The years I was in the human world

"Ye Jin took away the written records of the old case in Dongshan." The handsome young man placed a piece on the chessboard. "That guy started to re-investigate the old things again."

"It's not him I want to investigate, it's Lu Zhouxue." The white-bearded old man who was playing against him had a kind look on his face. He stroked his long white beard and slowly placed a piece on the chessboard. "Young people, they are full of energy. Let them go. We old bones can just watch."

"What if he really finds out?" The young man held the chess piece, looked at the chessboard in deep thought, and after a moment, he placed another piece. "Ye Jin doesn't dare to investigate further, but Lu Zhouxue may not. If he finds out..."

"He can't find it, Mu Rong." The white-bearded old man smiled and said indifferently, "Dongshan is a place. You and I can't say we can escape unscathed after going there. Let them do whatever they want."

"What if they died in Dongshan?" Mu Rong held the chess piece in his hand. The old man's tricky moves stumped him for a moment. "Ye Jin doesn't matter, but Lu Zhouxue is of Phoenix blood after all."

Mu Rong's words obviously stumped the old man. He hesitated for a moment and said, "...Is the Grand Elder about to come out of seclusion?"

"It's been these past two days." Mu Rong said, "Back then, Lin was really ruthless."

"Don't mention the past again. If the elders find out, we'll both be in big trouble." The old man warned, "We've kept this to ourselves. When the elders come out, mention Lu Zhouxue's investigation into the old case at Dongshan. The evidence in the old case is solid, and they can't turn the tables. With the elders here, that restless guy won't cause any trouble."

"Your Excellency, Lady Pojun is here." The serving female slave knelt on the ground, her forehead resting on the back of her hand, and she conveyed the message for her master with lowered brows and a submissive look.

"Since the young lady is here, let's stop here for today." Mu Rong put the chess piece in his hand, which he didn't know where to put, back into the chess basket, and stood up to say goodbye.

"Elder Mu." When Yaoguang came in, she happened to meet Mu Rong who was returning. After greeting him respectfully, she went straight to sit down opposite the white-bearded old man and called him "Father".

"But you've encountered problems in your practice again?" The white-bearded old man had only Yaoguang as his precious daughter, who was also very talented, so he naturally doted on her. When his daughter came, he stopped playing chess and happily brought a plate of cheese in front of Yaoguang, as if he was coaxing Yaoguang as if she were a little girl.

"Father, I'm sure you know what happened recently. The Grand Elder hasn't come out of retreat yet, but Yu Zhao has already achieved Nirvana. Not only did he fail to obtain the Phoenix Tempering, but Lu Zhouxue came to cause trouble." Yaoguang frowned and shook her head, saying in a serious tone, "What went wrong with the Phoenix Nirvana that a different person was directly replaced?"

"Have you checked his soul?" The white-bearded old man pressed his palm to signal Yaoguang not to worry.

"That's not the case." Yaoguang bit her lip, but after her father mentioned this, she seemed to react to something. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly said, "But the spiritual seal is still there, is it possible?"

"That's right." Seeing that she understood everything, the white-bearded old man nodded with satisfaction and continued, "The target of the spiritual seal is Yu Zhao, and there is only one Yu Zhao. As for who he says he is, it doesn't matter."

"So Lu Zhouxue is Yu Zhao. That bitch is really just pretending to be crazy and stupid." Yaoguang thought of Lu Zhouxue's arrogant and rude attitude, and the anger of being played with filled her heart. She pounded the table in front of her with her fist, and then knelt on one knee in front of the white-bearded old man and asked, "Father, I ask for the Phoenix Spirit Seal. I hope you will grant me your permission!"

The so-called Phoenix Spirit Seal is actually the mark on Lu Zhouxue's arm, but the seal is divided into two parts, one part is on the controlled demon, and the other part is in the hands of the owner.

"What are you going to do?" Although the white-bearded old man dotes on his daughter, he will not let Yaoguang mess up on major matters. Lu Zhouxue is of Phoenix bloodline, and her whole body is a treasure. Her blood can be used as medicine, her bones can be used to refine magic tools, and even her skin and flesh are top-grade nourishing things. Naturally, she cannot be easily ruined.

