Chapter 24: The Changes in the Pure Land of Red Dust
Lately, Elder Xuan Ai seems to be feeling anxious without reason, particularly when she hears of Jiang, the Human Emperor, visiting Red Dust Sanctuary. It amplifies her nervousness, fearing that the Human Emperor might discover what lies above.
"No, no, the disciples in the sect have minimal interaction with the Emperor. Only the Saintess and the sect leader will host him, and neither are infested by insects."
"If the Emperor scans the disciples with his Divine Sense, how should they react? Absolutely not, Jiang, being upright, to scan disciples is akin to seeing them naked, this isn't his style."
"But what if the Human Emperor behaves unexpectedly? Who can guarantee he won't give in to sudden impulse?"
Hidden in a secret place in Red Dust Sanctuary, Elder Xuan Ai shivers uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. Continuously comforting herself, but also stressing herself constantly.
The fear is real. If the Saintess and sect leader were to find out about her plan, she's confident that she can adapt or even flee. But facing the present Human Emperor, she would be too scared to even run. It's better to commit suicide directly, reincarnating in the Underworld would be better than becoming a lost soul at the hands of the Human Emperor.
"Why does such a terrifying person exist in this world?"
As a resident of the Nine Provinces, who hasn't heard of Jiang Li's legends? He's the ruthless man who slayed the Nascent Soul with a Golden Core, and killed the Transcendance Tribulation Stage practitioner with Body Integration. Despite the powerful might of each Human Emperor, none were as outlandish as him.
Moreover, he is now at the Mahayana Realm that rivals an Earth Immortal, he could probably even kill a Heavenly Immortal.
Such a person would be an overlord even in the Immortal Realm, let alone in the Nine Provinces.
Elder Xuan Ai, who grew up in the dynasty, has witnessed numerous power struggles, and also experienced absolute martial power rendering all tactics illusory. Hence, she strongly believes in the supremacy and freedom of the strong.
Later on, she joined one of the six major sects, the Red Dust Sanctuary. Through hard work, she became the Body Integration Realm, a rarely seen elder in the sect. This rank is honored everywhere.
But this wasn't enough. The elder does not have absolute control, she wants to be the sect leader.
But no one chose her.
Joking right, others weren't blind. Letting Elder Xuan Ai become the sect leader, the first thing would be to recruit disciples to rule the world and indulge in extreme pleasure, which contradicts the principles of Red Dust Sanctuary.
Red Dust Sanctuary, the name itself reveals the sect's purpose. A peaceful rest stop amidst red dust.
Elder Xuan Ai only had red dust in her heart, no sanctuary, and naturally was opposed by the the sect's other elders.
Seeing that she couldn't be the sect leader, Elder Xuan Ai chose to dominate and manipulate within the disciples, supporters thrive while opposers perish, enjoying the thrill of wielding power.
Soon, she was reported by the disciples and Elder Qing Yu summoned a meeting to expel this elder from the sect.
After leaving the Sect, Elder Xuan Ai wandered around, and accidentally found the hidden place of the Insect Clan.
For the Insect Clan that only reached the Nascent Soul Stage, she, a Body Integration character, roamed freely, learning the Insect techniques and taking any Insect she wanted.
In the end, she secretly mastered the art of Insect techniques, and hatched her plan, making a return to Red Dust Sanctuary.
She was supremely confident. The Red Dust Sanctuary hadn't seen the bloody violence of the world, they were a flock of lambs. With her tactics and insect techniques, taking control of the Red Dust Sanctuary shouldn't be a problem.
If she wants to use bugs in Spirit Rice, she has to take action at the source. Placing the bugs within the Red Dust Sanctuary would undoubtedly be discovered by the elders.
Her original plan was to kill a town's population and control them using corpse bugs, but unexpectedly, Yuan Ling had killed two small towns' population before she arrived and controlled their corpses with inferior corpse bugs.
In her excitement, Elder Xuan Ai killed Yuan Ling, controlled these corpses with her own corpse bugs, letting Yuan Ling and Du Xin'er use bugs every harvest season while she hid in the sect's secret area, observing the latest developments and adjusting her plan at any time.
She secretly used the bugs, successfully controlling several Divinity Transformation Stage disciples.
After using the bugs for fifty years, all disciples in the Nascent Soul Stage were under her control, even several in the Divinity Transformation Stage, and two of them even advanced to the Body Integration Realm.
She originally planned to wait another fifty years, waiting for more people under her control to reach the Body Integration Realm before she made her move.
But an unexpected change made her decide to act in advance.
She heard that Master Hongchen had revived.
Elder Xuan Ai had only heard about the legend of Master Hongchen, and hasn't seen the portrait. She thought it was Red Dust Sanctuary tooting their own horns to raise their worth, but curiosity made her want to see if Master Hongchen truly made even gods bow before her as the legends said.
