Zhou Wuji offered his plan in public, earning praise from Abbot Zhihe and Zhichong the Heavenly Master's Manor's Mansion, and thus gaining great fame.
He enjoyed being praised, but he was also aware of his own limitations and didn't mention that Ghost Sword Xue Ying was involved in this matter.
The way this news came from was very irregular, and it's not appropriate to talk about it.
Moreover, Zhihe Zhichong are both very experienced, so how could they not have thought of this? He didn't need to remind them.
Zhichong took this matter very seriously. He went with Zhihe to find the magistrate of Yunming County and explained the situation.
The matter was of great importance, and after careful consideration, the county magistrate agreed.
The pit was already quite deep, so all we needed to do was dig a long trench to draw water in; there wasn't much else to it.
With the help of several hundred laborers, it can be completed in ten or twenty days.
The Qi of Earth Sha in Wu Household Village is very strong, and there is a fear that evil spirits might come out and harm people, so it is necessary to have a master from the Lower Court to watch over it.
Wuleng, Wuai, and others were left behind to guard the area, Daoist Yiding also arrived and stayed behind to oversee things.
Out of camaraderie among fellow disciples, Zhou Wuji took the initiative to remind everyone to be wary of the demonic cult members, and suggested that they build an altar in preparation.
It was not difficult to have a large number of laborers, plenty of stone, and to build a tall altar with stone.
This suggestion was also approved by Zhihe.
Although these formal altars are far inferior to temples, they are still sufficient to gather spiritual energy and condense it into a domain, allowing Dao soldiers to be stationed there for protection, thus greatly increasing their power.
Even if they encounter a fourth or fifth-rank demonic expert, they can still fight back with the help of the altar.
Even if it's a bit more troublesome, it guarantees safety.
Zhihe the arrangements, Zhihe Zhichong back to Yunyang that same day, with Zhou Wuji accompanying him.
Zhou Wuji was quite happy about this. Staying in Wu Household Village was not only dangerous, but he would also be exposed to the wind and sun all day long, and he was afraid that even eating would be difficult...
The group rode back to Yunyang Prefecture. Zhichong stayed for half a day before meeting up with Zhishan, and together they boarded a large boat and sailed downstream...
After seeing Zhichong, Zhihe led Zhou Wuji back to the Lower Court.
Upon reaching the Lower Court gate, Zhihe, who had remained silent the entire way Zhihe, said to Zhou Wuji, "I believe I am fair in my dealings. If you have any issues, you can come directly to me. I will give you justice."
He paused for a moment and then said, " True Person Zhihua said that you have already reached the Sixth Rank of cultivation."
"I won't give you the spot for advanced studies at the Upper Court next year. I will personally write a letter to guarantee your admission to the Upper Court for ordination and certification. What do you say?"
Zhou Wuji clasped his hands in a respectful gesture. "I'll leave it all to the abbot's arrangements."
Zhihe smiled. He naturally knew that Zhou Wuji had many ideas and wouldn't follow his arrangements completely.
He used to ignore Zhou Wuji because he wanted to focus on cultivating the Yuheng Lineage cultivators and didn't want to waste his energy on disciples from other lineages.
After the incident with Yunming, Zhihe realized that Zhou Wuji was indeed extraordinary, possessing both strategic acumen and deep cunning.
Such a person, as long as you don't deliberately antagonize him, you should naturally treat him with courtesy.
The struggle between different factions is one thing, but when it comes to the individual, it's another.
This time, he took the initiative to express goodwill, and Zhou Wuji accepted it, which is a good outcome.
Given Zhou Wuji's intelligence, he wouldn't do anything foolish!
Zhihe added, "Next month we will have a sutra discussion with Golden Leaf Temple. Their Yuan Yi, Genichi, is said to have already reached the Sixth Rank."
"Only you can defeat him in the Lower Court. If you can win the debate, I can teach you the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps."
"This is the true method of stepping the Big Dipper, and it is also the foundation of the Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword."
After spending a few days with Zhou Wuji, Zhihe had gained some understanding of Zhou Wuji.
This elegant young Daoist priest is actually very pragmatic at heart. If you want this kid to do something, you'll have to offer him plenty of benefits.
It wasn't just Zhou Wuji; in fact, most people were like that. The difference was that Zhou Wuji was indeed capable.
The fact that Golden Leaf Temple Yuan Yi has actually advanced to the Sixth Rank is indeed troublesome.
As the abbot, Zhihe could not personally participate.
He only had one Sixth Rank disciple among his unranked students, Wuleng.
Although this woman's Swordsmanship is superb, she lacks practical experience and has only recently advanced to the Sixth Rank. She is still at a significant disadvantage against a Sixth Rank monk.
