Guiding Immortal Master

Five years ago, Zhao Yunsheng had died of old age at sixty-five. The new emperor was now his eldest legitimate son.

This was the new emperor's first Immortal Ceremony. On top of that, there were rumors that his imperial grandfather had once been killed by an Immortal Master. He was especially nervous now, and instinctively hid half a step behind Li Ji'an.

Zhao Shuyao glared at her eldest brother several times, but he ignored her every time.

Then she looked at Li Ji'an at the very front, her gaze complicated as well.

At the last Immortal Ceremony, she had been four months shy of seventeen and had reached minor mastery in Blood Transformation. She had lived up to her reputation as a prodigy. Although she hadn't succeeded in becoming an Immortal Seed, she had still been rather pleased with herself. At least she had drawn with the disciple of the Grandmaster Ranking's top-ranked expert—and, being seven months younger, had even won by a narrow margin.

Yet after that Immortal Ceremony, Li Ji'an had shown her what a true prodigy was!

She had finally admitted defeat when her father, Zhao Yunsheng, passed away five years ago.

Before Zhao Yunsheng died, she had also sworn that she would follow Li Chang'an's lead from then on. Especially after reaching the Immortal Realm, she would do as Li Chang'an asked.

Likewise, five years ago, when Zhao Yunsheng passed away, Li Ji'an had promised him that he would look after Zhao Shuyao when it was within his power. However, he had firmly declined Zhao Yunsheng's kind offer to arrange a marriage between them.

In the five years since, Li Ji'an had told Zhao Shuyao to begin practicing external martial arts, strengthening her ability to fight and kill.

He had also taught her a cultivation method of his own creation.

This had allowed Zhao Shuyao, who had already reached minor mastery in Organ Refining and considered herself strong enough to become an Immortal Seed and ascend to the Immortal Realm, to make further progress. She had nearly given up on martial arts, thinking she would cultivate Immortal Methods once she got there, but now she was almost on the verge of entering the ranks of the Qi and Blood Grandmasters.

Because of this, Zhao Shuyao, who had always been set against Li Ji'an, had found her feelings growing complicated.

It wasn't only the Li Chang'an before her. Even the renowned Li Ji'an, whom she had never met and whose competitive grandfather had died with regrets, was gradually changing in her eyes.

For just before they entered the Immortal Hall and waited for the Immortal Master to descend, Li Chang'an had brought out the martial art that, in her eyes, was practically a divine technique. He had said that Li Ji'an had instructed him to hand it over to the Scripture Pavilion for safekeeping, so that martial artists throughout the land could practice it.

May the martial arts of this world flourish! May everyone beneath heaven become a dragon!

Such breadth of spirit and such lofty aspirations were enough to make everyone beneath heaven bow in worship.

"He's here!" Suddenly, Li Ji'an's ears twitched. He keenly caught a faint sound tearing through the air.

The other nine Immortal Seeds and the emperor immediately held their breaths and bowed their heads even lower.

Sure enough, in the next instant, a figure drifted down from above the Immortal Hall.

"Rise and answer me!"

Li Ji'an raised his head. The face before him was unfamiliar. Compared with the Immortal Master he had seen sixty years ago, this one looked much younger, and carried a sharper, more arrogant air.

"A new one every fifty years?"

Judging by the description Zhao Yunsheng had given ten years ago of the previous Guiding Immortal Master, that one had clearly looked much older than the person Li Ji'an had seen sixty years ago.

"From the looks of it, this guiding cultivator probably isn't particularly powerful..." Li Ji'an made an initial judgment.

The new emperor stepped forward respectfully to answer, not daring to raise his head. This only deepened the young Immortal Master's contempt.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked over the ten Immortal Seeds one by one.

"Hm? This batch has a seed with such powerful qi and blood?" Suddenly, he fixed his gaze on Li Ji'an and Zhao Shuyao, his face lighting up with delighted surprise.

Hearing the delight in the Immortal Master's voice, the new emperor let out a quiet breath of relief. He worked up the courage to lift his head, ready to claim credit. "With the Immortal Master's blessing, this time we owe it all to—"

Before he could finish, the Immortal Master's expression changed in an instant. He glared sharply at the new emperor and said darkly, "Hmph! I thought the previous batch of seeds had been the best your lot could produce... I never imagined you'd been pulling the wool over our eyes all these years."

