Ninety-six, inspecting and cultivating

  In the Jade Void Palace, Yuan Shi and Xun Daozi sat facing each other. In front of them was a jade stone tea table with several types of spiritual fruits on it, a set of green jade tea utensils, and in the teapot was brewing the 'Da Hong Pao' that Xun Daozi had obtained from Wuyi Mountain.

  At this moment, Yuan Shi was holding a jade cup upright, his eyes lightly closed, and his throat slightly moving.

  Halfway through, Yuan Shi opened his eyes and said: "Not bad, it has a unique flavor, bitter and astringent with a sweet aftertaste. There's joy in the bitterness! This tea is delicious!"

  Put down the jade cup in his hand, Yuan Shi said to Xun Daozi: "Now that your cultivation is unimpeded, you can take advantage of this peaceful period to retreat and cultivate, and improve your Taoist practice. With the help of 'Wu Dao Cha', first improve your Taoist practice, and then respond to the upcoming Hongyuan Great Tribulation. Just like when you saved Red Cloud Old Ancestor this time, if you had the Taoist practice of Daluo True Immortal Realm, relying on the treasure in your hand, saving Red Cloud Old Ancestor would not have been injured. This Kunpeng, Taiyi, knowing that you are my disciple, still dared to attack you, it seems that I need to take action and establish some prestige, otherwise, these Hongyuan cultivators really don't put me in their eyes." A fierce color flashed in his eyes.

  Xun Daozi quickly got up and bowed, saying: "Disciple thanks Master for his concern, disciple dare not trouble Master to take action. When disciple closes the door to attain the Great Luo True Immortal Fruit, he will naturally settle this karma with him."

  Yuanshi's eyes lit up: "Good! You have such a mind, I'll let you settle this karma yourself. So as not to let others say that I bullied him. Get up quickly!"

  Zengzi rose and sat down again.

  Yuanshi spoke again, "You have returned this time, first let your master assess the achievements of your fellow disciples' cultivation and set a feasible plan for their future cultivation. Your master has gained some insights and needs to retreat and contemplate them. After you have arranged all matters in the sect, go into seclusion and cultivate." Yuanshi finished speaking and disappeared.

  Xuanzang looked up at the sky and bowed once, then left the Jade Void Palace and arrived at the place where the lamp was lit.

  Ran Deng led Daozi into the house and sat down, smiling as he spoke: "First of all, congratulations on your great progress in your Taoist practice."

  Xun Daozi returned the courtesy and said: "Congratulations as well, also congratulations to Elder for soon attaining the Great Luo True Immortal Fruit Position."

  Ran Deng's face revealed a joyful expression, and he also returned the courtesy with the same joy. Ran Deng said that after arriving at the Jade Void Palace, he received Yuan Shi's guidance, and under the accumulation of thick and thin, his Taoist practice rose rapidly, and now he was only one line away from the Great Luo True Immortal Realm, waiting for just a thread of opportunity to break through.

  Xun Daozi took out a few leaves of Wu Dao Mu tea and handed them to Ran Deng. Ran Deng's face lit up as he recognized the Ling Gen Wu Dao tea, a precious tea cherished by the cultivators of the Hong Huang realm. With this Wu Dao tea, Ran Deng's breakthrough would be imminent. Although he was only one step away from breaking through, it was uncertain when that would happen. But with this Wu Dao tea, Ran Deng could break through to become a Da Luo True Immortal within a hundred years at most, and how could he not be overjoyed?

  You can take this tea, but I feel it's too precious, so I'll pass it back to Xun Daozi.

  Xun Daozi smiled slightly and didn't extend his hand, saying: "Please accept it, Elder. You and I are both from the Yu Xuantian Sect, we should help each other. These few pieces of Wudao tea can help you break through, which is exactly what's needed. If you break through soon, you'll be able to guide more disciples of the Yu Xuantian Sect, this will also be your merit."

  Xiang Liang's heart was moved by what he heard, and he accepted the Wu Dao tea without saying another word.

  The two exchanged their cultivation experiences for a while before Xun Daozi stood up and left.

