This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 377 Zi Ping: I think you clearly want me dead.

The Three Thousand Worlds are so vast, how could Bai Wuyan possibly guess what kind of opportunity the Sword Master Su Ran had obtained?

Divination is useless. Cultivators in the upper three realms have mastered the subtle workings of the inner world and the Dao of the outer world, possessing innate supernatural abilities to obscure the secrets of heaven, which cannot be calculated.

Moreover, the Sword Master Su Ran also possesses the Dao Sword Realm, where heaven and earth are her sword, and the sword and the Dao are one. Calculating this would require a great deal of mental effort from her, and even if she could calculate it, it might not be the truth. It would be a thankless task.

Instead of pondering what fortuitous encounter Sword Venerable Su Ran had, it's better to be realistic and consider how much her strength has recovered after she was freed from the shackles of lifespan, whether she has made great progress in her cultivation through breaking through and rebuilding.

With just a little thought, Bai Wuyan became extremely excited. Compared to the old and almost dead Su Ran Sword Master, she looked forward to the Su Ran Sword Master in his prime.

Defeat this vile woman fair and square, and make her admit defeat wholeheartedly!

Xiang Yuan: (One`)
He glanced at Bai Wuyan, who was trembling and suddenly flushed with excitement for some unknown reason, and then rationally remained silent, quietly playing the role of a nobody.

The effect was mediocre; a powerful medicine like it was like a firefly in the dark, so dazzling and impossible to hide.

Bai Wuyan's mind was filled with Su Ran Sword Master. Just imagining defeating him head-on and forcing him to his knees filled her with energy and motivation for cultivation.

She reached out and scooped up Xiang Yuan, then, with a swift motion, moved an object to the side right in front of him.

He sat cross-legged, hooking his arms around Xiang Yuan's waist, embracing her shoulders and arms, and kissing her neck to draw blood.

No, at least wait until I close my eyes and turn off the light!

Xiang Yuan was completely stunned. He knew that Bai Wuyan was resolute and had no worldly desires, but he did. This unbridled behavior made him seem like a gentleman who could remain unmoved even with a woman in his lap.

What upright and virtuous person could withstand such a test?

Sister, you may not know this, but the morals of the cultivation world are declining. These days, even gentlemen need to be wary!
Bai Wuyan drank blood for a while, but failed to get the familiar dual cultivation of primordial spirits. Dissatisfied, she scratched Xiang Yuan's back with her claws.

She retrieved the medicine, drawing upon the principles of heaven and earth from afar, ensuring that everyone received what they needed, and that no one owed anyone anything.

What are you waiting for? Hurry up and start cultivating! With such good aptitude, what are you thinking about if you don't cultivate?

Xiang Yuan took two deep breaths, wrapped his arms around Bai Wuyan, and channeled his primordial spirit into her body, quickly entering a pleasant supermarket shopping spree.

As expected of a wealthy woman's supermarket, it has a complete range of products and covers a wide variety of goods, making him very satisfied every time he goes shopping.

Bai Wuyan was not interested in dual cultivation of the primordial spirit, and she never tainted Xiang Yuan's primordial spirit with her own aura. She was always calm and did not act like Xiang Yuan, whose hands and feet would have their own thoughts after entering meditation.

While anticipating her duel with Sword Master Su Ran, she also plotted for the possibility of enhancing her abilities with the Great Elixir, transmitting her thoughts: "The last sword tournament was held at the Peerless Palace, this time it's at the Sword Heart Pavilion..."

Since the Sword Heart Sect and the Peerless Palace began their power struggle, their way of addressing each other has evolved from "fellow Daoist," "Your Excellency," and "Fairy" to the more intimate "Little Scoundrel."

Both mountain gates have protective formations, making it easy to enter but difficult to leave. Given the tense situation, Jianxinzhai would not send its own grandmaster into Wushuang Palace, and Wushuang Palace was no exception; both expressed their distrust of each other.

Understandable, a slight misstep could lead to ending up in the basement.

At the last sword tournament, Wushuang Palace provided a small grotto as its main venue, and Jianxinzhai is doing the same thing this time.

Bai Wuyan transmitted her voice to Xiang Yuan, saying that while Jianxinzhai outwardly pursued natural sword techniques, it actually sought out many opportunities. The small cave they were providing contained a great opportunity corresponding to the five elements, which could be refined into medicine.

No need to be polite with Jianxinzhai, just take it directly, and she will bear the consequences.

