Longzang

Chapter 48 The Teacher

"It's none of my business!" Zhang Sheng thought to himself.

But he was already unable to move or speak, and all the magical powers and abilities in his consciousness were being erased in large swaths.

Master Fenhai sensed something was wrong and flew to block Zhang Sheng's path. However, the flames burning on his body extinguished almost instantly upon contact with the giant bird's gaze, revealing his vital chest and abdomen.

Suddenly, a giant hand, tens of feet long, reached out from the sky and grabbed the bird's head!

The three bird heads let out an angry roar and reluctantly disappeared into the large hand, and the shadow in the full moon finally dissipated.

The giant hand released its grip, and the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger suddenly changed color before disintegrating. Xuan Yue Zhenjun gave a soft hum and withdrew his giant hand.

The assembled immortals were all deeply moved. They had never imagined that the celestial fortune was so powerful. Even a mere phantom was beyond their ability to withstand. Even with the power of True Monarch Xuan Yue, he was injured, and seriously so. If True Monarch Xuan Yue hadn't intervened, everyone present would likely have perished on the spot!

Xuan Yue Zhenjun lowered his gaze and landed on Zhang Sheng, asking, "Why does the extraterrestrial fortune keep haunting you?"

Zhang Sheng was also feeling down, and replied, "This disciple doesn't know. Perhaps it's just bad luck?"

After pondering for a moment, Xuan Yue Zhenjun said, "That's quite possible! Go to the Tianji Hall later and ask them to change your luck."

Zhang Sheng said, "I have no money!"

True Lord Xuan Yue remained silent, and the matter was left unmentioned.

Between heaven and earth, the enormous jade toad coldly observed the assembled immortals. The immortals glanced at the jade toad, then at the Burning Sea Immortal, then back at the jade toad, and then back at the Burning Sea Immortal.

Master Fenhai immediately flew into a rage: "What are you all looking at me for?"

Immediately someone said, "Congratulations, Master, on taking on such a fine disciple. However, the resources for body forging are probably beyond your disciple's ability to provide. As the grandmaster, you should also do your part."

Master Fenhai glared and spread his hands, saying, "Even a fine disciple is a disciple of the Azure Sky Palace and the Water Moon Palace! Everyone should contribute; no one should try to escape!"

"What does this have to do with my Water Moon Palace?"

Master Fenhai pointed at the towering jade toad and said, "How can I fill such a bottomless pit by myself? We should all work together, so that our time as fellow disciples will not be in vain!"

Several people immediately declined, and some even tried to sneak away.

What true person wouldn't recognize its value? The size of the visualization diagram is crucial; it can't be as large as one desires. Wei Yuan's diagram is already over a hundred feet long. Even if its material is ethereal, the spiritual energy required to fill each square foot is less than that of ordinary disciples, but still roughly half. If you calculate carefully, by the time the entire visualization diagram is filled and Wei Yuan's body forging is complete, the resources consumed will probably be enough to cultivate several hundred ordinary Dao Foundation cultivators.

Even the most ordinary Dao foundation cannot be supported by hundreds of True Persons; even the Patriarch of Taichu Palace could not manage it.

This was no ordinary bottomless pit, so naturally everyone avoided it like the plague. The True Immortals tried their best to decline, but in reality, they were eagerly waiting for True Lord Xuan Yue to speak.

Unexpectedly, True Lord Xuan Yue said, "Let's all contribute!"

Although the True Lord had spoken, this matter was of utmost importance. One of the True Immortals from the Water Moon Palace said, "To solidify this foundation, we'll probably have to use up most of the Heavenly Azure Palace's accumulated wealth. But the fortune from beyond the heavens is elusive, and it's hard to say what kind of foundation we'll be able to build. What if the foundation we build is subpar? Wouldn't all of Heavenly Azure Palace's years of savings be wasted? Although Heavenly Azure Palace has been poorly managed in recent years, with income failing to cover expenses, its reputation plummeting, and creditors knocking on its door every day... even a centipede doesn't die easily, and it still has some assets left."

Master Fenhai was furious: "What do you mean by poor management and spending more than one's income?"

Master Shuiyue Palace coldly replied, "It means exactly what it says. If Senior Brother Fenhai hasn't read many books, I can spare half a day to answer your questions."

Another True Person from the Azure Sky Palace said, "Senior Brother keeps talking about the Azure Sky Palace, but doesn't he know that from Ancestor Xuan Yue onwards, the two palaces are one? The Water Moon Palace naturally also has a responsibility to nurture Wei Yuan."

A female cultivator from the Water Moon Palace immediately said, "You keep saying that he is a disciple of your Azure Sky Palace, what does he have to do with my Water Moon Palace? Otherwise, you should have him become a disciple of my Lan Hua, then we can consider it."

"Keep dreaming of conquering the world!"