Elder Qing Yu couldn't meet Master Hongchen herself and was worried that no one would be at her side when the master woke up so she sent a descendant of the master to guard, however, she didn't know that this descendant had already been infected with controlling bugs.
Elder Xuan Ai called this descendant over and ordered her to draw the Immortal face of Master HongChen.
As she stared at the portrait, she was as if struck by lightning, even her breath quickening.
Who would think this world would have someone so charming that transcends gender, is this portrait truly something I, a mere mortal, worthy of seeing, submitting to the mighty and my goddess…
Elder Xuan Ai was lost in thought, thinking about odds and ends, but her thoughts eventually consolidated into one:
Possess her, possess her, possess her!
Elder Xuan Ai instantly made the decision to seize power!
She wants to stay by the master's side for eternity!
"Xuan Ai, why are you here?" Elder Qing Yu was horrified to see Elder Xuan Ai appear in front of her, especially seeing her lead a group of squawking disciples, even with two at the Body Integration Realm. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The other elders were equally shocked, failing to grasp what happened.
Even though they were in the Body Integration Realm, their minds were innocent and couldn't at all be compared to Elder Xuan Ail s.
Usurping power?
Isn't that something found only in fiction, could it really happen in the Red Dust Sanctuary?
"Aren't you going to call me sister anymore? I'm so hurt, Qing Yu," Elder Xuan Ai giving a victorious smile to Qing Yu, in complete control of the situation.
"I regret my previous soft-heartedness, I should have killed you with a single strike!"
Elder Qing Yu was furious, but not afraid of Elder Xuan Ai. She believed that she could best her in 30 moves or less.
Elder Xuan Ai's lifestyle didn't match the sect's Cultivation Technique, making her the weakest among those at the same realm. The other elders believed they could handle her.
Five elders and one sect leader, total of six people at the Body Integration Realm, on the other side with Qing Yu, there were only three at the Body Integration Realm. The power gap was huge.
"Elder Qing Yu, such grandeur. In a fight, I would definitely admit defeat. However, these disciples are under my mind control bugs. Their lives hang by a thread, my thread. If you dare touch me, I will make one of them commit suicide!"
Elder Xuan Ai casually mentioned this, stopping Elder Qing Yu who was about to make a move and the elders, who also hesitated to take action.
Seeing them still hesitating, Elder Xuan Ai continued,
"Don't believe it? Let me show you."
One disciple from the group at the back stepped forward, undid the passive form of the Mind Control bugs without hesitation, and instantly killed herself!
"Xuan Ai!" Elder Qing Yu was enraged to the extreme, her eyes full of anger, blood streaming from them. Her anger rose straight to the sky, thunder roared above her head as the Heavenly might threatened her to step into the Transcendance Tribulation Stage!
She regretted her previous soft-heartedness, she regretted not noticing the mind control bugs, and she regretted not being as powerful as Jiang Li.
She was filled with regret!
Chapter 25: Heart Sword
"Master, save us!"
Thousands of disciples behind Nun Xuan wept in unison, their sobs heart-wrenching and poignant.
It was unclear if Nun QingYü released control for a moment, or if she was controlling the disciples to cry out like that.
"What do you want, the position of Sect Master? Take it, I can give you anything, as long as you spare these disciples!" Nun QingYü gritted her teeth and spat out, backed into a corner, she had no choice but to kowtow to Nun
Xuan.
Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, a result of her pent-up anger.
With a wave of her palm, Nun Xuan sent Nun QingYü flying, "The position of
Sect Master? I once desired it, but now, I just want to stay by Master
Hongchen's side."
"The Human Emperor, Jiang Li, may have noticed the abnormality. I want to control the Sect Protection Array to block Jiang Li and young master Pure Heart. So, hand over the core of the array obediently."
"Human Emperor Jiang, young master Pure Heart. You are too late." Nun Xuan stepped on Nun QingYü with a mocking smile on her face.
The Sect Protection Array activated, enveloping the entire Red Dust Pure Land like a bubble. It appeared fragile but was incredibly solid. The Red Dust Pure Land, famed for its mystique and beauty, had existed for countless years, attracting many covetous gazes. It had faced numerous crises, but all were halted by the Sect Protection Array, none had ever managed to break it.
Nun Xuan was not worried that Jiang Li could break the Sect Protection Array.
This was a formation that Master Hongchen brought from the Immortal Realm. Even a full-strength attack from an ordinary immortal wouldn't make it shake.
She did not believe Jiang Li could break it! He was a mere corporal mortal at the Mahayana realm, not some supreme being from the Immortal realm. There was no way he could break an Immortal Realm array!
Although Saintess Pure Heart often overstepped her bounds, seeing her beloved master humiliated so mercilessly left her with red-rimmed eyes. She attacked the Sect Protection Array.
The peerless Green Lotus spun and bloomed in the void, causing ripples in space as it seemed unable to bear the weight of the Green Lotus. With a forward point from Saintess Pure Heart, the Green Lotus violently collided with the array, causing spatial fractures.
