Chapter 38: (Please Provide The Coordinates of the Immortal Realm)
After making the agreement with Dream Pure, Jiang Li left the Mysterious
Secret Realm and heard many people bragging about receiving the Human Emperor's guidance at the entrance, which filled those unable to reach the second layer with jealousy till their eyes were bloody red.
"Serves you right for being greedy with the first level. What are a beautiful girl or power and treasure compared to guidance from the Human Emperor? This is a blessing that can be used for a lifetime!"
Of course, those who entered the second layer didn't mention about their overinflated ego and recklessly challenging the Human Emperor, only to be taught some life lessons by him.
Considering that only Qin Luan and Song Ying were fearless enough to spread this story, they had to plan how to bribe these two.
Qin Luan guessed their intentions when they all deliberately avoided the topic, so he decided to sit at the entrance to the realm and wait for his hush money.
Interestingly, Yuan Wuxing also came. He was now a Nascent Soul Cultivator and was at a mid-range level among various sects.
After parting with Jiang Li, he spent two months to increase his cultivation. Once he finished, he heard that his door's main disciple, Qin Luan, had arrived at the Mysterious Secret Realm. Fearing that he'd be bullied by other sects, he rushed over immediately to offer support.
As it turns out, Yuan Wuxing had worried too much. Because Qin Luan had something over them, disciples from various sects didn't even have time to protect Qin Luan, let alone bully him.
"Master!"
"Little Luan!'
"Master, you've become stronger!"
"Little Luan, you've grown taller!"
The master and disciple, separated for ten years, finally met, creating a touching scene. It was entirely unexpected to see Qin Luan treating his master like a heart demon and beating him up.
"Little Luan, I want to tell you, I saw Jiang, the Human Emperor, in Qingcheng! "
"Master, I want to tell you, I saw Jiang, the Human Emperor, in the Secret Realm!"
Both master and disciple bragged to each other upon meeting, speaking identical phrases at the same time, creating a very awkward scene.
"It looks like I have a deep connection with both of you."
Jiang Li appeared and greeted the master and disciple.
When Yuan Wuxing saw that nobody around had noticed Jiang Li, he realized that it was Jiang Li who had used a spell.
Jiang Li cheerfully said:
"I don't have any other business here, I just wanted to tell you both; Qin Luan has a chance of competing for the Human Emperor's throne, as well as Yuan Wuxing."
In fact, Yuan Wuxing does not have a poor talent, but his mindset has been unfavorable. However, after following Jiang Li and witnessing the entire process of resolving Jiang Yixing's demonic case, his mindset improved significantly, qualifying him for consideration as a potential Human Emperor.
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."
Upon finishing his business, Jiang Li left, leaving behind the oddly atmosphered master and disciple.
"Master, recently I've had some realizations and want to go out and experience it, but there can't be no one in the sect, you should stay at the Qingfeng View."
"Little Luan, now that I am a Nascent Soul Expert, how can I be confined to the sect? Only by traveling around the world, increasing wisdom, can I breakthrough again. You've been in the sect alone for ten years, you must have deep emotions for Qingfeng View, so it's better for you to stay."
"You left me, a ten years old kid, alone at Qingfeng View and didn't ask for ten years, yet you have the audacity to say that!"
"Didn't I leave Qingfeng View just to find the opportunity for breakthrough?
Without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, who will protect you!"
A few days later, when Song Ying eagerly ran to Qingfeng View, she found that the door was firmly closed. There was a poster pasted which read:
The master and his disciple are traveling around the nine provinces, the return date is not yet determined.
Song Ying also said goodbye to her master and started following the footsteps of Qin Luan.
Despite having gone through many ups and downs, Jiang Li couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart at the thought of being able to enter the Immortal Realm.
Wasn't the original purpose of this shitty system just to use the teleportation function to go to the Immortal Realm?
[Please accept the Storage Ring with a capacity of 500 cubic meters]
Because the storage ring cannot hold another storage ring, Jiang Li put the mini storage ring given by the system in his pocket without giving it another look.
[The Reading Function is enabled. You can remember all the contents in the books by touching their cover and consuming origin points. The amount of origin points consumed is related to the complexity of the content]
Jiang Li thought for a moment. This function seems to be a little useful, not completely useless, but he doesn't use it that much.
[The Teleportation Function is now enabled, you need…]
"Teleport me to the Immortal Realm!" Jiang Li said the line he had planned beforehand.
[Please provide the coordinates of the Immortal Realm]
.Huh?"
A confident listener his whole life, Jiang Li started to doubt his hearing and repeated,
"Teleport me to the Immortal Realm!"
[Please provide the coordinates of the Immortal Realm]
"A realm as big as the Immortal Realm, wouldn't you have the coordinates if I didn't?"
"If I knew the coordinates of the Immortal Realm, I could go there myself, why would I need you?!" Jiang Li gritted his teeth and yelled!!!
Infuriated by the system, Jiang Li's black hair fluttered, and a terrifyingly ruthless aura spread out, causing the spirit energy within a radius of thousands of miles to congeal.
He was truly angry.
Since he obtained this system, he has never gained any useful tool or function from it.
The entire gift package for Qi cultivation stage beginners, the items in the mall are not as complete as his, useless pieces of maps, spiritual tools that would burst with a drop of blood, etcetera.
Counter-attack system?
High blood pressure system!
Jiang Li punched angrily, creating a hole in space. It was an abyss of darkness, and he didn't know how far the other world was.
As long as Jiang Li knew the space coordinates of the other world, he could punch his way there himself, he didn't need any teleportation function.
Didn't he initially request the old Buddha at Mount Sumeru to find the coordinates of the Immortal Realm because he could traverse through the void?
Although threats like the gale in the void could make cultivators tremble in fear, they were able to traverse through the void in flesh, fearlessly.
Jiang Li had always feared attempting to traverse through the void on his own to find the Immortal Realm because he was scared of losing his way. If he couldn't find the Immortal Realm, or even the Nine Provinces, that would be a disaster.
Without coordinates, there's a high chance of this happening!
[An unknown world has been detected, want to teleport?]
The sudden system prompt made Jiang Li paused. He pointed at the rift in space that he punched out and asked uncertainly,
"Is there another world on the other side?"
[Yes, the system has detected an unknown world through the rift, do you want to teleport there?]
Hmm? This system seems to he useful-
Jiang Li exclaimed in joy,
"Can I teleport back?"
Considering the system's sarcastic attribute, Jiang Li had to ask one more time. If he couldn't come back, he would have to learn from Robinson and write a book called
"Drift Diary of the Human Emperor".
[The system has already recorded the coordinates of the Nine Provinces, you can teleport back]
"Then what are you waiting for, teleport!" Jiang Li was overjoyed. With no worries behind, naturally, he would like to see the other world; maybe it's the Immortal Realm on the other side.
[Insufficient origin points, unable to teleport]
Chapter 39: The Grey World
Jiang Li didn't find the existence of other worlds strange. Ancient books had already documented them. The worlds governed by the Immortal Realm were as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, with a ladder to immortality established in each one. As long as people from those worlds met the standards for becoming immortal, they could ascend. The Nine Provinces world had the highest number of immortals among these worlds.
If there was an unknown world on the other side of the spatial rift, it was likely to be one of the many worlds governed by the Immortal Realm. Perhaps the ladder to immortality from that world was still there!
"How can I get Source Points?"
[Host can obtain Source Points by completing tasks or selling goods. This system will buy Source Points at one-third of the mall's price.]
"…A swindler indeed."
Buying at a third of the price and selling at the original price… Even someone with a bit of conscience wouldn't say such thing!
"I have done several tasks, where are my Source Points?" [Does the host want to select a side task- -Source Point Task?]
"Yes."
[Initiating Source Point task: Please extract 200 jin of First Sun Stone from First Sun Mountain for the host.]
This time, Jiang Li didn't need to ask Sky Mechanism Tower where First Sun Mountain was. He had heard of it. It used to be a famous mine. However, due to the mine owner's unrestricted mining, it became a barren hill two hundred years ago.
At its prime, it could produce a ton of First Sun Stone a day. Now, one could consider themselves lucky if they managed to mine 50 jin a day. As the First Sun Stone was not a cultivation necessity, the mining costs did not proportionately translate into income, naturally, nobody mined there anymore.
