vstars Chapter 138 Guiyuan Sect 13
Chapter 138 Guiyuan Sect 13
The next day, Cheng Jiu woke up groggily in bed, his head still throbbing with pain. He had overexerted himself the day before and hadn't seemed to have recovered yet.
After getting up, Cheng Jiu took a Mingxin Pill, and his head finally stopped hurting so much. He then tidied himself up, folded his clothes, and opened the door.
The group of people who were cultivating in the courtyard turned around. Cheng Jiu's courtyard was not small, and there were several guest rooms. They had stayed at Cheng Jiu's place yesterday and had not gone back.
Therefore, Cheng Jiu saw his friend as soon as he opened the door.
Yingyue handed the spirit garment that Qingxu Immortal Lord had given her to Cheng Jiu: "Qingxu Immortal Lord came once yesterday. He asked us to give you this spirit garment. Junior Sister, take a look and see if you like it. If you don't like it, he said you can return it to him to be altered."
Cheng Jiu reached out and took it, subconsciously putting it on: "Master's skills are always trustworthy!"
During this time, Immortal Lord Qingxu made a lot of robes for her. Cheng Jiu actually felt that it was enough and had even declined, but Immortal Lord Qingxu seemed to have taken a liking to making robes for his disciple.
After all, the little apprentice is well-behaved and cute, and looks good in any clothes, like playing a real-life version of Miracle 99.
At least that's what Cheng Jiu thinks, and that's probably the mindset of his master.
Yingyue looked her over carefully and praised, "Junior Sister, you look great in this outfit."
Cheng Jiu touched the pattern on the dress. It was an ice-blue dress embroidered with cranes, giving it an ethereal feel. She didn't change it off: "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Sister."
"Hmm, this outfit is quite nice." A cool voice rang in my ears.
Cheng Jiu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Qingxu Immortal Lord holding a food box, looking at her clothes with admiration.
"Master!" Cheng Jiu called out obediently.
"Immortal Lord Qingxu!" The others also bowed to Immortal Lord Qingxu.
"I heard from your senior brothers and sisters that the robes you wore during the ritual yesterday were forged?" Immortal Lord Qingxu placed the food box on the pavilion table.
Cheng Jiu put on his ceremonial robes, the fiery red robes adorned with a soaring dragon that shone brightly in the sunlight: "How is it, Master?"
Immortal Lord Qingxu carefully examined his disciple and suddenly realized that the little one from back then had grown up. His eyes were filled with affection and satisfaction: "Very handsome! It seems that the old fellows attending the ceremony will be extremely jealous."
Unlike Cheng Jiu and the others who were thinking of a lively and festive atmosphere, those who had reached the level of Qingxu Immortal Lord no longer cared about such worldly things.
They compete in many other areas, such as cultivation level, enlightenment, and rare and precious opportunities. In addition, what makes them even more accomplished is their master's disciples.
To others, Cheng Jiu's outfit might seem very festive, but to a powerful figure like Immortal Lord Qingxu, it was nothing short of blatant showing off.
After all, the quality of Cheng Jiu's clothes, the runes embroidered on them, and the youthful yet orderly patterns, were like a display stand, showcasing the achievements of Qingxu Immortal Lord's disciples in the Four Arts.
Moreover, Cheng Jiu is still so young. If he has disciples, it would be difficult for them not to compare Cheng Jiu with their own nephews and disciples.
This is exactly like Qingxu Immortal Lord showing off his disciple in front of them, openly and blatantly flaunting him.
Thinking of the sensation Cheng Jiu's outfit would cause, even the most reserved Qingxu Immortal Lord couldn't hide his joy at showing off.
Cheng Jiu smiled upon hearing Qingxu Immortal Lord's praise; he was glad his master was satisfied.
Although Immortal Lord Qingxu was quite satisfied, he couldn't help but point out the shortcomings of Cheng Jiu's outfit, saying that Cheng Jiu still had room for improvement.
Cheng Jiu listened attentively and seemed to be gaining a lot from the conversation, while his friend next to him was completely confused. What were these two discussing? He couldn't understand a word!
Immortal Lord Qingxu didn't stay long in Cheng Jiu's courtyard either, mainly because his disciple had guests with him, and there would be plenty of time to give guidance later.
