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Chapter 222 The Master Arrives
The number of cultivators arriving at Xianxian Garden has been continuous, and they are already showing signs of overwhelming numbers.

So much so that the once vast and empty Xianxian Garden in the early morning is now filled with people everywhere, with mountains, lakes, and pavilions dotting the landscape.

The cultivators who had arrived earlier, like Ji You, were also strolling around. They watched as the newly arrived families discussed among themselves, and some of them, who were related by blood, greeted each other as they passed by.

Just then, Ji You, whose business venture had failed, walked to the vicinity of the island in the middle of the lake and heard a splashing sound, so he couldn't help but turn around to look.

An army clad in iron armor and wielding long swords appeared in orderly rows on the white marble road, marching forward expressionlessly.

As they traveled, the armor plates on their bodies clanged and rattled against each other, conveying a chilling aura that drew the attention of other cultivators who couldn't help but stop and watch.

The Great Xia had many soldiers and generals, but none could match the imposing presence of the Zhenbei Army.

The sunlight was still quite bright at this time, shining on these smooth iron armors and reflecting off them, making it so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

"As expected, the Zhenbei Army is also coming to participate."

Ji You had heard Kuang Cheng mention this before he arrived, so he wasn't surprised.

After all, the Zhenbei Army is the only place besides aristocratic families and immortal sects where ordinary people can cultivate immortality.

As the Zhenbei Army passed by, dozens of imperial carriages followed.

Ji You saw Prince Chong, Zhao Yunyue, and Wei Rui on these imperial carriages.

Wei Rui waved to him gently, while Zhao Yunyue frowned and quickly turned her gaze back.

Ji You was already used to this, feeling that this was the kind of pressure someone with his looks should have to bear...

He turned his gaze to the back and saw a golden chariot with a coiled dragon, surrounded by countless imperial guards. The person sitting inside must be the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The emperor, who lived alone in the deep palace, probably had nothing to do on a daily basis, so it was normal for him to come and join in the fun.

When he watched "Kangxi's Private Visits," Emperor Kangxi was actually visiting a mine to join in the fun and move stones around.

Following them were officials from the Imperial Observatory.

As Ji You looked around, her eyes lit up when she spotted Kuang Cheng riding in the same car as Deputy Supervisor Peng Dongyang.

Kuang Cheng also saw him and couldn't help but wave to him: "Brother Ji."

Ji You looked up at him: "You also live in Xianxian Garden?"

"Yes, the Directorate of Immortals is in charge of this Heavenly Dao Assembly. I will be staying at Taiping Garden with my colleagues. I will come to find you after I put down my luggage."

"If you can't find me, go to Rusheng Garden."

Peng Dongyang, who was also on the moving carriage, bowed slightly and said, "Welcome, Young Master Ji, to Taiping Garden."

Ji You nodded, greeted him, and then watched them leave. Then she heard a commotion nearby, so she turned around and looked back.

At this moment, a towering black carriage, as tall as a mountain, drove across the white marble road, with a flag hanging high above it bearing the two characters "Xuan Yuan".

The carriage was shrouded in gauze curtains, and a man's figure sat cross-legged inside.

From the surrounding chatter, Ji You learned that the person sitting in the carriage was Chu Xian, a disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion from outside the family.

Judging from the form and imposing manner of the carriage, it was already comparable to the level of a deputy sect leader.

This made Ji You think of Yuan Chen, a direct disciple. Yuan Chen didn't even have his own carriage and was forced by his own sister to share a carriage with his fellow disciples in the sect. They were both direct disciples of the Holy Son, yet the difference in their status was too great.

But on second thought, it makes sense.

The Dan Sect has no combat power and doesn't want to attract attention, so naturally they wouldn't choose such an eye-catching mode of transportation.

At this moment, He Lingxiu and the others also came from Rusheng Garden. Looking at the imperial carriage, they stepped to Ji You's side.

The direct disciples of the Immortal Sect are the real big shots; even the direct disciples of the Immortal Palace have to look up to them with complicated expressions.

Since Tian Shu Academy doesn't have direct instruction, it naturally lacks prestige.

Following them was a palanquin of the Chen Clan, with a stone tablet embroidered on its banner fluttering in the wind—the sacred artifact Dao Tablet in their hands.

Seated among them are Chen Luo and Chen Xi, the dragon and phoenix disciples who will be participating in this competition.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and the others observed them closely, even secretly using their divine senses to sense the aura emanating from the two sisters.

