Time goes by day by day.
The two-month deadline is getting closer.
Qingwu went from being calm at the beginning, to being anxious later, and now to almost giving up.
It's not that he wants to give up, he has really tried his best.
During this period, he not only left the door of the stone chamber open, but also planted evil-level demon seeds in the bodies of the Fang family members who took turns to enter the Chunqiu Hall for training. He also frequently went in and out of the Chunqiu Hall, using chance encounters, active requests for meetings, and other methods to spread nearly a hundred evil-level demon seeds.
However, this had no effect on the extinct Fang family.
With the head of the Fang family and the elders' council here, what he needed was no longer to spread the demon seeds, but a large gathering of the Fang family.
Only when the Fang family gathers together will it be the most appropriate time to attract the demon species.
No, it's not even just about inducing it, it's also possible to spread it over a large area once more.
Unfortunately, I never found the opportunity.
It’s not that the Fang family doesn’t have gatherings, but they are usually held privately by each family.
What really brought the Fang family together was 'Caihe'.
However, as a Taoist master's guard, he would not be allowed to participate in such matters.
"Wait a little longer..."
Qing Wu sat on the stone couch, quietly looking at the open stone door, "Li Xiangxue should have returned to Taiping Township."
"Unfortunately, even if the Taoist master knew about the situation of the Spring and Autumn Tomb, it would be too late for him to make any arrangements."
"The Fang family will only have half a month at most before their patience runs out."
"Then the elders will definitely hold me accountable..."
"Well, since we can't exterminate the Fang family, then we can exterminate the top leaders of the Fang family."
"But in this way, I really feel ashamed of the Taoist master."
…
…
Taiping Township.
Ji Qingzhi sat on the throne in Taiping Palace as usual.
But at this moment, he was a little confused.
Because Li Xiangxue has not returned yet.
"Did he get into trouble along the way, or was there some other reason?"
Ji Qingzhi stroked the armrest of the throne, thinking secretly.
At this time, an old voice came from outside the hall.
"Master, there is a person who claims to be the direct descendant of the Zheng family who wants to see you. It seems that he is in disguise."
Zheng family's direct lineage?
Ji Qingzhi was a little surprised.
In the past, the direct bloodlines of these three ancient clans were more hidden than each other, but how come they have become active recently?
First it was the Fang family, now it’s the Zheng family, and will the Lin family also come in a while?
Could it be that the caves of the three ancient clans have all shown signs of decline?
"First see what he says on the surface, and then..."
Ji Qingzhi's eyes gleamed, and he said, "Please come in."
Soon after he finished speaking, a middle-aged man with an imposing manner and a burly figure walked in.
"Zheng Xinglong, meet the Taoist master."
The middle-aged man bowed slightly.
"This should be the first time that this Taoist master has come into contact with the Zheng family's direct lineage."
Ji Qingzhi said with a smile, "I wonder why you are here?"
"Since the Taoist master is so direct, I will not beat around the bush."
Zheng Xinglong's face became serious. "May I ask, Master Ji, is the Absolute Heart Lotus in the Hundred Herb Garden about to mature?"
"Absolute Heart Lotus?"
Ji Qingzhi's tone was a little surprised.
There is indeed a Juexin Lotus in the Baicao Garden, and it will probably take about half a year for it to mature.
But why is the Zheng family so confident?
"hehe."
Zheng Xinglong smiled calmly, "Master Ji, let's be frank and don't beat around the bush."
"Over the past thousands of years, the Zheng family has also had countless times in charge of the Taiping Dao and the Baicao Garden."
"Although the Baicao Garden has experienced collapse and restoration, the rules within it will definitely promote the birth of a Juexin Lotus. This cannot be changed."
"And according to the time it took Baicao Garden to be restored, the Absolute Heart Lotus will mature in the near future."
Zheng Xinglong paused, and said meaningfully: "A few months ago, the head of the Fang family personally visited Taiping Township. If it wasn't for the Absolute Heart Lotus, I can't think of any other reason."
"I see."
Ji Qingzhi understood.
The Zheng family mistakenly associated Fang Shuyue's visit with the Juexinlian.
Can't say it's wrong...
When Fang Shuyue made such a high-profile appearance at the beginning, it might not have been intentional to lead the other two families to think in this direction.
"The Heart-breaking Lotus has flowers but no pistils. Taking it can cut off the seeds of Taoism."
