Chapter 411: Chapter 410: Returning to the Imperial City, Fate Brings Together Those Thousands of Miles Apart
At noon the next day, Li Jing returned to the vicinity of the Da Xia Imperial City.
From a distance...
The entire Da Xia Imperial City was lit up with bright lights and filled with a festive atmosphere.
After all, today was the birthday of the Emperor of Da Xia, Xia Zhengyang, a rather special event.
However, in Li Jing’s view...
Whether the Da Xia Imperial City is actually festive could be debatable, but it was certainly brewing with undercurrents.
The hundred-year Beast Tide sweeping across the Eastern Continent was due in the next two days.
Unless something unexpected happens, proposals on how to handle the Beast Tide would be brought up during Xia Zhengyang’s birthday celebration.
Late tonight, a massive force should embark towards the northern coastal region of the Eastern Continent where the Beast Tide will hit to establish a defense line.
This situation is not as simple as it seems.
Da Xia is not a monolithic entity, with the king and the sects constantly clashing, all seeking to suppress each other and gain the upper hand.
Now, with the participation of various forces from the Present World, the existing chaos would only get worse.
It’s uncertain what the state of the Da Xia Dynasty, the sects, and various forces from the Present World were after his seven-day absence.
However, he was sure...
That this year’s birthday celebration for Xia Zhengyang would definitely be the most bustling one.
Cooperating with the forces from the Present World to obtain more Netherstones is Xia Zhengyang’s scheme.
But that doesn’t mean the sects will just sit back and do nothing.
Even before the forces from the Present World arrived, the sects in Da Xia were already itching to send their disciples to the Imperial City to make contact with those forces.
As long as they are not foolish, they should be able to see through Xia Zhengyang’s scheme.
Whatever Xia Zhengyang can do, they can do too.
The only question is: how much price are they willing to pay to get on top of the Da Xia Dynasty.
Truth be told...
All forces from the Present World, including Longyu, were not easy to deal with.
They initially made contact with the Da Xia Dynasty upon entering the Heavenly Saint Land only because they were unfamiliar with the distribution of power in the Heavenly Saint Land and chose the Da Xia Dynasty, which held the royal power, to understand it.
Seven days have passed.
Regardless of how the Da Xia Dynasty tried to blockade, the forces from the Present World must have already made contact with the sects.
Nothing more to say about what happens next.
Whom to aid depends not on favoritism, but on how much benefits they could get.
Gazing at the distant Da Xia Imperial City, Li Jing glanced at the crowded campsites of various forces from the Present World camped around the Imperial City.
At first glance, it was clear that the number of Present World personnel resting in the campsites was at least half less than before.
It seemed that the forces from the Present World had an implicit understanding.
They didn’t put all their eggs in the two baskets of the Da Xia Dynasty and the sects of the Eastern Continent, and had sent exploration teams to learn more about this world and seek more substantial gains.
Not staying outside the city for long, Li Jing activated the Silent Shadow and entered the Imperial City.
He had no plans to attend the emperor’s birthday banquet.
It would be inconvenient for him to show his face.
However, having traveled a whole day to return just in time, finding a place to sit down and have some tea would be a good choice.
Mainly, he didn’t have anything else to do right now.
At this moment, Liu Sisi and Jiang Yini were still cultivating in the Tianque Palace Library within his Little Universe, so he couldn’t immediately contact Longyu’s people for scanners to copy the books without disturbing the two women.
On second thought...
Most of the people who could make decisions on behalf of Longyu were probably in the palace waiting to wish the emperor a happy birthday.
After all, he is the emperor and they have to show him some respect.
This not only applies to Longyu and other forces from the Present World, but also the sects within Da Xia itself.
Even though they want to undermine the emperor, they should save him some face.
Even without the Big World People, the sects within Da Xia would have sent someone to attend the birthday party of Xia Zhengyang.
Putting these considerations aside...
