Ye Xiulan smiled slightly and said, "I should thank Granny for being so impatient. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you and wouldn't have been able to learn immortal techniques."
"You are a person of good fortune. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been allowed to enter the palace. You are currently at the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. Given time, I hope you can reach the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation and catch up with me. But you can forget about becoming an Earth Immortal. The one who truly has a chance to catch up with the old palace master is Ziyan. Her pure Yin constitution makes her an excellent candidate to practice the immortal techniques of Yaochi Immortal Palace," the nanny said happily.
Ye Xiulan laughed and said, "So, it seems I still benefited from Ziyan's influence!"
"Ah? There's such a thing?" Ye Ziyan was extremely surprised. She hadn't expected there to be so many secrets within the Yaochi Immortal Palace. It turned out she had been targeted long ago. The renowned, elusive Palace Master had vanished, entering the Xuan Yin Cave, his fate unknown. The vast Yaochi Immortal Palace was now being managed solely by Ye Xiulan and the old nanny.
"Of course. The immortal techniques of Yaochi Immortal Palace are unique in the world. Even Kunlun, which is known as the number one sect in the cultivation world, still cannot compare to Yaochi Immortal Palace in terms of spells, treasures and pills!" Ye Xiulan said proudly.
“That’s right. Now that Ziyan has returned to her position, one must reach the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation realm to become the Palace Master. You’ve already taught me the incantation of the *Su Nu Jing*, haven’t you, Xiu Lan?” the nanny said.
"I have already taught him," Ye Xiulan nodded.
"Well. Now that she's been taught, let Ziyan take the Profound Yin Pill so she can reach the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation realm as soon as possible. That way, she can take over the position of the new Palace Master and then emerge to resolve the great calamity in the mortal world," the old woman nodded and said.
"The Profound Yin Pill?" Ye Ziyan was astonished. She was now at the early stage of Qi Induction, and had a certain understanding of cultivation. She knew the enormous gap between Qi Induction and Qi Refining to Spirit Realm. The Qi Refining to Spirit Realm was considered the mark of a top expert in the current cultivation world; Earth Immortals were practically invincible. For the Jade Pool Immortal Palace to possess a pill that could instantly elevate her to the Qi Refining to Spirit Realm was truly heaven-defying.
"That's right. The Profound Yin Pill might not be well-known in the cultivation world. But almost everyone knows about the Kunlun Sect's Nine-Turn Purple Gold Pill. Although that pill can turn an ordinary person into a powerful expert in the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation in a short time, their formula has a flaw. The person is essentially stuck at that level forever, unable to make any further progress, no matter what rare and precious herbs they consume. This is why the Kunlun Sect never allows its disciples to take the Nine-Turn Purple Gold Pill. Moreover, the refining process is extremely complex, troublesome, and time-consuming, so they no longer refine it. Besides, they don't have the ability to refine it. But our Profound Yin Pill is different. The formula is perfect, left to the mortal world by our ancestor, specifically to enhance strength and monitor all cultivators. Although it can only raise one's cultivation level to the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, it doesn't hinder further cultivation. If you persist, your cultivation level will continue to improve." Ye Xiulan explained some secrets of the cultivation world to Ye Ziyan.
Ye Ziyan was amazed and nodded, saying, "It's truly amazing. I never imagined there were such things."
"The cultivation world is vast, boundless, and profound. Countless ancient immortals, who possessed immortality, still could not fully comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth, dedicating their entire lives to its study. Therefore, people like you and me in the cultivation world are merely shrimps who have just scratched the surface," Ye Xiulan said kindly, stroking Ye Ziyan's long, ink-black hair.
"Red clouds and purple mists fill the daytime, crimson banners and green canopies welcome the young lord. Suddenly he ascends to heaven from beneath the trees, leaving people to worship the white clouds in vain. Cultivating immortality and practicing the Dao is indeed profound and vast, yet it is also so alluring." Ye Ziyan softly recited a song of ascension, which stirred Ye Xiulan's heart.
“That’s right. This is what I’ve been pursuing. All worldly desires and power are insignificant.” Ye Xiulan said proudly.
"Um--"
Afterwards, Ye Ziyan experienced something truly unforgettable in her life. She then left the Yaochi Immortal Palace with the jade talisman and returned to Jiangdong City. This led to Gao Qingmei asking her to accompany her on a trip to the prison to rescue Li Yang. During Li Yang's imprisonment, the women never smiled; they were all filled with worry and distress. But Li Yang had instructed them to wait. To be patient. He would be alright. What could they do? This was a power struggle at the highest levels. Mayor Ye had been transferred; their influence was utterly useless. Even the Jade King of Xinjiang, after spending a huge sum of money, received utterly disappointing news: Li Yang was destined for prison.
