Gathering in Droves

There are three flower beds in the courtyard. They are located on both sides and in the middle, and Yue Qianchou is facing the middle one. This flower bed is the largest, occupying nearly half of the courtyard area, and there is a tall, ancient tree in the center.

The flowers were once delicate and beautiful under the moon, their green leaves gleaming with a soft glow. But all of this changed after Yue Qianchou struck out with his palm; the colors of life vanished in an instant. The flowers and leaves withered and shriveled as if facing the dead of winter, and the great tree emitted a muffled, oppressive sound as its dry leaves rustled and fell.

Even with his profound cultivation, Nong Zhu had never witnessed such a phenomenon before, and his face was filled with disbelief. He watched as the Ye Zi of the large tree fluttered down, rustling incessantly, until they were all gone. The tree was withered and aged, its gnarled form revealed in the moonlight. Nong Zhu slowly turned his head, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at the young man beside him...

Yue Qianchou's expression remained calm, his outstretched hand still silently meeting the air. Bathed in moonlight, he appeared utterly serene, like a god who controlled life, grasping the rings of time with a flick of his finger. "I want you to wither," he thought, "How can you then flourish? How can you remain lush and verdant..."

Nong Zhu believed that with his cultivation level, turning the entire flowerbed to dust in an instant would be no problem, but to make the flowers and trees in the nursery age rapidly across time and space without lifting a finger was something he could never do. This... this is already a miracle... Nong Zhu thought.

Only Yue Qianchou knew in his heart that this had absolutely nothing to do with miracles; it was just that his master's words had enlightened him. The power of the fire technique was to burn fiercely, while the water technique, which relied on flooding to defend against enemies, was definitely not enough. Even if water was turned into ice, it would be instantly shattered by those with slightly higher cultivation levels, making it difficult to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

He was thinking, "Absorb? How can the Water Technique be used to defend against enemies?" His gaze fell on the flowers and trees, and he suddenly realized from some common sense he had learned in his previous life that animals and plants contain a lot of water. Without the support of water, they would lose their lives. Since he could absorb the water elements from lakes and rivers, why couldn't he absorb the water elements from animals and plants?

So he activated his water magic, enveloping the entire flowerbed. Just as he wished, the thousands of flowers and trees offered no resistance whatsoever, and he instantly absorbed all their moisture with a single palm strike, converting it into water element stored within his body. The flowers and trees in the flowerbed also lost all trace of life in an instant.

What an overbearing Method Formula! Yue Qianchou appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was equally shocked. He had used the water technique many times, and aside from finding it magical, he hadn't really felt much power. He never imagined that changing the way he used it would make it so overbearing, unbelievably so!

Yue Qianchou now truly understood Bi Changchun's words. "Use it well, and you'll be invincible!" He also couldn't help but admire Bi Changchun. He had never practiced the Water Technique before, yet he deduced how to use it to unleash its power simply based on his understanding of the Heavenly Dao. This Number One Expert Under Heaven was indeed no pushover; his profound understanding of the universe was unmatched by ordinary people.

Yue Qianchou was both convinced and touched. From Nong Zhu's message, he could tell that Bi Changchun had keen insight and had clearly guessed the secrets of the water technique long ago, but had never told him directly. Judging from his style, he probably wanted Yue Qianchou to understand it himself. However, out of concern for Yue Qianchou's safety while traveling through the various countries, he had Nong Zhu give him some pointers, thus helping him achieve his goal. He simply wanted Yue Qianchou to have more skills for self-defense.

Nong Zhu casually picked up a withered flower branch, squeezed it in his hand, and it immediately crumbled into dust; it was indeed dead. There was no sign of life whatsoever. Nong Zhu stared in disbelief and said, "Kid, this... how did you do that?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Qianchou regained his senses, sighed slowly, and bowed respectfully towards Shuntian Island, saying, "Thank you, Master, for your guidance, which has enlightened me." He then bowed to Nong Zhu, saying, "Thank you for relaying this message, Senior."

"Uh..." Nong Zhu threw down what she was holding, brushed the dust off her palm, grabbed Yue Qianchou's arm and asked curiously, "You mean to say that everything that just happened was because of those few words I relayed for Lao Bi? There was such a big mystery hidden in those few words?"

"That's right." Yue Qianchou nodded and smiled. "These words are like a great bell to me, thought-provoking and clearing up my long-standing confusion."

Nong Zhu witnessed everything before her eyes and couldn't believe that just a few words could make a Nascent Soul Realm become so powerful. These two masters and disciples were simply too amazing!

He immediately muttered to himself the words Bi Changchun had asked him to convey, repeating them several times before asking suspiciously, "Do these few words have that much power? I didn't hear them."

"Anyone can tell from that, so why would my master use you to relay this to me?" Yue Qianchou chuckled. "I just figured out a Method Formula from what my master said. I wonder how powerful it is. Why don't you give it a try?"