Xiang Yuan really wanted to say that he not only had a lot of connections in Jianxinzhai, but Jianxinzhai also often controlled his connections, so Bai Wuyan didn't need to bear the consequences. However, Bai Wuyan spoke up in advance, so he didn't say anything to avoid offending her.

Taking initiative is never as interesting as doing it secretly.

Moreover, it was Yin Shuang who took the blame, and it had nothing to do with the righteous young hero Xiang.

Bai Wuyan drank blood to fill her stomach, allowing the medicinal power that she couldn't digest to settle in her limbs and bones. She was already full before, but the thought of her mortal enemy made her excited and caused her to drink blood this time. She was already full and had no more room to fill up.

Not even a stick of incense was burned.

The White House Master was a respectable person. He adhered to the principle of mutual benefit and opened his primordial spirit to allow Xiang Yuan to take what he needed. It took him more than half a day to stop this dual cultivation.

She stood up gracefully, and with a thought, put on the Cloud-Woven Heavenly Robe. Knowing that Xiang Yuan would definitely go to find Xiao Lingyue, she pointed her finger like a sword and threw Xiang Yuan into the cold pool to rinse him off.

After washing it clean, it's as if it's never been used.

Respectable and sophisticated.

Xiang Yuan soaked in the cold pool for a while, then got up and changed into new clothes. Seeing that Bai Wuyan remained silent, he moved away in a flash.

With the pass given to him by Bai Wuyan, he could ignore the mountain-protecting formation and move freely within the Wushuang Palace, going wherever he wanted.

This includes Xiao Lingyue's courtyard.

This behavior is tantamount to throwing a rat into a rice jar—no, into a granary.

Bai Wuyan is not just carefree; she's been floating in the sky for too long and has developed a serious lack of basic common sense.

It's okay to be aware of privileges; deliberately flaunting them is bad for everyone.

After shifting space, Xiang Yuan obediently arrived at Xiao Lingyue's courtyard. He sneaked in like a thief, without knocking, and directly climbed over the wall to enter the courtyard.

The array within the courtyard acted as if it hadn't even seen him.

It wasn't until Xiang Yuan passed by the training ground that Xiao Lingyue realized someone had sneaked into her meditation space. She frowned and spread her spiritual senses to see who was being so rude.

If it's Senior Sister Cheng, forget about watching the sword competition; she won't bring anyone along.

Upon seeing it, he was horrified.

Xiao Lingyue rushed out of the quiet room, grabbed the unhurried Xiang Yuan, pulled him into the room, and whispered, "Why are you here again? Didn't I tell you not to come back after you left?"

"The sword competition is about to begin, and I'm worried about my wife, how could I not come?" Xiang Yuan held her soft hand, his manner becoming increasingly adept.

Strictly speaking, he came to have some fun, to support the original wife in taking down the mistress, triggering a side story, and thus gaining another motivation to search for treasure.

There's entertainment to watch and treasures to be found, this is definitely worth it.

Xiao Lingyue was taken aback upon hearing this. She was moved, but only for a moment. She glanced at the direction of the mountain peak, her expression full of wariness: "Husband, if you want to find me, you can contact me directly through the jade pendant. There is no need to risk your life. I was able to save you once, but it is hard to say whether I can save you a second time."

Don't worry, I've made a three-point agreement with her, and I'll keep it from you from now on.

Xiang Yuan knew the answer in his heart and smiled slightly, saying, "It's alright. Madam, you once said that your master is sometimes unreasonable, but most of the time, as long as you don't anger her, she is still very quiet."

Stop joking! This is just a disciple trying to defend his master. Why are you taking it seriously?

Just as Xiao Lingyue was about to complain, her heart skipped a beat. She made a bold assumption: if she removed the label of Bai Wuyan's master and brought her into the Zhaowang Mansion, which had a long tradition of family learning, she would immediately gasp in shock.

You can apply that analogy, but it's a big problem!
She grabbed Xiang Yuan's wrist, her gaze intense, and said, "Tell me, did you just meet with... her?"

"Ah."

"..."

Upon hearing the crisp and decisive answer, Xiao Lingyue felt dizzy and disoriented. In a daze, she saw Bai Wuyan respectfully serving her tea and addressing her as "elder sister."

It was so outrageous that it quickly jolted her awake from her fantasy.

"In this sword competition, you will face off against Fairy Shang from Sword Heart Sect. I have heard that Fairy Shang is quite old, but she has a good reputation among the Grandmasters. You have just stabilized your Tongyou realm, and even though you have made great progress through dual cultivation, your foundation is still far inferior to hers."

