Chapter 266 The Selection of the Protector
With warships providing escort, Zhong Cai, Wu Shaogan, and their senior disciples got along very well—at least Zhong Cai was charming and easy-going, and got along well with them.
Later in the conversation, Emperor Xiao Dan mentioned the protectors he had assigned to the two of them.
Zhong Cai remembered that there was such a thing; it was written on the scroll.
Emperor Xiao Dan laughed and said, "Cai'er and Shaogan should each have a Nirvana Incarnation accompanying them. Have you thought about what kind you want?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai immediately looked at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan said, "I'll listen to A-Cai."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment, then turned around and asked, "Back then, our two masters gave us a few level eight puppets, which are enough for defense... Should we invite a senior who is good at attacking to help us?"
Emperor Xiao Dan smiled and said, "Very well."
Lou Chuan interjected at the opportune moment: "The guardians accompanying genius alchemists in the Lingxian Sect are usually selected from the War God Hall. Currently, the War God Hall can provide twenty guardians; you two can choose whichever you prefer."
Zhong Cai's lips twitched slightly.
Although they had long known that the two forces were extremely close, it was still quite outrageous that the Lingxian Sect would entrust the safety of its prized geniuses directly to the Nirvana Sect of the War God Temple!
You should know that this accompanying protector is one of the most trusted people among these geniuses!
·
Seeing Zhong Cai's appearance, Xiao Danhuang couldn't help but smile: "My Lingxian Sect has very few Nirvana martial arts experts, and not a single one in the late Nirvana stage."
“The Lingxian Sect is adjacent to the War God Hall. Martial arts cultivators with outstanding talent who come here to become disciples naturally prefer to join the War God Hall,” he patiently explained. “And even cultivators who join my sect, once they discover their exceptional combat talent, will mostly transfer to the War God Hall. Similarly, if a highly talented alchemist emerges from the War God Hall, they will mostly transfer to the Lingxian Sect.”
The few Nirvana Martial Arts cultivators on the Lingxian Sect's side, just like the very few Level 8 Alchemists in the War God Hall, were all "fish that slipped through the net" because of various reasons that they did not "transfer schools".
·
Zhong Cai listened with wide eyes, her heart surging with emotion.
It has to be said that, just because he kept hearing how good the Lingxian Sect and the War God Palace were, the slight frustration he had felt about not being able to be fellow disciples with Old Wu completely dissipated.
Lou Chuan took out a book made of some unknown material and handed it to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai took it naturally and leaned against Wu Shaogan just as naturally.
Wu Shaogan also naturally lowered his head and looked at it with Zhong Cai.
Emperor Xiao Dan looked at this familiar scene with a smile in his eyes.
Lou Chuan and the other two Nirvana couples also felt that the faces looked familiar, and they all relaxed a bit more without prior arrangement. Although they couldn't be too casual in order to maintain the dignity of their teachers, the atmosphere became more intimate as they looked at each other.
·
Zhong Cai began to flip through the books.
It was strange; the moment I opened the book, I felt as if my soul was being pulled in. At the same time, another familiar soul also entered the book, and we intertwined as we "browsed" the contents of the pages.
In an instant, Zhong Cai "saw" the image of a tall and slender woman.
She held a long whip, and with each casual flick, it seemed to transform into countless dragons. In the instant of a flash of lightning, everything around her turned to dust!
It's incredibly magnificent!
The scene was only an image, with all the power contained, so even though Zhong Cai's cultivation level was far inferior to his opponent's, he would not be injured.
·
Wu Shaogan observed the martial arts battle more carefully and quickly sketched out various possible dangerous situations in his mind. He also thought about how the puppet should cooperate with this senior if it were him... In a short moment, he had already come up with a variety of ideas.
Even though he couldn't possibly have a precise enough imagination of the true power of Nirvana with his current level of cultivation, he had witnessed many Nirvana beings, especially since his master would carefully demonstrate them to him to help him understand. He had also seen many images of powerful beings from ancient times...
