Chapter 179 Immortal Longevity! (First Update)
"Miaomiao Zhenren? That's a strange name," Xue Baochai said with some surprise.
The old Taoist priest said with a forced smile, "The True Man is not like us. He is a true immortal who governs the Northern Mang Mountain Grotto-Heaven and is one of the most powerful people in the world!"
Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with trepidation.
Although the Taoists they encountered after entering the Beiman Mountain Grotto were not very strong, it does not mean that there are no masters in the Taoist sect.
"Even if the so-called Immortal Miaomiao you speak of returns, we are not afraid!" Xue Baochai said defiantly, "We also have powerful backers. At worst, we'll let him go and argue with our master!"
The old Taoist priest's expression changed, only then remembering that the two unruly girls before him seemed to have a master. If their disciples were this powerful, then their master must be even more troublesome, perhaps even on par with the Immortal Miaomiao.
Although Xue Baochai spoke toughly, she was actually already scared. After hastily looting some resources from the cave in Beiman Mountain, the two of them used the stolen token to open the cave's exit and left without looking back.
After the two women left, a monk and a Taoist priest appeared out of nowhere in the cave of Beiman Mountain. They had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, yet no one could detect their presence!
All that could be heard was the monk laughing and saying, "Your temple has been ransacked by those two little girls, aren't you going to do anything about it?"
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, I've already collected everything of value in the Beimang Mountain Grotto. What they stole is of no use to me." The Taoist's face was expressionless. Even though his Taoist temple had been ravaged by others, he didn't care at all.
The monk was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "That's true. Although the Northern Mang Mountain Grotto-Heaven has a profound foundation, after supporting a true immortal like you, there are really no extra resources left. Those two little girls were just some scraps that you threw to your disciples."
"If the Northern Mangshan Grotto-Heaven is like this, then isn't your Western Spirit River the same?" The Taoist sighed. "Since the great changes in the world in ancient times, the entire world was almost destroyed. Although Nuwa refined stones to mend the sky, the foundation of the world was damaged and could no longer meet the needs of the immortals and Buddhas."
"Over the years, in order to meet the consumption generated by our own cultivation, we have not hesitated to plunge the entire world into the Dharma-ending Age. I really don't know when this kind of life will end!"
The monk was named Vast and Mighty Master, and the Taoist was called Boundless Immortal. They only appeared at the beginning and end of the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, and along with the Fairy Disenchantment of the Land of Illusion, they were considered the three hidden bosses of the *Dream of the Red Chamber* world!
Lin Daiyu's previous life was a Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb on the banks of the Western Spirit River, which was the sacred site of the Great Master Mangmang. Lin Daiyu's reincarnation as a human was entirely a pawn orchestrated by the Great Master Mangmang! As for Xue Baochai, she was a pawn orchestrated by the Immortal Miaomiao.
Now, the pieces they had placed have taken an unexpected turn, inexplicably embarking on the path of cultivation and acquiring considerable power, naturally arousing the vigilance of these two powerful figures.
"What are your thoughts on the hidden master behind those two girls?" Master Miaomiao asked.
The monk said with a half-smile, "From what those two little girls said, their master calls himself Xuan Tian Dao Zu. Since he is a Dao Zu, he must have some connection with your Daoist sect."
The Taoist nodded: "I think so too. When the heavens and earth collapsed, Nuwa refined stones to mend the sky, but the quality of the entire world had already declined, and it could no longer support many immortals and Buddhas. All kinds of immortals and Buddhas left this world together to venture into the chaos, leaving only the three of us behind. That so-called Xuan Tian Dao Ancestor is most likely one of the immortals and Buddhas who left back then!"
The conversation between the monk and the Taoist priest subtly revealed ancient secrets.
In ancient times, the world of Dream of the Red Chamber suffered a devastating calamity. Although the world eventually survived, all the immortals and Buddhas who lived in it departed.
The Fairy Disenchantment, the Great Master of Vastness, and the Immortal of Boundless Void were just rising stars back then. Even with the protection of immortals and Buddhas, they could not survive in the chaos, so they could only remain in this world.
