Chapter 392: Immortal Sect [Monthly Ticket Bonus, Requesting Monthly Tickets, Combined Two Chapters]

Dao Embryo prototype!

Li Rui stared at the stone embryo, his pupils contracting slightly.

The classics were incomplete.

How those few figures a million years ago forged the Dao Embryo realm is now unknown.

Li Rui's ability to condense the Dao Embryo prototype was deeply tied to the Great Hardening and the Divine Arrival Scripture, but the key factor was this Immortal Form true qi.

The deeper his realm, the more he sensed the extraordinary nature of the Immortal Form.

Truly the pinnacle of all true qi in the world.

Even the Dragon Form true qi was formidable, yet before the Immortal Form true qi, it was utterly insignificant.

Without this Immortal Court within his dantian, the Dao Embryo could never have been nurtured.

Li Rui vaguely felt that his Immortal Form true qi might be even more precious than he imagined.

"This must never be known to anyone else."

He sat in stillness all night.

Li Rui's spiritual soul finally reached perfect completion; when he opened his eyes again, it was already midday the next day.

Cultivation knows no days or months.

It's not just empty words.

Legends say the great ones close themselves off for decades at a time—ordinary mortals have no such time to waste.

Once one steps into the Upper Three Ranks.

His lifespan extends to five jiazi.

Yet he has only completed one-third so far, leaving him ample time.

So there was no rush to break into the Upper Three Ranks.

He planned to break through only after refining the Dao Embryo.

The maid outside heard the sounds from within, asked cautiously, then entered carrying a bronze basin filled with warm water.

Li Rui first rinsed his mouth with tea, then washed his face.

The maid helped him dress.

Only then did he step out of the room.

After a simple morning meal of stir-fried lamb, steamed pig's trotters, pan-fried fresh fish, and chicken tendon soup—seven or eight plain dishes—Li Rui missed Wang Zhao's meat porridge dearly.

After eating,

Li Rui leisurely stepped out the door.

It was his first time stepping out in months.

Just as he left the Deputy Commander's residence,

he happened to see Yuan Xiong.

"Young Brother Yuan."

Yuan Xiong also spotted Li Rui.

At this moment, Yuan Xiong's aura was utterly different from before, faintly exuding an otherworldly, transcendent air.

This was unique to the Upper Three Ranks.

During Li Rui's seclusion, both Yuan Xiong and Nie Siming had broken through and become Earth Immortals of the Tongxuan Realm.

Not long ago,

the imperial court's appointments had been issued.

Yuan Xiong was granted the title of Longxiang General, Nie Siming the title of Huben General; though these were auxiliary general titles, their rank was no lesser than that of the Four Directions and Four Garrisons.

General was a wartime position, so during peacetime,

daily affairs were usually handled by General Xue Gui.

Generals mostly served to deter foreign enemies.

Of course, if Yuan Xiong or Nie Siming wished to mobilize a guard battalion, they needed no report to Xue Gui—they could simply lead their men.

Yuan Xiong saw Li Rui and smiled, clasping his fists: "Old Brother Li."

Though he and Nie Siming had broken through,

they still addressed Li Rui as brother, never growing arrogant due to their higher realms,

for in their eyes, Li Rui would inevitably reach their level soon.

Li Rui smiled and asked: "Where's Brother Nie?"

"Seventh Brother?"

"He took two Daoists from Qingwei Sect into the Ten Thousand Mountains."

Yuan Xiong said.

Qingwei Sect.

Originally, Qingwei Sect was an obscure hidden sect, but recently it had become the talk of the land, for the one establishing a new sect on the ruins of Zijin Palace was none other than Qingwei Sect's True Person Qingding.

The news had spread like wildfire.

The two Daoists were disciples of True Person Qingding and had been in Qinghe for over a year.

Nie Siming had always been assigned to escort them into the Ten Thousand Mountains for surveys.

Li Rui: "What a troublesome task."

Yuan Xiong laughed heartily: "Seventh Brother said the same thing."

It was said True Person Qingding had rendered the imperial court a great service, so His Majesty specially permitted him to found a new sect.

As for the Witch Kingdom, the situation was much the same.

But there had been no movement yet; according to Nie Siming, True Person Qingding had not yet reached his chosen auspicious day.

Thus, they mostly conducted surveys.

This year alone, they had entered the Ten Thousand Mountains at least a dozen times.

To outsiders, they might have seemed like grave robbers searching for dragon veins and auspicious spots.

Nie Siming had long complained about it.

But since it was His Majesty's direct order, he held his tongue.

Li Rui chatted a few moments with Yuan Xiong.