With Jiang Li's skill, if he put his heart and soul into mining for a day, he could mine about fifty jin.
Jiang Li pondered for a moment, then concluded that the task was pretty simple.
He flew over the First Sun Mountain, and directly dug out the entire mountain range.
Jiang Li didn't believe that an entire mountain range would not yield two hundred jin of First Sun Stone?
The system hesitated for a moment before determining whether this action counted as having dug out two hundred jin of First Sun Stone or not.
[Congratulations to the host for completing the Source Points task, rewarding the host with fifty Source Points.]
"Teleport me to the unknown world I just found!"
[Another 56,800 Source Points are required. Insufficient Source Points, unable to teleport.]
Things are getting tough.
Jiang Li clenched his fists.
Jiang Li swore that if this damn system could manifest a form, he would be the first to cripple it!
You need this many Source Points, why didn't you say so earlier? I have to complete tasks until who knows when!
"It seems I have to sell some items for Source Points."
Jiang Li scanned the mall, the most items available were all kinds of cultivation techniques. The cheapest could only cultivate up to the Golden Core Stage and required a hundred Source Points, while the most expensive could cultivate into immortality, requiring a million Source Points.
Jiang Li looked up at the setting sun and swiftly composed a technique called
"Sunset Heart Hook Technique". It could be cultivated up to the early phase of Body Integration Realm. This technique could transform the afterglow of the sunset, and anyone attacked by this technique would involuntarily reminisce about their heartbreaking past, rendering them unable to fight.
Once he sold this technique, he directly received more than ten thousand Source Points.
Jiang Li smacked his thigh,
"Why didn't I do this earlier, it would have saved me the trouble of moving a mountain!"
"Writing the cultivation technique for the Transcendance Tribulation Stage is not easy, but there are plenty of techniques that can cultivate up to the Body Integration Stage!"
Often, a Tribulation Crossing Cultivator would only be able to write three to five cultivation techniques that could reach the level of crossing the tribulation and becoming immortal in their lifetime. Even Jiang Li would need to spend a dozen or so days to write them.
But it was different for Body Integration Stage cultivation techniques. Jiang Li could easily write eight to ten techniques that could cultivate up to the Body Integration Stage.
He looked at the verdant grassland and wrote
"Cycle of Life and Death Technique" and
"Endless Life Technique", he looked at the mountain peak and wrote
"Herculean Mountain Moving Technique"…
Jiang Li sold all of these casually written techniques to the system, suddenly gaining more than 110,000 Source Points.
"Teleport me to the unknown world!" [Initiating teleportation]
The system can genuinely teleport this time.
The space around Jiang Li began to distort, gradually forming a passage with another world. With one step forward, he traversed the barrier of the Nine Provinces, the chaotic winds, the barrier of the unknown world, and arrived in the unknown world.
With Jiang Li's discerning eyes, he could see the technique for moving through space employed by the system was extremely clever.
How clever was it? It was so clever that Jiang Li couldn't understand the technique employed by the system.
'What the heck can I understand? I know nothing about the Dao of Space."
Jiang Li had originally planned to learn the system's spatial techniques, but then he suddenly remembered he knows nothing about the Dao of Space.
"When I have a chance, I'll demonstrate it on Mount Sumeru. Old Buddha Sumeru knows the Dao of Space the best, perhaps he can learn something from it."
"Is this the unknown world?"
Upon arriving at the unknown world, Jiang Li slightly frowned. The sparse spiritual energy here was exasperating.
In the vast desert, Jiang Li stood alone in the yellow sand, letting the storm batter his protective shield. The overall tone of this world was a hazy gray, not a trace of green could be seen. Ordinary people could get depression from staying here too long.
Step by step, Jiang Li measured the land, discovering that this world's gravity was the same as the Nine Provinces. He grabbed a handful of coarse sand. Its material structure was more or less the same.
"But why is the spiritual energy so sparse?"
The distribution of spiritual energy in Nine Provinces was uneven. Few places were known as Spirit Qi Forbidden Lands, where the spiritual energy was so scarce that even a single spiritual root cultivator could not reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The spiritual energy in this unknown world was even less than the Spirit Qi Forbidden Lands of the Nine Provinces!
There's no way a cultivator could be born in such a place!
Jiang Li swept the area with his Divine Sense but couldn't find a single human figure. He could only see a group of gray beasts that looked like wolves, digging into the ground. Apparently, they were starving and started eating the sand.
When the group of gray beasts spotted Jiang Li, they instinctively found him appetizing and planned to share this unseen creature among themselves. Jiang Li bound the entire group of gray beasts with one thought.
Jiang Li had never seen similar creatures in the Nine Provinces.
He used his Divine Sense to scan the group of beasts and discovered that they were not eating sand because of hunger, but because their bodily structures determined that they could only eat sand.
Their digestive, respiratory organs, etc., were all unlike anything Jiang Li had seen. Without the help of his powerful Divine Sense to analyze, he couldn't even identify the functions of these organs.
These beasts had strong physical bodies, with the strongest having a body equivalent to the Golden Core Stage and the others having bodies equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
For some reason, Jiang Li instinctively wanted to keep his distance from these beasts. They gave him a very uncomfortable feeling.
Over the next few days, Jiang Li went around this world, but his brows never unfurrowed.
He finally understood why the group of gray beasts were eating sand.
Because this world only has two things, gray beasts, and sand.
Forget about humans, there weren't even other species.
If the system told him that this was hell and the gray beasts were creatures of the animal realm, he would believe it eighty percent of the time.
Compared to here, the Nine Provinces is basically the Immortal Realm..
Chapter 40: Isn 't It Enough Just to Have a Hand?
As excited as Jiang Li was when he went to the unknown world, he now felt equally disappointed.
This grey world didn't hold a shred of interest for him.
A world with only two kinds of things, how interesting could it be?
The only use for this world was for Jiang Li to come here in the future to try and cross the tribulation, to see if there was a chance for ascension. Perhaps this world is connected to the Immortal Realm.
Jiang Li could only comfort himself this way.
The system had already memorized the coordinates of the grey world, as long as he spent more than 50,000 source points, he could go there.
To Jiang Li, who could casually write a body integration realm cultivation technique, source points were like an open treasury. He could get as much as he wanted.
What, someone doing tasks for fifty source points, no, definitely no such person.
Jiang Li inwardly denied it vehemently.
The Remote Communication Talisman vibrated and Jiang Li connected it.
"Brother Jiang, I haven't been able to contact you for several days. The investigation you asked me to conduct has results. The former Human Emperor candidates all said no one on their side saw the man in black." Another leader of the Imperial Palace contacted Jiang Li.
"That's strange."
Jiang Li didn't understand. Why was the man in black so certain that he could become the Human Emperor? Or was he just spreading the way of the devil?
"Then you go to the Sky Mechanism Tower and post a commission. They have unconventional ways, let them investigate who taught Jiang Yixing the demonic cultivation method 380 years ago."
"Yes."
Jiang Li opened many space cracks in succession, but he did not receive any notifications from the system about discovering an unknown world. It seems that he was just lucky to have found the grey world at once.
A few days later, the system issued a new task.
[New task: The Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy is about to start enrollment. The Four Great Academies serve as preparatory schools for the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy. Sixty percent of their students are able to pass the exam to the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy. You are not from the Four Great Academies, and you have been laughed at by academy students. Please come first in the entrance exam of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family
Academy.]
[You can abandon this task.]
[Task reward: One drop of true dragon blood, one beast transformation pill, unlock special task
"Mystery of The Immortal Realm"]
"Hmm?"
Jiang Li automatically ignored the dragon blood and the beast transformation pill, and asked,
"What is the Mystery of The Immortal Realm?"
[You are not entitled to know before unlocking the task.]
Even though this system was as exasperating as always, it never lied. If it says it can teleport you, it can teleport you; if it says it gives you something, it gives you something. Since this task is called
"Mystery of The Immortal Realm", does it mean that if I complete this task, I can find the Immortal Realm? Jiang Li's heart itched at the sight of this special task, so he decided to take it.
Moreover, the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy, it has been a while since he last visited.
Jiang Li was a student of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy, where he also met Ji Zhi, who was then just a prince.