Since these two protégés are going to participate in the war, they are very likely to meet.

"The aura is very strong; this is somewhat troublesome..."

"While it's not that I'm afraid before the battle even begins, I still hope we don't encounter these two in the early stages."

He Lingxiu nodded solemnly, then looked at Ji You: "Junior Brother Ji, what are you doing here?"

Ji You sheathed his longsword: "I was planning to do some small business with no costs, but hardly anyone came."

He Lingxiu didn't care much about what he was doing. Without thinking too much about how to do business, she changed the subject and said, "The Qiu family is here too. They just messaged me saying they're coming to visit tonight. Since Junior Brother Ji has nothing to do anyway, why don't you come with me to meet them?"

"Why is Senior Sister bringing up this old topic again?"

"Anyway, Miss Yuan isn't here, and after a day's journey, I've noticed she's been quite obedient to you, so she probably won't stop you from taking a concubine."

He Lingxiu did indeed pay attention to his interactions with Yuan Caiwei throughout the journey, from the start of the trip to their meals and their parting.

To be honest, she was somewhat surprised.

Because she had never seen Yuan Caiwei and Ji You interact before, she always assumed that as the daughter of the Dan Sect, even if she liked Ji You, she would probably have an inherent arrogance.

To her surprise, Yuan Caiwei was very obedient when she was with him, and she did whatever he said.

That kind of behavior doesn't resemble that of a principal wife; it's more like that of a quiet and unassuming concubine.

Therefore, He Lingxiu felt that since the wife was so gentle and virtuous, the relationship between the Qiu family and Ji You might not be entirely unfounded.

For families of cultivators, reproduction has always been of paramount importance. Especially since Ji You's family currently only has him, he will definitely take concubines, and not just one.

Most men in the world are like this; no matter how serious they are, they'll give in after a few tries of persuasion.

Besides, Junior Brother Ji has a strong physical body... She will definitely be grateful if he finds a sister for the daughter of the Pill Sect.

The Qiu family is dependent on the He family. If this matter is successful, they can not only recruit a person with outstanding talent who is very likely to enter the Yingtian Realm, but also form a deeper bond with the Dan Sect through their sisterly relationship.

The key issue is that the rumor that the Ji You constitution can be passed down through generations can also be verified through the Qiu family.

If it were true, He Lingxiu would also like to leave some of his legacy in her womb, so that a hundred years later, it would become a super family comparable to the Immortal Sect, just like the exceptionally talented Chu family.

Ji You chuckled after hearing her words, thinking to herself that the daughter of the Dan Sect was indeed well-behaved, but Senior Sister, please don't mess with me. You have no idea that my big one is coming soon.

I'm still at risk of being stabbed to death. You're not acting as a matchmaker; you're crossing my name off in the Book of Life and Death.

He Lingxiu was not anxious when she saw that he did not respond.

The Heavenly Way will continue for a long time, and there will always be an opportunity to bring them together. When it comes to matters between men and women, it's always easier to talk about them once they meet.

She thought to herself for a moment, and then saw several cultivators walk up to her and bow in greeting.

"He Xianzi".

A man with a jade-like crown held a folding fan and smiled slightly at her.

He Lingxiu looked up at the sound of his voice: "Young Master Xu, it's been a long time."

The Xu family is a family related to the Shan Hai Pavilion by marriage, and their status is higher than that of ordinary families.

Both families are now considering having the two become Daoist partners, but He Lingxiu is still considering this matter because this young master Xu's strength is still somewhat lacking compared to hers, and breaking through to the Dao realm seems a long way off.

However, having low strength also has its advantages, namely, it makes you easier to control.

Besides this young master Xu, there were other people who also came to greet Shi Junhao, Xiao Hanyan, Chai Ze, Yu Shiliu, and others.

However, as they chatted, they noticed that all the uncles and elders who had gathered at Rusheng Garden had come here, and then they looked towards the gate.

"Why are all you uncles and elders out here?"

"The one from Spirit Sword Mountain has arrived."

"?"

Ji You was bored and was about to leave, but before she could take a step, she heard these words and turned to look in the direction of the gate.

The departure time of the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain is not a secret, and the arrival time can naturally be calculated.

This is a unique disciple, wielding a sacred artifact, and is essentially no different from the sect leader.

