Yue Cang Sect, Chang Guan Zhan Yuan, and Light Grotto.
Ning Chongxuan stepped on the Ferry's Finned Fish, his sleeves fluttering as he walked on the waves of a vast swamp. The water in front of him rippled, and golden scaled fish leaped out from time to time. Crimson-Backed Giant Whales flipped and played. As far as the eye could see, the sky and water were one. Clouds and mist lingered in the distance, and the drizzle was like pearls and jade. The Spiritual Liquid of the Sea Qi spread everywhere. Taking a deep breath was like drinking sweet nectar, moistening the heart and spleen.
He turned a blind eye to such a celestial scene, but he frowned and listened carefully. Other than the cries of cranes in the sky, he could also hear the tinkling of ornaments. The sound was ethereal, but it seeped into the bones, making one's heart itch. He could not help but snort, "It's those exquisite jade ladies captured from the Three Pools of Lake Demons again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a breeze around him, and the mist in front of him dispersed. It was like a bead curtain was gently drawn, or like a painting being unrolled. A jade pavilion appeared not far away, and a young man with a golden crown on his head was sitting on a cloud couch. The maids on both sides were wearing full skirts, silk ribbons, and long skirts that dragged on the ground.
Ning Chongxuan stepped onto a floating jade staircase, tidied his robe, and bowed solemnly. "Greetings, Teacher."
At first, the young man's face could be seen clearly, but when he looked again, it was as if he was in the mist, and could not be seen clearly. He laughed and said in a smooth voice, "Chongxuan, why did you come to visit me today?"
Ning Chongxuan said in a deep voice, "To ask for a girl from Master."
The young man was interested, and he sat up straighter. He smiled, "Chongxuan, you used to say that you only focused on Dao, and had no intention of finding a Dao companion. Why have you thought it through now? Very good, very good. "
Ning Chongxuan said seriously, "Master, this girl is not to serve me, but to be given to a meridian opening disciple."
Hearing that Ning Chongxuan did not do it for himself, the young man did not mind, and said with a smile, "Who is so valued by Chongxuan? Tell me your name."
"Zhang Yan."
The young man sat down again, and said casually, "Is it the Zhang Yan you mentioned last time?
"That's right! Benevolent Master, not to mention this person's willpower and determination, I have never seen a second person with such a good nature in my life. We need to win him over to our sect as soon as possible. " After a pause, Ning Chongxuan simply raised his head and said, "The Lower House is a place where the aristocratic families of Xuanmen gather. Zhang Yan was born a commoner, but he was able to overcome all obstacles to enter the Lower House. Moreover, he was neither arrogant nor rash after entering the Lower House, and was able to size up the situation. Now that he has opened his meridians and broken through closed-door training, based on my observation, this person's temperament and bearing are the best of the best. Therefore, I originally intended to bring him under Senior Brother Qi Yuntian's tutelage, but Senior Brother Qi Yuntian was in closed-door training to forge magical weapons, so I shamelessly came to ask for a reward from Master."
The youth asked, "What is the condition of this person's pulse?"
"Wu Xiang, the evaluation given by the sect is below average."
"Next? Mist phase again? " The youth was stunned for a moment, then he looked up to the sky and laughed, saying, "Strange, strange, isn't that the same as me back then?"
Ning Chongxuan cupped his hands and said in a clear voice, "When Master broke through and opened his meridians, it was only a low-low-grade Mist phase, but he was able to use this pulse to condense the Qi Sea Floating Sky dharma. Not only did he not lose to his peers, but he even surpassed them. Although the pulse is important, a cultivator's unwavering Dao heart is even more important."
"I see, I already know what you're thinking." The youth flicked his fingers, and a soft jade leaf floated towards Ning Chongxuan. "This is the Daoist book that I used when I was cultivating, so I'll leave it to you to decide. As for whether he can comprehend it or not, it all depends on whether that boy has this opportunity."
Ning Chongxuan reached out with both hands and respectfully held the leaf in his hands, then solemnly put it away. The youth shook his head, obviously dissatisfied with his overly serious behavior, and said listlessly, "Oh right, you Just Now said that you want to marry a girl, and I've approved it. Who do you have in mind?"
"Tang Yan."
"Oh?" The youth glanced at him meaningfully and said with a smile, "You're good at scheming. If you send Tang Yan away, not only will you not have to pester her, but you can also use the boy from the Wang family to force this boy into our school."
"I dare not think so."
The youth pointed at him and said, "You, you need to change your serious temperament. You need to know that playing around is the way of the gods."
Ning Chongxuan said solemnly, "With Master above, how would I dare to be unrestrained?"
"Forget it, forget it." The youth waved his hand and was not in the mood to say anything more. He knew that his disciple's character could not be changed.
Ning Chongxuan bowed and said in a deep voice, "What about the matter of bringing Zhang Yan into our school?"