Back then, Jiang Li had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and was being hunted down. In the end, he had no choice but to set fire to the Five Elements Spiritual Root with a resolve to die, intending to perish together with his enemy.
The other party was also shocked. Burning the spiritual root, only a madman would do such a thing. Burning the spiritual root indeed brings about extremely strong combat power in a short period, but it is also extremely dangerous. It's a situation of life hanging by a thread. Even if one survives by a fluke, he will be reduced to a common man without spiritual enerzv!
In the Nine Provinces, having no spiritual root is worse than death!
However, Jiang Li neither died nor became a mortal, instead he forced The Heavenly Spiritual Root to awaken ahead of time.
The Heavenly Spiritual Root is self-cultivated, showing the Five Elements
Spiritual Root to the outside world, only when a cultivator relies on the Five Elements Spiritual Root cultivation to reach the Nascent Soul Stage, does the Heavenly Spiritual Root awaken, making him soar into the sky from then on.
Heavenly Spiritual Root is scarce, relying on Five Elements Spiritual Root cultivation to reach the Nascent Soul Stage is even more difficult, the combination of both factors results in the appearance of a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator once in a thousand years.
But there has never been a situation where the Five Elements Spiritual Root was burnt, resulting in the early awakening of the Heavenly Spiritual Root.
Jiang Li found that he had returned from the early foundation establishment stage to the ninth stage of Qi Cultivation, but his foundation was more solid, and after cultivating for a while, he surprisingly reached the 10th stage of Qi Cultivation?!
Where does the 10th stage come from in Qi Cultivation?!
If he kept practicing like this, all the way to the 20th stage of Qi Cultivation, would he still be able to establish his foundation?!
Jiang Li didn't understand his transformation, hearing that the place with the most books in Great Zhou was the library of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy, he wanted to go there to see if he could explain his situation.
Although he didn't find the book he wanted, Jiang Li learned knowledge about cultivation from the system while studying at the academy. Based on theoretical knowledge, he speculated that he had a Heavenly Spiritual Root and awakened ahead of time.
After Jiang Li became the Human Emperor, he would come to the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy every thirty years to give a lecture, to repay the favor of solving his confusion.
"Time flies, five hundred years have passed in a blink of an eye. When I left the academy I was a student, and now I am still a student."
It was the season of admission, and students from all over the country came to take the academy's entrance exam, and the inns were fully booked. Jiang Li spent a lot of money to rent a nearby inn to prepare for the entrance exam.
The previous task rewarded by the system was the function of source point reading, and the next task was to come first in the entrance exam. The hint was very clear, which was to let you use this new function to study and get first place.
But Jiang Li thought it was a joke. He could get first in the entrance exam of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy without relying on the system back then. Five hundred years have passed, he has now become a Mahayana realm cultivator, his knowledge is so extensive, so it should be easy to handle a little entrance exam.
Using the system at all would be an insult to his intelligence!
The history of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy is long, dating back to the founding of the Great Zhou. It occupies a large area in one corner of the royal city of the Great Zhou, where land is as precious as gold. But no one dares to complain, because all the successive emperors of Great Zhou graduated from here.
For this reason, the inns nearby are extremely expensive, not something ordinary people can afford. Usually, three or four people share a small room, living tightly packed together, and they all study hard day and night. Even the students of the Four Great Academies looked like they were studying hard.
Jiang Li leisurely strolled around with his hands behind his back, his carefree demeanor contrasting strongly with the tense atmosphere of study around him.
Someone who was annoyed by Jiang Li's demeanor was about to jeer when he was pulled away by a companion.
"What's wrong, what are you stopping me for, I just hate people who waste their days!"
"You've studied so hard you've become stupid. People like him are obviously very good students, they are confident!"
"Another companion chimed in,
"Look at those top students in our academy, don't they all seem to not work very hard? After taking the exam, they sigh and complain, but when the results come out, they're first in the class."
"Yeah, yeah, they sleep more in class than anyone else, and after the exam, they say they got this question wrong, and that question wrong. I thought that the first in the class was nothing more than this, but when the exam result came out, he was still first in the class, and I was still last."
The person who wanted to ridicule was persuaded by his companions, and suddenly realized, yes, those who come to the Great Zhou Dynasty Family Academy to take the entrance exam, how could they just come to go through the motions?
It was a close call, he almost got slapped in the face, better to study hard, don't stick your head out and get slapped by someone..
Chapter 41: The Catastrophe of Tian Sha Pavilion
"Have you heard? Among the examination candidates, there's a real beauty!"
"A gorgeous girl? How beautiful can she be? More beautiful than the belles of our college?"
Two senior students were chatting casually, exchanging gossips, and the latter responded nonchalantly.
Their college, the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College, is the academic heart of the whole Great Zhou Dynasty. Any monk who has achieved success in cultivation, or businessmen and officials who are successful in their careers, would do whatever they can to establish a connection with the college to flaunt their status. Even the high-ranking officials and nobles would spare no effort to send their children to study at this college. It could be said that all the children of the upper class were studying in this college.
These monks, officials, and businessmen might not be particularly good-looking themselves, but they could easily find beautiful wives using their influence. Thus, their children often turned out to be good-looking as well.
For instance, the daughter of the mighty Grand Marshal Li Changyue, the Princess of Huailing County from Prince Gong, and the granddaughter of the cabinet Grand Academician Nan Jin, were all stunning beauties. It was hard to say who outshone the rest, and they all had numerous suitors.
"You can't even compare!" His companion animatedly responded. He was regretful that his linguistic skills were incapable of describing the charm of the new girl,
"You haven't seen the new girl. She is an uncommon beauty in this world. One glimpse at her and you'll remember her for the rest of your life!"
"Eh, the lady hasn't passed the exam yet, how did she already become your junior?"
"She will definitely pass. If she doesn't, I'll help her cheat!"
The other student gave him a brief side-eye,
"Don't you know how strict our college's exams are? You're planning on cheating? It would be more like flirting with death. The Vice Principal himself invigilates the exam, and the Principal personally checks the papers. Where will you muster up the audacity to cheat? Going by your Qi Cultivation Stage Eight strength?"
The ability to enroll in the Empire's top-rated school at the eighth stage of Qi Cultivation was something unimaginable in other empires. According to them, how dare someone at the Qi Cultivation stage think about studying in our institute?
The most significant difference between the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College and other empire's colleges was this: Great Zhou emphasized laws and reduced rash conflicts. Monks in Great Zhou aren't required to be particularly skilled in combat. This resulted in a robust academic atmosphere in Great Zhou. Consequently, the admission standards to the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College were not focused on one's level of cultivation, but on one's memory and understanding of the scriptures.
Memory was contingent on Divine Sense; the stronger one's Divine Sense, the stronger one's memory.
Divine Sense was introduced to cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage, and it could only be trained later in the Nascent Soul Stage. Still, the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College required its students to be under twenty-five years old.
If anyone could reach the latter half of the Nascent Soul Stage before the age of twenty-five, the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College wouldn't suggest enrolling in the institute but would recommend joining the Dao Sect as a wandering monk instead.
However, now his companion had aroused his interest, and he asked,
"What's the name of the beauty?"
"Jiang Jingxin."
Jiang Li, who happened to be passing by and overheard their conversation, paused at the sound of the name, feeling a sense of absurdity emanating from it.
"Are you referring to the girl with the soft long hair gently drifting in the wind, her delicate eyebrows finely shaped like willow leaves, a pair of clear and hopeful eyes, skin tender and smooth like jade? She is stunningly beautiful as if she were a phantasmal vision, who keeps you restless once you set eyes on her," he asked.
The man, realizing what his companion was getting at, understood the description of the belle.
"Yes, yes, finally, you get what I mean." His companion was elated, but soon became wary, worrying that he might have gained another competitor.
"Is that the girl you are talking about?"
Hearing his friend's words, the companion looked in the direction of the man's finger and saw a man with ordinary looks standing with his unforgettable 'junior', their relationship looking extremely close!
Jiang Li, who saw the saintly Jingxin, appearing just like when he had last seen her, was taken aback.
"Jiang Li, who would have thought we could meet here. Fate works in mysterious ways," said Saint Jingxin, delighted..
Jiang Jin had run into some problems within her sect which upset her mood. So, she thought of visiting the places where Jiang Li used to stay to help lighten her mood. But, she didn't expect to run into Jiang Li straight away.
