《Exposed After I became an Immortal》 Chapter 1 - Enlightenment Immortal Cultivation System! Chapter 1 ¡ª Enlightenment Immortal Cultivation System!Fifteenth Year of Hongwu, Ming Dynasty. Mid-May. [Mt.] Zhongshan. The deep flow of calm water, rose from the ground, it looked like a coiled giant dragon! It was known as the Dragon Coiled Mountain! The main peak, Beigaofeng, stood slightly north of the center and was the highest peak of Zhongshan. The second peak was Xiaomao Mountain, and the third is Tianbao Mountain. At this moment. At the foot of Beigaofeng. The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, in black clothes, and the crown prince, Zhu Biao, in plain clothes, stood at the foot of the mountain. In the distance, officials stood, dressed in mourning attire. At this time, the father and son looked back at the high peak, both had a trace of moisture in their eyes. The half-gray-haired Zhu Yuanzhang patted the shoulder of the crown prince Zhu Biao and softly said, ¡°Biao¡¯er! Let¡¯s go back! Our good grandson is buried in this beautiful land of Zhongshan. When my time comes, I will reunite with my good grandson!¡± The crown prince Zhu Biao nodded heavily; his voice choked with tears. ¡°Father ¡­ you will surely live a long life!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the mountain top again. At the mountain top, the clouds gathered. It was a time when purple light shone. ¡°Although I am the emperor, I know human life has an end. Let¡¯s go, Biao¡¯er! We, the grandfather and grandson, shall return to the palace. Ying has passed away! But we are still here! The Ming Dynasty¡­ still needs us to support it!¡± ¡­ One month later. On Beigaofeng, by the crystal-clear Xuanwu Lake. A boy in brocade clothes was lying by the lake, talking to a silverfish in the water. ¡°Fish, oh fish. Although you are in this lake, you are free. I won¡¯t eat you. After all, there are only a few silverfish in this lake. It would be a pity to eat them before they grow big. Eh? Truly a young boy¡¯s tender face!¡± As he spoke. The boy in brocade clothes touched his own cheek while lying there. He casually picked up the silverfish from the lake and put it back in, causing a splash. The silverfish swam away in the lake. At this moment, the boy in brocade clothes stood up, sat by the lake, resting his chin on his hand, watching the silverfish. A trace of worry flashed between his brows. ¡°A month has passed. It was so hard to escape from that tomb. Why hasn¡¯t my cheat system arrived yet! Others who travel through time get their cheat system right away! But my cheat system has been silent for so long, it¡¯s so unfair. Was it easy for me to escape from that tomb? Should I go down the mountain, or stay on the mountain? This is a problem.¡± The boy in brocade clothes muttered to himself. His name was Zhu Xuanji. He wasn¡¯t originally from this world. He was a wage slave from Blue Star. A month ago, he had been working overtime at his company for a week straight. Then, he woke up to find himself locked in a pitch-black box. Fortunately, the box wasn¡¯t completely sealed. After exerting all his strength, he managed to escape from the box. When he saw the outside of the box. He realized. He had traveled through time. He had traveled to a boy named Zhu Xiongying. Zhu Xiongying was only eight years old and had died young. So, when he crossed over, he went straight into a coffin. It took him a month to escape from the tomb. If there hadn¡¯t been various snacks and drinks in the tomb. He wouldn¡¯t have survived until he escaped. But he had no memory of his previous life. Hence, going down the mountain rashly, wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. Just when Zhu Xuanji¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil. Suddenly, a loud rumbling sounded in the sky! In an instant. Lightning flashed! Thunder rolled out! In a moment! An infinite divine light enveloped Zhongshan. Covered Zhu Xuanji. The next moment, a mechanical voice sounded in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s ear. Wow! The boy in brocade clothes suddenly brightened up. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Enlightenment Immortal Cultivation System?¡± ¡°This is ¡­¡± At this moment, a voice sounded in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s ear. Zhu Xuanji was confused! But the urgent warning from the system, gave him an unprecedented sense of crisis! He instinctively said, ¡°Activate!¡± The next moment! An extremely strong purple light descended from the heavens! The purple light covered the entire area. Enveloping Zhongshan! The strong purple light, seemed to shake the heavens and the earth! Even people a hundred miles away could see it. With the sound of the mechanical voice in his ears. Zhu Xuanji was stunned! ¡°What? Three hundred years without leaving Zhongshan? This is ridiculous! System!¡± Chapter 2 - Newbie Gift Pack! Continuous Rewards! Chapter 2 ¡ª Newbie Gift Pack! Continuous Rewards!¡°How dangerous is it outside?! It won¡¯t let me go out for three hundred years! Are those ancient demons really the kind that eat people at the drop of a hat? Forget it, forget it! Since it¡¯s already like this! Three hundred years, then three hundred years it is! This is Zhongshan ¡­ Is this now a blessed land?¡± Zhu Xuanji instinctively took a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his illusion! He just felt that the air in Zhongshan was much fresher than before. After he took a deep breath, it felt as if his entire body, down to every pore, was opening up! ¡°It¡¯s really different now!¡± Zhu Xuanji didn¡¯t hesitate! ¡°Yes!¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wow! As these notifications sounded in his ears, he saw a seven-story pavilion suddenly rise from the ground not far away! Hanging on the pavilion was a plaque with the four big characters ¡°Yunmeng Dao Pavilion¡±! The characters were strong and powerful, filled with ethereal aura, making it clear this was no ordinary place. Along with the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, there also appeared a Spirit Gathering Array! The Spirit Gathering Array looked like a stone house from the outside. It had a very natural and unadorned feel to it. Immediately, a sword appeared in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s hand! Only the hilt was visible! ¡°Han Guang Sword! What a divine sword!¡± Then, his clothes changed. A brocade robe turned into a light-colored Daoist robe. An eight-year-old boy became an eight-year-old Daoist child! Zhu Xuanji looked up and down at his outfit. A smile spread across his face. ¡°Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! This newbie gift pack is really powerful. So many good things. Truly wonderful!¡± Chapter 3 - Auspicious Purple Aura! The Dog Stealing Spiritual Herbs! Chapter 3: Auspicious Purple Aura! The Dog Stealing Spiritual Herbs!¡­ Ming Dynasty. Yingtian Prefecture, inside the royal palace. In the Wuying Hall! The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, was discussing state affairs with the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao. At this moment, Crown Prince Zhu Biao said, ¡°Father, this year most of the audit officials sent by the various provincial administrations have already arrived in the capital! But ¡­ there are still some from distant places who haven¡¯t arrived yet. Once they do, we can complete the verification of their respective offices¡¯ payment of funds and military supplies to the central government.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly and put down the memorial in his hand. ¡°Son, your mother¡¯s health has not been very good lately. Take some time to visit her more often.¡± Zhu Biao bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Father!¡± At this moment, a person hurriedly entered the hall from outside, bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, and said, ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°On Zhongshan, a purple light has suddenly enveloped the area! It can be seen within a radius of a hundred miles.¡± Zhu Yuanzhang frowned upon hearing this. ¡°Hmm? Purple light enveloping? Son! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go outside and have a look!¡± As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, the father and son, walked out of the hall together. Soon, they saw the purple light spreading across the sky outside Nanjing City! Zhu Biao looked at it and said, ¡°Father!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an ancient saying! Purple aura rising symbolizes the appearance of auspicious signs! This direction towards Zhongshan, suddenly enveloped in purple light! Could it be that some auspicious sign has appeared?¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows! Immediately, he said to a young man beside him, ¡°Er Hu! Send your men to investigate and find out what¡¯s going on!¡± The young man bowed respectfully upon hearing this. ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡± The young man quietly left. Zhu Biao said, ¡°Father. Is it really appropriate to let the Jinyiwei* investigate this matter ¡­¡± Zhu Yuanzhang said leisurely, ¡°Son, this year is a tumultuous one! This purple light appearing and enveloping the area around Zhongshan. If it¡¯s a good thing, so be it. But if there¡¯s really something bad, it¡¯s most appropriate for the Jinyiwei to handle it.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Biao nodded slightly. ¡°Father, you are wise!¡± ¡­ In the evening. At the foot of Zhongshan. Er Hu stood there with a stern and silent expression, looking up at the mountain. Beside him stood four sturdy men. Er Hu said, ¡°Gentlemen, have you found anything?¡± ¡°Sir!¡± One of the men bowed and cupped his hands, ¡°We four went into the mountain to investigate and found nothing. Everything is normal!¡± Er Hu nodded slightly, took one more look at Zhongshan, and then left with the four Jinyiwei. ¡­ On Zhongshan. As the slanting sun cast its rays. Zhu Xuanji stood atop the seventh floor of the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, looking down the mountain. A look of doubt flashed across his face. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s really strange! Those few people who just entered the mountain. It seems they couldn¡¯t see this Yunmeng Dao Pavilion at all. And they couldn¡¯t see me either! Could this be the system¡¯s protection? But the system¡¯s protection shouldn¡¯t just prevent anything from entering Zhongshan! These people can climb the mountain, but I can¡¯t go down the mountain! System, are you sure you¡¯re not messing with me?¡± ¡­ In a blink of an eye. Three months passed. During these three months. Zhu Xuanji either practiced the Basic Enlightenment Technique in the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion or cultivated qi in the Spirit Gathering Array, training the ¡°Glazed Golden Body Technique.¡± He also read through the ¡°Beast Mastery Technique¡± and the ¡°Atlas of Mountains and Seas¡± Since this system was called the Enlightenment Immortal Cultivation System. The Basic Enlightenment Technique and the Beast Mastery Technique were the key elements. Once he mastered these two techniques, he could enlighten living beings. He could continue to gain rewards. He could continuously become stronger! After three months of training, he made rapid progress. It was unclear whether it was due to his innate talent or because Zhongshan was a supreme blessed land. ¡°Three months have passed! The spiritual herbs should be mature by now! These three months, I¡¯ve been taking a Grain Abstinence Pill every seven days! I almost can¡¯t taste anything! Consuming the spiritual herbs for a long time should improve my physique! Let¡¯s go ¡­ and have a look!¡± Zhu Xuanji, dressed in Daoist robes, walked out of the Spirit Gathering Array and headed towards the distant medicinal field. By now, the northern peak of Zhongshan had long been transformed by the system into an immortal cave abode. The seeds from the system¡¯s newbie gift pack had already been automatically planted in the mountains. This included spiritual herb seeds. Before long, Zhu Xuanji arrived at the field. The field was lush green! It was full of spiritual herbs, vibrant and teeming with life. Zhu Xuanji squatted down, ready to pull out a spiritual herb and chew on it. He wanted to see what the spiritual herb tasted like. Suddenly, he saw a yellow-haired dog gnawing on the edge of the spiritual herb field. Seeing this, Zhu Xuanji stood up abruptly! He walked towards the dog. The dog seemed oblivious to Zhu Xuanji¡¯s approach, not dodging at all, and continued chewing on the spiritual herbs. Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°It seems this spiritual herb is indeed good. Even the dog is stealing it!¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 4 - Enlightening the Mountain Dog! Reward! The Great Wilderness Devouring Heaven Skill! Chapter 4: Enlightening the Mountain Dog! Reward! The Great Wilderness Devouring Heaven Skill! ¡°However ¡­ this spiritual herb belongs to me, a Realised Being*. You, a mere little mountain dog! How dare you steal and eat it! No way! I must keep you, this mountain dog, to guard my house and yard!¡± With a turn of his eyes, Zhu Xuanji stepped forward. He raised his hand. And pressed his palm on the mountain dog¡¯s head. [*Zhenren (Chinese: ÕæÈË; pinyin: zh¨¥nr¨¦n; lit. ¡®true/genuine person¡¯ or ¡®person of truth¡¯) is a Chinese term that first appeared in the Zhuangzi meaning ¡°Taoist spiritual master¡± in those writings. Religious Taoism mythologized zhenren, having them occupy various places in the celestial hierarchy sometimes synonymous with xian, while Chinese Buddhism used it to translate Arahant ¡°Enlightened One¡±. There are many possible titles and translations possible for this word, so I¡¯ve taken the liberty to use ¡°Realised Being¡±. You can feel free to read more about it here: Zhenren ¨C Wikipedia] Then, Zhu Xuanji activated the Basic Enlightenment Technique! Ripples, barely visible, spread from Zhu Xuanji¡¯s palm to the mountain dog¡¯s body. After about half an hour, the faint light on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s hand finally disappeared. Hearing these mechanical voices in his ears, Zhu Xuanji instantly became happy. ¡°The Great Wilderness Devouring Heaven Skill¡±! Just listen to the name, how domineering! Thinking this, Zhu Xuanji almost without hesitation chose the Heavenly Dog evolution path. ¡°Nani? There¡¯s punishment too? What the heck?¡± Zhu Xuanji was baffled, he never expected this development. That after determining the evolution path, there would be this condition. So, there was still a risk of the evolution not being successful. The mountain dog was still chewing on a few spiritual herbs, looked at Zhu Xuanji and said, ¡°Woof ¡­ Who are you?¡± After three months of cultivation, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s Glazed Golden Body Technique had also made some progress. His whole body radiated a golden light. He had a bit of an immortal presence. Although he looked like a youth. He had an air of authority without the might of one. This mountain dog had been subjected to Zhu Xuanji¡¯s Basic Enlightenment Technique. It could now speak human words. However, hearing the mountain dog¡¯s words, Zhu Xuanji realized that the Basic Enlightenment Technique indeed had limited effects. It couldn¡¯t make this mountain dog smart. ¡°Who am I? I am the Realised Being Xuanji, who knows everything and can do anything, from heaven to earth! Bold dog! You stole the spiritual herbs I planted! Originally, you deserved a good beating! But, considering you are also a living being. I won¡¯t hold it against you! Today, I enlightened you! Bestowing upon you an opportunity! From now on, you will stay here, guarding my house and yard! In the future, there will be no shortage of benefits for you. Hurry and pay respects to this Realised Being!¡± Hearing Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words. The two eyes of the mountain dog still showed confusion. Zhu Xuanji saw this. The mountain dog asked, ¡° ¡­ Pay respects ¡­ to the Realised Being? Realised Being ¡­ hungry!¡± Zhu Xuanji helplessly waved his hand. ¡°Eat, eat! Looking at your yellow fur. You do have a bit of a majestic look. From now on, you will be called Da Huang!¡± Da Huang (Da Huang) munched on the spiritual herbs noisily. He didn¡¯t care what Zhu Xuanji was saying. Zhu Xuanji saw this, feeling somewhat helpless. After all, after enlightening this mountain dog, he had already received the system reward of the Great Wilderness Devouring Heaven Skill. He had already profited! As for the punishment for unsuccessful evolution. Worrying about it was useless. It was better to do what he should. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Initially, Zhu Xuanji planned to pull a spiritual herb to taste what it was like, but seeing Da Huang eating so heartily. He felt somewhat uncomfortable. He wasn¡¯t hungry, anyhow. The effect of the Grain Abstinence Pill was excellent. Spiritual herbs were still herbs, not eating them was fine too! Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Zhu Xuanji turned around and headed towards the lakeside. He remembered that there were a few small silver fish in the lake. He planned to enlighten those small silver fish to see if he could enlighten some intelligent creatures. Chapter 6 - Boss, Lets Go See Xiongying Again! Chapter 6: Boss, Let¡¯s Go See Xiongying Again!¡­¡­ At this moment, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s heart was filled with joy. Today was truly fruitful. Initially, he planned to have Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu bring out the old turtle they had named. To enlighten that old turtle as well. However, after using the enlightenment technique on Xiao Shu, Zhu Xuanji found that his spiritual power was nearly exhausted. Moreover, he heard the system¡¯s prompt again. When Zhu Xuanji heard this sound, he almost cursed. It didn¡¯t tell him before! Now, after using up the five times, it reminded him! Fortunately, these five enlightenments were not entirely fruitless. Apart from Xiao Ya and Xiao Ning, who had ordinary qualifications! No substantial rewards from these two silverfish. But from Da Huang, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Shu, he received pretty good rewards. According to the system¡¯s regulations, he could only enlighten up to five living beings in three months. If some beings are difficult to enlighten, who knows, it might be even less. Thinking of this, Zhu Xuanji didn¡¯t immediately let Xiao Shu and others find the old turtle. Instead, he returned to the Spirit Gathering Array to cultivate. Anyway, the old turtle couldn¡¯t escape. He decided to rest and train well, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to enlighten the old turtle later. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three months passed again. During these three months, nothing much happened on Zhongshan. Zhu Xuanji, however, grew a bit taller. On this day, on the mountain top, just after sunrise, Zhu Xuanji walked out of the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Followed by a large mountain dog, naturally Da Huang! Over the past three months, Da Huang and Zhu Xuanji had beome quite close. While Zhu Xuanji was cultivating in the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, Da Huang sometimes followed in. Though Da Huang appeared clumsy, he was indeed very loyal, always executing Zhu Xuanji¡¯s commands tirelessly. After three months of training, Zhu Xuanji further improved his Beast Mastery Technique and Basic Enlightenment Technique. He was just waiting for the three-month period to pass to find the old turtle by the lake. To enlighten the old turtle, see if he could get some great rewards from it. Zhu Xuanji had just walked out of the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion not long ago. At this moment, Da Huang started barking! Zhu Xuanji listened. Immediately said to Da Huang: ¡°Da Huang! What are you barking at early in the morning!¡± Da Huang replied: ¡°Master! I heard many people coming up the mountain.¡± Zhu Xuanji was stunned upon hearing this. ¡°Hmm? Many people coming up the mountain? Where are they?¡± Da Huang said: ¡°Still at the foot of the mountain!¡± Zhu Xuanji knew Da Huang had sharp ears. But he didn¡¯t expect, just after a few months, Da Huang¡¯s hearing to become so acute. He could even hear movements at the foot of the mountain. Zhu Xuanji¡¯s eyes rolled. He thought it was certainly something important if people were coming up the mountain early in the morning. So, he decided to go see what was happening. Anyway, even if others came to Zhongshan, they wouldn¡¯t see him. But ¡­ he couldn¡¯t guarantee if outsiders would see Da Huang. However ¡­ Da Huang was just a dog. Even if others saw it, it shouldn¡¯t matter much! Thinking of this, Zhu Xuanji said to Da Huang beside him: ¡°Da Huang, lead the way ahead.¡± ¡°Take me to see what is going on!¡± Da Huang barked ¡°Woof!¡± And ran ahead. Da Huang ran incredibly fast. After being enlightened, Da Huang seemed to become more agile. Though he ate grass all day! He was muscled! Spirit grass was a spiritual substance from heaven and earth, it could improve the constitution of living beings. Da Huang was no longer an ordinary dog. Da Huang ran fast. Zhu Xuanji wasn¡¯t slow either. Over these three months, he tried practicing ¡°Boundless Soaring Technique¡±. Although he hadn¡¯t achieved even a small accomplishment, but ¡­ keeping up with Da Huang was no problem. Soon, Zhu Xuanji and Da Huang reached the mountainside. They saw on the mountain road, amidst the lush mountain forest, someone was carrying a large coffin, heading up the mountain. Following the coffin were many people dressed in mourning clothes. At the very front of the coffin, a middle-aged man was holding a memorial tablet. His face was haggard, with tears in his eyes, looking very sorrowful. The funeral procession was long. It extended down to the foot of the mountain. Zhu Xuanji stood at the mountainside, watching the funeral procession, he said quietly: ¡°Oh, this is undoubtedly a wealthy family! All these people for a funeral, there must be hundreds!¡± Zhu Xuanji watched from the mountainside for a long time. As the setting sun fell, the funeral procession went down the mountain. Cries echoed through the mountain. ¡°Xiuying!¡± ¡°We ¡­ can¡¯t bear to part with you! How could you leave us so heartlessly!¡± Zhu Xuanji initially planned to leave after watching the lively scene all day. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But hearing these somewhat bitter cries, he thought this must be a deep love between husband and wife. There weren¡¯t many men in this world who would cry like this for their dead wives! Driven by curiosity, Zhu Xuanji decided to take a look. Soon, Zhu Xuanji arrived at the place where people were crying. Not far away, in front of a grand tomb, an old man in black clothes, with white hair, was crying bitterly: ¡°Xiuying! You left ¡­ how can I live!¡± Beside him, the middle-aged man in mourning clothes couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. ¡°Father! It¡¯s getting late! It¡¯s time to go back!¡± At this moment! The old man, holding back his sorrow, said: ¡°Boss! Let¡¯s go see Xiongying again! Now, your mother is in the underworld, she should be able to see Xiongying!¡± Not far away, Zhu Xuanji, hiding behind the small forest, heard this. His body trembled! ¡°Xiongying? Could it be that these two people are relatives of my former self?