Chapter 221: Chapter 220: The Abilities of the Old Daoists
Gu Zhao was finally busy. Daluo Palace had established a Daluo Temple in the Prefecture City of Bai Shi Prefecture, with Taoist Yan Ling serving as the Observatory Master.
Gu Zhao personally took action, burying seventy-two Large Purple Sandalwood stakes around the Bai Shi Prefecture’s Daluo Temple to set up a Five Thunders Dragon-Catching Array. Under Taoist Yan Ling’s control, even an expert on the level of Yellow Heaven Ancestor would likely meet their end if they came.
By the time Gu Zhao returned to Daluo Palace, Yunyang had also returned, having completed the newcomer’s trial with Taoist Shen Hao and three other veteran Daoists.
As for what they had gained...
Four veteran Daoists who had completely adapted to the Otherworld, and a New Thunder Seed revolving around the Five Thunders Order in Gu Zhao’s Sea of Consciousness.
’The accumulation speed is getting faster and faster. Sooner or later, the speed at which I recruit people won’t be able to keep up with the rate the Thunder Seeds are forming.’ Gu Zhao couldn’t help but sigh.
"How do you feel?" Gu Zhao asked.
"Excellent!" Taoist Shen Hao replied.
Yunyang said, "We toured a few counties, followed the Yongning River for a stretch, killed a few trouble-making River Demons, and even saw a Great Demon from the river."
"How great was it?" Gu Zhao asked.
"The kind that can fly," Yunyang answered.
Gu Zhao’s eyebrow twitched as he realized something. "He didn’t have any Evil Qi?"
Yunyang nodded. "He’s a Spirit Monarch. At the time, we were about to kill a child-eating Fish Demon when he happened to pass by. The Fish Demon asked him for help, so Taoist Shen Hao exchanged a few blows with him."
Gu Zhao turned to Taoist Shen Hao and asked with concern, "You weren’t injured, were you, Daoist?"
Taoist Shen Hao’s white eyebrows rose. "Although that Fairy has profound Magical Power, his Demon Power is impure. His True Qi is several levels below ours. Even if his Dao Practice is a bit higher, he couldn’t injure me."
Gu Zhao gave a thumbs-up. "Incredible, Martial Uncle!"
Taoist Shen Hao was an old fossil from the Shangqing Sect. After cultivating his Inner Breath True Qi in his early years, he had tried out every classic text of the Shangqing Sect.
Besides his primary practice of using the Shangqing Great Cave Scripture to absorb the Five Qi and condense his Divine Soul, he also cultivated the Shangqing Supreme Eight Elements True Scripture to sense the celestial stars, The Middle Scripture of the Nine Truths of the Supreme God Emperor of Shangqing to harness the energies of the four seasons, and the Divine Soul Inner Observation Method from the Cave Scripture Upper Pure Cyan Essential Purple Scripture Golden Root Collection of Scriptures.
On Blue Star, these scriptures had felt useless, or at least of very limited use.
But when Taoist Shen Hao arrived in the Otherworld, he discovered that they were all, in fact, useful.
And besides Cultivation Techniques, the Shangqing Sect was naturally not lacking in means of attack and defense. Taoist Shen Hao cultivated the Scripture of the Profound Truth Supreme Purple Passage, and his greatest specialty was the technique of the Flowing Gold Fire Bell!
It was both a form of Magic and a Magical Treasure.
It was both a Skill of Attack and Destruction and a Protective Skill.
As the saying goes: The Seven Essences of Celestial Origin, the Flowing Bells of the Five Emperors, hurl brilliant lightning like a star streaking through the heavens!
And also: Heaven’s light shines upon the spirit; the profound essence of the Seven Dawns and the brilliant canopy of the Five Dippers envelop my form!
The Fire Bell Great Curse, a top-tier Curse Technique in the Taoist Sect, was in no way inferior to the Celestial Pig Curse, the Five Thunders Curse, or the Golden Light Curse!
Taoist Yu Zhang chuckled. "Brother Shen Hao broke through the Spirit Monarch’s protective Demon Power with a single Flowing Gold Fire Bell. If he hadn’t shown mercy and deliberately aimed wide, I’m afraid he would have been injured."
Yunyang nodded. "Then, Taoist Yu Zhang formed the Ziwei Seal, and Martial Uncle Jing Hong and Martial Uncle Jing Fa both manifested their Dao auras. After that, the Great Demon Spirit Monarch was willing to talk."
Gu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh.
The full name of the scripture Taoist Yu Zhang cultivated was the Supreme Cave Abyss North Emperor Tianpeng Life Protection Disaster Relief Divine Spell Marvelous Scripture. In addition, he also practiced the Supreme North Pole Demon Subduing Divine Spell Ghost-Killing Talisman.
To put it simply, it was the Northern Emperor’s Celestial Pig Scripture.
Thus, his most famous technique was the Celestial Pig Divine Curse!
When Taoist Yu Zhang formed the Ziwei Seal, it was similar to when Taoist Jing Feng used the Northern Emperor’s Black Book Great Transformation Divine Spell to incarnate as Beiyin Fengdu; the only difference was that he was summoning Marshal Tianpeng.
So, although Taoist Yu Zhang was a newcomer with a low level of Dao Practice, his aura was extraordinary. It carried the might of the Celestial Gods, and its intimidating effect on the Great Demon was probably even stronger than Taoist Shen Hao’s.
