Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 399 Ziwei's Invitation
Yun Yi only knew that Jiang Miaojin had some connection with the Righteous Qi Sect, otherwise she wouldn't have had a token that could control the Divine Firmament Dao's Fairy Tingni.

However, Jiang Miaojin never revealed the specifics of this connection.

She still intends to keep things mysterious today, which is intentional and deliberately meant to annoy Yun Yi.

Unexpectedly, Yun Yi was quite easygoing. Since the other party didn't want to talk about it, he didn't ask anymore and said with a smile, "It's not like you're the only one with connections in the Righteous Qi Sect. I have them too."

Jiang Miaojin didn't believe it: "How could someone from the Demonic Sect like you associate with righteous people?"

"To be honest, the person I befriended is named Feng Mo."

"I think you've gone mad." Jiang Miaojin glared at him, then asked, "Do you really know him?"

Yun Yi shrugged: "When have I ever lied to you?"

Jiang Miaojin: "That's too many."

The two of them, along with Zhuque, had lived together for a period of time. Although they always treated each other with respect and maintained a subtle understanding, they knew each other's temperaments perfectly well.

When Yun Yi impersonated Su Xin, he told a string of lies, and it was rare for him to utter a single truth.

Yunyi got down to business: "When do you plan to go up the mountain?"

“It may take a while longer. My father is going back to Beijing to report on his work, and I plan to spend some more time with him.”

"Very well, once you embark on cultivation, you age prematurely. Who knows when we'll meet again?"

"Why does it sound like you're implying something?"

"The Righteous Qi Sect might be planning a big show, and I'll have to go and join in the fun."

"What big show?!" Gossiping is always a woman's instinct, and Jiang Miaojin is no exception.

Even Su Qing, who was only focused on admiring the flowers, perked up her ears, showing great interest.

Yun Yi, however, kept it a secret as a "reward," saying, "You'll know when the time comes."

Jiang Miaojin flicked her sleeve and said, "Tch, boring."

"Haha, before you go to the Righteous Qi Sect, don't forget to take some time to visit Zhuque in the Burial Sword Valley. She often talks about you. Otherwise, once you become a Righteous Immortal, it will be difficult to see Zhuque again."

Jiang Miaojin immediately gave them the order to leave: "Alright, alright, I don't have any of those prejudices. I only came up the mountain to cultivate because I was bored. You and the Princess should leave now if you have nothing else to do. I still need to think of a way to move all the flowers and plants away."

Since that was the case, Yun Yi and Su Qing exchanged a smile and left the Prince Xian's residence hand in hand.

Jiang Miaojin stared blankly at the person's back, muttering to herself, "It's not like the flowers you like have to bloom in your own yard, why be so insistent?"

……

Zhao Wuxiang transformed into a withered old man and used golden light to escape at breakneck speed, finally managing to leave Dong'an City.

He didn't witness Hong Fu's fate firsthand, but he imagined she would inevitably die.

He knew Hong Fu's background better than anyone else; she had already been driven to a dead end by Yun Yi.

"Sigh..." Zhao Wuxiang felt a pang of sadness. When he thought of Shen Suanzi and Hong Fu, who were among his few "friends," he felt a pang of resentment towards Yun Yi.

Interestingly enough, he didn't hate Yun Yi, but he did harbor some resentment.

Perhaps influenced by Yu Wuxia, Zhao Wuxiang not only couldn't feel hatred towards Yun Yi, but he also wasn't firm in his desire to fight him to the death.

"The sect leader only asked me to do a few things, and all of them were messed up by this kid. I don't know if I owed him something in my past life, but I'm bound to be unlucky whenever I meet him in this life."

Zhao Wuxiang was extremely frustrated and didn't want to return to Futian Pavilion for the time being.

The thought of returning disappointed and inevitably being ridiculed by those arrogant but incompetent guys made him feel embarrassed.

He comforted himself, saying that the secular dynasty was, after all, just an "insignificant" part of the grand plan to overthrow the heavens. The Pavilion Master was all-powerful and would always find a way to deal with them when the time came.

Thinking of the Master of the Overturning Heaven Pavilion, Zhao Wuxiang couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Because the Pavilion Master had mysteriously disappeared for some time, no one else in the Overturning Heaven Pavilion knew where he had gone, only remembering that his last words were—

"The plan is proceeding as scheduled. The key lies in the two pillars of Jue Tian Cliff and the Righteous Qi Sect. Other matters can be put aside for the time being."

Po Jun and Tian Lang, both at the Ascension Realm, should know the Pavilion Master's whereabouts. However, Po Jun has an eccentric personality and is not as easy to deal with as Xiao Buyi, so Zhao Wuxiang didn't ask.

As for "Sirius," his identity remains a mystery to this day. He acted alone when he shattered the Heavenly Pillar, leaving no clues behind.

Zhao Wuxiang thought to himself, even if Yun Yi could turn the tide in the Great Xia Dynasty and seemingly win a game against the Futian Pavilion, it was only a tiny corner of the chessboard.

Those individual pillars were the most crucial element, yet you could only watch helplessly as they were shattered one by one.

