Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 578 A letter from grandfather, Zhou Jing's cousin! (5.4k)

"Still not working? The more I learn, the harder it is to understand."

You sighed softly, and behind you, the soft light swirled, gradually evolving into a Bagua diagram, ultimately condensing into three yin-yang fish, head to tail, profoundly mysterious.

[This is the fundamental law of the heretical Yuanjing sect—the *Yuanjing Zhendao Pian*. It describes how, in the beginning of the separation of heaven and earth, one primordial energy transformed into three mysteries: the Mother of Earthly Mystery governs the past, the Mother of Heavenly Mystery illuminates the future, and the Mother of Humanity resides in the present.]

[The Three Mysterious Mothers all originate from the same source; their mother is none other than the "Yuanjing Daoist," who created heaven and earth and opened up all things. This method is named after her.]

Although you have mastered this method, able to draw upon the energies of heaven, earth, and humanity to transform into spiritual energy, and your magical power is gradually becoming inexhaustible, you are still deeply moved by its underlying principles.

According to ancient fragments, this Daoist Yuanjing was one of the wives of an unspeakable and unrecorded supreme being.

The world you inhabit is the transformed placenta left behind by Daoist Yuanjing.

This idea is naturally difficult to uphold, but the legend of Daoist Yuanjing continues to circulate overseas. Especially under the rule of the Yuanjing Sect, all cultivators hold Daoist Yuanjing in the utmost reverence, honoring her as the Mother of Heaven and Earth.

You composed yourself and twelve jade slips flew out of your storage bag. You reached out and gently traced a line on the slip representing the "Yuanjing True Dao Chapter."

[Of these fifteen jade slips, eleven already bear scratches and engravings, signifying that you have cultivated eleven profound techniques to the Dragon Court Realm perfection.]

This includes texts such as the *Innate Five Virtues Revolving Scripture*, the *Pure Yang Gong*, and the *Jade Purity Spiritual Root Scripture*, all of which are the secret teachings of major sects.

[You have already refined twenty-six "Tai Su Protective Pearls" from Sun Miao's cultivation of the "Nine Revolutions of the Primordial Jade Body." Only the last one is needed to reach the highest realm.]

However, you intended to learn from others' experiences, but after reading extensively, you not only failed to clarify your path, but also found your thoughts increasingly chaotic and your future increasingly uncertain.

These thirteen profound Qi cultivation techniques, in essence, all expound upon their understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Just like the "Yuanjing True Dao Chapter," each has its own path and its own adherence.

The *Primordial Five Virtues Revolving Scripture* asserts that heaven and earth are composed of five virtues and five energies, which alternate in prosperity and decline, and cycle through countless eons, driving the alternation of the five elements and the recurrence of the celestial way.

The *Pure Yang Gong* believes that before the current Heavenly Emperor's death, the path he cultivated was the Pure Yang Great Dao. Therefore, it is necessary to return to the origins and retrace the Pure Yang path.

The other esoteric arts also have their own theoretical basis: some scriptures state that at the beginning of the universe, chaos was like a chicken egg, then a giant split the heavens and earth, separating the pure from the impure—the power upon which this occurred is "annihilation." Extrapolating this power of creation, one of the heterodox paths, the "Path of Annihilation," its fundamental law being the *Supreme Opening Heaven's Blessing*.

These fifteen profound martial arts manuals devote considerable space to explaining their understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

However, the more you ponder, the more confused you become. Each technique seems to offer some verification and proof during practice, as if every understanding is real and tangible.

But you always feel that this is like the blind men and the elephant; though they touch something, they can never see the whole picture.

The universe is indeed as it is, but it is far more than that.

You rubbed your temples, put the jade slip back into your storage bag, and decided not to cultivate today. The path to enlightenment is long and arduous, requiring a balance of effort and rest.

Five months have passed since the Star-Picking Festival ended.

[Xiao Qingfeng is once again accepting apprentices, and this time the number of new disciples he accepts is more than three times that of previous years.]

