This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 397 Listen to your disciple's advice, being a verbally aggressive king is not advisable.
"Master?!"

"Master—"

Seeing that Ji Wuzhou had suddenly lost his mind, as if he were pondering the philosophy of life, Xiang Yuan made a megaphone gesture with both hands and shouted loudly in his ear.

His voice was filled with sorrow and tears, which made Xiao He peek over the courtyard wall, thinking that Ji Wuzhou had left.

As long as there's food, he's fine with sitting at any table!

Ji Wuzhou snapped out of his reverie and looked at Yuan with particular disdain. First, his disciple had too many shady dealings, and many schemes were aimed at him; second, his disciple showed no respect for his master. So what if he was a nominal disciple? His master wasn't nominally a disciple, and his shouting and yelling was unbecoming.

Xiang Yuan's gaze was also filled with disdain. He had seen Ji Wuzhou twice, and both times the latter was in a state of despair and despondency, lacking the carefree and playful spirit of a simpleton, as well as the domineering aura of King Frieza.

There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names; Broken Sampan truly deserves the title.

After staring at each other for a moment, Ji Wuzhou was the first to be defeated. His performance was too poor. He had finally managed to stand up, but then quickly sank to the bottom. In the end, he needed his apprentice to save the day, making it difficult for him to maintain the dignity of a teacher in front of Xiang Yuan.

Today, your teacher will show you what I'm capable of!
"Master, please continue telling me how to leave this place!"

"The exit is over there."

Ji Wuzhou pointed his fingers into a sword shape, pointing at the towering peak in the distance: "This realm is the place where Yan Xuanhe died and transformed. It is closely connected to the Heavenly Sect's protective mountain formation, forming its own realm. You can enter but you cannot leave. Only by erasing what Yan Xuanhe left behind and affecting the Heavenly Sect's protective mountain formation in the instant of changing the world can you obtain the opportunity to leave this realm."

"Master, how do you know so much?" Xiang Yuan asked in surprise.

"Don't underestimate your teacher, I know a lot!"

Ji Wuzhou said with a dark face, "I was tricked into entering this realm. Otherwise, I should be the one sitting in the Heavenly Sect and controlling the great formation."

Okay, okay, you're the best!
Seeing that Ji Wuzhou was somewhat embarrassed and angry, Xiang Yuan nodded repeatedly and said, "Delay will only cause trouble, let's leave now."

"No rush. Before leaving, I need to unite the cultivators of this realm."

Ji Wuzhou looked at the giant Tianzhu Peak, squinted, and said, "When I fell into this realm, I was unable to escape. Since I could not leave, I regarded this place as a paradise to live out my days in peace. I did not care about the grandmasters who fell into this realm after me. The fact that they were able to come here is obviously because they were exiled by the Tianzong Grand Formation. When I restore order and take control of the Tianzong again, these people will definitely be useful."

"..."

"What, you look down on these grandmasters?"

"How could that be? Your disciple has always firmly believed that even a pair of underwear or a tattered sampan has its use, let alone a Grandmaster-level expert. Your disciple is merely curious, since the current leader of the Heavenly Sect is an unparalleled expert, whose realm is unknown but whose supernatural powers are immense, Master, you..."

Xiang Yuan glanced at Ji Wuzhou from head to toe, but left without saying anything more; his meaning was clear.

Do you think you can beat him? Stop talking nonsense.

Listen to my advice, you can't be a talkative, arrogant person!

Ji Wuzhou was furious. He turned and left the courtyard, taking one step at a time. He secretly vowed that he would show his power and dominance today, and let his arrogant disciple know that once he was his master, he would always be his master.

With his hands in his pockets, Xiang Yuan quickly followed. Whether Ji Wuzhou was bragging or truly skilled, at least there was someone tall enough to hold up the sky.