Zheng Xinglong continued, "At first glance, this is a poison that can target Dao Realm powerhouses, but in fact..."
"For those whose potential has been exhausted and cannot be improved any further, sealing the Dao Seed means isolating the Dao Seed from absorbing the energy, thus greatly increasing the success rate of the second Dao Seed."
"Originally, the three major families are closely related, so it's nothing for the Fang family to get this Absolute Heart Lotus."
“But the problem is that the previous Taoist master was Lin Kuang, and the Taoist master before him was from a branch of the Fang family.”
Zheng Xinglong's tone dropped, "That is to say, there have been two consecutive mature Absolute Heart Lotuses that have not been obtained by the Zheng family."
“No wonder.”
Ji Qingzhi nodded thoughtfully.
"So, Master Ji, why don't you make an offer?"
Zheng Xinglong's expression straightened up, "In terms of financial resources, the Zheng family is definitely not inferior to the Fang family."
Asking price?
Ji Qingzhi's heart moved, and he said, "Since the Zheng family knows that Patriarch Fang has been to Taiping Township, they should also know that he took someone away from me, right?"
"Know."
Zheng Xinglong nodded. "If nothing unexpected happens, the price the Fang family has to pay should be a hundred times the years of Chunqiu Hall, right?"
"That's right."
Ji Qingzhi nodded slightly and said, "I wonder if the Zheng family cave is open to outsiders?"
"According to the management of the Zheng family, except for the exchange of quotas with the other two families, outsiders are indeed not allowed to enter or leave. However, this time it is not impossible to make an exception."
Zheng Xinglong said, "But the problem is that Master Ji may not be able to use the Zheng family's cave rules."
"oh?"
Ji Qingzhi was surprised, "Can you explain in detail?"
"Since I'm here, of course I can."
Zheng Xinglong nodded and explained, "The name of the Zheng family's cave is Pure Heaven. The rules can eliminate all mental problems, even the inner demons of the body cleansing realm."
"Although I don't want to, I have to admit that the value of Qingjingtian is far inferior to that of Chunqiu Tomb... After all, the rules of Chunqiu Tomb are applicable to any realm."
“As for the rules of the Pure Heaven, for those who have already cultivated the Tao, other than calming their minds, they have no other effect.”
No other effects?
To be honest, Ji Qingzhi doesn't think so.
He had already begun to take Qingjingtian seriously from Zheng Xinglong's few words.
This pure heaven can actually point directly to the origin of the soul?
You must know that no matter it is a problem of state of mind or the existence of inner demons, the fundamental source is the soul!
In other words, if the Pure Heaven can eliminate the inner demons, it may also be able to eliminate the demon seeds.
After all, the demon seeds also act on the soul.
Although supernatural powers can be activated without regard to rules, they are just activated.
Subsequent maintenance will also be affected by the rules.
The special nature of Qingjingtian is likely to eliminate the demons.
Thinking of this, Ji Qingzhi gave up his plan to enslave Zheng Xinglong.
"On the surface, it is indeed not as valuable as the Spring and Autumn Tomb, but it also depends on how it is used."
Ji Qingzhi said, "If there are ten places, I am willing to hand over the Absolute Heart Lotus to the Zheng family."
"Ten places..."
Zheng Xinglong hesitated for a moment and said, "If we just want to balance our minds, ten people won't be a problem."
“But if you want to eliminate the inner demons in the Body Cleansing Realm, it is not that simple.”
"After all, the existence of the inner demon can also be regarded as one of the rules of heaven and earth."
"Qing Jing Tian uses rules to fight rules. Without solving the source of the inner demon, it is impossible to eliminate the inner demon by force in one go."
"In other words, it will take a long time to resolve the inner demons."
"If it is just a single inner demon of one level without any accumulation, you only need to stay in the place with the most concentrated rules for ten days."
"As each level of inner demons accumulates, this time increases tenfold."
"Also, the place where the rules are most concentrated can only accommodate three people at the same time."
After introducing Qing Jingtian, Zheng Xinglong asked, "I wonder what the situation is with the ten people the Lord mentioned?"
The starting time is ten days, and each time a level accumulates, it will take ten times the time to eliminate?
Ji Qingzhi thought of Li Xiangxue who had not returned yet, and couldn't help shaking his head, "I have to say, this value is lower than I thought..."
Zheng Xinglong felt depressed and couldn't help but said, "In fact, the Fang family's hundred times of age only looks powerful. It also has considerable limitations."
