Buddha is the Way 101111

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Chapter 101 Kongtong Kunlun
"This fellow Daoist is the Illusionary Void Master of the Kongtong Sect. He has been secluded from worldly affairs for many years, focusing solely on cultivation. This time, I specially brought him out of the Kongtong Cave Heaven to witness the splendor of Mount Shu!" Seeing the astonished expressions on Lingxu and Daoyi's faces, Master Kaiyang explained with a smug look. The thin, black-clad old Daoist riding the crane, the very same Illusionary Void Master Kaiyang had mentioned, jumped off the crane upon hearing Kaiyang's introduction. He bowed to Lingxu and Daoyi, saying, "Mount Shu truly lives up to its reputation as a thousand-year-old sect. To meet such a person as you, fellow Daoist, is truly an honor for Illusionary Void Master! A real eye-opener, a real eye-opener indeed!" This old Daoist, Illusionary Void Master, was small in stature, yet his voice was incredibly loud, a stark contrast.
Hearing Illusionary Void Master's flattering words, Lingxu felt no joy whatsoever; his expression gradually turned cold. The Kongtong Sect boasts an unparalleled history, surpassing even the Kunlun Sect and far exceeding that of the Shu Mountain Sect. However, the Kongtong Sect remains secluded, cultivating within its Kongtong Grotto-Heaven, much like the independent cultivators from overseas. They do not accept visits from other sects, maintaining an air of mystery. Over time, even the Earth Dao Sect has almost forgotten of their existence. The Shu Mountain Sect's recent founding ceremony did not invite the Kongtong Sect, not out of unwillingness, but because they simply could not find its entrance.
The sect's founder, Guang Chengzi, as the head of the Twelve True Immortals of the Chan Sect, possessed profound magical power. The grotto-heavens he created were incredibly wondrous and hidden, so much so that even celestial beings descending to earth would likely be unable to find them. This is the fundamental reason why the Kongtong Sect has been able to maintain its tranquility for so many years. "When did Maoshan get involved with Kongtong?" Lingxu Daoist wondered. He didn't believe that this Kongtong Daoist had come all the way to Shushan just to say a few words and watch the Shushan founding ceremony. Shushan had held its founding ceremony eight or nine times, and according to records, no one from Kongtong had ever attended. The sudden appearance of someone from Kongtong made Lingxu Daoist wary: "Could it be that Kongtong, unable to resist the temptation, also wants to stir up trouble?"
Though these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lingxu Daoist's expression instantly changed from icy to beaming. One couldn't help but think that these grandmasters were masters of changing faces, their emotional control truly befitting of their status. "So it's Master Huankong of Kongtong. I've long admired your name." Lingxu Daoist exchanged a few polite words. In truth, he had never heard of Master Huankong before, let alone heard of him. "Actually, we're here today for no other reason than the unexplained deaths of three of my Maoshan disciples, along with Daoist Chenkong from Ailao Mountain. I'm sure you all know about this!" Daoist Kaiyang cut to the chase, stating his purpose directly. Lingxu's
mind raced with thoughts. He had initially thought that his breakthrough to the Returning to Emptiness Realm, coupled with the magical treasures left behind by his Shushan predecessors, would allow him to make a name for himself at the sect's founding ceremony, surpassing Kunlun and becoming the number one Daoist sect in the world. However, he hadn't expected that the four grandmasters who were on par with him had all greatly improved their skills, becoming virtually indistinguishable from his own. In particular, Daoist Kaiyang from Maoshan had even made connections with Kongtong, producing a powerful figure named Huankong Zhenren whose skills seemed even more profound than his own. This forced Lingxu to reconsider his plans.
Upon hearing Kaiyang Laodao's explanation, Lingxu nodded and said, "We've also heard about this matter. We've taken this opportunity to gather everyone here to discuss countermeasures. I've long suspected that the person from back then isn't dead. Thirty years have passed; that person was already incredibly powerful back then, and must be even more formidable now. I've personally written an invitation to Kunlun Sect Leader Ganji Zhenren, but he hasn't arrived yet. Everyone except Huankong Zhenren knows what happened back then, so I won't elaborate." Huankong Laodao, hearing Lingxu's words, couldn't help but say, "I've already heard Kaiyang Daoist explain in detail. Although my Kongtong Sect enjoys peace and tranquility, we are still part of the Daoist lineage. Since a demonic master has appeared, we must naturally contribute to eliminating demons and protecting the Dao." These words were spoken with grandiloquent righteousness, but the assembled masters scoffed. If your Kongtong Sect has such intentions, why didn't we see them thirty years ago? Now you're suddenly offering to eliminate demons and protect the Dao? Who would believe that? Of course, these words
couldn't be spoken aloud. Now, only Kunlun Sect Leader Ganji is missing from the four Grandmasters' list. Everyone wondered, "Could it be that Old Daoist Ganji is really prepared to break ties with Shushan and not even come for such an important event!" Old Daoist Ganji of Kunlun had already reached the pinnacle of cultivation thirty years ago, surpassing their abilities and being known as the number one expert in the Central Plains Daoist sect. Since they had all entered the Returning to Emptiness realm, Old Daoist Ganji had no reason to lag behind. In particular, Kunlun's cultivation methods were profound and mysterious, the most authentic Daoist techniques, and there was no reason for him to suffer from qi deviation.
"Could something have happened to Sect Leader Gan Ji?" Dao Yi Tian Master suddenly felt a sense of alarm and blurted out. Back then, none of the four of them were a match for Wen Lan Xin. Although they had all made breakthroughs now, if Wen Lan Xin had truly recovered his demonic powers, they probably wouldn't be a match for him in a one-on-one fight. Hearing Dao Yi Tian Master's words, everyone's hearts tightened, but they quickly relaxed. Although Wen Lan Xin was powerful, he was still just one person. If he really wanted to cause trouble for Gan Ji, Gan Ji would certainly be no match for him in a fight, but he could escape. Killing the old Daoist Gan Ji would probably be quite impossible. Although it seemed a bit shameful for a Grandmaster to run away, it depended on who it was. No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't have imagined that Zhou Qing would suddenly appear out of nowhere, destroy the physical body of the Kunlun Sect Leader, a Grandmaster of cultivation, and force him to possess another's body. How could he possibly escape?
Seeing the so-called Taoist masters behaving like this, their hearts unsettled by a mere demonic cultivator, the old Taoist Huan Kong of Kongtong couldn't help but sneer inwardly: "Now indeed, the Taoist sects are declining, and it's time for my Kongtong lineage to rise again! Hmph! This Maoshan Kaiyang talks so much about how powerful Shushan is, but it seems he's nothing special. Apart from Kunlun, which other sect does my Kongtong even respect? Even Kunlun, it seems, is no match for us. If it weren't for the God-Slaying Whip, our Kongtong would have long been famous throughout the world, not..." "We need to hide, even Master Guangcheng. Jiang Ziya left behind the God-Slaying Whip, why didn't you leave behind the Heaven-Turning Seal? With the Heaven-Turning Seal, what's there to fear from the God-Slaying Whip! Even if you didn't leave the Heaven-Turning Seal, leaving behind the Soul-Slaying Bell or the Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe would have been better! Otherwise, we wouldn't have been suppressed by Kunlun for thousands of years. But now it seems our opportunity has arrived, hmph! Jiang Ziya, Jiang Ziya, watch as we, Kongtong, destroy your foundation in the mortal realm, how will you fight against Immortal Master Guangcheng then!"
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Chapter 102 Fishing in
Troubled Waters The old Daoist Huan Kong pondered in his heart, a barely perceptible sneer appearing on his face. However, he was, after all, a recluse for a long time. Although his scheming was deep, it was far inferior to that of the three Grandmasters present. They were all shrewd and experienced individuals, never revealing their thoughts. Ling Xu and Dao Yi were far away from him and hadn't noticed him. The old Daoist Kai Yang of Maoshan had already noticed the sneer of the old Daoist Huan Kong, his mind racing with countless ideas, but his face remained impassive.
The Grandmasters each harbored their own ulterior motives. The three sects were considered major sects in the cultivation world, though differing in strength and reputation, none willing to submit to the others. Each wanted to surpass Kunlun and become the number one sect in the Daoist world. If it weren't for the news that the Demon of Demons, Wen Lanxin, had reappeared, these three grandmasters would never have gathered together. Back then, Wen Lanxin was knocked off Mount Everest, ultimately due to the combined attack of the four grandmasters. Now, the unfortunate one was coming to cause trouble. Naturally, these people needed to discuss countermeasures. Otherwise, for the Shushan sect's founding ceremony alone, Kaiyang of Maoshan and Daoyi of Longhu wouldn't have personally attended; they would have simply sent a trusted disciple. The
Maoshan sect's patriarchs had some connections with the Kongtong sect, so Kaiyang, for safety's sake, had asked the Kongtong elder, the expert Huankong, to intervene. This was partly to prevent Wen Lanxin from suddenly causing trouble, and partly to intimidate the Shushan and other sects. Seeing that Huankong hadn't arrived for a long time, Kaiyang secretly rejoiced that he had found a helper.
"Why hasn't Master Ganji arrived yet? Do you really think he can fight against that demon among demons all by himself? Unless he hides inside the Kunlun Mountain gate and never comes out." Lingxu Daoist and the others exchanged pleasantries for a while, and seeing that they still hadn't seen a trace of Master Ganji, they were all a little anxious. The old Daoist Huan Kong pondered in his heart, "Kunlun has the God-Slaying Whip in hand, so of course they're not afraid of any demon among demons. But why did they still besiege that person thirty years ago? Once the God-Slaying Whip is used, unless there's a magic weapon of equal quality to block it, even those with several levels of power and cultivation probably can't withstand a single lash. Oh! It must be that this God-Slaying Whip is something that can't be exposed to the light. If word gets out, Kunlun will be in big trouble. But even our Kongtong sect has rules forbidding us from mentioning the secrets of this God-Slaying Whip. Otherwise, if word gets out, wouldn't we Kongtong reap the benefits?"
"Fellow Daoists! Since Sect Leader Ganji isn't coming, let's not wait any longer. Kunlun is powerful and naturally has a way to resist that demon among demons. We should still discuss a countermeasure. Otherwise, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, which is a hidden danger. Although it won't necessarily lead to an attack on our sect, it will be very inconvenient for our disciples to travel outside," the old Daoist Kaiyang said in a deep voice. Having learned from the Maoshan example, Lingxu and Daoyi, except for the old Taoist Huankong, all nodded in agreement. If it were an ordinary demon, the three grandmasters wouldn't need to go to such lengths; they could simply send a few disciples to hunt it down. However, since the opponent was rumored to be the most notorious demon among demons, Wen Lanxin, sending more disciples would likely be like sending lambs to the slaughter. Even they themselves would have to be extra cautious when going out. This was not a good thing, especially since they didn't know where the opponent was. Even if the three of them joined forces, they would have nowhere to use their strength, which was extremely frustrating. Of course, no one knew that the Maoshan disciple was actually killed by Zhou Qing, and Wen Lanxin was completely unaware that he had been unfairly implicated.
"Master Kaiyang is right. Since Kunlun isn't coming, we can't force them. With Fellow Daoist Kongtong's help, it doesn't matter whether Sect Leader Ganji comes or not. Since Kunlun is so arrogant, we don't need to worry about them. This isn't the place to discuss things. Let's go inside and talk. It's been over thirty years since we last met, especially since it's Master Huankong's first time visiting my Shu Mountain. I naturally can't be negligent. My Shu Mountain gate is protected by the Two Elements Dust Array. Even if that Demon of Demons has great supernatural powers, he probably won't be able to return. Fellow Daoists, there's no need to worry." The absence of Elder Ganji naturally made everyone somewhat uncomfortable. Elder Lingxu's words were extremely smooth, not only fanning the flames but also highlighting the strength of his Shu Mountain. Dao Yi had already seen the Two Elements Dust Array and wasn't too bothered, but Elder Kaiyang and Elder Huankong were visibly alarmed. The dust could transform into the primordial universe; the two had naturally heard of the array's power and now felt even more wary of Shu Mountain.
Led by the old Daoist Lingxu, they walked onto the massive arched bridge formed by the Golden Dragon Ladder. Just as the four were about to enter the Shu Mountain Grotto, the surging sea of clouds suddenly underwent an abnormal change, and two faint whooshing sounds reached the ears of the four experts.
"There are two coming. One of them has profound cultivation and is probably no less than us. The other one is slightly weaker, but he is still a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Could it be the Kunlun Sect Leader Ganji and his disciple Yiyunzi? Legend has it that Yiyunzi is a cultivation prodigy, and it seems that his reputation is indeed well-deserved," said Daotian Master. He quickly judged the cultivation level of the other party just by the fluctuations of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as they flew towards them. The four grandmasters were indeed not to be underestimated. The old Daoist Huan Kong slightly suppressed his initial disdain and perked up, eager to see who this legendary Kunlun Sect Leader truly was. The old Daoist Ling Xu nodded slightly and said, "It seems Sect Leader Gan Ji has indeed arrived. This gives us an extra edge!" The old Daoist Ling Xu gathered his true essence, and a booming sound erupted from his mouth: "Haha! True Person Gan Ji is a little late this time, causing you all to wait quite a while." The sea of clouds, which had just calmed down slightly, was stirred up again by this sound, creating towering waves once more.
After the old Taoist Lingxu finished speaking, the scene before them stunned the four present. A bright passage suddenly appeared at the edge of the sea of clouds that had been stirring up towering waves, radiating light. A young man and woman floated out from it. The woman was dressed in flowing palace attire and had a beautiful face. However, it was not unusual for female cultivators to be beautiful, as they were all tempered by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It would be truly strange if a female cultivator was not beautiful. The woman in palace attire had a strong fluctuation of magical power, with colorful light shining brightly, clearly indicating that she possessed a rare treasure. However, the four experts present glanced at her briefly and then turned their attention to the young man in blue Taoist robes beside her.
The man had an ordinary appearance, and the fluctuations of his aura and true essence were faint and extremely obscure. If it were an ordinary cultivator, they would not be able to see anything. However, the four people present were all top experts and grandmasters, and their spiritual power was incomparably strong. They all vaguely felt that this young Taoist naturally had a vast, profound, and immense aura that was difficult to describe. When they unintentionally sent out their divine senses, they could not advance any further than ten feet away from the young Taoist.
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Chapter 103 Fishing in
Troubled Waters Lingxu Laodao was truly dumbfounded. He had originally thought the newcomers were Gan Ji from Kunlun and his disciple Yiyunzi, because there were only a handful of experts in the Central Plains Daoist sect, let alone grandmasters at the Returning to Emptiness realm. As for the demon among demons, Wen Lanxin, no one had considered that possibility. Wen Lanxin was indeed strong, but even if he was strong, he probably wouldn't dare to cause trouble at the Shushan sect. Therefore, everyone firmly believed the guess of the First Master of Longhu Mountain Daoist. Who would have thought that such a young Daoist would appear? Especially since everyone's divine sense couldn't even penetrate within ten zhang of this young Daoist. What kind of cultivation was this? Judging from the strength of his divine sense, it was probably no less than that of the four people present. Even Huankong Laodao's expression changed: "This person's cultivation is probably comparable to that of the sect leader!" Huankong Laodao thought to himself.
As expected of a shrewd and experienced person, Lingxu immediately calmed down and said loudly to the two young cultivators, "Who are you, fellow Daoists? What brings you to my Shu Mountain?"
Lingxu did not recognize these two people at all. The Shu Mountain's founding ceremony had not invited such powerful figures. Therefore, Lingxu could not figure out whether they were friends or foes, so he decided to try to get their information first.
