Chapter 403: Luotian Da Jiao [Monthly Ticket Bonus Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets, Combined]

The Luotian Da Jiao is a grand event in the Daoist sects.

It invites the Three Pure Ones, the Ten Directions' Supreme Sages, the Heavenly Emperors and Celestial Beings of Jade Capital and Golden Palace, the Ten Directions' Masterly Holy Hosts, the Officials of the Three Realms, and all mighty spirits.

This tradition has been upheld by the Daoist sects of Yu Kingdom for ten million years.

The imperial court always sends representatives to observe the ceremony.

In the past, the Luotian Da Jiao was always held at the major Daoist sect, Quanqing Sect; this year it was moved to Qingwei Sect.

Li Rui had begun making preparations a full month in advance.

The reason he took it so seriously

was because the imperial court's representative this time was none other than the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom—the third strongest under heaven, known as the leader of the Hidden Sects.

As a pillar of the Yu Kingdom,

his status was far too high.

Li Rui had never met the State Tutor and had no connection to him, so he had to tread carefully.

Otherwise, if the State Tutor punished him, he could not bear it.

Sang Kong chuckled. He understood Li Rui's situation.

"Brother Li, I'm going to have it much easier this time—the Emperor sent the Crown Prince to observe; unlike you, the State Tutor himself is coming."

He even felt a touch of schadenfreude.

Though he was an official of Wu Kingdom, he still knew well what happened in Yu Kingdom.

Li Rui was close to Gu Changsheng.

And Gu Changsheng was at odds with the State Tutor.

In other words, the State Tutor's arrival wasn't merely for observation—he would surely test Li Rui closely. If Li Rui couldn't withstand it, he might even lose his official cap.

Of course, such a thing rarely happened.

Gu Changsheng would never stand idly by.

Li Rui sighed: "What a weary life."

One month later,

the Luotian Da Jiao was held beneath the main peak of Qingwei Sect.

Several overseas immortal sects came to offer congratulations.

Aside from them, the most prominent guest was the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom.

At this moment, he stood atop the grand altar alongside Qingwei Sect's Sect Master, True Person Qingding.

Height always matched status.

Li Rui, of course, stood among the crowd, utterly unremarkable.

He lifted his head, expressionless, and glanced at the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom.

He was a middle-aged man with an immortal aura, like a deity—yet his temperament was utterly unlike Gu Changsheng's.

Gu Changsheng was carefree and easygoing, making others feel as if bathed in spring breeze.

The State Tutor was solemn and rigid; merely gazing at him from afar made one feel awed and fearful.

Yesterday,

Li Rui had arrived early at the foot of Ten Thousand Mountains to welcome him.

Everything had been arranged properly.

He had even, thanks to the favor of Elder Zi Yang, persuaded True Person Qingding to personally ascend the mountain to greet him—truly granting him great face.

The State Tutor gave no indication.

But his silence was already the greatest acknowledgment Li Rui could hope for.

The largest chamber on Changqing Peak had been given over to this State Tutor.

Da Jiao means great sacrifice.

Of course, the ceremony was complex and lengthy.

Over a thousand Daoist disciples chanted; all present were weighed down by the atmosphere, their faces filled with reverence.

Burning incense, opening the altar, fetching water, raising banners, proclaiming the edict, purifying impurities, inviting the sages, summoning spirits, aligning with the stars, submitting petitions, lowering the banners, sending off the sages.

The entire ritual lasted three full days and nights.

During this time,

all guest Daoists were forbidden to leave and had to fast for three days.

Fortunately, Qingwei Sect's standards were high; everyone present was a powerful cultivator, so no one fainted from hunger.

Three days later,

came the phase of scripture exposition.

A Daoist platform was set up before the Transmission Hall: first, True Person Qingding opened the altar to teach; then, the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom discussed the Dao; finally, elders and disciples from the major immortal sects could ascend to debate.

It lasted seven days.

For Qingwei Sect's laboring disciples, this was undoubtedly a great blessing.

Without the Luotian Da Jiao, they would likely never see True Person Qingding teach in their entire lives.

True Person Qingding and the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom walked onto the stage together.

No one else.

Because no one else had the qualification to stand beside them.

