fifth form

Chapter 3017 Dong Yan
"The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" is a poem in which a man pleads with a woman for her affections.

Princess Dou even brought a musical ensemble and set up a set of chime bells and other instruments just to hear Zhang Xuezhou recite his poem, waiting for him to demonstrate his ambition to win the heart of a princess.

She gave Zhang Xuezhou plenty of face, but her gaze couldn't help but sweep around, trying to see where the beauty Zhang Xuezhou was so obsessed with was.

However, the banquet at the mansion was attended entirely by married women.

"Dongfang Shuo, where is the beauty you've been longing for?"

After exchanging pleasantries with the new emperor, Princess Dou quickly moved on to the fun she was looking for.

She glanced at Wei Shao'er beside Chen Zhang and felt that Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't be so absurd as to pursue a married woman. As for Chunyu Tiying beside Zheng Wukong, she was too old, and Zhang Xuezhou's tastes shouldn't be that bad. Moreover, since Princess Dou had met A Qiao, she didn't think that Zhang Xuezhou and his wife would hold banquets and remarry repeatedly.

After eliminating a handful of people, Dou Taizhu realized that she hadn't even seen a glimpse of the woman.

"No hurry, no hurry!"

Zhang Xuezhou glanced outside the mansion and realized that it would be quite difficult for Yi Shuo to ask for leave from Changxin Palace today, as she had not yet left the palace.

"Today is not a day off for the ladies-in-waiting of Changxin Palace. Could she be stuck in the palace and unable to leave?"

The new emperor knew who Zhang Xuezhou was marrying. After thinking for a few seconds, he felt that Yi Shuo was very likely still in the palace.

Looking at Zhang Xuezhou, he felt that this was the first time he had ever participated in such a bizarre wedding banquet.

The guests had all arrived, but the bride was still confined to the palace and could not leave.

"It's not difficult to ask for leave for weddings or funerals; Changxin Palace won't be unreasonable," the new emperor thought to himself. "I'll send someone over to check on the situation!"

The mansion was close to the palace, making things easier. After a brief conversation, the new emperor summoned a palace guard to search for the person.

"You call this a marriage?"

Princess Dou, seated in the second seat, was also speechless after listening to the conversation between the new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou.

All the gifts for the guests had been given, but the bride was stuck in traffic on the way.

If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't invited such distinguished guests, this wedding would have been a one-man show.

"Everyone, please eat and drink to your heart's content!"

Zhang Xuezhou looked embarrassed and then raised his cup to Dou Taizhu.

"I wonder who this handsome man is beside the Prince?"

If you don't want to embarrass yourself, you can only embarrass others.

While waiting for Yi Shuo to arrive, Zhang Xuezhou quickly changed the subject.

"This gentleman is handsome and dashing, a rare young and good-looking man. I wonder which noble family he comes from," Zhang Xuezhou praised. Then he added, "We have plenty of seats at this banquet, why should His Highness make him stand?"

"Hehehe," Dou Taizhu laughed, "Lord Dongfang really knows how to praise people. Dong Yan is not the son of some prince or noble family. He is an outstanding disciple who has been trained by our Master Huang for many years!"

"I see," Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed. "No wonder I sensed his extraordinary talent at first glance; he's a top student of the school!"

"Aunt, what skills does Dong Yan possess?" the new emperor couldn't help but ask.

"Dong Yan, go down and demonstrate!"

Princess Dou gestured, and Dong Yan bowed his head in greeting before entering the open space in the center of the banquet.

He reached into his robes and took out a piece of silk. After twirling it several times, hundreds of butterflies fluttered out from the silk.

Dong Yan reached out and drew the butterflies, which clung to him and began to flap their wings, lifting him about a foot off the ground as they moved slowly, a sight that looked quite magical.

Of course, if Li Shaojun were here, he would definitely comment that it was "flashy and flashy." From the perspective of the practical application of flying techniques, Dong Yan's technique was not up to standard, but in terms of the aesthetically pleasing performance effect, even Li Shaojun could not find any fault with it.

