This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 539 Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden
Before ascending to a higher dimension, the Xuanxu Realm had its own cultivation system.

After the upgrade, this cultivation method conflicts with the new version and is currently being debugged.

In the brand-new version, the advantages and disadvantages of the original cultivation system in the Xuanxu Realm are amplified simultaneously, with an emphasis on the cultivators themselves and the Dao of Arrays, causing the entire world to rapidly move towards the right track of individual dominance based on individual combat power.

As time goes on, there will be more and more people in the Xuanxu Realm who can fight against ten thousand men. For example, Sun Erniang and Zhang Qing, whom Xiang Yuan previously looked down on, will both gain powerful martial arts skills that allow them to fight against ten thousand men with the blessing of the Demon Star Destiny.

Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and Wu Song are even more extraordinary, being among the best of the best, capable of shattering the void.

Lu Junyi, already a peerless master, might truly possess the terrifying power of a Qilin descending to earth, capable of shaking the very fabric of the world.

Xiang Yuan thought to himself that, without his entry into the Xuanxu Realm, according to the arrangements of the Hua Zizai Heaven, Liangshan Marsh in three to five years would probably look like this: brothers as numerous as clouds, brothers as plentiful as rain, and a brick falling from the sky could knock down several men who could fight ten thousand men.

But that's in the future, at least a few years from now. The Xuanxu Realm is still installing patches, and the new cultivation system is only just beginning to emerge. There shouldn't be a witch who has already awakened supernatural powers.

The witch is still weak, but she has already mastered the art of bewitching and seducing. Not to mention a young man like Wu Song, even Master Lu would have to go back and make up for lost merits if he took a few more glances at her.

The sudden appearance of a witch led Xiang Yuan to find the whereabouts of He Hua Zi Zai Tian, ​​and he was no longer sleepy on the spot.

In the darkness, the witch's aura vanished without a trace, as if she were invisible, blending perfectly into the night without being noticed at all.

She gazed intently into the distance for a moment, then her eyes shifted to the two guards outside the carriage. Not daring to make a loud sound, she swallowed quietly, her mouth watering.

"The Goddess Xuan has ordered me to approach Wu Song, but not to harm him, at least not now..."

The witch murmured, "But the Mystic Maiden didn't say that others couldn't approach. These two guards are full of blood energy, and that young master is quite spiritual. They are all excellent vessels for replenishing my energy. If I can have the three of them diligently cultivate day and night, my divine skill will definitely advance further."

The witch muttered to herself, quickly finding a reason to attack Xiang Yuan and the other two.

Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong's martial prowess made him extremely wary, but fortunately, it wasn't a big problem. She had the ability to enter dreams with her primordial spirit, which allowed her to transform into the woman she desired and have intercourse with her in her dreams. Once they were united, the other person's mind would be controlled by her, like a puppet on a string, unable to resist.

Black mist churned in the witch's eyes, and an invisible darkness shrouded the surrounding space in a gray gloom, silently enveloping the entire Wu family courtyard.

Loud snoring filled the air; everyone was fast asleep in the darkness.

Seeing that her supernatural powers had worked without alerting a single person, the witch was overjoyed and immediately prepared to use her dream-entering supernatural powers.

While working, he said happily, "Although this young master is a bit weak and can't withstand many rounds of tonifying techniques, and even if he were to be tonified, he wouldn't be able to replenish much, his spiritual energy is extraordinary, which shows that he has been consuming a lot of potent tonics on a regular basis..."

"Although Leopard Head looks fierce, he is full of vigor and in his prime. If we take good care of him and use his essence, he can be used for a long time..."

And that was it; the witch didn't comment on Lu Zhishen.

It's not that Master Lu is incompetent; his vigor and vitality are no less than Lin Chong's, making him a perfect furnace in the eyes of the witch, one that's hard to find even with a lantern. The key issue is that Master Lu is too powerful; he's practically a semi-trailer truck, making the witch tremble with fear, afraid that she couldn't even wrap her arms around the exhaust pipe.

