A gaunt Daoist, his head topped with a felt cap, walked the path like a swaying reed. His azure robes, mended and patched in countless places, flapped about his thin frame, while sturdy cotton shoes protected his feet from the biting cold.

Beside him strode a burly man of middle years, a sheathed blade hanging at his hip. The hilt of the sword gleamed with the patina of countless grasps. A thick, burgeoning beard, cultivated over the past few months, now covered his face in a dense thicket.

They journeyed homeward together, their villages nestled not far apart, barely forty leagues distant, both within the bounds of Wu Ling Prefecture.

Though the Daoist was, in truth, some twenty years the man’s junior, his wizened face bore the marks of time, making him appear a decade or more older.

Crucially, though he possessed no official decree or register of ordination, belonging to the path of the ‘private record’, the Daoist was a true cultivator of the Dao. His companion, on the other hand, was a warrior through and through.

They returned from a long pilgrimage, a journey spanning years, during which they had traversed countless lands and witnessed wonders beyond imagining.

They were Wang Yuanlu, of the Mǐzéi lineage, and Qi Gu, a ‘blade-grasping’ warrior of formidable skill.

One was a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Jade Purity realm, the other a ninth-realm warrior on the cusp of breaking through to the Limit.

In this realm of the Azure Darkness, the Mǐzéi Daoists faced a precarious existence. The very name, ‘Rice Thief’, spoke of their ill repute. Not quite heretics to be stoned in the streets, like the Cadaverous Immortals, Porters, and One-Word Masters, they were best advised to steer clear of Bai Yujing’s domains, lest they find themselves guests of the Five Cities and Twelve Towers.

Qi Gu spoke, “Do you think I should accept Zhu Xuan’s offer?”

During their travels, they had passed through Yong Prefecture, a verdant haven among the Azure Darkness’s fourteen provinces, blessed with abundant waterways.

The Azure Mountain Dynasty of Bing Prefecture and the Fish Talisman Dynasty of Yong Prefecture were the two most powerful dynasties in the region.

Somehow, the Fish Talisman Dynasty’s young Empress, Zhu Xuan, had discovered their presence. She herself had extended an invitation to Qi Gu to become a Royal Protector.

Yet all knew that Empress Zhu Xuan was attempting to poach him, for Qi Gu stood ready to ascend to the Limit as the ‘Strongest Warrior’. Should he break through within her lands, it would grant her Dynasty a significant boon of martial fortune. To this end, she had offered not only the title but a sum of riches beyond compare. The Empress offered to take an artifact weapon out of the imperial vault to loan to Qi Gu for three centuries, and the weapon was no ordinary trinket: ‘Array Breaker’, a peerless spear and national treasure of the Fish Talisman Dynasty, naturally countered the formations of Qi Refiners. A Limit Warrior wielding such a weapon would be all but invincible against Qi Refiners below the Immortal level.

It would not be a battle, but annihilation.

Who among the young talents vying for a place among the Ten Young Ones, be they cultivator or warrior, did not possess a trump card or two?

The Azure Divinity Dynasty, on the other hand, seemed utterly indifferent to where Qi Gu might break through. Not even a single Dao official had deigned to appear, let alone the Emperor or the esteemed Minister Yao Qing.

Qi Gu fumed, “Am I so unworthy in their eyes?”

Wang Yuanlu scoffed, “Your eyes always stray toward a pretty woman.”

Qi Gu retorted, “You only dare show your true self around me.”

Indeed, Wang Yuanlu, would grow tongue-tied and stammer in the presence of outsiders. Empress Zhu Xuan reduced him to a muttering shadow, answering only when pressed. In the presence of Lu Tai and Yuan Ying, the Daoist had succumbed to drink, lamenting some hidden sorrow at the words of the young Master Lu, and weeping copiously, barely avoiding an outburst of drunken madness.

The sole exception seemed to be the Xuan Du Temple’s Sun Daoist, whom Wang Yuanlu had for years called “Old Ancestor.”

In the presence of the old Temple Master, Wang Yuanlu displayed a surprising degree of fortitude, daring even to call the former a “Old Melon Peel” to his face.

