The Great Dao Preaching Convention (II)
The purpose of their visit this time was to gather information about various cultivation paths and methods. The main library managed by the Immortal Association was a good resource and it was their first target but it wasn't the only possibility. Chen Wentian didn't know something like the Great Dao Preaching Convention was taking place but it seemed like a good opportunity to learn. At least, it will be a good opportunity for his disciple.
Zhou Ziyun's cultivation progress was something that still confused him. She didn't have a specific ability like Lin Qingcheng or Wu Qianyu. She simply practiced what everyone else was practicing, just better. She was better at comprehending Summer and Winter's Eternal Sutra than the ice sisters even though she did not have any natural talent with ice or fire. She was better at comprehending the Nineteen Demon Subduing Palms than any other disciple. She was also the only one who managed to learn the Flying Dragon Saber Art. She also dabbled in Dugu's Tenth Sword and her understanding of the sword could rival Wu Qianyu and perhaps even Peng Lingxi.
And through learning all of these various secret arts and immortal Daos, her cultivation in the Spirit Initiate Realm steadily progressed. Even though she had no specific Dao for herself, she was still able to reach the 8th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm just by absorbing knowledge from these different sources.
"Hey you, give me two tickets to the convention!" Chen Wentian called out over the crowd.
A surge of spiritual energy carried his voice to the stage and the four cultivators there turn in his direction. Their expressions stiffened for a moment at the arrival of an immortal but they quickly recovered. As disciples of the king sects, they had seen too many Spirit Lords so they did not act too courteously.
"Sir immortal, may I ask your great name?" The most senior one asked.
"Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian, master of Ten Thousand Flower Valley." Chen Wentian answered simply, "And my disciple here is Zhou Ziyun."
The crowd murmured to themselves at his response. His name was somewhat well known after the Immortal Sect Competition. However, since the competition was for sects outside of the metropolis, many locals were still unaware.
The fellow on the stage with the blue robes replied, "Well met, well met. I am Ming Liu, a disciple of the Eastern Light Clan. I have heard of the name Immortal Blue Dragon and the recent feats of your disciples. If Lord Chen wishes to attend the convention, we will naturally give you tickets free of charge."
That said, he drew out two small jade tokens and placed them in a wooden box. He offered the box with both hands.
"Many thanks." Chen Wentian retrieved it and looked inside.
Besides the jade tokens, there was a paper scroll that described the location, time, and various activities during the event.
He put the box away and was about to turn and leave when that Ming Liu spoke again.
"Lord Chen, please wait!"
"What's the matter?" Chen Wentian asked.
Ming Liu smiled in a way that did not seem genuine, "Lord Chen, as you know, this Great Dao Preaching Convention is an opportunity for the mortal masses to listen to those of us that are cultivating the immortal path preach the Dao. This allows us to showcase our knowledge, our skills, and our comprehension of the great Dao. It also allows the people to learn about things they may not normally get an opportunity to. This is an important goal for the convention. Other immortal sects can naturally attend but…"
He paused and gave an embarrassed laugh, "I hope you won't mind me asking, Lord Chen. It is customary for attendees from other immortal sects also participate in some of the Dao preaching events. I hope that Lord Chen's talented disciple can make some contributions for the sake of the common people."
With those words, the atmosphere of the crowd suddenly changed. Ming Liu's words were not unkind but they were an obvious challenge. The people around them mostly consisted of residents of the Canyonland District as well as visitors from other districts. They were eager to see how a bunch of outsiders would react.
"Oh?" Chen Wentain responded lightly, "My Zhou Ziyun is a little clever but she is not as talented as you have assumed. I'm afraid that she might make a fool of herself."
"How can that be? Lord Chen is too humble." This time, the person who spoke wore the pale-gold uniform of the Huang Family, "How can Ten Thousand Flower Valley, who produced the likes of the Paragon of Righteousness Wu Qianyu and where Snow Fairy Long Yifei calls home, have a disciple that is not a talent?"
That man's words drew a lot of nods from the crowd and whispers of agreement. Although an impartial audience would have immediately found the logical fallacies in his statement, these people were not impartial to begin with.
Chen Wentian crossed his arms and answered, "My disciple's time is very precious. If the disciples of the four king sects want to complete with mine, then you better bring out some respectable people. My disciple has not time to argue with riff-raff."
All four on the stage bristled at this but they didn't dare argue with an immortal like him. Instead, Ming Liu waved them off and spoke for them, "Of course, Lord Chen. The Great Dao Preaching Convention will be attended by our best, the very best of the younger generation. I don't know if you have heard of Prince Huang, Huang Yaoying, the most dazzling young genius that the Huang Family has produced in five hundred years. No, then what about Deng Lun, the Gentle Scholar, the undisputed leader of the youths of Lotus Tower? If these are not enough, we also have in attendance Little Devil Tang Liang from the House of Armament and Brilliant Blue Ming Yuqi from the Eastern Light Clan!"
The gathered crowd brimmed with excitement. These four names were enough to elicit many emotions from the ordinary populace. Admiration, jealousy, and reverie; these were just a few. Although peasants and country bumpkins from the various provinces might not have heard of them, they were like gods within the metropolis. They represented the next generation, people who would surely become Spirit Lords and perhaps even take over as Spirit Kings for their factions.
Chen Wentian looked over at Zhou Ziyun with raised eyebrows, "What do you think? Do you still want to go?"
Zhou Ziyun narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "Why not? I'm not afraid. No matter how great they are, can they compare to the likes of Sister Wu, Sister Long, or even Sister Peng? Since the four king sects aren't holding back for this Dao preaching convention, then I want to go and learn as much as I can."
He smiled, "Good."
He then turned towards the stage with a stern expression, "Surnamed Ming, I know that you challenged me and my disciple on instructions from your higher-ups so I won't make things difficult for you. You can tell them that my talented disciple will participate in the events. I hope that they won't be disappointed or jealous when her brilliance outshines the rest."
He then laughed arrogantly and flew away with Zhou Ziyun.
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A/N I wrote three special stories to celebrate IOAFD reaching one million words. They are a retelling of the side stories after the very first arc, with three brand-new smut scenes. They are free to read for a limited time!
https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-million-lin-95241918
https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-million-zhou-95242080
https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-million-wu-95242102
And as always, a tremendous thank you to all patrons that support this novel!