"What decision?" Lu Qing asked curiously.
The old doctor also showed a listening expression.
"The three holy rulers had the world in their hearts. In order to prevent those sects without ancient cultivation methods from provoking conflicts and causing the Central Plains to fall into war, they did their best."
Ultimately, they decided that the sacred mountain would provide three ancient cultivation methods for practitioners throughout the world to study and comprehend.
Xuanjizi explained.
"Does the sacred mountain possess such power?"
Lu Qing was very surprised to hear this.
This answer was truly unexpected.
However, after thinking about it, he realized that it was actually a pretty good idea.
At least it can prevent the sects in Zhongzhou from being so tense and on the verge of war.
This method isn't suitable for everyone.
Everyone has selfish desires, and it takes considerable courage to make public the powerful cultivation methods one has mastered.
"Indeed, the three Holy Lords have such magnanimous hearts; they are truly role models for us cultivators," Xuanjizi said with reverence.
At this point, Lu Qing finally understood why the other states were already in turmoil, while the Central State remained inactive.
It turns out that all the major sects are busy pursuing their own interests.
Presumably, the innate realm experts in those sects are now focused on comprehending the ancient cultivation methods that can refine spiritual energy, so they have no time to concern themselves with the affairs of other states.
This naturally put Lu Qing at ease a little.
Since Zhongzhou hasn't really descended into chaos yet, they can still get in.
"Young Master Lu, Doctor Chen, what brings you to Zhongzhou this time?" Xuanjizi asked.
"I'm not afraid to admit it, senior, but Your Excellency Zhi Rui once said that after my master broke through to the Innate Realm, as long as he was willing to abide by the Holy Mountain's prohibitions, he could obtain an opportunity to go to the Holy Mountain to study.
I wonder if this promise still stands?
Lu Qing was somewhat worried. After all the changes that had taken place in Zhongzhou, would the so-called promise of opportunity still be valid?
"So that's what it was about." Upon hearing this, Xuanjizi chuckled and said, "Young Master Lu, there's no need to worry. The Holy Mountain is still under the control of the three Holy Lords, so that promise is still valid."
Speaking of which, not long ago, a newly promoted Innate Realm cultivator went into the Sacred Mountain to study. If Doctor Chen were to go, it would naturally be no problem for him as well.
"Then we can rest assured." Lu Qing felt a little relieved.
The three chatted for a while, and Lu Qing took the opportunity to find out a lot of information about the current situation in Zhongzhou.
Satisfied, he was about to bid farewell to his master when he suddenly remembered something.
He then asked, "By the way, Senior Xuanjizi, there is another matter I would like to ask you."
"Please feel free to speak."
Xuanjizi chatted with Lu Qing for a while and also developed a lot of goodwill towards Lu Qing.
This young man was eloquent and knowledgeable, especially in martial arts, which greatly benefited him.
"When we entered the city today, we saw the three characters '【Azure Dragon City】' carved above the city gate, which seemed to hold a lot of mystery."
But one of the guards at the city gate advised us not to try to understand the meaning behind the words too easily.
Judging from the guard's expression, he seemed genuinely sincere in his advice.
"Senior Xuanjizi, do you know why this is?"
"The guards at the city gate?" Xuanjizi pondered for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed. "Was the guard who gave you the advice a young man?"
“Indeed, that young man has a fair complexion and an extraordinary air about him; he doesn’t look like an ordinary guard,” Lu Qing said.
"That should be right. The one who gave you this advice should be the third young master of the Ji family in Qinglong City."
As for why he reminded you, the reasons are quite complicated.
"Oh? I'd like to hear more about it."
"With your martial arts skills, you must have already seen that the inscriptions on the city gate contain a special artistic conception that can move people's souls."
To be honest, those words were personally carved by a peerless expert who was famous throughout the Central Plains more than a hundred years ago, before his time was up.
That peerless expert was an extraordinary person who lived a carefree life, without a wife, children, or successors.
More than a hundred years ago, knowing that his time was coming to an end, he wanted to leave Zhongzhou and travel around.
He was leaving Qinglong City at that time, and before leaving, on a whim, he carved three large characters on the city gate.
Then he drifted away and disappeared, never to return to Zhongzhou again.
Some say that he died far from home while traveling.
Some say that during his travels, he comprehended the mysteries of life and death, entered another supreme and profound realm, and vanished into the void.
