Yellow Court Daoist

"Ha ha!"

"Sir, you flatter me. I'm well aware of my limited talents and shallow learning; I have nothing but a bit of martial strength to my name. If we speak of defending the territory and protecting the people, of restoring order to Lingnan, it's all thanks to Sir's strategic planning and direction."

Zhao Jian burst into hearty laughter, exuding a spirit of boldness.

After exchanging pleasantries with Lu Qingfeng, he straightened his face and finally got to the heart of the matter, "Sir must know that I, Zhao Jian, hail from the Zhao family. More than a thousand years ago, we were among the Six Kings of the great Da Xu, with my ancestors reigning as the King of Lingnan. Through many changes and upheavals, members of my Zhao family have emerged as remarkable individuals, some even ascending to the highest officialdom."

Indeed, the Zhao family of Lingnan wielded no small amount of influence.

Zhao Jian's ability to easily control the situation in Lingnan was partly due to the considerable support from his clan.

Tracing back their lineage, the Zhao family was originally one of the seven feudal lords who migrated from the great Da Meng and was also one of the founding Six Pillar Kings of Da Xu. Even excluding the branches that remained in Da Meng, the Zhao family of Da Sui boasted a long and esteemed heritage.

Through ups and downs, they had weathered many storms.

Nowadays, although they could not compare to the top-tier families of Da Sui, their presence in Lingnan County was by no means to be underestimated.

Lu Qingfeng listened as Zhao Jian spoke of his forebears, realizing his ambitions instantly.

He didn't interrupt, merely listened in silence.

He saw Zhao Jian's eyes glow with recollection as he listed the achievements of his ancestors, reaching back to the time of Da Xu and Da Chao, and continued for quite some while before, still not fully satisfied, he looked eagerly at Lu Qingfeng, "Now that Da Sui is engulfed in war and the people suffer, I am determined to restore my ancestors' glory, to claim the title of King of Lingnan, and then to send troops northward—to restore order and quell rebellion. What is Sir's view on this?"

Zhao Jian was earnest.

By taking control of Lingnan County, his confidence blossomed, and with that, his ambition swelled enormously.

'Governor of Lingnan' could no longer satisfy Zhao Jian.

He wanted to be King, the 'King of Lingnan'!

"To become King."

Over the years, having assumed the name 'Lu Changqing,' Lu Qingfeng had been closely monitoring the changes in Zhao Jian, both in body and mind, all within his control and congruent with the predictions of the Heavenly Mechanism he had deduced ten years ago. He had foreseen that this day would come.

Eight years was not an overly long time.

However, proclaiming kingship at this stage was still too conspicuous, "Brother Jingzhi must not act with undue haste, lest it draws too much attention. It would be wiser to amass grain and delay claiming kingship, perhaps first accept the title of 'Lingnan Marquis,' establishing an official residence and base. After pacifying the North, claiming kingship will come at no inconvenience."

"Lingnan Marquis?"

Zhao Jian's expression faltered, looking at Lu Qingfeng. Seeing the latter as unmovable as Mount Tai, with experienced depths, Zhao Jian pondered for a long while but ultimately followed the sage advice, "I will heed the Sir's counsel."

Following this.

Zhao Jian further discussed with Lu Qingfeng the matter of becoming a marquis, and it wasn't until after lunch that Lu Qingfeng left the Governor Mansion.

Before he departed.

Lu Qingfeng glanced at Zhao Jian and noticed a reddish glow on his face mixed with a tinge of dark gray. His broad forehead even had a faint shadow of black. What should have been the visage of a man with a fortune as mighty as a dragon now bore an air of twilight.

"Becoming King or Marquis, for Zhao Jian, there is little difference, really."

"His destiny is too frail; he cannot escape death after all."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head inwardly, striding back to his residence.

Zhao Jian was doomed to die.

He too needed to make final arrangements, to be fully prepared.

...

At the County Governor Mansion.

Lu Qingfeng went straight to the inner hall. Lin Ye, dressed as a young maiden with a slightly changed appearance, was unrecognizable—

Nobody would have guessed that this miss, resembling a wealthy family's daughter, was in fact the Seven Treasures Immortal from the Da Hao Qibao Mountain.

Lin Ye had already prepared the tea.

Seeing her teacher returning, she quickly greeted him, her face beaming with joy as she stood by his side.

