Chapter 742: The Noble Consort Becomes a Disciple

Profound Heart Sect.

The number one righteous sect under heaven.

Jinguang Sect stood in the Zushidadian with his hands behind his back.

Between his brows was a flame-patterned forehead bead, he wore golden eyeshadow, his hair was bound by a silver ring, he wore a spirit-snake-into-the-clouds hairpin, and he was dressed in a pure white floor-length Daoist robe, ethereal and unrestrained, as if he were a being among the Gods.

But at this moment, Jinguang's expression was slightly heavy.

"Yu Liancheng..."

When these three words were spat from his mouth, a trace of icy killing intent flashed in Jinguang's eyes.

He harbored a deep desire for the position of National Master and had single-handedly orchestrated the conflict between Yu Liancheng and Taiyin Zhenjun.

But now, if he wanted to obtain the position of National Master, he had to kill Yu Liancheng, the current National Master.

Yet Yu Liancheng's Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique was terrifying to the extreme; he had no confidence that he could block that sword strike capable of cleaving even the heavens.

"Yu Liancheng's Sword-Drawing Heaven-Slaying Technique—I fear that even the Liangji Arrow cannot block it." Jinguang turned his wrist, and a long arrow appeared in his palm.

The shaft of this long arrow was carved and imbued with various Talisman Dao patterns, and it carried an aura of vast righteousness, as if it were the crystallization of the righteous energy between heaven and earth. This seemingly unremarkable arrow gave one a feeling heavier than a mountain, possessing a majestic power to destroy and suppress all Demons, surging and immeasurable.

The Demon path has the Yixi Sword, and the righteous path naturally has its own rare treasures. Among all rare treasures, the "Liangji Arrow" in Jinguang's hand is the most famous; it was condensed over generations of the Profound Heart Sect from vast righteous energy. It is the number one divine arrow under heaven, capable of shooting and killing any Demon and shattering the void.

The previous Sect Master, Yan Chixia, relied on the vast righteous energy of the Liangji Arrow to suppress the Holy Monarch Liudao's "Sword-Drawing Heaven-Slaying Technique," slaughtering the crowd of Demons in the Demon Palace and forcing the Yinyue Empress Dowager to seal the Mysterious Yin Demon Gate for twenty years.

But now, even with the Liangji Arrow in hand, Jinguang still had no certainty that he could shoot and kill Yu Liancheng.

That Heaven-Slaying sword strike was truly excessively tyrannical.

Furthermore, he could not be certain whether Yu Liancheng had other means.

"Damn it, if I could obtain the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art, who in this vast world would be my match!?" Jinguang's expression sank. The Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art was passed down by successive Sect Masters. Twenty years ago, he drove Yan Chixia away, and Yan Chixia and his wife vanished without a trace; naturally, they did not pass down the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art.

"With the caution of the ancestors, it is impossible that they only left behind one copy of the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art inheritance. Otherwise, if something were to happen to the Sect Master, wouldn't the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art be lost?" Jinguang's gaze flashed, guessing that the Profound Heart Sect must have another copy of the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art: "Over these years, I have searched the entire Profound Heart Sect, and I have searched every place; only this Zushidadian remains."

Jinguang took a deep breath, and his sea of consciousness began to churn. An invisible ripple spread out, probing the entire hall, not letting a single corner go.

With the power of his sea of consciousness, he searched the entire hall without omission in a short time. A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at the spirit tablet engraved with "Profound Heart Sect" on the altar. In fact, this Zushidadian used for worship only had this one enshrined spirit tablet, which was supreme.

Because the wooden tablet had been worshipped and bowed to for a long time, over the years, it had stored a massive amount of vast righteous energy, and it was unstained by dust.

Jinguang bowed to the wooden tablet, pushed the huge wooden tablet aside, and after carefully feeling around for a while, he actually opened a hidden compartment.

And inside the hidden compartment was a very large brocade bag. Inside the brocade bag was a bamboo slip carrying a heavy aura of history, with the five large characters "Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art" on it.

Jinguang was wild with joy. He quickly opened the bamboo slip, scanned his eyes over it rapidly, and then let out an irrepressible burst of laughter: "Haha, I have finally obtained the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art. This position of National Master belongs to me! Yu Liancheng, your death is not far off."

"What Yinyue Dynasty, what Sword-Drawing Heaven-Slaying Technique—under the Profound Heart Profound Mystery Art, they will only be reduced to ashes. I, Jinguang, will be invincible under heaven."

Royal Book Tower.

Yu Liancheng had already stayed in the book tower for five days.

In these five days, he had perused all the books in the entire book tower.

There were both the works of the ancient sages and various contemporary Daoist arts and Buddhist teachings; he benefited greatly. His physical body and spirit gradually sublimated, and the gains were no less than three or five months of closed-door cultivation.

Yu Liancheng stretched and walked out of the book tower.

This was the first time he had stepped out of the book tower in these five days.

He was not a person accustomed to closed-door cultivation; living in this world, if one only cultivated, it would be too dull.