What an unexpected joy!
Because he wanted to avoid being recognized, Jiang Li always made slight adjustments to his face. He was too well-known, and there were statues of him everywhere in the nine states.
But Jingxin was just a holy woman who had only gone on her journey below a few hundred years ago and had rarely left Red Dust Pure Land since then. Thus, very few people knew her, and she could present her actual looks without being afraid of being recognized.
"So, you're Jiang Jingxin?" Jiang Li found the name quite strange.
"Hmm." Saint Jingxin hummed softly, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She did have her selfish reasons behind the name. However, who would have expected to meet Jiang Li here? It was indeed embarrassing!
"What's your name now?" Jiang Jingxin did not believe that Jiang Li would use his real name.
"Kong Li, the 'Kong' as in the Kong from Kong Rong sharing the pears," replied Jiang Li.
Jiang Jingxin, who didn't understand the latter part, managed to catch that Jiang Li's current name was Kong Li.
She thought she should act like a smart girl to make the man she fancied like her and chose to not ask about the meaning behind the phrase 'Kong Rong sharing the pears'.
"Did you come to take the entrance examination?" Jiang Li couldn't understand why he would see Saint Jingxin here.
Was there anything valuable at the Great Zhou Dynasty Family College that the Red Dust Pure Land's saintly maiden ought to learn? Even if there was, there was no need to pretend to be a student.
Saint Jingxin looked at Kong Li, who was also planning to take the college entrance exam, and smiled without saying a word.
Jiang Li coughed dryly,
"Reminiscing about childhood, reminiscing about childhood."
"I remember that you entered college at the age of twenty. But it seems, Kong Li, your childhood lasted quite a long time."
Even though he was unsure how the other party knew when he started college, but being so bluntly exposed made Jiang Li feel slightly embarrassed.
Saint Jingxin couldn't help but laugh and decided to not embarrass Jiang Li further,
"Since we both are taking the exam, why don't we compete and see who will rank first?"
Jiang Li's interest was piqued,
"Cool! Let's raise the stakes, whoever loses must fulfill a condition set by the winner!"
The two students clapped and made the agreement, leaving the senior students envious of Jiang Li.
"By the way, has the Fairy of Red Dust awakened yet?"
More than two months had passed, so the Red Dust Fairy should have recovered from her slumber.
"She woke up a few times. She stayed awake for longer than before, but she still sleeps more than she's awake. Drawn to the peach tree, it's where she spends most of her time when she's awake. The Grandmaster rarely speaks, she just walks and strolls around the estate," she said.
"It seems the Fairy of Red Dust's condition is still unstable," Jiang Li continued, "I have already warned Emperor Jiang and Emperor Wei to keep their mouths shut about the Fairy of Red Dust. Make sure to keep the situation related to the fairy a secret. Because if any information is leaked, who knows which old fellow who has seen the Fairy of Red Dust before may barge into the Red Dust
Pure Land."
"I understand. But if our Grandmaster wants to go out, we won't be able to stop her. "
While chatting casually, the two walked away, leaving two envious seniors behind planning something sinister.
"Should we kill that guy?
"I'll hire an assassin from the Tian Sha Pavilion!"
"I don't have such money."
"Neither do I."
"Well, let's drop it then."
"Oh."
And just like that, an imminent catastrophe by the Tian Sha Pavilion vanished in their casual conversation..
Chapter 42: [Host Task Failure]
Since Jiang Li made a bet with the Saintess of Pure Heart, he didn't plan to compete half-heartedly. His aim was not to beat the junior disciples and come first, but to surpass Pure Heart Saintess and win first place!
Never engaging in a battle without preparation, the first thing Jiang Li did was to study the reference books for the entrance exam.
However, the result left him speechless.
He remembered that 500 years ago, when he took his entrance exam, the reference books came from popular books across the nine provinces, such as
"Novice Monk's Entrance",
"Cultivation Preview",
"Discussions on the Nine Provinces' Culture", and so on.
Now, the reference books were
"The General Outline of Cultivation (By Jiang Li)",
"3000 Questions on Cultivation (By Jiang Li)", "Cultivating Immortality Begins with Cultivating the Heart (By Jiang Li)", and
"The General Outline of Cultivation (Annotated Edition)".
"Out of the ten reference books, eight were written by me, and the remaining two are annotations on my books?!"
"People who know would think I'm an honorary graduate of the academy; people who don't would think I am the one who set the exam," Jiang Li complained.
After he entered the Mahayana Realm, his understanding of cultivation deepened, so he compiled his insights into books for other monks to study.
After thinking carefully, he realized there is nothing wrong with the academy's approach. Those who cultivated to the Body Integration Realm had a complete understanding of their cultivation process, for example, Pure Heart Saintess, her understanding of cultivation has surpassed even the head of the academy.
It is impossible to reach the Body Integration Realm without theoretical support or a thorough knowledge of the cultivation method. Not to mention the Transcendance Tribulation Stage and Mahayana Realm, their understanding of cultivation is almost absolute truth.
The academy's choice to use the books written by Jiang Li, who is in the Mahayana Realm, is quite reasonable.
Of course, cultivation is one thing, but if you ask Jiang Li to write about alchemy or artifact refining, he will apologize as he is clueless on these topics and won't be able to write a book.
"How could I lose?" Jiang Li was already thinking about the demands he would make of the Saintess of Pure Heart.
On the day of the exam, Jiang Li confidently arrived at the examination site. When he saw the exam paper, he felt he couldn't lose.
The exam asked questions like
"What is the definition of cultivation according to 'The General Outline of Cultivation'?" and
"'The Casual Writings of the Human Emperor (Excerpts)' starts by saying 'It's been raining heavily for several days and finally, it cleared up today'. Why did the author write this and what does it express?"
The definition of cultivation? For Jiang Li, that was too simple. He picked up the pen and wrote: Cultivation refers to the process of living beings gradually strengthening themselves by absorbing spiritual energy to nourish their bodies.
"Is the weather supposed to be clear today?" Jiang Li mumbled to himself. He remembered the circumstances back then. It was during the rainy season and there was plenty of rain. For several days, there was no sunshine. Finally, on one day, the weather cleared up and Jiang Li, feeling the weather was good, casually wrote about his feelings.
Apart from that, the exam asked if a level six Qi cultivator with a Metal spiritual root encounters a water-fire-wood spiritual root level eight Qi cultivator in a forest, how can the former defeat the latter?
The question also provided details such as what the time was, how the weather was, how dense the spiritual energy was, and so on. It also noted that the two cultivators were standard cultivators, meaning they didn't have special bloodlines, physiques, or any unique cultivation techniques.
This type of question testing practical abilities was also quite easy for Jiang Li. He effortlessly wrote several methods for defeating the stronger with the weaker.
"Hmmm, perfect!" Jiang Li was very satisfied with his answers and was the first to turn in his paper.
The vice-principal, who was responsible for supervising the examination, heard that some had turned in their papers early, so he glanced at Jiang Li's paper and couldn't help but smile broadly.
"A good seedling came in this year. His thinking is active, he isn't rigid about what is in the book, he is audacious in battle, knows how to use an enemy's psychology, his reading comprehension is straightforward. Good, good, good!"
The vice-principal said
"good" three times in a row, obviously very satisfied with this student Kong Li.
"Hmm, so soon there's another person handing in his paper, Jiang Jingxin. She was famous even before she enrolled."
"Not bad, her vast knowledge and firm foundation. This year's exam had many unconventional and tricky questions, coming from the in-betweens of the recommended books, but she could remember. Good, good."
"How did you do?" After Jiang Li left the examination room, the Saintess of Pure Heart also emerged. Seeing this, Jiang Li teased her.
The Saintess of Pure Heart gave a slight smile, revealing two dimples – she looked incredibly cute. Even the teachers passing by were distracted and walked directly into a wall.
Luckily for the teachers, they were harder than the wall. The wall was unluckier than the teachers.
"I've already thought about what I want you to do." The smile of the Saintess of Pure Heart exuded a sense of confidence, and even Jiang Li started laughing.
"I've also already thought about what I want you to do."
"Wait and see?"
"Wait and see."
On the day the exam results were announced, the system gave a friendly prompt.
[Host's Task Failed]
With surprise, Jiang Li stood before the ranking list. He had to squat to see his name.
