Celestial Official!

Gold and jade rise and fall, the sun and moon flow like a river.

Another ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiangzhi Mountain.

Inside the bedroom of the dark-colored building.

Yan Chen sat cross-legged, and a hissing sound gradually arose, followed by two streams of Qi emanating from the fontanelle at the back of his head.

One is magnificent and dignified, the other is vibrant and full of life. The two complement each other and flow together seamlessly, resembling both jade and flame, which is quite unique.

After regulating his breathing, Yan Chen slowly opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"After reaching the third level of Qi Refining, the cultivation speed is indeed much slower than before. After ten days of hard work, day and night, I have barely grasped the rules and tricks of guiding Qi, but I am still far from opening up the Yang Mansion."

"That's not surprising. The Yin-Yang Mansion is the foundation of a cultivator's path. All future cultivation will rely on it. How can it be accomplished in one fell swoop?"

"If things progress too quickly, I'll start to have my doubts."

According to the Taoist teachings imparted by Sister Zhu, there is no fixed order for the opening of Yin and Yang dwellings for Taoist practitioners.

Whether to prioritize Yin over Yang, or vice versa, the key lies entirely in the practitioner's own will.

But there is one thing—

Therefore, we must follow the principle of yin and yang being in harmony and the two sexes generating each other, and we must not reverse or disrupt the balance!

Yan Chen currently possesses two apertures, both related to wood and fire, but even so, there is still a distinction between primary and secondary ones.

The "Red Cloud Bright Fire Control Technique" is his entry into the Dao, and the "Red Cloud Bright Fire Qi" derived from it is the foundation of the Dao. Therefore, if one is to open up a mansion, one should first focus on the Bing Fire Qi mechanism, which is also the location of the Yang Mansion.

After the Yang Palace is opened, the next step is to make Yin and Yang present a harmonious balance. Therefore, the only option is to open the Yin Palace.

Finally, there are residential and burial sites, which are the same as those mentioned above and need no further explanation.

"The four continents of the Great Wilderness jointly explore Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, but uniquely revere the mutual generation of the two. The former is the 'virtue' of Heaven and Earth, and the latter is the 'nature' of all things. The so-called 'virtue and nature' are the foundation for establishing oneself in the world, and this is the key!"

With a slight thought, Yan Chen suddenly gained insight, and his understanding of the great path of cultivation in this world became increasingly clear.

He suddenly stood up, pushed open the door, and went out onto the high and spacious terrace.

The sun is shining brightly in the sky right now.

Yan Chen remained calm, sitting with his legs crossed facing south, right in the position of Li Huo, sensing that wisp of "Li Huo True Essence" in the darkness!

"The saying goes, 'One should obtain fire during the hours of Yin, Wu, and Xu,' and now is the perfect time for me to cultivate!"

Yan Chen laughed heartily, then flicked his sleeves, revealing a secret book in front of him.

It was for that one technique, "The Song of Restraining the Two Elements and the Divine Evil!"

"The construction of the residence, though slow, is merely a matter of time and is not a major obstacle. With the wonder of the technique, it should be completed in about ten more days!"

At the same time, a small figure climbed up the terrace.

She clung to the railing, and seeing that Yan Chen wasn't cultivating, she shouted loudly:

"Master, we haven't seen the strange man within a radius of several dozen feet!"

Yan Chen nodded slightly and said:

"Understood. Keep an eye on things. If you perform well, I might teach you a method of gathering qi, so you won't keep stumbling around all the time."

"Yes, sir!"

The chubby girl, her pigtails swinging, skipped off onto the terrace.

Yan Chen withdrew his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then took something out of his sleeve—

It was none other than the "Mysterious Pivot Treasure Mirror".

According to Senior Sister Zhu, this item is a magical artifact with many mysterious uses, and it will greatly assist his future cultivation.

"Surveying the earth's veins, adjusting feng shui, and reversing the flow of yin energy..."

"If that person really came for the Water-Fire Vine, then what he was after was the 'Pure Radiant Qi' contained within it?"

"Or perhaps, there's another reason?"

For the past ten days, Yan Chen has been either cultivating or studying the Xuan Shu Treasure Mirror.

However, there seemed to be a restriction on it, which was vast, complex, profound and difficult to break through and refine with his current cultivation level.

Since Senior Sister Zhu didn't offer any help, he couldn't very well ask her for a favor rashly.

I had no choice but to put that thought aside for the time being and focus on my current cultivation.

Perhaps things will turn around after the opening of Yangfu, who knows?

……

……

Thousands of miles away, in the vast desert.

Dust billowed, and yellow sand obscured the sun.

In the desolate desert where no one is seen all day long, three figures appeared together, all dressed in wide black robes and wearing hoods, their faces obscured.

Only their figures and outlines could be vaguely discerned as two men and one woman.

At this moment, the ground beneath their feet was littered with the remains of countless monsters, a scene of utter devastation.

Blood soaked the yellow sand, and a heavy, pungent stench seeped into the ground. Even the fierce desert winds could not dispel this thick, unyielding stench of blood.

The three ignored it as if what lay on the ground was nothing more than harvested wheat from the field.

