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

The woman seated nodded slightly, her expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

The maids were speechless, suddenly realizing that their praise had been inappropriate.

The Palace Master's talent is indeed extraordinary, unmatched throughout history, but he has deliberately put himself in this predicament...

It's truly hard to tell whether this is good or bad, whether to congratulate or criticize.

"Is there any movement at Burning Lamp Buddha Mountain?" The woman on the seat put away her Dao Fruit and had no choice but to temporarily divert her attention.

She has ample time to consider this Dao Fruit, because the bottom line depends on how well the others are doing.

"Reporting to the Palace Master."

The monks have become much more cautious since a while ago, when a bodhisattva suffered a great loss outside the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace. It's Jianba Mountain that's been more active; my subordinates are still sending people to investigate thoroughly.

"The forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace..."

The woman murmured a few words, her gaze seemingly sweeping into the distance.

"I will recount in detail what happened in the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace."

......

Forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace.

The beautiful woman was dressed in a charming and bright pomegranate-colored long dress, followed by a silver-haired fox-woman and a lively little white fox.

Zhu Tong was preparing to fulfill Chu Mingkong's instructions and investigate various intelligence about Empress Yueji.

We're only setting off now, which is quite a delay, but it's not due to negligence; it's out of necessity.

Outside the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace, the area has been bustling with activity for days, with battles and duels raging on.

These were cultivators from various races who had come after hearing about the Bodhisattva's misfortune.

Some went to the forbidden area together, while others, once outside the forbidden area, started fighting because they didn't like each other.

This made it impossible for Zhu Tong to leave the forbidden area, and using the teleportation array was also not advisable.

A few days ago, Chu Mingkong used this teleportation array frequently, and people from many places were watching this place closely.

Now that things had calmed down a bit, Zhu Tong decided to leave the forbidden area to gather information from all directions.

“Little Zhu Yan, it’s not peaceful outside right now. Wouldn’t it be better if you stayed in the Spirit Palace to cultivate?” Zhu Tong advised her silly daughter.

"No, I definitely have to stay with Mother. Don't forget I saved her last time!" The little white fox was determined to stay with her mother.

Her disguise was all set up; in a flash, she transformed into a brown tabby cat with a large tail.

Zhu Tong had already tried to dissuade him several times along the way, but he stopped trying.

"After you leave the forbidden area, please be careful on your own. If you can find any information around the forbidden area, do not go too far," Wanxiangyu instructed, the flower in her mouth emitting a fragrant aroma.

Zhu Tong expressed her gratitude, though she also knew the prudent principle of not going too far if possible.

However, the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Palace is located in a remote area, and there are no large towns around it. We can't very well ask those fierce and aggressive cultivators for information, can we?

Instead, regarding the matter of going out to gather intelligence, Zhu Tong had already made many contingency plans and planned the route in advance, striving to go and return as soon as possible without any delays.

......

"Grandma Basheng, Yaoji says the auspicious time is approaching... What are your plans?"

Chu Mingkong looked at the woman in the dark black robe in front of him. This black-toned gorgeous dress seemed to carry the deep loneliness of the underworld, but it also reminded Chu Mingkong of the clothing customs of the Xiling royal family, which made him feel a sense of familiarity.

Grandma Basheng sat calmly, exuding a dignified and majestic air. Her red lips parted slightly, like the crimson spider lilies blooming beneath the Bridge of Helplessness:

"The time is approaching, and I will go with you there afterward, though I will proceed at a slower pace."

"What happened?" Chu Mingkong blinked.

Otherwise, Chu Mingkong would never have guessed why Grandma Basheng had postponed her trip. When he went to see her before, she was either sleeping or lost in thought in the underworld.

"I want to better control the power of the underworld; going to the heavens halfway through would only be a burden."

"Oh, I see. That's quite unexpected. Has Grandma completely accepted this power?"

Whether or not to accept it, Ba Sheng still felt a little awkward, as if she was doing something she didn't like.

However, she does need this power now. Since the last time the demon toad spirit and Wu Yiling of Sword Tyrant Mountain teamed up to cause trouble in the Sword Dynasty, Ba Sheng has accepted the power of the Underworld God Kingdom, whether she wanted to or not.

It's not in her nature to say anything awkward or unwilling.

"Sort of, but after the Sword Dynasty incident, I thought about it a little more carefully and realized that we still can't completely rely on the power of the Underworld Divine Kingdom. We have to find a way to incorporate the sword into this power."

Chu Mingkong could understand what Grandma Basheng meant. The profound guiding principle behind it was like the mutual contempt between magic cultivators and sword cultivators, or the mutual disdain between mages and warriors.

"The power of the underworld is a spell that can be cast directly, unlike the tactile feel of holding a sword?"

Ba Sheng thought his grandson's statement was good and nodded in agreement:

"You could say that."

"So does this mean that Grandma Basheng has a chance to bring back some familiar memories of Sword Tyrant Mountain with her former sword intent?"

The thought of returning to Sword Tyrant Mountain with his former swordsmanship to settle scores with the Yin-Yang Chaos Soul Array is exhilarating.

"That's probably not going to work. Once you've let go of something, it's hard to get it back completely, just like the spirited and energetic mindset you had when you were young."

"The power I now wield—this inner god still belongs to the underworld, only its outer form is adorned with a sword."

Isn't this equivalent to attaching a sword hilt to a staff and then calling yourself a sword cultivator?

Those who practice magic and those who practice swordsmanship, must remain silent upon seeing this.

"That doesn't matter, Grandma. You've probably heard about what's been going on with me lately. When I have some free time these days, I've been thinking about those beings in the Heavenly Realm. They probably can't live forever, right? Grandma, are you in a state that's equivalent to immortality?"

