This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 392 has no background; it can only serve as background scenery.

The daily interactions in Benxindao involve digging pits and making fun of one's own people.

Asking questions is a matter of conscience; it's pointless to let outsiders take advantage of you.

For example, Xiang Yuan went north to Tai'an Prefecture and beat Liu Che to his knees.

The satisfying part was when the Northern Qi emperor knelt down.
For Xiang Yuan, this might be a satisfying moment, but for the clueless old Taoist, the real satisfaction came from the fact that the two fought because of a misunderstanding, and after clearing up the misunderstanding, they introduced themselves, with Liu Che awkwardly saying "Senior Brother".

We met but didn't recognize each other; we were both cursing.

With a quick leap, the pleasure level is instantly boosted!

For example, when Xiang Yuan and Ji Boli first met, outsiders lined up for an hour, but Ji Boli wouldn't even bother to glance at them. But when it was his own junior brother who lined up and was kicked out as a moron, that was hilarious.

Are you angry or not?!

Hey, you can't beat me!
In short, while the original intention path is indeed a trap, as it enjoys building happiness on the suffering of its own people, if you only look at the results, it's still pretty good!

Aura: ヘ(-ヘ)
Lingguang's outcome was also good. The old Taoist priest cleaned up the sect, Xiang Yuan got a chance, Lingguang changed jobs to hard drive, and will live forever in Xiang Yuan's heart. He was cleared of all evil and became a good senior uncle who cares for the younger generation. Everyone has a bright future.

In short, this shrewd and cunning move really hurt Xiang Yuan and Ji Boli, and it seems like he messed things up, which is not in line with his usual style.

Especially for Ji Boli, this knife wound really hurt him terribly.

If he had a choice, he would rather be poked in the back.

Considering that this old scoundrel has been morally bankrupt for many years, it's highly likely that he's unleashed his pent-up frustrations and broken through moral barriers, successfully plunging into a new trough. This move was indeed his doing.

But there is another possibility!
The old Taoist priest said nothing. Ji Wuzhou had figured out Xiang Yuan's identity. In order to support Prince Xiao Lei and suppress his rival Prince Zhao's Mansion, he had Liu Pojun pull off a big stunt at the meeting.

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Ji Boli. Seeing that the latter also had this suspicion, he began to recount the behind-the-scenes operations of the Dragon-Locking Evil Array, the Book of Life and Death, and other such matters.

Ji Wuzhou is the mastermind!

Xiang Yuan looked solemn. It was hard to say whether Ji Wuzhou was the mastermind. The three families of Tianzong had a long history and were qualified and capable of setting up the Dragon-Locking Evil Array and the Book of Life and Death. As a newcomer, Ji Wuzhou was very likely to take over the reins.

"wrong……"

Xiang Yuan frowned and muttered to himself, "When I first met Master Poshan, he was obsessed with calligraphy and painting, and had given up on himself and had little fighting spirit. Although he cheered himself up again, he seemed like a person without great ambitions. Suddenly he has become a great demon who plots to conquer the world..."

Her public persona has completely collapsed!

"Senior Brother Tongming..."

"Don't call me senior brother, I don't have a senior brother like you!"

"cousin……"

"Don't call me cousin, I don't have a cousin like you!"

"Patriarch Ji, is this alright now?"

Xiang Yuan glared at Ji Boli with annoyance. So what if he exposed Benxindao's identity to his face? What's the big deal? Why is he making such a fuss? He has no magnanimity at all.

Learn from him; he has a very broad mind, and he even let go of such a big thing as betraying his senior brother.

And without any shame!
“Patriarch Ji, I haven’t seen this Master of the Broken Sample for a long time. I wasn’t familiar with him before. Did you see him when he unified the three families of Tianzong?” Xiang Yuan asked.

"We have never met, but the Heavenly Blade Sect and the Heavenly Sword Pavilion have already sided with him. The two families are very powerful, and the Heavenly Martial Sect cannot go against them. After discussion, we joined them."

