Chapter 182: Shuangcheng

Shuangcheng's Heart Knot

Speaking of which, although Ruan Ci has cultivated for over four hundred years, her experience among cultivators is not much. If it weren't for that intent-cultivation secret method, she would have almost no understanding of the lives of small-sect cultivators. The places she has been to the most are various markets.

Perhaps because the Langhuan Zhou Heaven is protected by the Grotto-Yang Dao Ancestor, major merchant firms are active. As long as cultivators gather, someone will open a merchant firm. Even in a remote place like Zhuangshan Village, there are merchant fleets coming and going regularly. This merchant fleet specializes in traveling around the Nine Kingdoms and is a hall of the Shangqing outer sect. If you look at the Langhuan Zhou Heaven as a whole, then these merchant fleets are like the meridians of the human body, allowing even the most closed-off places to have channels for communication with the outside world. Even the situation in Song Kingdom at that time had merchant firms coming, but at that time, Ruan Ci and others were not qualified to hear about it.

It is precisely because of this that places like Zhuangshan Village can know about the changes in the general trend outside the sect. Otherwise, they would truly not know about the Han or Wei and Jin dynasties. Even if the Shangqing Sect were destroyed, I fear it would take decades to know. You must know that a Sheng Sect like the Shangqing Sect has such a vast protected area. Even if there are any changes, a centipede dies but doesn't stiffen. It will struggle for hundreds of years before it completely disappears. For mortals, this is the alternation of several generations. If a mortal is born in such an era, they will also feel that the world is naturally turbulent and decaying, and they cannot imagine that there is still a peaceful, beautiful, and prosperous time.

Under the protection of the Shangqing Sect, even a small place like Zhuangshan Village can plant spirit rice and do business of hundreds of spirit jade. The prosperity and bustle of the Shangqing market is far beyond what ordinary markets can compare to. The area it occupies is far beyond the Altar City. Just one market can be compared to the entire mountain gate of the Wind Soul Sect in Ruan Ci's memory. It is crowded with people, bustling, immortal and mortal living together, each getting what they need, without offending each other. The general trend exudes a harmonious and prosperous fortune, which is the most prosperous market Ruan Ci has ever seen. Even looking from afar, it makes people nod slightly, secretly thinking, "The sect's fortune truly permeates every aspect. No wonder everyone cultivates this art of observing aura. In fact, from these subtle little things, one can also see the general trend of a sect."

Originally, when she was in South Zhuzhou, besides the grand style of the Shangqing Sect, she didn't know where its glory lay. Now that she has lived in the sect for three or four hundred years and her experience has grown, she knows that the Shangqing Sect is worthy of being one of the three pillars of the sky, and it is truly the strongest sect in this Zhou Heaven, stronger than the others in every aspect. Only such a sect has the qualifications to cultivate a future Dao Ancestor and has the qualifications to use the Donghua Sword to suppress fortune. I imagine that within one world, only the Taiwei Gate can compete with it. The Qingling Gate's cultivation methods are unorthodox. Although it is also one of the three pillars of the sky, in terms of foundation and strength, it seems unable to compare with the two sects.

Ruan Ci saw the Shangqing market, which occupied fifteen floating mountains and flying pavilions alone, and built floating bridges above the Sansu River, which was extremely rich. She couldn't help but have a trace of curiosity about the Taiwei market in her heart, secretly thinking, "If there is an opportunity in the future, I don't know if I can go and see it. And Yanshan, this sect has always been mysterious, but it has risen very quickly. Yet everyone seems to be convinced, and I don't know what is superior about it. I don't know if the Yanshan market is different from this place."

Thinking about it, she stopped the flying boat at the pier, sent everyone away to play. This is the Shangqing market, so the sect members are naturally safe. Even Zhuang Ji is very curious and took the mermaid's hand to play. Ruan Ci also entrusted Qin Qin Fengyu to look for time-related spiritual objects for her, and she took Seeing Tianlu and Wang Wang Panpan to the Shangqing Small Collection to find Dong Shuangcheng.

This so-called Shangqing Small Collection is a branch courtyard floating pavilion separated from the main Shangqing market. It is itself a spatial magic treasure, which can be used for great cultivators to stay, and it is a quieter and more elegant place than the main market, and the goods sold are also of higher quality. Dong Shuangcheng is a guest of the Grand Void Heaven and is also a Jin Dan cultivator, so she was naturally arranged here. At this moment, when Ruan Ci came to look for her, they were still far apart, but there was already an energy sensing. She swept out of the cave dwelling, flew to Ruan Ci, and laughed happily, "Little Ci! We have truly met again!"

