Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 661: Chapter 320: Li’s Surname Is Immortal! Jiang Lai’s Dream 2.0

Chu Chaoran’s closed-door disciple is someone else!?

At the dinner table, everyone had the same question rising in their hearts, and strange glances swept back and forth between Zhang Fan and Xia Weisheng.

"Other than President Fan, who else could it be?"

Fang Changle had spent the most time with Zhang Fan, so he knew just how terrifying this honorary disciple of Zhenwu Mountain really was.

He was, after all, the last remaining incense bearer of the South Zhang Lineage, cultivating the Divine Demon Holy Embryo. Whether in realm or strength, he was a standout among the younger generation.

In Fang Changle’s eyes, someone so special becoming Transcendent Zhenren’s closed-door disciple was practically a done deal.

And yet, from Xia Weisheng’s words, it seemed Transcendent Zhenren might have other options!?

"Even someone as outstanding as Brother Fan can’t become Transcendent Zhenren’s closed-door disciple? Then who else is there?" Qi Dongqiang couldn’t help but ask.

Zhang Fan stayed silent, but doubts started to swirl in his heart.

Ever since his Primordial Spirit had reawakened, he’d received many favors from Zhenwu Mountain—whether it was getting him into "Night is not bright," or the several times Zhenwu Mountain had stepped in to help later on. Even his showy behavior outside always carried the Zhenwu Mountain banner.

When Transcendent Zhenren announced he would take on a closed-door disciple, Zhang Fan had a faint feeling that perhaps that disciple would be him.

After all, the Zhenwu Jade Scroll, passed down through the generations at Zhenwu Mountain, was still with him!

But now, hearing Xia Weisheng’s words firsthand, even he started to doubt.

"Who will Transcendent Zhenren’s closed-door disciple be?"

"I don’t know." Xia Weisheng shook his head and looked at Zhang Fan.

"I thought it was you at first too. I even went out of my way to ask Master, but he flatly denied it."

Hearing this, everyone grew even more curious. For someone to catch Transcendent Zhenren’s eye, even enough to break with tradition and reopen the sect to accept a disciple, they must be no ordinary person.

But who could such a person be?

Qi Delong, Qi Dongqiang, Fang Changle, and even Xia Weisheng themselves—heirs to the Ten Great Daoist Mountains—racked their brains but just couldn’t figure it out.

"Such a person definitely wouldn’t be a nobody."

"Could it be that a truly remarkable disciple has appeared within the Pure Yang Family?"

"That’s actually pretty likely."

Everyone chipped in, analyzing the mystery thread by thread.

In the present world, the only ones who could compare to the Ten Great Daoist Mountains in terms of heritage seemed to be the Pure Yang Families.

After all, they had produced experts at the Pure Yang Wuji Realm, had left behind Pure Yang Treasures, and were renowned cultivation families. Even without occupying famous mountain abodes, their power and background weren’t a whit weaker than the Ten Great Daoist Mountains.

The Xu Family of Shangjing was one such Pure Yang Family.

"I heard that a couple years ago, the Ge Family produced a disciple who caught the attention of the Ancestral Master and managed to resonate with one of their Pure Yang Treasures." Qi Delong said quietly, sharing an inside scoop.

The Ge Family was also a Pure Yang Family, its ancestor none other than the famed Ge Hong of the Baopuzi. Their most well-known "Six Jia Secret Prayer"—that is, the "Nine-Character Mantra": ’Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Lie Zhen Qian Xing’—came from there.

"Weisheng, I remember last year Zhenwu Mountain already held the Jade Scroll Transmission Conference..."

At that moment, Fang Changle suddenly said, "The Zhenwu Jade Scroll should have been passed on to you, right? If Transcendent Zhenren does accept this closed-door disciple, who gets the Zhenwu Jade Scroll?"

The moment these words fell, all eyes landed on Xia Weisheng.

Only Zhang Fan kept his head down, eating from his bowl.

Xia Weisheng glanced at Zhang Fan and said indifferently, "Master is just accepting a disciple, but the Zhenwu Jade Scroll concerns Zhenwu Mountain’s incense and candle inheritance—they’re not the same thing..."

"Besides, the Zhenwu Jade Scroll doesn’t belong to anyone. It belongs to Zhenwu Mountain. No matter whose hands it’s in, it has to be returned. Even if someone dies outside, the Jade Scroll still has to be brought back."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Zhang Fan choked on a mouthful of water, nearly spraying it out, and started coughing.

"Are you okay?" Li Miaoyin hurried forward when she saw this.

"Why do you keep choking on water lately? You’re too old for this..."

Li Miaoyin patted Zhang Fan’s back to help him catch his breath.

"It’s nothing, I’m fine. I’ll just go to the restroom for a bit."

Zhang Fan grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth, shot Xia Weisheng a glance out of the corner of his eye, and then got up to leave the private room.

He only relaxed after closing the door behind him.

With the Zhenwu Jade Scroll on him, he always felt like he owed Zhenwu Mountain.

"Transcendent Zhenren’s closed-door disciple is someone else..." Zhang Fan muttered inwardly.

Though he appeared carefree in Yujing City, in reality, enemies lurked everywhere and dangers abounded.

White Crane Temple was eyeing him hungrily from the sidelines, and the Northern Zhang Lineage loomed far away. These two powerhouses hadn’t noticed him yet.

Not to mention the Chen Dragon, who had already obtained the True Dragon Horn, was cultivating Five Elements Mistaken King, and possessed one of the Nine Treasures—leaving him with no weaknesses.

Even someone like Zhang Lingzong would be wary of such a formidable enemy.

He’d thought that becoming Transcendent Zhenren’s closed-door disciple would give him some clout—enough to make those formidable foes hesitate, or at least stall things if things blew up. But now, it seemed that was a bust.

"I’ll have to get in touch with Meng Qiwu later," Zhang Fan started calculating in his mind.

Ever since Qin Ergou joined Zhongnan Mountain, Zhang Fan had been quite in touch with this proud daughter of Zhongnan Mountain. Aside from checking in on Qin Ergou’s cultivation, the main point was to use Meng Qiwu as a bridge to reach the ’Rat.’

After all, secretly, this high-achieving student of Zhongnan Mountain was one of the Rat’s people.

Among the Thirteen Zodiacs, Chen Dragon was the strongest, but the Rat was the most mysterious. If he could borrow outside help to take down Chen Dragon, it would eliminate Zhang Fan’s biggest hidden danger.