Chapter 311: Jointly Asking the Mountain, Tianshu Academy
Mossy paths slant through the rain, stream clouds darkly encircle the city.
In the rain-drenched Shengjing, the spring outings of the aristocratic Sect in the imperial court were as lively as ever.
Green Willow River embankment, luxurious carriages and horses, everywhere were figures in splendid robes, exuding an Immortal Aura, gathering in the spring of Shengjing, drinking and conversing animatedly.
However, at this moment, someone holding a letter hurried over, landing on the river embankment, and huddled with three people who had greeted him with cupped hands, whispering amongst themselves. Their faces changed, and then they passed the news to other acquaintances.
This scene was like the marble game played by children in Shengjing: one striking another, and then that one rolling towards others in succession.
In the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, half of the people on the vibrant spring river embankment were already whispering and discussing animatedly.
The Disciples of Tianshu Academy were also at this spring outing. As Disciples of a Immortal Sect, they occupied a spot in the most elegant apricot grove.
Among those seated were Yu Shiliu, Gu Zetao, and Xiang Fu from the Inner Courtyard, as well as Lu Qingqiu, Sun Qiaozhi, Puyang Xing, and others from the Outer Courtyard.
Yu Shiliu and the others had come out to relax because their cultivation was monotonous, and they needed to alleviate the stagnation in their Dao Heart.
Lu Qingqiu and Sun Qiaozhi, before leaving the Courtyard, wanted to seize the opportunity to strengthen connections and relationships with people who might be useful in the future.
And most of what they discussed was news about Tianshu Academy.
Chai Ze had already touched the threshold of the Innate Realm and was in the process of breaking through.
As the personal nephew of the Chang Sheng Dian Lord, this personal Disciple of the Hall Lord had always been inconspicuous, appearing somewhat transparent compared to He Lingxiu and the former You Buyu.
But after the Tiandao Conference, this situation reversed.
Chai Ze entered the Xianxian Holy Land for cultivation, making rapid progress, far surpassing other fellow cultivators.
If he succeeded in this breakthrough, he would likely become the youngest Innate Realm Disciple in Tianshu Academy's recent history.
As for He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and other Prodigies with exceptional talent in Integration Realm, they had been in seclusion for over a year with no news of a breakthrough, so they should still be far from it.
Additionally, Yan Shujing, a Disciple of Lingjian Mountain, had already begun her breakthrough, and her breakthrough time might be similar to Chai Ze's, or even faster.
From this point alone, everyone felt that their Tianshu Academy might not truly be much worse than Lingjian Mountain.
Moreover, Fang Jincheng had been out and about these past few days, appearing exasperated every time.
Because after a long period of secluded cultivation, Lu Hanyan had already touched the threshold of the Tongxuan Middle Stage. A few days ago, she was preparing Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, ready to break through.
Everyone was guessing their breakthrough times, wondering if they could make it to this year's Immortal Roaming Conference.
If they could, with their cultivation after breaking through, they might be able to recover one-tenth of Tianshu Academy's declining Aura.
Just as everyone was chatting happily, Wang Gaocen suddenly rushed over from the south side of the river embankment.
His cultivation wasn't going smoothly, so he didn't like discussing news of who had broken through. He had just been invited by some aristocratic youths from the capital to watch a song and dance performance.
But when he returned, everyone noticed that he looked grim.
"What's wrong?"
"Dan Sect has sealed its mountain."
"?"
As his words fell, everyone present was stunned for a moment, then their expressions changed drastically: "Where did this news come from?"
Wang Gaocen sat on a rattan chair: "Dan Sect sent messages to the Six Great Immortal Sects, the Great Xia Imperial Court, and Qionghua Pavilion, and Wan Chun Tang, stating that they were sealing their mountain.
From now on, no more Medicinal Pills will be sent out."
"A message from the Dan Sect Master?"
"That's right. Just now, Princess Changle brought a copied message; it should be authentic."
Sun Qiaozhi raised her eyebrows slightly: "Did they say why?"
Wang Gaocen shook his head: "They only said they were sealing the mountain; the reason was not revealed in the message."
"How did the other Immortal Sects react?"
"The other Immortal Sects did not respond, as if they tacitly agreed."
