Rare birds and wondrous beasts

"You grasped it so quickly?"

Fang Zelin turned around and saw the scene of someone riding a flying sword below, and raised an eyebrow.

Unexpectedly, the other party mastered it in just a short time.

"My disciples do possess some level of comprehension."

Upon hearing this, Master Qianji stroked his beard and smiled.

They were carefully selected disciples; how bad could their comprehension be?

Fang Zelin agreed.

These are all disciples carefully selected from a single dynasty; perhaps only one out of hundreds of thousands of people could be chosen.

Under such selection, these disciples' comprehension must certainly be excellent.

"Since my disciples have all gained some understanding, then I will not disturb them any further."

Upon witnessing this scene, Fang Zelin immediately offered to take his leave.

Having achieved my purpose in coming here, there's no need to stay any longer.

"Fellow Daoist, won't you stay a little longer?"

Seeing that Fang Zelin was about to leave, Qianji was taken aback and wanted to persuade him to stay.

"There are still medicinal fields to tend to at the place of cultivation, so I cannot stay any longer."

I've been out for a while now, I can't stay here any longer.

Upon hearing this, Master Qianji realized that he could not persuade Fang Zelin to stay, so he immediately stood up and bowed to him.

"Therefore, I will not try to keep you any longer."

Fang Zelin stood up and waved the Records of the Grand Historian in his hand. "Fellow Daoist, may I borrow these Records of the Grand Historian to read back with you?"

The Historical Records of the Immortal Sects contain many things that Fang Zelin needs to know.

Fang Zelin took it back to take a look, which would also give him a clearer understanding of the past history of the Immortal Sect.

"If you wish to see it, please feel free to take it."

Upon hearing this, Qianji immediately waved his hand, saying that it was just Historical Records of the Immortal Sects and not a treasure at all.

Upon hearing what Master Qianji said, Fang Zelin immediately put away the Historical Records of the Immortal Sects.

"If any flying swords from the Sword Pavilion are to be sent out in the future, we will need to teach them the Sword Riding Technique; otherwise, these flying swords will Wu Yong in the hands of other disciples."

After saying that, Fang Zelin glanced at Bearing the Heavens, who was standing to the side.

Bearing the Heavens a hum, Chengxiao immediately enveloped Fang Zelin Fang Zelin, its sword carrying him as it flew through the air.

The disciples of Ancient Cloud Temple were still unaware of what had happened when they saw Senior Fang, and they were momentarily stunned.

Master Qianji sat to the side, gesturing for his disciples to cultivate diligently.

Above the clouds, Fang Zelin sat on the Bearing the Heavens Sword.

As Bearing the Heavens had said before, it no longer needs to consume too much Spiritual Power to carry Fang Zelin in flight.

Fang Zelin, wanting to save trouble, simply sat down in Bearing the Heavens and prepared to go back.

"This Historical Records of the Immortal Sects, there are many things in it that definitely need to be studied carefully."

With Bearing the Heavens leading the way, Fang Zelin could finally take some time to properly examine the Records of the Grand Historian in his hands.

The historical records of the mortal world are merely accounts of the rise and fall of dynasties.

The historical records within the Immortal Sects don't exactly depict the changes in the sects, although they do contain some accounts of their destruction.

But what is basically recorded are the enlightenment stories of some seniors in various immortal sects, as well as their efforts to uphold justice.

In addition, historical records contain many accounts of demons from overseas.

Plundering as a means of cultivation conflicts with the cultivation practice itself.

Furthermore, they had been fighting for countless millennia, which essentially turned them into sworn enemies.

When the two sides met, there was basically nothing to say; it was a battle of wits between their subordinates.

"The world is really big."

According to historical records from the Great Jin, the records mainly focus on some surrounding countries, with no mention of anything further afield.

The main problem is that too few people are able to go outside, so there wasn't much documentation.

But the Historical Records of the Immortal Sects is different.

Those from the immortal sects could travel much further, and their records were quite detailed.

For example, overseas demons, Aquatic Race from the outer seas, the Land of the Nine Abysses, the Snow Demon Race, and so on.

Many cultivators had come into contact with him in the past.

Some Demon Race aren't inherently bad and can get along very well with cultivators.

Some have both good and bad aspects.

"Fly slower, there's no need to go so fast."

Bearing the Heavens flew extremely fast, carrying Fang Zelin more than a hundred miles away in just a short while.