This was also what Lu Zhouxue hadn't figured out, the main reason why Zhong Ting spared Yu Zhao's life.

“My daughter knows that my father is troubled by the quenching fire in his Phoenix bloodline, so I venture to ask for the Phoenix Spirit Seal so that I can remove the Phoenix quenching fire and share my father’s worries.” Yaoguang’s words were not empty talk, she did have an unknown way to remove the quenching fire that came with the Phoenix bloodline, but this was not her real purpose.

"Do you really have a way?" The white-bearded old man looked at Yaoguang suspiciously. It was not that he did not trust his daughter. It was just that even old guys like them had to go through a lot of trouble and make careful plans if they wanted to temper the phoenix. What could a little girl like Yaoguang accomplish?

Yaoguang gritted her teeth and said in a loud voice, "I have it, father, just wait and see."

"Okay!" The white-bearded old man said with a hearty smile, "You are worthy of being my daughter. Regardless of whether you can succeed or not, I will give you this opportunity."

……

It was already dark when Lu Zhouxue left Ye Jin. Today was a clear night and the bright moon appeared from behind the dark clouds. Lu Zhouxue looked up at the sky and the bright moonlight fell on his face like a layer of frost. The moonlight was so soft that he unconsciously thought of his old friend again.

There is no bright moon on Mount Buzhou because Xiao Yueheng died. From then on, there is no bright moon. The moon at night is replaced by a killing halberd, and what is shed is no longer the soft moonlight, but the cold light of the killing halberd.

"Xiao Yueheng, I am also alone now." Lu Zhouxue looked at the bright moon in the sky and murmured. He looked a little sad. "No one recognizes Lu Zhouxue anymore."

"Puff." A light laugh came from nowhere, which was particularly abrupt in the silent night. Xiao Fengzhuo sat on the wall of someone's courtyard with his knees bent, looking at Lu Zhouxue jokingly, and said nonchalantly with his eyes curved, "I was wondering why Mianmian didn't go home so late at night. It turns out that she was feeling sad under the moon."

As he spoke, Xiao Fengzhuo imitated Lu Zhouxue and looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, looking particularly melancholy. But after a moment, he couldn't help laughing: "Today doesn't look like Mid-Autumn Festival to me. Could it be that Miss Lu is homesick?"

Lu Zhouxue: “…” He is so annoying.

"Okay, don't look so sad, like a widow." Xiao Fengzhuo jumped down from the wall and walked in front of Lu Zhouxue. He took out a candied haws stick like a magic trick. "I bought it for Little Peacock, but since our beauty is unhappy, I'll give it to you."

"You are the widow, I don't want you." Lu Zhouxue was originally quite lonely, but after his joke, she suddenly lost all her emotions and was left speechless.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong." Xiao Fengzhuo was used to being smooth talker, and he was very familiar with admitting his mistakes. He directly stuffed the candied haws into Lu Zhouxue's hand and coaxed her, "Even if you are a widow, you are still a pretty widow, Mianmian, beautiful lady, Lu Zhouxue! Give me some face and accept my candied haws."

Lu Zhouxue was not angry in the first place, and now that Xiao Fengzhuo spoke softly, he naturally went down the stairs, reached out to take the candied haws, and walked back side by side with Xiao Fengzhuo, saying, "Why are you here?"

"What else could it be? Seeing that you didn't go back, I came out to pick you up." Xiao Fengzhuo said nonchalantly, "After all, it's a dark and windy night, a night for murder. Mianmian is so pretty, what if she gets kidnapped?"

"You're talking nonsense again." Lu Zhouxue gradually became immune to his words. He stuffed the candied haws in his hand into the spiritual sea through his sleeve and continued, "Did you go to the human world today?" After all, there were no candied haws in Zhongting.

"Yes, I went to do some errands assigned by the Demon King." Xiao Fengzhuo admitted frankly, without hiding anything, "On the way back, I saw someone selling candy figures, and I originally bought one, but unfortunately it broke when I passed the sect gate."

"Didn't the demon king ask you to take me back? Why do you have other tasks?" Lu Zhouxue was used to being rich and idle, and didn't understand the hardships of Xiao Fengzhuo and other low-level working demons. After hearing what he said, the latter looked at him with resentment and cried, "It's because Mianmian didn't come back with me. If I didn't complete this task, I can't fail to do other tasks, right?"

