If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1085 The Great Sun Golden Crow Small Heavenly Cycle Formation
In just a few simple words, Master Guan introduced Xiaoyu to the backgrounds of several Qi Refiners and their current situation, and also reiterated the attitude of the "veteran employees of the Imperial Observatory".

—Don't say that the Imperial Observatory didn't have a "Grand Master" in charge. The Feathered Celestial Master was the person in charge. Without her consent, you didn't even have a specific position. At most, you were just holding the title of "Grand Celestial Master" conferred by the Empress Dowager. There was no one to preside over the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven for you, and no one asked Heaven or Earth to bestow titles upon you.

Yes, this isn't the first time Guan Zhenren has expressed such an attitude.

During the months that Xiaoyu was away from Xianyang, the Empress Dowager, Lao Ai, and even Li Si all requested the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to hold a formal "induction ceremony" for the newly appointed astronomers.

Just like when Xiaoyu first joined the company, Grand Tutor Meng led her to the Black Ice Platform to forge the Celestial Master's Token, and then summoned all the Celestial Masters to go to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices and request the title.

At this time, Lu Jin Gong, Zhong Yuan Gong, and the others did not even have a Celestial Master's Token.

Ying Banli, who was in charge of the Black Ice Platform's treasury, also had something to say: "I am just a 'prospective Celestial Master' guarding the gate. Without the 'Grand Tutor's Order,' I can't even open the treasury door."

Lu Jin Gong and Zhong Yuan Gong were already seething with anger, and now that Xiao Yu had "deliberately" provoked them, they couldn't hold back any longer.

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "So it's Lord Lu Jin, Lord Zhong Yuan, Lord He Zhenjun, Master Zhang Zhenren, and Fellow Daoist Jing. I've long admired your names. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

What positions are you seeking from me today?

"Will you be an ordinary Celestial Master of the Three Palaces and Nine Departments, or will you replace me, the Grand Tutor?"

Lu Jin Gong said calmly, "Fairy Yu, you are not yet the Grand Tutor, are you?"

Xiao Yu sighed, "When Grand Tutor Meng left, he earnestly instructed me to succeed him and be a qualified and good Grand Tutor."

I know that I am of little virtue and talent and am not worthy of this great position. I have always held the real power of Grand Tutor, but I dare not call myself 'Grand Tutor'.

At that time, all the noble and virtuous people of the Xuanmen sect regarded the Qin Dynasty, which had lost its Mandate of Heaven, as a cesspool to be avoided at all costs, and looked down on the position of 'Grand Tutor'.

Even the immortals Guan Zhenren and Huihe Zhenren who remained at the Imperial Observatory were able to stick to their posts and work diligently because of their noble character of loyalty and integrity.

Unexpectedly, just a few months later, the stinking cesspool that was the Imperial Observatory of Qin Dynasty attracted a group of... sigh...

She shook her head and sighed, then glanced at Lu Jin Gong and the others with a strange look, "You overseas immortals are ultimately different from our orthodox Xuanmen sect in China!"

—You, a barbarian cultivator who only entered China last year, where do you get the audacity to talk about "our Divine Continent Xuanmen" in front of us orthodox Xuanmen?
They even made a veiled insult, calling us a bunch of flies drawn to filth.

The Xuanmen True Immortals, including Lu Jin Gong, were very angry.

However, Yu Fengxian was right about one thing: In the past, virtuous people of the Nine Provinces Xuanmen did indeed avoid the position of Grand Tutor of the Great Qin.

Not to mention the Grand Preceptor of Qin, who was "bound by great karma and destined to die a terrible death," even the original Celestial Masters of the Imperial Observatory were all looking for opportunities to leave.

It is indeed very unusual for them to come to Qin at this time to compete for the position of Grand Tutor.

It's obvious they have ulterior motives and aren't genuinely trying to support the Qin dynasty.

Knowing they were in the wrong and that Yu Fengxian was known for her foul mouth, they didn't want to argue with her.

Lu Jin Gong said directly, "I don't care how the Qin Dynasty arranges things."

In any case, the reason we entered Guanzhong and went to Xianyang was because we received a joint invitation from Prime Minister Li and the Empress Dowager, asking us to come to Xianyang to participate in the 'Grand Tutor Selection'.

