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

Chapter 1325 Fate Cannot Be Defied

After turning Xi Juan and Di Hua into middle-aged Taoist priests, Wu Yazi did not fly directly to Mangdang Mountain.

Her westward journey actually slowed down.

In Xi Juan's eyes, she was simply taking a leisurely stroll, just like any other pedestrian on the road.

Perhaps they thought they were disguised as ordinary Taoist priests.

However, Wu Yazi's route followed the "hidden dragon vein" between Zhaoyang Lake and Liu Ji's mother's tomb.

As she walked, she examined the surrounding feng shui and silently made calculations.

She still held the land rights in Sishui, and she was fairly familiar with the current state of the Liu Ji dragon vein. However, she needed to carefully predict the future changes to the Liu Ji dragon vein.

Because of the changes in Liu Jilong's lineage, she was deeply involved.

Or rather, the change in Liu Ji's dragon vein will directly affect the ancestral dragon of the Ying clan, and thus create a connection with her.

Liu Ji was no ordinary hidden dragon; he was the true Son of Heaven, and his dragon vein was theoretically also an "ancestral dragon."

Before the Liu family's ancestral dragon had fully manifested, everything was naturally fine, and there was no clash with the ancestral dragon.

What would happen if Liu's ancestral dragon left the Xuzhou Ding and moved from the bottom of Zhaoyang Lake to Mangdang Mountain, entering the territory of Ying's ancestral dragon?
Xiaoyu hadn't considered this question before, but now she felt like she was about to personally participate in the legendary story of "Emperor Gaozu of Han Slaying the White Snake and Starting an Uprising," which was familiar to everyone in China.

"Hey, isn't this Brother Wuyazi?"

Just as they reached the vicinity of Liu Ji's backyard, before they could even observe the changes in the earth's energy beneath Liu's grave, a surprised shout suddenly came from not far away.

The voice was unfamiliar.

Wu Yazi looked up and saw an unfamiliar old Taoist priest in a blue robe and white leggings at the corner of the dirt road outside Liu's vegetable garden. He was holding a banner with the words "Three Words and One Divination" and looked at him with surprise.

"It is indeed I, the humble Taoist!" A glint of light flashed in her eyes as she walked over with a smile, sizing him up and down, and said, "True Lord Meng is a renowned and virtuous immortal, so why are you disguised and sneaking around someone else's vegetable garden? Are you perhaps surveying the feng shui?"

"You're walking so openly on the main road, even 'revealing your true face,' and you're accompanied by several..." Meng Qi, dressed as a wandering Taoist priest, tilted his head to look at the two middle-aged Taoist priests and the golden-haired Taoist boy, and asked with a strange expression, "How should these gentlemen be addressed?"

Wu Yazi said, “One is my disciple, Xi Juan from Teng County, one is my Daoist boy Jin Xunu, and the other is my disciple’s cousin Di Hua. They are hiding their identities and have come out to travel the world with me.”

Then she introduced him to the people around her: "This is Meng Zhenjun. Don't be fooled by his current disheveled and somewhat sleazy appearance. He is actually a true immortal who has attained enlightenment."

I have to address him as 'senior'.

“Oh, I dare not accept the title of ‘senior’.” Meng Zhenjun waved his hands repeatedly and said with a wry smile, “A simple ‘fellow Daoist’ is enough.”

Xi Juan and Di Hua immediately stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Senior Meng (Meng Zhenjun)."

Jin Xunu also reluctantly stepped forward and bowed down.

Meng Zhenjun looked at the three of them again and again, and said in surprise, "I can recognize Jinxu Nu."

These two young friends, apart from showing some childishness in their expressions and eyes, show almost no signs of change.

"It's been several years, and your skills have indeed improved greatly!"

After he finished speaking, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his old face.

All five of them used the transformation technique. Wu Yazi recognized him at a glance, but he did not recognize Wu Yazi's disciple.