"How is your cultivation progressing?"

Lu Qingfeng asked Lin Ye casually.

"Teacher, I have refined all seventeen Immortal Grapes and my mana has peaked. Furthermore, I've consumed an Immaculate Immortal Pill to cleanse and refine my immortal body, eradicating all latent maladies."

"My condition is unprecedentedly superb, ready to challenge the Earth Immortal realm at any time."

Lin Ye had been awaiting her teacher's question and replied jubilantly, her tone buoyant. Her condition was even better than before her attempt to reach the Earth Immortal realm ten years ago. If she had a well-maintained Daoist field, she could even immediately seek to break through to the Earth Immortal realm.

However, her Daoist field at Seven Treasures Mountain was already in ruins, and she awaited her teacher's execution of a Great Method.

"Not bad."

Lu Qingfeng inspected Lin Ye. Indeed, she exuded complete vitality, prompting him to nod in approval. After a moment's thought, he took out a palm fan from his robes and handed it to Lin Ye.

"Teacher, this is—"

Lin Ye accepted the palm fan and upon inspecting it, instantly recognized it as the 'Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan', a treasure previously wielded by the Shenxiao Sect Leader Zhengqing. It was forcibly taken by her teacher during the incident outside Seven Treasures Mountain.

Holding the fan, Lin Ye was puzzled as to her teacher's intentions.

"In the coming days, as Zhao Jian becomes a marquis and establishes his influence, Lingnan County is bound to experience some turmoil. In the meantime, start refining this 'Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan' initially. Once the marquisate is conferred, I will find a place to assist you in your breakthrough," instructed Lu Qingfeng.

Lin Ye couldn't afford to take any chances in her ascension to Earth Immortal. Given Lingnan County's proximity to Da Meng, it wasn't an ideal place for a breakthrough. Lu Qingfeng had long selected a more suitable location. After helping Lin Ye attain the Earth Immortal status, they would shortly venture to the Four Saints Immortal Realm.

With the marquisate conferred and any disturbances quelled, the time would come.

At that time, Lingnan would briefly recuperate, and Lu Qingfeng took this opportunity to bring Lin Feng and Zhang Yang back.

"Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan?"

"For me?!"

Lin Ye was unaware of her teacher's series of plans, only holding onto the Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan with joyous disbelief. Lifting her gaze to her teacher, she sought confirmation.

"Consider it an early gift for your achievement of becoming an Earth Immortal," Lu Qingfeng said with a smile.

His other Earth Immortal disciple, Daoist Zheng Chi of the Longevity Path, had received the Moon Worship Treasure Fan, a Second Rank Immortal Artifact, after his ascension, bestowed by Lu Qingfeng under the guise of a reward.

In the Black Star Realm, after a long separation from Mountain Wind, Lu Qingfeng rewarded him for his contributions in managing the Guangyuan Immortal Sect with an Immortal Artifact named the Five Ding Axe, which was a First Rank Immortal Artifact.

Now that Lin Ye was on her way to becoming an Earth Immortal, it would not be fitting for Lu Qingfeng to show favor to one and not the other.

Although the Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan was a treasure from the Shenxiao Sect, Lu Qingfeng had deciphered it and refined it again using Qingjing Heavenly Fire, erasing many of its original marks and bolstering its power significantly. It was now also a Second Rank Immortal Artifact.

[Immortal Artifact: Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan]

[Grade: Second Rank]

[Description: Also known as the 'Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan.' Crafted by the upright Zhengqing Daoist who requested the Heavenly Official to refine it, using Xuan Ting celestial bamboo as the handle and woven from ten-thousand-year-old Immortal Silkworm Silk. Capable of healing diseases, dispelling evil to aid justice, removing calamities, and summoning the 'Five Bright Demon-suppressing Wind,' it's an irresistible force for ghosts and deities. As stated in the Eight Might Dragon Summoning Scripture: "First, the Upper Cave Desireless Brightness; second, Mutual Understanding; third, the Five Passes and Nine Unions; fourth, the wisdom of adapting to the situation; fifth, foresight in all directions clear and unobstructed by adversity, these constitute the Five Bright Hole Yan."]

"Disciple gratefully thanks Teacher!" exclaimed Lin Ye, as her teacher indeed decided to bestow the Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan. Overwhelmed with joy, she bowed to Lu Qingfeng, fondly brushing over the Palm Fan with an attachment she could hardly part with.

