Chapter 277: Chapter 276: The Stronger You Are, the More Friends You Have
Of course, Wanling Jiangbei was not without its share of malevolent Sects. For instance, in Wanling Jiangnan, the White Bone Cave had existed for a century, Silent God Mountain used humans for Soul Refining, and the Ink Flood Dragon had devoured many people in its early years—these weren’t events that only began in the last thirty years.
However, with the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court present in the past, along with some benevolent Demons, Spirits, and Gods, their actions had been relatively restrained.
Then, thirty years ago, the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits stirred up chaos in the river, giving these forces an opportunity. They drove the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court out of Jiangnan, and their actions grew increasingly brazen.
As for Wanling Jiangbei, it naturally had such forces as well, they just weren’t as flagrant as those in Jiangnan.
As the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court consolidated their power, their forces in Wanling Jiangbei naturally grew stronger, leading to greater internal stability.
Ultimately, the members of the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court were Ghost Gods and Spirit Monarchs, not humans. It was just that Ghost Gods originated from humans and required Incense, while Spirit Monarchs needed Harmony with humans to advance by leaps and bounds. This was what created a balance with mortals.
...
After finishing breakfast, Gu Zhao accepted a cup of tea from Zhuo Qingyan and took a comfortable sip. Just then, he heard a CLANGING sound from not far away.
A sweep of his Divine Thought revealed numerous Firework Taoists and craftsmen gathered at the Outer Disciple dormitories, already beginning to repair the buildings damaged in last night’s battle.
Then, two streaks of light flashed across the horizon. One was filled with a Daoist rhythm, while the other, though made of Demon Power, carried a natural, gentle air.
"Huh?" Taoist Ming Chong’s surprised voice rang out. "An enemy attack?"
Gu Zhao looked up, also surprised. "Uncle Ming Chong, you’ve broken through as well?"
Taoist Ming Chong flew toward them, a Daoist rhythm emanating from him. Gu Zhao could sense it clearly—he wasn’t using a Spirit Flying Jade Talisman, but was flying entirely on his own Magical Power, his foundation solid and stable.
It should be noted that while Taoist Ming Chong had not joined the sect particularly late, he focused most of his energy on researching Alchemy. He spent much of his time inside Daluo Palace. Even when he descended the mountain, he would be in the deep wilderness searching for medicinal herbs and Spirit Plants, rather than deliberately hunting Demon Fiends. As a result, his Cultivation progress was relatively slow.
But Daluo Palace had many masters and was not short one more. Besides, as a Daoism Sect in an Extraordinary World where medicinal herbs were plentiful, how could they not have a master of Alchemy?
Therefore, everyone was very supportive of Taoist Ming Chong’s work in Alchemy. This support grew even stronger after he successfully concocted a batch of elixirs that nourished health and prolonged life, which even ordinary people could consume.
The reason everyone, from the first members like Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Yi Hong to the more recent Taoist Qingyuan and Taoist Shen Hao, had achieved rapid breakthroughs was because they actively engaged in Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits to accumulate Evil Qi through arduous Cultivation.
The five-hundred-year threshold of Dao Practice was not so easily surpassed. At Taoist Ming Chong’s previous pace, it was likely that Taoist Yu Zhang and Taoist Jing Hong would have overtaken him.
So, Gu Zhao was quite surprised by Taoist Ming Chong’s sudden, great advancement in Dao Practice.
"My luck was good. I made a good friend."
Taoist Ming Chong landed and introduced the white-haired, white-bearded old man beside him to Gu Zhao. "This is Brother Feng, also known as the Purple Cloud Monarch. He is a Purple Ginseng that became a spirit and has lived in seclusion on Wuya Ridge for many years, rarely leaving the mountain."
Gu Zhao rose and clasped his hands in respect. "Elder Feng!"
"I wouldn’t dare accept the title of ’Elder’ from the Daluo Palace Master." The Purple Cloud Monarch chuckled and hastily waved his hands. "I’m just an old Demon. You can just call me Purple Cloud."
The Purple Cloud Monarch was dressed in a purple robe. He was tall, with a full head of white hair and a matching beard, and a ruddy complexion. His eyes exuded a sense of clarity and nature, yet his gaze was profound, with a hidden wisdom.
Gu Zhao nodded. "Brother Purple Cloud."