[Thanks to Xiao Qingfeng's outstanding performance at the last conference, where they secured two of the eleven seats, the entire Xiao Qingfeng team has been feeling quite triumphant and their reputation has been somewhat boosted in recent months.]

However, all of this seems to have nothing to do with you. You went into seclusion after the Star-Picking Gathering and have remained so until now.

Just as you were about to push open the door and go out, you suddenly heard a clear, melodious sound coming from outside the courtyard, like the tinkling of wind chimes.

[This indicates that the messenger is a spirit bird kept within the peak. If it were truly urgent, a faster flying sword would be used; while this kind of spirit bird delivery is slightly slower, it is much cheaper.]

All letters are first sent to Dragon Scale Peak, where they are sorted and then forwarded to the various branches.

Dragon Scale Peak has always been skilled at raising spirit beasts. The communication birds have been a staple for many years, and this has become an industry, exclusively operated by Dragon Scale Peak, generating enormous profits.

[Think about it for a moment; your grandfather sends a letter every six months without fail, so it's about time.]

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one indeed saw a white-feathered bird perched quietly on the eaves. It resembled a domestic pigeon, but was much larger, with a round belly and a body more than twice its size.

This is precisely the "messenger bird" cultivated by Dragon Scale Peak. Now, throughout the entire Fangcun Mountain area, the delivery of letters and messages relies entirely on this spirit bird.

The messenger bird, quite intelligent, gave you a soft cry and spat out a jade slip the size of a thumb.

With a slight exertion of your magical power, the jade slip effortlessly landed in your palm.

You smiled slightly, took out an ordinary "Beast Taming Pill" from your storage bag, and gently tossed it in. The messenger bird spread its wings, skillfully caught the pill, and let out a few light chirps, as if in gratitude.

It circled you twice, then flapped its wings and flew away to continue delivering messages to the other disciples of Little Green Peak.

[You don't need to pay any more fees for this message; your grandfather already settled the account when he mailed it. The elixir you mentioned earlier was simply a reward you gave to the carrier bird because you were delighted with the letter.]

[You returned to the courtyard with the jade slip, scanned it with your divine sense, and read it attentively.]

In his letter, my grandfather stated that Qinghe County had remained peaceful, and the three major families of Zhou, Chen, and Song maintained their tripartite balance of power.

[When my grandfather learned that you had become famous at the Star-Picking Festival, he was overjoyed and hosted three banquets at home, drinking to his heart's content on several occasions.]

My grandfather said this was something he wanted to do when he was young but couldn't; he could only watch his fellow disciples display their prowess from below the stage.

Renowned throughout the sects, attracting the attention of all, within the carefree mountain, who among the young does not harbor anticipation?

This scene was finally realized in his descendants. The grandfather happily picked up his brush: "Let's drink a big cup of wine!"

[Future generations will have successors, which is a fortunate thing.]

"The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind." Your grandfather knew you were always steady and deliberate in your actions, so he only offered this reminder and didn't give you any further instructions.

At the end of the letter, my grandfather brought two pieces of news.

[Firstly, your teacher Yuan Danqiu, who lived in Qinghe County when you were young, sent a letter back to Qinghe County.]

Your eyes lit up. Yuan Danqiu had gone alone to the East Sea in search of an opportunity to break through to the Dao Embryo stage, and six years had passed without a trace. You and your grandfather were worried about him, and you thought you would never see him again.

[For you, Yuan Danqiu is your respected mentor and the first guide on your path of cultivation.]

The letter states that this Mr. Yuan encountered an opportunity in the East China Sea and successfully broke through to the Dao Embryo realm. He inquired about your recent situation several times in the letter, his words filled with concern.

A smile crept across your face; there is no greater joy in the world than the well-being of old friends and the return of their letters.

The second piece of news is: This year, the Zhou family has finally produced a disciple with spiritual roots, qualified to enter the Fangcun Mountain sect.