After hundreds of years of parting, their identities and cultivation bases were very different, but at this moment, they smiled at each other, and that faint friendship seemed to have not changed in the slightest. When Ruan Ci was a merchant firm clerk who couldn't open her meridians, Dong Shuangcheng was a Foundation Establishment disciple and was on good terms with her. At this moment, she had joined the Shangqing and had become a future Dao Ancestor, her identity was high and unreachable, but Dong Shuangcheng did not feel inferior because of this, and everything was still as before.

After hundreds of years of parting, there were many things to say. Dong Shuangcheng hurriedly let Ruan Ci into the mansion and sighed, "There are many things to do this time, and I haven't hired any servants. Those puppet attendants are expensive, and Brother Yan Huan and I were in a hurry, so we didn't have much spirit jade on us. The prices in the Central Continent are high, so we didn't buy them. All the miscellaneous things were done by ourselves. I am ashamed that I have no spirit tea to entertain you today, so I can only ask you to drink a cup of clear water."

Ruan Ci laughed, "It is also because my mansion's personnel are chaotic, and I failed to entertain you properly. You and I are old acquaintances. Now that you have come to the Shangqing Sect, why do you still have to worry about these trivial matters?"

She saw Dong Shuangcheng had changed into a married woman's attire, and her heart moved. She still remembered that she had indeed concluded a marriage with a Chu family, but the person herself seemed unwilling. She didn't know if this matter had anything to do with Yan Huan Changyuan, and how they, as senior and junior brother and sister, appeared here.

Just as she was about to ask in detail, Dong Shuangcheng already laughed, "That's not how it's said. If I were just visiting a friend, it would naturally be your entertainment. At this moment, our senior and junior brother and sister are here to rely on you, so naturally, there is a set of rules. How can we rely on old feelings and bother the Master with everything?"

When she appeared in Altar City, she was also experiencing the world for the first time, innocent and romantic, with limited knowledge. At this moment, her conversation was much more mature. She poured clear water for Ruan Ci and apologized on behalf of Yan Huan Changyuan, because he was in seclusion and could not come out to meet her. Only then did she recount the events after their parting, sadly, "Actually, Brother Yan Huan and I haven't seen each other for a long time. If it weren't for a chance encounter, we wouldn't have crossed the secret realm together and come to the Central Continent."

It turned out that on that day, after the crowd of the Taibai Sword Sect watched the Heavenly Boat leave, they all returned to their sects. She and Yan Huan Changyuan had this opportunity and were both valued by their sects. But Yan Huan Changyuan was at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, his endowment and fortune were both thick, and his sword heart was purer. His sensing of the Sword Envoy was even stronger than Dong Shuangcheng's. And he was the only closed-door disciple of the Grotto-Heaven True Person in the Taibai Sword Sect. Dong Shuangcheng was ultimately not as good as him. The resources in the sect were all for Yan Huan Changyuan first, and then for Dong Shuangcheng. As time went on, anyone could see that the third-generation Grotto-Heaven True Person of the Taibai Sword Sect could still only be Yan Huan Changyuan.

If it were in the past, this would not have caused any waves. Dong Shuangcheng was not a person who liked to compete, and for the Mao Sect disciples in South Zhuzhou, Grotto-Heaven was a legendary realm. Being able to prove the Nascent Soul was already a fluke. She was only obsessed with the sword and didn't care about external things. If there was any worry, it was the marriage arranged by her family that annoyed her.

She was born in the Dong family, a famous cultivation family in South Zhuzhou. There were many talents in the family, and the most promising disciples were actually those who joined the Sheng Sect Yunkong Gate. Dong Shuangcheng joining the Taibai Sword Sect was an accidental opportunity. Because she had the foundation of a sword cultivator and her physique was special, and she was favored by her master, she had a marriage with a Chu family, another family in the Yunkong Gate. This marriage also involved the Taibai Sword Sect and the Yunkong Gate, and it was perfect. The Chu family disciple who talked about marriage with her was of the same age, and no one could find any fault with him. Only Dong Shuangcheng was unhappy in her heart, because she was obsessed with cultivation and disliked the intrigue in the powerful families and the Sheng Sect giant factions. However, her relatives and teachers all praised this marriage, and she had no way to resist.

