Chapter 333: Samsara Shifts, the Token of Yuhuan

Qian Chen had been in seclusion in the quiet room for several days. On one hand, he contemplated the "Eight Formations Diagram," and on the other, he refined the red-skinned gourd seven times according to the seals he had comprehended from the diagram.

Having just come out of seclusion, Qian Chen dragged Si Qingcheng to the pier behind the Bai Lu Hall to examine her studies.

"Didn't Ning Ning Shimei say you had comprehended a few parts of the formation changes I left behind?"

Qian Chen pointed at the river and smiled: "I left a formation on this pier and river channel. If Ning Ning Shimei can point out one or two things, it will count as you passing."

Si Qingcheng said with a bitter face: "Yan Yan Shixiong!"

"Begging me is useless. The Four Absolutes of the Dao Sect—elixirs, artifacts, talismans, and formations—even if I don't require Ning Ning Shimei to be as proficient as you are in the way of talismans, you should at least dabble in them. Otherwise, if you are trapped in a formation by someone in the future, you can't just keep bumping around like a headless fly!"

Si Qingcheng sighed: "Not everyone can be as broadly learned as Yan Yan Shixiong. For ordinary Dao Sect disciples, being proficient in one external path of cultivation is already extraordinary. A monster like Yan Yan Shixiong, who is proficient in elixirs, artifacts, talismans, and formations, is hard to find in the Central Lands even in five thousand years!"

"The last one was Zhuge Wu Hou five thousand years ago!"

"Nonsense... when did I become proficient in all four paths? I only have a little insight into the art of alchemy, my way of formations has just entered the door, and as for the way of talismans, I have only dabbled in the way of divine talismans. If I were proficient in the art of artifact refining, I wouldn't need to beg the Lord of Samsara to help me refine magic treasures every time!" Qian Chen said sternly.

Qian Chen spoke the truth. Compared to his demonic body, what did this bit of talent he had in the Dao Sect amount to? Zhuge Wu Hou was what kind of figure; surely his talent in external paths of cultivation was like Qian Chen's in the demonic path.

Just looking at the few veins of Jiankang's feng shui secretly observed from that Eight Formations Diagram, one knew that Wu Hou's formations were nearly at the level of the Dao; I fear that even a Daoist Lord would be trapped if they came down into the formation.

How could he compare?

"My talent is dull, how can I compare to Wu Hou... Do not use empty words to shirk, quickly find the clues!"

Si Qingcheng could only lower her head and pace along the riverbank. She watched for half an hour, her hands constantly calculating, concentrating so hard that a trace of sweat appeared on her forehead. Only then did she wipe the fine sweat beads from her forehead and said with surprise: "I found it!"

"The formation Yan Yan Shixiong set up is among the nine bends of the Qin Huaihe flowing through here. The water in the river circles around the undercurrents, forming nine water eyes... It should be the change of 'Zhu Que Nods Nine Times' in the Bird-Soaring Formation!"

Qian Chen nodded slightly: "I count that as you passing!"

After saying this, he threw a nine-linked ring magic treasure he had re-refined into the river.

Nine links in nine curves!

The nine whirlpools hidden in the clear waves of the Qin Huaihe dissipated silently, and no further abnormalities could be seen on the surface.

This magic treasure was one of the few pieces Si Qingcheng had taken out to assist in calculations when Qian Chen was calculating the formation that day. Its quality was not very good, and Qian Chen had re-refined it during this seclusion to serve as the eye of the formation here.

He handed the incantation to manipulate this magic treasure to Si Qingcheng and said: "From now on, use this magic treasure to manipulate the changes of the formation here. It has already linked the seals in the manor with the 'Zhu Que Soaring to Heaven' grid of the Qin Huaihe. Next time if someone breaks in, you can activate the formation to suppress them under the Qin Huaihe!"

"As for how to manipulate the formation with this magic treasure, since you have already grasped a thread of the veins, you can slowly comprehend it in the future."

Just as Qian Chen finished the examination, an old servant came to report: "Little Daoist, Princess, there are three men and women outside the gate claiming to be old acquaintances from the Battle of Intercepting the River, saying that Zhang Huaien is in trouble and have come specifically to seek help!"

