Chapter 936 - 21: The Mysterious Old Man (Third Update)

Chapter 936: Chapter 21: The Mysterious Old Man (Third Update)

A newcomer who has just entered the Divine Land, emerging from a small heavenly domain, a novice among the Divine, is actually at the Seventh Layer of the Spirit Void Realm? How many faces of the Divine have been slapped in the shadows?!

Suddenly, Zhuang Shan felt that his previous worries were indeed in vain.

Mu Qingge has such a cultivation speed and such a gift for comprehending the Dao, her desire for a position among the ten top disciples before the hall is not unreasonable.

Moreover, he suddenly felt that Mu Qingge’s chances of success were quite large!

Looking again at the calm face of Mu Qingge, showing not a hint of pride despite her cultivation and excellence, a rush of heat surged into Zhuang Shan’s heart, inspiring him to work even harder in his cultivation, more diligently.

After coming out from the place where their cultivation was tested, Zhuang Shan led Mu Qingge and Tong Teng to receive their disciples’ clothing.

As for Steward Cui, he was no longer drowsy, hurrying to report the test results up. The person he had to report to was naturally the lord of the Huan Yue Domain, Huan Yue God Emperor.

When Mu Qingge and Tong Teng received their clothes and cultivation resources, Steward Cui also appeared before Huan Yue God Emperor.

"Seventh Layer of the Spirit Void Realm?" After listening to Steward Cui’s report, a hint of playfulness was revealed in Huan Yue God Emperor’s voice.

Steward Cui nodded, "God Emperor, this child’s talent is astonishing, should we pay extra attention?"

"No need, you may leave." With a wave of his wide sleeve, Huan Yue God Emperor made Steward Cui disappear before him.

When the Divine Emperor Palace was left with only him, he murmured to himself, "A newcomer who has just ascended from the Lower Realm, without formal Divine Clan cultivation, can already enter the Seventh Layer of the Spirit Void Realm... interesting, interesting."

...

"Alright, this is the place where you will reside." Zhuang Shan led Mu Qingge and Tong Teng to two adjacent caves and said to them.

The cave residence was quite picturesque. On the empty ground outside, there was a pool of water into which a narrow waterfall cascaded. In the pool bloomed lotuses of various colors, very elegant.

And the two adjacent cave residences were rather dreamy as well. The doors carved into the stone walls revealed nothing of the interiors for now.

"Except for the ten top disciples, all other disciples reside in the cave residences." Zhuang Shan explained, then glanced at Mu Qingge with a smile, "Once you become one of the ten top disciples, you can live in the palace."

"The ten top disciples have their own palaces?" Tong Teng said curiously.

Zhuang Shan smiled and nodded.

He led them to the edge of the mountain wall, where railings were set up to prevent anyone from accidentally falling off. Pointing to the mountains within the sea of clouds, he said to them, "Do you see the deepest, highest peak?"

Mu Qingge and Tong Teng nodded.

"There is where the God Emperor resides in the Divine Emperor Palace. It is the most sacred and highest place in the Huan Yue Domain." Zhuang Shan said. His finger then moved gently to the side, continuing to introduce to the two, "The palace of the ten top disciples, called the Young Palace, surrounds the God Emperor, and is also the place closest to him."

"God Emperor! Brother Zhuang Shan, what kind of person is Huan Yue God Emperor?" Tong Teng said longingly.

Zhuang Shan, however, corrected him earnestly at this moment, "Huan Yue God Emperor is a God, the God of our Huan Yue Domain, and the strongest on the East Divine Land!"

His sudden seriousness made Tong Teng immediately react, replying with good attitude, "Yes! Brother, I will remember."

Zhuang Shan nodded, saying to them, "Disciples of the Huan Yue Domain are as numerous as the attendants crossing the river; perhaps no one could remember exactly how many there are, but only the ten top disciples before the hall have the privilege to see the God Emperor’s divine appearance and receive his guidance."

Tong Teng nodded earnestly, saying to Zhuang Shan, "Brother Zhuang Shan, we will work hard."

Zhuang Shan withdrew his hand, placing both hands behind his back.

He said to the two, "Tonight, you will rest here. Tomorrow I will come again to teach you the cultivation method, and take you to the Cultivation Technique Building for a look, to familiarize you with the cultivation environment."

After exhorting the two not to wander around casually, Zhuang Shan turned and left.

After watching him leave, Mu Qingge and Tong Teng each returned to their respective cave residences.

Upon entering the cave, Mu Qingge truly felt what it means to have a world of its own!

The cave residence was spacious, and the areas were clearly divided. There was a place for meditative cultivation, a place to sleep, and even a small kitchen prepared, seemingly so that disciples could cook for themselves if they craved something.

The cave residence was very clean, and on the table, there was a vase with fresh flower branches inserted.

Mu Qingge looked around, feeling quite satisfied.

The next day, as promised, Zhuang Shan arrived very early. Nearby the platform at the entrance of the two’s cave residences, he taught the method of Divine Clan cultivation. After speaking, he said, "These are the most basic cultivation methods, you can cultivate according to them. If you tire of practice, you can visit the Cultivation Technique Building or communicate with other disciples, all of which are very commendable."

The two nodded.

