Yu Zhao: The Grand Elder is capable; she truly teaches real skills.

The five major forces in Zhenbei City appear to be harmonious and friendly, interdependent, but in reality, they all wish the other would die quickly.

The relationship between the five major forces is too complicated. First of all, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion represents the official government of the Dayan Empire. Regardless of what the Zhenbei Prince thinks, he is at least the Zhenbei Prince of the Dayan Empire now.

The other four major forces are essentially martial arts sects; the imperial court and the martial arts world are naturally opposed.

Furthermore, the Shen family is a powerful clan, which means that the clan is extremely united. Even if its members join the Luoyue Sect or the Dongyang Sword Sect as disciples, the clan members will still be united.

However, they still prioritized their family interests, which made Luoyue Sect and Dongyang Sword Sect resentful.

The disciples they train don't prioritize the sect; isn't that just a waste of money for a little publicity?

What's even more infuriating is that they can't refuse the disciples sent by the Shen family. The five major powers in Zhenbei City are an alliance, an alliance formed by the King of Zhenbei with a tough stance.

If anyone dares to refuse a member of the Shen family from entering the sect, the Prince of Zhenbei will dare to directly retaliate. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Prince of Zhenbei and the Shen family seem to have fallen out; anyone who believes such nonsense is an idiot.

This alliance, to put it nicely, is about mutual support and assistance, but in reality, it's just about sucking the blood out of Luoyue Sect and Dongyang Sword Sect.

Because they are a sect, they cannot send important disciples to a family or powerful family to cultivate. If they did that, would that disciple still be their own disciple?

Sects do not have as much control over their disciples as families do.

As for the Holy Divine Cult... it's a mysterious and eccentric force, and the two major sects would never send disciples there, as they would easily be brainwashed into becoming believers.

And then there's the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion... So, are the disciples sent there for cultivation or to serve as servants?

However, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, the Shen family, and even the Holy Divine Sect were able to send people to the two major sects for cultivation. After the two major sects had finished training them, most of them prioritized the interests of their original forces.

The higher-ups of Luoyue Sect and Dongyang Sword Sect were furious with this, so when Elder Qingxuan heard about Shen Yunshu's experience, she was quite gloating.

Regardless of whether the Shen family has internal problems or plans to cultivate Shen Yunshu using methods of raising poisonous insects, Shen Yunshu will inevitably hate the Shen family.

Elder Qingxuan was even more pleased with Shen Yunshu and planned to cultivate her with even more care. It would be even better if this little disciple could storm the Shen family in the future. Even if she couldn't, she could still cause some trouble for the Shen family.

……

Meanwhile, in the thatched hut, Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu gathered together to drink tea and chat after tidying up their respective houses.

After much deliberation, Yu Zhao finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind:

"Junior sister, is your family background unusual? I can sense that the Grand Elder seems quite wary of you, or rather, wary of your family background."

Yu Zhao is now eager to learn more information. The situation in Luoyue Sect is more complicated than she imagined. If this little green tea really has an extraordinary family background, then she will have to consider taking advantage of it.

If Little Green Tea's family is so powerful, then these monsters and demons in the Falling Moon Sect won't dare to make any rash moves.

Fearing that Shen Yunshu might not yet realize the seriousness of the problem, Yu Zhao added, "If you really have a powerful background, then please, in consideration of the care I have shown you in the past, lend me a hand."

As she spoke, Yu Zhao stood up and bowed respectfully. A true man can bend and stretch, and although her body was no longer that of a true man, Yu Zhao always felt that she was.

If I could get protection, I would not only bow and pay respects to the little green tea, but I would even kowtow and recognize her as my godmother.

The waters within the Falling Moon Gate are too deep; she is now truly unable to eat or sleep in peace.

Seeing her senior sister like this, Shen Yunshu panicked and rushed to help her up. Her face turned red, and she was at a loss for what to do. "Senior sister, please don't be like this. I will always remember your kindness to me. Please sit down. I will tell you everything you want to know."

Shen Yunshu was truly grateful to Yu Zhao. Perhaps Yu Zhao herself had forgotten that she had unintentionally helped Shen Yunshu overcome crises on several occasions while she was at Qingfeng Temple.

When Shen Yunshu first joined the sect, she was tricked away by her fourth senior brother, who wanted to turn her into a puppet. Yu Zhao happened to witness this and said:

"Fourth brother, this is our junior sister, whom Master just took in. If something happens to her, do you think Master will be angry?"

It was this one sentence that saved Shen Yunshu from a crisis. After that, Shen Yunshu often mingled with Yu Zhao and gradually gained a foothold by leveraging his prestige in Qingfeng Temple.

Those crazy senior brothers and sisters knew that she was protected by the eldest senior sister, which is why she was safe.

