Chapter 411 - 187: Returning Home in Glory, Noble Clans, The Dream of Millet Porridge Must End, I Am Fond of Cultivating in My Dreams

Chapter 411: Chapter 187: Returning Home in Glory, Noble Clans, The Dream of Millet Porridge Must End, I Am Fond of Cultivating in My Dreams

Guarding a Realm Gate—controlling its Spiritual Mechanism and using it to refine one’s Martial Saint True Intent—was beneficial for practitioners of the Titled Martial Dao.

If a sect couldn’t establish a Grotto Heaven to ensure its Daoist Lineage would last for generations, then accepting a summons from the Great Xuan to guard a Realm Gate was the next best way to establish itself.

However, this path was fraught with both danger and opportunity.

Although Outer Dao from the other Celestial Universe connected by the Realm Gate would face Heaven and Earth Suppression upon entering the Great Xuan, a large-scale invasion could still inflict devastating casualties on the guarding True Sect.

Throughout history, countless Martial Arts True Sects had fallen to such "Realm Gate calamities."

Xu Longxiang hadn’t even finished speaking.

But Ji Xiu already understood what he meant.

His Master wanted to take him to the Realm Gate suppressed by the Dragon Elephant True Sect to refine the Jiazi Demon-Vanquishing Qi Sea Weather and perfect this True Skill!

’The whole reason I rushed to find the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint after breaking the Three Limits was to seek the path to becoming a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster!’

Ji Xiu’s heart pounded with excitement.

But he didn’t let his excitement make him forget his promise to Xu Longxiang, or the very reason he had formed this bond of Cause and Effect with him in the first place.

"Master, before that, I promised to help you find the remains of Elder Ye Wenjiang."

"Becoming a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster isn’t something that can be achieved in a single day. A delay of a day or two won’t matter. How about we head to the True Sect Mountain Gate after we’ve retrieved Elder Ye?"

Ji Xiu was already calculating in his mind.

With the help of the Flood Dragon Cangming Monarch—who was quartered at the Fishing Trade and had been enlightened by Bai Shuo’s Golden Words—a round trip between Anning County and Jiangyin Prefecture could be done in a single day with time to spare.

Then, with the blessing of the Primordial Daoist Talisman, he wouldn’t need to constantly align with the Qi Sea Weather like other Martial Artists. As long as he slayed Demon Fiends, he was guaranteed to make progress!

’This way, with the skills I’ve gained through arduous cultivation, with a Titled Martial Dao expert like Xu Longxiang managing the big picture for me, and with the Dragon Elephant True Sect at my back...’

’...it should be more than enough to break through the bottleneck to Qi Cultivation Grandmaster, condense a Peak Qi Sea Weather, and start forging a Martial Dao Treasure Body before the Prefecture Examination!’

A gratified expression appeared on Xu Longxiang’s face when he heard this.

"You’re a thoughtful one, kid."

He hadn’t mentioned Ye Wenjiang, instead choosing to paint a detailed picture of the future that awaited a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster. In truth, he had been testing Ji Xiu.

Ye Wenjiang was his disciple. Removing him from the roster and extinguishing his Life Lamp all those years ago had been a desperate measure to erase all traces of him.

But that didn’t mean the man who was once the sole Daoist of the Dragon Elephant sect—the star disciple under his tutelage—was no longer important.

On the contrary, this was a matter that had weighed on his heart for sixty years...

How could he possibly take it lightly!

Fortunately, the kid had a good head on his shoulders. Even with the path to Qi Cultivation Grandmaster right in front of him, and despite his eagerness, his eyes remained clear. He understood the importance of repaying his debts.

How could he not be delighted to have taken on such a student?

"Good, good, good."

He stroked his beard, his expression growing more satisfied by the second.

"I hear that Anning County is where you got your start. There’s an old saying: ’To achieve fame and fortune but not return to one’s hometown is like wearing fine silks in the dead of night.’"

"As it happens, I’ll go with you. I want to see what kind of so-called backwater could produce a True Dragon like you!"

"I hope that you continue to advance with a heart of Fierce and Vigorous Progress. Strive to one day become a Prefecture Official, earn great merit, and receive a Profound Court Treasure Decree. Be granted a fiefdom over a county and become its lord, and have that entire Shan County named after you!"

"From that day on, your Ji family line will become a fief-holding Noble Clan."

’Returning home in glory, becoming a Noble Clan, the lord of my own domain!’

Recalling his past, ripples stirred in Ji Xiu’s heart.

’If I could truly achieve that...’

’...it would feel like I’ve finally made something of myself, looking back on where I started.’

He silently committed it to memory.

Then, he spoke tentatively.

"Master, before we leave, could I ask the Dean to rent a Divine Soul Cultivation Room? I need to study a certain Daoist Technique."

"I’ve hit a bottleneck with that Daoist Technique recently. But in the last few days, I’ve felt a sudden flash of insight, as if I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, so I wanted to..."

Before he could finish, Xu Longxiang waved his hand dismissively.

"Why bother telling Pei Daoran?"

"Back when I came down from True Martial Mountain to be a Master at this Jiangyin Prefecture Courtyard, he was still a student in my class. You think he’d dare disobey a single word from me?"

The words had barely left his lips when Xu Longxiang took out a Sound Transmission Talisman. He activated it with his Divine Soul, imbuing it with his True Intent, and bellowed:

"Get over here now!"

Mere moments later, Pei Daoran rushed over, dressed in the simple, dark-red formal robes of the Dean, complete with cap and sash. Beads of sweat dotted his temples.

"Martial Saint, what are your orders this time?"

"I was just on my way to..."

His voice was tinged with resignation; he had other important matters to attend to.

But the man before him was a Living Ancestor. No matter how inconvenient, he had to be appeased.

"’On your way?’"

"Find a Divine Soul Cultivation Room for my student. He’s hit a bottleneck recently and needs to study a Daoist Technique. Any problem with that?"

Xu Longxiang said coolly.

Those few words left Pei Daoran speechless.

’Seriously? For a small matter like this, he could just apply at the Martial Mansion. According to the rules, as the most outstanding prodigy from the Climbing Martial Arts Tower in decades, aren’t all the resources of the Prefecture Courtyard his for the asking anyway?’

But he could only grumble these thoughts to himself.

When it came to actually facing Xu Longxiang, despite his internal complaints, he could only force a smile.

"As one of the five champions of the Prefecture Courtyard, he already holds a qualification to participate in the Prefecture Examination. If Ji Xiu wishes to make a request, of course there’s no problem."