Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 269 Shenxiao Sect - Child's Fate!

Shenxiao Sect, Jade Pivot Hall.

The palace is majestic, with a high dome painted with images of the stars and the gods of thunder in gold thread, which faintly shimmer with a purple-gold light in the dim light.

The pillars of the hall are entwined with dragons, their scales menacing, all outlined in mithril and imbued with the true essence of the Divine Firmament Thunder Magic. The floor is paved with yin-yang fish-shaped black jade bricks, so shiny they reflect the solemn and dignified atmosphere inside the hall.

At the end of the main hall, there is a golden statue of Lin Lingsu, the founder of the Shenxiao School.

The patriarch had a gaunt face, slightly closed eyes, and his hands formed a thunder incantation. His body was covered with tiny electric pythons and thunder dragons, exuding an unparalleled majesty as someone who wielded thunder and carried out punishments on behalf of Heaven.

The altar is made of jujube wood struck by lightning a thousand years ago. Its grain pattern seems to be naturally formed, and it exudes a faint aura that wards off evil.

On the table, in accordance with Taoist rituals, the "Five Offerings" are neatly arranged: a censer of century-old agarwood, its smoke rising straight as a pillar, filling the hall with a unique fragrance; a bottle of pure white orchids, their fragrance subtle and ethereal; a nine-petaled lotus lamp, its flame a pale gold, burning quietly; a glass of clear, translucent water; and a plate of fresh, plump, and glistening seasonal fruits.

However, amidst this solemn and respectful atmosphere, there was a highly discordant figure.

A fat cat covered in dark clouds was lying sprawled out in the center of the offering table, squeezed between the incense burner and the water bottle.

Its entire body was jet black and glossy, except for its four snow-white claws, which looked as if it were walking on clouds. Its round belly was exposed, and it slept soundly and comfortably, rising and falling with its breath. It even made a soft snore, which disturbed the solemn smoke.

After a while, the fat cat slowly woke up, stretched out in an extremely relaxed manner, and the sharp tips of its claws left a few fine white marks on the lightning-struck wooden table.

It shook its round head, blinked its emerald green cat eyes, and its gaze fell on the glass of clear water.

It stuck out its pink tongue and tentatively licked the clean water in the bowl. Then, as if it had tasted some supreme delicacy, a sly and smug look flashed in its eyes.

"Meow~Ah~~"

It let out a satisfied yet slightly boastful cry.

"Nuoyuan! You've stolen the offerings again! You're coming down here, you bastard from the Shu Road!"

A clear shout rang out like a thunderclap at the palace gate.

There stood a young female Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe, her eyebrows raised and her almond-shaped eyes wide open.

She was about twenty years old, with an exceptionally beautiful and delicate appearance, skin as white as snow, and exquisitely refined features. However, at this moment, her pretty face was filled with a hint of anger, adding a touch of fiery and lively spirit.

She is Yang Qingluan, a contemporary disciple of the Shenxiao Sect.

The fat cat "Nuoyuan" on the offering table was startled by the roar. Its fur stood on end, and the cat arched its back and sprang up, its plump body stretching out into an exaggerated arc.

Like a startled Spinosaurus, it let out a threatening growl of "ha-ha-ha" from its throat.

Yang Qingluan was clearly used to this. She took a few steps forward and moved with practiced ease. With one hand, she precisely pinched the thick layer of fat on Nuoyuan's neck and lifted the fat cat, which weighed over ten kilograms, up without any effort.

"I told you not to disobey, I told you not to disrespect the ancestors. How many times have I told you, you can't go on the offering table, you can't touch the offerings, you stinky cat, are you itching for a beating again?"

While scolding, she grabbed the peach wood ruler with thunder patterns from beside the altar, which was used for rituals, and without saying a word, smacked it down on the chubby cat's butt.

"Meow!! Awooo!!!"

Nuoyuan kicked wildly in the air with its four paws, letting out a pitiful and angry scream, twisting its fat body in an attempt to break free.

"Qingluan! Stop! Stop now!"

An anxious voice came, and Lin Huanzhen, the current leader of the Shenxiao Sect, strode into the hall.

He had white hair and a youthful face, a lean and refined appearance, wore a purple and gold Taoist robe, held a white jade whisk, and had a long beard that reached his chest. He had the air of an immortal, but at this moment his face was full of panic.

"Master, please don't try to persuade me!"

Yang Qingluan's hands didn't stop, and the Heavenly Ruler fell twice more: "This stinky cat never learns its lesson. Today, it must be taught a lesson, otherwise it will really think that the ancestral altar is its cat's den!"

"Meow—!!!"

Nuoyuan's cries grew increasingly mournful.

"Nonsense! Put down the Heavenly Ruler right now!"

Lin Huanzhen hurried forward, disregarding his sect leader's dignity, and snatched the Heavenly Ruler from Yang Qingluan's hand. "You go out first. I, your master, will teach Nuoyuan a lesson."

