Seeking an Opportunity
"Brother, you're amazing!"
Zhang Xuezhou couldn't explain the Heart Sutra well, and neither could Yang Jian.
Ultimately, being able to do something and being able to talk about it are two different things. Having a strong learning ability does not mean you can be a good teacher. Yang Jian had a bit of a headache when he lectured on the Heart Sutra, and he inevitably stumbled over his words.
But the new emperor also managed to cultivate his skills through sheer hard work.
The new emperor's practice of the Heart Sutra was also imperfect. His posture was not up to par, and his meditation was insufficient. In the end, he forced himself to drink three cups of Nine Treasures Wine to meet the requirements for practice.
To succeed in cultivation under incomplete and imperfect conditions, regardless of what conditions are used, is something only those with extraordinary talent and great fortune can achieve.
After showing Zhang Xuezhou special favor, Yang Jian felt as if he had just blown up a nest of geniuses, and now another young master had emerged.
"May I ask your esteemed name, sir?" Yang Jian asked politely.
My name is Liu Che, you can just call me Da Liu!
The new emperor bowed to him, and he, who had been vainly using the name of Marquis Cao Shou of Pingyang for many years, was now extremely serious and did not continue to deceive people with a false name.
Zhang Xuezhou quickly understood the reason.
At the level of a new emperor, normal interactions between them no longer require concealment. Moreover, cultivators at this level each have their own temperaments, and dishonest interactions not only rarely lead to anything but may even bring disaster upon themselves.
The new emperor was not confused; he did not harbor any hostility or target a certain great cultivator simply because the cultivator did not belong to the Great Han Dynasty.
Moreover, given the extended period of time, he had already guessed Yang Jian's identity.
When the new emperor asked a polite question, Yang Jian responded just as politely.
"My Yang Jian, but everyone calls me Yang Erlang. You can just call me Erlang!"
Yang Jian didn't mind his name at all. Rather than trying to find out each other's identities, he was more focused on how to solve the problem of drinking too much Nine Treasures Wine.
He watched as the new emperor drank three cups without showing any ill effects, and felt a sharp pain in his heart.
As the brewer of Nine Treasures Wine, Zhang Xuezhou clearly knew how to consume it in moderation. He shouldn't have relied on his strong physique to indulge in excessive drinking, which led to his current predicament.
Of course, Yang Jian can't be blamed for this. After all, he has lived for too long, so long that his life has become as monotonous as stagnant water. He would try anything new and exciting. Moreover, he had been waiting in Chang'an City for several days, and the boredom of waiting made him extremely impatient, which led to his drinking.
"How does Erlang intend to solve his headache problem?"
Zhang Xuezhou's head had been opened, his magical Law Power had been imprisoned, and he had even been destroyed by the Demon-Revealing Mirror. His cultivation journey had been fraught with hardship.
The new emperor usually lived a good life, but he almost drowned in Shanglin Garden while messing around with Zhang Xuezhou, and he also suffered a lot of disasters due to the abnormally high level of Qi and Blood loss caused by consuming Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root.
Yang Jian is a long-lived individual who achieved fame at a very young age, but now he too has fallen into this quagmire.
The new emperor felt a pang of sympathy and inquired about Yang Jian's plans.
"I need to go to the Yang Jian Western Sect to see if I can find an opportunity when they're overlooking something, and take the chance to elevate the Heart Sutra!"
"We don't yet know what methods the True Lord will employ, or whether he needs our assistance," the new emperor said politely.
"I was thinking of sneaking around and changing my tactics, but they know me too well and will definitely find out what I'm doing," Yang Jian said. "I don't know what to do right now, so I can only go over there and check the situation first!"
"If there is any opportunity involving the two leaders relinquishing their cultivation, I would appreciate it True Lord could have this dog deliver the message. We will arrive as soon as we receive the message, though the speed may vary, but we should be able to get there within three days at the latest," Zhang Xuezhou said.
"There's no problem with that!"
