Inquiry about immortality

The envoy of the three kings introduced himself as Xiaoming Sanren, saying that he was sent to Jiaosheng Kingdom on the orders of the three kings.

Yuan Zuo, in his solemn form, asked, "May I ask what instructions the special envoy has for me?"

"I dare not presume to offer guidance," Xiaoming Sanren said tentatively, glancing around the hall. "May I have the honor of paying my respects to the sect leader in person?"

Yuan Zuo's avatar shook his head, "Master is in seclusion, currently breaking through to the next realm, and is not receiving any visitors. I hope the special envoy will understand. Before going into seclusion, Master entrusted the Five Thunder Sect and the Horned Kingdom to me."

Xiaoming Sanren looked regretful and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright! It's alright! We cultivators naturally prioritize cultivation. Our sect leader has unparalleled supernatural powers, how can he be like this old man, wallowing in worldly affairs and not striving for progress?"

Yuan Zuo smiled and said, "So you're saying I'm also unambitious?"

"It's different! It's different!"

Xiaoming Sanren shook his head vigorously, “Bai Xianzi has met a famous teacher and has a bright future, which is the envy of others! I, on the other hand, have been indulging in pleasure and wasting my time. By the time I realized my mistake, I was already halfway to the grave, and it was too late! I can only drag this crippled body around and work hard to accumulate more wealth for my descendants before I die.”

“Ants, mortals, and cultivators are no different,” Yuan Zuo’s avatar felt deeply.

Unbeknownst to the other party, it was Bai Ying'er, not him, who had the opportunity to learn from a renowned teacher.

Xiaoming Sanren agreed, saying, "I have read several Buddhist scriptures. The Buddhist teachings on the suffering of change are quite profound. I have cultivated some supernatural powers and my lifespan far exceeds that of ordinary people, yet I cannot escape the suffering of the extinction of bliss. In the end, I will return to dust and ashes. I wonder if becoming an immortal and transcending worldly life will be different."

These topics often resonate with cultivators. Although Yuanzu's incarnation is not as short-lived as Xiaoming Sanren, he can still see his future clearly. Otherwise, he would not be so determined to conquer the world and fight for that one chance.

As you can see, among the various kingdoms of half-demons, countless cultivators who know that the path to enlightenment is hopeless have indulged in romance, wine, women, and power, their hearts long since worn away.

Yuan Zuo transformed into his mind and said that this Xiaoming Sanren was a remarkable person, no wonder he was chosen as a special envoy by the three kings.

As the two gradually returned to the main topic, Xiaoming Sanren leaned forward slightly and asked, "What is your view of the world today, Fairy Bai?"

Yuan Zuo's incarnation smiled inwardly. He had created this situation himself, so how could he not know it? But he pretended to be confused and asked in return, "Which world is the special envoy referring to? Is it the world of the Zhu Qian Dynasty, the world of the half-demon kingdoms, or the Great Wind Plain, or even the entire Spirit Realm?"

Xiaoming Sanren paused slightly, then chuckled and said, "Fairy Bai is too kind to this old man. I am but a frog in a well, how dare I speak so presumptuously? I was referring to the Shadow God, Chi Rong, and Jiao Sheng Three Kingdoms."

As he spoke, Xiaoming Sanren raised his finger, and mist rose from his fingertip, leaving clear watermarks in the air that outlined the territory of the Three Kingdoms.

Looking at the map of the Three Kingdoms, it resembles an awl with the tip pointing southwest. Jiaosheng Kingdom is located at the tip of the awl, furthest from the Zhu Qian Dynasty, in the most remote place.

Crossing the border of the Horned Life Kingdom, one reaches the westernmost edge of the half-demon kingdoms. Further west, the landscape grows increasingly desolate, rugged and uneven. Due to the windstorms, almost no life can be seen in this vast territory. Without the help of the eye of the wind, a long journey westward leads to a majestic mountain blocking the way. This mountain extends from the Heavenly Wall Mountain Range, which traverses the Wind Desert. While not strictly part of the Wind Desert, it is still affected by the forbidden zone and fraught with danger. This mountain range separates the two races; beyond it lies the territory of the demon race.

