Walking by the Abyss on Thin Ice

Chapter 298 – Outlaw

Su Yun and the others returned to the Pan Yang carriage, only to see Jing Zhao still tightly bound. Doctor Dong said, "Master, the journey to the imperial palace is quite far. It will take several days for the Pan Yang carriage to travel. It would be better to use the Five-Colored Phoenix carriage. Although it is more expensive, it is faster."

The Five-Colored Phoenix carriage is another type of treasure carriage. The pavilion is placed on the back of a bird, and the phoenix bird carries the pavilion and flies, making the journey much faster than the Pan Yang carriage.

However, phoenix birds are rare and have picky eating habits. They need to be fed with special elixirs every day, unlike the Pan Yang carriage where food is abundant. Even the noble families may not be able to afford them.

Renting the Five-Colored Phoenix carriage for travel is extremely expensive, but for the Master of the Tongtian Pavilion, it is not expensive.

Not long after, Chi Xiaoyao looked out of the window and saw the scenery outside. In the sky above, there was a sea of clouds beneath their feet, with a clear blue sky. Large birds were soaring in the air.

Chi Xiaoyao looked back and saw two long tail feathers behind the Five-Colored Phoenix bird, radiating five different colors.

This phoenix bird was very large, with a wingspan of three to five acres and tail feathers that were fourteen zhang long. It was extremely shocking to see it flying in the sky.

Renting the Five-Colored Phoenix carriage came with a coachman and a chef. The coachman was skilled in alchemy and was responsible for the phoenix bird's diet, while the chef was responsible for the guest's meals. The three meals along the way would never be repeated.

Their carriage was a three-story small building, with a sleeping area on the top floor. The building was magnificent and spacious, with a dressing table and even a study.

"It's good to have money."

Chi Xiaoyao sighed and then felt a bit melancholic. "The Longhe Chi family is far from being as wealthy as others..."

Su Yun hadn't thought about it that much. Doctor Dong was drawing his blood. Although Su Yun was now the Master of the Tongtian Pavilion, Doctor Dong was just an ordinary member of the pavilion, but the blood still needed to be drawn.

At night, Su Yun climbed to the third floor and looked out into the sky. He saw fragments of broken planets floating in the sky above the western continent, reflecting the faint light of the sun and competing with the moon.

Such a scene was rarely seen in Yuanshuo.

Chi Xiaoyao climbed up and sat beside him, handing him a box of fruits. Looking up, she asked, "Are there people up there?"

Su Yun activated the Winged Dragon Heavenly Eye and looked as far as his eyes could see. He could barely see mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas on the outer continents, and there seemed to be something moving, but when he looked closer, he couldn't see clearly.

"There might be people."

He couldn't be sure. "I heard that several schools, such as the Sword Pavilion and the Imperial Palace, are planning to organize people to explore there. Maybe in a while, we will know."

Chi Xiaoyao hugged her knees and smiled peacefully. "After I have achieved something in my studies, I will go back to the uninhabited area and build a school for monsters."

Su Yun thought for a moment. He had never seen a school specifically built for monsters. He smiled and said, "When I defeat the Overseas Master of the Tongtian Pavilion and secure my position as the Master, I will give you a sum of money to use for your school."

Chi Xiaoyao's eyes lit up. She extended her pinky finger. "Deal!"

"Deal!" Su Yun hooked his pinky finger with hers.

Chi Xiaoyao held onto his finger and raised her thumb, wanting to seal the deal. Su Yun awkwardly pressed his thumb against hers.

Chi Xiaoyao chuckled and hurried downstairs. "You eat the fruit first. I'll go see what the chef has prepared."

Su Yun watched her go downstairs, and at that moment, he heard Ying Ying stretching and yawning. The little book monster had somehow appeared on his shoulder and said softly, "A wanderer may linger among the flowers, but in the end, they will find that the girl next door is the most suitable for them."

Su Yun's thoughts became a bit sentimental, and he smiled. "Which one is the wanderer?"

He quickly finished all the fruits in the box, feeling a sense of sweetness.

"It was made by the chef." Ying Ying reminded him.

Su Yun blushed and went downstairs. Jing Zhao was standing by the door on the second floor, and no one noticed the silver needle that had been inserted into his brain slowly rotating and retreating.

At this moment, more than half of the silver needle had already retreated.

Su Yun walked past him, humming a little tune, and then walked back, taking a closer look at Jing Zhao.