Suddenly, another cloud of dust rose in the distance. A man in black robes took something out of his sleeve and tossed it into the air. A paper horse then took off.

Upon seeing this, the three leaped up, mounted their paper horses, and sped away.

After a few breaths.

Nearly a hundred demon cultivators of various kinds swarmed over, and upon seeing the horrific scene of corpses scattered all over the ground, they were all horrified and began to hiss and roar.

The murderous aura and fear, along with the pervasive blood and malevolent energy, instantly mingled together.

"This...this seems to be a Taoist technique from the Jade Sleeve Sect!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from among the demons.

The demons scattered, and then a majestic tiger demon, about ten feet tall, appeared, with piercing eyes and a blazing light in its pupils.

An old ape stepped out from the side, puzzled, and asked:

"Eye-Tiger, are you seeing things? The Jade Sleeve Sect is more than a thousand miles away from the Vast Desert. They have no prior grudges against us. Why would they suddenly come here to ambush us demon cultivators?"

"Fearful Ape, you've only just returned to the Vast Desert, so you're unaware of the reasons behind this. When you came out, Intent Tiger had already told me everything that had happened these past few days!"

After saying this, he recounted to the Fearful Ape what the Worrying Ape, the Sorrowful Ape, and the Wish Tiger had discussed that day.

Upon hearing this, the fearful ape fell silent, and after a long while, it finally spoke:

"Thinking about my lineage of the Ape of Love and the Tiger of Desire, since the [Demon Path] went into seclusion, we have been wandering for nearly ten thousand years, and our lineage has been passed down for more than a thousand generations."

"Now that we have reached our generation, apart from the four apes of fear, sorrow, worry, and anger, and the three tigers of intention, eyes, and ears, the other lineages have long since withered away and disappeared."

"Relying on his demonic bloodline, he barely managed to guard the 'Eye of the Vast Abyss' for over a hundred years, doing his utmost. Now, he's fallen to this state—how pitiful and lamentable!"

"Don't wallow in self-pity if you're afraid of monkeys; things may not be as you think."

Another ape demon slowly walked out, with a hairy face, a pointed mouth, and slanted eyebrows. At first glance, it even had a certain charm.

"Angry Ape, what do you have to say?"

"Eye Tiger said in a deep voice."

The angry ape, draped in a wide-sleeved Taoist robe, crossed his arms and said calmly:

"Eye Tiger, aren't you known for your piercing eyes? Didn't you see how those three men in black robes left just now?"

"The Jade Sleeve Sect is a legitimate lineage of the Southern Zhuo, and they have always only cultivated Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. How come I've never heard of them having such a strange and bizarre technique as paper horses?"

Upon hearing this, Yanhu paused, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

……

……

High in the sky, inside the flying boat.

With a flick of his white-robed sleeve, Bai Mo summoned a Soul Banner, enveloping the three black-robed figures within it before retracting it back into his sleeve.

Only then did he approach the figure in the magnificent robe, bowing his head and saying:

"The Equator has completed the mission and deliberately displayed unorthodox techniques. I imagine there is already some discord among those demonic lineages."

Chi Yihuo casually toyed with a wolf-hair jade brush and said indifferently:

"I already know..."

He paused, then suddenly asked:

"By the way, your disciple died?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo immediately bowed and kowtowed, swearing an oath:

"Rest assured, Equator, that Mysterious Pivot Mirror belongs to the Upper Family. I will retrieve it at all costs!"

Chi Yihu chuckled and waved his hand, saying:

"There's no need for that. That treasure mirror belonged to my younger brother. Now that it's lost, it might not be such a bad thing."

"He's had it too easy for the past ten years. Let him suffer some setbacks to temper his impetuous nature. Don't take it to heart."

Bai Mo dared not speak, and murmured his agreement.

The imposing presence he had displayed before Guo Shoujie was now completely gone, as if they were two different people.

Chi Yihuo retrieved a letter and said with a smile:

"Give this letter to my uncle, and the rest is up to him."

……

……

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Jade Sleeves School.

Above the azure sky, the clouds churned and boiled, the sun and moon dimmed, leaving only a pale, cold blue glow, boundless and vast, empty and desolate.

But deep within the clouds and mist, a magnificent jade palace stood, its jewels gleaming and its azure hues stretching far and wide.

Green-tiled pavilions, precious trees and jade forests, golden branches and jade leaves, surround a glazed throne.

Seated atop it sat a man in fine clothes, handsome and imposing, whose eyes seemed to hold a myriad of phenomena, including earth, fire, wind, and thunder.

It was none other than a Foundation Establishment True Person whose mansion was fully built and whose [manifestation] had been solidified!

At the same time, a respectful inquiry came from behind:

"Master, a message has arrived from the equator, indicating that all arrangements for the vast swamp are complete. Should we send a few disciples from the Eight Lineages with Daoist backgrounds there to demonstrate our importance?"

The master shook his head and said:

"Why should such a trivial matter disturb the peaceful cultivation of my Eight Meridians disciples?"

"Since the Three Valleys are full of talented people, a decree was issued ordering them to accept the task in their official capacity."

"...Yes, Master."

The person behind him remained silent for a moment before accepting the order and leaving.

……

……