This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 453 Since my sister, Master, likes to speak frankly, then don't blame me for being ruthless.
"This benefit is called 'Earth Vein Fire Marrow,' a great opportunity related to the five elements of fire. Ordinary cultivators can hardly enjoy it; even if they obtain it, they can only watch from the sidelines..."

“You are different. You have the innate five elements within your body, which can be easily refined. After entering your body, the five elements will be strengthened, the evolved small world will be more complete, and the laws of heaven and earth will be more orderly.”

Sword Master Su Ran went on and on about the benefits of Earth Vein Fire Marrow, boasting to the extreme that this item could be exchanged for ten times the blood replenishment of Xiang Yuan. Today, he only counted one transaction, and he had made a fortune.

He had already taken the Earth Vein Fire Marrow from afar, and he knew its quality.

Before the five elements within the body have reached their peak and the outline of a small world has yet to appear, the earth vein fire marrow is considered a great tonic. Now...

It's just average, roughly equivalent to one transaction.

However, the Sword Master Su Ran was right about one thing: continuing to refine the natural treasures related to the Five Elements does indeed have the benefit of strengthening the Five Elements and making the small world more perfect.

When Xiang Yuan went to the Lower Abyss Realm, he took away the remnants left behind by the Golden God Ru Shou and personally experienced the benefits. He strongly agreed that what Su Ran Sword Venerable said was true.

At the same time, he also gained a greater appreciation for Su Ran Sword Master's shamelessness.

"Fine, fine, I'll let you get away with this. What can I do? I'm just too kind-hearted!"

With a look of great loss on his face, Su Ran Sword Master grabbed Xiang Yuan's hair and took a step forward, venturing deep into the Fire Dragon Forbidden Land. Seeing that the surrounding lava was dry and there was no flowing red gold, his expression immediately changed.

The Earth Vein Fire Essence is gone!

No, the extraterrestrial demon has escaped!

Sword Master Su Ran was shocked. Years ago, she was troubled by her lifespan and was getting old. Her strength had declined significantly. In order to conserve her strength, she did not kill the extraterrestrial demon. Instead, she used the earth vein fire marrow as a seal to suppress the extraterrestrial demon, which she had beaten to nine-tenths dead.

The sealing location is in the Fire Dragon's Forbidden Land.

Without a second thought, Su Ran Sword Master abandoned Xiang Yuan and rushed into the stone gate.

Losing the Earth Vein Fire Marrow is no big deal; the escape of the extraterrestrial demons is the most important thing!

Upon entering, she found the place completely empty. Su Ran Sword Master's expression was extremely solemn. Not a single extraterrestrial demon remained, and the situation was more serious than she had imagined.

Xiang Yuan followed obediently behind Sword Master Su Ran, his curious gaze sweeping around as if he were venturing into this place for the first time: "Sword Master, where is the opportunity? This place looks like a prison!"

Sword Master Su Ran remained silent, his brows furrowed with an unprecedented heaviness. After suppressing his panic, he realized something and muttered to himself, "No, if any extraterrestrial demons escaped from this small grotto-heaven, I would surely sense it..."

Since there was no response, it meant that the extraterrestrial demon did not leave alive, but died here!
Thinking of this, Sword Master Su Ran became even calmer and began to think deeply. The extraterrestrial demons she had imprisoned here were all half-dead, and even if they joined forces, they could not break through the seal of the earth vein fire marrow.

The seal cannot be opened from the inside; it can only be broken from the outside!

"Someone secretly infiltrated this place, took the earth vein fire essence, and killed the extraterrestrial demon sealed here... Strange, who did this?"

Su Ran Sword Master raised his hand and placed it on Xiang Yuan's shoulder, his gaze deep and unfathomable. "Ordinary people are not fortunate enough to enjoy the Earth Vein Fire Marrow. After much thought, I believe the only chance for an infiltrator to enter this place was during last year's sword competition. Qing Meng mentioned that someone once impersonated a Grandmaster of Wushuang Palace to participate in the sword competition. That person just happens to be qualified to enjoy the Earth Vein Fire Marrow... It's so hard to guess. Who is he?"

"Yes, it's really hard to guess!"