True Person Qingding first nodded slightly to the State Tutor, then slowly sat upon the high altar.

His aura alone subtly overshadowed the thousand below.

Li Rui's heart tightened.

True Person Qingding's strength was truly unfathomable.

Soon,

True Person Qingding's voice echoed in everyone's ears—not loud, yet every single person heard it clearly.

Above lies the Huangting, below the Guanyuan; behind lies the Youque, before the Mingmen; breath enters the dantian through the Lu; clear jade-pool water irrigates the spiritual root.

His voice rang like celestial music.

True Person Qingding sang and chanted, his tone rhythmic and lingering.

Those below the stage sank into it involuntarily.

Li Rui also sat cross-legged below.

For him, True Person Qingding's personal teaching was immensely beneficial.

Moreover, True Person Qingding was a celestial exile who followed the most orthodox immortal path; the laboring disciples listened, utterly entranced.

True Person Qingding expounded the Qingwei Sect's most common scripture, the Jingxin Scripture—but ordinary Daoist texts, when spoken by him, revealed infinite profundity, truly transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

Though Li Rui had never practiced the Jingxin Scripture, he still gained great insight.

Yet what was more precious than the content of the teaching was the momentum.

True Person Qingding was truly a great cultivator.

He could link his own being with heaven and earth, drawing everyone below into the same flow.

To attain enlightenment here was several times more effective than usual.

True Person Qingding's teaching lasted a full day.

Yet even after he departed, no one left.

Because the momentum had not yet dissipated.

They naturally refused to abandon this opportunity.

Li Rui was the same.

Free wool was to be plucked to the fullest.

The next day,

it was the State Tutor of Yu Kingdom's turn to teach.

The State Tutor's solemn voice spread through the crowd, no less powerful than True Person Qingding's.

"The Dao is lofty and distant; the Heavenly Dao is ever-changing. The Dao has no high or low; the methods have no strong or weak. What matters is how far you yourself can go."

Li Rui listened, lost in thought.

Indeed,

the world of the upper echelons was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

The State Tutor had clearly long cultivated immortal methods.

Yet outsiders knew nothing of it.

Unlike True Person Qingding, the State Tutor, though cultivating immortal methods, had begun from the Great Primordial stage—his understanding was naturally different.

His words echoed the sentiments of Yuan Dingting.

The key lies in the person.

Li Rui listened to three full days of teachings, thoroughly delighted.

On the final day, a disciple of True Person Qingding gave the teaching.

With a good master to guide, the path of cultivation becomes far smoother—let alone teachers of the caliber of True Person Qingding and the State Tutor.

Many cultivation oversights became suddenly clear through their explanations.

After the teaching ended,

came the seven-day debate.

The one who ultimately succeeds in identifying the classics shall gain fame throughout the land.

Many below the stage have set their sights on this opportunity.

Reputation often corresponds directly to a sect's resources—they will fight tooth and nail for it.

He gazed at the elder disciples of the immortal sects, each speaking eloquently.

Li Rui had no desire whatsoever to ascend the stage.

Gaining fame throughout the land is certainly desirable, but it also invites envy from all under heaven; then you won't know how many wish you'd fall from a high tower into a deep abyss.

He currently lacks nothing—he has no need to draw such attention to himself.

Even if gaining fame would benefit his cultivation, he had no intention of stepping onto the stage.

He need only cultivate in peace.

When his strength is sufficient, his reputation will naturally spread throughout the world.

There is no need to rush.

Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian and the others watched from below the stage.

Though he wouldn't ascend, it was a prime chance to learn about the immortal sects—he wouldn't miss it.

Li Rui quietly noted the names of those who ascended; soon, a small booklet would be sent to the capital.

The imperial court would surely welcome it.

Until dusk.

The crowd before the Transmission Hall finally dispersed.

The elder disciples of the immortal sects who came to observe the ceremony stayed at the Guest Courtyard.

Yu State's officials could reside directly atop Evergreen Peak—another benefit of Yu State's garrison.

Compared to the Guest Courtyard, which housed a thousand or more, Evergreen Peak was far quieter.

Li Rui returned to his residence.

Fortunately, he had foresight—he had left the largest room vacant, perfect for the State Tutor to occupy.