Therefore, Shen Yunshu always remembered Yu Zhao's kindness. Originally, she didn't want to reveal her background, but since Yu Zhao had already put it that way, Shen Yunshu had no choice but to recount the past.

"Senior sister, you probably don't know, I'm an orphan. I've been begging on the streets since I can remember. When I was four years old, I met a girl who was about my age."

We depended on each other for survival. Not long after, my sister somehow obtained a cultivation technique and successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm. Our lives gradually improved.

That older sister is exceptionally talented; she successfully established her foundation in just two years. In a small city in the Eastern Region, we've become quite prominent.

At this point, Shen Yunshu paused, her eyes filled with reminiscence, while Yu Zhao listened with some surprise. This little green tea met an older sister who was about the same age when she was four years old, so the older sister she was talking about was at most six years old at the time.

She used this statement for only a short time. So even if the older sister she mentioned started cultivating at the age of seven, she would be nine years old two years later. And she would have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of nine?!

Is this definitely a person?

While Yu Zhao was stunned by this information, Shen Yunshu took a sip of tea and continued speaking in a slightly low voice.

"But the good times didn't last long. Two years later, it seemed that the older sister had encountered a problem in her cultivation. She said she was going to seek an opportunity, so she took me away from the Eastern Region and headed towards the Northern Region. The Eastern Region is very far from the Northern Region."

We traveled for a full year, and the hardships we endured are best left unmentioned. By the time we entered the northern region, my sister's health had deteriorated further.

"Her days were numbered, so she used all her cultivation to condense a drop of essence blood, which she then absorbed into my body. After sending me to Zhenbei City, she passed away."

Yu Zhao: "???"

Yu Zhao was full of questions. She felt that what Shen Yunshu was saying was so abstract.

Looking at the girl's sincere expression and the sadness in her eyes, it doesn't seem like she's just talking nonsense.

Yu Zhao began to ponder Shen Yunshu's words. She knew that Shen Yunshu had something she didn't dare to say, and she could roughly guess what Shen Yunshu hadn't said.

The older sister the little green tea girl mentioned probably has some connection with the Shen family. The drop of essence blood she gave away is likely the key to getting the little green tea girl accepted by the Shen family.

In other words, it's highly likely that the "little green tea" impersonated that person, went to the Shen family after arriving in Zhenbei City, and then something must have happened at the Shen family, leading to her expulsion.

Such things cannot be spoken aloud; who knows if any high-ranking members of the Falling Moon Sect are eavesdropping here?

To be honest, Yu Zhao's brain is definitely sharp enough; she guessed most of the truth.

The truth is that Shen Yunshu's older sister was actually the eldest legitimate daughter of the third branch of the Shen family who had been living away from home. When Shen Yunshu met her, she was five years old.

The truth behind Shen Yunshu's claim that the other party obtained the cultivation technique from an unknown source is that the two girls poisoned and killed a wealthy merchant's entire family, and the cultivation technique was a fragment of an unnamed cultivation technique found in the wealthy merchant's home.

That older sister possessed the bloodline of the Azure Dragon and had extremely high comprehension, so she easily learned the cultivation technique and established her foundation in a short period of time.

A proper cultivation method, especially one that is incomplete, would naturally not allow for such rapid foundation building.

However, that cultivation method was not proper; it was a genuine demonic technique that devoured everything to nourish itself. Perhaps because the technique was incomplete, or perhaps because it was too harmful to the natural order, the elder sister suffered severe Dao injuries after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

The older sister told Shen Yunshu about her origins, and then they set off for Zhenbei City to reunite with their relatives. After that, Shen Yunshu obtained the Azure Dragon bloodline and went to the Shen family to impersonate Guijia's small family.

Shen Yunshu didn't reveal a lot of information, such as how much she resembled her older sister, and how she obtained the Azure Dragon bloodline.

Recalling the past, Shen Yunshu was somewhat agitated. After calming herself down, she continued:

"After arriving in Zhenbei City, I was found by the Shen family. They said I was the lost Miss Shen. After taking me home to recognize my family, I became Miss Shen and lived a life of luxury every day. However, my parents also had an adopted daughter who disliked me and often framed me."

Once, I couldn't take it anymore and hurt her. After that, I was kicked out of my home. So, senior sister, I have a good family background, but it seems that this background is of little use.

At this point, Shen Yunshu gave a self-deprecating smile, her feigned strength making her all the more pitiful.

But Yu Zhao wasn't buying it at all. She knew this little green tea b*tch; what she said was a mix of truth and lies, and she was lucky if she could believe 70% of it.

However, Xiao Lvcha's experience made Yu Zhao feel that it was all very classic: substitute literature, real and fake heiresses... wow, the buffs were stacked up to the max.

The more I look at her, the more she resembles the female protagonist in a female-oriented novel.

Considering the little green tea's strange luck and charm, as well as her occasional appearances of rare and precious treasures, Yu Zhao felt that this girl should be given another layer of the Heavenly Dao's favored daughter buff.

