“Halt, visitors, this is the sacred land of Tai Hua.”
The gatekeeper, Wu De, stopped Zhao Wuyan and Shangguan Zhao’er, taking a quick assessment of the two, one a ninth-level Earth Immortal and the other a burgeoning Golden Core practitioner.
“We are here to find Lu Changsheng, we are his friends.”
“What? Please wait a moment, I will send someone to report to the esteemed Holy Son candidate right away.”
Upon hearing they were friends of Lu Changsheng, Wu De hurriedly tried to please them.
Before long, Xiao Fan arrived at the gate: “Respected uncles, please follow me.”
“I never thought I’d have the chance to enter the Holy Land. Fairy, may I have the honor of becoming friends with you?”
Zhao Wuyan curiously looked around, occasionally greeting the fairies of Tai Hua Sacred Land, eliciting no shortage of contemptuous glances.
“Brother Zhao and Sister Shangguan must have foreseen a calamity near Mount Shu.”
The voice of Lu Changsheng came from the palace, and soon his figure appeared.
“Lu!”
Shangguan Zhao’er was pleasantly surprised to see Lu Changsheng.
“Lu, how did you predict we would be here? Could it be that you too have mastered divination?”
Zhao Wuyan was astonished.
“Lately, I’ve begun cultivating the Time Law, divining the Qi Destiny of Mount Shu, and sensed signs of a great misfortune, not at Accumulated Thunder Mountain, but rather, in a place called Yun Cang Country below.”
Lu Changsheng, practicing the ‘Eternal Holy Scripture’, had a glimpse into the Time Great Dao and could now divine Qi Destiny.
Shangguan Zhao’er said, “Yun Cang Country is situated at the border between Accumulated Thunder Mountain and Mount Dong’ao. Its emperor is a Heavenly Immortal master, not very remarkable, with nothing particularly special. Yun Cang Country doesn’t possess any unique cultivation resources either. Why would such a catastrophe happen there?”
“The matter is indeed strange. We could take a trip to Yun Cang Country to investigate. I have calculated that the calamity will occur in about twenty years. Why don’t you stay here to cultivate in the meantime? Here are some Immortal Pills for your practice.”
Lu Changsheng produced two Purple Gold Gourds, handing them to Shangguan Zhao’er and Zhao Wuyan.
“Hahaha, with these Immortal Pills, I can break through to the Earth Immortal Realm!”
Zhao Wuyan was only a step away from ascending to Heavenly Immortal status.
With resources from Lu Changsheng, even someone with mediocre talents like Zhao Wuyan could be pushed into the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
“Junior brother, I hadn’t expected your insights into the Time Law to surpass mine already. Let me ask you, have you ever predicted your own destiny?”
Shangguan knew Lu Changsheng was highly gifted but was surprised that he had quickly grasped the art of divination.
“I can’t see it.”
Lu Changsheng shook his head.
He was unable to divine his own destiny, nor could he predict the fate of those like Lin Xuantong, whose realms far exceeded his own.
“Just as I thought.”
Shangguan Zhao’er had covertly divined Lu Changsheng’s Qi Destiny and found it to be a blank slate, now further confirming her thoughts.
Shangguan Zhao’er and Zhao Wuyan stayed to cultivate in the sacred land of Tai Hua.
…
Twenty years later, in the capital of Yun Cang Country, the streets were bursting with excitement, drawing crowds out of their homes. A handsome young man rode a tall horse with wings attached to his head, draped in a brocade robe, adorned with a cross of red flowers, wielding a golden silk whip. Wherever he went, people gazed on with envy and cheer.
Once every hundred years, Yun Cang Country held an examination to appraise literary talent and cultivation potential. Only those exceptional in both scholarly and martial skills could stand out, and the one who topped the list was crowned the Top Scholar, parading through the streets on horseback.
The one who achieved the title of Top Scholar could at least become the lord of a city, and perhaps even climb high into the ranks of the royal court of Yun Cang Country.
The current Prime Minister of Yun Cang Country was a ninth-level Earth Immortal master and a former Top Scholar himself.
This newly crowned Top Scholar rode to the grand residence of the Prime Minister, his eyes filled with admiration for a young woman on the balcony, and beside her stood a middle-aged man in a deep purple silk robe.
“My student, Chen Yi, although currently only at the Golden Core Realm, possesses the potential to become a Heavenly Immortal. His literary talent is also quite remarkable. Daughter, since you and he have grown up together and share a deep affection, I plan to betroth you to him, fostering him to be the next Prime Minister. What do you think?”
The middle-aged man greatly admired the Top Scholar below, seeing a reflection of his younger self.
The Prime Minister’s daughter, also fond of the Top Scholar beneath, bashfully lowered her head and said, “I’ll defer to father’s wishes.”
“Very good.”
The middle-aged man was overjoyed when suddenly, he caught sight of several monks making their way through the crowd towards the Top Scholar.
One of the monks brought his hands together in prayer and said to the Top Scholar, “Amitabha Buddha, benefactor, you have a predestined connection with our Buddhist Sect. Why not put aside the trivial matters of the temporal world and join the Buddhist faith?”
Top Scholar Chen Yi was taken aback. What was the meaning of this from the monks?
At the height of his success and enjoying the blossoms of Chang’an, this was his moment of glory. Why then were these monks urging him to join the Buddhist Sect?
“Hmph, someone escort these bald donkeys out!”
The Prime Minister of Yun Cang Country was greatly dissatisfied. He had just chosen a husband for his daughter when these monks dared to persuade his prospective son-in-law to convert to Buddhism?
How would his daughter cope in the future?
He would do well not to personally strike down these bald donkeys!
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A squad of Void Refinement Realm guards appeared, attempting to apprehend the monks.
These monks possessed great magical powers and were about to resist when the lead monk stopped them: “The benefactor’s worldly ties are not yet severed; we cannot force him to join our Buddhist Sect.”
After being chased away, Chen Yi was still bewildered, not knowing the origin of those monks.
“Master Wule, according to the rumors among the city’s populace, on the day of this Top Scholar’s birth, marvels happened in the sky, divine chants filled the air, and Celestial Maidens scattered flowers. This person could very well be the reincarnated Buddha we’ve been searching for.”