Seeing that the Sect Protection Array was unscathed, dozens more Green Lotus bloomed in the void and smashed into the array together.
Blistering heat waves from the violent explosion leveled everything nearby, but the Sect Protection Array remained unaffected.
Jiang Li took a step forward, patting the panting Saintess Pure Heart.
"My turn."
Just two simple words, yet they revealed Jiang Li's confidence.
Nun Xuan laughed as though she had just heard a funny joke. She laughed heartily,
"Human Emperor Jiang, I respect the contributions you have made for Jiuzhou. I have no intention of humiliating you either. Just step back. Otherwise, today your invincible legend will be broken!"
Jiang Li ignored her, instead he yelled to Nun QingYtl who was stepped on,
"Leader Qingyü, I saved your life today, so can we call it even?"
Even before Nun QingYü agreed, Jiang Li swung a punch. The Sect Protection
Array, which had remained intact for thousands of years, shattered like glass.
Nun Xuan was dumbfounded, a wave of fear surged in her heart. Seeing Jiang Li stepping towards her with Saintess Pure Heart, she instinctively pointed at the thousand disciples and shouted hysterically,
"Don't move! These disciples have been implanted with my mind control bug. With just a thought, they will commit suicide. Do you think you can act faster than my thought?!"
Jiang Li did indeed stop, not advancing any further. He just quietly watched her and said calmly,
"I am indeed unsure if I could be faster than a thought."
Nun Xuan let out a sigh of relief. It seemed her life was temporarily safe, and she couldn't help but feel like mocking again.
No matter how arrogant Nun QingYü or how overbearing Human Emperor Jiang were, weren't they all helpless and obedient because they cared about the lives of a bunch of Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divinity Transformation disciples?
To Nun Xuan, this was very amusing.
Both Nun QingYü and Human Emperor Jiang were merely powerful in their cultivation. They couldn't abandon others, their mentality wasn't strong enough. They couldn't be considered true powerhouses. Only someone ruthless, self-centered, and highly cultivated like her was considered powerful!
She believed that one day she would surpass Jiang Li and reign supreme!
"I don't ask for much, just let me leave with Master Hongchen, and all of you must swear to the heavens…
"…But why should I rush in the blink of an eye?"
Jiang Li pulled out a sword from the Storage Ring. Xuan, having sensed danger, hastily ordered some disciples to commit suicide, aiming to intimidate Jiang Li.
With a single swing of Jiang Li's sword, even though no Sword Qi was released, the parasites within the disciples' bodies were slashed in half, and they died one after another!
The disciples who were about to commit suicide instantly broke free from control and ceased their attempts to end their own lives!
"My swordsmanship is crude, and I only know this one move." Jiang Li advanced toward Xuan, who was so frightened that she fell on her bottom, powerless to stand, frantically pedaling her legs forward to retreat.
"This move is named Heart Sword. It rises from the mind, falls in the sea of consciousness, and forms a Sword Qi within the body during this rise and fall."
"Originally, this move was used to sever one's tendons and excise their flesh.
Now it seems, it is quite fitting to use it to kill parasites and save people."
"Wait, I still have…" Xuan, noticing the raised sword in Jiang Li's hand, glistening coldly under the moonlight, was so terrified that her soul almost left her body. She hastily tried to explain her value to Jiang Li.
However, Jiang Li didn't even listen. He swung his sword down, and her head flew high into the air. Xuan died with her eyes wide open.
"To kill you, I don't need any swordsmanship."
With this unremarkable swing of the sword, which could barely even be said to have any technique, everything was settled.
Jiang Li originally intended for Pure Heart to handle this situation herself, but since it surpassed what she could handle alone, he had to step in.
"Thank you, Human Emperor Jiang, for helping Red Dust pass through this calamity. As Pure Heart, I have nothing with which to repay you except myself. "
Seeing Pure Heart still capable of jesting, Jiang Li assumed her Taoist heart must be unobstructed. He didn't accept her joke and instead walked over to Daoist Qing."
"Having been schemed against to the point where your entire sect almost became Union sect, you at Red Dust should learn your lesson. I will keep this matter a secret, it will not be spread."
Daoist Qing genuinely knelt on the ground, paying respect to Jiang Li. As Jiang Li had said when rescuing her earlier, past grievances were now wiped away. She no longer viewed the Human Emperor as the enemy who killed her previous lover, but as the savior of Red Dust.
Without Jiang Li, Red Dust would have become a laughing stock, and she, Qing, would have been nailed to the Pillar of Shame in Red Dust.
"The actions of Human Emperor Jiang tonight will forever be remembered by Red Dust."
…Brother Jiang, am I going to die?" In Lower River Town, Du Xin'er's eyesight was fading, and she could no longer see the visitor distinctly. She sensed by feeling that Jiang Li had come.
