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Chapter 311 Joining Forces with Wenshan Tian Academy

The mossy path slants under the rain, and the dark clouds around the city encircle the stream.

Despite the drizzling rain in Shengjing, the leisurely spring outings of the noble families of the court were as lively as ever.

Green willows line the riverbanks, luxurious carriages and fine horses abound, and people in brocade robes, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance, gather in the springtime capital of Shengjing to drink, chat, and engage in lively discussions.

Just then, someone hurried over with a letter in hand, landing on the riverbank and joining the three people who came to greet him with clasped hands.

Amidst the whispers, the group looked surprised, then passed the message to a few other acquaintances.

The scene resembled a game of marbles played by children in Shengjing (present-day Shenyang), where one marble hits another, and then the marble rolls off into the others.

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, half the people on the vibrant spring-like riverbank were already whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

The disciples of the Heavenly Academy were also present at this spring outing. As disciples of a celestial sect, they occupied a place in the most elegant apricot grove.

Among those seated were Yu Shiliu, Gu Zetao, and Xiang Fu from the inner courtyard, as well as Lu Qingqiu, Sun Qiaozhi, Pu Yangxing, and others from the outer courtyard.

Yu Shiliu and the others came out to see the world because cultivation was tedious and they wanted to suppress the pent-up emotions in their hearts.

Before leaving the hospital, Lu Qingqiu and Sun Qiaozhi wanted to seize the time to strengthen their connections and relationships with people they might need in the future.

And what they talked about most of the time was news about the Heavenly Academy.

Chai Ze has already reached the threshold of the Yingtian Realm and is currently in the process of breaking through to the next level.

As the nephew of the Lord of the Hall of Longevity, this disciple of the Lord has always been relatively unknown, appearing less prominent compared to He Lingxiu and the former You Buyu.

However, after the Heavenly Way Society, this situation reversed.

Chai Ze entered the sacred site of the ancient sages to cultivate, and made rapid progress, far surpassing his fellow cultivators.

If he succeeds in breaking through to the next realm, he will likely become the youngest person to reach the Yingtian realm among the modern disciples of the Heavenly Academy.

As for He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and other exceptionally talented geniuses who have achieved breakthroughs in the Dao Fusion realm, they have been in seclusion for over a year and there has still been no news of them breaking through. They must still be far from achieving their goals.

In addition, Yan Shujing, a disciple of Lingjian Mountain, has already begun to break through to the next realm. Her breakthrough time may be similar to that of Chai Ze, or even faster.

Judging from this point alone, everyone felt that their Heavenly Academy might not be much worse than Spirit Sword Mountain.

In addition, Fang Jincheng has been out and about again these past few days, and every time he appears, he is in a fit of rage.

Having undergone a long period of secluded cultivation, Lu Hanyan had reached the threshold of the intermediate stage of the Profound Realm. A few days ago, she was preparing spirit stones and pills in preparation for breaking through to the next stage.

Everyone is speculating about when they will break through to the next realm, wondering if they will be able to make it to this year's Immortal Tour.

If they can catch up, with their cultivation after breaking through to the next realm, they might be able to pull back the declining momentum of the Heavenly Academy by one-tenth.

Just as everyone was having a pleasant conversation, Wang Gaocen suddenly came hurriedly from the south side of the river embankment.

His cultivation was not going well, and he didn't like talking about who had broken through to a higher realm. Just now, he was invited by some young men from aristocratic families in the capital to watch a song and dance performance.

When he returned, everyone found him looking very serious.

"what happened?"

"The Dan Sect has closed its mountain."

"?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was stunned for a moment, then their expressions changed drastically: "Where did this news come from?"

Wang Gaocen sat down in the rattan chair: "The Pill Sect sent a message to the six major immortal sects, the Great Xia Dynasty, Qionghua Pavilion, and Wanchun Hall, stating that the mountain is closed and no more pills will be sent out from now on."

"A message from the sect leader of the Dan Sect?"

"That's right. Princess Chang Le just brought a copy of the message, so it should be genuine."

Sun Qiaozhi frowned slightly: "Did they say why?"