"oh?"
Ji Qingzhi became interested, "What do you mean?"
"The biggest limitation is the rule of a hundred times the age itself."
Zheng Xinglong explained, "The Taoist master also has a cave heaven, so he should know the limitations of cultivation in the cave heaven."
"It is only suitable for the Jade Pool Planting Path."
Ji Qingzhi nodded.
"That's right. When practicing in the cave, the Purple Mansion Cultivation Dao and the Yellow Court Cultivation Dao cannot borrow the power of heaven and earth. Only the Jade Pool Cultivation Dao is the most suitable for tempering oneself."
Zheng Xinglong continued, "But the problem is that the hundred times of age in the Spring and Autumn Tomb is a real hundred times of age."
"My life span has been effectively consumed, but it is only suitable for cultivating the Dao in the Jade Pool."
"Unless everyone is Dou Tianyuan and can master his side skills, the value of the Spring and Autumn Tomb to the cultivation path will not be that great."
"Not to mention..."
At this point, Zheng Xinglong couldn't help but twitch his lips, "The environment of the Spring and Autumn Tomb is more likely to induce mental problems than ordinary situations."
"Environment? Is there anything wrong with the environment?"
Ji Qingzhi was a little curious.
"Uh... Fang Shuyue didn't tell you?"
Zheng Xinglong was stunned for a moment, then said, "Well, this isn't really a secret. You'll know it when your subordinate comes back."
"The Spring and Autumn Tomb is actually a mountain of graves."
"Whether it's the rules of the universe or the Fang family's residence, they are all within the tombs that cover the mountains..."
Zheng Xinglong gave a brief introduction to the entire layout of the Spring and Autumn Tomb and the living habits of the Fang family.
As he spoke, Ji Qingzhi's brows, hidden under the misty white light, were deeply furrowed.
He had only come into contact with two direct descendants of the Fang family.
One is Fang Manya and the other is Fang Shuyue.
Fang Manya asked for a meeting secretly, offering a place in Chunqiu Hall in exchange for the harvest from Baicao Garden.
At the time, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the deal, and he just needed a method to reduce Li Xiangxue's breakthrough time.
So he did not plant the demon seed in Fang Manxia.
Then it was Fang Shuyue’s turn.
Although Fang Shuyue was turned into a demon slave by him, the narrative also talked a lot about the situation of Chunqiu Tomb.
But the Spring and Autumn Tombs are all tombs, and the Fang family members all live in the tombs. The fact that they don't see each other on a daily basis, Fang Shuyue didn't mention it at all.
It was not until now that Ji Qingzhi realized that the meeting hall, training hall, etc. mentioned by Fang Shuyue were all inside the tomb.
"In this case, Qingwu's mission may be difficult to complete..."
Ji Qingzhi seemed to be thinking about something.
In Zheng Xinglong's eyes, this expression was interpreted as hesitation.
So Zheng Xinglong continued: "My Zheng family has calculated the number of people exchanged from the Fang family."
"During the growth process of the Fang family's children, those with unbalanced mental states account for about 60 to 70 percent of the total number."
"This does not include those who stayed in the Spring and Autumn Tomb and used other means to solve their mental problems."
"As for the Lin family, which also lives in a cave and causes constant friction among its clansmen, this number is only about 30% to 40%.
"It's conceivable that an environment like the Spring and Autumn Tomb is definitely more likely to induce mental problems."
Zheng Xinglong raised his lips slightly and said, "Perhaps, the subordinate that Master Ji sent to the Spring and Autumn Tomb has already had problems."
Celebrating the fifth day?
Ji Qingzhi did not comment, and said: "To be honest, I was not in a hurry to agree to the Fang family's request. That subordinate was just verifying the value of the Spring and Autumn Tomb on my behalf."
"Is that so..."
Zheng Xinglong's expression changed. "If Master Ji is not interested in Qing Jing Tian, ​​my Zheng family is willing to exchange a huge amount of wealth for Juexin Lotus... It will definitely not be lower than the price paid by the Fang family."
"There's no rush. There's still half a year left."
Ji Qingzhi waved his hand and said, "Your Excellency, why not take one of my men with you when you go back this time? Let him experience the Pure Heaven for himself, how about that?"
"Of course."
Zheng Xinglong agreed without even thinking about it.
Little did they know that this was just Ji Qingzhi's way of testing Qing Jingtian's ability.