And with the second emergence of the Donghua Sword and the arrival of the Heavenly Boat in the Central Continent, Dong Shuangcheng's acquaintance with the Shangqing disciple was witnessed by many because it was under the eyes of everyone. No one knew that the Shangqing disciple was actually the real Sword Envoy, but for a Mao Sect disciple in South Zhuzhou, being able to get to know a Shangqing outer-sect steward was already an honor, not to mention a direct disciple? The Dong family was very concerned about this and inquired in many ways. After all, they learned some clues about the Sword Envoy's true identity, and hurriedly sent a message to the Yunkong Gate. The Yunkong Gate then sought Dong Shuangcheng for the disciple, wanting to take her to the Yunkong Gate to cultivate and live.

The marriage contract had been made long ago, and the Taibai Sword Sect was at the critical point of transforming from a Mao Sect to a Sheng Sect, needing the support of the Sheng Sect. Furthermore, after Dong Shuangcheng went to the Yunkong Gate, the precious materials and spirit medicines she obtained would naturally be more abundant than in the Taibai Sword Sect. The Taibai Sword Sect naturally would not refuse. Dong Shuangcheng was unwilling in her heart, but what could she do? Fortunately, after she went to the Yunkong Gate, she could return to the Taibai Sword Sect to live at any time. The Yunkong Gate did not mean to forbid her from acting. This move was also to share the fortune and conclude a good relationship.

The marriage matter had been pulled back and forth for a hundred years. During this period, Dong Shuangcheng also traveled several times. Her personality was no longer as innocent and willful as before, and she also knew that Dao companions were different from ordinary couples. Even if there was no true love, they could still form a marriage. If it were only these, she might not be so repulsive, but who knew that the Chu family disciple who had originally set the marriage with her had died halfway through these hundred years? The one sent by the Chu family to continue the marriage was the genius disciple of the Yunkong Gate who had fought Dong Shuangcheng in Altar City, the Ninth Son of the Chu family.

Dong Shuangcheng sighed slightly when she mentioned this, "If it were in South Zhuzhou, I would have said the name, but the Central Continent pays attention to something completely different, and I have suffered quite a few losses."

Ruan Ci naturally said it didn't matter, and secretly thought, "Looking at her protection, it seems that the relationship between the two has not been too bad after all."

That Ninth Son of the Chu family was a genius disciple of the Yunkong Gate, and his Foundation Establishment was also at the ninth layer. His chance encounter was even more strange. He was one year younger than Dong Shuangcheng, but he had only entered the Dao for thirty years and was already at mid-stage Foundation Establishment. His personality was arrogant and cold, and he had the previous battle, so Dong Shuangcheng was originally quite disgusted with him. But in terms of cultivation and endowment, he was much stronger than his brother, and he was extremely favored by his master. The Yunkong Gate sent him to marry. How could Dong Shuangcheng refuse? Unwillingly, she still completed the marriage ceremony. After that, it was dual cultivation. This dual cultivation method was most suitable for refining the heart. Dong Shuangcheng's sword cultivation benefited a lot. However, after two hundred years, she was at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment perfection, and together with the Ninth Son of the Chu family, she broke through to the Jin Dan stage. At this moment, the Ninth Son of the Chu family had been waiting for her for a while.

Ruan Ci couldn't help but say, "Counting it, being able to reach perfection in the ninth layer in three hundred years of cultivation, your husband must also have great fortune. Even the Sheng Sects of the Central Continent cannot easily produce such a genius disciple."

Dong Shuangcheng mentioned the Ninth Son of the Chu family, her expression was very subtle. To say that they were deeply in love was not necessarily true, but to say that they were hateful and repulsive was not the case at all. It was just that she was smiling but not smiling, resentful but not resentful, and there was a worry lingering. She said in a low voice, "This person... his endowment is indeed very thick, but his personality is very bad. Sigh, I... I was originally the one who hated people like him the most, but... I..."

Her expression was charming, her heart was turning, and she was full of worries. She was no longer the girl she was back then. Ruan Ci looked at it and secretly sighed, "The word 'love' is indeed the most capable of changing one's nature. Shuangcheng has actually become like this. If this were not her privacy, which is not easy to say to others, I would have to ask the Master properly whether everyone is like this when they are trapped by love."

