This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 386 My sister must be so happy to see Chan'er come to rescue her whole family.

Explaining the soul-stealing curse of the Book of Life and Death is too complicated. Who knows, if you're not careful, someone from the Original Heart Sect might reveal their own identity.

This kind of embarrassing background is even more embarrassing than that of Xiang Wentian, the Left Envoy of the Underworld. Therefore, even though Xiang Yuan knew that Zuo Lengxie had misunderstood something, he did not explain.

It was definitely not because Zuo Lengxie's righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor was too pretentious and provoked Xiang Yuan, that he deliberately sought an opportunity to retaliate.

Xiang Yuan ran swiftly, his feet barely touching the ground, and headed straight for the Holy Maiden's Palace. In a secluded pavilion deep within the underground palace, he reluctantly watched Jinse's forced performance. Only after the dance ended did he say to Chan'er in his arms, "Lend me the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation; it will be of great use to you, my lord."

Chan'er, snorting the scent on her husband, was completely dazed. Upon hearing this, she raised her hand and took the Reincarnation Mirror, placing it in Xiang Yuan's hand. She deliberately said, "The Reincarnation Mirror can control Jinse's six incarnations. Whatever you tell them to do, they will do. Jinse is, after all, Chan'er's master. Husband, you must not do whatever you want and do bad things when Chan'er is not paying attention."

As she spoke, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes shimmered with a gentle, melancholic light.

Xiang Yuan silently accepted the Reincarnation Mirror, only to find that Jinse's six incarnations were all filled with fear and unease, displaying a look of grief and helplessness that suggested she would suffer a bloody head injury that night. He was even more speechless.

You're such a good actor, but if you actually break it, you won't be happy.

Snapped!
Xiang Yuan slapped Chan'er on the bottom, and the latter became much more obedient. Jinse Six Incarnations also became obedient.

You have the cunning of a vixen in your words and actions, even trying to seduce your own husband. How can you possibly compete with Xiao Lingyue like this!

After Xiang Yuan put away the Reincarnation Mirror, Chan'er asked in confusion, "Husband, what do you need the Reincarnation Mirror for? Is there a formidable enemy at hand that you need this mirror to subdue?"

"The situation is like this: the old emperor of Western Chu is dead... everyone is dead... the Zhaowang Mansion... Lingyue's biological father... the whole family... the Book of Life and Death... only the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation can protect them." Xiang Yuan knew he shouldn't say it, but he still did.

How could I bear to lie to such a lovely girl like Chan'er?

Upon hearing what Xiang Yuan said, Chan'er's lips curled up slightly, a mischievous smile on her face, and her eyes instantly sharpened.

Xiang Yuan found his arms empty. He touched them and found that the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation had disappeared, taken away by Chan'er.

"Chan'er, this is a matter of life and death, you shouldn't be willful at this time," Xiang Yuan coaxed.

"My lord underestimates Chan'er. How can Chan'er stand idly by when the Xiao family's younger sister has met with misfortune? Chan'er is still waiting for her to serve tea!"

With a worried look on her face, Chan'er leaned on Xiang Yuan's shoulder and said with a strong tea-like voice, "The Reincarnation Mirror is not a magic weapon for cultivating both life and death, my lord. If it is used incorrectly, wouldn't my sister's family suffer at your hands? Chan'er is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see my lord regret it for the rest of his life. I am willing to go to the Prince Zhao's mansion with my lord and personally rescue my sister's family."

As she spoke, she giggled incessantly, snuggling into Xiang Yuan's arms, her upturned lips barely concealed.

I silently gave a thumbs up to the mastermind behind it all!
"Chan'er, you may not know this, but at this time of dynastic change, you are the Holy Maiden of the Yellow Springs, the embodiment of the Yellow Springs Mother Tree of the Yellow Springs Path. Your status is extraordinary. If you go to the Zhao Prince's Mansion, the world will surely misunderstand the Yellow Springs Path and think that the Zhao Prince's Mansion has received the full support of the Yellow Springs Path."

Xiang Yuan looked at him with a deep gaze and said, "Chan'er, you don't want your unintentional mistake to lead to Lingyue's father ascending the throne and personally making Lingyue a princess, do you?"

"Your Excellency is right. The Yellow Springs Path should not be involved."