Upon entering the city, without pausing on the streets, Li Jing went straight to Xia Qianqian’s residence.
It’s not that he wanted to visit Xia Qianqian, but that the streets outside were too crowded and finding a quiet place was not easy.
Upon landing in front of the gate of Xia Qianqian’s residence, Li Jing looked around and deactivated the Silent Shadow to knock on the gate.
Shortly afterward...
A servant opened the door and peeked out.
Upon seeing Li Jing, the servant paused a bit, then quickly bowed.
"Greetings, Immortal Master Li."
?
Li Jing...
Just a few servants work at Xia Qianqian’s house.
He had pretty much met all of them when he came over with Liu Sisi the other day.
Seeing this one, he did have some recollection.
But what was this about Immortal Master Li?
Did Xia Qianqian expect that he might come by for a visit one day and gave instructions in advance?
Shaking his head slightly, Li Jing said...
"Your princess is probably not here at the moment. Could you accommodate me with a guest room for a short rest?"
"Ah, of course..."
The servant respectfully replied, standing aside to let him in.
"Immortal Master Li, please come in."
"Hmm."
Li Jing nodded and stepped in.
After walking only a few steps, the servant followed and said...
"Immortal Master Li, the princess has instructed us to inform her immediately when you arrive, shall we..."
"There’s no need for that..."
Li Jing waved his hand and said...
"I don’t plan to leave anytime soon. Once she finishes her duties for the emperor’s birthday and returns, we can have a proper conversation."
Hearing that he had no plans to leave immediately, the servant visibly relaxed.
As he was about to show Li Jing to his room, a beautiful figure suddenly walked into the main courtyard.
Upon seeing this person, Li Jing abruptly halted.
The woman who came out from the opposite side also froze in her tracks upon seeing him.
They stared at each other.
Li Jing’s mouth twitched incessantly.
The woman across from him shifted her expression from sunny to cloudy within minutes.
How does the saying go?
Enemies often cross paths.
The woman who appeared at this moment was none other than Li Jing’s "debtor", Shi Miaoxue.
Li Jing had never expected to run into Shi Miaoxue while accompanying Xia Qianqian.
Similarly.
Shi Miaoxue had never expected that after so long a time searching high and low for Chen Tang City’s Li Jing, having given up, she would still encounter this despicable thief.
Seeing the expression on Shi Miaoxue’s cute face immediately darken, her robe undulating and revealing tantalizing glimpses of her exquisite form, and her aura of the Eighth Realm leaking out uncontrollably, Li Jing felt a pang of foreboding and raised his hand in greeting with a embarrassed smile.
"Fate has brought us together from afar, it’s good to see you again, Immortal Shi."
In the midst of speaking, he glanced at the servant standing by his side, implying that it was not appropriate to start a confrontation at this moment.
Shi Miaoxue managed to rein in her temper, huffing coldly.
"Indeed, our fates are intertwined. Why don’t we sit down and have a drink together?"
"Immortal Shi’s invitation is too gracious, I wouldn’t dare decline."
Li Jing smiled and bowed, all the while cursing Xia Qianqian soundly in his heart.
He had only used the name ’Chen Tang City’s Li Jing’ three times.
The first was when he first entered the Secret Realm to deal with Zhou Yi, the second was to deal with Xia Qianqian, and the third was to deal with Shi Miaoxue.
The reason why Shi Miaoxue was at Xia Qianqian’s place was easy to guess.
Presumably, after Xia Qianqian’s rise in status she became well informed and influential. Shi Miaoxue, who lived a secluded life and was unfamiliar with the ways of the world, had come to Da Xia looking for someone without bothering much to conceal herself. She was found by Xia Qianqian and invited to her residence.
From the shocked look on Shi Miaoxue’s face when she saw him, it was obvious that Xia Qianqian had been cautious and hadn’t directly told Shi Miaoxue that she knew Chen Tang City’s Li Jing. Instead, she had used other means to invite her.
This move left Li Jing somewhat distressed.
