he could even transform into the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale.


    It was said that the worst scenario had surfaced because when Daoist Master Taiyi helped him to quicken the creation of the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale, he had dissociated the imprint of Shangqing''s Primordial Spirit which was in his body and integrated it into the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. Hence, in a certain sense, he had dispatched himself from the influence of Daoist Master Shangqing.


    In hindsight, he was actually given an opportunity to avoid this deadly situation during the time when Daoist Master Taiyi quickened the creation of painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. Although he did not understand this complication then, he did grasp onto that opportunity and dispatched the imprint of Shangqing''s Primordial Spirit from his own Primordial Spirit.


    However, it was clear that Daoist Master Shangqing did not give up on his plans. He had utilized this trial in Bi You Palace to lure him back into this sophistication. He had realized that Shangqing''s traces were deeply etched in him, be it his spirit that was placed in the realm of nothingness or his current consciousness. There was no way of separation.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian did not regret his trip to Bi You Palace, after all, Daoist Master Shangqing had made it clear to him that there would be no denial against Daoists. Even if he had not made this trip, there would be other schemes awaiting for him in the future. He was grateful to Jing Shu for she had clear his doubts and prevented him from being dumbfounded. Although awaiting for devastation helplessly pained him greatly, but Shen Lian felt fortunate for he knew the reason for his impending death.


    He was also thankful to Daoist Master Taiyi. After all, he had once helped him to escape this misfortune. Unfortunately, he was still entrapped within this sophistication.


    Though he knew that the Daoist did not need his reciprocation, Shen Lian would still remember his deed. It would be good if he could return this favor.


    Jing Shu was slightly angered when she saw Shen Lian''s peaceful mien. She said angrily, "Why are you not panic nor alarmed?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Worrying and complaining does not help me with anything. Moreover, there are not many living creatures in the world who have the same attainment as I do. In this aspect, I actually need to be grateful to Daoist Master Shangqing."


    Jing Shu grumbled and said, "You are unbelievable. It is so obvious that Daoist Master Shangqing has lured you towards an inescapable death," As she was born from an extraordinary origin, she would never understand how precious was Shen Lian''s current attainment. There are so many mortal beings in the world who could only experience an ordinary lifetime. Even the sight of a meteor in the sky was a privilege for many living creatures, not to mention the view of aged stars.


    Therefore, Shen Lian''s gratitude towards the Daoist was genuine. After all, he was from the mortal world. He knew the lives of mortals were as short-lived as the ephemeral. Take Old Master Shen as an example, he was ultimately demised and buried despite being so aspirational. In the current world, not many knew of his existence.


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "This is Bi You Palace, you should mention something nicer."


    Instantaneously, Jing Shu regretted her doings and stopped criticizing Daoist Master Shangqing. She said, "I am not concerned about your plans. However, why am I so misfortunate? I only wanted to have a tour outside and such troubles just had to come to me."


    As she talked about it, she felt more aggrieved. She had always been a capricious demon, unrestrained by rules and did not need to conserve her heart. Hence, she actually started to cry. Her Kunpeng demon body was inherently blessed with the Water formulas. Once she cried, a deep pool of seawater was amassed in Bi You Palace and almost flooded the main hall.


    Left with no other options, Shen Lian transformed into a space of void and swallowed the sea water.


    Jing Shu was surprised by Shen Lian''s technique. She stopped crying and asked him, "Why did you swallow my tears?"


    As Shen Lian knew he had caused her troubles, he did not argue with her. After all, Jing Shu was involved in the karma once she was informed of this secret. Once the connoisseurs of Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace knew about Shen Lian''s secret, they would be able to investigate the antecedents. Therefore, Jing Shu would be inevitably related to this complication.


    Jing Shu also knew that even if she betrayed Shen Lian and turned to Bajing Palace and Yuxu Palace, they would not be grateful. After all, if she had done so, it only meant that both palaces were indebted to a demon like her. Yuxu Palace had always existed as a noble and solitary place. They do not fear or respect others, not to mention Bajing Palace. The fame of the Jie Order in those years was even termed by the people of Yuxu Palace as ''A unified living group of all animals and insects, regardless of its appearances''.


    Although she was a Kunpeng, she was not compatible to the noble disciples of the Jie Order. In fact, she was way below their status. After all, no matter how powerful the founding master of Kunpeng was, he could never manage to compete against Daoist Master Shangqing. Given that they were disciples of their founding masters, her status was inadvertently inferior to the disciples of the Daoist.


    Thus, if Jing Shu were to go to Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace, it would be a suicidal decision.


    As Shen Lian did not argue with her, she thought that he was actually a decent man. She calmed her state of mind and realized that Shen Lian''s statements were rational. Complaints and worries would not alter the current situation anyway.


    Hence, she appeared more composed, sighed and said, "Forget about it, I acknowledge my misfortunes. This is my own problem. I could have enjoyed my life in Palace Yaoshi. It was my decision to come out of that palace. Now that troubles have occurred, I only have myself to blame."


    Shen Lian said, "Would you want me to escort you to Palace Yaoshi? The Demon Master of Kunpeng may protect you."


    Jing Shu shook her head and said, "Palace Yaoshi is concealed. I will not be able to return unless this tragedy of the world is over," Her temper faded as fast as it came. After she finished speaking, she told Shen Lian sweetly, "You do have some conscience. How about this? I really desire to taste some dragon meat. I will not blame you if you capture that Yinglong for me."


    Shen Lian was speechless. He had met many kinds of figures in his life. Nevertheless, it was his first time meeting a chowhound like Jing Shu.


    He said, "There is some karma between me and the Xia Kingdom. Capturing Yinglong should not be a difficult task."


    Jing Shu said, "We have an agreement then. You cannot go against your own words. Let us capture it right now."


    Shen Lian said, "I think you should let me refine Bi You Palace first. I would like to bring it back to Da Zhou."


    After Jing Shu listened to him, she stopped urging and said admirably, "This is the place of enlightenment of Daoist Master Shangqing. You had actually obtained it. If I had a Daoist Palace, even the Seven Great Demon Kings would be defeated by me."


    She then continued, "No, it should me Six Great Demon Kings." After all, she idolized the Winning Buddha. If she had defeated Seven Great Demon Kings, it would mean that she despised his ability. This could not happen.


    Shen Lian found Jing Shu more likable due to her candid responses. No matter what happened to Bei Mingzi, Jing Shu was truly a decent person.


    As he thought of these, he also dissociated his spirit to inform Kui Li to return.

 Chapter 676 Accountability

    Biyou Palace was not a place of enlightenment deliberately constructed by Shangqing Daoist Master from the void. As Tongtian Leader spent a long time in this palace before, his leader aura filled this place and turned it into a palace with its own world.


    Shen Lian had earned the recognition of Shangqing Daoist Master. So this palace, which had its own spirituality, never objected to Shen Lian being its new master.


    The procurement of Biyou Palace was more smooth sailing than expected. Therefore, Shen Lian quickly brought Kui Li and Jing Shu back to Da Zhou. The people of Zhou were curious to see Shen Lian returning with two gorgeous fairies, thinking that their king was finally going to fill his harem of concubines.


    However, the cultivators and deities who went to the netherworld with Shen Lian knew very well that one of the fairies was an earth wrecking demon creature. Although they could not recognize Jing Shu, but judging from her closeness with Kui Li the demon queen, they also knew that this must be another fearsome character as well.


    The addition of Kui Li and Jing Shu would increase the strength of Zhou Empire more significantly than before, but its people had no knowledge of Shen Lian''s current dangerous situation.


    Kui Li vaguely knew about it, because although Shen Lian acted casually, Jing Shu still occasionally showed some worries on her face. She knew very well about this senior sister whose origin was the elegant Palace Yaoshi, so there would be rarely anything that worried her. However, during that time when she was asked to leave so this senior sister could speak with Shen Lian exclusively, it was obvious that the content of this conversation was so shocking that even she had no solution to it.


    Kui Li knew that she would be helpless when facing with things that even Jing Shu feared unless she went to seek help from Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?��. She might get rid of her ego for this friend, but she still needed to know what was going on.


    Obviously, both Shen Lian and Jing Shu had subconsciously agreed not to tell her.


    Kui Li never pursued with her questions because Shen Lian was so straightforward that he would definitely tell if he felt the need to do so. In the contrast, if he did not want to reveal anything, then it meant that she must not know anything about this.


    Kui Li''s initial plan was to grab the Pearl of Formless Mass from the Bull King and wander around the universe and explore the beauty of all worlds. However, she had now lost the desire to do so. Though she did not know what trouble Shen Lian was in, her staying beside him would be of some help.


    Besides, her temperament was not the best. She could never ignore what happened with Ye Liuyun from Underworld Demon Sect and Tianyi from Yinshang.


    As soon as Shen Lian returned to Zhou country, he immediately began his solitary retreat. Obviously only she and Jing Shu were not enough to get back what they wanted.


    So, Kui Li care freely stayed in Zhou country. Since she recognized many of the cultivators and deities who traveled to the netherworld with Shen Lian, Kui Li occasionally interacted with this group of people about their cultivation.


    As mentioned by the Sage, ''among three people, one will always be your teacher''. After her lengthy stay in Qing Xuan, Kui Li understood that no matter how successful her cultivation was, there would still be imperfections; whereas other cultivators who were thought to be less refined could provide some unique advice too.


    This day Kui Li was conversing about the Buddhism with Master Jiunan of Zizai Temple in a tea house in Xiliang City of Zhou when she suddenly felt two sword auras fighting each other near the palace.


    Master Jiunan''s cultivation level was not low too. She asked, "Lady Kui Li, why is Lady Jing Shu fighting with Zhenren Fang?"


    Kui Li frowned, "Let us go and find out."


    With a strike of thought, both of them vanished from the tea house and reappeared near the palace, Biyou Palace.


    Biyou Palace was one which could move places. So Shen Lian would not have to move earth and renovate the palace anymore. Its firm features could even withstand of attacks of Emperor Xia and Tianyi, even if they combined their strengths. It was extremely safe for Shen Lian to meditate in isolation in there.


    This solitary retreat was for Shen Lian''s mana to recover. It would originally take a long time for him to recover from his current state, but with the draping of Zhou Empire''s fate and belief of its people, his recovering was enhanced significantly. His mana could be restored completely after half a year.


    This was the benefit of a country''s fate, which was why certain Qi cultivators liked to become a State Preceptor in the mortal world. However, if they were tainted in the secular mortal world for too long, their karma would be affected, so this method had its pros and cons.


    Shen Lian never feared of any karma, because no karma was greater than the karma of a Daoist Master. Now that his sole focus was to increase his strength so that he would not lack the ability to face the attacks of the connoisseurs from Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace.


    Shen Lian was gathering his Qi of vitality to build his celestial body, and subsequently enter the deepest state of concentration. Therefore, he ordered Fang Yanying to return from Youshen and stay guard for him to avoid any disturbance.


    That was when Jing Shu rushed into Biyou Palace and was stopped by Fang Yanying.


    In terms of mana and cultivation, Fang Yanying was still not as good as Jing Shu. But Fang Yanying''s attacks were brutal and more aggressive than the other celestials, and Jing Shu was only going to ask Shen Lian something and had no intention to argue with Shen Lian, hence she was slightly hesitant in her attacks. In the eyes of an outsider, it would look like Fang Yanying''s sword aura came in continuous waves that trapped her like a Kunpeng within.


    Fang Yanying knew very well that Jing Shu''s ability was more superior to hers. Though her sword aura was almost impenetrable, going near Jing Shu''s demonic body would nullify everything, as if it was sucked in by an invisible force.


    Her waves of sword aura might look intimidating, but it caused zero damage to Jing Shu.


    Even Jing Shu was silently shocked by the force of Fang Yanying''s Killing Sword. With her broad knowledge, she managed to observe the style of Fang Yanying''s Killing Sword which carried a hint of the Tai Shang Dao rhythm from Bajing Palace. Who knew that she might become the next Yuantu or Avici.


    Fortunately, she was shielded with ''Bei Ming'', which protected her from Fang Yanying''s sharp Killing Sword. So despite Jing Shu''s hesitation, she was not at a lost, though she needed more time to break through Fang Yanying''s attack. It was even harder and required better strategizing to stop the attacks without injuring her.


    Just as she was contemplating how to beat Fang Yanying, a five colored ray was seen to be shot into the waves of sword aura, causing the sword aura to disappear completely.


    Jing Shu knew very well that this was done by Kui Li. As she looked forward, Kui Li was standing beside Fang Yanying right in front of Biyou Palace.


    Jing Shu repositioned herself towards them.


    She told Fang Yanying, "I need to see Shen Lian."


    Fang Yanying replied, "Uncle-Master is in solitary retreat. He is not seeing anyone."


    Since Kui Li and Fang Yanying were considerably close, she knew of Fang Yanying''s stubbornness, especially now when Shen Lian was isolating himself. She would do her best not to let anyone in.


    Kui Li had to interrupt to avoid this conflict, "Sister Jing Shu, why are you looking for Shen Lian?"


    Jing Shu said, "I need to ask Shen Lian whether he was the one who destroyed my ninth brother''s demon body."


    Kui Li exclaimed, "What is going on here now?"

 Chapter 677 The Path of Dao Without Hope

    Jing Shu pointed at Fang Yanying and said, "Ask her."


    Fang Yanying wasted no time for Kui Li to look at her and said, "Your ninth brother was going to release a flood to turn the whole Zhou country into an ocean. This is already against the law of Zhou, so I had to pass the judgment."


    Jing Shu said, "Why didn''t Shen Lian tell me before that?"


    Fang Yanying replied, "You can ask my Uncle-Master when he exits solitary, but not now."


    Jing Shu smirked, "I need to ask now." Her relationship with Bei Mingzi was actually not that close, she was just unhappy that Shen Lian never told her.


    Fang Yanying subtly replied, "Over my dead body."


    Jing Shu''s eyes were so sharp that her deadly Kunpeng aura engulfed a Fang Yanying. At her cultivation level, very few people were more powerful than her. Even though Fang Yanying was an extraordinary prodigy, she was still inferior to the clan of Kunpeng, additionally, her cultivation period was not as long as Jing Shu, so the strong aura caused her to move a step back, however she remained straight standing with no intention of backing off.


    Kui Li sighed, "Fang Yanying, can you let me see Shen Lian for a while?"


    Fang Yanying replied, "Yes you may."


    Kui Li was relieved because she did not want to kill this disciple of Shen Lian.


    This was when Fang Yanying continued, "but I have to be dead first."


    Jing Shu said, "Kui Li my little sister, please do not trouble yourself. I shall not barge in."


    With a grin, she transformed into a Suparna bird. As she flapped her majestic wings, a violent storm was seen rushing towards the Biyou Palace.


    The palace was indestructible and remained still in the storm, but all the buildings around it were instantly wrecked. If it was not for the connoisseurs in the city who created an experiential realm, the damage would have been worse.


    Kui Li was in a dilemma. She knew that Jing Shu was throwing a tantrum, but if she went to stop her now, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Even someone as decisive as her had no idea what to do in such circumstance.


    Jing Shu had no intention of stopping. The storm got stronger and more violent. A few bottomless holes were formed in front of Biyou Palace since all the earth beneath was being taken away. Fang Yanying and Kui Li would both be reduced into pieces if it was not for their incredible strength.


    Just as Jing Shu''s fury was escalating, a Golden Pitcher appeared on top of Biyou Palace. It was slowing rotating and the whole storm was sucked into it, turning things calm again.


    After the Golden Pitcher absorbed the storm, it extended itself until it turned into a lotus seat, where a celestial was seen emerging from it, who was none other than Shen Lian. He warned, "That is enough, Jing Shu."


    Jing Shu refused to retract from her demonic form even when she saw Shen Lian. She said, "You never told me about my ninth brother because you were afraid that if I know the truth, I will betray you and stop being used by you. Am I not right?"


    Shen Lian, "It is true that I was using you, but I never feared you betraying me. I was actually trying to lure one person out."


    Jing Shu asked, "What do you mean?"


    "This is not anything secretive. Even if I didn''t tell you, you will find out sooner or later. The reason I never told you before this was that I wanted to find out who told you about this so soon." Shen Lian replied lightly.


    All this conversation was done through telepathy that only Jing Shu could hear.


    Jing Shu was not dumb too. She flapped her wings and entered Biyou Palace. Fang Yanying could not stop her this time.


    As she entered the palace, she saw that Shen Lian was expecting her. She was surprised by Shen Lian''s speed which could be no less than her now.


    She commented, "Looks like your solitary retreat was quite effective."


    Shen Lian smiled, "I am treading on thin ice here. I shall not mention such little improvement here."


    Jing Shu, "Let''s cut to the chase. What you said earlier seemed to have a hidden meaning. What did you actually mean?"


    Shen Lian responded, "I have many enemies in the netherworld, and most of them have tricks up their sleeves. Even though I could foresee the fortune, I could not see all of them accurately. This was why I purposely did not bring it up, so the others would not promote this."


    Jing Shu''s expression turned cold, "So I have become your bait. What a great idea. Are you not worried that I will go against you too?"


    Shen Lian replied subtly, "If your relationship with that one was close, you will come for me eventually."


    Jing Shu said, "Ninth brother and I were not even close, but I was mad that you hid things from me. Now I am even more furious, because you not only hide things from me, you even used me."


    She stared at Shen Lian furiously, to which Shen Lian never flinched and replied earnestly, "I still need a favor from you. Tell me who did you hear about this from."


    Jing Shu was supposed to feel mad, but as Shen Lian stared at her shamelessly and asked for her help so forwardly, her anger unknowingly faded away.


    After all, she was bound together with Shen Lian in this stalemate with Shangqing Daoist Master. She was dejected with the thought it and answered, "A black Qilin told me."


    Shen Lian could read Jing Shu''s thoughts, so he said, "Let''s go to Diqiu together. I will capture Yinglong for you. Since you feel that you have not many days left, let''s make full use of them and I will do my best to help you achieve that."


    Jing Shu never expected Shen Lian''s response, so she continued, "Are you not asking for more details? You only know that it was a black Qilin. Don''t you want to know what it is for?"


    Shen Lian never replied her, because he already knew the answer without Jing Shu. Besides, Jing Shu never knew that the black Qilin was restrained by Fahai in the violet gold alms bowl. Shen Lian seldom bore false witness but he had to break his rule this time. This was not a good thing to him, but sometimes too much truthfulness would hurt others and even himself.


    Kui Li and Fang Yanying had also walked in and heard their conversation.


    Kui Li said, "Let us go together."


    Jing Shu was going to say she would never go, but since Kui Li had spoken, she complied without protest. After all, she still wanted to eat this Yinglong. As recorded in the literature that she read, Yinglong was the only divine dragon with wings, truly unique. Not only did she want to eat dragon meat, she wanted to eat dragon wings too.


    Shen Lian nodded smilingly and said, "Let''s not waste time and leave now. But before this, I have one more issue to resolve."


    Jing Shu grumbled, "You are such a drag."


    Shen Lian ignored her complaint and waved his robe sleeve. A gentle white ray flowed out like water waves. The spirits of those Zhou citizens who were wiped off by Jing Shu''s storm around Biyou Palace slowly emerged. When these spirits hit the gentle white rays, they started to materialize, not so scattered anymore that they might dissipate from this world any time.


    There were less than a hundred people affected, and they were all resurrected by Shen Lian with his godly technique.


    All of them gathered and kneeled outside the palace to thank Shen Lian, but a gentle force appeared to hold them up. Shen Lian''s voice echoed from within Biyou Palace, "You all shall disperse now."


    Jing Shu never cared for the lives of ants, so it never occurred to her that Shen Lian would use up so much mana to restore these people''s flesh body. She said, "You have such kind heart."


    Shen Lian replied her with a look, "I am just a hypocrite." He sighed silently, I have helped you today, but who will help me in the future."


    The path ahead was so despairing, but it was a path he could not avoid.

 Chapter 678 - Guanghan

    Jing Shu never thought of squandering her mana to save the lives of ants, but after seeing what Shen Lian had done, she started to feel a different emotion, thinking how different this man was.


    Kui Li felt rather indifferent. After knowing Shen Lian for a period of time, she was no stranger to seeing Shen Lian do such a thing.


    The trio then departed as their spiritual shapes vanished in the clouds. They left in haste, feeling carefree.


    The distance between Zhou country and Diqiu was large in the eyes of a mortal. For cultivators like them, it was only as far as their neighboring house.


    In that present moment, the water of Xia Canal in Diqiu was still flowing gloriously with its spiritual vigor erupting in the canal water. However, Shen Lian could clearly feel that the spiritual vigor of Xia Canal had actually deteriorated significantly.


    The fate of Xia was no longer in its prime. Diqiu had turned quiet, and its fortification had turned black. Pure black, like charcoal ink.


    Black was mysterious and unpredictable. It was also hidden, evasive and complicated.


    On a white paper, other colors would be so obvious; on a piece of black paper, it could only show white in contrast, deeming this color inconsumable. As soon as the trio of Shen entered Diqiu, they soon became the most striking white which was inconsumable by the black.


    Jing Shu was a Kunpeng so she could transform into a giant Kun fish and swim in any water. But she never liked the Xia canal in Diqiu, because its water which was apparently running with spiritual vigor, had a ''bitter'' taste.


    This ''bitterness'' was not the ''bitterness'' on the taste buds, but more like the ''bitterness'' of human lives, like hopelessness and desperation upon oneself.


    She was a demon who laughed and cried as she wished, yet her heart was currently so compressed she could not cry out loud.


    The structure of Diqiu was crisscrossed. Its streets were very broad but once entering the city, all its surrounding was blurring dark mist, so a normal person would not be able to see far into it.


    Fortunately, none of the trio there were normal people.


    Jing Shu looked at Shen Lian with her glowing eyes and said, "This place is so weird."


    Shen Lian lifted his hand and said calmly, "Looks like Emperor Xia has perfected his Primeval Demon Technique. I am looking forward to this."


    His other reason of coming to Diqiu was to have a close look at the Primeval Demon Technique. Why would he do this? Naturally, this was to peek at the Primeval Lord of Heaven from the sideline, who was also the Yuqing Daoist Master.


    The Primeval Demon was the heart demon of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Although this was cut off by the Primeval Lord of Heaven, the implication between two must still remain strong.


    Of course, this thought appeared when he was in Biyou Palace, but he had forgotten about it upon his arrival here. All that was left was his curiosity about the Primeval Demon Technique and fulfilling his promise towards Jing Shu.


    He did this mainly because the Daoist Master was too powerful that he feared that his own thoughts would be noticed by the Daoist Master. Biyou Palace and Qing Xuan Daoist sect were the only places where he could possibly think of Yuqing Daoist Master and go unnoticed by the Daoist Master. If even these two places could not insulate the peaks of the Daoist master, he could only sit and expect his doom or pray for his mercy.


    Even if he was just an ant in the eyes of a Daoist master, he still wanted to struggle a little. Additionally, since he was chosen by the Shangqing Daoist Master, he must not dissipate so easily. Even if his ending was destined to be miserable, at least he put up an effort. Should he be turned into dust, he could leave with no regrets and reservation.


    As soon as Jing Shu heard of the Primeval Demon Technique, the thought of it instantly rid her of the claustrophobic feeling in Diqiu city earlier. She said, "The king of this country is practicing the Primeval Demon Technique? How is this possible? The Primeval Demon should not have existed anymore."


    Shen Lian gazed upon the far end of the Xia canal. In the blurry mist, there would be a palace where Emperor Xia would be in. He replied Jing Shu with a voice that could stop the tides of Xia canal, "You should know very well, the presence of the Primeval Demon could leave its tracks in any part of the world. It is impossible to completely remove its existence. Maybe Emperor Xia himself was born from the remnants of these Primeval Demonic thoughts."


    His words were filled with some sense of envy. After all, such existence could always make an epic comeback as long as it was not washed off from the River of Time, even if all its Spiritual shape was devastated. Just like the time before Buddha attained detachment, nothing could wipe off his Parinirmita-va?avartin.


    The silent Kui Li finally spoke, "It is night time already."


    In the current Diqiu, there was no difference between day and night, but this nightfall had happened too quickly and abruptly. The reason Kui Li said it was night time was that the mist above had dissipated, showing a shining bright moon. The big trees in Diqiu were swaying in the breeze. The water dews on it turned into icy frost due to the extreme coldness of the moonlight. The frosts refracted the moonlight and created a dazed and surreptitious mood to the city.


    Other cultivators would have been freaked out by this environment and fled the city. Cultivators were those who valued their lives more than anything. If one''s lifespan was long, many would not take risks in anything.


    Nevertheless, both Kui Li and Jing Shu were not those timid beings. They were true blue demon creatures. Especially Kui Li who had experienced so much that she never feared any obstacle, as what did not kill her only made her stronger on this road of cultivation.


    Jing Shu showed an unusually stern look. As soon as her chest was free from the heavy load earlier, she stared at the bright moon and murmured, "Such a pure power of Taiyin, just like it was inherited from Heng''e."


    Heng''e was the wife of Da Yi. She was one of the prominent ancient fairies like the Queen Mother of the West. Everyone knew that Da Yi was invincible with his Mystic bow, but they never knew that his wife Heng''e was an almighty too. Her cultivation level might even exceed that of Da Yi, though she was lacking in real combat experience.


    Ever since Da Yi perished, Heng''e built a Daoist palace in the void and named it ''Guanghan''. It might not be as majestic as Yuxu Palace and Bajing Palace, but it was definitely comparable to Palace Yaoshi and Palace of the Undead.


    Jing Shu was concerned that this moon had some connection with Guanghan Palace. Although Heng''e might have ceased to exist, Guanghan Palace was passed down through generations. Since Jing Shu was unable to return to Palace Yaoshi, she would not want to see any more small and old things.


    Shen Lian remained calm after hearing this. He merely replied, "This was the Lunar Deity of the Netherworld. Even if she was related to Heng''e, we need not care about her."


    Jing Shu saw the calmness in Shen Lian''s eyes and calmed down. She imagined that the situation Shen Lian and her were in was more deadly than offending all major forces in all worlds.


    Armed with this thought, Jing Shu instantly felt more relieved. She said, "Let me test the strength of this one."


    At the same time, the Lunar Deity who had become the imperial consort was on top of the palace. Next to her was Emperor Xia dressed in black emperor garment. She spoke gently, "It seems if you do not kill this Shen Lian, you will not become the true Primeval Demon."


    Emperor Xia answered, "I am just ''me''. I will never become the Primeval Demon. Since the Netherworld did not want me to become its master, it shall perish with Shen Lian."

 Chapter 679 - Destiny

    Lunar Deity said, "The Netherworld is imperishable and I will not allow you to destroy this world."


    Emperor Xia said, "I know you meant to say that this shabby Netherworld has been transformed by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva into a treasure that crosses boundless reincarnation and transcends Daoism, plus the Daoist bodies of yours and Lu Ya, coupled with the circulation of the sun and the moon, this place has become the hope for you to achieve detachment. So you will not tolerate anyone who wants to destroy the Netherworld. But you failed to notice one thing, the Netherworld will never belong to you."


    Lunar Deity sneered, "You seem to know a lot of things now."


    Emperor Xia said, "You should understand that the higher one''s cultivation level is, the less they do not know. You even forgot about Guan Longzi. I also know about the Lianshanyi he created before his death."


    "This man was very strong and very loyal to you. You should not kill him." Lunar Deity could not help but sigh when she thought of Guan Longzi.


    Emperor Xia merely said, "I killed him because he deserved it."


    Lunar Deity felt a chill in her heart. She knew she had underestimated Emperor Xia''s cruelty. He was no longer moved by kinship. That was why he improved so quickly when he started to practice the Primeval Demon Technique.


    Working together with Emperor Xia seemed like a mistake now.


    Emperor Xia continued, "Weren''t you worried that I wasn''t cruel enough? Why are you afraid now?"


    Lunar Deity sighed, "How can I not be afraid of seeing you this way."


    Emperor Xia placed his hands behind his back and smirked. The spiritual shape of Lunar Deity slowly disappeared, and the moon in the sky shone brighter, but it sent chills to one''s bones. The power of Taiyin in Diqiu city was so rich it exceeded Jing Shu''s expectation. Such saturated power of Taiyin could help a spiritually active demon to save ten years'' worth of effort.


    A power of Taiyin this concentrated could not only catalyze a demon, it could also kill. Every strand of the moonshine carried the unique mark of Guanghan, but Jing Shu never absorbed even one drop of this power of Taiyin.


    She flew towards the moon in the sky and covered it, causing the city of Diqiu to be dimmed down. This was when the moon transformed into a Fairy of Moon Palace and gazed at her coldly.


    When she waved her hand, all the power of Taiyin turned into a vast ocean separating her and Jing Shu. Jing Shu laughed and turned into a Kun fish a few thousand miles in length. Her Qi dynamic crumbled the clouds and made strong waves, causing the void to emit a noise.


    On the ground, Shen Lian never cared about the bout between Jing Shu and Lunar Deity. He told Kui Li, "The whole city of Kui Li has been turned into a large formation and Emperor Xia is the nucleus of this formation. I will see him because this demonic formation must not run. But, you must beware of his strong underlings."


    Kui Li answered, "I will not be your burden." Her reply was so soft but confident.


    Shen Lian nodded and transformed into a whirlwind. Many demonic figures appeared wherever this whirlwind passed, which were all hit away by Shen Lian. Surely, more demonic figures appeared where some went after Shen Lian and some stayed to face Kui Li.


    They were all elites of the Xia Clan and were all demons who followed Emperor Xia.


    Kui Li feared nothing. This was an obstacle and also training. Her Peacock Killing Method could only elevate in combats and get her closer to the level of Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?��.


    Shen Lian knew very well of this, which was why he gave Kui Li the opportunity to fight.


    His light travel was quicker than a flash of light. Not a single demon could stop him in his tracks, until he finally entered the palace of Emperor Xia.


    This was not Shen Lian''s first time here but once he entered, he could only sigh. So many things had happened in such a short period. It seemed like a blur for Shen Lian. He never had any immense grudges against Emperor Xia, but now only one of them could remain standing. That was the helpless fact of destiny.


    Emperor Xia donned his black emperor garment. He looked at Shen Lian who had arrived. His skin was fairer than before, as white as the mountain snow, so white and lonely, so hollow but profound and unfathomable.


    When Shen Lian strolled towards him, beneath his every step was one lotus flower, and a soft glow emerged from him. His robe sleeves were also floating. This was the sight of a real flying deity who had descended to the mortal world.


    Emperor Xia had seen many powerful Qi cultivators in his life. However, once compared with the current Shen Lian, those so-called cultivators were not worthy anymore. Shen Lian''s inhale and exhale were like the exchange of day and night. His every move could make Emperor Xia feel his hidden prowess.


    At the same time, he too, felt a feeling of destiny, as if he was destined to fight Shen Lian to death. This had nothing to do with grudge, all this was a result of destiny.


    Actually, Shen Lian felt the same way as him but Shen Lian was not thinking of anything else.


    This feeling of destiny had a close connection with their methods of martial exercise. One was the Sky Demon Technique of the Primeval Yuanqing, while the other was the Art of Spiritual Enhancement of Mastery of Senses. Both were creations born from two Daoist Master''s hatred.


    It was like they were created to compete and to determine which one was stronger, the Daoist Master of Yuqing''s or Shangqing''s.


    Emperor Xia never said another word. His response for Shen Lian was merely a fist punch. His punch was like a large hushed mountain. It did not make any earth-shattering noise. Just heavy and silent, like the mountains.


    Shen Lian would never underestimate the current Emperor Xia who had mastered the Primeval Demon Technique. He made a Taichi sign with his hand. The Taichi sign was like a grindstone of Yin and Yang rolling on towards Emperor Xia''s punch.


    The punch collided with the Taichi grindstone dead-on, and the forces of Yin and Yang rotated like it was ripping the sky apart. However, the force of this punch was extremely terrifying, as if it could destroy the world. It shattered the Taichi grindstone, followed by an immense force being transferred from the grindstone onto Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian''s celestial body also shattered like an illusion.


    Emperor Xia never showed any delight, because his punch merely hit Shen Lian''s celestial technique of Yin and Yang, but it did not mean that damage was incurred to Shen Lian.