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank immediately.
For hundreds of years, Dan Sect had played an indispensable role in the cultivation world, because only they could refine Medicinal Pills that could be used for comprehending the Dao.
But no one had ever imagined that they would one day seal their mountain.
This meant that the annual supply of Medicinal Pills would cease.
This matter was simply a bolt from the blue for Disciples of Immortal Sects with extraordinary status like Yu Shiliu and Wang Gaocen.
They had been stuck in the Profound Connection Realm for a long time, and now they barely felt the threshold of breakthrough. They had planned to stabilize for a period, and then choose to break through after obtaining the Medicinal Pills from Dan Sect. At this moment, they found it utterly unacceptable.
Because they had already felt during their previous breakthroughs how important a Dan Sect Medicine that could enhance Comprehension Ability during the breakthrough period was.
To put it bluntly, with tens of thousands of Disciples from the Six Great Immortal Sects combined, without the cooperation of Dan Sect Medicinal Pills, many people's breakthroughs would become much more difficult.
But the problem was that Dan Sect suddenly announced the sealing of its mountain, cutting off the supply of Spirit Medicine, yet it did not provoke the wrath of the other Immortal Sects.
This should not be.
On a drizzling spring day, as news spread rapidly, the news of Dan Sect sealing its mountain gradually spread throughout Qingyun World.
For several days in a row, the entire Qingyun World was in an uproar, and the discussions could not be quelled.
Even some Old Ancestors of aristocratic Sect who had been in seclusion for many years came out to inquire about the situation.
After confirming that the news was true, many people flew towards Dan Sect, preparing to investigate.
But they were forced to stop as soon as they reached Huichun Town, because Dan Sect's protective array had been fully activated, with vast Mystic Light carrying Killing Intent surrounding the mountains, preventing everyone from approaching.
Moreover, the protective array came with cloud and mist concealment, so some people who wanted to peek from the foot of the mountain could not do so.
So, not long after, someone thought of Ji You at this moment.
Because almost everyone in Shengjing knew that Ji You and the Daughter of Dan Sect had a secret affair.
Sealing the mountain meant that all alchemists would be unable to descend the mountain, and the Daughter of Dan Sect would no longer be able to see him. Therefore, she would at least send a message to Ji You,
Informing him of the reason for the sealing and how long it would last.
Thus, countless people came to Shengjing to find him. Even Chong Wang and his daughter sent a visiting card to Worry-Free Commerce, wanting to invite Ji You for a chat.
The Chong Wang family was not so eager for Medicinal Pills, but for them, this was an opportunity to win over an Immortal.
However, after searching and searching, they found that Ji You was no longer in Shengjing.
"Cultivating in the mortal world?"
"That's right, it's said that he left not long after the New Year."
"Who said that?"
"Lu Qingqiu said it."
"Since his pillow companion said it, it's probably true, but—what exactly is he cultivating?"
Before the New Year, many things happened in Qingyun World. Everyone was rumored that Ji You's combat power was unusual, but no one had ever seen him make a move.
Now that he had suddenly gone out to cultivate and had not returned, not only were the cultivators who came to Shengjing to find him puzzled, but even those in Tianshu Academy wondered what Ji You was cultivating.
However, despite their doubts, what everyone cared about was what to do about Medicinal Pills in the future.
Not long after, a whistling Aura suddenly appeared above Shengjing, tearing through the clouds at noon, when the sun was setting, and landing in front of Ni Mountain.
Between tea houses and taverns, countless gazes gathered, and five Immortal banners were seen fluttering in the wind.
Apart from Dan Sect, the other five Great Immortal Sects had come to Tianshu Academy to ask the mountain.
This scene fell into the eyes of others, causing endless confusion.
The five Great Immortal Sects moving together, carrying Immortal banners to ask the mountain—such a scene had not occurred for hundreds of years.
"The purpose of these five Great Immortal Sects should be related to Dan Sect sealing its mountain."
"Dan Sect sealed its mountain, why aren't the five Great Immortal Sects going to Dan Sect? Instead, they've all gathered at Tianshu Academy? And with such a fierce Aura?"
"Unclear."
