Chapter 218: A Glimmer of Hope

Hua Changxi's sudden voice directly pulled Gu Xing into the game between Xia Zhen and Prince Shou.

For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Gu Xing.

Wei Zhenjie was happy to watch the struggle between the Guardian Families and the Imperial Family; he didn't care which side suppressed the other.

Ever since he learned that the Guardian Families, like the Imperial Family, relied on their own advantages to snatch up ruins and secret realms everywhere, he knew that the Guardian Families did not act purely for the development of the Four Spirit Realms; they also had their own selfish desires.

After that, his respect for the Guardians was dispelled, and he only regarded them as an ancient cultivation family force.

Watching Xia Zhen and Prince Shou confronting each other, he even looked forward to them fighting, so that others could take advantage of the chaos to gain something.

Wei Zhenjie was already thinking about whether to speak up and intensify the conflict between Xia Zhen and Prince Shou, but who would have thought that a "Chen Yaojin" would appear halfway and directly disrupt the rhythm.

Looking at Hua Changxi, who was winking at Gu Xing, Wei Zhenjie showed an interested look. At this moment, his interest in this young lady, Hua Changxi, reached its peak.

Since ancient times, it has always been the rulers who set the rules, and those below who obey.

The Imperial Family is undoubtedly the highest authority in the Great Jin, and the Guardian Families also hold the banner of guarding the inheritance. Both sides can be said to be the highest rule-makers.

Everyone else present, including him, the Heaven Department Minister, and the four great prince's mansions of the southeast, northwest, and north, had to step back in front of these two forces.

He was very curious about where Hua Changxi got the confidence to try to challenge the power of Xia Zhen and Prince Shou and influence the distribution of pill incense?

Also, what was her purpose in doing this?

He was also very curious that Gu Xing had always been indifferent to everyone, yet Hua Changxi dared to speak to him. Could it be that their relationship was very close? And why did Gu Xing treat her differently?

Wei Zhenjie's gaze kept moving back and forth between Gu Xing and Hua Changxi, his eyes full of inquiry.

Gu Xing was also very surprised that Hua Changxi would ask him a question at this time and in this occasion.

As for how to handle the remaining three sticks of pill incense, he really had no opinion.

In his view, whether it was Prince Shou's side or the Guardians' side, as long as the people selected could light the pill incense and receive the Divine Tree's blessing, he didn't care whose people they were.

Gu Xing knew very well that as long as there are people, there will be selfish desires, and they will plan for themselves, and they will form cliques to expand and consolidate their power.

Although he didn't like factional struggles, he also knew that for a Sacred Ground like the Pill Saint Hall, which everyone yearned for and wanted to enter, such things were unavoidable.

The Medicine Department had been taken over by the imperial court for hundreds of years and had been infiltrated too deeply by the Imperial Family, power-holders, and aristocratic families. The factions were complex and numerous. He couldn't eradicate these factions, and his duty wasn't this; he just wanted the Pill Saint Hall to reappear in the world as soon as possible.

As for the infiltration of the Pill Saint Hall, that should be the concern of the future master of the Sacred Ground.

Gu Xing looked at Hua Changxi, who was winking at him, and didn't really want to pay attention to her.

From the few contacts he had, he knew that this girl was not a person who pursued power, and even somewhat rejected it.

Now, acting contrary to her usual self by making him get involved in the struggle between the Guardians and the Imperial Family had nothing to do with fighting for power, but it reminded Gu Xing of her taking the ten wooden plaques in the old courtyard of the square.

It must be that after Hua Changxi obtained the Divine Tree leaf, she learned of the many benefits of the Divine Tree secret realm, and this was greed rising again, wanting to collect secret realms just like she collected wooden plaques.

Gu Xing saw that Xia Zhen and Prince Shou were also looking at him, so he directly prevaricated: "I am just a gatekeeper." The implication was that he would not manage the handling of the pill incense.

Hua Changxi saw Gu Xing's reaction, and her disappointment was plain to see: "Senior Gu, although you are just a gatekeeper, you are the recognized person of the Sacred Ground. Do you know that your attitude of 'it has nothing to do with me' has set a very bad precedent?"