The old Temple Master, unmoved, remained one of the five most powerful beings under the heavens, famous for his oft-repeated mantra: “This Daoist prefers to make friends and holds no grudges past the night.”

Thus, Qi Gu had often cautioned Wang Yuanlu to be more respectful towards the old immortal, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

“If I don’t even see Liu Jing when I return, then I won’t bother fawning over those stuck up officials.”

Qi Gu seethed, “Damn it all! They value the distant blossom over the flower at home! Then I’ll have no choice but to let my flowers bloom beyond the walls!”

Wu Ling Prefecture, nestled in the heart of the Azure Divinity Dynasty, was a haven of wealthy families and ancient clans, its legacy of ancestral grace unparalleled in the province.

Comprising five counties – Chang Mao, Jun Yang, Ping – Wu Ling Prefecture was the original estate designed by the Azure Divinity Dynasty as a secure place to gather and settle founding nobles. Wu Ling Prefecture, location of the imperial family’s tombs.

The current Prefect, Liu Jing, was of royal blood, holding the additional post of Controller of Temples, overseeing the Daoists of the capital and its environs.

Elsewhere in the Azure Mountain Dynasty, similar controllers were appointed for each major mountain range, often serving as sinecures for aging ministers.

Wang Yuanlu cautioned, “Be wary of Minister Yao.”

Qi Gu questioned, “Is it that serious?”

Wang Yuanlu frowned, “Perhaps.”

Hesitating, Qi Gu used the technique of sound channeling to speak privately with his companion, “Thank the Heavens that our Bing Prefecture falls under the purview of the Azure Green City. Otherwise, the second Daoist of Bai Yujing would have crushed us, and Wu Ling Prefecture would never enjoy its current prosperity.”

Wang Yuanlu observed, “Origin may be the same, but the current is different. The common folk dwell by water, and naturally prefer its gentle flow. A flood every other day is unbearable, and they’ll cry for salvation.”

Qi Gu chuckled, “You manage a morsel of wisdom now and again.”

Remembering something, Qi Gu asked, “Did you hear? The Grandmaster Yu recently took a new disciple.”

The Daoist grimaced, “Good fortune… it cannot be envied.”

Qi Gu teased, “Xu Jun’s fortune is even greater.”

The Daoist pondered, then shook his head, “Xu Sovereign is not only fortunate… no, Xu Sovereign’s fortune is not the best. A strong fate is the true treasure.”

Qi Gu declared, “One day, I’ll marry that Bai Ou! Only then will I bring true glory to my ancestors!”

The Daoist instinctively lowered his head and tucked his hands into his sleeves, his figure hunched, “Spicy woman. Marrying her is like chewing chili peppers every day!”

Qi Gu’s eyes gleamed, and he flexed his wrist, grinning, “As long as I win a single battle against her, I’ll gladly lose a hundred, a thousand more after we’re married!”

There are two kinds of battles.

The Daoist mumbled, “Why must you speak so vulgarly?”

Qi Gu raised an eyebrow, “You understand that?”

In the past century, as bountiful as a harvest year, Wu Ling Prefecture had produced a remarkable crop of talents. Two candidates were among the ranks of the Ten Young Ones.

Furthermore, the Hua Yang Palace of the Earth Lung Mountain, one of the ancestral courts of the Talisman lineage, boasted a young cultivator of the Daoist name You Ran, while the Gathering Mountain held a female Dao official of the Daoist name Nan Shan. Both were hailed as embryonic Heavenly Immortals, now young Nascent Soul cultivators.

These two, like the pair walking the road, were of the younger generation of Wu Ling Prefecture. You Ran and Nan Shan were among the three thousand Dao officials who have traveled to the Five-Colored Heavens, sworn enemies, but the two shared a birthday. Even the hour of their birth was exactly the same, causing subtle changes in the hearts of Dao officials of Earth Lung Mountain and Gathering Mountain.

Wang Yuanlu and Qi Gu wished to journey to the Five-Colored Heavens, but they were bound by the rules set by the Confucian Temple of the Vast Expanse, their realms exceeding the prescribed limit.

In the eyes of the Dao officials on the mountains, Wu Ling Prefecture was a treasure trove, a haven of immortals.