Chan'er nodded with a tense expression. Just as Xiang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, she changed the subject: "It's better not to be the Yellow Springs Saintess. Chan'er will resign today. Whoever wants to be the Saintess can be the Saintess. Chan'er must save my sister's whole family."

Xiangyuan: [一`一]
Xiang Yuanren is confused. Are you trying to save someone? I'm too embarrassed to call you out on it.

"Ms. sir?"

"Yes, Chan'er is beautiful inside and out."

Xiang Yuan wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and imagined the scene of Chan'er entering the Prince Zhao's mansion.

I didn't see anything else, just chaos and disorder.

and……

Xiao Lingyue should thank her!
"My lord, saving lives is the priority, let's get going!"

Chan'er nestled in Xiang Yuan's arms, wanting her husband to carry her into the Zhao Prince's mansion. The demoness cared nothing for the majesty of a holy woman; her mind was filled with images of Xiao Lingyue serving tea and water, making the bed and folding the blankets.

You lowly servant, wait outside until your sister finishes eating, then you can collect some of the soup and broth.

Just thinking about it made Chan'er incredibly excited, and she let out strange, babbling laughs.

This vixen is probably suffering from heatstroke!

Xiang Yuan looked down at the little head that was scrambling around, clenched his fist and coughed lightly: "Well, before going to Prince Zhao's mansion, I, your husband, need to visit my junior brother's home to rescue his entire family. As his sister-in-law, you'd better pay attention to your appearance, lest you be called a witch."

"Junior brother?"

Chan'er blinked, then suddenly tilted her head: "Which junior brother? Is he the junior brother of the Benxin Path of my husband?"

"Yes, I told you last time. His name is Liu Che. He comes from a decent family and was the emperor of Northern Qi."

"That Liu Che who sent a princess to seduce her husband?" Chan'er turned her head away unhappily.

"That's called a divisive tactic, not a beauty..."

"Chan'er is tired, let's call it a day."

Chan'er turned and sprawled on the soft couch, waving her hand lazily and drawing out her words: "Someone, send this to the Left Envoy!"

Xiang Yuan reacted quickly, scooping the person back up and coaxing them against their earlobe, "Good boy, your husband loves Chan'er the most."

"Chan'er doesn't want to hear this."

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.

Northern Qi Dynasty, Tai'an Prefecture.

Liu Che waited in the palace for a long time, but not much time passed. Half an hour doubled, and after about an hour, he finally saw Xiang Yuan with a dark face.

Ripples spread across the space like a curtain of water, and a step was taken into the distance.

Immediately afterwards, the void rippled like water, spreading out in layers.

With their robes fluttering, seven figures followed closely behind.

Six stunningly beautiful women stood gracefully, like stars surrounding the moon.

These six women were all exceptionally beautiful, with exquisite features and graceful movements, truly deserving the title of "national beauties." Their refined气质 (qi zhi, a kind of inner beauty or charm) was ethereal, each possessing a distinct charm: some were serene and elegant like orchids, others gentle and graceful like water, and still others refined and elegant like lotuses.

In the words of Empress Jiang Wang, these are all sources of trouble, and a wise ruler should stay away from them and never be blinded by beauty.

The woman in white in the middle wore a veil of moonlight over her face, and her long hair cascaded down to her waist. She appeared to be young, pure and untouched by worldly dust, yet there was a unique charm between her brows.

Liu Che had seen all kinds of beauties, and even if these seven women were truly beautiful, each with their own unique charm, their presence together created a powerful visual impact.

What truly surprised him was the faint, almost imperceptible aura emanating from the seven women.

Grandmaster.

All members are at the Transcendent Stage, and seven are Grandmasters!

The white-clad woman in the middle, in particular, gave Liu Che an ominous sense of dread. Just one glance at her made his spirit feel disoriented, as if it might leave his body at any moment.

Liu Che was completely dumbfounded. What did his senior brother mean? All eight of you combined could have taken Tai'an Prefecture!

Xiang Yuan was also helpless. He only told Chan'er to maintain her composure and not to be looked down upon by her junior brother. The latter then created six vibrant primordial spirits, stuffed them into Jinse's Six Incarnations, and infused them with his own Grandmaster aura, forming a six-person grand guard of honor with unparalleled beauty and Grandmaster level.

"Senior brother!" Liu Che greeted him with a dark face.

"Junior brother, let me introduce you."

