As the spell took effect, the vines trapping everyone multiplied several times over in an instant, their speed of entangling in the air also increasing rapidly.
"By the decree of the Lightning Mother, swift as lightning, go!"
He Bingkun's body shimmered with a silver glow as he maneuvered through the vines, striking like lightning towards the leading young man.
While the two were engaged in their magical duel, the others were not idle either, exchanging blows in a lively manner.
After watching for a while, Yun Qi realized that both sides were holding back, with many shouting fiercely but still wearing smiles on their faces.
"By the spirits of the Great Void, borrowing the laws of heaven and earth, seize!"
In the chaos, Yun Qi noticed someone pointing at him, and immediately, he lost control of his body, floating into the air like a kite, with the string held by someone else.
Yun Qi wasn't afraid, just thought the timing of this person's move was impeccable.
Everyone from Lantern Street was entangled, and the valiant He Bingkun was also surrounded by someone named Tian Lingzhi, who had taken several kicks to the stomach.
Moreover, this seizing technique was quite interesting, truly having the flavor of an immortal's method.
"Nie Qunyu, don't hurt anyone!"
He Bingkun, seeing Yun Qi flying in the sky, was almost popping his eyes out.
"If my seizing technique could hurt people, that would be great."
The person who had seized Yun Qi replied to He Bingkun, then laughed and shouted to Yun Qi, "Little brother, my technique is not advanced, don't struggle, be careful of falling!"
Yun Qi, who hadn't been moving much, relaxed even more upon hearing this and soon landed beside the spellcaster.
As soon as Yun Qi landed, four or five people surrounded him and dragged him away, heading towards the Dojo Academy.
The people from Lantern Street saw this and roughly understood what these guys from Ancient Vine Street were up to.
The commotion earlier had been too loud, and they had already learned of Yun Qi's achievements.
They were going to take Yun Qi to claim the reward themselves, outsmarting them!
"Stop, you brats!"
The people from Lantern Street, like wild horses breaking free, desperately tried to chase after Yun Qi.
He Bingkun ran the fastest, arriving at the Dojo Academy panting, only to find the brats from Ancient Vine Street already surrounding Yun Qi and coming out.
"Hahaha~"
Next to He Bingkun was Tian Lingzhi, bruised and battered, now laughing heartily.
Nie Qunyu, the one who had seized Yun Qi, was full of pride, holding someone in his arms, saying to him:
"Old Zeng, see that! Fifth on the Southern Dipper List! Has your Dry Fourth District ever produced such a figure?"
Hearing this, He Bingkun also laughed.
Moreover, with people from the Fourth District present, he couldn't let the Third District lose face.
So he stopped bothering with Tian Lingzhi, maintaining a calm expression, and beckoned to Yun Qi,
"Yun Qi, let's go, back to Lantern Street, we need to celebrate."
He emphasized the words "Lantern Street" heavily.
The group eventually held a banquet at the Qilin Hall of the Dojo Kitchen.
People from both Lantern Street and Ancient Vine Street were present.
The people from Ancient Vine Street insisted on joining, perhaps knowing they were in the wrong, they offered to host, celebrating for Yun Qi.
As everyone took their seats, the people from Ancient Vine Street, to show their apology, ordered plenty of food and drink.
After a few sips of wine, everyone got into the spirit, starting to chat about all sorts of things.
"The Southern Dipper List, with the meaning of prolonging life, ranks based on the time of breaking through, divided into the Qi Absorption, Palace Charging, Court Plowing, and Core Formation lists, each with only six spots. The last time the Qi Absorption List changed was forty to fifty years ago, so we usually don't pay much attention to it, until today when we heard you absorbed Qi in six breaths, we thought maybe there's a chance to get on it."
He Bingkun sighed.
"By the way, Qunyu, you just went to check, who are the people on the Qi Absorption List now?"
