The Painting and the Elixir

The Confucian scholar Yuan Gu had previously made investments and gifted Zhang Xuezhou a precious item.

Zhang Xuezhou hadn't used this treasure yet, but Yao Yuanguang had.

He didn't feel any effect, but according to Rong Tianding, Zhang Xuezhou's soul returned to its place in the short time Yao Yuanguang used that Law Treasure.

Zhang Xuezhou was extremely curious about the treasures of the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu.

If it had a good effect on him, Zhang Xuezhou felt he could exchange it for the Longevity Elixir.

After all, for someone like Zhang Xuezhou, no matter how much longer he lives, it can't outweigh the risks he faces, and he's not at the age where he wants to pursue longevity yet.

"This is my treasured possession!"

Following Yuan Gu, upon entering the main hall of Yuan Gu's residence, Yuan Gu had someone carefully remove a cloth painting hanging in the main hall.

"Are you worshipping Sage Kong here?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in a low voice. "Wouldn't I be beaten to death by you Confucian School if I took such a treasure?"

"You have a portrait of a saint, I have a portrait of a saint, and everyone else has a portrait of a saint, so why did I hit you?" Yuan Gu laughed.

He waved to his servant to bring the painting over, and then instructed the servant to retrieve a scroll of images of saints from a nearby wooden box and hang it up.

Zhang Xuezhou saw that the two portraits of the sages were exactly the same; he couldn't tell the difference with the naked eye.

"You seem to have a lot of these treasures?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"No," Yuan Gu shook his head and said, "There's only one genuine piece."

Yuan Gu whispered something to Zhang Xuezhou, which made Zhang Xuezhou thoughtful.

Competition within the Confucian school was fierce. Yuan Gu, who was guilty of possessing a treasure, could not keep it safe, so he simply created a batch of pictures of Sage Kong to confuse the public.

These portraits of Sage Kong are so realistic that it's hard to tell which are genuine, and they are collected by many people.

It wouldn't be surprising if Zhang Xuezhou collected one of them.

However, to truly unleash the power of this painting treasure, an incantation is required, making it difficult to use like the previous bamboo scroll Law Treasure, which could be used simply by untying its straps.

"I remember you said it was a gemstone that could stabilize the soul and avert disaster," Zhang Xuezhou said in a low voice.

"The gem is inside this scroll," Yuan Gu whispered. "It's precisely because of this magical jade that transformed mortal objects into stone that this painting possesses its divine power!"

The focus is not on the Sage Kong in the painting, nor on its length and width; the real focus is on the mystery hidden within the scroll.

Only when paired with this magical jade that can transform the mundane into stone can this painting treasure exert its effect of stabilizing the soul.

"Anyone who uses curses to harm your soul can use this painting to fight back. The moment you unfold the painting, it will turn against the opponent," Yuan Gu said. "This is a treasure left by Sage Kong. Its great power is still unmatched by many evil curse practitioners in the world today. It can even withstand the evil curses of cultivators in the True Self Realm!"

Yuan Gu had never fought against a True Self Realm sorcerer, but when he was sixty years old, he used this painting to counter the curse attack of the Sole Self Realm cultivator.

"So that's how mysterious it is," Zhang Xuezhou said thoughtfully.

The calming and stabilizing spirit that Yuan Gu mentioned was somewhat different from what he had imagined, but it was indeed a rare item.

If he had possessed this painting earlier, he wouldn't have needed to fear the influence of Hongku's incantation.

However, the one who controlled his soul belonged to an extraterrestrial demon, whose special nature was beyond the scope of this painting.

But as long as the painting has a real effect, exchanging it for a longevity elixir is not a bad deal.

"If you are satisfied, I wonder if you could guide this old man to a destiny of immortality?" Yuan Gu asked eagerly.

Yuan Gu wouldn't be kind to people for no reason. If it weren't for the awkwardness of going to Chang'an City, as a top Confucian scholar in the region, he would be the highest authority in Qi, enjoying the respect and awe of many.

The reason why someone who was once high and mighty can now adopt a fawning demeanor is simply because they find it difficult to accept the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, which makes them willing to lower their head.

Seeking a divine opportunity to prolong one's lifespan is enough for him to abandon his dignity, and even the heirloom he is protecting.

This shift in mindset is very similar to that of Yao Yuanguang, and also to the attitudes of many bigwigs in Western Capital.

The closer one gets to the end of their life, the greater the fear of death becomes.