Although she was very curious about this matter, it was not the point, so she didn't ask further. Dong Shuangcheng sighed slightly and continued, "After forming the Jin Dan, I wanted to return to the Taibai Sword Sect to cultivate sword techniques, and he also insisted on following me. This person is the most clingy to me. Even if I am too intimate with others, he is unhappy. Therefore, his master allowed us to return to the Taibai Sword Sect to cultivate for a period of time..."

Ruan Ci couldn't help but laugh, "Wait, now that you mention it, that day you were fighting in the tavern, the cause was also because you were too intimate with me. He said you didn't keep the woman's way and wanted to teach you on behalf of his brother. But as far as I know, South Zhuzhou cultivators don't have any woman's way to keep. Could it be... could it be that he had already taken a fancy to you from that time?"

But at that time, Dong Shuangcheng was still his future sister-in-law. Chu Chu Jiulang was already like this, then the marriage between the two later...

Dong Shuangcheng's face turned pale, but she didn't deny it, just said in a low voice, "Little Ci, will you look down on me because of this? That person... that person was clearly a wicked disciple who killed his brother and married his sister-in-law, but I... I actually... I..."

Her eyes were red, clearly this matter was a heart knot for her, but it was not easy to tell others. It was in the Central Continent that she could confide in Ruan Ci. It was probably also because Ruan Ci had nothing to do with Chu Chu Jiulang. Even if she wanted to spread it, there was no way to spread it. It was just this heart journey, but it was not enough for outsiders to know.

Not to mention killing his brother and marrying his sister-in-law, Jiang Jiang Youwen hadn't even shown his face, and he had already killed a boatload of cultivators. The slaughter in the Central Continent was so cruel. Ruan Ci had no feelings about Chu Chu Jiulang's actions, just asked, "Since his cultivation and future are better than that brother's, why not say it properly? Even if he used his power to take that marriage, I imagine it wouldn't be a difficult matter?"

Dong Shuangcheng's face was as white as snow, biting her lip, "Because that person... that person was also unwilling to give up... Actually, I don't know clearly either. Later, others told me. Actually, actually for me, even if he killed his brother and married me, it's actually no different. Because whether it was his brother or him, I didn't like them. Since I didn't like them, what does it matter? At first, I thought so, but later, later..."

Later, naturally, she couldn't hold on, and in the dual cultivation, she finally liked this wicked person who was obsessed with her and was willing to offend the rebellion to occupy Dong Shuangcheng.

Ruan Ci was proficient in everything, but knew nothing about men and women. Looking at Dong Shuangcheng's charming face, she didn't know what to say for a moment, just said, "Regardless, this is your two people's business. Do you think the Yunkong Gate or the Chu family and Dong family don't know about the death of the original person? Since they don't care, and forced you to marry him, then who is qualified to point fingers at you?"

Dong Shuangcheng was also a Jin Dan achiever, and would never cover her face and cry. Hearing this, her expression cleared, and she added, "These things don't need to be said now. Who knows where he was washed away? After we returned to the Sword Sect, we went to travel around when we were free. He has a talent for finding cultivator ruins. The Taibai Sword Sect is by the edge of the Lost Coast. One day he found a cave dwelling. We went in to explore first, and knew there was no danger there. It was a place for cultivator inheritance, and four restrictions were divided according to cultivation: Foundation Establishment, Jin Dan, and Nascent Soul, all had gifts. But that Nascent Soul restriction had lost its spiritual light because it had been there for too many years, and it was not useful. Therefore, we reported it to our master. It happened that Brother Yan Huan wanted to travel, so he went into the cave dwelling with us."

"Because Brother Yan Huan and I were of the same age and our talents were both good, we were always familiar. That person didn't like Brother Yan Huan very much, and I didn't want to provoke him for no reason, so I let Brother Yan Huan go in after us. In the Jin Dan restriction, there was nothing to say. I had the Taibai Sword Pill, and he had many secret methods of the Yunkong Gate. In a short time, we gained a lot. But at that time, I don't know what Brother Yan Huan touched in the Foundation Establishment restriction, the restriction suddenly changed," Dong Shuangcheng said here, and her expression couldn't help but reveal a trace of solemnity, "All the disciples in the cave dwelling fell into a spatial channel. That channel was extremely mysterious, as if it had no end, and there was no spiritual energy to supplement it. Most cultivators didn't walk to the end. Even Brother Yan Huan, it was only after I begged bitterly that he could be sheltered by that person. It was the two of us, because that dual cultivation method could also generate spiritual energy. As long as we paid attention to using it and were not swallowed by spatial cracks, our own magic power was also fine."

