The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 246 Reunion with the Nine-Tailed Fox, Taiping Invites You
The wine went down my throat.

Transformed into immense energy.

It flows through the meridians and acupoints, cleansing the limbs and bones.

Xuanming's face instantly turned red, as if it were on fire.

After sealing the wine bottle, he opened his Primordial Dao Domain, blurring his own existence, and quickly sat down on the ground, focusing intently on refining the energy within his body.

This energy was so vast and domineering that even Xuanming spent a whole night refining it to digest the wine.

The meridians in his body widened by three points, his magical power increased by three points, his bones became three points stronger, and even his primordial spirit grew by one point.

Xuanming opened his eyes, looking quite puzzled.

If just a sip of wine has such a miraculous effect, imagine what a whole gourd of it would do!
You should know that he has already achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of His Head.

There are very few treasures in this world that can help him improve his cultivation quickly; each one is rare and hard to come by.

That's why Xuanming knew he had been fooled.

That Zhong Neng, the half-immortal, is clearly a powerful figure, just like the blind old beggar Ji Yuan.

Otherwise, how could he have kept it from himself?
How could one possibly produce hibiscus fruit and such a magical wine?

But the more this happened, the more vigilant Xuanming became.

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

Although he had some connections with these two reclusive masters, it was not enough to make them bring out rare and precious materials one after another. They either had something to ask for, or they were not ordinary experts.

They are truly rolling in money.

These things mean nothing to them.

Or perhaps they want to forge a good connection.

With his mind in turmoil, Xuanming had no intention of returning to Chaofeng City, probably having already left after accomplishing his task, just like Ji Yuan.

If that's the case, there's no need to make a wasted trip.

Xuanming put away his Primordial Dao Domain, stood up, and took two steps before pausing. When he encountered the half-immortal and the beggar in Fuyun County, they were already together.

Do the two know each other?

The more I think about it, the more possible it becomes.

Thinking of this, Xuanming's heart sank.

Encountering one great master is a matter of chance, but encountering two great masters hiding in plain sight at the same time is quite problematic.

He couldn't help but think more.

Is it goodwill or scheming?

While muttering to himself, Xuanming untied the wine gourd from his waist and handed it to the Supreme Taoist of Taiji Heaven for inspection.

After confirming that there were no problems, he was still not at ease, so he mobilized a wisp of Huangting Qi and infused it into the wine pot.

Today, Xuanming has delved deeper into the study of Huangting Qi, uncovering many of its mysteries.

One of them is to exorcise the curse.

After taking a walk around and finding that he was alright, Huang Tingqi felt much relieved.

It seems that both great beings are benevolent; as for the future, that is for the future to decide.

As long as he goes far and high on the road, whether his intentions are genuine or feigned, he will remain invincible and be able to handle anything with ease.

After thinking it through, Xuanming temporarily put the matter aside and continued his journey, traveling through the Southern Realm of the Great Xuan.

---

By day, I walk through mountains and rivers, refining my heart amidst the mortal world.

He swallowed the spiritual wine at night to enhance his cultivation.

Don't be fooled by the unassuming appearance of this wine; it may look like just an ordinary spirit wine, but it actually has many mysteries.

However, divine objects are often concealed, and only by tasting them personally can one experience their wonder. In just half a month, Xuanming benefited greatly.

There was no rush to find Li Zizai.

Xuanming carefully appreciated the landscape of the South.

When you encounter a city, enter the city; when you see a village, enter the village.

He constantly changed identities, experiencing the coldness and warmth of human relationships, and witnessing joys and sorrows.

The literary culture flourished in the South.

He has played the role of a highly talented scholar, a learned teacher, debated with others on poetry and prose, appraised calligraphy and paintings, solved riddles, and composed couplets.

He is a gentleman of impeccable character.

He was an arrogant and conceited young man. He was also a mature and erudite scholar.

He was a sanctimonious scholar.

He was a sharp-tongued and cunning strategist.

He is a student who speaks his mind.

