Chapter 221

In sight, a group of alchemists stepped onto the carriage.

Another sixty percent of the Hall of Management disciples guarded them, departing together for the Sacred Ground; after they left, the Heavenly Book Academy's carriage also set off again, soon arriving at Zhongxing County.

At this moment, the sky-blue curtains flapped fiercely in the north wind, the carriage carrying countless cultivators grinding over dry yellow earth,

Not long after, the outline of Zhongxing County came into view.

The horizon was bleached white by the midday sun, the vast wilderness spread like an ancient scroll of black and yellow, each grain of sand seeming to hold the breath of primordial times.

In the distance, a massive circular cultivation ground stood at the center of the yellow earth, like a slumbering beast; its blue stone walls, eroded by a thousand years of rain, bore the weight of antiquity and solemnity.

Around the human cultivation ground, countless palaces clustered in all four directions, radiating outward from it.

The glazed golden roof emerges and vanishes among the misty clouds, while the gilded swallow-tail ornaments on the eaves seem ready to take flight.

Whenever floating clouds passed overhead, millions of glazed tiles shimmered like rippling waves, appearing even more majestic than the capital city of Shengjing.

This was the resurgence land of the human race, and Zhongxing County derived its name from here; yet, apart from that massive cultivation ground, all other palaces were newly built.

At this moment, countless aristocratic families had already converged upon the plain, their steeds galloping, neighing incessantly, stirring up endless waves of dust as they surged toward the city.

In this small county seat of Zhongzhou, every alley and street teemed with cultivators whose qi radiated powerfully, some with long swords at their waists, others wielding iron blades.

Between teahouses and taverns, the air rang with string and wind instruments, dancers swayed continuously, and spiritual wine spilled freely, its fragrance drifting everywhere.

Ji You rode into the city in the Heavenly Book Academy's carriage, and as he looked around, his brow creased slightly.

He had never seen so many cultivators before—and this was the very group that the common people, bent over the soil day after day, year after year, sustained.

As he pondered, the carriage entered the white marble road.

Along the way, countless figures leaned out from surrounding pavilions and towers, pointing at the Heavenly Book Academy's banner and whispering among themselves.

"The Heavenly Book Academy has arrived."

"In past Tian Dao Hui, the Heavenly Book Academy always ranked third. I wonder where they'll place this year."

"I reckon they won't even match last year's standing—likely falling to fourth or fifth."

"Why's that?"

"After the Qiling incident, the Heavenly Book Academy sent disciples to seek answers, but lost both duels. One of them was even crippled—wasn't that the Master's direct disciple? Clearly, the Academy's decline is already sealed; it's just a hollow title of a Sacred Sect now."

On the teahouse's upper floor, a cultivator recounted last year's events, and those listening nodded repeatedly.

Hearing this, everyone in the carriage turned pale with anger.

Only Ji You found it amusing.

These people were merely spectators of the Tian Dao Hui, like Cao Jingsong—not competitors. The actual competitors' destination lay beyond the city, further along the white marble road.

At the third hour of the morning, the carriage slowed, then came to a complete stop.

Ji You lifted the curtain and leapt down, seeing others disembark one by one, all raising their heads to gaze ahead.

Before them stood a massive gate tower, its triple-tiered gilded eaves soaring high, nine rows of coiled dragon nail heads neatly arranged on the vermilion-painted, copper-reinforced gates.

Centered above the gate hung a plaque inscribed with three large characters: "Xianxian Garden," glowing with golden lacquer under the sun.

Looking straight ahead from the main gate, a massive relief carved entirely from jade depicted a white sun ascending with immortals flying—grand and majestic, subtly concealing profound mysteries that overwhelmed the senses.

In truth, no ancient sages had ever dwelled in this garden; it was entirely fabricated by later generations of humans.

When humans and demons decided to rebel against the Descendants, human territories held nothing—seven ancient sages lived in thatched huts, not in palaces of blue brick and glazed tiles, nor towering halls.

At this moment, Qin, the chief steward, stepped down from the carriage and turned to face them.

