Chapter 168: Great Sage

Northern Domain.

In the mountains there are no years; between the heavens it seems like an immortal's roaming.

In the mountains a graceful youth with white teeth and red lips walks about, as if on a spring outing, carefree and leisurely.

One step taken, and the scene before him instantly changes; surrounding mountain mist swirls, the view below the mountainside no longer visible, as if the entire mountaintop has been moved to the sky above, suspended high in this pure land.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist! May I ask what brings you to our Yaochi Holy Land?" A fairy drifts over, bowing slightly to the youth before her.

"Please trouble the fairy to announce me — Jiang Xuan has come to visit Yaochi Holy Land!" Jiang Xuan returns the salute in kind; he still holds Yaochi Holy Land in high respect, not to mention during his tribulation the youth who might have been the Wushi Great Emperor even specially restrained his abilities to feed him moves.

Hearing Jiang Xuan's name, the fairy's gaze trembles, and she scrutinizes Jiang Xuan up and down before hurriedly leaving the sect gate.

……

On an immortal platform of Yaochi Holy Land, two fairies sit cross-legged, clouds and mist circulating around their bodies.

One is bright and bewitching, making one feel parched at a glance; the other has skin like jade, beauty as if crafted by immortals, clad in purple robes circulating with innate qi.

"If there were a sheet of paper, to where should it be sent so we might know each other again?"

Hearing the voice beside her, Zixia slowly opens her eyes, looking at the bright and bewitching Yao Xi:

"Sister Yao Xi, you're thinking of him again!"

Yao Xi turns back and gives Zixia a sidelong glance: "I told you not to call me sister!"

A faint smile graces Zixia's face, enchanting as an immortal's backward glance: "Rest assured! He previously suppressed all Heaven's Prides of the younger generation; nothing will happen to him! He's probably at a critical moment in cultivation — a cultivator closing up for over a decade is perfectly normal!"

Yao Xi lets out a cold humph: "I think you've fallen for him, making excuses for him every day!"

The innate qi on Zixia pauses slightly, a touch of red spreading across her face; she insists stubbornly: "I haven't! I'm just grateful he pulled me out of Zi Fu Holy Land and brought me to Yaochi Holy Land to cultivate!"

"Hmph! Who knows who was begging the Yaochi Holy Mother to take her to Hualong Pool to watch the tribulation! Heard she even rushed straight into the tribulation at the final moment!" Yao Xi's face bears a bewitching smile, like a little goblin peering into hearts.

"If you like him, say you like him — like me, I like his decisive, dictatorial bearing! A real man!" Yao Xi's eyes grow hazy, as if recalling that domineering kiss.

Seeing Yao Xi's state, Zixia knows the other has started daydreaming again; she turns her head back to watch the rolling sea of clouds, and for a moment she too becomes absorbed.

"Do I like him?"

The girl's murmur vanishes into the sea of clouds.

After leaving Zi Fu Holy Land, Zixia can clearly feel the change in her personality; things she once only found worldly now hold considerable interest.

Although her personality remains tranquil and detached, basic emotions are no longer absent; indeed, because she focuses on her own emotional changes, she has become overly sensitive to emotion — even tiny shifts leave deep impressions in memory.

From previous detachment, even carrying some aversion, to curiosity, to later when she brought the Yaochi Holy Mother to watch the tribulation — all were impulses born from those fragmented emotional changes.

She does not dislike impulsiveness; she even cherishes this feeling — just like now, she has an impulse to see Jiang Xuan.

The two wander in thought among the clouds, not even perceiving the dignified and graceful Yaochi Holy Mother appearing beside them.

"Zixia, Yao Xi, what are you thinking about, so absorbed?" The Yaochi Holy Mother's voice interrupts their thoughts.

"Yaochi Holy Mother!" Both rise simultaneously to salute, faces carrying the embarrassment of being caught with a handle.

"A distinguished guest has come to visit; the two of you shall come with me to receive them!" The Yaochi Holy Mother's face bears a gentle smile.

Zixia and Yao Xi both startle — distinguished guests are usually received by the Yaochi Saintess; why would she have the two of them go together today?

Although the two enjoy treatment no different from a Saintess, perhaps the Yaochi Holy Mother saw that both have their hearts set elsewhere and might not stay at Yaochi long, so she did not agree to others' proposals to replace the Saintess, merely giving them the status of Direct Disciples, with treatment not much different from a Saintess.

But Direct Disciples cannot represent the Holy Land's face by walking at the very front, so major events are generally handled by the Yaochi Saintess.

The Yaochi Holy Mother smiles and nods: "This person is connected to you two — or perhaps came specifically to find you!"

Hearing this, Yao Xi's eyes light up, but then immediately dim again; she feels it cannot possibly be Jiang Xuan!

Ever since entrusting her to the Yaochi Holy Mother, he hasn't contacted her even once in these years; even in the cultivation world his name has gradually been forgotten. Coupled with her horizons rising, a batch of peerless geniuses walk the world, ancient creatures are about to resurrect, the great trend is chaotic and dizzying — Jiang Xuan seems to have already vanished from this cultivation world.

