A Master of Principle
As dusk deepened, one by one, the green gauze palace lanterns lit up in Meng Qingyuan.
Looking through the open Green Sandalwood Door, the garden is serene and tranquil, with shimmering lights and a misty aura, resembling Mortal Realm Spiritual Realm.
Upon hearing the news, Qing Xiang, personally came out to greet him.
She invited Inamiya Masato to come and discuss the important matter of crossing the Dao Palace.
"You used to hate the Great Palace Master the most, but now you've become her Dao Law Successor, haven't you? When you were the Divine Child of the Rice Cult, I still regarded the Great Palace Master as the most respected person, and I hated the evil people of the Rice Cult to the bone."
"You see? Fate has always kept us apart. When we finally reach the other side, we look back and realize we've missed each other; we've just switched places."
After saying that, Jiang Ning and Zhuang Yue got out of the car.
Qing Xiang possessed a serene and elegant temperament, like a secluded orchid. She was already engaged to Meng Quyi, forming the "Alliance of Qing and Meng" that has lasted for generations.
Legend has it that this woman possessed extraordinary perception and understanding of the scattered "Book of Earth," and was quick-witted. Meng Quyi's ability to comprehend all thirty-six chapters of the "Book of Earth" and cultivate to the Heaven and Earth Freedom Realm was largely due to her contributions.
Outside the car, Qing Xiang linked arms with Jiang Ning and walked into the garden, their relationship surprisingly close as they whispered to each other. However, Li Weiyi inside the car didn't hear a single word, completely lost in her own inner turmoil.
Jiang Ning was absolutely right.
If the two people were destined to be together, Li Weiyi, the divine son of the Rice Cult, should have met Jiang Ning, the true disciple of the Dao Palace, and Li Weiyi, the successor of the Great Palace Master's Dao Law Successor, should have met Jiang Ning, the disciple of the Second Palace Master.
The turbulent currents of fate constantly swept them to the other side.
The Luan Bird Silver Chariot, drove into the northeast corner of Meng Qingyuan and stopped in a designated parking area.
Mo Duanfeng lifted the carriage curtain, looked at Li Weiyi sitting inside, silent and solemn, and after a moment of contemplation, smiled and said, "I truly admire you more and more. You should know that riding in the same carriage as Dao Palace is something that countless chosen ones envy. She knew that the two of us came with ill intentions, but she didn't expose us, which shows how deep her affection for you is."
Li Weiyi snapped out of her thoughts and got out of the car, "The Great Palace Master will definitely seek revenge on Lingxiao Dao Cult and will certainly drive out the Dao Palace's influence in the East Sea. She and I will always be on opposite sides; any encounter between us would be a mistake. Change to this!"
Li Weiyi took out a defensive magical robe in the style of a Confucian scholar's robe and handed it to Mo Duanfeng, then quickly changed into one herself.
Mo Duanfeng donned a scholar's robe, his chest bulging out and his arms becoming incredibly muscular, making him look utterly out of place.
He looked at the golden orchid pattern on the cuff. "This is the Confucian robe of the Ye Family! Madam Ye was a top-tier Saint Spirit King Mind Master. After she was killed by the Mist Son of Heaven in Lingxiao City, it was a heavy blow to Fu and Ye Families. Even the Supreme Magic Tool, the Rebirth Zither, was left behind in Lingxiao Shengjing. You are the grand-disciple of the Mist Son of Heaven, and this debt will definitely be held against you."
"Where do you think these two scholar robes came from? Ye Cang and Ye Baiyue both died by my sword." Li Weiyi knew very well that once his identity was exposed, it would surely stir up a storm of hatred.
The two walked along the bluestone path hidden among the branches and leaves, heading towards the brightest lights and the loudest voices.
There were more and more pedestrians on the road.
Some gathered in the pavilions to engage in lively discussions, some studied music theory, and some passionately debated a particular page of the "Book from the Ground," each expressing their own opinions and gaining different insights.
No one paid attention to them; the vast Saints Learning Sea was too great, and the disciples of the various schools couldn't possibly recognize each other.
The main venue is located at Mirror Lake.
The Waterwood Pavilion in the center of Mirror Lake is three stories high and brightly lit. On the lake, small Green Boat ply back and forth, with maids carrying food boxes and wine pots, ferrying passengers like graceful palace maids, a delightful sight to behold.