But just when they thought everything was over and were in despair, fate seemed to love playing tricks on them. Things took an unexpected turn, and Li Yang's situation improved again. Everything changed overnight. The losers instantly became winners, while the original winners were left with nothing but their underwear. Besides this major event, another thing that unsettled everyone in Jiangdong City was the tremors in Xishan. Initially thought to be a minor earthquake, nearby residents were afraid to sleep at night. But later, they got used to it; it was just a tremor, no other harm, so they didn't think much of it. People went to sleep as usual, continued their sex work, and even engaged in various forms of entertainment. But on the day of the upheaval, Xishan seemed to truly rage. An unprecedented tremor caused landslides and rockfalls, and one could even hear the roars of wild beasts, both powerful and desolate.
However, Ye Ziyan and Gao Qingmei couldn't worry about anything else. Gao Qingmei pulled Ye Ziyan and drove straight to the suburban prison. Without waiting for Ye Ziyan to show the provincial public security bureau's acquittal document, Gao Qingmei rushed into the cell. Ye Ziyan dropped the document and frowned. She was now a master at the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, able to perceive every blade of grass and every movement within dozens of miles with a mere thought. But to her shock, she couldn't sense Li Yang's presence. She sighed inwardly; a lowly person like her was indeed beyond the comprehension and perception of a true Earth Immortal. Knowing Li Yang was in prison but unable to sense his presence was incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, she was calm and composed. After learning Li Yang's level of cultivation, she quickly accepted reality and encouraged herself to work harder and harder, hoping to one day catch up with the previous palace master, Hua Manyie, and become another Earth Immortal. But before that, she still had to complete the tasks assigned by her master and nanny. The old woman spent over a hundred years searching for the guardian deity of the Jade Pool Immortal Palace. She not only calculated the place and time of the deity's birth, but also sensed that the guardian deity of the Jade Pool Immortal Palace was about to be born.
Chapter 981: Deep Sleep, Unawakened, Female Power
The previous palace master emerged in search of the Great God, seemingly sensing his presence. However, her cultivation level was too high, while the Great God's was insufficient, unable to shoulder the responsibility. This distracted her from the Xuan Yin Cave, leading to a tragedy. This person was Zhang Tianyi, the famously infatuated leader of Longhu Mountain, who had been unable to reach the Earth Immortal realm for centuries. The patriarch had decreed that the Great God must possess Earth Immortal cultivation to assume the role; otherwise, it would dishonor the transcendent status of Yaochi Immortal Palace and render him unfit to oversee the world. Consider this: someone whose cultivation level is merely Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, even in its later stages, is only equivalent to an elder or leader of a sect in the cultivation world. They can easily refuse to submit. What can you do? If you can't win, then fight, right? When reason and logic fail, only force can resolve the issue. Individual actions constitute fighting, group actions constitute brawls, and actions between nations constitute war. Therefore, besides contributing to the salvation of the common people, Ye Ziyan's other mission when she descended the mountain this time was to find the Dharma Protector, marry him, and jointly comprehend the highest realm of the "Su Nu Jing" (Classic of the Plain Girl).
After learning about the highest realm of the *Su Nu Jing* (Classic of the Plain Girl), Ye Ziyan was genuinely shy for a while, ultimately finding it unbelievable. She never imagined that engaging in sexual intercourse between men and women could be such a profound cultivation technique. Even the ancient god Huangdi and the goddess Su Nu had practiced it, achieving unprecedented success. Later records in the cultivation world show many powerful figures who practiced dual cultivation. The famous Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, was a lecherous and romantic figure, extremely skilled in the arts of the bedroom. Ye Ziyan initially found it unbelievable. It wasn't until Ye Xiulan explained and elaborated on it that Ye Xiulan cleared away her lustful thoughts and calmly and objectively viewed such a matter. Only then was she truly astonished, experiencing the extremely profound realm recorded in the *Su Nu Jing*, and that mysterious and enigmatic feeling. Only then did she slowly accept the things and fate she had to face.
Ye Ziyan, unable to sense Li Yang's presence, slowly followed Gao Qingmei's trail into the prison. Zhou He and Wang Chui quickly caught up, shouting, "Don't stop us! Release her! Release her!" They were terrified that some prison guard might be foolish enough to stop Gao Qingmei and draw his gun, offending the young lady—they would rather die than do that.
Fortunately, he and Wang Chui had acted too nervously, startling the prison guards. Because of Li Yang's bizarre behavior, all the guards were gathered around him, discussing what was wrong with him. Was something strange happening? Could a large crane lift him? Did moving a person require a large jack or crane? That seemed absurd. But no matter how hard the guards tried, Li Yang remained completely still. Not even his eyelids twitched.