"Shall I give it a try?" Nong Zhu glanced subconsciously at the withered flowerbed and asked suspiciously, "You're not thinking of using me as a test subject, are you?"

Yue Qianchou chuckled and said, "I just comprehended it and don't know how powerful it is yet. Senior, your cultivation is profound. I'll try it on you so that you can evaluate the power of my Method Formula."

Nong Zhu glanced again at the flowerbed that had instantly withered and died, thinking to himself that this Method Formula was rather strange! The thought of what would happen if he himself turned into an old man in an instant—that would be quite a spectacle! This thing probably couldn't make him young again? A chill ran down his spine, and he coughed twice, saying, "Our cultivation levels are too far apart. Trying it on me won't work. You should find someone with a similar cultivation level to try it on!"

After saying that, he turned and left, not wanting to say anything more. Yue Qianchou called out, "Don't go! I'm afraid that the power of my Method Formula is too great, and it might kill someone if they try it on. Your cultivation is profound, so there shouldn't be any problem."

Upon hearing this, Nong Zhu quickened her pace. She cursed inwardly, "Bastard! Knowing how powerful it is, Non-Self 'd have to be crazy!"

"Are you afraid?" Yue Qianchou shouted. Nong Zhu, who had walked to the swing, paused, turned around and sneered, "What a joke, why would I be afraid of a mere Nascent Soul Realm like you?" He added in his mind, "I'm afraid your Method Formula is too evil. There's no need to take risks with anything that I don't understand and that won't benefit me."

Yue Qianchou walked over and said with a smile, "Don't worry, it won't bother you at all. I'm just giving it a try and asking you to help me evaluate how effective it would be in a real battle."

Nong Zhu coldly said, "Get away, don't come near me, I need to rest. If you keep nagging, don't blame me for sealing your Dantian again, and I won't unseal it for you then."

Yue Qianchou paused for a moment, then didn't press the matter further. He awkwardly walked into the house, intending to try again later when he had the chance.

He probably didn't know that Nong Zhu cherished his appearance the most; otherwise, he wouldn't still look like a middle-aged man at this age. He really spent a lot of cultivation to maintain it.

Actually, Nong Zhu wasn't afraid of the power of the Method Formula itself, but rather that Method Formula was too sinister, potentially turning his beloved into an old man with white hair—that would be worse than death. Therefore, he simply chose to avoid it. He truly dared not take that risk. Having traveled the world freely, he understood that many things were sinister and mysterious, beyond the control of cultivation level.

Yin Wufeng, the prime minister of the Great Yang Kingdom, has returned. Many people in the court sighed with regret. Why did he come back? Weren't those bandits who killed and robbed good-for-nothings? They hadn't even caused any trouble yet, so why were they allowed to return?

To outsiders, the Yin Wufeng incident was a predictable and foreseeable outcome. Only the Emperor of Dayang Country and those in the Cultivation World truly knew the truth. Of course, no one would publicize such a matter to ordinary people.

As things gradually calmed down, the Great Yang Kingdom returned to normal. The martial arts competition to select a consort, which had been postponed due to the attack on the Prime Minister's Mansion, was quickly reorganized and resumed. After all, it wouldn't be good to keep the distinguished guests from various countries waiting any longer, as that would be a disgrace to the nation.

The entire Dayang City returned to its former bustling state, and indeed it was bustling; it couldn't be less so. Yue Qianchou's boastful claim of being the strongest cultivator below the Nascent Spirit Transformation stage had already caused a huge uproar in various countries. The fact that a man named Bi Changchun was the Number One Expert Under Heaven was undeniable; even those at the late Spirit Transformation stage readily admitted it, so naturally, no one else dared to object.

Now, suddenly, a man Yue Qianchou appears, spouting nonsense, and he's even a cultivator from Huaxia Country. Most importantly, he's only at the Nascent Soul Realm stage. Although I've heard he has a brilliant record in the Huaxia Cultivation World, it doesn't mean there aren't Cultivation World in other countries who could send him here to spout such arrogant nonsense.

This was intolerable, so a large number of cultivators, both openly and covertly, flocked to the Dayang City to teach this guy a lesson, while others simply came to watch the spectacle. Coincidentally, the Great Yang Kingdom was holding a martial arts competition to select a consort, and with a group of cultivators also coming to participate in the grand event, it would be strange if the Dayang City wasn't bustling with activity.

Of course, most of those present were cultivators below the Spirit Transformation stage. Given Yue Qianchou's Yue Qianchou reputation, anyone who killed him would naturally gain even more fame. People would say that so-and-so killed Yue Qianchou. Many people rarely get a chance to stand out. Killing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like Yue Qianchou shouldn't be a problem now, right?

