Chapter 637: Together to the Yellow Springs

Clouds and mist coil like dragons; green pines and cypresses stand tall.

At the foot of Jade Dragon Sect's mountain.

Two outer sect elders, bearing the air of immortals, stood with furrowed brows, holding a letter of introduction in their hands. The letter was stained dark red with blood, yet the immortal seal branded upon it still shone brilliantly.

Such an immortal seal could only be branded by those whose connections reached directly to the Immortal Court, or by true great sects that traced their lineage to the Three Immortal Sects.

Looking again at the three figures before them.

The man wore a tattered Bai Shan, his expression gloomy, teeth clenched, his qi chaotic and weak. He pressed hard against his wound. Beside him, a girl equally wretched yet undeniably beautiful gently supported him.

Faint tear tracks still marked the girl's face. She bit her red lips, her eyes vacant as she stared into nothingness, as if she had just survived a great calamity.

"So your meaning is that your sect recently suffered a disaster, fled here to avoid it, and now wish to borrow our Jade Dragon Sect to temporarily recover from your injuries?"

The thin, small outer sect elder raised an eyebrow, looking at the pair of young geniuses.

"Rest assured," Meng Xiuwen said, his voice hoarse, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "At most three or five months. Once my senior and junior sister have recovered, we will depart. We will certainly not forget the Jade Dragon Sect's great kindness..."

As he spoke, he suddenly coughed several times, causing the small items on his person to tremble twice.

Whether storage artifacts or the jade pendant at his waist, none were anything less than rare treasures.

Instantly, they caught the attention of the two outer sect elders.

The two were stunned for a moment, realized the impropriety, and forcibly dragged their gaze back. They exchanged a glance: "..."

In an instant, they shook their heads imperceptibly.

The immortal seal on the letter of introduction served as proof.

For geniuses from such a superior sect, keeping them for a short time in exchange for a generous gift was a good deal; if trouble came knocking, they could simply hand them over.

It sounded very nice indeed.

But there were urgent matters within the sect recently. If they could not verify the authenticity, it was better not to be careless.

Just as the two prepared to politely refuse, they saw the man in the Bai Shan cough up another palmful of blood. The girl in the green skirt instantly came to her senses, her eyes turning red at once, shimmering with tears: "Zhu Shixiong!"

She held him tightly, then turned to the two elders, hastily pulling a fragrant, exquisite wooden box from her storage bag. Her voice already trembled with sobs: "This is a longevity treasure, a humble gift we prepared for the Jade Dragon Ancestor. Please, two elders, show mercy and do not make things difficult for my senior and junior sister. There will be a heavy reward afterwards!"

Seeing the woman's state and smelling the intoxicating medicinal fragrance, the two outer sect elders unconsciously swallowed, falling into hesitation once more.

Seeing this, Meng Xiuwen covered his mouth, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

This little girl's practice along the way had been quite effective; both her expression and tone were far more realistic than last time.

Sure enough, the thin, small elder slowly exhaled. The "humble gift" belonged to Shen Zongzhu, but given the pair's extravagance, even a mere trickle from their fingers would be enough for them to enjoy.

Just as he formed the thought to open the formation array, he was suddenly held back by a fellow disciple beside him.

The other elder carefully studied the senior and junior sister, then slowly shifted his gaze to the silent third person.

He saw the youth covered in dust and grime, his black shirt even filthier.

"Little brother."

At the outer sect elder's words, Meng Xiuwen and Ye Jing's hearts suddenly skipped a beat.

After all, Shen Yi had spent the entire journey with his eyes closed in feigned sleep, not communicating a single word with them.

"This is my bodyguard boy. He had an accident during cultivation and cannot speak." Meng Xiuwen, his voice hoarse, propped himself up.

"..."

The thin, small elder, who had just been considering it, changed expression slightly.

The other elder's eyes also instantly grew dim. He did not respond, merely stepping closer slightly, wanting to see the third person's face clearly.

