Chapter 954: Heart's Homeland, A Full Table
Green Mystery World, along the border between Yong Province and Pei Province.
Two female cultivators strolled leisurely, ascending the heights side by side.
The face of the female Daoist was blurred and indistinct, shifting like clouds and water.
She wore a Water-Cloud Robe, layered with the folds of a thousand immortal mountains.
She was none other than one of the rare few Fourteen-Realm Great Cultivators, Wuzhou, who had participated in the last Riverside Assembly.
Beside her followed a young woman of enchanting beauty, wearing an imperial crown and a yellow dragon robe.
She was the current Son of Heaven of the Yong Province's Fish-Tally Dynasty, Zhu Xuan. In the Green Mystery World, it was quite common for women to ascend the throne and inherit orthodox rule.
On Zhu Xuan's shoulder perched a purple swallow, while a golden fish, flickering between solidity and illusion, swam around her. This fish had already grown two genuine dragon whiskers.
Among scaled creatures, the golden fish, and among feathered creatures, the purple swallow, have always been regarded as divine beings. Thus, these two types of spiritual creatures find it relatively easy to refine their forms and attain the Dao. Legend has it that when they reach the heights of the Great Path, the former can undergo the "Fish-Dragon Transformation," becoming a true dragon, while the latter can shed its mortal shell and transform into the legendary "Vermilion Bird." The former is still relatively numerous, but the latter can be counted on one's fingers.
The two of them "climbed the mountain" together.
Only this "mountain" was actually a mountain range located at the bottom of a great river.
What a sight: the Green Mystery stretched vast and bottomless, with sunlight and moonlight shining upon a terrace of gold and silver.
And for the mountain god's shrine to be built at the bottom of the water was a unique sight exclusive to the Green Mystery World.
Lofty pavilions adorned with flowing cinnabar, clouds steaming and rosy mists billowing.
At the mountain's summit, due to a slight basin-like depression in the terrain, it was commonly called the "Washbasin." Within this basin sat a mountain god's shrine, which also had the nickname "Dressing Table."
It was said that Sun Huaizhong had once traveled here, and it was this old abbot of Profound Metropolis Abbey who first came up with these two names, which quickly spread across several provinces.
This old abbot was practically a walking landscape gazetteer of the Green Mystery World.
Wuzhou asked with a smile, "I heard that Lu San promised you that he would bring a Chief Supplicant to your Fish-Tally Dynasty?"
Zhu Xuan nodded. "Yes, so the position has been left vacant all these years. Now that Lu, the Head Instructor, has returned to the Jade Capital, he should at least give me an answer. Even a rough timeframe would do. He can't keep dragging this out forever."
It seemed that anyone who was familiar with Lu Chen wouldn't care much about the identity or realm of this Third Head Instructor of the Jade Capital.
Wuzhou chuckled. "Is Yong Province about to produce a second true dragon?"
The Haoran World already had the True Dragon Wang Zhu.
The Green Mystery World, with its pattern of "nine mountains and one water," had a concentration of water fortune far inferior to that of Haoran, making it truly difficult for a true dragon to emerge or be nurtured.
Because during the Battle of Ascending to Heaven, when merits were rewarded, almost all the flood dragons that had cultivated the Dao were left in the Haoran World, which possessed the Four Seas. They established the Four Sea Dragon Palaces, and countless water mansions in great rivers, lakes, and ponds were responsible for spreading clouds and dispensing rain.
Zhu Xuan said, "I dare not harbor such extravagant hopes."
Wuzhou reminded her, "You should still try to win over Qi Gu. After his realm breaks through, the gift of martial fortune is nothing major. The key is that thief of rice, Wang Yuanlu—his Great Path shows great promise. If you succeed in winning over Qi Gu, given his friendship with Wang Yuanlu, it might turn into a good deal of buying one and getting one free."
It was clear to see that both Qi Gu and that Wang Yuanlu were people who deeply cherished old ties and friendships. If Qi Gu were to serve as the Imperial Supplicant for the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan, and Wang Yuanlu followed to become the abbot of some ten-direction forest monastery within the territory, it would be like gaining two major pillars of support for the flourishing Fish-Tally Dynasty.