With each new thing he "sees," he gains new insights. These insights may not be immediately apparent to him, but they continuously accumulate into his foundation, enhancing his combat power and giving him a greater "imagination" than ordinary martial arts cultivators. He can glimpse the splendor of higher realms and become more acute in battle.
This is precisely what makes top-tier combat talent so terrifying.
Therefore, Wu Shaogan could observe whether the Nirvana Protector he saw was truly suitable for him and his wife, Acai.
·
Zhong Cai seemed to have noticed something and looked at Wu Shaogan again.
Wu Shaogan smiled at him.
Zhong Cai understood instantly and turned to the next page.
This page shows a very fat middle-aged man, who is only about 1.6 meters tall. He looks round and has a warm smile, giving people a very kind feeling.
But the next moment, the chubby man was lifted into the air and crashed out in an instant!
A terrifying, invisible force struck, emitting a piercing whistling sound, as if space itself had been dented—at the same time, a very strange, savage beast fell out of that dent, hundreds of feet tall, its entire body emanating a repulsive aura.
This is the Shadow Bull.
It's not actually a bovine beast; it's just that its head has some bovine features and it has a pair of "horns" that can cut through space, hence the name.
The Shadow Bull can pierce through space with its horns and disappear into it, then hide its tracks within the space and hunt at will; it is extremely insidious and bloodthirsty.
As it fell, a huge dent appeared on its massive body, as if it had received an incredibly powerful force. This force rapidly spread throughout its body, taking its life and shattering all its bones!
It was this chubby man who, with a single charge, pierced through space and killed the Shadow Bull.
·
Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment, then smiled at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai was shocked by the strength of the Nirvana cultivators and broadened his horizons... Then, he turned the page again.
This time, a tall, slender swordsman appeared, his sword flashing fiercely, traversing all directions.
Then--
Some were engulfed in flames, resembling giants...
A single palm strike unleashed a monstrous wave...
There is a hammer that can shatter a giant mountain and turn a mountain range into countless fragments...
With every gesture, thousands of needles burst forth, piercing the surrounding beasts like sieves. The needles drew in copious amounts of beast blood, turning it into a scarlet glow...
A bowl is thrown out, pouring out endless yellow sand...
have……
In short, the power displayed by each Nirvana is extremely terrifying; overturning rivers and seas is nothing to them, and carrying mountains and chasing the moon is just commonplace for them.
·
Zhong Cai was somewhat dazzled.
After reading through them one by one, Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment.
Zhong Cai turned her head, her eyes bright.
Wu Shaogan's eyes were gentle as he turned the pages, landing on two separate pages.
Zhong Cai quickly looked over.
·
Each page, after displaying a video, provides more information about the person in that video.
The two pages that Wu Shaogan has specially turned out represent the heads of the 51st and 52nd Halls, respectively.
Each branch hall of the War God Temple was established according to the order in which disciples within the faction broke through to become Nirvana Realm experts.
These two, naturally, entered Nirvana one after the other.
·
[Gu Han, Lord of the Fifty-First Hall, possesses unparalleled spear skills...]
Gu Qingmiao, the Lord of the Fifty-Second Hall, wields the Water and Fire Ruyi Lamp and possesses extraordinary swordsmanship...
At the same time, these two are also a couple who have extensive experience fighting side by side and work together seamlessly.
·
Among these twenty late-stage Nirvana Palace Masters, many have Daoist partners, and they are all mentioned, but most of their Daoist partners are alchemists, while only these two are martial arts cultivators who have formed a union.
When she was looking through the photos one by one, Zhong Cai didn't think too much about it. After all, you can't be sure about feelings. But now that she has the two of them together, she feels a little uneasy.
These two not only share the same surname, but are also the same age.
But they are obviously not blood relatives, their physical characteristics are completely unrelated, and because they have different cultivation paths, they don't look like a couple at all.
For a moment, a phrase flashed through Zhong Cai's mind—all the necessary elements were present.
This doesn't feel so fantastical anymore; it's starting to feel a bit melodramatic.
·
Zhong Cai's sudden mental lapse was actually a lucky guess.
