Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

However, this vision was shattered just a few days later by information brought by their own steward.

"What did you say?! Those teleportation-related treasures were for personal use?"

Has Qingse's capital grown to this extent? Isn't the Sword Dynasty supposed to have strict regulations, making it difficult even for local merchants to get involved?

Hearing the Pavilion Master's furious roar, Leopard Head could only remain silent, knowing that saying more would only lead to more mistakes.

He knew that the Pavilion Master's seemingly generous "giving up" of the island was actually the result of careful consideration. He had determined that Qingse would have difficulty establishing herself in the Sword Dynasty and would not be able to accumulate sufficient funds, so she could only rely on the old capital she had accumulated from selling jade toys.

That's why he agreed to the deal at the time.

Now that the jade token has been handed over, the money and goods have been exchanged, the transaction is over, and it's too late to back out.

The owner of Donghai Pavilion sat in his private room with a heart full of anguish, having not experienced such a dramatic rise and fall in business for a long time.

A fairy island rose up by the window, its shadow falling on his face as it passed, like a dark cloud hanging over his heart.

Then she completely distanced herself from him.

......

Chu Mingkong saw that the Daoist sect's "construction team" had started working and nodded in satisfaction, displaying the demeanor of a foreman.

Meanwhile, the elder who had taken five or six jars of ancient wine from him was now acting as a wicked overseer, urging his disciples not to slack off and to exploit the labor of the lower-level disciples.

Not only does it take up an hour and a half of the disciples' cultivation time every day, but it also doesn't give them double the sect contribution for overtime work.

This project will take about three days. If the Asura clan's formation goes smoothly, the women will be able to return to the Daoist sect in a few days.

Group slip, three, umbrella, water chestnut, lingering thoughts, 9th period

Chu Mingkong took out a lot of pills as a reward to the Daoist sect, and then went to the Heavenly Gate with Yun Nongyu to wait.

Jin Yu and the others strolled around the Taoist temple and paid their respects. Jin Yu reminisced about Yong Zhen's past and remembered that Yong Zhen had come to the Taoist temple with Chu Mingkong once.

Of the people who came to the Taoist temple at that time, Aunt Gu and Yongzhen both got pregnant, while Madam Zhen and Sister Rong'er did not, which is still suspicious!

So now Jinyu is led by female Taoists, and whenever she sees a statue of a deity in the Taoist temple, she pays her respects with utmost sincerity.

Chu Mingkong addressed the Heavenly Gate, which had already opened a crack, saying:

"Yaoji, how much longer until you come out?"

"Soon, before that teleportation array is completed. I have already secured my foundation, but I still need to complete the arrangements for the Jianmu barrier before I can safely leave the Heavenly Gate."

Yao Ji's voice was melodious and pleasant, slow and unhurried, with a leisurely and otherworldly quality, like watching the clouds drift by.

It makes the listener feel as if they are in a secluded wooden cabin in a valley, with the shadows of trees swaying outside the window, and the wind chimes on the windowsill rustling in the breeze, producing a clear and refreshing sound.

If others were here, they would probably be filled with longing for Yao Ji just by hearing that beautiful voice.

But Chu Mingkong was used to what Yun Nongyu had shown him, so his emotions were calm and indifferent.

The female cultivators of the Taoist sect do indeed possess a transcendent quality, ethereal and otherworldly, without any deliberate effort; their every gesture is like wearing a fragrant orchid.

"You've really kept me waiting."

"I apologize, Your Highness, and I hope you will understand," Yao Ji said gently.

Chu Mingkong felt helpless. He really wanted to peek at Yao Ji through the crack in the door, but being able to hear her voice from inside was already a great relief.

Two days later, the Heavenly Gate made a sound of opening, and Yao Ji poked her body out from within, the first thing to appear being a delicate white jade foot.

Chapter 190 The Divine Peach

Yao Ji's movement as she peered out of the door had a touch of playfulness to it.

She first emerged from the half-open door, her shapely upper body slightly tilted forward, revealing herself outside. Her beautiful face was hidden behind a veil, while her lower body remained concealed behind the door, with only one bare, white foot showing.

This scene resembles a woman inviting her lover to her home for a secret rendezvous. She has left a door in her backyard, but is worried that her family will find out, so she is being careful and discreet.