In the eyes of other regions, it was a golden jade arena comparable to the Jade Pearl Grotto-Heavens of the Vast Expanse.

It held wastrels content to live off the deeds of their ancestors, and there were those Wu Ling youths who embraced the spirit of “Youth bears a heroic spirit, courage will have its day”, heedless of death on the frontier, and there were young rangers who were able to make acts of philanthropy.

All were Wu Ling youths who moved the hearts of others.

But in the eyes of Wang Yuanlu and Qi Gu, it was simply home.

The rich were very rich, and the poor struggled to make ends meet. Each lived their own life.

Amid the verdant grasses of the plains, on the road a group of wealthy merchants on horses passed, raising dust.

The riders were young men and women with youthful faces. Swords at their hips and bows on their backs, they rode for flowers, exuding an aura of sharpness.

The Daoist, in stark contrast, was timid and furtive, his gaze shifting nervously from side to side.

Wang Yuanlu quickly stepped aside, avoiding a confrontation, while Qi Gu followed suit. As the wealthy youngsters rode past, Qi Gu waved away the dust and casually reached into his trousers, chuckling, “When it comes to appearances, lineage matters. We both drew short straws. That’s why we must find good-looking wives.”

Wang Yuanlu remained silent for a moment, then said, “That habit of yours… try to break it. Women won’t like it.”

Qi Gu grinned, “There’s too much to contain.”

Wang Yuanlu retorted, “Why is it that you’re always the first to pull up your pants after pissing?”

Qi Gu fell silent. Why are you arguing about this?

They passed a roadside pavilion, where gamblers cast dice. Qi Gu rubbed his hands together, but Wang Yuanlu shot him a sidelong glance.

Qi Gu chuckled, “Don’t worry, old habits. I promised, didn’t I? It’s off the table today. I’m going to take you home.”

Qi Gu had a lifelong habit of gambling.

Then he met Wang Yuanlu, and they became friends. Qi Gu pounded his chest and promised Wang Yuanlu that he would have anything that he needed.

Qi Gu had twice suffered losses in the Azure Divinity Dynasty’s capital and in the Zhou Region because of gambling.

Each time Wang Yuanlu heard the news and rushed to help. So-called help was simple, Wang Yuanlu payed off Qi Gu’s debts.

Twice, he had rescued Qi Gu, cutting a bloody path.

It could be said that Wang Yuanlu became a Daoist of the Mǐzéi lineage because of Qi Gu.

But at the time, Wang Yuanlu only muttered a complaint or two, “Following you, I starve nine times in three days.”

Wang Yuanlu was of simple and unsophisticated thinking: if he promises to be your friend, it’s a choice that he is making, so he has to act like a friend.

If a friend doesn’t treat him like a friend, then that is his problem and fault of judgement. After suffering a few times, if you can’t take it anymore, you part ways.

Wang Yuanlu had set a rule for Qi Gu:

As long as you don’t think about earning money at the gambling table, you can gamble however you want. Hundreds or thousands of silver, or even immortal money, are fine. If you run out of money, you can borrow money from me to gamble.

But if you think about making money, even if it’s just a few cents, don’t gamble. Otherwise, we’re not friends anymore.

Wang Yuanlu’s only tenet for making friends was to not be petty. People with several close friends are worth befriending.

Qi Gu asked, “Still not going to break the wall between you and your brother?”

Wang Yuanlu dejectedly said, “I’m afraid.”

Qi Gu said, “It’s my fault.”

If Wang Yuanlu were not a heretic Daoist of the Mǐzéi lineage and was ordained in the Azure Divinity Dynasty’s government, his brother’s family could be considered to have had a “Daoist ascension.” This means that if a Daoist ascends and reaches immortality, his relatives and animals will be treated well by others. It doesn’t mean that his relatives and pets will become immortals. Not even close to riches, they could have established their clan in this Wu Ling Prefecture, branch out, and pass on their incense for several generations. But that’s not possible now. He has implicated himself. Wang Yuanlu has too many enemies in the mountains.

Wang Yuanlu shook his head. “It’s not like that. A humble life has its stability. My brother has his own fate.”