Then he boarded a carriage and headed for Qianhe Martial Arts Hall.

Ten Thousand Mountains.

In a mountain hollow.

"Ancestor, what should we do next?"

A black-clad man spoke, glancing at the Blood Shadow Ancestor beside him.

The Blood Shadow Ancestor's face was grim.

"Of course, make them pay."

Zijin Palace was destroyed, Dongwu fell.

The Ghost Ming Sect no longer existed; Blood Shadow Ancestor barely escaped alive that night.

Now that his injuries were healed, he would not let this pass.

In fact,

other Zijin Palace survivors, besides him, were also secretly plotting; the numerous major cases in Yu and Wu these past years were all their doing.

These scattered remnants of Zijin Palace had given the imperial court great headaches.

Among them were no shortage of Upper Three Rank experts.

Hidden in the shadows, striking unexpectedly, no one could fully eradicate them.

The black-robed man continued: "Ancestor, the man you ordered us to watch—Li Rui—finally left the city today."

Hearing this,

Blood Shadow Ancestor's eyes lit up.

"Excellent!"

That Li Rui had been as slow as a turtle, staying in Qinghe for two full years.

Leaving him no chance to act.

Blood Shadow Ancestor narrowed his eyes: "Whoever took something from Zijin Palace must give it back."

He had always followed Si Feng.

So he possessed more intelligence than other Zijin Palace survivors.

For instance, the Thousand Souls Banner of the Sheng Daoist.

After that great battle, Si Feng was captured, yet the other transcendent, Sheng Daoist, vanished without a trace.

After searching repeatedly,

by sheer coincidence, he overheard that Li Rui had been dragged underground during the battle, then returned unharmed.

If Sheng Daoist were still alive, he would have no reason to hide.

So Blood Shadow Ancestor deduced:

It was highly likely Li Rui had betrayed and seized Sheng Daoist's possessions.

This sounded absurd—no matter how badly wounded, Sheng Daoist was still a transcendent, far beyond the reach of a mere Xiantian martial artist to kill.

Yet the facts were before him; Blood Shadow Ancestor had no choice but to think so.

Even if Li Rui did not kill him, he is certainly inseparable from the matter.

Blood Shadow Ancestor had no intention of avenging Sheng Daoist—he truly wanted the Thousand Souls Banner.

Si Feng had once bestowed the method for crafting the Thousand Souls Banner.

If he could obtain the Thousand Souls Banner, his strength would surge dramatically; perhaps he could rescue Si Feng from the imperial prison in the capital and restore the glory of the Purple Gold Palace.

As he pondered.

A flash of cold light passed through Blood Shadow Ancestor's eyes:

"Li Rui."

"Hmm?"

"Where did this chilling wind come from?"

Li Rui, inside the Regional Commander's mansion, felt a chill crawl down his back.

Xue Gui sat across from him.

"Li Rui, how many years have you been in Annan Town?"

Li Rui had not expected Xue Gui to summon him just for small talk.

"My lord, over a decade."

Xue Gui nodded: "You've served me a long time—I've never treated you poorly, have I?"

"My lord has treated me exceedingly well."

To be fair.

His comfortable life in Annan Town would not have been possible without Xue Gui's protection.

Originally,

Xue Gui and Jiang Lin had exerted great effort to erase the stain of his former life as a coachman.

He remembered every favor.

Xue Gui finally smiled: "You're the kind who remembers kindness—I trust you."

"Of all my subordinates, you're the one I favor most."

"There's an opportunity now."

"You should try for it."

Li Rui's eyes lit up.

Xue Gui was about to bestow another blessing upon him.

Xue Gui regarded Li Rui with a faint, knowing smile: "You must know what a Banished Immortal is."

Li Rui paused.

Then nodded: "Of course I know."

Xue Gui: "Good. You've surely heard that Qingding True Person of Qingwei Sect is establishing a new sect in the Ten Thousand Mountains. Both Yu State and Wu State will send officials to serve as Elders—essentially to supervise."

"But."

"Qingding True Person is a Banished Immortal from the Upper Realm. His cultivation methods are profound, his strength unfathomable."

"For this founding, he will spread immortal arts and teach his disciples the path of cultivation."

"Those appointed as Elders may also listen to his teachings and cultivate."

"In my view, only you in Annan Town possess the innate talent for cultivation."

Hearing Xue Gui's words, Li Rui stirred.

A Banished Immortal!

No wonder Yu and Wu States had been so circumspect—they must be coveting Qingding True Person's immortal techniques.

If they sent loyal subordinates to join Qingwei Sect, it would be like obtaining immortal scriptures for free!