In short, there are many conflicting accounts, making it difficult to discern the truth. Even we at Tianji Tower don't know where that senior has gone, or whether he is alive or dead.
After Xuanjizi's explanation, Lu Qing finally understood the origin of the three inscriptions.
But he still had a question: "How does this relate to the advice given to us by the third young master of the Ji family?"
"After that peerless expert left Zhongzhou and disappeared without a trace, there were various accounts of his fate."
Similarly, the inscriptions he left on Qinglong City also attracted the attention of countless martial artists.
People say that the inscription contains the inherited techniques left by that peerless expert.
Whoever can decipher the secrets within will receive the lifelong legacy of that peerless expert and soar to great heights.
This rumor immediately caused a sensation among countless martial artists across the land.
During that period, countless martial artists from all over the world flocked to Qinglong City every day to study the inscriptions, hoping to obtain unparalleled inheritances.
Even the powerful experts at the Innate Realm from the major sects in Zhongzhou were drawn by the news and came to observe.
After all, that peerless expert was extremely famous in Zhongzhou back then.
In fact, his strength was so formidable that, apart from the three Holy Lords, he was almost unmatched in the entire Central Plains.
Everyone is naturally interested in the legacy he might leave behind.
Ultimately, after much contemplation by many powerful individuals, the conclusion reached was...
The inscription does indeed contain the martial will of that peerless expert, but that will is not something that just anyone can comprehend.
Only when one's own martial arts philosophy and path are perfectly aligned with that of a peerless master can one possibly gain some insight into their martial arts.
Otherwise, even a master of the Innate Realm, if forced to comprehend it, might have their mind disturbed by its will, damaging their own martial arts foundation.
At the beginning, when the experts at the Innate Realm announced this matter, many martial artists were unwilling to believe it and still rushed to study the inscription.
Later, as time went by, countless martial artists tried to comprehend the inscription, but none of them were able to decipher its mysteries and obtain the complete inheritance.
On the contrary, many talented martial artists, by forcibly trying to comprehend the meaning in the inscriptions, became distracted by the implications, ultimately damaging their foundations and never recovering.
Only then did everyone realize that what those experts at the Innate Realm had said was true, not false.
After recognizing this fact, the number of people coming to Qinglong City to study the inscription gradually decreased.
In the end, rumors even started circulating that there was no tradition in the inscriptions at all.
Everything was just a joke played by that peerless expert on the world.
Gradually, after several decades, the carving of characters became almost completely ignored.
Now, more than a hundred years later, although there are still occasional self-proclaimed martial artists who come to study the inscriptions and try to decipher their mysteries.
But these are still extremely rare, occurring only once a year.
That's so exaggerated.
After listening to Xuanjizi's explanation, Lu Qing finally understood why that person was called the Martial Saint.
His martial arts skills must have truly reached a transcendent level.
"No wonder the third young master of the Ji family would specifically remind the younger generation that the inscription has such a background."
“That’s right, but the reason why the third young master of the Ji family reminded you is probably related to his elder brother, the eldest young master of the Ji family,” Xuanjizi said.
"Oh, what is the reason for this?" Lu Qing asked.
"The eldest son of the Ji family is also a martial arts genius with exceptional talent. He entered the Inner Vessel Realm at the age of only twenty."
Such talent would be considered excellent even in the entire Central Plains.
The Ji family also placed high hopes on him, investing all sorts of resources in him, hoping that the family could produce another expert at the Innate Realm in the future and consolidate the family's position.
Originally, if things had continued this way, the path of martial arts for this eldest son of the Ji family would have been very smooth and bright.
Even if he cannot reach the Innate Realm in the future, he will definitely become a martial arts master with extraordinary strength.
However, several years ago, for reasons unknown, the eldest son of the Ji family suddenly went to the city gate and began to study the inscriptions there.
Furthermore, the martial arts intent inscribed on the characters disturbed his mind, causing his cultivation, which had already reached the Great Perfection of the Inner Organ Realm, to be almost completely ruined.
Even his own mind became erratic, and he would just stare blankly at the sky every day, silent and ignoring everyone.
This incident not only shocked the Ji family, but also greatly angered the head of the Ji family.
In a fit of anger, he expelled the eldest son of the Ji family, who had given up on himself and whose cultivation was nearly ruined, from the family, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind.
