Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chapter 683 Imperial Advisor Su Qingying

Imperial Prefecture.

Stepping through the vermilion gate, a large courtyard shaped like an octagon suddenly unfolds before your eyes.

The entire ground is paved with black and white jade, with yin and yang fish flowing underfoot, and a faint blue light moving between the trigram patterns.

At the very center of the Bagua, a bronze giant sword sculpture stands upright, its blade pointing straight to the sky. The sword is wrapped with lightning patterns as fine as hair, as if it could strike down heavenly punishment at any moment.

At this moment, the Imperial Preceptor's residence was unusually quiet, with not a sound coming out.

"Does the Imperial Preceptor really like peace and quiet?" Jiang Ning suddenly asked.

"Yes!" The girl nodded. "In this huge mansion, the Imperial Preceptor only supports me and one other servant. Including the Imperial Preceptor, there are only three of us. Every night, I feel a chilling loneliness!"

"With the Grand Preceptor here, what is there to be afraid of! She is the Grand Preceptor of the Great Xia Dynasty!" Jiang Ning said.

“That’s true!” The girl nodded as she walked. “Looking at the whole world, the Imperial Advisor is one of the strongest people. With the Imperial Advisor here, no one dares to sneak into the Imperial Advisor’s residence.”

As the two talked, they crossed the open space in front of the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

Then we passed through a circular archway.

The scene suddenly became deep and secluded.

Dozens of ancient cypress trees, some over a thousand years old, rise from the ground, their branches twisted like dragons, their dark green canopies intertwined to form an impenetrable dome.

The sunlight was torn into fragments of gold, dappling the moss-covered stone path.

The deeper one goes, the thicker the pale blue mist hangs in the air, and one can vaguely hear the sound of wind, like the whistling of swords, weaving through the gaps in the leaves.

"My lord, please follow my footsteps closely. This is a maze set up by the Imperial Advisor. If you take the wrong step and enter the maze, you will have to wait for the Imperial Advisor to come!" the girl said to Jiang Ning.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded.

The two then stepped into the deep forest.

He immediately saw the surrounding mist surging in, engulfing the two of them in an instant.

Looking back, I saw that the road I had come from had turned into a vast expanse of white.

"My lord, we have now entered a maze, and our orientation has been reversed. Forward is not necessarily forward; it could be backward, left, or right. Therefore, any sense of direction we have now is incorrect!"

"And this directional deflection changes every so often."

As the girl spoke.

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew by, rustling the leaves.

"Sir, the direction has deviated again!"

"Is the wind blowing through the jungle the time when the maze changes?" Jiang Ning asked.

“Yes, sir!” The girl nodded, then added, “But this is only one variation; there are five others.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl said, "My lord, I am about to move forward. Please follow my footsteps closely!"

Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

Then, as he watched the girl take a step, he followed suit.

He had no doubt about the power of this maze, after all, it was set up by the Imperial Advisor.

The imperial advisor was also of extraordinary background and possessed exceptional abilities.

The maze set up by such a person is unlikely to be simple.

After following for a few steps, Jiang Ning suddenly thought of something.

Then his eyes opened and closed, and flames suddenly appeared in them.

His sharp eyes revealed themselves, and he instantly saw that the fog ahead had completely dissipated.

The dozens of ancient trees intertwined no longer gave him that strange feeling, but instead appeared to him as just an ordinary forest.

He then realized that the steps he had taken were actually leading him to the left.

In the instant his movements stopped, the distance between the girl and him instantly increased by a body length.

When the girl realized there was no more movement behind her, she turned around and saw that Jiang Ning's blurry figure was gone, replaced by a white mist.

"grown ups!"

"grown ups!!"

She immediately called out, her tone somewhat anxious.

She knew that it was not advisable to make any moves against the Imperial Advisor at this time.

If the Imperial Advisor were free to travel, he wouldn't have asked her to invite Jiang Ning over. Judging from her attitude towards the Imperial Advisor at the time, he would have definitely come to visit in person.

But if she messes things up, given the Imperial Advisor's attitude at the time, he would definitely come over immediately.

Thinking about this made her even more anxious.

Just then, she saw a blurry figure appear in her field of vision, which then became clear in an instant.

At that moment, her gaze was fixed on those eyes that shone with firelight despite being shrouded in mist.

“Sir, you…” the girl began.

Jiang Ning smiled and said, "I happen to have some special methods that allow me to see through this maze."