Xiang Yuan stood beside Chan'er and said, "As your wife, you can just call me sister-in-law."

"A girl from the Xiao family?"

Liu Che was quite surprised, never expecting that the woman from the Xiao family would have such terrifying cultivation.

"No, that's my wife, this is my wife."

"..."

Liu Che paused for a moment. As the emperor, this question was not difficult to answer. He was just curious how his senior brother's wife, with her extraordinary cultivation, could tolerate his senior brother's wife.

Please explain this part in detail!
I didn't mean anything by it. As an emperor, he didn't need the skill of maintaining a balance. It was all about others making him happy. I was just curious about how Xiang Yuan managed it.

After a brief silence, Liu Che called out "elder sister-in-law," then looked at the remaining six masters and gestured for Xiang Yuan to introduce them.

Who are these six experts at the Tongyou stage, from the second sister-in-law to the seventh sister-in-law?
Xiang Yuan waved his hand: "The six maids who came with me are not important. Their names are dispensable. We don't need to care about them."

Six grandmasters as dowry maids, what family is so generous?
Liu Che was stunned by the display of power, his eyes narrowing in disbelief as he stared at Xiang Yuan. "Senior brother, let's be honest, the Dragon-Locking Evil Formation was your doing, and you were the one who killed the entire Western Chu royal family..."

You and that dim-witted old Taoist priest have been playing me for a long time, and you're not done yet, are you?
There were six master-level maids at once, all of them peerless beauties. Liu Che couldn't imagine who in the world could have such a wealthy family background. After thinking it over, he could only think that they were the masterminds behind the plot to conquer the world.

Xiang Yuan patted Chan'er on the shoulder, telling her to calm down and that was enough. She'd scared her junior brother half to death; where would she find another like him? This was the emperor, after all. Even if there were other junior brothers, none of them would be as interesting to scheme against as Liu Che!
Chan'er smiled slightly, and with a thought, the six maids who had accompanied her in her dowry were enveloped in a gray vortex, their figures twisting and contorting until they disappeared.

Liu Che breathed a sigh of relief. So it was just a clone. That makes more sense.

No wonder!
He created six Grandmaster-level clones with a single move. Senior brother, where did you find such a senior? Your sister-in-law must have quite a history.

Liu Che inquired via telepathy and learned that Chan'er was the Holy Maiden of the Yellow Springs. He immediately marked a dangerous place and prepared to establish a rule that Liu family members would be forbidden from setting foot in Mingzhou, where Benxindao was located, and from wandering aimlessly in the Southern Frontier when they traveled the world.

The dungeon level is too high; it's not something a junior like me can get involved in.

Xiang Yuan knew the Book of Life and Death of the Three Yin, and Chan'er had the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, which met the requirements for deciphering the Book of Life and Death. Without further ado, he told Liu Che to sit properly and immediately used the Formless Seal Technique to simulate transforming the Formless True Essence in his body into the Three Yin True Essence.

Following the steps to decipher the note, Chan'er first retrieved the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, reflected Liu Che's image in it, and then placed it on the mirror.

Next, Xiang Yuan cast a spell on Liu Che in the mirror, using Yin energy to write the Cycle of Life and Death, cursing Liu Che once before the curse in the Book of Life and Death.

If I kill the hostage first, the kidnappers won't have a chance to be killed.

Although something is not quite right, that's roughly the idea.

As Liu Che's figure fell into the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, he was immediately gripped by a sense of dread, as if his life and death were in the hands of Chan'er. This terrified him, turning his face pale and giving him a more direct understanding of the strange and evil magic of the Yellow Springs Path.

No wonder the Western Chu government recognized the Yellow Springs Path as a reputable and righteous sect, not a heretical or evil one. Such a profound principle could only belong to righteous people!
Liu Che's feeling of being powerless was not an illusion. The Mirror of Reincarnation was almost unsolvable. There was a demon from beyond the realm who was controlled by the Mirror of Reincarnation from beginning to end and was beaten without any temper. If the demon was like this, what about mortals who have not yet become immortals?

The laws of heaven and earth related to reincarnation are too domineering. When Chan'er was in the Nascent Soul stage, she could use the Reincarnation Mirror to instantly kill those in the Profound Realm. Now that she is a Grandmaster, there is Liu Che's figure in the mirror. If she has any thoughts, Liu Che's primordial spirit will be dragged out of his body on the spot.

