Chapter 435

Located on the bank of the Luo River and in the middle of the plain, Luojing was the largest city in the world. The city was square and divided into different sizes by nine horizontal and nine vertical roads. Every day, more than a million people made a living here.

Shi Xuan, dressed as a traveling Taoist priest, walked through the bustling crowd on Vermilion Bird Avenue with the Enchanting Flag in his hand. He had been in Luojing for seven or eight days. These days, he had been inquiring about the whereabouts of the Huilong Temple. However, this Taoist temple was not famous and no one knew about it.

In the end, Shi Xuan sneaked into the Luojing government office and looked through the temple's directory. He also asked the Ancient Book Office, which was in charge of this matter, and finally found the location of the Huilong Temple. It turned out to be in the most remote corner in the west of the city.

After turning a corner, the crowd in front of him gradually became sparse. When he walked to Anle Square, he could only see two or three children playing on the road. The surrounding houses were dilapidated and hadn't been repaired for a long time. At first glance, he knew it was a place where poor people lived.

Few outsiders came here. As soon as Shi Xuan entered the square, the children followed him sparsely and laughed as if they were watching the fun.

The Huilong Temple was in the northernmost part of Anle Square, and it was also the least populated place. There was no house within a few hundred meters, only a dilapidated Taoist temple standing there alone.

When Shi Xuan saw the Huilong Temple, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. It was too dilapidated. He was afraid that it hadn't been repaired for decades. He could even see that part of the roof was damaged.

Walking to the door of the Taoist temple, Shi Xuan looked at the door, which seemed to fall with a push. He gently knocked three times, then three times, but no one answered the door for a long time. Shi Xuan had to knock a few more times and then waited for a while, but still no one came to open the door.

Shi Xuan had no choice but to use his Inner Qi and knock on the door. The door was shaking and was about to fall. At this time, a clear and lazy voice came from the Taoist temple, "Who is it? Why are you knocking on the door in broad daylight? It's annoying."

Following a series of slow footsteps, the door in front of him was finally pulled open before it fell. What appeared in front of Shi Xuan was a delicate and handsome Daoist boy. He frowned and shouted at Shi Xuan, "Hurry up and leave, the person you're looking for is not here."

"I am looking for Taoist Daoquanzi." Seeing this, Shi Xuan had to state his purpose directly.

Hearing Shi Xuan's reply, the sleepy eyes of the Taoist boy opened. He looked up and down at Shi Xuan and finally pulled a perfunctory smile, "I was wondering when that Lao Dao Taoist would fall for someone like you. But it seems that you are here because of that matter. Since you know his name, come in, he is reading scriptures in the meditation room."

Shi Xuan didn't understand what the Taoist boy meant. But since he let him in, he should seize the opportunity.

Following behind the Taoist boy, Shi Xuan tried to get information from him, but the Taoist boy was very tight-lipped. Other than yawning, he didn't even tell Shi Xuan his name.

Walking in front of a shabby room, the Taoist boy said, "This is the meditation room. Come in with me." After saying that, he pushed the door open and walked in without knocking. Shi Xuan could only follow behind him.

The meditation room was very spacious. There was only a praying mat and a study table. On the praying mat sat a Taoist priest in his thirties. He was dressed in black and had a crown on his head. Just as Chu Yuyan had described, he looked ordinary and had a small mustache. But based on his ability to not change his appearance after so many years, he was far better than Shi Xuan.

The Taoist priest sat on the praying mat. The scriptures in his hands almost fell to the ground. His eyes were tightly shut as he read the scriptures. His head nodded, and there was something suspicious like saliva at the corner of his mouth.

The Taoist boy walked in front of him and stomped his foot heavily. He immediately straightened his body and straightened his head, waking up with a start. He stared blankly at the Taoist boy. The Taoist boy said disrespectfully, "You have a guest." He then turned and walked away without looking back.

The Taoist priest touched his mouth and muttered to himself, "I'm old, I'm old. I'm already at the age where I can fall asleep while reading scriptures." He then raised his head and looked at Shi Xuan sleepily. "You're looking for me?"

"Are you Daoist Daoist Quanzi? This junior is Shi Xuan." Shi Xuan replied respectfully.

"Yes, I am. Sigh, what a pity that I'm not a handsome young man." Daoist Quanzi clicked his tongue regretfully. Then, he pointed at the floor. "Take a seat. What business do you have with me? I don't remember owing you any favors, nor do I owe you money."

Shi Xuan didn't mind. He sat cross-legged on the ground and asked straightforwardly, "Do you still remember the Fire Spirit Pearl?"

"Eh, you're that girl's lover? That's not right. Judging from your age, could you be her son? En, I'm a righteous man. I do owe her an opportunity. Just tell me what you want. "Daoist Quanzi rubbed his sleepy eyes.

Shi Xuan didn't want to take this opportunity from Chu Yuyan. "This junior is determined to find the Dao Sect. I heard from Madam Yuyan that there's an expert from the Dao Sect here. That's why I'm here. I'm not here to ask for this opportunity for her."

"Expert? I'm not an expert." Daoist Quanzi said a joke that wasn't funny. He then grumbled in a low voice, "Sect Master Senior Apprentice-Brother is an old fool. Did he really have to send me to this remote and troublesome place?" After grumbling, he continued, "Actually, you don't have to look everywhere. Once you break through to the Qi Gatherer Realm, you'll naturally know where the Dao Sect is."

"What do you mean?" Shi Xuan saw that Daoist Quanzi seemed to know something. He was a little excited.

