Chapter 248: Sages' Holy Land

"Fang brother has now entered the inner courtyard; from now on, it will be very different from us..."

"Needless to say, Fang brother will definitely become a genius of one side in the future. I only hope that you won't forget us friends in the future."

Heavenly Tian Shuyuan outer courtyard, a morning autumn day with faint light.

Fang Jincheng had entered the inner courtyard to practice for many days. Today, having nothing to do, he came out for a stroll, and as he walked, he arrived at the outer courtyard.

Listening to everyone's discussion about him, he couldn't help but stand with his hands behind his back, revealing an unfathomable appearance.

Inner courtyard disciples and outer courtyard disciples were worlds apart in status. In Fang Jincheng's view, he was no longer on the same level as these outer courtyard fellow practitioners he was usually familiar with, so a slight sense of alienation was still necessary.

However, some voices he didn't want to hear soon appeared in the discussion, making him unable to help but frown slightly.

"This year, the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan has broken with tradition, recruiting Fang brother and that Lu family second young lady into the inner courtyard together. It is said that it has something to do with Senior Brother Ji You? I wonder if this is true?"

Fang Jincheng frowned, a trace of ferocity flashing in his eyes: "How could such a big matter as the inner courtyard quota have anything to do with him? Where did you hear that?"

The person speaking was Liu Jian'an, the son of the Fengzhou Inspector, the one who was affectionately called 'beloved disciple' by Cao Jingsong because he often sent gifts.

Hearing Fang Jincheng's sharp tone, Liu Jian'an couldn't help but shrink his neck: "There seems to be some wind outside..."

"The reason Lu Hanyan was able to enter the inner courtyard is because my great-grandfather cherishes talent. That Ji You is just a rural private cultivator; how could he have such great energy? You shouldn't say such things in the future, lest you be laughed at."

"So that's how it is."

At this time, the crowd surrounding Fang Jincheng couldn't help but look at each other.

For thousands of years, the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's inner courtyard only recruited one disciple each year, never an exception, but this year it broke the rules and recruited two. This abnormality had been discussed in the outer courtyard for a long time, and there were many rumors and gossip.

And the most widespread one was the rumor related to Ji You.

The rumor said that although the outcome of the Autumn Battle was a mutual defeat, and Fang Jincheng had secretly used a magic tool, it seemed that Lu Hanyan had a better chance of winning. But because the Fang family had deep roots in the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, the one who was finally selected was actually Fang Jincheng.

But the reason the final decision was for two people to enter the courtyard together was because Lu Hanyan was protected by Ji You.

However, although this version was widely spread, not many people believed it.

Ji You was just an inner courtyard disciple, and he hadn't even entered the Immortal Hall himself. How could he protect Lu Hanyan in front of those big figures in the inner courtyard, and even influence the outcome of the Autumn Battle?

And he was now in the Central Prefecture, participating in the Heavenly Dao Assembly. Even if Lu Hanyan was his delicate concubine and he really had the heart to cause trouble, he was beyond reach when it came to the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's affairs.

In everyone's view, Ji You had caused quite a few things over the years, and everyone was used to thinking of him whenever something strange happened in the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that such rumors were created.

However, even fewer people believed Fang Jincheng's explanation.

Regarding the Heavenly Dao Assembly pre-selection, the Elder Pavilion almost wanted to occupy all the quotas for their children and grandchildren. Cherishing talent? Non-existent.

The talent they cherished could only be those born of their own bloodline.

Just as everyone was discussing, a disciple from the Management Office ran over, his face full of smiles, attracting everyone's attention.

"Ji You won!"

"What won?"

"Naturally, the Heavenly Dao Assembly. It is said that he has already accompanied them to the Sages' Holy Land!"

As the words fell, the scene was silent for a moment, followed by an uproar.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly was a provincial assembly where the Qingyun world gathered. Only the top ten could enter the Sages' Holy Land, which meant that in the Profound Understanding Realm, Ji You's combat power had already ranked in the top ten.

Thinking of this, Fang Jincheng's face instantly became much uglier.

The disciple from the Management Office who came here panted again, and the sentence that followed really made everyone feel dizzy, only feeling their scalps tighten.

"My Heavenly Tian Shuyuan hasn't produced a top-ranked student in many years. This year, we finally had a glorious moment. It is truly fortunate."

"What did you say?"

"Top ranking! Senior Brother Ji has already obtained the jade plaque to the deepest part of the Sages' Holy Land. It is now spread outside. Some people say that with his aptitude, coming out of the Profound Understanding Realm this time, he might already be at the Responding to Heaven Realm by the time he comes out. I'm afraid he is going to become the youngest Elder of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan. Others say that at this speed, he might be the Chief Elder before he is thirty."