He wielded his brush in restaurants, indulged in unrestrained behavior on pleasure boats, cursed emperors in academies, and confronted corrupt officials in court. Xuanming truly experienced the lives of various literati.

He left behind various legends, both good and bad, in the South, a mixture of praise and condemnation, and acted according to his heart.

He also lived in the mountains and forests.

Having met the demons of the South, I have observed that, compared to the hearty and uninhibited nature of the demons of the North, the demons of the South are more particular. They enjoy feasting and each has their own livelihood. Whether it is making friends or getting married, they all value matching social status.

Compared to the northern demons, whose transformed forms are either rugged or plump and who prefer to retain some of their original characteristics, the southern demons transform into more complete forms, with handsome men and beautiful women, speaking subtly, and their style of doing things being completely opposite to that of the north.

Xuanming wandered among these demons, experiencing their lives before venturing back into the martial world.

The rivers and lakes of the South are different from those of the North.

In the north, knives are highly valued; in the south, swords are revered.

He met all sorts of swordsmen and sword gods, and also traveled the martial arts world himself, challenging various sword gods with a peach blossom and earning the title of Peach Blossom Sword God.

---

After going around in circles, I remained calm and unhurried.

Xuanming had been traveling for more than half a year in the blink of an eye.

We've already been to the places we needed to go.

I've already experienced what I needed to experience.

Xuanming was using the Five Elements Escape Technique to find Li Zizai and bring his wildly playful disciple back to Fuyun Mountain.

As soon as his magic power arose, he suddenly became slightly stunned, looked in one direction, and raised his hand to wave the whisk in his hand.

Three thousand silver threads pierced the air, shattering space, and a female demon was pulled out.

Both are dressed in red, but Feng Xi is bright and flamboyant, with a dignified appearance, like a queen, while Lai Yao is charming and pitiful, with every gesture and smile full of allure.

What concerned Xuanming was that the demon that came was a familiar demon, to be precise, the fox spirit who had once hidden in Fengyang County and was one of the Four Guardians of the Taiping Sect.

After many years, she has already reached the Yang Shen realm.

Seeing that the whisk was tightening its grip, rendering her completely immobile and unable to even muster her demonic energy, and with her life hanging by a thread, the nine-tailed fox immediately begged for mercy:

"My Lord, it is difficult to take action. I have important news to report."

Her voice was like that of a nightingale, clear and melodious.

Xuanming temporarily released his whisk.

Although still entangled in the three thousand silver threads, the nine-tailed fox breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the binding force on her body greatly reduced.

With her life in someone else's hands, the Nine-Tailed Fox dared not be negligent and immediately said, "You must know very well where I come from, True Lord. I, Hu Ji, have come here on orders. Please, True Lord, come to my Taiping Sect for a chat."

Upon hearing this, Xuanming was taken aback.

To be honest, he had no relationship with the Taiping Cult, and even had a grudge against them. Yet they had invited him to be their guest.

It's truly as if the sun has risen in the west.

"What exactly are you all planning?"

Xuanming said in a deep voice, and tightened his grip.

The three thousand silver threads instantly wrapped tightly around the nine-tailed fox demon, causing her unbearable pain. Her voice was melodious, making those who heard it feel pity.

Unfortunately, Xuanming remained unmoved.

"Please stop, True Lord. I am only acting under orders. I have no idea why. I only know that the Dao Lord himself gave the order to invite you to a talk."

Upon hearing this, the silver threads loosened.

The nine-tailed fox gasped for breath, like a fish about to suffocate finally getting a breath of fresh air, its waves surging.

"You mean the Lord of Taiping wants to see me?"

“Exactly! Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to appear before you, True Lord. Please come with me, True Lord.”

The nine-tailed fox demon spoke frankly, her gaze towards Xuanming filled with complex emotions.

Unexpectedly, after only a little over a decade, this True Lord of Qiuzhen Temple surpassed him and became a Great Cultivator of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

She would never have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

(End of this chapter)