As Zhou Qing rode his cloud into the sea of clouds, he heard the old Daoist Lingxu speaking loudly. Seeing that the other party mistook him for the old Daoist Ganji from Kunlun, he was both amused and exasperated. "I only recently fought that old Daoist from Kunlun, destroying his physical body and forging such a deep grudge against Kunlun. Now I'm being mistaken for someone else. I truly have a connection with Kunlun!"
Fairy Yunxia said softly, "True Master Zhou, you've formed a feud with the Kunlun sect. At the Shushan sect's opening ceremony, Kunlun will likely send representatives. Kunlun has many powerful members and allies; if a conflict breaks out, I'm afraid..." She was unaware that the old Daoist Ganji's physical body had been destroyed by Zhou Qing, and his spirit had escaped, thinking he had only suffered a minor loss. In her understanding, although Zhou Qing was strong, it was impossible for him to do anything to the dignified Kunlun Sect Leader. This Fairy Yunxia had no idea that Zhou Qing would fight with a life-for-life style from the very beginning, losing two lives before destroying the old Taoist's physical body. This forced Zhou Qing to admit that the Kunlun Sect Leader truly lived up to his reputation.
"That's alright. Kunlun was in the wrong first. With cultivators from all over the world gathered here, Kunlun wouldn't dare to come openly." Zhou Qing, of course, wouldn't tell the truth.
As the two spoke, they arrived within the sea of clouds. They heard Lingxu ask a question. Zhou Qing had anticipated this question, and besides knowing from Lingxu's misunderstanding that Kunlun hadn't sent anyone, he didn't hide his name. While secretly observing everyone present, he loudly proclaimed, "Zhou Qing of the Heavenly Dao Sect, a rogue cultivator from overseas, together with the Heavenly Master Yunxia of the Great Freedom Palace, greets all fellow Daoists!" His voice was calm, immediately giving the impression that he was a friend, not an enemy.
Fairy Yunxia, following Zhou Qing, also saw the four people present. With her exceptional knowledge, although she couldn't discern their cultivation levels, she could sense from their aura that these four old Taoists were likely extremely powerful experts. She couldn't help but be surprised: "No wonder the Palace Master often said that although the Central Plains Taoist sects were declining, they still had many masters. Even a few casually greeting guests at the mountain gate are so powerful. It seems the Palace Master has underestimated the strength of the Central Plains Taoist sects."
Kongtong Huankong, though small and unassuming, immediately caught Yunxia Fairy's eye when accompanied by a red-crowned crane even larger than himself. Upon hearing Zhou Qing introduce himself, Lingxu suddenly recalled Xu Jiankong's words: "Could it be the overseas rogue cultivator Jiankong mentioned? But Jiankong clearly said he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, how come he seems to be far more than that? However, Jiankong's strength is rather weak; it's understandable that he couldn't see through the deliberate concealment." Lingxu dismissed his doubts and laughed: "So it's Fellow Daoist Zhou and Fellow Daoist Yunxia from overseas! You're too kind. Jiankong mentioned it; Fellow Daoist Zhou has indeed helped our Shu Mountain a great deal!"
Lingxu had never heard of the Great Freedom Palace, but since Zhou Qing was an overseas cultivator, the Great Freedom Palace must be the same. Lingxu automatically ignored it, only Huankong's eyes flashed with a strange light upon hearing the name Great Freedom Palace. Fairy Yunxia had noticed Huan Kong long ago, and a slightly unnatural expression appeared on her face.
This was exactly the effect Zhou Qing wanted. He immediately stepped forward on a cloud, took out the token that Xu Jiankong had given him, said a few polite words, and tried to return the token, saying that he had only helped a small amount while traveling in the Central Plains and did not deserve such a valuable item. Ever since he learned that this token was the token of a guest elder of Mount Shu and had considerable power, Zhou Qing had been eyeing it. Xu Jiankong had tried to win him over only because he valued his strength. Now that his strength had increased dramatically, and after his battle with Gan Ji, the leader of Kunlun, Zhou Qing was full of confidence.
With such a powerful expert as himself, Shu Mountain had no reason not to try and recruit him. Zhou Qing was currently outnumbered and outmatched; dealing with a behemoth like Kunlun was far beyond his capabilities. Although he had managed to kill Gan Ji in the fight, Zhou Qing knew it was by chance. The main reason was that the old Daoist Gan Ji was unaware of his second primordial spirit, his condensed golden body dharma image, and his possession of the ancient demonic weapon, the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. If Zhou Qing were to fight Gan Ji again now, he certainly wouldn't gain the upper hand.
The God-Slaying Whip was also strange. Although Zhou Qing could use it, he couldn't fully grasp its wonders, only able to utilize some basic functions. It was certainly stronger than ordinary magic weapons, but its power was still inferior to his Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. Zhou Qing knew that only the secret techniques and mantras passed down by Kunlun could fully unleash its power.
As for the Blood-Transforming Blade, he couldn't use it casually. With each step his golden body solidified, it subtly resisted the Blood-Transforming Blade. It could be said that Zhou Qing possessed many powerful magic weapons, but none were truly his for the task. With Kunlun possessing the God-Slaying Whip, who can guarantee they might acquire a second divine artifact?
In any case, Shushan and Kunlun don't get along well. If Shushan tries to win him over, and he slowly sows discord between them, a conflict between the two factions is inevitable. Zhou Qing can not only rest easy, but he might even reap the benefits. In fact, Zhou Qing had considered this problem on the day he fought Ganji Laodao; otherwise, he wouldn't have rashly started the fight.
Just like Zhou Qing, the old Daoist Lingxu certainly wouldn't let Zhou Qing return the token so easily: "If True Master Zhou says that, it means he looks down on my Shu Mountain. How can we take back what we've given away? True Master Zhou's presence here is truly an honor for our Shu Mountain. Needless to say, Jian Kong is the future leader of our Shu Mountain. Since you promised him to be a guest elder of our Shu Mountain, you certainly won't go back on your word. Come, come! Let me introduce you. This is Dao Yi, the leader of Longhu Mountain. True Master Zhou has lived overseas for a long time. He's here to travel in the Central Plains. He must get to know the fellow Daoists here!" The old Daoist Lingxu was very enthusiastic, as if he and Zhou Qing had hit it off immediately. Both of them had their own ulterior motives and no good intentions.
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Chapter 104 Fanning
the Flames Seeing that Maoshan Kaiyang had won over Kongtong, and that the various Daoist sects were now in a state of panic due to Wen Lanxin's news, with the four major sects not united, and Kunlun Ganji Daoist simply not coming—the Kunlun sect leader already had some ambiguous connection with Wen Lanxin, and no one knew what he was up to, but judging from the situation, he was probably planning to stay in his Kunlun stronghold. In the current situation, winning over another expert would provide more support, and in case they encountered Wen Lanxin, they could have someone to rely on. Although Lingxu Daoist was self-reliant, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could single-handedly take on this demon among demons. Furthermore, with several grandmasters miraculously breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage and becoming Void Returning experts, Lingxu Daoist temporarily suppressed his ambition for Shushan to dominate the Central Plains Daoist sects.
He was even plotting how to divert this scourge of evil from other sects, causing them to fight to the death, so that Mount Shu could become the dominant force.
The old Daoist Lingxu immediately introduced the other three people present to Zhou Qing, treating even Fairy Yunxia with great courtesy. Otherwise, given his status as a Void Returning expert, he would never have bothered with a cultivator in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Fairy Yunxia naturally understood this. Hearing the introduction from the old Taoist Lingxu, she remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she sneered repeatedly: "So these are the so-called three grandmasters of the Central Plains Daoist sect! Hmph! They're all just a bunch of petty opportunists. The Palace Master is right, the Central Plains Daoist sect has indeed declined."
Yunxia had assumed these three were merely Daoist cultivators. As for the old Taoist Huankong, she was one thing; both the Kongtong Sect and the Great Freedom Palace were founded by the Twelve True Immortals of the Chan Sect, and they had interacted in the past. Although Yunxia didn't recognize Huankong, she was sensitive to the aura produced by the unique Kongtong cultivation method and had already confirmed Huankong's identity. Similarly, Huankong also knew Yunxia's background. Yunxia had no particular thoughts, but the old Taoist Huankong, seeing Zhou Qing with Fairy Yunxia, had some calculations in his mind, though no one knew what he was thinking.
"We've long admired your names! We heard of the four grandmasters of the Central Plains Daoist sect while we were overseas. Seeing you today, it's truly a case of seeing is believing!" Zhou Qing was also quite surprised upon hearing Lingxu's introduction. "No wonder everyone here has such profound cultivation; it turns out all the grandmasters in the world have gathered! However, I still need to add fuel to the fire!"
Zhou Qing flattered everyone, even praising Huankong from Kongtong Sect, extolling the sect to the skies. He mentioned that their founder, Guangchengzi, was the teacher of the Yellow Emperor, and so on. Everyone found it quite agreeable, after all, he was a rogue cultivator from overseas, and his cultivation was no less than theirs. His words carried weight; if it were Fairy Yunxia, they would likely be much less significant. Words carry weight depending on who is speaking; the stronger the speaker, the more weight their words carry—this is an unspoken rule in the cultivation world.
Then Zhou Qing changed the subject: "I've long admired Kunlun's reputation overseas. I wonder why the Kunlun Sect Leader, Master Ganji, isn't here. Even I, an overseas person, have heard about the Shushan Sect's founding ceremony. There's no reason Kunlun shouldn't know!" As soon as he said this, Lingxu's old face immediately became somewhat uncomfortable, while Daoyi, Huankong, and Kaiyang wore a hint of mockery. "
Yes! Your Shushan Sect's once-in-a-century founding ceremony is a major event in the cultivation world. We've all come in person, but not only did Ganji not come, he didn't even send a single disciple. It shows he's not giving Shushan any face!" Seeing Zhou Qing knowingly stirring up trouble, Fairy Yunxia almost burst out laughing. "This Zhou Qing puts on such a sanctimonious facade, he almost fooled me. But he's quite interesting. He doesn't even flinch when he lies. This level of skill is a notch above these so-called grandmasters." Fairy Yunxia suppressed her laughter, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
Sensing the ambiguous smiles on the faces of the other three, the old Taoist Lingxu became even more embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject. Zhou Qing knew perfectly well what was going on and didn't ask any further questions. He had only slightly provoked them. Anyway, there was still plenty of time, so there was no rush. He should first assess the strength of Mount Shu. By comparing them, he could determine the strength of Kunlun. Knowing oneself and one's enemy is the key to victory. Zhou Qing was not one to wait for trouble to come to him. Since he had formed an irreconcilable enmity with Kunlun, he had no intention of turning hostility into friendship.
Seeing Lingxu and Zhou Qing chatting so happily, Dao Yi of Longhu Mountain felt a growing unease. He knew about the independent cultivators overseas and couldn't understand how Shu Mountain could be so lucky, casually encountering a Grandmaster-level expert and even recruiting him as a guest elder. Now that Maoshan had clearly reached some agreement with Kongtong, Kunlun's intentions were unclear, and they hadn't even bothered to discuss it. With Shu Mountain having a powerful ally, Longhu Mountain was the weakest left. Dao Yi didn't believe these sects would come to its aid when Wen Lanxin attacked; they'd be lucky if they didn't kick it while it was down.
Dao Yi knew that discussing things with these people now would be pointless, since the true leader of Kunlun hadn't arrived yet. It was best to return to the mountain gate and tell his disciples not to go out. Dao Yi exchanged a few perfunctory words with Zhou Qing and then took his leave, citing matters within the sect. He didn't even step into the gates of Shu Mountain. Lingxu, knowing what he was anxious about, tried to persuade him to stay a few more times, but then let him go.
As soon as Daoist Master Daoist left, the old Daoist Kaiyang of Maoshan and the old Daoist Huankong of Kongtong exchanged glances, also bidding farewell. The old Daoist Huankong, in particular, gave Fairy Yunxia a few sizing looks, his eyes flashing with a strange light. This left Fairy Yunxia completely bewildered: "Could it be that our Great Freedom Palace and Kongtong have formed a grudge? We should go back and report this to the Palace Master. Even the long-absent Kongtong Sect has sent someone out. Has the world truly changed?" Yunxia pondered for a moment, then glanced furtively at Zhou Qing, seemingly lost in thought again. She was never one to speak much. Therefore, Zhou Qing didn't notice, and although the old Daoist Lingxu exchanged a few greetings, he didn't pay her any attention.
In an instant, two of the three grandmasters left. They had actually been waiting for the old Daoist Ganji from Kunlun, but now that he was clearly not coming, there was no point in staying any longer. It was better to return and discuss a plan with the experts in their sect. It was better to rely on themselves than to ask others; they had no interest in attending the Shushan sect's founding ceremony.
Lingxu watched their retreating figures, his smile unchanged, but inwardly he sneered: "It seems you still prioritize Kunlun. You should know that Shushan's current strength is no less than Kunlun's, especially with this guest elder, a great expert, acquired for no apparent reason. It's best you didn't come in, lest you learn of Shushan's true strength. But those people overseas are usually meddlesome; why are they interested in coming to the mainland?" Lingxu had a few doubts about Zhou Qing's identity as a rogue cultivator from overseas, but these quickly dissipated: "He's not from overseas. Where in the Central Plains would such a great expert exist? If there were, wouldn't he be famous throughout the world by now?"
"It seems I should give this Heavenly Dao Sect Master, True Person Zhou, some benefits. If I need his help sometime, he won't be able to refuse. After all, he's obligated to help others!" Lingxu the old Daoist pondered, enthusiastically leading Yunxia and Zhou Qing onto the great arched bridge formed by the Golden Dragon Ladder. The ladder then shrank into the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven, and the huge hole in the center of the sea of clouds gradually closed, leaving no trace.
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Chapter 105 First Glimpse of the Dust Above,
the air was hazy and indistinct, as if falling into the clouds. The world was a blanket of white, the gray sky overhead seemed to press down, filled with a sense of silence, emptiness, and profound mystery. This scene unfolded the instant Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia stepped onto the Golden Dragon Ladder and entered the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven with the old Daoist Lingxu. The three stood out starkly in the white world. The old Daoist Lingxu floated in the air, talismans constantly flowing around him, and said to Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia following behind him, "Fellow Daoists, this is our Shu Mountain's protective array, the Two Elements Microcosm Array. Its power is immense; life and death are but a thought away. Please follow closely behind me." His tone carried a hint of smugness.
Originally, the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven was established above the sea of clouds at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, absorbing the dragon energy and spiritual veins from the entire underground of Mount Emei to maintain its stability. This is why blessed lands and grotto-heavens are always established in famous mountains. Using the grotto-suppressing magic treasure as a hub to transmit the dragon vein's spiritual energy is the fundamental principle behind establishing blessed lands and grotto-heavens.
Of course, to forcefully tear open space and create an eternal, stable, and self-sufficient world is a power even immortals lack; it's a method of creation. Legend has it that the Western Paradise of Buddha was also achieved using a treasure left over from the primordial era. It turns out that the founder of the Shu Mountain sect also set up a protective array outside the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven, but it was merely symbolic, serving as an alarm. After all, cultivators frequently visited the mountain gate back then; if a powerful killing array were placed at the entrance, it would be like the King of Hell opening his shop—even ghosts wouldn't dare come.