He followed behind Ji Wuzhou, muttering to himself, "Master, when I entered the Tianzong Mahayana Mountain, I immediately saw that someone was impersonating you. Do you know your disciple? Would you let me suffer such injustice? I was immediately enraged and vowed to expose the hypocrite's true colors, so I fought him for three hundred rounds..."

"impossible!"

Ji Wuzhou interrupted without turning his head, saying, "The Heavenly Sect's Mountain-Protecting Array is no ordinary array; you are not capable of fighting it for three hundred rounds."

So, you're not a likable master at all!
If it were that dim-witted old scoundrel, he would definitely be slapping his thigh and praising, saying that his disciple is really amazing, worthy of being the disciple he trained. Even if he knew it was a lie, he wouldn't deny it.

If it were Frieza instead, the Queen wouldn't praise him, but she would at least give him a disdainful glance with a 'heh heh' expression.

In a sense, it can be considered a different kind of reward.

You've killed the conversation right from the start!
"Master, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and continued, "I did not fight that person for three hundred rounds, but I did fight several grandmasters from the Heavenly Blade Sect and the Heavenly Sword Pavilion in several battles, and I was struck by lightning several times. If the grandmasters exiled to this world are real, what about the grandmasters from the Great Ascension Mountain?"

Ji Wuzhou continued walking without stopping, and said succinctly, "The array's form is simulated; they themselves don't even know that they are merely illusory existences."

"So, when my disciple saw 'you,' it was also an illusion created by the grand formation?" Xiang Yuan narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling extremely troubled.

"I don't know."

Ji Wuzhou shook his head. He didn't know who Xiang Yuan had met at the Heavenly Sect, so he couldn't give an accurate answer to the question.

Xiang Yuan was secretly alarmed. It was not difficult to simulate the form of an array; ordinary illusion arrays could do it. However, to make it lifelike on the basis of simulation, not only possessing all the cultivation methods of its former life but also having its own will, was somewhat unbelievable.

The most terrifying thing is that the Grandmasters simulated by the Heavenly Sect Grand Formation can still maintain their existence after leaving Mount Mahakasyapa, instead of being destroyed as soon as they leave the formation.

For example, Nirvana Sword Master and Liu Pojun, these two illusory grandmasters, not only exist on Mount Dacheng, but can also accompany King Xiao Lei to the capital.

Outrageous!

Xiang Yuan couldn't understand the principle behind the Heavenly Sect's protective mountain formation, so he asked Xiang Ji Wuzhou out of curiosity. To his surprise, the broken sampan actually knew the reason.

"The Heavenly Sect Grand Formation exists not only on Mount Mahayana..."

Ji Wuzhou suddenly stopped, his expression extremely solemn: "The great formation was established by Yan Xuanhe. It is based on the stars of the heavens and the laws of heaven and earth. It is a mixture of reality and illusion, and there is no distinction between truth and falsehood. The one you are fighting is not a grandmaster, but... the Qianyuan Realm."

Boom!

A thunderous roar resounded in Xiang Yuan's ears. The Heavenly Sect's protective mountain array was extraordinary, encompassing the entire Qianyuan Realm. Yan Xuanhe truly lived up to his reputation as a swordsman who could cleave the heavens with a single strike, a master who even the Heavenly Court of the Upper Realm could not return from. Even after many years of passing away, his prestige remained undiminished.

"Master, since the Heavenly Sect is so powerful, why are the three families of the Heavenly Sect... so mediocre now?" Xiang Yuan politely expressed his doubts. It was more than just mediocre; they were utterly incompetent.

If he wasn't mistaken, apart from Ji Wuzhou, the three families of Tianzong couldn't even muster a single person at the Upper Three Realms. Let alone looking at the entire Qianyuan Realm, even within the Western Chu alone, there were several first-rate forces capable of easily defeating the three families of Tianzong.

The two powerful women from Jianxinzhai and Wushuang Palace, and the abbot of Dajue Temple, Gao Lu, are all genuine Upper Three Realms experts. With just a slight move, they can easily subdue the three families of Tianzong.