Zhang Xuezhou reached out his hand, and Dong Yan, as if knowing what everyone was thinking, had the butterflies on his body flutter and fly closer to them.

A butterfly was placed in Zhang Xuezhou's hand, and then it took on its original form.

"To transform from a leaf into a butterfly—that's an amazing ability!"

A butterfly fluttered in, fell into the palm of the hand, and transformed into a leaf. This transformation was extremely exquisite. Zhang Xuezhou nodded in praise, while the new emperor couldn't help but marvel.

“Dong Yan’s cultivation level has not yet reached the realm of supernatural powers, and his Taoist skills are still somewhat lacking,” Dou Taizhu laughed. “If he could turn water into a blade and kill his enemy in an instant, that kind of skill would be truly remarkable!”

"That's already incredibly strong!"

The new emperor shook his head.

This technique is slow to activate and has almost no lethality, but it only requires a slight transition from performance to killing.

In his hand, there could be an ordinary leaf, or there could be a poisoned leaf.

Dong Yan's magic has many uses when used for surprise attacks.

The new emperor was thrilled by the prospect of such a target. If Dong Yan had not been a member of Princess Dou's faction, he would have almost wanted to recruit him into the court and promote his development.

"Excellent Taoist magic!"

Zhang Xuezhou pointed, indicating that Dong Yan could take a seat.

Dong Yan then looked at Princess Dou, and only after Princess Dou nodded with a smile did he choose a table near Huo Qubing and sit down.

“With the cultivation and training of magic, Dong Yan’s temperament is natural, as if he was born with an air of nobility. Such confidence and composure are rare,” Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed. “The talents cultivated by the Great Master Huang Lao Dao are truly remarkable!”

"That's right," the new emperor nodded in agreement. "No matter how many kinds of magic and supernatural powers one possesses, one still needs to remain calm and composed to use them effectively. Some cultivators consider themselves experts, but when faced with risks, they become flustered and their strength is less than one-tenth of what it used to be. Some even suffer defeat and death, and all their cultivation is ultimately in vain!"

As the new emperor grew older, he learned more and more principles.

In the past, he only sought cultivation level, believing that the higher the level, the more powerful he would be, and that with strong individual strength, he could control everything.

But society is not as simple as he thought, and a cultivator's methods are not solely determined by their high level of cultivation.

For example, the new emperor has been frequently comparing Prime Minister Tian Fen to others recently, and he feels that Tian Fen's claim to be in the True Self Realm is highly questionable.

Lacking both life-or-death battles and sufficient opponents of equal caliber, Tian Fen's cultivation level appeared extremely weak, and his skill in using the Sky Shuttle was still inferior to Zhang Xuezhou's.

Of course, even if the new emperor doesn't agree, Tian Fen's level of skill is genuine.

He could only conclude that Tian Fen was a prodigy skilled in cultivation realms, and with the strong support of Changxin Palace, he was able to unleash his greatest strengths.

If Tian Fen is used as a True Self Realm cultivator, he is not qualified; but if Tian Fen is used as a Sovereign Realm cultivator, he is very qualified.

The new emperor knew very well that his high standards and excessive expectations of Tian Fen were the reasons for his dissatisfaction with Tian Fen's performance.

If Tian Fen's magical skills were as refined as Dong Yan's, and he had experienced numerous battles and killings, then he might truly have become a pillar of the Han Dynasty.

The new emperor had something on his mind, and he would occasionally discuss Dong Yan with Princess Dou, suggesting that Princess Dou should nurture Dong Yan well, so that perhaps Huang Laodao could produce another extraordinary great cultivator.

Amidst the cacophony of voices, the sound of someone running wildly from the entrance of the mansion could be heard.

"Brother Dongfang, you want to marry me!"

Yi Shuo's hurried, slightly trembling voice came from the entrance of the mansion, followed by the appearance of the person wearing the uniform of a physician from Changxin Palace.

Princess Dou glanced at it a few times, then quickly shut her mouth, which was about to speak. She felt that the beautiful scene of the phoenix seeking its mate in her fantasy had been shattered.