Looking back, two figures, one green and one white, were still reading with rapt attention.

In these few days, Xiaoqing and Xiaobai had also stayed in the book tower. Relying on their bodies as Demons, they could exert the power to topple mountains and shake peaks, but their methods were extremely crude. However, this Royal Book Tower had a rich collection, even including cultivation techniques for Demon creatures. The two women's gains were even greater than Yu Liancheng's, and they were still immersed in the vast sea of books.

Leaving the Royal Book Tower, Yu Liancheng walked leisurely through the Imperial Palace, a white jade-like wine pot appearing in his hand at some point. He had long since tasted countless fine wines of the world, and he had even personally brewed Peach Blossom Brew that could evoke memories. Now, tasting fine wine was no different from plain water; it was merely to savor the ancient charm and style within it.

Walking aimlessly, Yu Liancheng actually arrived at the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion once again.

Outside, it was still filled with colorful and gorgeous flowers, but many had withered, and there was no longer the bustle of the Extreme Joy Banquet.

A sigh of deep sorrow and melancholy drifted out from the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion. Although it was extremely faint, it could not escape Yu Liancheng's ears. The sigh was mixed with secret sadness and deep melancholy, as if carrying endless sorrow. Just hearing the sound vividly recreated the image of a beauty leaning against the railing, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, sighing mournfully.

On the Hua'eXianghuiPavilion, the Noble Consort, dressed in light, bright yellow palace attire, sat on a throne covered in fresh flowers, holding a fat Persian cat in her arms. She held a mirror in her fair hand, and in the mirror was a peerless, beautiful face that could topple a country. Her skin was delicate and as bright as a flower; besides giving her a bit more mature charm, time seemed to have frozen for her.

But when the Noble Consort looked closely, she discovered those few faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"With the Noble Consort receiving three thousand favors in one body, what else could be lingering in your heart to make you sigh incessantly?" A clear and bright voice sounded.

Yang Guifei raised her head and saw Yu Liancheng walking over slowly. At this moment, the sunlight shone down obliquely, making his already handsome face difficult to look at directly.

"Yuhuan greets the National Master."

Yang Guifei placed the Persian cat aside and bowed to Yu Liancheng. Her front collar was loose, revealing a glimpse of plump, soft, and moist skin, as delicate as mutton-fat jade.

"Noble Consort, there is no need for such courtesy. I wonder what is troubling you?" Yu Liancheng only looked for one, two, three, four seconds before withdrawing his gaze.

Yang Guifei sighed leisurely: "It is nothing more than a bird in a cage longing for the freedom of the sky."

Since the Extreme Joy Banquet, the image of being trapped in a coffin, lonely and dying in despair, flashed in her mind from time to time, making her feel a chill. Thinking about it carefully, to her, wasn't this Imperial Palace just a larger coffin? Under this anxiety, she was shocked to find that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes had actually increased a little, which made her even more irritable and sad.

"A bird in a cage, though without freedom, can obtain safety and is not invaded by wind and frost." Yu Liancheng smiled slightly, spreading his arms as if to embrace the mountains and rivers: "However, the Noble Consort rarely leaves the palace, right? Although Chang'an is large, it is nothing more than a tiny spot. The Datang territory is vast, but even that vastness is only a corner of the landscape."

"Not to mention the myriad worlds and the vastness of the universe, just the ten thousand miles of heaven and earth far exceed your imagination. The mountains and rivers are beautiful and magnificent, making one marvel. For example, the far north is covered in ice and snow all year round, and there are polar days and polar nights, with auroras piercing the sky, brilliant and splendid. Or like the continuous volcanoes, the crashing waves, and the ten thousand miles of yellow sand... The splendor of this great thousand worlds is simply unimaginable if not seen with one's own eyes."

Yang Guifei's beautiful eyes shone, and a look of longing appeared on her face, but then she gave a bitter smile: "National Master, I see that you are not persuading me at all; you are clearly trying to get me to break out of the cage and enjoy the ten thousand miles of scenery."

"Haha." Yu Liancheng laughed: "Inside or outside the cage, the Noble Consort has her own decision in her heart. It is just that I am a person who cannot be idle, so I am just speaking my own sincere words."

Yang Guifei sighed softly: "The National Master's Gui Cang Nine Paths can be called a heaven-reaching creation. The 'Inch-Distance Path' spans the ends of the earth, traversing ten thousand miles, coming and going without a trace. Yuhuan is but a weak woman; how can I be mentioned in the same breath as the National Master?"

Yu Liancheng said leisurely: "It is indeed very difficult to reach my level of cultivation; it can even be said to be as difficult as ascending to heaven. But the 'inside or outside the cage' that the Noble Consort cares about is merely a choice. It just depends on whether you, Noble Consort, can accept the price of the choice. For example... cultivation..."

"Cultivation? But I have no talent, and at Yuhuan's current age, my bones are already set..." Yang Yuhuan hesitated.

Yu Liancheng bowed his head to pick a peony flower, handed it to Yang Yuhuan, smiled slightly, but said nothing, and turned to leave.