Kong Li, ranked last.
Saintess of Pure Heart was standing out in the crowd, her noble temperament made many people feel inferior, and they maintained a certain distance from her voluntarily.
She also saw her name.
Jiang Jingxin, ranked first.
The Saintess of Pure Heart lightly covered her small mouth, to others it seemed like a surprised expression, but in fact, she was trying hard not to burst out laughing after seeing Jiang Li's rank.
No, I am in pain.
I am a Body Integration cultivator; I should have strong concentration.
The Human Emperor getting last place in an exam based on his own book, no, I can't hold it anymore.
Hahaha, I find it so funny.
After a moment's inner struggle, the Saintess of Pure Heart finally did not let herself laugh out loud.
"If you want to laugh, just laugh."
Jiang Li had an expressionless face as he looked at the gloating expression of the Saintess of Pure Heart.
"I am not laughing… pfft… haha, you also have such days."
"There must be some problem somewhere." Jiang Li rationally deduced the reason,
"Let's go find the dean… and ask if he made a mistake in judging."
The dean of the academy, Dean Li, was responsible for grading this year's exam papers.
Dean Li stood on the high podium, examining whether there were any promising students this year.
Speaking of which, that student named Jiang Jingxin was pretty good, she could become his student.
"Dean, someone is looking for you."
'Who?"
"It's this year's highest-ranked Jiang Jingxin and lowest-ranked Kong Li, they said you made a mistake in grading."
With a strong snort through his nostrils, Dean Li looked rather unhappy.
That he would make a mistake, that's ridiculous. He remembered Jiang Jingxin and Kong Li—Jiang Jingxin's paper was almost perfect, whereas Kong Li's paper was a mess.
"Let them come up, in front of everyone, and let them say where I went wrong."
If only the candidate with the lowest scores had come to see Dean Li, he surely wouldn't bother with him, but if the candidates with the highest and lowest scores come together, then he must treat them well.
It's a good opportunity to assert his authority in front of the potential students on the podium.
"You must be Jiang Jingxin. Not bad, you are good-looking, your writing is neat, your exam paper is fairly good as well." Dean Li treated the Saintess of Pure Heart kindly, making his voice loud on purpose to attract the attention of students below. As for Kong Li, who had the lowest score, he just ignored him.
"Is that Jiang Jingxin? She's so beautiful."
"Indeed, as a girl, even I am moved."
"Who is the person beside her? He doesn't seem to look well."
"I don't know him."
"Dean Li, my name is Kong Li. I think there might be a mistake in the marking of my paper."
Jiang Li spoke up first.
He also knew Dean Li; every time he came to the academy for a lecture, he was received by Dean Li, who treated him respectfully..
Chapter 43: How dare you criticize the Jiang Human Emperor!
"Kong Li, right? I somewhat remember." Dean Li said indifferently, a stark contrast to his attitude towards Saint Pure Heart.
"Why am I last?" Jiang Li, holding back his anger, questioned. If he had failed by coming in second, that would be tolerable, but attaining the last place? How was that possible?
Am I the one who lacks brains, or is it you?
"You have the audacity to ask?" Dean Li, amused and enraged by Jiang Li's question, pulled up Jiang Li's paper, amplified it through a spell, allowing everyone to see it.
"Let everyone see what nonsense you've written!"
Saint Pure Heart didn't expect that Jiang Li, the Human Emperor, whose paper was mostly about the book he'd written, would ever be ranked last.
Like everyone else, she was curious about how Jiang Li would respond.
However, after reading it, everyone found Jiang Li's answers to be exemplary and backed with resources. His writing was succinct and filled with information that not even many had known, exemplifying his extensive knowledge. Unlike them, he didn't just rote learn everything.
Seeing everyone's confusion, Dean Li explained:
"At first glance, there seems to be nothing wrong with this paper, but upon closer inspection, the issues are quite significant."
"Most of the paper's answers can be found in the book, meaning anyone who reads diligently will perform well."
"But, although what Kong Li wrote isn't exactly like the book, it's not wrong." Saint Pure Heart voiced everyone's doubts.
Dean Li shook his head:
"Close enough? This is Jiang Li's life's work. Every word is a precious gem deserving of contemplation. Can it be casually replaced?"
"I have studied Jiang Li's theories my whole life. Each time I reread the 'Compendium of Cultivation', I gain something new."
"With your current abilities, you're far from comprehending the depth in Jiang Li's books. Thus, you should memorize, practise, and then understand." Dean Li adopted a concerned tone tailor-made for his students.
Jiang Li, in fact, wanted to say that the 'Compendium of Cultivation' was intended for Qi cultivators moving from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core. It's an introductory text. What sort of epiphanies could someone of the Body Integration Realm possibly have reading it!
Dean Li continued:
"For instance, this question about the definition of cultivation. 'Compendium of Cultivation' uses a page to define cultivation, but Kong Li summarized it in a simple sentence. How is that possible!"
Jiang Li asked:
"Is it not possible that the 'Compendium of Cultivation' is not for Body Integration Realm cultivators, but for Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment? Can the detailed writings be summarized in a succinct sentence?"
"Absolutely not!" Dean Li asserted with determination,
"Jiang Li is so great. His books naturally have no age or cultivation level restrictions: they're for everyone."
"I've studied Jiang Li's theories for over a hundred years. Each time he came to the lecture hall, I've hosted him. No one understands Jiang Li's thoughts more than I do!"
The Vice Dean, who was standing not too far away, remained noncommittal. Dean Li couldn't stand anyone speaking ill of Jiang Li. He interpreted Jiang Li's theories rigidly, following every word and phrase to the letter, insisting that Jiang Li's theories were too precious to change even a single word.
"For this reading comprehension question, you assert that it was just a sunny day with no hidden meaning. How can Jiang Li write something without profound implications?"
"After days of continuous rain, he chose a sunny day to write his essay. Jiang Li's intention must be to say that though there are numerous difficulties in cultivation, like the persistent rain, there will always be a clear day after the rain. We surely can overcome the difficulties and continue our cultivation."
"This is Jiang Li motivating us!"
Jiang Li retorted, furrowing his brows: "Why must there be profound implications in what Jiang Li says?
Dean Li, with a stern look, shouted in rebuke:
"How dare you! Someone like you can't possibly dare to criticize Jiang Li!"
Are you suggesting Jiang Li is a sage, that every single word he utters is infallible, every document he writes has profound implications, and his behavior is so impeccable it's beyond critique, and no discussions are allowed?"
Dean Li raged:
"Just by your attitude towards Jiang Li, you are unworthy of being admitted! "
"Jiang Li is a proud alumnus of our school. Someone like you attending the same school tarnishes our school's reputation! It tarnishes the name of Jiang
Dean Li released the aura of the Body Integration Realm, trying to force this disrespectful individual to capitulate. The students underneath the platform couldn't withstand the pressure of the Body Integration Realm. They felt as if a mountain had been placed on their shoulders, making even their breaths difficult.
Saint Pure Heart frowned slightly, a touch of anger in her heart. She wanted to counteract Dean Li's pressure with hers.
But she quickly realized someone was even angrier than her.
"Tarnishing the Human Emperor's reputation? I think you're the one tarnishing my reputation ! "
Jiang Li's anger soared to the skies, like an ancient deity dancing behind him. His aura, shrouding the heavens, seemed to cover the entire world, but it targeted only Dean Li.
Jiang Li could no longer tolerate Dean Li's twisted logic. He revealed his true identity, causing a stir among the audience.
A towering statue of Jiang Li stood in the academy. Who in the audience didn't recognise Jiang Li?
Immediately, the hall filled with laughter, all of them openly mocking Dean Li.
They disliked rote learning too, but Dean Li was the dean and a Body Integration Realm cultivator. If he said rote learning was right and they wanted to be admitted, then rote learning was the only option.
Today, with Jiang Li openly challenging him, many students who were dissatisfied with Dean Li and his constant attribution of everything to Jiang Li were finally able to let off steam.
When I was at the academy, the academic atmosphere fostered freedom and openness, where different academic theories could coexist."
"But now, it feels as though it's become the Jiang Li Academy. The basic book I wrote for Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment cultivators is being treated as a classic text. You even claim to reap benefits from it, I'd like to ask, what benefits exactly have you gained!"
