Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 869: Guan Shanhai

Seeing the national fortune floating in the air, seemingly having become masterless, Lu Yang recalled the knowledge Meng Jingzhou had previously imparted to him.

The separation of the national fortune from the Xia Emperor’s body can only mean one thing—the Xia Emperor has passed away!

I was still a step too late!

Lu Yang instantly recognized the figure standing in the skies above the imperial palace, who radiated the bearing of a monarch ruling all under heaven. He had seen this elderly man before at the Imperial Taixue Academy—Dean Qi Xiuya, one of the most accomplished historians.

“Why is Dean Qi here?!”

Lu Yang remembered that Qi Xiuya’s cultivation was only at the Fusion Stage. The national fortune concerned the very foundation of Great Xia. It was absolutely not something a Fusion cultivator could meddle with! Even Transcendent Tribulation cultivators wouldn’t dare touch such a thing!

“And this oppressive pressure...”

Originally, Qi Xiuya had his cultivation contained, appearing like an ordinary old man. Perhaps because he had finally obtained the national fortune, he involuntarily released some of his oppressive pressure.

The oppressive pressure that leaked out merely due to his emotional fluctuations enveloped the imperial city and eight nearby cities! Even a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator couldn’t achieve this by releasing their full oppressive pressure.

“An immortal!” Lu Yang was the first to make his judgment.

“Imperial Preceptor, save me!” Seeing the national fortune finally leave the Xia Emperor’s body and Qi Xiuya making his entrance to reap it, General Yu couldn’t help but cry out for help. He was utterly powerless to fight back against the joint attacks of Jin Caiwei and Jiang Lianyi.

“Imperial Preceptor?!”

The only individual whom General Yu would willingly address as “Imperial Preceptor” was the First Imperial Preceptor, Guan Shanhai, who was both teacher and friend to the Yu Emperor Wu Yao and co-founded the Great Yu Dynasty. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He was also one of the only two immortals of the Great Yu Dynasty.

The moment the Imperial Preceptor’s identity was confirmed, Lu Yang roughly deduced Great Yu’s scheme.

To seize the power of the national fortune, Guan Shanhai took advantage of the Xia Emperor’s critical condition by instigating turmoil in Yù Province, luring the Jiang Family’s Old Ancestor away to provide aid. This way, he could become the only immortal in the imperial city and could act as he pleased.

If an immortal wished to conceal their identity, they could suppress their cultivation, alter their appearance, and start growing from an infant’s body. With increasing age, they could gradually release the seals on their cultivation.

That way, every step of their growth would leave a traceable record. Even if Great Xia wanted to investigate, they wouldn’t find anything amiss.

It was unknown how long Guan Shanhai had lived incognito in the imperial city. Even his identity as Dean Qi had been used for over a thousand years.

Dean Qi’s students were scattered throughout the world. It was probable that he viewed them as sources of intelligence. For instance, someone like Ye Gu, who served as a private tutor for the Meng Family, could share information about the Meng Family with him.

I knew there was something fishy with Dean Qi. A Fusion cultivator with no grudge against Shifu? Could that be an ordinary person?

“It’s the Great Yu Imperial Preceptor?!” General Yu’s loud cry was heard clearly by more than half the imperial city’s populace. Astonishment spread, and panic instantly ensued.

Although they didn’t know what the national fortune was or why the Great Yu Imperial Preceptor had come, the appearance of an archaic immortal in the imperial city was itself an extremely dangerous sign!

Guan Shanhai ignored the panicked expressions of the imperial city’s inhabitants and General Yu’s shouts. He trod upon the air, approaching the crimson national fortune step by step.

As he neared the national fortune, his appearance also transformed, turning into a middle-aged man with a goatee and sunken cheeks, gradually overlapping with the portraits of him in historical texts.

The national fortune seemed to sense Guan Shanhai’s malicious intent. It swayed restlessly, emitting fluctuations potent enough to make a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator’s heart palpitate.

