Chapter 00321: A Casual Marriage Proposal
# A Casual Marriage Proposal
Chapter 321
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 321: A Casual Marriage Proposal
May 6, 2022
Teng Jilou treated Lan Xiaobu with more than just politeness; he treated him like a friend, engaging in casual conversation as if they were equals.
As for Lan Xiaobu's concern that Teng Jilou might covet his possessions, it turned out to be completely unfounded.
Not only did Teng Jilou not show any interest in Lan Xiaobu's belongings, but he also never once asked how Lan Xiaobu had left Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City or how he had managed to escape.
As for the treasures Lan Xiaobu had won, Teng Jilou seemed to have completely forgotten about them.
"Come, come, Alchemist Lan, try this Tilin Immortal Fruit. I went through great hardship to obtain it back in the day. The taste is exquisite," Teng Jilou said, presenting a plate of immortal fruits.
Teng Jilou didn't address Lan Xiaobu by his official title of Immortal Officer but instead called him "Alchemist," indicating that Teng Jilou didn't place himself above Lan Xiaobu in terms of status.
The Tilin Immortal Fruit was a seventh-grade immortal fruit, and its taste was indeed exceptional.
Not only that, this fruit could also enhance one's innate talent.
Lan Xiaobu didn't stand on ceremony and sampled one of the fruits.
"Your Majesty is truly thoughtful," he said.
Though Lan Xiaobu knew Teng Jilou was someone who prioritized personal gain, he couldn't bring himself to dislike the man.
Teng Jilou knew when to take and when to hold back, and when it was best to simply foster goodwill.
Teng Jilou laughed heartily.
Some things were understood without needing to be spoken aloud.
"Alchemist Lan, you should be careful of Sai Wuyun. He has likely surpassed the Immortal Emperor realm. When he went to the Black Pottery Forest Range to look for you, his true intention was to incite a beast tide before leaving. Although he has now returned to Qingfang Immortal Domain, he could come back at any moment," Teng Jilou said in a tone of genuine concern.
Lan Xiaobu smiled faintly.
"Your Majesty need not worry. I'm more concerned that he won't come."
Hearing this, Teng Jilou's heart skipped a beat.
Part of his earlier statement had been a test, and Lan Xiaobu's response suggested he didn't view Sai Wuyun as a threat at all.
"If Alchemist Lan says so, then I am reassured. By the way, the defensive array of my Star Ascension Immortal Court is only an eighth-grade formation. If your master ever visits, I would like to shamelessly ask for his assistance in upgrading it," Teng Jilou said, standing up as he spoke.
This was one of the reasons he had come to see Lan Xiaobu.
If he could secure a ninth-grade defensive array and a ninth-grade killing array, similar to those in Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City, then even after he left Star Ascension Immortal Court, it would remain safe from semi-divine experts like Sai Wuyun.
Lan Xiaobu agreed without hesitation.
"That won't be a problem. Once my master arrives, I will certainly relay your request."
For now, setting up such arrays wasn't feasible, but when Lan Xiaobu planned to leave Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City in the future, he could easily help set up a defensive array.
"Thank you, Alchemist Lan," Teng Jilou said sincerely.
Currently, Mo Xuan Immortal Domain only had one place with a ninth-grade defensive array—Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City.
As a result, it had become the safest location in the entire domain.
If Liu Ming, the city lord of Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City, knew Lan Xiaobu had returned, he might have come here to apologize.
"It's a small matter. My master is very approachable," Lan Xiaobu said confidently before changing the subject.
"There is one thing I'd like to ask Your Majesty. I heard that Nightmare Demons have appeared in Star Ascension Immortal Court. What's going on?"
Teng Jilou sighed at the mention of Nightmare Demons.
"It's not just Star Ascension Immortal Court; the entire Mo Xuan Immortal Domain is plagued by them. After I leave here, I will lead the cultivator army to the Mo Xuan Ancient Battlefield to deal with them..."
"Is it similar to a beast tide?" Lan Xiaobu asked, growing more puzzled.
Teng Jilou explained, "Nightmare Demons are far more terrifying than beast tides. Beast tides can be deterred; the creatures know fear and will retreat when faced with death. But Nightmare Demons know no fear. The Mo Xuan Ancient Battlefield was once a desolate place with extremely scarce immortal spiritual energy. However, a void teleportation gate appeared there, and endless Nightmare Demons began pouring out. If we hadn't discovered it in time, the entire Mo Xuan Immortal Domain would have been overrun by now. Alas, Mo Xuan Immortal Domain has been plagued by disasters recently."
Lan Xiaobu's heart sank.
He thought of Lingwei Immortal Domain, where he had once been the domain lord.
When he left, Nightmare Demons had already begun to spread there.
Although he had used various immortal arrays to block them, his cultivation and array skills had been too weak at the time.
If the Nightmare Demons had broken through the defensive arrays, would Lingwei Immortal Domain even still exist?
Teng Jilou added, "Alchemist Lan, I must return to prepare for the expedition to the Mo Xuan Ancient Battlefield. If there's anything you need from Star Ascension Immortal Court, feel free to tell Mo'er directly."
Lan Xiaobu quickly stood up to see him off.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As Teng Jilou reached the door, he seemed to remember something and turned back with a smile.
"Alchemist Lan, you don't have a dao companion yet, do you? I have a daughter named Man'er. She's quite beautiful, if I may say so. You might have even seen her before. She greatly admires you. Would you be interested in forming a dao partnership with her and leaving behind a beautiful tale?"