Wang Gaocen shook his head: "They only said that the mountain would be closed, but the reason was not revealed in the message."

"How have the other immortal sects reacted?"

"The other immortal sects did not respond, which seemed to be their tacit agreement."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank.

For hundreds of years, the Dan Sect has played an indispensable role in the cultivation world because only they could refine the elixirs that could be used for enlightenment.

But no one expected that they would one day close the mountain.

In other words, there will be no more annual supply of elixirs from now on.

This was a bolt from the blue for Yu Shiliu and Wang Gaocen, disciples of the Immortal Sect's inner court with such extraordinary status.

They had been stuck in the Upper Realm of Profound Enlightenment for a long time, and now they had barely felt the threshold of breaking through. They originally planned to consolidate their position for a while and then choose to break through after obtaining the pills from the Pill Sect. At this moment, they found it hard to accept this situation.

Because they had already felt how important it was to have a pill that could enhance comprehension during the breakthrough process when they broke through to a higher realm.

To put it bluntly, the disciples of the six major immortal sects number in the tens of thousands. Without the help of the pills from the Pill Sect, many of them would find it much more difficult to break through to the next realm.

The problem is that the sudden announcement by the Dan Sect to close its mountain and cut off the supply of spiritual herbs did not provoke the wrath of other immortal sects.

This shouldn't be the case.

On a drizzly spring day, as word spread quickly, the news of the Dan Sect's closure of the mountain gradually reached Qingyun.

For several days in a row, the entire Qingyun world was in an uproar, and the discussions were hard to quell.

Even some patriarchs of powerful families who had been in seclusion for many years came out of seclusion to inquire about the situation.

After confirming the news was true, many people flew to the Dan Sect to find out more.

However, they were forced to stop as soon as they arrived at Huichun Town, because the Dan Sect's protective formation had been fully activated, and the Xuan light carrying a vast killing aura surrounded the mountains, making it impossible for anyone to get close.

Moreover, the protective array itself is shrouded in mist, making it impossible for some people to spy from the foot of the mountain.

Not long after, someone thought of Ji You at that moment.

Because almost everyone in Shengjing knew that Ji You and the daughter of Danzong were having a secret affair.

Closing the mountain meant that all alchemists could not descend, and the daughter of the Alchemy Sect could no longer come to see him. Therefore, she would at least send a message to Ji You, informing him of the reason for the closure and how long it would last.

As a result, countless people came to Shengjing to look for him. Even the Chong King and his daughter sent a visiting card to the Wulu Trading Company, wanting to invite Ji You for a chat.

The Chong family wasn't particularly thirsty for elixirs, but for them, this was an opportunity to win over the immortals.

But after searching high and low, they discovered that Ji You was no longer in Shengjing.

"Entering the world to cultivate oneself?"

"That's right, it's said that he left not long after the New Year."

"Who said that?"

"That's what Lu Qingqiu said."

"If it's what his bed partner said, then it's probably true, but... what exactly is he repairing?"

Before the new era, many things happened in Qingyun Tianxia. Everyone was saying that Ji You's combat strength was unusual, but no one had ever seen him make a move.

Now that he has suddenly gone out to cultivate and has not returned, not only are the cultivators who came to Shengjing to look for him puzzled, but even the people in the Heavenly Academy are wondering what Ji You is cultivating.

Despite their doubts, what everyone was really concerned about was what to do with the pills in the future.

Not long after, a whistling energy suddenly appeared in the sky above Shengjing, shattering the clouds at midday and landing in front of Mount Ni.

Amidst the teahouses and taverns, countless eyes were drawn to the sight of five immortal flags fluttering in the wind.

Apart from the Dan Sect, the other five major immortal sects have come to the Heavenly Academy to inquire about the mountain.

This scene, witnessed by others, sparked endless confusion.

The five major immortal sects mobilized together, carrying their immortal banners to inquire about the mountain—a scene that hadn't occurred in hundreds of years.

"The purpose of these five immortal sects should be related to the Dan Sect's closure of its mountain."

"Why did the five major immortal sects gather at the Heavenly Academy instead of the Pill Sect when it was sealing off its mountain? And why... with such an aggressive demeanor?"

