Chapter 136: Guest from Feng Province
The magnificent Shengjing City quickly entered night, and countless stars emerged from both sides of Ni Mountain.
The clear tea was slowly consumed, and its bright color gradually faded.
During this time, Ji You sat under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard and wrote a letter back to Yuan Caiwei, telling her about his recent situation.
He stated that he had forgotten the scene from that day and described in detail what kind of scene he had forgotten.
Meanwhile, Pei Ruyi, Wen Zhengxin, and others had finished their tea and decided to leave. Before leaving, they did not forget to remind him to spend less time with his fiancée and focus on the Inner Courtyard Autumn Tournament.
Among them, Pei Ruyi's expression was the most serious and earnest.
She also came from Feng Province and gained admission to the academy through an immortal Cultivation quota, but she was not from an Immortal Cultivation Worldly Family.
Because she shared the same experience, she did not want the Heaven-Defying talent that Feng Province had finally produced to be blocked at the threshold in the end.
Just like her, even though she had entered the Upper Five Realms, she still could not leave Tianshu Academy.
Because she did not have Inner Courtyard status, even if she entered the Upper Five Realms, she did not have the qualification to establish a Worldly Family in Feng Province under the reliance of Tianshu Academy.
It was precisely because Feng Province had no Worldly Sect that it always had the least say among the Nine Provinces.
As a result, it bore the heaviest annual taxes, its internal resources were controlled by the other eight provinces, and private Cultivation banditry was the most severe.
Therefore, Ji You now represented not only himself but also Cao Jinsong and Pei Ruyi.
He represented the entire Feng Province.
If he entered the Tianshu Academy Inner Courtyard, according to the qingyun immortal rules, he would be qualified to establish a registered Worldly Family and Immortal Villa of Tianshu Academy in Feng Province.
And according to the immortal rules, Worldly Sect established in reliance on Immortal Sects, besides paying their share of taxes to the Seven Great Immortal Sects, would control all other taxes, Spirit Stones, Immortal seedlings, and other resources.
And the Disciples recruited by such Worldly Sect and Immortal Villas would also be qualified to enter Immortal Sects to Cultivate the Dao.
Pei Ruyi knew that her Junior Brother had a pure heart and liked to meddle in unjust affairs.
But no one could manage the world, not even the Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher.
However, if her Junior Brother could establish a Worldly Family and Immortal Villa in Feng Province, at least he could manage Feng Province.
After all, Feng Province had no other Worldly Sect, so he would be the sole dominant one.
“Although Junior Brother's temperament is a bit eccentric, he is very serious when doing things. There is no need to worry too much about entering the Inner Courtyard.”
Wen Zhengxin was full of confidence in Ji You: “He is already in the Tong Xuan Realm and has learned the Sword Dao of Lingjian Mountain.
I don't think there will be any accidents.”
Ban Yangshu also spoke after hearing this: “That’s right. If it were before, I wouldn't dare to say that Ji *Shidi* (Junior Brother Ji) would definitely enter the Inner Courtyard, but now, who can compare to him?”
“I always feel uneasy—.”
‘Senior Sister Pei feels uneasy because her expectations are too high, but with Junior Brother Ji's ability, even if I were to take his sword, I might not be able to retreat unscathed.”
Pei Ruyi nodded gently, knowing that what Ban Yangshu said was true.
Ji You's combat power had never been fully understood, whether in Qi Ridge, in the previous Baiyu Platform duel, or on Lingjian Mountain.
But even what he had already displayed was beyond what an ordinary Tong Xuan Realm cultivator could achieve.
Even those in the Rongdao Realm like them would feel palpitations facing his Sword Intent.
Chu River had not yet returned to the academy and had been preparing for the Autumn Tournament in You Province, but she couldn't think of any other means the Chu Worldly Family had.
Under the dark night, Shengjing City, under curfew, was already somewhat empty, with only the cold moonlight spreading across the streets and alleys.
The summer heat was constantly dissipating, but it still made it difficult for people to sleep soundly.
It wasn't until the second watch drum sounded on the city tower that a figure suddenly appeared on the western city gate tower.
His clothes were tattered, and he was terrified and uneasy, quickly hiding behind the stove in an abandoned house, his face already sallow like earth.
But even though he was so exhausted,
the slightest disturbance around him.
At this moment, the excessive consumption of his Divine Thought made his head feel as if it were being pricked by needles.
It wasn't until he confirmed that no sound was approaching that he finally sighed in relief, followed by an endless wave of exhaustion washing over him.
The feeling was like a mountain surging towards him, constantly crushing all the muscles and bones in his body, heavily weighing down his head.
After a long time, he finally couldn't resist the overwhelming fatigue and accidentally fell asleep.
And at this moment, endless nightmares began to flood his mind.
“Villa Master, where is my son? Didn't he follow you to Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion to deliver goods? Why hasn't he returned yet?”
“He has good Aptitude and was kept in Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion to Cultivate. Don't worry, because you will also be sent there in a few days.”
“Thank you, Villa Master, but I wonder what Cultivation Technique the villa has been Cultivating recently?”
“What's wrong?”
“I just feel the Qi is a bit frightening.”
“It's a Cultivation Technique bestowed by the Immortal Mansion's direct Disciple Saint. Commander Bao, don't worry.”
Subsequently, the conversations in his dream became countless hazy and uneasy fragments.
That faint, almost imperceptible black Qi continuously emanating from every Disciple, and their numb eyes.