Xiang Yuan sighed, "Whenever I think of this, I can't make up my mind. I'm afraid you'll suffer a loss, so I took the initiative to go to the White House to discuss it and got a seat to watch the sword competition."

Really? You wouldn't be thinking about my master, would you?
Xiao Lingyue looked suspicious. Xiang Yuan's sweet words were very touching, but they were too much like a doting father, which made her unable to help but see things from Cheng Yuling's perspective.

Just think of your own peerless master, with his haughty arrogance and his pure white, cold aura—it's too easy to ignite a person's desire to conquer him.

Then, thinking about the master-disciple relationship, the temptation is off the charts!

Ordinary people don't have the courage or the ability. Xiang Yuan and Bai Wuyan had practiced dual cultivation. Others started outside the Wushuang Palace, but Xiang Yuan started within Bai Wuyan's primordial spirit. The next step is to think about what position to use.

"..." x2
"Madam, why don't you speak?"

"You speak first."

"I've discussed it with the White House Master. For this sword competition, I'll be playing the role of your Senior Sister Yinshuang..."

"How did you agree to this?" Xiao Lingyue interrupted directly, telling Xiang Yuan to get to the point.

"What else can we discuss? Your master won't act without a benefit in mind, and he won't do anything without a reward. I gave him the blood medicine in exchange for the opportunity to protect you closely." Xiang Yuan sighed and shifted all the blame onto Bai Wuyan.

Xiao Lingyue felt a sudden heaviness in her forehead. She stared intently at Xiang Yuan's aggrieved face for a while, and couldn't help but feel that he was enjoying himself.

"lady?"

"You, you wouldn't happen to have feelings for her, would you?"

"Pfft!"

Xiang Yuan burst out laughing, pinched Xiao Lingyue's cheek, and said with a smile, "Madam, the White Palace Master is not someone who falls in love. You can tell just by looking at her. She's ruthless." "I know, but whether she falls in love or not is a different matter from whether you have feelings for her."

"If that's how you put it, then I have no choice..."

Xiang Yuan blushed with grievance, widened her eyes and said some baseless slanders, such as "hard-won", "suffered all the injustice", and "you still wronged me", followed by even more indignant words. She swore to prove her innocence to the heavens, which made the quiet room full of Xiao Lingyue's disgusted eyes.

Xiao Lingyue didn't mince words and said bluntly, "Don't make any more oaths. You swore before that you had no connection with the True Martial Emperor!"

Damn Heavenly Emperor, because of you, the credibility of the Yellow Heaven has been dragged down!

Xiang Yuan complained about the unreliable Dao Seed, and seeing Xiao Lingyue's various dissatisfactions, he used his innate divine power to pull her into his arms: "Madam, don't think nonsense. I really came for you. I have already made it very clear to the Palace Master that I will marry no one but you. Her meaning is even clearer: she only wants the blood medicine and becoming an immortal is her only goal."

After hearing some kind words, Xiao Lingyue reluctantly believed her and whispered, "Did you tell Chan'er about this? Did the demoness misunderstand something after hearing it?"

Wow, you actually guessed that?
Xiang Yuan exclaimed in disbelief, "Holy crap!" The Prince Zhao's mansion was practically a top-tier version of the imperial harem, with all sorts of elaborate schemes and maneuvers. Xiao Lingyue, having been exposed to it all, couldn't hide it from her at all.

Seeing that Xiang Yuan remained silent, Xiao Lingyue raised her hand to her forehead and rubbed her aching head. She knew without a doubt what sarcastic and cutting things the other party would say the next time they met.

It's better to get angry beforehand so you don't lose your composure later.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time quickly passed and the fifteenth of August arrived.

The advance team from Wushuang Palace had already set off. Daoxue, a Tongyou stage cultivator, surveyed the venue for the sword-fighting tournament and confirmed that Jianxinzhai had not tampered with it. He then sent his disciples to relay the order, which led to the subsequent arrival of Yinshuang and Xiao Lingyue, both Tongyou stage cultivators.

As for the real Yinshuang, she was summoned separately by Bai Wuyan, falsely accused, and sent to a dark room to reflect on her mistakes.

Bai Wuyan was used to doing things her own way. Although Yinshuang felt confused, she didn't think much about it or reflect on her own actions. She obediently went into the dark room to face the wall.

She didn't ask about the sword competition; since the palace master had made arrangements, she would simply follow orders.

Those who participate in the sword competition are all the backbone of the Wushuang Palace. They are selected by Yinshuang and Daoxue. The minimum requirement is the Nascent Soul stage. Those who do not have the Nascent Soul stage cultivation should not join in the fun.