Qi Gu simply thought that his friend was comforting him.

Wang Yuanlu’s brother, Wang Yuanfu, had a father-in-law who was a local butcher. He had a large intestine in his hand and a pound of loose wine from a roadside tavern. He staggered to the door of his son-in-law’s adobe house, his face ugly. He saw his daughter and son-in-law come out to greet him, and he complained, “I’m unlucky and unlucky to have married my daughter, who should have married into a wealthy family as his wife, to you, a poor ghost who doesn’t work. Over the years, I don’t know how much I’ve suffered. Now, I don’t know what virtue my ancestors have accumulated, but you got a Daoist status. Now you have more reason not to do anything. You’re fat-hearted, and I don’t know how much of my hard-earned silver you’ll spend in the future. Could it be that I owed you in my previous life and you’re here to collect debts in this life? If there’s a next life, remember to pay me back.”

Wang Yuanfu bowed his head and didn’t dare to retort. He glanced at the wine pot and swallowed his saliva. He was really craving it.

Unsurprisingly, the father-in-law will take the wine pot containing a pound of loose wine back home after drinking it.

The burly butcher said to his daughter, “Go, cook the intestines and heat up a pot of wine to eat.”

Wang Yuanfu led his father-in-law into the house, walking behind him. His father-in-law spoke loudly, spitting everywhere. Wang Yuanfu secretly raised his sleeve and wiped his face.

After his father-in-law sat down, Wang Yuanfu shook his robe and sat down gently. The butcher glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He was picky and thought he was a Daoist official. He only held back because of the Daoist identity. He asked, “Where’s your brother who’s never home?”

Wang Yuanfu forced a smile and said, “I haven’t heard from him in a long time.”

The father-in-law scoffed, “He doesn’t even know how to send a letter. He raised a brother for nothing. Wang Yuanlu has read books and knows how to write. How miserable has he been outside these years that he can’t even afford a letter?”

According to the ancestral clan register in the village, the “Yuan” character needs to be embedded in the name. In fact, Wang Yuanlu’s real name is Wang Yuanlu.

Wang Yuanfu still didn’t dare to retort.

In the Azure Darkness, Daoist officials have various identities and titles. Not only Qi Refiners can become Daoist officials. Ordinary husbands who don’t have the qualifications to cultivate can also obtain a Daoist degree as long as they pass the government assessment, but they will be granted different scriptures. In addition to those issued by the government, there are also those that are passed down from generation to generation, as well as some highly respected Daoists who select and teach their disciples and secretly grant them scriptures.

Like Wang Yuanfu, who is looked down upon by his father-in-law, even if he is lucky enough to become a Daoist official in the future, he will probably still be like a lowly clerk who doesn’t enter the Qingliu ranks. His future path to promotion will also be relatively narrow. It is very likely that he will be transferred to a remote small Daoist temple or work as a deputy in some clear-water government office such as the County Government Baogao Department and the Brewing Bureau. But for Wang Yuanfu, who comes from a poor background, if that day really comes, it will be a glorious thing and he can completely burn incense and worship his ancestors in the village’s ancestral hall.

Just like his brother Wang Yuanlu, he has been studying Daoist books and rules for nearly twenty years and has taken the exam many times, but he has not been able to pass the official Daoist exam. The main reason is that the number of Daoist degrees in the Wu Ling Prefecture is limited. Those wealthy children have been studying since childhood and have famous teachers to teach them, so they naturally have a congenital advantage and are good at betting on the exam questions. After all, there are chief examiners of laws who are Daoists, and how to set the questions is also a matter of learning. Furthermore, it’s also because his brother Wang Yuanlu has high ambitions and is trapped in his own logic. He is single-minded in wanting to pass the exam for the authority teacher of the largest Daoist temple in his hometown. If he passes the exam, he will have the opportunity to be responsible for presiding over the temple’s legal ceremonies, instructing the Daoist officials on the prestige of sitting, acting, advancing, and retreating.

But it’s not easy to pass the exam for the authority teacher in the largest Daoist temple in our Wu Ling Prefecture. Not to mention Wang Yuanlu, even those wealthy children who have been rich in the past and have not declined in their families are fighting to pass the exam.