In the earliest years, Gu Han and Gu Qingmiao were actually a fantasy version of "the real and the fake young master".
Gu Qingmiao is fake, while Gu Han is real.
Of course, since it's a fantasy world, the so-called young master certainly wouldn't come from a very powerful family. Otherwise, there would be plenty of ways to check his bloodline, so how could he possibly make a mistake?
It was an internal struggle within a second-tier family. The second branch killed a couple of rogue cultivators, stole their child, and then used that child to exchange for the eldest branch's child. They then threw the eldest branch's child into the mountains—not because they didn't want to kill the child before throwing him away, but because just as the people they sent out were about to kill him, the eldest branch's child suddenly unlocked his potential and summoned his companion treasure!
To avoid being discovered, the man had no choice but to run away.
The real child had high aptitude and was immediately found and taken away by a nearby sect; the fake child, however, summoned a companion treasure within a few months and was also noticed and taken away by the same sect!
This must be fate.
The real and fake children became disciples of the sect leader, grew up together, and developed a deep bond. The fake child even took the real child back to visit their parents. As they grew older, they discovered that the real child looked very much like their parents. Then, with the help of their sect leader, they discovered that their identities had actually been switched...
But that doesn't matter at all.
The two of them were originally kept by the sect, so there was absolutely no conflict between them!
Furthermore, since the names of the rogue cultivator couple were completely unknown, Gu Qingmiao kept their names, and Gu Han changed his surname to Gu.
Life went on as usual. As fellow victims, the two brothers became even closer after taking revenge on the second wife.
Getting closer and closer...
They shared both good fortune and hardship, and even when they discovered treasures that could improve their aptitude, they split them equally.
They kept dividing things up until they stopped distinguishing themselves from each other... and eventually they became a pair.
·
Zhong Cai is unaware of the story behind it.
Once he arrives at the Lingxian Sect and meets more fellow disciples, seniors, and elders, he will make more "wonderful" discoveries.
Wu Shaogan had already accurately selected these two individuals.
The process of Gu Han and Gu Qingmiao developing their relationship is actually quite similar to that of Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan.
The two from the Gu family were not only highly skilled in combat, but their auras also matched those of Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan.
They definitely chose the right person.
·
After being selected, Zhong Cai faced Xiao Danhuang and said sincerely, "I'm afraid we'll have to trouble these two seniors."
Xiao Danhuang was delighted when he saw the Gu brothers and replied with a smile, "After you go back, you can meet with them and finalize the matter."
Zhong Cai readily agreed.
Wu Shaogan echoed this sentiment.
Emperor Xiao Danhuang further instructed, "The accompanying protectors usually hide inside the gourd. As long as the gourd's mouth is sealed, they will naturally remain within it and be completely unaware of the outside world." He added, "But if they are out in the world, they must open the gourd in time."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were very polite and readily agreed.
·
As time passed, the group finally arrived at the West River Region at high speed on the level nine warship. They continued onward and came to the territory of the Spirit Immortal Sect and the War God Temple.
The two major powers have been operating for ten thousand years, and the surrounding area has become very prosperous, with a large city and many other cities of different levels emerging.
Looking out, you can't see the boundary at all.
All cities, counties, and towns within the sphere of influence are required to pay taxes to the two major powers. Each city also has a city lord, who is either a disciple of one of the two major powers or a member of a powerful family.
The families that have survived to the present day all have intricate connections with the two major powers.
Their children and descendants would all consider it an honor to enter the Lingxian Sect or the War God Hall.
The more powerful a force is, the faster its surroundings will develop, the faster towns will be built, and the faster its population will accumulate to a terrifying number.
In particular, many large and small families, unless they have developed to an extremely powerful level and are not afraid of external enemies, are willing to attach themselves to the powerful forces they are attached to, and try their best to send their children to the powerful forces they are attached to.
Some powerful forces first take in a number of talented disciples, and then these disciples will quickly send letters to their families, asking them to relocate and settle here.
·
The reason is simple: this world is too dangerous.
Even if there are some general rules, if a strong person makes a move and loses control, the only ones who will suffer are the weak around them.