"We must force out the mysterious powerhouse hiding behind them and obtain the method to traverse the chaos from him!" After a moment of silence, the Great Master Mangmang and the Immortal Miaomiao quickly reached a consensus.
Their cultivation has now reached the limit that the Dream of the Red Chamber world can support. If they want to advance further, they must go to a more powerful world!
Their cultivation levels are only equivalent to the Divine Power Realm. They cannot physically traverse the void with their own cultivation. At least a god-demon or golden immortal level of cultivation is required to do so!
That's why they all set their sights on Wang Xuan.
"If we truly find a way to traverse the chaos, are you really prepared to leave, fellow Daoist?" Miaomiao Zhenren hesitated for a moment. "After all, even a True Immortal's lifespan is only three thousand years, and three thousand years is a cycle. Only by staying in this world and constantly reincarnating with the help of the world's origin can we achieve immortality and longevity."
The monk hesitated, for only those of the Golden Immortal realm could achieve immortality without relying on the world.
In the vast chaos, they might not be able to find other worlds within three thousand years. Even if they could travel through the chaos, they would only grow old and die within it.
"Since the ancient world was shattered and Nuwa repaired the sky, the immortals and Buddhas left. We have gone through twenty-four cycles of reincarnation, and we are really tired of living in this broken world."
"If we want to leave this world, we not only need the method to traverse chaos, but also the coordinates of other worlds!"
The Great Master Mangmang and the Immortal Miaomiao exchanged a glance and said at the same time, "Presumably, the mysterious powerhouse hidden behind those two little girls also possesses the coordinates of other worlds!"
The cultivation method practiced by Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu is the Xuantian Divine Technique created by Wang Xuan, which belongs to the martial arts branch of the main world and is incompatible with the immortal cultivation method of the Dream of the Red Chamber world.
With the discerning eyes of the Great Master Mangmang and the Immortal Miaomiao, they could naturally tell that Wang Xuan was not a native of this world and was definitely not a powerful figure!
This is exactly what Wang Xuan wanted to see. Wasn't the reason he took Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai as his apprentices just to fish for fish?
His two female disciples were the hooks, while the cultivation civilizations of another world, such as the Xuan Tian Divine Technique, were the bait, luring out the former from the Dream of the Red Chamber world.
Chapter 180 Sister, take me with you to cultivate immortality! (Second update)
After leaving the cave in Beiman Mountain, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai realized they had caused trouble and dared not stay there any longer, so they returned to the Xue family in a huff.
Both the Xue and Lin families were related to the Rongguo Mansion through marriage, and were considered relatives. In addition, Lin Daiyu was now a "fairy," so she naturally received a warm welcome from the Xue family.
After resting for two days, they suddenly received news that the old lady of the Rongguo Mansion was going to celebrate her 70th birthday and invited the two fairies to attend.
Old Madam Jia was Lin Daiyu's maternal grandmother and also related to Xue Baochai. It was neither reasonable nor emotional for them to refuse.
Fortunately, they were all able to fly on swords, so their journey to attend Old Madam Jia's birthday celebration would only take a few days and wouldn't take long.
A few days later, with the day of Old Madam Jia's seventieth birthday drawing ever closer, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai rode their swords toward the capital.
A day later, the two women arrived in the capital city. They saw two large stone lions crouching on the north side of the street, and a three-bay gate with animal-head carvings. A dozen or so people in elaborate robes and hats sat before the gate. The main gate was closed; only the east and west side gates were open for entry and exit. Above the main gate was a plaque with the five large characters "Imperial Construction of Rongguo Mansion."
After they identified themselves, the servants dared not neglect them and hurriedly went in to report.
Soon, two people helped an elderly woman with silver hair to come forward. Daiyu knew that she was her maternal grandmother and was about to bow when her grandmother hugged her tightly and cried out, "My darling!"
Lin Daiyu had cultivated herself for at least ten years, and her originally weak nature had improved somewhat. She was no longer the Lin sister who would wipe away tears at the drop of a hat.