"I don't know..."

On Chang'an Avenue, cultivators in teahouses and taverns would occasionally gaze at the five major immortal sects carrying their immortal banners as they entered the Heavenly Academy, their hearts filled with doubt and unease.

Meanwhile, the inner disciples of the Heavenly Academy were also near the mountain path, watching with solemn expressions as the people from the five major immortal sects ascended the mountain.

Although asking about mountains is not as confrontational as asking about the Way, and requires a fight to resolve the conflict, it is certainly not a friendly act.

They could feel the murderous aura emanating from those immortal sect members, which spread all the way into the Zizai Hall, startling them and causing them to lose all interest in cultivation.

what happened?
Why did the Heavenly Academy suddenly become the target of public criticism after the Dan Sect closed its gates?
Yu Shiliu, Gu Zetao, and the others watched them enter the hall, but they had no idea what was going on inside.

As dusk fell, the setting sun left its last fiery red glow before nightfall.

Master Zuo Qiuyang of the Zizai Palace stood atop the mountain with his hands behind his back, his gaze cold and sharp.

During the years that the Headmaster has neglected sect affairs, the internal affairs of the Heavenly Academy have been handled by his junior sister, You Yingqiu, while the external affairs have been handled by him.

Therefore, he was the one who received the disciples of the five great immortal sects who came to inquire about the mountain today.

After that, he stood on the cliff and remained silent.

However, he was not alone on the cliff. Behind him stood Qin Rong, Lang Hetong, and Ji Jingyao, the three stewards, as well as Elder Ge, Elder Peng, and a group of other figures from the Elders' Pavilion.

They knew that the Great Wilderness Forest ruins had been opened and that immortal fruits had been brought out from them.

They were also aware that the five major immortal sects had visited the Pill Sect, hoping to use the Pill Master to refine their immortal destiny.

They even knew when each of the five major immortal sects arrived at Dan Mountain.

But just as the people on Dan Mountain were saying, the actions of the five great immortal sects joining forces were the general trend of the world, and even the Heavenly Academy could not stop them.

After all, for cultivators, enlightenment and cultivation are of paramount importance. Now that a celestial destiny has descended upon the world, who can stop it? The only thing they can do is not to add insult to injury. However, although they did not send anyone to Dan Mountain, they continued to keep an eye on the situation of the Dan Sect.

They knew that the people from the five major immortal sects had stayed on the mountain for two days, after which a fierce battle broke out on the mountain.

What puzzled them was that the disciples of the immortal sects left Dan Mountain in a disheveled state, without bringing down any alchemists.

It wasn't until just now, when the five great immortal sects arrived in a menacing manner, that they understood what had happened on Dan Mountain and why the five great immortal sects had taken such action.

Ji You, alone, guarded Danshan in the name of the Heavenly Academy and killed five Boundless Realm experts.

The three leaders of the academy were somewhat better off. They had personally witnessed Ji You slay Elder Fang with his sword, and they did not have much personal grudge against Ji You.

The elders of the Elders' Council were filled with fear and remained stunned by the news.

The rural cultivator who was invited to the academy by mistake back then was always regarded as an interlude on the path of cultivation for other aristocratic scions. Now, however, he single-handedly repelled the siege of the five major immortal sects, and his combat power surpassed that of many elders in the academy.

"Lord Zuoqiu, how should we handle this matter?"

"The five major immortal sects are currently focused on the ruins and have no time to attend to other matters. Therefore, their visit to our Heavenly Academy is mostly for demonstration, but they do not intend to start a war. However, they will not let the matter of Ji You go."

Upon hearing this, Qin Rong couldn't help but say, "With Ji You's current combat strength, it would be difficult to kill him unless someone at the Divine Travel Realm intervenes."

Zuo Qiuyang turned his head upon hearing this: "But he still has people he cherishes."

"This……"

"Elders."

Upon hearing this, the elders of the Elders' Hall snapped out of their reverie and bowed slightly, saying, "Please speak, Hall Master Zuoqiu."

