National Division

Chapter 100 This journey to the Eternal Green Tower—I swear I will not return until I defeat a Grandmaster! (Seeking monthly votes!)
Qingxuan Cave Heaven, Tianji Peak
After the Shangqing Sect Leader left, Murong Yue turned to look at Shen Xian. Her voice was clear and melodious, "Sect Leader Brother, he is very kind and easy to get along with. He won't say a harsh word unless it's for serious business. You'll know this as you get to know him better."

Shen Xian nodded and said with emotion, "I can see that. Your Dao heart is perfect and your virtue is like water. You have reached the state of returning to simplicity and truth."

The Shangqing Sect Master didn't put on any airs. He wasn't the kind of immortal giant he had imagined. He addressed him as "this one" or "this venerable one" repeatedly. After confirming him as a disciple, he addressed him as "I" and treated the three low-level demon cultivators' antics with indifference, even occasionally cracking a few jokes.

It can be said that he possesses profound magnanimity and insightful wisdom.

Or rather, if someone had lived to this old age and wasn't so calm and composed, but instead full of malice, they simply wouldn't be able to lead such a great sect.

Upon hearing this, Murong Yue's eyes suddenly froze, and she said, "Your evaluation is quite similar to that of Taiqing's senior uncle, who often laments that his senior brother did not join the Taiqing lineage."

This was also what surprised Murong Yue quite a bit, as this young man always had amazing insights into the realm of immortality.

Xue Zhihua looked at the young man, her bright eyes sparkling with interest.

Shen Xian always has something that makes people look at him in a new light.

Shen Xian didn't say anything more, but looked intently at Murong Yue and asked, "Senior Sister Murong, could you please take me to the Eternal Green Tower first?"

The path to immortality cannot be achieved overnight, so the matter of Qi cultivation is not urgent and can be put aside for now.

He first improved his martial arts skills in order to protect himself in the treacherous imperial court.

There are priorities in matters of importance and urgency. With official business coming to an end, the priority of officialdom has decreased, while the priority of martial arts has been put first.

Murong Yue was surprised and asked, "Why don't you familiarize yourself with the affairs of the Shangqing Sect and Tianji Peak first?"

Shen Xian said, "It's not too late to get familiar with these things later. Right now, I want to improve my martial arts cultivation."

After improving his martial arts skills, he would return to Guhe County in Anzhou to settle some unfinished business before heading back to the capital.

Xue Zhihua said softly, "Master, I will take Mr. Shen with me so that your trip will not disturb the elders of Taiqing and cause a great commotion, which would not be good."

"That's fine then." Murong Yue nodded slightly, then turned to look at the young man and said, "Then let Zhihua take you there. There is a teleportation array between the caves, which can get you there. I will report this matter to the Empress. I wonder how long you will need to cultivate?"

“I’ll be cultivating in the tower for three months, or maybe half a year,” Shen Xian said.

I will not return until I have broken the Grandmaster's seal at the Eternal Tower!
Of course, if time allowed, he would have loved to break through to the Grandmaster level in one fell swoop!

However, according to previous inquiries, the path to becoming a Grandmaster involves condensing one's martial will. Without experiencing bloodshed and fire, the chances of breaking through to the Grandmaster level are slim.

"That would be three to five days."

A year inside the tower is equivalent to ten days outside, half a year is equivalent to five days, and three months is equivalent to two and a half days.

As Murong Yue spoke, she took out a jade tablet radiating spiritual light from her hand and said in a clear voice, "This is a communication jade tablet. If you need anything, just infuse it with your spiritual power, and it will transmit within a hundred miles. Hmm, it seems you haven't been cultivating spiritual power right now."

Xue Zhihua blinked her bright eyes and said, "Master, I'll take care of it for you."

Murong Yue nodded, thinking to herself that Zhihua would probably refuse to call her "Shishu" (a term of respect for a senior female disciple).