As soon as Immortal Lord Qingxu left, the group of friends looked at Cheng Jiu with expectant eyes. Where were their robes?
Cheng Jiu handed the robes he had made for them from his magic ring, and the group of people put them on with great eagerness.
Gong Yu used water to create a water mirror, and stood in front of it dressed.
The Qilin riding the waves exuded a fierce and unrestrained aura, almost like a mythical beast, which seemed to emanate from his clothes. Paired with his handsome and dashing face, he possessed an indescribable swagger and charm.
Although Miyagi was also dressed in fiery red, embroidered with a flamboyant pattern of a unicorn treading on fire, her overall aura seemed to be suppressed by Miyagi, her flames were restrained, and she possessed a dangerous and mysterious quality.
Yingyue already had a bright and beautiful appearance, and this phoenix robe made her look even more noble and elegant.
Wen Sishu, dressed in a Xuanwu robe, exuded an indescribable scholarly air, refined and elegant.
The four of them watched as Shui Jing kept examining their clothes, and they were extremely satisfied.
Looking at the people dressed and looking at themselves in the mirror, Cheng Jiu finally understood why her master liked making clothes for her so much. It's really easy to feel satisfied when someone likes you!
This skill, this aesthetic sense, no wonder she's like this... hehe!
A crane's cry echoed from the sky. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge white crane flapping its wings as it descended. But something it saw out of the corner of its eye startled the entire crane, causing it to tremble violently.
"Hey! Hey! What's wrong with you? Calm down!" the person on the crane shouted in a panic.
His words only made things worse. The next second, the crane seemed to have seen something terrifying, and it threw him off the sky, flapping its wings rapidly as it fled from Canglan Peak.
A plump, white cloud squeezed through the group of Cheng Jiu and his companions. Dou Dou looked at the crane that was fleeing as if it were running away, her eyes filled with confusion.
The two people thrown from the crane fell rapidly to the ground, and the five people quickly scattered, leaving a clearing for the two.
"Boom!"
Dust filled the courtyard, and Cheng Jiu and the others coughed as they fanned away the dust.
A small crater appeared in the middle of the yard, and Qin Che crawled out of it.
"That crane is so inhumane! What kind of crane throws people down from mid-air? I'm going to complain! I'm going to complain!" Qin Che cursed as he dusted himself off.
Huo Yan shook off the dust and didn't join in: "Junior Sister Cheng Jiu, Junior Brother Gong Cheng, Junior Brother Gong Yu, Junior Sister Ying, Junior Brother Wen."
"Senior Brother Huo Yan." The five of them also came to their senses and greeted the two.
"I don't know what's wrong with that crane. It was flying over just fine a moment ago, and then suddenly it threw us off. Huo Yan, did you hear that? You have to complain with me too!" Qin Che complained and shouted at Huo Yan to join him in his grievances, seeing that Huo Yan hadn't responded for a long time.
As he got up from the ground, he saw a group of junior brothers and sisters surrounding him: "Hello, junior brothers and sisters?"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Qin Che!" the five said in unison.
Qin Che carefully surveyed his surroundings. The house was well-arranged, and he couldn't help but look at the large pit that he and Huo Yan had just created.
"Mine! Mine!" he chuckled, using earth manipulation to restore order to the land.
"Senior Brother Qin Che, what brings you here? Have you had breakfast?" Cheng Jiu opened the food box and asked the unexpected guests.
The food in the food box was more than what Immortal Lord Qingxu had previously sent only to Cheng Jiu.
Soon the table in the pavilion was filled with food, clearly indicating that Immortal Lord Qingxu knew that many guests had come to his disciple's courtyard and had prepared extra food.
Smelling the delicious aroma of the food, Qin Che couldn't help but swallow hard: "Not yet!"
He had already eaten at the Tifeng cafeteria and even brought breakfast for the others, but the aroma of the food made Qin Che suddenly feel hungry.
After speaking, Qin Che kept giving Huo Yan meaningful glances. Huo Yan didn't contradict Qin Che, but instead slowly sat down at the table.
"Let's eat together, the chef has prepared a lot!" The group sat down around the table.
They exchanged a glance and started eating together.
