Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 267, Section 276: Yearning for Love, The Mystic Spirit
More than a hundred years ago, the warlords rebelled and swept across half of the country.

Grandmaster Ye Daoyuan emerged out of nowhere and, together with Prince Guo Huayin of Fenyang, made numerous contributions in the process of conquering the two capitals.

He was exceptionally gifted. He first studied under the Shangqing Maoshan lineage, and later created his own divine skills, establishing his own sect. He was highly regarded by the emperor, who ordered the construction of the Jinglong Temple in the capital city of Daxing, appointing successive generations of Ye family descendants as the temple's abbots.

In addition, the Ye family frequently intermarried with members of the imperial family, marrying many dukes and princesses. From then on, they became the Taoist sect with the closest ties to the imperial family, apart from the Louguan sect.

Unfortunately, the talent for martial arts cannot be passed down in one's bloodline for long. Just as Emperor Taizong once conquered the world on horseback, the current young emperor can only rely on Gao Pian to control the court.

When the Ye family reached this generation, the current abbot of Jinglong Temple, Ye Jingneng, only broke through the Xuan Guan (mysterious barrier) and did not become a Grandmaster.

However, his daughter, Ye Shuyi, became a disciple of the Louguan Daoist Zhuque Sect and a true disciple of Changsun Chi, gaining considerable fame in the capital.

At this moment, Gao Pian suddenly spoke, and Ye Jingneng, dressed in purple robes, felt a tightness in his heart upon hearing this, and replied with clasped hands:

"I am grateful for your concern, Grand Secretary. My daughter is unruly and obsessed with alchemy. Since she became a nun, she has written very little."

"I've heard that Li Cunxiao is also skilled in alchemy. I suppose we've had some exchanges and discussions?"

Gao Pian smiled upon hearing this.

Ye Jing's words seemed to say something, but in reality, they said nothing at all.

However, one can sense the slight resistance from the other party.

You don't want your daughter to marry into an arranged marriage? Brother Ye, I'm afraid that's not up to you.

Changsun Chi watched all this from the sidelines, shaking his head inwardly. His lips moved silently a few times, and Guo Zhao behind him bowed and walked down from the viewing platform into the crowd.

Before long, his eyes lit up and he walked toward a familiar figure.

"With the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, he is outstanding and unparalleled. That's how the Grand Secretary described Junior Brother Li. What do you think, Junior Sister?"

Ye Shuyi didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to.

In Jian Shui's clear, autumnal eyes, reflected the young man dressed in a robe adorned with dragons and phoenixes, resembling a banished immortal.

It's unclear which mischievous disciple started it, but the name "Li Cunxiao" was heard repeatedly, echoing through the mountains.

He stands out from the crowd, attracting everyone's attention.

Even Ye Shuyi, who was used to seeing many charming men, couldn't help but be distracted for a moment before saying:
"That's true. Junior Brother Li's talent is exceptional, far beyond what ordinary people can match."

"Senior brother, you must be more than just making a casual remark—did Master summon you, or the Grand Secretary summon you, or... my father?"

“That’s not true,” Guo Zhao stepped forward, his gaze also focusing on Li Cunxiao, watching the latter hold the seal and follow Xue Tianyun toward Liangyi Peak.

"As someone who has been married for several years, seeing such an outstanding person, if my children weren't still young, I would probably have to pay them a visit."

"Senior brother, there's no need for further words."

Ye Shuyi interrupted the other person and turned to leave.

“I was raised by my family, so I understand how to prioritize and how to repay kindness.”

"Instead of coming to me, Senior Brother, you should pay more attention to Junior Brother Li's thoughts. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be preoccupied with romantic feelings."

Before he finished speaking, the figure had already walked away. Seeing this, Guo Zhao shook his head and sighed, then went back to the viewing platform.

Ye Shuyi looked at her master and senior brother on the stage from afar, her eyes quickly sweeping over the Grand Secretary in purple robes before finally landing on her own father.

There are mixed feelings in my heart.

The Ye family had long enjoyed imperial favor and maintained a very close relationship with the Li family of the imperial clan. Her mother, Ye Jingneng's wife, was a county princess.

In terms of seniority, she is the current emperor's aunt, but not a direct blood relative.

It can be said that the Ye family's current status owes much to the marriage alliance.

For aristocratic women, marriage was a luxury they could only dream of. Now that this responsibility was falling on her shoulders, Ye Shuyi, though she had anticipated it, was still in a state of utter turmoil.

If Li Cunxiao were just an ordinary genius, that would be one thing, but the two of them happened to be kindred spirits in the art of alchemy, becoming mentors and friends who encouraged each other.

Ye Shuyi could disregard everything else, but this one thing was something she considered sacred.

"If Father were to allow me to be with Junior Brother Li, would he think that everything I did and said before was only for the sake of the family and under duress from the court?"

"Won't you think I'm being insincere?"

Her pearly teeth met her cherry lips, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, had somehow become entangled.

I wanted to go back and read for a while and start a new alchemy process, but I just couldn't calm my mind.

Ye Shuyi returned to her residence, then went out again and wandered aimlessly through the mountains until the sun set in the west and the moon rose in the east.