Such actions are quite strange on Yao Ji. Such behavior would be normal on girls like Jin Yu or Qing Ning, but it doesn't quite fit the impression of a beautiful woman like Yao Ji, who is as aloof as a hermit, gentle and approachable yet with a sense of distance from the world.

Yun Nongyu explained in a low voice from the side:

Qunliu③⑧③Lingliu's Private Uncle⑦

"This is the ceremony for opening the Heavenly Gate. Whether the one who opens the gate is going in or out, a woman must expose half of her body and lean out to look out before the Heavenly Gate can be fully opened."

Chu Mingkong suddenly realized, but still didn't quite understand:

"Does this ritual have any special meaning? It seems that no spiritual power is involved in the ritual."

At this moment, Yao Ji had already come out. Her steps were dignified, her demeanor elegant, and her bearing graceful. Her hair was piled high, and her face was radiant and fair. As she drew closer, her body exuded a delicate fragrance, and her aura was so pure that one could not bear to defile her.

Walking barefoot on the stone slabs, even the slabs seem to shine, so it's not difficult to imagine that every step you take will be like walking on lotus blossoms.

This is the same fairy-like girl as Yun Nongyu, like a fairy who stepped out of a painting.

Yao Ji explained:

"It's just a ritualistic gesture. Perhaps it had a special meaning in ancient times, but it lost its original meaning when it was passed down and only became a gesture of etiquette, just like a greeting when you meet someone."

"Those gestures and etiquette are quite unique." Chu Mingkong shrugged, feeling very good upon seeing Yao Ji.

If something else goes wrong, and problems arise inside Jianmu, preventing Yaoji from returning and keeping the Heavenly Gate tightly closed, then Chu Mingkong will go crazy.

"Your Highness Chu, if you are curious about this, I can tell you some of the rumors surrounding it. I suspect Nongyu has also investigated some of them?"

"I did investigate out of curiosity."

The topic strangely led to the half-opening ceremony just now. Chu Mingkong thought that this could be used as a starting point to enhance mutual understanding and have more conversations, so he acted as a listener.

The open space in front of the Heavenly Gate formed a small scene of its own. Yao Ji flicked her sleeves, and a stone table appeared in front of her, with peaches and fine wine on it.

Yun Nongyu parted her lips slightly, her eyes veiled by a blindfold, concealing her bright eyes. Her red lips, which parted as she spoke, were exquisitely beautiful, glistening like jelly.

"Some ancient noble tombs have their tomb doors shaped like a woman's half-open door, which is the posture of Yao Ji when she opened the Heavenly Gate, with her body half-exposed."

Yao Ji's veil covered half of her beautiful face. Veils seemed to be one of the rules of dress, but she still tried her best to find a compromise between rules and friendliness. The veil woven by spiritual power was very transparent, and the outline of her face could be vaguely seen. She was soft and beautiful, but her lips were completely invisible.

Her beautiful eyes, as bright as stars, adorned her exquisite face. Though her lips were not visible, her eyes were so expressive they seemed to speak volumes.

"Death inspires fear, and even tombs seem to carry an ominous meaning. However, in the eyes of Taoism, life and death are perfectly peaceful words, no different from each other."

The deceased arrived at the Heavenly Gate and saw a woman half-opening the gate to welcome him, signifying an opportunity to meet the Queen Mother of the West, enter the Heavenly Gate, ascend to the world of immortals, and be reborn from the dead…

"But those who can meet the Queen Mother of the West are the souls of the deceased. The souls of the deceased who are reborn leave their bodies behind completely in death..."

Chu Mingkong listened as the two girls, one covering their eyes and the other their mouths, recounted many folk tales, but he couldn't come to a conclusion. He could only put on a thoughtful expression.

Regardless of whether he understood or not, he had to make it clear that he was paying attention.

With two stunningly beautiful women by his side, even if they weren't speaking the same language, Chu Mingkong could still mistake it for a song.

"I never imagined it was so profound. I understand now... So, Yao Ji, what happened in Jianmu back then?"

Yao Ji's small mouth was hidden under her veil, but looking into her beautiful eyes, she seemed to be smiling at him, knowing that Chu Mingkong had heard the truth about loneliness, but she thoughtfully did not reveal it.