He was in a good mood at the moment.

The Fiery Eyes possess the ability to dispel illusions and break through delusion, but he had never had the chance to try it before, because before today, he had never seen mazes, illusions, or similar phenomena.

Upon seeing this maze today, he remembered the effects of his Fiery Eyes, and thus decided to give it a try.

He was very satisfied with the results of this attempt.

With his Fiery Eyes activated, the maze completely lost its effect on him, and he could now easily pass through it.

This maze was personally set up by the imperial advisor.

From this, he could see that his Fire Eyes were extremely powerful.

"Follow me!" Jiang Ning said.

He then walked forward on his own initiative.

However, what the girl saw was Jiang Ning suddenly shifting to the right.

Seeing this, she didn't have time to think too much and followed after them.

Just a dozen or so breaths.

Two figures emerged from the ancient forest.

The moment the two of them walked out of the maze.

The white mist behind them vanished instantly, leaving not a trace, as if the scene just now was merely an illusion for the two of them.

Upon exiting the ancient forest, Jiang Ning saw a bamboo grove ahead.

The bamboo and trees stand straight, reaching towards the sky, like long swords piercing the heavens.

Even the bamboo leaves growing on the bamboo and wood were very straight, giving Jiang Ning the feeling of a small sword hanging on the bamboo and wood.

"This is probably another formation, and most likely a killing formation," Jiang Ning thought to himself.

"The Imperial Advisor is in the bamboo forest!" the girl said.

Facing the bamboo forest ahead, she didn't introduce it, but led Jiang Ning directly into the bamboo forest.

Seeing this and confirming there was no danger, Jiang Ning followed the girl.

After a while.

The two then arrived at a bamboo house.

A bamboo house can be seen nestled deep in the bamboo forest ahead.

The entire structure is made of jade-like bamboo, each section of which gleams with a warm, emerald light, and the naturally formed patterns on the surface resemble intertwined talismans.

Seven strings of bronze wind chimes hang from the eaves, their bodies engraved with star patterns. When they move without wind, they emit a clear and melodious ringing sound, like the chime of a sword or the cry of a crane.

With just one glance, Jiang Ning knew that the bamboo house in front of him was made of extraordinary materials, and that this bamboo house was also extraordinary.

"My lord, the Imperial Preceptor is currently recuperating in the bamboo house. I cannot go in. Please go there in person."

Jiang Ning nodded.

He then strode forward. "Inspector of Dongling Prefecture, Jiangning!"

"I have come to pay my respects to the Imperial Preceptor!"

The sound was loud and resonant, spreading outwards.

But with the rustling of bamboo leaves, the sound that was being transmitted was instantly swallowed up.

"Your Excellency, there's no need for such formalities. I apologize for not being able to greet you. Please come inside." The girl's unique, clear voice rang in Jiang Ning's ears.

Your Majesty?

Upon hearing these four words, Jiang Ning was secretly startled.

He immediately realized that the Grand Preceptor, like the Holy Lord Fu Yuan and the Holy Mother Black Lotus, had mistaken him for someone else.

Thinking of this, his heart sank.

"I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse!" The thought flashed through his mind.

But he understood that now that he was already here, it was no longer appropriate to leave.

Then he noticed that the girl who had brought him there had left.

He quickly composed himself and walked forward.

As he climbed the steps made of jade-green bamboo, he immediately felt a cool breeze rising from his feet to his body.

"Good stuff!" he thought to himself in surprise.

He could feel that this coolness was extraordinary and was also effective for him now.

More importantly, this coolness would obviously increase his energy points.

"As expected of the Imperial Advisor, he is indeed wealthy!" he thought to himself, and then stepped forward.

After climbing six steps, he entered the bamboo house.

Upon entering the bamboo house, he felt a cool breeze rising from his feet, and the same sensation came from all directions.

"What a wonderful place! If I stayed here for a day, I wonder how many source energy points I could gain!" The thought arose in his mind, and he immediately became interested.

Upon entering the house, he noticed the commotion in the side hall.

Behind the cascading mist, a woman huddled inside a bamboo tub.

"Su Qingying greets Your Majesty the Divine Lord!" the girl said respectfully.

"What's wrong with the Imperial Advisor?" Jiang Ning quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on it any longer.

He was worried that if he continued to dwell on the topic, he would leak information.

