This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 455 This isn't just spanking my butt, it's slapping your face!
Southern Jambudvipa, Wudang Mountain.

The Thirty-Six Palaces and Golden Gates.

Xiang Yuan appeared in the boss's chair in a flash, and seeing the two secretaries sitting on the desk, he placed the small seal on the table.

The True Martial Emperor's desk didn't have a cat, but a secretary. At first, he was very surprised and couldn't figure out why. But after getting used to it, it just went with the desk.

Let it grow whatever it wants, as long as it doesn't cause the Qianyuan Realm to grow, everything is fine.

"Bai Ze, what business do you have with me?"

Xiang Yuan adopted the imposing demeanor of the True Martial Emperor; if it weren't for the two secretaries looming over his desk, he would have been even more dignified.

"Boss, there is an imperial edict from the Heavenly Emperor."

Bai Ze, dressed in a black business suit, pushed up his frameless glasses and glanced at Guan Yan, who was dressed in white next to him. The latter took out the imperial edict from the Heavenly Court and presented it to Xiang Yuan with both hands.

Xiang Yuan took a look and immediately let out a soft exclamation. After glancing at it twice more, he asked in confusion, "Bai Ze, have you seen the Heavenly Emperor's edict?"

"Never."

"Take this and see if you have anything to say."

Xiang Yuan placed the imperial edict on the table and began to ponder with a slight frown.

The Heavenly Emperor issued a decree, ordering the True Martial Emperor to descend to the mortal realm to subdue demons and monsters. The world he descended to was named 'Chongting Realm'. The True Martial Emperor could descend to the mortal realm by personally carrying the holy decree.

This is nothing unusual. Zhenwu the Great is also known as the Nine Heavens Demon-Subduing Ancestor, and subduing demons is his duty.

However, Chongting Realm is not a lower realm of the Celestial Realm. It has no ascension passage connecting it, is completely new, and has not yet been ravaged by the laws of the Celestial Realm. It is a new world about to expand its territory.

The Heavenly Court of the Celestial Realm was indeed a makeshift organization. The Heavenly Emperor couldn't control King Frieza, so he turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed Laozi to come and go as he pleased.

But the Heavenly Emperor's status is what it is; he has the authority to capture new worlds, open up ascension channels, bring down the Heavenly Court, and incorporate a world into the realm of the gods.

If the Heavenly Emperor wanted to restore the Heavenly Realm, he could simply open an ascension passage; there was no need for him, the True Martial Emperor, to descend to the mortal realm and act as a guide, colluding from within and without.

Furthermore, because Zhenwu the Great pacified the Blue Star Realm and the Heavenly Demon Realm, expanding the territory of the Heavenly God Realm, he also brought a precious Journey to the West filming studio. He was exceptionally promoted to one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions and called the Northern Zhenwu, no longer just the simple Demon-Subduing Ancestor.

There's no need to throw the True Martial Emperor over there if they're just collaborators.

Xiang Yuan had many doubts. The Heavenly Emperor's decree was very unreasonable, giving him the feeling of being transferred to the frontier and dying of a cold halfway there.

Could it be that the Heavenly Emperor's Dao Seed within him has been discovered by the Heavenly Emperor? Two tigers cannot share one mountain, so the Heavenly Emperor is going to take action against this innocent little flower.
The thought was chilling, and Xiang Yuan wanted to hear what Bai Ze and Guan Yan had to say.

It was mainly Bai Ze's opinion; this guy's ability to ward off evil and attract good fortune is quite effective.

Bai Ze, being a professional secretary, understood her boss's meaning at a glance. She slowly crossed her long, black-stockinged legs and said, "Boss, the Heavenly Court has been making a lot of moves lately. All the immortals and gods are on the move, and even the Heavenly Emperor himself is overwhelmed. In comparison, you, Boss..."

That's enough; the secretary shouldn't say anything more.

Bai Ze's meaning was simple: everyone was busy, but Xiang Yuan was so idle that she didn't even do her job as a secretary. If she were the big boss, she would also find things to do to get the idle people moving.

