National Division

Chapter 95 Shen Xian: It suits him so well...

With the dismissal of the two prime ministers, Cui and Lu, Shen Xian's name gradually spread throughout the court and the country.

This matter will not be discussed further.

Meanwhile, Shen Xian temporarily bid farewell to the Empress and, accompanied by Xue Zhihua and the Imperial Preceptor Murong Yue, headed southwest of the palace, intending to make close contact with the immortal forces.

Because the sky above the capital city was protected by a nine-realm immortal anti-air formation, Murong Yue only used her domain magic to lead Xue Zhihua and Shen Xian out of the palace.

From the right side gate, cross the Luo River, bypass the forbidden area, turn north, and head towards Beiman Mountain.

Once outside the palace, the three of them rode on clouds and mist, concealing their figures and auras, and flew across the Luo River.

Shen Xian gazed at the well-arranged palaces and scattered neighborhoods behind him. Although it wasn't the first time he had seen them, he was still awestruck.

It was nearly noon when the city gate was bustling with carriages and people, while the shimmering Luo River was filled with masts and boats.

Shen Xian sighed inwardly.

No wonder the Crane Guardian of Qingyang Temple is so arrogant, regarding all living beings as ants. It's simply because of this condescending perspective that mortals are like busy worker ants, unable to live a long and carefree life.

Being close to power already gives one a sense of superiority, let alone actually wielding power, or even living a long and prosperous life.
I'm afraid they've long since stopped regarding the mortals below as their own kind.

Xue Zhihua's cool yet gentle voice interrupted Shen Xian's thoughts: "The Shangqing Great Sect is located in the Qingxuan Cave Heaven outside Beiman Mountain. On weekdays, the elders of the sect are in seclusion in the cave heaven to cultivate, and of course, some disciples live in the capital city."

"A grotto-heaven?" Shen Xian's heart stirred, and he said, "Could the Vermilion Bird Blessed Land be called a grotto-heaven or a blessed land?"

The Taoist concept of blessed lands and grotto-heavens should refer to this place.

Xue Zhihua nodded and said in a clear voice, "The Qingxuan Cave Heaven is like spring all year round, with a suitable climate. However, occasionally the sect leader will cause heavy snow to fall when it is still the hot summer of June outside, so that the disciples in the sect can experience the severe cold of winter. In order to help the disciples understand the great principles of the heavens and earth, the cycle of the four seasons, the mutual generation of yin and yang, and the rise and fall of life."

Shen Xian nodded, a hint of understanding in his eyes.

This is the world of immortals, where supernatural powers can alter celestial phenomena.

If such great power were used for humane agriculture, ensuring favorable weather and abundant harvests year after year would be a given.

But no immortals appeared to conjure clouds and rain to alleviate the drought.

Perhaps because the outside world is not like the celestial realm, the spiritual energy required to summon supernatural powers is enormous.

Murong Yue glanced at Xue Zhihua with her calm and clear eyes, and said in a mysterious tone, "After you entered the Danxia Realm, you now understand the good intentions of your Master Uncle."

At that time, there were many complaints in her ears. Outside, it was scorching hot, but inside the cave, the wind was biting cold. The sect leader was torturing them, the cultivators of the first and second realms.

Shen Xian suppressed his longing for immortality and supernatural powers, turned to look at Murong Yue beside him, and asked, "Grand Preceptor Murong, may I ask you about matters concerning the immortal and martial arts paths?"

The female Taoist priest straightened her posture and asked, "What would Scholar Shen like to ask?"

After submitting three memorials impeaching the two prime ministers, the female Taoist priestess now regards Shen Xian as an important minister of the Great Jing court.

Shen Xian carefully considered his words and said, "I heard Miss Xue mention a spiritual treasure placed in the Xuanzhen Temple of the Eight Views Palace. It is called the Eternal Green Pagoda, and its time flow is different from that of the outside world. It can assist in cultivation. I wonder if this is true?"

He wanted to improve his martial arts skills quickly, or rather, he couldn't afford to spend years and months cultivating.

His rapid advancement in officialdom would gradually bring him into contact with other cultivators of the same level, but the constraints of official duties would leave him with little time for gradual cultivation.

“Indeed, such a thing exists.” Murong Yue glanced at Xue Zhihua with a surprised expression, her voice clear and calm: “This tower is located in the Great Crimson Sky Cave of Taiqing. It steals the power of time and allows one to travel in reverse time. As you think, it can assist in the cultivation of martial arts.”

Shen Xian said, "Everything has a price, and there must be some drawbacks as well."

Every gift from fate comes with a hidden price tag.