If the Qin Dynasty rejects the 'Grand Tutor Selection', we will leave without saying a word and will not disturb Fairy Yu and our fellow Daoists any longer.

If the 'Grand Tutor Selection' is to continue, please, Fairy Feather, challenge us to a public contest as soon as possible.

If we are outmatched, we will have no further complaints and will simply turn and leave.

—What the hell do you think this is, a place where you can come and go as you please?
You bunch of damned devils, none of you will escape!
Xiao Yu sneered inwardly, but put on a somewhat forced, amiable smile and said, "Lord Lu Jin speaks frankly, and I won't mince words either."

I personally hope to end this farce of the 'Grand Tutor Selection' as soon as possible.

If the court has no objections, we will begin immediately.

Upon hearing this, all the celestial masters of the Imperial Observatory were astonished.

Even overseas Qi cultivators like Lu Jin Gong were greatly surprised. After a moment of stunned silence, they asked uncertainly, "Does Fairy Yu mean that we should start a duel to determine the winner immediately?"

"Whether or not to engage in a contest of wits, and how to do it, are all open to discussion. The key is to convince everyone."

"Moreover, the selection of the Grand Tutor has already been decided and cannot be delayed; it must be completed as soon as possible," Xiao Yu said.

At this moment, Lu Jin Gong actually felt a bit of goodwill towards the quick-witted Fairy Yu.

He is a sword cultivator, straightforward by nature, decisive in his actions, and he also likes straightforward and bold people the most.

“Since Fairy Yu has no objections, then let’s,” Lu Jin Gong looked around, “go outside the city and choose a more open place so we can use our skills.”

"Hey, Lord Lu Jin, don't be anxious. I'm actually very anxious too, but this matter can't be resolved by the few of us fighting behind closed doors."

Xiao Yu waved his hand and explained, "When the Empress Dowager was still alive, I made an agreement with the civil and military officials in the court that all those who came to participate in the selection of Grand Tutor must either come from the Xuanmen Dao Palace, have a name and a clear lineage, or ask a high-ranking official in the court to act as a guarantor."

Although you all come from overseas, you are all renowned masters, so you naturally do not need anyone to vouch for you.

But you are not all of the candidates.

I heard that even the alchemist Xu Fu came to Xianyang.

The East Sea Fleet recommended a group of extraordinary individuals from overseas.

We can just find a place to have a contest and end the 'Grand Tutor Selection'. They didn't even get to participate, so how can they be convinced?
So what I mean is that the selection of the Grand Tutor should begin as soon as possible, but not immediately with a contest of magical powers.

First, gather everyone together and discuss the rules of the contest.

Invite some more witnesses to watch the battle.

Finally, they publicly dueled to determine the victor.

Lord Lu Jin and fellow immortals, what do you think?

Lu Jin Gong looked down on those unorthodox cultivators from the outer seas.

He felt that he and those guys were not on the same wavelength and that he shouldn't compete with them.

But Yu Fengxian's words made sense. If it were just a few of them fighting, no matter the outcome, the others would definitely not be convinced and would have to fight again sooner or later.

"Does Fairy Yu have specific rules?" he asked.

Xiaoyu said, "Let's skip all the formalities and get straight to the point. Let's call them over immediately."

Summon all Qi cultivators who are interested in vying for the position of Grand Tutor of the Great Qin Dynasty to the Emperor's Palace immediately.

Please don't leave yet, everyone. Go to the front hall and wait.

"Once everyone has arrived, we'll discuss and agree on a method of combat that everyone can accept. Without further ado, let's begin."

"Alright, Fairy Yu is quite straightforward, let's do it this way!" Duke Lu Jin agreed immediately without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Yu glanced at the others and saw that they nodded slightly in agreement. Then he called out, "Xiao Linzi, Pang Mole, you two servants, lead the five immortals to the Heavenly Emperor's Palace and serve them well."

Master Guan and Master Huihe, you must immediately summon the Celestial Master who is away back.

Then send people to find Prime Minister Li Si, Marquis Lieyang, and all the court officials and nobles who intend to get involved in this matter and to vouch for the unorthodox Qi cultivators.

