Chapter 256

Words : 1977 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 256When the old doctor, accompanied by Lu Qing, followed the direction indicated by the jade token, they found themselves in a specific area of Azure Dragon City. In a tall tower, an elderly man in black robes, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at a jade plate before him, a peculiar expression crossing his face. He calculated for a moment, his expression growing increasingly grave. After a brief hesitation, he pulled a cord beside him. A pleasant sound of a bronze bell echoed, and not long after, a middle-aged man dressed in gray cloth, holding an abacus, respectfully entered. "Elder, what are your orders?" "A distinguished guest is about to arrive. Make preparations and accompany me to greet them," the elderly man said softly. The middle-aged man was taken aback but quickly responded, "Yes, Elder." His curiosity piqued, he wondered who could be so significant to make the elder, who rarely liked meeting people, go out to greet them personally. Could it be one of the prominent families in the city, or perhaps a notable figure from the City Lord's Mansion? After making arrangements, the elder in black descended from the tower. "Elder..." The middle-aged man was about to speak when the elder raised his hand to stop him. "The distinguished guest has arrived. Let's go greet them," the elder instructed. The middle-aged man obediently followed the elder outside. Upon exiting, they saw the old doctor and Lu Qing hesitantly standing at the door. "Master, are you sure this is the place?" Lu Qing looked at the tower, which seemed quite ordinary without even a plaque, and didn't seem like the headquarters of a grand sect. Only the star pattern engraved on the door suggested some mystery. "It shouldn't be wrong. The jade token's disturbance came from within this tower," the old doctor replied. Just as Lu Qing considered using his abilities to investigate, he saw an elderly man in black and a middle-aged man holding an abacus emerge from the tower. "Having friends from afar truly brightens this humble place. Distinguished guests, I, the old man, greet you," the elderly man in black said, bowing to Lu Qing and the old doctor before they could speak. "Sir, what is the meaning of this?" Lu Qing, puzzled, secretly activated his abilities. "I am Xuanjizi, temporarily in charge of the Tianji Tower branch in Azure Dragon City. I came to greet you," the elderly man in black said, smiling warmly. Lu Qing used his abilities to verify their identities and found no deceit. However, he maintained his puzzled expression. "Sir, how did you know we were coming?" Could it be that the Tianji Tower's calculations were so profound that they could predict his and his master's movements? "I am not so skilled as to predict your movements. I knew because of the jade token your master is holding," Xuanjizi explained, seeing through Lu Qing's thoughts. Lu Qing glanced at the jade token in his master's hand and understood. It seemed the token was two-way, allowing both parties to sense each other's presence. No wonder Lin Zhirui had said they would understand upon reaching Zhongzhou. "I see. I am Lu Qing, and this is my master. Greetings, Senior Xuanjizi," Lu Qing bowed. "Indeed, it is Lu Xiaolangjun and the old doctor Chen Songqing. Please come in," Xuanjizi gestured for them to enter. Lu Qing and the old doctor exchanged a glance before following him into the tower. After they were seated and served tea, Lu Qing took a sip and spoke. "Senior Xuanjizi, you even know our names. Did Lord Zhirui leave this information?" "Yes, my junior brother Zhirui left your portraits here, saying you would arrive within a year or two. I didn't expect you to come only now," Xuanjizi replied candidly. "How is Lord Zhirui faring?" the old doctor asked with concern, fond of the impressive young man. Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "My junior brother broke through last year and is now in secluded cultivation at the main branch in Zhongzhou. He should be about to emerge soon," Xuanjizi replied honestly. "Oh, Lord Zhirui has broken through to the Precelestial Realm?" Lu Qing felt a jolt. When he last saw him, he was already a Martial Grandmaster with soul refining abilities, ranked higher than Lu Qing on the Hidden Dragon List. If he had broken through further, it must be to the Precelestial Realm. "Indeed, my junior brother has always been exceptionally gifted, one of the most outstanding disciples of his generation in Tianji Tower. His breakthrough was expected," Xuanjizi praised. "Impressive," Lu Qing remarked. Xuanjizi observed Lu Qing discreetly. He recalled that two years ago, this young man had also been on the Hidden Dragon List, causing quite a stir. Now, after more than two years, he wondered how far his cultivation had progressed. However, when Xuanjizi tried to sense Lu Qing's cultivation, he found his soul perception completely blocked, as if a dense fog concealed all information about him. Xuanjizi was taken aback, knowing such concealment meant one of two things: either Lu Qing practiced a special secret technique to perfectly hide his aura, or he possessed a treasure that shielded him from soul perception. He leaned towards the latter, given Lu Qing's youth. According to Tianji Tower's intelligence, two years ago, Lu Qing was only at the Internal Organs Realm. Even with rapid progress, he shouldn't be able to conceal his aura from a seasoned Precelestial like Xuanjizi. Shifting his attention to the old doctor, Xuanjizi was equally surprised to find he couldn't discern his cultivation either. The old doctor seemed like an ordinary elderly man, but Xuanjizi knew he couldn't be. Lin Zhirui had specifically mentioned that the old doctor was not only a highly cultivated Precelestial but also possessed the Light of Merit, making him even more extraordinary. "It seems the old doctor's cultivation has greatly advanced over the past two years. Truly a remarkable individual," Xuanjizi