Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

After downing that cup of wine, Shen Lian said, “I am leaving.”

Wu Ding responded, “Are you leaving just after one?”

Shen Lian smiled, “Mortals need to drink until they are thoroughly satisfied but no wine in the nine underworlds and the netherworld can make me drunk. There would not be any difference whether it is one or ten thousand cups. This is the first and also the last.” Such ability was what all drinkers seek for. However, it was the truth behind his words that showed the freedom and easygoingness of celestial beings.

Mortals who learned from celestials being could only learn their skills and not their sentiments. That was why they still had to experience sufferings and had to fight the temptation of desires.

Wu Ding sighed, “I really hope to drink with you.” This was Wu Ding’s sincerity and also what Shen Lian admired the most. After all, it was difficult to find such a sincere heart.

Shen Lian smirked, “You would then have to look for a celestial drunk grade of celestial wine. That would satisfy me and you could even stop me from meddling with world peace.”

Wu Ding responded with a serious face, “I would definitely stop you before you get drunk. It is not necessary to drink until you are drunk. You can also enjoy when you are semi-drunk and semi-conscious.”

Shen Lian laughed out loud and patted Wu Ding’s shoulder. Wu Ding felt a spinning sensation and lost his sense of directions. When he was able to find his footing, he was already at the residence of the Grand Preceptor.

He regained composure and knew that even if made it back to the wine bar, Shen Lian would no longer be there.

The truth was his judgment was incorrect as Shen Lian had yet to go far.

Shen Lian was standing by the willow tree as his thoughts ran free. Back then when he was at Qing Xuan, he planted a willow tree that was gifted by Yanxu outside of the Taiwei Pavilion. He once told Gu Caiwei, “When the willow flower blooms, he would definitely return.”

Back then, Shen Lian’s spiritual form was about to break up and had the ability to predict to the future. Thus, he made such a statement. Now that he was trapped in the killing formation of Zhaoge, the willow trees by the river reminded him of the remark he once made. That was also why he injected vitality into the weathered willow, giving a new life to it.

Shen Lian placed his palm on the revitalized willow tree and it felt like he went on a time and space travel. He had visions of Celestial Mountain Qing Xuan, Zifu Peak, and Taiwei Pavilion. The willow tree outside of the pavilion had yet to blossom and below the tree was a grave covered with green grass and had no monument to it.

All of a sudden, the visions disappeared without a trace. Shen Lian could feel the surging of the killing vibes from the killing formation that was feeding on Yinshang’s soulful aura. It was in the final phases of evolution and once it was completed, he would have nowhere to hide.

Shen Lian did not turn back to look at the residence of the Grand Perceptor and instead took a different direction.

He walked around the city of Zhaoge and none of the bustling pedestrians, the cultivators, and the soldiers could see him.

The sound of the wind, water, and thoughts of the people landed in the bier of his Dao heart. A three-dimensional visual of the city of Zhaoge was formed in his mind. Even the tiniest details could not hide from him.

The Lady Mother of the Chariot was towards the northside while Zujia was towards the east. As Shen Lian closes the distance between him and Zujia, he could clearly feel the oncoming raging Qi dynamic of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel. It felt like a clear tidal wave that swept his entire body. With every breath he took, he was able to absorb a good amount of Qi dynamic to replenish the seeds of the heaven and earth in between his eyebrows. The Qi dynamic was sufficient to top his one day worth of cultivation. Meanwhile, Shen Lian’s body oozed a unique dash of Qi of Dao that was one of a kind and different from any other holy deities.

The Queen Mother Wu Vessel was protected by the most elite guards and their leader was an outstanding talent of the royal family.

It was a young general that felt the chills down his spine. He unconsciously looked outside but saw nothing although he felt that someone was walking towards him. The thumping footsteps did not only sounded like the ticking of the clock but also very resembled the summoning of the grim reaper.

He drew his long sword and every other guard too became alert. The Qi of devilry gushed towards the front and yet they failed to notice anything.

The young general spoke out, “Which foul demon has the guts to stage a revolt?”

The longsword flickered then condensed into sound waves and charged towards the front.

The Qi of sword may look powerful but it was nothing compared to Wuding’s divine blade. Shen Lian who was in a dream-like state was not affected by the Qi of sword continued moving forward.

The young general still could not see Shen Lian but he could feel Shen Lian coming closer and closer.

Just when his mind was filled with disappointment, a voice could be heard next to his ears, “What are you afraid of?”

The young general could not help but spread open his sword force towards all directions. As a result, his divine Qi severely depleted. Meanwhile, the guards released their sword devilry simultaneously and the void started to buzz with a sharp noise.

If there was any magical treasure in this space, it would have turned into scrap metal under such intense conditions. Yet, they failed to find any traces of the intruder.

A gentle wind breezed past, the guards and the young general started to feel dizzy. They then collapsed to the ground and fell into deep sleep.

A group of guards snoring outside of the Queen Mother Wu Vessel…that was quite a scene.

Zujia was below the vessel but he looked like he was part of the vessel and people tend to forget that he was actually human.

Everyone else could not see Shen Lian but Zujia saw him crystal clear. The Shen Lian that Zujia saw was very close to the appearance of the real Shen Lian, which was also the spiritual form of Shen Lian.

Zujia had heard so much about Shen Lian and had an impression of Shen Lian’s grace. However, he was still surprised when he first saw Shen Lian.

He suddenly blurted out, “Those who discovered the greatness stay on neither this shore nor the other shore. They are able to leave both shores.”

This profound sense of righteousness was initially used to describe the state of Tathāgata. In this occasion, although it sounded like he was praising Shen Lian, it was actually somewhat inappropriate.

Shen Lian’s Taiyi was not merely a sustenance of the spirits but was also a legitimate proper path. He may be a lot more powerful if he followed the path that was once taken by Buddha or other people who had detached. But Shen Lian chose to take the most proper path.

He borrowed the seeds of the heaven and earth to develop the Sky Demon Method and the Dream Heart Sutra. He inserted his imprint of the Shang Qing Primordial Spirit into it and simulated a dash of vital force that was similar to a Daoist Master. With this, he could roam beyond the world and come back to it anytime.

“How much does the vessel weigh?” Shen Lian had finally manifested completely. His question was sharper than any other magic weapon.

It was as if Zujia’s calm as snow bier had encountered with the scorching heat of the true fire and melted. The divine lights in his eyes were fuming and gushing.

He then sighed, “Daoist Qingxuan, why bother asking when you already have the answer?”

Shen Lian smiled, “What if I do not have the answer?”

Zujia tried to suppress the pounding of his heart, he smiled and said, “Then I have no idea.”

Shen Lian said, “Actually, you have no idea that regardless of how heavy this vessel is, it would never outdo the golden hopped rod.”