    The shattering of Shen Lian''s celestial body was just a flow of events, for him to vanish from Emperor Xia''s detection.


    During the days when Emperor Xia was unbeatable, he had seen too many tricks of Qi cultivators. There were some who had remarkable fleeing methods and could hide in the void, but no one could vanish so thoroughly.


    This was Diqiu, Emperor Xia''s territory of many years. He may not have had united the country like Tianyi, but any outsider who came would not go unnoticed with his current cultivation level. There was physically nobody who could vanish from his eyes so thoroughly.


    Today Shen Lian achieved this feat. Even though Emperor Xia was his opponent, he could not help but felt impressed by him.


    The more impressed he felt, the stronger his attacks were. The demonic blade appeared in his hand. As Emperor Xia swung his blade once in the void, that swing of the blade instantly multiplied into a hundred twenty-nine thousand and six hundred blades.


    The gleam of the blade tainted every inch of the void without missing any spot. The dimensions around it instantly turned into a formless mass.

 Chapter 680 - The Hand that Could Summon the Stars

    The dimension had lost its direction and coordinates. Emperor Xia''s blade aura crossed each other as if it was turning the void into a chess board. Both the past and the future could not escape his blade aura.


    Shen Lian''s spiritual shape turned in and out to jump between every blade gleam. Whenever he dodged the attacks, he looked extremely calm and collected.


    Emperor Xia''s eyes were piercing and intimidating, burning like the sun at noontime. Up until today, he guaranteed that once Tianyi had exited Yinshang, all would be defeated by his blade''s gleam. However, Shen Lian''s cultivation had reached a level that his every jump could transcend both the past and the future. He obviously understood the real intention of the Daoist Master to achieve such success.


    Emperor Xia''s eyes were getting hotter as if they were going to engulf the whole void. Although he inherited from the Primeval Demon, it was still inferior to the Daoist Master since he was just the evil thoughts that were cut off by Daoist Master Yuqing. He could never transcend like how Shen Lian understood the real spirit of the Daoist Master.


    The Primeval Demon''s deepest regret was that he pillaged everything but he still could not achieve detachment. Now that Emperor Xia had a peek of the spirit of the Daoist Master, he felt that the demon seed which he had formed with the Primeval Demon was being attracted by it.


    All gleams of the blade disappeared in a flash. Shen Lian detached himself beyond the heaven and earth. His eyes were calm but they could see through everything. It was as if all of Emperor Xia''s secrets; top to bottom could not hide from his eyes.


    He obviously knew that Shen Lian had no such capabilities, but he still hated the way he was being looked at. He threw another punch, and his arm was wrapped by a dragon with deafening roars. The void was shattered again before it could recover from its formless state. Every move Emperor Xia made emitted strong demon aura that affected even the moon in the sky.


    The Kun fish which was swimming in the ocean of Taiyin wiggled its tail fin to get rid of the demon aura that ensued her.


    Whereas Shen Lian, who was facing direct hits of Emperor Xia''s Fist of Dragon and Demon combo, remained motionless. He formed the Mark of Mountain and Rivers with the intention of taking this hit directly.


    This ruthless dragon fist of Emperor Xia could break even real mountains and rivers. It seemed like his Mark of Mountain and Rivers could be of no match to this.


    However, this was exactly what Shen Lian was going to do. The Mark of Mountain and Rivers glowed immensely like the brightest pearl in the night and carried all forces of nature which headed towards Emperor Xia''s dragon fist.


    The void made an endless sounds of electrical static. The dimension was damaged several times before the dragon fist finally dissipated through a discontented route. The remaining holy gleam of the Mark of Mountain and Rivers continued to shoot through. It was so intense that even Emperor Xia was intimidated. His blade gleam was crushed by the Mark of Mountain and Rivers. The remaining gleams scattered behind him as his palace pavilions crumbled down.


    This fight had actually caught the attention of many connoisseurs in the Netherworld. They each used their clairvoyance sight to observe this bout. Many connoisseurs were absolutely shaken. Even though they already knew that Qing Xuan was the first amongst the Three Saints of the Netherworld, they would never have imagined Shen Lian going up against Emperor Xia directly and was at an advantage.


    On a mountain by the seas of Dongyi, Yunyang''s face was pale. A Demon Lord beside him patted his shoulder and sighed, "Brother Yun, why don''t you leave with me? This netherworld is no longer a place where you can get involved in."


    Yunyang showed his discontent, "How can those two be this strong? Why? I am the son of the White Emperor, the future leader of all demon clans in all realms."


    The Demon Lord replied seriously, "It is exactly because you are the future leader of the demon clans; you need to keep yourself safe. Remember the time when the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal was so strong and ruthless that he attained Taiyi only after a few years of cultivation. When something reaches its extreme, it reverses its course. He was bounded for five hundred years. If you continue to act against the course, you might not even have the privilege of living five hundred years for your suffering."


    Yunyang finally settled down, albeit, still feeling disgruntled. After all his sufferings since birth, he finally had some achievement, only to be beaten by Emperor Xia like falling leaves being swept by the strong wind. When he found the Lamp of Yin and Yang, it got nabbed away. What misfortune he had. With the transformation in the netherworld, now was the time for him to rise to the occasion, but he was forced to retreat, which was the outcome he could not accept.


    The Demon Lord advised, "Let''s leave and I will bring you to see my ancestor, Great Saint Qushen. If you spend some days learning from him, you will have your chance to defeat these two."


    Yunyang took some time to reply, "Then, thank you older brother for the trouble."


    During this conversation between Yunyang and the Demon Lord, Shen Lian and Emperor Xia were already battling it out for thousands of rounds. They were merely fighting on an area of a square inch, but they aura and aftershock which was emitted had already demolished the entire capital city of Wangcheng.


    Kui Li had also stayed away from the battlefield. The demons of Xia clan never seemed to die and reduce in numbers. They were all in close pursuit of Kui Li. While she had mastered the five colored divine lights, it was still a big challenge to brush all these demons off.


    This was the first occasion when Shen Lian was fighting a life-and-death duel with Emperor Xia, the strongest warlord in the Netherworld. Emperor Xia''s emperor garment was so ripped; showing his chests full of blood and scars, and his scruffed up hair. Yet, no matter how heavily he received the damage, his fighting spirit never faded and actually got stronger and fiercer.


    The demonic seed of the Primeval Demon possessed an unbelievable vitality. Armed with an indestructible body flesh, Emperor Xia could possibly become the second Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal.


    He laughed hysterically and said, "If you cannot kill me, I will wear you off till your death."


    Shen Lian remained expressionless. His robe was clean and his spiritual body spotless. He surpassed Emperor Xia so much more in an elegant demeanor. His reply was, "My techniques were that of Guizang. You better save your arrogance, Emperor Xia."


    His tone was loud and clear. He continued his attacks towards Emperor Xia. This was when the clouds dispersed to show the bright moon and sky full of stars.


    Emperor Xia noticed that the stars were unusual.


    The boundless stars were shining so brightly, and some were shooting down, turning the area to seen vast and wide.


    The stars were not those of the netherworld. They were the everlasting stars of the universe, emitting bright light and discharging limitless energy.


    A meteor rain was seen falling from the sky. The asteroids as large as mountains were summoned from the void by Shen Lian, and then turned into rays of light being charged at Emperor Xia.


    That was the real power of world destruction, and Shen Lian did not look very composed this time.


    A man was riding on the black Qilin, overlooking Diqiu when he saw this scene. He had three eyes. That was Wen Zhong, and he could not help but frown. Wuding''s Flying Stars Incantation would not have had such magnitude even if it was being cast at maximum level but this technique from Shen Lian''s prohibited Celestial Arts was actually inspired from the Flying Stars Incantation, and it had surpassed the latter.


    He was so shocked and wondered what kind of monster this man was. He might even have to forego the thought of avenging his honored master with his lone strength.


    The blue sky had already been shattered by the meteor rain. Emperor Xia''s spirit was overwhelmed by a large amount of spiritual pressure. This was the first time he felt such immense sense of crisis.

 Chapter 681 - One Sword To Rule Them All

    Tianyi stood in the sky of Zhaoge. He looked at the bright meteors and could not help but felt mixed emotions. How on earth did Shen Lian improved so quickly?


    If he saw that coming, he would rather sink in the darkness than to fall into despair after being hopeful.


    In the solar constellation, three golden crows were vaguely present. The structure of the Daoist palace formed like the mystical fire. None of the materials used could be passed on in the mortal world. Every strand of the Real Fire of the Sun that was spread throughout the palace was of its essence. Fuhao who was dressed in red looked towards the Nether-mortal world with adoration in her eyes while the three golden crows were unsympathetic as they arrived at the Netherworld. Throughout the process, the Real Fire of the Sun had gotten more robust as if it was trying to grow a forest of Fusang tree.


    The people in and out of the Netherworld shifted their attention to Diqiu.


    Emperor Xia stood on the crown of Yinglong''s head. With determination, he said, "You should leave."


    Yinglong let out a deep moan and rammed its head against the endless meteorites. A mountain-sized meteorite was crushed by its horn as yellow dragon blood spilled out.


    Emperor Xia laughed hysterically and no longer asked Yinglong to leave. Up to this stage, the only way out was to fight. It was a pity that this old dragon wanted to live and die along with him.


    Yinglong swung his tail and leaped upwards. Emperor Xia''s demonic blade reappeared and burst out with blood light. For a moment, the heaven and earth were caught in an endless thunderous situation while the surging evil Qi turned Diqiu into an endless hell. It was horrifying, dark, and filled with despair.


    The falling meteorites showed no signs of stopping. The void was like a piece of paper that was randomly scribbled on.


    Emperor Xia''s ferocious gleam of the blade was not afraid of the mountain-sized meteorites. With every stroke, a meteorite would be crushed. The force was extremely terrifying.


    After passing through the many meteorites, he was a step closer to Shen Lian.


    Throughout the turbulent process, the gleam of the blade did not stop its momentum and instead was raging more and more, just like the comeback of the ancient gods.


    Emperor Xia''s ferocity was not limited to just his era. He was comparable to the legendary ancient celestial demons and that showed how petrifying the Primeval Demon Technique was.


    Shen Lian''s heart felt extremely solemn. Emperor Xia''s ferocity was beyond his expectation but he underestimated Emperor Xia''s explosive powers.


    However, Emperor Xia was not the only one pushed to the edge. Shen Lian said nothing and put his palms together. The scattered meteorites then came as one and crushed downwards as if it was squashing Emperor Xia to the deepest ground of the Nine Underworld so he would never be able to make a comeback.


    Numerous Dao techniques intertwined around Shen Lian and the Dao rhythm emerged like a divine dragon. The laws were ever evolving and the mana was boundless. The extensive supernatural powers and infinite Dao techniques were never once stagnant. It attacked Emperor Xia and Yinglong as Emperor Xia collided with the meteorites.


    The earth sank as the sky ripped. Shen Lian had his game face on as he got himself involved in this pandemonium.


    However, the gleam of the blade had never once gone off, Emperor Xia''s breath was still lingering and the Primeval Demon Technique was still roaring. In other words, Shen Lian''s celestial prestige did not manage to suppress Emperor Xia thoroughly.


    Yinglong forcefully forged a path among the meteorites and walked through the brightest journey of its life. Its body was upright as it swayed its tail as if it was roaming freely in an endless ocean.


    Emperor Xia gathered the divine light in his eyes as the white of his eyes disappeared. The dark and mysterious divine eyes made him more fearsome.


    He was at his strongest in his lifetime at that very moment.


    Yinglong exhausted every strand of vitality while making its way out from the meteorites. Its large dragon body froze in the void. If that moment was eternity, it was more than willing to stay in that moment forever.


    Shen Lian had abandoned every other thoughts and his heart of Dao was one with the realm of vagueness. There was no up neither nor down, no time-space, no people neither nor me.


    A Killing Sword emerged. It contained the Dao meaning of the milky way and the desolation of the netherworld as the Yin and Yang evolved like the flow of the time.


    One sword to rule and dominate them all.


    The gleam of the blade and the gleam of the sword met head-on, nothing else in the world could outshine the glory of both the gleams of the sword and the blade.


    Emperor Xia''s gleam of blade spurted into a supreme blade under such desperate conditions while Yinglong completed the most glorious course of its life. Even if a second Yinglong appeared, it would never outshine its brilliance and grandeur at that very moment.


    Dragons were born into the heaven and earth just like passengers. Its very last wish was for Emperor Xia to survive.


    The dragon''s last gaze was set at the intersection of the gleam of sword and gleam of blade. It desperately longed to see the gleam of blade overpower everything. However, it would never be able to witness the arrival of that moment.


    Yinglong had passed away and its spirit had dissipated.


    Emperor Xia''s body was covered with demonic blood as his body started to wreck. However, he was still standing still as if he would never fall.


    The gleams of the sword and blade faded at the same time. There was no sound between heaven and earth and the cracks in the void patched up swiftly. As the earth sank, the Yin energy of the Netherworld surged out and several ghostly spirits were rejuvenated from it. They started to grow stronger but none of them dared to roar out loud.


    Shen Lian remained composed but a bunch of his long black hair fell from the back of his ears like fallen stars. In other words, he was not totally unscathed.


    It was obvious that Shen Lian had the upper hand. Despite the many eruptions of Emperor Xia and the sacrifice of Yinglong, it did not manage to turn the tables.


    The powerful person who was secretly watching the fight could not help but felt bitter. Although he knew from the very start that Shen Lian would be the undisputed best person of the Netherworld, when that moment arrived, he would still be unwilling to accept it.


    The flawless Shen Lian was as majestic as Daoist Master and Buddha. Emperor Xia on the other was in helter-skelter. The prestige and reputation he built over the years had been crushed completely.


    He was no longer the invincible Emperor Xia, nor was he the greatest monarch in the history of the Xia tribe. He was just a loser and was not the hegemon of the Netherworld.


    No one would like to lose and Emperor Xia absolutely hated failure.


    However, he had to admit that there was an inseparable gap between him and Shen Lian. In the path of cultivation, Shen Lian was definitely a class above him.


    Shen Lian''s Killing Sword may not be as powerful as Chen Jianmei''s Anatta Sword but Shen Lian had fully mastered his very own Killing Sword.


    Emperor Xia''s Blade of Resolution could only happen after exhausting himself and sacrificing Yinglong. He had no more energy to draw his blade for the second time. Conversely, Shen Lian could calmly draw his second and third sword.


    Shen Lian''s second sword came. Emperor Xia could no longer react to it and allowed it to pierce through his chest. Warm blood spilled out and the Primeval Demonic Heart leaped out from the chest and attempted to escape.


    However, a giant hand prevented it from doing so.


    The space was completely sealed and the demonic heart landed in the giant hand. The runes on the demonic heart were circulating with endless Primeval Demonic Qi and the Primeval Demonic Thoughts contained in it was raging.

 Chapter 682 - Zhang Ba

    There was neither sorrow nor any hint of joy in Shen Lian. He walked down slowly from the void and ignored the moon. However, the Lunar Deity no longer dared to stay and disappeared into the night sky.


    Diqiu had fallen and one by one, the demons fade with the sandstorm following the death of Emperor Xia. The respected Diqiu and the once invincible Xia tribe fell in hands of one man. It was impossible for them to make a comeback.


    A flowing light flashed, Jing Shu switched back to human form and landed next to Kui Li. She looked at Shen Lian and was unexplainably stunned as Shen Lian gave her the feeling that he was invisible.


    It was as if no other person or anything could knock him down. This was, of course, an illusion but it was a deep unforgettable impression.


    The huge dragon body in the void fell from the sky as if a stretch of the undulating mountain range just landed on the ground.


    Shen Lian raised his hand gently and the descending speed of the dragon gradually reduced. Diqiu had turned into an abyss. The waters of the Netherworld came through the ground and flowed quietly. Nobody knew how deep it was.


    Shen Lian asked Jing Shu, "Do you still want to eat the dragon meat?"


    Jing Shu looked at Yinglong who maintained its dragon posture before death. The meteorites surrounding it was held by Shen Lian''s mana. Jing Shu felt depressed and decided that this heroic dragon should not be consumed by her. She shook her head in response.


    Shen Lian nodded his head and the meteorites and Yinglong fell deep into the abyss. A loud thumping sound was only heard moments later. This showed that the abyss was unpredictably deep.


    The demonic heart in Shen Lian''s palm shrunk and eventually turned into a bead. The color of the bead was as dark as night as if it could swallow any hints of light around it. He calmly kept the demonic beads in his sleeves and had cast his eyes on the distant Yinshang.


    Jing Shu hesitated and said, "You are too strong now, but��."


    Shen Lian interrupted her, "Do you think that I am going to be famous?"


    Jing Shu responded, "Yes, but I think you should lay low for a while."


    Shen Lian uttered leisurely, "Being anonymous is a choice, being invincible is also a choice, but I do not have a choice." What he said was true. Daoist Master Shangqing would never allow him to live a peaceful and calm life for the rest of his life. That was not the reason why Daoist Master Shangqqing selected him and it was also not Shen Lian''s style.


    Although there was a dull side to Shen Lian''s temperaments, that does not mean that he could accept living on in degradation.


    The hurricane stirred up the torrential rain in between the heaven and earth. It wanted to hide all traces of the battle in the storm. Besides that, it also symbolized that Shen Lian''s future path would be a difficult one filled with rain and storm. He had run out of options ever since the day he chose to cultivate the Mastery of Senses.


    Shen Lian stood under the rain in solitary. He did not avoid the rain and thought to himself, "This storm could be a little more violent."


    Meanwhile, a storm also struck Zhaoge. Tianyi thought to himself, "The next storm will be even more violent."


    The territory of Xia Kingdom still existed and the population of the Xia tribe was still considered big. However, Emperor Xia and Diqiu were no longer there. In other words, the Xia Kingdom had vanquished.


    Only Yinshang, the Zhou nation, and perhaps the Underworld Demon Sect could be considered key players of the vast Netherworld. However, it was clear that Yinshang and the Zhou nation had become opposite forces.


    Almost everyone could predict that it was just a matter of time before the fall of Yinshang.


    This was because no one in Yinshang could match Shen Lian. None.


    However, Shen Lian did not ride on his momentum and pursue Yinshang after killing Emperor Xia. Instead, he returned to the Zhou nation and nobody knew what he was up to.


    It had been a hundred days ever since the death of Emperor Xia and something strange happened in the Zhou nation. In the past hundred days, there was not even a single droplet of rain in the Zhou nation. The once vigorous rivers were drying up at such an alarming speed that it was visible to the naked eye. Su Xiuqing of the Way of the Celestial Masters created several Water Luring Runes Book and delivered it throughout the nation. And yet, it failed to lure even a single drop of water.


    Also, the cultivators that specialized in Water Methods noticed that they were unable to communicate with the waters of the heaven and earth. The clouds above the sky still existed but as it entered the skies of the Zhou nation, it would disappear quickly.


    The only type of water that continued to exist in the Zhou nation was the water of the Netherworld. But it was not consumable for humans.


    The moisture on the earth reduced gradually and the people of the Zhou nation began to suffer. The lowly cultivated cultivators were also affected by it. Even if they cut off consuming grains, they would still need to drink the dew to cleanse their Dao body.


    Because of that, Yi Zhi who was in charge of the state affairs was worried sick. He had no choice but to go and seek help from Shen Lian at the Biyou Palace.


    Shen Lian''s stature was hidden from view in the army tent of the Biyou Palace. After killing Emperor Xia, he had never set foot out of the palace. Thanks to the special characteristics of the Biyou Palace, no one could predict what would his next move be.


    "Statesman Yi Zhi greets the king."


    Shen Lian''s clear voice could be heard from the army tent, "I know your purpose of this visit."


    Yi Zhi responded with a solemn face, "Your Majesty, did you know that some something so strange would happen to the Zhou nation?"


    Shen Lian answered, "Yes I did."


    Yi Zhi felt a strong sense of relief. He would not know what to do if Shen Lian did not know the reason behind the phenomenon. After all, if someone like Shen Lian could not tell explain the incident, the matter would probably be unsolvable.


    He asked, "Your Majesty, do you have the solution to the problem or any indications on how I can solve this issue?"


    Shen Lian walked out from the army tent and Yi Zhi was shocked to see him. This was because Shen Lian''s face was filled with demonic marks and it was extremely terrifying.


    He had a black bead on his neck that was oozing demonic Qi, causing Yi Zhi to have strange feeling of being in a demonic territory. Fortunately, Shen Lian''s crystal clear vision showed that his divine thoughts were not affected by the demonic Qi.


    Shen Lian said, "Yi Zhi, were you stunned by my appearance? This is exactly why I did not step out of the palace. The Primeval Demonic Thoughts was indeed something. After a hundred days, I have yet to make it surrender completely to me."


    Yi Zhi let out a sigh of relief as he found out that Shen Lian was fine. But this appearance sure was terrifying. If someone saw Shen Lian looking this, it would definitely have caused some drama.


    Shen Lian continued, "The drought of the Zhou nation is not a natural disaster. The source of the disaster is rooted from the Xia Kingdom."


    Yi Zhi said, "Your majesty, please elaborate more on it."


    Shen Lian sat in the lotus position opposite of Yi Zhi and said, " The Xia Kingdom was founded by a Monarch named Si Wenming. When he started the nation, he had two very reliable assistants aside from the help from various ministers. One of them was Yinglong and Yinglong was of the Dragon Clan that could control water. That was why the Xia canal could exist in a place like Diqiu. The other assistant was Tian Nuba. No one knew of her origins but she had the power to deplete the water source of any place. Her powers are deeply unfathomable and she was also nicknamed as Hanba. She had been missing for a long time and now reappeared in secret. The drought of the Zhou nation is her work."

 Chapter 683 - The Nailhead Seven Arrows Book

    "How would you solve this issue?" Yi Zhi asked.


    Shen Lian responded, "We have to get rid of her. But she is very good at hiding and it would not be easy to track her down."


    Yi Zhi felt a sense of relief. Shen Lian said ''it would not be easy'' and not ''it is impossible''.


    He asked, "What should I do?"


    Shen Lian said, "Guard the nation and console the people. Continue doing what you have been doing and I will take care of the rest."


    Yi Zhi retreated after receiving the advice. It was a good thing that Shen Lian did not interfere with his administration. In that way, he could show his aspiration and use this opportunity to cultivate. It was killing two birds with one stone and also fulfilling Shen Lian''s promise to him.


    Shen Lian let out a sigh after Yi Zhi left. It would not be easy to sort out Hanba. She may not be as powerful as Yinglong but it would be difficult to track her down. This was not the ability of Hanba and obviously, there was someone else who helped her cover her tracks.


    Shen Lian was completely clueless about the identity of that someone.


    The Netherworld may be big but it was nothing compared to the universe and the milky way. But the person behind Hanba must be a tough character.


    Shen Lian was not afraid of getting into trouble. What he did not like the most was that he does not know the source of the trouble, which would put him in a passive situation.


    He allowed the drought to develop not because he had no clue how to resolve Hanba. He did not want to chase Hanba away so easily so he could find out more about the mastermind behind her.


    Moreover, he still needed to refine the Primeval Demonic Thoughts and it was not advisable for him to move around before succeeding in doing so.


    As he was lost in thoughts, his mind twitched.


    A girl in red showed up outside of the Biyou Palace in the City of Xiliang and she was stopped by the gatekeepers who were also cultivators. Before the cultivators could report to Shen Lian, Shen Lian''s voice could be heard, "Let her in."


    The girl in red entered the Biyou Palace with a hint of solemn on her cute little face. It was clear that she did not want to be rude. When she arrived at the hall, she finally saw Shen Lian. However, Shen Lian was just sitting on the stone couch in the lotus position with his back facing her and there was a bead curtain that divided them.


    The girl bowed down and said, "Fuhao greets the Honored Celestial."


    "Why do you address me as the Honored Celestial?" Shen Lian questioned.


    Fuhao responded, "Everyone is calling you that."


    She looked at the surroundings with curiosity but she still failed to get a good look at the person she admired greatly. She did not doubt the authenticity of this Shen Lian and after all, this was the Biyou Palace and no one would have the audacity to impersonate Shen Lian in the Netherworld.


    Shen Lian chuckled, "What they call me is their own business but your mother is a deity under me and she addressed me as Celestial Teacher. You should address me as that too."


    Fuhao lets out a "Yes" and continued, "I am here to give you something."


    She took out a manuscript and then a gentle force swept the manuscript to Shen Lian. There were five characters on the cover the manuscript that said ''The Nailhead Seven Arrows Book''.


    These five characters were enough to drive Qi cultivators who were familiar with the Secret Histories of the Gods but despite that, Shen Lian remained calm and unshaken. He said, "That is a precious gift."


    Fuhao responded, "Teacher Luya said that this technique should not be used lightly. With your luck, you could use it at maximum once. If you use it more than once, you would be bestowed with misfortunes. Please use it wisely."


    Shen Lian said, "Duly noted. Do you still want to go back?"


    Fuhao answered, "I want to go back and visit my mother."


    After finishing her sentence, Shen Lian appeared in front of her. However, there was also a Shen Lian who was sitting in the lotus position behind the beads curtain. Shen Lian smiled and said, "I need to go to the north to sort something out. Why don''t you follow me? After that, I will bring you to your mother."


    Fuhao hesitated for a moment but agreed eventually. She was actually delighted. No one in the Netherworld could resist the idea of being around Shen Lian.


    The common saying, ''When a man attains the Dao, even his pets ascend to heaven'' was indeed true. One would learn so much by just being around Shen Lian. Furthermore, Fuhao deeply admired Shen Lian and had no reason to turn him down.


    But of course, she was fully aware that the Shen Lian in front of her was just an incarnation of her Celestial Teacher.


    Shen Lian''s incarnation did not have much mana but it was still in the right state. Many deities could sense his presence as he took Fuhao out for a trip. The deities put their affairs aside and greeted him.


    Shen Lian did not respond to them one by one. He took Fuhao and disappeared in the sky.


    They headed north and after crossing the borders of Xia Kingdom, (they passed by the tribe is it) it was the tribes of the north. This was the territory of the barbaric tribe and it was filled with endless grasslands and mountain ranges.


    The sky was blue, the wilderness was vast. The grassland was not filled with cattles and sheep but instead was brimming with groups of demon beasts. The North was different from other regions. The populations of demon beasts were high and they all had great strength. It was said that they all had mixed-blood. The Barbaric Tribe was indeed powerful to be able to survive for so many generations.


    The border guard of the Xia Kingdom could easily block the Barbaric Tribe so that they would not be a threat to the Xia Kingdom. The commander of the border guards was Emperor Xia''s one and only son. He was highly cultivated but was not beyond Shen Lian. He also did not lead the troops to attack the Zhou nation after the fall of Emperor Xia.


    Shen Lian did not head north to look for Emperor Xia''s son. Besides, he was not a ruthless man who would spare no one.


    The barbaric tribe had never been unified but there were several bigger tribes that formed their own nations. Among them, the biggest country was the Chong nation.


    The monarch of the Chong nation was honored as Chong Hou by Emperor Xia. They were one of the very few barbaric nations recognized by Emperor Xia. As ''Chong Hou'' was a title awarded by Emperor Xia, the monarch decided to use ''Chonghou'' as his family name.


    The Chong nation was thriving but there were still conflicts within the inner circle. The conflict was related to the two very talented young monarchs.


    The monarch of the Chong nation had two sons. The first son was taken in as a disciple by a celestial the moment he was born. It was said that he was the reincarnation of a proud tiger demon of the wild. Thus, the monarch named his eldest son as Chonghou Hu with the hopes of making him the monarch of the Chong nation.


    Soon, the monarch had a second son that had a divine vision when he was born and a black tiger birthmark on his body. As the eldest was named Chonghou Hu, the monarch could not reuse the same name for his second son. Thus, the monarch had the idea of naming the younger son as Chonghou Heihu. To make it easier for the barbaric tribe, the second son was referred to as Chong Heihu.


    Chonghou Hu was indeed the reincarnation of the tiger demon. By the age of ten, he was already the first warrior of the country. On top of that, he was proficient in celestial methods and many powerful beasts were not worthy as his opponent.


    However, Chonghou Hu had never liked his brother Chong Heihu. He made several attempts to harm him but Chong Heihu was protected by protective barriers of divine light. Whenever he tried to torment his brother, the divine light would surface and injure Chonghou Hu.


    Chong Heihu was able to protect himself against his brother but he was never as skillful as his brother. Thus, his days were not easy. However, Chong Heihu was cheerful and treated people well, and many fellow citizens were more than willing to serve for him. Chonghou Hu was extremely jealous and took revenge on those people.


    Chong Heihu was saddened by this and was very helpless as his protective barriers divine light could only protect him.


    As the monarch aged, the battle between the two sons became increasingly fierce. All Chong Heihu could do was to defend and his life was becoming increasingly difficult.


    One day, he was feeling depressed and decided to go on a hunt with some other men.

 Chapter 684 - Tiger Demon

    Chong Heihu had the divine lights protecting him and was not afraid of anyone harming him. He decided to go hunting to relieve his feelings and did not enjoy any company. Thus, he took his horse, bow, and arrow, and headed to the northern hillock beyond the city.


    In recent years, the Yang Qi had fallen sharply while the Yin Qi had increased significantly in the Netherworld. Although winter had yet to arrive, it was drastically cold. Chong Heihu may be fit and strong but as his perspiration cooled him down, he could not help but shiver when the cold wind breezed past.


    The leaves in the forest ahead of him started to rustle as an overcast created shadows on the branches. Chong Heihu felt chills down his spine as the thought of encountering a nasty demon beast flashed across his mind.


    He took his bow and arrow and aimed towards the woods. Time went by slowly and the shadow was vaguely present as the trees shook more and more vigorously.


    Chong Heihu may be protected by the divine lights but he was still fearful for his life. He could not help but broke out in cold sweat.


    As he was feeling anxious, a big worm swooped out from the woods. The worm was dark, hairy and had extremely bright eyes. Shortly, a vicious wind gusted and the well-trained warhorse had an outburst of displeasure. Chong Heihu was focused on the arrow and had no time to react to the horse. His became overwhelmed as the arrow pierced through the black tiger as if the black tiger was not an entity.


    In a split second, the black tiger pounced on him. He felt dizzy as information was injected into his consciousness.


    He fell from the warhorse and the frightened horse abandoned its owner and galloped furiously towards the city.


    When Chong Heihu opened his eyes, he felt sharp pain all over his body. Apparently the protective barriers divine light had disappeared. It was not strange he was in pain as his mortal body was slammed on to the hard ground.


    A hand appeared in front of his eyes. He knew that it was a blessing and held on to the hand. Instantly, his body warmed up and he felt physically relaxed. He looked up to see a young Daoist standing in front of him. The Daoist looked dreamy as if he was free from the secular mortal world.


    Chong Heihu bolted up, released his hand and then kneeled down again. He clung to young man''s leg and cried, "Master, you finally remembered the little me."


    Although he incarnated as a human, he became tiger-like the moment his memories from the past life restored.


    A delicate female voice could be heard laughing, "Celestial Teacher, why is this person behaving like a dog?"


    Shen Lian said, "Come, get up."


    Chong Heihu got up and looked at the smiling girl. She was dressed in red like a blazing fire and her beauty was unparalleled, and she looked somewhat familiar.


    He mindfully asked Shen Lian, "Master, who is the girl?"


    Shen Lian laughed, "Can''t you recognize her? She is Ah Lian''s daughter."


    Chong Heihu thought that the girl came from a great deal of background but once he heard that she was Ah Lian''s daughter, he responded in disdain, "You were still feeding when I met your mother. Come come, call me uncle."


    Shen Lian added, "She is a disciple of Daoist Luya and her cultivation was higher than Wuding in the past."


    Chong Heihu changed his attitude as he figured that Daoist Luya must be someone powerful and this young girl was actually stronger than Wuding. He knew that he should not mess with her and it seemed that his master would not side him. He immediately laughed and changed his tone, "How are you, little missy?"


    The girl in red laughed at Chong Heihu''s change in attitude. She thought that he was really interesting.


    Shen Lian lets out a cough and said, "Heihu, you reincarnated because of me and that is why I came to you and restored your memories from the past life. What are your plans now? Do you want to stay by my side or do you want to be the monarch of the country?"