The Shadow God Kingdom and the Crimson Melt Kingdom are adjacent to the Zhu Qian Dynasty and are not far from each other. Originally, they were backed by the Southern Yun King and the Eastern Jiao King, respectively, and were driven to fight each other endlessly. Later, the three kings of Zhu Qian plotted to build the Forbidden Immortal Mansion, and their relationship improved. However, the grudges between the two countries were already deep, and they continued to fight openly and covertly.

Besides these, there was also the Luo'an Kingdom, the strongest immortal kingdom under the Du Sha King, but it no longer exists. Not long ago, the Luo'an Kingdom was torn apart and became a victim of the struggle between the five kings.

This territory was originally divided among the Eastern Flood Dragon King, the Southern Yun King, and the Du Sha King. The area controlled by the Du Sha King was completely chaotic, falling into a state of war among various kingdoms. Now, only the Crimson Melt Kingdom, the Shadow God Kingdom, and the newly rising Horned Life Kingdom still possess the aura of hegemony.

The two kingdoms have already pledged allegiance to King Chuxu and King Zhilian respectively. The three kings, including King Beilu, have not gained much benefit and, if they want to continue to contend with them here, they can only try to win over the kingdom of Jiaosheng.

Yuan Zuo's avatar scanned the map with his own eyes, then looked at Xiaoming Sanren, waiting to hear his insightful opinion.

"Although I am the special envoy appointed by the Three Kings, there is no need to conceal the truth," Xiaoming Sanren cupped his hands in greeting, "The Eastern Jiao King, the Southern Yun King, and the Du Sha King, along with the powerful figures from the three royal palaces, are all trapped in the forbidden area, their fates unknown to this day. The national artifacts have also disappeared along with them. If there is no further news, according to the rules, a new king must be established. The new king, before even securing his throne, will also bear the responsibility for the lost artifacts, which will be a major blow to the already weakened three royal palaces. It seems that the decline of the Three Kings' lineage is inevitable. The vast empire accumulated over countless years, including this territory, will eventually be divided up by the royal family and the five great royal families."

"The Five Kings?" Yuan Zuo's avatar shook his head and smiled. "I'm afraid they'll only fall into the hands of King Chu Xu and King Zhi Lian! The Shadow God Kingdom and the Crimson Melt Kingdom seem to understand this clearly. I was just about to advise the sect leader to consider which one to pledge allegiance to."

The three kings, including the King of Beilu, were too far away to exert their influence, and even if they gained some benefits, it would be difficult for them to last.

"No! The fairy still doesn't understand."

Xiaoming Sanren's expression was solemn. "Fairy, please forgive my bluntness. The struggle for supremacy among the various kingdoms in this region may seem fierce, but in the eyes of the five superior kingdoms, it is nothing more than a minor skirmish... The real battle is taking place in the forbidden Qingning Palace, and even more so within the Zhu Qian Dynasty!"

Yuan Zuo, in his avatar, showed an interested expression. "Please explain in detail, Special Envoy."

"With the strength of the Eight Kings of Zhu Qian, any one of them could easily wipe out the enemy if they mobilized their entire army. Under their orders, no one would dare to disobey. You do not deny that, do you, Fairy?" Xiaoming Sanren asked rhetorically.

The incarnation of Yuanzu remains undecided.

"But they cannot, and dare not, do so! First, the emergence of the Forbidden Immortal Abode stirs the hearts of the five great kingdoms, and even the hearts of all nations. Second, there is the royal family above; to avoid angering His Majesty, they can only fight covertly, not openly. Third, the legacy of the Eastern Flood Dragon King and his group within the Zhu Qian Dynasty is of even greater value..."

Xiaoming Sanren raised three fingers in succession.

Yuanzuo's avatar nodded repeatedly, which was consistent with their judgment. The five superior nations had gathered in the forbidden area, and the situation was tense and could break out at any moment.

At this time, the five princes of Zhu Qian were also preoccupied with the forbidden area. Under these circumstances, they would certainly concentrate their efforts on seizing the interests within the Zhu Qian dynasty.

