fairy family

Chapter 228 Five Ancestral Temples, Sending the Mermaid and Gifting Spiritual Elixir
"A great number of talented individuals were selected."

After leaving the main hall of the Refining Peak, Yu Que kept thinking about this matter.

As far as he knew, although the talent selection was for the country, those who made the list were not necessarily going to serve as officials in the imperial court.

Of course, if a successful candidate wanted to enter the imperial court, the court would certainly approve and treat them with the utmost kindness.

However, the immortals who participate in the talent selection are all elite disciples and outstanding students from the major immortal capitals and cities. Very few of those who pass the examination will leave their original Taoist palaces and join the imperial court.

Yu Que thought to himself:

"Once you make it onto the list, according to rumors, you will have the opportunity to enter the legendary Five Ancestral Temples."

I just asked my master, and although he said it was too early for me to think about these things, he didn't deny it.

The so-called Five Ancestral Temples are the five ancestral temples of the King of Hell, the Dragon King, the Kitchen God, the Medicine King, and the Horse King.

This "ancestor" is not the same as the other "ancestor." It refers to the ancestral temples shared by all immortals in the world. It is said that all the lineages cultivated by immortals in the world originated from these five ancestral temples.

Once inside such an ancestral temple, immortals have a considerable chance of receiving immortal fortune, increasing their opportunity to break through and become a Refining Qi Immortal.

According to Yu Que's knowledge, all the current cultivators of the Huangshan Taoist Palace were once listed on the list and had studied in the ancestral temples of their respective lineages.

Upon realizing this, Yu Que's mind immediately stirred.

Unfortunately, the next major talent selection will take place in two years.

He sighed softly, "The grand event is only held once every ten years. I definitely won't be able to make it in two years, and even in twelve years, it's not certain that I'll be able to make it."

The conditions for participating in the talent selection are quite demanding for the immortals.

Only those who have successfully completed the Foundation Establishment stage, and thus become a sixth-rank immortal or above, are eligible to take the exam, and their age must not exceed sixty years.

Otherwise, even if someone is on the list, they are not qualified to enter the Five Ancestral Temples.

As for Yu Que, he doesn't even have a clue about his own evil energy, so it's almost impossible for him to reach the Foundation Establishment stage within two years.

Furthermore, although he was tempted by such a grand event, he did not want to be too eager for quick success and neglect his own foundation in order to catch up with the major event two years later.

With this in mind, Yu Que suppressed the restless urge in his heart.

He thought to himself:
"Twelve years later, I will be no more than thirty-five years old, in the prime of my life. That will be my target for a great campaign!"

As for the grand undertakings twenty-two or thirty-two years from now, while I could participate, such grand events are best undertaken as soon as possible; one should seize the moment, for a second attempt will be less vigorous, and a third will be exhausting!

In other words, Yu Que should ideally find a suitable evil aura within twelve years and successfully break through to become a sixth-rank immortal.

In this way, he can catch up with the "Great Selection of Talents" in time. Once he is on the list and nominated for the Immortal List, it will lay a solid foundation for him to break through the Refinement Realm and allow him to continue to advance on the path to immortality.

Lost in thought, Yu Que was filled with ambition.

But suddenly, he thought to himself, "That's right, it's said that there are only five ancestral temples in the world. But as far as I know, there are seven major meridians in the world, namely Yin and Yang and the Five Elements."

The lineage of the Heavenly Gods belongs to the imperial court, and its ancestral temple is not publicly known, possibly because it has been concealed by the imperial family. But what about the ancestral temple of the Tai Sui lineage? Was it destroyed, or does it even exist anymore?

He frowned, pondering with some concern for a while.

However, Yu Que's brows soon relaxed. Although he also cultivated the Tai Sui lineage, now that he had received the inheritance of the Taiyin Sword Sect, his Daoist techniques were more inclined towards the Tai Sui lineage.

But in reality, he still mainly cultivated the lineage of the King of Hell.

If the ancestral temple of the Tai Sui lineage is gone, so be it. He can just worship at the ancestral temple of the King of Hell. As long as he can get the benefits that will help him break through to the Refinement Realm, that's enough.

With a firm resolve in his heart, Yu Que lingered on Liandu Peak for a few days to rest.

He then left Liandu Peak, but instead of heading to his own Mopan Peak, he flew towards two other locations.

Before long, Yu Que arrived at a lake or marshland.

This lake is located in a canyon within Huangshan Mountain. The canyon is shrouded in mist and has a deep chill. When Yu Que entered the area, he found that it was snowing, a stark contrast to the weather outside the canyon.