Not only Jiang Li had arrived, but also Pure Heart. She deliberately concealed her aura, as she dared not face this pure-hearted junior sister.
With the death of Xuan, the master of the parasites, the parasites began to die one after another. By this point, corpses were strewn all over Upper and Lower River Town, and the atmosphere was suffused with death. As a former Golden Core cultivator, Du Xin'er could hold on a little longer, but not for much longer.
Jiang Li, speaking in a downtrodden tone, recounted everything to Du Xin'er. Pure Heart hid to one side, quietly wiping away her tears.
"Is that so, that's why I've been unable to cultivate… I'm already dead…" Du Xin'er laughed, but even she didn't understand why she was laughing.
"Didn't Sister Pure Heart come? I'd like to see her…
Upon hearing this, Pure Heart no longer hid her aura, rushing up and clutching Du Xin'er's cold little hand:
"Junior sister Xin'er, your senior sister's here, your senior sister's here!"
But Du Xin'er was unmoved, her head softly slumping to the side.
She was dead..
Chapter 26: A gifted traveler emerged from the Dao Sect
Now that the matters of the Purified Land of Red Dust were settled, and the Red Dust Fairy was unknown when she would awaken, Jiang Li no longer stayed in the Purified Land of Red Dust. He instructed them to keep the matters of the Red Dust Fairy confidential, to never disclose the news, otherwise with the charm of the Red Dust Fairy, who knows what trouble could be stirred up.
He went to visit the Dao Sect and requested a Remote Communication Talisman from the Sect Master of Dao Sect.
"Hm? Usually, you wince every time I ask you for a Remote Communication Talisman, why are so forthcoming this time?" Seeing the smiling face of the Sect Master of Dao Sect, Jiang Li always felt that he was up to no good.
The Sect Master of Dao Sect seemed to be of similar age to Jiang Li, both appearing as youthful and vigorous young men.
He stood With his hands behind his back and said with a smile,
"A prodigy has emerged from the Dao Sect, as the Sect Master, how could I not be pleased?"
"For you to rate someone as a prodigy, they must be very promising juniors. I wonder which genius he is trying to compare himself to. If it's not too much trouble, you might as well bring him over to let me have a look." Jiang Li was also interested. If he could witness the growth of a genius, he, being the protector of Jiuzhou, would also feel a sense of achievement.
The Sect Master of Dao Sect continued to say with a smile,
"It's not a problem, you are familiar with this person."
"Oh, a junior that I'm familiar with?"
The Sect Master of Dao Sect changed his smile and said seriously,
"Zhang Li, as the envoy of Dao Sect, why don't you pay respects to your Sect Master when you see him!"
Jiang Li's smile froze.
Later, according to a disciple's description, a strange moan was heard above the sect's premises, and a faint roar saying,
"I can't coexist with Ji Zhi" was heard.
Soon, the Sect Master of Dao Sect came forward to debunk the rumors, not just faintly, but someone did shout
"I can't coexist with Ji Zhi".
Soon, the current Human Emperor came out and announced, urging everyone not to spread or believe in rumors.
Jiang Li handed the Remote Communication Talisman to the Purified Land of Red Dust, saying that if there was any movement from the Red Dust Fairy, they should inform him.
The Purified Land of Red Dust naturally agreed, as their ancestor, the Red Dust Fairy, was an Immortal of the Upper Realm, with profound cultivated abilities. If she caused some sort of trouble, they feared that only Jiang Li could handle it.
Jiang Li returned to the Great Zhou once again, not to find trouble with Emperor Ji Zhi of Zhou, but to complete the task given by the system.
Fortunately, the task this time was simple, Huayun Sect Yunbo was still alive. Due to having consumed the Longevity Pill, he could live for another two hundred years and looked like a middle-aged man.
The lifespan of cultivators is long, and their appearance does not change with age, but changes with their state of mind.
For instance, Jiang Li and the Sect Master of Dao Sect both look like youngsters, indicating that their state of mind is young, full of vitality, with active thoughts and vigorous vitality. These are highly desirable mental states for cultivators, but only few can attain them.
For instance, the female cultivators of the Purified Land of Red Dust, all look like women in their most beautiful age.
For instance, Yuan Wuxing, his cultivation level is average, he suffered setbacks in the world, his actions changed from impulsive to calm, and thus he appears middle-aged.
Another example is the deceased Jiang Yixing, who was desperate to stay alive, and therefore, looked extremely old.
Jiang Li, under the guise of visiting an old friend and giving cultivation guidance, completed his mission with Yun Bo.
[Congratulations to the host for overcoming Yun Bo with wisdom and sweat, do you want to settle the reward?]
[This mission reward: one chance for a direct awakening, one high-quality spiritual artifact of any style (can be upgraded), one piece of a mysterious map fragment]
[Achievement
"Qi Cultivation defeats Foundation Establishment" because the host with the Qi Cultivation stage overcame Foundation Establishment stage
Yun Bo]
Jiang Li could not be bothered to retort at this irrelevant mission settlement message. If there was a fast-forward button, he would definitely choose to skip the mission settlement.