……

Little did they know that Yun Yi had already made up his mind.

Facing a behemoth like the Overturning Heaven Pavilion, completely stopping them would be an impossible task.

Take the Heavenly Pillar of the Righteous Qi Sect for example. As the last of the nine Heavenly Pillars, it is guarded by the Old Celestial Master. Even if someone in the Ascension Realm goes there, they won't get away with it.

At that time, the Lord of Futian Pavilion will definitely take action personally.

Another point that made Yun Yi feel there was no need to be obsessed with fighting the Futian Pavilion to the death was the attitude of his own master, Wang Shenlai.

The fact that Wang Shen has not fought to the death with the Overturning Heaven Pavilion Master since his arrival shows that although their views are different, they are far from being at the point where they need to fight to the death.

Since that's the case, Yunyi felt that as long as he did what he could for the world, he would have done his "utmost in benevolence and righteousness."

He and Su Qing strolled around Dong'an City for a while, intending to go to Zuixianlou to buy some wine, but they received a letter from the palace informing them that the grand court assembly had already ended.

So the two returned to the palace and, led by palace servants, went to the old emperor's study.

Qin Dingfeng had been waiting there for a long time. He looked refreshed and energetic, clearly more interested in giving advice to Su Chengqian than in assisting Su Rui.

Su Chengqian was busy looking down at the memorials. He needed to quickly adapt to the changes in the Qin Dynasty. Without looking up, he said, "Prime Minister Qin has something to tell you. You two talk first."

He wasn't at all like an emperor. Prime Minister Qin had worked with him for many years and knew his style of doing things very well.

So Qin Dingfeng "abandoned" the emperor and turned to Yun Yi, saying, "I found some clues about the person that Young Master Yun asked me to investigate from the Tian Shu Academy."

Yun Yi: "I would like to ask Prime Minister Qin for his guidance."

"That person came from the 'Heavenly Puppet Sect,' which made a brief but remarkable appearance five hundred years ago. They were skilled at crafting exquisite magical artifacts and their puppet-making techniques were quite unique. However, very few people knew about the Heavenly Puppet Sect, because they violated some taboos and suddenly disappeared overnight."

The fate of the Heavenly Puppet Sect reminded Yun Yi of the Sword Forging Manor; both suffered an undeserved calamity and were erased from the human realm by some force.

Qin Dingfeng explained, "There is very little relevant information. I can only speculate from the few bits and pieces I have. The Heavenly Puppet Sect must have developed a method to abandon the physical body and perfectly attach the soul to the puppet body."

Yun Yi asked in surprise, "The physical body is the foundation of cultivation, how can it be abandoned?" "I don't know, but they must have found an alternative method of ascension, which is why they have brought this trouble upon themselves."

Qin Dingfeng continued, "By the way, I also told my junior sister about this. She also spent a lot of time and effort on it. Yesterday, she sent a message asking me to pass on a message to you."

Yun Yi listened attentively.

Qin Dingfeng said, "The Heavenly Puppet Sect's Shepherd is none other than Po Jun of the Overturning Heaven Pavilion."

According to records, no one survived the destruction of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. If someone managed to escape and possessed the cultivation of the Ascension Realm, he would most likely be the last sect leader of the Heavenly Puppet Sect—named Mu Lang.

Most importantly, the junior sister suspects that this person is currently in the Great Yan Dynasty.

This made Yun Yi feel emotional. He wondered where the Overturning Heaven Pavilion Master had found three Ascension Realm cultivators who had a “deep hatred” for the Heavenly Dao. Each of them was incredibly mysterious.

However, otherwise they would not have been able to shatter the pillars of heaven in the human realm one after another.

At the same time, Yun Yi also felt that the situation on the Great Yan side was somewhat unexpected. He originally thought it was just a Dao Integration Realm cultivator stirring up trouble.

It seems there's probably another Ascension Realm cultivator over there now.

It's unclear how Lu Ziwei discovered this information; she must have paid a considerable price. Since she was so enthusiastic about investigating and even asked Qin Dingfeng to help her deliver the message, it's as if she was passing a message to Yun Yi.

You owe me a favor, you should pay it back!

Qin Dingfeng said leisurely, "Besides that, there's something my junior sister didn't tell me, but I feel it's necessary to tell you."

Seeing the smile on Qin Xiang's face, Yun Yi guessed that it must be a good thing.

He said, "My junior sister returned to Tian Shu Academy a few days ago and has already entered the Dao Integration Realm."

"She actually achieved Dao so quickly?" Yun Yi was truly astonished, unable to understand why Lu Ziwei had suddenly accomplished this.

Logically speaking, since Lu Ziwei and Qin Dingfeng respectively assisted the Great Yan and Great Xia dynasties, there should have been a struggle for the Great Dao between them. Only the complete defeat of one dynasty could exchange for the opportunity to merge with the Dao.

Qin Dingfeng spoke of this matter without any jealousy, only admiration, saying, "It's because Junior Sister has already stepped out of her original chessboard and set her sights on a much broader game."

Yun Yi suddenly realized that Lu Ziwei's successful attainment of Dao was directly related to the Overturning Heaven Pavilion.