Yang Jian nodded in agreement. He swayed his body and then made a Method Formula.
After handing over the Nine Treasures Wine, Yang Jian didn't pull too hard. He stumbled and flew out, wobbling through the air.
"We also need to refine elixirs and make medicines. Remember to gather some medicinal herbs when you have the chance!"
Zhang Xuezhou shouted at Yang Jian, who was soaring through the air, which immediately drew a response. As Yang Jian plummeted rapidly, Xiaotian leaped up to support him, and only then did he manage to stabilize himself and head westward.
What other elixirs or medicines do you want to refine?
After Yang Jian's figure disappeared, the new emperor looked at Zhang Xuezhou and asked a question.
The new emperor didn't even need to think to know that Zhang Xuezhou must lack materials to refine pills, which is why he had to recruit others to join him.
This was something Zhang Xuezhou hadn't mentioned before, which piqued his interest.
"Isn't there a Pill Formula in the secret realm of Shanglin Garden? I figured Yang Jian is knowledgeable, so I'd let him look for it," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If he can find all the ingredients, we can try refining the pills and making medicine!"
"That kind of medicine!"
The new emperor pondered the Pill Formula and other contents left in Shanglin Garden, and then couldn't help but shake his head.
Over the course of a thousand years, the world has undergone tremendous changes. The Pill Formula may be correct, but the medicinal materials required for Pill Formula are a difficult task.
Da Yi spent his entire life cultivating medicinal herbs in the secret realm of Shanglin Garden, leaving behind a pile of regretful words. The probability of success for such a thing is too low.
He initially thought Zhang Xuezhou and the others were just messing around with some special elixirs, but after learning what was going on, he lost interest.
"This Nine Treasures Wine is much better!"
The new emperor pointed.
Erlang True Lord left behind a small water vessel about the length of an arm, which, though seemingly small, could hold over a thousand catties of water.
This ancient artifact for holding water was quite rare, but it was phased out due to its fragility and difficulty in refining.
The value of the pot itself is not high, but the Nine Treasures Wine contained within it is extremely rare. Just one sip can make one feel refreshed and clear-headed, and even give the new emperor a feeling of enlightenment.
"If we can find an opportunity to promote the Heart Sutra, it would be a good thing if this wine could help us to master it quickly," Zhang Xuezhou said.
"I can already imagine the bad things that will happen!"
The new emperor didn't take Zhang Xuezhou's past remarks about the disadvantages of the Heart Sutra seriously, only regretting his own difficulty in achieving spiritual progress. By the time Erlang True Lord learned of the situation, he was devastated, and he had lost all hope.
But the power of the Heart Sutra made him somewhat obsessed.
With a simple gesture, the 'Dongqie' sword he carried as his sidearm flew out of thin air, illuminating a ten-zhang area in the sunlight and making the area brightly lit.
Compared to the brief few seconds he initially controlled the 'Dongqie' sword, he now wielded it with ease, the duration of which was at least dozens of times longer, and the power and range of influence emanating from the sword were also expanding.
As long as his opponent isn't a blind swordsman, he'll definitely gain the upper hand by using the "Dongqie" sword to dazzle the opponent's eyes.
Most importantly, controlling the 'Dongqie' sword has little impact on him and will not prevent him from wielding the sword to strike his opponent.
The new emperor's face lit up with joy, and he mentioned 'bad things', but what he was thinking about was how to quickly advance to the seventh level, or even the eighth or ninth level, of the Heart Sutra.
"If I were to expand the Great Han's territory to the West Ox Hezhou, perhaps this would allow the Western Sect to..."
When a crazy idea popped into his head, the new emperor couldn't help but laugh at himself.
He hasn't even conquered the Xiong State yet, let alone the distant Western Regions.
Everything still needs to be done step by step. But if Erlang True Lord doesn't get the chance, he might have to take a gamble in the future and try to control the Western Sect like he did with the Hundred Schools of Thought, so as to achieve his goal.