Ji Boli sighed with regret. Plans can't keep up with changes. With so many people in the Ji family and so many mouths to feed, there was nothing he could do.

This is why Ji Boli pretended to be dead when he saw Xiang Yuan. They had made a solemn promise: "We'll drink from the same cup, but we'll fight to the death." The Ji family sent a cousin, and the Prince Zhao's mansion sent a young woman, to represent the Tianwu Sect and the Xiao family of Shendu in a marriage alliance. They were just waiting for Ji Wuzhou to become the sect leader of the Tiandao Sect so that everyone could join forces to suppress the Tianjian Pavilion.

As a result, Ji Wuzhou became the ringleader, and the Tianwu Sect turned against them. Not only did they not suppress the Tianjian Pavilion, they also supported a prince, preparing to let the three families of Tianzong have their own emperor.

Gibranches had no way of explaining his treacherous behavior of breaking his word to Xiang Yuan.

Open up!
"Tell me the details, how did the master craftsman of the rickety sampan manage to accomplish this?"

Xiang Yuan was extremely curious. If he remembered correctly, after Ji Wuzhou rallied, he single-handedly stormed through the Heavenly Blade Sect, causing all the grandmasters to feel threatened. The sect leader went into seclusion overnight and refused to meet with Ji Wuzhou no matter what.

Then things stalled.

How will the story unfold after that, so that Ji Wuzhou achieves both literary and martial prowess and unifies the three families?
That's too fast. Did they skip the intro animation?
Ji Boli pondered for a moment and said, "The former sect leader of the Heavenly Blade Sect was named Shen Hanyi. He came from the Shen family, one of the six lineages of the Heavenly Blade Sect. He had been a grandmaster for many years and his strength was considerable. He was considered a powerful figure in his own right. The other five lineages were convinced that he had won the position of sect leader."

After the Heavenly Sect split into three, it developed for many years. The positions of the three sect leaders were basically rotated among specific circles, and outsiders had no chance to get involved.

Unless your fist is exceptionally large.

Ji Wuzhou is a representative figure with a particularly strong fist. He is not a family member of the Six Meridians of the Heavenly Blade Sect. He started from the bottom of the outer sect and broke through the inner sect with his outstanding talent, becoming one of the few non-family elders of the Heavenly Blade Sect.

Later, he willingly degenerated and was exiled to the outer sect as an elder. Then, he suddenly returned to the sect, challenged everyone, and defeated all those who disagreed, forcing Shen Hanyi to go into seclusion.

At this point, the Heavenly Blade Sect had essentially become a one-man show by Ji Wuzhou. Having waited in vain for Shen Hanyi, he grew tired of waiting any longer.

You continue your seclusion, I will become the sect leader, and we'll pretend you don't exist.

Ji Wuzhou violently consolidated the Heavenly Blade Sect, stormed the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, and forced the leader, Sword Master Mingxia, to submit. He then brought his power to the Heavenly Martial Sect, which promptly surrendered, saying that the three sects were originally one, and joined them on the spot.

Currently, the Heavenly Sect is showing signs of revitalizing itself, and the three factions have gathered at the former site of the Heavenly Sect, 'Mount Dacheng,' to discuss the ownership of the mountain.

As Xiang Yuan said, the unification of the three families of Tianzong affected the Ji family's ability to profit from others.

Not only the Ji family, but all three branches of the Tianzong family were affected, and family-style monopolies were no longer recognized.

Families with a Grandmaster at the Tongyou stage are fortunate; they can hold an elder's seat. Families without a Grandmaster can only hold a nominal outer sect elder position, and after a few decades, they fade into obscurity, never regaining their former glory.

In other words, the terms "Five Meridians of Heavenly Sword," "Six Meridians of Heavenly Blade," and "Seven Meridians of Heavenly Martial Arts" will no longer apply.