To establish its authority, Mount Shu removed all the protective formations of its grotto-heaven, replacing them with the desolate and deadly Yin-Yang Dust. Every cultivator entering had to be led by a dozen or so elders of Mount Shu before they could truly enter the grotto-heaven. This grand display was primarily intended to impress major sects like Kunlun, Maoshan, and Longhu. However, Kunlun's Ganji Daoist was ambushed by Zhou Qing, suffering a physical collapse, and the other two grandmasters didn't even get into the mountain gate. Mount Shu had essentially wasted its efforts, like throwing a silver spoon in the mouth. Fortunately, the arrival of the great master Zhou Qing allowed Lingxu Daoist to show off before him, thus establishing a small measure of prestige.
Zhou Qing was accustomed to such tactics and understood Lingxu Daoist's intentions. However, Zhou Qing, being a specialist in formations, had an extreme fondness for them, and now, having the opportunity to glimpse this legendary ancient immortal formation, he was naturally quite pleased. Zhou Qing followed the Spirit Void Escape technique, flying along a strange trajectory while observing the movements. However, unsure of the array's depth, he dared not rashly probe it with his divine sense. Although Zhou Qing had studied the Du Tian Shen Sha Grand Array, which was on par with the Two Elements Micro Dust Array, the two were of different paths—one demonic, the other immortal—and could not be connected. Moreover, Zhou Qing had not even fully comprehended the Du Tian Shen Sha Grand Array.
The scene before him was still a vast expanse of white, but then fist-sized snowflakes began to fall heavily, and a thick chill instantly filled the world formed by the array. His vision was completely obscured by the snowflakes, making it impossible to see anything. Zhou Qing caught a palm-sized snowflake, its piercing coldness stabbing deep into the meridians of his hand. He quickly circulated his internal true fire to melt the cold air and the snowflakes, which turned into water vapor and dispersed. "It's not an illusion, it's actually real!" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing Zhou Qing's surprised words, the old Daoist Lingxu raised his hand, unleashing a cyan sword light that enveloped Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia, along with himself. The snowflakes falling from their fists and palms ceased to fall. The old Daoist Lingxu's tone grew increasingly smug: "Fellow Daoists, this Primordial Immortal Array is not like ordinary arrays that use illusions to deceive. The world it creates is real. Once trapped inside, even celestial beings descending to earth would have to exert considerable effort to escape. You two simply need to follow behind me and refrain from moving." With that, the old Daoist Lingxu moved his hands in unison, drawing purple talismans in the air.
The entire world suddenly transformed. The previous white expanse vanished instantly, revealing mountains and rivers, birds and beasts, a clear sky, and a vibrant, life-filled world. However, this situation didn't last long, and it quickly transformed into a pitch-black, chaotic scene. As the old Daoist Lingxu continued to draw talismans, the entire world changed constantly, sometimes appearing as a paradise on earth, sometimes as a horrific hellish landscape, flickering between light and darkness, dazzling the eyes. If Yunxia and Zhou Qing hadn't been both highly skilled and resolute, they probably would have suffered a mental breakdown.
"The Yin-Yang Dust Array here is just an empty shell. Although its power is considerable, it's far less than its original strength. It seems to have been set up temporarily," Yunxia Fairy said to Zhou Qing, using her true essence to transmit her voice, seeing the old Daoist Lingxu's boasting and grand display.
"Oh, Fellow Daoist Yunxia, what do you mean by that?" Zhou Qing had been observing for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He was itching to use his divine sense to investigate the mysteries of the great formation, but he was afraid of causing trouble. This kind of ancient immortal formation was, of course, designed to prevent this. No one knew what kind of trouble it might cause. The formation devoured and rejected a lot of divine sense and mental power. Zhou Qing's mental power was incomparably strong. Just in terms of the strength of his divine sense alone, it was probably twice as strong as that of experts of the same level as him. If he were to be countered or devoured by the great formation, the loss would be even greater.
Seeing that the old Daoist Lingxu was still performing his ritual, and the scene in the world was changing from time to time, Zhou Qing knew that he was trying to find the true location of the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven among the many illusory worlds formed by the great formation. Although the old Daoist Lingxu was deliberately showing off and making a show of it, Zhou Qing knew that the old Daoist Lingxu had spent a lot of effort.
"The true core of the Two Elements Dust Array is suppressed by the Primordial Chaos Supreme Purity Talisman. This talisman belongs to Laozi, the Supreme Lord of the Eight Trigrams Palace in the Tushita Heaven, the ancient leader of the Human Sect. If such a divine object had remained in Shu Mountain, Shu Mountain would have long since surpassed Kunlun. Presumably, the founder of Shu Mountain, the Long-Browed True Man Ren Shou, only obtained the method of setting up the array, but not the talisman to suppress the core. Otherwise, with the power of the Primordial Chaos Supreme Purity Talisman, it could be used at will to pull opponents into the array, and who would be a match for Shu Mountain? When this array is fully unleashed, it is said that: life and death, illusion and destruction are like bubbles, the two realms are like dust. That is truly something that even immortals cannot escape. Now, I estimate that it has less than one percent of its power."
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Chapter 106 A First Glimpse into the Dust of the World
Zhou Qing heard Fairy Yunxia's voice transmission and understood most of it. His skills were largely self-taught. Although the General Outline of Weapon Forging recorded some secrets, the world was so vast; how could one book possibly contain everything? Since the Great Freedom Palace was passed down from the Cihang Daoist of yesteryear, it wasn't surprising that it knew some secrets.
Suddenly, the old Daoist Lingxu's arms trembled, and a hole appeared in the void of the world formed by the Two Elements Dust of the World Formation. The scene revealed was exactly the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven that Zhou Qing had just seen outside the formation. He knew that the old Daoist Lingxu had been playing around for a while and was now about to leave the formation. Once out of this formation, Zhou Qing would have no further chance to glimpse the Primordial Immortal Formation. Immediately, disregarding all consequences, Zhou Qing unleashed a powerful divine sense from between his brows, which faintly shimmered with white light. Zhou Qing had forcibly opened his Heavenly Eye to use his divine sense to investigate the secrets and formation method of this great formation. In any case, the old Taoist Lingxu was at a crucial moment in his ritual and had no time to notice his movements.
Zhou Qing's actions were incredibly audacious. Even experts of his level, entering this formation and attempting to forcibly probe its secrets, would be futile without a deep understanding of formation principles. Finding even the slightest clue would be pointless. Furthermore, while divine sense probing might be effective outside, it's extremely taxing inside a formation. Otherwise, no formation would be without secrets, especially an ancient immortal formation like this, so vast and unpredictable, like the boundless天地 (heaven and earth). Where can divine sense
possibly penetrate? Every formation must prevent probing and contains extremely powerful countermeasures. The slightest disturbance will trigger a deadly attack. Even if an expert possessed such powerful divine sense, they would never act this way. To act recklessly without knowing the true nature of the formation is suicidal, especially if the person who set it up is also involved. If they discover this and activate the formation's restrictions, it's all over.
Zhou Qing, however, had his own plans. It wasn't that he enjoyed taking risks, but rather that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Firstly, Shu Mountain couldn't keep such a killing formation displayed at their gates indefinitely; they would definitely remove it after the opening ceremony. Zhou Qing would then have difficulty getting a full glimpse of it again. Even if Shu Mountain didn't remove it, without a guide, Zhou Qing would likely die without even knowing how he was killed if he rashly entered the formation. Secondly, Zhou Qing had offended Kunlun. Although he had won his fight with the old Daoist Ganji, he had used every means at his disposal, even the Second Yuan... The gods were destroyed, a truly unexpected victory. Old Daoist Ganji never imagined Zhou Qing had three lives, causing him to miscalculate. Now that Old Daoist Ganji is alive, if Zhou Qing faces him again, he'll likely suffer a terrible fate. His methods are now known, so how can he fight back? He can't even refine the God-Slaying Whip he stole; although it's a decent magic weapon, it's far from unleashing its true power. Zhou Qing pondered that if he learned how to use the Two Elements Dust Array, it would be truly useful if he encountered Old Daoist Ganji again. Especially since Zhou Qing has a particular fondness for array formations, seeing such a legendary immortal array, he couldn't resist thoroughly investigating it. The
more powerful the array, the weaker its core. When things reach their limit, they change; when things reach their extreme, they reverse—this is the law of nature. Therefore, when setting up an array, the strongest magic weapon must be used to protect the core, thus turning weakness into strength, making the array perfect. The core of the Two Elements Dust Array was originally suppressed by the Primordial Chaos Supreme Purity Divine Talisman. Zhou Qing didn't know what this Primordial Chaos Supreme Purity Divine Talisman was, but since it was left by the eldest of the Three Pure Ones, the Supreme Purity Laozi, it must be incredibly powerful, perhaps even slightly inferior to the God-Slaying Whip. Without such a divine object as the core, Zhou Qing was confident that with his knowledge of array formations and his powerful divine sense eye, he could find some traces and, through careful study, still gain some useful insights.
Although it happened in an instant, Fairy Yunxia immediately noticed Zhou Qing's unusual movement. She naturally knew what Zhou Qing was going to do. She sighed softly, and seeing that the old Taoist Lingxu seemed to be about to complete his ritual, she flew forward, shielding Zhou Qing behind her. She then chatted with the old Taoist Lingxu for a few moments: "Taoist Master, the Yin-Yang Formation is indeed miraculous. It truly deserves to be called an ancient immortal formation. When I was in my sect, I often heard my elders mention the wonders of this formation. I never imagined that I could witness it with my own eyes. Mount Shu is indeed one of the top sects in the Central Plains Taoism." Fairy Yunxia knew that this method of divine sense detection was extremely fast, taking only a moment. She only needed to buy Zhou Qing some time. Although Lingxu hadn't noticed Zhou Qing's unusual movement, this was safer. For some reason, from the moment Fairy Yunxia first saw Zhou Qing, she felt a strange sensation, an inexplicable closeness to him, as if they had known each other for a long time. This feeling was unusually peculiar, and Fairy Yunxia couldn't quite put her finger on it. She vaguely felt a similar urge to face her master, the Palace Master of the Great Freedom Palace, yet it wasn't quite the same. Deep down, Fairy Yunxia naturally didn't want Zhou Qing to be in any danger.
The last purplish-gold talisman disappeared into the void, and the void transformed by the Yin-Yang Microcosm Array fully revealed the appearance of the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven. Lingxu the Elder Daoist breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fellow Daoists, this is our Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land. Follow me inside!" As he spoke, his eyes turned to Zhou Qing, but Yunxia happened to be blocking Zhou Qing's view. In truth, from the moment Lingxu the Elder Daoist began his ritual to its completion, it was only a matter of blinking. Lingxu the Elder Daoist had no idea that Zhou Qing had already entertained such thoughts. Zhou Qing's divine sense also deliberately bypassed him, rapidly extending in all directions. He, however... Noticing nothing amiss, and hearing Yunxia's words, Lingxu's face showed a hint of pride as he said, "Fellow Daoist Yunxia, you flatter me. To be honest, although the Two Elements Microcosmic Dust Array was passed down from our ancestor, it was lost for many years. It was only recently, when I was browsing through the scriptures left by my Shushan predecessors, that I accidentally discovered it again, which is why this ancient immortal array has reappeared in the world. It is truly a secret of my Shushan predecessors. Alright, fellow Daoists, let's go inside and talk. This array is about to close, and it will be quite troublesome to activate it again later." Old Daoist Lingxu urged again.
Fairy Yunxia was extremely anxious. Don't be fooled by the fact that the old Taoist Lingxu is now acting politely and appearing to be a virtuous person. If he knew that Zhou Qing was investigating the secrets of the Two Elements Micro Dust Array, he would definitely turn on them immediately. The two of them were not afraid of fighting outside, but this was inside the array. If the old Taoist Lingxu activated the array, he could probably kill the two of them without much effort. Moreover, this was Shu Mountain's territory. Even if the two of them escaped the array, they would be surrounded and killed by Shu Mountain disciples. Even if Zhou Qing's cultivation was twice as high as their own, they would not be able to deal with an entire sect.
"We can't delay any longer. Although this old Daoist Lingxu is a master of the Returning to Void realm, I have a good chance of severely injuring him by reversing my essence and blood, stimulating my potential, and launching a sneak attack with the Cloud-Mist Annihilation God Shuttle. Before he activates his grand formation, there's a sliver of hope for escaping." Reversing essence and blood to stimulate potential is the best method for cultivators when fighting desperately, suitable for all ages, but extremely dangerous. One wrong move and you might explode and die. Even if you succeed, your cultivation will be reduced by half, with no chance of recovery for the rest of your life. However, Fairy Yunxia didn't think so much. Seeing Zhou Qing in danger, she made up her mind in an instant.
Just as she was about to act, her hand was suddenly grasped, and a calm and distant voice came from behind her: "Fellow Daoist Lingxu is right. The Shushan Grotto-Heaven is a celestial relic opened up by the three sword duels of Emei. Its fame has long resounded throughout the cultivation world. It would be a real pity not to have seen it!"
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Chapter 107 Sowing the Seeds of Disaster
Fairy Yunxia felt a powerful and vast true essence enter through Zhou Qing's hand, instantly flowing through her limbs and bones. The agitation of her blood essence, reversed by a secret technique, immediately subsided. She was overjoyed. Since Zhou Qing had spoken, it meant he already knew the situation. She was surprised that Zhou Qing had discovered the secret of this great formation so quickly. Fairy Yunxia was both happy and surprised. For a moment, she didn't even feel that her hand was still being held tightly by Zhou Qing.
Zhou Qing knew what Fairy Yunxia was up to and why she was desperately trying to reverse her blood essence. He was both surprised and grateful. Without showing any emotion, Zhou Qing withdrew his hand, and the two exchanged a glance, creating a strange atmosphere. The old Daoist Lingxu, however, noticed this and smiled mysteriously, saying, "Fellow Daoists, please!" With that, he flashed into the Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven.
Towering green mountains, sheer cliffs, and cascading waterfalls created countless rainbows under the sunlight, a breathtaking sight. Logically, this opened space shouldn't be able to see the sun, but Zhou Qing knew that the ancient immortals of Shu Mountain must have used great supernatural powers to open a portion of the space above, connecting it to the sun and introducing pure Yang energy. Without the distinction between day and night, this made the grotto-heaven more vibrant and full of life. In particular, converting this vast pure Yang energy was the best energy source for maintaining the grotto-heaven's balance.
Five mountain peaks, each at least several tens of miles in circumference and hundreds of feet high, formed a grand array of the Five Elements. Zhou Qing vaguely sensed that a large portion of the pure Yang energy emanating from the sun was absorbed by these five peaks. A faint, shimmering light emanated from these peaks. Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia, with their sharp eyes, naturally recognized this as the emanation of some rare spiritual herb. At the foot of the mountains, deer roamed freely, and gazelles galloped about. Occasionally, small, rabbit-like animals with snow-white fur rolled about. White cranes soared in the sky, their clear, melodious cries soothing the soul. The trees on the peaks were particularly impressive, seemingly evergreen yet not monotonous, with large, colorful flowers blooming among the green trees, attracting countless bees and butterflies. A powerful and dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth washed over them, giving Zhou Qing a moist and refreshing feeling with every breath. A gentle breeze caressed his face, making him feel as if he were about to float away on the wind. Just standing there, Zhou Qing felt reluctant to move.
Fairy Yunxia observed coldly, as if she had seen such scenes many times before, finding nothing remarkable about them. Zhou Qing, however, was genuinely astonished: "Good heavens, indeed a great sect! The Shu Mountain's thousand-year-old heritage is truly remarkable. This Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven absorbs the essence of the dragon vein of Mount Emei; the spiritual energy here, in terms of both quality and concentration, far surpasses that outside by many times. Cultivating here will be twice as effective with half the effort!" Zhou Qing sighed inwardly, comparing the spiritual energy he absorbed at home using several tons of jade to create a spirit-gathering array to his own level to this place, it was utterly worthless.
