Chapter 256: Turbulent Times, The Situation in Zhongzhou

As the old physician led Lu Qing, following the direction indicated by the jade pendant, they eventually reached a certain area in Qinglong City. Within a towering tower, a black-robed elder who had been meditating suddenly stirred, opening his eyes to gaze at a jade plate before him. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He performed a series of intricate hand gestures, his expression growing grave as he calculated something. After a moment's thought, he shook a rope by his side.

The pleasant sound of a copper bell rang out, and soon a middle-aged man dressed in gray, holding an abacus, entered respectfully.

"Elder, how may I be of service?"

"We have a distinguished guest arriving soon. Prepare to welcome them with me," the elder said softly.

The middle-aged man was taken aback but quickly replied, "Yes, Elder."

However, he couldn't help but wonder who this guest was that prompted the reclusive elder to personally come out and greet them. Could it be someone from the city's prominent families or an important figure from the city lord's mansion?

Just as the middle-aged man finished making the necessary arrangements, the black-robed elder descended from the tower.

"Elder..."

As the middle-aged man stepped forward to speak, the elder raised his hand to stop him.

"Our guests have arrived. Let's go and greet them."

With no choice, the middle-aged man closed his mouth and followed the elder outside.

As they stepped out, they saw the old physician and Lu Qing standing hesitantly at the door.

"Master, are you sure this is the right place?" Lu Qing asked, looking at the tower, which seemed rather ordinary and lacked even a signboard. Only the starry pattern carved on the door hinted at something unusual.

"It should be correct. The abnormality detected by the jade pendant originated from within this tower," the old physician replied.

Just as Lu Qing considered using his supernatural powers to investigate, a black-robed elder and a middle-aged man holding an abacus emerged from the tower.

"We are honored to receive a friend from afar, bringing radiance to our humble abode. Greetings to you both, my friends," the black-robed elder said, bowing slightly to Lu Qing and his master.

Before Lu Qing could speak, he saw the black-robed elder bowing to them.

"Elder, what brings you here...?" Lu Qing's heart stirred, and a puzzled look appeared on his face, but he secretly activated his supernatural powers.

"This old man is called Xuanjizi, and I temporarily manage this branch of the Tianji Tower in Qinglong City. I came to welcome you both specially," the black-robed elder explained with a smile, his expression warming as he took in Lu Qing and the old physician's features.

Lu Qing, using his supernatural powers, confirmed the identities of the two men before him and knew they were not lying.

However, he maintained a puzzled expression and asked, "But Elder, how did you know we were coming?"

Could the predictive abilities of Tianji Tower be so profound that they could even calculate his and his master's movements?

"This old man is not that powerful yet to be able to calculate your movements," Xuanjizi said, seeming to read Lu Qing's thoughts. "I knew you were coming because of the jade pendant your master is holding."

Lu Qing looked at the jade pendant in his master's hand and understood.

Apparently, the jade pendant worked both ways—not only could they locate the Tianji Tower, but the tower could also sense their approach.

No wonder Li Zhirui had said that as long as they had the jade pendant, they would know what to do when they reached Zhongzhou.

"I see. I am Lu Qing, and this is my master, Chen Songqing. Greetings, Elder Xuanjizi," Lu Qing said politely.

"Indeed, it is Lu Qing and Chen Songqing. Please come in, my friends," Xuanjizi gestured invitingly.

Lu Qing and the old physician exchanged glances and, without hesitation, entered the tower.

Once they were seated and served tea, Lu Qing took a sip and asked, "Elder Xuanjizi, you seem to know my master and me by name. Was it because of the information left by Li Zhirui?"

"That's correct. Li Zhirui once left your portraits here, saying that within one or two years, you would likely arrive here. But I didn't expect that it would be now," Xuanjizi replied honestly.

"How is Li Zhirui doing recently?" the old physician asked with concern. He had taken a liking to the extraordinary young man.

"Li Zhirui made a breakthrough in his cultivation last year and has since returned to the main tower in Zhongzhou for secluded cultivation. By my calculations, he should be emerging from seclusion soon," Xuanjizi answered candidly.

"Oh? So, Li Zhirui has broken through to the Xiantian Realm?" Lu Qing's heart stirred. When he had met Li Zhirui, the young man had already been a Martial Arts Master with a cultivated soul force. His ranking on the Hidden Dragon List had been higher than Lu Qing's.

If he had made another breakthrough, it could only mean that he had entered the Xiantian Realm.

