Pressed for Time
"Chang Geng, do you think I'm getting old?"
"Your Majesty is the ruler of the Immortal Court appointed by the Sage, possessing both nobility and power, and is as long-lived as the heavens. Even if ten different Chang Geng were to be replaced by your side, Your Majesty would never grow old!"
In the Hall of Fragrant Breeze, the Jade Emperor watched Zhang Xuezhou and the others leave. He sighed heavily and then asked Li Changgeng beside him.
Li Changgeng's response was as considerate as ever, but this time he failed to guess what the Jade Emperor was thinking.
The Jade Emperor's body did not age; he was more concerned about being left behind by the times.
As times progress and knowledge accumulates, newcomers acquire knowledge much faster. However, if someone focuses on developing in only one area, they may unknowingly fall behind.
The Immortal Court's development over the past thousand years has indeed been somewhat slow, and the order maintained by ironclad laws has left people lingering in a state of mediocrity.
In the three hundred years following the Immortal Court's failure to control the Great Zhou Dynasty, the human world flourished, with various schools of thought developing like a hundred boats racing.
The Immortal Court once replaced the Heavenly Court, and the Jade Emperor believed that the Immortal Court would inevitably be replaced by other forces one day.
This is also why he was determined to implement reforms.
Immortals can recruit new people, but the Jade Emperor finds it difficult to become a new person, and he lacks the ambition to do so.
He had always hoped to ascend to sainthood, but for some reason, the Jade Emperor suddenly felt that he was probably getting old and his future eligibility for ascension was slim.
"Donghua!"
Thinking back to Donghua, who was once full of vigor and eager to ascend to heaven, the Jade Emperor couldn't help but look forward to the day when they would meet again.
He needed to ask the other person why their ascension had failed, what lessons he could learn from their failure, and whether he could avoid the problems that arose from it.
"Go find the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear, and see if they can find out the whereabouts of the Investiture of the Gods. If they have any news, report back immediately!"
"Yes!"
The gates of the Pixiang Palace moved without wind, as if someone had pulled them shut, leaving only wisps of white mist drifting around the palace.
"Cousin, you've got a good deal following me! We've gotten away with it again!"
Zhang Xuezhou asked Wang Shan for a carriage at the Pixiang Hall, and the group traveled in the carriage.
The Jade Emperor's library contains a vast collection of books, and its lineage is remarkably complete. However, its shortcomings lie in the chaotic nature of the writing system. There is no unified script; instead, there are nearly a hundred different languages and scripts, and the descriptions are archaic rather than in modern vernacular.
This is no different from the teachings of the Celestial Venerable Yuanshi; if you can't understand it, it's useless.
Even so, Zhang Xuezhou and the others spent three days in the Pixiang Hall.
Zhang Xuezhou and the others didn't gain much. Rong Tianding, who had drunk too much of the immortal wine, sobered up in the past three days and looked at his body with a satisfied expression.
"An Ran, you should learn from your cousin. He's not that good at sports, but he has a really great attitude!"
"I've been to the Immortal Court once before, and I'm quite carefree. This is An Ran's first time here, but she'll get used to it!"
Rong Tianding didn't care about Zhang Xuezhou's teasing. After all, Zhang Xuezhou often mentioned that his strength was not good enough, which led to Rong Tianding's extremely low-key style. Even though Rong Tianding's cultivation was getting closer and closer to the Sole Self Realm, and he was becoming more and more proficient in practical Technique Method, he never thought of himself as a great cultivator.
Rong Tianding keenly perceived Ren Anran's importance, as evidenced by the fact that Ren Anran was invited to the Immortal Court.
Those who follow Zhang Xuezhou either possess the ability to protect themselves or have an irreplaceable purpose.
However, after spending some time with Ren Anran, Rong Tianding didn't notice anything special about him.
"Cousin, how come you've recovered so much?"