He had only just taken over the Cloud Dragon Lower Court, Lower Court had already lost to the Golden Leaf Temple. This would severely damage his and the Lower Court's reputation, which was something he could not accept.
The Lower Court is also lacking in talent, and only Zhou Wuji use.
Although the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps is highly advanced, it is actually passed down through various lineages, though the subtle differences are quite significant.
This technique isn't Swordsmanship, so passing it on to Zhou Wuji isn't a big deal. On the other hand, it's also a way of doing Zhou Wuji a favor.
After all, someone like him might achieve something great in the future...
Zhou Wuji was overjoyed; such a good thing had happened.
When he sparred with Wuai, he felt that Wuai's every step was as if he were stepping on the Big Dipper Seven Stars. His footwork was exquisite and unparalleled, but it far surpassed Wuai's Swordsmanship.
If one could learn the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps, it would be more useful than the Tianji Sword.
Is it Zhihe priest saw his extraordinary talent that he wants to invest in him in advance?!
Regardless, this is a great thing.
He cupped his hands and said, "I will do my utmost to win and live up to the abbot's trust."
Zhihe shook his head slightly. " Yuan Yi is not yet thirty years old. He is said to be a natural genius in sorcery, having mastered many spells and incantations. His own cultivation is also very refined, making him extremely difficult to deal with."
"This person had been in seclusion cultivating, and the outside world was unaware of him. I only learned about him from Zhichong Brother Zhichong."
"We cannot use Law Artifact in this battle; the monk's Vajra Incantation will be very advantageous. Don't be careless."
This kind of competition puts the Lower Court at a disadvantage; losing by a hair's breadth only proves that there is no difference in strength between the two sides.
The Lower Court wants more than just to win; it wants to crush Golden Leaf Temple with overwhelming force. Only in this way can it firmly suppress Golden Leaf Temple.
With Wuleng and Wuji on the team, victory is always assured!
Zhou Wuji nodded seriously, but he didn't really care.
With his current level of Law Power, he far surpasses that of an ordinary Sixth Rank. Even without the White Rainbow Sword, it wouldn't have much of an impact.
Back in the stone house, Zhou Wuji saw Daoist Yiping lying in the room enjoying the cool air. The old Daoist was quite happy to see Zhou Wuji return.
After inquiring about Yunming's situation, and hearing that Zhou Wuji had established a good relationship with the abbot and that they could rotate places during the New Year, Daoist Yiping was even happier.
Although he had some dissatisfaction with Zhihe, he also knew how powerful the abbot was, and that only by maintaining a good relationship with the abbot could he get along well in the Lower Court.
Zhou Wuji went out with him and managed to smooth things over with the abbot; his skill and ability truly pleased him...
The Ten Thousand Ghosts Grotto is a forbidden area, and no one comes here on ordinary days. In the summer, it is cool and shady, making it a perfect place to lie down and rest.
Zhou Wuji studied with Daoist Yiping for a few more days and had already mastered tens of thousands of Snake and Insect Seal Script.
This level of literacy actually far surpasses that of Daoist Yiping.
Daoist Yiping was simply learning out of boredom and interest; knowing a few thousand commonly used characters was enough for him.
When he encounters an unfamiliar character, he can look it up in classical texts.
Zhou Wuji, on the other hand, possessed a powerful Divine Sense; he could remember anything he saw.
Recognizing tens of thousands of Snake and Insect Seal Script is not simply about recognizing the characters, but about understanding the meaning and origin of each character.
Only in this way can the full text of the Snake and Insect Seal Script be accurately understood based on the context.
Zhou Wuji felt that Xue Gui could never be as studious as him, nor possess such a sharp mind.
When he read the " Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture " again, he truly understood the entire text.
The Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture is a fundamental cultivation method, and the methods it teaches are relatively basic and not difficult.
The real difficulty lies in matching the rituals, which are unfortunately not recorded in the books. This is clearly a means to prevent the loss of the scriptures.
The cultivation of the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture involves the use of Profound Yin True Qi. Through the Divine Aperture, one can control the True Qi and condense the Reincarnation Seal, which can be used to control ghosts externally and to control one's mind internally.
Its methods are indeed profound, but they inevitably carry a sinister and ghostly aura, which is quite different from the grand and righteous spirit of the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture.
Zhou Wuji, thinking that he would do more bad things in the future, and that the Secret Method of the Heavenly Ghost Sect were indeed profound, still invested a little over two Origin Profound Spirit.
Purple light unfolded, and Zhou Wuji began cultivating in his independent little world...
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Wuji opened his eyes, but he had already practiced the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture for twenty years in the small world.
The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment contains a section on the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture.
It's not that the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture too difficult, but rather that the Profound Yin True Qi clashes with his Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot True Qi.