Xiang Yuan nodded with a serious face. Who on earth was this villain who had concealed the truth so deeply and acted so quietly? It was a mystery that could last for ages.

"You shameless little brat, you're still playing dumb in front of me even now!"

Sword Master Su Ran was furious. After figuring out what had happened, she cursed loudly, "That shameless bitch surnamed Bai is utterly shameless! She takes my money to support her gigolo!"

Xiang Yuan stood obediently to the side, frowning as he asked, "Sword Master, is it possible that a mastermind did this?"

You two are the real masterminds!
Su Ran Sword Master was extremely disgusted. He grabbed Xiang Yuan's hair and dragged him back to the Sword Heart Pavilion's small cave. He plopped down in the VIP seat, bit Xiang Yuan's neck, and began to suck blood.

If she had just said that Da Yao had her assets, she wouldn't have talked about an equal exchange!

Because he didn't make any money, which is roughly equivalent to not finding any money on the street, Su Ran Sword Master felt he had lost a lot of money.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Taking advantage of the situation, she firmly established her moral high ground and, as if it were her right, squeezed Xiang Yuan dry once more, deciding that she would never again talk about equivalent exchange.

Xiang Yuan was caught red-handed and obediently supplied the medicine. Because he was given too much, and because Su Ran Sword Master had a vengeful blood-draining mentality, he soon became dizzy from replenishing too much.

She stood up dizzily, feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit but unwilling to. After several unsuccessful attempts to get up, she simply sat in Xiang Yuan's arms and dozed off for a while.

Seeing his drunken state, Xiang Yuan's eyes lit up, and he whispered in his ear, "Sword Master, why is the White Palace Master targeting you? What does it have to do with her identity as the Queen Mother of the West?"

"Because the Jambudvipa Gate is the Queen Mother of the West and the Six Realms..."

Sword Master Su Ran let out a burp halfway through his sentence, suddenly snapping out of his daze and glaring fiercely at Xiang Yuan: "You brat, you schemed against me?"

"..."

Don't talk nonsense. You're clearly just greedy and got yourself completely drunk.

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes. He also wanted to scheme against someone in the Upper Three Realms, but fate didn't grant him that opportunity, and his strength didn't allow him to do so.

Su Ran Sword Master was annoyed that she almost revealed the truth. She closed her eyes and said no more, sticking to her persona as a riddle teller. Xiang Yuan learned the truth from Bai Wuyan: that the pretty boy was capable, which was none of her business and absolutely impossible for her to know.

I've said it, but I won't say it; I simply won't say it.

A moment later, the drunkenness subsided, and the Sword Master Su Ran rose from Xiang Yuan's embrace, pointed his fingers into a sword, and opened the portal to the small cave.

In an instant, a figure in white moved through space and rushed to the high platform.

Qin Zhaorong.

The melon unleashed the potential of a mere Nascent Soul stage ant, making it run faster than a Grandmaster.

On the high platform, Xiang Yuan was half-naked, with only a black Taoist robe around his waist. For some reason, the Sword Master Su Ran was radiant with beauty. His beautiful face, which was ethereal and elegant, was tinged with a blush. His drunken face was slightly flushed, as if he was half asleep and half awake. His slender figure was as delicate as a willow, swaying and staggering.

In Qin Zhaorong's eyes, this scene made Xiang Yuan's innate superhuman strength even more apparent.

My goodness, my senior sister wasn't lying, it's all true!

Qin Zhaorong held her breath. She had never seen her master so slightly tipsy before. After a brief moment of shock, she was overjoyed. Realizing she had gotten too close, almost standing on the platform, she dared not show it and quickly stepped back to make room for the two victims.

This is outrageous! How can you be a master? Even I, as your disciple, can't stand it anymore!

Senior Sister, Senior Sister, hurry up and scold them! This time, Junior Sister stands on the side of justice and fairness!
Shang Qingmeng and Ziping arrived shortly after. Upon seeing the scene on the high platform, one of them trembled slightly, and the other also trembled slightly.

The Fairy Merchant, who had severed all seven emotions and six desires, always spoke her mind, and today was no exception. She pointed her sword at the high platform and said, "Su Ran, you shameless..."

"Hiccup~~"

"..." x4
Everyone fell silent.