Li Jing and Shi Miaoxue obviously knew each other, which confused the servant accompanying them.
He was just a servant, he didn’t know much.
In fact, he didn’t even know the name ’Chen Tang City’s Li Jing’.
Xia Qianqian had merely instructed him to call someone ’Immortal Li’ and to prioritize serving them when they appeared.
He also didn’t know that Shi Miaoxue had come to Da Xia Imperial City in search of someone.
He only knew that this seemingly fragile woman was a top-notch powerhouse whom his lady had gone to great lengths to invite.
The atmosphere became slightly tense when these two people crossed paths, which really baffled him.
However, these two important guests needed to be properly attended to.
Without thinking too much, he respected their wishes.
"So Immortal Li and Immortal Shi know each other. I will order the kitchen to prepare drinks. Please rest in the guest room for a moment."
"Surely."
Li Jing nodded.
Across from him, Shi Miaoxue narrowed her eyes and, with a cold huff, walked back.
The place she had come from was where the guest rooms were.
Since they had already encountered each other, Li Jing certainly couldn’t escape immediately.
Even though they had only interacted once before, he knew that she was relatively hot-tempered.
If he wanted to leave now, he knew Shi Miaoxue would certainly stop him.
Things change with time.
Not only was Li Jing’s Cultivation level now not inferior to Shi Miaoxue’s, when it came to Immortal Items, he had a definite edge over her.
However, if he decided to leave, she would probably turn the entire Da Xia Imperial City upside down.
Sighing at his bad luck, Li Jing silently followed her.
...
Soon, Li Jing followed Shi Miaoxue into the guest room.
Once they were alone, Shi Miaoxue, who had fought him with an Immortal Item at their first encounter, surprisingly didn’t immediately leap to confront him.
Gazing at Li Jing’s seemingly amiable face, she clenched her teeth.
"Li Dao, your Cultivation level has improved greatly since we last met. Within a few days, I can’t see through you anymore."
Staying peaceful was perfect for Li Jing.
If they really had to fight, it would be rather awkward for him as a thief.
Hearing what Shi Miaoxue said, Li Jing was slightly taken aback, then he understood.
Shi Miaoxue had the ability to see through other people’s Cultivation level, this was something he had overlooked.
No wonder she could restrain herself from attacking him.
"I just happened to stumble upon some opportunities, it’s nothing worth mentioning."
Li Jing smiled modestly and thought for a moment. Since his debtor was in front of him, he knew he had to explain everything. He looked back at her and said.
"Since we have encountered each other again, I won’t hide anything from Immortal Shi. Yes, I did steal...umm...take the Tianque Palace, and after examining it I now understand how significant the Tianque Palace is to Immortal Shi’s Sect. After I copy the books in the Tianque Palace, I will return them but not at this moment."
Saying this, he continued calmly.
"Immortal Shi, you know that I come from the Big World, and the numerous classics that your master had collected are quite valuable to the Big World and Longyu. We in the Big World possess scientific development methods and can scan and record text and image data. After I contact my people and copy everything, I will certainly return the books in the Tianque Palace to Immortal Shi."
Li Jing’s frankness surprised Shi Miaoxue a little.
She knew perfectly well how valuable the books her master had collected were.
Hearing Li Jing say that he would return them to her, her expression softened slightly, and she said coldly.
"So you only plan to return my books and not the Tianque Palace itself?"
"It’s just a building, Immortal Shi, I don’t see why you would hold it in such high regard."
Li Jing smiled thinly.
"..."
Shi Miaoxue.
This statement of his was somewhat shameless.
Was the Tianque Palace just some ordinary building?
Not to mention that she had lived in the Tianque Palace for many years, the Seven-Star Formation set up in the Tianque Palace was her master’s life’s work. It was impossible to just hand it over to someone else.
If it were any other time.
Given Shi Miaoxue’s explosive temper, she would definitely leap up and let Li Jing understand why flowers are so red.