The powerful woman from Wushuang Palace really got the job done. Dissatisfied that Xiang Yuan had hypnotized her two junior sisters/disciples, she casually grabbed the Wuxiang Sword Master and had him fight Xiang Yuan from a distance, showing no respect whatsoever to the three families of Tianzong.

“What qualifications do the three families of Tianzong have to control Mount Dacheng now? Even if Yan Xuanhe left behind an invincible legacy, they are not worthy of it. They are simply not qualified.” Ji Wuzhou shook his head slightly.

Moreover, none of the many legacies left by Yan Xuanhe were intended for the three families of Tianzong to enjoy.

The so-called disciples of the Heavenly Sect were nothing more than tomb keepers.

After the two left the courtyard, Xiao He peeked in and approached, walking side by side with his hands in his pockets, just like Xiang Yuan.

Ji Wuzhou unleashed his aura, sweeping away all his previous dejectedness. His immense pressure enveloped the entire mountain stronghold, forcing all the grandmasters to reveal themselves.

Looking around, Xiang Yuan recognized the six grandmasters as familiar faces he had fought before. They were all defeated by Ji Wuzhou and had experienced his methods firsthand. Having entered this realm in a daze, they couldn't tell whether the Ji Wuzhou who had beaten them to their knees was real or not. At this moment, they hesitated, still harboring doubts even as they faced Ji Wuzhou's oppressive aura.

I can't tell the difference, I really can't tell the difference.

Previously, Ji Wuzhou had ignored these masters, but now that he had obtained Xiang Yuan and had the possibility of leaving, he remembered that he had lost six lackeys outside.

What he needed to do was simple: beat the six grandmasters to their knees and make them submit wholeheartedly.

It was a battle with no suspense whatsoever. Xiang Yuan could easily defeat these six grandmasters, one in each hand. Whether in a one-on-one fight or a group battle, they were all no match for him. Ji Wuzhou, with his cultivation at the third level, only needed one big punch to take on six of them.

Besides the six grandmasters, some Nascent Soul stage cultivators also fell into this realm out of curiosity, unwilling to give up such a great opportunity.

"To witness such a clash of titans, even death would be worthwhile!" Xiao He exclaimed in amazement.

Which eye of yours saw a battle between strong individuals? It was clearly a beating of a child.

Xiang Yuan had no interest in this battle. Six grandmasters were not enough to make Ji Wuzhou go all out. He couldn't even copy them if he wanted to. Rather than watching Ji Wuzhou show off, he would rather find some amusement in Xiao He.

His conscience told him that it was more interesting to mess with his own people.

Xiang Yuan skillfully put his arm around Xiao He's shoulder and started with some bad news to warm things up: "At the beginning of the year, I went to the capital and met Brother Xu in a mansion. The situation was not good. The Xiao family coveted his ancient god bloodline and treated him as a stud. Brother Xu is utterly wicked and his soul has been drained."

"There's such a good thing..."

Xiao He's expression changed drastically, and he gritted his teeth: "How despicable! Let me guess, you wanted to save Brother Xu from his suffering, but he refused and even told you to leave him alone, right?"

"Yes, your Xiao family doesn't treat him like a human being at all. There are no proper ladies, only widows who have lost their husbands and barely survive on government subsidies," Xiang Yuan explained the main reason.

Upon hearing this, Xiao He felt even more bitter.

He wasn't attracted to widows, but Xu Jixian's XP system was widows. The thought of his brother successfully fulfilling his dream made him feel even worse than when he himself was down on his luck.

No, we have to find a way to rescue Brother Xu!
“There’s something else, brother. You’ve been here for a while now, so you might not know, but the old emperor of the capital has died,” Xiang Yuan said. “What’s the big deal? Out with the old, in with the new. Just get a new emperor.” Xiao He replied, puzzled and curious. The emperor died, but the royal family isn’t wiped out. Why bring this up?