However, Jin Xunu's method of transformation was slightly cruder than his.

"What is Meng Zhenjun doing?" Wu Yazi asked.

Meng Qi's eyes flashed, and he asked in return, "How come Fellow Daoist Wuyazi happened to be here?"

Wu Yazi laughed and said, "I didn't just happen to come here."

My disciple overheard a rumor that the White Cloud Cave was about to appear in the Mangdang Marshland, and he was going to try his luck there.

So, after having lunch at his house, we headed west and happened to run into Zhenjun.

"Oh, so it's for the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Techniques in White Cloud Cave."

Meng Qi first looked enlightened, then looked at Wu Yazi with suspicion.

He suspected that she was using her disciple as a shield, claiming that her disciple was going to stumble upon a magical opportunity while she herself coveted the immortal techniques in Baiyun Cave.

"The White Cloud Cave does indeed contain the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang and the Seventy-Two Divine Powers of the Earthly Fiends. But they're probably of little use to Fellow Daoist Wuyazi's beloved disciple!"

The Heavenly Gang Technique requires the collection of thirty-six extraordinary arts to form a complete Heavenly Immortal Technique.

Without any one of these elements, it is not the Celestial Art.

Once all seventy-two supernatural powers of the Earthly Fiends are gathered, they can be transformed into various techniques such as Primordial Spirit Techniques, Ghost Immortal Techniques, Corpse Dissolution Immortal Techniques, Celestial Master Techniques, Earth Immortal Techniques, Modern Internal Alchemy Techniques, and Ancient Loose Immortal Techniques, depending on the cultivator's own talent and abilities.

If you can't collect them all, they're just individual supernatural powers; studying them will do more harm than good.

He looked at Xi Juan on the surface, but glanced at Wu Yazi out of the corner of his eye and said meaningfully, "Young friend Xi Juan, your master has already mastered the authentic Xuanmen True Immortal Method."

His supernatural powers are world-renowned; you really don't need to waste your good fortune by going to Baiyun Cave.

Xi Juan didn't realize that the old Taoist was ostensibly advising him, but in reality, he was warning Wu Yazi.

He bowed respectfully and explained, "Before I met you, Master, I made a mistake and condensed the Human Immortal Essence Pill."

Now that I've learned the immortal techniques taught by my teacher, I can only cultivate my inner energy and nourish my spirit; I can no longer achieve immortality.

"I have heard that the White Cloud Cave possesses extraordinary celestial arts capable of altering the heavens and earth and reversing fate, therefore I intend to go and see for myself."

"Oh, you've become a celestial being." Meng Qi was slightly surprised.

—He's already become an immortal, why would you still take him as your disciple?
He glanced at Wuyazi and pondered, "The rumors are not unfounded. There are indeed extraordinary people with exceptional fortune who used the Heavenly Gang Technique in the cave to reverse their own fate and obtain limited immortality."

These are not immortals who achieve immortality through normal cultivation of body and soul; they attain immortality through secret methods. Anyone who can achieve immortality can be considered an immortal.

But young friend, you are different from those who follow unorthodox paths or are eccentric individuals. You already have a master and a destiny with the immortals.

If it doesn't work out in this life, try the next.

Wu Yazi said, "I've only heard of the White Cloud Cave, but I've never been there."

Who left behind the magical arts within the cave, and what are the consequences of entering?

Meng Qi hesitated and said, "Without a doubt, no matter what kind of immortal destiny one may have, it cannot be obtained out of thin air."

I know something about Baiyun Cave, but it's not convenient for me to say more.

If you listen to me, you can head back now and don't need to know its secret.

If you wish to go and see the spectacle, to try your luck, I need not say more. Once you see the immortal abode, you will naturally understand its origins. And once you understand its origins, how could you not know the price to pay?

Wu Yazi became even more curious.

Old Meng is hesitant to speak carelessly because he has reservations!

Who is the master of the White Cloud Cave Immortal Technique?

