fifth form

Chapter 3623 The Forced Push of Little Huo

Dong Zhongshu had indeed witnessed Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor working together to kill, so it's not hard to understand what kind of ruthless character someone was who could charge towards Daojun and Zhujiuyin.

Most importantly, Zhang Xuezhou and his team won.

Judging from the limited information available, Dong Zhongshu was quite certain that Daojun and Zhujiuyin had met with disaster.

Both of them enjoyed extremely high prestige and reputation in Beiju Luzhou, and possessed terrifyingly powerful abilities, but they disappeared without a trace.

Based on Zhang Xuezhou's and the new emperor's ability to control the Sky Shuttle for long distances, Dong Zhongshu suspected that Daojun and Zhujiuyin had been poisoned by Zhang Xuezhou and others.

Although he was willing to accept the verification of cultivators from all over the world in Chang'an, Dong Zhongshu really didn't dare to be presumptuous when he met Zhang Xuezhou and others.

"I have plenty of time now, you can move me wherever you want!"

Dong Zhongshu had just mentioned that he was extremely busy and could not leave the Confucius Temple unless he was the victor, but the next moment he had become a free man and was very willing to cooperate with Zhang Xuezhou.

This change surprised Ren Anran, but as long as she thought about how Zhang Xuezhou's abilities were similar in reality, she could accept the change of heart of this Confucian leader.

“It’s nothing much. Xiao Huo has entered the Divine Power Realm, and I’m thinking of giving him another helping hand to see if I can push him into the Sovereign Realm,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “Xiao Huo’s cultivation method is quite profound, and we need Master Dong to take a look!”

"Little Huo has only been in the Divine Power Realm for less than half a month. Aren't you being a little too hasty in pushing him into the Sovereign Realm?"

Dong Zhongshu took a deep breath.

Zhang Xuezhou spoke lightly, but Dong Zhongshu was well aware of the difficulty of the matter.

If the cultivation level of cultivators in the world could be forcibly increased, they wouldn't have had to endure so much hardship back then.

It is extremely difficult for cultivators with solid foundations like them to advance further, let alone for a young Huo Qubing.

Even the simplest way of cultivation has its limits. "Zhongni Qiguan Shuo" is not an omnipotent classic. This classic is easy to get started with, but that does not mean that it will always be simple if you continue to cultivate. In fact, the higher you go in cultivation, the more difficult it becomes, which requires modifying the realm technique. It is already a miracle that Huo Qubing was able to cultivate to the supernatural realm.

Dong Zhongshu felt that it was too difficult to push Huo Qubing into the realm of self-centeredness at that time.

“Kong Anguo can break through six realms in a year, while some people struggle to break through even one realm in six years,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “Cultivation is never about the length of time. Whether it’s a year or three years, as long as the conditions are met, one can advance!”

“An Guo probably wants to cry when he hears you use him as an example,” Dong Zhongshu shook his head and said, “He has accumulated years of experience and broken through six realms in a row. He spent five years trying to enter the Divine Power Realm. He mentioned that he would enter the Self-Identity Realm in at least ten or even fifteen years. If he had the opportunity to enter the True Self Realm, it would be after he was fifty-five years old. He mocked himself for always considering himself extraordinary, but in the end he still became just an ordinary person!”

"A fifty-five-year-old True Self Realm cultivator is not considered utterly mediocre!"

Zhang Xuezhou opened his mouth as if to suggest that opportunities for advancement in cultivation could shorten the lifespan, but then closed his mouth again.

In the past, when people could cultivate the art of destiny, a cultivator like Kong Anguo, who had cultivated for more than thirty years and was able to enter the True Self Realm, would have been considered a top genius.

However, given that the average lifespan of cultivators is over seventy years, Kong Anguo's pace was a step behind. The physical aging that came with being fifty-five years old meant that he needed to rely on carriages and horses to travel, and even with his True Self Realm cultivation, he had little room to make use of it.

In the ambush at Mayi, many powerful cultivators were not even capable of making an appearance. They traveled to the border by carriage and could only return by carriage.

The ideal age for a Grand Master of the True Self Realm to be selected is around forty years old. This is a relatively extreme age. Grand Masters at this age have accumulated enough knowledge, hold high official positions, have strong willpower, and can engage in high-intensity work, thus enabling them to shoulder top-level important positions in the Great Han Dynasty.

