Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Angel Investor
His spine crackled, joint by joint, like a roll of thunder passing through his body. The Red Flood Dragon Mountain Coiling Strength shot up from his tailbone, spiraling up his great spinal column.
Every inch of his muscles and bones felt like red-hot Profound Steel springs, compressing and stacking layer upon layer of thousand jin power.
Wherever the mace’s edge passed, the air was torn into visible ripples of distortion. The mountain winds and mist condensed into a spiraling vortex that wrapped around the weapon’s body.
In the distance, morning dew on the pine branches shuddered and fell, as if the entire mountain peak was trembling at the low hum of the vicious weapon.
’Your Nine Profound Dragon-Defying Mace Technique has reached Perfection...’
Glancing at the notification that popped up in his vision, Xu Yunfan reluctantly lowered the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace in his hand.
Once the Nine Profound Dragon-Defying Mace Technique reached Perfection, there was no room for further advancement; his Skill Level would not increase by even half a point.
The information Bi Yuan had given him three days ago resurfaced in Xu Yunfan’s mind.
Bi Yuan wouldn’t lie to him about this. In fact, the situation was even more severe than he had described.
He had wanted to enter a dream to ask Yuu Congling, but he discovered that she had fallen completely silent. No matter how he called out to her, even after sleeping for a whole day, there was no response. It seemed the words spoken in the White Jade Palace had completely exhausted the power she had accumulated for so long.
"Celestial Demon..."
Xu Yunfan touched the Taoist Sect Token hanging from his robes.
This Tongxuan Order was given to him by Bi Yuan himself. It was carved entirely from Profound Jade and secretly inlaid with the Taoist Sect’s Nine Luminaries Star Pattern.
The holder of this order could freely enter and exit the Taoist Sect’s Thirty-Six Peaks and seventy-two halls, needing only to avoid a few forbidden areas. This was especially true for the Langhuan Book Collection Tower, which was said to hold "all the Martial Arts under heaven." Even its top floor, which purportedly contained all the world’s Divine Skills and Supreme Arts, was completely accessible.
The Taoist Sect had stood for several thousand years, surviving seven great worldly calamities without falling. The collection of texts in its library was as vast as a sea.
It contained not only the original copy of the Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas left by a Sect True Inheritor, but also a unique, annotated volume of the Taiyi Sword Scripture from a past Grandmaster, and even treasured fragments of the long-lost Yellow Court Secret Record.
Since the founding of the Taoist Sect, only three people had ever enjoyed such treatment.
If not for the fact that Bi Yuan had reached the peak of the Ninth Realm of Qi Cultivation and suppressed the Sect’s Elders with his supreme authority, this Tongxuan Order, which symbolized the Sect Leader’s personal presence, would never have ended up in the hands of someone who wasn’t even a disciple of the Sect.
Such magnanimity, such sincerity... even Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but be moved. By the time he came to his senses, he was already clutching the Token tightly in his hand, unwilling to let go.
Who could possibly refuse this?
Although the Taoist Sect’s intentions were obvious, no one could turn it down. This was a true angel investor.
Just as Xu Yunfan was about to head to the Langhuan Book Collection Tower, he saw the clouds and mist on the mountain path churning. The Daoist Child who had guided him earlier was hurrying over, the star patterns embroidered on his cyan robe’s cuffs fluttering like butterflies with his movements.
The Daoist Child bowed from ten paces away, his voice as clear as striking jade. "Senior Brother Xu, your master, Zhan Yan, has arrived at the Sect gate. He is currently in the Guest Hall having tea with the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader has ordered you to go and see them at once."
Upon hearing this, his brow twitched. The fine inner scales of his Dragon Scale Armor shifted without any wind. ’Master came this quickly? He must have rushed here day and night.’
He immediately nodded and said, "Please lead the way."
The Daoist Child led him southeast, onto a suspended stone path hidden within a sea of clouds.
Each bluestone slab was engraved with a cloud pattern. When he stepped on them, they would emit a faint silver glow due to the extraordinary material used for the patterns.
Truly extravagant and grand.
From the Cloud Qi on both sides, clear chimes would ring out from time to time. A closer look revealed they were from Profound Birds perched on Iron Pines, pecking at Wind Chimes.
While crossing a Rainbow Bridge that soared between two peaks, Xu Yunfan suddenly stopped. In the abyss below the bridge, dozens of rusty ancient swords bobbed up and down. The Sword Qi they emitted caused the Cyan Blade Scabbard at his waist, which he had gotten from Su Zhenhe, to vibrate and hum.