“I heard that Meng Zhenjun has been wandering around Mangdang Mountain for the past few years. This time, the immortal abode appeared in Mangdang Marshland, and we just happened to meet you. Isn’t that fate?”
"Would the True Lord be willing to accompany us on this journey?" Wu Yazi asked. —Didn't you already see me disguised and surveying the feng shui of the land near the Liu family's residence?

Are you in such a hurry to pull me away because you're worried I've discovered something?
Old Meng thought to himself, but smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen you, fellow Daoist. I was just about to have a chat with you."

After leaving Zhongyangli, Old Daoist Meng transformed himself from a wandering Daoist into an old immortal with a dignified and otherworldly air and divine light in his eyes, revealing his original appearance.

After a slight hesitation, he secretly transmitted his voice using a secret technique, saying, "Wu Guang is leading a large army to approach Xingyang, and the Tian family is about to restore their kingdom. Why do you still have the interest to wander around aimlessly?"

Wu Yazi used his telepathic abilities to send "Yu Fengxian's" voice directly into his mind, saying, "I'm not in a hurry, why are you? The mission you left me is just to lead the Ying clan westward."

"Huh, what kind of secret technique is this?" Meng Qi was surprised for a moment, then said, "When I asked you to take over the position of Grand Tutor, I really only hoped that you would complete the westward migration of the Ying clan."

But look at yourself now, what have you accomplished?

“I did what the Grand Tutor of Qin should do,” Xiaoyu said.

“Alas, when I abdicated the throne to you, I said to you, to Empress Dowager Zhao, and to the civil and military officials of the court—my choice of you was by fate.”

What happened next was indeed beyond my control, and even beyond my comprehension.

The current situation has probably far exceeded your initial plans, hasn't it?
This is the great calamity of heaven and earth!
The changes in fate during the great calamity are beyond human planning; everyone struggles within their destiny.

I have no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

Given our current understanding, I have no right to offer you any more "good advice".

I can only wish you a safe journey and that you reach your destination.

After a moment of reflection, Meng Zhenjun continued, "I have now joined the Jing family and am considered a retainer of Jing Ju."

However, I always had some doubts about Jingju's identity as the "master of the Southeast Emperor," so I did not reveal his true identity.

He disguised himself as a feng shui master and was recommended by a friend to become a feng shui master in the Jing family.

His main responsibility was to survey the feng shui and protect the dragon vein of his family from harm.

Studying the dragon veins of the Jing family and the meteorological phenomena of Mangdang Mountain was also my main purpose in seeking refuge with the Jing family.

For the past year, I have been studying the topography, landforms, and water veins of Mangdang Mountain. The more I study it, the more I feel that there was a deeper meaning behind your choice to undergo tribulation in Mangdang Mountain.

The mountain shapes and geological formations of Mangdang are so unique; they seem to possess the potential to nurture an ancestral dragon.

At this point, he turned his head and glanced at Wuyazi with a probing look.

Wu Yazi remained calm, only thinking to himself, "Since you've pledged allegiance to Jingju, why have you come to Pei County?"

Meng Zhenjun said, "I joined the Jing family in order to study the possible 'ancestral dragon' that might appear in Mangdang."

"If I don't become a retainer of their family and don't receive permission from the Jing family, their dragon veins and dragon energy won't accept me, and I won't be able to conduct in-depth research."

This is the same principle as the bestowal of titles upon the Celestial Master.

A diviner might be lucky enough to discover another family's dragon vein, but if they were to delve into the dragon vein for research, they would inevitably encounter resistance and backlash from the dragon vein.

Meng Zhenjun pointed to the hills beneath his feet and said meaningfully, "I followed this vein of earth all the way from the main peak of Mangdang Mountain to Zhongyangli."

The whole process took me eight months.

For the first four months, I went deep into the Jing family's dragon vein to study the generation of its dragon energy.

