Desert Star River

Xu Shulou and the headmaster walked away in silence for a distance, then turned back to look at the towering cave in the mountains. The distant mountains were dark blue, surrounded by clouds and mist, like a fairyland, but the people living in it were not immortals, but people who wanted to become immortals.

"I'm not particularly surprised," the head of the sect shook his head, "He has always regarded ascension as the most important thing."

“…”

"Especially since he is a cultivator in the Tribulation Crossing Stage, there is no one in this world who can restrain him," the head of the sect said softly, "Once a person stands too high, it is difficult to see the fragrant grass and insects under his feet."

Xu Shulou naturally understood what he meant and smiled: "Uncle Master, you don't need to comfort me, I understand."

The head of the sect looked at her and suddenly laughed, "Don't listen to him. What's the big deal? You take care of the most small matters. I think your character is most likely to ascend to heaven."

"I don't care whether I can ascend to heaven or not. What's wrong with the human world?" Xu Shulou acted very unambitious. "By the way, Uncle Master, please go ahead. I have something else to do."

The head of the sect asked curiously, "What's the matter?"

"I built a barbecue oven in the courtyard where I'm staying temporarily in Lingji Valley," Xu Shulou gestured to him, "I want to pack up this big one and take it away."

“…”

"Uncle Master?"

The head of the sect waved his hand weakly at her and said, "Go ahead. I'll go back to accompany Wei Xuandao. You go play with the oven. Have fun working together."

“…”

Xu Shulou found Xiao Ya in the Martial Arts Pavilion of Lingji Valley. When the latter saw her, he made a beautiful retraction gesture with the ice sword in his hand, and came forward to greet her: "You disappeared for a whole day, what were you doing?"

"I went to visit the leader of your sect, and he..." Xu Shulou pondered for a moment and succinctly recounted what happened today.

Xiao Ya was stunned after hearing this: "This is beyond my imagination, but it's not surprising when I think about it. Hasn't there been emperors in the mortal world who only cared about seeking the truth and ignored government affairs? Especially since the sect master is very powerful and can control everything, he is naturally not afraid that others will really take the opportunity to kill him and usurp power."

Xu Shulou smiled and said, "You accepted it very quickly."

Xiao Ya thought of something else: "So the one who ordered the killing of Uncle Zhang was actually my master?"

Xu Shulou nodded.

Xiao Ya sighed and did not comment. Wei Xuandao first gave the technique to harm people, and then ordered to kill them. Even if he had no intention of harming people at first, and even if he showed regret afterwards, she knew that the master had indeed handled this matter unfairly.

Xu Shulou added: "I would like to ask you for a favor."

"you say."

"You know the kind of skills your master has..."

"He has destroyed it," Xiao Ya said, "Master said he regretted giving the technique to Uncle Zhang. He tore up the book in front of us disciples."

"If, I mean if..." Xu Shulou felt that it was a bit difficult to say this, "If you find that someone in Lingxiao Sect is not behaving properly, such as suddenly becoming stronger, or showing symptoms of being possessed by a demon like Uncle Zhang, can you please..."

Before she finished her words, Xiao Ya had already understood what she meant, nodded, and solemnly promised: "I believe that this kind of thing will not happen again, but I promise you that if I find that there is something wrong with the people around me, I will inform you in time."

"Thanks."

"Thank you for what?" Xiao Ya laughed. "Even if I don't have your great love for the world, at least I can't turn a blind eye to what happens around me."

The two said goodbye and Xu Shulou set out on the journey back to Wuchen Island.

Before stepping into Mingyue Peak, she glanced in the direction of the main peak.

Wei Xuan said… To deal with such a person, we must have a legitimate reason and must find evidence of his guilt.

Xu Shulou sighed softly.

"Senior sister!" As soon as she stepped into Mingyue Peak, her fellow junior brothers and sisters surrounded her, "You are finally back!"

Several people chattered, "I heard that you killed Fan Zhi, well done! I was really worried that the old villain Wei Xuandao would harm you."

"Senior Sister, did you eat well in Lingxiao Sect? Did you sleep well?"

“Has anyone bullied you?”

Xu Shulou answered them one by one: "Yes, I'm fine. I eat well and sleep well. No one bullies me."

No matter how full of things he was, he had to frown when surrounded by this group of people.

Xu Shulou looked at his junior sister and said, "Do you still want to go to the auction at Feiyingmen?"

Bai Roushuang's eyes lit up: "I want to! Senior sister, you have important things to take care of. I almost thought you couldn't take care of such a small matter."

"I won't forget what I promised," Xu Shulou smiled, "Anyone else wants to go?"

Jiang Yan responded positively, and Ji Ci looked worried.

"What's wrong with him?" Xu Shulou asked.

Jiang Yan laughed, "He spent all his money to buy a sun-shooting bow some time ago, and he has no spirit stones left."

Ji Ci said with a sad face: "Anyway, I won't go this time, lest I see something good and can't help but be tempted."

Others like Song Ping had to concentrate on their training, so Xu Shulou took Bai Roushuang and Jiang Yan to Fandu City where the auction was held.

Fandu is a city composed of immortal cultivators. It is built in an uninhabited area deep in the desert and can only be reached by cultivators.

When she landed on the ground of Fandu City, it was night, and the lights were just coming on. Everywhere she looked, she saw prosperity, brilliant lights, gathering like stars. Bai Roushuang felt that even the most prosperous capital city in the world was probably no more than this.