Carrying curiosity, the Yaochi Holy Mother lightly waves her sleeve; the three ride an immortal crane down to before the sect gate.

Once the three land, the immortal crane folds its wings and hides among the clouds; occasionally a faint cry can be heard.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang! Your cultivation level I can already no longer see through!" The Yaochi Holy Mother smiles at Jiang Xuan; long before seeking out Yao Xi and Zixia, she had already probed Jiang Xuan within the grand formation, and the shock in her heart had already been smoothed over then.

"Merely a slight progress!" Jiang Xuan modestly cups his fists.

Although he has already surpassed a Saint King, his law domain also holds authority over several laws, reaching the limit of laws, his cultivation realm reaching Great Saint Peak, he still does not put on airs before Yaochi.

Yaochi Holy Land's foundation is undoubtedly far stronger than the Ji Family; even two Forbidden Zone Supremes who have self-severed one slash could not take down Yaochi Holy Land without going all-out in sublimation.

The Yaochi Holy Mother smiles and speaks no more, because Yao Xi beside her has already rushed straight over!

Jiang Xuan opens his arms, receiving the other's tremendous impact force, as if wanting to fuse her entire body into himself; a soft touch rubs against his chest.

Zixia at the side watches the scene before her with a face full of envy; although she now possesses emotions, she still cannot bring herself to do such an impulsive thing.

Perhaps she loves deeply, yet expresses it even more reservedly.

"Let's go in first! Lest people say our Yaochi Holy Land treats guests poorly!" Only after the two have embraced for a while does the Yaochi Holy Mother unhurriedly speak.

Hearing this, Yao Xi finally lets go; even someone as bewitching as her now has a flush of shy red on her face.

Looking at Yao Xi's gaze toward him, Jiang Xuan's heart is faintly stirred; he has seen eyes carrying this kind of emotion before!

Perhaps the illusory knowledge from last time made him miss it, but this time he will not fail her again!

The group arrives at an immortal pavilion; looking down, a boundless sea of clouds spreads into the distance, sunlight filtering through the clouds to set it off — a magnificent cloudscape painting!

"What matter brings Fellow Daoist Jiang this time?" The Yaochi Holy Mother personally shakes tea, as if conversing with a peer, making Yao Xi and Zixia stare blankly.

"I came to visit my Dao Companion, and have one request!" Jiang Xuan looks seriously at the other.

"Speak freely."

"I wish to view the Western Emperor Sutra once." Jiang Xuan says word by word.

The Dao Palace volume of the Western Emperor Sutra is the strongest among all Emperor Sutras, bar none!

Although Jiang Xuan's cultivated path is not this world's cultivation system, the Western Emperor Sutra can still increase his foundation; the cultivation of "Dao Self", "Past Self", and "True Self" should also have some use for him.

Actually Jiang Xuan is only trying; if the other disagrees, he will go to Ancient Yaochi and see for himself.

Now Ye Fan, with the black dog's help, may also be cultivating the Western Emperor Sutra, but he only knows the what, not the why; bluntly put, Ye Fan only knows it himself and cannot teach others — he can only go learn it himself.

"Allowed!" The Yaochi Holy Mother nods decisively.

"Huh?" Now it was Jiang Xuan's turn to be surprised. The Western Emperor Sutra was Yaochi's most important Emperor Scripture; saying it was Yaochi's lifeline was no exaggeration. Yet the other party actually agreed so readily?

"But I have two requirements!" Yaochi Holy Mother poured the brewed clear tea into the teacup before her, rich spiritual power rippling with the steam—clearly good tea,

Hearing there were requirements, Jiang Xuan instead breathed a sigh of relief!

If he really gave it to him for nothing, he would suspect Yaochi was preparing to have an Emperor Weapon forcibly keep him.

"First, the Western Emperor Sutra must not be leaked; you must swear a Great Dao Oath! Second, if one day Yaochi encounters danger, you must firmly help Yaochi Holy Land overcome the difficulty as a member of Yaochi!"

After Yaochi Holy Mother finished speaking, the scene fell into silence for a moment.

After a few seconds, Jiang Xuan hesitantly asked, "That's it?"

These conditions were too easy!

He wanted the Western Emperor Sutra only for reference; even if he wanted to leak it, he had nowhere to leak it. After all, Ye Fan had obtained the Dao Palace scroll of the Western Emperor Sutra by breaking into Ancient Yaochi, and Pang Bo had no need whatsoever to cultivate the Western Emperor Sutra.

As for the second condition, according to the original historical progress, Jiang Xuan felt he had no chance to act at all, and if something really happened, Wu Shi could appear in his heavenly tribulation at will; he didn't believe that Yaochi Holy Land, founded by Great Emperor Wu Shi's mother, would encounter trouble without him knowing.

"Just these two conditions!" Yaochi Holy Mother said seriously.