"This garden is your residence from now on. It is divided into eight major sections: Chengqi, Huaiyuan, Lianxing, Rusheng, Taiping, Yongqing, Yucheng, and Jiusheng."

"We are assigned to Rusheng Garden. The disciples of Lingjian Mountain will also reside here."

"Why Lingjian Mountain?"

Hearing their murmurs, Qin waved his hand: "Don't be surprised. Rusheng Garden is large. Though we share the same garden, our two sects will occupy the eastern and western courtyards separately—unless you deliberately seek each other out, you won't meet."

Upon hearing this, Ji You's expression turned subtly odd.

He didn't know how the assignments were made. Coincidence wasn't impossible—but upon reflection, it felt too deliberate to be mere chance.

Of the Seven Immortal Sects, roughly three maintained close ties with Lingjian Mountain; the Heavenly Book Academy was clearly not among them.

Hmph, strange. Could there be some hidden marital alliance?

Ji You felt annoyed.

Then, the group followed the steward through the main gate of Xianxian Garden—and only then did they understand what Qin meant by "vast beyond measure."

Before them stretched a vast pond, its waters gently rippling, crossed by countless jade bridges stretching across the surface, with a circular island of ancient trees at its center—endless, towering trees rising into the sky.

Along the long white marble path, towering artificial mountains rose, the highest composed of nearly ten thousand stacked stones; pavilions, towers, and halls numbered beyond count.

The countless palaces they had seen scattered around the human cultivation ground before entering the city were merely parts of this garden.

At this moment, figures moved constantly throughout the garden.

Some wore long robes embroidered with aristocratic crests; others donned the robes of various immortal sects—mostly younger cultivators, gathered in groups of two or three, five or six, scattered across mountains, lakes, and pavilions.

They, too, seemed astonished by the garden's vastness, wandering aimlessly, gazing upward or studying details closely.

Beyond these, in the quiet ancient forests, the wisteria gardens, and the emerald bamboo hills, cultivators sat cross-legged on mats, meditating—drawing spiritual energy from the surrounding heavens and earth toward them.

Ji You's gaze swept over these figures, then turned to his fellow Heavenly Book Academy disciples—he noticed their expressions held a trace of contempt.

Showing off. If you're going to cultivate so hard, why not do it in private?

Blocking the path to cultivate? That's blatantly performing for others.

As they continued walking, a group of over a dozen cultivators in Chen Shixian robes approached, bowing slightly upon seeing the Heavenly Book Academy party.

"Chief Steward Qin."

"Chen the Elder, long time no see. Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to Taiping Garden to visit several aristocratic friends."

All disciples of the Chen Shixian Clan took the surname Chen—even if they weren't born with it, they had to change it upon joining. Thus, they were commonly addressed by their given names.

The elder before them was a Wujiang cultivator from the inner clan, named Chen Wu Xing.

Ji You found it amusing: one "Chen Elder," and "Brother Chen" could walk the entire Chen Clan.

Along the way to Rusheng Garden, such encounters were not rare.

They met the Xu family of Qingzhou, then the Du family of Liangzhou.

Ji You had never heard of the Xu family, but they were said to be a prominent clan, mostly aligned with Shanhai Pavilion—hence, few Xus existed in the Heavenly Book Academy, and someone like Ji You, a rural self-cultivator, naturally had no knowledge of them.

But he knew the Du family of Liangzhou—and they knew him.

During the Autumn Duel, everyone focused on Ji You and Chu He; Du Zhu was rarely mentioned—but Du Zhu was from the Du family.

Since the Du family had watched the Autumn Duel, they knew Ji You well.

Yet the odd part: Chu He had clearly slashed Du Zhu into retreat—yet the Du family harbored resentment toward Ji You. As they parted, they even gave him a cold snort.

He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, and others frowned, glancing at Ji You—but found him grinning broadly, looking puzzled.

"Younger Brother, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. I just think the Du family… is quite amiable."

"?"

Ji You watched the Du family depart, thinking: My prediction was right—I'll meet many clients at the Tian Dao Hui.

So I must make time to walk around more. Wealth is always on the road ahead.