Cannot speak? What of it?

Eyes cannot lie.

Thinking thus, he looked carefully into those pitch-black eyes, trying to capture even a trace of panic or abnormality.

Meng Xiuwen slowly clenched his fist. He did not expect the Jade Dragon Sect to be so vigilant recently, which only confirmed his original speculation.

He would probably have to think of another way to sneak in.

Ye Jing's Bai Xi five fingers slowly rested upon the sword hilt.

However, the two did not hear the elder's words exposing them.

The elder's shoulders trembled slightly, and he fell into silence.

The elder could not find any panic or abnormality in the youth's eyes. On the contrary, at the moment he leaned in, an instinctive hint of disgust appeared on the youth's face, which was handsome even beneath the grime.

In those deep eyes, even though the youth tried his best to conceal it, the contempt and arrogance, along with the aura of someone who had long held high position and commanded countless lives, made the elder feel as if he were looking at his own sect's chosen disciple.

Even bearing grave injuries and fleeing for his life, this person, deep down, still looked down on ordinary cultivators like themselves.

Such an aura could not be faked under any circumstances.

What nonsense about a boy!

He had just been questioning it. Even if the senior and junior sister were inexperienced, they should at least know the principle that wealth moves the heart. Since they were fleeing a disaster with grave injuries, did they not even have the thought to hide the treasures on their person?

Only now did everything make sense.

The so-called two geniuses were merely a decoy; the one truly fleeing the disaster should be the horse-riding boy before them.

"Little brother, you have had a hard journey. Please follow us into the sect."

The outer sect elder, a smile on his lips, finished speaking along the previous thread and stepped back: "However, let me state this first. I will report to the sect to see if we can lend a quiet place for you to recover. But if it involves disputes between other sects, our Jade Dragon Sect will not participate."

"That is... as it should be. Thank you!" A flicker of momentary astonishment passed through Meng Xiuwen's eyes, but he instantly returned to his original role.

"No need for courtesy. We are all of the same path; it is only right."

For some reason, although the two elders were clearly speaking to Meng Xiuwen, he strangely felt that their respect was directed behind him.

Hey! Get it straight who is the genius and who is the boy!

Ye Jing withdrew her hand, wiping away her tears. From her angle, she could see very clearly what had just happened.

She suddenly felt that the exaggerated expressions and words taught by the Demon-Slaying Officials were rather low-level. For this new colleague, such things were completely unnecessary; a single glance had settled the matter.

So amazing!

……

The Jade Dragon Sect, a private courtyard reserved exclusively for a few individuals.

An outer sect elder, holding a jade slip, reported the message up the chain of command. After receiving a response, he finally turned around and said politely, "Our sect has agreed to this matter. We will arrange for an attendant to come shortly and set up the Recovery Great Array for you. Please do not stand on ceremony; settle in here with peace of mind. If you need anything, feel free to speak directly."

Having said that, the elder added somewhat awkwardly, "Of course, once your recovery is nearly complete, could you spare a little time to guide our sect's talented disciples?"

Compared to those treasures, the disciples of these great sects themselves are the most precious assets.

The current transmission of Daoist arts all originates from the Sanxian Sect.

However, matters such as Immortals lecturing on the Dao require not only opportunity but also connections. The seats below are almost all arranged before the lecture begins, with countless struggles hidden behind them.

The Jade Dragon Ancestor once had the opportunity to listen to the Dao under Master Qingmei, obtained the method to enter the Taiyi Zhenxian realm, and thus established a connection with this Taiyi Immortal family. But to advance further, one must establish great merit.

Under these circumstances, a disciple from a great sect who has come to avoid disaster, especially one who might be a legitimate direct disciple, has a value that is self-evident.

The methods he possesses are likely treasures that other sects could never obtain even by exhausting all their efforts.

"Thank you all for your trouble."

Meng Xiuwen bowed in gratitude, watched these people leave Cheng Xiaoyuan, and then closed the door.