Especially since she has just entered the Boundless Realm, it's inevitable that she will attract attention.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao and the others looked around and found that there were suddenly many more people around them. Even those who were not seen before had all come here and were looking in the direction of the Sage Garden.

Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui also arrived, but not for that reason; they were there to see Ji You. However, when they reached Ji You, they noticed everyone was looking in one direction, and they couldn't help but look over as well.

"Brother Ji, what are you looking at?"

"The arrogant devil is here."

"?"

As the sun began to set, a carriage from Lingjian Mountain finally appeared before the gate under the watchful eyes of the crowd, slowly driving onto the white marble road.

The carriage was entirely red, with gauze curtains hanging down, and the wooden railings above were intricately and beautifully carved, with every line flowing and strong.

Through the hanging gauze curtain, everyone could see a clear figure. The figure was sitting cross-legged, just like the previous disciples. The figure was indistinct, making it impossible to see the whole picture.

But everyone knew that the young appraiser who had just broken through to the next level was sitting inside.

As the carriage drove along the white marble road, everyone's eyes followed it, and soon they arrived in front of the group from Tianshu Academy.

Wei Rui stood between Ji You and Kuang Cheng, looking up at them just like everyone else.

She wasn't a cultivator, but she had heard of the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain and was naturally curious. However, as she looked at him, her beautiful eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

She noticed that the shadows seen through the carriage looked very familiar.

After pondering for a while, the young lady of the Wei family turned to look at Ji You.

He Lingxiu was also staring intently at that figure, her eyes revealing a hint of reverence and longing.

The Little Master of Lingjian Mountain is someone almost every female cultivator in the world aspires to be: exceptionally talented, possessing a profound cultivation level, and wielding a sacred artifact. Even someone like He Lingxiu is no exception.

Xiao Hanyan and Yu Shiliu are both examples of this.

As the tall carriage drove across the road, the figure gradually approached, high above, hazy and indistinct.

However, as she watched, He Lingxiu suddenly noticed that the figure who had been motionless inside the carriage curtain had turned its head slightly, as if it were deliberately glancing in their direction through the curtain.

Ji You was leaning against the stone railing, quietly watching this scene.

It has been half a year since the beginning of the new era, and he has become a bit thinner, probably because he didn't have much appetite while in seclusion to break through to a higher realm.

Now that she has finally entered the Boundless Realm, she can probably breathe a sigh of relief.

Besides looking at that figure, he also noticed a dark shadow in the corner of the vehicle frame.

It was a flowerpot with a wheat stalk on it. Judging from the shadow, the wheat stalk was the same size as ordinary wheat stalks, not as exaggerated as the ones cultivated by Yuan Caiwei.

Unlike Yuan Caiwei, Yan Shuyi didn't have a relevant professional background. Given her restless nature, it was already quite an achievement to raise her to be so healthy and strong.

Ji You watched her drive past, then saw the figure quietly turn her head back.

Following the carriage were the disciples of Lingjian Mountain, totaling over a hundred participants and accompanying disciples.

Among them were some familiar faces, such as Yan Shujing and Zhuang You, who had defeated the two personal disciples when they were asking questions at the Heavenly Academy.

There were also some with white hair and beards, one of whom Ji You was very familiar with—Qi Zhengyang, the head of the Lingjian Mountain Sword Sect.

There was another one, a man with long, flowing hair, walking on the east side of the crowd.

He originally carried a greatsword, looking unfathomable, and walked with an expressionless face, his posture transcendent, far surpassing that of the other disciples.

However, upon seeing Ji You and Kuang Cheng by the roadside, he couldn't hold back any longer. He coughed and looked away.

Ji You narrowed her eyes, thinking to herself that Gongshu Chou, that idiot, was probably here to collect material again...

Damn it, he hasn't even had a chance to settle the score with him for what happened with the tail last time.

The disciples of Lingjian Mountain also lived in Rusheng Garden, so they returned in the same direction as Ji You and the others. However, it wasn't just the people from Tianshu Academy who were returning with them; there were also cultivators from other gardens, who seemed to have come to join in the fun.

After passing the stone tablet inscribed with "Rising Sun", all the Lingjian Mountain disciples who had come from afar headed towards the west courtyard of Rusheng Garden.

The entourage stopped at the fork in the road between the east and west courtyards, gazing at the carriage slowly coming to a stop in front of the pavilion.