Xiang Yuan knew that Su Ran Sword Master was burping because he was full and had nothing better to do. Others wouldn't think so. In the deafening silence, Shang Qingmeng's eyes reddened, and Zi Ping and Qin Zhaorong were also like they had conjunctivitis, so excited that their blood rushed to their heads and their ears turned red.

"I'm a little tired. Take him away and deal with him."

Sword Master Su Ran didn't explain. He said the same thing: "A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear, and time will prove everything." He waved his hand and sent the four of them out of the small cave and to Zi Ping's courtyard.

No, Master! Let Senior Sister say a few more words! x2
Zi Ping is incredibly unlucky, but within the circle of unlucky people, there are clearly others who are even more unlucky than her.

Qin Zhaorong was one of them; she was thrown out to guard the gate by Shang Qingmeng, and she was so angry that her nose was crooked.

The eldest sister is so ignorant. The sect leader seems to be highly respected and different from the crowd, but in reality, he is arrogant and domineering. He kidnaps the young lovers of his disciples and enjoys them at will, which seriously damages the reputation of Jianxinzhai.

Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, the sisters joined hands, put righteousness before family, overthrew the tyrannical rule of their sect leader, and restored order to Jianxinzhai.

So, now's the time to let her in. One more mouth to feed—I mean, one more person—means one more source of strength. Sharing meat and soup, sharing blessings—that's how sisterly affection is revealed, and how united we are. Isn't that wonderful!
What kind of behavior is it to leave her outside? She just did a lot of work, and we shouldn't discourage someone who has contributed so much.

Discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose, and destroying a bridge after it has been crossed—how is this any different from the actions of the sect leader and master!
Also, no matter how many times I say it, she arrived first.

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.

Wushuang Palace.

Xiang Yuan spent several days escaping Jianxinzhai and rushed to Hantan Xiaodongtian as soon as possible. Still harboring wicked intentions, he wanted to resolve the conflict between the two powerful women and drag them both onto the Tianzong's pirate ship.

But first, we need to find out the source of the conflict.

After Xiang Yuan washed himself clean, he spread his spiritual senses and his gaze passed through layers of space. Inside the White Lotus Palace, he saw Bai Wuyan giving a lesson.

The White Palace Master sat cross-legged on a crystal cloud bed, his black hair tied up with a hairpin. In front of him were four futons, with his closed-door disciple Xiao Lingyue, his nominal disciples Yinshuang and Daoxue, and his mount Qingzhuying.

Therefore, as long as one can tolerate Bai Wuyan's arrogant and irritable temper, she is quite easy to talk to. Qingzhuying is the best example; she became Bai Wuyan's disciple and received guidance from her in cultivation.

I'm so happy here, I don't miss home at all. Sister Rou, please don't cause any trouble. I'm doing very well in Wushuang Palace.

Seeing this, Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, and then, thinking of the chaotic scene at Jianxinzhai, exclaimed that it was incomparable.

A leader's team reflects his character; a goofy sword master is only fit to lead rebellious disciples and entertainers.

"Master of the White House, I have important business to discuss with you. Please begin your lecture and do not take too long."

Bai Wuyan heard the voice in her ear and narrowed her eyes slightly. What do you mean by "you only come when you have important business to discuss"?

You think you can come and go as you please? Who do you think you are?

Bai Wuyan didn't reply, stopped lecturing, and glanced indifferently at the front: "Lingyue's husband has arrived, saying he has important matters to discuss with me. I will go and talk to him for a while. You all stay here and do not move around."

As he spoke, he slowly rose and stepped into the spatial curtain. He then raised his hand and pulled out the Wujie Sword hairpin, giving the four women a view of his back with his black hair cascading down to his waist.

"..." x5
Xiao Lingyue: My husband has arrived, so I will be the one to greet him. What does this have to do with you? Put the hairpin back in!

Yinshuang: Palace Master, do you want to listen to what you're saying? If it gets back to Jianxinzhai, they'll laugh themselves to death.

Dao Xue: Senior sister, don't meddle. Master's actions are definitely to temper Junior Sister Xiao's character. If you don't believe me, look at Junior Sister Xiao. Hehe, she's so angry that her hair is flying.