They eventually figured out the Mangdang landform and mountain range that were connected to the dragon vein.

Two more months passed, and I examined each of those earth veins one by one. Finally, I followed the clues and found the main peak of Mangdang where you underwent your tribulation that day.

The cave had been occupied by a group of bandits, whose leader happened to be Liu Ji.

Over the past two months, I continued to follow the clues and today I finally found Liu Ji's vegetable garden.

I was just about to survey the Liu family ancestral graves in the vegetable garden when you arrived, interrupting my research.

Is this fate, or human will?

Xiao Yu said, "Go ahead and investigate the Liu family ancestral graves. You were delayed today because you ran into me, but you can go and check tomorrow or the day after."

—This old Taoist priest is sharp and resolute enough; he spent almost a year working alone in Mangdang Mountain.

We were just one step away from discovering the truth.

Liu Ji's dragon vein will emerge and transform in the next few days.

The dragon energy that was originally hidden deep within the Xuzhou Ding in Zhaoyang Lake is about to "hatch" a "small snake". The small snake will enter the tomb of Liu Ji's mother, Liu Ao, along the "hidden dragon vein" to form a "false dragon vein" and wait for its second transformation.

If the old Taoist priest were allowed to remain at Liu Ji's ancestral graves to investigate, he would witness the birth of a dragon vein: today, Liu's graves are only emitting a hazy green aura, which is the rank of a marquis; tomorrow, suddenly a wisp of dragon energy will come from the east, enter Liu's graves, and generate a seven-colored aura, thus achieving the rank of a king or marquis.

Even an ordinary feng shui master would have noticed something was wrong, let alone the astute and experienced Meng Qi.

He will definitely investigate along the direction from which the dragon's aura comes, and eventually find the "ancestral dragon" at the bottom of Zhaoyang Lake.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. The old Taoist priest spent several months finally finding Liu Ji's ancestral tomb along the "hidden dragon vein," only to have his progress suddenly interrupted by her.

Although Meng Qi could return to the Liu family ancestral graves for further investigation a few days later.

But by then, the process of the dragon's energy migrating from Zhaoyang Lake to Liu Ao's ancestral grave had already been completed.

Meng Qi could only discover that Liu Ji also had a small dragon vein, but the status of the "grassroots king" was not right. The aura of the Liu family that Meng Qi saw did not even belong to the "grassroots king".

Liu Ji's dragon energy will be plundered by the dragon vein of Jingju in Mangdang Mountain.

Meng Qi could only deduce one conclusion: Liu Ji's destiny was to serve as a stepping stone for Jing Ju. If he sided with Jing Ju, he could still become a marquis and prime minister; if he opposed Jing Ju, he would surely die a terrible death, and his entire family would be wiped out, a truly tragic sight.

—Damn it, my encounter with Old Daoist Meng in Liu Ji's backyard today was also part of fate?!

The reason I followed the "hidden dragon vein" all the way to Liu Ji's vegetable garden was because I was inspired by something by Zhaoyang Lake and keenly perceived that the destiny of "Emperor Gaozu slaying the white snake" was related to me.

These layers of fate, like dominoes, fall one after another, beyond human control.

I was ultimately caught up in it all; I couldn't escape it!

In an instant, Xiaoyu understood many things, and the helplessness in her heart outweighed her resentment.

Even if she understood, she still had to cover for Liu Ji.

"Actually, you can ask me any questions you have. I have already taken control of the lands of Dang County and Sishui County, and I have discovered Jingju's dragon vein."

I even arranged it in a 'celestial constellation' pattern.

This allows it to draw upon the power of the stars and nourish itself by utilizing the natural celestial constellation of Mount Mangdang.

I also discovered Liu Ji's dragon vein; in his mother's tomb, there was a small, very unstable dragon.

He'll likely end up benefiting others, after all, he has the destiny of being a Heavenly Noble Auxiliary Star.

(End of this chapter)