"The Saints Learning Sea is truly teeming with talent; the garden is filled with masters, each one extraordinary," Li Weiyi exclaimed in admiration.
Originally, he planned to take strong action to capture "Ye Tianchen" and "Uncle Chu Fang" that Shen Jian had confessed to, and then flaunt his arrogance. Now it seems that even if he and Mo Duanfeng had three heads and six arms, they would have a hard time leaving Meng Qingyuan if they dared to do so.
We need to come up with a strategy.
Mo Duanfeng gazed at Mirror Lake, searching for Meng Quyi's figure. "Saints Learning Sea were to unite, their strength might not be inferior to that of the Demon Kingdom. With Meng Quyi and Qing Xiang leading the charge this time in the Longevity Contest, they might be able to integrate all the forces."
Li Weiyi had long heard of Qing Xiang's power, so on the way here, he hid the six pages of the <Earth Book> and the Wind Fire Lightning Electricity Great Formation in the Evil Camel Bell, hoping that the Supreme Magic Tool could isolate her senses.
The allure of the "Book of the Earth" to the disciples of various Saints Learning Sea far surpassed that of any other true scripture. Meng Quyi, having only comprehended thirty-six chapters, was said to have "if he does not die young, he will surely become the Stored Son of Heaven."
It is said that the Qing Xiang has the potential to enter the First Sequence of the <Longevity Earth Ranking>.
It's important to understand that the competition for the top thirty spots in the First Sequence is fierce. The third and second place winners from each country, the top performers in the fifty-eight medium-sized habitats, and the disciples of the Stored Son of Heaven must all make it into the top tier just to save face.
A series of exclamations rang out, and Li Weiyi and Mo Duanfeng followed the sound into a spacious, long, wooden corridor-style building.
Along the walls on both sides of the corridor, treasures were covered with blood crystal artifacts and displayed on tables for the scholars of various schools to admire.
The Mengqing Chamber of Commerce seized this opportunity to showcase its strength and rare goods, seeking potential buyers. All the treasures were protected by sophisticated formations.
The "Seven-Leaf Star Orchid," aged seven thousand years, is planted in a jade basin in Immortal Soil, radiating a seven-colored glow. Its internal price in the Hundred Schools of Learning is one hundred and sixty Low-grade Spirit Crystal, while its external price is two hundred Low-grade Spirit Crystal.
The "Dragon Saliva Ginseng" is priced at 7,000 Low-grade Spirit Crystal. It is noted that it possesses the combat power of the Seventh Realm Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator and was captured from the Immortal Fallen Realm.
Li Weiyi gasped in shock. He dared to glance at the Seven-Thousand-Year Elixir. But when it came to the refined medicines that were eight or nine thousand years old, his eyes widened in disbelief, yet he dared not entertain even the slightest thought.
With each additional millennium, the price of fine medicine increases several times over.
A First-Rank Thousand-Character Artifact is only worth one Low-grade Spirit Crystal, which shows how expensive high-grade Thousand-Year Elixir are. Refined medicines with a grade of over 5,000 years often possess considerable power, and ordinary Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator who dare to covet them may end up as fertilizer for the medicine.
Before this, Li Weiyi had only seen one Thousand-Year Elixir, Heaven Spirit Cub, which was seven thousand years old.
Continuing forward, the treasures inside the blood crystal artifacts are varied, including Mid-grade Spirit Pill and high-grade elixirs, and even Immortal Bone, Immortal Marrow, and Immortal Feather, all obtained by excavating the corpses of Ancient Immortal Giant Beast.
"Mid-grade Spirit Pill, Saint Mind Star Pill, and thirty spirit crystals."
"Top-grade elixirs, Saint King Star Pill, and three hundred spirit crystals."
Only now did Li Weiyi realize the price of the Saint Mind Star Pill. No wonder even behemoths like the Ancient Years Clan and the Dongxu Camp could only offer him a few.
It was only because Duke Taishi refined more than ten pills for him that he was able to spend lavishly in front of Zuoqiu Hongting, which shows the value of the pill formula and the top-notch Saint Spirit King Mind Master.
"Spirit crystals are valuable; you can buy anything you want with them. I need to find a way to buy two Seven-Thousand-Year Elixir, and I might also consider the Saint King Star Pill."