"Settle the reward."
A pure force once again descended from the void and flowed into Jiang Li's body.
This time the force was extremely terrifying, enough to allow a cultivator of Qi Cultivation stage to leap to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
A leaf fell and Jiang Li blew a breath towards it, once more separating this force.
[Please choose the style of high-quality spiritual artifact]
"Swiss Army Knife"
[ …No match for
"Swiss Army Knife" , please reselect]
"AK47.'l
[ …No match for
"AK/+7", please reselect]
"Tiger Tank".
[ …No match for
"Tiger Tank" , please reselect]
"Kitchen Knife."
[ ….No match for… matched high -quality spiritual artifact
"Bloodbath Bone-chopping Knife"]
The system automatically responded
"No match for," but then found that it could match to a corresponding spiritual artifact halfway through the sentence.
A knife shimmering with a slight cold light appeared in Jiang Li's hand.
[
"Bloodbath Bone-chopping Knife" , high-quality spiritual artifact, after bathing in a large amount of fresh blood, it can extract vitality from the blood and can be upgraded to a mid-tier magic artifact]
[Recognition method of a spiritual artifact: Blood recognition]
The rewards from the system this time are quite generous. For a cultivator who has just embarked on the path of cultivation, a high-quality spiritual artifact is a rare weapon that can be used up to the Nascent Soul Stage. A mid-tier magic artifact is even more extraordinary, some Divinity Transformation cultivators are even using it.
This is an invaluable weapon for Jiang Li who has just received energy from the system and become a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.
Oh, I'm in the Mahayana Realm, so never mind.
Looking at the system displaying
"extract vitality from fresh blood, can be upgraded to a mid-tier magic artifact"
"blood recognition," Jiang Li was in deep thought.
"Are you sure it can be recognized by blood?"
[Please don't doubt the professionalism of this system]
Jiang Li understood, bit his finger, a drop of blood dripped onto the surface of the kitchen knife.
The kitchen knife kept trembling, emitting a visible light, and its aura continued to rise, high-quality spiritual artifact… top-quality spiritual artifact… lower-grade magic artifact… mid-grade magic artifact… top-grade explosion…
With a rumble, the kitchen knife could not withstand the vitality contained in a drop of Jiang Li's blood and exploded directly.
[Professionalism]
"…I've been saying that it can't be recognized by blood, but you didn't believe me. I'm calling you a useless system, you have no objections, right?"
The system pretended not to hear Jiang Li's complaints.
[Please receive the map fragment]
A piece of a map emitting a golden light appeared in Jiang Li's hand. As the golden light slowly faded, the fragment's appearance gradually revealed itself.
Jiang Li was annoyed waiting, he blew away the golden glitter, and directly saw a fragment of the map.
The size of the fragment was about the size of a palm, made of sheepskin material, and displayed a map with very few markers.
[Qianyuan Secret Realm Map (1/3), complete follow-up tasks to get the remaining fragments]
Jiang Li scratched his chin, pulled out a jade piece from his Storage Ring, input spiritual power, and the entire map of Jiuzhou appeared in front of him. Rivers, mountains, cities, complete in every detail.
He scanned the map of Jiuzhou with his divine sense, compared it with the
Qianyuan Secret Realm map fragment, and quickly found the location of the Qianyuan Secret Realm, which was on a mountain in the Great Wei Empire.
[Congratulations to the host for accidentally finding the Qianyuan Secret Realm, the reward for the subsequent tasks has been changed]
Whether it was an illusion or not, Jiang Li heard a strong sense of frustration from the system's prompt.
[System Prompt, the Qianyuan Secret Realm is too dangerous for the host, please explore after reaching Nascent Soul Stage]
Jiang Li suddenly lost interest in this Qianyuan Secret Realm.
Danger and gain are equal.. A secret realm that can be explored at the Nascent Soul stage, does it contain treasures that would move one in the Transcendence Tribulation stage, or Mahayana stage?
Chapter 27: Abandoning the Task and New Task
Once, the largely circulated map of the Nine States was quite rudimentary, and contained many errors. People often relied on it to traverse the Nine States, inadvertently walking into deadly zones, losing their paths, and barely escaping with their lives. Traveling Monks in the Nine States, often relied not on maps, but on their cultivation skills.
A hundred years after ascending to the throne as the Human Emperor, Jiang Li decided to redraw the map of the Nine States. This should have been a good thing but it was obstructed by the Sky Mechanism Tower.
The reason was simple; the Sky Mechanism Tower held a detailed map of the Nine States, which they sold to monks in fragmented pieces at obscene prices.
There were once great powers who tried to redraw the map of the Nine States, but they were all thwarted by the Sky Mechanism Tower.