Zuo Qiuyang turned to look at them: "Ji You is a man of strong likes and dislikes, and he is never afraid of power. You had a deep rift with him over a small matter, which is not a good thing for Tianshu Academy."

"What the Palace Master says is absolutely right."

"However, this matter is not irreconcilable, so you should go to Fengzhou and save as many people as you can from the Ji residence."

Upon hearing this, the elders of the Elder Council fell silent, their gazes meeting in complex expressions.

Ji You was a student they looked down upon back then, but now they need to curry favor with him.

After a long silence, Elder Ge and Elder Peng were the first to bow and accept the order, followed by the other elders who also bowed.

They had no direct grudge against Ji You; everything that happened back then stemmed from Elder Fang.

Now that Elder Fang has left the Heavenly Academy, maintaining an adversarial relationship with Ji You, who was capable of killing five Wujiang, is clearly not a wise choice.

As the mountain breeze began to rise, a group of white-haired elders flew away, disappearing into the night amidst the brilliant sunset.

Qin Rong watched them leave, then looked at Zuo Qiuyang: "There is still a close friend of Ji You in the city."

Zuo Qiuyang looked towards Shengjing: "Try to get them up the mountain before the other immortal sects do."

"Does the Palace Master really intend to protect Ji You?"

“Sitting idly by can eliminate the hostility between the five major immortal sects, but if the Heavenly Academy cannot even protect a single disciple, it will be ridiculed by the world.”

Qin Rong and the other two managers accepted the order, but a hint of doubt flashed in their eyes.

In fact, they had always known that the Heavenly Academy was not as the rumors outside suggested, where everyone from top to bottom rejected Ji You, a rural private cultivator.

At least since he entered the Heavenly Academy, both Hall Master Zuoqiu and Hall Master You have spoken up for him.

Autumn battles, returning from Qiling, and missions to the snowy regions are just a few examples.

But while those things seemed to help Ji You, they were actually largely for the purpose of maintaining the stability of the Heavenly Academy.

Just like the preliminary selection of the Heavenly Dao Assembly, the Elders' Council tried to prevent him from participating in the preliminary selection by using the excuse that his use of the Spirit Sword Mountain Sword Dao was to boost the arrogance of his sect.

The reason why Zuo Qiuyang insisted on allowing him to participate despite opposition was partly because everyone knew at the time that Ji You was the only one who could help Tianshu Academy compete for the top spot.

But this time it's different.

This is the first time that the Heavenly Academy has publicly defended Ji You, and given the hostility of the five major immortal sects, such defense does not benefit the Heavenly Academy's stability in the slightest.

At this moment, Zuo Qiuyang watched them descend the mountain, and after a moment of silence, he took out a yellowed old book from his sleeve.

This book is neither a secret manual of martial arts nor a historical record of Qingyun, but a book with a cover that looks like a vernacular novel, with the words "Night Watchman" written on it.

Meanwhile, the city of Shengjing was far from peaceful as night fell.

Countless people discussing the day's events in the restaurant saw members of the Immortal Sect walking through the night and heading towards Chunhua Lane.

Not long after, they were spotted again in the West City, looking menacing.

Then came the Imperial Observatory, followed by the Prince Chong's Mansion.

Prince Chong and his daughter did not go to sleep, but instead pondered how they could benefit from the Dan Sect's closure of the mountain.

But before they could reach a conclusion, they heard a knock at the door.

The servants went to open the door and saw an old man wearing a Lingjian Mountain sword robe, along with more than a dozen disciples who had come with him.

The Chongwang Mansion had always supported an elder from Tianjian Peak, and Zhao Yunyue was also a disciple of Lingjian Mountain who did not enter the mountain to cultivate. Therefore, they were very honored to see an elder from Lingjian Mountain come.

But to the father and daughter's surprise, they asked about Wei Rui's whereabouts.

After receiving an unknown answer, they hurriedly left along the long street.

When Prince Chong and Zhao Yunyue escorted the person to the outside of the mansion, they saw countless disciples of the immortal sects walking along the street, their bodies radiating a chilling aura.

"Yue'er, do you know why they are looking for Wei Rui?"

"I don't know..."

