Chapter 926

Master Xuanmiao stopped and turned to look at her: "You've been talking to it for three days and three nights—what are you trying to get? The locations of those rare treasures?"

Of all the love, hate, and conflicts among beast spirits, eighty percent arise from competition over heavenly materials.

And many heavenly materials have fixed locations.

A hundred years ago, those ginseng and lingzhi herbs grew right there; as long as humans didn't uproot them completely, they would still grow there a century later.

Pan Yun smiled and nodded: "That's right, Sister, cultivation can't do without heavenly materials—it's a ready-made treasure map. Since we rarely meet, it's natural to chat more. And,"

Pan Yun paused, then said: "I truly regard it as a friend."

"A friend?" Master Xuanmiao regarded her silently, then after a long while nodded: "Fine. I believe you."

Saying this, she turned and walked away.

Pan Yun quietly exhaled, then lifted her smile again and trotted after her: "Sister, you heard it too—when you have time, you should go see Third Brother with me. Your body is weak; eat more spirit herbs to restore your strength, so you can break through later."

Master Xuanmiao said nothing.

She had already broken through to the First Marquis; her hidden injuries had greatly improved, and her cultivation now flowed more smoothly. As for restoring her body to its original state, she harbored hope—but didn't cling to it.

If I gain it, it is fortune; if I lose it, it is fate.

"Rather than worrying about me, you should worry about your Third Brother."

Pan Yun chuckled: "Third Brother just doesn't care about cultivation, but getting him to focus isn't hard."

Master Xuanmiao frowned slightly; she had urged Tao Ji more than once, and didn't find it simple.

Just as she was about to ask, the town came into view. Disciples sent by the Laozu Sect waited at the town's entrance; upon seeing the two, they hurried forward: "Lady Li, Master Pan… National Master, the Laozu is already waiting for you in the main hall."

The two Weilaozu looked kind and amiable, nothing like how they appeared during their first and second meetings.

Master Xuanmiao adapted easily; Pan Yun was even more forgetful than the two Weilaozu, as if their prior confrontations had never happened—she smiled warmly and showed deep respect.

Zhang Shangde thought silently: No wonder she became National Master at such a young age.

Zhang Xuefang thought sarcastically: No wonder she became National Master at such a young age.

Both Weilaozu changed their attitude toward Pan Yun because, from Zhang Liuyuan, they learned that during their seclusion, Wang Feiyin had endured a heavenly tribulation and broken through to the Third Marquis.

Though his cultivation hadn't yet reached Zhang Ziwang's level, he was already at the threshold—if he truly fought with his shameless tactics…

Just imagining it sent a chill through them. When had Zhang family fallen so low?

And Pan Yun, at such a young age, had already broken through to the First Marquis. According to Zhang Liuyuan, she too was a natural Dao Body.

Among Zhang family's younger generation, none could surpass her.

The two Weilaozu were desperate, yet powerless.

Zhang Liuyuan's Upper Dantian and meridians could now be cultivated, but were like a shattered porcelain vase glued back together—capable of holding water, yet fragile, ready to collapse at any moment, and leaking constantly.

For the first time, they regretted not intervening when Zhang Liuyuan broke from tradition, allowing the second branch to fight her.

Had they stopped it then, Zhang family would have had both Zhang Liuyuan and Zhang Liuyuan.

But Zhang family never lacked geniuses: earlier, there were Zhang Ziwang and his brothers; later, Zhang Maocheng; beneath him, Zhang Liuyuan and Zhang Liuyuan; even among women, there emerged Zhang Li.

So Zhang family never lacked geniuses—they assumed they never would.

A natural Dao Body was precious, but a natural Dao Body who broke from tradition and didn't stand with the family was not an asset—it was an obstacle.

So they let it happen. They despised her…

Who knew that after that, Zhang family produced no more geniuses?

Among the Wei generation, Zhang Weiyi and others were called outstanding—but they were merely the tallest among dwarves. Compared to Zhang Liuyuan and Zhang Ziwang's generation, they were utterly insignificant.

Could heaven, seeing how carelessly they treated natural Dao Bodies, have cut off Zhang family's future?

Otherwise, how could a daughter of a scholar-official and a mere scholar both become natural Dao Bodies, while Zhang family produced none?

Since no one among the younger generation could rival her, Zhang Li's existence was crucial.

Among Zhang family's younger generation, only she might catch up to Pan Yun—and she was her senior, and a disciple of Mount Sanqing.

Whether to match her in strength or to handle diplomacy, they must use her.

Daoism was pragmatic, not those pedantic Confucians who clung stubbornly to wrong ideas.

They admitted their mistakes and immediately changed their attitude toward Zhang Li.

First, they ordered Zhang Li to return to the Celestial Master's Mansion, invoking her parents: "They have low cultivation, no more than a hundred years left to live—how many years do you have left to spend with them?"

Master Xuanmiao replied without changing expression: "Fifty years."

The two Weilaozu were speechless, then said: "You've already broken through to the First Marquis; reaching the Second Marquis is merely a matter of time. Fifty years are but a blink to you—your time with your parents is limited."

Master Xuanmiao looked up at them and said: "My parents are different from you two Weilaozu—they are deeply devoted to each other. My presence only annoys them."

For the first time, the two Weilaozu felt that too much marital affection was also a problem.

Seeing Zhang Li was unmoved, they set aside Pan Yun and spoke plainly: "Since the founding of Great Ming, our Zhang family has been tied to the empire's fate, and the imperial court has always trusted us. Logically, even if a National Master were to be appointed, it should be chosen from our Zhang family. Yet now the Emperor favors Pan Yun. The world says nothing, but inwardly, they must already look down on us. As descendants of Zhang family, if we cannot preserve our Dao lineage, we will have no face to meet our ancestors a hundred years from now."

Zhang Li: "Zhang family's cultivation methods are passed only to sons, not daughters. Even if I wished to preserve the lineage, I am powerless to do so."

Zhang Xuefang gritted her teeth, glanced at Zhang Shangde, then said: "From today onward, Zhang family women may study alongside male disciples."

Zhang Li pressed: "How many methods will they be allowed to learn?"

"All methods available to outer disciples."

Zhang Li shook her head: "What if a woman has talent equal to mine? To limit her to outer disciple methods alone is a waste."

Zhang Xuefang snapped: "If they learn inner disciple arts and then transmit them after marriage, how will Zhang family maintain its standing in the Dao world?"

Zhang Shangde also said calmly: "Zhang Li, don't act on emotion. Zhang family has stood for a thousand years, standing alongside the Northern Kong family as one of the two great Dao lineages, precisely because we never transmit our inner Dao arts outside."

Zhang Li replied coldly: "Those with talent may be selected to enter the inner sect and learn inner methods. To prevent transmission, they may choose to take a husband into their household or remain unmarried—let them choose freely."

She said: "I am not one who says 'Why don't they eat meat?' I know perfectly well that Zhang family's thousand-year endurance rests on our non-transmitted methods. I merely resent why our men have choice, but our women do not."