A cultivator of the Heeding the Dao realm can merge their soul with the Dao, becoming the master of this world; let alone a True Person.

Yet, with a slight movement of his fingertips, he effortlessly blocked the gaze of this world, presenting the illusion of three people closing their eyes to recover to the observer.

"……"

Shen Yi glanced sideways; such a technique was something he had never seen before.

It seems the Zhan Yao Si is not entirely as unreliable as I imagined.

Meng Xiuwen withdrew his palm, walked back quickly, bent down, and stared intently at Shen Yi. After a long while, he forcefully patted his shoulder: "Tsk! Found a treasure!"

No wonder he could earn the praise of Master Zhikong at such a realm.

Leaving other things aside, this ability to adapt to changing circumstances is not something disciples of ordinary great sects possess.

With a little training, he would absolutely be a talent.

Hearing this, Shen Yi fell silent and shifted his gaze away.

To be honest, compared to the times in the past when he risked life and death to infiltrate the Thousand Demon Cave, wandering among numerous Demon Emperors where a single mistake would cost his life, today's events were like children playing; it was hard for him to muster much interest.

"What do we do next?"

"Next?"

Meng Xiuwen paused for a moment, and through the house, cast his gaze toward the distance.

He saw that within the forest, numerous figures, under the guise of the Recovery Great Array, had already placed dense formation discs, covering the entire small courtyard tightly.

He smiled: "Next, we wait here. Once I finish my business, it will be done."

In the next instant, a figure identical to Meng Xiuwen emerged from his body, sat cross-legged on the bed, while he himself strode out of the door with a carefree air. He manifested into a hundred or so forms and, right under everyone's eyes, stepped into the inner sect of the Jade Dragon Sect.

Facing so many intruding figures, the disciples of the Jade Dragon Sect, along with the array they had just set up, and even the entire world, seemed completely unaware.

Once inside the sacred ground, it was as if no one was there to stop him.

Shen Yi fixed his gaze on the figure on the bed; even with his keen eyesight, he could not distinguish that it was merely a Dao projection.

He closed his eyes and quickly suppressed the tiny, insignificant disdain in his heart.

Regardless of other aspects, when it comes to true Immortal techniques, I am still too inexperienced and need to learn more.

Ye Jing, as if already accustomed to it, sat quietly on the other side of the bed.

If there was a need for her, Meng Tou would naturally give instructions; otherwise, she was practicing in front of a bronze mirror.

As usual, she took out the bronze mirror, pondered for a moment, then gently set it down and began to look curiously at this new colleague.

Ye Jing always felt that compared to Meng Tou's teachings, this colleague might have more worth learning from.

This look lasted for three days.

Occasionally, an elder from the Jade Dragon Sect came to visit. Finding no abnormalities in the three of them, they left some healing pills and departed.

The Zhan Yao Si's efficiency was faster than Shen Yi had imagined.

The figure in the Bai Shan on the bed slowly opened his eyes, yawned, and said, "I've figured it out more or less. We'll close the case tonight. Pack up and prepare to return to Jianyang Prefecture; I'll treat you both to a drink."

"What was the matter?" Ye Jing finally withdrew her gaze from Shen Yi.

Meng Xiuwen said nothing and simply pointed with his finger.

A light screen unfolded, showing the dead of night. Behind the clouds, figures of Immortal Officials surged. As they closed the Immortal Register, a heavy rain fell upon the entire Jianyang Prefecture without missing a drop.

And right there in Jianyang Prefecture, at the insignificant Jade Dragon Ridge, the raindrops were just about to fall when they were gathered away by an invisible great net.

This object was clearly extraordinary; even the Immortal Official had not noticed the anomaly.

Then the night curtain faded, and the great sun hung high.

Countless disciples filed out of the Jade Dragon Sect, wandering among the common people, setting up porridge stalls. With a ladle of warm porridge, they moistened the cracked lips of many commoners.