At this point, the five princes of Zhu Qian have only sent some envoys and have never intended to personally intervene. It is precisely because of this that Qin Sang and his group have the opportunity to secretly plot and outwardly comply while inwardly resisting.

This situation is likely to continue for a long time.

Yuan Zuo, in his avatar, looked at Xiao Ming Sanren with great interest. "I'm a little confused. It seems that this special envoy has come here not to persuade the Three Kings to submit us to their command?"

"As I just said, the three kings are too numerous to attend to, and I cannot make any promises or guarantee the safety of the Kingdom of Kokusheng for the time being. What use is my silver tongue, then?"

Xiaoming Sanren took out a feather fan from his sleeve and waved it lightly in front of him. "I thought it would be better to explain the general situation of the world to the sect leader and the fairy directly. As long as we can persuade you not to go and join King Chuxu or King Zhilian, it will be a great achievement."

Upon hearing this, Yuanzuo's avatar remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Xiaoming Sanren continued, "Jiaosheng Kingdom's eagerness to pledge allegiance will only lead to their contempt. Moreover, two tigers cannot share one mountain. No matter which side you align yourself with, the Chirong Kingdom and Yingshen Kingdom, which you previously allied with, are unwilling to share the benefits and will try every means to suppress you. Jiaosheng Kingdom may not fare any better. Since the five kings are currently preoccupied, and King Chuxu and King Zhilian are unable to launch a military campaign, why doesn't Jiaosheng Kingdom wait for the best offer? Besides, they are already facing off against you head-on, and it's impossible for them to join forces against you in the short term!"

These words completely sided with the country of Kakusho and considered their interests.

Before Xiaoming Sanren could speak, Yuanzuo's avatar had already guessed what he wanted to say.

In fact, this situation was brought about by his collaboration with Ning Ye.

According to the King of Chuxu and the King of Zhilian, the two sides should not interfere with each other, each minding their own business, and wait until they have dealt with the other forces before engaging in the final battle.

But this was not what Qin Sang wanted to see, so the two countries found a pretext to start a war. The die was cast, and King Chu Xu and King Zhi Lian's attempts to dissuade them only deepened the enmity, leaving them with no choice but to accept the situation.

This gave the Kingdom of Horned Life the opportunity to grow stronger.

"The battle for the forbidden land will eventually come to an end, and sooner or later we will need to find a backer for the Kingdom of Horned Life," Yuan Zuo said in his avatar.

“Indeed, the battle for the forbidden land will eventually come to an end. When that day comes, not only King Chuxu and King Zhilian, but all three kings will be able to free up their forces. Even if they have the advantage of proximity, surely they have a chance of winning against two opponents. At that time, the Kingdom of Jiaosheng will have not just one powerful backer, but three! The only price is that the sect leader and the fairy will have to wait patiently,” Xiaoming Sanren said sincerely.

“The envoy’s words make sense,” Yuan Zuo’s avatar’s eyes flashed with interest, then he sighed, “Unfortunately, this is just wishful thinking on the part of the envoy. Things are unpredictable. The envoy can probably guess that both King Chu Xu and King Zhi Lian want to bring us under their control. If we offend both sides at the same time, and if we anger King Chu Xu and King Zhi Lian, how will Jiao Sheng Kingdom protect itself?”

He paused, then Yuan Zuo's avatar's eyes flashed. "Unless the three kings can secretly help us grow stronger as soon as possible, we will dare to take risks."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoming Sanren leaned back slightly, revealing a profound and unfathomable smile. "What does the fairy desire? Speak freely!"

Yuan Zuo, in his avatar, earnestly said, "Legend has it that when the Zhu Qian Dynasty was founded, the first Northern Lu King created the Extreme Fire Cloud Tower, which achieved great military exploits and struck fear into the hearts of enemies. To this day, it remains the number one battle formation artifact of the Zhu Qian Dynasty. If you could give us a few..."

Xiaoming Sanren's expression froze, and he quickly interrupted, "Fairy, do not have such wishful thinking. The Extreme Fire Cloud Tower is extremely precious, and even the Northern Lu King's Mansion has only a few. How can it be given away so easily? Moreover, such a treasure is of great importance. If it is sent to Jiaosheng Kingdom, His Majesty will probably punish us that very night. No! No!"