She first came into contact with the Overturning Heaven Pavilion in the Floating Life Secret Treasury, and then experienced the "Dismemberment Plan", finally confirming that there was an invisible hand behind the two secular dynasties.

When she decided to stop caring about the gains and losses of a single country, she opened up another path for herself.

Qin Dingfeng: "Master Qiu said that this is an era of great strife that has not been seen in many years. Many monstrous geniuses will appear in the world, and countless unprecedented great paths will emerge. In fact, this can be seen from the sudden appearance of Song Xinci and Feng Mo."

Yun Yi deeply agreed, as in the past, those who reached the "Dao Integration Realm" were all highly accomplished individuals who founded their own sects.

It was nothing like it is now, with "those who have returned to emptiness as numerous as dogs, and those who have attained the Dao walking everywhere."

Qin Dingfeng: "I didn't understand what the Great Struggle Era was before, but now I understand it a little. As those celestial pillars were destroyed, the earth's veins became more disturbed, but the spiritual energy in the human world also became much richer."

Yun Yi: "Most importantly, the shattered Heavenly Pillar transforms into the purest and most refined spiritual energy, which will benefit people immensely without them even realizing it."

It seems that Lu Ziwei of Tian Shu Academy, the monk Bu Jie of Fu Sheng Temple, Su Qing and Boyue of Fu Yao Sect... the cultivation of this generation of disciples can be described as making rapid progress, precisely because they have benefited from it.

There's also Yun Wuyi of the Heavenly Crippled Sect, whose body is incomplete yet he found the opportunity to achieve Dao, and Zhuque of the Burial Sword Valley comprehending the "Path of the Painted Eyebrows," who is also close to achieving Dao.

Even the Demon Lord Yi Tianxing happened to find a way to break through his cultivation level during this era of great strife, which almost allowed him to ascend to immortality.

This shows that although the nine heavenly pillars have not been completely destroyed, the cultivation world is already showing signs of a "world-shaking upheaval".

Qin Dingfeng asked, "Young Master Yun, are you planning to make a trip to the Great Yan next?"

Yun Yi countered, "Did Lu Ziwei tell you to ask that?"

"That's not the case. She was already certain you would go."

"Tsk, it's really not pleasant to run into a woman who's too smart."

"Hehe, Junior Sister has mentioned more than once that she and you are kindred spirits. Perhaps this is the tacit understanding between you two."

Yun Yi thought that with Su Chengqian in charge of the Great Xia, there was no need to worry about anything. However, if the Great Yan was not at peace and insisted on starting a war, then the result would still be a devastating loss of life.

Su Qing remained silent, but she overheard the key point of the conversation and asked, "Is that shepherd a cultivator at the Ascension Realm?"

“That’s right. I’ve met him once before, but he was busy destroying the Heavenly Pillar and didn’t have time to deal with me.”

"Wouldn't this trip to Da Yan be extremely dangerous?"

"The risks are considerable, but according to my speculation, those who have ascended to the Ascension Realm will need to conserve their strength to attack the Heavenly Pillar, thus they will be hampered at every turn and unable to truly unleash their killing spree."

Yun Yi calmly speculated, "Furthermore, we will need Lu Ziwei's help to clarify the relationship between Po Jun and Da Yan, and what tricks they have played in the matter."

Of all the women he knew, Lu Ziwei was the one Yun Yi truly admired. In terms of intelligence, Yun Yi felt he was only good at intrigue and scheming, while Lu Ziwei was far more adept at open and aboveboard strategies.

Su Qing suddenly said, "I'll go with you."

"what?!"

Yun Yi and Su Chengqian said in unison.

After they finished speaking, the two looked at each other. Yun Yi's eyes were full of surprise, while Su Chengqian glared at him fiercely.

Su Chengqian said, "Father has just woken up, don't you want to spend more time with me?"

Su Qing said, "The current situation in the Great Yan is even more dangerous than that in the Great Xia. I absolutely cannot let Yun Yi go into danger alone."

Yun Yi: "I'm not exactly alone, there's Lu Ziwei over there too."

"Then I'm even more worried." Su Qing's attitude was unusually firm.

Thinking back, the Princess and the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yan Kingdom didn't get along well during the fire in Dong'an City last time. Perhaps they had already sensed something back then, which is why they disliked each other so much.

After all, besides their secular identities, the two are also the most outstanding young female disciples of the Fuyou Sect and Tianshu Academy, respectively, and are often compared to each other.

Su Chengqian frowned, his old face contorted in a grimace. He knew his daughter's temper all too well.

Once she makes a decision, no one can change her mind.

Therefore, he could only vent his anger on Yun Yi in secret, glaring at him again and again.

You're the one who kidnapped my daughter and took her to that dangerous place called Da Yan. If anything happens to her, I'll settle the score with you!
Yun Yi asked softly, "Do you really have to go?"

Su Qing nodded, uttering a single "Mmm," conveying a sense of determination to accompany her beloved even through fire and water.

"Okay, let's do it together then." Yun Yi couldn't help but grab Su Qing's hand, which made Su Chengqian even more annoyed.

(End of this chapter)