But now, she dared not rush at him recklessly.
There was only one reason.
Li Jing seemed truly unfathomable to her at the moment.
Although she didn’t know how Li Jing had managed to reach his current state in just a few days, her intuition told her that if they fought, she might not have the upper hand.
After weighing the pros and cons, Shi Miaoxue grudgingly chose to compromise.
"Since you are fond of the Heavenly Palace, take it as yours, as long as you return the books collected by my master. After all, I don’t possess your spatial supernatural powers that would allow me to move the entire Heavenly Palace and bring it back."
Li Jing raised an eyebrow at her words.
He had thought that this would require a serious negotiation, but unexpectedly she became understanding and reasonable.
In the end, personal power proved to be the most critical.
If he had not reached the late stage of the Eighth Realm, no matter how capable he was of competing with Shi Miaoxue, she might not have conceded so easily.
Without much thought, Li Jing responded.
"I won’t take the Heavenly Palace for free, I have some good news for Fairy Shi."
"Good news?"
Shi Miaoxue looked up.
Just as Li Jing was about to speak, a "knock-knock" sound came from outside the door.
He gestured to Shi Miaoxue to be patient, then turned his head.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A few servants from the palace brought in tea and some delicate pastries for them.
After setting down the tea and pastries, the servants retreated.
Seeing this, Li Jing casually took out a Soundproofing Talisman, ignited it to activate it, and then looked at Shi Miaoxue.
"To be honest with Fairy Shi, I have been venturing deep into the Polar Region these days."
Shi Miaoxue looked slightly stunned, questioning him.
"The depths of the Polar Region are not an easy place to be, you actually managed to return alive?"
"Didn’t I just tell you? I fortuitously gained some opportunities, and my cultivation level has improved."
Li Jing smiled.
"If just a few opportunities were enough to go into the depths of the Polar Region and return, why haven’t I been able to go deep into it all these years?"
Shi Miaoxue disdainfully curling her lips, retorted.
"Although you seem inscrutable to me now, your realm is just only a little higher than mine. In the face of the peril at the deepest parts of the Polar Region, even the Ascending Immortal Realm wouldn’t be able to protect itself."
In response to her words, Li Jing smiled and shook his head.
"Having experienced so much, it’s indeed a bit difficult for me to get Fairy Shi to trust me."
He then continued casually,
"But whether Fairy Shi believes it or not, I did go to the depths of the Polar Region. And not only did I go there, but I also completely eliminated the source of the continuous emergence of Ghostly Evil Beasts in the Northern Polar Region."
At his words, Shi Miaoxue’s expression slightly changed.
However, she soon wore a skeptical expression again.
Just as she was about to speak, Li Jing preempted her.
"Not only that, but the forming Beast Tide has also been completely wiped out by me. The truth speaks for itself. It will be the day of the Beast Tide’s arrival in two days. By then, Fairy Shi, if you follow the Da Xia army to combat the Beast Tide alongside at the border of the Eastern Continent, you will know whether I lied."
"..."
Shi Miaoxue was stumped for words.
Truth be told, she was reluctant to believe Li Jing ever again.
But looking at how he seemed so sure of himself, she couldn’t help but believe.
It wasn’t that Li Jing’s words were so convincing, but that he had no reason to lie to her.
Claiming that he had resolved the source of the persistent emergence of Ghostly Evil Beasts wouldn’t bring him any benefits.
He certainly isn’t expecting her to oblige him with her body or anything of the sort...
After a moment of silence, Shi Miaoxue confirmed with him.
"Did you... really manage to do it?"
Li Jing took a sip of his tea, gave a nod of affirmation with a slight smile and said,
"Fairy Shi, if you wish to change this world, this could be an opportunity. Even though it’s unlikely for the present situation of Da Xia to change drastically, the next century will be a crucial period for whether history can be changed."
"..."
