Chapter 157 Guidance

"Little Friend Meng is even capable of guiding an old man like me! The lot of you are merely at the Initial Boundary and Quasi-Dao stage—what is there for you to be arrogant about?"

"Today, I make my stance clear here: Little Friend Meng is a rare and peerless divine being in this world! Whoever dares to show him the slightest disrespect shall be showing disrespect to me!"

"If there are any more doubters, do not blame my sword for failing to recognize friends!"

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of Jian Jingxian, and a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire grand hall. Everyone present wore expressions of awe, not daring to utter another word.

"We obey the Sect Master's decree!"

After bowing respectfully to Jian Jingxian in unison, the crowd felt as though they had narrowly escaped death, and they withdrew with bitter expressions.

Having done all this, Jian Jingxian looked at the departing crowd with utter disdain and a lingering sense of indignation in his heart.

*I gained enlightenment last night, and today Little Friend Meng announces he will open the altar to expound the Dao. Such karma—how could a group of ignorant fools like you fail to understand it?*

*Expounding the Dao to all living beings, Little Friend Meng is slowly laying out a grand design to make his name renowned throughout Yunzhou...*

*If we cultivate a good relationship with Little Friend Meng, even if our Green Forest Dao Palace does nothing, will we ever lack soup to drink in the future?*

*You bunch of mediocre talents, just wait and see!*

When he went up the mountain that day, although Meng Fan appeared to be only at the half-step Immortal realm, he had a strong intuition!

*Little Friend Meng is extraordinary!*

Although perhaps not comparable to that Qilin child of the Meng family in Central Province, he was definitely no ordinary person! He was bound for greatness in the future!

*How could you mediocre lots fathom what I foresee?*

*Humph...*

After a slight pause, Jian Jingxian let out another disdainful, soft hum, turned, took a single step, and his figure vanished abruptly!

Meng Fan still had three days before expounding the Dao, and he too needed to make some preparations.

What Jian Jingxian did not know was that Meng Fan, the very person upon whom he placed such high hopes, was currently sitting in a straight jade rocking chair—procured God knows where—on Asking Mountain within the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace.

He held a jade teacup emitting a glowing white light, his deep eyes swirling with profound insight as he gazed into the rolling clouds before him, constantly calculating in his heart...

*How can I disgrace myself with elegance three days from now during the lecture?*

"During the lecture, I must thoroughly suppress the invisible immortal aura around me."

"And my appearance—it must be as utterly mediocre as possible!"

Meng Fan lay quietly on the rocking chair, his gaze fixed tightly on the distant horizon as he continued to calculate in his heart.

This time, there must be no more accidents!

When ordinary people look at a supreme being, they perceive them as godlike—first because of their temperament, and second because of the deeds they perform!

Since coming to this place, the only things known about him were his comprehension of the Dao and his profound mastery of Daoist techniques.

During this upcoming lecture, if he completely ruins these two aspects, he will undoubtedly lose the hearts of the people!

As for the content of the lecture, it must be as common and mundane as possible!

He must avoid any deliberate pretense of profundity that might lead others to mistake it for deep meaning...

And Zhuang Wen and Qingli—those three must act as ordinary as possible!

Let the world understand that this Dao Child is a person devoid of talent, and his attendants are merely mediocre fools!

Calculated this way, once this lecture concludes, it will be the beginning of Meng Fan living an ordinary life!

Thinking of this, a resolute look gradually appeared in Meng Fan's eyes...

Meanwhile, far away from this place, there stood a city of colossal proportions.

Rather than calling it a city, it was more like an exceptionally oversized small town!

The ancient streets and narrow alleys within the town crisscrossed, countless shops of all kinds lined the area, and crowds bustled in a scene of extraordinary liveliness.

If an uninformed outsider were to arrive here, they would certainly mistake it for a prosperous mortal town. However, no one in Yunzhou did not know that this was the most prosperous gathering place for cultivators in the Eastern Domain!

Ancient Immortal Town!

Its history could no longer be traced, yet through the long river of time, this place had remained enduringly vibrant. Magical treasures, divine pills, cultivation manuals, the meat of rare fierce beasts, and more—in Ancient Immortal Town, as long as you had spirit stones, there was nothing you could not buy!

Among them, the most famous was the Immortal Ancient Pavilion Auction House!

No one knew who the proprietor of the Immortal Ancient Pavilion was; people only knew that the pavilion had existed ever since Ancient Immortal Town was established.

The items auctioned there were exclusively rare treasures of heaven and earth and peerless artifacts!

At this moment, people were entering in a continuous stream into a massive multi-story pavilion embedded with the plaque of the Immortal Ancient Pavilion.

At the front of the crowd, three outstanding-looking cultivators—two women and a man—had already stepped into the pavilion and were walking toward the auction venue.

These three were precisely Zhuang Wen and his companions.

"I originally thought the Immortal Ancient Pavilion auction would be several months away. Never did I expect to happen to catch it just in time—truly an unexpected pleasant surprise."

Looking at the people behind them who were racking their brains trying to find a way in, Qingli, dressed in green brocade, smiled gently, her eyes dancing with amusement as she spoke.