Yang Yuhuan looked down at the peony in her hand, stunned and speechless.

She suddenly understood the meaning of Yu Liancheng's words, but she had not yet made up her mind. With her appearance, she could live comfortably anywhere; did she really have to fight and kill like those stinking men? When she was young, she had heard many stories of wandering knights; young disciples die in the Edo, and how many live to old age and have a good end?

There is always a mountain higher than the next; even a cultivator like Taiyin Zhenjun, in the end, wasn't his physical body slashed and his Primordial Spirit severely damaged?

She was the recipient of three thousand favors, and to suddenly ask her to cast aside the comfortable and luxurious life before her, betray Li Longji, and pursue the ethereal and illusory Dao of immortality was truly a difficult choice to make.

For a bird in a cage to fly outside, it is not as simple as merely opening the cage; it requires great perseverance, great determination, and the breaking of the cage within one's heart.

Yang Yuhuan looked at the peony in her hand, her beautiful eyes flickering as if she could see the peony's vitality gradually fading, withering, and finally drifting away with the wind.

"National Master, please stay your steps."

Yang Yuhuan's tone became firm, as if she no longer had any attachment to the mundane world: "Yuhuan has seen through the red dust and wishes to become a nun; I hope the National Master will grant this."

"Become a nun?"

Yu Liancheng hurriedly shook his head: "That is not necessary, not necessary."

"Please, National Master, take Yuhuan as your disciple and teach me the Dao of longevity and Carefree," Yang Yuhuan pleaded earnestly once more.

He felt it was somewhat awkward to hear the words "longevity and Carefree" spoken from the mouth of a woman like Yang Yuhuan. Yu Liancheng shook his head again and said: "There is no need to take you as a disciple, but I can pass on a volume of cultivation technique to you; you may follow me now."

Having said this, he strode away.

Yang Yuhuan thought for a moment and then chased after him.

……

"Junior brothers and sisters, Taiyin Zhenjun has suffered heavy injuries; we have regained our freedom." A tall figure suddenly sprang out from the cliff.

That figure had the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake; it was a male snake demon. The snake demon coiled upon the cliff and pointed a hand: "Look, that is the nearest Capture Snake Village. Thousands of our kind have been captured and killed by them to be handed over to the Imperial Court. Today, we shall wash Capture Snake Village in blood and let the righteous path of the world know that our snake demon clan is not to be trifled with."

Behind the male snake demon, hundreds of snake demons could be seen surging toward the cliff like a tide.

After briefly gazing at Capture Snake Village from the top of the cliff, they quickly slithered to the foot of the cliff and charged toward Capture Snake Village with great momentum, each emitting rhythmic shouts.

"Wash Capture Snake Village in blood."

"Wash Capture Snake Village in blood."

"Wash Capture Snake Village in blood."

Seeing so many snake demons, the villagers of Capture Snake Village were all terrified, their faces turning pale and their bodies trembling.

However, not long after this group of snake demons attacked Capture Snake Village, a black light suddenly broke through the air from the village chief's house and hovered ten zhang above.

This black light was a massive precious banner hung with countless skulls. As soon as the banner unfurled, it emitted a powerful suppression ripple, reacting with the talisman patterns already carved into the ground to form an Array that instantly permeated the entire Capture Snake Village.

The moment the Array formed, the villagers who had been in a panic suddenly became agile, each casting Daoist arts to strike at the snake demons. The snake demons, shrouded by the Array, felt their entire bodies go weak, as if they had consumed realgar wine. With the strength of one side rising and the other falling, the snake demons retreated steadily, and before long, more than ten snake demons were captured.

"Shemu, come out; I see you."

At the same time, a thin figure hovered in mid-air; it was a man with a sallow, black face like a zombie, dressed in a black Daoist robe.

"Damn it, Taiyin Zhenjun, how could you appear here, and how have you recovered so quickly?" Shemu, who had four small snakes coiled on her hair bun and whose demeanor was both graceful and cold, appeared, staring at the man in the Daoist robe through gritted teeth.

"Hmph, you think I served as National Master for so long for nothing? I had already made many preparations in secret, including this physical body that I have carefully cultivated for many years. As long as my Primordial Spirit is injected into it, I can move freely at once."

It turned out that this man in the Daoist robe was none other than Taiyin Zhenjun.

Looking at the current situation, although he had not recovered his full strength, he still possessed seven or eight tenths of it. He sneered: "Shemu, I knew that once you heard I had been heavily injured and my Primordial Spirit was nearly scattered, you would be unable to restrain yourself and would want revenge, so I had people investigate early on. After confirming your movements, I set an ambush here in advance."

He spread his hands and laughed: "Once the Suppression Demon Array is deployed, you will have at most three tenths of your strength left; you are bound to lose. As long as I suck you and your group of snake disciples and grandchildren dry, I will not only recover all my strength, but I will even be able to push the Taiyin True Art to its highest level."

"At that time, I will be invincible in the world."

……