¡± Chapter 7 - I Am Actually the Crown Prince? Enlightening the Old Turtle of Xuanwu Lake! Chapter 7: I Am Actually the Crown Prince? Enlightening the Old Turtle of Xuanwu Lake!Evening time. The setting sun had completely disappeared, only the afterglow of the setting sun still lingered on the horizon. Making the sky not completely dark yet. At this moment, standing on the mountaintop, Zhu Xuanji watched the father and son supporting each other down the mountain path. His emotions were extremely complicated! Who would have thought, his former self was actually Zhu Xiongying, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty! Just now, the old man who was crying uncontrollably and the middle-aged man who was secretly wiping his tears. One was Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The other was the acting emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Crown Prince Zhu Biao! After Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao left the tomb of Empress Ma, they came to the tomb of Zhu Xiongying. After a period of deep reflection. The father and son supported each other and left. Listening to the conversation between the father and son not far away, Zhu Xuanji completely understood. His current identity was of the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty!! If he had known when he had just crawled out of the grave that he was the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. Even if he had to crawl, he would have crawled down the mountain. Seeing the grief-stricken appearance of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao. It was clear how important Zhu Xiongying was to them. What a pity ¡­ what a real pity! Zhu Xuanji didn¡¯t know much about the history of the Ming Dynasty. He only knew about some of the eccentric emperors in the history of the Ming Dynasty. So, he didn¡¯t know the name of the Crown Prince Zhu Xiongying. He always thought that Zhu Biao only had one son, Zhu Yunwen. Now it was clear, he couldn¡¯t become the Crown Prince anymore. He was tricked to death by this damn system! Three hundred years of not being able to leave Zhongshan. It¡¯s just that this damn system clearly said it detected ancient monsters causing trouble outside! It detected that the living environment of this world was extremely dangerous! That¡¯s why it activated the system protection mechanism. Could it be! This damn system is lying to him? The damn system doesn¡¯t seem to have any need to lie to him. Is this Ming Dynasty the same Ming Dynasty he once heard about! This world, what was different about it? Were there really ancient monsters causing trouble! He had yet to verify it! Watching Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao leave. Zhu Xuanji¡¯s heart was still unable to calm down for a long time. Thinking back to his previous life, he was just a corporate slave. In this life, he finally got the identity of the Crown Prince! As a result, he couldn¡¯t even use this identity as the Crown Prince. He couldn¡¯t enjoy wealth and glory. He could only focus on cultivating and seeking the path to immortality! The damn system said he couldn¡¯t leave Zhongshan for three hundred years, did it also mean, at the very least, he could live for another three hundred years! If that were the case, this could be considered good news. Seeing that it was getting late. He originally planned to enlighten the old turtle today. Now, he wasn¡¯t in the mood anymore. Zhu Xuanji returned to the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion to cultivate in peace. ¡­ A night without words. The next morning, Zhu Xuanji got up early. It could also be said that he didn¡¯t sleep much the whole night. Fortunately, after half a year of cultivation. His progress was still very fast. In fact, he only needed to sleep for a little over an hour each day, and he could still be full of energy. Today, there was nothing to delay. Zhu Xuanji, accompanied by Da Huang, arrived at the lakeside. After he was done washing his face with the clear lake water, not far away, Xiao Zhi, Xiao Shu, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Ya were already swimming over. Xiao Zhi shouted: ¡°Brother, brother! You haven¡¯t come to play with us for a long time!¡± Xiao Shu said: ¡°Brother, brother! I¡¯ve grown a bit bigger again!¡± Xiao Ning and Xiao Ya were also very lively, like little girls. They chattered and talked with Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji was also very happy. Talking and laughing with these little silver fishes. It made his mentality feel young. Although, he was now in an eight or nine-year-old body, but, in his heart, he was a corporate slave in his twenties. After chatting with Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu for a while. Zhu Xuanji did not forget the main task. He quickly asked Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu to invite the old turtle. In the words of Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu, the old turtle was not an ordinary turtle. It had been in Zhongshan for at least a hundred years. It was a very wise old turtle. After being enlightened by Zhu Xuanji, Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu were more agile than before. Zhu Xuanji also taught them some basic cultivation methods. So, they had indeed grown a lot bigger than before. Soon, from the depths of the lake an old turtle slowly paddled its way over. The old turtle was not small, it was about three feet long. On both sides of the old turtle, naturally, were the cheerful Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi. At this moment, Xiao Zhi shouted to Zhu Xuanji on the shore: ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Grandpa Turtle is here!¡± The old turtle swam to the lakeside, it stuck out its wrinkled head. At this moment. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Xuanji asked Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi: ¡°Have you two conveyed my intentions to him?¡± Xiao Zhi said: ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve told Grandpa Turtle everything!¡± ¡°Grandpa Turtle said you are an immortal figure.¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t be happier for you to enlighten him!¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly. He raised his hand, and pressed it on the old turtle¡¯s head. Beams of divine light emanated from around the old turtle¡¯s head. The old turtle¡¯s cloudy eyes gradually brightened. After about half an hour, Zhu Xuanji withdrew his hand! At this moment, the old turtle spoke! Very respectfully, it said: ¡°Old Turtle of Xuanwu Lake, thanks Immortal Benefactor for the enlightenment!¡± Chapter 9 - Reward!The Divine Stream Longevity Technique!Evolution of Xuanwu! Chapter 9:Reward!The Divine Stream Longevity Technique!Evolution of Xuanwu!¡­ ¡°Ming Dynasty shares the world with the people¡­¡±Zhu Xuanji kept repeating this phrase in his mouth.He naturally understood. In such a great era,someone who could say this was truly remarkable! Since ancient times,no matter what kind of dynasty,no matter what kind of world.The ruling class was destined to be at odds with the common people.No matter what class the ruler came from. In the end,the common people would always become the objects of exploitation by the rulers.That Zhu Yuanzhang could say such grand words of sharing the world with the people.It couldn¡¯t be denied that he was a great ruler with the people¡¯s welfare in mind! Next,Zhu Xuanji asked the old turtle some more questions about the outside world.The old turtle,in his lifetime,had never left Zhongshan. He hadn¡¯t even left Xuanwu Lake.However,he had a remarkable grandfather.His grandfather was a true divine turtle who roamed the world with the immortals!This Xuanwu Lake was named by the old turtle¡¯s grandfather.He named it Xuanwu to seek fame! Unfortunately,although the old turtle¡¯s grandfather lived over a thousand years.He still did not reach the legendary level of Xuanwu. From the old turtle¡¯s words,Zhu Xuanji learned that Zhonghua was vast and boundless.Even the once-dominant founder of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty,Genghis Khan,never fully unified Zhonghua. Some people tried to measure Zhonghua with their footsteps,but in their entire lives,they never reached the end of it! In the era before the rise of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. There were many dynasties in Zhonghua. For example,the Dao Song Dynasty!It was said that the Dao Song Dynasty was a gathering place for immortals.Within the territory of the Dao Song Dynasty,there were many famous mountains and rivers.There were also many places for immortals. Zijinshan also once belonged to the territory of the Dao Song Dynasty.However,later,the Mongol Yuan Dynasty rose.It was taken over by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.Later,the world fell into chaos.Zhu Yuanzhang emerged from numerous rebel armies,occupied Jinling,and founded the Ming Dynasty. After listening to the old turtle¡¯s stories,Zhu Xuanji¡¯s heart was filled with an even greater longing for the outside world. Unfortunately,he still had to wait on this Zhongshan for three hundred years. Feeling slightly helpless,Zhu Xuanji changed the subject. He suddenly asked the old turtle,¡±Old turtle!Do you know if there are any extremely ferocious great demons or evil spirits in the world outside this mountain?¡± The old turtle paused after hearing this. Then he began to speak,¡±I,the old turtle,have seen in the books and notes left by my grandfather that in the west of Zhonghua,there are great demons who can drink a river dry and devour the lives of an entire city!However,that was all from eight hundred years ago!The Realized Being Pure Yang,whom my grandfather once followed,was famous for slaying demons and exorcising evil spirits!¡± Zhu Xuanji was stunned hearing this. He muttered to himself,¡±Could it be¡­that this world is truly overrun by great demons!It seems,this world is indeed dangerous!There is a Ming Dynasty,no doubt!But besides the Ming Dynasty!There is also the Mongol Yuan Dynasty!In the vast territory of Zhonghua,the dangers are unknown Staying in Zhongshan to cultivate for three hundred years is not necessarily a bad thing.¡± Thinking of this,Zhu Xuanji felt somewhat reassured. At this moment,Zhu Xuanji¡¯s ears already heard the system¡¯s prompt! ¡°Hmm?Divine Stream Longevity Technique!What a marvelous skill!Now,I have a few divine skills!In the future,cultivation will be even more smooth!Enlightening the old turtle took me half an hour!It took much more time than enlightening Da Huang,Xiao Zhi,and Xiao Shu.Getting such a Divine Stream Longevity Technique was definitely worth the enlightenment!¡± At this moment,Zhu Xuanji heard another prompt from the system. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Xuan Gui,I¡¯ve heard of it!Baxi¨¤!I¡¯ve also heard of it!Huh?There¡¯s also Xuanwu?Then there¡¯s no need to hesitate!Just choose Xuanwu directly!¡± There was no conflict among these options,and his choice was clear.Xuanwu had the highest potential! Zhu Xuanji heard the system¡¯s voice again in his ears. Hearing the system¡¯s prompt. Zhu Xuanji felt rather helpless. Currently,he had enlightened six creatures in total. Four silver fishes,a big mountain dog,and an old turtle! However,how many of them could evolve to the highest grade.He wasn¡¯t sure.He could only do his best. Fortunately,this Zhongshan,after the system¡¯s transformation,had long become a top-grade blessed land.The abundance of spiritual energy,was probably not something that other blessed lands could compare to. So,he believed,as long as he nurtured them carefully,these spirit pets should be able to evolve to the highest grade. After talking with the old turtle for a while,Zhu Xuanji originally planned to teach the old turtle some simple breathing techniques. At this moment,he heard the old turtle say,¡±Benefactor!¡± ¡°In Xuanwu Lake,there is a volume of the¡¯Pure Yang Taoist Canon¡¯left by the Realized Being Pure Yang from years ago!¡± s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 10 - The Legacy of Pure Yang,Zhu Biao Ascends the Mountain Again! Chapter 10:The Legacy of Pure Yang,Zhu Biao Ascends the Mountain Again!¡­ ¡°The Realized Being Pure Yang left this scroll to my grandfather.My grandfather then passed this scroll to my father!My father then passed this scroll to me!He said that one day,when the destined person comes,the¡¯Pure Yang Daoist Canon¡¯should be passed on. ¡°Today,with the guidance of my benefactor,I,old turtle,have achieved great fortune.I have now gained intelligence and can speak human words!I can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth,draw essence from the sun and moon,and manipulate the creations of the universe!I,old turtle,have nothing to repay for this great kindness,so I present this¡¯Pure Yang Daoist Canon¡¯as an offering!¡± The old turtle finished speaking. Before Zhu Xuanji could respond,the old turtle had already dived into the depths of the lake.It seemed to be retrieving the¡¯Pure Yang Daoist Canon¡¯. Recalling the old turtle¡¯s scholarly speech made Zhu Xuanji laugh. Listening to this old turtle talk!If you didn¡¯t see him,you might think it was an old scholar speaking. Interesting!All things in heaven and earth had spirits!If Zhu Xuanji could enlighten all living beings in the world!Not only would it be an immense merit!It would also be a very interesting and beautiful thing! Before long,the old turtle returned.On its back was a scroll wrapped in a bag of unknown material. ¡°Please accept this,benefactor!¡± Zhu Xuanji did not hesitate to accept the bag from the old turtle.After all,it was a gesture of goodwill from the old turtle. He picked up the bag from the turtle¡¯s back.The material of the bag was special,resembling silk threads yet not quite the same.Moreover,it came from the water.The bag was not damp at all,indicating it was waterproof.After opening the bag,a scroll made of unknown material appeared. Zhu Xuanji opened it to see the words¡±Pure Yang True Skill¡±written in bold characters. The characters were written in a lively and vigorous style,showing the writer¡¯s extraordinary vigour and high-spiritedness! Zhu Xuanji casually flipped through a page. On the first page of the scroll,it read: [*refers to Zhonghua] ¡­ Reading the words on the scroll,Zhu Xuanji realized this was a figure who had once shaken the Divine Continent. ¡°Realized Being Pure Yang¡­Remarkable!¡± At this moment,Zhu Xuanji put away the¡¯Pure Yang True Skill¡¯and said to the old turtle,¡±Old turtle!I accept this gift!¡± The old turtle responded excitedly,¡±It¡¯s good that you accept it!The task entrusted to my family by the Realized Being Pure Yang for three generations is finally concluded today!¡± ¡­ In the following days,Zhu Xuanji was deeply immersed in cultivation.He had many methods of cultivation at his disposal now. He had achieved some success after six months of practicing the Qi Cultivation Technique.Therefore,when he began to practice the¡¯Divine Stream Longevity Technique¡¯,he did not encounter any difficulties. However,practicing alone required careful consideration.Martial arts should not be practiced casually.Cultivation should not be done haphazardly.Only when words express their meaning clearly can one attain the Dao! In the blink of an eye,another two months passed. In the cold of winter,Zhongshan was covered in frost and snow.Although Da Huang¡¯s fur did not appear thick,running in the snow,it did not seem to feel cold at all.After consuming spiritual herbs for half a year,Da Huang was lean and muscular,much larger than when Zhu Xuanji first saw it. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However,its behavior as a native dog had not changed.Rolling in the snow and panting with its tongue out constantly.Its foolish behavior often made Zhu Xuanji laugh heartily. Zhu Xuanji had grown accustomed to the days with Da Huang.In Xuanwu Lake,the old turtle¡¯s cultivation speed was not as fast as Zhu Xuanji had expected.But it was steady,which might be the nature of the turtle species. The four silver fish had also undergone significant changes. Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu,the two silver fish with bloodline evolution,were far ahead in their cultivation speed compared to Xiao Ning and Xiao Ya!Their size was also much larger than Xiao Ning and Xiao Ya. For Zhu Xuanji,the faster they cultivated,the happier he was.After all,if they broke through their ranks,the system would reward him. After half a year of cultivation,Zhu Xuanji practiced his fist techniques in the snow!After a round of punches,his blood surged,and heat emanated! These fist techniques were learned from the¡¯Pure Yang True Skill¡¯. Although the moves were simple,each one contained profound truths of heaven and earth!The Realized Being Pure Yang¡¯s lifetime achievements were extraordinary,and his teachings were naturally remarkable! At this moment,although Zhu Xuanji was wearing only a single layer of clothing,he did not feel cold at all! At this time,in the distance,a luxurious carriage was seen coming up the mountain path.When the snow became thick,the carriage could not move forward. The passengers alighted from the carriage. Zhu Xuanji had intended to leave,but upon seeing who had arrived,he stopped in his tracks! Because one of the people who got off the carriage was his father,the Deputy Emperor of the Ming Dynasty,Zhu Biao! Chapter 11 - The Lonely Soul in the Snow!Deep Brotherly Affection! Chapter 11:The Lonely Soul in the Snow!Deep Brotherly Affection!Accompanying Zhu Biao was a tall,heroic-looking young man.Zhu Biao wore a robe with four-clawed dragon designs.The young man also wore a splendid garment.The two shared some resemblance in their facial features. As they walked in the snow,they conversed freely.Four attendants dressed in sturdy clothes followed behind them. Zhu Biao,with a slightly solemn expression,said,¡±Fourth Brother!You must be prepared for your journey to Taijing City for your fiefdom.After the Empty Seal Incident,tens of thousands were implicated and executed.Father is sending you to your fiefdom for your own good.To prevent you from being attacked by the court officials!However,after you go to Taijing City,you can only return to Jinling once a year!Our chances of meeting will be few from now on!¡± The heroic young man,upon hearing Zhu Biao¡¯s words,showed a trace of reluctance on his face. ¡°Big Brother!Among all the brothers,my fiefdom assignment is already considered late.I understand Father¡¯s care for me.But the Empty Seal Incident implicated too many people!After I leave,I¡¯m afraid some in the court might still act in secret.Big Brother,you must take care of your health,don¡¯t overwork yourself!¡± Zhu Biao nodded slightly upon hearing this. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. He extended his right hand,opening it in the cold wind.A few snowflakes fell into his hand. Zhu Biao quietly said,¡±Fourth Brother!In this cold wind,some snow is normal!But our Ming Dynasty has only been established for fifteen years!And already there are so many parasites in the country!If we let them be!I¡¯m afraid our Ming Dynasty will follow the same path as the Yuan Dynasty!I can endure hardship and exhaustion,it¡¯s nothing!No matter how hard or tiring,can it be harder than what Father endures?Sigh¡­ ¡°Since Mother passed away,Father seems to have aged several years overnight.Although he doesn¡¯t say it,he is very reluctant for you to go to Taijing City for your fiefdom!In the future,during the holidays,you must personally choose some gifts for Father! ¡°When people get old,they become nostalgic and want to enjoy familial happiness,often gathering with their children and grandchildren.But our royal family is not like ordinary families.In terms of familial happiness,we are even worse off than ordinary families!Both you and I!Must contribute to the Ming Dynasty.These are responsibilities we cannot shirk!¡± The young man in splendid clothes stopped and respectfully clasped his hands towards Zhu Biao. ¡°I will heed Big Brother¡¯s teachings!¡± Seeing this,Zhu Biao smiled and pulled the young man¡¯s arm,leading him forward. ¡°This year¡¯s snow seems heavier than in previous years!The mountain road is difficult to walk.Today,let¡¯s first pay respects to Mother.After all,you are leaving.We should inform Mother.We brothers were born of the same mother!Mother always worried most about you during her lifetime.After paying respects to Mother,you should come with me to see Xiongying!When Xiongying was alive,he loved to pester you to teach him horse riding!Unfortunately¡­his life was short¡­¡± At this point,Zhu Biao¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but redden. The young man in splendid clothes held Zhu Biao¡¯s arm,remaining silent. At this moment,the wind and snow intensified! Zhu Biao tightened his cloak. In the distance,a large mountain dog stood on the hill,gazing at them.The young man in splendid clothes saw the large mountain dog,pointed,and said to Zhu Biao,¡±Big Brother!Look!There¡¯s a large mountain dog over there!It has such good fur and strong bones!In this icy world,there¡¯s such a majestic mountain dog!I wonder who owns it!¡± Zhu Biao¡¯s attention was diverted by the young man¡¯s words. He also looked at the hill.The large mountain dog stood there in the cold wind,looking quite imposing! What Zhu Biao and the young man in splendid clothes couldn¡¯t see was,beside the large mountain dog,stood a boy in Daoist robes! The boy¡¯s face was calm,his eyes slightly moist. ¡°Damn it¡­The cold wind is stinging my eyes!Why does it make me look like a lonely ghost!¡± The boy didn¡¯t watch Zhu Biao and the young man in splendid clothes leave.Instead,he softly said to the large mountain dog,¡±Let¡¯s go!Da Huang!¡± Da Huang turned its head and quickly ran down the hill!Kicking up a flurry of snow! Zhu Xuanji followed behind Da Huang.He looked back at the two brothers in the snow,feeling a bit emotional.It was rare in the royal family to see such brotherly affection. If he hadn¡¯t misheard,that heroic young man in splendid clothes should be his fourth uncle,Zhu Di! Without thinking too much,he had already stepped into the immortal path.There was a clear distinction between immortals and mortals. Zhu Biao,his nominal father,couldn¡¯t see him.Perhaps this was a way to sever earthly ties!However,he made a new discovery today.His nominal father Zhu Biao and fourth uncle Zhu Di could actually see Da Huang! This meant,in front of outsiders,except for himself and the buildings created by the system,others couldn¡¯t see them.Those spirit pets he had enlightened,could still be seen by others. In this case,it wasn¡¯t too bad!In the future,he could pretend to be a deity,scare some people! It wasn¡¯t impossible! Chapter 12 - Da Huang Advances!Zhu Yuanzhang Takes Liu Bowen Up the Mountain! Chapter 12:Da Huang Advances!Zhu Yuanzhang Takes Liu Bowen Up the Mountain!Time flew by. In the blink of an eye,five years had passed.It was the 20th year of the Hongwu era. In these years,On Zhongshan,everything was as usual.There were no significant changes.If there were any changes,it would the few silver fish in Xuanwu Lake and the spiritual herbs in the medicine field. There was also the Longevity fruit tree planted directly by the system.The Longevity fruit tree had grown for five years and finally sprouted branches.However,to bear ripe Longevity fruits,it might still take some years. The Longevity fruit could extend life by twenty years. Zhu Xuanji always remembered this! Since ancient times,no matter the world.A fruit that could extend life could be considered a supreme treasure. Besides the Longevity fruit tree,those spiritual herbs and seeds had matured batch after batch. For example,the Life Source grass that could replenish vitality,and the Red Heart golden lotus planted in the lake.The lotus seeds of the Red Heart golden lotus ripened every six months. Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi had eaten countless of them.There was also the White Jade Spirit Mulberry fruit,which was planted in patches,and harvested in patches. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In these years,Zhu Xuanji had eaten quite a lot of them,his physique had greatly improved due to them. Da Huang who followed him and also enjoyed these fruits as well.The White Jade Spirit Mulberry fruit had made Da Huang much sturdier.Visibly taller and more imposing! There was also the Marrow Cleansing fruit.Zhu Xuanji didn¡¯t just eat it himself.He also gave it to Da Huang,the old turtle,Xiao Zhi,Xiao Shu,Xiao Ya,and Xiao Ning. After eating many Marrow Cleansing fruits,his body had developed a resistance to them!Later,Zhu Xuanji treated it like an ordinary fruit. After all,he had long consumed all of the Grain Abstinence Pills rewarded by the system.Subsequent rewards did not include Grain Abstinence Pills. He thought that it would be good if he could refine Grain Abstinence Pills himself someday.After all,during closed-door cultivation,taking Grain Abstinence Pills was quite convenient. One day,at noon,Zhu Xuanji,as usual was sitting in the Spirit Gathering Array cultivating. At this moment,he suddenly heard a system prompt in his ear. ¡°Hmm?Da Huang advanced?Five years!Da Huang finally made progress!It wasn¡¯t easy!According to the Atlas of Mountains and Seas,the cultivation realms of spirit beasts are roughly divided into the Enlightenment Realm,Body Transformation Realm,and Form Manifestation Realm!After the Body Transformation realm,each major realm is further divided into upper,middle,and lower sub-stages. ¡°Da Huang cultivated for five years,ate countless spiritual herbs and fruits,and finally progressed from the Enlightenment realm to the Body Transformation realm!It wasn¡¯t a waste of effort!However,to go from the Body Transformation realm to the Form Manifestation realm,who knows how long it will take him.Though,the slow advancement speed of spirit pets is understandable.¡± Zhu Xuanji was happy with the reward. ¡°Yellow Court Alchemical Scripture¡±and several spiritual herb seeds. It was a small harvest!Originally,he thought Da Huang might be the last to advance. Unexpectedly,Da Huang,despite his clumsy appearance,advanced the fastest.No wonder,he had the bloodline of the Heavenly Dog! Zhu Xuanji stood up,walked out of the Spirit Gathering Array. He looked around,but couldn¡¯t find Da Huang¡¯s shadow.He had planned to reward Da Huang. ¡°This guy!Where did he run off to again!¡± Just as Zhu Xuanji was about to return to the Spirit Gathering Array to continue cultivating,he saw Da Huang running wildly from over there. Shouting towards Zhu Xuanji,¡±Master,Master!The person you mentioned has come up the mountain again!But he¡¯s not alone!There are two old men with him!One is Old Zhu!I haven¡¯t seen the other before!I don¡¯t know him!¡± Hearing this,Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow. The person Da Huang referred to was Zhu Biao!Since that year when Zhu Biao and Zhu Di came up the mountain to pay respects to Empress Ma,he had instructed Da Huang to inform him if Zhu Biao came up the mountain again. Da Huang remembered it.Later,every year on Empress Ma¡¯s death anniversary,Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao would come to Zhongshan to pay respects. Each time,Zhu Xuanji would watch from a distance.He occasionally called Zhu Yuanzhang,Old Zhu! Over time,Da Huang also followed Zhu Xuanji in calling Zhu Yuanzhang as Old Zhu. Hearing Da Huang¡¯s words,Zhu Xuanji was quite surprised. After all,the death anniversary of Empress Ma hadn¡¯t arrived yet.Why had his nominal grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang and nominal father Zhu Biao come up the mountain! Hearing Da Huang say there was another old man with them,Zhu Xuanji felt it was not simple. He decided to take a look. After all,Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao wouldn¡¯t bring an old man up the mountain for no reason. ¡°Da Huang!Lead the way!