"Of course, this time we owe it all to Senior Brother Zhuang, or we wouldn't have been able to get in so easily."

"Otherwise, we would surely be blocked outside just like those people over there."

Standing beside her, Xue Lan, dressed in snow-white attire, nodded in full agreement and chimed in.

"This is nothing to speak of, merely gaining a bit of a reputation from back when I was still the Dao Child."

"If the Young Master had come in person, I imagine the people of the Immortal Ancient Pavilion would surely have arranged the finest private room for him."

Zhuang Wen gave a noncommittal, light chuckle, undisguised reverence shining in his eyes as his voice slowly echoed.

"That's right, Senior Brother Zhuang."

"Do you think the Young Master arranged for us to come here just as the Dao lecture is approaching—could there be some deeper meaning behind it?"

At that moment, Qingli spoke with a contemplative look, her tone thoughtful.

An event as important as expounding the Dao, yet the Young Master instructed the three of them to purchase their own personal supplies. Qingli simply could not believe there was no hidden meaning in this.

"Hiss..."

"The way you put it reminds me."

Hearing this, Zhuang Wen suddenly drew in a sharp breath. A glimmer of contemplation flashed in his eyes as he pondered inwardly, then analyzed out loud:

"The Dao that the Young Master is going to expound this time is mostly aimed at low-level cultivators. Naturally, given the level at which the Young Master resides, he would disdain to display his holiness before low-level cultivators."

"His attire should likewise be as ordinary as possible."

"However, since it is an expounding of the Dao, the Young Master can remain ordinary, but we must not fail to uphold his prestige."

"I heard that in this Immortal Ancient Pavilion auction, there are two rare treasures!"

"The first is a garment made from cold silkworm silk, harvested from the mouths of heavenly silkworms that have grown for ten thousand years in the extreme cold region of the Immortal Realm. It can resist the damage of heavenly fire and cold currents, and even suppress deadly poisons to a certain extent!"

"It is said that the garment looks like ordinary brocade clothing, but under the infusion of spiritual energy, it can emit layers of Daoist chants, enhance immortal intent, and even exude a cooling sensation, keeping the wearer in a clear-headed state at all times!"

"Come to think of it, the two of you are merely at the Spirit Refining realm. If you wear this item, it will surely enhance your cultivation speed, though I wonder what the style is like and whether it suits the two of you."

"The second item is a Heaven-Deriving Bead!"

"It is said that this item can help cultivators entering the Dao to better comprehend the origin of all things and deduce heavenly secrets. It can truly be called a rare treasure in this world!"

Zhuang Wen wore a contemplative expression as he spoke with utmost seriousness.

"The Young Master's own Daoist techniques are peerless, and he is even more capable of deducing endless heavenly secrets; naturally, he has no need for a Heaven-Deriving Bead. Moreover, during this auction, rare items like the Heaven-Deriving Bead will surely be contested by various Dao Palaces."

"On the other hand, the garments made of cold silkworm silk hold little competitive value. After all, the major Dao Palaces have too many methods to achieve similar effects, making it a tasteless chicken rib for them."

"Conversely, with the Dao lecture imminent, this garment will be of immense benefit to us!"

"The Young Master sent us here at this moment because he must have foreseen this situation, which is why he let us come to Ancient Immortal Town to acquire certain items!"

"Rather than an arrangement, it is more like the Young Master foreseeing it without explicitly stating it, testing us instead!"

As Zhuang Wen's words fell, an unprecedentedly bright light shone in his eyes!

*The Young Master truly foresees everything like a god!*

"If we couldn't even guess this little bit of profound meaning, how could we follow by the Young Master's side and serve him faithfully?"

Zhuang Wen's expression was reverent, his words resounding and logically sound.

Qingli and Xue Lan beside him also nodded in deep agreement.

*Senior Brother Zhuang is indeed worthy of being the first person to follow the Young Master!*

*To be able to decipher the Young Master's profound intentions so clearly is truly admirable!*

"In my view, the garments made of cold silkworm silk are definitely the Young Master's hint to us!"

"Buying the garments made of cold silkworm silk in the Immortal Ancient Pavilion will allow us to deliver a startling and unexpected shock at the Dao Lecture Assembly!"

"Thus elevating the Young Master's status in the hearts of the world!"

"Once the Dao lecture succeeds, the Young Master's reputation will soar once again throughout Yunzhou! And the three of us will surely rise to prominence alongside the Young Master!"

"The Young Master is looking out for us!"

Zhuang Wen spoke with reason and evidence, a dense sense of solemnity filling his eyes, while his tone carried boundless certainty!

"Now you understand why my position as Dao Child was snatched away, yet I felt no anger and instead willingly chose to follow by the Young Master's side, bound to him through life and death."

"How could the thoughts of the Young Master be something ordinary people can fathom?"

"You two simply lack vision and still need to work hard..."

Finally, Zhuang Wen let out a wise-sounding, elderly sigh, his eyes filled with boundless reverence for Meng Fan as he strode toward the auction hall.

Qingli and Xue Lan looked at Zhuang Wen with faces full of admiration and closely followed behind him.

