Daoist Jinlian Leaves Seclusion

Xu Qi'an could not hide his disappointment.

If Xu Pingfeng had seen this half-map of the Corpse Gu Clan many years ago, then the so-called ancient tomb would probably have already been visited by Xu Pingfeng.

It doesn't matter who the owner of the ancient tomb is or what it contains anymore. Xu Qi'an sighed.

That's not right, Chai Xing'er didn't say that. He immediately frowned, summoned the Floating Pagoda, and transmitted his voice to Chai Xing'er through the pagoda spirit:

"Chai Xing'er, you once said that opening the ancient tomb would require the blood of the Chai family descendants."

A few seconds later, Myolie Chai's voice came:

"Yes."

"How much do you need?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I don't know," Chai Xing'er replied telepathically.

Then there's no point in digging deeper. Getting some of the Chai family's blood would be effortless for someone who doesn't deserve such treatment. Xu Qi'an said:

"After a while, I will send you to Li Lingsu's side, where she will take care of you."

Chai Xing'er's usefulness immediately diminished, and Xu Qi'an became unhappy about keeping her locked up. As for the sins she had committed in the past, he left them to Li Lingsu to deal with.

Li Lingsu had said that if Chai Xing'er committed any heinous crime, he would take her back to Tianzong and she would never be allowed to leave.

"It just so happens that the Holy Son has been acting rather arrogant lately, I'll give him some trouble," Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Chai Xing'er was stunned, then tears streamed down her face.

"Thank you, Silver Gong, for sparing my life. Thank you, Silver Gong, for allowing Li Lang and me to be together."

There's nothing to thank me for; you won't be free for the rest of your life. Xu Qi'an accepted the fragments of the Earth Book. At that moment, through the seagulls circling in the sky, he saw an island in the far distance.

He has been using the power of the Heart Gu to manipulate nearby seabirds to scout ahead and maintain the course.

Of course, there are also those who manipulate the fish in the sea to bite Mu Nanzhi's bait and slap Bai Ji's face.

Seeing Mu Nanzhi standing with her hands on her hips, smug and self-satisfied, thinking herself a fishing expert, and seeing Bai Ji become extremely wary of the fish in the sea after being slapped a few times, she no longer dared to go into the sea to help catch fish when they took the bait.

These were his personal quirks, indulging in a taste of being a "chess player."

At this moment, Mu Nanzhi was leaning over the gunwale, washing a handkerchief.

Xu Qi'an took out the Hun Tian Divine Mirror from the fragment of the Earth Book.

"That's good. You've taken my words to heart and haven't bothered me in a long time."

On the bronze mirror surface, the one-eyed spirit of the mirror appears.

No, I'm just too busy, "Xu Qi'an said with high emotional intelligence.

"You are Law Treasure, of extraordinary status, and deserve respect."

The Celestial Mirror was delighted. "You're very perceptive! What's up?"

As they spoke, ripples spread across the mirror's surface, reflecting a scene: a gently swaying, abyss-like ravine, and an alluring expanse of snow.

Xu Qi'an glanced at Mu Nanzhi, who was bent over washing her handkerchief at the bow of the boat, then looked away, staring at the Hun Tian Shen Jing (a magical mirror), as if he had transformed back into the diligent student who never took his eyes off the blackboard, and said:

What does that mean?

The Heavenly Mirror said in a deep voice:

"I think you'll like it. It's a pity there are no men here, otherwise you'd be even more satisfied. This is my way of rewarding your good attitude."

"You're the one who really understands now. And besides, how many times do I have to explain? I don't like men." Xu Qi'an looked at the mirror with a critical gaze and said:

"Using one's abilities for despicable purposes is not the act of a true gentleman. Well, this is a one-time exception."

The Celestial Mirror said irritably:

"If you have something to say, say it. If not, let me go back. Don't disturb my enjoyment."

"It's not particularly urgent." Xu Qi'an's eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the mirror.

"Don't talk, I want to be alone for a while. By the way, if this happens again, I will criticize you."

In the empty valley, colorful clouds swirl and the water murmurs.

A dozen or so thatched huts are nestled in the valley. The elegant and gentle Daoist priest Bai Lian sits cross-legged by the stream with her disciples, absorbing the Spiritual Qi of the mountains.

Four or five orange cats chased and played among the houses and bushes.

The disciples of the Earth Sect have been living here for half a year.

In the past six months, the Central Plains have been hit by severe cold and disasters, resulting in a large number of displaced people. For the Earth Sect, which focuses on cultivating merit, this is truly a golden opportunity—this is only from the perspective of the cultivation environment.

More than half of the disciples of the Earth Sect are now traveling around, doing good deeds and accumulating merit, and their cultivation has made rapid progress.

Even the White Lotus Daoist, who rarely goes out, has now reached the peak of the fourth rank, whereas half a year ago, she was only at the middle of the fourth rank.

Having finished her daily Qi-absorbing practice, the gentle and mature Daoist Bailian opened her eyes, looked at her twenty-odd disciples, and said with satisfaction:

"It will take at least two months, or as little as ten days, for some of you to go out and accumulate merit."

"But remember one thing: doing good deeds and accumulating virtue should come from the heart, and should not be done for personal gain or spiritual practice."