Yuan Zuo's avatar showed a disappointed expression, "Then..."

"Wait!" Xiaoming Sanren was afraid that he would make some excessive request again. "The Extreme Fire Cloud Tower and other magical artifacts must not be given away, but in the process of improving the Extreme Fire Cloud Tower, the Northern Lu Royal Palace has also created many novel magical artifacts that can also be used to great effect on the battlefield. Many of these magical artifacts are unknown to others. I can ask the Northern Lu Royal Palace to teach you a few methods of forging."

Having received the benefits, Yuanzu's avatar spread his hands with a wry smile, "Jiaosheng Kingdom is small and weak, and extremely impoverished. Even if we obtain the casting method, I'm afraid even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice."

Finally, the true intentions were revealed. Xiaoming Sanren seemed to see Yuanzu's avatar holding a knife, eager to strike.

However, the items did not come from him, and the three royal mansions are large and powerful, so why would they be unable to satisfy the appetite of the Kingdom of Jiaosheng?

Since we want the Kingdom of Horned Trees to be the troublemakers, we should at least give them some benefits.

"Then please have the Northern Lu Prince's Mansion send over some hard-to-find key spiritual materials as well."

"Remember to send some more weapon-refining masters over," Yuan Zuo's avatar pressed on.

Xiaoming Sanren's beard twitched, and he cursed inwardly, "I might as well just cast it up and send it to you."

This was just the beginning. Yuan Zuo, in disguise, was a top-notch negotiator, gradually pushing Xiao Ming Sanren's bottom line and securing numerous benefits for Jiao Sheng Kingdom, including countless spiritual materials.

By the end of the conversation, Xiaoming Sanren was somewhat dizzy, feeling utterly deceived. This was completely different from the Bai Ying'er he had investigated earlier! When he was finally sent out of the palace, Xiaoming Sanren practically fled in shame. Fortunately, the three kings had achieved their objective in sending him on his mission.

Yuan Zuo returned to the main hall in his avatar and saw that Bai Ying'er had already come out of the meditation room. He asked with a smile, "Fairy Bai, was there anything I overlooked just now?"

Bai Ying'er sighed, "No wonder Master entrusted the Horned Kingdom to you. From now on, I will no longer concern myself with matters outside the Five Thunder Sect."

After saying this, Bai Ying'er bowed and drifted away.

Yuan Zuo, in his avatar, watched Bai Ying'er leave, then gave a self-deprecating smile, gazing at the twilight sky with a mixture of worry and eagerness.

……

The Five Thunder Sect's headquarters.

Bai Ying'er was granted permission to enter Qin Sang Cave for cultivation, making her the only person in Jiao Sheng Kingdom to receive this honor.

On that day, as she stepped out of the cave, Yu Ying immediately appeared before her.

"Sister Ying'er, the disciples selected from various Thunder Towers have all been delivered," Yu Ying is now mainly responsible for assisting Bai Ying'er and selecting disciples to cultivate the "Taiyi Ling Shu Jing".

These disciples were all recruited by the Five Thunder Sect and hid in various places as disciples of the Five Thunder Sect.

The Five Thunder Sect is now divided into inner and outer sects. After entering the inner sect, some disciples are selected to cultivate the "Taiyi Lingshu Scripture". Most of these disciples already have a certain level of cultivation, and their progress in cultivating the "Taiyi Lingshu Scripture" is rapid.

Normal sects don't select disciples this way; they train them from scratch to ensure loyalty. But the Five Thunder Sect isn't a normal sect, and Qin Sang had a feeling that he might not have much time left.

Why did the half-demon reveal the secrets of the Ancient Demon Court at this very moment, after enduring so much?
Furthermore, the dragon scales and phoenix blood scattered near the Great Wind Plains also have a very mysterious origin. Why were the powerful beings of the Dragon and Phoenix clans fighting near the Great Wind Plains? Were they really just passing by? (End of Chapter)