This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 297: Sitting in the center of the nine heavens, mastering the universe, the sun, the moon, and the stars

Shang Qingmeng did not show up until the end.

She seemed to have a unique refresh mechanism that could only be triggered by Zi Ping. If someone else, such as Qin Zhaorong, tried to pull Xiang Yuan, she would not appear.

It's another difficult day in Ping's life.

Ah Ping had probably let it go and thought this was a good thing. If she really met a strong enemy that she couldn't defeat, she would just hug Xiang Yuan and summon her senior sister to appear on the spot.

The ruins of the Taoist temple cover a large area. Although it was destroyed by the aftermath of the battle between the masters and turned into a messy ruin, the possibility of other opportunities being buried there cannot be ruled out.

Xiang Yuan told his speculation that there were other masters lurking in Xiaodongtian, and all the masters in the Tongyou period were pawns, so they should not stay for long. He asked Ziping to use the compass to make a divination. If there was no opportunity within reach, he would go looking for Shang Qingmeng, and leave as soon as he found him.

Zi Ping did not doubt it. She took out the compass and tapped it with her fingertips, starting to deduce the opportunities and dangers around her.

After a moment, she really figured it out.

"Several suspended islands are connected by a teleportation array, and the portal is nearby... It seems to be a formation that connects these islands together."

Zi Ping murmured to herself that the suspended islands seemed to be randomly distributed, but in fact they were in line with the principles of formations. She couldn't tell what the formation was because of her limited vision, but the predecessors had taken great pains to set up the formation, it was impossible that they were just playing a joke on the later generations.

Moreover, this small cave was full of weirdness, and was very different from the blessed land she knew. Even if there was a great opportunity like the Guanshen Jade left for later generations, it did not seem like a maze deliberately created by the senior masters.

"If you can't figure it out, forget it. Go dig out the teleportation array, and then go out to pick up a few junior sisters in, so that they won't get lost again." Xiang Yuan assigned the tasks, he was responsible for supervision, and Ziping took care of the rest.

Ziping had been bullied these days and had awakened her physique of an ox or horse. She grabbed the lazy Qin Zhaorong and asked her to look for a portal in the ruins while she went outside the door to pick someone up.

If I had known Xiang Yuan could really win, I wouldn’t have made this trip in vain.

----

On a suspended island somewhere in Xiaodongtian, the internal space is folded, as if it is a small world of its own.

There are rows of identical houses and ruins everywhere, and the broken walls reveal the vicissitudes of time.

Unlike the Taoist temple Xiang Yuan found, this is a Buddhist temple. The remaining halls are carved with exquisite Buddha statues and scriptures. In the center of the temple, a huge bronze bell fell to the ground. The body of the bell is mottled, and only a trace of heaviness tells of its former glory.

"What a pity for such a precious Buddhist treasure..."

Three figures slowly walked over, Xin Yanzi, Taoist Zi Yang, and Zen Master Xuan Ji, two Taoists and one monk, all of them were highly respected seniors in the martial arts world.

Zen Master Xuanji was broad and fat, and his steps were extremely steady. He walked forward, stretched out his hand to brush across the mottled bronze bell, and gently touched the ancient characters engraved on the bell with his fingertips. The smile on his face disappeared, and he said regretfully: "Supernatural powers cannot defeat fate. The most ruthless thing in the world is time. Even the Pure Land is like this, let alone ordinary people like us."

"Master, please don't be sentimental. I am the oldest here, and I am most afraid of the ruthlessness of time."

Xin Yanzi stroked his gray beard, and looked deep into the temple with his old eyes: "The night is long and dreams are many, let's take advantage of the opportunity here first, otherwise, with only the strength of you and me, how can we be the opponent of that demon."

"As it should be."

Zen Master Xuan Ji stood up and walked towards the depths of the temple with steady steps: "This is the Buddhist sect. I will take the opportunity here. I would like to trouble you two to protect me and block the two donors behind me."