    Chong Heihu responded, "Of course I want to follow you. But I am now a human and I cannot be your ride anymore."


    Shen Lian calmly replied, "My attainment has improved significantly over the years and I have also created a martial exercise especially for you known as the ''Tiger Demon Body Enhancing Chapter''. Theoretically speaking, by the end of the cultivation, you should be as strong as the White Tiger of the Four Symbols. However, this method is against logic as it cultivates a demon form using the human form. There are seven levels to it and every level would require an enormous amount of Qi of vitality in order to transform the body and to create the demon''s Qi and blood. It will be extremely difficult but there is one thing good about it. That is, as long as you get started, you will have the lifespan of a demon and live for a long time. You can avoid the death fate of Qi cultivators who failed to break away from whims."


    Chong Heihu was delighted by the news and said, "Yes, I want to learn this martial exercise. Dao methods like ''meditate to attain spiritual calmness, cultivate the heart for spiritual cultivation'' is not my cup of tea. You can cane me every day and I would still fail at it."


    Shen Lian sighed, "The methods of Dao are the fundamentals of the universe but it does not suit you. It is better for you to learn the Tiger Demon Body Enhancing Chapter. At least you would have some supernatural power and be useful."


    Different people have different temperaments and would make different choices. The methods of Dao may be good but not just anyone could master it. The mountains of bones of the dead reaching out to the door of immortality was the best testament.


    Shen Lian expected Chong Heihu''s temperament and thus created such an alternative martial exercise. This method would not attain Dao but had supernatural powers. Moreover, once a person had a firm mind and enough resources, his future would be bright too. The only setback was that the future path ahead would be limited and it would not be a good choice for someone who was overly ambitious.


    Only Shen Lian could come up with such martial exercise. The ''Tiger Demon Body Enhancing Chapter'' was also a summary of Shen Lian''s profound knowledge towards the structure of the flesh and blood of living creatures. It showed that he had very high attainments in this field of study.


    Without any hesitation, Shen Lian taught Chong Heihu the Tiger Demon Body Enhancing Chapter there and then in the mountains. The girl in red could not help but be impressed despite her vast experience brought by Daoist Luya. However, she very quickly understood the drawbacks of this method. All along, only the human and never the demon form would attain Dao. Clearly, this method was unnatural and yet, subtle and fascinating.


    She was uncertain why would Shen Lian teach so openly without considering the taboo. Did he really not care at all or does he have other objectives?


    The sunset and twilight shone across the land. With his past life experience as a demon, Chong Heihu was able to pick it up very swiftly. The Yin Qi and the Qi of vitality of the Netherworld gathered around him and gradually hovered over him. It was smokey and he could not stop swallowing and spitting. He started to feel a sense of Qi in his limbs, bones, and flesh as the demonic power grew and spread throughout his flesh and blood.


    Shen Lian could sense the changes in Chong Heihu and was aware that the human blood was being replaced by the extremely pure demonic Qi and blood.


    Heihu''s spine fluttered like a dragon. Two hours later, there were no signs of twilight as the stars took over the sky. The White Tiger constellation towards the Western Paradise was the brightest of all. The star power blended in with the murderous intent and descended downwards. Heihu grew as he breathed, sharp claws emerged from his limbs, the fur on his skin became longer and his bone structure started to change.


    With the help of Shen Lian and the stars to speed up the process, Heihu then stepped into the most crucial point of transforming from the human form to the demon form.

 Chapter 685 - No Regrets

    It did not take Heihu long to reach the final level. Fuhao watched Heihu transformed from a human to a tiger and it gave her hints of dangerous breath. The sky was dark and a lighted torch could be seen from afar. It was a cavalry in a formation that looked like a long snake.


    Fuhao was an extraordinary being. She noticed not only the fire but also the high vigor that dispersed the Yin energy, making the night less cold.


    The foremost horseman was a muscular man. His vigor was like the wildfire in this dark night. As he approached closer, his vigor was as hot as an oven. His temples were high and forehead was full, no one would ever question if he was indeed powerful.


    "What demon turned my brother into a tiger?" The horseman noticed the ribbed clothes of Heihu and initiated the conversation.


    Before he could finish his words, a thunder came down from the skies and struck him.


    Although he was physically strong, his body could not bear with the lightning. His flesh was charred even before Shen Lian could take any action against him.


    Even Fuhao did not notice any indication of Shen Lian casting a spell. It was indeed true that Shen Lian did not cast any spells on anyone. At this very stage, Shen Lian had completely defined the boundaries with the common beings. The horseman accused him of being a demon and that was an act of contempt against a great existence such as him. The horseman''s karmic rewards were insufficient to offset the offense, and thus the retribution.


    He laid on the ground and his body was twitching and he vomited white foam as a result of the current of the thunder. The troopers who followed him did not know what to do. A few of them went to check him out while the rest of them surrounded Shen Lian and his company with fear.


    Chong Heihu had completely transformed into a ferocious tiger. He let out a roar and said, "I was originally a tiger on Mount Jieyang. After meeting my master, I realized the immensity of heaven and earth. Now that my master came to purify me, I chose to return to the tiger form and leave with him. This is my farewell to everyone."


    Every word uttered was like the landing of a falling heavy hammer. The people of the Chong nation could hear it loud and clear.


    Shen Lian said, "Let''s go."


    He did not even take a second look at the people of the Chong nation and a cloud light emerged which wrapped the three of them up and disappeared in the night sky.


    The incident that night was written as a legend and the first warrior Chonghou Hu had fallen from grace. He had lost his bravery and had to use evil arts to sustain his position.


    The stars were high up beyond the sea of clouds. Looking down from above, the earth looked like a chessboard. The intersections of the mountains and rivers were the grids of the chessboard while the sentient beings were the chess pieces.


    Heihu felt sentimental for being able to fly up the sky with Shen Lian after so many years.


    Shen Lian asked, "Do you have any regrets for not staying behind and outshining your brother?"


    Heihu responded, "Being by your side is better than eating any celestial elixir. Why would I have any regrets?"


    Shen Lian laughed, "Looks like you did not lose your ability to flatter even after incarnating as a human. But your brother is destined to die in your hands sooner or later."


    Heihu curiously asked, "Master, I do not like him but I do not want to kill him. Why must he die in my hands?"


    "This is destiny." Shen Lian responded.


    Heihu lowered his head and the ''King'' character between his brows got deeper. He thought that when the time came, he could just let his brother go. After living the life as a human, he learned about ethics and moral, and was different from before.


    He asked, "Master, where are we headed to?"


    "Where you perished is where we are heading to." Shen Lian answered.


    Heihu recalled the incident that very day, it was the most courageous moment of his two lives. It was also that incident that changed his master''s perception of him. Otherwise, he would not have the chance to be purified by Shen Lian. Fuhao too recalled the incident. Although she was still young and naive back then, she remembered being touched by Heihu''s bravery. His body was bleeding and yet he dashed into the temple to ask her mother to help the celestial teacher. He held on to his very last breath waiting for Shen Lian to escape.


    However, she found it difficult to relate that black tiger to this ass kissing Heihu.


    The trio crossed thousands of mountains and river and soon arrived at Mount Mei. The temple looked a lot more majestic compared to last time thanks to Si Jing.


    She was the monarch of the Youshen Kingdom and was in control of the Eastern Barbarians. It was not difficult for her to build such a majestic temple. Moreover, as Shen Lian gained more prestige across the Netherworld, the temples'' prayers became more powerful. Looking at the temple from above, the incense was so concentrated that it isolated the temple from heaven and earth. Any Qi cultivators who were near and was disrespectful to the temple would be punished.


    The trio did not enter the real temple but the divine region instead. The divine region was not real but it was also not an illusion. The furnishings looked exactly the same as the temple but outsiders could not enter here.


    As they entered, Ah Lian who was on the altar came down and greeted Shen Lian. She then looked at Fuhao with tears flowing down her cheeks.


    Fuhao could not bear to look and rushed to embrace her mother. Ah Lian caressed her daughter''s hair and said, "I would not be angry at you anymore."


    The mother-daughter displayed their true feelings towards each other and shortly after, Heihu let out a moan of dissatisfaction. Ah Lian then released her daughter and said, "Little master Heihu, congratulations on your return."


    Heihu grinned, "You look a lot stronger than before."


    Ah Lian responded, "It was the virtues of the Celestial Teacher that I became the Ah Lian today."


    Shen Lian said, "There is no need to thank me. Besides bringing your daughter here, I need your help with something."


    Ah Lian responded, "Sure, go ahead and give your orders."


    Shen Lian asked, "I am sure you have heard about the drought that hit the Zhou nation."


    Ah Lian nodded, "Yes I have heard of it. I went to the Zhou nation not long ago and wanted to plant some clouds for rain. However, I did not succeed and that was really shameful."


    Shen Lian responded, "It is the thoughts that count. Actually, I have some inkling to the source of this matter. But I would need your lotus lantern in order to solve it."


    Ah Lian said, "The lotus lantern was created by you. If you want to use it, you can take it anytime."


    Shen Lian disagreed, "I have given it to you so it is your possession. In the future, you should use the believer''s prayers on yourself and you could even erase all my traces. The path of Shen is difficult, please do not waste the resources on me."


    Ah Lian was touched but she responded with determination, "I will always be affiliated to you. This would never change."


    Fuhao let out a sigh in her mind. She was able to pick up some information vaguely from Lu Ya. Although the Celestial Teacher had achieved great success and was beyond most people, it seemed that his life would not end well. However, regardless of whether it was her or her mother, they were not willing to cut off the ties with Shen Lian. In other words, the two of them too may not end well.


    Her mother had no complaints and she too would not regret.


    Shen Lian said, "It''s up to you then. If the lotus lantern can help me solve this scourge, it will progress a step further and become more powerful. In the future, you can use it to defend yourself and it can also help you overcome some difficulties. However, if you are unwilling to cut off all ties with me, there would be karma incrimination. I hope you would have no regrets then."

 Chapter 686 - Imperial Lord

    When Shen Lian was in the temple, the other end of the vast starlit sky was not peaceful.


    The most existence of the universe was the stars. Even the Daoist Master could not determine the number of stars. This was because every moment, there were stars dying, and stars to be born. In any galaxy, there could be billions or hundreds of billions of stars and any of the shining stars would not be smaller than Qing Xuan Earth and Star. Furthermore, the distance between any two stars was so far that it required the light to travel months or even years to arrive.


    If there were not a sign in space, the travel between any viewable stars would take a much longer time.


    Besides that, the people that were able to obtain energy from the void were at least at the state of heavenly immortals or had a magic talisman that could travel across the galaxies.


    Although there were many galaxies, it was rare to have the existence of living beings. On top of that, the stars that were suitable for Qi cultivators were lesser. In the vast universe, Qi cultivators were not the sole survivors but they were the strongest survivors. This was related to the two generations of Heaven Courtyard and the passing of doctrine by the Daoist Master.


    This broad galaxy was named Ziwei. It was a rare place with signs of life. It hid many ancient Celestials and ancient Buddhas. They established many paradise and small world. In this galaxy, the highest-ranking cultivator was Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu. Some said that he was the figure form of The Great Emperor Ziwei from the Four Sovereigns of Heaven Courtyard while others would claim that he was the reincarnation of a prominent figure from Yuxu Palace. Not only that, there were also rumors that he had obtained the pieces of the ruin Holy Script from the previous Heavenly King and so his cultivation was on par with Zhen Yuanzi from Wu Zhuang Temple and Founding Master Kunpeng from Palace Yaoshi.


    However, all the rumors were not proven. Yet, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu was the one with the highest authority. Daoist Yuding who wielded Palace Yuxu did not comment on his title ''Yuxu''. Therefore, this gave much space to imagine the relation between the two.


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu had bizarrely high cultivation but he still had human desires. Hence, his harem was full after years of accumulation. Some were real celestials, some were from the well-established big schools and some were from long-inheritance cultivation family. This was a rare sight because most celestials had low sexual desires.


    Coincidently, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu managed to control most parts of Ziwei Galaxy from his harem. It also could be seen that his power and influence were so prominent that his godly name was eulogized everywhere.


    One of the setbacks was Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu could not establish reincarnation.


    Reincarnation was the most mysterious presence in the universe. This was because reincarnation was just a small portion of the floruit Netherworld. It was everywhere but the Heavenly King and the Buddha only managed to grasp a portion of it. It was said that the Netherworld was one of the keys so Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was sent to investigate by the Buddha whereas many well-known celestials were sent to investigate by the Heavenly King. However, after a huge catastrophe, their presence was not known.


    The Netherworld had some of the broken pieces but they could not restore their previous floruit. On top of that, only a few knew the existence of the broken pieces.


    This included Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu. He wanted to discover the secret of reincarnation but there was someone who set up the Netherworld before him. Hence, he patiently waited until he felt that he had the equivalent capabilities and attacked.


    The Netherworld was a mysterious place. It was shielded by the power of reincarnation.


    Therefore, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu could not know clearly what that was in the broken pieces. However, from his senses, he felt that there were major changes in the Netherworld.


    The broken piece became stronger and became the core. Furthermore, it was also attracting the other remaining pieces, trying to restore its previous floruit.


    The changes were little but it was getting faster.


    If he did not make a move, he would not have a chance later.


    Nonetheless, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu could not do it because someone marked him. In this world, it was rare that someone could be his opponent. However, there was one under Daoist Master Taiyi, named Daoist Yuanqing. He was initially one of the Master of the Netherworld''s Congenital Killing Sword. Later, he became the disciple of Daoist Master Taiyi and cultivated the supreme Daoist body. Hence, his capability was on par with Daoist Yuding before Daoist Yuding went through the deadly trial.


    If the person who marked Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu was just Daoist Yuanqing, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu would not be bothered. However, Daoist Yuanqing had the help of another person. This person was a master in the path of Shen and his divine power was extraordinary. He managed to block any changes made by Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu.


    The combination of both of them deterred Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu to leave Ziwei Galaxy.


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu was not patience. Quickly, he summoned his trusted followers, Four Saint Zhenjun to the Imperial Palace.


    The person leading was square-faced with a broad forehead and big ears. His mana was like an accumulation of the Milky Way and it was rolling in waves. With just pure mana, nobody in Ziwei Galaxy could compare with him.


    His name was Marshal Tian Peng. He was one of the survivors from the destruction of Heaven Courtyard and Imperial Lord''s capable assistance.


    Behind him was another three general. All of them were top Saints and together they were called the Four Saint Zhenjun.


    Marshal Tian Peng greeted, "Was there anything that we could be of your assistance, Imperial Lord?"


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu extended his hand and displayed a tableau. There were five parts to the tableau and there were male, female, Confucian scholar and Daoist. One of the pretty females attracted their attention.


    If Shen Lian was present, he would know that the pretty female was the Founding Master Ziling.


    Five of them were in different stars but the Imperial Palace enabled them to be connected. Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu ordered, "Bring them here."


    Marshal Tian Peng hesitated, "All five of them were famous in their respective galaxy, especially the Fairy Ziling. Her cultivation was strong and her swordcraft was incomparable. Even the Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao praised her. Hence, it is not an easy task."


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu said expressionlessly, "In Ziwei Galaxy, my orders were final."


    Marshal Tian Peng sighed secretly. Actually, he admired Fairy Ziling. He wondered what she did that the Imperial Lord needed her here.


    Marshal Tian Peng owed a great favor to the Imperial Lord. Hence, he had to stay with him and obeyed his orders.


    After receiving the order, they left. Outside the palace, Tian Peng stated, "Fairy Ziling had great mana so I would bring her back. I shall leave the rest to you guys."


    The other three men nodded and replied, "Do not worry, we will complete the order."

 Chapter 687 - Who Is in the Plot?

    Hence, the three of them went to capture the four other people.


    Marshal Tian Peng picked another ten thousand celestial armies to capture Fairy Ziling.


    These celestial soldiers were not great in their cultivation but all of them had been using precious spiritual medicine for many years to form their bodies. Thus, if combined with the formation, they were able to capture celestials.


    Fairy Ziling was extraordinary so this task required him to do it.


    The celestial soldier was also aimed to gather the momentum so that no one would obstruct him in carrying out the Imperial Lord''s orders.


    After some time, Marshal Tian Peng arrived at the place that Fairy Ziling was. It was not a star but a road named Tongtian Celestial River. The Celestial River could not be seen but there was a formless Qi of Dao gush forth. Since the ancient times, it never stopped. Fairy Ziling came here for enlightenment since a hundred years ago.


    Many people came to Tongtian Celestial River but nobody gained anything. It could be due to nothing was mentioned after they gained supernatural power. Nonetheless, many were curious about the never-ending Qi of Dao.


    Fairy Ziling was not the first nor the last to attain enlightenment here.


    The vigor of ten thousand celestial armies was sufficient to shock any holy deities. This included Ziling.


    "I, Marshal Tian Peng, am here carrying the Imperial Lord''s order to bring Fairy Ziling to the Imperial Palace. Any loiterer please stay away," Marshal Tian Peng''s voice covered the whole Tongtian Celestial River. The voice triggered many people to leave.


    After some time, the Celestial seemed to open like the curtains and a purple dress fairy walked out from it. She was beautiful and elegant. She was Ziling.


    She glanced at Tian Peng and rejected him, "Marshal Tian Peng, I will not go to the Imperial Palace. Please go back."


    Tian Peng brought his hands in front his chest and said, "I am here due to the Imperial Lord''s order. Please follow me."


    Fairy Ziling answered coldly, "You will not be able to catch me from here."


    She waved her hands and soon, the Tongtian Celestial River was lit with Fire of Dao.


    Surrounded by the Fire of Dao, she looked like the ancient God of Fire. A flying sword flew out from her, reflecting the fire. It looked like the beautiful sunset. Fairy Ziling looked holy and sacred.


    Marshal Tian Peng stayed in the Ziwei Galaxy for a long time but this was the first time he knew that Tongtian Celestial River could turn into Dao of Fire. It was full of Qi of Dao. What was hidden inside was the Great Way. In the past, nobody understood this so Ziling was lucky to master this.


    In other words, Tongtian Celestial River belonged to Fairy Ziling. Only she could ignite it and turned it into her assistance.


    Marshal Tian Peng had met countless difficulties in his life so this did not stop him.


    He said, "I am going to apologize in advance."


    He took out a nine-toothed rake, glittering in silver, and sent it forward. Suddenly, there were nine light dragons, rushed to the holy Fairy Ziling.


    The nine-toothed rake was a famous spiritual item in the world. It was also smelt personally by the Taishang Laojun. Hence, its mighty power was immeasurable.


    Swiftly, the surging Fire of Dao gushed towards the light dragons and flooded them.


    However, the nine light dragons created havoc inside. After a loud roar, they managed to terminate the Fire of Dao. The heaven and earth returned to silence.


    Tian Peng did not show great pride. After all, he had many generations of cultivation before Fairy Ziling. He had seen far many people greater than Fairy Ziling. If he could not bring in Fairy Ziling, he should be ashamed.


    However, Fairy Ziling was also not easy to deal with. All of a sudden, Tian Peng felt cold. Based on his cultivation, he should be able to remain neutral against the change in temperature. Thus, to feel the drop in temperature showed that Fairy Ziling was quite powerful.


    Indeed, this was the case. The celestial soldiers who did nothing had their eyebrows and lips covered with ice and frost. This area became cold suddenly.


    The extremely cold power of Taiyin overwhelmed Tian Peng and his celestial soldiers. Every piece of falling snow had a cold sword aura. Those light dragons were also overwhelmed by the power of the Taiyin, frozen into silvery statues in the sky.


    Tian Peng was amazed, "Your power of Taiyin was comparable to Guanghan fairy. Luckily, I visited her previously and knew how to overcome this."


    He read a chant and suddenly pinched his nose. He blew a pure innate Fire of Dao out from his mouth. Immediately, the ice melted and the sword aura vanished.


    Fortunately, both of them were fighting in the void. The Tongtian Celestial River was strange because their movement was huge but it did not hurt the others.


    Fairy Ziling found out the details of the Marshal of Tian Peng in this brief attack. Like the rumor, this man was closely related to Bajing Palace. His Xuan technique was authentic and there was no way to break out.


    She smiled lightly. Then, the lights in Tongtian Celestial River shone brightly and thousands of light beams burst out. Tian Peng was shocked and in a blink of an eye, the scenery had changed. The Qi of Dao surrounded him. It seemed like with only just a breath one was able to get a type of supernatural power.


    Surprised, he exclaimed, "The Little Immortal World."


    The Little Immortal World was also a type of small world but it had evolved for the great people who wanted to prove the path of supreme detachment. It was said that any spells or supernatural powers could be learned there immediately. It was a great fortune for those ordinary cultivators to enter here.


    However, it was not suitable for Tian Peng who used purely Xuan Technique. Inside, the supernatural powers and Dao Techniques were based on the great people''s own understanding and had their imprints. If his technique was different and not compatible with theirs, it would pollute his moral nature. It was a rare sight for anyone to succeed just by taking a strong point of others. In fact, it would obstruct one''s path of Dao.


    Fairy Ziling''s seemed like coming from a distance, "Good observation. Tongtian Celestial River was actually the entrance of The Little Immortal World. Since you were here, you would not get out."


    Tian Peng smiled bitterly and asked, "Who was scheming the Imperial Lord?"


    He was not an ordinary person. He knew that Tongtian Celestial River was not a native place but for countless years, not only that he did not know that this was the entrance to The Little Immortal World but also the emperor was not clear too. This was strange. If someone had not deliberately covered up and deceived the Imperial Lord, this would not happen.


    The Little Immortal World represented a great figure who could set foot on the path of supreme detachment. There were so few of such a person in the universe. He could not help but to worry about the Imperial Lord.


    Fairy Ziling stated, "Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu was just a mere follower of The Great Emperor Ziwei. He stole his title and hence ripen the fruit of karma."


    Tian Peng thought of another possibility, "The Great Emperor Ziwen had not fallen?"


    Fairy Ziling did not respond. The surging celestial power was non-stop attacking Tian Peng and thus he did not have extra energy to think about it.

 Chapter 688 - Vulture Peak

    When Tian Peng entered into The Little Celestial World, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu sensed it. His heart became clear and bright and his divine thoughts spread out in the void. He saw someone. His features were beautiful and he looked elegant. His clothes seemed like it was weaved with symbols and words of the Great Way. One would feel small in front of him.


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu turned his divine thoughts into a figure and stood in front of him. He said coldly, "You are not dead."


    "The Great Emperor Ziwei was dead. What was left is Su Changwan," The one talking was the mysterious Mr.Su who taught Shen Lian swordcraft previously. As compared to thousand years before, he was indifferent. However, his Spiritual shape was vague and it was like the universe, accommodating everything.


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu uttered, "Why are you here?"


    Mr.Su smiled lightly and replied, "If you know my existence, I will be dead. Hence, instead of waiting for you to kill me, I shall kill you."


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu answered noncommittally, "I was not the same and you were not The Great Emperor Ziwei. What is your basis to kill me?"


    Mr.Su said nonchalantly, "Based on my sword."


    There was no sword on his hand but Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu could feel the sword will surrounded him. This was because as Mr.Su was talking, everything that Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu saw or sensed with his divine thoughts had turned into Mr.Su''s sword.


    This was not the world''s greatest swordcraft but it was not far from it.


    It was not easy to kill Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu just by this move, even though Daoist Yuanqing and Vishnu were secretly observing Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu.


    Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu did not respond. All of a sudden, there was a bright light from the space. Three hundred sixty shining stellar were joined to form a celestial tactical formation. At the same time, Ziwei Imperial Lord Yuxu''s true body arrived and became the leading center of the formation.


    Outside the celestial tactical formation, an old Daoist smiled bitterly and stated, "He actually could set up the Big Universe Star Tactical Formation."


    Below the old Daoist was the Milky Way. A deity, sitting on a long snake, appeared. The deity spoke, "If he set up the Big Universe Star Tactical Formation, will the people from Vulture Peak save him?"


    "Yes. The people from Vulture Peak would be here to kill us," The old Daoist said emotionlessly.


    The deity smiled and questioned, "It was normal for them to kill me as I betrayed the Order. Why would they want to kill you too?"


    The old Daoist replied, "Before the universe ends, there will appear a Daoist Master and he will be the last Daoist Master. The chances of becoming the Daoist Master is rare but unfortunately, I am one of it."


    The deity held his palms together and responded, "Things are unpredictable. I am in favor of that person a few generations below you."


    The old Daoist did not reply but looked at him sternly. The deity had a sky eye in between his eyebrows. It seemed to be able to look into the past and future.


    Finally, both of them stopped talking. It seemed as though they were waiting for something.


    In the Elysium, the Buddha once set foot on the Vulture Peak to practice cultivation. Mount Sumeru was publicly recognized as the sacred mountain in Buddhism records but since Buddha had reached the enlightenment in Dao, the Vulture Peak became the second sacred mountain among the three realms. The first sacred mountain of the three realms was not Mount Sumeru but it was the Kunlun Mountains.


    The mountain was not high but was famous due to the presence of celestial; the water was not deep but was spiritual due to the presence of a dragon. The Vulture Peak was known as the sacred mountain because of the presence of Buddha.


    After the Buddha detached from his origins, there was no leader in the Vulture Peak. In other words, there was no one worthy to be the leader of Vulture Peak. Neither Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nor Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was acknowledged. However, nobody knew where they were too.


    The recommended leader was Mahakashyapa. This was not because he had the highest supernatural power or the deepest cultivation. It was actually due to he was the most detached person. Besides, he was honest, upright and trusted by the Buddha.


    Hence, if he were the leader of Vulture Peak, most people would be genuinely convinced.


    Kasyapa sat in the palace at Vulture Peak. Below him were the Buddhas, Arhat, and Boddhisattva. He was not wearing the kasaya but was wearing a ragged robe. It made him more distinguished and good-looking.


    The long period of staying in Vulture Peak did not affect him.


    A monk said, "The Venerable Kasyapa when I entered into a state of spiritual calmness, I saw a sword killing the monks in Vulture Peak. Would you know the origins of the sword?"


    He was not ordinary. Hence, what he saw in his dreams may not be fabricated.


    Kasyapa queried, "Jianglong the Venerable, was there any distinction in the sword?"


    "It was fierce and better than the Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal," Jianglong the Venerable responded. He had the strongest mana among the Arhat. He was even better than some Boddhisattva and ancient Buddha.


    Kasyapa answered, "This must be the Congenital Killing Sword."


    "Tongtian Order Master had the Celestial Extermination, Celestial Trapping, Celestial Exhaustion and Celestial Slaughter Sword. I had seen all but this Congenital Killing Sword was not one of it," explained Jianglong the Venerable.


    Kasyapa continued, "Besides that four swords, there are Yuantu and Avici Congenital Killing Sword. You must have seen one of these."


    Jianglong the Venerable asked, "What were the origins of Yuantu and Avici?"


    Kasyapa replied, "These belonged to the Master of the Netherworld and were comparable to the Quadruple Extermination of Celestial sword. They had strong mana and had obtained the Dao human form. It was hard to find someone more powerful than them.


    Jianglong the Venerable questioned, "I dreamt about the Congenital killing the monks in the Vulture Peak and thus eliminating Buddhism. The Venerable Kasyapa, was there anything to be done to avoid this situation?"


    Kasyapa said, "No worries. The Winning Buddha was protecting the Buddhist sect. The Congenital Killing Sword would not destroy the Buddhist sect."


    Jianglong the Venerable looked around and could not find the Winning Buddha. Therefore, Kasyapa was deep-rooted in the Dharma. He could predict this situation much earlier than him.


    ��


    Shen Lian was in a state of spiritual calmness in Biyou Palace. His mental state was vague. It seemed as though he did not have any thoughts. At the same time, it seemed that what he had seen could be born with just a thought.


    The Primeval Demon did not ask anything else but his heart. Hence, the Primeval Demon could know any thought that came to his mind. However, Shen Lian did not know of his the Primeval Demon''s next move.


    He was just moving forward in the dark, not knowing the end. There could also be no end to this.


    Nevertheless, he was not afraid and not worried that he would be lost in this vague darkness.


    The scariest part of the darkness was the mysterious unknown. Hence, some of the great people would treat the mysterious unknown as void so they would not be affected. Nonetheless, this method was not solving the root cause. For example, the Practices of the Bones of Dead. If one looked at the pink as a skeleton, one still emphasized on appearance. He could not make a clean break and his gains were temporary, just like the moon in the mirror.


    Those who made a clean break of appearance would see the pink as pink, the skeleton as a skeleton. There would not be favoritism or fear in their hearts.


    Shen Lian had made a clean break from appearances. Although the dark, mysterious unknown put him into Nowhere, he could still stay calm and not bothered.


    If he did not go through the inescapable doom, he would not able to do it even though he could understand the reason.


    As he was able to do it, he allowed the Primeval Demon to spy his inner thoughts and put him in this dark unknown.

 Chapter 689 - I Will Defeat You

    Darkness was like the abyss. It could not see the end nor the light. Shen Lian was like a fish, moving in the dark, not knowing how many reefs there were.


    The Primeval Demon, the variety of reefs or rushing water, wanted to eliminate him. However, Shen Lian did not have any thoughts and was able to avoid those reefs. He went with the flow and did not receive any damage.


    The darkness was his heart. His heart was also occupied by darkness but his consciousness could move forward into the unknown and sinister darkness without any damage. It was not easy and he was not proud of his accomplishment.


    Soon, it appeared a Daoist Palace. Its plaque was written ''Yuxu Palace''. Shen Lian never saw these three words before but he understood the meaning.


    Any living being would be able to recognize these three words.


    Shen Lian was in trance and he entered the Yuxu Palace unconsciously. The Yuxu Palace was also a world by itself and had no relation with the outside world. Compared with Biyou Palace, Yuxu Palace was more of a real Daoist Palace. High, vast, unknowable and all kinds of Dao rhythm flowed like the interpretation of the Great Way or the source of the Great Way.


    Shen Lian was full of reverence and affection.


    There was a man sitting in the middle of the hall. All black but looked solemn. His grandeur was better than anyone he saw in his life except the Daoist Master Shangqing.


    The power of the Daoist Master Shangqing could make him despair but the man in front of him did not even give him that thought. Seeing him, he felt that he had seen the end of the road and his learning was a joke all this while.


    It did not mean that the man in front of him was greater than Daoist Master Shangqing, but there was a huge difference between the man and the Daoist Master Shangqing.


    As he opened his eyes, it seemed like the Formless Mass Before Creation had a breakout. The beginning of everything seemed to start in his eyes.


    Shen Lian stared at him and later smiled, "Although you imitated Daoist Master Yuqing, you were still not Daoist Master Yuqing. You were merely the Primeval Demon."


    "How did you notice," asked the man.


    Shen Lian answered, "You did not have any leakage. However, if you were not him, you never be him no matter how much you tried to imitate."


    The Primeval Demon responded, "You were right. No matter how much I learned I would not be the Daoist Master Yuqing, the Primeval Lord of Heaven. However, why he could detach but I was immersed?"


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "I do not know as I was not the Daoist Master."


    The Primeval Demon asked, "Do you want to be a Daoist Master?"


    "I even dreamt about it," Shen Lian gazed at the Primeval Demon openly. That was his inner desire. He could not hide the fact even though he tried to bluff. Hence, there was no need to lie.


    The Primeval Demon suggested, "I can help you."


    Shen Lian rejected, "You can''t help me."


    The Primeval Demon questioned, "How do you know if I can''t be of your assistance?"


    Shen Lian explained, "Although I am not a Daoist Master, I know that this path needs to be traveled by myself."


    The Primeval Demon commented, "Your words were too certain."


    Shen Lian said, "The Daoist Master is certain."


    The Primeval Demon stated, "You were better than I imagined. I thought I could reborn into the human realm after eating you. I did not want to be the Daoist Master but longed for the living world."


    Seriously, Shen Lian answered, "I will defeat you."


    The Primeval Demon scoffed, "Do you know how ridiculous you are now? Do not forget that I may not be the Daoist Master but I am the evil thoughts of the Daoist Master Yuqing."


    Shen Lian lightly replied, "If you are the Daoist Master Yuqing, I have no chance to resist. However, you are not."


    Shen Lian''s body flowed out clear qi. It was the purest Daoist thought and it was his fundamental.