Yang Qingluan glared angrily at Nuoyuan, who was still baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, then looked at the clerk with an unquestionable expression, and could only stomp her foot.

"Master, please indulge it!"

After saying that, he reluctantly turned and left the main hall.

The hall was temporarily quiet again.

As soon as Nuoyuan was put on the ground, it immediately rubbed its beaten bottom with its paws. Its bright green cat eyes were full of grievance. With its back to Lin Huanzhen, it turned its bottom towards him, clearly still angry.

Lin Zhenhuan sighed and bent down to pat its head and say a few words of comfort.

But then Nuoyuan suddenly turned around, darted to a prayer mat in front of the ancestral master's statue, lay down, looked up at the golden statue of Lin Lingsu, and let out a series of meows that were meowing with intonation and full of accusation:
"Meow! Meow! Meow—! Meow meow! Awoo—!"

The cry was melodious and sorrowful, like weeping and lamenting.

Lin Zhenhuan, who was standing to the side, twitched his lips slightly and seemed to be sweating.

Because he understood its meaning and clearly comprehended the content of Nuoyuan's "complaint":

"This is outrageous, Lin Lingsu! You old bastard, aren't you going to do anything about this? Your disciples and grand-disciples are bullying a skinny, pitiful cat like me! Look! Look at my butt! It's all swollen from being beaten!"

"Is there no justice in this world?! Is there no law?! If I hadn't been keeping an eye on the movements inside Zhao Ji's little womb, would you have figured out the emperor's preferences so quickly? Would you have become a 'Golden Gate Hermit'?"

"Crossing the river and then destroying the bridge! Using the millstone and then killing the donkey! Waaah—! My life is so miserable—!"

Nuoyuan became more and more agitated as she spoke, and in the end she even slapped the prayer mat with her paws, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Lin Huanzhen stood there, watching the fat cat chattering incessantly at the statue of the patriarch, complaining about his grand-disciple. He felt utterly overwhelmed and could barely hold onto his whisk.

This "ancestor" is someone he can't afford to offend.

If he really started throwing a tantrum, there was truly no one in the Shenxiao Sect who could control him.

Moreover, the original founder of the sect, Lin Lingsu, owed this "cat" a debt of gratitude. How could he, as a disciple and grand-disciple, dare to act arrogantly in front of it?

Lin Huanzhen looked at the sulking fat cat on the prayer mat, a smile almost fawning on his face, and cautiously approached: "Senior, please calm down. Qingluan didn't mean it. She's young and doesn't know any better..."

"Meow!!"

Nuoyuan suddenly turned its head, baring its teeth and revealing what it considered an extremely "fierce" expression. Its emerald green cat eyes were filled with rage, and its claws lashed out, leaving several deep marks on the cushion. "Meow! Awooo! Meow—!"

(I don't care! Don't give me that crap! If you don't let me fight back today, I'll... I'll tear the beams of this Jade Pivot Palace to shreds! I mean it!)

Lin Huanzhen felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat almost broke out on his scalp. He made a face and lowered his voice, saying, "Senior, you don't know this, but you can't hit or scold that girl Qingluan!"

He paused, a complex expression of helplessness and pride on his face: "Qingluan is a one-in-a-million Red Phoenix Star Child of Destiny, and is further protected by the Dragon Virtue Star. She has deep blessings and good fortune, and can be called a walking koi fish."

"Our Shenxiao Sect's most treasured martial art, the Howling Wind and Thunder Manual, which has been lost for nearly a hundred years, has been unfathomable to generations of masters and countless brilliant talents, yet she has managed to master it!"

"She is the most precious talent in our Shenxiao Sect for hundreds of years. She is the apple of my junior brothers' and nephews' eye."

"If I really let you hit her today, not to mention them, even the Grand Elder who is in seclusion will probably come out of seclusion and fight me to the death!"

Speaking of the Howling Wind and Thunder Book, we must mention Wang Wenqing, another founder of the Shenxiao Sect.

In the first year of the Xuanhe reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, Wang Wenqing crossed the Yangtze River and wandered through the marshes. He lost his way in the rain and met a strange man who taught him the method of sending a memorial to the emperor and the book of commanding the wind and thunder.

Every year, when the gods fly, they silently pray to God, summoning thunder and rain, commanding the wind and clouds. After a long period of rain, they pray for clear skies, and the sky immediately brightens. In the depths of winter, they pray for snow, and snowflakes drift down from the sky. If evil spirits cause harm to a household, they send divine generals to drive them away, and all are restored to peace.

Lin Lingsu, on the other hand, met a Taoist priest surnamed Zhao when she was traveling in Xiluo at the age of twenty, and was given the "Shenxiao Tiantan Jade Book".

The book records methods of divine transformation, spells for summoning clouds and rain, and magical Taoist techniques for commanding ghosts and controlling all spirits.

Although the different lineages have different focuses, they have learned from each other and innovated over the course of thousands of years, and have long since become one, with each containing elements of the other.