Suddenly, a whistling sound echoed overhead, and a figure flew through the air, darting past mountains, lakes, and pavilions toward the garden's edge, his white beard and hair fluttering wildly in the wind.

He was impatient, with no interest in sightseeing—so he flew straight through the garden.

The Heavenly Book Academy party walked past one garden after another, then turned south, traveling several miles through strange, jagged rock formations before arriving at Rusheng Garden.

Inside the gate stood a three-zhang-tall spindle-shaped jade stone, inscribed with the four characters "The Sun Rises in the East," its vermilion lacquer gleaming brightly.

Ji You stared at it for a long time, thinking: Such grandeur could never be matched by ordinary places—even the Great Xia Imperial Palace, before this immortal academy, would seem no more than a side hall.

The only things comparable were the cultivation grounds of the Seven Immortal Sects—and the Demon Emperor's City in the Snowlands.

But immortals have never engaged in production; they sit idle in mountains, cultivating. So the origin of every brick and tile in this garden was obvious.

Beyond the spindle stone, the path split left and right.

Only now did Ji You understand why Qin had said, "Even sharing the same garden, you won't meet unless you seek each other out"—for most of Rusheng Garden was scenery.

Ahead lay dense bamboo groves, deep green, then a mirror-like lake, surrounded by pavilions, pine forests, and artificial hills; the actual buildings consisted of only two clusters.

One cluster lay to the east, the other to the west, far apart, with dense scenery separating them, arranged with elegant asymmetry.

The Heavenly Book Academy was assigned to the eastern courtyard; Lingjian Mountain must be in the western.

Ji You stood for a long time at the fork between east and west, gazing at the western courtyard—after watching carefully, he saw no movement. The Lingjian Mountain disciples had not yet arrived.

"Younger Brother Ji, we're leaving."

"Coming."

Ji You snapped back to attention, following He Lingxiu's voice into the eastern courtyard.

Here stood twenty houses with upturned eaves, all built of black brick, black tile, black pillars—entirely black, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding emerald bamboo.

Yet these twenty houses shared a single courtyard, containing several small black stone ponds, where water lilies bloomed and brocade carp swam; a stone platform and a pavilion stood within.

The courtyard was not empty—it housed dozens of maids and hundreds of servants, all waiting inside.

Seeing them enter, a maid stepped forward and bowed slightly.

Ji You was unused to this—he dodged aside, then walked toward one of the houses, pushed open the door, and saw rows of redwood cabinets, incense altars, tea tables, writing desks—all present.

In the center-back stood a large bed, its pearl curtains drawn back, the mattress covered in silk brocade.

The steward's disciple, Wen Siyuan, entered behind him—he had come with the carriage and was assigned to oversee Ji You's participation in the competition.

Wen Siyuan saw Ji You sit on a chair, stepped forward, and asked: "Younger Brother Ji, are you satisfied with this?"

Ji You glanced at him: "The Emperor probably uses a golden hoe to till the fields."

"What do you mean?"

It surpasses the imagination of a rural self-taught cultivator like me.

Ji You paced back and forth in the room, touching this, bumping into that, thinking everything within sight was far beyond the means of poor folk like him.

Wen Siyuan chuckled softly: "Brother, if you need anything else, just come to me. During the Tian Dao Assembly, I'll handle all your affairs."

Ji You, who had his back turned, spoke softly after hearing this: "Who came up with the brilliant idea of housing Lingjian Mountain and the Heavenly Book Academy in the same courtyard?"

"I heard it was decided by the Sect Master."

"I see…"

After hearing this, Ji You nodded, thinking this might not be coincidence.

Little Yan Shuyi really has a playful streak—this isn't some secret escape; he's here as the Junior Inspector, yet still wants to sneak into the same courtyard.

"Uh, if anything in this garden breaks, do we have to pay for it?"

Wen Siyuan looked at Ji You's back: "Hmm… probably yes."

Ji You fell silent for a while: "How much?"

"Probably… compensation at market value."

Ji You stared at the box-shaped artifact he'd snapped in half, frowning deeply, his face dark with gloom.