"Those samsara travelers aren't doing their tasks properly, what are they coming to find me for?"

Qian Chen was a bit puzzled, but seeing that everyone was a samsara traveler, and he was counting on the tricks on them to probe the Land of Samsara a little, he still invited them in.

Yuan Hao stood outside the main gate of the manor with Luo Tong and Du Xiuniang.

Seeing the servant invite them in, they exchanged glances and secretly thought they had finally found the right place!

In the past few days in the Southern Jin of the Central Lands, they had had enough of that bird-like anger. They originally thought that even if Zhang Huaien was an arrogant aristocratic waste, clearly needing to rely on their protection, he still hadn't been close on the road, which was arrogant enough.

Who would have thought that compared to other aristocratic children, Zhang Huaien was a model of approachability.

These past few days, they acted in Jiankang City and only then knew what was called "arrogance" and the "style" of high-gate aristocrats. Hearing that they were not of noble clans, many people were not even willing to speak to them and drove them directly out of the door.

Just finding the location of Princess Qingcheng had caused them to bump into full-headed bumps.

The servant invited them to the drill ground in the manor. When Wang Rong and Princess Xin'an visited, they were directly invited into the inner hall, while these few people were subconsciously led by the servant to the front of the Bai Lu Hall, not even letting them in, which showed the depth of the Central Lands' prejudices about family status.

After reporting again, they finally saw Qian Chen.

"Zhang Huaien has already entered the city, what kind of danger does he have that requires you to come to the door to seek help?"

Qian Chen wanted to know what their task was.

Yuan Hao cupped his hands and said: "After Zhang Zhongzheng entered the city, he learned that the Emperor who sent him to Wu Commandery was seriously ill. He couldn't see the Emperor at all, and his requests to see the Censor-in-Chief were also rejected from the door several times. Later, through our extensive inquiries, we learned that after the Emperor became seriously ill, the various clan sons fought fiercely. In order to curry favor with the Southeastern aristocrats, Zhang Zhongzheng became a pawn in their legal battle."

"As the Emperor's illness has not improved for a long time, one clan son has already released word to let Zhang Zhongzheng leave Jiankang, otherwise..."

Qian Chen frowned slightly. When Cui Dan came a while ago, he also informed him that those clan sons of the Sima family, known as the Eight Dragons, were fighting lively. He didn't expect that even the tasks of these samsara travelers would be involved.

According to the law that wherever samsara travelers go, there is misfortune, and once there is a task, it will inevitably set off a catastrophe...

This struggle of the Eight Dragons might spread widely, and there were faint signs of a catastrophe erupting.

"Who is the clan son who wants to take action against you?"

Yuan Hao nodded and said: "It is the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue!"

Si Qingcheng spoke leisurely: "How do you want me to help you..."

Obviously, she also saw that these people seeking help from Qian Chen was fake, and seeking help from her was real. Although she usually ignored these troublesome matters, Qian Chen's attitude was a bit strange.

She knew Qian Chen was not a person who liked to meddle in other people's business. Since he had such an attitude, there must be a reason, so she came forward to agree to one or two things.

The samsara travelers exchanged glances secretly. Since Princess Qingcheng asked this, it meant she had the intention to help.

Yuan Hao cupped his hands respectfully and said: "We hope the Princess can build a bridge for us, allowing us to meet His Majesty! And present the evidence of Sun En's rebellion."

"Master Sun is rebelling?"

Si Qingcheng said with a wry smile: "What is he plotting? Is the nobility of an Emperor even comparable to a Dao Sect Master?"

Yuan Hao's heart tightened, and he suddenly realized: "That's right! Sun En is rebelling, what is he plotting? The dignity of a Master is not necessarily lower than an Emperor!"

Si Qingcheng frowned slightly, her posture graceful, and said: "Imperial Uncle has been unwell for three months, and we juniors often cannot see him when we ask for peace. Moreover, I rarely enter the Imperial City, and except for the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Great New Year, I rarely go to the clan side. It is indeed a bit difficult to bring you few to see the Emperor."

"If it were normal times, it would be possible for me to take you to the place where Imperial Uncle appears and arrange for you to meet. But if Uncle is seriously ill, even for me to see him is a bit difficult, let alone you people of unknown identity?"