Li Rui's heart quickened.

He had always sought the immortal arts of eternal life.

This was a rare opportunity.

He could not miss it.

But Xue Gui spoke again: "Don't get too excited yet. His Majesty, mindful of Annan Town's extraordinary battlefield achievements, has granted one slot—but who enters Qingwei Sect still requires layered selection."

"From what I know, many wish to join Qingwei Sect."

"If an official stationed at Qingwei Sect comes from Annan Town, it will bring me honor too. Qinghe is truly bustling these days."

Lin Lang smiled broadly.

He gazed at the crowded streets, occasionally spotting people dressed in Central Plains attire.

"Indeed."

Li Rui sipped tea as he spoke.

News of Qingwei Sect had spread among the upper echelons.

Besides imperial officials, elders and disciples of major sects had also caught wind.

Though Qingwei Sect sets no barriers,

and everyone has a chance,

compared to that, the imperial appointment as Inspector not only grants immediate Elder status but also offers greater freedom and does not hinder cultivation.

It is an unparalleled opportunity.

!

Far better than the arduous path of joining Qingwei Sect as an outer disciple.

Moreover, rumors say Qingwei Sect does not judge disciples by martial cultivation levels.

Lin Lang asked curiously: "Will you participate in the selection, Li Da Ren?"

He was well-informed—he had already heard the rumors.

Li Rui smiled: "I'll certainly give it a try."

Upon hearing this,

Lin Lang's eyes brightened.

If Li Rui became an Elder of Qingwei Sect, Lin family's future generations would have a powerful patron when joining.

This was excellent news for him.

He could not hide his joy: "Then I've prepared a gift in advance to congratulate Elder Li on a smooth journey."

Saying this,

he pulled a small wooden box from his sleeve.

Li Rui sensed the immense stellar energy contained within the box.

It was Seven-Star Stone!

Lin Lang moved quickly—he had only just mentioned hearing the news, yet here it was, fresh and ready.

Li Rui's lips curled slightly.

Doing business with Lin Lang was truly worthwhile.

Of the Eight Methods of Ascending Spirit, he had obtained seven, half of them from Tianyuan Trading Association.

Li Rui did not refuse: "Thank you, Brother Lin."

Lin Lang laughed heartily: "We're brothers—why speak of thanks?"

In his view, he feared not Li Rui's greed, but his lack of desire.

Only when Li Rui accepted the gift would he truly help the Lin family.

Of course, he had also come to understand Li Rui's character through their dealings and knew him to be reliable—hence his willingness to invest so heavily.

Otherwise, had Li Rui been a greedy, untrustworthy man, he would have avoided him at all costs.

Li Rui took the Seven-Star Stone.

Then he spoke slowly: "Brother Lin, how much do you know about Qingwei Sect?"

Lin Lang understood—Li Rui was speaking of the future.

He adopted a serious expression: "My family's patriarch said a great change is coming—the world will see true cultivators emerge. Qingding True Person is a great cultivator; if our descendants can join Qingwei Sect, they may be protected for a thousand generations. This is a matter of great importance to Tianyuan Trading Association."

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

Indeed.

Tianyuan Trading Association must already know of the Banished Immortal.

He was not surprised.

Qingwei Sect's open establishment could not have happened without imperial backing.

The court was deliberately letting the world know of cultivation.

He recalled something the old Daoist Xu Xuan had once told him.

The Immortal Gates will open.

Li Rui had already sensed the spiritual energy in this world gradually increasing.

Qingwei Sect may be only the beginning.

The court is planning ahead.

'Better to channel than to block.'

He remembered the words of Zhang Shoufu, the famed child prodigy.

If his guess was correct.

These must all be the work of Master Zhang.

A grand undertaking!

Li Rui's heart grew solemn.

He spoke slowly: "Since Brother Lin knows, I won't elaborate. If I can enter the Qingwei Sect, I will protect one person from Tianyuan Trading Company."

Hearing this, Lin Lang burst into joy: "Thank you, Brother Li!"

At dusk.

Li Rui finally returned to the Deputy Commander's residence in a carriage.

"Master."

Liu Tiezhu was practicing in the courtyard; seeing Li Rui return, he bowed respectfully.

Li Rui smiled and said: "Tiezhu."

He greeted him.

Then he walked straight into his room.

He took out the Seven-Star Stone he had just received that day.

Immediately, he used the Immortal Knife to Slay the Dragon to crush the Seven-Star Stone into powder and swallowed it whole.

Powerful stellar energy surged within his abdomen.

An entire hour passed.