Inner demon?
The devil minister will not have any inner demons.
Li Xiangxue needs the existence of an inner demon.
And if the Pure Heaven cannot wipe out the demons...
"The reason why Taizu left behind the three great families must be for the current situation..."
Ji Qingzhi sighed in his heart.
that's all.
After getting Ji Qingzhi's approval, Zheng Xinglong left Taiping Township in high spirits.
As soon as he left, Ji Qingzhi ordered his guards to find the contact person of the Fang family.
"Fang Qing meets the Taoist master."
The woman bowed and saluted, "I don't know why the master has summoned you, but is there any news that I need to deliver back to the tribe?"
"Tell Fang Shuyue that if you want me to take action, I can, but there is a condition."
Ji Qingzhi's tone was inexplicable, and he said slowly: "The Fang family exchanged the Spring and Autumn Tomb for my Baicao Garden... Other than that, I don't want anything else, he can take it all."
"What?!"
Fang Qing looked up suddenly, her face full of shock.
Being arranged to serve as the link between Taiping Township and the Fang family, Fang Qing's loyalty must have been tested many times.
But even so, she was still not told the details.
Is there anything that requires the Fang family to keep someone by the Taoist master's side, waiting to be contacted?
How is this different from lowering your posture?
Fang Qing didn't understand and could only guess that there was something going on in the direct lineage that required the help of Taoist Master Ji Qingzhi.
Now, this speculation has been confirmed.
But the problem is...
Isn't this too ridiculous?!
Exchange the Spring and Autumn Tomb for the Baicao Garden?
What is the level and ability of Chunqiu Tomb? What is the level and ability of your Baicao Garden?
And nothing else...
How dare you say that with such audacity?
Fang Qing looked at Ji Qingzhi with an extremely strange look and did not move for a long time.
"Just go and pass on the message. Fang Shuyue will naturally understand what I mean."
Ji Qingzhi didn't take the ant's offense to heart at all. He waved his hand and threw out a sea chart, "If he agrees, we'll meet at the place marked on the map in half a month."
"All right……"
Fang Qing took the nautical chart and nodded helplessly.
Now that things had come to this, she had no choice but to do as she was told.
Because the order the patriarch gave her was just to convey it, nothing else.
Soon, Fang Qing came to a secluded place and used a Taoist weapon to contact the building ship.
Fang Ren on the ship received the news and was also shocked, puzzled, and disdainful.
But his task is only to convey.
Thus, Ji Qingzhi's original words were transmitted back to the Spring and Autumn Tomb without missing a word.
The Fang family 's patriarch and a group of elders gathered again.
"Trade the Hundred Herb Garden for the Spring and Autumn Tomb?!"
“Is this true???”
Except for Fang Shuyue, everyone was stunned after hearing the news.
After planning for so long, with all the testing, all the communication, all the scheming, what was it all for?
Isn’t it just for the Baicao Garden?
But now, Ji Qingzhi actually bypassed all of this and took the initiative to propose to exchange the Baicao Garden for the Spring and Autumn Tomb?
"Is there a trap here?"
Fang Manxia's eyes flickered.
Hearing this, the other elders looked at Fang Shuyue.
"It's unlikely to be a trap."
Fang Shuyue shook his head. "First of all, with the strength of Taiping Township, it is impossible to design a trap for the entire Fang family."
"The second thing is to exchange caves. The main thing we exchanged was the hub. This was done between me and him alone."
"Beforehand, we must make comprehensive arrangements to prevent the other party from being more greedy."
"If there is a trap, it is a trap that can only appear between the two of us."
"Unless he can find Dou Tianyuan as an assistant, I can't think of any situation that would allow him to kill me the moment I force him out of the hub."
Fang Shuyue looked around and said in a deep voice: "Since he dared to make this request, he must understand this."
"But, this happened too suddenly..."
Fang Manxia frowned tightly, "The bait we threw out was the Yongtai Emperor's clone, which was a magical power. How come his attention suddenly turned to the Spring and Autumn Tomb? I can't understand it."
"Yeah, I think there are some problems too."
Fang Letian nodded repeatedly.
Not only these two, but the other elders of the Fang family also had similar opinions.
After all, the things you have been seeking so hard but cannot get are suddenly placed right in front of you in the simplest and easiest way, as easy as taking something out of your bag.
This sense of unreality is really hard to accept.
"No, it's not sudden."