Zhou Qing could clearly see the shimmering treasures in the forests of the mountain peaks—purple fungus, five-colored fungus, thousand-year-old he shou wu, ginseng, and other such things. Especially on the cliffs, several small, fiery red trees were laden with fist-sized vermilion fruits, clearly the best spiritual herbs for replenishing the vital energy of cultivators. However, these herbs were all covered with a thin layer of radiance, clearly protected by restrictive arrays to prevent birds and beasts from accidentally consuming them and to prevent disciples from picking them indiscriminately. If it weren't for this, Zhou Qing would have really wanted to secretly pick them. The General Principles of Weapon Refining contained profound and exquisite alchemy methods, and the pills refined from them were said to be incredibly effective. However, due to the lack of rare medicinal herbs, Zhou Qing hadn't been able to experiment with them.
"If it weren't for my own opportunistic methods and a series of fortuitous encounters, I'd probably still be stuck in the mid-stage of Qi Refining! This kind of blessed land is truly the best place for cultivation. If my Heavenly Dao Sect had such a place, within a few decades, I could make it dominate the cultivation world." Zhou Qing thought this was indeed true; a sect with a blessed land would, no matter what, be considered a major sect. Zhou Qing's cultivation was truly achieved through a clever trick. He used the blood of the Nine Li Holy Blood to stimulate the evolution of the Six-Winged Golden Silkworm, condensing his second primordial spirit. Then, he transformed the immense demonic power of the Golden Silkworm into his own true essence, breaking through from the mid-stage of Qi Induction to the Nascent Soul stage in one fell swoop. Later, under the pressure of the Xuanyuan Dharma King, he comprehended the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts and absorbed the souls of the Meng Gui Army underground in Changping to condense a Dharma Body, entering the realm of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. Each of these
steps was extremely dangerous, putting his life on the line. Although Zhou Qing was still dissatisfied with his current strength, he didn't want to take such risks again. His conflict with Kunlun was imminent, and he didn't have time to improve his strength again. "A mere Shushan Grotto-Heaven is this monstrous, with abundant spiritual energy and so many spiritual herbs. What will happen to the Kunlun Sect?" Suddenly, this thought chilled Zhou Qing to the bone. The Kunlun Sect was founded by Jiang Ziya, who inherited the legacy of the Primordial Celestial Venerable. The Primordial Celestial Venerable, one of the Three Pure Ones, held a revered position and possessed boundless magical power, far surpassing the Shu Mountain Sect's founder, the Long-Browed Ancestor. The grotto-heavens he created likely far exceeded those of Shu Mountain, and even Jiang Ziya himself was many times stronger than the founder of Shu Mountain—the difference was like that between an ant and an elephant. "If just three more—no, two more—just two experts like Old Daoist Ganji come, I'm afraid I'll be utterly crushed. Even four or five late-stage Nascent Soul experts wouldn't be enough for me," Zhou Qing thought for the first time after observing the Shu Mountain grotto-heavens, realizing that fighting Old Daoist Ganji might have been somewhat rash. However, Zhou Qing wasn't one to back down. After reassessing Kunlun's strength, he quickly devised a countermeasure.
Lingxu, the old Daoist, was unaware of Zhou Qing's thoughts. He continued to introduce the scenery of the Shushan Grotto-Heaven to the two of them, acting like a highly competent tour guide. However, he glossed over crucial details, such as the arrangement of the formations and the absorption of spiritual energy from the dragon vein. Zhou Qing and Yunxia understood but did not press for details.
"Our Shushan welcomes fellow Daoists within the main hall of Lingcui Peak. Today, many fellow Daoists have come to our Shushan opening ceremony. The Blazing Sun True Person of the Pure Yang Sect and the Heavenly One True Person of the Five Elements Sect are both highly accomplished Daoists. You two might as well go and greet them." Lingxu spoke eloquently, plotting to announce his status as a guest elder of Shushan as soon as Zhou Qing arrived, letting all cultivators spread the word. With another Void Returning expert joining Shushan, even Kunlun would have to think twice.
"Senior Uncle! The Sect Leader wants me to summon you, saying he has something to discuss!" A beam of azure light appeared silently in the distance, then flew over. This azure light was faint and its aura was obscure, but Zhou Qing could feel the immense spiritual energy fluctuations contained within it, clearly indicating an extremely powerful magic weapon! Upon closer inspection, Zhou Qing recognized him immediately—it was Xiang Hui, who had ambushed him at the Demon Alliance.
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Chapter 108 Sowing the Seeds of Disaster
Xiang Hui, who had flown over, spotted Zhou Qing at a glance and was immediately alarmed. In truth, he had no enmity with Zhou Qing. His ambush at the Demon Alliance was merely an attempt to gain some magic weapons or other benefits. Later, when he met Zhou Qing at the National Security Bureau, he refrained from attacking because the powerful Xuanyuan Dharma King was present, and Zhou Qing himself was already a Nascent Soul cultivator. It wasn't that he wanted to make things difficult for Zhou Qing, but rather that he feared Zhou Qing's retaliation and decided to strike first.
Later, Zhou Qing and the Xuanyuan Dharma King left quickly. Xiang Hui then contacted his senior brother, Xu Jiankong, and stirred up trouble, saying that Zhou Qing was associating with demons and acting strangely, and must be a member of the demonic path. Little did he know that Xu Jiankong already knew Zhou Qing and had given him a severe scolding, saying that it was best not to offend this person.
Now it seemed that Zhou Qing was clearly a distinguished guest of Shu Mountain, with even the old Daoist Lingxu personally accompanying him. What was the status of the old Daoist Lingxu? One of the four great grandmasters in the world, whose words carried more weight in Shu Mountain than even the sect leader. If even he came to accompany him, what was Zhou Qing's true identity? Although he was prestigious outside, his seniority in the Shu Mountain sect was still low. If Zhou Qing wanted to take revenge on him, he really couldn't do anything to him.
Thinking of this, Xiang Hui felt a chill run down his spine. However, Xiang Hui reconsidered. His cultivation had recently increased significantly, and his sect had bestowed upon him a powerful magic weapon. Zhou Qing was only at the Nascent Soul stage; with Xiang Hui's late-stage Qi Induction stage cultivation and this magic weapon, self-defense was more than possible. Besides, this was Shu Mountain territory; even his sect elders wouldn't allow Zhou Qing to teach him a lesson. In an instant, Xiang Hui understood this, and his courage returned. He looked at Zhou Qing with a defiant expression. "
I'm not afraid of you making a move, I'm afraid you won't. We Shu Mountain are extremely protective of our own. Even if you're a distinguished guest, if we start a fight, where will our Shu Mountain's reputation be?" Xiang Hui even planned to bring his three junior brothers later to deliberately cause trouble for Zhou Qing. Four people, plus four powerful magic weapons, would be enough to deal with a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with golden light, glancing indifferently at Xiang Hui. Xiang Hui's mind felt as if it had been pierced by a steel needle, a sharp pain shooting through him. He felt his mind overwhelmed by deep fear, the boundless terror causing his vision to blacken, his body to go limp, and his vision to blur. He tried to circulate his true energy, but his body wouldn't obey him, stiffening. He wanted to scream for help, but no sound came out.
Xiang Hui suddenly understood why the old Daoist Lingxu had been so polite to Zhou Qing: This person! He was definitely not just a cultivator in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm; he might be a master in the late stages, or even! Perhaps even a legendary Earth Immortal at the Returning to Emptiness realm!
Born into a prestigious sect like Shu Mountain, Xiang Hui had some experience. He had first judged Zhou Qing's cultivation level during the Demon Alliance incident. This time, although he couldn't discern Zhou Qing's cultivation level, he could still deduce it. Not much time had passed; even if his cultivation had improved, it couldn't have progressed that much. Thinking this, his consciousness gradually blurred.
Damn it! "How did I manage to provoke such a powerful monster!" This was Xiang Hui's last thought.
"Hmm, Xiang Hui, come and greet the two seniors!" Just as Xiang Hui was about to believe he was doomed, the voice of the old Daoist Lingxu suddenly rang in his ears. Xiang Hui snapped back to reality, his vision clearing to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful landscape of green mountains and clear waters—a paradise on earth. A feeling of escaping death welled up within him. He moved his limbs, finding everything normal, without noticing anything amiss.
Xiang Hui couldn't help but think he had just had a nightmare. Then, he saw the three of them looking at him, especially Zhou Qing, who had a smile on his face. But Xiang Hui felt as if he had seen a ghost. A shiver ran through him. He knew Zhou Qing must have used some kind of illusion to give him a small advantage, yet the old Daoist Lingxu hadn't noticed. This required at least the same level of cultivation as the old Daoist Lingxu to do.
"Xiang Hui greets the two seniors!" Knowing the situation, Xiang Hui felt a surge of relief. He dared not harbor any ill intentions towards Zhou Qing; he was grateful if he wasn't harmed. Xiang Hui just wanted to get as far away from Zhou Qing as possible, but it seemed like fate was conspiring against him. Just as he was about to find an excuse to leave, the old Daoist Lingxu spoke up: "Since the sect leader has business with me, fellow Daoists, I'll excuse myself for now. Xiang Hui, take these two seniors to the welcoming hall of Lingcui Peak." Hearing this, Xiang Hui was terrified, but the old Daoist Lingxu ignored him, gave the order, bowed to Zhou Qing and the other man, and vanished into the distance in a cloud of smoke.
Zhou Qing's expression suddenly changed, and he sneered at Xiang Hui. Xiang Hui felt a chill run down his spine, but forced himself to remain calm, saying, "What do you want? This is Shu Mountain, don't do anything reckless." However, his composure was poorly maintained; his teeth were chattering as he spoke. It wasn't that Xiang Hui was cowardly, but rather that facing such a powerful expert at the Void Returning Realm, and having a grudge against him, even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, let alone a Qi Induction Realm cultivator, would have no reason not to be afraid. The methods cultivators use to resolve troubles are far superior to those of ordinary people. Ordinary people might at most kill their opponent, but cultivators have multiple methods. Annihilation of body and soul is a minor matter; what's truly terrifying is having one's soul refined into a magical artifact, imprisoned within it for eternity, unable to live or die—a suffering far worse than the eighteen levels of hell.
Although Fairy Yunxia didn't know what grudge Zhou Qing had with this junior disciple of Mount Shu, seeing Xiang Hui like this, she couldn't help but smile.
Zhou Qing's powerful divine sense swept around and found no one nearby. He smiled strangely, flicked the sleeves of his blue Daoist robe, and Xiang Hui felt the scenery change before his eyes. Suddenly, he found himself in a strange space. The surroundings were hazy, but light shone from the corners. He could vaguely see that the space was like a spacious hall, about ten feet long and wide. In the center of the space, an altar was built with jade. Red and gold colors appeared on the altar. If you looked closely, you would find that there were long, black, strip-shaped objects wriggling in the red and gold colors. As soon as Xiang Hui entered the space, he was attracted by this strange phenomenon. He temporarily forgot how he got in. He took two steps forward to see what it was. He should have looked first, because what he saw gave him a big fright.
A gigantic, silkworm-shaped creature lay on the altar, its flesh mangled and bloody, the bright red flesh writhing incessantly. Many golden, plate-like exoskeletons remained on its body; this was how the red and gold hues emanated. The long, thick, black object turned out to be over a dozen enormous, grotesque centipedes, each over a foot long. These black centipedes relentlessly gnawed at the giant silkworm-like creature's flesh. With each bite, Xiang Hui sensed that the centipedes grew larger, as many black exoskeletons had shed beneath the jade altar—the molted skins of these centipedes as they grew.
"Ah!" Seeing this bizarre sight, Xiang Hui quickly took two steps back, about to reveal his magical weapon, fearing the centipedes would pounce on him.
"Ahem!" A cough came from behind him. Xiang Hui quickly turned around and saw Zhou Qing and Fairy Yunxia standing not far away. Xiang Hui calmed down immediately. Facing such powerful figures, the difference in strength was too great, and there was no chance of resistance. It was better to assess the situation: "Senior is, after all, a distinguished guest of my Shu Mountain. Although I have offended you in the past, you don't need to hold a grudge." Xiang Hui tried his best to stabilize his mind and spoke calmly, which was much better than when he was trembling all over.
Zhou Qing suddenly took out the Guest Elder token and said to Xiang Hui: "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause you trouble. I am already a Guest Elder of Shu Mountain. The past is forgotten. This is my spatial storage. I mainly want to discuss something with you."
"What? Senior isn't here to cause me trouble?" Xiang Hui was overjoyed, as if he had been given a chance to escape a desperate situation. "I wonder what Senior wants to see me about?" He recognized the token and knew that Zhou Qing was not lying to him. Just now, Zhou Qing mentioned something about a mecha space, which further convinced him that Zhou Qing was a master of the Void Returning level. Otherwise, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't create such a large mecha space! This was
also the first time Fairy Yunxia had entered Zhou Qing's mecha space. Seeing the bloody and bizarre scene on the circular altar, she frowned. Seeing her expression, Zhou Qing knew she was probably disgusted, but he was too lazy to explain. He didn't want to waste his breath; let her think what she wanted. Although Fairy Yunxia had been willing to help him in the Yin-Yang Formation, it was impossible for her to change his mind based on that alone.
With his second primordial spirit destroyed, the six-winged golden silkworm also died. However, this golden silkworm was a rare species from the primordial era and had consumed the blood of the Nine Li Holy Blood, so its body was still very useful. Zhou Qing used it to repair his physical body and still had a large portion left. He originally wanted to use it to refine medicine, but he didn't have any auxiliary medicinal materials, so he had to use it to feed the dozen or so iron-backed centipedes. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a lucky coincidence. Iron-backed centipedes originally liked to eat animal essence and blood, and after eating the flesh and blood of the six-winged golden silkworm, they actually grew stronger and evolved rapidly. Zhou Qing estimated that after a while, it would be comparable to any top-grade magic weapon when used for insect refining techniques.
"I heard you're the head of the Dragon Group of the National Security Bureau, but it seems this Dragon Group isn't very good. You don't seem to be able to control it either." Zhou Qing didn't want to beat around the bush. Under the pressure of overwhelming power, Zhou Qing didn't believe Xiang Hui could pull any tricks. Zhou Qing had already planned to approach from two angles: first, to investigate Kunlun's strength. Sometimes, if the cultivation world couldn't gather information, the secular world might be helpful. Logically, the National Security Bureau should be full of elites with profound cultivation. How come the Dragon Group members Zhou Qing saw were all arrogant and domineering, with low strength, like clowns, without any redeeming qualities? If that were enough, those Western churches and vampires would have already attacked.
"Senior, you don't know, but our Dragon Group is just a facade!" Seeing that his life was spared and that the other party had become a guest elder of Shu Mountain, Xiang Hui felt relieved and told him everything. If it were a slightly weaker cultivator, Xiang Hui might have been able to outmaneuver him, but this was a Grandmaster-level super expert, a Void Returning level immortal monster. If the other party got angry and dissatisfied with him, even Mount Shu couldn't protect him. Anyway, there was no harm in speaking out, so it was better to be honest.
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Chapter 109 The Superpowered Great Wizard
"Oh! No wonder, those Dragon Group members are all young disciples from various sects. Their cultivation is a bit shallow, but it's enough to deal with small monsters. They'll suffer greatly when dealing with Nascent Soul stage experts."