  Xun Daozi wandered along the way, but his mind was thinking about how to compare the cultivation of his fellow disciples. As for the Taoist path, he could see through the cultivation of his fellow disciples at a glance, not to mention the realm of his master's cultivation. What exactly did his master want him to compare with the cultivation of his fellow disciples? It seemed that only the mastery of the divine technique and actual combat strength were left. After all, since his fellow disciples went up Mount Kunlun, they had not experienced real combat testing, even if there were some exchanges between them, it was mostly just practice, lacking the cruel life-and-death struggle, and in actual combat, they would definitely not have much strength. His master had always been proud of himself and would not put down his dignity to personally instruct his fellow disciples in actual combat, letting him compare the cultivation of his fellow disciples was probably because he saw that his fellow disciples thought they were saints' disciples, although their talents were high and their cultivation progressed rapidly, but also developed a habit of being arrogant, becoming a person with high eyes and low hands. This should be what his master wanted him to knock on the door, to let them truly understand the cruelty of the path of cultivation, put away that bit of saint's disciple's arrogance, and return to their original nature as cultivators. It must be so, no wonder this time when he came back to see his fellow disciples, although they were still warm and friendly as before, but still subtly revealed a proud air. Xun Daozi thought so in his heart.

  Now that I understand why, it's easy to handle. Xunzi sends a message to gather all the disciples outside the Yu Xu Palace square, along with the three-eyed snow lion beast, the jade qilin, and his own disciple Liu Ling.

  In a short while, nearly a hundred people stood on the square in front of the Jade Void Palace, each with an extraordinary aura and eyes shining with light, looking at Xun Daozi who was standing with his hands behind his back, wearing a plain white Taoist robe.

  Behind Xun Daozi stood three-eyed Snow Lion, Jade Qilin and Liu Ling. He looked up to see that all his fellow disciples had arrived, with the first batch of fourteen people who had passed the Yuanshi Formation Array, including Guang Chengzi, standing in front. Behind them were the twenty disciples gradually taken in by Yuanshi Tianzun later on, including Chu Yunzi and Bao Canzi from two different tribes. Further back were the fifty-two registered disciples taken in by Yuanshi Tianzun. At this moment, they all looked at Xun Daozi with excitement, wondering why he had gathered everyone to the Yuxu Palace Square.

  Xun Daozi raised his eyes and swept a glance over them, and everyone's attention was focused on Xun Daozi.

  "Brothers, you have all been on Mount Kunlun for some time now, studying under our master. You are all naturally talented and have made rapid progress in your cultivation, to the point where even I, your senior brother, am envious. Our master is also very pleased with you." As he spoke, Xun Daozi paused, his eyes scanning the crowd of brothers, most of whom had a self-satisfied look on their faces. Only a few showed no change in expression, including Yu Ding Zhenren, Nan Ji Xianweng, and Ci Hang Zhenren. However, two people, Chu Yunzi and Bao Canzi, looked embarrassed, clearly feeling inferior because they were the weakest among all the brothers.

  Xun Daozi looked at them with a nod in his heart, then opened his mouth and said: "Shifu closed the door to contemplate, instructing me to inspect your cultivation achievements. Today, on this square, you will show off all that you have learned, let Shixiong take a look."

  As soon as Zidao's voice fell, many of them were already excited and eager to show off their skills.

  Xun Daozi immediately ordered to clear a space for him to perform his magic tricks.

  The first to walk into the arena was a lean Taoist, whose Tao had reached the realm of the heavenly immortals. He wore a grey Taoist robe, with his hair tied back in a knot and holding a long sword. He walked to the center of the arena, bowed his head and said: "I'll go first!"

  After finishing, the long sword was raised and made a gesture, immediately opening up the body method, pointing east and west, the sword light flashed, fluttering and elegant, so beautiful. The dance was exciting, only seeing the sword light, not seeing the human shadow.

  There were cheers all around, but Zidao's face remained calm and expressionless.

  In a moment, the sword light converged, and the slender Taoist stood proudly, with a triumphant look in his eyes.

  Xun Daozi didn't comment on his work, but just said: "If you have magical powers, you can also display them."

  The skinny Taoist heard this and immediately revealed another trick of earth escape.