The moonlight shines down, casting dappled shadows, and a beautiful woman leans against a tree, gazing at the jade plate of light.

Lingering thoughts? Lingering longing?
I have no heart to enjoy this beautiful night; the bright moon descends to the west.

"Master must be discussing matters with the Grand Secretary and Master Zhen Ding. Junior brother, please wait a moment until he arrives before we can open the secret realm."

Outside the Ancestral Hall, Li Cunxiao and Xue Tianyun sat facing each other at a stone table.

Upon hearing this, the former said it was fine, but then asked with doubt:

"When those Ming Cult demons attacked before, didn't our eldest brother awaken a spiritual treasure with his own divine weapon? How come?"

"Why isn't it working now?"

Xue Tianyun smiled, unfastened the two swords from his back, and gently placed them on the table.

Even without activating them, Li Cunxiao could feel a special fluctuation within the black sword dragon ring and the white sword phoenix ring, and he could faintly hear the roar of dragons and the cry of phoenixes in his ears.

They didn't look like two weapons; they looked more like two living beings.

His Wind and Fire Wheels and Azure Phoenix Armor also showed similar performance, but not as obviously. Clearly, Xue Tianyun was superior in terms of refinement, after all, the latter had cultivated for a longer time and had a higher realm.

"Junior brother, can you sense the existence of the Yin-Yang Banner through these two swords?"

Li Cunxiao shook his head upon hearing this.

"That's right, I can't sense it either."

Upon hearing this, both of them laughed.

Unexpectedly, this contemporary chief has a good sense of humor.

“Lingbao is a creation of heaven and earth, and only a grandmaster can control it with great power and give it form.”

"In other words, only the sect leader can control the Yin-Yang Banner. The reason I was able to awaken it before was because my master had left his true essence in my Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang Twin Swords."

"It's just a key."

"I see," Li Cunxiao said, understanding dawning on him, but many questions still arose in his mind.

The spirit treasure chooses its master, just like a divine weapon, yet it is different.

Just like the Bone-Illuminating Mirror, although it recognizes Taiyi as its master, as long as the old Taoist priest is willing, he can also leave his true essence in it for Li Cunxiao to use.

As for certain divine weapons passed down through generations, each generation naturally understands their characteristics thoroughly.

Whether it's feeding the weapon with special materials or practicing martial arts that match the divine weapon, there are ways to increase the compatibility between the martial artist and the divine weapon, thereby increasing the probability of the divine weapon recognizing its master.

Therefore, for sacred sites like Louguandao, Qinglong Temple, and Magu Mountain, the ability to ensure that successive sect leaders could wield the power of spiritual treasures must have some similar method. However, unlike divine weapons, spiritual treasures are far more powerful, even equivalent to a grandmaster-level expert.

Li Cunxiao had always thought that if he could make the dragon boat recognize its master, then even if the world was in chaos, he could still go there.

"Senior Brother, you have a long and distinguished career in the sect. I may ask, what are the rules for cultivating in the secret realm?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Tianyun patiently explained:

"The Spirit Treasure Realm is a small world that is both independent of and connected to the present world."

"Its most precious aspect is nothing more than the essence of spiritual energy."

"Especially for a martial artist like my junior brother who is on the Heavenly Ladder, pure spiritual energy can greatly accelerate the speed of spinal tempering, and the effect is even better than the Four Divine Pills."

Li Cunxiao was thrilled, but he guessed there would be a twist later.

“However,” Xue Tianyun stood up.

“The spiritual energy in the present world is lazy, like clouds and mist, like wind and rain, without substance and difficult to grasp.”

“The spiritual energy in the secret realm is active, and it is easy to condense into various kinds of spirits of heaven and earth, such as dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, xiezhi, and bai ze.”

"By defeating a spirit formed from spiritual energy, you can absorb its essence. Correspondingly, the more essence there is, the stronger the spirit becomes."

"So, how much you gain this time depends on yourself."

It is said that a thousand-year-old tortoise or turtle can speak to humans, and a thousand-year-old fox spirit can transform into a woman; these are all spirits of creatures.

Li Cunxiao is now a Taoist priest in purple robes. He has read the Taoist canon thoroughly and easily understood the other party's meaning.

Seeing Xue Tianyun stand up, he turned his eyes and saw that Yan Daotong had appeared behind the two of them at some point.

"Master Master."

"Hmm," Yan Daotong's expression had been somewhat gloomy, but looking at the two harmonious people in front of him, he smiled again.

"The times are difficult, but fortunately there are still pillars among the next generation. Otherwise, a hundred years from now, I would have no face to meet the ancestors of all generations."

"Master, don't talk nonsense," Xue Tianyun smiled helplessly, knowing that Yan Daotong was probably complaining because he had an unpleasant conversation with the people from the imperial court.

Gao Pian was the Grand Chancellor, in charge of the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The fact that he brought so many high-ranking officials suggested he wasn't just there to observe the ceremony; it was likely related to matters concerning the regional military governors.

"Tianyun, how was your seclusion this time? Are you confident you can break through to the Grandmaster level?"