Amidst the misty snowscape, the lake remained unfrozen, with snowflakes silently melting into its waters, as if constantly kissing the surface.

Upon arriving at this place, Yu Que immediately felt refreshed and his mind became clear.

This place is the residence of his senior sister, Xuehe Xian.

According to Master Du Mie's instructions, Senior Sister Xue He and Senior Brother Qing Lu are both in long-term seclusion. They have not left their homes for at least a year, and it is estimated that they will not emerge from seclusion until the large-scale opening.

Yu Que accepted the errand-running task assigned by his master, so naturally he had to deliver the two pairs of Dingjia Divine Generals to them first, so that such rare and valuable items would not remain in his hands and could inadvertently cause a bad misunderstanding.

Ding Dong!

Yu Que slowly landed on the lake. Just as he was pondering how to pay his respects to the mountain, he suddenly heard the sound of babbling brook, followed by a pleasant female voice:

"Is that Junior Brother? Come in quickly. Master has already informed me of your arrival via telepathy, saying that you should come and familiarize yourself with the sect."

The other person's voice was tinged with laughter, quite unlike the cold atmosphere of the place.

Yu Que quickly cupped his hands in the direction from which the voice came:
"Junior brother has troubled Senior Sister Xuehe."

He then strode forward, crossing numerous arrays, when suddenly his body swayed and the scene before him was reversed.

When he came to his senses, he was already below the surface of the lake, surrounded by crystal-clear water. However, he did not feel suffocated at all while walking through it.

There is no need for Yuque to move on its own.

Immediately, a group of beautiful mermaid women, swaying their bodies and smiling seductively as they blew bubbles, came to his side and gracefully led him to the Crystal Palace in the center of the lake.

After Yu Que entered the Crystal Palace, the mermaid women dared not enter and all waited respectfully outside.

Yu Que looked at them curiously, and they all boldly gave seductive smiles, murmured softly, and looked infatuated.

"Junior brother, you've taken a fancy to these mermaids. If you like them, you can take some with you when you leave."

"Just remember to dig a few pools in the cave after you return, junior brother. After all, they are aquatic beings, and it's very inconvenient for them to live without water."

A voice rang in his ears, snapping Yu Que back to reality, and he spoke up:
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister. This is the first time I have seen such a mermaid race up close. I don't know if they are spirit beasts, monsters, or the demons of legend. That's why I'm curious."

Before Yu Que stood a crane with feathers as white as snow, gracefully stretching its body and speaking in human language through its beak.

"Neither. Strictly speaking, they should be considered 'transvestites,' having evolved from the demon race, yet now living a human-like existence in the sea."

Bai He explained in a serious tone, and Yu Que looked at her, his attention involuntarily shifting from the mermaid to her.

Seeing Yu Que's surprised gaze, Baihe understood what he was wondering about. She stretched her neck and raised her wings, looking into the depths of the Crystal Palace, and said, "I am currently in seclusion and my physical body cannot move. It is also best for my Yin spirit not to come out. So I can only divide my thoughts and use my household gods to welcome you. I hope you will not think that I am being impolite, junior brother."

Yu Que followed the direction the other person pointed and, sure enough, saw a tall figure sitting cross-legged among the layers of ice crystals, as if frozen solid.

Apart from that person, there was no one else in the palace; the other party must be his senior sister's true form.

Yu Que quickly replied, "How dare I, Yu Que?"

Then, to avoid disturbing Senior Sister Xuehe's seclusion too much, he hurriedly took out a pair of guardian deities from his hand and presented them to her.

"These are the Six Ding and Six Jia. My master has already refined them and divided them into three pairs, which he gave to the three of us respectively," he briefly explained.

Senior Sister Xuehe stared intently at the two Dao soldiers that Yu Que had taken out. After a few breaths, a powerful divine sense surged out from the center of the Crystal Palace and landed on the two ghost soldiers, scrutinizing them from head to toe.

After a long while, Senior Sister Xuehe let out a long breath and said, "Master devoted his whole life to researching and refining this thing."

All of Master's sacrifices and efforts have not been in vain.

After sighing, the woman pondered for a few moments and asked the same question as Yu Que: "The Six Ding and Six Jia are a complete set of Dao soldiers. If Master separates this item, will it affect the effectiveness of the Dao soldiers in protecting the Dharma?"

Yu Que relayed Master Du Mie's words to the other party verbatim.

Senior Sister Xuehe then controlled the White Crane Family God, slowly nodded, and took the two Dao Soldiers from Yu Que's hands.

After the Taoist priest finished delivering the goods and had at least seen the person, becoming somewhat familiar with him, Yu Que immediately bowed.

"Junior brother, I won't bother you any longer. I still need to rush to Senior Brother Qinglu's place."