Although there was a lot of food on the table, it was so delicious that it wasn't enough for the group of Nascent Soul cultivators.
The food on the table was so fast that it was first come, first served; those who were slow to grab it all had to use their own unique skills.
Qin Che almost meowed at Huo Yan. He asked Huo Yan to cover for him, not to steal his food! And Huo Yan, didn't you eat at Tifeng's cafeteria before?
They even stole his food! They have such a low profile, how impressive!
The food was devoured, and the group sat contentedly in their chairs, stealing a moment of peace from their busy lives.
After digesting her food properly, Yingyue finally asked, "Weren't Senior Brother and Senior Brother Huo sent by Senior Brother to organize the spiritual texts? Why did you come here today?"
Qin Che lay on the bench: "Couldn't it be that Huo Yan and I have already completed the mission?"
"So fast?" The group asked, their voices filled with surprise.
"Of course, I'm very experienced!" Qin Che said proudly, his little tail practically waving like a fan.
"This doesn't seem like something to brag about!" Cheng Jiu remarked, looking at his smug expression.
Qin Che said nonchalantly, "Just tell me if it's amazing or not!"
"Impressive!" There's no denying that he managed to process so many spiritual texts in such a short time. Senior Brother Qin Che is truly skilled!
"That's all that matters!" Qin Che said proudly, hands on his hips.
"Senior Brother Qin Che certainly didn't come here just to show off to Junior Sister, did he?" Yingyue asked tentatively.
"It's really that simple! After all, the sect leader peak was extremely busy because of the ceremony performed by the two immortal lords. He just didn't want to be conscripted, so he came to find Junior Sister Cheng Jiu!" Huo Yan explained in a low voice from the side.
Well, the others gave him speechless half-moon eyes. They've come to slack off! No wonder he's Senior Brother Qin Che!
Qin Che was a little flustered and guilty, so he quickly changed the subject, looking the five people up and down, especially Yingyue and the other three, who were still wearing their spirit robes: "Have you junior brothers and sisters changed your clothes? The style seems to be the same, they look really good, where did you buy them?"
Yingyue listened to Qin Che's clumsy attempt to change the subject and didn't press further: "It was refined by Junior Sister Cheng Jiu!"
"Pervert!" Qin Che said subconsciously, then met Cheng Jiu's gaze and realized what he meant, feeling a pang of guilt.
"Did you come all this way just to talk about me, senior brother?" Cheng Jiu stared at him.
Qin Che hurriedly waved his hands: "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding! I heard that you guys had a conflict with someone in the market."
Yingyue's tone was disdainful: "A few unknown people are actually slandering Junior Sister Xiao Jiu behind her back. I don't know who they are, but they keep saying they want to be Immortal Lord Qingxu's second disciple."
"Hehe, I know who they are. Do you want to know?" Qin Che couldn't wait to share this because he knew who these guys were.
Seeing Qin Che's tantalizing display, the five rolled their eyes speechlessly and looked expectantly at Huo Yan, who stood silently to the side, his presence almost nonexistent.
Seeing that the five wanted to ask Huo Yan, Qin Che was a little bored and took the initiative to tell them.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Didn't the sect send people to Netherworld City to provide support before?"
The five nodded; this matter was no secret within the sect.
“The situation in Mingyou City is considered a weak point in the cultivation world, and it is very bad!”
Although the beast tide has been resolved, the situation there is very complicated. Apart from the main city, the situation in the other cities is very bad!
More importantly, the main city of Mingyou City has very weak control over the surrounding cities, and due to the complex web of power dynamics, there's been no intention to rebuild the affected main cities.
"Hiss!" The five people gasped. To put it bluntly, the biggest losses for the Guiyuan Sect right now are those damaged small towns. These cities all need to be rebuilt, and rebuilding a city is no small expense!
However, if it is not built, those who lose their homes due to the beast tide will become refugees. Not to mention that they are all mortals with some cultivation, even if they have no cultivation, many ants can kill an elephant, and they will become a potential source of social unrest.
Despite the enormous expense, Guiyuan Sect has been actively rebuilding the damaged cities under its control.
If the city of Mingyou is not rebuilt, those people who survived the destruction of their homes by the beast tide will surely gather together and become a formidable force of refugees.