Several True Immortals argued fiercely, neither willing to yield. True Lord Xuan Yue remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. The argument between the two halls escalated, threatening to erupt into physical violence. The Azure Sky Hall had produced numerous talented individuals over the past century, but this also resulted in significant expenditures, leading to a deficit despite its high ranking among the twelve halls. The Water Moon Hall, on the other hand, adopted a different approach, steadily building its strength and consistently achieving a surplus. Every twenty or thirty years, its power would increase significantly. Although ranked at the bottom of the halls, the Water Moon Hall's upward trajectory was evident. In terms of Immortal Silver income, the Water Moon Hall far surpassed the Azure Sky Hall.

Filling Wei Yuan's bottomless pit isn't something that can be accomplished by just one or two True Immortals; it would severely impact the cultivation of all the True Immortals in the palace. After all, the entire Tai Chu Palace only cultivates about a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators every five years. Therefore, the True Immortals of Tian Qing Palace wanted to involve Shui Yue Palace, while Shui Yue Palace was determined to distance itself from the effort.

At this moment, Xuan Yue Zhenjun, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up: "Zhang Sheng, he is your disciple, what do you say?"

Zhang Sheng silently walked to the center of the main hall, knelt down, touched his head to the ground, and said, "This disciple is willing to guarantee his Dao foundation and immortal path, and earnestly begs the Ancestor to give Wei Yuan a chance! No matter what achievements Wei Yuan makes in the future, this disciple will repay the resources he has consumed!"

What if I refuse?

Zhang Sheng remained silent for a moment, then said, "Then this disciple will earn his own provisions. If I have a share, he will have a share."

Xuan Yue Zhenjun sighed, "You clearly have the path to immortality, so why bother?"

"A teacher should act in this way!"

Master Fenhai's eyes twitched. He stood next to Zhang Sheng, bowed deeply, and said, "This disciple is also willing to offer all his resources. What is mine, Wei Yuan's will also have!"

Unexpectedly, a large hand descended from the sky, grabbed True Person Burning Sea, and threw him aside: "The Azure Sky Palace has been running a deficit all these years, isn't that all your doing? Your annual salary has already been deducted for fifty years to come, what resources do you have left?"

Several real people, with sharp eyes, noticed, amidst their gloating, that the large hand falling from the sky was a left hand, not the right hand that had just grabbed the bird's head.

Master Fenhai was embarrassed and didn't know what to say. The Azure Sky Palace had been operating at a loss for years, and its main expenditure was compensating those injured by Master Fenhai.

Master Fenhai looked at Zhang Sheng, who was prostrate on the ground, gritted his teeth, knelt down with a thud, and said, "This disciple is willing to serve the palace for a hundred years, even if it means going through fire and water, without hesitation! I beg you, Master, to give me a chance!"

This moved all the real people present.

The Dharma Aspect True Person holds a revered position and is not required to kneel within the Tai Chu Palace except on rare occasions such as his master's birthday celebrations and ancestral worship ceremonies. The Burning Sea True Person, possessing exceptional combat prowess and a high status within the Tai Chu Palace, is now kneeling in obeisance!
The True Man of Burning Sea was as fierce as fire, and he would never kneel for himself. This kneeling was half for Zhang Sheng and half for Wei Yuan.

Upon hearing the word "teacher," Xuan Yue Zhenjun remained silent for a long time. Fen Hai Zhenren was his last disciple, someone he had watched grow up. In a daze, both of them had grown old.

Xuan Yue Zhenjun sighed and said, "When you first entered the sect, you were only seven years old and a skinny child. In the blink of an eye, you have your own grand-disciple. Get up."

A gentle force lifted Master Fenhai and moved him aside, leaving Zhang Sheng kneeling on the spot.

True Lord Xuan Yue said, "Zhang Sheng, since you are willing to guarantee your immortal path, then I will ask you one more time. No matter what level of Dao foundation Wei Yuan cultivates in the future, the resources consumed will be borne by you and Wei Yuan together. This is no small matter. Are you willing?"

Zhang Sheng replied without hesitation, "This disciple is willing!"

"Alright then, the palace will do its best to supply what Wei Yuan needs from now on, using the public treasury. If the palace doesn't have it, everyone can use their own savings to make up for it."

Every True Immortal felt the gaze from above, including the three True Immortals of the Water Moon Palace. Since True Lord Xuan Yue had made the decision, the True Immortals, though reluctant, had no further objections, and the matter was settled. At this moment, the True Immortals no longer found the Jade Toad so pleasing to the eye.

Someone suddenly remarked, "This visualization painting doesn't seem to have any unusual features, does it?"

Master Fenhai snorted and said coldly, "It's already this big, what other strange phenomena do you need?"

The immortals had no way to refute it, after all, even the most miraculous ant can be trampled to death by an elephant.

Yu Chan was still gazing at the full moon overhead, but his eyes were fixed on the kneeling figure of Zhang Sheng.

With the matter settled, True Lord Xuan Yue's aura disappeared, and everyone dispersed.

(End of this chapter)