"Li Yang—" A clear cry, a mixture of pain and joy, echoed through the prison. Instantly, all the inmates became excitedly charged, like they'd been injected with adrenaline. These beasts, who had been locked up for months, had long forgotten what a woman tasted like. Hearing a woman's voice, their erections nearly burst through their pants, and they rushed to their cell doors like madmen, drooling and crowding around the tiny, steel-reinforced windows, barely a foot wide and long, all for a glimpse of the woman who had suddenly appeared. The cell bosses, naturally, took the lead, occupying a prime spot, their eyes wide open. A few of the lower-ranking inmates also managed to get a glimpse from the side. Unfortunately, a fragrant breeze blew by, and in a flash, the alluring woman had already run past, faster than lightning.
Gao Qingmei didn't possess Ye Ziyan's profound cultivation level, but driven by her burning passion and boundless longing, she rushed straight to the small, dark cell where Li Yang was imprisoned without any guidance. Upon seeing where Li Yang was held, tears welled up in her eyes, followed by a surge of rage. While the surrounding prison guards stared at her in astonishment, Gao Qingmei screamed and, with swift and ruthless movements, slapped each of them and kicked them away. Since joining Li Yang, she had not only undergone physical tempering by him, reaching the early stages of Qi Induction, but also practiced martial arts and fist techniques under Chu Hong's tutelage, and gleaned numerous offensive and defensive methods from swordplay. In her rage, she unleashed these techniques without hesitation. Normally, when she deliberately used them, they never possessed such power. Today was different. Four or five burly prison guards had their teeth knocked out with a single slap, and their intestines nearly ruptured with a kick. They flew backward and crashed into the wall. After landing, they were pale and almost stopped breathing, their limbs weak and powerless to fight back.
Gao Qingmei, having given them a good beating, calmed down slightly. She rushed to Li Yang, her fingers trembling as she stroked his cheek, tears streaming down her face. She choked out, "Li Yang... I'm so sorry for making you suffer..." But Li Yang remained unmoved, as still as a mountain. Gao Qingmei immediately sensed something was wrong. At this moment, Ye Ziyan arrived. Her perception was far more profound than Li Yang's. She saw Li Yang right before her eyes, yet she couldn't sense him. This feeling was truly magical and mysterious, filling her with astonishment and surprise. At the same time, she was secretly alarmed. Had Li Yang ascended to immortality? But that couldn't be right. Even ten times the number of prison guards couldn't do anything to Li Yang here. He couldn't have ascended and passed away so easily. What had happened to him? Had he entered a state of complete absorption?
"Qingmei, don't disturb him. He's probably cultivating. Don't wake him. It's not good for him!" Ye Ziyan frowned slightly, deciding to assume this for now and stopping Gao Qingmei's actions. Gao Qingmei turned to look at Ye Ziyan, her eyes already red and swollen like walnuts in such a short time. Suppressing her worry and concern, she whispered, "He...he'll be alright, won't he?" "He should be alright." Ye Ziyan looked at Li Yang with complicated emotions. Judging from the current situation in the cultivation world, it seems that only Li Yang fits the description of a great guardian deity of the Yaochi Immortal Palace. Unless another man with strength comparable to an Earth Immortal appears in the near future. Because the situation in Xishan is already dire, the seal is about to be broken, and the Blood Demon Old Demon could be released at any time to wreak havoc on the world. Otherwise, it's only Li Yang.
"Cousin, how could he do this?" Gao Qingmei threw herself into Ye Ziyan's arms, burying her face in her ample, trembling breasts, wiping her tears and snot on them. Ye Ziyan looked at her helplessly, unable to do anything. She hugged her and patted her back, saying, "He must have had some insights during this time. So he started meditating and contemplating."
Chapter 982: A Long Roar, Shock
Zhou Wei and Wang Chui rushed to the scene and were shocked to see the prison guards all over the ground. The thing they least wanted to happen had happened. Had these bastards gotten into a conflict with the two VIPs? Fortunately, it was them who were knocked to the ground, not the two VIPs who were knocked down or held at gunpoint. "Are you... are you alright?" Zhou Wei and Wang Chui asked tentatively, trembling. "Get out! Get as far away as you can! It's all your fault for locking him up in a place like this! Are you locking up a person or an animal? I'm going to sue you for prisoner abuse. I want you all stripped naked and sent home!" Gao Qingmei was truly heartbroken and furious at Li Yang's condition. Although she had beaten up several prison guards and gotten some relief, Li Yang hadn't woken up, and this anger couldn't be completely extinguished, turning into tenderness and affection for Li Yang.
