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

Chapter 1343 Liu Ji and Grand Tutor Yu
Xiao Yu did a quick calculation and realized that he had been in the White Cloud Immortal Cave for a full five hours!
She glanced out of the cave again; only a third of the incense in the incense burner remained.

In other words, the immortal opportunity at the Ape Lord's Immortal Abode will end in about two and a half hours.

She calmed herself down and, like the group of "unlucky people," sat cross-legged facing the stone wall, sensing it once more.

She could sense nothing anymore; the stone wall was so smooth it reflected her own image.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, anxious shouts rang out from the quiet immortal abode, "What happened?"

Xiaoyu turned her head and saw that it was Jingju, who had the appearance of an emperor.

He was even more agitated than she had been, his expression almost ferocious.

"It was Jingju; his good fortune has run out. However, he is still a bit stronger than Grand Tutor Yu. He truly deserves to be called the number one hidden dragon in the Central Plains!"

"Are you stupid! What does the amount of good fortune have to do with the length of time you persist? Grand Tutor Yu took about the same amount of time to comprehend the Dao as me, but I only comprehended twelve Earthly Fiend Divine Powers. I can't compare to her at all."

As before, everyone watched Jingju and whispered among themselves.

"Jingju, come here!" Grand Tutor Yu called out.

"Who the hell—uh, uh, uh~~~"

Jingju shouted impatiently, looking in the direction the sound came from. The anger in his heart instantly died down, his expression twisted, and his feet unconsciously retreated. It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, and he could only make muffled sounds, unable to utter a complete word.

Grand Tutor Yu beckoned to him, and he uncontrollably floated to her side.

Inside the cave at this time, there were several extraordinary people, who were Jingju's retainers, who had followed Jingju to encounter the immortals.

Seeing this, they all shrank their heads into their chests and lay down on the ground. They didn't dare to even utter a sound, let alone try to stop them.

"Jingju, I have a question for you—"

"Grand Tutor, spare my life!"

Before Grand Tutor Yu could finish speaking, Jing Ju's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, banging his head on the ground and wailing, "My Jing family of Dang County has been loyal and virtuous for generations."

I am utterly loyal to the Qin Dynasty and deeply admire and respect the Grand Tutor. I have never dared to harbor even the slightest thought of rebellion.

The purple-haired old devil deliberately harmed me by spouting slanderous words like "dragon vein" and "the appearance of an emperor."

Please, Grand Tutor, make a wise judgment!

Grand Tutor Yu said disdainfully, "A true man should die if he wants to, what is there to fear? Looking at your cowardly appearance, you certainly do not have the bearing of a great emperor."

Jingju felt ashamed and indignant, but nodded repeatedly and said, "Grand Tutor is right. I am just an ordinary person and do not have the bearing of an emperor."

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "Although I am the Grand Tutor of the Great Qin Dynasty, I am currently in the White Cloud Cave Immortal Mansion, just a rogue cultivator who stumbled upon an immortal opportunity."

Let us set aside our worldly identities; at least in this time and place, we are all fellow practitioners.

I called you here not for worldly matters, but simply to inquire about how many Heavenly Dipper Techniques you have acquired.

Jingju was stunned for a moment, a look of extreme annoyance flashing across his face.

He lowered his head and said humbly, "I have only mastered forty-nine Earthly Fiend techniques, and have no chance to glimpse the secrets of the Heavenly Dipper."

"Useless trash, get out of here!" Grand Tutor Yu waved his hand dismissively.

Jingju bowed three more times before leaving, feeling both ashamed and happy.

After another short while, Grand Tutor Yu had an idea and called out to the group of people who were deep in thought facing the wall, "Liu Ji, come here!"

No one moved, no one answered.

Among the crowd, some recognized Liu Ji. They looked at him and saw that he still looked confused and his eyes were unfocused, as if he were lost in a trance.

—This is a sign of enlightenment. Why is Grand Tutor Yu calling him?
They were puzzled.

Grand Tutor Yu sneered, "Liu Ji, do you want me to do it myself?"

Fan Kuai, standing in the crowd, couldn't hold back any longer.

He stood up, took a few steps forward, and bowed deeply, shouting, "Fan Kuai, the butcher of Pei County, pays respects to Grand Tutor Yu of the Great Qin!"