The Sky Mechanism Tower, while not one of the six major sects, holds many secrets. Many monks were very wary of them. If you offended the Sky Mechanism Tower, they could spread some of the secrets of your cultivation manner, thus allowing enemies to easily find your weaknesses and usher in your doom.
However, Jiang Li was not afraid of this. By that time, he had already reached the Mahayana Realm, undefeated in Nine States. Who would dare to seek trouble with him? It would be an honor for them to not be sought out by him, to
"admire the virtue of the Human Emperor".
The Sky Mechanism Tower had no means to threaten Jiang Li, so they had no choice but to allow him to redraw the map of Nine States.
Jiang Li convened the six major sects, the Four Dragon Kings of the Seas, and other major sects and countries, to discuss the matter of the map, setting the accuracy standards — they were responsible for the maps in their respective regions. For the other blank regions, the Imperial Palace would fill in.
Eventually under Jiang Li's direction, a map of the Nine States, several times more detailed than that of the Sky Mechanism Tower, was presented to everyone.
Jiang Li was not stingy either. He let the Imperial Palace engrave the map onto jade slips and sell them slightly above the cost price.
From tnen on, people no longer neeaecl to worry aDout maps.
After the incident, Dao Sect said to Jiang Li that his act was a great merit, and he should receive a merit baptism. However, Jiang Li did not receive any merit, which was quite strange.
Moreover, every past Human Emperor who protected the Nine States should also have great merit, yet there was no trace of merit to be seen.
The Dao Sect speculated that the merit was from the Immortal Realm. After the ladder to Immortality disappeared, the Nine States lost contact with the
Immortal Realm, causing the merit not to descend to the lower realm. If Jiang Li ascends to the Immortal Realm in the future, he may receive a massive baptism of merit.
[New mission release: The once every five year martial arts competition in
Tianqing Prefecture is about to begin. You will be representing the Hua Yun Sect in this competition. You are placed in the Foundation Establishment early stage group. Because Hua Yun Sect always ranks near the bottom, it is ridiculed by other sects. Please win first place in the early-stage area of Foundation Establishment in this competition.]
[This mission can be cancelled.]
[Mission reward: An opportunity to complete any incomplete book, one Dragon-Tiger Golden Core Pill, one Death-escape Talisman.]
Jiang Li found that the rewards for this mission were quite generous. The opportunity to complete any incomplete book was particularly obvious, yet the
Dragon-Tiger Golden Core Pill alone could increase any monk's Core
Formation success rate to eighty percent, it was absolutely terrifying.
There was also the Death-escape Talisman. Who could guarantee that they wouldn't be ambushed while adventuring? With the Death-escape Talisman, it was equivalent to having an extra life. The visible value of this is that it could be auctioned at an astronomical price that could make a Nascent Soul Cultivator spend half of their fortune!
However, this Death-escape Talisman could only be used by cultivators at the Golden Core stage or lower.
The rewards were very generous, so Jiang Li chose to give up this task.
"Give up this task." He said.
[Do you want to give up this task?]
"Yes."
[To prevent misunderstanding, the system will ask again. Do you want to give up this task?]
"Yes."
[Do you wish to…]
'Yes."
Jiang Li felt that this counter-attack system was very much like annoying software from his previous life.
[The task has been successfully abandoned.]
The system said nothing more after that.
Jiang Li blinked, waiting for a long time for a new task, but none came.
"System, where's the new task?" He asked
[Please wait patiently, Host.] The system responded
Jiang Li was speechless, so giving up on a task didn't mean he could move on to the next one immediately.
"Hello, hello, hello, is Jiang Li there? I was so happy just now, I forgot to tell you something."
The Remote Communication Talisman rang. Before Jiang Li could answer, the other party had already projected an image.
The projection of the Sect Master of Dao Sect appeared in front of Jiang Li. Jiang Li thought that this bastard was taking advantage of being the maker of the Remote Communication Talisman to control his talisman.
"What is it?" Jiang Li asked politely.
"How can you, a member of the Dao Sect, address the Sect Master in such a way?" The Sect Master of Dao Sect pretended to be angry. Seeing Jiang Li's rage brewing, he quickly shifted the topic.
"The Yin Yang Heaven Seal is going to be refined once more, according to my observation, there is less than a year's time left. At that moment, our Dao Sect will hold an Immortal Artifact Appreciation Conference. Please, Brother Jiang Li, give us some face as the current Human Emperor and grace the occasion." He implored.
As this was actual business, Jiang Li's attitude improved a bit and agreed.
"Then, it's settled. When the time comes, I will send you an invitation so you can sit in a special seat."
The sect master of Dao Sect quickly shut down the Remote Communication Talisman.
The Yin Yang Heaven Seal was going to be further refined.
This was indeed an important matter and a big one at that. The Dao Sect would be busy preparing for it for a year. Jiang Li was likely the first to know about this.
