Chapter 355: Master and Disciple Talk, Heading to Wu Zhuang Guan

Three Immortal Island.

After Gu Xiu returned, he walked into the courtyard and had not yet sat down.

He then heard a familiar and gentle voice behind him say, "Disciple, Master has come to see you; you have time, right?"

Gu Xiu turned around and saw Yun Xiao wearing a plain white silk skirt, walking lightly, with a faint floral scent lingering as she moved.

A look of surprise appeared on Gu Xiu's face: "Master, why have you come?"

Yun Xiao shifted her lotus steps, approached Gu Xiu, and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Did you learn of the decree the Jie Sect just issued?"

After speaking, Yun Xiao slightly lifted her head, her gaze bearing solemn resolve.

"From today, the Jie Sect will devote itself to preparing for the Fengshen War; if we encounter provocation from Chan Sect disciples abroad, we may immediately send them onto the list."

Gu Xiu clasped his hands and said, "Master, I have just returned from Jin Ao Island and am already aware of this matter."

Yun Xiao stamped her foot, a trace of sorrow appearing in her expression, and let out a light sigh.

"I, Master, dislike conflict; I previously only wished to cultivate peacefully with my second and third sisters, together seeking the Great Dao. Yet the world is unpredictable; I never expected to go out and take you as a disciple. Now the Fengshen is at hand, involving the three sects."

"The Fengshen War concerns the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of our sect; the sect leader has brandished his sword to sever the karmic ties of the Three Purities. With such resolve, we, as disciples, at the life‑or‑death juncture of the Jie Sect, can only sacrifice our lives to defend the sect's honor."

"I, Master, know that you possess a destiny I am unaware of; from the start you noticed the Chan Sect's scheme against the Fengshen and worked to thwart it. Therefore I wish to ask you, what shall we plan to do next?"

This calamity involving the three sects has left Yun Xiao uneasy, eager to end the Great Calamity quickly; she sees the key to breaking it in Gu Xiu.

Gu Xiu had already guessed the Chan Sect's next move and said, "Master, we only need to suppress the Chan Sect in the Fengshen layout to achieve a surprise victory. The Chan Sect will surely retaliate wildly; we should lie low, find the right moment, and then send the Twelve Golden Immortals onto the list."

Yun Xiao nodded slightly, thinking cautiously, "Although we are not afraid of the Twelve Golden Immortals, we should indeed be more prudent."

"By the way, if Bi Xiao comes looking for you now, you must not go along with her and indulge her mischief. You know Bi Xiao's temperament—always fearless. If she acts impulsively and falls into the Chan Sect's trap, it will be trouble."

Gu Xiu felt a bit embarrassed, fearing he might corrupt his uncle.

"Master, rest assured; if Uncle Bi Xiao comes looking for me, I will make sure Uncle continues to cultivate diligently."

Yun Xiao slightly nodded, a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Then Master will not bother you further. Though at your current level I can teach you little, if you have any cultivation questions, you may come to me at any time; discussing together is better than you being alone."

"If I encounter any doubts in cultivation, I will go to Master."

Gu Xiu bowed slightly and respectfully escorted Yun Xiao away.

As the head of the Three Xiao, Yun Xiao bears much in order to set an example for her two younger sisters.

Gu Xiu withdrew his gaze and sighed.

"Two of the Twelve Golden Immortals are already gone; it's almost over. Once the Twelve Golden Immortals are finished, we will end this damned Fengshen, then focus on our own growth. Only by remaining free of others' control can those around us stay away from the various great calamities."

Amid Gu Xiu's sigh, the system suddenly sounded.

Ding!

The Chan Sect seeks to enlist the great beings of the Primordial to aid the Fengshen, triggering an event option; host, please make a choice.

Choice One: Let the South Pole Immortal Elder travel everywhere to persuade the great beings of the Primordial world; reward: one Ginseng Fruit sapling!

Choice Two: Intercept before the South Pole Immortal Elder, meet the great beings, sabotage the plan; reward: a Great Dao technique, the Hongmeng Zao Hua Scripture! (This technique originates from the dawn of Hongmeng's opening, when the Chaos aura had not yet fully dissipated, a masterwork of the profound Dao of creation.)

Seeing the system panel's information prompt, Gu Xiu frowned slightly.

The Chan Sect actually intends to enlist the great beings of the Primordial?

Collecting his thoughts, Gu Xiu's gaze fell on the two options.

Choice One: let the South Pole Immortal Elder do the persuasion.

Although the current great beings of the Primordial each have eccentric temperaments and are hard to sway, the Chan Sect's conditions might be too tempting; if anyone agrees, it would give the Jie Sect another formidable enemy.

He looked again at Choice Two.

It offers a Great Dao‑level technique; although I do not practice the Dao of creation, at least it is a Great Dao technique, certainly higher than the current Primordial techniques.