Before Grand Tutor Yu could respond, he continued, "Reporting to Grand Tutor Yu, Liu Ji is my elder brother. He is still in the midst of enlightenment and has not yet come to his senses."

I implore the Grand Tutor to be discerning and magnanimous, and not to ruin his extraordinary destiny.

Once his enlightenment is complete, he will certainly come to pay his respects to the Grand Tutor in person. If he has attained any Heavenly Dipper Techniques that the Grand Tutor does not possess, he will certainly present them to him with both hands.

"You're brave enough, but your older brother is a coward."

Grand Tutor Yu reached out and grabbed Liu Ji, who flew towards her like a wooden stake, standing upright.

"Grand Tutor Yu, no!" Fan Kuai was furious and immediately reached out to stop him.

A dozen or so "old brothers from Pei County" rushed out from the crowd and formed a siege posture against Grand Tutor Yu.

"Oh dear!" Liu Ji suddenly exclaimed, "What happened? Why is it gone?"

"Oh no! Brother Ji has been forcibly awakened, and his destiny with the immortals has been interrupted!" Fan Kuai stopped drawing his sword and cried out in frustration.

The other heroes of Pei County also stopped in their tracks, glaring angrily at Grand Tutor Yu.

Grand Tutor Yu sneered repeatedly, "Liu Ji, I heard that your family is raising a dragon vein, and you yourself have the bearing of an emperor. You even recently beheaded the Ancestral Dragon of my Great Qin. Are you going to soar to the heavens and ascend to the throne of the emperor?"

"Thump~~" Liu Ji's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, banging his head on the ground and crying out, "My Liu family has been good citizens for generations. I myself am a clerk of the Great Qin. I have been conscientious and loyal to the Great Qin. I have never dared to have the slightest thought of rebellion!"

First, Chen Sheng deliberately framed me, saying I was his accomplice, and forced me to become an outlaw.

Then I encountered another wicked Taoist priest who spouted nonsense. When he failed to harm my wife and children, he spread rumors.

Grand Tutor, please understand! I am an innocent man who has been wronged and humiliated!

Grand Tutor Yu continued to sneer, "Jingju was truly a coward when he knelt down and cried just now."

You are a true man, with extraordinary magnanimity, able to bend and stretch, just like King Goujian of Yue in his time.

Liu Ji was sweating profusely and was about to urinate.

—Damn, I was misled by some strange and unusual people before, and I even suspected that the old Taoist Wuyazi was actually Grand Tutor Yu.

That's completely wrong! Teacher Wuyazi is so kind and approachable, while Grand Tutor Yu is terrifying, like a demon king from hell.

Teacher Wuyazi, where are you? Help!
Liu Ji was inwardly wailing, his mind was in a daze, his body trembled with fear, and his face was deathly pale as he didn't know how to defend himself.

Fan Kuai couldn't stand it any longer, so he quickly took a few steps, knelt down beside Liu Ji, looked calmly at Grand Tutor Yu, and said, "My elder brother was originally the head of the Sishui Pavilion in Pei County, and he has never disobeyed the court."

It's only because in the last two years, my elder brother has risen to fame and his reputation for virtue has spread far and wide.

As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind.

Some traitors, having heard of my elder brother's reputation, tried to win him over.

However, he was extremely loyal to the court and held the Grand Tutor in the highest esteem, never daring to act rashly.

In the end, however, he was slandered and forced to become an outlaw.

If he had any rebellious intentions, he would have gone to Chen County and joined Chen Sheng long ago.

Conversely, the fact that he went from being a revered hero of Pei County to living in seclusion in the mountains, becoming a wild man, yet never committed any major rebellion, precisely proves his loyalty and righteousness.

Grand Tutor Yu's expression softened slightly, and the terrifying pressure that had enveloped Liu Ji, Fan Kuai, and the assembled heroes of Pei County immediately dissipated.

"Although you are a butcher, you are brave and resourceful, and what you say makes a lot of sense. But do you know that your good elder brother Liu Ji has been pretending to meditate in seclusion? He is afraid to face me; isn't that because he has a guilty conscience?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Kuai immediately believed most of it.