In the days that followed, for three consecutive days, Zhuang Shan came outside their cave residence every morning to guard their cultivation and operation exercises, and in the afternoon accompanied them on outings in the Huan Yue Domain. In essence, he was letting them familiarize themselves with the Huan Yue Domain and know which places were permissible and which were not.

"Alright, in these three days, you have also become more familiar with the Huan Yue Domain. You understand the rules, and your cultivation progress is good. From tomorrow, I will no longer come." Zhuang Shan, with his hands behind his back, stood outside their cave residence, saying to the two.

Tong Teng said, "Brother Zhuang Shan, if we need something, how should we contact you?"

Zhuang Shan looked over and smiled slightly, "Don’t worry, I was about to mention that." Saying this, he took out two Spirit Bird Jade pieces and handed them to Tong Teng and Mu Qingge.

After they took the pieces, he said, "Although I won’t come daily, I will still come to check every once in a while. If I’m not around and something happens that you can’t handle, just use Divine Power to activate the Jade, and it will transform into a Spirit Bird to seek me out."

"Brother, you think of everything." Tong Teng joked, carefully placing the Jade into his embrace.

Zhuang Shan chuckled and reminded them, "Also, there is a sermon gathering every month in the domain. Although it’s not famous speakers lecturing, you can still listen for some insights during your free time."

"Yes, brother."

"Yes, brother."

Mu Qingge and Tong Teng both nodded in agreement.

After finishing his instructions, Zhuang Shan turned and gracefully left, riding the clouds.

Watching him leave, Mu Qingge faintly shook her head with a smile, ’This brother Zhuang Shan always gives a familial warmth. He really cares for those around him like an elder brother. Most importantly, he’s very sincere, without any pretense.’

Zhuang Shan has his own cultivation tasks, so naturally, he can’t always be by their side.

As a guide, once he leads them onto the right path of cultivation, their accomplishments depend on themselves.

In the Divine Domain, there are no masters; everyone respects the Divine Emperor, and all disciples except for stewards address each other as brothers.

As for the stewards, they mostly voluntarily give up cultivation to manage the domain, often because after entering the Spiritual Movement Stage First Layer, they saw no progress and realized their limitations, choosing a path suitable for themselves.

"Boss, now that Brother Zhuang Shan is gone, it’s just the two of us relying on each other!" Tong Teng joked half-seriously.

Mu Qingge shook her head and smiled, "I think you should focus on cultivation and get rid of those green robes soon. The green doesn’t suit you much and looks quite frivolous."

She had also changed into white robes according to the rules of the Huan Yue Domain, losing some of the overwhelming presence but gaining a more ethereal elegance.

Jokingly criticized by Mu Qingge, Tong Teng’s face turned bitter, "Boss, please don’t tease me anymore! I’m helpless! Don’t worry, I will seize every opportunity to cultivate and soon change to robes like yours."

With that, he turned and ran towards his cave dwelling, "Boss, I’m off to cultivate!"

His bustling manner made Mu Qingge shake her head with a smile from behind.

That night, Mu Qingge meditated in her dwelling, circulating her inner body according to the methods taught by Zhuang Shan. The Divine Strategy Upper Volume was the Body Refining Technique, the Divine Strategy Middle Volume was the Refining Divine Consciousness Technique, and the Divine Strategy Lower Volume was Great Magic.

The Divine Power Operation Method, Cultivation Method, Law Application, and spells synthesis are all within the Lower Volume. Currently, she hadn’t found the Lower Volume, so she had to cultivate according to the techniques of the Huan Yue Domain.

Bang!

Suddenly, a slight sound echoed in the cave, interrupting Mu Qingge’s cultivation, prompting her to slowly open her eyes. Her gaze fell on a small stone on the ground in front of her, and she frowned slightly.

She remembered clearly that there hadn’t been any stone in the room before she meditated. And that sound just now...

She lifted her head and looked at a vent on the cave wall. Someone must have thrown it in from outside.

’Who was it? Tong Teng’s prank?’ Mu Qingge thought, releasing her Divine Sense into Tong Teng’s room, only to find he was focused on cultivation, showing no signs of mischief.

Retracting her Divine Sense, Mu Qingge contemplated for a moment, picked up the stone, and stepped out of the cave dwelling.

Standing on the platform outside the cave, she saw no one, nor did she sense anything unusual.

Then, another small stone was thrown at her, falling to the ground.

Looking down, she saw the stone was almost identical to the one in her hand.

"Who are you?" Mu Qingge asked coldly.

But there was no response.

Mu Qingge bent down to pick up the stone and walked a few steps in the direction the stone came from. When she stopped, another stone was thrown from the darkness, landing at her toes.

Mu Qingge pursed her lips, a thoughtful look in her eyes. Once again, she picked up the stone and walked forward.

Thus, every time she stopped, she was hit by a stone guiding her gradually away from the cave dwelling, towards an unknown destination. Throughout, she stayed alert to any movements around her.

And the person leading her seemed to want to avoid attention, choosing paths carefully devoid of people.

After a while, Mu Qingge found herself climbing a mountain, arriving outside an old, small shack. Under the eaves of the shack, a kindly elderly man with white hair and a beard sat casually on the ground, smiling at her. In his hand was a handful of stones identical to those Mu Qingge held...