Some people claimed that the Yin Yang Heaven Seal of Dao Sect was the number one treasure of Nine States, there was not a shred of exaggeration in this claim. At least Jiang Li believed that the Yin Yang Heaven Seal deserved this title.
The founding master of Dao Sect was known as Daozu (Dao Ancestor), an incredibly terrifying title that shared the same name as a title used in the Immortal Realm. This should have attracted divine retribution, but Daozu himself was unscathed. Therefore, some people speculated that the founding master of Dao Sect was the true reincarnation of Daozu or maybe the embodiment of a catastrophe, or a three-corpse body, anyway, he was closely related to the real Daozu.
The Yin Yang Heaven Seal was created by Daozu of Dao Sect, and as soon as it was created, it was considered an Immortal Artifact, with unlimited power.
After Daozu of Dao Sect ascended, he left the Yin Yang Heaven Seal in the Nine States as the treasure of the sect, suppressing the sect's destiny.
The magic of the Yin Yang Heaven Seal is that it can refine itself. Every refinement enhances its power by one level.
The last time it refined itself was three thousand years ago. The important figures in Nine States all attended that grand event. It was quite lively.
After three thousand years, how could Jiang Li miss the opportunity to witness the Immortal Artifact self-refinement?
Jiang Li did not leave Da Zhou but secluded himself for cultivation on the spot to consolidate the gains he made during his last Heavenly Tribulation.
Two months later, Jiang Li broke away from his meditation and the system finally stirred once more.
[New mission release: The Mysterious Secret Realm is about to open and only those under twenty-five bone-age and at the Foundation Establishment stage are allowed to enter. The Hua Yun sect has one quota, which you obtained after defeating Yun Bo. However, people from other sects look down on you since you are only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and you are ridiculed. Please become the champion in this Mysterious Secret Realm. ] [This mission can be cancelled.]
[Mission reward: Unlock the spatial teleportation feature, unlock the source reading function and a 500 cubic-meter storage ring.]
According to Jiang Li's estimate, given two months' time, if it was himself, it would be just enough time to cultivate from the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
When he saw the rewards for this mission, he smiled slightly.. With the unlock of spatial teleportation ability alone, he couldn't give up this task!
Chapter 28: 'Human Emperor Jiang at the Sky Mechanism Tower
"But where is this Mysterious Secret Realm located?"
There are countless secret realms in the world, each with its curious rules. It's impossible for Jiang Li to know every one of them.
But that's okay, if he doesn't know, there are always professionals who do.
All members of the Sky Mechanism Tower cultivate a cultivation technique called
"Mastering the Heavenly Machine" that leads directly to ascension.
When mastered, this technique can sense one's fortune and avoid disasters.
Unfortunately, this cultivation technique is not for sale at the Sky Mechanism Tower, otherwise, many cultivators would want to learn it.
The head of the Sky Mechanism Tower is the highest-ranked practitioner, followed by the heads of the Sky Mechanism Towers located in the various dynasties. Although they are not as powerful as the head, they have reached the level of sensing fortune and misfortune.
Zhou Youfu, the person in charge of the Sky Mechanism Tower in the Great Zhou Dynasty, was lying on the roof, bathing in a pool formed by condensed spiritual energy, enjoying a moment of tranquility.
If the Sky Mechanism Tower had a favorite dynasty, it would be the Great
Zhou. The people here abide by rules, follow the regulations of the Sky
Mechanism Tower, and do not risk kidnapping members of the Sky Mechanism Tower for cultivation techniques. They also would not be so foolish as to steal from the Sky Mechanism Tower.
Please, we at Sky Mechanism Tower strive to provide quality information. When we say it's an abridged version, it's your problem if you think your high level of cultivation will be no issue.
This type of client is the most headache-inducing for the Sky Mechanism Tower.
Another type is clients who have no money and insist on bargaining, saying that they already know some of the information and that it's not worth so many spirit stones.
The Sky Mechanism Tower never gives discounts on its information, much less gives it away for free!
The once-in-a-decade evaluation had just passed, and the Sky Mechanism Tower in the Great Zhou Dynasty was rated first in both performance and customer satisfaction, making other branches envious.
"Great Zhou, good!"
Zhou Youfu felt that he deserved his surname Zhou which resonates with Great Zhou.
He contentedly soaked his fat body in the spiritual water, releasing large bubbles.
But how strange, he used to always feel lucky, so why is his fortune now uncertain, and the future chaotic?
The attendant not far away heard a message from below, ran to the pool flusteredly, and said in horror,
"Master, it's terrible, Human Emperor Jiang is here!"
Zhou Youfu was so frightened that he forgot to breathe and swallowed a mouthful of bath water.
"We at the Sky Mechanism Tower don't break the law or practice the demonic path. We price goods fairly, why has he come?!"