“They’re all dead. The entire royal family, from top to bottom, all those qualified to inherit the throne, are gone overnight.”

“Hiss, hiss, hiss—”

Xiao He gasped, realizing a possibility, and his eyes widened immediately: "Dog, dog...my father is going to become emperor?"

"There is a good chance."

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow, put his arm around the other's shoulder, and said, "Let's not beat around the bush. If the Zhao Prince's Mansion becomes the new royal family, you'll be a prince. Now that you're a prince, have you thought about taking it a step further?"

Hearing Xiang Yuan's tempting words, Xiao He's expression changed several times, but he finally suppressed his desire: "It's impossible. My elder brother, Xiao Qian, is the most suitable candidate."

In Xiao He's view, the wealth and status of the Prince Zhao's mansion today are all thanks to Xiao Qian's wish for his father to become a dragon.

The empire may not have been conquered by Xiao Qian, but the Zhaowang Mansion was indeed a business that Xiao Qian worked hard to build for his father. If it weren't for Xiao Qian's tireless work day and night, his father would still be a nobody in the capital. Such immense wealth would never have come his way to an ordinary, nameless person.

"Don't you dislike Xiao Qian?"

Xiang Yuan patted Xiao He's chest and said, "The Prince Zhao's mansion was set up by Xiao Qian, but Xiao Qian can't plot for the throne. I have some connections outside, and I can also say a few words in the capital... So, do you have any ideas now?"

As he spoke, Xiang Yuan recounted the background of the Sixth House.

Xiao He listened in stunned silence, then muttered, "I had no idea before, but after hearing what you said..."

"There is."

"I sense you're up to no good and trying to trick your brother!"

Xiao He glanced at Xiang Yuan: "I do not like Xiao Qian, for many reasons..."

Xiao He and Xiao Qian had a strained relationship, and they disliked each other. This was not only due to the rivalry between the previous generation, but also related to their different personalities and ways of dealing with people.

There's nothing to say about the jealousy and rivalry of the previous generation; it's a recurring theme in the Zhao Prince's household.

Because Emperor Xiao Yan treated all his subjects equally, the Zhao Prince's residence was filled with princesses, and there was no concept of concubines.

Because everyone was treated equally, and all the wives were respectable ladies, the backyard of Prince Zhao's mansion was exceptionally lively.

He's always being sarcastic and eccentric, and he's always making a ruckus.

Both coming from families with a strong academic background, Xiao Lingyue has the ability to apply knowledge to new situations, repeatedly making it difficult for Xiang Yuan to pronounce words, while Xiao Lingyan is like a block of wood, able to defend against every opportunity that comes her way.

It is evident that among the many eccentric and sarcastic princes, the Sixth Princess Cheng Yuling stands out from the crowd.

Xiao Lingyan had a good relationship with her mother Chen Qiaofeng and Xiao Qian's mother, who was also Xiao Yan's first wife. Therefore, Xiao Qian had a good relationship with his siblings Xiao Can and Xiao Lingyan.

His relationship with Cheng Yuling...

That's all there is to it!

Both Xiao He and Xiao Qian were precocious geniuses.

The former perfectly inherited the genes of the Xiao family of the capital, being silly, unreliable, unwilling to be mediocre, and firmly believing that he can accomplish great things.

As the eldest son, the latter carried a heavy burden of responsibility and was already thinking about how to make money for his family at a young age, how to become a rich second-generation heir, and how to enjoy a carefree life where everything was done for him.

Like Xiao Yan, Xiao Qian knew that Xiao He was a genius. His apparent lack of learning and skills was just a facade. He had entered the Right Six Offices of the Capital Region at a young age and was destined for great things.

That's great! Once you've completed your studies and returned, we can help your husband get back on his feet, and our family's life will be much better from now on.

Then Xiao He ran away, never staying at home, and wandering around alone.