Only this Book of Howling Wind and Thunder truly contains the laws of heaven, making it extremely difficult to cultivate. Only those favored by the fortunes of heaven and earth and possessing exceptional talent can master it.

Therefore, Yang Qingluan is the precious darling of the entire Shenxiao Sect, their only hope, the only hope of the village... I mean, the sect!

As Nuoyuan listened to Lin Huanzhen's explanation, the anger on the cat's face was gradually replaced by an expression of extreme displeasure and helplessness.

It gritted its teeth, making a low growling sound in its throat, and irritably patted the cushion with its paws.

Of course it knew Yang Qingluan was special. Normally, this girl could pick up money on the street, and her cultivation was like a divine intervention. But this beating was for nothing?

The fat cat grew angrier the more he thought about it, but then he saw Lin Huanzhen's pleading look, as if saying "Please have mercy," and then he thought about the old and young Taoist priests of the Shenxiao Sect who protected Yang Qingluan like the apple of their eye...

"Meow...woof..."

Finally, it collapsed onto the cushion in despair, its tail flailing weakly as it let out a whimper filled with frustration and resignation.

Forget it, a good cat doesn't fight with a woman. I, the cat, will take it all on myself!

------

Two days later, in the market town at the foot of the mountain.

Yang Qingluan accepted the mission in a good mood and went down the mountain to purchase the daily necessities needed by the sect. In reality, she went shopping, buying snacks, clothes, and the like.

After all, the sect has dedicated suppliers who provide all its supplies at preferential rates, so why would they need her?

This little brat is just making up an excuse.

Nuoyuan, with its paws tucked in, squatted in the bamboo basket she was carrying with an air of nobility and aloofness, only revealing its fluffy black head and snow-white paws, attracting frequent glances from passersby.

"Nuyuan, look how pretty this bell is!" Yang Qingluan picked up a delicate little silver bell and waved it in front of her.

Nuoyuan turned her head away in disgust, showing the back of her head to her: "Meow." (Childish.)
Although the two of them had a "cold war" for a while after that day, Nuoyuan reluctantly "forgave" her after Yang Qingluan took out dried fish and special cat food.

After all, you can't go against anyone but delicious food.

After finishing her shopping, Yang Qingluan, carrying large and small bags and a bamboo basket containing the fat cat, set off on the mountain path back to the Shenxiao Sect.

The mountain path is quiet and secluded, with lush trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light.

As they reached a secluded mountain hollow, Nuoyuan suddenly raised its head warily, its ears perked up, its emerald green pupils narrowed to slits, and it let out a low warning growl: "Woo—"

Yang Qingluan also instantly sensed something was wrong. The surrounding air seemed to have become thick and cold, and the birdsong and insect chirping in the mountains and forests had completely disappeared, leaving only a deathly silence.

"Chi chi chi——"

Countless dark, twisted spells, like living venomous snakes, emerged and spread without warning from the void, tree trunks, and rocks in all directions.

These spells are not made of paper, but are composed of dense, cursed, and malevolent primordial energy. They rapidly intertwine and link together, forming a huge, pitch-black barrier that covers the entire mountain valley.

【Field expansion】

【Curse of the Hundred Demons】!
The moment the barrier took shape, Yang Qingluan felt a sudden heaviness around her, as if she were sinking into an invisible quagmire, and the flow of her innate Qi within her body became sluggish.

"who?!"

Yang Qingluan gave a sharp shout, scattering the items she had purchased onto the ground. She quickly pointed her fingers like a sword, a faint purple lightning flashing at her fingertips as she warily surveyed her surroundings.

The glutinous rice ball in the bamboo basket had already arched its body, its fur standing on end, and it let out a threatening growl in a certain direction of the barrier.

"Hehehe... As expected of the precious darling of the Divine Firmament Sect, his perception is indeed sharp."

A chilling voice rang out, and the shadows at the edge of the barrier twisted, revealing a figure in a black trench coat.

His face was thin, but his body was extremely burly. His eyes were sinister, his smile cruel, revealing shark-like serrated teeth. Strands of his pale hair fell casually down, and his body was surrounded by ominous curse energy. His face was covered with black square markings.

It was Gojo Benren, one of the twelve divine masters and a sorcerer.

"A child born under the Red Phoenix Star, protected by the Dragon Virtue—truly an enviable destiny and fortune."

Curse Master licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with greed and cruelty: "If I could strip away your luck and refine it into my 'cursed artifact,' my cursed arts would surely reach a new level."

"However, you are only a secondary target."

His gaze was fixed on the cat in the bamboo basket. "That's the main target!"

As he spoke, Gojo-be extended two fingers of his right hand, placing his middle finger on his index finger to form a hand seal.

"Spell: Resentment Illusion!"

Amidst the buzzing sound, the dense curse energy within the barrier converged wildly, instantly condensing into three enormous, distorted monsters.

(End of this chapter)