thought. From the very first meeting, Lu Qing and the old doctor had already left a significant impression on Xuanjizi. It was no wonder Lin Zhirui had stressed the importance of properly hosting them. Lu Qing, sensing Xuanjizi's scrutiny, remained unperturbed and said, "Senior Xuanjizi, my master and I have come to ask for your guidance on some matters." "I'm happy to assist if I can. What do you wish to know?" Xuanjizi asked. "We seek to understand the current state of the world and the situation in Zhongzhou. We encountered many issues on our journey, including sects blatantly violating holy orders. A Precelestial elder of a sect openly set up an evil array, refining warriors' flesh and blood for his cultivation, yet the Sacred Mountain hasn't punished such heinous acts. We are deeply puzzled and seek your insight," Lu Qing said seriously. "What? There are Precelestial cultivators sacrificing living people for evil practices outside?" Xuanjizi was shocked. "Yes, the culprit is the Flowing Cloud Sect of Yunzhou. Senior, turmoil has already begun in various provinces. If the Sacred Mountain and major sects in Zhongzhou do not respond soon, the situation will become irreparable," Lu Qing warned. Xuanjizi fell silent for a moment before sighing deeply. "I didn't realize the situation outside had deteriorated so badly. Unfortunately, even the Sacred Mountain is powerless to change it now." Lu Qing and the old doctor exchanged glances. "Senior, why is that?" they asked. "You both possess extraordinary talents. You must have sensed the nine heavenly echoes a while ago?" Xuanjizi inquired. "Indeed, we felt them and decided to come to Zhongzhou to investigate," Lu Qing replied. "The nine heavenly echoes signify the official start of a great change in heaven and earth, with the revival of spiritual energy and the reappearance of evil demons. Do you know what this means?" Xuanjizi asked. "We would like to hear more," Lu Qing responded earnestly. "In recent years, rumors have been circulating that the world is about to undergo a major transformation. These aren't mere rumors but facts. The recent heavenly echoes indicate that the transformation has truly begun, with the revival of spiritual energy. You must have sensed the changes in the environment during your journey to Zhongzhou?" The old doctor nodded. "Indeed, there is a peculiar energy in the air." "That strange energy is spiritual energy. It is said that if a Precelestial warrior can refine this energy, they will achieve unprecedented breakthroughs. Imagine, if this rumor is true, how would those Precelestial warriors, whose cultivation has been stagnant for years, react?" Xuanjizi asked. "A warrior's path is one of constant advancement. If there is such an opportunity, those Precelestial warriors would be overjoyed," Lu Qing said. "Exactly. We warriors seek every possible means to enhance ourselves. Initially, the reappearance of spiritual energy thrilled many Precelestial warriors in Zhongzhou. But soon, they realized that refining this spiritual energy was no easy task. Only the most ancient and unique cultivation methods could achieve it, and these methods are scarce. Even in Zhongzhou, only a few sects possess them. This led to a problem. Can you guess what it is?" Xuanjizi asked. Lu Qing thought for a moment. "The issue isn't scarcity but inequality. With a breakthrough opportunity at hand, yet blocked by the lack of methods, those sects possessing ancient methods would become targets." "Correct. The issue isn't scarcity but inequality. You, young master Lu, have keen insight, hitting the nail on the head," Xuan jizi praised. "Senior, what happened next?" Lu Qing asked, somewhat embarrassed by the compliment. "As you guessed, those Precelestial warriors, seeing a chance for breakthrough, wouldn't give up easily. As soon as spiritual energy reappeared, sects in Zhongzhou began attacking others to seize ancient cultivation methods. Even the Precelestial elders of two sects engaged in a bloody battle, causing great devastation," Xuanjizi explained. "Such intense conflict?" Lu Qing and the old doctor were shocked. They hadn't expected such fierce clashes in Zhongzhou. "Initially, the conflict was over cultivation methods. But unfortunately, these two sects were long-standing enemies, with centuries of accumulated hatred. Under the Sacred Mountain's mediation, their conflicts were controlled, and their Precelestial elders rarely fought, resulting in minimal casualties. But this time, the reappearance of spiritual energy made both sects restless. As the fighting escalated, it became a massacre," Xuanjizi said. "I understand," Lu Qing said. Given their enmity, the battle was inevitable. The revival of spiritual energy gave the sects with ancient methods an upper hand. If their elders broke through, even the Sacred Mountain might not control them. The other sect had no choice but to act decisively. "Senior Xuanjizi, does this mean Zhongzhou is already in chaos?" Lu Qing asked, unable to imagine the extent of the turmoil if the powerful sects were in constant conflict. "The situation isn't as dire. After the massacre, the Sacred Mountain intervened, issuing a holy order prohibiting further conflict. The three Holy Lords personally visited the sects, stabilizing the situation," Xuanjizi said. "Holy Lords?" Lu Qing repeated, understanding that these must be incredibly powerful individuals to subdue the restless sects so easily. But he doubted if mere suppression could fully control the situation. "But senior, this forced suppression is only a temporary solution. Those sects without ancient methods won't easily give up, will they?" The revival of spiritual energy would increasingly benefit the sects with ancient methods over time. Lu Qing doubted the others would simply accept this. "You are right. Those sects won't give up easily. To reassure them, the Sacred Mountain made a significant decision," Xuanjizi said. Table of content

Chapter 256

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