“Grand Elder, why did our sect ever arrange such a marriage?”
Still refusing to give up, Lu Ming asked again.
The Grand Elder’s mouth twitched. “Ah... the Sect Master arranged it while he was drunk...”
Hearing this, Lu Ming’s own mouth twitched.
Well, he certainly is a responsible Sect Master...
Speaking of the Sect Master, Lu Ming couldn’t help but think of the man he’d lost. He wondered how he was doing now.
Was this the Nth day of missing the Sect Master?
Just then, the Grand Elder flicked his sleeve and pulled a map out of his storage bag.
“This is a map of our Xuantian Continent—well, at least a part of it...”
Lu Ming and the others nodded as they looked at the massive map.
The Grand Elder pointed to a spot on the map. “This is the Central Province. It’s separated from us by the Wuwang Sea...”
Everyone nodded, looking at the location marked as the Central Province in the middle of the map.
Lu Ming muttered under his breath, “North is up, south is down, west is left, east is right...”
He pointed to a spot on the eastern side of the Central Province and asked, “Grand Elder, this is our Eastern Province, right?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
Lu Ming looked at him in confusion when he said it wasn't.
“This is our Eastern Province.”
Following the Grand Elder’s finger, Lu Ming saw a thin, narrow line on the far eastern edge of the map.
The words “Eastern Province” were written there in tiny characters.
Seeing this, Lu Ming’s jaw dropped.
“So you’re saying our Eastern Province is only this tiny?”
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao were equally shocked.
The Grand Elder nodded. “What else did you think? What did you expect?”
Lu Ming looked at the map and grumbled, “We naturally thought all of this was our territory!”
Big Yellow and Huang Tian concurred with nods.
“Alright, each of you can engrave a copy of the map. Any area not marked is a place no one has explored yet. Go back and study it yourselves...”
The Grand Elder then continued, “As you know, the journey to the Central Province is filled with mountains and seas, and it’s fraught with danger...”
The three of them nodded. They had heard that cultivators below the Soul Transformation stage generally didn’t dare to travel to the Central Province alone because the journey was not only long but also incredibly perilous.
The Grand Elder’s voice rang out again: “As the saying goes, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. So, I hope you can move in separate groups this time. That way, if one group runs into trouble, you won't all croak at once...”
Hearing this, Lu Ming and the others felt their mouths twitch.
While the logic was sound, it didn't exactly sound pleasant.
The Grand Elder then pulled out a tortoise shell. “Let me divine which arrangement is the most suitable!”
Lu Ming’s mouth twitched, thinking, Old man, please don't start with that 'Searching for the dragon, dividing the gold' line again...
“Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui determine the eight directions; Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun distinguish the auspicious quarters. Before setting out, first divine the hexagram; through essence and application, generation and restriction, judge disaster or fortune...”
Hearing these words, Lu Ming’s eyes lit up. Oh, the Grand Elder changed his lines!
Meanwhile, Wang Defa stared at the Grand Elder with eyes shining with excitement.
Sob... seeing a master take action personally is not easy! These are all knowledge points! I must remember them, I must!
Lu Ming felt helpless seeing Wang Defa’s expression.
Sigh... the Grand Elder’s cover is blown; he’s been spotted by a professional!
Just then, the Grand Elder spoke: “Based on my calculations, I plan to arrange it like this...”
Hearing the Grand Elder’s words, even the man and dog duo, Huang Tianbao and Big Yellow, felt it was unreliable. Could this master who spent every day divining auspicious burial sites actually be accurate?
The Grand Elder continued, “Lu Ming, Big Yellow, and Huang Tianbao will be in one team...”
“Wang Defa and Xue Wuchang will be in another...”
“Bao Duoduo and Fu Chen will be in the third...”
“Do any of you have an objection?”
“No objections,” Lu Ming and the others replied.
They let the Grand Elder arrange things however he wanted, as long as it made him happy.
Then, the Grand Elder looked at them solemnly. “When you are out and about, you represent the face of the Qingshan Sect. You must be as immovable as a mountain and possess bones of unyielding steel...”
Hearing this, Lu Ming and the others felt their blood boil with passion, and they secretly resolved not to disgrace the Qingshan Sect.
But then, the Grand Elder continued, “If you do move, you must crush the opponent in one go. A single kill strike, leave no survivors.”
Lu Ming and the others felt their mouths twitch again.
That actually makes a lot of sense.
“If you aren't sure of success, then don't move recklessly. Just stay still like a mountain... safety first.”
These words moved Lu Ming and the others deeply. The Grand Elder really did care about them.
Who would have thought his next words would make that bit of emotion vanish instantly?
“Our cultivation isn't high enough. If you die out there, no one is going to go collect your bodies...”
...
On the day of departure.
Five spirit boats were stationed at the border of the Eastern Province.
Besides the three spirit boats belonging to Lu Ming and his group, there were also people from the righteous sects of the Eastern Province, led by the Haoran Sect.
Furthermore, there was a group of demonic cultivators led by the Blood River Demon Sect of the Northern Province.
When Lu Ming and the others saw a fellow in the demonic cultivator group wearing rouge and powder with a large red flower tucked behind his ear, their eyes widened. Even this guy is going? He’s going to participate in the Saintess's Husband Selection Assembly too?
If this guy actually won, would the Saintess even be willing to marry him?
“Eldest Senior Brother, why are there female cultivators too? Can women marry the Saintess?” Huang Tianbao asked.
Looking closer, Huang Tianbao realized there were indeed female cultivators among both the righteous and demonic sects.
Suddenly, Lu Ming’s mouth twitched as he remembered something. When that projection appeared that day, it had only said that Soul Transformation cultivators under a thousand years old had to go to the Central Province. It hadn't specified gender at all!
Good heavens, does this Saintess take all comers, regardless of gender?
“The requirements didn't say women couldn't go. Maybe the official forgot to mention it, and they simply didn't dare not to show up...” Lu Ming explained to Huang Tianbao.
He wanted to keep the kid from overthinking things, though maybe the situation was just that messed up to begin with.
Huang Tianbao nodded and didn't say anything more.
Just then, Lu Ming’s brow furrowed. He noticed a beautiful female cultivator in a black dress staring intensely at their side.
Could it be that I’m so handsome I’ve been targeted?
Looking closely, he realized she was looking at Xue Wuchang, who was not far away.
What a woman with no taste.
Lu Ming then looked at Xue Wuchang, who was standing next to Wang Defa wearing three layers of protective armor.
This guy isn't just a little afraid of death! He’s only wearing two layers less than I am.
Lu Ming blurred and appeared beside Xue Wuchang. “Is that woman your lover?”
“No, no... she isn't.” Xue Wuchang shook his head repeatedly.
Lu Ming looked skeptical, so Xue Wuchang explained helplessly, “She’s the Joyous Union Sect cultivator who invited me to dual cultivate...”
Lu Ming was stunned. He hadn't expected Xue Wuchang to encounter such a stroke of luck.
Looking at Xue Wuchang’s handsome face, he truly was a pretty boy.
“Don't say I didn't warn you—be careful she doesn't suck you dry...”
Xue Wuchang nodded repeatedly. “Don't worry, Great Sect Master.”
Rate on N.U.