Zhou Qing thought to himself, but his face remained expressionless as he continued to ask, "The National Security Bureau should have a leading department, right? Last time I saw that superpowered person named Zhou Jianwu, his spatial manipulation technique was incredibly powerful. With just that one skill, even a late-stage Nascent Soul stage expert couldn't compare. I heard that's some kind of superpowered group. I suppose the superpowered group is the one that opposes your Dragon Group." Zhou Qing revealed some information he knew, lest Xiang Hui think he knew nothing.
“Senior is right. Our Dragon Group is actually just an organization set up by the government to keep track of the various sects in the cultivation world. We do have some power, and there are a few powerful experts within us, but most of them don't really get involved. Our Dragon Group consists of young disciples from various sects, and we usually just carry out small missions. In case of major incidents, the Special Abilities Group is in charge.”
Xiang Hui paused, really not understanding why Zhou Qing was so interested in this National Security Bureau organization. Logically speaking, such a powerful expert, a grandmaster in the cultivation world, would be treated like a god if he joined the National Security Bureau.
“Could he have some ulterior motive? But since he's a guest elder of our Shu Mountain, why should I worry about it? Let those old guys handle it. I'd better answer honestly to avoid displeasing him. Judging from the strange look on the altar, this guy is definitely not a kind person.” This time, Xiang Hui guessed correctly; Zhou Qing was indeed not a kind person.
"Oh! What kind of experts are in the superpower group? They're not cultivators from my cultivation world, yet they possess such abilities."
Superpowered individuals are born with one or more abilities. In ancient times, these people were called "Great Witches." They explored human potential and studied the mysteries of the human body, unlike cultivators throughout history. They were once extremely powerful, but later, with the rise of the Immortal Path and the resulting conflicts, these Great Witches gradually declined. Although they were powerful and had longer lifespans than ordinary people, they couldn't achieve immortality like the Immortal Path. After a large-scale conflict with cultivators, they were almost wiped out. Later, a few appeared sporadically in each dynasty, but none of them became significant. These people could also practice Taoist arts, but no sect would accept them. This was a secret recorded in Zhou Qing's weapon-refining manual. Zhou Qing knew that these so-called superpowered individuals were the Great Witches of ancient times.
"Yes, the Superpower Group is a secret of the National Security Bureau, and I don't know much about it. Zhou Jianwu is said to be the third-ranked expert, but actually, his spatial manipulation is extremely underhanded. Whenever he's outmatched, he can hide in space, and unless his opponent is strong enough to break through space, he's practically invincible. There are many powerful experts in the Superpower Group. The first-ranked Lei Tiangang can control wind, fire, lightning, and the five elements, and his power is far greater than that of magic in the cultivation world. The second-ranked Ye Daochuan seems to be skilled in divine sense manipulation, but I've never heard of him making a move; I don't know his true strength." "However, according to rumors, these two are even comparable to cultivators in the late Nascent Soul stage. In addition, the Superpower Group has set up eight smaller departments, each led by a powerful expert. These eight experts are not far from Lei Tiangang and Ye Daochuan, and each department has dozens of superpowered individuals. Our Dragon Group is simply no match for the Superpower Group in terms of strength. If it weren't for the country's need to monitor the Daoist sects, they wouldn't have established such an institution at all." Xiang Hui said so much in one breath. Zhou Qing was fine, but Fairy Yunxia had no idea about these superpowers or the Dragon Group, and was completely confused. However, she didn't ask any questions, just waiting to see what Zhou Qing was up to.
"What kind of power does the Dragon Group actually have?" After learning so much, Zhou Qing secretly guessed that the National Security Bureau couldn't be just a figurehead. It would be strange if it didn't have a powerful force.
"Actually, it's nothing much. It's mainly about the disciples in the group reporting on their sect's situation each month, as well as some trends in the cultivation world, dealing with sudden supernatural events, and monitoring some registered monsters." "
Oh!" Zhou Qing was indeed moved. The Dragon Group's actual function wasn't that great, but it was very important to Zhou Qing. Since it was set up to monitor all the Daoist sects in the world, it must have information on Kunlun. Although Kunlun certainly had hidden strength, Zhou Qing could easily deduce some useful information. "The relationships between the major sects aren't very harmonious right now. Judging from the last incident, I think it's not easy for you to be the group leader. Even some disciples from Longhu Mountain didn't give you any face. This isn't a good thing! I heard from your senior brother, Xu Jiankong, that Ling Fei from Kunlun was the former group leader, and his influence far exceeded yours. Your senior brother even asked me to help you." Zhou Qing finally revealed his true colors.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Hui was overjoyed and exclaimed, "With your help, senior, what is Ling Fei? Even his master, the Kunlun Sect Leader Gan Ji, would be in for a world of hurt if he faced you!" Although Xiang Hui was speaking casually, Zhou Qing was both amused and exasperated. How could this guy have hit the nail on the head?
"Your senior uncle, Daoist Lingxu, also told me this. I've met Ling Fei and even dealt with him. Although you received the help of spiritual medicine and underwent a marrow cleansing by a master, breaking through to the late stage of Qi Induction, your foundation is unstable. Ling Fei is only one step away from entering the Nascent Soul stage. The difference in your strength is quite significant, no wonder those members don't listen to you." As he spoke, Zhou Qing looked at Xiang Hui and added, "Your magic weapon is indeed powerful, but improving your own cultivation is what will truly convince people."
"Senior is right," Xiang Hui said respectfully, but inwardly he thought: You're so powerful, wouldn't it be better if you passed on some of your inner power and true essence to me so I could break through to the Nascent Soul stage? Of course, he couldn't say this aloud.
“Since Daoist Lingxu wants my help, and I am now a guest elder of Mount Shu, I can’t refuse. Since you are the leader of the Dragon Group, you should have information on the Kunlun Sect. Let me take a look; I want to see what powerful figures Kunlun has, so I can be prepared after dealing with Ling Fei.” Zhou Qing didn’t want to waste any more time and cut straight to the point. Fairy Yunxia finally understood what Zhou Qing was up to. In reality, every sect and faction had hidden strength, far more complex than it appeared on the surface. Kunlun’s reputation in the cultivation world was only that of Old Daoist Ganji, but no one knew how many fellow disciples Old Daoist Ganji had, let alone the many other powerful figures like his uncles and grand-uncles. No one could be sure, so Zhou Qing’s approach, starting with the Dragon Group, was the best way.
Hearing that Zhou Qing wanted to deal with Ling Fei, Xiang Hui, although unsure if he was just making empty promises, was still somewhat pleased.
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Chapter 110 Kunlun’s Strength
"Don't worry, senior. The Kunlun Sect's information is in the Dragon Group's archives. Those documents are classified and cannot be taken out. However, since I am the leader of the Dragon Group, making a copy is no problem. It will be delivered to you in two to five days." This wasn't a big deal, and Xiang Hui could certainly handle it.
As long as he served this master well, he could handle any troublesome matters. Xiang Hui vaguely knew that Zhou Qing's request for the Kunlun Sect's information was probably not so simple, but he dared not ask for details. Besides, as long as the trouble didn't involve him, Xiang Hui was happy to watch the show. What was originally a problem had now vanished without a trace, and he had even inadvertently gained the connection of such a powerful expert. Xiang Hui even had a strange feeling: was he about to have good luck?
Zhou Qing actually had other plans, to use Xiang Hui's power to control the Dragon Group, but now was not the time. Anyway, there was still plenty of time; he could take it slow. Now that he was in Mount Shu, even if Kunlun wanted to cause him trouble, they couldn't just launch a large-scale attack on Mount Shu. Moreover, that old Daoist Ganji had used his primordial spirit to seize his disciple's body; this would be difficult for him to explain to Kunlun. Therefore, Zhou Qing wasn't worried. He would use this time to expand his strength and influence, so he would be prepared. He didn't dare underestimate a major sect like Kunlun.
With a wave of his hand, a hazy, faint golden light enveloped the three of them. The scene shifted, and they returned to the Mount Shu cave. Zhou Qing felt hot all over, and his forehead was slightly sweaty. He muttered to himself: Using the Void Space in this cave is several times more difficult than usual. If I had known, I would have just said it outside. These past few moments have consumed almost half of my true essence and mental power.
Zhou Qing was incredibly envious of this Shu Mountain Grotto-Heaven, wishing he could immediately seize it and make it his own. However, this was just a thought. Zhou Qing made up his mind that once his grudges with Kunlun were settled, he would go to the seabed and use the Water-Avoiding Divine Pearl to create his own cave dwelling. As for the matter Bai Qi had asked him to do, he would let it rot in his stomach. Anyway, Bai Qi was trapped in the Mountain and River Map and couldn't get out, so he wasn't afraid of Bai Qi causing him trouble.
A majestic green mountain, spanning dozens of miles in circumference and reaching a height of over five hundred feet, had a summit that, unlike the surrounding peaks which were all pointed and emerald green, seemed to have been carved out of the ground, revealing a huge flat area spanning several miles in circumference. The ground was made of hard, blue-green rocks, as if they had been smelted and solidified into a whole, smooth and rounded, shimmering with a clear and soft light. This smooth blue-green ground spanning several miles in circumference was divided in two by a vast and extremely magnificent palace. The palace, over ten feet high, was also built of large blue-green stones, but it was decorated with many colors, making it less monotonous.
The palace had only one main gate, above which a plaque bore four large characters: "Exterminate Demons and Protect the Righteous Path." These characters, bold and vigorous, exuded a sharp, incisive aura, completely lacking the refined elegance of a Taoist practitioner.
The flat ground in front of the main hall was originally a single piece of smelted jade, but somehow a ring of tall phoenix trees had grown around it. The phoenix leaves were a glossy green, as if coated with glaze, and a delicate fragrance permeated the air, creating a soothing atmosphere. The roots of these phoenix trees blended seamlessly with the jade ground, without any visible gaps or soil. Many colorful birds of various sizes perched on these tall phoenix trees, chirping incessantly, adding a touch of life to the otherwise tranquil place. Phoenixes perched on
phoenix trees, but now, without the phoenix, this divine bird, the presence of many birds on the trees still created a sense of disharmony.
From high above, one would notice that the tall sycamore trees growing around the mountaintop, seemingly chaotic, possess a subtle, mystical aura. Wisps of breeze, carrying a rich spiritual energy, slowly converge towards the mountaintop, being absorbed by the towering sycamores.
The once empty jade ground in front of the main hall now houses three or four Taoist practitioners. Two sword lights crisscross back and forth. One is entirely golden, three zhang long and about one zhang wide, flying rapidly through the air without uttering a sound. The other is a pale blue, yet possesses a crystal-clear quality, flying without any trace of smoke or fire. The two sword lights are roughly the same size and occasionally collide in the air. Each collision unleashes an extremely sharp burst of Geng metal energy that shoots out in all directions.
However, whenever this Geng metal energy was about to reach within three feet of the tall phoenix tree, a flash of five-colored light appeared, and six thin, cicada-wing-like, ten-foot-long flag gates materialized in the void. Within these gates, clouds and smoke shifted and flickered, and the Geng metal energy vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.
"Haha! Haha! Fellow Daoist Zhou is too kind." The old Daoist Lingxu's hand seals changed rapidly. The golden sword light twisted and split into over a hundred rays, each over a foot long, forming a golden net that tightly bound the pale blue, crystal-clear flying sword. No matter how hard Zhou Qing tried to urge it, the sword wouldn't budge.
Zhou Qing sighed and stopped. At the same time, the old Daoist Lingxu also withdrew the golden flying sword, and the pale blue flying sword broke free and entered Zhou Qing's palm.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou's skill is indeed profound. I only gained the upper hand because of my superior flying sword. If I had used an ordinary flying sword, I'm afraid I would have been at a disadvantage!" Old Daoist Lingxu was astonished. He had invited Zhou Qing to spar on flying sword techniques on a whim, wanting to test Zhou Qing's abilities. Little did he know that Zhou Qing's skill was not only profound, but he also wielded his flying sword with divine power, using it with unparalleled skill. His swordsmanship often weaved from strange angles, making it impossible for him to pinpoint the exact location. If it weren't for the fact that his flying sword was a rare treasure obtained from the Taiyuan Cave of Ningbi Cliff, several times superior in quality, he would have been at a disadvantage. Moreover, Zhou Qing's method of wielding his flying sword faintly resembled the techniques of the Shu Mountain School. However, the Shu Mountain School was renowned for its swordsmanship, and its founder had connections with independent cultivators overseas. It wasn't surprising that there were occasional similarities, so Old Daoist Lingxu had no suspicions.
Zhou Qing's sword-controlling technique was a self-created combination of the Shu Mountain Sword Qi Soaring Technique and the unpredictable saber techniques of the Changping Underground Ghost General. Especially since Zhou Qing's divine sense was extremely powerful, controlling the sword with divine sense was far more flexible than using true essence. This Lingxu Old Daoist was indeed a master; even under Zhou Qing's tricky attacks, he remained composed and ultimately defeated him easily. However, if his flying sword hadn't been of such poor quality, Zhou Qing could at least have remained undefeated, if not defeated. As for magical flying swords, Zhou Qing currently lacked them. Using the Blood Transformation Divine Blade would be asking for trouble; such a demonic weapon couldn't be exposed. The God-Slaying Whip was even more out of the question. Now that he was a Grandmaster, he needed to acquire a decent magical artifact; otherwise, using such a shabby flying sword would make him a laughingstock.
Two days had passed since the founding ceremony of Shushan. The Venerable Lingxu announced Zhou Qing's status as a guest elder of Shushan in front of all the Daoist practitioners. Now, almost everyone in the Daoist community knew that Shushan had recruited a formidable Grandmaster-level expert, especially since Zhou Qing's identity as an overseas rogue cultivator surprised them greatly.
In an instant, the words "overseas rogue cultivator" and "Heavenly Dao Sect" spread throughout the entire cultivation world of the Central Plains. Shushan now had two Grandmaster-level figures, instantly elevating its status in the eyes of many cultivators, subtly showing signs of rivaling Kunlun. Originally, Kunlun hadn't sent anyone to Shushan's founding ceremony, and the other two major sects had only made a brief appearance at the gates without even entering. Some cultivators dissatisfied with Shushan were hoping to see them humiliated, and Zhou Qing's appearance was a huge relief for Shushan.
This was exactly the effect Lingxu Laodao wanted: to firmly bind Zhou Qing to the Shushan sect. Two grandmasters, both Void Returning experts—if word got out, their disciples would have a significant advantage when competing with other sects for spiritual herbs and rare treasures. While Shushan still possessed hidden strength, it couldn't be openly revealed. This way, at least superficially, they held a clear advantage over Kunlun. Zhou Qing was well aware of Lingxu Laodao's intentions; this was the effect he desired. Having forged a grudge with Kunlun, they would now have to consider Shushan's feelings when dealing with him, and wouldn't dare openly call for a demon-slaying campaign to gang up on him. As for secretly causing trouble, Zhou Qing, who had risen to power through surprise attacks, wasn't afraid of that.
"Master Zhou is focused on cultivating the supreme Dao overseas; how could he possibly rely on such insignificant skills as us, relying on flying swords and magical treasures?" A flushed old Daoist beside him, seemingly bursting with vitality, shrunk the six banners, each over ten feet long and shimmering with faint light, to a size of just an inch, landing back in his palm.
"Master Lieyang's Six Harmonies Supreme Yang Banner is indeed an ancient magical treasure, a celestial relic left behind by Master Chunyang." Zhou Qing nodded slightly in praise upon hearing the old Daoist's words.