There were many cultivators flying in the sky, some were flying on swords, some were driving spiritual pets, some were riding gourds, there was a beautiful woman flying in the air barefoot on a piece of gauze, floating like a fairy, and there was also one lying on its side on a flying jade ruyi. It was really strange and all kinds of things.

There are buildings on the ground as well as many castles in the sky. What amazes Bai Roushuang the most is a river that meanders from the sky to the ground, dotted with sparks, just like the legendary Milky Way. She wonders what level of cultivator he is to be so powerful as to create such a river in the depths of the desert.

"I have been a disciple for more than a year," Bai Roushuang sighed, "but the mystery of the cultivation world is so strange that I still can't help but marvel at it every time I see it."

Xu Shulou smiled and said, "It was the same when I first came to Fandu City."

"If a mortal strays in," Bai Roushuang looked up at the pavilion in the sky, "he would probably think he has strayed into the fairyland."

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Even if ordinary people saw it, they would just think it was a mirage."

Bai Roushuang was stunned. "So there really are mirages in the world? Could it be that they are all the work of cultivators?"

Xu Shulou explained to her: "There are mirages, cultivators' creations, and devil's caves. Once you mistakenly enter, it may be more than ten years before you come out again."

Bai Roushuang was dumbfounded: "There is such a thing."

"Okay," Xu Shulou took her hand, "Let's focus on this Fandu first. The auction hasn't started yet, so we still have time to look around."

The three of them landed in front of a multi-story building. A demon cultivator was greeting them at the door. From behind the pearl curtain came the sounds of stringed instruments, singing, drums, laughter like silver bells, and the fragrance of ambergris and silk.

Bai Roushuang frowned: "Another brothel?"

"No." Xu Shulou pointed at the plaque in the air with his folding fan.

Bai Roushuang looked in the direction of her hand: "Taixu Realm? What is that?"

Xu Shulou smiled mysteriously: "You will know when you come in."

Bai Roushuang followed her senior brothers and sisters and entered the gate. What she saw was a huge painting.

She took a closer look and was slightly startled: "Senior Sister, the person in the painting is moving!"

"That's right," Xu Shulou nodded, "This Taixu Realm sells this kind of thing."

"Selling paintings?"

"No, it's into the painting."

Bai Roushuang was even more confused. Jiang Yan pointed to her and said, "You'll know once you go in. The one near the door is Lady Guo's Spring Outing. Going inside is Han Xizai's Night Banquet. There are more upstairs. Which one do you want to try first?"

Bai Roushuang chose the one in front of her that looked simpler and had fewer people in it: "I'll take this Spring Outing."

"Okay, I'll go in first and you'll know when you see it." Xu Shulou paid the spirit stones, and a female demon cultivator in front of the painting handed her a small bag of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins. She took the purse and walked towards the painting.

Seeing that she was about to hit her head, Bai Roushuang was about to speak, but she saw her senior sister step into the painting without any hindrance.

Not far from the group of horsemen in the painting, a beautiful woman wearing a Haitang Wangxian dress suddenly appeared and waved to the two people outside the painting.

Bai Roushuang was stunned: "S-Sister, has she entered the painting?"

"That's right," Jiang Yan smiled at her, "Together?"

Bai Roushuang nodded, mustered up the courage to follow her senior brother into the painting.

The painting "Lady of Guo State Going Out for Spring" appeared vividly before her.

There were beauties who went out in their best clothes, riding horses and singing.

The group of people in the painting rode their horses and disappeared from the sight of the three people. Bai Roushuang stared blankly for a long time: "Should we catch up with them?"

"No need," Xu Shulou couldn't help laughing, "We can just stroll around."

Bai Roushuang looked around. The flowers and plants were flourishing and the spring was bright. Although it was a world in a painting, it was no different from the outside world.

"It's okay to come and play occasionally, but not often," Xu Shulou reminded, "Remember not to get addicted, otherwise you won't be able to distinguish between the real and the fake over time."

Bai Roushuang was a little puzzled: "The scenery here is indeed beautiful, but we shouldn't indulge in it, right?"

Jiang Yan raised her eyebrows: "This is just the first painting, there will be more enjoyable things later."

The group walked slowly along the official road, meeting many pedestrians along the way. Bai Roushuang was surprised: "It turns out that this painting is so big, far more than it looks from the outside."

Seeing a vendor selling Hu Bing on the roadside, Bai Roushuang asked curiously, "Can the food in this painting really be eaten?"

"Sure, and it tastes good." Xu Shulou stepped forward and ordered three Hu cakes and a basin of mutton, and paid the bill with the Kaiyuan Tongbao that the female demon gave him before entering the painting. There were many tourists here, and a few of them found a place on the grass to sit down and ate while looking at the scenery. Bai Roushuang was amazed again.

After eating, the three of them walked for a while and entered the city gate.

"Wow..." Bai Roushuang exclaimed in admiration. This capital city was truly bustling with traffic and crowds of people.

The streets are extremely spacious, and the buildings on both sides are large-scale and neatly planned. There are scholars, warriors, Han people, Hu people, men and women, and even many girls dressed in men's clothes on the streets. This prosperous capital seems to be able to be inclusive and accommodate everything.

Among the numerous shops, there were jewels, silks, singing and dancing by foreign girls; it was truly a collection of "the rarest treasures from all over the world."

Bai Roushuang recreated the prosperity of the past through an ancient painting. No wonder some people were so fascinated by this place that they could not leave.

At least, she couldn't wait to try the next few.