fifth form

Chapter 3292 Receiving People and Exposing Their Shortcomings
"There is a great opportunity at Mount Tai. If everything goes smoothly, my cousin and I may both attain enlightenment at Mount Tai in the future!"

Rong Tianding waited at the Jade Emperor Peak for six days.

This period of time was at least as long as Shi Wudao had estimated.

He believed that Zhang Xuezhou would not die in the geomagnetic light, but at most be trapped by some factor. Zhang Xuezhou was not afraid of hunger and thirst, which made Rong Tianding feel more at ease.

During his patient inspection, he finally saw Zhang Xuezhou and others emerging from the cave.

After a private conversation, Rong Tianding couldn't help but marvel, feeling that the wonders of the universe were covered by the past, and that without considerable skill, one simply couldn't uncover them.

"So, my cousin will need to help Liu Xuan in the future?"

"We must make Liu Xuan see the strength of the Han Dynasty clearly and make him a witness from the outside world. Apart from the Chixiao Sword, we must have the real ability to make the Qin Dynasty suffer losses in order to extinguish the Qin Emperor's thoughts. Only in this way can I safely leave the place where he is!"

Zhang Xuezhou whispered.

It seems that as long as you get close to Qin Shi Huang, you can obtain the array artifact from the Yin-Yang Secret Realm. But getting it is one thing, and being able to safely retrieve it is another.

The Qin Emperor agreed to give the Yin-Yang School the array artifact, but did not promise that he could leave safely after receiving it.

Zhang Xuezhou was a seasoned pro at this kind of thing, and he felt that it was perfectly reasonable for him to be a little more shrewd.

"What would Liu Xuan ask for?" Rong Tianding asked.

“He’s seeking connections and resources from us, and he’s also looking to improve himself through cultivation. What he’ll do once he has enough power is still unknown,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

“It’s hard to imagine that the former crown prince of Qin has become like this,” Rong Tianding sighed. “I can’t see a trace of the crown prince’s temperament in him!”

“It is very difficult for a great cultivator to get up again after falling. The fact that he can still maintain his composure is already extremely remarkable. We cannot ask for anything more!”

Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding briefly discussed Liu Xuan, knowing that they couldn't satisfy the Qin Emperor's demands to control him in the short term, and that everything would have to wait for a suitable opportunity.

However, achieving this opportunity is extremely difficult, and even though Rong Tianding trusts Zhang Xuezhou, he still feels a headache.

The two whispered among themselves until Shi Wudao shouted "Unfair!" from afar, at which point they stopped talking.

“The Reincarnation Stones should be quite effective at entrusting life and death,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “I felt there were seventy-two Reincarnation Stones at the time. After you comprehend life and death, you can also try it. But remember you must have a way to awaken your mind, otherwise you can easily fall into real death when you are branded!”

"Cousin, did you successfully get the branding done?"

"I don't know if the branding was successful, but I don't dare to try it right now!"

"Who would dare to try something like that!"

Rong Tianding shook his head.

Although they haven't yet merged life and death, Rong Tianding felt that Zhang Xuezhou had a relatively high chance of success. However, it was indeed inconvenient to demonstrate the core technique of the Corpse School.

"I wonder if Li Shaojun is up to the task," Rong Tianding said.

"He definitely has the need, but it's hard to say whether he can learn it!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded, indicating that he understood Rong Tianding's meaning.

They didn't intend to harm Li Shaojun by making him learn the technique and die again. Rather, Li Shaojun had the clearest perception in this regard and would inevitably make relatively accurate judgments.

"How is it unfair?"

Having calculated the time needed to delay his return, Zhang Xuezhou approached Shi Wudao, who was studying the Reincarnation Stone, and watched as Shi Wudao gesticulated wildly and patted the Reincarnation Stone repeatedly.

“Unfair!” Shi Wudao lamented.

“Explain yourself more clearly,” Rong Tianding said.

“My life-and-death token is so small, and this…this place is so big,” Shi Wudao said dejectedly. “You’re not young anymore, and the Shi Jiao School has been passed down for hundreds of years. Don’t tell me that no one in your school has ever seen a Reincarnation Stone,” Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"We've always been peaceful and unassuming," Shi Wudao said dejectedly. "We've seen similar things before, but we've never studied them so carefully!"