"Indeed, Zhi Rui is exceptionally talented. Since his youth, he has been one of the most outstanding disciples of Tianji Tower in our generation. It's no surprise that he has stepped into the Xiantian Realm," Xuanjizi replied.

"Impressive," Lu Qing commented.

Xuanjizi secretly appraised Lu Qing.

If he recalled correctly, this young man had also been on the Hidden Dragon List two years ago, causing quite a stir at the time.

Now, after more than two years, he wondered how far Lu Qing's cultivation had progressed.

However, when Xuanjizi tried to sense Lu Qing's cultivation, he found that his soul sense could not penetrate the young man's body at all.

It was as if Lu Qing was shrouded in a thick mist, obscuring all information about him, leaving Xuanjizi unable to see through him.

Xuanjizi was secretly startled, knowing that there were generally only two possibilities for this situation.

One was that Lu Qing had cultivated some special secret technique, allowing him to perfectly conceal his aura and prevent others from sensing it.

The other was that Lu Qing possessed a rare treasure that could block others' soul sense abilities.

He leaned more toward the latter possibility.

After all, Lu Qing was too young, and even if he had cultivated a secret technique, he probably wouldn't have mastered it yet.

Moreover, according to their Tianji Tower's intelligence, Lu Qing had only been at the Internal Organs Realm two years ago.

Even if his progress had been rapid, at such a close distance, he shouldn't have been able to hide his cultivation from Xuanjizi, a veteran Xiantian Realm cultivator.

Having made his assessment, Xuanjizi turned his attention to the old physician.

This time, he was surprised once again.

He found that the old physician's cultivation was also completely beyond his comprehension.

If Lu Qing was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see through him, then the old physician was like a calm pond, appearing as an ordinary elder with nothing remarkable about him.

However, Xuanjizi knew that the old physician was no ordinary man.

Zhi Rui had clearly told him that this old physician was not only a highly skilled Xiantian Realm cultivator but also possessed the Virtuous Light, making him even more extraordinary than a typical Xiantian Realm warrior.

"It seems that this old gentleman's cultivation has progressed greatly in the past two years. Indeed, he is a virtuous man worthy of respect," Xuanjizi marveled inwardly.

Just from this first meeting, Lu Qing and his master had given him quite a shock.

No wonder Zhi Rui had instructed him so solemnly to treat these two guests with the utmost hospitality.

Lu Qing, of course, could sense that Xuanjizi was observing him and his master.

However, he remained unfazed and instead showed a humble expression as he said, "Elder Xuanjizi, my master and I have come here because we have some matters that we would like to consult with you about."

"Please, what would you like to ask?" Xuanjizi asked.

"We would like to know about the current situation in the world and the state of affairs in Zhongzhou," Lu Qing said. "To be frank, during our journey here from home, we encountered quite a few incidents.

There was even a sect that blatantly defied the Holy Decree, with their Xiantian Realm Grand Elder setting up an evil formation to refine the flesh and blood of martial artists as nourishment for his cultivation.

Such acts, which incur the wrath of both heaven and mankind, have gone unpunished by the Holy Mountain.

My master and I are puzzled by this, and we seek your guidance." Lu Qing's expression turned solemn.

"What? There are already Xiantian Realm cultivators in the outside world who are using humans as sacrifices to cultivate evil arts?" Xuanjizi was taken aback.

"Indeed. This evil deed was committed by the Liuyun Sect of Yunzhou. Elder, the outside states are already showing signs of turmoil. If the Holy Mountain and the major sects of Zhongzhou do not take action soon, I'm afraid the situation will become irreparable," Lu Qing said.

Xuanjizi fell silent for a moment before sighing, "I didn't realize the situation outside had deteriorated to such an extent. Unfortunately, even the Holy Mountain may be powerless to change this now."

Lu Qing and his master exchanged glances and asked, "Elder, why is that?"

"You two are blessed with exceptional talent and innate abilities. Did you sense the nine resounding Daoist sonic booms that shook the heavens and the earth some time ago?" Xuanjizi asked.

"We did sense something. My master and I decided to come to Zhongzhou to investigate because of that incident," Lu Qing replied.

"The nine sonic booms of the Daoist sound signaled the beginning of the Great Change in the heavens and the earth. The legendary spiritual energy is reviving, and evil demons are reappearing. Do you know what this means?" Xuanjizi inquired.

Lu Qing hesitated for a moment, his expression humble as he said, "Please enlighten us."

"In recent years, there have been rumors circulating throughout the world about an impending Great Change in the heavens and the earth. These rumors are not baseless but are, in fact, true," Xuanjizi explained. "The heavenly Daoist sounds that shook the world some time ago signaled the beginning of this Great Change. The legendary spiritual energy is reviving.