"Although I have the title of Princess, my relationship with the Imperial family is distant, but Princess Xin'an is His Majesty's own younger sister..." Si Qingcheng turned to look at Qian Chen to see his meaning. If Qian Chen had a request, she could take out her father's private seal, which might be worth a try.

Qian Chen, however, remained calm and took a look at a white jade arm ring on Du Xiuniang's wrist.

On the surface, his expression did not change, but in his heart, many thoughts had already flashed by.

"This is the arm ring on the previous body. Why is it in the hands of samsara travelers? I don't know where Miaokong and the old Daoist Tongshen snatched the previous life from, after all, I was just a bead at that time."

After Qian Chen traveled through time, he subconsciously did not want to pursue the clues of the previous body's life experience. Since Miaokong erased his memory, he just let it be and never thought of retrieving these memories. Because he was just Qian Chen, not anyone else. But this glance today let him know that his previous avoidance had already brought about some unpredictable consequences.

"In Guanglingcheng, when I first saw the previous body, he was wearing this jade arm ring. Later, I occupied the previous body's body and was transferred to that desolate house in Wu Kang County. These relics should have all been left in Guangling."

"Miaokong has already been killed by me, why do these samsara travelers still have those things from Guanglingcheng? These things are not secrets to the Lord of Samsara. What is its intention in letting samsara travelers take these things to find related clues?"

"With the level of the Lord of Samsara, it shouldn't do these meaningless calculations. Even if it wants to calculate against me, it should take action against my identity after the sixth layer, directly targeting the Supreme Dao Dust Bead, not just stopping at this shell of mine."

"Now, even if I lose my physical body, it is enough to drive the Dao Dust Bead to protect my soul's reincarnation."

"In other words, these actions can only be the arrangements of someone who knows my fifth-layer disguise—the identity of the successor of the Supreme Dao Dust Bead. Is it the backup plan left by Miaokong before he died? Or... that old Daoist Tongshen whom I have always ignored, who swore an oath not to pry into the Dao Dust Bead?"

"In any case, there may be someone in the Land of Samsara calculating against me!"

Qian Chen thought of a lot in just an instant.

But now he was no longer the young man who was manipulated by Miaokong and the old Daoist Tongshen at will. He was already a Penetrating Law cultivator. In the second samsara, he beat Miaokong until he only returned with his body, and in the third samsara, he didn't even take action personally before killing him.

Now his external pill was of the first rank, he had a crowd of magic treasures with him, and although his demonic body was suppressed, as long as he was within the Central Lands, he could untie the seals in the demonic cave at any time and summon the demonic body back. Even if a Primordial Spirit True Immortal took action, he could contend. With so many trump cards in hand, although these things were still troublesome, he might not be unable to deal with them.

Having figured this out in an instant, Qian Chen decided to use these samsara travelers to probe first.

He raised his head and said: "Ning Ning Shimei, can you warn Sima Yue and tell him not to act rashly?"

Si Qingcheng frowned and said: "Sima Yue is self-willed but deep in thought. He is one of the three candidates most likely to ascend among the eight clan sons. Sima Wei, Sima Ying, plus him, Sima Yue, have all been enfeoffed as Princes."

"His wings are full, he might not sell my face!"

Qian Chen said: "If Sima Yue took action to curry favor with the Southeastern aristocrats, since he has already made Zhang Huaien unable to see the Emperor, he shouldn't reject Ning Ning Shimei's face for his life, unless... Sima Yue wants to curry favor not with the Southeastern aristocrats, but with the Master Sun En!"

Si Qingcheng supported her forehead and sighed: "If I am involved in the struggle for the throne of my brothers, I fear I won't have a few days of peace here!"

Qian Chen said: "Ning Ning Shimei, just help me stop Sima Yue once. If he insists on killing Zhang Huaien..." Qian Chen sighed: "I can only, for the sake of our one-time acquaintance on the Great River, protect Zhang Huaien and let him leave Jiankang!"

Si Qingcheng nodded slightly and said: "Since that is the case, I will follow Yan Yan Shixiong's words."

She immediately ordered the old servant to come in, wrote a letter, and let him take it to Sima Yue... ===== CHAPTER 334 =====