    The Primeval Demon rose and with just a step, he stood in front of Shen Lian. Although he was only a wisp of demon thought, he had the essence of the Daoist Master. Hence, he had the inextinguishable characteristics. That was also the reason Shen Lian did not refine him.


    As Shen Lian did not refine him, he had to defeat him.


    This was hard. It was almost impossible.


    The Primeval Demon had entangled with Shen Lian. This was the confrontation of the natural instincts. There was nothing to rely on, only oneself.


    Shen Lian needed to overcome this demon thought with his heart of Dao. If he failed, Shen Lian would not exist. He was firm in this actions but he did not show it. Right until the confrontation, he was still very calm.


    He had made it to a state of no fear and no worries.


    In his heart, this matter was no different from eating and drinking.


    The demonic Qi surrounded Shen Lian''s instinct. The clear qi seemed fragile among the demonic Qi.


    Countless evil and strange monsters emerged and fed on Shen Lian''s instinct.


    Shen Lian sat down, like the Buddha who sat below the Bodhi tree and allowed ten thousands of demons to harass him. If he had a sense of fear, it would be magnified. If he had a sense of anger, he would not be able to control himself.


    The only thing he could do was to stay calm and accept the torture.


    This was a dreaded test. It was testing the patience of the Primeval Demon and him.


    If Shen Lian lost, it meant that his cultivation was not on par. Although he had the divine thought outside the Biyou Palace, it would disappear if he lost.


    Shen Lian could feel the confrontation from the temple. However, he isolated that feeling. Hence, the result was not determinable from the body form. He had to do what he had to do.


    Ah Lian took out the lotus lamp. The lamplight seemed to be able to penetrate through the darkness.


    Shen Lian studied the lamp. It had received too many incenses that it could absorb. Therefore, remaining incense was accumulated to become lamp oil. The lamp oil was as clear as the water and it was not oily. It even had a hint of light fragrance. If the mortal smelled this, their wisdom would increase; if they studied, they could grasp the meaning easily; if they started a business, they could make a sound decision.


    On top of that, the greatest advantage was during cultivation. If they had this, it would be easier to learn any Dao techniques or supernatural powers.


    He said gently, "With this lamp, it would be able to subdue the monster. However, it needed a trigger to facilitate the full force."


    Ah Lian asked, "What is the trigger?"


    Shen Lian replied, "Noble Qi."


    Noble Qi was the righteousness. Shen Lian had come across many people but there were only two persons with this trait. One was Lu Shouyi but he had passed away. The other one was Song Qingyi.


    Noble Qi could not be obtained through cultivation. It was related to one''s natural instinct.


    A righteous person may not be very capable but they are noble. It would be reassuring to make friends with such a person.


    Song Qingyi was one of Shen Lian''s few friends.

 Chapter 690 - Wind and Thunder

    When Song Qingyi was in the Youshen Kingdom, he promised Shen Lian to protect Shen Lian''s female apprentice Si Jing secretly. Initially, Fang Yanying was here but Shen Lian had some matter to attend to. Therefore, Fang Yanying returned to the Zhou Kingdom.


    Si Jing was aware of Song Qingyi. When she knew that he was an old friend of Shen Lian, she was very respectful towards him. She often asked Song Qingyi about Shen Lian''s past.


    When Song Qingyi talked about Shen Lian to Si Jing, he discovered that Si Jing treated Shen Lian differently, like Qixiu. However, Qixiu was long gone and she never managed to see Shen Lian again.


    Song Qingyi was not aware whether Qixiu was alive or dead. He felt that Qixiu must have lived with regret. She did not express her feelings courageously. This had nothing to do with her cultivation but it was her own choice. Words that were chosen to speak out depend on a person''s temperament.


    Therefore, Si Jing being in the same shoes as Qixiu earned Song Qingyi''s pity.


    Si Jing also noticed the change in Song Qingyi''s attitude so she rarely met him again. Perhaps it was due to Song Qingyi had finished talking about Shen Lian so Si Jing had nothing else to communicate with him.


    Song Qingyi lived for a long time and so he knew this might be a misunderstanding. He only pitied Si Jing and had no other thoughts.


    A month ago, there was an indescribable Qi in the Youshen Kingdom. In the beginning, Song Qingyi thought it was the result of Si Jing''s practice but later he found out that there was a new group of people in the Royal Palace in the Youshen Kingdom, replacing the palace''s original guards. These people were similar to Si Jing''s Qi. Hence, they were known as the people of Si Jing. They were the Youhu''s from Lei family, aristocrat blood from the Xia Kingdom.


    Song Qingyi secretly looked at Si Jing. Since she seemed to have no issue, he did not create a fuss.


    However, it seemed abnormal this day. There were warm heating in the Royal Palace, so the flowers bloomed while the green grass and old trees were sprouting.


    The warm heat was pure Yang Qi but it was rather blazing. Soon, the spring in the Royal Palace turned into a hot summer.


    Song Qingyi felt that something was wrong so he went in all the way inside the palace to meet Si Jing.


    Song Qingyi wondered that it was his illusion that Si Jing was more beautiful than before. Nonetheless, he did not have any second thoughts so he also did not avoid her grandeur.


    Si Jing queried, "What is the matter senior Qingyi?"


    Song Qingyi replied, "The weather in the Royal Palace was very strange. I was afraid that you were in trouble so I came to figure things out."


    "Senior Qingyi can see that I am fine now. So, don''t worry," Si Jing''s clear eyes looked at Song Qingyi. As he was looking into her eyes, he seemed to see a flash of lightning.


    He responded, "Your Lightning Technique seemed to be stronger."


    Si Jing doubted so.


    Song Qingyi looked into her eyes again. The lightning was gone but the eyes were glittering. This was uncommon. He reaffirmed, "Yes."


    Si Jing ordered, "Senior Qingyi had a sharp eye. I made some improvements but I am tired now. Please return."


    Song Qingyi screened through Si Jing and uttered, "I shall make my move now. Take care."


    He turned and walked towards the entrance. Suddenly, Si Jing motioned a formula and a lightning appeared to burst out in front of her. It immediately gushed towards Song Qingyi.


    Halfway, the lightning hit into a void. Then, a person with Wind Lightning Wings appeared. It was obvious Si Jing was not attacking Song Qingyi. If she did not make that move, the person would strike Song Qingyi.


    This time, it appeared a chain that was woven by the lightning on Si Jing''s throne. It tied her up completely and her face became pale due to the pain.


    Song Qingyi turned and echoed, "Who are you?"


    The weird man spread his Wind Lightning Wings. Immediately, the sound of thunder and wind echoed across the hall. He looked at Song Qingyi coldly but he did not reply.


    Si Jing, in the chain of lightning, said word by word, "He is Thor, my ancestor."


    Song Qingyi sighed and said, "Why did you stop Thor? Now, seeing you suffering, I felt sorry for my brother, Shen Lian."


    Si Jing whispered, "You are Shen Lian''s friend. I could not let them hurt you."


    Song Qingyi smiled and stated, "Shen Lian asked me here to protect you, not for you to protect me."


    He had a pen in his hand. The pointed end of the pen was crystal clear, like a diamond. It was filled with the Qi of humanity and civilization and it seemed that it was able to write the Spring and Autumn and set the laws.


    When Thor saw the pen, he could not help but to be affected.


    His knowledgeable experience told him that this pen came from an unusual source and he could sense danger.


    Then his sense of danger turned into fear because a lotus lantern floated above the hall. The lamplight could bring heat but he felt cold from head to toe.


    The surging hot Qi appeared and wrapped Thor. Then, the smoke rose slowly and Thor vanished completely.


    Song Qingyi was slightly surprised. He thought that there would be a tough fight but the opponent left due to fear.


    The smoke and dust were swept away by a Qing Guang. Then, a man holding a lotus lamp walked towards Si Jing.


    He put the lotus lantern under the chains of the lightning. Under the lamplight, the chains melted and Si Jing was no longer tied.


    She hugged the man and cried for a moment.


    Shen Lian patted her shoulder and coaxed, "Don''t cry. You might be teased."


    Si Jing became shy. After some time, she looked at Shen Lian. She had not seen him for a long time and so she could not bear to move her eyes away.


    Song Qingyi laughed, "You came right in time."


    Shen Lian thanked him, "Thanks for your effort, Song Qingyi."


    Song Qingyi replied, "I did not help much and let the monarch suffered."


    Si Jing defended, "Senior Qingyi, it was actually not painful. Thor would not harm me too."


    Shen Lian responded, "Tell me. What''s the matter?"


    "Thor was the ancestor of Youhu and also a loyal subject of Si Wenming, the Founder Xia Kingdom. Together with Lei family, he found me and wanted me to be the new king of Xia Kingdom but I did not agree," Si Jing explained.


    Shen Lian continued, "There were no disadvantages of becoming the new king of Xia Kingdom. You did not have to worry about me."


    Si Jing said, "You know that I do not like these responsibilities. If possible, I hope that I can hide in an unnamed mountain and practice cultivation."


    Shen Lian pointed out, "Silly child, there is no pure land in this world. You said that the Thor was a loyal subject of Si Wenming, perhaps it was only in the past. Now, his identity is not so simple."


    Puzzled, Si Jing asked, "What do you mean?"


    Shen Lian picked up the chain that was not melted from the floor and blew it. The debris scattered like the sand wind. What remained was a little unique Qi of Dao. It reminded people of the start of everything and the source of all origins.

 Chapter 691 - Daoist Master Qingshui

    When Shen Lian laid out his fingertips to touch that Qi of Dao, lotus flowers started to blossom instantaneously. They were mesmerizingly beautiful.


    He said, "These Qi of Dao contain the imprints of Yuxu Palace. He must have learned the Yuqing Celestial Method before."


    Song Qingyi was astonished. He mentioned, "I believe this is not a matter of concern. After all, Qing Xuan is also an orthodoxy of Daoist Master Taiyi."


    Shen Lian said, "No, it is different. Qing Xuan can only be considered as Daoist Master Taiyi''s supplementary branch of orthodoxy while Yuxu Palace is the primary descendant of Daoist Master Yuqing. It is currently an existence that is secondary to Daoists figures."


    Song Qingyi asked worriedly, "This is troublesome. Are they working against you?"


    Shen Lian said, "This is not important for I will resolve it."


    Si Jing suppressed her urge to speak. Ultimately, she was biased towards Shen Lian. Moreover, though Thor was her ancestor, they did not have a close relationship.


    Song Qingyi said, "No matter what happens, I will support you."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I do have a request."


    Undoubtedly, Song Qingyi would not decline. He did not worry that Shen Lian would give him insurmountable requests for he knew that Shen Lian would not cause him too much trouble just as he would not trouble him as well.


    If there was no trust between the both of them, their relationship would not mean anything.


    Having lived in this world, it was not necessary to say certain things. Some people need not be suspected as well.


    ...


    There was a desert outside the Zhou nation where no water could be found. A beautiful lady clad in green appeared amidst the desert. Thunders roared in front of her and Thor who had a pair of Wind Lightning Wings appeared.


    Thor remained in the void. The Wing Lightning Wings flapped to arouse sandstorms. However, the sand vanished when they reached the lady clad in green. There was a scorching heat of celestial force in front of that lady. Although it was not fire, that force was even more terrifying than fire. She was the Hanba, the Goddess of Drought. She was a deity and also a heavenly lady. Thus, she was unfathomable.


    Thor said, "You are more afraid of him than I do."


    Hanba said, "That is because he has the ability to destroy me."


    "According to what you have said, it is likely that he had obtained the inheritance of Daoist Master Shangqing?" Thor asked with a deep voice.


    Hanba said, "I am not certain about this. However, since Yuxu Palace suspects him, why not defeat him immediately?"


    Thor said, "After all, he has learned Daoist Master Shangqing''s Taixu strategy. The two little masters will not dare to take actions carelessly if this matter was not confirmed for they have to respect both Daoist Masters Qingshui and Taiyi."


    Hanba asked, "Who is Daoist Master Qingshui?"


    Thor replied, "It was rumored that she is the daughter of Daoist Master Taiyi but no one could verify this claim. However, she is a rare and talented cultivator. Though the two little masters have much more cultivation experiences than she does, they might not be able to suppress her."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "No matter what happens, we have to lure him to expose his secret. That two little masters have been watching over us. If we do not accomplish this task successfully, our lives may come to an end."


    Hanba groaned for awhile and said, "I can continue this but you have to tell me Si Wenming''s whereabouts. He left too hurriedly and abandoned me in the Netherworld. I want to know what happened."


    Thor said, "The King is cultivating in the depths of the universe. I am not very aware of the details."


    As Hanba was about to speak, she saw the petrified mein of Thor. Subsequently, she realized that her body was burning in flames. The flame was greenish-white and did not inflict any pain. Nonetheless, her divine powers were waning continuously. Suddenly, she realized that she might not be able to see Si Wenming forever.


    From Thor''s perspective, there was a lotus seat underneath Hanba''s feet. The flames appeared from that lotus seat. When it appeared, he and Hanba had no reactions.


    What was more terrifying was that without being notified by the Thor, Hanba would not realize that her body was burning in flames. This mysterious supernatural power was truly petrifying.


    The lotus seat remained still as the flames refined Hanba orderly. However, she had no energy to resist the flames.


    Thor flapped his wings continuously. Raging wind and thunder charged towards the lotus seat with a mighty force. A layer of thin light resisted his force of wind and thunder. Subsequently, the light absorbed all of his force.


    Even when Thor utilized greater mana, nothing could be helped. The powers of this lotus lantern had exceeded his expectations.


    Hanba seemed rather wretched. All of her hair had disappeared. She said, "Find Si Wenming and let him avenge for me. He owes me."


    Thor nodded helplessly and witnessed Hanba transforming into ashes.


    After Hanba''s death, heavy clouds appeared in the skies of Zhou nation. Promptly, rain started pouring on the drylands. As the lands were watered by the rain, the whole nation seemed to have reborn.


    Shen Lian and Song Qingyi only appeared after Thor took his leave. Song Qingyi picked up the lotus lantern and said astonishingly, "The unification of noble Qi with this numinous treasure of the path of Shen actually could produce such marvelous force."


    Shen Lian replied carelessly, "This was a merger of humanity with the path of Shen. Even the force of heaven has to avoid it. Hence, it is not surprising for it to possess such a great force."


    Song Qingyi asked, "How did you know about this?"


    Shen Lian replied, "That is because I know a lot of things."


    Song Qingyi said, "It seems like you need a good round of beatings."


    Shen Lian replied Song Qingyi formally, "You are unable to defeat me."


    When he finished speaking, Song Qingyi laughed and said, "You look better than ever. In fact, you should joke around more often. I always feel that you are troubled by too many burdensome issues. Yet, you are reluctant to share your concerns."


    Shen Lian said, "I thought you would not ask even if you knew about it."


    Song Qingyi replied to him earnestly, "As a friend, I should not ask. If you want to mention it, you would have told me. Nonetheless, no matter what happens, how you have changed or how much attainment you have reaped, I only hope that you are as happy as you were before."


    Shen Lian remained silent. He stared at the golden sand on the floor and said, "I can still recall the day we met each other in the desert. It was thousands of years ago. Things have changed drastically since then, like a dream. Whoever thought that we could still be alive in the world after thousands of years?"


    Song Qingyi said, "During those times, you tried so hard to deceive me. I thought you were only an ordinary cultivator. Who knew that you would accomplish such an astounding task? In fact, I am proud and at the same time, envious of your accomplishments."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "I will treat that as a compliment."


    Song QIngyi said, "I thought you would say that you merely completed a small task."


    Shen Lian waved his hand and said, "Those are truly major tasks. Moreover, you have to believe that I, Shen Lian, have many greater tasks to accomplish. You, Song Qingyi shall not perish beforehand or I would have no one to boast to."


    Song Qingyi burst into laughter and said, "I shall wait and see."


    Shen Lian replied, "Just wait and see."


    His eyes were filled with the sight of the sunset. This world was so beautiful. How could he just leave carelessly? No matter what, he would never perish. He wanted to experience all of the beautiful things in the world, forever and ever.


    Shen Lian''s form disappeared gradually amidst the rays of the setting sun.


    On the other side in Biyou Palace, the battle between Shen Lian''s original form and the Primeval Demon had also reached its crucial point.

 Chapter 692 - Thread of Love

    Shen Lian had never felt so cold before. But this coldness should not be described as such. It should be called numbness instead. In his heart, there were some budding emotions. However, they did not emerge.


    Though the Primeval Demon did not manage to annihilate Shen Lian''s consciousness, he had eradicated his emotions. He transformed his consciousness into a perfected diamond. It was strong, pure and uncontaminated by other impurities.


    This seemed beneficial for it appeared like he could reach the profound state of Dao- Taishang Wangqing.


    In actual fact, this was not the case. He was rid of emotions and had become absolutely rational. Therefore, he would only reach one conclusion after careful deliberation and analysis in his mind - the will of Primeval Demon could not be destroyed by his own conscious.


    He was definitely in a clear state of mind and extremely rational. Hence, the prediction of this conclusion was naturally the absolute truth. The cruelest thing in the world was not embarking on a path that leads towards desolation, it was the understanding that one had already embarked on a journey towards desolation.


    Of course, the claim that Shen Lian had embarked on a path of desolation was exaggerated. After all, the Primeval Demon could not do anything with Shen Lian for the latter had lost his seven affections and six desires. Thus, Shen Lian''s raw form was closely similar to Primeval Demon''s will of unborn and indestructibility.


    In fact, Shen Lian''s will was flexible and could grow continuously.


    Therefore, the Primeval Demon transformed into a chilling storm. He wanted to dispatch Shen Lian''s will. However, he did not succeed. From Shen Lian''s point of view, if the battle remained stalemate, it meant that he had failed.


    Moreover, as someone who had lost seven affections and six desires, he was left with a bare conscious. This meant that he had lost protection given that the desire to love was not merely the dust that blindfolds one''s conscious, it was also a shield for protection.


    "You proclaim that you are someone with emotions. Do you still think of yourself that way?" Primeval Demon''s voice was like chills from the depths of Nine Underworlds that could dispatch all spirits.


    Shen Lian replied, "It would be a fresh new experience to live without emotions. Without you, I may not be able to experience it."


    The Primeval Demon said, "You think that this is a good thing?"


    "This is an unanswerable question for I no longer feel happy nor sad. I am only left with absolute rationality," Shen Lian told him straightforwardly.


    The Primeval Demon asked casually, "Can we cooperate now?"


    Shen Lian replied, "No."


    The Primeval Demon let out a ''Yi'' sound out of surprise. Based on his understanding, this lad had lost the desire to love. Thus, only the notion of pros and cons would be left in his heart. There was no reason for him to decline his offer.


    Suddenly, Shen Lian ''laughed''. From the Primeval Demon''s perspective, Shen Lian''s ''laughter'' was more terrifying than any other techniques. This was because it was impossible for Shen Lian to laugh for he had lost all emotions.


    Although Shen Lian''s ''laughter'' did not seem genuine, it was a sincere gesture. This clearly indicated that his laughter was filled with emotions.


    At this point in time, a thread appeared on the incarnation of Shen Lian''s pure conscious. It was extremely abstruse.


    The Primeval Demon mentioned gravely, "The thread of love."


    The hardest entanglement to escape from in the world was not the Inescapable Net nor the pervasive existence of fate. It was the net of love. Even someone as mighty as Da Yi could not escape from it.


    The reason why this net was so difficult to resolve was that the thread of love was a creation of living creatures'' subtlest emotion. Given that it was untraceable, even the best cultivator might not be able to realize its presence.


    Shen Lian was able to reproduce emotions owing to this thread of love.


    He laid out his fingertips while the thread of love entangled them. Suddenly, a net of love appeared. The howling wind transformed by the Primeval Demon was subsequently entangled by the net.


    Although the Primeval Demon had seen countless supreme techniques, he had never once seen a person utilizing the thread of romance as a supernatural power. It was never heard of nor witnessed before.


    He was originally the Primeval Demon who had a free state of mind and was unrestrained like flowing streams. Nevertheless, he had been entangled by this net and could not resolve it.


    That thread of love had the force to obfuscate and revert order. Even his will of unborn and indestructibility started to drift apart.


    Shen Lian kept his net. Finally, his divine Qi was at peace.


    In Biyou Palace, Shen Lian''s Primordial Spirit appeared and turned into the Yin and Yang Taichi. It turned slowly and transformed into a human form. Ultimately, a Daoist was created from the Daoist robe of a Yin and Yang Taichi cultivator.


    At the same time, the whole of Zhou nation produced an unexplained quake. This quake was alike to the budding of a young plant from the soil.


    Jing Shu sensed the change originating from Biyou Palace. As she walked towards Biyou Palace, she saw Shen Lian coming out from it.


    Apart from his garments, Jing Shu did not realize other forms of changes. Though she still felt some changes in him, she was not able to describe it.


    Kui Li arrived too. She looked towards Shen Lian and asked, "What breakthrough have you accomplished?"


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "It is hard to say but I would like to tell a story."


    Jing Shu asked, "What story?"


    Shen Lian said, "What do you want to hear?"


    Jing Shu rolled her eyes and said, "No more nonsense."


    Shen Lian placed his hands behind his back, smiled and said, "There was a fish in Bei Ming. Its name was Kun. It was so huge such that the size of a pot could not contain it. It transformed into a bird and was named Peng. Peng was so big such that two barbecue stands were needed��."


    Before he could finish, Jing Shu had already attacked with the Heavy waters of Xuan Ming. A huge ocean appeared and stormed towards Shen Lian. Nonetheless, Shen Lian simply laid a Taichi and the ocean was subsequently absorbed like how whales devoured water. He performed it with ease.


    Shen Lian arrived at Jing Shu''s side and grasped onto her hand that wanted to cast another attack. An enormous yet mild force of Dao was channeled. Jing Shu could no longer initiate an attack easily.


    Instead of awaiting her scoldings, Shen Lian spoke calmly, "Do not joke anymore."


    His tone was not alarming nor stern. However, it sounded magnanimous like it could reach the opposite island with ease. It was rather calming. Jing Shu held back her reprimands and heard Shen Lian said, "When waters were dried, the fishes had nowhere to escape to. They breathed out moisten air bubbles for each other and smeared foam from their mouths on the gills of other fishes. Instead of living in such torment, why not the each other and live freely in other rivers and lakes?"


    Jing Shu said, "These are the words of Zhuangzi. What is the significance in reciting it?"


    Shen Lian spoke softly, "Are not both of us the fishes?"


    Stunned, Jing Shu said, "You are chasing me away?"


    Shen Lian replied formally, "No, we are forgetting each other to live a better life."


    Kui Li held onto Jing Shu. She glanced towards Shen Lian in a queer manner and said, "Sister, let us leave."


    Though Jing Shu was unwilling, she still adhered to Kui Li''s suggestion. Both of them vanished amidst the shadows of the clouds.


    Shen Lian watched them leave and started to gather the people of Zhou nation and Fahai. He wanted to defeat Yinshang within a short period of time so as to unite the Netherworld.


    ��


    Amongst the clouds, Jing Shu spoke angrily, "He did not even leave a word when we left."


    Kui Li said, "Sister Jing Shu, are you and Shen Lian lying to me about something?"


    Jing Shu replied, "No."


    Kui Li said, "I understand that you may not want to mention it. However, this issue might be related to the reason why Shen Lian asked us to leave."


    Before Jing Shu could answer, five colored divine lights appeared at the skyline. She furrowed and said, "Your people of the Palace of the Undead are here."


    That five colored divine lights came swiftly and transformed into a young lad. He told Kui Li, "I am here to request for young master''s return on behalf of the Hall master."


    Kui Li said plainly, "Why did he ask me to return? We are intolerable of each other anyway."


    The young lad replied, "I am not sure about this."


    Jing Shu said, "Since we have nothing to do, why not bring me along to the Palace of the Undead?"

 Chapter 693 - Heart of Destruction

    Jing Shu thought to herself since she had involved herself in such a huge karma, she would not be able to return to Palace Yaoshi. Moreover, Shen Lian had asked her to leave too. Though the world had many places, there were not many suitable places for her. Hence, Palace of the Undead was a decent place to go to.


    Therefore, when Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� ordered someone to request for Kui Li''s return, she willingly supported the idea.


    Since Jing Shu had agreed on behalf of Kui Li, she did not reject the request any further. Nonetheless, she still missed Shen Lian. If she insisted not to return, Jing Shu might make unnecessary comments and embarrass her. Thus, Kui Li said, "I will return."


    As she was not someone who lingers, she returned with the lad that came from the Palace of the Undead promptly. The young lad was relieved since his mission was successfully completed. He was more composed.


    They did not know that their actions were overseen by Shen Lian. He only stopped watching when the three of them left Netherworld. His decision for them to leave was for Jing Shu and Kui Li''s own good. Shen Lian had predicted the arrival of the people from Palace of the Undead. Hence, he took this opportunity and ordered them to leave.


    Once Shen Lian''s secret was exposed, the Palace of the Undead might not be able to protect Jing Shu. However, there was still some hope. Moreover, as Jing Shu was from Yaoshi Palace, there would be differences in perspectives in the long-term despite their amicable relationship. In the future, they might even hinder each other.


    From Shen Lian''s point of view, the union of Netherworld and refining this devastated Nine Underworlds was a task that would naturally be accomplished. His obstacle was actually the need to obtain the imprints of Yuqing and Taiqing. It was almost impossible to accomplish that.


    Nevertheless, he was left with no other options. As his cultivation experiences were increased, his Primordial Spirit had grown even faster. Within a span of thousands of years, his Primordial Spirit might be able to reach the state of Daluo whereby others needed to cultivate theirs for tens of thousands of years. Some even needed hundreds of thousands of years.


    Although this seemed beneficial, he felt increasingly threatened by the impending God''s punishment as his Primordial Spirit grew continuously. Moreover, his psychological trauma had been worsening.


    God''s punishment was not like any other trial of Dao. It was a trial of death.


    Naturally, the trial of death was dictated by the laws of heavens to disallow him to have any possibility of survival. Only people like Daoists who had detached could defy the God''s punishment and escape the trial of death. If he did not want to die, he had to seek for the only chance of survival. That was to collect all imprints of the Three Pristines.


    In addition, he had a major problem to face. If his cultivation experiences increased rapidly, God''s punishment would occur earlier. Nonetheless, it was impossible to successfully collect all of the imprints if he did not have supreme abilities. In face of this dilemma, other people would already be in despair.


    Shen Lian was also desperate. However, he was different for he had understood the state of forgetting one another in hopes of better lives. In fact, the story mentioned before had another marvelous adage, ''Instead of extolling Yao while reprimanding Jie, it would be better to forget and deem their doings as a result of the laws of nature''. In other words, one should forget everything and integrate himself with the great path of Dao instead of being troubled by the goods and bads.


    Forgetting the rights and wrongs was a natural principle. Only then can one face everything.


    Under Yi Zhi''s ruling, the Zhou nation had become a union of cultivators and mortal civilization. The difference between celestials and mortals was the slow pace of eradication. For cultivators, this was necessarily non-beneficial. However, it was advantageous for a country.


    Cultivators'' qualities of being unrestrained and free-willed contradicted a country''s intention of amassing power through violence.


    Amongst this contradiction, there was a commonality. This was why Yi Zhi was so abled. He had found this commonality, or rather he had created a balance.


    Of course, the foundation of this balance came from Shen Lian.


    Yi Zhi stared at Shen Lian while he was writing. In actuality, Yi Zhi did not know Shen Lian well. This was not because Shen Lian was too mysterious. Instead, it was because Shen Lian could improve continuously. Whenever one thought he was nearing Shen Lian''s level, he would progress massively in a blink of an eye. Before you could realize, he was already extremely powerful.


    In the face of such a figure, any opponents would be in despair. Fortunately, Yi Zhi was on Shen Lian''s side. Not being Shen Lian''s foe was a blessing.


    When Shen Lian practiced his writings, it seemed extremely natural. Every movement of his hand or feet was perfect. Such perfection was indeed admirable.


    Many a time, you would not know the ways to achieve perfection. However, some people were able to display perfection such that you need not toil to imagine the beauty of it since you can view their works directly.


    The ink dried when Shen Lian stopped writing. As such, Yi Zhi could see what Shen Lian had written.


    It was a passage.


    Although he was a self-controlled person, he started to read this passage irresistibly when he saw it:


    If I was born as trees, I would flourish to prosperity; If I was born as grass, I would thrive to blossom in green. There was no need to admire towering trees despite being a small grass for I could still grow into a lush of greens.


    This was not a long passage but it encompassed an irresistible energy that touched Yi Zhi.


    When he finished, he said admirably, "The essence of Daoism was actually delineated by you in a vernacular passage. This is unbelievable."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "These are not my thoughts. It originated from a book I once read before."


    Yi Zhi asked, "What book?"


    Shen Lian smiled but did not reply to him. He took the piece of writing and hung it to the right side of the throne in the main hall. This passage came from a novel. In fact, he preferred the title of the novel- ''Heart of Destruction''.


    This was because the name ''Heart of Destruction'' was a portrayal of his current state.


    After all, he had cultivated Daoist Master Shangqing''s supreme art of Spiritual Enhancement and was about to face destruction from God''s punishment.


    That passage was a brief introduction of ''Heart of Destruction''. It was also a reflection of his current state of mind.


    Both of them remained silent for a while before Shen Lian broke the silence and said, "Can they pass the formation created by The Flying Celestial Formation Chart with ease and familiarity?"


    Yi Zhi replied, "Yes they can. Moreover, that little celestial master Su Xiuqing is very talented. She created a kind of spirit-amassing rune whereby cultivators'' can channel their mana into it. Amidst battles, this spirit-amassing rune can help to replenish mana when all mana has been used. This provided much help to cultivators who had not reach the state of Huandan."


    Shen Lian nodded and said, "This young lady is truly talented. Moreover, Dao of Talisman has a greater suitability than the cultivation of Qi. I believe the research of Dao of Talisman will become the mainstream of Zhou nation in no time."


    Yi Zhi hesitated and said, "However, if this happens, cultivators would prioritize external goods. This reduces the training of their conscious. In the future, not many could attain immortality."


    Shen Lian said, "Every art is different. Dao of Talisman is also a path of Dao. If those who attained immortality did not understand the path of Dao, they are merely ordinary beings who led a long life."


    Yi Zhi let out a sigh in his heart. Only figures like Shen Lian can make such statements.


    In addition, the Dao of Talisman could benefit many people and reduce the number of Qi cultivators. As such, it could reduce the depleting pace of spiritual vigor which was commonly used by men. Thus, this was very beneficial for the whole of Netherworld.

 Chapter 694 - This is My Era

    Numerous days have passed in the mortal world. Lately, there were some changes in Zhou nation. However, they were not related to the mortals.


    The essence of treasures in the world and inextinguishable divine aura shot through the air. The cultivators were preparing for an impending war. A hundred thousand Qing Xuan cultivators experienced rapid improvements after they arrived at the Netherworld.


    After all, there was abundant Qi of vitality in the Netherworld.


    On that day, it snowed. A hundred thousand cultivators gathered themselves amidst the feather-like snow. This included the group of Fahai deities. Even the spiritual vigor that was dispersed unknowingly could amalgamate into a terrifying spirit river.


    The snowflakes floated in the air but none landed on the places which were occupied by the cultivators.


    Shen Lian appeared. When he came, the snow and wind stopped. The floating snowflakes froze in the air and displayed its crystalline beauty. Each edge was equally mesmerizing.


    Shen Lian was clad in a simple, pale-blue Daoist robe. It was alike to the pure azure sky and blue ocean. The red cinnabar dot between his eyebrows caused him to appear more elegant and noble. It was as if a Buddha or Daoist had arrived in the mortal world.


    None of the cultivators made ill-mannered gestures. Everyone was composed and paid full attention to Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian''s gaze was directed at the one hundred thousand cultivators. Every cultivator stood high-spiritedly as if Shen Lian''s gaze was on each of them.


    It was silent and no one spoke.


    After a moment, Shen Lian started to speak. His penetrable voice which seemed like it could reach the opposite islands was heard by everyone wholeheartedly. Without any impassioned emotions, he made a statement calmly, "This is my era.".


    Amongst the cultivators, Su Xiuqing felt extremely energized despite being a lady. Zhenren Shen had conveyed the most domineering notion with the calmest tone. It was not ''our'' era but ''my'' era.