"Good." x2
The two Taoists stood side by side, protecting Master Xuan Ji behind them. Xin Yanzi took out his whisk, gently placed it on his arm, and said to the air: "Manager Qu, Commander Zhu, you two are both famous figures. Why do you have to hide and lose your identity? Show up quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Ban of Linguan Zhu Clan came out from the shadows, with a stern look on his face. He looked at Taoist Ziyang with a frown and said unhappily, "Master, this time when the small cave was opened, my Zhu Clan promised you a benefit and invited you to come. Why did you collude with the Qingxu Sect of Xichu?"

"Commander Zhu, I am here to subdue demons and monsters. Daoist Xin Yanzi and Xuan Ji Feilu are the same. We have similar interests and cannot be said to be colluding with each other."

Taoist Ziyang looked a little apologetic and said slowly, "Even if the Zhu family hadn't invited me, I would have the audacity to ask Commander Zhu to lend me an invitation."

Zhu Ban couldn't stand these high-sounding nonsense. He only knew that Zi Yang was a traitor with ulterior motives. He looked coldly to the side and said, "Shopkeeper Qu, if the two of them can join forces, then you and I can also join forces. What do you think?"

The space twisted slightly, as if being gently moved by some invisible force, and a purple figure walked out.

Qu Rou's eyes glowed with a faint green light, cold and evil, her Begonia purple dress outlined the mountains and valleys, every part of her was full of elegance and charm, even though her expression was cold, she still exuded a stunning charm.

In other words, she was already charming and seductive, and became even more erotic when she was serious.

She chuckled, with a hint of self-mockery in her tone: "Since Commander Zhu has spoken, I will accompany you. Both you and I have let the wolf into our house, and this time we have made a losing deal."

"If you and I join forces to defeat them both, seize the opportunity and then each take what we need, it won't be a loss." Zhu Ban said coldly.

"In this case, Qu will follow Commander Zhu's instructions."

"I'm going to attack Yan Zi's heart..."

Zhu Ban was halfway through his words when he took the lead. He formed seals with his hands and a surge of black energy surged out of his body like a tide, transforming into countless black sharp blades, pointing directly at Taoist Zi Yang and Xin Yanzi.

The black gas is not demonic energy. It is inspired by the smoke on the battlefield and has a murderous aura. It is one of the many unique skills passed down by the Zhu family.

In terms of killing methods, its power is far inferior to the blood evil energy practiced by Zhu Dang, but in terms of concealment, lurking, strangeness and changeability, it is far superior to the blood evil energy.

At the same time, Qu Rouze flashed and went behind the two Taoists like a ghost.

She lightly lifted her bare hands, her fingertips as graceful as plucking the strings of a musical instrument, bringing up an invisible wind blade. The attack was silent, yet extremely sharp, cutting through space directly without leaving even the slightest trace.

Xin Yanzi's expression remained unchanged. He waved the whisk in his hand, and white waves swept over, using softness to overcome hardness and blocking all the black blades.

As the whisk was waved, the visible became invisible. Even though the black gas had the ability to change endlessly, when it was pinched by the white giant hand, it was like being imprisoned, with no way to escape.

Taoist Zi Yang snorted coldly and unsheathed his black sword. The sword energy was intertwined with that of a tortoise and a snake. There was also a phantom of a great emperor sitting on it, who was extremely powerful and had an indescribable aura of dominance.

Using hardness to overcome softness, the invisible wind blade collapsed instantly.

After a brief test, Zhu Ban and Qu Rou retreated at the same time. They stood together, both with extremely solemn expressions.

As both of them were grandmasters in the Tongyou stage, they knew as soon as they made a move that the two Taoists on the opposite side had extraordinary means. Even if they joined forces, they might, perhaps, not be their match.

Even if he could win if he tried his best at this moment, he would be seriously injured and become food for the oriole. But if he retreated at this moment, the opportunity would be taken away by Zen Master Xuan Ji.

For a time, there was a dilemma.

"If Zhu's brother were here, we would have no problem winning!"

“If Elder Wu Pan was here, he would not allow these two to be so arrogant!”

Zhu Ban and Qu Rou said in unison, both dumbfounded. What the hell, are your teammates really not around?

Don't hide, the opportunity will be taken away by the bald donkey, let your teammates come out quickly! x2
The two of them cursed in their hearts at the same time, staring at each other for a moment, and only stopped when they confirmed that the other person had the same helplessness in their eyes.