"Of course." Murong Yue nodded, her clear, watery eyes looking at the young man, thinking to herself, this person has extraordinary comprehension.

"According to the ancient immortal's notes, within the ancient Heavenly Court, one day in heaven is equivalent to one year on earth. However, within the Eternal Evergreen Tower, one can achieve a year within the tower while only ten days pass outside. But although one's appearance doesn't change much during a year inside the tower, one's lifespan is definitely consumed by one year. In addition, there may be some other drawbacks." Murong Yue's tone also carried a sense of wonder at the mysteries of creation, or rather, a longing for the ancient Heavenly Court.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian frowned and thought to himself, "Indeed, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

"Therefore, it is usually disciples of the three religions who enter the tower to cultivate in order to focus on studying Taoist arts and preparing for the exams. Not many people actually use it to cultivate and improve their realm." Murong Yue explained patiently, her gaze falling on Shen Xian's face.

Shen Xian said, "Yes, the pursuit of immortality is to live forever. Since it also consumes lifespan, it is better to cultivate in the outside world."

So this cultivation time might be useful for those who want to make a quick breakthrough in their cultivation, but if you cultivate for ten years, you will also consume ten years of your lifespan.

"Not only that." Murong Yue shook her head slightly and said, "The path to immortality is useless if you rely solely on arduous cultivation. It depends more on enlightenment. Staying in the tower for a long time is like being a prisoner. You can't see the world and all living beings, you can't understand your own mind and nature, and you can't comprehend the Dao. So how can you make any progress? It is said that in ancient times, Golden Immortals would often go into seclusion for hundreds or thousands of years. But apart from growing old and having more refined magical power, their realm remained unchanged."

In the end, Murong Yue let out a soft sigh.

And wasn't she the same?

Seeing the thoughtful look on Shen Xian's face, Xue Zhihua thought he was puzzled and explained: "The path of immortality emphasizes spirituality and comprehension, while the path of martial arts emphasizes physical constitution and resources. Of course, the path of immortality also requires resources, but unlike the path of martial arts, it cannot be accumulated by accumulating resources."

Shen Xian nodded, indicating that he understood.

Murong Yue said, "Even martial arts require comprehension. For example, if you want to cultivate a martial art to the point of harmony between heaven and man, you can't do it without comprehension. Not to mention, when it comes to condensing the martial will, the most important thing is to understand. Relying solely on taking pills to improve cultivation goes against the nature of a martial artist who is good at fighting."

As he spoke, he gave Shen Xian a deep look, clearly with a hidden meaning.

Don't try to take shortcuts.

"You just broke through two minor realms using pills. Right now, you should focus on honing your martial arts skills. Finally, when you reach the Innate Realm, you should gain a preliminary understanding of the martial arts essence before aiming to advance to the Grandmaster level," Murong Yue said softly.

Shen Xian's eyes flickered, remaining noncommittal. The Eternal Green Tower—perfect for him.

If he stays inside for a year or two, with the help of the royal arsenal's reserves of elixirs, he can rapidly raise his martial arts cultivation to the third or even fourth realm.

From the outside perspective, only about ten days have passed.

Therefore, he would have more confidence in appointing the Qilin Pavilion to subdue those martial artists.

As for martial arts skills, he has the help of the millstone, which can directly transfer his proficiency to the skills. With a little adaptation, he can make them his own.

He can gradually come to understand the artistic conception.

Of course, one cannot break through to the Immortal Path in this way, because breaking through the barriers of the Immortal Path relies primarily on comprehension, which is related to personal experience and reflection.

Learning in isolation is simply not going to work.

"Grand Preceptor Murong, I wish to enter the Eternal Green Tower to cultivate martial arts, hoping to gain the ability to protect myself. I wonder how to get in?" Shen Xian asked.

Even with Murong Yue's jade slip protecting him, he still wanted to rely more on himself.

It is conceivable that the Cui and Lu clans, and even the Yuqing Great Sect, are no match for him in the officialdom and will certainly resort to force.

We need to plan ahead!
Thinking of this, Shen Xian could understand why Magistrate Lu of the Yuqing Sect didn't care about worldly affairs. He guessed that with his talent, he didn't even have enough time to cultivate immortality, so how could he have the energy and time to allocate to worldly affairs in officialdom?
Murong Yue advised, "You don't need to go into the tower to cultivate. With your talent, you can advance to the Grandmaster level in two or three years. There's no need to be impatient for quick success."

"Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day." Shen Xian said with emotion, "I will only stay in the tower for a year and a half to cultivate martial arts with all my might and see if I can gain more power to protect myself."

He felt that it wouldn't take him more than two or three years to reach the level of a grandmaster.