This was not just Yaochi Holy Mother's opinion, but also the opinion of the entire Yaochi Holy Land.

The Western Emperor Sutra was indeed very important and must not be easily passed down, but it depended on who it was given to.

Now the younger generation was still hovering around Dragon Transformation, but Jiang Xuan had already grown to the point where even she could not see through him, even vaguely sensing danger; his strength and potential were comparable to Great Emperor Wu Shi, perhaps even surpassing him.

Such a person was worth Yaochi Holy Land investing in and looking favorably upon; after all, now was a time of turmoil, Tai Chu Ancient Clan was about to appear in the world, and Yaochi might not be able to keep itself detached.

"I agree!" Jiang Xuan said seriously.

"I'll prepare now; later let Zixia and Yao Xi bring you to observe!"

As the words fell, Yaochi Holy Mother left gracefully, leaving only the three sitting opposite each other.

Yao Xi was shocked when Yaochi Holy Mother brewed tea, and at this moment she directly asked, "Jiang Xuan! Have you become a Saint now? Can Yaochi Holy Mother personally brew tea for you?"

Jiang Xuan lifted the tea and drank a mouthful; spiritual qi surged within his body, pouring into his dantian one after another, absorbed by the numerous magic weapons in his dantian, and he shook his head, saying, "Not becoming a Saint!"

Yao Xi exhaled: "I said, how could you cultivate so fast!"

"It's Great Sage!" Jiang Xuan continued, a hint of mockery on his face.

The air once condensed; after a long time, Yao Xi regained her senses and seriously sized up Jiang Xuan: "You're not a Great Emperor's reincarnation, or parasitized by an old monster, are you?"

Looking at that charming face, Jiang Xuan pulled her into his arms in one go; a wisp of fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, making one reluctant to leave.

"It's been so long since we met; your courage has indeed grown!" Jiang Xuan just placed her on his lap and did nothing improper, after all, there was another one sitting on the other side, looking on with envy at this moment.

Huh? Wait!

What does looking on with envy mean?

Jiang Xuan seriously looked at Zixia and found that she was indeed envious, but not looking at him, rather looking at Yao Xi.

Although back then at Hualong Pool Zixia had indeed worried about helping him, Jiang Xuan did not think she was like Yao Xi.

Even if she liked him, Zixia would first hide her affection in her heart, but what was going on now? Could it be that Yao Xi had corrupted her?

Zixia's expression now made Jiang Xuan suddenly think of a famous scene, making him want to say that line:

No! You came at just the right time!

As if sensing Jiang Xuan's unbelievable gaze, Zixia raised her head and their gazes collided.

She instantly sensed the meaning revealed in Jiang Xuan's gaze; her face, unadorned by powder, instantly turned red, and she lowered her head pretending to be a camel.

Yao Xi did not notice her friend's change at this moment; when Jiang Xuan pulled her into his arms, Yao Xi's mind was already blank, all her consciousness wandering between thought and disillusionment.

Those expectations, persistence, and waiting were worth it at this moment!

Jiang Xuan actually knew both of their hearts; this was also the reason he came to Yaochi Holy Land immediately after his tribulation.

Jiang Xuan possessed the Space-Imagination Authority; any thinking or discussion targeting him, he could know in an instant.

When in the Mysterious World before, he could not know the two's thoughts across the universe, but after he returned, their thoughts had almost never stopped; that longing made him inevitably moved in his heart.

After a while, Zixia and Yao Xi sat opposite the disheveled Jiang Xuan, Yao Xi's face still carrying a hint of rosiness.

The reason for being disheveled was not that Jiang Xuan had done anything; it was entirely the flustered Yao Xi tearing at them.

"Jiang Xuan, is the Western Emperor Sutra useful to you? We two have also learned the Western Emperor Sutra; we can directly show it to you!" Yao Xi asked doubtfully, Zixia beside her nodding seriously, completely not caring that they were now Direct Disciples of Yaochi Holy Land's Holy Lord.

If the two did not have deep feelings, Jiang Xuan might really have let them show it, but knowing the two's feelings for him, he decided not to let them bear the title of betrayal.

So he decided not to look for the two, but directly ask Yaochi Holy Mother; if that didn't work, he would go to Ancient Yaochi.

"The Western Emperor Sutra is Yaochi's Emperor Scripture; as Yaochi Disciples, you cannot easily pass it down. If you secretly pass it to me, it might cause trouble!"

"Are you concerned about me and Zixia?" Yao Xi's eyes were like silk, as if she wanted to hook away a person's soul.

"I guess so!" Jiang Xuan did not deny it.

"Then do you like me more or like Zixia more?" Yao Xi asked again.

Even Zixia, who was forcing herself to remain calm beside them, now pricked up her ears, preparing to openly eavesdrop, her breathing slowing down.

"That's enough! Careful, I'll take you out and eat you later!" Jiang Xuan said in a bad mood.

"Tsk!" Yao Xi's nose tip slightly raised, she snorted lightly to show dissatisfaction: "I'm not willing to know anyway!"

(Chapter End)