Just thinking about it, she could picture it in her mind.

"I don't know if I can hold on..."

The witch raised one hand, her five fingers swirling with demonic mist and black wind, thousands of threads hanging from her fingertips. A wisp of her primordial spirit surged forth, moving like a snake's tongue or a venomous spider darting along the threads toward its prey.

Picking the softest persimmon to squeeze, I'll first enter your dream and win over Xiang Yuan.

In terms of aura, apart from Wu Dalang, Xiang Yuan was obviously weak. If he was not a pushover, then who was?
The decision is yours!

The witch slightly stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her red lips.

At this moment, Xiang Yuan was already lying down, completely unaware of the impending crisis. His breathing was steady, his body relaxed, and his sleep quality was enviable. A smile played on his lips, as if he were dreaming of something happy and something to look forward to.

"How dare you, you evil beast!"

A furious roar, like a thunderclap, carrying boundless rage to vanquish demons, instantly tore apart the dark space that enveloped the surroundings.

Lu Zhishen, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were like torches, as if golden light was shooting out, piercing through the darkness and stabbing straight at the witch's primordial spirit.

His self-taught Buddhist demon-subduing techniques, including the thunderous lion's roar, are specifically designed to break evil illusions and suppress all demonic obstacles.

Some monks can't understand these skills even after a lifetime of hard work, while others can understand them after drinking, eating meat, fighting, and sleeping.

boom!
With a deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, the witch's scattered primordial spirit was instantly shattered. Her physical body was also affected; her face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she staggered backward, almost unable to stand.

This monk is so powerful! I should have taken him down first!
The witch was shocked. She had thought Lu Zhishen was just a virile monk with superhuman strength, but she never expected him to have such great abilities to subdue demons.

She was in the darkness, and glared at Lu Zhishen with resentment. She knew she couldn't stay there any longer, so she made a quick decision, twisted her waist, and turned to leave.

The moment I turned around, there was a person standing in front of me.

With an expressionless face, it was indeed Lin Chong!
He held no blade, yet his aura was as deep as an abyss; simply standing there, he was like an insurmountable mountain.

When did he appear? He should have been sitting on the other side of the carriage!

The witch's heart tightened, filled with horror.

She had overestimated Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong's martial prowess, but she never expected that she would still underestimate them.

Fortunately, it's not a big problem. Her supernatural powers are not only to enter dreams, but also to merge into the shadows and darkness of all things. As long as she doesn't show herself on her own, no one can force her out.

"The two of you can't stop me!"

Before she finished speaking, her figure suddenly blurred, like an ink drop falling into water, instantly merging into the darkness. She defiantly swept past Lin Chong, then lingered right under Lu Zhishen's nose.

"What can I do?"

Bang!
Good start!

Who am I? Where am I? Why have my supernatural powers failed?
The witch emerged from the darkness, standing dazed and unsteady on her feet. She lost her footing in her high heels and fell in front of the carriage, her face pale with fright.

What's going on? There's another expert here?
"What are you two doing?"

Hearing the dissatisfied voices coming from inside the carriage, the witch looked up in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard.

"Especially you, Master Lu, making such a racket so late at night, don't you think the neighbors have to go to work tomorrow?"

Xiang Yuan, annoyed, lifted the curtain and said, "Even if the neighbors don't have to go to work tomorrow, I still have to exorcise demons. I was already lying down, don't spoil the fun like this."

At this point, he looked down at the witch and said, "I love that you walk alone in the dark alley... Pshaw, late at night, in a dark alley, dressed so frugally, anyone who didn't know better would think you were a lost young lady waiting for a kind person to help you!"