Ruan Ci was surprised, "Dual cultivation method can refine the heart, which is not strange, but how can it generate spiritual energy? This is too mysterious. Spiritual energy is born, it must have a root. Unless it is the Grotto-Heaven Venerable, whose body forms a world, otherwise how can it be generated in a place like a spatial channel?"

Just as she was about to ask in detail, she saw Dong Shuangcheng's face red and ears red, knowing that this matter was probably a couple's privacy, so it was not good to say more. Dong Shuangcheng coughed a few times and said, "Walking and stopping, it actually took decades of time to reach the end. At that time, Brother Yan Huan had already been put into a human bag by us, otherwise he would have no way to support it until then. But before the channel reached the end, a change suddenly occurred. In order to protect me, he was blown away in the spatial storm. I... when I escaped, I was already in the Central Continent, and the spirit jade was also exhausted during those decades. Besides Brother Yan Huan, there were no other relatives and friends, so I could only ask all the way and come to the Shangqing Sect, thinking that even if you were not there, there were still a few fellow villagers from South Zhuzhou, I don't know if there is any message back to my hometown, which can help me bring a word, so that the sect knows our safety."

Such handling was human nature. Ruan Ci nodded, "You have been in the Central Continent for more than ten years. You are lucky that you didn't fall into a dangerous situation. Otherwise, I fear that as soon as you came out of the spatial channel, you would have encountered poison."

Dong Shuangcheng replied, "It was in a place called Hanyu Marsh. That great marsh was beautiful, like a piece of shaking green jade. However, I imagine it was also very dangerous. Speaking of which, it was indeed lucky. We just landed by the marsh. If it had deviated a little more, I fear we would have fallen into the green jade."

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Updated! Sorry for the long wait, everyone. Comments broke 60k, come and see the additional update at 3 pm this afternoon~

Sorry, I ran away to get busy after updating yesterday. I only knew it was full of 60k after coming back to see the comments.

I'm going for a physical examination! Because the doctor didn't tell me that there was a big tumor in my body as soon as I did the B-ultrasound, and I was not far from death, etc. So now the mood is very light, feeling like a narrow escape (?), and entering the next step of anxiety before the physical examination, that is, strongly urging everyone who has not had a physical examination to have a regular physical examination. This is actually quite important. The surgery I had last year was found out by physical examination, and it was found to have an ovarian cyst, and it was very big, 8cm. It was arranged for surgery immediately. The doctor told me after coming out that it was fortunate that it was done in time. This is a fallopian tube mesentery cyst, because it was very big, and it pulled the fallopian tube to twist. If it died, it would be terrible.

So no matter how afraid you are, you still have to go regularly. One year, one and a half years, two years, anyway, go from time to time. (I have always been like this, various fears before going, and after going, I started to persuade everyone who hasn't gone to go.)

I am watching the cloud clearance video of Cyberpunk 2077 recently. As a lazy person, I am keen on cloud clearance. I also watched the plot flow video of Immortals Fenyx Rising.

Come and see the additional update at 3 pm!

. Thanks to the little angels who cast Overlord votes or irrigated nutrient solution for me between 2020-12-16 11:59:36 and 2020-12-17 12:01:01!

Thanks to the little angels who cast hand grenades: Stolen Lychee (1).

Thanks to the little angels who cast landmines: Ye Se Ru Mo, Yu Yu Wan Yao, Fu Lu, Wu Mingya (1).

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: A Yao (81 bottles); Cang Yan Xia Bai Ou (58 bottles); lgyitan (50 bottles); 48389664 (40 bottles); minmin (20 bottles); nana (15 bottles); Jian Jia Cang Cang (12 bottles); zjsxysj, Xin You Wei Chen (10 bottles); Feng Guang (5 bottles); Zhi Geng Niao, Xiao Meng, Jing, Su (4 bottles); Qiu Shui Tian Yi Se, Jing Jing Jing Jing Jing (2 bottles); Ke Luo Que (1 bottle).

Thank you all very much for your support; I will continue to work hard! ===== CHAPTER 183 =====