Kong Anguo had lofty aspirations, but his abilities fell short of them. He was keenly aware of his own limitations, which led to this self-deprecating remark.

Zhang Xuezhou himself was in dire straits, barely able to protect himself, let alone help a cultivator he once had a good impression of. Zhang Xuezhou always believed that his cultivation required him to seize opportunities, and whether he could get one depended on his own worth. He was never one to do things for others; Ning Que was a prime example of this.

Huo Qubing was valued only because of his special worth, while Zhang Xuezhou obtained a large number of elixirs from the Celestial Court and also had a certain ability to support him, which enabled Zhang Xuezhou to win over many people and give him a push.

"Little Huo is only thirteen years old. The price you'll have to pay for betting on him to reach the True Self Realm is very high. This kind of cultivation resource could at least create a Kong Anguo who has reached the True Self Realm!"

Dong Zhongshu walked quickly alongside Zhang Xuezhou, and looking at the calm-faced Zhang Xuezhou, he couldn't help but repeatedly remind him.

"Kong Anguo in the True Self Realm is of no benefit to me!"

Investment requires returns, and Zhang Xuezhou's resources are not commonplace. Whether it's Kong Anguo or Wei Qing, he won't place an investment if he can't get feedback.

Zhang Xuezhou is not the new emperor. The new emperor will not care which courtier can rise to a high position. As long as they can contribute to the court, they will be satisfied. Zhang Xuezhou's goals are very clear. No one else would be given such heavy resources to cultivate.

After asking several questions, Dong Zhongshu finally understood the answer.

Regardless of Huo Qubing's age or whether he was suitable for rapidly advancing his cultivation level, as long as Huo Qubing had the value of fusing with the Nascent Soul stage, Zhang Xuezhou would choose to push him forward, even if it meant wasting cultivation resources.

The new emperor and Wei Qing were in charge of Huo Qubing's cultivation from the Meridian Realm to the Body Transformation Realm, the Empress Dowager was in charge of the Divine Power Realm cultivation, and Zhang Xuezhou began to take over the Self-Impart Realm cultivation.

Each step of the cultivation process is more difficult than the last, and no one can ever guarantee that the cultivation will be successful. However, Huo Qubing was repeatedly pushed upward by everyone until he reached his current level.

Dong Zhongshu put his mind at ease. He was also very curious about whether Huo Qubing's young body could withstand the long and continuous training, and how Zhang Xuezhou would exert his strength to promote it.

"Xiao Huo must have graduated from the academy after reaching the Divine Power Realm. Where did he go this time?"

Arriving at Wei Qing's residence in the Imperial City by carriage, Zhang Xuezhou got off and knocked on the door, but no one answered. He turned to Ren Anran, who was in contact with Huo Qubing, and asked her.

"Xiao Huo stayed at Changxin Palace for a while, and after leaving the palace, he went off to have fun everywhere," Ren Anran said. "Perhaps he was in an underground gambling den, or maybe he was listening to music in a brothel!"

Where is the largest gambling den in Chang'an?

Zhang Xuezhou looked at Liu Xuan, who had remained silent the whole way.

With limited leisure options available in today's society, gambling dens and brothels are the best places for ordinary people to release stress, unless they involve aristocratic lifestyles such as hunting in enclosures.

Wei Shao'er was a popular courtesan in a brothel. Huo Qubing had frequented brothels since childhood and was extremely familiar with such places. Huo Qubing rarely had any interest in touching older women, so it was unlikely that he would go to a brothel to listen to music. The rest of the reason is not hard to guess.

Over the years, Wei Shao'er has often accompanied Liu Xuan to underground gambling dens, and most of the money he earned from singing has been used by Liu Xuan to squander in the gambling dens.

If asked about the entrance to the underground gambling den, Liu Xuan would certainly know the relevant details.

"Mingci Gambling House!"

Liu Xuan paused for a moment before saying the name of the gambling den, and then added some details.

"The mastermind behind that gambling den has excavated many ancient tombs, containing a lot of valuable items. There are also many skilled divination masters inside. These people will use the gambling games to set traps, making people more and more entangled, and the more they want something, the less they can get it!"

For Liu Xuan, the Mingci gambling den was also the place where he lost his wings.

Just as he couldn't see through Zhang Xuezhou's true nature when facing him, Liu Xuan also couldn't see through the true nature of Mingci Gambling House. He won some useful items at the gambling house, but he lost all his money by repeatedly investing.