Chapter 1616: Change of Heaven

"Ah?" Chu Chuyan gasped, as if transported back to the fear of being dominated when she first entered the sect. Clearly, copying the "Ice Heart Art" was not a pleasant memory.

She moved closer to Yan Xuehen and sat down beside her, whispering, "I just saw that Master has been preoccupied lately, so I deliberately said something to help ease your worries."

"Is this how you relieve worries?" Yan Xuehen glared at her, feeling quite helpless.

If it had been before, she could have asserted her authority as a master and given her a good scolding. But now, things felt strange. Firstly, she saw that Chu Chuyan was a bit guilty, and secondly, she thought about the future... Chu Chuyan had already gotten engaged. Perhaps as her master, she would even have to serve her tea in the future. What kind of situation was this!

Yan Xuehen shivered, and the blush on her skin vanished instantly. What was she thinking? How could she possibly be involved with that person again! Whether she was angry at Zu An or at herself, she abruptly stood up and said coldly, "One hundred times, not one less!" Having said that, she gave Chu Chuyan no chance to act spoiled and turned to leave immediately. Only Chu Chuyan remained, looking bewildered in the wind. Oh, she used to teach Xue'er not to gossip carelessly, but why couldn't she remember that lesson when it came to herself?

Meanwhile, Zu An and his group were resting and drinking tea in the Reception Hall when he suddenly felt a stir. He looked up to see a middle-aged man in a long robe descending onto the square in front of the hall, then walking steadily towards them. Even Zu An, as narcissistic as he was, had to admit that this man's charm and demeanor must have captivated countless female cultivators in his youth. Now, with a wisp of white hair at each temple, he didn't appear old at all; instead, it made him look even more elegant, exuding mature charm. This was evident from the young female disciples of the Nine Sects in the square who were holding their hearts, their eyes sparkling with adoration, looking as if they might faint.

This guy was quite a handsome man, almost on par with himself.

"Esteemed sirs, you have traveled a long way. I apologize for not coming out to greet you and for any oversight." Wang Wuxie said as he entered, cupping his hands towards Zhang Zijiang. Among the group, Zhang Zijiang's armor was the brightest, and his cultivation seemed the highest, so Wang Wuxie instinctively assumed he was the leader.

Wang Wuxie paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Zu An. Had he misjudged the situation? Before, Zu An had shown no spiritual energy fluctuations whatsoever, and he was young, looking like a mere pretty boy. Who would have thought he was the actual person in charge?

"So it's Lord Zu! Indeed, a young hero, truly admirable!" Wang Wuxie, accustomed to various situations, showed no sign of awkwardness. He greeted Zu An naturally, without a hint of disrespect.

"You are too kind, Grand Tutor," Zu An replied, returning the gesture. "We are here by imperial decree to repair the temples on Purple Mountain..." After speaking, he took out the imperial decree and read it aloud. Of course, he wasn't so inflexible as to demand the Grand Tutor kneel to receive the decree. Fortunately, Wang Wuxie maintained a respectful demeanor throughout, so both parties managed to save face.

"We thank His Majesty for his great benevolence..." Wang Wuxie offered some polite words, facing in the direction of the capital.

Zu An was somewhat impressed. This old handsome man indeed had a remarkable demeanor; even when flattering, he managed to do so with an air of ethereal grace. In contrast, Zhang Zijiang still had a lot to learn.

Many disciples from various sects were watching outside, originally curious as to what kind of important figure would receive a personal reception from Wang Wuxie. After all, many sect leaders had come before, but he hadn't personally welcomed them. When they saw it was just a young man, they were immediately disappointed. Especially since the young man looked rather ordinary, apart from being taller, more handsome, and seemingly wealthy, there wasn't much else remarkable about him. Moreover, they couldn't detect any spiritual energy fluctuations from him; he seemed completely like an ordinary person.

Of course, this was just the men's perspective. Many female cultivators, however, had stars in their eyes:

"Look, what a handsome young man.""He just looks a bit delicate.""What do you know? This kind of man is much better looking than those muscular brutes and shrimp-men. I wish I could hold him close and protect him."

The surrounding male cultivators: "???"

Rage points from XXX: 444,444,444...

Seeing another huge influx of rage points in his system, Zu An felt helpless. Being handsome and popular with girls wasn't his fault, was it?

He looked at the disciples outside and tentatively said to Wang Wuxie, "Grand Tutor, this mountain seems quite lively."

Wang Wuxie smiled slightly, "The Nine Daoist Sects are holding their decennial Grand Daoist Competition recently, so there are more people than usual."

"A Grand Daoist Competition, you say? That might make our temple repairs inconvenient..." Zu An thought to himself that this guy hadn't hidden anything from him. He wondered if it was because Wang Wuxie had a clear conscience or if he simply had nothing to fear.

