After Meng Jingzhou was dragged away struggling and kicking, shrill screams soon echoed from afar.
Lu Yang and Man Gu were engrossed in picking their rewards.
"Man Gu, what are you buying?"
"I think I'll buy a copybook. Master said my handwriting is ugly and needs more practice."
Man Gu was drawn to a calligraphy copybook on the exchange board.
"Lightning Copybook... What a domineering name. Bought."
Lu Yang had wanted to advise Man Gu to reconsider, but before the words could leave his mouth, Man Gu had already made the purchase.
On the cover of the Lightning Copybook was a massive lightning bolt. Flipping open the first page revealed the instructions for use.
"Let's see the instructions... 'Write on the copybook using a brush. If you stray outside the margins, this copybook will erupt with ten thousand thunderbolts. Please handle with caution.'
"'Note: Do not submerge this copybook in water, as there is a risk of electrical leakage.'"
Man Gu: "..."
Was practicing calligraphy nowadays really this dangerous?
Man Gu bought nothing else. He wanted to use his remaining contribution points at Weapon Refinement Peak to upgrade his iron hammer.
Having it merely recite *Sayings of the Sage* automatically in battle still could not fully demonstrate his identity as a Confucian cultivator. Man Gu wanted to engrave *Sayings of the Sage* onto the hammer and add two spikes while he was at it, to ensure that every strike punched a clean hole right through during combat.
Perfection.
...
The Imperial Palace.
The Chief Eunuch had served Emperor Xia for over forty years and believed he was quite familiar with this ruler of the Great Xia Dynasty. Yet the scene that followed completely shattered his understanding.
Emperor Xia sat upright on the imperial throne. Seeing Yun Zhi walking slowly over, he took the initiative to rise and welcome her, his face beaming with smiles.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi has arrived! Please, take a seat."
Emperor Xia actually moved a chair over himself for Yun Zhi to sit on, then sat down beside her, not returning to the imperial throne.
"Someone, bring over the fruit freshly offered as tribute from the south for Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi to taste."
Soon, a junior eunuch carried in a fruit platter piled with an assortment of fruits, some shaped like lychees, others like bananas...
Yun Zhi peeled open a lychee-shaped fruit. The flesh within was golden, brimming with the essence of an astounding natural treasure; consuming just this single fruit could propel a cultivator from the late Qi Refinement stage straight to middle Foundation Establishment.
"It tastes quite good," Yun Zhi praised politely after tasting it, bringing great joy to Emperor Xia.
"Quickly, bring a crate for Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi to take with her!"
Even with the Chief Eunuch's consummate ability to keep a straight face, his expression twitched slightly upon witnessing this.
He had never seen His Majesty treat anyone with such eager deference.
Yun Zhi stopped Emperor Xia. "Your Majesty has no need for this. If you have a request, simply speak it."
Emperor Xia dismissed his attendants, the Chief Eunuch included.
Rubbing his hands together, Emperor Xia asked with some excitement, "I hear that Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi's cultivation is supposedly much higher than that of our family's venerable ancestor?"
Yun Zhi shook her head slowly. "It is merely a hair's breadth of difference. Please do not exaggerate, Your Majesty."
"Here's the thing. Lately, our old ancestor keeps thinking he's number one in the world and that no one can beat him. That kind of mentality isn't good for cultivation, so I was wondering if I could find someone to beat him up a bit. After much thought, I felt Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi would be the most suitable."
Yun Zhi: "...Does Your Majesty hold some grudge against your venerable ancestor?"
In Yun Zhi's impression, Emperor Xia's ancestor was not that kind of person.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi, you really know how to joke! Our old ancestor beat me as I grew up from a child—how could there be a grudge?"
Yun Zhi: "..."
"All right, all right, that was just a little joke of mine earlier. Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi doesn't need to take it seriously." Emperor Xia reined in his smile.
Yun Zhi wanted to say that he hadn't looked like he was joking in the least, but it was better not to utter words that might strain relations.