Otherwise, he'd have been forced to move.

Liu Tiezhu had nearly fallen asleep listening.

Had it not been for Li Rui, he would have long since lost interest and left the Transmission Hall.

In his own words:

He had no mind for cultivation.

Li Rui didn't press him; as the State Tutor said, walk your own path.

Deep night.

Evergreen Peak was shrouded in darkness.

Everyone had fallen asleep.

A door in one room slowly opened.

Li Rui threw on an outer robe and stepped out of his courtyard.

This had nearly become his habit—walking at night.

Qingwei Sect was vast; he wandered aimlessly.

As he passed the Guest Courtyard, he saw a shadow dart past.

Judging by its direction, it was heading down the mountain.

Night was as dark as ink.

A tall, thin middle-aged Daoist, like a ghost, slipped out of Qingwei Sect and vanished into the dense forest of Ten Thousand Mountains.

Not long after:

He arrived at a thorny thicket.

A black-robed figure waited nearby.

The tall, thin Daoist approached the black-robed man and withdrew a slip of paper from his sleeve.

It bore a map of Qingwei Sect's terrain.

The black-robed man chuckled.

"Good."

"The Ancestor won't let you down. Take this elixir for now; when the Ancestor emerges from seclusion, he will personally transmit his teachings to you."

A flicker of delight passed through the tall, thin Daoist's eyes.

He had once been an ordinary disciple of an immortal sect in the Southern Seas.

By chance, he met someone from Zi Jin Palace.

His path to immortality nearly severed, he chose to secretly pledge allegiance to Zi Jin Palace for that final sliver of hope.

Zi Jin Palace had fallen, but its masters still lived.

Though he was an immortal sect disciple, he received no resources whatsoever.

It was better to ally with Zi Jin Palace—it was more tangible.

Look:

The elixir was already in hand.

"Good!"

The tall, thin Daoist nodded firmly.

Blood Shadow Ancestor was a Second-Rank powerhouse—if he could gain Blood Shadow Ancestor's guidance, perhaps he could break through his bottleneck.

Whoever feeds you, follow them!

The tall, thin Daoist hardened his resolve.

He now found his past years of idleness in the sect laughable; switching masters wasn't so bad.

Hadn't there once been a Martial Saint who took in countless adoptive fathers and betrayed them countless times?

He was his role model.

The black-robed man's lips curled slightly: "Good."

With that,

he turned and left.

Qingwei Sect was Zi Jin Palace's great enemy; this time, during the Luotian Grand Rite, they planted spies to gather more intelligence on Qingwei Sect.

These pieces of information would one day become blades plunged into Qingwei Sect's heart.

The tall Daoist had received the spirit elixir.

He felt delighted.

Then he hurried back toward Qingwei Sect.

In the darkness, unseen by any:

Li Rui's eyes flickered.

"Zi Jin Palace?"

He hadn't expected that a simple night walk would lead him to a Zi Jin Palace spy.

He wasn't sure whether his luck was good or terrible.

As he pondered whether to eliminate this threat for Qingwei Sect:

Suddenly!

A tongue, over three meters long, shot out from the dark forest.

Puff.

The tall Daoist's body instantly shattered into a puddle of shredded flesh.

Li Rui's foot halted mid-step.

Someone had acted before him.

More precisely—it was a beast.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing through layers of tree trunks, finally settling on a massive crimson toad.

"Heavenly Cattle Crimson Toad?"

Li Rui's heart jolted.

He recognized instantly—the attacker was none other than Tian Niu Zhu Ha, one of Zi Jin Palace's Three Pillars.

But… why had Tian Niu Zhu Ha killed a Zi Jin Palace spy?

At the other end:

Tian Niu Zhu Ha lazily licked his lips and muttered:

"Always causing me trouble."

He had killed not only the tall Daoist, but the black-robed man as well.

'Out of his mind!'

Tian Niu Zhu Ha didn't care what Zi Jin Palace did.

But if they dragged him into their mess and got him killed?

Absolutely not acceptable.

Zi Jin Palace is already dead!

The Immortal Sovereign was captured—what's the point of resisting? Where's the comfort of basking in the sun in Ten Thousand Mountains?