Lu Zhouxue: “…” Why do I feel so guilty for no apparent reason?

Seeing him silent, Xiao Fengzhuo restrained his expression and continued to laugh: "Speaking of which, I would rather stay with Mianmian. There is nothing to do except for some minor troubles occasionally."

Lu Zhouxue keenly noticed the profound meaning in his words and asked, "Are the demons not good?"

"It's not bad, but it's not good either." Xiao Fengzhuo shrugged and said indifferently, "Anyway, we are all working for the big monsters above us. Not only are we exhausted every day, but if we accidentally offend them, we will be eaten. It's miserable. It's different here in Mianmian. Although someone may cause trouble occasionally, we will not lose our lives at all."

It seems that life is not easy anywhere, Lu Zhouxue sighed in his heart. It is the same in Buzhou Mountain. However, noticing Xiao Fengzhuo's last sentence, he turned to look at Xiao Fengzhuo uncertainly: "Are you...complaining to me?"

"Yes." Xiao Fengzhuo didn't feel that his behavior was childish at all. He also acted like a three-year-old child, hugging Lu Zhouxue and acting like a spoiled child, rubbing his head against his neck. "Mianmian, those monks beat me and broke the candy man I bought for you. You have to help me."

Lu Zhouxue watched him perform calmly.

"Mianmian, don't be so indifferent. I came to the Final Court alone and have no relatives here. If you don't support me, I will really become a poor unwanted person." Xiao Fengzhuo was shameless. Even though the only audience turned a blind eye to his performance, he could still perform happily, so the one who compromised in the end was Lu Zhouxue.

He reluctantly pulled Xiao Fengzhuo's claws away from his body, sighed softly and said: "I'll support you, tell me who bullied you and why, I will take you to Beidu Court to seek justice."

The Beidu Court tried major cases and seldom dealt with such minor matters. Moreover, the Final Court did not prohibit cultivators from fighting privately. Lu Zhouxue said this just to follow up on Xiao Fengzhuo's words and act against him.

"Ah, forget it then." Xiao Fengzhuo blinked and said, "I'm just a little demon with the lowest level of cultivation. The evil spirit in Beidu Court is too strong. I can't go there."

"You've said all the good and bad things." Lu Zhouxue shook his head. While they were talking, the two of them returned to the Phoenix Terrace. Unexpectedly, Peacock was still awake. He was sitting on the wooden floor of the corridor waiting. When he saw Lu Zhouxue, his eyes lit up and he pounced towards him like a captive bird returning to its nest.

At this time, he should give some response, Lu Zhouxue thought, so he opened his arms and embraced Kong Que: "Waiting for me?"

"Yes." Kong Que nodded heavily, her eyes moist. She grabbed Lu Zhouxue's sleeves tightly and said with suppressed excitement, "Mother, the Grandmaster is coming out of seclusion. Mother, no one will bully you anymore."

Lu Zhouxue sighed slightly, patted Peacock's head and said "hmm" softly. Now that the Supreme Elder had come out of retreat, no one could bully his disciple anymore. However, Yu Zhao was dead and could not be found. It is said that the moon will be revealed after the clouds have been cleared away. But the one who saw the moon now was not Yu Zhao, but Lu Zhouxue.

However, Lu Zhouxue soon realized a problem. The Grand Elder had been in seclusion a hundred years ago. How could Kong Que recognize the "Grandmaster" when he looked like a child of only seven or eight years old? Thinking of this, Lu Zhouxue squatted down and asked, "Kong Qing, tell me, how old are you now?"

The little peacock counted on his fingers, thought for a moment, and then said, "156 years old."

Lu Zhouxue was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Xiao Fengzhuo, with confusion written all over her face: “???” A one hundred and fifty-six-year-old little girl???

The latter accepted it well. Seeing Lu Zhouxue's shocked expression, he kindly explained, "The time for the demon race's mental development cannot be calculated according to your cultivation. The phoenix reaches adulthood at 500 years old. By conversion, this little peacock is now a little girl."