Li Weiyi secretly calculated the value of all the gains from the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin. The headache was that if he really wanted to buy these rare and precious items, he would have to empty his pockets.
Perhaps it's time to go to the Fate Gambling House again.
This also shows that powerful forces are indeed capable of cultivating Mo Duanfeng and Tang Wanzhou from the early stage of the Fourth Realm to the peak of the middle stage of the Fourth Realm within a little over a year. As long as they are willing to spend money, they can obtain the most precious cultivation resources.
Li Weiyi noticed that she was being watched and immediately looked up.
There stood a Scholar-robed Old Man with a cold and stern expression. His old clothes were faded from washing, and his eyes were fixed on him and Mo Duanfeng. He looked extremely stern and rigid.
"Cheng Dun, a great master of Neo-Confucianism, is revered throughout the world as Master Cheng, and is ranked among the top five strongest scholars in the Saints Learning Sea." Mo Duanfeng transmitted this to Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi gasped, finally understanding why Meng Qingyuan dared to be so ostentatious. So, together with Mo Duanfeng, they quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
The two thought they would be thrown out of Meng Qingyuan, but to their surprise, Cheng Dun ignored them completely, snorted, and left without a trace.
Quickly leave the exhibition hall corridor.
The two of them let out a long breath, then looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"I understand! Old Master Cheng won't interfere in the conflicts between our younger generation. The reason he showed up is to warn us not to go too far," Li Weiyi said.
Mo Duanfeng straightened his back again and snorted coldly, "With Senior Master Cheng's status, if he were to interfere, would that be the demeanor of a great man?"
Li Weiyi didn't want to court death with him, so she sniffed the air and said, "Let's eat first. I can already smell the aroma of the Transcendent Beast's meat being cooked."
"Whoosh!"
With a swift movement, a simply dressed, composed figure appeared before the two.
"Pu Yanshou has met the New Top Scholar Southern Dragon. Master Cheng has sent me to receive you two distinguished guests."
Pu Yanshou carried Wooden Square Scroll Case on his back, wore a gray-white cloth hat, and was very polite, but after bowing, he remained dignified and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.
Led by Pu Yanshou, the two ascended to the third floor of the Refectory Building by Mirror Lake.
On the third floor, dozens of round tables were set up in the halls, all filled with various hot dishes, Jade Brew, and Spirit Fruit, but few people were seated. The Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator were either reciting poems, playing the zither and singing, or discussing the general trend of the struggle for advancement and commenting on the young masters of the world.
The three sat down in a small hall. Li Weiyi was facing the window, where he could see the Waterwood Pavilion in the center of the lake.
Mo Duanfeng, who did not drink alcohol, stood ramrod straight and stared at Pu Yanshou: "Master Cheng sent you to receive us, so it seems that Brother Pu Yanshou is no ordinary person. I was truly ignorant before. I never imagined that besides Meng Quyi and Qing Xiang, there was someone like you in the Saints Learning Sea."
Pu Yanshou put down the hidden scroll on his back against the wall, sat down opposite Mo Duanfeng, and greeted him with a smile, "Brother Mo is aware of the feud between the Pu Yan Family and the Bai family of the Sword Dao Imperial Court. Of course, Shou will choose to conceal his abilities and then unexpectedly reclaim the <Earth Book> jade scroll during the battle for immortality."
Mo Duanfeng sighed, "The Three Heroes of the Bai Family are in trouble this time! It's a pity that Bai Chuan died in the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin, otherwise, you would have had a wonderful confrontation."
Li Weiyi didn't have any of Mo Duanfeng's dietary restrictions and ate as if no one else was around. "Since Brother Puyan wants to hide, doesn't that mean there's no way to make a move?"
Pu Yanshou said, "Who would have known it was Pu Yanshou made the move? However, even if he did, he couldn't have stopped the two of you. Shou has already said that he will be in charge of receiving you tonight... treating you as honored guests."
"Is this a case of trying to win people over with diplomacy before resorting to force?" Mo Duanfeng asked.
Pu Yanshou him a full cup of wine, and then poured one for himself. "I'll drink this first to apologize for my rudeness."
After drinking the wine in his cup in one gulp, Pu Yanshou said, "Forgive my bluntness, but Brother Mo's challenge to Meng Quyi tonight is doomed to failure."