Shi Miaoxue fell silent, and then said,
"I’m afraid not much can be changed in just a century. Moreover, you’ve only eliminated the source of the Ghostly Evil Beasts, narrowing down the development space for those in Da Xia who have gone astray. If the Sky Demon remains alive, it will inevitably rise again one day."
"That indeed poses a problem, but it’s a pity that I can’t help with that."
Li Jing shrugged,
"Fairy Shi, don’t overthink. After the upcoming hundred years of Beast Tide, the Da Xia Dynasty and various sect forces are bound to be decimated. By then, the pattern in the East Mainland where the Sky Demon Great Method is the only cultivation method could easily be broken. As long as Fairy Shi continues to operate cautiously, slowly propagating the cultivation methods collected by your master, Da Xia will surely undergo changes."
Hearing his words, Shi Miaoxue nodded to indicate her agreement and then bit her red lips.
"Can you tell me what exactly is there in the depths of the Polar Region?"
"This involves Fairy Shi’s Sect; are you sure you want to know?"
Li Jing tilted his head.
Shi Miaoxue was very sensitive, and upon hearing his words, she immediately frowned.
"Did you meet my senior sister?"
"Not just that."
Li Jing responded.
Hearing his reply, Shi Miaoxue felt a slight pause, and then her expression turned gloomy when she thought of something.
"Just tell me, I’m prepared for certain things."
Li Jing saw this and raised his eyebrow.
Looking at Shi Miaoxue’s expression, it seemed she was not completely ignorant of the origin of her Sect, she just hadn’t mentioned it to him before.
Without much thought, Li Jing began to recount in detail what he had seen on the Black Continent.
After listening to it all, Shi Miaoxue was silent for a long time.
Finally, she let out a sigh.
"Such tragedies..."
Li Jing didn’t respond and continued eating his pastries.
He didn’t care to comment on what Shi Miaoxue’s Sect had done in the past.
This matter had little to do with him after all.
Seeing that he remained silent, Shi Miaoxue looked over.
"One question, I noticed Princess Wenqu cultivating a legitimate method within her body, which is clearly not the method of the Heavenly Saint Land. Was the cultivation method she acquired taught to her by you?"
Hearing Shi Miaoxue’s question, Li Jing instantly understood why this woman had chosen to stay at Xia Qianqian’s house, even though the latter hadn’t revealed she knew him. So it all came down to the cultivation method.
Since Xia Qianqian already had a legitimate cultivation method operating within her body, it meant that she had finally given in and started learning from him.
Meanwhile, her status must have greatly changed as well, as she was unafraid that others might harm her due to her learning the cultivation method.
"Indeed, I did teach Princess Wenqu her methods of cultivation," Li Jing said casually.
"But this is merely a transaction between her and me. If you, Fairy Shi, intend to utilize her power to change Da Xia, you’d better think it through. You’ll be cultivating a queen in the end. She won’t obey you, and might even consider you her greatest threat after seizing the emperor’s position and changing Da Xia."
Upon hearing this, Shi Miaoxue furrowed her eyebrows, asking, "Isn’t she your disciple?"
"I won’t be staying in the Heavenly Saint Land for very long, so why would I take any disciples here?"
Li Jing laughed, citing, "Furthermore, even if she were my disciple, it doesn’t suggest that you, Fairy Shi, could borrow my power through her, and it certainly doesn’t suggest that she, having ambitions to be a queen, would obediently obey anyone."
As he spoke, he looked seemingly amused.
"Speaking of borrowing power, she truly is an excellent choice. But you, Fairy Shi, should tread carefully. To avoid becoming infamous after changing Da Xia and failing to achieve anything, or worse, sacrificing yourself."
"..."
Shi Miaoxue sighed and kept silent before breaking the silence, "You are somewhat annoying."
?
Li Jing.
"I haven’t even done anything yet, but already you’re trying to scare me off."
With a scoff, Shi Miaoxue stood up. "I will consider this matter carefully. For now, I will continue cultivating here. I hope that you, Daoist Li, will honour your promise and return every book from my master’s collection."