¡±Da Huang understood! Immediately led Zhu Xuanji towards the mountain! ¡­ On the mountain path halfway up Zhongshan, The Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang,dressed in black,was slowly walking along the mountain path with an old man in coarse clothing. Unlike the imposing Zhu Yuanzhang,the old man in coarse clothing had a more peaceful expression.Like a friendly old man from the neighborhood. Birds chirped in the lush forest on both sides. The Ming Empire¡¯s Executive Vice Emperor Zhu Biao followed behind the two,step by step. At this moment,Zhu Yuanzhang took a few steps towards the side of the mountain path and suddenly stopped.He raised his hand and pointed to the bottom of the mountain,and said to the old man in coarse clothing,¡±Bowen!Years ago,I ordered you to cut down ninety-nine dragon veins across the land!To extend the dragon energy of Zhongshan¡¯s dragon vein for three hundred years!Now,twenty years have passed,you tell me whether the dragon vein of Zhongshan is improving or failing*!¡± [*also ] Chapter 13 - Zhu Xuanji: Old Zhu Really Doesn’t Let People Rest Easy! Chapter 13: Zhu Xuanji: Old Zhu Really Doesn¡¯t Let People Rest Easy!Hearing his words, Liu Bowen who was standing at the side, spoke humbly, ¡°Your Majesty! We have climbed up Zhongshan after 20 years, and I get a singular feeling, and that is that the dragon vein of Zhongshan seems to have a new change. But what that change is, I cannot say, for I cannot see through it. After all, the dragon vein of Zhongshan is a hidden dragon vein! In the past, there was also Daoist Ziwei* who was nurturing it for a hundred years. So, whether the dragon vein of Zhongshan is rising or falling, I cannot judge it in a short time!¡± [*the word used here is Daoren, meaning Daoist, and not Zenren, meaning Realized Being.] Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? There is actually a dragon vein in this world that even you, Liu Bowen, cannot discern of its nature! I think you are hiding your clumsiness! You simply don¡¯t want to anger me if the dragon vein has been failing, and are afraid to report to me the truth! Liu Bowen! Are you trying to deceive your emperor?¡± Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s words became somewhat severe. There was a hint of coldness in his tone. These years, many nobles from Huai Xi had been executed by Zhu Yuanzhang. Many in the court were implicated. The older Zhu Yuanzhang became, the more suspicious he grew. His unpredictable temper made the officials of the Ming dynasty very fearful. Even someone as resourceful as Liu Bowen, facing Zhu Yuanzhang was also struggling. At this moment, hearing Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s words, Liu Bowen was so frightened that he immediately bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuanzhang and said, ¡°Your Majesty! How dare I deceive my emperor! I really can¡¯t see through the dragon vein of Zhongshan!¡± Seeing this, Zhu Biao hurriedly stepped forward to defend Liu Bowen. ¡°Father! Prime Minister Bo has always been honest.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, ¡°Enough, enough! If you can¡¯t see through it, keep looking! Eldest son! Support him! Look at his body, he seems even weaker than me!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Biao stepped forward to support Liu Bowen¡¯s arm. The three continued forward. They hadn¡¯t walked far. Suddenly, a big mountain dog appeared ahead. The big mountain dog glanced at the three of them. Zhu Biao was immediately taken aback. ¡°Father! That big mountain dog has appeared again!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang looked over. He raised an eyebrow! ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s it! Ever since the empress passed away. Every year when I come up the mountain with you, we see this big mountain dog! Today, we had just climbed the mountain and it has appeared again! It seems this big mountain dog is quite intelligent!¡± Zhu Biao said, ¡°This also proves Zhongshan is a place of outstanding people and natural treasures! It can nurture spirit beasts.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, ¡°Our sister is buried here. Our sister was naturally kind-hearted. With her protection over Zhongshan. It is natural that it can nurture spirit beasts.¡± At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head. He asked Liu Bowen beside him, ¡°Bowen! Look at that big mountain dog, is there anything unusual about it?¡± Liu Bowen stood aside and looked at the mountain head. After a while, his face showed a trace of surprise. ¡°Your Majesty! This big mountain dog seems ordinary, but it is extraordinary! It must be a spirit beast!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? How is it a spirit beast?¡± At this moment, Liu Bowen suddenly bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuanzhang and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I must congratulate Your Majesty!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned again. He looked at Liu Bowen. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh? Congratulate me? What good news do you have?¡± Liu Bowen immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty! Just now, Your Majesty asked me whether the dragon vein of Zhongshan was rising or falling! I observed the direction of the mountain range and the rising of the mountain air! I found nothing! But now, after seeing this big mountain dog, my heart suddenly became clear! This big mountain dog! Its spirit is restrained, and it understands human nature! ¡°This is clearly a spirit beast nurtured by dragon energy! The energy from the dragon vein is the most mysterious energy in the world! Apart from the imperial family, that can integrate dragon energy into their bodies to nourish themselves, the only other beings that can avoid being eroded by dragon energy and be nourished by it are spirit beasts in the world. This big mountain dog has clear eyes, a well-proportioned body, and a robust and vigorous aura! If not nurtured by dragon energy, it wouldn¡¯t have such features. And being nurtured by dragon energy means that the dragon vein of Zhongshan is rising! ¡°Only the ever-rising dragon vein energy can nurture such a spirit beast! Therefore! I congratulate Your Majesty! I congratulate the Ming dynasty! This shows that our Ming dynasty¡¯s fortunes are prosperous!¡± Upon hearing Liu Bowen¡¯s words, Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s face showed joy! He stepped forward and grabbed Liu Bowen¡¯s arm! ¡°Bowen! Is what you said all true?¡± Liu Bowen immediately replied solemnly, ¡°Your Majesty! Every word I said is true!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed! ¡°Good! Very good! Years ago, you said that the dragon vein of Zijinshan was hidden and broken, indicating defeat and decline! So, I let you cut down ninety-nine dragon veins in the world to replenish the dragon energy of Zhongshan! Now, twenty years have passed! The dragon vein of our Ming dynasty has finally been restored! Congratulations! Congratulations! Really congratulations! ¡°Eldest son! Send someone to bring that big mountain dog here. I want to keep it well! Don¡¯t let anything happen to it! This big mountain dog is a blessing to our Ming dynasty!¡± Zhu Biao obeyed the order. He retreated. Not long after, Several Jinyiwei* in strong outfits had already circled around to the mountain ridge. [*secret police of the Ming Dynasty] Liu Bowen stood beside Zhu Yuanzhang; a trace of unease flashed in his eyes. On the mountain ridge, Zhu Xuanji stood beside Da Huang. Looking at the few Jinyiwei circling over! Holding long knives! Looking fierce! Zhu Xuanji slightly helplessly murmured, ¡°Old Zhu really doesn¡¯t let people rest easy! Forget it! Da Huang! Give them a lesson!¡± Da Huang responded. The next moment! Da Huang* rushed out like a yellow wind, and swept towards those Jinyiwei! [*Da Huang also means Big Yellow] Chapter 14 - Zhu Xuanji Sings the Grand Dao Song! Zhu Yuanzhangs Curiosity! Chapter 14: Zhu Xuanji Sings the Grand Dao Song! Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s Curiosity!¡ª Suddenly, on the hillside, Da Huang charged directly towards the few Jinyiwei. Now that Da Huang had broken through and advanced, its form had changed somewhat. It was now as large as a calf. Da Huang¡¯s teeth were sharp, its demeanor fierce, like a tiger descending the mountain, flashing through the air like the wind, swift as lightning. ¡°Not bad! Not bad! Who would have thought that after advancing, Da Huang would be so fierce!¡± Standing on the hilltop, Zhu Xuanji looked at Da Huang, as fierce as a tiger descending the mountain. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He hadn¡¯t had high expectations for Da Huang, but, unexpectedly, Da Huang had given him quite a surprise! ¡ª Over there, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Liu Bowen all heard Da Huang¡¯s barking. Instantly, a look of surprise appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s face. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This dog is indeed sharp! It can even detect these skilled Jinyiwei in advance! It truly is a remarkable creature!¡± Zhu Biao, standing beside him, said, ¡°Father! Look quickly! That dog¡¯s fur seems to be standing on end! Just like a porcupine! It¡¯s running so fast! It¡¯s almost like a mastiff descending the mountain!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand, saying, ¡°No! Even a mastiff doesn¡¯t have such momentum! It¡¯s more like a tiger descending the mountain! Our Ming Dynasty¡¯s Jinyiwei, every one of them is a highly skilled martial artist! And this dog is also a remarkable creature of our Ming Dynasty! Eldest, give the order. Do not harm it!¡± Zhu Biao nodded. He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, signaling to the four Jinyiwei. Only Liu Bowen stood aside, with a somewhat worried expression on his face. At this moment, in the distance, Da Huang was darting back and forth! In no time, it had knocked the four Jinyiwei off their feet. Then, Da Huang turned around and ran back up the hillside! At this time, crisp singing could be heard from the hillside. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This crisp singing naturally came from Zhu Xuanji¡¯s mouth! After a while, Da Huang¡¯s figure receded into the distance. The singing also faded into nothingness. Leaving behind, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Liu Bowen, standing in a daze. After a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang reacted. ¡°Eldest! Did you hear that just now? It seemed like someone was singing!¡± Zhu Biao nodded slightly upon hearing this. ¡°Father. I heard it!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang then asked Liu Bowen beside him, ¡°Bowen, did you hear that singing?¡± Liu Bowen said, ¡°Your Majesty, this song seems to be from the Grand Dao Song of the Realized Being Pure Yang from years ago! Your Majesty! This Da Huang dog might be raised by the descendants of the Realised Being Pure Yang!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows! ¡°Realised Being Pure Yang? I¡¯ve heard of him! Eight hundred years ago, the strongest sword immortal in the Divine Land! He once single-handedly blocked an army of a hundred thousand savages! Preventing the barbarians from advancing south! He was a towering figure! Unexpectedly, after eight hundred years, on Zhongshan, a descendant of the Realised Being Pure Yang has appeared! ¡°Since the rise of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the twelve Mongol Yuan capitals have shaken the Divine Land! In the hundred years since the rise of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty! Demons arise, immortals hide! On Zijinshan, this former retreat of immortals, no immortals have descended again! Who would have thought ¡­ Today, we seem to hear the voice of an immortal¡¯s descendant!¡± Liu Bowen, upon hearing this, said, ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s just my speculation! After all, just a few lines of song cannot prove anything! Perhaps ¡­ it¡¯s just that person happened to have heard the Grand Dao Song of the Realised Being Pure Yang and sang it.¡± Zhu Yuanzhang, upon hearing this, acknowledged with a ¡°hmm¡± and then said to Zhu Biao beside him, ¡°Eldest! Send people to search for that person¡¯s whereabouts. This Zhongshan is now the dragon vein of our Ming Dynasty! Ordinary people from the martial world would not dare come here. Suddenly, an unusual person appears, regardless of the reason, find him! Ask him the reason! I don¡¯t want your mother to be disturbed in the afterlife!¡± Zhu Biao, hearing this, immediately bowed and nodded! ¡°Yes, Father! I will order someone to do it immediately!¡± Quickly, the four Jinyiwei who had fallen to the ground regained their senses. With Zhu Biao¡¯s command, hundreds of Jinyiwei entered Zhongshan to search. ¡ª In the mountains, by the side of Xuanwu Lake, Zhu Xuanji looked at the scene in the sky. A glint of brilliance flashed in his eyes! ¡°Good Liu Bowen! Indeed, a person of great renown. He saw through Da Huang¡¯s extraordinary nature. Remarkable. Truly remarkable!¡± Zhu Xuanji sat there. Da Huang whispered to Zhu Xuanji, ¡°Master! More people have come up the mountain. It seems to be those Jinyiwei again!¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly. He had already made plans in his mind! Old Zhu was not one to suffer losses. Just now, Da Huang had embarrassed the Jinyiwei. Moreover, he had sung the Grand Dao Song of the Realised Being Pure Yang! It would surely attract Old Zhu¡¯s attention. It would be strange if Old Zhu didn¡¯t send people to search the mountain! ¡°Forget it! Let the old man toss and turn! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Da Huang, follow me back to the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion!¡± ¡ª On Beigaofeng*, the Jinyiwei searched for most of the day. They found not a trace. By dusk, the Jinyiwei commander, Erhu, came down the mountain and reported to Zhu Biao. [*aka Northern peak/North Peak of Zhongshan. Also the main peak of Zhongshan. Mentioned in chapter 1.] ¡°Crown Prince! The mountain has been searched thoroughly. We found no trace of the dog! Nor any sign of the person who sang the Grand Dao Song!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Biao nodded slightly. ¡°Alright! Report back to His Majesty!¡± Erhu responded and went to catch up with the dragon carriage ahead. At this moment, Liu Bowen walked up to Zhu Biao, bowed his hands, and said in a low voice, ¡°Crown Prince!¡± Zhu Biao said, ¡°Prime Minister Bo, what else?¡± Liu Bowen glanced at Zhongshan, his voice slightly grave as he said in a low voice, ¡°Crown Prince! The dragon energy on Zhongshan is growing. I, an ordinary mortal, cannot discern the true dragon vein! The Crown Prince is the true dragon¡¯s heir! In the future, when the Crown Prince has time! You might go to Zhongshan alone! Perhaps you will have unexpected gains!¡± Zhu Biao knew Liu Bowen¡¯s prowess. Hearing Liu Bowen¡¯s words, he nodded. He didn¡¯t say much. He just gave Liu Bowen a deep look! Liu Bowen bowed his hands to Zhu Biao again. Then turned and left, chasing the carriage ahead. ¡ª Time passed quickly, in the blink of an eye. Spring went and autumn came! Five years had passed! This year was the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu era! Chapter 15 - Monkey and Pheasant, the Universal Rejuvenation Art! The Nine Character Mantra! Chapter 15: Monkey and Pheasant, the Universal Rejuvenation Art! The Nine Character Mantra!For the past five years, atop Zhongshan, nothing much has changed. The fields of medicinal herbs and fruits have become more abundant. Da Huang, the dog guarding the garden, has remained as diligent as ever. Time flew by. Zhu Xuanji had grown from the eight-year-old boy he was when he arrived to a strapping young man of eighteen. After ten years of cultivation, Zhu Xuanji now possesses remarkable Daoist charm. His entire being exuded an aura of an immortal sage. Despite his youthful appearance, this youthfulness only enhanced his celestial presence. His Ruyi Robe, which adapted to his body shape, showed no sign of ill fit. Over the years, he had focused on his cultivation, bringing the Divine Stream Longevity Technique to the stage where yin and yang energies merge, and spiritual energy is self-sustaining. Most crucially, he had perfected the Boundless Soaring technique. Zhu Xuanji had also achieved complete mastery of the Glazed Golden Body Technique. Although he had not yet reached the earth-shattering level with the Tongtian Sword Technique, he could still shatter rocks with a single strike. Moreover, the Pure Yang True Skill, taught by the old turtle, included some remarkable techniques. His mastery of fist and sword techniques had greatly improved. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji emerged from the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. The Han Guang Sword was concealed within his sleeve. The Ruyi Robe not only adapted to his size but could also store a certain number of items. With a swift step, Zhu Xuanji had traveled a great distance in the blink of an eye. Soon after, Zhu Xuanji sat by the Xuanwu Lake. He had just sat down when, from a distance, Da Huang came over with a monkey. This monkey, called Xiao Liuzi, was picked up by Da Huang two years ago, abandoned in the icy mountains. Back then, Xiao Liuzi was weak and on the brink of death. Da Huang found Zhu Xuanji, who saved the little monkey and named him Xiao Liuzi. Later, Zhu Xuanji enlightened the little monkey. The record of this enlightenment and the reward he received is clear on his personal panel. Looking back at these records, Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but smile. He had chosen the Wuzhiqi evolution for Xiao Liuzi. Whether Xiao Liuzi could evolve to that stage depends on himself. As for the Universal Rejuvenation Art, he had indeed revived a little white snake with it a year ago. He was planning to enlighten the snake soon. On Zhongshan Mountain, there were now many enlightened creatures. Besides Xiao Liuzi, there was also a large pheasant. This pheasant, originally a wild bird from the mountains, was enlightened by Zhu Xuanji and stayed by his side, crowing each morning. The reward for enlightening the pheasant is also recorded on his personal panel. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Xuanji chose the Mao Ri Ji evolution for the pheasant and named it A Si. Chapter 16 - Xiao Shu Advances! Reward! Grand Illusion Technique! Chapter 16: Xiao Shu Advances! Reward! Grand Illusion Technique!¡­ After enlightening the pheasant Ah Si, Zhu Xuanji received the reward of the Nine Character Mantra. For more than a year now, Zhu Xuanji had been cultivating diligently. Although he had only mastered the first three characters, their power was already formidable. As Zhu Xuanji reviewed the records on his personal panel, Xiao Zhi popped her head out of the lake and called out, ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Brother! My stomach has been feeling bloated these past few days.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Xuanji glanced at Xiao Zhi, noticing that she had grown more than ten times her previous size, transforming from a palm-sized silver fish into a large silver fish. ¡°Feeling bloated? Could it be that you¡¯re about to advance in rank?¡± Zhu Xuanji reached out to touch Xiao Zhi¡¯s head. Just as he was surprised, Xiao Shu also emerged. ¡°Brother, brother! I think I¡¯ve broken through! Look, I¡¯ve grown bigger!¡± Zhu Xuanji looked closely and saw a large silver fish over ten feet long flopping in the water. It was indeed Xiao Shu. At that moment, a system prompt sounded in his ear: Hearing the system prompt, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. As expected, Xiao Shu had broken through, and with the breakthrough came generous rewards: Grand Illusion Technique, Dragon Pattern Cauldron, Green Ghost Vine Seeds, and Five-Colored Spirit Sprout Rice Seeds¡ªall valuable items. However, Zhu Xuanji hadn¡¯t anticipated that Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi¡¯s advancement would take so long. Ten years had passed, even in the spiritual energy-rich Zhongshan, a supreme land blessed with spiritual energy, and despite frequently consuming spiritual fruits and herbs along with Zhu Xuanji¡¯s constant enlightenment and support. Xiao Shu had only now advanced to the lower grade of the Body Transformation Realm. This highlighted the complexity of spirit beast evolution, further proving that Da Huang¡¯s five-year advancement was indeed impressive. Initially, Zhu Xuanji thought Da Huang would be the slowest to advance, but now it seemed Da Huang was the fastest. Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi, although doing well, couldn¡¯t match Da Huang¡¯s speed. ¡°Brother! Brother! I broke through! What reward do I get?¡± Having spent a long time with Zhu Xuanji, Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi behaved like his sisters, playfully demanding rewards. Zhu Xuanji smiled and said to the monkey Xiao Liuzi on Da Huang¡¯s back, ¡°Xiao Liuzi! Go to the medicinal field and bring back a White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit.¡± Xiao Liuzi somersaulted off Da Huang¡¯s back and replied, ¡°Got it, master!¡± Xiao Liuzi, being close to Da Huang, also referred to Zhu Xuanji as master. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so stingy! I break through and only get one White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit!¡± Xiao Shu said, blowing bubbles in the lake. Zhu Xuanji laughed, ¡°You little fish! Complaining about the White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit! Looks like I¡¯ve been giving you too many good things. No more spirit fruits for you from now on.¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Shu quickly said, ¡°Brother, brother! I was just kidding! I want it, I want it!¡± Zhu Xuanji shook his head with a helpless smile. Xiao Liuzi was quick, returning with the White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit in no time. Zhu Xuanji threw the fruit into the water, and Xiao Shu swallowed it in one gulp. ¡°Xiao Zhi, you need to work hard too. Strive to break through soon!¡± Zhu Xuanji encouraged Xiao Zhi before standing up and heading to the mountain medicinal field with Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi. Soon, Zhu Xuanji arrived at the medicinal field. Under the Longevity Fruit Tree, a small white snake about the length of Zhu Xuanji¡¯s arm coiled around a branch. Under the tree stood the pheasant Ah Si, glaring menacingly at the white snake, which seemed to be trembling. Seeing the small white snake, a smile appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s lips. This was the snake he had rescued and kept in the medicinal field, not yet enlightened. Today, it seemed the snake had recovered well. But why was it frightened by the pheasant Ah Si? ¡°Ah Si! Get away from there and stop causing trouble!¡± Zhu Xuanji shouted at the pheasant. Ah Si, with his splendid feathers and larger size compared to ordinary roosters, screeched upon hearing Zhu Xuanji¡¯s voice, ¡°Aiya, aiya ¡­ the master is here!¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 17 - Awakening the White Snake! Mastering the Sea-Leaping Sword Technique! Chapter 17: Awakening the White Snake! Mastering the Sea-Leaping Sword Technique!¡­ ¡°Master! This little worm, you must not awaken it! As the saying goes, ¡®Snakes and scorpions are the most venomous!¡¯ This little worm is still small now! If you awaken it, it will grow bigger and become a problem!¡± A Si¡¯s raspy voice sounded quite strange. Zhu Xuanji ignored him. This guy was a chatterbox. Thus, Zhu Xuanji generally didn¡¯t let him enter the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, instead making him guard the medicine field here. Mainly because Zhu Xuanji found him noisy. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji leaped into the air, retrieving the little white snake from the tree branch. The little white snake coiled around his arm. Zhu Xuanji said to the little white snake, ¡°Xiao Bai, oh Xiao Bai. You¡¯re quite lucky. You¡¯ve encountered me, a Realized Being. Today, I will awaken your spiritual intelligence and let you understand the mysteries of creation.¡± In the next moment, Zhu Xuanji placed his hand on the little white snake¡¯s head. Divine light radiated from the little white snake¡¯s body. After about half an incense stick¡¯s time, the divine light completely dissipated. Zhu Xuanji¡¯s awakening spell was complete. At this moment, the little white snake raised its head, flicking its tongue. Slowly, it spoke, ¡°Thank you ¡­ Realized Being, for awakening me! Xiao Bai ¡­ is eternally grateful!¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly upon hearing this. At this moment, a system notification sounded in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s ear. ¡°Hmm? Sea-Leaping Sword Technique? Interesting! It does have a bit of the flavor of an immortal¡¯s technique!¡± At this moment, another system notification sounded in his ear. ¡°Hmm? These three evolution directions are quite unexpected. Ming Snake and Nine Infants are both fierce beasts! Teng Snake isn¡¯t a gentle creature either! Should I choose Nine Infants or Teng Snake?!¡± After some thought, Zhu Xuanji decided to choose Teng Snake! The reason was simple. Because the abilities of the Teng Snake were not inferior to those of the Heavenly Dragon and Silver Dragon. Zhu Xuanji, having received consecutive rewards today, was in a good mood. He leaped into the air again, placing the white snake, Xiao Bai, back onto the Longevity Fruit Tree. ¡°Xiao Bai, from now on, you will continue to cultivate here. A Si! Do not disturb Xiao Bai¡¯s cultivation! If anything happens to Xiao Bai, I will cook and eat you!¡± The pheasant A Si let out a wail upon hearing this! ¡°Oh no! This is unfair!¡± ¡°Honest words are unpleasant to hear!¡± Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t be bothered with this guy. Having spent a long time with him, Zhu Xuanji knew that this guy was a complete drama queen! Zhu Xuanji took another look at the Longevity Fruit Tree. This tree had been planted for ten years. It took five years to root and grow a trunk. Now, it had grown quite a bit more. However, it still showed no signs of budding and fruiting. Presumably, this was because the Longevity Fruit was a miraculous fruit that extended lifespan. Its long growth cycle was understandable. After finishing these tasks, Zhu Xuanji led Da Huang out of the medicine field. He returned to the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, preparing to practice the newly acquired sword technique and the Grand Illusion Technique! Since he started cultivating in the mountains, whenever he obtained new and interesting techniques, he couldn¡¯t wait to practice them. Time passed unnoticed in the mountains. Perhaps, this was the true essence of cultivation! ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. In three months, Zhu Xuanji had cultivated the Sea-Leaping Sword Technique to a decent level! Zhu Xuanji sat by Xuanwu Lake. In Xuanwu Lake, Old Turtle, Xiao Shu, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Ning were all present. Beside him, Da Huang and the monkey Xiao Liuzi squatted there. Zhu Xuanji raised his finger! The Han Guang Sword danced in his hand! It flew into the distance! After about half an incense stick¡¯s time, the divine light-emitting Han Guang Sword returned from the horizon, hovering above Xuanwu Lake! At this moment, Xiao Zhi and Xiao Shu cheered, ¡°Brother, brother!¡± ¡°How amazing!¡± Old Turtle praised, ¡°Benefactor¡¯s sword technique is truly marvelous! My father once told me about the unparalleled sword technique of the Realized Being Pure Yang, who could send a sword flying to decapitate enemies a thousand miles away. Today, seeing Benefactor perform this divine sword technique with my own eyes! Truly, my life has not been in vain!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Xuanji smiled and retrieved the Han Guang Sword. ¡°Currently, my sword technique is not yet refined. At most, it can fly five hundred miles! However ¡­ I believe that one day, I can master this technique to perfection! To soar across the seas, circle the land of Shenzhou* in a day, witness its storms, and cut down all injustice!¡± S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. [*a poetic name for Zhonghua/China/Divine Continent].[TL Note: Xiao Bai means Little While.]. Chapter 18 - Zhu Biao Has Died! Zhu Xuanji’s Decision! Chapter 18: Zhu Biao Has Died! Zhu Xuanji¡¯s Decision!¡­ The old turtle praised, ¡°Benefactor, what a bold spirit! S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Xuanji smiled and said, ¡°Alright! That¡¯s enough for today! Da Huang, Xiao Liuzi! Follow me into the mountains for a walk!¡± With that, Zhu Xuanji stood up, he took Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi into the mountains. Every few days, he would stroll through the mountains. He would also look around to see if there were any living beings worth enlightening. In recent years, he had not enlightened many animals. However, he had enlightened several plants. For example, not far from Empress Ma¡¯s tomb. He had enlightened a willow tree. The willow tree had already been growing for eighty years. After being enlightened by Zhu Xuanji. Its spiritual intelligence began to awaken. It also grew much faster. After all, Empress Ma was the grandmother of his current body. If Empress Ma had died in the past two years, he might have been able to save her. Unfortunately, Empress Ma had been dead for nearly ten years. There was nothing he could do, all he could do was enlighten a willow tree to guard Empress Ma¡¯s tomb. Zhu Xuanji walked with Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi in the mountains. The forest was dense. A gentle breeze blew, it brought a sense of refreshing comfort. After living alone in the mountains for a long time, Zhu Xuanji had developed a serene, deep-water-like demeanor. It was as if he had become one with nature. Da Huang was still as lively as ever, running with great speed. Carrying the monkey Xiao Liuzi, it dashed off. It was a long time before they were seen again. Zhu Xuanji strolled leisurely; he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. After a while, Da Huang returned, carrying Xiao Liuzi. It said to Zhu Xuanji, ¡°Master, someone is at the foot of the mountain. It looks like a funeral procession. Judging by the clothing of those in the procession, they seem to be officials of the Ming Dynasty! I wonder who from the Ming Dynasty has died now.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Xuanji was momentarily stunned. ¡°Hmm? Another funeral procession? And Ming officials? Could it be ¡­? Could it be Old Zhu has died? Impossible! No, no! I remember Old Zhu lived to be over seventy in history! Although the history and character details of this world differ somewhat from what I remember. But the age shouldn¡¯t have changed much!¡± Suddenly, Zhu Xuanji felt a surge of inner chaos. Despite having traveled through time and lacking any memories of his predecessor Zhu Xiongying, the news of Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s possible death unexpectedly made his eyes well up. Since advancing, Da Huang had become increasingly intelligent. Now, his abilities were quite significant. He was a capable assistant to Zhu Xuanji. Able to gather a lot of information for Zhu Xuanji, but who was inside the coffin, Da Huang couldn¡¯t tell. So, Zhu Xuanji decided to go and see for himself. Immediately, Zhu Xuanji had Da Huang lead the way. After a short while, Zhu Xuanji stood on the mountain top. Looking at the winding mountain path below. The long funeral procession, and the people at the front of the procession. The cries echoed loudly! Whether they were officials or royal family members of the Ming Dynasty. All were crying non-stop! Now, Zhu Xuanji was not what he used to be; he had been cultivating for ten years. His physique had undergone great changes. His hearing and vision were exceptionally sharp. His eyes could clearly see things far away. When he saw the large characters written on the memorial tablet in front of the grand coffin. Zhu Xuanji was stunned! ¡°What! It¡¯s Zhu Biao! My cheap father Zhu Biao has died??¡± This really stunned Zhu Xuanji. He had thought it was Zhu Yuanzhang being buried. But he never expected, it was actually Zhu Biao being buried! Over the years, Zhu Biao had visited Zhongshan several times, each time he came, he would sweep the tomb of Empress Ma. Besides sweeping Empress Ma¡¯s tomb, the place he stayed the longest, was near Zhu Xiongying¡¯s tomb. He remembered two years ago. Zhu Biao came to Zhongshan alone. Sitting alone in front of Zhu Xiongying¡¯s tomb, muttering for a long time. Even now, Zhu Xuanji still remembered what Zhu Biao said that day. In those words, there was the helplessness and pressure of being a crown prince, and also a father¡¯s longing for his deceased child. Scenes from the past, flashed through Zhu Xuanji¡¯s mind like a movie. Thinking of this, Zhu Xuanji felt a great sense of unease! ¡°I, Zhu Xuanji, have traveled here! Ten years of cultivation! Now, I have achieved some success! Since we are related by blood. Then I must save him.¡± However, Zhu Biao was the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty. Now there were so many people attending the funeral! He couldn¡¯t just fly out, and forcibly open the coffin. Zhu Biao had worked hard all his life. If he was revived under everyone¡¯s eyes. He would probably have to go back to the palace and resume his duties as the crown prince. This was not what Zhu Xuanji wanted to see. Human power had its limits! The Ming Dynasty wouldn¡¯t collapse just because it lost Zhu Biao, would it? It would be better, to leave Zhu Biao in Zhongshan. To let him cultivate with him! In the future, even if the Ming Dynasty faced difficulties, if Zhu Biao succeeded in his cultivation! He could still descend the mountain! Thinking of this, an idea suddenly came to Zhu Xuanji¡¯s mind! The next moment! Zhu Xuanji soared into the sky! Displaying his technique, Boundless Soaring. Gliding through the air, carefree and unrestrained. Moments later, Zhu Xuanji was already above the funeral procession. He crossed his hands! Chanted, Chapter 19 - Zhu Biao’s Resurrection! Could the Realized Being Be a Disciple of Pure Yang? Chapter 19: Zhu Biao¡¯s Resurrection! Could the Realized Being Be a Disciple of Pure Yang?¡­ With a swoosh, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s voice fell. A divine light enveloped the funeral procession below! In an instant, everyone in the funeral procession was drawn into the illusion created by Zhu Xuanji. The next moment, Zhu Xuanji waved his hand, and opened the coffin lid. Lying inside was indeed the Ming Crown Prince Zhu Biao! Without a word, Zhu Xuanji raised his hand! A gust of wind swept Zhu Biao¡¯s body into the air! Zhu Xuanji then closed the coffin lid, he then took Zhu Biao¡¯s body, and rode the wind away, disappearing into the sky. Moments later, the funeral procession continued forward. As if nothing had happened! ¡­ In Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, Zhu Xuanji placed Zhu Biao¡¯s body down. Then, he sat to the side, and performed the Universal Rejuvenation Art! In an instant, a tremendous vitality flowed into Zhu Biao¡¯s body. The Universal Rejuvenation Art, brought the dead back to life! This divine technique was beyond ordinary imagination. With Zhu Xuanji¡¯s current cultivation, he could only perform the Universal Rejuvenation Art once every six months. This technique consumed a great deal of Zhu Xuanji¡¯s energy. Before this, he had never used this divine technique to save anyone. So, Zhu Xuanji himself was unsure if he could revive Zhu Biao. However, soon, Zhu Xuanji felt a vitality quietly emerging in Zhu Biao¡¯s body. This vitality, revived Zhu Biao¡¯s limbs, bones, and organs! About an hour later, when Zhu Xuanji felt his spiritual power was nearly exhausted, he saw Zhu Biao, who had been lying there, slowly wake up! ¡°It worked!¡± Seeing Zhu Biao finally open his eyes. Zhu Xuanji let out a long breath! A smile appeared on his face! Zhu Biao felt as if he had had a very long dream! In this dream, he was in endless darkness. Everything from the past kept recurring. He wanted to escape the darkness! Yet, he couldn¡¯t. He could only watch helplessly, and let his consciousness drift in the darkness! Just when he felt his consciousness growing weaker. At some unknown point, he suddenly felt a tremendous power pulling him out of the darkness. When he opened his eyes, Zhu Biao looked around at his surroundings. And slowly said, ¡°Where am I? Is this the underworld?¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly, although his spiritual power was nearly exhausted, saving Zhu Biao made him feel extremely good! This sense of satisfaction was indescribable to outsiders. ¡°This is Yunmeng Dao Pavilion! Alright! Your vitality has been restored! You can get up and see if there¡¯s any discomfort.¡± Zhu Biao, having just been revived, might still be a bit confused! He instinctively stood up. Looked around. Seeing the Daoist aura and immortal-like atmosphere in Yunmeng Dao Pavilion¡ªeverything was very quaint and ancient¡ªthere was an indescribable feeling in him. Zhu Biao calmed himself. Touched his arm, and finally confirmed one thing. It seemed ¡­ he wasn¡¯t dead! This shocked him greatly! His last memory was lying on his sickbed in the palace. He remembered the imperial physician saying he was beyond saving! But, how did he get here? How was he revived? Now he only felt his body in an excellent state! Even better than when he was young! ¡°Your body has just recovered! You shouldn¡¯t overexert yourself! If you have any questions or confusion. You can ask!¡± Zhu Xuanji sat to the side. His handsome face was enveloped in an indescribable aura! Zhu Biao, after all, was a person of experience, he sat down and looked at the young man with an immortal demeanor in front of him. ¡°May I ask, Realised Being! Was it you who saved me?¡± For some reason, looking at the young Daoist in front of him, Zhu Biao felt an inexplicable sense of closeness! Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly, replying while silently restoring his spiritual power. ¡°That¡¯s right! It was I who saved you!¡± Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I remember, I seemed to ¡­ have died! How could Immortal revive a dead person?¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. His face exuded an air of lightness and profundity! ¡°You indeed had died! At least for half a month! However, I possess the supreme art of reviving the dead and regrowing flesh on bones! Saving you was not a difficult task!¡± Zhu Xuanji had no intention of revealing his identity. Although he had saved him, Zhu Biao was his father after all. Claiming him as his father without reason would only bring trouble. So, it was best not to acknowledge the relationship. Treating each other as friends would also be nice. ¡°Half a month? May I ask for the Realized Being¡¯s honorable title! And what is this place?¡± Zhu Biao felt that the person in front of him was trustworthy. He had no doubt about Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words. Zhu Xuanji said, ¡°My Daoist title is Master Xuanji! * As for this place. If you step outside, you will understand!¡± [*here Zhu Xuanji says that his title is Xuanji Zi. Zi stands for Master/Teacher. This is used by learned or scholarly individuals.] Zhu Biao nodded slightly. Then asked Zhu Xuanji, ¡°Why did Realized Being Xuanji save me? I have never met Realized Being Xuanji! Could it be my father?¡± At this moment, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s spiritual power had recovered significantly. He stood up, smiling, he said, ¡°Follow me!¡± With that, Zhu Xuanji walked out of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Seeing this, Zhu Biao, still puzzled, also got up and followed him out. ¡­ s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Moments later, Zhu Biao looked at the scenery outside Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. He was stunned. ¡°This ¡­ this is ¡­ Zhongshan?¡± Zhu Xuanji did not answer him. Instead, he called out to Da Huang, who was resting nearby! ¡°Da Huang! Go fetch a White Jade Mulberry Fruit!¡± Seeing Da Huang, Zhu Biao was stunned again! His pupils contracted! He suddenly remembered five years ago. When he climbed the mountain with his father and Liu Bowen. He had seen this big mountain dog in the mountains! At that time, Liu Bowen predicted that the dragon energy in Zhongshan was flourishing because of this big mountain dog! And his father wanted the Jinyiwei to invite the big mountain dog for proper care! But, the big mountain dog had easily escaped. ¡°It¡¯s that big mountain dog! Could the Realized Being be a disciple of Realized Being Pure Yang?¡± Chapter 20 - Zhu Biao Enters the Profound Path, Takes the Dao Name Wangchen! Chapter 20: Zhu Biao Enters the Profound Path, Takes the Dao Name Wangchen!¡­ At this moment, Zhu Biao¡¯s face was filled with surprise. The name of the Realized Being Pure Yang was well known. Eight hundred years ago, he was a legendary figure in the Daoist immortal world! At this moment, Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. He just lightly nodded. Neither confirming nor denying! To a certain extent, He was indeed counted as the successor of the Realized Being Pure Yang. After all, he also practiced the ¡°Pure Yang True Skill¡± passed down by the Realized Being Pure Yang. However, Realized Being Pure Yang did not have the ability to bring the dead back to life or to regenerate bones! At this moment, Zhu Xuanji walked forward leisurely. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Biao followed closely behind. Looking at the vast fields in the distance, full of lush spiritual herbs and fruits. Then looking at the magnificent and ethereal Yunmeng Dao Pavilion! And that incredible Spirit Gathering Array. Everything seemed to be overturning Zhu Biao¡¯s impression of Zhongshan! ¡°Realized Being! Is this still Zhongshan? I used to come to Zhongshan once a year! Why have I never seen Realized Being, nor this Yunmeng Dao Pavilion! Nor have I seen these vast medicinal fields!¡± Zhu Biao looked around in confusion! He couldn¡¯t help but look towards Zhu Xuanji. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face only showed a calm and serene expression. Over there, Da Huang had already gone and returned like the wind. He returned to Zhu Xuanji. The monkey Xiao Liuzi was on Da Huang¡¯s back. He handed the White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit to Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji took the White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit in his hand. ¡°Master! This fruit is fully ripe! Can I eat one?¡± Xiao Liuzi looked eagerly at Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji looked at this fellow¡¯s drooling eyes and couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Go ahead, go ahead! But only one! Don¡¯t be greedy! You won¡¯t be able to digest it if you eat too much! Da Huang, you go watch him!¡± Da Huang responded immediately! ¡°Yes! Master!¡± As soon as the words fell, Da Huang carried Xiao Liuzi and ran back into the medicinal fields! Leaving Zhu Biao dumbfounded. ¡°This ¡­ the monkey and the big mountain dog can actually speak!¡± If, the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion and the vast medicinal fields before had only shocked Zhu Biao¡¯s perception of Zhongshan. Now, the monkey and the big mountain dog speaking human words directly overturned Zhu Biao¡¯s worldview completely! ¡°It turns out, there really are spiritual beings in the world! Not just simply spiritual! But also able to converse with humans!¡± Zhu Biao stood there in a daze. Unable to come back to his senses for a long time. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji handed the White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit in his hand to Zhu Biao. ¡°Take it and eat! This White Jade Spirit Mulberry Fruit is good for you. You don¡¯t need to doubt. This is indeed Zhongshan. Da Huang you see is the big mountain dog you saw every year when you came to sweep the tomb. Since the fifteenth year of Hongwu. ¡°I have always known whenever you came up the mountain. I saved you because I think you are a good person! Skilled in both literature and martial arts, working hard for the country, caring for the people. You, as the crown prince, have indeed worked too hard. In life, you couldn¡¯t enjoy a bit of peace, working hard for half your life. ¡°I practice in Zhongshan, although I can¡¯t see the affairs of the world. But I have heard from you about the sufferings of the people. Today, upon learning that you were to be buried. I thought to extend your life. Let you see the splendour of the world again! From now on, stay on this mountain, accompany me! Practice with me! In the future, it will benefit you greatly!¡± When Zhu Biao heard Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words, he stood there stunned. ¡°What? Realized Being wants me to stay on Zhongshan and accompany him? Realized Being ¡­ I am the Crown Prince of Ming! Now that I have revived, how can I stay in the mountains to practice in seclusion! I should go down the mountain and return to the palace, to assist my father! Please, Realized Being, grant my wish!¡± Zhu Biao cupped his hands towards Zhu Xuanji and made a move to leave. At this time. Zhu Xuanji smiled and said: ¡°Crown Prince Yiwen! Let¡¯s not talk about whether you can leave Zhongshan now! Even if you can go down the mountain. If you return to the palace. What can you do! The Ming Dynasty will continue to run without anyone. Your fate was already cut off! It is I who extended your life! ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t force you to practice in seclusion here! But, after going down the mountain, how long can you live. Do you want your father to suffer the pain of losing you again? The human world is just a big dream! Royal power and wealth, where can they compare to attaining the Dao and living long!¡± Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words were not alarmist. Although he was the one to revive Zhu Biao, without continuous practice. He would live at most another ten years! Although human effort could change destiny, but, ultimately, human effort had its limits! Unless one continued to practice diligently, there was no changing one¡¯s destiny! After hearing these words, Zhu Biao withdrew his steps! He stood still, calming himself! Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words still echoed in his ears. In his eyes, thoughts flashed one after another! After a moment, it seemed he had made a decision! He turned, bowed deeply to Zhu Xuanji. ¡°Please, Realized Being, teach me the way to prolong life! The art of cultivating the Dao!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This change was too fast! ¡°Why did Crown Prince Yiwen change his mind so quickly?¡± Zhu Biao said solemnly: ¡°The Realized Being¡¯s words have awakened me from a dream! I don¡¯t want my father to suffer the pain of losing me again. So, please, Realized Being, teach me the way to prolong life, the art of cultivating the Dao! Once I have achieved success in my practice! It will not be too late to go down the mountain!¡± After hearing this, Zhu Xuanji smiled and said nothing more. After practicing here for ten years, if Zhu Biao still wants to go down the mountain, that would be strange. ¡°In that case, stay in Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. You can call me Xuanji. Let¡¯s address each other as fellow Daoists! I have thought of a moniker for you! Let¡¯s call you ¡®Wangchen¡¯! * What do you think?¡± Chapter 21 - The Lonely Old Zhu and the Mature Spiritual Sprout Rice! Zhu Biaos Sighs! Chapter 21: The Lonely Old Zhu and the Mature Spiritual Sprout Rice! Zhu Biao¡¯s Sighs!¡°Forget the past? Forget the past events?¡± [TL note: Wangcheng means ¡®] Zhu Biao murmured to himself, his eyes shimmering. Then, he bowed deeply to Zhu Xuanji. ¡°Many thanks to Realized Being for the moniker.¡± Zhu Xuanji glanced at Zhu Biao. This was the first time he had observed this father of his, the Deputy Emperor of Ming, up close. He was only thirty-eight years old. Yet, his temples were already graying. It was evident his life as the Crown Prince was indeed laborious. ¡­ Late at night. Ming Dynasty. Jinling City*. [*present day Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Historical name: Jinling.] In the imperial palace, in one of the palaces. Zhu Yuanzhang, with a head full of white hair, sat alone on the imperial throne, reviewing memorials after the painful loss of his beloved son. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the hall. He tightened his clothes. Habitually, he called out. ¡°Eldest ¡­ Look at this memorial ¡­¡± There was no response in the hall. Only the faint sound of the wind brushed past Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s face. Zhu Yuanzhang looked utterly lost, clenching his teeth. His right hand, holding the imperial brush, trembled even more. The eldest was gone. The Crown Prince he had meticulously cultivated for thirty years. Was gone. A white-haired man sending off a black-haired one. How could the life of Old Zhu be so bitter? He lost his parents early! In his middle age, he lost his wife and eldest grandson! In old age, he lost his son! Though he ascended to the throne and became the sovereign of the realm, became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty ¡­ Yet, his life was extremely bitter! ¡°Eldest, you are truly heartless. Leaving your father behind, running off on your own. Father knows, sitting on the emperor¡¯s throne is not easy. If you found it too hard, you should have told father earlier. Father wouldn¡¯t have made you bear such a heavy burden. You just left your father like this! This vast Ming Dynasty, who will inherit it ¡­ Eldest ¡­ you have really given father a difficult problem!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang, with his head full of gray hair, sat in the hall, muttering to himself. The candlelight flickered, casting an even more eerie light on his wrinkled face. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Zhu Biao came to Zhongshan. In three months¡¯ time, Zhu Biao¡¯s physical condition had improved significantly. This noon, by the shore of Xuanwu Lake. The little monkey, Xiao Liuzi, brought over a fragrant bamboo tube of rice and placed it in front of Zhu Biao and Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji had set up a stone table by the shore of Xuanwu Lake, he had carved a chessboard on it. In his leisure time, he would play chess with Zhu Biao by the lake. Enjoying the surrounding scenery. It was an incomparable delight. ¡°Master! This is the newly matured five-colored spiritual sprout rice! According to your instructions, it¡¯s made as bamboo tube rice! Just freshly cooked. Please try it!¡± Xiao Liuzi was very clever! His learning ability was top-notch. The most important thing was, he also learned to cook from Zhu Xuanji! Zhu Xuanji¡¯s cooking skills were his experience from his previous life. At that time, as a working man, his biggest hobby was to buy some ingredients during his breaks and cook a delicious meal in his small home. After coming to this world, it was hard for him to cook without rice! Moreover, over the years, there were always spiritual herbs and fruits to sustain him. The spiritual energy in these herbs and fruits were abundant. It could significantly improve one¡¯s physical condition. Therefore, over the years, he rarely cooked. It was only in the past two years, with more leisure time. That he would occasionally find some mountain ingredients to make some light dishes. The little monkey, Xiao Liuzi, learned cooking during these times. Zhu Biao was already used to the little monkey, Xiao Liuzi, who could speak human language and acted like a little adult. He was not surprised that Xiao Liuzi could cook. Because, in these three months on Zhongshan, he had learned that on Zhongshan there were more than just one spiritually intelligent creature like the big mountain dog. Besides the big mountain dog, there was also this little monkey ¡­ And the big pheasant that crowed incessantly in the morning! And the extremely white fair little white snake! And the silver fish that cultivated in Xuanwu Lake. And an old tortoise over a hundred years old. If it weren¡¯t for his rebirth and being brought into Yunmeng Dao Pavilion by Daoist Xuanji, and giving him a second life, he probably wouldn¡¯t have known about such a different scene on Zhongshan. Indeed, it was a blessed land of celestial beings! In these three months on Zhongshan, it was the most relaxed three months of his life. In these three months, he could say, his entire being had undergone earth-shattering changes. Not only physically, but also in his entire mindset had undergone significant transformation. It was like a lifetime, like the different seasons passing. Earlier, he was the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. Busy with state affairs from morning till night. His entire body and mind were in a constantly tense state. But now, his entire being was relaxed! Inside and out! It was an unprecedented relaxation! Between heaven and earth. There was natural creation. For a person to cultivate oneself, it was indeed a blessing! At this moment, the fragrance of the five-colored spiritual sprout rice had already wafted through the air. Zhu Xuanji, sitting beside him, smiled and said: ¡°This five-colored spiritual sprout rice is the first batch to mature. It¡¯s different from those spiritual herbs and fruits. Please, help yourself!¡± Zhu Biao didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. After three months with Daoist Xuanji, he understood Daoist Xuanji disliked formalities. He also disliked pleasantries. Eat when it¡¯s time to eat. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Drink when it¡¯s time to drink. That was true temperament. Zhu Biao picked up the bamboo tube, using bamboo chopsticks to scoop out the spiritual sprout rice. He began eating it bite by bite. ¡°Not bad! Really good! The spiritual sprout rice has five colors! It¡¯s naturally fragrant! With the unique aroma of the bamboo tube! This spiritual sprout rice is truly a rare delicacy in the world.¡± Zhu Biao had tasted many delicacies. But today, after eating this spiritual sprout rice. He realized that there was such delicious rice in the world. At this moment, Zhu Biao suddenly sighed: ¡°If all the people in the world could eat this rice! There would be no problems in this world!¡± Upon hearing Zhu Biao¡¯s words. Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If that time really comes. The world would be in an unprecedented state of peace!¡± Chapter 22 - Enlightening the Black Eagle! First Mention of the Black Wind Mountain! Chapter 22: Enlightening the Black Eagle! First Mention of the Black Wind Mountain!¡­ In the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu era, time passed quickly. At the beginning of the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu era. Just after the New Year, on Zhongshan Mountain. There was still a bit of chill, in the early morning of this day. Dew was still condensing. Zhu Xuanji was wandering on the mountain with Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi. At this time, he suddenly heard a cry coming from the sky. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The cry was like roar screeching across the sky. It was extremely high-pitched. After a while, he only saw a black shadow falling from the sky. It was a black eagle, severely injured and falling not far away. Da Huang looked. Immediately said: ¡°Master! Look quickly! That seems to be an eagle!¡± Zhu Xuanji said: ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡± After a while, Zhu Xuanji saw the black eagle fallen in the grass, and on the brink of death. It didn¡¯t even have the strength to cry out. Obviously, it was about to die. Zhu Xuanji squatted down, looked at the black eagle¡¯s wing. Only to see that the black eagle had a large wound on its body. The blood had dried up. Seeing this situation, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s eyes. This black eagle was obviously an adult black eagle. It had a height over one meter, and the wingspan was at least three meters long! Such a big black eagle, the thing that injured it was quite terrifying being able to injure such a black eagle! Obviously, it was also another such fierce bird! The monkey Xiao Liuzi hid behind Da Huang. It sneakily looked at the black eagle and said, ¡°Goodness! This black eagle is really big! Master, are you going to save it?¡± Zhu Xuanji often walked around Zhongshan. It was to find worthy creatures to enlighten. Today, seeing this black eagle. He had an idea. If he could enlighten this black eagle and tame it. That would be a great thing. Now, he had Da Huang, Xiao Liuzi, and also had the old turtle and the silver fish of Xuanwu Lake. On land and in water. He had both. What he lacked was something that could fly in the sky. This black eagle came just in time. Next moment, they only saw Zhu Xuanji raise his hand. First, he used the Rejuvenation Art on the black eagle. Saved the black eagle that was on the brink of death. Then, he used the Enlightenment Technique on the black eagle. After these operations, the black eagle regained its vitality. Then stood up, looked at Zhu Xuanji with burning eyes, and at Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi beside Zhu Xuanji. After some time, they heard the black eagle speak: ¡°Thank you ¡­ Realized Being for saving my life! May I ask the Realized Being¡¯s name!¡± The black eagle¡¯s words, were not stiff at all. Obviously, this was an experienced black eagle. Definitely not an ordinary creature! Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. ¡°This place is Zhongshan! My Daoist name is Xuanji.¡± The black eagle was stunned for a moment. ¡°So it¡¯s Realized Being Xuanji!¡± ¡°Thank you, Realized Being Xuanji, for saving my life! The Realized Being¡¯s skills are extraordinary. Your magic is marvelous! You be from a Hidden Immortal lineage! Unexpectedly, on this Zhongshan, a majestic person from the Hidden Immortal lineage appears again! It is truly a blessing for the creatures of the world!¡± The black eagle¡¯s words immediately caught Zhu Xuanji¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh? How do you know I am from the Hidden Immortal lineage!¡± The black eagle said: ¡°The Realized Being does not know, when I was young, I once followed my parents outside the Yuanming Mansion of Qixia Mountain, listening to the teachings of Daoist Yuanming.¡± ¡°Later, the Mo Yuan Dynasty rose! The fragmented demonic path was unified by Temujin! Since then, the Immortals hid, and the demonic path prospered! Since then, those once famous Immortal figures all became Hidden Immortals. A hundred years ago, the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, and the seventy-two prefectures of Shenzhou were almost entirely occupied by demonic sects! After the fall of the Mo Yuan Dynasty. ¡°Shenzhou was fragmented again. The demonic sects retreated from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, and the seventy-two prefectures of Shenzhou. In the past twenty years, some descendants of the Hidden Immortal lineage have walked in the human world. However, in places like Zhongshan, occupied by the dynasty. The chances of encountering a Hidden Immortal are very slim! Unexpectedly. Today, I could meet the Realized Being on Zhongshan! It must be my destiny to survive!¡± When Zhu Xuanji heard these words from the black eagle, a faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°It turns out to be like this! The injury on your body has been healed by me! I see that you are quite intelligent. Now, if you don¡¯t have a home to return to, why don¡¯t you stay on Zhongshan and cultivate with me? Under my seat, become a divine messenger bird!¡± Chapter 23 - Reward! The Golden Light Technique! Da Huang is Frustrated! Chapter 23: Reward! The Golden Light Technique! Da Huang is Frustrated!¡­¡­ The black eagle obviously did not expect for such a good thing to fall upon him! After all, not all immortals would favor these flying birds. ¡°Is what the Realized Being said true?¡± The black eagle said excitedly. Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly, ¡°Of course!¡± The black eagle immediately bowed its head, expressing its loyalty to Zhu Xuanji! ¡°Thank you, Realized Being, for taking me in!¡± At this moment, Zhu Xuanji heard a series of system prompts in his ear! ¡°Hmm? The Golden Light Technique? Another flying technique! Transforming into a golden light, traversing the world, it indeed sounds quite cool!¡± At this moment. He heard another system prompt in his ear. ¡°Hmm? These three evolutionary directions are quite surprising. Sky-Pouncing God Eagle, Zhu! Golden-Winged Roc! This seems like an easy choice, directly choose the Golden-Winged Roc!¡± Zhu Xuanji directly chose the Golden-Winged Roc. Almost without any hesitation. The reason was simple, because the Golden-Winged Roc was quite extraordinary! Just the five supernatural powers alone were not something the other two divine birds could compare to. ¡°Alright! Do you have a name?¡± Zhu Xuanji asked with a smile. The black eagle folded its wings in front of itself and said, ¡°Please bestow me a name, Realized Being!¡± Zhu Xuanji thought for a moment. ¡°Your form is strong! Your feathers are pure black! Extremely majestic! Let¡¯s call you Ye Ying then!¡± The black eagle said, ¡°Thank you, Realized Being!¡± ¡°From now on, I will be called Ye Ying!¡± At this moment. Standing aside, Da Huang said, ¡°Hey! Big Black Charcoal! My name is Da Huang! I am the number one divine dog under the master! From now on, I¡¯ll cover you!¡± The black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± glanced at Da Huang. Without saying another word. That look said it all. Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly, and turned and left. The black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± followed behind Zhu Xuanji. Like a bodyguard! Seeing the black eagle walking away with Zhu Xuanji! Da Huang was furious and said to Xiao Liuzi beside him, ¡°Xiao Liuzi! Look! Look! This guy is so arrogant! Relying on the master¡¯s favor! Doesn¡¯t even put me, Da Huang, in his eyes! Damn it, it¡¯s really infuriating! Isn¡¯t it just a black charcoal head! What¡¯s so great about that! If you have the guts, fight me! See if I don¡¯t beat that black charcoal head to the ground!¡± The monkey Xiao Liuzi squatted on Da Huang¡¯s back. Inappropriately said, ¡°Brother Da Huang! That black charcoal looks really fierce! You probably can¡¯t beat him!¡± Da Huang immediately shouted, ¡°How is that possible! Who am I! I am the master¡¯s number one divine dog! One fierce attack from me! Can take down that black charcoal head!¡± ¡­ When Zhu Xuanji brought the black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± back to the side of Xuanwu Lake, Zhu Biao was playing chess by himself. Although the weather was still very cold. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, with Zhu Biao¡¯s current physique, dealing with the cold was no problem. At this moment, Zhu Biao¡¯s eyes were fixed on the chessboard. A faint thoughtful expression appeared on his face. Obviously, halfway through the game, he didn¡¯t know how to continue. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji sat down opposite to him. Took a black piece from the side and placed it on the board. Zhu Biao looked at the chessboard. Instantly, joy appeared on his face! ¡°Wonderful! Really wonderful! This move! Truly a bright light at the end of the tunnel! Xuanji How did you think of it! This move is really wonderful! You said you couldn¡¯t play chess! I used to believe it! But now, I absolutely don¡¯t!¡± Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. ¡°After years of playing chess, I¡¯ve memorised all the patterns and moves of the game! What¡¯s missing is just that unexpected, risky, and unconventional move! This move of mine was nothing much! It¡¯s just that my mind is free of rules, only the word ¡®alive¡¯! So, I found this path!¡± Zhu Biao listened to Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words, and fell into deep thought. After a moment, Zhu Biao said to Zhu Xuanji with great appreciation, ¡°Wonderful! Really wonderful! The more time I spend with you, Xuanji! The more I understand why you became an immortal. Just with your mentality and determination, and this extraordinary insight are not something ordinary people can compare to! I have benefited greatly by practicing with you! If it weren¡¯t for your insistence on not accepting me as a disciple. I would definitely want to worship you as my master.¡± [TL note: Ye Ying translates to Night Shadow.] Chapter 24 - Zhu Yuanzhang’s Killing Intent! Tang He Returns to the Capital! Chapter 24: Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s Killing Intent! Tang He Returns to the Capital!¡­ Zhu Xuanji heard Zhu Biao¡¯s words and smiled, shaking his head. How could he possibly take Zhu Biao as his disciple? Zhu Biao was, after all, the biological father of this body, although Zhu Biao did not know that the mysterious real person he spent his days and nights with was his eldest son, who had long been dead. This did not mean that Zhu Xuanji could take Zhu Biao as his disciple. At that moment, Zhu Biao noticed a large black eagle behind Zhu Xuanji. Seeing that magnificent and imposing black eagle, ¡°Ye Ying,¡± Zhu Biao, slightly surprised, said, ¡°Xuanji! What is this?¡± Zhu Xuanji introduced the eagle to Zhu Biao: ¡°This is Ye Ying! From now on, it will cultivate with us! Ye Ying, come and greet Master Wangchen!¡± Upon hearing Zhu Xuanji¡¯s words, Ye Ying immediately bowed to Zhu Biao, with its wings protecting in front, resembling a formal salute. Seeing this, Zhu Biao laughed and said, ¡°It truly is more imposing than General Shenwei!¡± General Shenwei was the nickname Zhu Biao had given to the big mountain dog. Since hearing this title, it had been very spirited! In the blink of an eye, another half year passed. In the 26th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was clearly in a turbulent period again. This year, Lan Yu was secretly reported for treason by Commader of the Jinyiwei, Er Hu. This case implicated thirteen marquises, two earls, and the extermination of their families involved over fifteen thousand people. The founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty were almost entirely wiped out because of this case. Just recently, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty issued the ¡°List of Traitors,¡± summoning one duke, thirteen marquises, and two earls. After the Lan Yu case, the entire Ming Dynasty was in a state of fear! On this day, in the Ming Dynasty capital of Jinling City, inside the imperial palace, in the courtyard outside the Baohua Hall, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was holding a hoe, tilling the land in a field in the courtyard. At this moment, an elderly man in plain clothes walked in from the courtyard gate. He shouted towards Zhu Yuanzhang, ¡°Brother Chongba! Tang He has returned!¡± Upon hearing this voice, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately stopped hoeing. He straightened up, looking at the elderly man in plain clothes. A flash of excitement crossed his eyes. ¡°Tang He! You brat! You¡¯ve been hiding far away for so many years! Afraid that I would eat you! You still remember to come back and see me!¡± The elderly man in plain clothes was about to kneel and salute Zhu Yuanzhang. At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately waved his hand and said, ¡°Enough, enough! Stop with these formalities in front of me! Someone, bring a seat for Duke Xinguo!¡± As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang put down the hoe in his hand, walked to a table nearby, and sat down. He poured tea for himself and Tang He. After taking a couple of sips of tea, Zhu Yuanzhang finally took a breath and said, ¡°Tang He, how many years has it been since we last met?¡± Tang He sat there, counting on his fingers. ¡°Counting carefully, it should be twenty years!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang said with a slight sneer, ¡°Hmph! Twenty years! You know it¡¯s been twenty years! Twenty years, you¡¯ve grown old! I have also aged! You have a head full of white hair! I am also nearing the end of my days! At least you, Tang He, have some conscience left, knowing to come back and see me. If you had returned a few years later, I¡¯m afraid whether you could see me would be uncertain!¡± Hearing this, Tang He immediately cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty will surely live a long life!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t use such nice words to deceive me! We both know each other well! We know how long we can live. I know my body well! Ever since Lady Ma passed away, I have handed over more than half of the state affairs to the Crown Prince. Later, the Crown Prince also passed away! I could only hold on by myself. Being an emperor is truly hard! But no matter how hard it is, can it be harder than the days when we had no food to eat? ¡°Every time I think of the possibility that there might still be starving people in this vast Ming Dynasty, my heart burns with anxiety! I have been an emperor for more than twenty years! But I have never forgotten what it feels like to be hungry! So, no matter how many state affairs there are, I can endure it! ¡°But some people really don¡¯t have any sense! They always think they have great merit! They want more! They demand more! In the end, it becomes chaotic! The common people, they dare not speak out even though they are angry! What can I do! I can only kill them all! Kill them, and it becomes peaceful!¡± Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s words, Tang He sat there, hesitantly said, ¡°Brother Chongba! But ¡­ have you ever heard of a saying, that wildfires cannot destroy the grass, it grows again with the spring breeze! The Ming Dynasty still needs people! If the water is too clear, there will be no fish!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately waved his hand. ¡°What wildfires cannot destroy the grass, it grows again with the spring breeze! They are like batches of leeks! As long as they dare to grow! As long as I am here for a day! If I see them, I will cut them!¡± Tang He heard this, shook his head and laughed, ¡°Brother Chongba! No wonder they say you have the aura of a king! Such dominance, not everyone has it! I have admired Brother Chongba¡¯s courage since I was a child! When Brother Chongba killed Master Liu¡¯s cow back then, I, Tang He, knew that in the future, Brother Chongba would definitely accomplish great things!¡± Hearing Tang He mention the fun of their youth, Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s mood also improved a lot! ¡°Hahaha~~~ I, Zhu Chongba! Never lacked courage! Tang He! You came just in time! In a few days, it will be Lady Ma¡¯s death anniversary. You accompany me to Zhongshan. Keep me company for a walk.¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Tang He immediately nodded, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± In Zhongshan, it was a good time when the breeze blew gently. The black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± and the big mountain dog were confronting each other in the mountain! The monkey, Xiao Liuzi, the pheasant, Ah Si, and the white snake, Xiao Bai, were gathered not far away, watching closely the confrontation between the black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± and Da Huang. Chapter 26 - Reward! Magic Mirror Technique! Vermilion Bird Bloodline! Chapter 26: Reward! Magic Mirror Technique! Vermilion Bird Bloodline!¡°Hmm? Old Zhu is coming up the mountain?¡± Zhu Xuanji heard Da Huang¡¯s voice and his first reaction was puzzlement. Why was Old Zhu coming up the mountain again? However, he quickly realized that every year on Empress Ma¡¯s death anniversary, Old Zhu would come to pay his respects. Another year had passed, so naturally, Old Zhu would come up the mountain. Sometimes, Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Old Zhu¡¯s enduring love for his first wife, something that was truly incomparable. At this moment, Zhu Biao, standing beside Zhu Xuanji, was startled. With his intelligence, he immediately understood who Old Zhu was. After all, the Daoist Xuanji had told him that since the fifteenth year of the Hongwu era, his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, had been coming up the mountain every year. Tomorrow was his mother¡¯s death anniversary, so it was normal for his father to come up the mountain. Thinking of his father, Zhu Biao felt a mix of emotions. He had an urge to see his father immediately, but when he thought of his current identity and the possible consequences of appearing before his father, he was extremely conflicted. He knew his father¡¯s temper very well. If his father knew he was still alive, he wouldn¡¯t let him stay on this Zhongshan. Even if he were to cultivate, he would have to do it in the palace. In his father¡¯s eyes, the Zhu family had responsibilities. If a person died, everything was over, but if a person lived, they must fulfill their duties. From childhood to adulthood, his father had trained him in state affairs, but from the perspective of the family, his father was always resolute. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This time, Zhu Biao wanted to act according to his own will. The half year on Zhongshan and the things he encountered had made him fully understand true cultivation. Every night, he remembered the words of the Daoist Xuanji: Zhu Biao didn¡¯t seek to attain longevity and the Dao, but if he could extend his life, live for another hundred or eighty years, it would be more beneficial to the Ming Dynasty. After all, if a person died, there¡¯s truly nothing left. Having experienced a brush with death, Zhu Biao¡¯s views on many things had changed. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji beside him said, ¡°It¡¯s Emperor Zhu! Do you want to go with me to see him? Just take a look from a distance. No need to overthink it.¡± Zhu Biao took a deep breath, steadying himself. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± Zhu Xuanji admired Zhu Biao¡¯s composure. After all, he had managed the Ming Dynasty¡¯s state affairs for over ten years. His ability to adapt psychologically was much stronger than the average person. He had prepared a bunch of words, but seeing his father¡¯s expression, he decided there was no need to say anything. ¡°Da Huang, lead the way ahead!¡± Immediately, Zhu Xuanji had the newly enlightened magpie on his shoulder, and Da Huang led the way. Beside him was the former Ming Dynasty vice-emperor Zhu Biao. Walking along the path, it felt like they had walked out of the mountains and rivers. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji heard a system prompt in his ear: ¡°Hmm? Magic Mirror Technique? Wow! This Magic Mirror Technique sounds really mystical! It can observe any person or event anywhere in the world, and others can see it too! This is a proper show-off technique! Nice! Really nice! Didn¡¯t expect that enlightening the little magpie would yield such a powerful reward! Looks like this little magpie isn¡¯t ordinary, it should have some bloodline power.