Shen Xian's gaze fell on the sound transmission jade tablet, and he wondered to himself, "I wonder if this thing can be mass-produced?"
I'll look into it again when I have time.

Furthermore, those photo-remembering stones, if they can be mass-produced, could be used as a form of cultural and entertainment media to build a publicity matrix.

We must earnestly reform the backward state of entertainment in this world.

Murong Yue turned her jade hand over and produced another jade token, saying, "This is the pass for the Eternal Green Tower. The Chamber of Time is still on the sixth floor. Zhihua knows this, so have her take you there."

Shen Xian stepped forward and took it, accidentally touching the nun's slender hand, which was warm and slightly cool, as if he had been electrocuted.

Without thinking too much, he quickly took the jade pendant in his hand. On the front was a jade carving of a pagoda, and on the back were two characters, "Murong," written in a delicate and elegant style, exuding a fairy-like grace. It was clearly carved later, with a crescent moon carved below.

He remembered that the jade pendant he had previously used to identify himself in the Shangqing Kingdom did not have any inscription.

And this crescent moon must have been carved on by Murong Yue later using her spiritual power to carve it onto her fingers.

It evokes the feeling of a female college student who engraved her name on her meal card during her school days.

Murong Yue saw the young man lower his eyes to examine the jade tablet, and beneath his willow-leaf eyebrows, a hint of unease flashed in his clear eyes as he pursed his pink lips.

Xue Zhihua tugged at Shen Xian's arm and called out, "Mr. Shen, let's go."

Shen Xian looked down at the beautiful woman's face, which was free of makeup and had a simple, elegant appearance, and said with a light laugh, "Then, Senior Sister Murong, we'll head over first."

This older fairy maiden, still harboring worldly desires, is quite interesting.

Murong Yue nodded slightly, said nothing more, and watched the two leave.

Xue Zhihua and Shen Xian walked quickly to the side hall of the Dayan Temple and said, "The teleportation array is right here."

Shen Xian turned to look at the woman in the red dress beside him and asked, "Zhihua, do you have any fasting pills prepared?"

He entered the Everlasting Green Tower to cultivate for several months and needed to use fasting pills to satisfy his hunger.

"I have quite a few fasting pills in my Sumeru bag," Xue Zhihua said softly, then her heart skipped a beat.

Wait a minute, what did this person just call her?
Shen Xian nodded and said, "That's good. I'll lead the way for you, Uncle-Master."

Xue Zhihua: "???"

No, you really think of yourself as a senior martial uncle?
At this moment, a slight smile appeared on the corner of the boy's mouth.
Xue Zhihua slapped Shen Xian on the back in embarrassment and said, "You, are you taking advantage of me?"

Shen Xian said, "You look a little tired, so I'll tease you a bit."

Xue Zhihua rolled her eyes at the young man, not wanting to pay any attention to Shen Xian.

"You've had a hard day," Shen Xian said softly.

If he hadn't followed Xue Zhihua to the capital, he probably wouldn't have had this extraordinary encounter, which, while drawing him into a larger vortex, also provided him with a larger stage.

Between gains and losses, life is nothing more than an experience.

As the two were talking, they arrived in front of the teleportation array. Xue Zhihua seemed to have been to the Great Crimson Sky Cave with Murong Yue, and skillfully activated the teleportation array.

"Stand firm." Xue Zhihua's voice remained cool, but it contained concern.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian quickly grabbed Xue Zhihua's arm, only to find his hand suddenly went limp, clearly indicating that he had grasped her slender, delicate hand.

Those soft, delicate hands subconsciously tried to break free, but it was so slight as to be almost imperceptible.

The light and shadow rotate, creating a dazzling display of colors.

"Four-quarters of an hour."

Shen Xian murmured to himself, secretly calculating the time. It was probably faster to travel from the Great World to the Cave Heaven, but slower to travel from one Cave Heaven to another.

Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua stood in the air above the field.