You can't expect to get paid without doing any work!

“It’s different. I have connections. There really are people who get paid but don’t do any work.”

Xiang Yuan shrugged. He had King Frieza above him, and the Five Elders of the Five Directions were powerful enough to make him obey orders but not summons. Bai Ze's hypothesis was invalid. He rejected it and thought about it again.

"Boss, is there any possibility that..."

Guan Yan spoke weakly, pressing her hands down on the hem of her skirt, and slowly crossed her two silk legs like Bai Ze: "There is no ascension passage in Chongting Realm for the time being. After the other gods descend to the mortal realm, their heaven-reaching cultivation is greatly reduced. Boss, as the True Martial Emperor, you also have supreme divine powers in the mortal realm, so the Heavenly Emperor entrusted you with this important task?"

Why are you pressing down on your skirt? It's infuriating to look at.

What, you think you're the only innocent one, the only one who knows how to be shy, the only one who's a good girl?
Bai Ze was furious when he saw Guan Yan's actions. Without a doubt, she was mocking him for being shameless.

No, what I mean is that the Heavenly Emperor can open the path to ascension without needing a guide, so there's no need for me to descend to the mortal realm.

Xiang Yuan knew the answer in his heart. Seeing Bai Ze glaring at Guan Yan with a cold look, his red lips tightly pressed together and his teeth grinding, he didn't say anything to point out that Guan Yan's answer was irrelevant. He nodded seriously and said, "As expected of the big sister, after hearing your words, I feel enlightened and clear-headed. What you said makes so much sense."

Next, he lifted the white-stockinged secretary off the desk and rewarded her with a whip-like sitting posture.

After showering him with praise, he patted his behind, stood up, and left with the imperial edict.

He's very good at handling things fairly, and he's also quite adept at stirring up trouble.

(￣俣)(;)
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 top of Kunlun Mountain.

The headmaster of Jingyun was dressed in a bright red robe with white cranes, her white hair as white as snow, loosely tied up with a golden phoenix hairpin. She sat cross-legged on a futon, holding a blank scroll, looking down at the sea of ​​clouds from her high position.

The table in front of him was elegantly furnished. On the left was a red-gold phoenix feather fan, and on the right was a Boshan censer with animal patterns. The incense in the censer was filled with wisps of smoke, which sometimes transformed into the wings of a crane and sometimes into a dragon soaring into the sky.

Elegant and luxurious.

awesomeness.

Amidst a faint sob, a beam of black light landed on the mountaintop, avoiding the human-shaped crater, and obediently stood beside the woman in red.

Looking at Master Jingyun, who had remained almost unchanged for millennia, Xiang Yuan thought to himself, "To save money, King Frieza seems to never move. Every time my virtuous disciple comes to visit, she stays in the photography studio atop Kunlun Mountain."

curious.

If it rains one day, will King Frieza pick up his prayer mat and hurriedly go back inside to avoid the rain, or will he wave his hand to disperse the rain clouds?
Either way, they both look incredibly low-class!
Le.JPG
Whoosh—

Xiang Yuan was secretly delighted when suddenly a strong wind howled before his eyes, the world spun around him, and he was thrilled to have received the Kunlun Mountain drop tower luxury package.

Like a kite with a broken string, he leaped off the precipice atop Mount Kunlun, undergoing uniform acceleration with an initial velocity of zero. Clouds rushed towards him, his robes fluttered in the wind, and he plummeted into the abyss like a shooting star, only to reappear above the cliff just before hitting the ground.

The speed increased, faster and faster, until it caught up with the afterimage of the previous fall.

This process repeated itself over and over, up and down, for over a hundred times, before finally crashing into the human-shaped crater with a loud bang.

It still tastes the same, but the bones are practically falling apart!

A moment later, Xiang Yuan shakily crawled out of the pit, his bones cracking all over, looking like a puppet that had been disassembled and reassembled.

He grinned and shook off the dust. Compared to the drop tower, Frieza's cold violence was more terrifying. Getting the drop tower today felt strangely comforting!