Jiang Li demanded sternly, looking gravely at the state of the academy. The dean was the direction of the academy. He was disheartened by what such a person was doing as the dean! What could you expect the academy to be under his leadership!
A stagnate water pool!
It's ridiculous that he even hosts lectures here.
He only gives two lectures, and what can you teach in two days? Of course, it's to inspire students, to guide them, and to stimulate their thinking about cultivation. Looking at the current situation, those lectures are a complete waste!
Filled with cold sweat, Dean Li would never have imagined that the Kong Li he'd scolded would turn out to be Jiang Li.
It was laughable that he'd dared to criticize Jiang Li's writing and misinterpret Jiang Li's intentions, claiming there had to be profound implications.
"Um, Human Emperor, this is all just a misunderstanding. I didn't know you were Kong Li. If it's you, of course, your paper definitely deserves full marks."
"Dean Li Hengshan, this is not about who I am. You have not recognized your mistakes, and I am very disappointed in you!"
Jiang Li didn't bother with Dean Li any longer. He walked over to the excited Vice Dean:
"Vice Dean Meng, inform all the students that I, Jiang, will give a lecture."
Vice Dean Meng immediately nodded, bowed to Jiang Li, and went to inform the students.
Finally, they don't have to be subjected to Dean Li's rigid theories!
That day, Jiang Li sat on his statue, hosting a lecture titled "Authority Can't
Always Be Trusted"..
Chapter 44: Weak Women
Having met Jiang Li, the Saintess Pure Heart naturally would not continue to pose as an eighteen-year-old girl at the academy.
After leaving the academy, she followed Jiang Li. Seeing his somber mood, she comforted him,
"It's just a condition you lost to me, I won't make you do anything bad."
With a downcast look, Jiang Li said,
"I'm just lamenting the lost chance to find the Immortal Realm due to my arrogance."
"The Immortal Realm? Have you found a new clue?" Saintess Pure Heart's eyes blinked charmingly.
She thought of all the out-of-the-box things Jiang Li had done in pursuit of the Immortal Realm. For example, he had heard that gathering four Dragon Balls could connect to the Immortal Realm. He borrowed the Dragon Balls from the Four Sea Dragon Kings but just ended up glowing without finding a pathway to the Immortal Realm.
Another time, he heard that resolving military conflicts could grant one immortality, so he took on the heavenly tribulation without any resistance, though he ended up unharmed when the heavenly tribulation failed to ignite.
Yet another time, someone said that sacrificing one continent's worth of people could grant one merit and the ultimate ascension. He sought out the person who spread the rumor and executed him on the spot.
Who knew what rumors of immortality he had heard this time?
"Hey, hey, is Jiang Li there?" The Remote Communication Talisman sounded uncontrollably. Without guessing, it was clear that the Dao Sect Master was searching for Jiang Li.
"Go away, I'm not here." Jiang Li said unenthusiastically.
The phantom image of the Dao Sect Master appeared, looking no different from a teenager. He glanced at Jiang Li, "I am looking for the Human Emperor Jiang, what are you, a wandering disciple of the Dao Sect, butting in for? Ah,
Saintess Pure Heart is also here, so great, this way I won't have to deal with
Daoist Immortal Qingyu's stern expression."
"If you still want me to attend your Dao Sect's Immortal Artifact Appreciation
Conference, be respectful."
The Dao Sect Master immediately put on a fawning face,
"Brother Jiang, look at what you're saying, didn't I specially come to notify you?"
"According to my estimation, the Yin Yang Heaven Seal will be able to refine another round on its own in twenty days. The Immortal Artifact Appreciation Conference will start in fifteen days. You can represent the Imperial Palace, and Saintess Pure Heart can represent the Red Dust Pure Land, how does that sound?"
Jiang Li didn't respond but suddenly appeared behind the phantom of the Sect Master and noticed that he had indeed been holding up his middle finger behind his back.
"I knew vou were sDeaking ill of me behind mv back!" Tianz Li SDat and turned off the Remote Communication Talisman.
Seeing the connection cut off, the Dao Sect Master wasn't worried. The Yin Yang Heaven Seal refining another round was a rare occurrence in thousands of years, he didn't worry that Jiang Li wouldn't show up.
Indeed, Jiang Li turned to ask Saintess Pure Heart,
"We have more than ten days, how should we get to the Dao Sect?"
Saintess Pure Heart naturally wouldn't naively suggest flying over there. It would take only half a day, even if they traveled at top speed, to reach the Dao Sect.
She gave a light smile,
"Let's take a flying boat. It's been a while since I last took one. "
Jiang Li nodded,
"Okay, then I will fly over first."
"Am I, a frail girl, supposed to take the flying boat alone without you worrying about me encountering any dangers?"
Jiang Li thought for a long time but couldn't understand. How did the esteemed Divinity Transformation stage cultivator, who would be treated as a State Preceptor in any empire, relate to being a frail girl?
As for coming across danger, probably only the Heavenly Demon from another domain could threaten her.
It seemed she was worried about encountering an attack from a Heavenly Demon. Jiang Li was heartened by Saintess Pure Heart's caution. If she was as cautious with the Lower River Town and the Upper River Town back then, later events might have been avoided.
She's grown.
Although the danger Saintess Pure Heart worried about was extremely unlikely, Jiang Li couldn't bear to extinguish her barely-there cautious nature. He agreed to travel on the flying boat with her.
It isn't until the Divinity Transformation stage that cultivators can fly freely, thus qualifying to traverse the nine realms. Otherwise, what good is voyage on a flying boat?
A flying boat is considered a low-grade magic artifact. It's easy to refine and control. The only drawback is its high demand for spiritual power. If one were a Divinity Transformation cultivator, one could of course provide a continuous supply of spiritual energy, but Divinity Transformation cultivators would disdain to do so. Therefore, spirit stones must be used to supply spiritual energy.
The flying boat requires a large quantity of spirit stones, so ticket prices won't be too low. The cultivators able to afford to travel on a flying boat should at least be at Foundation Establishment Stage.
After a careful selection, Jiang Li and Saintess Pure Heart finally found a few mid-grade spirit stones from their storage ring to use as their boat tickets.
Usually, low-grade spirit stones are used to purchase boat tickets. However, because their daily expenses start with top grade spirit stones, their storage ring is filled with top grade spirit stones and ultimate spirit stones, with only a scant few mid to low-grade spirit stones.
Jiang Li didn't intend to show off, but he had no choice— he was so poor he only had top-grade spirit stones left.
Unsurprisingly, as soon as the two got on the boat, they caught the attention of several surly men. Especially upon seeing the stunning Saintess Pure Heart, they harbored ill intentions. The men communicated through looks.
Should we steal it?
We should steal it!
A small, red-lipped, white-toothed monk with a beaded necklace rose and saluted the men. Looking about fourteen or fifteen, his jewel-studded, radiant Kasaya was so blinding that the men could hardly open their eyes.
"The monk advises not to obsess over the illusion of beauty. Physical beauty is fleeting. and the more one obsesses over it, the deeDer one falls. Fellow
Believers, please let go of your obsession."
The young monk's words seemed to have a curious allure that made people instinctively believe. The fierce-looking men became drowsy and their facial expressions softened.
When another passenger saw the monk using such a strange technique, he walked up to the men, shouted loudly, and like a gong reverberating in their ears, woke them up.
The men, jolted awake, hastened to thank the passenger.
The passenger was a man dressed in white scholar's attire, holding a writing brush and a folding fan. His facial features were handsome, making him the perfect depiction of a classic scholar.
"Thank you, scholar of Confucianism."
Only one type of person in the nine realms dressed like a scholar— the students of the Confucian School, one of the six sects.
Confucian scholars viewed educating the world as their duty. They valued benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Often, they went in and out of imperial palaces to spread their teachings. Among the six sects, they were the most well-known, followed by Buddhism.
The Confucian disciple gave a faint smile and said,
"Sage Meng had said, 'Man's nature is apt to goodness as water tends to flow downwards.' Everyone is inclined to benevolence, just as water will flow downwards. Even though you look fierce and have robbed households, you have only done so because of life's hardships. I believe in the goodness of your hearts. I'm sure you also see yourselves as fundamentally good."