Without Xiang Yuan, given Chan'er's terrible living environment since childhood and her ruthless personality, she would only have gone down the path of becoming a demoness with no return, becoming a being that even those in the Tongyou stage would fear.

Now...

Although she was unhappy that Liu Che had sent a princess to seduce her husband, she could just swallow her pride and consider it a way of making him happy, since he had said so many sweet words.

The Cycle of Life and Death Reincarnation is a secret technique of the Book of Life and Death in the Three Yin Realms. The incantation is written with Yin energy, and when it is cast, the spell can control the cycle of life and death. Those who are cursed have their souls forcibly separated and fall into the cycle of reincarnation, either never to be reborn or becoming the puppet of the caster.

Using this method, Xiang Yuan cursed Liu Che in the mirror before he could be included in the Book of Life and Death, thus securing his place and ensuring that the Book of Life and Death had no soul or spirit to erase him from it.

The procedure was not difficult, and could even be described as easy, but without the guidance of the old Taoist priest Que Xin, Xiang Yuan would never have guessed that the Book of Life and Death of the Three Yin had such a method of using poison to fight poison.

Furthermore, the effects of the Three Yin Book of Life and Death overlap too much with the real Book of Life and Death. Is it possible that, through practice, one could actually forge a Book of Life and Death?

Is this how the Book of Life and Death on the side of the mastermind behind the scenes was forged?

After finishing the spell, Chan'er put away the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, smiled at Liu Che with narrowed eyes, and asked, "Your Majesty, did you send a princess to seduce my husband?"

"Cough cough!"

Seeing Liu Che's forehead covered in sweat, Xiang Yuan clenched his fist and coughed lightly, but it was to no avail. Chan'er's smile widened, and he said in a gentle tone, "I have said all I have to say. I hope Your Majesty will cherish this opportunity and not be confused for a moment and have any improper thoughts."

“What you say is absolutely right, sister-in-law. I have learned a lot from you, junior brother.”

Liu Che couldn't hold back any longer and became even more curious: how could his senior brother's wife, who was so domineering, put up with his senior brother's wife?

Could it be that the lady's strength is no less than that of the wife?
If Xiang Yuan knew Liu Che's thoughts, he would definitely complain from the perspective of an outsider, saying that before him, the Lady and Consort had already practiced dual cultivation, and even if they fought, they would not be able to determine a winner.

With the curse over, Chan'er was eager to go to Prince Zhao's mansion to show off. She tugged at Xiang Yuan's sleeve and said that saving lives was like putting out a fire, and everything should be done as soon as possible.

Everything had to be done quickly, one step at a time. They moved space to the distance and headed straight for the Divine Capital Ice Palace with Chan'er.

Inside the palace, Xiao Feng's eyebrows were furrowed, and he stared at Xiao Ling beside him.

Xiang Yuan told them not to move around, and they really did not move and did not go anywhere.

Sensing the spatial fluctuations, Xiao Feng shook off the frost on his body and stepped forward with great joy. However, upon seeing the Yellow Spring Saintess beside Xiang Yuan, his joy immediately vanished.

Brother, you're already engaged to two princesses of the Xiao family, so why are you still getting entangled with the Yellow Spring Demoness? I don't want to criticize you, but you've really gone too far in this matter!

Xiao Feng's body trembled, then trembled again. He looked at Xiao Ling and asked him to step forward and uphold justice.

Xiao Ling would be crazy to stand up. The moment he saw Chan'er, his primordial spirit desperately warned him that if he didn't want his physical body and primordial spirit to be separated and forever separated from him, he should speak more politely.

It's best not to speak!

"Husband, what are these empty shells?" Chan'er asked innocently, knowing the answer already. Everyone present had the surname Xiao, making it difficult for her to develop a good impression of them.

"That's the emperor, and the others next to him are princes..."

Xiang Yuan gave a brief introduction, and seeing that no one spoke, he asked Chan'er to take out the Reincarnation Mirror to see if their primordial spirits could still be saved.

If one could summon the soul, it would be better for the emperor to remain with his original wife.

Chan'er took out the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation and looked at each of them one by one. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes showing pity: "This one is dead, this one is dead too... How pitiful, they're all dead!"