For the strong, there may be some punishment or compensation for slightly breaking the rules, but more often than not, the weak around them can only accept their bad luck—and this is still the case for a relatively upright strong person.
If they are dishonest or take the wrong path, they will often "unintentionally" gravitate towards the edge, causing even greater harm to the weak.
Similar to the concept of "attaining enlightenment," heretical cultivators secretly kidnap people... Due to the constraints imposed by the righteous sects, the scope of the harm is limited... But ultimately, some weak individuals will inevitably fall into that unfortunate range...
The hierarchical differences and rampant evil practices within these human races are not the most terrifying aspects.
On the vast continent, the most unpredictable dangers still come from rare and savage beasts.
Those mindless beasts can create hordes of beasts that wantonly attack and devour humans. When high-level beasts appear, they can cause tragic consequences such as the fall of cities and the death of people.
Rare beasts, if they are bloodthirsty and ferocious, can cause even more damage than wild beasts.
Throughout history, those man-eating beasts have used their intelligence to silently appear on the edge of certain towns at a certain moment, and then open their huge mouths to devour all the living beings in the entire town!
If powerful figures from the vicinity don't arrive in time, this rare beast might even devour several cities in succession!
Only an absolutely powerful force can possess the ability to withstand crises and extend its influence to the surrounding areas, providing some protection for the relatives and friends of its disciples.
If a family is not strong enough, it can relocate to the vicinity of a powerful force by relying on the talents of its members, thus securing a period of stable development for the family.
·
Tier 9 warships can travel freely within their own territory without having to take detours.
The ship flew very high and did not cast a large shadow, so the number of citizens from various cities who were able to spot it was not large.
And after the discovery...
This isn't the first time this has been discovered, so there's nothing strange about it.
However, some well-informed and astute cultivators might have thought of one thing—after the level nine warships were sent out, they must have been recruiting, right? Who were they recruiting? Would it be successful?
Some of the more well-informed people already knew that the level nine warship had successfully brought back its "spoils of war".
·
Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan along and leaned over the deck railing to look down.
Both of them had exceptional eyesight, and after flying over some cities, they quickly spotted some cultivators dressed in "disciple robes".
Those dressed in blue and gold brocade robes are disciples of the Spirit Immortal Sect; those dressed in silver armor and black cloaks are disciples of the War God Hall.
Blue and gold brocade robes and silver armor and black cloaks are the standard attire for disciples of both sects after they join the sect. They can wear them or not at other times, but if they appear on a very important occasion where everyone is wearing the sect's uniform, they have to follow the rules.
Clearly, many disciples from both families quite like them.
At a glance, one could see male and female cultivators dressed in these two styles of clothing busy at work in many shops on the city streets, clearly doing business.
In some clans' open-air martial arts arenas, cultivators in silver armor and black cloaks are instructing their clansmen.
In some smaller factions, alchemists in blue-gold robes would publicly refine pills and explain their techniques…
·
Disciples within the two major factions are not required to stay in the sect hall all the time; they are completely free to come and go.
Both families have requirements for testing their disciples, but this is entirely voluntary, because only after accepting certain specific tests will their treatment be improved.
If the disciples of both families just laze around and don't work hard to cultivate... they don't contribute much to the faction, so they don't have any internal currency points and can't use the faction's special cultivation grounds. If they want to exchange for cultivation resources within the faction, they have to pay with their own Xuan Pearls and Xuan Stones. It's just business, so it doesn't matter... then the faction will only waste a little bit of their monthly allowance, which won't cost much "money".
A powerful level nine force wouldn't care about such a small loss.
·
On many streets, you can see people in blue and gold brocade robes and those in silver armor and black cloaks strolling hand in hand, so intimate that they make others envious.
Zhong Cai said to Wu Shaogan with amusement, "Let's do that together sometime."
Wu Shaogan never objected, and he also thought the standard attire was quite good—A Cai would look very handsome in the blue and gold brocade robe.
Zhong Cai felt the same way even more – just imagining his old man in silver armor and a black cloak made him know he would look incredibly handsome!