Their faces were not all the same; the only similarity was the divine statues placed between the porridge stalls.

The female statue stood gazing into the distance, holding a green plum in her hand.

The commoners wolfed down the thick porridge and all consciously walked to the divine statue, prostrating themselves with five limbs on the ground and bowing respectfully.

"Most likely, this person's cultivation encountered some bottleneck and needed the support of Imperial Qi, so they were a bit hasty. Jade Dragon Ridge was just one of many locations."

Meng Xiuwen appeared indifferent, his tone extremely flat: "Just take their broken net."

That Immortal Net was clearly not a mortal thing; it was a gift from an Immortal. As long as they lost this object, the Jade Dragon Sect would not dare to have any other thoughts.

Having said that, he closed his eyes again.

Ye Jing paused for a moment and said softly, "Meng Tou is angry."

"How so?" Shen Yi slowly raised his head.

"He hates such things that deceive the common people the most. But since this matter didn't escalate too much, it wasn't enough to make that Immortal truly bear responsibility. He could only confiscate their Immortal Treasure, so he is probably feeling quite frustrated."

Ye Jing took out half a flower cake and took a gentle bite.

The intent was not to make a scene; they would appropriately offer a ladle of thick porridge, just enough to prevent widespread starvation, but to ensure mortals felt even greater gratitude, that ladle would only be poured out when they were at the peak of hunger and thirst.

As for the unexplained hunger and thirst they suffered, one might as well consider it a contribution to the cultivation path of the Immortals; after all, not many people died.

"I see."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, his gaze turning toward the direction of the Jade Dragon Sect's inner court.

He might not know much about the world outside.

But does a treasure capable of shielding one from the gaze of Immortal Officials not require someone to guard it?

This net may not be so easily gathered in.

At the same time.

Inside the Ancestral Master Hall of the Jade Dragon Sect.

A slender young man sat cross-legged, his eye sockets entirely white like jade; he gazed down indifferently. As magic power surged within him, a Bai Shan man suddenly appeared in an empty space, wandering aimlessly as if investigating something.

"You seek their Dao; they seek your life."

A cold voice echoed through the hall.

The Jade Dragon Ancestral Master's expression shifted slightly; he quickly bowed low: "This humble disciple only obeys Master Qingmei's teachings; those heterodox paths are best left unlearned."

Though he was the heaven and earth of the Jade Dragon Sect, he was so humble before this young man.

It was simply because the other was a disciple of True Person Qingmei, a legitimate disciple of the Sanxian Sect, whereas he was merely a wild cultivator fit only to sit in the audience—two entirely different matters.

"Heh."

The young man chuckled, his pupils gradually returning to normal: "There is no need to use such words to flatter my Master. You scattered cultivators face a difficult Great Dao; how could my Master not understand? Take it yourself."

As he spoke, he gently stroked the head of the black bear beside him: "This human world is too arrogant."

Even daring to interfere in the affairs of the Taiyi Immortal Families; where does that leave the Sanxian Sect?

"Someone covets my Master's Immortal Treasure. I must go out; you remain here and wait for me."

As his words fell, he had already vanished from the hall.

The Jade Dragon Ancestral Master slowly exhaled, then greed surged in his eyes. "Take it yourself"... Since this was done by order of the Immortal Edict, he could not be blamed.

Whether these people were truly disciples of a great sect or meddlesome cultivators, at least the treasures on their persons were genuine.

Thinking thus, he smiled at the black bear: "Brother Bear, would you care to join me and share the spoils?"

Even if this group truly had some background, as long as the black bear received a share, it would count as the decree of True Person Qingmei; which Immortal Sect could be greater than a Taiyi Immortal Family?

With the master gone, the docility on the black bear's face gradually faded; it stood up and chuckled: "Go together, go together."

One tall and one short figure, taking advantage of the night, slowly made their way toward that small courtyard.

(End of this chapter)