He did not get a reply for a long time. When he looked up again, he found that other than the mist, there was no trace of anyone above the blue waves.
He sighed in frustration. Although the young man had left, he still bowed and kowtowed according to etiquette. When he stood up, he noticed that four words had silently appeared on the jade steps beneath his feet that were as elegant as clouds.
"Observe his actions and stop."
On the second day after the pulse examination, Zhang Yan was meditating in the mountains when he suddenly felt something. He looked up and saw two cultivators standing on a flying boat. One of them waved down and said, "Zhang Yan, since you have opened your meridians, you are a disciple of the Upper House. Come with us today."
The person stretched out his hand and grabbed. Zhang Yan felt a pulling force. He knew that this was someone sent by the Upper House to receive him, so he did not resist and allowed himself to be called onto the flying boat. He thought to himself, "Could this be the second stage of the Clear Qi Stage, 'Summon the Clouds and Summon the Clouds'? It is said that at this stage, the Qi throughout the body is condensed. Not only can one gather Qi to form a wall, but one can also use the Ming Qian Qi cultivated in the body to move a hundred kilograms of weight. "
After boarding the flying boat, the two of them did not say a word and drove the flying boat to the south.
After a day and a night, they left the boundary of the 18 peaks of Mount Cangwu. A boundless lake appeared in front of them. This was one of the top ten Spirit Caves in Donghua Continent, where the main courtyard of the Yue Cang Sect was located — the Great Pool of Longyuan.
Zhang Yan looked down at the mountains below him. He realized that Mount Cangwu was like a heavenly gate that blocked the way out of the Great Pool. In front of the gate, there was a stream of flowing water that was like a jade belt that was sandwiched between the two sides of the mountain. It looked like an opening to enter and exit. Even on the flying boat, he could hear the sound of rushing water.
When he was cultivating on Mount Cangwu, he often heard his fellow disciples talk about the saying, "Mount Cangwu's perilous mountain is the path of ascension, and the Great Pool of Longyuan is the Leaping Heavenly Gate." Now that he looked at it, it was indeed very appropriate.
The flying boat flew for another ten days before a humongous black shadow appeared under the surface of the water in front of them. Above the black shadow, there was a continuous chain of houses with pavilions and terraces faintly discernible. It was like a provincial city in the mortal world. There were even floating islands and flowing waterfalls above it. After he opened his meridians, his eyesight was extremely good. He could even faintly see cultivators riding on flying boats and flying cranes passing by together. It was a scene of immortals.
However, when he looked carefully, he could not help but be shocked. The black shadow under the water was actually an immeasurably huge Black Tortoise!
When the Yue Cang Sect was founded, the founder of the sect had once used his great power to capture this Black Tortoise from the Northern Darkness Continent. He then moved nine majestic and famous mountains from the Southern Cliff Continent and piled them on the Black Tortoise's back to surround the lake and build palaces and cities.
With a glance, Zhang Yan saw that the endless chain of palaces and terraces was one of the nine cities that were built around the nine peaks, Jiuyi City.
The cultivators of the Yue Cang Sect all lived in the nine peaks or the underwater abodes of the Great Pool of Longyuan, whereas, the families and clansmen of the cultivators lived in those cities instead. There were a total of a few hundreds of thousands of people, and this scene could be considered to have broadened Zhang Yan's horizons.
After the flying boat flew for another half a day, it descended towards a small island with verdant hills and clear waters, and it stopped on the top of a mountain. One of the cultivators pointed to a pier at the foot of the mountain and said, "Zhang Yan, you can ride the boat from here and look for Martial Uncle Wu in the Leaping Heavenly Pavilion. I'll be going back to report the order, so forgive me for not being able to accompany you."
After the two of them gave their instructions, they did not say anything else and left on the flying boat on their own.
According to the usual practice, the two of them would only be satisfied if they escorted him to the Leaping Heavenly Pavilion. However, the two of them took advantage of the fact that Zhang Yan was not from a Profound Aristocratic Family and did not know the details. Hence, they did not bother to explain it to him. In any case, bringing him here could be considered as fulfilling the orders of the higher-ups, and they could not be bothered with what would happen next.
Zhang Yan got his bearings and walked down the mountain. He walked out of the forest and arrived at the pier. There were people coming and going here, and there was even a small market. He found the supervisor of the pier and asked, "Supervisor, do you have a ferry heading to Lu Zhou?"
The supervisor of the pier was in his fifties. His temples were white, and his face was wrinkled. At first glance, one could tell that he was a mortal. At most, he had cultivated some superficial Qi Refinement techniques. He glanced at Zhang Yan and saw that Zhang Yan's clothes were not extravagant, and he did not bring any attendants with him. The supervisor looked up and said in an old-fashioned tone, "Which peak and which sect are you from?"
Zhang Yan shook his head and said, "I'm not from any of them."
