Ultimate Scheming System

“Huh?” Xu Que wasn’t quite sure that he had heard that correctly.

Jiang Hongyan was also slightly astonished, and both of them looked at Lord Zeng.

Lord Zeng shook his head and chuckled, “Did you two think that you could return to the Four Great Continents with this Immortal Hall? You can’t. The reason why you could travel here from the Four Great Continents was that back then, the Xuanzhen Continent had not activated its Sky Formation. Once the Sky Formation is activated, it would seal off all the voids within the Xuanzhen Continent, preventing enemies from invading and also stopping people from within the Xuanzhen Continent from leaving!”

Lord Zeng’s smile deepened, “You little fella had created such a huge ruckus, and the Immortal Hall is in this little lady’s possession. Old Man Ji had long activated the Sky Formation to stop you both from escaping! That would explain it. I was just wondering why the Sky Formation was suddenly enabled on my way back, but now I know. He did it to deal with you both!”

Crap!

Xu Que glared till his eyes almost popped out. He had not expected the Emperor to have such a move up his sleeve!

Jiang Hongyan was also at a loss, obviously not knowing that something like that existed.

“Little friend, listen to me. Before Old Man Ji reaches here, go onto the Road of Heavenly Ascension to tide this over. Wait for me to achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation stage. I promise to step up and ensure your safety!” Lord Zeng smiled like a crafty merchant.

Xu Que had finally gotten his drift. Lord Zeng was, in fact, reminding him to hand over that hamburger!

“I say, Fat Buddha, tell it straight out to me. You want my hamburger! Is there a need to beat around the bush to remind me about that?” Xu Que asked distastefully while confounded, and even called Lord Zeng by his nickname.

Lord Zeng paid him no mind and said kindly, “If you could help me in my breakthrough, I would owe you a favor, and you could use it to return to the Four Great Continents! But before that, you should still avoid all the trouble by going to the Road of Heavenly Ascension.”

“Why? My hamburger can make you break through your current cultivation stage instantly. Listen well. You could break through instantly!” Xu Que frowned. Now, he just wanted to return to the Four Great Continents for Secluded Meditation, not go to some Road of Heavenly Ascension.

“Little friend, that is precisely the reason why I need sufficient time to make preparations! Once I take that step, I would need to undergo that final Immortal Attainment Tribulation. I would need to bear it in my peak condition,” Lord Zeng answered wistfully.

As of right now, he was not yet confident that he could survive the final Immortal Attainment Tribulations. Therefore, he would need this period to adjust his body and mind, until he was the most confident and had a powerful Taoist Connotation. Until he was sure that he could face it in one go, he wouldn’t finally take that last step!

“Goodness, why are you afraid? Just stand atop the pagoda and shout a few times that you are the greatest! I assure you that you would be confident from head to toe! Or should I give you some Kidney Treasure Pieces, to make up your kidney deficiency?” Xu Que asked with a deadpan expression.

Lord Zeng laughed and waved him away. “Little friend, a breakthrough is a matter of state of mind and is related to the strength and weakness of the Taoist Connotation. It’s not something as simple as deceiving yourself that you have confidence. Wait till you reach my cultivation stage and you would know.”

Upon saying that, the storage ring on Lord Zeng’s fingers blinked, and he retrieved two Jade Tiles from it. “Little friend, the Road of Heavenly Ascension opened a few months back, and only cultivators beneath the Crossing Calamity Stage could enter. One of the entrances is just near the Myriad Buddhas Sect, so you could still make it if you leave now. Old Man Ji could arrive at any moment!”

“Fat Buddha, that’s not the way to do things! You’re so anxious to send us away. Are you afraid that he would discover that we’re working together once he arrives?” Xu Que asked in jest.

But he did not want to argue with Lord Zeng. It was only natural, now that the opportunity to become an Immortal was right in front of his eyes, he would not want to risk any blows.

“All right. In that case, I’ll tour around the Road of Heavenly Ascension and look for some enlightenment. Meanwhile, doing Secluded Meditation on the way, that sounds like a good plan too!” Xu Que took the two Jade Tiles in the end; they were the Teleportation Emblem that would take them into the Road of Heavenly Ascension.

He and Jiang Hongyan had nowhere to run if the Emperor truly blew his top. It would be no use even if they went to the turf of the Heaven Orcs Tribe, as they would most probably team up to find them. In that case, they might as well make a trip to the Road of Heavenly Ascension, where they might obtain some enlightenment. The next time they returned, they might be able to finish off the Emperor right away!