Zhu Xuan frowned with worry. "But Qi Gu was evasive. He was clearly tempted, yet he still wouldn't nod and give me a definite answer. He said he had to return to his hometown, Wuling Commandery, first."
Compared to the Azure Deity Dynasty in Bing Province, whether in national power or in the top-tier battle strength of Dao officials, the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan was still far behind. After all, Yong Province was ultimately just a small province with a thin foundation, somewhat similar to Vase Bottle Continent in the Haoran World. Many matters were truly like "making a grand altar within a snail's shell." It was fortunate that this Supreme Yin Grandmaster had returned to her old haunt, thus providing Yong Province with a fourteen-realm cultivator guarding its mountains and rivers.
The reason Wuzhou favored the Fish-Tally Dynasty so much was, first, that this place had once been where she cultivated the Dao, though it had long since become ruins. Second, the very first immortal weapon she forged was now the dynasty's national treasure. Back then, Wuzhou had gifted it to the founding emperor of the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan, a man of great talent and bold vision who could be considered half a Dao companion to Wuzhou. Finally, Wuzhou was optimistic about Zhu Xuan's Dao accomplishments. With a hundred years of Dao age, she was already an Immortal. Give Zhu Xuan another four or five hundred years, and one more opportunity on the Great Path, and she might be able to ascend, perhaps even achieving the highly-ranked "Ascending on a Dragon," where one person and one dragon attain the Dao together. At that point, the national fortune of the Fish-Tally Dynasty would be worth anticipating. That was why Wuzhou was willing to reopen her Daoist site in Yong Province.
For a Qi Practitioner, upon entering the legendary Fourteen Realm and becoming an "attainer of the Dao," the subsequent path of cultivation becomes very... awkward, and boring.
Wuzhou smiled. "Things depend on human effort."
Zhu Xuan nodded. "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
Wuzhou said casually, "If I were you, I would simply go incognito and follow them to the Azure Deity Dynasty, treating it as a sightseeing trip to clear my mind."
Zhu Xuan said helplessly, "I have that thought, but unfortunately, I can't get away."
The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice and war. Yong Province's territory was small, and the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan was the sole dominant power. So after Zhu Xuan ascended the throne, there were very few military campaigns. However, the matter of Daoist rituals and sacrifices was extremely draining and could not afford the slightest carelessness—what a critical affair! Because the types of sacrifices were numerous, and the ritual protocols were complex. Besides the burning and offering of sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, there were also the sinking of offerings for water sacrifices, the throwing of offerings for mountain god sacrifices, and so on. Heavenly gods, human ghosts, earthly spirits, and many mountain and river gods all required reverence. Additionally, every few years, they had to organize a Golden and Jade Register Grand Ritual. Since Zhu Xuan was a relatively inexperienced ruler, she couldn't yet delegate these matters to others. So for at least three months out of the year, she was either performing rituals or on the road to perform them, especially recently when the entire Fish-Tally Dynasty was fully engaged in preparing a once-in-a-century Grand Universal Ritual. This ritual would have up to 3,600 offering seats and would invite scripture masters, high-achieving Dao officials, and abbots from various Daoist observatories across the entire province to the capital to participate. This required the personal involvement of the female emperor Zhu Xuan, who served as the chief sacrificer. That was why she said she couldn't get away. It was fortunate that the previous emperor had only abdicated the throne to her after she had broken into the Immortal realm.
Wuzhou teased, "Your Fish-Tally Dynasty is short on an elegant chancellor who would allow the monarch to rule by non-action."
The Elegant Chancellor Yao Qing was indeed the type of minister any emperor would dream of having as a chief counselor.
As they neared the mountain summit, Wuzhou suddenly stopped, squinting up at the sky. Through the water curtain of the great river, her gaze extended all the way to the highest point in the north.
Wuzhou, seemingly out of nowhere, uttered something akin to an astronomical term, "The armillary sphere of the Big Dipper constellations; the beginning and end of the event can be sought."
As a Dao official, and especially as a ruler who frequently presided over sacrifices, Zhu Xuan was certainly not unfamiliar with these terms. Following Wuzhou's gaze, she looked towards that Ziwei Enclosure, which was said to have stars much dimmer than ten thousand years ago.