Senior sister, please continue your seclusion.

After he finished bowing, he turned to leave.

But the white crane god landed behind him with a smile, blocking his path.

“Junior brother has just joined my Refining Peak lineage and personally presented me with this important gift. How could I, as your senior sister, not express my gratitude? I must give you a congratulatory gift.”

Then, right in front of Yu Que, the white crane summoned every single mermaid, big and small, from the lake to the palace gate for Yu Que to choose from.

Yu Que was reserved and a little embarrassed.

They generously selected all the young and beautiful mermaids, leaving only the older and more immature ones.

The white crane spoke: "Please accept this and do not refuse."

Yu Que hesitated for a moment, then said, "This is too much."

The white crane chuckled a few times, then spoke:
"Is it too much? No, it's not much at all!"

I was worried that once you went back, you'd get a taste for the food and water and would come back to ask me for it again.

The other party then offered a few explanations.

It turns out that Senior Sister Xuehe sent the mermaids to him not just to let Yu Que indulge in pleasure, but because these mermaids could weep tears that could turn into pearls. If mixed with snow essence and other substances, they would become a rare and precious spiritual water.

"This water can help you refine spirits and deities; it has the effect of three parts true water."

If used on oneself, it can also help nourish the soul and aid in foundation building.

Upon hearing this, Yu Que immediately abandoned his reserve and hurriedly bowed to Senior Sister Xuehe, saying:
"Thank you for the treasure, Senior Sister."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his senior sister, Yu Que led thirty-seven beautiful mermaids out of the Snow Valley Lake and headed towards the next cave of his senior brother, Qinglu.

Along the way, the mermaids, each possessing some magical power, captured clouds and mist, forming cloud chariots that carried him gracefully through the air, moving with the wind.

Their beautiful, strangely shaped figures and fishtails were also faintly visible in the clouds and mist.

This scene attracted the attention of many people in the palace and was quite conspicuous.

Seeing this situation, Yu Que wondered if he should return to his cave first, put the group of mermaids down, and then visit Senior Brother Qinglu.

However, considering that going back and forth would be too troublesome, and that he was no longer a poor man, he allowed these mermaids to serve him and make him stand out in the palace.

Yu Que remained calm and composed, unperturbed by honor or disgrace, and soon arrived at Senior Brother Qinglu's cave.

This cave dwelling is located on a mountain peak, which is also one of the smaller peaks of Huangshan Taoist Palace. It is green and lush with trees.

Upon arriving at this peak, Yu Que first left the mermaids outside the mountain before personally going forward to pay his respects and knock on the gate.

As before, Senior Brother Qinglu knew Yu Que was coming long ago. He spoke gently and simply said, "Please come in."

Then a gentle magical power formed a cloud ladder, supporting him and slowly flying towards the mountaintop.

Yu Que saw Senior Brother Qinglu sitting cross-legged under an ancient tree, his body entwined with vines, as if he were embedded directly in the tree roots.

Senior Brother Qinglu didn't move, but he opened his eyes and gently looked him over:
"I am in seclusion and cannot rise to greet you. Please forgive me, junior brother."

Yu Que quickly replied, "No, no, it's me who has bothered you, Senior Brother."

As he spoke with this person, Yu Que felt a surge of joy in his heart.

To his surprise, his two new senior brothers and sisters not only accepted him immediately, but were also so friendly.

The lineage of Liandu Peak seems very harmonious; he truly made the right choice in choosing this mountain!
Afterwards, Yu Que presented a pair of Dingjia Divine Generals, and Senior Brother Qinglu asked more detailed questions about Master Du Mie than Senior Sister Xuehe.

Upon learning that Yu Que was trapped at the bottom of the furnace and had been helping his master with his spiritual practice for several years, the other party still asked with concern whether Yu Que had been burned by the true fire or injured by the poisonous smoke.

Although Yu Que kept saying "no," the man still sighed softly.

The ancient tree where the other person was sitting immediately drooped its branches, condensing drops of turquoise spiritual liquid.

"This item can nourish the body and soul, and also replenish magical power."

For those at the seventh rank and below, just one drop is enough to fully restore their magical power. When breaking through to the sixth rank, having this small bottle will ensure your magical power is not a worry. Especially if you are accidentally burned by evil energy, remember to swallow it immediately; don't be reluctant to use it.

If you run out, just come back to your senior brother.

The other party patiently taught him how to use the green liquid.

Yu Que gazed at the spiritual liquid before him, his heart filled with joy.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind:
"We've struck gold! We've struck gold! This trip to get to know the place was definitely worth it!"

(End of this chapter)