Yun Zhi still understood such simple worldly wisdom.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi has convened the Great Xia Dynasty and the Four Great Immortal Sects here; presumably, you made some major discovery in the course of eradicating the Immortal Cult?"
"Yes." Yun Zhi nodded, saying nothing further.
Seeing Yun Zhi fall silent, Emperor Xia assumed she had misgivings and said, "Is Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi worried that intelligence might leak here? There is no need for concern at all. This place is reinforced with an immortal-grade formation set down by our ancestor. Even an immortal could not hope to eavesdrop in secret.
"Or do you feel heavenly secrets cannot be revealed in words, and must be hinted at through gestures?"
Emperor Xia pondered what Yun Zhi's behavior might be hinting at.
Was she hinting that enemies were everywhere? That silence was the best way to handle the enemy? Or that Daoist Buyu was the key to breaking the deadlock?
Yun Zhi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I simply did not want to explain it once to Your Majesty, only to repeat it all over again to the sect masters of the Four Great Immortal Sects."
Emperor Xia: "..."
The sect masters of the Four Great Immortal Sects soon arrived at the Imperial Palace, among them Qiu Jin'an, Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect, whom she had parted with not long ago.
Qiu Jin'an had not expected the Dao Seeking Sect to act so swiftly. In under five days, they had uprooted the Immortal Cult in one fell swoop, even shutting down the breeding farm opened by the Cult Master.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi, we meet again." Qiu Jin'an cupped his hands.
"The Dao Seeking Sect did splendidly! The Four Great Demonic Cults have instantly lost one of their number. I wonder how the remaining three will react when they hear the news—they'll probably be scuttling about like terrified rats with their heads in their hands!" The Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect laughed heartily; nothing was more exhilarating than this.
He decided that upon returning to his sect, he would give the entire sect a five-day holiday to cut loose and celebrate.
"Splendid," the Abbot of the Hanging Temple murmured, fingering his prayer beads. Though economical with his words, joy was clear upon his face.
Luo Hongxia, Palace Master of Moon Laurel Immortal Palace, dared not speak to Yun Zhi, terrified that Yun Zhi might remember the marriage contract and make Lu Yang and Lan Ting wed.
Through this operation, the Four Great Immortal Sects renewed their perception of the Dao Seeking Sect.
The previous assessment had been: "The Four Great Immortal Sects defend the orthodox path, while the Dao Seeking Sect shakes it."
Now the consensus had shifted to: "The Five Great Immortal Sects defend the orthodox path."
Unaware of their inner thoughts, Yun Zhi came straight to the point.
"The reason I have convened everyone here is to share some intelligence obtained from the Immortal Cult—information that even the Cult Master of the Immortal Cult did not know himself.
"I will start with the conclusion.
"The existence of the Four Great Demonic Cults likely overturns our past understanding. Previously, we simply assumed that the demonic cults were sects formed by demonic cultivators banding together, whose threat paled before the impending Golden Age.
"Now I revise my view. I believe the masterminds behind the Four Great Demonic Cults are ancient celestials. The purpose of the Four Great Demonic Cults' existence is to condense rudimentary Dao fruits, which the ancient celestials will harvest at an opportune moment to turn into their own strength."
When these words were spoken, all five of them were shaken.
Possessing extraordinary backgrounds, they knew numerous secrets concerning celestials, including matters regarding Dao fruits and rudimentary Dao fruits.
Emperor Xia asked solemnly, "Is there proof?"
All Four Great Demonic Cults existed to condense rudimentary Dao fruits for ancient celestials to harvest.
This meant that a single celestial might possess two Dao fruits!
This was a terrifying prospect!
"Naturally. I have brought a witness."
Yun Zhi snapped her fingers, and the aged celestial appeared from another pocket of space.
"This is the object of the Immortal Cult's faith: the Immortal Celestial."
"Greetings, seniors! You seniors may just call me Xiao Lian."
Chapter 204