Jing Zhao closed his eyes as if he was sleeping, motionless.

Su Yun slapped the head of the old master of the Huo Yun Cave and hummed a little tune before leaving.

Jing Zhao suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes spewing fire, and he gnashed his teeth.

After a long journey, the Five-Colored Phoenix carriage stopped outside the imperial palace in Xingdu on the afternoon of the next day.

There was no Master in the Xingdu Imperial Palace. The palace's owner, Yu Daoyuan, was the national teacher of Da Qin. He had given the imperial palace many benefits over the years, so the palace's development was rapid.

Doctor Dong took out a token, and the guards guarding the imperial palace did not dare to neglect him. They quickly bowed and invited him in.

Su Yun was extremely surprised.

Doctor Dong said calmly, "When I was hiding from pursuers, I stayed in the Sword Pavilion for a while. Later, I was afraid that someone would discover that I didn't age, so I would change places every ten years or so. This token was obtained when I studied in the imperial palace."

Su Yun asked tentatively, "So how many sacred places of learning have you been to, Doctor?"

"More than ten."

Doctor Dong said casually, "My status in each sacred place of learning is not low. Later, I wandered overseas and was picked up by the old gourd. At that time, I realized that I hadn't found my kind here, so I should go back."

Su Yun was shocked. Doctor Dong was not only a high-ranking member of these more than ten Western sacred places of learning, but also the old gourd in the northern green forest and a member of the Tongtian Pavilion. He was probably a key figure!

Such an immortal existence was truly terrifying!"The reason why this place is called the Imperial Palace is because during the Pan Yang Rebellion, the crown princes and princesses of Da Qin, Da Xia, Da Wan, and other countries took refuge here and studied in this academy, receiving its protection."

The colorful carriage proceeded towards the depths of the Imperial Palace, with Ying Ying sitting on Su Yun's shoulder, flipping through a book and saying to Su Yun, "The Pan Yang Rebellion has intensified. These crown princes and princesses who have learned skills here have returned to their respective countries and achieved great military achievements in the chaos. Later, seven emperors of different countries emerged from this academy, hence the reputation of the Imperial Palace. After the Pan Yang Rebellion ended, the crown princes were still sent here to study from time to time, and several emperors were produced."

Su Yun knew nothing about this history and was surprised to learn about this allusion. He couldn't help but admire his surroundings.

The architectural layout of the Imperial Palace had fewer elements of the Yuanshuo style. The buildings were straightforward, and there were many temples in the academy, dedicated to the gods of the Heavenly Court. Each building had statues of the gods of the Heavenly Court in front of it.

Even each floor had statues of different gods!

Doctor Dong furrowed his brows slightly and whispered, "When I was here, there weren't so many statues. The invasion of the Heavenly Court into the academy is not a blessing for the Imperial Palace."

Su Yun's heart stirred, and he said, "Silence is golden. The wise men of Yuanshuo have long been vigilant. The chaos caused by gods and monsters is the disaster of a nation, and the chaos in the academy is the disaster of a clan."

Doctor Dong sighed.

"This Imperial Palace holds a major examination every year. It is said that those who perform well in each temple can go to the Heavenly Court to meet the God King and God Emperor and receive blessings from the gods."

Ying Ying flipped through the books and said, "This year's examination will be held in August, which is this month. It seems that the Imperial Palace should have already selected scholars. I wonder which scholars will be able to enter the Imperial Palace this year?"

Su Yun's heart trembled, "The Heavenly Court? Isn't the Heavenly Court something that only Western beings dream of? Could it be that the Heavenly Court has become a reality? It's unlikely..."

He furrowed his brows slightly. In the past few days, during his underground journey in Boshan County, he had seen a lot of information that was unfavorable to the Heavenly Court.

The Records of Materialism and the Holy Maiden's Notes both pointed out that the God Emperor of the Heavenly Court might be a very influential figure in the Tongtian Pavilion!

Of course, a large part of the information in the crystal tower underground might be fake, but Su Yun couldn't be sure about the truth or falsehood of the speculations about the Heavenly Court.

"If I could enter the Heavenly Court and personally meet this God Emperor..." Su Yun's eyes flickered.

Ying Ying continued to browse and said, "There are twenty temples in the Imperial Palace, and one scholar can be selected from each temple, totaling twenty scholars who will go to the Heavenly Court for an audience."