“Little friend, trusting me would be the right decision. With such Kismet, the two of you would be sure to obtain bountiful results from the Road of Heavenly Ascension!” Lord Zeng said with a genuine smile.

Xu Que cut the chit chat, waved his hand, and took out a pill-refining furnace. Inside were the freshly made Spicy Strips and a New Orleans Grilled Drumstick Burger hidden within a Tupperware.

“This pot of freshly made Spicy Strips, guess it will be my birthday present for the little Princess. As for this thing, eat it soon. May you become an Immortal, no, a Buddha, by the next time we meet!” Xu Que took Jiang Hongyan’s hand and left, without further ado.

“Thank you, little friend! If I succeed, I will keep my promise and send you both safely back to the Four Great Continents for sure!” Lord Zeng gestured thanks, then shifted his gaze to the Tupperware, both hands shaking.

So this box is the Divine item that could help him break through in an instant?

But it looked so hard. Would it taste good?

…..

Once they left the pagoda, Xu Que and Jiang Hongyan concealed their figures and auras as they quietly departed the Myriad Buddhas Sect. They stopped when they reached a desolate desert.

“Little Missy, what do you think? Do we go to the Road of Heavenly Ascension?” Xu Que asked Jiang Hongyan, a smile on his face.

Since Lord Zeng told them to go to the Road of Heavenly Ascension, Jiang Hongyan had not spoken a word. Therefore, he did not know if she was willing to go and had avoided asking her till now. If she seemed reluctant, Xu Que would never mention the Road of Heavenly Ascension ever again.

Jiang Hongyan teased him instead. “Little one, can’t you decide on such a small matter?”

“Of course I can! Let’s go. Big brother Xu Que will take you to make some trouble…pooh, no, take you to explore the land!” As he said that, Xu Que took her little hands into his own domineeringly and swept away to the distance. As per Lord Zeng’s instructions, Xu Que found the entrance to the Road of Heavenly Ascension easily.

Although the Road of Heavenly Ascension had been open for several months, there were still many cultivators’ activities at this remote entrance. Some had just exited, while others prepared to enter; more people had wanted to pick up cheap goods or do business here or even rob those who had just come out.

Xu Que and Jiang Hongyan had modified their appearances and disguised themselves as ordinary cultivators. They then stepped directly toward the entrance. Although it was called an entrance, it looked more like a Teleportation Spell. The core of the spell was a glittering shiny plane. It rippled and reflected light like the surface of a lake.

Xu Que and Jiang Hongyan both took out their Jade Tiles and crushed them. They immediately felt the pull of that plane of glittering light dragging them into the portal.

Up until they both disappeared, nobody had paid particular attention to them. Cultivators entered every day, and it was the norm.

…..

At this moment, it was as if Xu Que and Jiang Hongyan had stepped into the Void Tunnel for a second time. Their surroundings were pitch black, and their bodies were pushed forward, very much like back when they came to the Xuanzhen Continent from the Four Great Continents. Just that with a Jade Tile in their hands, they did not feel the dominant tearing power within the void.

The journey was safe and stable, and a few moments later, a light the size of a piece of rice appeared before their eyes. They blinked, and the white light suddenly magnified. With another blink, both Xu Que and Jiang Hongyan stepped onto the hard ground together. A faint, but comforting, fragrance surrounded them. Xu Que could not distinguish if it came from Jiang Hongyan or the flora around them.

The Spiritual Qi in the air was abundant, even more so than in the South Continent Mystery Land. Xu Que immediately confirmed that this was an optimal location for Secluded Meditation.

If he could cultivate for two or three years in this area, he was confident that he could press himself to break through the Crossing Calamity Stage. Of course, if there were people who were blind enough to harass him and offer their lives, then there was no need to cultivate, he might even break into the Great Vehicle Stage!

By then, his would be an unrivaled existence even without a Celestial Artifact. When he met the Emperor again, he would pin him down onto the floor and punch the life out of him!

“Quick! Surround it; don’t let it escape!”

There seemed to be a commotion from far away, with yelling and shouting in the distance. It looked like someone was chasing someone else down.

“Quick, to the front! Block his way!”

“Crap, how dare it piss on top of our heads! It’s asking for death!”

“This odor from the dog piss is so unbearable and boils my blood! How shameless it must be to call itself a wolf!”

“Senior Brother has instructed that we must catch it today! Even if it’s a wolf, we will make dog meat soup out of it!”