*I must work hard to become someone like Senior Brother Zhuang...*

*The Young Master was considering us from the very beginning. Had Senior Brother Zhuang not enlightened us, we almost ruined the Young Master's grand plans...*

*Only by becoming someone like Senior Brother Zhuang can I truly be of some help to the Young Master...*

Clutching their reverence for Meng Fan and their admiration for Zhuang Wen, the two women followed closely behind him into the auction hall...

Not long after, the Immortal Ancient Pavilion auction began...

Things proceeded very smoothly. Just as Zhuang Wen had analyzed, various Dao Palaces and factions fought tooth and nail over the single Heaven-Deriving Bead.

Those two garments made of cold silkworm silk, under such circumstances, were acquired by the three of them for a mere fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones.

Unexpectedly, the two pieces of cold silkworm silk fit Qingli and Xue Lan as if they had been tailor-made for them.

It couldn't help but elevate everyone's admiration for Meng Fan to yet another level!

"Just as Zhuang Mou anticipated, the Young Master had already foreseen everything here, and arranging for us to come out this time was a test for us!"

Zhuang Wen stared intently at the brocade garments made of cold silkworm silk in the hands of the two women, an unprecedented reverence shining in his eyes, and his voice even trembled slightly.

*To serve such a master, what more could one ask for in this life!*

"Senior Brother Zhuang's insight is brilliant. The Young Master is peerless in this world, and we are in awe!"

The two women no longer harbored a shred of doubt; their faces radiated devotion and near-fanaticism as they gazed far off in the direction of the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace, their trembling voices slowly echoing.

*The Young Master possesses supreme talent and will surely make his name renowned across Yunzhou!*

*No, renowned across the entire Immortal Realm!*

"There are still too many spirit stones left in the storage bag. The Young Master must also want us to acquire some medicinal pills and magical treasures to bestow upon those disciples and win over their hearts."

Pausing slightly, Zhuang Wen's eyes turned contemplative. After pondering for a moment, he turned to the two women and said.

"Senior Brother Zhuang's insight is brilliant!"

Upon hearing these words, the two women immediately wore solemn expressions! *The Young Master is truly benevolent of heart!*

*He is a role model for our generation!*

Clutching their infinite reverence for Meng Fan, the three of them wasted no time. After spending around several hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones to purchase a large quantity of magical treasures, talismans, and medicinal pills, they flew straight back toward the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace.

Judging by their pace, by the time they returned, the Dao Lecture Assembly would surely be about to begin...

Meanwhile, at the summit of Asking Mountain in the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace.

Meng Fan, who had been leisurely sipping tea with everything fully prepared, suddenly gave a start. An extreme chill rose up his spine, and an unprecedented sense of ominous foreboding welled up in his heart!

That feeling was extraordinarily similar to the sensation he had back at the Meng family when the shouts of visitors outside echoed across the heavens, and he was too terrified to even step out the door...

"With my quasi-supreme cultivation, I wouldn't experience anomalies for no reason. Something must have gone wrong somewhere..."

Meng Fan wore a solemn expression, not daring to be careless. As he muttered to himself, he suddenly thought of the usually gentle Zhuang Wen!

"This kid doesn't look like an utterly heinous villain; he shouldn't want to harm me, right..."

Suspicion flashed in Meng Fan's eyes, and his heart was filled with uneasy doubt.

"No, just in case, when they return, I must question them clearly..."

After a long silence, a deep and profound look gradually emerged in Meng Fan's eyes. As he pondered inwardly, he retrieved another cyan-blue jade slip and transmitted a sound to Yun Cang:

"Change the venue of the Dao lecture to outside the mountain gate of the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace."

Asking Mountain was, after all, the most majestic peak of the Immortal Cloud Dao Palace, and its prestige was simply too high...

Changing it to outside the mountain gate would not only lack prestige, but it would also easily earn him a reputation for looking down on low-level cultivators!

*I refuse to believe that I, Meng Fan, dignified quasi-supreme, cannot ruin this tiny bit of reputation!*

*Whoever dares to block me, I will fight them to the death!*

A look of determination appeared in Meng Fan's eyes as he thought viciously in his heart!

......

Time flew by, and night fell in the blink of an eye.

As the sky grew dim, the moon had already climbed into the heavens. The pale moonlight gradually enveloped the entire Supreme Immortal Realm and likewise cast its light onto Asking Mountain and the face of Meng, the second-generation immortal.

Under the moonlight, Meng Fan's shadow was drawn out very long, faintly exuding a desolate aura.

Yes, that sense of unease had not yet dissipated.

Even after making multiple preparations, Meng Fan still felt an empty, bottomless void in his heart...

"Calculating the time, it's almost here."

Gazing at the moon hanging high in the sky, Meng Fan's eyes deepened as he muttered to himself.

Two and a half days had already passed, and by now, Zhuang Wen and the other two should be returning soon...

"Young Master."

About a moment later, three long rainbows appeared in the distant horizon, approaching in merely a few breaths before landing slowly on the summit of Asking Mountain.

Three respectful voices sounded simultaneously, and their figures subsequently materialized.