"Ah? No, no, Immortal Master, please hear me out..." The new emperor broke into a cold sweat.

"Enough nonsense. From now on, use these two as the standard for Immortal Seeds. If you fall short... Hmph, you'll bear the consequences!" The young Immortal Master didn't give the new emperor a chance to explain.

Li Ji'an frowned to himself.

He had lost all trust in this Guiding Immortal Master.

The Immortal Master he had seen sixty years ago had, regardless of anything else, possessed a certain air of immortal grace in his speech and bearing.

But the man before him was like some callow scion from an Aristocratic Clan, untempered by the ways of the world and untaught by experience: utterly guileless and ignorant of how things worked.

"Immortal Master, you've misunderstood! I'm innocent! I wouldn't dare deceive you..." The new emperor was on the verge of breaking down. Ever since Prince Yun had ascended the throne, he had abolished the late emperor's policy of using the entire nation's resources to cultivate Immortal Seeds, hoping to ease the people's hardships. Instead of casting a wide net, they had switched to cultivating carefully selected candidates.

This policy had effectively lightened the people's burden.

But it had also put great pressure on Immortal Seed selection and brought considerable risk.

He had struggled just to gather Immortal Seeds who met the standard of Blood Transformation Perfection. How could he raise the bar any further—let alone to the level of an unparalleled monster like Li Ji'an?

In the entire Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, there had only been one monster like Li Ji'an in a hundred years!

"You dare talk back? You need to be taught a lesson!" The young Immortal Master felt that his authority had been challenged. He gave a cold snort, and without making the slightest move, Li Ji'an felt as if an invisible palm had shot out and struck.

Smack! The new emperor was instantly sent flying by a slap. He crashed to the side, his cheek swelling up.

"Big brother!" Zhao Shuyao cried out in distress from behind Li Ji'an and was about to rush over to check on him.

Li Ji'an immediately seized her with one hand, gripping her like iron pincers.

"Hmph! Do it again, and I'll scatter your soul so you'll never enter the cycle of reincarnation," the young Immortal Master said coldly.

Clutching his swollen cheek, the new emperor didn't dare say another word. He nodded again and again.

"You were born in the Land Abandoned by Heaven, yet have the good fortune to enter the Immortal Realm. You should remember this kindness," the young Immortal Master said to the ten Immortal Seeds.

"We will never forget the Immortal Master's kindness in guiding us," the ten replied in unison.

The young Immortal Master nodded. "Do not resist. Ascend to the Immortal Realm with me!"

"Yes!"

Just then, Li Ji'an felt a force rise beneath his feet, lifting him slowly into the sky.

"It's completely different from qi and blood—colorless and formless, and much gentler and more delicate... Is this magical power?"

As they were carried higher and higher, their ascent slowed noticeably.

Li Ji'an even felt that the formless force beneath his feet was nearly spent. If he exerted himself just a little, it might dissipate.

At a height of roughly a hundred meters, they came to a stop in midair.

The young Immortal Master patted a small cloth pouch at his waist. A flash of light gleamed from it.

A small boat shimmering all over with flowing light appeared out of nowhere, then began to grow with the wind.

In an instant, it had become a huge vessel thirty meters long.

"An Immortal Treasure!"

"Truly the work of an immortal!"

"Will we be able to learn these Immortal Methods soon too?"

The sudden appearance of the enormous vessel left several Immortal Seeds unable to hold back their cries of astonishment.

Before this, neither the Immortal Master slapping the emperor without moving a muscle nor carrying them high into the sky had particularly astonished them. After all, Qi and Blood Grandmasters could project their qi and blood beyond their bodies.

But this flying vessel was completely beyond the bounds of martial arts.

Seeing their reactions, the young Immortal Master's lips flickered with the faintest smile. He seemed rather pleased.

His attitude improved a little too. "There's no need to make such a fuss. These are insignificant tricks. Hurry aboard the flying vessel. We're going to the Immortal Realm!"