"?"

As the words fell, the crowd surrounding Fang Jincheng fell into a trance.

Seven Immortal Sect bloodlines present, countless noble family disciples gathered, Heavenly Dao Assembly battle, Ji You top of the Profound Understanding Realm, combat power number one in the world.

As they digested the information brought by the Management Office disciple, everyone looked at Fang Jincheng.

They suddenly began to understand why some people felt that Lu Hanyan was protected by Ji You when she entered the inner courtyard...

After the Autumn Battle was the family visit day; this was the rule of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan.

Xiang Fu, the daughter of the Danshui County Magistrate, and the daughter of the Guiyun County Magistrate had already set off yesterday and had now returned to Fengzhou.

Practicing in the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan for a year, the two women had actually gradually felt the cruelty of this world.

Especially after seeing Fang Jincheng secretly use a magic tool to blast Lu Hanyan off the stage, and still being able to enter the inner courtyard to practice afterwards, they felt even more that for those from humble beginnings, it was extremely difficult to change their destiny by their own efforts.

At this time, they were sitting in a carriage, having approached Danshui County, and golden wheat fields stretching for thousands of miles gradually appeared before their eyes.

At this moment, the two women's eyes were suddenly stunned, and they began to use their spiritual sense to look.

In the ten thousand acres of wheat fields, countless cultivators were holding sickles and harvesting hard, not speaking of bitterness or fatigue, harvesting the wheat ears neatly one after another.

This was not strange, because it was the same last year, but what was strange was that there were a bit too many cultivators participating in the joint harvest this year.

Among them was an old man with white hair and beard, who was recognized by Xiang Fu as the Manor Master of the Gray Stone Xianzhuang.

This Gray Stone Xianzhuang had a close relationship with the Luoxia Xianzhuang where she was fostered back then. She had also seen him a few times when she was a child, and in her impression, he was a person full of dignity and not given to smiling.

And at this time, the Manor Master of this Gray Stone Xianzhuang was holding a sickle in the wheat field, sweating like rain, his expression serious and careful, but without the slightest complaint.

"Manor Master, this old man is over a hundred years old, I am really a bit tired."

"Nonsense, keep working. Our Third Team is going to take first place this year."

"?"

Xiang Fu and Cong Yi looked at each other, feeling strange in their hearts.

These foreign Immortal Manors in Fengzhou were not willing to participate in the joint harvest before, and even among those who participated, there would not be figures like Manor Masters or Elders.

But this year's autumn harvest, the more they were Manor Masters or Elders, the harder they worked in the fields.

And Xiang Fu's confusion lasted the whole way, and finally got the answer from her father, the Danshui County Magistrate.

"That Senior Brother Ji of yours took the top spot in the Heavenly Dao Assembly."

"Seven Immortal Sect bloodlines, children of thousand-year noble families, more than three hundred and sixty people, not one could stop his sword."

"He has now headed to the Sages' Holy Land. No one knows how strong he will be after coming out of there. You think those Manor Masters are harvesting wheat to exchange for tax offerings; little do you know that what they are exchanging is nothing but the favor of that Senior Brother of yours."

Yunzhou Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce, dozens of noble families were gathered in the main hall at this time, holding a noble family meeting regarding spirit stone mining, deciding to reduce the mining volume next year.

After the Snow Region demon stones entered the Nine Prefectures, their spirit stone sales became lower and lower, and now they had a lot of inventory. If they continued to mine according to the previous mining quota, it would cause product backlog.

Spirit stones, after being mined and leaving the spirit core, the essence spiritual energy within them would naturally begin to volatilize, so accumulating inventory was a difficult thing to accept.

They knew very well that the reason for this situation was in Fengzhou.

There was a newly built official road there, and every day there were carriages loaded with demon stones speeding across it, and as long as that road was destroyed, it could probably alleviate the current situation.

In fact, as early as a few days ago, someone proposed to secretly send people to cut off that Fengzhou official road and kill some chickens to warn the monkeys, letting them know that the Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce was not to be trifled with.

But today, as this meeting was about to come to an end, this proposal was no longer mentioned by anyone; instead, many people advocated reducing the mining volume.

The proposal to reduce the mining volume was quickly passed unanimously, and countless spirit stone noble families returned, preparing to reduce their own shares.

Ding Mao, the Vice President of the Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce, sent everyone away and looked into the distance in silence.