"..." x3
"Brother, I know I shouldn't say this, but I still have to say it: you're really hungry," Xiao Feng said telepathically, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Shut up, or I'll kill you too!"

Xiang Yuan glared at Xiao Feng, annoyed. No matter how many faults Chan'er had, she was still his precious darling, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to speak ill of the vixen.

During the autopsy, Chan'er explained the situation of the Book of Life and Death to Xiang Yuan: "The mastermind behind this possesses the Death Pen... I mean the Book of Life and Death. Whoever it curses dies. The price is currently unknown, but based on my deduction, you Xiao Clan masters are still alive, and only members of the royal family of the Xiao Clan have died, so the price must have been considerable..."

The cycle of reincarnation begins with blood.

The mysterious note mentioned a crucial clue, leading Xiang Yuan to speculate about the Book of Life and Death, but he was also puzzled about its operating mechanism.

If it was truly a blood-based method, why did only the princes die while the princesses were completely unharmed?

What does it mean to have an all-male cast? It's too targeted. They're all cultivating immortality, so why do they think Western Chu can't have a female emperor?

Furthermore, instead of cursing the emperor, it would be better to kill the Xiao clan's patriarchs directly. They are the Xiao clan's core support. Without these pillars, Western Chu would be in chaos even if it wasn't.

With too many doubts, Xiang Yuan could only conclude that the cost of the curse in the Book of Life and Death was too high, and those cursed to death should try to save as much as possible. Moreover, the Book of Life and Death could not curse and kill a Grandmaster in the Tongyou stage.

Xiang Yuan raised his doubts, telling Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling to go back and think about it slowly, and try to come up with a few reliable answers.

He only said that a master had guided him through the Book of Life and Death, but he couldn't reveal who it was.

He then said, "I met with Emperor Liu Che of Northern Qi. I used force to threaten him, and he was reasonable. He said there would be no major conflict on the border in the next three months."

You really have a lot of influence!
Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling both sighed. This was the only good news recently. They looked at Xiang Yuan with suspicion, wondering what his relationship with Liu Che was.
Liu Che rejected the merits of expanding the territory and was forcibly controlled by Xiang Yuan for three months. Forgive the two brothers for judging a gentleman by their own petty minds, but they have reason to suspect that Xiang Yuan was actually a man from Qi and that his relationship with Liu Che was extraordinary.

King Zhao, Xiao Yan, has the most supporters and is currently the closest to the throne. If Xiao Yan becomes emperor, Xiang Yuan can control things from behind the scenes. Furthermore, Xiang Yuan is a Qi person, which is equivalent to Liu Che controlling a puppet emperor of Western Chu.

Two countries and one emperor—that's it!
Intelligent people often suffer from paranoia because they overthink. It's not fair to blame Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling for their wild imaginations, since Xiang Yuan really is a member of the Liu clan, and he is vague and unwilling to explain his relationship with Liu Che.

“I know you two don’t want to hear this, but I definitely have to go to Southern Jin to make sure the emperor there doesn’t die suddenly overnight,” Xiang Yuan said.

Without further ado, after visiting the Prince Zhao's residence, we headed straight for Southern Jin.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling was even more distressed than if his own emperor had died. Xiao Feng cried out in grief, "Brother, it's too unfair that only our Xiao emperor has perished. Let another emperor die, just one."

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to these insects, and continued, "There's another one called Prince Ning, ptooey, Prince Jing Xiao Ning, who has already sent a letter to Huang Quan Dao. This bastard has a huge amount of unexplained wealth, I suggest a thorough investigation."

Xiao Feng nodded. Xiao Ning was a royal merchant of the Xiao family, handling countless sums of money. The purchasing specialists would take the lead and then work together to make progress. Therefore, he was well-regarded in the clan and was one of the strong contenders for the throne.

"Master."

Chan'er put away the Reincarnation Mirror and said with a regretful smile, "Their primordial spirits were all erased, they died completely, and there's no way to save a single one!"

Alright!

Please calm down. This is a morgue. Your constant laughing can easily upset the deceased.

Xiang Yuan knew perfectly well what Chan'er was laughing about. He took a deep breath and said, "Let's go to Prince Zhao's residence."

Chan'er immediately smiled and said, "That's wonderful! My sister will be very happy to see that Chan'er has come to rescue her family."

"..."

Oh well, this day was bound to come sooner or 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.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)