In sight, a woman dressed in a bright red fairy robe and wearing a glass fairy crown lifted the carriage curtain, stepped down, and came to the front of the pavilion.

Everyone watched with bated breath, expecting her to walk into the pavilion without looking back. But to their surprise, she suddenly stopped, turned around and looked in their direction before disappearing behind the door.

Upon seeing that glance back, everyone was stunned for a moment, then looked at each other with a hint of confusion in their eyes.

The only difference was Wei Rui's astonished expression and Kuang Cheng's grimacing face.

Yan Shuyi can also use the Spirit Mirror to erase all secrets related to himself, which those who have not reached the Divine Travel Realm cannot detect at all.

This is why Yan Shuyi stayed at Tianshu Academy for the entire winter, often going out for strolls and shopping, but in the eyes of others, it was still as vague as "there is a woman in Jiyou's courtyard".

But what no one knew was that she had actually made a very bold decision.

That is, she did not erase Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui, but made them remember her clearly.

Kuang Cheng was somewhat prepared, unlike Wei Rui who was completely stunned, but recalling the moment when everyone was watching, he still couldn't help but tremble.

A healthy body truly conquers the world; it actually led to such a huge...

Ji You watched him calmly, then gestured for him to take Wei Rui and leave. The three of them then returned to Ji You's house.

Wei Rui was still somewhat shaken after sitting down. After a long silence, she asked, "Young Master Ji, is that Sister Yan?"

Ji You nodded: "Yes..."

"The young appraiser of Spirit Sword Mountain?"

"Ah."

Wei Rui reached out and grabbed Kuang Cheng's collar, then looked up at him.

Kuang Cheng couldn't help but hold his breath, not because of the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain, but because Wei Rui almost shrank into his arms after hearing this.

Ji You poured them a pot of tea and said, "Don't talk nonsense, even if you do, no one will believe you."

"Young Master Ji has gone too far."

"what happened?"

Wei Rui tugged at Kuang Cheng's clothes: "It's better not to know about this kind of thing. Once you know, you want to tell everyone. Why did you let me know about this, Sister Yan?!"

Ji You poured tea for them, saying, "She has her reasons for doing this."

Meanwhile, disciples of Lingjian Mountain moved into the East Courtyard one after another, with people coming and going constantly.

Meanwhile, the people from the Heavenly Academy were all gazing at this scene from the courtyard of the West Courtyard, each holding their tea and remaining silent.

It's common knowledge that Lingjian Mountain and Tianshu Academy don't have a good relationship. Although they live in the same garden now, not in the same area, the atmosphere is still somewhat subtle.

He Lingxiu: I wonder why the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain was looking at me just now.

Shi Junhao: What do you mean by glancing at me?
Xiao Hanyan: She gave me a special look. Was she perhaps analyzing my combat strength?
The group sat at the tea table for a long time, but the young master of Lingjian Mountain did not appear again. Instead, they saw two graceful women appear in front of the boudoir in the west courtyard.

"The appraiser still wants people to know about the young master..."

Under the lights of the small building in the west courtyard, Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao had already tidied up and were now standing on the second floor. Like the disciples of the Heavenly Academy, they looked towards the opposite courtyard, recalling the scene of the Master deliberately stopping and turning his head to look at those people earlier.

Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips: "It's normal to want the whole world to know when you first like a man. Wasn't that what happened last time when you came back with a proud look on your face after biting your lip until it bled?"

Ding Yao couldn't help but sigh softly: "But it's still a bit risky. There are so many cultivators in Xianxian Garden. Maybe we'll be discovered one day."

“It’s not surprising that they noticed, unless the two of them never met. But do you really think the appraiser could resist going to the son-in-law? Besides…”

"Besides what?"

Zhuo Wanqiu lowered her voice: "Besides, the appraiser himself likes excitement."

Ding Yao nodded, then her expression changed: "Oh no, I have to go back and keep an eye on the appraiser."

Zhuo Wanqiu turned her head in surprise: "?"

Ding Yao's expression turned serious: "There are too many eyes on her today. Everyone is watching the appraiser. I'm afraid she won't be able to resist going to see the young master tonight."

Zhuo Wanqiu glanced at her: "The appraiser isn't stupid."

"When a woman falls in love, she's likely to become silly, and the appraiser is no exception."

"Senior Sister Ding, if the judge is determined to go, can you really stop him?"

"That means we can only go late at night, it's not even dark yet."

(End of this chapter)