"The Ziwei faces the Great Horn; the Imperial Pole rides in the chariot exactly. The Heavenly Market resides in the center, trailing the coupling thread to the earth."
The Ziwei Enclosure is located in the central northern sky, with the North Star as its pivot and stars arranged left and right like a protective screen. Two arcs join together, encircling into an enclosure.
Because the heavenly gods' movements, the creation of the cosmos, and the opening and closing of Yin and Yang are said to have once all occurred within this palace, it was named the "Purple Palace."
Wuzhou continued climbing, smiling. "Two-Capital Mountain, the Great Tide Sect, plus the various vassal mountain peaks set up by these two sects, all linked together, and with a certain person—it's all very coincidental. Coincidence, coincidence; the most coincidental, of course, is that kind of perfect match made by heaven itself."
"The celestial signs appear. This girl, Zhaoge, has played quite a large game of chess."
Zhu Xuan's heart stirred slightly, and she frowned. "So that's why Xu Jun had to... die once back then? Something like becoming a god in the form of a ghostly spirit? Could all this be the layout of Zhaoge and Two-Capital Mountain?"
Wuzhou smiled. "It might be that Zhaoge had long planned it, or it might be that she stumbled into it by accident. More likely, during her seclusion, she saw an opportunity she could leverage. Perhaps her chance to merge with the Dao does not lie in herself, but in some kind of heavenly timing. These are just guesses. I'm not good at divination. Next time you meet that Head Instructor Lu, you can ask him yourself. He has always been well-versed in this art."
If we set aside the process and only look at the result, the Red and Yellow Two Vassals, the Lord has joy. The Great Tide Sect and Two-Capital Mountain, originally bitter enemies, set aside their past grievances and cooperate sincerely—this is certainly a win-win situation. Then Xu Jun, serving as the master of both sects, has gained the greatest advantage.
"If the Purple Palace is harmonious and upright, it will attract the phoenix, and songs of praise will arise." This refers to that political marriage, to the female ancestor of Two-Capital Mountain, Zhaoge, becoming Dao companions with Xu Jun. The female Daoist Zhaoge would definitely not have labored in vain.
"If the stars of the Purple Palace flourish, it is auspicious and prosperous; the inner support is strong." This certainly refers to the current situation of Two-Capital Mountain and the Great Tide Sect. Once united, their momentum is unstoppable. Then, once the flag of the Purple Palace points straight, it means the Son of Heaven will go forth, personally leading generals and soldiers. Subsequently, if the Purple Palace opens wide, it indicates a state of war arising across the land.
Wuzhou said, "For us cultivators, besides breaking through realms, there are still many things we can do. Especially when we hit a wall in our cultivation and can't break a certain bottleneck, we need to find something to do. Take me, for example. When I came out of the mountains this time, didn't I end up here as well?"
The Three Teachings are one family—Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, plus a Military School. The patriarchs of the Three Teachings scattered their Dao; as one wanes, another waxes. The rise of the Military School is an unstoppable trend.
From the Barren Wasteland World's invasion of the Haoran World to the Haoran World's counterattack on the Barren Wasteland, looking at the current Green Mystery World's fourteen provinces, aren't they also rife with chaos? Perhaps a single spark could be enough to start a wildfire.
A war sweeping across the world—no matter who fights whom, no matter who wins or loses—who ultimately benefits?
Naturally, it's those small group of "attainers of the Dao" hiding behind the scenes, outside the ancestral court of the Military School, sitting back and reaping the rewards, stealing and hoarding fortune and energy.
In fact, within the Military School itself, there exists an invisible struggle over the Great Path.
That's why, back then, the sages of the Central Earth Confucian Temple used "flawless achievements" as a reason to change the seating order of the accompanying spirit statues of the seventy-two generals of the Martial Temple. This was by no means a simple scholar's whim but had profound significance.
Zhou Mi, if... no, not if—this guy definitely left a backup plan in the mortal world. Then there are several possibilities: helping the Zhou Mi who has already ascended to heaven, coordinating from above and supporting from below, working together inside and out.