Su Yun raised an eyebrow.

At this moment, Doctor Dong said, "There are three people in the world who can divide their brains into seven thousand pieces. It's not that they can't continue to divide, but if they continue, it will damage the basic structure of the brain. I am one of these three people, and my technique is the most stable. The second person is here in the Imperial Palace. His name is Fang Jianqiu, a good young man. His technique is the fastest. He should still be alive. He is ten years younger than Ji Hongtang."

Su Yun focused his attention and temporarily put aside the matter of the God Emperor. He smiled and said, "Doctor Dong, being ten years younger, he should be around a hundred and fifty years old, right?"

Doctor Dong earnestly said, "One hundred and fifty minus thirty is one hundred and twenty. With his talent, it shouldn't be difficult for him to live to one hundred and twenty and complete the Great Unification Technique."

Su Yun understood his meaning. The New Learning had been developing all along, and this senior Fang Jianqiu of the Imperial Palace was of the same generation as Doctor Dong. He was proficient in medical skills and good at prolonging life, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to live to one hundred and twenty.

As long as he could live past one hundred and twenty, the New Learning would usher in a great transformation. The three outstanding figures of Jiang, Yue, and Qiu from the Jiangyue Qiu Sword Academy would gather together, and the Great Unification Technique would take shape!

At that time, the Great Unification Technique would make rapid progress until Qiu Shuijing left and returned to Yuanshuo. Then, the development of the Great Unification Technique would slow down again.

However, with the accumulation of Jiang, Yue, and Qiu, the New Learning could continue for several more years.

Ji Hongtang died because he was already one hundred and thirty years old at that time and couldn't prolong his life any longer. But Fang Jianqiu, because he was ten years younger, should be able to survive the few years of stagnation after Qiu Shuijing left.

The colorful carriage arrived at the Medical God Temple in the Imperial Palace, where scholars were being selected. This selection would choose one person as the Senior Brother of the Medical God Temple to represent the temple in the journey to the Heavenly Court.

Su Yun blinked his eyes and followed Doctor Dong towards the depths of the Medical God Temple. However, his gaze was on the scholars who were competing. He saw that these scholars were skilled in knife techniques, acupuncture techniques, and poison arts. They had many methods, and some even fed gu worms.

Beside Doctor Dong, a teacher from the Medical God Temple said, "The Old Master is usually not available to visitors. Today, when he heard that the guest had arrived, he immediately sent me to welcome you."

Doctor Dong was overjoyed and said to Su Yun, "Fang Jianqiu is just as I expected. He is indeed still alive. His knife technique is the fastest, so fast that he can cut out the demonic nature in one's spirit! With his help, Master Jing's hidden illness will definitely be cured!"

After a while, everyone saw a trembling and thin old man. Fang Jianqiu, the divine knife, was shaking his two arms and tightly holding Doctor Dong's hand, almost out of breath.

Doctor Dong looked at his trembling hand and said, "Junior Brother Fang, can your knife still divide the brain into seven thousand pieces?"

"It can--"

Fang Jianqiu's hearing was a bit bad, but he barely understood Doctor Dong's words. He was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth. He had no teeth in his mouth and smiled, saying, "It can be divided into two parts!"Doctor Dong sighed, about to take his leave, when Fang Jianqiu said, "Are you looking for the Divine Blade? I'm not him anymore. When I was eighty, my blade was no longer swift. But I have a disciple named Jin Tianying, his blade is even swifter than mine."

A flicker of hope sparked in Doctor Dong's heart. "Could we ask Jin Tianying for help to treat someone?"

Fang Jianqiu replied with a shaky voice, "Tianying is out of town, it will take a few days for him to return to the Imperial Palace. You can wait for two days. We old friends haven't gathered for many years."

Doctor Dong didn't refuse, saying, "I have a disciple who has passed the examination to your Imperial Palace. He wants to visit the Palace."

Fang Jianqiu laughed, "Your disciple, does he still need to take the exam? Just mention your name and that's it."

Su Yun's heart stirred, and he quickly said, "I am also a disciple of Doctor Dong. Can I become a scholar of the Medical God Palace in the Imperial Palace?"

Fang Jianqiu, with his old and dim eyes, glanced at him and ordered his attendants, "My old friend's disciple doesn't need to take the exam, just register him directly."

The master of the Medical God Palace agreed and asked Su Yun, "And you are?"

"Zhang San," Su Yun replied.