As for the third young master of the Ji family, it is said that he has admired his eldest brother since childhood, and he was shocked when he learned of this.
He was traveling in the Central Plains when he heard about this, and rushed back for several days without sleep.
However, the eldest son of the Ji family disappeared without a trace after being expelled from the family, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
The third young master of the Ji family had a big argument with his father over this matter, and the two have not yet reconciled.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing thought to himself that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's intelligence was indeed unique, as they even knew these details.
But he was still a little curious: "Didn't that third young master of the Ji family go out to look for his eldest brother?"
“Of course he did look for him. He went out and searched for two years, but the world is so vast, how easy is it to find someone? In the end, he searched the whole world but couldn’t find him. After returning to Qinglong City, he was disheartened and took a job in the city lord’s mansion, just getting by day by day,” Xuanjizi said.
"I see."
Lu Qing suddenly realized.
However, he did not quite agree with Xuanjizi's last words.
muddle along?
That's not the case.
Lu Qing recalled the information he had gleaned from the third young master of the Ji family, and an interesting look appeared in his eyes.
Of course, these things have little to do with him, so he doesn't intend to get involved.
"I didn't expect Young Master Ji to be so kind. It seems I should find an opportunity to thank him properly."
Lu Qing said, "By the way, Senior Xuanjizi, my master and I have already bothered you for long enough today. We have other people with us on this trip, so to avoid worrying them, we will not bother you any further."
"Are you two leaving already?"
Xuanjizi was slightly startled. After trying to persuade them to stay, he saw that Lu Qing and the others were indeed preparing to leave, so he got up to see them off.
After Lu Qing and the other person disappeared from sight, the middle-aged man holding an abacus quietly appeared behind them.
"Elder, are these the two people that Master Zhi Rui specifically instructed us to keep a close eye on two years ago?"
"That's right. I thought they would have come here last year, but I didn't expect it to be delayed until now."
"But when I look at the two of them, they both seem quite ordinary, not as mysterious as the legend of Zhi Rui Zhen Chuan says."
Furthermore, the relationship between them, master and disciple, was somewhat strange, seemingly with the young Master Lu taking the lead.
The middle-aged man voiced his question.
“Nothing special?” Xuanjizi shook his head, his gaze unfathomable. “These two are truly unfathomable. Not to mention you, even I might not be their match if we were to fight.”
"Elder, how could this be..."
The middle-aged man was shocked.
He knew exactly what level of cultivation his elders had reached.
In addition, with the various profound and mysterious techniques of their Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, it can be said that although the elders are not well-known, they are in no way inferior to the supreme elders of those major sects.
But now he's saying he's no match for Lu Qing and the other two?
The middle-aged man, as a mid-level figure in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, possessed a great deal of intelligence, including that of Lu Qing and his apprentice.
He simply couldn't believe that an old man who had only entered the Innate Realm two years ago, and his disciple, could make the elder so wary.
“Nothing is impossible,” Xuanjizi sighed. “With the changes in the world and the revival of spiritual energy, many extraordinary geniuses are destined to emerge.”
Not long ago, news came from the main building that a disciple of the Heavenly Spirit Sect had comprehended the peerless sword path during the sect's grand competition and swept the entire field.
He then challenged an elder in the Innate Realm with the Inner Organs Realm at its peak, and finally won by a narrow margin.
Then there's the Xingkui Sect, which had an inner disciple with mediocre talent. But somehow, he entered the Dao overnight, broke through several barriers from the initial Inner Viscera Realm, and finally achieved the Innate Realm, shocking the entire sect.
Such extraordinary geniuses and prodigious talents are rare, appearing only once every few decades or even a century in the past.
The fact that they are appearing so frequently now indicates that, with the changes in the world, there will be more and more extraordinary geniuses born with destiny.
Who can guarantee that this young Master Lu isn't one of them?
No, perhaps it should be said that he is one of them!
Xuanjizi recalled what his junior disciple Zhirui had once told him and thought to himself.
He just didn't expect that his junior apprentice, Zhi Rui, had said that the young master Lu was likely a person of great fortune, difficult to see through.
But upon meeting him today, he discovered that his master was equally elusive and mysterious.
Could it be that this divine destiny will not only appear in the younger generation?
Could it be that old men like them might actually gain the favor of Heaven?
A strange thought suddenly arose in Xuanjizi's mind.