Daoist Quanzi stretched and cracked his neck. He then answered lazily, "Isn't it just like that? At the end of the ancient times, the few Golden Immortals of this world led their disciples in a great battle. Two of them died, and the remaining one finally took that step. He then left this place and created his own world to test his Dao. This world suffered. The power of the battle between Golden Immortals was … Tsk, tsk. I can't even imagine it now. But at least it destroyed the most prosperous cultivation world of the ancient times. Who knows how many Immortals above the Primordial Divinity Realm didn't escape and all died. I say, you brat, why don't you pour me a cup of tea? I'm thirsty from talking about the ancient times. "

Shi Xuan was slightly sweating. He hurried out to find hot water and tea, but there was dust everywhere in the Returning Dragon Temple. There was nothing. Shi Xuan couldn't find any Dao children either. He could only fetch water from a well and boil a pot of hot water in the kitchen. He then brought the pot of water back to the quiet room.

Daoist Quanzi didn't mind. He drank half a mouthful of water and continued, "Fortunately, there was the Divine Spiritual Treasure Shenxiao Palace left by the Primordial Daoist Yuyu. It suppressed the rampaging Primordial Qi and left one-tenth of the world intact. As for the ancient battlefield of Golden Immortals and the destroyed cultivation world, it was filled with yellow sand, storms, spatial cracks, and so on. Shenxiao Palace was the closest place. It was isolated to prevent it from expanding while it slept to recover its strength. In other words, it was the land of Middle Earth. "

"But what does this have to do with the Qi Gatherer Realm?" Shi Xuan asked doubtfully.

Daoist Quanzi curled his lips. He seemed to feel uncomfortable sitting. He moved the praying mat backward and leaned against the wall. "This world was so badly damaged. Naturally, the Primordial Qi was lost. There weren't many spiritual herbs and materials left. The remaining cultivators lived within their means and didn't return to the prosperity of the ancient cultivation world. Especially in Middle Earth, there aren't many big sects. First, it's close to Xi Huang, which is the ancient cultivation world, so the Primordial Qi is the least there. Second, Shenxiao Palace is recovering its strength here. The remaining Primordial Qi is also occupied by it. "

"So?" Shi Xuan seemed to understand a little.

"So as long as someone breaks through the Qi Gatherer Realm and can absorb the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth, they are all moved out of Middle Earth by Shenxiao Palace. However, to be able to break through to the Qi Gatherer Realm in such a poor place like Middle Earth, they are really rare talents. As long as they aren't too old and their bodies and souls haven't deteriorated, all the big sects will fight over them. Thus, after discussing with Shenxiao Palace, they moved them to a fixed place. All the big sects have people guarding there. "Daoist Quanzi drank the rest of the water and closed his eyes comfortably.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why so many experts who broke through to the Qi Gatherer Realm disappeared." Shi Xuan suddenly understood. He then asked, "Then can the Primordial Qi not be recovered?"

"If Jinxian Daoist was still here, he could nurse his Primordial Qi and recover it in a hundred years. Unfortunately, since then, there hasn't been another Jinxian Daoist in this world. If it wasn't for the fact that Shenxiao Palace is at the peak of Divine Spiritual Treasures, many of the big worlds would have occupied this place long ago." Daoist Quanzi yawned and then continued, "However, the cultivation world outside of West Wilderness and Central Earth is getting better after hundreds of thousands of years of recovery. West Wilderness has more or less stabilized in the surrounding hundreds of thousands of miles. At least a few towns and cities protected by formations have been built. "

"There are other big worlds?" Shi Xuan was very curious.

Daoist Quanzi seemed to have thought of something and sighed. "In the universe, there are billions of Boundless Worlds. It's not a joke. There are billions of Boundless Worlds with cultivators. Look at the starry sky. Those that are moving are the subsidiary stars of our Boundless World. Those that are still are the projections of nearby Boundless Worlds. For example, that Big Dipper Star is actually a projection of the Big Dipper World."

"Alright, do you really want to go to the cultivation world?" Daoist Quanzi withdrew his gaze and changed his wretched and lazy look. He asked with a serious expression.

"Yes, I need someone to give me pointers and exchange pointers with others. If I stay in the Central Earth, I don't know how many years it will take for me to break through to the Qi Gatherer Realm." Shi Xuan originally wanted to ask why the projections of the 27 big worlds were especially bright. Now, he could only gather his thoughts and answer solemnly.

Daoist Quanzi laughed. "It's a pity that you're not a handsome young man. Otherwise, I would have taken you as my disciple."

Then, his expression immediately changed and he asked very seriously, "Have you thought it through? With your cultivation, you can get whatever you want in the Central Plains. Not only will you enjoy glory and wealth, but you will also be able to enjoy the envious and respectful gazes of others. Perhaps one day, there will be a beautiful young girl lying on the ground, crying and begging you to take her as your disciple, or even take her into your room. The surrounding people would respectfully call him 'Immortal Elder, Immortal Elder'. Compared to others, you are a cut above them. Tsk, looking at your expression, you should have enjoyed it too, right? "

Shi Xuan remembered that he had been looked at with admiration and respect by others before. He could only answer honestly, "Yes."

Daoist Quanzi continued to keep a straight face. "Do you know that in the cultivation world, there will be countless people whose cultivation surpasses yours? Moreover, in the cultivation world, because of the many years of strict disciple recruitment and the scarcity of resources, many clans have formed. Therefore, there will be those who are more talented and faster in cultivation than you. There will be those who are inferior to you in everything but enjoy a lot of resources, so their cultivation will leave you far behind. There will be those who are useless but have a strong backer, so they look down on you. In the cultivation world, you are just a pawn! You are just a low-level disciple that most people look down on! Who knows, one day, you might die in some random fight. "

Taking a breath, Daoist Quanzi finally asked solemnly, yet calmly, "Even so, do you still want to go to the cultivation world?"