"The Heavenly Demons used some means to break through the entrance barrier on the other side of the Heavenly Realm and launched an invasion. Fortunately, they had no way to deal with the Heavenly Gate barrier after it was contracted and reinforced. However, the reinforcement of the Heavenly Gate barrier also prevented me and the Queen Mother of the West from informing our fellow disciples, which led to the subsequent events in the Daoist sect."

Chu Mingkong guessed that Yao Ji was being genuinely polite, and even if he informed his fellow disciples, it wouldn't really make a difference.

A celestial demon at the Saint Venerable realm—wouldn't that be a devastating blow to the elders of the Daoist sect?

If Nongyu hadn't followed him and experienced those strange encounters, she would probably be similar to other Taoist elders now, at the sixth level of physical cultivation, and could ascend to the seventh level if her inspiration exploded.

But they still couldn't control the situation of Jianmu.

Thinking about this, Chu Mingkong felt even more strange and incongruous. The Daoist sect seemed quite weak, with no outstanding experts, but its foundation was actually able to withstand the chaos caused by the Heavenly Demon Clan, forcing the Heavenly Demons to bring out the Heavenly Demon Prince from the parasitic egg and end the battle.

"The Taoist sect has been leaderless for so many years. So you're trapped inside? That's truly not easy." Chu Mingkong could only offer this consolation.

"Then... what about the Queen Mother of the West?" After much hesitation, Yun Nongyu finally asked directly about this matter.

This is also the issue that Chu Mingkong and Yun Nongyu had been avoiding behind their casual conversation.

"Her Majesty ascended to immortality, solely to thoroughly reinforce the Heavenly Gate Barrier... Otherwise, even if the Heavenly Gate Barrier had contracted in time, it would have been difficult to withstand the Holy Venerable of the Heavenly Demon Clan for so long. Moreover, Her Majesty also encountered the appearance of that Heavenly Demon Ancient Prince. This was a last resort."

The composed and serene Yao Ji finally felt a surge of emotion. Ripples spread across her heart, reaching her lips and turning into a sigh.

Yun Nongyu was deeply hurt:

"So, has the Empress truly passed away?"

Faced with this question, Yao Ji hesitated in her answer, unable to assert that the Queen Mother of the West had truly ascended to immortality.

Yun Nongyu sensed a glimmer of hope in Yao Ji's attitude, and she pressed for an answer:

"Is there a chance?"

Yao Ji first shook her head, then, without keeping her in suspense, immediately explained:

"This is something that can only be known after being chosen as Yao Ji, but I will tell you two now. If Yao Ji wants to be promoted to the Queen Mother of the West, in addition to inheriting the Daoist teachings from the Daoist leader, she must also eat the divine peaches that grow on the sacred peach tree in the Jianmu tree."

Each time the Queen Mother of the West departs, a wisp of her divine soul is poured into the sacred tree, which then bears a divine peach.

But I waited for a long time under the sacred tree, and saw no fruit, so I guessed... that the Queen Mother of the West might not have ascended to heaven as I had witnessed.

But this is just speculation. As the closest witness, Yao Ji herself couldn't be sure what the situation was.

Chapter 191 Nongyu Feels Jealous

It seems that Yao Ji was unable to master the Queen Mother of the West's inheritance for so long because she was waiting for the appearance of the divine peaches of immortality.

Yao Ji's meaning was undoubtedly that the Queen Mother of the West only lost her body, while her most important soul still existed.

Chu Mingkong picked up the peaches on the stone table, examined them for a moment, but didn't dare to eat them.

After being disgusted by the tuberose in its unique way last time, Chu Mingkong became more wary of eating fruit.

He put down the peach and said in a joking tone:

"Are the growth requirements for these divine peaches so demanding? They're like ginseng fruits, needing to be nurtured by the Queen Mother of the West before they can bear fruit?"

“Your Highness, ginseng fruit doesn’t need to be fed…” Yun Nongyu subtly reminded her.

I always felt that Chu Mingkong's words implied that these divine fruits needed people to act as fertilizer in order to grow.

Yao Ji didn't care about Chu Mingkong's somewhat ridiculous joke, and said:

"That divine tree was said to have been worshipped as a sacred tree in ancient times, capable of bearing medicinal herbs and divine fruits that could grant immortality. It was also because of this tree that many legends about the Queen Mother of the West possessing the elixir of immortality were passed down through the ages."

Chu Mingkong's memory suddenly became clear, but Elder Jiu had said that Nongyu could also brew wine.