Having already enjoyed the scenery along the way, Fang Zelin's attention was no longer on the sights on the way back; he was mostly focused on the Records of the Grand Historian in his hands.

Bearing the Heavens responded and slowed down his flight slightly.

It wasn't until evening that Bearing the Heavens flew to the front of Yingping Peak.

Fang Zelin had barely landed on the ground when the medicine boy immediately crawled out of the herb garden, muttering, "Immortal Master, I'm starving!"

As he spoke, he shook the somewhat withered ginseng leaves.

That medicine boy is up to his old tricks again.

Fang Zelin casually cast Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique to the side, while starting a fire to cook, all the while reading the Historical Records of the Immortal Sects in his hand.

In the Historical Records of the Immortal Sects, there was another part that Fang Zelin particularly enjoyed reading: it contained many accounts of strange birds and beasts transforming into demons.

These strange birds and beasts all have extraordinary origins and possess numerous bloodlines.

Such strange birds and beasts possess extraordinary supernatural Divine Ability.

Some strange birds and beasts are known for their violent tempers and have often fought with people from immortal sects. Although they have not yet taken human form, they possess Divine Ability, and their strength is not determined by their cultivation level.

Such strange birds and beasts are born with Divine Ability, making it extremely difficult for them to transform into human form.

Fang Zelin felt he had gained a lot of knowledge while reading the Records of the Grand Historian.

If we encounter these strange birds and beasts in the future, we should be able to recognize them and become familiar with their abilities beforehand.

"Master, the rice is burning!"

The young apprentice, lying beside the medicinal herb field, called out to Fang Zelin.

The immortal seemed so engrossed in watching that he didn't even realize he was constantly adding fuel to the fire.

Fang Zelin snapped out of his daze upon hearing this and realized that the rice in the pot was cooked, so he quickly put out the fire.

"The immortal master seems somewhat distracted."

The young apprentice watched this scene from afar, a sense of curiosity lingering within him.

How could you be so distracted today, Immortal Master? You used to be extremely focused on everything you did.

Hmm, I guess my focus today has shifted to reading.

"I found quite a bit of useful information in this Historical Records of the Immortal Sects."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zelin casually replied, "When I left, did any fellow Daoists from Yingping Peak come to visit?"

It's been a while since I left; I wouldn't have needed to worry about this before.

However, since I got to know the other fellow Daoists, other Daoists have come to visit me one after another, so during the time I was away...

You should pay attention to this matter.

"No, no one has come to visit since the immortal left. There was a mortal who wandered into the depths of the misty array, glanced at this place from afar, but left quickly."

They had already arranged for a young apprentice to guard Yingping Peak.

When Fang Zelin wasn't there, the medicine boy didn't slack off.

A mortal?

There's nothing particularly noteworthy about that.

Although some mist rose over the Yongding River, it posed no threat.

As more and more ships passed by, people gradually stopped paying attention to the fog.

The main reason is that we've been sailing for so long without any incidents, so we naturally feel that this section of the Yongding River is very safe.

The annual ritual of worshipping the kappa further enhances the sense of security.

Youjing City.

The Northern Liang envoys traveled without hindrance and arrived smoothly in front of Youjing City.

The Northern Liang envoy still felt a sense of shock.

What they saw and heard along the way deeply shocked them.

They couldn't understand how a newly established dynasty could have such a unified ideology from top to bottom.

The national policies established by the imperial court were implemented with utmost care by the magistrates and prefects of each prefecture and county.

The methods used to develop water conservancy and build roads were truly eye-opening for them.

Along the way, no matter where we went, we could feel that vitality, as if the entire Great Qian was like a newly born sunrise.

After traveling this far, they vaguely understood why things had turned out this way.

It seems that this is because the current emperor, who is in charge of the court, appears to be a foreigner.

In various places, there were many foreign visitors, so these counties did not resist the national policies in the slightest.

"The Great Qian has many things we can learn from it, but unfortunately, these are things we can't simply learn and then stop."

The Northern Liang envoy entered Youjing City and then sighed.

Looking at this bustling scene, the cries of vendors on the street, and the aromas wafting from all around.

The feeling of coming to Great Qian is completely different from that of Northern Liang.

Upon arriving in the Great Qian, all the envoys felt as if they had been freed from their shackles.

Northern Liang is like an old man in his twilight years; every step he takes leaves one exhausted.

"Yes, if the national policies of the Great Qian Dynasty were implemented in the Northern Liang, how could they possibly reach such distant places? Local officials wouldn't be so obedient, and the ministers in the court would have their own agendas."