For example, Zhou Mi once left a hidden clone in the mortal world. Either a Sword Cultivator, ensuring the opportunity to break into the Fourteen Realm as a Pure Sword Cultivator in the future, or a Military School cultivator capable of fishing in troubled waters. And then there are all... other possibilities.
After all, ordinary people really can't guess Zhou Mi's thoughts.
On the path of the sword cultivator, one gains the most but also bears the greatest risk. Because the Haoran World lost one "Most Proud Under Heaven," but the Profound Metropolis Abbey in the Green Mystery World gained a Bai Ye, who has already become a sword cultivator.
What a Bai Ye.
It's as if he twice blocked Zhou Mi's path alone, acting as a one-man barrier.
Zhu Xuan sincerely asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Senior?"
Wuzhou was speechless for a moment, then smiled dryly.
Zhu Xuan realized she had misspoken.
If she could do it, Wuzhou certainly could as well.
Wuzhou smiled and pinched Zhu Xuan's cheek. "I appreciate the thought."
Zhu Xuan seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Wuzhou shook her head. "That 'Formation Breaker'—you won't give it, and I won't take it."
Earlier, when Zhu Xuan recruited Qi Gu as a Supplicant, one of the conditions she offered was to take this divine weapon from the royal secret vault and lend it to Qi Gu for three hundred years.
In fact, this divine weapon was once a token of betrothal, a gift Wuzhou had personally given to the founding emperor of the Fish-Tally Dynasty in her early years.
Wuzhou did need to collect divine weapons to continue her merger with the Dao—the more, the better. But this particular one, Wuzhou had no interest in.
Currently in the Green Mystery World, there are records of a total of eighteen divine weapon relics, including the "Formation Breaker," all traceable and verifiable.
These are all rare and precious items, hard to come by. Only a very few divine weapons were lost in the Green Mystery World during the Battle of Ascending to Heaven. The vast majority were excavated by Jade Capital Celestial Immortals, who repeatedly and riskily traveled beyond the heavens, digging them up from ancient battlefield sites or stars formed from the corpses of gods, or fishing them out from broken secret realms within the River of Time.
Among them, the two highest-ranked items: one is stored in the Jade Capital's Jasper Cloud Tower—an ancient suit of armor that has been sealed for several thousand years.
The other is on Wuzhou's person, or rather, she herself is it, because, strictly speaking, this item has long been a part of her merger with the Dao.
When she was a young cultivator, by a stroke of fate, she acquired a portion of the innate divine ability of one of the twelve ancient high-ranking gods, the "Forgemaster."
The number of half-immortal weapons personally forged and tempered by Wuzhou has long surpassed two hands' worth. And this is only what the peak cultivators of the Green Mystery World have been able to verify. As for the number of immortal weapons, besides Wuzhou herself, the outside world can only guess wildly.
Therefore, Wuzhou is undeniably the number one Artificer across several worlds.
Back when she attended the wedding feast of Xu Jun and Zhaoge, sitting at the same main table, Wuzhou asked Yu Dou telepathically, but was directly refused by him.
The conditions Wuzhou offered could hardly be called insincere: if the Jasper Cloud Tower would retrieve that suit of armor and hand it over to her for refining, she would help the Jade Capital eliminate a certain hidden threat in the future. As for which province that threat would be, or which person, the Jade Capital could decide. Just give her the word, and she would take care of it, willing to spare no cost.
But that Dao Number Two was utterly unmoved.
Most likely, it would be a congratulatory gift for the Dao Ancestor's closed-door disciple, whose Dao name is Shan Qing, when that disciple eventually becomes the master of some city or tower.
Among the fifteen subsequently traceable divine weapons is the saber of Wu Shuangjiang of the Year's End Palace, Zhan Kan, one of the relics of the ancient execution platform.
That things didn't work out with Yu Dou wasn't too surprising. The Jade Capital is a vast establishment, and Dao Number Two has that kind of temperament. But Wuzhou frowned slightly. If Yu Dou's refusal was somewhat reasonable, why was the Year's End Palace showing the same damn attitude?
