Chapter 361: Chapter 155: The Mountain and River Immortal Strikes the Heaven-Striking Sect—Witnessing the Birth of the First ‘True Master’ a Hundred Years Ago?! (Part 3)
He had only just arrived, catching a glimpse of the iceberg’s tip, yet he saw so many heroes and powerful figures!
Truly, the heroes of the world are as plentiful as the fish in the river!
It’s not that you haven’t encountered them.
But rather...
You simply haven’t reached that level of understanding yet!
"Has Zuo Shanhe really succeeded?" Guan Chanzi’s heart trembled.
"..." Zhang Ziqing held a talisman, silent, seemingly not expecting... that their collection of all these ultimate techniques, just to knock on the Celestial Gate, would ultimately appear as trivial as a ’clown.’
Yet a single word from that man was enough to connect to the heavens.
"Take another look, take another look." Feng Zizai squatted down, stroked his chin, a spark flashing through his mind, and suddenly clapped his hands:
"No, my mind has entered a dead end."
"If he truly succeeded, wouldn’t that be a good thing too?"
"When the time comes, I can change my appearance, adopt a ’Zizai Daoist’ name, become a disciple of this Left Gate leader, and ask him about the path ahead. Then I can pass it on to my brothers, can’t I?"
Guan Chanzi and Zhang Ziqing, upon hearing this, fell silent in unison:
"..."
Leader, you were just the world’s top demon, and you even attempted to assassinate the Great Yin Monarch moments ago.
If you want to become a disciple,
you must see if they’ll accept you!
"Feng Zizai, Guan Chanzi, Zhang Ziqing!"
"The Gate Leader has become a True Master, and you linger here. If you’re just here to observe, then fine. But if you harbor ill intentions..."
Lifting his gaze to the sky, filled with excitement, Left Canxuan, who could be considered the foremost disciple after Zuo Shanhe within the sect, suddenly turned his head and shouted sternly:
"With you, it’s to death, no rest!"
As the clouds in the sky gathered and dispersed.
The Celestial Gate became increasingly solidified, and a hint of crimson seemed to appear faintly, as Zuo Shanhe’s hand slowly pushed open half of it.
Many disciples’ gazes became more and more fervent.
This differed from later generations where becoming a True Master could be traced.
In this era,
what they were witnessing now...
Was the birth of the first True Master in the world, and it was their own mentor. How could they not feel honored?
However,
when Zuo Shanhe pushed open half the ’Celestial Gate’, faintly making out the situation beyond.
He then looked towards the entire Nirvana Mountain, the entire Life and Death Mountain and River Sect, and those like Feng Zizai outside the sect gates.
His actions suddenly halted.
Zuo Shanhe frowned.
Various emotions such as confusion, bewilderment, anger...flashed through his eyes.
But since it was so far away.
No one could notice his expression.
Ultimately, as his sight fell upon those inside and outside the sect who were cultivating the ’Life and Death Mountain and River Profound Skill’ and had refined ’Nirvana True Qi,’ with almost everyone bowing, clad in white.
He lifted his hand multiple times but hesitated before putting it down again.
Until the previously surging aura from his body...began to fade slowly.
In the end, he didn’t push open that half-door.
Instead, silently watched the ’Celestial Gate’ shatter and disappear.
At this moment, it was the depths of winter.
As the grand scene vanished...
Snow lightly fell from the sky, landing on the surface of the aged yet seemed only in his early twenties, with sword-like brows and an immortal-like bearing, the white-haired and white-clothed Left Gate Leader, Zuo Shanhe.
Yet in the blink of an eye.
The aura throughout his entire being dissipated rapidly, like an ’avalanche.’
His skin began to wither at a speed visible to the naked eye, resembling decay; his face instantly covered with wrinkles, ravines, deep eye sockets, appearing on the verge of death.
And then—
In the startled eyes of many disciples.
He plummeted from the sky.
"Gate Leader, Gate Leader!"
"Master!"
In that instant, disregarding Feng Zizai and the others, those inside and out, including Left Canxuan, Left Method, and others, scrambled from the ground, rushing inward in a frenzy.