In short, we must get the 'Grand Tutor Selection' done right the first time today.

"All Qi cultivators participating in the selection, influential figures who care about this matter, even Qi cultivators from across the land and wandering immortals from foreign lands—anyone who is interested in this matter—are welcome to come, and must be notified."

Master Guan glanced at the backs of Lu Jin Gong and the others, and only after they had completely walked out the door did he whisper, "Master Yu, you are too impatient!"
Do you know their background, which Taoist sect they belong to, what techniques they practice, what their special skills are, and how powerful their trump cards and deadly supernatural abilities are?
You probably don't even know the most famous Lu Jin Gong, let alone understand him.

Knowing nothing about the enemy and rashly starting a battle is hardly a wise move. Anyway, we support you, so you can even ignore them.

Even if a real battle of wits were to break out, we could wait two or three months and first ascertain everyone's true strengths and weaknesses.

Grey Crane Master also said, "Master Guan is right. Master Yu can at least delay until after the new emperor ascends the throne."

The best reason is that a country cannot be without a leader for even a day.

Xiao Yu said, "When I fight them with the Taoist magic of the Celestial Masters, it's not about who has the more powerful supernatural abilities."

"I'm afraid they won't let you have your way. In terms of pure Celestial Master techniques, many Qi cultivators are not worthy of being called 'Celestial Masters'."

Grey Crane Master took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Yu, saying, "Take a look. This is a list of outside Qi cultivators that I have compiled."

A total of 243 people!

Among them, there are about eighty true immortals, and the celestial immortal who just killed Jin Gong was an earth immortal, but he had 100,000 years of cultivation.

Zhong Yuangong was an ancient immortal. No one knows how many years he lived, but it was at least a million years.

I really don't know what these senior figures are trying to achieve by coming to Xianyang and getting involved in this mess.

He Zhenjun did attain the rank of Celestial Immortal, probably the only Celestial Immortal among all of them.

"Thank you for your trouble." Xiaoyu took the booklet, flipped through it casually, and said, "So many people aren't even immortals, yet they want to come to Xianyang to become Grand Tutor. Isn't that a bit disrespectful to the Great Qin and to me?"

The Gray Crane Immortal said solemnly, "Realm is not the same as cultivation, and cultivation is not the same as strength. Some extraordinary people have mastered strange supernatural powers and can even manipulate the power of the Great Dao. Even a Golden Immortal can stumble if he is careless."

Grand Tutor Yu has a history of defeating stronger opponents with weaker ones; they might be able to do the same as you. You must not be careless!

Yang Li sneered, "They don't necessarily have to compete for the position of Grand Tutor."

After all, the Grand Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory cannot be a solitary figure.

If Master Yu is replaced and we don't obey, the new Grand Tutor will have to use his own people!

Moreover, you need not worry about Master Yu.

They were only vying for the position of Grand Tutor, not for the life of Master Yu.

At best, they lost the battle of wits and voluntarily conceded defeat, leaving them to take over the mess they're in now.

Master Yu was essentially freed from his noose ahead of time and regained his freedom.

The reasons we stayed are threefold: first, we had received the Emperor's favor in the past; second, we were entrusted by Grand Tutor Meng; and third, Master Yu is indeed capable of holding the overall situation in place, so we don't need to risk our lives.

Now that the Ying royal family has lost its mind, wanting to let wolves into the house and drive away loyal ministers, we might as well leave.

Xiao Yu said, "I returned to Xianyang in the afternoon and just sent you to the underworld when Ying Qian took me to the Blessed Land of King Mu in Yongcheng."

All the former kings of Qin have expressed their support for me to become Grand Tutor, and have even advised me to request a fiefdom as soon as possible to eliminate any other thoughts that might arise.

The Grey Crane Immortal sighed, "Most of the former kings of the Great Qin were wise and decisive, and none of them lost their minds."

But the court officials who are now in power are probably not of one mind with them.

A nation is about to perish, and there are always omens. This is one of those omens! Even at a time like this, they're still fighting amongst themselves.

Master Guan said, "Perhaps, Master Yu could go and meet with Marquis Lieyang and Prince Huhai, and explain the advantages and disadvantages to them."