The words of the Confucian disciple were like a lullaby, crawling into their ears and making them feel sleepy. Unaware, they started murmuring,
"When a human is born, they are innately good."
A passenger named Jiang rudely coughed and the burly men came to their senses. Anger welled up in their hearts.
These two guys had used them as practice puppets! One monk advised them to let go of their desires, and one Confucian scholar reminded them of their ingrained goodness.
Did they think that the men, with their abilities at the Golden Core stage, were pushovers?
The burly men drew their weapons, murderous intentions surging. They set aside the plan to rob Jiang Li and Saintess Pure Heart for now, deciding to deal with the baldie and pretty boy first!
The young monk and Confucian scholar sighed simultaneously,
"Why must you force us to take actions?"
At this moment, the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator burst forth, striking terror into the burly men and immediately making them beg for mercy..
Chapter 45: What a joy it is to have friends coming from afar!
"Wu Zhi, Monk of Wisdom, it's been a long time. Are you also heading to the Dao Sect?"
"King Change, I am attending the Immortal Artifact Appreciation Convention to broaden my perspectives."
The small monk and scholar greeted each other, obviously having known each other for a long time.
Upon hearing this, the burly men lost all their desires for revenge, even the onlooking passengers unconsciously straightened their attitudes, not wanting to appear too casual in front of these two.
It is said that Wu Zhi is a reincarnation of the Buddha. Right after his birth, he transformed a small town into a Buddhist land. Even his parents paid homage and took refuge in Buddhism. After hearing this, the old Buddha Sumi came immediately and took Wu Zhi as his closed-door disciple, declaring him as the Buddha's Son.
Because he is the reincarnation of the Buddha, his cultivation speed is exceptional. By fourteen, he already became a Nascent Soul Cultivator, breaking the youngest age record for a Nascent Soul.
Jiang Li hadn't even traversed over at the age of fourteen.
Scholar King Change is a Confucian preacher. Despite his young age, he is already the State Preceptor of seven small countries. Due to his teachings of Confucianism, these countries transformed into lands of gentlemen, where people don't lock doors at night, and lost items are not picked up from the street.
Even scholars of the Divinity Transformation Stage would seek advice from him on Confucianism.
"Is Monk Wu Zhi genuinely the reincarnation of the Buddha?" Saint Pure Heart asked curiously. She had heard the legends about Monk Wu Zhi, and even directly asked Old Buddha Sumi, but the old monk just smiled, not uttering a word.
Usually, he would at least brush her off with
"The Buddha says it cannot be spoken" !
If she could beat him, she would have forced the words out!
The title of Buddha isn't easily given to any Buddhist who ascends to the West Paradise; only those with significant achievements in Buddhist Law, owning a Buddhist land in the Immortal Realm, are qualified to be called Buddha. Jiang Li had a strange expression,
"Is that what you're concerned about?"
"What else should I worry about?" Saint Pure Heart was confused.
"He could be your grandmaster."
"Your master, the Daoist Pure Desires, is fond of him. Didn't you know?"
Seeing that Saint Pure Heart had a hard time accepting this news, Jiang Li seriously answered her question.
"I don't know, I am not familiar with reincarnation."
Jiang Li indeed didn't understand reincarnation. He had lived for five hundred years and still couldn't figure out whether he time-traveled or awakened memories of his past life.
"However, Old Buddha Sumi said that Monk Wu Zhi's Buddha nature is even better than his, and he intends to make Wu Zhi a candidate for the Human Emperor also to compete for the throne."
"And whether or not he's the reincarnation of a Buddha, I can confirm that this little monk had an incredibly powerful past life."
Jiang Li squinted his eyes at Monk Wu Zhi.
"What did you see?"
Saint Pure Heart knew that Jiang Li was very insightful about souls.
"A soul that doesn't match the age."
In Jiang Li's eyes, Monk Wu Zhi's soul was unusually strong and resilient. Although it was still a soul at the Nascent Soul Stage, his soul bore the signs of surviving innumerable calamities. This was something a fourteen-year-old monk should not have.
Ordinary people reincarnate, and all traces of their souls will vanish, making them clean and new individuals. Jiang Li couldn't even tell who their past lives were.
Yet, Monk Wu Zhi's soul was strong enough that even reincarnation couldn't erase its traces. It could only mean that his previous life was too powerful, thus influencing his present life.
As for whether his past life was a Buddha, who knows?
"We are about to pass through the White Marsh Empire, so everyone be careful!"
The captain shouted loudly, warning the guards on the Flying Boat to stay vigilant.
Actually, Jiang Li understood that the ship captain was usually speaking to the guards, but now on the Flying Boat, there were Buddhist disciples and Confucian scholars. Clearly, he was saying this for these two to hear.
Before he could finish speaking, an eagle's cry echoed from beneath the Flying Boat, making the ship's passengers shudder with fear.
The most powerful guard on the Flying Boat was a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core Stage. Upon hearing the eagle cry, his hair stood on end!
A Nascent Soul Stage eagle demon!
Nascent Soul Cultivators indeed could not fly, but avian demons were an exception!
The guard cursed in his heart. On normal days, it was just a few Foundation Establishment small eagles causing a mess at most, and at worst, Golden Core eagle demons. But why now? Was it because this little monk was too alluring, luring the eagle demon over?
"The White Marsh Emperor's Dynasty, also known as the Bandit Dynasty, truly lives up to its name. Today, I have witnessed it with my own eyes."
Even the Pure Heart Holy Maiden, who seldom dabbled in the Red Dust, had heard about the nickname of the White Marsh Emperor's Dynasty.
"No choice, the White Marsh Emperor tried her best, and the fact that the kingdom has not disintegrated shows her capability. What can we do when she is a mixed-blood marsh kylin and could not suppress the eight great kings?" Jiang Li was equally helpless about the nickname of the White Marsh Emperor's dynasty.
The current White Marsh Emperor was a hybrid of a Marsh and a Kylin, looking like a white Kylin. This was simply a joke for the White Marsh Emperor's Dynasty. Were they supposed to accept a White Marsh Emperor who had the appearance of a Kylin?
"Demons only recognize lineage. If the lineage is impure, they will not recognize the White Marsh Emperor, and as a result, the Emperor cannot use the Dynasty's luck."
Jiang Li had seen the White Marsh Emperor before and thought that the white Kylin was handsome and could not really understand the demons' thoughts.
"The White Marsh Emperor is only in the Body Integration Realm, and the eight Demon Kings are also in the Body Integration Realm. She is not me, capable of taking on eight at the same time. The eight Demon Kings refuse to acknowledge the White Marsh Emperor, each carving out a piece of land, acting upon her orders and edicts entirely based on their mood."
"The White Marsh Emperor's Dynasty is formed from beasts, thus being the utmost chaotic, with the current eight kings forming their governments, falling into a bandit den is not surprising. "
However, it was precisely because of the chaotic order of these beasts that human cultivators often went to the White Marsh Emperor's Dynasty for training, hunting beasts without any guilt.
The eagle demon appeared, its wings spread out to a length of nine feet, and the edges were faintly gold, showing its noble lineage. It dived toward the pile of Spirit Stones serving as fuel.
This stack of Spirit Stones was even more expensive than the Flying Boat itself!
Wu Zhi, the Buddhist disciple, and Wang Bian, the Confucian scholar, took action at the same time, repelling the eagle demon. If it weren't for the eagle demon's ability to fly, it would have been captured by the two already!
"Eagle, lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot. Please stop. "
"Eagle, burning, killing, and looting are not what a gentleman should do."
The eagle demon ignored the two's advice and even wanted to spit phlegm on them.
The two sighed at the same time. Their teaching only worked for those under the Golden Core Stage, and it was utterly useless for this Nascent Soul eagle demon.
The little monk pulled out the precious Buddhist artifact – Brahma Pagoda from his bosom and fiercely smashed it towards the eagle demon.
This purple Brahma Pagoda was only about palm-sized, but it was as heavy as the sun and the moon. The eagle demon was slightly grazed by it and immediately spat out blood. It could not even flap its wings without strength and fell directly to the ground.
Wang Bian threw out a written notice, marked with a
"still" word. As soon as it touched the eagle demon, the demon was immobilized, led honestly back to the Flying Boat under the guidance of the note.
The eagle demon was confused by this sudden turn of events and was captured before it could even react.