As she finished speaking, Li Jing opened his mouth, "I’m afraid I can’t return them all. I’m interested in the teachings of your sect, so I need to take them away."
"..."
Looking back wordlessly, Shi Miaoxue was about to leave.
This was different from their discussion.
Though after thinking it over, she realized Li Jing hadn’t explicitly mentioned returning everything.
After carefully observing Li Jing, Shi Miaoxue chose to leave without a word.
The teachings of a sect weren’t something she could just hand over to Li Jing.
Not to mention she hadn’t fully grasped them herself.
Yet she understood.
There was a reason Li Jing wanted to do this.
She was aware that the altar on the black continent used the teachings of her sect to connect with the Outer Realm Sky.
If one day someone were to fully comprehend the sect teachings, the altar might reappear.
By that time, no matter what she’d done for Da Xia and how much she’d changed, everything would revert to its original state.
Those teachings were better off gone.
She couldn’t ensure that those exposed to the sect teachings wouldn’t be tempted by the Sky Demon, or even whether her own will could resist if she encountered the Sky Demon.
Perhaps it was best that they didn’t exist.
...
Time passed swiftly, and night fell on the Imperial City.
Having met with Shi Miaoxue during the day, Li Jing didn’t see her again.
Holed up in Xia Qianqian’s palace, Li Jing, with nothing to do, considered visiting the Tianque Palace to peruse some books and learn a couple of useful skills.
Just as he was about to act, a notification popped up in front of his eyes.
"The Immortal Items Linglong rearing progress has reached its peak. Quality has improved to Immortal Items Level Eight. Further evolution requires a higher cultivation level."
"The Immortal Items Qingfeng rearing progress has reached its peak. Quality has improved to Immortal Items Level Eight. Further evolution requires a higher cultivation level."
With two consecutive notifications, Li Jing frowned.
In the past couple of days, Linglong’s and Qingfeng’s rearing progress had been encouraging.
Every twenty-four hours, there was a 40% upgrade.
Even the Smoke Eye, which wasn’t a Lifebound Magic Instrument and thus did not enjoy the double upgrade, also experienced a 25% improvement, having evolved to become Immortal Items Level Seven the day before.
This efficiency was sheer perfection.
The enhancement in the Spiritual Power Intensity from powering up several levels at once was extremely fulfilling.
The advancements in quality of Linglong and Qingfeng were not surprising.
According to time, it should have been about right.
However, the notifications showing that the rearing progress of the two Immortal Items had reached their peak did not match Li Jing’s expectations by a long shot.
He had suspected that he couldn’t cultivate Taoist Items.
Still, he was taken aback that with the cultivation level nearing the Ninth Realm from the late-stage of the Eighth Realm, he could only enhance to Immortal Items Level Eight.
In his eyes...
With an efficiency of 40% a day, even if it needed to be reduced, it shouldn’t have been cut off completely.
Yet that was indeed terminated abruptly.
However, it wasn’t exactly disappointing.
The Immortal Items Level Eight was an achievement many considered beyond reach...
Even Shi Miaoxue, a proper late-stage cultivator of the Eighth Realm, only possessed Level Three Immortal Items.
After gaining administrator privileges, Li Jing’s status bar notification seemed more user-friendly, informing him that he needed to upgrade his cultivation level for further enhancements.
The change was worth noting.
Linglong and Qingfeng had reached their evolution stage for the time being, and the evolution of Smoke Eye would likely not take much longer.
Just as he was about to summon his status bar for confirmation, soft knocks from outside the door resounded, followed by Xia Qianqian’s voice.
"Master, I’m here."
?
Li Jing.
Master?
What’s that about?
Why was she speaking for herself?
On second thought...
The ongoing noises in the distance were clear indications that Xia Zhengyang’s birthday banquet was still ongoing. What brought her back?
Having a strange look on his face, Li Jing responded.
"Come in to talk."