"Your Majesty saw it yesterday. I was injured by that Holy Lord Fuyuan. My injuries are too severe to leave the bathtub for the time being. I can only rely on the Eight Treasures Jade Marrow in the bathtub to stabilize my injuries!" the girl behind the veil said.

"It seems the Imperial Advisor also noticed that I was watching you yesterday!" Jiang Ning said.

"The gaze of the Divine Lord is as dazzling as the sun!" the girl exclaimed.

Then he added, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I need the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before I can get out of this bath."

"There's no need to be so formal!" Jiang Ning shook his head and said.

"The Divine Lord is indeed the Divine Lord, with a heart of boundless compassion!" the girl complimented.

"What brings you here today?" Jiang Ning asked.

"I would like to ask the Divine Lord for guidance on how to completely sever my divinity while retaining my humanity, thereby breaking free from the shackles of the power of heaven and earth," the girl asked earnestly.

"Haven't you done it yet?" Jiang Ning asked.

“Just a little bit more!” the girl said, continuing, “If we don’t complete the final step, we will eventually be devoured by divinity!”

"In this life, I do not want to be a puppet under the rule of Heaven, nor do I want to be a god high above, a god trapped in a cage!"

"I want to be like the God, completely severing my divinity and becoming human, a living being with a truly free soul and will!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately understood why the Imperial Advisor had sought him out.

In the eyes of the Grand Preceptor, the Holy Lord Fuyuan, and the Holy Mother Black Lotus, she was a high and mighty deity who had severed her divinity, leaving behind only her humanity.

Therefore, they all treated themselves with great respect.

Although he didn't understand the factors involved, it didn't prevent him from making the corresponding judgment.

“There is a way I can try!” Jiang Ning said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the girl said respectfully.

Jiang Ning shook his head: "No need to thank me so quickly. I can't guarantee anything. I was just using you as a test!"

"The fact that the God Lord used me as a test shows that I have value in the God Lord's eyes!" The girl's tone was very respectful.

Then she added, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will do my best to stabilize my injuries. I should be able to emerge from the Eight Treasures Jade Marrow in about half a cup of tea's time."

"Don't rush, focus on recovering from your injuries! Your body might not be able to handle it later!" Jiang Ning said.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir!" the girl said.

"You're too kind, Imperial Preceptor!" Jiang Ning said.

“Your Majesty, you don’t need to call me by the title of National Preceptor. My name in this life is Su Qingying. You can call me by my name, or you can call me Qingying or Xiaoying,” the girl said.

“Okay!” Jiang Ning nodded, “Then I’ll change how I address you.”

After agreeing to Su Qingying's request, he sat down cross-legged.

With his eyes closed, he immediately saw countless green lights floating in the surrounding darkness.

Then, with a thought, he actively absorbed these green light spots.

He immediately felt a greater amount of coolness flowing into his body than before.

“My Lord! If the bamboo house built from century-old jade bamboo is of any help to you, you may cultivate on my bamboo bed! My bamboo bed is made from three-thousand-year-old jade bamboo, and its effect is more than ten times that of this wooden house,” Su Qingying said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately opened his eyes.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll go!” he said.

“It is my honor that Your Majesty uses my jade bed for cultivation, how could I possibly mind!” Su Qingying said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately stood up.

"My lord, the small room is just ahead on the right!" Su Qingying's voice rang out again.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning walked forward.

Then, turning right, he saw a bamboo bed about 1.5 meters wide and 2 meters long in the corner of a room that was about five or six meters square.

A green light emanated from the bamboo bed, as if a misty color was emerging.

Compared to the surrounding bamboo houses, the bamboo bed appears to have a more jade-like and warm color.

"Actively absorbing nutrients on this bed will undoubtedly yield stronger results!"

Jiang Ning's heart stirred, and then he noticed several pieces of intimate clothing lying on the bamboo bed.

He hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward.

He reached out and picked up the few pieces of Su Qingying's personal clothing, then hung them at one end of the bamboo bed.

Then he pushed the messy bedding into a corner.

He then took off his boots and sat cross-legged in the center of the bamboo bed.

In an instant.

He then felt a coolness ten times greater than that of the manual surging into his body.

"It truly is a treasure!" he thought with delight.

He quickly calmed himself down and began to actively absorb the cool air.

next moment.

A cool sensation surged into his body like a torrent, spreading throughout his limbs and bones, making him feel refreshed.

On the other side, Su Qingying continued to close her eyes, actively absorbing the essence from the Eight Treasures Jade Marrow.

(End of this chapter)