Heavenly Venerable One, don't you want to listen to what you're saying?
Lin Chong's face darkened. The longer he spent with Xiang Yuan, the less reverence he felt for the gods. He really wanted to ask Lu Zhishen, "Have we two followed the wrong person? Is Xiang Yuan the real scourge from beyond this realm?"
“Hey witch, let’s play a game. You run and I’ll chase. If I catch you, I’ll open your skull and take a look at your brain.”

Xiang Yuan squatted in front of the carriage, his eyes flashing red: "The game begins. In the first round, I'll play the ghost. If you don't want me to catch you, run away quickly."

The witch had never seen such a ferocious face before. Terrified, her survival instinct kicked in, and she vanished into the darkness without a trace.

She dashed out of Qinghe County at top speed, disappearing into the darkness, invisible and without a trace, so there was no need to worry about leaving any clues that would reveal her whereabouts. But even though there were no pursuers behind her, the sense of crisis lingered, even intensifying and evolving into an unspeakable fear.

The witch abandoned the main road and chose a dark and gloomy forest. She dared not look back or stop, and plunged into the deep mountains, fleeing through the vast and boundless mountain range.

For three days and three nights, they worked without stopping.

The witch finally stopped, her face as pale as paper, her eyes filled with confusion. For some reason, she could not escape this endless mountain range; the suffocating pressure made it hard for her to breathe.

Looking around blankly, the endless mountain range stretched out without any direction, and all the stars, landforms, and rivers changed in a disorderly manner according to some kind of rule.

It was too advanced for her to understand.

Suddenly, the witch awoke from her daze, staring at the sky with terrified eyes.

High in the sky, the sun and moon shine together.

It was not the real sun and moon, but a pair of enormous heterochromatic eyes, silently hanging in the sky, indifferent and majestic, as if it had existed since the beginning of the universe, looking down on all living beings and seeing through everything.

Destiny!

The mountain range she was in wasn't really a mountain range; the mountains and land were a world of crisscrossing palm lines. The undulating mountains were just folds in the palm. She had been running for three days and three nights, only to circle around one palm line.

Once she realized where she was, the witch lost all will to resist; her eyes dimmed, losing their light and luster.

"No way, she can't even run fast, yet she calls herself a witch."

Xiang Yuan squatted in front of the carriage, his eyes flashing red: "Since you didn't escape, let's start the second round, I'll ask and you answer... Never mind, I'll just watch!"

Lin Chong approached the carriage and saw the witch being controlled by Xiang Yuan's scarlet eyes like a puppet. He twitched his lips and said, "Senior brother, is this the method of subduing demons? This is a demon, isn't it?"

As expected of Lin Jiaotou, who has been promoted to commander, his comprehension is beyond question. Although he is not as wise as Lu Zhishen, he has already learned to make sarcastic remarks.

"To do things that subdue demons is to have the heart of a Bodhisattva."

Lu Zhishen chanted a Buddhist prayer, closed his eyes, and said, "The means are not important; what is important is the person who controls the means. If you have Buddha in your heart, what's wrong with using some demonic methods?"

"That makes sense, but why did you close your eyes, senior brother? If you had opened your eyes, I don't believe you would still say that," Lin Chong continued to complain.

"..."

"Senior brother, say something!"

"Your senior brother doesn't want to talk right now. It seems he's upgrading his Buddhist teachings to subdue demons and monsters!"

Xiang Yuan dispersed the red light in his eyes and said to the wise Lu Zhishen, "Master Lu, it's okay to use some demonic methods if you have Buddha in your heart. You can broaden your perspective and recite this for me: As long as you have Buddha in your heart, even demons are no problem."

Lu Zhishen was skeptical, but he opened his eyes and looked at Xiang Yuan, clasping his hands together and asking him for guidance.

"In Buddhism, there are often highly skilled monks who pretend to be demons and monsters, then fight themselves, creating a huge spectacle to make their presence known and reaping huge profits from unsuspecting people... I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you covering your ears?"