Fang Shuyue narrowed his eyes, "Have you forgotten about Li Xiangxue?"
"Li Xiangxue..."
Fang Manxia was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Was it Li Xiangxue who made him change his mind?"
"That's obviously the case."
Fang Shuyue nodded. "He learned about the situation in the Spring and Autumn Tomb from Li Xiangxue, and then became greedy... It is very likely that he is not very old."
"After all, Li Xiangxue can clearly show the true situation of a hundred times the age."
"The simultaneous consumption of life span is something that cannot be avoided."
"If Ji Qingzhi is not too old, then we can use the Spring and Autumn Tomb to make further progress."
"even……"
Fang Shuyue paused and said meaningfully: "Second seeding path."
Second seeding?
Everyone looked at each other.
"I see!"
Fang Manxia suddenly realized, "The Absolute Heart Lotus is about to mature!"
"That's it."
Fang Shuyue nodded. "If Ji Qingzhi is not too old and his potential in Huangting is exhausted, then it is easy to understand why he covets the rules of Chunqiu Tomb."
"Indeed..."
People began to accept this statement.
He is not very old, but his Huangting potential is exhausted and he has the Juexinlian.
These factors combined mean that Ji Qingzhi can use the Spring and Autumn Tomb to plant another one in a short period of time in the outside world, and also improve it to the highest possible level.
"But why didn't he just ask for a place in the Spring and Autumn Hall, but proposed a cave heaven exchange?"
Fang Letian suddenly asked.
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
It seems... that there is some truth to it?
"Why don't you ask why he trusts the Fang family so much that he dares to go deep into the Spring and Autumn Tomb alone?"
Fang Shuyue glanced at Fang Letian.
Suddenly, Fang Letian's face froze and he was speechless.
"Of course, there may be other factors besides trust issues."
Fang Shuyue continued, "For example, what aroused his greed in the Spring and Autumn Tomb was not only the hundred times of time... but also the grand occasion of our Fang family."
"Brother, do you mean that Ji Qingzhi also wants to establish a family?"
Fang Manxia seemed to be thinking about something, and spoke along the lines of Fang Shuyue's suggestion.
“It’s possible.”
Fang Shuyue nodded, "Back then, in order to seduce Li Xiangxue, we had the younger generations of our clan put in a lot of effort."
"Except for the secrets, all the Fang family's background that could be revealed was shown to Li Xiangxue."
“Although this is only a part of the Fang family, it is also extremely tempting for a Taoist master who has no family power.”
"And if you want to quickly build a large family, is there any more powerful helper than the Spring and Autumn Tomb?"
Fang Shuyue chuckled, "If we calculate based on the time when the three major families were established, there is at least a hundred generations difference between me and the current head of the Zheng family."
Hearing this, everyone laughed.
The laws of the times have destined the Fang family to iterate at an extremely fast speed.
Even though their daily lives were not governed by rules, over the long years they had survived for hundreds of generations longer than the other two families.
Almost all the direct descendants of the Fang family, when they were young, had joked with the other two families when they interacted with them, and asked their peers from the other two families to call them ancestors.
This has become an anecdote among the three families.
"As for what Ji Qingzhi said, he was willing to give up other things... hehe, give up magical powers? I don't believe it."
Fang Shuyue's eyes gleamed, "He knows that Baicao Garden is not as valuable as Chunqiu Tomb, but he just talks about it to increase his bargaining chips."
"In this case, how should we deal with it?"
Fang Manxia asked.
"Three steps."
Fang Shuyue looked around and gestured: "The first step is to bargain with Ji Qingzhi. First, firmly reject the proposal and ask him to change the conditions."
"As long as he persists in not changing, it means that my above inference is basically correct."
"In this way, we can slowly sway him, and make him believe that we are really willing to bear the pain and exchange the cave heaven in order to obtain the magical power while increasing his efforts."
"The second step is to determine the method, time, and location of the cave exchange."
"The time and location, Ji Qingzhi has already given the sea chart, saying it will take half a month."
"We just have to make sure it's this time, make sure it's this location, make sure the exchange can be completed."
"This can be guaranteed by searching for the contracted Dao instrument within half a month... This is much easier than searching for the formless robe, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"The third step is, after the contract is signed, on the eve of the cave exchange, use the whole clan's discussion as an excuse to reasonably let 'Fang Jingyan' show up."
"then……"
Fang Jingyan narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist fiercely: "Attack in groups!"