The Purple Cloud Monarch and Taoist Ming Chong addressed each other as peers, but Gu Zhao was the Daluo Palace Master, so they each used titles befitting their respective stations.
Moreover, Gu Zhao could clearly sense that the Purple Cloud Monarch’s Magical Power far surpassed Taoist Ming Chong’s. In terms of Dao Practice alone, he was nearly on par with Gu Zhao’s current level, qualifying him as a Great Demon without a doubt.
However, the Purple Cloud Monarch’s Demon Power was pure, his techniques born from nature. He had not a trace of Evil Qi and exuded a faint, natural air, which fit well with his identity as a plant that had become a spirit.
"Brother Purple Cloud, please, have a seat. Silk Embroideress, serve the tea," Gu Zhao instructed.
"Yes, Master!" the Silk Embroideress replied crisply. She quickly brought out a blue-and-white porcelain teacup from the "Porcelain Capital," poured a cup of Pre-Qingming Luo Cui tea, and placed it beside the Purple Cloud Monarch.
The Purple Cloud Monarch took a deep breath. "What a wonderful aroma! An excellent tea!"
Gu Zhao smiled faintly. The tea was a fresh brew from this world, infused with Spiritual Qi, but the roasting technique was one that had been researched for many years in Celestial Xia. The combination of the two worlds resulted in this pot of uncommonly fragrant tea.
Taoist Ming Chong accepted a cup of tea from his disciple, He Cailian, took a light sip, and nodded in satisfaction.
Although some things were inconvenient here in the Otherworld, this pot of tea truly surpassed the so-called "fine teas" of Celestial Xia. Its clean fragrance, tinged with Light Spirit Qi, put famous teas like Pre-Qingming Longjing and Yiye Maofeng to shame.
"It seems your fortuitous opportunity came from Brother Purple Cloud, Uncle?" Gu Zhao asked.
Although the other senior Daoists had recently been contributing a scattered but steady stream of Evil Qi to him, no single contribution had been particularly large. It was too dispersed and nowhere near enough for Taoist Ming Chong to achieve a breakthrough.
Taoist Ming Chong nodded with a smile. "I had gone south of Bai Shi Prefecture, intending to visit Yazhou. Instead of taking the main road, I decided to cross Wuya Ridge to see if I could find any medicinal herbs."
"There, I met Brother Feng, who was cultivating herbs in the mountains. We had a chat and both found it insightful. Afterward, Brother Feng gave me a Thousand-year-old Ginseng Root, which helped me achieve my Realm Breakthrough."
The Purple Cloud Monarch shook his head and replied with a modest smile, "That was only because Brother Ming Chong’s foundation was already profound and his Mental Realm was well-established. My ginseng root merely provided the final push."
"Even so, it saved my uncle a great deal of painstaking effort. Thank you very much!" Gu Zhao said, clasping his hands.
Taoist Ming Chong then asked about the situation at the Outer Disciple dormitories and learned that the Master of the Hall of Soul Forgetting from Shide Prefecture had been killed after sneaking onto the mountain.
"He certainly was audacious!" Taoist Ming Chong exclaimed. At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret. If he had returned just one day earlier, he could have gotten a share of the Evil Qi.
As they continued to chat, the Purple Cloud Monarch learned that five masters from three major powers in Shide Prefecture—the Forgotten Soul Hall, the Nianxiang Sect, and the Three Lives Divine Sect—had all been killed by Daluo Palace after being defeated by the Nether Fire Sect and retreating into Changping Prefecture.
The Purple Cloud Monarch was filled with a newfound respect.
Though he was a Purple Ginseng who had gained sentience and become a spirit, allowing him to cultivate faster and achieve a higher Dao Practice due to his innate nature, his actual combat strength had always been on the lower side for his level. He might not have been able to defeat those masters from Shide Prefecture.
Just then, another light flashed to the south of Cuiluo Mountain before landing outside the Daluo Palace’s main gate. The light dissipated, revealing Taoist Jing Feng with a married couple and a young girl.
Gu Zhao could sense that the couple’s Dao Practice was no less than Taoist Jing Feng’s, yet they treated him with great respect. Taoist Jing Feng then began leading them up the mountain on foot.
Gu Zhao smiled, lifting his cup for another sip of tea.
’With Daluo Palace’s influence growing and its ranks swelling with masters, it seems we’re making more and more friends in this world.’