"If I'm 60% sure, plus the Four Symbols Golden Elixir, it'll be 70%."

A 70% chance of breaking through to the Grandmaster level? That's a high number.

No, Xue Tianyun has already reached the Perfection of the Mysterious Pass and is about to break through to the Unity of the Three Elements?
Li Cunxiao was secretly surprised as he listened to the two talking as they walked.

Despite being a disciple of the same lineage, the gap between him and Guo Zhao and others is simply too large.

The realm of a Grandmaster is the eighth stage of martial arts, the Primordial Embryo.

He combined the three treasures, transformed into a fetus, and thus transcended the mortal realm, with a lifespan approaching two hundred years.

I've heard that this senior brother, Xue Tianyun, is not yet forty years old. If he can become a grandmaster before the age of forty, then he will be one in ten thousand, if not unprecedented.

Furthermore, with warlords across the land now eager to make their moves, Louguandao, both geographically and in terms of its status within the Qin Dynasty, is at the forefront of this conflict.

At this time, it would be a great thing for the sect to have one more grandmaster.

'It would be even better if Master could become a terrestrial immortal.'

Li Cunxiao muttered to himself, and the three of them soon arrived in front of the Ancestral Hall.

The hall was filled with the smoke of incense and candles, and the ancestral tablets were arranged in layers, from far to near and from high to low, just as I had seen last time.

"Tianyun should have already told you what to do once you're inside."

After receiving a definite reply, Yan Daotong said no more and gestured for Li Cunxiao to fetch incense sticks from the side and light them.

Incense sticks are inserted into the incense burner, and the person respectfully bows and pays respects three times. A faint humming sound vibrates in the surrounding space, creating ripples like waves on water.

Whether it was because he had experienced it once before or because his cultivation had improved, Li Cunxiao's feelings were even more pronounced this time.

Just like the moment of weightlessness during a fall, in the blink of an eye, Yan Daotong and Xue Tianyun had disappeared from sight, leaving only himself in the hall.

I tried to sense the dragon boat, and as expected, communication was still seamless, but I couldn't touch it, thus entering the dragon boat secret realm.

"Is it because the dragon boat has been neglected for many years and cannot compare to the millennium of nourishment provided by the Yin-Yang Banner, or is my strength too weak? Or is it because the spiritual treasure has not yet fully recognized its master?"

Li Cunxiao respectfully bowed again to the ancestral master's tablet, then walked out of the hall, filled with doubt.

At the summit of the mountains, a sea of ​​clouds stretches endlessly.

Before the cliff stood a solitary mountain gate.

With its vermilion beams and green tiles, painted with colorful gold lacquer, the hollow of the mountain gate seems to encompass the entire sky.

This time, as soon as Li Cunxiao approached the mountain gate, he saw the sea of ​​clouds churning and boiling, undergoing changes.

Although there was no scene of immortals lined up like hemp, wide white marble staircases appeared in the air, spreading towards the sea of ​​clouds like dominoes.

After tentatively extending his foot and feeling the firm feedback, Li Cunxiao began to climb upwards.

Although the stone steps are closely connected, there are no railings on either side. Looking down, one can see the vast sky and vaguely discern the outlines of the four peaks on the ground.

"Fortunately, I use the Wind and Fire Wheels a lot to fly around, so I'm used to it. If it were an ordinary martial artist coming here for the first time, I don't know how much pressure they would feel."

"Especially under these circumstances, we also have to fight against humans—no, against elves."

Li Cunxiao felt a sense of relief. With his eyesight, he could already see that at the end of this set of steps, there was a platform where large patches of white clouds gathered, and there seemed to be a figure on it.

According to Xue Tianyun, rare birds and exotic animals are only the lowest level of spirits, and are the easiest to harvest.

Above rare birds and exotic beasts, there are also humanoid elves.

Those were the martial artists recorded by the Two Elements Banner in the past. Some were disciples who came to train, just like him, while others were enemies of a certain generation of Louguan Dao sect leader.

Although it lacks intelligence, it retains the instincts and martial arts skills of a warrior in life, making it very difficult to deal with. However, the rewards after defeating it far exceed those of ordinary elves.

As he got closer, Li Cunxiao could make out the figure's appearance clearly. It was a man with a red beard, riding a nag.

"A man with a red, bushy beard, riding a lame donkey. Could he be the Bearded Swordsman?"

Li Cunxiao was taken aback.

In the past, when Emperor Taizong was still the General of the Heavenly Strategy, he encountered a strange man with a majestic appearance, a red beard, and a dragon-like physique.

He originally intended to fight for twenty years and establish great achievements. However, after meeting Emperor Taizong, he lamented that the world already had a ruler, and then fled to the southeast, disappearing without a trace.

The person before me, though appearing lifelike, had empty eyes and was clearly unable to answer the question.

The moment Li Cunxiao stepped into the clouds, the donkey cried out and transformed into a black Qilin.

The bearded man grabbed a cloud, which transformed into a ten-foot-long spear, and leaped upwards.

In an instant, the spear light surged like a raging tide, a colossal wave crashing against the sky!

(End of this chapter)