On Chang'an Avenue, cultivators in tea houses and taverns occasionally gazed at the five Great Immortal Sects entering Tianshu Academy with Immortal banners, their hearts filled with doubt and uncertainty.
And the Disciples of Tianshu Academy's Inner Courtyard were also near the mountain path at this moment, watching the people from the five Great Immortal Sects ascend the mountain with solemn expressions.
Although asking the mountain was not as confrontational as asking the Dao, which required responding with battle, it was certainly not a friendly gesture.
They could feel the Killing Intent emanating from those Immortal Sect individuals, which spread all the way to Zizai Hall, startling them and making them lose all desire to cultivate.
What happened?
Dan Sect sealed its mountain, why did Tianshu Academy suddenly become the target of all criticism?
Yu Shiliu and Gu Zetao and others watched them enter the hall, but they simply could not understand the inside story.
In the evening, the setting sun left its last fiery red before nightfall.
Zizai Hall Lord Zuoqiuyang stood on the mountain peak with his hands behind his back, his gaze cold and sharp.
During the years when the Sect Master did not manage Sect affairs, the internal affairs of Tianshu Academy were handled by Junior Sister You Yingqiu, while external affairs were handled by him.
So, the people from the five Great Immortal Sects who came to ask the mountain today were received by him.
Afterwards, he stood on the cliff, remaining silent.
However, he was not the only one on the cliff. Behind him stood Qin Rong, Lang Hetong, and Ji Jingyao, the three Masters-in-charge, as well as Ge Elder,
Peng Elder, and a host of figures from the Elder Council.
They were aware that the Great Barren Forest relic had been opened and Immortal fruits had been brought out from it.
And they also knew that the five Great Immortal Sects had visited Dan Sect, wanting to borrow alchemists to refine Immortal fate.
In fact, they knew exactly when each of these five Great Immortal Sects arrived at Dan Mountain.
But just as the people on Dan Mountain discussed, the actions undertaken jointly by the five Great Immortal Sects were a major trend in the world, and Tianshu Academy could not stop it.
After all, for cultivators, comprehending the Dao and cultivating is the top priority. Now that Immortal fate has descended, who can stop it? And the only thing they could do was not to make matters worse.
However, even though they did not send anyone to Dan Mountain, they still kept a close eye on Dan Sect's situation.
They knew that the people from the five Great Immortal Sects stayed on the mountain for two days, and then a fierce battle erupted on the mountain.
But what surprised them was that when those Sect Immortals left Dan Mountain, they were in a sorry state and did not bring down any Alchemists.
It wasn't until just now, when the five great Immortal Sects arrived aggressively, that they understood what had happened on Dan Mountain and why the five great Immortal Sects had taken such action.
Ji You, alone, guarded Dan Mountain in the name of Tianshu Academy, killing five Wujiang Realm experts.
The three Master-in-charge of the Master's Courtyard were somewhat better off; they had personally witnessed Ji You's sword strike against Elder Fang, and there wasn't much personal animosity between them and Ji You. However, the Elders of the Elder Council were filled with dread, unable to recover from the shock of this news.
That rustic private cultivator, who had been invited into the academy by a twist of fate back then, had always been considered merely an interlude in the cultivation paths of other Sect' Disciples. Yet now, he alone had repelled the siege of the five great Immortal Sects, his combat power surpassing many Elders within the academy.
“Master Jian Zuoqiu, how should we handle this matter?”
“The five great Immortal Sects are now entirely focused on the ruins and have no time to attend to other matters. Therefore, their visit to Tianshu Academy this time is mostly a show of force, not an intention to start a war. However, they will not let Ji You's matter rest.”
Qin Rong couldn't help but speak after hearing this, “Given Ji You's current combat power, it would be very difficult to kill him unless a Spirit Roaming Realm expert makes a move.”
Zuoqiuyang turned his head upon hearing this, “But he still has people he cherishes.”
“This—”
“Elders.”
The many Elders of the Elder Council came back to their senses upon hearing this and bowed slightly, saying, “Master Jian Zuoqiu, please speak.”
Zuoqiuyang turned back to them, “Ji You is a person who distinguishes clearly between love and hate, and he never fears power. The deep rift you created with him over a small matter back then is not a good thing for Tianshu Academy.”