Therefore, outside the Biyuan Kingdom's embassy, many strangely dressed people would appear every day. These people were naturally cultivators from various countries who had gathered there. However, they all knew that there was Mr. Nongzhu, a mid Spirit Transformation stage cultivator, and Wen Rui, an early Spirit Transformation stage, among them. With two Spirit Transformation stage cultivators in charge, even though they knew that Yue Qianchou was inside, they didn't have the courage to break in.

Inside the embassy, Yue Qianchou was unaware of the situation outside, but he could guess that many cultivators were probably eyeing the place covetously. If he had heard someone say such things, he would have come to see the spectacle, even if he didn't do anything, just to watch how that person died.

"Hey! Huo Zongming, I'll never forgive you!" Yue Qianchou sat on the steps in front of the house, sighing and lamenting.

In truth, he had lost interest in that ridiculous martial arts tournament to choose a consort. He'd only participated initially because he was unfamiliar with the situation and wanted to use it as an opportunity to meet cultivators from various countries and learn more. Since receiving the jade tablet from Lu Wanqian and gaining a better understanding of the situation, he had already made plans and wasn't going to stay in Dayang City any longer. But his biggest mistake was being too greedy; he kidnapped Yin Wufeng to blackmail Yin Baikang.

But who knew that someone would spread the news far and wide, attracting Nong Zhu to come over, and that damned Nong Zhu then lured Huo Zongming and the others over as well. Before he knew it, his identity was exposed, and in order to get rid of the Spirit Transformation stage's entanglement, he made another boastful statement.

"I reckon things are snowballing now, getting bigger and bigger! I wonder how many cultivators have come to Dayang City." Yue Qianchou muttered to himself as he sat on the steps. Looking at Nongzhu swaying gently on the Nong Zhu, he was filled with hatred, wishing he could go over and carve the word 'bastard' on his handsome face right now.

Yue Qianchou had Nong Zhu take Furong away, but this guy suddenly became interested in the martial arts contest for the prince consort, saying he hadn't seen it before and insisted on watching it before leaving. Doesn't he know that the longer it takes, the more cultivators from various countries will arrive, and the more dangerous it will be for me? He's up to no good!

Sending Furong back to Utopia was out of the question; he hadn't figured out how to explain it to Qu Ping'er yet, and he didn't want to cause any family conflict. Keeping Furong with him was too dangerous given the current situation. Sending her back to Myriad Fragrance Garden was also problematic; he had made a promise to his father-in-law, and sending her back after only a few days would be incredibly embarrassing.

After much thought, I decided to wait until Nong Zhu took Furong away. It wouldn't be difficult for me to sneak out on my own then; I'd already prepared a backup plan when I secretly dug the cave outside the city. If all else fails, I could have Boss Sang of the Guangying Inn take a silver ball out of the city and go far away.

Tomorrow is the day for the martial arts competition to choose a prince consort. Inside the magnificent imperial palace of the Dayang City, banners flutter and guards are tight. The arena for the competition is basically ready, waiting for the victorious gentleman to claim the crown and marry the Princess, thus creating a legendary tale.

In the West Palace Villa, at Liuxiang Zhai, lies the widowed residence of Zhao Chenxiang, the Third Princess of the Great Yang Kingdom. Inside Liuxiang Zhai, a beautiful young woman in formal palace attire sits with furrowed brows, her eyes filled with a stubbornness as she gazes at the portrait hanging on the opposite screen.

The portrait depicts a handsome and imposing general clad in armor, riding a warhorse and holding a spear, with the inscription "Chu Xiong" beside him.

This woman was none other than Zhao Chenxiang, the Third Princess of the Great Yang Kingdom. There were no palace maids in her boudoir, only her two married elder sisters sitting on either side of her. The two sisters had received a decree from their father, the Father Emperor, and had come to stay with their younger sister for a few days. The eldest sister, Zhao Rongxiang, and the second sister, Zhao Hanxiang, exchanged a glance. The former took Chenxiang's hand and sighed, "Third sister, why are you doing this? Chu Xiong has been dead for many years; I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you like this in the afterlife."

"Yes, Third Sister," Zhao Hanxiang said with a wry smile, "Since you have already begged Father Emperor to hold a martial arts competition to choose a husband for you, you should no longer keep Chu Xiong's portrait. If the future husband sees it, how will he feel? I'm afraid it will ruin your lifelong happiness."

Zhao Chenxiang didn't say anything, but got up and walked to the hanging portrait, lingering for a moment. Then she took down the portrait and said to it, "A good woman doesn't marry twice. Chu Xiong, after I avenge you, I will cut my own throat and go to the underworld to apologize to you."

After saying this, she rolled up the portrait and stuffed it into the bronze incense burner beside her; black smoke rose shortly afterward. Her two older sisters were stunned by her words and actions...

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