"The corpses commanded by the Corpse-Slaying School are too low-level and ineffective. The powerful corpses they command might be the ancestors of certain schools, making them constantly viewed with suspicion, and even hated by everyone because of some grudges," Emperor Jing said disdainfully. "However, the Corpse-Slaying School's fighting techniques are not strong, making it difficult to be as vengeful and increasingly powerful as the Confucian school. It's normal that they haven't studied the Reincarnation Stone in their hundreds of years of inheritance!"

"You foolish ruler! You shouldn't expose someone's shortcomings when you're receiving them!"

Shi Wudao cursed, clearly feeling like he'd been hit where it hurt again.

Whenever a school of thought prioritizes survival, the difficulty of competing becomes very high. Rong Tianding also obtained the Corpse-Slaying Manual, but the style he developed was very similar to Zhang Xuezhou's. Most of his techniques were used for auxiliary purposes, with few methods for direct combat.

If it weren't for the lack of enmity, Rong Tianding would have had to go into hiding due to his limited skills.

It is difficult for this school of thought to openly occupy a place and conduct research in a legitimate and aboveboard manner.

Despite its seemingly centuries-old tradition, the Corpse-Eating School has never actually studied the Reincarnation Stone.

Only when this secret place was deserted did Shi Wudao begin to study it carefully.

"What, is the Reincarnation Stone the same as your Life and Death Decree?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

"They're different, but they share some similarities and are from the same source," Shi Wudao said dejectedly. "This Reincarnation Stone is constantly emitting spiritual energy, so its effects after being imbued with life and death should be much better than the Life and Death Token!"

"With such a good product right here, you should try it quickly," Zhang Xuezhou urged.

"Ha...hahaha~"

Shi Wudao let out a dry laugh, and a variety of complex emotions appeared on Fei Jiang's face.

Although Zhang Xuezhou had invited him, Shi Wudao showed no sign of making a move.

"Once you entrust your life to a treasure, it's hard to change it," Emperor Jing finally said. "Such a treasure is difficult to transfer, and each attempt to change it is no less than a death sentence. He's not confident that he can succeed!"

I really envy you guys!

Shi Wudao, dejected, continued speaking.

"You are good at discovering things, you are bold, and you are geniuses in cultivation. Perhaps I am really getting old!"

Despite having reached the True Self Realm and possessing the ability to resurrect from the dead, Shi Wudao felt a sense of desolation, realizing that their era was gradually fading away.

Like the Yangtze River, the new generation surpasses the old. He was the master of the Corpse-Slaying School's techniques, but Zhang Xuezhou, who only had a slight connection to the school, easily surpassed him.

His proud skills were replicated and even strengthened in a short time, making his more than 100 years of cultivation seem ridiculous. Shi Wudao didn't even know what the point of his efforts was.

Everything seemed to have become dull and tasteless. Shi Wudao's low spirits even alerted Emperor Jing, who repeatedly tried to persuade him.

"Try to think positively. Look how miserable I am. My mother doesn't like me. My younger brother is waiting for me to die so he can take the throne. The woman I loved most was a fairy from the Celestial Court. She cast a spell in the palace to make me die sooner. My most trusted teacher accepted the amnesty and became an official in the Celestial Court. He seemed loyal and virtuous, but he always wanted to overthrow the court, which triggered the biggest civil war since the founding of the Han Dynasty. The crown prince I raised for many years is not my biological son. I didn't have many good days in life, and I won't have peace even after death. Now I've become this strange-looking person!"

Shi Wudao felt that his life was miserable.

But after Emperor Jing recounted his own life, he discovered that others were not happy either.

If everyone else is also having a miserable time, his mindset will definitely be better when compared to them.

If life feels boring, watching other people's unfortunate lives seems like a good alternative.

As for lucky ones like Zhang Xuezhou, forget about it; Shi Wudao wouldn't stoop to comparing himself to such fortunate people.

But when Zhang Xuezhou casually mentioned his childhood experiences, Shi Wudao felt a warm glow in his heart, and the piercing pain disappeared.