¡± At this moment, Zhu Xuanji heard another system prompt in his ear: ¡°Hmm? The little magpie has the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird? This is indeed surprising! This seems like an easy choice, directly choose Vermilion Bird!¡± Chapter 28 - Zhu Biaos Astonishment! Liu Bowen Arrives! Chapter 28: Zhu Biao¡¯s Astonishment! Liu Bowen Arrives!¡­ With the appearance of these sounds. The next moment, suddenly, there was a rumbling sound outside Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Zhu Xuanji didn¡¯t mind, after all, he had seen the system¡¯s miraculous creation abilities. Back then, both Yunmeng Dao Pavilion and the Spirit Gathering Array came about this way. What surprised him now was, after Xiao Zhi evolved, the system actually rewarded him with several items. The two cultivation techniques were one thing. That Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra, didn¡¯t seem suitable for him to cultivate. But the Pill Refining Room and Wooden Dummy? These were interesting. The Pill Refining Room, could increase his pill refining success rate. The Wooden Dummy could enhance one¡¯s cultivation. It seemed, the system¡¯s rewards would only get richer in the future. It saved him the trouble of extensive construction. The system-awarded structures. Be it Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, or the Spirit Gathering Array, were all quite exceptional. At this moment, he heard Zhu Biao¡¯s voice from outside Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. ¡°Xuanji. Xuanji! Come out quickly and see. What is going on here?! How did two houses suddenly sprout out of the ground!¡± Zhu Xuanji stood up and walked out of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Only to see, two ancient-style houses had appeared, on both sides of the Spirit Gathering Array. One had a signboard saying ¡°Pill Refining Room.¡± The other had a signboard saying ¡°Wooden Dummy!¡± Zhu Biao came up, pointing at the two houses, he asked Zhu Xuanji: ¡°Xuanji! What is going on? How did these two houses suddenly appear.¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. Feigning mystery, he said: ¡°Lately, I thought about refining some pills, and considering you also need a place to practice. So I used some minor tricks.¡± Zhu Biao was stunned hearing this! It took him a long while before he took a deep breath! And slowly said, ¡°What! Xuanji ¡­ Are you saying! These two houses were created by your divine powers! This ¡­ this is too incredible! You truly are a person of the Immortal Dao! Such means! Such divine powers! Really astonishing! Astonishing indeed! If only, your abilities could be used for the people! How wonderful that would be!¡± Hearing Zhu Biao¡¯s words, Zhu Xuanji couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Zhu Biao truly had a habit of worrying about the country and the people. ¡°Alright, you can go into the house with the Wooden Dummy and have a look. It will benefit your cultivation.¡± Zhu Xuanji¡¯s image in Zhu Biao¡¯s heart became even grander and more mysterious. This ability to create houses out of thin air, was truly remarkable! S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, previously, Zhu Xuanji had demonstrated the enlightenment of the little magpie to Zhu Biao. In addition to bringing him back from the dead! All these things combined, made Zhu Xuanji¡¯s image in Zhu Biao¡¯s heart even grander. At the moment, Zhu Biao was even more certain that staying on Zhongshan, and cultivating with Master Xuanji was truly a right decision! In the future, once he mastered his skills, he could go down the mountain, and still serve the Ming Dynasty! Serve his father! With curiosity and delight, Zhu Biao went into the room with the Wooden Dummy for cultivation, while Zhu Xuanji went to the lakeside of Xuanwu Lake. Encouraging Xiao Zhi, urging the little silverfish to keep working hard! To strive to transform early. Once the silverfish leapt over the dragon gate, it could become a dragon girl! ¡­ In the mountains, time slipped away inadvertently. It had already reached the spring of the 27th year of the Hongwu era. Spring, a season of renewal. On this day, at the foot of Zhongshan. An elderly man in plain clothes, with a head full of white hair, leaned on a cane and arrived at the mountain¡¯s foot. Beside the elderly man was a young man. The young man was supporting the elder. He asked softly: ¡°Master! Is this the place with the strongest dragon energy in all of Zhonghua? Why can¡¯t I see it at all? This Zhongshan, though impressive in its own right, but ¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to have any signs of the dragon vein awakening! Why do you say, Master, that Zhongshan has the strongest dragon energy in Zhonghua?¡± It turned out, this elderly man in plain clothes was none other than the Ming Dynasty¡¯s renowned sage Liu Bowen! At this moment, Liu Bowen, hunched over, looked at the lush Zhongshan. A look of astonishment appeared on his face. ¡°Tianxie, you can¡¯t see it because your cultivation is not deep enough! Hidden dragon veins are rare on this Zhonghua! Moreover, hidden dragon veins are always concealed! Rarely showing strong dragon energy. Only when a true dragon emperor appears, will the dragon energy of hidden dragon veins pour out! ¡°Six years ago. I came to Zhongshan with Emperor Zhu and Crown Prince Yiwen to observe the energy! At that time, I saw a great change in the dragon vein of Zhongshan. Now, after six years. I come again and, indeed, it is as I expected. Though the dragon energy is strong, it is even more hidden and hard to find! There is a master in this mountain!¡± The young man was Liu Bowen¡¯s disciple. Named Shan Tianxie! At this moment. Hearing his master¡¯s words, Shan Tianxie immediately said: ¡°Master! Did you come to Zhongshan this time to visit that master?¡± Chapter 29 - Enlightening the White Fox! Reward: Heart Communication Technique! Chapter 29: Enlightening the White Fox! Reward: Heart Communication Technique!¡­ Liu Bowen nodded slightly upon hearing this. ¡°Yes! Indeed! Ever since the Mongol Yuan Divine Dynasty swept across Zhonghua. The Immortal Dao has been shattered! The Immortal Dao lineage has since gone into seclusion! In the past twenty years, reclusive immortals have emerged, but most are mediocre. However, to extend the dragon vein of Zhongshan and continue the dragon energy of the hidden dragon vein, that must be a significant figure in the Immortal Dao! My lineage inherits the legacy of Zhuge Wuhou*! [*aka Zhuge Liang] ¡°Now, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty is weakening. I have cut down ninety-nine dragon veins of Zhonghua! The demonic path is declining! The Immortal Dao is rising! If there is truly a master in Zhongshan! I must persuade this master to expand his lineage! To revive the prestige of the Immortal Dao! Let¡¯s go! Follow me up the mountain!¡± ¡­ On Zhongshan, in the dense forest, at this moment, Zhu Xuanji was chasing a white fox with Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi! Yes! Indeed a white fox. As for why it was a white fox, it started with Da Huang roaming the mountains with Xiao Liuzi last night, or so the story went. Ever since Da Huang was defeated by the black eagle ¡°Ye Ying.¡± He had been training even harder. Not only did he train hard during the day. He also often ran to the mountains at night to find beasts to fight. Firstly, to vent his anger, secondly, to practice. Moreover, Zhu Xuanji had long instructed Da Huang to pay attention to any unusual species while roaming the mountains and report them immediately. Last night, Da Huang, with the monkey Xiao Liuzi, was running around in the mountains, looking for tigers to fight. However, they didn¡¯t find any tigers. Instead, they found a fox¡¯s den. Although, Da Huang had been on this mountain for several years. Zhongshan was very large. With Beigaofeng, Xiaomaoshan, and Tianbaoshan*. [Mentioned in chapter 1. Baigaofeng¡ªmain peak; 2. Xiaomao¡ªsecond peak; 3. Tianbao¡ªthird peak.] These three peaks were connected. The forest was dense and deep. Initially, Da Huang didn¡¯t dare to roam around. Afraid of being torn and devoured by tigers in the mountains. It was only in recent years, with his increased strength that he dared to run farther. Last night, he and Xiao Liuzi suddenly heard a chirping sound halfway up Xiaomaoshan. Then, they followed the sound, and quickly found several little foxes gathered around a fire. Among them, a white fox seemed to be the leader of the little foxes. After discovering this, Da Huang didn¡¯t disturb the foxes. Instead, he waited until dawn. Seeing the foxes return to their den. He returned to Beigaofeng to report to Zhu Xuanji. Upon learning of this, Zhu Xuanji immediately had Da Huang lead the way. Heading towards Xiaomaoshan. Da Huang followed his memory to the fox den. Only to find that the foxes were gone. Just as Zhu Xuanji was about to leave, the white fox returned with several foxes. Seeing Zhu Xuanji, the white fox and the foxes scattered in all directions. Zhu Xuanji immediately called Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi to chase the white fox! The white fox¡¯s white fur was too conspicuous! Chasing all the way, unexpectedly, they found that the white fox was incredibly fast. Almost matching Da Huang! This further piqued Zhu Xuanji¡¯s interest! He no longer hesitated, and lept forward using the Boundless Soaring Technique! At great speed, he caught up with the white fox, and with a ¡°Great Wilderness Devouring Heaven¡± move, he grabbed the white fox by the scruff. The captured white fox made urgent noises. Zhu Xuanji¡¯s eyes glowed with divine light! He began to use the Beast Mastery Technique from the Beast Mastery Art. Gradually calming the white fox. Seeing the white fox calm down, Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. ¡°What a clever white fox. Meeting me is your good fortune!¡± The next moment, Zhu Xuanji raised his hand, pressing it on the white fox¡¯s head! The Basic Enlightenment Technique was activated! After about half an hour, Zhu Xuanji finally completed the enlightenment. At this moment, he heard the system prompt in his ear! ¡°Haha!! What a wonderful technique! This technique is truly extraordinary! At its highest level, one can hear others¡¯ inner voices! This is incredible! This white fox is indeed remarkable! The time taken for her enlightenment was considerable, and the reward is excellent! Let¡¯s see her evolution direction!¡± He heard the system prompt in his ear again! S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 30 - White Fox! Tu Shan Ronger! Zijinshan’s Past! Chapter 30: White Fox! Tu Shan Rong¡¯er! Zijinshan¡¯s Past!¡­ ¡°Hm? B¨¬b¨¬? What kind of creature is that! I¡¯ve never heard of it. This seems like an easy decision, let¡¯s skip it! The Nine-Tailed Fox from Qingqiu, I¡¯ve heard of it, but this creature eats people! Better forget it! So, there¡¯s only one choice left! The Heavenly Fox! Absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, able to transform into a human, often appearing as a beautiful woman! A divine sorceress, able to know events from a thousand miles away, skilled in enchantment, causing people to lose their minds! This one it is!¡± He heard the system prompt. Hearing heard the system prompt, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. This white fox was clever! Perhaps it could bring him many surprises in the future! The white fox suddenly spoke. ¡°May I ask, is the Realized Being an immortal from overseas?¡± Zhu Xuanji had been holding the white fox by the scruff, but after completing the enlightenment he put the white fox back on the ground. The white fox didn¡¯t run away, instead, it squatted there. Its eyes reflecting deep thought as it asked Zhu Xuanji. Hearing the white fox¡¯s voice, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. He looked at the white fox. ¡°An immortal from overseas? How do you know there are immortals overseas?¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The white fox said: ¡°In the past! On Zijinshan, there was an immortal called Realized Being Ziwei. When Realized Being Ziwei was here, immortals from overseas came to visit and discuss the Dao. Later, Realized Being Ziwei disappeared without a trace, it was said he went overseas. Since Realized Being Ziwei left, there have been no immortals on Zijinshan! You, who have made me speak human words! It¡¯s clear you must be an immortal. When Realized Being Ziwei was here, he mentioned the mystical arts of overseas immortals! So, I guessed you must be from overseas!¡± Zhu Xuanji had thought this white fox was clever. Hearing the white fox¡¯s words he understood. This white fox was probably a being similar to the old turtle. It must have lived on Zhongshan for many years. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t know about Realized Being Ziwei. Nor be so clever. The old turtle was on Beigaofeng. This white fox was on Xiaomaoshan. It showed, all the clever and intelligent beings knew how to hide themselves. ¡°Haha! Where I come from doesn¡¯t matter! Now, Zhongshan is my Dao field! I am known as Realized Being Xuanji! You have been enlightened by me! From now on, you should follow me and cultivate well! In the future, you will benefit greatly! However, if you don¡¯t cherish this opportunity, once it¡¯s gone, it won¡¯t come again!¡± The white fox didn¡¯t resist, instead, it stood up like a little adult! Its forelimbs crossed together! Bowing to Zhu Xuanji! ¡°Tu Shan Rong¡¯er greets Realized Being Xuanji! It is my great fortune to be protected by Realized Being and to cultivate under your guidance. However, a hundred years ago, I was tasked by Realized Being Ziwei to guard the thirty thousand volumes of books he left behind. When he returns, he will take me back to Tu Shan! Now, a hundred and twenty-eight years have passed, and Realized Being Ziwei¡¯s return should be near! Please forgive me, Realized Being Xuanji! I have a prior commitment and cannot serve under Realized Being!¡± Hearing the white fox¡¯s words, a trace of surprise appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. To be honest, he had never expected this white fox to actually have a name! Notwithstanding the fact that it had a connection with Realized Being Ziwei! He had to admit, Realized Being Ziwei had sparked his curiosity. ¡°Tu Shan Rong¡¯er?¡± Zhu Xuanji looked at the white fox. The white fox nodded slightly. Its behavior and actions were all human-like! Zhu Xuanji said: ¡°You say that Realized Being Ziwei entrusted you with guarding thirty thousand volumes of books in this mountain a hundred and twenty-eight years ago, promising to take you back to Tu Shan upon his return! So, you are not originally a fox of Zijinshan?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er nodded, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right! One hundred and fifty years ago, I was born in Tu Shan. One day, while playing in the mountains with my sisters, I wandered into a hunter¡¯s trap out of sheer playfulness and was captured. They took me to the market for sale. At that time, a kind young man with the surname Lin bought me with his money, keeping me as a pet at his home. ¡°Later, tragedy struck when the young man¡¯s entire family was brutally murdered by the Mongol Yuan people. Fortunately, on that fateful day, the young man was visiting a friend and wasn¡¯t at home, so he and I escaped disaster. However, the massacre changed him drastically. Consumed by revenge, he endured countless hardships and brought me to Zijinshan, hoping to become a disciple of Realized Being Ziwei to learn the immortal arts and avenge his family. ¡°Initially, Realized Being Ziwei was reluctant to accept him as a disciple. But driven by his intense desire for revenge, the young man knelt in the snow for ten days, nearly freezing to death. Moved by his perseverance, Realized Being Ziwei made an exception and took him under his wing. From that day on, I remained on Zijinshan with the young man. He devoted himself to practicing martial arts and studying Daoist techniques under Realized Being Ziwei. In just three short years, his progress was remarkable, and even Realized Being Ziwei praised him as an excellent student. ¡°However, after acquiring some skills, the young man¡¯s desire for revenge grew stronger. He wanted to descend the mountain to exact his revenge, but Realized Being Ziwei initially forbade it. Despite this, the young man secretly left the mountain, determined to carry out his plan. He attempted to assassinate Mongol Yuan Emperor Tiemuzhen in Taijing City, the capital of Mongol Yuan¡¯s twelve cities. He came agonizingly close to succeeding, and the assassination attempt sent shockwaves throughout the world. But ultimately, he failed, and the young man was executed. ¡°Realized Being Ziwei, who had supported him, was also discovered by Tiemuzhen. As a result, Tiemuzhen led his troops to Zijinshan, trying to force Realized Being Ziwei to serve as the national teacher of Mongol Yuan. Realizing the overwhelming power of Tiemuzhen, Realized Being Ziwei decided to travel far away. Before leaving, he entrusted me with guarding the thirty thousand volumes of books in a cold cave on Xiaomaoshan, promising that upon his return, he would take me back to Tu Shan and bestow upon me a great fortune.¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31: Wuhou¡¯s Disciple Liu Bowen Meets the Realized Being! Thirty Thousand Volumes of Books in the Cave!¡­ ¡°Gift you a fortune? What kind of fortune?¡± Zhu Xuanji asked curiously. A promise had made this white fox guard here for one hundred and twenty-eight years. It must be said, sometimes animals were more faithful than humans! So, Zhu Xuanji wanted to know. Apart from the temptation of returning home. What kind of promise did Realized Being Ziwei give to Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, that made Tu Shan Rong¡¯er guard for so many years, and still keep guarding for him. Tu Shan Rong¡¯er said: ¡°It¡¯s not a great fortune! More than a thousand years ago, my Tu Shan clan lost a divine book! Realized Being Ziwei promised me that if I kept my word. He would help the Tu Shan clan retrieve this divine book and return it to me!¡± Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow. ¡°The divine book has been lost for over a thousand years. How can he find it? Isn¡¯t this just an empty promise?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er said: ¡°Realized Being Ziwei indeed knows some clues about that divine book! So, I chose to believe him! After all, he was once a top figure in the Immortal Dao of Zhonghua a hundred years ago! He wouldn¡¯t deceive a little fox like me!¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled and said: ¡°Alright! In that case, I won¡¯t force you! However, may I see the thirty thousand volumes of books that Realized Being Ziwei left in the cave?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er thought for a moment. ¡°You may!¡± ¡­ Moments later. Tu Shan Rong¡¯er led Zhu Xuanji to the place where the books were kept in the cave. The cave was essentially a limestone cave! Inside it was another world! Walking inside, there were not only stone tables but also stone benches and jade beds! At the innermost part of the cave. There were several rows of bookshelves. On the bookshelves were volumes upon volumes of books. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Xuanji roughly estimated, those rows of bookshelves, with several layers up and down, indeed contained tens of thousands of volumes. It was clear, this cave was likely the residence of Realized Being Ziwei in the past, or a place where he rested and read. The walls were lined with glowing stones. Providing sufficient light inside the cave. After browsing through the books left by Realized Being Ziwei for a while, Zhu Xuanji understood. These books were all collected by Realized Being Ziwei. They looked like some aged volumes. The types of books were incredibly diverse! It was evident, Realized Being Ziwei was a well-read person, and quite inclusive. Not someone who sought fame. After all, casually picking up any volume, and flipping through a few pages one could see the annotations left by Realized Being Ziwei! It was clear, these books had been personally read by Realized Being Ziwei! After flipping through for a while, Zhu Xuanji put the books down and said to Tu Shan Rong¡¯er beside him: ¡°Rong¡¯er! You don¡¯t mind if I call you that, do you?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er immediately said: ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind! For the Realized Being to call me Rong¡¯er is my good fortune! If the Realized Being has any more questions. Just ask.¡± Zhu Xuanji said: ¡°The books left by Realized Being Ziwei are indeed very rich in variety! In the future, I might come here often to borrow them.¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er said: ¡°That¡¯s no problem! Whatever books the Realized Being wants to read, just take them. If the Realized Being has time! Please come to the cave more often! I see the Realized Being¡¯s enlightening skills are far superior to Realized Being Ziwei! In the future, if the Realized Being could tell us more about the principles and stories of the human world, that would be great.¡± Hearing this, a trace of surprise appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. ¡°Oh? You?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er said: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We! There are more than just me, a fox, in the mountain! The other clan members usually gather in this cave under my leadership, taking care of each other. I¡¯ve guarded these thirty thousand volumes for one hundred and twenty-eight years. Due to my limited knowledge, I can¡¯t fully understand the meanings within these books. Usually, I can only teach my clan some basic principles. Although we foxes are covered in fur! We also yearn for human principles and wisdom.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Xuanji laughed: ¡°That¡¯s really interesting. Alright, I promise you. Don¡¯t worry. In the future, there might be more people teaching you how to read than just me! ¡°Da Huang, Xiao Liuzi! We should go back!¡± Da Huang, who was studying the glowing stones in the cave, heard Zhu Xuanji¡¯s voice. He replied immediately: ¡°Got it, Master!¡± With that, Zhu Xuanji left the cave with Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi. The white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er watched Zhu Xuanji leave from the entrance of the cave. ¡­ When Zhu Xuanji and Da Huang, Xiao Liuzi returned to the halfway point of Beigaofeng. Da Huang suddenly spoke. ¡°Master! It seems someone is coming up the mountain!¡± Zhu Xuanji steadied himself. He also sensed the presence of outsiders. Nowadays, Zhu Xuanji¡¯s Dao had improved considerably. His perception ability had also greatly increased. Zhu Xuanji, along with Da Huang, moved towards the direction of the visitors. Soon, on the mountain path, they saw two people. When Zhu Xuanji saw the elderly man in plain clothes among the two, he was taken aback. In his mind, the scene from six years ago appeared. Old Zhu had brought his father Zhu Biao and another old man up the mountain. That day, the person who followed Old Zhu up the mountain was this elderly man in plain clothes. ¡°It¡¯s him? Liu Bowen! Why has he come up the mountain?¡± A brief encounter six years ago, Zhu Xuanji knew Liu Bowen was not a simple person. So, Liu Bowen appearing on Zhongshan again surprised Zhu Xuanji. Liu Bowen on the mountain path stopped, wiping the sweat from his forehead! After wiping his sweat, Liu Bowen looked around at the surrounding mountains and rivers. He was about to say something to his disciple Shan Tianxie beside him. But, Liu Bowen¡¯s gaze suddenly fixed on the hill not far ahead. The next moment, Liu Bowen put away his handkerchief and said to Shan Tianxie beside him: ¡°Tianxie! Hurry! Follow me!¡± A few breaths later, Liu Bowen and his disciple Shan Tianxie arrived three zhang in front of Zhu Xuanji under a large Chinese scholar tree. Bowing to Zhu Xuanji under the large Chinese scholar tree, he said: ¡°Wuhou¡¯s* disciple Liu Bowen, pays respects to the Realized Being!¡± [*Zhuge Liang]. Chapter 32 Chapter 32: Liu Bowen Kneels Before Zhu Xuanji! Liu Bowen¡¯s sudden action completely bewildered Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji had never expected Liu Bowen to have the ability to see him! What was going on? Did the system glitch again? Previously, neither his grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang nor his father Zhu Biao could see him. Zhu Biao could only see him, after being revived by him. Liu Bowen truly was remarkable! To actually see his form! Amazing! Truly amazing. Zhu Xuanji composed himself. And said calmly, ¡°Mr. Liu, long time no see!¡± The reason Zhu Xuanji said this was to test Liu Bowen. To see if Liu Bowen had seen him six years ago, and just didn¡¯t say anything. Liu Bowen stood there, a smile flickering on his face. ¡°Realized Being, you are truly extraordinary! Six years have passed since we last met, and your spirit is even more remarkable than before! Your invisibility technique is unmatched in the world! If it weren¡¯t for the Yin-Yang Eyes I gained through the Wuhou method, I would never have been able to see you!