Moreover, unlike the original story, where Lin Daiyu's mother died, Lin Daiyu has now embarked on the path of cultivation, and her innate true energy can cure most diseases, so her mother is still alive and well, and naturally she is not so sentimental.
The two women chatted with Old Madam Jia and others for a while. Old Madam Jia suddenly changed the subject and said with some curiosity, "I heard that Daiyu and Baochai, you two followed immortals to cultivate, and now you have achieved success and are famous fairies in this world. May I have the pleasure of seeing them?"
Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai exchanged a glance, both with deep helplessness in their eyes. It seemed that Old Madam Jia's invitation to the birthday banquet was just an excuse; she probably had ulterior motives and her intentions were not pure.
However, due to their kinship, they could not refuse and had no choice but to release their flying swords to fly over the Rongguo Mansion for a while.
Grandma Jia and the others only saw two flashes of light, and Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu were already floating in mid-air, standing on a flying sword that shone with divine light, just like the legendary sword immortals.
"Truly divine intervention!" Old Madam Jia's gaze grew even more fervent, and she sighed, "It's a pity that I'm already old. If I were a few decades younger, I would have gone to cultivate with you all."
“However, I have another good grandson, who was born with a jade in his mouth and is exceptionally talented. He must have excellent talent for cultivating immortality. Could you take him with you to cultivate?” Old Madam Jia’s eyes were burning.
Whether it's Lin Daiyu or Xue Baochai, although they are relatives of the Rongguo Mansion, they ultimately belong to someone else's family. If the Rongguo Mansion could also have another immortal, that would be a real benefit!
"They're here!" Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai exchanged another glance, finally understanding the true purpose of Old Madam Jia.
They had long heard that there was a young master in the Rongguo Mansion who was born with a jade in his mouth, was exceptionally unruly, disliked studying, and preferred to loiter in the inner chambers. Grandmother Jia doted on him, and no one dared to discipline him.
"Senior sister, should we agree?" Lin Daiyu hesitated and secretly asked using divine sense.
Grandma Jia was her maternal grandmother, which put her in a difficult position. On the contrary, Xue Baochai and Grandma Jia were not directly related by blood; her blood relative was Jia Baoyu.
After thinking for a moment, Xue Baochai replied telepathically, "The Xuan Tian Divine Technique is naturally not something we can teach him, but over the years we have created some rudimentary cultivation methods. Let's just pick one and teach it to him. Since he was born with a jade in his mouth, he must have some talent for cultivation. He can become an outer disciple of our Xuan Tian Holy Sect."
Although Wang Xuan had sternly warned them not to pass on the Xuan Tian Divine Technique, they had no choice but to find another way when faced with the entanglement of their parents and relatives. With their current cultivation level of the third stage of martial arts, which was to enter the Dao through martial arts, they could not create cultivation methods that were too profound, but they had created quite a few methods that could only be cultivated to the acquired realm.
In the past, they used these methods to deal with their relatives. Now that Old Madam Jia wants Jia Baoyu to cultivate with them, let's just pick one of these methods and give it to him.
When Grandma Jia saw them nod in agreement, she was overjoyed and turned around to call out to them.
Then a handsome young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old walked out from behind. Who else could it be but Jia Baoyu?
Clearly, Old Madam Jia had made preparations beforehand, having Jia Baoyu wait behind them. Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai were both masters who had reached the Daoist level through martial arts; their divine senses swept across the surroundings, and they could easily see through these petty schemes.
"My two fairy sisters, I have always admired the path of immortality. I would like to ask you two sisters to take me with you to cultivate immortality!" Jia Baoyu spoke of fairies and sisters all the time, completely disregarding the fact that Lin Daiyu was his cousin and a year younger than him.
The moment Lin Daiyu saw Jia Baoyu, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if they had met somewhere before.
This is what is known as a "predestined marriage". Lin Daiyu was a Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb on the bank of the Western Spirit River in her previous life, while Jia Baoyu was originally a stubborn stone used to mend the sky. In his previous life, he transformed into the Divine Stone Attendant, watering that Crimson Pearl Fairy Herb with sweet dew every day.