Only then did Li Rui fully digest the stellar energy within the Seven-Star Stone.

His spiritual root strengthened further!

The Immortal Gate will soon open; spiritual energy in the world will grow ever denser. He must raise his spiritual root to supreme spiritual root before then, so he can seize this opportunity.

Opportunities belong only to those who are prepared.

How does one prepare?

Simply by making oneself capable of holding onto fate's gifts.

For cultivation, the spiritual root is an essential link.

At the other end.

Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Nie Siming led a squad of soldiers, walking with two Daoists from the Qingwei Sect—one old, one young.

Soldiers cleared the path ahead.

No thorns could be seen; the journey was smooth.

After long association, Nie Siming learned the old Daoist's Dao name was Zi Yang, and the young Daoist's was Chun Xu.

As for their true names, they claimed they had forgotten them after entering the sect.

They only knew their Dao names.

"Senior Brother, these Ten Thousand Mountains are truly a sacred land, perfect for our purpose. Look at that cliff—the spiritual energy is abundant."

The old Daoist Zi Yang pointed to a nearby cliff.

"Junior Brother speaks wisely. Master once said these Ten Thousand Mountains were once the cultivation ground of a great cultivator—naturally, they would not be ordinary."

The young Daoist Chun Xu nodded.

He carried himself with an air of premature maturity.

Nie Siming had long grown accustomed to this; at first he found it amusing, now it left him unmoved.

After spending nearly a year together, these two never avoided speaking in front of him.

Because he had learned much about the Qingwei Sect.

He had long known of the Exiled Immortals.

As Yuan Dingting's adopted son, he naturally knew many things unknown to ordinary people.

For instance, the increasingly dense spiritual energy.

Mortals cannot sense it, but once one reaches the top three grades, it becomes unmistakable.

'Five hundred years ago, there were fewer than a hundred top-grade cultivators in the world.'

'Now, there are over five hundred!'

All of this is inseparable from the surge in spiritual energy.

Precisely because of this, a freak like Gao Tianxia emerged, lifting the entire world's martial path by a great margin.

According to Yuan Dingting's words.

Gao Tianxia alone could kill every single top martial master from five hundred years ago.

The imperial court had always been cautious about this.

Over five hundred years, more and more Exiled Immortals descended; even the vast Yu Kingdom's court was beginning to strain.

Hence, Grand Secretary Zhang proposed: better to channel than to block.

Co-opt some Exiled Immortals, eliminate others.

Clearly, the Qingwei Sect was among those to be co-opted; the Zijin Palace was among those to be eliminated.

According to Nie Siming's knowledge.

Immortal sects had also appeared in the Eastern Seas and Western Deserts.

This was the inevitable trend.

Nie Siming felt a quiet thrill within.

An age of great contention!

Perhaps one day he too would attain enlightenment and ascend, living eternally with heaven and earth.

Deep night.

Li Rui crawled into bed and fell into deep sleep.

His consciousness revived.

Before him appeared a towering white jade staircase, and before it stood a familiar figure.

It was Wu De from the cultivation world.

Wu De sensed Li Rui's presence; his tiny, pea-like eyes narrowed, as if closed, and he smiled warmly: "Brother Zhu, long time no see."

Li Rui: "Brother Wu, we meet again."

In the past two years.

He had never once encountered Wu De.

Now, they met again.

Wu De chuckled: "Lately there's been much to do—I've come less often."

Li Rui: "Same here."

Watching Li Rui's strengthened aura, Wu De muttered inwardly.

Hasn't he cultivated the Divine Dao Scripture I gave him?

That shouldn't be.

Could he have discovered it?

No.

I hid it too well—he couldn't possibly have found out.

After transmitting the Divine Dao Scripture to Li Rui, Wu De had repeatedly tried using a spell to locate him.

But to his astonishment, after two years of trying, there was not the slightest trace.

Little did he know.

Li Rui had long seen through Wu De's intentions.

And since they were not in the same realm, unless Wu De were one of those legendary great beings, he could never find him.

Wu De ventured cautiously: "Brother Zhu, how has the Divine Dao Scripture been working for you? Are you satisfied?"

Li Rui glanced at Wu De:

"My elder relative said this scripture is too ordinary—not worth practicing."

Good heavens.

Wu De grimaced.

What audacity.

This was a scripture he found in the cave of a great cultivator—and now it was called "too ordinary."

"Of course, of course. Brother Zhu comes from a distinguished background; looking down on it is only natural."

He quickly forced a smile.

Li Rui's expression remained as icy as a mountain: "Put away those thoughts of yours!"

(End of Chapter)