At the last sword competition, because it was their home ground, Cheng Yuling, who was at the innate stage, was able to enter. The war correspondent was delighted to get firsthand information, which was then relayed to Xiao Lingyue.

My two senior sisters, Yinshuang and Daoxue, and I fought our way through the enemy lines and defeated the Sword Heart Sect master who had come to provoke us.

This time, on Jianxinzhai's home turf, Cheng Yuling found it difficult to kill indiscriminately. Dissatisfied, she went to Junior Sister Xiao, hoping to use her connections to get a back door.

Junior sister, lend Mother a hand!
Xiao Lingyue would be crazy to agree to such an unreasonable request. She single-handedly suppressed him in the courtyard, sealing off the space so that he could not enter or leave.

The mother's scolding and the daughter's filial piety amused the senior sister "Yinshuang" standing nearby.

Getting back to the main point, although the Xiaodongtian, where the sword competition was held, was not in Jianxinzhai, it was located in Qingzhou, which was also considered part of Jianxinzhai's territory.

The distant mountains are shrouded in mist, and a thin fog, like a light veil, rolls around the peaks. When the fog dissipates, the peaks are washed clean, revealing ancient pines with gnarled roots and lush foliage, dotted with wildflowers, all in harmony with nature.

A halo of light spread through the space, and more than ten disciples of the Peerless Palace arrived at the entrance of the Small Cave Heaven.

Xiang Yuan saw Dao Xue dressed in white from afar. When the latter nodded to him, he became alert and realized that he had overlooked something.

Yinshuang and Daoxue have known each other for many years, have a deep sisterly bond, and even possess a combined skill. If he doesn't keep a low profile and reveals his true colors, things could get really funny.

Fortunately, the problem wasn't serious. Given the disparity in strength, he was confident that his gaze would be enough to plant a hypnotic switch in Dao Xue's mind in a single glance, altering common sense and turning the illogical into the logical.

The key lies with Jianxinzhai. Both Shang Qingmeng and Ziping who came here had engaged in dual cultivation with him. Ziping was alright, but Shang Qingmeng was not so easy to fool.

Previously, Xiang Yuan disguised himself as Li Xianyuan at Baiyun Manor, but Shang Qingmeng immediately saw through his disguise.

The disguise of the Formless Seal Technique should be flawless. Xiang Yuan didn't know where Shang Qingmeng had seen through it. He looked for the reason in himself and added some of the Daoist naturalness conception this time, making his imitation of Yinshuang's aura exactly the same.

He refused to believe that Shang Qingmeng could see through it!

"Senior sisters, the Sword Heart Sect has arrived. Don't keep them waiting, or they'll say that our Peerless Palace has been impolite."

Dao Xue stepped forward, nodded to Xiang Yuan and Xiao Lingyue, unaware that her senior sister 'Yin Shuang' had changed, and stood side by side with her.

One in white, one in black—Xiao Lingyue's eyes twitched at the sight, feeling somewhat superfluous.

Even though she knew she was overthinking things, she couldn't help but send a telepathic message, telling Xiang Yuan and Dao Xue to keep their distance.

This is how integrity works: once a person loses their credibility, everything they do will be met with suspicion.

Xiang Yuan felt extremely wronged. If Xiao Lingyue suspected that he had something going on with Jianxinzhai on the other side, it was certainly without any evidence, but he could just tolerate it. As for Daoxue and the like, wasn't that just wronging an honest man?

Heaven help me, this is only the second time he has met Daoxue. The first time, he only hypnotized Daoxue, modified her common sense and manipulated her memories, nothing serious.

The group entered the small cave, and the scenery before them suddenly changed.

The scenery within the small cave is exquisite, needing no further description. However, in the distance, the low-hanging sky is shrouded in crimson clouds, as if steamed by earth fire.

The mountains rise and fall, bare of vegetation, only jagged, exposed rocks resembling the withered bones of a giant beast, menacing and terrifying. Further away, the earth cracks, magma surges between crisscrossing ravines, black smoke rises, and the air distorts.

Occasionally, a hot wind sweeps by, stirring up red sand that fills the sky like a blood mist, obscuring the view.

Seeing Xiang Yuan's gaze fixed on the distant sky, Dao Xue said, "According to Jianxinzhai, that place is a forbidden land of fire dragons, formed from the poisonous fire of the earth's veins, which can burn gold and melt iron, and living beings should not approach it. They also said that there are opportunities hidden there. If the disciples of Wushuang Palace can obtain such opportunities, they will not stop them, but they will not be responsible for their lives."

