Chapter 1344: Chapter 59: Revealing Strange Skill by Cutting Open the Belly and Digging Out the Heart
Three days later, on the second day of the second month.
Xisheng Mountain, filled with auspicious clouds, scattered with golden flowers, over a thousand colorful-robed female attendants, and Blessed Robe Ceremony Officers respectfully awaited guests before the palace.
The mountain had long since lifted its prohibitions that obscured the mountain in the past. Amidst the misty clouds stood a great platform, towering a thousand fathoms high, radiating golden light in splendid colors. This platform was called Golden Bell, and it was the gathering place established by the founding ancestor of the Zhongtai Sect, from which its name derived.
After its Second Generation Sect Leader took charge of the sect, a lake named Yangye was excavated under the platform, spanning ten thousand acres. In the lake, stone mounds piled up to form three tall mountains, named Yingyang, Xili, and Zerui, which surrounded the Golden Bell Platform in a worshipping manner, connected by jade bridges, forming the majestic scenery of "Golden Mountain and Water, White Cauldron Overlooking Mountains."
Zhang Yan and his group of five arrived on a flying boat. Looking down at this moment, they saw a verdant lake gathering the sunset glow, Copper Hall collecting light, pavilions and water bridges winding gracefully, presenting an endless scene of beauty.
The Limping Daoist looked down and sighed, "Just looking at this scene, who would have thought that within the Zhongtai Sect, the primordial qi is greatly depleted, no longer what it once was."
Song Chuyuan, having no good feelings towards the Zhongtai Sect, hummed and sneered, "It’s just the last radiance of the setting sun."
Below, a flash of white light appeared as a Zhongtai Disciple came up, cupping his hands and asked, "May I ask from which immortal abode does the honored guest hail?"
Zhao Yang took out the invitation from his bosom and waved it. The disciple glanced at it and respectfully said, "It turns out to be Sect Leader Zhang from the Divine House. Please follow me."
Those who came to attend the banquet and were qualified to sit in the Golden Bell Platform were all Nascent Soul experts. Many junior disciples who came along could only go to the three mountains to feast. However, seeing only Zhao Yang accompanying Zhang Yan, this disciple did not say anything further.
The Zhongtai Disciples were mostly of imperial kinship and nobility from the Chu Kingdom, highly valuing respect and rank. Even upon reaching the platform, seats were arranged according to status and identity, divided into upper, middle, and lower halls.
Among the three halls, they were separated by thirty-six layers of jade stairs. Only those who were on good terms with the Zhongtai Sect and exceptionally capable were honored to the Upper Hall.
To the Zhongtai Sect, Zhang Yan still had an unknown reputation at this moment, but seeing his deep cultivation and being the master of a sect, with four out of five individuals having Nascent Soul cultivation, not coming from a renowned mountain grotto heaven, the disciple still dared not place him in the lower hall, instead inviting him to sit in the Middle Hall.
After taking his seat, Zhang Yan glanced to his left and right, finding the grand hall exceptionally spacious, with an unobstructed view of everything. Sitting here, he could see the distant mountains with pear blossoms falling, jade rain floating, peach forests adorned in pink, and the joy of spring, which was indescribably beautiful.
As his gaze shifted to the seats, among those present, only he had reached the Second Realm of Nascent Soul, while in the Upper Hall, there were two or three whose cultivation matched his. However, no one had reached the Third Realm of Nascent Soul.
In truth, in the East Victory Continent, outside of disciples from great sects, reaching the Nascent Soul Realm was already difficult. Many cultivators who achieved this realm were not young, and advancing further was just a matter of enhancing daoist cultivation. Without a great opportunity, they would have no hope of glimpsing the secrets of grotto heavens, content to indulge in pleasures witlessly, losing their drive to progress.
When his line of sight passed by, he coincidentally met the gaze of two individuals at a nearby seat. Seeing his profound daoist cultivation, their expressions changed subtly, and they hurriedly turned slightly to the side, cupping their hands in salute. Zhang Yan smiled faintly and returned the gesture.
Suddenly, he remembered something and turned to Song Yuan Chu, who was sitting nearby, and asked, "Are there any of your fellow Daoists here?"
Song Chuyuan glanced around and whispered, "There are two, but they’re enemies." He discreetly pointed in a direction, saying, "It’s those two."
Zhang Yan followed his indication and saw, sitting a hundred fathoms away, two Daoists dressed in peculiar attire. One had white hair and a florid complexion, as delicate as a baby, exuding a transcendental aura. The other had a gaunt face, drooping brows reaching the cheeks, a sunken mouth, and a collapsed nose, possessing an unsightly appearance.
Song Chuyuan’s voice carried a hint of resentment, "The white-haired man is called Yang Fengxiao, originally an elder in the sect. The one who seems slightly younger is named Gu Hongtang, his junior brother of the same lineage. When our sect was besieged by the three sects years ago, these two disregarded the sect’s peril, not only fleeing first but later turning against us when our fellow disciples sought help. My master was also once plotted against by these two."
Zhang Yan nodded and said, "If fellow Daoist cannot find the person to pass down the secret volume for a time, there is no need to rush."
Song Chuyuan had initially decided to ally with Zhang Yan to eventually pass his sect’s secret techniques to their fellow Daoists, ensuring the daoist inheritance wasn’t lost. At the time, they only agreed to a sixteen-year term, fearing Zhang Yan would take his life. At this moment, he hesitated, then suddenly bowed down, saying, "If True Master Zhang doesn’t despise me, I am willing to devote my entire life to serving the True Master."