This is naturally a joyous occasion. It should be known that my grandfather, having not yet broken through to the Dao Embryo stage, was sent back from Fangcun Mountain to become a lay disciple, and only then did the family branch out and establish the Qinghe Zhou family.

[In your father's generation, only one member of the Zhou family became a disciple of Fangcun Mountain, and that person tragically died.]

This young man is your second uncle's son, named Zhou Xingye, who is also your cousin, and also a member of the Xiao Qingfeng group.

The letter stated that this cousin was timid and cowardly by nature, and had never traveled far from home. Although your grandfather did not explicitly instruct you to take care of him, you had already kept this matter in mind.

You carefully read the letter and solemnly placed it into your storage bag.

[He then wrote another letter and sent it back to Qinghe County, which mainly discussed matters related to his upcoming trip to the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury in the East Sea.]

You place the jade slip, specifically for communication, in the message basket in front of your door; a messenger bird will come to collect it the following day.

[With everything completed, you do a quick calculation in your mind: judging from the time it takes for the letter to travel from Qinghe County to Fangcun Mountain, the day Xiaoqing Peak opens its gates to welcome disciples should be today.]

In other words, your cousin should have arrived at Fangcun Mountain by now.

You've stepped out of the courtyard; it seems you have no choice but to go out.

[It's good to get out and relax, otherwise practicing these eight or nine profound techniques for the past four months has been quite tedious.]

~

At the entrance of Fangcun Mountain Blessed Land.

The mountain gate is majestic, with the three ancient seal characters "Fangcun Mountain" inscribed on it.

On either side stood two jade unicorns, each a hundred feet tall, with spiritual pearls embedded in their eyes, exuding majesty and awe.

The sacred spring cascades down from the mountaintop, forming a thousand-foot waterfall, where cranes and phoenixes circle, their wings shimmering with light and their clear, melodious cries echoing.

today.

The group of young men, who had not yet entered the sect, were all selected from various parts of Yuzhou in the Central Plains. There were about a hundred of them.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were wide open, reflecting the majestic and enchanting scenery of Fangcun Mountain, filled with longing and yearning.

Some people were mesmerized and exclaimed in a low voice, "It's truly a fairyland!"

Zhou Xingye was also among them, his mouth agape. He rode a white crane on the wind and traveled for four days before finally arriving at the blessed land of Fangcun Mountain.

As soon as they approached, they felt the spiritual energy surge like a tide, more than ten times richer than that of Qinghe County.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed like a thin mist, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing, resembling a fairyland.

Zhou Xingye calmed his excited emotions. He was slightly chubby, with a round face and faint freckles on his nose. His features showed a childlike innocence combined with a touch of naivety.

His cultivation level is currently at the early stage of Body Shaping, which is not outstanding among the many new disciples. He barely managed to enter the Fangcun Mountain sect.

After pausing briefly in front of the gate, he was led to the reception platform, where more than three hundred new disciples had already gathered.

Whispers could be heard from time to time among the crowd. If there were disciples from the same prefecture or city, they would inevitably exchange pleasantries.

Zhou Xingye, however, seemed somewhat reserved. This was his first time traveling far from home, and he was inevitably at a loss in the face of the bustling crowd.

Before long, the disciple in charge of reception began to announce the allocation results for each disciple:
"Luo Ya, of inferior talent, entered Qiyun Peak."

"Zhu Fanyi, with a talent of below Grade B, has entered Dragon Tooth Peak." Upon hearing the words "Qiyun Peak," a murmur of envy immediately arose from the crowd. Everyone knew that Qiyun Peak was the head of the eighteen peaks of Fangcun Mountain.

In fact, many disciples already knew which lineage they would be joining before they even arrived. Zhou Xingye was no exception; his grandfather had already informed him of the situation.

Finally, the disciple who was receiving him called out his name:

"Zhou Xingye, with a qualification of Grade D, was assigned to Xiao Qingfeng."