"Doing good for the sake of doing good will inevitably lead to karmic retribution, do you understand?"

The disciples responded loudly:

"Disciple understands."

Master Bailian nodded, about to continue his instruction, when suddenly there was a loud "boom," and a thatched hut to the south exploded, with a magnificent halo rising up.

"Senior Brother Jinlian has broken through her cultivation?!"

Master Bailian suddenly turned his head, both surprised and delighted.

"Junior Sister Jinlian has broken through her cultivation."

The disciples were overjoyed.

Turning my head, I saw an old Daoist priest with a full head of black hair sitting cross-legged in the void, his body radiating colorful rays of light, which was magnificent and gave people a sense of peace and tranquility.

The light of merit.

A moment later, the golden light faded, and the old Daoist priest slowly descended.

The White Lotus Daoist priest approached gracefully, a gentle smile spreading across her face.

"Senior Brother Jinlian, your white hair has turned black; your cultivation must have greatly improved."

What she really meant was that she had recovered some of her cultivation, but because she had many disciples around her, she phrased it differently.

Master Jinlian sat silently in meditation, offering no reply.

"Senior Brother Jinlian?"

Bai Lian called out tentatively.

"Yes, I have achieved the Yang God status and entered the realm of the extraordinary."

Suddenly, the voice of Master Jinlian came from behind.

Bai Lian turned around in surprise and saw an orange cat elegantly licking its paws. When it saw her gaze, the orange cat suddenly froze and lowered its paws.

"Cough cough!"

The orange cat cleared its throat and said in a normal tone:

"The extraordinary realm is truly wondrous; it caused me to lose control of my Primordial Spirit for a moment, forcing me to possess the body of a cat."

The disciples suddenly realized what was happening.

It turns out that Martial Aunt Jinlian was a newly ascended transcendent being who was unable to control her power, which caused her Primordial Spirit to leave her body and possess the orange cat.

Master Jinlian left the orange cat's body, returned to her own physical body, and opened her eyes.

"How long have I been in seclusion?" Jinlian asked.

"It has been half a year," Bai Lian replied.

Jinlian nodded slowly, her demeanor calm and composed. "Has anything significant happened outside recently?"

"Xu Yinluo killed Emperor Yuanjing."

"Xu Yinluo, alone with his sword, held off the 300,000-strong army of the Witch God Cult."

"Xu Yinluo has entered the extraordinary realm."

"Xu Yinluo killed two Vajra warriors in Jianzhou."

Wei Yuan is dead.

"Yunzhou has rebelled."

"The Buddhist School has broken its alliance with the Great Feng."

"The Central Plains are ravaged by a severe cold, and the number of displaced people has reached unprecedented levels, making life unbearable for the people."

The disciples kept talking and talking.

"..." Master Jinlian's face stiffened upon hearing this. She stared blankly at Bailian and questioned:

"This humble Daoist has only been in seclusion for half a year?"

Are you sure it's not ten years from now?!

The border area between Xiangzhou and Jianzhou.

A bright young girl in a yellow dress walked lightly along the official road.

Chu Caiwei has been traveling away from the capital for over a month. The wind has made her waist thinner, and hardship has sharpened her chin, but the simple meals have refined her temperament.

Compared to her innocent and lively demeanor when she left Beijing, Chu Caiwei's temperament has become more composed. Her face has thinned, but her large almond-shaped eyes are even brighter.

At first, she would follow the "recipe" given by Xu Qi'an, and in each place she went, she would look for local delicacies.

Then, overjoyed, he wrote a letter back to the capital to tell Lina and Xu Lingyin.

Gradually, she wrote fewer and fewer letters, and her smiles became fewer and fewer.

The travel route also changed from "recipes" to chasing after disasters.

"Senior Brother Yang, where are we going this time?"

As an exiled person from the Bureau of Astronomy, Chu Caiwei had no choice but to follow Yang Qianhuan.

"I recently got in touch with my sworn brother, and I'd like to go see him."

Yang Qianhuan walked ahead, leaving her junior sister with only the back of her head.

"Where did you get a sworn brother from?" Chu Caiwei blinked her big eyes.

"Li Lingsu, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, Li Lingsu."

Yang Qianhuan said, "I've come up with a brilliant plan to suppress Xu Qi'an and make myself the sole leader. Now I'm going to share it with my good brother and also see how he's been doing lately."

Chu Caiwei said "Oh," but in her heart she recalled that not long ago, when her senior brother Yang heard that Xu Qi'an had killed the Buddhist School Vajra in Jianzhou, he was so jealous that he beat his chest and wailed.

After careful investigation, it was discovered that Senior Brother Sun had also been involved in the matter and had made quite a splash.

Senior Brother Yang beat his chest and stamped his feet again, pointing to the sky and cursing, "That stuttering bastard must have groveled and flattered Xu Qi'an to get the chance to show off in front of others."

Senior Brother Yang was disgusted by Senior Brother Sun's behavior.

P. S.: Considering that some readers have said that the recent chapters have been too full of information and a bit too brain-draining, making it difficult for them to keep up with their intelligence, I wrote a chapter about daily life to give everyone a break.