Chapter 234

A heavy feeling settled in Lu Xingzhou’s heart. He rarely pondered such profound questions at his previous level. Now that he thought about it carefully, there were indeed many issues.

If it was “ascension,” what standards did one have to meet to ascend? And after ascending, would they be cut off from this world? If the two worlds were separated, how did Mahā and this ancient corpse end up here? The ancient corpse was only at the Huiyang level in life, which is a Transcendent grade. Could someone at that level ascend? Why couldn’t the Transcendent-grade Imperial Advisor and Emperor ascend then? Moreover, this ancient corpse had a group of subordinates who died in the array. Could their low cultivation also be considered ascendants? Wasn’t Mahā still refining the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir that could turn people into immortals? That suggested he hadn’t ascended either… Was there another realm entirely? If the two worlds weren’t separate, why was there no news of them in this world? And from their perspective, what exactly was this world? Was it the Great Qian in a box? A world within a painting? Or ingredients in a pill furnace?

“So your alchemy notes came from here?” Ye Tinglan suddenly asked.

Lu Xingzhou snapped out of his thoughts and nodded: “Yes.”

“Besides the alchemy notes, were there any other records?”

“No, but my cultivation technique is from here,” Lu Xingzhou sighed. “As a temporary residence, people would only write notes about things they were focused on at the time. Who writes a diary when there’s nothing special happening?”

Ye Tinglan searched around again but found nothing. A little disappointed, she walked out of the cave dwelling. Outside was a scorched plain, like the embers of a great fire, as if a mountain gully separated fire from water. In the center of the plain lay the enormous dragon and tiger skeletons. Ye Tinglan stood before them, gently stroking them for a moment, and murmured, “Creatures like these exist in this world.”

Lu Xingzhou was taken aback: “I haven’t seen any. Are they only found in various ruins?”

Ye Tinglan smiled: “Some are still alive.”

Lu Xingzhou’s heart stirred: “The demon race.”

Ye Tinglan nodded approvingly: “The current Demon Emperor is a female dragon.”

Lu Xingzhou: “…You don’t need to emphasize ‘female’.”

“I just thought you’d be interested.” Ye Tinglan gazed distractedly at the skeletons, whispering, “Besides the demon race, they should also exist on some immortal mountains overseas. There are places where humans and demons coexist, each with their own territories, much like the myriad sects. It’s just that they are far from us, and we rarely encounter their customs.”

“Couldn’t Mahā and the ancient corpse have come from there?”

“Of course, it’s possible… But those places are ancient realms themselves, protected by realm barriers,” Ye Tinglan said. “Otherwise, this world wouldn’t be able to exist peacefully.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded. Mahā and his group were clearly powerful. If such a level of power was common in those places, there would be little room for ordinary mortals to survive. It would be a pure cultivation-based society. Calling it another realm made sense. Perhaps the isolation was to protect mortals?

Ye Tinglan continued, “These matters are very distant from ordinary people; normally, one wouldn’t encounter them in a lifetime. Yet, you’ve come into contact with them while only in the lower three grades. It’s quite a strange destiny… If the original owner of this place hadn’t died, you would have intersected with them.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “Actually, even without this place, I would have come into contact with it soon, wouldn’t I?”

Ye Tinglan turned to look at him.

Lu Xingzhou continued, “The trial ground you wanted to take me to is most likely a ruin of this kind.”

Ye Tinglan chuckled: “That one wouldn’t be so peaceful.”

She paused, then changed the subject: “Although these dragon and tiger bones are largely useless now, you can still carry some with you. Not only are they a type of medicinal material, but if you ever encounter similar creatures in the future, their bones might create a bloodline connection, or at the very least, be used in shamanic rituals.”

Lu Xingzhou then took a leg bone from each and placed them on his person.

Ye Tinglan looked around, her gaze sweeping past the spirit stone vein as if she hadn’t even noticed it. She seemed quite disappointed: “This place is merely a cultivation treasure ground, unexpectedly high-grade, which is why that Mahā fellow occupied it. It’s not a place where ancient secrets are buried.”

“Just a cultivation treasure ground,” Lu Xingzhou thought, finding it utterly absurd. How little did she think of cultivation treasure grounds? People fought tooth and nail for places like this! Even Transcendent-grade cultivators occupied it to cause trouble, yet she was disappointed. After a moment’s thought, he cautiously asked, “Madam, do you happen to know a method… for manipulating feng shui to enhance the geomantic luck of a land? It’s usually useless in ordinary places, but it might work with this kind of geomantic vein, right?”

Ye Tinglan glanced at him and chuckled: “However, there’s no need to do anything else here. This embrace of the dragon and tiger is a natural feng shui formation in itself. Maintaining its stability is more important than anything else.” Then she sneered: “Altering geomantic energy is an act of defying fate. Mahā’s failure was directly due to the severe backlash he suffered from such an act. Are you asking me to risk my life for Shen Tang?”

“I didn’t know it was that serious,” Lu Xingzhou said with an apologetic smile. “So, there really is such a method, according to what you said?”

“Yes.”

“Then can you teach me?”

Ye Tinglan looked at him strangely: “You know this requires a huge price, yet you still want to learn? Shen Tang’s qi veins are already very strong; she doesn’t need this.”

“It’s just that one can never have too many skills, and it’s better to be prepared,” Lu Xingzhou blinked. “Why assume it’s always for Tangtang? Perhaps one day, it will be for you, Madam.”