This old Daoist was none other than Master Lieyang, the current sect leader of the Chunyang Sect. It was said that the Chunyang Sect inherited the Daoist lineage of Lü Chunyang, one of the Eight Immortals of antiquity. Although its reputation wasn't as resounding as the Four Great Sects, its strength was considerable. Master Lieyang himself was a late-stage Nascent Soul expert. While the Chunyang Sect lacked its own mountain gate and grotto-heaven, it possessed numerous businesses in the secular world and had many disciples, wielding considerable influence.
Fairy Yunxia had been watching Zhou Qing and the old Daoist Lingxu's duel from the sidelines, and was quite curious about Zhou Qing's elusive flying sword technique.
"This humble Daoist lost some spiritual energy during the duel, so I need to practice properly. Fellow Daoist Lingxu, please excuse me for a moment." Zhou Qing's mind stirred; he suddenly sensed Xiang Hui's aura within this Shu Mountain cave. Presumably, Xiang Hui had obtained the Kunlun Sect's information. Zhou Qing had secretly planted a divine imprint on Xiang Hui, and he knew as soon as Xiang Hui entered.
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Chapter 111 Kunlun's Strength
This narrow valley was flanked by extremely steep mountains, with a narrow stream flowing gently among the rocks. Following the contours of the mountains, the valley was slightly shaped like a goblet, curving gently to the right. Geng Nanhua led the two men, trudging through the boulders, up the mountainside where a narrow path, barely wide enough for one's feet, led up the cliff face. Sometimes no one had ever walked there before; the path was filled with sheer cliffs, withered trees, and treacherous rocks. If it weren't for the fact that each of the three possessed martial arts skills, the journey would have been truly perilous.
They walked for a full half hour before finally reaching a flat rocky outcrop halfway up the mountain. Geng Nanhua stopped and said, "It's only the first watch of the night, still early. Let's rest here for a while, eat something, and then we'll reach the back of Leiling. We could encounter ambushes at any moment along the way, so we must be extremely careful. Otherwise, we won't have a chance to eat." He found a large rock to sit on, took out an oiled paper package from his bundle, and opened it. Inside were steamed buns and vegetable buns—apparently, prepared by the Jade Emperor's kitchen for the three of them.
Li Feihong reached out and took the food, smiling, "Senior Geng's preparations are very thoughtful."
Geng Nanhua also smiled, "I grew up here. For hundreds of miles around, it's all towering mountains. Deep in the back mountains, we naturally had to prepare our food well in advance."
Ding Shaoqiu asked, "Fourth Grandfather, how much further is it?"
Geng Nanhua tore a steamed bun in his hand and said, "The road isn't long, but because the mountains are steep, we're taking a zigzag path, winding our way up. It'll take at least half an hour to get there. And we can't rush; what if we're discovered by Fu Chun?" "If the alarm sounds, that'll be troublesome."
He sat to Ding Shaoqiu's left, and as he spoke, he suddenly patted Ding Shaoqiu's shoulder with his right hand, asking, "Shaoqiu, you are the person Tiannan Village desires most on this trip, so we must be especially careful."
Ding Shaoqiu felt his fourth grandfather's fingers swiftly land on six acupoints: "Fengmen," "Jueyinshu," "Fufen," and "Pohu" on the Foot Taiyang meridian, and "Jianzhongshu" and "Tianchuang" on the Hand Taiyang meridian. The force of his fingers penetrated deep into the acupoints, and with these six acupoints restrained, his limbs could not move. Deeply surprised, he opened his eyes and said, "Fourth Grandfather..."
"Don't be anxious." Geng Nanhua turned to look at him and smiled, "Because the antidote pill on your body neutralized the Tiannan Manor's power, which ruined their plan."
Ding Shaoqiu's heart sank suddenly, and he hurriedly cried out, "Fourth Grandfather, you..." Li Feihong was sitting to Ding Shaoqiu's right, unaware that Geng Nanhua had implicated his elder brother. Although he felt that Geng Nanhua's words were rambling, he thought it was to warn his elder brother to be careful, so he naturally didn't suspect anything.
Geng Nanhua still wouldn't let Ding Shaoqiu continue, interrupting him with a smile, "Therefore, I think it's more appropriate for me to keep the antidote pill on your body." He reached into Ding Shaoqiu's clothes with his left hand, fumbled for two porcelain bottles, and then took out a short sword about a foot long from beside him, saying, "What is this bottle?"
Ding Shaoqiu stared intently and said, "You're not Fourth Grandfather..." Only then did Li Feihong realize something was wrong and suddenly stood up.
Geng Nanhua glanced at him and said with a smile, "Li Feihong, you sit down obediently and don't move."
Li Feihong said, "My brother said you're not Geng Nanhua, what have you done to him?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Brother, I'm fine."
Geng Nanhua put away the two medicine bottles and a short sword, then said with a sinister smile, "I've already sealed six acupoints on your brother. If you dare to move, I'll kill him first."
Li Feihong was stunned. Of course, he refused to sit down, but he didn't dare to make any rash moves. He just gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and looked at Geng Nanhua, asking, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Geng Nanhua said, "I want you to not hurt your brother. " "Quickly put down your weapon, and I'll acupuncture your pressure points."
Li Feihong said with difficulty, "How can I trust you?"
Geng Nanhua chuckled, "Your elder brother's life and death are in my hands. You have no other choice." Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt someone pat his left shoulder twice. Five fingers moved like the wind, swiftly landing on six acupoints: "Fengmen," "Yinjueyu," "Fufen," "Pohu," "Jianzhongyu," and "Tianchuang" on the foot and head. These were exactly the same acupoints he had used to acupuncture Ding Shaoqiu. He was terrified and turned to his left, shouting, "Who ambushed me?" There was no ghost to his left. He
only heard Ding Shaoqiu say to his right, "Don't worry, it's me. You acupunctured six points on me, but you didn't manage to control me. So I'm going to test whether these six acupoints can't control a person." As he spoke, he reached out his right hand and took two medicine bottles and the Qingni sword from Geng Nanhua's pocket, putting them back into his own pocket.
With six acupoints sealed, Geng Nanhua was naturally unable to move. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Shaoqiu, it's rare that you're not afraid of acupoint striking! Haha, I was just testing you. Quickly release Fourth Grandfather's acupoints."
Li Feihong said happily, "Brother, you're really alright. You can't easily release his acupoints; you'd better ask him first."
Ding Shaoqiu nodded and smiled, "Although I sealed his acupoints, he is still my grandfather's fellow disciple. I can't easily harm him, so it's more appropriate for you to ask him, my dear brother. If he..." "If he won't talk, just strike his Five Yin Meridians."
Li Feihong nodded and said, "I will." Then she shouted at Geng Nanhua, "Speak quickly, who are you?"
Geng Nanhua said, "Who am I? I am Geng Nanhua of the Martial Arts Sect."
Ding Shaoqiu said, "You are not."
Geng Nanhua said, "If I am not Geng Nanhua, then tell me, who am I?"
Li Feihong snorted, "If my elder brother says you are not, then you are not. If you don't speak, I won't be polite." She put her index and middle fingers together, making a gesture as if to strike Geng Nanhua's chest.
Geng Nanhua angrily said, "Shaoqiu, you dare to instigate him to attack Fourth Grandfather, you little beast!"
Li Feihong was angry and waved her hand, wanting to slap him, but she didn't. He shouted, "Still being stubborn? I'll give you a slap first!" Suddenly, he remembered that Geng Nanhua was wearing a human skin mask. Why not remove it and see for yourself? With that thought, he swiftly ripped the mask off Geng Nanhua's face.
This sudden removal of the mask startled Ding Shaoqiu and Li Feihong. Geng Nanhua and the two of them had both put on masks to prevent Tiannan Manor from recognizing their true identities. Logically, it should have been Geng Nanhua whose mask was removed, but now it was someone else's face—not Geng Nanhua's.
Li Feihong's heart skipped a beat. She quickly lowered her head and focused her gaze, only to find that the mask she had peeled off Geng Nanhua's face seemed much thicker. Upon closer inspection, she realized there were two masks stacked together. The outer mask seemed to have a layer of glue on the inside, so when it was put on Geng Nanhua's face, it stuck to his original mask, which she had peeled off.
Geng Nanhua was indeed a thief in disguise; he was already wearing a mask. Her older brother was truly clever, having coated his mask with glue. Even if the two of them didn't expose him, once he returned to the Jade Emperor's Palace and removed the mask, his whereabouts would be revealed. Ding Shaoqiu said, "It seems you really are an imposter."
Li Feihong had hesitated to attack him earlier because he was his elder brother's fourth grandfather, and before the truth could be confirmed, he no longer needed to hold back. He raised his hand and slapped Geng Nanhua across the face, coldly saying, "What do you have to say now?"
Geng Nanhua roared, "You brat surnamed Li, you dare to lay a hand on me? Fine, Ding Shaoqiu, this debt will be on your head, you little beast!" "...
Li Feihong slapped him across the face, then slapped him again with his backhand, snorting, "You're still being stubborn. Don't you even check your face? Do you still have a mask? Your old brother already knew you were a fake, so he gave you that mask with an inner layer of glue. When you put it on, the glue melted with the heat, sticking to your mask, which I easily peeled off. If you dare impersonate Geng Nanhua again and refuse to tell the truth, I'll have no choice but to strike your Five Yin Meridians." At this point, Geng Nanhua's identity was exposed, so he closed his eyes and stopped speaking.
Li Feihong said, "You still won't talk? Hmph, let's see if you can hold out any longer." With a swift movement of his right hand, he struck five acupoints below Geng Nanhua's chest.
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Brother, you really struck his Five Yin Meridians?"
Li Feihong said, "What's the point of being polite to someone like this?" Suddenly, Geng Nanhua's body trembled, and he slumped to the side.
Li Feihong sneered, "You're still playing dead." He kicked him with his toe. Geng Nanhua didn't move at all, showing no reaction.
Ding Shaoqiu glanced at him and exclaimed, "Something's not right. The blood coming from his mouth is black."
Li Feihong was startled and said, "He would commit suicide by poison." He quickly squatted down and checked Geng Nanhua's nostrils with his finger for a while, saying, "He's already dead. It's fine if he's dead. We have the mask as proof, and we can explain when we get back. Fortunately, he has already led us to the back of Leiling Mountain, not far from the bandits' den. Let's sneak up and check the situation. We need to find some enemy activity before we can go back and report."
Ding Shaoqiu nodded and said, "Brother, you're absolutely right. Let's go up."
"Wait a minute," Li Feihong said, "This corpse can't be left here." As soon as he finished speaking, he kicked the fake Geng Nanhua's corpse, sending it rolling down the cliff. Then he turned his head and said, "Now we can go."
What the fake Geng Nanhua said was true. The back of Leiling Mountain was indeed very steep, and a narrow path, barely wide enough for one foot, twisted and turned upwards in a zigzag pattern. The two dared not be careless. Ding Shaoqiu led the way, using both eyes and ears to proceed cautiously, taking advantage of the darkness to finally reach the mountain ridge.
At the southern end of the summit stood a magnificent hall surrounded by ancient cypress trees. This was the Ancestral Hall of the Martial Arts Sect, its towering walls and two tightly closed vermilion gates indicating that few people usually ventured here, and it was certainly deserted now.
From the Ancestral Hall, a wide stone staircase led down to the mountainside. Below the mountainside, numerous houses rose with the contours of the mountain, leading all the way to the foothills, where the Martial Virtue Hall of the Martial Arts Sect was located. They had come to scout out the strength of Tiannan Manor, so naturally they needed to go down to gather information. Ding Shaoqiu gestured to Li Feihong behind him and was about to head down the mountain when he suddenly saw several figures ascending the stone staircase on the mountainside. He stopped abruptly and quickly retreated.
Li Feihong asked anxiously, "Brother, what's wrong?"
Ding Shaoqiu whispered, "Someone's coming up."
Li Feihong asked, "Who is it?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "We can't see clearly yet, but there are at least three or four people." He glanced left and right and said, "Let's go to the woods on the right and see who's coming first." Li Feihong nodded, and the two quickly retreated into the woods on the right, concealing themselves under the trees, then quietly peeking out half their faces.
It was almost midnight, and the sky was extremely dark. Their hiding place was on the right side of the Ancestral Hall's main gate, at least a dozen feet away. Only Ding Shaoqiu, who had night vision, could see them clearly. Not long after, they saw three figures climbing the stone steps and heading towards the Ancestral Hall's main gate. Li Feihong whispered, "Brother, who are these three?"
Ding Shaoqiu replied, "The one walking in front is Sheng Jinhua, and the two behind her are Sheng Shimin and Gongsun Xuan."
Li Feihong asked curiously, "What are they doing up on the mountaintop in the middle of the night?"
Ding Shaoqiu tugged at his sleeve and said, "Quick, don't speak. They're standing outside the gate, and it seems they're saying something." Just as he spoke, two vermilion doors slowly opened, casting light inside. Two palace maids, each holding a palace lantern, walked out side by side, bowed to the three, and then turned and went inside. Sheng Jinhua and the other two stepped inside one after another, and the doors slowly closed again.
Li Feihong whispered, "Brother, I think there must be a very high-ranking person living here."
Ding Shaoqiu asked, "How did you figure that out?"
Li Feihong smiled and said, "Because the three of them were standing at the gate, bowing respectfully, like subordinates meeting their superior."
Ding Shaoqiu asked curiously, "Sheng Jinhua, Sheng Shimin, and their superior—who could they be?"
Li Feihong said, "We'll only know once we go in."
Ding Shaoqiu straightened up and said, "Let's go."
Li Feihong said, "We need to be careful when we go in. I think this person must be very powerful."
Ding Shaoqiu laughed, "I've seen the most powerful people in the martial world; who am I afraid of?" The two quietly slipped out of the woods and reached the foot of the wall.
Ding Shaoqiu whispered, "I'll go up first; watch my hand signals before you come up." Li Feihong nodded.
Ding Shaoqiu lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped onto the wall with a whoosh. His gaze quickly swept around, revealing a large courtyard inside, with a grand hall atop the steps. Six ornately carved doors were hidden behind darkness, and no one was in sight. He waved his hand behind him. Li Feihong immediately followed suit, leaping onto the wall as lightly as night birds, and landing on the ground.
Li Feihong whispered to Ding Shaoqiu, "It looks like they went in the back. Let's hurry." On either side of the hall, there were stone-paved paths leading to the back. The two followed the right path. Halfway there, they encountered a low wall with a round doorway. This low wall served to separate the front and back sections.
Ding Shaoqiu walked ahead, stepping through the doorway, using his eyes and ears to keep watch. Fortunately, the other side showed no sign of war, and they didn't see a single person. They had now reached the back section. Before them was a courtyard with many potted plants. A row of five rooms led up the steps; the middle one resembled a main hall, with its ornately carved doors concealing the light shining from them. Ding Shaoqiu gestured to Li Feihong, then circled around the corridor to the front, quietly slipping under the carved door on the far right and peering inside.
The room resembled a Buddhist shrine, with a portrait in the center. To the left of the altar was a high-backed armchair where an old woman with white hair, a pockmarked face, and a sunken mouth sat, her eyes slightly closed, holding a string of prayer beads, her fingers gently turning them. Three people stood to the right: Sheng Jinhua, Sheng Shimin, and Gongsun Xuan, bowing respectfully.
Sheng Jinhua was reporting to her on the events of the morning after everyone who had participated in the conference had taken the antidote, and how Tiannan Manor and the various sects had attacked. She described the events in detail: initially, only Ding Shaoqiu seemed unaffected by the poison, but then several men in blue robes suddenly appeared, two with veils covering their faces, and the other using the "Sparkling Gold Palm," causing the battle to turn against them rapidly, forcing her to order a retreat.
The old woman with the poisonous face suddenly opened her eyes wide and said in a deep voice, "What did you say? 'Golden Palm'? Who could this person be?"