Brother Ji is indeed that kind of person.

He turned his head to look and saw that Ji Ge's pale face showed only embarrassment, not anger, which made him even more convinced.

"The Grand Tutor's imposing presence even made Jing Ju, the peerless hero of the Chu royal family, tremble with fear and dare not face him directly. My elder brother, a mere village head, is far less knowledgeable than Jing Ju, yet he is excessively respectful of the Grand Tutor, and thus made a foolish mistake." After saying this, he turned to Liu Ji and sighed, "Brother Ji, you are so foolish! This is the White Cloud Cave Immortal Abode, where everyone has cast aside their worldly identities. The Grand Tutor has also come here to seek an immortal destiny."

I called you here not for worldly matters, but to inquire about how many Heavenly Dipper Techniques you have acquired.

If you comprehend the Heavenly Gang Method, you can sit down and discuss the Dao with the Grand Master.

If one is not fortunate enough to witness the Heavenly Gang Method, then let me be frank.

"The Grand Tutor is a man of great stature; why would he make things difficult for a mere head of the Sishui Pavilion?"

Liu Ji hesitated for a moment about whether to be completely honest before using his internal energy to transmit his voice: "Reporting to the Grand Tutor, I have only learned twelve Heavenly Gang Techniques, and I have not seen a single Earthly Fiend Technique."

Xiao Yu said, "I have twenty-two Heavenly Gang Techniques, which are, in order, Reversing Yin and Yang, Subduing Dragons and Tigers."

She first explained her Heavenly Gang Technique, then asked, "What are your Twelve Heavenly Gang Techniques?"

Liu Ji honestly explained his Heavenly Gang Technique once again.

Eight of them are duplicates of Xiaoyu's.

"I'll exchange my four Heavenly Gang Techniques, which you don't possess, for your four Heavenly Gang Techniques. Is that acceptable?"

—Do I still dare to refuse now? Should I still ask "yes or no?"

Liu Ji nodded repeatedly and quickly explained the Heavenly Gang Technique he had comprehended.

He had barely finished reciting the first phrase, "Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations," when Grand Master Yu immediately interrupted him, "How can your Heavenly Gang Technique be so shallow and sloppy?"

Liu Ji was puzzled.

"This is the Heavenly Gang Method that I have comprehended. I have not kept a single word of the formula to myself. If I have lied, may I be struck by lightning," he swore.

The "shifting of stars and changing of constellations" he mentioned is merely a more advanced technique of divination. It involves using the power of the stars to investigate and conceal celestial secrets.

However, the twenty-two Heavenly Gang Arts that Xiaoyu had previously mastered all expounded the most fundamental profound mysteries of the Great Dao.

According to her understanding, shifting stars and changing constellations is a great technique that allows one to discern the secrets of heaven and directly alter the will of heaven.

The world is like a machine, and the stars are the gears; the movement of the stars represents the operation of the world.

By observing the stars, one can understand destiny. Manipulating the stars is like adjusting gears, directly writing the will of Heaven.

When one cultivates to the highest level, one can control the operation of the world with a single thought.

Of course, the Pangu world already had owners, and not just one, nor just one layer.

Hongjun, the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor (a representative of Heaven), the representatives of the laws of Heaven and Earth (the great gods), and the Daoists who have attained the Dao (the Great Luo Golden Immortals). From top to bottom, layer upon layer, the rules are all welded shut and cannot be shaken in the slightest.

If one goes to a world without a "ruler of the Heavenly Dao," shifting stars and changing constellations, as well as reversing Yin and Yang, are all unsolvable bugs. They can change the world with a single thought, making the world operate according to the will of the master of the Dao.

Only this kind of rule-based Taoist method can be called the "Heavenly Gang Miraculous Technique" that can change the world and defy fate.

"Tell me more about the 'Inverted Yin and Yang' supernatural power you've come to understand," said Grand Master Yu.

Among the twelve Heavenly Gang Techniques that Liu Ji comprehended, there was also "Reversing Yin and Yang," which overlapped with hers.

He recounted his "reversal of yin and yang" in detail.

Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "Listen to my 'Reversing Yin and Yang' again."

