135: Chapter 57: What a Coincidence_2 135: Chapter 57: What a Coincidence_2 Xu Sheng’s eyes brightened.
He had been troubled by the lack of an excuse to visit the Wanyun Sect and chat with that Great Wealth Immortal Li Dazhi…
To his surprise, today’s Immortal banquet turned out to be well-arranged indeed.
Xu Sheng immediately grabbed Li Ping’an’s arm and said earnestly,
“Ping’an, hearing you say this, I think it’s indeed necessary to make haste to the Wanyun Sect.
The Sea Watch Sect has five Great Golden Immortals, and each of these fellows is an old acquaintance of mine, craftier and more hot-tempered than the next, often vying for merit and causing trouble without regard for the bigger picture, even getting punished for it.
Let’s go, no time to lose, I’ll personally escort you back to the Wanyun Sect!”
Li Ping’an bowed to express his thanks, “Thank you, senior!”
Xu Sheng waved his hand grandly, telling his disciples to continue enjoying the feast whilst he returned to the Wanyun Sect with its members.
However, just as Xu Sheng was about to depart, Elder Yansheng suddenly said,
“Ping’an, you go ahead, I need to visit our own market town.”
Li Ping’an asked, “Elder, is there a problem?”
Elder Yansheng hummed thoughtfully, then suddenly closed his eyes and sighed softly, his complex and trembling Dao Charm slowly spreading around him.
This short-statured true immortal seemed to grow taller at that moment, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out somewhat, with a faint Immortal halo appearing behind him.
His eyes filled with emotion, they gradually cleared of murkiness as he spoke slowly,
“I see the hills full of charm; imagine they’d view me the same.
In my pursuit of the Dao Fruit of a Heavenly Immortal, I was blind to the fact that what had seemed a bottleneck was no longer so; the real bottleneck was merely my own obsession.
Was I cultivating for the sake of cultivation, or becoming an Immortal for the sake of it?
Today, you have awakened me, Ping’an…
I have realized that my pursuit is to appreciate the colors of this universe, to see the scenery from higher realms.
I see the Heavenly Immortal, and they see me; the Heavenly Immortal knows me.”
Elder Yansheng suddenly bowed to Li Ping’an, who hurriedly returned the gesture.
In the moment he bowed, Li Ping’an’s mouth twitched, his expression somewhat dazed.
No, this thing, this…
Could he truly be the reincarnation of an Enlightenment Stone?
Outside the Guanlan Tower.
Xu Sheng took out a flying ship, loaded the immortals and disciples from the Wanyun Sect and Wei Yuan Sect, and flew toward the high-altitude protective formation’s eye, quickly leaving the great city under the Sea Watch Sect’s control.
Elder Yansheng turned into a rainbow light, rushing toward the market town controlled by the Wanyun Sect to enter seclusion urgently.
Two Heavenly Immortals from the Wanyun Sect, who had been waiting outside the city for a long time, split up—one went to provide protection for Elder Yansheng’s seclusion, and the other appeared and formally invited Xu Sheng to visit the Wanyun Sect, sending out a Messaging Jade Talisman to notify the sect to make preparations.
Let’s not talk about the large ship returning to the Wanyun Sect for now, where Li Ping’an was being ‘bombarded’ with questions by eight immortals and six disciples.
In a private room on the penultimate floor of Guanlan Tower.
Yun Zhongzi smiled, putting away the tiny cups and plates that had returned to the size of rice grains and peanuts into a flower basket; he then took out a handkerchief, briefly wiped the tabletop’s circular stains, stood up, and didn’t forget to move the chair back to its original place.
Yun Zhongzi nodded slowly, humming a tune through his nose as if contemplating something.
He was considering what sort of greeting gift he should give to that junior who had upheld the dignity of the Taoist sect.
Yun Zhongzi could see at a glance that this young man named ‘Ping’an’ was of average aptitude and ordinary fortune; direct bestowal of a Spiritual Treasure, Yun Zhongzi worried that this junior’s fortune might not suffice to bear it, and it could bring disaster upon him.
But if he were to give an Immortal Treasure…
Wouldn’t he, known as ‘the Immortal who enlightened human artifact refiners,’ be seen as too stingy?
Yun Zhongzi hummed thoughtfully and found himself in a bit of a quandary.
Just then, another group of immortals hurried to the Guanlan Tower, led by a middle-aged cultivator with a goatee, wearing a warm yellow Daoist robe and a spring-like smile on his face, followed by several Lesser Immortals, each holding a brocaded box.
If Li Ping’an were here, he would surely recognize this man he hadn’t seen in two years—Wei Yanzu.
Wei Yanzu exclaimed in surprise,
“When did they leave?
Weren’t they just discussing Dao here?
Supervisor Xiaoyue had prepared a heap of gifts, and he even wanted me to invite Ping’an to visit the southern market town!”