Unlike the previous scene inside the Azure Mystery Cave where the mountain was suspended in mid-air, this scene was set in an ancient village with bricks, tiles, and thatched roofs.

In the distance, a peach blossom forest was in full bloom, and along a stream, many peach petals fell onto the water. The village, surrounded by mountains, had neat houses and crisscrossing paths, with elderly people and children. Xue Zhihua knew that Shen Xian would be very curious about these things, so she said softly, "These are the people under the rule of Taoism. They went into hiding during the wars of the previous dynasty and have continued to this day. I think there shouldn't be many in the Cave Heaven."

Shen Xian asked, "Is the Great Crimson Sky Cave Heaven all these small villages?"

Are we trying to recreate the Peach Blossom Spring story here?

For some reason, a phrase suddenly came to mind: "Though we live within earshot of each other's chickens and dogs, we never visit each other until we die."

“No, there are also some ancient tribes.” Xue Zhihua pointed with her slender hand to a majestic and continuous mountain range in the distance and said, “The Taoist temple of Taiqing is over at Shouyang Mountain. There is a towering pine tree that is thousands of years old there, as well as the Shennong Altar. It is said that these were left over from ancient times.”

Shen Xian looked thoughtful and asked, "The sects and grotto-heavens of Taiqing are mainly based on ancient landforms, while Shangqing has mountains floating in the air. What about Yuqing?"

"Qingxuan Cave Heaven is not a suspended mountain peak. It is surrounded by a vast sea. Under the Qingxuan Heavenly Dome, the sun and moon compete for brilliance, and the mountains and seas surround it." Xue Zhihua smiled and corrected Shen Xian, saying softly, "After we go back, I will take you to see it properly. On those seas, there are all kinds of islands with beautiful scenery, like a poem or a painting. They also produce a lot of spirit stones and spirit herbs. That is where the disciples often play."

Shen Xian's heart stirred slightly, and he asked, "What about Yuqing?"

"Yuqing..." Xue Zhihua seemed to remember something, her expression somewhat strange, and she mumbled, "If you have the chance to go to Yuqing Kunxu Cave, you will know."

Shen Xian asked curiously, "Tell me, I don't know when I went there."

Xue Zhihua's lips curled up slightly, as if she were smiling: "Palace, the palace in the clouds."

Shen Xian: "..."

I ask the celestial palace, when will we meet again? My heart yearns to return, and I will fly over mountains and passes.

However, the celestial palace and divine palace are more in line with Yuqing's consistent style.

After all, they were a group of Celestial Dragons...

“Yuqing has always wanted to recreate the grandeur of the ancient Heavenly Court, so sometimes it imitates the form of the ancient Heavenly Court in many ways, such as the Yuqing Talisman and the imperial edicts appointing Heavenly Officials, which is almost the same as the imperial court.” Beneath Xue Zhi’s painted eyebrows, her clear eyes revealed a hint of amusement.

Shen Xian had a few insights in his heart.

As they were talking, the beautiful woman suddenly turned her head, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing slightly on either side of her peach blossom hairpin outlined in vermilion, her tone both shy and annoyed: "Could you... perhaps put my hand down?"

Shen Xian's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural, and she asked in surprise, "Hmm, really? You're still holding hands? I forgot."

He really didn't mean it.

Then, release.

Her hands were delicate and slender, and perhaps it was because she had cultivated herself and removed all impurities, but they felt smooth and delicate to the touch.

Xue Zhihua gave a soft snort, ignoring Shen Xian, but two faint blushes appeared on her beautiful cheeks.

The two rode on a lucky cloud and flew towards Shouyang Mountain.

Just then, in the lush, verdant forests below, atop the cliffs of the Five Old Men Peaks.

Beneath a gnarled pine tree with dark green needles like a canopy, two elderly men, dressed in hemp clothing and straw sandals, with disheveled hair, one in a black robe and the other in a white robe, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom, were playing chess on a stone chessboard on the cliff.