Good news: A ladder that goes downhill has been found.
Bad news: I'm getting pleasure from being tortured.
Xiang Yuan straightened his disheveled face and switched to his respectful teacher mode: "Master... I have received a decree from the Heavenly Emperor, but I am puzzled and have come to ask for your guidance."

As he spoke, he took out the imperial edict from his bosom and obediently placed it on the table.

Seeing that Jingyun ignored him and remained focused on the book in her hands, not even bothering to lift her eyelids, he picked up the phoenix feather fan on the table, jumped three times, and blew the pages of the book in Jingyun's hands, making them rustle and the green smoke from the Boshan incense burner spiraled into the sky.

Along with that, the crimson and white crane-patterned robes fluttered in the wind.

Physical education students are like this: they are not good at speaking, and their main strength is their physical strength.

Jingyun was probably annoyed. She put down her book, didn't even look at Xiang Yuan, took the Heavenly Emperor's decree and read it through, and said slowly, "What is unclear?"

Brilliant! The drop tower ride wasn't a waste of time; at least it didn't 'roll' anymore.

Xiang Yuan forced an honest expression and said naively, "Master, there is no ascension passage in Chongting Realm for the time being, but I can descend with the Heavenly Emperor's decree. Is the Heavenly Emperor going to unnecessary trouble and not accepting my presence?"

At this point, he became completely loyal: "If that is the case, in my limited understanding, it is probably not me who the Heavenly Emperor cannot tolerate, but you. He knows that I am most loyal to you and do not listen to anyone but you, so he used the act of exiling me to teach my master a lesson and clip your wings."

This isn't spanking my butt, it's slapping your face!
Can we, master and apprentice, endure this injustice?

It can't be!

Master, just say the word, and your disciple will storm the Lingxiao Palace and seize the throne from that scoundrel Heavenly Emperor.

"What a narrow-minded person!"

Jingyun glanced at Xiang Yuan with a look of disgust, as if she were looking at wet garbage: "You don't need to test me. Just ask if you want to. Do you think I would hide it from you?"

"..."

Xiang Yuan remained silent upon hearing this. In his simple and honest worldview, apart from rich women who doted on young gigolos, everyone else could be equated with the riddle teller.

"However, your guess is not entirely wrong. The Heavenly Emperor's move was not aimed at you, but rather a test of me."

Jingyun placed the imperial edict on the table: "The Chongting Realm is very likely to be related to the future trend of the Heavenly God Realm. The Heavenly Emperor wants me to make a statement, and at the same time let others see clearly that he is somewhat wary of me."

"Master, I didn't understand."

Xiang Yuan frowned slightly. Who were the others? Was it Laozi?
"If you didn't understand, you didn't understand. You'll understand in the future."

"Master, you just said..."

“You can go to Chongting Realm with the Heavenly Emperor’s decree. There’s no need to worry about the Heavenly Emperor exiling you. You have other ways to enter and leave. He can’t imprison you.” Jingyun said, taking off the jade belt tied around her waist. After the residual heat dissipated, she placed it in Xiang Yuan’s hand: “After entering Chongting Realm, use this to open the ascension passage. The Heavenly Emperor asked me to express my opinion. I’ll accept his little scheme.”

His words carried a hint of disdain for the Heavenly Emperor.

Xiang Yuan took the jade belt with both hands, stuffed it into his robes, and roughly understood Jing Yun's meaning.

The Heavenly Emperor had his own way of opening the ascension passage to the Chongting Realm. In order to get Jingyun to show his support, he arranged for him to act as a guide, using Jingyun's items to open the ascension passage and show the alliance between the two to certain people.

Xiang Yuan's intuition told him that this other person was not Laozi.

Are there any experts?

Who is it that even Buddha is out of control?
"By the way, there is an opportunity within the Chongting Realm that has some connection with you. Once you find it, you can use it for your own purposes. Remember to open the ascension passage only after you have obtained the opportunity, lest the Heavenly Emperor take it away." Jingyun reminded her calmly.