Upon hearing this, someone immediately sighed.

Each family knows its own situation.

On the Great Qian side, they were unaware of the specific situation; perhaps many ministers in the court were also plotting for their own interests.

But in any case, the changes in various parts of Great Qian are obvious to all.

Local officials are very dedicated to governing their areas and strive to improve the lives of the people.

That's actually enough.

This doesn't seem like something out of Northern Liang. If this had happened in Northern Liang, the situation would be completely different.

In truth, if the Great Qian Dynasty didn't have so many foreign guests, things wouldn't be like this, would they?

After all, the local gentry were not to be underestimated.

Some national policies here affect the interests of certain individuals, so they are not so easily implemented.

"Let's discuss this with the Emperor of Great Qian later. It would be wonderful if Northern Liang also had so many foreign guests."

At this point, the Northern Liang envoy couldn't help but sigh.

These words drew a second glance from a colleague standing nearby.

"This is something we can discuss between the two of us, but once we return, we must not say it again. We both now know perfectly well how the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty climbed to the top."

"The Northern Liang must already know how the Great Qian Dynasty was established. If you were to return and utter such words, you would surely be charged with treason!"

Based on what they had heard along the way, such as the fact that the Great Qian Emperor had received guidance from an immortal, which was why he rebelled, etc.

They didn't believe any of this at all.

They're not fools; they can't be fooled by such an excuse.

In their view, this was clearly just the Emperor of the Great Qian making a public statement to give himself a legitimate reason for his actions.

Which founding emperor of any dynasty didn't say this?

The reason the other side was able to unify the Great Qian so quickly was entirely due to the help of countless foreign guests.

These foreign visitors are scattered all over the world, making it impossible for you to guard against them.

It is unknown how much of the grain supplies of the three feudal lords were burned by these foreign guests.

Those foreign visitors also provided much assistance on the battlefield, and were fearless in battle.

One could even say they have no fear of death whatsoever.

Having heard of these things, and with foreign guests controlling various places...

If we were to return to Northern Liang and suggest that they send more foreign guests to Northern Liang, it would likely arouse the emperor's suspicion.

The factionalism and corruption within the imperial court could perhaps be somewhat countered.

But if foreign guests control everything outside the court, how can there be any checks and balances?

The entire country, without anyone realizing it, has become part of the Great Qian Empire.

Once the emperor learns of the situation in the Great Qian Dynasty, he will absolutely not agree to appoint these foreign guests to official positions.

"This matter is naturally unnecessary."

After the official responded, he followed the carriage towards the Ministry of Rites.

The Northern Liang envoy has been in Great Qian for some time now, so Great Qian should already know about it.

"The Human Race Karmic Fortune of the Great Qian Dynasty has such a strong aura of fortune."

On a high mountain outside Guyuan Commandery.

The Daoist Sect from Northern Liang were looking up at Guyuan Commandery in front of them.

Having cultivated for many years, he still knows this kind of skill.

After arriving in the Great Qian, and now in Great Qian heartland, I see that the Human Race Karmic Fortune has become increasingly rich and powerful along the way.

This surprised him somewhat.

Judging by this strength, it far exceeded the strength that a dynasty should have possessed.

Those who cultivate immortality can discern a dynasty's potential and strength simply by observing its destiny.

This was the first time he had ever seen a dynasty with such a strong Human Race Karmic Fortune as the Great Qian Dynasty.

Given its current state, it's likely that in a hundred years or so, many of the nearby demons will gradually leave.

Every rise and fall has its own course.

The powerful Human Race Karmic Fortune makes some demons feel uneasy, so they choose to stay far away from the Great Qian Dynasty.

These demons will gradually return once the Great Qian Dynasty weakens.

It's like how nobody likes having a very powerful and capable neighbor.

"Let's go into the city and take a look. What I've seen along the way has made me quite fond of the Great Qian. If I can't achieve enlightenment, staying in the Great Qian seems like a good option."

The Daoist priest murmured something as he walked toward Guyuan Commandery.

On the way here, I seemed to have heard a rumor about the Immortal Lü from Guyuan Commandery more than ten years ago.

I wonder if he'll ever have the chance to meet this senior.

If such a person were to appear, I would certainly pay him a visit and then have a discussion with him.

Let's see if there's any chance to glean some insights from it.

As the Daoist priest thought this, his steps immediately became a little lighter.