¡± Liu Bowen¡¯s candor surprised Zhu Xuanji. However, since Liu Bowen explained the reason. There was no need to dwell on it. A guest was a guest. All these years, Liu Bowen was the first to see him. Such a person was worth conversing with, no matter what. Just based on Liu Bowen¡¯s abilities, he was worth talking to. However, Zhu Xuanji decided to create a profound and inscrutable image of himself. So, he asked calmly. ¡°Mr. Liu, you should be under eighty this year?¡± Liu Bowen humbly bowed, saying, ¡°Indeed! I am seventy-three this year! Still some years before reaching eighty.¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly. ¡°I observe that your vitality is waning! It seems your life is hanging by a thread. You probably only have half a year left.¡± s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, a look of astonishment flashed in Liu Bowen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Realized Being, you truly have keen eyes! As the saying goes, at seventy-three and eighty-four, one goes to the netherworld even without being called upon! Although I am a disciple of Wuhou, I probably can¡¯t pass this threshold. I know my days are numbered. So, before I die, I brought my disciple here to seek out the Realized Being! To ask for a favor!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Xuanji became even more curious. ¡°Oh? You specifically came to seek me? That is interesting! I believe we have never met before and have no previous grievances! Why are you seeking me out? And what is this favor you wish to ask?¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen smiled faintly. ¡°Because, after that brief encounter six years ago. I knew the Realized Being was no ordinary figure! Since the day Tiemuzhen of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty marched on Zijinshan! After Realized Being Ziwei fled! For the past hundred years! No one has dared to cultivate on this mountain! Does the Realized Being know why?¡± Hearing this. Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Please, enlighten me!¡± Liu Bowen spoke with eloquence: ¡°Initially, it was because the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was so powerful that practitioners of the Immortal Dao feared the might of Tiemuzhen. No one dared to openly oppose him. But even after Tiemuzhen¡¯s death, no one ventured to Zijinshan. The reason was that Tiemuzhen had set up a Great Heavenly Demon Array on this mountain, using the power of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Demons. ¡°This array was so formidable that any Immortal Dao cultivator who dared to set foot on Zijinshan would be disoriented and suppressed. If they stayed here for more than a month, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for them to go mad or even die from their bodies exploding. ¡°Even after the Mongol Yuan Divine Dynasty fragmented and both Nanjing City and Zijinshan fell under the territory of the Ming Dynasty, no one dared to cultivate on this mountain. Firstly, because of the lingering fear of the Great Heavenly Demon Array. ¡°Secondly, because the mountain was designated by the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty as the site for royal tombs. With these two factors combined, who in their right mind would dare to cultivate on Zijinshan? ¡°But six years ago, I saw something extraordinary! I witnessed a Realized Being cultivating on this very mountain! Not only did I see the Realized Being, but I also noticed that the Great Heavenly Demon Array set up by Tiemuzhen and the Thirty-Six Demons had vanished! All of this proves the Realized Being possesses supernatural powers, capable of not only breaking the Great Heavenly Demon Array but also remaining unafraid of the emperor¡¯s might! This is the true elegance of the Immortal Dao! ¡°A Realized Being of the Immortal Dao should be like this¡ªundaunted by imperial power, focused solely on the pursuit of the Immortal Dao! With such demeanor, this is why I have come to seek you out, Realized Being!¡± Liu Bowen¡¯s words left Zhu Xuanji somewhat embarrassed, for he had no knowledge of this Great Heavenly Demon Array set up by Tiemuzhen and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Demons! The reason he cultivated on Zijinshan was because he had no other choice! That Great Heavenly Demon Array must have been cleared by the system when it transformed Zijinshan! However, Liu Bowen didn¡¯t know this! Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face showed no emotion, he just nodded slightly. ¡°May I know what Mr. Liu is here for?¡± At this moment, Liu Bowen suddenly fell to his knees with a thud! This caught Zhu Xuanji off-guard! Chapter 33 Chapter 33: Our Master Is a Cunning Man!¡­ ¡°Mr. Liu! What do you mean by this?!¡± Although Zhu Xuanji was very surprised in his heart, his expression remained calm. As if nothing in this world could disturb his pure Dao heart. Exactly the demeanor of an Immortal Dao practitioner. At this moment, Liu Bowen¡¯s disciple Shan Tianxie also knelt down behind Liu Bowen. Liu Bowen knelt down with a solemn expression and spoke: ¡°Realized Being! From the age of six, when I inherited Zhuge Wuhou¡¯s legacy, I have been searching for a wise ruler who could lead the people. Later, I was fortunate enough to find the current Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. Coming from a humble background, he understands the hardships of the people. He possesses ambition, vision, and the means, along with divine abilities, to bring about change. I assisted him in unifying the southern states, driving out the remnants of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty from the southern territories. ¡°However, my abilities are limited. Now, as I stand at the brink of my own mortality, I realize I can no longer aid Emperor Zhu in unifying all of Zhonghua. Emperor Zhu himself is now sixty-six years old and may not have many years left. Without him, the Ming Dynasty may struggle to expand its territory and achieve the great goal of unifying Zhonghua. ¡°Yet, beyond the southern states, the remnants of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty still linger. If given the opportunity, they could recover. In a few years, should a strong leader emerge, the Mongol Yuan could rise again, and the demonic path could once more sweep across Zhonghua. This is not an impossibility. The demonic path acts without restraint, and during the Mongol Yuan¡¯s rule over Zhonghua for a hundred years, countless innocent lives were lost to their dark ways. When the demonic path thrives, the Immortal Dao retreats; when the demonic path prospers, the people of Zhonghua suffer. ¡°Only by reviving the Immortal Dao and supporting a wise ruler to unify Zhonghua can the people be saved from this misery. Realized Being, you possess immense power, profound cultivation, great courage, and a commanding presence. The fact that you were able to erase the Great Heavenly Demon Array set up by Tiemuzhen and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Demons is proof of your unparalleled cultivation. Though it may be said that there has never been anyone like you, you are undoubtedly one of the most outstanding figures of our time. ¡°Therefore, I have come to you now to entrust you with Zhuge Wuhou¡¯s legacy and my disciple, Shan Tianxie. With your abilities, inheriting Zhuge Wuhou¡¯s legacy would be like adding wings to a tiger. In the future, you will surely reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao in Zhonghua. My disciple, Shan Tianxie, can remain by your side, serving you. When you reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao, you can call upon others to restore the prestige of the Immortal Dao in Zhonghua, support a wise ruler, eradicate the Mongol Yuan, and eliminate the demonic path. In doing so, you will bring an end to Zhonghua¡¯s suffering and restore the land to a state of brightness and clarity.¡± With a whoosh, Liu Bowen bowed solemnly to Zhu Xuanji. This bow was filled with weight, both figuratively and literally. It took Zhu Xuanji by surprise, and deeply moved him. He never expected such sincerity, such gravity in the gesture¡ªtruly, he had not anticipated this. That Liu Bowen would kneel to him, a stranger, for the sake of the people of Zhonghua. This magnanimity! This courage! It was truly admirable! At that moment, Zhu Xuanji stepped forward. In almost the blink of an eye, he appeared before Liu Bowen and helped him up. ¡°Mr. Liu! Please rise quickly! This ceremony is too much¡ªI cannot bear it!¡± As Zhu Xuanji lifted Liu Bowen, a gentle yet powerful force flowed from Zhu Xuanji¡¯s hand, revitalizing Liu Bowen¡¯s entire body. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Realized Being! Please, I beg you!¡± Liu Bowen, though helped up, still bowed and cupped his fists, earnestly asking Zhu Xuanji to agree to his request. At this moment, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Xuanji¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Liu, you don¡¯t even know who I am, yet you entrust such a great matter and your legacy to me! Isn¡¯t that too hasty? Mr. Liu, let¡¯s not discuss whether I can achieve it. Even if I can, how can such a decision be made so quickly? How about this¡ªcome with me to the pavilion for a talk. After we discuss the matter in detail, we will decide.¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen agreed. After all, what Zhu Xuanji said was reasonable. Liu Bowen then asked, ¡°The Realized Being is right! May I know your honorific title?¡± As they walked forward, Zhu Xuanji, holding Liu Bowen¡¯s arm, smiled and said, ¡°I am Xuanji Zi. Mr. Liu, please follow me!¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen nodded slightly. ¡°So it¡¯s Realized Being Xuanji!¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly, leading Liu Bowen and his disciple towards the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Behind them, Da Huang and the monkey Xiao Liuzi followed closely. Xiao Liuzi, standing on Da Huang¡¯s back, whispered, ¡°Brother Da Huang! This old man can really talk! And he gave our master such a grand salute! He even used the noble principle of the people¡¯s well-being to bind our master! It looks like our master is being fooled by this old Liu! Our master is still young¡ªhe¡¯s no match for this cunning old Liu!¡± But Da Huang whispered back, ¡°Our master may be young, but he is also full of tricks! Just wait and see, this Liu Bowen will surely lose more than he gains! Our master is not one to suffer losses!¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34: The Seven Stars Life Extension Technique! Liu Bowen¡¯s Shock!Very soon, Zhu Xuanji brought Liu Bowen and his disciple back to the vicinity of the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. At this moment, the waters of Xuanwu Lake remained calm and undisturbed. Usually, when Xiao Shu, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Ning cultivated, they would be like the old turtle, diving deep into the lake for their practice. Especially Xiao Shu and Xiao Zhi¡ªafter their breakthroughs, they needed to diligently cultivate in the deep lake. As Liu Bowen took in the sight of the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, the Pill Refining Room, the Spirit Gathering Array, and the extensive herb fields, he was momentarily rendered speechless by surprise. After a while, he slowly said, ¡°Realized Being Xuanji! Is this your place of cultivation? It is truly a blessed land! In the past, Zijinshan has been home to several renowned Immortal Dao Realized Beings, but I think none could match your achievements. Twenty years ago, when I climbed Zijinshan, there were no such structures on this mountain. It seems these buildings were all created by you.¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled, choosing not to elaborate further on the matter. Instead, he called out to Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi, ¡°Da Huang! Xiao Liuzi! Go pick some spirit mulberry fruits and steam some Five Colored Sprout Rice Seeds. Bring out some fruit wine.¡± Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi immediately responded, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Their speech once again shocked Liu Bowen and his disciple Shan Tianxie. Shan Tianxie, in disbelief, exclaimed, ¡°Master! That big mountain dog and that little monkey can actually speak human words!¡± Liu Bowen turned to Zhu Xuanji, his awe evident, ¡°Realized Being Xuanji! You truly are a divine person! Even your spirit beasts are extraordinary!¡± Zhu Xuanji invited Liu Bowen to sit at a stone table by Xuanwu Lake. Liu Bowen noticed the chessboard and pieces on the stone table and curiously asked, ¡°Does the Realized Being also enjoy playing chess?¡± Zhu Xuanji smiled, ¡°Just a way to pass the time. Sitting idle is just sitting idle. Would you like to play a game with me, sir?¡± Liu Bowen laughed, ¡°Of course! I would love to!¡± They then determined who would play first, with Liu Bowen taking the black pieces and Zhu Xuanji playing the white. As they played, they chatted, and Zhu Xuanji asked, ¡°Mr. Liu, since you are a descendant of Zhuge Wuhou, have you ever thought about extending your life?¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen was taken aback. ¡°Extending life? Why do you say that, Realized Being?¡± Zhu Xuanji replied, ¡°I have heard that Zhuge Wuhou had a miraculous technique called the Seven Stars Life Extension Technique. Does Mr. Liu not know of it?¡± Liu Bowen shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°The Seven Stars Life Extension Technique is the most difficult miraculous technique in the Wuhou legacy. To perform this technique, one needs the right time, place, and people. Even Zhuge Wuhou never successfully performed it! I have dedicated my life to assisting Emperor Zhu for the sake of the people. I have done some things, but I have also severed ninety-nine dragon veins in Zhonghua! This has greatly shortened my lifespan. ¡°If I were to set up the Seven Stars Life Extension Array, there would be unforeseen consequences! Although most of those ninety-nine dragon veins were dragon serpent veins, even dragon serpents, after death, would turn into spiritual entities in this world. Those with deep resentment would condense into tangible spirits, hiding in this world! Usually, I am protected by Wuhou¡¯s golden light, so these resentful dragon spirits dare not approach me. But if I were to set up the Seven Stars Life Extension Array, I could not afford any disturbances. ¡°If any of the seven stars life extension lamps were extinguished, all would be lost! Why would I bother? Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural order. I am not a pure Immortal Dao practitioner. When it¡¯s time to die, I will die! No need to force it!¡± Hearing Liu Bowen¡¯s carefree attitude toward death, Zhu Xuanji felt even more admiration for him. Facing death, how many people could be so calm? This deepened Zhu Xuanji¡¯s respect for the clever and calculating Liu Bowen. Zhu Xuanji said, ¡°Mr. Liu, you can find someone to protect the array. Why not give it a try? This beautiful Zhonghua¡ªhave you seen enough of it yet?¡± Liu Bowen responded with a bitter smile, ¡°Forget it, forget it! The resentful dragon spirits are pervasive and unavoidable, impossible to guard against! Even a skilled Realized Being cannot resist them.¡± At this moment, Xiao Liuzi came bouncing over with three spirit mulberry fruits. ¡°Master, the fruits are here!¡± Zhu Xuanji signaled Xiao Liuzi to place the spirit mulberry fruits down and then pushed the fruits toward Liu Bowen. ¡°Mr. Liu, these fruits are grown in my spirit fields. They are considered sweet things. There¡¯s not much on this mountain to entertain guests. Please accept these fruits as a token of my respect! Please!¡± Liu Bowen did not decline. He took a fruit and began to eat. Zhu Xuanji also signaled Xiao Liuzi to hand a fruit to Shan Tianxie, who also did not refuse and began to eat. The master and disciple ate the spirit mulberry fruits in large bites, immediately feeling a surge of spiritual energy in their stomachs. A fragrant aroma spread from their lips and teeth¡ªit was simply unforgettable! ¡°What a wonderful fruit!¡± Liu Bowen praised endlessly after finishing. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. At this moment, from the wooden dummy post, Zhu Biao¡¯s extremely excited voice rang out, ¡°Xuanji! Xuanji! This wooden dummy post is truly amazing!¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35: Liu Bowen: The Crown Prince Is Still Alive!¡­ As this voice rang out, a very excited Zhu Biao rushed out from the wooden dummy post. Liu Bowen looked in that direction, and when his eyes fell on Zhu Biao, they widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief. ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince ¡­¡± he murmured. On the other side, Zhu Biao, who had just excitedly run from the wooden dummy post towards Xuanwu Lake, suddenly halted when he saw Liu Bowen sitting opposite Zhu Xuanji. His expression mirrored Liu Bowen¡¯s shock, clearly not expecting to see him here. This was too unexpected! ¡°Mr. Liu! How are you here?¡± Zhu Biao asked, knowing that Liu Bowen had seen him and not planning to hide. He walked forward, and Liu Bowen, standing up, looked at Zhu Biao with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince! You ¡­ you are not ¡­ What is going on?¡± Even with Liu Bowen¡¯s brilliance and foresight, seeing Zhu Biao, who should have been long dead, alive and well, left him immensely shocked. Zhu Biao approached, gently supporting Liu Bowen¡¯s arm to prevent him from bowing. With emotion, Zhu Biao said, ¡°Mr. Liu, no need for such courtesy! Currently, I am no longer the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. I am just a cultivator in these mountains, known as Wangchen. My return to life is all thanks to Xuanji!¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen was greatly astonished! Although he had suspected that the Crown Prince Zhu Biao¡¯s resurrection might be related to Xuanji Zi, hearing the confirmation from Zhu Biao¡¯s own mouth was still deeply shocking. This revelation was beyond his imagination, far exceeding his expectations and predictions. He had considered the possibility of Xuanji Zi¡¯s boundless abilities, but he never imagined that Xuanji Zi could have the divine power to resurrect someone! ¡°This is a long story,¡± Zhu Biao continued, ¡°but there¡¯s no need to go into detail. Mr. Liu, why are you here?¡± Liu Bowen explained his purpose for coming, and Zhu Biao immediately understood. ¡°So! Mr. Liu saw Xuanji¡¯s presence six years ago! No wonder, back then at the foot of the mountain, you urged me to come up again if I had the chance! Mr. Liu, your abilities are indeed remarkable!¡± Liu Bowen shook his head, humility in his voice. ¡°I am ashamed! Truly ashamed! Compared to the Realized Being Xuanji, my minor skills are not worth mentioning¡ªnot worth mentioning at all!¡± At this moment, Zhu Xuanji, standing by, laughed and said, ¡°Alright. You two need not be so courteous. Whatever you have to say, let¡¯s sit down and talk. Wangchen, Mr. Liu is our guest. We must not be poor hosts.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Biao laughed and said, ¡°Indeed, indeed!¡± Then, Zhu Biao pulled Liu Bowen to sit at the stone table. Despite sitting down, Liu Bowen remained deeply curious about how Zhu Biao had come back to life. Zhu Biao indicated that he didn¡¯t really know the full details of how Xuanji Zi revived him. Therefore, Liu Bowen turned to Zhu Xuanji, hoping for an explanation. ¡°Realized Being Xuanji, I personally saw the Crown Prince before he died. It was a cold that entered his organs, incurable by medicine. After the Crown Prince passed, he was laid in the palace for half a month! Before being moved to the mountain, Emperor Zhu personally checked. The person was thoroughly dead. What divine power did you use to revive the Crown Prince?¡± Hearing this, Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Liu, this technique is a secret art! It can indeed bring the dead back to life and flesh to bones, but it requires certain sacrifices. I saved Wangchen because I felt it was too much of a waste for him to die like that.¡± Liu Bowen understood from these words that Zhu Xuanji wasn¡¯t entirely forthcoming with the details. He knew that pressing further wouldn¡¯t yield more information. In any case, the fact that Zhu Biao was still alive was a great joy! With Zhu Biao present, the Ming Dynasty¡¯s future would surely be prosperous! After all, Liu Bowen had watched Zhu Biao grow up and knew the kind of person he was. If Zhu Biao could inherit the throne, the Ming Dynasty could certainly unify Zhonghua! Moreover, the person who saved Zhu Biao was Xuanji Zi! If Xuanji Zi¡¯s divine powers were as great as they seemed, perhaps his ambition was to save the people of the world, and that was why he saved Zhu Biao. If so, then Liu Bowen had truly found the right person! ¡°Realized Being Xuanji, you must have a heart for the people! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have saved the Crown Prince! I admire you¡ªdeeply admire you! The Crown Prince is wise and brave! If he inherits the throne, and with your assistance, Realized Being, how could the great cause of unifying Zhonghua not be achieved?¡± Liu Bowen said excitedly. Hearing this, Zhu Xuanji shook his head and laughed, ¡°Mr. Liu, you are mistaken! I have no intention of supporting Wangchen to be emperor, let alone unifying Zhonghua! I have no such ambition! I just want a companion to cultivate with in the mountains, to pursue the path to immortality!¡± Liu Bowen didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced, but before he could respond, Zhu Xuanji quickly changed the topic. Pointing to the chessboard on the stone table, he said, ¡°Mr. Liu, our game is not yet finished! Come, come, come! Let¡¯s finish this game first!¡± Hearing this, Liu Bowen laughed and replied, ¡°Alright, alright! I will follow your lead!¡± That day, Liu Bowen, Zhu Xuanji, and Zhu Biao had a very pleasant conversation. In the end, with Zhu Xuanji¡¯s warm invitation, Liu Bowen decided to stay on Zhongshan for a few days. With Liu Bowen¡¯s wisdom and presence, the mountain naturally became livelier. ¡­ S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Three days later, early in the morning, Zhu Xuanji brought Zhu Biao, Liu Bowen, and Shan Tianxie to Xiaomaoshan. Today, he planned to take them to a cave where the 30,000 volumes of books left by Realized Being Ziwei were stored. These books were invaluable treasures, and Zhu Xuanji believed that enjoying them together would be far more rewarding than enjoying them alone. Very soon, Zhu Xuanji led the three to the cave. As they approached, the sound of reading could be heard from within! Chapter 36 Chapter 36: Educating the Little Foxes in the Cave Study, Everyone¡¯s Astonishment!¡­ ¡°Heaven and Earth were not yet formed, shrouded in darkness and obscurity ¡­ Merged into one, tranquil and clear ¡­ The heavy and murky formed the Earth, the pure and subtle formed the Heaven ¡­¡± s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Amidst the sound of clear recitation, there were continuous ¡°squeak squeak¡± sounds. At this moment, upon hearing the sound of clear recitation accompanied by the strange ¡°squeak squeak¡± noises, the group showed a hint of puzzlement. Zhu Biao, confused, turned to Zhu Xuanji and asked, ¡°Xuanji! When did a child come to Xiaomaoshan? And they¡¯re reading in this cave?¡± Liu Bowen and his disciple Shan Tianxie also looked at Zhu Xuanji with slight confusion. The clear sound of recitation deep within Xiaomaoshan felt a bit eerie, especially in this secluded mountain. Hearing a child¡¯s voice reading was already unusual, but the accompanying ¡°squeak squeak¡± sound made it even stranger. It was perplexing and abnormal. Only Zhu Xuanji smiled faintly and said, ¡°Gentlemen, please follow this poor Daoist!¡± He then led the group into the cave. Soon, they reached the inside of the cave, where they saw a scene that left them astonished¡ªlittle foxes were reading aloud! Inside the cave, the white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er sat at a table, holding a book in her two fox paws, teaching four red foxes to read. The clear voice they had heard was coming from Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, while the ¡°squeak squeak¡± sounds were coming from the mouths of the four red foxes. This scene left Zhu Biao and the others extremely astonished. However, Zhu Xuanji simply laughed. Zhu Biao exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for a white fox to be literate, but teaching her kin to read? The fox tribe reading human books! Truly unheard of, unseen! A marvelous tale! This is truly one of the rarest wonders under heaven!¡± Liu Bowen also expressed his amazement, ¡°Indeed! Truly unexpected! Who would have thought that in these deep mountains, such a spectacular scene exists!¡± Shan Tianxie was equally stunned. At this moment, Zhu Xuanji stepped forward and smiled at Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, who was teaching the four red foxes. ¡°Rong¡¯er! This poor Daoist has arrived and brought a few friends!¡± Upon seeing Zhu Xuanji, Tu Shan Rong¡¯er immediately stood up, placed the book down, and bowed to him. ¡°The Realized Being has arrived! Rong¡¯er failed to greet you from afar!¡± Zhu Biao, Liu Bowen, and Shan Tianxie were amazed at how human-like the white fox¡¯s behavior was. For a moment, they were deeply impressed. Liu Bowen said, ¡°I once read in ancient books that in ancient times, the fox tribe understood human nature, learned literature, and comprehended principles. I always thought it was just a rural legend, not to be taken seriously. But today, seeing this white fox, I realize the ancients¡¯ words were not false!