Xiang Yuan nodded emphatically. King Frieza was able to calculate that there was an opportunity in the Chongting Realm, but the Heavenly Emperor only found out after the ascension passage was opened, which shows that there is a significant difference in their calculation abilities.

In an instant, their respect for teachers and the importance of teaching were elevated, and they became even more loyal to King Frieza.

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.

Double courtyard boundary.

The sky was gray, and the smoke of gunpowder tore through the heavens like ferocious claw marks.

At this moment, the sun sets in the west, its rays like blood, splashing across the mottled city walls and staining the scars carved by swords and spears a dark red.

As the sun sets and the moon rises, the bright moon has just climbed over the city wall when it is stained by the dark river rushing in from afar. The black tide falls from the sky like a ten-thousand-foot-deep river of the underworld bursting its banks, carrying countless twisted shadows as it pours down.

Although it did not completely engulf the bright moon, it had already cast a shadow over it.

The jade plate was covered in dust, murky and dim, like the whites of a dying person's eyes.

Demons are wreaking havoc on the world; this is a terrible omen.

Waaah—

The mournful sound of horns echoed across the city walls. The soldiers guarding the city gripped their weapons tightly, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down, not daring to utter a sound, as if facing a formidable enemy, staring intently at the dark river in the distance.

Beneath the distant sky, darkness gathered like an abyss.

It was no ordinary twilight, but rather a thick, viscous demonic aura. As it churned, the dark river resembled a dragon swinging its tail, staining the azure sky and stirring up the wind and clouds.

The blue sky was gradually stained black, like a sheet of rice paper being soaked in ink, until the last ray of light was completely consumed.

Deeper still, beyond the reach of sight.

It seemed as if a colossal creature was awakening, its breath causing the black tide to surge and ripple.

Returning our gaze to the interior of the city walls, the straight and wide streets crisscross like a chessboard, the bluestone pavement is smooth as a whetstone, and the imperial city pavilions at the end of the main road have flying eaves and brackets, with vermilion lacquer and gold decorations, their majestic atmosphere is no less than that of the capital cities of the three kingdoms of Qianyuan Realm.

The once magnificent city is now a scene of devastation.

Spreading out along the clean and tidy main road, one can see refugees everywhere in the streets and alleys, huddled under the eaves like ants, suffering from the ravages of war, sitting against the wall, each with a deathly pale face.

Upon hearing the gong signaling the distribution of porridge, the crowd began to move like zombies.

……

The capital city was the place where sacrifices to Heaven were offered.

The nine-tiered altar stands majestically, constructed entirely of black jade, with a square exterior and a round interior, subtly reflecting the image of a round heaven and a square earth.

It is a unified whole, maintaining order and harmony.

The altar base is square, and the inner edge is round. It is carved with a map of the stars in the sky, with 365 stars arranged according to the 28 constellations, changing in brightness and revolving in sync with the actual celestial phenomena.

The altar is a single, seamless piece, as if carved from a single piece of meteorite jade from outer space. It possesses the ability to shine day and night, and is certainly not something that can be found in the mortal world.

With this nine-tiered altar, any worship of Heaven will surely result in a divine miracle of interaction between Heaven and humanity.

Although it was already night, the place where the sacrifice was held was still brightly lit.

Below the nine steps, the officials in charge of the sacrifice stood like pine trees, with the emperor in a dragon robe at the head of the procession. All the officials, dressed in imperial robes, lined up according to their rank, each with a solemn expression and extremely serious demeanor.

A deep, resonant chime rang out, and the chief officiant announced that the time had arrived. The emperor and all the civil and military officials knelt down in unison.

The official in charge of the ceremony stepped forward with a jade tablet in hand, lit the ritual lamp, burned the sacrificial tablet, and chanted incantations, sometimes softly and sometimes loudly, displaying extreme humility and piety.

This was not the first time the capital had offered sacrifices to Heaven, but each time Heaven had not responded. The historical records stated that whenever there was a sacrifice to Heaven, there would be a response from the celestial beings in Heaven, but this had never happened.