Xiao Yu laughed and said, "My title of 'Grand Tutor' is really different from other official positions."

Other civil and military officials were loyal to the emperor, but when the emperor no longer wanted to use them, the officials left gracefully.

As the Grand Tutor, I aspire to be the Emperor's "father-in-law"—this is not arrogance on my part.

The late King of Qin said that seeing me is like seeing them, and any prince who succeeds to the throne must respect me as if I were his father.

Father, you cannot abandon your child!
When a country is about to perish, there must be monsters.

The Grand Tutor of a fallen kingdom, determined to ensure the continuation of the Ying clan's ancestral temple, would surely suppress all sorts of evil spirits.

Nowadays, the 'Grand Tutor Selection' is nothing more than a minor, insignificant prodigy.

If even this can't be suppressed, and we still have to rely on the late king, and on the Marquis of Lieyang and the princes for their understanding of the bigger picture, then I, as Grand Tutor, have no face to continue."

“Father.” Master Guan looked shocked at first, then shook his head and said, “Master Yu’s demeanor is extraordinary and his spirit is boundless. I admire him.”

However, the new emperor will not approve.

Marquis Lieyang, Chancellor Li, and Zhao Gao—these men who had staged a coup to overthrow the Empress Dowager and seized power in the court—could not tolerate having a superior "adoptive father" above the emperor.

Master Grey Crane looked at Xiao Yu with a strange expression and said, "If Master Yu really thinks this way, then it's quite a choice to select the 'chosen one' when Meng Zhenjun made you the Grand Tutor of Qin and the State Military Commission recommended you as the 'Ancient Grand Tutor'."

Yang Li really wanted to say—Yu Fengxian, you really are a bit of a brainiac.

He would have shouted it out when they first met.

He doesn't dare to do it now.

Yu Fengxian had already established her authority in his heart and in the Imperial Observatory.

Moreover, upon closer examination, her words actually make a lot of sense.

The Qin Dynasty was doomed; this was the will of Heaven, and could not be changed. But the Qin Dynasty would not perish instantly; its demise was a process.

During this process, the Qin Dynasty was bound to experience various calamities.

Compared to the calamities to come, the selection of the Grand Tutor at this time is indeed only the "first calamity".

"Fellow Daoists, please do as I say and summon all the Qi Refiners who are vying for the position of Grand Tutor, as well as the relevant officials. Fellow Daoist Yang Li, you will accompany me to the Underworld to see Zhao—"

Before she finished speaking, Xiaoyu's expression suddenly changed slightly, and she turned her gaze to the southeast, to the location of Zhangtai in Xianyang Palace.

The Celestial Masters were puzzled, only feeling a flash of eerie light before their eyes. Celestial Master Yu snorted coldly, a mocking expression on his face.

"Could it be that someone is spying on us?" Master Guan asked with a serious expression.

Xiaoyu nodded slightly and said, "It's probably Gao Tianming from the Fire Crow Army."

She paused, then added, "Perhaps there's also 'Follow-the-Wind Ears.' In recent years, has Marquis Lieyang managed to acquire both the Heavenly Eye and the Immortal Ears?"

"Not to mention clairvoyance and clairaudience, he has all thirty-six great immortal supernatural powers."

The gray crane master looked solemn, with fear in his eyes, and said, "The day before yesterday, the fire crow army suddenly launched an attack and killed eight thousand of Lao Ai's dead soldiers. They used the 'Great Sun Golden Crow Small Heavenly Circuit Formation'."

Yu Yu personally led 3,000 Fire Crow soldiers, suffering fewer than 100 casualties, but annihilated 20,000 of Lao Ai's retainers and 8,000 elite warriors, and also forced the surrender of 50,000 Southern cavalry who had defected to Lao Ai.

It should be noted that at the time, many of the Eastern Navy commanders were not of one mind with him and were leading their troops to observe the situation outside the city.

Yu Yu, with the power of a single force, suppressed and killed Lao Ai.

The assembled immortals and gods watching the battle were all shocked and horrified!

After this battle, all the officials in Xianyang prostrated themselves in worship, none daring to meet Yu's gaze.

(End of this chapter)