But Guan Shanhai simply smiled and reached out to grab the national fortune. It was like a snake catcher seizing a serpent by its vital spot; no matter how the snake writhed, escape was impossible.

“Jiang Ping’an really has some skill to have created something like the national fortune.”

The national fortune was something Jiang Ping’an created after the founding of Great Xia and was thus considered an immortal’s creation. However, unlike the Mother-Child River or the Twins River, the national fortune was directly forged by Jiang Ping’an with the authority of his Dao Fruit. It bore the aspirations of Great Xia’s myriad citizens and was the very foundation of the nation.

After all, it was something Jiang Ping’an had expended immense effort to create. Even if Guan Shanhai wanted to fully obtain the power of the national fortune, he couldn’t accomplish it in a short while.

Nevertheless, Guan Shanhai didn’t need to fully obtain it either. What he valued was the connection between the national fortune and the myriad citizens. Relying on this link, he could transform Great Xia into Great Yu!

The moment he grasped the national fortune, he had already begun refining it.

Refining the national fortune wasn’t particularly difficult but was time-consuming. While refining it, he slowly turned his head to look at General Yu, who had been flattened into a plane and sliced to countless pieces, and then at Jiang Lianyi and Jin Caiwei, who regarded him as a formidable enemy.

“Fellow Daoist Jin, it has been but a few days since we parted at the Imperial Taixue Academy. I didn’t expect us to meet again under such circumstances.” Guan Shanhai smiled without the slightest overbearing presence.

“Fellow Daoist Jiang, the reputation of the Phoenix Ancient Ancestor precedes you. Now that I’ve seen you today, you are indeed extraordinary. Had there not been anyone above you, you would also likely be an immortal.”

Even if Guan Shanhai was sufficiently polite and willing to treat Jiang Lianyi and Jin Caiwei as peers despite his immortal status, it still provoked hostility from both women.

Guan Shanhai acted as though he didn’t see the hostility in their eyes and cupped his hands toward an empty spot.

“And Fellow Daoist Ao Ling, you’ve been hiding here for so long; it’s time you revealed yourself.”

Space rippled in concentric circles. With a grim face, Ao Ling emerged from the space and stared fixedly at Guan Shanhai. Even with her unparalleled concealment abilities, she had nowhere to hide before an immortal’s spiritual consciousness.

“I must ask you three fellow Daoists to release General Yu.” Guan Shanhai’s tone was placid, as if he was discussing a minor matter.

Ao Ling stared at Guan Shanhai for a moment, then slowly exhaled. She understood all too well the gap between an immortal and a half-immortal. This is not an opponent we can defeat.

“Release General Yu.”

Jin Caiwei obediently complied, deactivating her Planary Incipient Dao Fruit and allowing General Yu to regain his three-dimensional form.

However, General Yu was now in numerous small fragments. He would have to rely on his own efforts to reassemble them into his original form.

“Guan thanks you three fellow Daoists. I came to the imperial city solely for the national fortune. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to meet the Qilin Immortal’s three wives. It is truly lucky.” Guan Shanhai hadn’t become the Imperial Taixue Academy’s dean merely to conceal his identity and gather intelligence; he genuinely enjoyed studying history.

Especially ancient history.

“Three wives?”

Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi looked at each other. Since when did Hubby have three wives?

Guan Shanhai was also taken aback. “It was Fellow Daoist Jin who told me. Could it be mistaken?”

Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi simultaneously turned their heads, fixing their gazes on Jin Caiwei.

Guan Shanhai didn’t dwell on the matter but cupped his hands and continued, “I must trouble the three of you to inform me of the Qilin Immortal’s whereabouts. I have some matters I wish to inquire about with him.”

Ao Ling shook her head. “None of us know where Hubby is.”

Guan Shanhai narrowed his eyes, not believing the three’s words. His tone turned slightly unfriendly. “I believe I have been courteous enough to you three fellow Daoists. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness!

“Tell me the Qilin Immortal’s location, or else you three fellow Daoists will have to remain here today and wait for the Qilin Immortal to come retrieve you!”