She quickly explained her "reversal of yin and yang," but it was less long than Liu Ji's explanation.

Its profoundness far surpasses Liu Ji's "reversal of yin and yang".

Liu Ji was dizzy from listening, yet he was completely absorbed in it.

“It’s not quite the same as my reversed Yin and Yang.” He was somewhat bewildered. “I can’t fully understand it, but I feel that the Grand Tutor’s Taoist magic is more powerful.”

Grand Master Yu said, "That was just my assumption. Different people will have different insights when reading the same book, let alone the laws of the Great Dao."

You're just a stupid mortal; you've only grasped the basics, which isn't of much use to me!

Liu Ji seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "I have heard strange people say before that different people have comprehended the same Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Divine Power, but the descriptions are completely different."

My talent is inferior to Grand Tutor's remaining three Heavenly Divine Powers, and I am willing to hand them all over to Grand Tutor.

"I dare not exchange my Grand Tutor's Heavenly Dipper Technique for his; the Grand Tutor will suffice to grant me the Four Earthly Fiend Divine Powers."

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "I am indeed at a great loss to exchange my Heavenly Gang Technique for yours. But am I a man of my word?"

Half an hour later, Liu Ji's face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked extremely tired and in great pain.

He bowed respectfully to Grand Tutor Yu and left Baiyun Cave with his brothers.

"Brother Ji, what's going on? You look terrible. What did Grand Tutor Yu do to you?" Fan Kuai asked, puzzled.

After leaving Baiyun Cave, Liu Jixian let out a long breath before whispering, "Grand Tutor Yu didn't do anything to me."

She traded four Heavenly Gang Techniques with me; she lost out big time, and I feel like I lost out big time too.

"What do you mean?" Cao Can asked, puzzled.

Liu Ji said, "The jade wall inside the cave is extremely mysterious. Even with the same supernatural power, people with different aptitudes and understandings can comprehend different Daoist principles."

Grand Tutor Yu's talent is too high. What she comprehends are the profound mysteries of the Great Dao, which are too difficult and obscure. Listening to her makes my head almost split open.

I tried so hard to memorize and understand, and this is how it turned out.

Sigh, I don't quite understand it after listening to it, and I can't remember it. It's really better to learn four simple and useful Earthly Fiend Techniques.

But I lost out, and so did she.

She wasn't very interested in the four extraordinary techniques I taught her, and was quite disappointed.

Lu Wan seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "I also discovered this when I exchanged Daoist techniques with Fan Kuai before."

We describe the same Earthly Fiend Techniques differently.

Fan Kuai said, "At least Grand Tutor Yu didn't fool you. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Lord Xiao is still meditating in seclusion!"
He was a frail man, yet he attained enlightenment over such a long time.

I noticed that many heretical practitioners looked at him with a strange gaze.

If we were truly targeted by villains, and there weren't any of us watching, wouldn't we be killed and tortured to death?

Upon hearing this, Cao Shen's expression immediately changed, and he said, "If you want to leave, then leave. I will definitely stay and protect Xiao He!"

Liu Ji sighed, "I'm scared! The legendary Grand Tutor Yu is too terrifying."

Do you think I was acting cowardly and timidly before because I was imitating King Goujian of Yue?
Bullshit! I was so scared I almost pooped out of my ass.

We should wait for Lord Xiao, and stay away from her.

"Okay, let's wait at the foot of the mountain. Even if evil cultivators kill and steal treasures, they wouldn't do it on White Cloud Peak."

Fan Kuai laughed, "Grand Tutor Yu may have a dignified presence, but he doesn't exude any murderous intent."

He was easier to talk to than the eccentric people I had encountered before.

If you feel upset, it must be because she's deliberately targeting you. Who told you to lie to her?

Even we were fooled by you; we almost drew our swords and fought her to the death.

—You know nothing! After I practiced "Old Man's Joy", I can face any immortal with complete composure.

As a result, in front of Grand Tutor Yu, "Old Man Le" was as if he were dead.

Is this deliberately targeted and can be explained? That woman is terrifying!
Liu Ji muttered to himself, but said aloud, "Given Jingju's experience, I naturally have to be more cautious. I didn't expect her to be so shrewd; I can't fool her."

(End of this chapter)