Xiang Yuan snorted twice: "And sometimes, the Buddhist sect doesn't pretend to be demons themselves, but instead spends a fortune to hire high-ranking Taoist masters to impersonate celestial demons. For example, Guanyin Bodhisattva once asked me to impersonate a celestial demon from beyond the realm, and she subdued me with a single move, the 'Red Powder Skull.'" "..." x2
Lin Chong bent down to look for ants, while Lu Zhishen listened, sweating profusely. Both of them, encountering such a secret for the first time, expressed their inability to accept it.

It's fake, it must be fake! x2
"Believe it or not, I'm very close to Guanyin Bodhisattva. We're both in the same circle of compassionate saviors, and we even have matching magical artifacts." Xiang Yuan continued to spout nonsense, but it was all the truth, without a trace of boasting.

"Heavenly Venerable One, let's deal with the witch first!"

Seeing that Lu Zhishen was about to lose his composure, Lin Chong decisively offered his help.

"You two have such a good relationship, doesn't Madam Lin have any objections?"

Xiang Yuan muttered a complaint, then looked down at the witch whose flesh had turned gray and to stone. "So you are Pan Jinlian. I've long heard of your beauty. My apologies."

At this point, the witch is not yet Pan Jinlian. It will take some time before she appears as Pan Jinlian and enters Wu Dalang's life.

The subsequent plot unfolds just like in the original novel. The family moves to Yanggu County, and after Wu Song finds Wu Dalang, she hits Ximen Daguanren with a stick and conspires with him to kill Wu Dalang.

It doesn't matter who the adulterer is, as long as it's Dongfang Daguanren. What matters is that Wu Dalang must die a miserable death, a death that makes Wu Song unable to bear it any longer.

The witch came with a mission and a script. The mission target was Wu Song. The person who gave the witch the mission and the supernatural powers, or rather, the god, has a very interesting identity.

Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden!

This is the third Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden that Xiang Yuan knows. The first two were the female teacher of the Yellow Emperor's physiology class in the mythology story and the Sword Master of Plain Dye.

Xiang Yuan didn't know much about the Yellow Emperor's female teacher, only some mythological stories. He, however, had recently come to know Su Ran Sword Master better and better, and it seemed her recent struggles were insufficient; she was about to steal the man of her mortal enemy, her disciple, and even one of her own.

In the previous Heavenly Court of Qianyuan Realm, the Heavenly Emperor captured a reincarnated person, who was the previous incarnation of Su Ran Sword Venerable, adopted her as his goddaughter, and bestowed upon her the title of Goddess of the Nine Heavens.

The last one, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, is the one Xiang Yuan just learned about. She did appear in the Water Margin filming studio and was an important character that cannot be ignored.

When Song Jiang was trapped in the Xuan Nu Temple, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady appeared, addressed him as "Lord Song," and bestowed upon him celestial dates, fine wine, and the crucial three volumes of heavenly books.

According to rumors, the three volumes of heavenly books contain methods for military formations and are also secret manuals of magic, as well as prophecies about the future. For example, they explain the meaning of the phrase "acting on behalf of Heaven," the future imperial edict to recruit them into the imperial army, and the names of the 108 generals.

In short, only if Song Jiang completes the entire journey according to the prophecy in the heavenly book can he achieve perfect merit.

She's quite a disappointment, a far worse female teacher than even the emperor's sex education teacher.

In particular, the list of 108 heroes was filled with intrigue. Song Jiang resorted to all sorts of underhanded tactics, and Wu Yong used many underhanded tricks. Victims such as Lu Junyi, Qin Ming, Zhu Tong, and Xu Ning found it extremely frustrating!
"The already unreliable Xuan Nu has now had her dirt dug up by Xiang on Pan Jinlian..."

Xiang Yuan frowned suddenly as he spoke, realizing a very important question had come to mind.

Before Hehua Zizai Tian arrived at Xuanxu Realm, before the entire world had ascended to a higher dimension, did the deity Jiutian Xuannü exist?