Ye Tinglan stared at him in astonishment for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing: “Theoretically, I only teach you alchemy… But then again, I already taught you the bone-penetration method before, so teaching a bit more won’t hurt… Use it if you dare.”

Lu Xingzhou bowed deeply: “Thank you, Madam.”

Shen Tang was restless inside the house, pacing back and forth. Anu sat cross-legged in a corner, her small head turning to follow Shen Tang’s movements. Shen Tang finally reached out and pinched her cheek: “Are you saying your master has no relationship with this ‘Madam’?”

Anu’s voice distorted: “For now, truly no relationship!”

“It’s just that this ‘Madam’ looks like Sister Yu. What Master thinks in his heart, and whether there will be a relationship later, no one knows…”

“No relationship, yet he’s willing to take her to a secret realm, and they’ve been alone for so long! A man and a woman hidden away for so long, they could have already had a child!”

Anu eyed her askance.

“What kind of look is that? I’m thinking of you!” Shen Tang said with a serious expression: “What if they produce a younger brother or sister for you? You wouldn’t be as spoiled then!”

Anu almost burst out laughing: “Mistress, don’t you want to give me a younger brother or sister?”

“I…” Shen Tang gritted her teeth: “At least not that fast!”

Anu smiled and burrowed her head into Shen Tang’s chest, rubbing against her: “Alright, alright, good Mistress.”

“If you know I’m good, then help me keep an eye on that vixen,” Shen Tang coaxed. “If you see them crossing any lines later, ruin it, got it?”

Anu said, “Mistress, weren’t you quite magnanimous? One moment you agree to Sister Bai Mao, the next you agree to Sister Yao…”

“That’s different, there’s no other way if your master truly likes them… Besides, they can help your master.”

“But Madam Ye is also a First Grade; she can help even more!”

Shen Tang’s eyes went wide, speechless. After a long while, she finally managed to stammer, “But she’s also your master’s teacher! How can a master and disciple…?”

“She’s not really a teacher,” Anu said. “Master said this kind of relationship is more like a private tutor, more interesting… Uh…”

Anu quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting around.

Shen Tang gritted her teeth: “Aha, so he’s already taken a fancy to her, hasn’t he?”

“No, no,” Anu said with an appeasing smile. “Anyway, no matter what he’s thinking, Anu’s only Mistress is you!”

Shen Tang beamed, picked up Anu, and gave her a kiss: “What do you want to eat? Tell me, Mistress will buy it for you.”

“These women are too easy to fool, not like children,” Anu sighed with a world-weary air.

“Sect Master.” Shen Qi’s shadow appeared behind her: “Shi Tielong has already sent envoys to the capital, most likely to seek support from Prince Jin or the Huo family.”

“He doesn’t understand that the more overt these competitive moves are, the less Prince Jin and the Huo family will be able to act rashly. At most, they’ll secretly send one or two experts to help him… What else?”

“Shi Zhong has already led his men to Dongjiang, to back Shi Tielong.”

“How can he back him up?” Shen Tang showed a hint of a sarcastic smile: “Can he make other businesses withhold goods from us and only give them to the Dongjiang Gang?”

Shen Qi said, “I’m afraid he actually can.”

“That would only affect the area around Dongjiang County. The current core is in Xiazhou. Even the Dongjiang Gang itself is moving to Xiazhou, so what’s the point of stirring up trouble in Dongjiang County?”

“With Shi Zhong’s arrival, the Dongjiang Gang should be arriving soon as well.”

Shen Tang smiled slightly: “Guests from afar are welcome. Go have someone wait at the main thoroughfare. When Gang Leader Shi arrives, tell him that I, Shen Tang, will be hosting a welcoming banquet for them at Pine Wind Pavilion in Xiazhou.”

Shen Qi looked at Shen Tang deeply. Whenever Lu Xingzhou wasn’t around, the Princess truly possessed the demeanor of a regional leader, with strong initiative and assertiveness in her actions. But as soon as Lu Xingzhou appeared, she seemed to transform into a different person. Shen Qi thought for a moment: “Hosting a banquet outside, we must guard against sudden changes during the meal. Shi Zhong is, after all, a Second Grade cultivator, his strength surpasses all of ours.”

“It’s fine. The County Governor will also be attending, mediating business disputes in the county. After all, harmony brings wealth,” Shen Tang said with a smile, revealing her neat white teeth. Shen Qi looked at her and felt a sense of familiarity. He turned to look at Anu, who had the exact same expression on her face, as if it had been replicated.

“Sect Master! Sect Master!” Tang Yunzhong rushed in from outside: “Our first batch of goods leaving Xiazhou was indeed robbed by masked men in the suburbs.”

Shen Tang smiled: “And what happened?”

“Commander Wan of the Demon Suppression Division was waiting in ambush and caught all the assailants. Upon interrogation, they were all disciples of the Cangshan Sword Sect.”

“This is our home ground; they still haven’t figured that out… A grand gift delivered right to our doorstep—wouldn’t it be a waste not to pay the Cangshan Sword Sect a visit in return?” Shen Tang set Anu down: “Go tell your master to come out and work! Don’t just sit there cuddling with his private tutor!”

Before she even finished speaking, Lu Xingzhou appeared outside the door: “Hey, I really was doing serious business!”

Ye Tinglan stood there expressionlessly, glaring at Shen Tang, so many grievances bubbling up that she didn’t know how to express them. *Why are you constantly targeting me? What does this even have to do with me? I’m here plotting to help you rise to power, and you’re treating me like a mistress?*