Sheng Jinhua lowered her head and said, "My niece-in-law doesn't know."
The old woman with the poisonous face shrieked, "Go and investigate immediately!" Sheng Jinhua bowed and replied, "Yes." As the old woman with the poisonous face spoke, her gaze suddenly turned to a carved door on the right.
Ding Shaoqiu felt as if her two incredibly bright eyes were directed at him, and he was startled. At the same time, he heard her snort heavily, "You little brat, you've got quite the nerve, daring to come and spy on me..." Just as the words reached his ears, he suddenly felt a tightness around him, as if he had been grabbed and lifted into the air, shooting away.
Then he heard the old woman's voice behind him snorting, "You still want to escape?" Each word seemed to fade into the distance, and he felt the wind whistling in his ears as he plummeted straight down. The man held him tightly under his arm with just one hand, making him feel as if he had lost all his martial arts skills,
leaving him no room to struggle. Moreover, the man's speed of flight, in his opinion, was almost faster than an arrow. Who could this man be? Since he couldn't struggle, he could only let himself be carried by him. In a short while, they landed on flat ground, but the man continued to fly forward as before. This rapid running lasted for about the time it takes to eat a meal before he gradually slowed down. During his rapid run, the wind blew against his face, making it impossible to even breathe, let alone speak. Now that the man's pace had slowed down, the wind had also subsided. Just
as Ding Shaoqiu was about to speak, he heard Li Feihong's voice say, "Hey, who are you? Put me down right now!"
Ding Shaoqiu was worried about Li Feihong's safety, and upon hearing his voice, he was overjoyed and said, "Brother, you've been kidnapped by him too.
" Li Feihong said happily, "Yes, brother, you've been kidnapped by him too. Who is this man?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "I don't know, but I don't think he has any ill intentions." “
Hmph.” Li Feihong said, “If you meant no harm, why won’t you let us go?”
A shrill voice chimed in, “Young brother is right. How could your old brother have any ill intentions towards you?
Of course, there’s not a trace of malice.” Hearing that it was his old brother, Li Feihong was overjoyed. She twisted her body and cried out, “Old brother, it’s you! What are you doing? Let me down quickly!”
The old man in the blue coat indeed loosened his grip, put the two down, shrugged, and chuckled with his beady eyes, “What are you doing? If my old brother hadn’t acted quickly and grabbed you two and run, you two little lives would probably be gone by now.”
Li Feihong asked, “Old brother, do you think that old hag with the shriveled mouth is that powerful?”
“Sigh.” The old man shook his head and said, “Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Do you know how powerful that old woman is? I had already reached the top of the wall, and her ghostly claws tore a piece of my vest. If I had been just half a step away, we wouldn’t have escaped.” He turned his back to show the two of them, and sure enough, there was a large scratch on his blue cloth gown.
Ding Shaoqiu asked, "Did she chase after us?"
The older brother chuckled again, shrinking back and laughing, "Luckily, this old woman has bad legs. She only raised her hand to grab something from inside the house. If she had chased after us herself, would the three of us still be alive?"
Li Feihong said, "Old brother, is this person really that powerful? Who is she? How come I've never heard my father mention her?"
The older brother said, "Ha, she disappeared when your father was young. How could I tell you?"
Li Feihong asked, "How many years has it been?"
The older brother said, "Your father is only in his early fifties. This old woman was terrified by a Prajna Palm strike from the nun of Mount Fanjing years ago, and hasn't been seen in the martial world for fifty years." Ding Shaoqiu said, "
I think I heard Sheng Jinhua refer to herself as her grand-niece-in-law, so she's from the Ji family..." He couldn't immediately say who the old woman with the poisoned face was from the Ji family, and he needed to figure it out.
The older brother interjected, "That's right, Sheng Jinhua is Ji Yunfei's daughter-in-law. Ji Yunfei was known as the Nine-Linked King back then, dominating Tiannan. This old woman is Ji Yunfei's aunt, the seventh female disciple of Xu Hongru, the former leader of the White Lotus Sect. Everyone called her the Seventh Princess."
Li Feihong said, "So she's from the White Lotus Sect." "
Old Brother said, 'The White Lotus Sect only uses illusions to deceive fools, it's nothing, but this old woman has been hiding in Yinshan for fifty years and has mastered unfathomable martial arts. Just now, she almost ripped Old Brother out of the back... Cough, let's not talk about that. Old Brother has carried you for twenty or thirty miles and is exhausted. What I need most now is wine, so Old Brother will go ahead and wait for you. This is still their territory, so you should hurry up too.' After saying that, he took off running.
Li Feihong said, 'Old Brother is like that, he runs away before he's even finished speaking.'
Ding Shaoqiu said, 'We've been calling him Old Brother, but we don't even know who he is. It's really ridiculous.' "
Li Feihong tilted her head and smiled, "Ever since we recognized him as our elder brother, he seems to have been secretly following us. Whenever we are in trouble, he appears. Isn't such an elder brother good?" Ding
Shaoqiu said, "Who says he's not good? This elder brother's martial arts are exceptionally high. He must be a reclusive master. It's a pity we don't even know his background."
Li Feihong said, "Strange! How come my father never told me about such an extraordinary person as my elder brother?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Let's hurry up and go." The two followed the mountain path and headed west.
Li Feihong suddenly tilted her head and said, "Brother, did you hear what Sheng Jinhua was saying to the old woman with the pursed mouth just now?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "She was reporting on the situation at today's meeting. When she mentioned the man in green who used the 'Sparkling Gold Palm,' the old woman seemed very angry. That's when she opened her eyes and saw us. Let's go up and ask our elder brother. He might know who this man in green is."
Li Feihong said, "By the way, when we made our move, I also saw a man in green helping us, but then he suddenly disappeared." As he spoke, he quickened his pace, and by the time he reached Qiaoling, it was almost midnight. The wine seller was naturally already fast asleep; the pine shed was pitch black, with only the wooden table and benches in sight.
Li Feihong said, "Old brother isn't here."
Ding Shaoqiu's gaze swept over and he saw two empty wine jugs on a wooden table to the left, with a dozen or so coins beside them. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "It seems old brother has already left."
Li Feihong asked, "How did you know?"
Ding Shaoqiu pointed to the table to the left and said, "The wine seller must have cleaned up before going to sleep. There are two empty wine jugs and a dozen or so coins on this table, so old brother must have come here, bought two jugs of wine himself, drunk them, and left the money before leaving."
Li Feihong said, "He's gone again."
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Let's hurry back." "
It's only four or five li from here to the Jade Emperor's Palace. As the two stepped out of the pine shed, they saw a dark figure slowly approaching. When they were only about ten feet apart, the man stopped, raised his eyes, and asked Ding Shaoqiu, 'Are you Ding Shaoqiu?'
Ding Shaoqiu had already recognized the man as wearing a long blue robe, with a slightly yellow complexion and a cold expression. This was the man in blue who had helped him at the grand assembly. He nodded and said, 'I am Ding Shaoqiu.' The man
in blue nodded and turned his gaze to Li Feihong, saying, 'Ding Shaoqiu and I have something to discuss. Young Hero Li, could you please step back a few steps?' Stepping back meant that Li Feihong couldn't hear what he was saying.
Li Feihong sneered, 'There's nothing to hide. We're brothers. Speak your mind.'
The man in blue coldly replied, 'Because this matter has nothing to do with you, you can't listen.'
Li Feihong retorted angrily, 'If I can't listen, my brother won't listen either. '" The man in blue remained coldly indifferent, saying, "
What I'm about to say concerns Ding Shaoqiu personally; why doesn't he want to hear it?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "What is it, my friend? Please explain."
The man in blue said, "You must tell me to retreat five zhang away, otherwise I will not speak."
Ding Shaoqiu hesitated, "I have never met you before..."
The man in blue snorted coldly, "If I don't tell you, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
Li Feihong also snorted, "Brother, don't listen to him. What could be so serious?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Brother, don't be childish. Just retreat five zhang as he says and listen to what this friend has to say."
Hearing his brother say this, Li Feihong had no choice but to say, "Alright, I'll retreat then. What's the big deal?" After saying that, he indeed retreated five zhang away.
Ding Shaoqiu looked up at the man in blue and said, "Friend, you can speak now, right?"
The man in blue still asked coldly, "How old are you this year?"
Ding Shaoqiu replied, "Eighteen."
The man in blue said, "For eighteen years, you haven't seen your mother. Do you want to see her?"
Ding Shaoqiu asked doubtfully, "Who is this friend?"
The man in blue said, "I am your mother's friend. If you want to see her, come with me. This trip is highly confidential; the fewer people who know, the better. You must come with me immediately."
Ding Shaoqiu hesitated and said, "This..."
The man in blue said, "Unless you don't want to see her."
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Alright, I'll go with you."
The man in blue said, "Then you should send your sworn brother back first."
Ding Shaoqiu nodded and said to Li Feihong, "Brother, you go back first..." "I have something to discuss with this friend at the Jade Emperor's Palace,"
Li Feihong said worriedly. "I'll wait for you here. You two talk."
Ding Shaoqiu said, "No, you go back first. We have another place to go."
Li Feihong asked, "Where are you going?"
The man in blue said impatiently, "Don't worry, I won't harm Ding Shaoqiu."
Li Feihong said, "We don't know you at all. How do we know if you're a good person or a bad person?"
Ding Shaoqiu said, "Brother, you just go back first and report to Master about this trip. This matter is very important. I'll be back soon."
Seeing that his elder brother had said this, Li Feihong had no choice but to nod and say, "Alright, I'll go back first then." After saying that, he turned and ran away.
The man in blue said, "Come with me." He took a step and walked towards a small path to the south.
Ding Shaoqiu followed closely behind him. After walking for about three miles, the man in blue walked to a large willow tree by the river and turned back, saying, "Shaoqiu, hurry up and get on the boat." Sure enough, a covered boat was moored under the willow tree. The man in blue stepped onto the bow
and bent down to enter the cabin. Although Ding Shaoqiu muttered to himself, "We still have to take a boat ride," he didn't say it aloud and followed the man in blue off the boat into the cabin.
The cabin wasn't large, only enough for two people to sit facing each other on the floor. The man in blue was already sitting cross-legged opposite him and simply said, "Sit." His voice was much gentler. Ding Shaoqiu didn't say anything and sat down opposite him on the floor. Without waiting for instructions, the boatman left the shore and rowed towards the middle of the river.
Meanwhile, Li Feihong, although unwilling for her elder brother to go with a complete stranger in blue, realized that her brother insisted she return to the Jade Emperor's Palace first. She immediately thought that her brother probably knew that the two of them were no match for the man in blue, which was why he wanted her to rush back to the Jade Emperor's Palace to report the news. Thinking of this, he didn't linger and turned to run swiftly along a mountain path to the west.
He had only run about half a mile when he suddenly heard a whooshing sound behind him, rushing towards him. He thought to himself, "Could it be that the man in green has caught up?" The thought had barely formed when he felt the gust of wind, faster than a bird, sweep past his head—no, a figure swept past his head and crashed to the ground several dozen feet away.
Li Feihong's heart tightened unexpectedly. He thought, "Judging from the way this person fell, he seems to be seriously injured. Could it be my brother…?" In that instant, the falling figure suddenly leaped up again, but only covered about ten feet before crashing to the ground again with a thud. This time, he seemed exhausted and unable to get up.
Li Feihong was extremely anxious and rushed over, anxiously calling out, "Brother, what happened to you?" The man sat on the ground, panting, unable to speak. As Li Feihong rushed to the person's side, she saw that it was an old woman in black, with disheveled white hair. She sat on the ground, one hand covering her chest, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, clearly seriously injured and in a very wretched state.
Li Feihong was in a hurry to return to the Jade Emperor's Palace to report the news, and since the injured person wasn't her elder brother, she didn't want to cause any trouble. She uttered a sound of surprise, "You're not my elder brother," and with that, she intended to leave.
The old woman in black blinked and said weakly, "Young man, I want to... trouble... you with something... I..."
As a righteous person, he had no reason to stand by and watch someone die. Li Feihong was only anxious to return and report because he was worried about what might happen to his elder brother and the man in green. Now that she had spoken, he had no choice but to stop and bend down to ask, "Grandma, what can I do for you?"
The old woman in black raised her trembling hand, pointed to her chest, and said, "I... have... a medicine bottle in my bosom... I want... to trouble... you... to... give... me..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly coughed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Li Feihong understood; she had a medicine bottle in her bosom that she wanted him to retrieve. It must be medicine for injuries. He immediately squatted down, reached into the old woman's bosom, and indeed found a small porcelain bottle. He took it out and carefully held it in his palm. Inside the small porcelain bottle were only three tiny, vermilion pills, each the size of a grain of rice.
Having come from the Beggars' Sect, he naturally knew that the smaller the pill, the stronger its effect. The old woman in black had already fainted, and the medicine bottle didn't indicate the dosage. He was unsure how many pills to give her, but then he thought that the old woman's injuries were extremely severe, so it would be better to feed her all three pills at once. Without hesitation, he pried open the old woman's teeth and put all three pills into her mouth. Just then, he looked up and saw several figures rushing towards him on the eastern mountain path.
In that instant, he realized that the old woman in black had come from the east and was flying west, likely from Thunder Ridge towards the Jade Emperor Palace. She was seriously injured, possibly from being attacked by the people of Tiannan Manor. Therefore, the figures on the eastern mountain path were the people from Tiannan Manor who were tracking her. Thinking this, he immediately scooped up the old woman in black and, crouching low, darted into a grove of trees on his right.
Fortunately, the group on the eastern mountain path was still some distance away, and Li Feihong, walking briskly with a bent back, was unlikely to be spotted. After he darted into the woods, set down the old woman in black behind a large tree, and crouched down, the figures rushed to where they had just stopped. Li Feihong could now see that there were three people tracking him, but it was already late at night, and he was at least seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters) away from where he was hiding, so he couldn't see their faces clearly.
He only heard one of them say, "Commander, we've chased her for dozens of miles, but we haven't seen the old hag." Li Feihong recognized the man's accent; it was Xun Ji, the deputy leader of Tiannan Village.
Then another clear voice said, "The old hag has already been hit by the old lady's 'Yin Yang Palm.' No matter how high her martial arts are, she can't escape more than a hundred miles away."
Li Feihong thought to himself, "That's the chief steward, Gongsun Xuan. I wonder who the other one is."
Xun Ji added, "But just past there is the Jade Emperor's Palace."
"Hmm," Gongsun Xuan grunted, "The old hag is running this way because she's heading to the Jade Emperor's Palace. We..." His words already gave him an excuse to retreat since he couldn't catch her. There were
people from various sects at the Jade Emperor's Palace, and the three of them were naturally outnumbered and no match for them. But before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a third person exclaim, "Chief, Deputy Chief Leader, look quickly! There's a pool of blood on the ground!"
Li Feihong hadn't heard this person's voice before, but from his tone, she could tell he was probably just a warrior from Tiannan Village. She inwardly cried out, "Damn it! If they find the pool of blood the old woman vomited, they might suspect she's temporarily hiding in the woods."
Just then, she suddenly felt a burning hot hand press on her "Lingtai" acupoint on her back. At the same time, she heard the deep voice of the old woman in black say, "Quickly pick up three small stones from the ground and place them in your palm. If they rush into the woods, just raise your hand and open your palm. Remember, first close your five fingers, then quickly open them as you open your palm, pushing your palm forward. As you push forward, concentrate on starting from the center, then move your palm to the right and then to the left. The order is crucial, and the faster the better."