Without help, and unwilling to give up the opportunity, they could only attack again from the front and back, besieging the two Taoists who were standing still.

This time, Zhu Ban went all out and took out the magic weapon, the Black Gate Sword, without holding back.

The broadsword was about the size of a palm, simple and heavy, flowing with divine light and emitting a calm aura. As Zhu Ban tightly grasped the hilt with both hands, black gas burst out from the sword body, transforming into a majestic fortress, and rumbled towards Xin Yanzi with endless pressure.

The sword's power is as strong as a mountain or a pass, unstoppable. Anyone who stands in the way will be crushed into dust.

A fox shadow appeared behind Qu Rou, like a statue. With the help of this shadow, her figure was slightly taller, and her originally plump figure suddenly looked slender and elegant. She used the space secret method to kill people invisibly with her charming intention. With a casual wave of her hand, she only took out the triple killing intent of space, body, and soul.

Sometimes, the gap between one period of Tongyou and another is greater than the gap between a human and Xiao He.

Facing the towering mountains and huge pass, Xin Yanzi still used the strategy of overcoming hardness with softness. He stretched out his trembling hand to resist the pressing black sword. He only defended and did not attack the whole time, and his defense was flawless.

You can't say that this old hand is just slacking off, he has been working very hard.

The real slacking can be seen from the previous days, when he accepted the benefit given by Qu Rou and competed with Shang Qingmeng in swordplay, but was knocked off balance by the sword of Fairy Shang. Then, he was told that every generation has talented people, and the future belongs to the young people, so he has to accept the fact that he is getting old.

This allowed Fairy Shang to quickly exit the scene, catch the adulterers and interrupt Xiang Yuan and Zi Ping's affair.

To get back to the point, the gap between Zhu Ban and Xin Yanzi is as big as the gap between Qu Rou and Taoist Zi Yang.

Thanks to the excellent matching mechanism of Qilin Mountain Range, Baiyun Villa and Zhu family have been fighting openly and secretly for many years without a clear winner. This is a good thing for the two families. If it were other first-class forces, they might not be able to hold on.

Behind Taoist Zi Yang, the shadow of the emperor grew immensely larger and larger. Although it was an illusory form, it fully displayed the demeanor of the Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Grandmaster. He stretched out his hand and captured the shadow of the fox demon that Qu Rou had manifested, and began to rub it against the ground.

……

In the distance, several sneaky Xun Yu sneaked in through the portal and pointed at the four Tongyou period masters in the field.

"A Ping, look at what they are doing with their whisks, and then look at you. Don't use the whisk anymore, use a broom!" "That's right, sweep it up, and I'll give you some soup."

Xiang Yuan and Qin Zhaorong were in cahoots with each other, starting a conversation around Ziping, with endless sharp sarcasm.

Seeing Zi Ping's expressionless face and no intention of fighting back, the two men lost interest and shook their heads at the same time, thinking it was boring.

Xiang Yuan looked at him seriously and praised, "What a good appearance! If I'm not mistaken, the great master who stepped on the turtle, snake and black tortoise is the Great Emperor Zhenwu. I've heard people say that the Great Emperor Zhenwu has a high status, is dedicated to subduing demons and monsters, has no worldly desires, and is an extraordinary and good god. Seeing him today, it turns out that he really didn't lie at all, it's all the truth!"

"After all, it's just an illusion, it can't be considered real. It's far worse than the demon you transformed into." Qin Zhaorong expressed her disagreement and flattered him at the same time, showing her awareness of being a thigh pendant.

"You can't say that. What kind of person is Zhenwu Emperor? At first glance, I see that he has a tall and majestic figure and unparalleled demeanor. He sits in the center of the nine heavens, controlling the universe, the sun, the moon, and the stars. I feel a sense of submission that is difficult to describe." Xiang Yuan was full of admiration.