Most people who come to the Sky Mechanism Tower keep their faces hidden to conceal their identities. For those who don't have money, they simply cover their faces with a piece of black cloth. For those who are wealthy, they use a piece of black cloth that masks the fluctuations of spiritual power.
As for those who show their faces when buying information, they don't mind that either. That's the customer's own business.
But today, they had to care, even the branch master had to come out to greet them.
Because Human Emperor Jiang had arrived.
"Welcome, Human Emperor Jiang, to our inspection."
Zhou Youfu and the senior members of the Sky Mechanism Tower welcomed Jiang Li. The crowd of masked people narrowed their pupils, revealing fanaticism, and no longer cared about hiding their identities. They all came to see Jiang Li.
This is the living Human Emperor Jiang, whom many will never see once in their lifetime!
Fortunately, the disciples of the Sky Mechanism Tower maintained order and prevented people from surrounding Jiang Li.
Seeing Zhou Youfu like this, Jiang Li thought to himself, isn't he just here to buy information about the Mysterious Secret Realm? Why are they treating it like he's here to inspect their work?
Jiang Li didn't know that for the people of the Sky Mechanism Tower, it was as though he was here to inspect their work.
Two hundred years ago, Jiang Li presided over the mapping of the Nine Provinces map. The Sky Mechanism Tower considered this as his dissatisfaction with their behavior and used the map to penalize them.
If the Sky Mechanism Tower harbored resentment against Jiang Li two hundred years ago, then after these two hundred years, having witnessed Jiang Li kill countless formidable and seemingly hopeless Heavenly Demons with ease, the Sky Mechanism Tower truly dared not bear any resentment against him.
So if Jiang Li visits the Sky Mechanism Tower again, they must serve him well, making sure he couldn't find any faults with them.
"Ah, no…"
"Our motto is to treat every customer as an immortal. Emperor Jiang, this is our grand reception hall. We have each customer go to a separate room, where they are attended to in person. This ensures confidentiality and customer satisfaction." Zhou Youfu explained the Sky Mechanism Tower's mode of operation smoothly to Jiang Li.
"Our staff will have a crystal ball that connects to headquarters, which could access all the information held by the Sky Mechanism Tower."
"And our prices are determined by a set of strict standards. We definitely don't inflate prices." Zhou Youfu showed a thick book, which was probably the price standard he mentioned.
"If the information involves something the Sky Mechanism Tower does not have, we will collect it based on the customer's requirements. However, some information involves privacy, and we definitely won't sell it!" Zhou Youfu stated firmly, his face full of righteousness. Whether he was telling the truth was not known.
But Jiang Li noticed that he said
"we will definitely not sell," not
"we will definitely not collect. "
"Hmm, you won't collect, good job." Jiang Li nodded pretentiously, patting Zhou Youfu's shoulder.
Zhou Youfu, of course, knew what Jiang Li meant by the insinuations. This was a reminder to them.
"Yes, we will definitely not collect!" He quickly made a stand, leaving the decision on whether to do so to the master.
"Is Emperor Jiang satisfied with our work?"
"No other issues really, I just came to learn about the Mysterious Secret
Realm."
Zhou Youfu thought Jiang Li was randomly asking a question to test the Sky Mechanism Tower's ability to handle information, he quickly got out the crystal ball and operated it himself.
Soon, all the information about the Mysterious Secret Realm was organized and stored in a jade plate, which he respectfully handed to Jiang Li for inspection.
Jiang Li glanced over it and thought, good lord, they even wrote down the birth chart of the person who created the Mysterious Secret Realm. And they say they don't sell private information?
But he wasn't in charge of the Sky Mechanism Tower. The power of the Human Emperor didn't stretch that far. His previous statement was just a suggestion. If he were to bring it up again now, it would be overstepping his bounds.
"How many spirit stones?"
"The Emperor is joking. These things are not worth a few spirit stones. Consider them a gift from the Sky Mechanism Tower to the Imperial Palace."
After some back and forth, Jiang Li finally stuffed a proper amount of spirit stones into Zhou Youfu's arms.
Zhou Youfu held onto the spirit stones as if he was holding a hot potato. He didn't know whether to accept it or refuse.
After Jiang Li achieved his goal, he turned into a stream of light and left.
Zhou Youfu called over a disciple of the Sky Mechanism Tower,
"I remember you excel in painting, right?"
"Yes, Master."
"Then you paint the scene of me standing with the Human Emperor Jiang just now, frame it, and hang it on the wall. Remember, use the best materials! If you do it well, I will promote you to Core Disciple."
"Yes!" The disciple was extremely excited and clenched his fist.
A few days later, a painting of
"Human Emperor Jiang at Sky Mechanism Tower" was hung in the hall of the Sky Mechanism Tower. Countless people stopped to admire it.
In the painting, Jiang Li was patting Zhou Youfu's shoulder as if bestowing a great duty upon him. Zhou Youfu had an air of righteousness about him as if he could shoulder the responsibility..