Lan Xiaobu was caught off guard by the sudden proposal but quickly recovered.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty. However, I am accustomed to wandering alone and find having a dao companion inconvenient. Moreover, before I even began cultivating, I had already made a vow with someone I love."
Teng Jilou sighed.
"Ah, it seems Man'er is simply unlucky."
For the first time, Lan Xiaobu didn't know how to respond.
He wondered what Teng Jilou's true intentions were.
As for Teng Man'er admiring him? Lan Xiaobu dismissed the thought entirely.
...
"That man is formidable," Zhao Gongming said as soon as Teng Jilou left.
"Of course, he's an Immortal Court King, likely at the late-stage Immortal Emperor realm," Lan Xiaobu replied.
Zhao Gongming shook his head.
"It's not just his cultivation. His words and actions are also impressive. His immortal energy is incredibly refined, with very few impurities, indicating he has access to a top-tier cultivation cave. This cave not only removes impurities from his body but also purifies his immortal energy. On the surface, his cultivation appears to be at the late-stage Immortal Emperor realm, but in reality, he is on the verge of transcending it."
"How do you know that?" Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
If Teng Jilou was about to transcend the Immortal Emperor realm, that would make him a semi-divine expert.
With such strength, why would he fear a tenth-grade demon beast?
"I can see it. In fact, I might even be underestimating him. Teng Jilou might have already transcended the Immortal Emperor realm and become what you call a semi-divine expert," Zhao Gongming said with a chuckle.
Lan Xiaobu frowned.
If Teng Jilou was a semi-divine expert, why would he have retreated from Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City? Such a figure wouldn't shy away from opportunities to boost his reputation.
Zhao Gongming continued, "Back in the Great Desolate Universe, the pinnacle of a Great Luo Golden Immortal's cultivation was equivalent to the peak of the Immortal Emperor realm here. Those who surpassed the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm were known as Quasi-Sages. By the standards of the Great Desolate Universe, Teng Jilou's strength is on the verge of reaching the Quasi-Sage level. At my peak, I was only a Quasi-Sage."
"Incredible," Lan Xiaobu murmured, deeply impressed.
According to ancient legends, there were only a handful of Sages, and Quasi-Sages were equally rare.
Figures like Zhen Yuanzi, Zhao Gongming, Kong Xuan, Lu Ya, and Xuan Du were all Quasi-Sages, each of them immensely powerful.
"At such a critical time, as an Immortal Court King, he waited here for half a year to see you and even offered his daughter's hand in marriage. It's clear he holds you in high regard. Is his daughter ugly? Do you not find her attractive?" Zhao Gongming teased.
He didn't know much about the alchemy competition, and today was the first time he had heard of Lan Xiaobu's famous master.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand.
"His daughter is beautiful, one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. But what does beauty matter? It doesn't fill your stomach. Brother Gongming, I plan to go into seclusion and cultivate until I reach the Immortal King realm. After that, I'll head to the Mo Xuan Ancient Battlefield to investigate the Nightmare Demon teleportation gate."
"Good, I'll accompany you," Zhao Gongming said with a casual wave.
Lan Xiaobu's first order of business wasn't setting up a cultivation array but convening the first meeting of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau.
As the newly appointed Grand Immortal Officer of Jiangyan Immortal Path, he couldn't just return, say nothing, and then go into seclusion.
"Brother Xiaobu, I knew you'd be fine. Hahaha!" Guang Li laughed heartily upon seeing Lan Xiaobu.
The two had a deep friendship, and Guang Li had been worried ever since Lan Xiaobu went missing.
Seeing him return safely put his mind at ease.
Jian Xuanming also hurried over to greet him.
Guang Li was now a Minor Immortal Officer, while Jian Xuanming was still a third-grade Immortal Clerk.
"Brother Xiaobu!" Zhong Yi ran over excitedly.
He had followed Lan Xiaobu for a short time and had already risen to the rank of third-grade Immortal Clerk.
Although Lan Xiaobu hadn't been present for his promotion, it was clear that Teng Mo had done so out of respect for Lan Xiaobu.
"Grand Immortal Officer," Jin Buqiao greeted with a wide smile.
Time hadn't improved his cultivation, but it had added a few extra pounds to his frame.
Qi Yunshu also stepped forward to pay his respects.
Lan Xiaobu was a seventh-grade Immortal Alchemy King, someone even an Immortal Court King would personally visit and wait half a year to see.
He couldn't afford to show even the slightest disrespect.
Lan Xiaobu raised his hand.
"This is the first meeting since my promotion to Grand Immortal Officer of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau under Jiangyan Immortal Path. We are the guardians of Jiangyan Immortal Path and must not lose our prestige. We must strive to do better than before. Today, I announce several appointments. The Forbidden Immortal Bureau will promote several Minor Immortal Officers: first, Zhao Gongming; second, Jian Xuanming; and third, Gongliang Ye."
Appointing people based on personal connections? That was a given.
As for Gongliang Ye, he had been diligent and responsible, having served as a third-grade Immortal Clerk for many years.
This promotion was long overdue.
For the Grand Immortal Officer to appoint a few Minor Immortal Officers was as simple as eating or breathing.
No one raised any objections.
Lan Xiaobu continued, "In addition to these appointments, I will provide a batch of pills to the Forbidden Immortal Bureau. Anyone who makes a significant contribution will have the opportunity to receive them. These pills include not only Void-Breaking Pills but also Silent Yi Immortal Pills, Ultimate Radiance Pills, and even Luotian Immortal Pills..."
(End of Chapter)