Logically, it shouldn't exist. Even now, the Xuanxu Realm is just a lower realm. The existence of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden means that there is an upper realm corresponding to her divine position, but the Xuanxu Realm has no upper realm.

Yes, but it's the Great Free Heaven that has already been destroyed!
"But if the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden doesn't exist, then this one..."

Xiang Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Logically, he should be He Hua Zi Zai Tian, ​​but why does He Hua Zi Zai Tian have to appear as Jiu Tian Xuan Nu? Does this guy have a fetish for cross-dressing, or is it necessary to stay true to the original work, and that no other form is acceptable besides Jiu Tian Xuan Nu?

As for faithfully adapting the original work, Xiang Yuan personally doesn't believe it. Look at how badly the Holy Monk has distorted the Journey to the West filming studio in Qianyuan Realm. Adaptation isn't about making things up randomly. The Holy Monk should apologize for acting so recklessly.

The Journey to the West filming studio in the Qianyuan Realm is already set up, so there's no reason why the Water Margin filming studio in the Xuanxu Realm can't be changed even a single word.

If it were truly impossible to change even a single word, then the Heavenly Transformation should not have elevated the Mysterious Realm to a higher dimension, causing the appearance of the 108 Demon Stars to drastically change. This is no longer a matter of changing a single word; it's about altering all the characters and the entire world's background.

"I understand. Once you remove all the impossibilities, whatever remains, no matter how unbelievable, is the truth..."

"The Deva of the Paranirmitavasavartin has a penchant for cross-dressing!"

Xiang Yuan's sarcastic remarks were full of malice. As expected of the firefly in his mind, even as a villain, he was so unconventional and outstanding.

"but……"

Xiang Yuan changed the subject and made a bold assumption: regardless of whether the Xuanxu Realm has ascended to a higher dimension or whether the Hehua Zizai Heaven has descended, there is a Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady in this realm.

"That is indeed a possibility."

Xiang Yuan raised his hand and touched his chin. If this Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden truly existed, and the Mystic Realm had no supreme realm, then the existence of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden should be similar to that of the Buddha. Both were homeless wanderers who had lost a dimensional war in their respective superior realms, drifted for half their lives, were homeless, and urgently needed a Heavenly Emperor to provide them with a large house.

"What a coincidence! There's a Heavenly Emperor right here!"

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, boldly assuming that the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden existed, and that the next step was to dig her out.

In the witch's memory, there was no fixed residence of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. She saw the Mystic Maiden herself in her dream and also gained all her abilities in the dream.

"The Temple of the Mysterious Maiden might be one possibility. Bringing Song Jiang along would give him the greatest chance of triggering the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden storyline."

Xiang Yuan immediately made the decision to temporarily put aside the main quest of Demon Star and instead focus on the side quest of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden.

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 camera turned.

Yuncheng, Jeju, Song Prefecture.

Song Jiang looked at Xiang Yuan and his party with a bewildered expression, not understanding how they had returned in the blink of an eye. He asked in surprise, "My lord, I saw them off ten miles away at Shenshi yesterday. How come you're back so early this morning?"

If you're just going to take a stroll outside Yuncheng County, you could have stayed at the Song residence yesterday and left this morning. I don't have a place to stay myself, and I can't let you spend the night in the middle of nowhere!

loyalty!

Xiang Yuan smiled slightly: "Sir Song, you have been waiting for a long time. The great talents have been gathered and can come with me to the capital."

It wasn't a long wait, just one night.

Wait a minute, you've already gathered Dae-hyun so quickly?
Looking around, Song Jiang indeed saw two unfamiliar faces.

One is tall, one is short; one is handsome, one is ugly; one has outstanding temperament, one has outstanding temperament...

There are two other outstanding figures around Yuncheng, a pair of brilliant minds, how come Hu Baoyi doesn't know about them?
Song Jiang was full of questions. Wu Song was handsome and strong, and had both talent and looks. He was the kind of hero that Song Jiang liked the most, and he wished he could become sworn brothers with him.