The father-in-law said, “Your brother is a hopeless person. It’s best if he doesn’t come back. It’s said that it’s just a matter of a pair of chopsticks, but it’s actually a matter.”

Back then, his daughter asked him to help her brother-in-law, so he helped him find an apprenticeship in a silver shop in the county. It was a good business. Otherwise, there would be an old saying that “thieves don’t steal from silversmiths”. He didn’t expect that the kid didn’t appreciate it and insisted on staying in the mountains.

It just so happened that the son-in-law and father-in-law were talking about Wang Yuanlu.

Wang Yuanlu returned to his hometown and stood outside the threshold, calling out “Brother”.

Seeing his younger brother, whom he hadn’t seen for many years, Wang Yuanfu was happy but still kept a straight face. He was about to stand up, but he quickly sat back on the bench and just nodded. “Go to the kitchen and say hello to your sister-in-law.”

Wang Yuanlu nodded and turned to leave.

The butcher slammed the table and said angrily, “He doesn’t even know how to say hello when he sees me. He doesn’t understand any rules.”

Wang Yuanfu smiled and said, “Yuanlu has been like this since he was a child. He’s a bit lonely and not close to anyone.”

The butcher sneered, “With his cowardly virtue, even if he wants to be close to someone, he has to be willing. He’s in his thirties and can’t even find an ugly woman to warm his bed. If it were me, I wouldn’t have the face to worship my ancestors at the grave. I’d just kill myself and burn incense, and hope to be born in a good family in the next life, at least not to be so ugly. Don’t scare people to death when you walk on the road at night. Even ghosts will be scared to death by him.”

Wang Yuanfu’s face was embarrassed. After all, he couldn’t get angry with his father-in-law.

During the meal, the butcher and Wang Yuanfu sat at the table, while Wang Yuanlu refused to eat at the table. He just picked up a few chopsticks of food and squatted at the door with a bowl.

Wang Yuanfu tried to persuade him, but he knew that this brother was a determined person and didn’t understand anything about human relationships, so he didn’t persuade him and let it go.

Wang Yuanlu lowered his head and ate outside the door, while Qi Gu didn’t come to the door and went back to his own home.

The rice in the bowl was very solid, pressed hard by the spoon. When the rice was gone, Wang Yuanlu stared blankly ahead, holding the large white bowl.

Not complaining about the hardship and living a bitter life. The mute smiles and eats the bitter medicine.

Wang Yuanlu turned his head, looked up again, swallowed the rice, and asked, “Why is the Bixiao Cave Master here?”

Before the moon was moved to the Azure Darkness, Wang Yuanlu had seen this senior from afar. He was of high status and had great Dao techniques. He stood next to the second Daoist of Bai Yujing.

The Temple Master Sun had said that he was the Cave Master of Bixiao Cave in Luobao Beach, who had lived for more than ten thousand years and liked to compete with the Dao Ancestor. When he met this senior in the future, he would kowtow to him a few more times.

The old Temple Master said calmly, “Just taking a walk.”

Wang Yuanlu nodded and said, “That’s good.”

It seems that the higher the other party’s Dao techniques are, the less timid the young Daoist is.

The old Temple Master asked, “What did you see that made you so sad?”

Wang Yuanlu replied, “Those who are like dragons in the sky quietly fall to the ground. Their bodies are covered with flies and maggots that cannot be driven away.”

“Over time, they may be covered with flowers and grass.”

“That’s why I’m sad.”

“How so?”

“The grass grows and the flowers bloom, covering the mountains and fields, but later they are all gone. Of course, we can wait for the next time, but what if we are those flowers and grass?”

The old Temple Master showed a look of appreciation and smiled, “If you don’t cultivate the Dao, who will?”

Wang Yuanlu continued to hold the bowl and asked, “Is the world going to be in chaos?”

The old Temple Master asked, “Does this future matter have anything to do with you?”

Wang Yuanlu nodded, “Not for the moment.”

He lowered his head and ate the last mouthful of rice, chewing slowly, and the young Daoist also chewed the words “will” and “come”.