Zhou Xingye hurriedly responded loudly, but in his haste, he failed to control his volume, making his voice exceptionally loud.

The disciple who was receiving them laughed and said, "Alright, there's no need to speak so loudly, I can hear you clearly."

"This is your waist tag."

A burst of laughter immediately erupted among the new disciples around them.

Zhou Xingye hurriedly accepted the waist tag engraved with the words "Xiao Qingfeng," and blushed deeply in embarrassment.

After the distribution of disciples to each lineage was completed, the new disciples were divided into several teams. Those from the same mountain range stood together, waiting for their senior brothers and sisters from their respective peaks to come and guide them.

Zhou Xingye stood in the line, let out a long sigh, and repeatedly stroked the jade pendant in his hand, a smile unconsciously spreading across his lips.

He has finally officially become a disciple of Fangcun Mountain.

My grandfather had been to this place, but my father and the others had never had the chance to set foot here.

While lost in thought, Zhou Xingye suddenly remembered his grandfather's instructions when he left home: in Xiaoqingfeng, he had a cousin named Zhou Jing.

He seemed to have seen the other person once from afar when he was young, but the memory was already vague. He only vaguely remembered that this cousin was known as the "prodigy" of the Zhou family, and was someone his grandfather often talked about and was very proud of.

His grandfather instructed him to inquire about his cousin when he arrived at Xiaoqingfeng, so that they could be familiar with each other and look out for each other.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xingye felt a warmth in his heart. In this unfamiliar immortal mountain, having a blood-related elder brother was ultimately something to be thankful for.

He clenched his fist; it seemed he would be building an empire alongside his cousin from now on.

It didn't take long.

A group of five people, four women and one man, arrived gracefully, riding their magical artifacts, and landed lightly at the front of the group.

This must be the person Xiao Qingfeng came to guide the new disciple.

Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Xingye looked up and his gaze froze for a moment, momentarily stunned.

The four female cultivators were all exceptionally beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, making it difficult to look away.

Two of them look exactly alike and are clearly twin sisters.

However, Zhou Xingye's gaze involuntarily lingered on the particularly striking girl at the very front.

She was born with a delicate oval face, with exquisite features, and her eyes and brows exuded both a clear and ethereal quality and an indescribable radiance.

Zhou Xingye grew up in Qinghe County and had never seen such a beautiful and ethereal woman before. He was so stunned that he didn't come to his senses for a long time.

Shen Qingxue glanced at the new disciples recruited to Xiaoqing Peak this year. The number was several times greater than last year, and there were even some in the late stage of Body Shaping with remarkable talent. She couldn't help but nod slightly.

The tall male cultivator beside him stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "Thank you for waiting, fellow disciples. I am Zhang Tong, and this is Senior Sister Shen."

"Today, we will guide you to Xiaoqingfeng."

The new disciples all looked nervous.

Lin Shuang chuckled softly and gently reassured them, "No, you don't have to be so reserved. I was the same when I first entered the mountain. Everything was new and exciting. The disciples in the mountain come from all over the country, so you'll get used to it gradually."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions relaxed slightly.

The five people in front of me are Shen Qingxue, Lin Shuang, Xue Ruyi, and Zhang Tong.

They had all been disciples for three years and their cultivation was among the best of their generation, especially Shen Qingxue, who had already broken through to the late stage of the Dao Embryo realm.

The task of guiding new disciples into Xiaoqing Peak this time will be undertaken by these few people.

Shen Qingxue softly instructed, "Junior Sister Lin Shuang, Junior Brother Zhang Tong, please count the number of people. Once you have confirmed that there are no mistakes, lead everyone onto the Azure Cloud Boat and return to Little Azure Peak."

The headcount is complete; not a single person is missing.

Xue Ruyi then took out a delicate little boat and infused it with her magic.

The small boat grew taller with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a two-story ferry boat that could accommodate a hundred people.

The new disciples boarded the boat one by one and set off for Xiaoqingfeng.