With his abilities, he could only simulate the Profound Yin True Qi through the Tianji Profound Yin Sword to perform some basic Secret Method.
Zhou Wuji felt it was completely useless, as his abilities were completely insufficient to resolve the differences between the two types of True Qi.
He could not possibly abandon the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture and turn to cultivate the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture.
Fortunately, it's enough to just pretend.
A bright blue starlight shone from Zhou Wuji's hand, destroying the leather scroll containing the " Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture " into light.
The Tianji Profound Yang Sword is extremely domineering; it can transform destroyed matter into light, leaving no trace.
Zhou Wuji looked at the soul-summoning banner in his hand again. There was a Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier inside. Xue Gui didn't have much ability and couldn't raise Ghost General.
With his shallow cultivation of the Profound Yin Reincarnation Scripture, he was not capable of controlling this Ghost Soldier.
Although Xue Gui wasn't particularly capable, the Soul-Summoning Banner was something he had refined with his own blood and sweat, and Xue Gui couldn't easily refine it.
Zhou Wuji considered it for a moment and felt that this was sufficient.
Next, we just need to wait for the right opportunity.
That night, Zhou Wuji went outside the Pacification Office and connected with the Big Dipper Star Domain, using the Big Dipper Seven Stars as his eyes to observe Zhang Yunfeng.
This time, Zhou Wuji dared not be careless. His experience in Yunming County told him that the Big Dipper as Eyes might not be able to see higher-level cultivators.
If Zhai Jun discovers his whereabouts, things will get very complicated.
Killing Zhang Yunfeng would be as easy as turning one's hand, and leaving no trace would be equally difficult. The key is that it wouldn't implicate him.
That's extremely difficult.
Zhang Yunfeng is nothing to speak of, and certainly not worth taking Zhang Yunfeng risks for, not even the slightest one.
Zhou Wuji preferred to come and see Zhang Yunfeng every day, silently waiting for an opportunity.
After observing for a few days, Zhou Wuji figured out the Zhang Household's situation and went directly to Zhang Yunfeng's house to spy on them.
After patiently waiting a few more days, July 14th arrived in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Yunfeng was drinking at home when her attendant Zhang Changyi came to report. Zhou Wuji was standing in the corner of the courtyard wall, but he used the Five Yin Pouch to conceal himself, completely blending into the shadow of the corner, without revealing any trace of his presence.
Zhou Wuji was only ten steps away from the window; at that distance, he didn't need to make a special effort to hear the conversation inside.
"Second Master, Cui Ze requests an audience." Even in the private study, Zhang Changyi lowered his voice and spoke in a muffled manner.
"What do they want from me again? Now that the new admiral has taken office, if I catch them, they're doomed, and it will implicate me too."
Zhang Yunfeng was somewhat annoyed. He then cursed, "Didn't I tell them that Fang Boxiong disappeared in Siming County? It must be Zhou Wuji's doing!"
"If they're so capable, they should go kill Zhou Wuji! What's the point of always coming to me! Damn it..."
Zhou Wuji had no idea what the two were talking about at first, but upon hearing this, he suddenly realized that this Cui Ze was actually a member of the Yin Yang Dao.
He killed a Sixth Rank Yin Yang Dao Devil Cultivator in Old Cang Village, whose name was probably Fang Boxiong, who must be the Libationer they were talking about.
Upon hearing news of the Yin Yang Dao, Zhou Wuji became even more interested. These Devil Cultivator were hiding in the shadows, making them difficult to guard against.
Catching their trail here would save him a lot of trouble.
"Second Master, Cui Ze said their Grand Master of Ceremonies has arrived and would like to speak with you."
Zhang Yunfeng looked impatient, but she couldn't bring herself to scold him anymore.
To be able to serve as the Grand Master of the Yin Yang Dao, one must at least be a Fifth Rank cultivator. Even though the Yin Yang Dao is an unorthodox Outer Dao, Fifth Rank cultivator should not be underestimated.
He hesitated for a moment, then said to Zhang Changyi, "Go ask Third Uncle if he's free tomorrow night to accompany me to meet this Grand Master of Ceremonies..."
Meeting Fifth Rank Grand Master of Ceremonies is dangerous; who knows what tricks he might play?
I can't refuse to see them, since we've cooperated several times before and they have something on me.
A Fifth Rank Devil Cultivator with malicious intent is too much of a threat. No matter how unwilling Zhang Yunfeng is, she has to meet with him to put on a show.
Zhang Changyi left in a hurry, and then quickly returned, saying that Master Zhang said he would be free tomorrow.
"Go tell Cui Ze that tomorrow night at Old Du's Wine Shop in the east of the city, at 1:15 PM..."