Additionally, Taoist Jing Hong cultivated the Panxi Elixir Technique, and Taoist Jing Fa cultivated Zhong Lü’s Inner Alchemy Collection. Both were top-tier Inner Alchemy Techniques from the Quanzhen Dragon Gate Sect. Their True Qi was highly condensed, and their bodies were brimming with a Daoist aura, making fighting above their level as natural as breathing.
That Great Demon, having cultivated to his current realm, was also discerning. He immediately guessed that these men must have a powerful backer. Coupled with Taoist Shen Hao holding back, he was naturally willing to talk things over peacefully.
Yunyang smiled. "He also said he’d come visit Daluo Palace when he has time."
Gu Zhao nodded. "Since he’s a Spirit Monarch, he’s of course welcome."
Then, the old Daoists wanted to descend the mountain again. It took a great deal of persuasion from Gu Zhao and Yunyang to get them to rest at Daluo Palace for one night. They also had them return to the modern world to call their loved ones and report that they were safe, lest they be reported as missing persons.
「The next day」
As he watched the four old Daoists excitedly descend the mountain...
’Another New Thunder Seed,’ Gu Zhao lamented. ’My life is so hard!’
Yunyang spread his hands. "Whether it’s the Celestial Master’s Mansion and Fengdu Temple, or Sanmao Mountain and Feiyun Mountain, the old masters all have fellow disciples and juniors who haven’t come over yet. Not to mention the Dragon Gate Sect has people all over the country."
Gu Zhao nodded and turned to ask, "Speaking of which, everyone who’s come from the Inner Alchemy Lineage has been from your Dragon Gate Sect. Are there no others in Quanzhen Dao?"
Yunyang was speechless. "Because the people you’re looking for are all people we know. Of course they’re all from the Dragon Gate Sect."
From Taoist Yi Hong to Yunyang, and then from Yunyang to Taoist Jing Fa and Taoist Jing Hong—isn’t that a single chain of connections?
Gu Zhao raised his eyebrows. "Are there other experts in Quanzhen Dao?"
"Of course!" Yunyang nodded. "Never mind the lineages passed down from the Quanzhen Seven Elders; even the lineages passed down by the Elders’ disciples have experts."
"For example?" Gu Zhao asked.
"For example, the Lao Mountain Golden Mountain Sect," Yunyang said with a straight face.
Gu Zhao laughed in exasperation. "Don’t think I don’t know that the Golden Mountain Sect is just a branch of the Dragon Gate Sect!"
Yunyang roared with laughter, dodging Gu Zhao’s swatting hand. "Although the Golden Mountain Sect is only located in Lao Mountain, it has developed quite well. There should be some experts there."
"Should be?" Gu Zhao asked doubtfully.
"I’ve never been there, so of course it’s ’should be’," Yunyang said, as if it were perfectly reasonable.
Gu Zhao pouted, then had an idea and teased, "No, I’ve decided to go to Jin Province next and look for the Pure Yang Sect. I want to see what the orthodox successors of Lü Zu are like."
Yunyang couldn’t help but glare. "But I cultivate Zhong Lü’s Inner Alchemy Collection!"
Gu Zhao said coolly, "You’re from the Dragon Gate Sect. Don’t try to claim a connection."
Yunyang glared again. "But I can manifest Lü Zu’s Dharma Aspect!"
Gu Zhao shot Yunyang a sidelong glance. "That’s just you deluding yourself."
Yunyang rolled up his sleeves. "Go on, find him! Find him! We’ll see who’s stronger then, him or me!"
As the two were bantering, they saw Hu Yufei fly over, cradling a small rabbit in her arms. "Yunyang! Sect Leader! My little sister is injured, you have to take a look at her, quick!"
As Hu Yufei approached, Gu Zhao sensed that the rabbit in her arms had a feeble aura. It carried no Evil Qi, but a bloody Demon Power was corroding its internal organs.
Without waiting for Yunyang to act, Gu Zhao swiped a hand over the gourd at his waist and produced a Heaven-Reaching Treasure Light Talisman.
The moment the Treasure Light flared, all corruption was purged.
The bloody Demon Power on the little rabbit was swept clean away. The rabbit’s aura stabilized, and it opened its eyes, looking around. It first licked the back of Hu Yufei’s hand, then voluntarily hopped down. In a flash of light, it transformed into a delicate-looking young girl with pretty features.
"Thank you, Taoist Yunyang! Thank you, Daluo Palace Master, for saving my life!" the girl said, then looked at Hu Yufei pitifully. "Sister Yufei, I thought I’d never see you again!"
Hu Yufei let out a sigh of relief, only then asking, "Who injured you?"
"A tiger came to Guangwu County, took over a mountain, and wanted to marry me. I refused, so he injured me."
The girl continued, then hurriedly added a warning, "Last time you went back to Guangwu County, you told me you were at Daluo Palace, so I fled in this direction. That tiger is still chasing me. You have to be careful!"
"Oh?" Yunyang’s eyes lit up. "That tiger is still chasing you?"
The girl nodded, then saw Yunyang turn to Gu Zhao with great excitement. "I’ll go get us a tiger-skin throne!"
Gu Zhao nodded, his own eyes gleaming. "And tiger-bone wine! The bones of a Tiger Demon would definitely have a potent effect!"