¡± Zhu Biao, having a flash of insight, exclaimed, ¡°Could it be that this white fox was also enlightened by Xuanji?¡± At this time, Zhu Xuanji addressed Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, ¡°Rong¡¯er, my friends here are all scholars with vast knowledge! In the future, they may often come here! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them!¡± Zhu Xuanji then introduced Zhu Biao, Liu Bowen, and Shan Tianxie to Tu Shan Rong¡¯er. The white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er quickly greeted the three of them one by one. Zhu Biao and the others found it incredibly novel, especially since Tu Shan Rong¡¯er spoke with the grace and poise of a well-bred young lady. If not for her fox form, just by listening to her voice, one would never guess she was a fox! This was completely different from the way Da Huang and Xiao Liuzi talked, as they couldn¡¯t escape their true animal natures when they spoke and moved. But Tu Shan Rong¡¯er was human-like in every way. ¡°The Realized Being came today, is it to borrow books from this cave?¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er asked Zhu Xuanji. Zhu Xuanji nodded immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right! Today, I happened to have some free time, so I came to take a look at the books in the cave! My friends heard that there are thirty thousand volumes left by Realized Being Ziwei in the cave, and they all wanted to come and see!¡± The white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er immediately responded, ¡°Then please, everyone! Feel free to browse the books in this cave, as long as they are not damaged.¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly and pointed to the bookshelf, saying to the three of them, ¡°Everyone, these books were left by Realized Being Ziwei in the past. Some may be unique copies, so please be careful when browsing.¡± The three were all book lovers and naturally did not object. The next period was a quiet reading time. Liu Bowen, looking at the thirty thousand volumes, randomly browsed through a few, his face showing excitement. ¡°This is ¡®The Miscellaneous Records of Liu Han!¡¯ It was written by Hermit Liu Han* nine hundred years ago! I thought it was lost! Unexpectedly, it was preserved here! And this ¡®The Transformation of Dragons in the Void,¡¯ it is said that it contains the technique of transforming into a dragon! Who knows if it¡¯s true or not! Wonderful, truly wonderful! Who would have thought, in this mountain wilderness, there is such a paradise of books! Truly marvelous!¡± In the days that followed, almost every day, Zhu Xuanji and the others would come to the cave to read. As time went by, everyone became familiar with the little foxes, and the little foxes were no longer afraid of Zhu Xuanji and the others. Zhu Xuanji, as per his previous agreement with Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, would occasionally explain some of the principles and great meanings in the books to the little foxes and Tu Shan Rong¡¯er. Later on, it wasn¡¯t just Zhu Xuanji giving lectures¡ªLiu Bowen would lecture as well! Zhu Biao would lecture too! Even Shan Tianxie would share his knowledge! In the blink of an eye, three months passed! Liu Bowen unknowingly stayed on Zhongshan for three months, and these three months were some of the most memorable of his life. Since he started practicing in the world, he had never felt so happy! This place was truly joyful¡ªa sanctuary where worldly wealth was forgotten! But, as life always has surprises, on this day, while reading to the little foxes in the cave, Liu Bowen suddenly started trembling all over! His vision went black, and he fell backward! Chapter 37 Chapter 37: Reviving Liu Bowen, Transmitting the Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra!¡­ S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The little foxes were frightened when they saw Liu Bowen collapse. The white fox, Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, immediately dropped the book she was holding and rushed toward Liu Bowen. Several little foxes surrounded him, squeaking anxiously, ¡°Squeak squeak squeak squeak! It¡¯s bad! He¡¯s not breathing!¡± Tu Shan Rong¡¯er placed her paw near Liu Bowen¡¯s nose and felt no breath, which scared her even more. She hurriedly instructed the nearby little foxes, ¡°Xiao Lu, Xiao Chi, go quickly and get Realized Being Xuanji here!¡± But after a moment of hesitation, she added, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯d better go myself!¡± Without another thought, Tu Shan Rong¡¯er dashed out of the cave, moving with incredible speed. Over the past few days, she had been studying with everyone and had learned some cultivation methods from Zhu Xuanji, which had significantly increased her speed. She seemed to turn into a white light as she raced toward the North Peak*. [*Beigaofeng] ¡­ Half a day later, outside Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, Shan Tianxie and Zhu Biao stood anxiously, waiting impatiently. From time to time, they glanced toward the pavilion. Shan Tianxie, unable to hide his worry, said, ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince! Can my master be revived or not? Why is it taking so long? Realized Being Xuanji hasn¡¯t come out yet!¡± Zhu Biao, though equally concerned, tried to remain calm. He reassured Shan Tianxie, ¡°Tianxie, you have to trust Xuanji Zi! Remember, I was dead for half a month¡ªI was about to be buried, and yet he still brought me back to life! Mr. Liu has only been without breath for two hours! It should be fine!¡± Despite his words, Zhu Biao couldn¡¯t help but feel uncertain. Reviving the dead was an extraordinary feat, even among the most famous immortals. Although Zhu Xuanji had once saved him, Zhu Biao couldn¡¯t guarantee that Liu Bowen would be similarly fortunate. ¡­ Inside Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, Liu Bowen had already woken up, but he remained weak, which surprised Zhu Xuanji. The last time he had revived Zhu Biao, though it took a lot of time and energy, Zhu Biao had returned to life full of vitality. However, this time, despite exhausting nearly all his strength, Liu Bowen¡¯s body remained frail, and his spirit was clearly lacking in vitality. This puzzled Zhu Xuanji. ¡°Strange! Where did it go wrong?¡± Zhu Xuanji muttered to himself. Liu Bowen, gathering his strength, spoke slowly, ¡°Realized Being Xuanji, you indeed possess extraordinary powers. I should have been dead, but you brought me back to life! However, my soul was bitten by the spirit of the resentful Jiao* in the cave study, and three parts of it were taken away. Now, my soul is incomplete. Even if revived, I won¡¯t last long!¡± [*Jiao (òÔ) is a mythical creature from Chinese mythology, often depicted as a type of dragon or serpent. It is considered a water-dwelling creature and is sometimes referred to as a ¡°flood dragon¡± or ¡°river dragon.¡± The Jiao is not as powerful or revered as the traditional Chinese dragon (Áú, L¨®ng), but it still holds significance in Chinese folklore. It is also the serpent mentioned in the earlier chapters.] Zhu Xuanji immediately understood. ¡°So that¡¯s it! Your soul was bitten by the spirit of the resentful Jiao, losing three parts? This is indeed troublesome! But, Mr. Liu, don¡¯t give up! I have a scroll of the ¡®Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra¡¯ here. As long as you practice this sutra, not only will you not die, but you will also continuously transform! With your aptitude, practicing this sutra shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± As he spoke, Zhu Xuanji raised his hand, and a scroll of sutra appeared out of thin air. This was the ¡°Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra,¡± a reward Zhu Xuanji had received from the system after Yin Yu Xiao Zhi evolved. Though Zhu Xuanji himself had no need to practice this sutra¡ªhaving other cultivation methods that suited him better¡ªhe realized that Liu Bowen¡¯s current state made him a perfect candidate for this technique. As long as Liu Bowen practiced the first three layers of this sutra, he could transform the mundane, break through reincarnation, and achieve rebirth. The lost parts of his soul would naturally be restored. Hearing this, Liu Bowen¡¯s face showed a glimmer of hope. ¡°Unexpected! That I, Liu Bowen, would have such an opportunity at the end of my life! I won¡¯t be polite with Realized Being! If I truly master this sutra and achieve rebirth, I will definitely repay you for saving my life!¡± Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly and handed the sutra to Liu Bowen. ¡°You can start practicing now! According to my estimation, in your current state, you can hold on for at least six months. During this time, as long as you don¡¯t leave Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, the spirit of the resentful Jiao won¡¯t be able to find you. Six months should be enough for you to master the first three layers.¡± Liu Bowen said no more and immediately began to read the ¡°Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra.¡± ¡­ Early the next morning, after a night of recovery, Zhu Xuanji walked out of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. Shan Tianxie and Zhu Biao, who had been waiting outside all night without sleep, quickly approached him. Shan Tianxie¡¯s eyes were red from lack of sleep as he rushed forward, ¡°Realized Being! How is my master?¡± Zhu Xuanji, calm and composed, replied indifferently, ¡°Mr. Liu is alive, but he needs to be in seclusion for six months. During this time, he must not step out of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. After six months, he will naturally be reborn.¡± Shan Tianxie was overjoyed upon hearing this! He was so excited that he immediately bowed deeply to Zhu Xuanji, exclaiming, ¡°Thank you, Realized Being! Thank you, Realized Being!¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38: Liu Bowen Becomes a Disciple! Daoist Name: Qingyun! Zhu Yuanzhang Teaches His Grandson!Time passed quickly, and six months flew by in the blink of an eye. One day, six months later, Liu Bowen emerged from the Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, completely transformed. What was once an old, withered man had become a young scholar exuding elegance. If he were to be dressed in feather fans and a silk kerchief, he would look like the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang himself! Zhu Xuanji, who had witnessed Liu Bowen¡¯s transformation over these six months, was amazed by the power of the ¡°Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra.¡± He had initially thought the sutra was rather mediocre, but to his surprise, its effects were profound. Liu Bowen had not only regained his youth but had been practically reborn. Zhu Xuanji¡¯s surprise was shared by Zhu Biao and Shan Tianxie, who were even more shocked by the transformation. Shan Tianxie, especially, was in disbelief when he learned that the young scholar before him was actually his master, Liu Bowen. ¡°Master! How ¡­ how did you become young?¡± Shan Tianxie stammered, staring at Liu Bowen in astonishment. Liu Bowen smiled with great elegance and replied, ¡°All of this is thanks to Senior Xuanji!¡± Having been brought back from the brink of death and completely transformed in just six months, Liu Bowen was equally amazed by his own change. He never imagined that such a thing was possible¡ªit was beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. At that moment, Zhu Biao stepped forward to congratulate Liu Bowen, his amazement evident. ¡°Hahaha! I told you so! As long as Xuanji is here, you¡¯ll be fine, sir!¡± Liu Bowen nodded, feeling truly happy. ¡°Crown Prince, I now understand why you chose to stay here. Senior Xuanji¡¯s abilities indeed surpass ordinary imagination.¡± Zhu Xuanji, standing beside them, said, ¡°Alright, Mr. Liu, enough with the polite words. Your ability to practice the ¡®Longevity Six Paths of Reincarnation Sutra¡¯ is a result of your own efforts. And don¡¯t call me senior¡ªit makes me sound old! From now on, let¡¯s call each other fellow Daoists!¡± But Liu Bowen refused, and in the next moment, he knelt down in front of everyone, facing Zhu Xuanji. He said, ¡°Senior Xuanji¡¯s life-saving grace¡ªLiu Bowen is eternally grateful! I have already died once, so I won¡¯t stick to old conventions. I humbly ask Senior Xuanji to accept me as a disciple!¡± With that, Liu Bowen bowed and kowtowed to Zhu Xuanji. His youthful, agile body moved quickly, leaving Zhu Xuanji feeling quite helpless. However, after a moment¡¯s thought, Zhu Xuanji realized that accepting Liu Bowen as a disciple was indeed a significant gain. ¡°Alright! Alright! Do as you wish! Since you insist on becoming my disciple, I¡¯ll give you a Daoist name. You, Liu Ji, styled Bowen, first followed the lineage of Zhuge Liang, and now join my school under Xuanji. You have vast knowledge, great wisdom, and ambition to support the righteous path and invigorate the Dao. In that case, I¡¯ll give you the Daoist name ¡®Qingyun Zi¡¯¡ªlike a great roc soaring on the same wind, ascending straight to the azure sky. What do you think?¡± Liu Bowen gratefully kowtowed to Zhu Xuanji, saying, ¡°Disciple Liu Bowen, thanks Master for the name!¡± Zhu Xuanji stepped forward to help Liu Bowen up, and the two smiled at each other. However, this left Shan Tianxie feeling somewhat at a loss. How, in such a short time, had he gone from being a disciple to a grand-disciple? From now on, he was the lowest-ranking in Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, the time had come to the end of the 30th year of Hongwu. As it was nearing the end of the year, the entire Ming Dynasty¡ªfrom nobles to commoners¡ªwere preparing for the New Year. As the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, with his aged body, sat in Chonghua Hall, listening to the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen report on the affairs of the court. Since the beginning of winter, Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s health had been declining day by day. Due to his fear of the cold, several more stoves had been added to Chonghua Hall. Zhu Yunwen stood in the hall, reporting while sweating profusely. There was no choice¡ªhe wore many layers of clothing, and with the added stoves, the hall was unbearably hot. However, despite the discomfort, he dared not show any signs of it in front of his imperial grandfather. ¡°Imperial Grandfather, at present, all the new scholars in the court have been assigned positions. In a few more years, they will become the backbone of our Ming court,¡± Zhu Yunwen said, wiping the sweat from his brow. Zhu Yuanzhang, leaning back on the throne with his eyes closed, spoke slowly, ¡°Yunwen, you, child, are kinder than your father. But as the Son of Heaven, if you only have kindness, it¡¯s not enough. Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Fang Xiaoru¡ªthese three¡ªyou can trust them, use them! But don¡¯t rely on them completely! As the Son of Heaven, you must have your own ideas. Don¡¯t let the ministers guess your thoughts, or else it¡¯s easy to become their puppet. You must have authority! You must make them feel both fear and respect!¡± S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 39 Chapter 39: The Arrival of the 31st Year of Hongwu, Mastery of the Magic Mirror Technique!When Zhu Yuanzhang spoke up to this point, he suddenly started coughing violently. Zhu Yunwen hurriedly stepped forward, concerned. ¡°Imperial Grandfather! Please stop talking and rest for a while! Your health is most important!¡± Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip of tea to calm himself, then grabbed Zhu Yunwen¡¯s hand and spoke in a strained voice, ¡°Yunwen, the New Year is approaching. You should send a message on my behalf to your uncles, inquiring about their well-being. Yunwen, it¡¯s hard to conquer the land, but it¡¯s even harder to rule it! In the future, you must rely more on your uncles to ensure the continuation of our Zhu family¡¯s empire.¡± Zhu Yunwen listened with his head lowered in agreement, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He did not fully agree with his grandfather¡¯s words. Those uncles of his, holding territories and wielding great power, were the root cause of the Ming Dynasty¡¯s troubles! If he ascended the throne, the first thing he would do would be to reduce their power, to remove all those vassal kings who posed a threat to his rule. Only then could he secure his own position and lead the Ming Dynasty to greater prosperity and glory. ¡­ On Zhongshan, snowflakes fluttered down. It was rare for it to snow in Jinling City, as it was located in the southern state of Zhonghua. However, this year was different. Not only did snow fall around Zhongshan, but it was also a heavy snow, covering the mountain in a pristine white blanket. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. For Zhu Xuanji, Zhu Biao, Liu Bowen, and Shan Tianxie, who were cultivating in the mountains, the snow was a pleasant surprise. Heavy snow was a rare occurrence, and it brought a special kind of beauty to their surroundings. On this day, the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. At Liu Bowen¡¯s suggestion, everyone decided to have a lively celebration. From the morning, he and Shan Tianxie busied themselves with preparations. By dusk, the white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er, along with four red foxes, arrived at Yunmeng Dao Pavilion, setting up fruit platters. Zhu Xuanji instructed Xiao Liuzi to make rice balls from the five-colored spiritual rice and placed them aside. He also brought out the fruit wine he had brewed in previous years. As the bright moon slowly ascended and night fell, everyone gathered in front of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. They drank fine wine, ate spiritual fruits and rice, and shared laughter and joy. There was a special warmth in the air. Da Huang, Xiao Liuzi, the pheasant Ah Si, and the white snake Xiao Bai also joined the festivities. The black eagle ¡°Ye Ying¡± stood silently on the roof of Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. As everyone recited poems and sang, the white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er was so happy she was speechless. Later in the night, after everyone had gone to rest, Zhu Biao walked alone to the mountaintop. Standing on the peak, facing the cold wind, he looked in the direction of Jinling City in silence. At that moment, Zhu Xuanji appeared beside him without a sound. ¡°Missing home?¡± Zhu Biao heard Zhu Xuanji¡¯s voice but did not turn around. He continued looking toward Jinling City and softly said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s already past midnight, and it¡¯s the thirty-first year of Hongwu. I came to Zhongshan in the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, and in a flash, it¡¯s been over five years, almost six. I wonder how my father is doing. I wonder how my daughter is. I wonder how Lady L¨¹ is. I wonder if Yunwen, Yuntong, Yunshun, and Yunxi are well. I feel unprecedented peace while cultivating here on Zhongshan, but sometimes, thinking about my father¡¯s old age, I wish I could go down the mountain immediately to see what is happening down there.¡± Zhu Xuanji stood beside him, also looking toward Jinling City, and said calmly, ¡°Wangchen, do you remember asking me a few years ago if one day, the old Zhu passed away, could he be brought back to life?¡± Zhu Biao was startled by these words and then nodded. ¡°I remember. Of course, I remember.¡± Zhu Xuanji continued, ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t give you an answer. But now, I can give you a definite answer. I will save him. A person¡¯s lifespan is ordained by heaven, but I enjoy stealing people from the hands of heaven. Old Zhu has suffered more than you, Wangchen, in this life. Just for his bold words about sharing the empire with the people, I must save him.¡± After hearing this, the weight in Zhu Biao¡¯s heart was immediately lifted. In this life, he felt most indebted to his father. If his father died and he couldn¡¯t see him again, it would be his greatest regret. However, with Xuanji Zi¡¯s promise, he was no longer afraid. In the future, his father could come to Zhongshan and cultivate with him, shedding the burden of being an emperor. His father might live more happily and comfortably! Zhu Biao let go of his worries and went back to rest. Zhu Xuanji said he would continue to cultivate on the mountaintop for a while. After Zhu Biao left, a strange look flashed in Zhu Xuanji¡¯s eyes. In recent years, he had been very aware of his grandfather Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s condition. Four years ago, he had mastered the Magic Mirror Technique. At first, the Magic Mirror Technique could only see within a radius of fifty miles. Later, as Zhu Xuanji¡¯s cultivation progressed, the range kept expanding. Now, four years later, his Magic Mirror Technique could see within a radius of three thousand miles! Three thousand miles, almost encompassing the entire southern state¡ªthis was quite extraordinary. Two years ago, Zhu Xuanji had been using the Magic Mirror Technique to secretly observe Zhu Yuanzhang¡¯s condition. After all, old Zhu was his grandfather. Old Zhu cared deeply for the country and its people, worked hard all his life, and endured the pain of losing his wife and son. An ordinary person might have collapsed long ago, but Zhu Yuanzhang held on for several more years. However, since last winter, his health had deteriorated significantly. According to Zhu Xuanji¡¯s estimation, old Zhu had at most another half year to live. Chapter 40 Chapter 40: Xiao Liuzi and Tu Shan Rong¡¯er Advance! Tu Shan Rong¡¯er¡¯s Request!Old Zhu had exhausted himself for the Ming Dynasty his entire life. He deserved some peace and happiness now. He had chosen his half-brother, Zhu Yunwen, as the Crown Prince, likely unaware that after his death, Zhu Yunwen¡¯s hasty attempts to diminish the power of the vassal kings would plunge the Ming Dynasty into chaos and ultimately cost him the throne. Zhu Xuanji resolved to make old Zhu understand that human strength alone couldn¡¯t contend with heaven. To truly challenge the heavens, one must cultivate, continuously improve, and survive to create a greater legacy. Otherwise, no matter how well things were arranged, it would all be in vain. Zhu Xuanji sat on the mountaintop of North Peak throughout the night amidst the wind and snow. He wasn¡¯t just sitting idly; he was cultivating. For Zhu Xuanji, cultivation had become as natural as breathing. He went with the flow, knowing that success would come naturally. In this supreme blessed land, cultivating for three hundred years, he knew that when the system¡¯s protection period ended, he would have to rely entirely on himself to face all the dangers in this world. This sense of urgency drove him to work hard in his cultivation. The New Year¡¯s wind and snow blew into Zhu Xuanji¡¯s mouth and nose, instantly waking him fully. At that moment, he heard the system¡¯s prompt in his ear: S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Xuanji thought to himself with satisfaction. While Zhu Xuanji was in high spirits, he heard another series of system prompts: ¡°Great! Double advancement! Wonderful! Truly wonderful!¡± Zhu Xuanji marveled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Tu Shan Rong¡¯er to advance as well. The speed of Tu Shan Rong¡¯er¡¯s advancement indeed exceeds my expectations. I thought it would take at least ten years for her to advance! I didn¡¯t expect it to be just a few short years! Sure enough, she lives up to the name of the Tu Shan white fox with a heavenly fox bloodline.¡± As Zhu Xuanji pondered, he realized, ¡°The rewards keep coming. Intermediate Enlightenment Technique, finally here! However, Xiao Liuzi and Tu Shan Rong¡¯er advancing together today might be due to the spiritual fruits and rice they ate last night, reaching a certain accumulation and naturally advancing?¡± After understanding everything, Zhu Xuanji collected himself and headed towards Yunmeng Dao Pavilion. As soon as he returned, he saw the white fox Tu Shan Rong¡¯er leading four red foxes to the pavilion. Upon arrival, Tu Shan Rong¡¯er and the four red foxes knelt before Zhu Xuanji. ¡°Tu Shan Rong¡¯er thanks Realized Being for the enlightenment. I humbly request Realized Being¡¯s favor¡ªto enlighten Xiao Lu, Xiao Chi, Xiao Ya, and Xiao Wan. Tu Shan Rong¡¯er would be eternally grateful!¡± Xiao Lu, Xiao Chi, Xiao Ya, and Xiao Wan were the four red foxes behind Tu Shan Rong¡¯er. Upon hearing her request, Zhu Xuanji showed a bit of surprise. While enlightening spiritual beings wasn¡¯t difficult for him now, and he had focused on quality over quantity in doing so, he knew that once enlightened, these foxes would face many challenges. ¡°Rong¡¯er, you know that once enlightened, Xiao Lu, Xiao Chi, Xiao Ya, and Xiao Wan will no longer be ordinary red foxes. In the future, they may face various trials and tribulations to progress step by step. And their aptitude is far inferior to yours. Even if enlightened, their achievements may not be significant. Are you sure?¡± Zhu Xuanji looked at Tu Shan Rong¡¯er with a calm demeanor.