Of course, change won't happen so quickly, especially given the great resistance. According to Gibranche's prediction, it will take at least a hundred or two hundred years for Ji Wuzhou to secure his position as sect leader.

One hundred and eighty years later, the people of Jiwuzhou had all passed away, and the three families returned to their respective homes, continuing their happy lives of family-run monopolies.

Because of the reshuffling, the bad apples have been removed, the "leek garden" has been expanded, and life will only get better and better than before.

"How could Master of the Broken Sample possibly build up the Heavenly Sect well with a bunch of insects like you around!" Xiang Yuan said disdainfully.

"What can we do then? He can't just kill everyone, can he?"

Ji Boli shrugged. There was no possibility of the three families of Tianzong uniting. Even if Ji Wuzhou had the staunch support of Tiandaozong, there were many internal conflicts. With interests involved, it was difficult for the orders of the Tianzong sect leader to be transmitted out of Dacheng Mountain.

"However, your master on the broken ship is indeed very charismatic. The grandmasters in the Heavenly Blade Sect are all afraid of him, and the Heavenly Sword Pavilion follows his lead. Now his words carry a lot of weight."

Ji Boli chuckled and said, "With so many grandmaster henchmen, your nominal disciple status seems superfluous, like a chicken rib—dispensable. I wouldn't even feel bad about scheming against you once."

Xiang Yuan frowned, recalling the scene of his first meeting with Ji Wuzhou.

At that time, Fengxian had been wandering for half his life, only regretting that he had never met a famous teacher. Ji Wuzhou, however, did not buy into this, saying that he could not figure out who his master was, and that taking him as a disciple would surely invite retaliation. In order to prevent him from being beaten when walking at night, he took him as a disciple under a pseudonym.

Then, from the perspective of a senior, he appreciated Xiang Yuan's outstanding martial arts talent, so he taught him a few sword techniques and then completely severed ties with him.

Ji Wuzhou couldn't figure it out then, but he can now...

What's wrong? Your cultivation has advanced so much that you've become a top-three realm expert. Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up when you walk at night?

Xiang Yuan shook his head repeatedly. He didn't know the cultivation level of Master Poshanban, but among the three masters, Master Poshanban had always been ranked last, and his position was unshakeable. There was no doubt about that.

This dilapidated ship can't beat a simpleton, nor could it possibly be a match for King Frieza.

Among the top three realms of Qianyuan Realm, he might not even be able to defeat Bai Wuyan or the Gate-Crack Sword Master. His sudden audacity and loss of his former caution must mean something is wrong.

Xiang Yuan voiced his doubts: "Patriarch Ji, you also have a part in the Heavenly Sect. How about you come with me to Mount Dacheng today?"

When faced with a dilemma, prepare a teammate first. You can sacrifice them if you want to advance, or protect them if you want to retreat. This is the true principle of cultivating immortality.

Ji Boli saw through Xiang Yuan's treacherous intentions at a glance and sneered, "If you're so righteous, I'd have to be crazy to follow you. What if you trick me to death?"

After you die, I will take care of your wife and children, so don't worry! Xiang Yuan's eyes widened: "Cousin Tongming, you don't believe me?"

"Hehe, do you believe me?"

"..."

Oh right, I almost forgot, this guy is also a true Daoist, so you can't team up with him!

Ji Boli stood up and patted his butt: "From what you've said, Ji Wuzhou does indeed have some problems, and so does Liu Pojun. He dares to gossip about the Benxin Dao. He'll definitely get beaten up if he walks alone at night. I've got nothing better to do, so I've decided to go see what's going on."

Xiang Yuan nodded repeatedly, "That's right, anyone who dares to gossip about us Shaolin Taoists will surely suffer a bloody disaster."

After saying this, Ji Boli teleported away.

"Even though we all have the same goal, we are unwilling to walk together. This kind of 'heart-centered approach' is truly harmful."

Xiang Yuan sighed and teleported straight towards... the capital city.

Senior brother, you go first. Junior brother still has some trivial matters to deal with. After I've finished these and those, I'll go to Mount Dacheng to see you get beaten up.