Li Feihong felt a surge of immense internal energy flow from her "Lingtai" acupoint to her right shoulder, down her arm, and into her palm as she spoke. Not daring to delay, he immediately picked up three small pebbles from the ground and clenched them in his palm.
At this moment, Gongsun Xuan, having heard the warrior's words, approached the pool of blood, bent down to examine it, and chuckled, "That old hag is severely injured. After spitting out this pool of blood, she will surely faint. Even if she wakes up in time, she won't be able to walk more than a hundred feet..." His gaze swept over the woods to the right, then he waved his left hand and chuckled, "There's only this grove of trees here. Let's go in and search."
As soon as the word "search" was uttered, three figures moved as swiftly as birds, flying in a triangular formation towards the woods. Just as Li Feihong picked up the three pebbles and clenched them in his palm, he heard the old woman in black utter a low shout: "Shoot!" Although Li Feihong didn't believe that three pebbles thrown so carelessly could injure experts like Gongsun Xuan and Xun Ji,
since the old woman had said so, he decided to do as she said. The moment the old woman uttered the word "Shoot," he immediately raised his right hand, which was holding the three pebbles, and forcefully flicked his fingers outwards, his palm slightly bulging. He silently recited that he would shoot the middle pebble first, then quickly move his palm to the right and left. Strangely enough, just as his palm bulged slightly, a surge of internal energy gathered in his palm suddenly erupted, bursting forth, and the three pebbles shot outwards in sequence.
As Li Feihong felt the pebbles automatically springing outwards, he simultaneously heard three shrill screams, like wild beasts struck by arrows, and leaped out of the forest with cries of terror. The woman in black sneered, "Listen up, you three cowards! Out of consideration for your youth, I'll only take one of your left eyes as a light punishment. Go back and tell Ji Qiniang that her 'Yin Yang Palm' is nothing special. In three months, I'll settle this score with her. Now get out of here!"
Li Feihong was astonished. Three small pebbles she had thrown from her palm had taken one of each of their left eyes—didn't that mean that this single blow was... Having blinded the left eyes of three men, she thought her aim with the three pebbles was off, yet her calculations were so accurate. What kind of technique was this, possessing such miraculous skill? And who was this old woman in black?
Just then, a few feet away, Gongsun Xuan's stern, teeth-gritting laugh rang out: "Fine, Gongsun Xuan will relay your words. My skills are lacking; what does losing a left eye matter? You've taught me a lesson well. One day, Gongsun Xuan might take it back from you tenfold." The old woman in black remained silent.
Li Feihong hurriedly turned around and saw the old woman in black sitting behind her, her eyes closed, her chest heaving, and her face almost bloodless. She was shocked; thankfully, Gongsun Xuan and the others were already far away, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. She quickly turned back and whispered, "Grandma, what's wrong?"
The old woman in black took a breath and sighed, "This old woman is dying. I took three blows from Ji Qiniang. She only used the 'Yin Yang Palm' on the third strike. I underestimated her and fell for her trap, losing my life in the process..."
Li Feihong said, "Grandma has already taken medicine. With more rest, she will slowly recover."
The old woman in black smiled bitterly, "After being struck by the Yin Yang Palm, all my Yang energy was transformed by the Yin Yang energy. Unless someone who practices the Nine Yang Divine Skill can use their supremely powerful and pure Yang energy to refine away the extreme Yin energy within me, I cannot be saved. Moreover, this person's skill must surpass that of Ji Qiniang. There are absolutely no people in the world who practice the Nine Yang Divine Skill..." "Yes, but to find someone whose skill surpasses Ji Qiniang's is simply impossible."
She paused slightly, then continued, "The three Fire Spirit Pills I have are the Fire Spirit Saint Mother's unique healing medicine from years ago, but they can only temporarily protect my vital energy and suppress my injuries. I'm certain that the old hag won't let me go easily and will send someone to follow me. Of course, I don't want my body to be desecrated after my death, which is why I asked you to feed me the medicine."
Li Feihong said, "This junior sees that the old woman's injuries seem much better."
The old woman in black said, "Didn't I just say that this is only a temporary suppression of the injuries? Once the medicine wears off, this old woman will have to let go of Chenyu... Oh, little girl, what's your name?"
The word "little girl" made Li Feihong's face flush. She replied, "This junior is Li Feihong." She still only gave her an alias because she didn't know the old woman's true background. You can know a person's face but not their heart, so she naturally refused to reveal her identity.
The old woman in black didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "Sit cross-legged."
Li Feihong hesitated, "What are your instructions, old woman?"
The old woman in black said sadly, "This old woman has practiced for seventy years. In half an hour, the effects of the medicine will wear off, my Yin injuries will relapse, and all my power will vanish with me. What a pity! Right now, thanks to the power of the Fire Spirit Pill, I can temporarily suppress the Yin energy. I have about forty or fifty years of power that I can transfer to you..."
Li Feihong didn't expect that this woman, whom she had met by chance, would be willing to transfer her power to her. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Old woman, since the effects of the Fire Spirit Pill last for half an hour, you still have time to get home..."
The old woman in black said, "It's too late. If I die halfway through, I will lose decades of power for nothing. What a pity! If I transfer it to you, this old woman will have more than half of her power still alive. Isn't that great? You don't need to say anything more. Time is running out. Quickly sit cross-legged." Li Feihong had no choice but to sit cross-legged as instructed.
The old woman in black said, "From now on, you must concentrate your mind and slowly circulate the true energy I'm channeling into you. Even if you feel unbearably hot all over and your internal organs ache, you must endure it."
Li Feihong replied, "I understand." As soon as the old woman finished speaking, her right palm slowly pressed against Li Feihong's "Lingtai" acupoint on his back. Li Feihong felt a tremendous surge of heat flowing into his body from her palm. This heat was inexhaustible, like the Yellow River bursting its banks.
He dared not be negligent and immediately followed her instructions, clearing his mind and slowly inhaling, guiding the heat flow to his twelve meridians. At first, he only felt that this true energy was extremely hot, but after a while, as more and more true energy entered his body and circulated throughout his body, he suddenly felt incredibly hot, as if his internal organs were being boiled, and it became increasingly unbearable. She remembered the old woman in black's instructions, gritted her teeth, and endured the pain, focusing her mind and spirit to put aside all unbearable suffering.
A full meal's time passed in this way, her clothes soaked with sweat. The old woman's hand, which had been on her back, finally slowly withdrew. No, she swayed and fell to the ground. Li Feihong quickly turned around and asked, "Grandma, has your injury flared up again?"
The old woman in black weakly closed her eyes and gasped, "Old woman...it's alright. You...have only just received fifty years of my power, you can't be careless...I need to regulate my breathing for a while. Old woman...I have something to tell you..." As Li Feihong turned, she realized she did indeed feel dizzy and lightheaded, as if she were wearing a hundred-pound, thick garment, feeling bloated and cumbersome. She sat down as instructed and began to regulate her breathing and practice her internal energy.
After another meal's time, she finally felt a little better. Thinking of the old woman in black, she quickly turned back and said, "Grandma, I've finished circulating my energy. Are you feeling better now?"
The old woman in black, leaning against a large tree as if dozing, opened her eyes slightly upon hearing her words and weakly said, "Even after you finished circulating your energy, you'll only feel a little better. The fifty years of internal energy I infused into your body cannot be used by you immediately. Come here, I will teach you the internal energy cultivation method. You must practice diligently; it will take about three months to fully integrate it..."
Li Feihong was deeply moved and knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Grandma, may I call you Master?"
"Good, good child, get up quickly." The old woman in black showed a look of comforted joy on her face and said, "It's a pity that our time as master and disciple is so short. My time is limited, so you should remember it carefully." After saying that, she passed on the internal energy incantation to Li Feihong, explaining the more profound parts sentence by sentence.
Li Feihong was intelligent and naturally understood immediately, remembering everything she heard. After she finished explaining, she said, "Master, you've said so much, please rest for a while."
The old woman in black asked, "You've remembered everything?"
Li Feihong nodded and said, "Disciple has remembered everything."
The old woman in black nodded and said, "That's good."
Li Feihong said, "Master, I haven't told you your name yet."
The old woman in black tremblingly reached into her bosom and took out a small velvet bag, panting as she said, "Li... Feihong, kneel down and take... this with both hands..."
Li Feihong didn't know what was in the velvet bag, but her master spoke so solemnly that she unconsciously knelt down, took the velvet bag with both hands, and called out, "Master..."
The old woman in black said in a trembling voice, "I... give it to you......" Before she finished speaking, the person sitting suddenly trembled, opened her mouth, wanted to speak, but couldn't say anything.
Li Feihong noticed something was wrong with her and burst into tears: "Master..." Just then, she suddenly felt a gust of wind behind her, and a solemn voice called out: "Sect Master...you old..."
Before he could finish speaking, he hurriedly shouted: "Why aren't you going up there to serve the Sect Master?" Then, a fragrant breeze blew, and four young girls dressed in green gracefully emerged from the left and right sides (Li Feihong was kneeling in front of the old woman in black) and rushed towards the old woman in black. Some rubbed her chest, and some massaged her back, saying in sweet voices: "Sect Master, are you alright?"
Li Feihong also quickly stood up at this moment and looked back. She saw a pagoda-like figure standing behind her. This person was wearing a long, wide robe that only reached his knees, with a bald head and white beard. He was tall and fat, and his whole body was covered in fat. Their eyes met, and almost simultaneously, they both asked, "Who are you?"
The pagoda-shaped fat man's gaze fell on the small velvet bag in Li Feihong's hand, his expression subtly changing. He barked, "What are you holding?"
Li Feihong, annoyed by his rudeness, retorted, "This was given to me by my master. I don't know what it is, and what does it have to do with you?"
The pagoda-shaped fat man suddenly burst into a loud, unstoppable laugh, "You don't know? I do! Tell me, who is your master?"
Before Li Feihong could answer, a young man in blue robes... The woman called out, "Deputy Director, the Sect Master has woken up."
The pagoda-shaped fat man grunted an "Oh," and hurriedly turned to the old woman in black, bowing and saying, "Your subordinate, Feng Tianyou, greets the Sect Master. You old..."
Li Feihong also rushed to the old woman in black, calling out, "Master, are you feeling better?"
The old woman in black blinked her lifeless eyes and said weakly, "Feng...Deputy...Director...she...she is my...new...disciple...successor...cough...cough..." A violent cough followed, and with a spit of blood, her head slumped down.
Feng Tianyou was shocked and quickly stepped forward, placing his fingers on the old woman's wrist to feel her pulse. He said sadly, "The Sect Master has passed away."
Li Feihong thought of the old woman in black, whom she had never met, yet who had lost fifty years of her cultivation to her and had even passed on her internal energy cultivation method. Her gratitude to her master was immense, and tears welled up in her eyes. She cried out, "Master..." and burst into tears.
Feng Tianyou extended a large, fan-like hand and patted Li Feihong's shoulder, saying, "The old sect leader has instructed you to succeed him. You should accept your fate and shoulder this great responsibility." However, just as his right hand touched Li Feihong's shoulder, he suddenly felt a powerful force that made his hand bounce back. He was startled and thought, "This young man has such refined internal energy."
Li Feihong wiped away her tears and turned to ask, "You call Master 'Sect Leader,' but what kind of sect leader is she?"
Feng Tianyou was the deputy director of the Hua Zi Sect, and his skill was already that of a first-rate martial arts master. He had initially thought that Li Feihong, the newly appointed sect leader, was showing off her skills, but now, seeing that Li Feihong seemed oblivious, the rebound on his shoulder was simply a spontaneous reaction. He looked at Li Feihong and said, "Didn't the old sect leader say anything when he passed the Flower Character Golden Token to you?"
Upon closer inspection, he realized that Li Feihong was actually a woman disguised as a hairpin, and he thought to himself, "The Flower Character Sect leader has always been a woman. I wondered why the old sect leader would pass the leadership to a young man."
"No," Li Feihong said. "Just now, my master made me kneel down and accept this small bag with both hands. He only said, 'I'm giving it to you,' before fainting. Then you all arrived." Feng
Tianyou said, "So, young lady hasn't seen what's in the bag yet? Why don't you take it out and take a look?"
Li Feihong did as he was told, opening the velvet bag and taking out a shield-shaped purple-gold plaque strung with gold thread. The plaque was engraved with extremely fine patterns around its edges, and in the very center was an ancient seal script character "Hua." (Hua, the ancient form of the character for "flower") She glanced at it and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Feng, what is this gold medal for?"
Her address of "Senior Feng" pleased Feng Tianyou greatly. He smiled, clasped his hands, and said, "I dare not accept the title 'Senior' from the sect leader. As for this gold medal, it is the sect leader's medal. Seeing the medal is like seeing the sect leader, representing the sect's supreme power. The old sect leader entrusted this medal to you before his death, and you are now the sect leader."
Li Feihong hesitated, "This..."
Before she could finish, Feng Tianyou continued, "This is the old sect leader's will. As far as I can see, the old sect leader has also passed on the sect's protective true energy to you."
Li Feihong Li Feihong said, "How could that be? I just met my master here and became her disciple in less than half an hour. Since my master is the sect leader of your sect, there must be many senior people in your sect. Why would she want me to succeed her as sect leader? Besides, I know nothing about your sect."
Feng Tianyou smiled and said, "As I said, this is the old sect leader's will. Since she accepted you as her disciple and gave you the golden token, you are the sect leader. You can't refuse." He paused here and then said, "I wonder if the sect leader could tell me about what happened when she met the old sect leader?" Li Feihong nodded and recounted the situation in detail.
Feng Tianyou laughed, "So the old sect leader not only passed on her unique skill, 'Flying Star Palm,' to you, but also transferred all her internal energy to you. The old sect leader had excellent judgment and made the right choice. Although our sect has many disciples, none can compare to you in terms of talent. From now on, the future of our sect and the chance to avenge you rest on your shoulders."
Li Feihong said, "Master didn't teach me 'Flying Star Palm.'" Feng Tianyou
laughed, "The old sect leader asked you to pick up three pebbles. The one that blinded Gongsun Xuan and the other two in the left eye is 'Flying Star Palm.' You have already received fifty years of internal energy from the old sect leader. As long as you diligently practice the internal energy cultivation method..." "I've already grasped the knack of it; I'll understand it naturally in the future." Looking at the sky, he added, "It's almost dawn; we should be on our way."
Li Feihong asked, "Where does Senior Feng want me to go?" Feng Tianyou replied,
"The old sect leader has recently passed away, and the matter of the young lady succeeding him as sect leader is still unknown to everyone in our sect. Naturally, you should return to your sect first."
Li Feihong said, "But I have urgent business to attend to at the Jade Emperor Palace."
Feng Tianyou said, "Sect Leader, there's no need to go. For some reason, all the members of the various sects at the Jade Emperor Palace withdrew around midnight. Now, only an empty Taoist temple remains."
Li Feihong was taken aback and said, "Such a thing could happen?"
Feng Tianyou said, "This is the report I received when I arrived; it is absolutely true."
Li Feihong shook her head and said, "Even if they've left, I still have to go." Feng Tianyou
nodded and said, "This place isn't far from the Jade Emperor's Palace. If the sect leader wants to go, I'll accompany him." Then he turned to the four girls in green and instructed, "You escort the old sect leader's body back first. I'll accompany the sect leader to the Jade Emperor's Palace and then come back." The four girls in green responded, "Yes."
Feng Tianyou raised his hand and said, "Sect leader, please." Li Feihong was eager to get to the Jade Emperor's Palace, so she didn't say anything more. The two of them walked out of the woods and set off on foot. It was only four or five miles, so they arrived quickly.

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