He thought for a moment and then said, "The material seems pretty good too, everyone loves wearing it."
Wu Shaogan expressed his agreement.
Although the two spoke in hushed tones, they did not make any deliberate attempt to conceal their conversation.
Many Nirvanas naturally heard about it as well.
Lou Chuan bluntly stated, "The quality was only so-so at first, but most of what you see now has been refining by ourselves."
Xiao Danhuang was also very frank: "They like to wear it, but only because of the sect leader and the head hall master."
Zhong Cai looked puzzled and asked.
Xiao Danhuang laughed and said, "The sect leader and the head hall master often dress like this when they appear hand in hand."
Zhong Cai: "Huh?"
So, is it because the sect leader and the head hall master are so sweet together that they even have to show off their disciples' standard uniforms like this?
The disciples from both families also felt that the clothes were full of affection... so they followed suit and learned from them?
Zhong Cai was speechless.
but……
He secretly sent a telepathic message to his old man.
Let's wear more layers!
【good! 】
The exchange of glances between the two was once again observed by the Nirvanas.
The reaction of the Nirvana beings was also—no reaction at all.
Because disciples from both families, whether they have a Daoist partner or want to pursue one, will all come here.
It's become so commonplace.
·
After traversing countless cities and vast territories, the warships arrived at the Lingxian Sect and the War God Temple.
The two families were separated by a natural barrier.
The vast mountain ranges, valleys, lakes, and plains on the left all belong to the Lingxian Sect, while the territory on the right belongs entirely to the War God Temple.
However, at first glance, the Lingxian Sect's side has more mountains, while the War God Temple's side has relatively flat terrain.
The two houses also have completely different architectural styles.
It's probably... the difference between fresh and elegant and cold and wild... right?
·
Emperor Xiao Dan said, "Shall we take you to retrieve your accompanying protectors first?"
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan followed the arrangements without any objections.
Lou Chuan added, "Afterwards, there will be some people to manage your family business. They have all signed contracts with fixed terms, some short and some long. If you are not satisfied with any of them, you can replace them at any time. If you are happy with them, you can renew their contracts when the term expires. As long as both parties agree and both parties are present as witnesses, it can be completed."
Zhong Cai then asked, "Where did these people come from?"
Xiao Danhuang replied, "Some are outer disciples who applied on their own, and some are children of affiliated families or disciples of affiliated small and medium-sized forces."
Lou Chuan said, "Those who failed to enter the two factions, if you have a good eye for them, when you have a quota of recommendations, you can let them start as outer disciples."
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "The recommendation quotas are also divided into internal and external categories."
Xiao Danhuang laughed and said, "There is no distinction between inside and outside. However, if you want to enter the inner sect, an outer sect disciple only needs one recommendation and one test. An external affiliated cultivator, on the other hand, needs two recommendations and two tests."
·
Recommended spots are very precious, and very few cultivators actually become inner disciples through this method. However, many outside cultivators are willing to sign a life-or-death contract to work for the disciples of both sects in order to seize such an opportunity. There are definitely many underlying rules involved, but ultimately it all comes down to voluntariness.
Moreover, the Lingxian Sect has no shortage of such people.
It is even easier for alchemists to recruit followers and assistants.
·
At this moment, Lou Chuan thought of something and added, "If you want to recruit your own people, that's fine too, but when you bring them in, you have to sign a life-or-death contract and go through the Heart-Testing Formation to confirm their sincerity."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan naturally agreed again.
·
The level 9 warship entered the area of the Temple of War.
Before long, they arrived in front of a magnificent hall.
The two main halls are like twins, almost identical in appearance, standing side by side.
These are the fifty-first and fifty-second halls.
The two halls occupy different areas, one extending to the left and the other to the right.
Directly opposite the two halls were spacious training grounds of roughly the same size, where hundreds of armored disciples were training intensely, sweating profusely.
Those on the left practice shooting, and those on the right practice swordsmanship.
With each gesture, the disciples on both sides became more imposing, each seemingly unwilling to admit defeat.
That's really interesting.
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