Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Lu Yu's heart was secretly shocked; indeed, the founders of these sects were brilliant individuals, each one sharp and cunning. The plan had been set for such a short time, and these people had already received definite news and had even begun to make their arrangements.

This was exactly what Lu Yu was most worried about: if all the appointed City Gods were from among the sect members, firstly, it would be unfairly disadvantageous for the loose cultivators, and secondly, it would be difficult to manage these people who were in collusion with their sects. If they caused any disasters, wouldn't it ruin the immense merit he was meant to achieve?

Upon seeing Lu Yu lost in thought, Su Mei immediately realized that this young-looking scholar was indeed the person presiding over the Divine Enthronement.

In her heart, she was secretly astonished; she had already highly regarded Lu Yu, considering him a rare Great Spiritual Practitioner within the Great Chen Dynasty, but to see him granted the permission by the Underworld to oversee the Divine Enthronement confirmed that she had ultimately recognized his true capabilities.

"It was my lack of insight, unable to recognize Mount Tai," Su Mei said, not expecting that the gentleman had the means to preside over the Divine Enthronement, which surely meant he had a limitless future ahead of him.

Su Mei naturally understood that successfully overseeing the Divine Enthronement would herald tremendous opportunities; Lu Yu's path of cultivation would undoubtedly be smooth hereafter. Her tone became respectful, and her address to him shifted from 'fellow cultivator' to 'Mister.' "

"It was merely a coincidence, as well as Empress Hou Tu not disdaining my humble cultivation, that entrusted me with such an important task," Lu Yu admitted once Su Mei guessed the reason, for at his current level of strength, there really was no rival for him in the entire Great Chen Dynasty. His ambitions had long targeted figures like Monkey who could traverse the Three Realms freely.

"Since Mister is presiding over the Divine Enthronement, I dare to ask if my Fox Clan's younger generation qualifies for the list, would Mister discriminate against them on account of their unusual origins?" Now that she was aware of the situation, Su Mei naturally wanted to understand Lu Yu's standards clearly, to seek benefits for her clan's younger generation.

"All sentient beings across the world are within the scope of scrutiny; those who are intelligent and upright will become divine spirits—these are my standards." The City God is the master of a city's Underworld and is responsible for the welfare and life and death of its citizens; the responsibility is significant.

Lu Yu's requirement was to rather have fewer, but better quality candidates; he did not want the divine spirits he appointed to harm the living.

Upon hearing this, Su Mei's face lit up with joy. Those like her, creatures of different origins aiming to achieve spiritual transcendence, most feared those so-called orthodox sects, which would attack all demons and ghosts irrespective of whether they had committed any misdeeds.

Seeing this, she bowed gracefully, forming a perfect curve, and sincerely said: "Mister is truly a compassionate person. On behalf of all the kind-hearted beings of different origins in Great Chen, I thank Mister for his grace."

Lu Yu, however, waved his hand; his spirit had immersed itself in sensing the mysteries aligned with the Dao through the rank of earthly positions, hence he maintained a disposition indifferent to joys and sorrows.

"Speaking of which, Mister, are you aware of the cultivation grand event being held in the Capital of Great Chen?" Su Mei suddenly changed the topic.

Lu Yu then came out from his unusual state of mind, feeling intrigued when he heard Su Mei's words, and asked, "What event is it that even a cultivator like you finds interesting?"

"The State Preceptor of the Great Chen, Jinguang Taoist, is preparing to host a grand event called the Dao Discussion Assembly in the capital, aiming to rank the cultivation sects of Great Chen. Moreover, there are generous gifts to be bestowed, the most precious being a scroll of the Heavenly Book."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"This Heavenly Book was secretly taken by an Immortal to the mortal realm from the Heavenly Realm; later, although the Immortal was captured and returned to the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Book remained scattered in the mortal world. The spells recorded in the Heavenly Book are all renowned mystical techniques in the Three Realms, extremely rare to come by."

"The spells recorded in this scroll of the Heavenly Book are renowned for summoning winds and rains. Considering Mister is most skilled in Water Arts, gaining this Immortal Law would certainly greatly increase your strength."

At the mention of mystical techniques, Su Mei immediately piqued Lu Yu's interest. Speaking of divine skills, he was never really lacking. Between the Cosmic Projection he had devised himself, the Doppelganger Technique he learned from the monkey, and the Freezing Curse he mastered in the Underworld, he possessed some of the top combat mysticisms.

However, the Technique to Summon Wind and Rain truly resonated with his own system of magic. He had once tried to deduce its workings but always failed to grasp it properly.

After thanking Su Mei for her information, the two chatted about the matters of the Cultivation Realm in Great Chen for a while. Mostly, it was Su Mei speaking, and Lu Yu listened intently. His stay in Great Chen had been brief, and he had met only a few cultivators there. Therefore, he lacked a comprehensive understanding of the entire Cultivation Realm of Great Chen.

Before long, Su Mei took her leave. Lu Yu glanced at the visibly anxious Liu Qingyun and said, "What's the matter? Can't sit still after hearing that I'm going to the Capital?"

Looking down, Liu Qingyun said, "Sir, I've never been to the Capital all my life. And that person is there, I must meet him!" As he lifted his head, his eyes burned with flames of hatred.

Lu Yu smiled knowingly, empathizing with Liu Qingyun's sentiments. He thought it was indeed time to introduce Liu Qingyun to the young talents of the Cultivation Realm in Great Chen.

"Then why don't you hurry and pack your things? I don't plan on providing you with a new set once we get to the Capital," he teased.

Lu Yu's words delighted Liu Qingyun, who hurriedly went inside to gather his belongings.

Beneath Lu Yu's feet, auspicious clouds formed, carrying him and Liu Qingyun towards the Capital of Great Chen.

Fengjing was the heart of Great Chen and was by far the most bustling location, as the center of the entire Great Chen Dynasty. The people of Fengjing held pride in their hearts, looking down on outsiders as uncouth bumpkins who were less worldly.

However, lately, the people of Fengjing were surprised to see many outsiders in their city. Each of these strangers carried an air of nobility, and they were all exceptionally handsome or beautiful. Even compared to the descendants of the city's aristocrats, these newcomers appeared more distinguished and superior, dealing a blow to the typically proud locals of Fengjing.

A group of six young individuals, four men and two women, clad in white Taoist robes adorned with lifelike blue lotuses as if they were real, walked on the bustling streets of Fengjing. Faintly visible on their sleeves was the crest of a sword.

"Aunt He, I heard that aside from the Zhengyi Sect who has sealed themselves off from the outside, all the major sects have sent their heirs to vie for the title of number one in the Cultivation Realm," one of the younger girls in the group said as she held a stick of candied haw bought from a street vendor, looking up at the woman leading at the front.

"Lihuo Sect's Zhuge Yan, Taibai Sword Sect's Wu Wei, and Danqing Sect's Wu Rong are said to be participating in this grand event. Whoever takes the first place can claim the title of the top young cultivator of Great Chen!"

"Hmph! I think as long as Aunt He takes action, the title of the top young cultivator will never fall into the hands of others." The speaker was full of confidence in the so-called Aunt He.

"Well, Aunt He is our Green Lotus Taoist Sect's top sword cultivator. Her Immortal Sword has never suffered a defeat across the sky. I think those so-called geniuses from other sects are no match for Aunt He."