Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 267 Yuan-level Low Grade! Listening to the Waves!

As night falls, the lights of Lijiang twinkle. Looking out of the guesthouse window, you can see the outline of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance, gleaming silvery-white in the moonlight.

This city is even more ancient than Jianshui City in Honghe Prefecture. The streets are paved with bluestone slabs, and there are wooden buildings on both sides with lanterns hanging under the eaves, casting a warm yellow light.

Zhu Ge sat by the window, playing with three copper coins in his hand.

The copper coins flipped between his fingers, making a crisp clinking sound.

He tried circulating his literary energy, injecting a wisp of it into the copper coin, and a faint golden light appeared on the surface of the coin.

Three copper coins landed on the table, and a divination result appeared.

He is practicing.

For example, divining what Liu Jianjian is doing, divining the current situation of Honghe Prefecture, etc.

After practicing for a while, Zhu Ge put away the copper coins, stopped divining, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on the Lower Yuan Palace.

The array star slowly rotated, with thirty-six array patterns swirling around it, absorbing the spiritual energy that was circulating between heaven and earth.

The number of array patterns remains thirty-six, but each one is more solid than before.

He tried to condense the thirty-seventh array pattern, gathering spiritual energy at his fingertips and slowly outlining a silver line.

The silver thread had just formed when it collapsed.

"Almost there." Zhu Ge was not discouraged and continued to try.

The thirty-seventh collapse.

The thirty-eighth path collapses.

The thirty-ninth, the fortieth —

Each time it was about to take shape, it would collapse, as if some invisible bottleneck was hindering it.

"The number of array stars should be related to cultivation level," Zhu Ge thought to himself.

He is currently only at the early stage of the first realm of immortality, and being able to condense thirty-six array stars is already his limit.

To gather more, one must first improve one's immortal cultivation.

He stopped condensing the array stars and instead began cultivating the Thunder Sound Refining God Technique.

The thunderous sound reverberated through his meridians, and each vibration made his soul more solid.

Since acquiring the [Fallen Scale] trait, the efficiency of the Thunder Sound Refining Divine Technique has increased significantly. Some of the Thunder Sounds have been [accumulated] and stored for future use.

As night deepened, the sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed outside the inn. Zhu Ge opened her eyes, got up, and walked to the window.

Under the moonlight, a figure stood on the rooftop opposite the inn, hands behind his back, his robes fluttering gently in the night breeze.

The man was tall and slender with delicate features. He looked to be no more than twenty years old, but his eyes held a maturity far beyond his years.

The three realms are: the realm of Confucian and Taoist scholars.

"Mr. Zhu Ge," the man spoke, his voice soft but clear enough to reach Zhu Ge's ears, "I am Bai Yu, the lord of Lijiang City. May I have a chat with you?"

Lord of Lijiang?

Zhu Ge glanced sideways.

The scholarly air emanating from this city lord, who embodies the three realms of Confucianism and Taoism, seems to be even more profound than that of Yan Liyuan.

"Please." Zhu Ge opened the window and gestured for her to enter.

With a swift movement, Bai Yu landed silently on the windowsill and then entered the room.

He was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a dark belt around his waist and a white jade pendant hanging from it.

Just like his name, he was gentle and refined.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, Mr. Zhuge." He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Bai Yu.

Zhu Ge returned the greeting, invited him to sit at the table, and poured him a cup of tea: "May I ask what brings you here, City Lord?"

Bai Yu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then put it down: "I have heard that Mr. Zhu Ge has created a new path of Confucianism and Taoism, so I have come to ask for his guidance."

He paused for a moment: "I have been stuck in the Scholar Realm for twenty years, unable to break through to the Great Confucian. Over the years, I have read all the classics in the academy and traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Dali Prefecture, but I am still just one level short."

"What's that layer?" Zhu Ge asked.

"It's hard to explain." Bai Yu shook her head. "It's like being through a thin veil; you can clearly see the light on the other side, but you just can't reach it."

He looked at Zhu Ge and said, "Sir, you have created a new path, and your understanding of Confucianism and Taoism must far surpass mine. Therefore, I would like to ask you to explain the principles of the I Ching to me, so that I may gain some inspiration from it."

Zhu Ge was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't accept disciples, nor do I give lectures for free. In exchange for one lecture, I will give you a low-grade Yuan-level spiritual item."

Without the slightest hesitation, Bai Yu took out a black inkstone from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

The inkstone has fine golden patterns on its surface, with a subtle flow of scholarly energy.

It is a low-grade Yuan-level artifact, and not just any ordinary low-grade Yuan-level artifact; it is a writing implement specifically prepared for Confucian and Taoist cultivators.

"This inkstone is named Tingtao (Listening to the Waves), which I obtained from my own space. The characters I write with ink ground in it naturally possess a touch of literary elegance." He said to Baiyu, "It is of no use to me; I would rather give it to you, sir."

Zhu Ge took the inkstone; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a faint sound of tides could be heard emanating from it.

He tucked the inkstone into his sleeve and nodded: "Alright, then I will explain the principles of change to the city lord."

He took out three copper coins, placed them on the table, and began to explain the first hexagram of the I Ching—the Qian hexagram.

"Qian (☰), signifying the beginning, success, benefit, and perseverance of heaven; the movement of heaven is strong; the superior man, in accordance with this, constantly strives for self-improvement."

Bai Yu listened attentively, nodding occasionally and frowning sometimes.

When Zhu Ge mentioned "a hidden dragon should not be used," he suddenly spoke up: "What you mean, sir, is—wait?"

"It's not about waiting." Zhu Ge shook his head, and then shared his earlier insights: "It's about accumulating strength. A hidden dragon doesn't mean it won't fly; it means it won't fly when it can't. It accumulates strength and waits for the right opportunity. When the opportunity arrives, the dragon will soar into the sky."

He seemed to be deep in thought.

Zhu Ge continued speaking.

He explained each of the six lines of the Qian hexagram in great detail, from "Hidden dragon, do not act" to "Overbearing dragon, regrets will come".

He explained the principles of the I Ching based on his personal experience in Honghe Prefecture.

Bai Yu listened with increasing fascination, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

When Zhu Ge finished explaining the last line, he suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Zhu Ge.

"Thank you, sir," He Baiyu said sincerely.

Zhu Ge quickly helped him up, saying, "Lord of the City, there's no need for such formalities."

He Baiyu straightened up, the light in his eyes now firm: "Sir, I understand."

He paused for a moment: "I have been trapped in the world of scholars for twenty years, not because I haven't read enough books, but because I have spent too much time reading other people's books. What I should be reading is my own heart."

Zhu Ge didn't speak or comment; she simply nodded.

He Baiyu turned and walked to the window, then leaped away and disappeared into the night.

Looking out at the empty rooftops, Zhu Ge felt a pang of emotion.

Another cultivator who has been stuck at a bottleneck for many years.

This applies to Confucianism and Taoism, as well as martial arts and Taoist immortality.

There are too many cultivators in this world, but very few can reach the highest levels.

He returned to the table, took out the "Listening to the Waves" inkstone, and examined it carefully.

The inkstone has fine golden patterns on its surface, and the faint sound of tides can be heard coming from it.

He infused a wisp of literary energy into the inkstone, which glowed faintly, and the sound of the tides became clearer. Within the ink-colored inkstone, it seemed as if a vast ocean was surging.

"Good stuff," Zhu Ge said with some emotion.

His original collection consisted entirely of Spirit-level items, but now he has both high-grade and low-grade Yuan-level items.

As expected, making money still comes down to selling courses!