"According to the rules, names of those over fifty are not shown on the list. Currently, Fang Fengyi and Zheng Weicheng are tied for first, both are Dao Children, born absorbing Qi. Xiao Shizhong is third, absorbing Qi in one breath, Zeng Heling is fourth, in two breaths, originally Huang Guanguan was fifth with thirty breaths, now dropped to sixth, Yu Jinhuang with a hundred breaths was pushed off the list."
"Has Fang Fengyi not found a suitable True Fiend yet?"
Tian Lingzhi asked.
"Not yet, I heard he left the sect again, let's see if there's good news when he returns."
"He's ambitious but not very lucky, I heard Zheng Weicheng has already gone to the far north to seek Spiritual Gang."
"They are really fast, I wonder when we will embark on the journey to seek Gang and Fiend!"
Naturally, everyone started discussing their own cultivation progress and bottlenecks.
"Everyone, have you heard of the names Qi Lingyun and Qi Jinchan?"
At this point, someone interjected, a young man named Yang Youxin from Ancient Vine Street, Yun Qi learned from the conversation that he was skilled in wind and wood techniques, registered at Azalea Valley.
After thinking for a while, everyone shook their heads, "Never heard of them."
"What about Qi Sumiao?"
Everyone was startled upon hearing this, this was Miao Yi Zhenren, the head of Western Shu Emei, a high-level True Person at the Harmony Dao stage, on the verge of ascension, how could they not have heard of him?
Tian Lingzhi reacted quickly, immediately asking, "Those two with the surname Qi?"
Yang Youxin nodded, "After hundreds of years, Miao Yi Zhenren and his wife finally gave birth to Dao Children, a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, I heard the news of their hundred-day banquet at Emei spread just a few days ago."
Everyone was very surprised, and Yun Qi could see worry on their faces.
He Bingkun explained:
"Yun Qi, you don't know, since the Tang and Song dynasties, the practice of Daoism has flourished in the Ba-Shu region, which is a good thing for our Daoist sect.
However, the Ba-Shu region is isolated, forming its own domain geographically, and has developed a unique style in cultivation and philosophy, leading the Daoist sects there to form their own faction. They respect the Three Pure Ones but do not believe in them, do not worship ancient deities, revere immortals and belittle gods.
They regard the immortals who ascended in Shu during the Tang and Song periods as their ancestors, calling themselves the Orthodox School of the Mystic Gate, also known as the Western Dao Capital, drawing a clear line with our Eastern Daoist sects, and are particularly hostile to our Yu-Zhang immortal mountains, their malice towards us even deeper than that of the demon sects!"
A struggle of Daoist traditions!
A bolt of lightning flashed through Yun Qi's mind, he loved reading history, he knew what this meant.
"I heard that those two children, not only were born absorbing Qi, but also have all five palaces open and the Crimson Palace already formed. At their hundred-day banquet, a high-level expert from the East Sea gave Spiritual Gang and True Fiend as gifts, things we can only dream of, for others, they are as easy as picking something from a bag! Given time, when these two Dao Children grow up, will it be a good thing for our Daoist sect?"
Yang Youxin sighed, stroking his face.
Seeing everyone dispirited, Yun Qi smiled and said, "Brother Yang, don't boost others' morale and diminish our own. I read in books that even Sanfeng Zhenren was born a mortal, was an official in the secular world before thirty, spent another thirty years seeking the Dao, only met Huolong Zhenren at sixty to receive the essence of the Golden Core, then spent ten years refining the Golden Core, another ten nurturing the infant, founded Wudang, and became an immortal at a hundred. Are we starting later than Sanfeng Zhenren?"
Everyone was startled again by his comparison to Sanfeng Zhenren.
He Bingkun then remembered the night Yun Qi first arrived, speaking of the ant not knowing the pine, feeling that this roommate's aspirations were truly high.
Perhaps he was born suited for cultivation.
He Bingkun suddenly thought this.
"Alright, alright, Yun Qi made it onto the list, why talk about Emei's Dao Children, let's drink!"
The night was filled with the aroma of wine.
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(End of Chapter)