"Using force is not beneficial for maintaining peace of mind." Wang Bian said some words hesitantly, making the eagle demon want to cry but had no tears. Well, you should not use force then!
Wu Zhi, the little monk, was equally hesitated:
"Yeah, yeah. But if the other party doesn't listen, what can we do?"
"Should we persuade him again?"
"Good.'
So the two placed the immobilized eagle demon in front of them, one beside chanting Buddhist scriptures, and one preaching about benevolence and righteousness.
Buddhist scriptures went into the eagle's left ear and came out from the right, only to be blocked by the teachings of benevolence and righteousness going into the right ear.
The eagle demon's mind was now filled with
"the gentleman says Prajna Paramita" and
"having friends come from far away is a joyful thing."
It was filled with regret, deep regret..
Chapter 46: Spiritual Artifacts, Magic Artifacts, Dao Artifacts, and Immortal Artifacts
"They are imitations of the Brahma Tower and the Great Confucian Word Post!"
Among the passengers, someone with exceptional knowledge recognized the treasures that Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change had just used.
The sacred treasure of Mount Sumeru's line of Buddhism is called the Brahma
Tower. It's said to be as heavy as a small world. If struck with full force, even a Tribulation Crossing Cultivator would not dare to take it head on. There is also a rumor that it has the ability to break open space, allowing the holder of the Brahma Tower to freely traverse through it.
Although the Great Confucian Word Post doesn't have the same status as the Brahma Tower, it is still a genuine Immortal Artifact held by Confucians. If a word is written on it, such as
"Hold" the post would immobilize people; if it's
"Fight", the post could transform into a Confucian guardian for battle. Other options include
"Speak",
"Rush", 'Escape", and so on, providing a vast range of utilities.
Of course, both are Immortal Artifacts. Both Buddhism and Confucianism wouldn't let their juniors carry them, but they have provided them with copies for self-protection.
"Even the imitation is extremely powerful. Although it's not as precious as the real thing, it still belongs to the scope of Magic Artifacts!"
The crowd was in awe. Magic Artifacts were extremely precious, and even if they sold all the passengers on this boat, they still wouldn't be able to afford a fragment of a Magic Artifact.
Nine States categorizes treasures into four tiers. The first tier is Spiritual Artifacts. Essentially, each Foundation Establishment Cultivator could have one. But the power is not great, they're only sharper and stronger than ordinary weapons, there's nothing extraordinary about them.
The second tier is Magic Artifacts. A Nascent Soul Cultivator could afford one by spending half of their property. They naturally surpass Spiritual Artifacts in power and can communicate with cultivator's thoughts, and be manipulated remotely. At this stage, they can develop subtle wisdom and help the cultivator automatically defend against the enemy.
The third tier is Dao Artifacts. Crafting Dao Artifacts is extremely hard and requires a cultivator to have profound insights into the
"Dao". For example, the Dao of Time of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family, the Dao of Space of Mount Sumeru, or the Dream Path of Dream Pure, and so on. Furthermore, the materials that carry the
"Dao" are extremely expensive. Not many Divinity Transformation Cultivators could afford it, usually only the wealthy Body Integration Cultivators could.
The fourth tier is of course, Immortal Artifacts. No one in the Nine States can forge Immortal Artifacts. The existing Immortal Artifacts, except for the Yin Yang Heaven Seal, which was made by Daoist ancestors before ascension, the rest were brought to Nine States by former immortals from the Immortal Realm which are extremely rare.
The most famous among the Immortal Artifacts are surely Dao Sect's Yin Yang Heaven Seal, Buddhism's Brahma Tower, and Confucianism's Great Confucian Word Post.
"The Great Confucian Word Post is indeed imitated, but the Brahma Tower…'
The Saintess Pure Heart hesitated, her gaze turned to Jiang Li, seeking an answer.
She too owned a Dao Artifact called Twelve-Rank Green Lotus, so she had a good understanding of Dao Artifacts. She always felt that the Brahma Tower did not seem to be a Dao Artifact.
Jiang Li nodded, expressing his doubt,
"You're not wrong. This is indeed the real Brahma Tower. How much importance does Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru attach to this new Buddha Child to even let him bring out such a thing?"
The passengers didn't genuinely understand Immortal and Dao Artifacts. They just thought that the sects would not let their disciples take away their sect's treasure, so they believed that Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change's artifacts were fakes.
But in fact, what King Change had was a fake, whereas what Wu Zhi the Buddha Child had was genuine.
However, Wu Zhi the Buddha Child's skill was not high, and he could not fully unleash the power of the Brahma Tower. But if he really encountered danger, the Brahma Tower would automatically repel the enemy, killing the attacker. Even a Body Integration Realm cultivator could be killed.
"However, these two juniors are relying too heavily on their treasures at this young age. This isn't good. Surely they can handle a wild demon that can fly with their sect's legacy?" Jiang Li expressed some concern for the current state of Nine States.
"Not just the two of them, other cultivators are also like this. They always want to buy a treasure at all cost, using it when facing the enemy. They can't truly cultivate themselves. Only when one is strong can they really be considered powerful."
Saintess Pure Heart stammered in her defense,
"Because…because…treasures are really very useful. How can everyone be like you, leaving the Great Pole to gather dust and not use it."
"I understand the reasons, but…ah…"
Jiang Li wanted to say something more, but seeing Saintess Pure Heart's aggrieved expression, he did not continue.
At this moment, the eagle demon was still being abused by the two. It felt as if it was becoming Buddhist one moment and righteous the next, causing its spirit to almost shatter.
With the voices of Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and Kinz Change zettinz louder
And more engrossed, forgetting their surroundings, they are wholly committed to either cultivating or teaching the eagle demon.
The passengers, entranced by their voices, gathered into two groups.
One group was behind Wu Zhi the Buddha Child intently worshipping the Buddha and chanting together. They felt sinful in this life and took out all their wealth to provide Wu Zhi the Buddha Child, pledging to continuously do good deeds to seek rebirth in the next life.
The other group were behind King Change and had a deeper understanding of family and country sentiments. They plan to dedicate themselves wholly, even unto death, to their country or sect once they return.
"I remembered that neither Buddhism nor Confucianism were this wicked. Is this brainwashing?" Saintess Pure Heart had never seen this situation and found it somewhat terrifying.
"It's just temporary. Once they stop chanting, the brainwashing will be lifted." Jiang Li, having seen many things, knew this was quite common in Buddhism and Confucianism.
The scripture of Buddhism and Confucianism have a very strong brainwashing effect. If the control over the scripture is not good and is recited indiscriminately, it can easily cause group brainwashing.
Once, a high-ranking monk from Buddhism was walking while reciting scriptures. He was so engrossed that he accidentally brainwashed a small town's believers. The monk kept walking until he reached the East Sea, with the crowd following him. However, they didn't know how to swim and drowned in the East Sea.
Upon realizing his grave mistake, the monk decided to walk the demonic path.
Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru was reluctant to take action, so he had Jiang Li help to execute him.
This high-ranked monk was the former Buddha Child, whom Daoist Priestess Qing Yu had a crush on.
Jiang Li stood up and said, "But we still need to intervene. These two children's
'Fa' have deviated from the orthodox path and could potentially turn to evil."
The eagle demon quickly yelled,
"Hey, hey, hey, are you guys from Buddhism or Confucianism or are you heretics? Is it okay to forcibly change someone's thoughts like this? Look behind you. Look behind you, hey!"
Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change had already been quietly competing with each other to see who could first cultivate or teach the eagle demon.
The eagle demon then saw one of the two people in the corner get up, walk briskly to Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change, and give each one a chop to the head.
"You two ignorant fools, wake up! You've gone off the right path and if you continue down this road you'll fall into evil!"
Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change suddenly came to their senses. Seeing the two groups of people behind them, they felt guilty and quickly dissipated their mana so the people could return to normal.
"You are…" The two of them respectfully looked at Jiang Li, thanking him for waking them up.
"Jiang Li."
The eyes of Wu Zhi the Buddha Child and King Change widened.
The eagle demon's eyes nearly popped out in shock. It had whimsically decided to rob someone, but how did it end up encountering not only the Buddha Child and a Confucian practitioner, but also the Human Emperor Jiang Li?!
Is this considered good luck or bad luck?