Qin Zhaorong: (One`One)
The sun rises in the west, and you, with your dog mouth, actually dare to praise others so harshly... What do you mean, is Emperor Zhenwu your relative?
Qin Zhaorong called it outrageous. In her opinion, Xiang Yuan had always been so bold that he even dared to flirt with Zi Ping in front of Shang Qingmeng. Suddenly he showed great respect to the Zhenwu Emperor. There must be something wrong!
She was confused and asked tentatively, "If you fight with that Taoist priest, can you win?"

"Originally, my strength was slightly higher than his, but with the help of you guys, now his strength is slightly higher than mine." Xiang Yuan said with a serious face.

"..." x7
The seven young ladies of Jianxinzhai fell silent at the same time. Unlike Ziping and Qin Zhaorong, the remaining five were extremely confused as to why Lingyu had changed her temper today. They had never seen her be so hurtful to others before!

Now was not the time to be confused, so the five young ladies did not ask any questions and planned to return to Jianxinzhai and then find Lingyu to make things clear.

Looking at the battle in the distance, he saw that Zhu Ban and Qu Rou were at a complete disadvantage, and his brows couldn't help but frown.

As the oriole, he wanted to see two tigers fighting, with one dying and the other injured, and then he would stand up and say a few fair words, such as saying that money can move people's hearts, turning swords into plowshares, and if I don't go to hell, who will? In the gratitude of everyone, he would suppress the opportunity with his own hands.

Zhu Ban and Qu Rou obviously didn't have this ability, especially Qu Rou, who was no match for Taoist Zi Yang at all. She just took the beatings the whole time. If the fight continued, her clothes would burst.

This person is Yue Huanjiang’s master, or, to be more precise, his sister-in-law. The Pure Love God of War couldn’t bear to see his sister-in-law being humiliated outside, so he had to help her no matter what.

But if we go on the field now, even if we win, others will take advantage of us.

Furthermore, the two Taoists had decent cultivation, and there was also an unfathomable monk, all three of them were at the Tongyou period. Even if he used his three-headed and six-armed Dharma image and took five Beyond the Shore pills in one breath, he might not be their match.

Unless Taoist Zi Yang discovers that the master is right in front of him, he will be willing to be a traitor and turn against his own side in the battle.

It is impossible to be the ancestor. Xiang Yuan is not the ancestor of Taoist Zi Yang yet.

Only when the Heavenly God Realm and the Qianyuan Realm are connected and the ascension channel is opened, Xiang Yuan can put on the vest of the Great Emperor Zhenwu and show his power in front of the Qingyun Sect, and then he can be confirmed as the founder. Otherwise...

Impersonating a founder is a blood feud in the world of cultivation that far exceeds the hatred of having one's father killed or one's wife stolen.

Xiang Yuan weighed the pros and cons and realized that he was no match for the Buddhist and Taoist trio. He said to Zi Ping, who was thinking quietly, "A Ping, stop pretending to be so deep. Have you figured out where the senior sister is?"

Zi Ping frowned, knowing that Xiang Yuan was reluctant to give up the opportunity here, and said hesitantly: "With my cultivation level at the Spiritual Transformation Stage, I can't figure out where the senior sister is, but there is a way that may be worth a try, and maybe I can find her."

"What's the plan?"

"Uh, just hug Junior Sister Qin, and Senior Sister will come out after you hug each other?" Zi Ping said uncertainly.

"..."

What's the solution?
Xiang Yuan didn't understand and pointed to Zi Ping at his own thin arms. Qin Zhaorong held them in her arms, so deeply immersed in them that he almost disappeared. It was no different from being hugged.

Ziping's mouth twitched. So, the senior sister had wronged her. The man named Qin had bad intentions and had impure motives.

"A Ping, say something!"

"..."

Ziping didn't say anything. She frowned and patted Xiang Yuan's arm, asking him to push Qin Zhaorong away.

Although it seems a bit outrageous and unlikely, and Ziping herself doesn't believe it, but since she has nothing to do, she might as well give it a try. Maybe she will succeed!
Xiang Yuan didn't understand what was going on. He struggled for a few times and finally pushed Qin Yourong away with great effort. Bah, Qin Zhaorong.

"and then?"

"And then I..."

Zi Ping was halfway through her words when she suddenly launched a sneak attack. She grabbed Xiang Yuan's shoulder with one hand and his right wrist with the other, and exerted force... the world was spinning in front of her eyes.