Lu Zhouxue: “…”Okay.

Without dwelling on Peacock's age, Lu Zhouxue asked about the Grand Elder's coming out of retreat. He had been busy outside today but had not heard any relevant news. How did Peacock know about it?

"I really don't know what you're doing running around all day." Before Kong Que could answer, Xiao Fengzhuo beside him spoke first. Lu Zhouxue didn't even need to turn around to imagine the helpless look on his face when he said this. "The Grand Elder of Changyang Sect, a ruthless swordsman, the person closest to God, every time he comes out of seclusion, the celestial phenomena will give some hints. Isn't Mianmian watching the moon tonight?"

Lu Zhouxue was speechless, he really didn't notice this. Xiao Fengzhuo saw his expression and guessed the truth. He couldn't help laughing and took the initiative to give Lu Zhouxue a way out: "Forget that our Mianmian has just passed away and is unfamiliar with the place~"

"Speak properly." Lu Zhouxue hit him, but Xiao Fengzhuo dodged by twisting his waist, and said with a smile: "You are angry because of shame. What? You don't allow people to speak?"

The Grand Elder came out of retreat. Lu Zhouxue was thinking about how much help this matter could give him. Xiao Fengzhuo beside him was still sighing: "Before retreating, the Grand Elder was a leader in the entire cultivation world. Now that he has come out of retreat, I'm afraid he has reached the late stage of transcending tribulation."

"To overcome the tribulation?" Hearing a word that he was not familiar with, Lu Zhouxue looked over in confusion. Xiao Fengzhuo raised his eyebrows. This beautiful lady Lu was really an idiot when it came to common sense. However, no matter what he thought in his heart, he still answered Lu Zhouxue's questions and cleared up her confusion.

Xiao Fengzhuo: "No matter if they are human, demon or evil ghost, once they resonate with the laws of the world for the first time, they have officially crossed the threshold of cultivation. As the degree of cultivation increases, they will naturally be divided into levels, namely Qi training, foundation building, golden elixir, Nascent Soul, concentration of spirit, refining emptiness, fusion, tribulation, transformation of spirit and Mahayana. Each stage is divided into early, middle and late stages. The further you go, the more difficult it is to advance, and the more dangerous the thunder tribulation when the realm is upgraded."

Lu Zhouxue said sincerely: "It's so complicated." The gods of their Buzhou Mountain are not divided into so many levels. They are ancient, divine, royal, and later recorded by years and months.

"Is it complicated? It doesn't matter. Mianmian just needs to remember not to provoke people with a higher realm than you." Xiao Fengzhuo said. Of course, challenging someone of a higher level is not impossible, but in this situation, even if you win, it is often a pyrrhic victory, which is not worth it. So he didn't tell Lu Zhouxue, and only told him to keep his tail between his legs.

"So what realm are you in now?" Speaking of realm, Lu Zhouxue became curious about Xiao Fengzhuo who was always out of tune. Didn't this guy just say that he was bullied?

"I am dull and only a small Nascent Soul." Xiao Fengzhuo spoke with self-abasement and a tone that showed he didn't care at all. He was just a playboy who didn't make any progress. After talking about himself, he changed the subject and stared at Lu Zhouxue, saying meaningfully, "But I can't see through Mianmian's realm. I think it's higher than mine."

Lu Zhouxue did not say anything. Xiao Fengzhuo's realm was certainly not good enough in front of the Grand Elder, Master Ling Zhong and others, but Yu Zhao, who was known as a genius, was only a Nascent Soul until his death. From this perspective, Xiao Fengzhuo was actually not bad.

It's just that most cultivators in the world of cultivation take shortcuts and rely on elixirs to fill up their realm, which results in golden elixirs being as numerous as dogs and Nascent Souls being everywhere when they concentrate. The levels of cultivators vary greatly. Compared with the overall environment, Xiao Fengzhuo, who is steady and cautious and occasionally slacks off, seems outshined by the masses.

As for why there will be no such phenomenon in the Concentration of Mind Realm, it is because the advancement from Nascent Soul to Concentration of Mind is a qualitative change, which cannot be filled by elixirs. Even if it is filled, a thunder calamity will strike, and nothing can escape its detection.