Back then, they took people to the Immortal Supervision Bureau to negotiate and met that rural private cultivator, couldn't help but comment that he was young, frivolous, and didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

Now that person had become the top of the Profound Understanding Realm, invincible in the same realm, and was about to enter the Sages' Holy Land to practice.

Under these circumstances, even the Elder Pavilion of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan didn't dare to touch his bad luck, let alone the Spirit Stone Chamber of Commerce.

Ding Mao turned and returned to his residence, then saw his son Ding Shaojie sitting alone at the tea table in the leisure courtyard, watching for a long time without making a sound.

His son and Lu Qingqiu were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love, and had thought since childhood that he would definitely marry her, so when he heard that Lu Qingqiu wanted to form a Daoist partnership with Ji You, he hated the two words 'Ji You' and cursed all day long.

But as the news of the Heavenly Dao Assembly came, his son had been silent for a long time.

In fact, even Ding Mao was a bit dazed. A rural private cultivator, born in Fengzhou, defeated countless Immortal Sect bloodlines, and even influenced the decision of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's Elder Pavilion.

That second young lady of the Lu family, just learned sword for a few days from him, actually got protected into the Immortal Sect inner courtyard because of his name...

"The two patriarchs have suffered."

"Highness, you are too kind. Just eating wind and drinking snow, for the sake of the demon race, the two of us don't feel bitter."

In front of the cold prison door on the Twin Peaks of the Snow Region, Demon Prince Ye Han bowed and saluted the Scale Clan Patriarch and the Tooth Clan Patriarch, who had been imprisoned for a year and were already a bit skinny.

Back then, the Scale and Tooth clans raided the human race to test them, wanting to make the alliance between the demon race and the barbarian race the only choice. After being exposed, they were imprisoned here.

But that matter was just a performance for the human mission to see; the Demon Emperor didn't intend to keep them locked up for too long.

Moreover, the demon race's idea of re-entering the Nine Prefectures hadn't changed, just waiting for the opportunity, and once the opportunity arrived, these two Elders would be indispensable generals.

The Scale Clan Patriarch had his shackles undone at this time and couldn't help but speak: "Princess Fengyang, what is your view on the two of us being released?"

Ye Han shook his head: "Although Fengyang doesn't want to see war, her heart is soft after all. This time releasing the two patriarchs is thanks to her pleading with the Father Emperor."

"Highness is benevolent."

"Fengyang has been like this since she was a child, but Ye Han still wants to ask the two patriarchs to be more cautious in their actions in the future."

The Tooth Clan Patriarch frowned: "In fact, for the last matter, our plan was quite meticulous. I didn't expect it to be exposed in the hands of a small person. That young human is said to be a rural private cultivator, squeezed out by the human Immortal Sect before coming to our Snow Region. Such a big event was ruined in his hands; it really makes people feel it wasn't worth it."

Ye Han was silent for a long time after hearing this, then said softly: "The human Heavenly Dao Assembly has ended. The person you mentioned defeated countless human geniuses, top of the Profound Understanding Realm, combat power number one in the world in the same realm."

The Scale and Tooth clan patriarchs were locked in the cold prison by the Demon Emperor, and the disciples of the two clans naturally had to investigate this matter clearly.

And after investigation, they learned that the reason the night raid plan was exposed was entirely because a human named Ji You had planned it all in advance.

At the same time, they also found that this Ji You was not a noble Immortal Sect descendant on the human side; on the contrary, he was born as a rural villager who was not allowed to practice.

In fact, there were strict levels in the demon race, otherwise the Demon Emperor City wouldn't be divided into inner and outer cities, so they could understand the levels among humans.

Knowing that Ji You was an unranked rural private cultivator, the two patriarchs actually found it hard to accept.

This feeling was like the clan's iron cavalry being ready to go, but finally being blocked by an ant.

Because if such a big event was ruined in the hands of an Immortal Sect bloodline, they could still accept it, but it was ruined in the hands of a small person, which made them seem a bit stupid.

Until hearing this sentence from the Demon Prince, the Scale and Tooth clan patriarchs were suddenly stunned.

Surprise and astonishment flashed in their eyes for a long time, and then what surged from the bottom of their eyes was a touch of solemnity.

Ye Han didn't notice the solemnity in their eyes. At this time, he pressed his hands on his knees, thinking to himself that it was fortunate that Fengyang didn't know about this matter.

After the night raid was exposed, the Father Emperor handed the trade matter to Fengyang to decide, and then he heard that his sister had collected many picture books from the human race.

In fact, knowing this, Ye Han felt gratified.