Xiang Yuan adopted the tone of Wushuang Palace and snorted coldly: "They are quite cunning. They chose this place to have a sword duel and even mentioned the opportunity. They clearly want to use underhanded tactics to provoke us into falling into their trap."

The disciples of Wushuang Palace nodded in agreement.

“Senior Sister, I went and checked it out. Deep in the abyss, magma has formed a lake, which can melt gold and iron. Ordinary people would collapse if they touched it,” Dao Xue added.

There might be an opportunity, but the risks are too great, so there's no need to take the risk.

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, knowing that the Five Elements opportunity mentioned by Bai Wuyan was deep in the Desolate Land. He pondered and said, "Let's have a sword competition first. The Palace Master has ordered that my two junior sisters will take the lead in this sword competition, while I will be responsible for supporting them and preventing the Sword Heart Sect from launching a sneak attack. If there is an opportunity, I will go to the Desolate Land to see if there is any opportunity."

Dao Xue listened to her senior sister and said there was no problem, while Xiao Lingyue listened to Xiang Yuan and said there was a big problem.

Why are you so skilled at playing the role of Senior Sister Yinshuang?

Upon hearing Xiao Lingyue's telepathic message, Xiang Yuan glared at her, thinking, "How dare you speak to your senior sister like that!"

Look at you, you reek of jealousy from beginning to end. It's enough to make people feel nauseous from two miles away. Your mind is impure. How can you compete with Fairy Shang of Jianxinzhai? Do you even care about the honor of Wushuang Palace?

You're changing the subject again!
Xiao Lingyue wanted to say more, but Xiang Yuan's comment, "She's becoming more and more like Chan'er," choked her and forced her to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Hundreds of miles away, the disciples of Jianxinzhai stood in a line.

There were about twenty people, and like the Wushuang Palace, they were all cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. The three leading figures were Shang Qingmeng, Daoist Ziping, and Qin Zhaorong.

Shang Qingmeng and Ziping are the grandmasters representing China in this sword competition. Qin Zhaorong, as usual, is in charge of diplomatic affairs, striving to win another round after her great victory in the sword competition, relying on her sharp tongue.

We need both substance and appearance; a win-win situation!
At this moment, Qin Zhaorong's eyes darted around, she turned over the stones at her feet, lifted Ziping's sleeve, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then grabbed the hem of Ziping's Taoist robe and was about to lift it up.

boom!
He got punched on the forehead and finally behaved himself.

"Junior sister, what are you doing?" Zi Ping asked irritably.

"I'm looking for someone..."

Qin Zhaorong covered her head, complaining that Zi Ping was becoming increasingly violent. After their yin and yang mingled, she had picked up a lot of that stinky man's temper. She muttered, "Based on previous experience, since you are here, Senior Sister, he must be here too. It is very reasonable and logical for Junior Sister to suspect that he is hiding in your Taoist robe."

I can tell you clearly want me dead!

With a formidable enemy at hand, they're still thinking about having fun? When did Jianxinzhai become like this?
Zi Ping glared at Qin Zhaorong, brandished her fist, and told her not to cause trouble.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, sharp gaze came from behind, like a thorn in her back, startling Zi Ping so much that she instinctively shivered.

She turned around, lowered her eyes, and said demurely, "Senior Sister, I've contacted him, and he won't be coming. The right thing to do is to focus on the sword duel."

The truth was useless. Zi Ping knew that explaining was just covering up, so she simply went along with Shang Qingmeng's wishes and made fun of herself to prove her innocence.

Only Wushuang Palace and Jianxinzhai are participating in this sword competition. That bastard surnamed Xiang is not in Jianxinzhai, so he can't possibly be lying in ambush in Wushuang Palace's ranks, can he?

Hilarious! The entire Wushuang Palace is made up of female cultivators, and they're notoriously unreasonable. That's impossible!

Zi Ping clearly remembered that Xiang Yuan had beaten two female grandmasters from Wushuang Palace to their knees, making them vomit blood.

Is reconciliation even possible?

"The people from Wushuang Palace have arrived." Qin Zhaorong looked into the distance.

Shang Qingmeng withdrew her gaze. With a formidable enemy at hand, she temporarily spared Ziping's life. Her gaze turned to the distance, landing on the three grandmasters ahead, and then fixed on 'Yinshuang's' beautiful face. Immediately, her brows furrowed.

this person……

(End of this chapter)