"I don't know what others think, but to me, your attitude lets me know that when the Sacred Ground encounters something, it can just be a hands-off manager, and it can yield to outside pressure. The reappearance of the Sacred Ground, the development of the Sacred Ground—none of it is important."

These words really angered Gu Xing: "When have I ever been a hands-off manager? Don't talk nonsense!"

Hua Changxi hummed: "Whether I am talking nonsense, you know it yourself."

Gu Xing was so angry that his beard was blowing: "You..."

Xia Zhen saw this and hurriedly appeased Gu Xing: "Fellow Daoist Gu, why are you really bickering with a junior?"

Guarding the inheritance of the Sacred Ground is the duty of the Guardians.

The object that continues the inheritance of the Pill Saint Hall is the pill incense.

Every five hundred years, the Divine Tree tripod will condense eighteen sticks of pill incense, which are then handed over to the alchemy geniuses selected by the Guardians to light and pay respects to the Divine Tree, finally obtaining the Divine Tree secret realm.

Afterward, by utilizing the resources in the Divine Tree secret realm, they inherit and carry forward the alchemy Dao of the Pill Saint Hall.

As for the pill incense that no one lights, it will eventually dissipate automatically.

Distributing pill incense is the power of the Guardians. Compromising with the Imperial Family has already touched the bottom line. Xia Zhen would absolutely not let Gu Xing, the gatekeeper of the Sacred Ground, get involved in the distribution of pill incense, even if there were only three sticks of pill incense left.

Seeing that Hua Changxi seemed to want to say something else, Xia Zhen's eyes sank. He felt she was ambitious and intended to touch the distribution power of the Sacred Ground's resources, so he directly took the initiative and asked with a smile: "Little Friend Hua, what exactly do you want to say? You might as well say it directly to us, don't make things difficult for Fellow Daoist Gu."

Hua Changxi listened to Xia Zhen's "tea-like" words, "heh"-ed, and seeing Gu Xing silent, she ignored Huo Yunxiao and Wen Lanzhou's desperate winks and stepped out.

"Senior Xia, I do have a question. You are a Guardian, guarding the inheritance of the Sacred Ground. I ask you, is the inheritance and carrying forward of the Pill Saint Hall's alchemy Dao aimed at all cultivators in the Four Spirit Realms?"

Xia Zhen was somewhat surprised that Hua Changxi would ask this, but he still nodded: "Of course."

Hua Changxi: "Since it is aimed at all cultivators, why can only the geniuses selected by you and the imperial court pay respects to the Divine Tree? What about those ordinary cultivators who love alchemy and medicine? Have you never thought that they should also have the opportunity to pay respects to the Divine Tree?"

Hearing this question, Xia Zhen was stunned, Gu Xing's expression shook, Wei Zhenjie raised his eyebrows, Zhang Tianshi's eyes flickered, but Prince Shou and other power-holders frowned.

Xia Zhen was silent for a long while before speaking: "It's not that I haven't considered ordinary cultivators, but the number of ordinary people is vast, and it's too difficult to decide who to choose and who not to."

"Furthermore, in order to make the Sacred Ground reappear as soon as possible, it is natural to prioritize selecting cultivators with strong alchemy talent to shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the Pill Saint Hall."

Hua Changxi: "Yes, to inherit and develop the alchemy Dao, we need talented people to take the lead, but the reappearance of the Sacred Ground cannot rely solely on a few geniuses. Ordinary alchemists are also indispensable."

Hearing this, Xia Zhen somewhat understood what Hua Changxi wanted Gu Xing to stand up and fight for. His expression suddenly became serious. Looking at Meng Qingyao, who was standing obediently on the side waiting for orders, he once again felt wary of Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi saw Xia Zhen not answering and continued: "Since the Sacred Ground's preaching is aimed at all cultivators, then paying respects to the Divine Tree cannot be limited to these geniuses in the square."

"I know that there are many ordinary cultivators, and they cannot all come to pay respects to the Divine Tree one by one. My suggestion is that these three secret realms, which correspond to the three sticks of pill incense, should be opened as public secret realms to all cultivators who aspire to make achievements in alchemy and medicine."

Hua Changxi looked at Xia Zhen: "For the development of the Sacred Ground, it is correct to prioritize choosing prodigies, but we cannot give ordinary cultivators no opportunity at all." ===== CHAPTER 219 =====