He even learned of his remaining lifespan from Yao Yuanguang. Yuan Gu seemed to be chatting and laughing with many Confucian scholars every day, but the torment in his heart was constantly consuming his mind, and his fear of death was becoming more and more apparent.

If Zhang Xuezhou had arrived two or three months later, Yuan Gu felt that his advanced age would have made him unable to express his true feelings.

"No wonder Yao Yuanguang and Yuan Gu both said there were problems in the imperial court!"

Despite the suppression by the Qin Dynasty and Han Dynasty dynasties, Yao Yuanguang was still able to reach the Divine Ability Realm, which undoubtedly shows that he was a person of extremely strong character.

Yuan Gu, as a pioneering and enterprising master of Confucian School, was no exception to this trend.

Needless to say, this applies to everyone else as well.

Even the most high-ranking officials in the imperial court of Chang'an City would inevitably be the same.

This is also why Yao Yuanguang warned Zhang Xuezhou: these people are likely to stop at nothing to achieve their goals, given any need they have.

One moment they're all smiles with you, the next they might be impeaching you before the emperor.

This is not a matter of character, but a matter of human nature.

Zhang Xuezhou seemed to be deep in thought, and couldn't help but ask about the cloud-riding technique first.

"I have entered the Immortal Court and obtained a technique. Please, Master, listen to this technique first," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I also wish to ask you to clarify some of my doubts, which may allow us to embark on our shared path to immortality!"

"Technique?"

Yuan Gu's eyes widened slightly, and a hint of disappointment appeared on his face.

But he managed to steady himself and began to listen to what Zhang Xuezhou had to say.

"Immortals can indeed ride the clouds and mist!"

After hearing only a few sentences, Yuan Gu already understood what Zhang Xuezhou meant by "technique".

This piqued his interest.

If one could fly and seek immortality, it would indeed be an fortuitous opportunity, but for an old man like him, flying steadily would be quite difficult.

This is a magical technique, but it is not suitable for Yuan Gu.

He patiently explained the art of cloud soaring in the main hall, and the content he translated was not much different from Li Shaojun's.

But after only a quarter of an hour of translation, Yuan Gu was already exhausted and began to babble incoherently.

This forced Zhang Xuezhou to temporarily suspend the translation and comparison of the cloud-riding technique.

"Master, please rest for a while. We won't take the painting today; we can discuss it again tomorrow," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"If any cultivator from the East has the destiny to prolong their lifespan, I am willing to use spiritual incense to explain this technique to them," Yuan Gu said. "This is a Daoist technique, and it is also mixed with ancient Qi and Chu dialects. I need to concentrate all my mind to be able to fully understand it!"

"I see!"

"I am likely to run out of oil while translating this technique, and from then on I will only be able to lie in bed and wait for the day I die. Without a life-extending medicine, I am afraid it will be difficult to do this," Yuan Gu said.

"That painting isn't very useful to me. If you, Master, can translate this technique completely, especially the part about the Divine Ability Realm, why shouldn't I give you a Golden Core?" Zhang Xuezhou said with a smile.

"Is there really a golden elixir?" Yuan Gu asked with great joy.

"I can only guarantee that the golden elixir was obtained from Yao Yuanguang, but I cannot guarantee that it will necessarily extend your lifespan," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Whether you exchange it or not is up to you!"

"Didn't Senior Yao say..." Rong Tianding asked in a low, urgent voice.

"I thought so too, until I saw these paintings by Master Confucius!"

Whether it extends lifespan is difficult to test. No one can say for sure whether swallowing the elixir will extend lifespan by thirty years, at least not for young people like Zhang Xuezhou.

If his premature aging was caused by his use of physiognomy with Yao Yuanguang, and he would have needed to take longevity pills to slow down the aging process, or if the longevity pills were given by Jinxia Yuanjun, Zhang Xuezhou thought that was more plausible.

However, the fact that it was given to Yao Yuanguang makes the mystery even more complicated. After all, the other party used many means to prolong his life, so it would be extremely difficult for him to give away a longevity pill.

Since Yuan Gu had done his best, Zhang Xuezhou didn't deceive him and explained all the ins and outs beforehand.

"This is the only path I have left!"

Whether it extends lifespan or not, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't say for sure if the Golden Elixir had any real effect.

But Yuan Gu had no choice.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou had a fake pill, he was still willing to take the gamble.