Immortal, the group from Wanyun Sect and the group from Wei Yuan Sect just left, heading westward.”
What are you waiting for!”
Weiyanzi turned his head to call out:
Haven’t you always wanted to make connections with the Great Wealth Immortal of my Wanyun Sect?
Ping’an is the sole child of the Great Wealth Immortal, calling him the apple of his father’s eye isn’t an overstatement!”
A few Loose Cultivator True Immortals promptly responded, and the group hurriedly mounted their clouds and left.
No sooner had Weiyanzi departed than numerous Loose Cultivators began discussing animatedly, their voices falling into Yun Zhongzi’s ears.
“The Great Wealth Immortal?
Could it be the one who enables Wanyun Sect to produce hundreds of thousands of Magic Artifacts each year?”
“I heard the Great Wealth Immortal also has the surname Li!
He is a man of great fortune, becoming a True Immortal in three years and is now close to reaching the level of a Heavenly Immortal.”
A True Immortal in three years?”
“Here, look at this flying sword in my hand, I just bought the latest model ‘Effortless’ from Wanyun Sect’s Treasure Shop.
With the same amount of mana, it can fly faster and swifter, now I don’t worry at all about running out of mana during Magical Combat!
It only cost eighteen Spirit Stones!”
Yun Zhongzi took a close look, furrowed his brows, and once again calculated with his fingers, his spiritual sense stretching out across the heavens and earth.
Moments later, Yun Zhongzi picked up his flower basket, stood up, and his figure turned into a cloud of mist and vanished.
This Fortune Golden Immortal of the Jade Void Palace had stepped into the realm of Taiyi Golden Immortal in ancient times and had not engaged in Magical Combat with anyone for two epochs; no one knew what realm he had reached now.
The Immortals of the Jade Void Palace were divided into two types: those who were members of the sect and those who were disciples, both eligible to listen to Yuanshi Tianzun’s teachings and lectures.
Compared to the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Teaching who gained fame by assisting the Human Emperor, Yun Zhongzi, a potent sect member with deep mana, remained inconspicuous for not engaging in direct Magical Combat.
However, within the Jade Void Palace, disciples favored by Yuanshi Tianzun like Guang Chengzi, Chi Jingzi, and Taoxing Tianzun all showed deference to sect members like Yun Zhongzi and the Southern Extremity Immortal Elder.
A short while later, Yun Zhongzi’s figure appeared in the Wanyun Sect’s Treasure Shop, he put away his flower basket, and held a flying sword in his hands, carefully playing with it.
‘Such a method of Artifact Refining…
it contains only a very weak life force.’
Yun Zhongzi slightly raised his eyebrows, and dust scattered around him.
In the Treasure Shop, a Wanyun Sect ‘Disciple’ girl dressed in a short tight-fitting top and skirt and wearing delicate makeup gasped in surprise when a kindly-looking old Daoist suddenly appeared before her.
How did you get in here?”
Yun Zhongzi smiled and nodded: “May I inquire, who refined this magic artifact?”
This female disciple was one of the thousand named disciples of Xiaoyue and an old-timer at this Treasure Shop.
She now replied with a gentle smile and softly spoken words:
“This is our Wanyun Sect’s signature product.
Although it’s a common grade artifact, it also boasts the edge of a superior artifact.
The important thing is, this artifact only costs seventeen Spirit Stones.”
Yun Zhongzi casually pushed forward, and several Spirit Stones enveloped with a seven-colored halo fell into the girl’s hands.
“May I ask, who refined this artifact?”
“This, this was forged by the Castcloud Hall of our Wanyun Sect, as for who specifically, I really cannot say.
It’s said to be an elder from within the sect, our Great Wealth Immortal, Grandmaster Dazhi.”
Yun Zhongzi asked, “Dazhi?
The female disciple exclaimed in surprise, “How do you know our Grandmaster Dazhi’s son’s name is Ping’an?”
Yun Zhongzi gave a wry smile, shook his head slightly at her, and his figure turned into a cloud of mist and dissipated, taking the flying sword with him.
You’ve given too many Spirit Stones!”
The girl called out, but Yun Zhongzi’s figure was already nowhere to be seen.
Shortly thereafter, Elder Xu Sheng hurried back onto the Wanyun Sect’s cloud vessel with Li Ping’an in tow, and the old Daoist who brought the flower basket appeared from a corner, calmly taking a seat on an empty cushion.
As Yun Zhongzi held the common-grade flying sword in his hands, carefully observing and sensing, when he looked again at Li Ping’an, his eyes held a touch of curiosity.
He was in no hurry to reward this young man, but decided to visit this Wanyun Sect first.
This name sounded somewhat familiar, like he had heard it somewhere tens of thousands of years ago.
Yun Zhongzi calculated with his fingers.
Before long, a complex expression that was hard to describe appeared on the gentle and gaunt face of the old Daoist.
“It is indeed the Dao lineage passed down by me; it seems I must pay a visit.”