But when the great demon descended upon the world, causing widespread suffering, they had no other recourse but to offer sacrifices to the heavens. They could only pray that their sincerity would be enough to receive a response from the heavens.

Offering sacrifices is never a burden; perhaps if you keep making offerings, your sincerity will bring results.

boom!
The altar, square on the outside and round on the inside, emitted a shimmering light, activating the celestial map, and its brilliant radiance soared into the sky, transforming into a spectacular celestial track resembling an inverted Milky Way.

At the same time, the dragon vein trembled, and along with the sacrificial astronomical tablet, it was sent to the heavens.

It is not a ritual to worship Heaven, but a communication between Heaven and humanity, using the nation's destiny as a guide to forcibly open a certain channel.

Sure enough, the next moment, a teeth-grinding cracking sound came from the sky where white light shot into the heavens, as if space was being torn apart, as if the door to a new world had been opened.

The reason it is described as "seemingly" rather than actually being opened is because the Chongting Realm and the Qianyuan Realm are essentially the same, and the Upper Heavenly Court has long since disappeared.

This trick worked well when the Heavenly Court still existed, but now that the Heavenly Court is gone, even if you blow up the altar, you won't get a response from the upper realm.

There's no one above Chongtingjie, so crying won't help!

The dazzling light shone for a moment, then subsided and dissipated. All the eyes of those who had looked up at the sky, including the emperor's, closed helplessly.

Another day of failed sacrificial ceremony to heaven!
Just as everyone was wailing and the official in charge of rites was apologizing, a figure dressed in black slowly emerged from the center of the altar, which had lost its shimmering light, becoming real from nothing.

"He is a celestial being from the upper realm!"

"Great! We did it! It's really done..."

"The interaction between heaven and man is true; the historical records are not wrong. There is indeed a celestial court in the upper realm!"

"Great! The immortal has arrived! The world will be at peace! The immortal has arrived! Our Great Zhou is saved!"

For a time, there was crying and laughing, and some people were crying and laughing while kowtowing repeatedly, including the flustered officials and the emperor. The entire place of the sacrificial ceremony was in complete chaos.

Xiang Yuan: ∑(_;)?

What's going on? Why are there so many people in the square? Why are they gathering here so late at night instead of sleeping? Don't the neighbors have to go to work tomorrow?
What? The emperor is leading a disturbance?

That won’t work either!
Why has Your Majesty rebelled? Will you still collect taxes?

As Xiang Yuan was complaining, he suddenly realized that his position was a bit inappropriate. In his untrained posture, he knew that this thing was called the Temple of Heaven, the place where the heavens stood. Let alone ordinary objects, even if the emperor stood there, he would at least have his lifespan shortened, or at worst, he would easily dissolve in water on the spot.

"By the grace of Heaven, this is the path led by the decree of the Heavenly Emperor. It has nothing to do with me. I have always been the number one supporter of the Yellow Emperor."

Xiang Yuan quickly moved aside and walked down the nine steps. He saw that the scene was chaotic, with several officials almost going crazy, hugging each other and wailing. No one came forward to talk to them, so he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

However, he understood what these people were doing.

So, you prayed to the gods and got them; you even invited a passerby to deliver information!

Looking around, he met the eyes of the civil official, who was weeping with his colleagues; he met the eyes of the military officer, who was generally not good with words.

Lord Ye's love of dragons was futile!

What's there to be afraid of? He's the righteous Zhenwu Emperor, he doesn't engage in any evil or crooked practices.

Xiang Yuan thought to himself, picked the nearest official in charge of etiquette, his eyes flashed red, and he entered "answer all questions" mode.

"The Great Zhou..."

"Tsk, it's either the Great Zhou or last week. This country's name isn't very friendly to the White House. I hope there are no rumors here either."

"The Demon Emperor has brought chaos to the world, plunging it into turmoil..."

"It's that extraterrestrial demon again! You're everywhere, no matter where you're going!"

"What a 'Demon Emperor, invincible under heaven, untouchable by anyone'! You're lucky, an enemy has come from the heavens!"

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)