In places thick with water plants and grass, mosquitoes are plentiful—this artifact must've been designed to repel flying insects.

He'd seen this thing before at Qionghua Pavilion, but didn't know its price, how to use it, or that it would break so easily with a simple snap.

So unlucky—I haven't even found a client yet, and now I have to pay silver?

Ji You pondered for a long while, not even noticing Wen Siyuan's farewell. Then he took the artifact outside, glanced left and right, and walked toward another house to the southwest.

This house belonged to Shi Junhao, who had just sat down inside and poured himself a pot of tea.

Before the tea's fragrance could spread, he saw Ji You enter his room, his eyes puzzled: "What are you doing here?"

"Brother, do you have confidence in your breakthrough to Rong Dao Realm?"

"Since I came, I naturally have confidence—but what does that have to do with you?"

Ji You looked at him: "I'm part of the Heavenly Book Academy too. Just now on the street, I heard them insult our sect, and I wasn't pleased—I naturally hope everyone in our academy wins."

Shi Junhao fell silent for a while: "Fair enough."

"Have you found a cultivation partner yet?"

"No. Cultivators seek immortality and the Dao. I'm not ready for that yet."

"I see. How many people are in your family?"

"?"

Shi Junhao found this strange and felt uneasy—he thought if Ji You wanted to chat, he'd go to He Lingxiu, not him.

Ji You wandered around his room, asking a string of random questions, then took his leave and returned to his own house, placing the mosquito-repelling brazier on the table.

The Heavenly Book Academy isn't far from here; apart from the elite families who arrived first, they were among the earliest to arrive.

With nothing else to do, Ji You sat cross-legged on his bed and began body refinement, igniting spiritual fire to burn his flesh.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already late afternoon.

Ji You rose from the bed and heard a clamor of voices through the door and windows.

He walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard—several cultivators had arrived, turning the once quiet, elegant garden into a bustling hub of noise.

Sitting to the south were the He family of Zhongzhou—He Lingxiu's clan.

Then came the Shi family of Shi Junhao, the Xiao family of Xiao Hanyan, the Chai family of Chai Ze, and the Wang, Yu, and Gu families—all gathered, laughing and chatting with flushed faces.

Beyond these families, several other clans behind Elders also arrived, each exuding the aura of transcendent immortals.

Qin Zhishi of the Administration Office arrived as well, greeting the clan heads and Elders with polite bows.

They weren't meeting for the first time—their expressions and conversation made it clear they were deeply familiar with one another.

He even heard people from different families addressing each other as relatives: brother-in-law, cousin, auntie, uncle.

This was the tangled web of Qingyun's aristocratic families—interwoven for a thousand years, each entangled with the other, none able to escape.

After listening for a while, Ji You grew bored and stepped outside, planning to look for promising clients.

Seeing him appear in the courtyard, the group chatting fell silent and turned to stare.

Ji You was well-known across Qingyun, but few had seen his face—so everyone's eyes held a hint of confusion.

But for a Tong Xuan cultivator, no one felt much curiosity—they watched him leave Rusheng Garden and returned to their previous conversation.

He wandered the streets, iron sword in hand, eyes fierce as a tiger's.

He stopped every cultivator he met, locking eyes with them, radiating intense aggression—making passersby frown deeply.

Yet no one attacked him, nor did he turn any into clients.

No matter how hostile the stares, how thick the killing intent, no one drew their sword or offered silver.

Ji You wandered from Rusheng Garden to Taiping Garden, then back again—no clients at all.

Thinking it over, Ji You could probably understand why he had no clients.

The people in Xianxian Garden were mostly prodigies from great clans and immortal sects—pick any one, and you'd find an entire extended family behind them.

So even the most arrogant cultivators here had to be three times more cautious than usual.

He couldn't just shout across the land: "I'm a rural self-taught cultivator with no powerful backers—come beat me up!" That wouldn't attract clients—it'd make him look insane.

Ji You stood at the edge of the mountain lake, leaning on his iron sword, gazing at the white jade path.

(End of Chapter)