The old Temple Master stroked his beard and smiled. “Fate is in heaven, but life is in my own hands.”

————

In the Azure Divinity Dynasty’s capital, in a royal palace called Changzuo Palace, there is a Sānwú Temple with bright yellow cloud-patterned glazed tiles, which is the head of the country’s Daoist temples.

Today, Minister Yao Qing and National Preceptor Bai Ou are entertaining two distinguished guests here. They are a Daoist couple of disparate ages, Sovereign Xu Jun of the Great Tide Sect and the Founder of the Two Capitals Mountain, Chao Ge.

Yao Qing led the Daoist couple through the Sānwú Temple and came to a quiet house. Bai Ou personally brewed tea for the guests.

The temple is named after the three plane trees planted by the founding emperor in front of the temple, namely, the Yì plane, the Wú plane, and the Jīng plane.

Plant bananas in one day, plant bamboo in one year, plant willows in ten years, and plant pines in a hundred years. To make plans for thousands of years, plant plane trees.

The Azure Divinity Liu family has a long history and is the best in Bing Prefecture.

The three plane trees have long since been successfully refined and serve as royal offerings.

This is also the place where the late emperor of the Azure Divinity Dynasty passed away and entrusted his orphans.

Of course, Minister Yao Qing is still the head of the regents.

In the Azure Darkness, there is no rule like in the Vast Expanse that emperors and monarchs cannot cultivate.

Therefore, in the fourteen prefectures of the world, there are often emperors who are both founding monarchs and monarchs of subjugated countries.

In the Vast Expanse, it is extremely rare for an emperor to reign for sixty years. But here, those who sit on the dragon chair for less than sixty years are short-lived emperors.

There is an unverified rumor in the mountains of Bing Prefecture that the late emperor had a heart-to-heart conversation with Minister Yao Qing before his death.

The late emperor once said, “The monarch is young and the country is suspicious, which is not a blessing for the country. You can take it yourself.”

Yao Qing replied, “If I have the power to face the south, I can assist the young monarch to become a wise monarch.”

As for how this private conversation between the monarch and his ministers was spread, Temple Master Sun claimed that it must have been Lu Laosan who was a burglar and eavesdropped on the conversation and couldn’t control his mouth.

The female Daoist with the Daoist name “Fukan” took the teacup from Bai Ou’s hand and asked with a smile, “Why did you think of asking for a boxing match with that monster?”

She didn’t care whether it was taboo or would add salt to Bai Ou’s wounds.

Bai Ou is extremely beautiful and charming.

She has a short halberd called “Iron Chamber” at her waist.

She and Pei Bei of the Great End Dynasty in the Vast Expanse are both female masters and national preceptors of their respective countries.

Approximately every ten years, Bai Ou will ask for a boxing match with one of the ten martial artists who have been jointly ranked.

In the four previous boxing matches, Bai Ou won all four. Three people died, and the only survivor lost his realm.

Therefore, the ranking of the world’s ten masters, which is done every sixty years, has been reduced by four at once, and the martial ranking has become a joke and a decoration.

Although Bai Ou is a woman, she is at the pinnacle of martial arts in the Azure Darkness, showing an unparalleled heroic posture.

A short halberd is unparalleled in its sharpness and sweeps across the world.

However, Bai Ou’s choice to ask Xin Ku of the Leap Month Peak for a boxing match is not considered a wise decision by outsiders.

After all, Xin Ku is a pure martial artist whom even the Dao Ancestor admires very much.

Bai Ou had a bitter expression and shook her head, unwilling to talk about it.

She didn’t even reach the top of the Leap Month Peak. She was only halfway up the mountain when she was punched.

“I proposed that Bai Ou go to the Leap Month Peak to test her true weight.”

Yao Qing said with a smile, “Lin Jiangxian was too measured in his two previous attacks, which made it easy for Bai Ou to misunderstand and overestimate herself.”

Bai Ou and Xin Ku are both at the Divine Realm of the Limit, one is second in the world and the other is third.

Yao Qing said with a smile, “The gap is not small, and she still failed to test Xin Ku’s martial arts depth.”

Bai Ou is very obedient to this Minister who is also her teacher and father.