"That’s the ’Sword Burial Abyss’."
Seeing his interest, the Daoist Child explained softly, "Before a Taoist Sect disciple undergoes Soldier Resolution, they will cast their sword in here. There is a Divine Weapon lying dormant inside."
Before he could finish speaking, a crimson Sword Aura shot up from the bottom of the abyss, tearing a blood-red gash in the clouds before plunging back into the depths.
The Daoist Child’s expression remained unchanged. "It seems another senior has passed away today."
Seeing this, Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The Taoist Sect had nearly three hundred thousand disciples in total, with thirty thousand Inner Sect Disciples and several thousand True Disciples, not to mention the Elders of various departments. Over the years, the numbers were staggering.
Jian Nan Dao had a total of twelve provinces. Aside from some insignificant sects and martial arts halls, and a few ordinary sects, almost all of them existed to support this behemoth.
The outline of the Guest Hall finally appeared as the clouds parted.
The entire building was framed with Bronze and roofed with glazed tiles.
Seven Coiling Dragon Pillars stood in the square before the hall. At this moment, the Copper Chains wrapped around the pillars were moving without any wind, letting out crisp clinks of metal striking metal.
Still a hundred paces from the hall’s entrance, a familiar, thunderous laugh exploded in Xu Yunfan’s ears. The words were laced with a hint of sycophancy that the speaker himself seemed unaware of.
"HAHAHA! Sect Leader Bi, this ’Cold Marrow Mist Bud’ of yours... compared to the ’Melted Heart Iron Tea’ I grow at Celestial Craft Cave, it’s like a young lady’s embroidery needle meeting a smith’s hammer! Simply marvelous! It almost feels like I’m touching a few delicate young maidens..."
The sound waves made the jade bricks on the square’s floor tremble slightly. As a few Profound Birds took flight in alarm, their feathers actually sparked in mid-air.
"..."
The corners of Xu Yunfan’s mouth turned up involuntarily.
That coarse, hearty voice was the unique signature of Zhan Yan, the head of the Weapon Casting Hall at Celestial Craft Cave.
He quickened his pace, but as he stepped over the threshold, he saw his master, Zhan Yan, sitting sprawled before a low table, his expression somewhat restrained.
But his actions and words were as crude as ever.
Xu Yunfan was speechless, but he didn’t find anything odd about it.
The one in the host’s seat above was the Daoist Sect Leader, an unparalleled expert at the peak of the Ninth Realm of Qi Cultivation. Anyone would be shaken to the core in his presence.
"Yunfan!"
Seeing Xu Yunfan enter, Zhan Yan turned his head. When he saw that his disciple was completely unharmed, his expression relaxed, and his worries were finally put to rest. He strode forward and looked Xu Yunfan up and down.
"Master!"
Xu Yunfan cupped his hands with deep and sincere emotion.
Looking at Xu Yunfan’s joyful expression, Zhan Yan had a thousand things he wanted to say, but in the end, he just patted Xu Yunfan’s shoulder and condensed it all into one sentence.
"It’s good that you’re alright."
Bi Yuan, from the main seat, took in this scene and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He could see that Xu Yunfan’s discipleship at the Celestial Craft Cave was genuinely heartfelt, with no ulterior motives.
After dispelling that slight thought from his mind, Bi Yuan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhan, to have such a disciple is truly a blessing from the heavens."
Hearing Bi Yuan’s unreserved praise, Zhan Yan’s face broke into a wide grin. He was about to boast habitually for a bit but then remembered he was in the presence of the Daoist Sect Leader.
"Not at all, not at all. The master leads the way, but cultivation is up to the individual. My disciple here spends most of his time out in the world, fighting his own battles. All we at the Celestial Craft Cave can do is provide logistical support."
Bi Yuan nodded with a smile. He tapped the teacup with his fingertip, and a ripple of Spiritual Qi spread across the surface of the tea on the Cyan Jade Table. "Fellow Daoist Zhan, did you know that Xu the Younger has already reached the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm?"
"What?!"
Zhan Yan shot to his feet. His right arm, forged from Profound Iron, slammed down on the Cold Jade table, cracking its surface into a spiderweb pattern.
A crimson light flared in his one eye, and his steel-like beard stood on end like needles. When they had parted ways just a few months ago, the boy had clearly still been toiling away in the Flesh Refining Realm!