Although they have all been reincarnated, the karmic consequences left over from their previous lives have not been erased much.
Lin Daiyu was somewhat lost in thought when Xue Baochai sneered from the side, "Don't call me 'fairy sister' or anything like that. Since you want to follow us in cultivation, you're now our disciple. You must learn to respect your teacher!"
Jia Baoyu's smile froze, and he said awkwardly, "You are clearly my cousin, so why am I suddenly a generation younger than you?"
Jia Baoyu's mother and Xue Baochai's mother were sisters. Xue Baochai was only one year older than him, so she was indeed his cousin.
Xue Baochai frowned. It seemed this young master of the Jia family was quite unruly. Teaching such an unruly fellow to cultivate would obviously not be as simple as they imagined.
Chapter 181 Re-establishing the Xuantian Holy Sect (Third Update)
"Jia Baoyu, you're not allowed to slack off!" Xue Baochai shouted, reaching out to grab Jia Baoyu, who was trying to escape, and pulled him back.
Jia Baoyu was already complaining bitterly. He had only been following the two "fairy sisters" to cultivate for a few days, and he had already suffered a lot.
Shouldn't the legendary cultivation of immortality involve meditation and practicing qi, a very leisurely activity? Why then does he need to practice horse stance and martial arts?
"Sister Xue, you're definitely torturing me on purpose!" Jia Baoyu rubbed his aching back and complained, "I want to follow you in cultivating immortality, not to learn these martial arts tricks!"
Practicing horse stance and martial arts skills—this was clearly the kind of martial arts practiced by those江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) men, and Jia Baoyu could not be fooled by this!
Xue Baochai sneered: "When did I ever say that we were cultivating immortality? Martial arts lead to godhood, cultivation leads to immortality. Our Xuantian Holy Sect lineage follows the path of martial arts to godhood, so naturally we need to practice these fist and foot techniques!"
Jia Baoyu's face turned pale and then purple, and he secretly groaned, feeling as if he had boarded a pirate ship.
After supervising Jia Baoyu for a while, Xue Baochai went to the side and chatted with Lin Daiyu.
"Junior sister, although Jia Baoyu is a lazy rascal, his talent for cultivation is truly outstanding, surpassing both of us!" Xue Baochai couldn't help but marvel at this point.
In terms of cultivation talent, Xue Baochai couldn't even compare to Lin Daiyu, let alone Jia Baoyu, who was the reincarnation of the stone that mended the heavens. In order not to fall behind Lin Daiyu in cultivation, Jia Baoyu was the most diligent in his practice, and he knew best how much hardship he had endured.
That's why she didn't have a good impression of Jia Baoyu, who was clearly exceptionally talented but lazy and unproductive.
Lin Daiyu gave a wry smile and said, "Senior sister, don't take it too seriously. Cultivation requires resources. We've already used up most of the resources our master left us. We don't even have enough for ourselves, let alone any extra resources for Jia Baoyu. No matter how hard he tries, his final achievements will be limited."
The path of cultivation is realistic; it's not that if you have exceptional talent and cultivation techniques, you can achieve success in cultivation.
Cultivation requires a massive amount of resources. In this Dharma-ending Age world of the Dream of the Red Chamber, only a few blessed lands can meet the needs of cultivators!
In the secular world of Dream of the Red Chamber, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is exhausted, and no matter how talented you are, you can only cultivate to the Innate Realm at most!
Neither of the two women had high expectations for Jia Baoyu's future; they only intended to train him as an outer disciple to handle their mundane affairs.
As their fame grew, people would frequently try to test their abilities, which annoyed them greatly. If this happened again, they could simply lock the door and release Jia Baoyu!
Just then, a soft laugh echoed in their minds: "You two little girls, how have you been?"
Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu turned around at the same time and saw a handsome young man in white who had appeared behind them at some point.
Although the white-robed young man's appearance was slightly different from ten years ago, they still recognized him at a glance. Wasn't this their unreliable master?
"Master, you've finally appeared!" Xue Baochai shook one of Wang Xuan's arms, complaining incessantly.