  Xun Daozi saw him and said, "Still okay!"

  The Taoist priest bowed and backed away.

  The disciples came on stage one after another, showcasing their skills. The long sword became the choice of the vast majority, dancing with elegance and poise, extremely beautiful; the displayed magic was also extremely aesthetically pleasing. Xun Daozi frowned as he watched. Only a few people made Xun Daozi's eyes light up.

  The two cultivators, Chuyunzi and Baocanzi, were among them. The two had the lowest moral standing, and when they entered the arena, they both seemed a bit out of breath. However, as soon as they raised their weapons, their focused expressions made Xundaozi nod in secret admiration. Chuyunzi wielded a long sword with lightness and accuracy. Every thrust gave people an unpredictable and elusive feeling, making it hard to dodge. Baocanzi, on the other hand, entered the arena with a wolf-tooth club, which was the first time Xundaozi had seen a cultivator use such a weapon, and he couldn't help but feel some interest.

  He walked into the arena with a crippled child, and with a loud "Clang!" he slammed his wolf-toothed club to the ground, revealing its considerable weight.

  With a solemn bow, he raised the wolf-toothed club in one hand and unfolded his moves, neither fast nor slow, steady as a mountain. He seemed to grasp the idea of "great skill without effort", with a hint of spatial restraint, so that although his moves were not swift, they forced his opponent to engage in a fierce battle. Of course, at this moment, Bao Canzi's display of Taoist magic was still unable to restrain those who had reached a higher level, but within the same realm, it was likely that he would have to clash head-on. Xun Daozi watched with great astonishment, feeling that Bao Canzi had truly grown into a war god.

  Ci Hang Zhen Ren's one handle of dust-sweeping brush is wielded with ease, its transformations unpredictable, and his self-enlightened magical powers are quite formidable; Huang Long Zhen Ren uses a long sword as if it were a heavy sword, capturing the idea of lightness and heaviness, opening and closing grandly, with an extraordinary aura; Nan Ji Xian Weng's long sword is agile and nimble, with some Taiji sword intent.

  Yu Ding Zhen Ren wore a white Taoist robe, spotless and unblemished. His face was cold and stern, his eyes piercing and sharp. He stepped into the arena wearing hemp shoes, with a long sword slung over his back and a feather duster in hand.

  He stood still in the middle of the field, without any movement, but his breath was cold and condensed, as if surrounded by an inexplicable aura that flowed around him. The hem of his Taoist robe moved automatically without wind, and a stern and murderous aura spread through the air, making people feel that even the air had begun to condense with coldness.

  Among the crowd's surprise, Yu Ding Zhenren's body moved, and the long sword behind his back was already in hand. One sword stabbed out, piercing the void with a sharp sword energy; Yu Ding Zhenren's hand relaxed, and the long sword shot out like lightning, twisting and turning in mid-air like a dragon, emitting cold light in all directions. With one move of the sword technique, the long sword flashed and returned to its scabbard on his back. Yu Ding Zhenren bowed his head and retreated.

  Xun Daozi secretly admired Yu Ding Zhen Ren's swordsmanship, truly a peerless swordsman.

  Everyone's display has ended, and apart from a few people, Zhen Daozi saw that they were all flashy but useless divine abilities. If they were to enter the Hongyuan with their current strength and compete with those cultivators who had experienced life and death battles, most of them would have no chance of winning in the same realm. It's really embarrassing to go out like this. Zhen Daozi's face was cold and stern, and his fellow disciples felt a chill in their hearts.

  "Brothers, Master has high hopes for you all. But I, your senior brother, am greatly disappointed today. You must also know the cruelty of the vast wilderness. Our cultivation not only requires moral integrity but also martial prowess. Otherwise, when disaster strikes, even with Master's protection, it will be difficult to escape the calamity and turn to dust. I hope you brothers do not take this lightly." As soon as he finished speaking, Xun Daozi's aura was released, and the Great Luo Realm's aura immediately pressed down on his junior brothers, causing them to fall to the ground. Only a few people managed to hold on, but their faces were filled with shock and confusion. Liu Ling, who was behind Xun Daozi, was also pressed to the ground.

  Wishing you all a happy new year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!