Now that the war against the Liao Clan offered some breathing room, the Palace of Grand Beginning's support for Wei Yuan became noticeably different.
Upon learning that Wei Yuan had been plotted against, True Monarch Xuanyue had wanted to plunge straight into the Land of Rain on the spot to help Hongye burn through what little lifespan he had left. Naturally, this act was halted by Immortal Monarch Tinghai, who also put an end to Xuanyue's notion of going sightseeing in the Nether Cold Realm.
Wei Yuan had undertaken the duty of suppressing the Heavenly Abyss fiend, and his realm had already been acknowledged by the heaven and earth of the Nether Cold Realm. Though Immortal Monarch Tinghai's cultivation had been ruined, his discernment remained sharp; he had long since noticed the traces of the Nether Cold Realm's worldly power blessing Wei Yuan.
Thus, the Nether Shamans turned a blind eye to Wei Yuan, and Long Zhe maintained an ambiguous stance, effectively giving his tacit consent. But if Xuanyue dared step into the Nether Cold Realm, it would be tantamount to demonstrating force right in Long Zhe's backyard—something Long Zhe could not ignore even if he wanted to.
Afterward, Immortal Monarch Tinghai had Wei Yuan remain for several more days, providing comprehensive and meticulous guidance on his cultivation. At this stage, Wei Yuan walked a path unprecedented in history; Xuanyue was not truly a good teacher, and even if he wished to offer advice, he lacked the means.
Immortal Monarch Tinghai helped Wei Yuan sort through all the fundamental knowledge of the cultivation world from the ground up, expounding on the essence of the Five Elements, Yin, and Yang. He also guided Wei Yuan through every book and text concerning the Heavenly Abyss, explaining every difficulty along the way until Wei Yuan had thoroughly comprehended and integrated it all.
Yet regarding the evolution and development of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, Immortal Monarch Tinghai did not utter a single word, leaving Wei Yuan to explore it entirely on his own.
The first few days were manageable enough, but during the final three days, Immortal Monarch Tinghai grew exceedingly enthusiastic. He picked up the treatise *Basic Principles and Advanced Applications of Five Elements Dao Soldiers* and began to lecture.
In an instant, Wei Yuan felt as though the sky had collapsed.
Countless profound and subtle tenets seemed to crash down upon his head, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Long strings of numbers, Heavenly Stems, and Earthly Branches transformed into golden headbands clamped tight around his skull; every time the Immortal Monarch's lips moved, Wei Yuan's head throbbed as if splitting apart. The lingering aftermath was an endless bout of yawns and streaming tears.
For three whole days, Wei Yuan felt as if the entire world contained only the Immortal Monarch's voice—buzzing, droning on, endlessly and incessantly.
Inside the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, the mortals fell dead silent. Those never-before-seen algorithms and utterly bizarre topics compelled every self-styled genius among them to hold their tongue.
As for the stubborn mules and contrarians, they found no purchase at all, unable even to make sense of what was being said. They cared about saving face, well aware that the moment they opened their mouths to criticize, everyone would instantly see through to their frail reality: they understood nothing at all.
Finally, at midnight seven days later, the chimes rang right on cue. Immortal Monarch Tinghai's voice ceased abruptly. He laughed ruefully. "My old habit flared up again, without a thought for whether you could even follow along. Well, let us leave it at that. You and I can be considered to have shared seven days of master-disciple karma. You may take your leave; I need some rest."
Wei Yuan bowed with utmost reverence, then walked all the way down the peak.
True Monarch Xuanyue had been waiting at the foot of the mountain the entire time. Seeing Wei Yuan descend, he asked eagerly, "How was it? What did the Palace Master teach you?"
Wei Yuan immediately brought out a sheet of jade paper and instantly imprinted it with numbers and algorithms using his divine sense. Then he said, "This was the main substance of it, along with quite a few extensions. Why don't you take a look first, Patriarch?"
Xuanyue took it, his gaze instantly turning profound. After studying it for a moment, he said, "What is written here is magnificent indeed. The Palace Master truly commands the highest vantage point—worthy of a True Immortal! Study it well after you return, and you will undoubtedly benefit without end."
"Shall I leave a copy for Sky Azure Hall as well? That way, when this disciple returns in the future, I can consult you on it."
True Monarch Xuanyue handed the jade paper back to Wei Yuan and said, "There is no need for that. I moved past this stage long ago. Your Dao path has yet to be fixed, which makes this precisely the time to draw upon the strengths of many schools. Learning more can do you no harm."
True Monarch Xuanyue spoke with righteous solemnity. Seeing that Wei Yuan was about to speak again, the old Daoist gave him no chance. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, a majestic surge of Dao power enveloped Wei Yuan as he said, "Come, follow me to pay visits to the patriarchs of the various halls. It will be the perfect chance to gather some resources for your Nether Cold Realm. After all, that boundary stone is a relic left behind by our founding patriarch; we cannot let it appear too shabby."
With that, the two took off with explosive speed, the howling astral wind rushing at Wei Yuan's face and shoving every word back down his throat.
This tour yielded remarkable results: the patriarchs of each hall generously opened their purses, contributing both money and personnel.
Xuanyue collected all the immortal silver, rounding it out to a clean ten million taels. As a result, Sky Azure Hall could be raised by another twenty zhang. This was no simple increase in height; it enhanced the efficiency of converting heaven-and-earth origin qi. In the future, disciples of Sky Azure Hall cultivating within the hall would see their efficiency increase by twenty percent.