    Such a conclusion was supposedly derived through historical anecdotes but Shen Lian had proclaimed himself. No one could object his proclamation for this was truly Zhenren Shen''s era.


    If there was a protagonist in the heaven and earth, it was indisputably Zhenren Shen.


    They were witnessing a legend!


    When Shen Lian made this statement, the notion of conquering the world radiated throughout the sky and earth. It was more invigorating than any marvelous war drummers.


    A Flying Celestial Formation Chart appeared gradually and expanded. In a blink of an eye, everyone was in an expansive void of space. They found their places with familiarity.


    "Move out."


    The Flying Celestial Formation Chart carried a hundred thousand cultivators and headed for Yinshang. It seemed as unstoppable as the heaven''s prestige.


    The sky of Yinshang darkened and everyone in Yinshang felt a heavy suppression that could not be uplifted.


    There was a fissure in the void outside Zhaoge city. It expanded in size and a spiritual cloud appeared. A massive Qi dynamic was suppressing the Zhaoge city.


    A celestial chart appeared amongst the spiritual cloud. It swirled slowly as if it was about to guide the whole of Netherland to whirl with it.


    Lighting stoke and a storm were aroused.


    In Zhaoge city, a floating imperial palace rose. Within the palace, Tianyi crossed his hands behind his back as he looked towards the celestial chart. Inside the chart, deities arranged themselves in rows and countless cultivators were present. They manipulated the Qi of vitality and amassed terrifying Daoist techniques in preparation for the battle against Yinshang.


    Gradually, Shen Lian appeared outside the floating imperial palace. With empty sleeves, he looked towards Tianyi.


    He did not utter a word given that any form of comments was of no use.


    However, Tianyi had something to say. He mentioned, "In actuality, I am from a place beyond the heavens."


    Shen Lian glanced at him and said, "I know."


    Tianyi said, "I will not let you have the Netherworld."


    Shen Lian replied, "I do understand this."


    Tianyi smiled and said, "Let us battle then."


    Though his laughter was filled with bitterness, there were no signs of despair.


    Tianyi''s imperial robe moved silently and millions of divine lights appeared. Mighty Qi of vitality stormed towards Shen Lian. It seemed that Qian Kun could be established with a single punch.


    Shen Lian cast a glance coldly and a painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale appeared in the air. It had mountains, geographical landscapes, the sun, moon, stars and even the secular mortal world. It encompassed everything.


    It engulfed Tianyi''s fist immediately and proceeded to envelop his whole body. As Tianyi was situated in that particular part of the world, he had lost all contacts with Yinshang. Mountains and rivers started to charge towards him restlessly.


    These visions were not illusions. They were genuine mountains and rivers.


    Sometimes, a person''s energy would be worn-out. How could Tianyi sustain a whole world just by himself?


    Moreover, infinite divine lights started to surge Shen Lian''s body. The lights integrated into the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale so as to increase its mighty force.


    "Shen Qingxuan, accept your death," an appalling voice roared. The sky eye on Wen Zhong''s forehead opened and infinite thunder was released. It appeared as if it could shatter time and space and annihilate the heavens.


    He rode on the black Qilin and had a mighty celestial prestige. About ten ancient cultivators with profound mana followed him. Each had majestic Qi dynamic and was nearing celestialism.


    Such a terrifying force it was. United, they would be able to devastate any Daoist sects on the Qing Xuan Earth and Star instantaneously.


    Shen Lian remained silent. With only a punch, overwhelming mana ruptured the blue sky. It was as if the scene of devastation had appeared. This punch did not merely shatter time and space, it had also disrupted the laws.


    One hundred thousand cultivators in the Flying Celestial Formation Chart along with the deities were stunned.


    Zhenren Shen was truly petrifying. His abilities had far exceeded their expectations.


    At that very moment, Shen Lian was alike to the time when Buddha attained Dao. Despite being attacked by demons from all directions, one could cover the past and present with a palm. One could travel through the heaven and earth in all directions. No place was untravelled and no foe was found.


    Wen Zhong was startled by the hardness of that terrifying punch. An appalling turbulence was created in the void. The black Qilin wailed uncontrollably as blood started to flow out from his body like the water of a fountain.


    Several ancient cultivators who followed Wen Zhong were unable to sustain the colossal and terrifying attack. Ultimately, their celestial bodies exploded.


    Shen Lian still remained silent. Suddenly, the Flying Celestial Formation jerked. The mighty Qi dynamic targeted against Wen Zhong and his men. This prevented them from approaching Shen Lian.


    Shen Lian replaced his focus on Tianyi. The floating imperial palace charged towards Shen Lian amidst the unstabilized void''s turbulence. There were about twenty cultivators in the palace who were nearing the state of heavenly immortals. Even Shen Lian''s old friends, Chang Shengzi and Wuding were amongst them.


    In Wuding''s heart, memories shared between him and Shen Lian appeared. The most vivid moment he could recall was the time when the both of them sat together for a drink.


    It passed like a dream and sorrow was all that was left.


    He did not know how things had developed into such a state. Perhaps, this was fate.


    Starlights started to burn in flames while a long knife slit through the sky and appeared. Wuding was determined to fight. Emboldened by the Flying Stars Incantation, he became a burning star. It brightened up the heaven and earth and charged towards Shen Lian murderously.


    Shen Lian laid out his fingertips softly to resist the starlights. Gradually, the lights vanished.


    The long knife was shattered into pieces. Surprisingly, Wuding''s knife which was charged with full vitality did not manage to defeat Shen Lian''s finger.


    He heard Shen Lian''s voice that said, "Your knife technique has not been fully practiced. You can seek for me after five thousand years, " Subsequently, he disappeared without anyone''s notice, flew out of the blue sky and entered into the unseen.


    Others were not as fortunate as Wuding. Shen Lian''s fingers pointed out continuously like a deadly judge who was killing living creatures by penning down their names on the Register of Life and Death. Not even one could escape his life-threatening finger.


    Shen Lian clearly displayed the quality of '' Wusheng 1 '' as he used Zhao Xiaoyu''s Wusheng Finger. Even if the founder of Luo Order reappeared, he might not be able to survive such an attack.


    ������is pronounced as ''wu'' ''sheng'' respectively. It means ''no survival''.

 Chapter 695 - Yuding

    In Mount of Youdu where the Underworld Demon Sect dominated, countless demon troops stood silently. Ye Liuyun who was on the Avici Throne stared at the pond of blood up front. The magnificent sight was Shen Lian''s battling scenes.


    The scene was so appalling that even evil spirits were petrified.


    At this point in time, Shen Lian''s hands moved. The mighty force of the sun and the moon swept away everything. Its Qi of vitality was much greater than any huge tides. The bright fluorescence seemed like it wanted to shine on immortality from the past.


    Everything in the space and time was blurred and toppled.


    In the face of such horrifying view, the master of the Evil Spirit exclaimed, "Qing Xuan is too terrifying. Even our old Sect Master might not be compatible with him."


    He was filled with bitterness when he made this statement. It could be said that the late master of the Underworld Demon sect was a well-known demon ruler who could traverse the galaxy with ease. However, Shen Lian''s celestial prestige was too impressive and superseded the image he had of the late master.


    Prior to this, Shen Lian had devastated the Xia Kingdom and murdered Emperor Xia. Even though he appeared indomitable, he was not as powerful to invoke desperation amongst others. Moreover, the one hundred thousand cultivators on the Flying Celestial Formation Chart along with the deities was a force that could subvert Yinshang. As they united with remarkable celestials like Shen Lian, its force was so mighty that it could not be undermined.


    Shen Lian''s celestial prestige became increasingly powerful. At least one experienced cultivator that was pointed by his finger would perish from the place. There was no exception. Tianyi quivered in fear for he was suppressed in a small piece of heaven and earth. This was his tribe but he was unable to provide help.


    Similar to his last dying moments, he felt a sense of helplessness emerging in his heart of Dao and it was subsequently transformed into unwillingness and dissent. Finally, Tianyi experienced some changes in the small piece of heaven and earth in the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. From head to toe, he turned pure green and was changed into pure white right after. The change stopped from then.


    Unknowingly, a force was supplemented onto his body. He attacked with a punch and successfully wrecked the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth. He had returned to the void.


    Yinshang''s fate was inadvertently draped on his body. This caused a continuous expansion of his vital force. In an instant, Shen Lian had already performed a thousand spells against Tianyi''s Primordial Spirit of the Nine Transformation. However, the attacks were to no avail.


    At this point in time, Tianyi seemed to be unharmed by all spells.


    He had a vital force that made Shen Lian''s heart flutter. It was the vital force of a Daoist.


    It seemed like Shen Lian''s celestial eyes could see through everything. He said, "Primeval Yuqing."


    Tianyi released divine lights continuously. Those Yinshang cultivators who were forced to flee ignominiously under Shen Lian''s use of celestial methods gathered behind Tianyi. Finally, they were able to escape their death trials.


    Tianyi said, "Not bad. Without you, I may not be able to complete the Art of Nine Transformation successfully and cultivate this Primeval deity body. From now onwards, I will not die nor be destroyed and there is nothing you can do."


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "I finally understood."


    Tianyi asked, "What is it?"


    "It is such a pity to weave yearly and have it given away to others as their bridal suite," sighed Shen Lian. He actually took pity on him.


    Before Tianyi could reply, he covered his face out of a sudden and started to wail. Ultimately, both of his hands fell off like two wooden blocks and no longer moved.


    His appearance changed drastically like the Sichuan opera face Shen Lian once saw. Suddenly, his face was changed into someone else''s appearance and was changed back into Tianyi''s face right after. Ultimately, it was still changed into a stranger''s appearance.


    This person was charming but he had a murderous aura inherently. It was as if he could annihilate all evil doctrines and invalid Dao sects so as to emerge as a self-conceited ruler.


    One by one, the Yinshang cultivators behind him exploded. They transformed into clear qi and entered this person''s body. At the same time, every inch of Yinshang''s land was covered with blood rain.


    Shen Lian asked, "Should I call you Tianyi or Yuding?"


    This person replied simply, "Anything will do."


    The imperial robe on him had vanished and was replaced by a flowing feathered garment. A simple celestial sword appeared on his back. However, no murderous aura was radiated.


    Shen Lian was familiar with such situations. If it was not because of him, Tianyi will suffer through Ruoxi''s predicament. The reason why Tianyi managed to successfully cultivate Yuxu''s Art of Nine Transformation was that he had become the reincarnation of Yuding.


    Shen Lian said, "I shall call you Yuding."


    Yuding said, "You are truly the chosen one by uncle-master. However, let us end this game here. Uncle-master was once defeated and he will still remain defeated."


    Shen Lian asked, "Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother was also murdered by you?"


    Yuding replied plainly, "Yes. In fact, he had more potential than you. If uncle-master had chosen him, I may be more troubled."


    Shen Lian nodded and said, "In terms of cultivation, Chen Senior Apprentice-Brother was indeed more talented than I am. Nevertheless, this game will not end here. After all, I am the man of destiny."


    Yuding smiled and said, "The so-called destiny is the will of my Yuxu Palace. Killing you would mean that my trial in this world is almost reaching its end. The resentments between Yuqing and Shangqing will be resolved as well."


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "If you came in your true body, I would definitely face my death. However, no matter how you try, you would only contribute to this reincarnated body. It seems like some things do not happen in the way you wish it would."


    Yuding finally started to scrutinize Shen Lian closely. He said, "You are one good lad."


    Truly, he did not have full control over the whole situation. Nevertheless, this no longer mattered. In the face of a definite force, all predictions were as fragile as thin paper for they could be easily deciphered.


    ...


    There was a celestial mountain in the realm of dreamland. The size of this mountain was unknown but it was definitely the biggest celestial mountain in the realm of dreamland. It was called Kunlun.


    There was a time where all Three Pristine Daoist Masters cultivated at Kunlun. In the end, only Daoist Master Yuqing was left. Kunlun Mountain was colossal and expansive. Nonetheless, there was only a palace on this mountain. This palace was named Yuxu Palace.


    Since ancient times, there were no demons who dared to enter Yuxu Palace for Daoist Master Yuqing did not like demons. This was a well-known fact.


    No one dared to offend the Daoist''s authority.


    However, there appeared an exception. Yuxu Palace was enveloped in an infinite five colored divine lights. If the five colored divine lights used by Kui Li was a stream, the five colored divine lights here was an ocean.


    As it enveloped Yuxu Palace, no one was able to exit nor enter the palace.


    This was because everyone knew that the five colored divine lights absorbed everything. It was rumored that even Daoists'' deity bodies were absorbed by it before.


    As Yuxu Palace was able to erect amidst the tides of the five colored divine lights, it meant that the Daoist had great abilities.


    A magnificent Dao voice rang from the palace, "Kong Xuan, how dare you provoke us in Yuxu Palace just because you had the support prestige person in Mount Fang Cun?"


    "You and I are both Daluo. If you become the Hall Master of Yuxu Palace, are you considered as the Primeval Lord of Heaven?" A man appeared amongst the tides of five colored divine lights. It was rather difficult to describe this man. He was clad in white and appeared as haughty as the cold frost. The manner where he looked at all beings with disdain had indicated that he would not be suppressed by anyone.


    "Alright, since you dare to call my teacher by name, you will never be forgiven. Yuxu Palace had been in peace for a long time. Now, use your spiritual form to intimidate these people so as to deter them from challenging us so recklessly," his tone was filled with killing aura. Clearly, he wanted to use the new Daluo, Mah��-may��r��-vidy��-r��j?�� to manifest Yuxu''s celestial prestige.


    Kong Xuan mentioned plainly, "I would like to see how much you have improved since your bestowments."

 Chapter 696 - To Write His Name on the Register of Life and Death

    Between the Three Realms, many hidden connoisseurs were secretly observing the matter between Kong Xuan and Daoist Yuding. None of them considered that Kong Xuan would be able to gain an advantage, but they admired his bravery.


    Furthermore, ever since the Heaven Courtyard was destroyed, those among the Daluo were rarely seen to maintain relations with each other. There was no doubt that this fight will surely go down in history.


    Shen Lian was clueless as to what really happened in Yuxu Palace but he understood that he clearly had not reached an impasse; for if he did, he would at least be faced with the Zhenren of Daoist Yuding or possibly even the legendary Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao. If that happened, it did not matter whether Shen Lian was powerful enough. As long as he did not become a Daoist Master, he need not even thought about escaping.


    While the crowd of deities and cultivators were battling Wen Zhong and co in the Flying Celestials Formation Chart, it was as if Shen Lian and the reincarnation of Yuding at trial were in another world.


    The immense spiritual consciousness of Shen Lian''s opponent seized every opportunity available, causing Shen Lian''s Qi dynamic to be completely locked. No matter what Shen Lian did, his opponent would foresee and neutralize his actions. This was a premonition Shen Lian had, and it was also something that would inevitably occur.


    All along Shen Lian could precisely judge the opponent''s intelligence to obtain a victory. This time, however, he was slightly inferior to his opponent in this respect.


    Shen Lian''s figure kept on descending and gradually went underground. Finally, his ears and nose were covered by Underworld in its deepest layer. Unknowingly he reached the deep parts of the spring, followed by Yuding closely behind.


    The purest and most vital Yin Qi stuck onto Shen Lian''s pores, causing him to sink deeper into the Yellow Spring of the Nine Underworlds where not even the daylight could be seen. The Register of Life and Death was found precisely at the depths of Yellow Spring of the Nine Underworlds. It could be linked to the heart of the Netherworld. With each breath, it spurred the mighty power of the Yellow Springs which gave off a tide. It finally spread to Shen Lian''s celestial body, extending to each limb and bone, causing him to tremble.


    Shen Lian opened his palms and a dull, dark sword appeared in both of them. This was the Anatt�� Sword that Chen Jianmei transformed into.


    Yuding was not too far away from Shen Lian. He took off the sheath of his Celestial Slaying Flying Sword, and with a stroke in the waters of the Yellow Spring, the tides calmed down.


    Shen Lian''s mental state suffered a huge obstacle in the Yellow Springs of the Nine Underworlds. It was not as clear as it was on the outside. Yuding also suffered the similar hindrance.


    The Anatt�� Sword trembled a little and gave out a faint cry. Its formless and shapeless sword Qi then attacked Yuding from all directions. There were no lawless rebel and no space to flow in disorder; like a skillful butcher dismembering an ox, the efficiency left no trace behind.


    The expression on Shen Lian''s face was of peace and calm. Neither sword Qi nor a murderous intent was present. His heart was like a still water. At this point, he was the incarnation of Chen Jianmei, prompting the Anatt�� Sword as well as the concluding the karma of being killed back then on the latter''s behalf.


    Countless of the most supreme and mysterious swordcraft trickled through his heart with an extreme familiarity. Every sword accumulated a period of time, slicing through the earth and sky. Many things were seen �C the world, all living beings, and natural instincts as they were.


    Even though celestial Yuding was merely a reincarnation at trial but he truly had the Daluo state of mind. His vital Qi was concentrated in the Celestial Slaying Flying Sword which was not inferior to any other magic weapon. However, when he faced the attack of the Anatt�� Sword, he could still feel some strain.


    The swordcraft did not belong to Shen Lian, it belonged to Chen Jianmei �C a lowly person, but also a swordcraft genius unparalleled throughout the times. The Anatt�� Sword had already transcended the boundaries of restriction and touched the most supreme of sword states.


    Only with such supreme sword state did Shen Lian have the qualification to go up against Yuding.


    Both of them seemed as though they reverted to being mere warriors fighting with swords. In the depths of the Yellow Springs, they were engaged in battle. Their movements were not quick and neither were they to the extent of destroying heaven and earth.


    However, if any one of the master celestials of sword saw the other''s sword technique, their emotions would be moved since this was the true Sword of the Great Way. Simple movements would suffice to interpret the profound mysteries of the world. Those who could comprehend it were truly celestials.


    Yuding started to be rather agitated as he unexpectedly realized his own mental state of Daluo was slowly receding. This indicated that, in spite of everything, he was not currently having the upper hand in his battle with Kong Xuan. This planted some doubts in him. At the same time, Shen Lian and the strength of the Anatt�� Sword slowly increased.


    Along with the agitation of his heart, he finally exploded with a more valiant strength. The formerly ordinary looking body of his suddenly became a body with three heads and six arms. Thereafter, his Qi dynamic increased hysterically and his strength at that moment was more than three times as compared to before.


    Shen Lian finally knew and experienced the legendary and mythical three heads and six arms. It was among the most abstruse secret techniques in the whole of heaven and the thousands of realms. Furthermore, it was the Celestial Arts that was created by the hands of Daoist Master himself. If Shen Lian regarded the amplification of its strength correctly, it might even be possible for it to surpass Celestial Arts on the level of The Three Incarnations.


    With that, the originally dull sword gleam became increasingly resplendent. The pressure Shen Lian exerted was incapable of further increase.


    Yuding''s three heads and six arms did not cease to stir and shake the Yellow Springs, as if it wanted to crush Shen Lian. This was a strength so universally shocking, akin to the exertion of pressure by the legendary Mount Sumeru on oneself. In light of this, one need not think about displaying one''s skills even if one had countless techniques.


    Under such ruthless pressure, Shen Lian''s sword gleam lighted up with incredible resplendence, intending to throw off the stocks and chains of destiny, breaking all cages as well as crushing the vacuum.


    However, there was still something beyond his reach. It was as though he lacked one last breath.


    Shen Lian remained calm in the face of everything. In his heart he completely discarded the notion of success and failure, placing not too much importance in life and death. It was as if he had a bright and pure halo on him as he continuously forged ahead with a single destination in mind.


    He advanced towards the area where the Register of Life and Death �C a fragment of the Underworld''s core �C was located.


    Even with Yuding''s three heads and six arms, as well as the sharp increase of his immensely shocking strength, he still had no way to prevent Shen Lian from heading towards the Register of Life and Death.


    Shen Lian''s sword gleam weakened continuously. The brilliance of purity on him was also receding while the pressure of the Yellow Spring''s waters increased by a million fold.


    However, it appeared as though Shen Lian was not aware of this. His Daoist robe fluttered in the waters of the Yellow Spring as if it was able to transcend over three thousand Jambudv��pa 1 .


    Resembling the perfectly straight unfolding of a vibrant silk cloth, he thrusted his sword forward. Every single change was lost and time was stopped. It was Yuding''s hands which stopped them. Inch by inch, the Anatt�� Sword gradually dissipated and the last traces of Chen Jianmei indistinctly vanished forever.


    "To incorporate a slice of nature''s beauty, a beauty born of heaven and earth." A sudden Dao melody resounded from the Nine Underworlds. Shen Lian neither felt grief nor joy; and neither worry nor fear. The entire arm of which he gripped the Register of Life and Death with became black.


    He flipped to a blank page. His positioned his finger on the whites of the paper and slowly wrote a name �C''Yuding''.


    Of all people, it was Yuding �C a person of Daluo who had transcended the boundaries of life and death �C whose name Shen Lian wanted to rewrite in the register. Simply speaking, it was like an act of a seventh level magistrate who was sentenced to death by a high ranking minister conferred with privilege by the monarch.


    Shen Lian concentrated his Daoist force and wrote down Yuding''s name but the name vanished right after he finished writing. Even the Register of Life and Death dared not record Yuding''s name. Its pull of reincarnation also did not dare to lay the slightest of its force on Yuding.


    Yuding laughed coldly, "Even the Ten Kings of Hell dare not do what you just did. It surprises me to see you so ignorant. You truly disappoint me."


    He did not rush in to attack. Instead, he completely froze the space around the area, intended to sever any possible way of escaping that Shen Lian had.


    Shen Lian appeared cautious and reserved, holding a bright red flower in his hands. It was devoid of leaves, bearing only the flower and the flower stalk.


    This was the Yellow Spring''s Flower of the Other Shore. Its flowers and leaves were mutually exclusive �C when one was present, the other was not.


    It was also the most mysterious flower in the Yellow Springs of the Netherworld. No one knew of the properties it possessed.


    �ָ� - it is translated to ''Jambudv��pa'', a Sanskrit term which can be defined as ''the realm in which ordinary humans live''. It literally means ''land of the jambu trees''. Buddhist cosmology divides the bh��ma??ala (circle of the earth) into three separate levels: K��madh��tu (Desire realm), R��padh��tu (Form realm), and ��r��pyadh��tu (Formless realm). K��madh��tu is said to contain Mount Sumeru, which in turn is surrounded by four island-continents - the southernmost island-continent is called Jambudv��pa.

 Chapter 697 - The Master of the Netherworld

    Upon the seeing the Flower of the Other Shore, Zhenren Yuding found it to be very familiar but he could not point out why. At that moment, he knew that this flower was no ordinary flower because as long as something was familiar to him, he should rightfully have a clear memory of it.


    Shen Lian spoke, "Buddha said of the Red Spider Lily, emotion is not karma, and fate foreordains life and death. You have attained the Way because of fate. If you die, it will also be because of fate. This is the will of heaven."


    The Flower of the Other Shore was precisely the Red Spider Lily, the sacred flower of the Yellow Springs!


    The blood-red Red Spider Lily was like a red cinnabar. Its color did not fade even though Shen Lian used it to once again write Yuding''s name on the Register of Life and Death.


    Like blood, Yuding''s name was written in bright red.


    The world changed once again and at that moment, Shen Lian and Yuding appeared at the side of the Sea of Blood. Its waves undulated but not the slightest sound of water was heard. The Red Spider Lily bloomed, extending to the other shore.


    From the Sea of Blood, a monk rose with a pagoda on his back. On top of the pagoda, there was a Bodhi Buddhist ray.


    "World-Honored One K?itigarbha, The Buddha of Wisdom."


    Vast Buddhist chants resounded in the Sea of Blood, reaching the ears of Yuding.


    He coldly chuckled, "The K?itigarbha Body."


    At that instant, there were strands of Underworld Qi restricting Yuding''s whole body, rendering him incapable of any movement. That was the power of the Register of Life and Death, as well as the Great Way''s pull of reincarnation.


    The sword gleam of his Celestial Slaying Flying Sword was innumerable, slicing the restrictions of the register. It was all in vain, however, for the Buddhist ray was already covering Yuding.


    It was a Bodhi Buddhist ray that originated from the Daoist Master. Shen Lian knew of the Daoist Master - the one Shen Lian saw on Mount Fang Cun.


    Below the Buddhist ray was the pagoda, which in turn had the whole of the Sea of Blood below it. In the end, it placed pressure on Yuding.


    Finally, this broken piece of the Netherworld expanded continuously, causing an uncountable number of Red Spider Lilies to bloom on the shores of the Sea of Blood.


    Shen Lian could feel the Netherworld getting bigger and bigger with no sign of stopping. At the same time, there was an addition of laws which he could not understand.


    The temple at the Eastern Barbarians, originally for his enshrinement and worship, suddenly had an extra line of words etched to its board �C''Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery''.


    When that happened, Shen Lian could immediately feel it.


    Two viewpoints appeared in his mental state. One was a Godly portrait coming from the temple, the other was that of him in the present. Both were Shen Lian.


    It could also be said that when he placed his attention on the temple, he became the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. The Register of Life and Death also appeared in the hands of the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery, and he could finally see and understand all the laws of the Netherworld. He could immediately know the whole life''s sufferings of any person who was within the scrutiny of his viewpoint,


    Putting it simply, he could see the suffering of every single being.


    The entire Netherworld, having living creatures in every corner, became a borderless sea made of all suffering. It made him sad but it also created a sense of mercy in his heart that spurred him to save every living being.


    Similarly, in the Sea of Blood, the reincarnation at the trial of Daoist Yuding was broken down without continuously. Innumerable clean divine thoughts flew out, eventually being swallowed by R��ma. His K?itigarbha Body became more and more complete, and it could be seen that he enjoyed the endless benefits.


    That may be the reincarnated body which was the peak existence of Daluo. Inside there surely lied many of Daluo''s secrets. Even if R��ma was not yet a Daluo, he was undoubtedly the peak existence of Taiyi.


    Shen Lian may have had an extra duplicated self in being the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery but even he did not dare to say with absolute certainty that he was a match for R��ma.


    He found it quite amusing that Daoist Yuding was already written off so early in the game. It was no wonder that R��ma did not set himself against Shen Lian and instead displayed more friendliness and goodwill.


    Shen Lian was precisely the bait with which Daoist Yuding could be caught with. The Bodhi Buddhist ray was obviously the treasure that truly delivered Daoist Yuding''s reincarnation at trial to the land of the dead.


    Regardless of what was said, Daoist Yuding was still the peak existence in Daluo. Even if it was a mere reincarnation at trial, he should still not be lightly written off. There will inevitably be other connoisseurs who will get involved.


    After R��ma swallowed up Yuding''s reincarnation at trial, another variable popped up, adding to the wielding of the Netherworld that he originally had. That variable was the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery.


    At that time, Shen Lian inadvertently set foot on the path of Shen and it became the current source of his strength.


    Shen Lian was none other than the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. In that capacity and from that viewpoint, he was able to feel the inseparability of himself and the Netherworld. The Register of Life and Death became even more reverent of Shen Lian, unequivocally declaring him to be the true ruler of the Netherworld, befitting of wielding life, death, and reincarnation.


    He was still on the shore of the Sea of Blood, while R��ma was amongst its waves.


    The both of them were separated by the blood water as if they were in completely different worlds.


    R��ma''s voice transmitted towards Shen Lian, "Rumor has it that before Daoist Master Taiyi attained Dao, he entered into the spiritual path and was incarnated as a deity named the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery, and became the Master of the Netherworld. Today the divinity of this deity is bestowed upon yourself. It appears that he passed the mantle of Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery to you. If benefactor Shen is willing to let go of this position on his own initiative, poor monk would be willing to assist you in hindering a disaster."


    Shen Lian casually replied, "Master, it seems you know that Shen has some constant troubles, and I appreciate your goodwill but now I invite you to leave the Netherworld. After all, it is simply too much for someone like you, wishing to stay and benefit from another''s expense even though you have already done just that."


    R��ma said, "Even though the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery is the true ruler of the Netherworld, K?itigarbha has also refined the Netherworld and enabled it to transcend beyond its dependence on the world. The mantle of K?itigarbha has also been passed down to poor monk. Therefore on close scrutiny, poor monk can be considered to own half of the Netherworld. Even if benefactor Shen wishes to chase me away, there are no grounds for it."


    Shen Lian squinted at him and started walking towards the Sea of Blood. However, with a pointing of R��ma''s finger, a vast mountain range appeared on the shore of the Sea of Blood �C it was Mount Yin.


    Moreover, this Mount Yin was borderless, far more vast than the Mount Yin of Qing Xuan Earth and Star. Shen Lian was unable to cross over with a mere one step in between.


    Shen Lian knew that R��ma had no desire to be involved in an entanglement. He would want to digest what he had just obtained first.


    Shen Lian did not proceed because even though he disposed Yuding''s reincarnation at trial, the true problem just started. Yuxu Palace bore many connoisseurs such as the Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao, and Bajing Palace would also not just sit around and watch him go about his business.


    He had completely exposed himself. These two schools were directly handed down by the Daoist Master thus, they would not simply let him get away with it for the sake of Daoist Master Taiyi''s reputation.


    As vast and obscure as the universe was, it was as if there were no longer any place where he could truly fit in.


    Truth was, the spirit tablet of Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery was an unfathomable mystery but Shen Lian would not give up easily. He already had a connection with Daoist Master Taiyi. In the face of the pressure from the Daoist Master, it was also none other than the Daoist Master himself who could help him.


    Although Daoist Master Taiyi''s thoughts deep down were unknown to Shen Lian, to voluntarily relinquish the spirit tablet would be to sever his link to Daoist Master Taiyi. Even if Shen Lian accepted the assistance of R��ma, the gains did not make up for the losses.


    With one thought, he arrived at Zhaoge City. Wen Zhong and co were already defeated. The resisting force of Yinshang was not worth mentioning when faced with the crowd of cultivators from Flying Celestial Formation Chart.


    It was as if Shen Lian had completed half of his game to rule the Netherworld.


    Song Qingyi was the first to step forward to Shen Lian, asking, "Does that mean you have disposed of Tianyi?"


    A moment ago they were clueless regarding Tianyi being the reincarnation of Yuding at trial. Shen Lian also did not intend to talk about all this.


    Shen Lian nodded, "I am now the Master of the Netherworld."


    Everyone else had a cheerful look on their faces. Shen Lian had become the Master of the Netherworld. All of them had contributed, meaning they would inevitably be rewarded.


    Fahai said, "Zhenren Shen, next up we would like to cultivate until the State of Heavenly Immortals, is it possible for us to depart to the Netherworld?"


    His question was what everyone had been thinking to themselves all along. After all, if Shen Lian was like Lu Jiuyuan and declined to let them go, they would not be very happy at it despite the fact that they had a better chance of a breakthrough in the Netherworld.


    Shen Lian replied, "As I said before, having reached the Netherworld, everyone is free to come and go as they please."


    They all felt as if the weight in their hearts were finally let go, but they did not know that the current Netherworld was no longer the same as the Netherworld of the past. Without so much as a breath or a whisper, the laws of heaven and earth had changed completely.

 Chapter 698 - Old Master

    If the previous Netherworld was said to be a seed, then the present Netherworld had already become a seedling. It was continuously absorbing nutrients, thriving, and growing vigorously in the process.


    The Temple of the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery also vanished in the Netherworld, as its existence was attached to the strange spaces of the Netherworld. After Shen Lian arranged his affairs, he left for the temple.


    As soon as he stepped foot into the temple, he vanished. To put it another way, only the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery was left behind in the temple. This was a very abstruse thing, for he is still himself, yet his status was that of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery for Qing Xuan.


    He completely lacked the feeling of reluctance towards this foreign status, as if he ought to have this role.


    Shen Lian was not confused by the changes in his status, as he himself did not change.


    The feeling he had was akin to when a Crown Prince ascended to the throne and became the Emperor. Naturally, there was a great difference between the past and the present but he was still Shen Lian.


    He adapted to his new status in a short time. The Register of Life and Death that he held in his hand had countless dense threads, linking all the beings of the Netherworld. At the same time, newer threads that signified a new being appeared, while some threads broke. All in all, the beings linked together with the Register of Life and Death kept on increasing but it did not include every single being of the Netherworld.