A narrow saber, Zhan Kan, wasn't considered a very high rank. Wu Shuangjiang didn't use it himself. Why wouldn't he agree? Was he going to let it collect dust in the Year's End Palace?
Wuzhou had previously secretly visited the Stork Tower, offering what she considered a very sincere trade condition, only to be disappointed again.
Wuzhou had conducted several Daoist deductions, but none could circumvent "Wu Shuangjiang." He was clearly blocking the way on purpose.
After all, when it came to the art of deduction, Wuzhou admitted she was not particularly proficient, only at an entry-level.
The biggest peculiarity of this type of divine weapon is that it is extremely difficult for a Qi Practitioner to refine. The most typical example is the four immortal swords that gave birth to spirits. Even a cultivator as accomplished as Yu Dou could only get them to acknowledge him as master but could never refine them into life-bound objects.
If a Qi Practitioner is lucky enough to obtain a divine weapon but lacks a high enough cultivation realm or a firm enough Dao heart, their nature can easily change. Following the innate divine ability of that divine weapon, they undergo subtle transformations, eventually leading to a situation like a cuckoo taking over a magpie's nest, causing great disaster. At best, it damages the foundation of the Great Path; at worst, it leads to Qi deviation, loss of mind, and a drastic change of temperament towards an extreme, such as becoming uncontrollably bloodthirsty. In the history of the Green Mystery World, there are nearly twenty such unsolicited disasters, clearly recorded by the Jade Capital alone.
But the strangest part is that if a Pure Martial Artist gets their hands on one, it's like a tiger gaining wings. They use it very smoothly, with almost no side effects; it can even temper their physique, somewhat akin to a life-bound flying sword for a sword cultivator—a natural complement.
Lin Jiangxian of Ru Province, Miao Yue Peak's Xin Ku. The female National Master of Bing Province, Bai Ou.
These three End Realm Martial Artists, the top three grandmasters in the world, each just happens to have a divine weapon.
Over at the Purple Air Tower, Jiang Zhao Mo also seems to have a divine weapon of average rank, belonging to his predecessor's old possessions.
In contrast, Qi Practitioners wielding divine weapons must be extremely careful.
There was once a Flying Ascension Realm great cultivator who, wielding a divine weapon, nearly completely broke the barrier and restrictions of the outer heavens, potentially creating a passage for out-of-realm demons to enter the Green Mystery World.
Yu Dou left the Jade Capital, traveling far with his sword, and nearly cut off this great cultivator's head.
It was the Great Head Instructor who personally intervened to stop both sides, mend the hole, and then brought the old cultivator back to the Green Mystery City of the Jade Capital. After following the Great Head Instructor to cultivate the Dao for several hundred years, he barely managed to recover a pure Dao heart, later becoming the City Lord of the Divine Empyrean City.
The Great Head Instructor, Kou Ming, once served as the Hangu Pass Commissioner. In the early days, when the Dao Ancestor rode his ox through the pass, Kou Ming observed the stars at night and deciphered a heavenly secret.
Legend has it that after the Dao Ancestor transmitted his Five Thousand Words, Kou Ming annotated a work called the Scripture of Western Ascension, which was highly esteemed by the Tower Contemplation lineage and revered as their primary scripture.
Wuzhou smiled. "I might take a trip to the Barren Wasteland World."
"Over there, an old immortal woke up not long ago. Unfortunately for me, he and I have a potential conflict brewing over the Great Path."
Wuzhou took out a lotus-leaf cup; it filled itself with wine, its aroma intoxicating. She didn't drink immediately but gently swirled it, a hint of melancholy in her voice as she mocked herself, "Looking back, close friends are gone forever. There are few left whom I can talk to about old times."
The previous City Lord of the Divine Empyrean City, the old cultivator who had nearly made a grave mistake, was truly named Yao Kejiu, with the Dao name "Nilu."
He was of the same generation as Di Feishan's Gao Gu and other Dao officials outside the Jade Capital.
Both the Divine Empyrean City and the Profound Metropolis Abbey had their own peach forests.
Yao Kejiu was also one of the very few Jade Capital Dao officials who could be considered a friend of Sun Huaizhong of the Profound Metropolis Abbey.