He is a great sage, just like Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, no problem.

Compared to Wu Song, Wu Dalang, who was traveling with him...

Without Wu Song to contrast with him, Wu Dalang would look particularly ugly.

Song Jiang was not the type to judge people by their appearance, and he had given up that habit years ago. However, when he saw Wu Dalang, who could only hit Lu Zhishen's knee when he jumped, he couldn't help but pick up the bad habit of judging people by their appearance again.

This is so shabby!

My sage, you must have suffered countless cold shoulders all these years, with your talents going to waste!

Needless to say, Song Jiang understands you. I only got through my hardships and succeeded after meeting the young master.

Thinking of all the years his talents had been buried, Song Jiang felt that Wu Dalang had suffered even more than him. He couldn't help but feel his eyes redden slightly. He stepped forward and grasped Wu Dalang's hand: "Brother, may I ask your name and where you have been wandering aimlessly?"

Wu Dalang didn't look like a great sage, but Song Jiang didn't think so. He firmly believed that Gao Yanei had a keen eye for talent and that since they could find this buried gem, they could definitely dig deeper.

It's perfectly reasonable and logical that digging too deep would uncover someone like Wu Dalang.

Furthermore, this is not about being ugly, short, or having outstanding qualities; it's about having an extraordinary appearance. Sages throughout history have all been like this, distinguishing themselves from the masses by being unique.

The more Song Jiang thought about it, the more sense it made, because he really did have an extraordinary appearance.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Song Jiang, without waiting for Wu Dalang's reply, said with an air of "I understand," "Song Jiang wishes to become sworn brothers with you, brother. I hope you won't find it offensive."

"..." x5
Even Wu Dalang fell silent, let alone Wu Song.

Wu Dalang was ultimately an honest man and didn't want to take advantage of a rich man like Song Jiang. He went to great lengths to convince Song Jiang that he wasn't some great sage, but just a pancake seller.

Now it was Song Jiang's turn to remain silent.

So you weren't born with an unusual appearance? Well, you're really ugly. Are you sure you and Wu Erlang are brothers? Did you not want to use your own good things and gave them all to your younger brother?
Song Jiang gave an awkward laugh, feeling utterly embarrassed.

He changed the subject as if nothing had happened, never mentioning the sworn brotherhood again. Seeing Xiang Yuan looking at him with interest, he felt immense pressure and gritted his teeth, saying, "A true man keeps his word. I, Song Jiang, am willing to become sworn brothers with you, brother, and regard you as my elder brother. I hope you will not refuse."

"How can this be allowed?" Wu Dalang was still too honest.

"Yes!"

Song Jiang pulled Wu Dalang aside, invited Xiang Yuan to take the seat of honor, and then, after drinking tea and drinking blood, swore brotherhood with Wu Dalang.

Xiang Yuan felt that Song Jiang hadn't lost out at all. Although the eldest brother who sold pancakes wasn't very capable, he gained a third brother named Wu Song, which was a huge win! Also, if Song Jiang had treated Wu Dalang as his own brother, the effect would have been a hundred times better than if he had become sworn brothers with Wu Song.

After the sworn brotherhood was established, Song Jiang summoned two carriages, giving one to the Wu brothers and driving the other himself.

It wasn't that he disdained sharing a carriage with the Wu brothers, but rather that his carriage was filled with many fine things he intended to present to Gao Yanei and Grand Commandant Gao.

This isn't a carriage; it's Song Jiang's path to officialdom!
The three carriages drove far out of Yuncheng, and at the same time, several figures silently followed and trailed behind.

The leading man was handsome and burly, with thick, dark eyebrows and a cold expression as he watched the three carriages depart.

Chao Gai, the village head of Dongxi Village in Yuncheng County, was a fellow townsman of Song Jiang!
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.

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(End of this chapter)