“What Master Jian says is true.”
“However, this matter is not irreconcilable. Therefore, you must make a trip to Feng Province. Save as many people as you can from the Ji Residence.”
Upon hearing this, the Elders of the Elder Council instantly fell silent, their gazes complex as they looked at each other.
Ji You was a student they had looked down upon back then, but now, they needed to curry favor with him.
After a long silence, Elder Ge and Peng Elder were the first to bow and accept the order, followed by the other Elders who also bent their waists.
There was no direct enmity between them and Ji You; everything back then stemmed from Elder Fang.
Now that Elder Fang had left Tianshu Academy, maintaining hostility with Ji You, who could kill five Wujiang Realm experts, was clearly not a wise choice.
Thus, amidst the rising mountain wind, a group of white-haired Elders flew away, disappearing into the night amidst the brilliant sunset glow.
Qin Rong watched them leave, then looked at Zuoqiuyang, “There is also a close friend of Ji You in the city.”
Zuoqiuyang looked in the direction of Shengjing, “Try to get the person up the mountain before the other Immortal Sects do.”
“Does Master Jian really intend to protect Ji You?”
“Doing nothing can certainly eliminate the hostility of the five great Immortal Sects, but if Tianshu Academy can't even protect a Disciple, it will become the laughingstock of the world.”
Qin Rong and the other two Master-in-charge accepted the order, but a hint of doubt flickered in their eyes.
In fact, they had always been very clear that Tianshu Academy was not truly as the outside world claimed, completely rejecting Ji You, the rustic private cultivator, from top to bottom.
At the very least, since he entered Tianshu Academy, Master Jian Zuoqiu and You Dianzhu (Hall Master You) had both spoken up for him.
Autumn Tournament, return from Qi Ridge, envoy to the Snow Region—examples were everywhere.
But while those matters seemed to help Ji You, to a large extent, they were still for the sake of maintaining the stability of Tianshu Academy.
Just like the Tiandao Conference preliminary selection, the Elder Council at that time wanted to use the excuse that he was using Spiritual Sword Mountain Sword Dao, which would boost the prestige of other Sects, to prevent him from participating in the preliminary selection.
And the reason Zuoqiuyang insisted on allowing him to participate, despite dissenting opinions, was partly because everyone at the time knew that Ji You was the only one who could help Tianshu Academy contend for the top spot.
But this time was different.
This was the first time Tianshu Academy had publicly protected Ji You, and under the hostility of the five great Immortal Sects, such protection offered no benefit to the stability of Tianshu Academy.
At this moment, Zuoqiuyang watched them descend the mountain. After a moment of silence, he pulled out a yellowed old book from his sleeve.
This book was not a Cultivation Technique secret scroll, nor a Qingyun history classic. Instead, it was a book with a cover that looked like a storybook, with the words “Night Watcher” written on it.
At the same time, the night in Shengjing City was not peaceful.
Countless people discussing today's events in the taverns saw Immortal Sect members moving through the night, then heading towards Chunhua Alley.
Not long after, others saw them appear, full of Killing Intent, in the west of the city.
Then came the Si Xian Supervisor, followed by Prince Chong's Mansion.
Chong Wang and his daughter were not asleep; instead, they were pondering how to benefit from the Dan Sect's closure of Dan Mountain.
But before they could discuss anything conclusive, they heard a knocking at the gate outside.
The servants in the mansion went to open the door and saw an old man wearing a Spiritual Sword Mountain sword robe, along with a dozen Disciples who had come with him.
Prince Chong's Mansion had always supported an Elder from Tianjian Peak, and Zhao Yunyue was also a Named Disciple of Lingjian Mountain who did not cultivate on the mountain. Therefore, when they saw an Elder from Lingjian Mountain arrive, they were very honored.
But what the father and daughter didn't expect was that they were asking for Wei Rui's whereabouts.
And after receiving the answer that they didn't know, they hurriedly left along the long street.
Chong Wang and Zhao Yunyue saw them off outside the mansion and saw countless Immortal Sect members walking along the street, their bodies exuding a chilling Aura.
“Yue'er, do you know why they are looking for Wei Rui?”
