Chapter 723: Chapter 688: Enlightened by Observing Flowers
“Just by resembling the divine, one can be favored by Heaven and Earth, and have the magic of creation…”
Li Fan suddenly recalls an anecdote from the forr Da Xuan Dynasty.
The last Emperor Zheng Xu of the previous dynasty was originally a rare restorer of the nation. Since he ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, he put an end to the reign of powerful ministers, pacified the robbers, promoted water projects, exempted taxes— he swept away the image of a failing dynasty, much like the saints of old. In just over twenty years, the world had beco peaceful and prosperous. The people had no worries about food and clothing, and they praised the virtues of their wise ruler; all the officials bowed in submission, and they wrote books about his virtues.
If he had continued like this, there might not have been any events like the founding emperor of Da Xuan who changed the world.
But everything took a drastic turn when Emperor Zheng Xu was thirty-seven. The reason was that Empress Duanmu, who Emperor Zheng Xu loved dearly, died of an illness.
Upon hearing the shocking news, Zheng Xu almost fainted on the spot. Then he was so overwheld by grief that he neglected his duties for several months. If only that was all, with the many grand officials in the court, even if the emperor disappeared, the Great Zheng Dynasty would not be in much trouble. But perhaps it was because the fortune of the Zheng Dynasty was declining, that Emperor Zheng Xu t a woman who looked very similar to Empress Duanmu when he revisited the place where they first t.
She not only looked like the Empress with eighty to ninety percent similarity, but also her deanor and tone were just like the Empress in his dreams.
And she was much younger.
Emperor Zheng Xu was shaken. Thinking it was fate, he imdiately took her back to the palace, made her a high-ranking imperial consort, and spent days and nights with her.
In order to please her, Emperor Zheng Xu did many absurd things. He built palaces and gardens in the palace, and even dug a small river outside the imperial city for fun; he ordered his n to collect rare items from the people for the consort to play with…
The whole court was in turmoil, and the people were full of resentnt. Any official who dared to advise him was either dismissed or beheaded.
Despite all this, thanks to the accumulation of Emperor Zheng Xu’s earlier years, the Great Zheng Dynasty did not die suddenly.
However, when the high-ranking consort gave birth to a son, Emperor Zheng Xu, for so unknown reason, wanted to depose the crown prince despite the unanimous opposition. Seeing that Emperor Zheng Xu was determined, the crown prince naturally wouldn’t wait for his death. He gathered people and rebelled, intending to “execute the demon consort, and clean up the emperor’s side”. This matter also received the support of many large families in the capital, including the Duanmu family.
After several days of fighting, although the rebellion ended in failure in the end. The crown prince also committed suicide after losing the war. But the Great Zheng Dynasty was greatly injured.
Emperor Zheng Xu never saw the officials again, he was indulging in pleasure.
The situation was declining day by day. Eventually, in the fifty-sixth year of Emperor Zheng Xu, the Forbidden City was broken by the rebel army. Emperor Zheng Xu and the high-ranking consort died together in the self-burning.
Latter scholars studying this period of history all found it very puzzling that Emperor Zheng Xu was infatuated with won and lost his country.
The reason can only be attributed to the fact that Emperor Zheng Xu’s love for Empress Duanmu had reached an unthinkable level. So after Duanmu died, Emperor Zheng Xu lost his sanity and even beca sowhat mad when he t a woman who looked like her again. Hence, he ruined the flourishing country in one day.
There is nothing new under the sun. Similarly, if we were to say that Xu Bai’s incarnation was favored by Heaven and Earth simply because he resembled Mr. Bai…
Either Mr. Bai was the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, or he was of key importance to the Xuanhuang World.
So much so that Heaven and Earth were looking forward to the appearance of the next “Mr. Bai” every mont— even a re resemblance could have a special addition to the affinity of the Heaven-Earth Principle.
“Mr. Bai…” many things related to him that Xu Bai had seen in the Fallen Immortal Realm flashed past his Spirit Consciousness, leaving him silent.
After a long while, when his thoughts finally settled, he took out the seventeen-petal Celestial Spirit Flower that had been sealed with a special secret technique.
With his eyes slightly squinted, he looked at the many scenes on the petals, and a completely different feeling erged. It was as if he was looking down at the entire Sky-spirit State from a Heavenly-Earthly View— as if he could vaguely see the mountains, rivers, various living beings, the changing of the winds and clouds, the rise and fall of prosperity, and so on.
Looking at the Celestial Spirit Flower, it was as if he had seen everything that had happened in Sky-spirit State.
A mont of clarity quietly passed through Xu Bai’s heart. But it was like snow falling into the water, leaving no trace in an instant, leaving him feeling at a loss.
“This feeling is just like when I used the Ocean Pearl to observe the changes in the vast ocean with the grand perspective of Heaven and Earth, and finally realized the [Invisible Malice].”
“The divine powers of cultivators mostly co from Heaven and Earth itself. Hence, observing with the perspective of Heaven and Earth naturally makes comprehension easier.”
“But after all, it’s just a flower that records the scenery of Heaven and Earth, it’s not really integrated into Heaven and Earth. So it’s not easy to gain sothing from it, requiring a very strong understanding. Just like before, I made it with my own hands and observed it carefully many tis, but I still thought it was just a simple ornantal piece.”
“But this is not a problem with the flower, but with people.”
“Hmph.”
Making a slight adjustnt to the plan in his Spirit Consciousness, Xu Bai continued to imrse himself in the contemplation of the flower, waiting for Liu San to return.
…
Tianyu Province.
After wasting a lot of ti, Li Fan and Dong Fangyao, who had finally arrived in Tianyu City, didn’t go to the Universal Courtyard where Li Fan received his array training in his past life.
Instead, they went to a private room in the Debating Tower in the city.
“Just wait, I’ve already notified Brother Huangfu, he’ll be here soon.” Dong Fangyao sat down casually on the floor, tapping the floor with his fingers, and soon a cup of spirit tea appeared.
“You’re really stingy.” Dong Fangyao took a sip of his mouth, gulped down the spirit tea, and muttered under his breath.
Li Fan can be said to be a frequent visitor of the Debating Tower. He knew that this was Dong Fangyao being tight-fisted and only able to drink the free spirit tea.
Smiling slightly, he connected his divine consciousness to the control jade plaque of the room.
Not long after, a dark green teapot appeared.
“Brother Dong Fang, please!” Li Fan indicated with a smile.
“My brother is really generous!” Dong Fangyao was imdiately overjoyed, happily poured himself a cup, and drank it in one gulp.
“This is really the top-grade [Thousand Dao Cultivation], Brother Li is so generous! The last ti I drank such high-grade Spirit Tea was when I ca back from , and I couldn’t help but celebrate!” Dong Fangyao praised with no end.
Rolling his eyes and closing them slightly, it seed as if he was comprehending sothing.
“Damn you Dong Fangyao, you have such good stuff like [Thousand Dao Cultivation], and you actually enjoyed it alone without !” Just then, a voice familiar to Li Fan rang out.
A plump cultivator, who looked extrely amiable, appeared in the room.
Fake anger on his face, but with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
His gaze swept over Li Fan without leaving any traces, and Huang Fusong looked unnoticeably at Dong Fangyao.
“Brother Huangfu, you’re just in ti!” Dong Fangyao suddenly opened his eyes, poured a cup of spirit tea, and threw it over.
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