    Shen Lian sat in a lotus position on the altar and he was surrounded by black and white Qi of Life and Death. Owing to his extremely high attainment in Dao of Yin and Yang, he could control the Qi of Life and Death with such ease as to the flow of the water in the drain.


    Ah Lian became a divine servant, standing below Shen Lian. Her hands held the lotus lantern that was forever glowing.


    Shen Lian came to a realization that Ah Lian was his subordinate and he could accept three more subordinates as such. The function of the lotus lantern was to illuminate the road to the Yellow Springs for the purpose of receiving the dead. It also helped in the performance of religious ceremonies to enable lost souls to find peace.


    As the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery, one was not to become a deity that was aloof and not in touch with reality. Instead, he was to provide salvation for all beings in the boundless sea of suffering. The term ''all beings'' encompassed every living being, not just that of the human.


    Of course, the prerequisite for salvation was that the living beings who were suffering must think of him in their hearts and believe that he was able to save them. If they did not believe, the salvation would then be ineffective.


    Nothing would be gained in return for the salvation, for the salvation was inherent to the mercy of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery.


    At this point, Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery had mercy in his heart, though not by much. Perhaps it was because of Shen Lian. After all, Shen Lian was neither an evil person nor a do-gooder but a person with a cold heart.


    Shen Lian could feel the power of the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. It was not very strong but it was not very weak either. If he were to save people from suffering, his mana would be boundless. On the contrary, if he did not, he would just become an ordinary deity.


    At that instance, Shen Lian had no intention of devoting his effort to fulfill his obligation of being the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. Instead, he frantically perused the contents of the Register of Life and Death in order to find any information about his old friends that had passed away.


    Finally, he found the information of one person �C Zhang Ruoxu, who was in the Netherworld and had his name recorded on a page of the registrar.


    After having found the answer, Shen Lian turned to Ah Lian and said, "As the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery, I manage four residences. I designate here to be ''Qing Xuan''s Abode of Immortals'' and I leave it in your capable hands."


    Ah Lian cheerfully followed the orders as she had already understood everything back at the temple. After having found out that Celestial Teacher had become the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery, she knew that it was a deity of high position. Therefore, she developed herself in accordance with the situation. By improving her spiritual tablet, she was able to do many more things.


    Compared to Shen Lian, she had a much more merciful heart. In addition to her background of suffering, as she had acquired a great strength, she wished to do many kind things to enrich the coming years ahead of her.


    After finishing what he wanted to say, Shen Lian left. Then again, the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery was still in the temple, and it could even be said that he never left.


    Once Shen Lian was out of the temple, he felt a very mysterious feeling.


    In the temple, he was the deity. Out if it, he was Shen Lian. Both of these feelings were different and even their line of thought was dissimilar. An ordinary person would have gone mad long ago but Shen Lian was no ordinary person. Naturally he did not go mad and in addition, he managed to learn something from this.


    All these were not as important to him as he had another matter to attend to.


    ��


    Peach Mountain was formerly known as Seven Peaches Mountain. It was later on changed to Peach Mountain. In the past, there was a renowned Daoist here by the name of Liu Mengde. He was formerly from Xia Kingdom''s Xuanzhen Hall who later became the State Preceptor of Xi Kingdom. Perhaps not many people of the present knew of Xia Kingdom but it was the first country to be annihilated by the Zhou Kingdom.


    After that, Liu Mengde cultivated in Zhou Kingdom''s Mount Jieyang, forming a closer association with the Zhou Kingdom.


    As of late, Liu Mengde was nowhere to be found. However, Peach Mountain prospered and churned out countless intellectuals, many of which were among the best that were chosen to be officials by Yi Zhi.


    The common practice of attending school here was flourishing. Take any mountain village at the foot of the mountain, and one will find a private school there.


    One of those private schools were particularly renowned. The teacher who instructed them was an Old Master of great age.


    The season had gradually turned into autumn as the autumn wind rustled, with golden leaves spreading themselves in the village likes bars of gold. The sound of books and the pure voices of the children in this golden wind was akin to a clear flowing stream, baselessly emanating warmth in the cold autumn weather.


    The sun rays shone at an angle and there were a number of Eurasian jackdaws; sounds of children reading disappeared in the twilight.


    Many children were secretly spying on a simply and neatly clothed young person that was seated outside the house. The young man was punctual when there were classes and left when class ended. This continued for ten days.


    Old Master was a person who placed great importance on rules. When he was giving a lesson, he would always refrain from doing anything indifferent or insignificant. Therefore, he never sought out the young person to chat during the class.


    This was the reason for a lack of interaction between Old Master and the young man even though ten days had passed.


    In the beginning, the children who attended school surmised that the young man might be a ghost. After all, he arrived and left in a questionable manner. Not a trace of him could be found in any part of the village,


    Initially, the children were afraid but after the ten days, oddity had become normality to them.


    The children looked at the young man secretly because usually, at this hour, the young man would have disappeared. On that day, however, he had yet left.


    Old Master finally walked to the door and asked him, "You have been outside the door for some days now. What exactly are you up to?"


    The young man raised his clasped hands in greeting and replied, "Old Teacher has vast knowledge. I was outside your door these few days because I was listening to your lessons, benefiting from them."


    Old Master said, "From your look, you are either a cultivator or a something oddly similar. I am but an ordinary person, mere common folk. What could I possibly teach you? Tell me, what is your real purpose in coming here?"


    The young person displayed a reverent expression, chuckling, "Old Teacher, it appears that you know. In that case, I shall not conceal anything from you. Recently I have acquired a page of scripture. I pray that you forgive my ignorance as I still remain perplexed even after prolonged pondering of it. Therefore I would like to ask for your help."


    Old Master shook his head, "I am but a humble teacher of this village. I do not have much knowledge."


    "Old Teacher," the young person said, "there is no need to be humble. I know that you have taught many good students. How could you know that you would be of no help when you have not even seen the scripture that I speak of?"


    The young person was taller than Old Master by a head. The latter had to raise his gaze to meet with the eyes of the former. As he saw the young person''s gaze, so pure and uninfluenced with evil, he finally nodded, "Come with me."


    Having said that, he brought Shen Lian back to his home at the rear court of the private school.

 Chapter 699 - Erniu

    Old Master had quite a reputation in the village. Having been spread by his students, news of him bringing the odd young man back to his home quickly reached the village folk. As a result, numerous sneaky shadows started to appear outside his window within a short period of time.


    The matter regarding the young man had already been transmitted throughout the village. Those who came were both curious and worried for the Old Master.


    There was absolutely no time for Old Master to notice all this as he was wholly engrossed in the contents of the scripture. It was a thin golden piece of paper, with two words written on its contents �C''Huangting''�C the Yellow Court Classic. Its contents were very abstruse but oddly, Old Master could actually understand them.


    Three hundred over words of Huangting were read within the span of six hours. When he finished, it was already night time. Old Master did not light a lamp as his house was surprisingly full of light and brightness.


    At the same time, there was a warm current flowing throughout his body. Even in this cold autumn night, he did not feel the slightest bit cold.


    The young man, however, had vanished. That sole page of the scripture vanished as well.


    To be precise, the page had entered his body or to put it another way, it had reached his so-called brain. He was a profoundly knowledgeable person with vast experience. Even though he did not adept at matters of strange phenomenon, courage, armed rebellion, and supernatural beings, he knew very well that the world contained deities, demons, and Buddha �C perhaps the young man was a proof of their existence.


    The reasons for giving him this page of mysterious scripture may not be apparent but they surely exist.


    However, with the young man''s sudden disappearance, Old Master was unable to make head or tail out of the situation.


    He had always kept an open mind about the things that he could not get over. He was a man who placed great importance on the present. Hence, he got up and opened his door, to which countless villagers stormed in and they did not see the young man. Then, a young villager cried out in surprise. The rest of the villagers looked towards the direction which he pointed. On the wall, there was a poem:


    ''Who shall bestow the fragrance and acclaim of Dao''s beard,


    Great teacher for a century would also be heartbroken.


    Smoke from the lonely underworld rustled through,


    To this day he lowered his head and sighed at the uniqueness.


    - Unworthy disciple Shen Lian bestows this to the respected teacher.''


    Old Master felt that he recalled something but with the crowd of villagers, it was impracticable for him to think. Finally, he let out a sigh and told the people outside, "Li Erniu and the rest, go home."


    When the villagers were young, they studied at the private school. Thus, they were very respectful of Old Master. Having seen that he was in no trouble, they did not dare to continue bothering him. The one who first saw the poem was none other than Li Erniu. As he looked at the graceful and mystical poem, a warm current flowed through his thoughts, for reasons which he did not know.


    He rushed home and reached Niu shack.


    At that time, a water buffalo was leisurely chewing on grass. Li Erniu walked to its side and told it about everything that happened at Old Master''s house. Li Erniu was a smart young man, even managed to notice the brightness of Old Master''s home despite the lack of a lighted lamp. All these details were told and finally, Li Erniu surmised that the young man was surely a deity. There was a reason why Li Erniu did not believe the young man to be a demon �C he felt that a demon would not be able to write a poem so full of mystique.


    Li Erniu said, "Brother Buffalo, it appears that there are immortals in this world. I have decided that I want to become such a person."


    He was the youngest in his family. Both of his parents had passed away and he now lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. They had seen better days but Li Erniu himself did not know what to do with the future. That was before he encountered the events of that day which caused his heart to stir.


    Recalling further on the myths and legends that were usually told by people, his yearning increased. These things, however, could not be told to anyone else, as they would surely elicit laughter and ridicule from them. All he could do was tell everything to a water buffalo that could not understand human language.


    After a moment had passed, he once again felt gloomy, questioning, "Where could I find the ability to learn about the skills of a celestial?"


    He was fully aware of the fact that he was merely the son of a peasant family, an ordinary person. Even if he were to leave home in search of celestials and seek Dao, elder brother and sister-in-law will not fork out all the expenses for him.


    At that point in time, the water buffalo said, "You who wish to learn, I can teach you."


    Initially, Li Erniu did not react. After a while, he stammered, "B-brother Buffalo, y-you c-can speak h-h-human? Y-you are a demon."


    "look how you terrified you look," the buffalo replied, "you need only tell me whether you wish to learn, or not."


    The big water buffalo did not explain too much but merely stared at Li Erniu with its copper-bell-like eyes.


    Having received such a stare, Li Erniu no longer felt afraid. He solemnly replied, "I will learn."


    After that, the water buffalo held Li Erniu in its mouth and flung him onto his back with a tremendous force. Li Erniu could only hear the wind beside his ears and the slashing of the wind on his face. When the wind stopped, he found himself on a hillside ten thousand meters away. Having looked around, he found the surroundings to be white.


    Li Erniu did not regard this as weird. After all, brother Buffalo could speak in human language and was indeed a demon. It was quite normal for the buffalo to run for ten thousand meters even with effort equivalent to that of a nap.


    The Great Water Buffalo stood up on its two hind legs like a person. With movements indistinct from that of a person, it struck a few blows with its fists. Li Erniu watched intently and his body unconsciously followed its every movement. In the end, he was left sweating, with the sound of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers ringing in his ears. At that moment, he did not know that the sound that he heard was the flowing of his Qi and state of blood.


    For Qi cultivators, not many of them could hear the flowing of their own blood when they first started cultivating.


    A bout of punches sufficed to cause incredible tiredness in him. Then, the Great Water Buffalo chanted a verse of incantation. Li Erniu''s memory could not be considered good, but surprisingly he was able to remember each word.


    As he imitated the incantation chanted by Great Water Buffalo, he learned the breathing technique told in the incantation. It was as if he reached the clouds up high. The comfort he felt was absolutely indescribable. All the tiredness he felt before disappeared completely at that moment.


    His mind became incomparably clearer. His eyesight improved to the extent that he was able to see the movements of tiny ants in the moonlight, despite the ants being fifty feet away from him. Even the antennae of the ants could be seen with such clarity!


    Li Erniu thanked the Great Water Buffalo immensely but was met with a snort, "You must not tell anyone about the Dao formula that I have passed to you. I have to leave immediately."


    "Why?" Li Erniu asked.


    Great Water Buffalo sighed, "The poem you were speaking about just now was written by Shen Lian and I cannot get by with him. If I do not leave, he might find me."


    "Contrary to what one might expect, you, the Bull King, are not stupid but based on your attainment, how could you possibly conceal your actions from a poor Daoist such as myself? To my surprise, you even dared to find the time to teach this youngster how to cultivate." A Dao voice floated in the air from an unknown location.


    Great Water Buffalo replied, "I know that I cannot conceal myself from you. Considering all the care that this young man had given me in the past years, it seems only right that I leave something behind for him since I know not of how immortal gentleman Shen would treat old buffalo."


    "After all, Xin Qubing and I had a period of friendly relations. You may be his son-in-law, but you were also the one who indirectly caused his death. As for the hatred he had, I will seek revenge on behalf of him. Fortunately, it could be considered that you died once before, and fourteen young women still have some feelings for you. As a result, to cause your body and spirit to be exterminated entirely would be excessively ruthless of me. How about you head to Biyou Palace and serve a millennium of penal servitude? You could call it a sort of reprimand."


    Great Water Buffalo felt relieved and answered, "Very well."


    It knew that there was no avenue for escape once he was found out by Shen Lian. A millennium of penal servitude? It could surely do that.


    Li Erniu whispered, "Brother Buffalo, who exactly is this person?"


    Great Water Buffalo shook its head as if it heard something preposterous. With hooves stepping on the air, it entered into the vast moonlight.


    Li Erniu could only hear in his ear the telepathy of Brother Buffalo, "If you wish to see me, you can go to Biyou Palace."


    With a clenching of his fist, Li Erniu looked towards the direction where Great Water Buffalo disappeared, "Brother Buffalo, I will save you from this."


    From the void there came laughter, "Truly a hot-blooded youth."


    Throughout the ordeal, Li Erniu did not catch a glimpse of the person''s appearance. All he remembered were the words ''Biyou Palace''.

 Chapter 700 - A Small Paradise

    Mist and clouds extended into the distance. A Great Water Buffalo stepped on and broke the waves of clouds with someone on its back. That, someone, was Shen Lian.


    The water buffalo was none other than the Bull King whom Shen Lian battled before with Kui Li at his side. It was also a prehistoric species. If Shen Lian had not been so boundlessly strong, the Bull King may not surrender so easily.


    This time, Bull King was out of luck. Were it not for the fact that it and Zhang Ruoxu''s reincarnation was in the same village, Shen Lian would not have purposely come here to trouble it. Pure coincidence caused this situation to unfold and since Shen Lian had found it, he could reduce it to submission without much inconvenience.


    Its destiny was such, therefore there was nothing that it could have done.


    The water buffalo mooed and said, "A few days ago, Old Master Shen used a large amount of mana to wipe out two heavenly nations whose embryonic form could be seen slightly unifying the Underworld. Not only that, you even managed to occupy Biyou Palace. Could it be that you are that ancient almighty person in your current life?"


    The fact was that he intended to fish out how things stood with Shen Lian. After all, in observing Shen Lian''s swift uprising, it was simply all the power of the heaven and earth as of that moment. Without his surprising luck and the absence of those who could measure his background, Shen Lian could not have achieved the fruit of labor that he had today.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I was one of the many beings in Jambudv��pa. Destiny and coincidence led me to today. Contrary to what one may expect, the origins of the young boy just now are far from mild. A water buffalo such as yourself being able to attract him to enter Dao is a production of good karma without a foundation."


    Water buffalo felt a stir in its heart. What it did for Li Erniu was simply to repay the favor for the care given to it. It did not expect Li Erniu to have an origin far from the ordinary. As a result of it having a good impression of the child, it asked Shen Lian, "What is his origin?"


    With a smile, Shen Lian replied, "The design of the Gods cannot be revealed." With one look Shen Lian could recognize the origins of the young boy. Back then, Shen Lian was hit with an idea to use the viewpoint of the Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery to look carefully at Li Erniu''s previous incarnation and current life. Only then did he discovered something odd. However, that person suffered a heavy creation back in the day. As of that moment, he would also have been reincarnated several times. Even though Li Erniu was the current life of that person, it might not be easy to restore the unrivaled disposition that person had back in the day.


    Water buffalo was curious, but it did not dare to press on further and merely cursed to itself.


    It was surprising for a man and a buffalo to have much to chat about as they cruised in the vast sky. Shen Lian was knowledgeable and experienced, and water buffalo itself knew a little about ancient secrets, not to mention it was also a demon with enormous capabilities. Their exchange contained many subtle and profound theories. An extraordinary Daoist who heard them debate would inevitably come out of the discussion as a more learned person.


    For the two of them, it was simply for the sake of passing time rather than to deliberately learn something from the conversation.


    The Netherworld at that time was huge, far surpassing its previous size. Still, it did not stop expanding its domain. It was not urgent for Shen Lian to return to Zhou Kingdom''s capital, rather, he was preparing to carefully move back and forth between the Netherworld and the World. He had high mana and he possessed the divine power of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery; even though he was amongst the clouds in the sky, he could still hear the sound of suffering from the world of mortals.


    The karmic retribution suffered by all living beings were unbearably miserable; some of that disastrous news reached his ears and invoked a rustle of emotion in his heart. The Seven Buddhist Dukkhas of Human Life, among which there were three: association with that which he hated, separation from that which he loved, and inability to fulfill that which he desired. All these were which even Shen Lian himself could not extricate himself out of. The other four �C birth, aging, sickness, and death, caused every living being to be miserable throughout their days, where even a smile ceased to exist.


    If it were not for him being so lucky as to set foot on the path of cultivation, he would also be suffering from all these pain. Moreover, during his life on earth as a doctor, he would experience such suffering more deeply.


    Regarding that, even if the future held in store countless torments and trials which Shen Lian had to endure, he was still a person far surpassing that of any mortal. Therefore, even if he fell into an impasse, he should not be complaining about it.


    After a while, the sound of suffering from the living beings was severed from Shen Lian''s ears. Apparently, water buffalo did not distinguish between a good route and a bad one, leading them to a place where space and time flowed in confusion. There was a magnificent light up ahead. It was the entrance to a tunnel. Out of the entrance, there were divine lights of numerous colors going about in circles.


    An ordinary cultivator who found themselves in this place would have been sucked in it immediately. Their bodies would then turn into dust, and not even their spirit would remain. Water buffalo merely stood in the void, majestic yet motionless. Gently and cautiously, he said, "Old Master, it appears that ahead of us, there is an abode of immortals that look as though it was opened by someone almighty. It is currently fusing with the Netherworld."


    Shen Lian nodded, "Along with the external enlargement of the Netherworld, it not only has to recall the fragments of the former Netherworld but occasionally it swallows up a few places of paradise. On the one hand, it is actually possible to create a heavenly picture out of this, enabling some of the younger generations to explore them. It could be considered a subset of improving oneself by cultivation."


    The paradise in the void created by these ancient celestials were essentially small worlds, though its laws were not necessarily complete. Even if there were some cultivators inside, it would be hard to pry into the Great Way, not to mention the condensing of their primordial spirit and attainment of immortality. In the same way as Huandan, it would not be easy.


    "Old Master Shen," said the water buffalo, "if it is alright, perhaps we should enter and take a look."


    "Alright," came the reply.


    They looked to their left and right and found that everything seemed alright. Since they encountered it, they might as well enter and see for themselves. That fusion of paradise and the Netherworld was different from that of the latter''s original fragments. As soon as there was contact with the Netherworld, it was immediately joined together. With regards to this paradise, a successful fusion would require an immense amount of time. The only reasonable unit of calculation for this period would be by way of millennials.


    Therefore, Shen Lian was not afraid of the dangers, if any that lurked within. After all, no danger in the world could rival that of his experience in Bajing Palace and Yuxu Palace. Still, both those palaces knew of his status now. If as before, there was still no news of him being reborn, it would surely be quite odd indeed.


    Regarding this matter, Shen Lian was somewhat unconvinced. However, there was still no way for him to face these two powerhouses. As of that moment, he had no other choice but to watch out for every move he made. However, he shall not be overly cautious and terrified for all of his days when the enemies had yet to kill him.


    Since he was already in such an impasse, he might as well set aside his burden. During that time, his state of mind inclined towards the thought of the world as an illusion. He saw through the flavor of success or failure, and as a result, the originally swift increase of his primordial spirit once again increased in speed.


    God''s punishment was naturally around the corner, yet he himself was unsure of whether his actions at that time were the courting of disaster.


    Water buffalo did not know about the things that had happened to Shen Lian. All it wanted right now was to delay having to serve his penal servitude at Biyou Palace. Since Shen Lian agreed, it cheerfully lifted up its hooves and step into the paradise.


    Once they entered, a turbid soulful aura pierced the nose of water buffalo, causing it to sneeze.


    The paradise they encountered was not at all huge. Its circumference was less than a thousand miles. There were about ten million ordinary people inside. The soulful aura was turbid and cultivators, if any, were bound to be few and far in between.


    Water buffalo said, "Old Master Shen, the soulful aura here is almost dried up. It would be an advantage shamelessly taken by the Netherworld."


    Shen Lian replied, "Let us go down and look around."


    He pointed at a barren hill, the top of which seemed to be covered in heaps of snow. In this paradise, it was considered a rather tall mountain and when placed in the earth of the former life, it could have the distinction of being called a great mountain.


    However, Shen Lian did not choose to go on the mountain for the purpose of looking at the scenery. Instead, there were waves of mana and a clear vital Qi on the mountain. As it was located in this turbid paradise, it was particularly distinctive from the surrounding.


    Water buffalo stepped down from the air and landed on top of the barren hill.


    As it prepared for landing, its trajectory was like a meteor heading towards the ground but before it landed, it was as light as a goose feather. Not a bit of the heaped snow was crushed by its landing. Shen Lian could not help but look in wonder at the mastery it had over its strength, being able to effortlessly control its power at will. The cultivation which water buffalo had over its method of strength was both clumsy yet skillful. Furthermore, its technique had borne a meaning of simplicity, lack of embellishment and natural. It was considered impressive.


    Water buffalo shifted its eyes towards the path ahead of it, seeing nothing there but heaps of snow.


    However, he said, "Old Master Shen, the soulful aura of the mountain is just in front of us. I wonder why then, that there is absolutely nothing there. Reason and logic dictate that there should at least be spiritual medicine present."


    "Someone," answered Shen Lian, "has deployed an extremely ingenious diversionary technique. Their method is extremely exquisite."

 Chapter 701 - Chi Songzi

    The mere fact that Shen Lian regarded this method as exquisite was a testament to how extraordinary this diversionary technique was.


    Majestically standing on the heap of snow, water buffalo said, "Old bull could give it a go at breaking this diversionary technique. How about it?"


    Its demonic bull divine power was enough to break a thousand techniques. The diversionary technique may blind his eyes, but it was not impervious to his divine power.


    With a smile, Shen Lian replied, "Forget about it. It would be a waste for such an ingenious technique to be broken. You need only focus on moving forward as you did before."


    Water buffalo understood that its newly worshipped Master Shen was skilled. It did not doubt his ability to enter. Moreover, it was curious as to what exceptional method Shen Lian would use to enter.


    A black buffalo with a young Daoist on its back slowly and leisurely headed forward. It was barely two hundred feet when the scenery in front changed. Up ahead there was an extremely deep overhanging cliff. The old bull was unconcerned at this. He stepped foot in the air and did not fall into the abyss.


    Sure enough, huge changes overcame the scenery ahead. There were Lingzhi and Mesona, as well as flowing streams in limestone. It was truly a beautiful celestial environment.


    Water buffalo was still unable to discern how Shen Lian managed to break the diversionary technique. After all had been said and done, it was simply inconceivable that it could reach the celestial environment simply by closing its eyes and moving forward.


    Shen Lian''s cultivation was sufficient to perceive that this celestial environment was not contaminated by any dirty Qi from the outside world. It could clearly be seen that the inside was sealed from the outside and that it was not merely an illusory technique which separated the two worlds.


    "Old Master Shen, how did you break this baffling diversion?" A perplexed water buffalo questioned Shen Lian.


    The reply was unhurried, "Free Form Incantation. Coming and going without restriction."


    The water buffalo trembled in its heart. It did not expect that Shen Lian could attain the Dao of Sky Demon. Furthermore, there was the connection with the Parinirmita-va?avartin 1 . Parinirmita-va?avartin was not the same with the Primordial Sky Demon but was rather the Demon Order Master that was born during the splitting of the earth and opening of the heavens. Formerly, he was on par with Buddha but later on as Buddha detached, Parinirmita-va?avartin fell short of Buddha to some extent.


    In addition, Parinirmita-va?avartin was not only an almighty capable of being on par with Buddha, but he was also a kind of cultivation state. Such as state was dissimilar to that of heavenly immortals or Bodhi, but leaning more to towards being a distinctive feature.


    Rumor had it that once the highest point of Parinirmita-va?avartin was reached, people were seen as dust, and universes would seem like one''s own heart. As a result, there was nowhere in the universe and the heavens and earth where one could not go and nothing in those places which could not be known and examined.


    Naturally, having reached this state, it would be the ultimate in cultivation even though the state was not of Daoist Master or Buddha. In any case, the perfect state that was derived from Parinirmita-va?avartin was merely a dream, difficult to realize.


    However, the Sky Demon Technique contained another power that Water Buffalo was particularly afraid of �C the ability to subtly know and examine the heart of a person. As it came to think about it, all its thoughts could be roughly known by Shen Lian if he desired to know them. Lucky for it, there were no evil thoughts in its mind for if it was careless, Shen Lian would put it in its rightful place.


    Shen Lian paid no attention to the various distracting thoughts in water buffalo''s mind, as ahead of them there was a celestial palace. With the crow of a cock, a woman came out of the palace. A very tame cock was by the woman''s side and it followed her out. Its beauty was similar to that of a phoenix. The woman herself was not strikingly beautiful and that it was possible to find a prettier one in the mundane secular world. However, she had a trait that was grand and noble. Shen Lian might have seen numerous outstanding women before, but it was impossible for him to not admit that this woman was somewhat special.


    It was as if her eyes could speak. As she looked at Shen Lian, he could know that she was asking, "Who are you?"


    Shen Lian looked at her for quite some time, extensively sizing her up from head to toe. She was not at all shy but her quick-witted two eyes were brimming with curiosity.


    Even after a while, not a word was spoken between them. Then, water buffalo mooed. The woman leisurely walked over to the buffalo, then smacked it on the head. The surprised buffalo could not thwart the blow.


    "Little buffalo, please do not moo. My Master is asleep." Her voice was akin to ancient Chinese bells, beautiful yet natural.


    Deep down, water buffalo was incredibly afraid, for the woman had a heat in her hand that seemed capable of instantly reducing it to ashes.


    Shen Lian got down from the back of the buffalo. With a smile, he said, "Poor Daoist who rode on the buffalo is ignorant of many things. Forgive the disturbance caused to fairy."


    The woman gave a sweet reply, "You are very well-mannered. When my Master wakes up, I shall ask if it is alright for you to enter the palace and have a cup of water."


    At this point, a celestial voice drifted from inside the palace, "Disciple, invite Zhenren Shen to enter."


    Shen Lian appeared somewhat shocked by this. He did not predict that the owner of this palace would recognize him.


    Even from the celestial strength of the woman as well as the vital force of the celestial environment, Shen Lian could not see the arrival of the other party.


    The woman replied, "Since my Master has invited, please follow me in, my friend."


    Shen Lian pointed to water buffalo, "As for my ride, I implore dear fairy to please arrange a suitable place for him."


    With a nod, she replied, "Yu, please bring this little buffalo to the herb garden at the back."


    The beautiful phoenix-like Jade Rooster lifted its head and faced the water buffalo. With a plop of its wings, it flew on top of the water buffalo''s head and immediately brought water buffalo away.


    Shen Lian knew deep down that water buffalo was controlled through the means of the woman, but he was also startled at the strength of the Jade Rooster.


    "This rooster," he said, "appears to be considered extraordinary. I wonder where it came from."


    "Yu," she replied, "used to be the Sun Deity of Mao in the Heaven Courtyard. Later on, when the Heaven Courtyard was no longer, it returned here."


    At its worst, Maori Zingjun was still on par with an immortal. If his military strength were slightly more skillful, he might surpass Taiyi in general. Sun Deity of Mao was one of the more renowned Xingjun of Heaven Courtyard, yet surprisingly, it was able to become mere poultry of a master in such a place. Because of this, the origin of this woman''s Master appeared to be nothing short of grand. Furthermore, Shen Lian did not know who this person was. Perhaps this mystery man could be a former ancient celestial.


    However, even if he was one of those ancient Saints of folklore and legends who wanted to discuss the rights and wrongs with Shen Lian, a match must be held before he could know. Thus, Shen Lian was astonished but not so much as being shocked.


    The woman led Shen Lian to enter the abode of immortals. They reached the hall of the palace, and it was as if a sentence of warm jade and new smoke was present. Surprisingly, the palace hall was a strange and grand king''s jade, as if made by heaven. A lot of manpower would surely be used in building it and creating it completely.


    If a person who had absolutely no idea about cultivation breathed in the place''s fumes every day, they may well be able to live to a thousand years old, maybe even longer than the life of pine and cypress trees.


    With a clear mind where Dao could be made aware, a Daoist welcomed Shen Lian at the door. Immediately, wind and rain were born in Shen Lian''s heart, along with floating clouds of life and death as well as flourishing blossoms of loneliness. All those great waves of events that happened long ago instantly came before his eyes.


    He refined his supreme primordial spirit and in a flash a fire rushed forth from the gaps of his heart, burning completely all the trials and hardships and events of the past, ridding himself of their disturbance.


    The Daoist smiled, "I did not know that Zhenren Shen would be paying a visit. Please excuse me for not going out to meet you. Disciple, get some exquisite wine ready. I shall entertain Zhenren Shen."


    He stepped forward and grabbed Shen Lian by the hand. Such a grab could be said to have created a mystical art. As the wind and rain, there was no orifice which it did not enter. Shen Lian could deduce that this charm and grace of grabbing him by the hand was traceable to the same stock as the ''summoning of wind and rain''. However, it was far more superior to the ''summoning of wind and rain'', possibly even better by a hundredfold or thousandfold.


    Without a trace of his steps, Shen Lian entered the hall, no longer being dragged by the Daoist. This exhibited Shen Lian''s ingenuity. The considerable ease of movement between various Boundless Universes coupled with the mysteriousness of the Free Form Incantation caused the Daoist to be somewhat emotionally moved.


    One after the other, they reached the hall and sat opposite each other.


    Shen Lian asked, "How may I address you, my Daoist friend?"


    The Daoist gladly replied, "Poor Daoist goes by the name of Chi Songzi. I am a cultivator in the Era of the Heavenly Emperor. As for my disciple, she is the daughter of Shennong. From the beginning, she has been cultivating along with me up until this day."


    Shen Lian was very shocked. It was a name Shen Lian had definitely heard before. Chi Songzi was not only a famous celestial, but he was also the bearer of a title known as the ''Rainmaker''. He was the God who managed the rain of the world, with profoundly mysterious supernatural powers. Even if he was not a person of Daluo, he was still an apex person of Taiyi.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I see. So you are senior Chi Songzi. I wonder, how did senior manage to know a person such as myself?"


    Translator''s note:


    [1] ���������� - refers to the Heaven of the Devas; it is the sixth and last of the six heavens of desire. The beings there do not create the things that they desire, but they enjoy a good environment and have their desires created by the Devas that wish for their favor.


    ���������� - refers to the Heaven of the Devas; it is the sixth and last of the six heavens of desire. The beings there do not create the things that they desire, but they enjoy a good environment and have their desires created by the Devas that wish for their favor.

 Chapter 702 - Under the Bodhi Tree was Vidyaraja

    As Chi Songzi was an ancient celestial, he could predict and estimate very well. Hence, it was not surprising for him to know about Shen Lian. The reason why Shen Lian raised this question was that he knew that Chi Songzi did not know about him through prediction.


    Shen Lian was so certain over this matter because he had obtained profuse attainments. Those who have reached the state of holy deities would be able to be informed about antecedents and deduce future outcomes through prediction. Although this was not a difficult technique, there was a point which could not be neglected. That is if you were predicting about someone who was compatible with yourself, he might realize about your prediction. Even if he was not able to determine who was the one predicting, he would be alarmed.