Chao Ge said, “This Mǐzéi Wang Yuanlu has a keen sense that is almost catching up to the Ascension Realm. Doesn’t the Azure Divinity Dynasty plan to recruit him?”

Yao Qing said with a smile, “This guy is a troublemaker. The more he tries to avoid trouble, the more trouble comes to him. Our Azure Divinity Dynasty can’t afford it.”

However, Bai Ou knew a secret. Before Wang Yuanlu became famous, the Prime Minister had taken her to the Wu Ling Prefecture several times to see this young man, but he didn’t teach him any Daoist techniques. It seemed that he was just chatting.

Chao Ge asked tentatively, “Then let Wang Yuanlu go to the Two Capitals Mountain. I can guarantee that he can serve as the Mountain Master in the future. How about that?”

Yao Qing shook his head. “He and the Two Capitals Mountain are not destined.”

Bai Ou had been observing Xu Jun. It was strange. This young ghost cultivator didn’t seem to be anything special.

How could he have so many opportunities?

In the past, the Great Tide Sect and the Two Capitals Mountain were rivals. Now, they are equal. The two sects stand side by side.

Anyway, the sovereign is Xu Jun.

The Two Capitals Mountain didn’t have any objections at first, but Chao Ge was the founder, and she didn’t have any objections, so what could her disciples and grandchildren do?

In addition, there was the mountain wedding feast that was known as unprecedented. Among the guests who came to congratulate the bride and groom, there were four of the top ten in the Azure Darkness.

Yu Dou, Lu Chen, Wu Zhou, and Sun Huaizhong.

If you add a pure martial artist who didn’t reveal his identity at the time, because he only wanted to sit at the corner table, and he was also a close friend of Xu Jun, then there were five.

It was Lin Jiangxian, the number one martial artist in the world.

Moreover, Xu Jun’s path to cultivation is too legendary. It is rumored that Lu Chen, the third head teacher of Bai Yujing, taught Xu Jun a few talismans, and Sun Huaizhong of Xuan Du Temple taught the young ghost cultivator a sword technique. Even the Confucian Temple’s Sub-Sage in the Vast Expanse has taught Xu Jun knowledge. In addition, there is the number one alchemist in the world and Lin Jiangxian’s boxing skills. As a result, outsiders are speculating whether this Xu Jun is the true closed-door disciple of the Dao Ancestor.

It’s like an exam paper. Even if you know the answers in advance, you Xu Jun have to write the words. Starting from becoming a ghost, Xu Jun has to meet so many great figures in just over twenty years. Can he be so busy?

Chao Ge said, “Zimei, I need to trouble you with one thing on this visit.”

Yao Qing smiled and said, “Senior, please speak.”

Minister Yao Qing’s courtesy name is Zimei. According to the Daoist age in the mountains, Chao Ge is a well-deserved senior, more than a thousand years older than Yao Qing.

Chao Ge said solemnly, “I need to ask you to leave the mountain to help protect the Dao.”

Yao Qing said directly, “Where?”

Chao Ge said, “At the Two Capitals Mountain.”

Yao Qing asked, “What time?”

Chao Ge heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s not decided yet. Wait for my secret letter.”

Yao Qing smiled and said, “I wish Sovereign Xu and Daoist You Fukan all the best.”

Xu Jun stood up, took three steps back, respectfully performed a Daoist salute, and said in a deep voice, “This junior thanks Master Yao here.”

Chao Ge, who hadn’t planned to be so polite, had no choice but to follow her husband and thank Yao Qing.

Wu Zhou, the fourteenth-realm female cultivator with the Daoist name “Taiyin,” had a very good relationship with Chao Ge. After attending the wedding feast, Wu Zhou gave Xu Jun a refining immortal formula before leaving, and also taught him a ghost cultivation technique that had been lost for a long time.

Her husband Xu Jun is a ghost cultivator.

In the future, among the new fourteenth-realm great cultivators in several realms, it is inevitable that there will be a ghost immortal who can occupy a seat.

Therefore, Xu Jun not only wants to compete, but he must also act quickly and seize the opportunity to enter the Ascension Realm in order to seize the opportunity.