"System, I choose Two."

Ding!

Choice successful; the mission deadline is three months. Host, please complete it promptly.

Having accepted the mission, Gu Xiu pondered which great beings currently exist in the Primordial.

The Zi Xiao Palace's three thousand worldly guests—many perished in the witch‑demon Great Calamity.

The relatively famous great beings now are those few: Zhen Yuanzi, Ming He, and Kun Peng.

The rest belong to the Demon Race, but they have already retreated with the remaining Demon Court; the Chan Sect could not possibly invite them.

Thus the targets are only Zhen Yuanzi, Ming He, and Kun Peng.

…

Having confirmed the targets, Gu Xiu thought carefully again.

Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of the Earth Immortals, is very stubborn and accustomed to carefree freedom; when Taiyi and the Eastern Emperor invited him repeatedly, he never joined the Demon Court.

If the Chan Sect does not present conditions more sincere than those the Demon Court once offered, Zhen Yuanzi would never agree.

Realizing this, Gu Xiu understood.

"It seems the South Pole Immortal Elder will first seek Ming He and Kun Peng, and only then approach Zhen Yuanzi; therefore I will go meet Zhen Yuanzi first."

After a moment's thought, Gu Xiu transformed into a streak of light, left Three Immortal Island, and headed toward Wan Shou Mountain.

He soon arrived at Wu Zhuang Guan, Zhen Yuanzi's Daoist hall, and knocked on the door.

After a while, the young attendant Qing Feng Ming Yue emerged, scanning Gu Xiu from head to toe, realizing he was not the usual visitor seeking Zhen Yuanzi.

But Gu Xiu's aura was transcendent and unworldly, the Dao's resonance permeating his body; his every movement seemed naturally divine, and the two did not dare to be sluggish, offering a bow.

"May I ask where the Immortal Elder comes from, and whether you are here to see the Master?"

Gu Xiu smiled, "I come from the overseas Immortal Island, specially to visit Daoist friend Zhen Yuanzi."

Qing Feng Ming Yue thought for a moment; Zhen Yuanzi indeed often enjoys taking a Ginseng Fruit to the overseas Immortal Island to visit friends, so perhaps Gu Xiu is a friend he made abroad.

"Return Immortal Elder, the Lord is currently not in the Wuzhuang Temple."

Gu Xiu asked, "Do you know how long Daoist Zhen Yuanzi will be able to return?"

Qingfeng Mingyue shook his head: "We also don't know how long the Lord will be back; it could be a day or two, a year or two, maybe even a hundred years, not certain. Should the Immortal Elder go in and wait for the Lord?"

Gu Xiu thought for a moment.

"If we can't go in, there's no need; we'll come back when Daoist Zhen Yuanzi returns."

Leaving Wuzhuang Temple, Gu Xiu planned to wander nearby and return after a while.

While riding the auspicious cloud through the sky, he came upon a forest where five cultivators were exorcising demons.

There was one woman and four men, all dressed uniformly, likely from the same sect.

It was Gu Xiu's first time encountering human cultivators.

The four were battling a spider spirit.

At first the fight was evenly matched, but the spider spirit feigned, gravely wounded one person, and the situation turned one‑sided, looking on the brink of total defeat.

Gu Xiu unleashed a Divine Thunder, and the spider spirit instantly turned to dust.

The cultivators, seeing they were saved, stared in shock.

They wanted to thank their rescuer, but Gu Xiu did not appear,

having done the good deed and about to depart, a voice sounded from behind.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay."

In the Investiture of the Gods, Gu Xiu is a bit sensitive to that phrase, but Shen Gongbao is dead, so it couldn't be Shen Gongbao calling him.

Turning around, the newcomer slipped a strand of hair aside, wore a fish‑tail crown, a wide‑sleeved Daoist robe, and exuded a restrained brilliance with an otherworldly elegance.

"Fellow Daoist, you are courteous."

Gu Xiu nodded: "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I wonder if you have any business?"

"I am the humble Zhen Yuanzi. I went out to handle some matters and was about to return to Wuzhuang Temple when I saw a few junior companions in danger below. Usually other Daoists seldom intervene in such cases, but you stepped in to rescue them, so I wish to get acquainted."

Gu Xiu was surprised to find that the newcomer was indeed Zhen Yuanzi.

"So you are Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, I am honored. Rescuing them was a casual act, not worth mentioning."

Zhen Yuanzi smiled: "When fellow Daoists meet, it is fate. If there is nothing else, why not come to my Wuzhuang Temple for a visit?"

From what Gu Xiu recalls, Zhen Yuanzi does indeed enjoy making friends.

Since he came looking for Zhen Yuanzi, Gu Xiu naturally would not refuse, and bowed: "Having been invited by a fellow Daoist, how could I not accept?"

Zhen Yuanzi laughed heartily: "Please, fellow Daoist."