Chapter 356 Scheming (1/2)

Daoist Yu detailed the incident at Mount Kun on the jade scroll and delivered it to Shen Lian.

Back then, he discovered a secret Teleport Formation. Through that, he was able to enter into the legendary Mount Kun. However, Mount Kun was full of skilled and impressive individuals. In spite of his level of cultivation, it was still impossible for him to break in without anyone realizing.

Initially, he wanted to bury the secret deep in his heart, and when his time was up, he would pass the secret on to the members of the Shenxiao branch. But now, he had offered the secret up to the sect for the sake of his disciple's future.

Shen Lian kept the jade scroll on the second level of Taiwei Pavilion. He did not have plans to head to Mount Kun immediately.

He weighed his options and concluded that there were four things that needed his attention first.

Firstly, he wondered if he should let Choushi join the upcoming Dao assessment. After all, he had attained much and had even attained the eight transformations of Huandan ahead of everyone. He was qualified to be the Hall Master of the Good Deeds Hall and the Discipline Hall. Even if he was not good enough, he could serve as a guard at the Temple of Longevity. This would lessen the burden of his Senior Apprentice-Sister.

After much consideration, Shen Lian decided to let Choushi join the assessment. Judging from the martial art skills and the techniques of the disciples, it was likely that Zhao Siming would encounter Choushi in the Dao assessment sooner or later. After the defeat, it was likely that his dashing spirit would be dampened. Shen Lian could only hope that he could withstand the blow.

Secondly, the Bier Discourse of Dao was set to take place six years from now. For the past two times, Qing Xuan came in last due to the lack of talented individuals. Besides making a joke out of themselves, they were held in low regard by everyone. He was determined to turn things around this time. If Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen was still here, all he had to do was to attain immortality and Qing Xuan would unquestionably be able to come in first in the Bier Discourse of Dao. However, now it seemed like that would need further consideration. Fortunately, he had attained immortality. Qing Xuan's foundation was stabilized once again. So long as nothing went wrong at the Bier Discourse of Dao, it would be an acceptable outcome.

Thirdly, Ye Liuyun had requested for him to obtain Jinque Jade Book from Southern Heavenly Gate. As he was unsure when would Southern Heavenly Gate appear, he would have no choice but to prioritize the Bier Discourse of Dao should there be a clash.

Fourthly, Chen Beidou's threat was something that he should take seriously. With his potential, even if he were to improve significantly, he would not be able to compete against Chen Beidou without at least a hundred years of hard work. Fortunately, Chen Beidou did not plan to come after him immediately, but that did not mean that he should let his guard down.

Shen Lian was wary of people like Chen Beidou. It was not because of their capabilities, but their character; once they had set their mind on something, they would not give up. They would rise again after every defeat; they were determined and unmoved. This made it possible for them to find their true self. Those who were in the path of Shen were cold and emotionless. It was almost impossible to find their weaknesses.

He wondered how talented Sword Saint Ziwei had to be back then for her to triumph over Chen Beidou in terms of swordcraft.

The breeze swept past outside. The moon hung high, and two birds were dancing in the air.

The birds were Qianmo and Xiaoxun.

Xiaoxun was merely a normal bird. Even if it had spent a long time with Shen Lian at Taiyi Peak of Qing Xuan - a place shrouded in dense Qi of vitality, it was difficult for it to shapeshift. In fact, without at least a few hundred years, there was no chance that it could shapeshift.

However, when Xiaoxun was with Qianmo, it stole and consumed plenty of spiritual medicine. It was strong and well-built. Its beak was sharp, its feathers wide and thick; it was a loyal guard that followed Qianmo around.

Shen Lian focused his attention on Qianmo. After consuming a significant amount of spiritual medicine, its green feathers were shiny and smooth. When the moonlight fell on it, the moonlight dispersed into a thin veil of smoky clouds. Qianmo looked superior and otherworldly, it was inviolable.

As it danced, not even the beautiful twirls of Yaochi Fairies could rival its elegance.

This was precisely what it meant by, 'As I danced to my shadow, I could no longer feel the mortal tie'.

Shen Lian could not help but to wonder, why would an extraordinary creature like Qianmo ended up so battered and exhausted back then? This was something that Shen Lian could not comprehend. He wanted to find out the truth through his calculations, but he realized that a mysterious vital force stemming from Qianmo was hiding its origins from Shen Lian. This confirmed Shen Lian's suspicions about it being extraordinary.

Shen Lian was extremely familiar with the ancient books and records, and yet, he had no clue about Qianmo's origin. The strange Qi within Qianmo could be turned into Yin Yang and five elements - a marvelous ability indeed! However, Shen Lian was unable to link it to any of the divine birds described by the rumors.

Noticing Shen Lian's gaze, Qianmo flapped its wings and landed on Shen Lian's shoulder.

After consuming plenty of spiritual medicine, Xiaoxun had gotten bigger and was even stronger than the eagle in the sky.

On the other hand, Qianmo's size did not change at all. The spiritual medicine that it consumed and the nourishment from Shen Lian's Taixu divine Qi seemed to be going into a bottomless pit.

By right, with such a significant amount of nourishment, one could create even a shapeshifted demon king. Strangely, nothing had changed with Qianmo.