Looking at the murderous-looking members of the immortal sect, Zhao Yunyue couldn't help but mutter to herself.

The next morning, the immortal sect members had disappeared from Shengjing City, but their lingering influence kept the entire morning quiet, and no one dared to gossip among those coming and going.

Even teahouses and taverns were closed, creating an even quieter atmosphere than the post-New Year's Day closures.

It wasn't until noon, when the sun was high in the sky and it was confirmed that nothing had happened, that the shops reopened and people dared to talk about the previous night.

Zhao Yunyue also went out of the Chongwang Mansion to listen to the rumors in the teahouse.

Because no matter what happened, Wei Rui had always been like a younger sister to her, and she felt uneasy if she didn't find out the truth.

But to her surprise, through casual conversation, she discovered that Wei Rui was not the Immortal Sect's target.

Because they first went to Chunhua Lane, then to Sixianjian, and only then to the Wei Mansion.

Therefore, their actual target was Kuang Cheng, and they only turned to Wei Rui because they couldn't find Kuang Cheng.

Kuang Cheng was merely an official in the Directorate of Immortals, without any cultivation and just a mortal body, so he was not worth the trouble of the five major immortal sects.

Therefore, some people made the connection to the Five Great Immortal Sects and the Wenshan Tian Academy.

The intricate clues may seem chaotic, but they will eventually lead to a conclusion.

This is similar to investigating a case; by peeling back the layers, you will naturally find the connections and the target.

They were looking for Ji You.

Inside and outside the Heavenly Academy, in teahouses and taverns, everyone guessed the real target of last night.

As for Zhao Yunyue, she recalled the time when Wei Rui came to say goodbye to her more than ten days ago.

She said she was going to visit relatives in another state, and was then respectfully invited away by a group of cultivators dressed in plain clothes but with very high cultivation levels. Kuang Cheng also went with them at that time.

"He's missing?"

"That's right. The scholar surnamed Kuang and the young lady from the Wei family both left Shengjing before the five major immortal sects gathered at Danshan."

What about Fengzhou?

"Ji Village is empty, but the five major immortal sects wanted to capture some civilians to use against them, but the elders who went there stopped them."

Upon hearing the news reported by the traveling disciple, Palace Master Zuoqiu, the three stewards, and the elders who remained at the Heavenly Academy all fell silent.

It's true that Ji You is a self-taught scholar in the countryside, but the fact that he has no background is truly the biggest misunderstanding the world has about him.

He truly is indispensable to the Heavenly Academy, which made the elders who had previously been eager to expel Ji You from the Heavenly Academy tremble slightly.

After a moment of silence, Zuo Qiuyang said, "Let the elders who went to Fengzhou stay for a while longer, and everything else remain the same."

"Yes."

"Let's go back."

The elders who remained in the Elders' Pavilion all stood up and then walked out of the Zizai Hall.

Qin Rong, Lang Hetong, and Ji Jingyao also went out together and walked down the mountain in silence.

It wasn't until they returned to the Hall of State Affairs that Lang Hetong couldn't help but utter a sentence.

"What you heard on the Dongping Mountains back then, was it really a family matter?"

"Impossible, that person is the Junior Master of Spirit Sword Mountain..."

Wandering freely through fragrant fields and green hills, scattering catkins and blossoms adorn old branches.
After the heavy rains of Qingming Festival, everything seemed to suddenly fall into calm.

The five major immortal sects left Shengjing without any major events occurring, as if a story had only been told halfway through, without a beginning or an end.

But in the hearts of those onlookers in Shengjing City, the surging waves were not so easily calmed.

Everyone realized that Ji You might have played a key role in the sealing of the Dan Sect and the Wenshan Tianshu Academy of the five great immortal sects, but no one could guess what he had done.

Meanwhile, the immortal light emanated continuously from the Dao Asking Sect, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, the Chen Clan, the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, and the Spirit Sword Mountain. The aura of breaking through realms began to linger all day long, rising and falling in different places as the light subsided in one spot.

(The next two volumes are all about pushing the main plot forward at a fast pace, so please don't let the book sit unread. Also, please vote with your monthly tickets!!!)
(End of this chapter)