Because he concentrates his energy and time on breaking through the martial arts realm, without being distracted by worldly affairs, he can even solidify his foundation through martial arts skills.

The two or three years that Murong Yue mentioned should include the two or three years of trivial matters that consumed some of her energy, as well as eating, drinking, defecating, and sleeping.

If he concentrates his time and energy on cultivating martial arts like this, he will probably be able to break through to the Grandmaster realm in less than two months in the tower.

As for immortal cultivation, put that aside for now. The most important thing is comprehension, which cannot be improved by simply meditating and refining qi.

He first explored how to use the Everlasting Pagoda, just in case someone was secretly spying on him.
The martial arts supplies all come from the royal treasury, so even becoming a human immortal in the tower is easily explained.

Xue Zhihua said, "Master, even though Mr. Shen has the protection of the Divine Sense Jade Slip, it is best to be proficient in martial arts when facing assassination attempts. Otherwise, it will be difficult to adapt to the situation when facing the enemy."

Murong Yue nodded, which was taken as her agreement.

As far as this national advisor was concerned, she didn't care at all whether Shen Xian could achieve anything in the ways of immortality or martial arts; the key was that he could make some achievements in the way of humanity.

Jiang Ziya, who possessed the physique of a flying bear, ultimately achieved nothing in his cultivation of immortality. Despite being appointed a deity in the end, he did not have his own divine position.

Murong Yue's voice was clear and cold: "The Eternal Evergreen Tower is located in the Eight Views Palace of the Taiqing Sect. Cultivators of the sixth realm [Void Realm] or above from the three sects are qualified to use it to cultivate Daoist techniques and comprehend the power of time. However, a certain amount of spirit stones must be paid each time. You can use my token to go and cultivate there."

Shen Xian was secretly delighted, but showed no sign of it on his face. Instead, he asked, "How many spirit stones are needed?"

He doesn't have any spirit stones right now.

"You don't need to worry about the spirit stones. The jade token will deduct from your final cultivation time. Just focus on cultivating." Murong Yue said calmly, "However, I still want to remind you that the path of martial arts emphasizes perseverance and combat. Even if you use the pills from the Vermilion Bird Blessed Land to reach the Grandmaster level, if you can't condense your martial will, your martial skills will be mediocre, and you won't understand the essence of martial arts. You won't even be considered a Grandmaster. In the eyes of demons, you'll just be a humanoid pill full of essence and blood!"

Shen Xian didn't take these words to heart. He had the Yin-Yang Millstone, and he could use the feedback from human merit to deduce the problem of martial arts proficiency.

Shen Xian asked, "Does a Grandmaster need to condense martial arts intent? I wonder how to condense intent?"

"I am not a martial artist and do not know much about this," Murong Yue said in a calm tone. She continued, "The essence of martial arts is that when you cultivate a martial art to the point of oneness with heaven and man, you can comprehend the essence and integrate it into the martial art, which can increase the power of the martial art. Otherwise, you will only have the name of a grandmaster but not the substance."

Shen Xianqing's clear eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but recall the data panel provided by the Yin-Yang Millstone, which showed that the final realm of martial arts was indeed "Unity of Heaven and Man".

He roughly understood; it was probably a matter of practice makes perfect, and skill was close to the essence.

To grasp the essence of a style, like Ximen Chuixue's sword intent and Lu Xiaofeng's Lingxi Finger, or like Li Xunhuan's Little Li Flying Dagger, whose every strike hits its mark.

This is the key to advancing to the Grandmaster level, and even the Great Grandmaster level.

Of course, these matters cannot be explained in a few words; it is not too late to consult the Imperial Advisor Murong Yue later.

As they talked, they had already left the capital city a quarter of an hour earlier and arrived at the foot of Mount Beiman.

The forests are lush and the mountains are winding and undulating, like dragons and snakes dancing with swords.

"We've arrived at the grotto-heaven." Murong Yue's face, with its fair and delicate skin, remained calm. Then, the wide sleeves of her Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, and with a wave of her hand, a cyan spiritual light appeared, winding and drawing in the air to form a talisman.

Then, the scenery before my eyes changed. The verdant mountains and forests opened like a door, the pine trees swayed in the wind, and a lake appeared in the void, colorful and with faint Dao patterns, as if it were hiding a deadly intent.

It is precisely the spiritual light and magical restrictions of the grotto-heaven!
"Let's go in."

Before Shen Xian could examine her, Murong Yue used her supernatural powers to bring Xue Zhihua and Shen Xian with her.

The three of them rode on clouds, their sleeves fluttering, like drops of water merging into the vast blue lake, creating ripples that spread outwards. In an instant, they entered the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.

……

……

(End of this chapter)