The surrounding area felt like it had been struck by lightning; their heads were buzzing. It was all over. Wang Chui's vision went white, and he almost collapsed to the ground. His life's hope, years of hard work—all completely negated by a single sentence. It was more heartbreaking than losing his own parents. The other prison guards who had been brutally beaten regained consciousness and movement after a moment, even able to aim their guns and fire. But they weren't stupid; they immediately knew what had happened and dared not provoke them. They wisely remained on the ground, refusing to get up, lest they be knocked down again—that would be truly unbearable. But upon hearing Gao Qingmei's words, they realized how wise their decision had been. This woman was indeed a goddess-level figure, not to be trifled with. The warden's expression of utter despair was proof enough. But then, the thought took a turn for the worse. Stripped naked and sent back to their hometown? Not just something lewd and violent, but something terrifying. It would mean losing their jobs and their entire family starving. An iron rice bowl is even less sturdy than a paper one.
"Please spare us! Give us a way out! We have elderly parents and young children to support!" Zhou He could no longer hold back and knelt down in front of Gao Qingmei and Ye Ziyan, weeping bitterly.
"Yes. Please spare us this time~" Wang Chui hurriedly knelt down on the ground and said in great pain.
Ye Ziyan glanced at them, finding the matter of time rather pointless and utterly uninteresting. She said calmly, "She was just joking with you. Remember this: be kind and fair in the future. Understand? Otherwise, you might get punished at any time."
"Yes, yes, we remember, we definitely won't dare to do it again!" Zhou He said, overjoyed.
"Thank you, Fairy Maiden~" Wang Chui had a silver tongue for flattery, and he couldn't help but start praising her as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Stop talking nonsense! What's wrong with him?" Gao Qingmei sneered.
"I...we don't know either. We just came to move him. You know we're just lowly soldiers, we have to follow orders from above. We have no grudge against him, we wouldn't target him at all. But someone above ordered us to deal with him, and as a small fry, I have to eat and support my family, so I had no choice. But as soon as we heard the news, we immediately wanted to move him to a more comfortable place. But even with all of us trying, we couldn't move him. And when we arrived, we saw him like this..."
"He's as still as a statue!" someone said helplessly.
Gao Qingmei's father is a university president, and Ye Ziyan comes from a powerful family; her father is a high-ranking official. They are acutely aware of the shamelessness and greed of these politicians. They are long accustomed to the petty, opportunistic behavior of those around them and find it utterly distasteful. In her heart, she thought, "When I get back, I'll have my uncle fire these bastards and restore peace and tranquility to Jiangdong City. These black sheep should have been purged from the civil service long ago!" However, outwardly, she didn't want to acknowledge him, after all, Li Yang was still there.
"Get out of here. We don't need you here," Gao Qingmei said unhappily.
"Yes, yes..." The people around them dared not linger any longer and fled, bowing and scraping.
However, just as they retreated to the cell door, they suddenly heard a high-pitched, powerful roar coming from inside the cell. The sound was like thunder, making their eardrums tingle and their scalps tremble. Before they knew it, their legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground, their eyes rolling back, foaming at the mouth, and their speech becoming incoherent. The long roar continued, seemingly endless, as if an ancient beast had suddenly awakened, emitting a long-lost roar, joyful yet domineering.
All the prison guards and prisoners were writhing in agony, clutching their ears. They were in excruciating pain in all seven orifices, their heads were buzzing, and their entire bodies were trembling uncontrollably.
After a long while... the whistling stopped. The prison guards on the ground and the prisoners in the cells rolled their eyes and chuckled stupidly, as if they had seen something extremely funny. They were dumbfounded, just like idiots and morons, completely dumbfounded.
After Li Yang finished his long howl, he laughed coldly and sneered, "A bunch of scum—or just a waste of food. Since I have no right to take your dog lives, then I'll just tell you to stop polluting and ruining this society."
"Ah... Li Yang, you're awake! You scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you!" Gao Qingmei burst into tears of joy and threw herself into Li Yang's arms. Li Yang laughed heartily, in a very good mood, and opened his arms to hug her tightly.
"I'm fine, I'm perfectly alright, what can anyone do to me? Don't worry. Don't cry, you'll look ugly if you cry, you'll look like a little kitten!" Li Yang said affectionately, tapping Gao Qingmei's delicate nose.
"Mmm~" Gao Qingmei obediently nodded and stopped crying. Ye Ziyan watched silently, keeping a certain distance from them. Although she had guessed that Li Yang might be a guardian deity of Yaochi Immortal Palace, she really couldn't bring herself to do that kind of thing with him or act very intimately.
"You're here too?" Li Yang greeted Ye Ziyan.