"It hurts, it hurts, let go, it's going to break!"

As usual, Ziping found her familiar position and was pressed to the ground by Xiang Yuan, with her butt raised high and begging for mercy.

Qin Zhaorong rolled her eyes. The couple were playing around quite well, especially Ziping, who was so skilled that it was frustrating.

In the darkness, a figure in white came gracefully. Her figure was like the moonlight, cold and aloof, so white that it glowed. Even the darkness around her was pushed back a little by her.

Shang Qingmeng!
Oh my god, it actually works!
Shang Qingmeng suddenly appeared, staring Xiang Yuan in amazement. At the same time, he adjusted the height, raising Ziping's divination method from ordinary stuff to a high level.

What you expect will come true. This is a magical method.

"How long do you want to keep her under control?"

Shang Qingmeng spoke expressionlessly, his eyes lowered as he looked at the undulating curves under Ziping's Taoist robe, not knowing what he was thinking.

What else can I think of? If the little tree is not pruned and not straight, just pick up the sword and cut these curves into horizontal and vertical lines!

Zi Ping felt a chill in her gut, and the moment Xiang Yuan let go, she quickly stood up and explained, "Senior Sister, it's..."

"She insisted!"

Xiang Yuan answered briefly and pointed around: "Everyone can testify for me that we were chatting happily when Ah Ping suddenly rushed over."

"I can testify that Senior Sister Ziping was the first to attack."

Qin Zhaorong nodded seriously and added, "When you were not around, Senior Sister Ziping...she...I can't say it."

The five sisters in the Spirit Transformation Stage had no idea what was going on, nor did they understand why the eldest sister looked so unhappy. However, it was an indisputable fact that Zi Ping had suddenly launched a sneak attack. They had seen it with their own eyes, so it couldn't be false, and they all stood up to testify.

Ziping: (_)
Perhaps it was because she had been wronged too many times, or it could be that Shang Qingmeng really showed up when she tried, and it was clear that she was deliberately targeting her. It was more likely that she couldn't explain it clearly, so Zi Ping gave up on herself and shrugged, "Senior Sister, they are all right. I seduced him."

Shang Qingmeng narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this, and was about to draw his sword to clear the way for the enemy on the spot.

He was held down by Xiang Yuan.

"You're still begging for her!!"

"No, I thought it would take a while to kill him, and I didn't bring an umbrella."

Xiang Yuan pulled Shang Qingmeng, pointed at the four Tongyou period masters in the melee, and briefly explained the current situation: "For my sake, let Ah Ping go first, and go back to Jianxinzhai, and you can do whatever you want with her."

Shang Qingmeng naturally had no objection to Xiang Yuan speaking. He snorted at Zi Ping, and then said coldly: "Xin Yanzi's cultivation is not bad. I can only beat him by three moves and two styles. It's hard to tell who will win in a short time. And... it's too late."

What's too late?
Just as Xiang Yuan was wondering, he saw golden light rising into the sky in the distance.

"Amitabha!"

A Buddhist chant rang out, the sound was distant and deep, as if it traveled through time and space and reached everyone's heart.

Zen Master Xuan Ji was bathed in golden light, his plump white figure looked dignified and majestic. He climbed the steps in mid-air, with lotus flowers blooming under his feet. With every step he took, the surging air current under his feet looked like a golden lotus blooming.

The shadow of a lotus sheds golden light, the fragrance of Zen fills the air, a huge bell rings, and strange phenomena occur frequently.

As Zen Master Xuan Ji stepped forward, the darkness around him quickly melted away like ice and snow meeting the sun, and the broken walls in the ruins gradually regained their former glory under the shining golden light.

The broken Buddha statues are reunited, the collapsed temples are rising from the ground, and the dead Bodhi trees are coming back to life, as if time has gone back and the pure land has reappeared.

Xiang Yuan stared at Master Xuan Ji in amazement. To be more precise, he was carrying a large mass of shining golden light on his shoulders...

Golden Wheel of Merit?

----

Ten thousand words, please give me a monthly vote!

(End of this chapter)