Qingzhuying: Sister Rou, please don't come. Wushuang Palace is really great. I'd rather die than leave.

Xiang Yuan: I take back what I said before. Although the White House Master is not a fool, she is always looking for trouble and only deserves to be accompanied by traitors and entertainers.

The White Lotus Palace was deathly silent.

Xiao Lingyue's long hair danced wildly, her eyes gleaming with golden light. She pondered who was being too arrogant. She wouldn't say anything if they secretly did things behind her back before, but now they were getting bolder and bolder, daring to say anything openly.

Alright, alright. Since my sister likes to speak frankly, then don't blame me for being ruthless.

Beside him, Yinshuang, Daoxue, and Qingzhuying lowered their heads and didn't dare to breathe loudly, for fear of offending the aggrieved party.

I just secretly created a chat group.

"Senior sister, Junior Sister Xiao's husband is the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, that great villain who bewitched our minds. How could the Palace Master... Is there something wrong here?"

"Don't talk nonsense. What is the Palace Master's cultivation level? This guy surnamed Xiang is only so-so. His bewitching potion won't work!"

"That's even worse than the Palace Master being bewitched by him!"

"Ah this..."

"Senior sisters, I might know some inside information," Qing Zhuying interjected timidly.

"Junior Sister Qing, tell me quickly!" x2
The White Lotus Palace was eerily silent, yet undercurrents surged, and chaos reigned.

Within the small grotto, Xiang Yuan gathered his conscience and put on his palace robes layer by layer. Just as he was about to tie the belt, Bai Wuyan decided she didn't want to tie it today.

She neither tied her hair up nor her waist, intending to go back and give lectures like this.

"Master White House, you too have suffered from rumors and gossip. Do not do to yourself what you would not have them do to you!"

Xiang Yuan tried to persuade her, but to no avail. Bai Wuyan simply tightened her belt and wouldn't listen to anything Xiang Yuan said.

Xiang Yuan was speechless. Fine, if you don't want to wear a corset, then don't wear one. But wouldn't it be okay to tighten the collar of your palace dress? He decisively reached out and tucked it in, saying, "Palace Master Bai, I have a question. What did Sword Master Su Ran do to offend you? Why are you still so hung up on her?"

"Why do you ask? Did you go to Jianxinzhai?"

Bai Wuyan suddenly turned around, scrutinized Xiang Yuan from head to toe, lifted his chin, looked at his neck, her eyes filled with coldness and murderous intent, and a layer of bone-chilling frost spread around her.

"What are you saying, Lord Bai Gong? What kind of quality does Su Ran Sword Venerable have? If I were to go to Jianxinzhai, she would definitely keep me as a treasure of the sect."

Xiang Yuan shook off the frost on his body, not giving Bai Wuyan a chance to speak, and said quickly, "I suddenly remembered this matter today, so I came to ask for your advice."

"I do not wish to discuss this matter."

Bai Wuyan snorted coldly, and after being coaxed into Xiang Yuan's arms and given a VIP seat, she said coldly, "You know I am the Queen Mother of the West, so telling you won't hurt. This matter has a great deal to do with the Yanfu Sect..."

“In the past, among the primordial deities, there was a goddess named Liudao, who was a close friend of the Queen Mother of the West. Sensing that a great calamity was about to come, she took a branch of the Yellow Spring Mother Tree and gave it to the Queen Mother of the West, hoping that after the great calamity, the Queen Mother of the West would find her origin and help her return.”

The Queen Mother of the West refined the branches of the Yellow Spring Mother Tree into a jade disc. Due to the special nature of the Yellow Spring Mother Tree, it could pass through the three thousand worlds without hindrance, and used it to search for the Reincarnation Relic transformed from the Six Paths Goddess.

The Six Realms are of paramount importance to the Three Thousand Worlds. The Queen Mother of the West is searching for the Relic of Reincarnation, and the Heavenly Court, the Demon Realm, and other upper realms are no exception.

To prevent the Queen Mother of the West from perishing in the great calamity and having no one to help her return, the Six Goddesses sent one of her primordial spirits into reincarnation ahead of time.