Zhou Xingye stood on the deck of the ferry, but his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Shen Qingxue, only daring to secretly observe her.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a young girl's long black hair fluttered in the wind, like a fairy in a painting, so beautiful that it captivated the heart.

Not only him, but many of the male disciples around him also frequently glanced at him, their minds wandering.

However, Shen Qingxue was somewhat aloof and distant at this moment, even when facing a group of new disciples.

The Azure Cloud Boat broke through the last cloud barrier, and the verdant mountains gradually appeared in the distance, with many elegant courtyards scattered among the peaks.

Zhang Tong, however, smiled warmly and took the initiative to explain to the new disciples the location, history, and how to cultivate and accept missions within the peak.

Every young face was filled with longing and anticipation.

Looking at the boundless sea of ​​clouds, Zhou Xingye felt a surge of joy for no reason, and some of the unease he felt about leaving Qinghe County also disappeared.

The Xue sisters would occasionally point out the distribution and location of the various mountain ranges to the new disciples.

The two sisters are both very beautiful, which naturally attracted a lot of attention.

The atmosphere on the ship gradually became lively, and amidst laughter and chatter, the new disciples grew closer together.

Zhou Xingye hesitated, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to speak but then stopped. He remembered his grandfather's instructions before he left, telling him to find his cousin Zhou Jing first.

Since we're unfamiliar with the place and the people, now is the perfect time to ask these senior students for advice.

However, as the jade boat was about to land, he mustered his courage several times, but ultimately failed to speak.

Until Zhang Tong paused for a moment, no one around asked any questions.

Zhou Xingye then coughed lightly and said somewhat timidly, "Senior Brother Zhang Tong, I...I would like to ask you something."

Zhang Tong looked at the shy junior brother in front of him and laughed heartily: "Don't just say one thing, you can say ten things!"

Zhou Xingye nervously scratched his head: "Actually... I wanted to ask my senior brother about someone from Xiao Qingfeng."

"Oh? Then there's no problem at all!"

Zhang Tong smiled confidently, "I dare say that I know every single disciple who has joined the sect within the last five years."

Lin Shuang smiled slightly and said, "Junior Brother Zhang is known as the 'know-it-all' of Xiao Qingfeng."

At this moment, many new disciples around him were also attracted and looked at him curiously, wanting to know who he wanted to find out.

Seeing this, Zhou Xingye became even more nervous and could only slowly say, "Yes... he is one of my cousins, also surnamed Zhou."

"Surname Zhou?" Zhang Tong pondered for a moment. "There are quite a few fellow disciples with the surname Zhou on the peak. What's his full name?"

"Zhou Jing."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xingye immediately felt five pairs of eyes fall on him.

Especially the girl who had been looking aloof and cold not far away, suddenly raised her eyes and cast her gaze as if it were solid.

This left him completely flustered, and he even involuntarily held his breath.

Just as he was panicking, Zhang Tong stepped forward, put a hand on his shoulder and asked, "Young brother, are you from Qinghe County?"
"Yes, Qinghe... Prefecture."

Seeing Shen Qingxue walking quickly towards him, Zhou Xingye stammered, "Senior Brother Zhang... do you know my cousin?"

Just as Zhou Xingye was at a loss, the aloof young woman in front of him approached, revealing a gentle and moving smile, as if ice and snow were melting, a sight to behold.

The Xue sisters quickly came closer, "Are you Senior Brother Zhou's cousin?"

Zhou Xingye nodded subconsciously.

A clear voice rang out.

"My name is Shen Qingxue. Welcome to Xiaoqingfeng Peak."

"Senior Brother Zhou, he knows not only Xiao Qingfeng, but also Fangcun Mountain."

Zhou Xingye was momentarily stunned. His grandfather had never mentioned that his cousin had such a reputation.

~

[You went to Shouhe Hall, the place for welcoming new disciples at Xiaoqing Peak, this afternoon and successfully met your cousin Zhou Xingye.]

(End of this chapter)