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.

The capital city.

Xiang Yuan teleported into the underground ice palace and saw that hundreds of empty shells that had lost their primordial spirits had not yet been cremated. He sighed that the Xiao family had not had an easy time either, suddenly encountering a great calamity, and was flustered and completely at a loss.

If there had been a way to get things organized, this meeting wouldn't have happened today.

After exposing his aura to the distance, Xiao Feng reluctantly revealed himself, delaying for quite some time.

Seeing the punch to his face, the palm print on his chest, and the sword wound in his back, it's clear he was elected by vote, and in his dissatisfaction, he tried to drag someone down with him, resulting in a brutal beating.

Among the comedic masters of the Xiao family, Xiao Feng and Xiang Yuan were the first to become acquainted, and Xiao Yin was also present in this vote. With no one shifting the blame, it is reasonable for Xiao Feng to be voted out.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Xiao Feng was overjoyed to see Xiang Yuan.

“I arrived during the meeting, but you were pretending to be dead the whole time, so I didn’t notice.”

Xiang Yuan sneered twice: "What, now that you know I am a cultivator of the Northern Qi's Original Heart Dao, you're all eager to sever ties and don't want to acknowledge me as your elder brother anymore?"

"Brother, how can you say such heartless words, chilling the hearts of our brothers for no reason?" Xiao Feng's eyes widened.

"Then what happened to your injuries?"

"My brothers are all eager to see their eldest brother, they're all incredibly excited. I fought against all the heroes, risking my life to win this honor," Xiao Feng said confidently.

"..."

As expected of you, you managed to smooth things over.

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and cut to the chase: "Tell me, has the Xiao clan reached a conclusion? Is there still a chance for my father-in-law?"

LOL, bro, do you want to listen to what you're saying?
Xiao Yan was surrounded by Qi people. How could he possibly ascend the throne and become emperor? Even a dog tied to the dragon throne would have more of an imperial presence than him!
Xiao Feng's lips had just curled into a smile when he saw Xiang Yuan's unfriendly gaze. He decisively raised his hand to suppress the unruly smile, and said sternly, "Brother, in principle, there are some things I cannot reveal to you, for to do so would be treason. But your image of wisdom and courage is deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and my admiration for you is like..."

"Do not talk nonsense!"

“I’ll tell you.”

Xiao Feng couldn't withstand the pressure and, in front of the Northern Qi cultivators, made the Xiao clan's stance clear.

First of all, Prince Zhao (Xiao Yan) and Prince Le (Xiao Lei) definitely have no chance. Both families have foreign powers behind them and too many scandals to be qualified to rule the country.

Secondly, although Prince Kang, Xiao Jia, had a clean background and no powerful supporters, he was a perfect easy target. The old guard of his clan would feel at ease if he became emperor.

Unfortunately, his downfall was that he was too weak; such a frail emperor could not control the other three princes.

Even if you want to win without effort, you need to have the resources. Before thinking about winning without effort, ask yourself if you have the qualifications.

There's nothing there, so all you can do is lie flat.

Xiao Jia had no background and could only be a background figure, hoping that others would make mistakes to highlight that he was the choice of a wise ruler. His fate as a runner-up was already set. After a brief discussion, the Xiao clan regarded him as a nobody.

Finally, Prince Jing, Xiao Ning, had the greatest advantage. The clan's Xiao officials were most optimistic about him, even though he had a black mark on his reputation by associating with the old emperor. In a contest of who was worse, his advantage was the most prominent.

It's definitely not because Xiao Ning is good at handling things. Over the years, with the continuous fires and the inability to become emperor, releasing a series of lists of Commissioner Xiao would cause the clan to lose face, and if something were to be discovered...

"So, the Xiao clan is planning to elect Xiao Ning as emperor?"

"No."

"..."

Then why are you rambling on and on about all this nonsense? If you want pressure, just say so directly. There's no need to be so subtle.