The topic of immortality is something that Ba Sheng finds most objectionable.

Her composed demeanor only revealed a slight furrowing of her brow at such times, adding a touch of intimidation to her dignified bearing.

"Perhaps it is true, because I now exist in reliance on the divine kingdom. As long as the divine kingdom exists, I am hard to destroy. As the controller of the divine kingdom, I am unable to find a way to dismantle the underworld divine kingdom. I really don't know why the underworld has become empty."

As for those beings in the Heavenly Realm, what they desire is not merely immortality, but supreme power; otherwise, what is the point of an immortal being enslaved by others?

Chu Mingkong couldn't help but sigh. Those who cared least about lifespan and power, and only about having lived life to the fullest, had in effect achieved immortality. As for those beings in the Heavenly Realm, not to mention immortality, some even faced self-crisis because their immortal bodies couldn't keep up with the strength of their divine souls.

The master's wife pursued self-discipline and rules, but even with her immense power, she still couldn't escape the inherent constraints of her ego.

"Grandma, shall I practice your 'new sword technique' with you? I learned a little sword-playing game from Aunt Donglu, where you turn your strength into little figures and play against each other."

"it is good."

Skirt ⑥3⑧30 Leave 49⑦

On the stone table, two rather cute big-headed doll-like figures materialized from the power, and the two fought with flashing swords as their power clashed.

Chu Mingkong was lost in thought about entering the Heavenly Domain a few days later, while Ba Sheng couldn't help but think about the strange memories and feelings he had brought back from the Sword Scripture's will.

In the clash of the little figures' powers...

The auspicious day for opening the door, as predicted by Yao Ji, has arrived.

Chapter 209 The Inevitable Bickering

"We haven't even had a chance to warm up this fairy island yet, and we're already setting off?"

Upon hearing the news of Chu Mingkong's departure, Qingse was the first to be surprised.

Of course, you could say she was the last to be surprised, because everyone else had already been surprised long ago. Qingse, on the other hand, had been working tirelessly on the decorations and layout of the fairy island since arriving there.

We'll build a garden in the middle, and houses along the cliff to the east. We're still undecided about the other areas.

Moreover, this immortal island is large enough, almost larger than the Qingxin Mansion in Xiling, which is why Qingse has been busy until now and only now has she learned about so many things that have happened outside the immortal island.

Incidentally, Chu Mingkong privately called the East Sea Pavilion Master's immortal island "Jiba Island" because its reflection on the ground had a certain charm.

As for Qingse, which Chu Mingkong would call "Peach Island," its shape was originally a bit flawed and not round enough, but Chu Mingkong used his sword intent to fix the edges and corners, and now it is a very smooth island.

It was the process of trimming the edges. Qingse felt heartbroken about the few square meters of scrap material that had been trimmed away with a single sword stroke, feeling that a lot of money had been wasted.

"Going to the Heavenly Realm is unavoidable, but we've already set off once to scout out the area and familiarize ourselves with it. It's not exactly a long trip, but it still takes a lot of time, and we won't be able to come back in the short term."

Chu Mingkong shrugged helplessly. Perhaps it was because he had been thinking too much about the Heavenly Domain these past few days, but now that it was time to actually take that step, he felt a sense of fatigue.

It seems that an important factor in maintaining fighting spirit is to think less and do more, and to act like someone who doesn't think things through.

While this kind of mindless fighting spirit can be translated as recklessness, it's still better than meticulous planning that results in stagnation.

And this brings us back to Chu Mingkong's external brain.

"We can't come back in the short term, so... should we consider expanding the business to the Heavenly Realm and taking the Immortal Island with us? That way, the business shouldn't fall too far behind the competition."

"Let's not do that. The Heavenly Domain is not a good place to do business. There are no local bullies to protect you! My cultivation level is not high enough to protect you and your business in the Heavenly Domain. Be careful not to be robbed. Even the Immortal Island has been taken as a mount."

"Is the Heavenly Realm so dangerous? Then I'll wait until Your Highness has finished developing that market before I go... It should be easier to switch to other businesses once I'm in the Heavenly Realm!"

Qingse recently added some "new props" to her cultivation and stress relief center, but the more she did it, the more uneasy she felt, as if it were a gathering place for some evil and filthy cult.

She was very worried that one day her reputation would be ruined and she would become a pariah.

That's not a good idea; we must leave ourselves a way out.

Looking at Qingse's complex and ever-changing expression, Chu Mingkong remarked:

"Why are you making it sound like I'm trying to violently open up the Tianyu market so you can dump your goods?"

"What's the meaning......"

Qingse looked confused, not understanding Chu Mingkong's terminology, but when her eyes caught sight of the figure of the Basheng Female Sword Emperor, she immediately felt guilty and started to run away.

These days, her voice on the Sword Dynasty's side has become so intense it's almost unbearable, and it's starting to slip out of her control.

"I'm leaving now to keep an eye on the Sword Dynasty's business!"

Qingse left those words behind, transformed into a beam of light, and flew back to the Immortal Island. Then, she used her own money to have the Daoist disciples increase the "frequency" of the teleportation array, managing to squeeze the Immortal Island into the teleportation area.

Upon seeing this, the female Taoist disciple who had been appointed to oversee the immortal island said with concern:

"Miss Qingse, this is too big. It's a bit difficult to squeeze in!"

"Shouldn't we just fly back to the Sword Dynasty as usual?"

Chu Mingkong temporarily ignored what Qingse would do next. He glanced at his female companions, most of whom he wanted to keep by his side.

Jin Yu and Rong Er even suggested it themselves, but Xiao Zhi had only recently given birth, so after some discussion, they decided to leave some of them in the Daoist sect for the time being.