The reincarnated person was found by the former Heavenly Emperor of the Upper Realm of Qianyuan Realm and became the Heavenly Emperor's daughter. After many twists and turns, she reconnected with Yan Xuanhe, the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor, and finally became the current Su Ran Sword Venerable.

Upon hearing this secret, Xiang Yuan remained silent for a long time until Bai Wuyan frowned and snorted coldly, which brought him back to his senses.

Xiang Yuan withdrew his outstretched hands, not embarrassed at all, and asked in confusion, "If that's the case, the two of you should have a very good relationship, so why has it come to this?"

"I wanted to take her to the Peerless Palace to protect her, but she accused me of having ulterior motives and trying to manipulate the Six Paths of Reincarnation through her..."

Bai Wuyan sneered repeatedly. She did have this idea, but her strength and cultivation level were insufficient, so she did not put it into action.

Since there was no action taken, it was as if Sword Master Su Ran had wronged an innocent person without any evidence, judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person, and regarding her as a schemer like the Heavenly Emperor.

Xiang Yuan: (_)
You woman are no good!

Xiang Yuan thought to himself, then suddenly remembered something and said directly, "Master Bai, I have a wife named Chan'er, who is the Holy Maiden of the Yellow Springs Path. Although you have never met her, you should know her. She also has a jade disc in her hand. According to the Yanfu Sect, she is Junior Sister Bai Gui."

Bai Wuyan's expression turned slightly cold; she didn't want to hear terms like "Madam" or "Wife."

Just because she disdains it and leaves it aside doesn't mean others can pick it up.

"When Xiang and Chan'er traveled to other worlds, they encountered an extraterrestrial demon. This demon was named Tahua Zizaitian and called Chan'er a reincarnated being." Xiang Yuan was puzzled. If the reincarnated being was the Door Fence Sword Master, then what was Chan'er all about?

"fake."

Bai Wuyan squinted her eyes: "That lowly maid Su Ran is the one who has been reincarnated; the rest are just a cover."

"..."

Extraterrestrial demons frequently spawn at the doorstep of the Sword Master, all targeting those undergoing reincarnation. Moreover, her identity as the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor has long been exposed, making her efforts to conceal her true identity futile.

Xiang Yuan was displeased and stared intently at Bai Wuyan. What kind of idiot came up with this pointless operation that put Chan'er at such great risk?
Why are you glaring at me? Are you reluctant to part with your wife?
Bai Wuyan was very displeased by Xiang Yuan's gaze, and her expression grew colder. Xiang Yuan did not back down, and his eyes became more and more serious.

Within the Cold Pool Cave, the temperature plummeted.

After a moment, Bai Wuyan gritted her teeth and said, "It has nothing to do with me; it was the Queen Mother of the West's scheme."

The schemer was the Queen Mother of the Underworld, who threw out the Holy Maiden Jinse, destroyed the Silver Moon Palace, and kidnapped Chan'er, who had just left the mountain.

The Silver Moon Palace and the Peerless Palace share the same sky, their importance self-evident. Enraged, Bai Wuyan sought out the Corpse Queen Mother, demanding an explanation. The Corpse Queen Mother stated that the Yellow Springs Path lacked a qualified saintess, and that Chan'er was destined for her, capable of replacing Jinse in wielding the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, thus concealing the true nature of the Plain Dye Sword Venerable.

The answer is that it was all planned in advance, and it was all for Bai Wuyan's good.

Bai Wuyan was most annoyed by arrangements and dissatisfied with the actions of the Corpse Queen Mother. She never went to the Yellow Springs again until Su Ran Sword Venerable obtained the Jade Wall of Yanfu Gate and went to demand an explanation.

Bai Wuyan didn't say anything about these things, but they were all arranged clearly, making Bai Gongzhu lose face and dignity.

Right now, she only cares about one thing: just now, Xiang Yuan wouldn't budge an inch, and for Chan'er's sake, she was forced to the point of turning against him.

And she actually backed down because she didn't want to fall out with Xiang Yuan.

"Go down!"

Bai Wuyan coldly waved her hand, slamming Xiang Yuan hard into the icy pool. Her cloud-woven heavenly robe scattered, revealing a private seat at the bottom of the pool, where she began to frantically grab at things.

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)