Life and Death Mountain and River Sect was single-handedly established and nurtured by Zuo Shanhe; disciples were extremely scarce, and over the years, only several dozen to a hundred had come to practice the Life and Death Mountain and River Profound Skill. It could be said that these people had a bond as close as father and son.
They surged towards the square outside the Mountain and River Hall, supporting the frail figure of Zuo Shanhe, who looked like an immortal fallen into the mortal world.
At this time, the previously inattentive Jixia and Feng Zizai due to the incident outside the gate found themselves looking at each other, bewildered.
For a moment, they were all stunned by this earth-shattering change.
Zuo Shanhe...
Did he fail to break through the barrier?
But it shouldn’t have happened!
He appeared so at ease...
After some hesitation, Feng Zizai couldn’t hold back, stepped forward to investigate, and Jixia’s heart tightened further, wondering if their plan to cultivate ’Profound Skill’ in this world was about to fall through, so they approached to get a better look.
Upon reaching the Mountain and River Hall.
They saw Left Canxuan, Left Method, and many disciples,
supporting and surrounding the frail and withering Left Shanhe, whose eyes drooped and was starkly different from the accomplished and elegant disciples around him, looking at Feng Zizai with grief and anger:
"Why don’t you leave, what are you staying here for?!"
"Could it be you want to take advantage and decide the outcome with the Gate Leader before the agreed three years?!"
With that said, the two attempted to hand over Zuo Shanhe to another disciple, ready to act jointly.
But they were stopped by the clouded eyes and greatly diminished Profound Skill of Zuo Shanhe:
"Wait, step back."
His voice was calm. Then he pulled out two scrolls of ’Profound Skill’ from his sleeve, gestured to a nearby disciple for support, and staggered toward the silent and puzzled Feng Zizai:
"These are the first two volumes of the ’Life and Death Mountain and River Profound Skill,’ which are quite ingenious. Take them and see if they might have any effect."
"In that contest of three years, I was supposed to teach you the method, and you were to lose by suicide, but it seems I lost and cannot keep the appointment."
"As per the agreement, the cultivation technique is yours."
"As for the third volume recording the Third Layer, I won’t give it to you."
"Because the Third Layer of this technique harms people."
Feng Zizai accepted the technique with a slight daze:
"Mountain and River Sect Leader, you..."
Zuo Shanhe chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"You no longer need to call me Mountain and River Sect Leader."
Saying this,
he turned his head, looking at the assembled disciples, pondered for a long time, and said:
"All of you... leave the mountain."
Upon hearing this.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
But Zuo Shanhe remained calm as before, seeming to have seen through worldly affairs.
Then, he looked at the solitary Jixia.
Recognized his identity and also noticed his bone age.
So his cloudy eyes bore a hint of appreciation:
"The limit of twenty-eight, counting the days, today indeed marks your sixteenth birthday, coincidentally also my propitious day for breaking the Heaven’s Gate."
"I am like withered wood, you are like the rising sun."
"Fate has connected us."
"Reaching Heaven-Human Peak grants acute senses and far sight, I heard bits and pieces of your discussion just now and have understood a little."
"Stay here and help bury me."
"I will teach you something, to fulfill an old promise, preventing you from ending up lonely and without support when you descend the mountain."
Cough, cough.
With that, Zuo Shanhe coughed, lowering his head, seemingly at death’s door.
Causing the entire Mountain and River Sect disciples... to be filled with rage.
Left Canxuan and Left Method were particularly urgent, stepping forward with faces filled with confusion and helplessness:
"Master, why?"
"You... you..."
But Zuo Shanhe seemed to see through the thoughts of the two, only looked apologetically at the bewildered Feng Zizai and others, then said:
"Wuwei Sect Leader, you may leave."
"As for you two..."
"Follow me inside."
"You..."
"Li Treading Immortal, is that right?"
Seeing Jixia nod slightly.
Zuo Shanhe smiled:
"Support me, please."
"A lifetime of cultivation is but a dream illusion..."
"My ’Life and Death Mountain and River Profound Skill,’ cultivated to the end, claimed as part of the Mystic Sect, turned out to forge a ’demon more demonic than a demon,’ ha."
"Truly ’the joke of the world’..."
"This technique, this sect, neither cultivate nor uphold, and so be it...!"