Beside the cliff, a lush jujube tree was laden with jujubes, the fruits bright red, plump and glistening, bending the branches low.

A man with a thin face but vigorous spirit, stroking his gray beard, and unable to hide his smug smile said, "Siming, your dragon has been completely wiped out by me. You're doomed to lose this round."

As he spoke, he picked up a plump, red date and popped it into his mouth.

His face, with wrinkles like the furrows and ridges of a field, was beaming with joy.

"Not always."

The slightly plump old man with a fair complexion and rosy cheeks spoke, picking up a white chess piece and placing it with a "thud" in the area surrounded by black pieces.

"You're committing suicide." The old man's smile vanished, his gaze filled with suspicion and uncertainty. At that moment, a third of the white pieces on the chessboard disappeared.

The old man in black robes picked up another chess piece and sneered, "You should admit defeat."

However, the fat old man picked up a chess piece and placed it on the stone slab. Instantly, the black energy surged back, and the black pieces faded away, turning into white pieces.

A field full of white chess pieces, brimming with vitality.

"This..." The old man in black robes suddenly trembled.

The plump old man laughed heartily: "To be reborn from the ashes, Seven Killings, your death star, life is born from death, the space between life and death is called Yin and Yang."

A young woodcutter wearing a straw hat sat nearby, completely absorbed in the exciting game of chess. Beside him were two bundles of firewood and an axe.

The thin old man's face showed anger and embarrassment. He said, "You used the power of life force to secretly set up the chessboard and preemptively gained the initiative. You cheated! Let's play another game. This one doesn't count!"

"No matter how many games you play, you'll always be a terrible chess player." The fat old man said with a smile, picked up a ceramic pot filled with spring water, and gulped it down in one go.

Upon seeing this, the thin old man snorted coldly, sulking.

The fat old man paused slightly in his chess piece, then suddenly looked up at the woodcutter beside him and said with a smile, "It's getting late, Wang Zhi, you should go down the mountain too."

The young woodcutter suddenly awoke, turned around and picked up his axe, only to find that it was rotten. When he turned around again, the two old men were nowhere to be seen on the stone platform, nor were any chess pieces.

Wang Zhi felt unbearably hungry and thirsty. He saw two red dates left on the stone platform, went over, picked up the dates, wiped them with his sleeve, and immediately a fragrant aroma wafted over. He felt even hungrier and thirstier, as if his mouth was being craved. He finished the dates in a few bites.

A warm current flowed into my limbs and bones, and I felt all the fatigue of the past few days disappear.

Knowledge is a good thing.

He was about to pick some red dates to take with him when he turned around and looked at the date tree again. He was shocked to see that the date tree had withered and fallen leaves at some point, and there were no red dates left.

Wang Zhi was greatly alarmed and quickly gathered some firewood, descending the rugged and steep mountain path.

I felt my feet were nimble and light, even more agile than the monkeys in the mountains. With a few leaps, I had already descended the mountain.

Two elderly men, one fat and one thin, stood in mid-air, concealing their forms. The thinner man frowned, his eyes flickered, and he asked, "Disciples of the Shangqing Sect?"

"Judging from the aura emanating from that little girl, it should be the spiritual energy of the Shangqing lineage," the fat old man said with a smile.

"I see that the young man is shrouded in the aura of death and misfortune, layer upon layer of evil energy. I'm afraid he's about to face a great calamity," the thin old man said coldly.

"Another bet?" The fat old man chuckled and said, "I see that his aura is like a rosy cloud, with purple smoke gathering, which is the appearance of a proud king in white robes. Although there is a lot of calamity, the red sun is in his heart, so he will eventually turn his luck around."

The thin old man raised an eyebrow and said defiantly, "Then we'll wait and see."

"Let's go and take a look." The plump old man smiled, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

It is indeed a mysterious destiny.

The two, who were already highly skilled in cultivation, quietly concealed their presence and followed.

(End of this chapter)