Among Xiao Yan's many biological sons, Xiao Qian and Xiao He were the most outstanding. However, their personalities were very different and their ambitions were different, so they were destined not to get along.

The two disliked each other but acknowledged each other's talent. Compared to himself and Xiao Qian, Xiao He was a restless person. It would be better to kill him than to make him stay still 365 days a year.

In comparison, Xiao Qian is much more suited to sitting in an office.

“I know that this elder brother is a master of domestic affairs, more than qualified to be prime minister, but…”

Xiang Yuan whispered, "You could be a tyrant!"

"???"

A series of question marks flashed across Xiao He's mind; he didn't understand what Xiang Yuan was talking about.

"Look, Father-in-law..."

"Stop shouting!"

Xiao He's eyes sharpened instantly, not allowing Xiang Yuan to take advantage of his sister Xiao Lingyue in any way, not even verbally.

"Sorry, I spoke without thinking."

Xiang Yuan admitted his mistake and corrected it: "When my father was King Zhao, he was a very idle person. When he became emperor, he would definitely be a foolish ruler. If he could be a foolish ruler, why can't you be one?"

"That makes so much sense..."

Xiao He muttered a complaint, "Xiang Yuan is quite eloquent; he's even managed to win him over."

"How to say?"

"Not interested in."

Xiao He shook his head. It had nothing to do with self-awareness; he was genuinely uninterested. The thought of being imprisoned and losing his freedom made him feel miserable.

After Xiang Yuan finished speaking, seeing that Xiao He was not interested, he stopped talking.

Since Xiao He wasn't interested, he decided to let whoever he wanted from now on, he wouldn't care anymore.

boom!
While the two were talking, Ji Wuzhou had already subdued the six grandmasters.

This greatly displeased Xiao He, who complained that Xiang Yuan had talked to him, causing him to lose focus and miss the great opportunity to watch the battle between powerful figures.

"Don't be silly. The worst one in the arena is a Grandmaster. Do you think a Nascent Soul cultivator like you can understand what a Grandmaster is doing?" Xiang Yuan spared no effort in attacking Xiao He, not letting go of any opportunity.

After dealing with the six grandmasters, Ji Wuzhou showed off his fists, then offered them a sweet treat after swinging his big stick, explaining the possibility of leaving this world.

For a time, calls for the sect leader were endless.

Because of maturity, loyalty is beginning to emerge!
Ji Wuzhou told everyone to pack up and that once the great formation was broken, everyone could leave on their own.

Upon hearing this, Xiao He ran away in a flash. He had the most assets in this world, and he couldn't afford to lose any of the hard work that covered four walls; he had to pack them all up and take them with him.

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.

Tianzhu!

It is likely that Mount Buzhou was formed from the spine of the Yanxuan River.

A majestic, solitary peak rises abruptly from the ground, reaching up to the celestial stars and bathing in their cascading light, while below lies the netherworld, shrouded in a sea of ​​yin energy and mist. At the boundary between black and white, it seems as if the pillar of heaven is breathing, its light flickering and changing.

Two figures broke through the strong wind and arrived at the mountainside.

Looking around curiously, he wondered if there were any spiritual roots of heaven and earth like banana trees, or even gourd vines. He was an easily satisfied person; as long as it was a good treasure, he would accept it.

At the boundary between the two colors, Ji Wuzhou pointed to a spiritual spring where heaven and earth converged: "This realm and Mount Dacheng echo each other, and can be regarded as two sides of the same coin. This spiritual spring is the source of the Cleansing Pool at the foot of the Asking Peak. If we destroy this spring, we can return to Mount Dacheng from this realm."

Sounds easy!

Xiang Yuan looked at the spiritual spring and smelled the medicinal scent: "Master, it sounds simple, why don't you destroy it?"

"I could have done it before, but I'm not qualified now..."

Ji Wuzhou gently shook his head: "Only you can."

(End of this chapter)