Yao Kejiu was not from the orthodox lineage of the Jade Capital; he had joined it halfway through his life.
He had committed a great error.
If not for the Great Head Instructor Kou Ming's intervention, he would have died under Yu Dou's sword long ago, with no chance to redeem himself.
When Kou Ming brought the deranged Yao Kejiu back to the Green Mystery City Daoist site back then, and Yao Kejiu later became the City Lord of the Divine Empyrean City, it was not without considerable controversy.
Because people didn't trust Yao Kejiu, or rather, they didn't trust the Dao heart of this Flying Ascension Realm cultivator. Some even speculated that this Jade Capital City Lord and Celestial Immortal, with the Dao name "Nilu," was actually no different from an out-of-realm demon, merely suppressed by the Great Head Instructor's help.
So, for many years, quite a few Jade Capital Dao officials had a poor impression of the entire Divine Empyrean City, watching coldly from the sidelines, as if waiting for Yao Kejiu to make another mistake.
The old Daoist slowly accumulated meritorious deeds until he finally paid off his debts in the Jade Capital's book, which only the three Head Instructors could peruse.
All accounts cleared.
That day, the old Daoist left the Jade Capital alone and went to a tavern in the marketplace of his distant hometown, treating himself to a drink, drinking alone.
Just like an ordinary person from the market, he worked hard in silence, repaying debts for years. With no debts, he was finally free, finally able to drink joyfully. That comfort after hardship was beyond words. The old man drank the inferior market liquor, feeling as comfortable as a fish in water, completely at ease. It was as if he had never felt so relaxed since beginning his cultivation.
Outside the tavern, a torrential rain fell. As the old Daoist drank, he turned his head to look outside, as if watching a rain battle.
"Stand and walk upright, and all evil shall cease."
The old man's expression was serene as he repeatedly murmured two words to himself: "Heart's Homeland, Heart's Homeland."
Three people, in succession, walked into the shop from the curtain of rain and sat down at the same table as the old Daoist to drink together.
One was Sun Huaizhong, one was Lu Chen, and the other was Gao Gu.
The three had not coordinated beforehand; it was a coincidence.
They just barely filled up the table.
Perhaps there is more to a cultivator's life than just cultivation matters.
In the end, Yao Kejiu chose to go to the Sword Qi Great Wall, becoming one of the Three Teachings Sages guarding the Celestial Canopy.
He never came back.
Perhaps he never intended to.
A person's journey away from home is like a move with empty hands, only moving the entire homeland in their heart.
Wuzhou and Zhu Xuan arrived at the "Washbasin" at the mountain's summit. They saw a small, single-arched stone bridge spanning a stream. The bridge looked insignificant, but its name was grand: the "Returning Dragon Bridge."
On the other side of the bridge was the mountain god's shrine, heavily guarded by the Fish-Tally Dynasty. Its specifications were extremely high: the roof ridge was covered with jade-green glazed tiles, seeming to be able to trap clouds and mist, lying like snow on the ridge yet slowly flowing. The vermilion gates were majestic, the two doors like a place where brilliant sunlight never dispersed, dotted with cinnabar. The structure was lofty, its roots firmly planted in the mountains. The shrine controlled the water vein of the great river for ten thousand miles, wielding life-and-death authority, while the temple god presided over the fortune and misfortune of all directions.
Beside the shrine stood an ancient camphor tree of extraordinary nature, towering a hundred zhang high and ten chi in girth. This ancient tree clasped the sun and moon; its deep roots were hollow with age. Its branches and leaves were lush, spreading out like a canopy. On it, a black fox and a black ape made the tree their Daoist site.
Wuzhou looked up and glanced at the camphor tree, letting out a faint sigh. "When one returns, one also grows old—both people and trees are the same."
This tree was extremely famous in the Green Mystery World. Legend has it that although this ten-thousand-year-old camphor tree had never given birth to spiritual intelligence, it governed the fortune and energy of four provinces. Chopping it could divine the good or ill fortune of those four provinces.