    However, Shen Lian was not alarmed this time around.


    As such, when one had reached supreme stages, their attacks would be as straightforward as child''s play. This was because when one was at a supreme stage, it was rather difficult to use fancy techniques. Hence, they would use their techniques overtly.


    Of course, this was not absolute. For instance, with the use of both Shen Lian''s innate Dao of Yi and Shangqing''s Art of Spiritual enhancement, he might succeed in his examination of Daluo figures.


    However, it was difficult for others to possess the abilities Shen Lian had.


    Although Chi Songzi was famed, he might not have these abilities.


    Chi Songzi smiled and said, "I know about Zhenren Shen because you and I share a fate."


    Shen Lian, "What do you mean?"


    Chi Songzi mentioned, "Did you know that I have an honorific called Zhenren Taixu?"


    Countless information passed through Shen Lian''s mind and he obtained a piece of information eventually. He said, "Indeed, that is true. Is my cultivation of Taixu strategy related to you?"


    Chi Songzi smiled and said, "There are some relations. When Lord of Dao Qingshui''s reincarnation was experiencing the worldly trial, he once saw me at this Stone Palace."


    Shen Lian was not surprised by the fact that the palace was termed as the Stone Palace for jade was a form of stone.


    Being able to perceive jade as stone meant that one had reached a certain state. This indicated that Chi Songzi was no longer blinded by appearances and could perceive ingenuous organic forms.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Founding Master Qingshui had learned Dao from you before. I am rather curious. Is it possible to have you share the details with me?''''


    Chi Songzi''s gaze landed on Shen Lian. It seemed that there was lightning in his eyes. This was termed as the production of energy amidst void. It was an electrical spark produced by the condensation of wisdom. Only Great saints and wise people had this unique trait.


    He spoke plainly, "I have forgotten the questions she asked. However, I could still recall some words of mine. Are you willing to listen?"


    Shen Lian said, "Please share it with me."


    Chi Songzi said, "In the world, life encompasses Yin Qi and Yang Qi. Though the God of heaven is supremely noble, his function is displayed in the earth; though the God of Earth is inferior, his function is displayed in the heavens. Although the heaven does not speak, four seasons would still occur; although the earth does not speak, living things would still grow. Amidst all these, humans live freely. Nonetheless, the heaven and earth are aware of humans'' breath and movements. The only person who has nothing and remains unknown to the heaven and earth is termed Taixu."


    Shen Lian clapped and said, "Heaven and earth were born from the notion of having while the notion of having come from nothingness. As such, the organic form of things is nothingness. Prior to the where dust was amassed, there was nothing in the world. I believe that the Taixu Strategy was founded as Lord of Dao Qingshui had understood this notion."


    Chi Songzi smiled and said, "Zhenren Shen, you think too highly of me. Even if Chi Songzi does not exist in this world, Lord of Dao Qingshui would also be able to understand the essence of Taixu strategy. I merely provided him with some guidance at the right time."


    Shen Lian finally understood how Chi Songzi knew about him. The meaning of Taixu strategy was somewhat related to Chi Songzi. The supernatural Dao techniques of such an ancient celestial might not be as sophisticated or changeable like that of the current holy deities. However, in terms of the understanding of heaven and earth''s natural principles, ancient celestials were much able than holy deities.


    Originally, when people like Chi Songzi started to cultivate, they would be unable to attain any techniques. Many of their enlightenments were obtained through the natural principles of heaven and earth. Hence, their understanding of the great attainment of uniting the universe and human was much better than the others. As he cultivated the Taixu Strategy, Chi Songzi was able to sense his presence through the meaning of Taixu.


    If this was the case, Shen Lian had another query. He raised the question since he had thought of it, "Do you know the whereabouts of my founding master, Fairy Ziling?


    Chi Songzi said, "You have misunderstood my abilities. I am not able to track everyone''s movements. I can only track yours. However, with regard to your question, I do know some information about her whereabouts."


    He paused for a moment and continued, "If you want to find her, you may want to head north towards the Ziwei Galaxy."


    At this point in time, a female disciple of Chi Songzi placed two teacups in front of them. Subsequently, she put two pieces of jade into the teacups. The jade transformed into crystal-clear water in an instant and had an indescribable fragrance.


    Chi Songzi said, "My place is rather shabby. Thus, I can only serve you with this exquisite wine."


    He held the teacup and drank the wine. Subsequently, nine of his orifices seemed to have opened and started to release dense purplish gas which looked like divine dragons. In the depths, it appeared like the sun, moon, and stars. It was closely similar to a human-shaped universe.


    Shen Lian also drank the wine. When that liquid entered his body, there was an instant burst of heat. This was the extreme condensation of spiritual force. Even if figures like Fahai had this drink, his Primordial spirit might explode.


    For many cultivators, this drink was both a supreme holy water and poison.


    Nevertheless, Shen Lian would not be poisoned to death. There were no changes in his appearances. Moreover, it seemed like every part of his body was reborn.


    If his body was enlarged, one would be able to see that his form was built by infinite little worlds.


    Throughout the formation of these worlds, the explosive spiritual force was absorbed and used.


    Chi Songzi was amazed and extolled, "Indeed, Zhenren Shen''s cultivation is very relatable to Daoist Master Shangqing."


    Shen Lian asked, "What do you mean?''''


    Chi Songzi mentioned slowly, "In the world, a total of eight Daoists appeared. Four from the Daoist sect, three from the Buddhist sect and one from the demon sect. The others belonged to illegitimate sects. Hence, they were not considered as Daoists. Did you know that The Three Pristine Daoist Masters were different from other Daoists?"


    Shen Lian said, "I have heard of a theory. It states that The Three Pristine Daoist Masters were transformed by a single person. Was this what you intend to say?"


    Chi Songzi shook his head and said, "Such a theory has been rumored since ancient times. However, since the Daoists did not provide any explanations, the others were not able to not verify such a claim. What I intend to say is not relatable to this rumor."


    ...


    The ocean-like five colored divine lights outside the Yuxu Palace in Kunlun Mountain had finally dispersed. This indicated that the owner of Yuxu Palace was more capable than Mahamayuri.


    A Bodhi tree appeared at the stairs that led towards Yuxu Palace. Under the tree was a young and proud man.


    The Bodhi tree gleamed brightly. The lights seemed like it could shine on the past and future. A flag rose in Yuxu Palace. When it swayed, the lights were dispersed and returned to the state of chaos.


    The young man was Mahamayuri. Whenever the flag swayed, he would vomit a mouthful of fresh blood.


    The flag swayed for nine times and Mahamayuri vomited nine mouthfuls of blood. Though he did not die, it would be difficult for him to survive.


    He sat down slowly and glanced towards Yuxu palace. He pushed his hands forward. Instantly, countless sv��stika runes appeared and Kunlun Mountain was shaken.


    Many who were observing this battle were stunned. That was because Mahamayuri''s palm method was Buddha''s masterpiece.

 Chapter 703 - The Nirvana Hall

    This masterpiece imparted by Buddha was termed as the Buddha''s Palm. There was a total of nine techniques and they were not differentiated by levels. Each technique corresponded to a great path of Dao. If one could understand it, he would become a Daluo.


    It was said that there was a tenth technique despite the Buddha''s Palm only created a total of nine techniques. As nine was the largest number, ten would have exceeded the numbering limits. If one was able to use the tenth technique, he would attain detachment.


    Inevitably, Mahamayuri was unable to use the tenth palm. He could not display all nine palms within one breath as well. He only managed to use one simple palm in his attack. The pervasive sv��stika words caused Kunlun to quake. The realm of dreamland did not contain anything. However, it was shaken amidst this huge collision.


    Many were stunned by this palm method. It was indeed the Buddha''s masterpiece for it actually shaken Taixu.


    For the first time, a huge crevice appeared in Kunlun Mountain. The crevice extended from Yuxu Palace to the jade stairs at the foot of the mountain and it started to crack. This was a huge humiliation for Yuxu Palace. It was the first time someone dared to misbehave at this palace ever since the Primeval attained Dao.


    "Kong Xuan, I want to tear you into pieces and demote your spirit into the Nine Underworlds. You will never be able to recover," a sound roared from Yuxu Palace. Even if Yuxu Palace''s sky-engulfing seal was not the legendary Seal of Fantian which could repress everything, it was definitely a personal creation of Primeval Lord of Heaven that was compatible to the Buddha''s palm


    Many spiritual wills were channeled into this huge collision. They wanted to learn some essence from the Daoist Master so as to nourish their own cultivation. However, most of the spiritual will would be destroyed by the after-effects of this great collision whenever they entered it. Even spiritual will which was comparable to Vajra became extremely weak under such a mighty force.


    Only a handful of wills were undamaged and succeeded to catch a glimpse of the supreme state of Daoist Master. This was because they have absorbed the laws of morality and principles of rhyme which were produced through the intense collision.


    The boughs of Bodhi tree shattered while its leaves transformed into fine powder. Kong Xuan was suppressed by that sky-engulfing seal. He was unable to disentangle himself from that seal even though his five colored divine lights were surging throughout his body.


    Ultimately, Kong Xuan held his hands up out of a sudden and blood rain poured over Kunlun Mountain. This was the Great Way''s blood rain. Numerous cracks appeared in Kunlun Mountain. Under such a force, the majestic grandeur of Yuxu Palace was diminished instantly.


    In the void universe, countless cultivators of the Art of Five Elements felt a loss in their Qi of vitality. However, Kong Xuan''s might increased continuously such that it became almost on par with that of Yuxu Palace.


    A colossal cloud of Qi of vitality appeared in his palms that were held up high. It forcefully sustained the attacks of the sky-engulfing seal. When he threw out the cloud of Qi of Vitality, the seal was unable to contain it anymore. The cloud then jolted into the air and headed towards Yuxu Palace.


    The great figures who were observing this scene in secrecy were not merely stunned. Kong Xuan actually wanted to annihilate Primeval Lord of Heaven''s place of enlightenment. This was an act of degradation.


    Even figures as powerful as Zhen Yuanzi might not be able to make such a bold decision.


    The Pangu Hatabu in Yuxu Palace started to move while a cold roar sounded from the realm of dreamland. A huge hand emerged from Pangu Hatabu while colossal Yuqing fairy gleams appeared from the flag. The huge hand whacked the cloud of Qi of Vitality and this caused the sky-engulfing seal to fall back down. The seal hit Kong Xuan''s shoulder and he fell to the ground powerlessly, Subsequently, the hand grabbed Kong Xuan and squeezed him lightly. Even if you were a Daluo with countless years of cultivation, you would also be squashed like a biscuit.


    "Imprison him under the Qilin cliff." Two golden armored heroes walked out of Yuxu Palace. They took out a coil of celestial rope and tied Kong Xuan up. Subsequently, they headed towards the Qilin cliff situated behind Yuxu Palace and suppressed him there.


    Many deities and demons who were observing in secrecy pitied Kong Xuan. The Yuqing fairy gleam that emerged from Pangu Hatabu towards the end of the battle was clearly the force from Primeval Lord of Heaven''s Yuqing Primordial Spirit imprint. The creation of the gigantic illusory hand by Zhenren Yuding through his utilization of this force was almost compatible with Daoists'' use of supernatural powers.


    Kong Xuan was not defeated by Yuding. He was unable to sustain Yuxu Palace''s profound sources. Apart from various numinous treasures, there were Daoists'' Primordial Spirit imprints that could be utilized.


    Nevertheless, since Yuding had such techniques, nobody from the Three Realms was fit to be his opponent.


    After this battle, though Yuxu Palace''s prestige was heightened, Palace of the Undead continued to deteriorate.


    In the Palace of the Undead, Kui Li witnessed the battle skills of Kong Xuan and Yuding through the divine restriction. Even till the end when Kong Xuan was captured, she was still in disbelief.


    She did not understand why Kong Xuan wanted to challenge Yuxu Palace. After all, there was no rational explanation for his actions.


    An administrator of the Palace of the Undead reached outside of the main hall and requested to meet Kui Li.


    Kui Li permitted his entrance. This person''s cultivation experience was truly profound insomuch that he might have reached the state of Taiyi. He said respectfully, "Young master, I am Feng Qingtian. Vidyaraja had ordered me to invite you to a place at this timing."


    Kui Li was slightly stunned and sais, "When did he order you?"


    It seemed like Feng Qingtian had the habit to behave seriously at all times. He spoke plainly, "He had ordered me prior to your return. Vidyaraja had predicted today''s incident. He is currently suppressed below Kunlun Mountain. For this period of time, you are needed to take charge of the palace. In order to prevent you from panicking, he had laid down some plans. Please, do follow me."


    Kui Li finally understood what has happened. The result of Kong Xuan''s battle against Kunlun was already predicted. He even had arrangements for the aftermath. However, Kui Li still did not understand why he had made such a decision.


    Nevertheless, she did not reject Kong Xuan''s arrangements. She followed Feng Qingtian and desired to see what Kong Xuan have planned.


    Feng Qingtian did not bring Kui Li out of the Palace of the Undead. Instead, they arrived at Kong Xuan''s usual venue for solitary retreat. The place was called the Nirvana Hall. It was also the place where the Phoenix cultivated.


    This was the restricted area of the Palace of the Undead. Even Feng Qingtian was not eligible to enter.


    Kui Li was eligible to enter this hall. Though her cultivation experience was not considered to be profound in the palace, her status was, however, just below that of Kong Xuan. Of course, although she was able to enter this place, it was her first time entering the Nirvana hall.


    There was a peacock screen when one entered into the main hall. Some golden lights would emerge and warmth was radiated. This helped to calm one''s state of mind.


    Those golden lights were Dharma that was left behind by Kong Xuan when he had his solitary retreat. It was also the essence of Kong Xuan''s understanding of the Buddhist sect.


    However, Kui Li was not interested in these. She walked past the peacock screen and found a Silent Room inside. The floor was paved with smooth rocks which looked like Heaven Pearls in the Buddhist legends. Heaven Pears were originally ordinary rocks. They were only turned into Heaven Pearls after being blessed with Dharma by enlightened monks with great morality.


    A Mother-of-pearl-plant bloomed. The flower and the Dzi bead on the floor complemented each other such that they appeared naturally simplistic. The greatest attraction was an altar situated behind the flower. There was a Daoist being worshipped on the altar.


    Originally, this place was filled with the serenity of zen. It would be peculiar to have an extra Daoist in this place. Nonetheless, it did not seem bizarre at all. The Daoist sat silently on that altar and had a Mystical Tree with Seven Treasures in his hand.


    On the contrary. he was perfectly suited to the surrounding flow of zen-like the mixture of milk and water. They seemed inseparable.


    Not many could cultivate both Dharma and Dao techniques at the same time. Based on Kui Li''s life experiences, the ability to unite techniques of both sects perfectly was not possessed by many. It can be considered that Shen Lian had part of such an ability.

 Chapter 704 - What is Primeval?

    As Kui Li stared at the Daoist, the term ''Mother of Buddha'' appeared in her mind uncontrollably. If the Primeval Lord of Heaven was considered as the origin of Daoism, thus Daoist would be the origin of Buddhism.


    This was a great being who was compatible with the Primeval Lord of Heaven.


    In an instant, it seemed that Kui Li''s mind was bombarded with information. She remained still as her cultivation experience increased readily and continuously.


    Feng Qingtian of the Palace of the Undead waited outside of the main hall. Naturally, he would have known about the increase in Kui Li''s vital force. He smiled pleasingly. After this solitary retreat, Young Master would have experienced great changes. No one would be suspicious over her status anymore.


    As to the incident of Kong Xuan''s repression under Kunlun Mountain, he was not worried about it was destined. Moreover, when Kong Xuan challenged Yuxu Palace, Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao never once appeared. It seemed that this famous warlord of the Three Realms might have reincarnated in order to advance his very last step.


    He was not merely a blood-related nephew of the Lord Emperor, he was also a Xuanmen apologist who was personally selected by the Primeval Lord of Heaven.


    Without Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao in Yuxu Palace, it would be like a man who lost his arm. Hence, in this tragedy of the world, they might not be able to secure their status as before.


    Indeed, no one would dare to challenge the Daoist. Nevertheless, Yuxu Palace was only an inheritance of the Daoist. As such, many people were unable to accept the idea of Yuxu Palace possessing the same prestige as the Daoist.


    Even though the powerful Bi You Palace has fallen, Yuxu Palace should not be in the spotlight forever either. After all, it was the Daoist who was indomitable, not the palace.


    ��


    In Qilin cliff at Kunlun Mountain, a peacock was suppressed below the cliff where only his head was exposed. Though it had supreme supernatural powers, it was unable to lift Kunlun Mountain. After all, this was the first sacred mountain in the Three Realms.


    However, it still tried to escape by flapping its wings furiously.


    "Do not waste your energy, little peacock. Kunlun Mountain is not merely the first sacred mountain in the world, it has even merged with my martial uncle''s Dao rhythm. Apart from Daoists, nobody will be able to escape. Even that figure from the Longevity Mountain is not an exception." a soft lady''s voice was heard by the peacock. This was spiritual telepathy. Only those with greater cultivation experiences than her would be able to hear this message.


    The peacock stopped moving. It replied her through spiritual telepathy as well, "Empress of Yun Xiao, you are still alive."


    "It has been a long time since I heard this name. Little Peacock, who are left in the Jie Order? Is my honored master doing well?" The melodious voice continued to appear from unknown sources. However, it was specifically heard by Kong Xuan.


    Given that he was an extremely arrogant person, they were only a few figures whom he admired. Empress of Yun Xiao was definitely one of them. This was because Empress of Yun Xiao bravely challenged the Daoist when she was in a clear state of mind. Though she failed ultimately, Empress of Yun Xiao had indeed accomplished an impressive feat.


    Moreover, he did not know that the person was the Daoist. If he had known, he would not use the five colored divine lights to attack him recklessly.


    Empress of Yun Xiao was different for she was the Daoist''s direct disciple. Since she was able to complete such feat despite her deep understanding of the Daoist''s great abilities, it had clearly indicated her exceptional aspiration and vigor.


    Kong Xuan said, "Jie Order has fallen. With regard to Daoist Master Shangqing, there is no reason for him to be unwell. However, all Daoists in the world had vanished many years ago."


    Yun Xiao said, "Ultimately, the Jie Order was still destructed. Our extreme prosperity had engendered misfortunate trials. These were all predicted by the honored master. He had warned us about it but none of us listened. We have only ourselves to blame."


    Kong Xuan said plainly, "Empress, you have been suppressed for many years. It seems like you no longer have that elegant demeanor as before. Jie Order was destructed in the hands Yuxu Palace''s Yimai. As the only successful survivor of the Jie Order, you must shoulder the responsibility of the restoration of Jie Order."


    Yun Xiao said, "In these years, there were no improvements in my cultivation experiences. How am I able to challenge Yuxu Palace''s Yimai. Moreover, both of us are his prisoners."


    Kong Xuan said, "Empress, you were captured by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. This issue is not related to the people of Yuxu Palace. Moreover, the reason why I came here personally was that I want to obtain an object from Yuxu Palace."


    "What is it?" asked Yun Xiao unknowingly.


    Kong Xuan replied casually, "Pangu Hatabu."


    Yun Xiao remained silent for a moment before she said, "It is impossible to obtain the Pangu Hatabu by yourself."


    "Therefore, I require your help. After all, you have stayed in Kunlun Mountain for a long period of time. You must have known some special methods that would help me," said Kong Xuan.


    Yun Xiao asked, "Why do I have to help you?"


    Kong Xuan said, "Empress, did you know that the tragedy of the world is happening soon?"


    "What does it have to do with this?" asked Yun Xiao.


    Kong Xuan said, "This big trial is the Infinite Trial. The last Daoist of this world would appear and end everything. He would recreate a brand new universe. Any living creatures have the opportunity to become the last Daoist. Nevertheless, I believe that you would not hope to see Yuxu Palace producing another Daoist."


    Yun Xiao was rather surprised and said, "You mean that there is a high possibility that another Daoist would be from Yuxu Palace?"


    Kong Xuan said, "If Pangu Hatabu remains in the hands of Yuxu Palace, the possibility of this happening is high. This is because the Primeval Lord of Heaven once said that the Daoist who will end everything has Pangu Hatabu in his hands. He would recreate a brand new universe."


    Yun Xiao asked, "How did you know all of these?"


    "A Daoist conveyed this message to me personally," replied Kong Xuan.


    Yun Xiao said, "I believe in all that you have said. However, I am unable to provide you aid. If I could, I would have escaped this place a long time ago. Moreover, Yuding might be stronger than what you have expected."


    "I am aware of this. Yuding did not merely obtain the Qi and blood of the Founding Master of Demons, he even swallowed half of the Primeval Demon. Even Zhen Yuanzi may not be stronger than he is. This was how he managed to become the hall master of Yuxu Palace. Nevertheless, he has not truly exhibited all of his abilities and even tries to suppress them," said Kong Xuan.


    "You are even informed about these. It must have been told by that Daoist. You mentioned that all Daoists have vanished. I am curious, how did you manage to contact that Daoist?" Yun Xiao asked.


    Kong Xuan said, "The reason why all Daoists have vanished is that this particular universe can no longer permit the existence of Daoists. However, this does not mean that Daoists are incapable of transmitting information."


    "Tell me then, who is that Daoist who told you this information?"


    ...


    In the Stone Palace, Chi Songzi sat in a prim and proper manner. He told Shen Lian, "The influence that the Three Pristine Daoist Masters have over this universe far exceeded other Daoists. This is not due to their great cultivation experiences but their impressive attainments. Did you know why the Primeval Lord of Heaven has such a name? This is because when we cultivate till the state of Taiyi, the realm of dreamland where our true selves will reside in was once the Primeval Lord of Heaven''s Daoist body. There is nothing in there. Hence, it is the origin of everything. It can be said that the mortal universe where we are currently residing in was also a creation that originated from the realm of dreamland ."


    After Shen Lian heard Chi Songzi''s explanation, his peaceful heart of Dao was slightly shaken. If Chi Songzi was speaking the truth, the Primeval Lord of Heaven must have known everything about him since his true self was residing in the realm of dreamland since a long time ago.


    After all, even the Daoist Daluo Lingbao Tianzun was unable to interfere with the Daoist body that once belonged to the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Moreover, even if Daluo Lingbao Tianzun has helped him to conceal his secrets, his true self was already residing in the realm of dreamland. This meant that he had given his life to this Daoist himself.

 Chapter 705 - A Quick Death in Joy

    Chi Zisong seemed to have understood Shen Lian''s intention. He smiled and said, "Although the realm of dreamland belongs to the primeval he is unable to harm you by utilizing the realm of dreamland ."


    Shen Lian said, "If the Daoist wants to harm me, he did not need to use other things. I have nothing to worry about."


    He had accepted the situation for everything was clearly explained. If the Daoist really came for him, death would be the only result even if there were a hundred Shen Lian present. However, it seemed that this might not necessarily be the absolute result.


    Chi Zisong mentioned, "Zhenren Shen, you are indeed a remarkable talent. I have nothing to provide you as guidance. Nonetheless, since we have met, I believe we share some fate. Hence, I have mentioned some things which may seem discourteous."


    Suddenly, Shen Lian stood up and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. If we are to see each other in the future, I would gladly listen to your teachings. Nevertheless, I have some things to do today and have to take my leave."


    He used an unknown supernatural power and vanished from the Stone Palace. Subsequently, a moo sounded from the outside and both Shen Lian and the cow left this paradise.


    The female disciple of Chi Songzi mentioned unhappily, "These people appeared to be cordial and gentle. I never thought that they would be so disrespectful."


    Chi Zisong was not angry at all. Clearly, the shifting method that Shen Lian used to leave the paradise had the meaning of Taixu where visible substances could be transformed into shapeless things. The enlightenment this person had towards the Great Dao was indeed astounding.


    ��


    The water buffalo traversed through the ocean of clouds as he complained, "Master, I have not eaten enough. Why did you leave so quickly?" When he went into Chi Zisong''s medicine garden, he was astonished. Countless precious spiritual medicine that was complimentarily laid before his eyes. He was unable to shift his gaze from these medicines.


    If Shen Lian did not bring him away forcefully, he would not leave that place.


    Shen Lian did not answer the buffalo. He did not meet Chi Zisong coincidentally. Instead, it was specially arranged by Chi Zisong for he wanted to create an amicable relationship between the both of them. Nevertheless, Shen Lian was aware of his intention and left before he could voice out his intention.


    Chi Zisong''s intention in creating an amicable relationship with Shen Lian was indeed beneficial. This was alike to the time where he gained enlightenment over the meaning of Taixu from Founding Master Qingshui.


    However, Shen Lian understood that there were no free benefits to gain in this world. As he had experienced several miserable instances before, he was someone who would not accept benefits from others easily.


    In addition, Chi Zisong was a rather mysterious figure. According to legends, he only appeared and participated in great issues. It can be seen that he was someone with foresight. It was better for Shen Lian to keep a distance from such people.


    Moreover, Chi Zisong pointed out the fact that the realm of dreamland was once the Daoist body of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. This was definitely intentional. Most importantly, he was really faced with an urgent matter. This was because the Temple of the Qing Xuan''s Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery had an uninvited guest waiting for him.


    Ah Lian was suppressed and could not retaliate that person. Even Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery was unable to use any techniques against him.


    Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery''s spirit tablet once belonged to Daoist Master Taiyi. He was instructable insomuch that even those of the Daluo level might not be able to defeat him. However, since this person was able to cause Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery to feel so helpless, he must be truly terrifying.


    Shen Lian did not think about fleeing. Instead, he wanted to face this petrifying existence directly.


    This was because there was no use in escaping when such a great figure wanted to meet you.


    Instead of fleeing ignominiously, it was better to face him directly.


    He returned to the temple. Ah Lian was frozen aside in the temple and there was someone else besides her. There were stone tables and stools as well. He had a headscarf on his head and he was clad in a pale yellow celestial garment. Shen Lian''s appearances were considered to be supremely charming. However, it seemed that he was slightly less attractive than this man.


    He sat on the stone stool and poured wine into a glass cup. Nonetheless, Shen Lian felt that he was not pouring the wine. Instead, it seemed like he was pouring an expansive ocean, or rather, flowing streams of Milky Way.


    Although this person was just before his own eyes, Shen Lian felt that he was not present. Both of them seemed to exist at two different times.


    He might be in the past or the future. However, he was definitely not in front of Shen Lian at this moment.


    When Shen Lian brought in the water buffalo, he was already united with the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. Nevertheless, the divine power, mana as well as the mighty Primordial Spirit were unable to provide him with a sense of security.


    Nonetheless, Shen Lian went up to sit in front of him and watched him pour the wine.


    Shen Lian asked, "You are Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao?"


    "You are right," he stopped pouring the wine. The liquid inside the wine glass did not appear like wine. Instead, it looked more like the universe where countless stars gleamed enigmatically.


    Shen Lian smiled bitterly and said, "Throughout my whole life, this is the second time where I felt so miserable."


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao said, "You should be honored, After all, you are the first person I met since my return from my trial."


    Shen Lian replied, "I really could not feel the sense of pride," Shen Lian did not know how powerful Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao was. This was the very reason why he appeared terrifying to Shen Lian.


    In the past, Shen Lian faced countless mighty enemies. He had also experienced a handful of life-threatening dangers. However, apart from the incident involving Daoist Master Shangqing, there were no other instances that could be comparable to his current situation. Moreover, Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao had a clairvoyance sight that could perceive everything. That was an inherent mortal enemy for people like Shen Lian who specialized in Dream Heart Sutra and the Free Form Incarnation.


    Even if Shen Lian transformed into the void in front of Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao, he was unable to escape the clairvoyance sight of this first warlord of the Three Realms.


    After Shen Lian had met him, he reminded him of someone - Da Yi. Both of them share a unique quality which was undefeatable.


    Of course, if Da Yi were to come back to life and battle against Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao, Shen Lian hoped that Da Yi would succeed. However, deep down in his heart, his instincts told him that the result would be the demise of both figures.


    Such unexplained spiritual premonition was actually extremely realistic.


    This was because his premonition of despair had finally arrived.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao smiled and said, "Let me invite you to have a drink. You have to know that there are not many people in the Three Realms who could drink with me."


    Shen Lian said, "After this drink, what will you do?"


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao replied, "I will take the Shangqing Primordial Spirit''s imprint from you and disperse you within the heaven and earth."


    Shen Lian sighed and said, "I intended to say that you might not gain what you want. However, I could not find any possibilities of failures."


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao said casually, "I am also unable to find a prospective reason for my failure. This is because no matter who comes to save you from this, I would be able to obtain the Shangqing Primordial Spirit''s imprint from you and disperse your soul and spirit prior to their arrival."


    He mentioned it with absolute confidence. Indeed, he had the ability to do so.


    Apart from that unknown Daoist, there was no one in the world today who could save Shen Lian from Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao.


    Shen Lian smiled and said, "Since I am a dead man, why not let me drink as I please?"


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao replied, "That was what I planned to do."


    Shen Lian looked around calmly. He held the wine glass and started to drink. He had tasted many other good wines but they were not as special as the one he drank today. The glass of wine melted in his mouth and it seemed that he could feel his life experiences flashing by. Subsequently, his past memories vanished instantly.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao said, "The original ingredient of this wine is called the Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness. Forget everything so that you can die without regret and pain."


    Shen Lian forgot his words right after he finished listening. He was definitely going to die. Nonetheless, he was not going to die in the hands of Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao.


    Unknowingly, an army camp appeared in Bi You Palace. There was a strawman in the middle of it. It was closely similar to Shen Lian. There was a slip of paper adhered onto that strawman where Shen Lian''s name was stated on it.

 Chapter 706 - Lost Soul and Shattered Spirit

    Ever since the annihilation of Yinshang and the expansion of Netherworld, Shen Lian knew that he had advanced into a precarious state that could not be rewound. After all, his existence was already known by Yuxu Palace.


    In the face of such a mighty authority of celestialism which have been inherited through years in the universe along with their cooperation with Bajing Palace, even the Vulture Peak of the Buddhism sect had to retreat.


    Though he could secure his life momentarily, he would still face his death if they truly challenged him to a battle.


    Though the laws of heaven stated that there would always be a possibility of survival, such an opportunity was not provided. Whether the chance would realize depended on the individual himself. Prior to this, Lord of Dao Luya had given him the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book. Shen Lian did not understand intention then and thought the gift was meant to be used against mighty foes. However, he finally understood it after the great battle against Daoist Master Yuding''s reincarnation.


    In order to perform a technique, the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book required twenty-one days. Though it was powerful, it was unable to be used against top almighties. After all, almighties were able to sense and examine the use of this weapon. Twenty-one days was sufficient for the opponents to kill Shen Lian numerous times.


    Therefore, it was not wise to use the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book against mighty foes. However, if he were to use it against himself, there would be no hindrance. Moreover, he had placed the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book in Bi You Palace. Apart from Daoist Master Shangqing, no one knew about the thing that happened in Bi You Palace. Shen Lian made this decision for he had no other available options. This was a measure where one was destructed in order to resurrect himself in the future.


    If he had died, all troubles would be resolved.


    His death would be genuine. However, since he had the status as the master of Netherland, he could utilize the force of the Register of Life and Death to lead his true self into an infinite karmic cycle. At that time, he would not be able to know where he was. Thus, others would be unable to predict his presence as well. Of course, Daoists were the exception. Ultimately, it depended on whether the two Daoist Masters Yuqing and Taiqing were bothered by small being like him.


    As for this issue, Shen Lian could only leave it to fate.


    Roughly fourteen days had passed since Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao met him after he started his plan. He had to sustain another seven more days.


    This was also one of the reasons why Shen Lian returned to the temple to face his death. The temple was Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery''s divine region. He could only control time in this place.


    In the past, it was rumored that a day in the heaven equated to a year in the mortal realm. This was because the Lord Emperor changed the laws of time in the heaven and such difference was thus, created. In the temple, Shen Lian could use Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery''s technique to achieve a similar result.


    When this glass of wine was finished, seven days would have past in the external world.


    Nonetheless, as Shen Lian finished drinking this wine that was made from the main ingredient of Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness, many of his memories were blurred. Even things related to the Mastery of Senses and Qing Xuan seemed like faraway memories.