His sister was an anti-war faction, always opposing the demon race re-entering the Nine Prefectures, and now that she finally had an interest in the Nine Prefectures, she would gradually feel that the Snow Region was bitter.

But then he discovered that the picture books his sister collected all came from one of the Nine Prefectures, and it was the most barren one.

This made Ye Han feel unable to understand. After checking, he found out that the Ji You came from Fengzhou.

As an elder brother, his feeling at that time was like his own jade cabbage actively wanting to let a soil pig arch it, and he couldn't stop it.

So when the news about the Heavenly Dao Assembly came a few days ago, he immediately ordered to block the news, not letting his sister know a single bit.

At this time, the carriage passed through the central long street of the Demon Emperor City's inner city. Ye Han couldn't help but lift the curtain and look at a small white building with a dome.

That was his sister Fengyang's medical clinic. At this time, as his gaze followed, Ye Han saw his sister looking at something with a serious face, and couldn't help but feel relieved.

【Heavenly Dao Assembly Volume 3—Sword Slashes Yan Hao (Part 2)】

The rampant sword energy whistled across the sky, the scorching physique made people's souls tremble...

Not bad, I am a rural private cultivator, but that is not my dark history, but the road I came from!

Clang!

Blood flowed endlessly... Countless people opened their eyes wide...

How could this be?!

Just a rural private cultivator, how could he walk with a sword all the way, unstoppable, and slash and defeat so many human geniuses!

After slashing Yan Hao with his sword, Ji You suddenly disappeared in the Sages' Garden. No one knew where he went...

Such a grand event, how could he run around everywhere...

Where did Ji You go? Who among you knows where Ji You went?

He returned to Fengzhou. He said the wheat in the fields was ripe, and he had to rush back to harvest the wheat.

Yes, he was like someone who had been waiting to go home to harvest wheat, and just participated in a Heavenly Dao Assembly in passing...

Above the small white building, Princess Fengyang's gaze browsed through the lines, and the skirt behind her bottom gradually lifted a wrinkle.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly was already the focus of the world, so the speed of spread was extremely fast, and the influence was extremely deep.

Within a day, the news that the rural private cultivator had taken the top spot and was heading to the Sages' Holy Land was already boiling.

At this time, on the north side of the Central Prefecture, in a wild mountain range bordering Fengzhou.

Countless carriages passed through the sky, there were also flying swords crossing the void, and carriages driven by spiritual tools, heading toward the dense mountain forest.

Looking from afar, the dense vegetation covered this place without leaving an inch of soil, and the mist was swirling, looking uninhabited, but the cultivators who followed could already feel the rich spiritual energy hidden in the depths of this big mountain.

"Sages' Holy Land, why is it so remote?"

"You don't even know this?"

"Could it be that there is a secret in it?"

"It can't be considered a secret. It was just that after our human race had the heart to resist the remnant race back then, we encountered the remnant race's interception. The clansmen could only follow the Sages to this barren mountain to take refuge. Later, the Heavenly Dao Sacred Tool descended from here, and the Heavenly Dao laws changed this place, making it a treasure land."

"So that's how it is..."

Ji You was with Cao Jingsong and the others at this time, accompanied by the Yuan family siblings. Several people were riding on the flying sword controlled by the Management Office, crossing the mountains.

There had been a lot of discussion around these few days. Most people were concerned about how far he would go after entering the Sages' Holy Land, but no one knew that he was stuck at the threshold of the Merging with the Dao Realm.

However, realm and aura were just for people to see.

He didn't seek ascension, so he naturally didn't have so much thirst for the Dao-realization realm. The only thing he thirsted for was combat power.

As long as combat power could be continuously enhanced, those Immortal Manors in Fengzhou would settle down, the future would get better and better, and he could marry whoever he wanted and have as many children as he wanted.

Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi was riding a carriage at this time, speeding behind the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's flying sword. Kneeling, her beautiful bottom lightly pressed on her jade feet, and her ten pearl-round jade toes were like blooming lotus stamens.

The cultivators who followed thought she was here to send off her own disciples, but no one knew that the one she wanted to send off the most was the stranger she kissed last night.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu served by the carriage, glancing at the Appraisal Master, then looked at each other.

For some reason, the Appraisal Master had been a bit nervous since she returned from the son-in-law's room last night, and she started to put on a stern face as soon as she got up in the morning, looking fierce.

They knew that the Appraisal Master's emotion must be related to the son-in-law, but they didn't know the specific details.

Thinking of this, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the flying sword shuttling through the mountain forest not far away.

