Chapter 330: A Vast Amount of Incense and Vow Power

"Master Zhu Jue, your extensive knowledge is truly admirable to Hongde."

Inside a still-intact grand hall of the Qi Sect in Outside Qingzhou.

Xu Hongde clasped his hands in greeting; behind him, the Sixth Ancestor of the Xu family, his face flushed with joy, tried his best to conceal his delight.

He never expected that the Xu family, though absent for many years, was so well-known even to a noble existence like Great Qian.

"Traveling much simply means seeing more; it counts for no special skill."

Zhu Jue smiled as he clasped his hands in return.

Wu Dao'an quietly rolled his eyes behind him; staying in the armory for thousands of years, flipping through those tattered books day after day, reading only old almanacs—how could he not be familiar?

"Traveling much"? He himself had never seen the other party move from their spot.

"Please rest assured; our Xu family's formations, while not capable of dealing with any expert, will certainly hold off a common Soul Transformation cultivator for three to five days if given time."

The Sixth Ancestor of the Xu family drained his wine cup in one gulp and began speaking without thinking, even bypassing Xu Hongde, the clan leader, to discuss the alliance between the two sides.

"Be careful; Fifth Ancestor will beat you when you return."

Xu Hongde smiled broadly at everyone, while simultaneously using a pebble to transmit a voice to the Sixth Ancestor, whose face was nearly splitting from smiling.

Truly, he had been out too little; when it came to the skill of dealing with people, he was nearly nonexistent.

Fortunately, this Daoist brother Zhu Jue of Great Qian seemed to understand them, not rushing to discuss the specific details of the alliance.

"..."

Zhu Jue secretly glanced toward the door.

Why hasn't Yan Shidi Shen returned yet? I really can't hold on much longer.

About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense later.

That figure finally strolled over.

"Still chatting?"

Shen Yi looked at everyone and nodded slightly: "We can begin."

He had already displayed almost everything he wanted to show the Xu family; if this was still not enough, then this alliance was truly unnecessary.

"I plan to have the Sixth Ancestor remain in Great Qian to first make some plans for Lord Shen."

Xu Hongde stood up: "I will return to discuss with Fifth Ancestor and give you a reply as soon as possible."

Shen Yi looked outside: "Let me see you off."

Wasting a little time now ensures freedom later; he could still calculate that account clearly.

"No need to trouble yourself."

Xu Hongde smiled and shook his head: "If we lacked the skill and courage to return home, the Xu family wouldn't need to come out at all."

"Take care on your journey."

Shen Yi pondered for a moment, still somewhat uneasy: "Do you have any formations for contact?"

Although the pebble is not easily detected by others, its range is too small.

Xu Hongde nodded: "If anything happens, I will notify the Sixth Ancestor; he can also first construct a communication formation in the Great Qian Imperial City."

There was no time to lose; he first bid farewell to everyone, then directly boarded a flying boat and left the Qi Sect.

"Should we return to Outside Qingzhou then?"

Xu Wanyun was still somewhat worried about that little niece.

"You go ahead and check first; I still have some matters to attend to."

Having spoken, Shen Yi turned to look at the people of Great Qian, then conjured a broken Jin Zhu.

"Hiss." Zhu Jue's expression immediately turned grim.

To have the Golden Body ravaged to such a degree, he could not imagine what kind of peril Yan Shidi Shen had encountered.

Looking again at the other's calm expression, there was no intention whatsoever to mention the past.

A strange bitterness suddenly surged in Zhu Jue's heart.

Our own ease and comfort are always because someone else is silently enduring something.

"I need a large amount of incense and vow power."

Shen Yi put forward the request straightforwardly and decisively.

"No problem; I'll give you my share."

Without hesitation, Zhu Jue took out a Jin Yu key.

However, Shen Yi did not take it, but said softly: "Zhu Shixiong Zhu, I said a large amount."

Having spoken, he casually glanced over the several temple priests.

"..."

The several temple priests exchanged glances.

They had no objections themselves, because this was not something they could truly decide.

Moreover, they could not figure out why Shen Yi wanted so much incense and vow power.

Only Wu Dao'an was slightly stunned.

Then he widened his eyes in surprise.

This is... about to breakthrough again?!

Great Qian Imperial City.

The city remained bustling, yet only those with true status felt uneasy in their hearts.

Whatever they were doing with their hands, they would occasionally glance toward the distance.

However, inside the Wumiao at this moment, everyone had already returned.

In the vast hall stood only the terrifying Golden Body dharma image, and Master Zhu Jue, sitting on the offering platform, gently tapping Shenxu Laozu's instep.

Wu Dao'an stood outside the door, arms crossed, looking gloomy.

Is it so wrong to have a higher cultivation?

How can one sit on the offering platform? It is so disrespectful to those predecessors.

Fearing Shenxu Laozu might not understand, Master Zhu Jue repeated everything several times.

Whenever the Frowning Luo Han fell into slumber,

he would form the hand seals to wake the other up, then continue speaking.

"Good! I know! I!" the Frowning Luo Han let out a low roar.

"Look, don't rush," Master Zhu Jue began calmly for the sixty-fourth time.

"Fine! All of it!" the Frowning Luo Han was somewhat on the verge of collapse.

"But without the incense and vows of the Imperial City, it will fall into emptiness. If an external enemy invades..." Master Zhu Jue looked up.

"Kill! Wake me! Slay them all!"

Hearing the words from within the Wumiao, Wu Dao'an reached out his hand to several colleagues.

The remaining temple attendants then produced the golden register and handed it over.

The last time Shen Yi was seen, the other was merely a small cultivator newly arrived in the Imperial City, favored only by Old Ghost Wu.

Now it seemed, what favor? It was clearly an extraordinary eye for talent.

Previously, there was worry that if Shen Yi took the incense and vows, he might defect from Great Qian; now there was no need to worry, for based solely on the battle at Lizhou's Qi Sect, if the other wished to harm Great Qian, he would not need the incense and vows at all.

Wu Dao'an glanced again at Zhu Shixiong Zhu.

Accompanying Shenxu Laozu was no feat.

I have Shen Yi!

At this thought, joy surged anew on his face, and he hummed a little tune, drifting toward the interior of the Wumiao.

Such a huge matter was decided so lightly.

For this group of Yin Spirits cultivating within the Wumiao, having dissatisfaction in their hearts was normal.

But as long as one is not a Bai Chi, one could know how worthwhile this temporary wait truly was.

The Xu family's joining, plus Shen Yi's reputation, would make the lands of the Nine Provinces as solid as gold, with no demons, monsters, or evil spirits daring to invade.

Becoming a true era of stability and prosperity.

Under such circumstances, the speed at which incense and vows would gather would reach an extremely terrifying level.

Wu Dao'an sent the golden register and that key entirely into Courtyard Jia.

"Thanks to Zhu Shixiong Wu."

Shen Yi took the items and sat cross-legged.

"Are you trying to shame this old man? Compared to you, who in all of Great Qian dares to call themselves tired?"

Wu Dao'an's old face bloomed with joy, yet he still feigned composure.

He withdrew from the room and closed the door for the other.

This time, Wu Dao'an did not ask how long the other intended to stay; for the outside world, only when Shen Yi's movements were unclear was Great Qian safest.

Regarding news of the other's whereabouts, it was best even for oneself not to know.

Only then could all possibilities of betrayal be eliminated.

(End of this chapter)