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow, and with a burst of both his fists, he gave Xiao Feng a black eye: "Tell me, what exactly did you two come up with?"

"Uh……"

Xiao Feng touched his two black eyes. He had been forced to confess, and it would be easier to explain when he got back. Then he lowered his voice and said, "The clan said that the three families of Tianzong suddenly intervened, and there were also foreign forces from Northern Qi involved. We should just let them go and watch from the sidelines until one side is dead and the other is crippled before we come out to clean up the mess."

"Furthermore, Baiyun Manor and Wangjian Manor are no good either. The throne has caught so many big fish, we can't just end things casually. We must maximize the interests of the Xiao family."

"..."

Xiang Yuan listened without any reaction, only muttering "insect" to himself. He didn't mention the mastermind behind it all, as the Xiao family of Shendu wouldn't understand, and besides, his words as a cultivator of the Original Heart Path and a member of the Liu clan weren't very convincing.

After Xiao Feng finished speaking, seeing Xiang Yuan's disdainful look, he smiled awkwardly and explained, "I know what you want to say, but the clan also has its own considerations. Some things are not as simple as right and wrong. Compared with the elusive mastermind behind the scenes, the chronic problems of Western Chu are the most urgent issue."

"Therefore, chaos is inevitable in the Western Chu territory. This is exactly what the mastermind behind the scenes wants. The Xiao family's inaction is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire. Haven't you considered this?" Xiang Yuan sighed.

"We've considered it, but we don't know who's behind it all. We're heartbroken but there's nothing we can do."

Xiao Feng explained his helplessness, then winked and said, "Brother, the clan's move is called turning the tables on a plan, it's very clever, isn't it!"

boom!
Xiao Feng received another punch to the face, and blood spurted from his nose with a "plop," making his makeup look exceptionally pleasing.

Xiang Yuan knew there was no point in talking to these insects, so he bluntly stated, "The Prince Zhao's mansion is definitely not supported by any behind-the-scenes force..."

Well, aside from Dajue Temple, which suddenly entered the fray, everyone else is innocent.

"The other three are harder to say. Take the Kang Prince's Mansion, for example. That old man was smiling the whole time, and there wasn't even a Grandmaster by his side. He was keeping a low profile, which is very suspicious," Xiang Yuan said.

You Northern Qi cultivator, stop spreading rumors and framing me!

Xiao Feng disagreed. There were far too many funny things happening at the meeting. It was perfectly reasonable for Prince Kang, Xiao Jiale, to laugh. If he hadn't received professional training and been able to hold back no matter how funny it was, he would have laughed out loud.

"The same goes for the Jingwang Mansion and the Lewang Mansion. The sudden emergence of so many forces behind them must have been premeditated. The sudden integration of the three Tianzong families and the sudden alliance between Baiyun and Wangjian manors are all highly suspicious."

Xiang Yuan sighed deeply. It wasn't that he was speaking up for Xiao Yan, but rather that he couldn't find a single teammate who would take the mastermind behind the scenes seriously, which was truly exhausting.

Xiao Feng nodded repeatedly, saying that what he said made sense. He also considered Xiang Yuan's speculation, and the sudden appearance of Dajue Temple was also full of doubts, making it difficult to dispel the clan's suspicions.

Since everyone seems like the mastermind, the Xiao family's inaction is their greatest action.

If a few grandmasters don't die, how will the Xiao family know who the good guys are and who the pawns of the mastermind behind the scenes are?
Only by having more people die can one prove their innocence.

Xiang Yuan had said everything he needed to say. He had no intention of kidnapping Xiao Feng and taking him to the Heavenly Sect. He then teleported directly to... Zhen Dian Prefecture.

After about half an hour, he felt that Ji Boli had infiltrated sufficiently, so he calmly set off for the main base of the three Tianzong families—Mount Dacheng.

Master of the broken sampan, your disciple Xiang Yuan has come to pay his respects.

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)