The camphor tree divided into four branches, each governing the fortune and destiny of the various states within one province. If four Dharma Guardians took axes to chop the branches, and the cut branch regenerated, it meant good fortune for that province. If the branch scar remained unhealed for many years, failing to restore itself, it meant that the province's chief was ill, indicating hidden problems in the province's mountains and rivers. Then, the monarchs of the various states could issue edicts of self-blame. But if, heaven forbid, the branch never regenerated for years on end, that province would be destroyed!
For the Fish-Tally Dynasty, with the monarch Zhu Xuan serving as the chief sacrificer, to hold a Grand Universal Ritual—the highest standard in Daoist ritual—was essentially a "passport." Successfully holding this grand ritual would allow the Fish-Tally Dynasty to rightfully examine the fortune and misfortune of itself, Yong Province, and even the four provinces of the world.
Although this mountain and the shrine were within the Fish-Tally Dynasty's jurisdiction, and in principle the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan could dispose of the old camphor tree however they wished without outside interference, in reality, the previous Fish-Tally emperor had reigned for five hundred years, and the one before that for three hundred. For a full eight hundred years, they hadn't held a Grand Universal Ritual. There were two key reasons: one internal, one external. Internally, both Fish-Tally emperors "deemed their virtue unequal to their position" and dared not rashly reveal heavenly secrets, because offering sacrifices to what one should not is called "excessive sacrifice." Excessive sacrifice brings no blessing but instead invites calamity. As for the external pressure, of course, the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan had to watch the mood of the Jade Capital.
Wuzhou asked, "How many directions' branches do you plan to chop?"
Chopping just one branch of the old camphor tree was no problem. Whether it turned out to be a blessing or a calamity, the Fish-Tally Zhu Clan would have only themselves to blame. But if they chopped two branches, for instance, including the one pointing towards Pei Province, if the branches regenerated, fine. But if the wounds on the branches didn't heal, how would the emperors and monarchs of the hundred-plus states, large and small, in Pei Province feel? Would they actually issue an edict of self-blame? But was the problem really just something as minor as an edict of self-blame? What if, by some carelessness, the worst outcome occurred? Wouldn't the Dao officials of Pei Province fly into a rage? With everyone feeling insecure and undercurrents stirring, even if there were no problems initially, they might end up creating some.
Zhu Xuan said with a firm gaze, "Chop all four branches."
Wuzhou was the first to step onto the stone bridge. She leaned against the railing, slowly sipping the wine from her cup, glancing at the young woman accompanying her. She was a great beauty, naturally enchanting.
But she had the appearance of a flower while possessing the spirit of snow.
She really did resemble Wuzhou in her youth.
Charging forward without hesitation, defying all taboos.
One must know that during the previous Riverside Assembly, among the Fourteen Realm Great Cultivators, Wuzhou was the first to propose going beyond the heavens to eliminate Zhou Mi.
The top-tier combat power of the Green Mystery World, from ancient times to the present, has never been suspected of being dominated by the masculine at the expense of the feminine.
Besides Wuzhou, whose Dao name is "Supreme Yin," her appearance in the world has confirmed the outside world's speculation that she had long since entered the Fourteen Realm.
The First Deputy City Lord of the Jade Capital's South China City is always honored as Madam Wei, with the Dao name "Purple Void," the highest esteemed female Primordial Lord in the Green Mystery World.
Then there is the female Daoist of the Profound Metropolis Abbey who has been in seclusion for a very long time, with the Dao name "Empty Mountain," Wang Sun. Before her junior fellow apprentice Sun Huaizhong rose to prominence, she was the undisputed leader of the Daoist Sword Immortal lineage.
The founding ancestor of Two-Capital Mountain, with the Dao name "Fu Kan," Zhaoge.
Furthermore, among the world's top ten Martial Artists, besides Bai Ou, two are female Martial Artists. However, their martial arts rankings and boxing match records are not as high or illustrious as Bai Ou's. One of them...
And after Bai Ou entered the top ten, every time she sought someone for a boxing match, she would deliberately avoid female Martial Artists.
Wuzhou held the lotus-leaf cup, gently twisting it, squinting towards that shrine.
If Wuzhou was not mistaken, one of those involved in the thrilling "Joint Decapitation" of yesteryear was now inside that shrine.