As you journeyed here, you must have also sensed the changes in the heavens and the earth, right?"

"The old physician nodded, "Indeed, a very peculiar energy has emerged between heaven and earth."

"That peculiar energy is the legendary spiritual energy," Lu Qing said, "It is said that if a Xiantian Warrior can refine and harness this spiritual energy, they will gain a tremendous boost in their cultivation, advancing by leaps and bounds."

"Then, tell me, what do you think will happen to those Xiantian Realm warriors whose cultivation has stagnated for many years if this rumor is true?"

"The path of martial arts is one of courage and ambition. All warriors strive for strength. Given such an opportunity, I believe those Xiantian Realm experts would be overjoyed," Lu Qing replied.

"You are correct. As cultivators, we naturally seek to enhance ourselves by any means possible.

When spiritual energy first reappeared, the Xiantian Realm warriors in Zhongzhou were ecstatic.

However, they soon discovered that refining this spiritual energy was no easy task.

Only the most ancient and unique cultivation methods can achieve this, and there aren't many such methods left in the world.

Even in Zhongzhou, only a handful of sects possess them.

As a result, a problem arose.

You two should be able to guess what happened next?"

Lu Qing thought for a moment and said, "Too few beneficiaries and too many envious. With the opportunity for a breakthrough right before their eyes, those without the right cultivation method would naturally become resentful."

"Indeed, too few beneficiaries and too many envious. Young Master Lu, you truly have a keen mind. With just a few words, you've struck at the heart of the matter," Xuanjizi praised, his eyes lighting up with approval at Lu Qing's insight.

"You flatter me, Elder Xuanjizi. What happened after that?" Lu Qing asked, a little embarrassed by the compliment.

"Just as you said, those Xiantian Realm warriors who had been stagnating for years naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity.

So, as soon as the spiritual energy reappeared, a sect in Zhongzhou began attacking other sects to seize their ancient cultivation methods.

Even the two most senior elders and Xiantian Realm experts of the sect joined the battle, resulting in a bloodbath that ravaged the land."

"How intense was the conflict?" Lu Qing and the old physician were shocked. They never imagined that such a powerful clash had occurred in Zhongzhou.

"Initially, if it had only been about obtaining the cultivation method, the two sects might not have fought to such extremes.

Unfortunately, these two sects have been sworn enemies for hundreds of years, with deep-rooted grudges between them.

In the past, under the suppression and mediation of the Holy Mountain, the two sects had friction but managed to keep it under control.

The Xiantian Realm experts on both sides rarely took action, so the casualties were minimal.

However, with the revival of spiritual energy, both sects became anxious to gain the upper hand.

As the battle raged on, tempers flared, and a tragedy unfolded."

"I see," Lu Qing said, understanding the situation.

Since the two sects were sworn enemies, this battle was inevitable.

After all, with the revival of spiritual energy, the sect that possessed the ancient cultivation method held the advantage.

Once a senior elder broke through their bottleneck and reached a new realm, even the Holy Mountain might not be able to restrain them.

The other sect naturally wouldn't sit idly and wait for their demise, leading to their desperate move.

"Elder Xuanjizi, does that mean Zhongzhou is now in a state of chaos?" Lu Qing found it hard to imagine the extent of the turmoil if the powerful sects in Zhongzhou were engaged in such conflicts.

"The situation isn't that dire yet," Xuanjizi said. "After the two sects clashed, the Holy Mountain immediately intervened and issued a holy decree, forbidding sects from attacking each other.

To enforce this, the three Saint Masters themselves visited the major sects, ensuring the situation was brought under control."

Saint Masters?

Lu Qing pondered this title, realizing that these three Saint Masters must be incredibly powerful experts.

Otherwise, how could they have so easily suppressed the ambitious major sects?

However, Lu Qing doubted that the Holy Mountain could truly control the situation with just this decree.

"Elder Xuanjizi, this forceful suppression is only a temporary solution. I believe the sects without the ancient cultivation methods won't give up so easily," Lu Qing said, expressing his concerns.

After the revival of spiritual energy, the concentration of spiritual energy in the world would only increase over time.

The longer it took, the more advantageous it would be for sects with the ancient cultivation methods.

Lu Qing couldn't believe that the other sects would simply accept their fate.

"You've guessed correctly again, young man. Those sects are indeed not so easily appeased.

To ease their worries, the Holy Mountain made a crucial decision."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end