In fact, Xu Jun, who has the motto of “It’s already very good,” doesn’t have this idea at all, but on this matter, his Daoist partner Chao Ge is very insistent, so he can only follow her.

Since everything is ready, all that’s left is a secluded cultivation.

After Xu Jun and Chao Ge said goodbye and left, Bai Ou and Yao Qing stood under the eaves. She whispered, “Are you really not going to care about that Wang Yuanlu?”

Yao Qing smiled, “The jade is not carved.”

Bai Ou hesitated and couldn’t help but ask the question in her heart, “It seems that Qi Gu is about to break through. Are we going to reject this gift of martial luck? According to intelligence, Zhu Xuan of the Fish Talisman Dynasty has personally come forward.”

Qi Gu is not a pure martial artist with a deep city. On the contrary, he is a bit reckless and likes to be straightforward. He has a clear love and hate. If his hometown shows him a little favor, it is not difficult to keep him in the Azure Divinity Dynasty.

In fact, Bai Ou had different opinions from the Prime Minister about the storm in the capital back then.

In her opinion, they could have taken the opportunity to recruit Wang Yuanlu and Qi Gu. The two of them wouldn’t have had such a bad relationship with the government.

It was during that dangerous escape that Wang Yuanlu and Qi Gu broke through at the time, one entering the Nascent Soul Realm and the other entering the Far Journey Realm.

Yao Qing said, “Falling leaves always return to their roots.”

Bai Ou said helplessly, “After all, they are falling leaves.”

Yao Qing smiled and said, “Let’s wait and see.”

Not long after the world-famous Daoist couple left the Qingwu Temple, a man came slowly. He was actually a monk who was extremely rare in the Azure Darkness.

He was bald, barefoot, and wearing a purple cassock.

This middle-aged monk had plump cheeks and a high nose.

Bai Ou only knew that this traveling monk’s secular name was Jiang Xiu, his courtesy name was Daoyin, and his Buddhist name was “Danqing”.

As for his appearance, he must have used an illusion. What Bai Ou saw was definitely not the truth.

The monk has been staying at Waguan Temple in the capital for nearly ten years.

Whether it was his real name Jiang Xiu or his Buddhist name “Danqing”, he was not famous in the Azure Darkness, but Minister Yao Qing was very respectful to him.

Bai Ou is a pure martial artist and cannot see the depth of the other party’s Daoism. She doesn’t know anything about Zen and Buddhism.

In the fourteen prefectures of the Azure Darkness, the control of Buddhist temples and Confucian academies is extremely strict.

In particular, monks who want to travel outside and obtain a pass need to report to the government at all levels, and most of them will be rejected. Even if they are approved, the specific itinerary needs to be reported to Bai Yujing for filing.

Many dynasties simply forbade any monks from entering the country. There were even two prefectures that directly banned temples and did not allow monks to preach.

Bing Prefecture is relatively lenient, but even the large Azure Divinity Dynasty only has sixteen temples.

However, the Prime Minister overruled all objections, and the government has recently started to prepare for the construction of two new temples.

In the Azure Darkness, it is more difficult for monks to build temples than it is to build sects in the Vast Expanse.

This matter requires permission from Bai Yujing, and the Azure Divinity Dynasty has spent a lot of merit for this. It is said that even the Emperor, who is ridiculed as the “nodding Emperor” by other prefectures, rarely asks the Prime Minister for the reason.

The monk in purple robes put his hands together and said softly, “This monk is here to say goodbye to Master Yao.”

Yao Qing nodded with a smile, “Before the great monk leaves, remember to leave the set of Arhat murals for Waguan Temple as agreed.”

Not all monks can be called monks in a temple. Only the abbot and the chief monk are worthy of this respectful title. They are few in number.

Bai Ou was slightly moved. She guessed the other party’s identity.

She remembered that there was an extremely mysterious high monk in the Azure Darkness. His paintings were exquisite, and his appearance and identity were constantly changing. He was arrogant and called himself “My heart is Buddha” and declared that “The Patriarch came from the West without intention.”

This monk is especially good at painting Arhat statues. Every time a true copy appears, there is a scramble. Not to mention those temples, even the Daoist temples built by