Black mist enveloped the mountains, and countless tragically dead cattle and sheep lay in the dark pits.
And in the stone cave he accidentally entered, there were continuously pulsating, disordered flesh stuck to the stone walls, with viscous blood threads whipping out.
In an instant, Bao Yongsheng suddenly opened his eyes, trembling all over, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
He had such dreams every day.
But this was not a delusion caused by his mental disorder; it was something he had truly seen.
At this moment, Bao Yongsheng was curled up behind a water vat, his hand gripping the long saber stiff with rigor mortis, his body enveloped in a chill.
Then he looked up at the bright moon, knowing that further ahead was the Great Xia Holy Sect Tianshu Academy.
He was not a Tianshu Academy Disciple, so he couldn't pass through Tianshu Academy's protective formation. He could only wait until dawn.
Only then could he find a Tianshu Academy Disciple to take him in.
Tianshu Academy Disciple.
At this thought, Bao Yongsheng's mind couldn't help but return to Taiwu 2, which was the autumn of last year.
He came down from Fengxian Mountain Manor, and on his way to Yuyang County to collect offerings, he saw a girl with a radiant Spirit Origin at the Bai River. He wanted to take her and send her to Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.
But who knew that day in the Yuyang County Magistrate's office, a young man in white, like snow, with Spiritual Qi splashing all over him, and a towering wave of Qi, later that young man entered Tianshu Academy and was brought to Shengjing.
Since then, Bao Yongsheng thought it would be difficult for him to hear about him again, after all, Shengjing was not close to Feng Province, and unless it was a major piece of news, it wouldn't spread to such a poor and remote place.
But who knew that not long after, news about Ji You sensing the Celestial Book after entering the academy spread throughout Yuyang County.
He was in a daze for a long time then, not knowing that the person he encountered was so Heaven-Defying. He was even worried and afraid that as his Cultivation grew higher, he would return and retaliate against him.
“Ji You—”
Bao Yongsheng took a deep breath, letting out a bitter laugh for a long time.
He was currently leaning against the wall, his waist suspended in the air, so that he could silently spring up instantly if he heard any sound. But precisely because of this posture, when he laughed, his chest and entire body couldn't help but tremble, causing the knife wound on his chest to open, and blood splattered.
At the same time, a violent pain continuously ravaged his body, but it didn't come from external injuries but from his Spirit Origin.
Bao Yongsheng gritted his teeth and endured, striking hard at his lower abdomen. The force almost burst out of his body, making him uncontrollably spit out a mouthful of black blood.
He didn't know what kind of evil art this was, only that something inside his body was constantly destroying his Spirit Origin.
“Commander Bao's injury is quite fatal.”
“But why, despite such severe injuries, do you still travel thousands of miles to Shengjing?”
Bao Yongsheng’s body suddenly stiffened. Following the voice, he slowly looked up and saw an old man, slightly hunched, standing on the leaf- and tile-covered roof of the abandoned house opposite.
The old man had a very prominent aquiline nose, and although his eyes were very sinister, he spoke with a gentle demeanor.
Bao Yongsheng tightened his saber: “So it’s Elder Hong. I’m here in Shengjing to visit relatives—”
He knew that this Elder Hong was a Guest Elder of the Chu Worldly Family and had entered Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion with the direct Disciple Saint Chu Xian more than ten years ago.
Fengxian Mountain Manor was inherited from Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, so calling him Elder was not wrong.
Their Villa Master sent some Spirit Treasures to this Elder Hong every year, so Bao Yongsheng had seen him many times.
“You’re too badly injured. Come back with me. My young master will heal you.”
“Then, could you wait until I finish visiting my relatives—”
The old man standing on the tiled roof didn't speak. Instead, he stood up and descended to the ground, walking towards him step by step.
Seeing this, Bao Yongsheng straightened his back, gripped his long saber with both hands, and his voice became incredibly shaky: “Elder Hong, what evil art are the Villa Master and the others Cultivating—”
“A new Immortal Dao, an Immortal Dao that transcends the Heavenly Dao.”
“If it is an Immortal Dao, why doesn’t the direct Disciple Saint allow me to come to Shengjing and instead sends people to chase me all the way here?”
Hong Sisha looked at him expressionlessly: “Because they are afraid of being envied by others, they don’t want the news to leak out.
Do you remember Qi Ridge? How many Immortal Sects flocked there? How could they let them know about this?”
Bao Yongsheng nervously swallowed: “Then, Elder Hong, could you tell me where this new Immortal Dao comes from? I also want to learn and try it.”
“You have too many questions.”
Seeing the person opposite him approaching little by little, the saber in Bao Yongsheng's hand trembled incessantly.
His Realm was not high to begin with; he could only act tyrannically in a poor and remote place like Yuyang County, but trying to fight against a master of the Upper Five Realms was simply a pipe dream.
So he knew that he would surely die tonight.
But he still wanted to figure out what those things they were doing truly were.
He didn't believe it was a so-called new Immortal Dao, because when he saw the disordered flesh in the stone cave, what he felt was utterly malicious resentment.
But Hong Sisha didn't give him another chance to speak. Suddenly, he waved his large hand, and a monstrous wave of Qi instantly poured into his Heavenly Spirit.
The powerful Qi directly penetrated his brain, and Bao Yongsheng's eyes bulged, blood gushed from his Qi orifices, and his entire body went limp like mud.