“I don't know either—”
Zhao Yunyue looked at those Immortal Sect members full of Killing Intent and couldn't help but murmur.
The next morning, the traces of the Immortal Sect members had disappeared from Shengjing City, but the lingering prestige still left the entire morning in silence. People came and went, not daring to speak much.
Even the tea houses and taverns did not open, and the quiet atmosphere was even more pronounced than on a New Year's holiday.
It wasn't until midday, with the sun shining brightly, and confirming that nothing had happened, that vendors reopened and people dared to talk about last night.
Zhao Yunyue also specially left Prince Chong's Mansion to listen to the rumors in a tea house.
Because no matter what happened, Wei Rui had always been like a younger sister to her, and she felt uneasy if she didn't find out clearly.
But what she didn't expect was that, based on the information she gathered from casual conversations, she found that Wei Rui was not the target of the Immortal Sects.
Because they first went to Chunhua Alley, then to the Si Xian Supervisor, and only then to the Wei Residence.
So their actual target was Kuang Cheng, and it was only because they couldn't find Kuang Cheng that they had no choice but to look for Wei Rui.
And Kuang Cheng was merely an official of the Si Xian Supervisor, without any cultivation, just a mortal. Naturally, he was not worth the five great Immortal Sects mobilizing such a large force.
Thus, some people connected it to the five great Immortal Sects questioning Tianshu Academy.
The intricate clues seemed chaotic, but they would always point to something.
It was like investigating a case: by peeling back the layers, one would naturally find the connections and the target.
They were looking for Ji You.
Inside and outside Tianshu Academy, up and down the tea houses and taverns, everyone guessed the true target of last night.
As for Zhao Yunyue, she recalled Wei Rui coming to bid her farewell more than ten days ago.
At that time, she said she was going to another province to visit relatives, and then she was respectfully invited away by a group of cultivators in plain clothes but with very profound cultivation. Kuang Cheng also left with her at that time.
“The person is gone?”
“That's right, the scholar named Kuang, and the young lady of the Wei Residence, both left Shengjing before the five great Immortal Sects gathered at Dan Mountain.”
“What about Feng Province?”
“Ji Village is empty, but the five great Immortal Sects wanted to grab some common people to act, but they were stopped by the Elder who went there.”
Upon hearing the news reported by the Disciple, Master Jian Zuoqiu, the three Master-in-charge, and the Elders who remained at Tianshu Academy all fell silent.
It was true that Ji You was a rustic private cultivator, but the biggest misunderstanding the entire world had about him was that he had no background.
He truly wasn't indispensable to Tianshu Academy, which made the Elders who had previously always wanted to expel Ji You from Tianshu Academy tremble slightly.
Zuoqiuyang remained silent for a moment before speaking, “Let the Elder who went to Feng Province guard for a while longer. Everything else remains as usual.”
“Yes.”
“Go back.”
The remaining Elders of the Elder Council rose one after another and then walked out of Zizai Hall.
Qin Rong, Lang Hetong, and Ji Jingyao also walked out with them, heading down the mountain, without speaking a word.
It wasn't until they returned to the Master's Courtyard that Lang Hetong finally couldn't help but blurt out a sentence.
“What you heard on the Dongping Mountain Range back then, was it really a family matter?”
“Impossible, that person is the young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain—”
When the green fields of Fangyuan were free to roam, chaotic catkins and flying flowers adorned old branches. After the continuous rain of Qingming, everything seemed to suddenly fall into tranquility.
The five great Immortal Sects left Shengjing, and nothing major happened, as if a story was only told in the middle, with no beginning and no end.
But in the hearts of the onlookers in Shengjing City, the surging waves were not so easily calmed.
Everyone realized that Ji You might have played a crucial role in the Dan Sect's closure of Dan Mountain and the five great Immortal Sects questioning Tianshu Academy, but they couldn't guess what he had done.
And at this moment, within Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Chen Clan, Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, and Lingjian Mountain, Immortal light continuously shone, and the Aura of breakthrough began to linger all day, subsiding in one place only to rise in another, one after another.
(The next two volumes will continuously push the main plot, so please don't save chapters! Also, please vote for monthly tickets!!!)