If it weren't for fear of being treated as a mount.

He had even considered defecting to Qingwei Sect.

What he now most regretted was joining Zijin Palace.

Otherwise, his frog life would have been a smooth path!

Depressed

The Tian Niu Zhu Ha was gloomy and decided to turn away—what else could he do? Just waste his frog life.

Once Tian Niu Zhu Ha had completely left.

Li Rui rubbed his chin.

Now he was in the Dao Embryo realm; even a second-rank great demon couldn't detect his presence.

That was why he dared to spy.

"Looks like Zijin Palace is quite chaotic."

But then again, it's normal.

A sect already destroyed has little loyalty to speak of.

Not scattering immediately is already good enough.

Li Rui withdrew his gaze.

He no longer looked, turned, and returned to Qingwei Sect, pretending he had seen nothing that night.

The next day.

The Luotian Da Jiao proceeded as usual.

It was unaffected in the slightest; at most, one sect's team leader noticed a disciple missing.

No major ripples had yet emerged.

The voices debating on stage rang like temple bells, their words as obscure as celestial scriptures.

But if asked whether the debate was truly just about metaphysical discourse,

Of course not.

It was no different from martial sparring in the Jianghu—only the form had changed.

Otherwise, the winners wouldn't be these cultivators, but erudite Daoist scholars buried in texts.

Take the right side, for example.

Those two cultivators nearly blasted each other with magic treasures.

Called a debate, but in truth it was a contest of spiritual soul and control over spiritual energy.

It merely took the form of philosophical discourse.

What was said didn't matter.

Li Rui listened for several days and found it uniquely intriguing.

The greatest taboo in cultivation is isolating oneself.

It must be avoided at all costs.

Though these cultivators weren't necessarily stronger than him, they still broadened his perspective.

As Li Rui listened with great interest,

A man in white robes and white hair walked up beside him.

"Director Li, why not go up and try?"

Li Rui glanced at the man beside him.

He was a disciple of the State Preceptor; his strength was unknown.

Why unknown?

Because no one had ever seen him fight.

"I'm old. Let the young ones have their turn."

The man named Fang Hua smiled faintly and shook his head: "Director Li, you can't say that—I'm actually much older than you."

Li Rui blinked.

Fang Hua: "I'm one hundred thirty-seven. I just look young."

Li Rui was speechless.

That made sense.

Now, everyone he met was either a Xiantian or directly in the upper three ranks.

It was time to stop relying on age for respect.

Wu De often said: in the cultivation world, they fear not the old, but the young.

The elderly are either too late to enter the Immortal Path or near death—usually not powerful.

But the young, especially children, must be watched closely.

They're either true ancient monsters with deep resources, or their realms advance too swiftly.

"Senior Fang."

Li Rui bowed with clasped fists.

Fang Hua waved his hand: "Let's just call each other brothers, alright, Little Brother Li?"

"Senior Fang's right."

Li Rui responded naturally.

Fang Hua narrowed his eyes at Li Rui: "Little Brother Li has gone far in Xiantian."

Li Rui's heart jolted.

He felt as if his secrets had been glimpsed.

He silently thanked Gu Changsheng for concealing his aura with great skill—otherwise, he might truly have been exposed.

But then Fang Hua's tone grew colder: "Also, perhaps my phrasing earlier was inappropriate, Little Brother Li—your going up on stage was the State Preceptor's wish. As an official stationed at Qingwei Sect, you must uphold the glory of Great Yu."

"Don't bring shame to the imperial court."

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

Here it comes.

He had expected the State Preceptor to reprimand him.

There was no help for it.

He was Gu Changsheng's man—that was his fate.

He had to go up.

He had received word from the capital: this Fang Hua was actively seeking to replace him as the Qingwei Sect's stationed official.

With Sang Kong's precedent of becoming a Tongxuan.

If he could drive Li Rui out, and the State Preceptor added a few words, it could truly happen.

So when Fang Hua appeared, Li Rui had already been on guard.

Seeing soft tactics failed, Fang Hua had torn off the mask and gone straight for force.

Fang Hua smiled as he gazed at the newly vacant stone platform.

"Let this old brother throw out a brick to attract jade, and help you gain fame in the world?"

(End of Chapter)