My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

...

"Master, are we really going to rebuild the sect here?"

The young Taoist boy, holding a flying sword, was digging into the flat mountain top as instructed by his master, who was a white-haired elder with tears streaming down his face, completely unaware that his apprentice didn't know how to dig a proper foundation.

The sect on this mountain was called Azure Cloud Sect, and the master, known as Qing Yunzi, was indeed a cultivator, a rare innate realm expert with a lifespan of over two hundred years.

Qing Yunzi came to this place a century ago to establish a sect because he found it difficult to advance in his cultivation. He wanted to create a place to pass down his skills.

And he had indeed succeeded.

As an innate realm expert, he would often show off his skills in the surrounding villages, beating up local bullies and treating difficult illnesses. Many hungry families would send their children to him for help.

Over the years, Qing Yunzi and Azure Cloud Sect gained considerable fame. Even though his disciples were not particularly talented, the sect had prospered.

Who would have thought that one day, the sect built over a century would be destroyed in a fight between celestial beings passing by? Where could he seek justice for that?

"Celestial beings fighting, and mortals suffer. My whole life has been in vain!"

Thinking about his sorrowful situation, tears welled up in Qing Yunzi's murky old eyes.

He was genuinely heartbroken. Even the recent arrival of a gifted last disciple could not alleviate his grief. After all, that little fellow might be talented, but he seemed rather dull-witted.

"Master!"

"Master!"

"Stop shouting! Your voice is buzzing in my head. I told you to dig a foundation, not to call out for spirits!"

The young Taoist boy shouted from a distance, and just as Qing Yunzi was about to gather his emotions, he found he could no longer cry.

"Master!"

"I've dug up a person!"

"What person?"

Initially not paying attention, Qing Yunzi responded casually, but after a moment, he realized, "Hmm?! A person!"

He thought he had misheard.

"I've dug up a scholar!"

Hearing his foolish apprentice's words, Qing Yunzi quickly turned around and saw a pale-faced young man who looked ill, yet exuded an extraordinary air, looking more like a celestial being than a mere mortal.

The moment he laid eyes on him, Qing Yunzi became vigilant. In this era, anyone who was alone and looked that good was definitely not a simple character.

Although he could not discern the scholar's depth, his instincts warned him that this person was not ordinary.

At present, with Azure Cloud Sect having lost its main structure, he had sent all his disciples down the mountain to gather supplies, leaving only his foolish apprentice by his side, making the sect weaker than ever.

If the person before him had ill intentions, it could be dangerous.

"May I ask who you are and what brings you to Azure Cloud Sect?"

Qing Yunzi's demeanor instantly turned solemn. Holding his whisk, he made a hand seal to greet the visitor, maintaining a dignified yet humble posture, embodying the presence of a sect leader.

"I am Gu Lan, and I wish to borrow your land to cultivate in seclusion for a while."

The scholar was, of course, Gu Lan, who returned the greeting with a similar hand seal.

Earlier, he had hidden himself in this mountain using secret techniques, and with the Azure Lotus of Merits masking his presence, he had evaded Arthur's pursuit.

At this moment, he was unsure if Arthur had left, so he couldn't carelessly use his divine powers or treasures.

He revealed himself now to reassure the locals and find a place for quiet recovery.

After his battle with Divine Son Arthur, he had sustained some injuries.

However, he had also gained a lot!

Firstly, Divine Son Arthur's injuries were also not light, and he would likely take a century to recover.

As for Gu Lan himself, healing his injuries wasn't difficult, but restoring his previous cultivation level would require some extensive reading.

In this world where martial arts flourished, other cultivators were far less capable, and the entire realm fell short compared to the former Jing Nation. This was one of the reasons Gu Lan chose this place.

During his recovery, he would not be disturbed here and could take the time to fully cultivate One Breath Into Three Clarity.

"These elixirs are my payment for borrowing your land."

Gu Lan waved his hand and tossed a vial of top-quality King Stage elixirs to Qing Yunzi.

Qing Yunzi raised his hand to catch the jade vial steadily.

His expression remained calm as he scrutinized Gu Lan.

The way the latter formed the hand seal was very skilled, not like someone who had just learned it. This eased Qing Yunzi's tension slightly, but he still signaled his foolish apprentice to step back a bit before cautiously opening the vial.

As soon as he opened it, a rich spiritual energy wafted out, causing his stagnant cultivation bottleneck to loosen just by smelling it.

"This is... the legendary King Stage elixir!"

Qing Yunzi instantly lost his composure, his eyes filled with shock.

Seeing the elder's expression, Gu Lan knew he had succeeded.

He no longer spoke further, not using any true energy or divine powers, and lightly stepped away, as graceful as a breeze.

"This young man has a connection with me; if there's anything in the future, let him come find me."

Gu Lan had already chosen a peak for his temporary retreat.

"What strong external cultivation skills!"

"To be able to move through the air without using blood power, he must be more than just an innate realm expert!"

Qing Yunzi felt a shiver in his heart, filled with awe towards Gu Lan, but more than that, he felt grateful.

The elixirs that Gu Lan had just given him could solve his urgent problem.

If he could take the elixirs to break through, he would gain several decades of lifespan.

"Master, Master!"

"The scholar gave me a book; can you see if it's some kind of extraordinary secret manual?"

At that moment, the young Taoist boy came close to Qing Yunzi.

Seeing his foolish apprentice holding a book, Qing Yunzi felt a jolt.

He took the book and saw the four large characters on the cover, trembling with excitement.

"Xuantian Daojing!"

"This is the supreme scripture of our Taoist sect, only recorded in the classics as an Immortal Stage cultivation method!"

Qing Yunzi was overwhelmed with excitement and no longer dared to doubt Gu Lan. He understood that Gu Lan was likely one of the two celestial beings who had just passed by.

He immediately grabbed his foolish apprentice and led him to kneel towards the mountain peak where Gu Lan had left.

"Foolish disciple, your fortune has come!"

"Quick, bow to the celestial being!"

Hearing his master's words, the young Taoist boy was a bit confused.

However, he didn't need to think too much; usually, he did whatever his master told him to.

Besides, the scholar had indeed looked like a celestial being, so it wouldn't hurt to pay his respects.

The elder and the young boy bowed three times towards the mountain peak, with the boy even prostrating with three loud knocks to the ground.

At this moment, neither of them realized that ten years later, a first-rate young sword immortal would be born from this place.

And that young man was the currently clueless young Taoist boy.

What he didn't know was that Gu Lan had just used a technique to foresee his fate, leaving behind a lineage for Tianji Pavilion.