This was one of the Shenxiao Sect Leader's most treasured possessions.

Considering the power demonstrated by this treasure in the battle ten years ago, this treasure's might ranked above the Shenxiao Sword, Curse Dates, and the Sa Ancestor Iron Can. With this relic in hand, even upon newly achieving Earth Immortal status, the likes of Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan would be no match for her.

Seeing Lin Ye's foolishly ecstatic grin, Lu Qingfeng felt amused. Waving his hand, he let her go to refine the Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan.

Lu Qingfeng murmured an incantation.

Soon after, seven Daoists, old and young, male and female, filed in. Their bodies ethereal and invisible to the naked eye, the servants and maids of the County Governor Mansion didn't notice their presence. Only when reaching the inner hall did they materialize into solid form, bowing towards Lu Qingfeng and addressing him as 'Teacher.'

These were none other than the seven gifted and morally virtuous itinerant Daoists that Lu Qingfeng encountered on his travels across the twenty-one counties of Lingnan ten years ago when he established the Changqing Temple on Xia Guang Mountain.

With a bit of Divine Skills, he accepted them as registered disciples.

After assuming the post of Lingnan County Governor, he delegated all affairs of the Changqing Temple to these seven, who were known as the 'Changqing Seven Sons.'

Lu Qingfeng even obtained additional titles for them through Zhao Jian. With the Secret Techniques granted by Lu Qingfeng and the blessings of Lingnan's fate, the cultivation of the Changqing Seven Sons progressed with Divine Speed. Originally, when they joined Changqing Temple, they were merely at the Ordained or Refiner Dao ability levels, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment and Spirit Void practitioners in Immortal Cultivation.

However, within a mere ten years, each of their Dao abilities had made leaps and bounds.

The least advanced, Shousheng and Shoujing, were both at the intermediate stage of Spirit Platform cultivation, with one achieving the Fourth Layer Spirit Platform. They could now be considered on par with core practitioners from the Core Formation Realm and Gathering Law Realm in Immortal Dao.

The most talented and diligent, Shouyang and Shouchun, had forged the Nine-Layer Spirit Platform, reaching the level of the Yin God Master, able to stand equal with the Primordial Spirit True One in Immortal Dao.

"Ordained, Refiner, Spirit Platform, Yin God, Yang God."

"These are the five realms of the Fang Xian Dao."

"Corresponding to the five realms of Foundation Establishment, Spirit Void, Core Formation, Primordial Spirit, and Mahayana in Immortal Dao."

"Fang Xian Dao cultivation, though fraught with dangers and longevity shackles, proves to be a viable path when flourishing."

Every time Lu Qingfeng saw these seven registered disciples and their growing realms, he considered the 'Fang Xian Dao' to be a cultivation path comparable to the 'Life and Death Skill' of the Immortal Qin Realm.

In terms of Immortal Dao,

a mere ten years is insignificant. Even Foundation Establishment Practitioners or Spirit Void True Cultivators might not advance even the smallest stage.

Yet Fang Xian Dao went from the realm of Refiner directly to Yin God Master.

Comparing these advancements to Immortal Dao, it was like leaping from the Spirit Void Realm, bypassing the Core Formation Realm, and directly transcending to the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Truly astonishing.

"No wonder the Shenxiao Sect, Mao Mountain Dao, and many branches of Fang Xian Dao could suppress the orthodox Immortal Dao within the Human Dao Law Domain." Previously superficial in his observations, these ten years focused on governing Lingnan County, Lu Qingfeng came to a deeper understanding of the various systems within the Human Dao Law Domain, which diverged from orthodox Immortal Dao and the Life and Death Skill.

Fang Xian Dao was one such system.

While delighted by the discovery, he didn't rush to experiment in reality.

Instead, Lu Qingfeng planned to exploit the opportunity against the Shenxiao Sect to thoroughly study these systems within the Human Dao Law Domain and uncover the advantages and disadvantages of each system.

Like Fang Xian Dao.

Fortune aligns with the cosmos at times, heroes are rendered helpless when it fades.

Cultivation that leverages fate may result in swift progress, but the foundation is unstable, and everlasting life is but a distant dream. Further, being too entangled with the mundane world brings karma that could rain disaster at any turn.

Very few can die a natural death, as most fall in the strife of conflicts.