Moreover, these are the people of Mingyou City. They must be quite capable to survive in such a chaotic environment.
These people, when gathered together, could be a considerable force for unrest. Besides the Netherworld City, what if these people united to raid the cities under the jurisdiction of the five major sects?
For the people of the cities under the five major sects, this is undoubtedly like wolves entering a flock of sheep; just thinking about it is a disaster.
"What should we do then?" Cheng Jiu and the others had all considered this consequence, their voices filled with worry.
"The five sect leaders discussed and decided to reinstate the city closest to the center under their sects' jurisdiction. As for the Netherworld City, they will re-establish its sphere of influence around the main city," Qin Che explained the five sects' solution.
The main point is that the forces of the Netherworld City are only willing to build a new city, but not to rebuild on the abandoned site. After all, rebuilding on the abandoned site is a losing proposition, a benevolent transaction.
But do the people living in the City of the Dead have any sense of kindness? Of course they wouldn't bother to give away their possessions to others to rebuild their homes.
But with so many surviving civilians, the five major sects certainly don't want them to unite. If they run rampant within the territory of the Netherworld City, the five major sects will turn a blind eye, but that's impossible! Okay?
Compared to the devastated state of Netherworld City, the cities under the five major sects were like a sweet and delicious little cake. How could these hungry wolves not want to take a bite?
Left with no other choice, the five major sects made this decision, and as for the territory of Netherworld City, they could only accept it.
Cheng Jiu and the others breathed a sigh of relief at the sect's decision: "What about those other people?"
"That Lingling is the daughter of the city lord of Mingyou City, which is close to Guiyuan Sect. She actually participated in Guiyuan Sect's disciple-acceptance ceremony before. At that time, she was determined to become a disciple of Qingxu Immortal Lord, but Qingxu Immortal Lord had no intention of accepting disciples and refused."
She looked down on everyone else, and it's unclear what her family was thinking, but they made her return to her own family instead of having her join the Guiyuan Sect.
The resources that the direct disciples of the Guiyuan Sect have access to are far greater than those that the children of the city lords of these large cities can access.
So you see, although she also has gold-level aptitude, she hasn't broken through to the Nascent Soul stage yet, even though she's a full twelve years older than you, Junior Sister Cheng Jiu.”
Cheng Jiu's eyes widened slightly. She had thought the girl was a girl her age, or even a few years older. She hadn't expected her to be a girl from the same age group. She was seventeen now, so the other girl must be thirty-four. The appearances in the cultivation world were indeed deceiving.
"So she wants to become a disciple of Immortal Lord Qingxu again? What is the sect thinking?" Yingyue exclaimed. There was actually such a thing. That guy is really persistent!
"So it's a real headache! The atmosphere in Mingyou City is more like that of the mortal world, and Lingling's father was very popular among the people of the city. Their family died protecting the people of the city from the beast tide, and Lingling is the only remaining orphan of that family."
The people in the city all hoped that Guiyuan Sect would treat Lingling well. Master originally wanted to find an elder in Guiyuan Sect who was willing to take her in.
As an elder's disciple, her treatment was no worse than that of the city lord's children in a major city, but she heard that Immortal Lord Qingxu had entered the Mahayana stage and was determined to become his disciple.
This time, in order to win over the people of Mingyou City, the sect has taken in many disciples of this background. These disciples have such big appetites that the ordinary elders simply don't want them.
Seeing Lingling's scheme, and being the one with the highest status and qualifications among them, she wanted to use this opportunity to test the sect's bottom line and seek the chance to become a disciple of those powerful and influential figures. Qin Che was speechless at this point.
"Of course the sect was unwilling, and the sect's disciples were also very dissatisfied with their actions. After all, the sect's disciples suffered losses in the fight against the beast tide, and some of the city lords under its jurisdiction died protecting the people in their cities."
If we agree to their request, how will we settle the children of these city lords and the relatives of those sacrificed sect disciples?
So the eldest brother kept them out of the loop and had a lot of headaches dealing with them, especially since the people in the territory that Mingyou City had taken over were not very well-behaved because they had incited them.
"But don't worry, their scheme is absolutely doomed to fail. This is completely undermining the foundation of the Guiyuan Sect. Not just anyone can become a Venerable Lord or Immortal Lord disciple."