It's that kind of buff where no matter what she does, Heaven will blindly protect her, and no one can hurt her.

This woman is terrifying.

When Yu Zhao looked at Shen Yunshu, his gaze changed. Shen Yunshu was somewhat bewildered by this complex look, and subconsciously tilted her head, blinking her innocent big eyes.

"Senior sister, why are you looking at Shu'er like that?"

"It's nothing, Senior Sister just suddenly felt that you have the potential to become an Emperor."

Emperor Ruyan is still an emperor, after all.

"What realm is the Great Emperor?" Shen Yunshu was even more confused. Why couldn't she understand her senior sister's words today?

"Your Majesty, this is a kind of..."

Yu Zhao started telling Xiao Lvcha about "Covering the Sky," which made Xiao Lvcha very excited. Not only her, but also Elder Qingxuan, who was secretly eavesdropping, was also very excited.

As a Golden Core cultivator, her perspective was naturally broader than that of Yu Zhao and the other Qi Refining cultivators. She could tell just how shocking Yu Zhao's story was.

That Great Emperor realm is probably even stronger than a True Immortal. Is this really just a young girl's fantasy? Or is she telling a true story under the guise of storytelling?

If that's the case, then Yu Zhao must have an astonishing background. He's either the reincarnation of a True Immortal or comes from an extremely terrifying family.

But then a new question arose in Elder Qingxuan's mind: if that were the case, how could Yu Zhao appear in a small place like Zhenbei City?

Could it be a family training mission?

Thinking of this, Elder Qingxuan broke out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, everything seemed reasonable. She wondered how a small place like Zhenbei City could produce someone with such amazing talent as Yu Zhao. If she had a powerful family behind her, then it would make sense.

Such a favored daughter of heaven must have a protector secretly following her. She didn't find a single Golden Core cultivator, so this protector must be at least a Nascent Soul cultivator!

hiss~

Thinking of this, Elder Qingxuan couldn't help but gasp, thinking that he should be more polite to Yu Zhao in the future.

……

On the second day,

Elder Qingxuan summoned Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu and began giving the two women their first lesson.

"Zhao'er, Shu'er, today we won't talk about how to cultivate, we'll talk about what cultivation is."

After speaking, the First Elder looked at the two women with gentle eyes, his gaze sweeping over their faces before he pointed at Yu Zhao, "Zhao'er, you speak."

Yu Zhao didn't expect the other party to call her out. She noticed that the elder's attitude towards her today was different; he was much gentler, and there was a hint of awe in his eyes.

This left Yu Zhao somewhat bewildered. How could this guy's attitude have changed so much after just one night?

Unable to understand, she decided to put it aside for the time being and replied, "Reporting to the Grand Elder, this disciple believes that cultivation is about breaking through the limits of life, hoping to live as long as heaven and earth, and shine as brightly as the sun and moon!"

"What you're saying refers to the expectations of some cultivators, not cultivation itself."

The elder shook his head, not quite satisfied with Yu Zhao's answer, but considering that the other party was still young, it was normal for his understanding to be insufficient.

Although she wondered why her family didn't teach these things, she didn't think much of it, assuming that it was just a difference in how large families raised children.

After organizing her thoughts, the First Elder spoke:

"Cultivation is about practice and action. It is about cultivating the Tao, comprehending the Tao, resonating with the Tao, and ultimately mastering the Tao!"

Action is the method that carries the Dao. The Dao cannot be explained. The Dao that can be explained is not the Dao.

Therefore, cultivators found a shortcut: cultivate the Dao heart, for my heart is the Dao heart, and my Dao is the Heavenly Dao!

The elder spoke with great authority, and as soon as he finished speaking, Yu Zhao felt a sword intent soar into the sky, so sharp!

At this moment, Yu Zhao couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "As expected of an elder from a major sect, what he taught was truly valuable knowledge."

Old Deng Qingfeng never taught these things.

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, Yu Zhao pressed on, "Elder, can I assume that as long as one's Dao heart is firm enough, and firmly believes that one can go further on the path of immortality, then one can truly go further?"

"This child is teachable."

The elder nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself that this genius from a great family was truly astonishing.

The elder's smile grew even gentler. "Indeed, the most important thing for us cultivators is a firm Dao heart. Only when you truly believe that you can keep moving forward on the path to immortality can you truly succeed."

You must remember this: the heart is the root, the Dharma is the dust. If the root is not firm, no matter how powerful the Dharma is, it is useless, and one day you will perish under the heavenly tribulation.

The two women rose, bowed, and said yes.

Yu Zhao was in a very good mood. He had learned a lot from this lesson. Regardless of whether the Grand Elder had bad intentions, he was at least better than Elder Qingfeng, because the Grand Elder was really teaching real knowledge.