That was the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's flying sword. The son-in-law and his big-chested instructor, as well as the Pill Sect siblings, were sitting cross-legged on the sword.

In their sight, the son-in-law was distracted, and the big-chested instructor next to him handed him a watermelon.

Perhaps it was because he was too lazy to draw his sword, the two saw the son-in-law raise his fist and use energy to 【break the melon】.

With a 'pop', the new melon broke, revealing the blood color.

Perhaps because the force was too great, the crystal clear juice splashed, making it wet.

At this moment, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu suddenly heard a 'clatter' from behind. Looking back, they saw the teacup that should have been in the Appraisal Master's hand slide to the ground, while their own Appraisal Master had a nervous face, and sword energy began to whistle around her, her eyes becoming fierce.

Cui'er hurried over to clean up, helped the teacup up, and wiped the tea away with an embroidered handkerchief.

Her gaze swept over the Appraisal Master's two roundness, and she paused slightly. In her mind, she couldn't help but imagine the scene of a pair of big hands rubbing on them, and couldn't help but bite her thin lips.

She had been observing the Appraisal Master all morning, her words, deeds, and actions, trying to quietly find out who was so bold, but found nothing.

The Appraisal Master was dignified and cold. Just one look could make people shudder. Who would dare to rub like that?

However, she didn't find the Appraisal Master's lover, but she found the person the Appraisal Master hated, which was the top of the Profound Understanding Realm this year, the man from the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan named Ji You.

Because every time someone mentioned him, the Appraisal Master would have a fierce look.

Cui'er could understand this performance of the Appraisal Master, because their Spirit Sword Mountain could have had two Profound Understanding Realm people enter the Sages' Holy Land, but because of this person, Senior Brother Yan Hao lost his qualification. It was only right that the Appraisal Master didn't like this person.

Seeming to feel the sword energy, Ji You turned his head to look at the carriage and met Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi's sharp gaze.

Scaring her yesterday, I didn't expect this girl to really hold a grudge...

The flying sword and the carriage slowed down shortly after, and finally stopped in the barren mountain forest piled with fallen leaves.

Looking up, between two low peaks, golden spiritual light condensed into a circular door hole, and the vast aura stirred ripples around it.

This was the entrance to the Sages' Holy Land.

For thousands of years, countless people have entered and exited from here, creating countless geniuses.

The five Hall Masters of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, the Chief Elders of each sect, were all people who had entered this place.

After Ji You fell from the spirit sword, he said goodbye to the Yuan siblings, then looked at the Little Appraisal Master behind him, and saw Kuangcheng Yan Shuyi still looking vigilant.

After giving advice last night and wanting to have endless life after coming out, the Little Appraisal Master was a bit afraid of him coming out.

"Beloved disciple, after entering, remember to practice well."

"I will do my best."

After Ji You finished speaking, he saw that someone had already walked in impatiently.

First were the two direct disciples of the Chen Immortal Clan, then Chai Ze, and then Li Yunlang, Zhuang You, and Zhuang Zixin.

Watching these people walk past him, Ji You suddenly reached into his bosom and took out a letter.

After kissing Yuan Caiwei last night, a girl came along the night and handed him a letter. He thought it was another invitation for dual cultivation, so he didn't care.

Returning to the residence and kissing the Spirit Sword Mountain Little Appraisal Master, rubbing her roundness, he couldn't care too much, and this thing was left on the tea table by him.

And truly noticing it was this morning.

This was actually not a letter, but a very thick missing person notice, with twelve portraits drawn on it, all of which were some noble family disciples or Immortal Sect disciples who had disappeared one after another within a year.

Among them were several from the Li family, the Zhuang family, and the Zhu family.

When Ji You looked at these portraits for the first time, Cao Jingsong was also there. After reading it, he looked at him with some doubt, saying how did you encounter this too.

At that time, Ji You was quite strange, and then he heard Cao Jingsong talk about the affairs in the county city.

It is said that the girl who delivered the letter was a concubine raised outside the house by the son of the Li family's second branch, an ordinary person without cultivation, who had been looking for her lover for half a year and came here to try her luck knowing that there were many cultivators at the Heavenly Dao Assembly.

During the period, she met a few others who were looking for people, so they gathered together, but didn't find any results.

Ji You felt that cultivators were quite cold, and didn't react much when their family members were lost, but at the same time felt strange, not knowing whether those people were really missing or something else, just like Bai Rulong's lost younger brother, making people feel concerned.

Pondering for a long time, Ji You came back to his senses, then waved goodbye to the back, and stepped into the mysterious light door.

(Seeking monthly tickets)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 249 =====