The supervisor snorted and waved his hand. "There are many distinguished guests coming and going today. Please wait for a moment."
After the cultivators of the Yue Cang Sect opened their meridians, they were qualified to bring their family members or fellow villagers to live in the city. However, most of them were mortals or cultivators who had opened their meridians. They did not know how to fly, so they had to take a ferry from the outside of Azure Parasol Mountain and enter the Great Dragon Abyss Swamp from Heaven Gate Bay. Along the way, they had to pass by a few islands and villages to replenish their food and water. Finally, they could reach the few small islands in the innermost layer. The supervisor was responsible for arranging for them to board the ferry and head to Lu Zhou on the back of the Dark Turtle.
However, there were many people coming and going every day, so the order of arrival was naturally determined by their status. When the supervisor heard that Zhang Yan had no background, he thought that he was here to seek refuge with his family. Hence, he ignored him.
Zhang Yan could not help but laugh. He did not want to argue with a mortal. Just when he was about to reveal his identity, he saw the supervisor's expression suddenly change. He walked toward the group of people walking toward them with a smiling face. He kept nodding and bowing as he said, "Are you the relatives and friends of Immortal Master Qin from the Glittering Jewel Grotto-Heaven? The fish boat is already prepared. This way, please. I'll personally steer the boat and send you to Lu Zhou. "
Zhang Yan glanced at them and noticed that the few people in the front could be considered as cultivators. However, their cultivation bases were uneven. The one with the highest cultivation base was only at the Essence Condensation Manifestation stage. They were most likely from a branch of an aristocratic family in the Mystic Gate.
In the face of the supervisor's flattery, the few people nodded in a reserved manner. One of them, who was dressed like a scholar, paused when he passed by Zhang Yan. He turned around and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, it's fate that we met. Why don't we board together?"
If it was someone else standing at the dock, he would not say anything. However, Zhang Yan's figure and appearance were outstanding. Even if he was thrown into a crowd of 10,000 people, he would still be able to recognize him at a glance. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was a dragon among men. No matter how he looked at him, he did not look like an ordinary disciple. Hence, he invited him.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
When they boarded the fish boat together, the man cupped his fists and said politely, "I'm Qin Gui. May I know which Immortal Master you're under?"
Zhang Yan answered, "I haven't formally acknowledged a master."
Qin Gui couldn't help but be surprised. If he had a master, then he did. If he didn't have a master, then he didn't. There was no room for falsehood. Even if he came from an aristocratic family, it was common practice to exchange sons and nephews. If he didn't want to say, he could just not answer. There was absolutely no possibility of denying. Otherwise, it would be deceiving his master. Hence, if Zhang Yan said so, then he really didn't have a master.
After chatting for a while, Qin Gui discovered that Zhang Yan really didn't seem to have any background. He also didn't have any clansmen cultivating in the sect. Also, Zhang Yan's yuan zhen was hidden in his orifices. All the energy in his body was restrained into his bones and blood. Only one vein of vitality came out. With Qin Gui's cultivation, of course, he couldn't see any clues.
In his heart, he guessed that this might be a commoner who had come to visit his relatives and friends. It seemed that he had really misjudged him. It was a pity that the other party had such a good appearance. Thinking of this, a slight contempt appeared on his face. He lost interest in Zhang Yan and turned to converse with the two people beside him.
Zhang Yan was also happy not to speak with this group of people. He looked ahead and only saw a stretch of rippling blue waves. The lake water was clear and crystalline. In the distance, the islands and pavilions were faintly discernible. It made one's heart feel at ease.
After the boat traveled for two hours, when they were almost at Lu Zhou, the sound of flutes and harps suddenly sounded on the opposite shore. Everyone raised their heads to look.
Qin Gui's face showed surprise. He took two steps forward and said, "The celestial music welcomes guests. Which esteemed guest has come to Jiu Yi City?"
A companion beside him rushed forward a few steps and said excitedly, "Reclining mat silk curtain, jade and golden bells, silver baskets and copper fish, accompanied by two strong men and a hundred women. This must be the celestial concubines of the four great grotto-heavens!"
These people all had relatives and clansmen cultivating in the Ying Cang Sect. They knew that these celestial concubines were female cultivators nurtured by the master-disciple grotto-heavens in order to rope in those disciples with outstanding talent. These female cultivators had high cultivation and had the support of the sect leader's faction. Other than certain reasons, they usually had a lot of freedom. If they could become Dao companions, it could be said that they had reached the heavens in one step. Therefore, the ordinary disciples in the sect all flocked like ducks, longing to be chosen by one of the celestial concubines. It was a pity that most of the people here usually wanted to see one but couldn't. They didn't expect to meet one here today.
Qin Gui couldn't help but feel envious. He said, "The fairy of the grotto-heavens actually came to welcome guests personally. I wonder which senior brother of the grotto-heavens has such good fortune!"
…
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