    The Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao watched Shen Lian as the latter drank the wine. He smiled and said, "This wine is called ''Life is but a dream''. If you were to die, you will not experience pain for all you had experienced were merely a dream."


    After he finished, he was about to execute his plans.


    However, Shen Lian disappeared before his eyes. In an instant, a person appeared on the temple''s altar. He was surrounded by gleaming divine lights. He did not have emotions and embraced anatta. He was a deity.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao was slightly startled. He started to examine all living things in the world. Suddenly, he realized all of Shen Lian''s vital force was dispersed.


    The deity was Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. Unfortunately, he was not Shen Lian for he did not have Shangqing Primordial Spirit''s imprint on his body. As he was emotionless and embraced anatta, he was only left with benevolence for all sentient being.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao had never thought of such an outcome. A three-pointed double-edged sword appeared in his hands. It seemed like the sword was able to slit through the universe. A sword gleam emerged and Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery''s deity body was lacerated. In an instant, his body was shattered into pieces. After a moment, a similar Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery reappeared on the altar.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao had seen many ingenious techniques before. Hence, he knew that this deity was like another form of Dao. Even if he destroyed the manifestation of his deity body, the deity would remain unharmed.


    The only solution was to annihilate the spirit table of Qing Xuan Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery. However, this would mean that he had caused karma with Daoist Master Taiyi. For elite figures like him who had the ambition to attain detachment, he would not dare to aggrieve Daoists.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao sneered and said, "I am not bothered about your life and death. The moment when Shangqing Primordial Spirit''s imprint reappear, I would be notified. I will seek for you in the heavens and under the earth. There would be no chance for escape."


    He kept his weapon and walked out of the temple. With a step, he had arrived in Taixu.


    After his leave, Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery in the temple lifted his hand and pointed. Ah Lian who was previously frozen was extricated. The water buffalo intended to escape. However, though it headed forward, it started to revert continuously. Ultimately, Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery sat on its back. Bi You Palace in Da Zhou also vanished into thin air. Only a strawman labeled ''Shen Lian'' and an empty army camp was left behind.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao was not aware of these changes. He met someone in Taixu. Taixu was the realm of dreamland. Originally, there was nothing present here and it only contained the real souls of figures who were beyond the state of Taiyi. Nonetheless, when one had reached the state of Daluo, his true form would be able to enter into Taixu.


    The person in front of him was naturally a Daluo and was a very powerful one.


    Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao mentioned his name gradually, "Lord of Dao Qingshui."


    Lord of Dao Qingshui appeared like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenager. She was naturally beautiful. However, the others dared not catch a glimpse of her.


    Across millions of worlds, there were many female manifestations of almighties in the past and the future. However, apart from the Daoist that belonged to the demon clan, only Bodhisattva Avalokit��?vara and Lord of Dao Qingshui were considered the best.


    No one could explain how powerful Lord of Dao Qingshui was. However, there was a rumor that not merely verified Lord of Dao Qingshui''s powerful abilities, it had also revealed her astounding origins.


    There was once a Buddha in the Vulture Peak. He traveled the mortal realm and liberated sentient beings. At that time, Lord of Dao Qingshui was also experiencing her trial in the mortal world. Both of them had a battle. However, the reason for the challenge remained unknown. Ultimately, the Buddha''s treasures and the golden body was shattered by Lord of Dao Qingshui. Naturally, the Buddha was displeased. He traveled extensively and invited some friends to avenge for him. Nonetheless, all of his friends were defeated. Some even had their numinous treasures that were cultivated through sheer hard work confiscated by Lord of Dao Qingshui. Some were even transformed into a depiction of biscuits.


    Since many of his friends were defeated, the Buddha was rather guilty. He sought help from the Buddha in the Vulture Peak and enquired about her origins. As the Buddha from the Vulture Peak knew about her past and future, he told him, "I know about her origins but I will not tell you. If I were to tell you about her, she would blame me for exposing her origins and seek revenge from me in the Vulture Peak. It would be another chaos. Hence, leave this issue as it is."


    The Buddha of the Vulture Peak had not attained detachment then. Nevertheless, it was widely known as the first man of the Three Realms. It was rather queer for he hinted at the possibility that Lord of Dao Qingshui might initiate an attack on the Vulture Peak.


    Since the Buddha dared not seek revenge from Lord of Dao Qingshui, he pleaded the Buddha to save three of his demised friends who helped him in avenging Lord of Dao Qingshui. The Buddha pointed out a direction that guided him towards Daoist Master Taiyi.


    At that time, Daoist Master Taiyi have not attained detachment as well. However, as he was enigmatic and unfathomable, nobody dared to offend him. Even deities were unable to see him. As that Buddha was guided by the Vulture Peak''s Buddha, he managed to see Daoist Master Taiyi. At that point in time, Daoist Master Taiyi was already enlightened by the Dao of Life and Death. He knew the Buddha''s intention once he met him. Hence, without mentioning a word, he revived the three of his friends.


    However, Daoist Master Taiyi made a statement then, "You people are fated to die. Nevertheless, none of you should die in her hands. This would only increase her karmic hindrance."


    Since then, the Buddha understood the reason why Daoist Master Taiyi altered life and death. It was not because he wanted to save lives. Instead, it was because he wanted to reduce Lord of Dao Qingshui''s karmic hindrance.

 Chapter 707 - Mortal Realm

    People had been speculating the relationship between Lord of Dao Qingshui and Daoist Master Taiyi. The most common theory was that Lord of Dao Qingshui was the daughter of Daoist Master Taiyi.


    After Buddha and Daoist Master Taiyi attained detachment, Lord of Dao Qingshui became the world''s greatest existence. Even if she was not related to Daoist Master Taiyi, no one would want to mess with her.


    The Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao too did not want to provoke Lord of Dao Qingshui but even if he wanted to hide, he would not be able to hide from her.


    Lord of Dao Qingshui said indifferently, "You have forced my successor to death. It has to be an eye for an eye."


    "We are all Daluos but you just would not take Yang Jian seriously." The Perfected Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao was known as Yang Jian in his previous life and continued to use this name in his current life. He was the nephew of the Heavenly King and the grand-disciple of the Daoist Master. His nobility was comparable to Lord of Dao Qingshui and even if he was fearful of her, he would never bow down to her.


    Moreover, it was clear that Lord of Dao Qingshui wanted to end his path of Dao. The dharma that he cultivated had seventy two lives. He then reincarnated, experienced trials, achieved perfection and gained an extra life. He was at his peak and was just about to gain his big breakthroughs in the Yuxu Celestial Method, the foundation of attaining detachment.


    He would not die if he lost one life. However, he would need to spend an endless amount of time to recreate the seventy third life. By the time he managed to do so, he would have faced tons of trials and the possibility of attaining detachment would greatly decrease.


    Lord of Dao Qingshui emotionlessly said, "Yes, I do not take you seriously."


    The streams of energy started to fluctuate in the void and Yang Jian was being careful about it. He then transformed into a giant with his third eye to the brow chakra opened widely to stimulate the tide of energy.


    He knew that he would lose a life if he was careless. Before the infinite trials would strike, only one person could attain detachment and anyone stood a fair chance of doing so. Other rivals would be happy if they had one less competitor. In other words, someone might stab him in the back if he had the lower hand.


    However, this was also his opportunity to inflict serious injuries on Lord of Dao Qingshui to rid of one competitor.


    ...


    The Netherworld underwent changes again as Qing Xuan earth and star started to merge with the Netherworld. The sun of the Netherworld actually reached Qing Xuan earth and star. Endless streams of Yin energy emerged in the Netherworld while the Yang energy was dispelled to Qing Xuan earth and star.


    Lu Jiuyuan let out a long sigh as his Daoist body collapsed and eventually fell apart. He merged with the Qing Xuan earth and star and became an incarnation of the laws of heaven to help Qing Xuan earth and star to absorb the Yang energy and to prevent the heaven and earth from complete destruction.


    Gradually, the Qing Xuan earth and star expanded rapidly like boxes within boxes. The boxes were then taken out, causing the heaven and earth to expand and transform. The originally fragile rules were like silk being weaved into a cloth. It became thicker and thicker while the Netherworld became the other side of Qing Xuan earth and star''s Yin Mountain, the real Hades.


    The order of the karmic cycle was being established while the Netherworld was being shuffled. The twenty eight hells were formed and the Senluo Hall that housed the Underworld Demon Sect continued to absorbed the Qi of the Netherworld and became the true Senluo Hall.


    Ye Liuyun showed up at the Senluo Hall and his white outfit was replaced with the King of Hell''s robe. The demonic soldiers of the Netherworld who stood behind him hopped into the Yellow Springs and transformed into Messengers of Hell with the faces or horses and bulls.


    The Path Master of the Evil Spirit Path was extremely delighted. He flipped and transformed into a judgment pen flew out from the void and landed in his hand.


    He frowned and looked at Ye Liuyun, "Sect Master, one more thing, the Register of Life and Death."


    A book then appeared out of nowhere with a dash of Qi of Xuan that formed the characters ''temporarily on loan''. The Qi of Xuan then dispersed as the book landed in front of Ye Liuyun.


    Ye Liuyun tried to peep into the Register of the Life and Death with his divine thoughts but the book refused to allow his divine thoughts in. Obviously, it did not want to recognize him as its master.


    After all, he was not the Master of the Netherworld. Even if he became the King of Hell, he only had a fraction of power to control the Netherworld.


    His divine thoughts were spread throughout the Netherworld and yet he could not track down any traces of Shen Lian. More than anyone, he knew that if Shen Lian returned, this hell would only be an appendix for Shen Lian.


    He knew that this was predestined by the greater beings but yet he could not accept it wholeheartedly.


    The Hades was reestablished as the Qing Xuan earth and star went through a precipitous evolution. Its soulful aura was over a hundred times denser than it was previously.


    At Vulture Peak, a flower appeared in the hands of Mahakashyapa. He smiled and said, "Everyone, I am heading to the mortal realm to wait for the birth of Maitreya Buddha and promote Dharma."


    "Amitabha." The various Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arhat responded. A sacred mountain popped out of nowhere in the extreme west of Qing Xuan earth and star. It was the Western Paradise Vulture Peak.


    In the Bajing Palace, a young Daoist was seated next to the fireplace. He did some calculations with his fingers and uttered, "It''s about time to pay the mortal realm a visit."


    On earth, an unknown purple Qi swept across thirty thousand miles from the north and eventually, a Daoist temple appeared in the southwest region. There was a sheep outside of the temple and the plague of the temple said ''Qingyang Palace''. The Dao rhythm was deep and there was nothing mortal about it.


    Su Xiuqing unwittingly returned to the mountain gate of the Way of the Celestial Masters from the Netherworld. There seemed to be countless pearls that lit up the mountains and rivers as a celestial spoke to her in a gentle voice, "I am Zhang Daoling."


    After finishing his sentence, he took out a celestial talisman from his sleeve. A clueless Su Xiuqing accepted the celestial talisman and the vision disappeared. Since then, she dominated several deities with that celestial talisman and the Way of the Celestial Masters became a top Daoist sect.


    On the ruins of the Taisu Palace, a girl with a black veil pointed at the ruins and the ruins transformed into a Dao palace. The soulful aura gathered like clouds and surrounded the palace. The lake further away from the palace was actually the liquid form of the soulful aura the celestial grass surrounding it was growing rapidly. Many women of the mortal realm had their memories revived and headed towards the Taisu Palace.


    In the Xuantian sect, Song Qingyi appeared out of nowhere with neatly stacked clothes in front of him. Those were the clothes his honored master Lu Jiuyuan used to wear.


    Wang Shidao who was standing next to him said, "You are going to inherit the honored master''s clothes and that means you are now the chief of the Xuantian Sect."


    Several strange incidents took place at every corner of the world as the the new era unfolded.


    ...


    In the realm of nothingness, several storms were stirring up. The giant that Yang Jian transformed to crumbled like sand grains. He eventually returned to human size dressed in black and his breath was weak.


    Countless broken lotus flowers floated around Lord of Dao Qingshui.


    Yang Jian gritted his teeth and said, "Are you satisfied now?"


    Lord of Dao Qingshui may look calm but there was a small split in her lower abdomen. It was apparent that she suffered a loss as she could not heal it even with her capabilities.


    She responded, "I would never get hurt the next time." Lord of Dao Qingshui disappeared into thin air as she finished her sentence.


    Yang Jian felt the chills down his spine. He did not return to Yuxu Palace and instead entered the Six Realms of Samsara. He wanted to try his very best to sustain his cultivation.

 Chapter 708 - Reunited and It Feels So Good

    Ever since the reconstruction and the merging of the Netherworld with Qing Xuan Earth and Star to form the two realms of the Yin and Yang, the Qing Xuan Earth and Star had expanded significantly and was known as the mortal realm by the holy deities. Besides the Daluo immortals, no one knew how big the mortal realm was.


    Within the world, there were four extensive continents known as the Yuan Continent, Xuan Continent, Ling Continent and the Tian Continent. Beyond the continents, there were countless schools of cultivation, a big population of living creatures and the demons as well as celestial beings that acted out the joys of sorrows of the world.


    As time ran its course, the chaos in the mortal realm had been resolved. For the mortals who lived a short period of time, the dramatic change of the world millions of years ago were just a heap of old books.


    Mount Qing Xia was located on the northeast side of the Yuan Continent. Compared to other places, the Qi of vitality there was relatively less dense, and thus, cultivators rarely hung around there. There was a small town known as the Baijia Town at the foot of the mountain. The people have lived there for generations. There was something odd about Mount Qing Xia. Ever since the Baijia Village was built, Mount Qing Xia has never experienced any major natural disasters. Although they did not harvest much, there have never been through famine. Because of that, other towns within a hundred miles radius were envious of this village of fish and rice grains. On top of that, besides Mount Qing Xia, the region was generally flat and merchants loved to take the Baijia Town route.


    The prosperity of the town was comparable to other cities.


    There was a restaurant known as the ''Restaurant Drunk and No Return''. It was said that the restaurant was graced by celestials.


    The restaurant was named by a celestial but their business was not great in the past. Ever since the old master of The Restaurant Drunk and No Return passed away years ago, the seventeen years old mistress took over the business.


    The mistress'' name was Gu Weiwei and she was one the rare people of the Baijia Town whose family name was not Bai. Perhaps that was the reason why the business of the restaurant was not great.


    Gu Weiwei was seventeen years old and was supposed to be married. There were two marriage attempts previously but before it could happen, the groom would mysteriously die of illness. No one dared to marry her and her marriage was delayed. She became a subject of rumors and the reason her father passed away was partially related to depression.


    Ever since Gu Weiwei took over the restaurant, the business went from bad to worse. She paid off her workers and decided to close down the business.


    However, the second morning, she habitually opened the doors.


    The sun has not risen on a chilly autumn morning and there was a layer of frost on the old tree. Gu Weiwei shivered in coldness and was shocked to discover a Daoist sleeping outside of the restaurant. His clothes were old and ripped, he was unkempt and it was hard to tell his age.


    Gu Weiwei took pity on him and bent down to check if he was still breathing. If he was still breathing, she intended to save his life.


    She placed her fingers near his nose but there were no signs of breath. She sighed and thought that he was dead. She felt pitiful for the cultivator but she has never expected to have a dead person at her restaurant. On top of that, with the widely spread negative rumors about her, it would be impossible to sell the restaurant.


    A sudden sneeze shocked her finger hit something that was bulging.


    The Daoist woke up and looked at Gu Weiwei with a confused face. His eyes suddenly brightened and he said, "Apprentice-Sister!"


    Gu Weiwei was somewhat happy that the Daoist was awake. She thought that he must have mistaken her for someone else.


    She responded, "Why don''t you come in for a cup of hot water?"


    The Daoist looked around and asked, "Apprentice-Sister, where is this?"


    Gu Weiwei answered, "Dao Master, you have mistaken me for someone else. I am Gu Weiwei, not your Apprentice-Sister."


    The Daoist frowned as if he was reminiscing something. He then lifted his head and looked at her with tears in his eyes.


    Gu Weiwei noticed the tears and thought that perhaps she looked very similar to this Apprentice-Sister of this Daoist. Ever since she indirectly brought death to the two men, people looked at her as if she was a demonic god. Although the behavior of this Dao Master was odd, his gaze made her feel the warmth that she had not felt in a long time.


    She was delighted but also sad.


    Gu Weiwei held back her tears and responded in a gentle voice, "Dao Master, I am indeed not your Apprentice-Sister. What is your name and where are you from?"


    The Daoist responded, "My name is Shen Lian, I am from��." He tried very hard to think but he continued, "I have forgotten where I came from. I think it was a mountain and you were there, so was everyone else."


    Gu Weiwei sighed. It seemed that this Dao Master had forgotten many things. It was fortunate that he remembered his name but her current circumstances would not allow her to help him.


    She said, "Dao Master Shen, why don''t you come in and have something to eat. It is too cold out there."


    Shen Lian shook his head and said, "I do not want to eat. This is a restaurant, why don''t you get me some wine. It seemed that I started forgetting things after drinking a cup of wine. Once I start recalling, I will be able to confirm if you are indeed my Apprentice-Sister."


    Gu Weiwei responded, "Then I will bring you some hot wine so you can warm yourself up." She thought about the cold weather and it would be good for Dao Master Shen to warm his body up with some wine.


    Shen Lian got up and Gu Weiwei followed suit. Shen Lian was half a head taller than her. If it was not for his unkempt facial hair, he actually had a nice figure.


    She always thought that the saying ''One pound extra was too much and one pound less was too little'' was only applicable for girls. She realized that it was a perfect description for Dao Master Shen.


    Besides that, she also noticed one thing. Judging by how unkempt Dao Master Shen looked, it was safe to say that it has been a while since he last cleaned up himself. His hair and facial hair may be messy but it was not greasy and he was not smelly. In fact, he oozed a faint fragrance that reminded her of the budding sprouts of spring.


    She was curious but was too embarrassed to ask.


    Gu Weiwei skilfully heated up a jug of wine. The fire just started and had yet to reach the optimal temperature but Shen Lian wanted to reach out to the jug of wine and drink it directly.


    Gu Weiwei stopped him and said, "Dao Master Shen, the wine is not heated yet."


    Shen Lian responded, "It is heated."


    Gu Weiwei was stunned as she heard the sizzling sound from the jug as the scent of the wine spread out. It was strange as she placed the jug on the stove just moments ago.


    Before she could make sense of things, Shen Lian has poured two cups of wine. He placed one cup in front of her and said, "Apprentice-Sister, you should drink too."


    Gu Weiwei was extremely curious. Before she could correct Shen Lian, the cup of wine was already in front of her lips. She tilted the cup slightly and the warm wine entered her mouth.


    A warm current dispersed into her limbs and bones. The hot soaring heat made her face looked like a flower in full bloom. It was a fascinating blush.


    But she downed the drink so hastily that it scalded her lips.


    A finger was placed on her lips and a chilly breeze entered her lips, taking out the discomfort she felt earlier. She licked her lips and the scalded skin fell off. It was just that she seemed to have licked Shen Lian''s finger.

 Chapter 709 - Midas Touch

    Before the blush on her beautiful face could fade away, Shen Lian withdrew his finger from her soft lips. It took Gu Weiwei a while to regain her composure and look towards Shen Lian. There was nothing odd about him as he was just looking at the jug.


    The fire was still burning in the stove and the empty jug was just sitting aside. Gu Weiwei did not want to waste the charcoal and said, "I will get you another jug of wine."


    It slipped her mind to ask Shen Lian why the previous jug of wine took such a short time to heat up. She was very absorbed in taking the wine as she wanted to escape from the awkward situation.


    Shen Lian''s mind was preoccupied. He took some wine but he just could not recall his apprentice-sister''s name. He also failed to recollect where he came from and could not remember how did he arrive at this place.


    A fragrant breeze woke up him from his deep thoughts. Gu Weiwei brought another jug of wine and placed it on the stove. This time she was watching the jug and Shen Lian but picked up nothing. Shortly after that, the wine was ready.


    She pulled up her sleeves and filled up a cup for Shen Lian and another cup for herself.


    The two of them sat facing each other. Under the flames, Gu Weiwei looked delicate and beautiful. She peeped at Shen Lian from time to time but she would lowered her head head swiftly everytime she peeped because he was looking at her.


    Finally, she could not take it anymore and asked, "Stop looking at me and drink up." She would be pissed if someone stared at her that way but for some reason she was not mad at Shen Lian at all.


    Perhaps it was because Shen Lian''s gaze was the purest she ever seen. It was clearer than the spring water from the mountains that contained no impurities.


    She lifted the cup and signaled Shen Lian to cheers.


    The cup of wine was not as hot but it did not taste as good as the previous cup. Gu Weiwei thought it was odd. She grew up with wine and had a high degree of discernment when it came to the taste of wine. It made no sense for her to make a wrong judgement.


    Thus, she asked, "Were you the reason why the previous jug of wine got heated up so quickly?"


    Shen Lian responded, "I wanted the wine to heat up quickly and then it got heated up."


    Gu Weiwei''s eyes widened up. She was somewhat skeptical but she thought about Shen Lian''s background as a Daoist. She asked, "Do you practice celestial methods?"


    Shen Lian asked back, "What are celestial methods?"


    Gu Weiwei felt that he was being sincere and thus patiently explained to him, "Celestial methods are superlative abilities and with that, you can do extraordinary things. I heard that a celestial once appeared at Mount Qing Xia many years ago and the ancestors of the Baijia Town knew that celestial. He lived for over a hundred years old."


    It was as if Shen Lian recalled something. He said, "I think I am a celestial."


    Gu Weiwei laughed, "Just because you practice celestial methods does not make you a celestial. Furthermore, you only knew how to heat up wine. If this was considered as a celestial method, you would not be able to fight other true celestials."


    Shen Lian was somewhat dissatisfied. He said, "Then what are real celestials capable of?"


    Gu Weiwei answered, "A teacher who came to the restaurant once said that a real celestial could take the clouds and ride on fogs, their midas touch could turn rock into gold, they would never age and would remain young forever."


    Shen Lian responded proudly, "And I was thinking how amazing were the celestials you were talking about. Well I can do everything that you mentioned."


    Gu Weiwei found the proud Shen Lian really funny. She said, "Then why don''t you try turning the rock into gold?"


    Shen Lian ordered, "Get me a rock."


    Gu Weiwei pointed at the cup and said, "This cup was made of ceramic. Why don''t you turn this into a gold cup?"


    Shen Lian responded, "Sure."


    He looked at the cup and said, "You...turn into gold."


    The cup still looked the same but without a sense of guilt, Shen Lian proudly said, "Apprentice-sister, this cup has turned into a gold cup."


    Gu Weiwei looked at it from all angles and it still looked the same. She held back her laughters and said, "This cup indeed turned into a gold cup."


    Shen Lian laughed, "Do you know believe that I am a celestial?"


    He did not look like he was joking and thus Gu Weiwei thought that something must be wrong with Shen Lian''s brain. She thought that perhaps Shen Lian was indeed from a Daoist temple and once had an apprentice-sister who treated him really nicely. Something must have happened and that was why he became like this and forgot many things.


    She had watched operas and she started to create many tragic story about Shen Lian in her mind. Her gaze started to soften and she said, "From now onwards, you will help me with work. As long as I can afford a meal, you too would have something to eat."


    She was not sure if Shen Lian heard her words as he had fallen asleep on the table.


    Gu Weiwei shook her head and smiled. She brought a blanket and put it over him. She did not want to waste the unfinished wine so she took some peanuts and enjoyed it leisurely.


    She drank the wine and looked at Shen Lian at the same time. She realized that he actually had nice features and he would look really handsome if he shaved his beard. She was quite a drinker and finished a jug of wine in no time. She cleaned up the jug and the cups but allowed the fire to continue burning in the stove to keep Shen Lian warm.


    She was about to wash the jug and the cup but she was stunned. One of the shafts of the cups was washed away. She thought she was seeing things and tried to wash it with water and soon a gold cup appeared in her hand. It was sparkling in a beautiful shade of color.


    The cup actually turned into a gold cup and Gu Weiwei thought she was dreaming. Could it be that Shen Lian was indeed a celestial who could turn a rock into gold. She had never cultivated and knew nothing about cultivation. Generally, the so-called celestial method of turning rocks into gold was just an illusion trick. The act of turning rocks into gold involved the means of creation as it altered the substance of the objects. Not all celestials were capable of doing so.


    Any cultivator who found out that Shen Lian could turn rocks into gold would be extremely impressive and would sincerely beg him to teach them how to do so. It was rare to such powerful celestials even in the top celestial schools across the entire Yuan Continent.


    Gu Weiwei was very shocked. She was not delighted and instead felt scared. This was because Shen Lian looked like he had forgotten many things. If someone else found out that Shen Lian could turn rocks into gold, they might come and harm him.


    She immediately woke him up.


    An unhappy sleepy Shen Lian said, "Apprentice-sister, I had a dream and it was a dream about the past. Why did you wake me up?"


    Gu Weiwei showed him the gold cup, "The cup turned into a gold cup."


    Shen Lian responded, "Yes, didn''t you realize that earlier? I did not lie to you."


    Gu Weiwei said, "I thought you were joking. From today onwards, you should never ever tell anyone that you could turn rocks into gold."


    Shen Lian questioned, "Why?"


    Gu Weiwei answered, "If you tell people that you can turn rocks into gold, they would want you to teach them. If you taught someone with ill intentions, they might use it to do something bad. But if you insist of not teaching, they might harm you or even kill you. Do you understand?"


    She was very worried for him and perceived that the reason why Shen Lian became a mess and had forgotten about the past was because someone knew about his abilities and must have harmed him.

 Chapter 710 - Servicing the Divines and the Demons

    As Gu Weiwei finished her sentence, she became stunned as Shen Lian grabbed her hand. Unlike a human hand, Shen Lian''s hand was ice cold and delicate, just like a piece of jade.


    She wanted to scream at him but he was just staring at her. Gu Weiwei sighed as she looked at his eyes. She wondered which girl would not fall for such gaze.


    Shen Lian responded, "Apprentice-sister, you are right. I did not want to teach someone a certain skill and that was why I ended up forgetting about the past."


    Gu Weiwei was too confused to bother about Shen Lian''s issues. Unconsciously, she let out a ''ouch'' and said, "Shen Lian, it hurts."


    Shen Lian looked confused and said, "But I did not insert any strength."


    Gu Weiwei was embarrassed. She raised her voice, "Who on earth would grab a girl''s hand so casually?"


    Shen Lian noticed her anger and retracted his hand. He shook his head and said, "Apprentice-sister, have you forgotten that we are cultivators and we are not confined to customs?"


    Gu Weiwei was irritated. She said, "Just because you are a cultivator does not mean that you can behave like a hooligan."


    Shen Lian responded with a serious tone, "The cultivation of the heart is more important than anything else. I wanted to hold your hand and you did not reject it. How could you pretend like you were against it. This has nothing to with behaving like a hooligan as I would not grab on other girl''s hand.


    Gu Weiwei did not expect Shen Lian to come up with such horrible excuses. But he was right. She did not detest him holding her hand. It was strange because she only met him recently but it felt like she had known him for ages.


    As her thoughts were running wild, Shen Lian had let go of her hand. Gu Weiwei noticed that she was feeling more relaxed but also somewhat upset.


    Three days went past and Shen Lian was nicely settled down in the restaurant. However, Restaurant Drunk and No Return had no business at all. Although Gu Weiwei was anxious, the gold cup could last them for about six months if they manage their expenses wisely.


    Since then, Gu Weiwei has told Shen Lian to never turn rocks into gold anymore. This was because she did not want Shen Lian to get involved in something that he was innocent of and his psyche seemed affected after giving his midas touch. He slept for one whole night and showed no signs of breathing. If he did not wake up, Gu Weiwei would have thought that he was dead.


    It was a while later that Shen Lian told her that it was unnecessary for him to breath and he could not feel cold and heat.


    Gu Weiwei concluded that Shen Lian could really be someone with superlative skills. Something bad must have happened to him and that was why he ended up at her restaurant. She worried that he might leave once he regained his memory as Shen Lian did not belong to this little Baijia Town.


    Her parents were no longer around, she had no siblings and had no friends because of her reputation as a jinx. She really had no idea what to do when the day where Shen Lian would leave comes.


    Shen Lian may be strange but he would never judge her like every other people in this town.


    Fortunately Shen Lian stayed behind and would accompany her during meal times. It was a simple life but to Gu Weiwei, it was fulfilling. The only setback was that Shen Lian was not willing to help with work. But it was not a big deal as the restaurant did not have any business anyway.


    Gu Weiwei set her worries aside and a voice coming from outside could be heard, "Dao Master, you looked pretty idle. Why don''t you perform a reading for me?"


    The person speaking was a delinquent named Bai Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu was his given name and also his nickname as he was slick like a little fish. ;


    "What would you like me to read?" Shen Lian asked.


    Bai Xiaoyu chuckled, "How much money do you think I will make today?"


    Shen Lian glanced at him and picked up a branch. He swept the fallen leaves away and wrote on the soil "Your pocket will be cleaner than your face".


    Bai Xiaoyu was slightly educated and could recognize the characters. However, he was not angry at Shen Lian. In the past two days, he had chatted with Shen Lian and felt that this Daoist was pretty interesting. That was why he asked for a reading. He did not expect Shen Lian to be an accurate reader but he thought it was a fun idea to get a reading. He was a playful person and wanted to tease Shen Lian.


    Who knew that Shen Lian did not play along with him and wrote a message that said that Bai Xiaoyu would not make any money and would even lose every cent that he had in his pocket.


    Bai Xiaoyu would have scolded if it was another person who did the reading. But Shen Lian was different. Bai Xiaoyu was a delinquent and most people of the Baijia town looked down on him. Shen Lian was one of the very few people who was patient with him and would entertain his nonsense.


    Moreover, Shen Lian may have fallen but his demeanor was very classy. Bai Xiaoyu knew Big Boss Bai, a powerful man who operated the gambling house. But Big Boss Bai''s demeanor was nothing like Shen Lian.


    It was a satisfying feeling to have someone so patiently hearing you out.


    As the day was coming to an end, Bai Xiaoyu smiled, "I still have nine dollars with me. I will go and find something to do and I''ll be back tonight to treat you a meal."


    He kept Shen Lian''s reading in his mind and wanted to tease Shen Lian later at night.


    Shen Lian smiled, "I am telling you that you would not have the money to treat me."


    Bai Xiaoyu chuckled, "Dao Master, you wait for me." He was not worried that Shen Lian might be provoking him intentionally. He just wanted to have some fun.


    He then took off after finishing his words.


    Gu Weiwei then came out. With a slight disapproval, she said, "Why are you dealing with delinquents like that? What if he failed to earn a penny today and decided to take it out on you?"


    Shen Lian did not agree with her and said, "He would not do that."


    Gu Weiwei responded, "You will understand once it happened." She was a little annoyed with Shen Lian''s attitude. She continued, "Since you are so idle, why don''t you come up with some ideas on how to improve the restaurant''s business?"


    She was not happy that Shen Lian looked so free for the entire day.


    Shen Lian said, "The people in this town view you as a jinx. No matter how delicious our dishes are, they would still not patronise."


    Gu Weiwei could not help but felt dejected. She then angrily asked, "So you knew about it? Was it Bai Xiaoyu who told you about it?"


    Shen Lian pointed at his ears and said, "When I move my ears, I can hear everything in a thousand miles, crystal clear. I knew everything about the Baijia Town."


    Gu Weiwei responded, "Is this the best you can do?"


    Shen Lian smiled faintly, "Apprentice-sister, please don''t be angry. This restaurant is not worth your effort. But this is sentimental to you and if you don''t detach yourself from it, it would not help your cultivation. That was why I came with an idea that would guarantee the prosperity of the restaurant."


    Gu Weiwei questioned, "What idea is that?"


    Shen Lian responded. "Mortals are foolish and it is a waste of effort and labour to service them. Let''s not operate a normal restaurant."


    Gu Weiwei asked, "Then what should we do?"


    Shen Lian said, "Let''s provide our services to the divines and the demons. They may be detached from the earthy life but they would still eat. Furthermore, these businesses come with great rewards."


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