"No matter," Wang Wuxie replied. "The main venue for the Grand Daoist Competition is at the Golden Summit. You can carry out repairs as usual in other areas. Once those are almost complete, the competition should also be over, and you can then repair the remaining parts at the Golden Summit."

"How long will this Grand Daoist Competition last?" Zu An asked.

"About half a month, perhaps. The exact duration isn't certain yet; it depends on how the final matches unfold." Wang Wuxie smiled. "Since Lord Zu is so interested in the competition, why not come as a guest judge and watch it live? At that time, sect leaders and elders from various sects will be present. For fairness, I've also specially invited some highly respected seniors from the martial world to serve as witnesses."

Zu An initially had no interest and was about to refuse, but then he suddenly had an idea and accepted. "Alright, then I shall trouble the Grand Tutor." He mused that Wang Wuxie's words implied he didn't want the Imperial Forest Army at the Golden Summit during this period. This was a perfect opportunity to personally check if there were any secrets hidden there.

Wang Wuxie was startled. He had only been polite, never imagining this fellow would so readily agree. One should know that the judges at that time would all be highly reputable individuals from the martial world—either sect masters or seasoned elders, at minimum Grandmasters, with many even being Great Grandmasters. How could someone with little cultivation have the nerve to sit among them?

However, since the words had been spoken, it was difficult to retract them. Wang Wuxie nodded, "I will send someone to inform Lord Zu once the competition begins."

"Then please rest for now. If you need anything, you can contact the sect disciples. This humble Daoist has matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."

"Grand Tutor, please attend to your duties."

After Wang Wuxie left, disciples from the Zhengyang Sect soon arrived to lead them to their accommodations.

The disciples in the square then began to discuss amongst themselves: "This is a marquis from the imperial court, and he can even become a general? It feels like any random disciple from our sects has higher cultivation than him."

"Who knows which aristocratic family's good-for-nothing son he is. It's truly heartbreaking that the court has such mediocre people in high positions."

"Maybe he's a prince, carrying some magical artifact to conceal his aura, so it's normal that you can't tell," a female cultivator couldn't help but retort, pointing out that at least he was handsome.

"Are you dreaming of becoming a princess? Don't bother. None of the current princes match his description, nor do they share his surname. I just heard someone say his surname is Zu, not Zhao."

"Forget about that pretty boy leading them; I don't think his adjutant's cultivation is anything special either. Not to mention the chief disciples of our sects, even some core disciples could defeat him. I can't understand how the major sects of the world were defeated by these guys back then."

"Mind your words. What the imperial court excels at is combined military formations. Don't underestimate that adjutant's personal cultivation; if he's skilled at commanding an army in battle, then forget chief disciples—even any one of our sects might not be able to withstand them."

"Brother Li, you're being overly alarmist. When a Grandmaster steps out, the opposition is nothing but chickens and dogs."

Soon, a group of armchair strategists began fiercely debating national military affairs.

At that moment, a white-haired old monk arrived at the foot of the mountain, accompanied by a plump and adorable young novice monk. Zhang Xi, at the mountain gate, hastily inquired, "May I ask who you two are?" These two monks clearly couldn't be from a Daoist sect, but their distinguished bearing was evident, so he dared not be rude.

The old monk did not reply. He simply looked up in the direction of the Golden Summit and murmured, "The heavens are about to change."

He took deep breaths of the fresh air, his chest trembling slightly. Confusion, bewilderment, and various other emotions flooded his mind.

"Where is this?"

Then, Shi Yu subconsciously observed his surroundings, only to become even more bewildered. A single dorm room? Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room now. And his body... why was there not a single injury?

Puzzled, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally resting on a mirror at the head of the bed. The mirror reflected his current appearance: around seventeen or eighteen years old, and very handsome. But the problem was, this wasn't him! His former self was a handsome young man in his twenties with an extraordinary demeanor, who had been working for some time. But now, this face looked like that of a high school student, no matter how he looked at it...

This change left Shi Yu stunned for a long time. Please don't tell him the surgery was successful... Both his body and appearance had changed; this wasn't a matter of surgery at all, but rather divine intervention. He had completely transformed into another person! Could it be... that he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror at the head of the bed, whose placement clearly had poor feng shui, Shi Yu also found three books nearby. Shi Yu picked them up and saw the titles, which instantly rendered him speechless.

"Essential Guide for Novice Beast Keepers""Post-Natal Care for Spirit Beasts""Guide to Appraising Exotic Beast-Eared Girls"

Shi Yu: ???

The first two book titles were relatively normal, but what was up with the last one?

"Ahem."

Shi Yu's eyes sharpened as he reached out, but his arm quickly stiffened. Just as he was about to open the third book to see what it was, a sharp pain shot through his brain, and a flood of memories surged forth.

Icefield City.Spirit Beast Breeding Base.Intern Spirit Beast Breeder.Beast Tamer?