Rong Tianding glanced at Ren Anran a few times, then turned his gaze to Zhang Xuezhou.
"I ingested some rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures, which damaged my cultivation. I can't revert to my original state anytime soon, so I'll just leave it as it is. Anyway, those in the Immortal Court who are supposed to recognize me will, and it won't matter to those who aren't!"
Zhang Xuezhou touched his youthful face.
He's past the age of caring about his appearance, and he no longer has the old idea that he must be young and handsome.
For Zhang Xuezhou, the most important thing is how to solve the current predicament.
"We need to act normally when we get back to Chang'an City!"
"Returning to Chang'an City will inevitably involve worldly customs, so I'll practice my Technique Method again to try and make my body and appearance more normal!"
Rong Tianding offered his suggestions, and Zhang Xuezhou indicated that he would try his best to use the Aging Technique to mature his body and appearance, and integrate into the society of the Great Han Dynasty.
However, Zhang Xuezhou does not need to return to Chang'an City at the moment, and Rong Tianding can handle many things for him.
For example, Zhang Xuezhou would discuss various real-world situations with Ren Anran, demonstrate the Zodiac Three Palaces Technique, and combine it with promoting the cultivation of the True Self Realm. Rong Tianding, on the other hand, would need to invite Liu Xuan out of Chang'an City, and at the same time, he would also need to invite the Confucian School scholars that Ren Anran needed to communicate with.
Ultimately, to help Zhang Xuezhou break through to the True Self Realm, it is necessary to help him integrate with the infant spirit, and the reference point is Huo Qubing, who practiced the "Confucian Qi Guan Shuo". Understanding the Confucian School practice method is a must.
Zhang Xuezhou gave Rong Tianding several instructions, which Rong Tianding nodded and agreed to.
Is there enough time?
Zhang Xuezhou's steps into the realm of the True Self Realm were lacking in too many areas, Ren Anran listened for a while before interjecting.
"People need a bit of luck, and I happen to be very lucky; there's definitely enough time!"
With the help of the sacrificial ceremony performed by the Chanyu Junch en of the Immortal Court, Zhang Xuezhou set his sights on the Emperor Qin.
Both he and Emperor Qin are sources of destiny without roots. When they compete in the Fortune Technique of destiny, they rely on their personal abilities. Zhang Xuezhou is confident that he can borrow a portion of Emperor Qin's destiny.
Even if the Emperor Qin chose to endure the provocation, Zhang Xuezhou would still take the initiative to start a war, and the next one to attack would be the King of Huainan.
With these two alternative plans for acquiring good fortune, Zhang Xuezhou was quite confident.
As Hongjun said, he was destined to gamble on his luck.
"Respectfully bidding farewell to the immortal!"
The sound of the Four Heavenly Kings bowing came from the Southern Heavenly Gate. Zhang Xuezhou looked at the jade ruyi in his hand, stepped out of the carriage driven by the heavenly horse, glanced in the direction of the Tushita Palace, and then walked step by step toward the Heavenly Gate.
"His Majesty has brought many craftsmen, Immortal Court will be able to forge iron chains very quickly. What will happen to the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals?"
It was difficult to speak in the passageway, Rong Tianding moved his lips to convey his voice.
What he said was similar to the concept of time that Ren Anran mentioned, and Zhang Xuezhou shook his head after hearing it.
The Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals was Donghua's stage, so he was not suited to be present. Furthermore, with the Immortality Elixir guaranteed by Celestial Venerable Yuanshi, it didn't matter whether Zhang Xuezhou participated or not.
If he didn't need to guard against Donghua's Fate Technique, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't even care about the Immortality Elixir.
Compared to the potential barriers to taking the Immortality Elixir, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the Longevity Fruit and the Life-Extending Golden Elixir were safer options.
Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou always felt that Donghua's elixirs were not so reliable, and that the other party's purpose was not so pure. The great cultivators of the Immortal Court could be the first to try the effects of the Immortality Elixir.