In addition, each hall sent several outstanding disciples to Qingming to temper their spiritual nature. The patriarchs felt a bit sheepish, thinking that while this was a great blessing, Wei Yuan himself was receiving very little benefit from it, so they shoved pills and magical treasures into Wei Yuan's arms one after another.
Having accepted their gifts, Wei Yuan solemnly declared that he would thoroughly oversee the cultivation of these junior brothers and sisters, ensuring they strove vigorously along the Dao path and never squandered a single minute or second!
Their final stop was Heavenly Mechanism Hall. True Monarch Xuanyue did not bother knocking and pushed the doors open, only to see True Monarch Yanshi seated in the courtyard, savoring tea.
Seeing Xuanyue, True Monarch Yanshi did not even raise his head. "If you are here to borrow money, do not even bother opening your mouth—unless you promise not to raise Sky Azure Hall any higher."
Xuanyue spun on his heel to leave, saying, "I originally thought to help resolve that child Liuli's Dao heart. Now it seems her own patriarch already has a plan, so there is no need for us to worry."
"Hold on!" True Monarch Yanshi fixed his gaze on Xuanyue. "You may only raise it by another ten zhang!"
"Done! Only ten zhang more!" Xuanyue agreed readily.
True Monarch Yanshi tossed a small pouch straight at Xuanyue. "Inside are Illusion Star Colored Crystals, which can accelerate the conversion of heaven-and-earth origin qi. Take them to renovate that wretched shack of yours!"
Xuanyue caught it with a beaming grin and gave Wei Yuan a hard slap on the shoulder. "Why haven't you thanked the True Monarch yet? If you don't cure your senior sister, don't even think about returning to the mountain gate!"
When True Monarch Yanshi looked at Wei Yuan, his expression softened considerably. After pondering for a moment, he handed Wei Yuan a jade bottle. "Inside is a strand of Profound Heaven Purple Qi, capable of enlightening immortal flora. This should be just what you need right now."
He then presented a translucent silk handkerchief. "This magical treasure is called Fate-Disrupting Silk. It can temporarily obscure karmic luck, preventing others from discerning your fortune through the Qi-Gazing Technique. In addition, when necessary, it can also prevent your karmic luck from affecting others."
Both treasures were remarkably practical and of immense value. After Wei Yuan accepted them, True Monarch Yanshi said, "Go find Liuli. I have already summoned her out of seclusion. I still have words to exchange with old Chunqiu... ahem, with your patriarch. Once you two pack your things, you may depart on your own. There is no need to bid me farewell."
Receiving his orders, Wei Yuan headed to Ji Liuli's cultivation cave dwelling.
Ji Liuli resided in a secluded, tranquil valley surrounded by dense woods. There were no traces of human presence around, yet little spirit beasts bounded back and forth from time to time. From the outside, it seemed serene and desolate, but within, it brimmed with vitality.
When Wei Yuan arrived at the cave dwelling's entrance, the defensive ward opened of its own accord, and Ji Liuli's voice drifted out: "Come in."
Wei Yuan stepped slowly into the cave dwelling.
This was Ji Liuli's cave dwelling for closed-door cultivation. The furnishings within were exceedingly simple, carrying even a hint of asceticism, yet the spiritual qi was so dense it seemed almost tangible.
Inside were merely a few stone chambers. Ji Liuli, clad in plain robes, sat cross-legged upon a cold stone dais in the inner chamber, her eyes lowered and closed, her countenance clear and serene. Her waist-length dark hair was tied simply behind her head with a moon-white silk ribbon. Just as before, she was flawless to the point of perfection, but so perfect that one could not help looking up to her in awe.
Looking at Wei Yuan, Ji Liuli's expression turned somewhat complex. "We have not seen each other for how long, and you are already in the Myriad Transformations Realm? This cultivation of yours has far surpassed mine."
"A stroke of serendipity, combined with a willingness to risk my life. If my luck had been just a bit worse, you would not be seeing me today."
"Was it that dangerous? Tell me about it." Ji Liuli was visibly moved, concern welling in the depths of her eyes.
Wei Yuan then gave a focused account of refining an eight-hundred-thousand-strong army of the Shaman Clan with karmic fire and how he had nearly been possessed by a golden Dharma Idol.
The more Ji Liuli listened, the more shaken she became. She said solemnly, "Those bald donkeys harbored malicious intentions! Don't you ever listen to them. Once you actually accept a Dharma Idol, whether it's the Great Sun or the Tathāgata, in the end, it will become them, not you. How long have you even been cultivating? How could you possibly contend against those old monsters who have reincarnated who knows how many times?"
Only when Wei Yuan nodded solemnly did Ji Liuli feel reassured. She asked, "What Dharma Idol did you say those bald donkeys of Great Baohua prepared for you earlier?"
"That... King Buddha," Wei Yuan mumbled vaguely.
"Zero sincerity! What kind of 'King Buddha'? Just the sound of it shows it's no righteous path. Once I pass my inner tribulation, I will certainly go thrash those bald donkeys on your behalf!"
"Then I will wish Eldest Senior Sister success in advance. Everything is ready on my side. Shall we set off now?"
"Let's go!" Ji Liuli was never one to drag her feet.
Chapter 647